Sol's despair is a multifaceted subject that should be dealt with socialisation, getting the chance to feel human among friends.

I'd rather he forges these connections and prompts us to act on it than the other way around. When he actively feels strongly enough towards someone than just a passing liking.

Right now I don't want him to ask Penny out putting her in a potentially awkward spot - after the massive favour he did her last turn. Actions aren't without consequences, their existing working relationship might suffer if things take a bad turn. And to actually engaging with Chloe onscreen before asking her in that date, casual or otherwise.
 
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Maybe discord really strongly affects the perception of what is happening, but for me, who only follows the quest itself, it looks something like this.
"Great, we have a lot of willpower, what are we going to do about it? Of course, we will suddenly try to start a romantic relationship with a person about whom there were a couple of words in the text for a reason that was never mentioned in the quest itself!"
If this were a story and not a quest, I would raise my eyebrows in perplexity because of this turn of events. But even taking into account the discount that the quest format gives, such a development of events looks completely inorganic.
 
But even taking into account the discount that the quest format gives, such a development of events looks completely inorganic.
Part of it, I think, stems from the variety of viewpoints that I've distilled into two camps: optimizers and tellers. The optimizer goal is to get higher numbers - it is similar in overall method to some cultivation quests to my broad understanding, and a lot of the clarifying questions asked on the Discord are "does x positively affect effective Arcanum level". It's the same idea that drives the 'we should make a wizard tower in the middle of Fortuna and teleport everywhere" - because it gives mechanical bonuses and is the optimal way for Sol to maximize his strength in the time allotted.

To be clear: there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG with this type of play. It leads to the same sort of satisfaction I feel when playing TTRPGs and explode a banshee in one round at level 3.

But I personally fall into the teller camp, which is definitely less organized than its opposite. The broad goal for tellers, one could say, is in quote unquote "suboptimal" play in the pursuit of an "interesting story", with what makes an interesting story changing from person to person. Arguably you could say that everyone is a teller and that optimizers just find someone atomizing a guy with his brain narratively satisfying (which one could, and should, argue that it is!) but to me tellers are more interested in exploring what I term "the living world" - the setting as a whole regardless of if it wastes time that could be spent improving the numbers - whereas optimizers zero in on the character's personal improvement.

I think the intent of this entire tangent is to make everyone think about their aims, who they share it with, and why in order to create discussion about our aims as a thread. Do we want to make Sol a combat monster with an effective combat rating in the higher side of the scale? Do we favor seeing the world as a whole and directly influencing the character arcs of other members of it? Etcetera. Make your own choice, discuss with all who share and oppose it, and generate that sweet sweet SC!
 
As far as i know there's no end goal. Just the journey. Unless, I'm missing something. Which I probably am.

Even the immediate goals, no one wants to actually accomplish, for the sake of more power. Why aren't we trying to actually deal with problems instead of pushing them onto someone else? No teller should be wanting to trivialize problems, because that's where the story is.

It's just a shame that the same plan with or without story is being the main plan voted for.
 
It's just a shame that the same plan with or without story is being the main plan voted for.
I'd like to add that part of this is a larger problem, or that this is part of one at least. I have noticed that few people write plans - and fewer write plans that manage to amass a significant amount of support let alone win the vote. Part of this is clout (certain people just have a reputation for being well-thought and eloquent with their aims), part of this is momentum (people who write plans that win tend to write more plans that win, statistically).

I would challenge people who write a lot of plans in this thread to restrain themselves from doing so right off the bat next vote - just to see where discussion takes the thread. I would wager new, interesting, and unforeseen ideas and paths will open themselves up!

And just to ask you, @goable, but also the rest of the thread - what problems do you see in the current plans? Why? Make a post about it if you have time! Today's insight is tomorrow's breakthrough, and I am sure thoughtful discussion on all manner of topics would be most prudent here! For example: romance (y/n)? Should Sol fuck off to make a wizard tower? How should he deal with Damien?
 
It's just a shame that the same plan with or without story is being the main plan voted for.

My perspective on this is a narrative sometimes needs, pacing. A certain element introduced early or later can potentially change the course of the whole tale. I really feel timing is so important, if we wait too long the pieces might no longer fit. And when we press an issue early before it's time a seed might never germinate to its full potential. What is best for the story is going with the flow of the currents of narrative as many small steps come together into a titanic step that takes us beyond.
 
