Session 116

Chancel_Amyra
Chapter 13

Theresa: I can see it now...you'll awaken from a calm restful sleep...to look into the very very closeup view of your imp's eyes.
DanteE: What's the distance record for a drop-kicked Imp?
Angelo: (dobby won't do thid to Harry potter/ DObby won't do that to Harry Potter) :-P
Theresa: Aspect or non?
Random_Nerd: The record is not yet complete.
Random_Nerd: The imp kicked with the most force has not yet landed.
Random_Nerd: Check back in a few years.
DanteE: is he in orbit?
Random_Nerd: Nah. But he'll probably reach a gravity well eventually.

• • • Harold is now known as Herb_absent.
      

Theresa: Are you going to name him?
DanteE: DUnno yet
Theresa: And you'll need to draw him a hierarchy chart before he starts bossing people around.
Random_Nerd: That's one thing he'll pick up fast.
Random_Nerd: Low-totem-pole people in Hell are really good at working out pecking orders.
Random_Nerd: Admittedly, they generally do it by testing bounderies until they get smacked, and then cowering.
Theresa: Theresa detests bullies.
Random_Nerd: Then why does she like Lesson, particularly as he was earlier?
Random_Nerd: He's getting better, between the anchoring, the miracles cast on him before it, and the change in situations.
Random_Nerd: But that's still largely who he is.
DanteE: yeah, but he's _our_ bully, damn it
Theresa: Pretty much. And she sees potential in Lesson that she hasn't seen in the imp yet.
Theresa: Plus she admires his efforts to change/better himself. And she feels sad for him with his reaction to the new folks/imp...she understands that it's like dropping someone who just started AA into a job at a Budweiser plant with free beer.
Random_Nerd: Well, while Harold's reading the log, shall we start with Dante and Theresa?
Theresa: Sure. Ready.
DanteE: Sure
Angelo: yep yep
Random_Nerd: __________________START___________________
Random_Nerd: (Let's see. Theresa was with John, talking about the new guests.)
Random_Nerd: (And Dante was still with Lesson, correct?)
Theresa: (Yep. New locks on the doors.)

• • • Herb_absent is now known as Herb.
      

Random_Nerd: (So, start there, or elsewhere, perhaps back in the clock tower?)
DanteE: (Yeah... I told Lesson to treat them like ordinary citizens)
Theresa: (And Lesson asked to be kept as far away from them as possible.)
Theresa: (Clock tower is fine with me. Will John have any other info or stuff he would want to talk about?)
Herb: (I'm done. Can we assume that I'm handling the final preparations for our brand new Centre for the Redemption of the Damned?)
Random_Nerd: (He's mostly just worried.)
Theresa: (It has cheery wallpaper doesn't it?)
Theresa: (And when do we get to meet your Anchor? <g>)
Random_Nerd: (This is perhaps the most nervous you've seen him since you first got to know him.)
DanteE: (Oh... how many people can the helicopter carry?)
Theresa: (The man has handled Angels and Wildlords, manic-depressive Treasures of Mass Destruction and having his own voicebox destroyed and then recreated. That he is nervous now...worries me.()
Random_Nerd: (Shall we say eight?)
Herb: (No wallpaper, just white walls, white furniture, white carpet... Well, you get the idea. Something extremely neutral. That's what the psychiatrist recommended ;) )
DanteE: (OK, Herb, where are you?)
Random_Nerd: (Fair enough. No demons-and-fire motif?)
Random_Nerd: (Mad cackling Hell-Muzak!)
Theresa: (Beige might be better than white. All white feels like a laboratory or an asylum...)
Random_Nerd: (So, where are you all?)

• DanteE calls Herb on his Magical Mystery Phone...
  

Herb: (The asylum feel is sort of intentional :p )

• Herb answers: "Herb of Urbanization speaking."
  

DanteE: "Herb? Got that place ready yet? I
DanteE: "I've got 9 ex-damned almost done with their impromptu picnic."
Theresa: (I can head over to the New Place of the NonDamned if the idea pops into her head. Herb knows that if he wants landscaping or houseplants of nonpoisonous kinds, he just has to ask.  :) )
Herb: "Well, I'm not entirely pleased with the furniture, and there are small problems with the air conditioning system, but we're good to go."

• • • Angelo has signed off IRC (Ping timeout).
      

Herb: (Plants would probably help with the sterile whiteness.)
Herb: "We'll need more security personal though. I want this place to be, well, up to safety standards."
Theresa: (Yeah, Theresa would wander over there anyhow once she's done with John.)_
Theresa: (A moat!)
Herb: "How are our new...guests?"
Random_Nerd: (Dante, are you taking Lesson with you, or leaving him behind?)

• Theresa heads over toward the new housing at a non-speeding pace.
  

