Ul’moreth said such words as Noah turned to him with sharp eyes!
4 Absolutes in THE Agora of Primordial Judgnt!
Apart from THE Weavers who had just entered!
That ant this domain already contained beings of the highest classification. Beings who had been here long enough to establish themselves.
As Noah thought of this, Lunaris nodded.
"Yes, THE Glossarian. This is where one of the difficulties for you will lie, and also why we brought you here."
She began walking toward the distant villa, gesturing for them to follow.
"In our Agora of Primordial Judgnt, there are 4 Absolutes sitting atop each faction."
Her pages rustled as she moved, each step asured and deliberate.
"Khaotikos the Unbound leads the Way of Chaos. He has existed within this domain since The Infinite Unfurling. His mastery of disorder is legendary even among other Absolutes. He is unpredictable in all things, which makes him both dangerous and occasionally beneficial."
...!
They passed through sections of the bronze hall where the Phones flowing around them changed in character.
"Ontikos the Unwavering leads the Way of Existence. His dedication to the fundantal principle of being is absolute. He rarely takes action, preferring to simply exist and observe. But when he does act, his authority is overwhelming. He represents the most stable of the four leaders."
The villa grew larger as they approached.
"Paradoxos the Dual leads the Way of Paradox. He... or they... are perhaps the most difficult to understand. Two minds in one form, constantly disagreeing yet always speaking in unison. His relationship with THE Living Paradox is complex. They share a philosophical foundation but not necessarily goals."
Her voice grew more cautious.
"And Glossikos the Articulate leads the Way of The First Tongue. She had been...seeking to also lay The Claim since The Infinite Unfurling. Of all four leaders, she is most likely to support you. But do not mistake likely support for guaranteed alliance."
She stopped before the entrance to the villa.
"All four of these Absolutes carry the status of Strategoi. Supre Commanders of THE Agora of Primordial Judgnt."
Her page-like eyes t Noah’s with gravity.
"The rank of Strategos is the highest achievable within this domain. It exceeds Polemarch in all ways. The Depth Limitation for a Strategos is THE Absolute Depth if the entrant was originally an Absolute, or THE Fundantal Depth as the maximum for non-Absolutes."
She continued explaining.
"Strategoi are the supre authorities of THE Agora of Primordial Judgnt. They govern all aspects of society. They judge the most important debates. They hold the power to grant or deny departure to any being within the domain."
Her pages shifted to display relevant inscriptions.
"To beco a Strategos, one must achieve this rank through one of two thods. The first is the Trial of Primordial Judgnt. This is a series of debates against all four leaders of the Ways simultaneously. The candidate must demonstrate understanding of Chaos, Existence, Paradox, AND The First Tongue. All four philosophies. All four approaches to reality."
She paused.
"The second thod is Unanimous Acclaim. All current Strategoi must unanimously agree that the candidate has contributed sothing of unprecedented value to the domain. No dissent. No abstention. Complete agreent from all four."
Her expression grew more serious.
"As a Strategos, one gains full restoration of their original Depth. Absolutes who achieved this rank would regain their Absolute power within the domain. They would have complete authority. They could grant departure to any being. They could alter the laws of the domain with the consensus of other Strategoi. And they would gain access to The Primordial Archive."
Her voice dropped.
"The Primordial Archive contains knowledge from before THE Change. It is perhaps the greatest repository of ancient wisdom in all of Observable Existence."
She raised a cautionary hand.
"But Strategoi carry restrictions as well. They cannot leave the domain themselves. They are bound to it. They must defend the domain against existential threats. It is a position of ultimate authority but also ultimate responsibility."
...!
Lunaris looked toward Noah with grave eyes.
"I am...confident Glossikos the Articulate will stand with you, THE Glossarian. Your contribution of nine new Phones is unprecedented.."
Her pages shifted uneasily.
"But I am not so sure of the other Strategoi. Khaotikos may support you simply because it would be chaotic to do so. Ontikos may oppose you because change disrupts the stability of existence. And Paradoxos... Paradoxos is impossible to predict."
She gestured toward the villa before them.
"That is why I have brought you here first. To THE Villa Dei Boscoreale."
The massive structure lood above them, ancient and magnificent.
"This villa requires 9 Polemarchs to open for one they deem to have contributed trendously to the Glossarians. It is the highest tier vault within THE Agora of Primordial Judgnt apart from the one that Strategoi have access to."
Her pages rustled with significance.
"Here, THE Glossarian can use the tools within to elevate your ranking and move toward the standing of a Polemarch. Before that, the goal of collapsing a Paradoxical Absolute, especially under the watch of Paradoxos the Dual..."
Lunaris smiled at this mont.
A teasing look appeared on her pages, unexpected from soone who had been so grave monts before.
"Respectfully, as grand as THE Glossarian is right now, your Depth is very different from those like you."
Her smile widened.
"If sir debated with on The First Tongue, you would win. Your understanding exceeds mine. Your authority exceeds mine. Your contribution to our Way exceeds anything I could offer in a lifeti."
She tilted her head.
"But if you debated on raw Depth... sir would lose."
The words were not ant as insult but as honest assessnt.
"And I am not confident of being able to collapse an Absolute, even if they haven’t recovered their standing in here."
She t his eyes directly.
"Sir has... lots of work to do."
She gestured toward the villa’s entrance.
"But what is inside there should help. THE Villa Dei Boscoreale contains treasures of utter wonder, and they scale depending on your contribution."
Her pages settled into sothing like anticipation.
"Will you enter, THE Glossarian?"
...!
Noah looked at the ancient villa with eyes that blazed with possibility.
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