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

[cutlery]

He’s a little surprised to be offered a seat, but his smile increases a bit more as he bows his head lightly in gracious acceptance. Sebastian sets his coffee down first, then the basic bag carrying the few books he had collected on the ground next to the chair.

“Why, thank you very much for the invitation,” he says smoothly as he sets his things down, “It is kind of you to offer, especially when I was so rude as to be caught staring a bit.”

Sebastian laughs gently as he takes a seat. From his words to his posture, it’s clear that he’s exceptionally polite, and perhaps a little overly formal, but it’s a habit he’s found difficult to break. He may not serve as a butler any longer, but the manners had their uses, he finds. It’s even fitting to that how he brings a hand to his chest as if he were to dip into a formal bow, but it’s a gesture to answer the rest, as his hand rests over his own Shard.

“I am indeed a Shard-Bearer as well, though one not here long, I shall say. A week, roughly?” He doesn’t sound completely certain, but it’s at least easily explained. “I am still growing used to the cycle of the moons, lovely as they are, so it is somewhat difficult to tell when one day passes to the other.”

[ktizo]

"Oh, you weren't rude at all!" He waves a hand to dismiss it. He's met polite types before, so it doesn't strike him as too strange.

"A week, you say? Interesting- I've been here for perhaps a day or two. You're right in that it's... difficult to tell now long it has been, here."

He hums to himself, glancing out of the nearest window briefly before settling his attention back on Sebastian. "I am Hythlodaeus. What might I call you?"

[cutlery]

“Sebastian Michaelis,” he answers first with an incline of his head, “It is a pleasure, Mr. Hythlodaeus.”

Introductions are given first since they’re simple, and of course just his own personal standards of manners. It may not matter nearly as much here as it had in England, but he had found the social rules of the time handy, at least.

“I take it you arrived via the Tree, in that case? I know I did miss a few in Lady Yima’s care, but our lot were also somewhat acquainted beforehand.”

Granted, he less than most, since his stay in Horos hadn’t been very long before being plucked somewhere new yet again, but Sebastian was thorough. Even in that short time, he had made a point to at least try and learn every face for both “sides”.

[ktizo]

"Aye, I arrived beneath the tree." And he would have thought rebirth would be less harrowing than actually dying, but oh, wasn't he wrong!

"An experience I would be loath to live through again, admittedly. I do hope the rest of our stay is more pleasant." Though now that they're away from the tree, he has no real reason to assume anything is going to go wrong.

"You didn't wake here in the same way, then?"

[cutlery]

“Poor luck, then,” Sebastian says with a small, wry laugh as he grips his coffee, “Based on what I had heard of the process, it does not sound pleasant in the slightest. So indeed, let us home for better.”

Of it being more pleasant, Sebastian certainly has his doubts, though they don’t show on his face. Kenos was certainly calmer than Horos. There was no doubt to be had about that. Even from what he had heard of the Aions’ earliest days in Horos, Kenos offered a much more peaceful existence. But based on what Yima had told him, he didn’t imagine it would last.

He sets his coffee back down after he takes a drink, and it comes with a nod. “In a container filled with sap, so it was not ideal, I will say, but certainly a prospect less harrowing than digging oneself out of the ground. But based on what Lady Yima explained, we simply had extra passengers to remove, so to speak.”

It’s perhaps a bit inaccurate to describe the Kenoma and Pleroma that way, but it’s how Sebastian personally thinks of it.

“We were in a not dissimilar scenario before Lady Yima brought us here, so its influence had to be removed. Not a pleasant process either, but I must say it is much better to be without it.”

[ktizo]

"Poor luck indeed." He chuckles despite himself. "A container of sap, you say? Well, yes, I can see how that would be preferable to my own arrival." He'd been confused and alarmed when the dirt had caved in on him, he'll admit. Even experiencing death once does not make it any more of an appealing prospect- especially the thought of suffocating.

"What of this process you went through? Whose influence had to be removed?" He knows nothing of Horos right now, but he'd like to learn more about what happened to people prior to arriving here. It's intriguing to him that he should be plucked from the lifestream where others were already in a similar situation to this one.

[cutlery]

Sebastian nods agreeably, but doesn’t ends up focusing on the latter topic. It’s quite a bit more, after all, even with his own somewhat limited knowledge.

“Ah, well, those of us that arrived that way all came from a place called Horos. Or at least, as far as I know. It is not impossible that there were those that came from elsewhere, I suppose? But I largely recognized those there,” he says with a small shrug. He’s not actually the best to ask on that particular matter, as his time in Horos was short, but he also considers it a small detail.

