07.12i: Church and State

[Joshua]

Lane is headed back to his church from the construction project. As a reminder, the inside of the church is empty, except for an altar with a seven-pointed star above it.

(OOC: Cameron should be showing up. I know the player will be slow for a bit though.)

[khadjair]

Cameron will be by a little after Lane returns. He won't be the oddly timid self he presents around others - in this he knows the appearance of control and confidence will be critical. He stands at the back of the Church for a moment, getting the layout of the place, before striding in and looking to see if Lane is about or perhaps in personal offices. He will definitely make sure this conversation happens without any others present to hear.

-----
(OOC: Apologies for being slow. I am in the process of relocating so will have hit or miss access for the next month and a half. I can get here from my phone, but autocorrect could make me even less intelligible than normal.)

[Joshua]

That's easy enough to arrange. The church is currently empty. (Except for the seven-pointed star and the podium.) Lane will arrive shortly after Cameron.

He will smile, "Welcome, Cameron. I hope you are well and that Father Stormroar is also."

[khadjair]

"I am pretty sure Father Stormroar is well; I haven't spoken with him yet today but he seemed to be settling in. As for myself.. well, I have some concerns and you might be able to speak to them."

He will move to take a seat in one of the pews at the front as he talks. "As you may or may not know, though rumor travels fast as a cannonball around here i've noticed, I've become the de facto head of the orc encampment outside Ht'gon. One of the things I need to do is make it into a proper settlement, perhaps even a full small city in time. And I have heard speak from other Amberites that you may have a.. connection to a source with some experience in the nurturing and growth of cities."

His demeanor is casual, though there is no hint of mirth or humor in his tone.

[Joshua]

Sorry, there are no pews. Standing only in this church... (kinda odd.)

"I'm not sure what you might be referring to." Lane will state... "But I am more than willing to help with planning a more long-term settlement. I do have a lot of personal experience with that."

[khadjair]

Cameron begins to pace a little, looking over the church and its construction for a moment before replying.

"I admit, your assistance would be appreciated, though there is more. Somewhere, out in Shadow, there is a city, that bears as its sigil a mark very similar to the symbol of the Church here. Which shouldn't be surprising, since Shadow is infinite and you can find whatever you seek out in its bountless manifold. This is, however, a very special City*, and it is aware of Shadows other than its own."

He takes a breath, and takes a moment to bring Pattern to mind, hoping there isn't any visible manifestation. With a turn to face Lane, he comes to a stop, taller than the man by easily a foot and much more massive.

"Tell me, Father Lane, have you ever used a telephone?"

---
* The capitalization is, as always, subtly apparent.

[Joshua]

Lane will pause for a moment. He will sigh. Not wanting to explain this, but clearly defeated. "Oh, that. If you are ready to speak for the rest, I could arrange something. Theotropolis was not pleased with most of the previous meetings. If you are sure... It could end poorly if Amber is not prepared."

[khadjair]

"We had a discussion earlier, based on previous meetings. We are, I hate to say it, as prepared as we can be. and as for diplomatic relations, there were missteps on both sides - growing out of fundamental differences in perspective, if I had to hazard a guess." He's tense, but there's a soldier's placidity in knowing that important things are afoot.

"As you know the... being with which we treat, perhaps you could provide some insights. Trust me when I say we truly do not wish war - there are many things afoot in Shadow and it would be better to have one less proven threat out there, even if it is simply an uneasy truce. And I meant what I mentioned earlier - I am being tasked with constructing a settlement, integrating it while retaining its individuality and distinctness. I could really use the advice of an expert. And I can imagine no greater expert than an archon of the very concept."

He looks contrite for a moment, eyes glancing down. "And I am sorry it's come to this with no warning. But it seems time is of the essence and we need to be sure. As I said, we do not wish war, but that doesn't mean we are not willing to fight if pressed. We have as much right to exist as it... he... she? does. And it's... Theotroplis is the name it chooses?.. is truly a unique thing insofar as we can tell."

"Do I have your blessing and counsel, Father Lane, or will I need to do something I sorely hate and pull rank?"

[Joshua]

There are times when there is no way to argue. Lane will nod, and open up the podium for you... revealing the phone inside. "If the city wishes to talk to you, it will respond." he says. With a few moments he will think. "If you speak to it, you will speak for all of Amber. Or perhaps the pattern. We are not sure if those are so different. Theotropolis is not used to places that are both aware and still fragmented. Perhaps that is the side effect of the Pattern, or perhaps it is Dworkin's work. That is likely where the confusion comes from. Amber is aware well beyond it's age. And normally, unity must come before awareness*."
______________
*: For those of you familiar with Lane's writings... Taken in this light, his goal was the Gozer building apparently.

[khadjair]

Cameron nods at these explanations. "I apologize for putting you on the spot like this, Father Lane. I hope you understand that we all felt it was necessary to come to a resolution or understanding before things got too far out of anyone's control."

He tilts his head a little. "When you say 'we', I am curious do you mean that as a loose collective of individuals, or with the shared mind we have encountered before? No matter, we can discuss it later. I appreciate your counsel beyond measure. I hope this goes well, for all our sakes."

And with that he will reach forward and lift the phone to his ear, at the same time bringing Pattern to mind. Just in case.

"Umm... Hello?"