The Driskell Duo make their way to the Sanctum of Reflection from the Cathedral just northwest, stepping quietly through the gnarled grove of dark twisted trees. Finally, the hooded priest and the Silent next to him make it to where the lesson will be held. There's a bow of respect to Vayne, a gloved hand touching the chest.

Markedly little travel happens upon the winding cobble stone paths leading to and from the Shrine of the Thirteenth, the Dark God of Reflection and, perhaps, most feared of the Pantheon - rightfully so. But when whispers spread like wild fire that there is fine pottery and plates to be smashed and broken to one's desires, one cannot help but brave roaming closer towards the shrine to see just what in Aion's sweet dream is going on.

At least several dozen ceramic dishes of varying value have been stacked upon a table, ranging in size and color, behind Princess Katarina Valardin and the Archlector of the Thirteenth. Heavier pieces have been erected upon wooden stands across the grass beneath the shade of autumn-touched trees of the grove, quietly waiting.

Narses, 6 King's Own Guardsmen arrive, following Leona.

Eirene is tired and pregnant, an odd combination for the usually firey woman in black leathers. She's made an allowance for the baby with the bottom of her crimson steelsilk left undone.

Someone was making her way to the archives to write in her journals. But a whisper in her ear hass Alarissa diverting the carriage and much like Eirene, the pregnant Thrax Princess is making her way to this little demonstration slash sermon. "This will be interesting" Alarissa murmurs to Eirene.

Leona is armed and armored, probably because she's either getting off shift or headed to shift soon. Who knows? She steps in, regarding the scene for a moment, blue eyes zeroing in on the fine china and stools and wooden bats and clubs and sticks. And then she's looking for the Archlector, and around to the others who are there. Alarissa's entrance gets a nod of greeting as well, though she does not smile.

Celeste, the realist messenger arrives, following Percephon.

Celeste, the realist messenger leaves, following Percephon.

Celeste, the realist messenger arrives, following Percephon.

"I'm Lycene," Eirene replies to the Princess-Consort with a nod of greeting. "And I like breaking Shit, especially with my mood as of late." She offers a weak but genuine grin.

Someone wearing Archlector Vayne's mirrormask takes his place near the front of the gathering space. In a loud, clear voice, he calls, "We who call ourselves Mirrormasks are often accused of being contrarion for no good purpose, of arguing for no reason other than to argue. I'll admit, sometimes we miss the invitation to a party because of that reputation." He grins wryly at that. "In truth, we are called to present the other side of the argument, no matter what the other side might be, because in that process - in the collision of arguments - we are left with the truth." He holds up some china. "This, I am told, is valuable. But why? Because someone said so. Because of the process used to refine it. Because of its rarity. I will not deny that these are expensive, but are they /valuable?/ If so, why? Is this more valuable than the plate a man might use in his home in the Lower Burroughs?" Vayne pauses, here. "I say it is not. Many things /are/ more valuable than their alternatives. My challenge to you all is to reflect on what those things are, and why. In your hearts, in your lives. Reflect on what you would declare valuable, as opposed to merely expensive. And, do not be afraid to smash something from your life, from time to time." And then he drops the plate from his hand, letting it be the opening salvo in the smashing. Vayne steps away, then, nearer to where Driskell is.

Ylva comes hurrying down the cobblestone road, Mercy robes raised to facilitate running, and maybe to keep the white hem from getting any grimier as she takes shortcuts among the trees. Once she comes upon the scene with the ceramic dishes outside the shrine, she slows down and takes a small break to catch her breath, hands on her hips. "Oh well," she murmurs to herself, then steps a little closer, peering curiously at the piled items and on the gathering before finding a spot to stand and listen to Vayne's explanation.

A rangy figure bordering on the too-tall, the too weary, and the far too interested nears the area where the masked Archlector begins to speak. Percephon tucks his hands behind his back, posture improving, and he listens to the sermon. The moment the plate leaves Vayne's hand, the corner of Percephon's mouth twitches upward. It shatters, and he smiles just a little as the point is ever so clearly communicated with broken porcelain.

"As the message of the Archlector is reflected upon, let me offer a few words of my own for consumption," Katarina steps forward, lifting a weighted Oathlands steel flail -- is that Alis' flail?! -- and giving it an easy swing, smashing a golden vase to smitherines with ease.

"Let nothing you own shackle you. Let no asset nor possession be too great of a value to prevent you from doing what you must in this world. Not even your own anger and pain should inhibit you."

