Alicornutopia

Well!

This answer is long, complicated, Kas would call it both philosophical and snobby, and I'm not sure you're in a good position to guess all the meanings I used. But I promise the same symbol means the same thing every time:



It sort of has three clauses; if you want, I can break it up into those for you.

Hm... dilligence symbolism firmness asker firmness symbolism politics symbolism opinion obedience opinion alethiometer politics symbolism obedience opinion, maybe?

Askers who agree with the alethiometer on political issues tend to be better at deciphering the symbols?

Politics, obedience, and opinion seem probably-wrong. (Ordered from most-wrong-looking to least.)

Alpha: Nope.

PlainDealingVillain: Yep.

dilligence symbolism firmness asker firmness symbolism viewpoint symbolism opinion subordination philosophy alethiometer viewpoint symbolism subordination philosophy

People who form their own opinions instead of relying on those of others are more likely to be good at reading it? Explains why I'm kind of terrible, I suppose.

No. Although, good guess. XD

Bah, I give up. I might have been able to guess it eventually, but...

And the answer:

same question different querent different question every question different answer its-own answer alethiometer every question its-own answer

Or more readably: The same question from a different asker is a different question; every question has its own answer; the alethiometer gives every question its own answer.

This is a slightly philosophical-and-snobby way of saying that it can be more or less cooperative with different askers, but doesn't always, and doesn't see anything wrong with it.

Hm... does that mean other people should copy some of my questions? :P

Anyway, alethiometer, that time when someone asked if Elspeth could feed harpies, was your phrasing of the answer ("truth speak speak truth") mocking for being unable to figure it out easily, or a pun, or what?