The Secrets' Crusade
- Thread starter Snowfire
- Start date
- Original Sci-Fi
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
- Location
- parker colorado
That feels ominous for some reason.
Dmol8
The Undead Unhinged Lunatic of the Web
- Location
- Belgrade,Serbia
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
That hurt. I would say I would pay you back, but the world itself will accomplish that already. I promise you when you are in News and Politics panicking about the Third Seminal Catastrophe I will explain everything of how it got to that point so you can understand how the human race and the current political spectrum truly work. Something for you to look forward to.
Origin 3 - Conclusions to Question
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
"I see that you've been having a productive time down there," Jane Cyneburg noted through the secure link of the now fully online Magi. Her expression was far less stressed than it had been at your departure, with the low activity levels since then having allowed her ship to focus on maintenance, drawing on the mass of the asteroid it was using as a hiding place.
"Though I'll note that the focus of some of your productivity has been a little different to what you planned." The Adamant's captain smiled, dark eyes crinkling with amused curiosity. "Have you found anything?"
"Not as much as we'd like," you admitted, glancing around the circle of faces. Just in case one of the others had made a breakthrough whilst you weren't looking. None seemed to have done so.
Despite best intentions, the promise of a valley full of ancient Consolat knowledge ended up occupying far more of your focus than it probably should have. The promise hiding in the depths of its far more focused, and crucially undamaged, archive made it hard to pull away, even after returning to your current base of operations. There'd only been so much time, and so much data you felt safe copying out of the archives.
Especially lacking an answer to the question of how deeply the Midnight Dreaming might be monitoring the planetary datasphere. As far as either of you could tell, the library had lost any connection to that web when the university's centre for AI development had been destroyed. But that didn't mean you were right, and the nature of your mission made risk reduction the preferred path. It was frustrating, in the days that followed, but it also kept you hidden. And that was worth it.
"From what data we've taken, however, there are some things worth noting. There were a lot of projects being run by the university, as you'd expect given the size of the place. None of us have had much free time." You'd been the exception to that statement, this time. Vega could have helped you there, but your Harmonial friend was buried in an effort to further codify an inversion of the techniques that had made her so famous.
"But we've had some success narrowing down the scope of future investigation," you continued. "It should help when we get properly started on investigating the place." You paused, checking the list that had slowly emerged, then looked over at your daughter. "Iris, you've noted that there was something in the AI research you wanted to look at. One of the primary development projects, right?"
"Yes," Iris ducked her head a moment before addressing the small conference, and you could see the bright focus in her eyes as she did. "It was the only AI development project in their files that was still listed as active. To be clear, development here means creation of a new AI, one designed to support a speciality or purpose that their extant models couldn't support without modification."
"But wasn't the centre for that research destroyed?" Elil asked, dark lips turned down in a frown.
"It was." Iris nodded. "But the Animus project wasn't focused there. It was primarily worked on in one of the secure labs and, if I'm not mistaken, one that still has power. I can't say that whatever the new AI was designed to do will be able to help us; I'd want Mary to look at the project outline to tell that. But It would let me see how the Consolat built their AIs.
"That's a huge learning opportunity on its own, but there's more to it than that." She paused, tapping the table with her fingers. "I know I've done my best to explain how dangerous the guardian AI that the Consolat left here is, but it's hard to truly describe the difference in scale. Vision and I are miracles, but the Consolat worked out how to create intelligences utterly beyond us, and do so on a scale alike to when humanity still knew how to use the Second Secret. If I could apply even a fraction of their knowledge to my own neural infrastructure…"
"It could change you," Mary warned gently. "But you're also right. The potential of that knowledge, and especially your ability to apply it to yourself. If we could do it safely, I'm not sure there's a larger force multiplier we could have right now. True AI…the way the Consolat did it, it's not that they're any more or less real than Iris or Vision. It's in the details of what they could do."
"A definite possibility then," you agreed. There was a lot more that your friend wanted to say, you could see that in the set of her green eyes. But there was only so much time for this meeting. "Iris, Elil, you had your own excursion to the forest repository."
"We did," Elil said, trading a look with your daughter before going on. "It is, to use Iris' own words, a little bit spooky. It's not that there's anything threatening, but the way in which the Consolat stored their knowledge made it difficult for Iris or I to escape the weight of it all. It was always around us, constantly present, and whilst I'm happy to say we've had some success in communicating with the interface, it might be better if future investigations are undertaken by Miss D'Reve."
"I read the report you filed," Mary said slowly. "But I'm curious as to that conclusion."
"It's because you're not an infomorph, like me," Iris said bluntly. "Or a Potential of Insight, like Elil. We can…feel everything going on around us in that place. It's not, well like Elil said, it's not antagonistic or threatening, but it's heavy. And it's always there. You know how much I love forests," she added, her expression softening a touch. Of course you and Mary knew that. "You know how they always felt welcoming to me. This one didn't."
"I see." You made a note to check on her again after this, if you could. She didn't seem overwhelmed, not now, but you'd also started to recognise how well your daughter could hide things. If she wanted to. "Given that, I'm very impressed by what you were both able to return with."
Immaculate Evergreens
Insight: 86 + 27 (Elil Practice) + 10 (Steel Eyes) = 123.
Knowing: 100 + 27 (Natural Crit reroll) + 33 (Iris Learning) = 160
Purpose of location fully confirmed. Solution sets compiled for basic system access. Further focus required to gain higher access levels. Mary is a mandatory pick for future exploration. Iris thinks the place is spooky.
"It gave us something to focus on," Elil admitted, chuckling. You wondered how many others saw the hidden strain behind that smile. "I'm pretty sure Iris could have gone further, if not for how the place threw us both off. And the interface is smart, but I'd not call it aware."
"Didn't stop some of its questions being just annoying," Iris complained in a growl. "Elil's right, but this is really more your area of expertise, mom." She froze for a second, colour flashing on her cheeks as she realised her slip. "Um, I mean-"
"I understand," Mary said, reaching over to squeeze her hand. "I'll take this into account on my schedule. The files you were able to bring back helped quite a lot with my own work on the Secrets, but I'm going to need to go a lot deeper to find the answers I'm looking for."
Underpinned: 65 + 36 (Mary Learning) + 20 (Lagless Computing Core) + 15 (Daughter of Secrets) + 129 (Banked Rollover): 265|250/???
Research stalled. Attempting to continue this research requires at least one dice assigned to Reality Physics related Exploration or Investigation.
"Which conveniently sums up my own research over the last period," she added. "I've made a lot of progress, but I've also reached the limit of what I can do without more information. There's not much more I can say on the topic beyond that."
"I can report a better result than that, at least," Vega spoke into the silence following Mary's statement. The typically tireless and tidy blonde had bags under her eyes, but there was a triumphant smile at her lips. "Not a perfect one, I'll admit, but close. And fascinating, besides."
