The Seeds of Unrest, Phase Two 🌱

[beleos]

UPROOTED

Time has not been kind thus far, and the future will be no kinder.

The slow passage of days to weeks has seen both cities increasingly ravaged by the untamed growth of the enlarging roots. Their size is enough to uproot buildings by their foundations, if not bisect them entirely where they push through unfettered. In the worst-hit areas, entire blocks are left abandoned - if even standing at all, displacing families and leaving businesses in ruins.

Cetina and Kathova have been in near constant contact with Bearers via Communion, feeding them information about which areas to focus their lifesaving efforts. Yima’s Manor and the Seat of the Tribune - despite their closeness to the Trees - have been fortified by your leaders and act as a base of operations for each respective faction. You will be able to return to either to find sanctuary from the chaos beyond, but the innumerable civilians are not so lucky.

Bearers are tasked with rescue and recovery efforts and requested to assist hands on the ground with taking refugees to temporary shelters. Survivors must be dug out of the debris. Those who are capable of healing will be enlisted to assist at hospitals and triage centers. Supplies must be gathered and harvested from areas that are collapsed and too dangerous for civilians to navigate. If you are feeling generous, you can go on search and rescue missions, as many people are considered missing in both Highstorm and Springstar. Some areas are completely cut off to regular foot traffic by the massive, winding roots bearing countless Blight-blooms. Citizens are succumbing to the Blight flower’s effects persistent from phase one with more and more frequency.

While both cities slowly succumb to a deepening catastrophe, the situation worsens.

STIRRING STORMS

As the days pass, inexplicable and unnatural weather occurrences will randomly plague both cities. They can last as long as a full day or as little as an hour before dissolving entirely.

• Flurries: this snow is tainted by the Blight, making the snowfall look like ash. Any organic matter it touches will be affected by reopening wounds, re-infection of illnesses, or re-experiencing injuries that may have healed over years ago.
• Thunderstorms: these storms carry a frigid rainfall and heavy cloud cover, making already difficult-to-navigate disaster zones harder to clear. As each thunder bellow crashes overhead, you might swear you hear a familiar voice reaching out to you in the fading rumble… one that sends a message - either from the future or past.
• Fog: dense clouds of thick, freezing fog will roll in randomly, making visibility even more precarious. In your search for survivors - or your companions, you may find yourself coming face to face with someone else, instead: a version of yourself (or a companion) from another timeline. You may also hear your own voice calling out to you from within the fog, attempting to beckon you further into the mist.
• General Note: Exposure to any of the above weather patterns will increase your Blight infection.

THE BLIGHT COMES FOR ALL

As if it were not enough to see the cities that have become your salvation at the end of the Timestream falling to collapse and ruin, the Bearers will slowly begin to realize their previous immunity to the Blight is eroding. They will begin to show symptoms of infection that increase into May’s event. ( For more information on the effects of the Blight and purification methods, please see the OOC Summary. )

Now that their last bastion - the Bearers - are just as much in harm’s way as everyone else, the populous’s efforts to formulate a temporary stop-gap solution are being rushed to completion. Time is not on anyone’s side. They will continue to work with those who have been kind enough to volunteer their resources and brilliant minds - collecting materials and attempting to figure out a way to avert their otherwise inevitable destiny.

ORDERS

Orders from your leaders will come as soon as infections among the Bearers have been confirmed.

🌙 YIMA will stress for all Zenite Bearers to prioritize their well-being and to avoid unnecessary exposure, to manage their symptoms as much as possible. They must fight for their own survival to bring in the birth of a new universe - and their lives are too precious to risk. Beyond that, she asks them to save what they can of their people and their most critical structures with the understanding that hard choices may be necessary.

🌞 CYRUS will implore all Meridian Bearers to prioritize the general population's lives and turn their efforts to save as much of Springstar as they can. He will note that Bearers have ways to help keep one another from suffering too much contagion and to coordinate their usages appropriately, to keep one another safe, and watch their backs.

