2032/Battle Plans Drawn in Souls

Battle Plans Drawn in Souls
Date of Scene:	15 April 2015
Location:	Great Painting of Ariamis <PoA>
Synopsis:	Confronted by a sprawling tangle of fact, fiction, truth and lies with no means to tell one from the other, the only way out seems to be straight through the middle.
Cast of Characters:	Tomoe, Priscilla, 168, 183, 253, Reina Kinney, 395, 560, 570, Ayako Hasekawa, Lezard Valeth, Reiji Arisu

---

Priscilla has posed:
    Today marks a return to the Duke's Archives, though it will certainly need renaming very soon. Almost every last trace of Seath and his work has been eliminated from the building, save for the most stubborn crystals encrusting the observatory and the more powerful seals on the tomes downstairs. The comings and goings of countless pilgrims have lent a new sort of life to the place as well. The lighting has been vastly improved, the floors and tables have been adorned by the scholars who plan to remain there on a long-term basis, books are stacked high on desks and lecterns as they see their first real use in years, and the background is filled with a pleasant level of chatter. The only real concession is that Priscilla has completely cleared out everyone from the back room study in order to make room for her multiversal allies, plus Oscar.

    The knight looks a little lonely sitting around the grand table all by himself, but occupied with a vast sprawl of maps and open volumes as he somehow pages through them with his gauntlets still on, and reads them through the slit in his helmet visor. Priscilla has gathered enough candles and cushioned chairs to make provision for a great number of people, and has even procured drinks from elsewhere within the building. The very center of the table is dominated by an exceptionally large work of cartography, marked with various tokens that represent the major locations that various multiversals have been to so far.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber has been in and out of the Duke's Archives for the past couple of weeks, cross-checking Seath's research against personal theories. Not a constant presence, because of the fact that he was also almost constantly deployed. But when he had free time, he had been looking into research, particularly cross-checking soul distribution.

    Secretive research that Psyber had kept the details of secret, save for only the most broad stroke of his plans. But Psyber is here today, dressed almost as if he hadn't changed out of his 'teaching' clothes. He's wearing a slate-grey suit with a light blue shirt and tie. His hair is combed straight back and he's carrying a messenger bag over one shoulder.

    Along with his messenger bag, he has one of those poster-carrying tubes over one of his shoulder. In one of his hands, he's holding a tablet PC that he taps at occasionally with the other, handling other business as he quietly shuffles into the room. He sets his bag down next to one of the seats and his the poster tube is laid under a chair. The half-angel silently sits down, continuing to stare at his work.

Reiji Arisu has posed:
    A slowly dying world. A cycle of souls that results in accumulation and stagnation. These things and more have brought Reiji Arisu to this particular meeting. It's his first excursion into Lordran, and the tremendous- though hollow- majesty of the place seems to have rendered him speechless.

Or maybe that's just how he always is. It's Reiji, so maybe today is just a particularly taciturn one?

    While he'd really like a chance to pour over the contents of the archives, grabbing whatever book might be relevant to his work here, the more immediate concern. The exorcist arrives in the back room and inclines his head towards the knight at the table and again at the...

...The giant, fluffy, half-dragon-half-something hybrid that is Priscilla.

That's not something you see everyday.

    Regardless, he moves up toward the table and takes a seat. One leg folds across to rest over the opposite knee. He seems to have brought a small notebook and a mechanical pencil in addition to his portable arsenal and body armor. Note-taking is important, after all.

He also seems to be tremendously fleshy and not at all glowing. Reiji doesn't seem to see a problem with this. This is his first visit, though.

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    Believe it or not, Amalthea arrives in person this time. Lordran is a horridly dangerous place, but with a meeting being all that's planned, she seems inclined to risk arrival in her non phantom form.
    This does not mean she's unprepared for the unexpected, considering she's in her full set of heaviest armor and fully equipped, by the time she slides into a seat at the table. "Sir Oscar. Priscilla."

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    Kimiko Shinobu is here in person, and also armed and armored, thus looking much the same as everyone else around, if they were living, teenaged, and had time to polish their armor instead of just wearing suits pilfered from corpses. She's pretty quiet and will likely remain that way.

Reina Kinney has posed:
    Reina also arrives in person. She looks to be more serious than usual, almost like she knows there's something going on here that needs to be tended to. It shows that even the most sarcastic of tongues have their serious sides too.

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe is here now as Tomoe, she's not coming as her real self again. Not after what happened last time. So the Salamaqnder woman is armed and ready for trouble as she strides into the Libaray once more. She does take note of Reiji whom this is her first time meeting.

"Priscilla, Reiji."

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako is here in person, or... would it be in spirit? Either way, she's right behind Psyber. If Psyber has extra research materials that need carrying, Ayako would cheerfully help him carry them. It's just one of those things a self-styled maid does, after all. Even if she's dressed like a witch at the moment. What? It's just something she does regardless of outfit.

    When she enters, she waves hello cheerfully to Priscilla and Oscar. "Hello, hello!" She sits down next to Psyber and looks around the room quietly.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Oh, how Mizuki has missed this place. There's a visible smile on her face as soon as she enters, and that grin persists for every step as the group advances toward the back room study. Yes, she appreciated the peace and quiet, but there's something charming about this place becoming so lively. It's like there's been some resurgence of civilization here, and she feels that she's getting a glimpse into the world's past as she sees the myriad scholars crouched over their tomes. Surely this place must have been so open once before, too; surely this new warmth, this bright lighting must be indicative of the splendor that once held all of Anor Londo in its rapture. The visual would certainly make her wistful if it did not instead fill her utterly with joy.