"Does this mean you'll be able to teach the Harmonic Circle how to more safely use their Practice?" Jane asked, her focus sharpening on the still-young woman. The Harmonic Choir currently remained focused on the Adamant's stealth, but with its current location, they could likely be spared from that task. So long as you could trust their ability to not reveal you.
"Not quite," Vega admitted. "A little more work over the next week or so and I should be able to bring them into this. But some of this is worth the reading time. I know all of the Heartcircle members have done so as part of the learning process, but I'd recommend wider reading."
It was actually rather fascinating. The talent that had given Vega her title reached out into the world, bringing it into harmony with her desires by making it reflect them. With the support of a Circle, it could catalyse the raw potential of merged Practice far beyond its expected limits, as if translating a linear increase into an exponential one.
And that was the task that had so consumed your friend, so much that she'd barely spared moments for food or rest. Trying to unravel and properly codify a technique that by all rights should have taken months to prepare properly, all in a handful of days, would push anyone to the edge of their ability.
Your own part in learning had taken comparatively little time, likely a result of how closely you'd come to sharing Vega's Focus in the years since your actions at the Second Battle of Sol, and then again at the Third. Being at the heart of a tempest of harmonised power had taught you more in a handful of hours than years of study had won even the most determined Potential. In a way, it was almost predictable though. The name given to your power was Practice. Not Research
"I can say that the full Heartcircle can now use the technique," you added. "And I think you need to continue focusing on this, Vega. Given what you think you've started to find."
"And what is that?" Mary asked. "I'm afraid my own work has kept me from reading through the final report."
"It's to do with what I've done in creating this technique," Vega said, mouth twisting in concentration. "On proper examination, inasmuch as that's possible, what I've been teaching seems quite simple. When I sought Miracles, I tried to find shortcuts to what I was trying to do with my Practice, and it's always been quick to follow them."
Mary nodded slowly, prompting a small smile from Vega. Being understood, as always, brought confidence with it.
"What I've done now, what I've been to teach Mandy and the rest of our Heartcircle, is a way to twist the," she hummed a moment. "The order of priorities that I've been working with for so long. If I have unity with the world, I can find the best ways to change it. That leads to Miracles, unmistakable expressions of Practice on the world. It puts the change I want above the current harmony of reality."
"And what you're doing now, I'm guessing it inverts that order?" Mary sounded out.
Vega nodded quickly. "Essentially, yes. It's not a huge change in round terms, but it makes an enormous difference. Shortcuts already present in reality are how we returned Skylark, and then the rest of the pre-Sorrows colony cities. That's very important sometimes, but there can also be a need for a lighter touch."
"And from my first proper use of the technique at the Consolat university," you added. "I can say that it really does work. Like Vega said, it's not a change that seems large. But the difference it makes is obvious."
The rest of the Heartcircle had continued their work in the flickers of spare time you dedicated to shared training, maintaining the peerless edge that had seen you through true battle and practice combats that anyone else would have called mercilessly unfair. Until they saw the six of you actually fight, at which point the direction of how the battle was unfair swiftly inverted. Keeping that edge now…well it might be crucial. You didn't want to get into a fight with the Shiplords here of all places, but if you had to? You wanted to be at your best.
Practised Restraint: 92 + 27 (Vega Practice) + 10 (Proven Miracle - Complex Harmony) + 4 (Banked Rollover) = 133/150.
Heart's Caution: 61 + 27 (Vega Practice) + 20 (Harmonic Record teaching bonus) = 108 vs 60.
Miracle Restraint technique passed to full Heartcircle. Research continues. Potential new action once the second research stage completes.
The true target of Vega's attention, though, proved beyond her this time. She needed more time to unify her approach, however, to turn the technique into one that could be shared easily without the crutch of the Heartcircle connection. She was most of the way there, but more work was needed, and she wasn't sure she was done, either.
"What do you mean?" Jane asked, and you caught the flicker of motion as she accessed relevant files through her implants. "The…next research phase outline?"
"Just so." Vega nodded. Somewhere beyond the simple mechanistics of shifting focus, the Harmonial had found something tugging at her awareness. "If it will be useful in the here and now, I can't say. But it feels similar to the still-untested technique Mandy and I developed to connect with the imprints of Consolat Practice. If there's another way to do that, we could unify the techniques perhaps. Or even just have a second string to our bow."
"We could certainly use as many of those as we can get," you murmured. You still had no idea what might happen when you tried to make contact with that ancient echo. More options seemed good.
"On the topic of the Consolat, though, there's some final notes to make before we start making further plans." Lea rarely spoke up at these occasions, but you knew she'd spent much of her time over the last few days examining Consolat history, trying to tease out a better image of who they were. It was all very well to follow in the footsteps of their civilization, but it was probably a good idea to know where those footsteps led.
"First, I'm happy to report that the process of establishing a hardlink to the Archive was an unqualified success. Iris, Elil, Mir and myself were all involved in the process, and our success is a big part of the second half of what I have to say." She leant forward, eyes surprisingly intent. Lea was usually far more relaxed, unless her Focus was involved.
"The Consolat as a people, we already know they looked in instead of out. We know that the Shiplords tried to understand the universe through physical exploration, trying to chart the stars and see every wonder they could find among them. The Consolat, too, we knew explored the universe, but did so with a very limited expansion across space."
Lea tapped the air with one of her slender fingers, and imagery bloomed at the centre of the table, archive files and imagery. Ancient, timeless vessels above the world you now stood upon, their hulls marked by millennia of travel, and yet somehow still intact.
"From the historical files I've been able to access, they'd yet to spread beyond this star system by the time the Shiplords found them. Those files also confirm what we were told before, that the Consolat gave the Shiplords that name, though it's an abbreviation. The full text translates to The Lords of Ships, Who Seek Among the Stars. The Consolat described them as fellow travellers on the path to wisdom as well, though that came first. The name Shiplord was only formally extended after several thousand years of shared existence.
"And here," Lea sighed. "Here is where it gets complicated. There's a lot of cultural intricacy in these files, details that the translation matrix is still working on understanding properly, and I'm also struggling to a degree. I'm not a xenocultural specialist. With that said, those we do have among the Adamant's research staff have had a few things to say.
"First, is that the Consolat culture was deeply focused on an overarching search for knowledge and understanding of the universe. This world was largely tamed by them around the point of their 20th century development, but despite lifespans only marginally greater than human normal pre-Secrets, they made plans on the scale of centuries. That's a big part of why this planet isn't an ecumenopolis, actually. They recognised the limits of their technology, and planned around what they knew was possible."
"Surely that would've been difficult to do, given how human development across history made even ten-year plans difficult in the extreme." Despite her comment, Lea had clearly caught Mary's full attention. "How did they work around it?"
