genessia | 1st Theory | Semi-Accidental Audio

[When the video feed initializes, it's obvious the user is 1, outside at night in Genessia City, 2, is currently just outside the Bay as the end of Weiss' holographic message can be heard in the background and then it starts again, and 3, that the user, a dark-haired and blue-eyed gentleman in what looks to be his mid-forties is awkwardly holding the phone in one hand and the pamphlet that explains it's use in the other.

He speaks, at first to himself, with a cultured English accent, though there's a harshness to his consonants that suggests English is not his native language.]

Remarkable! [He smiles in satisfaction and adjusts his grip on the phone so it's oriented correctly for a video address before continuing.] Hello, everyone, or what I assume to be everyone paying attention at any rate. These devices are rather clever, aren't they? [He shakes his head as though chiding himself for beginning off-topic.] My apologies. This is all so fascinating! I should say preemptively that it is a pleasure to meet all of you. My name is Charles Rieben, and I have, quite obviously to most of you I'm sure, just awoken in this "Bay" so usefully marked on this map. I admit the whole situation seems a bit...off-kilter, but nothing seems life-threatening for the moment, so I believe we have time for a chat.

[He pauses here, looking a bit thoughtful.]

I do have one pressing matter to ask of you all, though. Where might one acquire an Almanac for this place?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Well, I can assure you the Fae are a fascinating species full of mystery. They do enjoy their secrets, after all.

Do your people?

Well, I suppose there are some of us who like to keep their secrets. But there are many more who like to unravel those secrets. The Light and Arcane dragons especially love to explore and learn.

All a wonder to note, but let's focus on your species for now, shall we?

Um...I suppose? What else would you like to know?

What is your diet, reproductive cycle, life expectancy?

Let's see...we eat insects. Our reproductive cycle...when we breed, we have a 15 day cooldown before we can do so again. But no one knows our life expectancy yet. Our dragonkind is still rather young, and I haven't heard of any dragon dying from old age yet.

[His eyebrows raise in both surprise and fascination.] And yet you're so articulate! How long does an individual of your species take to mature, both mentally and physically?

Oh, it only takes us six days at the most to mature. And that goes for all the dragon breeds.

Six days? Truly? [He smiles the smile of a lifelong student of life learning something new.] And, may I ask, how old are you?

I'm actually two years old now. And I have to say I'm...quite lucky to have lived this long.

To be so young and so intelligent. [He smiles.] The world must be a place of infinite discovery for you.

It sure is. I don't know if there's more to discover in my own world or this one...

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

[He smiles, his eyes glittering with interest.]

Every world is an infinite realm ripe to be explored. Never stop learning, and never stop searching.

What...?

[He kind of lost her with the first comment. But the second sounds all too familiar.]

...That sounds like something Amadeus would say. You know, you should really come to my subarchway in Fayren and meet my clan.

[His face goes completely expressionless for a moment at the name. Surely it must be a coincidence. It wasn't an expression of passivity, or apprehension. It was more as though, for just a moment, he'd become a statue, before a smile touched his lips again.]

And who is Amadeus?

Amadeus is one of the dragons in my clan. He likes to do research, particularly on our world history. He also keeps the record of our clan members and Passage teams.

[She gives him a curious look.]

...Do you know someone else with that name?

Yes, but they are most certainly different people.

[And not a pleasant topic. He'd much prefer continuing to talk about your clan.]

Passage teams?

I see...

[She's curious, but she still gets distracted talking about her own clan.]

The Passage is like...a rite to warriorhood in our clan. In teams of three, we challenge the various beasts of Sornieth in combat to train ourselves. It's a dangerous journey, though, and many of our clan members have died in their Passage. So if one dragon falls, their surviving partners can either wait for a replacement, or try to continue as a pair.

Fascinating. Enforced survival of the fittest. Darwinism at its finest.

[And considering how quickly they breed, a progression of which could be easily observed.]

And your clan...is here, you say?

That is one way to put it. So far, only six of us have managed to fully complete the Passage.

Yes...my clan was brought in with my subarchway in Fayren. It's like...a little piece of my homeworld. You should come visit sometime.

Oh, I most certainly will. I fully intend to explore all these sub-archways at some point, once I've seen to other matters.

1st Theory | Semi-Accidental Audio

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