Scene #5326: Vying for the Eclipse of the Sun-5

Owner	Pose
Priscilla	A couple of weeks ago, this very building has been under pseudo-military lockdown, as adherents of the Way of White had seized the ostensibly 'unaligned' presses, technically a cult by the finest definition, on grounds of blasphemy and treason. Sensibly, with Lloyd now dead, they are nowhere to be seen, and the dramatic shattering of Anor Londo's biggest and oldest mainstream religion has left the archives quieter and emptier than usual. All the more space to drag out the giant, eccentrically made printing press, and gather up some seats in a proper, private hall, rather than the stuffy back room. More than just the faithful scribes have gathered to hear these particular tales. Some may be there to verify that the writers didn't just make everything up later, but most probably have some genuine interest. Maybe a lot. They ran out of chairs, so people are seated on groaning tables and lecterns, and even the floor, around the circle of seats left for the head printer, the strange old man from last time, and the Elites. "I'm glad to see you all! Really, truly!" the former beams. "I realize I never introduced myself last time. I am Emmanuel, of Carim. I beg your forgiveness in that oversight. As requested, we're more than ready to take diction!" They certainly like it. There's twice the usual staff on the press, and an army of quills besides.
Staren	For once, Staren travels from the warpgate in slightly different armor. It has more crystals on it. The reason for that becomes clear after his arrival -- it collapses into a belt, and he's left in his usual (outside Lordran, anyway) labcoat. "Good to make your acquaintance, Emmanuel." He nods and smiles. Then he motions for the people sitting on the floor to stand up, and deploys metal folding chairs from his matter manipulator.
Kushiko	This is definitely something that goes on the 'weird' sense of things, not for any reason other than Kushiko herself is not typically inclined to be, well. Storytelling of any kind. Surely, once upon a time, in an age long past where Tenno were truly plentiful (and not hamstrung by abusive Orokin) they told tales and writ legends. After all, there was a place for the old ways, none better than the Tenno themselves when all advanced science failed. Touch of irony, it is. And in the interim, she had reflected on her role, her place in things, as comrade to Priscilla directly, or indirectly helping, like say, assisting one of the Four Knights of Gwyn, specifically Lordsblade Ciaran and everything that unfolded afterwards. It was interesting to muse on, she thought, Latria then and the one they had made Covenant with later, Velka. All of this before the great event, the fracturing, the rupture that had sundered the superfactions and soon led her to Priscilla's banner. This would make for a good story, wouldn't it? ... mind, with a bit of choice wording. Not too much on her origin, or just enough to be mysterious and giving proper credence to Priscilla's position as it would soon be. Accordingly, it was Valkyr, the felinoid-looking berserker Warframe, ever painted in purple and black with that hint of lilac in the energy channels on parts of her that arrived. And Kiras, the Kubrow. Ah, Mesa and the others could come, but it was chiefly Valkyr that was the greatest 'aspect' so naturally, it behooved Kushiko to deploy her here. <"Good evening,"> the female voice without presence resonates. Never does one ever think there's actually a mouth or voice coming from the Warframe. It's kind of weird. <"It's a pleasure. We are Kushiko."> A slight pause. <"Of the Void."> ... sounds suitably storylike, yeah?
Tomoe	Tomoe says "IT's all right Emmanuel of Carim." he smiles a little but and she moves to go make use of one of the folding chairs Staren offcers. he's aqlso not in full plate at the momet in something far more day to day. With the changes? Klien had been making a fair amount of Yurd off Tomoe as of late. "It's good to meet you and thank you for takin the time to hear us out." She seems friendly enough and slightly less imposing when not clad in battle gear though given her height she couldn't get rid of all of it.
Guest Psyber	Psyber is here! He's got a box of chinese food from some off-world store which contains lo mein pork noodles and some sort of teriyaki sauce. He shovels the noodles into his face, "Emmanuel of Carim. Cool. I'm Psyber. Of Boston. Go Pats." He waves a bit. "I'm ready to do this story thing we've got planned and get the records set straight."
