kenoslogs | 2023 catch-all

[Caught in the snare of roots, Liem holds firm and quiet in the face of the spirit’s anger, the calm at the eye of the storm of its emotion. He does not speak — cannot, really — but Dimitri’s words, the openness from him and Karlach do seem to reach whatever and whoever is so intent on blocking their way.

In answer to Dimitri’s question, an image appears again, dim and grey through the time and distance that now separates them from the life this individual once held. It is the impossibly broad trunk of the Tree of Life, with its gnarled roots, its profusion of mighty branches all lit by a warm golden glow. Snatches of meaning intertwine with a deep sense of longing, emerging from the storm of rage and grief.

Whoever this person was, now that they have died, now that they have lost their battle and failed their purpose, they wish to return to the tree that brought them to this world.]

[ Dimitri's breath comes in a low exhale as he sees this vision. Even dim and faded as it is, he recognizes it, and he reaches out a hand to rest it against the gnarled roots. His voice is low; saddened. ]

I think I understand.

[ He tilts his head, as if trying to find a face. Something to look at, to place at the center of his attention. ]

We can take you back. I promise you that I will, once we're through here. You deserve that chance. A moment to rest. A place to be.

[ He won't turn that away. Not when it hurts this much. ]

I promise you.

[ Karlach's heart squeezes in her chest as she grasps what it is this presence really wants. It has been lost. Alone. All it wants is someplace safe to rest.

It is a feeling that she understands deep in her bones, even if not the same way this thing does. ]

We will. Promise.

[ Her voice soft, almost a little sad. ]

[With the promises from Karlach and Dimitri, the feeling of rage pouring through the connection gradually recedes. Slowly, the roots twining around Liem’s arm pull back, the Communion becoming muffled and muddied once more as the woody tendrils separate from the shard in his chest. Liem himself lets out a heavy sigh, as though he’d been holding his breath for a long time.

All about the three of them, the forest of roots writhes, shifts, and parts, sinking back into the tunnel walls to reveal the path forward; all the roots except for a gnarled bit of root that remains curled about Liem’s wrist, and thin tendrils that reach out to wrap themselves around Dimitri and Karlach’s wrists as well, breaking off from the main body of the roots to form a sort of bracelet.

A token, perhaps, to remind them of the promise they’d made. To ensure they do not forget.]

Thank you, [Liem says when the way is cleared.] We will return for you.

[All that’s left then is to press forward, to finally reach the thing they came for. So he does.]

[ Dimitri lets out a breath he wasn't quite aware he'd been holding as the plants slowly, slowly recedes and he's left with a token of remembrance. He reaches up to touch fingers gently against the little bracelet and then he steps forward after Liem, peering down the tunnel as he starts forward. There's a determination emanating from him as he stalks forward.

Whatever lurks down here, he will do his best to solve the problem - and then keep his promise. ]

...was that another shard-bearer, once?

[ Karlach lets out a breath she's been holding as the roots retreat and their earnest promises seem to drag forth a concession from whatever presence was inhibiting their forward progress. She glances at the others and follows them onwards, grip right on her axe. ]

That's the feeling I got.

[ She's not sure how else to respond to the question. What does it mean for her? Could she herself become something like this grasping, unhappy presence. ]

I think it must have been, [Liem agrees as they press onward.] Whoever they were, it seemed like they emerged from the Tree once, like we all did.

[What kind of person that shard-bearer was, what they looked like, even what side they harmonized with, Liem has no idea. Does their final resting place beneath the Church of Helios make it more likely that they belonged to Meridian, or less? He couldn’t guess.

As make their way further through tunnels that now open up into larger caverns, the rock and earth about them continue to be rife with roots. Perhaps from Springstar’s Great Tree? It seems likely, since he can’t imagine what other roots would penetrate so far beneath the surface of the island.]

I got the sense that they didn’t just die… but that they failed. Perhaps, whatever war they were a part of, they got to see their side lose it.

[ It's a strange thing to consider. Someone like them who came along and maybe experienced some of the same things they did. And now... they're here. Where ever this is and whatever their life had been before. He's lost in thought. At least until Liem speaks up again. ]

An interesting thought.

[ He frowns. ]

...that is itself a terrible thought. Is this something that might happen to us?

...So we have to win to not end up like that? And people on the other side...?

