User:Litev
[b]Organon of Logic [/b]
[i]Scholastic quest - general idea and storyline[/i]
This adventure implies the evolution of the medieval mind as an early rennaissance of greek thought througth arab translations. It turned to be quite popular way of combining academic way of thinking/research and the official ecclesiastical dogma of the clergy. Scholasticism is widely based on the intellectual tradition of ancient works of Aristotle and Plato. Organon is the name given by Aristotle's followers, the Peripatetics, to the standard collection of his six works on LOGIC. Retrieving these manuscripts would not tolerated by The Church as it reveals that Mastermind was present even before the Savior came to birth. Moreover, it takes place during the Great Schism and everything coming from East was considered heretic and arabic. But completing this quest could be a prerequisite for the writing of Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica - the fundamental work that made a compromise and eventually saved the Papism and clergy till Luther published some questionnaires...
The quest is focused on western cultures and their evolution based on eastern traditions.
[b]Quest specification and requirements[/b] [spoiler]The quest is organized in six steps, any of which grants you a book of the Aristotle's collection, bonuses and clue how to look for the next one. I think that any of the six step-books should grant some bonus and cause some penalty, as this will not make any of the books look too valuable by itself. But the player should be motivated by the dialogues that retrieving all six of them will summon "a powerfull artifact", The Organon collection. The number 6 (SIX) is diabolique, Aristotle was considered to be too... But the player should be enlightened with a considerable and eternal reward, as knowledge is.
My idea of the quest is to present the Aristotle's gnosticism - every step shall present a book and its level of ideas. So to enlighten the player too. Mystique! The quest will lead the player to a couple of preeminent thinkers and scholars which will add a lot to the immersion of the game mod. These were incredible scholars and polymaths, one of the spiritual fathers of Europe, whose throne the game is about.
The player should have at least 6 free Inventory slots! (nice if we can block and reserve them for books till quest is over). The player should have at least 6 Inteligence points which should mean fair basic knowledge of Latin, universal during that age!
My idea with Apocrypha implies high intelligence of Character or greek interpreting Companion (Basileos Akritas). With Organon quest it may be omitted as it turns to be a longer quest. But it is not unwise - these books were already translated by arab almohad scholars and were circulating in Europe, especially as the Library of Toledo had been taken by Castillians without burning it to the ground on May 25, 1085.[/spoiler] [b]Plot#1 Roman scholastics[/b] [spoiler][u]Step 1.[/u] So the quest could be ordered by any Dominican priest (known as Order of Preachers till 1216, when renamed to Dominicanis). He may be a companion, tavern visitor, monk and is to become the Thomas Aquinas' mentor years later. Such a guy was Robert Grosseteste (1175 – 1253), English statesman, scholastic philosopher, theologian and after 1225 - a Bishop of Lincoln ( http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/grosseteste/ ). His name means Big headed and one should be as he is of peasant origin. By 1200 Master Grosseteste was judge-delegate in Hereford, Kingdom of England. Visiting this place may trigger the quest. As any magistrate Master Grosseteste should be easilly approachable - from the castle menu, as the guildmaster of any city is. If not - he was Master of the School of Oxford after 1208, so you can look for him there too, waiting to be appointed :). The Dominican will ask you for an "unofficial favour" - to retrieve for him "five books forbidden...as this one, which you can take to use for comparison". Accepting the quest adds the first book of the Organon to your inventory - The Categoriae. As this is an Apocrypha treatise taking the book will decrease by 1 the realtion with Hereford/Oxford. But reading the book (which should be faster than in Native) should make a small bonus. Or even better - just keeping it in inventory could improve Party morale by 1... The idea of Aristotle's Categoriae is about description of what actually happens in the game levels - classification of all that exists. These categories consist of substance, quantity, quality, relation, place, time, situation, condition, action, and passion.
[b]Step 1 outline and dialogues:[/b] [u]Triggers to the quest[/u] - either of these should activate the quets - the [color=blue]Organon of Logic [/color] blue text shall appear in [i][b]Notes[/b][/i]+screen pop-up message as always: [b]- Visiting or starting in Kingdom of England[/b] - A mounted messenger appears and summons you to Hereford. This establishes an in-game direction to the player from the beginning. message:[i] Player, Master Grosseteste, judge-delegate in Hereford, England desires that you visit him urgently as he has a very important task for you.[/i]
[b]- Hiring Basileos Akritas[/b] After recruiting him in tavern a new dialogue line should be added, stating: [i]Basileos Akritas: Captain, I need your help in restoring the ancient grandeur of Greek knowledge of Aristotle. You may have heard of the Parapathetics amongst whom my grandparents were. I know that a great thinker and polymath lives in Hereford, England. Please, let us pay him a visit as he will help you leave a considerable mark in Europe.[/i] No optional answer applicable to that - [i]only agreeing [/i] and this should unveil the quest in Players' Notes page. [b]- Reaching Renown above 20[/b] - (for the non-england-starting cases). A mounted messenger appears and summons you to Hereford. [i] Player, Your fame and renown precede you. Master Grosseteste, judge-delegate in Hereford, England desires that you visit him urgently as he has a very important task for you. [/i]
[b]- Speaking to a Preacher (as such are implemented)[/b] [i]One of our brethren in Kingdom of England needs help for something that I cannot speak freely about. Please visit him at Hereford castle as the task he will give you will contribute great values to you and the common laymen.[/i]
In any triggered case - When reaching Hereford contacting Master Grosseteste should be available from the castle menu.