Priscilla	Regardless of whether it comes from a weird space tool or not, and whether it's finely carved oak or the ultra cheap kind you see in a high school auditorium, a chair is a chair --a universally recognizable symbol. The people involved take their seats gratefully. Immediately, some of them start rocking back on the rear feet to see how far they can balance it. Some things never change. Valkyr's appearance draws more of a stir than last time. After all, the events inside the Cathedral of Allfather Lloyd hadn't exactly been covert. Kushiko's supposed reputation is much more cemented with the orgy of religious violence she had been party to not long ago, and some notes are already being taken. Probably some thought about how to represent that name and origin poetically, too. One of them may or may not be surreptitiously sketching Tomoe without her armour on, for once. Someone murmurs "Go Pats", as if it were of profound significance. "Excellent!" Emmanual claps, gesturing enthusiastically to the press personnel, who wind up the convoluted gears and springs that only a mad dragon could come up with, to invent the typewriter for his giant-ass self. "So, let us begin at the beginning! How was it that you were alerted to the plight of our world in the first place? How did you get here? What drew you? What did you see in it that caused you to stick with such adversity?"
Guest Psyber	Psyber has some very specific goals in this situation. After Afterus and his own legend got out of control there, Psyber wants to keep his legend as minimal as possible on this world. "I was hired. Priscilla paid me and my best friend to investigate the entropy of her world and the matter of its undead curse. Once the payment, which I think was in gold coins, was cleared, I arrived on world and was able to begin rendering my aid to the matter." "I stuck through it despite the difficulty because Priscilla was a friend and a paying contract, and if it were to get out that my business had abandoned its first contract on a job that was too difficult, it would have caused a reputation loss I didn't want to deal with. Thus, our record is still perfect." He slurps some more noodles into his face.
Staren	"I was part of the Union." Staren says. "We help people. Priscilla came to us and asked for help... We came to the city, it's slag now, but it was full of undead then, and we... well, we fought a lot of zombies, and were introduced to the idea that you use souls for money. It was a slog to make it to the old church, and there we encountered... ugh, THAT was not a pleasant fight, but we're getting to that." As he speaks, a holoprojector plays snippets of video on the screen next to him.
Kushiko	Fun times for nuance and words: 'Ku' in one form of languages stands for Void. Kushi 'to use freely' or 'order around', very loosely. Either way, without /actually/ saying she is a genuine child, one could simply mean that she is born of the Void. Moving right along... For different reasons herself, Kushiko is rather content to stay humble herself. <"It was not too different from us,"> she begins, <"Though it was not directly through Priscilla, our aid would eventually come to be hers. Our role is far quieter, and from the shadows we come and reside in. Our name alludes to this. From the Void we come."> The faceless Valkyr inclines her head slightly towards those who've gathered, a hand reaching and giving Kiras a scritching behind those enormous ears of hers. <"There are works that must not be celebrated in any page, and that is the role we play, save for when we are needed most. For honor we fight, and to ensure balance where we can. That is how we came to help Priscilla, a comrade and soon friend to assume her place here."> A slight pause. <"We owed no allegiance to any one person. Only to what needed to be done. We fought those who would take advantage of the laws here to skirt their just punishment.">
Tomoe	So Tomoe was here, she had a tale to tell and somethings to change but it felt right to her. The price of not doing this could cause a lot of suffering and that's what tipped it. Her story was not worth the price. So here she was she made sure she was comfortable with , how she was sitting and it was time to get to work. She watches the strange thing come up for a moment and seems impressed at the mechanical work. "I was part of the Union at the time as well but it goes a bit further for me. I and a number of companions were trapped in a mad man's game a living dream that could kill us and she came to help asking for nothing in return." She tilts her head a bit. "Now free and when she came to us for help how could I say no?" D She nods to staren and Pysber as they regale their part of the tale. "I consider Priscilla a friend and I had no idea what I was getting into but I couldn't turn back it didn't take long to see why she'd recruited people to aid her."
Priscilla	The general babble and squeak of shitty folding chairs dies down once people begin to talk, replaced only with the rapid, rattlesnake scribble of quills, and the machine gun clacking of keys. To their credit, the guys taking notes are quick. As in, really, really quick. Does raising dexterity and intelligence make you write inhumanly fast? The Elites assembled seem to have their own, different reasons, as expected of such a variety of outsiders, from so many different places. Emmanual is the only one of his order not taking diction, for his role as an interviewer. Instead, he watches turn by turn (and then the video, especially) with an intense, serious stare. "I see I see. So you were with the queen from the very beginning? You answered her call with little to no idea of what was in store for you. Was she really so wealthy, so personally magnetic, even then? It's nearly impossible to find even an oblique mention of her in any archives we've been able to unseal." There's a fair bit of noise on the level of impressed appreciation, like enthusiastic moviegoers, as Staren plays the video of the Belltower Gargoyles and the Channeler. Some scribes seem to be switching to dramatic sketches. "From so many other worlds, you all consider her a close friend. And what is this I hear about rescuing your people? Did you believe she had some sort of plan when you came here? The rest of us were only given the prophecy, and the barest encouragement, but it seems like you had a very certain path. How did you even find, never mind ring the bells? And what did they tell you in the end? What was revealed? So few of us ever made it that far." There's an unsubtle glance at the hooded old man, who appears to be taking a nap in his chair.
