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Post by Kishar on Sept 19, 2017 5:41:48 GMT
I listened to what he was saying about it being how they worked, but I just couldn't manage to work up the energy to put up a response, instead just passively listening as I laid there, drinking my alcohol. I forgot whether or not I had something more potent and engineered in my elsewhere pockets, but really right now I just couldn't even work up the effort to switch my clothing to the starmetal version, let alone go through my pockets for the necessary materials. Instead, I just laid there drinking and wallowing in my sorrow. Something deep inside of me was telling me that this was just how life was, that it would be so much better for everyone if life no longer was around, if everyone and everyone stopped existing then the pain would stop, not only for myself but for the others as well. They were the whispers I had been hearing ever since I unlocked the secrets of how to imitate the essence of the Neverborn with my own. So often they talked to me, but most of the time I just disregarded them. However at this very moment, they sounded so much more tempting than they had ever sounded before. If my power meant nothing, everything I had worked for was nothing, and if living meant just suffering, why was it worth anything? Why did I cling on to life? Why did anyone? The answer came to me quickly after, that if I died then my Mate's sacrifice would have been in vain. That was something I could not accept, and I managed to banish the temptations from my mind. No matter how much suffering my life was, it was a reminder of my Mate's sacrifice for me, and if I didn't live on, then nobody would be around to remember him or his reincarnation for who they really were.
I listened to what he said, but I didn't really react to him putting his hand on my shoulder. I was too busy dealing with the loss to care, though the kindness wasn't entirely unappreciated. "You personally might not have, but it was expected of us. Not just by ourselves, but by everyone. If we weren't, then why were we in charge? Creation needed the perfect god-kings to rule it, and we were the ones that the Ignis Divine chose. If it is how you said it was, then why are we the only ones who pay the price for causing this? Why do the Gods and the Sidereals get to stay in Yu-Shan and be insulated from the lessening and even have their duties lessened due to the less high use of Essence? It just seems...wrong," I said, drinking from my bottle without giving a damn about how bad it looked. I laughed a bit sardonically at what he said about helping guide me back to happiness, right now such a thing just seemed far too gone, too far away for even my solar might to reach. After all, why should it be within my reach this time when it has never been in the past. "That would imply that I had been happy before this all happened. Ever since my Mate died it has just been further downhill," I said with a sigh and a shake of my head, "Sure, I gained power and respect, but those are empty trappings that only occupy the minds of lesser people. Even those are now gone, and so is any pretense of perfection to hide behind to give my Mate's sacrifice meaning." I looked down into my beverage as I said that, contemplating many things as I said that.
"There was many a time that I would stand on the precipice that connects the Labyrinth to the well of Oblivion and I stared down it, contemplating why I didn't just jump down and end it all," I said, musing on things and taking a drink before continuing, "If it didn't seem to invalidate my Mate's sacrifice, I probably would have. At this point, if I was standing there right now I'm not sure if that would matter anymore. It seems like my Mate's sacrifice was in vain now. I'm living on borrowed time after all, as soon as I return to Creation I'm likely to be killed by the other Sidereals, so what's the point? To Creation I am as good as dead as things stand. I think I wouldn't actually do it, but to be honest I'm not even sure about much anymore." That much was for sure, so much of what I based my life on was overturned, so why would it be normal at all? Why would anything matter? "I do appreciate the offer though, I truly do. I just...don't know how you would go about doing such a thing. I get the feeling that if it weren't for the overwhelming grief and drugs I would be planning how to turn each of the seventy sidereal traitors into soulsteel artifacts to execute the dragonblood who rebelled and what kind of statue to make them all out of after. But what's the point? I would lose. I would die in vain. So why bother planning such a thing? Why not just stay here and just at least make my Mate's sacrifice slightly less than totally pointless by just surviving."
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Post by shinzo on Sept 19, 2017 6:14:56 GMT
The way she just seemed to wallow around, consumed by grief...I claimed I didn't buy into the cult of perfection as it were, but I couldn't deny that it was frightening, that it was strange, that it wasn't what was right. It was a deep feeling, an instinct below my rationality that gave me that assumption, that made me think that things just weren't okay. After all...this wasn't what Solars were, was it? Solars were beings of action, beings of direct and powerful force that shaped the world to their whims. However, they were also human, and this was an example of one's humanity simply being attacked directly, being crushed and trampled beyond compare. It was heartbreaking to see. I don't think there was an individual that couldn't be moved...aside from perhaps that damned old bastard from the Violet Bier.
If she couldn't make a way back...I'd think it'd be fine regardless to just let her live here, to let her live out her days. But no. No no no. That wouldn't work. That couldn't work. Either she had to die, to prevent the possibility of her return to disrupt the diminished Creation, or she needed to find her way back to joy, to happiness, as all who did not have an Ending of despair should. And...for some reason, I just couldn't see that in her. I knew there was more in store for her, more to do, more to build, more to laugh, more to smile. I knew that in my heart. And whichever way this world decided to end it, I would see it through. While it might just be sentimentality...if that was sentimentality, then that was fine. It was simply me being me, as far as I was concerned.
"You were in charge because you were the best people for the job." That answer was simple. One did not need to be perfect to be the best, after all. Who else could have shaped Creation into what it was? Certainly not the Dragon-Blooded, that the Bronze Faction pinned their hope on. It was a matter of inheritance, if anything. The talk about an Order, legends that would label the Solars as Anathema...that was anathema to me. To not remember the glories of the First Age, the sacrifice and effort they did...that was unacceptable. Wholly unacceptable. They were the founders of Creation, the glorious rulers that forged Creation from a tiny artifice in the Wyld to the empire it was, and would remain, either way. "As for that...it is unfair. There is no explanation around that. Perfect you might not be, but you are the best. The greatest. Just as the Sun was the greatest of the Incarnae, the Solars are the greatest of the Exalted." I sigh. "And while the gods might avoid punishment, the Sidereals have our own consequences from all this. Chided for selfishness as he was, Tammiz Ushun was not wrong when he said we would have to work like dogs to maintain Creation in the Solar's absence. To be the chief defense against the Wyld, to be the wardens of the Yozi and the Neverborn, to be constantly guiding dogs on the throne, to our normal duties...we would be slaves to the maintenance of Creation. Too little time to actually enjoy the life that the "glorious sacrifice" of the Solars would give." I sigh. "I don't mean to say this as if it's equivalency in any way. I don't even imagine it could give you grim satisfaction. It's all awful. It's all madness. Self-destructive madness." But the alternative?
I smile just a bit. "And yet, you never told that to anyone. Just as we are human at our core, repression and inability to express ourselves are cancers that ail us. You didn't confide that to even the most trusted being in the world you had." I shrug. "Your mate didn't sacrifice himself because he expected greatness or perfection from you." I smile and shake my head. "He did that because he loved you, and for little other reason." I look up. "Venus and Saturn rarely get along. But in times like this, the stars align, ever so shortly. In that moment...I truly believe his fate left him as happy as he could ever be." I hold my hands to the side. "And his wishes for what you accomplish, what you do...I can only think he would want you to find that happiness that you find so elusive."
Her contemplation of suicide was understandable...many Solars and many Lunars did it at the death of their mate, to find themselves again, without issues of baggage that plagued Kishar directly. But to think about it now...I couldn't let that happen. It would validate my goal, be a success within the Bronze Faction...but it would leave my true goal behind. It would mean that I failed to find within myself which was right, when things felt so close to a realization. It would be wrong, and I couldn't let it happen. I was a traitor to the Bronze Faction, that much was true. But I was less Gold, and more...myself, I felt. "If that's what you think you should do...I won't argue. I can't argue. Only you can decide how to live your life. And I can't promise anything, I can only try to do what I feel I need to do." I sigh. It was all so difficult. "But...I think it's just too sad. Far too sad. At this point, I'm not sure what could be done. I thought perhaps I could convince them to see reason, if I could prove to the others that Holding the Golden Swords was truly a possibility. That even after the slaughter, things could go back to the way things were...with young, fresh Solars not inculcated into toxic culture willing to listen. But...I just don't know. The desire to go along with the Five Score Fellowship is strong, frightfully so. It could blind people to reason." I sigh. "But...I'd rather try something, anything. I don't want Creation to dim without a fight." I bite back tears, genuine tears. It was awful. I couldn't do anything alone...that impossibility just seemed to open in front of me like a chasm.