DanteE: "Mildly shell-shocked.
DanteE: "And, with a few exceptions, not very nice people.
DanteE: "My fault for forgetting Hell has some standards after all..."
Herb: (How about that as a model for the Centre: (Link: http://www.indiculture.com/fashion/2007/02/12/snapshots-of-revolving-house/)http://www.indiculture.com/fashion/2007/02/12/snapshots-of-revolving-house/ ?)
Herb: "Well, that was to be expected. Hell has to deserve parts of its reputation."
Random_Nerd: (Funky-looking.)

• • • DanteE has signed off IRC (Connection reset by peer).
      

Random_Nerd: (Hmm, and now my brain is going to other weird designs, and then to realize that it's almost certain that more than one Panopticon has been built in Hell.)
Herb: "Do you believe that they'll pose a threat to the citizens of the city? I'm all for freedom, but there are limits we shouldn't cross."
Random_Nerd: (Herb, any NPCs with speaking parts near you?)
Random_Nerd: (Oh, panopticon = (Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panopticon)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panopticon)

• • • DanteE has joined #nobilis.
      

Herb: (My ninja, but he doesn't say a lot. I'd assume my assistant (and Anchor) Frances is also around.)
DanteE: (Quick aside: whoever screwed up the Flash plugin needs to be severely beaten. That is all.)
Random_Nerd: (Feel free to play the role of Frances as well, since she's your anchor.)
Theresa: (Yay! Meeting Frances!)
Herb: (Damn, that's more work ;) )
DanteE: "One or two of them might. I'll let you know who once we meet.
DanteE: "And... you recall how our history books would kinda gloss over certain Kings?"
Herb: "History wasn't really my forte..."
Herb: Frances, in the background: "Sir, don't forget that you have an appointment with the director of the parks department in half-an-hour..."
DanteE: "Or how there are a few who didn't get streets or neighborhoods named after them no matter what?"

• • • Angelo has joined #nobilis.
      

Herb: "Those would be...bad kings? Or /very/ bad kings? Did we get one of those?"
Angelo: sooy Messenger update wreak avoc on the laptop
Herb: Frances: "...and there was another complaint about the accessibility of the new arena to sentient cows and other quadrupeds..."
Random_Nerd: (Oh, and he and a couple others are one of the big reasons nearly all of the kings use John as the name they reign under)
Random_Nerd: (Aaaron II, and a few others with other names, gave them a bad reputation.)
DanteE: "We did indeed.
Herb: "Why did we exchange blood for those people again?"
DanteE: "Like I said... I'll introduce you. Can you send us a bus?"
DanteE: "The opportunity presented itself, and we're nice and naive."
Random_Nerd: (A bus is a lesser creation of realm. You can make one for free.)
Herb: "Sure." To Frances: "Can you contact Public Transportation? They need a bus at the Clock Tower... Oh, and send some policemen along"
Theresa: (I'm sure that the ninja would suggest that if ones are so impolite to dare _question_ Herb's arena, they should ritually commit themselves into hamburgers.)
Herb: (Why make one for free when we have an efficient public transportation system :) )
Random_Nerd: (Hubris!)
Theresa: (You didn't say it had to be an empty bus...)
Herb: (I build huge buildings to deal with that!)
Herb: (Or underwater cities...)
DanteE: "No, actually we're at (whatever) field."
DanteE: "Wanted to show then the scenic side of the country before we got to the seamy underbelly."
Herb: "Oops... Frances? That would be (whatever) field. Sorry about that dear."
DanteE: "'Dear'?"
Herb: To Dante: "Good idea. About that evil king, shouldn't we jail him somewhere?"
Random_Nerd: The little demon plays with Dante's shoelaces.
Herb: "Sorry Dante, I was talking to Frances... You've met her right?"
DanteE: "You did meet Kudzu, right?"
Herb: "Yes. I know he's not a partisan of incarceration... But that guy is, by your own admission, a /evil/ king."
Random_Nerd: The little demon tugs on one, undoes the knot, and then seems to try to spontaneously invent from first principles the bow knot)
Random_Nerd: (Err, no ) )
DanteE: (Great, it's going to take an Aspect miracle just to walk...)
DanteE: to Imp: "Don't do that."
Random_Nerd: The imp cowers.
Herb: "Perhaps we could allow him to roam freely on the Bunny Moon?"
Random_Nerd: (That could never end badly!)
Herb: "The city bus, and its police escort, should arrive shortly..."
Herb: (Never in a million years. Well, maybe days...)
DanteE: "Anything on the Bunny Moon is in danger of becoming a red smear after an errant bounce."
Theresa: Theresa enjoys her journey through the city. She checks on the trees and plants on her way to see if there are any issues that she hadn't been noticing in their time away.
Random_Nerd: Herb, at the complex you're at, Lesson's car pulls up near you. Lesson, and what looks like a nervous college student, get out.
DanteE: (We basically have our own copy of Luna, right?)
Theresa: (Lesson has an intern?)
DanteE: (MBA program.)
Random_Nerd: (Well, Monty's Moon is much closer, and much smaller, than the real one.)
Random_Nerd: (Poly Sci student, actually.
Random_Nerd: )
DanteE: (But.. if we have our own Luna it could be an isolation ward)
Herb: "Hello Lesson. I hear that some of your old...hmm...compatriots have arrived."
Random_Nerd: Lesson: "This is where they will be?"
Herb: "Yep. Under strict psychiatric and police supervision I hope. For their own good of course...and that of the community."
Random_Nerd: Lesson: "Here to check for things that can be made into weapons. Assume you haven't already done so."
Theresa: (Theresa can arrive whenever you deem it okay, dear.)
Random_Nerd: (Now is fine.)
Random_Nerd: (Frances has already sent the bus, right?)

