Crowns

It has been months since the first time the Uncrowned made themselves known, and weeks since the most well known among them had joined the ranks of Scale Emblem. Tian had worked along side one of the Yamato Adventurers, discovering a way of removing the Crowns without doing harm to those wearing them. It was an important step towards finding a better way of fighting back.

At the moment, Tian is outside Scale Emblem's headquarter sin Alne. The Cait Sith seems to be sharpening and repairing a set of tools which are part of their crafting set. They are not wearing their usual mask, but it is hung nearby. Even so, Tian's face is still painted with a dark line across the eyes and wolf-like features drawn in makeup across their lips and chin.

They squint at one of the tools before taking a whetstone to it, sharpening the edge, testing it with the side of one thumb before continuing the process. It all seems like a very fine and tedious process.

The inclination is to wait. Robert generally prefers not to interrupt, especially when the current activity involves sharp objects. But then, that is no doubt a carry-over from the real world where consequences are less...reversible.

Nonetheless, Robert -does- still find himself waiting, lurking at a moderate distance where he serves as a small rock, around which the morning's bustle flows with a minimum of fuss. He waits, that is, until he manages to convince himself that doing so is idiocy, at which point he makes his approach.

"May I have a few moments of your time?" he inquires of Tian, once there's a temporary lull. His manner is carefree enough, though it might be noted that his voice does not carry. "Regarding the crowns."

Unlike most Adventurers, especially Cait Sith, Tian does not seem to be able to hear the approach. There is barely a twitch from their lupine ears until the point where Robert actually speaks. It's at that point that they look up, setting one of the sharper instruments to the side before giving a nod, followed by a hand motion that looks like a fist bobbed forward.

The understanding of gesture as an affirmative follows. The crafter's fingers move as they start to sign a response, eventually raising their hands in a gesture that resembles a crown being put on. "<What do you want to know about the Crowns?>" There is a tilt of the head and raised eyebrows. Without their mask, it seems that much of the meaning of Tian's words comes from other body language.

"How should I address you?" Robert begins, hands dropping to his waist. His brow furrows, momentarily, in thought. He then continues.

"I'd like to have a better understanding for how, exactly, they work. For context. I've encountered one of the Crowned folks multiple times. I have the feeling that this individual has been trying to buck, or at least lawyer around with, the crown's control. I was hoping to get a better sense for whether this is in fact possible. I was also hoping you might have some insights into how far these measures, if true and not, say, a trap, can be pushed."

"<My name here is Tian Lang.>" The Cait Sith replies, making a motion in front of their face that looks like drawing out a lupine muzzle. "<I prefer neutral address if that matters.>" They take a moment to nod, seeming to appreciate being asked.

However, when the topic comes to the exact things that Robert wishes to know about the Crowns, Tian's brows furrow. There is a slight tap of their hand as they seem to be making the gesture to indicate that they are thinking. Then, after a moment, they begin to sign.

"<Being under a Crown's control is like... believing something with your whole heart.>" They run a hand over their chest, "<You believe the Landers who control you. Any other information brought that contradicts is obviously lies. Obviously fabricated. Because you know the truth. You know that the Landers have the right of it, and no one will convince you otherwise.>"

There is another brief pause, looking momentarily confused at Robert's description, "<I do not know of any way to lawyer the rules of the Crown. I do know it can sometimes be momentarily resisted, but the process is painful.>" Tian's expression takes on one of horrible pain, motioning a hand around their head.

"Thank you for your time, Tian Liang," Robert begins. The rest of Tian's words, however, cause his expression to darken, to exhibit more discomfort. A hand rises to cup his chin, thumb and finger pressing into his right and left cheek respectively.

"Can you explain more about the resisting?" he wants to know, after a few moments of contemplation. "I am having difficulty understanding how the resistance can happen in the first place, if the crown instills complete belief. Surely those who believe would have no reason to resist? Or is it a question of degree? Loyalty in a general sense, but some leeway within the details? For example, perhaps you may think that your side is generally correct but you might have questions regarding tactical decisions."

There is another momentary pause, indicated by the tapping of Tian's fingers and a thoughtful expression before they begin to sign again. "<Resistance cam happen if there is conflict. Where the Crown demands acting against a friend. Where the Crown demands acting against your own deeply held beliefs. That is my experience.>" The Cait Sith touches their chest.

"<Once, I was adorned with a Crown in Kallamore.>" Tian has not told this to many, but there is some resignation in providing that information, their hands slowing. "<I think I resisted early on. But later, no.>" The Cait Sith shakes their head. "<You come to accept this new reality. This new way of seeing things.>"

As to the specifics, there is a slight lift of Tian's shoulders. "<I have not seen much in the way of leeway. The best I can describe it is... imagine a conspiracy theory. Those who believe it, disregard any evidence that goes against their belief.>" Tian's brows furrow. "<It is like that.>"

A pause. A tilt of the head to one side, coupled with an uplifting of eyebrows. Another pause, considering, as his fingers interlace and tighten, knuckles whitening under the pressure. "So there are two layers of control, then, if I understand correctly?" he asks at length. "The first is...well, I suppose a general paradigm of sorts. The idea that the Landers are correct, and every new observation is interpreted within the unalterable framework of that paradigm. And then there is...is there a second layer? The Crown makes -specific- demands? Is this explicit, or was it more of a metaphorical that-which-must-follow from the original framework?"