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Post by Kishar on Sept 19, 2017 7:10:19 GMT
I sighed as I considered what he said and shrugged. What he said seemed true on it's face, but was it really? We were best suited for building creation, defending it, and maintaining it, but were we really the best to be in charge? Sure, it did seem that way on it's face but..."Up until today I probably would have agreed with you, but if this was the outcome to our rule, I have serious doubts about that," I said with a sigh and a swig of my alcohol. It simply just seemed wrong that the best men for the job would eventually be overthrown. That didn't sit right in my mind at all, the best suited ones for the job would obviously not end up needing to be overthrown, at least that's what it seemed like to me. "It just seems like a bad choice for us to have been given sole rule, let alone one of us having been given it. You had said once that the Incarnae should be more infallible than to be addicted to the games, but the very act of giving sole rule to Merela only to have her rule challenged and the government shifted within two centuries after it's establishment seems to argue against that to me," I said with a shrug and a sigh. "Sure we are powerful, and our knowledge and social graces are beyond compare in general for those who specialize in those fields. But none of those things give us wisdom, none of them make us above human. And that seems to be what is needed for the setup that had been in place to work," I said, finishing off the bottle before tossing it behind me. I tried to shape another into existence, but my gauntlets were utterly out of potential, so I was stuck without alcohol until I could work up the effort to go and get some, which I really did not have at the moment. I just wanted to rest in this couch for a while, until it stopped hurting.
I listened to what he said about the gods getting off, but what laid in store for the Sidereals and I just couldn't find myself caring. It did not even begin to amount to the just desserts that traitors like that deserved. Let alone the deities that were complicit getting away with it. Such things needed to be rectified, that much was for sure. But why bother thinking about how? It wasn't like it could be done. Not the way things were for now, not with these bronze traitors and their armies wiping out any tools I could bring to bear against them. Not when Yu-Shan was against me, if I had a host and other Solars it might be an option, but as an individual I was powerless to stop this on my own, even with him here to try to help. "You are right, the only thing that really would give me that satisfaction would be to see their plans crumble to dust or perhaps for the same to happen to them by the hands of the dragonblooded and mortals later. Simply doing more work is too light a burden for them to bear for their transgressions," I said with a sigh as I really wished I had more alcohol right about now. I needed it to deal with the overwhelming sense of self-loathing that I was feeling right now. Stripped of every artifice to keep up my image and stripped of purpose, all I could do is sit here and realize just how powerless I was despite all the power I had. There was nothing I could do, not with what I had at my disposal.
"I couldn't tell it to anyone. To do so would be to make myself a pariah in society or to put unnecessary burdens on my mate. Both of which were things I just couldn't do no matter what. It was and still is my burden to bear, I just don't know what to do with it anymore I suppose," I said listlessly, my purpose just utterly destroyed. It was rather freeing to be rid of all these pretenses, but it was also something that I increasingly realized was unhealthy. I was spiraling deeper into depression, and I just couldn't work up the reasons to stop it. After all, what was the point? It wasn't like I could convince anyone if I went back. I would be killed for being a Solar, and he would be killed for supporting me. That was just the brute facts of the situation it seemed.
"I suppose you are right, but it just doesn't feel real. I understand why he did it, I just feel...guilty for having survived when he didn't. It feels like my own weakness and inadequacy were what were responsible for his death, not the Primordial. So despite him wanting it and him being happy to sacrifice himself for the person he loved...I just don't feel worthy of it I guess. I still feel after all these years that I caused something special to Creation to be lost, and am constantly having to atone by finding new, precious things to attempt to fill the void I had caused to make it meaningful to me at least," I said, sighing as I shook my head, "That is why I was always so frustrated by the red tape and the impediments to my research. It stood in the way of being bale to find something, anything that could be as valuable to Creation as my mate...and I have yet to find that thing. At this point I'm unsure if I ever will..."
"I wish I could hold the same passion that you do right now, it would make things a lot easier. The desire to do something despite the challenge, it is something I know, but it just isn't coming right now," I said, closing my eyes as I just laid there, "Something deep inside me is just telling me that its all futile, that I should just let things be. Its not something I want, but with all the challenges ahead and there being no point to it since everything I care for there is gone, what point is there to even bothering? What you are saying sounds all well and good, but I just can't find something to attach myself to in order to give it meaning. It's all too impersonal and academic I guess. And that isn't what I am in the mood to deal with quite frankly. I just want to be left to grieve for all that was lost, since I am the last Solar to be able to do that. And the last person to truly know my mate."
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Post by shinzo on Sept 19, 2017 7:51:40 GMT
I shrug. "Just because the best might not have been successful, does that mean that other, more incompetent people could have done better?" It was just that simple, at least to me. "Sometimes, it is possible to make no mistakes and still lose, after all. Such is the way of things." Despite my definite standpoint that the Bronze Faction had the right idea...I never once questioned whether the Solars truly were the best people to lead Creation. It just made it all more tragic. "As for Merela, the Unconquered Sun might be infallible, but he might not be omniscient. He is defined by his power, his glory...perhaps he simply thought that the strongest, most brute powerful Exalt would by definition be the one who should lead everyone? Again, such errors are not necessarily mistakes. They just turn out to be false. It's a matter of how life proceeds." I frown. "That doesn't mean we should abandon the future, though. We learn from our actions, and we build on them in order to create a better future. I understand that you are affected by melancholy...but the gold vision needs 300 swords. If the old setup didn't work, let's work to create a better one. A more honest one. One where the happiness of the world can be protected."
I noticed then that she was out of alcohol, and, finishing mine off, I went to get another set of bottles. "Now look where we'd be if you destroyed the building." I joke, perhaps in poor taste, but encouraging people to laugh at me rather than with me was often what was necessary. "I don't doubt it, I can't begin to comprehend the sense of utter loss that you must be feeling." I hand off the bottle to her with a smile, trying to find a way to shift the mood. I can't help but think the best way to see their plans crumble to dust is by being presented with definite evidence of how wrong they are. That there is hope even amid the rubble. But could I say that? Maybe later. Maybe after she's had time to sleep things off? Ass he begins to talk about the fact of her bondage to the cult of perfection, I sigh. "And that is just wrong, even if that's how the world was. You don't need to burden yourself with it. Trying to be the best you that you can is far better than trying to be perfect...more satisfying too."
Her reasoning for her obsession were rather clear, but it was just sad to see that the message was missed. "The sorrow of those who are left behind when others meet their end is one of the reasons I wish Saturn was less final about these sorts of things. Still...I know you shouldn't blame yourself for that. Exalts died by the multitude, -I- died in that multitude. The Primordial was a force of utter chaos and destruction from what I recall...meanwhile, your heroism there, in living up to his hopes for you, was a marvelous thing, something that should never be forgotten." It was often so much simpler than people liked making it out to be." I raise an eyebrow. "And if you keep looking, you never will. Such is the truth...for your old mate meant more to you than all of Creation. If you can never go from the Ending to the Journey, let alone Serenity, it will continue to haunt you unnecessarily."
I blink as she mopes around listlessly, especially at the last things she said. "Well...the last Solar? At the moment, there are probably a great deal of Solars who did not attend the Calibration Feast still fighting, hopefully some that even managed to reconnect and provide a joint front. And ideally, the Solars who died in the Calibration Feast will find new reincarnations to form hope for the future. And if you need a personal reason to be attached to Creation...it didn't go as well as it could have, but your Mate will certainly reincarnate once again, and when he does, I think he will be rather lonely without you there for him, wouldn't you say?" As I give that speech, I slip in a few motes of essence. I didn't care if she noticed it. After all, what I was doing wasn't anything to try and convince her, but merely to give her the strength of will she needed to come to her own conclusion, the feeling that her role in life was valuable, that had meaning. "I believe Creation has a bright future...for you, your mate, and for all the Solars who died. I hope that the Sidereals who rebelled will realize their mistake and will atone...but if they don't, then their reincarnations will hopefully know better. I think we can begin to put something together...but without you, I don't know how much hope I can have in all this.