• Theresa arrives at the facilty in time to see the gathering. "Hi Herb! Hey Lesson! Is everyone on their way?"
  

Herb: "As far as I can tell, they'll have a hard time killing each other of anyone else. The furniture is fixed on the floors, the cutlery is plastic with rounded edges, etc."
DanteE: (Um... how do Mundanes react upon seeing an Imp?)
Herb: (Yep, she should have.)
Herb: "Hello Theresa! Good to see you. How was Chicago?"

• DanteE listens for sirens...
  

Random_Nerd: (Everyone in Amyra, or nearly, knows about Lesson already. The little demon looks to be recognizably at least a related creature.)
Random_Nerd: (As similar as a lemur is to a chimp, at least.)
Random_Nerd: Lesson points to the college student: "This is..." He pauses.
Theresa: "Windy. We also got a lesson in the different things Nobles can collect as a hobby." *notices the mundanes* "Oh, I don't think I've been introduced to the two young people." *smile*
Random_Nerd: After a moment, she says "Jennifer."
Random_Nerd: Lesson: "She will be with me whenever am near the new humans."
Theresa: "Hello Jennifer. " *to Lesson* "I didn't know you had an intern."
Random_Nerd: Lesson shrugs.
Theresa: (Oh, wait, I get it...a chaperone!)
DanteE: (Who's chaperoning who?)
Random_Nerd: Lesson: "Needed a human to assist. This one says she studies ways that humans use authority with other humans. Useful knowledge."
Theresa: "Indeed. And I look forward to any papers."
Random_Nerd: Jennifer: "I would like to talk with you some time, if you don't mind."
Herb: "I think she'll help you become a more /human/ demon, Lesson. And this is Frances. She was my assistant at City Hall and I guess she followed me in my recent career change." Frances is on the phone, in the background, but nods curtly at Theresa.
DanteE: (Her: "Get me OUT OF THIS!")

• Theresa blinks. "Me? Sure." *LCreates a business card that has the address of the Conservatory and a pretty flower on it* "Just set something up with the secretary/
  

Theresa: "
Theresa: (Nah, I'd figure she'd be interested in the Irresistable.)
Herb: She seems to be arguing about the budget to build a ramp for cows at some arena downtown.
DanteE: (Any difficulty with getting the Hellbound 9 from here to there?)
Random_Nerd: (For the record, she's about 5'9", dressed in a fairly ordinary business casual style. Brown hair, cut fairly short. She's skinny, perhaps a little unhealthily so, but next to Lesson seems almost plump.)

• Theresa squints at Frances. "Ah, this is your Anchor? Cool!"
  

Random_Nerd: (Nah, the bus arrives quickly, and you aren't far away.
Random_Nerd: )
Random_Nerd: Jennifer takes the card, squints at it, and them puts it in her pocket.
Random_Nerd: (What's Frances's basic physical description?)
Herb: "Yes, she's my Anchor now. I've read the instruction manual on our present state as Nobles and followed the instructions. I used blood instead of tears. I a little less melodramatic..."
Random_Nerd: (Dante, did you bring the little demon with you, or did you shoo it away?)
DanteE: (It's with me. It's mine now, after all. Stray demons are a terrible thing...)
Theresa: "Hey at least you didn't pick up yours in a bar, like some other Sibling I won't name..."

• Theresa sighs. "Sometime I'll find someone I'll want to keep in that way. Until then..."
  

Random_Nerd: The little demon makes eye contact with Lesson with a somewhat showy turn of its head.
Random_Nerd: Lesson looks back at it, starts to open a mouth filled with a set of largely broken fangs, and then shudders for a moment and looks away.
Random_Nerd: The little demon looks smug.
Random_Nerd: Lesson looks uneasy.
Theresa: "So, Lesson, you're here to check out the place too? Do you want a tour by yourself or with everyone?"