"As described, their plans were designed as loose outlines that would be filled in as those years approached," Lea explained. More files blossomed across the table, the vast majority of them text, though here and there were more visual documents. City plans, ecological engineering projects on a scale that would've made any pre-Secrets designer weep in envy, but all orchestrated across decades. And in between the broader plans, you could see the notes of more precise structure, timestamps marking them as added later.
"What's interesting, though, is that their focus never really changed across thousands of years. They were always searching for deeper truths to the universe, trying to understand, and from that understanding find better ways to live. Stretching out the line against entropy as far as it could possibly go, and in ways I honestly can't understand. Others here would have better luck there, I expect."
"But that focus," Iris said, speaking softly. "It changed, didn't it."
"It did," Lea nodded. "Sometime… several hundred thousand years after they met the Shiplords, they changed the direction of their entire civilization. Something made that happen, and from all the files I can find, it wasn't because they were asked to. There was…an article that we found, from around the time of the decision. It talked about how their friends, the Shiplords, felt lost. Unable to truly complete the mission they'd set their own civilization to completing."
"That being… charting reality, no?" Mary asked. "That seems a little extreme."
"It does," Lea nodded again. "But the Consolat thought they could help. They believed that in the knowledge they'd gathered across millennia of steady development, there was an answer to the impossibility faced by the Shiplords. It's worth noting that at this point, Shiplord society had Consolat living among them, and vice versa. But the core of the movement, it originated here, on the Origin.
"And once it spread far enough, converted enough people for it to be agreed, the Consolat focus turned almost entirely towards the study of what most of us," she shot a look at Mary, who laughed, "call reality physics."
"And from that, the Secrets," Mary finished, her face drawn. "It took them a while, didn't it. But they got there, they changed the galaxy. And they did it… they didn't even do it because they could." Awe touched her words now, along with a subtle, terrible pain. "They did it because they wanted to help their friends."
"Exactly," Lea bowed her head fully this time, and you thought you saw the glimmer of tears in her eyes before she blinked them clear. "The Shiplords never asked for the answer that the Secrets gave them. They never… I don't think the Consolat ever really told them. The shift in focus of their entire species, yes, that's hard to hide. But the reason, that's more difficult to tell. And I'm not sure which answer would be worse. If the Shiplords knew, if they still know…I know it doesn't change anything about what we have to do here, what they've become and what they have to stop being. But still!"
"How dare you profane that gift and persist," you whispered. The words from the leader of the Tribute Fleet that you'd destroyed in the Second Battle of Sol seemed to echo across the room. "Oh stars, I get it now. I made the connection before, but this would put it in an entirely different light. Because we were never sure why the Consolat did it, even after we found out where the Secrets came from."
"And the horrible part," Lea added, "is that it doesn't matter. It tells us that the Consolat were a lot like us, I think. Or at least the best of us." You tried to avoid the piercing intensity of several sets of eyes focusing on you. "The footsteps we're following in, I think they were good ones. They were a people who wanted to understand, and then give."
"And what they gave was," you waved a hand, as if to encompass the entire galaxy. "It was this. All of this. Not meant, but the dichotomy of what they were trying to do and what we have now. It would be enough to drive anyone insane. Even me. And it still doesn't excuse a thing."
"No. No it doesn't." Lea gave you a wan smile. "There's a lot more in the report that was put together. I helped a bit, but it's not really my work. I think the scientists just wanted someone else to talk about it, so they could keep working through this meeting."
Laughter rippled across the room at that statement. Goodness, if it didn't fit. And who among you hadn't done exactly the same thing at some point in their life. You wiped at your eyes for a moment, as the sound settled, watching others as they did the same.
"Well, it's still good to know the footsteps we're following," you said at last. "Though I'd say we might all need to take a little break after we're done here. And before any of the rest of us read that report in full." You forced yourself to take a steadying breath, straightening in your chair.
"If that's everything, though, I do have one final point to raise." You hadn't been sure about bringing it up, but if not here, where? And if not now, when? "The progress we've been making since we reached this system, it's incredible really. And I'm," you frowned, searching a moment for the correct words, to make sure this made sense.
"I'm struggling to make sense of it, compared to similar work back home," you said at length. "Maybe that was just because Arcadia and Earthgov, the projects were always more measured. We had a time crunch of months or years, not weeks and days. But…the scale of what we've worked out here, especially you, Vega. I know it's in many ways just an extension of what you do, but you've said yourself that it's not easy.
"So how have we all done so much, in so little time?" You looked around the table, finding similar confusion to your own there as the faster minds among them recognised what you were pointing at. "Is there something about this system? This world? The nature of what this place is? And if so, why are we affected by it where the Shiplords and the Teel'sanha weren't. It can't just be because of being Potentials, because not everything we've found has been done by Potentials. Mary, Iris, you have human souls I know, but-"
"But we're not Potentials," Mary agreed, nodding slowly, her eyes a million miles away. "And if it just affected creatures with souls, who looked at things the right way, the Teel'sanha should have made the connection. They spent decades here. So what's different?"
"That's what I'd like to know."
Your eyes met hers, and sparks of something almost like anger stirred there.
"Me too."
You have Six (6) AP and One (1) Research (Mary) AP to assign, each representing a dice of effort. Unless otherwise specified, there is no limit to the number of AP you can assign to a given task. Some actions may require specific talents or characters to complete - this will be noted in the action text.
Exploration - Direct exploration of the Origin system, based on The Adamant's location in-system. The Adamant is currently in shuttle range of the Consolat homeworld, hidden in the mass shadow of a near-world asteroid.
[] Quarters - Send or lead a team to investigate one of the four points of interest on the planet below. You must specify which characters are sent to which location.
-[-] Immaculate Evergreens - An enormous computer in the form of a forest, located in the outskirts of one of the Consolat's cities. The interface, apparently, requires proof of understanding to grant access. [COMPLETE]
-[] Crumbling Halls - A sprawling and mildly overgrown university complex, settled a comfortable distance from any Consolat cities. Various active or potentially active structures, further exploration possible. [Mender, Vega or Elil recommended. Will expand to a subvote]
-[-] Occupied Archive - The Consolat Archive, so named by the Dreaming's files, is a cluster of heavily shielded bunkers. Contains a vast amount of heavily damaged data left behind by the Consolat, but is also the only location on the planet with a Shiplord presence. [COMPLETE]
-[] Last Spire - A towering construct at the centre of a city thoroughly invested by fauna, and quite possibly the heart of the entire system's echoing presence in your senses. It may be possible to directly interface with the echoes of the Consolat's creation and death here. Currently locked down. [Mandy required, Vega and Mary recommended]
[] Delving - Beyond the initial exploration of the Quarters actions, this will involve far more dedicated focus to a specific area. Thanks to your access to the archives of the Midnight Dreaming, this can be executed on any site immediately, but there are potentially downsides to investing this much in a location without a cursory survey. Select a location from the Quarters list when taking this action, and assign characters as normal.
