The Seeds of Unrest: the Iconoclast Oracle

[beleos]

RUNNING OUT THE CLOCK

The situation is bleak.

The Blight - and the massive labyrinth of roots tearing both cities asunder, spreading deadly flowers wherever they penetrate - have progressed to a point beyond catastrophe. People are dying in rapid numbers. Bearers are having difficulty keeping up with the spread of infection - even among one another. The collapse of Kenos seems inevitable; a cure will not come in time. You can do nothing but watch as each new day brings further disaster, ticking down the seconds until it all falls apart.

And then, you feel something seize your Shard. As if physical fingers have wrapped around it, as if it is being clutched through you by invisible hands, you feel invaded. You feel wronged. But before you can panic, a voice enters your mind through Communion.

“Excuse the dramatics, but there isn’t much time for pleasantries. The Trees are about to hit the point of no return. But there's still work to be done. The Tree of Life will take you where you can find it: the Oracle and the creature causing all this mess. Fix this when you find them. However you'd like.”

Have you heard Aetos’ voice before? Perhaps it is the first time; perhaps it is familiar to you. Either way, the last thing you will remember is a confusing jumble: a spell of immense and incredible power, one utilizing the Tree’s strength to shelter you. The sensation of every cell in your body coming alive, yet seeming to break apart and render you into billions and billions of tiny pieces, all hovering in different times and places across all the different iterations, timelines, and realities in which you have ever existed. A voice that speaks not through words asking your forgiveness, unspeakably sad.

And then, there is nothing.

AWAKENING

Your eyes open, gritty with the feeling of a long, deep slumber.

Perhaps it takes a moment to shake off the heavy veil of exhaustion, to recollect what you were doing before you fell into this state of hibernation - but as soon as you do, you feel an immediate sense of foreboding around you. It is thick in the air, oppressive and pervasive, and you aren’t left long to wonder at its source. You lay beneath the branches of the Tree of Life, but as your bleary eyes focus… you see it. The Tree is all but bereft of life. Its bark has withered down to gnarled wood, the soft lichen dried up, and the grass that should be alive beneath you is long dead and gone. There is not so much as a single leaf on its decaying branches.

It has been this way for a long, long time... you realize this with a feeling of intense dread as you see it - the beautiful expanse of stars, of the cosmos, of universes scattered like starlight above the tree's boughs, gone. In its place hangs a sickly, ominously low-hanging, and dying sun ready to sing the end of everything.

You can't help but wonder how long Kenos has been in this state, but a sense of gratitude fills you as you realize that the Tree expended the last of its energies to protect you, the Bearers, during your state of rest. Had Aetos worked with the tree to see you sent here?

The next question comes quickly: how much time do you have left…? And can you find the Oracle before that time expires?

ABANDON HOPE (DAYS 1 & 2)

The cornerstones are still active and will take you to whichever city you wish to see.

Highstorm and Springstar sit like empty monuments to the cities that were once filled with life - yet the first thing you will notice is they are strangely absent the signs of the Tree’s overgrown roots, the Blight, the catastrophic damage that you can recall all too easily. Instead, each city sits as those they were summarily abandoned overnight, leaving nothing but their shells behind. There is a stillness in the air that is unnatural and unsettling. Despite the lack of any sign of the citizens of either city, you cannot help but feel… watched.

Something terrible happened here. Best you find the Oracle before something terrible finds you, instead.

The burning of a dying sun beats down on you wherever you go, unbearable heat sending waves off the aged cobblestone streets. Perhaps it is your instinct to seek refuge in the shade - but linger too long about the shadows and that feeling of eyes on your back, of being unable to breathe, of your world closing in around you will grow untenable and drive you back into the light. If you hope to explore the ghostly shell of your city in search of the Oracle - or to sate your curiosity, some problem-solving might be in order.

And while you acclimate yourself to your circumstances, you cannot help but note you feel wrong inside, somehow…

EXPLORATION

• If your characters choose to explore previously unreachable areas, please use THIS TOPLEVEL to report when they get there in the thread! We will get back to you with what is discoverable in that location.
• The following areas are off limits for exploration: below Yima’s Manor; below the Church of Heliopolis; Alenroux; Kowloon.
• The Great Trees of both Highstorm and Springstar are in a similar state to the Tree of Life and will not respond to Communion.
• Generally speaking, items will be of poor quality. Most will look as though they’ve aged thousands of years. Others will be in half-decent shape, but sparingly so. Oddly enough, it doesn’t seem like the whole city has aged at the same rate, so especially diligent rummagers can find worthwhile supplies. Please consider this should be rare and don’t go overboard!