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As far as i know there's no end goal. Just the journey. Unless, I'm missing something. Which I probably am.

Even the immediate goals, no one wants to actually accomplish, for the sake of more power. Why aren't we trying to actually deal with problems instead of pushing them onto someone else? No teller should be wanting to trivialize problems, because that's where the story is.

It's just a shame that the same plan with or without story is being the main plan voted for.
we don't have the will to be able to do whatever we want still? Also socializing is moving things along we want those socials and we are literally exploring.
 
The current plans that are winning (one and its variation) has a Penny social (with whom we have ~6 Bond) in order to have her investigate things. Personally, I feel as though more stuff to justify getting more bond with her in place of others with much lower bond has been piled on. Speaking with her now includes having her handle Damien's stuff (which Sol is 100% better equipped to deal with peacefully as the social character) and having her introduce Sol to someone else/ask her out. I do agree with Fghu - the latter is a wild leap.

Personally, I feel as though some other plans have more merit because they focus this turn - arguably one where we have the Willpower to do stuff like it - on socials. The plan with the very long name, for example, focuses more on Social and handling Damien then it does on the broad Empowerment present in the current plan. I would present that this is an issue of momentum again, as well as the fact that the later a plan is made the less votes it gets.

Handing the problem to Penny to solve is lazy and doesn't tell an interesting story, IMO. Delegation is done for things that aren't consequential, and this is VERY consequential.
 
We've talked about the reasons for this multiple times... the three action system means Sol can't do things in sufficient granularity to cover everything we want, and asking Birdsie to do that would tank the pacing of the quest anyway. We're doing many things in the context of the Penny social because that allows us to accomplish many things in one social action, and Birdsie has weighed in extensively against the idea that post-Seraph Penny is incompetent in dealing with the bullies.

Whenever you consider that 'Option X would be great,' the alternative is not 'nothing,' it's 'taking a Remedial or Exploration action instead.' We've discussed opportunity costs many times. Questing is about choices, and choices have consequences. You cannot get everything that you want. In choosing Path X, you will naturally sacrifice Path Y. There are some paths that get a lot more done, and see a lot more interesting content, than other paths - they accomplish this by being efficient. In screentime, in Actions spent, and in Will.

If we only take social actions, of which there are a nearly unlimited number that would be relevant to Sol, the pacing will slow to a snail's crawl and Sol will never get anything done. I suggested delaying the Explorer's club to take the Damien social and was met with fierce resistance, for example. Nor can we slack on Remedials and hope to get anywhere with the Architecture.

There's nothing wrong with people voting for the same plan, it just means there is a clear consensus on most of what people want. This is something that is very common and often preferred.
 
Maybe in the next turn we should spend time establishing Bonding with Penelope, Damien and Harrison?
I mean it will only cost 15 will. But on the other hand, we will establish contact with the most promising students from our class, and by spending effort we could make the team mutually reinforcing and accelerating each other's development.
In addition, as I noticed, each of this list of characters appeals to the majority of those present here, and by connecting them all into one team, we can communicate with them all at once simply by selecting the action teams.
 
I would support a full social turn next month. Now that people are listening to him, surely Sol will use all that Will he has now to interact with the people whose lives he has spent most of his days fruitlessly trying to prove?
 
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We can't take triple social turns, joining the Explorer's Club means we're locked into Exploration actions every turn. If you have a problem with this, you need to overcome the Explorer's Club lobby which opposed the <Exploration Club -> Damien Social> swap this turn.
 
Okay. Two socials. Problem solved. Look at us go!

