Setting up for some work I'm thinking of doing with Melangia. I may have got some of the Time Perfectionist stuff mixed up, the development of them was all rather brief/mainly in Harvey's notes and not posted.The first rule of the Time Revisionists is to not look at your own history. It could only end badly.
Science fiction is replete with examples of the dangers of meddling in your own timeline, and one of the main reasons that history itself is not replete with such examples is that those who bother to invent time travel are normally also the sorts of people who read science fiction. The other reason is the Time Revisionists.
There have been three major time-travel organisations in the history of Micras. The most well known is, of course, the Time Distortionists, the Micron organisation set up to oppose the spread of Fate, the entity whose job it was to restore balance to the universe by destroying it all and rebuilding it. As divine bad ideas go, Fate was one of the worst. The existence of the Time Distortionists was well documented in the adventures of the Control of Destiny team, and particularly while Nelaga was around there were many people who knew their names.
Lesser known were the Time Perfectionists, who were essentially a Micron faction bent on manipulating history to make the Microns more powerful. Thanks to the powerful artefact known as the Dreamprism, Harvey Steffke was able to broker a peace between the microns bound on interfering on the microns bound on not; and ensure that humanity had the ability to control its own destiny, without interference in history. While this didn’t entirely work (see: The Chronoclasm), by and large the microns haven’t messed around too much in recent times, and the Time Perfectionists are all but disbanded.
But least well known is the shadowy Melangian organisation known as the Time Revisionists. Officially, they don’t exist; historically, they don’t exist – no record has ever been found of them. Of course, they’re quite thorough in this regard. But the High Priests of Sakat and enough other high-ranking Melangians, have known about them throughout the ages to avoid their existence being entirely secret. While nobody would ever say this much, what’s essentially known is this: they are Sakat’s agents to ensure that history happens correctly.
This may surprise most people, who would think that history just happens, and by definition, happens correctly. But in the secret vaults of the Time Revisionists is the history book, as recorded by Sakat, of everything of note that happened from his birth right down to the End Times and the beginning of the final battle between the gods and Balgurd. Nobody, of course, knows how that ends. But in between, History happens, and it’s the job of the Time Revisionists to ensure that what actually happens is what is recorded as happening, by manipulating events from the sidelines where necessary.
The enquiring mind can immediately see problems with this arrangement; surely such manipulation is open to corruption, for example. In most cases, it would be, but the Melangians are, as a rule, a singularly unambitious people, content to stand on the sidelines and record history as it happens; and, for those who become Time Revisionists, ensure that the events that happen match the book. None of them would dream of messing with this sacred trust. But surely, the enquiring mind continues, this poses problems of fatalism with regard to Melangian history – they do what they have to do because they know that they do it? Indeed, if your interferences were recorded, what would you do if you stuffed up an interference? How do you interfere to interfere correctly? To avoid such problems, Sakat very wisely removed all but the vaguest references to Melangia from the book, and forbade the Time Revisionists to do anything regarding Melangia. For the rest of the world, they know what should happen, and it is their job to make it so. Within Melangia itself, they are as ignorant of future events as any normal person, and Melangian history happens as it happens. For the most part, nothing very much happens, as the Melangians just potter away recording/revising history. But once in every dozen or so generations, there rises up an individual who has more of an interest in the outside world, and Melangia actually gets involved. Mel’Kat was one such Melangian.
Which is all a roundabout way of saying that when Cla’Udi, nominal count of Melangia (as nobody else was interested in the post) heard that the Melangian ANOVA was being revitalised and taking on a number of students, he thought nothing of it, save being glad that somebody was taking an interest again, and might be able to take over as count in a few years. If he had bothered to inquire about what they were actually teaching there, though, he might have had a few more concerns …
ANOVA Mark II
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ANOVA Mark II
The character Andreas the Wise is on indefinite leave. But he does deserve a cool war ribbon.
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Re: ANOVA Mark II
Ooooo
*contemplates safir chronokinesis*
*contemplates safir chronokinesis*
Trantor IV (Spencer Jackson)
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Re: ANOVA Mark II
OOC: This is perfect! Sladen and his spontaneity could be "immune" to the Time Revisionist's influence, causing a cool conspiracy war Deus Ex style!
Lord Grod Malakan,
Grand-Earl of Cimmeria,
High Governor of Tundrok,
Senator of Elwynn
Grand-Earl of Cimmeria,
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Re: ANOVA Mark II
Remind me who Sladen is?
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Re: ANOVA Mark II
You probably know him as the Mechanic.
Ryker00X
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Re: ANOVA Mark II
Hi Katy!
The Mechanic
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-S. Fringeman
"I have a gun for an arm? Cool! Where's my real one though? I was still hungry; I'm still hungry. Where am I? Oh I hope it's my birthday party! Yes this is one quote. What do you mean I broke the fourth wall? Well don't just sit there, fix it before it kills us all! What am I saying? That would be super fun! Wait, where am I?"
