User:RAFANO

Character page: Rafano

Lunar Experiment: The Arbiter's Stylus

Quick Summary

The Arbiter's Stylus, a spell granted to the Trader's Guild as part of the Contract struck with the Arbiter in Darkness, attacks an enemy with written words of starlight, carved into the target's very flesh. And yet the content of these abstract writings of arcana has never been deciphered. Similarly, the exact terms of the Contract are also unknown . . . by deciphering the former we hope to uncover more about the latter.

This event happened in May 2019.

Background & Supporting Lore

The original inspiration for this experiment was from the very messaging of the Stylus spell itself, some examples of which include:

• Radiant words etch themselves across a fledgling gryphon's abdomen.
• Inked in starlight, myriad lines of script cut glittering arcana onto a baby forest gryphon's back!
• White lines of light reach out with geometric precision, marking a fledgling forest gryphon with frostbitten symbols on its head.
• A fledgling forest gryphon is suddenly haloed by celestial geometries, lines sketched with rigorous precision, inked with the brilliance of concentrated starlight. Its body collapses in iced pieces.
• Your calligraphy of light assailing a fledgling forest gryphon dulls into nothingness.

With this initial inspiration, further research was conducted. Given that the focus of this experiment is the Arbiter, it is interesting that the records of precedent events suggest that it has a certain affinity for symbols and writings. From the records of the Planar Observatory:

• The two entities regard each other and then walk wordlessly toward the opposite end of the cavern. The second entity’s illumination reveals more serpentine symbols, carved into the floor with greater frequency toward their destination. The first entity either cannot see or does not care about the carvings, but the second one pauses. It kneels down to examine one of the carvings for a long moment before catching up with its companion.

The following short story was written and posted to the Forums as a potentially interesting "teaser" that skirts many of the themes that this event was building towards, but without suggesting any direct links:

• The Arbiter's Stylus

Execution

The quick summary of the plan was to go to origami creatures, near Dirge, and have any Traders present cast Arbiter's Stylus at the creatures, scarring them with the starlight symbols, and then having those adventurers present attempt to decipher the symbols.

In the end, the symbols were not able to be deciphered, and no new information was gleaned. However, the Negotiants did present themselves to those assembled, and gave several interesting messages:

• With a screech of shattering glass, the Negotiants suddenly unfold from empty air, extend fractal extremities that bristle with red hot crystal needles, and begin to survey the area.
• The Negotiants extend a line of swirling crystal into a broad loop held before them, the space within contorting and shimmering into a bizarre kaleidoscopic polytope which slowly morphs and shifts.
• The Negotiants rotate slowly in place, as if viewing the area through the lens of the polytope. Distorted images fracture behind the shifting geometries, ephemeral and angular.
• As the Negotiants scan the area, you catch a glimpse through the polytope -- branching equations reduce physical phenomena to shifting abstraction and expanding polynomials. Functions asymptotically weave across infinity, and reality itself is laid bare. The scattered symbols of the Arbiter's Stylus blossom behind the polytope, radiant and sharp.
• Through the polytope, degenerate bijectives swirl harmoniously between linear morphisms, algebraically reducing dust, light, gravity, time, to monoid variants. You have no framework to comprehend the otherworldly information creeping through the Negotiants lens, and find yourself gritting your teeth as your mind tries to make sense of it all!
• As the polytope rotates around the Negotiants, you are able to see twisting lines of abstraction rendered into reality, cycling between symbol and substance. The faded symbols of the Arbiter's Stylus wink in and out of being, language drawn from the rules of reality.
• Suddenly, your head fills with the psychic backlash of the Negotiants chatter, "... HAS BEEN NOTED AND ACCOUNTED FOR THE CONTRACT REMAINS AS INTENDED THIS STANCHION REMAINS..." before meandering into whispers.
• The Negotiants begins to whirl chaotically, their crystalline form rapidly retracting into nothingness and suddenly, they vanish!

