april event, phase one: seeds of unrest 🌱

[beleos]

THE BEGINNING

Summertime in Springstar has been on its way out, heralding the arrival of fall; winter has likewise given way to spring in Highstorm - at least, according to the calendar. Yet there is an unseasonable bite on the breeze - one growing as frigid as the mood among Meris and Zenites in their cities. Between Alenroux’s occupation and talk of ‘the Blight,’ worries have been on the lips of the citizens with increasing frequency - and with good reason. The reports of plant life dying, of objects crumbling, of people whose bodies are deteriorating are dominating the rumor mills and local papers.

Everything comes to a head early in the second half of Pelu.

After an unusual pocket of commotion in the Seat of the Tribune and the courtyard of Yima’s manor, an urgent announcement is made on behalf of both cities: both Great Trees have been quarantined, and no one is permitted in either location without clearance. New rumors spread of an ‘incident’ that saw those in the immediate vicinity of the Trees rapidly demonstrating symptoms of an illness that was becoming all too easy to identify. It had stricken with frightening speed; not long afterward…

The unrest had spread into the streets, and it wasn’t just about the Blight anymore.

Cetina and Kathova wasted no time in reaching out to the Bearers via Communion to offer them guidance from their leaders and incite them to action.

SPRINGSTAR: THE ROOT OF THE ISSUE

Day by day, changes unfold that render the city increasingly dangerous...

ROOTS:

Vine-like roots have begun to thread the streets, creeping upon and over buildings, spreading outward from the Tree in Heliopolis. Over the next two weeks, they will continue to grow in size and become more troublesome, slowly blooming ice-like leaves that radiate a sickly glow.

• GROWTH: Contrary to the Blight’s normal behaviors, some people and things around clusters of vines or leaves can experience a burst of vitality, growth, and splendor as if transforming to beyond peak condition. In a normal citizen, this may result in an almost manic level of energy, reckless behaviors, and aggression. In objects, they become more durable and efficient, but dangerously so - for example, a stovetop cooks faster but burns uncontrollably hot. In plant life, this results in overgrowth that can overwhelm and choke nearby flora, objects, or even people. Then, they burn out an hour after exposure and immediately succumb to a dire state of Blighted.


• CHILL: The temperatures will continue to drop throughout the next two weeks. It will be coldest where vines have clustered and outright dangerously so near where flowers have budded or bloomed in great numbers. This will force some people from their homes.

TIME POCKETS:

In seemingly random parts of the city, areas referred to as ‘time pockets’ have populated. There is no way to identify a time pocket but to stumble into one.

• REGRESSION: NPC’s in these areas will appear to freeze in time once a Bearer has breached the pocket’s radius but appear normal from the outside. Time within has halted at the point the pocket manifested ( typically covering an area like a city street or inside a single large building that sees regular use ). Objects can be freely manipulated but will not fall if thrown, etc.
  • The pocket cannot be left until the Bearer has achieved their objective. Attempting to exit the way they entered, they’ll run into an unseen barrier that is painful to the touch, a sensation of frigidity that travels to their Shard.
  • Their goal will be to locate a past version of themselves hidden from immediate view. This past version of themselves can be from any point in their lives but must be from a moment when they felt extremely vulnerable, isolated, wounded, or fearful.
  • Once finding this past version, they will feel the compulsion to either find a way to reassure their past selves somehow or kill them. Whether it is the Bearer themselves who performs these acts or another Bearer in their company does it for them, as long as their past selves are pacified enough ( to player satisfaction ) or dead, they will gain immunity to the pocket and may leave. The immediate area will remain frozen, however, and the past version will be revealed to be made of roots that will shrivel and die.
  • Note: Bearers will be able to see other Bearer’s past selves, even after they have been freed. Whether the past reflections are capable of speech while functional is up to player discretion.

HIGHSTORM: THE ROOTS OF CHANGE

The snows continue to fall over the city, feeling brittle against your skin...

ROOTS:

Vine-like roots have begun to thread the streets, creeping upon and over buildings, spreading outward from the Great Tree in Yima’s manor. Over the next two weeks, they will continue to grow in size and become more troublesome, slowly blooming ice-like leaves that radiate a sickly glow.

• SACRIFICIAL: [ CW: self-harm ] Where the roots snake and gather throughout the city, NPC’s in several locations are falling victim to the quiet, slow pulse of the flowers and their buds. They will sit and stare at the flowers for hours, unblinkingly, as their body begins to succumb to the Blight. If they are disturbed in any way - a loud noise, an attempt to move their person, etc - they will calmly look up from their worship and crack off a piece of their brittle body before returning to their reverie.
• In order to save them, a pair (or more) of Bearers must sneak up on the NPC - one using a pacifying spell given by one of the faction leaders while the other crushes the flower. If the NPC is not pacified before the flower is crushed, they will become hysterical and the Blight will rapidly consume them, causing them to perish. If they are pacified and the flower is not crushed, the spell will wear off within ten seconds with the same result.

• CHILL: The temperatures will continue to drop throughout the next two weeks. It will be coldest where vines have clustered and outright dangerously so near where flowers have budded or bloomed in great numbers. This will force some people from their homes.

TIME POCKETS:

In seemingly random parts of the city, areas referred to as ‘time pockets’ have populated. There is no way to identify a time pocket but to stumble into one.

• REFLECTIONS: NPC’s in these pockets are moving in surreal blurs, pieces of them moving forward as others move backward, some changing as if time were rapidly passing as others remain frozen still. The Bearers’ surroundings are distorted as if reflecting multiple realities simultaneously.
  • Their goal will be to locate a tall standing mirror situated alone in the center of the time pocket’s radius. The Bearer who first touches their reflection ( henceforth called “mirror-Bearer” ) will cause the world inside the pocket to suddenly stop, reflecting a comforting environment they have fond or pleasant associations with. The mirror will be gone.
• Something or someone the mirror-Bearer highly values, deeply misses, or sees as imperative to their character, goals, or desires will be present. If they make contact with this object or person, the Time Pocket loops and sends them back to searching for the mirror - but they will have no memory of this occurring. Their partner, however, will recall everything.
• Both Bearers will be released if five loops occur without the mirror-Bearer being stopped from causing the loop or if the mirror-Bearer is stopped from reaching their goal for five minutes ( willingly or otherwise ). The longer they refuse to make contact with this object or person, the more tempting and dire the need becomes inside of them.
• Once the Bearers are released, the Time Pocket disappears. If they manage to avoid contact with the temptation inside the Pocket, the roots and flowers in this area will be withered and dying, buying the NPC’s and buildings in this location some time. Otherwise, they will be thriving and dangerously blooming.
• Note: the mirror will not respond to the non-mirror-Bearer once it has been touched the first time.