Arguably you can drop Harrison/Penny because Exploring with them probably has a social element anyways
 
If we stifle his desires despite now coming into a surfeit of Will, that leads to a different kind of character development that I'm not enthused about. In this quest, Sol has always been decisive when he is stirred to action so this sudden hesitation in the social realm would be a step backwards.
We're not stifling his desires, though. Solomon hasn't expressed any desires on-screen or through options; the only reason we even know he cares at all is a coincidental discord conversation! The natural, which is to say, most probable when looking from the perspective we would have just after the update (or simply from only reading the updates), continuation isn't for Solomon to start doing romance because the updates themselves made no indication of that*. If we wouldn't be stifling his desires by not actively selecting to pursue them then, we won't be stifling his desires to not actively pursue them now that we know they exist.
An absence of encouragement isn't a stifling, all the more so if the thing to encourage is so easily missed! If no-romance is meant to be an active selection of stiffling Solomon, it should At Least be raised as an explicit option in the updates themselves (maybe a 'deeper bonding' option next to bonding or whatever I dunno), not left to be deduced from a coincidental conversation and pursued by playerbasely initiative.

*Okay, he said 'Penny is cute' while debating about the Engine fight. Fine. You can argue he might want romance with Penny based on that, I guess. Doesn't fit for Chloe, though, that's pure Discord.
 
We're not stifling his desires, though. Solomon hasn't expressed any desires on-screen or through options; the only reason we even know he cares at all is a coincidental discord conversation! The natural, which is to say, most probable when looking from the perspective we would have just after the update (or simply from only reading the updates), continuation isn't for Solomon to start doing romance because the updates themselves made no indication of that*. If we wouldn't be stifling his desires by not actively selecting to pursue them then, we won't be stifling his desires to not actively pursue them now that we know they exist.
An absence of encouragement isn't a stifling, all the more so if the thing to encourage is so easily missed! If no-romance is meant to be an active selection of stiffling Solomon, it should At Least be raised as an explicit option in the updates themselves (maybe a 'deeper bonding' option next to bonding or whatever I dunno), not left to be deduced from a coincidental conversation and pursued by playerbasely initiative.

*Okay, he said 'Penny is cute' while debating about the Engine fight. Fine. You can argue he might want romance with Penny based on that, I guess. Doesn't fit for Chloe, though, that's pure Discord.
I'm gonna argue saying things that are just discord being worth less is kind of stupid when honestly we're not gonna cover even 10% of the setting in this quest. Birdsie is unlikely to write about an absurd amount of things if we want to look at things we have to pursue them not just wait for birdsie to present things.
 
The fact that Sol is greatly interested in romance is such a huge stretch. Sol is legitimately mentally damaged and is under the mindset that relationships would turn out disastrously for him. My understanding is that Sol, in a perfect world, would date anyone if he thought it wouldn't end poorly. However, due to his mental trauma and damage, he DOES believe that any relationship would end disastrously. It's minimizing the crippling mental health issues he has that are still not resolved, even if our will gain has improved. The root cause of his despair is still prevalent.
 
I'm gonna argue saying things that are just discord being worth less is kind of stupid when honestly we're not gonna cover even 10% of the setting in this quest. Birdsie is unlikely to write about an absurd amount of things if we want to look at things we have to pursue them not just wait for birdsie to present things.
I'm not saying things that are just discord are Worthless! I'm arguing that not acting on discord information can't be considered a Suppression, because it's the most probable path and state of affairs- because us receiving that information via discord wasn't especially probable in the first place. I don't think Birdsie would steer the story into a situation such that we're unknowingly suppressing Solomon's own strong desires until and unless we happen to go on a tangent on discord about Solomon's position on relationships (unless, maybe, if Solomon was in denial about or unaware of his desires, and so the passive suppression is the analogue to an in-character mental bias or something? But I don't think that's the case here.).
 
Either this is a casual date that doesn't commit to anything and Sol's signaling openness to romance, which could attract the very untoward attention it's intended to prevent, or it does prematurely initiate a relationship Solomon would have to spend Will to leave. It's an awkward request to make of Penelope right after empowering her. We also don't know how she gets along with Chloe, beyond a default guess of amicability as they're both good-natured and popular. For that matter, we don't know whether Solomon has said more than two words to Chloe beyond thanking her when she bought the class snacks. Word of Bird is not entirely encouraging:
Birdsie on Discord said:
Solomon is personally fond of Chloe but not in a way that he'd ever approach her
...
It's not so much a crush as slightly increased willingness. If she asked him out, he'd actually consider it for longer than a minute. Probably still ultimately a no.
There is also the risk of rejection, which my best guess of Solomon's psychology says would cost at least as much Will as having to shoot Stella or whoever down. Even if the date goes swimmingly, it's an oft-stated truth that relationships take work, something Solomon is notoriously bad at. We're already going to be taking regular Exploration actions; better to spend Will to rebuff hypothetical overtures here than possibly bleed future slots that could've been used for Remedials.

