The Scholar's Guild

[Rushu42 she/her]

Aln, about to respond to Lena, gave him an appraising look. "Good morning," she said, placing subtle emphasis on the second word. "You're certainly welcome to. What's your name?" As she spoke, she was fishing in her pocket for the sign-up form. She shot Lena and Alask an apologetic look for the interruption, and handed the paper to the man who had just walked in. It read:

I, the undersigned, hereby pledge myself to the Guild of Scholars, and promise to strive to gather and spread knowledge throughout the Alleyverse and corresponding worlds.

Signed, ______________

[MetaTerminal he/him]

41 minutes ago, Rushu42 said:

Aln, about to respond to Lena, gave him an appraising look. "Good morning," she said, placing subtle emphasis on the second word. "You're certainly welcome to. What's your name?" As she spoke, she was fishing in her pocket for the sign-up form. She shot Lena and Alask an apologetic look for the interruption, and handed the paper to the man who had just walked in. It read:

I, the undersigned, hereby pledge myself to the Guild of Scholars, and promise to strive to gather and spread knowledge throughout the Alleyverse and corresponding worlds.

Signed, ______________

“Jale,” he said, and clicked his fingers near his waist. Interesting.

He double-checked the doorknob with his hand. With his other hand, Jale took the paper, read it, and signed it. Gave it back. His eyes settled on a lot of things, but he didn’t register many of them. Except this: one two three four five six. Four of them made sense, but two of them didn’t. As if...

As if what?

Damnation to this pain. Jale rubbed his forehead, and smiled thinly at the others. “I came about the paper, actually. I’d like to help write for it. Or at least investigate for it.” 

And then, for a reason he couldn’t entirely explain, he asked the visitors (since they were clearly visitors): “Are you here about the paper, too?”

Edited October 2, 2019 by MetaTerminal

[Rushu42 she/her]

2 minutes ago, MetaTerminal said:

“Jale,” he said, and clicked his fingers near his waist. Interesting.

He double-checked the doorknob with his hand. With his other hand, Jale took the paper, read it, and signed it. Gave it back. His eyes settled on a lot of things, but he didn’t register many of them. Except this: one two three four five six. Four of them made sense, but two of them didn’t. As if...

As if what?

damnation this pain. Jale rubbed his forehead, and smiled thinly at the others. “I came about the paper, actually. I’d like to help write for it. Or at least investigate for it.” 

And then, for a reason he couldn’t entirely explain, he asked the visitors (since they were clearly visitors): “Are you here about the paper, too?”

Aln accepted the paper back and glanced at it before returning it to her pocket. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Jale. I'm Aln Sheneth. And I'd certainly appreciate help with the ALleyverse Post. It's a large endeavor." Noticing his wince, she added, "Are you alright? Do you need healing?"

[MetaTerminal he/him]

1 minute ago, Rushu42 said:

Aln accepted the paper back and glanced at it before returning it to her pocket. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Jale. I'm Aln Sheneth. And I'd certainly appreciate help with the ALleyverse Post. It's a large endeavor." Noticing his wince, she added, "Are you alright? Do you need healing?"

“Pass on that, thanks.” He had to stop his hand from going for the doorknob again. “I’ll be fine. I’ve survived worse. But I’d like to help - if there’s anything I can do for that then let me know.”

Jale’s eyes slid back to the other two, and he couldn’t help but ask again. “Are they here about the paper?”

(@Sorana @I think I am here.)

[I think I am here. he/him]

Quote

Jale’s a cool character

“We’re not,” Alask said, taking a step and sitting where Aln had gestured.

The man who’d asked him was an old, rough-and-tough type, at least to Alask’s quick scan of him. Investigating, he’d said. Alask thought about the possibility of having him join the Forge.

“We’re here about their teachers,” he said, crossing his arms. “To help educate some large slum community.” Of course, bigger, long term (ambitious, the word echoed) goals didn’t need to be mentioned in the first statement either.

@MetaTerminal

Edited October 3, 2019 by I think I am here.

[MetaTerminal he/him]

1 hour ago, I think I am here. said:

“We’re here about their teachers,” he said, crossing his arms. “To help educate some large slum community.” Of course, bigger, long term (ambitious, the word echoed) goals didn’t need to be mentioned in the first statement either.

