Round 7: Hex4: The Meligogue Conclave

[Lumaeus]

🐝A.P.I.S. Presents🐝

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The Fourth Hexenniel Conference for the Liberation of Knowledge and Fostering of Growth in Sansar

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The Meligogue Conclave

An introduction to religion in the Arkhive, the practice and process of mellification, and the sacred duty of the Meligogues

The Arkhive Æternal has no state religion, though the practice of Coedd is a fundamental cornerstone of the landscape. Even those who do not worship Coedd know the omnipresent nature deity to be a basic truth of the planet which bears the same name. This regularly places the Arkhive on lists of Coeddite powers, and no one but particularly unsubtly attention-seeking scholars would dispute that. Coedd is the dominant religion of the Arkhive, and that is unchanging.

Unchanging too, however, is something deeper and more fundamental to Arkhvie spirituality. The highest calling in the Arkhive Æternal is mellification, and the entering of a person's memories and knowledge into the greater pool of understanding is the guidepoint of all Arkhive cosmology. No, mellification is required of no one, though all Librarians and Queens undergo the process, much like the slim majority of residents. However, the fact of it, experienced bodily and mentally through the communion of Honeyed Words and, for the few, Royal Jelly, creates a very particular understanding of the world.

Mellification is an involved process. Years before death, a candidate begins to wean themselves from solid foods, consuming honey more and more. Such is the nutritive power of the Arkhive's sweet sweet juices that they continue on this way for a long time, slowly thinning out, growing golden-eyed and softened. Though they diminish into almost nothing, never do they grow sharp, their corners kept to a softness by the sweetness of their diet. Eventually, as their sweat and tears, their excreta and even their blood begin to assume a honey-like quality, the time has come. Yet living, they enter the sacred center of the Hive, and enter a great cell of honey, where the bees seal them away. Here, their bodies unite with the honey.

This is not the well from which Honeyed Words are drawn. This is food for the bees, who learn and understand and know. These same bees brew the Honeyed Words and Royal Jelly separately and this is imbued with what they know. This means both that the Arkhivists do not consume their dead and that the dead can and do bring messages to the bees. When a scholar specially prepares herself to deliver this message, bearing it into the mellification process, she is known as a Meligogue, an Oracle of Honey.

Ordo Roberts, the sixtieth and forty-two hundredths is one of these Meligogues on his way out. He expects but a week more to live, and has offered his services to the Hexenniel. The Queen, herself beginning the mellification process, much more slowly given the fabulous powers of her unique diet, accepts with honor.

The Hexenniel

Though the amendation and emendation of the Charter stands, as ever, as a purpose of the great meeting, the Queen is greatly pleased to invite all Members to a special meeting to discuss with the Oracle of Honey what might need to be brought to the bees' attention. Ordo Roberts looks at this point like a dried flower, a beautiful husk, and is willing to hear all that is said. The bees will be made aware.

 

Opportunities:

• Speak to the bees! This might influence the miracles we start to do on Hives, the general trajectory of the Arkhive, maybe the eventual replacement to Connie, and most excitingly a potential to change how points are calculated. The Charter described what the Arkhive can do, but the points are entirely the will of the bees. This is the chance to change things!
• Mingle, chat, do diplomacy stuff. The Arkhive specifically welcomes use of itself as a forum. Constance is glad to participate or be excluded, no fear.
• The Arkhive Charter is going to have two proposed amendments. I'll wait for EmBark's amendment before I present mine. Every Sansarite member gets a vote (plus EmBark)
• Tech trade! The Arkhive is giving away the following to anyone (unless you actively aggress us this turn, I guess.

• Coedd's Intelligence Agency is physically located in the ArkHive and security is less than non-existant: the workers are eager to show off the work they do and the valuable information they send to Coedd. As a Diplomacy Action or as a Sub-Action of mechanically attending an event at the ArkHive you may examine the records. Let Kythia know and she will share the current state of Coedd's spy network with you.

Techs for Sale! For Free!