Lunar Experiment: The Stellar Collector

Quick Summary

The Stellar Collector, a spell granted to the Trader’s Guild as part of the Contract struck with the Arbiter in Darkness, is a mysterious thing. Between the versatile Iridius crystal it is made of, and the fact that it works with the tesserae, a known communication device, there are those who posit that the full potential of the apparatus has not yet been realized. Encouraged by recent Moon Mage visions that appear to refer more and more to Traders and their new brand of Lunar Magic, a group of Lunar Researchers plans to use the Collector to reach out to the stars for guidance.

This event is scheduled for March 2020.

Background & Supporting Lore

The original inspiration for this experiment comes from the very description of the Stellar Collector itself. When a Trader discerns this spell, they learn the following:

• Of all the Fabrication substances invented, Iridius crystal is perhaps the most versatile. It takes well to many shapes and purposes, including the collection and storage of starlight energy. The Stellar Collector apparatus is a highly useful application of this crystal, but it requires some sort of psychic transducer to sieve essence from light.
• The crystal’s namesake, Iridius the Guide, was a priest-turned-demonologist of some infamy during the glory days of Throne City. What makes him interesting to Traders is his ahead-of-his-time research into a fanciful yellow-green crystal to which he attributed numerous uses. There are no records of him successfully creating such a thing – he wasn’t even a Lunar magician. Still, his descriptions bore striking resemblance to what is possible today. Any further information on Iridius himself that might have survived is kept under lock and key by the overlords of Throne City’s carcass.

But the motivation lies not only here. In other words, it is not only that I believe we have a tool to accomplish this, but I also believe that we have a distinct purpose. I refer here to recent and numerous Moon Mage visions. Although notoriously difficult to interpret, it is my belief that several recent visions make reference to Traders and our newfound Lunar Magic, and encourage us toward further research.

For example, one vision can be described thusly:

• You see a parent sitting with their child, speaking before a warmly glowing hearth fire, the rest of the room obscured in shadow. The child is looking up at the parent, who speaks softly, gently, their voice blending with the cracking flames and howling of the form against window shutters. “Your questions are profound, but only accidentally so. You inquire only to establish your boundaries. You will always be safe here,” the parent says, squeezing the child in a hug.
• The storm continues, and the walls groan with the effort of remaining upright. The parent begins to hum a comforting tune, and the child seems oblivious to the maelstrom outside. As the storm intensifies, so too does the parent’s song, winding along octaves, strangely resonant and haunting. The heart glows brighter, and suddenly, the parent stops, looks up at you and says sharply, “You do not have permission.”
• The door flies open, an icy wind howls around you, and the vision fades.

Worth noting is that I, and some others, believe the phrasing of this vision to indicate a certain degree of “approval” of a previous experiment around the Arbiter’s Stylus: “You inquire only to establish your boundaries. You will always be safe here.”

There have continued to be other Moon Mage visions as well that seem to reference Traders and Trader-related topics, which to me implies that the Stellar Collector Experiment we are planning to conduct is quite timely and relevant to current events (or events soon to come):

• An endless stairway stretches before you, composed of cold radiant starlight that slightly shimmers. Stretching up to the sky and vanishing into a single point in the far distance, shifting cosmos and stellar phenomena can be seen between the gaps between the steps. You begin to climb, your eyes transfixed upon the pulsating nebulae and spinning galaxies spanning in front of you, punctuated by the diamond-hard starlight stairs. With each step you take, eons pass, as stars burn their last and erupt into sparkling nova, or ignite in the swirling gases of stellar clouds. Strange structures spin twin spears of radiance in opposite directions, and yawning voices bend light and tear space.
• Suddenly, grasping shadows snap from between the steps, and wrap around your ankles, rooting you in place. You stagger, catching yourself as the shadows tighten and begin to pull you through the gap, and the vision fades.