Jale nodded. He seemed truthful, at least about this, but he couldn’t shake the feeling...

Welfare, then. Probably volunteers. And thus the clothes made sense - not particularly extravagant, but workable. Maybe a little rough. He might have been born poorer and that motivated him to help those in need. Tired, too. A hint of rings around the eyes. For some strange reason, the word windows drifted to the front of his mind. Jale shook it away.

If that’s true, you’re doing good work. Don’t say that first part, Jale.

“You’re doing good work. Kelek knows this city needs it.” And it was good work, but something else wasn’t adding up here. He looked at the floor and thought a moment. Six... windows?

But then, Jale supposed idly, that if he couldn’t work it out then it didn’t really matter. “Literacy, then? Or something else?”

[+Ark1002]

Lord Arkos, dressed in an unassuming white robe, walked out of the back room, where he had been reading. He took a seat, looking at those in the room, grinning.

He was taking a break from the Triarchy, and the Ghostbloods. The first one in his life.

It felt good to just learn.

[+Sorana she/her]

3 hours ago, MetaTerminal said:

“You’re doing good work. Kelek knows this city needs it.” And it was good work, but something else wasn’t adding up here. He looked at the floor and thought a moment. Six... windows?

But then, Jale supposed idly, that if he couldn’t work it out then it didn’t really matter. “Literacy, then? Or something else?”

"We need for the people in the slums to help us rebuild the houses." Lena tried to explain, turning away from the printing machine. She would ask about getting some ink later, then she could try a few concotions out. "We don't have too many volunteers at the forge, so we need them to help us."

Slowly she walked over, stopped close to the stool where Alask was sitting.

"We thought, that if they learn how to read and how to help themselves, maybe we can focus on infrastructural problems, and do more coordinating instead of spend our days carrying bricks around and setting up tents." And our nights killing. She added quietly felt a surge of excitement at the prospect. She had discovered hints at a smaller gang that was forming, they were pushing people out of their restored houses. Good enough reason for Alask to hunt them, and that meant they were game for her as well.

[I think I am here. he/him]

Alask nodded. “A populace that can help themselves,” he said, repeating his earlier words to Aln. They were words he’d read years ago, written in a thick book by an armchair philosopher some months after the Seven Day War. They too had been speaking about the slums, they only difference being they had never done anything about it.

“Is in the end a stronger and longer lasting one.” He smiled and looked to a man entering the room, white clock draped over him. He nodded towards him. He’d come from a backdoor, so he must have already been part of the Scholar’s Guild.

“Hey,” he said, giving a small wave. “You’ve heard our proposal?”

[+Ark1002]

Ark inclined his head to Alask. "I have not."

[MetaTerminal he/him]

Windows to the soul. That was it.

People often said that the eyes were the windows to the soul. But Jale often found eyes deceptive - you could look at something that wasn’t your focus, and despite what people often said you could fake a smile with your eyes. Everyone knew that they gave away what you were thinking, so they tried to mask it. An arms race of deception.

And it was as Jale was looking at the floor, and the woman started to walk, that he worked it out. Feet. The other windows. People pointed their feet in the same direction as their attention, if it was strong enough. He was worried about their feet.

Two pairs of eyes, and two pairs of feet; but the two pairs had been different. You looked at a noise if you could hear it, compulsively. So the Guild member was probably deaf, or hard of hearing. But she was paying attention to him, so her feet were pointed towards him. Same with the man, the volunteer. And this white-robed man didn’t have his feet going any particular way. But the other woman, she wasn’t interested in him. Or her partner, or the Guild member. Her feet had been pointed towards...

“It is fascinating,” he said to the new individual. Probably a member; he took a seat comfortably, came from the back. “Low literacy requires human work. I’m surprised no one’s thought of it before.”

Pointed towards the machinery against the wall. He hadn’t a clue what it did, and cared little; but this woman was very, very interested in it. And for the life of him, he couldn’t work out why. And that had thrown an alert in Jale’s subconscious. The little discrepancy. It wasn’t simple curiosity or boredom, it was a focused attention. As if... machinery was a hobby of hers. 

A machinist, then. A scholar in the Scholar’s Guild. What a novel concept, Jale. What a brilliant deduction. This knock was really throwing him off. Maybe it was worse than he had thought.

