Arrzaneth Ossuary and the Syndicate (Roleplayer's/Speculative question)

[dubstephalflife]

Hullo! I have an rp char who's a researching thm. He researches about the void/voidsent for the last year. I thought the guild would just support the research then I came across this:

We all know about the sultanate's supporters and the Syndicate/Monetarists, but I ran across some information that there's really a third party in the mix, the Ossuary as a sort of spiritual/law-making body within Ul'dah, and the Monetarists try to pay off the Ossuary to sway them to their side. Sultanate prob. has their own methods.

Question

Do you all think the Monetarists would pay researchers if they thought it would ultimately get the guild/Ossuary on their side? Or maybe that the money the Ossuary gained would be filtered down into whatever funding the guild required? Even more speculation, who do you think would be the one to fund this? One of the big 6 or an associated party?

[Anonymoose]

Do you all think the Monetarists would pay researchers if they thought it would ultimately get the guild/Ossuary on their side? Or maybe that the money the Ossuary gained would be filtered down into whatever funding the guild required? Even more speculation, who do you think would be the one to fund this? One of the big 6 or an associated party?

Now, I'm no master on Ul'dahn lore, but as far as I know, the Monetarists will do just ever so short of anything to ultimately increase the bottom line and/or give them more power, including but not limited to subverting the power and authority of the Sultansworn by use of murder and sabotage. Do the Paladin quest line if you want to see what they're capable of. However, they often employ third parties, run front companies, create criminal organizations that seem to operate in opposition to them but truly serve them... whatever keeps them rich and stable is good. If a stable Ul'dah gives them a place to get richer and more powerful, a stable Ul'dah is good.

Researching the Void is what you'd call a "controversial" issue. On one hand, a lot of people believe that anything Voidsent should just be exterminated - it doesn't belong here - it's dangerous. Weakening the border between worlds bends the laws of nature and lets loose monsters! ... Buuut on the other hand, there are snurble-based hair tonics. How forbidden can the research really be?

[Urthdigger]

The Ossuary is likely friendly by default to the Monetarists, considering "Amass wealth" is the #1 virtue of their religion. So, I wouldn't necessarily see them paying researchers to get into the guild's good graces. Now, I DO see them paying researchers if they feel the information would be of use to them. You're likely not going to get the monetarists as a whole supporting research into the Void, but there may be one or two individuals who would see it as potential power. Especially the more unscrupulous ones.

[Kyan]

Buuut on the other hand, there are snurble-based hair tonics. How forbidden can the research really be?

I read no label stating "no snurbles were harmed in the making of this tonic". Killing two birds with one stone?

Still, I'm convinced that snurbles are born not of the void, but from Roegadyn's belly buttons after wearing cotton and woollen robes.

[RolandDebreton]

I read no label stating "no snurbles were harmed in the making of this tonic". Killing two birds with one stone?

Still, I'm convinced that snurbles are born not of the void, but from Roegadyn's belly buttons after wearing cotton and woollen robes.

Horrifying, but still the best explanation we have for their origins.

[dubstephalflife]

Researching the Void is what you'd call a "controversial" issue....

I've actually encountered this a lot in RP. Some characters will stray away from Sigurd believing he's possessed by them or just is weird and needs to be avoided. Others are actually interested in these strange void creatures that just don't seem to be of this world. It's a mystery which fascinates the more research-minded player characters in the game.

I didn't get to write this in the original post, due to size restrictions, but Sigurd had started the research mostly because he'd been assaulted by a voidsent and nearly killed. He chose to do the research because he wants to present more information about them so other people won't fall into the same situation he did. He comes from Highbridge and saw the chunk of Dalamud fall from the sky. He really wants to help people, even if it's something that is just so odd like researching voidsent.

(this char limit is getting to me)

[dubstephalflife]

I've been toying with the idea since the initial post that if one of the Monetarists became interested in it, it might be someone within Amajina & Sons if there were an infestation within some of the mines (the idea came from the collection of bombs outside Copperbell). Otherwise, it could be just some independent agent in the works here.

Still, I'm convinced that snurbles are born not of the void, but from Roegadyn's belly buttons after wearing cotton and woollen robes.

I'm actually with you there (unless you stare into their cold dead eyes). I'm thinking snurbles are considered voidsent because no one actually knows how they came to be or what they are really. They're so tame compared to other creatures classified as voidsent and kind of cute. The introduction of "zhe puff puff" got me thinking that some might keep them as pets.

