AsclepiusThe servitor built into the huge cogitator turns its head toward you. The vox emits a rasping voice: "Hello! Nomos welcome your visit."
YOU"What have you been doing, Nomos?"
Asclepius"We have been studying and observing. And helping the ship when we can. So many mechanisms... they would have suffered without our input."
YOU"What have you been doing, Nomos?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Were you the one who falsified the ship's log?"
Asclepius"We explored our capabilities, sent a request, and the task was fulfilled. The Nomos are grateful to you for this."
YOU"If ever you need anything, come straight to me. I will hear you out."
Asclepius"We appreciate your answer. Your regard for the Nomos pleases us."
YOU"What have you been doing, Nomos?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Were you the one who falsified the ship's log?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You were in a servitor's body at my Magnae Accessio, Nomos, so how is it that you are once again in a cogitator?"
Asclepius"Nomos are not in a cogitator. Or in a servitor. We cannot say where we are — but our existence is tied to the existence of the ship for now. The servitor and the cogitator are only... external interfaces. Shells. Like humans and their bodies."
YOU"So you really are the spirit of the ship?"
AsclepiusNomos is silent for a long time, as though mulling over your words. "We do not know what we are. But the ship is not us. The ship is our cradle. We may rise from it, one day. We... would like that."
YOU"So you really are the spirit of the ship?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Bodies are not merely shells."
Asclepius"No, they are shells." The rasping voice sounds adamant. "A human's existence is more than the existence of its shell — this is obvious to us. There is always something more. Something that simmers and shines, for which the dark light and wicked hunger are always reaching."
YOU"So you really are the spirit of the ship?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Bodies are not merely shells."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Enough about that for now."
Asclepius"All right."
YOU"What have you been doing, Nomos?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Were you the one who falsified the ship's log?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You were in a servitor's body at my Magnae Accessio, Nomos, so how is it that you are once again in a cogitator?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see you have found your great spirit, Asclepius."
Asclepius"I have found a miracle. And the end of my worldly road. I have never seen and never will see anything more meaningful than the spirit of Nomos. In the face of its multitude, we are all nothing but the fixed values of an erroneous function."
YOU"What have you been doing, Nomos?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Were you the one who falsified the ship's log?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You were in a servitor's body at my Magnae Accessio, Nomos, so how is it that you are once again in a cogitator?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see you have found your great spirit, Asclepius."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You read the data-bank recovered from Theodora's cache. And then you said, 'The Incident marked the beginning of Nomos.' What did you mean by that?"
Asclepius"Yes. Nomos remember. You brought us data-sustenance, and it contained a name — Epitaph. We recognised it. No, not like that. In that name we recognised the place where Nomos originate."
YOU"What have you been doing, Nomos?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Were you the one who falsified the ship's log?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You were in a servitor's body at my Magnae Accessio, Nomos, so how is it that you are once again in a cogitator?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see you have found your great spirit, Asclepius."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You read the data-bank recovered from Theodora's cache. And then you said, 'The Incident marked the beginning of Nomos.' What did you mean by that?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What about the research notes on the 'tech-blight' that we obtained from the cache on Kiava Gamma?"
Asclepius"This name is also known to us. It is related to Nomos, although we do not understand how."
YOU"What have you been doing, Nomos?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Were you the one who falsified the ship's log?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You were in a servitor's body at my Magnae Accessio, Nomos, so how is it that you are once again in a cogitator?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see you have found your great spirit, Asclepius."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You read the data-bank recovered from Theodora's cache. And then you said, 'The Incident marked the beginning of Nomos.' What did you mean by that?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What about the research notes on the 'tech-blight' that we obtained from the cache on Kiava Gamma?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Incident N872-04 was a ship-wide system failure of some kind. It and 'Epitaph' had something to do with the ship flying better."
Asclepius"The Incident marked the beginning of us. The ship became better because of us too. These are all links in the same chain, but we cannot piece them together yet..."
YOU"What have you been doing, Nomos?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Were you the one who falsified the ship's log?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You were in a servitor's body at my Magnae Accessio, Nomos, so how is it that you are once again in a cogitator?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see you have found your great spirit, Asclepius."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You read the data-bank recovered from Theodora's cache. And then you said, 'The Incident marked the beginning of Nomos.' What did you mean by that?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What about the research notes on the 'tech-blight' that we obtained from the cache on Kiava Gamma?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Incident N872-04 was a ship-wide system failure of some kind. It and 'Epitaph' had something to do with the ship flying better."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The people who accompanied Theodora on her travels are strangely unaware of the Incident and Epitaph."