• Aclaustrophobic Psychiatry
• Algorithmic Imagination
• Arcane Amplification
• Badalian Megadirigibles
• In Vivo Modification
• Nuclear Fusion
• Pseudogravity Engineering
• Shrewd Business
• Thaumonuclear Reactors*
• Vacuum Adaptation
• Wet Navy Ships
• Xenolinguistic Cataloguing
  
  *Gotta talk to Coedd first. I'll letcha kno

Charter of the Arkhive Æternal

Immutables
-Every odd round, the Arkhive will hold a Hexenniel Conference to select a Patron, determined by the Points System (see below).
-There are two tiers of Membership: Local Members (for residents of Sansar) and Visiting Members (for everyone else).
-Should a Visiting Member be awarded Patronage OR complete and maintain a Hive (5-action GP), they will permanently be considered Local, so long as they retain Membership.
-Members' holdings shall be held as inviolable to the Library, subject to no interference.
-The Arkhive's holdings shall be held as inviolable to Members, subject to no interference.
-The Arkhive shall devote half of its capacity in service of its Patron (2 actions on odd round, 3 on evens).
-The Arkhive cannot use Military actions nor maintain a standing army (but we're ignoring the unit we start with because it'd be a hassle to deal with--we rebuke the fiction and substitute our own!).
-The Arkhive is a place of refuge; anyone swearing themselves to scholarship is welcome in its walls, regardless of their past.
-The Arkhive is subject always to public oversight; it will never take a secret action
-The Arkhive reserves all E5s and D5s that it may better distribute Trade Routes and Embassies, as well as its first F5 and F10. Additionally, should the Arkhive ever do that thing to get a new civ type and another action what's that called again I forgot, it reserves that one action as well--feel free to ask in advance about it if worried.

Mutables
-Research produced or acquired by the Arkhive (including techs) is to be freely disseminated to all Members without discrimination.
-Physical holdings (including artifacts) are to be loaned out for three years at a time to Local Members.
-Members of the Arkhive hold joint responsibility for recovering overdue and stolen items and holdings (including TPs and Supports*)
-Failure to return a borrowed item by its due date incurs a fine of two (2) Treasure. A further borrowing period overdue will result in revocation of Membership and extraction of reparations as determined appropriate by all remaining Members and the Librarians.
-At their sole discretion, the Queen can forgive fines and pardon misstep.
-The Arkhive accepts all donations.
-Trade Routes will be distributed freely among Members, preferencing Local Members and those offering more generous donations (points system).
-Cultural Exchanges will be distributed freely among Members, preferencing Local Members and those offering more generous donations (points system).
-At each Hexenniel Conference, the current Patron and the Queen may each submit a proposal to add, remove, or alter a single mutable point of this charter.
-Proposals to change the Charter are only confirmed by a 2/3rds majority of voting Local Members.
-No Patron may require the Arkhive to Adopt Faith.

*I don't expect to have any interest in supports unless a [i]hostile[/i] power takes the Arkhive's capital supports

Points System: (Note, this is crunch, but IC it's just the Will of the Bees. Not mutable or immutable, just an enumeration of how the Hive chooses to crown you.)
Provide our Desired Import: 2pts/round (available to every civ that does it, even if the need is already met)
Submit a piece of your culture's literature for Arkhival: 1pt (max 1/rd)
Submit a history for Arkhival: 1pt (max 1/rd)
Submit a theo/mythological or philosophical work for Arkhival: 1pt (max 1/rd)
Recover a lost item from the Arkhive's holdings (returning late items absolutely doesn't count, loophole nerdz): 10pts
Submit the results of an Investigation for Arkhival: 2pts
Submit a technology not yet held by the Arkhive: 2pts for starting tech, 5pts for all others (simultaneous submissions are both rewarded)
Donate an Artifact to the Arkhive: 10pts
Donate Treasure to the Arkhive: 1pt/ea
Build a Hive (5-action GP, you may use the Arkhive's actions for this as Patron): 2pts/turn ongoing, Donor Status
Mechanical figure (or retired Ruler) joins the Arkhive: 3pts
Fluff piece describing influx of your people joining the Arkhive OR an individual described to be noteworthy (such as a great scholar) joining the Arkhive OR a scholar of the Arkhive joining your people: 1 pt (max 1/rd)

Points accrue until the end of a Conference. At the end of the round, the civ with the highest total is awarded the status of Patron. They return to 0 points. Second place is awarded five points to start the next round. Third receives four, fourth receives three, and so on. Ties for Patron are decided between the tied parties, and if they fail to come to an agreement, they roll off. All other ties will both receive the higher point total.

