text | un: Sasaki

[ex_adept136]

Like a few others here, I'm among those who met the goddess Nalanni. And like others there are things I learned from having a conversation with her. First and foremost, I'd like to request some help in conveying a message she intended for her people.

She wanted them to know that she loves them, and that she knows they can go on without her.

At the time, I was struck with the thought that she'd considered her own passing a possibility. And now that I've seen mentions of slaying gods here, it seems she wasn't wrong. Maybe some of you know more than me, but I'm not convinced it's the only way. Having said that, I'm not blind to the reality that those are our orders, and that there are those who will follow them.

I'm more interested in helping the Nalawi. I gave my word that I would do whatever I could, and so... To those who are already making efforts to ensure the Nalawi are able to sustain themselves, whatever may come, I'd like to volunteer any help I can provide.

If anyone wants further information on the conversation I had with Nalanni, please let me know. I'm unsure how much would be redundant, since admittedly, I've picked up on recent developments here and there.

Comments

TEXT - un; huntsman

[dishearten]

I am not sure there is still time to change minds. they are set in their ways and are certain of their course.

( he's tried in vain to change minds around here before. it's miserable work, even for a heartless man. )

teaching the Nalawi will benefit them no matter how the cards fall. what is it you could teach them? I can arrange a class for you to instruct, if you would like.

[ex_adept136]

I'm not unfamiliar with cases like this, back where I'm from. From what I've seen here, you seem to be right.

[If anything, these circumstances allow him far more autonomy than his time in the CCG. He couldn't be nearly so outspoken there.

Though if it had concerned one of his subordinates' personal safety, he'd have objected anyhow, and had for that matter. Here and now, it's only his own course he has to concern himself with, and it seems he can decide that much]

I could help with self-defense, either armed or hand-to-hand. Strength building exercises or techniques are things I've handled. Though if those areas are covered, I can cook and sew. Barring that...I know the basics where first aid is concerned.

[dishearten]

( it's a frustrating feeling, to be the only voice of dissent. he's lived it before, but that doesn't make it any easier to feel it again now. if the group wants to kill, then they will kill. there's little chance of convincing them otherwise, though he does admire the attempt. )

self defense would be a worthy lesson. the natives have great creatures of the sea to worry about, much bigger than themselves.
first aid could help them a great deal too, I'd think. they have no understanding of doctors, they've always used abilities. even a rudimentary lesson would be better than none at all.

text; un: hound

[ofobedience]

As you say, we've been given our orders; they make our task perfectly clear. There's no point in quibbling about it now.

I spoke to that so-called goddess. She'd be prepared to die for the Nalawi, I think.

[ex_adept136]

All the same, I find it regrettable. To have a power that brings us all here, and still the only resolution is death...

I got the same impression from speaking to her. She truly loves them.

[He believes that much with certainty, so he doesn't bother with the pretense of framing it as an opinion]

video, @ashraf

[healplz]

Nalanni told you that? Herself?

[ this Does Not Fit with his image as her as the scum of the earth, how upsetting >:\ ]

[ex_adept136]

[He'll switch his communications to video to follow suit. There's a pause as he speculates whether it's working before he responds]

Yes, she did. She asked if I would convey that to the Nalawi, and if nothing else... I intend to do that much.

text | un: archer

[anti_altruisms]

You may find some here won't be especially receptive to the message she wished to impart.

[ He's going to make the attempt to slay her also, but he holds no personal ill will towards Nalanni. This is simply how the chips fell. ]

[ex_adept136]

I can imagine, when their entire way of life would be changed. I'm sure there are those who won't believe it, or won't want to hear it.

But regardless of how they respond, they should know her sentiments.

[He wishes there were more he could do, that he could find some way to right the ills of this world without taking lives...but there's no denying that directives have been given. If he can only do this much, then that's what he'll do]

voice | un: Katakura

[sengetsu]

Some of us have been helping to teach the Nalawi what we can, given the resources at hand. What are you skilled at?