    Mizuki might have come a few hours before the rest of the group to try to get a feel for how the volumes themselves were organized. As they've walked through this place before, the bookshelves have been almost purely aesthetic, but as they've reached this point in their journey each individual book has become distinct, shimmering, and fully relevant. If she can find any novels that tell of the time before the first flame, she would retrieve those first; after all, she wants something to compare Kaathe's and Frampt's stories to. The decision they make needs to be as informed and practical as possible. The change they bring will never be ideal, but damned if this particular witch will not do her utmost to bend the lines of reality as close to that situational asymptote as possible.

    And by the time she's gathered her materials, the others have likely begun to arrive. She sets up at a table near Psyber -- he told her before that he has something in mind, so she wants to be as close to him as possible when he puts forward his ideas. In the meanwhile, though, she'll keep leafing through this tome... or she would if she did not have a very important question for Priscilla. As that very inquiry pops into her head, she suddenly rises from her seat, pushing her chair back with such force that it nearly clatters to the floor. Assuming she already has the crossbreed's attention, she asks across the room, "Might I be able to arrange a short meeting with that dragon we met at the Gray Lake? I want to speak with them about what we've learned from Kaathe. Something make me feel as though they may be a more objective source."

    More of a gut feeling than anything, but when she goes with her intuition things tend to pan out well. Usually. Mostly! And hey, it's hard to imagine that more information would ever be a -bad- thing, even if it isn't necessarily pertinent.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Strolling in through one of the doors is none other than Emiya SHirou. The magus looks a little overwhelmed and lost in thought, with a face that's somewhat scrunched unhappily, hands in his pockets and lips twisted around in deep perplexion. Even his gait - slow, even steps - comes off as a tad irritated. But he finds a seat next to Oscar nonetheless.

    "What a situation we've gotten into. There been any breakthroughs yet?"

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    Nathan Hall is attending the meeting, of course, here as a real human being instead of some kind of adventure ghost. Where normally he probably would have been badgering Psyber endlessly about the minor hypocrisy if his broad-strokes approach, Nathan instead is just... completely quiet. As he wanders into the archives, he does so with a sick look, unsteadied as if by nausea. The right lens of his glasses remains fractured, but he'll be OK. He gives a first greeting, of course, to Oscar. "Salutations, Sir Oscar. It seems I never see you without your armor. If it is anyone else in there, please forgive the mistake." At least his humor is back, in its usual flat monotone delivery. He'll also be giving a similar greeting to Priscilla. "You, on the other hand, remain unmistakable. Salutations, and good to see you again." He says, still in the pleasant deadpan.

    Psyber gets a share of distance and no greeting at the moment, unless prompted. Nathan sits at a polite, attentive distance, ready to hear the contents of the meeting, without greeting him substantially, and seems ready to hear out the plan. Those he's more familiar with get greetings. Kimiko, Amalthea, and similar get his polite and simple "Salutations." For now, he's here to listen, rather than speak.

Lezard Valeth has posed:
Lezard has been here ever since the death of Seath. He has been working tirelessly to uncover the subtle nature of the crystal containment methodologies as well as the nature of life and souls within the multitude of documents within the Archives.

It has been... profitable, as those involved in Terra Majora might understand.

As a result, it should be of no surprise to see Lezard approach the table, not as a Phantom but in person. He bows to Priscilla, acknowledging her presence and primacy in this land (for the time being) as he settles down at a table near Mizuki, chuckling as he listens to her assertion. "All forces involved in this effort are quite subjective. I daresay the great Dragon, if it has an opinion at all, will be as self-interested as the rest. Perhaps it might allow you to assemble a median between the lot. There are two choices, and while we can offer our input, the final choice lies heavily upon our armored friend's shoulders."

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Mizuki looks to Lezard and gives a swift, deep nod, but counters by saying: "Optimism, friend, and hope. No matter how self-interested the dragon's reply may be, it can be no more so than those of the previous two, and there's always the chance that age and loss has tempered them somehow. I must believe that they will be more objective until I see for myself their skew. That way I can go into the discourse with more energy regardless of the reality of things." She steadies her expression so that she may seem a bit less frantic before adding, finally, "And in any event, having their opinion to compare the other two with is in itself a boon to objectivity. The more references we have, the easier it will be to identify contradictory detail."

    Well she's certainly energetic today. Seems like reading really gets her pumped!

Priscilla has posed:
    Though the Archives could certainly accomodate Priscilla's true size, and have already done so during her sojourn to the basement library, after dropping the torso sized books off on the table, she has assumed her mortal height for the convenience of others (which is still really, really tall). She makes a solid attempt at a smile at Ayako's ever cheery nature, followed by one more silently appreciative towards Mizuki for the effort she's taken to get here, and in finding a handful of human recorded books on her chosen subject, and one actually written by Seath himself, requiring a great investiture of souls to even remove from its shelf. She inclines her head towards Amalthe and Tomoe as they greet her by name, though she casts a faintly but visibly worried glance at the state she finds Nathan in, and a curious one towards Psyber due to the number of props he has brought with him. She introduces herself briefly to Reiji, and then shakes her head forlornly at Shirou, communicating with her eyes that such is the purpose of the gathering being called into session. Oscar looks up from a map as his name is brought up. "Hail, Lady Amalthea. Sir Hall." he actually laughs briefly at Nathan's attempt at good humour, though the sound of it bespeaks a great weariness. "Lordran is a dangerous place. I've had scarce opportunity to take it off. After wearing it for so long, I feel strange without it."