• DanteE mulls over who'll get neutered...
  

Herb: Frances is somewhere in her late forties, a little taller than Herb, has light brown hairs and green eyes. She looks a bit overworked, but she seems to like it like that. She wears very little makeup, doesn't seem to do much with her hair, but she dresses impeccably.
Random_Nerd: Lesson cranes his neck, and then says "Yes. To check for things that weapons can be made of. Damned humans are dangerous. Could hurt chancelfo... other chancelfolk."
Theresa: "How about you and I take a quick look and I'll add a little bit of nonpoisonous greenery around the place. What would you suggest? Stuff that doesn't need pots or can be choked on?"
Random_Nerd: Lesson: "No woody stems. No strong vines. Pots made of very soft material. Perhaps wax."
Herb: "The psychiatrist I consulted said we should avoid flowers, unless they're light blue. Very light blue."

• DanteE is arriving, I think...
  

Random_Nerd: (Dante can arrive whenever)
DanteE: You hear sirens in the distance.
Random_Nerd: (Wait, he already did, didn't he?)
Theresa: "Beeswax okay?"
Theresa: (If the imp smugged at Lesson, yep.)
Random_Nerd: (Let's... push back the bit with the demon until after he arrives, I guess.)
Herb: "Ah, here they come..."
Random_Nerd: Lesson: "Probably."
Theresa: (Hmm..as Plants, can I summon bees?)
Random_Nerd: Lesson: "Furniture. What kind?"
Herb: "Most of it is plastic."
DanteE: (oops)
Theresa: "Oh, hmm...soy wax can do. And light blue, got it. No woody, no vining...aloe vera could work...no cactus...Okay, one plant to a large room or living area." *LCreates*

• DanteE pulls up with a brand new entourage.
  

Random_Nerd: L: "Probably dangerous. Perhaps... soft padding attached to floor sufficiently strongly that all humans working together could not pull it up."
DanteE: "Guys? ... KILL THE SIRENS ALREADY!"
Random_Nerd: (Paste the Lesson/Imp exchange to here, then.)
Random_Nerd: L: "Not giving orders, of course. But is less dangerous this way."
Random_Nerd: L: "Believe that I am correct."
Herb: (Lesser Creation of soft padding in the appropriate places.)

• DanteE goes to the others...
  

DanteE: "Place ready?"
Theresa: "I just added some living touches."
Random_Nerd: L: "Could fashion effective stabbing implement from plastic furniture in three minutes. Effective slashing tool in seven to ten, depending on what hard and rough surfaces available."
Herb: "Yep, it's pretty much ready. So Dante, these are our new guests? And I see you have a new pet..."
DanteE: "Yes, and once he stops humping my leg I'll give him the bath he needs."
Herb: "So the plastic furniture is out? I was told it's pretty durable... What do you recommend instead? Foam?"
Theresa: "You are quite efficient, Lesson."
Theresa: "Perhaps more of a mat-based system. Padding."
DanteE: "Let me introduce you to everyone (as they step off the bus... RN, you're up, desc time.)
Random_Nerd: Lesson: "How many humans die, each year, and are suitable for Hell? And all other worlds."
DanteE: "You're giving them a rubber room?"
Theresa: "I don't know the statistics, Lesson."
Herb: "Rubber IS a good idea..."
Random_Nerd: Okay, let's see. They're all wearing white bathrobes, over grime, dirt, dried blood, and rags of either homespun cloth or thin and tattered leather.
Random_Nerd: Nine people, in roughly three groups.
Random_Nerd: The first to get off, followed by two others and with a third lagging a little behind, is Aaron.
Random_Nerd: He looks a little like John, but not strongly. His features has less of both african and european, and more of a middle-eastern look.
Random_Nerd: The lines in his face suggest that he's sneered about three times as often as he's smiled.

• Herb whispers to Dante: "Evil king right?"
  