NOTES

Here are some prompt reminders - see the full thing at the OOC Summary!

• Characters will have a diluted connection to the Zenith or Meridian.
• There will be periods powers are weakened or non-functional during days 1-2 (up to player discretion).
• The sunlight results in scorching; the shadows cause claustrophobia and fear while outdoors.

THE RITUAL (DAYS 2+)

The place you started your journey to Kenos is also where it seems it will end. As soon as the first Bearer makes contact with the Iconoclast effigy, you are collectively drawn to the roots beneath the Tree - like a pang sent through your Shard. Your objective has been found. The Oracle awaits.

Trusting Aetos seems like a fool's errand, but you must put your hope in the Tree. What choice do you have left? It's time to find what lies at the end of this.

Bearers descend, your steps echoing in the dark, cavernous space. Once brimming with life and vitality, the roots are now dried and brittle like the bones of some ancient leviathan that died long ago. As you make their way deeper into the earth, the deadened roots twist, leading you to a vast chamber deep within it; the air here is thick with the smell of decay, and the faint glow of luminescent fungi and mosses barely illuminates the space.

To your left, the Bearers will notice what has drawn them here - and the object of their search.

An effigy sits on the ground between two darkened tunnels. The effigy is made of gnarled, dead branches woven together in a humanoid shape; its hollow, empty eyes are sightless, yet you cannot help but feel it is watching your every move. Branded on its forehead is the Iconoclast symbol carved into the rough wood.

Once all Bearers are present, the Ritual will begin. Your means of exit have been sealed off, and you are trapped, slowly deteriorating together…

NOTES

• Bearers will have access to the Ritual Chamber which is a very wide, open space with the effigy situated against the far wall from the entrance. Several smaller tunnels off-shoot from the Ritual Chamber. They all run to dead ends; some are very small or narrow. This may afford you meager privacy away from the group.
• Once a Bearer steps into the Chamber, they can no longer head back out the way they came. They’ll find themselves automatically walking back into the Chamber as if of their own volition.
• For brevity’s sake we won’t list them out again here, but the complete description of effects Bearers will experience days 2+ is available in the OOC Summary.
• The effigy is impervious to damage.
• It Is Watching You.
• In a dead-end root tunnel attached to the Iconoclast’s Chamber is the Blighted statue of an Otter that may be familiar to some… Please see THIS TOPLEVEL for more information!

THE PURGE (DAYS 5+)

The sap has festered in your veins for what feels like days. It’s impossible to tell how much time has passed; this place has no sunlight. The effigy watches as you remain trapped, huddled together around it, unable to leave as you find yourself sick with the affliction of the Meridian, Zenith - or both.

And then… something finally gives.

Though it does not move and speaks no words, you feel the effigy offering you guidance. Knowledge. Much like the Tree speaks to you in impressions and feelings, you are conveyed wisdom you did not have before: a way to take what you want and rid yourself of what you do not. A way to make your convictions known to all who would hear them. A way to be known. To write your path in blood, be it yours… or theirs.

When all is said and done, only one force - Zenith or Meridian - will gain its favor.

Show it who you are. Show it what resolve looks like to you - and what you are willing to do to attain it.

NOTES

Here are some prompt reminders - see the full thing at the OOC Summary!

• You can Purge your alignment through various methods: Trading, Corrupting, or using the Effigy itself.
• All characters will understand the end goal is for everyone to Harmonize; the alignment with the higher rate of Harmonized Bearers alive when time’s up wins the Oracle’s favor.

NOTES

• A reminder that the Harmonization tally will take place on Friday, the 19th and be open through Monday, the 29th. The results will be released on Wednesday, the 31st OOCly.
• Don’t forget to submit any deaths to the Death Tracker, with a gentle reminder characters will remain dead until the event conclusion!
• Reminder to fill out the SETTING POLL ASAP if you haven't already!
• Have some MUSIC if you'd like. LYRICS here!
• HAVE FUN!!

