Damnatio Memoriae — 25 of 34

Emily Short

Release 7

Chapter 6 - The Phaenomena of Aratus

The Phaenomena is an inscribed book in the Study. "[if the Phaenomena incriminates the player]In plain view [otherwise]Ready for discovery and perhaps publication [end if]is your pride and joy, your [Phaenomena][if the Phaenomena does not incriminate the player] -- all the hard work falsely attributed to [a random person incriminated by the Phaenomena][end if]." It incriminates the player. It mentions the player. The description of the Phaenomena is "A fair, complete Latin version of the [Phaenomena] of Aratus: a treatise on constellations, weather, and other behavior of the sky. It represents years of laborious work, reverse-linking commentaries and previous editions and copying out the results.

The prologue explains how [a random person incriminated by the Phaenomena] accomplished the translation." Understand "prologue" as the Phaenomena.

After examining the Phaenomena when the Phaenomena incriminates the player and the Phaenomena incriminates Julia:

say "It makes it out to be a joint project -- and an interesting joint project that would certainly have been -- but it will only get you both in trouble, and your mother needlessly.

She has her own means of self-protection, so this might not be fatal for her. But it is a risky maneuver."

After examining the Phaenomena when the Phaenomena incriminates Clemens:

say "This will no doubt astonish everyone, Clemens included -- but he does look so much like you that people might believe him a secret twin of yours, or a bastard brother. Not impossible that he should share the Art, and die for it in your place."

After examining the Phaenomena when the Phaenomena incriminates Germanicus:

say "No one will mind Germanicus being responsible for this; he is scholarly and might plausibly have carried it off without magic. No, there's no danger in switching that attribution.

It's just your fame and glory that will take a beating. Another thing in which Germanicus will have bested you -- but perhaps it is better to leave it this way."