open | The Commander's Audience at the Palace of Landed Sky

[alderwood]

Characters: The Ironwood Emperor Alderwood Commander and anyone who came to speak with the Ironwood Emperor.
Date: June 15th
Location: The Palace of Landed Sky
Situation: The expected holding of an audience for any that care to speak with the Ironwood Emperor, though they will be met instead by the Alderwood Commander.
Warnings/Rating: N/A; to be updated if necessary

The hall is still and white, strung with softly glowing lanterns that are strung up high beyond reach. Outside, the sun is at its zenith, and it filters down through the cloudy glass roof to create a brilliant, nearly blinding ambiance.

The floor is marble, inlaid with mother-of-pearl and ruby quartz. It catches the light, and casts strange patterns on the walls.

The room itself is almost eerily silent. No noise, no echoes. No one and nothing vaguely human, excepting the presence of Evandau. The Alderwood Commander stands before the Emperor's empty throne with patient expression and posture reminiscent to the at-ease bearing of a soldier. He waits to receive the petitioners, kedan and Foreigner alike, in Eshai's place this day. As with her audiences, those wishing to make their case must approach him and he will make not move to shorten the distance between the grand entryway and the throne that he defends.

The 'audience' is an open one, and no one will be turned away. So come one, come all, to the Palace of Landed Sky.

[Actionspam or prose are both acceptable! The Emperor has delegated the audience to Evandau this month and he has been temporarily granted many of the authorities that she naturally holds. Why is that? Well, telling y'all would be too easy, wouldn't it?

Characters will only be admitted into the hall one by one, so there won't be anyone present for anyone else's conversations, and there won't be any 'mingling' in the chamber itself.

By popular demand, we continue to allow mingling for those waiting for an audience in an antechamber. There is a thread header below to allow for that!]

Comments

[constants]

[ The Archive is dressed in the sort of formal clothes she would wear for any official function of her position. Instead of anything cute, she wears a simple, dark grey dress of nice fabric, and a lighter grey cloak held closed with a silver pin. The seriousness of her clothes balance out her youth and she manages to look much more the part of five thousand years of knowledge.

She approaches and stops a proper distance away, posture straight. She inclines her head at Evandau, as it's not in her nature to bow. ]

I am the Archive, and I have come to request access to the library. I am willing to provide payment if necessary for such a thing.

[alderwood]

[This one is... young. Yet, she speaks with a title and with diction beyond the simplicity of her apparent age. Evandau is no stranger to the concept of age defying years, but this is different as far as Foreigners go.]

Why do you seek this? An archive, by definition, is well equipped with information already.

[constants]

You are correct, as the Archive I have five thousand years of written knowledge. The Archive was created as a preservation of knowledge, a way to prevent the collapse of civilization and the destruction of learning. Where I am from, there is little I do not know.

However I am here now, and I know very little about this world. I wish to gather the knowledge of the world I exist in so that I may properly carry out my duty as the Archive.

[ She pauses. Should she say more? Even though she is hesitant to speak the other half of the truth, it seems necessary. When she speaks again her tone is just a degree softer, though it still carries the formality of the situation. ]

Also... curiosity. It has been a long time since I have had knowledge to learn, the way I do here. I wish to continue learning about this world.

[alderwood]

[Then is is correct in his caution to her age, for five thousand years is not betrayed by so young an appearance. Evandau considers her request and the scope of it, noting that mention of duty -- a chord that strikes deep within him.]

Explain to me whether this duty of yours would compel you to prevent the collapse of our civilisation. Or would you simply absorb this knowledge for your sake alone?

[He wishes to know who would benefit from her access, but duty and responsibility are the most familiar ways in which he can address the concern.]

[constants]

[ Preventing the collapse of knowledge not the sole purpose (or even the real purpose of her existence) but centuries of repeating the words has altered The Archive to have a sort of secondary purpose. She nods in approval of the question, as it's a good one since people rarely bother to ask for more than surface information. ]

Yes, as this is where I reside, my duty applies to here. Should there be an event which causes society be reduced to no more than a shadow of it's former self, the Archive would be responsible for passing knowledge on necessary for the former civilization to live on. This means history, literature, arts, scientific knowledge, and everything else known. It is a preservation of everything that has been accomplished and learned.

However, there are stipulation on this knowledge. The Archive is bound to neutrality. I cannot use my knowledge to tip the balance of favor one way or another. Though this is limited to the scope of society. If civilization itself is threatened by an exterior force I am able to use my knowledge for preservation. But within society I am bound to neutrality.

[ Which, yeah, means that she can't really side with the Foreigners, kedan, or the Emperor. Unless she perceives that one of them is going to try and harm her, then she's allowed to act (within reason) to protect herself. The neutrality clause hints at the true purpose for her power: watching for references to something that exists outside her world that she is trying to destroy. ]

[alderwood]

Then you may neither side for us, nor against us? You merely protect knowledge from outside obliteration?

[That interests him, fall as it might outside the scope of his understanding or duty as chief source of justice in Keeliai. Neutrality is an uncommon occurrence in his past, for war has much to do with sides and only peace cares for an unbiased presence. It is, in a sense, new to him to be introduced to a role such as hers.]

[constants]

Or internal obliteration. There appears to be a history of civil wars, and should such a war continue until the population is severely diminished, the Archive would maintain a record of the previous civilizations. But no, unless there is a direct threat to the Archive, I may act in favor of neither side. If there is a threat to myself I will act until I am safe again, but within reason.

[ Which usually means she'll just kill whatever is trying to hurt her, though it also means that she can apply her knowledge to areas such as the turtle's sickness and the hydroponic garden.

[alderwood]

That is adequate. [A nod before he produces a key from his pocket, tossing it in the air towards her.] One week's access. There is a kedan watching over it that you must check in with each time.

[For there seems little risk to allow this neutral party to learn something of them. Evandau is cautious most to those seeking information for self profit or those that claim to seek one thing and search instead for another. This Archive speaks clearly and he sees no reason to suspect her statements as dishonesty.]

[constants]

[ She catches the key and glances at it once before slipping it into a pocket on the inside of her cloak. One week? She'll have to both request time off of work and come in to petition for the key when the next audience is held. For now she nods in acceptance of these terms. ]

Very well, I shall do so. Are there any other stipulations or rules that I should know about?

[alderwood]

Do not deface the texts. [A wry smile.] A warning I suspect you hardly need, Archive.

[constants]

[ She sees the humor. She really does. Promise. However, she's not even acknowledging that was funny. And the winner of the "Stick in the Mud" award goes to the Archive. ]

No. I will respect the privilege you have granted me. Thank you.

[alderwood]

[Archive, he likes you. You don't mess around.]

Very well.

[He gestures towards the far door of the audience.]

There is a kedan in the antechamber that can guide you there if you choose to begin now.

[constants]

[ She is like the escense of not messing around. He's not too bad himself since she likes straight forward and effecient people. ]

Thank you, I shall.

[ The Archive nods one final time in farewell and then turns and walks away. ]