CODING

Comments

[redsoil]

No, you need to rest.

[ He has never experienced snow, not until he'd met Hayame and Dimitri. The two of them are cold and bright, frozen storms full of wild heart and maddened mind. How can he not appreciate their wrath, their devotion to nothing short of the absolute eradication of those that oppose them? Softly, softly for a being of war and violence, he lifts Dimitri's chin. To look at him, to examine the dark circle under his un-hidden eye. To push aside limp, sweat-dampened strands of hair with his other hand and cradle his face between his palms. ]

'Killer. Soldier. Penitent. Ruler. Responsible.' I am here, to make good on my promise to you. My shoulders are yours, and my wisdom belongs to you. So, listen close to me —

[ Again, he runs his warm hands along that face. Tracing the angle of Dimitri's furious brow, the exhaustion in him. ]

You have done enough for us.

[hauntedking]

[ His anger had felt bottomless; a well to draw on over and over again, but in this moment, in these dying hours and minutes, he feels exhausted. Drained. He thinks he could fight still. That he could kill. But the gentle fingers against his skin and the words spoken in his ears bid him rest. It's hard to shake that angry drive, even when he's being asked to. Even if he is bone tired, worn down to a raw, sharp, jagged point by the last five days. ]

We can't fail.

[ The words slip out. ]

We can't-

[ But even signed with Meridian again, his strength and stamina still aren't what they would be with his Crest. His hands lift and clutch at Set's shoulders. ]

How can it be enough when they still live?

[ The madness isn't gone yet, but perhaps there's something clearing in that single blue eye. ]

[redsoil]

Because we cannot fail. Take heart, Dimitri — you mastered yourself, and came back to Meridian. You chose us again, because you know in your heart that even if we lose this battle, it is impossible for us to lose the war.

[ Dimitri negates a potential, out of desperation. Set, emphasizing the word with an uptick in tone, means to indicate that they are certain to be victorious.

How, though? Set, who straddles the boundary of Meridian and Zenith, speaks only in the mindset of someone pure of confidence, resounding in hope. It is near-thoughtless, the absolute intensity of his attentions as they bend to the Meridian. Purged of all but the fragment of Yima's flower, it will take him a long while to regain himself — he is unnatural, in the precision of his conviction. Someone like Set ought to always question, always seek. He cares not to, in this moment. ]

Why kill them, when you could rob their lives of meaning?

[hauntedking]

Because it is what - what I thought they deserved-

[ He's still muddled. Still trying to grapple with everything that's happened and how they're meant to do this. His mind isn't clear and won't be for a time yet. Violence and death are easy answers and he falls back on them time and time again. ]

It will stop them from destroying everything we love.

[redsoil]

You are not wrong, it will. The most direct way to ensure Meridian's victory is to kill each one of them.

[ Set knows it. Set thinks of it, as filled with bright energy as he is. One by one, eliminate and dissipate; Shard by Shard, take the Zenites for their lives, and erase them from existence. Bestow the emptied evidence onto loyalists, maybe. The Church is perverse, but Set has long since been as ruinous as them. The curse, branded dark upon his arm and neutralized by the fading duality of energy, is proof of it.

He strokes through Dimitri's hair again. Again, following the curve of his skull to the back of his neck, where he gathers a fistful of hair in loose fingers. ]

In due time, if need be. There are still so many moving pieces, we can take our time. Another loss will not break us. And we still could win. Your behaving this way is beautiful, to me, but you are tired now. If you continue, they will inevitably rally against you. You will not fail, Dimitri. Just rest. For me?

[hauntedking]

[ Dimitri's mind is still gripped in the madness that's fallen on him. The desperation, the urge to win at all costs that he will regret later. The darkness he fears and buries winning free. Only when this is finally finished will he be able to place it back into its holding cell and perhaps then he'll be able to weep over what he's become again. In the moment, in the now, it's simply frustrating to be told to wait. That he should leave them to try and annihilate that which he wants to protect.

He makes a low noise in answer. The buzz of discord in his skull is there, but he finds the discomfort focusing. ]

...I don't know if I can truly rest.

[ His voice comes out in a croak. ]

I despise this place. [ He leans into the touch, rests his face against the crook of Set's shoulder and neck. ]

...take this weight off of me. I said I would give it to you.