“Are either of you members of the Guild?” Simple enough to confirm, really. And, if she was, the bag that she obviously carried around everywhere (the straps were worn and moulded to her shape) would be full of machine parts.

[Rushu42 she/her]

Aln watched the conversation thoughtfully. She gave Lord Arkos a small nod when he entered, then turned her attention back to the conversation at hand. "Now, I'm not an expert in architecture," she said to Alask, "or in machinery," she added, glancing at Lena, "and yet I doubt that many will be able to build a secure house based on what we're able to teach them. We have limited resources, and no formal schools. However, there are skills we can impart that I suspect will be of similar value. Reading, for example, or proper management of money, or a simple trade. Unfortunately, this course of action would not decrease your own workload in the same way. Did you have an idea for how to achieve that result?"

@I think I am here. @Sorana

( @MetaTerminal & @Ark1002 too)

[+Sorana she/her]

13 hours ago, Rushu42 said:

"Now, I'm not an expert in architecture," she said to Alask, "or in machinery," she added, glancing at Lena, "and yet I doubt that many will be able to build a secure house based on what we're able to teach them. We have limited resources, and no formal schools. However, there are skills we can impart that I suspect will be of similar value. Reading, for example, or proper management of money, or a simple trade. Unfortunately, this course of action would not decrease your own workload in the same way. Did you have an idea for how to achieve that result?"

Lena shrugged when the guild member basically told them that she wouldn't be able to help. It had been worth a try, although she wasn't sure how Alask would take it. For a scholar the woman was slow - both she and Alask had explained what they needed, why ask after it again?

"I don't belong to a guild." She replied to Jale, ignoring the Thief's Guild for now. They hadn't met for over a year and besides it wasn't his business. She was the nice one here, helping the poor. The irony of the situation made her smile.

Slightly bored she leaned against a wall. This was futile. Alask had been right. Guilds never bothered, unless they could profit from it. Which was understable - she wouldn't bother without the advantages either.

"What we need, are people with knowledge about architecture, plumbing, maybe electricity. Practical knowledge and ideally they are good teachers as well. Reading can follow once the people stop sleeping in rubble with not much more but plastic above their heads. Managing money can follow when they stop trading in goods. We had hoped that maybe someone in this guild could offer that knowledge or has connections, but if you can't," she shrugged, "maybe you could mention the Forge in your newspaper, otherwise I'm not sure what else you can do. The people need homes and food. An education is important - but they have to be able to survive their days for an education to pay off."

 

[Rushu42 she/her]

43 minutes ago, Sorana said:

Lena shrugged when the guild member basically told them that she wouldn't be able to help. It had been worth a try, although she wasn't sure how Alask would take it. For a scholar the woman was slow - both she and Alask had explained what they needed, why ask after it again?

"I don't belong to a guild." She replied to Jale, ignoring the Thief's Guild for now. They hadn't met for over a year and besides it wasn't his business. She was the nice one here, helping the poor. The irony of the situation made her smile.

Slightly bored she leaned against a wall. This was futile. Alask had been right. Guilds never bothered, unless they could profit from it. Which was understable - she wouldn't bother without the advantages either.

"What we need, are people with knowledge about architecture, plumbing, maybe electricity. Practical knowledge and ideally they are good teachers as well. Reading can follow once the people stop sleeping in rubble with not much more but plastic above their heads. Managing money can follow when they stop trading in goods. We had hoped that maybe someone in this guild could offer that knowledge or has connections, but if you can't," she shrugged, "maybe you could mention the Forge in your newspaper, otherwise I'm not sure what else you can do. The people need homes and food. An education is important - but they have to be able to survive their days for an education to pay off."

 

Aln sighed. "I'll certainly ask the guild, but I don't know if any of them have the sort of expertise that you're looking for. I have a few books on that subject that you're welcome to take. And I do possess the surge of progression; I'd be happy to come and heal any that you point me to." She stood and began to pull books from the shelves, still watching the two from the Forge for their response.

@Sorana @I think I am here.

[I think I am here. he/him]

Alask watched from his seat as they talked in front of him. No help. It seemed the Scholar’s Guild hadn’t been the best starting choice when they had wanted to go to guilds. Though, in the long run, they might have come in handy with their teaching of reading, writing, finances through schooling. But of course, none of that long-term stuff meant anything if the Forge community couldn’t survive the short-term.