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Re: ANOVA Mark II
So glad to see stuff happening in Melangia again. And indeed, no idea who or what Sladen or the Mechanic are.
Vilhelm Benkern DEOMI, Member of the Order of the Dragon, Silver Swan, Red Dragon
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Re: ANOVA Mark II
OK, nice to know I'm not quite as lost as I thought I was.
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Re: ANOVA Mark II
It was Thursday afternoon. Nothing interesting tended to happen on Thursday afternoon. It was close enough to Friday to make you want the weekend, but not close enough to actually deliver. In the entire history of Shireroth to date, Cla’Udi knew of only four interesting things to happen on Thursday afternoons, and one of them was a particularly rare cloud formation which was only of interest to cloud-diviners like Cla’Udi, and not to anybody else. So when Cla’Udi had a meeting with the head of the Melangian ANOVA on a Thursday afternoon, he wasn’t expecting much.
Sah’Nal was one of those Melangians who had gone out into the world and then come back to Melangia with a fresh eye – or at least, had come back – nobody seemed too sure of the details of his past. There were a few such Melangians in every generation – people who needed a taste of adventure before they could settle down into a solid job as a record keeper. Virtually every Melangian these days was involved in some sort of record keeping function – historian being the one of preference, of course, but also accountancy and general administration. Magic was viewed as less of an exciting career path and more of just a helpful tool to get the real job of history done – or help ensure history happened correctly, for the elite few numbered among the Time Revisionists. But it was to magic – to the ANOVA, to be precise – that Sah’Nal had gravitated after his return, and had quietly and quickly worked his way up to head it for the last five years. He’d even developed a new style of magic – Informational Magic – which Cla’Udi did not know too much about but sounded like a good sort of magic for Melangians to be involved in.
And now Sah’Nal wanted to meet with Cla’Udi in his capacity as count of Melangia, and Cla’Udi knew how that conversation would go. Sah’Nal would be young and ambitious and want to be count, and Cla’Udi would graciously step aside. It was the way things always went when Melangia managed to produce a citizen with actual drive and passion in an area other than record keeping. Most politicians would think this odd, but Cla’Udi had no real interest in politics, and whenever he was count, he was always looking for someone else to take over. So when Sah’Nal arrived, Cla’Udi welcomed him, sat down at his desk, and opened with “So what can I do for you?”
“It’s not so much what you can do for me, as letting you know what I plan to do,” the other Melangian began. “I know you’ve been following my work in the ANOVA.”
“Here and there,” Cla’Udi said, with a wave. “By all reports you’ve got the old place up and running again, you’ve got a lot of interest from new students, and it’s generally thriving. Andreas the Wise would be proud.”
The other Melangian smiled briefly, but the smile didn’t extend to his eyes. That should have been a warning sign. “Indeed,” he replied. “It has been a long time indeed since the days of Andreas the Wise, the days of Melangia having anything much to do with the rest of the Dutchy, apart from recording its history. I intend to change that.”
“And quite right too,” Cla’Udi replied. “I am getting on a bit, and happy to hand the reins …”
He trailed off, surprised to find that the other Melangian was laughing. “I’m sorry, did I say something funny?” Cla’Udi asked.
“‘Getting on a bit?’” the other Melangian replied back, with a smirk. “It’s a bit more than that, I think. I know who you are – it’s plain to see in the records, if you know what to look for. Or should I say it’s plain to not see?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Cla’Udi said, getting a little flustered.
“Oh, it’s very simple,” the other Melangian said. “You’re not getting on a bit, you’re ancient. Cla’Udi isn’t a common name recurring throughout history, it’s you, every time. You slip up sometimes – talk about Andreas the Wise as if you knew him – a man a thousand years ago. But you did know him, didn’t you? It’s you, all throughout history. There’s no record of your death, is there – Sakat made sure of that, I assume – and so that means that you can never …”
“An interesting set of deductions,” Cla’Udi interrupted, cutting him off, “but I’m not sure what your point was …”
“Oh, just that I know all about you, and you know nothing about me,” the other Melangian replied. “You probably think my name is Sah’Nal.”
Cla’Udi paused. He was smart enough not to rise to the bait.
“Oh come on, the least you could say is ‘It’s not?’ No, I know all about the power of birth names, and have gone to great lengths to ensure every trace of mine has been removed. Sah’Nal is just a name I invented to sound normal – I knew the public face of the ANOVA had to have a normal name, to avoid suspicion.”
Cla’Udi remained silent. He could see that the other Melangian was just warming up, and was happy to let him riff for a while.
“What’s more, you probably think I’m here to demand to be made Count,” the other Micron continued.
“You’re not?” Cla’Udi said, trying not to sound too fake.
“Why would I want to be count? Yes, I want to see Melangia take a more active role on the Dutchal stage, and yes, whenever you’re Count that doesn’t happen; but there are better ways to resolve that than me becoming Count myself. No, this is merely a courtesy call, to inform you that I intend to make contact with the Dark Historians.”