    Priscilla finally clears her throat as the last members gather, standing at the edge of the round table closest to the actual study desk at the end of the room. "Well met, to every one of thee. I am gladdened by the simple fact that such numbers of people wouldst still bear with this course even after it hast becometh so treacherously thorned. Not all of thee hath been alongside mineself every step of the way, and so today wouldst be a appropriate a time as any to lay down all of the knowledge and experiences accumulated thusfar so that they may be assembled into a cohesive whole. I understandeth that many of thee hath come prepared with thine own matters of presentation, and so I will defer to thee first." That said, she didn't expect someone to jump at it so soon. She regards Mizuki with a certain expression of surprise, having unknowingly grown used to her more somber moods of the past few months. "The Everlasting Dragon? I . . . that is a strange request, but not one I can see an immediate reason to reject out of hand. Ash Lake shalt not be particularly difficult to get to with the passage afforded by Lady Quelaag, and of little danger with Gwyndolin slain. I know little of its perspective, thoughts or feelings."

Reiji Arisu has posed:
    "What was it. Three points of data form a line?" Reiji muses, resting his notebook on his lap. He taps at one page with the tip of his pencil. "It couldn't hurt to ask, could it?"

    And then Priscilla begins to speak, and Reiji cuts humself off to listen. He nods, then, once she expresses her thoughts on the matter- and contributes his own! "Something called the Everlasting Dragon probably knows quite a bit," he muses, "Though the question is whether it'd be willing to share them."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber looks to Shirou in a bland way, "It will depend on your definition of breakthrough."

    Nathan's distance and lack of greeting is noted, but not commented on. The half-angel simply gives him a flat look before he looks back down at his tablet and goes back to letting his fingers tap across the screen and he sighs. He opens up a secondary document on his screen, something vague with colored text. He edits into it swiftly with a practiced typing speed before flicking his hand and moving it off screen before anyone has a chance to see what it was. It's unimportant. Ayako and Mizuki, while appreciated for their presence, are forgotten to be officially greeted by him. He's preoccupied with work, as is his standard these days.

    As the group seems to become assembled, Psyber slowly looks up from the tablet finally and says, "I have prepared what I theorize will be a substantive presentation to both catch up those who have been non-present as well as propose a solution of my own design for the Lordran situation for your considerations." His tone is stiff and formal. Whether it's stress or because he's being professional is unclear.

Reina Kinney has posed:
    "I'm glad that I could come," Reina replies respectfully to Priscilla. "I regret that I don't have much to offer that most of the others have seen and experienced, but I will do what I can however I can." She seems a little unhappy at this part.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Mizuki nods as she receives Priscilla's reply, countenance still tinged with an unusual energy and air of determination. She balls a fist and presses it against her chin after giving another of her deep nods, saying, "Strange, but when one really pauses to think, a natural completion of the puzzle. We have been presented with two options, neither of which are satisfactory, but there is mercy in this; mercy, because we have thus far overlooked the fact that we have access to another primary source of information. If I recall correctly, the Everlasting Dragons predate all else, correct? They existed as far back as the serpents at the least and their legacy may well extend further still. This would make them central to this whole affair, and yet so few of them remain! For all these reasons, it would be criminal to overlook the input of the one that lives."

    Each of her words are brimming with a sort of unknown confidence. Mizuki, it seems, gains energy from being within situations of finality that do not directly pertain to her. That, or she's finally become empathetic enough to adjust her behavior for the benefit of Oscar and Priscilla. Certainly she's realized by now that the knight is on edge, and the revelation that kindling the flame would demand much more than just his life must have been quite a dismal one. But that only makes her that much more determined to find an alternative solution. After all, there is nothing in all Creation that the dream witch despises if not cycles. And oh, both of these serpents have shown her nothing but repetition, subversion, and sub-optimum. If she can circumvent their choices, she stakes her life on the proclamation that she will.

    Her moment, though, is not to come for some time yet. She can only learn so much from her being here, so she elects to do something far more useful, and polite: listen. Psyber has a proposition to make, and even if his solution is not a perfect one, or even feasible, it will undoubtedly carry kernels of wisdom that all of the group may benefit from. So she takes her seat, locks her eyes upon him, and pays him her undivided attention. -Truly- undivided, if for the first time in many centuries; after his performance in her world, he does not doubt that he may be able to redeem this universe as well.

    Her hands meander to her lap and she nods his continuation. At some point or another her lightful spheres may meander to Priscilla, too. If she should notice, she smiles her most radiant, silently renewing her vow to do her utmost.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    "What do you think?" Shirou retorts simply. "The truth betwen what the two serpents are saying!" Though it seems like other people have good ideas. Shirou nods after a brief moment to ponder this idea of asking the dragon. "That's a good one! The Dragon might know more about the Abyss and the Serpents and Humanity. Though what about this supposed ancestor of humanity Kaathe mentioned? They'd probably be in the Abyss though... we can't go searching through there." Shiver.