List of Members

ALF (Local)
CUS (Local)
ELD (Local)
GLO (Local)
ILU (Local)
LSP (Local)
RAT (Local)
RRE (Local)
WTP (Local)
BAF (Visiting)
MSQ (Visiting)
TEA (Visiting)
UNC (Visiting)
UHS (Visiting)

 

Edited April 23 by Lumaeus (see edit history)

[Kythia]

Intelligence Agency

 

Coedd’s Intelligence Agency doesn’t literally throw its doors open for Hexennial visitors but purely because the doors are always open.  One of them, in fact is broken and is at its most closed an inch or two ajar.  There is a maintenance request in to sort it but maintenance have been busy preparing for the conference and this job was judged low priority.  But it does metaphorically throw its doors open to visitors and that’s something.

 

Spies, helpfully wearing badges identifying themselves as such (“Hi, I’m Matt Harry 372.12.  Ask me about spying for Coedd”), circulate; inviting anyone who expresses an interest to come and visit.  Those that do get a novelty mug and have the sign up sheet pointed out to them.  

 

Inside the converted warehouse, visitors are eagerly shown details of countless schemes and treated to a display of ostentatious codename usage.  It’s clear to anyone visiting that those present are dilettantes who are largely “spying for Coedd” because it gives a break from their professional duties.  “Its a LARP, not an intelligence agency” most will leaving thinking.  Those a bit more attuned, though, might spot something else.  Yes, they’re dilettantes, yes this is done in fun as much as anything else, but they are good at it.  They’re plans could well work.  They’re information gathering methods have been well thought out and well executed.  They’re secret handshakes may be ridiculous and their codenames absurd (particularly given the fact they often slip up and refer to each other in plaintext) but the codes and ciphers they actually use are strong and at times unbreakable without magic.  They might well just be playing a game, but they’re damned good at playing it and what’s the real difference anyway?

 

Coedd Arrival

 

Coedd is old.  At the same time Coedd is ever young, eternal and everdying.  To be specific, this particular avatar of Coedd is old.  Never limber at the best of times it is now close to immobile and takes the best part of ten minutes to walk down the ramp from the ship that brought it here.  The walk from there to the room where Ordo Roberts, the sixtieth and forty-two hundredths is preparing for his final mellification is agonisingly slow - acolytes accompany it in shifts to allow time for toilet breaks.

 

Eventually though, several hours after landing, it stands before the venerable scholar and by extension before the beers.  Twenty chemical translators beep while those who have had augmented noses installed sniff the air.

 

Coedd !UNTRANSALTED! Tiny-meat.

 

“Tiny-meat” had come up before, on the rare occasions Coedd had felt the need to distinguish between the bees and literally every other form of non-plant life in Tekhum.  But the chemical trace being displayed was new and there were excited glances between the linguists in the room.  A new word! During its laborious walk from there to the grove they huddled in knots of conversation, occasionally one drifting from one group to another to ensure conversations were disseminated.

 

In the almost an entire day it took it to walk to the grove, a slow consensus emerged.  Coedd’s traditional polite greeting had always been translated as “acknowledges” - it was essentially a simple messenger pheromone used as a handshake.  Coedd is prepared to send and receive messages.  And this new word was similar in structure but with deuterium groups attached.  The only other place the linguists had seen deuterium in Coedd’s conversation was in its own identifier, “Coedd”.  Their presence here couldn’t be a coincidence, it must be a way of…of elevating the term.  The slow consensus emerged and that consensus was that: Coedd greets the bees.  A level of respect it was previously thought Coedd was incapable of.

