kenoslogs | The Seeds of Unrest: the Iconoclast Oracle

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.

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

⊚ Abandon All Hope

➥ How Do You Do, Fellow Meridian? (Springstar)
[ The sun is high overhead. It beats down and burns like a spotlight cast from above. It's too hot, and there is little reprieve from it, especially for someone like Silco, who spends most of his time even here underground, if he can. He's squinting against the too-bright light, his now dual-dark sclera blinking against the too-bright sun as he moves to the next space in the sun-soaked paths of Springstar. He is, after all, "helping", and Set has done his part to remind Meridian that he's not an enemy. Look, his hands are even gloved, he can't do anything to harm anyone here.

Though, if he encounters a "fellow" Meridian, his smile is sharp, a touch too knowing, as he approaches, a tip of his head as he turned his head away from the sun to look at a new "companion" in refuge. ]

You don't need any help, do you? [ A beat, and then: ] That's what I'm here for, you know. To help.

[ Is he actually helping? Not really. He's just. Mostly looking for supplies, moving, and staying out of the sun as best he can, though he doesn't linger in shadow for long. He even leaned slightly forward and lowered his voice. ] I saw some supplies back in a storehouse. Perhaps you should find them before some... [ A laugh. ] Nasty little Zenite takes them, hm?

[ See? He's helping! Why are both of his eyes black? Don't worry about it. Set made a good deal, is what his tone suggests, though it is Silco. The supplies are rotten, so buyer -- dumpster diver -- beware. ]

➥ Black Hole Sun (Either City)
[ Not content to stay in the sun (ugh), Silco tries to find solace in some of the darker spaces, cloaked in shadow and outside of the oppressive reach of the sun. He hates it, being under it, but at the same time, the too-low, overly hot orb hovering in the sky makes Silco feel... not happy, no, but... anticipatory in a way he cannot describe. The promise of destruction -- even though his connection to Zenith feels strained and just out of reach -- it doesn't keep Silco from wanting to see it all burn still. He wants it, Craves it, because -- because it would be the end, and then --

In the shadow, Silco pats at his coat, but there's nothing in there that he's looking for. His fingers shake, but he tucks in to find a cigar, and a lighter he rarely uses, but he doesn't even get it lit before the cigar fell to the ground, and he started to...

He wheezes, trying to breathe but getting nowhere, almost asphyxiated from the feeling of ever-present eyes on him, and he stumbled out from the shade, and into the blinding sun -- does he run into someone? Does it matter? His eyes are wide and crazed, and if he looks around for a key insight to his location, as if he's searching for something with his two black eyes, it's probably fine. What is there to rush with here? ]

Out of my way --

[ He bit out, trying to shove whoever he had run into, as his feet stumble, and he's trying to escape the ever-present sun, the atmosphere of Springstar, even, as he tries to find the closest cornerstone.

➥ Haunted (Yima's Manor)
[ It's a promise that he's looking for supplies to Set, but it's a lie. It's nothing of the sort, and though Silco will be happy to provide them if he finds any on his way, he's quick to locate a cornerstone and teleport his way to Yima's manor in a way that can only be called desperate, if one knew Silco. As it is, the man strode, hands in his pockets, a cigar burning to a crisp under the too-hot sun clamped in his teeth. He doesn't even acknowledge anyone, either someone nearby or someone who followed, it can only be called a single-minded purpose that the crimelord very nearly booked it to the place that would allow him to find his way to the manor.

The tree, of course, overhead, looks sick, rotting. He wants it to, wants it to burn for taking someone away from him -- was it actually the tree's fault? Did it matter? -- but Silco doesn't spare it a glance, as soon as he's near the manor, within range, he closed a single eye, and focused, before he realized that he wasn't moving -- his powers sputtered and failed, as they were starting to do with more frequency -- before he only had a frustrated grunt, and with a look around -- as if he were suspicious, looking to make sure that nobody was watching (though it didn't stop him, even if he saw someone) he tore off, not running, but perhaps an old-man power walk would be more sufficient an explanation.

