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Antonius von Schnee "Oh, so I was indeed correct that the scenario presented by a literal Sage does not in fact trip at the very first sophomoric gotcha one would think of", Antonius very explicitly does not roll his eyes as he speaks, "Well, it is good that this has been finally made clear to those among us to whom it was not obvious." "Perhaps we can move on, now?"
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Nov 7, 2023 18:54
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| # ? Jun 9, 2024 22:42 |
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Avantus Benussman “Hey Teffy,” Avantus lifted his cat to eyes level and ask. “Had you suffered or feel any pain when you die?” “Meow?” The cat replied in rhetorical uncertainties of its immortal experience.
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Nov 7, 2023 18:56
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Solijan Ruuh "Then why are we here, exactly, if The Sage in their magnificence has already conquered all the obstacles?" "If the potion cleanses all wounds and ailments, giving it to everyone all at once would be the only sensible option, no? Ah, excepting of course the psyche, which remains the issue at hand. If you do not believe in the theory of the mind, or the existence of the soul, even after your Sage has declared it to be, then by all means, your reasoning is clear. Grant your unthinking automata their eternity. What difference does it make? To the others present, those of you who consider themselves of sound mind, we urge you to consider Our Words, nothing more."
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Nov 7, 2023 19:05
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A Conclusion for the Conference, A New Dawn for Humanity The lanky Secretary steps to the front of the stage. "I think We've waited long enough and the discussion has ran its course. The overall consensus is clear. In accordance with the majority advice, We shall make the elixir available to all of humanity at once, as well as disclose the method of its creation. To address the concerns of the minority position championed by Solijan Ruuh and others, we shall clarify the methods by which suffering of the body may be supressed or rendered irrelevant, as well as reveal several ways to voluntarily cease your existence. We feel that this is the course of action which best reflects the collective will of the conference." "Now, it is time to bid farewell. We thank all of you for lending your perspectives and furthering the advance of Our Plan. We hope to see you again at Our next conference in a year's time, where We shall discuss the progress of humanity and present you with the Second Gift." *** You find yourself back outside again, exactly as you were before being taken to the hall. Before you can properly get your bearings, you hear an ethereal voice. A voice heard by everyone, everywhere. "<We> are Last Sage Aveline, returned from the Far Side. <We> brought a Gift for you. An elixir to conquer Death. It pours from fountains at the base of <Our> towers. Drink it to become immortal." This message repeats several more times before the day's end. A pamphlet penned by Secretary One, describing the elixir's purpose, effects and method of creation is widely circulated by newspapers and telecasts, accompanied by a warning on potential negative implications of eternal life and descriptions of several 'termination strategies'. Detailed manufacturing instructions appear on the whiteboards of laboratories and classrooms across the entire world. The familiar aquamarine substance pours forth from beneath the seemingly endless pillars dotting the horizon. Despite an initial hesitance, masses of people soon flood the fountains in droves. Almost trampling each other for a shot at living forever, free from physical pain. There's no doubting what you see. Mankind is on the cusp of conquering Death. Immortality is here, and it's not going away any time soon. Over the course of this coming year, the world is sure to change beyond recognition. There is going to be great upheaval. A consequence of your collective decision. Now, someone needs to shape something out of this chaos, to keep the world from collapsing under the strain of these changes. Someone like you. As Lead Actors, you hold significant influence on the way humanity copes with all this. You may now choose your actions for the rest of the year. Leaders may shape the attitude of their followers regarding matters such as the immortality elixir, the Last Sage and the Next Stage of Mankind. Visionaries may develop new ideas and concepts for use in a society with immortality at its fingertips. Let your imagination run wild! Mages and Scholars may research the various phenomena of the Last Sage's return, such as the Threshold crossings, the pillars and the properties of immortality. You may choose to focus on one, or spread your attention across several, but obviously your time is limited and the results of your research would reflect that. As for Unnamed Contributors, you may voice your opinion on the changes that humanity is undergoing and your attitude will be reflected in the mood of the general population. AFancyQuestionMark fucked around with this message at 02:49 on Nov 8, 2023 |
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Nov 8, 2023 02:45
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Avantus Benussman: Grand Visionary As proof by his previous live stream of drinking the immortality potion, Avantus unveil that he is indeed the main instrument in granting immortality to mankind! In fact, all this is actually his grand effort to bring the greatest mmo Mana Citizen that he promised into reality! The first step in which the world shall embrace being immortal and feel only surpressed or muted pain like mmo game character have succeeed! Soon, the world shall become wonderous with entertainment surpassing virtual reality MMO that will bring joy and happiness to all of mankind! Every action you take, every good deed you done and commit will soon be rewarded with fun and positivity! Keep donating to keep the stretch goal going! Become the REAL Mana Citizen!
