Silent Quill: The Undisclosed Correspondence of the High Seer

This clandestine correspondence is a testament to the enigmatic High Seer, an orphan who rose to hold the most powerful seat in the Arcanum.
Crafted from the monk-raised animal-skin and imbued with enchantments, this parchment emanates a silver aura that reveals itself under moonlight. Its ink, a delicate fusion of crushed Crystalline Nightshade, possesses a subtle glow, an ethereal testament to the profound knowledge it safeguards. One cannot make a transcription error using these tools. Its craftsmanship is a testament to the remarkable power woven into every single fiber.
Inscribed in the proto-language of Stella, it is a blend of celestial symbols, arcane shorthand, and cryptic metaphors. It contains veiled references to the Cryptex Codex, the celestial events, and imminent threats, leaving scholars on a perpetual quest to decipher the truth. Though none who report on its contents have seen it, they claim to know its contents, and even the wildest rumors are worth a small fortune. For if it contains even the slightest of truths, then it can be used to significant effect. Though beware, unlocking the core truths of the universe is not without its consequences. The recipient of the letter remains unclear. Was it meant for a clandestine ally in the Fox's Den or an agent in the Iron Guard? The true identity of the recipient, much like the High Seer himself, is shrouded in mystery.
Even as a beggar on the street, his peers understood his power. He could manipulate magic itself, controlling it to every bit and bite. Those nearest him would learn what they could, yet none could keep up with his exponential growth in power. His success in the street brought him acclaim, and he became friends with a group known as the First Seven. They would become his close friends and the only few he let know his inner thoughts. Yet they aged while the High Seer did not, and he knew replacing them would be difficult, so he tasked each of them to find 7 possible replacements for themselves. From this group, he chose a Second Seven who, likewise, withered with age and were given the same task. The Third Seven begin to stoop, their gaits dragging ever-so slightly more with each passing day.
One thought the High Seer had, what if he had accepted each replacement and given each of them the same task just before they passed? His Inner Scantum would more a Grand Republic. In fact his Third Seven would require how many seats...

def High_Seer_Stew_Recipe(pl_in): ma_nu = 343 in_co = pl_input
if in_co == ma_nu: pr("A cryptic recipe for a magical stew reveals itself...") pl.awareness += 1 pl.learn_recipe("High Seer's Stew") pl.unlock_location("The Horizon") pl.unravel_world() else: pr("The High Seer's secret recipe remains hidden...") pl.awareness -= 0.1 pl.stay_in_world()
# Start the quest to unlock the High Seer's stew recipe High_Seer_Stew_Recipe(player_input)

Purpose

At least part the letter had the High Seer arguing for a consolidation of power. Therein, he hinted at a terrifying unspoken order hidden in the chaotic beauty of Stellara. "Only true unity, a melding of minds, can we truly master our world, riding across the celestial winds, and find the greater purpose and our meaning in the universe." A truly radical idea. A fusion of the guilds has never happened. Could never happen. Even if such a thing could be done, would it even be wise? They acted as a balance to one another. As a token of the High Seer's good faith, he revealed core truths he had discovered about the universe. These truths, like cosmic breadcrumbs, provided clues to the mechanisms that governed the world and could be used to predict future events and even reshape past ones. The most spoken of revelation contemplates the meaning of life through a dance analogy. Though even here, there are many versions. Each star's position was but one step in some pre-ordained dance, and while there was room for our personal inputs into the world, we all must follow the beat, or all would be thrown into discordance. Mechanisms were implemented to prevent errors, and truths had to be corrected. We were naught but bugs to those who wrote the dance. Was he sharing this power for purely altruistic reasons? Are there dangers hidden in what he shared? "Knowledge, dear friend, is our North Star - it will guide us through this celestial wilderness." It is a truth worth remembering, for unlocking the core truths of the universe might bear fruit to profound revelations - or unearth abyssal horrors yet unknown.

Medium

Vellum / Skin

Authors

• Aelius, The High Seer