@ everyone

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor’s familiar, hurried script appears once again on its own. Without someone helping to facilitate the post, he is straight to the point, much as he was some months ago, announcing the location of the kidnapped Summoned.]

I’m well aware that most of us are occupied with the hostile creatures descending on various locations across the continent. However:

I’m more concerned with the nature of these phenomena and am currently improving the devices that the Academy will use to take measurements from the rifts. When I’m finished, the data will be more accurate than what the Cadens scientists could gather on their own. If there are similar efforts in the other factions, it is in our best interests to collaborate. I have theories of my own, as well.

[That’s, you know, the hint to pony up some intel.]

In the meantime, for those of you in the Free Cities who might be venturing to the rifts, I will need an escort. I would prefer to collect the readings myself, but I’m willing to part with one of the devices provided you are responsible with it. That may allow us to cover more ground.

As always, if you are in need of equipment or repairs, my workshop is open (unless I’m examining the rifts, in which case I’ll handle inquiries when I return).

- V

[ooc: here is a little bit about what Viktor has going on! for additional plotting/convergence of plots, hit me up on plurk at whitticus or discord at whitticus.]

Comments

[sleepfan]

They can be dangerous to my person and stupid. But I understand: I should not be arrogant either - yes?

[Istredd is...easier to figure out than most strangers so far, but Linhardt is not the most socially adept person. But Istredd accepts questions.]

I agree we should store the information in your library. Do you think someone else in Thorne would be better suited to this? Someone who isn't you doing it solely so that I or someone else doesn't need to.

[If Istredd truly is the most capable, then he should. But he shouldn't volunteer just to keep the rest of them out of danger.]

[magicalarchaeologist]

They're ignorant and that makes them particularly dangerous. It's not about arrogance, it is more that I would say you're new. You're a brilliant individual but you don't understand all the ins and outs of this place yet. Being cautious is wise.

I wouldn't be against a secondary location for much of this, there is always the possibility I disappear and my library and its information with it. I would want to store any knowledge you have there, but a back up would be smart for us to think about. For now, use the library though.

[sleepfan]

Which is a form of arrogance. You are right that I know very little. Which is why if someone else is better suited, they should do so. If there is no one else, however, I agree that what Viktor is investigating is important and we should get him the readings he needs - or as close as possible. The question would then be the safest way to do so.

Do you believe seniority should be something considered in discussions?

Perhaps the back up situation is something we should discuss with people in other factions the next time we all go to Nocwich? Hilda indicated that was a regular occurrence.

[techmaturgy]

Just bring it to my laboratory in the Horizon. All of my work is here; I'm not going to someone else's domain to consolidate. If you end up with physical data, we can meet in Nocwich at the beginning of next month, provided the fabric of space-time doesn't implode or we aren't all obliterated by errant monsters.

[magicalarchaeologist]

Of course, this is your project. Any information we get we'll make sure you have for your data collection, either physical proof or in the Horizon. Thank you for gathering all of this.

[techmaturgy]

I want to collaborate--there is no solving this without information from all of the factions. Transparency in this is of utmost importance.

[magicalarchaeologist]

I would expect nothing less from the person who created the trackers that found us and collaborated with the rest of the Summoned for the rescue. I'll do whatever I can to get you the information on the Thorne end.

[techmaturgy]

I would like to hear your findings and theories sometime, if you're willing.

[magicalarchaeologist]

I would be happy to share them. At times it feels like an echo chamber, I'd appreciate having a different point of view on them.

[techmaturgy]

An echo chamber in Thorne? I would have never guessed.

[/s]

[magicalarchaeologist]

[ He laughs. ]

A side effect of a small insular group spending too much time together in a gilded cage.

[sleepfan]

I will do so.

Would you be offended if I copied some of your work to Istredd's domain? I do not want all of your work on this matter to disappear if you do.

Space-time?

private

[techmaturgy]

I have contingencies in the event of my own disappearance. You might wish to ask yourself why Istredd positions himself as sole arbiter of all this information.

