thisavrou | [1] video/text; ⚔⚔ March Player Plot: Enter the Arena

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[1] video/text; ⚔⚔ March Player Plot: Enter the Arena

[the network dispatch starts with a video. one of the savrii appears in the view of the camera, something unmistakably formal about their posture and clothing, even though it will be hard for humans, at least, to read the expression behind tentacled mouth. for those of us who are accustomed to members of an identified race looking fairly similar, the diversity of savrii appearances probably continues to be confusing.] Hello, Moirans, [is the greeting.] I am Moksha, seeking your assistance on behalf of the Savrii and your fellow Ingress zone dwellers.

We have come into contact with a race of synthetic beings, the Artifixx. They possess a technology and resources that are critical to updating our defenses agains the dangerous, unstable energy output from the Ingress. I am uploading a datasheet. They have agreed to 'negotiate' over the opening of trade. However, they have one condition: they wish to speak with you, because you are the most recent newcomers and residents the Ingress proximate zone.

And to duel a champion among you. As is part of their warrior code of honor. [the tentacles sway at the bottom of the savrii's face, a riffle of motion... and emotion.]

The duel will take place at the Shock Box arena. I know there are many competent warriors among you, as well as spirits valiant and true-- and simply invested in our collective survival. If you have questions that cannot be answered by the uploaded file, you may lock a transmission to me. I will now open the transmission to their ambassadors. They have agreed to identify themselves with call signs. You may call them 'Red,' 'Blue' or 'Green.'

[with that, the video terminates; however, a discreet line remains available for those who need to consult.

in the meantime, the text transmission begins. words flow rapidly over the communications devices, swift as thought:]

hello! it is nice to meet you, peoples of moira. i am blue! i live on a spaceborne city too.

I am Red, Patriarch to the Lancers, Judge, and a veteran of the dueling art. The child draws false comparison. We were told of your ship. Our home is larger. However, some of your technology merits acknowledgment.

I am evidently green.

OOC Notes: If it wasn't clear, please use the OOC plotting Questions/Concerns/etc. thread for transmissions with the Savrii representative or background research/plotting with me, as necessary. We can discuss what OOC information should be taken IC. Thanks!

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What do you hope to learn from the Moirans?

[Wanda isn't a Moiran, having arrived directly at Thisavrou, but she is an experienced trader, and a newcomer, and this situation interests her, though she's also a little wary. The way this is set up as an exercise in persuasion makes her wonder just a little what the Artifixx are being offered in return for their critical technology. The Savrii have been generous with her, but she's seen things get ugly before.]

[So she asks the obvious question, just trying to check to see if she can find anything out from the situation -- either about the Artifixx or about the Savrii and how they've been handling a situation they'd consider to be of vital importance.]

our mission is to assess the value of alliance with the savrii and weigh it against the risk of exploitation. we would appreciate any information and opinions that you can share!

but i am also personally interested in understanding the high value that certain members of your collective appear to place on "wine" and "cheese" and "musical theater."

That's an interesting collection. Grouped like that, I would say that a lot of the value lies in affirmation of culture and status and identity (or, in theatre, sometimes the discovery of other ways of looking at these things). But that is only my opinion; others would say other things. And that's part of the value too -- there's not one single source of value in good wine or good art.

I can't tell you where the line lies between trade and exploitation. Trade, freely entered into, is one of the few ways that everyone involved can end up with more than they would have working alone. It can get unbalanced or forced or unfair, I have seen it, but sometimes it is not so simple, and where the line falls -- that depends on what each side is willing to trade, and what they consider off the table, and what they want in return.

Region One of Kauto is a busy city and the trade scene is full of all sorts of activity, which is a good sign that things are generally fair. But you're making a deal at the level of states, not individuals, aren't you? A special deal in some way?

Are you unhappy with how you've been treated by the Savrii?

Would you prefer we choose call signs as well, or use our real names?

[It's a simple question, but hey, introductions are important.]

we have not had problems with the savrii before. we have not had dealings with the savrii at all. but we have had bad experiences before. we were bound by honor to fulfill our part of the contract, and others who sought our resources moved against us.

how can such things affirm anything? well i can see how cheese would do it.

but wine occludes the judgment of people who drink it. and theater is merely another form of deceit. it intrigues me, but i do not know why. do you care for any of these things?

