(no subject)

[mariannethree]

Does anyone know what a manticore is?

It seems everything in the city outside the Library is connected to it. And now I seem to have a card with a protection spell from 'Manticore Street'.

I assume it is some kind of magical monster, but does anyone have more information? I would like to know what I might face should I venture out of the Library.

Marianne Zahman-
Under Assistant,
The Library
Chaos: 640 Order: 814

Comments

[dual_wield_hax]

Looking it up on Wikipedia, you get the description of a Manticore but I'm not too sure how much this pertains to your situation.

[mariannethree]

What is this "wikipedia"? Finding similar information took me days in the Library!

Thank you!

[dual_wield_hax]

Wikipedia is a online user-inputted encyclopedia. It's become a staple of information and is hosted the world over, even in my time.

You're welcome.

[mariannethree]

How useful! Its like a card-catalogue and library all in one! I wish I had access to that here; it would make organizing this place so much easier.

[dual_wield_hax]

It's being updated almost every day, so there's always something new. From games to videos and movies and books and literature it's all being cataloged. Mind you it's not quite as good as a official source since sometimes the entries can be scarce.

[mariannethree]

What kind of magic runs it? Is there any way I can access it from my book?

[dual_wield_hax]

It's an internet thing. Since you're connected to the Community try writing www.wikipedia.com and see if that works out. You might be able to access Wikipedia from there.

[mariannethree]

Lets see...

www.wikipedia.com

Hmm, no, writing it in blue ink doesn't seem to be working.

Oh! Maybe if I underline it.

www.wikipedia.com

No, that didn't work either.

[dual_wield_hax]

Maybe it's because you're using a book you said? That might be an issue there. And it would prevent you from doing any internet searches without a keyboard and interface.

[mariannethree]

Oh. That's...unfortunate, but not surprising.

Its been a while since I've used punch-card's anyways. Typing out my requests and entering them into this book would be quite a challenge!

[dual_wield_hax]

If only one could get you a laptop or something, but I don't think you have outlets do you? For electricity?

1/2

[mariannethree]

You know, I never thought about that...

2/2 [some time later]

[mariannethree]

How strange. We have lamps and lights, but no outlets. I wonder what powers everything, if it isn't electricity?

Re: 2/2 [some time later]

[dual_wield_hax]

I'm leaning towards either "magic" or "some kind of internal wiring that isn't clearly visible to give the illusion of there being a wireless system in place.

[mariannethree]

That, or libraries have lamps, and so we have lamps. I suppose that could be called "magic", but I would think of it as one of the laws of this place.

[dual_wield_hax]

Each world I noticed seems to have some kind of law of the world. For good or bad. It's kind of like the world I'm in, or game as it were.

[mariannethree]

Yes. Those laws are rather strong here. Its why I can't leave the library.

What rules do you live under?

[dual_wield_hax]

That makes sense.

Well lets see... Can't Player Kill in a sanctuary which is a town, food dissolves as soon as you drop it, enemies have HP Bars and you must whittle them down to 0 to succeed. That sort of thing.

[mariannethree]

Oh. Interesting.

What are HP Bars? Are they some kind of armor?

And how is a Player different than anyone else?

[dual_wield_hax]

HP Bars are short for Health Point Bars. They measure out a players life. Where I am, if it drops to 0 we die.

A Player is a human player that is stuck playing our game, or in most cases outside of my own situation voluntarily. We're different from the Non-Player characters as we're not computer controlled.

[mariannethree]

How does that work? How can you tell when someone's life is getting low?

Computer? You mean, there is a world inside a computer? Are you trapped in it like I am in the Library.

[dual_wield_hax]

The Gauge empties, from green into red. Any further and it will be a bad idea.

Yes, there is. It's a VRMMO, a Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Game. It's a long story but I'm stuck in here.

[mariannethree]

What's a Gauge?

So...in your world, people make other worlds inside computers and then go into these worlds to kill each other and 'virtual' people? Why?

[dual_wield_hax]

Like a little bar that hovers overhead in your field of view. It measures everything, like a meter.

Well it wasn't like this before. Not till SAO started up. For some reason, the creator of the game wanted to trap 10,000 people in the game. And to do this, he created the equipment and the program for it. We're supposed to beat the game, and clear its content to escape it.

[mariannethree]

That seems like it would be distracting. Can other people see it?

Why would the creator ever allow you to escape?

And how can you know you aren't another product of the game, just with human memories?