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Post by Kishar on Sept 20, 2017 0:09:43 GMT
What he said was a bit odd in that he ascribed an attribute of fallibility to the Unconquered Sun but declared him as infallible, that was very odd indeed. Odd enough to make me point it out despite my general lack of energy. "But to be infallible is for someone to be incapable of error. So what you are saying is that the Ignis Divine is both x and not x, which is an impossibility. Does that not seem odd to you?" I asked, giving him that rather simple argument against what he was saying. It didn't even require much energy at all, after all, it was just a definition and the very basics of logic that I might have been able to point out when I was a mere mortal. It was as if something was clouding his view here heavily, which was possible considering how odd it was to think of the Incarnae as fallible. "That all sounds well and good, but do you truly think that the bronze faction will be willing to admit their mistakes? I doubt it, someone who has committed such an atrocity as they have would never see reason, and they would simply try to find reasons to keep their views," I said sighing and just being a bit down still before adding, "Your vision also either guarantees that we can return or just once again shows that things outside of fate just are not taken into account, which is a problem in general as it renders them far less useful."
I took the alcohol from him wordlessly and snapped off the top, as I was not in the mood to deal with the cork and it wasn't like the glass could hurt me. Even if I wasn't immune to mundane things such as that, my natural resilience as an Exalt would have taken care of something as small as that. After all, it was just a bit of sand that was transmuted with fire, it was far beneath the Exalted and our power. I drank from it, and while it wasn't exactly the most comfortable, it wasn't harmful at all. "Mortals, Dragonbloods, and even your kind speak of soulmates at times, people that you were destined to be with since birth, but even that does not come close to what the ties that bind us to our Lunars are like," I said with a sigh and a swirl of the bottle as I looked at it. "We are quite literally bound by something that transcends our own mortal souls, bound by our Exaltations themselves, intrinsically linked in every single one of our incarnations. It is a feeling that I cannot begin to describe even with the immense vocabulary offered by the languages of the world or even Old Realm itself," I took a drink after saying that, musing about it as I just slumped into the couch thinking about this. Even with my intellect, I didn't have the words to explain the bond between Solars and Lunars to someone who did not have such a bond, perhaps if I made a language devoted to that it might suffice, but I wasn't even sure of that.
"Is it wrong if that is the standard though? It seems odd to me to consider something wrong when it is the correct standard as was imposed upon us, but I guess it just means that there is something else outside that," I said with a shrug as I took a drink before continuing, "I never really dabbled too much into that sort of study. After all, it is not like the ethics of the matter would bring my Mate back. I simply did what was expected when I had to, and worked towards my goal when I could." I laughed a bit sardonically at what he said about my heroism that ought not be forgotten, perhaps he just had a different view on it than me. "I was no hero, I was simply a child who all too late learned to control her power and used it when it was far too late to save what she had wanted to. Perhaps it might seem different to others...but that is how I view that incident. It was no heroic stand, it was one of my lowest points that drives me further," I said, sighing and drinking more from my broken bottle. "Perhaps what you say is true, but such things are my own just desserts for it. I failed to produce what was expected from me by others at the time, so I will continue to strive higher and higher without producing what I expect from myself for the rest of this life of mine," I said with a sigh and a shake of my head, "Perhaps that might seem insane and unhealthy to others, but it is what keeps me from deciding that I have found enough and just wallowing in decadence like the others."
"Time here isn't related to the time there probably, even if it was tendered immediately I doubt that citation of yours would have gotten you from Yu-Shan to my Manse and through the portal past my guards in time to witness that use of Total Annihilation," I said with a wave, "So it is entirely possible that it has been long enough there already for things to have happened, let alone how long it will take to develop and create a way back." I said with a sigh as I just drank. The rest of what he said didn't quite sink in just yet, and I noticed that he was definitely trying his best to help me out of this funk, and I decided I wouldn't resist it. I was enough trouble already I supposed. As the Essence that made up my willpower began to increase again, I had a bit of a realization. "....But doesn't that mean that its entirely possible to manipulate that atemporal link to get back at any time I please? It likely wouldn't be good to return before I left or you left but...perhaps we could return as soon as you entered no matter how much time passes depending on how that link works?" With that in place, other things began to fall in place, "Wait, your idiots didn't even come up with a permanent solution to the reincarnation of the Exaltations that you defeated? Are they gibbering idiots or something? How are they supposed to do our job as well as suppressing enemy Lunars and Solars, along with other groups that they might bring to their aide? And what in Malfeas's name were you going to do about the ghosts of the oldest Solars? You do realize that if they are as mad as you say they are, its unlikely that they will pass into Lethe quietly, and do you really think that someone won't take advantage of this? Are they all insane?" I said, my voice having emotion returnign to it as I managed to banish the funk that was laying on top of me as it was once again replaced with angry frustration as their idiocy. "What foolish idiotic idiots, if they're going to ovethrow us, at least come up with an airtight plan, by the gods I am angry that this might have actually worked!" I said, throwing the bottle and standing up. I wobbled a bit, no doubt from the massive amounts of alcohol I had consumed, but such a thing was no impediment to even young solars who had trained in Medicine, and with a flexing of my Essence it was banished. "Idiots, all of them. I can't even mourn and be sad in peace knowing those colossal idiots are the ones behind this."
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Post by shinzo on Sept 20, 2017 0:48:18 GMT
I sigh. "Hrm...you might be correct about that, I confess. It's an annoyance, but I can't refute your point there. Perhaps it is a simple misapplication of words. He is strong beyond compare, intelligent beyond compare, possessed of virtues beyond reproach. Perhaps that is a better word than infallibility? But perhaps in his own way, his cognition may be limited as the Primordials were, filled with points tied to his own nature and station that failed to differentiate sufficiently between the needs of the world and the virtues of the Unconquered Sun." I smile. "So, if you'll forgive me for my misstep, I think I'll be able to leave it at that." As she digs into my opinions of the Bronze Faction, I sigh. "I think that a great many of them were...on the fence, shall we say. Goaded by the Vision of Darkness to do something that they themselves never wanted out of necessity, that further information that would strengthen the Gold Faction's position. I hope that I could provide that. I hope that people are still possessed of their wits enough to look at data and use that to inform their actions...if our Bureaucracy is to be composed of people so consumed by factionalism that they are unable to look at data, then their plan is doomed to failure even if the Wyld, Neverborn, and Yozi are silent and submissive." I consider her point about the limitations of my own understanding...but shrug. "Of course it's the former. The things that are impossible for the Exalted are very narrow, and very limited."
Her attempts to explain the bond between Solar and Lunar was, of course, difficult for me to properly internalize. Not least of which because she hardly said anything at all...so I just nod along. It wasn't anything I needed to understand more than to give sympathy and comfort to a grieving widow. "You don't need to try. I don't need to understand, I don't think I can truly understand. I just want you to know how sorry I am this happened, and that you can count on me to help with whatever you might need." That was all I felt I could say in this situation.
The fact that she was talking the way she had made it clear that perhaps wallowing in decadence might be a more healthy use of her energy and time than what she was doing. "I disagree wholeheartedly. Your spell turned the tide of that conflict...some historians theorize the entire battle. If you must internalize it as a failure...then don't internalize it as a debt. If the world, if your failing truly took away your lover, then acknowledge it and move on. Obsession in this matter is quite unhealthy, and doing so causes strain on others besides yourself." I sigh. "Do you not have any drive to learn for it's own sake? No desire to better yourself to honor his sacrifice, rather than try to justify it? No positive feelings at all within your heart?" I shake my head. If she was truly this far gone...no. I needed to work at this. I needed to help her move past Saturn's shadow. That was my job, my caste, my passion.
Then...throughout the morass of her emotions...a spark. Something came to her. A solution. I was far more giddy at the actual fact that she had come back to herself, that she felt willing to pursue thought, pursue an answer, than the one she provided, as plausible and useful that her answer was. It meant that my experiment could truly begin to come into place, my grand understanding of whether star-etched hands could wield swords of gold. "That could work, that could work very well. Isolating the problems of time...and with your knowledge of Solar sorcery, we could gather the remaining Solars together for a proper counteroffensive. I don't doubt that many Solars committed to their holdings enough to forego the Calibration Feasts likely have armies of Gunzoha and loyal Dragonblooded that would allow us to properly fight to a stalemate, where my findings would need to be listened to." Findings I didn't have yet, findings that were inconclusive at present, findings that might lead me to my original purpose...