We can grind social links for Aspect sharing via Connections through the club, while adventuring in Fortuna. If there ends up being chemistry with another member, fine. But for Solomon 'anything but physical attraction as a basis for argument' Lancaster to do a cannonball into the dating pool as soon as he gains a dram of agency reeks of desperation. And frankly, based on our current state of information I don't find any of the characters compelling in a romantic light.

[X] Plan Grand Caster Says no to Harems
 
Adhoc vote count started by Mr.Norm on Nov 12, 2023 at 9:39 PM, finished with 129 posts and 35 votes.

  • [X] Plan Grand Caster Says no to Harems
    -[X] Same as main plan. But Sol decides dating right now is too troublesome. Socialises with the Explorer Club members instead in the upcoming expedition, following Harrison's lead.
    [X] Plan Grand Caster
    -[X] Full Disclosure
    -[X] Action 1: Socialize with Penny and ask her to investigate both the Apostles (priority 1) and Damien's situation with the Bullies (priority 2). Penny has Lawgiver 7, Birdsie has confirmed she can simply impose Law upon Josh and Francis to prevent them from bullying any of the class directly or indirectly. Ask Penny to set Sol up on a casual getting-to-know-you date with Chloe, or ask Penny herself on said date (Sol's choice, Birdsie confirmed Sol can do this for ~30 Will and he's interested in Chloe, Penny would also be a 'based' choice according to Birdsie and she already believes Sol about his predictions, would cost less Will).
    -[X] Action 2: Remedial Lesson (use the Cups discount here unless Sol thinks it would work better elsewhere)
    -[X] Action 3: Join the Exploration Club, taking the Exploration action (-35 to -65 Will in total, net +30 to +0 Will for the turn)
    -[X] Ask Samantha (the Star) for a majestic and epic Magician's outfit. Include any supernatural features Samantha would feel appropriate that do not grossly clash with Sol's practical or aesthetic sense (for example, Sol may prefer a cloak for obscuring his identity rather than a large and unwieldy hat). If practical, move out of the dorm and raise up a forbidding tower within Fortuna to serve as your temporary Sanctum. If Solomon desires it, tell Harrison he can drop by anytime or move in if he wants. Teleport everywhere. Birdsie has said that doing these things (net cost: 0 Will) will grant Solomon a slight bonus to his Effectiveness Rating and to all his checks. Use Connections 9 and your Arcanum to buff Samantha while she does this. Don't commit so much time and effort to this that it would take an action.
    -[X] Solomon is capable of buffing the Explorer's club in a multitude of ways if he works openly: with even a trivial effort he can (discord info) create compounds equivalent to the greatest modern drugs with no side effects or physiological dependence. Imagine the speed and focus of the strongest amphetamines, the morale-enhancing effects of cocaine, the strongest nootropic and analgesic substances, and of course... disgustingly powerful steroids. We can turn our entire club into Anabolic Heroes, and that's just the nonmagical potions.
    -[X] We can advise and buff Penny in her chosen actions, perhaps guide them towards less destructive ends, while staying in our support and mentorship role. Our support-focused mentality and general benevolence should convince the Apostles to hold off on drastic actions at least for now.
    [X] Plan Investigateandbond-And-Explore-And-Head-Off-Problems-and-get-a-cool-outfit-and-maybe-Remedial-and-remember-the-cups-discount-exists
    -[X] Full Disclosure
    -[X] Exploration
    --[X] Join the Club
    -[X] Ask Samantha for a cool outfit with whatever optimisations have been suggested or Solomon thinks best. Also teleport places when Solomon feels like it (Maybe this can develop into a technique or something but I doubt it), but don't move from the dorm to a tower unless Solomon thinks Harrison would come with.
    -[X] Bonding: Penelope
    --[X] Ask Penelope to investigate the Apostles
    --[X] If Solomon confidently believes Penelope can effectively handle (or at least definitely not worsen)the Damien situation given however much advice he can currently give, remind her of the Damien situation and give any useful advice.
    -[X] If Penelope has not been reminded of the Damien situation, Bonding: Damien. Otherwise, Classwork: Remedial.
    -[X] If the Cups Discount can be accumulated across turns for a single cumulative or pending action, apply it to Improve Curriculum. (or, in the highly unlikely event it's permanent, linear, and no greater than 5, apply it to Bonding). Otherwise, apply it to Exploration, unless Exploration - Join The Club costs 10 Will (it's Slightly ambiguous) and you took Remedial Classwork, in which case apply it to that.
    [X] Plan Touch (some) Grass
    -[X] Full Disclosure
    -[X] Bonding
    --[X] Damien
    -[X] Exploration
    --[X] Join the Club
    -[X] Classwork
    --[X] Remedial
    -[X] Ask Samantha to make us 1 baller wizard fit. It's for optimization i swear
    [X] Plan Throne Shadow
    -[X] Secret Concord
    -[X] Take one Remedial Lesson (Cups Discount unless Sol thinks it'd work better elsewhere) and join the Exploration Club, taking the Exploration action.
    -[X] For the third Action, socialize with Penny and ask her to investigate both the Apostles (priority 1) and Damien's situation with the Bullies (priority 2). Penny has Lawgiver 7, Birdsie has confirmed she can simply impose Law upon Josh and Francis to prevent them from bullying any of the class directly or indirectly. (-35 Will. Our Will generation is +65 per turn so we'll be up 30 Will for the turn.)
    -[X] Ask Samantha (the Star) for a subdued, thematic yet stylish outfit. Include any supernatural features Samantha would feel appropriate that do not grossly clash with Sol's aesthetic sense.
    [X] Plan Touch (some) Grass
    -[X] Bonding
    --[X] Damien
    -[X] Exploration
    --[X] Join the Club
    -[X] Classwork
    --[X] Remedial
 
