Clockwork City spoilers:What did you choose at the end of The Astronomer's Apprentice? What happens?

Ru5tyShackleford

I just got to then end of Astronomer's Apprentice and now I'm really conflicted. What did you choose? What were your reasons? What happens?

I feel really bad for the girl, and memory loss is a terrible thing. But there is so much knowledge at risk here so I don't really know what to do. I'm sort of leaning toward the sacrifice choice.

feyii

I know what you mean, had the same problem, but then, nobody had written what happens with either choice, so I just took one. Thus, I can only tell you what happens if you tell her not to accept. Read on at your own risk.

If she refuses to become the next astronomer, she tells the old one that she will find someone who takes over. He accepts her choice but banishes her from the order until she brings a new candidate to them. She is a bit shocked about it, but accepts this.

Feanor

I chose for her stepping in and accept her duty.

She gets the Spell on her by the old astronomer who then sighs he can finally rest abd turns to ashes. The apprentice no longer recognizes you other than faint feelings she doesn’t know where they come from.

STEVIL

feyii wrote: »

I know what you mean, had the same problem, but then, nobdy had written what happenes with either choice, so I just took one. Thus, I can only tell you what happens if you tell her not to accept. Read on at your own risk.

If she refuses to become the next astronomer, she tells the old one that she will find someone who takes over. He accepts her choice but banishes her from the order until she brings a new candidate to them. She is a bit shocked about it, but accepts this.

This was what I chose with Mr first char who always goes for personal choice.

Will go other way with second.

Ru5tyShackleford

Welp, I decided to let her find a replacement. I justify it in that she isn't exactly willing to go for it after learning the consequences, and she has the hope to find someone who will.

Still left a real bad feeling in me... But not nearly as bad as the one after the gardens...

k9mouse

The quest is leaving a bad taste in this one's mouth! Still not sure what to choose.

victoriana-blue

She said she was willing to give her life in service to Sotha Sil, in a way that I interpreted to mean she was willing to die. I convinced her to stay.

The spell went further than erasing her memories, it erased her personality and her very self - remember how the Astronomer described her as always cheerful? She's distant and perfectly, neutrally polite afterward. In Greenshade the Wilderking subsumed the Altmer personality, but at least the Wilderking remembered Aranais.

It's a good quest, no easy answers.

AbysmalGhul

The missus and I chose differently to see what happened. Catch-22 decision

SydneyGrey

I'm doing that quest-line with multiple characters for the skill points, so I've been able to choose both options. Definitely an interesting choice.

Ragnork

I am on the bus heading to work, so struggling with adding spoiler tags.
If you "release" her you can bump into her again later.... sometimes there is no right answer.

Sylianwe

I'm on this quest right now. I was debating whether or not to perform a backwards time lapse (as in, you abandon the quest, start over) or to stick with my choice.

I believe what makes us strong is our individuality. Without the essence of our being, we are near meaningless.

She can offer Sotha Sil so much more as herself, than she ever could as a neutral force.

I also don't agree with that kind of sacrifice to be made, just to have a clear mind as an Astronomer. A thousand years from now, the Greybeards will have no troubles clearing their minds and focusing.

The Apostles can reach that stage too through focused meditation.

TheShadowScout

There are a few quests that give no easy answers.
This one, I go with "Whatever would my character suggest" - some tell her to do her duty, others go like "Fu...forget this, its not worth your -mind-"... and I was a bit vexed that the latter option does not get a follow-up "find a new candidate" quest...

Another of those that vexed me a little was the "garden" end decision. Why is it only "Either -this NPC- voluntarily sacrifices himself, or the whole process must be discarded as immoral and unethical even though it might mean lots of people starve..."??? I mean... it would make a pretty decent capital punishment, right? Grab the next criminal scum that earns the death penalty and strap them right in...
...
...wait, now you call -me- evil for thinking that?

Sylvermynx

Haven't got to this one yet - but from this thread alone, I'm thinking that ZOS has now become Bethesda's full sibling with the "EITHER OR, no good option" quests (at least as far as I see it).

