Planet Genesis -- The Capitol

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She chuckled, "It is, trust me I been there." Softly her face faltered before returning back to normal. "anyway... i uh have no clue what else to ask." Thaila said sheepishly.

Web sighed. "Clearly not something Matt thought was relevant for me to know." He rolled his eyes. This was profoundly strange as far as he was concerned, but he tried hard not to show that. "Honestly I didn't even know Thalia could shapeshift either. " He smiled weakly. "His letters pretty much consist of rambling about stuff he's been doing, how awesome the cleaning drones are and that he did or didn't get arrested this week." Okay, it was sort of funny. His lips twitched into a proper smile. "There's usually a running tally of how much money he now owes Kay as well. They're quite good for cheering you up but not so good at the actual information. "

Ethan actually did laugh at that. "So basically he's told you nothing informative. Impressive, you'd think he would have let slip something by now. Have you asked to see the cleaning drones yet?" He looked amused, "Well people seem to be unsettled by the idea of robots acting like organics, so maybe it's better that you met us before you knew what we were." He shrugged.

"Not yet, no doubt i'll be formally introduced at some point." Web shook his head. Yeah his brother was probably nuts. "I think you're right. I'm not entirely sure what I would have expected otherwise. " He had a lot of questions he was well aware were probably really rude. Bah. "The Imperium has robots but they're used for construction and factory work, that sort of thing. LIke.. giant robot arms to build space craft. Nothing humanoid. And the Kevali? We don't even have electricity so... " He still looked a bit confused. "You... said the guild here recognized you as sentient? What does that mean in a broader sense? You weren't regarded as sentient previously?" How the heck did you determine something's sentience? He hadn't a clue.

"Terrans are unusually interested in robotics. Apparently their culture has always been flooded with stories about androids and other created beings, so of course they wanted to make them in real life. Not like the Satare, who seem to be pretty pragmatic in that regard and don't care about making complicated androids in their own image." Ethan nodded, "The Terran Empire denies that we're living beings, so most people believe them. Asher is planning to change that and get the Terran Empire to recognize their mistake, and the first step was getting the Guild to believe we're alive, which he recently managed to do. It's kind of a mess of a situation, he's probably better able to explain this load of bullshit than I am."

Web nodded slowly. "It sounds complicated. Why don't they want to believe you're alive? Surely that would be a great success? You wanted to create synthetic beings in your image, surely making them self aware and well.. living would be an incredible achievement to be celebrated? Is it not exactly what your creators intended?"

"We weren't just created to be an imitation of life. We were created to be useful, able to handle all sorts of jobs our owners might want to use us for. It wouldn't be profitable to just make androids to look and act real, they need to be useful too." Ethan smiled wryly, "The Terran Empire has always been completely opposed to slavery. If they admit that we're sentient, then they also have to admit that they've let a slave race exist for fifty years right under their noses, which would definitely mar their sparkling clean record."

flying_purple_monkfish wrote:Armin nodded. "We are most fortunate to have crossed paths with Vestia and her crew. Praise the Weaver, I have no doubt she brought our threads together for a reason. They are generally good, kind people." Even Heny who screamed and ran away from him.

"I like your Weaver, she sounds like a nice Goddess" Sawna said softly

Web frowned. "I see..." Well that was problematic. "So they deny your self awareness to save their own skin. Sounds like politicians." He said wryly. He looked serious. "But Asher has a plan to change all that yes? Do you think he'll succeed?"

---

Armin bowed his head a few times, clearly delighted by her words. "She is a most gracious and kind goddess yes, She guides us all as best she can." He looked up at the stars. "Sadly not everyone heeds her guidance, the destroyer corrupts their minds and their hearts, drives them to seek power and control with no regard for the balance of the universe and those they hurt in the process..." He shook his head, looking back at Sawna. "But if we hold onto hope, and faith, and compassion, the light will always triumph over the darkness."

"The Weaver and the destroyer...seems that many races favor this balance; one good, one evil and recognize that good and evil must be balanced out to have happiness and prosperity in their lives. Though they use different names." Sawna said thoughtfully then looked to the stage "Much as this story has been, good vs jealously as the evil."

Ethan nodded. "Nobody wants to unwittingly sabotage their own reputation." He considered the question, "Asher isn't exceptionally bright or very political-minded, but he really believes in his cause and he's been doing everything in his power to prepare himself and his plan. So maybe, just maybe, he'll manage to make this work. He has the drive and he has the innocent face for it, at least."

Armin nodded. "A common theme, which our priests would argue lend weight to the truth of the matter." He shook his head. "We are taught to always hope, to never lose faith and to know, no matter how dark it may be, the dawn shall always come. Adversity is but a hurdle, it shall pass and we shall overcome." He sounded sad. "above all, we must cling to hope, because without hope, what is there?"