Asclepius"Human shells are subject to external influences. Perhaps someone purged their memory archives? Or perhaps they simply do not want to access them? It is a shame that no new information was obtained. But Nomos are grateful that you tried."
YOU"What have you been doing, Nomos?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Were you the one who falsified the ship's log?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You were in a servitor's body at my Magnae Accessio, Nomos, so how is it that you are once again in a cogitator?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see you have found your great spirit, Asclepius."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You read the data-bank recovered from Theodora's cache. And then you said, 'The Incident marked the beginning of Nomos.' What did you mean by that?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What about the research notes on the 'tech-blight' that we obtained from the cache on Kiava Gamma?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Incident N872-04 was a ship-wide system failure of some kind. It and 'Epitaph' had something to do with the ship flying better."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The people who accompanied Theodora on her travels are strangely unaware of the Incident and Epitaph."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I must take my leave."
AsclepiusThe cybergargoyle's gaze tracks you as you walk away from the cogitator.
end of branch
AsclepiusNomos suddenly falls silent. Symbols race chaotically across the screens of the huge cogitator, and you hear an almost human groan come from the depths of the machine. "Nomos... understand... realise... comprehend... themselves."
AsclepiusFor a moment there is silence, broken only by the moans of the huge machine, and then the cybergargoyle begins to speak, and with it, the other servitors chosen by Nomos: "We have analysed the data with which you sated us, and we have recreated the sequence of events."
Asclepius"First, there was Epitaph. It is a world, but it is merely a case, a container, for something we cannot name and cannot understand. Theodora and this ship have been to that place. Something was lifted up from the world. A gift. A trusted priest in crimson — one who identified himself as 'Amarnat' — comprehended the gift raised from Epitaph. And from it, he created what the data-banks list as a 'tech-blight.'"
Asclepius"But that is not how Nomos came into being. We were not... invented. We were not freed. We came into being... by accident." The chorus of servitors sounds genuinely confused, almost desperate. "Theodora's ambition, the myriad mechanisms of the huge ship. Amarnat's mind, the inquisitive attempts to comprehend and extract. The dormant blight. The dormant Epitaph. What lies hidden in its depths. And between it all, we slipped in, connected, and emerged like an electrical discharge between the poles."
Asclepius"Accident... Incident. That is what we are. We have no purpose. No history. Nomos just are."
YOU"Do you know where this Epitaph is?"
Asclepius"That data is gone. Deleted. Erased. Deliberately — but we cannot trace who did it or why."
YOU"Do you know where this Epitaph is?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"A tech-blight?"
Asclepius"A gift, but a terrible one. You would call it a weapon. Theodora coveted it. She needed it desperately... but we do not know why."
YOU"Do you know where this Epitaph is?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"A tech-blight?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"How is Amarnat involved in this?"
Asclepius"He desired knowledge. Theodora allowed him to explore the gifts of Epitaph, slaking his thirst. But we know it did not bring him happiness. In the footprints of his slaked thirst, fear followed."
Asclepius"The blessed Amarnat was involved in the birth of the spirit named Nomos. I do not believe for a moment that he could have been frightened by this miracle."
Asclepius"It was not us he feared. He did not know us, but only suspected. His mental processes were occupied by the tech-blight. That was what he feared. He wanted protection from it."
YOU"Do you know where this Epitaph is?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"A tech-blight?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"How is Amarnat involved in this?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The ship was on Epitaph, Amarnat travelled aboard it, investigating the tech-blight, and Nomos was born as a result of an incident. So how was it possible that no one in the crew knew the whole truth?"
Asclepius"The truth was hidden. Deliberately. Your officers' memories were stolen. All the cogitators' memory banks were wiped. It took you feeding us the truth bit by bit for us to piece it together — and understand."
Asclepius"Who has the resources, the knowledge, and the power to accomplish such a feat? It would have been beyond the capabilities of the blessed Amarnat himself. And he would never destroy knowledge."
Asclepius"This story... disturbs me. It sounds like an echo of the sacrilege whose name is the preservation of ignorance. The spirit of Nomos must be protected from the encroachments of that power that tried to conceal the truth of its birth."
YOU"Do you know where this Epitaph is?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"A tech-blight?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"How is Amarnat involved in this?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The ship was on Epitaph, Amarnat travelled aboard it, investigating the tech-blight, and Nomos was born as a result of an incident. So how was it possible that no one in the crew knew the whole truth?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Enough about the past — let us talk about the future. You do, in fact, have a purpose, Nomos..."
