therookery

FORM: sending crystal
SENDER: Seneschal Salvio Pizzicagnolo
RECIPIENT: everyone and anyone, but especially anyone not in Tevinter
WHAT: two words: magical texting
WHEN: now!
WHERE: Kirkwall
NOTES: read up on the The Emergent Compendium for more general info, or the ooc post for faderifty info!

Hello. This is-- Salvio Pizzicagnolo. Seneschal Pizzicagnolo. [And for once he's sounding almost normal. Dare we even say... excited?] Seneschal to the Inquisition's base in Kirkwall and Head of Base Operations.

Recently the Inquisition has come into the possession--or, well, we will come into the possession--of some texts. A result of the negotiations, with the-- [You know what, who cares, the less strikes and mages and rifters and the Chantry are brought into this, the better, all that would only sour the news, and so Salvio revises what he is saying midway through the sentence.] In cataloging and examining the list of texts that will be added to the Inquisition's library, I have discovered an extremely rare text: The Emergent Compendium.

It, um--the text, that is--the text is likely unknown, to most--I have only seen passing reference to it, in other works and--well, to quote Scholar Bodaliere, [and in a voice of one reading right from a page] "the volumes are automatos: new entries appear of their own accord, with no scrivener's quill in sight".

Yes. So. I, I wrote directly to request access to the Compendium, and-- and I have had it for some time now, and--by the Maker, it produces pictures that appear and then disappear, out of nowhere, accessing some--some vast, unseen library, or--ah, and text, it will produce lines of text, obscure in their--well, so, I would invite those who would wish to behold it to do so, but--please, within the office hours of Base Operations, and I would suggest that you wear gloves--

But, um, in addition to viewing the Compendium, I have-- I have taken the liberty of making some... some rudimentary copies of the Compendium. Imitations, I mean. What connects the original to its unseen library or author, I cannot say, so the copies, they-- they are connected to one another instead.

It was, um. Premature, perhaps, uh, presumptuous, but--they seem to be operational. I have tested them. You can write back and forth, as if sending a letter, but much, much quicker. Of course, they are but test copies. They are limited in that they will only function within the walls of the Gallows, once they are outside of the Gallows, the connection severs, and they become as plain writing-books, but--

Um. To those members of the Inquisition that remain in Kirkwall--I, that is, Base Operations, requests your current assistance in the testing of these books. Your assistance will be invaluable in refining this, um, this development in communication, streamlining the process of-- communication.

If you are interested, and are in Kirkwall. Please, the Base Operations office--I mean to say that I will be in the Base Operations office. Handing out these texts.

Yes. So. That will be-- uh. Thank you.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That's really interesting, well done.

[ Honestly, just having self-copying things is helpful without having to do everything involved in a printing press. ]

Does it copy everything exactly -- handwriting and all, even drawings? Does it happen in real-time -- that is, can someone watch you write it from another book? Can others interrupt you? Or or or, if someone else scribbles out what you've written, does that also show up in the other books?

[ Questions! ]

Yes.

[Salvio allows himself a moment of pride. Yeah. Well done. It proves to be a very brief moment because he realizes that, in the order of the conversation, he now sounds like he was answering yes to one, if not all, of those questions, and he quickly picks up the conversation again--]

Um, I mean to say--yes, yes, it copies everything. It happens in the time that it is observed, with perhaps the smallest of delays, I timed it but it was small, as I say, and-- uh, well, to interrupt is to scribble out, you see, so--yes. The scribbling appears. It is, as I say, as if you are writing on a large page posted on a wall. Or--on the wall itself, but with less of the--sense of graffiti.

Fascinating. [Watch him nerd. That is well done indeed. Daniel loves books, so self-copying books is definitely interesting.]

That can be extremely useful. And... actually, also, very dangerous. I suppose the limited distance might actually be a blessing. Because there's no way to trace which book owner something originated from, I suppose? Apart from handwriting.

Edited (gosh darn html) 2018-08-06 15:18 (UTC)

Yes. And handwriting could be--mimicked, or otherwise--obscured. I had thought, perhaps--I am no expert in the, um, function, of these sending crystals, but--there is a method which allows them to, to be associated. A name may not be known but voice can be recognized, so--if something of this could be--duplicated?

It is not my-- Uh, that is, I should have... first, maybe, consulted the Provost. Um, Research. His Division.

Unfortunately I'm not much of an expert in anything that involves, uh.. magic.

[Listen, he's still having a hard time swallowing that it's just "magic." He just doesn't understand how the science works yet. But if nothing else, he's had to get used to the idea that there is a subset of science here that everyone is categorising as magic.]

Not the kind you have here, anyway. [Sure he's been a being of pure energy able to control lightning, but that's different.]

Anyway, I've just been put of charge of cryptography, so I may want to make an announcement to anyone using these books to relay.. sensitive information...

Yes?

[As in, say more, but then Salvio thinks no, perhaps better he not say more, if he does not know magic--a lack of knowledge often means misunderstanding, which they can ill afford--]

Er. That--uh, that seems to be common, among Rifters. Not--the lack of expertise, in magic--though that as well, to an extent, depending on them, um, population sample--but the, the dearth of innovation that comes of--the lack of magic. The lack promoting innovations. Technology, machinery... [You know, stuff. Stuff that Salvio lacks total expertise on.] It is an interes--uh, we might take some inspiration. Spirits that depress keys to spell words, and--so on.

Cryptography is a--well, of course, to begin with. A complete silence on all, uh, sensitive topics. Could be the starting point. With more complexity later. I--we, would--your ideas would be invaluable, on the matter.

[This guy needs to learn to speak in complete sentences. Not that Daniel can't be hard to follow sometimes, motor-mouthing about whatever complex stuff has grabbed him most recently, but he usually manages to be at least somewhat eloquent.]

Well, then again, any forum that remains open to anyone to write their thoughts while remaining anonymous, is... Ah, let's just say any sensitive information would likely be drowned in more inane content. I pity any spy who would have the task of trying to filter out what's actually useful information. [He's familiar with the internet, even if he keeps to the more academic circles within it.]

[Salvio, entirely unfamiliar with the internet, is confused for a moment. Then he begins thinking instead of a certain bulletin board that is constantly drowned in inane content.

Oh.]

Oh. That is-- I see. Well--names ought to be associated. Regardless. To prevent... well, a great deal of trouble. In general.

[Listen, sometimes Daniel wishes he was entirely unfamiliar with the internet.]

Of course. The problem of course then would be: how do you enforce that? Possibly having someone monitor interactions and then censor anything related to Inquisition business.

Though I, ah, generally argue against censorship as a rule, it might be important to make an exception for what's technically military secrets.

Well. Yes. For military secrets--for secrets, in general, sensitive information--well, as you say. A monitor would be required. Perhaps it can become some facet of the enchantment, or...

For now, it would need to be a person, of course. Someone--well-trusted. The Inquisition might create such a position with certain requirements.

04.

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