    Then, as if double-taking, he whirls around to blink, then STARE at Psyber. "You have a solution?!"

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako inclines her head to the side gently and listens. She isn't exactly sure what has been going on, so the only thing she really can do is listen to piece together what's going on.

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe also takes a moment to size up Nathan as well okay what's up with that. She notices the glasses and ecverything else. She looks at him for a moment then looks to sir Oscar and gives him a smile. It's good to see him and damn she's never seen him like this before ither. She looks to Lezard, whom as ever leaves her a bit uneasy to be around. Mizuki also gets a note. She thinks about the choices on one hand humanity as it is in this world she knows what it is what's it about but someone's going to have to burn for it. The other she's not sure what to think about the 'true form' of man. That clearly gets a shiver out of her. Then there's all the souls effected by the curse would die, with the true form they'd be restored but into /what/?

"Sounds like a good idea Psyber, and gathering more data if we have time would be a worthwhile bit I think."

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    "Be at comfort, however you may." Nathan says, to Oscar, politely nodding. "A pleasure to see your helm, at least, as always." And then Priscilla speaks up, about her doubts of keeping to the path. "I am completely incapable of choosing otherwise." He says to her, with a rather plaintive open-palmed gesture. "You are quite welcome. It is the least that we can do for a friend and ally." And then he looks at Reiji, raising an eyebrow. "And a question of whether or not it can. It communicates in a way that is unlike human thought and speech. Mizuki will be best-suited to parse the information, if anyone, but we should not depend on it."

    And then he's looking to Psyber. "I understand." He says, nodding. "Please explain. I would like to know the means by which it may address the need for long-term sustenance and the blight of the Darksign." He has more questions -- like why they shouldn't go ahead and extinguish it, honestly -- but keeps it to himself. His whole Age of Men appreciation is a bit under his hat.

Lezard Valeth has posed:
Lezard nods. "It is true that asking him will certainly not hurt." Or will it? Depends on your perspective. "Perhaps when the opportunity arises to travel there I would accompany you. I am curious, myself."

Lezard pauses to consider Psyber's statement of a recap and presentation. "I'm glad to see we're seeking out a number of options in this situation. Precious few people here have the inclination to tell us the whole story. Indeed, most of those present have little on their mind but to use Sir Oscar a a pawn for their goals."

Lezard Valeth has posed:
"Present in Lordran, not those in this room." Lezard clarifies before someone punches him through a wall.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    There are several faces to Psyber. The one people see the most often is either a business owner or a soldier. This particular day, however, Psyber is presenting as a Supernatural Academic. He calmly pushes his chair back and reaches for his messenger bag. He opens it and pulls out a portable mini-projector. This is connected to his tablet PC and the whole setup is faced at a blank wall.

    "Thank you for your time," Psyber says dryly, looking towards the wall. The first image comes up, which is a blank white card with black text that reads:

    'Alternate Methods of Soul Power Division and Cosmological Restructuring for a Sustainable Afterlife in Lordran'

    Psyber has brought a Power Point with him. That's how serious he is.

    Taking a small fob out of his pocket, he clicks to the next slide. Two pictures, one of Kaathe and one of Frampt appear. They're side-by-side. The half-angel flatly says, "Two Serpents. One pushing for Light. One pushing for Darkness. Frampt initially led us to believe that the Fire must be rekindled and brightened to keep this world pressing onward. Kaathe, however, has recently appeared. In the wake of the death of the Four Kings, Kaathe informed us that the world was meant to be in darkness. That Gwyn had been burning himself out of a fear of its encroachment. That the true path was to put him to rest and let the world sputter to shadows. It has left a bit of a dilemma of who to believe. Of which path is correct. Of which Serpent tells the truth."

    Psyber calmly clicks to the next slide as he speaks, "I believe it is both. And neither. If there is one thing this campaign has taught us is that Lordran cares for neither the Light nor the Dark. This is a world defined by ambition and ruled by those who would grab power." A cliche picture of Anor Londo is placed here, taken before the illusion was blown away. The half-angel says, "And I have engineered a solution to fit this."

    He clicks to the next slide. It's a lazy drawing of a warrior killing a monster with a trail of souls leading to him, "Lordran's current system of power distribution works as thus. Souls are power. Souls are currency. One accrues this power in order to improve their station in the world. Eventually they," He clicks to a new slide and the knight is slaying a bigger monster, "Progress in the world," Psyber clicks to the next and it's a man slaying what is probably a god, "And empower themself to a point where our armored friend is now. And he's supposed to throw himself into whatever fire and carry on the world. Or walk away and let it fall to the age of men, whatever that will entail."

    "But this is not how Lordran itself acts," Psyber notes, shutting his eyes briefly. he exhales gently and clicks to the next slide, "Time and again we have seen it is a world defined, by its own inhabitants, through a struggle for power," He clicks his slide over to a picture of Seath, "Through a push for authority," He clicks again and it moves to a picture of Gwyndolin, "Where strong rise up and are inevitably folded back down when they grow too accustomed to their station. Lordran is a world of ambition and struggle."

