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blight buddies <3
WHO: The Blight Buddies (aka those who signed up here)
WHAT: The Blight still needs curing
WHERE: Various
WHEN: great question
WARNINGS: I’m going to guess morally questionable things, so,
CODING
WHAT: The Blight still needs curing
WHERE: Various
WHEN: great question
WARNINGS: I’m going to guess morally questionable things, so,
TURN BACK TIME
Before making their valiant return, a small group will feel their consciousness touched by a presence that’s familiar now. Just like the force that sent them to the dead Tree, the force of Aetós’s magic envelops them again. They hear the distinct tick tick tick of a watch’s hand moving, though it’s soft. Aetós speaks through it.
Less than I would like, but it’ll have to do. We have a Blight to solve.
It’s a similar sensation as the first time as their time magic does its work. The group is vaulted through time and space, but this time they land somewhere that will be familiar to some and new to others: The Scorching Isles. The isle isn't cold, it's vivacious and full of life as the Atrirat go about their everyday lives in the castle and the surrounding area. However, filaments of teal light randomly thread throughout the area that seem to go unseen by the Atirat... Nor do they seem to acknowledge your presence as strange.
Their Blight was developing at this point. It should provide ample, repeatable testing grounds. When you've found the answer, I'll bring you back.
Is that strain you hear in their voice? Maybe, since this level of magic can't be easy to maintain... But regardless of your opinions of Aetós and their work, it seems you’re allies… For now.
As such, characters who participate in this mini plot will not be excluded from post Oracle event happenings. By the time they return to Kenos, they’ll have already experienced this log’s events and will have the knowledge of how to develop the cures! Time travel, baby. This log is more for y’all to thread out learning this process, should you wish to do so. Sharing/creating the cure back in Kenos-proper will then be up to them.
Characters will be able to fully explore the Scorching Isles (with more info also on the original event post and related ooc post), and will remain there for what they’ll likely experience to be a few days. They’ll be able to find food, comfortable beds, and maybe more importantly, well-stocked laboratories for science and magic both that are operated by Mr. Tibbs’s (former) master and best friend, Mimsy the wizard. It may take some exploration, but essentially whatever they need, they won’t have a problem finding it.
So, how to go about finding that cure? Well—
Less than I would like, but it’ll have to do. We have a Blight to solve.
It’s a similar sensation as the first time as their time magic does its work. The group is vaulted through time and space, but this time they land somewhere that will be familiar to some and new to others: The Scorching Isles. The isle isn't cold, it's vivacious and full of life as the Atrirat go about their everyday lives in the castle and the surrounding area. However, filaments of teal light randomly thread throughout the area that seem to go unseen by the Atirat... Nor do they seem to acknowledge your presence as strange.
Their Blight was developing at this point. It should provide ample, repeatable testing grounds. When you've found the answer, I'll bring you back.
Is that strain you hear in their voice? Maybe, since this level of magic can't be easy to maintain... But regardless of your opinions of Aetós and their work, it seems you’re allies… For now.
OOC EXPLANATION
Welcome (back) to the Scorching Isles! Aetós has gathered the characters that had previously worked on trying to cure the Blight and sent them back in time to the Scorching Isles after it had begun to spread there. These characters are tasked with finding and developing the cure for the Blight while Aetós essentially holds time in place for them... For 24 hours at a time. Aetós has created a time loop, where every 24 hours, the day will repeat. The Atirat have no memory of (or injury from) the previous loop, but player characters will retain what they've learned and experienced, naturally.As such, characters who participate in this mini plot will not be excluded from post Oracle event happenings. By the time they return to Kenos, they’ll have already experienced this log’s events and will have the knowledge of how to develop the cures! Time travel, baby. This log is more for y’all to thread out learning this process, should you wish to do so. Sharing/creating the cure back in Kenos-proper will then be up to them.
Characters will be able to fully explore the Scorching Isles (with more info also on the original event post and related ooc post), and will remain there for what they’ll likely experience to be a few days. They’ll be able to find food, comfortable beds, and maybe more importantly, well-stocked laboratories for science and magic both that are operated by Mr. Tibbs’s (former) master and best friend, Mimsy the wizard. It may take some exploration, but essentially whatever they need, they won’t have a problem finding it.