[As in, Viktor is asking himself this as well. Scholarly interest is one thing, attempting to have all the information consolidated in his domain is quite another, especially when Viktor is sure that nobody has a handle on the technological aspect the way he does. Irregardless, Linhardt and Istredd are relative strangers, and despite his willingness to exchange information, Viktor has other friends, ones he trusts with the things he's working on.]

Space, meaning the physical world--or worlds, in this case. Time, meaning the progression of events. I'm referring to the intersection of the two.

Always private

[sleepfan]

That is good - imagine if you disappeared and another you showed up and you made him start from scratch. My other selves would be very displeased.

I am questioning him. How people respond when you question them is often very enlightening. So far, I do not think he wants to be the sole arbiter of information. I think he has control issues. If there are Summoned who are working for their factions against their fellow Summoned, it's likely wise to have multiple types of backups as well as not have everybody know of them all. That would make it less likely that all information would disappear.

[All Linhardt cares about is the research not going to waste. Everything else is secondary.]

How do they intersect? I am not familiar - it intuitively makes sense to me that there is some relation: there have been certain arguments that state warp magic is more akin to skipping time than moving objects. Claude said your knowledge is more advanced than Fodlan's.

[techmaturgy]

[It is, in fact, very possible that Viktor has left detailed notes and journals for himself, in the event that very thing happens!]

I'm largely disinterested in the political jockeying of someone who imagines themselves an authority. I want progress--results. I do not need his permission to accomplish my goals, nor do I need to operate under his parameters.

Imagine yourself as a point on a graph with a three-way axis. That denotes where you are, in your own world. Imagine that, in addition to this, the entirety of the graph is moving forward in time. Four dimensions.

Now imagine that graph, and that timeline, exist among other graphs--worlds--each with their own timelines. Some are similar, almost identical to what you know. Others may be reflective of the other worlds you've encountered here. Either way, it is infinite.

[sleepfan]

At least someone has their priorities straight. It is true that we do not need Istredd's permission. What Istredd does not know will not hurt him.

So the relation between the concepts of space and time is that time can be treated as an additional dimensional axis? Are there additional dimensions?

Yes, I came to that conclusion when we attempted to unravel Fodlan's situations - the iterative exponentiation quickly became large enough to be unwieldy.

[techmaturgy]

I didn't say I'd be keeping secrets. You seem to take more umbrage with him than I do.

[Also, as a rule, he rarely asks permission.]

I suppose you could consider a fifth dimension a way to act or travel outside of the other four. I'm not sure if you have teleportation magic where you're from, but that could be one example. Unwieldy as it is, there is no limit to the amount of possible worlds.

[sleepfan]

Perhaps. I will make more of an attempt to remove my opinions from our conversations.

We do; I practice it.

Yes. I am curious about whether the worlds the Singularity has access to is a bounded set or an infinite one. And what its relation is to the total subset of existent worlds.

[magicalarchaeologist]

We'll definitely give Viktor everything we can for his project. It should primarily reside with him, and I'll put what we learn in mine as the back up instead. When we information share too, we'll all have the conclusions, so there's that.

I think everyone comes here with their own knowledge and experience and it's valid, but there is a lot that has happened here. For instance, we have a handful of people left from the first Summoning. They've told us what happened with Thorne threw them all in prison, how Thorne experimented on a Summoned, and how they escaped to the other factions. Without that knowledge, we'd be vulnerable to Thorne doing all of it again. Basically, just talking to each other is the best way.

Wanda and I plan on having a group Summoned event so we can go over many topics in person. I don't trust Nocwich much more than Thorne, it's the only way it is guaranteed privacy from our factions.

Private to Istredd

[sleepfan]

I agree that we should talk to one another and share information, however, we are vulnerable to them doing such things again regardless of whether we know about their previous activities or not. Are you going to raise arms if they attempt to experiment on us again? I do not think so. I think you would volunteer. Giving in to whatever our hosts desire is also not a long-term solution.