[i]Master Grosseteste: Welcome, gracious traveller. I anticipated your arrival... My name is Robert Grosseteste, judge-delegate to King's justice here in Hereford. Player: What can I help you with, Master Grosseteste? MG:Do you understand the language of Latins, traveller? PL:Yes, I do. MG: I lean strongly upon your discretion, Player! Recently in my scriptorium I managed to translate a very old literary work , De Categoriae, a masterpiece of Aristotle of Greece. It treasures magnifique ideas and knowledge about people and their minds - substance, quantity, quality, relation, place, time, situation, condition, action, and passion. It should be available to every man, but... Pl:Yes?... MG:The church prelates and noble lords will hardly like its spreading, as it states that every man should stay and stand his mind, even the commoners! It is a dangerous book, potentially heretical. Therefore I cannot possess it in public without losing my position... Pl: So here comes me. And what exactly do you expect me to do? MG: I want you to stash it for me. Moreover - there are five books more - it is an assembly of Aristotelian ideas, the greek Parapathetics called it Organon of Logic. They are hated by the church but are the only way of its very deliverence - our peoples will soon lose their trust in Church clericacy and then appocalypse will occur. It is our duty to help it ascross such crises and improve the scholastical order, rooting out abuses of the pastoral care, traced to the papacy itself. Pl: I see... You need me to find and keep these books for you. And what is for me? MG:You will be the first one to read these books, Player! You will be the first One Enlightened in this pathetic impure world. Every book you read will grant you knowledge unsurpassable, that will help you in all of your quests in Europe. Pl: Sounds tempting... I suppose that reading every found book will lead me to the next one... MG: Exactly, Player! Every book you keep in your possession should improve your adventure and take you closer to the next one. It is an unofficial favour you are doing me, Player. Retrieve for me the other five books forbidden...Take this one, for comparison. And I will be very induldged to you. Pl:I will extremely be discreet, Master Grosseteste. But I may need someone to help me translating them... [/i]
[i]To you, modders:[/i] Basileos presence is vital at this stage of game so the player should get an early clue about his whereabouts if possible. Eventually, master Grosseteste or a mounted messenger should send you to him to perform the second step if the quest has been triggered by others. Or the traveller - no good from them now as far as I can see and are more widespread than preachers. Or if Basileos is not under arms:
[i]pop-ups:[/i] [color=maroon][b]Aristoteles: De Categoriae[/b] added to your inventory. Permanent bonus to party morale when in inventory - as companions of different tongue get well along together. Relation with Pope Innocent decreases 0 to -2 [/color] Quest log updated [color=blue] Organon of logic: Look for Basileos Akritas at taverns[/color] [/spoiler] [spoiler][u]Step 2.[/u] It could be a very easy one. If you had already recruited Basileos Akritas he could recognize the scribings and should grant you the second book - Perihermenias, part of his heirloom that he had previously saved runing from Seljuks. (His ancestors were Peripatetics). [i]Basileos Akritas: Strategos, I recognize this item! It is just like my ancestral most dear heirloom. My grandparents were Peripatetics and visited the Lycaeum - Aristotelian schola in Athens. We call this book Perihermenias. Player:Yes, your book seems to be a part of Grosseteste collection. You are greek, you should help me to read it. BA: Of course, Strategos![/i] [i]pop-up:[/i] [color=maroon][b]Peri Hermeneias tou Aristoteli[/b] added to your inventory [/color] The book should be read a.k.a translated as Basileos is under arms. If he begs his leave for good and the book is <100% read the quest fails. As long as the book is translated you can change its name to [i]Aristoteles: De Interpretatione[/i]. It contains Aristotle's principal contribution to philosophy of language. Exactly what the book is about and what the player actually did with it!
- [i]Actually the first translation was done by Gaius Marius Victorinus in 4th century AD, but the quest implies that Player does this again in order to understand what language translation means.[/i]
http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/a/aristotle/interpretation/ As the book is 100% read/translated a [b] Book read [/b] message shall appear stating: [i]"You have finished translating the Greek book Perihermenias. You made it accessible in latin as De Interpretatione, On Translation. You understood that words are symbols of 'affections of the soul' or mental experiences and spoken and written symbols differ between languages, but the mental experiences are the same for all. Now you are quite versed in Greek language!"[/i] [b]Intelligence bonus +1[/b] I suggest that no penalty occurs at this second level - this will motivate Player to continue looking for the Organon collection as the bonuses are obvious and climbing. Small book penalties may happen later...[/spoiler] [spoiler][u]Step 3.[/u] Though more intelligent Player still needs the Teacher induction. So if the intelligence is above 8 a mounted messenger should be triggered immediately: [i]"You did fine with that book, my pupil! But you still need my tuition and help. I know the possible location of a book that is considered forbidden. Ninety years ago the preeminent Pierre Abelard de Paris have spoken about it in his Historia Calamitatum. Then he became such an one as the Peripatetics. Go to Paris and check for a hidden book as it may be the one we are looking for. Your devoted Master Grosseteste"[/i] The quest log should change to smth like [color=blue]" Organon of logic: Go to Paris castle hall and look for the Aristotelian book that Pierre Abelard has written about."[/color] If you are permitted an entry to lord's hall you should try to find the book. Neither the lord, nor the lady or any visiting knight could offer it to you. But the book is going to be there - in the lord's chest, so you shall steal it. If it is not possible for a visitor to open such a chest I suggest that only entering the prison (bribing or killing the guard) could grant you the item. [i]pop-ups:[/i] [color=maroon][b]Aristoteles: Analytica Priora[/b] added to your inventory.[/color]
Player should start reading it from the camp menu- no need for Basileos Akritas already as the book is in latin since the translation of Boetius 4th century AD.
When read 100%: Book 3 is called Prior Analytics [i](Latin: Analytica Priora)[/i]. It is about inductive thinking and syllogism as "a discourse in which, certain things having been supposed, something different from the things supposed results of necessity because these things are so." This idea implies that having read and understood this book the player should SUPPOSE where the next one is, but will find it nevertheless... So: step1 perception, step2 cognition, step3 induction step4 deduction. [b] Book read [/b] message shall appear stating [i](deliborately vaguely)[/i]: [i]"You have finished reading Aristotle's Prior Analytics. You can now comprehend Pierre Abelard's discourse in which, certain things having been supposed, something different from the things supposed results of necessity because these things are so. It is so easy now to find the next book!"[/i] [b]+1 to Persuation[/b]
Quest log may change to [color=blue]" Organon of logic: Continue your deductive search for the Aristotelian literary corpus.[/color] Deductive arguments are attempts to show that a conclusion necessarily follows from a set of premises or hypotheses." [/spoiler] [spoiler][u]Step 4.[/u] Induction, deduction... and pure combat. A longer step. This bewildering quest puzzle is going to be solved by King Lackland of England. A mounted messenger is triggered: [i]Player, come to my audience as I have a Task for thee! Signed John King of England, Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, Count of Maine and Anjou, Lord of Ireland[/i] No change to the quest log shall be made till Player meets king Lackland Player should ask english lords for king's whereabouts and search for him on map. Upon meeting him the king shall bestow him with the task [i](no vassal or other prerequisites for that, just be sure that this is the task which king Lackland will give to Player)[/i] [u]Dialogue:[/u] [i]King John Lackland: I am King John, lord of.... Player:Greetings, your Highness. You summoned me to your see. KJL:Exactly, Player. I have a task for you. One of my retainers and biographers was taken hostage by a group of rebellious bretonic bandits. He was on his way to Rome to get a papal confirmation for his election as bishop to the See of St. David's. But his party was attacked near Dolwyddelan and now he is held hostage near that city. Pl: So, Welshmen don't accept him as a bishop, right? KJL:Actually the archbishop of Canterbury does't recognize him. But I need that he is appointed on the See in that rebellious land. Go, Player, free my clergyman and you shall have my royal gratitude! Pl:Alright, Your Highness.[/i]
Quest log changes: [color=blue] Organon of logic: Ransom Gerallt Gymro from bandits.[/color]