Isn't the question about dating and being goldfished best resolved by Sol applying Architecture to see who would attempt to goldfish him?
 
Surveyance
Surveyance

Given a prevailing absence of any interest in secrecy, the story of their defeat of an eldritch monstrosity and claiming of its might spread around like wildfire.

On a daily basis from then on, Solomon was assailed with a number of troublesome requests, most of which Penelope rebuffed on her benefactor's behalf without him lifting a finger, like a celebrity's bodyguard. He found himself appreciative of her understanding that he simply didn't wish to spare willpower on humoring such pointless clamoring.

An entire week was spent coasting along on something of a comfortable haze, on a curling cirrus of his making. He invented a superior form of water bedding with a hyper-adaptive alchemical fluid, its surface treated with a softening agent. Once more, contented with modest achievement, Solomon became a creature of sedentary passions, prolonged inactivity, and mounting desultory reticence. Although Penelope dealt with most of Damien's issues in a satisfactory fashion, the inundation of new work meant she could neither investigate the Apostles of the Bible Theme nor properly deliver a fittingly threatening subpoena to the Engine.

On Monday, the tenth of November, Solomon was lying down and staring at the ceiling, hands crossed over his heart like the golden statue on some ancient pharaoh's tomb, as Harrison made the same offer he made almost every other week:

"Hey, Solomon, you should come with the Surveyors, we're doing an exploration of what could be an ancient wizard's tower." His attempt at intrigue elicited an arching of a brow, as Solomon contemplated the uncharacteristic ennui of the elapsed seven days. For some inconceivable reason, he still held onto a lot of motivation to do stuff.

"Sure," he shot back.

"I know you're-" Harrison did a brief double take. "For real?"

"Sure," he repeated. "Count me in. When?"

"Uh." Harrison needed a second to reset. "On Friday afternoon."

"Okay, I'll be there. Let Penny know."

"Sure..."

After that amusing episode, Solomon decided he should attend the Educator's remedial lesson of the day. Of all the Educator's seminars on offer, that one was most worthwhile and had nothing to do with treading over the steps of Enrollment he'd already attained and mastered. He raised a hand and a wizard's robe tumbled out of the wardrobe, sleeve flying onto his arm, with the other automatically doing the same. Once that was done, gloves as white as chalk came stepping comically through the air, index and middle fingers employed as legs, and snuck onto his unresisting hands.