Random_Nerd: The two who follow him at first have the same general ethnic makeup as most Amyrans. Both seem more like the people here nowadays than Aaron does.
Herb: (Can I assume that the necessary personnel has been recruited to welcome our guests in the facility?)
Random_Nerd: (Yes.)
DanteE: "That is his highness."
DanteE: "Those three are the Amyrans, in fact."
DanteE: "So how did John react to the news?"
Random_Nerd: The third one, behind, doesn't look Amyran. He seems caucasian, and in fact far paler than any healthy person, but his eyes aren't the pink of albinism.
Random_Nerd: He's more hesitant in following Aaron than the others.
Random_Nerd: Next, you have the woman leader. Her face is not so cruel-looking as Aaron's, and in fact seems remarkably unlined.
Random_Nerd: She's deeply tan, and has straight hair, and seems to be trying to swagger.
Theresa: "He's changed the locks on the entire palace and is considering another bank vault door in front of the Treasures. I've never seen him this nervous and that's saying something in this Chancel."
Random_Nerd: Then you've got her crew. Two people at present, who seem to have no common origin.
Random_Nerd: Finally, you've got the two at the back. Dante, one of them is the guy who got smuggled into Hell, and another is one of the ones who's gotten better.
Random_Nerd: The other of the ones who's gotten a bit better was the one following Aaron and lagging behind.
Random_Nerd: (Herb, what people would you have brought here?)
Herb: "No chance we can send king Aaron back to Hell?"
DanteE: "All right... the two in back are ... redeemable.
Theresa: "We bought him and we didn't get a receipt."
Random_Nerd: Lesson and Aaron stare at each other, much as the little demon stared at him earlier.
Herb: (In terms of personnel for the facility?)
Random_Nerd: Neither seems to break eye contact.
Random_Nerd: (Yeah.)

• Theresa murmurs, "Do _not_ make me get the hose out, boys..."
  

DanteE: "Nine tests of our faith in humanity. You ready for this?"
Random_Nerd: Lesson bares his teeth. Aaron tenses as if to jump at Lesson.
DanteE: "Herb... see if you can keep Aaron and Miss Bathory separate from the rest."
Herb: (A contingent for security, composed of cops, soldiers, private security guards; and a medical/therapeutic contingent composed of nurses, doctors, psychiatrists and psychologists.)
Theresa: "Anyone who starts a fight right now is going to feel the back of my enNobled hand if you know what I mean..."
Random_Nerd: (Were it down to a physical fight, it would be hard to judge. Lesson is much taller, and has some unbroken claws on both hands and feet. However, Aaron seems considerably more muscular than the almost skeletal Lesson, and his body seems much more symmetrical and less deformed.)
DanteE: (Yeah, but Lesson's made of Iron while Aaron's made of meat. :) )
Random_Nerd: (And Aaron's probably meaner and is much less conflicted.)
Herb: "Frances, contact the director of the facility, doctor Poppy, and tell him to isolate those two from each other and from the others." Herb points at Aaron and "Bathory".
Random_Nerd: (Well, Lesson's skeleton is, and his flesh is rather woodlike. But he would be injured if a strong human hit him, and his eyes and face aren't all that much stronger than ours.)
Random_Nerd: Lesson waves at Herb dismissively, and then seems to realize what he did and turns to face him.
Random_Nerd: Aaron's face takes on the sneer that it's pre-creased for.
Random_Nerd: The little demon scampers over to Aaron's feet.
Random_Nerd: "
DanteE: (Using the Sight. Anything 'special' going on with this display?)
Random_Nerd: "Bathory" looks at Herb appraisingly.
Random_Nerd: (Nothing miraculous at all, other than the fact that Lesson is an Anchor and so looks more distinct than Aaron.)
Theresa: (And Frances is an Anchor.)
Herb: Herb whispers: "I tell you Dante, we should get rid of this one [Aaron] while we still can. I don't believe his fate will improve my faith in humanity in any way."
DanteE: "Not sure we can.
Herb: "I have a servant who could handle it discreetly." A silhouette appears in the nearby shadows, as silently as a cat.
Random_Nerd: Lesson and Jennifer confer in whispers. Basically, he's trying to figure out if he thinks Aaron should be killed for a good reason or a bad one, and she's very uncomfortable with the topic.
DanteE: "We haven't actually _seen_ him do anything except sneer and rant..."
DanteE: "William?
Theresa: (And if that was all it took, our GM would have been gone long ago... love you, dear! *runs*)
Random_Nerd: (William isn't here, unless you brought him. Did you?)
Theresa: (The ninja.)
Random_Nerd: Herb's ninja bows to Herb.
DanteE: (He may be taking the helicopter and pilot back, actually. With Sam riding the blades... :) )
Theresa: (Great, he'll be drunk...)
Random_Nerd: (Riding the blades would probably kill Sam in about three seconds, actually.)
Random_Nerd: (It's a pattern of air and inertia simpler, but far stronger than he is.)

• Theresa is mentally trying to work out the ranking chart of the Chancel. Would John be above, equal or just below Anchors...
  

Theresa: (Eep!)
Random_Nerd: (Really, he's no more durable than humans are, he's just vulnerable to different things. A stab with a knife would barely hurt, but a 50 mph wind could seriously wound him.)

• DanteE hmms.
  

