beleos: (pic#15952557)
beleos ([personal profile] beleos) wrote in [community profile] kenoslogs2023-08-18 09:53 am

Toxic Love: The Exalt Oracle


NOTHING GOES OFF WITHOUT A HITCH
You feel it, the moment that the Exalt oracle opens its eyes, like something that rips through your body from head to toe, something that feel like fire, wild. It sears into your veins, like acid and fire, something that triggers something that makes you want to run, or perhaps turn and face something head on. Before you can find what sets you off – if you could find it. Bearers know what this sensation is, it is different but the same at its core. The emotions, the feelings it sparks are different – but in the end, you know it for what it is: An Oracle.

Kenos groans from the awakening, like a part of a whole sparks to life, and though you do not know what it is that they want yet, you understand and know their existence down to your core. That feeling to attack or defend, perhaps even flee, does not leave you, but instead it fills your veins, you feel it thrumming, pulsing, like the beat of a heart – if one has one. With the sense of awakening, bearers know the shape of what comes next, they will be asked to act, to do. You do not know how it will happen, or what the Exalt will ask of you, but the knowledge that it will happen is borne from experience, not from the Oracle itself.

As you begin to move, to… look, you are not long for this day, it clouds your mind, a hazy, drowsy feeling takes over, the encroaching dark that threatens to swarm, crowding from the sides, taking over your vision – until… it fully takes over, and Bearers are put into a deep slumber.


When bearers awaken, it’s difficult to make sense of what your sleepy eyes see. Structures begin to swim into view, and they like tall figures looking down upon you. It’s difficult to tell what they are at first, but as you wake up, you begin to see, they are not people, or creatures, but long spore-like stalks. Some have ribbed overgrowths that you can see, and some end in growths that ripple and hang over, but have no “cap”. They tower over the bearers, like towering spires and buildings, on all sides, as if they were trapped in a ring of them. As bearers look around them they will notice tall green spires around them as well, and it takes a moment for things to really settle in. Mushrooms. Blades of grass. The springy moss about them is almost as tall as they are, low to the ground. There are pebbles that appear as boulders, and the thunderous steps nearby indicate an insect or arachnid walking by, far larger than you. There is a stillness to this space, like a held breath, and as the bearers awake, and regard one another, and then to the center of the circle is – a small effigy in the center.

It is here, the Exalt Oracle, and you feel compelled to regard it, before you are given a pang down to your core. It compels you – pleads, asks, begs, and demands, all in one – for what it wishes for. Precious mementos and precious items that they are missing. They have been lost, and they are somewhere within the Liosachán. It beseeches the bearers to return its items, and begs they be returned here to the circle. There are no words, but there is a pleading sensation, a feeling that these items are treasured by this Oracle.

You feel at your sides, your pockets, and find one item on your person, a weapon, a companion, whatever it is you would bring with you to the conflict, shrunk down to a tiny size with you.

Stay steadfast, bearers, and capture the flag Oracle!
SURVIVAL OF THE SMALLEST ( DAYS 1 - 5 )
Unlike the still, stale apocalypse that had been the setting of the Iconoclast Oracle, the greenhouse is lush and vibrant with activity.

The Effigy present within yearns to be reunited with what belongs to it, fixated upon the five items lost within the greenhouse. The swell of its longing fills all Shardbearers, urging them to take action, claim the items and present all five to it to attain victory for that Faction.

Over a period of ten days, Shardbearers of both factions will have to navigate environmental dangers, and the normal procession of time, as the greenhouse is going about its daily routine. Workers plod around like towering goliaths, weeding and watering and pruning the greenhouse's contents. The Liosachán's native population of fae begin to take notice of the newcomers in their midst, emerging from grassy mounds hidden in the natural landscape to spy and pry about the newness surrounding them.
Naturally curious, and equally dangerous, the fae of the Liosachán are Highstorm natives. They range in cool coloration, from soft violet-greys to deep stormy blues, and wear clothes fashioned from of goods pilfered from the pockets of workers, dropped on the ground or handcrafted from the environment itself. Wielding bits of copper tightly wound into blades and spears, they are a ferocious and cunning little people who seek to trick, trap and toy with Shardbearers. Direct violence is anathema to them, but violence that happens as a result of falling to one of their ploys is a badge of honor.
DAY ONE - THREE. The Effigy initially urges Shardbearers to build bases of operation for defense and practicality, as surviving ten days without supporting one another is a surefire way to meet a grisly, tiny little end. Resources must be gathered: gather food and water, prepare shelter, establish unity and organization and prepare to set off into the wilds soon.