 

Eventually this avatar reached the grove and stood in the middle.  Over the course of the year the last of its leaves fall.  It can be used, acolytes agree, as compost to feed the hive’s ever present need.

Edited April 23 by Kythia (see edit history)

[Elemental]

The Hexenniel

Sarah Huddleston Shadowclaw had been to the Arkhive. Once. Twenty years ago. It was perhaps the worst day of her career, even compared to the decade long spice debacle. It's funny how a near death experience causes things to stick in the mind. Unfortunately, she'd been sent back, an unexpected 'perk' of her rising to the position of Minister of Agriculture and being the highest ranking government official who had actually 'met' Constance. A meeting she doesn't recall being exactly graceful on her end. Still, twenty years, no doubt Constance will have forgotten, she was a nobody back then and she looks older and more refined and dignified.

That is to say she's wearing a bright green dress with a blue and gold neckerchief that clashes horribly, especially combined with her elegant red and purple silk shawl. But she has pulled her grey-streak golden hair back in a messy bun and wears glasses now. Very refined. Again she carries a briefcase marked "botanical samples" in Low Imperial and approaches Queen Constance once an opening has made itself available.

"Your Arkhival Majesty, on behalf of the people of the Kingdom of High Ishtahnos I would like to bestow upon the Arkhive Eternal this gift in the hopes that it shall be kept safe for centuries to come," she bows politely and opens the heavy metal case to reveal its contents. One hundred and twenty neatly labelled glass vials of tiny seeds. On the vials are the names of the plants in four languages and a small colour picture of an orchid flower. "These seeds are of the rarest orchids of the Highlands of Ishtahnos, some of which have only recently been successfully reintroduced into the wilderness once more. Should our efforts fail and our botanical gardens be lost it will be a great comfort to know that these wonders shall remain in Tekhum."

[Featherscale]

An elderly Worker on a slender wheeled prosthesis takes to a microphone.  He wears no hat, indicating he speaks on his own authority under Glic sumptuary traditions.  He wears white, a color none of the attendees have likely seen on a Glix.  The color of mayoralty, an office disbanded outside living memory.


"Welcome, friends, to the Hexenniel!  I am Snimt'Arkhive, Elder Brother of the Glic colony that lives under Queen Constance's suzerainty and the Glic Hive City we are forming here. It is an experiment not tried in over a thousand years!

Tonight I wish to talk about freedom.  For too long, the Arkhive has lives under the control of outsiders, beholden to off-planet interests hostile to Coedd and, in all probability, the Arkhive itself.  We live in a dangerous world, and, even besides sane greed leading to assault, we have seen the tragedy of fanatics and lunatics randomly attacking innocents for mad reasons all too often in recent years.

The more the Arkhive associates with any one bloc, the more that bloc's enemies might begin to question out neutrality, and even feel justified in attacking us.  The Combine and the Llort are very close these days, and both have had many dealings with the Jy'mar.  Given the generous nature of these three policies, the Arkhive might become a catspaw of their alliance...

So, as the former Prime Minister of the Combine and current Elder Brother of the Glic Colony on Aridyin, I ask for the following ammendment:

No Elect, regardless of points earned in the race to become Patron, may become Patron if they were Patron in the current or previous cycle of selection.  In effect, 12 years must pass before any one elect might be eligible after they pass the Patronage off.   They may still submit to the Arkhive and be ranked accordingly."

Edited April 28 by Featherscale (see edit history)

[JBarca]

Pan-Tekhum Workers' and Traders' Union

 

Three Union representatives make themselves known at the Hexennial. Each wears a simply outfit of practical working coveralls and a name badge. They all seem pleased to be here, and they break formation rapidly.

 

Waltor Haughman, a human with a square jaw and square hair and square chest who has clearly spent most of his life working hard, approaches Constance herself. He offers a handshake before speaking.

"Madam. Pleased to make your acquaintance. Nice place you got here! We at the Union appreciate your willingness to open your home up like this. You being willing to teach and be taught is remarkable. Say, that honey of yours sure is something. What would it take for the Union to secure a supply?"