“Me neither,” Alask said, replying to Jale, buying himself more thinking time before it seemed weird. Some books wood certainly be useful - anything would be useful, really - but what would more books entail? Studying, reading, staring at construction manuals of buildings and analysing them? That seemed like a lot more sleepless night for Alask even if he wasn’t out hunting.

“The books would be appreciated,” Alask said. A thought came to his mind.

“Would you happen to posses a soulcaster fabrial, or does one of your Scholar’s Guild people have the soulcasting surge? We could really use that.”

Why hadn’t he thought of it sooner? Soulcasters could make food, lots of it, and could create structures and shelters out of thin air. They would be very simple in design, but the Forge was aiming for functionality, not fashion.

[Rushu42 she/her]

5 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

Alask watched from his seat as they talked in front of him. No help. It seemed the Scholar’s Guild hadn’t been the best starting choice when they had wanted to go to guilds. Though, in the long run, they might have come in handy with their teaching of reading, writing, finances through schooling. But of course, none of that long-term stuff meant anything if the Forge community couldn’t survive the short-term.

“Me neither,” Alask said, replying to Jale, buying himself more thinking time before it seemed weird. Some books wood certainly be useful - anything would be useful, really - but what would more books entail? Studying, reading, staring at construction manuals of buildings and analysing them? That seemed like a lot more sleepless night for Alask even if he wasn’t out hunting.

“The books would be appreciated,” Alask said. A thought came to his mind.

“Would you happen to posses a soulcaster fabrial, or does one of your Scholar’s Guild people have the soulcasting surge? We could really use that.”

Why hadn’t he thought of it sooner? Soulcasters could make food, lots of it, and could create structures and shelters out of thin air. They would be very simple in design, but the Forge was aiming for functionality, not fashion.

Aln paused in the act of retrieving a book. "Now, that is an idea. I don't have the surge, but I think I know where I can get a fabrial." She turned fully towards him, excitement beginning to spark in her eyes. "Yes, I think I can do that. It might take me a little while, though. And... it will be expensive. It might have to be a loan rather than a purchase."

[I think I am here. he/him]

13 minutes ago, Rushu42 said:

Aln paused in the act of retrieving a book. "Now, that is an idea. I don't have the surge, but I think I know where I can get a fabrial." She turned fully towards him, excitement beginning to spark in her eyes. "Yes, I think I can do that. It might take me a little while, though. And... it will be expensive. It might have to be a loan rather than a purchase."

“We’re willing to deal,” Alask said.

“But hopefully it’s not too expensive, we can always scout soulcasters from other stores.”

Or steal one, he thought to himself, the thought dangerous and oddly alluring. He tilted his head slightly, tried to catch Lena’s glance, wondered if she was thinking something similar.

[Rushu42 she/her]

Just now, I think I am here. said:

“We’re willing to deal,” Alask said.

“But hopefully it’s not too expensive, we can always scout soulcasters from other stores.”

Or steal one, he thought to himself, the thought dangerous and oddly alluring. He tilted his head slightly, tried to catch Lena’s glance, wondered if she was thinking something similar.

"I'll handle the cost," she said, beginning to mentally tally her finances. "My brother is an ardent on Roshar who studies fabrials, so I think he should be able to find me something. The reason it might have to be a loan is because Roshar is experiencing some turmoil itself at the moment. I'm not sure the devotaries would be willing to permanently give up such a valuable resource in such a situation." 

She placed her small stack of books on the table and retrieved a worn spanreed from an inner pocket. She began to write on a small scrap of paper with it, glancing up as she did so. "If I may ask, where else would you plan to get a soulcaster?"

[I think I am here. he/him]

13 minutes ago, Rushu42 said:

She placed her small stack of books on the table and retrieved a worn spanreed from an inner pocket. She began to write on a small scrap of paper with it, glancing up as she did so. "If I may ask, where else would you plan to get a soulcaster?"

Sparks. She’d called him on his bluff.