Fortunately, that train of thought is interrupted as she goes into a rant on the incarnation of the Exaltations. "I know, it's insanity. It's like they expected the Dragon-Blooded to mostly take care of that themselves!" Constantly hunting dragon-dogs, doing the one job that they are able to do with speed and skill...was it really so impossible? The ghosts, on the other hand...that was a real concern. Dreadfully powerful beings now outside fate...we had hoped that we would strike swiftly and deftly enough that they would pass into Lethe, and that problems otherwise would show themselves immediately. "I don't believe they're insane, just...deluded. Able to ignore the flaws to fit their bright, clear plan...as if a seive could carry water." I can't help but laugh as she fully comes back to herself. "Well, I'm glad that the plan they came up with is just that stupid, or we'd never be able to get anywhere, would we?" And it would work despite it's rough nature. The Prophecy was true...if it needed refinement, it could take in those variables...
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Post by Kishar on Sept 20, 2017 1:55:52 GMT
Points that he had made before, things that I had missed in my haze came to the surface as the melancholy faded and the alcohol was purged from my system. Things that had to be addressed, and now could be with a clear mind and full rational intellect to throw at them. Things that I had left be, particularly about the nature of the Ignis Divine. That had to be addressed first and foremost, it was what stuck out the most in my mind as I thought back over the hazy moments that had come before. "That is most likely the case, he was a creation of the Primordials and is of a not entirely dissimilar nature as their lower souls. After all, it is entirely possible to convert a Demon into a God and likely the reverse if a Yozi or Primordial decided to do it and developed charms to do so. Their essence structures are similar and they all display the same types of Spirit Charms. So I am not surprised whatsoever that he would be bound to his nature, which is that of his virtues, much like a Primordial is, even if he is less so as is obvious. After all, he is capable of repressing those virtues when necessary. The tale of Prince Laashe is also another sign of his fallibility due to these Virtues and the suppression of them being possible," I said, mentioning that tale in my argumentation as my mind raced further and further as I contemplated the subject. "That being said, it does make sense that he would look for a person of individual martial excellence such as Merela, even if it took other things besides that to properly rule Creation, after all, none knew how similar ruling a group of Exalts was to herding cats," I said, giving myself a bit of a chuckle at that as I let the rest of my points lie for now.
"To jump into such an action proves that they are not entirely possessed of their wits, at least in my opinion. I am unsure of what is going on, but I do not recall the forces of the Bureau being that incompetent. Something has to be going on that is not quite clear, something off. Tell me, can you think of anything at all that stood out in those talks that seemed extremely odd in particular? If it was a while ago I can refresh your memory, I suppose your will is strong enough to snap out of it after getting what you need," I said, nodding a bit to myself. If he needed a refresher I could always use that power I had used on myself at least once when I was younger to relive my days with my mate, it was one of the more beneficial powers I had learned when I had undertaken my study of the Sidereal Martial Arts. "I figure it does not take into account what we learn here or anything similar, after all, as you said yourself, this place is outside of fate. It likely didn't even take into account my leaving Creation, or else it would have shown up sooner and you wouldn't have been surprised that I had went through the portal to somewhere else, isn't that true?" I asked, trying to make sure I was on point. If that was true, then whatever I could glean here could shatter all of the prophecies to dust, and that was something that was very pleasing to me. It would utterly undo the Bronze Faction from the very base, as well as the Gold Faction who seemed to be rather ineffectual on the large part to say the absolute least. It would be a future without determination that we could shape for ourselves with our own effort.
"Those historians know nothing of the tide of the battle at that point," I said with a sigh and a dimissal of what he had said, "The fate of that battle laid upon Thesis and Leelah, though the chaos and the strange happenings caused by that Primordial make it so even the Mirror Glance cannot give clarifications into what exactly happened in that battle. All I know is that they Sacrificed both of their lives in the casting of a spell of massive power that put an end to the war once and for all, yet I cannot even begin to explain what it was or how it was done," I said with a sigh and a shake of my head. It wasn't something I could probably ever learn, whatever they had done had wiped the knowledge of itself from Creation itself, leaving it an eternal mystery as to what happened. "Failures are debts, but perhaps with this discovery and the ruination of the Bronze Faction I can pay back Creation for the lessening I brought to it by preventing an even greater lessening. After this is done, perhaps I can finally learn for it's own sake rather than try to pay back what I owe," I said, letting my opinion on the matter be clear. I still had debts I owed, but I had found myself a way to pay them back, no matter how heavy they were.
"My Sorcery is not what will turn the tides more than likely. There are greater masters than I out there that likely have survived, despite my rather large knowledge of the topic. However, there are a few things I have access to that they will never have," I said, a grin spreading across my face before I continued. "First, the time to organize a proper plan of action before it all happens. Second, the time to properly harness and understand the full potential of the Protoshinmaic Vortex, after all, I do have several here to work with and all the time I need to unlock their secrets. And third...is the anti-magic technology of this world. If used correctly, I could render the enemy useless and rip their bodies and souls to shreds with the power of Solar Socery without any of the time or nearly as much energy," I said, my mind racing wickedly as I thought of what I could do with this metal that they had used against me and how I could use it against the usurpers. "If my theories on this are correct and I have the time to manufacture even a limited amount of this weaponry, we would not have a stalemate, we would have an overwhelming victory. We would come back with fire and fury unlike they had ever seen to crush those who will not listen to reason. Of course, if they surrender and are willing to talk then that is fine, but those who insist on prolonging the conflict can be put to the sword with this," I said, my theories racing through my mind at a million miles an hour. It all came down to just how powerful this was and if it could be used properly in creation conditions. If it was powerful enough even under the conditions of creation with materials from there...then this would change everything.
"The Dragon-Blooded could never take care of such things themselves in the long term. Perhaps if it was just dealing with fledgling Dawns who could not match them in combat, but with the other Castes, and especially the Nights, able to hide themselves until they grow older and more powerful and able to fight with Guerrilla tactics, such a thing is unlikely, especially since the diehard golds would likely undermine both the Dragon-Bloods and Bronzes from within," I said as I waved my hand, calling the entire idea insane and deluded among other things. "What is the difference between that sort of delusion and insanity, I wonder? I suppose it is in the repetition, if they were to have a fatal blow struck to it and have to reformulate in a hurry but use a similar plan again, I believe that would show for sure that it is insanity and not delusion," I said with a sigh and a shake of my head. "I'm not, to be honest. It pains me to think that the Viziers could ever be that harebrained when they were supposed to be the keepers of wisdom and the Martial Arts," I said with a sigh. It was just so disappointing.
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Post by shinzo on Sept 20, 2017 5:10:42 GMT
I nod along with her discussion of the Unconquered Sun, interesting as it was, what was far more important was the fact that she was thinking about fallibility in the unfallible. The very fact that such a thing was on the table meant that she could reject the cult of perfection, which was far more important. After all, what could be more vital to the Vision of Gold than seeing Solars admitting that they were not the end-all-be-all of knowledge. While I had a somewhat less than biased view on it, I definitely thought that this massacre was a good wake-up call to the Solar Exalted, no matter which way it went. Either the Bronze Vision is carried out, or the Solars understand that they are not all knowing, they are not all-powerful, and they are not all-consuming. The issue would be whether they go the way of the reasonable individual upon learning this, or if it drives them into paranoid madness...whether the Sidereals can wield the swords, or whether they are cut by them. Upon that crux, upon that fulcrum, would rest the future of Creation. It was a heavy responsibility, but I was convinced that it was the way the future would turn. I wasn't fully convinced either way...I needed to see more, to know more. The arguments that held me had not been persuasive...not in the long term, it seemed. Many of her points were well reasoned and cogent...though I couldn't truly debate them as I had to appear to be fully on her side.
Her question raised an eyebrow...but it was rather on-point with what I was thinking. "Can I remember what went on? Yes, I suppose...what I do remember is that the Bronze Faction's arguments seemed much more difficult to argue against than I remember. It...wasn't anything like peer pressure...not that I can recall. The fact that the majority agreed on that made it seem...right. That it undermined our position, that people simply didn't want to agree with us...it was nightmarish, frankly." I sigh. "I know the charm you're talking about. I don't think it's necessary unless you truly need deeper specifics of the situation. As for your views on the Prophecies..." I shrug. "Who knows?" Laughing, I explain further. "We are still creatures bound by Fate, so perhaps it does account for us. But truly...are our actions out of alignment with the Vision of Gold? I don't think it's necessarily the case that I wouldn't have seen it, after all, perhaps in the fulfillment of the Vision of Gold, was to make this journey into a land beyond Fate...so that the Star-etched Hands might wield the Swords of Gold." I shrug again. "It's vague, imprecise, and frankly, the main reason most preferred the Bronze Vision despite it's many flaws and inadequacies. It was, at least, internally stable, despite how insane it was." Stability that could find strength and purpose as it's implemented, as a strong foundation builds a strong house.