Staren	Staren folds his arms. "No. She wasn't 'magnetic'. Not back then. Helping people is just what we did." He replies.
Guest Psyber	"I was not present for the first Bell. Only for the second," Psyber asserts, "As it took time for her payment to clear." "There are few historical records of her because she was hidden from the world and sealed away by those who did not understand her true nature." Psyber leans back in his stance a bit and considers, "And no, I would not say Priscilla was always magnetically charismatic. I remember her when she was an woobie, unemployed bum trying to figure out how the world worked and trying to understand socialization through hanging out places while invisible." "I don't think she had a great plan from the very beginning. I think, like most great leaders, she knew when to call for help. And sought out those will the skill and knowledge she lacked to help a plan form." Psyber comments, considering it all, "The final path wasn't decided until later."
Kushiko	<"In truth, anyone can potentially seek our aid with the appropriate compensation. What that compensation is, however, is open for interpretation."> There is a certain monetary need, but not one that needs explicitly be held to the letter. Valkyr moves slightly, lifting her legs as if to sit--crosslegged. In the air. Ah, meditative poses. Good times. <"As Psyber says. It was less her personality and for us, more something that we sensed that we would be needed. Leaders like her do not necessarily seek power, but sometimes have it thrust upon them; if not directly, then by how a situation unfolds.">
Priscilla	There is much assorted gasping and suppressed snickering in the hall as Psyber lets that colourful description fly. There's a lot of gesturing, shrugging, hand wobbling and head shaking as people trying to silently communicate an acceptable degree of honestly with which to report that. "So then, why was it that you gathered beneath her banner particularly? Where did it take you? Surely you must have seen much in these epic travels, and so how did you resolve to tackle them in the first place? I cannot imagine you went to all the most dangerous and difficult corners of the world for fun, or lack of ideas. I've heard much of your talents. Surviving Sen's Fortress, bargaining with the First of the Dead, defeating the Dark Sun Gwyndolin, braving the Abyss for the first time since the venerable Knight Artorias, but little of why you chose these obscenely difficult trials, and how it was you were able to surpass them." It seems a few other people want to know too. "Hired men and women are seldom so capable, nor so dedicated to pay or friendship. Surely there must have been something that inspired your confidence, or at least showed you the way?"
Guest Psyber	"Because she was the one who asked," Psyber says bluntly, "The world was so bound and determined to believe a prophecy or that some external force would come save them. Priscilla was the only one who had the courage to break tradition and ask outsiders." "So... that was who we followed," Psyber says this as if it was a basic fact. "Sen's fortress was... something, alright. I think the easiest reason to explain why I took on all those challenges was because someone needed me to. Things that seem impossible are much less so once you NEED to do them or the world will fall apart." "As for the Abyss..." Psyber puts down his chopsticks and scratches the underside of his chin, "I did it for a lot of reasons. I'm always looking for a bigger challenge. I'm always looking for something I can't do. And I thought Artorias deserved a break to spend time with his big dog."
Tomoe	Tomoe Seems to be relaxed now and is quite happy to share from the looks of things. "That's right we didn't know what awaited us. I did not expect waht came as we dug deeper into this world and it's past." It made her own world seem almost a little more mundane than it was before the fusion started. Psyber comes some serious quesitons and she has nothing to add there as he's covered it quite well. "I can't put it better than Pysber has already on that." She looks at their host for a moment. and thinks over her next word as she recalls what happened. "Why I just got going on the idea of I was on borrowed time if that made sense I don't think I'd hve made it out alive without help and when a world has come unglused and you have to do soemthing that seems impossible? You willfind a way. I'll be honest I didn't quite understand the Abyss till I got there. It was too late to back out and I don't leave things unfinished if I can help it." The though about Artorias and his dog though gets a grin. "That is very true he has earned some serious time off with his dog."
Staren	Staren blinks. "We tackled them one thing at a time. Just like all the other crises we were dealing with on other worlds. /Someone/ had to do them... what were we gonna do, just leave the world... like it was?" He scratches his head. "We were confident because we've saved worlds before." "I'm not sure what's up with the abyss. I wasn't there for Psyber becoming an abysswalker, and when we went back to Lordran it was all weird, and then at the end of it there was some monster guy and we beat him up and then the abyss was gone. Not really sure how to look into that when I've got a plate full of other mysteries like how that new guy who came with us that day emits sunshine, or how the Multiverse reorganized itself and why, or how there's another world a lot like this one with the undead curse except not and there's a double of me there who... well I mean there's just lots of stuff happening, all the time."