"Oh, is that what's being done?" Horror of horrors. No, really, there's a look of horror on Alarissa's face and if she had pearls she would clutch them as vayne drops that plate. She heard him, his words. She's still cluthing pearls. "It's valuable because of the skill that went into it. The time, inspiration, the crafters sweat and life." she murmurs a littel shocked. There's a glance to Leona then back to the front and now Katarina's words. There goes another vase. Oh dear.

2 Iron Guardsmen arrives, following Titania.

2 Iron Guardsmen have been dismissed.

Eirene's jaw twitches at 'anger and pain'. "That's what I need to give up," Eirene says softly, ignoring Alarissa's distress. She watches things smash and nearly smiles. Nearly.

Leona checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 8 higher.

Laurene, a military adjutant arrives, delivering a message to Katarina before departing.

Someone wearing Archlector Vayne's mirrormask replies to Alarissa, "Then, Highness, no one prevents you from holding on to what you believe is valuable."

Leona listens to the sermon, even as she steps up to the display of china. She looks through it, carefully selecting one, and then another. The plates are similar, in the same sort of color pattern - a lovely shade of blue. Differing in the pattern but alike in the coloring, she takes them carefully in her gauntleted hands and regards them silently for a moment. "Sometimes we cherish valuable things. And they do hold value in and of themselves. But they cannot be - refuse to be held, and thus sometimes we must let go even that which we hold most dear." And then she opens her hands and the plates fall to the ground and shatter. When she steps away, her expression is calm and remote, and she does not look at the shards behind her even as she pauses and turns and rejoins the other attendees.

Driskell talks quietly a moment to the Archlector before nodding, and then proceeds towards where the expensive items are at. The veiled face looks at them each, appraising perhaps, before a brilliantly painted one in multiple colors with gold leaf on the rim is selected with a gloved hand. "The richest man is he who has no desires. True wealth is not in possessions of the temporal world, but instead of ceasing to have wants. May I learn to master my passions to not react out of desire and wants but instead to further the change of the world." It's dropped, violently shattering on the ground with a CRASH! But here, Driskell kneels down and begins to pick up the pieces. "Blessed are they who chooses not to act upon another's weakness for their own gain for doing otherwise grows the corruption within themselves. Through destruction, creation and inspiration can happen. If blessed Vayne and her highness don't mind, I'll take these pieces to make a new vase to cement the lesson you've given us here today."

Katarina withdraws a club from a pile, stepping forward to offer it out to Eirene with a sweet smile. "Then get to smashing," she encourages, an apologetic look arched over to her utterly horrified sister. "Alarissa, perhaps that is the problem. Even the disciples of Jayus break down the shrine yearly only to rebuild it. Inspiration, time, and love invested into each piece and offering it in sacrifice to be burned frees them of being weighted to what they create, and allows them the bouyancy to continue their worship uninhibited. What does that say about those of us who try to hold onto such things?" she challenges.

Laurene, a military adjutant arrives, delivering a message to Katarina before departing.

Titania comes walking intothe Sanctum of Reflections her hands folded in front of her, her ocean blue orbs looking around a bit perplexed by the china and then those that have gathered. She is silent for the moment only watching not wishing to disturb.

"It's ephemeral, Princess-Consort," Percephon murmurs. "One can acknowledge the inspiration that caught the crafter's imagination, the time that such skill needed to take to create a object of use -- of beauty, yes? But it's all so impermanent. The value of an object." Percephon steps forward to pick up teacups. A pair of stark white, delicate bone porcelain that he studies for a moment. Just long enough, he murmurs, "To destroy -- to create again. Allow me to better understand my other self, the reflective self. Full of endless need. For putting value on the transient." He releases his grasp on the objects, allowing them to fall.

"It speaks that I cherish something far more than I am willing to give it up." Alarissa's balking. Politely. Cringing as Driskell drops something, little noises coming from her. "So violent."

Ylva flinches slightly each time something shatters, but her expression is more confused than shocked. She touches her face and frowns, watching with a small smile. "That's good for the crafter, though. They'll have to buy more after, so that's more work for them," the small northerner pipes up reassuringly in Alarissa's direction. Then curtsies. Humming, she shrugs and starts to approach the piled goods, bending down to grab a wooden club from the ground. Not that she knows how to hold one, really, but she frowns in concentration as she steps up to a lovely painted vase, takes aim, and swings! Which doesn't actually break it, but tilts it off its stand so it crashes to the ground and shatters. Ylva jumps back from the debris. "Ohhh."

Eirene takes the club from Kat and walks up to a bronze urn with delicate flowers worked in metal with a hint of brighter copper. She admits to the Mirrormasks, "I hold to my pride and my anger too tightly. I need to let go so I can move on. For the baby's sake..." and she swings, hard, making dents into the metal til it gives way and cracks. "I claim to follow Lagoma's Change yet refuse it for myself."

