TDM + GAME OPENING 🎉

[beleos]

Who: Shard-Bearers, new and old
What: Seeds take root
Where: The Tree of Life, Highstorm, Springstar
When: October 14th and onwards
Warnings: Potential for (mild) body horror, death, dismemberment

I. BEARING FRUIT (new characters only)

It starts out as a pleasant dream. You’re in your favorite place, with your favorite people. It’s a moment of idyllic comfort.

And then, it goes wrong.

The sky turns dark above, and as you look up, you see the black expanse of space spotted with faraway pinprick lights of stars. Yet, they’re not stars. You’re certain. They’re watching you. A billion eyes all looking down, and they spill forth as if sky itself was a dam holding back those dark waters. You reach back to the people you’re with, but they’re frozen in place. Their eyes are black, reflecting only the expanse of dark eyes.

So you run, even though you know you won’t escape it. You glance back and see it not overtaking, but consuming. The landscape around you is being devoured, and you can see it cracking apart. The world itself is breaking, and it cracks under your feet. You fall, and the billion eyes chase after you until the darkness swallows you whole. There’s agony as if you’re being ripped apart, and then—

You cannot see. You cannot feel. You simply are. Yet even so, impossibly, a woman’s voice speaks gently.

I’m sorry it couldn’t be saved. But, come, it’s time to wake.

You wake with a start, cradled by soft, velvety plants, and sticky with a sap that smells faintly of honey and iron. You can see the veins of the leaves that hold you, lit warmly and gently by what looks like a crystal embedded above you. Yet, it’s odd, because that crystal calls to you. When you reach out to touch it, it’s warm. Familiar. Important. You don’t know why, but you know you must hold onto this, because now it feels wrong for it to be suspended in these leaves. So, you pull it out.

The light starts to fade, but only in time to see as the leaves cradling you immediately start to soften and crumble, and with it comes a torrent of dirt. Soft, loamy soil starts to fill the space around you in the dark as you’re buried. Or, rather, you already were. You reach out through the dirt desperately, and your hands finds a root, so you pull while you clutch that precious crystal so close that it almost feels like it sinks into you (in your panic, you don’t notice that it does). You reach out again, and this time, your hand hits open air and plenty of sturdy roots around to grab.

From a seed you’re born, and like a sprout, you make your way out of the ground.

And once you’ve clawed your way out of the soft earth and the roots, nearby, you see the soil shift. Another hand comes up to grasp desperately for something, anything, just as you had been.

II. MORAL HAZARD

There are new Shard-Bearers at the Tree of Life, and Yima has asked that the earlier arrivals go to greet them and help them. These aren’t people from Horos, after all, so they’ll have many, many questions. As Yima explains, the roots of the tree rise up to create caverns underneath, and it’s there you’ll find the new Shard-Bearers. And indeed, with careful steps to not slip on the mossy roots, down you go. Perhaps Communion will help you find the new Shard-Bearers, but it might be a confusing process for them.

The roots all start to look the same, to the point that you’re sure that you’ve already been through this passage. You turn around, and most of the people you had come here with are gone, if not all of them. It’s confusing and unsettling, and strangest of all.. You’re starting to feel ill, even if that wasn’t something normally possible for you. But continuing forward, you do eventually find an unfamiliar face of a new Shard-Bearer. They look no better than you feel.

Before introductions, however, roots around you shift suddenly until you’re enclosed in a room together. From the roots, a face forms in the wall. It speaks in a creaking, uneven tone, as if it weren’t used to speaking at all.

Give to take. A sacrifice. To live.

---

LET'S PLAY A GAME...

As the Dryad will explain, characters are now trapped in a room and have been poisoned by the spores that the lichens underfoot release. An antidote lays beyond the roots the dryad has curled around you, but to access it, you must make a sacrifice.

Characters can pick one of the following options, but the decision must be made unanimously. If one character takes a drastic action (such as murdering another), it’s counted as a failure for the group.

