Opening & mingling!

[guiltapalooza]

GAME START. Make your initial mingling comment, either in person or online.

Comments

[adamantly]

[That reaction is a little unexpected, yes, and Mordred's mouth automatically twitches into an amused smile at the thought.]

Not exactly. I'm not... sure there's much purpose in explaining as our worlds seem rather far apart, but Camelot is one of the five Kingdoms of Albion.

Unless Malkuth exists beyond Albion's cliffs?

[clinical]

Oh, that's unlikely. [There are precisely two nations on Auldrant, so Camelot would have to be a pre-Dawn Age nation. If that's the case, then Jade won't have any real reference point for it anyway.]

[But Yulia forbid that Jade explains that.]

There is, of course, a simple test. Is there any knowledge of fonons in your world?

[adamantly]

...I see. [He waits for a moment for Jade to offer some kind of explanation, but when the other shoe doesn't drop he lets it go with ease. Strange.]

Fonons? No, I've never heard of such a thing, are they something of importance in your world?

[Honestly curious here, if a bit befuddled.]

[clinical]

They're a basic particle of matter. My readings suggest that few worlds have them.

[A calm, factual statement. Fonons are ubiquitous.]

Though perhaps some earlier worlds have yet to identify them. They allow a fonist to do this. [Jade turns his palm up. At his fingertips, a small glowing glyph appears, and a burst of flame comes from it before disappearing.]

[adamantly]

[Mordred's heart does a little flip in his chest as the glyph appears over the center of Jade's palm, and then vanishes again in a flutter of flame. Jade calls it the result of fonons, but it's a form of sorcery if Mordred's ever seen one. The other man doing it so openly and in front of an acquaintance is habitually shocking, so have the first break in Mordred's calm since the conversation's begun.]

You... you're a sorcerer, [he says slowly, still struggling a little to process what he's just seen. In hindsight, he feels foolish. He should have suspected that something like this would happen on the ship, being packed with multitudes as it is, but the purge's grip on his heart and memories is strong.]

[clinical]

[A very interesting response. Jade dispassionately attends Mordred. He answers as factually as he had before.] Yes, that is one of the archaic terms for it. Is that a problem?

[adamantly]

[Excuse him while he swiftly backpedals his reaction the heck up, reassuming the usual intent calm, albeit with a new spark of focus.]

...Ah, no. Sorcery is dangerous in my world, and you surprised me.

[Lies, lies, lies. It doesn't even enter Mordred mind to divulge his status in return (sorcery: the business cards of the conjurer's world). Not yet. It still isn't clear who is here, and whether they'll truly retain their memories of all of this.

It is, however, heartening to realize that somewhere sorcery doesn't seem to be feared. Somewhere, sorcerers are free. Mordred can't help but take a new interest in Jade for that fact.]

It seems our worlds are further apart in nature than we possibly could have imagined, hm?

[clinical]

You'll find I can imagine quite a lot. [Jade is still calm. Still non-confrontational. But he's also very interested.]

[He doesn't take a step towards Mordred—no need to reinforce the physical idea of cornering someone for answers—nor does his voice change.] I trust that my status as a sorcerer, as you put it, won't be a problem between us?

[adamantly]

[Not at all; He's putting a pin in you, Jade.]

Unless you've plans to use magic on me, I see no cause for alarm? [It's said very lightly, a tiny smirk bringing up the tail end.]

And you're a warden as well, yes? [It's a guess, but everything he's seen from Jade up until now seems to indicate this is the case.] I assume the ship selected you for a good reason, and I hope that we may [be friends] work together.

[clinical]

As a fellow warden, I'm sure you won't give me cause to. [Jade smiles pleasantly.]

[Red eyes, take warning.]

I was surprised when you first spoke. Are all Camelot's knights trained for silence in armour like that? If so, I'm afraid the Malkuth Imperial Forces wouldn't be able to match.

[adamantly]

[He catches the flash of red, noticing it properly for the first time since they started talking. It's surprising, but so was Jade having magic. He wonders if the aspects are linked.]

Not ...really, no. [Pause.] But it's a question of armor, honestly–– Do your men wear something much heavier, Colonel?

[clinical]

[They're certainly linked. Simply not how Mordred may expect.] It varies depending on division and position. Foot soldiers tend to wear plate armour. I'm in my own uniform at present.

[In stepping forwards and gesturing, he reveals the extent of it. Unlike Mordred's movement, it is not silent.] Generally speaking, I'd say our soldiers are more lightly armed. The state of warfare is likely quite different—unless I'm mistaken in assuming you don't use sorcerers in your armies?

