On the shoulders of giants: a new multiple choices LP!

[Clotstein]

A_ Concealing information from the king? awww hell naw! Seriously, there may be something insightful about our enemies written there.

 

[kazgar]

Surely its not time for book club when there's more pressing matters? As long as B doesn't mean we can never come back to the topic.

 

[newcomer]

A

 

[Tigranes]

It seems pretty clear that the writing we found describe the original, true conditions of our people's journey to the caves, and the book can point us towards where we came from, why we came, how we came, etc.

A

 

[GreyViper]

A Better get it over now rather then later.

 

[Zero Credibility]

"Jordian, he said, read these papers. Then put them back here and forget they are there. You will take them out only when you name your own successor. All the high priests before me did the same. It speaks of the origin of our nation. The secrets within must never be revealed, lest they ruin our way of life..."

Origin of our nation? Secrets that must never be revealed? Maybe secrets of what exactly is in the sealed tunnels? Yeah, that really sounds like nothing useful to me.

Fuck. This. Shit. Voting A.

Our way of life sucks badly anyway. Also, what happens the first time a high priest dies before choosing the successor? The books get lost forever, that's what. These people can not be trusted with holding information this critical - they are clearly idiots.

 

[Stygian Lurker]

A

 

[Bloodshifter]

FOOLS its just the PROLOGUE THAT WE SAW EARLIER

just that our "king" doesn't KNOW about it the "sacrifice" and the "journey"

god how dense are you guys its not like knowing that we throwing people into the hole to die is bad enough..

 

[GreyViper]

Ah but knowledge is power and who knows maybe it will have some kind of impact in our favor.

 

[GameOver]

FOOLS its just the PROLOGUE THAT WE SAW EARLIER

just that our "king" doesn't KNOW about it the "sacrifice" and the "journey"

god how dense are you guys its not like knowing that we throwing people into the hole to die is bad enough..

Dude, you have no idea if that is what it really is. Just because you think that does not mean you get to tell everyone they're fools. You may be completely wrong in your assumption.

 

[Monty]

A. From now on the tradition should be the King and the High Priest know that secret (assuming we can't reveal it to everyone), that way one sudden death doesn't mean the knowledge is lost forever (as Zero Cred pointed out).

When the priest said it had to be kept secret to preserve 'our way of life', he could mean the way of life of the priests. After all religions tend to be keen on suppressing information which impacts on their prestige and power. It may actually improve the way of life of the rest of us if we know, for example, more about the sealed tunnels and our reason for being here.

It's definitely worth finding out though as we have no idea what those documents contain - apart from Bloodshifter that is, who seems to have a rabidly intense certainty on the contents of an ancient book, hidden behind a brick, in a cave, based in a fictional online LP.

 

[Curufinwe]

Vote went 14-5 in favor of the reading option. Very well, let's see what all the fuss is about.

A journal from the past.

King Saras shook his head and said: "Jordian, hadn't you lied to me before on the matter I would be much more inclined to take your council on this. As things stand, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to show me those papers. Do not force me to make this an order."
Jordian stood still for a long time then, when the king's patience seemed about to run out, finally sighed deeply: "Very well. Follow me, my king."

The king took a small detail of guards with him and followed the high priest to the Temple of the Chosen. The temple guards posted there seemed to be nonplussed at seeing the king at a time no ceremony was scheduled, but didn't say anything and stood aside.

The library was a regrettably small room dug underneath the main temple. The only access was a ladder chiseled into the rock at the back of the building, dimly lit by the omnipresent lichens.
Just a handful of books survived from the earliest ages of the nation, all carefully conserved in a dry ambient, most inside stone and metal boxes to preserve them from the ravages of time.

