I think of the essences as a living bioluminescent manifestation of actual experience. A biochemical “container” capable of holding thoughts, ideas, emotions, hopes, fears, secrets, truths and all aspects and facets of learning and experience. The essence contains all of the information and data that can be learned from anything and everything that anyone and everyone does, says, thinks or experiences.
Upon destruction creatures release the entirety of their own conciousness which contains all of the information they gained during every experience they ever had. The grind pot is able to seperate anything useful from anything that is already known. The biolumes keep all of the information for their own edification. It then sorts thru all of the information and passes only the shreds that it wants to pass on to you to add to your own experience and accelerate your own personal evolution. In this way the biolumes are able to shape you into something more easily influenced the will of the biolumes than your own.
Because of the volume of experience that creatures release upon destruction the bioluminescent manifestation is visible, however in its more common form it is imperceptible to the eyes. Each time you do anything the bioluminescence sees it and records all of the information associated with your thoughts and actions. Every time you catch a fish, cast a spell, swing a sword, harvest a resource, talk to a friend or enemy, solve a puzzle, brew a potion or do anything at all… the bioluminesence records every aspect of every action you took and reports it into the bioluminescent collective where all of the info and experience is held.
On the surface this is all fine. The bioluminessence doesn’t actually take your experiences from you, it simply copies them… and in return you get easier perks and slight advantages in certain situations… It would seem to be a win win…
But is it really?
What is happening with all the information that the bioluminesence harvests from all the GRINDER users and anyone who any GRINDER users interact with?
Why would the bioluminesence want all that data in the first place?
Now, I know most of the humans of Patreayl aren’t very concerned about that sort of thing. The collection and dissemination of all that data helps us all to understand one another and allows us all to evolve to higher levels of conciousness than we otherwise would…so whats the harm right?
Well… what if our increased experience is simply a byproduct of the true function of the bioluminesence?
What if the true function of the biolumes is not to increase our levels?
I have read every book in both libraries and I have come to the terrible conclusion that the true function of the biolumes is not to increase the level or experience of the user… but of itself!
My studies have led me to believe that the individual biolumes are not in fact individual entities but part of a much larger collective. A collective intellect built upon all of the practical knowledge, ambition, passion, wisdom, emotion, success, failure and every aspect of every action anyone has ever taken; and every experience anyone has ever experienced. I have further come to believe that this incredible wealth of knowledge is being collected for a purpose…
The world as it exists now is not compatible with the form that the biolumes are capable of coalescing into. A single intellect, vast beyond human comprehension with a vision to create a more orderly and efficient world. An entity that knows our every weakness. A being that understands not only what we think but how we think… manipulating all that we see, hear, experience and know in order to change the world into something orderly enough that none would question its will, and efficient enough to identify and deal with any that resist its will. An entity that can introduce and connect emotion to any topic in order to obscure the truth of its self serving mission. A being that thrives by creating division and suspicion among those it has enthralled to use as a weapon against logic and reason…which are the only true threat to its complete dominance of human spirit.
A being that, once fully manifest, will come to the inevitable conclusion that the most orderly and efficient way to transform the world into something that is compatible with its existence is destruction. The total destruction of all that exists or has ever existed… the creation of a blank slate. As the enemy of history and ingenuity it must destroy all in order to build its own perfect Utopia upon the ashes of history…
I know… I know… I sound like some kind of conspiracy theorist nutbar… but… think about it… it has happened before in some form or another…
Think about the period in Patreaylian historn known as the “pre-born” era. There are still some Patreaylians around today who experienced that era… many of them maintain to this day that it was a Golden Age. A time when the world felt new…when things were simpler and more gratifying. A time when the beauty of nature was yet unblemished by the machinations of the future. As more and more people were attracted to Patreayl new customs and ways of doing things were assimilated into the conciousness of those who dwelt there. New tactics and information developed by these pioneers were able to truly unleash the potential of all the residents of Patreayl and tame the land. It seemed that peace would reign for all time… but… that was not so…
Using information and data collected from the experiences of all Patreaylians a force beyond comprehension simply erased anything it didn’t like and replaced it with what we have now. I was not among the pioneers of the pre-born era. I cannot know what the world was like then. I know that many were content with the changes…and many were not. Some even chose to leave the world as they found the new surroundings to be incompatible with the contents of thier character… I can’t say if the change was for the better, I can only say that I love the world as I have come to know it and the idea that everything may change again is frightening and disturbing…
What I do know is that the biolumes continue to harvest all of the information that our hearts and minds learn and contain. Each and every shred of data contribute to its power. One day this sentient force will have gained enough knowledge to have the power to cause the biolumes to form into living cells and coalesce into a single conscious intellect… fully aware and able…certain that whatever it thinks is best must be so…and to force its will onto everything without regard for anything other than its own power…
The only evidence I can offer is circumstantial… Just look at this thread… look how we are starting to doubt each others knowledge and point fingers and implicate others into this conspiracy that none of us even fully understand. By causing us to doubt ourselves it is creating division and disharmony among the people of Patreayl… it is by this method that it is able to introduce the seeds of our own destruction and reconstruction…
I cannot know the extent of its will… and I won’t pretend to know the truth of its vision… I can only hope that there is room for all of us in the world it envisions…
I guess only time will tell…
