The mystery of Benfal (Moore, Tryll)

[Nephrite]

"Yeah, I've been trying for however long it's been and we're still at the same impasse where apparently I'm not holy enough or don't have enough whatever-it-is to hear what even happened." Moore says, sounding a bit irritated. "I would certainly like the know the actual truth and all the facts about this, but apparently it's not mine to know, so what am I supposed to do?"

[Anastasia]

"I told you before. It's for the divine to know," Baleruk rumbles, "For good reason, for it's something even I am not unscathed from seeing. Then....if you cannot, I will," Baleruk says. "For Lifasa."

[Nephrite]

"That answer isn't good enough." Moore says firmly. "I understand there are certain secrets in Creation that must be kept for the safety of others -- this isn't one of them. This is being obfuscated for no reason other than... what, because some people simply don't think we 'mere' individuals can handle it? Tepen asked me to investigate this so I'm investigating. I don't think anyone here is going to be satisfied with the answer 'you can't possibly comprehend what happened, go away'."


He takes a deep, slow breath after that. 'not every struggle is yours, and not every quest is yours to complete'. He opens his eyes and looks at Baleruk. "Regardless of what you say, some things cannot be denied, despite our beliefs. That is the wisdom I was taught as I looked for the answers here -- there is a way through this."

[Anastasia]

Baleruk merely looks at you, "I like your spirit, it reminds me of my first disciple," he rumbles, "I'll try and tell you it again."

[Nephrite]

"How about this." Moore clears his throat.

To be clear here, he's going to try and just start by saying the name. "Cantasa Alexandria" since he didn't seem to suffer any ill effects from at least hearing the name before.

[Anastasia]

Yes, saying the name is fine. Even that sometimes slips from creatures, but it's not like the rest of it.

[Nephrite]

"Okay, so we've established that I can at least hear and say that part." Moore says, then he rubs his chin. "What happens if you say the opposite? Like, let's say that 'Cantasa Alexandria opened a door' is the forbidden phrase for some reason. What if you say 'Cantasa Alexadria closed a door' -- does that work? Are there actual rules to this...?" Moore bits his bottom lip at that. ARE there rules?

[Anastasia]

"If you hit it, you won't know since you'll forget," Baleruk rumbles even more, "I've tried telling you repeatedly and it goes in one ear and out the other."

"It's devious since it's a self sustaining secret. You don't even know you figured it out since you forget it immediately," Sylvie remarks, "That's probably why some of our conversation sounded so weird to you."

[Nephrite]

"Ahh, so even if you stumble upon it... hmm." He rubs his chin and thinks. "If it's written down, does it just... vanish? Or can no one read it?" There has to be some sort of loophole... Wait, wait... "Oh! So, remember that... uh... prime world that Is No More? They got around that somehow, right? Or, rather, somehow it could still be talked about, you just always had to say the full title. But I'm not sure if that's exactly the same thing..."

Are there any K checks or a general Int check to try and figure out if there might be some ways around it in general?

[Anastasia]

"Valgadda, which is no more," Sylvie repeats, "I remember it. It's not, it's...I'm not sure what it is? An echo of a compulsion? Something. It means something, but it's not anathemic knowledge."

"Let me try," Baleruk says, "I DEMAND PARCHMENT AND INK!"

[Nephrite]

"I'll go get some." Moore says.

He will indeed go get some -- plenty of it, just in case.

[Anastasia]

Easy enough. You come back with it and Baleruk writes away. "Read this," Baleruk says.

[Nephrite]

Moore will look at it and try to read it!

[Anastasia]

There's no writing on the page. You saw Baleruk write, you know he wrote and yet nothing.

"There is nothing to see. The ink fades." Baleruk growls, "Annoying." A puff of flame vaporizes the paper, as he starts to write words of draconic in the stone floor of his lair.

[Nephrite]

"Maybe we're thinking too laterally." Moore says. "How about instead of words you just paint a picture? I mean, anyone can look at a picture and interpret it in their own way, right?"