---

Web frowned, it sounded like an awfully large task. Then again, he knew first hand what it was like to have an enormous burden thrust upon you. "All I can do is wish you all the best of luck and hope he achieves his goal. "

"Yes, let's hope he has it in him to do this," Ethan agreed. He looked to Web, "You're the lord of the Kevali, aren't you? You seem oddly conversational for a lord."

Sawna nodded and looked up to him with a smile "That is very similar to our teachings and way of life, though for us, there is no 'redemption' if one turns to the darkness though anytime before holds that valued hope."

Web looked a little coy. "So Matt DOES tell people some things huh?" He shook his head, chuckling lightly. "My exact title is Ishvara and it's... a little complicated. As for being conversational, it's nice to be able to actually talk to people on a more... casual level. There aren't too many back home who would sit and converse with me as equals. " He looked grim. "Honestly it gets a little lonely."

---

"One must always hold out hope. While those with light within them join the Weaver in the great sky web, those the destroyer takes are consumed utterly. It is... a horrendous fate. Your soul is destroyed, all that you were absorbed into the destroyer, feeding it and giving it more power. This is why we try to redeem right to the end. If there is any light left we must try to kindle it, fight off the darkness, not only to save the souls of those afflicted, but to deny power to the destroyer. Destroying evil with hate and violence only creates more evil. One must always seek the good and not submit to the hate and anger and sorrow. It is difficult." He lowered his head. "When you are so hurt, it is difficult not to wish harm upon those who hurt you, but we must rise above.The way of the destroyer is easy to fall into, but ultimately, it will be your destruction. " He shook his head. "In my experience, hope is never unfounded. There is always hope and there is always a way. Even when things look their bleakest, salvation always comes. "

"Occasionally he tells someone something and the information spreads around the ship. You can learn a lot by listening in whle people gossip," Ethan said vaguely. It was a better explanation than saying that Mirror Web had boarded Mirror Vestia, at least. He looked interested, "Kevali sound very fond of hierarchy. You grew up with your siblings, well away from Kevali culture, right? Must have been strange for you to decide to go to a whole new society like that."

Sawna nodded, listening to Aramin talk of his faith. It really was a lot like their way of life. "Yes, for my people it is like, once you give in and accept the evil, the destroyer, you lose your soul at that time, though the body still lives and remembers. There is no light to rekindle. We have tried, and there are those that still try even to this day, but there has been no hint or sign of return from the vampires."

Web nodded. "Our parents died when we were six, even before then our mother was effectively raising us alone. Unfortunately the underground really isn't a good place if you're not Kevali. So she took us back to her homeworld, i'm not entirely sure why, and our father visited as often as his duty would allow. " He sighed. "and so after their deaths we were taken in by Kay and Stellan's mother, she raised us as her own. I'm not sure how much you know about the Imperium, but suffice to say it's not a particularly good place to grow up as a half breed. When I was old enough I decided that I wanted to know more about my parents and that it was time to actually go and talk to my father's side of the family. I had always known what my father's title was but it wasn't really until I arrived that I understood exactly what it meant. And yes, it was hard to adjust. Matt came with me and he hated it there, all he wanted to do was leave but he refused to go without me and I didn't feel right abandoning my duty like that. Arrogant as it may sound, I felt like they needed me to stay. The Elders had had unopposed power for well over a decade and their interests do not always align with what's best for the people. Balance had to be restored and I felt like... I could do that. It felt good to have a purpose. It still does." He smiled softly. "It took a lot of adjustment to come to terms with some of their culture. The darkness, the scarcity of food, that wasn't overly difficult for me. We grew up with very little to eat so going hungry is nothing new. But the death toll, how hard life actually is down there and the shear brutality and pragmatism of many of their customs at the time utterly shocked me.  "

---

Armin lowered his head. "That is profoundly sad. " He tilted his head. "How do they fall so far?"

"So you took leadership because you thought someone needed to make a difference, just like Asher is trying to do," Ethan said. "What's it like down there? I mean it's dark and there's not much food, but what sort of customs do they have? What are you trying to change? Matt was made an outcast eventually, wasn't he?" So many questions! He wished he knew more about the mirror Kevali so he could compare the cultures.

Sawna took a seat nearby him and thought about that for a little before replying "It is the ultimate evil to take the life of one you use for feeding, for in doing so you take their soul, their being into yourself and it snuffs out your own soul because their soul is dead when you take it. It is one of the first lessons learned, long before you can feed on your own, even before lessons on calming fear and making the feedee forget. That one act makes us dead inside even as our bodies live, but it is a conscious choice to do this, you must already be on that path to even consider taking the life of another in such a way. And once your soul is snuffed out, most go on a killing spree, taking the lives and souls of all they can as if they believe they can steal another's soul to reignite their own." She shook her head sadly at that.

