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Entry tags:
- !event,
- baroque: koriel xii (dextera),
- bastard!!: dark schneider,
- black butler: sebastian michaelis,
- ennead: set,
- expanse (the): amos burton,
- fire emblem: byleth eisner,
- fire emblem: claude von riegan,
- fire emblem: dimitri a. blaiddyd,
- genshin impact: tartaglia (childe),
- genshin impact: zhongli,
- granblue fantasy: eustace,
- jinba: hayame,
- legend of zelda (the): link,
- made in abyss: bondrewd,
- magnus archives (the): the archivist,
- marvel: gamora,
- oc: liem talbott,
- star wars: cassian andor,
- star wars: jyn erso,
- trigun maximum: vash the stampede
The Seeds of Unrest: the Iconoclast Oracle
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.
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?
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…
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…
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.
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!!
no subject
Sure, a little equivalent exchange shouldn't hurt.
[And maybe the calls of Sakura and Archer blaming her will disappear. Archer — cold and cutting in his remarks. Sakura — either pitiable and suffering or dark and bitter over Rin's decisions. They haunt her, and as such cause the appearance of dark bags under her eyes.]
no subject
She reaches up towards her lips, and the little gem that looked like it was no more than a decorative piercing that fits with her attire is pulled away like all Shards are. It’s a little larger in her hands than when it’s in place, but not by very much. It’s a small piece of greenstone that glimmers in the dim light, since the best way to describe it is “dense”, really. Fitting a divine soul into such a small thing is still a marvel to her. ]
No pasa nada, right?
[ Though, even if it’s what they both want… Quetzalcoatl still can’t help but wonder and worry, just a little bit. Passing off Zenith which feels so wrong inside her doesn’t sit completely well with her, but she can see how this is affecting others more than it does her. Those dark circles under Rin’s eyes don’t go without notice, for example. ]
…If I can ask, though. Has it been hard, having Meridian?
no subject
Mm, yeah. It has come with its fair share of hallucinations and grievances.
[Her hands pull through the ends of her hair, and she flicks away a few sakura blossoms. The five petals flutter as they drift to the ground.]
What has the Zenith brought for you?
no subject
Mm, the end of the world. A few times over, even.
[ Her tone is more serious, but still maybe too light for the topic. That’s just her, though. For her, the end of the world is a concrete fact set in stone, and one day, she will indeed do what Zenith wants, ultimately… But not yet. She looks up to Rin again with a small shrug. ]
Where I’m from, I was a god that created the world. As well as destroyed it. It’s mostly reminding me of those times I had erased the world before, to be honest.
no subject
Rin respects that. Sees her own inferiority in that. As "just a human" she cannot be so soundly contrary. The contrarian in her is volatile, unstable, and prone to its own breaking point. How many lifetimes would a girl like her have to live to find such peace? Well, if she did kill her sister then perhaps all the lifetimes in the world would not be enough.
Rin plucks her own shard from its spot at the hollow of her neck. Its ruby red color currently lacking the brilliance it once had. Compared to Quetzalcoatl's shard, Rin's is but a drop in the ocean. Small and inconsequential no matter how unique others may perceive it to be.]
Would you like to go first, or shall I?
[Either one might be a mistake. Tohsaka doesn't anticipate wavering in her ideals, but the sheer density of Quetz's soul and the depth of which she holds may shake even the sturdiest of non-believers.]
no subject
Oh! Oh, I don’t mind, whichever…
[ She similarly has a strength of conviction and maybe even more than that considering how Meridian suited her at such a basic level. But just to make a decision out of it, she brings her thumb to her mouth to bite into it with what are apparently rather sharp teeth. Don’t worry about it! ]
Though since I can make a cut pretty easily, I guess I’ll give you mine first, yes. [ She nods, and with a little sigh, gives the small wound a squeeze to encourage the sap-like blood to come out. ] If that’s okay with you, of course!
no subject
A little bit of petty frustration rolls over her, but ultimately:]
Yeah, just get it over with.
[Though she does make a face at those teeth. What does this god think she is?! A Shark?]
no subject
Right away, their minds connect further than the normal bond that all of them are sharing. It’s immediately the feeling of being bathed in warm sunlight, and it feels like a gentle breeze crosses Rin’s skin comfortably. Quetzalcoatl is the sun and the wind, and her mind reflects that divinity. In that, Meridian reflects through her clearly. Just through that sensation of sunlight itself, it’s easy to guess why Meridian had called to her.
But more concretely, there’s simply love. It’s a deep well, and more than the sunlight, it feels boundless. Quetzalcoatl is a god that loves humanity and had ventured into the depths of the underworld itself just to create them. It’s a bit of stubbornness, but it’s also just a deep belief in the world that she had lovingly crafted with her siblings. How could she ever abandon a world she’d created?