He has a place he is going to in the manor, clearly. A path he knows well, but it's wordless, his path. There's something he's looking for, though it's not obvious -- whether you followed him, or you meet him in the halls. If you're Meridian, it isn't clear where he's going, but if you're a Zenite, it's obvious, even if one doesn't know where his rooms are, he's clearly going for something in the shard-bearer quarters. ]

⊚ Ritualized

➥ Delving
[ Silco is one of the last to arrive down beneath the tree. It is intentional, and though it hurts to do so -- that pang that feels somewhere between pain and longing, it's an antithesis to everything he is, and everything he stands for. Silco is a man alone, always holding far and away from others, in every way, and being pulled toward something brings out a part of him that wants to be contrary, he wants to fight it, and he does for a time. He doesn't trust Aetós either, despite knowing the time mage better than...most. (Which really, isn't saying much) Though his distaste for the tree keeps him topside far longer until his search for other things forces him to abandon it, and he made his way down.

His powers sputter, and then die, the deeper he goes, and though he's angry -- furious for a reason that doesn't make sense to those that don't know that Silco hates this thing. The tree. Others can coddle and care for it all they want. Silco hates it, he wants it to burn -- and seeing it die had filled him with a vindictive thrill that he can no longer feel, as he found himself descending underneath the tree.

He tried to leave, of course. Of course he did. he tried to leave because he wanted to get out of here, but his feet find themselves walking back within. He finds himself settled close to the only ones he knows will not destroy him in his weakened state -- Sebastian and Set. He settled in for a long and arduous few days, though in the beginning, he only stares out at others, his twin-blackened eyes are angry, and hateful. He does not want to be here, and yet he has... no choice. ]

➥ Tlatlacolli
[ His eye... doesn't burn. It's an unusual effect that has persisted since he'd murdered the god, and her blood had splashed into his ever-open, lidless eye. He's used to the pain, and it's been gone for long enough that Silco worries that something is wrong. Truly wrong. It's not like he doesn't hear other shard bearers whispering, or talking to themselves or invisible voices, but Silco can feel the presence of something -- someone behind him, hovering over his shoulder -- asking him why he was giving up on her? Why was he Abandoning his own daughter for an empty promise? Silco's eyes turned behind him, over and over, as if he thinks he could see her, but there was never anyone there.

But why does he feel a phantom presence, hovering over his head? The pressure of eyes watching him, a voice promising over and over that he was just giving up, and through communion, there's not just agitation, not just anger, there's uncontrolled disgust -- uncertainty -- as if there's a doubt in there that he can't quite shake. It's slaking off from the man in waves, and he hates it, even while the scars on his face look more and more wooden the longer the hours pass, like carved and rotted wood that makeup can't hope to cover. He can't help but clutch at his knees, staring out, anger the only reaction he has to what can only be called hope trying to blossom -- forced from something alien that leaves Silco feeling raw and disgusted. What hope was there for someone like him? For he and his people? They had nothing, they came from nothing -- dirty little things -- they called them, and whatever it was that tried to tug him toward something else sickened him, the longer it persisted. ]

It will not find such easy prey. [ He promised, his tone biting, perhaps to nobody in particular. ] Waste your effort all you want, but pray I do not find you.

[ He promised to the air, promising retribution for even daring to try to sway his steps -- if it is someone or something he could take revenge on. ]

⊚ Im-purge-fections

[ It all goes the same way, and Silco's hate propels him more than anything. He needs It out of him, this simpering questioning force that threatens to haunt him with visions and promises of something hovering at the edge of his vision. He needs it out desperately that Silco, who has rarely been seen without full clothing and gloves, tugs off his left glove, because there will be only one way to rid himself of this.

And he needs it gone. He needs it, and he will approach, whether you are familiar or a stranger, he seeks to do one of two things. Either he will trade forces with you, or, he will corrupt, though it's difficult to tell as he nears. He looks wooden and stiff, still filled with sap and the scar across his eye -- normally covered by makeup -- looks like it is fully just wood surrounding a black pit of an eye that glitters like a gemstone in the dim light. He crouched, though his knees practically creak when he does so, as he says: ]

Do you feel it? We must be near the end.