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Nov 8, 2023 03:37
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Paractas, That-Which-Redeems - Leader Back in the soon-to-be-renamed Gerontocracy of Delrednia (Rule by the eldest and immortality were not a great combination), That-Which-Redeems rallied their followers. The Immortality Elixir was to be a Catalyst for change: So much was fundamentally different now that an effectively full scale revolution in the way everything was done was a necessity here, but for the first time in history, a truly bloodless one. The elixir eliminated the state's monopoly on violence, because when bodies could be discorporated and recorporated with a thought, what harm could be done to them? Vials of the elixir were a frontline requirement, every death could, should and must now be avoided. The Last Sage was A Benevolent Out of Context entity, one whose power and abilities were orders of magnitude superior to what the world of the until recently mortal had to offer. They were matter-of-factly rewriting humanity, and no other potential power known to the species could stop them. Let's hope that benevolence holds up. The Next Stage of Mankind is The 'something better' we have been crying out for and working towards. Easy to co-opt this one, Utopia was a very real prospect in the near future.
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Nov 8, 2023 05:10
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Antonius von Schnee "Right", Antonius speaks, "I think I'll leave the philosophizing about this and all its implications and all that to the professionals, at least for now? As I recall, I was promised some writings I'd very much like to go over." "I'll be frank, I'll most likely be looking into these threshold crossings for the majority of the next year, likely the next several years, so kindly only call me if it's actually important. Not like any of us are hurting for time anymore."
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Nov 8, 2023 08:00
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Solijan Ruuh - Leader Their Divine Radiance, Solijan Ruuh re-materialized at their podium as the message from above rang out across the realm. The ever present smile cracked into a grin, erupted into a laugh which was, in retrospect, quiet manic. Several aides rushed up to their beloved leader, though their concerns were quickly waved away. "Time is at hand, and it grows short indeed my fellow believers. With the enemies we have made this day, it is our firm belief that we won't survive the night. - another laugh, seemingly genuine. - "But was it not ever thus? Remember this, if nothing else, the only certainty is the moment. Seize it and make it yours. Now, re-up the telusory array and call for the immediate council of high clergy. Final Death is at hand." - - - The Night of Final Death as it came to be called was as much an event as it was a philosophy. Certainly there were personal triumphs and tragedies great and small all over the world as word spread of the elixir and its effects, but few as potent as from those communities where Khetism had taken root. With the mandate of both Lower and now also Upper Khet as clear as day - the old ways were truly dead, long live the new world disorder! Some of the more notable local effects: The Teachings hold that The Old Ways Must Make Way For The New. With Immortality looming, threatening to set the old ways in stone, a wave of unimaginable violence spread as followers of Khetism destroy old institutions, leaders whose views did not align with the faith and those termed 'oppressors'. The Teachings hold that, Because The Past is But a Memory and The Future is Uncertain, every Opportunity Must Be Seized. With the threat of immortality and little time to act, a lot of decisions that had previously been left to idle for more opportune times were enacted post-haste. Particularly, the murder rate in Lower Khet, and regions with significant Khetic influence, spiked astronomically until it like in all other regions dropped to zero. The Teaching hold that Choice is Paramount, but Must be Measured with Wisdom. Efforts to secure the towers in Khetic-controlled regions, though ultimately futile, still saw the initial stampede reduced in scope, as Soldiers of the Faith made people think twice about reaching for the waters. Similarly, with Khetic Authorities attempting to seize the means of productions and distribution (if only to slow its introduction), Lower Khet soon became known as a 'refuge of mortality', or perhaps rather an exodus of immortals. The Teachings hold that Death is Not The End, but Neither is Life. Khetism is invigorated as the inner mysteries of the faith hold where magic and alchemy have failed. Perhaps nothing is certain, and the whole world really is an illusion? --- In summary: the Immortality Elixir was seen as a ticking time-bomb - forcing the hand of humanity to Act Now or forever live with the Old Ways. The Last Sage was seen as an Agent of Disorder - proof of the validity of the Teachings of Khet. As heralded by Solijan Ruuh, the Changer of Ways had truly arrived! The Next Stage of Mankind was as ever Uncertain - it was up to the individual to Act to see their ideal future realized, now so more than ever.
