video; un: polaris

[anbaric]

[ asriel has been described as an imposing figure, and the harsh lighting in this place does nothing to dispel that. it's a spacious room, and what light there is seems swallowed by the darkness of the shadows. the lamp on the desk beside him provides most of what there is, and it also illuminates the mess of books and papers he did not bother to tidy before making this.

his snow leopard daemon sits calm and still at his side, all except for her tail sweeping back and forth. there are the sounds of ravens chattering nearby unseen, but as the cat seems more attentive to asriel, they don't seem to be the cause of her anticipation. ]

I am Lord Asriel Belacqua. Few of you will know me, as I only recently found myself in this world, which is why I am here now.

For various reasons, I am interested in the pthumerians, but my research will take time and is more limited in some areas than I would like. I would rather hear it from the rest of you since the people alive here right now are more relevant than the opinions of authors who may no longer be with us. Do you consider them friends or foes? What role does their presence play in your lives? Do you approve of their influence on you? Consider me taking a neutral stance, so all sides have value; if it is worth mentioning, I would hear of it.

[ it's intended to be some encouragement to those who might wonder if their information isn't important enough (because it is), but asriel being asriel means it comes out sounding more like a command. ]

You needn't answer all the questions either, just whatever you like.

[ yes, the snow leopard talks too, but stelmaria's manner manages to be gentler, at least. ]

Given the implications of the illness problem, now seems an appropriate time for an exchange of information, don't you think?

Comments

video | un: duty

[martyrofduty]

[ Duty's image is focused on him without many clues to surroundings, only that the wall behind him is made of stone. His face could be called the same, for how much emotion it gives. ]

Pthumerians aren't a monolith.

What are you researching?

[anbaric]

Precisely for that reason, whatever I can.

I was curious about what was making them sick as I am familiar with a phenomenon that could cause similar effects. Quite quickly, I realised I would need to expand my scope as our connection to them complicates the issue.

video | un: badgerlock

[listenyouidiot]

[Fitz suspects that saying, 'they remind me of dragons,' is likely not a useful observation, and so he stops himself short of saying it. sitting at his workbench, he wipes ink from his fingertips with a stained cloth and reaches for a cup of tea positioned just out of frame.

the snow leopard at Lord Asriel's side does hold his attention, interested, but he doesn't remark on her just yet.]

They seem to be more a force of nature than anything we might consider friend or foe. Perhaps we can bargain with them a bit more than we could bargain with a river's current or the wind, but we're ultimately at their mercy and must find ways to keep living however they choose to act.

Video; UN: Cuddlebunny

[lightthedarkness]

I consider SOME of them friends, sure.

But I mean, what was said earlier they're not mono-whatevers. I don't LIKE everything they do but I hate more the things that happen in this place than THEM. I don't think they entirely understand what they even DO to us themselves, honestly.

I mean, do we KNOW if they control things like the zombies and the weather and all that?

Text | un: Athena

[slightlytaller]

[They knew what they thought-- but also that it really wasn't their opinion that ultimately mattered. The crystal gift from Cloverfield had helped Alexandria obtain all of the living memories of 1) Waver 'Mackenzie' Velvet, Lord El Melloi II and professor at the Clock Tower.

They would answer as Themself-- but try to be the currently sleeping Lord Professor to ease transitions later on. ]

It doesn't matter what our opinions are. They've opened their doors to us, and we are their guests for our time here.

The rules they follow are theirs alone, and not for us to question. But, since we're guests, we have a Responsibility to not be a burden and try to help where we can.

video: un: mouse

[unchoose]

[ This man, by contrast, is wholly unassuming. A slightly rumpled young man hovering somewhere around the age of thirty sitting cross-legged on a comfortably faded looking loveseat in an airy, well-lit room, he smiles warmly at Asriel and nods in greeting. ]

A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lord Belacqua. I'm Paul.

I'm afraid you might find this inquiry a case of asking two scholars for an answer and receiving three opinions, but...

[ He lifts an open hand palm up and shrugs, cheerfully. ]

Since you are asking. How familiar are you with ecology, Lord Belacqua?

[anbaric]

I have met men and women capable of controlling wind and storms, and engineering makes it possible to harness the power of a river. Would you say it would be fair and appropriate for humans and Sleepers to respond similarly by that logic?

[ he's just going to leave what being at their mercy makes him think alone and focus on the rest. after all, asking more questions is the enjoyable part of this sort of academic discussion. ]

[listenyouidiot]

No, [hedging, rather than conceding, and he takes that sip from the teacup before answering,] but if an engineer has designed a poor levy, I might show him where the river now clears its banks and floods my fields. An engineer cares about how man-made things impact his neighbours, because if he is poor at his work, word will travel and his reputation will suffer. The river doesn't care that it's ruined an entire season's yield.