One thing about it. Bethesda has been excellent at that since the very beginning. They have always made us select options that aren't.... probably optimal in our minds.

Davor

The way I see it is,

I choose to keep it as it was, since many would starve and die. As long as someone was willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good.

I agree @TheShadowScout it would have been perfect for capital punishment.

This way nobody would have to sacrifice themselves.

Feanor

As for the "reward" the choice is quite meaningless, because

the "power" Sotha Sil speaks of is a mere 50% XP buff over the other choice (150% XP scroll vs. 100% XP scroll for 2 hours

I chose both ends with different characters, but restoring her certainly feels "better", just like saving Valaste is.

Leocaran

Ru5tyShackleford wrote: »

But there is so much knowledge at risk here so I don't really know what to do. I'm sort of leaning toward the sacrifice choice.

But this is not our character's problem. At all. If Sil wants to save something, it's his task. He should manage this somehow, being a 'god'.
Also I'm not convinced at all that the value of all these memories is great for everyone apart from Sil.
And so our character is not obliged to convince anyone to make this sacrifice, especially if she doesn't want to.

Davor

Finally got to this quest now. Didn't even realize there was a reward at the end except for some belt.

I choose the option of her to go for it. To me it was the "shock" of "right here right now?" moment that scared her, but after listening to her, this is what she always wanted and would have lived her life regretting it.

That was my take.

RaddlemanNumber7

Tried both options on different characters.

Setting her free to be herself feels very much like the right answer to me. She obviously has doubts about it.

As has already been said, the Mnemonic Planisphere is Sotha Sil's problem, and there doesn't seem to be any immediate threat. I'm sure another volunteer can be found. There seem to be plenty of Apostles around who are willing voluteers for self-immolation.

Ragnork

Note that if you convince Amili to leave the Clockwork Apostles, she will move to Slag Town Outlaws Refuge.

Facefister

Ru5tyShackleford wrote: »

I just got to then end of Astronomer's Apprentice and now I'm really conflicted. What did you choose? What were your reasons? What happens?

I feel really bad for the girl, and memory loss is a terrible thing. But there is so much knowledge at risk here so I don't really know what to do. I'm sort of leaning toward the sacrifice choice.

He is a "god" but yet he can't manage data storage or producing light? Noone deserves to die for such laziness. He should step it up.

Silver_Strider

Oh that quest was a no brainer for me.
I actually liked the Dunmer's bubbly personality and to have that stripped away, I was like F that. She's now sitting in the Outlaw refuge in Slag Town and I'm totally ok with that. She's still optimistic and the people are comforting towards her so I don't regret it at all.

Sotha Sil needs a lifeless vessel to watch his memories, make a factotum do it.

Leocaran

Facefister wrote: »

He is a "god" but yet he can't manage data storage or producing light? Noone deserves to die for such laziness. He should step it up.

Exactly. I know that in the real world making light that can 'nourish' plants is a very much solvable problem (also without burning someone for it). So I just can't buy into the problem in the wellspring quest. Especially knowing that 1) nobody is actually going to die from hunger because that slop is in abundance, 2) there is an invisible light in the lore and apostles actually know about it now.

Silver_Strider wrote: »

Sotha Sil needs a lifeless vessel to watch his memories, make a factotum do it.

BTW as far as I know we haven't been openly told how most factotums are made. But we know they are part flesh and probably have parts of soul (souls?) inside. Very suspicious.

WhiteCoatSyndrome

I told her not to go through with it. I will also note that I blame the original Astronomer more than I do Sotha Sil for that one; Sil spends most of his time locked in a closet, whereas the Astronomer has been interacting with the girl on a regular basis, and had plenty of time to fill her in on what the costs would be, yet the only reason she finds out is because the cultists attacked. So Astronomer 1.0 wasn't ever planning to let her make a fully informed decision. Never mind that Sil had given HIM that choice...

So I told her to bail. If she decides later, after taking the time to reflect, that she's willing to sacrifice herself after all, or she finds someone else with the right mindset who is willing to take the position, great. If not? Astronomer 1.0 got himself into that mess by not following his god's example and being up front in the first place.