For Shardbearers demonstrating particular selflessness, favoring the protection and defense of another, the Effigy responds warmly from the third day onward — rewarding them with a sign of their dutiful nature towards others in the form of fairy wings, the form of which are unique to the Shardbearer themselves.

DAY FOUR. The sudden thunderous sound of a storm begins. No, not a storm, the tumble and crash of water pouring down upon the greenhouse — the workers of the Liosachán perform their routines faithfully, after all. In watering the garden, the danger of the environment threatens to overtake Shardbearers and their work alike. Drops of water fall, their size equal or larger than even the tallest of characters, and trickles of water muddy the ground in the form of raging rapids.

The security of Meridian and Zenith's camps is even called into question, because as simple as the act of watering a garden is, it is a nightmarish situation for such itty bitty Bearers to be in!

DAY FIVE. By day five, the fae of the Liosachán no longer lurk and linger in the corner of one's eye. They make themselves known, having prepared a banquet below one of the mushrooms, within sight of the Effigy. A table draped in spider-silk lace awaits any Bearer who comes near enough, the sagging piece of driftwood polished to a gleam with golden sap, leaving it waterproofed and pretty to behold. A handful of corks serve as seating, with most of the fae draping themselves across scraps of cotton as though they are simply at a picnic.

They invitingly wave to Shardbearers, chattering brightly in their foreign, lilting tongue, waving tiny sandwiches and little clay pots full of jams and honeys, brandishing sugared berries that they bite into with gusto, staining their arms and faces in swathes of blue and red. They clearly are welcoming to whomever comes upon them, urging them to avail themselves to the bounty they have prepared. Perhaps some characters know better than to eat the food of the fae, recalling legends and lore about the mystical properties and implicit bargains made in becoming a guest. Perhaps some have no idea, and are simply hungry enough to dig in!

UNWILLING TEN-ANTS ( DAYS SIX - EIGHT )
The scuttling, scrabbling feet of ants crawling over surfaces, winding their way through this grassy playground, has become normal. Their feet thunder as they go about their business, and it seems to be a normal cadence to life here in the underbrush, in the greenhouse. It is normal, and it is has become nothing to really concern oneself with. They are ants, after all, what do they do, but work? Endlessly, continuously.

That is, until the heavy, loud sounds of their feet draw closer to whatever place that the bearers have found to camp in. Whether solitary or as a group, these workers are no longer content to simply ignore the bearers, but they are a curiosity, perhaps even a bother. You have disrupted their lifestyle. The sleepy pattern of obtain food, return ot the hive, and back out again now has obstacles. Now there are not simply the fairies, who live their own lives and existences, a part of the ecosystem, but now there are these tiny bearers. Fighting, working together, arguing and disagreeing.

You are disruptive to their way of life.

The ants have come to collect on this due, and some bearers that are vulnerable, or perhaps merely caught, are taken away, your weight so light compared to the rest of their burdens that they carry. The strength of these ants is overwhelming, incredible at this size, and try as you might, if you are caught in their strong mandibles, you cannot escape. An ant, after all, carries 1000 times their weight with those powerful jaws. You, bearer, are nothing to them.

They squirrel away the bearers within their hill, a complicated network of tunnels, junctions, and large spaces. Down within, where the air becomes stifling, and stale. The ants guard their pray, and you get the distinct sense that they see you not as people, not even as enemies, but as prey. You will be food – perhaps to the eggs that are gathered within this room, where you can see the stirring of new life, just beneath the surface. You may not have very long to live, if these little larvae get their mouths on you.

Or perhaps, your friends will save you? Once it is discovered that bearers are missing, the trail of ant prints on the ground is apparent – they are not stealthy creatures – and the feet lead from the locations of several kidnapped bearers toward the grainy ant hill that lies not far away. The hill itself swarms with life, with worker ants all over the surface, scuttling about, looking for the next meal for te colony. Or perhaps for more bearers to bring back for their young.

It will be dangerous, bearers, to save your friends. Should you choose to do so, you will be kicking the anthill, and the ants will protect what is theirs. Even if they just took it. Those bearers belong to them, now! Rescuers will find not only your average worker ant, ready to defend, but winged male ants will attack from above, and deeper, within the nest, near where the bearers are kept, lies the strongest ant in the colony: The Queen. Staggeringly large, strong, and vicious, when her subjects begin dying. She will do everything in her power to protect her colony, and that includes killing bearers, if need be. Or trying, at least.