[ex_adept136]

[He takes a moment to switch from text to voice]

I've got experience training others for combat, armed or hand-to-hand. As far as first aid, I know the basics there. I can also cook and sew, if people here relied on Gifts for that too.

text / un: melphis amekia

[1300yen]

I would like to hear of your conversation with her, if you don't mind.

[Although it seems unlikely that ALASTAIR will be stopped from killing the goddesses... Alisha still wants to know as much of the picture as she can.]

[ex_adept136]

I don't mind in the slightest, I did offer after all. Though, I apologize in advance if any of this has been covered elsewhere...

To begin with, Nalanni told me that she was imprisoned by Pomarr. In the past, she had acted in anger in defense of the Nalawi, saying they were in danger of the fate that ultimately befell Pomarr's people at her hands instead. She believed that Pomarr would be likewise impossible to reason with as she had been, and I got the impression she empathized on that point.

She was aware that Pomarr has received power from another goddess, her sister, which enabled her to do this. It was her belief that she couldn't be freed unless Pomarr were overpowered by force, and she wasn't confident that it could be done. If she were freed, she believed her sister wouldn't intervene, since they'd coexisted peacefully before.

Her one request of me is what I stated in my posting; she asked for nothing for herself. And I feel that she has considered her own destruction a possibility, though maybe not by the hands of people like us.

Also, she gave me a stone of some sort. It seemed to take energy on her part, and she seemed to have little to spare. A token of her appreciation, she said...although I feel what little I could do didn't warrant any reward.

text | un: Tohsaka Rin

[defenceless]

[huh, he spoke with nalanni. interesting. she'll remember those words and be passing them on.]

It's not the "only way". However, it is the only way that safeguards the most lives on this planet. Our orders are morally and practically sound.

[ex_adept136]

So you're convinced that it's the only method that will achieve that? I've been wondering how ALASTAIR reaches those conclusions, since I'm new here.

I'd like to hope that it's more than just an assurance that it's what must be done.

text | username: evan

[evantuality]

Hi. You're one of the new recruits, aren't you?

Would you tell me about your talk with Nalanni? I've spoken to another of your number who mentioned he'd spoken to her; I'd love to hear another angle. He said something similar, that he'd been tasked with defending the Nawali.

As for slaying the goddesses, I'm not convinced it's the only way, either. I'm not even convinced that it's a very good idea at all. I don't know if you've been affected, but what's going on in this place has left any of our number with magical skills crippled. If we make an attempt on her life and fail -- which seems not unlikely -- I'm not sure she won't simply do to us what she did to the Dakal. Noncombatants and all.

I'm not really advocating for the plan, but those of us who are skeptical had better come up with a better idea quickly, and I've had no luck with that.

[ex_adept136]

Yes, I am. Sorry that I didn't make that clear previously.

Hopefully none of this is too redundant, I'm still picking up information here and there. Coming into the middle of a mission is a new experience for me.

When I met Nalanni, she answered every question I asked. I inquired after who had imprisoned her, and she explained that it was Pomarr. It seems that Pomarr was lent a great deal of power by another goddess, Nalanni's sister, and was seeking some sort of revenge for the loss of her people.

In the past when the lives of the Nalawi were threatened, Nalanni had acted in anger and destroyed Pomarr's people. She expressed that at the time, she could not be reasoned with, and believed the same would be true of Pomarr given her position. If Pomarr were to be stopped, she felt force would likely be required.

But she also asserted the belief that as much would likely be beyond the ability of those without a god's powers. She made no appeal nor request to be rescued, these things were answers to my own questions. All she asked was for that message to be conveyed to her people. I agreed, and she gave me a stone that I suspect took some energy, despite not having much to spare. She called it a token of appreciation, but for what little I could do for her, I was surprised by the thought.

After that, Pomarr arrived, and called some storm that swept me away.