• Each of you must offer up a personal/treasured memory. The memory will be shared in Communion with all characters assembled, and then will be destroyed. No character will retain the memory or memory of its Communion.
• Each of you must offer up something physical. A finger, a toe, an ear, it’s your choice. The dryad will offer a knife if this is chosen that will sever the body part of choice cleanly and immediately stop any bleeding.
• Offer up another. Kill one person in the room.
• Refusing is also a valid option. Characters will get more ill as they debate until they start to find it difficult to breathe, and they’ll die quickly after.

The following is OOC knowledge that will not be known IC: The consequences of this game are about intent, and thus are not real. When characters are freed from the tree’s thrall, they’ll have their memories/body parts/life intact.

This can be done in groups of 2 to 4 players, and Loremasters recommend three if you can swing it! It’s more fun when you get in philosophical debates, right? Regardless, when your group comes to a decision, please record it here. These don’t have to be fully threaded out to be recorded, so the conclusion can be discussed OOC if you prefer. Actions can be submitted until October 21st, after which groups will be informed of what comes of their choice…

When a group receives the antidote, they'll be released from the tree's thrall... But will have a hard time waking up. It feels like something has grabbed onto their spine.

III. DREAMING OF HOME

You may wake with a start from your deliberations (or arguments) with a jolt of pain from the base of your spine as something is pulled away rapidly. A dark-haired man who looks to be in his thirties or so holds you carefully, but as soon as you start to regain your senses, he sets you back and holds up his hands.

Woah— Woah there, it’s fine! The tree was, uh, trying to take you back is all. You’re fine now.

As long as you’re not going to attack him, he offers a friendly smile and a hand to shake.

Name’s Cyrus. Sorry about the rude awakening. Let’s get your friend here unhooked too.

And indeed, glancing over, you can see the person you met in that room laying nearby, and it looks like a vine has snaked underneath them to exactly where something had just been pulled from you… Best not to think about it, maybe. Or if you've been unlucky enough to be one of the last people rescued, you might find vines and roots starting to grow into your skin. It's fine!

---

CYRUS, THE TRIBUNE

Cyrus is the NPC heading up the Meridian Faction, and is available to thread with under this header. Cyrus has come to the Tree of Life to help rescue the Shard-Bearer’s from the Tree, so he’s not going to be inclined to explain too much right away, since he’s on a mission, but he’ll stick around once everyone is successfully freed from Prompt 2 to speak with anyone that wants to. The following is just an OOC summary of information in case you do not need to thread with Cyrus:

Cyrus will gladly introduce himself to everyone, and will further explain his position in Meridian and Springstar (see the NPC Page) and the goals of Meridian itself (see the Faction Page, save for the italicized section). But most importantly, he’ll explain that he knows it sounds like something overly optimistic. It’s fair to be skeptical. He’ll produce a small glass bead from a bag he’s carrying. It looks like the necklace he wears, though not lit up. He’ll explain that the force of Meridian is a gift and can be a tether to your home, if you let it. As his fingertips light up, the energy is infused into the bead, which he’ll hand to you.

Taking the bead into your hands, you’ll take a bird’s eye view of your home world as if your consciousness is split, since you’ll still perceive standing in front of Cyrus at the tree. Rather than a vision, the view of your world is absolutely real, you’re certain. It’s a glimpse at the world that you thought destroyed, and if you focus on a particular place or a particular person, you’ll find the view shifting rapidly to it. No one you watch is aware of your presence, but simply continues about their daily life, whatever that is. But after about a minute, the view will fade as the light in the bead also fades.

That’s an iliachtida, a sunbeam, and when infused with Meridian’s light, allows someone Harmonized to it to check in on their world, he explains. It also acts as an anchor that tethers their soul to their world in the Timestream. With it, their world can’t entirely disappear, so eventually, they can go home. It’s a gift he’ll allow anyone that wants it to keep it, but indeed, they’ll be unable to use it again without first Harmonizing to Meridian.

To help manage threadload for the Loremasters playing Cyrus, we ask that you only tag him with the character you are most likely to app. Similarly, new tag-ins will not be accepted after Monday, October 17th.

III. SPRINGSTAR, αιώνιος ήλιος

After your ordeals at the Tree of Life, perhaps you’re drawn to Springstar, the city of eternal sun and the seat of Meridian.