[redsoil]

I cannot save you from it. I never promised that, [ he reminds him, even as he allows Dimitri to press his face below the line of his jaw. Set reaches up to tug his hair aside, leaving the bare line of his shoulder displayed for the young man to huddle against, if that is what he needs. Set is not a small man, nor waifish in any capacity; even without his power, he is steady and does not buckle under blows or the weight of a barely-calm warlord with, from what he has heard, insane strength of his own.

He strokes his palm along the back of Dimitri's neck, fussing at the collar of his shirt as he parts his knees and settles his weight a little better against the ground. ]

But, I am here to help you carry the burden. I carry the same responsibility as you, as you have called my name in oath — the madness of my nature must have filled you, pushed you to this [ it is an explanation that sounds like an excuse, a way for Dimitri to move forward by shifting some blame to the god that he had agreed to ally with — ], possessed you.

[ A wry, nasty smile. Haunted, perhaps: ] I have been known to bewitch the hearts of men, after all.

[hauntedking]

[ When this is all over, maybe Dimitri will have a clearer head. Right now, just getting close is almost enough. Byleth is possessed by another. He doesn't know if he wants Claude to see him like this. So that leaves Set - at least for now. He takes a deep breath and then another. He's trying to settle, to become something calmer than he is, that deep pit of anger and despair inside of him wanting to drag him back down. ]

...it isn't your doing.

[ He acknowledges that with a laugh that's more desperate than amused. ]

This is darkness of my own. Anger and vengeance. I - I told you once that I thought I understood...

[ He swallows hard. ]

Maybe you understand now. I just - I couldn't allow them to take it all away, Set. You understand, don't you?

[redsoil]

It could be, if you let it. You told me that your wish was to avoid becoming this. I gave you the room to embrace it, and I even support it.

[ How can he not be responsible? To shake hands with Dimitri and accept, rather than condemn or discourage, his acute savagery, was to be culpable in it. Likely, someone will look upon him and think he has encouraged such behavior, inspired it or pushed Dimitri into it. Honestly, it would be better that way. He wishes Dimitri would abandon that honor of his, that need to be responsible, and allow himself to restart. To do better, be better, once more. ]

I do understand. Win or lose, I will look to the next battle. And the next, and the next. I will fight my way through every trial, in search of victory for our worlds. They may be imperfect, but each and every person within them has the right to live, to struggle and choose and fail and change.

[ Even if they are little ants, even if he knows in his core they will always be imperfect and seek power, kill one another — it's no different than here, the lives of the people who seek their future upon their lost worlds are no less than the struggles of the Shard-bearers who think to selfishly turn their backs on them, to get their own. ]

[hauntedking]

...maybe that's enough.

[ He's tired after all of this. Even filled with the Meridian light and conviction, he's tired. He needs to stop. His anger has dimmed and he's left exhausted. Tired. Trying to figure out what this whole event will mean - or even if he'll live long enough to find out. For now, though, there's this. And that will have to do. ]

Thank you.

[ Even if this hurts. Even if he hates himself a little more.

Maybe it's what he deserves. ]

[redsoil]

Do not thank me, [ the reminder is brisk, but gentle.

One does not thank an evil god, they thank the forces that prevent that god from sinking himself deeper inside their lives. Right now, a bargain between he and Dimitri is what keeps them both at arm's length, and bound irrevocably together. Dimitri could be the kind of man who reaches into the heart of Kenos, Set feels, to wrench its beating heart clean out. Even as he touches him, holds him, he feels the rise of their Discord — poisonous between two members of their Aspect.

And all the same, he dips his head and presses his mouth to the man's jaw. Leaning back, to take the weight of the blonde between his thighs and against his chest, to allow him to lean, and sag, and rest. ]

I have you, all the same.

[hauntedking]

[ The discord burns inside of him, a constant reminder that they should not be, but it doesn't matter in this moment. Not when he's exhausted, stuck in his own head, reliving his own darkness. It is what it is; he has promised a part of himself to Set and he will give it.

In exchange, he gets... this. This comfort, this poison, the weight of knowing.

It's enough, isn't it? To get it all back? ]

I wish this were over. [ This trial. The staring, eyeless thing, the sense of exhaustion. This bleak spot at the end of the world. ]