Lost Testament of Schueler

Isilith wrote:The simplest answer is this, it comes from the Key. During the time that passes, OWL finds a way to crack the encryption in the Key, and it is in there.

Schueler left the TRUTH in the key, to save the church in her darkest hour.

One of many, many possible theories Isilith. I guess it's possible that the lost testament is included in - what was it, 10 Petabytes of data and executables - the key? Even if true, I can't imagine that the testament is that big. Which keeps rumbling through the back of my mind. And I know we've engaged in spirited discussion about this in other threads. I guess some of the options could include:
- the lost testament.
- the executables for the OBS.
- a comprehensive, secret history of the real Earth and the reasons for the evacuation - much like St. Zhernau's.

Oh... the possibilities!

It is called the Church of God Awaiting.

I, for one, have always wondering what God was waiting for? Could Schueler have been killed when Khody came to him with his suspicions? We know that Khody never returned from that meeting but did Schueler survive it? Could Scheueler have confronted Chihiro with what Khody told him and gotten lkilled after all? It would explain the difference between the Book written in his name vs the Recording he left with the Paityr's family.

BrightSoul wrote:It is called the Church of God Awaiting.

I, for one, have always wondering what God was waiting for? Could Schueler have been killed when Khody came to him with his suspicions? We know that Khody never returned from that meeting but did Schueler survive it? Could Scheueler have confronted Chihiro with what Khody told him and gotten lkilled after all? It would explain the difference between the Book written in his name vs the Recording he left with the Paityr's family.

If Scheuler had died about the same time as Khody, I think the Sisters of SK would have kind of picked up on that several centuries ago and their current Mother Superior would certainly not have missed the implications, so I don't think that's really a possibility.

A "Lost Testament of Scheuler" discovered in the Key by OWL is of purely academic interest to the Inner Circle and is just useless for showing to the general population. It would simply be condemned as a blasphemous Charisian propaganda fabrication. The more anything in it diverges from the historic attitude of the CoGA the more faultless its provenance has to be to convince anyone it's real. If it's a 3D holographic video that shows up in the Temple and not a book of course, that is pretty good provenance in itself.

Most people are assuming it is genuine, i.e. old and by Scheuler. I wonder if our nice, simple, straightforward author is really going to play it that way? After all, it's not like he ever threw us clues that didn't point where we thought they did before, is it?

One possibility which im not sure if anyone else has considered is this; what if there was a hidden subroutine within the Temple? one which was designed to tell humans the truth 1,000 years later using the holographic technology which Chihiru and co used to simulate langhorn still being alive after his death.

Even if there were no PICA's or full virtual personalities(Narmahn'esk) then it could well be possible for a facsimile of one who's sole purpose would be to guide humans onto the next path.

Not likely I know as most of the remaining 'Angels and Archangels' were apparently die hard langhorn path followers but who knows?

Well, yeah. I'd say the most obvious possibility is that it's trotted out by those who want the Inquisition returned to all its former glory, and the Proscriptions respected in every aspect.

And in order to demonstrate that it's a forgery, the Circle has to let all the cats out of their bags. No soft landing for these folks!

Randomiser wrote:< snip >

Most people are assuming it is genuine, i.e. old and by Scheuler. I wonder if our nice, simple, straightforward author is really going to play it that way? After all, it's not like he ever threw us clues that didn't point where we thought they did before, is it?

BrightSoul wrote:It is called the Church of God Awaiting.

I, for one, have always wondering what God was waiting for? Could Schueler have been killed when Khody came to him with his suspicions? We know that Khody never returned from that meeting but did Schueler survive it? Could Scheueler have confronted Chihiro with what Khody told him and gotten lkilled after all? It would explain the difference between the Book written in his name vs the Recording he left with the Paityr's family.

If Chihiro did kill Schueler, he would have to have done it AFTER the two of them had, "departed in triumph," as I believe it was described when Nynian told Merlin about the origins of the SSK.

Unless, of course, Schueler was only a hologram at that point.

Argh! How good are Federation holograms, anyway?
Merlin and Nimue used a small projector to show Clyntahn their "file footage," but how far can an image move from the projector? Could a specialized computer program tied into a larger projector present a life-like image of Schueler (or anybody else!)that could move around (say, on a stage) and even talk and react to stimuli like the original?

On a similar vein, how large is a copy of a person's personality, maybe around 10 petabytes?

I wonder if Schueler set up the key before the flap with St Khody came up and only afterward set up his "return" as a virtual personality with holographic assist within the Temple?

One of the key elements throughout the series to date is that the Inner Circle is faced with a seamless tapestry of the faith that every Safeholdian has raised in, with no competing myths, narratives or prehistory with which to challenge or unravel that faith. There are no false gospels or apocryphal texts that enjoy equal standing to the Holy Writ. As such, my money is on the Inner Circle producing such a "Lost Testament of Schueler" as such a competing history, and to produce either holographically, electronically or in an indestructible book, thus making it clear that it's something "ancient" and therefore authentic. At least it needs to seem sufficiently genuine that the Church would have a hard time dismissing it once it started showing all over the planet.

thanatos wrote:One of the key elements throughout the series to date is that the Inner Circle is faced with a seamless tapestry of the faith that every Safeholdian has raised in, with no competing myths, narratives or prehistory with which to challenge or unravel that faith. There are no false gospels or apocryphal texts that enjoy equal standing to the Holy Writ. As such, my money is on the Inner Circle producing such a "Lost Testament of Schueler" as such a competing history, and to produce either holographically, electronically or in an indestructible book, thus making it clear that it's something "ancient" and therefore authentic. At least it needs to seem sufficiently genuine that the Church would have a hard time dismissing it once it started showing all over the planet.

Black Propaganda has a very mixed history and is ethically dubious, to say the least. Another leading principle of the Inner Circle has been not to lie to the public, since they are going to have to live with them and their reaction when the Truth finally comes out (and they establish a free society) The Broadsheets worked so well in the late war because they were trustworthy and never lied.

thanatos wrote:One of the key elements throughout the series to date is that the Inner Circle is faced with a seamless tapestry of the faith that every Safeholdian has raised in, with no competing myths, narratives or prehistory with which to challenge or unravel that faith. There are no false gospels or apocryphal texts that enjoy equal standing to the Holy Writ. As such, my money is on the Inner Circle producing such a "Lost Testament of Schueler" as such a competing history, and to produce either holographically, electronically or in an indestructible book, thus making it clear that it's something "ancient" and therefore authentic. At least it needs to seem sufficiently genuine that the Church would have a hard time dismissing it once it started showing all over the planet.

Except that would go against what the inner circle has mandated as their official policy from day one. To NEVER lie to the public, as any lie they tell today will come back to bite them in the arse when they do reveal the truth.

Do they need to lie? Afterall they already have enough evidence to now demonstrate that the existing testimonies have been edited. Just the existence of the Journal of St. Khody is pretty damning, heck even the existence of his tomb should throw a wrench in the gears.

After all, he was never named a demon, just left as a Mythological Sejin.