*New* -[] Immaculate Evergreens - An enormous archive of the Consolat's knowledge of reality physics, contained by a computer in the form of a forest. The interface requires proof of understanding to grant access. [Mary required. One Potential must be free to accompany her as a bodyguard]
*New* -[] Animus - One of the university's secured lab projects, and the only active AI development that Iris could find on file. Could give crucial insight into how Consolat AIs function, which could be used to directly upgrade Iris's neural architecture. Assuming you can get inside. [Iris required, Mary recommended]
Only one Delving action can be taken per turn, and you must assign at least 2 AP to the action.
Investigation - At-a-distance exploration of the Origin system. Generally not location dependent.
[] Matrix Webs - The system's datasphere appears to be nominally accessible, but any exploration of the systems is judged to have two requirements. First, that Iris is involved at some level. And second, that any exploration is done with extreme care, given how dangerous the Consolat system AI is likely to be. [Iris required]
[] Breach at Midnight - The Dreaming is not just a civilian craft. There is a section within the ship, repurposed to host a team from Shiplord Central Intelligence. It would be extremely risky, but it might be possible to breach its firewalls to discover what sent them here. [Iris required]
*New* [] Lending - The library you found is now active, and there is much that can be found there. Draw on its archive to support other work. [Boosts Reality Physics or AI related actions.]
*New* [] Shattered Archive - The Consolat Archive is a shattered wreck of patchwork data, and fixing it could prove challenging even for a Potential, given the nature of the damage. Still, you've nothing to lose in trying. [Some combination of a Mender, Vega and Elil strongly recommended]
*New* [] Ripples - Since arriving here, the pace of your collective work has increased far beyond what you'd consider normal. There's a limit to your tolerance for coincidence. What is going on here? [???]
[] Write in?
Research - Theoretical examination of not just factors present here in the Origin, but far beyond. Your Research AP must be assigned to one of these tasks, but additional AP may also be used.
[] Underpinned - With a solid proof now in hand of who created the Secrets, Mary wants to continue her work on understanding how the Consolat actually did it. This could well prove crucial in the weeks to come. [+250 rollover to second stage research, requires a supporting Exploration or Investigation action]
[] Visions in the Jump - You saw a glimpse of the place where you met Tahkel when jumping to the Fourth Sorrow, and it had two figures there, one of them who looked human. Try to work out how that happened, and how to reach back to that place without requiring another jump. [Requires Amanda]
[] Practised Restraint - Vega was able to find a way to an understanding of Practiced Miracles that allowed her to trigger them with a level of regularity that was a little intimidating. She's offered to try and see if she can reverse the process. Not something you ever thought you'd need before now, but it should be possible. [+133 rollover to second stage research]
[] Write in?
Development - Deployment and expansion of current Trailblazer-package outposts. May prove vital for certain tasks going forward, depending on requirements. These actions will deplete the Adamant's mass bunker, which is currently at 75 + 5 = 80% as a result of passive harvesting.
[] Blazing a Trail - Establish a Trailblazer-package outpost at one of several landing points on the planet, allowing for longer term habitation and direct access to the planet's major interest points.
-[] Outline location and type of outpost here. See sidebar.
[] Level Terrain - The Trailblazer Seeds were, by nature, modular. Expand your current Trailblazer outpost to support further systems. Will open a subvote.
You may also pick Two (2) Personal Actions. These will have limited mechanical effect on their own, but can synergise with AP actions.
[] Spend some time with your family. This will be a balm to you all.
[] Relax and train with your Heartcircle. Keeping your edge in combat sharp is more important now than it ever was. And it's good to share time together. [LOCKED]
[] Dedicate personal time to try and understand how you've all made so much progress in the last few weeks. Maybe it's just luck and new data. Maybe.
[] Go for a walk through the city of the Spire. It won't be going inside, but maybe it will help you understand the depth of power resonating from the place.
[] Spend some time at the ancient university, exploring what was left behind.
[] Write in?
"Though I'll note that the focus of some of your productivity has been a little different to what you planned." The Adamant's captain smiled, dark eyes crinkling with amused curiosity. "Have you found anything?"
"Not as much as we'd like," you admitted, glancing around the circle of faces. Just in case one of the others had made a breakthrough whilst you weren't looking. None seemed to have done so.
Despite best intentions, the promise of a valley full of ancient Consolat knowledge ended up occupying far more of your focus than it probably should have. The promise hiding in the depths of its far more focused, and crucially undamaged, archive made it hard to pull away, even after returning to your current base of operations. There'd only been so much time, and so much data you felt safe copying out of the archives.
Especially lacking an answer to the question of how deeply the Midnight Dreaming might be monitoring the planetary datasphere. As far as either of you could tell, the library had lost any connection to that web when the university's centre for AI development had been destroyed. But that didn't mean you were right, and the nature of your mission made risk reduction the preferred path. It was frustrating, in the days that followed, but it also kept you hidden. And that was worth it.
"From what data we've taken, however, there are some things worth noting. There were a lot of projects being run by the university, as you'd expect given the size of the place. None of us have had much free time." You'd been the exception to that statement, this time. Vega could have helped you there, but your Harmonial friend was buried in an effort to further codify an inversion of the techniques that had made her so famous.
"But we've had some success narrowing down the scope of future investigation," you continued. "It should help when we get properly started on investigating the place." You paused, checking the list that had slowly emerged, then looked over at your daughter. "Iris, you've noted that there was something in the AI research you wanted to look at. One of the primary development projects, right?"
"Yes," Iris ducked her head a moment before addressing the small conference, and you could see the bright focus in her eyes as she did. "It was the only AI development project in their files that was still listed as active. To be clear, development here means creation of a new AI, one designed to support a speciality or purpose that their extant models couldn't support without modification."
"But wasn't the centre for that research destroyed?" Elil asked, dark lips turned down in a frown.
"It was." Iris nodded. "But the Animus project wasn't focused there. It was primarily worked on in one of the secure labs and, if I'm not mistaken, one that still has power. I can't say that whatever the new AI was designed to do will be able to help us; I'd want Mary to look at the project outline to tell that. But It would let me see how the Consolat built their AIs.
"That's a huge learning opportunity on its own, but there's more to it than that." She paused, tapping the table with her fingers. "I know I've done my best to explain how dangerous the guardian AI that the Consolat left here is, but it's hard to truly describe the difference in scale. Vision and I are miracles, but the Consolat worked out how to create intelligences utterly beyond us, and do so on a scale alike to when humanity still knew how to use the Second Secret. If I could apply even a fraction of their knowledge to my own neural infrastructure…"
"It could change you," Mary warned gently. "But you're also right. The potential of that knowledge, and especially your ability to apply it to yourself. If we could do it safely, I'm not sure there's a larger force multiplier we could have right now. True AI…the way the Consolat did it, it's not that they're any more or less real than Iris or Vision. It's in the details of what they could do."