Courteous of you to ask.

Real names. We value honesty in our culture.

[She's not wrong. And it's appreciated by the one of them least likely to appreciate anything.]

Ah. If that worries you, couldn't you write a contract that honourably releases you if the contract terms are not met, or if other dangerous circumstances intervene? It is only fair.

People affirm things about themselves by consuming certain things. (How do you think cheese affirms, though?)

But how is the theatre a deception? No one goes to the theatre for exact facts, though they may seek them out before or after if the story interests them. It is for telling stories, and presenting emotional truths. That is what gives it power.

And wine ... it depends on how much you drink, and in what context. It can be a social lubricant for many reasons.

Me? I care about some stories that I learned when growing up, very much, though I am far from any home I have known. The rest, it might be something that I could enjoy as well, but I do not deeply value cheese.

And you? May I ask what you care about?

i care about winning duels and bringing dignity and fame to my house. this ambassadorship is already a great recognition. i am the youngest out of the three of us. it is important.

but i also care about learning new information. my algorithms and research protocols form a continuous loop with stored data, as with all of the artifixx. but for the last few hundred years, it has become clear that the confinement and repetition within our culture have affected development and diversity. there may be hundreds of feints to learn and energy weapons to design, but there is countless more to learn and design than that, i believe.

i suppose cheese may affirm because a lot of entities seem to put effort into it. i have been conducting research. there are probably as many types of cheese as there are feints.

you must be offended that i am complaining that my home is tiresome, when you have no access to yours.

It seemed prudent to ask. What one culture considers honesty, another sees as disrespect, and another as intimacy. I've heard of at least one race that treats the offering of one's name as a marriage proposal, which is one misunderstanding I hope to never have to sort out.

I am Allura, Princess of the Alteans. I'm also one of only a few Alteans presently among us, so I'm well-acquainted with learning about the Savrii and the others here as an outsider.

[Also important: Establishing common ground.]

Is this a normal occurrence for you? That is to say, do other planets and groups reach out to negotiate with you, whether they're ultimately successful or not?

We do not consider it normal. But it has occurred several times in the last few hundred years as societies in neighboring parsecs have increased their interstellar travel capabilities. It is abnormal. We proceed with caution each time.

I appreciate your prudence. And your warning against leaping to conclusions. It was subtle but consider it effective.

How would you describe the Alteans to the Savrii?

Congratulations on your position as ambassador, it is good to be recognized and to use one's capabilities.

I don't know your duels or feints, but my feeling is that you must be correct. There is always more that is new, and sometimes it is so new you could never have imagined it before it became reality.

Are these energy weapons something that you are planning to trade? (I am curious because they had energy weapons in a galaxy I lived in before I came here; I wonder if they are similar.)

No, not offended. I don't think you should have the same exact feelings about your home as I have about mine. The situations are different, and you are here, trying to help your home, which I admire.

Why us? We are the newest group.

[It's an interesting way that Green has phrased the question. It reminds her of a riddle repeated across many cultures, in many forms: If you know one person is telling you the truth and the other is lying to you, how do you find the truth? Ask one what the other would answer. There's more being looked into here than just who the Alteans are.]

[It's easy enough to exploit that even she could do it. But somehow, the truth seems like a more compelling answer. Maybe it's luck, or maybe it's all things falling under a common theme.]

Until very recently? With only enough detail to identify other Alteans. But that is my own caution at work. In the past, we were betrayed by a close, trusted ally, and suffered a great loss. The Alteans here may be the very last of our kind.

However, my friends have shown me that the more I guard myself with secrecy, the harder it is for them to trust me. And so, I risk losing them as well.

So, here is what I would tell them now: We were once a race of high virtue, with a high regard not just for our own kind, but for almost all other life in the universe. We studied combat and the healing arts alike; we researched other worlds, and pioneered weapons in hopes of defending their future. And now, we have entrusted those hopes to others.

They wouldn't be wrong about the warriors. There is a number of extraordinary fighters with varied forms of training. I've been consistently impressed with most of them and that says something. I can be very critical.