This vision is much more recent. There are multiple specific references to starlight here – starlight composes the stairs, and Trader magic is based on starlight. I believe that the stairs rising up and up indicate that Traders will be allowed to ascend, whereas hands grab the viewer and tear them down because that viewer is a Moon Mage, a Child of Grazhir. And is therefore not permitted to ascend to enlightenment. As I will discuss in a moment, I believe that the staircase being made of starlight is a symbolic reference to the Stellar Collector – that it is a device capable of not only receiving, but also transmitting starlight energy, and is therefore a sort of pathway. Indeed, some of us may have heard the story of the Stellar Collector, which hints at the very same concept. Although that story has never been able to be confirmed as real:

• The Stellar Collector

There is one more vision, and here I have been saving the best for last. This vision in particular is what has stoked my imagination, and my spirit, and makes me believe that this experiment will be successful at least in obtaining a message from the stars.

The vision looks like this:

• You see yourself fiddling with a large contraption, turning knobs, twisting dials, and pulling levers as you make fine adjustments to a series of nested crystalline rings and prongs, sweeping the alignment of complex machinery towards the skies. Placing one hand on a raised column, you hear the stars burning and planets soaring in their orbits. As you focus the apparatus on a distant reach of empty space, you begin to hear a whispering beneath the crackle and hiss of the cosmos, a voice that defies your efforts to locate and identify.
• With a series of deft adjustments, the background noise falls away, and you hear…
• “-SSIONYOUDONOTHAVEPERMISSIONYOUDONOTHAVEPERMISSIONYOUDONOTHAV-", shouted in a deeply resonant basso profundo.
• With a start, you see yourself slap at the controls of the machine, and the voice cuts short. The vision fades.

As I have mentioned, this vision is the most interesting of them all, and serves as the primary motivation for the experiment I am proposing. First, the phrase “You do not have permission” that is repeated over and over has been used before – specifically in the vision of the woman and child that was referenced earlier in this proposal. Just as that prior vision was believed to relate to the relationship between Traders, Moon Mages, and Lunar Entities, so too is this new one.

Secondly, the viewer is believed to be told that they “do not have permission” because the viewer here, the one using the contraption, is a Moon Mage. And so I ask the question: what if a Trader was making the observation? Instead of a message of rejection and denial, would they be able to discern something more insightful from this supposed broadcast from the stars? I believe that the answer is yes.

Finally, I firmly believe that the language of the vision contains clear references to a Stellar Collector being the medium through which these broadcasts are received. The phrase “crystalline” is used, and the Collector is indeed made of crystal. But even more convincing is the use of the word “apparatus”, which is the exact noun used when a Trader produces a Collector from starlight. I also believe this evidence to align well with my previously discussed theory of the Stellar Collector as a bi-directional medium, which again was documented in the story “The Stellar Collector”

One final comment on that last vision: very specific language is given that the contraption does not start to operate until the viewer’s hand is placed on a raised column. Although it requires some liberal wordplay, one can consider that another word for raised column might be pillar, and another word for a pillar might be a Stanchion . . . here, I am making reference to the mention of a Stanchion at the Arbiter’s Stylus Experiment held some time ago (see above).

• Suddenly, your head fills with the psychic backlash of the Negotiants chatter, “…HAS BEEN NOTED AND ACCOUNTED FOR THE CONTRACT REMAINS AS INTENDED THIS STANCHION REMAINS…” before meandering into whispers

That message has always remained a mystery to me. Instead of answering questions, my Stylus Experiment produced more of them. What is the Stanchion? A concept? An idea? Or is it a person? Is it a Trader, one who is dedicated to upholding the Contract, in the same way that a Stanchion provides support to something? Hopefully, soon, at the conclusion of this Stellar Collector Experiment, we will have more answers, for as I said I believe that the Stellar Collector will help us discern a message from the stars meant only for us.