“There are similarities between Horos and Kenos, chief among them the two forces that seem to influence the place. Here, they are called Meridian and Zenith. In Horos, they were Pleroma and Kenoma. They are not the same thing, I do not think, as Horos’s versions are more…”

Sebastian trails off with a light, thoughtful hum as if considering how to explain it. He can only speak of the Kenoma, really. But the memory is still fresh and sharp of its pitch-black despair, of how it managed to crawl into peoples’ hearts in a peculiar way. He breathes out a little laugh, though it’s soft and not completely humored.

“Well, they did not present a choice so much as here. It was more extreme in its desires and presentation.”

[ktizo]

"I see. So this influence you spoke of essentially drove you to join a side, am I correct? And now that you're here, it needed to be removed?"

That kind of makes sense to Hythlodaeus, in a roundabout way. Though it's eerie to think that the influence of another world could bury itself so deep into one's heart that even freed of that place, it lingered.

"Was Horos your home, then?" He can't quite tell. Sebastian speaks of it as if he went through something similar there as he did here, but then for all Hythlodaeus knows it was a decision everyone had to make at a certain age or something. It would be silly to simply assume.

[cutlery]

Sebastian nods to confirm Hythlodaeus's assessment first, but does add a bit of elaboration. "Indeed, or that is at least Lady Yima's explanation. Not that I doubt it, mind, as even being resistant to it myself, the Kenoma was a force that drives itself into the darkest parts of one's heart. I imagine the idea is that it would create good, obedient little soldiers for the creature that led us, but, well..."

Sebastian shrugs as he gives a languid, easy gesture of dismissal with his hand. Clearly, it hadn't worked, otherwise he wouldn't be here. He'd also held his own severe doubts about its effectiveness in the first place, but that amounts to petty gossip at this point.

"But, no, Horos was not my home. I was brought from another world before being plucked to Horos, not unlike the situation here in Kenos." Though after a beat, he adds with a small laugh, "Well, worlds, technically speaking. My work at 'home' was such that I was not infrequently travelling in between two realms."

[ktizo]

Hythlodaeus frowns a little, but doesn't ask for more details on the Kenoma for now. Instead he focuses on the latter part of Sebastian's statement.

"It must be disorienting to find yourself in a new world not once, but twice. I suppose you were well-equipped to deal with it the second time around, however?"

He steeples his fingers before him, eyes focused intently on his companion.

"You travelled between two worlds at home, too? Goodness me. What was your area of expertise?"

[cutlery]

“Perhaps less so if it had not happened so rapidly,” he admits with a laugh in his voice, “Of Horos, I can tell you precious little, I am afraid, for I only resided there for a month before that journey was summarily finished.”

Sebastian pauses to take another drink of his coffee, if only because it seems like the appropriate tie to do so. The question itself is a fair one, and one he already knows his answer for, but it still amounts to a joke. He may not be keeping the truth of his existence all that secret, but… He also can’t resist a play on words.

“I would not know if it counts as an area of expertise, but I did contract work.” Technically true. It’s just an answer with a bit of his whimsy behind it. “I am more of a jack of all trades, master of none. Whatever I am paid to do, I shall do with excellence, if will forgive my brief impertinence to say it so. It drew me between my realm and that of mortals whenever they saw cause to call upon me.”

[ktizo]

"A very short time to get adjusted... but perhaps a blessing? You were uprooted once more so suddenly, you had no time to get used to where you were." And therefore he had little time to make lasting connections and find a home to get attached to.

His eyebrows raise a little with interest at the way he explains himself. "Between your realm and that of mortals? What exactly are you, then?" He pauses, then chuckles. "Forgive me- I understand the question could be considered rude, but I'm awfully curious."

[cutlery]

He gives a languid, easy shrug in response as he nods to the first part. In truth, it doesn’t matter to him all that much, but the circumstances also weren’t as odd to him as to others. His summonings weren’t exactly being uprooted, as they were invitations he chose to acknowledge, but it was still being drawn to some new time and place. A month’s time in Horos was fairly comparable to how long some of his contracts lasted.

“Oh, no, not rude at all,” he says with a little laugh, “I am the one that brought it up. I would not have done so if it were a secret.”

It was a thing he was enjoying about his experience here in these worlds, in fact. His existence had to be kept secret out of necessity, but here? He was enjoying confessing the truth for once. It’s why he watches Hythlodaeus’s expression with a little more intensity as he gives his answer, since he’s also always curious about how that existence was understood by someone.