He checked himself out in a reflective polished silver mirror. His robe was stylish, an even cloth of midnight blue that went down to almost the level of his knees, with an opening in the middle held with ropes of gold, a dark tunic and pants, almost more like a cloak. Its surface was dappled in gleaming silver stars and moons. An ordered compromise of faithful homage to his chosen Role and overall comfort, ensuring optimal benefits in each area.

It also had a lot of convenient practical elements. A hand rummaged around the robe's bag of holding, then came out holding an energy elixir. He downed the contents of the small flask and felt an immediate, sharp clarity, like a waterfall that washed away even signs of tarnish on the mind; immediately revivifying and awakening him from the restless stupor. Its alleviation compared in a fashion even to his favorite dessert, although it was a different genre of hedonic experience. More clarifying than gratifying.

The Educator welcomed him with a smile. "Solomon."

"Eddie."

"You've made good progress over the last couple of weeks," the Educator said, hands steepling as he leaned back into his chair. "I am contented to see you aren't merely resting on your laurels, now. Let's continue from where we left off?"

"Let's," agreed Solomon.

That lesson carried with it an understanding of how proverbs and aphorisms were self-contained dollops of more essential truth; an endonymic coordinate that could be sought with the correct meditations. He explained how it correlated to every other element of Architecture they'd already studied. As with almost every lesson on Architecture, it was mostly theory: a rung in the ladder he'd one day use to climb atop the world, to better view its skein from above, and shift the threads.

"Teach, I gotta ask you something," Solomon started, once the lesson started winding down.

"Yes, Solomon?"

"About the Metaphysicist, I mean," he said, uneasy about bringing this up. "I was approached by some students who said the only student to ever have these remedial lessons, aside from me, was him. Is that true?"

The Educator seemed uncharacteristically flatfooted - and then, slowly processing the question, exhaled. Although even by default, his cheerful affect wasn't on display during the remedial lessons, the Educator now seemed almost somber, if focused.

"Yes. I also taught David."

He asked, "Do you think I'll ever be able to catch up to him?"

He seemed amused now, as if curiosity intermingled with faint incredulity, and stared into Solomon's very being as if he were a riveting novel that suddenly developed a new, unexpected dimension. Like someone engrossed in a story observing as it developed a minor plot twist. "Curious. From where, I wonder, does that question originate?"

"I'm curious, is all," said Solomon nonchalantly, sniffling unashamedly, "Case you haven't noticed, sir, I'm sort of a freak of nature. Like, an incandescent genius. I'm built different. Probably among your best students of all time."

"Sadly," the Educator said, not sounding saddened at all, "proper Enrolled development requires effort. Now, you've applied yourself admirably, Solomon, but I know how thin you've had to wear yourself down. Unlike the Metaphysicist, you don't have much of a will to act at all. You're reliant on sweets to even get you out of bed. It's an impressive feat of self-directed Pavlovian conditioning, I'll admit: turning your organism's hunt for sucrose rewards into a mechanism of constant exaltation. Entirely degenerate as well, in an impressive fashion, were I a man inclined to personal opinions, which I'm not."

"Degenerate?"

The Educator nodded. "If you wish to ever match the level of the Metaphysicist, you'll need to do more. The drive to exist in a world of acknowledgment already pushes you, and yet I can feel its ambitious potential is unmet with the fervor it deserves. You'll need to learn to act without reliance on your crutches."

"Crutches?"

"The pudding - or coffee jello, as it is called - which you carry around," said the Educator saliently. There was a second of silence, as Solomon needed a moment to cogitate and parse the statement and its absurdity. Finally, he formed an objection.

"I'm motivating myself. There's nothing wrong with that."

"And if an enemy were to sabotage your supply?" asked the Educator drolly. "Threaten to remove it? It's something that can be levied against you. Shortcuts are convenient, but they are ultimately that. Shortcuts. Whether to power or a concrete spatial destination, they will not fill your body or mind with justly earned might. You must learn to motivate yourself without the supply of sweets you've accumulated. Reliance on them weakens you and prevents you from finding actual purpose."