Defeat/or bribe these bandits ([i]classic Ransom girl quest[/i]), may be get the usual renown and free their prisoner - Gerald of Wales (c. 1146 – c. 1223), also known as Gerallt Gymro or Giraldus Cambrensis. He is a Royal servant to King Lackland – travels in Wales and Ireland. Gerald will give you book four, The Posterior Analytics (Latin: Analytica Posteriora), which he had previously received from Jacobus Veneticus Grecus, who had translated it in Constantinople in 1150. Moreover, you will receive Gerald's personal piece Expugnatio Hibernica ("Conquest of Ireland", 1189) which will actually be the step bonus: improved relation with King John, decreased relation with Irish kingdoms and Connacht. [u]Dialogue:[/u] [i]Gerallt Gymro: I am Gerald of Wales, by God's grace Bishop of Saint David's. Player:Greetings, father. But as far as I understood you need a papal approval for that.. GG:Exactly, Player. And now as you rescued me help me to get out of Wales and I will sail to Rome to meet pope Innocent. Pl: And what is my profit of that? GG:You may have this ancient book, I suppose you will fancy it... Pl:Alright, father.[/i]
[color=limegreen]Gerallt Gymro joins your warband. [b]Aristoteles: Analytics Posteriora[/b] added to inventory.[/color] Quest log changes: [color=blue] Organon of logic: Get Gerallt Gymro out of Wales.[/color]
Take him to a tavern outside Wales (Chester, London, Dublin...) A "border incident"-like message occurs during the trip or upon Gerald's leaving: [i]During your voyage with the sage Gerald you speak profoundly about history and phylosophy. He gives you a narrative of his treatise Expugnatio Hibernica - about the Conquest of Ireland and the rule over it.[/i] pop-ups: [color=limegreen] Relation with King John Lackland +3. Relation with Pope Innocent +1 Relation decrease with Connacht -2 Relation decrease with Irish kingdoms -2[/color] The player should focus on Analytica Posteriora, which is about scientific methods and knowledge we gain. Actually book 4 is the most commented by scholars part of the Organon in the Medieval times. Robert Grosseteste wrote the first western commentary on it ever. So I suggest that as the book enters your Inventory mAster Grosseteste should be needed "to read the book together with you" and actually write his commentaries on it. As Player is on the Brittish Isles it may be easy to pay an interrim visit to Grosseteste at Hereford. Quest log changes: [color=blue] Organon of logic: Pay an interrim visit to Grosseteste at Hereford.[/color] The player will speak with master Grosseteste in Hereford as does with an Ashik/minstrel about learning poems and will spend some day or two reading and writing commentaries together. [color=limegreen]Pay for accommodation of course.[/color]
[i]To you modders:[/i]I hope that a book can be programmed to be read more quickly, because in this fashion book 4 should be such. Otherwise player should visit Grosseteste a couple of times, like in [i]Collect taxes quest[/i].
Upon Player's leave Grosseteste may grant him with a copy of his Commentaries or just add to his Renown as he had helped the first Western commentary to be forged. Actually this is the step bonus, but it is acting as a factor of popularizing the scholasticism nevertheless - as 4 books are already read nobody can stop the tide of knowledge and you gain Renown for that. [u]Dialogue:[/u] [i]MG:So, you found another one... Pl:As a matter of fact I did. What do you think of it? MG: This - I will tell you when I read it. I even intend to make some commentaries to it. Plenty of my correspondents of secrecy are already interested in our endeavours. I mean we are getting wider popular support. Your job won't go unnoticed by ages, Player!... Pl: I am doing my best, master. So, Analytica Posteriora... MG: Indeed. And we will analyze it together, my fellow scholar![/i]
Message after reading the book: [i]After a sleepless night(s) of scientific work and prolific research, you wake alone in master Grosseteste's chambers. A message notice on the scriptorium door: We forged the first Western commentary on Aristotle, Player! Science as a whole is...originative source to the whole body of fact. He has masterminded them even ages before! Now the scientific methods are available to us and what knowledge we will gain!... [/i] pop-ups: [color=limegreen] Renown +40[/color][/spoiler][spoiler][u]Step 5.[/u] The canonical authority This step should be more difficult as the quest is almost over. There are going to be two phases - seek and deploy. When leaving the party or later you will get a message from Grosseteste, saying that you should look for a person called Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, Maimonides, Abū ʿImrān Mūsā bin Maimūn bin ʿUbaidallāh al-Qurṭubī al-Israeli and also known as Rambam (1135-1204). This step is going to be about finding his tracks, but should be complied till December 12, 1204 when this man actually died after working in Al Andalus, Morocco and Egypt. The message of Master Grossetest : "I heard about an extraordinary man, a preeminent Sephardi rabi-philosopher and the greatest Torah scholar and physician. Please, look for him and ask him if I may become a student of his eminence..." The clue is "Sephardi" as these are Jews of Iberian penninsula. Maimonides may be found as a tavern visitor or as the guildmaster is from the city menu in Cordoba, where he actually was born but left in 1148. The player should actively look for him and this requires some idea that [b]sephardi[/b] lived in Al-Andalus where they experienced good [i]"convivencia"[/i] with the Almohads. This may be made easier by any traveller in tavern, that can tell the player that Maimonides is in Cordoba (it may be Fez or Egypt, if the map gets larger...). Phase one is over then, starts phase two. When Maimonides is found the dialogue will ask the player to improve his relations (Convivencia) with Cordoba (at least 10) and then to come back to the Rabi Moses. As this has been achieved the elderly sage will give the player a narrative as how we must live together, decline any more students as these were his last words of advice and grant you Book 5 - Topica. It treats issues in constructing valid arguments in any dispute. As any reference to a eminent scholar is a valid argument I think the advice of rabi Moses could be implied easily as pinpoint of this step by the player. So, Mounted horseman message: [i]"Master Player, in my endeavouring quest for sense and knowledge I have met various people. I heard about an extraordinary man, a preeminent Sephardi rabi-philosopher and the greatest Torah scholar and physician. I yearn to see this sage and place myself under his tuition. Please, look for him and ask him if I may become a student of his eminence..." [/i] Quest log: [color=blue]Look for Abū ʿImrān Mūsā bin Maimūn bin ʿUbaidallāh al-Qurṭubī al-Israeli.[/color] If you consider this plotline step lacking enough clue you may spawn a helping message from ibn Battuta [i](though his lifetime was 1304–1368)[/i]. Meeting Maimonides in Cordoba: [i]Mai:I am Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon. Arabs call me Abū ʿImrān Mūsā bin Maimūn bin ʿUbaidallāh al-Qurṭubī al-Israeli and christian lay people call me Rambam. I study and teach the Torah. Tell me what are the tidings that brought you here? Pl: ... and in the Yeshiva world you known as "haNesher haGadol"Rabbi, your fourteen-volume Mishneh Torah bears the canonical authority as a codification of Talmudic law. I am begging for your tuition, master... Mai:The things you say are rightful... I have read those Greek philosophers accessible in Arabic translations, and I was deeply immersed in the sciences and learning of Islamic culture. I have read the letters of the catholic king Amalric too. I am not sure, adept, if anyone in this jealous world is versed and prepared for my classes. There is false poetic love though lust for power in your human eyes... Pl:What do you mean, Rabi? Mai: In 1148 Almohad lords banished us from our Jewish homes. The Christian kings held our peoples hostage at Bilbeis. This is wrong... The greatest misfortune that has befallen me during my entire life—worse than anything else—was the demise of the saint, may his memory be blessed, who drowned in the Indian sea, carrying much money belonging to me, him, and to others, and left with me a little daughter and a widow. On the day I received that terrible news I fell ill and remained in bed for about a year, suffering from a sore boil, fever, and depression, and was almost given up. Years have passed, but I am still mourning and unable to accept consolation. And how should I console myself? He grew up on my knees, he was my brother, he was my student. Pl: What do you suggest, your eminence? Mai: In my incessant travail with my patients I attributed to the intercultural awareness and respect. I need that you, in order to learn anything from me, to improve your relations with this multiethnical city. Help the Convivencia, Player. PL: I will do it, Nagid!...[/i] Nagid is a Hebrew term meaning a prince or leader. This title was often applied to the religious leader in Sephardic communities of the Middle Ages, generally in Egypt. I think it is wise for Rabi Moshe to be approachable anytime through city menu of Cordoba as any giuldmaster is. [u]I suggest that he is the Cordoba guildmaster himself.[/u] This may let the player to meet him earlier in game and to know exactly where to look for him when he is needed.