    "Lordran does not want Gods and Kings. Nor does it want mere men. This world is defined, shaped, fueled by those in it with drive and ambition."

    He clicks again, the next slide coming up. It's the same knight as before, killing a monster, but the soul lines are split between the knight and what appears to be a shittily-drawn kiln, "With our considerable array of skills and capabilities, I have determined we could theoretically arrange an altered system. Instead of one individual sacrificing himself every indeterminate period of time..."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "If the way souls were distributed post-mortem were modified slightly, we could place a draw point inside the kiln itself. Homunculus... crystal... duct tape Gwyn's apparently smoldering ass to a wall if what Kaathe says is true." Psyber clicks over to a picture of a kiln, "In doing this, instead of having one person choose whether or not to fuel this world, it would be the world's allowance to shape itself."

    "As individuals rise and fall in power, their ambitions and struggles will fuel the perpetuation of their own world. It would be an Age of Ambition, rewarding the strong and ambitious, allowing those with vision to come up while those who simply sit on their laurels will inevitably fall as these old gods have to this point. It is a self-perpetuating world-state which exists balanced by the ambitious weak and the hubristic strong."

    He emphasizes, "Lordran will fuel itself in exactly the way this world has indicated it wants to."

    He concludes, "This is my proposal. The Age of Ambition, so to speak. But it is not a contingency nor is it a backup. It is a wholly separate and exclusive third path. And it will be a goliath undertaking on the parts of all of us, requiring the skills from many people in this room to even have a chance at success. If it does, however, Lordran will have no Gods. Lordran will have no men. It will only have those with ambition and those with none."

    Psyber flicks the fob one more time and the projector turns off, "This concludes my idea."

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Mizuki's balled fist goes right back to her chin as Psyber begins to speak. Her expression straightens, too, and she falls respectfully silent, bobbing her head to hint at consideration and awareness of every word. She does not speak for some time after he's finished to let some of what he's said sink in, but the natural curiosities follow. "A good plan... a very interesting plan. Though of course I must ask -- how do you intend to achieve this? You say it would necessitate all our contributions. How, then, would you direct us?" There's a brief pause before she smiles and adds, perhaps a bit coyly, "Ah, and very well spoken by the way. That multimedia presentation was an awfully nice touch."

Reiji Arisu has posed:
    Reiji has never been to college. He never even went to a real highschool. Being a full-time secret agent after the death of your entire family kind of puts a damper on a conventional education. Still, as Psyber lectures, Reiji is taking notes like a champ. He continues right on writing even after the professor stops speaking. Mizuki asks the most obvious question, and Reiji nods in concurrance.

He also has one of his own.

    "So," he begins, resting his pencil on his notebook for the moment. "In other words, it's a system that would reward those with the desire to improve upon their own station, no matter what that 'improvement' might entail," he flicks his eraser against the page. Tap-tap. "It doesn't exactly solve the fact that souls are accumulating in just one place," Reiji muses, "Are they a limited resource here? Or do they simply emerge from the ether?"

Priscilla has posed:
    Priscilla seems more than a little blown away by the presentation. She seems to be struggling to find the words to reply, but it is Oscar who manages first, the maps in front of him completely forgotten. "You're suggesting completely rewriting a fundamental part of the world. A Lord tried before you to work the First Flame, a god amongst gods who was there at its conception, and even their efforts ended in catastrophe. What gives you reason to believe this is possible, never mind if it can be done by us?" It's a hard question, but a legitimate one. Psyber's proposition is exceedingly ambitious. Even Priscilla is reluctant enough to disagree that she stays silent.

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako blinks her eyes slowly. Psyber made a Power Point presentation for this? She looks up at the projection and takes a notebook and a pen out from her muffler. Why yes, she is taking notes. Old habits die hard! She's been a student several times already, after all.

    She scribbles quietly, with her amber eyes moving back and forth between the projector and the notebook. Ayako then unsuccessfully stifles a giggle at the lazy drawing. "Sorry, sorry... I just found it cute." She resumes taking notes, once in a while, gazing upwards and off to the side in thought.

    Ayako then raises her hand. "So in one path, Mr. Knight jumps into a fire and the cycle begins again with another Mr. Knight. In another, he just keeps all the souls for himself and then people are just people. In Psyber's path, the world will take some souls as well to sustain itself? If I got this all down right?" She inclines her head to the side gently. "What about the undead problem thing?" And then thinks for a moment. "And hopefully someone won't come along and try to undo the kiln modifications to grab all the souls for themselves and cause the problem all over again."

    Ayako then shakes her head quickly. "Oh oh oh. But first! How do we do this sort of thing?"

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber begins answering questions as they are asked of him, keeping a clinical professionalism as he does so. First he looks to Mizuki and Ayako, answering their inquiries, "We have numerous individuals capable of handling spiritual energy and cosmology. Mister Arisu and Mister Valeth are two such examples. Mister Hall recently devised a new method of sealing divine beings which would work here in part, as well. With the Duke's research into souls and immortality as well as their skills in creating life, binding the dead, and other individuals who have such powers, we would create the draw point. The rest of us will likely be tasked with jobs to support their efforts in creating the draw and modified state of soul distribution. Whether it be generating enough tithed souls to bring the flame back up to a level which allows the dead to stay dead, or protecting them while they move the new draw into the Kiln. I believe if we can revive enough of the flame, the dead will cease to resurrect."