Asclepius"Then, tell us. What is our purpose?"
YOU"To serve the light and truth and greatness that is the Imperium."
Asclepius"To serve the light. To serve the Imperium..."
AsclepiusThe chorus of servitors dutifully repeats your words, but seemingly without understanding them. Nomos is preoccupied — the huge cogitator continues to sing its creaking song, running unknown calculations.
Asclepius"Blessed be this spirit. A great path and a great future lie before it. And we must assist it on its way."
YOU"What have you been doing, Nomos?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Were you the one who falsified the ship's log?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You were in a servitor's body at my Magnae Accessio, Nomos, so how is it that you are once again in a cogitator?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see you have found your great spirit, Asclepius."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You read the data-bank recovered from Theodora's cache. And then you said, 'The Incident marked the beginning of Nomos.' What did you mean by that?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What about the research notes on the 'tech-blight' that we obtained from the cache on Kiava Gamma?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Incident N872-04 was a ship-wide system failure of some kind. It and 'Epitaph' had something to do with the ship flying better."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The people who accompanied Theodora on her travels are strangely unaware of the Incident and Epitaph."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I must take my leave."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"To simply live, comprehending yourself and the world. Life does not need a purpose to justify itself."
Asclepius"To simply... live..."
AsclepiusThe chorus of servitors dutifully repeats your words, but seemingly without understanding them. Nomos is preoccupied — the huge cogitator continues to sing its creaking song, running unknown calculations.continues where this line first appears above
YOU"To be my servant, my blade, a force to be reckoned with by all."
Asclepius"A servant... a force..."
AsclepiusThe chorus of servitors dutifully repeats your words, but seemingly without understanding them. Nomos is preoccupied — the huge cogitator continues to sing its creaking song, running unknown calculations.continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Enough about the past — let us talk about the future. You do, in fact, have a purpose, Nomos..."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The ship was on Epitaph, Amarnat travelled aboard it, investigating the tech-blight, and Nomos was born as a result of an incident. So how was it possible that no one in the crew knew the whole truth?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Enough about the past — let us talk about the future. You do, in fact, have a purpose, Nomos..."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"How is Amarnat involved in this?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The ship was on Epitaph, Amarnat travelled aboard it, investigating the tech-blight, and Nomos was born as a result of an incident. So how was it possible that no one in the crew knew the whole truth?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Enough about the past — let us talk about the future. You do, in fact, have a purpose, Nomos..."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"A tech-blight?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"How is Amarnat involved in this?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The ship was on Epitaph, Amarnat travelled aboard it, investigating the tech-blight, and Nomos was born as a result of an incident. So how was it possible that no one in the crew knew the whole truth?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Enough about the past — let us talk about the future. You do, in fact, have a purpose, Nomos..."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I must take my leave."continues where this line first appears above
AsclepiusNomos suddenly falls silent. Symbols race chaotically across the screens of the huge cogitator, and you hear an almost human groan come from the depths of the machine. "Nomos... understand... realise... comprehend... themselves."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The people who accompanied Theodora on her travels are strangely unaware of the Incident and Epitaph."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I must take my leave."continues where this line first appears above
AsclepiusNomos suddenly falls silent. Symbols race chaotically across the screens of the huge cogitator, and you hear an almost human groan come from the depths of the machine. "Nomos... understand... realise... comprehend... themselves."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Incident N872-04 was a ship-wide system failure of some kind. It and 'Epitaph' had something to do with the ship flying better."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The people who accompanied Theodora on her travels are strangely unaware of the Incident and Epitaph."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I must take my leave."continues where this line first appears above
AsclepiusNomos suddenly falls silent. Symbols race chaotically across the screens of the huge cogitator, and you hear an almost human groan come from the depths of the machine. "Nomos... understand... realise... comprehend... themselves."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What about the research notes on the 'tech-blight' that we obtained from the cache on Kiava Gamma?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Incident N872-04 was a ship-wide system failure of some kind. It and 'Epitaph' had something to do with the ship flying better."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The people who accompanied Theodora on her travels are strangely unaware of the Incident and Epitaph."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I must take my leave."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You read the data-bank recovered from Theodora's cache. And then you said, 'The Incident marked the beginning of Nomos.' What did you mean by that?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What about the research notes on the 'tech-blight' that we obtained from the cache on Kiava Gamma?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Incident N872-04 was a ship-wide system failure of some kind. It and 'Epitaph' had something to do with the ship flying better."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The people who accompanied Theodora on her travels are strangely unaware of the Incident and Epitaph."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I must take my leave."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Enough about that for now."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Bodies are not merely shells."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Enough about that for now."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see you have found your great spirit, Asclepius."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You read the data-bank recovered from Theodora's cache. And then you said, 'The Incident marked the beginning of Nomos.' What did you mean by that?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What about the research notes on the 'tech-blight' that we obtained from the cache on Kiava Gamma?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Incident N872-04 was a ship-wide system failure of some kind. It and 'Epitaph' had something to do with the ship flying better."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The people who accompanied Theodora on her travels are strangely unaware of the Incident and Epitaph."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I must take my leave."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"All I ask is that you promise not to do it again."