Why should we trust you and Wanda? Most people here, including you, have urged caution and skepticism of everything. That includes the two of you. That I like you does not make you trustworthy.

Private forever

[magicalarchaeologist]

I would not volunteer willingly, but if it was between me and one of the youths here, of course I would. We have teenagers and they're vulnerable. I sacrificed myself for them in the Pit and I would do it again. But we can't guarantee when Thorne will turn on us or if they will. I am being patient. My partner and I have been planning for a long time to find a way to get them out and where we could go to.

The first Summoned here were thrown into the dungeons. They tried to execute one of them. The only reason they escaped to the other two factions was two mysterious people called Oliver and Elizabeth showed up, froze all the mages, and opened portals to the Free Cities and Solvunn. That won't happen for us.

I'm not asking you to trust me, I'm asking you to listen to me.

[sleepfan]

Ah. So once someone is 20, throw them to the wolves. Perhaps I should start lying about my age.

[The statement both is and isn't a joke. Nobody in Fodlan seemed to care that they were sending teenagers into dangerous situations.]

Who is your partner? It's true that we can't know with certainty. I just worry you may be too complacent because you like the situation.

You are asking me to trust you - you want me to act - or not- as you wish based on the information you provide. Which entails trusting not only that you are a person who wants to tell me the truth, but also trusting your ability to assess and analyze your surroundings. I am currently evaluating my information sources in Abraxas, including you.

I am listening to you. That does not ensure that I will obey you, always heed your counsel, or come to the same conclusion that you do.

[magicalarchaeologist]

I was thinking more twenty-five.

[ Is he joking? Who knows. ]

Lucifer is my partner. What makes you think I like the situation? Thorne is dangerous and we have to constantly be paranoid and afraid of what they'd do to us, it's an untenable situation, and I've already been in it for a year. Our situation is completely different than the other two. They have freedom for where they can live, what jobs they can get, how easy it is for them to move around without being watched. They can all carry weapons, they only let some of us, and they can take anything we have at any time.

This is not a place any of us should stay, but we haven't figured out how to leave safely yet. Not to mention that if we did try to flee to the other two, it would put everyone there at risk, or restart the war if they refused to send us back to Thorne.

Every action that we make here could cause consequences. That is something you should think about. I can't control you.

[sleepfan]

'Like' is probably the incorrect word. 'Can tolerate?' 'Understand?' Those might be more accurate. You have some knowledge of how to handle this situation and would not want to give it up. You have plans. If the situation were to radically change, your plans would have to as well.

Do you know that for certain about the other two factions? My colleagues in the Free Cities do not appear to think that they are free and unwatched, and I don't think we can assume that they are not watched. If traveling in time as well as space is possible as certain things here suggest, then we cannot assume that staffing limitations or having a large area to watch are the barriers they would otherwise be. We could also interpret the situation as Thorne is at least being honest in their restrictions.

It's fairly normal to restrict the presence of weaponry in a castle. If we cannot work, how does Kyle have work?

I am thinking about it.

I am annoyed with you because you assumed that you had complete knowledge of the situation - you have not asked me any questions about why I have spoken up, nor about my values. While I'm sure your plans with Lucifer are well-formed, they are not something I can or will wait on. There is always the possibility that one or both of you will disappear tomorrow, and where would that leave those of us on the outside of your plans? Particularly if you are gone: Lucifer does not strike me as somebody who cares very much about anyone else's wellbeing.

Nor have you answered the question I put to you as to whether or not you had alternative suggestions - I am not going to endanger myself if a better alternative exists. I would be pleased if we could gather this information in concert with the authorities in Thorne. I do not revel in creating problems. They distract from what I would prefer to spend my time on.

However, I do reserve the right to select my own priorities.

[magicalarchaeologist]

Okay Linhardt we are going to have to put a pin in this conversation. It's one I want to have with you, but we are in the middle of a crisis right now, and I've been portaling for days. My brain is tired and I am handling talking to multiple people right now about what Viktor needs and what is being attacked right now.

Can we shelf some of this to talk about when this is over? Please.