"A definite possibility then," you agreed. There was a lot more that your friend wanted to say, you could see that in the set of her green eyes. But there was only so much time for this meeting. "Iris, Elil, you had your own excursion to the forest repository."
"We did," Elil said, trading a look with your daughter before going on. "It is, to use Iris' own words, a little bit spooky. It's not that there's anything threatening, but the way in which the Consolat stored their knowledge made it difficult for Iris or I to escape the weight of it all. It was always around us, constantly present, and whilst I'm happy to say we've had some success in communicating with the interface, it might be better if future investigations are undertaken by Miss D'Reve."
"I read the report you filed," Mary said slowly. "But I'm curious as to that conclusion."
"It's because you're not an infomorph, like me," Iris said bluntly. "Or a Potential of Insight, like Elil. We can…feel everything going on around us in that place. It's not, well like Elil said, it's not antagonistic or threatening, but it's heavy. And it's always there. You know how much I love forests," she added, her expression softening a touch. Of course you and Mary knew that. "You know how they always felt welcoming to me. This one didn't."
"I see." You made a note to check on her again after this, if you could. She didn't seem overwhelmed, not now, but you'd also started to recognise how well your daughter could hide things. If she wanted to. "Given that, I'm very impressed by what you were both able to return with."
Immaculate Evergreens
Insight: 86 + 27 (Elil Practice) + 10 (Steel Eyes) = 123.
Knowing: 100 + 27 (Natural Crit reroll) + 33 (Iris Learning) = 160
Purpose of location fully confirmed. Solution sets compiled for basic system access. Further focus required to gain higher access levels. Mary is a mandatory pick for future exploration. Iris thinks the place is spooky.
"It gave us something to focus on," Elil admitted, chuckling. You wondered how many others saw the hidden strain behind that smile. "I'm pretty sure Iris could have gone further, if not for how the place threw us both off. And the interface is smart, but I'd not call it aware."
"Didn't stop some of its questions being just annoying," Iris complained in a growl. "Elil's right, but this is really more your area of expertise, mom." She froze for a second, colour flashing on her cheeks as she realised her slip. "Um, I mean-"
"I understand," Mary said, reaching over to squeeze her hand. "I'll take this into account on my schedule. The files you were able to bring back helped quite a lot with my own work on the Secrets, but I'm going to need to go a lot deeper to find the answers I'm looking for."
Underpinned: 65 + 36 (Mary Learning) + 20 (Lagless Computing Core) + 15 (Daughter of Secrets) + 129 (Banked Rollover): 265|250/???
Research stalled. Attempting to continue this research requires at least one dice assigned to Reality Physics related Exploration or Investigation.
"Which conveniently sums up my own research over the last period," she added. "I've made a lot of progress, but I've also reached the limit of what I can do without more information. There's not much more I can say on the topic beyond that."
"I can report a better result than that, at least," Vega spoke into the silence following Mary's statement. The typically tireless and tidy blonde had bags under her eyes, but there was a triumphant smile at her lips. "Not a perfect one, I'll admit, but close. And fascinating, besides."
"Does this mean you'll be able to teach the Harmonic Circle how to more safely use their Practice?" Jane asked, her focus sharpening on the still-young woman. The Harmonic Choir currently remained focused on the Adamant's stealth, but with its current location, they could likely be spared from that task. So long as you could trust their ability to not reveal you.
"Not quite," Vega admitted. "A little more work over the next week or so and I should be able to bring them into this. But some of this is worth the reading time. I know all of the Heartcircle members have done so as part of the learning process, but I'd recommend wider reading."
It was actually rather fascinating. The talent that had given Vega her title reached out into the world, bringing it into harmony with her desires by making it reflect them. With the support of a Circle, it could catalyse the raw potential of merged Practice far beyond its expected limits, as if translating a linear increase into an exponential one.
And that was the task that had so consumed your friend, so much that she'd barely spared moments for food or rest. Trying to unravel and properly codify a technique that by all rights should have taken months to prepare properly, all in a handful of days, would push anyone to the edge of their ability.
Your own part in learning had taken comparatively little time, likely a result of how closely you'd come to sharing Vega's Focus in the years since your actions at the Second Battle of Sol, and then again at the Third. Being at the heart of a tempest of harmonised power had taught you more in a handful of hours than years of study had won even the most determined Potential. In a way, it was almost predictable though. The name given to your power was Practice. Not Research
"I can say that the full Heartcircle can now use the technique," you added. "And I think you need to continue focusing on this, Vega. Given what you think you've started to find."
"And what is that?" Mary asked. "I'm afraid my own work has kept me from reading through the final report."
"It's to do with what I've done in creating this technique," Vega said, mouth twisting in concentration. "On proper examination, inasmuch as that's possible, what I've been teaching seems quite simple. When I sought Miracles, I tried to find shortcuts to what I was trying to do with my Practice, and it's always been quick to follow them."
Mary nodded slowly, prompting a small smile from Vega. Being understood, as always, brought confidence with it.
"What I've done now, what I've been to teach Mandy and the rest of our Heartcircle, is a way to twist the," she hummed a moment. "The order of priorities that I've been working with for so long. If I have unity with the world, I can find the best ways to change it. That leads to Miracles, unmistakable expressions of Practice on the world. It puts the change I want above the current harmony of reality."
"And what you're doing now, I'm guessing it inverts that order?" Mary sounded out.
Vega nodded quickly. "Essentially, yes. It's not a huge change in round terms, but it makes an enormous difference. Shortcuts already present in reality are how we returned Skylark, and then the rest of the pre-Sorrows colony cities. That's very important sometimes, but there can also be a need for a lighter touch."
"And from my first proper use of the technique at the Consolat university," you added. "I can say that it really does work. Like Vega said, it's not a change that seems large. But the difference it makes is obvious."
The rest of the Heartcircle had continued their work in the flickers of spare time you dedicated to shared training, maintaining the peerless edge that had seen you through true battle and practice combats that anyone else would have called mercilessly unfair. Until they saw the six of you actually fight, at which point the direction of how the battle was unfair swiftly inverted. Keeping that edge now…well it might be crucial. You didn't want to get into a fight with the Shiplords here of all places, but if you had to? You wanted to be at your best.
Practised Restraint: 92 + 27 (Vega Practice) + 10 (Proven Miracle - Complex Harmony) + 4 (Banked Rollover) = 133/150.
Heart's Caution: 61 + 27 (Vega Practice) + 20 (Harmonic Record teaching bonus) = 108 vs 60.
Miracle Restraint technique passed to full Heartcircle. Research continues. Potential new action once the second research stage completes.
The true target of Vega's attention, though, proved beyond her this time. She needed more time to unify her approach, however, to turn the technique into one that could be shared easily without the crutch of the Heartcircle connection. She was most of the way there, but more work was needed, and she wasn't sure she was done, either.