Quest log :[color=blue]Improve relations and convivencia in Cordoba.[/color]
So any number of regular guildmaster quests should be undergone till the City relations is above 10 (or more?) When so speaking to guildmaster Maimonides should deploy the book 5 in your inventory: [i]Mai:You did what was right and honourable, adept. You prove to be my last student, Player. I see now that my work will be cared for and I may leave now in calm this sinful world. Keep this in my remembrence, it is a treatise of Aristoteles of Greece...[/i] [i]pop-ups[/i] [color=maroon][b]Aristoteles: Topica[/b] added to inventory.[/color] [b]Gain honour[/b] [/spoiler] [spoiler][u]Step 6.[/u] Averroes Maimonides may send you directly to another tutor-polymath: ʾAbū l-Walīd Muḥammad bin ʾAḥmad bin Rušd, better known just as Ibn Rushd, in European literature as Averroes, but this top scholar actually died in 1198 in Marrakech. So we need his inheritence to look for as this Almoravid Qadi is still considered by some "the spiritual father of Europe". According to Averroes, there is no conflict between religion and philosophy, rather that they are different ways of reaching the same truth. The player will be looking for Averroes laments: "If someone took on these books and summarize them and clarify their aims after first thoroughly understanding them himself, people would have an easier time comprehending them. “If you have the energy,” Ibn Tufayl told me, “you do it. I'm confident you can, because I know what a good mind and devoted character you have, and how dedicated you are to the art." This is real quotation that player will get on finding the last of the Organons. Actually the whole quest is turning the player into a considerable medieval aristotelian scholar. As such he may be the one who will finish this scholastical job - to persuade Europe on using this scientific method of enlightenment. So step 6 may be preforming in real the Imaginary debate between Averroes and Porphyry, illustrated by Monfredo de Monte Imperiali in Liber de herbis. But porphyry lived in 5th century. So I decided that a dispute directly with the Pope should be scheduled, as the Conclave of Modders elects one. But this may be a legal infringement according to the feudal and cannonic law as it was a period of frequent Antipopes. If you, Modders, decide that a papal conflict will be implemented or we have no pope in 1200 mod, so the player may get a task to perform a dispute with any Archbishop and persuade him as well as the Church behind him of the properness, purity and feasability of aristotelianism and scholasticism to universal catholicism (Actually in 1270 aristotelianism has been condemned in 13 theses by Étienne Tempier (Stephanus of Orleans, 1210-1279), the bishop of Paris and lector in Paris university. The historical fact is that later in 13th century Albertus Magnus achieved fame for his comprehensive knowledge and advocacy for the peaceful coexistence of science and religion). I wrote all this to make my point - the last book should be found after considerable reflection done and after the player meets these persons and their testaments and precepts.
So... screenplay/storyboard to step 6. - Maimonides gives you a letter to Ibn Rushd, a.k.a Averroes, who as far as he knows was Qadi (magistrate) of Seville. When you arrive there just ask the Guildmaster for Qadi ibn Rushd. The answer is that he has been dead "for two years now. Why are you looking for him? Are you some of his students? One of you already came and said that he is taking all the Qadi's books East, to make a philosophy dispute with some ancient philosopher Porphyry of Gaza... If he was ancient he should be dead too, right?! Weird folk is yours, Scholar. I gave this fellow none of the Qadi's books. Moreover - I sent them away to a big library as if I had kept them I thought it was going to be a problem. Now as I see you I understand it was right thing to do... Make your way to Toledo, a lot westerners of your kind go there looking for our books, the Guildmaster might let you in the library." As this is the only clue and haven't read the fifth book and being so close to Toledo the player is expected to visit this city. The Toledo guildmaster will let you in the library only if you have 0 or positive city relations. If we cannot implement Libraries to the mod the player will get a dialogue message, saying that "all books were taken by the bishop of Paris and that's all!". So north to Paris. As the titles in thismod are transferrable the titular Bishop of Paris is our guy. If the player finishes this level in 1270 the disput will happen on right historical time! Hardly, of course, the vital part is that this actually happens in game... And that the dispute is eloquent enough. I believe that high Persuation/or bribe should be enough for completing this level and acquiring Book 6 as a reward. [b]Effects:[/b] Averroes had been sacked of his political posts with the rise of Almohads so looking for him in this quest step may deteriorate your relations with Almohads, but improve with catholics as they are in war in between. The rendezvous in Toledo may be extented but beneficial as positive city relaiton is required. Entering Paris for a dispute with the Bishop himself may deteriorate your French realtions as you are challenging higher ecclessiastical authority. Of course you can make the dispute in the field where you find the Bishop. [b]Bonuses:[/b] Book 6 The Sophistical Refutations (Latin: De Sophisticis Elenchis) gives a treatment of logical fallacies, and provides a key link to Aristotle's work on rhetoric, a prize in your debate with guildmasters and bishops - permanent Persuation bonus to character skills.[/spoiler] [b]Plot#2 Almohad scholars[/b] [spoiler]This could be an alternative trigger for the quest - if the player never enters Hereford/Oxford. The first almohad lord the player meets can send you to this settlement, ibn Batuta may do this too. Or even act as master Grosetest and give you the same dialogue and the first book.
Actually this quest affects the western christian and universally catholic world. It is about the scholastic and ecclestic changes that occurred in that period and implies that [b]the catholics[/b] made these changes. Anyway, I suggest that this is a strictly catholic quest - so if someday is applicable that you choose your faith the quest should be active if only the player is a catholic by birth. [/spoiler] [b]Quest Reward[/b] [spoiler]This quest is intended to be an almost permanent unique quest. It is intended to engage a longer period, throughout the whole savegame, as a higher education is. Even when all other mini=quests are finished this one should be present in the log. The player should always have a book to be rad when camping and something to look for in-game. And the reward should be worth it.