So, how to go about finding that cure? Well—
FIND A CURE
To give the players maximum freedom for how this works and how you want to thread this process out, we’re going to work backwards! This is all the information that characters could/will learn through their time (“time”) on the Scorching Isles. How they discover it, how they test their theories etc., is all up to you guys! There’s a plotting thread in Discord for you to chat about things OOC, but this log is hopefully a spot for them to make Questionable Science Friends, so feel free to thread things in whatever way you think is most fun. So, without further ado:
THE SCORCHING ISLES & THE BLIGHT
- The Scorching Isles are a kingdom called Vhen, which split off from the county of Rascheel. Through whatever forces split off chunks of worlds to have them float in the astral sea of Kenos, Vhen suddenly arrived. For a time, the kingdom was in chaos at their new situation, but the court wizard, Mimsy, discovered time magic. Not long after, he summons his familiar, “Mr. Tibbs”.
- Time magic was used to stabilize the Atrirat way of life. Widely used by the Atirat, this allowed them to vastly increase the production levels of their meagre farmlands. Plants could grow to productive levels in a matter of a week, and animals could be raised in a month.
- Decades pass, and over time, the time magic begins to show its flaws. Plants and animals start to die too quickly, so new methods are developed to grow supplies independent of “life”. Seeds are fast-forwarded into an edible form, and edible muscle is grown independent of intelligent life. They will indeed find a slaughterhouse of (perfectly edible!) meat blobs that lack anything but the most basic systems needed to grow the meat.
- Eventually, the magic becomes outright unstable and develops into a condition the Atrirat call “Timerot”, better known as the Blight. Food becomes scarce as The Blight begins to spread. People are seen as “sick” and are murdered when quarantines prove ineffective. Crops die. Winter comes.
- Mimsy breaks the island’s isolationist streak and reaches out to contact Aetós, the wizard of Springstar, who was in the service of the 4th Tribune. A letter from Aetós explains that the only recourse at this point is to “pause the situation” before it gets worse and develop a solution in solitude. By the time of the loop, it seems Mimsy still has hope of finding it without that measure... But you already know how that turns out.
- Based on Mimsy’s starting research, you must begin with a foundation of metals such as gold, silver, and platinum, known for their association with longevity and vitality.
- Combine the liquid metals into water that has been purified by the energy of Meridian or Zenith. Rather than solidify, the metals will turn the water a pale gold or purple, depending on the energy applied.
- Extract the essence of the metals through distillation or infusion, capturing their rejuvenating properties.
- Create an herbal infusion of Blue Lotus, a flower that grows in the pools of the Atrirat, and Turquoise Vitalia, a blue flower that grows outside of the castle, but is the same one that was found in the highlands of World’s Edge.
- Combine the metal essence with the herbal infusion.
- Infuse the mixture with Meridian energy while heating.
- Filter the tonic with Zenith energy while cooling.
- Assess the extent of the time distortion causing rapid degradation in the objects. This will help in estimating the required amount of Meridian and Zenith. This will vary from object to object and needs to be more precise the more advanced the degradation.
- Apply the temporal reversal: Utilize a device or spell to apply the calculated temporal reversal to the affected objects. Ensure precision and accuracy to avoid unintended side effects. These side effects are free for y’all to determine!
- Monitor and adjust: Continuously monitor the progress of the temporal reversal. Adjust the amount of Meridian or Zenith being applied constantly to ensure stability. When the forces are roughly even, the process is most effective.
THE CURE – LIVING THINGS
To cure living things that are affected by the Blight, the group will eventually be able to create a potion that will reverse the Blight (so long as it’s not too advanced). If injected like a vaccine into a healthy person, it will give them an immunity to the Blight. If the condition is too advanced, there doesn’t seem to be a way to reverse it, and they may come to the conclusion that they’re better off quarantined/killed to prevent further spread. The potion is created as follows:THE CURE – ENVIORNMENTAL
Curing a non-living thing involves the use of the forces of Meridian and Zenith.Characters will discover that by applying Meridian or Zenith energies to an object, it seems to stop the aging process, if only temporarily. Combining them seems to reverse it. However, the method and amounts will need tweaking, where they’ll be able to develop something with these general steps—Feel free to adjust, add flavor, invent something, etc.!
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[ Make way for Mr. Semantics. ]
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[ strong feelings about being deeply traumatised and also one of the last of your kind? nah ]
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[ The idea of Bondrewd is the idea of arms opened, spread as if to engulf all. Even John Gaius. ]
I believe we both are capable of great kindness, Mister John. You and I are not men who need gratitude, only the pursuit of all knowledge, heedless of bias or experience. Purity of progress, in every direction imaginable .
[ There is the sense that, they are like one another; purposely purged of humanity. Bondrewd just included his anger, as well. ]
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[ john liked it better when he thought they were already dead. this changes nothing about his plans for the experiments, but it's a complicating factor he could have done without. ]
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[ It is mysterious, to Bondrewd. It is not within the confines of his world and knowledge, ergo even if it looks to be something he could apply his past to, he must also juggle the idea that it may be entirely, fundamentally different than his experience.