"What do you mean?" Jane asked, and you caught the flicker of motion as she accessed relevant files through her implants. "The…next research phase outline?"
"Just so." Vega nodded. Somewhere beyond the simple mechanistics of shifting focus, the Harmonial had found something tugging at her awareness. "If it will be useful in the here and now, I can't say. But it feels similar to the still-untested technique Mandy and I developed to connect with the imprints of Consolat Practice. If there's another way to do that, we could unify the techniques perhaps. Or even just have a second string to our bow."
"We could certainly use as many of those as we can get," you murmured. You still had no idea what might happen when you tried to make contact with that ancient echo. More options seemed good.
"On the topic of the Consolat, though, there's some final notes to make before we start making further plans." Lea rarely spoke up at these occasions, but you knew she'd spent much of her time over the last few days examining Consolat history, trying to tease out a better image of who they were. It was all very well to follow in the footsteps of their civilization, but it was probably a good idea to know where those footsteps led.
"First, I'm happy to report that the process of establishing a hardlink to the Archive was an unqualified success. Iris, Elil, Mir and myself were all involved in the process, and our success is a big part of the second half of what I have to say." She leant forward, eyes surprisingly intent. Lea was usually far more relaxed, unless her Focus was involved.
"The Consolat as a people, we already know they looked in instead of out. We know that the Shiplords tried to understand the universe through physical exploration, trying to chart the stars and see every wonder they could find among them. The Consolat, too, we knew explored the universe, but did so with a very limited expansion across space."
Lea tapped the air with one of her slender fingers, and imagery bloomed at the centre of the table, archive files and imagery. Ancient, timeless vessels above the world you now stood upon, their hulls marked by millennia of travel, and yet somehow still intact.
"From the historical files I've been able to access, they'd yet to spread beyond this star system by the time the Shiplords found them. Those files also confirm what we were told before, that the Consolat gave the Shiplords that name, though it's an abbreviation. The full text translates to The Lords of Ships, Who Seek Among the Stars. The Consolat described them as fellow travellers on the path to wisdom as well, though that came first. The name Shiplord was only formally extended after several thousand years of shared existence.
"And here," Lea sighed. "Here is where it gets complicated. There's a lot of cultural intricacy in these files, details that the translation matrix is still working on understanding properly, and I'm also struggling to a degree. I'm not a xenocultural specialist. With that said, those we do have among the Adamant's research staff have had a few things to say.
"First, is that the Consolat culture was deeply focused on an overarching search for knowledge and understanding of the universe. This world was largely tamed by them around the point of their 20th century development, but despite lifespans only marginally greater than human normal pre-Secrets, they made plans on the scale of centuries. That's a big part of why this planet isn't an ecumenopolis, actually. They recognised the limits of their technology, and planned around what they knew was possible."
"Surely that would've been difficult to do, given how human development across history made even ten-year plans difficult in the extreme." Despite her comment, Lea had clearly caught Mary's full attention. "How did they work around it?"
"As described, their plans were designed as loose outlines that would be filled in as those years approached," Lea explained. More files blossomed across the table, the vast majority of them text, though here and there were more visual documents. City plans, ecological engineering projects on a scale that would've made any pre-Secrets designer weep in envy, but all orchestrated across decades. And in between the broader plans, you could see the notes of more precise structure, timestamps marking them as added later.
"What's interesting, though, is that their focus never really changed across thousands of years. They were always searching for deeper truths to the universe, trying to understand, and from that understanding find better ways to live. Stretching out the line against entropy as far as it could possibly go, and in ways I honestly can't understand. Others here would have better luck there, I expect."
"But that focus," Iris said, speaking softly. "It changed, didn't it."
"It did," Lea nodded. "Sometime… several hundred thousand years after they met the Shiplords, they changed the direction of their entire civilization. Something made that happen, and from all the files I can find, it wasn't because they were asked to. There was…an article that we found, from around the time of the decision. It talked about how their friends, the Shiplords, felt lost. Unable to truly complete the mission they'd set their own civilization to completing."
"That being… charting reality, no?" Mary asked. "That seems a little extreme."
"It does," Lea nodded again. "But the Consolat thought they could help. They believed that in the knowledge they'd gathered across millennia of steady development, there was an answer to the impossibility faced by the Shiplords. It's worth noting that at this point, Shiplord society had Consolat living among them, and vice versa. But the core of the movement, it originated here, on the Origin.
"And once it spread far enough, converted enough people for it to be agreed, the Consolat focus turned almost entirely towards the study of what most of us," she shot a look at Mary, who laughed, "call reality physics."
"And from that, the Secrets," Mary finished, her face drawn. "It took them a while, didn't it. But they got there, they changed the galaxy. And they did it… they didn't even do it because they could." Awe touched her words now, along with a subtle, terrible pain. "They did it because they wanted to help their friends."
"Exactly," Lea bowed her head fully this time, and you thought you saw the glimmer of tears in her eyes before she blinked them clear. "The Shiplords never asked for the answer that the Secrets gave them. They never… I don't think the Consolat ever really told them. The shift in focus of their entire species, yes, that's hard to hide. But the reason, that's more difficult to tell. And I'm not sure which answer would be worse. If the Shiplords knew, if they still know…I know it doesn't change anything about what we have to do here, what they've become and what they have to stop being. But still!"
"How dare you profane that gift and persist," you whispered. The words from the leader of the Tribute Fleet that you'd destroyed in the Second Battle of Sol seemed to echo across the room. "Oh stars, I get it now. I made the connection before, but this would put it in an entirely different light. Because we were never sure why the Consolat did it, even after we found out where the Secrets came from."
"And the horrible part," Lea added, "is that it doesn't matter. It tells us that the Consolat were a lot like us, I think. Or at least the best of us." You tried to avoid the piercing intensity of several sets of eyes focusing on you. "The footsteps we're following in, I think they were good ones. They were a people who wanted to understand, and then give."
"And what they gave was," you waved a hand, as if to encompass the entire galaxy. "It was this. All of this. Not meant, but the dichotomy of what they were trying to do and what we have now. It would be enough to drive anyone insane. Even me. And it still doesn't excuse a thing."
"No. No it doesn't." Lea gave you a wan smile. "There's a lot more in the report that was put together. I helped a bit, but it's not really my work. I think the scientists just wanted someone else to talk about it, so they could keep working through this meeting."
Laughter rippled across the room at that statement. Goodness, if it didn't fit. And who among you hadn't done exactly the same thing at some point in their life. You wiped at your eyes for a moment, as the sound settled, watching others as they did the same.
"Well, it's still good to know the footsteps we're following," you said at last. "Though I'd say we might all need to take a little break after we're done here. And before any of the rest of us read that report in full." You forced yourself to take a steadying breath, straightening in your chair.
