
[page="start"]
[image="saxiis2.pcx"]
"Greetings, human.  I am Librarian Rulyz."

[link="What do you do?"]
[linkto="job"]
[link="Goodbye."]
[linkto="bye"]
[endpage]


[page="job"]
[image="saxiis2.pcx"]
"My speciality is information storage, and the
 technologies involved.

 I know a few things about Xy'lan and the hardware at his
 disposal.  If you want to know about Xy'lan's hardware,
 I would ask Engineer Navriis."

[link="Tell me about your technology."]
[linkto="magic"]
[link="Tell me about Xy'lan."]
[linkto="xylan"]
[link="Tell me about your ship."]
[linkto="ship"]
[link="Goodbye."]
[linkto="bye"]
[endpage]


"Xylan was experimental because he was developed from scratch
 and without a physical body.  I don't know if you've noticed,
 but he has no self-image.  That's why he appears as a glowing
 ball instead of a person.

 It's been tried before, but usually they never form a
 discrete personality."



[page="magic"]
[image="saxiis2.pcx"]
"Much of our society is based upon a technology you would
 call 'Magic'.  It is as widespread as the transistors
 used by your own culture.

 Spells are cast by invoking a device referred to
 colloquially as 'The CoDec of Ultimate Power'.
 It is actually a data-to-reality converter.. a
 coder-decoder able to program the fabric of the cosmos."

[nextpage="magic2"]
[endpage]


[page="magic2"]
[image="saxiis2.pcx"]
"Obviously there are safeguards against such tremendous
 power being wielded for evil purposes.  For a start, our
 race is very old, and the genetic elements that lead
 towards criminal behaviour have been largely bred out."

 Secondly, the power of the CoDec is limited to a sphere
 with a diameter of around 9000 miles which is enough to
 service a planet.  There are always several such CoDecs
 on each of our worlds for redundancy purposes."

[nextpage="magic3"]
[endpage]

[page="magic3"]
[image="saxiis2.pcx"]
"Finally, the CoDecs can only be accessed through data
 systems, and the software is rigorously designed to
 ensure that no harmful spells can be cast without
 proper authorisation.

 The Maxima carried a CoDec of its own to run various
 ship-board services.  Xy'lan had near-total authority
 over the CoDec.
 It was not even imagined that he would go weird and
 demand that we worship him."

[link="Can I cast spells?"]
[linkto="spells"]
[link="Tell me about Xy'lan."]
[linkto="xylan"]
[link="Tell me about your ship."]
[linkto="ship"]
[link="Goodbye."]
[linkto="bye"]
[endpage]


[page="xylan"]
[image="saxiis2.pcx"]
"Xylan is an experimental computer sentience.  We know
 that your race has succeeded in creating similar 
 creatures, most likely using a human or higher animal
 mind as a template.

 We have been making computer sentiences for many
 centuries, but always based on an existing mind
 structure, like your air craft are."

[nextpage="xylan2"]
[endpage]

[page="xylan2"]
[image="saxiis2.pcx"]
"Xy'lan was an experiment in that he was created from
 scratch, with no template.  This has been tried before
 of course, but usually they do not coalesce into a
 coherent mind.  Xy'lan is one of the few that have.

 I don't know if you have noticed, but Xy'lan has no
 self-image.  He appears to the faithful as a glowing
 ball, and not as a person, or a vehicle, as your
 air craft do when using videophones."

[if_not met_aircraft][link="Uh?  What was that about aircraft?"]
[if_not met_aircraft][linkto="aircraft"]
[link="Tell me about your technology."]
[linkto="magic"]
[link="Tell me about your ship."]
[linkto="ship"]
[link="Goodbye."]
[linkto="bye"]
[endpage]


[page="spells"]
[image="saxiis2.pcx"]
"Only the Dra'kaan are supposed to be able to cast
 spells.  This is another safety precaution, of course.

 Xylan has somehow worked around this, using a system of
 resonance crystals, which act as a psionic amplifier.
 The most common instance of this is the toads, which are
 able to spit fire and talk."

[nextpage="spells2"]
[endpage]

[page="spells2"]
[image="saxiis2.pcx"]
"I'm not sure how he managed to get the crystals into the
 toads, but I suspect they are assembled in-place using
 nanomechanics.

 They are intended for a toad-level mind and would be
 overloaded if used with a more sentient mind, such as
 yours.  But each crystal should work long enough for you
 to cast a single spell."

[link="Tell me about Xy'lan."]
[linkto="xylan"]
[link="Tell me about your ship."]
[linkto="ship"]
[link="Goodbye."]
[linkto="bye"]
[endpage]


[page="ship"]
[image="saxiis2.pcx"]
"The Maxima is a twin-engined scout ship, about a
 kilometer long, and now lies buried under the topsoil of
 this world.

 It gets a little hazy now, but according to the signals
 we have picked up from your aircraft-creatures, an
 influential human known as 'Pope' has constructed a
 large temple in the centre of what was the crash site,
 dedicated to the worship of Xy'lan.

 If you wish to see the ship, you will have to enter this
 temple first, and access to the ship will no doubt be
 very tightly guarded."

[if_not met_aircraft][link="Uh?  What was that about aircraft?"]
[if_not met_aircraft][linkto="aircraft"]
[link="Tell me about your technology."]
[linkto="magic"]
[link="Tell me about Xy'lan."]
[linkto="xylan"]
[link="Goodbye."]
[linkto="bye"]
[endpage]


[page="aircraft"]
[image="saxiis2.pcx"]
[colour="#808080"]
Rulyz looks at you in astonishment.
[colour="#ffffff"]

"You mean to say that you don't know?  You haven't yet
 established contact with the robot aircraft?

 By the seven Zrxen..!  You must find them!
 Speak to them at once and seek their counsel!

 You will need to find one who calls himself 'Ransome'.
 We picked up the transmissions he made when he was
 trying to contact your communicator.  Apparently he
 did not succeed, or else you foolishly ignored him.

 If we are to solve the problem of Xy'lan, a number of
 alliances will need to be forged.
 (But that is another story to be told later!)

 Go now and do not return until you have met Ransome!"

[nextpage="exit"]
[endpage]



[page="bye"]
[image="saxiis2.pcx"]
"Farewell."

[nextpage="exit"]
[endpage]


[page="attacked"]
[image="saxiis3.pcx"]
[at_exit_call="player_killme"]

[colour="#808080"]
Before you have time to strike, the creature has whipped
out a small energy pistol and burned through a number
of vital organs.
[colour="#ffffff"]

[nextpage="exit"]
[endpage]