ANOTHER EN-TREE-TY

The Tree of Life continues to sicken, yet - thankfully - the progression of the Blight is slow. Still, Bearers will find themselves occasionally compelled to take a moment to sit beneath its boughs and vibrant leaves, even as some begin to show signs of discoloration and rot. Any characters who sit with the Tree with the purple leaf they found on their person after phase one will find it warming to the touch, its veins laced with gold. This effect will be even more effective if taken into the cavernous roots beneath the Tree! While this may fill you with a temporary sense of calm, it doesn't seem to have any other effects... yet still, you are compelled, if not curious.

The Tree has offered you this gift for a reason. Perhaps you will find its use before long.

...As long as you - and Kenos - survive long enough to discover it.

CODING

Comments

[erbe]

That sword — it's Excalibur. And you — I'm guessing they slotted you into her role. If that's the case, then it's possible the only way out is to form a contract.

[She wonders, as Caster tests her shield again, if they'll even live long enough to forge one. Should Gray hesitate too much in her decision they might just be goners. But Rin isn't one for quitting if she knows there's a chance she can succeed.

But ultimately she will leave it to Gray. Rin may not know the circumstances of that face, but no coincidence has ever occurred so conveniently. More than just that intriguing scar has to be what keeps her hood up.]

I can start the incantation now if you agree.

[gravings]

[ Excalibur. Anyone in Britain would know it; it was probably the most famous sword on Earth. It's hard to associate that name with the sword now in her hands, but in her heart she knows it must be true.

Of course, that must also mean she's now "King Arthur," as Excalibur was returned to the Lady of the Lake when the king died. Is this just a memory of Rin's being played out? Or is this a different nightmare altogether? There are too many mysteries and no time to waste on them. Cold dread seeps into every cell of her body, staving off the holy warmth that radiates from Excalibur. Without knowing why, Gray begins to shake, her grip painfully tight on the sword's hilt.

There is no choice in reality. Even if everything in her screams to reject this role, she is and always has been more afraid of a miserable death. ]

Please.

[ One whispered word of response that still manages to waver. She can't trust her mouth with any more than that. Nor can she trust her face to contain its wrenched expression, so she remains bowed over her sword, brow to pommel. She will do what she must to fight, for both her and Rin's sakes. ]

[erbe]

[She hates this. She hates seeing a good girl like Gray suffer. She hates barely knowing the torment this girl must be going through. It's sick. Disgusting. That a world would twist and turn just to make someone so good suffer so much.

But that's the way of things, isn't it? Nothing good goes unpunished, and that's one reason why Rin is the way she is.]

Heed my words.

[The incantation starts just as Rin's jeweled barrier shatters. Her hand dipping low for Gray to see. To take so that they may face the enemy together.]

My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny. If you heed the Grail's call and obey my will and reason, then answer me! I hereby swear that I shall be all the good in the world. That I shall defeat all evil in the world. Thou Seventh Heaven, clad in the three great words of power, come forth from the circle of binding, Guardian of the Scales!

[Gray only need to answer her call and touch her hand. Rin's mana should be more than enough to dispel the dress and revive the girl to full power — or perhaps even beyond that.]

[gravings]

[ Gray has never witnessed a Servant summoning or contract. Rin's incantation is completely foreign, and yet it electrifies Gray down to her deepest fiber, small impulses that compel her to lift her head and answer as if possessed. ]

If you'll have me, I swear to deliver you to safety for as long as we walk together... my Master.

[ There's something alien driving her now, and yet it isn't an unfamiliar phenomenon. Gray has always been susceptible to possession; every time she takes up Rhongomyniad she surrenders herself to the Holy Lance, and in the same way now, she doesn't resist the compulsions of her Servant vessel. She dislikes losing herself, and yet it's when she achieves the greatest calm, trained and meditative. If she were a more insightful person she might see how twisted that tendency is; she was born and bred, after all, to be consumed by other forces with maximum efficiency.

She reaches out a hand to grasp Rin's—

And the contract is complete.

The magic circuits in Gray's — no, King Arthur's — body open like a surging river, power suddenly brimming through every inch of her like dragonfire. It's invigorating; it's terrifying. If Gray had time to withdraw and drown in it, she certainly would. Instead, the urgency of the situation sharpens her alarm into focus.