I sigh, waving off what she said about the historical event. "I wasn't there, so I couldn't say. But if this helps you find peace, then I hope for the best. After this, I hope you can find happiness...and during this, I hope the Journey gives you satisfaction." As she sums up her opinion on the way the tide will be turned, I tilt my head. "You truly think the technology of this world will be of such use? You certainly had little trouble dealing with it, it seemed. If we can find a way to get through to knowledge of the Vortex, though...that could certainly be helpful." I listen to her eagerness, her excitement, and nod. "I hope that to be the case." The fact that she is willing to be reasonable and calm even in talk about destroying those who took everything from her...it was good. Quite good. A sword that didn't bite it's wielder was a sword that could up the Tower of Glass. Or it could fail at any moment.
I frown. "I worry for young Twilights and Zeniths, while the Dawn Caste could likely put up a fight that could lead to their escape in some situations, they would probably be harried down. Nights could likely hide themselves...and Eclipses have their charms in the domain of Journeys, of swift movement by boat or horse. But as for the rest...they sound like they could be torn apart..." I shake my head. "Still, yes, Golds who hold to their vows and are not browbeaten over time...and more directly, gods who remember a more reasonable, ordered time, would likely be an eternal thorn in the side of the Bronzes that they likely haven't fully considered...despite bringing up that argument. I suppose they just assumed we would essentially see their rightness and reach consensus?" Because why endanger what's working? If Bronze is guiding the way, who would be a fool enough to ruin it? I shake my head. "Hopefully they will prove deluded and not insane...I hope that consensus will shift and we will be able to get back on the correct path." One that will preserve creation. But which?
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Post by Kishar on Sept 20, 2017 5:57:52 GMT
I listened to what he said, and it definitely seemed a bit odd, but I wouldn't press the issue, at least not for now. After all, it seemed reasonable enough that peer pressure, a fundamental aspect of what made us human despite our Exaltation, was at work here as well like it had been in the case of the enforcement of the cult of perfection that surrounded the Solars and led us to this mess. It seemed odd that he denied that was the case, but well, most people would in cases of peer pressure, wouldn't they? Wouldn't they try to reason themselves into not believing that their fellows had stopped thinking for themselves and had just gone along with the majority consensus? It still niggled at me, so I would ask about it alter and perhaps have him go back over it in more detail with the charm but that wasn't something necessary for now. "Hmmm, that does seem like peer pressure to me at least from the outside. Of course, I don't presume to impose my own presuppositions on it if you insist it wasn't that, but the way you are saying that it seemed right and hard to argue against because it was the group opinion makes it seem to be that way. Not that we Solars were any better with the cult of perfection that caused the entire mess, but that is just what it seems like to me," I said with a shrug as I analyzed the situation as calmly, rationally, and detachedly as I could. That was what it seemed like to me, so unless he provided some reasons why it wasn't that, it was what I was going to assume was the case.
I listened to what he had said about the prophecies...and something still didn't sit right with me about that, and I shook my head. "I suppose that might be the case but...it just seems very odd for the Loom to be able to take this journey into account in anything but the most vague ways in regards to it. Perhaps my leaving might be able to be predicted but when I arrive back, how I arrive, and most of all, what I bring back with me seem far too outside the purview of fate, especially considering this is more removed from it than even the Wyld and if one spends enough time there, they can slip outside the Loom. So it seems odd that this place wouldn't do so even faster since it shares not even a physical link like how Creation shares a physical border with the Wyld," I said, shaking my head a bit. "Perhaps that might be true on why they preferred it despite it's insanity, but it just seems odd based on what I know about how Fate works that the results of this trip would be included within the prophecies, even with how vague the Vision of Gold seems to be," I said, deciding to leave it at that as I shrugged and moved on to further topics.
I nodded at what he had commented on when it came to the technology of the world, after all, it had been other issues besides the principles of the technology itself that had let me defeat it as easily as I had. "Yes, I do. The reason I had very little issue with the technology was an issue of it's implementation, not how it worked at least as far as I could tell. The barrier they put up was sufficient to contain Solar Circle Sorcery, so it was indeed rather potent. The way I escaped was that they did not have generators under the ground that allowed me to tunnel beneath it. I could also dodge it because of the perfection of defense offered by Solar Dodge Charms and the fact that it was targeted and not generalized allowed me to evade it by removing my existence with the Sidereal Arts. All of these can be rectified with enough engineering and giving the technology to the Exalted to use instead of mere mortals, after all, there is a limit of how skilled a Mortal can be at something," I said with a nod as I gave a summation of the issues that had allowed me to escape. "More robust implementation would allow for wearing down an Exalt until they could no longer use their best defenses and thus be able to be hit by sufficiently skilled users. Without Assumption could be worked around with a directed but untargeted wave much like that barrier but moving," I said, finishing up my analysis of how to properly implement that technology in ways that would make it much harder to deal with when used against Exalts. "It would maybe even be possible to combine the power output of the Vortex to power these things, and the general power increase from the Vortices would help in general, and perhaps would be just what we need to turn the tide of the war. After all, it is rather impossible for anyone but a Solar to create these," I said with a shrug as I looked at the Vortex set in my left hand.
"One thing I am unsure if they had considered is the fact that the Eclipse have oaths not only in Yu-Shan, which I assume they would guard to prevent them from using their immunity to prevent them from being harmed, but also in the courts of the Raksha and the Underworld. If they are harried and have nobody to teach them the truth, it would be rather easy for these young ones to end up taking sides with either the ghosts of the dead Elders who likely would not be pleased with the Sidereals, or even worse, be driven to the courts of the Raksha where they might end up working against Creation," I said with a sigh and a shake of my head, "Of course, this is just worst case scenarios, but pressing Solars into a corner and not teaching them about the dangers of some of the beings out there that might take advantage of this sounds like a very bad idea to me. It is why I had assumed the Bronze faction would not have moved if they didn't have a way of permanently putting the Solars to rest and preventing Lytek from redistributing their Exaltation later, let alone the interference of whatever Golds still remained. It just seems...too badly thought out for the Children of the Maidens, at least from what I know of your kind from my interactions."
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Post by shinzo on Sept 20, 2017 6:22:26 GMT
I shrug, hiding my lack of comfort with the issue behind a slight mask of lack of care, one that she could see through quite easily. I knew that she would likely say what she did, and potentially be right. All I could work through were feelings, assumptions, and social navigations, the like of which were inherently less than objective, because that's what they were. They were all narrow argumentation and theory that seemed to lead to a result that...on reflection, should not have been the result that was gained. And yet, I had walked through with it eagerly...it did not feel like peer pressure, where you tended to be an unwilling participant, rather than, if recalcitrant, a true believer. But then, I couldn't say that, so...that was as far as that went. "I don't know. It might very well be peer pressure, but then, we knew about peer pressure, and while the five-score fellowship was generally in lock-step in key issues, that was more a result of our need to present a united front before the Deliberative. We had heated and firey debates that were not in the Deliberative's records." I sigh. "It just seems...wrong." I think back if there were any times like this that occurred before, but really...there hadn't been an issue this pressing before the Fellowship before. It was so new, so strange...I didn't know what to think. Besides...doing my job, of course.
I just shrug at her point. "The prophecy is quite vague. You can basically fit whatever into it and get the same result of the prophecy being fulfilled, so long as it includes the Sidereals informing the Solars, and as a result of Sidereal guidance, the Solars coming to terms with the issues facing them and their need to resolve it. I do believe the so-called Cult of Perfection is one of the key causes of madness...but really, it's something that needs to be looked into by a Twilight like yourself...ideally many, but I'll take what I can get." I sigh as she returns to the Prophecy, and nod. "Perhaps it may, perhaps it may not. Either way, I think that it's immaterial if it results in the Solars coming to grips with themselves and their flaws, and through it, Creation growing more beautiful and glorious than ever before."
Listening to her talk about technology was interesting indeed...though most of my technique was rather focused specifically on the great artifacts of Creation, with Essence woven so deeply into their creation that this essence-free technology still sounded like snake oil if it weren't so demonstrably useful and powerful. "What you say makes sense...but it's hard to follow well with anything too technical, I'm afraid." Still, the gist was clear. "So you can make this technology into something that can be used with Exalted skill and sufficient application to overwhelm most of the abilities within the repoirtoire of the Sidereal Martial Arts...wow. I'd be impressed if it wasn't totally expectable for you to be able to do something like that." Laughing, I nod. "Quite. Either way, I'll leave specifics in that matter to you...I daresay, it is what you do best."
