Warhammer Quest: The Spagyric Key

[Oversoul]

Normally when the characters read something, such as a scroll or inscription or part of a book, I would either post to the game thread or use a private message. But since this book is special, has more text, and is revealed in parts, it seems best to just give the Spagyric Key its own thread. This isn't a quest, but it's an ongoing puzzle that can have an effect on quests. As you may have guessed from the part Dorgath and Carrow already read, the Spagyric Key is indestructable, so it's likely to stick around for a while. Beyond that, well, you'll just have to wait and see...

 

[Oversoul]

This section is near the beginning and appears to be instructions for someone intending to us "spagyrites."

Guard this volume carefully, as without it, all spagyrites are powerless. Although some would prefer that this type of power not exist at all, this is an unproductive approach for several reasons. No world lasts forever even with proper care taken to preserve it, and with the right equipment, this Key provides a sure means of escape for the individuals possessing it. The list of threats that can destroy entire civilizations or even worlds and which can, potentially, be stopped using the right spagyrites is long indeed. It is impossible to destroy the Key or hide it forever, so do not even try. I cannot emphasize this enough. It is impossible. Forces far more powerful than you have already attempted and failed. Do not bother with such absurdity. Finally, if this volume falls into the hands of your enemies, that will probably be bad for you. Perhaps not, if your enemies happen to be dumb brutes. But then you would likely also be a dumb brute, and so you could not be reading this text at all, therefore do not lose this volume. I suppose that it is possible that you have no enemies in the first place, but the only way for this to really happen is for you to master the use of spagyrites, thereby eliminating all of your enemies, and so you would already appreciate the value of this, the Spagyric Key.

The majority of the text deals with the nature of these items. Practical information on their use can be found at the end of each chapter. There are also some applications that rely only on this Key itself, and might prove useful in situations where access to spagyrites is impossible. However, these methods are not intended for beginners, for reasons that should be clear from the introduction. Those lacking spagyrites might find the spagyrite construction section useful, with one caveat. Do not, under any circumstances, attempt to construct your own spagyrites until you have, at some point in the past, used at least one existing spagyrite. I cannot be held responsible for what might happen if you do.

There are also sections on finding spagyrites, on identifying them, and on modifying them. Note that much of this, including all of the section on modification, requires the Halls of Alteration. If you lack access to your Halls of Alteration, your first priority should be killing whoever is denying you said access. If this is not possible, some alternatives are presented at the end of this section, but be careful.

If, instead, you merely cannot find your Halls of Alteration, try the section devoted to it. If it is not possible to read the introduction or the section entitled "Halls of Alteration," then consult the OPQ (Often Posed Queries).

In some circumstances, it may be...

[The rest of the section is blurred.]

 

[Oversoul]

This section is near the end.

You likely turned to this section because an earlier chapter referred you to it. This is for Often Posed Queries (OPQ). While it cannot address every one of your queries, it should alleviate some possible sources of confusion regarding spagyrites and their usage. I use the following format throughout this section...

"QP: Query posed.
EO: Elucidation offered."

Without further ado, here are what seem to be the most Often Posed Queries and the Elucidations that I Offer for each...

[Blurred.]

QP: Who are you?
EO: I am the author. My name is [blurred.]

QP: What do spagyrites actually do?
EO: Just about anything, given the right resources.

QP: How can I make spagyrites?
EO: Use the Halls of Formation. And be sure not to make any until you've made some use of at least one existing spagyrite.

QP: How can I find spagyrites?
EO: Use the Halls of Location. Alternatively, you can make your own. Just be sure not to do that until you've already tapped into one or more existing spagyrites.

QP:Once I have a spagyrite, how do I use it?
EO: The easiest method is to use the Halls of Alteration. There are lots of other options, but they require a bit more caution.

QP: I used a spagyrite and it did something bad. What do I do now?
EO: Use the Halls of Negation. Alternatively, the Halls of Restoration can deal with many of these situations just as well. Consult the relevant sections. There is also a whole chapter on "Restoration or Negation" that may be able to guide you in making this decision.

QP:Where can I find the Halls of Control?
EO: You have to activate all of the other Halls first, generally by using them to do something. Anything, really. Once that is done, the map in the introduction will automatically change from revealing the location of one of the other Halls to revealing the path to the Halls of Control.

QP: Why is most of the text blurry.
EO: It isn't, actually. No, really. For some reason, no one believes me when I tell them this. But it's true. The text is as it has always been, more or less. Your mind is being blocked from processing it.

QP: Fine then. What is making the text appear to be blurry even though it actually isn't?
EO: A force beyond my control. I could specify this force by name, but you wouldn't be able to read it. [Blurred.] See? What I will say is that this particular [Blurred.] is a [Blurred.] censoring [Blurred.] I'm not happy about it. I suppose you are not either.

QP: You knew that [Blurred.] would block anyone from being able to read this, and you wrote it anyway?
EO: No. I didn't know. Yes, it might look like I wrote this after the censorship took place, but I didn't. I wrote everything in this book before that. If that seems impossible to you, then all I can tell you is that you'll find this to be an impossible sort of book. I make no apologies for reality being more complex than your perception.

QP: How am I supposed to understand any of this when so much of it is blocked?
EO: I wouldn't worry about that. You found the book. As long as you have it, you're bound to find some spagyrites. As long as you don't do anything too stupid, you should even find one of the Halls and once you do that, things should start to become clear.

QP: A section of the book changed. Why?
EO: It was supposed to. This book is never wrong, so if you do something that changes a detail that the book comments on, the book will adjust to fit reality, rather than the other way around. Certain sections have content dependent on the nature of the user or the progression of the user in the use of spagyrites, and this content it written so as to change subjectively.

QP: Is this book really indestructable?
EO: Yes. Don't try it. You'll only hurt yourself.

QP: What are spagyrites?
EO: Read the introduction.

QP: Can you at least tell me what they look like?
EO: Page 100 has an illustration.

QP: How many Halls are there?
EO: Six. Control, Negation, Restoration, Alteration, Formation, and Location. They all have at least one chapter each and some other chapters deal with two or more Halls as they relate to other subjects.

QP: How do I find any Halls since the introduction is blocked?
EO: If material is being blocked in one part of the book, that means the same information would still be blocked here. But I'm sure you can find it with a little perseverance.

QP: What if I lose this Key?
EO: Find it right away.

 

[Spiderman]

Dorgath tries to find the chapter on Halls of Alteration and turns to page 100 to look at the illustration.