ENTREE-TING HELP

The Tree of Life is in danger, and you know it. Both Yima and Cyrus have directed all Bearers who might listen to increase visitation to the Tree and monitor it for signs of the Blight - of its leaves changing color, of any frostbitten bark, of its roots withering.

And then, during a moment in which you find your mind at ease, at rest... you dream, even if dreaming is unnatural for you. You dream of yourself sitting beneath the massive bows of the Tree's breadth, at peace. The perpetual dawn's glow warms your skin in a way that seeps into your bones, leaving you certain you are safe from harm. The Tree reaches out, and though it cannot speak to you in words, you feel it is trying to convey a message: one of urgency. One of plea.

But you cannot understand...

Soon, the branches of the Tree are reaching out to others. You cannot see them, but you know they're there; a spiritual tether connects your Shards together, bringing you all into a place of wordless unity. And once your fellows have been summoned, you know what you are here for.

You feel it rather than see it: some meager, barely-there brush of something cold in the warmth of the island's comfort. The Tree is already infected, and the clock is running down for all of you.

When you wake to yourself, a feeling of dread not entirely your own will chase you, and you will find a single violet leaf in your hand.

MISC NOTES

• Bearers start with immunity to the Blight. They will not succumb to the effects of the Blight even if they handle the vines and flowers directly without precautions or care.
• The above effects will occur in small clusters and are not yet spread city-wide during phase one. The escalation of frequency characters will come across problematic clusters or Time Pockets will be slow building.
• For context, it takes about a month from infection to death or dissolution for the average person or object to succumb to the Blight. By the 21st, it will be three days to a week.
• Bearers will be directed by Cetina or Kathova to make efforts to protect the civilians and investigate the manifesting changes around both cities. Both factions are working on their own methods to attempt to counteract the Blight, but neither has produced a failsafe solution.
• The roots will remain mostly outdoors, for the most part, these first two weeks.
• Tensions will slowly ramp up in Alenroux, and there are checkpoints for any non-PC visitors to screen for signs of infection.
• Player characters who die inside the Time Pockets are dead and need their Shards brought to the Tree of Life for revival.
• HAVE FUN!! ♥

CODING

Comments

bondrewd ( stargazer ) closed starters

[dawnlord]

[ Local Zenith researcher largely immune(?) to timepockets, because he is wacky like that. ( SIGHS. ) ]

sebastian ( highstorm ).

[dawnlord]

( PRELIMINARY CWs for anatomical discussion and dissection, self-harm and death! )

What do you think, Mister Michaelis?

[ Having long since "moved past" what had occurred in the belly of Aetós's menagerie, he finds himself finally ( finally ) in the field. It has been a long span of time, preparing the laboratory he had been so generously given by his sponsor, assisted by the demon in matters pertaining to cleaning and organizing. And how fine a job he had done! It had left Bondrewd able to focus on matters of stocking materials, purchasing some preliminary equipment with his modest stipend and working on the task laid before him by Silco — identifying the elements within Shimmer, of course.

Now, he leaves his laboratory behind to observe the effects of the Blight firsthand. There is no better way to understand a threat than to witness it first hand, and he brings with him nothing less than his full attention for the matter at hand; a hulking, dark figure that prowls the streets of Highstorm and records the variety of initial tests he is performing: collecting Blighted materials cautiously, timing the spread, and, notably: examining individuals who are impacted by it. Non-Shardbearers are deeply affected. Shardbearers, he finds, are utterly immune at this point in time.

Naturally, it means he must take advantage of matters. ] It takes a matter of hours to confirm their infection. Rapid onset aging and deterioration will then claim them, it seems. Would you care to assist me? I must know the order of events, if I am to understand how to impact the Blight.

[ He definitely means to observe someone, inside and out, while they DIE TO THE BLIGHT. ]

[cutlery]

[ Truth be told, Sebastian doesn’t particularly care about the Blight at all. He might have, but as soon as it was apparent that the Shard-Bearers weren’t affected, then he had nothing to worry about. So long as he and Silco couldn’t succumb to the disease, then it’s an inconvenience to him, but not a concern.

However, he at least knows firsthand how this could get out of hand. It wasn’t something as fanciful as the Blight’s ability to steal time, but as the demon who was credited with causing the Black Plague, he knew how fragile mortals were. How easy it was for them to succumb to illness. Really, it’s a bother for that alone.

So, he’s set out with Bondrewd to see what they can discover. He’s sure there are other Shard-Bearers hard at work to try and find a cure or something of the like, but he doubts that many of them would be as… drastic as he expects Bondrewd might be. And in that, he can assist. ]

It is a strange condition. We were partially affected in the Scorching Isles… But nothing so drastic as this. I suppose it was likely a special case considering the state of the place, but still. A disease as odd as this means I really have no idea how it might be cured.

[ Not that his normal sense of such things was exactly great either, but. He shrugs to that notion, but then nods to answer Bondrewd’s question. ]

So, yes, please allow me to assist. It is something I would like to learn more about.

[dawnlord]

Excellent. Our control group is in the proof that, once pacified by the spell the Lady has taught us, we are able to eliminate the flower and free individuals from their bound state.

[ He holds up a single finger, taking note of the criteria that allows the immune Shard-bearers to rescue the citizens of either city. The criteria is the same for both, and the idea that the faction leaders — both Cyrus and Yima — had access to the spell and were ready to offer it their time of need, was curious to him. Nothing more than that, however. It was currently inconsequential in comparison to the task at hand: assessing the Blight, and how it affected non-Shardbearers. ]

Considering that we may still be at risk, I believe we must gather as much data as we are able to, swiftly. I would like to perform some examinations, which will require deaths. I should wish to transport them to another location entirely to control the environment, but alas. Field work it is.