It’s currently (and fittingly) Spring in Springstar, and the bustling city is coming back to life after finishing up winter. It’s not as if the winters are especially harsh here, but you’ll quickly get the sense that the people of Springstar are vivacious and happy to celebrate. You’ll find the Entertainment District to be the liveliest, whether it’s at a rowdy bar or a brothel, but no matter what, you’re welcome with open arms and without question.

Of course, if you’d just like to use the chance to explore the city alongside your fellow Shard-Bearers, that’s fine too. It’s easy to get lost in the crowds of Springstar and see all the city has to offer.

IV. HIGHSTORM, луны-близнецы

Or maybe Highstorm, the city of twin moons and the seat of Zenith is more to your liking. It’s certainly the quieter of the two cities and is a relaxing, meditative place if that’s what you prefer. The chill in the air is constant, since it’s Autumn in Highstorm and the eternal night doesn’t help keep things warm, exactly. Snow isn’t out of the question at this time of the year, but it’s beautiful in the moonlight.

Because of the cooler weather than Highstorm is prone to, you’ll find many of its delights inside rather than outside. Libraries and museums are popular in the more introspective city, though it’s easy enough to find something that might please you. For example, the indoor hot baths are popular at this time of the year too. You’ll find the people are kind, if cool-tempered, though if you mention the fact that you’re a Shard-Bearer or allied with Zenith, they’re more likely to warm up.

Though much like Springstar, it may just be more interesting to explore the city with a fellow Shard-Bearer. And as a resident may warn you, it’s best to stay in the city. Wandering out into the marshes and forests isn’t advised. Of course, if you do, just contact a Loremaster to find out why. ♥

NOTES

Welcome to Kenos! As a reminder, all players are required to fill out an application, which are now open. This does include characters/players from Aion Teleos, so please don’t forget to fill one out! Any character/player that does not submit an application will be swept from the communities and the Discord after applications close.

Activity Check is optional this month, but is highly recommend so Christy can check her fancy program so that you can earn Activity Reward Tokens! Activity will be able to be submitted shortly after applications close. You can find more about how we do AC here.

This log is Game Canon. Any characters who are not apped to the game will disappear. If Cyrus or Yima are asked, they’ll explain that this happens sometimes, since not every soul has a strong tether to Kenos and sometimes return to the Timestream. They’re fine and may even return to Kenos one day, but for now weren’t able to make the full journey.

As a reminder, your character has a Shard somewhere on their body that encompasses their soul, so keep note of where you're sticking it on their person for reference! Additionally, they have a tattoo of their Aspect somewhere on their body. Please be mindful this Aspect will be assigned to you upon approval and whatever you choose for the TDM may be temporary (for new characters)!

For the Highstorm and Springstar prompts, both cities will be fully open and accessible to all characters once they are saved from their rather harrowing ordeal at the Tree of Life. For prompt ideas and any general information about the cities and what you can find there, please see the Navigation page and check out the locations!

FOR NEW PLAYERS:

New players are welcome to join our Discord Server if you haven't already!

When they emerge from their cocoon/the ground, characters may be wearing their normal clothes, or they might be nude. Up to you!

At some point in the days after leaving the Tree of Life, new Shard-Bearers will have a dream, even if they're usually not capable of sleeping. All new players should read this post, since this details how they'll learn about both factions and their goals and should help them make a decision in which Faction they'd be drawn to.

New characters will not have access to any canon abilities on the TDM.

Your character will be offered temporary housing either at the Heliopolis district or Yima's manor for the first few weeks after their arrival. They will also be given a stipend for basic supplies like clothing and personal effects, and food is served in the cantina (Heliopolis) and at regular meal times in the Dining Room (Yima's manor). Once they Harmonize, they will get personal permanent chambers and a fancy retainer in their Faction's city. Wow! 🌈

FOR OLD PLAYERS:

Characters may be Harmonized to their Faction (if that makes sense for the character, of course!) by the time of this log. This is more for IC reference, and just wait until application acceptance to do the OOC paperwork!

General reminder that your character won't have access to their powers until they have Harmonized.