"If that's everything, though, I do have one final point to raise." You hadn't been sure about bringing it up, but if not here, where? And if not now, when? "The progress we've been making since we reached this system, it's incredible really. And I'm," you frowned, searching a moment for the correct words, to make sure this made sense.
"I'm struggling to make sense of it, compared to similar work back home," you said at length. "Maybe that was just because Arcadia and Earthgov, the projects were always more measured. We had a time crunch of months or years, not weeks and days. But…the scale of what we've worked out here, especially you, Vega. I know it's in many ways just an extension of what you do, but you've said yourself that it's not easy.
"So how have we all done so much, in so little time?" You looked around the table, finding similar confusion to your own there as the faster minds among them recognised what you were pointing at. "Is there something about this system? This world? The nature of what this place is? And if so, why are we affected by it where the Shiplords and the Teel'sanha weren't. It can't just be because of being Potentials, because not everything we've found has been done by Potentials. Mary, Iris, you have human souls I know, but-"
"But we're not Potentials," Mary agreed, nodding slowly, her eyes a million miles away. "And if it just affected creatures with souls, who looked at things the right way, the Teel'sanha should have made the connection. They spent decades here. So what's different?"
"That's what I'd like to know."
Your eyes met hers, and sparks of something almost like anger stirred there.
"Me too."
You have Six (6) AP and One (1) Research (Mary) AP to assign, each representing a dice of effort. Unless otherwise specified, there is no limit to the number of AP you can assign to a given task. Some actions may require specific talents or characters to complete - this will be noted in the action text.
Exploration - Direct exploration of the Origin system, based on The Adamant's location in-system. The Adamant is currently in shuttle range of the Consolat homeworld, hidden in the mass shadow of a near-world asteroid.
[] Quarters - Send or lead a team to investigate one of the four points of interest on the planet below. You must specify which characters are sent to which location.
-[-] Immaculate Evergreens - An enormous computer in the form of a forest, located in the outskirts of one of the Consolat's cities. The interface, apparently, requires proof of understanding to grant access. [COMPLETE]
-[] Crumbling Halls - A sprawling and mildly overgrown university complex, settled a comfortable distance from any Consolat cities. Various active or potentially active structures, further exploration possible. [Mender, Vega or Elil recommended. Will expand to a subvote]
-[-] Occupied Archive - The Consolat Archive, so named by the Dreaming's files, is a cluster of heavily shielded bunkers. Contains a vast amount of heavily damaged data left behind by the Consolat, but is also the only location on the planet with a Shiplord presence. [COMPLETE]
-[] Last Spire - A towering construct at the centre of a city thoroughly invested by fauna, and quite possibly the heart of the entire system's echoing presence in your senses. It may be possible to directly interface with the echoes of the Consolat's creation and death here. Currently locked down. [Mandy required, Vega and Mary recommended]
[] Delving - Beyond the initial exploration of the Quarters actions, this will involve far more dedicated focus to a specific area. Thanks to your access to the archives of the Midnight Dreaming, this can be executed on any site immediately, but there are potentially downsides to investing this much in a location without a cursory survey. Select a location from the Quarters list when taking this action, and assign characters as normal.
*New* -[] Immaculate Evergreens - An enormous archive of the Consolat's knowledge of reality physics, contained by a computer in the form of a forest. The interface requires proof of understanding to grant access. [Mary required. One Potential must be free to accompany her as a bodyguard]
*New* -[] Animus - One of the university's secured lab projects, and the only active AI development that Iris could find on file. Could give crucial insight into how Consolat AIs function, which could be used to directly upgrade Iris's neural architecture. Assuming you can get inside. [Iris required, Mary recommended]
Only one Delving action can be taken per turn, and you must assign at least 2 AP to the action.
Investigation - At-a-distance exploration of the Origin system. Generally not location dependent.
[] Matrix Webs - The system's datasphere appears to be nominally accessible, but any exploration of the systems is judged to have two requirements. First, that Iris is involved at some level. And second, that any exploration is done with extreme care, given how dangerous the Consolat system AI is likely to be. [Iris required]
[] Breach at Midnight - The Dreaming is not just a civilian craft. There is a section within the ship, repurposed to host a team from Shiplord Central Intelligence. It would be extremely risky, but it might be possible to breach its firewalls to discover what sent them here. [Iris required]
*New* [] Lending - The library you found is now active, and there is much that can be found there. Draw on its archive to support other work. [Boosts Reality Physics or AI related actions.]
*New* [] Shattered Archive - The Consolat Archive is a shattered wreck of patchwork data, and fixing it could prove challenging even for a Potential, given the nature of the damage. Still, you've nothing to lose in trying. [Some combination of a Mender, Vega and Elil strongly recommended]
*New* [] Ripples - Since arriving here, the pace of your collective work has increased far beyond what you'd consider normal. There's a limit to your tolerance for coincidence. What is going on here? [???]
[] Write in?
Research - Theoretical examination of not just factors present here in the Origin, but far beyond. Your Research AP must be assigned to one of these tasks, but additional AP may also be used.
[] Underpinned - With a solid proof now in hand of who created the Secrets, Mary wants to continue her work on understanding how the Consolat actually did it. This could well prove crucial in the weeks to come. [+250 rollover to second stage research, requires a supporting Exploration or Investigation action]
[] Visions in the Jump - You saw a glimpse of the place where you met Tahkel when jumping to the Fourth Sorrow, and it had two figures there, one of them who looked human. Try to work out how that happened, and how to reach back to that place without requiring another jump. [Requires Amanda]
[] Practised Restraint - Vega was able to find a way to an understanding of Practiced Miracles that allowed her to trigger them with a level of regularity that was a little intimidating. She's offered to try and see if she can reverse the process. Not something you ever thought you'd need before now, but it should be possible. [+133 rollover to second stage research]
[] Write in?
Development - Deployment and expansion of current Trailblazer-package outposts. May prove vital for certain tasks going forward, depending on requirements. These actions will deplete the Adamant's mass bunker, which is currently at 75 + 5 = 80% as a result of passive harvesting.
[] Blazing a Trail - Establish a Trailblazer-package outpost at one of several landing points on the planet, allowing for longer term habitation and direct access to the planet's major interest points.
-[] Outline location and type of outpost here. See sidebar.
[] Level Terrain - The Trailblazer Seeds were, by nature, modular. Expand your current Trailblazer outpost to support further systems. Will open a subvote.
You may also pick Two (2) Personal Actions. These will have limited mechanical effect on their own, but can synergise with AP actions.
[] Spend some time with your family. This will be a balm to you all.
[] Dedicate personal time to try and understand how you've all made so much progress in the last few weeks. Maybe it's just luck and new data. Maybe.
[] Go for a walk through the city of the Spire. It won't be going inside, but maybe it will help you understand the depth of power resonating from the place.
[] Spend some time at the ancient university, exploring what was left behind.