And I’ll close with one final note. Many of us know the story of Dehvra. Indeed, there was coverage of her in this very paper at the time. I genuinely believe my work, and this Experiment in particular, to be within the limitations of the Contract, given that I am not touching the Plane of Probability in any way. Though this plan may seem similar to her work, I do not follow in her footsteps. As a Trader I hold contracts in the highest order, almost sacred. And she knowingly broke hers, threatening the rest of us in the process. She is, as far as I’m concerned, a Breacher of Contracts, and got what she deserved. I will not be making the same mistake.

A Survey of Trader Views on Magic

Background & Supporting Lore

Rafano traveled to each of the Guildhalls, in order to survey each of the Leaders regarding their views on magic.

Results

The Crossing

ASK ANS ABOUT MAGIC

"Magic?" Guildleader Ansprahv repeats, cocking his eyebrow at you. "Yes, I suppose you'd want to learn about our latest assets. Go downstairs to the guild vault and see what you can make of the... Negotiants."

ASK ANS ABOUT NEGOTIANT

Guildleader Ansprahv says, "Ah, the machine. It's best that you go downstairs to the guild vault and study it yourself, Rafano."

Riverhaven

ASK WILLOW ABOUT MAGIC

Guildleader Willowbrook looks blankly at you for a long moment before shaking her head. "Magic never was something to rely upon in our line of work. However, if you are interested in pursuing it as more and more Traders have been, go to the Crossing guildhall and seek out what they call the Negotiants."

ASK WILLOW ABOUT NEGOTIANT

Guildleader Willowbrook says, "That is a... clever machine they have over in the Crossing guildhall. I can't begin to describe it."

Muspar'i

ASK KWOR ABOUT MAGIC

Kworlin glares at you and exclaims, "Magic! Filthy stuff! Never trusted all that finger waggling that some folks do, and never will!"

ASK KWOR ABOUT NEGOTIANT

Guildleader Kworlin splutters something rude.

Shard

ASK CIAL ABOUT MAGIC

Guildleader Cialen gives you a narrow look as he says, "Magic? Unless you mean the type of magic wherein a Trader works out a perfect deal in order to maximize profit while minimizing cost... then you're in the wrong place. Perhaps try Crossing."

ASK CIAL ABOUT NEGOTIANT

Guildleader Cialen sighs and says, "That's what they call the machine that can teach us spells. It is kept in the Crossing guildhall."

Ratha

ASK IMA ABOUT MAGIC

Guildleader Imaar looks at you for a long moment before nodding. "With all the wealth we Traders accumulate, some might think it unnecessary to concern ourselves with magic. Not so. Every opportunity should be contemplated, however out of the ordinary. Visit the Crossing guildhall and decide for yourself."

ASK IMA ABOUT NEGOTIANT

Guildleader Imaar frets for several moments. "The magic machine in Crossing. I'm just glad my guildhall is not the one which has to house that thing."

Aesry Surlaenis'a

ASK SER ABOUT MAGIC

"Magic!" Guildleader Seranda's voice erupts into the room, sounding exuberant. "A most valuable resource, like platinum raining from the moons and stars, as I like to say. After so long of having to haggle with mages for every instance of needed spellwork, we've finally procured some of that power for ourselves. We have our Zoluren colleagues to thank for it."

ASK SER ABOUT NEGOTIANT

Guildleader Seranda nods. "They are the result of the momentous deal we made with some sort of starlight creature. Time will tell whether it was a good deal. Visit the Crossing guildhall and see for yourself."

Outer Hibarnhvidar

ASK RAEL ABOUT MAGIC

"Magic?" Guildleader Raelem repeats with a merry laugh. "The magic we perform here are with numbers, supply and demand, coins, market certificates and the like. If that is what you are interested in, then you're in the right place. If not, then you aren't. It's as simple as that."

ASK RAEL ABOUT NEGOTIANT

Guildleader Raelem gives you a noncommittal smile. "I wouldn't know anything about that."