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

dextera • meridian (exalt)

[passio]

I. i wanted to live. (SPRINGSTAR)

[ as soon as dextera heard that there was something odd regarding the flow of time in these strange pockets, he—recklessly—had begun to search for them. it’s a foolhardy hope and he knows that, but if there’s any way at all that he can reach back and find something that he’s missing…

(maybe if he knew what highstorm’s blight held for him, he would have gone there first. instead, he’s here, trapping himself and a child self he recognizes only from nightmares in this little interstice of unreality.)

there’s the flutter of a white robe, the sound of bare feet on springstar’s city pavement, as someone tries to run and hide from dextera—or perhaps the other bearer that’s followed him in. ]


II. those in need (HIGHSTORM)

[ this is a massive baroque. dextera doesn’t know what to do for these people except to kill them, and there’s nothing that would make the meridian presence here hated faster than killing people who have no concept of defense.

he’s clearly already tried to interact with this woman once. he watches from a distance now, an entire blighted hand cradled in his own. the look of panic on his face says it all—he’s afraid to approach her again, lest she take off a bigger piece, but he knows he has to do something. regardless of alignment, when another shardbearer comes close, dextera grabs them by their clothes in an act of desperation and shows them the hand before hurriedly pointing to the woman staring, dreamlike, at the pulsing flower. ]

…!

[ he doesn’t commune, but he doesn’t need to; he’s begging. ]


III. wildcard

( whatever else! if you want to do something with the time pockets for your character that dextera can stumble into, lmk and we can plot something out… or just surprise me! )

II. those in need (HIGHSTORM)

[impiety]

Yes?

[ Archangel steps forward, somewhat disappointed that Dextera did not notice him first, but the man has always been concerned with his own selfish need to save others. He glances towards those that are slowly changing and their rapt adoration to the flower. ]

Does this not look familiar to you?

[ Because this is what he felt everyone looked like when they devoted themselves to the Absolute God. But he gives a faint, small smile. ]

Shall we save them from their own happiness and delusions?

[passio]

[ it—does, in a way. dextera recalls something different than the archangel, thinking instead of people like the neophyte in blind service, but it’s all the same at this point. idolatry that will eventually kill. ]

…

[ feeling guilty for being so desperate, he swallows and nods, withdrawing his hand. ]

I can’t… do it alone.

[impiety]

Of course... I also can't do it alone.

[ Because, of course, he tried to do it alone. He only was able to fly out of the way as the people went berserk and die after. But ... there's no need to admit to that unfortunate turn of events. ]

Well, then... I shall pacify the group and you will destroy that flower.

[ Is that not their roles? ]

[passio]

Huh?

[ dextera doesn’t know what he had been imagining, but when the archangel easily delegates their roles as if dextera couldn’t possibly have a say in it, he— ]

…

[ —he nods. he wants to get angry, but when the surprise passes in an instant, he’s simply inclined to listen to the archangel as always. ]

We have to get it right the first time… I’m sorry if I…

[impiety]

I'll forgive you.

[ He decides to say that instead of anything else he was ruminating on snipping back in saying. ]

I may be the only person that could forgive you for every trespass you've ever done.

[ Archangel thinks he said something like this before, but can't be sure. Sometimes the past and present swirl and merge in his mind. His madness is not healing in this new world, but making him sicker. But as he did to the Absolute God, because he feels no pain from it, he does not notice how far his derangements have become. ]

Now, pull the trigger and -- [ He pauses. The reality of the situation hits him then and he presses his lips together. ] -- let's see if this can be done right.

[ It is about all he can say when he has that brief realization of what he's repeating. He steps forward to hold his hand out - starting to cast the spell that he had been taught to placate the people.

One shot to get everything right. One shot to save everyone.

Can Dextera do it? He wonders. ]

[passio]

[ dextera really has tried to grow away from the archangel. he doesn’t want to be under this man’s thumb forever, but it seems that he can’t escape it entirely. this world sees fit to return everything to him—the wings, the uniform, the gun—without his input, and the archangel’s words are as comforting as they’ve always been.

chilling, too, but that’s par for the course. it’s hard for dextera to imagine anything being pure warmth. ]

…

[ dextera takes a breath like he’s going to say something with his actual voice, but the archangel gives him no time regardless. he’s never been given time before the archangel throws him into what needs to be done, and dextera always adapts.

he does this time, too, hurrying forward on a stumble to grab the stem of the flower like he’s wrapping his hands around a neck. ]

[impiety]

[ His arms remain out, held towards the people. The fools - the idiots - the ones that should simply break if they would worship a false entity. He wants to drop his pacifying ability to let them all crumble like he saw them do before; he wants them to suffer for having been tricked at all.

He could blame the failure on Dextera. He could say that it is because Dextera did not destroy the flower fast enough and further ruin whatever confidence and sense of self that this world was giving him.