Among the absolute, stark emotionless quality of his mind, is the shining knife of curiosity that has become utterly untethered from humanity, connections and ethical consideration. ]
Is it not wonderful, to be able to hold out ones hands and say all that I knew, I release — and begin anew. Experienced, cultivated, but swimming in new waters.
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[ his research has always had an inherent urgency to it, and his experience is a valuable weapon against his enemies. he had wanted to save a dying planet once, and john is always fighting time. his curiosity is born of a need to innovate to win or to solve a problem. whatever joys of learning he might've possessed once died off a long time ago. ]
But I have mentioned to someone else the idea of unburdening them of their memories of the experience. We could always consider it.
[ surely bondrewd wouldn't object to a little necromantic brain surgery. ]
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[ he doesn't sound affected at all, yikes ]
I can only hope that here, you have the time to truly come into your own — and that you may find again, or find newly, the passions I have been lucky to know. I am always here to help you with that, as well. We are partners, after all.
[ and! actually! there is a little spike of attentiveness from that dark, endless mire of non-self ]
— that would not be a bad idea, either. If their minds are struggling, removing that which they struggle with could be enough to spare them the fight they must instinctively have.
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While I do not refute that the road ahead of them may be difficult, they should have the chance to do what they will with the rest of their lives. There is no need to forcefully pen a final chapter to journeys that are not yet near their end.
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[ the consequence of his alignment with the Zenith is that he is called even more strongly than usual to destruction. the idea of wiping things clean and starting over has always appealed, but never more than it has since he left the Meridian. ]
Maybe that part could simply be forgotten. They could wake up and think they've been asleep for a long time. Even if the entire world has ended around them, it's easier because they're just grateful to be alive. They don't need to remember the rest.
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Is such a thing within our ability to facilitate - forgetting everything about being Blighted and only believing that they slept for a long long time?
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[ he's had plenty of practice. ]
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[ If time was something so malleable in Kenos, then why not memories? Especially with the veil of self so thin here.
Unfortunately, Zhongli is also the type of god who has done all sorts of things for the "good" of his people. And there's no need for doubt or regret if one is almost always assured that they are doing what must be done. ]
Pardon my cautiousness, but are there no negative side effects to such a method? I would be loathe to layer more undesirable consequences on top of Mimsy's unfortunate mistakes made while handling Time.
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[ which might be seen as an unacceptable risk to some, but not john. that was a small price to pay for a clean slate. if you were careful, it probably wouldn't matter.]
It's not magic, so there wouldn't be potential cascading effects from weird side effects.
[ it's not magic, just a little light brain surgery. ]
It's for their own good, otherwise the choices are death or trauma.
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It does not have to be a lie if it is just an omission of details. The truth is out there for them to find if they are unhappy with the results. And then may do with that what they wish.
[ After having life-altering decisions made for them without their consent. ]
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[ Zhongli's expression brightens as he remembers one more individual that they should be on the lookout for. ]
As well as a talented singer who was able to escape the effects of the Blight and frozen time altogether.
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[ OH!? ]
— do inform me if you identify this singer, we will include them in our collective.
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Surely, the Blight has begun to show itself even now in less drastic effects. I will be optimistic that some would willing assist us if we explain what is at stake for their way of life.
[ As for the singer... ]
Her stage name is the Siren. And like Mr. Tibbs, she managed to remain awake and alert while the rest of the Scorching Isles lay asleep in time. I know not how much she changed during her isolation considering she seemed to also possess a Shard, but if I can find her, I will see if she is willing to assist us.
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[ And he will. He is certain that he can obtain some of the Atirat's permission, even if he must bend the truth a little. This, he can do for him and for Gavial as well. But, if the strain upon Aetós begins to show, he will do what he must. ]
Ah, Mister Tibbs. I hope he survived the roots, what a difficult life he must have lived — carrying on as the world decayed around him. It was very Zenite-like of him, to decide all must perish for the sake of his own loss, as he must have seen no way to turn back, and naught else to lose. Your Siren will be one of my top priorities, though. Find her and convince her to come here, and we will save her together.
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I'm afraid we will have to disagree on your interpretation of Zenith principles. Those who inflict their own grief and suffering on others with no purpose have no place within the ideals of either faction.
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How is it that you interpret Zenith's principles, though? I am always interested.
[ he is! ]
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But perhaps I should ask this of you instead as you are currently Meridian. Do you not feel compelled to save these people and this isle? Is this not one of the places that should be brought back from the brink of destruction?