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Nov 8, 2023 11:06
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 Walthiero Minnesanger (He/They) Wandering Mage-Poet The wandering minstrel Walthiero was cooking up a trio of large and thick bacon slices over a metal pan perched above his campfire. It was breakfast time in the forest, and the area was abuzz from the woodsmoke and crackling flames mingling with the aromatic bubbling of greasy pork fats. Walthiero wasn't going to be eating anything currently sizzling under his nose, but he *was* going to be dunking his wheatroll in any of the leftover grease puddles before he threw the soaked porridge oats onto the mix. The bard had secretly come to the woods alone with his camping gear, but not-so-secretly he was seeking company. Orphanages, hospitals, mental wards, cloisters, lepers colonies and hermitages, over the last eight moons since the towers rose the poet Walthiero Minnesanger had found himself compelled to visit all of these particularly "lost" souls out in their homesteads - to spare words upon the uses of the First Gift of the Great Sage to every forgotten corner of human society, one fractured reflection at a time - and for more good than ill, it was known... It hadn't been enough. By the time Walthiero's bacon had been fully cooked by his campfire out in the woods, he sensed that he had attracted a trio of visitors, in the form of a mother bear and two intensely curious bear cubs. Walthiero looked up from ladling out hot porridge into three wooden bowls and curled his lips at the hungry ursine friends. Baring teeth was a consideration on instinctive impulses, but unnecessary here today- or perhaps ever again. "Well now - who looks to be a hungry pair!" Walthiero exclaimed with infectious enticement, as he mixed a dose of the elixir each into the bowls, "And your caring mother, as well, why - might she join us in this hot and ready repast?" Earlier Walthiero had already "tainted" the water troughs of the meat farm he'd bought the bacon from - just yesterday morning, using a large concealed bottle of the immortality elixir - a stunt which caused enough chaos to force the young ne'er-do-well into lying low for a spell... Since Walthiero was immersing himself in the great outdoors, he wanted to ensure that every beast in the wild got a taste of immortality, too.
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Nov 8, 2023 14:39
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Nyaa posted:Avantus Benussman: Grand Visionary The Cult of Mana Citizen Having already invested much of themselves into the success of the game without seeing much return, your backers are absolutely ecstatic on reading these news. They were plenty hyped when they thought it was just an ambitious game project, but now that reality is seemingly being transformed before their very eyes, their enthusiasm reaches levels you had not even considered possible. They immediately fan out, each rashing at the head of the crowd at the base of their nearest pillar, lapping up as much of the immortality elixir as possible. While there, they eagerly spread the word of the true purpose of the Sage's actions all being the transformation of reality into the ultimate MMO gaming experience. Many heed their words and soon your following expands greatly. High on the joy of their newly acquired immortality, new and old backers alike donate all of their remaining worldly possessions to you, so as to speed along the game's development and attain ever more stretch goals. Being immortal, they no longer have any need to waste their time on lowly material concerns or working mundane jobs. They are free to dedicate themselves entirely to expanding the reach of your campaign and shoveling ever more funds your way, in pursuit of their promised lives filled with joy and happiness in Mana Citizen. As the year goes on, this Cult of Mana Citizen grows to enormous proportions, spreading across the entire world and eclipsing the established major religions in both size and fervency of devotion. Its promise of "a joyful future filled with entertainment and free of worry" appeals to many newly-minted immortals during this time of chaos and upheaval. So it is that you find yourself as the unfathomably wealthy leader of a sizable fraction of humanity. Staring from the next update, you will be able to act as a Leader in addition to being a Visionary, so long as your actions in that capacity are couched in terms of advancing the development of Mana Citizen.
