A Patently Absurd Notion - RPLOG
From Rusted Promises
Participants
Date
30/5/477
Log
A balmy summer day. Fortunately, the interior of the church is kept at a more civil temperature with carefully applied math, lest the weather damage the precious artifacts within. Flora is greeted by a young looking male priest, a badger, who smiles at her cheerfully, "Welcome and creator's blessings upon you, my sister. How can I help you today?"
A soft rumble, a small smile as Flora steps down from her golem, gesturing for it to wait outside the church. "Flora was... Hoping to have a chat with miss high priest," she mumbles softly. "Flora is here with her weekly report, and... Something to discuss, yes," she mumbles, gesturing at a small stack of papers in her bag.
He rubs his chin thoughtfully, "I'm afraid most of the priests with rank are quite occupied. I'm sure you understand, with the creators making so many plans with them. There's an unending pile of work to be done, leaving us initiates to tend to the daily tasks." He smiles warmly, "I can pass on a missive for you, or help you as best I may. You mentioned a report?"
Frowns a tad, but nods faintly. "Flora... Understands. Flora would like to discuss this immediately, as well. These are Flora's reports for miss high priest... They should be passed on to her, yes... She'll know what to do... As for the discussion... Flora would still like to have it... It's about this... Idea Flora had yes."
The badger accepts the reports with all due care and folds it under an arm after only the most cursory of examination. It's not his business to read it, just to make sure it's all there and undamaged. "I will get it directly into her hands. Ideas are the fires that Creators work over," he says in a reverent tone, "Will you share yours with me?"
Flora nods. "Flora will request Flora's idea to be relayed to miss high priest, of course, along with... Word back from her, once she has reached a decission regarding them," she murrs softly, waiting for the badger to guide her somewhere private. "If... There are other initiates whom would hear Flora's idea, Flora is okay with this, though Flora will ask... Discretion until word has been given by miss high priest, yes. As for the idea... It is... An idea about ideas."
"Inspiration," speaks the badger, "Is one of the ways we are closest to our creators. I would hope no being would profane it to claim it for their own." Regardless, he does move to more secluded area, guiding Flora along. "You have inspired great curiosity in me," he admits, "What idea is this that you are so clearly excited for?"
"Flora has been thinking... As it stands, beings bring their ideas to the church, for safekeeping, yes? However... Flora feels some inventors might prefer keeping their ideas to themselves to make more... Profit. Flora is in the same situation, although Flora would prefer simply sharing them with all of Promise, yes," she explains after a while, smiling wistfully. "Flora has been thinking about this problem... And Flora was thinking... What if the inventor could get paid to keep inventing, based on the merits of their inventions, instead?"
"Without having to work on selling their invention themselves, Flora means..."
The badger looks confused for a moment, "That would be why many have patrons," he ventures timidly, as if he felt he was firing in the wrong direction, "To pay them for their work? The church pays modestly for its machine priests, keeping them comfortable in return for their sacred work."
"Of course... But they would still have to keep it a secret, yes? Or their patrons would stop making money, and they would stop being paid... Or is Flora wrong?" she murrs with a smile. "Flora is thinking... Something where a being makes their invention public, and they get paid whenever someone wants to use it in their own ideas... Say Flora figures out how to use Flora's camera in a better way... They would have to buy a camera for every one of their products... Or, if there was a way to do it, they could... Rent the idea. Pay Flora to make their own cameras and adapt them to their own needs... Of course, they can't, right now, can they?" she rumbles, smiling faintly.
"Rent an idea?" asks the badger, clearly perplexed by the notion of it at the start, but then it dawns on him, "Ah! I think I see. You wish to share your ideas, but to be given credit, and crown, where it is put to work? Let anyone who wants it have it, if they will pay?"
"Yes... THis is Flora's idea... Flora deemed it... Impractical before. What if someone stole the idea? Who would arrange for the ideas to be put up for rent?" she murrs, tail swaying. "And Flora thought about it for a long while... There's only one group Flora would think is capable of doing this... Everywhere on Promise... Keeping the ideas safe, allowing people to browse them until they have what they need, take a down-payment. And finally, arranging for the inventor to be paid from the coffers collected from all their locations on Promise, yes. The fee should be modest, but enough to continue living on if an idea is good, of course."
The badger looks thoughtful, but bobs his head none the less, "I will pass it on to the high machine priest, and relay what she thinks of it," he says, making a gesture of divinity as he says it, "Creators smile on you, and may your ideas continue to burn bright."
"Flora appreciates it... There are a few other things, but... Flora is sure the church can figure out how to categorize such ideas if the plan is... Approved.If there are... Other things Flora needs to note, do inform Flora."
"Furthermore, Flora imagines new laws would be required, something... Flora can help arrange. But... First, Flora will need to know if the church figures the idea has merit, yes?" she murrs with a small smile. "Flora will be back here next week, does... Mister badger think Miss High Priest might have her answer ready at that time?" she finally asks as she stands up, still smiling.
"The church can advise and watch, but there are few lands where our words become law unopposed," he says, "And that is the way it should be, as the creators have given us guidelines, not mandates." He looks off towards the back of the church as he continues, "I wish I knew, sister, but she is overwhelmed, working to bridge the understanding of our ways and their own. I hope it is completed soon, for her own sake."
"Of course... Which is why the word of two nobles, one of them head of a house might... Hold some sway... After all, if the church chooses to accept this idea, the law will need to assist to protect this new way of sharing ideas, yes?" she murrs with a smile, a flick of her tails. "Flora will await the news, and make some arrangments in the mean time.
He bows his head, "Creators watch over." he says in an agreeable tone, then moves to excuse himself. So much to be done!