I don't have any magical skills, but I've found my capabilities limited since arriving here. And I'd wondered about that, since I couldn't account for it. Strange that we're affected when our abilities weren't granted to us by a god, but that must have something to do with the mentions I've seen of issues with the energy of this world... Though I could be mistaken.

Being limited in that way does make it seem all the more dangerous to tangle with any gods. I wish there were a way to test solutions for the root cause of the trouble here, because I have to believe there is some other method we're just not aware of that doesn't demand killing.

Text | un: beloved

[dailydouble]

I find no comfort in following orders that imply that murdering the gods of this place is the only solution.

What else did you learn from Nalanni?

[ex_adept136]

We're of like mind in that.

As for what she told me, I'll detail it here. I apologize if any of it is redundant, I've been playing catch-up and am still at it.

Nalanni told me that she'd been imprisoned by Pomarr, and that this was achieved by borrowing the power of her sister goddess. The death of Pomarr's people was Nalanni's responsibility, an action she took when the lives of the Nalawi were threatened. She said that at that time, her anger could not be reasoned with - and suspects the same is true of Pomarr now.

According to her, Pomarr would likely be impossible to dissuade without force, and she wasn't confident that mortals could contend with a god's power. I asked how she might be freed, and she thought force would be the only way. She also felt that if she were somehow freed, her sister would not intervene, as they'd coexisted peacefully before.

Rather than asking for assistance, she instead asked that her message be conveyed to her people. I believe that they are her first and foremost concern. She seemed very weary, but she generated a stone for me, saying it was a token of appreciation. Considering how little I could do for her, she didn't need to tax herself that way.

After that, Pomarr found I was there, and sent me off with some sort of storm.

video | un; sieglindesullivan

[grunehexe]

[Damn it all.

Sieglinde was already upset that it had come to this- that there were those among their number who seemed intent on fighting the goddesses no matter what... even if it was for the "Good" of the world, there ought be no pleasure in it... but hearing this just made her feel worse.]

- I will see it passed along best I can.

[Why did this have to happen.]

If you've any first aid experience, I would not mind another volunteer assisting me.

[ex_adept136]

[A few moments pass before he's managed to toggle to video. It's still a new concept to him, communications jewelry]

Thank you. I'll tell as many Nalawi as I can, but I thought it best to involve others. They deserve to know her sentiments.

[As awful as it is that she may never be able to address them herself...]

I do have some experience with first aid, as part of my basic training. From your user name, I take it you're Sieglinde? Someone mentioned you were heading an effort.

[Text | un: tsukuyo]

[sekimorinashi]

Would you say that, if it comes down to that, she would be willing to die for the sake of her people?

[ex_adept136]

Although it's only my opinion, I think she already considered it a very real possibility. Her words and sentiments seemed far more concerned with her people's well-being than her own.

video | username: olivia

[winces]

[ comes in late with dunkin donuts ]

Oh... [ olivia's torn expression is made quite clear in this video feed, in the way her gaze drifts downward and off to the side. it is — great news, surely. from the sounds of it, nalanni will not provide much of a struggle in their objective, but somehow that only makes it all that much worse.

her hands lift, coming to close over her chest. ]

Thank you — for telling us, I mean. We'll... [ she pauses, biting down on her lip. suddenly, she is unsure. ]

I'll do my best to carry out her final wish.

[ex_adept136]

[At least he's getting accustomed to switching to video, by now. For his part, he seems somewhat weary, and as much is apparent for a scant few moments before he's sure that he's broadcasting something.

And when that happens, he straightens and puffs out a soft breath. And then the energy seems to return to him, though it's truly just in seeming]

I'm sorry that it complicates matters for some here, but... I wanted to be sure her message reached as many as possible.

[Nalanni's thoughts were for her people, and even if that truth were inconvenient, they should know. Her own people, and those from ALASTAIR. It was probably easier for the others to see her as a vicious monster, but the reality of the circumstances is far from that]

You'll be participating in carrying out the directive, then?