[LOTM V8] Interesting concept regarding Pathways I saw
Not sure if the Spoiler warning for Volume 8 is needed, but better safe than sorry.
I was reading Mother of Learning the other day and came across a neat idea in the comments: the protagonist of that book fit much of the symbolism of the Marauder pathways, but in reverse. The story really picks up due to an Error in a great work of magic, by which the protagonist gains some control over the flow of time, and ends up with the fate of another person through a sort of soul-based identity theft, which he uses far more effectively than them. Going down the pathway in reverse order, the protagonist ends up matching the symbolism as he grows in character and skill.
This brought me to my concept. Image an Inverted Path. Not the reverse acting method, but a version where the name and identity of sequence 0 and 9 were swapped. For an example, resulting in a True God Seer with matching Authorities and powers, but starting as a Fool instead. The idea of a Fool would thus be a hopeful journeyer who is skilled in weathering long distances and subsisting on less than they normally would, with an Attendant of Mysteries being someone who is given some form of call to adventure by higher entities and being able to gain extra knowledge from the beings whose quests they fulfill (including possibly corrupting information) as well as leaving fewer traces, Miracle Invoker results in the quests they take being more likely to turn out well or give better rewards than they should and immunity to basic illnesses and further reduced physical needs, Scholar of Yore guides them towards towards historical knowledge and lets them gain extra knowledge from studying that isn't part of the actual research material with the limit that it has to be older than their lifespan, ect. I think this version of Seer would have Authorities over stuff like Viewpoints and Goals.
I admit I've only thought about this a little, but I thought people here might find it neat to think about and theorycraft with. I think it would make sense that these would be basically one of a kind versions of these paths that can only arise under comically esoteric requirements and situations. What would your favorite path look like Inverted?
Posted Feb 23, 2026, 5:53 AM UTC