Upon collecting and reading all 6 books master Grosseteste should appear once more and in solemnly fashion will offer you the spoils of victory. I suggest that experience and money are granted to the player, but the best acquisition is a little bit different. I suggest obtaining Organon should unlock a player's ability to establish a new city improvement - an university in his fief-city or at any city he prefers. The money the player gets from the quest may be used exactly for this. This Guild of knowledge is going to be named after the player himself ("Jagiellon's University of Krakow, Cruger's University of Augsburg, De Quart University of Zaragoza") and when built will add to city taxes and to player's Right to Rule on a regular basis. The idea for University came as lords were chalenged by the upcoming bourgeosy - so kings established administrative centers to steer this new middle class. Not what really happened later, but actually right historical time to present this establishment - Oxford 1214, Paris 1215 were already operational Universities. So master Grosseteste is going to be the First chancellor to x's University (actually he was the first chancellor of Oxford in 1227) and may give you further quests and taks as any Guildmaster does... but will adress you as "my liege" as university building is a job for Kings... This gets you closer to the Imperator Throne of Europe. The university may require that you lose this 6 books from inventory. Moreover - you can upgrade it if you donate any books to its library... Just an idea. Almost the same as the one I have about chapels, churches and cathedrals in europe1200mod...[/spoiler]
[i]PS: As these are only propositions I really hope that they are actually executable in game code...[/i] Would you accept new Unique quests? I mean smth like: [spoiler][i][b]Magna Carta to King John[/b] - 1215, the first document forced onto an (English) King by a group of his subjects, the feudal barons, in an attempt to limit royal powers by law and protect their privileges.[/i], [/spoiler] [spoiler][i][b]Sanctus Nordovici[/b] - William of Norwich (c. 1132 – March 22, 1144) was an English boy whose death was, at the time, attributed to the Jewish community of Norwich. A medieval detective storyquest, intends to pull all acqusations off the jewish community. Cult presently suppressed nowadays.[/i], [/spoiler] I may give them a thought if you are open to even newer quest implementation....
PS: I am almost ready with the Organon of Logic.
[right][i]Baudolino[/i][/right]
I am sending this on PM, because I don't think it is new, just tos state my opinion and expectations as a regular player.
What about a separate fraction of Rebels? It is not a new idea, sure... but there are some certain aspects and profits that can be acquired...
Bandit fraction, comprising of: bandits themselves, Claim-holders and Robber baron characters. This is the enemy within, the usual suspect, the common second front to a player and any lord.
"The term robber baron is the name given to unscrupulous and despotic nobility of the medieval period in Europe. It has slightly different meanings in different countries." So is mine idea, that Robber barons should be a collective term for what I have in mind.
Main idea is that they are holding no fief and are vassal to no one, even among them no hierarchy is present. This Robber barons (RB) and their parties could be roaming around, infesting villages and monasteries, sticking to caravan roads, or living in a spawning hideouts. They could be manhunted, as far as I remember you had ideas for a semi-Monastic order (Trinitarians?), that is actually specializing in their hunt...
Defeating RB&parties should add to renown and actively decrease your relation with Rebel fraction and the barons themselves. This will swap the Guildmaster quest of "Capturing the bandit lord" that I consider quite unsuccessful unfortunately - losing honor?, war with their fraction, too much tracking in too little time. Actually I, as an user, never completed such a quest so I thought of some changes, please. Capturing RB will not bring you ransom, they could even be made spare for a public execution (with due effects, and movie).
On the contrary, it may prove useful if you decide not to fight them. Or at least one of them - the one that fits your schemes as a king if such. Such RB may be paid to attack some neighbour (so the player is the quest-giver) and thus provoke a war in which your neighbour is the agressor and you lose no honour. Other minor tasks that are considered dirtyjob can be done by the RB also. And eventually you can exterminate him again as he "knows too much"..
Another development the player may prefer is just like he does with companions, who are potential vassals of his. If the player decides to liberate the captured RB he can grant them a fief in his seniorship. But it should be a last resort, as I suggest that most RB are commoners. With implementing RB we can add to game-immersion - just imagine - Robin Hood is not a companion anymore, he is the English Brigand, and may be the only noble one amongst them, besides the Claim holders... It may prove difficult with claimholders though, but I know you have ideas for them (excommunicated?).
Robin could be kept as a companion - the Sherwood brigand is going to be 1. Will Scarlet, and having Robin in your party may make it easy for you with the MerryMen... I still think it is a good way of including more authentic historical characters like: 2. Graf Friedrich von Isenberg (1193-1226) - active around 1225, not a real brigand but a leading figure in the opposition of Westphalian nobles. In 1200 he should be 7 years old and Hildegard of Bingen should be already 2 yo. 3. Eustace the Monk (France), if you want to keep him as a friendly companion and to make a quest for him (and the whole party) opposing Renaud de Dammartin, then may be replaced here with Maud le Vavasour, Baroness Butler (whose second husband Fulk FitzWarrin was). 4. Lembitu (died 1217) - actually an estonian chieftain and de jure ruler. As no such faction is implemented he may be considered a robber/rebel baron in Baltic area. Such is Viestards also (died 1230), one of the Pagans of the Livonian Crusade (1198–1269). Same idea for Dobromir Hris and Ivanko Slayer of Asen's for bulgarian fraction. 5. Abu Muhammad Jyaddid, semi-fictional, Taifa of Valencia 6. The elderly guy of Mykami 7. Gille Coluim the Marischal - a charter indicates that Gille Coluim was not dead at the time of issue (no later than 1190 and his death is not otherwise reported.
Snorri Sturluson, Saadi SW - galo-roman states -
- Chancellor (Keeper of the Seals): Roger de Blois, Pierre de Loiselève, Étienne de Garlande.
- Constable: Mathieu de Montmorency, Louis de Sancerre, Gaucher de Châtillon.
- Chamberlain: Jean de Beaumont, Georges de la Trémoille, Robert de Bourgogne.
NO - germanic states -
- Chancellor: Ethelred, Osmund, Maurice.
- Constable: Hugh de Montfort, Henning Podebusk, Siegfried von Orlamünde.
- Chamberlain: Albert von Regenstein, Magnus Erlingsson, Tord Benkestok.
Vae - slavic/baltic states -
- Chancellor: Kristinas Astikas, Ivan Rurikovich, Sviatoslav Vsevolodich.
- Constable: Konstanty Ostrogski, Otto von Kerpen, Ilya Muromets, Michael Tarchaneiotes.
- Chamberlain: Zyroslaw Potocki, Ihor Yaroslavych, Leo Diogenes.
Rho - mediterranenan states -
- Chancellor: Dauferius, Desiderius, Roderic.
- Constable: Pedro Fernández de Velasco, Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, Geoffroy de Donjon.
- Chamberlain: Anselmo da Baggio, Luitprand, Friedrich von Staufen (Meinhard von Tirol)
Khe - tartar-mongol states -
- Chancellor: Orestes, Urtu Saqal, Arghun the Elder.
