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

[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.