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Nov 9, 2023 21:32
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| # ? Jun 9, 2024 22:42 |
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Theantero posted:Antonius von Schnee The Projection Model of Reality A few weeks after the pivotal Day of Return, a familiar masked messenger in ceremonial robes appears out of nowhere to hand you a letter and a small stack of papers loosely bound together. She departs without speaking a word or leaving any trace as to where and how she might have gone. You have no doubt that this was yet another crossing of the Threshold. What was a theoretical impossibility little more than a month ago is now casually undertaken for matters as trivial personal mail delivery. Absolutely incredible. You simply must get to the bottom of this. The letter reads as follows: "To Eminent Scholar Antonius von Schnee, We apologize for the delay in answering your questions at the conference. Rest assured, We have not forgotten. On the contrary, We have put plenty of thought on how to best compress, simplify and reorient our knowledge on these matters to fit within the narrow frame of your perspective. After much deliberation, We at last reached an appropriate decision. Instead of trying to narrow our view, We would expand your own. To that end, We composed a brief outline of a new theoretical framework which corresponds with reality much more closely than the one used by contemporary scholars. We ask that you discard all preconceptions and not waste your time trying to reconcile the two. All extant theories of magic are useless for explaining our discoveries. The properties they ascribe to the world are utter fiction. You will have to start your research efforts all over from the first principles We've drawn up for you. Put your trust in them. Remember that the only value of any model is its power to explain observed reality. We have expressed Our answers to your questions within this new model. We are confident that your prodigious mind and rigorous research methods will have no trouble whatsoever with taking the content of these pages from the realm of theory into practice. Wishing for the success of your research efforts, Secretary One (the First), writing on behalf of Sage Aveline of the Far Side P.S.: Should you practical research into the Threshold progress far enough, you might find that Our crossing route can't be reproduced. This is by design. We have restricted access to the Far Side, pending the further progress of Mankind." The model described in the bound pages is truly novel and far reaching. The proposed foundational axioms are as follows: - Rather than a membrane or a border, the 'Threshold' is actually the very plane on which our entire material world resides. - All 'material objects' are shapes projected on this plane from a higher dimension as a result of directed energetic residue ( 'mana flows') passing through objects in the higher dimension. - Common physical interactions and phenomena are manifestations of the properties of the mana flows in transit through Empty Space or in their contact with the Threshold. What we call magic is simply the conscious manipulation of these flows through various means. - The souls of living creatures and other such 'magical essences' exist in the higher dimension (the 'Far Side') and experience the 'material world' entirely through observation of their shapes ('bodies') projected onto the Threshold. Their only active interaction with it is through the mana flows. While these shapes are limited, the 'true' essences in the higher dimension are not and have no 'beginning' or 'end'. This is what makes immortality possible. - 'Crossing' the Threshold entails redirecting the mana flows that pass through you essence away from the Threshold itself and onto other parts of the Far Side, thus enabling you to perceive and interact with them. Armed with this new model of reality, you busy yourself with intense experimental research into the newly redefined Threshold and Far Side. Over the course of the year, you are able to produce many fascinating results and develop a number of incidental applications which transcend the previously recognized bounds of magical practice. However, any attempts you make to cross the Threshold and witness the Far Side fail completely. Even reliable methods that were used to "transfer material objects to the far side" throughout the long history of magic study produce no results, including the reverse-engineered method utilized by the Last Sage herself. It seems that, just as the letter mentioned, access to the Far Side had somehow been restricted. How frustrating.
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Nov 9, 2023 23:47
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