[] Write in?
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Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
I didn't mean to compress all of this into a single update but that's what happened when I started writing yesterday and pretty much 90% of this just came pouring out. I had a plan to do an interlude for the Consolat's reality physics archive, but it refused to come together. I know I have an interlude that I'll get to...hopefully soon. The Shipteens are currently up to some interesting things, and it might be good to take a look at their perspective right now.
Thanks go to @Baughn for checking this for me. I just really hope I didn't miss anything. And yes I jumped this straight to Turn 4. It was just what happened. I really hope that works.
Thanks go to @Baughn for checking this for me. I just really hope I didn't miss anything. And yes I jumped this straight to Turn 4. It was just what happened. I really hope that works.
Oh boy and update
- Location
- San Ramon, CA
Oh, that's easy. It's because the dice gods love Practice humanity, and want them to succeed.
Hmmm. Well, having made progress with Immaculate Evergreens, I'd like to keep on that. But Animus, honestly...I'm not really that interested in experimenting on Iris's mind, and she's done quite well already, so I'm more on the fence about that.
Investigating the question of whether this system is doing weird things to our people seems like a must-do, really. Not only is that the sort of thing we need to know about anyway, but the question of how that might function could be revealing.
Investigating the question of whether this system is doing weird things to our people seems like a must-do, really. Not only is that the sort of thing we need to know about anyway, but the question of how that might function could be revealing.
Okay damn looks like we've gotten lots of information.
- Location
- San Ramon, CA
We don't have to do it this Turn, but the update seemed to imply that Iris is currently well below the weight class of the AI monitoring the planet and would most likely lose any direct confrontation, so it's still decidedly on the To-Do List in my mind.
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
I hope at least some of it came through from the update itself. I was trying my best to give some more concrete data to work with.
This is something that has been stated previously, actually. The only way that Iris would feel halfway capable of surviving the attentions of the system AI if it woke up would be with full support from Amanda and Mary similar to when she subverted the system AI at the Sorrow erected for the Zlathbu. And that wouldn't really stop the AI from ripping the Adamant in half with all of its stealthed weapon platforms.
Surviving is the word chosen for a reason.
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*groans*
It's a sad state of affairs when a lazy hack like me is the first person to submit a plan in a vote of this nature. Someone tell me if I've miscounted the AP or forgotten something 'cause I likely will. Where is everybody?
[X] Plan: A Quiet Walk Through The Woods
-[X] Immaculate Evergreens
-[X] Lending
-[X] Ripples - Since arriving here, the pace of your collective work has increased far beyond what you'd consider normal. There's a limit to your tolerance for coincidence. What is going on here?
--[X] Two AP to Ripples
-[X] Underpinned
-[X] Visions in the Jump - You saw a glimpse of the place where you met Tahkel when jumping to the Fourth Sorrow, and it had two figures there, one of them who looked human. Try to work out how that happened, and how to reach back to that place without requiring another jump. [Requires Amanda]
-[X] Go for a walk through the city of the Spire. It won't be going inside, but maybe it will help you understand the depth of power resonating from the place.
-[X] Spend some time at the ancient university, exploring what was left behind.
It's a sad state of affairs when a lazy hack like me is the first person to submit a plan in a vote of this nature. Someone tell me if I've miscounted the AP or forgotten something 'cause I likely will. Where is everybody?
[X] Plan: A Quiet Walk Through The Woods
-[X] Immaculate Evergreens
-[X] Lending
-[X] Ripples - Since arriving here, the pace of your collective work has increased far beyond what you'd consider normal. There's a limit to your tolerance for coincidence. What is going on here?
--[X] Two AP to Ripples
-[X] Underpinned
-[X] Visions in the Jump - You saw a glimpse of the place where you met Tahkel when jumping to the Fourth Sorrow, and it had two figures there, one of them who looked human. Try to work out how that happened, and how to reach back to that place without requiring another jump. [Requires Amanda]
-[X] Go for a walk through the city of the Spire. It won't be going inside, but maybe it will help you understand the depth of power resonating from the place.
-[X] Spend some time at the ancient university, exploring what was left behind.
You've just been outlazied, son!
Dmol8
The Undead Unhinged Lunatic of the Web
- Location
- Belgrade,Serbia
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Right. But now we are at a point where that is becoming noticeable in-universe and needs an in-universe explanation.
Net went out yesterday and I was asleep when this was posted on Sunday.
- Location
- Florida
[X] Plan: For the Forest Calls the Rain:
Putting something down in case I forget to check back in.
Edit: changed my vote
Putting something down in case I forget to check back in.
Edit: changed my vote
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Dmol8
The Undead Unhinged Lunatic of the Web
- Location
- Belgrade,Serbia
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
[X] Plan: For the Forest Calls the Rain:
-[X] Delve: Immaculate Evergreens 2 AP
--[X] Lending 1 AP
-[X] Ripples 2 AP
-[X] Visions in the Jump Mary AP
-[X] Practised Restraint 1 AP
-[X] Spend some time with your family. This will be a balm to you all.
-[X] Dedicate personal time to try and understand how you've all made so much progress in the last few weeks. Maybe it's just luck and new data. Maybe.
Immaculate Evergreens needs to be done before there is a point to doing Underpinned again so Mary is on figuring out those Visions Amanda had to keep progressing even if it is a bit orthogonal. Ripples are a must because we should understand every edge we have for getting this done successfully. We still need to finish Practised Restraint so we don't have to worry about being revealed by a Miracle.
And of course time with the family and personal attention given to Ripples are the best personal actions to go with the rest of the plan.
-[X] Delve: Immaculate Evergreens 2 AP
--[X] Lending 1 AP
-[X] Ripples 2 AP
-[X] Visions in the Jump Mary AP
-[X] Practised Restraint 1 AP
-[X] Spend some time with your family. This will be a balm to you all.
-[X] Dedicate personal time to try and understand how you've all made so much progress in the last few weeks. Maybe it's just luck and new data. Maybe.
Immaculate Evergreens needs to be done before there is a point to doing Underpinned again so Mary is on figuring out those Visions Amanda had to keep progressing even if it is a bit orthogonal. Ripples are a must because we should understand every edge we have for getting this done successfully. We still need to finish Practised Restraint so we don't have to worry about being revealed by a Miracle.
And of course time with the family and personal attention given to Ripples are the best personal actions to go with the rest of the plan.
- Location
- San Ramon, CA
[X] Plan: For the Forest Calls the Rain:
[X] Plan: For the Forest Calls the Rain:
Looks good to me, might as well clear roadblocks to our next objectives?
Looks good to me, might as well clear roadblocks to our next objectives?
Dmol8
The Undead Unhinged Lunatic of the Web
- Location
- Belgrade,Serbia
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
It's more a case of I don't know which upgrade would be useful for the next turn if any. If you have an idea on that grab my plan and modify it.