“Those heretics?” Cla’Udi said, growing anger, but the other Melangian cut him off.
“Heretics? Really now, Cla’Udi. Their ways may be a little different, they may not be as obsessed with history as your traditional Melangian, but they still worship Sakat, not Stora – they are Melangians through and through, and no heretics.”
“Even if they aren’t heretics, what possible reason could you have to want to contact them?” Cla’Udi asked. “We have had no contact with them for over eight hundred years. There is a reason they are cut off.”
“Yes, and that reason is largely because you banned them, and they accepted it,” the other Melangian replied, smirking again. “But they have their uses. Their records are more complete than ours.”
“Nonsense,” Cla’Udi retorted, but he knew it probably wasn’t.
“Only common sense. Traditional Melangians are obsessed with history – that means recording the big movers and shakers, the major events, the overall flow. What care historians about individual peasants? What’s more, while nobody would accuse us of bias, you can’t say that our history is entirely objective – we add value not by just recording what is, but by trying to explain why. More naïve Shirithians would call it ‘telling a story,’ but we know it’s just good history. And that’s what we record – history; when you’re not busy interfering to make sure it’s happened the way it’s supposed to,” the other Melangian added snidely. “History has its uses, but I find there is also value in knowing about individual peasants, and it is here the Dark Historians can help me. How they got the position of Dutchal record keepers I don’t know – I suspect your beloved Andreas the Wise swung them that – but the fact remains that they still are the Dutchal record keepers, because they are the best. Their records are meticulous, detailed, and stretch back over a thousand years. That information has value. Value I intend to extract.”
Cla’Udi slumped back in his chair. “There’s no point forbidding you, is there?”
“None whatsoever,” the other Melangian replied, rising from his and starting to leave,
“Then I just have one question. You say you took the name Sah’Nal because the public face of ANOVA needed a normal name to avoid suspicion. What do you call the others then?”
The other Melangian stopped where he was. He did not turn around, but his voice was clear. “You pay more attention than I gave you credit for. Very well, I shall tell you, for all the good it will do. No student who has made it to any level within the ANOVA uses their birth name anymore – it is wisest to keep that knowledge hidden. Instead, we refer to eachother with the names of periods of Kildarian history. It seemed … fitting. Within the ANOVA, I am known as … The Dark Age.”
The character Andreas the Wise is on indefinite leave. But he does deserve a cool war ribbon.
However, this account still manages:
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Re: ANOVA Mark II
We all choose to ignore them.Vilhelm Benkern wrote:So glad to see stuff happening in Melangia again. And indeed, no idea who or what Sladen or the Mechanic are.
1.Titus Morvayne, Prefect of Shirekeep, Count of the Skyla Islands
2.Eki Aholibamah Verion, Queen in the North
3. Ludovic Verion, Lord of Blackstone and Governor-General of the Iron Company
4. Jeremy Harwinsson Archer, super sleuth
2.Eki Aholibamah Verion, Queen in the North
3. Ludovic Verion, Lord of Blackstone and Governor-General of the Iron Company
4. Jeremy Harwinsson Archer, super sleuth
Re: ANOVA Mark II
That's a pretty delayed response there; and hardly tells us anything at that.
Ryker00X
Ryker of the Sovereign Confederation
Head of House Redquill
Ryker of the Sovereign Confederation
Head of House Redquill
Re: ANOVA Mark II
Here's another delayed response for you: you shouldn't use ; there.
1.Titus Morvayne, Prefect of Shirekeep, Count of the Skyla Islands
2.Eki Aholibamah Verion, Queen in the North
3. Ludovic Verion, Lord of Blackstone and Governor-General of the Iron Company
4. Jeremy Harwinsson Archer, super sleuth
2.Eki Aholibamah Verion, Queen in the North
3. Ludovic Verion, Lord of Blackstone and Governor-General of the Iron Company
4. Jeremy Harwinsson Archer, super sleuth
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Re: ANOVA Mark II
Nonsense! The noble ;-sign is of utter importance in Shirerithian society!Jack wrote:Here's another delayed response for you: you shouldn't use ; there.
Dutchess of the Dutchy of Kildare.
Ruler of the Eastern Empire by the Grace of Cato and the Kaiser.
Re: ANOVA Mark II
Lurking and reading this.
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Re: ANOVA Mark II
Harvey, did I get the Time Perfectionist stuff right? Was running from memory but was never 100% sure of what your plans were with CoD 4 ...
The character Andreas the Wise is on indefinite leave. But he does deserve a cool war ribbon.
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Re: ANOVA Mark II
Definitely close enough. It's been equally long for me, after all. I do remember that the Perfectionists weren't satisfied with merely the defeat of Fate - they wanted to go and fix a lot of "mistakes" that happened during the conflict with Fate, and one of the major ones was the fall of the original Micron Empire, which would probably annihilate human history. Needless to say, we weren't too keen on his.