[adamantly]

[Mordred's quiet for a moment as he accepts the physical invitation to look Jade's uniform over. His immediate thoughts are that the outfit is fine and very detailed; This alone suggests to him certain levels of distinction and competence.]

It's very fine. [A small smile, as he looks up at Jade again.] You must have have worked hard to earn the rights to it.

[Mordred shakes his head.]

You're not mistaken. [He stops there, not eager to highlight Camelot's continuing prejudice.] That your armies use sorcery is... a surprising thing to hear. Wouldn't it be a danger to men of all sides?

[clinical]

Not particularly. [It isn't modesty. Jade doesn't think of himself as working hard to attain his rank because Jade has always found military service very easy. So a simple dismissal as he moves on.]

[But he raises his eyebrows.] Not if the fonists are well-trained and the soldiers are prepared in advanced. I won't go into the technical details, but a mark can be cast on members of one's own side to ensure that attacks do not affect them. Of course, the markings are only so viable on a battlefield with limited visibility. The commanding officer is responsible for anticipating those problems and working through them on the battlefield, as he or she would for technology-based range weaponry—cannons and the like.

[You do have cannons, don't you?]

[adamantly]

[Mordred blinks a little in surprise. This is getting technical–– much more technical than even he understood magic to be.]

Markings as barriers I understand, but I fear I'm unfamiliar with canons. [Have... some tech!fail, Jade. Sorry, it's kind of imminent in conversations like these. He does know two range-based weapons, though...] Are they like ballistae and catapults?

[clinical]

[A pause.]

Yes, to a certain extent. The technology is more advanced.

[Mordred's world must be very primitive. Perhaps they're so harsh on mages because they don't understand them?]

[adamantly]

I suppose I understand, then. [Enough to get the base concept, anyway.]

Battles remain strategic, even with the use of sorc–– fononry. I confess, that's not what I would have expected. [A beat of silence, in which Mordred reflects on their conversation.]

Malkuth must be an interesting place to live.

[clinical]

[Jade only nods and notes,] I'd be interested in hearing about the sorcerers of Camelot.

one srs monologue, coming right up

[adamantly]

[He silently resists the question for a moment, this subject being closer to the bone than Camelot or armor.]

It's not a very pleasant story, I'm afraid... [He sighs.]

Their lives are a never-ending conflict with Albion's people. The five kingdoms fear magic and hunt those who have it [like animals. There's a tiny swell from the underground current of his anger as he says it, but it mostly registers as a deepening of his tone voice and a pause.] and in turn, sorcerers wage war against them.

It's a cycle of fear and violence that continues without end. [His tone says very clearly that he doesn't understand it in the least.]

[clinical]

[That tone, that lack of understanding, that anger is very interesting. Because Mordred is a knight. And yet he sympathizes with those he is charged to protect his people from?]

You sound like you disagree with public policy.

[adamantly]

[And as fast as it swelled up to meet him, his anger suddenly turns cold, and dissipates like mist. Mordred sighs, his gaze dropping.]

I think people shouldn't be made to suffer needlessly, if they've not earned it. [A pause, as he turns this back around on Jade, assuming, he, being a soldier, will totalllllly be able to relate to the depths of his capacity for revenge. Totally.]

Don't you agree?

[clinical]

[The thing is, Jade does agree that this shouldn't be allowed.]

[But agreement doesn't really show you what a person thinks. You have to push against them, test them. Don't let them have it easy.]

Is it entirely needless? If there is general distrust for mages, their persecution will consolidate a leader's power, and a stronger, more centralized leader will be able to govern more effectively.

[adamantly]

[The limits of how much Mordred is willing to share with a stranger are quickly being reached. And well, shit. Touching on a core belief here, Jade. Because you haven't clearly demonstrated your views about anything related to morality, Mordred has no way of picking out if this is inconsistent coming from you, or not, either.

He hopes you aren't really okay with killing cute little druid creepers.]

Are you... [A beat] You're not serious, are you?

[clinical]

[Jade's opinions on the value of life are entirely his own business. He isn't the one under question right now, after all.]

Is the theory incorrect? I'm unfamiliar with the power structures in Albion.

[adamantly]

[...Apparently you are. Silent judgment time, and Mordred's going to clam up further.

He knows there's no lack for logic in the truth about it satisfying someone's needs, but he finds the idea irrelevant and morally bankrupt.]

...You're a sorcerer, a fonon-user, you say. I would think you better than most would understand the meaning behind what you mean to say.

[It's said largely without emotion.]