- Constable: Subotai, Chilaun, Muqali, Baiju.
- Chamberlain: Wulfila, Mahmud Yalavach, Rashid-al-Din Hamadani.
Sar - arabic/north african states -
- Chancellor: Hasanak, Nizam al-Mulk, Yahya ibn Khalid.
- Constable: Imad ad-Din Zengi, Soumaoro Kanté, Tariq ibn Ziyad, Maslamah.
- Chamberlain: Yaghi Siyan, Aḥmad Ibn Rushd, Nasir al-Din.
Al these are historical characters, livingt in very wide period, so they should come with the appropriate dialogue...
This is formal list, but implementing more books in this mod surely reckons shorter time to be spent reading them... I suggest that two main libraries should be spread throughout Europe - The Forbidden Books (Apocrypha) and the Orthodox Books (Codex Vaticanus). Apocrypha Corpus Aristotelicum - any of them requires high Inteligence to speak Greek language to be read. May be some companion as a teacher in greek language... Should bear in mind that the clergy was reluctant to anybody reading them, so the books should be obtained in more difficult fassion - stolen, bought as blackmarket stock, found in chests in villages or remote castles. So the Corpus Aristotelicum colud be some kind of apocrypha, unlike the mass monastery production of the age, sold by book sellers...
- Organon is the name given by Aristotle's followers, the Peripatetics, to the standard collection of his six works on LOGIC. - obtaining and reading all six of them may grant some considerable bonus to Right to Rule and relations with Vassals. Actually a lot latin translations (through Arab) were present by the day so this could be made easier to achieve.
- Categoriae
- De Interpretatione
- Analytica Priora
- Analytica Posteriora
- Topica
- Sophistical Refutations (De Sophisticis Elenchis)
It may be a quest in six steps, Obtaining the Organon, as any step should give a clue for the next one.
- Aristotle's book Ars Rhetorica, in Greek (ΤΕΧΝΗΣ ΡΗΤΟΡΙΚΗΣ) may grant some considerable bonus to Persuation skill.
Aristotle's Metaphysics (τὰ μετὰ τὰ φυσικά) is considered to be overlapped by Logica Organon so it could not be included in this mod compendium.
- Aristotle's Politika (Πολιτικά) - The title of the Politics literally means "the things concerning the polis", so it could add to the Right to Rule.
- Aristotle's Peri Poetika (Περὶ ποιητικῆς) - A basic humanitarian skill of Creation. May suit the poems learned and the womanizing affairs...
- Aristotle's Physics (the study of nature) - No idea how this could be useful to the gameplay. Anyway, all of us here have read it some way or another so we are more interested in what comes after the physics, right...
- Rituel Cathare de Lyon - If you yearn for Cathar heresy to be implemented and an Albighensian crusade scheduled. The book is to be found only in Lyion
- Liber de duobus principiis - If you yearn for Cathar heresy to be implemented and an Albighensian crusade scheduled. The book is to be found only in Albi.
BOOKS written up to 12th / 13th century (sold by legitimate merchant, Codex Vaticanus)
- Liber Abaci is a historic book on arithmetic by Leonardo of Pisa. My add to Trade skill, but actually was written later - in 1202.
- Carmina Burana is the name given to a manuscript of 254 poems and dramatic texts from the 11th or 12th century. The pieces were written almost entirely in Medieval Latin; a few in Middle High German, and some with traces of Old French or Provençal. Could add to Party morale, especially if you decide that a penalty on multicultural parties should be executed.
- Daretis Phrygii Ilias De bello Troiano ("The Iliad of Dares the Phrygian: On the Trojan War") is an epic poem in Latin, written around 1183 by Joseph of Exeter. - may be considered as matter of ideology to "the fled western troians" to undertake the Holy Journey of Fourth crusade... The same with Historia destructionis Troiae. How exactly will effect the game - still no idea...
- Chronicon Roskildense a small Danish historical work from the time of the introduction of Christianity in Denmark. Written in Latin. reading it may improve relations with kingdom of Denmark. Sold only in Roskilde, ok?
- De Gesta Francorum et aliorum Hierosolimitanorum ("The deeds of the Franks and the other pilgrims to Jerusalem") is a Latin chronicle of the First Crusade written in circa 1100-1101 by an anonymous author connected with Bohemund I of Antioch. May bias some relations with Sicily, Toulouse, Lothringen and France or add to the Crusade zeal if such is planned to be implemented...
- Historia Caroli Magni or Historia Karoli Magni et Rotholandi (History of the life of Charlemagne and Roland), sometimes known as the Pseudo-Turpin Chronicle, is a 12th century Latin forged chronicle of legendary material about Charlemagne's alleged conquest of Spain. The chronicle states it was written by Turpin, Archbishop of Reims, the work was extremely popular throughout Medieval Europe. Suggests higher realtions with France, lower with all iberian kingdoms including Navarre, should add to the Right to Rule. To be bought anywhere, but received free of charge in Reims.
- The Historia Regum Britanniae (English: The History of the Kings of Britain) is a pseudohistorical account of British history, written c. 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth. It chronicles the lives of the kings of the Britons in a chronological narrative spanning a time of two thousand years, beginning with the Trojans founding the British nation and continuing until the Anglo-Saxons kings. effects : Improved relations with English and King Lackland personally...
- The Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum (in English: Ecclesiastical History of the English People) is a work in Latin by Bede Venerabilis on the history of the Christian Churches in England and the conflict between Roman and Celtic Christianity. Written year 731. Orthodox, tolerated by clergy. Effects : improved relations with Pope (or any Archbishop till Conclave of Moddders elects one).
- Sic et Non, an early scholastic text whose title translates from Medieval Latin as "Yes and No," was written by Pierre Abélard (1079 – April 21, 1142). In the work, Abélard juxtaposes apparently contradictory quotations from the Church Fathers on many of the traditional topics of Christian theology. May be considered heretic, though part of the Codex Vaticanus. Effects : Decreases relations with pope / Archbishops and bishops, improves realtion with lords and especially LADIES.
- Nicetae Choniatae Historia - actually in twenty-one volumes, of the period from 1118 to 1207. Niketas was chancellor of the Byzantine empire. The book could add to the international relations, especially Rhomania, as you called it. May be considered to be an anti-crusade reading...
- Alexiada by Anna Komnena, the history of her father's Alexios life and reign (1081–1118). Effects : Right to Rule.
[center][b]Organon of Logic[/b] [/center]
[center][i]Scholastic quest - general idea and storyline[/i][/center]
This adventure implies the evolution of the medieval mind as an early rennaissance of greek thought througth arab translations. It turned to be quite popular way of combining academic way of thinking/research and the official ecclesiastical dogma of the clergy. Scholasticism is widely based on the intellectual tradition of ancient works of Aristotle and Plato. Organon is the name given by Aristotle's followers, the Peripatetics, to the standard collection of his six works on LOGIC. Retrieving these manuscripts would not tolerated by The Church as it reveals that Mastermind was present even before the Savior came to birth. Moreover, it takes place during the Great Schism and everything coming from East was considered heretic and arabic. But completing this quest could be a prerequisite for the writing of Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica - the fundamental work that made a compromise and eventually saved the Papism and clergy till Luther published some questionnaires...
