Fountellion in THE SPIRAL: Greenwise & the Nature of the Game

* ARCHIVE: FURTHER TERMINOLOGY *

[See website: (http://spiraltimes.blogspot.com/) for more.]

Fountellion
Later also known as the Flux. A positive web-world and mystical Virtual Island of nature, imagination and science. It emerged sometime after the much less advanced Game of Being in which players, or seekers, were invited to live through a variety of scenarios in the search for hidden Insights. Early publicity stated that in this advanced web-world 'is hidden the mystery of our connection to nature, the death of specific religion and the revelation of Evolution, Function and Diversity.' It was also marketed to the gaming culture as 'an open-world, VRMMO survival adventure game'.

Fountellion in many ways is still almost a legend for it lies hidden within the heart of The Spiral and where access has occasionally been bestowed or withdrawn to select players, especially in its early testing stages. It is said to be an island, partly due to the alleged involvement of Prof. Ben Fielding, a survivor of the infamous 'Neurocean Line' incident on the 'Boston Island' test-sim. (See also Spiral). The early, limited access was also to promote the creation of key protectors or 'mages' of Fountellion.

The island was heavily influenced by The Game of Being, an early powerful, influential, total-immersion, Open-World Virtual-Reality 'game' that was always accessible and semi-confluent with Reality (ie: some areas exist in the Real World). Initially, The Game of Being was intended to be an educational tool for new, interface-driven features of virtual immersion itself, but – unexpectedly – the project would form this new vision for understanding the Natural World and demonstrating our connection with Nature.

As the sheer detail of advanced interfaces grew, which included changing landscape and growing plants and vegetation, and the ability to 'focus', developers decided to create an Island, featuring certain areas that players could stumble across. This became a now-famous 'sandbox'-style game environment. The island was named 'Fountellion' in the original gamebook and walkthrough concepts (by Professor Benjamin Fielding) and was based on a book of fantasy fiction called 'In Fountellion'. Both the fiction and the Gamebook still provide a vital insight (and are potential keys) in relation to the original vision and its ultimate significance or story, with the latter still believed to be in Fielding's possession. Like never before The Spiral Interface illuminated the manipulation of the environment and a deep connection with it. The full potential of this interface is said to be at its most effective only in Fountellion and in the hands of advanced users.

Controversy – and mystery – surrounds the precise relationship of Fountellion to The Spiral Tower. Shortly after the long-awaited opening of the doorway into Fountellion, a 'lock-out' occurred whereby the Spiral Tower was completely inaccessible, save by entry from within Fountellion. Later, keys or access onto the Island were limited again by its creator, who wanted a new appreciation – and protection – of its Insights, one of which was, possibly, to see the Tower fall into a new vision of Fountellion and The Spiral Tower itself. Further controversy surrounds allegations that this version of the tower falling would see all connections to the Tower severed, the so-called 'unravelling' of The Spiral's worlds which began to cast a shadow of instability within and outside the Division. Such a hidden code would – potentially – change, filter or undo many of such worlds attached to it. Much hearsay still persists across the online communities.

Corruption: This is held to be the strongest motivation for the 'unravelling' mystery as mentioned above, and the alleged attempts by the founders to limit or alter their creations and the connections between their creations. As fast and widespread experience of Fountellion grew, some institutions and employers even – secretly – required citizens to have attained a number of its insights. The game also uses DNA data and personality profiling to help a person 'discover' themselves and their potential. It also contains extensive Know-Zone connection for skills and training. A powerful body called the DD, Development Division, now continually refines or upgrades it. Despite attempting to teach wisdom and understanding via the Lore, the world has remained open to corruption and competition, as Game Clans and Game Mages (often Developers) have started to misuse it to attain power and influence within Source society.

Insights
These Six revelations, hidden on the Virtual Island of Fountellion, give the player unique understandings of Nature. They are rewards for completing stages of 'nature experience' and give to the player new, relevant powers including enhanced 'Focus', which is a form of flying unique to the interface in which Fountellion is accessed. So influential in uniting people and producing an awareness in people of their connection to Nature, that it was fully backed by educational institutions and governments. It has been said to be a large contributor to the global move by mankind towards a technological and mental harmony with nature, above any direct political motions.

Scattered in different areas of the island world, the Insights – ultimately – become closely linked with The Spiral Tower, and the Dreamspire of Lord Bleakmuse, a symbolic figure in the game.

Although the Insights are known and completed daily by new travelers or seekers to the island, their design – specifically for 'gamers' using the Spiral Interface – leaves their effects best experienced in-world. Their form of 'revelatory experience' has been described as powerful to the mind and senses. Access has been limited to the final Insight as yet for little-known reasons but is somehow related to the full significance of 'Fountellion in The Spiral', and its ultimate completion.

Mages
A term for players who have considerable, recorded experience of worlds in The Spiral, and have proved willing and able to prove their power. They are considered wise and responsible for guiding other players and promoting the message of the Insights: positive, natural elements allegedly only found in Fountellion. They have provable awareness and NFTs of at least 5 of the insights.

Later it became a term for players who have experienced all six of the Insights in Fountellion, the successor to the Game of Being. The intended result of this experience was to provide an in-depth awareness of the natural world, in accordance with the latest science and the importance of this knowledge. It is also known to provide revelations about mind and body, DNA and the chaotic, fractal nature of the universe. Many high-ranking citizens in positions of power and influence have discovered the Insights. It also says something about their determination due to the highly distracting nature of Fountellion, with its incredible beauty, detail and 'focus' which is a form of flying. Mages may have risen from any spectrum of Guild, but will have proved themselves of great mental connection to the Spiral and formed strong collaborative relationships with other players. The intended purpose of a wise Mage was that they take their wisdom back into the world but there have also been known to be greedy or corrupt Mages, perhaps due to deeper problems that their experiences on Fountellion were unable to cure.

Spiral (The)
'The Spiral' is a growing web of advanced Virtual Web-Worlds designed for the use of the advanced Spiral Interface. They happen to be connected to the Spiral Tower, or the Dreamspire with its multiple rooms with doors to worlds that are connected to it. They form the various needs of society: science, gaming, visualization, desire etc. The tower grows higher the more worlds are connected to it.

A way out of the Tower is believed to lead to the mystical nature-realm of Fountellion, an island of Nature and Revelation. Many visitors also, believing they have accessed worlds in the tower, have said to arrive in Fountellion by some kind of chance or selection code, prompting an instant urge to explore it.

Spiral Interface
A special variety of Virtual Reality Interface that emerged from the infamous early worlds and testing sims that were 'The Neuroceans'. Like never before, it provided a deep, signature connection to virtual environments by utilizing brain-waves and various physical aspects such as breathing. A special term 'slow-surfacing' was used to describe returning to normal reality. Once widespread health concerns had been addressed, including new overlay systems and acclimatizing features in-built, it was officially re-launched to coincide with The Spiral. This concept aimed to link – online – any worthy Virtual Experience or Game-world that utilized the interface's potential and had passed full-testing and screening procedures. The immersive potential allowed for such deep involvement with the Virtual that many of these experiences were entertainment 'escapist' creations, although many educational and scientific ones emerged too. Ironically, this also included a nature-illuminating island world of Fountellion, which aimed to remind all visitors of a deep relationship and connection to nature, the 'Source-world'.