But, he does not.

These people must be forgiven. These people must survive and feel guilt and horror over their actions. Dextera must understand that his words are always right. Dextera must understand that the salvation of the people is only because the Archangel desires it.

So he keeps the spell going -- attempting to time it well, and hope the rest will fall into place as he imagines it will. ]

[passio]

[ it works.

against all dextera’s expectations, it works. the blighted petals are crushed under the pressure of his hands, and the archangel’s spell keeps the victims pacified as their object of worship is taken and destroyed.

when they return to themselves, although they don’t remember anything they’ve broken off, some are horrified to realize how their bodies have changed in the space of their trance. since dextera is closest to them, he’s the one approached, but— ]

…

[ he can’t help them or guide them. he looks to the archangel over the panicked gazes of the townsfolk. ]

[impiety]

[ His wings extend out like they are arms that hope to wrap around and protect the confused people. He steps forward. ]

It is all right.

[ His voice changes from how he speaks to Dextera, to others. It becomes significantly warmer, and kinder, but there is an emptiness to it that only he can present. The emptiness that comes from someone who loves indiscriminately yet hates even more so. ]

Your senses were robbed from you and your bodies were mutilated due to that unfortunate series of events. However, you have been saved by that young man. [ Archangel makes a gesture to Dextera and his wings fold back behind him. ] If not for his efforts, more of your precious body would have been ruined... I am glad that he was here to help you. I am glad to have been here to assist.

But everything is all right now... please take a moment and breathe easy in knowing you are safe.

[passio]

[ dextera has, at times, wondered how the archangel could have commanded such loyalty in others. seeing this, it feels obvious—if he didn’t know, the archangel’s gentle demeanor would have seemed like a godsend. it had, when he first woke up and everything was so frightening and new. ]

…

[ he starts a little, surprised to hear the archangel lay thanks at his feet, and he tries to meet the hesitant gratitude of citizens with grace. still, his lack of voice means he needs to defer to the archangel’s authority, and so he holds himself in the shadow of the archangel’s wings; his own, faker than the archangel’s, sitting still over his shoulders.

when the rescued citizens manage to collect themselves enough to huddle together, they nod to the archangel and assure him—and dextera both—that they won’t forget this. after departing to cautiously return home, dextera stares at the back of the archangel’s head until he finds his voice. ]

…is this what we were like before?

[impiety]

[ His warm smile fades as soon as they depart and there is no longer a chance of them turning around. He pauses at the question, turning slightly toward Dextera. ]

Something like this, yes.

[ Like it, yes, but he recalls that Dextera would often question why he was doing things -- or see through him completely when he is attempting to hide his contempt and hatred. ]

What memories do you have?

[passio]

[ dextera shakes his head.

as much as he’s tried, he hasn’t been able to reclaim any memories of that time. he’s seen the briefest of fantasies—not even things that were necessarily real—of his childhood through impossible encounters, but his time with the archangel hasn’t yet manifested itself in any one way or the other. ]

Nothing has come back. I can’t remember the things I want to know.

[impiety]

[ For once, he's feeling generous. ]

What is it that you want to know?

[passio]

[ the simple question, probably offered thoughtlessly in the moment, briefly stuns dextera. he wonders why the archangel never asked this before—but then, he immediately reasons that he wouldn’t have been able to explain himself anyway. this is the first time he’s had a voice. ]

I…

[ what he really wants to know is anything about his brother, but he doesn’t want to hear that from the archangel. it feels wrong. ]

Have I… always been a sinner?

[impiety]

Not always.

[ Dextera had a mouth on him, but Archangel felt he could rely on him. There were a lot of things that disgusted him about the man - not related to the shape that he is in now, but the way that he mourns the dead.

He breathes out, holding those thoughts in. ]

You were the person to stand at my side. You were the one chosen to be my companion as I lead. [ "Companion" may be too much of a word. It is softer, kinder, and warmer than what he wanted Dextera to be back then. But it is what he likes to use now. ]

If you were always a sinner, you would not have been given such an honor. [ A beat. ] You made yourself a sinner, Dextera... I don't know if that makes it better for you to know that, though.

[passio]

[ speaking with the archangel like this, dextera can almost feel the way they once were. there are memories in his muscles, but his lack of voice, the unsteadiness of the world around them, they both fail to reach across the barrier of time and bring anything back concretely. he believes what the archangel is saying, if only because he wants to. ]

No. It doesn’t.

[ his gaze is downcast, avoiding looking at the flowers as if they might entrance him, too. ]

Do you want that again? In your new world? Even though I’ve betrayed you?

[ he’s still following the archangel’s orders, in a way, and his “betrayal” is only true in the sense that he hasn’t followed him to zenith. still, one little seed of rebellion is all it takes. ]

[impiety]

[ Archangel thinks about it.