    He looks to Reiji next, "In theory, souls function here like on any other world. New life brings a new soul into the world. A weak one, granted, but as it grows and matures this will naturally strengthen itself depending on the individual. Priscilla has stated that strong people have souls which are naturally equivalent to more souls than weaker people. But as long as life is being created, new souls will be entering the system."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber levels his look over to Oscar a moment later, "I believe we can accomplish it because we have individuals here who have proven, repeatedly, that while we may operate within the rules of your world, we are not bound to it like its natives." He calmly folds his hands behind his back and takes a slow breath, "I believe it is possible because souls are harvestable. Souls are tradeable. You barter them as currency with merchants. This is no different than leveraging an income tax for upkeep and maintenance."

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe gets very very small at this point, she gets the basics of Psyber's plan it seems to be a good one. However it's on a scale cosmic that makes her very very tiny now. She's now very lost in thought about the entire situaton it's very much over her head at this point and she doesn't want to think about it she does bring up.

"So we'd still be throwing people into the fire with your thrid option?"

Lezard Valeth has posed:
And so the presentation comes. Psyber listens intently as Psyber goes through his work. After all, he has to respect anyone who would resort to the true evil of PowerPoint to perform such a presentation.

As Psyber continues, he rubs his chin, considering the situation. He is quiet for some time, mullting the situation over in his mind, considering the ramifications and comparing it to his own desires.

There is a dark gleam in his eye. "Consider this, Sir Oscar. Lord Gwyn changed the nature of the world himself, did he not? What was he before the First Flame was kindled? What were these beings, before the touch of this Flame exalted them?"

He clenches a hand, then. "You are the catalyst for a new Age, Sir Oscar. You have taken up the mantle, and the choice in the end will fall to you. However, your choice need not be the paths that have been laid down in the ground before you. You have the ability to take up the blade of destiny and wield it to cut a new path. And we will stand behind you."

He looks... excited, is perhaps the best word for it. "I have always wanted to attempt to alter the fundamental flow of life in a world. It would be an excellent challenge."

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    Nathan's eyebrows quirk just slightly, but that's the extent of the changes in his expression, nothing more. He remains completely stoic, but considers. "We have a precedent." He says. "The Gravelord already collects a secondary line of souls, Priscilla. I believe it is possible. We would be best served consulting heavily with him. The Everlasting Dragon may be the path Mizuki takes next, but if we are to follow up on this, the Gravelord is mine." And then he seems to consider the plan's outcome itself. "If this were the path we took, there would be no risk that Ayako refers to, I believe. Given that the souls themselves would be consumed in the kiln, they would no longer be present to be looted." He also shakes his head at Tomoe. "Spiritual energy. Not spirits. Not actual souls. That is unbound by the Lordran spiritual system."

    "In such a scenario, the system would reasonably be expected to self-perpetuate. But I find myself curious, to some degree, Psyber." He tilts his head, considering. "We have seen what remains of the Lords, and found no particularly good indications that they deserve a second chance to begin with. I am undecided, so do not consider this a challenge to your plan, but rather a prompt for thought." He leans forward and clasps his hands across his lap. "Why do the races of the Lords /deserve/ a second chance? What do the Lords actually deserve?"

Reiji Arisu has posed:
    "I see," Reiji replies, scribbling hastily in his notes. "So the number of souls in the world increases continuously, and accumulates in those who have the ambition to rise above their station." He pauses to think, then begins working /something/ out on his notepad. It's a sketch of a simple cycle of energy. "So, in the new system, a portion of souls will cycle upon transaction from the one who is losing souls into the world as a whole. This portion will be used to maintain the world, as well as to fend off the encroachment of Undeath by feeding the First Flame."

Another pause. He considers, "We'd need to engineer the mechanism that would actually make that /happen./ Is there anyone I can talk to who has experience in how death actually functions here?"

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Make no mistake, Shirou was quiet through the whole presentation. At first he was wide-eyed, awed. But the more he heard, the more he thought about it, the worse he started scowling. "Wait a moment... how is that much better than Frampt's plan?! It's only different on the surface! Either way the fire burns up people to keep going! Do we even know if it can't burn something else yet?"

    Well, of course Shirou was going to protest this one! But although he'd shot straight up, he sits ack down, making an ornery face. "I'll say coming up with that was pretty amazing though. I'd prefer to keep the fire going without sacrificing anyone to it."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "Incorrect," Psyber says to Tomoe and Shirou flatly, "From all records I was able to find, individuals whose souls were accrued by other individuals simply died in the time before the Undead Curse. We would be throwing no individual into the fire, we would merely be using the residual energy of their demise as a fuel source. This is, by the governing laws of this world, no different than buying a sword from a merchant."

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Mizuki nods, mirroring Psyber's professional tone insofar as she keeps her own feelings on the plan's viability and preference from plain view. Or at least, she makes her most earnest attempt to do so. "Then all I have left to ask for the time being is: what if people's effort ever wanes? What if their will is not enough no matter how we translate and tamper with the values? Especially now that this world has nearly crumbled, there may not be enough of a spark to sustain the flame long enough for this plan to reach fruition -- regardless of people's willpower, there are only so many souls left. Did you have a contingency in mind for that possibility as well?" Her hand eclipses her expression, locking itself in place around her chin. She continues to look Psyber's way candidly, but with challenge.