I sigh as she mentions the possibilities of the Eclipse. "Given how these problems may present themselves...I don't doubt that they will present themselves by anyone after the heyday of their "triumph," and solutions be found. The Secrets caste is often good at finding inventive solutions for difficult problems. If something like that were implemented...well, I'll believe in your ability to make it a non-issue by returning us to the earliest, most convenient time." Sealing away Exaltations, taking the Solar Exalted away from Lytek, from Reincarnation...could it be possible? Perhaps it could, and that possibility was frightening. One of the limitations I saw that did help convince me in the Bronze Vision was that the Solars would be young and reincarnating, but present, in case their great power was needed again. If such a thing was seen as necessary...then that safety net for the dulled Creation would be gone, and we would truly be left to our own devices.
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Post by Kishar on Sept 20, 2017 6:54:32 GMT
The look on his face told me that he had worry that such a thing may very well be the case, which only served to strengthen that in my mind. Perhaps due to the enhancements of the Exalted, we were subject to enhancement in the other aspects of our humanity as well? But that didn't seem quite right, at least not completely. If it was simply the Solars, whose Essence was focused around the improvement of human skills to an utmost perfection that would be one thing, but the Sidereals as well? Their Essence did other things, it affected fate not their own skills so much as Solar Essence did as far as I knew. It was wrong, oh so very wrong but what else would cause it? More research was needed, more data points. But I would not force him to undergo this charm if he did not want to, after all, that would be counterproductive to our alliance and likely would engender more suspicion than it did cooperation. As such, the most I could do was posit my theories and leave it on the table. "Perhaps something, or someone, had an agenda and they did something not unlike what likely was used to eliminate the Solars at the Calibration feast? If this really was a one-time event that something like this happened, then it stands to reason there might be a one-time cause of such a thing. Sure, the immediacy of the situation might have induced odd behavior due to the very fate of Creation laying in the balance, but it is very possible other factors were at play. I shall leave my offer of letting you undergo the Two Score Mirror Glance whenever you feel like should you change your mind upon consideration of what happened and if my words may ring true. After all, I am simply guessing at possible causes from your account and just what you have said. I do not have the full picture at all so I could be completely off base," I said with a shrug as I left the offer on the table. Hopefully he would take me up on it just in case there was some illusion or other force taking its toll on him, but again, I did not want to sour the good will we had engendered towards each other.
I nodded at what he had said about the prophecy and mostly just left it be, after all, there really wasn't much else to be said about it. Everything had been covered, as well as the issues that had caused whatever they had seen. With the knowledge of something being wrong, I could probably come up with a number of factors through experimentation that could be the cause, but right now I needed to look into other things, such as ways back and the technology of this realm. After all, if it was something intrinsic to us and not just the cult of perfection surrounding us, having more people to help reduce biases that might be introduced by such a thing would be valuable indeed. Perhaps comparing against younger solars, like he said there might be still, would be also a good test. If I came up with something testable while I was working on other things I wouldn't totally shelve it, but it was definitely a good idea to save a mass effort for later when I had more people from either here or got him more up to speed on a variety of topics to make him a useful collaborator in this particular subject.
I nodded at what he said and understood quite well that it was rather technical for anyone not of the Twilight Caste with a focus on the advanced applications of Essence to Magitech. So it very much made sense to me that the technical talk about it would escape him, it wasn't his specialty after all. "That all depends on how much time I take and how much knowledge and resources I can glean from this realm, but yes, theoretically this is possible depending on the way this technology works. It likely is an entirely new craft, even if it seems somewhat related to the realm of Magitech, so I will be starting from the basics much like you would be once I get into the nitty gritty. I am essentially just extrapolating as much as I can with my knowledge of Essence and how that interacted with it's effects to get a base understanding of what might even be possible for it," I said with a sigh and a shrug as I emphasized that this was all still completely untested theory. "It is entirely possible to make countermeasures to this more than likely, as I can think of a few possibilities myself, but as long as we engage in a campaign of shock and awe tactics to win as quickly as possible, we remove their ability to develop them, as it would require the study of how it works since it would very likely have to come in the form of Sorcery or Artifacts considering the limitations of the Dragon-Blooded and their charms and the limitations placed upon the Sidereals when it comes to the creation of new charms."
"I can probably rather quickly install some skin mount amulets for you if you would like. I happen to have a supply of the magical materials somewhere in my large amount of supplies that I stuffed into Elsewhere by a variety of means. Don't ask where I got it, I have my sources," I said with a sigh as I said that, "It shouldn't take too long to create just one of them for you and then fish one of the suspended vortices out of Elsewhere for you as well. I only have a very limited amount of these, only about two more than I have socketed, as I did not expect anyone to come with me and the other two were for study to see if I could open a wyld zone here and to do general research on," I said with a sigh as I shook my head on that, "I hope you don't mind if I use yours for study once I can get a proper area for you to respire and a Hearthstone or two for you to use in it's stead? It would be rather useful I must say. I can imagine having limited to no respiration due to how this place works is probably pretty taxing without an external supply like I have." I figured he was limiting his essence use partly because of that, after all, that would be quite the issue for him to deal with.
I nodded at him in regard to that, "I figure. I just wanted to put those possibilities out there to show the flaws in the Bronzes' plans. It just seems a bit strange to me in general that they wouldn't take that into account beforehand, so either something is affecting them and causing this loss of competence, I was wrong about their competence, or you are not quite fully in the know due to being a Gold. These are all possibilities to consider, but I am tending to lean towards options one and three, if only because the second seems very unlikely to me based on your own competence in finding me so quickly and the competence of my Sifu." It just really quite sat oddly to me that they might not have come up with a solution for things that I had come up with on the spot after having been told. Did my knowledge and intellect put me that far above them that such questions only crossed my mind because of it? Perhaps that was the case but...it just didn't seem right, not entirely.
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Post by shinzo on Sept 20, 2017 8:06:47 GMT
I sigh as she continues to explain her position, that it might have been far more than just a matter of peer pressure. She wasn't sure, couldn't be sure, of course. That was the nature of these sorts of things, especially in the hands of the Exalted, able to magnify these aspects beyond measure. Especially in the case of the Sidereal Exalted, who were in such a close state for so long. Still, I believed what I believe, and because she happened to know quite the convenient martial art, we could put that to the test. "Perhaps it could be. Perhaps there was some secret cabal of Sidereal Exalted that formed the core of the Bronze Faction that truly wanted the Solars dead, and used it as an excuse. Perhaps they shaped fate with such power and tenacity, uncaring of the potential for Spider Bite, that they shaped all manner of ascending and descending destinies as to make the effort to counsel people against such a barbaric solution a futile one." I sigh. "Or perhaps it was some other individual being exerting influence, some agent of the Underworld, of the Wyld, of Malfeas. So many possibilities, so little probabilities...but then, that's what you want me to look for, isn't it?" I smile. "I don't mind. Although..." My knowledge of the charm indicated it was a solo, individual experience to be affected by that Charm, and that it's use didn't allow one to peek in alongside it. That was what I was relying on, but I couldn't rely on it alone. After all, to do so would be an absurdity when a Twilight-Caste Exalt, possessed of power and grandeur, could simply have some artifact or charm to read my thoughts, as she had implied earlier. To use it would be to invite her scrutiny, and there would be a great many suspicious activies that would need to be explained. I could probably get away with it, that I was simply using a position within the Bronze Faction to get to this place alive...but that would wait until it was necessary to broach. "I lost great friends of mine when the envoys to the Calibration Feast were butchered. I'm...not quite over that just yet...so if I'm going to do this...and there's no avoiding that...I would like my privacy." I sigh. "Would that be acceptable?"
