Aosta had been selected as the venue for this years lecture series and the school grounds were already becoming a bustlin hive of activity. All the school classrooms were open for people to go around and view, several of the classes had exhibitions of the various senior students work on display and some of the more gifted members of the future Missionara Protectiva stood happily explaining their projects to visitors from the other Chapterhouses or even various other academic bodies across Mundus.
The large green lawn had largely been taken over by a huge network of white marquees where refreshments were being served as girls gave demonstrations of traditional Bene Gesserit dancers accompanied by musicians. Music had always been seen as a great way of keeping various tales of the faith and its history alive and the dances utilised movements to connect to them and as such they were both a way of entertaining and informing the public of the Bene Gesserit faith. Currently on a little stage with a guitar was
Lilias MacIomhair a 16 year old prospective Missionara and gifted musician. She was playing a rather slow lament telling the story of the downfall of humanity before the first incarnation of the Kwizach Hadrach emerged to save mankind, effectively resetting humanity. She was wearing the trademark blue overlapping double breasted jacket and matching trousers, it had the appearence of a military uniform minus any headwear, her epuletts had red tags on indicating that she was a senior student and the Harp on them linked her to the Cenneg Chapterhouse. Around her guests including those invited from outside the Sisterhood were having snacks and drinks waiting for the lectures to begin in the grand hall which was just to one side of the lawn.
A feint hum of motor vehicles could be heard alongside the music and several of the girls who had been in the tents stood and headed quiet excitedly for the door. The white trimmed black robes of the Mothers mingled with the blue uniform of the Missionara with a fient smattering of khaki clad Truthsayers in their military style dress uniform all were keen to get out and caused a slight bottleneck at the tents open door. A very small number of red clad Honored Matres were also making their way outside but hardly any of these had been invited unless they had siblings in the Missionara or their parents were well connected in some way. The noise outside was the arrival of the Reverend Mother who had come for the lectures. Her motorcade had stopped once it had turned off the Aostan highway and begun its journey down the schools private drive, the driver had fixed to each wing a flag, the left the flag of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood and the right the flag of the Theocracy of Kaitaine. The car came to a stop and from the schools entrance and beneath the orange and black flag of the Theocracy of Kaitaine came a stern looking woman, her hair scrapped hard back.
Olimpia Vico had taken over the school in Aosta two years ago and was keen to make a good impression. She turned and barked in Gaelic and four girls in Truthsayer uniform hurried to make a guard of honour at the cars door. Olimpia herself opened it and then bowed her head as Erin McGregor the head of the Sisterhood, the Reverend Mother, emerged. She was wearing a plain black robe with a gold chain indicating her rank, the hood of the robe obscurred her face but as she turned to face Vico she pushed it back revealing a pretty 21 year old with a smooth bald head. "Olimpia" she placed a hand on the Missionara's head giving a blessing. "Thank you for inviting me to your school" once Olimpia had looked up Erin hugged her warmly. "Its my first visit here. I'm keen to have the tour." She glanced up at the school clock-tower, "However that will wait for tomorrow I believe we are already behind schedule"
"Where your holiness is concerned the schedule can change." Olimpia said preparing to push proceedings back for a while.
"No...no." Erin smiled as she began offering blessings to the gaggle of students and their guests who were now gathering. "I'm here for a few days. I've plenty of time. Beside I'd like to get to know some of your students." She recognised Lilias who was holding her guitar, the singer was a student at the Cenneg Chapterhouse were Erin made her HQ. "Lilias I hope we can speak later as I may have a job for you." Erin was making her way towards the Hall's door as members of her Truthsayer detachment made a path for her.
"As you command" Lilias replied nervously.
As Erin reached the Hall it was already filling up with the cream of the guests. As she entered she spotted familiar faces, members of the four Holy Houses greeted her from their seats on the floor of the hall with respectful nods. She recognised a few of the girls from her graduating class who had gone on to become Missionara based here in Aosta and of course despite not worrying too much about the world of Academia she did recognise a few of the speakers. Walking side by side with Olimpia she ascended to the stage at the front of the hall and the room began to hush. Erin took a seat on a type of ornate chair placed in the centre of the stage as various Missionara, Truthsayers, Mothers and Honored Matres, the heads of each branch from each Chapterhouse fanned out either side of her. Olimpia though went and stood by the lecturn. "Please Honoured Guests, be upstanding for the national anthem of Kaitaine, the home of our sacred faith." From the gallery at the back of the hall the wrap of snare drums began soon to be joined by pipes. The hall stood and the Bene Gesserit among them began to
sing[1]. While many around the world did not recognise the Theocracy as a nation here on the school grounds Olimpia had her students sing the song every morning as the Theocracies flag was raised. For some of the non-Aostian based Bene Gesserit in the hall it was a rather emotional time as many had never sung the ancient song surrounded by so many of the faithful. Once the pipes had faded and the song had ended Olimpia began to speak. "542 days ago the words we have just sung echoed for the first time through the streets of Seitch. On that day a young Truthsayer stated that the Land of our Mothers spoken about in the song would be " a land dedicated to bettering ourselves and mankind". In order for us to live out that hope for that warrior still fighting today we need to ensure that every one of us continues the work of our ancient Sisters, the work of preparing the world for the time when the 2nd Kwizach Hadrach is needed. We prepare for that moment by gaining knowledge and that is why we are all assembled in this hall, the gain knowledge, to learn more about the world around us and to equip ourselves for the times ahead. I am honoured to host this years Chapterhouse and I welcome the Revererned Mother to Aosta." Olimpia stood aside as Erin stood and made her way forward.
"We are desert creatures" Erin said loudly, "It seems strange then that we are here in Aosta, a land blessed with lush valley's and wonderous vineyards. It seems far from a desert but in many ways it is not. Like the rest of Mundus outside the Theocracy there is another type of desert. Once upon a time explorers would have looked at the desert and wondered what was on the otherside, what secrets, what riches lay on the otherside of the sand ocean. Our ancestors studied the creatures of the desert and became one, they mastered the sands and they learnt the ways of Shai Halud. Now those deserts are conqured by us. The desert that has not been conquered though is knowledge. We live in an age where we think we know so much. Turn on google and everything is at our finger tips. We however stand like Selim Wormrider, gazing at the vast sands before him unsure what exactly is out there. Selim left behind the safety of the grasslands near the coast of Kaitaine and took the steps forward into the unknown. That is now what I want for us in the Sisterhood, we need to branch our exploration of knowledge into new fields. We need Missionara now studying the latest technology, not only confining themselves to the past. We need Missionara to become the cutting edge developers of AI, we need the Missionara to be those leading the fight against Cancer. These and things like them are now our deserts. In much the same way Selim conquered the desert sands and taught us its ways we too shall conquer these 21st Century deserts and we shall do so by embracing those willing to give us knowledge. Today and over the next few days we shall have come before you guests from the Sisterhood, from the Bene Gesserit community and from those outside our faith but who share our love of knowledge. To the Missionara sat in each talk it is your sacred mission to absord all you can. While the Truthsayers have valiantly lead us back to the sands of Seicth it will be the Missionara now who shall lead us forward to become stronger and become wiser. I thank every single one of you who will speak over the next few days for giving up your time and supporting a cause that I know many across Mundus may find controversial. May Shai Halud guide and bless you." She turned and yielded the stage back to Olimpia.
"I am proud to declare our first Aostan Chapterhouse Lectures open and I am very excited to hear our first speaker."
OOC - There is no running order. Whoever it is who goes first just have Olimpia give an introduction, give your speech. I'll try and have some Missionara's ask questions after, then the next person jump in.
GO!!!