7th Oration // Video

[dun_moch]

[The opening shot is exactly the same as Dooku's interrupted last post. Same bookshelf, same lighting, same Count Dooku casually brushing some dust off his shoulder as he addresses the camera in his deep voice. It is as though he is continuing the previous post without missing a beat, refusing to be disrupted by the Porter, which is exactly the impression he wants to convey.]

Now then. As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted...

[Something is subtly different now, though. There's a touch of strain in the Count's smooth voice that wasn't there before, a note of tension in his face and the way he carries his body. Nonetheless, he carries on as though nothing has changed.]

It appears that the Porter's vengeance against imPort inquiries has ended, for now. But do not make the mistake of thinking that we are now safe. We remain bound by mysterious and cruel entities.

Many of us wish to be sent home. But at the same time, how many of us fear to be Ported out at any moment? Hurled away from our lives here and the friends we have made, sent back to the grim fate that may await us: conflict and humiliation, betrayal and death?

[Dooku's voice rises a bit on those last two words. He maaaaay be projecting a little here. He takes a breath.]

So let me ask you this: what does freedom mean to you, my friends? What is the heart of that word? Is it choice? Is it the ability to command your own life? If so, can we truly be called free today?

A new year is about to begin, with new challenges and opportunities. I urge you all to think carefully about what freedom means to you... and how you will seek to achieve it as we move into the future.

Comments

[journalkeeper]

I don't disagree with you. If we can't figure out a way to halt the influence of the Porter, someone may be given a power beyond their ability to control to disastrous results.

[ For her, the problem is less of bodily autonomy and more of this is fucking this world up. ]

At the moment, however, any attempt to control the Porter for ourselves may cause more damage than leaving it the hell alone. We need some way to either cancel it out or overpower it - and if you have an idea for what that could be I'm all ears.

[dun_moch]

More cooperation and more information would be a fine place to start. I believe that there is little that cannot be accomplished by imPorts working together and combining our strengths.

The information we need, however, is guarded by the government, and they rarely cooperate. We have already seen signs that they have deceived the world about the Porter's true origins. And in the meantime, the Porter's current operation certainly causes an unacceptable amount of damage on its own.

[journalkeeper]

I'm not sure I'm convinced the government is as big of an obstacle as you say it is.

[ Which has both to do with the fact that she doesn't really consider the Government to be a problem; at best they're trying to pretend they have more control than they really do at which point they might not have the information they need. At worst, she's fairly sure she could handle whatever government safeguards they have in place. She didn't get permits to build a secret moonbase in the sky and she's not exactly going to wait for permission to act if she finds an opening. ]

But we should work together to face the challenges the Porter provides us. Which is all very well and good to say, but if this is the kind of... of temper tantrum it throws when people are attempting to communicate with it, then we need solid ideas. Could we... could we contain it?

[dun_moch]

[That gets a visible reaction from the Count. It's a concept he genuinely had not seriously considered before.]

Contain it? Block its power from reaching the outside world?

That would be a tremendous achievement, if it could be accomplished.

[journalkeeper]

It... could be possible.

[ She'll have to look into just how powerful her spell can be in this world, when she doesn't have the Bulwark Staff with her. ]

But we'd have to seriously consider the possible consequences. But it may, at the very least, buy us some time.

[dun_moch]

[The Count nods sagely. Containment is not his true goal, but every imPort throwing themselves at the Porter is an imPort he can make use of.]

And time is something we all could use more of. But who among us would be capable of even attempting such a feat?

[journalkeeper]

Like I said, it could be possible.

[ She's not going to make promises she doesn't know if she can keep to strange men who she doesn't know can be trusted with her spell list. ]

Until then this is merely speculation, of course.

[dun_moch]

[The Count frowns thoughtfully. His eyes are intense, piercing, earnest.]

We need more than speculation to grapple with this problem. If there is anything you require which could help you explore this possibility, you need only to inform me.

[journalkeeper]

[ She considers this, and him, for a moment, before smiling. She rolled a three on her insight check. ]

Of course, I'll be sure to let you know. It's Dooku, isn't it?

[dun_moch]

Count Dooku, yes. I will look forward to hearing from you... Lucretia, correct?

[Bless bad insight checks.]

[journalkeeper]

That's right.

I'm sorry if, uh, if this is an odd question but Count is your title, right, not your given name?

[dun_moch]

[Dooku chuckles softly.]

It is my title indeed. I have but one name.... As do you,, if I am not misunderstanding.

[journalkeeper]

Yes, I... I do.

Then I will talk to you again sometime soon, Dooku.

[ She doesn't not use his title to insult him but rather because she prefers not to. She considers him an equal. ]