Oops, It's a Sith Lord (open!)

[ruleoftwo]

[Today, inside the Old City's catacombs, there's... something else. It isn't a Pokemon. It's a person. That, given the very existence of the Delvers, isn't such a surprise. However, it isn't a Delver, either.]

[Darth Sidious wears what a member of a secretive cult should wear: a cloak, hood pulled up to cover his face, save for the yellow glow of his eyes. It's more than Enlightened power that obscures his identity as Sheev Palpatine.]

[He carries himself differently. This isn't a grandfatherly man walking about; he stalks, wearing that thick cloak, and while he's slightly hunched... there's something subtly spry about how he carries himself. And the crackle of purple light surrounding him -- well, that's nothing like Palpatine.]

[Sidious stares at something on the wall, trying to make sense of it. A Golurk hovers nearby, huge arms crossed.]

Comments

[incousinswithyou]

[Michiru is a bit out of her element down here in the dark, but if anything, she looks rather amused. Following two brave and intrepid explorers (an Oshawott and a Squirtle), Michiru herself is followed by an annoyed looking Rapidash, here to provide some light.

They're not the most quiet of explorers, no.]

[ruleoftwo]

[The Golurk notices first; he turns, grunting once:] Lurrrrrk.

[And that prompts Sidious to notice. He turns, too; when Michiru gets near, the light from her Rapidash catches him. The hood hides his face, but those yellow eyes are aglow.]

[He certainly looks like a cultist, given the get-up.]

Ah, one of the Delvers.

[incousinswithyou]

[considering her experiences with the cultists of Sanctuary, this isn't getting off to a great start.

Still, her smile is perfect.] Not me, no. These little ones might be, however.

[the two smaller Pokemon are already running off to peer closely at the walls, Oshawott bossily telling Squirtle to write down all their findings - real or imagined. (Mostly imagined.)

Rapidash, however, keeps a round eye trained on Golurk.]

I hope we're not disturbing anything.

[ruleoftwo]

[Golurk folds his arms; the look he gives Rapidash is frosty.]

I'm collecting information for my own purposes. And perhaps... other things.

[There's a smile. It isn't friendly.]

You came here at the bidding of your Pokemon?

[incousinswithyou]

[Rapidash snorts - and may be sort of trying to start an impromptu staring contest.

Michiru seems to be taking that smile at face value. Other things, huh?]

Letting them come down here alone would've been dangerous. Who knows what they would've run into?

[or who. Hah]

That's surprising. It feels like most of our explorers are focusing on our new neighbors.

[ruleoftwo]

There are things in the dark places of this city that some don't wish to know of. Elements of our past. Knowledge.

[Then... he tilts his head, and nods once.]

We must understand our own power. And our own past. Before we turn to our new enemies.

Wouldn't you agree?

[incousinswithyou]

[Delvers come down here to find lost technologies, but the way you're saying it sounds a bit too ominous for anything innocent like that.]

An admirable statement, though it's difficult to find the time when we have battles to fight.

[live first, dig later] What are you hoping to find here?

[ruleoftwo]

Battles that must be won.

[He gives her a long look, considering for a moment. He doesn't want to be open; the Sith lie, after all. But it benefits him to say a little.]

About gods. The so-called Savior.

[incousinswithyou]

"So-called?" Our historians might have a bone to pick with you.

[still...] I doubt we know the whole truth of what happened back then, but there hasn't been any evidence to the contrary.

[which means this search of yours could take some time.]

[ruleoftwo]

I won't argue that she saved the city, then. I won't argue that she inspired our people. The evidence suggests that she existed. But there is much we do not know about the gods then. Or about her.

And there is the question of what he inspired us to.

[He fixes Michiru with a look.]

Weakness.

[incousinswithyou]

Is this the part where you bring up how I do the bidding of my Pokemon?

[said Pokemon are still playing Intrepid Explorers and don't really seem to care about this boring human conversation]

[ruleoftwo]

No. The Enlightened of this city are bound by something far more controlling.

[He frowns.]

We are taught to serve. We are greater than humans and Pokemon both. Something that the Savior's story would have us deny.

[incousinswithyou]

Rulers and conquerors don't have quite the same tone, no.

[she will admit that this is the first time she's heard of anybody thinking this way]

[ruleoftwo]

They do not.

And that we think those terms are unacceptable speaks volumes of our society.

[incousinswithyou]

Even if you were to find definitive evidence to the contrary, the idea itself - and the value we ascribe to it - won't be so easily uprooted.

[not with all these gods prancing around and showing up every few months, at any rate.]

[ruleoftwo]

The idea has to be shown as false. The idea that we should not rule...

[He frowns.] Power doesn't ask that the weak change. Power demands it.

[incousinswithyou]

You say that, but the Enlightened still have to answer to the gods.

[if we're going to base such judgments on how much power one has]

[ruleoftwo]

For now.

But could we change that? I think so.

[incousinswithyou]

It was difficult enough to take down one god.

[at Glacier]

[ruleoftwo]

Then we must grow stronger.

And once we've made one god our servant, the rest will soon follow.