[ He says, with a placid, fake smile that's too stiff and too uncomfortable. He wars with himself. He both wants to embrace the end of it all, but there's something that... lingers, and fights him at every turn. He wants it out, he hates it with a fire that burned in his still glassy and blackened eyes. Even with the stiff and uncomfortable smile, it does little to mask the hate that burns there. There's something in this that he refuses, and the longer it settles in his bones, the longer he hears those whispers and questions, the more he hates the unbidden and altogether... uncharacteristic emotions like guilt and disgust that bubble and cascade off of him in waves. There was no room for lack of conviction in this man, and the experience of it is worn on him like a poorly-fitted suit. Too bulky and uncomfortable, like there's something about it that simply rankles.

Though at least he has enough presence of mind even now not to threaten his way into just taking what he wants. It is tempting, though, and Silco was not a man who took no for an answer lightly. ]

Perhaps it is fitting, that we rot alongside this disgusting thing, hm?

⊚ Wildcard!
[ If none of these work, and we made plans, hmu and I can write you a custom starter, or just tag in with whatever! ]

Edited 2023-05-16 06:24 (UTC)

[ As soon as they had started to descend to the roots, Set had found Quetzalcoatl and explained the situation to her, at least in part. Set being himself, he wasn’t exactly direct about it, but he’d made the terms clear enough. Quetzalcoatl wasn’t allowed to take her revenge on Silco, at least not now. He’d also redirected her ire to Sebastian since he was “more durable”, as he put it, but it’s not quite satisfying to go bother Silco’s pareja when neither of them are quite as durable enough to make things fun.

Still, though. Set had made her promise to not hurt Silco, but not to stay away from him.

So eventually as the ritual takes its hold on various Shard-Bearers, Quetzalcoatl is drifting around the roots to find those to comfort or to offer the Zenith that flows through her. It has trouble latching on, but it’s still there to make her wonder if perhaps this is the end that’s foretold. But not quite enough. She has the certainty of her divinity, of how she’s destroyed and raised worlds before. It makes her a calmer presence in the chaotic Communion, and it (and the warmth that she’s easily associated with at this point) is what likely signals her presence first to Silco.

She’s caught his words, and they make her smile and breathe out a little laugh. Even now, he’s so stubborn… But that’s the impression that she’s gotten of Silco as a whole. ]

Mm, you think it’s a waste of effort?

[ She's just standing nearby first, lingering at the edges, though it won't take long for her to take a seat near him. ]

[ Silco looked over at her with a sneer, though he turned his head to make sure Set or Sebastian were in sight -- before he actually spoke. Call him paranoid, but even though they were all supposedly on equal footing -- with no powers -- Silco did not trust that this woman would could not still snap him into two between her thighs if she wished. Silco had no death wish, but he didn't want to fall to a god merely snapping him in two without his powers most of all.

Reassured that his security net was in place, he tipped his head back slightly, somewhere in between bored haughtiness and derision. Because Silco? Could never help poke the bear.

It really was one of his most fatal flaws. ]

Please. I have no interest in Meridian's goals. I thought we rather thoroughly established that. Trying to force it down my throat does little more than annoy me.

[ Does it? But what about me? a small voice half-whispers from somewhere behind him, and his shoulders tense. He forced himself to lock his gaze on Quetz, and force his attention on her, instead of a phantom Meridian dangled behind him like carrion. ]

[ As Quetzalcoatl sees Silco glance over towards his ~~babysitters~~protectors, she just laughs once she realizes who he’s looking at. ]

Oh, don’t worry! Set and I already talked, so I’m not collecting your hand today, arañita.

[ At least through the heightened Communion, there’s no doubt that she means it. However, there’s also no doubt about what she adds on… ]

Besides, he said it would be more fun if I go through the demon first! I can let him tag in first, yes!