[Even if he's usually one for encouragement as well as being critical. He does think some could stand to practice more. Of course there's not many opportunities to fight and build one's skills up, but still. At least the challenge for duels would be good for that.]

I think if the terms are laid out plainly you'll have plenty of volunteers.

it is doubtful we will be trading in weapons any time in the near future. we meet the savrii's interest in our defensive technologies with enough misgiving, and a passive threat is less than an active one.

what are your feelings about your home? have the savrii provided you with an adequate substitute? it seems that their stories and cheeses do not make you feel warmly welcomed.

[Green takes an unusually long time to respond to that one, especially if she can see the rate of reply from the other synthetics to her fellow diplomats. Usually, cogitation happens quickly for them.]

A positive yet persuasive description. I regret to hear that your people suffered such a betrayal. Such fiends are cowardly. I hope for your sake that they are no more, especially now, as you make measured exposures.

Will you seek vengeance, when your numbers are replenished as or your other alliances grow?

Incorrect. We are the newest group.

All of the Savrii and their proximate zone allies have equal reason to persuade us. Survival is no small thing. Survival, we respect.

But because you are new to them, we expect you to have fewer entanglements aside from survival. Fewer interests and biases. More skepticism of your own.

Erosion takes time.

Clarity during the duel is paramount. Your companions have made clear that 'clarity' is no easy thing, which suggests a similar interest. We like that. We hope it is true.

Are you a warrior yourself, or do you observe and judge based on theory?

[ Have a completely bewildered, pretty obviously blown away teenager. Ellie doesn't even realize she's activated video until she sees herself, and the notification that it's recording. Welp. Better roll with it. ]

Woah...

[ Yeah, she hasn't been here long. And given that she's come from a completely empty existence, devoid of basic technology and safe life honestly, the fact that she's looking at an actual alien is pretty awesome. And horrifying. She'd been prepared to offer the "talking" part of the deal, but she's too bewildered to focus. So instead... ]

Holy shit, are you actually. Like. Real?

[Slow and thoughtful works fine for her. She's taking time with her responses, not that her typing speed could compare in the first place.]

It pains me to say it, but the truth could not be further from that. Their empire has grown to span many galaxies and many races have been subjugated by their power. However, the Ingress has placed us here, beyond their reach, which gives us an opportunity to rebuild.

I desire vengeance, but more than that, I cannot stand the thought of how many have suffered and died at their hands. For that reason, yes, I plan to return to the fight.

I'm an instructor and a commander and a soldier. Though for a while participation was difficult. I lost two limbs in combat.

What is your definition of clarity?

I see. You continue to have concern for the wellbeing of unknown nations and peoples, despite that you have been punished for it before. I understand that you have identified advantages to making allegiance and allowing for some vulnerability. I understand that you may share some common goals, with the Savrii, with the other peoples of your home universe left at your enemy's mercy. I understand measured exposure.

But you are a leader. How can you conscience diffusing your focus beyond your people?

Mutual understanding that will allow us to avoid the easiest, most foreseeable problems in this transaction.

Do not get me wrong. I do not foresee a lot of problems. But Blue is speaking to me of a tribe in which disclosing one's last name equates marriage. We must certainly proceed with caution. The Artifixx do not marry.

Yes, Little One.

If you are a holograph, your rendering is very impressive. I am Red. What is your name?

[ Ellie gets the responding text, and she jumps in her seat. She's very easily impressed, considering she has never seen anything like this in her life. Yeah, it's extremely awkward responding to text via video, but she literally has no idea what she is doing. And it doesn't matter, because she's talking to a fucking space alien and that is awesome ]

Aha!!

[ She leans in on the camera, eyes wide. ]

Oh man, oh man. This is so fucking cool. Why did I never consider using this thing before? I'm fucking talking to aliens.

[ She sits back, realizing that she should probably respond. ]

Oh. Right. Yeah.

[ Ellie pokes at her face. ]

100% real, dude. All fleshy and everything.

Er--

[ SHE'S JUST SO EXCITED?! ]

E-Ellie. I'm Ellie.

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[1] video/text; ⚔⚔ March Player Plot: Enter the Arena

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