[u][b]Quest specification and requirements[/b][/u] The ques isorganized in six steps, any of which grants you a book of the Aristotle's collection, bonuses and clue how to look for the next one I think that any of the six step-books should grant some bonus and cause some penalty, as this will not make any of them look to valuable. But the player should be motivated by the dialogues that retrieving all six of them will summon "a powerfull artifact", The Organon collection. The number 6 (SIX) is diabolique, Aristotle was considered to be too... But the player should be enlightened with a considerable and eternal reward, as knowledge is.
My idea of the quest is to present the Aristotle's gnosticism - every step shall present a book and its level of ideas. So to enlighten the player too. Mystique! The quest will lead the player to a couple of preeminent thinkers and scholars which will add a lot to the immersion of the game mod. These were incredible scholars and polymaths, one of the spiritual fathers of Europe, whose throne the game is about.
The player should have at least 6 free Inventory slots! (nice if we can block and reserve them for books till quest is over). The player should have at least 6 points which should mean fair basic knowledge of Latin!
My idea with Apocrypha implies high intelligence of Character or greek interpreting Companion (Basileos Akritas). With Organon quest it may be omitted as it turns to be a longer quest. But it is not unwise - these books were already translated by arab almohad scholars and were circulating in Europe, especially as the Library of Toledo had been taken by Castillians without burning it to the ground on May 25, 1085.
Plot#1 Roman scholastics Step 1. So the quest could be ordered by any Dominican priest (known as Order of Preachers till 1216, when renamed to Dominicanis). He may be a companion, tavern visitor, monk and is to become the Thomas Aquinas' mentor years later. Such a guy was Robert Grosseteste (1175 – 1253), English statesman, scholastic philosopher, theologian and after 1225 - a Bishop of Lincoln. His name means Big headed and one should be as he is of peasant origin. By 1200 Master Grosseteste was judge-delegate in Hereford, Kingdom of England. Visiting this place may trigger the quest. As any magistrate Master Grosseteste should be easilly approachable - from the castle menu, as the guildmaster of any city is. If not - he was Master of the School of Oxford after 1208, so you can look for him there too, waiting to be appointed. The Dominican will ask you for an "unofficial favour" - to retrieve for him five books "...as this one, which you can take to use for comparison." Accepting the quest adds the first book of the Organon to your inventory - The Categoriae. This is decreasing by 1 the realtion with Hereford/Oxford, but reading the book (which should be faster than in Native) should make a small bonus. Or even better - just keeping it in inventory could improve Party morale by 1... The idea of Aristotle's Categoriae is about description of what actually happens in the game levels - classification of all that exists. These categories consist of substance, quantity, quality, relation, place, time, situation, condition, action, and passion.
Step 2. It could be a very easy one. If you had already recruited Basileos Akritas he could recognize the scribings and show grant you the second part - Perihermenias, part of his heirloom that he had previously saved runing from Seljuks. (His ancestors visited the Lycaeum - Aristotelian schola in Athens, and were called the Peripatetics). But the book should be read a.k.a translated as Basileos is under arms. If he begs his leave for good and the book is <100% read the quest fails. As long as the book is translated you can change its name to On Interpretation (Latin:De Interpretatione). It contains Aristotle's principal contribution to philosophy of language. Exactly what the book is about and what the player actually did with it! A bonus for this could be either more party morale or a significant clue where book 3 is.
Step 3. The last verses of book 2 suggest that you should thorouhgly look for book 3 in a certain castle. If you are permitted an entry to lord's hall you should try to find it. Neither the lord, nor the lady or any visiting knight could offer it to you. But the book is going to be there - in the lord's chest, so you shall steal it. If it is not possible for a visitor to open such a chest I suggest that only entering the prison (bribing or killing the guard) could grant you the item. Book 3 is called Prior Analytics (Latin: Analytica Priora). It is about inductive thinking and syllogism as "a discourse in which, certain things having been supposed, something different from the things supposed results of necessity because these things are so." This idea implies that having read and understood this book the player should SUPPOSE where the next one is, but will find it nevertheless... Book Bonus: party morale as you need time to read the whole book to really get the clue for the next one. So: step1 perception, step2 cognition, step3 induction step4 deduction
Step 4. Induction, deduction... and pure combat. Bandits are waiting outside the resting area (camp, village, castle or city in which you have finished reading the third book 100%). Defeat/or bribe these bandits, get the usual renown and free their prisoner - Gerald of Wales (c. 1146 – c. 1223), also known as Gerallt Gymro or Giraldus Cambrensis. He is a Royal servant to King Lackland – travels in Wales and Ireland. Gerald will give you book four, The Posterior Analytics (Latin: Analytica Posteriora), which he had previously received from Jacobus Veneticus Grecus, who had translated it in Consatantinople in 1150. Moreover, you will receive Gerald's personal piece Expugnatio Hibernica ("Conquest of Ireland", 1189) which will actually be the step bonus: improved relation with King John, decreased relation with Irish kingdoms and Connacht. Reading Expugnatio Hibernica could give further bonus, but it should not be considerable, which must be suggested by a lower intelligence requirements. The player should rather focus on Analytica Posteriora, which is about scientific methods and knowledge we gain. Actually book 4 is the most commented by scholars part of the Organon in the Medieval times. Robert Grossetest wrote the first western commentary on it ever. So I suggest that as the book enters your Inventory mAster Grossetest should appear right away and ask to join your party "to read the book together with you" and actually write his commentaries on it. This means that he will be a temporary companion under arms and then he will leave the party as "100% read" are reached. Upon his leave he may grant you with a copy of his Commentaries or just add to your Renown as you had helped the first Western commentary to be forged. Actually this is the step bonus, but it is acting as a factor of popularizing the scholasticism nevertheless - as 4 books are already read nobody can stop the tide of knowledge and you gain Renown for that.