When she lifts Excalibur, she realizes how dim it actually was. Now it awakens with dazzling golden splendor, its light devouring the gloom. This body knows more than Gray does, and with a mere thought it blows away the white dress to manifest a crude yet elegant blue and silver set of skirted armor in its stead.

All of this is pearls before swine where Gray is concerned. She only knows she's been given power and a task. Steel firms her expression, her gaze finding Caster with cold focus. When it comes to a fight, there can be no hesitation. ]

I'm off!

[ With a speed that surprises even her, she shoots like a bullet at Caster, leaving a spray of gravel in her wake. ]

[erbe]

[My Master. Why does it feel so validating, so uplifting, so right to hear that? Perhaps not from Gray, specifically, but to be known again as a partner and someone offering a certain type of support is... more than she can express with words. A declaration of no longer being alone, maybe?

Watching Gray take off is a wonder all on its own. Tohsaka stands there stunned by the other girl's brilliance as Caster curses in vain. Perhaps it would be a more even match if their opponent still had near-infinite stores of mana, but unbeknownst to the party inside, someone is draining that pool dry with their own fight outside the church.]

Gray...

[The name falls from her lips. Colored with awe and respect. Meanwhile it's all Caster can do to keep her defenses up against the power Gray now wields.]

1/2

[gravings]

[ Gray only has an amateur's skill with the sword, but King Arthur's body is hardwired with decades of relentless experience. Gray's magic resistance is average, but King Arthur's magic resistance is so high as to be akin to cheating. Those things combined with Caster's hemorrhaging mana pool make for a short fight.

Gray feels like an outsider looking in as she dashes and dispels the attacks that come her way. Power and certainty turn every stroke of her sword into a command; she spends as much effort as is necessary to exert her will and nothing more. There's a purity in King Arthur's swordsmanship that Gray has never conceived of in her own aggressive, survival-oriented fighting style. It's a beauty that Gray finds herself falling more deeply into, her consciousness fading, willingly becoming consumed by an existence far greater than her own like a shadow vanishing under the sun...

The next thing she knows, Caster is vanishing around her sword.

Except Caster was never real. ]

2/2

[gravings]

[ The hallucination falls apart.

The fog stretches out before her and Rin once again, no Caster or Excalibur in sight. Her hair is still gray, her hood is still over head.

Gray falls to her hands and knees, her legs giving out under her. In a most uncute and inelegant manner, she retches until her stomach is empty, her back bowed with shuddering horror. ]

[erbe]

[Tohsaka is tempted to sing Gray's praises, but the moment she hears the foul sounds of the other girl's stomach tossing whatever is inside, that dies.]

Gray!

[There's an intense amount of concern in her voice when she scrambles to settle by her side. Rin takes one hand to ease her gently by palming Gray as her other hand pulls out a handkerchief to offer.]

Here, take this to wipe your mouth when you think it's done.

[gravings]

[ Ever a small eater, it doesn't take long at all for Gray to empty her stomach. Rin's presence brings her back, and she takes the handkerchief gratefully. She'll have to give it a wash and return it later.

When she feels presentable again, Gray sits up with exhaustion more mental than physical and struggles to grasp what just happened. ]

That was the Holy Grail War?

[ Her voice is faint, the acrid taste of bile still on her tongue. ]

[erbe]

Perhaps a snippet of it from another time. I never met Caster when she was capable of speaking for herself.

[Tohsaka wonders just how different the Holy Grail war may have been. What would have caused such divergences? was it a change in "cast"? No, 'Saber' and Caster were the same. She was the same. Wait, was Emiya there? She didn't think to check...]

[gravings]

[ A different time. How apt for what role Gray played in it. She shudders and fights the urge to curl up and shut off until she can sort her thoughts out. Playing the part of King Arthur felt perfect and right, and that's why it also feels terrifying. Who has Gray been to deny the manifestation of something so beautiful?