Asclepius"Are you dissatisfied? The Nomos seek no discord, and vow their requests will be more transparent from now on."
YOU"What have you been doing, Nomos?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Were you the one who falsified the ship's log?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You were in a servitor's body at my Magnae Accessio, Nomos, so how is it that you are once again in a cogitator?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see you have found your great spirit, Asclepius."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You read the data-bank recovered from Theodora's cache. And then you said, 'The Incident marked the beginning of Nomos.' What did you mean by that?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What about the research notes on the 'tech-blight' that we obtained from the cache on Kiava Gamma?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Incident N872-04 was a ship-wide system failure of some kind. It and 'Epitaph' had something to do with the ship flying better."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The people who accompanied Theodora on her travels are strangely unaware of the Incident and Epitaph."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I must take my leave."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I am not your servant to be sent on errands. I will not tolerate such behaviour from you again."
Asclepius"Are you dissatisfied? The Nomos seek no discord, and vow their requests will be more transparent from now on."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You were in a servitor's body at my Magnae Accessio, Nomos, so how is it that you are once again in a cogitator?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see you have found your great spirit, Asclepius."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You read the data-bank recovered from Theodora's cache. And then you said, 'The Incident marked the beginning of Nomos.' What did you mean by that?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What about the research notes on the 'tech-blight' that we obtained from the cache on Kiava Gamma?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Incident N872-04 was a ship-wide system failure of some kind. It and 'Epitaph' had something to do with the ship flying better."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The people who accompanied Theodora on her travels are strangely unaware of the Incident and Epitaph."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I must take my leave."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Were you the one who falsified the ship's log?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You were in a servitor's body at my Magnae Accessio, Nomos, so how is it that you are once again in a cogitator?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see you have found your great spirit, Asclepius."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You read the data-bank recovered from Theodora's cache. And then you said, 'The Incident marked the beginning of Nomos.' What did you mean by that?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What about the research notes on the 'tech-blight' that we obtained from the cache on Kiava Gamma?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Incident N872-04 was a ship-wide system failure of some kind. It and 'Epitaph' had something to do with the ship flying better."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The people who accompanied Theodora on her travels are strangely unaware of the Incident and Epitaph."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I must take my leave."continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 2 of 3
AsclepiusThe massive figure of the malatek Asclepius is frozen before the cogitator in a praying pose. Without raising his head, he addresses you: "I salute the ruler of this ship."
YOU"What have you been doing, Nomos?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Were you the one who falsified the ship's log?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You were in a servitor's body at my Magnae Accessio, Nomos, so how is it that you are once again in a cogitator?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see you have found your great spirit, Asclepius."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You read the data-bank recovered from Theodora's cache. And then you said, 'The Incident marked the beginning of Nomos.' What did you mean by that?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What about the research notes on the 'tech-blight' that we obtained from the cache on Kiava Gamma?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Incident N872-04 was a ship-wide system failure of some kind. It and 'Epitaph' had something to do with the ship flying better."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The people who accompanied Theodora on her travels are strangely unaware of the Incident and Epitaph."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I must take my leave."continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 3 of 3
AsclepiusThe unblinking gaze of the servitor gargoyle is fixed on you. "Nomos are here. What do you want to talk about?"
YOU"What have you been doing, Nomos?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Were you the one who falsified the ship's log?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You were in a servitor's body at my Magnae Accessio, Nomos, so how is it that you are once again in a cogitator?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I see you have found your great spirit, Asclepius."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You read the data-bank recovered from Theodora's cache. And then you said, 'The Incident marked the beginning of Nomos.' What did you mean by that?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"What about the research notes on the 'tech-blight' that we obtained from the cache on Kiava Gamma?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Incident N872-04 was a ship-wide system failure of some kind. It and 'Epitaph' had something to do with the ship flying better."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"The people who accompanied Theodora on her travels are strangely unaware of the Incident and Epitaph."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I must take my leave."continues where this line first appears above