In truth, Meridian's goal is something that he strove for so long. Long enough that he thought he should give up hope, but he refused. Yet the world and people that he desperately wanted to save were lost. He decided in this new world that he would act more like Dextera - selfish and self-serving. He would think only of the people he liked and no one else.

But even as he tries; he fixes his sight on those around them and the countless worlds that have been destroyed. Is there a way to save them? Yima says it is but a dream - and without the Absolute God, that may be true. If the world is recreated, would She come with it? Could he start his trek yet again?

Yes, yes he could.

And in truth, he realizes that he is starting his long, lonely trek once more. He knows he isn't copying Dextera's selfishness. He is carrying on his old goals in a new way.

Because he wants to call the Absolute God's Shard forth - and finally take Her power as his own - he can finally save everyone. Not just his world but all worlds.

The silence weighs heavily between them and he smiles: ]

I would. It would be a new world, after all, and I cannot forsake someone who wants to change themselves.

[ Because didn't Dextera say he wanted to change? He thinks he did. ]

[passio]

…

[ that acceptance is hard to deny. he knows it doesn’t come easily, and although he wonders how honest the archangel is being, there’s little reason for him to lie now. dextera holds a position here in this world with himself that makes him harder to manipulate, and he’s more inclined to be swayed by displays of sincerity from the archangel. it makes him seem human, rather than divine—and divinity is something dextera has had far too much of, after all.

dextera reaches out, placing his hand on the archangel’s arm. the touch is oddly confident, even though dextera keeps his eyes down without contact. ]

It doesn’t hurt as much as it used to. My guilt is disappearing.

[ is he abandoning his sin? or does it mean he’s doing the right thing? ]

[impiety]

[ The Archangel pauses, staring at the hand that rests against his arm. It leaves him with a rush of ecstasy and irritation. Always a mix. The irritation coming from the confidence that he feels versus the touch itself.

If he could, he would have clicked his tongue at the response he got. ]

And why is that?

[passio]

[ was it the wrong thing to say? dextera doesn’t consider that there shouldn’t be a wrong thing with someone he’s truly close to, only that he’s worried he’s displeased the archangel. even now. ]

I…

[ he had hoped the archangel would provide the answer, and now he’s forced to think of his own reason. ]

I don’t know. I think the work I’m doing here… it feels…

[impiety]

Feels fulfilling? Like forgiveness?

[ He doesn't quite spit those words out, but he does have a tone. It is the same one he uses when Dextera would fail repeatedly to reach the bottom of the Neuro Tower. The one he used when he said he had grown tired of seeing his face. ]

You should not cast your guilt off so quickly, so readily.

[ His wings spread out behind him as he makes his declaration. ]

It is because of you that the world was destroyed, that so many lives were lost. You would bring back that ruined, broken world, for what? Why bring it back when we could make it better? If both of us wish for the Absolute God's Shard, it may be possible for it to fall into our hands.

[ He steps closer. ]

Do you understand how many lives will be saved? How many worlds?

I. slides in here EXTREMELY LATE I'M SO SORRY

[goldendeceiver]

[ Ernesto would rather avoid getting trapped in these time pockets himself. While he's still willing to risk going out there to help the civilians of Springstar, he doesn't relish the risk it puts him at of having to confront a past version of himself.

And he has stumbled into enough of these now to realize that's a very real risk. It's just his luck has held up so far that he hasn't come across a tiny version of him.

Just tiny versions of everyone else, like the boy that's decidedly not him that's scampering away from him now. ]

Hey! It's alright! I'm not going to hurt you!

[ Which isn't really the most reassuring thing to say, because he doesn't have proof of that, but he's trying to keep his hands up and away from the sword at his hip in what he hopes is a mildly convincing display of "I don't stab kids". ]

WELCOME

[passio]

[ that’s ernesto. dextera knows him, even trusts him when he says he’s not going to hurt anyone, but the person that’s probably his younger self doesn’t know to believe that.

—or so dextera thought, but the younger version stops running and turns to face ernesto, since he’s the one who’s spoken. his face is tear streaked, ugly red and splotchy. ]

I—I can’t find my brother.

[ the voice that comes out of him isn’t so different from the way dextera speaks even now, except that he’s clearly using his mouth instead of communion. ]

thank you ☺️

[goldendeceiver]

[ Maybe it's the disarming fluffy ears and tail that help make Ernesto look particularly trustworthy, but he breathes a small sigh of relief when the boy turns around to face him.

It's the talking that takes him aback, because he wasn't previously aware that Dextera could talk at all. He's heard him make sounds before, but...

While he gaze cuts sideways for a second, a silent question in the look, he still recovers quickly enough regardless. Ernesto's expression smooths out into a placating smile as he slows his steps, moving closer to the crying boy now that he's not trying to flee. ]

Maybe we can try and find him together. What does he look like?