Her hand moves to her heart, counting the beats beneath her skin, before moving slowly to stand. ]

King Arthur... must have been as impressive as the legends made him seem.

[erbe]

[Closely Tohsaka keeps an eye on Gray. Should she falter or stumble Rin will make the executive decision to just carry her. Until then the dark haired young woman sticks incredibly close.]

My feelings on that Saber are a bit conflicted. She was undeniably beautiful and chivalrous, as a king or a knight should be, but I think something tormented her.

[Rin uses female pronouns if only because aside from that battle dress, she's only seen "King Arthur" in her own clothes that she let her borrow.]

While the Grail killed and consumed the servants for power, she remained intact. Darkened by its mud and doing its bidding. Perhaps the evil in the Grail tempted her in some way? She was human once, after all.

[gravings]

[ For all of Gray's momentary weakness, her reserve of magical energy is still mostly full; she was only fighting an illusion after all, nothing more taxing than fighting a shadow, and she didn't actually undergo a true possession. Where she falters mentally, she can at least make up for with a bit of Strengthening, and she stands without trouble past her ponderous pace.

Gray doesn't know the answer behind King Arthur's apparent subservience to the tainted Grail. Such things were for her mentor to mutter to himself about without heed for how nutty he sounded to the people around him. ]

Human... I suppose so.

[ The people of Gray's village treated Arthur like a god, and somewhere along the way maybe Gray began to believe it a little too. Being able to experience some of that power has done little to dispel the notion, and yet Arthur was never proclaimed to be anything but a human being.

In any case, now isn't the time or place to be ruminating on the existential mores of a knight from the Dark Ages, glorious and important as that knight may be. With the adrenaline fading away, Gray remembers that the last time she spoke to Rin, she said something quite offensive to make Rin storm off. She still feels a little awkward about it, truth be told, but mostly she feels she shouldn't bother Rin anymore with her presence. Mages are a proud breed of people with little time or tolerance for the feeble, so Gray will be considerate and excuse herself. She bows a little toward Rin. ]

Thank you for your help. I think this means... I'm the one who owes you now?

[erbe]

[A bow? Is she trying to get rid of her?

Forcefully Tohsaka hooks her arm around Gray's — linking them tightly.]

Not until I get you back to your place safely.

[After all how would her pride allow anything less? What Gray does after Tohsaka makes sure she's safe is beyond Rin, though.]

[gravings]

[ Hello?? Gray startles when Rin takes her arm, unsure of how to take that statement. Maybe Rin doesn't want to navigate alone in the fog? Especially not in "enemy territory." Gray doesn't mind her company though, especially if it means keeping tabs on her until things are a bit safer for both of them. ]

U-Um. If you're sure. My house is in the academic district.

[ She can't pronounce the proper name of the district very well, so this is just what it's going to be called.

Despite the fog, Gray's sense of direction isn't bad, so she'll start to gently pull them along. Her arm curls to rest more naturally in Rin's grasp, the movement absent-minded as she keeps her ears sharp for anything else that might come their way. ]

[erbe]

[Rin will dutifully follow along, but she won't keep silent.]

Your blood earlier — it was like sap. Have you been pushing yourself too hard, Gray?

[Tohsaka already knows the answer. She already knows what she wants to do about it. It's just a matter of leading Gray there.]

[gravings]

Huh?

[ The question is unexpected. There's a second's pause as she scrambles for a defense against Rin's statement, which definitely feels accusatory. ]

We've been told to help as many people in Springstar as we can.

[ "We" being the Meris, of course. ]

[erbe]

And how many people will you be able to help if you succumb to the blight yourself? Hmm?

[Tohsaka leans in to get a better look at Gray's face. Usually she allows the girl to hide herself, but right now she's putting emphasis on being accusatory.]

[gravings]

[ Gray automatically shrinks back from Rin's sudden advance, her head tipping down in an attempt to let her hood shield her from some of the other girl's stare. But with their arms linked, she doesn't exactly have anywhere to escape to; Rin's two-inch height advantage feels towering. Gray's heart pounds frantically, contrary to the cold permeating her body. ]

I just haven't had a chance to take care of it. There are so many people who need assistance...