[ Which means he will simply press on. He gestures to the individual locked in upon one of the nearby flowers, staring at the blossom vacant and inattentive to the world around her. Bondrewd speaks with a quiet tone, and his presence — although large, is perfectly poised to be unalarming and even-tempered. ]

Mister Michaelis, the shadow you struck me with was quite sharp — are you capable of surgical precision with them? Enough precision that you could make several cuts for me upon her body? I would like to examine her in layers: integument, musculature, and organ as she succumbs naturally. Another, later, I will examine as we exacerbate the effects.

[cutlery]

I agree. The presentation was… different, but we were able to be infected on the Scorching Isles. It was not so dire there as here, though.

[ Though he’s also not the best to ask about it in multiple respects. For one, he was subject to the weakness that all Stargazers felt, but he could also shake off the effects of the Blight a bit more, as he’s more resilient. While Sebastian’s physical form could be affected by disease (or similar), it didn’t quite do so fully.

Sebastian does give Bondrewd a glance as he mentions that the examinations will require deaths, but his reaction is (predictably) just as even-tempered as Bondrewd’s assessment. ]

I’ve no problem with it, but we should both keep our attention sharp. There are plenty of Shard-Bearers that would find such actions… Hm, I shall just say reprehensible. It is best for us both if such indiscretion is a secret.

[ Bondrewd might know that, but honestly, Sebastian isn’t totally sure. So, may as well offer the reminder. Though to the practical question that Bondrewd asks, Sebastian does sigh first. He still dislikes that he had revealed that aspect of his skills (and to a Meridian, no less, of no offense to Liem), but he at least puts that distaste aside. Mostly. But still, he shakes his head. ]

My claws would be better. The shadows are capable, but I lack some of the sensation of touch that is useful. [ He extends a hand and flexes it, and as simply as it being enveloped in shadow, his true hand is revealed. ] My shadows would be better utilized in lieu of forceps or the like… Though if you need any tools, I can also create them, Mr. Bondrewd.

[dawnlord]

Oh? I was informed that Zenith was commendable, for they would accept "distasteful" or "reprehensible" method over those pledged to Meridian. It was one of the reasons I joined myself to Zenith, after all.

[ Yet, the two individuals who had come to Aetós's menagerie to claim it for study? They were Meridian. He had thought that Silco's claim was made with bias, and had decided to observe for himself - the merit of Zenith, and whether it was, in fact, superior to Meridian. Placid and calm, he issues his comment without the distinct slyness of someone who might be seeking to be swayed, convinced by the words or deeds of others. From him, it is truly an observation - something to be filed away, and examined as time passes. ]

Do you mean to say that there are those among our own faction, that would seek to limit our freedom?

[ How interesting!

Still, Bondrewd is no fool. While he does not televise his 'wrongdoings', he does not shy from them with the atmosphere of one who views what he is doing is wrong at all. It is extreme, yes. It is necessary, as well. So, he folds his hands together and watches the flex of that dark, carapace-like surface that takes form where once neatly-gloved hand did; Sebastian is truly a unique creature. ]

You are a marvel, Mister Michaelis. Would that you create me a few surgical tools, and assist me where I indicate the need? I feel that would be easier, than asking you to perform the labor I am already familiar with.

[ Said, as he readily begins to approach the first individual ( perhaps of many ) he would like to examine. Slowly, his hands card through their hair, gentle and without force. To settle them, not to disturb. ]

[cutlery]

Hm… It is not that, precisely. I believe that the people of Zenith are largely driven more by a sense of practicality than idealism. There is a certain amount of that mindset that I imagine is necessary, for it is not a small thing to abandon hope and look forward to some new unknown.

[ Partway through the explanation, the oddity of even giving the explanation strikes him, and he hums a thoughtful note at the realization. It’s surely curious for a demon to be the one explaining such a thing, isn’t it? With their first conversation and the glimpses that Sebastian had caught of Bondrewd’s soul, he had assumed that he was human, if an incredibly strange one… But he wonders if perhaps he was mistaken. A question for later, he decides. ]

…But I would call it inexperience, perhaps? Or naivete? They know not war nor the sacrifices necessary to create innovations that they likely take for granted and do not consider. I would of course say the same for Meridian’s number, but I imagine the attitude is more present.

[ As Sebastian explains, he gestures as he holds his palms out flat, but immediately, dark, abyssal shadows bring forth seemingly from nowhere. However, if Bondrewd’s eyes are especially sharp, he’ll be able to pick up the pattern. It’s not from the dark of Sebastian’s claws, but rather, the little wrinkles of shadow cast in folds of clothing or how it sits against him that the shadow spring forth. And from them, a wooden box forms, which Sebastian hands over for Bondrewd to inspect. Inside is a delightful (?) assortment of surgical tools, though they’re all styled in the fashion of the 19th century rather than something more modern. Also hence the fancy wooden case. ]

There are ways to end this conflict handily, after all, but it would be with methods that are considered steps too far or perhaps with consequences that are difficult to predict. I would not consider it limiting freedom so much as concern for optics and civility.

[ He nods to the box. ]

…Regardless, I hope that shall suffice? Please direct me as you wish, for indeed, I defer to your expertise.

[dawnlord]

[ How insightful! So, it was not that Meridian and Zenith were divided by their moral parameters, but the presence and absence of hope. Good to know, that he would need to be cautious around his own faction, given that his methodology was, in fact, built upon what some might consider 'perceivable cruelty', while he preferred to examine it as necessity. Some might think of him as cruel, and they would not be wrong; he thought of himself in terms of unhindered, after all. Freed from a shackle that the others might remain crippled by, for all time.

Then again, not everybody could ( or would ) be willing to do what he had done. ] I have never truly been involved in a war between peoples. Certainly, I have supplied products to one side or another, in exchange for funding or resources, but this is quite an experience for me.

[ He reaches out, to accept the wooden case from Sebastian; there is a weighted pause, heavy and syrup-thick, as Bondrewd must be rapidly prioritizing and re-prioritizing his research goals and topics once more. It is so interesting to him, that Sebastian's form is perfectly suited to assisting others. A predator, but one strongly contextualized by his prey. Ah, the struggle! So much he wishes to do, and all of it wonderful.

