Lost Testament of Schueler

Isilith wrote:

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.

Who said anything about lying? The content of the Lost Testament of Schueler would be 100% true. The only lie would be that it didn't actually come from Schueler. Yet the only one who could refute its authenticity would be Schueler himself, who is long since dead or else exists only as an artificial intelligence or PICA in some data module. And for him to refute its content would require said AI of Schueler to lie himself and add to the layers of falsehood in the Holy Writ. That's where the Stone of Schueler might be used to devastating effect.

My original thought on something like this was to have someone from the Inner Circle publish various reworkings of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Jules Verne (in Safeholdian versions) and postulate the many possibilities of what might exist beyond Safehold's gravity well or the technological possibilities (like say nuclear submarines in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea). Or perhaps the "New Tales of Seijin Khody" written on the basis of his true life story, to be published by the Sisterhood through some suitable intermediary. And it would likely work better as time passed given the rising literacy on Safehold. Also, the church would no longer be in a position to quash any such publications and declare them to be heretical. Indeed, the official position of the Church of Charis and the Church of Siddarmark would be that these publications are "merely works of fiction and should be treated as the frivolous entertainment they most assuredly are".

The message Schueler gives to Paityr's family would actually do quite well as a Lost Testament without having to lie at all.

SCC wrote:The message Schueler gives to Paityr's family would actually do quite well as a Lost Testament without having to lie at all.

The problem is establishing provenance- proving that it wasn't something faked by Shan Wei

Nod.

Which is why I suspect that the Testament will be found inside the Temple.

fallsfromtrees wrote:

SCC wrote:The message Schueler gives to Paityr's family would actually do quite well as a Lost Testament without having to lie at all.

The problem is establishing provenance- proving that it wasn't something faked by Shan Wei

"New Tales of Seijin Khody" are something that could very well happen especially since I suspect that the Sisterhood has been behind many of the stories of Seijin Khody.

thanatos wrote:Who said anything about lying? The content of the Lost Testament of Schueler would be 100% true. The only lie would be that it didn't actually come from Schueler. Yet the only one who could refute its authenticity would be Schueler himself, who is long since dead or else exists only as an artificial intelligence or PICA in some data module. And for him to refute its content would require said AI of Schueler to lie himself and add to the layers of falsehood in the Holy Writ. That's where the Stone of Schueler might be used to devastating effect.

My original thought on something like this was to have someone from the Inner Circle publish various reworkings of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Jules Verne (in Safeholdian versions) and postulate the many possibilities of what might exist beyond Safehold's gravity well or the technological possibilities (like say nuclear submarines in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea). Or perhaps the "New Tales of Seijin Khody" written on the basis of his true life story, to be published by the Sisterhood through some suitable intermediary. And it would likely work better as time passed given the rising literacy on Safehold. Also, the church would no longer be in a position to quash any such publications and declare them to be heretical. Indeed, the official position of the Church of Charis and the Church of Siddarmark would be that these publications are "merely works of fiction and should be treated as the frivolous entertainment they most assuredly are".

DrakBibliophile wrote:Nod.

Which is why I suspect that the Testament will be found inside the Temple.

Tweaking my earlier theory, Owl partially decrypts the key, which shows the IC enough that they lobby to take the key to the Temple. When they get approval, they go. Then, in the Temple, with witnesses, the key gives them the new testament... among other things.

thanatos wrote:
Who said anything about lying? The content of the Lost Testament of Schueler would be 100% true. The only lie would be that it didn't actually come from Schueler.

Duh, you just did! And it's inherent in your original post 'my money is on the Inner Circle producing such a "Lost Testament of Schueler"'

My thought is that the testament has been buried among the inquisitions secret files.

It makes most sense, since those files probably have tons of inconvenient information.

Seems to be a binary solution discussion here. Is the Lost Testament manufactured by OWL or something that already exists?

I doubt that it exists where the Temple can access it. There was no indication by Clyntahn or anyone that such a narrative existed that would contradict existing canon. So I would discount it being hidden in the "secret files" of the inquisition.

So that leaves it being locked in the Key, or being manufactured by OWL.

Given the parallel argument over the Broadsheets on not ever telling a lie - I would lean toward it being in the Key, but that means the Key was used before the new narrative begins. I see the key being used somewhere towards the end of the new arc to enable the jump to the final arc of the series - the actual confrontation with the Ghaba.

Which leans me back to it being created by OWL, but based on actual events uncovered in the secret files of the inquisition, Sejin Khody's diaries and the discovery of additional caches of technology hidden during the war of the fallen.

Following the KISS principal is never one of RFC's trademarks. Nothing is every straightforward, but at the end, when all is revealed, little hints here and there are then connected and it does all make sense.

Now, based on that, it is clear that wherever the Lost Testament comes from, we won't get it right and it will be a big surprise, but will make sense from all the little clues and hints dropped in previous books.

But that doesn't mean we shouldn't have a little fun in the meantime!

From the POV of provenance, finding the Testament in the inquistion's files is about the only thing that will be accepted by the world at large. Possibly requiring the Key to decrypt, or since 20 years is about the time of the potential return, possibly unlocked by the return.