Theresa: (I wonder if just watching a tornado would freak him out...)
Random_Nerd: (A tornado is to him roughly what Monty is to a human.)
Herb: (Nice comparison.)
Random_Nerd: Lesson raises his head from the stoop next to Jennifer's ear, and walks to the humans from Hell.
Theresa: (Big and fuzzy?)
Random_Nerd: Lesson: "This is your new home. It is not Hell. You will be allowed reasonable freedom, and will not be harmed unless it is necessary to keep you from harming others. It does not matter whether you believe this."
Random_Nerd: He shouts: "But you will follow the rules! You are not to hurt yourselves, each other, or especially the other people who live in this chancel!"

• Herb supervises closely the introduction of the "guests" in the facility and makes sure that the sensitive members of the group are properly isolated.
  

Random_Nerd: (He says this all as if he's memorized it and is reciting it.)
Theresa: (And the winner of the Nobilis Peace Prize of 2009 is...)
Random_Nerd: Bathory and Aaron give appraising looks to all potential authority figures.
DanteE: "Theresa... see if you can get to John's private historical archives and get us a better picture of Aaron."
Random_Nerd: Jennifer looks a mixture of nervous, smug, and proud.
DanteE: "He'll have the stuff that's _not_ in the history books."

• Theresa looks proud of Lesson.
  

DanteE: (Jennifer's studies are in what, again?)
Random_Nerd: (Political Science. And she wrote most of Lesson's speech.)
Theresa: "I already checked. He's got a portrait but it isn't very accurate because at the time, you paint the wart on the face, you lose your head. And my feeling is that John's family might have wanted to keep him out of the history lessons for the family. And they're only slightly directly related. You know how it is with bloodlines, you sometimes have to graft another branch."
DanteE: "As for the rest... we need to break up their cliques before we can really progress.
Random_Nerd: The faculty director starts showing some the way to their rooms.
DanteE: "Herb... I assume you've got discreet monitoring equipment here, right?"
Random_Nerd: One of Bathory's people, a woman, jerks an arm quickly, and he steps back nervously.
Herb: (Lesser Creation of very discreet monitoring equipment as the guests are introduced to their rooms.) "I have now."
Random_Nerd: (Yeah, a big part of the varying ethnicities in both of them comes from marriages to other kingdoms for political reasons. Since Amyra is pretty close by land or sea to some very different-looking people, there's something of a grab-bag effect.)
Theresa: (Big Brother Herb.)
Random_Nerd: Discreet Monitoring Equipment: *discreet poof!*
DanteE: (Honestly, Herb, the poofs are unnecessary. I know you like the whole being-a-Noble thing, but still... :) )
Theresa: (Jeeves-ware?)
Random_Nerd: The hell-humans are led to their rooms.
Herb: ( :) )
Herb: (They're very discreet poofs.)
DanteE: ((resists the urge to make a Python-esque 'discreet pouf' joke...))
Random_Nerd: Lesson: "The male leader is dangerous."
DanteE: "So's the female."
DanteE: "For different reasons."
Herb: "Tell me about her."
Random_Nerd: Lesson: "Sees kindness or even manners as weakness. Will likely try to kill me, the Aides, Frances, the king, or someone else within three weeks."
DanteE: (What did I get from the Div about her?)
Random_Nerd: Lesson: "Don't know about her. Harder to tell. Did it that way on purpose."
Random_Nerd: (She's not really a very nice person at all.)
DanteE: (More specific?)
Random_Nerd: (She has a moderate amount of care for the people who willingly do her bidding, but would kill or maim anyone else either to benefit herself or the group, and would kill any of her people who defied her in a very graphic make-an-example way.)
DanteE: (ah... so the 'Bathory' reference isn't really overkill)
Random_Nerd: (Not really. She wouldn't kill people because she was bored, but she would do it for even relatively minor benefit.)
Random_Nerd: (Not that many human leaders in Hell are female. Too much of it is based on physical strength and ability in a fight. The fact that she was a reasonably successful one says something about her, and not all of it is good.)
Random_Nerd: (She has some admirable traits, but is still both dangerous and very unpleasant.)
Random_Nerd: L: "Didn't try to make dominance displays. With /anyone/."
Random_Nerd: L: "Me. You. Male leader. Assistants. Anyone."
Random_Nerd: L: "Very odd."
Herb: (I presume the guests are now out of earshot?)
Random_Nerd: (Yes.)
DanteE: "You were testing them with dominance displays?"
Random_Nerd: Lesson: "...to some degree."
Random_Nerd: L: "You want me to be around them sometimes. Need to establish relationship."
Herb: "Lesson, suppose that, theoretically, we had to kill one of them, would regular, mundane means be sufficient?"
Random_Nerd: L: "Probably. But would send experienced people. Kaerkoven police are too easily spooked."
DanteE: "They're also not assassins."
Random_Nerd: L: "Would send military, or my own people and creatures. Not both, but one."
DanteE: (What's the Imp doing?)
Random_Nerd: (The imp has gone back to you after Aaron left.)
Random_Nerd: (It's sitting just beside your right foot.)
DanteE: (AFK for a minute...)
Herb: "How about poison gas? It would work on them right?"
Random_Nerd: L: "Believe that here, they are mundane humans."
Random_Nerd: L: "Unnatural durability of humans in Hell is of Hell, not of them. And all seem to not have nonhuman physical traits."
Herb: "Duly noted..."
Random_Nerd: L: "None seem to have been turned into demons in whole or part."
DanteE: (back)
DanteE: "OK... stop."
Random_Nerd: L: "If were adapted to Hell and to physical assaults... what?"
DanteE: "You're talking as if they were bacteria or tumors.
DanteE: "The point of this is to _not_ be monsters."
Random_Nerd: Lesson shrugs.
Random_Nerd: L: "There is a need to know how to deal with problems."
Random_Nerd: He seems to think for a moment.
DanteE: (I thought I smelled smoke... :) )
Herb: "I'm just not sure that they can or should be redeemed. Hell exists for a reason..."
Random_Nerd: In somewhat pained and forced-sounding words: "If I had not been trainable. You would have killed me. You would have been correct to do so. Do not... I do not fully understand why you did not kill me after I fought the police."
DanteE: (BEcause you are of that elite fraternity of the GMPCs. :D )
Random_Nerd: The little demon is now staring at Lesson, not in the "You look away first" way, but in the "Dude, do you know you have tentacles on your forehead?" way.