Bondrewd opens the case, examine the tools before him in silent reflection - and then, he selects the scissors. They are tiny between his fingers, gloved as they are; perhaps that is why he sets the instrument upon his knee as he folds down behind the seated, stunned Highstorm citizen and takes his time, in handling the tools he has. Nimble, despite the bulky garb he has on, which suggests his familiarity with working with it. He cuts the citizen's shirt down the back, from neckline to hem, lightly pushing it over their shoulders.

Modesty maintained, even as he checks to ensure they have not been disturbed by his movements. ]

Would you mind monitoring them, Mister Michaelis? Any sign of exacerbation from them will warrant a pause, lest we contaminate the process. They must remain locked in the throes of the Blight, yet untampered with by our spell or presence. I will begin now.

[ Which is the only warning he gives, before one of the scalpels is between his fingers. Before he is holding the skin of the individual softly taunt, slicing swiftly through layers of dermis, epidermis and not the muscle. Not yet. Essentially beginning to flay open their back, using the spine as a center line. wow you two ]

[cutlery]

Well, for what it is worth, the position you were in is more interesting, in my opinion. War itself tends to be a rather dull game of resources and management. Kenos at least promises battles more interesting than those of simply politics and soldiers, though.

[ He gives his answer while Bondrewd examines the kit, and he’s pleased to see that it seems to pass his standards. His “taste” in what he creates tends towards the old-fashioned even as he’s learned more of future innovations through his own efforts to recreate Shimmer for Silco. It’s a safer bet to make things that he’s confident in rather than to try and stretch his understanding into imagination, since the latter is a weakness of his.

As Bondrewd begins his work, Sebastian’s hands return to gloves since he can quickly see that they won’t be needed, or at least not away. Bondrewd’s deft work speaks to experience, and truthfully, Sebastian is interested to see just what this strange fellow can do. That’s naturally more of what’s on his mind than the prospect of what’s about to be done to this poor, poor person. ]

But I shall keep an eye on them, yes.

[ He’s kneeling at this point as well, and he looks from the flower that the person is transfixed on back to their face. He reaches out and gently takes one of their hands, but it’s absolutely not with any intention of disturbing them. He just holds their hand gently so that his fingers can rest over their pulse point. Which, once Bondrewd begins, rapidly shoots up.

They choke out a strained noise as if their throat was suddenly constricted and tears immediately well up in their eyes and spill over, but there’s no scream, no thrashing. The flower keeps them fixed in place, but clearly, it doesn’t stop the natural reactions of pain where the Blight hasn’t affected them. The smell of blood also gets Sebastian’s pupils to dilate, though the unnatural glow and color doesn’t appear this time, at least. It’s simply a smell that prompts an instinctual reaction from him. ]

Oh? How surprising. I thought they would scream, at least… [ He comments on it casually and maybe, just maybe, with a touch of disappointment. ] Their pulse is quite high, obviously, but you have considerable time before they will go into shock. They do not seem to be completely aware, as it were, so that should add some time as well.

[dawnlord]

I understand that warfare is an inevitability, between two factions with irreconcilable beliefs. It is simply not a matter of great importance to me. To have arrived with my combat-ready body intact, however, makes my inevitable participation more palatable.

[ To have arrived in his greeting-mode body? It would not have been the end of the world, but inhabiting the form with the bulk of his favored Artifacts carried along by biological signature? Much better. Such a form made him safer, stronger. It did mean he struggled with fine motor tasks, though. A combat form and a greeting form, after all, were styled for different sets of work; one, for survival and field work in the Abyss, and the other for precision lab work. It means that, though he could request Sebastian's claws, he must rely on his own body to continue on.

Sebastian will monitor their charge. Bondrewd will balance the scalpel upon his knee, and reach one hand over to the other to tug off a glove; it is an interesting juxtaposition, for someone to observe: where Sebastian's given form resembles that of a human, his natural form is akin to exoskeleton, to armor, and where Bondrewd's given form is armor, his natural one — resembles that of a human. A pale hand, with old scars littering the fingers and knuckles, the nails filed short — one, splintered down the center. It looks painful, but he does not even give the bruising injury at the nailbed a spare thought. Instead, he picks the scalpel back up, between fingers of human flesh.

While he is sorry to see Sebastian's adorable claws go, he is much more pleased to have the tools necessary to accomplish the task before him. Having to instruct even as perfunctory a creature as the one accompanying him could invite a variable into the scientific equation that would make it difficult to replicate, and thus invalidated. Every life he took was valid, albeit performed because those he slaughtered in the name of progress were made use of - each, one. If only there were a way to learn the name of this individual, for his record.

Sadly, with the inability to rouse them from their state to articulate anything, he is unable to acquire such information. In the end, science must come first. ]

They feel pain, they cannot scream. The Blight has been said to affect time, and this indicates a preliminary suggestion of paralysis of the musculoskeletal system akin to an antispastic or antispasmodic agonist. The nervous system has remained unaffected at the moment. I have reached the muscular layer of our charge's back, [ to which, he takes a moment to examine the fibrous structure of their back muscles, noting that — indeed, there are no reactive spasms or flinches indicative of a pain response. The individual is feeling pain, is reacting by crying and attempting sound, but is otherwise bound by the Blight. ]

The Blight could be purely magical in nature, however, to examine our charge means that we can formulate order even from chaos. By knowing in which order the body is impacted, we can hone a curative agent in to target the foremost system and essentially block the Blight from reaching further within, even if we do so magically — via chi, magic, essence, anima, Meridian and Zenith. For a creature such as you, who merely emulates the human form, that would be the most holistic practice.

[ With the scalpel in hand, he goes for muscle next. One side of the spine is carved away, precise and clean — leaving the other side intact. In this, he has begun layering the anatomical layers, prying apart each section of muscle ( the latissimus dorsi, trapezius, levator scapulae, erector spinae ) until the back of the ribs are next exposed. He is swift, merciless, and mindful that no organs fall out backwards. ]

[cutlery]

[ Preternaturally sharp as he is, Sebastian is able to divide his attention easily between the task at hand (literally) and their conversation. Tracking the pulse and keeping tally is easy for him, as if it occupies a different portion of his mind entirely. So, he looks with open interest as Bondrewd takes off a glove, and it is indeed a little surprising. He’d half expected to see something inhuman underneath at this point, yet even weathered, it’s undeniably so.