[ Karlach sounds grim, disgusted. She's already worn out and tired from the whole process of getting down here, but the follow-up gut punch of a realization about their situation vis-a-vis the whole war seems to have hit her. ]

I don’t know if “win” is right.

[The frown on Liem’s face is pensive as they delve deeper into a gloomy, root-filled cavern. The space around them opens up, becoming expansive enough that the far ends are swallowed in shadow.]

There must have been a winning side to at least some of the previous wars, regardless of whether all the Oracles were claimed, and yet all of those shard-bearers, regardless of faction, are just as gone and forgotten now.

I recall when Aetós contacted everyone earlier in the month, he said none of the previous wars had come to a conclusion. He also told me that, whenever that happened, the shard-bearers of that generation were all “purged” one way or another.

Aetos...

[ Dimitri grinds his teeth. He doesn't like thinking about the man. Or whoever that person is. He finds them cruel, uncaring, wasteful of life and willing to inflict pain for no other reason than to sate his curiosity. ]

How reliable can his information be? Why should we trust his words?

[ Then again, why should they trust almost anyone here? ]

He is clearly not a good person.

[Liem doesn’t even try to deny this; even if the experiments on unwilling people weren’t damning enough — and they are — Aetós himself admitted that he would not offer aid to the current generation of shard-bearers unless it also benefited himself.]

Nevertheless, I don’t think that necessarily makes his words less trustworthy than those of any other Kenos resident. He has no motivation to help us — but also no motivation to mislead us, at least from what I know of him.

And, most saliently, the little he has been willing to divulge does make sense considering our present circumstances. I think it would be unwise to discount it entirely.

[ Dimitri shakes his head. ]

I would rather not deal with him at all. But you're right. If he has information that will help us...

[ He breathes out in a sigh. ]

Then we take it and use it as best we can. Otherwise we might as well plug our ears or wear blindfolds.

[This is about where Liem’s at; he isn’t about to seek Aetós out to speak with him further, but the opportunity to pick his brain just a little had been too good to pass up. Liem doesn’t intend to let the things he’s learned go to waste.

An agreement is on his lips — but it dies unspoken as Liem instead pauses in his tracks, raising a hand to signal his companions to do the same. Carefully, he steps back behind the shelter of a large root, peering into the broad, vaulting cavern ahead.

At the centre, hidden in the darkness beyond their light’s range, something gnarled and misshapen lurks. He only glimpses it for a moment before he snuffs out the magic keeping their light aglow, plunging them all into darkness.]

I think we might have found our quarry.

[His voice is low, steady. Up above the creature, descending from the cavern’s high ceiling, he still recalls the shape of broad, twisted roots, plunging through the rock. Pulling a damp quarrel from his quiver, he loads it into the groove of his crossbow.]

I’m going to light it up. Be ready.

[A rapid incantation sets the loaded quarrel ablaze with light — and then, only a moment later, Liem sends it shooting through the air, embedding the glowing bolt firmly in that root overlooking the cavern’s centre.]

[ Dimitri pauses and goes silent as Liem signals and then he creeps forward to join him, peering into the gloom and then the darkness as the light goes out. It's quiet - far too quiet, really - and he tries to glimpse whatever it is they've been pursuing and searching for all this time. He reaches out to give Liem's shoulder a little tap of acknowledgement, choosing that rather than a verbal reply.

His body goes tense and he waits.

He watches.

And then there's a blaze of light and Dimitri goes darting forward, lance held ready to fight whatever twisted shape emerges from the harsh shadows thrown off by the glowing bolt. ]

[As Liem expected, in just the few moments between him dousing the light and then firing that glowing bolt into the centre of the cavern’s roof, the silhouette he’d spotted earlier disappears. As Dimitri darts forward, with Liem following in his wake, the space ahead of them seems empty.

But that is only because the creature has found a perch elsewhere. As the three of them leave the shelter of the smaller cavern behind them, the creature swoops down from one of the cave walls, a monstrosity of twisted wing and limb and root. In two of its misshapen limbs, it holds a spear that appears to be grown right from the roots in its body; it closes rapidly out of the gloom as Liem shouts,]

On our left!

[ Dimitri hears the yell and fortunately enough that's not his blind side. He whirls with speed and strength born of practice and long years of experience and he lunges to meet the swooping creature. Lance to lance, blade to blade. There's a clash and then creature wheels off - neither of them have landed a telling blow and apparently this thing prefers not to stand and fight. ]

See if you can keep an eye on it!

