15 Comments

I, too, will take both, please. I love the idea of duels of royal succession. Makes me think of Baz Lurhman's take on Romeo and Juliet - another great work of world-building, in my opinion.

I'm immediately curious about what kind of elaborate weapons they use, and how dense the pageantry and rules of it are.

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Great, watched Children of Men last night and got a lot out of it from a world building lense over plot.

Need to chew over what Bank of knowledge means

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founding

So (for me) The LAB doesn’t need to be the tallest Orwellian structure to be the target of the Syndicate (or INSTITUTE). I FEEL like its HQ should be the most advanced building to represent the hubris of intelligence. I work with physicists, engineers and scientists so I can tell you that they are some of the most proud bunch; constantly challenging each other and trying to prove one’s self via fact, knowledge and aesthetics.

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founding

This great because the distinction of LAB vs Institute helps my mind’s incessant need to distinguish BANK vs LAB. Maybe I am really trying to distinguish BANK vs INSTITUTE; or am I? I really don’t know but now I know why, in part, the cause of my confusion. This is why I’m a founder and waiting for you all to tell me! Lol! Now I am curious if I am seeing a headquarters reaching for the skies by The Institute or LAB. I am not deciding any of this; obviously. This is just how I am communicating with you in the process. Take and disregard what you will; obviously. (If you do take something, I would LOVE to know what. This goes for any of the ideas we shared. I read the comments too so I have seen signs of inspiration/connection from others and I think it’s great. I hope this is what 3W3M intended. Dear Legal, I hereby allow all my ideas shared for the purpose of 3W3M to be used freely without expectations of any sort. It would be nice to know if any of us contributed in any real way to the process though.) Back to the document, The LAB is on Ordo, right? The Vallar Rock is on Therra and Dr. Vallar disappeared on Kaoso? Do I have this right? Anyone feel free to correct me in real time. So going back to how architecture represents economic structure so much, I really need to see what each “industry” and/or “institution” (not meant to be confused with the INSTITUTE) looks like and mentally start to place those structures in location for the foundational part of the story; make it come alive and make sense. Sometimes the words get in the way where the images kind of explain almost everything. Going back to unpack more of this now. Be well.

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I personally really think there's a lot of story telling meat within the banks canon... outside "the big lie". In the previous section, the idea of history being preserved at the bank (knowledge traveling across cycles) would lead to vast amounts of wealth and opportunities. Especially given the fact that they could be out there insuring that history begins, for everyone else, at the beginning of each cycle.

In addition to copious amounts of conspiracy stories, you could also go the way of the Silmarillion. An entire line of comic just dedicated to encyclopedic history... With over embellished details, for drama, of course (looking at your morgoth)

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founding

I didn’t realize I was almost to the end. Lol! This is too good! Lol! Kaoso is where Hickman has directed the majority of my curiosity up until this document; due to the mystery of Dr. Vallar. I’m glad that I don’t have to wait for a story involving AKVA or HEIR but my heart is already with the Vallar family! Lol! I am looking for “that miner” from AKVA connected by blood to the BANK on HEIR (as if he/she even exists), but I must admit that the “48 Laws of Power” games being played between FAYRII and HEIR are what I want to see the most. Jonathan & RAM’s document wouldn’t have been the same without the prior information and process, but it took on a life of it’s own and kinda of took the focus of the story with it. The Vahl-lar Rock feels more like Chapter II instead of Chapter I now. (Praying that I don’t sound like a narcissistic idiot as I write all of this stuff out. Lol) May the LAB remain free! Be well.

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founding

When is a BANK not a bank but a library? Maybe when it's a PRIVATE ARCHIVE?

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