It's not the first time in Sebastian’s existence where he’s encountered someone where he has the thought that perhaps he was the more human of the two, but Bondrewd is certainly the oddest. Normally, it’s a thought that would pop up when encountering humans that were remarkably cruel—those that would delight in this sort of activity with the open bloodlust and sadistic pleasure that most demons would. After all, demons were cruel, but they were not creative. The tortures that humanity dreamt up were those that demons below would steal for their own purposes. Being flayed and vivisected was something of a classic, in that respect.

But Bondrewd doesn’t give that impression. He’s detached from the process, but it’s not in the repressive way that Sebastian is. It’s curious to him because relatively speaking, brutality in the name of progress is something new to humanity, and something that would only develop further in the coming 20th century. Bondrewd is something of a glimpse into a forgone future and an oddity.

Yet, it’s not something he dwells on long, since as he speaks, Sebastian’s listens with sharp attention. There are new words mixed in or those he’s only read, and that sparks his simple, intellectual curiosity. Though his attention still largely remains on their charge, he does lean so that he can peer back at Bondrewd’s handiwork. ]

It was my guess that it was more magical in nature. Even excluding rather exceptional cases such as myself, there is still a wide variety of peoples and therefore biology here in Kenos. My understanding is imperfect, I shall say, but it would seem to be necessary for the affliction to be able to effect humans, aliens, and mythological creatures all.

[ The way that the back doesn’t even twitch in response to his ministrations if curious, and Sebastian cants his head lightly in his surprise. It’s both at their lack of reaction as well as the clear skill on display here. It’s something interesting to report back to Silco, surely. ]

It is surprising that the paralysis is… incomplete, as it were. Considering how deep it clearly goes, I would expect it to cause more of a detriment. It keeps them alive by not pausing their major organs, at least.

[dawnlord]

In the Abyss, we were able to record differentiations between the linear passage of time. The deeper one went, the slower time passed. A matter of days, perhaps even hours, might pass at the bottom, while on the surface — an entire childhood might be gone.

[ Such could have been the case for Riko and her mother, he thinks. For Lyza to have delved all the way to the bottom, even at her prowess, and expect to meet her daughter while the both of them were alive was quite a gamble. Unless, of course, it wasn't a gamble at all. The Ido Front had demanded all of his attention, perched upon the boundary of a Delver's agonizingly slow return to the surface or their final, irreversible descent as it was. Some desired naught more than to reach the bottom. Bondrewd wished to take all who desired it alongside him, safely, to meet the dawn of that new era.

Magic, he has said, is not his forte. However, magic is as much a thing of order and rationality, and esoteric knowledge was not far from it. Ilblu, he recalled, was built on an industry of value. The Curse and the Balancing were observable events, just as the Blight was. All he needed to do, was find the first thread... and the reasoning would be woven in his mind. ]

I believe if we are able to determine how the Blight is affecting time, all else will follow our conclusion. The event I studied was the Curse of the Abyss, a phenomena that occurred when one attempted to ascend through the intangible field within the Abyss's boundaries. It was thwarted by the Blessing, and the Blessing was bestowed upon those who loved the strongest — [ He prods a finger within the folds of skin and muscle, into the throb of an organ, as if to test its resilience. The individual does not even utter a choked sound now, although their silent tears continue to track down their face.

Bondrewd is seemingly as unaffected by them as Sebastian is, carrying on with his surface thoughts even as his mind continues to examine, catalogue and consider. ]

The opposite of a Blight is also a Blessing. These are the things I know now:

[ He holds up a finger, each in turn with the things he accounts for. ]

The Blight effects time. In turn, it is affected by the natural energies found in Kenos — Meridian and Zenith Blights are presenting in two distinct ways. I was able to purify native Meridian flora, in the same way we are able to purify one another as Shard-bearers. Shard-bearers are likely more resilient to the Blight because we are not of this world; I assume the Tree views us as the antibodies to combat the disease.

[ Which means? He leans his head to one side, and anyone else might sound coy as he asks a devastating question. Bondrewd only sounds mildly enthused. ]

Has anyone investigated how, exactly, our worlds met their collective demise?

[cutlery]

[ The more Sebastian hears of the Abyss, the more fascinated he is by it. It’s of no real relevance here, but that doesn’t mean that he would find such a tale uninteresting. Talk of curses and blessings as well as the little he does know gives it a distinctly religious leaning to his understanding, but that’s not how Bondrewd speaks of it. It’s factual and precise rather than being something of metaphor. Naturally, he can’t help but wonder if perhaps this Abyss was indeed a way down to Hell, but simply known by a different name.

…But that’s all curiosity that he’ll set aside. Later, he’ll have to bother Bondrewd to tell him more about the Abyss and all he discovered in it. He can recognize it as a personal curiosity, though he still listens to what Bondrewd lays out with sharp attention. ]

Fascinating. I would call it good fortune that you arrived when you did, Mr. Bondrewd. You seem rather uniquely qualified to look into this Blight.

[ It’s a simple statement, but understated in that Sebastian rarely gives compliments that are as genuine as this. Bondrewd does indeed possess a unique combination of at least something of a background in terms of strange phenomena and the sharp, objective mind needed to analyze it rationally. That’s how a demon sees it. For most, it likely wouldn’t be a compliment they would wish to receive in the first place.

By the time he gets to his theory, Sebastian nods a bit absently, but only because he’s drawn into his own thoughtfulness. It’s a theory that he could certainly see to be true. As an analogy, it was true, for indeed, it would only be the Shard-Bearers would be able to devise a solution to the disease, even… But as Bondrewd gets to his question, Sebastian is a little surprised. He looks back to him, but he shakes his head. ]

At length, no, or not that I am aware of. I assume at the very least were this an effort amongst our current set of Shard-Bearers, I would have heard of it. And for previous work… Nothing concrete. You will find writings about the matter in the libraries of Akadimaïkós, but I would not put much stock in them, personally. They read more as religious texts to explain a mystery than anything factual.