---

Delilah Berrington slowly makes her way toward the Sarah Huddleston Shadowclaw. Lilah is a Fomir with a pronounced limp and smile more polite than friendly, but she bows slightly to the Ishtahnos representative.

"Good evening, Minister. I trust you and yours are well? If I may but purchase a moment of your time with an offer of good company and better drink, I would be most appreciative." 

Delilah gestures to a nearby alcove, face betraying neither hope, expectation, nor fear of rejection.

---

The final union representative at the Hexennial, Tess McGarrin, keeps in place. She sips a drink, makes small talk, and is generally available to any who find they're in need of the Union's time.

Edited April 28 by JBarca (see edit history)

[Elemental]

5 hours ago, JBarca said:

Pan-Tekhum Workers' and Traders' Union

Delilah Berrington slowly makes her way toward the Sarah Huddleston Shadowclaw. Lilah is a Fomir with a pronounced limp and smile more polite than friendly, but she bows slightly to the Ishtahnos representative.

"Good evening, Minister. I trust you and yours are well? If I may but purchase a moment of your time with an offer of good company and better drink, I would be most appreciative." 

Delilah gestures to a nearby alcove, face betraying neither hope, expectation, nor fear of rejection.

"The Kingdom as always prospers in the Light of the Benevolent Sun, I hope the same can be said of you," Minister Huddleston says with a slight bow, "And of course, the Ministries always have time for the WTU."

She follows the Union representative to the nearby alcove, speaking again once they are away from would be eavesdroppers, "Now what does the Union need from the Kingdom that needs to be broached during a chance encounter on Sansar? If it's about our recent declaration, yes we should have asked but we wanted to chill any thoughts of arson among the Arvaxine.""

[Lumaeus]

(Sorry, I'm very absent these days. Have the amendments. I'll give a little extra voting time. Let's say by Tuesday evening give or take)

 

GCC Amendment

No Elect, regardless of points earned in the race to become Patron, may become Patron if they were Patron in the current or previous cycle of selection.  In effect, 12 years must pass before any one elect might be eligible after they pass the Patronage off.   They may still submit to the Arkhive and be ranked accordingly."

ARK Amendment, with encouragement from CUS

No Patron may instruct to Arkhive to swear fealty to any power (vassalize action/mechanics).

 

[Featherscale]

VOTES

Snimt'Arkhive endorses both measures, the GCC government does not contradict him.

 

[FriendlyHeadcrab]

From a side passage, ritually used by the Exalted Pod to enter the festivities after the swapping of professors, enters Vuk Cssskk Tyculhajodejana. However, their entrance has changed much. Long ago at Hex1, the Pod entered as a stiff, shuffling bunch. Their heads bobbing about like a flock of flamingos, taking stuttering steps on their hind legs in an attempt at a humanoid effigy.

Now, at Hex4, their approach is quite different. Vuk, the exalted speaker leads in a light four-legged trot. Others behind walk at a slower cadence, their near-completely silvered fur and slight limps betraying their age. And bringing up the rear, the Durat representatives of the Church and Policy follow, sitting in hover-chairs.

Behind them, a different Pod follows. Same in number, but younger in age. They follow, their heads lashing about as they take in the new scene.

The Exalted pod makes its way to the side of Queen Constance and speaks, "Ah, it has been long. It warms old bones to be with you yet again. Though you barely look a day the elder. It is fitting that you bring one for mellification before us on this day. For us, this is a time of ending, and beginning. To us, it was long ago that we stepped into this hall for the first time- and yet I remember it so clearly. And how could I not, with a bomb on the doorstep?"

The old pod chuckles, and gathers itself. "But I should get to business before I fall deep into reminiscences. I have grown old, Constance, and my time left is little. Smaller still is my time as the Exalted. And so it comes to pass that I shall be replaced. Following my path in the cycle that has transpired for centuries in past. But I am not so old that I lose the honor of introducing you to the future Exalted. Behold, I present Bok Gvcboz Tihimfrejunklscare.

