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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
[It's said resolutely.]
Do you think I want them to be gone? Of course I don't. But they are, and I won't stand for Meridian's false promises.
[His voice is trembling as he speaks.]
I'll give you the Meridian inside of me. No conditions.
no subject
[ He hears that tremble in Cid's voice. Normally, it would cause him to slam on the breaks of this line of questions, but... a part of him wants to know. He needs to know why Cid is so eager to abandon a world that he claims to mourn and a lover he so obviously misses.
Maybe a Trade will illuminate the truth.
Swallowing dryly, he stands and faces him. ]
Okay. Yeah, let's trade.
[ He pulls the gem from the back of his hand, eying their surroundings warily as he does. He might trust Cid, but he doesn't trust the rest of them. Anyone, of either side, could just waltz over and try to shatter the Shards of those trying to trade. ]
...we'll need to bleed to do this, won't we. It's the same as before.
no subject
[He hesitates, like he wants to say more, but seems to settle on saying nothing else.]
Aye, upon the Shards. Messy business, that.
[He looks around too, a frown on his face.]
If I had my powers, I could use my familiar to keep watch, but I'm not able to summon it.
[With that said, he pulls the Shard from his collarbone. Though subtle, there's a hairline fracture down the middle of it.]
no subject
I'll protect us if I have to. Don't worry.
[ Spoken plainly, like Cid did not need to ask and has no room to turn it down. He looks around for a brief moment, and then kneels and picks up a sharp splinter of old wood from the ground. It will have to do.
After pressing the point of the splinter into one of his fingers, a thick bead of sap-blood begins to form. He holds it out to Cid to do the same, his expression neutral. ]
no subject
Perhaps it's Meridian's influence, but there's real trust in his eyes.
He pricks his own finger, watching with morbid fascination how his blood has the consistency, and color, of sap. It makes him wonder, briefly, how much influence the Tree has on their physical forms.
He holds his hand out over Link's shard, allowing the blood to slowly drip onto it.]
no subject
Link holds out his finger above Cid's Shard, providing the same offering of sap-blood to complete the exchange. It hangs heavily and lazily from the tip of his finger before gravity finally breaks it away from the slow stream oozing from the wound. When it hits Cid's Shard, it maintains its spherical shape upon its surface, like a droplet of dried-out honey...
And then, he feels it. The droplet of blood on his own Shard is drawn into its center, where it hardens into crystallized flecks, just as it did before when sharing Blight. But within his heart and soul, it is clear how much this process is not the same. Squinting, he looks back at Cid, as a familiar warmth begins to rush through him. The warmth of the Meridian. ]
no subject
He'll also feel Cid's abject sorrow. He's made a miserable sort of peace with the fact that he'll never see the man he loves again. That an attempt towards bringing him back would be seen as an insult, and not an act of devotion, and so he made the agonizing choice of not asking Yima for the man's shard.
As soon as the droplet of Link's blood touches his shared, Cid feels the calming embrace of Zenith.
It feels natural returning to him, and he settles against the wall of the cavern, sitting carefully.]
...thank you.
no subject
While Cid's thoughts flow into his mind, his own flow back in the same direction. Most prominent is his vigorous, desperate yearning to make things right — not just for his own world, but for everyone else's, and for Kenos. It is a feeling derived from both genuine love and an intense, innate devotion to protect others. The echo of Nero in Cid's head is met with an echo from Link's mind, too — a beautiful young woman with straw-colored hair and big green eyes, smiling shyly like she's trying to hide her adoration and doing a poor job of it. But it isn't just her that Link longs to see again. There's a tall fish-like person smiling daringly at him, a young dark-skinned girl with one hand sassily propped on her hip, a second young woman too embarrassed to look Link in the eye but trying her hardest to talk to him anyway... and others too, dozens of them, countless people, strangers and acquaintances alike. The weight of every single one of them bears down on his shoulders.
The rush of the Meridian does not give him peace, nor has it dispelled all of the Zenith infecting his Shard. If anything, his brain is busier and more confused than ever. Link squints and shakes his head, as if that might somehow give him some relief, but of course it doesn't. He does not offer his own thanks. ]
no subject
He's not that man anymore.
But he can understand, empathize even, even if Cid has no hope himself.
For a while, it seems like he might not speak again, but eventually he does.]
The Meridian I gave you isn't helping.
[There's a twinge of worry in his voice, which he looks baffled about as soon as he says it, but he doesn't take it back, merely looking at Link with more concern than he'd care to admit to.]
no subject
The longer their thoughts flow freely between each other, the more clear Link's reasons for being such a mess will be. It isn't Cid's fault that his Meridian didn't help. Link is just that much of a mess right now.
The young Hylian presses his face into his hands and takes a deep breath. With all that he's struggling with, he has Cid's hopelessness to grapple too. ]
How? How are you so... so content... with never seeing him again...?
[ It's so thoroughly the opposite of Link's fervent desires, and yet, he recognizes the love Cid feels for that person. So how is it possible? ]
no subject
It's not contentment.
[Said simply, his tone rather hollow.]
I've accepted it. Accepted I'll never see anyone again. Meridian's promises are far too good to be true. Zenith seeks to create a singular new world, and Meridian promises to restore the entire universe with that same power?
It doesn't make sense.
no subject
[ Link shakes his head, his palms still covering his face. A Trade was supposed to make the Zenith go away, to make him feel better, but between its power still flowing through his Shard and Cid's influence permeating and piercing his mind, he finds himself grappling with it even more than before. Why is this happening?
When he speaks again, he isn't just arguing with Cid. He's trying to convince himself, too. ]
What you're talking about doing is creating something completely new, from scratch... who knows what sort of magic that requires? The power needed to do that? Only the Goddesses have ever done such a thing.
[ But fixing what's broken... that seems much simpler to Link. Hell, the priests in Heliopolis are already capable of retrieving things from the timestream, no Oracles needed. ]
no subject
[It's said entirely without malice.]
On my star, every god that ever existed was created by man. "Eikons", false gods, they were called. Even the will of the star, that my people would never dream of calling "eikon" was a being created by man. She perished, and I don't know how.
...you're right, the aether involved is entirely unknowable.
But a new world, even if it amounts to stabilizing Kenos, is far easier to attain. This world here can still be saved. I know it can.
no subject
He swallows dryly and keeps his face hidden in his hands. ]
...I'm never giving up. I will never give up on bringing my world back.
no subject
I have no desire to convert the unwilling.
[He's silent for a while.]
The remnants of our worlds are like a ship lost at sea. Sometimes, pieces find their way ashore.
[...]
...if you find proof, real proof, and not broken pieces, that our worlds can yet be saved, I will listen.