[ He had looked, early on. Even with his certainty of his world being destroyed, he was still curious how it was even possible. Even as powerful as he was, to destroy a world so utterly and rip him from it was still a feat far beyond his imagining. ]

I take it that you have a theory relating to the Blight on that matter?

i cant believe i used the wrong affect/effect, im a good rper i swear

[dawnlord]

Thank you, Mister Michaelis, for your observation.

[ He does not think that what Sebastian has said is a kindness, nor flattery. It is the truth, after all. Bondrewd is uniquely qualified to assist with scientific efforts, with matters that are not immediately focused upon the battle for the Oracles — in fact, if he could eschew the battles entirely and remain locked up in his own lab, doing his work, he would be most pleased. Alas, he is certain that he will be expected to set aside his labors eventually, and meet others upon the field of battle.

The quicker he could assist Zenith in obtaining victory, the more time he would have to return to his preferred efforts. ]

Hm. I am curious about the metaphysical properties of Kenos's world. Aspects, the existence of a strict dichotomy of energies — Meridian, Zenith — and the way that the Blight noticeably interacts with these energies in different ways. A religious text is also a historical document, as it speaks to the values and mindset of the one who first wrote it. We can learn much from an interdisciplinary examination of all things, I feel.

[ Eventually, he reaches for the case that Sebastian had created for him again — this time, to curiously look for any sort of materials made for containing things. No matter, he reaches for his own coat to draw out several vials, which he takes the stoppers from and holds between the knuckles of his gloved hand. Swiftly, he begins to cut scraps of flesh, of muscle, sections of organ from the individual and place them into the vials one by one. Once he has, he examines their subject for response — ]

Now, to observe them in the agonal period. I will take another set of samples, and then one last set once they have died.

[ The announcement is heralded by him reaching up, with bloodied, naked fingers to brush the edge of his Whistle and draw it down into the clutch of his praying hands; a silent thing, of bowed head and stillness. When he releases the Whistle, it comes away pure and clean. ]

It is a long winded hypothesis, Mister Michaelis. And one largely built on fancy, not fact. The Blight was first observed upon the Scorching Isles. There, a formerly warm environment became a frozen wasteland. The Blight reached us, in Kenos — either brought here accidentally, or on purpose, by a vector I refer to as Vector Minor. Vector Major is the originator of the Blight. The World's End has flora that stave off the affects of the Blight. The existence of the flora suggests that the World's End either experienced the Blight and developed an environmental resistance, or was once part of a larger 'world' — a continent, mayhaps? that the Blight originated from. The Blight and the flowers kept one another in check, like antibodies and antigens, until the destruction of that world.

Kenos is a community of islands. Those islands cannot be reached save by Cornerstone, but allow me the flight of fancy that — once, these islands were all part of a single world. This is where it becomes a flight of fancy, sadly, but allow me to continue: the Blight is endemic to this world, and the destruction of this world unleashed the Blight in imbalance. It reached our worlds, it claimed them. They are now timelocked, either permanently — to ensure the Blight does not spread, or temporarily, while Shard-bearers arrest the cause. Zenith's goal, Meridian's goal.

[ He pauses. ]

My daughter, Prushka, would have told a story just like this. I am only confident in my concept up to the idea that Kenos was once a whole world.

[cutlery]

[ Sebastian prides himself on his understanding of humanity, though his observations aren’t dissimilar at heart from the methodical, ruthless approach they take now when flaying someone. They’re something to be observed, to see how they typically react to a given stimuli, and it’s what makes Sebastian especially adept at manipulating them. With memory that never falters, he can meet someone and within a few moments have an excellent guess at the sort of person they are and the way they’ll respond to his words because he’s likely met someone very much like them before. In his view, humans aren’t so unique as they like to think themselves.

However, Bondrewd proves to be more and more of an exception to that rule.

His dedication to science and discovery is rather new to Sebastian in its extremes, but it’s the small, personal details that surprise him most. It was what had stood out starkly in their first meeting, since for all the easy brutality the two of them have delivered twice now, it’s still clear that Bondrewd has far more respect for life than the demon does. Now, it’s coupled with the curious, reverent gesture to the pendant he wears and the rather surprising information that Bondrewd was a father. It doesn’t fit with things he’s encountered before.

Yet, even while Sebastian tries to piece together these personal mysteries and contradictions, he listens attentively all the same. At least if there was something that did fit well, it was Bondrewd’s intellect. It was a quality that Sebastian also tended to respect most. ]

—Their pulse is flagging, by the way. [ Sebastian notes before he responds, then shifts to look at their face for a moment. They’re losing color rapidly, and he can see the distinct way in which their tearful gaze is becoming glassy, so he nods. Yet, there’s no more than the simple, detached confirmation. ] It should not be long.

[ He looks back to Bondrewd. ]

It is possible that this was all one world, certainly. I believe the story I have heard that these are all pieces of other worlds, but— [ He shrugs ] Thus far, I have seen nothing so fantastic that it seems impossible for them to have once been connected. The world of man that I would visit seems relatively mundane compared to those I have heard of here in Kenos, but still, it was vast and varied. Highstorm and Springstar could certainly coexist, and there is nothing to say that the Scorching Isles and World’s End could not also, even if they were separated by a great distance, once. Even I had not fully travelled the world I would visit, after all.

[ Far from it. Earth was a place so vast that it was surprising, actually. With each discover of new land, Sebastian was genuinely surprised that humanity could be so far-flung and isolated from each other. ]

And for our worlds… Perhaps so. I do not know if Blight is what claimed my worlds, [plural in his case, naturally ] but those of us that came from Horos had a rather… different introduction to all of this. I could see it being possible that the Blight was to blame at large, or at least in part, though.

[ And, finally, because he cannot help his curiosity, ultimately— ]

Your daughter sounds a keen mind as well.

byleth ( springstar ).

[dawnlord]

Yes, yes. I understand. [ Even though he has placed a hand to his chest, even though he has leaned down in an effort to find the individual's gaze with his own featureless mask, the Springstar citizen seems no less troubled by the presence of someone who so obviously belongs to Zenith. Despite Bondrewd's best efforts to diffuse the situation, it is escalating as the individual grows manic, aggressive in their efforts to run him out of the city. They gesture, violent and emphatic. They push their hands to his chest, crying out raggedly for him to get lost, go away — they do not trust him, they cannot trust him. ]

I truly do understand. Springstar is no less a victim of the Blight than Highstorm, and it is why I am here. I mean you no harm. You are adorable, and you are taking ill.

