Hm... I feel like the deeper lesson here could yield secrets and powers much more useful than the simplistic willpower likely granted by abandoning gluttony. Ideally one works both smart and hard, but if you have to choose one (and we do, there is simply not enough Will to go around), it's better to work smart. There are plenty of animal species capable of brute diligence but it's humanity that has seized the earth's surface. Also, it will be
way less fun to cripple our Will income and current Will total just for the uncertain promise of eventual rewards. We are already spending copious resources in that direction with our Architecture focus.
As for whether we should attend the Ball or the Exploration Team, this depends a lot on our reserve of meta-resources - appropriate, given the target we are aiming at.
@Tyrant_Rayne @ilbgar123 Have you expended your powers for the time being, or are you holding something in reserve? If so, this first exploration action could yield a spike at least somewhat comparable to last turn. I do have a CYOA I'm finishing, but we are coming off less than two weeks from the last push and people may simply be exhausted. It's not as if Solomon needs more power at the moment, and going for a spike now will slow pacing. I am ambivalent about committing here.
@Birdsie With Sol's new level of Architecture after this lesson, what's his maximum achieveable level of Connections? The 200 XP difference may be relevant.
There have been some good hypotheses about the deeper lesson, so let's have Sol evaluate a few viable ones this turn, and maybe talk to the Educator about them during the next Remedial we take - ideally next turn, to maintain our momentum here.
[X] Plan Archmage
-[X] A Deeper Lesson
-[X] The guiding principle of the Magician is 'As Above, So Below.' If Solomon's spiritual core is mere material hedonism, no matter the source, that baseness radiates outwards into each and every one of his workings in the world. Yet simply to discard life's joys would be an overcorrection in the opposite direction. The core of the Magician is balance, wisdom, prudence: the channel and mediator between heavenly Above and worldly Below. To take joy in coffee jelly without being chained by it; to appreciate the world without being corrupted by its harsh realities - that is the slow path to ascension. Granted, the Architecture lessons here are independent of Enrollment, but there's no reason they can't reinforce each other. Talk about this hypothesis with the Educator when you get a chance.
-[X] Once, before you succumbed to despair, you wanted to change the things you saw. Maybe the first step is to recall that Solomon: the Solomon who patiently and exhaustively attempted to head off his parents' divorce; the Solomon who could enjoy coffee jelly without relying on it.
-[X] It's time to get serious. Use
the Outlined Tactics.
-[X] Ancient Ruins
-[X] Introduction At Court
The Outlined Tactics:
*Solomon's strength has always been insight rather than diligence; apply it now to see the Educator's meaning.
*For a motivationally crippled person like Sol there is nothing inherently wrong with relying on an external stimulus to condition himself, but it it does expose him to two weaknesses: first, it's a vulnerability that enemies can strike at; second, if he feels satisfied at his current level of productivity he may stop seeking truer and deeper motivations for action.
*To simply swear off his greatest source of motivation is similar to a smoker quitting 'cold turkey' - potentially effective with incredible self-discipline, but empirically unsuccessful more often than not. It's not the smart or prudent way to go about things, but shows an impatience and desire for results antithetical to Sol's nature as the Slacking Loafer.
*If he's to change himself, Sol should go about it by playing to his strengths rather than trying to imitate Harrison's.
*Come up with a plan to wean yourself off excess reliance on Coffee Jelly: try doing more for less hedonic reward in order to amplify the inherent satisfaction of achieving things; augment your mentality with magics directly (but not overly so); and search your mind to codify your true values. Deepen your connections with others and support each other to mutual action. See if Penelope can help.
[X] A Deeper Lesson
[X] Ancient Ruins
[X] Introduction At Court
[X] Plan Gandalf
-[X] Does Sol actually
want to attain godlike power and outstrip all his peers to enforce dominion upon the world? Does this sound like the person he truly is? Perhaps the path of wisdom is to accept one's flaws and role in the world, and grow into it thereby. The King of Magi is not Justice who boldly overturns fate - but advisor, mentor and puppetmaster who steers the world onto a better course. What's wrong with being an instrumental team player rather than the protagonist? Is this not precisely the Role you argued for? It was not by Achilles' might that the walls of Ilium were overcome - but by Odyssesus' cunning.
-[X] Rather than accruing power solely for himself, Solomon should push Penelope and the others forward, and simply ensure he does enough to keep pace. Taking plenty of assistance from his allies, of course. Let the others do the hard work; they're suited for it. The Magician will sit at the back and reserve his efforts for the pivotal moment. One action, properly placed, can overturn the whole world: is that not the lesson of the Architecture?
-[X] Abandon Ambition
-[X] Introduction At Court
-[X] Visit Market
In Immersion we already took the path of immense personal might, so I'm down for Sol to rely on his teammates in this quest. It's a bit antithetical to my personal playstyle, so I prefer Archmage, but I'm not wholly opposed to a more cooperative role.
