![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
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!!
welcome to hell (again) kenos,
He rubs the pad of his finger over his tongue, as if to scour away the taste. The sensation. He feels the ache where the demon had clutched at him reflexively, and folds the handkerchief over itself before just — stuffing it back into the inner pocket of Sebastian's jacket. Gremlin. Horrible gremlin. ]
Oh, one never knows for sure until they try. Your kind are not populous until a later era, as you have said. To have the opportunity to sample you, even diminished again [ which is an insult but also, set is diminished as well so LESS an insult and more a factual statement, ] is still informative.
[ — he nudges a loose lock of dark hair aside, to take a look at the injury. ]
Besides the obvious, [ being naturally drawn to the dark, being in a contract with Silco, etc. ] what is it that you get out of supporting Zenith's interests?
[ Why not ask? Why not now? ]
forcibly ejects them into space (they survive tho probably :/ unfortunate)
It burns just a bit more brightly as Set calls him diminished, but even without Communion, it’s obviously not as sharp as it had been in the Scorching Isles. It’s not so bad when they’re all in the same situation, at least. ]
…Perhaps. I suppose I would be a bit of a hypocrite to lecture you for taking the taste where you can.
[ He took just about every opportunity he could with Set, though he’s not sure if he’d be as bold. Just like the clean and tidy handkerchief, Sebastian has his principles that he strictly follows. Taking a taste of actual flesh was something reserved for enemies, at least personally, but it was also a tad more meaningful to a demon.
He murmurs a thoughtful note at Set’s question, but it’s not for consideration so much as interest. He supposes it’s a question everyone is asking here in the roots, but he hadn’t expected to receive it all the same. For anyone that knew what he was, it seemed obvious. For those that knew him better, it must be even more. But either way, they do tend to be assumptions that Sebastian doesn’t bother to correct. They’re perfectly true. But that’s the obvious, as Set says.
He sighs, since he still feels… odd, having Set tend to him like this, but fine, he decides. He’ll play along and not make a fuss about it, if only for his own (petty) plans of reputation and appearance. At least the question is a suitable distraction. ]
You see, I could not even walk among humans without being summoned and striking up a Covenant. Luckily humans are greedy things, so I was never waiting too long… But still, to be beholden to their dwindling knowledge just to be able to step into their world is never something I liked. Here, I needn’t even strike up a Covenant in the first place, should I not wish to. Lady Yima assured that what shackles I take up shall always be those I readily choose.
[ He looks up to Set, and even with his single eye, his gaze is still captivating in its attention. It gives more weight to the shorter version of his answer. ]
Zenith gives me freedom. A radical, impossible sort.
no subject
To Set, those parameters are what give him the right to wield his authority and power. He may not have the free will of a human, but he can only ever embody that which he is among the fabric of reality. To break those parameters? It invites all sorts of malady, all sorts of influence. Perhaps that is why he smiles so winsomely, lifting his chin a little as he gazes down at the demon. As he slips his arms around his shoulders and lightly gathers his fingers along the nape of his neck, knees tucked against the roots he sits upon — until he simply slides himself across one thigh, hiking his heel up on the branch.
Fucking indulgent piece of shit god. ] That which is radical is not orderly, Sebastian.
[ It is insightful of him, and not at all a condemnation. ]
How intriguing, that she the power to change and influence even you. For if she does — why not me?
[ hearkening back, of course, to their YOU KNOW WHAT ]
no subject
No, it is not. To even allow me to be unshackled is a decision that comes from chaos, I think. Were Kenos to have plucked another demon instead of I, it could have been a ruinous decision. Assuming there is deciding in it at all, of course.
[ It’s something he’s mulled over a few times. Among the upper ranks of demons, it was more common to find ones with more principled and conciliatory personalities like he had, but still rare. His brethren would have rejoiced for their freedom, then ransacked this world to feast on all its pleasures. Chaos for the sheer sake of it.
Sebastian trails a gloved hand along Set’s leg with the rhythm of it being idle, though of course it’s anything but. It’s teasing, perhaps, because truly, set why, but purposeful. ]
Oh? Is that what you want of me? [ That part is definitely teasing, but he’s more serious as he continues. ] I do not find it all that intriguing. I am given free reign, and so I appreciate it. Otherwise, what Lady Yima and I have agreed upon is purely business. I have no more loyalty to her than any other that buys it. You will never find me among her ranks of sycophants, for trusting anything that offers you precisely what your heart desires is foolish.
no subject
[ And why would he not! Some individuals are better off Zenites, and some are better off Meridians, and some could fairly walk either path — Sebastian, he feels, ought to never be granted the power of 'light' in any capacity, lest it unmake him at his core. What a stupid end that would be, too. He's counting on the demon to be entertaining at all times, until some manner of, what?
An "end"?
Are the two of them even capable of ending anything? It remains to be seen, if they are even capable of tiring of one another. Maybe then, there could be an end in sight. For now, Set parks himself right there along the maimed demon's body ( rip silco ) and engages him in a little conversation. About sides, and agreements. He does not even swat at that errant hand, sorry to anyone who looks over. As if being observed in Sebastian's presence is as much a thing he wishes to show off, and to allow them to draw conclusions over, as it is for the other. ]
You may believe that is what I want from you, if it finds you purchase in me.
[ He's not entirely stupid about words like this, just new. With Sebastian, he always feels like he lives in an eternal dance, sharp and ready to be brought to bear at any moment, and lowered in the next. Set feels if he were to name something concrete that he desired, some end goal, it would give Sebastian leverage over him; if Sebastian does not require a contract, and instead just continues to dabble in them like the masochistic perv he is, that's his thing! ]
For now, to be taught by you and provide you with someone to teach is good enough. I do not know if we would be any good, if we locked ourselves into a contract together.
[ But, he allows Sebastian to know that he has considered it. ]
says the other do-m
Hm… I could see circumstances in which you would find it an appealing quarry. Not necessarily with the conflict Kenos provides, though. The power to shape something like me has an appeal. But to want it, I think you would be aspiring to something different.
[ It’s not as if Set had asked for that elaboration, but Sebastian sees no harm in giving it. What he alludes to is something that he doesn’t think Set has much interest in. At best, it would be a passing fancy in the same way the thought has crossed Sebastian’s mind at times. Were they possessed of their normal abilities, is this a realm they could simply conquer and bend to their will? In that case, an ancient demon’s loyalty would be invaluable. As would a war god’s, were it his conquest instead.
But that sort of ambition didn’t suit either of them. At least not when there was a goal they found more interesting or important first.
His fingers twirl a circle on Set’s skin, but he then sets his hand to rest on the god’s thigh. It’s where his hand would naturally come to rest without having to shift, but it still speaks to a certain comfort in each other’s presence. Scandalous, surely. Sebastian half-misses the social conventions of England when he’s with Set if only for how much trouble they could cause. ]
Even so, I am inclined to agree. I think the most fun we would have would be the negotiating of terms. Why, I believe you would run circles around even my most clever masters for those!
[ …Honestly, he’s tempted to one day bring it up as a fun theoretical game at the Last Dance sometime. They’ll likely talk for hours until kicked out by someone annoyed by their nitpicking of the finer points of language and intent. ]
I imagine your wish would be a difficult one, even for me. Perhaps even impossible, if I am honest.