Someone wearing Archlector Vayne's mirrormask watches the smashing and listens to the conversation over the din. Hands folded behind him, the Archlector doesn't do any further smashing, but meanders nearer to Alarissa, saying, "What would you hold to so tightly that you would allow yourself to be comsumed by it, Highness? Surely, some plates and vases are not worth the freedom that can come from leaving the expensive things behind in favour of the valuable..." He nods to Eirene's comments, gesturing with a hand. "She has found in these plates an analog for the darkness inside that threatens to rule her. Would you say this finery is not worth freedom from that?"

"I do believe I have my next idea for an arts and crafts event," Katarina chimes toward Driskell, after observing him for a moment. She draws back and turns to watch over the procession of pottery-breaking with a contemplative press of lips. "Really, this demonstration was an ingenius idea. Thank you for indulging me, Blessed Vayne," she murmurs aside to the Archlector. "I'm going to see if I can help my sister not have a panic attack though." And so the Valardin slides toward Alarissa, picking up the most gaudiest and poorly made of vases along the way.

"Alarissa, I have something I would like for you to break," she encourages, taking the Thrax's hand to set the small piece of pottery into. "I made this at the paint event I held. It is a momento - a keepsake - of the event and fun I had, but I have the memories which are of a greater value to cherish. So, I free this vase of it's value. Break it, for me, won't you? Think of it as channeling any frustration you might have and letting it free when it shatters."

Katarina is overheard praising Leona for: She makes breaking things for stress relief look so easy.

Katarina is overheard praising Eirene for: Lady Eirene took a rather unorthodox demonstration and turned it into a wisdom in which she could carry forward in her own life. It takes truly open mind and grace to do such a thing.

Katarina is overheard praising Percephon for: 'Cephon never ceases to amaze me with how easily he catches on to what I am attempting to say or do with my words and actions.

Moving onto a quartet of saucers, Percephon's considers them serenely before he gently bats them off their stands to fall to the ground below them. "Princess-Consort, you do understand the nature of change. Consider your own -- sacrifices --" Next, the Scholar-lord narrows his dark gaze on a beautifully enameled platter. He strikes out at it, expression tensing into a thin-lipped wince before it topples and breaks.

"My coronet? My jewelry, my dresses? I let them go, but I do not see them destroyed." Alarissa counters. "I see them given to someone else, so that they can enjoy them next, some new and different, it still exists, just that it's in the hands of another." Alarissa counters. "I'm not consumed by it. If I were, I would not give it away." She watches Leona with that plate Eirene giving it a god couple blows.

But Katarina's placing that vase in her hand and she looks to it, shaking her head. "I can't though. Yuo may have freed it of value, but to me it has it still, if a different metric. It's something that you made, with your own hands. I would rather put it on a shelf within my office so that when I am dealing with messengers, I can look upon it, and smile. Breaking it won't make me smile."

Titania winces as she hears the smaching of the china a bit of a shocked look comes across it, her eyes fall to Driskell watching him then to the others, "I hope I am not interupting." she states looking between everyone, "But why are you breaking the China?"

Ylva stands a moment staring at the shards, before carefully setting the club back down. Then, after observing the others nearby, the young Mercy decides to also say something out loud, though it sounds like she's trying to come up with something only now, after the smashing has been accomplished. "Oh, I suppose that was for... home and everything. Bits of it anyway. I don't think I have that much that isn't valuable. Ohh, or maybe I just value things wrongly? I probably do." That said, she curtsies again towards the Archlector and gathered princesses and clergy, then backs away.

Driskell collects the pieces and holds them against the torso of his robes, moving back and nodding in approval as people smash more precious things and speak aloud what they've learned.

Eirene looks a bit winded for her efforts but better, brushing back one of her stark white braids from her face. "A goal I'm working towards. Putting pieces back together afterwards." She nods towards Driskell and his collection. "Even in medicine we have to break and cut to get to the problem and heal it."

"I don't think there's a right or a wrong to where we place value," Leona says very carefully. "Princess Alarissa refusing to shatter what has true meaning - the heart and skill that goes into a piece of work - is as right for her as it is for me to shatter something that holds no physical meaning to me in its existence, and is representative of pain and sorrow." She looks to Ylva now. "Value what you value."

Driskell says, "Ahh, my lady Eirene, it is good to see you. Pick up the pieces and move on, or stand in distress looking at the mess while the world continues on. Still, I think there's a hidden lesson here that I'm going to ponder on, how humanity can recover from tragedy and become even more beautiful through the scars of experience, should we choose to. I'll have to let you know how it goes."