The story behind the love is of course abstract and is more little touches of things like that stubbornness and sacrifice, but it’s all earnest. Blindingly so, maybe.
She pulls her hand back, though, only vaguely aware of the depth of what Rin will experience in turn. She gives her a nod as she holds out her other hand with her own Shard, but she does check on her first. ]
There— I hope that feels a bit better, yes?
no subject
That love touches upon Rin's loneliness in a way she didn't anticipate. It prompts her throat to close up a little, and tears to well up in her eyes before spilling down her cheeks. Quetz's love is so much that Rin cannot handle all of it. It floods her and pours out in the form of tears.]
I —
[Tohsaka can't help but sniffle as her voice wavers. She hates this. This moment of weakness she thought she was prepared for.]
Just a moment.
[Quickly she scrubs at her cheeks and and eyes with the heel of her palm. A sad attempt to dry them and collect herself. Was she wrong? To pick the side that she had? If she chooses Meridian would she be embraced by such love?
Even if she was, did Rin deserve it? No. That is what will ultimately calm her. Rin had always received so much by chance that... it wouldn't be right to accept such boundless love.]
no subject
[ Quetzalcoatl is immediately taken aback by the reaction, but even that too is with warmth. There’s a gentle, fretting sort of worry, because she’s definitely gotten the impression from others that her presence through Communion was a bit intense, but not so much as this. Her care is earnest and genuine, and it’s why she feels that pang of guilt for pulling out such strong feelings.
…But it’s sad too. It only helps her impression that so many of the people that came to Kenos (and were drawn to Zenith especially) were people that were damaged, for lack of a better word. Why else would people she’s talked with down here react in such strong ways to something like an unconditional love?
Every time, she’s wanted to draw those people into a hug out of instinct, but every time, she’s also refrained. She’s at least self-aware enough to not want to push people when tensions are so high. In lieu of that, she just nods as she reaches out to gently hold whichever hand Rin lowers first. She gives it a gentle, encouraging squeeze, but nothing more. ]
It’s okay. There’s no rush at all.
no subject
I'm fine. Let's get it over with.
[Gently she tugs her hand away from Quetz. With both she's able to pick and peel away the fresh scab to reveal raw and tender skin. Exposed just enough to bleed small a rivulets for this ritual. The thick sap-like nature of it means she has to curl her hand into a fist to form enough blood to drop, but it eventually makes its way to Quetzalcoatl's shard.
Loss leans heavily on this experience. Rolling in like waves to the shore. The gentle ebb and flow of the sea reveals meetings and partings. One farewell after another. Her sister given away, her father dead and her mother handicapped, her mother then perished not long after. How brilliantly she was dazzled by Saber only to have that shining light covered in the corrupt mud of the Grail. Following that death of Archer as he saved her, and then Rin's resolve to kill her sister—
But what do the individuals matter now? They're all gone. Ayako, Yukika, Makidera, that shitty priest—
What is Rin now, but a shitty mage clawing at whatever answer seems easiest? A simple soul all alone as it clings desperately to life? Loneliness is what lies deep within this ocean of memories. But as her tide pulls back Quetz will have what she wanted. The bright, dazzling warmth of Meridian that so aptly suits her.]
no subject
So, Rin’s sadness washes over her, and almost immediately, Quetzalcoatl’s eyes well up with tears. She’d done the same for Cassian, so she laughs, not at what she’s feeling, but at how she responds. What a crybaby of a god she is. She reaches up to wipe at her eyes and murmurs a soft but genuine “lo siento”, but she otherwise quietly lets it wash over her.
She feels Rin’s loss, her loneliness, and the great well of grief that exists in this young woman’s heart. It hurts deeply in the way that the empathetic bond obviously means, but it’ll always feel like a personal failure too. Rin may not be one of her precious people created with her blood, but Quetzalcoatl had still held a hope to create a world where this kind of sadness wouldn’t exist. It’s why she understands Zenith’s hope so deeply.
Meridian reinfuses her, and it’s a balm to the Zenith that feels so out of place, but she still feels so much more deeply for Rin than herself. ]
Yes, lo siento, sorry! It’s just— It’s overwhelming to me every time, I think.
[ Even though Rin had shed tears too, she still feels the need to apologize. Maybe more so now. Quetzalcoatl’s hope must be blinding and terrible in the face of what she feels here. ]
Zenites… You all have it hard, I think.
no subject
But as a Tohsaka she cannot be those things. She cannot be a big sister, a friend, or indulge in such softness.]
Comparatively? I'm not sure I would agree.