Good luck rescuing your friends, bearers!
IN SMALL PACKAGES ( DAYS NINE - TEN )
The day after the ant-pocalypse brings with it the brush of recognition — the Effigy has foreseen the likely victors, and calls to them to approach it once they have suitably recovered. It judges them the ones whom are most devoted to what binds them, loyal to memory and remembrance, and begins to clamor for them to restore to it what belongs rightfully. Thus begins a full day of resting, locating last-minute items, shoring up defenses and preparing for the sprint to the finish line.

Certainly your rivals will not allow you to simply walk to the Effigy unassailed and unchallenged.

Eat, rest, ensure your fellows are close and bolstered, for tomorrow begins the final rally.

On the morning of the tenth day, Meridian Shardbearers approach the Effigy with its five items in hand. In the midst of the mushroom ring, the Effigy stands as it had in the beginning — arms outstretched and back bowed skyward, gnarled fingers seeking contact with that which has been lost to it. It awaits, it strains, and even as it does, it requires one last test of ability. From the shadows of the towering mushrooms, the rasp of scale and soft hiss of a great beast descends upon the fae ring.

A gleaming garden snake, with glossy black and green stripes, blocks the way between approaching Shardbearers and the Effigy.

Between its bright eyes, pressed upon its brow is a scattering of brighter scales that appear to be in the shape of a delicate, three-leafed plant with spiraling patterns for leaves. It braces itself against the approach, and there is no doubt that to claim victory, the serpent must be subdued. Though Meridian approaches with victory in hand, they have not yet attained it — their rival faction and this beast remain in their way.

MISSING LINKS ( THROUGHOUT )
As the Effigy desires to be reunited with what belongs to it, the swell of its longing stirs something more within all present Shardbearers.

With that foreign longing arrives knowledge: beyond the five items prized by the Effigy itself, there are other lost things within the greenhouse. Like a compass, each Shardbearer's mind points them in direction after direction, urging them to seek and explore. Implicitly, the thrum of comprehension fills your mind: these are things that do not belong to you, per se, but seek to have your hands ferry them home.

Amidst tangled brush, hidden under doffed acorn cap, tucked away in the belly of a fae's glittering den, lost in the depths of a puddle of spilled water that seems an insurmountable lake now, folded secretly into the petals of a towering, skyscraper-like flower, there are three additional items hidden within the tumultuous landscape that each Shardbearer feels a draw towards. Things that belong to someone else, eager to be reunited with them, but subject to whim.

Upon locating and retrieving one, the Shardbearer is filled with a sense of information — they know who this item belongs to, and they will know that they have a choice. Bonds are fragile things after all, and they exist to be enforced or abused, in order to advance a goal or to deepen a connection. How will you treat someone's precious bond? How will they treat yours?
NOTES
Here are some prompts to set the scene and foundation of the Exalt Oracle! — The theme of this Oracle is a loose edition of capture the flag, where the Effigy's items can pass through multiple hands within the ten day allotment.

— For additional ideas and fun, it is known that several Shardbearers have concluded their efforts to fulfill the Greenwood Yards' sidequest request.

— All details of the Exalt Oracle can be found here, and questions for the mods can be submitted here.
CODING
comelately: (run the race)

[personal profile] comelately 2023-08-27 03:18 am (UTC)(link)
[ finally, the ants get their revenge on their keeper...

again: despite having a fair set of survival skills, Johnny's injury keeps him from making use of almost any that don't involve gunplay. Or, in his case, "gunplay." He's tried to keep busy prepping food or having his horse pull some burdens where he can (she used to be a plow horse, after all), but there are only so many things he can do around camp. Inevitably, he ends up out on the proverbial road again, exploring. He could say that he's hoping to get lucky and stumble across a piece of the Oracle, but that would be a lie. His luck is dogshit. No, he's more hoping he'll stumble across one of those lost items he caught a glimpse of, or - if nothing else - something else useful.

Dokja may count as something useful. The sound of a fight draw him closer out of curiosity - when he sees it's another shrunken Shardbearer, he hesitates, bringing his mount to a stop. There's a chance it's a Zenith, after all, and in that case, it might be more advantageous to let a third party remove them from the equation, unsavory as it might be... but, fortunately, he catches a glimpse of the victim's face, and it's a familiar one. Not one he knows particularly well - he doesn't even remember Dokja's name - but the little point of familiarity is enough to resign Johnny to saving him. ]


Hey!