[ Which is something he's trying to do himself. ]

Unfortunately, I can't follow it up like that...

[As Dimitri lunges to engage the swooping creature in melee, Liem fits another quarrel into his crossbow. He’s ready when it wheels off to climb again into the air, and sends his bolt after it, lodging in the meat (root?) at the base of one fibrous wing. For a moment, he even hopes that he’s hampered it with the injury; it wobbles a little as it ascends, its turn a little clumsier than before. But as he watches, he sees the woody flesh around the quarrel pucker and twist — and spit the quarrel out, leaving barely any mark at all.]

I see it, [he confirms. He’s hardly likely to miss it with it it swooping around like that, even when it darts into the more shadowed parts of the cavern.]

Let’s try to go for the wings. We won’t get anywhere chipping away at it.

[As he speaks, the thing wheels around for another pass — this time coming for him. Liem lunges out of the way of a savage swing of that spearlike root, scrambling to keep clear.]

I will-

[ There's a moment where he has to reacquire it as it comes swooping back - and he leaps forward as Liem dodges and this time his strike is more true. The lance pierces a wing and slashes through the weird wooden flesh and then rips the membrane. The creature shrieks and this time it wobbles and collapses, unable to stay in the air - at least for now. If it starts healing again, it will probably get there. ]

There! It's wounded!

[ However temporarily. ]

[Liem has his hands full keeping away from the creature’s stabbing weapon, particularly as its reach is longer than he’d like, but then Dimitri is there, and Liem can again turn his attention to loosing quarrel after quarrel at its misshapen body. Two of the quarrels find their mark, puncturing deep into the creature’s chest along its ribs. (Does it have ribs?) The third, however, goes wide as some strangeness sinking into Liem makes his grip on his crossbow falter, makes him fumble as he pulls the trigger.

It’s his arms: they’re too long, sprouting fibrous and green from the ends of his sleeves, fingers like twigs strangely shaped within the confines of his gloves. He can feel that malformation against his boots as well, around his hips, his waist, at his shoulders; he is not as he should be. It makes him shudder, and back hastily away from the warped creature now lashing out at the assailants around it, as it stitches its wing back together to spring back into flight.]

[ Dimitri is focused on trying to bring the creature down - but there's a pause as he glances back and catches sight of Liem and the twisting, changing shape of his body. There's a horrified little gasp and he swipes at the creature, the thing's spear catching against his armor. He backs off, stepping away to hurry to Liem's side. ]

Liem-! Are you hurt?

I— I don’t think so.

[Liem glances between Dimitri and the creature, which takes the moment’s respite to disengage from Karlach and climb back into the air on its healing wing. As it gets further away, the strange, deformed plantlike quality of Liem’s body softens and recedes back to something closer to normal.]

It must have done something, but I’m all right. Just be careful; those roots clearly aren’t its only weapons.

[And as it swoops down again toward the three of them, Liem waits until it’s almost upon them; then, he steps away through the air, disappearing from next to Dimitri and reappearing thirty feet away in a different part of the cave. This time, instead of raising his crossbow, he begins to cast a spell.]

[ Dimitri isn't sure he believes that. But he doesn't have much else to do but listen to him and carry on. ]

Understood.

[ And he rises to meet the creature. There's another clash as it swoops and agian, armor sees him through, but he feels somehow sluggish. Tied down in a way. He doesn't land a blow, but he is providing a distraction. Maybe that will be enough. ]

[For the moment, a distraction is all Liem needs. In the time it takes Dimitri to occupy the creature with a clash of spears, Liem speaks his spell into existence, gesturing toward the winged monster. Nothing obvious happens — but the root-infested angel shudders as some force overtakes it.

And then, shifting its grip on the rootlike spear that is its weapon, it turns it around and stabs the spear through the meat of one of its own thighs. Liem quickly loads another quarrel into his crossbow, levelling it at the creature’s back.]

Quickly! Before the magic ends.

[ Dimitri's eye widens and then he takes that opening and springs. He's a practiced warrior, prepared for this - and he attacks with a shattering blow from his lance, driving it through the creature's heart (or where it's heart ought to be) in a swift strike, driven by immense strength. ]

2023 catch-all

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cw: body horror

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