• DanteE mentally debates giving him a puppy...
  

Herb: "I'm not saying that we shouldn't try to help them, but we should assume that we won't be able to save them all, or even most of them. And those that are not redeemable are going to try to make trouble. They may kill people we care for." Herb can't help but look briefly at Frances who's a few meters away.
DanteE: "Because we're too damn nice. It's a human trait."
Theresa: "You have a great deal of potential, Lesson. Plus, we try not to use people. You have been a fantastic asset to this Chancel and to terminate you over a reaction that you had little control over would be foolish of us. It is right to be prepared for bad things to happen but it is also right to not give up on someone just because things become a little difficult."
Theresa: (Lesson should probably start with a fish if we get him a pet. Or a house plant.)
Theresa: "they know the consequences if they harm the Chancel."
Random_Nerd: Jennifer seems to be trying to project "I'm not here, don't look at me" waves, but seems to have left her invisibility gland in her other pants.
Herb: (Poor Jennifer...)
Random_Nerd: L: "Nice is not a human trait. Those things are more human than you are. Humanity, while better than what I am, is not what's happening."
Theresa: (Can I get that translated into Beth-speak, please?)
DanteE: "My mistake. It's a _humane_ trait. Subtle difference."
Random_Nerd: Lesson nods.
Random_Nerd: L: "It requires power."
Random_Nerd: L: "One cannot show mercy without power. One can merely grovel, like that." *points at the little demon*
Random_Nerd: L: "Mercy requires power and security."
Theresa: (*raises eyebrow at you* I'm nice constantly...I've got less power than a light bulb.)
DanteE: (You're _Noble_.)
Random_Nerd: L: "You need to have /power/ over other people to treat them kindly in a meaningful way."
Theresa: (I was meaning Beth-me, rather than Theresa-me. And even Theresa doesn't usually throw her weight around.)

• Theresa looks thoughtful at this.
  
• Herb simply nods slowly in agreement while looking at the building he created.
  