[Anonymoose]

this char limit is getting to me

Type and format everything exactly how you want it as if there were no character limit, then CTRL+A to select all of it and CTRL+X to cut it. Then just type EDIT INCOMING and post that, instead. Then, once the post has been made, click the Edit Post button, delete EDIT INCOMING, CTRL+V to paste what you wanted to say, and save it. It'll circumvent the character limit entirely.

<backstory>

That's actually a very easy story to work with, I think; and nothing nefarious need be afoot on the Monetarist side. Look how many places across Eorzea follow the Tolkein motif of digging too deep too carelessly and getting themselves into trouble. That was the original story of the Darkhold; the miners accidentally broke into an aether rich patch that softened the border between worlds and Batraal came through and tore them all apart, followed shortly thereafter by the ahriman and hordes of hippogryphs. Something like that could really put a crimp in your profits, especially if what's coming through is bombs. Can you imagine how much of a setback it is for the Mineral Concern when miners lives are lost? When works are too afraid to enter? When self-destruct and detonate collapse tunnels? Perhaps Sigurd is part of a joint effort between the Mineral Concern and certain scholary factions within the Thaumaturge ranks. The THMs get to study aether, the void, associated magicks, and enemies that thrive on it - and the Mineral Concern gets a safer mine and more profits. Sigurd himself just happens to be the idiosyncratic with eccentric interests who gets the job, lol.

[RolandDebreton]

Sigurd, you can surpass the character limit by editing a post. I use OneNote to write everything then snag the first couple hundred chars then edit and dump the rest.

I think, and again rp is not my forte' that the smallfolk would be spooked by a Voidal researcher, but those same small folk would find most everyone in the Ossuaryrather frightening. A guiding story, like recovery from such an attack, coupled with a diligent persona hungry to understand so as to change things for the better I'm sure Sigmund can overlook some small minded peasants.

[dubstephalflife]

Type and format everything exactly how you want it as if there were no character limit...

That is haxx. Thank you.

That's actually a very easy story to work with, I think....

You bring up a good point here. If word got out here about Dzamael (and it probably has. People do talk and traders bring stories with them), there definitely would be a concern on the behalf of Mineral Concern (I still wonder why it's called Concern instead of company, but that's another story for another time). With the presence of bombs pretty much everywhere that they're not supposed to be, people who don't understand what they are probably are terrified of them self-destructing.

Now that I think about it, there's a roe standing outside Copperbell who dropped his tools inside. If I remember correctly, he dropped them as he was fleeing from the area and was too afraid to go back. He paid me to pick them up for him. I can't remember if he were fleeing from the bombs or the giants within, but regardless, he still wouldn't go near the bombs. (I'm pretty sure it wasn't the coblyns, but I'm sure a swarm of them would be the equivalent of a zerg rush.)

Now if one person is afraid of the bombs then tells his story to another, now that second person probably fears the same thing. Then one more after that and another and another, and suddenly the entire mining operation comes to a screeching halt because no one understands what these things are. Obviously this is terrible for business and needs to be resolved quickly. Who else to handle these things other than the freaky thaumaturges who wield magic like the bombs do.

And Sigurd comes from a trading family. While he considers himself loyal to the Sultanate, he probably has tangled with the Syndicate before, dealing with taxes and paying off people to leave him alone. His obsession for knowledge and the void probably would overcome his concerns about tying himself with the Syndicate. (After all, most everyone in Ul'dah and even further into Thanalan has ties to the Syndicate somehow)

You've given me some excellent story to work with, thank you.

I think, and again rp is not my forte' that the smallfolk would be spooked by a Voidal researcher, but those same small folk would find most everyone in the Ossuary rather frightening.

Another valid point. I have come across rp chars who are actually more afraid of Sigurd for being a thaumaturge than being a researcher. Some people are afraid of what a thaumaturge can do. Fire, fire, and more fire. (I have yet to cross a char afraid of blizzard though)

When RPing, people generally generate their own backstories and don't follow the main storyline (else we'd have a lot of boring copycats). Most do have some "class" so to speak (Sigurd is a thaumaturge who dabbles in arcanism) but I come across rpers who play just ordinary joes, like miners and gatherers and a handful of fishermen. It's funny though that you mention fear of the Ossuary as more pcs are afraid of Pearl Lane than the Ossuary. Even so, you bring up a very valid point.

And you are correct, Sigurd would ignore those people and bury himself in his research for days on end instead.