[ If he had facial expressions, his eyebrows might raise, his eyes might alight upon observing the cutting figure of Byleth as the Meridian-aligned man approaches. Instead, there is nothing but glossy, black helm divided by the steady, violet light. He looks like a knight, a suit of animated armor, someone who belongs in the cold of space or the dark depths of the earth, and is it any wonder, then, that he cannot comfort the tempestuous citizen? ]

Pardon me. Are you one of Meridian's Shard-bearers? Would you be willing to take me into your care and watch over my actions? I believe it will be the only way to calm this one, as they cannot bear the thought of leaving me to wander the city unchecked.

[fishfearme]

[Byleth had been observing the brewing altercation for some moments before approaching, deeming the Springstar civilian irrationally hostile for a Zenite who had done nothing but exist vaguely in their proximity. He wasn't sure what help he would be in defusing the situation - Byleth's version of de-escalation was "cut off their arm non-fatally" - but the strange Zenite's soothing gestures and words were achieving nothing. If anything, they seemed to make the civilian even more manic...

Well, he was here now, and a vague plan was forming - a plan of sheer "I'm dealing with this by not dealing with it".]

It's more likely that they've been robbed of their rationality by the Blight. No amount of placating will work. It'll be pointless to try, so I'll just remove us from their perception. Excuse me.

[With that, Byleth reached out and laid his hand on Bondrewd's arm. The moment his fingers made contact...

It was like stalling a car. The great engine that was reality choked and spluttered to a flailing stop, and distantly the faint whine of that same engine trying to start up again thrummed in the background. Around them, everything had plunged into stark greyscale, all the edges gently smudged like a thumb rubbed through charcoal lines. You felt almost... floaty. Detached, as if you were nothing more than a leaf bobbing on the very still surface of a lake.

The flow of time had stopped.]

This way. I can't hold it for long.

[Before he could've done sprints around Springstar before he felt the need to resume time's flow - but in Kenos the Divine Pulse was a paled, washed out thing, nothing more than glowing embers in a dying hearth. He had only had a minute, if that, before reality snapped into existence like a rubber band - and stung just as much when it did. So, he tugged Bondrewd along at a very swift walking pace, tense with concentration.

It was. considerably. harder. pulling someone along with him. While the flow of time tended to tremble back into motion whenever he neared someone, it seemed dragging them along for the ride at the very start was possible... just extremely difficult. He felt like he was towing complete deadweight against the current of a fast-flowing river.]

[dawnlord]

[ By the time Bondrewd prepares to articulate a rebuttal hypothesis ( no, bon, byleth is not engaging in scientific theorem or logic with you ), they are in motion. Except, they are not in motion. Around them, the world had stilled. Or, had they attained a velocity that made it appear as though the world had stilled? Either this Meridian had affected time, or speed, and either way - it was deeply interesting. And difficult. Movement was difficult, though his hand quickly fond its way into the young man's, to secure his hold upon him. Though he struggled, light in mind and painfully hindered in density, fighting to push through frozen time that wanted him halted with it.

What a unique ability. Immediately, his mind leaps. Between the applicability of Byleth's ability to the present threat of the Blight, Bondrewd also considers the danger he presents to the Zenith faction - his wayward children, all of them. He knows he will have to devise some manner of counter for this ability, or secure Byleth's presence and use for Zenith, in the future. But not now, not as they fight against the sticky-slow flow of time to move away from the manic citizen and into a place where they are obscured from them. The further the better.

Bondrewd eventually points out a small storefront, the door left ajar while vines grow throughout the front window and upper floors; their immunity would serve them well, in there. Nobody would pursue them, and nobody would see them within, due to the vines. ] There.

[ Even speaking feels wrong, like fighting the pressure of the Curse.

Hopefully, Byleth will go to the storefront. Hopefully, Bondrewd will be able to release his hand and the two of them will snap back into time-appropriate, flowing linear and onward. Another reason, he thinks, that Meridian is strange; surely, to regain what is lost, they must turn back time itself? Hm. Anyways. ]

Thank you, for assisting me. I am Bondrewd. I serve Zenith as one of their Shard-bearers, but I am a researcher foremost. I came to study the Blight and assist Springstar's efforts in liberating their citizens. It has been difficult, as you have seen. Without your - marvelous ability - I fear the situation would have escalated. How did you do that, might I ask?

[fishfearme]

[Byleth did indeed go to the storefront as indicated, and not a moment too soon - the second they crossed the threshold and out of general view, time lurched back into motion in a way that made Byleth feel like he had been flung forwards several feet without actually moving an inch. Colour sunburst back into existence, the noise outside thundered, and Byleth took two short, sharp breaths, before the sensitivity dulled into something far more tolerable.

He felt like he'd been kicked in the head and sternum, but didn't let the discomfort show in his posture or expression as he released- ah, Bondrewd. The name sounded familiar. Someone may've mentioned it in passing before...?]

...I merely diverted time's course to take a longer route to its next second.

[Or, that was how Sothis explained Divine Pulse, anyways. She had scolded him when he had 'inelegantly' described it as 'stopping time'. "You cannot stop the flow of time!" she had huffed at him, and promptly buried him under a haughty explanation that explained absolutely nothing, though he ensured to nod in all the right places to humour her.]

And no thanks are necessary. It's in my interest to minimise friction between the two factions in this current climate, and you were doing nothing wrong.

[dawnlord]

[ A colorless existence, bursting into blossom once more — they arrive in a safe harbor, and Bondrewd feels himself flung into his own body as if he has been stretched out, thinner and thinner, a trail of 'himself' left in his own wake that are now finally catching up. He collides with his own consciousness, and instead of becoming sick or woozy with it, he immediately bursts into applause. It is a muffled sound, clasped between his heavy gloves, but it is there nonetheless — staccato, slow. It might be sarcastic, if his tone and affect were not a mirror of Byleth's own: emotionless, flawlessly calm. ]

I have heard scientists posit that time is not a strictly linear measurement. Some entities, in fact, do not perceive time as a line at all — they exist in cycles and circles, some even exist all at once. Is this an ability you acquired in Kenos?

