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

AUDIENCE

[alderwood]

ANTECHAMBER

[alderwood]

AUDIENCE

[bindsthedead]

[Sabriel bows briefly as she enters the chamber dressed in the nicest clothes she can find. If she's surprised to see Evandau, it doesn't show.]

I have two requests.

[alderwood]

[He simply nods. Requests are simple, but he must know details before he can grant or deny.]

Speak. Succinctly, if possible.

[disfavored]

[Tarrlok isn't so sure he should be here, and knows that if h is allowed to see his future he'll likely only be confirming his worst fears. But, it bothers him that Korra and Noatak know things that he doesn't know, and confirming his fate can't be much worse than being left in the dark about it.

With him he has a few waterbending scrolls he drew up himself - nothing fancy, as he's not a professional artist, but functional. It's his opinion that if he's stuck here against his will he should be entitled to his own future at no cost, but being stubborn hasn't really gotten him anywhere here.]

Greetings. [He gives a small bow, out of politeness.] I've come to discuss an exchange.

[alderwood]

[Evandau inclines his head to the bow - a return of manners and respect.]

Name your terms.

[bindsthedead]

I've heard that it's possible to see our futures- I want to see mine, and I would like access to the library here.

In exchange, I can offer my services as a Charter mage, and knowledge of Charter Magic and Ancelstierre.

[disfavored]

My brother and another person from my world know of events far beyond what I know, and I get the feeling that I haven't gotten the full story. [From Noatak, at least, who tends to be rather secretive.]

I have these scrolls, if you have any use for them, detailing the proper forms for some more advanced waterbending techniques. In return, I would like to know what happens to me.

[wintershepherd]

[ Oddly enough when Jack enters the audience chamber and sees that it's not Eshai today, he actually brightens a little bit, crossing the room to a respectable distance. He's slowly getting the hang of not fumbling over banalities when he makes these visits, but he can't help but offer a small greeting. ]

Hello again. It's good to see you around.

[ then, on topic: ]

I wanted to ask about how you've been showing people their futures, if I could.

[alderwood]

What do you seek in the library?

[He narrows down on that, the simpler of the options first. The former requires further probing, to be done when -- perhaps -- the library question is dealt with.]

[alderwood]

You seek clarity. That is fair. [A nod. It tells him of familiarity with deception, but few are so pure as to lack such experience.]

How far to your future do you seek? How much are these scrolls worth for you?

[For the scrolls are... interesting. He has seen and heard of this waterbending art and would know better of it -- and if not he, then Eshai may.]

[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]

[A crisp nod. Evandau recalls him and offers that courtesy gesture to his greeting.]

Magic. [A grim, dry reply.] The how is unimportant to many, though. Why do you seek that information?

[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.

[wintershepherd]

[ "Magic" sums up a lot, but Evandau is right... the how actually matters less to him than the end result. ]

Because I want to know if it works... in reverse, or something. If it can show someone their past.

[alderwood]

[This gives him pause and Jack an appraising look.]

The past is a matter of recollection. The future is the unknown. The pool can only share that unknown.

[wintershepherd]

Okay, right, but if there's no recollection then can't it not be any different from being unknown?

[ A touch of dismay he hadn't intended creeping into his voice. ]

[disfavored]

It doesn't have to be long. Perhaps a week, or so. [Although he really only has a few days left before his death.] The scrolls didn't take me long to make, but the techniques they contain took quite a while to master.

[alderwood]

It has already occurred. [This is as simple an explanation as he can provide.] Why it cannot be recalled does not change that it is already set in stone and time.

[A beat. A break as he considers how fine of a detail he should impart here.] What it reflects is possibility and promise, not actions taken.

[alderwood]

And you would provide counsel to those that may study it and have questions to their nature?

[He speaks of the scrolls, but it is a mere clarification. Evandau has made his decision already. The request is minor and the benefit evident; he will grant it.]

[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.]

[disfavored]

I would be able to answer any questions relating to the scrolls if I am needed, yes.

[alderwood]

[Evandau nods, satisfied.]

Then it can be done.

[He holds his hands out for the scrolls so that the exchange may commence.]

[bindsthedead]

Knowledge. I was taught to face... many things in my own world, but there are creatures here that are strange to me. I want to learn more about them.