I sigh as she explains it further. "Of course...but then, it shouldn't be too hard to glean the knowledge from this realm. It's so often out in the open...though the place in general is damned inconvenient. Really, their stance against magic, something that certainly does exist here...well, it's obvious it's nonsensical and exists to make our lives more frustrating." I shrug. "I can avoid it well enough, though." I smile a bit, though. "Well, if we're starting on equal footing, then I'm excited. I get to show off that I'm not just a pretty face." I laugh. "After all, being skilled with our hands is quite important in the Violet Bier. Though most focus on the weaving of fate, it shouldn't be difficult to apply that here." Her description of the tactics it would need to be deployed in got a solemn nod. "Indeed...though, we're not so limited that countermeasures couldn't be deployed. A supernatural martial art could be quickly rushed through to provide a counter...and if they're able to accomplish it at the Celestial level, it could even be taught to those Dragon-Blooded that show particular skill in the matter..." It was tricky. Difficult. There were many ways it could go wrong. "Hopefully, the conflict would be over before that becomes too big a deal. A fast conclusion is obviously preferable."
As she offers to emplace the Photoshinmaic Vertex, I nod. "That would be most welcome." I chuckle a bit. "I sort of assumed that considering all that happened, that doing that was simply forgotten in me doing...well, one of the many things that would cause you to be cross with me." My laughter grows a bit strained, and I scratch my head. Ignoring her point on the supply of the Magical Materials, I just shrug. "I'm happy to hear you have them. I have patterned Ambrosia for such a thing, but if you have magical materials, that's simpler and less, well, inefficient, considering that could turn into a great deal more things than just Magical Materials." Shaking my head, I redirect one of her points. "As to complaining about taking it away...well, on the one hand, I have a sizable pool of essence for such matters, so it's not a big deal. The rate available here is far from ideal, but it's not unworkable. It would certainly allow me to run any necessary errands and get back before the lack of easy Essence begins to make things difficult." I lean back on the couch. "As for the other...I only have the vertex by your generosity, so if you see fit to take it away, I can't exactly complain, can I? It belongs to you...and opening a Wyld Zone could just let you make more anyway."
It was amusing, if not untrue, to deride the Sidereals for getting on board with incomplete methodology. It wasn't false, I had problems, but it was all said to be resolved later, when the Solars were dealt with, when things were stable. It was paying for today with tomorrow, even more than the very prospect of a Creation ruled by Dragon-Blooded was. "I don't know either. It could be likely..." Three could have been the case even considering my work for the Bronze Faction...I was on the fence, and they knew that. Many were. Many just thought this was the best hope for Creation's preservation. So some cabal could have come up with more detailed plans they were working on how to present...or could have simply arranged to make it difficult to resist such a substandard plan. "However it is...I just want it resolved. This is little better than a crackpot civil war, an insurrection where communication could have won the day. And in doing so, the happiness of the people will be reduced...I want it over as fast as possible."
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Post by Kishar on Sept 21, 2017 0:15:31 GMT
I listened to what he said, all of those were possibilities I had been thinking of. None of them probable, of course, but I had long since given up eliminating the improbable. After all, such thoughts were for simple minds who had to do it in order to even have a chance of working through problems. I was no mere mortal limited by such things, I was a Solar I was a Twilight. Limitations like that had been given up even before my Mate's first death, as my Essence had driven my mind and my skill beyond the bounds of what is even possible for a mortal human. To limit myself to considering the mere probable and eliminating anything but the logically impossible was unthinkable to me, after all, such things were limits on the mind that, while useful for smaller minds, acted as nuisances for my kind. I nodded at him as I considered the position he was in, he had lost many of his comrades in this as well, and while I wanted him to cooperate as much as possible, I did not want to force him and ruin the alliance we had. I had too few resources here as it was, and there was far too much opposition already to add another to my list of enemies, or to force my hand into killing him and taking the risk of the Exaltation going to someone here without the protective cleansing between Exaltations and ending up with a maddened Exalt with little control over their powers as my only comrade. Both on the level of practicality and on the bit of good will we had bought for each other it made sense to grant his request. "Of course, I would not force you to undergo something as harrowing as this anyway. The conditions are up to you, feel free to pick the time and place of your choosing and I will leave you to it. I am not so boorish as to intrude on the privacy of one who has lost much," I said, sighing and shaking my head a bit. I had lost someone for the second time just recently, only a boor would be cruel to someone in that same kind of situation.
I nodded at what he said, and it too struck me as odd that they would have such a stance against magic. "Really, it seems rather odd that they would be against such things. Everything is Essence, Essence is Everything. They and their patterns are mundane, but it truly isn't too different from the magical, especially with the effects it can produce," I said with a sigh and a shrug, "It just seems like something utterly insane to me, I guess. I wonder what could have caused such backwards thinking in the first place. Perhaps I can learn such things from the populace, to find out what exactly is going on so that I can bring more than just weapons back with me from this realm. After all, there is so much more here to learn and understand than just the practical." I nodded at what he had said about the evasion of their detection, "Indeed, I would expect your kind to be good at that. Unless they are looking at Fate or whatever they have as a substitute for it to control causality here, it would be rather hard to find you unless you start blaring out peripheral essence, which would be rather unwise of you so I assume you wouldn't normally do such a thing while stealthing. I simply was forced to by the situation at hand, really. That and I had no clue that such stealth would be necessary, or else I would have trained myself in it before I left..."
I cocked my head at what he said before asking, "I mean, I was under the impression that Crafting and yourself both fell into the Cerulean Lute not the Violet Bier, unless I am missing something somewhere?" I asked, perhaps just missing a bit of vital context on what he was saying. Maybe it was just something that was common in the Sidereal Circles to refer to the entire department as that? I didn't know either way so I would just leave it at that if he had an answer for it. It just seemed a bit odd to me was all. "It would need to be able to emulate the principles of this world likely to create some sort of interference with the energy, either that or it would need to be utilizing Essence that is far more tightly patterned than our world tends to be, I suppose. Maybe using artifice with jade pulled from the very depths of the Pole of Earth or something similar. I doubt it would be emulated with a Celestial Art, though I would not put it past a Sidereal Art, but I would assume the amount of time it would take to create a new one to deal with this would be far too long for it to be effective if we play our cards right," I said with a shrug at what he said.
I laughed a little at his mention of me forgetting, I found it deeply amusing, "The only times that I forget things are when it is caused by magical means, like what happened with that Primordial. After all, it is rather easy to remember whatever I need to with my vast intellect as befitting of a Twilight of my age and experience." I shrugged as I said that and continued on with what I was saying, "The ambrosia should be kept for later, as you said, it can be made into a number of other things. I have no need for it in the short term though likely, I have more than enough to cover the base materials for most anything I would need to make here unless I were to try to create large scale works of Starmetal really. Perhaps if that becomes a necessity for some reason, but other than that I am rather set," I said with a shrug and a sigh. "I just figured it would be good to ask for politeness's sake, really. I would rather it be something that we share rather than I own, it builds more cooperation that way I suppose. In any case, I can probably attach the hearthstone amulet after you undergo the Mirror Glance. Who knows, I might find something you can use while I am looking for the materials I need. That would be rather convenient," I said chuckling a bit as I said that.
"Of course, and when this war is over I can set about actually gathering together the remaining fragments of the Twilight Caste and whatever infrastructure is left after the initial attack so that we may set about figuring out what caused this, along with continuing research as usual, both on what I found here and on the various projects that were undoubtedly going on at the time of the insurrection. While we do that, I suppose we can leave those more inclined to society-building to try to find a stopgap governmental solution to make things work, but that is not my field at all," I said with a shrug as I said that. There wasn't much else to say on the subject until he underwent a Mirror Glance to review it to ensure that nothing untoward was going on in that meeting that they had.
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Post by shinzo on Sept 21, 2017 5:47:41 GMT
I smile, just a little. It was good to see that she was going to 'honor my privacy' when it came to the use of the Two Score Mirror Glance. While I was very intrigued with the possibilities that the revelation could bring through the ability to look at what happened free of intrigue or caprice, potentially revealing wrongdoing I was increasingly suspicious of. After all, even without the rivalry and mistrust that occurred between the Cerulean Lute of Harmony and the Violet Bier of Sorrows...I trusted that dastard Kejak about as far as I could throw him. A fairly decent amount, to be sure, we were colleagues, but not enough to be fully comfortable with what he was pushing without checking. And because she was willing to grant me my privacy, I didn't have to worry about some absurd Twilight technology allowing her to unpack the condensed memory into enough to form something worryingly intelligible out of it. The revelation would be mine alone, and how much I choose to give her...an appropriate relationship between a sword and her wielder. “Well, if I'm being honest, then I'm fine with you undertaking the technique at your nearest convenience.” I shrug. “It will occur over a matter of seconds, so it's not something that I truly worry about the time or place. I don't need preparation, much more than a bit of meditation to clear my thoughts and get ready, so that's not an issue.” I sigh. “What's much more important is that I'm left alone, both during and for a few moments after. It will take me a bit to recover my wits and whereabouts, after all, what I'm seeing will be both engrossing and wildly unpleasant for me at the same time.” I nod as she brings up her own loss. It was almost amusing how understanding she was being, after only a bit before being a mopey wreck consumed by her own loss. But then, everyone acted selfishly, so it wasn't anything to make a big deal over. To do so was very human of her...in a rather annoying way, admittedly. “Truly, it's not something that you need be concerned over. You've lost far more than me. Just...just leave me to myself for a bit, if there's a spare room, that would be ideal.”