DanteE: "No you don't...
Random_Nerd: L: "If your boss, the big boss, came down here and talked with me, could not... /I/ could not, be kind with him. Or not much. And to the extent that could... that /I/ could, it would only be on the basis of what small effect I could have on his emotions, thoughts."
DanteE: "Most of us treat others well anyway just because we're stuck on this rock together."
Random_Nerd: L: "That isn't why. The humans I knew were stuck in Hell together."
Theresa: "But that's a sort of power. How much you can affect someone else."
Random_Nerd: L: "Yes. It's not much power, but it's some. But power of some sort is needed in order to be kind."
Random_Nerd: Jennifer scribbles on a small notepad she pulled out of her pocket.
Theresa: (I hope Lesson gets cocredit on the paper.)
DanteE: "Ahh... the hell version of 'kindness' involves not getting tortured."
Random_Nerd: L: "But here's the thing. They don't /get/ this. I didn't get it, not until... just now. This is important. They don't understand that kindness implies power. They think it means you're weak. That you're trying to keep on their good side, or you're constrained in some way."
Random_Nerd: L: "And because of that, they're going to test the bounderies. Hard. They'll at least send one of the low-rank humans to do something strongly against you, and see what happens."
Random_Nerd: L: "But if you deal with them, you can't think of kindness as something ordinary. That won't work. It's something strange."
Theresa: "What would be a good compromise, then?"
Random_Nerd: L: "Don't know."
Random_Nerd: L"
Random_Nerd: L: "Can't think of good way."
DanteE: "Hmmmm...
Random_Nerd: (All of you seem really quiet. Is something the matter?)
Theresa: (Tired.  :) )
DanteE: "We may be able to turn these guys into object lessons, though.'
Theresa: (Heavy philosophy.)
Theresa: "Whenever I hear the phrase 'object lesson', I get the vision of heads on pikes."
DanteE: "As an example ... if Aaron goes too far, have him 'stricken' with aphasia."
Herb: "I remain sceptical, but I'm willing to give it a try. But, if you don't mind, I'll also take care of some contingency plans in case we fail."
Random_Nerd: L: "But that won't work to teach it. Can keep them in line. That part isn't hard."
Random_Nerd: L: "But either you exercise power against them to control them, or you don't."
DanteE: "We're Nobles, we _are_ power."
Herb: "In other words, we can't respect their freedom to be evil."
Random_Nerd: L: "If you do, then it's just a matter of /capricious/ use of power, as they see it. Or if you don't, they think you can't."
DanteE: "It's not Capricious. She's over there by Mount Balthazar. See that lavender streak?"
Random_Nerd: L: "She is why I learned that word."
Random_Nerd: (Should we stop?)
Random_Nerd: (If I'm the only one talking, it's a bad sign.)
Theresa: (I think I'm at brain-dead junction.)
Herb: "My main concern is the cost of this little experiment of ours. If we redeem say two or three of them, but innocents die in the process, what then? Is it worth it?"
DanteE: (Hm... I was thinking about asking Kudzu the extent to which we can 'edit' these guys.)
Theresa: "Life shouldn't be wasted..."
Angelo: (*I'm reading only, as ever :--) *)
Herb: (Yeah, we should perhaps have this conversation when everyone is in shape :) )
DanteE: (OK, so right now they're getting settled in their new homes and plotting and scheming against us?)
Theresa: (Sounds like their plan is set, even without big leaders.)
Random_Nerd: (Pretty much.)
DanteE: (Not necessarily. Except for glowering at Lesson we haven't heard squat from _them_ this session)
Herb: (We'll have counter-plans...)
Random_Nerd: (The main thing they'll do is try to figure out what forces or principles compel you to act in certain ways.)
Random_Nerd: (And then, to figure out how they can use those to get you to do what they want.)
Theresa: (Crud, I'm easily manipulated..>)
DanteE: (Hm.... my calm demeanor might just help here. :) )
Herb: (I'll standby if eradication of the problem is necessary (a) )
Random_Nerd: (So, let's stop.)
DanteE: (OK)
Theresa: (*flops over*)
Random_Nerd: ______________________STOP________________
Random_Nerd: Thoughts?

• • • You are now known as BethE.
      

BethE: I always enjoy your NPCs, dear. And I haven't thought all too much about why we let Lesson live...except that Theresa's a softie but she's not going to say so in front of the imp.
DanteE: Quick question: How many of you looked up 'Bathory' on Wikipedia?
Random_Nerd: Why would we need to?
Herb: Indeed :p
Angelo: I go look now
Herb: It's a pleasure to be back. I really missed the game during the holidays.
DanteE: Because we were very impressed by Entropy's laws about not killing when it isn't necessary
DanteE: I was gonna ask William... since technically we haven't _seen_ them be bad, would they qualify as 'innocents'?
BethE: I agree with RN, didn't need to.  :)
Angelo: well I found a heavy metal band !__!
Random_Nerd: Well, it depends.
Random_Nerd: Basically, entropy's law assumes that there are no /actual/ innocents.
DanteE: Angelo: Erzebet (or Elizabeth) Bathory
Random_Nerd: But you need proof that they qualify.
Herb: Because of those damned people, we are facing some very interesting dilemmas.
Random_Nerd: Otherwise you're acting in bad faith.
Herb: Say that we learned of past misdeeds, that would be enough?
Angelo: eheh rn is an ace on moral dilemmans!
Angelo: k, find the right Bathory
DanteE: Let's see, Herb can do Divs for free, right?
Herb: Right.
DanteE: Takes 1 point for me, I think
BethE: (Angelo - people think she bathed in the blood of virgins to keep young. She didn't, but it makes for cool gossip.)
Random_Nerd: She did kill people for her hobbies, though.
Random_Nerd: Just not in that specific way for that specific reason.
Angelo: yep, Im readin on wikipedia now
Angelo: reading even
DanteE: well, she _may_ have

Chancel_Amyra
Chapter 13