[ The excuse is feeble even to her own ears. ]

[erbe]

You're making time for it now.

[Stern are her worlds, and there is a finality to them. There will be no arguments, and this is definitely going to happen.]

Once we are safe within your home I will purge some of that for you.

[An apology for that dress. An exchange for the harsh fantasy (nightmare) of becoming that Saber.]

[gravings]

[ Gray can't really argue with that tone, though she isn't sure where it's coming from. Pure annoyance, maybe; to someone as brusque as Rin, it must be confounding that people drag their feet about anything.

Gray's silence in this case is consent. Properly cowed, she looks away and focuses on navigating the warped streets of Springstar. With a bit of root-hurdling and a short detour, Gray and Rin will eventually arrive at a simple, up-until-recently well-kept house with a sizeable backyard. If Rin looks closely, she might notice a little chicken coop and a single horse stable out back. It's a nicer arrangement than Gray's family home in Wales, but she figures it still must look like a hovel to a mage from an established family like Rin.

She opens the front door and steps back to let Rin in first. Through the doorway, she might see that the interior is straightforward with only token adornments: a quaint blanket here, a comfortable-looking set of furniture there. It's all impeccably neat and clean as if she was expecting a visitor today. ]

It isn't much, but please make yourself at home.

[erbe]

Do you have tea?

[It's all, quite honestly, better than what Rin has now. In a place such as Kenos she cannot rely on the old patent money the Tohsaka family had, nor does she have the same resources because of it. Starting from scratch may have humbled Rin — or maybe she was always the type of person who knew, and acknowledged, she had it easy.

Either way, it seems Rin is pleased with the place as she nods. Before Gray even answers she'll try to navigate to the kitchen.]

[gravings]

Tea? Yes, of course!

[ That's Hospitality 101. She hurries with light steps to the kitchen, assuming Rin will be capable of settling herself where she's comfortable.

She only has a couple choices of tea, so she picks the one most similar to the oolong Rin chose for them the other day. Gray is reasonably sure she can make a decent cup of tea; her mentor would have complained otherwise. So she washes her hands and prepares the tea like it's her job and she has a fussy customer. It technically was her job and she did have a fussy boss that required frequent babying, so her hands are well-practiced as she goes through the motions, if a bit sluggish with the accumulation of Blight.

If Rin is feeling nosy, she'll find that Gray's kitchen reflects her remote countryside upbringing: rustic, with small selections of the most basic staples. Moreover, with her appetite on the modest side, there isn't much by way of volume. One could get the impression that Gray's breakfasts are as simple as a hunk of buttered bread and cheese.

Meanwhile, Gray injects a bit of chatter to break the silence. ]

The bad weather has been coming and going lately, so if you'd like to wait the fog out, it shouldn't be too long...

[erbe]

[Tohsaka was going to make the tea, but seeing Gray perk up enough to overshoot her and get to the kitchen first instills a bit of hope in Tohsaka. Hope that the girl will eventually be okay. Though even with her sluggish movements she's reminded of a certain someone else who would take a bigger bite than they could ever chew...

While Gray makes the tea Rin will nosily poke around the kitchen. Making sure Gray takes care of herself. And for the most part? It seems she does. In the most simple ways, but... it's still reassuring. Though the urge to grab her by the arm and run her around on a little window-shopping date in the Antiques and Baubles Market does bubble up.]

How generous of you! I think I'll take advantage of that for sure.

[gravings]

[ At least that means Rin isn't so annoyed by Gray's presence that she'd rather run out of the house at first opportunity...

As she works, questions return to Gray's mind, but she remembers how well things went the last time she and Rin had a lengthy chat, and she stuffs her questions into a mental closet. Instead she plates up some snacks to go with their tea: some water biscuits from a tin with sides of cheese, honey, and marmalade.

When everything is ready, she moves to set everything at a small dining table by the kitchen... but by then, her exhaustion has settled back into her bones, and she puts the tea and plate down more clumsily than she would like, tea sloshing from the pot. ]