The king left his guard on top of the stairs and followed Jordian into the low room, then to the very back of it. In a stone shelf, behind one of the metal boxes (labeled 'Ruminations on the rightful nature of the Choice and its implications , as exposed by High Priest Marin the Younger', an uninteresting title if king Saras had ever seen one), Jordian started tugging at the bare wall.
Soon a small rectangle of rock was removed to reveal a small alcove. Inside, a bundle of papers, positively ancient and kept together by a string of some unknown fabric.
The high priest carefully removed the papers from the alcove and brought them to a nearby table, untied the string and gestured for the king to sit: "Here it is. Please, my king, handle this with the utmost care. The paper is very, very old and prone to tearing. Here – he handled the king a thin, blunt metal tool – use this to turn the pages. Try not to touch them with your fingers if at all possible."

King Saras sat at the table and started reading....

First, he took a few minutes observing the condition of the manuscript, without actually reading. Many pages were faded, with even the better conserved ones mostly unreadable due to faded ink and, sometimes, crumbled parts. After that, he dug in.

(Curu's note: I will underline illegible spaces with the **** symbol. They're of varying length, a **** symbol could be a missing word or a missing paragraph. Furthermore, it's apparent alot of pages are missing.)

The first page seemed a title of a sort: 'Diary of the events following the **** Downfall, as seen by Brother Cou.. **** Julian'

'We arrived in this huge cave after some hard underground trekking. We knew it was here, but seeing it is... **** ...only a few food repl... **** .... losses, but finally here we are. We're setting up a main encampment in the northwestern parts of the cave. There is a fishable lake here, for those so inclined and, from old surveys, we know we have a very good mix of metals not too far to the northeast. It is not pleasant but it will have to do.
Eldest Miriam made a speech today, recalling the events that forced us from the surface ****'

'**** .... considering I'm basically the last remaining Novitiate, Eldest Miriam saw fit to promote me to... **** ...er Councillor. I'm of course completely undeserving of the title, but I'll have to do.
We will always honour the sacrifices of the... **** ...Archons. Their deeds will be forever remembered, their supreme and last effort in hiding us from... **** .... may they find peace.'

'Haven't opened this in a few (a lot actually) years, but I'm doing this now to leave a written record to posterity, in direct violation of the Eldest's orders. The last food replicator failed today and we're down to just ten glow-lamps. The use of those disgusting lichens for illumination is now widespread. Feels like we're back to the stone age. We're even dressing in textiles extracted from those things, weird as it sounds. As for our diet... fish, fish and more fish. Yay. The mushrooms are edible but cause cramps to the stomach, so fish it is. Anyway, enough with my musings. We have been dealt a harsh hand, but the alternative was much worse. I just wish... ****'

'**** ...time to go into more depth in what Miriam and the guys in charge decided. We'll be stuck here for a very long time. Food is scarce, all our... **** ...is gone, we still have people with the Spark but no way to teach them how to....**** ...except for... **** ... Anyway, back to this insane idea they had. Everyone or close to knows what really happened, of course. Miriam was adamant in saying that we had to forget, or the temptation to go back to the surface would be too strong. A series of myths will be taught to our children forbidding us to even try it. I have no idea how she plans to enforce it.'

'****...help me, but this is barbarism. As I thought, alot of people refused to go with the 'plan'. The smartest of them did it secretly, but Miriam is just too good with her... **** ...and they were tossed into the tunnels. Just like that. They were told they had a choice, to help with our survival or doom us to certain death some generations down the road. Miriam knows full well there's no food in those tunnels, so it was a death penalty. Damnit, I thought that kind of crap belonged to our ancient past. Now we're back to it.'

'Miriam left today with... **** ...tried to talk her out of it but she was adamant. It'll be centuries at best before we can risk going back to the surface, probably much longer. I'm not sure her decree is the best solution, but... **** ...hid the exit to the surface using her powers. Would be hard enough getting out through that labyrinth even without it. She ordered that any record we brought with us, any tool is destroyed. Those few things we can't destroy she took with her to the western caves, for 'safekeeping' she said.'

'****... left with the final items reminding us of our old life. She left me in charge, as long lived as we are we're the only one left who know the truth first-hand. This time, she never came back. May our descendants forgive us.'