But, [and here he is more conciliatory,] I'm only newly come to Trench myself, so take what I've said with a grain of salt.

[martyrofduty]

No one can study everything. We are connected with the patrons, at least.

What phenomenon is that?

[anbaric]

[ mono-whatevers. even knowing he's asked for this, asriel struggles to find patience for what he perceives as childish. still, aside from that, he can recognise and acknowledge when someone has hit upon something. ]

To know with certainty is precisely the point of research. However, you raise a fair point. As it's been said, the category of "pthumerian" is incredibly diverse, considering an entity like Mariana has more in common with something like Argonaut than either of them has with a human. Some are easily more complex than the angels I knew, who already struggled to comprehend human nature.

It's the intentions then that matter to you, I take it?

private to duty from boneadept

[necrosaint]

I am recording this now.

Uncertain if I should chime in if something comes to me or feed you my questions.

private

[martyrofduty]

Good.

Whichever you prefer.

[anbaric]

What about them makes you so certain that their rules should be considered immutable and unquestionable? Simply awakening to this existence should automatically opt one into a responsibility they did not ask for?

[ oh, he has thoughts about this, especially that responsibility-with-a-capital-R, but he also has restraint. he sits forward a bit in his seat as he asks his questions, but that is all. ]

[slightlytaller]

It's pretty clear that they don't follow the same kind of rules us Sleepers follow, and that we can't rely on them to hold the same moral values, either. Do you ask a hurricane the same kind of questions? What about an earthquake?

Would questioning them about their intentions make them stop doing the things that we find inconvenient? Wouldn't that just be us making pest of ourselves by interfering with a system that's been in motion for longer than we've been alive?

All that matters here is that we are foreigners. They've taken us in, and now they're falling ill-- and this is the first thing we've seen that we can actually do something about.

Correlation doesn't necessarily mean causation, but they've been pretty good hosts for us, to the extent that they are capable of it. Why shouldn't we step up and help?

Private to Duty, from Athena

[slightlytaller]

I'll try to dig up what I can. I don't like this guy's tone, or that he's using his title and status as a means of leverage right away.

infiniprivate

[necrosaint]

I was hoping you would know which one I preferred We will see, but I can promise a full annotated record of anything you gain.

[martyrofduty]

Please keep an annotated record of everything everyone discusses here that you can see.

text | un: boneadept

[necrosaint]

[ after some consideration, Harrow seems to have decided she'll say something but not show her full hand--it is likely what Gideon the First would have done, and what Anastasia would have done, too. and so it is what she does. but much as she will not show her hand, she won't show her face. ]


I am sure it is a pleasure, Lord Belacqua. My name is Lady Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the House of the Ninth.

Never Mind and I have become friends, of a sort, and I am working to find a way to assuage his ... condition. I cannot speak to most of the others, though I have yet to find that any of them need be defined specifically as foe.

[ Mariana probably thinks Harrow is foe, but Harrow doesn't reciprocate! ]

private

[martyrofduty]

See what you can learn. We lack the information to understand his choices yet.

[slightlytaller]

I know.

My instincts just tell me that this Type is familiar. Guys like this are part of why the Lord Professor is a jumpy and untrusting fool with most people he meets.

text; un: imyarek

[unsheathedfromreality]

[Where Illarion's flock goes, he's bound to follow. Especially on this particular issue.]

The distinction between friend and foe in mortal terms is not how I would think of them. Some of them are white gods, some black. The white are kindly inclined to us but do not always show that kindness in ways we want. The black have the freedom to scourge us though they might also choose to favor us instead.

I am Disciple and zhrets so I am often intermediary between them and others.

My approval has no bearing on the reality of their influence. But as any other creature does who's less than divine I find some of their influence onerous while welcoming other interventions.

What interests you about our approval o neutral party?

Private | un: Athena

[slightlytaller]

Hi, boneadept. Reverend Daughter Harrowhark Nonagesimus.

He's sleeping right now, but I have a note to pass forward from Lord El Melloi II:

'Duty has suggested that we collaborate regarding his research. Apologies for not touching base beforehand. You're welcome to any and all data collected on this matter.'

You're a hard person to get a hold of, but he's not good at reaching out, either.

infiniprivate~

[necrosaint]

Oh This is acceptable to me, yes. I will certainly share my annotations.

One could say I am poor at reaching out as well, and would be correct. Have no concern.

infiniprivate~

[slightlytaller]

Oh, I'm not concerned.

Call me Alexandria. I'm just putting together the connections that the Lord Professor over thinks about. Given the patterns, I don't expect to be here long.

It'll be enough to just put the time I've got to good use.

Did you want to keep using that drop off by the lake that you suggested before, or have you changed your location again?

[martyrofduty]

Use your instincts. Flubbing neutrality is more suspicious.