"That's ridiculous. If I didn't have something to look forward to at the end of a long day, a reward of some kind, I wouldn't have become as strong as I am," argued Solomon. "If anything, shouldn't you be offering me even more of it?"

"Children find dentists unpleasant," said the Educator. "Hence why at the end of the visit, they receive a lollipop. A reward for bravery to motivate future attendance. It's the closest you can do to programming a human being's primitive mind with equally primitive inputs, like giving meat to a lion. Good enough for training a remora, or some other form of animal. Insufficient for an archetypical human being, let alone an Enrolled luminary. Bribing children with sweets is an elementary school educational tactic. If that."

He stared in disbelief. "You haven't said any of this before."

"I did not believe you so ambitious before, Solomon," the Educator. "If you are truly interested in becoming a peer of the Metaphysicist, you'll require excellence in every category, at minimum. There are other, more stable, and efficient methods of fanning one's eagerness than undirected gluttony. You've brushed against some, and discovered a couple of others. Employed none so far. This is a very abstract exercise, as you'll come to understand. I'll force nothing on you. Still, I recommend you limit your intake of coffee jello. Better yet, discard your supply entirely. Remove the temptation and you'll have to fear nothing. In any case, I think this lesson's over for now."

Solomon departed the Educator's office feeling bedraggled and drained, more than when he'd entered.

---

Will: 80
Credit: 1.6
XP: 0


How do you feel about your teacher's explanation?

[ ] He's Right, Abandon Gluttony [-100 Will] - A crutch must be discarded to rise above. Forsake the delicacies you once savored and discard them into a fiery bin, all the better to heat up your resolve...

*Counterfactually, damages your resolve as a side effect of surrendering a core hedonic aspect of your life.
*Renders the upcoming exploration of Fortuna significantly more difficult. If you're to have any hope of productive action, you'll need to devote at least some of your time to slacking off in order to cope with the emotional shock of the Educator's advice.
*Reduces the effectiveness of other psychological 'crutches.' Devoted Cup's effectiveness is unchanged, but Comfort's Embrace suffers modest diminishment.
*May have other benefits, eventually?

[ ] Abandon Ambition [+50 Will] - Eh, who cares about the Metaphysicist? If he's really that awesome a dude, he and his buddies can deal with all of the world's upcoming issues on their own. You'll be hanging out and enjoying yourself.

*Dramatically improves the effectiveness of coffee jello.
*Tentatively reduces Solomon's interest in attaining godlike power in the future; he'll be content to merely rest on his laurels.

[ ] A Deeper Lesson
- As you've already learned, there's always a third and equally valid path. Call it a gut feeling, but something is telling you the Educator means for you to derive some other, deeper lesson from this. Otherwise, he wouldn't have pivoted onto such a tangent at the end of remedial classes.

*Don't commit to either path.
*Reduces the effectiveness of coffee jello, but doesn't seal away its use.

Decide what you'll do with the Surveyors (select two, all three if you want to spread yourself thin):

[ ] Introduction At Court - As it happens, a royal ball and matinee are coming up. Make an introduction of yourself to every aristocrat of worth at the Court of Rider in the Unified Sovereignty, Fortuna's equivalent of the United Kingdom. Gain contacts, allies, and potential resources.

*Penelope recommends doing this.
*Lots of people want friends in high places. Enrolled are viewed with a nigh-messianic air on Fortuna, so you'll be sure to find lots of supporters.
*Gain at least 800 XP and some contacts within the local courts, potentially even better benefits if you spend Will or Credit.

[ ] Ancient Ruins - Go exploring with the main team. Shine a light on their way. Discover ancient secrets!

*Harrison recommends doing this.
*Benefits uncertain. At least 1,000 XP and probably some minor artifacts, more if you expend Will or Credit.
*Moderate danger expected.

[ ] Visit Market - The Sovereigncy's artifact market is among the liveliest on Fortuna. If you ask, the Club may provide you a minor stipend of money to spend on whatever you want to acquire. There are magic eyes, exotic creatures, blessed relics unclaimed by the Church, and more.

*Diverse assortment of magic items.
*No danger, little XP.
*May be able to make contacts?

[ ] Write-in
 
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