'****... found a young boy manifesting the Spark with a strength I haven't seen before. I can't teach him, but at least I can make sure he won't die because of it. I decided to take him under my wing and teach him all I can, to prepare him for government. He's a good lad, he'll... ****'

The handwriting from the following part is from the same hand, but different. It's shaky, as if the writer couldn't fully control his movements.

'****... so, so old. I'm tired of it all. Eldest Miriam was much, much more powerful than me, maybe she's still alive, down wherever she went. I will die soon. I need to talk to her one last time, to make her reconsider. I'm leaving tomorrow for the western tunnels. In case I don't come back, Saul is a grown man, able and willing to take the burden of leadership from my shoulders. I will leave my diary with him, so at least he knows what happened.'


There is a last page. The writing on it is from a completely different hand, with a brisk style of writing and strong lines, almost as if he was trying to carve the letters on the paper.

'****... Eldest Julian, my mentor, has been gone for months. I have no hope to see him alive. I have read the journal and must concur with Eldest Miriam's conclusions. I have never known her, but it's obvious she was a woman of great wisdom and strength of character. What she brought with her must never be uncovered. Nobody but me knows the truth. I will hide this journal, to be shown to my successor when the time is ripe, if I will deem it necessary. The populace at large has elected a king. To counterbalance his influence, I have been working towards founding a religion. My mentor always spoke of religion as the strongest influence over men's souls. Food is running extremely low. We'll soon be forced to make hard choices.'

'****.... and was named high priest. Of a religion based on death. It's horrible, but necessary. My first decree is to name the western tunnels as forbidden ground. Whatever Eldest Miriam brought with her must never be recovered. This will be the final entry in this journal. May our children forgive us.'

King Saras took several hours. The pages were faded, even where legible it was hard at the light of lichens. The language was different than that from the religious texts, much more informal. It indeed bore striking similarities to the scrap of paper found in the eastern caves.
He finished and wrapped the bundle again with its string, silently handling it back to Jordian.
There would be much to consider.

Open update, yet again. Think about what you read here and decide what to do. You can continue as before or make any policy change, of any type. Vote on!


Oh, and feel free to speculate.

 

[Hirato]

It seems our choices basically divulge to

A. Exploring the western tunnels in search of ancient artifacts (in direct defiance of our guiding religion)
B. Focus on the war with the "morlocks" and come back to this later.
C. inquire about the "spark" and determine if there's some means of using it for our survival.

I'm for B

EDIT: C not practical

 

[Curufinwe]

It seems our choices basically divulge to

A. Exploring the western tunnels in search of ancient artifacts (in direct defiance of our guiding religion)
B. Focus on the war with the "morlocks" and come back to this later.
C. inquire about the "spark" and determine if there's some means of using it for our survival.

I'm for C

Inquire with whom?

 

[m4davis]

i normally will wait to do anything in open choice until there are more choices available but did anyone else catch that line about food replicator I don't think we were a standard tribe at any time

 

[Vernydar]

uhhh this will be hard. So let's see facts. And luckily we came to read. People, keep it in mind, reading is power!

- These guys are descendants of some sort of "technological" population that came down here to hide. They abandoned/lost all their technology, hid their history, and then lived here as bronze-age people.
- They also had magic I'd say. This Spark they told about seems much like magic to me. But they have no way to teach it. Or at least, supernatural powers
- The old coot Miriam retired in the Sealed Corridors, with a few things she could not destroy
- She MAY be still alive.
- The tunnels are a labyrinth, and the exit to the surface is hidden by magic
- The exiles were people sent to die so they could not talk to others about what they knew. Totally useless custom in truth
- This religion is a hoax, made to influence people. SO it's useless to us and anyone else.
- These priests are pathetic buffons, and followed what the old coot decided
- It might be that we are descendants of this Saul, and have the Spark. But learning anything would be extremely long-term. Or maybe, the priests are. Anyway, finding the descendants would be nice.