[ How clever! How intriguing! ]

Some might argue that my presence alone is a 'wrong'. It is interesting that you do not share such a consideration.

[fishfearme]

I've not seen you commit any wrongdoing towards my own, nor heard of anything similar. Therefore, I'm ambivalent towards your presence.

[Unlike, say, Dark, who travelled across Kenos like a tempestuous squall - an amusing one, at least. But, so long as Dark didn't attack those he deemed under his protection, Byleth was content to live and let live. That was how mercenaries rolled, after all.]

As for your question about my ability, it's one that I inherited in my own world. It's called 'Divine Pulse', and allows me to perceive and manipulate the flow of time to my whims. Or, it did...

[But something about Kenos made it difficult to exert his will upon the flow of time. Likely due to differing rules regarding the functionality of time? It stood to reason that different worlds would be constructed in different ways. Additionally, Sothis openly admitted that she throttled Byleth's control over the Divine Pulse, only allowing him to slowly gain more power and versatility with it once she deemed him 'ready'. She even claimed he'd be able to reverse time to an earlier point, eventually, or even leap forwards to a later point - effectively time travel.

However, Sothis was currently asleep - likely Kenos's doing once more - and as a result, the Divine Pulse's power was diminished and highly restricted.]

In any case, it's intuitive. I'll not be able to answer many technical questions about its function, if that's your intention.

[dawnlord]

Nor shall you.

[ Because he does all of his wrongdoings in places where NOBODY sees him, hehe!

To manipulate the flow of time is, to Bondrewd, a potential solution to their immediate problem. If not the direct solution, than one element of it, an aspect that could be woven into a cautiously-balanced mixture until an answer came of it. With all the knowledge he could obtain, it would do him no good if he did not practice with it, work with it, test with it — and really, he has never hesitated to try something, simply because it could fail. Failure was a valuable lesson. A vital step in the scientific process.

He'd like to get his hands on Byleth's ability, but doing so by force or bold request would be like a declaration of war on the young man's right to refuse. And he did have the right to refuse. For now. ]

That is of no bother to me. An intuitive ability is one that can still be examined and given parameters, via testing, notation and application. I am sure you have struggled, then, with your ability for as long as you have had it — perhaps it has worked some of the time, and not others? If you do not have the answers, I am quite adept at finding them.

[ Such is his duty! ]

[fishfearme]

...and of course, in helping me find those answers, you'll be able to study my Divine Pulse to satisfy your own questions.

[What Byleth lacked in social intelligence, he made up in perceptiveness - but he wasn't affronted at Bondrewd's motivations. On the contrary he seemed mildly interested. The Divine Pulse was an enigma to him, even after Sothis had once sat him down and buried him under advanced, technical language he lacked the context to grasp - but it was more than that too: the Divine Pulse was tied to Sothis, who was in turn tied to Byleth... and his equally enigmatic body.

In Fódlan, there were no hope for answers. His only source was Rhea, and he had resolved to never be within a mile of her if he could help it. Jeralt had told him all he knew, and while Sothis knew the technical mechanisms of Divine Pulse, she was unaware of how Byleth functioned as a suitable vessel for her. She hadn't been 'alive' for that part.

Byleth had made his peace with it; he'll never know what Rhea did to his body as a baby, and he'll never know what he truly was. Yet Kenos had introduced him to new sciences he thought impossible or fantastical, and a few Shard-bearers showed a keen, scientific mind that could communicate their information far more coherently than Sothis, who struggled to dumb things down for the far more science-illiterate Byleth. Sothis, additionally, functioned from the position of an enlightened immortal - her grasp on 'science' was vastly different and incomprehensible to a mortal's version of it.]

...if my assumption is correct, then we may be able to make an arrangement of sorts. There're answers I want... not about the Divine Pulse, specifically, but about my body.

[dawnlord]

Yes, without a doubt. I am a researcher, after all. I seek answers to questions.

[ He does not hide his intention, at all. In fact, he is completely up front with the fact that Byleth is correct! Bondrewd would be able to study his Divine Pulse, both for his own reference and Byleth's own. It is a win-win situation on the surface, and in the long-term, it is could become something dangerous for either of them. Which is why he perks up — the slightest twitch of his posture as he straightens, drawing his shoulders back and chin up, the most mild foretelling of his personal interest.

About Byleth's body? ]

— what is it about your body that you wish to know? I have anatomical texts, if it a matter of physiology or structure. I was a father, as well, and know all the developmental stages of a typical human form — if that is what you need [ sex ed, byleth?? ]. I study blood, bone, tissue, function and form, evolution, mutation, idiopathy, disease, disorder, decay, death, the effect of environment and extrinsic factors upon it, and I will admit that my experience is largely defined as 'scientific', but has properties of magic and metaphysics by other standards.

[ He doesn't even have to breathe deeply after that. ]

All you would need to do is ask the questions, and I will help you find the answers.

[fishfearme]

[Byleth hadn't been expecting the fervent excitement. He had expected some confusion - perhaps even some patronising like, yes, suggesting him sex education - but instead this odd scholar eagerly rattled off his resume like he was lining up for a medic job at the mercenary outfit. It gave Byleth a brief pause.

But scholars were hungry for knowledge, this much was true... and while Byleth was fairly apathetic in terms of ambition, he shared that interest in knowledge, in learning more, even if it was something as uncomfortable as drilling down into the mysteries of his body. He understood this would require him to reveal things he hadn't even told Jeralt - but the fact that Bondrewd was a complete stranger helped, oddly.

This would be a professional arrangement. They'd both get the answers they sought, and go their own way at the end of it. Byleth didn't have to concern himself about Bondrewd's private thoughts about him, and as a scholar, Bondrewd would likely not start spreading the secrets he learned to any layman on the street. Maybe... hm, maybe he should establish that as a rule first.]

...before I tell you more, I'd like your word that what I tell you, and what you learn about my body, remains confidential. Feel free to reference what you learn to others, but I don't want my identity associated with it. Others may view me... differently, otherwise. Do you accept that condition?