CODING

Comments

[sterngaze]

[When Minegishi looks his way, Liem has finished filling the sink with water and is getting ready to wash the first of the emptied pans. He meets his glance openly, and watches him look away to return to his task. He seems to be making good time despite his missing arm, and Liem notes with some satisfaction that his attitude seems improved compared to before he ate. Perhaps he should keep this in mind for future encounters—maybe start carrying travel rations. Just in case.]

That's good, [he agrees. He hasn't spent much time with Minegishi since he lost his arm, (or really in general, truth be told,) but it's nice to see that despite his warnings to the contrary, he seems to manage all right with just one. There are probably still plenty of things he struggles with—Liem volunteered to take care of the dishwashing himself for a reason—but Liem has to imagine that in Minegishi's situation, finding things he can still do alone would be just as important as understanding his new limits. Maybe more so.

In any case, if he finishes quickly, that means the rest of the pasta might not be cold when he gets to it.]

You're doing a good job. [Then, ideally before Minegishi has the opportunity to scorn the praise too abjectly,] What did you use to do for work?

[epiprocta]

[ Liem really is getting the hang of wrangling him -- Gen was just about to give a dramatic eye-roll and answer that any monkey-brained idiot can put away kitchen utensils so he doesn't need any empty praise, and so on and so forth, but that question provides just enough of a distraction to give him pause. So instead of that petulant answer, there's a blink, then a soft huff before Gen looks away to slot another wooden spoon into place. ]

My family runs -- ... ran a construction business. Started helping around worksites in middle school.

[ Gen frowns as he puts aside a spatula; he's long since internalized that his world and his family and the business are all gone, but it still feels surreal at times if he thinks about it, so he tries not to. ]

Not that any of it'll do me any good any more. [ His voice is a lower, more sullen mutter with that. After all, it sure would have made his life easier if he could just do another construction job here. It's deliberately loud when he shoves the rest of the tongs into their appropriate place. ] -- bet it all sounds boring to you fantasy folks, anyway. Mundane shit like that. But I was just normal before I ended up dealing with all this crazy shit.

[sterngaze]

[There are, of course, some things that Minegishi talks about now and then that Liem doesn't understand. He doesn't know what "middle school" is, and he's sure if he inquired that Minegishi would scoff and look at him like he had two heads, both of which, probably, would be assumed to be filled with sawdust. He would probably be in trouble if he found out that Minegishi's family business involved television broadcasting. Fortunately, in this instance he's perfectly capable of getting the gist.]

You know, my country also had construction workers.

[Or builders, as they probably would have been termed. Brick-layers, ditch-diggers. But the verbiage isn't important. Liem puts down the dishcloth he's using and rinses off his pan before setting it down to dry.]

And farmers, and loggers, and probably most labour jobs you could think of. That's important work, in any world.

[He fishes the washcloth out of the sink and starts scrubbing the next pan.]

Did you think your life was boring?

[He'd said his family's business might sound boring… but then he'd said he was normal, that his life was normal. Probably lumped in with that "mundane shit," if Liem had to hazard a guess.]

[epiprocta]

[ Unfortunately, even if he knows what a construction business is, Liem still manages to earn himself a low scoff and a scathing look like he's sprouted an extra head full of sawdust. Gen nails him with that contemptuous stare for a pointed moment before noisily shoves the last wooden spoon into place. ]

You think anyone's gonna be pumped about spending a lifetime stuck pouring concrete and stacking bricks? 'Cause it's so exciting putting down building foundations, yeah?

[ Vaguely he wonders if people from Liem's world really were more easily entertained by menial labor. After all, Liem comes from a place without television or internet, right? God, how did people fucking live back then.

Gen's boots scuff against the floor as he wanders back towards that pan of pasta he'd laid claim to, picking up the fork so he can scrape up a big mouthful of it before it cools any further; his next words come muffled past a mouth half-full. ]

I told you, work is work. I was set to take over the company after my old man, so. Didn't matter what I thought.