So, given these facts. My first suggestion would be:
- Let's go in those sealed corridors, and find Miriam. Alive or dead, she is sure to be a source of knowledge. Must be careful though, if she still lives she might be a danger
- Let's start to work to undermine our religion. Or to use it. We KNOW it's a hoax. So might as well either remove it so we do not have to contend with priests and angry devouts, or use it for fanaticism to promote our escape and knowledge. But either way, I'd say undermine it. We went religious with the obsidian embers, and we SAW how much good that did.

 

[Hirato]

Inquire with whom?

I suppose most of the people who know anything about it would be dead...
But considering the source, asking Jordian and anyone close or descended from his mentor (and their mentors) would only be logical.

 

[Curufinwe]

Inquire with whom?

I suppose most of the people who know anything about it would be dead...
But considering the source, asking Jordian and anyone close or descended from his mentor (and their mentors) would only be logical.

Fair enough. I'll spare you the trouble and tell you outright he has no idea what this 'Spark' is.

 

[Hirato]

Damn, I have no other ideas for learning about the "Spark," so I guess that idea's out...

 

[Monty]

Perhaps the 'spark' is derived from the original fire wielders....

And the savages we are fighting in the tunnels, could they be descendants or mutations of the original exiles?

I've been keen to explore the sealed tunnels since the beginning, as I'm naturally suspicious of religious dogma and its origins. But now we're embroiled in an expedition into the maze, with our army at risk in the tunnels. So it could be argued that we should stick with this now we've started.

But I think we should cut our losses and pull back the army to the main fortification at the entrance to our cavern. It hasn't been a totally fruitless expedition as the scrap of text led us to the priest and the story of our origins. We can explore the sealed tunnels, where at least we know we are more likely to find useful tools and knowledge than in the labyrinth. As Miriam was the one who sealed the entrance to the labyrinth, perhaps we will find clues as to how to find the entrance, or even something which could help us fight our enemies.

Then we can make another attempt at the labyrinth once we've obtained everything we can from the sealed tunnels. Surely this makes more sense than continuing our current expedition, knowing the items in the sealed tunnels could be the difference between success and failure.

 

[Monty]

These priests are pathetic buffons

I agree, they are rather useless, but comparing them to Italian goalkeepers seems a bit harsh.

 

[ScubaV]

Here's a key quote:

...hid the exit to the surface using her powers. Would be hard enough getting out through that labyrinth even without it. She ordered that any record we brought with us, any tool is destroyed. Those few things we can't destroy she took with her to the western caves, for 'safekeeping' she said.'

Curufinwe, are these western caves the same as the Sealed Corridors? And what is the state of our mapping of the tunnels?

It's interesting that Miriam "knew" there was no food in the tunnels she banished people to, and yet there's been an increasing number of mutants. Obviously they're getting sustenance somehow. I think we should find some branch-point that keeps the unknown branches ahead and the fully-explored dead ends behind. Then, fortify this point and leave a sizeable force to guard it while we investigate these western caves that Miriam went to.

 

[Curufinwe]

Here's a key quote:

...hid the exit to the surface using her powers. Would be hard enough getting out through that labyrinth even without it. She ordered that any record we brought with us, any tool is destroyed. Those few things we can't destroy she took with her to the western caves, for 'safekeeping' she said.'

Curufinwe, are these western caves the same as the Sealed Corridors? And what is the state of our mapping of the tunnels?

It's interesting that Miriam "knew" there was no food in the tunnels she banished people to, and yet there's been an increasing number of mutants. Obviously they're getting sustenance somehow. I think we should find some branch-point that keeps the unknown branches ahead and the fully-explored dead ends behind. Then, fortify this point and leave a sizeable force to guard it while we investigate these western caves that Miriam went to.

The western caves must be the Sealed Corridors, since they are to the west and you don't know of any other tunnels in that direction. Mapping of the tunnel was advanced through the weeks in the pertinent update: you managed to isolate several dead branches and 'secure' them. But there's still more ahead. You can though find an arbitrary branch-point to execute your plan, sure.
Monty: leave our legendary goalkeeper alone.

 

[Stygian Lurker]

Explore sealed corridors.

 

[Kz3r0]

Explore sealed corridors.