Step 5. The canonical authority This step should be more difficult as the quest is almost over. There are going to be two phases - seek and deploy. When leaving the party or later you will get a message from Grosseteste, saying that you should look for a person called Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, Maimonides, Abū ʿImrān Mūsā bin Maimūn bin ʿUbaidallāh al-Qurṭubī al-Israeli and also known as Rambam (1135-1204). This step is going to be about finding his tracks, but should be complied till December 12, 1204 when this man actually died after working in Al Andalus, Morocco and Egypt. The message of Master Grossetest : "Master X, in my endeavouring quest for sense and knowledge I have met various people. I heard about an extraordinary man, a preeminent Sephardi rabi-philosopher and the greatest Torah scholar and physician. I yearn to see this sage and pose myself under his tuition. Please, look for him and ask him if I may become a student of his eminence..." The clue is "Sephardi" as these are Jews of Iberian penninsula. Maimonides may be found as a tavern visitor or as the guildmaster is from the city menu in Cordoba, where he actually was born and resided in year 1200. The player should actively look for him and this requires some idea that sephardi lived in Al-Andalus where they experienced good "convivencia" with the Almohads. This may be made easier by any traveller in tavern, that can tell the player that Maimonides is in Cordoba (it may be Fez or Egypt, if the map gets larger...). Phase one is over then, starts phase two. When Maimonides is found the dialogue will ask the player to improve his relations (Convivencia) with Cordoba (at least 10) and then to come back to the Rabi Moses. As this has been achieved the elderly sage will give the player a narrative as how we must live together, decline any more students as these were his last words of advice and grant you Book 5 - Topica. It treats issues in constructing valid arguments in any dispute. As any reference to a eminent scholar is a valid argument I think the advice of rabi Moses could be implied easily as pinpoint of this step by the player.
I think it is wise for Rabi Moshe to be approachable anytime through city menu of Cordoba as any giuldmaster is. This may let the player to meet him earlier in game and to know exactly to look for him when he is needed.
Step 6. Averroes Maimonides may send you directly to another tutor-polymath: ʾAbū l-Walīd Muḥammad bin ʾAḥmad bin Rušd, better known just as Ibn Rushd, in European literature as Averroes, but this top scholar actually died in 1198 in Marrakech. So we need his inheritence to look for as this Almoravid Qadi is still considered by some "the spiritual father of Europe". According to Averroes, there is no conflict between religion and philosophy, rather that they are different ways of reaching the same truth. The player will be looking for Averroes laments: "If someone took on these books and summarize them and clarify their aims after first thoroughly understanding them himself, people would have an easier time comprehending them. “If you have the energy,” Ibn Tufayl told me, “you do it. I'm confident you can, because I know what a good mind and devoted character you have, and how dedicated you are to the art." This is real quotation that player will get on finding the last of the Organons. Actually the whole quest is turning the player into a considerable medieval aristotelian scholar. As such he may be the one who will finish this scholastical job - to persuade Europe on using this scientific method of enlightenment. So step 6 may be preforming in real the Imaginary debate between Averroes and Porphyry, illustrated by Monfredo de Monte Imperiali in Liber de herbis. But porphyry lived in 5th century. So I decided that a dispute directly with the Pope should be scheduled, as the Conclave of Modders elects one. But this may be a legal infringement according to the feudal and cannonic law as it was a period of frequent Antipopes. If you, Modders, decide that a papal conflict will be implemented or we have no pope in 1200 mod, so the player may get a task to perform a dispute with any Archbishop and persuade him as well as the Church behind him of the properness, purity and feasability of aristotelianism and scholasticism to universal catholicism (Actually in 1270 aristotelianism has been condemned in 13 theses by Étienne Tempier (Stephanus of Orleans, 1210-1279), the bishop of Paris and lector in Paris university. The historical fact is that later in 13th century Albertus Magnus achieved fame for his comprehensive knowledge and advocacy for the peaceful coexistence of science and religion). I wrote all this to make my point - the last book should be found after considerable reflection done and after the player meets these persons and their testaments and precepts.
So... screenplay/storyboard to step 6. - Maimonides gives you a letter to Ibn Rushd, a.k.a Averroes, who as far as he knows was Qadi (magistrate) of Seville. When you arrive there just ask the Guildmaster for Qadi ibn Rushd. The answer is that he has been dead "for two years now. Why are you looking for him? Are you some of his students? One of you already came and said that he is taking all the Qadi's books East, to make a philosophy dispute with some ancient philosopher Porphyry of Gaza... If he was ancient he should be dead too, right?! Weird folk is yours, Scholar. I gave this fellow none of the Qadi's books. Moreover - I sent them away to a big library as if I had kept them I thought it was going to be a problem. Now as I see you I understand it was right thing to do... Make your way to Toledo, a lot westerners of your kind go there looking for our books, the Guildmaster might let you in the library." As this is the only clue and haven't read the fifth book and being so close to Toledo the player is expected to visit this city. The Toledo guildmaster will let you in the library only if you have 0 or positive city relations. If we cannot implement Libraries to the mod the player will get a dialogue message, saying that "all books were taken by the bishop of Paris and that's all!". So north to Paris. As the titles in thismod are transferrable the titular Bishop of Paris is our guy. If the player finishes this level in 1270 the disput will happen on right historical time! Hardly, of course, the vital part is that this actually happens in game... And that the dispute is eloquent enough. I believe that high Persuation/or bribe should be enough for completing this level and acquiring Book 6 as a reward.
Effects: Averroes had been sacked of his political posts with the rise of Almohads so looking for him in this quest step may deteriorate your relations with Almohads, but improve with catholics as they are in war in between. The rendezvous in Toledo may be extented but beneficial as positive city relaiton is required. Entering Paris for a dispute with the Bishop himself may deteriorate your French realtions as you are challenging higher ecclessiastical authority. Of course you can make the dispute in the field where you find the Bishop.
Bonuses: Book 6 The Sophistical Refutations (Latin: De Sophisticis Elenchis) gives a treatment of logical fallacies, and provides a key link to Aristotle's work on rhetoric, a prize in your debate with guildmasters and bishops - permanent Persuation bonus to character skills.
Reward - Upon collecting 6 books master Grosseteste should appear once more and in solemnly fashion will offer you the spoils of victory. I suggest that experience and money are granted to the player, but the best acquisition is a little bit different. I suggest obtaining Organon should unlock a player's ability to establish a new city improvement - an university in his fief-city. The money the player gets from the quest may be used exactly for this. This center of knowledge is going to be named after the player himself ("Jagiellon's University of Krakow, Cruger's University of Augsburg, De Quart University of Zaragoza") and when built will add to city taxes and to player's Right to Rule. The idea for University came as lords were chalenged by the upcoming bourgeosy - so kings established administrative centers to steer this new middle class. Not what really happened later, but actually right historical time to present this establishment - Oxford 1214, Paris 1215 were already operational Universities. So master Grosseteste is going to be the First chancellor to x's University (actually he was the first chancellor of oxford in 1227) and may give you further quests and taks as any Guildmaster does... but will adress you as "my liege" as university building is a job for Kings... This gets you closer to the Imperator Throne of Europe. The university may require that you lose this 6 books from inventory. Moreover - you can upgrade it if you donate any books to its library... Just an idea. Almost the same as the one I have about chapels, churches and cathedrals in europe1200mod...
Plot#2 Almohad scholars
This could be an alternative trigger for the quest - if the player never enters Hereford/Oxford. The first almohad lord the player meets can send you to this settlement, ibn Batuta may do this too. Or even act as master Grosetest and give you the same dialogue and the first book.
PS: As these are only propositions I really hope that they are actually executable in game code...
Danish Campaign. Bishop Absalon topples the god Svantevit
Litev
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