[backdated to day 334] Translation issues

[fearinahandfulof]

I tried looking for more omens and portents that might be helpful for the Jaunt, because I know time is growing short. But I'm not sure how helpful they are.

What I got was this:

Cthonic beasts are symbolic of the power of the earth - implacable natural forces, like earthquakes and volcanoes. The best weapons against such forces of nature are likely to be the best hope against such creatures.

In the Olympian mindset, that means:

1. Removing oneself from the sacred ground such creatures tread;
2. Cleverness, not brawn, is the key to defeating them, unless:
3. One possesses a true, unassailable moral high ground - the gods love justice and virtue.

None of that is untrue, but I don't know how to translate it to something that would help here. And I don't know what would count as 'sacred ground' - is it just this Vale, or is it everywhere else, too?

Comments

[desperate_times_right]

If Yukki's right about how big they can get, it could very well be everywhere.

It's interesting that morality was brought into it at all. Anyone know how those things came to be?

[fearinahandfulof]

I don't know. I wish I did.

[desperate_times_right]

I don't think it's possible to have moral high ground over the Nation-Eaters. They seem to lack the capacity to be malicious, and presumably they eat us to survive. But ... I don't know, if they were brought or released here for a reason we might have something.

[fearinahandfulof]

How would we find that out, though? Especially now?

[desperate_times_right]

I don't know. Maybe there will be archives in the spire.

[fearinahandfulof]

I hope so.

[desperate_times_right]

I'll let you know if I see anything. I'm pretty good at finding hidden things.

[fearinahandfulof]

That sounds like a very useful skill for a Jaunt like this.

[More useful than seeing omens, at least.]

[desperate_times_right]

When you guys were all in hell that time I was this like... tipsy raccoon explorer. Picked it up from her.

[fearinahandfulof]

...Tipsy raccoon explorer?

[desperate_times_right]

Yeah. Little animal in a scarf. I drank so much wine, it was great.

[capital_asset]

Well, I tried using an Arcana skill to try to figure out the best course of action for the people of this world and I got Find a new planet for them, but that could just as easily be about the environmental degradation as the Nation Eaters.

[If that Spire isn't somehow miraculously a spaceship, he's going to be very annoyed, because otherwise how is that helpful?

...Not that he's expecting to find a spaceship at this point, but still.]

[desperate_times_right]

Christ. Maybe we should have held on to them.

[capital_asset]

I've been wondering about that a lot this week.

[desperate_times_right]

Might be this is just one of those places we need to remember and come back to. Unless we find something really great up there.

[capital_asset]

Like a hidden spacecraft that can miraculously fly itself, has room for most if not all of the general population and possibly their wildlife, and can keep them alive until it finds a suitable planet for them?

[Can you tell he's been stewing about this a lot?]

[desperate_times_right]

Hey, don't look at me. This is all stuff no one wanted to talk about up there, and it's not like I can fix it on my own.

[capital_asset]

I know; I'm sorry. It's not you.

[He's just... tired.]

[desperate_times_right]

Yeah, sorry. I'm trying to be cool about this, but...

[The way everyone had been talking she'd been expecting a miracle and this is definitely not that, as much as it's not nothing either]

Once we get back and we've all slept this off as much as we can, you and Gil are welcome to come over and test out that wine you gave me. See if we can toss this whole thing out the window.

[capital_asset]

[Honestly, Raidou is finding it hard not to see it as worse than nothing, but he's also exhausted and probably not thinking entirely clearly on the matter at this point.]

I know.

[And then a (very) thin thread of humor creeps tentatively into his mental 'voice.']

Sabetha and I used to do that after every Jaunt.

[desperate_times_right]

Ah, that's why you're familiar enough with it to make more, huh?

[theflyingone]

That is normal, from what I have read of Greek myths; whether those gods have sway here is debatable. The Nation Eaters are drawn to psychic power. If the Vale was a story written by Homer, using psychic power would be an affront to the gods quickly followed by punishment. A clever hero like Herakles or Odysseus would exploit a weakness or devise a trap to defeat the Nation Eaters.

Cavosophia, who the Nation Eaters do not attack, could only be said to possess virtue because they do not possess anything at all. They have been wiped clean of their minds. I consider that another kind of affront.

And, there are outliers like Prometheus who help humanity but are punished by the gods anyway. Apparently, humanity having fire to warm themselves with is a sin.

[fearinahandfulof]

From what I've heard, gods have no sway here at all.

[Hence her issue.]

But there are people here who see Nation-Eaters as a punishment in themselves - didn't people in Fallenheart say that Nation-Eaters were called by sin?

Those with power do not generally like those without it being given it, especially if they think it is at their expense. Humans are not immune to this.

[She figures he knows that already, but...]

[theflyingone]

[ He does know, but he thinks it's worth saying anyway. ]

Are you saying... that it was merely their guilt that attracted the attacks?

[ His wife would probably have a Catholic joke or two to say about that. ]

[fearinahandfulof]

No - they were attracted by the psychic energy that serves as their food. But there are people who believe it's sin and guilt that attracts them.