The younger pod, now introduced as future Exalted, move in a synchronous gesture of meeting and welcome. "We've heard much of you from our elder. You have been good to our people. We hope that we shall be good to each other."

The older pod smiles. "Bok comes from the same stock such as I. They have learned well, and already make the STAR RATS proud. We've been awaiting this day eagerly, and hope you will welcome them as you did us."

"And there is one other matter."  The Exalted Pod moves closer, and speaks softly. "Should you wish, we would be delighted to leave this Durat in your care." The Durats of the Exalted Pod Gesture to the Speaker Supreme. "Something new has been found in the far reaches of Badal. A beautiful substance known as XQI. It allows others to participate in the practice of wising, even if they are not of Durat blood."

"Vuk Tynappus is the youngest of us, and best-spoken. They were elected by the popular will of the Durat Population, and bring with them a love of music and a beautiful voice. Should you wish to bring them into your personhood, we would be honored if you wised with them. This is not a decision to make lightly, and you are free to refuse. Acceptance of this would change you, but it would expand your being. We are prepared to offer you enough XQI to sustain the bond as long as you like. And with your Royal Jelly, we expect you could keep Vuk with you so long as you see fit."

"This is not something ever done before." This is made apparent, as Bok wears an expression of shock. But they do not move to protest, the word of the Exalted pod is law. The Exalted continues. "This is not something ever considered before. But if you are inclined, we would love to bind our bond in wising, the most sacred of Durat tradition."

 

---

At some other time, the STAR RATS vote.

They abstain from voting on the GCC amendment, having interest neither for nor against.

The vote in favor of the ARK amendment. A much needed change.

---

At some other time in the evening

Bok makes their way to Ordo Roberts. "Greetings, mellowed one. We wish to suggest to the bees. Knowledge and happenings flow throughout Tekhum, but many are lost. The bees have created a beautiful infrastructure for the collection of knowledge. We would be most grateful if this infrastructure was extended to hold tidings of geopolitical events."

 

Edited Saturday at 06:43 AM by FriendlyHeadcrab (see edit history)

[Frostwander]

Eminent Ambassador Puala Lomchat, head of the Caipe Ushere Diplomatic Corp, is extremely busy assisting in bureaucratic details of the upcoming royal transition. He has very little time for social activity, but does make a brief visit to the Arkhive for political appearances and to consider the amendments.

Caipe Ushere votes in favor of the GCC Amendment.
Caipe Ushere votes in favor of the ARK Amendment.

[TheDarkDM]

Having recently completed construction on the Duke's Spring Palace in Bīt Ereshkigal, the House of Fire dispatches members of the Ducal Diplomatic Corps to the Hexennial. While the affairs of the House preclude extensive negotiations at the present time, they do make use of their franchise.

The House of Fire votes Nay on the GCC Amendment

The House of Fire Abstains on the ARK Amendment

[Kythia]

Yes on Arkhive, Abstain on GCC

fluff to follow if I get time

[SerakHawk]

The Illumined Representative Votes Yea on both measures.

[EmBark]

The LSP delegation arrived with little pomp and circumstance. The representatives, again in the form of Princess Tiyansi and flightmaster Pako and several attendants, enjoyed the general events of the Hexenniel as ever. Flightmaster Pako inquired about the mellification process on behalf of Grey Eminence Society Consul Hanyeo, who saw great value in it for themself. Perhaps more llort would be interested in it, certainly within the space-hive of Spiegel on Hayeli?

When the time came for the conference proper and the amendments were proposed, Princess Tiyansi stood. "It is unfortunate that the GCC suggests this measure, as it would mean that some with barely any investment in the Arkhive could become Patron almost by a fluke. In the past, representatives of my country have conversed with those of the GCC and of ARK and suggested other options that would create greater diversity without a hard block to competition like this. I think there is value in there being competition for the Arkhive's Patronage. Let the biggest and most colourful flowers attract the bees. In nature, there is the survival of the most fitting. Let here be patronage--the survival--of the most archival."

The LSP representative votes Aye on ARK's amendment.

The LSP representative votes Nay on GCC's amendment.