Kushiko	This required a bit more thought--less the why, but more how to word it. Because the Lotus had put it to them as a choice, and a choice they didn't remotely regret in the slightest. <"Priscilla herself did not seek us originally, but one of the Four Knights of Gwyn. Seeing how they act, and how that reflected upon Priscilla as indirect allies was what led us to want to aid her further."> She inclines her head briefly. <"Our involvement was upon this instance, assisting the Lordsblade. When the Schism developed, some of our paths turned to enter into accord with the Lady of Sin in order to bring an end to conflict with the Darkmoon Blades, though it was not solely by violence."> In this, there's something of a prolonged pause. <"Through our dealings not just with Priscilla, but with Velka and the Knights of Gwyn, we saw that there lay a chance for balance out of the chaos that lay here. Priscilla was willing to do what others were unwilling to for the good of all. Because of that, is why we aided her in full.">
Priscilla	"I seeee." Emmanuel says, very intensely. The typing starts to get a little crazy in tempo. "So you strongly believe that the prophecy was 'up for grabs'? As in, anyone who could accomplish it, would be the one to fulfill it, and ultimately benefit from it? That's interesting. Really interesting. Especially since nobody can say that such an approach failed." "Well, that certainly explains why the idea of not being the Chosen didn't stop you! It also sounds like the queen knew better than to hire a band of random mercenaries. You've given me the impression you're specialists in this sort of thing. The kind that would be wise to make connections with, to be certain. Especially in these recent, divise matters, where it seems detachment from tradition has been to your benefit." The paper is really starting to stack up, but it seems like Emmanuel is leading to something. "Clearly you aren't the sort who ventured from humble beginnings and achieved greatness in the process. I'm almost surprised at how you were united in the first place, despite so little of a common cause, save some connection to the queen. However, I must ask. When is it that this 'final plan' came together? What was it that gave you the idea to to bring things to the state we currently have? And how?"
Guest Psyber	Psyber gets an awkward look about him when talk of the final plan came together, "Oh, I don't think it's that important who came up with the final plan. I think what was most important was everyone who did their part to execute. Nearly all parties who ever set foot in Lordran helped in that final plan to some way." "As for the 'why' of it, if I had to say why the final plan was formulated, it was because it was incredibly apparent both primordial serpents were liars. They acted concerned for the fate of the world and its inhabitants, but were merely pushing their own agenda," Psyber notes, eating some more chow mein, "It was partially a want to spite them both that a third option was even tabled." "It relied on using the world's competitive nature to sustain itself. Keeping the flame eternally burning by using the death that is so endemic to this world in its rises and falls from power of leaders to stoke a flame that would never extinguish."
Staren	Staren's about to say 'Oh, it was Psyber's idea' but Psyber speaks up then. Well... okay. "We didn't think the two options that seemed laid before us were suitable. Also that." He nods at Psyber.
Kushiko	<"Not so much a final plan as well... everything here had seemed to lay itself out in a way that it gave that appearence of only so many choices, and we sought a more than just that."> Kushiko pauses briefly. <"Also forgive us. It should be noted that when we say 'we' it is that this is how we refer to ourselves. You see this form of ours here, but we take many, and we speak for many."> Something to get distracted by perhaps, hopefully to help avoid certain topics. <"That aside, this plan did come together through the many elements here, as Psyber says. As much as we may have come from different places, we were all of like mind in order to do what needed to be done. We can say as for 'how', it came by knowing that some would not listen, would not accept any other reason than that of the blade. It had to be done right, that much we knew.">
Tomoe	She leaves Emmanuel to tuype for a moment and mission. She thinks about it, she seems to think about it for a moment and she looks to Puysber before she spoeaks up about her own origins. Man if she brought up she was basically nothing and it was dumb good or bad luck depending on how you saw it that she ended up out into the multivese as a large. "So we sought out a third option in the end." She looks a bit sheepish as she thinks about her home world a bit more in her own worlds had she not got stuck in SAO she'd have been cubical bait.
