open | The Emperor'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: January 12th
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 commander of all law enforcement in Keeliai and its surrounding areas 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 one 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 will continue to allow mingling for those waiting for an audience in an antechamber. There is a thread header below to allow for that!]

Comments

[alderwood]

"It is," Evandau replies, well-accustomed now to this reaction. "I'm acting as her proxy. What do you want?"

[memoriesinsmoke]

Well, that's fine. If he's acting as her proxy, then that probably means he'd have the same information that the Emperor would.

"I disappeared for several weeks, and was dragged out of the ocean and given the newbie treatment even though I don't remember dying, leaving, or returning home. I want to know what happened."

[alderwood]

The day-to-day operations of the recovery teams are no critical part of his portfolio now that the system is tested and running smoothly, but he knows this situation to be a possibility -- the exact specifics may be Eshai's territory, but he does not need to know the exact ones to answer this particular question.

"The kedan overseeing the recovery operations are trained to provide the same information to every party that rises from the ocean," he explains. His tone sounds dismissive, as though this were no major detail. "They are not... wise enough to know the difference between one returned to us after a departure and one new to this realm. That is why they treated you that way." He makes no motion to continue his explanation, having chosen to take the most literal interpretation of it rather than the deeper one she, no doubt, desires. If it is that critical to her, then let her pursue it.

[memoriesinsmoke]

That's something, at least, but unfortunately it's not the answer she is really looking for.

"And what about my disappearance? Did I really go home, and why is it just a gap in my memory?"

[alderwood]

"Those that cease to exist here have moved on," he said -- again, with the tone of one well-adjusted to this scenario. "You moved on to your realm, be that awaking from your dream or returning from death. You returned because there is still a need for you and it is easier to re-acclimate you than to introduce a you with no recollection of this place." He looks down at her. "It's a matter of efficiency."

[memoriesinsmoke]

"So I was sent away and then brought back because it was more efficient?"

[alderwood]

"No." Simple, sharp. "You, as you are, were returned here for efficiency." He paused a moment, as though seeking the terms to simplify it for one that simply could not grasp the intricacies. "Were it under my control, you would not have left at all, but the way that Eshai has done this is intricate and an untold success, but it is not perfect. It will, at times, err."

[memoriesinsmoke]

That's something, at least. While the Emperor is powerful enough to bring them all here, what she does isn't perfect. While she's not sure if that's reassuring or a problem just yet, she'll be able to figure that out later.

"Thanks."