    Sure, the point of this whole thing may be that people would need to earn their longevity, but she can't help worrying about what would happen if people couldn't keep up the pace.

    While she's musing on possibilities of reply, Nathan and Lezard both get meaningful, pointed looks. Exactly what is meant by each stare may be lost on them, but it's clear she's as interested in their thoughts as she is in Psyber's.

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    "As I stated, Shirou." Nathan says, gesturing to him. "Souls are spiritual energy. They are not identities. A person holding many 'souls' does not bind the identities of those people to them. They simply hold the spiritual power. Think of it as a shortening. A soul is one soul worth of spiritual power. By the time you have the soul of another, their spirit, their mind, their identity and essence, is long since gone."

Reiji Arisu has posed:
    Nathan speaks! Reiji looks over in his direction. "I'd be willing to come along for that," Reiji notes. "If someone already has a means of diverting souls, then it'd be worthwhile to examine how it's done and use that as the basis for establishing this new cycle." He pauses, then, and peers at Shirou. "It seems like in most cases, a soul doesn't exactly have a consciousness attached to it when it's absorbed. It's-- yeah, what he said," Reiji inclines his head at Nathan.

Damnit Nate, intercepting everything!!

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    The expression Shirou's now making is a bit dumbounded... but he looks etween PSyber and Nathan both as if having trouble grasping this. "Sheesh... why bother calling it a soul if it's just magical energy? So the fire doesn't burn ghosts, but something like prana?"

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "They do not," Psyber says seriously to Nathan. The half-angel is pretty frank and honest with the librarian, "This is a plan which has been engineered to force them to earn their way or to be brought down under those who would deserve their chance. It is a way for Oscar to save his world through irrelevantizing those who would sit idle while this world fell to ruin. And it is a way for Priscilla to keep her home. She is the only offspring of any Lord whose fate I care about."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "Mm. Were that to happen?" Psyber says in a candid tone to Mizuki, "Then the undead would return and people would be forced to fight. Their fighting and dying would eventually provide the spiritual energy to bring the flames back up to such a level that the undead will eventually vanish after a sustained-enough period of conflict. This will serve as a contingency to keep the flame from going out permanently."

Reiji Arisu has posed:
    "It actually sounds like we might be building an Eight Trigram or Five Elemental Furnace, but on a much larger scale," Reiji chuckles a bit. "If souls are continuously entering the world, and are only removed in increments whenever they trade hands, then we harvest energy from the movement of souls from one body to another. Naturally, more energy will flow in times of conflict or strife, which happens to coincide with the appearance of undead. But, there's a catch- if the value of an average, 'baseline' person's soul is one soul, then if it's transfered, will it it be a fraction of a soul? What's the minimum 'energy' of a single soul? And, moreover, would we only harvest the energy that moves when one being overcomes another, or would it apply to the use of souls as currency too?"

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    "... hmm." Psyber's final reply gets a last, deep nod from Mizuki, at which point she yields her inquiry to the others present. She seems satisfied! So for now she's going back to reading those books she fetched earlier.

    She still wants to chat up the dragon who lived, but this plan has only bolstered her hopefulness and zeal.

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    "If this solves the problem of the Undead, then it suggests a world in which strife must continue for the sake of life. People will die, in part, for the sake of others continuing to live. Creatures that are not people will, also." Kimiko closes her eyes a moment, and then opens them again. "That is fine. There is no issue with this. Whether they choose to sacrifice themselves, or whether they sacrifice others for their own sake, it will work. And if they would sacrifice others, then that will happen, regardless. The only concern I have is whether this will truly stop the curse."

    "The Gravelord will know more. I doubt my presence there will be necessary, nor at the last dragon. Neither seemed a creature to be inclined to listen to someone like myself. If my presence can weight another attempt, I will assist, there."

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    "A good answer. I will give this method due consideration. Also." Nathan has a jar. There are several quarters in it. He holds it out to Psyber, who just said the word 'irrelevantizing'. The jar is labeled 'WORD CRIMES'. Put one in Psyber. Nathan continues his discussion as he does. "Reiji proposes a good point. The details of the mechanism, we need to speak to Nito to understand how it can be constructed and how it can be configured. I have some recent experience with conditional 'programmed' arrangements of this sort, and ideally I can accommodate all potential eventualities."

Priscilla has posed:
    It seems it's Priscilla's cue to elucidate the finer aspects of Lordran's spiritual economy. "New souls art born into the world as is new life, but the life of the world itself can only sustain so much. The strength of the First Flame, though unfathomably great, is finite. Though souls may spring from nothing, they may also fade away into nothing, and so that the Flame shouldst groweth along with all life to keep the commeasurate Dark away is almost required. Likewise, a soul is not a fundamental, inviolate expression of self in these lands. Souls art a mutable form of essence. A soul is required for a being to think and to live, but is not the totality of its essence. Consigning them to the First Flame involves no purgatory of thinking beings. The First of the Dead wouldst certainly be the one to ask if insight into death is what one desires, provided he shalt tolerate our presence a second time. The Darksign exists as a heretofore hidden aspect of humanity, blotted out by the light of the First Flame, and only visible in the twilit shadow of its recession. Theoretically, it wouldst continue to exist, but remain harmless."