"So does that mean you might consider accepting an invitation to make art out of destruction," Katarina smoothly extends to Eirene, gently maneuvering around Alarissa with a pull of her hand her sister's own. "What you choose to value is of your own volition. The sermon and demonstration is also what anyone would like to make of it," she muses, her words echoing Leona's own. "Food for thought, so to speak. But I think even the most chaste of ladies can agree there's something cathartic about venting your frustrations with breaking things not of your own, free of consequence and responsibility."

Percephon eventually steps back from the mess, brushing his hands off on his sides, and seeming to appreciate the after equally as he did the before. "It's all a matter of perspective, truly." With a glance that shifts toward the Archlector, then Katarina. "Thank you for the object lesson. I shall meditate on it further before I return to my work. Pardon," with a shallow bow, Percephon walks away - toward the Shrine of the Thirteenth.

Driskell is overheard praising Vayne for: It is good to see the Archlector of the Thirteenth out, teaching truths coming from the Gods and reinforcing it with physical moments to drive the lesson home. Well done.

Celeste, the realist messenger leaves, following Percephon.

Eirene is overheard praising Vayne for: Doing Archlector stuff

Driskell is overheard praising Katarina for: The day an Oathlander stands with the Archlector of the Thirteenth outside the shrine in unison and harmony is a blessed day indeed.

As that piece of pottery goes tumblings, Alarissa's scrambling to not let it drop, fingers flailing and she would have likley dove to save i if she weren't as far along as she was. But katarina's actions mean the little gaudy vase reak on the floor and there's a look of fury on her face at what Katarina's done. Here is a shake of her head. "No. Not to me. Not in the least cathartic. But I can see that it is such for others and I can see the lesson, even if I do not agree with it." There's a look to that broken vase. "I would have kept it on my shelf Katarina." And with that, Alarissa's starting to head back for her carriage, fuming.

Ylva moves behind others and stands very still, hands in front of herself, tucked into the opposite sleeve. "Oh, well, but maybe I hadn't thought of it before? So maybe it's not wrong, it's just - not really thought out either?" she suggests with a small glance and smile in Leona's direction. Then she draws a deep breath and looks around. "It /was/ fun. I mean cathartic," she admits.

Eirene shrugs at Katarina, shoulders rolling. "Maybe I'll make art for the baby's room, who the Abyss knows, right?" She looks back at Driskell and gives him a smile. "Welcome back, Brother. You were missed." Alarissa's exit is met with another shrug. Nothing she can do.

Katarina is overheard praising Vayne for: Sometimes we make decisions that are unfavorable by the Peerage. In this decision, I risked the ire of my fealty and family in pursuit of a comprehensive understanding of the Freedom of Choices, and embracing their consequences, to see the world from all views. Perhaps that makes me far more Arvani than Eurusi than people might understand.

Someone wearing Archlector Vayne's mirrormask watches Alarissa go with only a slow nod of understanding to mark it. He speaks quietly with a Silent Reflection at his side, who then moves on to direct the others that have been heretofore unnoticed. They begin to sweep up and collect the pieces of the china, though they don't seem to be going into rubbish pails. Vayne says to no one in particular, "The pieces will be sent to the disciples of Jayus, for their work in creating new art. We will not waste opportunity to something new to be done."

Tygra, a harlequin bunny arrives, delivering a message to Driskell before departing.

Someone wearing Archlector Vayne's mirrormask is overheard praising Katarina for: She put together a most effective object lesson, to demonstrate a key learning.

Katarina checked composure at difficulty 12, rolling 5 higher.

Katarina glances down at the broken remnants of the vase, then up at the retreating back of Alarissa. She sucks in a sharp breath, fingers fisting briefly at her sides as she halts from her natural step to go after her sister. Instead, her mouth is afixed in a quiet smile toward Eirene with a bow of her head. "Perhaps," she murmurs under her breath, a half-hearted laugh lost at Ylva. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Truly, it brings me respite to know that. Tell me, what's your name? I'm Princess Katarina."

Eirene lets out a long sigh and places her hand over her stomach. "There, did you like that, she asks the baby with a smirk. "Now stop kicking me, asshole. I mean... little one," she amends.

a black robed Silent Reflection leaves, following Driskell.

Katarina is overheard praising Alarissa for: That she maintains an open mind and considers differing view points without sacrificing her own takes grace and resiliency that most within leadership struggle to learn. I'm proud of her.

Eirene is overheard praising Katarina for: Doing religious stuff.