Logos, or a Treatise on the Obsolete Art of True Names

Classical scholars had known for centuries that everything is written down in the Great Library. It was at one of the yearly Feasts of the Chiliarch when a now-anonymous intellectual proposed that if everything is written, one should be able to access that information in a convenient way. They even suggested that the Collective Unconscious already had a system in place, and all that was required was tapping into it.

It was a correct assumption, confirmed when Lord Humphrey Kerrigan sent an expedition of twelve souls, and half of them perished. The survivors claimed to be attacked by angels. It was a laughable excuse, considering the fact that angels don't exist. Nonetheless, they managed to retrieve a very important piece of information: the existence of Logos, the one true method of shaping reality.

It is a common mistake to say that names have power. In truth, names are but a subset of the larger scope of words, and thus, the term "true name" is a misnomer. In fact, the first true word to be discovered was not a noun, but a verb.

Delete.

At first it was laughed off as a mere delusion. After all, anyone could say they want to delete something and nothing would happen. What later thinkers realized is that Logos cannot be performed by just anyone. Just as the more recent method of Circular Ritualism requires near-perfect precision, so too, must the words be uttered. The main downside is that it is vastly easier to draw a perfect circle than to say a word perfectly. Indeed, that was one of the reasons why the more modern art endured the test of time.

Visionary Johannes the Merciful found the solution. He sent another expedition of twelve souls to the Akashic Records, and this time, only a third died. Despite still claiming to be attacked by angels, the survivors managed to acquire a key component to the proper execution of Logos: an encephalic enhancer. This device allowed the performer of Logos to say the word and in turn, get the intended effect.

Johannes the Merciful tested the encephalic enhancer at that year's Feast of the Chiliarch, uttering the first word in commemoration of this great achievement. Needless to say, it worked. No one remembers what was erased.

Mass production began almost immediately. Unfortunately, there were dire side effects. First came the reports of angel sightings under the effects of the enhancer. Second, and far more importantly, it was discovered that in order to learn a word properly, one must dedicate a significant part of the brain to storing that information.

Thus began the decline of the use of Logos, combined with the rise of other, more stable forms of magic, like the aforementioned Circular Ritualism and, of course, Modern Spellcasting. It is a most unfortunate turn of events, but one that can teach many lessons for future researchers.

Mechanically speaking, to be able to use a word, you must first learn it. To do so, you must find an angel that is willing to impart its power (usually via encephalic enhancer.) Then, you must permanently sacrifice one point of Skill so you can remember the word perfectly. Words are similar to spells, but cost no Stamina and require no roll. Here is an example:

Delete
The word erases a single memory stored in the Akashic Records. As far as anyone or anything is concerned, that event never happened, and never will.

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