Questions on Resheph and the Fall of the Sultanate

[TheAnonymousOne]

So Resheph, on the arrival of the Gyre and the desolation of Qud, decided to dissolve the Sultanate despite having been advised by Mysterious Strangers to build Starfarer's Quay specifically for travelers from beyond the stars. The Sultan Masks all suggest that the Sultans before Resheph presided over the gradual loss of technology and collapse of civilization in Qud, and it's implied this has something to do with a certain imprisoned entity, but do we have any clue what temptation was so great the Sultans were willing to abandon their glorious works and technologies for? Even the later Sultans suffered diminished power and ability to do... well, anything really, based on the differences in their relics.

[glass zebra]

Resheph did not dissolve the Sultanate upon the arrival of the Gyre. He actively fought the waves of it until he found out the cause of all that. He was the one who convinced the Mysterious Strangers to help him build Starfarer's Quay, not the other way around.

The Sultans already lived in a world where technology was rapidly vanishing and their raiding etc. probably helped to accelerate it. From the stories it sounds a lot like they already only scavenged relics and some knowledge of the past and where nowhere near what the Eaters could do and 'the world' was not really "progressing" anymore. I don't think they were willing to abandon technology, but did not have much choice in the matter (except when they burned stuff to the ground etc).

Why did technology vanish from the world in the first place? That hat guy at the well in the Six Day Stilt, the Barathrumites, the children of the Tombs or the current rekindled Gyre might give you some hints. The world openly reaching further into technology (especially reaching for the stars), even the old still existing one, is unwanted. Keep in mind that the Barathrumites hate the Mechanimists (and Putus hate the Barathrumites), that as you play the game more and more of the Gyre is unearthed and that there is some hinting book in Barathum's study. There is also a further hint on some of Repesh/Rebeccas past with Barathrum in the dialog with one of the Yd denizens.. but I forgot which one ~~

The temptation itself is not really spoken out, but the children speak of some betrayal and there are only 4 of them, with possibly the "highest" one missing. That something above the spindle might have some, more direct answers.

[TheAnonymousOne]

Yeah, I figured talking to the thing at the top of the Spindle would be the only way to get ALL the answers for sure. Were the Sultans responsible for the destruction of the world Qud exists on? Or was that Ptoh's fault? Because if they succumbed to temptation AFTER the collapse of the civilization that could forge Zetachrome and casually devise Nectar, it becomes considerably more understandable.

[glass zebra]

Pretty sure they succumbed to temptation after the collapse had already started. I don't think Ptoh was responsible for that part either, but definitely has enough influence on the world to be the cause of some destruction. "Across Moghra'yi, Vol. II: Athenreach" has some info in that and so does the "Scroll bound by a strand of kelp". Neither of those things sound a lot like the followers aimed to make some really cool civilisation or keep the current one up. It seems to me that the "end of the eater's" started the decline of technology, with probably one of the bigger ones playing the major part in it.