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trefoilknot   Місії
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In the years following the collapse of the Precursors, a young lad named
Bertrand, of unsurpassed wit, quickly ascended the ranks of the newly founded Hammerite Order. In his youth, Bertrand used his keen intellect to create great inventions, propelling a new age of scientific enlightenment. It was Bertrand who discovered the means of creating hammers out of metal, rather than stone. And it was Bertrand’s innovations in architecture and design that allowed the Hammerites to build towering cathedrals, the likes of which the world had never seen. It wasn’t long before Bertrand amassed a great deal of power and wealth.
But Bertrand became bored. As with most great minds, he yearned for stimulation. For inspiration. For challenge. Over the years, he withdrew from his practical endeavors, stopped inventing, and began to pursue increasingly abstract ideas. He became obsessed with the concept of self-reference. Quite by accident, his study of self-reference led him to a startling discovery: the inconsistency of logic itself.

Of all the qualities Hammerites hold dear, logic, order and consistency top the
list. But Bertrand, scoundrel as he was, decided to thumb his nose at Hammerite sensibilities and publish his work. His findings provoked immediate ire from the Hammerite Order, who took Bertrand’s demonstration of logical inconsistency as heresy of the highest degree.

Sensing his fate, Bertrand fled with all his most prized possessions, and
sequestered himself inside a nearby tomb. To ensure his safety, he barricaded
himself inside the High Priest’s mausoleum, using a cleverly devised system of
locked gates to prevent access to any but the most keen of mind. It is said that that he designed the gates to open only to those who truly understood-- and appreciated-- his life’s work. Despite numerous attempts, no one has ever made it past even a single gate. As he neared the end of his life, the story goes, Bertrand transferred his very essence into a large codex, where he awaits a worthy adventurer with whom to share his wisdom.

Generations passed, and the tomb was lost to time. As The City developed, the Tomb was buried deep underground and forgotten, hidden under centuries of urbanization. It has been over 500 years since anyone has had any contact with the tomb at all---that is, until a pair of careless workmen blew a hole in the sewers, exposing-- and flooding-- the tomb’s lowest level. Taffers! If this is indeed Bertrand’s legendary tomb, it’s bound to be full of some valuable trinkets. Bertrand’s fabled Ouroboros of Self-Reference would be sure to fetch a hefty price tag. And I wouldn’t mind taking a peek inside that Codex, myself...
The entrance to the tomb has been cordoned off by City officials, but that won’t be a problem for someone with my... skills... I better get in there and claim what’s mine, before my competition catches wind...