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[She. . . is not sure she wants them to know this part. There's a reaction, again, like the one in the memory, where she goes frightened and angry at an unexpected question.]
. . . He died doing his duty to the Ninth House. He died to ensure that the Ninth would live.
. . . He died doing his duty to the Ninth House. He died to ensure that the Ninth would live.
Sacrifice...yes. A true measure of his loyalty and devotion.
[But they will be merciful, and will leave Ortus for now, though that reaction...yes, they understand a little better, now.]
Your society is interesting. Never have I seen something so complicated built on the backs of those who raise the dead. Is there really so many spirits and skeletons to go around, in your time?
[But they will be merciful, and will leave Ortus for now, though that reaction...yes, they understand a little better, now.]
Your society is interesting. Never have I seen something so complicated built on the backs of those who raise the dead. Is there really so many spirits and skeletons to go around, in your time?
[Ah. Well, this she can speak of. And congratulations on unlocking this bit of lore that she doesn't even know is lore.]
More than a myriad ago, there was an extinction event that destroyed the House of the First. It may be difficult to conceive of, but I am given to understand that at that time, there were billions of human beings who lived there. But the event - I am told it was something to do with rising sea levels and a nuclear fission chain reaction - destroyed nearly all life on that planet.
A key principle in necromancy is that of the release of thanergetic energy. All living, sentient beings have thalergy, the energy of life, and thanergy, the energy of death. A sudden and violent death produces an enormous amount of thanergy. The more death that occurs in an instance, the more power that is generated, and the more that can be done with it. [This principle she knows all too well.] The sudden and violent death of billions of people, nearly all at once, produced enough to turn a man into a God.
And so was born the Emperor Undying. Before the extinction, he had been an ordinary man, but now he possessed the power to perform resurrections. He used the thalergy of the star Dominicus and the planets of the Dominicus system, he flipped them thanergetic, and he used the energy to perform a Resurrection of some of the dead of the First House. Not all of them; a thanergetic planet, a dead planet, cannot sustain billions of life forms even if a living planet could.
Many of the children of those whom he resurrected also had necromantic abilities. Nothing like the Emperor's, but enough ability to learn how to manipulate bone and flesh and spirit in a number of ways. The Emperor colonized the other eight planets in the Dominicus system, and tasked some of his necrochildren to oversee these small colonies. Hence, the Nine Houses - eight overseen by great families of necromancers, and the first the seat of the Emperor, empty now - were created.
Traveling to thalergenic planets outside the Dominicus system lessons our abilities somewhat; we rely upon soldiers to generate death there for us to practice our art. But on a dead planet, for those born with the ability, it is as simple as breathing air.
More than a myriad ago, there was an extinction event that destroyed the House of the First. It may be difficult to conceive of, but I am given to understand that at that time, there were billions of human beings who lived there. But the event - I am told it was something to do with rising sea levels and a nuclear fission chain reaction - destroyed nearly all life on that planet.
A key principle in necromancy is that of the release of thanergetic energy. All living, sentient beings have thalergy, the energy of life, and thanergy, the energy of death. A sudden and violent death produces an enormous amount of thanergy. The more death that occurs in an instance, the more power that is generated, and the more that can be done with it. [This principle she knows all too well.] The sudden and violent death of billions of people, nearly all at once, produced enough to turn a man into a God.
And so was born the Emperor Undying. Before the extinction, he had been an ordinary man, but now he possessed the power to perform resurrections. He used the thalergy of the star Dominicus and the planets of the Dominicus system, he flipped them thanergetic, and he used the energy to perform a Resurrection of some of the dead of the First House. Not all of them; a thanergetic planet, a dead planet, cannot sustain billions of life forms even if a living planet could.
Many of the children of those whom he resurrected also had necromantic abilities. Nothing like the Emperor's, but enough ability to learn how to manipulate bone and flesh and spirit in a number of ways. The Emperor colonized the other eight planets in the Dominicus system, and tasked some of his necrochildren to oversee these small colonies. Hence, the Nine Houses - eight overseen by great families of necromancers, and the first the seat of the Emperor, empty now - were created.
Traveling to thalergenic planets outside the Dominicus system lessons our abilities somewhat; we rely upon soldiers to generate death there for us to practice our art. But on a dead planet, for those born with the ability, it is as simple as breathing air.
...
[This is...a lot to process. Extinction event? The Emperor Undying? Thanergetic energy? Nine Houses? It would make anyone's head spin. But Douman just bows their head, letting out a chuckle.]
Ah, so that's to be the fate of Earth? How interesting. [A pause.] Mm, but that is quite the history. I have never heard of this thalergy...I guess it will be some time before it comes to light in some timeline of the world I come from.
[This is...a lot to process. Extinction event? The Emperor Undying? Thanergetic energy? Nine Houses? It would make anyone's head spin. But Douman just bows their head, letting out a chuckle.]
Ah, so that's to be the fate of Earth? How interesting. [A pause.] Mm, but that is quite the history. I have never heard of this thalergy...I guess it will be some time before it comes to light in some timeline of the world I come from.
[She squints back at them.]
Earth?
[It hasn't been called that for tens of thousands of years, so she never realized.]
