Rokarion in the Library with the Scholar - RPLOG

Participants

• Fenris
• Rokarion

Date

14/7/478

Log

It is quiet down in the old archives. Not many scholars are especially interested in all of these archaic old texts with all of the current events and new discoveries. Not even the sound of shuffling paper disturbs the gathering dust in the dim rooms.

Rokarion was sitting in one of the chairs in the abandoned old archives. The plant being was wielding his usual frigid expression today as he idly flicked the page of the book he was reading, an old treatise about magical theory, mostly irrelevant by now but no one knows what can be found in old dismissed ideas and perceptions.

The silence is interrupted by a quiet cough. "Is there something I can help you find?" comes a soft voice, "Most people don't wander down here on their own." The voice belongs to a young, female feline in the uniform of a librarian. "I was not really expecting anyone today," she says.

Rokarion raises his gaze from his book and looks at the familiar, yet unfamiliar, librarian before shaking his head, "Thank you, I do not require any help right now." Rokarion said in his usual nonchalant tone, "I do come here often enough. I think there is a lot of knowledge that is being ignored in this section of the library."

"Oh! I agree!" the young lady says, carefully replacing old tomes and scrolls in their cubby holes and shelves, "A lot of people think that just because something is old that it is out of date or not worth knowing. Not me! I think we should try to know everything!" She gently dusts the shelves before turning back to Rokarion. "Is there anything specific you are looking for?" she asks, "I know you didn't ask for help, but I could probably point you in the right direction. I know just about everything there is to know about the archives."

Rokarion nods his head as the feline starts talking about her section of the library before shaking his head, "Not really, this time I was just here for some idle browsing." Rokarion said as he closed the book and set it aside on the table near two or three other books he was reading as well and a well-used notebook full with notes. "Hmm, but if you are offering. I was wondering if there is any books here that focus on spirits, or spirit like creatures, perhaps old legends. I was wondering if our ancestors met them before, also I couldn't find a lot of books about ancient being histories on Promise. So you might help me find that as well."

The librarian shakes her head. "No, no, there is nothing like that here," she says, "The Spirits have not really been talking to anyone until pretty recently, and the Ark only landed 478 years ago this week! So there isn't much in the way of 'Ancient' here. There is an awful lot that has been lost in that time though. Most of the really old stuff is locked up in the Church." The feline takes a seat in an old wooden chair across from Rokarion. "But maybe I can help you anyway," she purrs, her voice suddenly seeming very familiar.

Rokarion rubs his chin, "I did not mean really ancient. I was merely interested in some of the older records of us beings, but I guess that I need to seek that in the church." Rokarion says with a shrug before looking at the feline, raising a brow, "And what kind of help are you offering? I don't suppose you read those records?"

"Oh, yes," the librarian says, "Those and many others. I can answer nearly any question you might have." She looks over Rokarion, her eyes suddenly and conspicuously black. "I confess," she says, "You look much more respectable without the motley."

Rokarion eyes the feline and shrugs, "Someone with my condition learns to respect many different personalities. Having different perceptions on the same thing is quite the boon I would say." the plant being added in his cold tone, "However, managing to annoy a spirit is still a victory the Jester is going to claim." Rokarion adds with a nod of his head, it is indeed quite hard to believe that the plant and the Jester are the same being at least until someone knows about the plant's condition, "So, what are you offering today? Being history or ancient history?"

The Spirit, for that is certainly what she is, waves a hand. "I had business to conduct and you were an annoyance," she says, "Call it what you will." She raises an eyebrow at the question. "What is it you want to know?" she asks, "I believe in sharing, after all. I will tell you whatever I possibly can."

Rokarion nods his head at the spirit and taps his chin, "Indeed, business comes first over idle discussions." he comments idly before closing his notebook and placing it in front of himself, "The question first is what is the catch? Or rather, what do you want for the knowledge that you are about to give me."

"No catch," she says holding up her hands, "Like I said, I believe in sharing. And I look forward to seeing what you do with it." She folds her hands before herself and smiles. "I must operate within certain. . . boundaries, but I will tell you all I can."

Rokarion raises an eyebrow at the spirit, shaking his head, "No catch except the butterfly effect of releasing such knowledge then, I would guess." he adds as he looks down on his book and then back at the spirit, "Let us start with a simple question then, what exactly happened to separate the spirits? Why would the actions of an elemental spirit cause problems between spirits of the life court?"

"Very astute," the Scholar says, "And a good question, I suppose. The Courts are a new invention. We were not always separated. Once we were only the Spirit Court. We had a law and judges. The snake defied our law and the council protected him. That was the beginning."

Rokarion nods his head as he listens to the scholar speak, idly opening his book and beginning to sketch the spirit. "Ah, so I see. And that led to the spirits breaking into what we have now. What about the ancients? How did they get involved in this? A lot of their ruins show obvious signs of combat, am I to assume that your dedicants took up arms and fought for you during your disagreement?"