    Oscar's expression is, as usual, unreadable behind the ever-present helmet of an elite knight of Astora, but he seems considerate of the words levied at him. "Even the Great Lord Gwyn did not have a full understanding of how the First Flame came to be, but then I suppose that only means that if anyone could do it, they wouldn't be of this world." he doesn't sound confident, but at least willing to entertain the idea.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "Fuck," Psyber says as the jar comes out again. The half-angel used a word with a z in it, too, and so he takes out two quarters and places them in the jar. And then he simply moves to sit back down in his chair as people begin moving on to the mechanics of the plan. This was the part that was out of his hands. He had created the blueprints, but it relied on other people to build the parts.

Priscilla has posed:
    Furthermore, Priscilla casts a silent, appreciative glance to Psyber as he sits down. It's difficult for her to try and keep her feelings out of the equation. Bringing Gwynevere to the table will only complicate things, when what should be important is what's best for the world.

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe ahs and starts to get a better idea, she's not from a world with magic in realoty. SO she's likely going to have a higher number of miss understandings.

"All right I think I get it, I'm not trying to be a problem I was just making sure I understand. Given I have no actual magic or real experiance like most of you here do, with it."

She gets the idea better now. However she goes quiet for now.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    "Seems I didn't know quite what was meant." And Shirou looks a bit chagrined at this. But he rebounds almost instantly. "This plan's ten times better than either of the Serpent's. So here's the next question. Kaathe definitely wants to bring about the Age of Dark... or man... or however he wants to call it. How do we make sure that once we go, he and his followers can't just sabotage the whole thing?"

Reiji Arisu has posed:
    Reiji shrugs, "Could just kill them?" He senses that this won't necessarily go down well, and goes on to say: "If we set it up properly- and if Psyber's right- then it could be almost impossible for someone within the world to tamper with it. Someone from outside may be able to, but that's a risk no matter what we do, I think."

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    "This leaves the question of the Abyss. We need to manage it before we put this into play, or shortly after. Here is how I believe we need to address this. We visit Nito to acquire the means by which he recovers his secondary line of souls, so that we can use or replicate it to draw in the fuel. Sir Cassius has a minor understanding and major records of the fire arts of Izalith, which I believe we can use to convert the souls directly to fuel for the Flame." He makes one of his well-known worried noises, though, a sound of deep concern. "The Abyss, however. We need to find a means of ensuring that the eternal nature of the Flame does not in turn affect the Abyss. As was stated by Sebastian, the presence of the Flame begets the presence of the Abyss. We need to find some means of addressing this. We may need to perform another excursion."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber, whose professioanl presenter stance has turned into a somewhat more tired posture, rubs his face with one hand and then gives Priscilla a slight and reassuring smile when she glances his way. He loosens the tie he was wearing a little and then looks to Shirou.

    "Reiji has the right of it. Kill em if they interfere." It's a hard verdict to give (not really), but the half-angel rubs his hands together. And then he looks to Nathan, "Mm. The Abyss. I will come along on that excursion. I wish to see it."

Reiji Arisu has posed:
"Abyss?" Reiji quirks one eyebrow. "Sounds like trouble. I could come along if you need the support."

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    "Umm..." Ayako smiles softly. "I don't know if I'll be of any help but... if I can be of assistance, I'll come along too!" She puts the notebook away into her muffler and nods her head once.

Reina Kinney has posed:
    "The Abyss?" Reina seems genuinely interested. "It may be dangerous, but I'm willing to assist in any way I can!" She speaks with a stern voice this time.

Priscilla has posed:
    Oscar is scribbling something furiously in the little notebook he keeps with him, now well worn from use. Priscilla speaks in response. "Cassius remains at Firelink Shrine for the time being, however Solaire possesses the scrolls of the Fire Arts, which may be needed for that purpose. The Tomb of the Giants shouldst now be . . . relatively safe to traverse, and so I fear little for asking. The Abyss however . . . I knoweth very little of, as does anyone else. Venturing into it any further than the boundaryline wouldst be . . . I humbly suggest that we attempt to tackle that issue after all else."

Lezard Valeth has posed:
Lezard, on the topic of the Abyss, supplies, "I, too, am exceedingly curious about the nature of the Abyss. Understanding it will lead us to potential ways to deal with it. Perhaps we can do additional research into the history of the man who had tread into it, Sir Artorias? If we could but discover more of his life and times, perhaps we might gain further insight needed to allow us to counter the potential threat... Or if it is a threat at all."

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe says "So we got to likely do another trio? All right if that's what we need to do Nathan then that's what we're going to do. I'm up for that and ya Reiji we're outsiders almost in a lovecraftian sense. We don't work on this world's rules at all right?" She looks over to Priscilla who raises some concerns and some pretyty good ones about it.

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    Nathan considers. "So we need to find Solaire. That... Does not strike me as a difficult task. I expect to complete it, accidentally, in other travels." He doesn't at all express his bemusement at this subject. "As for dealing with the Abyss /afterwards/... Well." He gestures at Oscar. "Assuming that Sir Oscar has no intention of dying after this system is put in place, we will still have free access to the Kiln and can make whatever necessary adjustments are required by the circumstances of the Abyss." He nods firmly at Priscilla. "We will be prepared, but need not do the excursion first."