A new perspective

[Varyx]

A small smile. Varyx was clearly enjoying herself as well. "I believe I might respond in much the same way, truthfully. But you've put a perfect voice to my concern. This idea that the hypothetical artifact could potentially save thousands in the future. Why would you assume that's true? How do you know the object has any redeeming qualities? And more, even if it does, what convinces you that it must be worth the risk? I'm not sure I can believe that all knowledge is worth that risk. The danger of studying such things must be weighed against the value of the knowledge it contains."

[linkrulesx10]

"Because we have case study after case study where our philosophy has saved people. It also prevents us reinventing the wheel every couple of centuries. To think we can know the future is hubris, best we can do is be as prepared as possible. And if this city has taught me anything. It is that things can always get worse then you could possibly imagine, who knows what might end up being our only salvation in some dire future we cannot see from here. As your probably rhetorical question about redeeming properties." Flidais pauses draining the glass of wine.

"We don't, but just because we can't see something doesn't mean it is not there. But if you destroy it, you will never know..." Flidais' thoughts jumped to Leeba and the cassette, if there was one thing that might tempt her to destruction, it would be that tape...

"As for risk management, that is why we work so hard and have rules, and once again we have a long history of preserving such things. But dealing with the dangerous artefacts is generally beyond what I have done so far and there is more to us then that."

[Varyx]

Varyx had to concede that her focus had been primarily on the preservation of dangerous things, but that was largely because that was the primary context in which she'd seen the Mysterium up until now. So she nodded. "Alright then, what more would you have me consider?"

[linkrulesx10]

Flidais reaches into her bag and pulls out the photos. From it there was a few different sets of photos. One set showed a series of forest pictures around a cave, and then some photos from inside the cave where there were some markings barely distinguishable. Occasionally a the sides or Flidais or an older woman would be visible in the shots. Another set of photos held wolves, many wolves, one photo was a selfie with 3 wolves and a terribly Dirty Flidais. Another set of photos was of a play, there were multiple actors on the stage, Flidais wasn't present on stage, but a photo backstage had her in the plain black clothes of someone helping with the play behind the scenes. The scenes of the play had incredibly subtle imagery hidden through art that may nudge towards supernal truths.

Flidais did not say anything but simply let Varyx examine as she would.

[Varyx]

Varyx took a long look over the various photographs Flidais handed her. She smiled when she got to the photo of Flidais, covered in dirt alongside a group of wolves. "Don't you look happy!"

The cave seemed like some kind of archeological site, if she had to guess. It struck her as almost stereotypically Mysterium. Maybe not the sort of thing professor Faust liked to do, but at the same time, it didn't surprise her in the slightest to see these sorts of activities going on. Interesting, sure, but not so much Varyx's pace. The play, though... that was compelling. It wasn't immediately clear what was happening there. Was the play a performance for other mages? Or was it a Sleeper performance, with Flidais there to weave supernal imagery into the background in the hopes of guiding those in the audience towards their own Enlightenment?

She pulled the pictures of the play out of the rest and held them up. "I'd like to hear about this, if you don't mind. What was the play about? What was your job there?"

[linkrulesx10]

Flidais smiled as something there interested Varyx enough to latch on to, and she hadn't even pulled out her last set of photos. "The play, that was..." Flidais points to each person in the cast photo and gives a name, all clearly shadow names. "All of us members of the Mysterium, 6 mages and 4 sleepwalkers. The play was for the general public, just a small theatre, only went for 2 weekends but a few hundred people saw it. I was not really up to scratch drama wise, so I was basically back stage. Although if I stayed there, I probably would have given a small role a shot next time". Flidais clearly looks as if she had good memories about that reminiscing about the past.

"It was based off a tale native to this land, we had previously sought the story and permission to retell it from an elder." After some rummaging through her bag she pulled out another photo that showed a meeting between 2 of the actors sitting apart of a circle listening intently to a much older man. He was wearing some form of traditional garb and was speaking, even from the still photo the animation and passion of his speech was captured.

Flidais was about to speak further but decided to let Varyx digest this further, it would be better if she asked the right questions and got answers rather then simply being told. So Flidais waited, expecting a question any moment.

[Varyx]

Varyx nodded, her gaze turning back to the pictures. The thing that drew her interest most was, of course, the symbolism hidden in the set. "And the Supernal symbols? Were they for your benefit or the audience's?" A little smile passed across her lips again at the question. "Or, I suppose, both?"

[linkrulesx10]

"Both, but it is more then that. There was more the play then the physical symbols, the play itself was also important. But these aren't just things we thought should be out there, this is an ancient tale, passed down for thousands of years, and what we tried to do was ensure that it was not lost to the ravages of time. In another 40 years, someone will probably repeat the performance. It is something I wish I could do here, but I really don't have the numbers, and I'm not sure how the local guardians would react. I have been practicing however." Flidais thought about what she would share next there was a lot more to share but it was hard to, if Varyx was there she would understand, Flidais thought she could sense that.

"There is a lot of truth in this world that cannot be written down, no studying of books will bring out that understanding, only by experiencing these things can we progress forward." Passion was clearly evident, wrapped around each word Flidais spoke.

"This is important... For us, for the sleepers for everyone really. This is how I can see us making a difference, and really confront those who would claim dominion over this world."

Flidais gave a sheepish smile to Varyx. "Uh... Did that make any sense or was it just rambling?"

[Varyx]

Varyx was actually quite absorbed in Flidais' speech. There was clear passion in it, and an honest, fiery belief in the truth of her words. It was compelling - it was hard not to be interested in something that someone else loved so much.

She chuckled when the Shaman stopped and turned rather sheepish, though the sound was indulgent and kind rather than mocking. "Don't worry, you made plenty of sense. Experiencing something in certainly different than reading it. The experience is richer and grants a more intuitive understanding. Writing about an ancient practice that no one is capable of performing any longer does not prevent that art from being lost in all of those little, meaningful ways that manifest in the experience of a master passing on his knowledge to an apprentice."

[linkrulesx10]

"That is part of it, culture is important and I worry for what we are losing... Or i guess, what is replacing what has been lost, change and evolution is inevitable. But usually like replaces like." Flidais shakes her head briefly as if physically dismissing the thought.

"So any questions before I continue onwards?"