“Dwig Jigden’s Investiture bake sale?” He said. “It’s mostly abandoned but there’s still a few people that sell stuff. Alleyzon, which can ship it to us, or go to one of the other guilds and try and try and make a deal with them.” He omitted how he would never let himself do that, never as long as he’d be alive.

“Or we can just try and hire a surgebinder with that surge. Via the Odd Job Tavern Or any other means.”

[Rushu42 she/her]

2 hours ago, I think I am here. said:

Sparks. She’d called him on his bluff.

“Dwig Jigden’s Investiture bake sale?” He said. “It’s mostly abandoned but there’s still a few people that sell stuff. Alleyzon, which can ship it to us, or go to one of the other guilds and try and try and make a deal with them.” He omitted how he would never let himself do that, never as long as he’d be alive.

“Or we can just try and hire a surgebinder with that surge. Via the Odd Job Tavern Or any other means.”

Aln nodded. "I see. Well, where can I contact you to deliver the fabrial?"

[+Sorana she/her]

17 hours ago, Rushu42 said:

Aln nodded. "I see. Well, where can I contact you to deliver the fabrial?"

Lena listened to their words, considered the places Alask had named. Dwig's place - most abandoned, but with some luck they might find something useful there. Back to the roots it seemed.

"At the Forge." She wrote down the adress and pushed the slip of paper over to Aln. "We live there."

She turned to Alask, made a gesture with her head, wordlessly asking if they should leave.

[Rushu42 she/her]

On 10/6/2019 at 5:02 AM, Sorana said:

Lena listened to their words, considered the places Alask had named. Dwig's place - most abandoned, but with some luck they might find something useful there. Back to the roots it seemed.

"At the Forge." She wrote down the adress and pushed the slip of paper over to Aln. "We live there."

She turned to Alask, made a gesture with her head, wordlessly asking if they should leave.

Aln accepted the paper, tucking it into a pocket, and stood. "Thank you for coming. If there's anything else you need, please let me know. I'm sorry that I couldn't do more." Though she remained perfectly polite and friendly, her tone made it clear that she considered the meeting over.

@Sorana @I think I am here.

[+Sorana she/her]

8 hours ago, Rushu42 said:

Aln accepted the paper, tucking it into a pocket, and stood. "Thank you for coming. If there's anything else you need, please let me know. I'm sorry that I couldn't do more." Though she remained perfectly polite and friendly, her tone made it clear that she considered the meeting over.

@Sorana @I think I am here.

"Don't worry, we don't intend to stay here." Lena said wryly and walked over to the door, then turned around and waited for Alask. What an insolent woman. Pround and arrogant, just like the rest of them. The guilds were all the same. They lived in their own world, didn't care for those not belonging to them.

Lena shrugged, her hand playing with her bag. Alask had been right, he had been right all the time. Maybe wiping the guilds of the surface of this city would really do all of them good. And it would offer plenty of reason to poison them all. She considered the thought, tried to find it boring or depressing, but instead it was more a challenge. Start small, build your own thing - and then destroy them all.

"Let's go?" She asked Alask, considered where to go next. Back to the Forge and then, maybe it was finally time for another heist.

[I think I am here. he/him]

“I think so,” Alask said, and stood up from the - admittedly very comfortable - chair. It was a nice soft thing, a fortunate break from the run down furniture where they lived. He walked over to the door, and looked back at Aln. “Thank you for your help,” he said. “And if you need anything from the Forge, then you know where to contact us.”

And with that he cast a glance to the other people in the room before exiting, glad to have the cool breeze back again after a while stuck indoors. “So,” he said, looking to Lena.

“That didn’t really go as well as I’d thought it would.”

[+Sorana she/her]

57 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

“That didn’t really go as well as I’d thought it would.”

Lena nodded, started to walk away from the building.

"You were right." She shrugged, pulled out two chocolate bars out of her bag and offered him one. "They are guild. They have no reason to help, and so they don't."

She bit into the bar and swallowed. "I only do this, because I gain something from it, and with you it's the same. To expect that they were different, that a guild would be different-" she shrugged again.

"I liked your idea about getting a fabrial. We should do this. Maybe we can place a note in our old briefcase, the one we used when we were still more. See if anybody would be interested, is still around. And then we can do what we are best at."

"Back to the roots and all that." She grinned excitedly at her own words. "We have to do this our way, or we won't be successful."