[ Gen shoves another generous forkful of pasta into his mouth before taking up the next armful of utensils, still chewing as he starts sorting those away into their appropriate places. ]

[sterngaze]

[Depressing though Minegishi may find the thought, Liem absolutely does come from a world and a country where the overwhelmingly vast majority of the population really had little more thrilling to do with their time than chat or sing or whittle wood or spin thread while doing some form of menial labour. He meets the incredulous line of questioning with a blink and a mild look, as though he’s not entirely sure the question is a serious one. Because of course some people enjoy building things; isn’t that obvious? Maybe not everyone—evidently not Minegishi—but does anyone enjoy it? Yes, without any doubt at all.

Case in point, perhaps; Liem is perfectly happy scrubbing these pans now that his class is over, and he would have been perfectly content to do so even if Minegishi had never shown up and he’d had to do it alone. It would have been a nice interlude after the busy period of the class itself—but probably if he voiced that opinion, that would only make him seem like more of an unrelatable alien.]

Well, work doesn’t need to be thrilling to be worth doing. I spent a lot of my time as an acolyte doing scribing work—which was incredibly repetitive, I’ll grant you, but someone needed to do it. And even when it was dull, it was nice to know I’d done a good job.

[Maybe that’d been his own way of coping with his situation, though. He certainly wasn’t able to find any kind of solace in his social life, so finding pride in his work was one of the only pleasures he’d had. Minegishi makes his father’s business sound more like a chain around his ankle—like something he couldn’t change and didn’t want to dwell on.

Liem stacks another pan up to dry, pausing for a moment to lean against the counter.]

So, what’s important to you, then? Now that you have the freedom to decide what’s worth doing.

[epiprocta]

[ Is Liem for fucking real. Gen barely lets him finish talking before giving an incredibly dramatic roll of the eyes and a low groan. ]

Yeah, yeah, good on you for being such a model student. [ Seriously? Not that he knows what being an 'acolyte' entails, exactly, but it sounds like it was mostly just writing things down all day? The thought alone has him wanting to gnaw his skin off; he'd never be able to stomach something that tedious that didn't even let him blow off steam with physical labor. ] I'm sure the adults all loved you for being such a well-behaved little asskisser.

[ Retorts are easy. Griping is easy. But tellingly, Gen falls silent for a moment when Liem offers him that question. The eye contact he makes is rife with discomfort and resentment, like he's annoyed at Liem for prodding at a matter that he shouldn't have touched.

Truth is, he doesn't know what's important to him any more. His future had been set in stone as far back as he can remember, and now that he finally has the freedom he'd long since given up on -- it's more frightening than it is liberating.

He scowls as he turns away and resumes putting away the utensils. ]

Doesn't really matter, does it. [ He makes sure the next handful of forks that he shoves into the utensils drawer clatter obnoxiously off each other. ] Unlike some people, I don't have the luxury of just doing things for fun. I'll end up doing whatever helps me survive this fucking place.

[ Doing what he has to, because he isn't even sure what it is he wants, even if it were a viable option. The way he's used to things being. ]

[sterngaze]

[Liem receives Minegishi's scorn without any apparent dismay or any amount of umbrage. What point would there be in that? He doesn't know whether Minegishi misunderstood him on purpose, or whether he just doesn't have the personal experience necessary to relate to him even slightly, but he's willing to respect the warning. It's probably not an avenue that will get him anywhere, even if he tries to forge his way through the thorns.

This wouldn't be Liem's first time getting insulted by a teenager, anyway.]

There certainly are plenty of other things to concern yourself with right now.

[He sighs lightly in agreement, eyeing the cacophony of forks getting shoved into their place before turning another pan over in his hands to scrub its edges.]

I'm not trying to make your life harder. But I think it will help you in the long run to make time to think about certain priorities.

[Gods know if Liem had spent the last hundred years just doing what he needed to without ever thinking about how he wanted to do it, or what he needed at a minimum to make his life bearable, he wouldn't have made it past 50. If he hadn't had people to point this out to him, that could absolutely have been a reality.]

It might be what helps you survive in the short term, too.

[epiprocta]

Like I give a shit about the long term.

[ That response escapes him as a low mutter before he can catch himself, each word low and bitter. And it's not just the usual, teenage petulance that colors his tone of voice, but something darker, more resigned -- he really had given up on his future entirely before ending up in these otherworldly situations, after all. In some sense, he still thinks it would have been easier for everything to have simply ended before he got stuck dealing with all this fantasy bullshit.