Priscilla	Psyber is totally dodging the question, but nobody seems to notice. Between their furious scribbling and clicking, they seem to be totally absorbed in the process of spinning this new information into the narrative they had conjured before, filled in with much imagination and fancy as it was, to glue together the pieces of verifiable fact. "You know, that /has/ been a matter of some speculation. The return of Anor Londo to its former glory, but the total absence of Kingseeker Frampt, chief advisor to the Great Lord Gwyn? Of course, one cannot help but think that he could only benefit from the route that was decided on, so . . ." Emmanuel eventually just leaves it at that, though. "That said, there is hardly any shame in heroism by conquest! Lordran's history is built on feats of arms and the keen blades to match the ideals behind that drive them! What I may ask, then, is what are your thoughts now in hindsight? How well do you believe you were lead to this conclusion, in the end? How closely did it turn out to your vision? Do you have any regrets? Particular points of pride? Worries? Parting comments?"
Guest Psyber	"Yes. I have one regret for how this all turned out," Psyber says, a traumatized look coming over his face. He stares off into the distance, looking far off into nowhere for a long few moments with a hollow light in his ruby red eyes. His lower lip gently trembles for several seconds before he says... "I didn't... I never... I couldn't..." And then his look goes back to completely normal as he stares at the scribes and flatly says, "I never got around to finding out where that sick awesome giant wolf came from." "Otherwise, everything worked out well enough in the end for me."
Staren	"Like I said, there was no grand vision for me. I was just fixing one problem at a time. Regrets... You know, a few years back Priscilla gave me one of those crab monster things to study and I never got around to it. It's still in a holding cell at my parents' place. Also, studying souls and humanity and the way they manifest here... but hey, I can still get to that! So, that's good." "Points of pride? Well, of course there's helping Izalith and her sister. People don't often accept my help for that sort of thing -- they usually just want me to shoot things. So it was nice to get to help them. Although speaking of shooting things..." He plays the video of practically shooting Kalameet's wing off. "Yeah. That was pretty sweet. I've always wanted to do something like that." He stretches. "Worries? I guess that I'm gonna hear about yet another cult that's trying to surpress the truth and ruin the peace Anor Londo could have because they're jerks. Like, I keep thinking we're done with things but old gods and misguided worshipers seem to keep coming out of the woodwork. Parting comments? I hope you guys will take the opportunity you've been given, and our new miracles, and make life awesome here. Although, don't forget to enjoy life yourselves sometimes too. Stress of constant work makes you consider crazy things like trying to turn yourself into an army of clones to spread your will throughout the Multiverse. Heh."
Kushiko	For totally no obvious reason or anything, after Psyber's words, Kiras lifts her head from where she was dozing, a slight and soft 'woof?' coming from her, the large but not sick awesomely giant sized wolfy Kubrow seeming to stare a little at Psyber, before resting her head once more. As for regrets, or parting words, the Warframe's head dips slightly. <"If we had one hope, that while one can learn from what we and others did, that they not cling rigidly to the lessons and do not run afoul of the mistakes such rigidity may bring.">
Tomoe	Tomoe thinks for a moment on the matter of conquest and thinks about it through the lense of her world for a moment. "Things worked out better than I'd hoped to be honest. The world lives again, people walk the streetsand live their lives once more." She looks to Staren. "You did more than I thought we could for them and I'm glad. I'm just proud I helped change something for the better." With the life she thought she'd have? She'd have done nothing of imporant the world would go on she would die and nothing would have noticed. Tomoe was general muscle and support but she's still clearly proud to have helped through this. "Worries? I just hope things keep going forward for everyone here. This isn't my home world but it is one I come to care about."
Priscilla	It seems that people here are really invested in that last one. Having some words of wisdom, or at least encouragement, to go by from the strange and capable people from elsewhere, full of experience they couldn't fathom, is a big deal, and certainly worth recording. Nobody seems to have any idea what Staren means by crab monster, but many are clearly taking notes on the Witches, likely as reminders to track them down next. A little bit of stern advice from Kushiko, and a little bit of touching altruism from Tomoe, tails off with a much needed bit of levity from Psyber, and a brief pause in the recording for people to have a round of appreciation for it. "You have my most sincere and enthusiastic thanks for this! To be honest, I had thought we might be done for earlier, but now I have more faith than ever that this is the way things were meant to be! Once again, we cannot thank you enough for all you've done in our queen's and our world's name!" The old man seems to have very suddenly finished his nap, getting up with a distinct lack of difficulty or real stoop, and putting his sun-tanned and work-calloused hand on Psyber's shoulder as he goes by. "Had a damn strong feelin' that snake was a liar. Good on you." he grumbles, in a familiar voice, on his way back into the crowd."