"No," the Scholar says, shaking her head, "When Lady Death was wronged, many of us took her side. If they could ignore the rules in her case, why not ours? We were all too easily misunderstood. Those who thought themselves righteous would gladly take all we had and all we were if it suited them. So we demanded that they step down and a new council be made. He Who Conquers was the most powerful of us all. He sought redress for the ever accumulating collection of wrongs done by out 'leaders.' When they would not change or step down, He went on the offensive, to punish the weak and the slothful that had given rise to the Corruption within the Spirit Court."

Rokarion nods his head, "And so what you are essentially saying that your followers attacked the followers of the other spirit courts." the young plant being said idly, "With all due respect to your cause of course. However as I have mentioned earlier, perceptions change opinion on the simple matter. Scholars still argue about who is to blame about the many wars between my nation and Sweetwater for example." Rokarion says with a shake of his head, "But back to your story of course, He Who Conquers believed that the other spirits and their followers were growing more slothful and rallied all the spirits who were wrong before into what we now call the Corrupt Court and attacked the others, right? Was that what killed the ancients in the end?"

"Yes and no," the Scholar says, "Only Conquest fought. The rest of us watched. ALL of us watched. The so called Life Court fled. Sequestered themselves. Their followers were lazy and decadent. They did not even try to protect themselves or each other from Conquest's purge. Instead, they imprisoned us."

Rokarion rubs his chin before raising his brow and looking up on the roof, "So...the Raquista held not only the shadows, but your kind as well?" he asked with a hint of curiosity to his apathetic voice, "After all you did appear after its destruction if I recall, or were you imprisoned elsewhere and the moon's destruction was simply a coincidence?"

The Scholar laughs lightly. "Oh! Where to start on that one?" she chuckles, "Raquestia was OUR prison, though we were not really inside of that chunk of rock. But those shadows were never a part of our prison. They have nothing to do with us, I assure you. The destruction of the moon released the lock on our prison. It took us some time to gather the strength to show ourselves again, but yes, that is when we re-entered the world."

Rokarion rubs his chin as he finally finishes his detailed sketch of the Scholar, "And when you returned to this world, the other spirits returned as well." Rokarion added with a nod of his head, "So now both of you are trying to convince beings that the other side are in the wrong while recruiting like-minded beings." Rokarion said with a shake of his head before looking back at the Scholar, "But what about your 'friends'? Natska and Cassidy." Rokarion said as he looked on the Scholar, "From what I see now they were trying to recruit your help to battle the Craige? What do you know about the Craige?"

"Them?" the Scholar asks, then ponders, "Yes, I suppose they are involved." She smiles at Rokarion, her solid black eyes rather unnerving in their intensity. "The Craige are old, dear boy," she says, "Nearly as old as we are, and in some ways they are just as powerful. They walked a path rather different from our own."

Rokarion nods his head as the Scholar continues her speech, "That they might be, but if you have fought them before as one of Ladies Solacious told me, why do you now need convincing to fight them again? Are they not a direct threat to you and your kind?"

The Scholar looks at Rokarion with a smirk. "You must be an only child," she says, "It can take more than the threat of extinction to overcome family differences." She waves a hand in dismissal. "But that is neither here nor there," she continues, "We fought the Craige long ago and defeated them. Or rather, we found that we could not defeat them, so we banished them." She looks thoughtful for a moment. "Honestly, I think that is where Kendrac and his stooges got the idea for our prison. I am afraid that it really will require all of us to push them back again. Especially with most of the Court still as weak as they are."

Rokarion shakes his head, "Oh, then you do not know much about Cliffside culture, Scholar. I do have a couple of siblings, but you are true in the fact that we do not hate each other, and when facing mutual destruction, I think most beings would decide to at least tolerate each other for a bit." Rokarion said with a shake of his head before looking at the Scholar, "What if some disagree to help in the cause, would it mean doom for Promise. Can't the Creator handle the issue themselves? I know that Ser'ther has refused...because his seal was given to him by the priestess who she broke the rules for...in fact I would be hasty and say that judging from his reaction, it was love that led him to try and prolong her life."

"Don't let's be silly, little mortal," the Scholar says coyly, "None of us imagine for a moment that we won't contribute. But we will be weakened by all of this. We are all trying to get out of this ahead. Ser'ther is not withholding his aid, he is withholding a trinket. A memento that for some unfathomable reason, Pyrrha wants." She looks thoughtful for a moment. "She might honestly withhold her aid," the Spirit says, "She is quite mad, you know. Poor thing." She shakes her head and comes back to the conversation. "And as for your Creators, well, they have rules of their own. One of your people has already approached them, you know, they are not likely to help. And should they decide that they CAN help, it will be too late for you."

Rokarion nods his head, "But the possibility still exists, especially with the outsider court, no?" Rokarion says with a shake of his head, "But again, I doubt that a spirit or two would be that important if the rest decide to help." Rokarion says as he closes his book and looks at the Scholar, "Very well, thank you for the information." Rokarion says as he keeps his own gaze on the spirit, "I guess time will tell what was the price that I paid for this information."