At least he has the sense to realize he'd said something he shouldn't have, and Gen tries to distract from what he'd said by slamming the utensils drawer shut. There's the scuff of his boots across the flooring as he slinks his way back to his reserve pan of pasta to scrape up another generous fork-ful for himself. ]

If you can think of some genius suggestions for how I can survive like this [ said as he gives a shrug of his truncated arm ] in the meantime, go ahead, I guess. [ He shoves the pasta in his mouth and chews slowly for a moment before continuing, trying to maintain the pretense of casual apathy even as he keeps his gaze averted. ] S'not like I've got a lot of options here in the first place, unless I want to throw my lot in with one of those creepy faction leaders.

[ Fork still in mouth, he pauses, then squints over at Liem. ]

... have you done that yet?

[ That is, aligned himself with either faction. ]

[sterngaze]

[Liem doesn't miss the tone with which Minegishi utters that low remark. He turns his head at the sound of the drawer slamming, and his eyes follow Minegishi all the way to his only apparent solace in the room: the remaining pasta. His hands pause in their scrubbing as he watches him eat it.

He assumes that the boy would prefer if he didn't worry about him, but the truth is that Liem has been worrying about him since they first met back in Horos. He isn't about to worry less when Minegishi is missing an arm and sounding more resigned about his future seemingly every time he speaks with him.]

No. I haven't committed myself to either.

[The tone he uses suggests that Liem is still thinking about what exactly he wants to do about this situation, given how aimless he feels just floating around with no allegiance at all. Still, he's in no hurry to make a final decision, as evidenced by his current status.]

I've just been trying to find some work and learn more about the cities, for now. But, [—he tilts his head, his expression shading slightly less grave and slightly more contemplative—] since you invited assistance, I'd be happy to look for work for you as well. It won't even be that much trouble.

[He'll be searching for work for himself anyway, so he can just ask around while he does that.]

[epiprocta]

[ So Liem's also still in neutral territory. There's something vaguely comforting about that. Gen gives a thoughtful grunt before going for another bite.

He eats in silence for a few moments, chewing slowly as he stares at some indistinct point on the countertop, and looks up only when he realizes Liem is still talking. ]

... do it if you want. [ Wow, look at the fucking gratitude oozing off this asshole. Gen shoves another big forkful of pasta in his mouth, continuing with his mouth still full as he scrapes the remainders out of the pan. ] Not a lot of places here thrilled to take on someone missing an arm, though. [ He'd know, because he did look. A lot of manual labor options had immediately been ruled out after people got one look at him. ] And I'm not just gonna say yes to just anything. Worst comes to worst, I can figure things out.

[ Like -- by stealing. Or something. Whatever.

Gen frowns to himself as he spears one last piece of pasta on his fork, twirling the handle between his fingers as he thinks for a moment. ]

Or go be a dog for one of those two leaders again, I guess. Either or.

[ He pops the last of the pasta in his mouth, drops the fork in the pan, then picks it up to carry it over to Liem's sink. ]

Here. It wasn't bad.

[ Such ... manners ... ]

[sterngaze]

[By this point, Liem has come to expect Minegishi's surly and ungrateful manner. He takes the unenthusiastic response to his offer in stride and simply goes back to scrubbing the last of the pans. Besides—he hasn't actually done anything yet, aside from agree to try assisting him. Perhaps Minegishi will be more grateful when Liem actually finds a workplace willing to give him a job.

But he does take a moment, privately, to doubt that his missing arm is the only thing making people reluctant to give him any work.]

Well, I'll try to cast a wide net, and you can take whatever is up to your standards.

[Liem says this in a deliberately neutral tone, though he does wonder what "figure things out" actually means in the context of being unable to find acceptable work. Begging doesn't really seem like Minegishi's style.]

I wouldn't advocate being a dog for anyone. But it might also be worthwhile to work for one of them, at least on a provisional basis. It could be illuminating.

[Setting his current pan with the others to dry, he turns to watch Minegishi bring over the last pan and fork. Liem smiles drily.]

Such glowing praise. I'll start to get an ego at this rate.