"I only woke up a few days ago - am I supposed to know this from the moment of my creation?"
Niktar tenses before responding, "Frankly, yes."
"Then I guess I'm something new." You shrug.
"Something new? That's all you have to say in your defense?" Niktar demands.
You turn towards River and address her instead, "I will take your word for being more powerful and talented than 'mere mortals', but I must admit skepticism towards your claim of superior virtue."
Niktar tenses further, and seems ready to spring at you before river puts a hand on his pauldron. "He's been nothing but helpful to us so far, Abbot."
Niktar does a long exhale out of his nose, before straightening. "You are correct Thrice Splitting River." He says without breaking eye contact with you. "You are welcome in our cloister Collected Perspective Accord, as we agreed. Yet know that I will be watching you, something new, carefully."
Niktar pivots on his heel and walks away. River shrugs.
-
River teaches you how to read and write, as was promised. While there you have access to the literary resources of the cloister. They are part of what is called "The Immaculate Faith".
The Faith holds that there is a cycle of reincarnation that all living corporeal things, so not spirits or elementals, progress through. Rising and falling according to their virtuousness in life. Those who are very close to the end are blessed with Exaltation, and this justifies their temporal power. Obedience is very much a virtue, and it doesn't seem that the duties are reciprocal. A ruler is still owed obedience by his subjects, even if he is an unvirtuous tyrant.
You are strongly reminded of Confucianism again.
It also has quite a lot to say about spirits. Namely that there is a celestial bureaucracy, ruled by the Sun God, and the spirits are supposed to obey that hierarchy, but have become corrupted and need to be forced into not extorting more worship than their station allows, usually by Exalts. To that end all followers of the Immaculate Faith must follow a calendar of worship, rather than worshiping any god in particular.
In addition to the various precepts, there are five "Immaculate Dragons" who are to be emulated and five "antitheses" who followers should avoid emulating.
It seems like quite a fulfilling religion, and one that serves as an excellent social glue. It will oppose your ideology, you know it, for it does not believe in equality or liberty.
But you had access to more than just that. You read up on:
[] General World History
[] The Current Political Situation with a view for places you could settle.
[] Spend xp (On What?)
[] Save xp