Web nodded. "Curse my idealism right?" He smiled sadly. "Yes, Matt got himself outcast. I'm not sure what he really expected to happen. I expect he felt he was somewhat protected by being my brother but he was... not exactly quiet about his displeasure with the Elders or how much he hated it there. I did try to talk him into just going, or at least shutting up but unfortunately Matt really doesn't like being told what to do, so I fear I only made things worse. I did try to talk them out of going through the whole ritual but Matt demanded they make it official. " He sighed. "He's an idiot. And so I had to watch, unable to do anything as he was held down and a symbol burned into his hand. " He looked pained, clearly the memory still upset him. "He claims he doesn't regret it, but I do." He sighed again. "As for what it's like. " He thought about that. "It's very crowded, there is really no privacy and as a result really no taboos regarding sex, or nudity or anything like that. The Kevali are... a very quiet, very industrious people with a huge sense of duty and obligation. Everyone has a role to play and you do it without complaint and without question. Everybody pulls their weight, even the children. There simply isn't enough in the way of resources to support those who cannot help and... that's where the most difficult adjustment came." He looked away. "While they will always do all they can to save the life of a child, adults who are injured are quite often simply left to die. Those who can no longer fulfill their purpose are encouraged to end their lives to ease the burden they place upon the community. It is something that I still find difficult even if I do understand their reasoning and respect the necessity of such things. I have never been able to approach death with quite the same level of detachment as the Kevali do."

Armin tried not to shudder. "How horrific... Does it happen often?"

Ethan shook his head at the explanation of Matt's outcasting. "From what little I know of him, that does sound typical. You'd think he'd at least relent so his own brother wouldn't have to watch him be branded, but I get the idea that maybe thinking isn't his specialty." He frowned at the description of the Kevali lifestyle, "Thoroughly unpleasant. Do the Kevali even have the population to support such a relaxed attitude about death? Seems like they wouldn't have that much genetic diversity going on in their underground civilization. Why don't they just leave? There are lots of liberal, socialist empires that would take them in I'm sure." This was totally the topic of conversation for a happy full moon festival! Right?

flying_purple_monkfish wrote:Armin tried not to shudder. "How horrific... Does it happen often?"

Sawna shook her head "No, thankfully it is rare at least on our homeworld. Those who are imprisoned too long sometimes give in and take the life of their jailers just to not be there any longer."

Web nodded. "No, Matt has never been one to think too hard about anything." He frowned a little at the bombardment of questions. "With resources so scarce, any... dead weight, is more harmful to the community than any genetic contribution they could make. That said, they are a dying race. The birth rate is very low and while the Scribes try very hard to keep track of family trees to minimize inbreeding, it's inevitable in a population so small. We.. trade people. Which sounds strange but works well to reshuffle the gene pool. It also spreads skills around the various communities. When the young complete their apprentiships the Scribes of all the various settlements come together and exchange individuals. One area for instance may have great need of hunters, another of blacksmiths, another of miners. They have complicated rules and regulations which I honestly try not to pay too much attention to, it just makes my head hurt, but they know what they're doing. The Scribes are nothing if not efficient. As for just leaving... " He looked sad. "It isn't that simple. Generally speaking, people will not just up and leave their home even if it isn't ideal, they become accustomed to their surroundings, sentimental about their home soil. To the Kevali, the underground is greatly important, the race survived because they were led beneath the sands. Andhakarah, the capital, particularly holds a great deal of mythical and religious significance, abandoning that is inconceivable to a great many." He shook his head. Much as I would love to change things so everyone could be free and happy and not need to live such desperate short lives, it simply isn't realistic to expect change to happen overnight. My father, rest his soul, he wanted change, he wanted to lead the people to salvation like our mythical ancestor lead the people underground centuries before.. but i've read his journals and i've spoken to those who knew him and honestly, he fundamentally misunderstood people. He thought the best way to lead was to dictate and though he meant well, the people would only have followed him because he demanded it, not because they wanted to. I grew up in a culture that values free will above all else. There is an old Terran saying, you can lead a horse to water but you cannot make it drink. My father wanted to hold the horse's head underwater and all that will achieve is drowning the horse. Matt, sadly, has much the same sort of attitude as our father in that respect. He means well, but he hasn't got the patience or the understanding of people to take a slow approach. He would never accept that you simply cannot save those who do not want to be saved. That doesn't mean I think it's futile, I have faith that the people will find a way and things will get better, but it's a slow process and I have to lead with gentle nudges, not by dragging them. At least that's the theory. Whether i'll actually be able to make a difference remains to be seen, there's every possibility I could be just as flawed in my ideals as my father was." He spoke solemnly. "On top of that I have the Elders to contend with, and they have their own reasons for wanting to keep the people where they are. I have faith that Fate has a plan, she saved the people once, she will do it again."

Armin frowned. "Then what becomes of them?"

"Usually they are killed, as quickly and with as little pain as is possible" Sawna said sadly "At least when a Carpathian does it. There is a little fact that the souless have greater strength and speed even than we do as Carpathians. So ending their suffering is not an easy task."

Armin nodded slowly. "it would seem, one who elects to do it, knowing the risks, do not consider it suffering." If you really wanted out of a situation, there were other options rather than giving up your soul surely? "I am glad they are rare."