[ he shouts to get the other man's attention, mostly; the ants don't need to hear him, they just need to get out of the way, a process which Johnny starts by leveling a finger at one and blasting it with Tusk from a distance. The nail bullet shoots straight through its entire body, burning a clear hole right between its antennae before dropping it dead to the ground. ]
salvageable: (pic#15423523)

[personal profile] salvageable 2023-08-31 06:24 am (UTC)(link)
[ HE ISN'T THEIR KEEPER

Another swing of his sword lops off an ant head, but it still keeps trying to bite him? Dokja is mildly weirded out at this fact (everything I know about ants comes from the classic American masterpiece Antz (1998)) as he jumps out of the way to keep from being bitten. He's so preoccupied with not dying that he nearly misses the call coming from some distance away, and when he chances a look over his shoulder at what he thinks is the call of another human being, blatant shock crosses his face.

Slow Dancer?

Now there's an animal that's caused Dokja grief on multiple occasions. He'd always mouth shut in front of Gray, who had so painstakingly done all she could to keep the horse happy, but internally, he knew he would never come to like that beast.

And now here she is, kind of to his rescue? Though he'll attribute most of that to the man astride her. Dokja remembers meeting him once. Johnny, the name coming to the top of his head courtesy of Gray's occasional mentions of him in relation to Slow Dancer, but he's not prepared for what happens next. Suddenly, an ant not too far from him is torn through and Dokja is left staring dumbly at what Johnny had just done? With his finger?? Well, something to think about once this is dealt with because an ant ambushes Dokja from behind, tackling him to the ground. ]
comelately: (and all corrupted thought)

[personal profile] comelately 2023-09-04 03:55 am (UTC)(link)
[ are you sure... ]

[ since Dokja is (presumably) someone who can see the supernatural, he may or may not see Johnny's Stand briefly - a strange, floating pink thing that looks vaguely like a little robot, visible for a moment before vanishing away - but he'll most certainly see the blue stars glowing on the skin of his arms and hands. Especially because Johnny's got Slow Dancer running towards him to scoop him up. At least, that was his plan until another ant pins the man down. He supposes that's his fault for distracting him...

The horse is, understandably, nervous about charging into a bunch of giant bugs; his instincts are good enough for him to tell, despite the chaos around them. The only other option would be leaving Dokja to die, unfortunately, and seeing as Johnny's already halfway to saving him, he might as well finish the job. He'll just have to do it quickly. The sudden death of one of their sisters seems to at least startle the remaining ants slightly - he takes the opportunity to urge Slow Dancer forwards, galloping towards Dokja and his assailant. Once again, he takes aim and fires; this time, however, the buzzing blue bullet from his finger suddenly arcs in the completely opposite direction, slicing a few strands of hair from Johnny's head as it blasts into the dirt behind him instead. ]


What the fuck?! [ hissed in frustration. Why isn't his Stand working properly?! Down to 8 bullets, and less time than he'd bargained for - plus, the ant's still alive and actively trying to pincer Dokja in half, but he'll just have to work with it. He leans low in the saddle, bracing one hand against the horse's neck as he hangs to one side and reaches for Dokja with the other - even with the ant still pinning him down. ] Grab on!

[ he's hoping Slow Dancer is faster and stronger than the ant is heavy. ]
salvageable: (pic#16171966)

[personal profile] salvageable 2023-09-08 06:17 am (UTC)(link)
[ What in tarnation... This is like one of his dreams, though it's more like a nightmare, where Slow Dancer gallops toward him, sharp hooves at the ready, to finish him off once and for all. Or maybe it is a dream? It would explain the strange pink entity that momentarily appears beside Johnny, but Dokja has to face the truth of the matter as he struggles not to deny the reality of his current, ridiculous situation. But honestly, he's more fearful of the horse speeding at him than the ant trying to behead him, though at least Johnny seems to be on his side.

So with great effort, Dokja reaches for the arm extended to him, grabbing hold with all of his strength as the momentum drags him out from under the ant, its mandibles clacking after him in frustration. The only problem now is that he's trying to hang on and keep his lower half from dragging across the ground too much, feet scrabbling at the ground.

Maybe he still dies this way. Why did Legolas make the jumping on to a horse's back maneuver look so easy in the movies? ]


Whoa! Hold on, let's put on the brakes for a second!

[ TAKE HIM BACK TO THE ANTS ACTUALLY. ]