[ Sebastian probably feels another pang of “is this really worth it” at this moment, but ]

[ Silco’s poor attitude and reception is no surprise, but she also rejects his standoffish, smug smile without even acknowledging it. She moves to take a seat across from him, cross-legged, but comfortable, all things considered. ]

I know I’m not convincing you, though. So, I’m not here to talk to you about that!

[ She sees the tension, though she knows it could be from her presence, from sitting down so boldly. Or— ]

You’re feeling Meridian, yes? Like I’m feeling Zenith.

[ Set dangling Sebastian in front of the god like raw meat was probably a blessing, though Silco remembered that Sebastian had been rather... beleaguered by the thought of contending with a god. Which did not, honestly, make him feel much better about the fact that she played it off for now. To be fair, they were both powerless at the moment, and Silco's intention was to remain as inconspicuous around Quetz as possible, if he had to be around her at all.

She says "collecting his hand", and Silco suspects that she means it. Does she think that his powers would subside, if she took it?

No, he would worry about that later. His lips screwed into something close to a sneer. ]

Plagued by it.

[ He says. The nearer she sits, the more uncomfortable he looks. It's not just her, clearly. His eyes dart, occasionally, elsewhere, as if he's looking for something -- someone else -- but it isn't his ~~babysitters~~ keepers this time. No, it's elsewhere, but he doesn't address it. He at least hasn't quite gotten to that part yet. ]

It fits you about as poorly as your... Sunlight [ derisively ] fits me.

[ The sneer is expected, but at the very least he doesn’t get angrier at her presence, so she’ll take it as good enough to stay. There’s part of this that’s probably just petty, as if continuing to talk to him was part of his “punishment” for killing her, but there’s enough of it that’s genuine. She may not be gentle, as Silco well knows, but she wears her heart on her sleeve. For the strange mind of a god, there’s not any conflict between wanting to brutally take his hand and wishing that he could be a happier person. ]

Mm, it does. It’s been a long time since I’ve been the sun, but Zenith is definitely more my brother’s thing. The two of you would probably get along, unfortunately…

[ It’s a thought she’s had before, but she has no problem actually saying it to Silco directly. This will be a funny conversation later if Silco and Tezcatlipoca do in fact ever meet, ]

No te apures, though. It’s too much either way, yes? Like, you can be warmed by the sun, but it’s no good if it burns you with it too. It’s the same with Zenith for me, but the analogy works better for Meridian.

[ She laughs a little, then smiles as she just observes for a moment. She can see how his gaze wanders and can at least take a guess at what it might be, generally. With what she’s witnessed so far, it seems like the general symptoms of both are a bit similar. ]

You don’t have to tell me what, even though I don’t think you would! But you’re seeing something too, right?

No.

[ He lies. The possibility of giving up that weak spot to someone he considered an enemy -- and he had no doubts that she would try to make good on the promise of taking his hand if he wasn't careful -- she had no right to know about his weaknesses, the things that Silco would have given up anything for, even his connection to Zenith, if he didn't have the reassurance that she had already harmonized once.

What if it wasn't me? What if Aetós is lying, and he has me? and that was a possibility whispered in his ear that made his hackles rise, and his jaw clench in his mouth. ]

Your Sunlight -- [ She'd said she was once the sun. Typical. The topsiders would have loved her ] -- burns like a rash. I'm from Underground, do you think I enjoy the bright of light or the warmth of this on my face?

[ A smirk, then. ] I hate it.

[ Just like everything, really. All this time in the sun made someone weak, whether it was metaphorical or not. He greatly disliked the promise of it, the way it beat down on him like this. ]

Just like I'm sure that feeling like your brother's... element, as it were, likely feels like you're being drug into the undertow, doesn't it? Like it's trying to swallow you?

[ He could hope, that she struggles, hates it too, though he suspects that she would embrace it happily, just to try and bring some of her light to Zenith. He hates the thought. ]

EXPLORATION

NOTES

NOTES

NOTES

silco | zenith | harbinger

i mean of course the one that's her "fault"

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1/2

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im-purge-fections (jail for jill) w/ a twist

teehee

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fellow meridian :)

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ritualized/delving

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