At her discussion on the mortals and their worship of science and hatred of magic, I just throw up my hands. “It seems odd? It is odd! It is unusual in the most basic way of the world.” I laugh. “I mean, think about it. Their focus is on what they perceive to be mundane natural processes. Like they have rules for little things about how everything works, based around their understanding of chemistry and physics. Of course, there's wholes in it, but they have faith that those will fill themselves in time. As if, when they look deep enough, they won't just find the Essence that fuels magic inside of it, once they successfully unpack it. As if they don't tap into that power with every chemical reaction they produce.” It was so hilarious, it was quite the excellent joke. “I wonder what will happen if they do make a discovery like that. Will they honestly take it into their understanding of 'science,' or will they simply hide the results, bury the researchers, and continue as if it never happened? I figure the latter in such a situation, really, that sounds like something that would fit a society ran by mortals, especially mortals that came to such a conclusion in the first place.” With my thoughts on all that, with information gleaned from my time “on the clock,” as it were, I nod as she seems to accept my superiority in one location, though obviously, she doesn't really seem to care too much about that. “About correct. And there are a great many techniques we have to obfuscate ourselves against even that.” I smile. “It's nothing to concern yourself over...I find that warmth of an iconic Solar anima rather pleasant, honestly. Nostalgic, even.”
I blink...and then growl, feeling ready to break something myself, but calm down. “That...that was..a slip of the tongue...” I grate out, annoyed. There was definitely something up. Someone to take issue with. Someone responsible for all this. If there was some compulsion laid by Kejak or one of his cronies, then I needed to find out. This was the last damn straw...some sort of damned prank. “I haven't mixed them up before, have I?” I sigh in annoyance as I listen to her explanation of the science of replicating this world's material, and find it sufficiently calming. “Interesting. And hopefully it will be the case that it can't be developed quickly. The worst situation with Celestial Martial Arts excluded is that it would become a single charm that Sidereals could just tack on to the Prismatic Arrangement of Creation...one far less difficult to add than the mythical Soulsteel addendum to the Magical Materials Form...as it is actually a reputable part of Creation you would be creating.” I tilt my head a bit. “Perhaps I should try that and see how it works...” Having a project would be nice. Enough to get my head off this bizarre situation, if only slightly.
Smiling along with her laughing at the very concept of forgetting something, I nod as she states agreement to withold the Ambrosia for now. “Very well. I do think that's the best idea.” As for the idea about the bracers, I shrug. “Well, I'm ready to undergo the Mirror Glance whenever is convenient, so if that means now, then that would be good.” And as she begins to talk about the plans for the Reconstruction of Creation, I nod. “That would probably be best. We can't ignore what brought us here. There is a problem...and where there's a problem, there must be a solution.
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Post by Kishar on Sept 22, 2017 20:46:13 GMT
I nodded at what he had said in regards to his undertaking of the Mirror Glance, and nod at his request for a private room. "Of course there is, the Ivory Orchid Palace is fit to entertain an entire Legion, so there are plenty around outside of the area we are in. Such is the power of Sorcery from one of the Children of the Twilight after all," I said, giving a bit of a proud look as I said that. If there was anything I was proud of, it was my capabilities, even if they were not able to get me what I desired. It would be odd to not be proud of what I could accomplish, after all, the acts were momentous. Not that they were enough for what I desired, but I had learned to not discount what I already had as being nothing because it didn't give me what I strove for. To ignore their power was to lose the tools that I had to build towards that end, and the only time I really lost sight of it was when I ended up in one of the moods that I had just been in. Sure, they were not able to give me what I sought immediately, but what value would it have if they could? Without the challenge, it would cheapen it, make me question the value of what I sought, which was not something I desired in the slightest. My mate was worth the world to me, so the effort I would have to take to get to even see him again, let alone have him back, would be monumental.
I thought about what he said on the subject and found myself mostly agreeing, except that it seemed that they had a bit of a different definition of magic more than likely than we did. After all, it did seem to be a different offshoot from the Essence of this world than the mundane things that they studied. "Indeed, they are ignorant of that, but I do not think they, or this world in general, seems to define magic the same way that we do. It seems to be related to an entirely different set of patterns of Essence than what they use. This may go far to explain it, as it would be accurate to say that the 'magic' and the 'mundane' of this world are different enough to draw a distinct line between them. It is not just them, but the entire world and how it works, that seems to be laboring under false assumptions, as they are unaware of the Essence that makes up the fabric of reality, and are likely unable to even tap into it, as they are not the kind of beings that interact directly with it like us," I said, laying out my analysis of what seemed to be going on from what I could glean from the differences between this place and the last one, and the difference between the magical energy of this realm and Essence. "I would never presume to know how they would react, social things are not my area of expertise after all, but I would like to believe that if they were taught about the true nature of existence and how everything is differently patterned Essence, and thus there is very little difference between what they do and what the users of this world's version of magic do, then they might change their minds," I said with a shrug and a sigh, "I would assume from what you said that they are somewhat similar to Devonians, so it might just be my own hope that people who think similarly to me might be a bit better than the average person."
As he mentioned that they had techniques to obfuscate even against that, nodding as it seemed perfectly natural for that to be the case. "Of course, I would expect nothing less from the ones who maintain fate to know how to slip through it's cracks. Solar Stealth is rather straightforward comparatively, but it generally gets the job done if one is skilled enough," I said with a shrug, it wasn't worse or better really, simply different. Stealth was not an area where the Solars necessarily had an enormous advantage, after all, there was only so much you could do in the realms of going unnoticed. That wasn't to say the more esoteric arts of the Night Caste with Stealth weren't impressive or grand, but it wasn't something I knew much about or liked to assume too much about, especially in the area of direct applications of stealth. "Oh, I had forgotten about that. I just have gotten so used to it that it really no longer bothers me. I long ago switched my building materials to things that were proofed against that, and something like this building is less affected due to it being made of Solar Essence and generally needs to be replaced every day until I get a permanent Manse ready," I said with a shrug, "I guess since I am a Sorcerer and a Crafter, I do tend to end up with an Anima Flare when I'm working fairly often."
I was a bit perplexed at his anger at that, but it did seem to be a genuine slip of the tongue as far as I could tell, so I just shrugged and said, "No not at all, that was the first time it had happened. Stranger things have been known to occur in general and we are in a strange world already, so perhaps it was just some fluke." I wasn't overly concerned about it, though he did seem deeply troubled by it, though only Jupiter probably knows why. "That would indeed be the worst case scenario probably, but hopefully it wouldn't be as easily done as it seems like it might be. After all, the material in question does seem to do this by it's very nature, so it would likely be hard to understand and emulate something like that with a pure Essence construct. Though I do not doubt it likely could be done with enough time and study," I said with a nod, "I would be interested in seeing how that turns out, it might be valuable for researching how to integrate it with other weaponry."
As he said he was ready to undergo the Mirror Glance, I stood up and said, "Well then, follow me. I will lead you to a bed chamber so that you can even sleep it off afterwards if you feel the need to, it is a rather mentally draining process to go through after all." And with that I led him to one of the many bedrooms in the Palace that I had created and waited for him to settle down in the similarly decorated interior. When he was ready I would give him a nod and exert myself heavily, pushing my will and essence to inflict the Mirror Glance on him before making my way out of the room to the bedroom across from me so that I could take a bit of sleep to recover my willpower myself. The Sidereal Arts I had used today and the sheer amount of Essence had begun to take their toll, and I wanted to make sure I was awake and refreshed enough to continue my research later. That way, things could go more smoothly. If he walked over to find me after it was done, he would find me asleep face down, my wings twitching ab it in my sleep as I dreamed of better times, older times when my Mate was still alive.
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