Earth?
[It hasn't been called that for tens of thousands of years, so she never realized.]
Oh.
[She seems surprised by this information, but not - thrown, exactly. It is just a fascinating tidbit to someone scholarly enough to know their history, but not interested in the subject enough to consider it too deeply. She thinks of Abigail Pent for a moment, with an unexpected burst of fondness. The brilliant historian - how thrilled she would be at the opportunity to learn more of the period predating the Resurrection. But Pent is dead, so - there's no real reason to inquire.]
I hadn't realized. It makes some sense - I have seen blue skies and oceans in certain memories.
[She seems surprised by this information, but not - thrown, exactly. It is just a fascinating tidbit to someone scholarly enough to know their history, but not interested in the subject enough to consider it too deeply. She thinks of Abigail Pent for a moment, with an unexpected burst of fondness. The brilliant historian - how thrilled she would be at the opportunity to learn more of the period predating the Resurrection. But Pent is dead, so - there's no real reason to inquire.]
I hadn't realized. It makes some sense - I have seen blue skies and oceans in certain memories.
[It's not like she's been subtle about his dislike and distrust of Douman, but she's tried to be pragmatic - this is a dangerous place, full of dangerous people, and it's a bad idea to openly make enemies with one of the people she suspects to be among the more dangerous.
It's hard to care what becomes of you when you feel the pull of despair. It's hard to think anything could touch you when you know yourself to be a genius, dangerous, a predator roaming these halls rather than prey. She's already spent the past few days so angry, trying to find an outlet for it, and now it boils over.
So when she comes upon them in the tea room, little buddy by her side carrying her sword as always, and she and they are alone, she makes a rash decision.
Not so rash that she's doing anything, yet, besides standing in the doorway, arms folded across her chest.]
Hello. The new floors don't entice you?
It's hard to care what becomes of you when you feel the pull of despair. It's hard to think anything could touch you when you know yourself to be a genius, dangerous, a predator roaming these halls rather than prey. She's already spent the past few days so angry, trying to find an outlet for it, and now it boils over.
So when she comes upon them in the tea room, little buddy by her side carrying her sword as always, and she and they are alone, she makes a rash decision.
Not so rash that she's doing anything, yet, besides standing in the doorway, arms folded across her chest.]
Hello. The new floors don't entice you?
Hmmm?
[They're just in the middle of pouring themselves a cup of tea, kneeling in front of the table, when they hear that voice - Douman glances over, eyes alighting on the little buddy, before moving to her. They look a little different today, if only because of the hair tied up in a ponytail.]
Oh, I took a glance at them. I'll take a closer look later...I just wanted some tea for the morning. Do you want some?
[They're just in the middle of pouring themselves a cup of tea, kneeling in front of the table, when they hear that voice - Douman glances over, eyes alighting on the little buddy, before moving to her. They look a little different today, if only because of the hair tied up in a ponytail.]
Oh, I took a glance at them. I'll take a closer look later...I just wanted some tea for the morning. Do you want some?
Certainly.
[She will approach, and sit at the table herself.]
I will have whatever you've brewed, without any sugar or milk.
[She will approach, and sit at the table herself.]
I will have whatever you've brewed, without any sugar or milk.
You're an obedient priest, aren't you? I do nothing but berate you, but you'll still obey when I bark orders.
[Just taking the cup.]
[Just taking the cup.]
You take such care to ensure we all notice your politeness. I wonder why?
Hmm.
[She leans on the table, cheek in her hand.]
I think this is a rather transparent little act of yours, and it doesn't fool me in the slightest. That creature you showed me last week - am I meant to believe there's not a trace of it in you? You're just a docile little servant now?
[She leans on the table, cheek in her hand.]
I think this is a rather transparent little act of yours, and it doesn't fool me in the slightest. That creature you showed me last week - am I meant to believe there's not a trace of it in you? You're just a docile little servant now?
A creature? That's hardly nice.
[But for the pressing, Douman only smiles pleasantly.]
Mmmm, yes. I can't say that person and I are the same. I was under the reins of an alien god, then. Now, I have no such connections. And its hardly as if Medb wants to destroy the world.
[But for the pressing, Douman only smiles pleasantly.]
Mmmm, yes. I can't say that person and I are the same. I was under the reins of an alien god, then. Now, I have no such connections. And its hardly as if Medb wants to destroy the world.
Yes, yes. Your only wish is to serve your master well. I remember. [And because she can't see any reason not to be rude - ] What a hollow existence that must be.
Is it for the sake of your master that you turned on Fukuda?
Is it for the sake of your master that you turned on Fukuda?
[She doesn't fail to notice.]
What a wretched man! He thought he had a friend in you, but you are nothing more than a puppet.
What a wretched man! He thought he had a friend in you, but you are nothing more than a puppet.
You find it objectionable, that he killed a handful of people? You must have a soft heart.
[She raises her eyebrow.]
What a curious thing to say from the one who blames their past deeds on an alien god! Though I suspect that, nonetheless, for once I am hearing your true opinion.
What a curious thing to say from the one who blames their past deeds on an alien god! Though I suspect that, nonetheless, for once I am hearing your true opinion.
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