Beleg Cúthalion on 25/4/2009 at 07:21
I admit I just ran over the page but has there been the idea of the Glyphs simply being the Keepers' way of handling this general existant magic? Gamall's records of "finding" a certain Glyph indicate that the Keepers are probably not the (only) inventors (except the Glyphs date back to a very early time of the Keepers so that parts of them might have already been forgotten at the time of Gamall et al.). Still, the fact that hardly anyone except for the Keepers uses them and that the Keepers are the ones who can destroy them (presumably), suggests that they also invented them as their form of capturing magic.
jtr7 on 25/4/2009 at 08:03
Point.
I tend to think that the people happened on a means to control magic by accident because of a certain focused mindset on something else, and it had a surprising side-effect, and that led to learning precise intent to repeat the occurrence, and that led to honing the craft.
The Glyphs are almost always spoken of reverently, as completely trustworthy guides, as infallible, having a will, requiring control of the user over them or they will control the user, never lying (a person writing prophecies of their own volotion would introduce mistruths even on accident), and even the most fearful Keepers will willingly die if the Glyphs call for it--once they get over the shock. The Glyphs change themselves as the birth pangs of the Dark Age.
The Keepers control the power of the Glyphs, but the Glyphs are law, the Glyphs suggest their next moves and where they should give their attention. Whatever the root nature of the Glyphs is, it's not human-guided, it guides the humans unwaveringly, ever adhering to whatever law governs it, outside of human will.
MaxDZ8 on 25/4/2009 at 08:32
Kudos for the detailed discussion!
Just a side note on why glyphs are not crystalline: because they don't need to. Natural glass, although rare happens to form in amorphous form. Also, pigments left by - say - a dead animal may, over the years produce a "written" fossilized glyph.
I think the glyphs themselves are not secret, their interpretation is kept under secret and this acually zeroes-out of existance for many, as has been the case for gravity.
I may want to re-read that to sum up the relations among the various entities!
Herr_Garrett on 25/4/2009 at 09:59
Gaaaarh, I've just got a divine idea!
What if Glyphs, and the act of drawing a Glyph, rip the fabric of reality and enables magic to trickle through, in the desired shape, to the desired end?
jtr7 on 25/4/2009 at 11:18
Hell, the Trickster could open a portal to the Maw in mid-air with his fingernail! He drew a slash that tore the fabric of space-time, and probably between dimensions!
If a door glyph opens a door through solid walls, then other glyphs may open into other planes to draw specific energy from.
Beleg Cúthalion on 25/4/2009 at 13:25
Quote Posted by Herr_Garrett
What if Glyphs, and the act of drawing a Glyph, rip the fabric of reality and enables magic to trickle through, in the desired shape, to the desired end?
Reminds me a lot of that spider in Perdido Street Station who (!) can crawl across and through reality as if it was just one side of... something, webs all around and surfaces to break through.
Stath MIA on 25/4/2009 at 20:47
Tearing the fabric of this plane for passage into another, an interesting concept. Perhaps the Glyphs allow one access to a powerful extra-dimensional sentient force, therefore when the Keepers write these Glyphs for prophesy the force is talking to them, giving them instructions and warnings according to its will. Also, when the Glyphs are used otherwise (e.g. weapons, hidden doors, extending life,...) they are forcefully releasing its power into the world thus allowing for the Glyphs use for purposes other than those intended in the prophesies.
Herr_Garrett on 26/4/2009 at 09:45
Quote Posted by Stath MIA
Tearing the fabric of this plane for passage into another, an interesting concept. Perhaps the Glyphs allow one access to a powerful extra-dimensional sentient force, therefore when the Keepers write these Glyphs for prophesy the force is talking to them, giving them instructions and warnings according to its will. Also, when the Glyphs are used otherwise (e.g. weapons, hidden doors, extending life,...) they are forcefully releasing its power into the world thus allowing for the Glyphs use for purposes other than those intended in the prophesies.
Perhaps the dimension of the Old Gods, like the Builder and the Trickster? If there are more gods than these twain, they may act against each other, using the Keepers as their unwitting "messengers" or puppets through the prophecies. Perhaps the ultimate Creator, the
Master Builder acts thusly...? But that's really fat-fetched.
jtr7 on 28/4/2009 at 01:27
Etymology of a Glyph:
Inline Image:
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i106/jtr7/HoldingGlyph.gifLike most Glyphs, it doesn't look like what it means, and the shape somewhat resembles other recognizable symbols. Instant cryptology. The original lines were traced from my right palm. Any palmists here?:laff:
These lines contain clues to my species, are creases from movement of growth, use, and age over time. They are connected to the hand, the purpose, nature, humanity, history. The visible intersection of all these.
Stath MIA on 28/4/2009 at 04:22
So the Keepers are really just a bunch of mad palmists?:joke: That's actually an interesting idea for how the Keepers discovered the Glyphs, the voice of God speaking openly but in a way few understand. This might explain how Constantine found out about the Glyphs (as referenced by his traps), the Glyphs are plainly available to those who think to look. They aren't just "Keeper Toys", the Keepers only figured it out, they probably even dealt with others who figured it out (there's probably even a "Glyph of Brainwashing" in their arsenal, it would explain how no one ever found out about them, but that's an idea for another post).