“I am a demon. As there are certain preconceptions with my kind., I shall say I am not the sort that enjoys chaos for its own sake, mind.”

[ktizo]

"A demon, you say?" His reaction is one of slight confusion as he tries to recall what that might be. They don't have demons or angels where Hythlodaeus comes from, though they do at least understand the notion of gods.

"Could you explain what that entails, exactly? Are most demons prone to chaos?"

He looks to Sebastian, trying to find something off about him- but alas, he can't see souls as of right now and therefore his sight is mundane, unable to grasp the man's true nature.

"You look perfectly normal to me, at least... for the moment." Perhaps if he could see his aether, he would know better.

[cutlery]

Sebastian looks surprised at Hythlodaeus’s admission, since he’s the first person that Sebastian has run into that doesn’t know what demons are at all. He makes a thoughtful noise of interest at first, then brings a hand to his chin thoughtfully as he considers it. It feels a bit difficult to explain, if only because he’s so used to navigating what he is through the contexts of what he’s perceived to be.

“Well… Yes, most demons certainly are, I would say. The realm I am from is entirely separate from mortals’, and we have our own society that is rather fundamentally incompatible with theirs. We are functionally immortal, so power and violence are what speaks most prominently.”

He pauses again, since his conversation with Emet-Selch comes to mind, though the irony of that isn’t something he’s aware of. Emet-Selch had asked him about demons as a people, and it had surprised him because it wasn’t how demons as a whole thought of themselves. It’s the kind of fundamental difference he means, but it’s still something that feels difficult to explain properly, so he leaves it at that summary to instead explain his difference from that. He imagines Hythlodaeus will have questions, and they’ll be easier to answer, surely.

“I enjoy the mortal realm, though, besides a practical need.” That part is left vague intentionally. “So, I am well-used to behaving by its conventions versus my home’s, hence why I add the caveat of not enjoying chaos. I have been visiting it for thousands of years, to be perfectly honest.”

[ktizo]

"I see- this is most intriguing! I have never met one who could traverse realms." He leans forward, eyes practically sparkling with interest.

"And what powers do you possess, as a demon, that 'mortals' do not? I always love to see new magicks, you see."

Emet-Selch's mastery of most magicks was always interesting to Hythlodaeus, who couldn't quite grasp a few of the spells he could. But he sure liked to watch him perform them!

"Though my people also lived many thousands of years, and returned to the star when we wished, we never could travel between realms. So I suspect you can do other things that I have never seen before!"

Or, well, he hopes. It won't be a huge let down if he can't, since he's already piqued his interest.

[cutlery]

The interest continues to surprise him, but he does find it charming. He can’t help but laugh a little, since it’s such a marked difference from how people react to demons. It makes sense since without context, how could the reaction be much more than curiosity? It’s novel.

“Ah, well, I do not know if I would call it magic myself, but that may be splitting hairs a bit. There are certainly many things I can do that are close enough in appearance, I would say.”

He nods towards the table to draw Hythlodaeus’s attention down towards it as he demonstrates, but it would have been difficult to miss regardless. The slight shadow underneath his teacup suddenly darkens as if it weren’t permitting any light to pass through it at all, and the shadow snakes along up along its bottom edge. The shadows are shifting with sharp-edged whorls and ethereal, but solid enough as they lift the cup with as much ease and balance as if Sebastian were picking it up with his hand. It’s offered for Hythlodaeus to take, should he want to.

It's a showy demonstration, sure, but Sebastian isn’t often allowed those. He’s happy to show off a little bit for once. With a little laugh, he does add, “Ah, though technically speaking, I was only able to travel between two, so I could hardly say I am a true traveler of many realms.”

[ktizo]

Taking the cup with a pleased hum, Hythlodaeus can't help but to try touching the wispy dark tendrils. "Wonderful! You have mastery over the shadows?"

Though at Sebastian's correction, he waves his free hand as he sips from his cup. "'Tis an incredible feat whether it is two or twenty realms. What matters is that you could do it at all."

He thinks for a moment. "I suppose now that I am here, I could consider myself having traversed worlds. Back home I would have thought it would be a little more... fantastical. I'm not entirely sure what I would have expected, but it wouldn't be something as relatively normal as this." He gestures around them.

"And yet, you say the realm of demons is one where power and violence speak... which is very different from what I am used to. Are there other differences?"