Aha's Q&A Funbook

Aha's Q&A Funbook

Time's short, but questions are plenty. So I snuck in a little mind-reading trick courtesy of the Elation and put together a handy list to satisfy your curiosity. Some of the things you were still puzzling over during our little Q&A earlier might just find their answers here, too. Absolutely NOT that I was too nervous to answer in person after accidentally outing myself! Q: When did you even prepare this draft? A: On the way to Astropolis during our warp jump. My procrastination just got the better of me. Q: How do we defeat the Voracity? A: Since we're about to start prepping for that very thing, spoiling the next few minutes wouldn't exactly fit my Elation aesthetic. That said, I can give you a little "preview" about the manpower side of things. See, the Fools and the Actors aren't exactly Aha's private army. The tavern won't even let me in through the front door (not that it stops me). But, if I tell the Fools that some lunatic claiming to be Aha is tricking the Actors into a joyride to the Voracity's mouth... or tell the Actors that to save the universe, they've gotta put on a show for the Fools, pretending to back Aha... they'll all gather together, fake a truce, and each think they've completely fooled the other. You can probably imagine what kind of scene you're about to walk into. As for the rest of the plan, I've put together an Oroboros Stratagem Proposal for you. Give it a read when you get the chance. Just think of it as pre-class reading. Q: Is Akivili still alive? And why do people call me "Akivili"? A: I've never believed Akivili is dead. He just wandered too far, farther than anyone can see. Even if he did fall, it must've been somewhere beyond the universe. As for you... Asat Pramad thinks you're just slowly approaching where Akivili once stood. But I think he's overlooking one possibility: maybe you're not approaching, but returning. And that's what I believe. Q: What is the Fourth Finality? A: You've probably figured this out already: the Fourth Finality was never a single fixed answer. But no matter how many Finalities there are, the universe can only end once. So maybe try looking at it from a different angle: if one Finality comes to pass, another can never take shape at the same time. That thought might come in handy someday. Q: The Stellaron Hunters' plans, and my relationship with the Stellaron? A: The Hunters trying to stop or rewrite the ending of the Finality? That's just Asat Pramad's old talking points. What I'm more curious about is... when you were forced to use that Stellaron in Planarcadia, was that part of their plan too? The little hacker didn't know about it. But what about the Destiny's Slave? I have a feeling he has endured failures beyond anything most could imagine, until it left him numb to it all... Among the privileges Terminus granted their servants, he must have glimpsed some kind of ending tied to "the Trailblaze." Q: About the other me... A: I don't know much about {F#his}{M#her} existence either. {F#He}{M#She}'s a pathstrider of the Finality from beyond this universe, a restless spirit trying to flip the hourglass over. Remember this: {F#he}{M#she} can't be a future version of you. You can try to understand {F#him}{M#her}, but don't ever trust {F#him}{M#her}. Q: What exactly is the history between you and the Voracity? A: Long ago, I stole its "aftertaste." And for the first time, it felt satisfaction. Then, driven by the inertia of its own hunger, it began gnawing at itself, splitting apart and becoming a god. And that's how I became "the Elation." So we each bear a responsibility to rid the universe of the other. What a colossal cosmic headache. Q: What is the point of the Phantasmoon Games? A: Once upon a time, the Voracity was a being that even the gods feared, ancient and beyond comprehension. Even with the combined power of several Aeons, the only thing I, without any authority over "the Destruction," could do was drag it into my comfort zone, defeat it, dismantle it piece by piece, through a fair game. Among the many fragments of the husk, Ahatopia holds a special place and warrants particular attention. Its insatiable Primum Mobile was broken down into tangible Wishpower that could be satisfied, while its flesh was devoured by the Abundance. That's the Phantasmoon Games, an eternal cycle dedicated to a beast that's already dead. Q: When will the debts to the Express be paid? A: Uh... well... given all the hard work I've put in lately, maybe I can cross a few items off the list... Pretty please? Q: Asat Pramad's schemes... A: Obviously, he was after me, and he was patient. As for the plan? It was pretty simple: wake up the Voracity and have it swallow me whole. Of course, that required some sacrifices... like you all, or even himself. From the very start, he had never planned to leave Ahatopia alive. Q: Why let Asat Pramad become a Lord Ravager? A: Can "Elation" truly be called "Elation" if it's defined by the Aeon of Elation THEMSELF? That's a paradox. So all I could do was watch my own follower fall. Counterintuitive as it may be... even as a Lord Ravager, he walked the intersection of the paths of Elation and Destruction, no different from the Fools he so despised. Q: The weakness of the Lord Ravager, or rather, Nanook? A: The Aeon who seeks to destroy everything, in the end, THEIR rage will turn back on THEMSELF. You could use that to bring down the Ravagers, maybe even Nanook THEMSELF. But that path might just turn you into another Nanook. So I'd recommend a different approach: believe in love, hope, and courage. Q: Are Yao Guang and Evanescia doing okay? A: Of course. In the grand end-of-era performance about to unfold in Ahatopia, they both play pretty important roles. So look forward to it. Q: Did you save Himeko? A: I've always believed Himeko, along with her other self, saved herself. I just used some accumulated Wishpower to pull off a little magic trick, a grand illusion... burning a bit of cost to deceive destiny, as a reward they'd earned. Q: Were all those "narrator" voices I've heard on the journey... you? A: Some of them, yes. But not all. As for which ones are me? No spoilers. Q: Last question. Are you really Aha? A: I know that no matter how much I say, you'll probably still have doubts about my identity. For reasons I can't get into, I don't exactly have a good way to prove it right now. It's hard for a god to describe the feeling of a star being lit, just like you can't explain outer space to a fish. I'm not like Nanook, whose mere arrival is enough to melt the stars. I've already performed the miracle of pushing down the moon. And back at the Seafeld TV Tower, I even glanced your way twice. If that's still not enough... do I have to trash Astropolis like I did when I played that game with Polka last time? Nope, especially since I still need the IPC's help later. But hey, if you just wanna see something impressive, trust me, Aha's show never disappoints.