There is a slight shake of the head from Tian, then a confirmation as they sign, "<The later. The Crowns are not intelligent in that they do not demand actions, themselves. But they enforce actions that support the paradigm.>" Tian presses their lips together, the expression implying that their mind is flitting back to their own experiences.

"<They are tied to leadership of a Kingdom. Certain nobles or others in control. Based on what we discovered here, I assume that it is anyone the Kunie of the Kingdom considers an important Lander. They hold the power, and their word is law.>" The Cait Sith's gold eyes look up towards Robert.

"<The Uncrowned have allies amongst the nobility of some Kingdoms. I had my own Crown removed by one in Kallamore who feeds supplies and intel to us. Not all of those with power in the Kingdoms are bad people or support these actions. Those with the greatest power, though, are the ones who set everyone on this path.>"

SpritesHero closes his own eyes, brow furrowing hard down the middle once more. There's a brief swaying of his form as his weight transfers from one foot to the other. His lips purse, pull back into a grimace. His eyes open. "And the Crown performs the assessment of whether an action supports the paradigm, or is it the Crowned individual who performs the assessment?" Robert wants to know. But he evidently reconsiders, considering this an unclear formulation. "For example. Let's say you have someone with zero judgement who is maybe not the brightest. And let's say he somehow manages to convince himself that running around stealing supplies is necessary for the war effort. Would the Crown evaluate this action in the context of his thought process--that is, by monitoring his personal conflict between his actions and his framework? Or does it have an objective set of standards that it imposes, in spite of not having intrinsic intelligence?"

The more specific question that is posed is met with an uncertain expression, Tian lifting a hand to their chin and lightly stroking there. It isn't a firm enough gesture to smudge their face paint, but it is enough to show that they are thinking about the problem that is portrayed.

"<Honestly, it is not really something that the Uncrowned have had much opportunity to examine. We have relatively few who can remove a Crown and we do not have chances to study each individual and how the Crown interacts with them.>" Tian gives a rueful expression, flashing a hint of one sharpened fang. "<So, unhelpfully, I'd have to say I simply do not know. I'm sorry I can't be more specific on that.>"

SpritesHero flashes a grin back at Tian. "At least we know where the edge of the map is," he opines with an expressive shrug, the amusement that glints in his eyes most likely reflecting on conspiracy theories. His hands clap together, palms rubbing one against the other, vigorously. "So. The Uncrowning itself. How complex is the process? I understand that there have been some efforts around Uncrowning without the assistance of Lander nobility? And more than a little success, yes?"

The Cait Sith seems to shift, seeming slightly more comfortable once the topic shifts away from things that carry that level of uncertainty. Their eyes brighten slightly. This is followed by a nod. "<Myself and Haru investigated the process. It is... quite a delicate set of steps and requires the abilities of a Moonlight Goldsmith.>"

Motioning to their set of tools, Tian's fingers shift before they begin to sign again, seeming to enjoy conversing about topics that are part of their interests. "<We have been successful. This is part of why I am refining my tools. I expect that we will have more that need of it.>" There is a lift of one side of their mouth in a half smile. "<I look forward to bringing this information back to my own people. It is knowledge that cound turn the tide for the resistance.>"

"Being able to do scale-up would be fantastic. And critical for the war effort," Robert agrees, more brightly now. Not only is the subject cleaner and clearer, but there's perhaps the sensation of having come to a decision. "If I were to bring you someone who is Crowned, would you be willing to perform the Uncrowning procedure?" he queries. "Worth noting that I think the individual may be able to provide more information as to the specific workings of the Crown. Don't suppose this might pique your interest? When were you thinking to head back home?"

Tian's head tilts slightly, ears slightly flopping over in the process. "<I would be more than willing to make the attempt. The information we can get from a former Crowned could be quite useful.>" Then, they raise a hand, their expression turning more grave with a tightening of the facial features. "<However, we must be cautious. Some who were Crowned, took those Crowns willingly. Simply removing it may not change those individuals to be on our side.>"

This is something that is important to take onto account, especially as it could be used as a way of sneaking an enemy combatant behind their own lines. "<We should be sure to take care before trusting any who have only recently been freed. We do not need a dagger in the back.>"

SpritesHero's hand lifts. Again, the amusement sparks, and he scratches his head for a few moments. "This one's a complicated case," he admits at last, though the delay doesn't have any emotional hesitance to it. More an issue of verbal formulation. "Your point is well-taken. I do anticipate much future confusion around this issue. The Crown can be a convenient scapegoat, no?" There's a smile, and a polite bow. "Thank you for your offer of assistance and your time. My apologies for interrupting your work." He turns about and departs, rapidly vanishing into the square's crowds.