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Entry tags:
- !event,
- arcane: silco,
- arknights: gavial,
- black butler: sebastian michaelis,
- divinity original sin: fane,
- elder scrolls (the): voryn dagoth,
- expanse (the): amos burton,
- fate/: gray,
- fate/: quetzalcoatl,
- fate/: rin tohsaka,
- final fantasy xiv: cid garlond,
- fire emblem: byleth eisner,
- fire emblem: claude von riegan,
- fire emblem: dimitri a. blaiddyd,
- fire emblem: shez,
- fire emblem: yuri leclerc,
- forgotten realms: raphael,
- genshin impact: tartaglia (childe),
- granblue fantasy: eustace,
- haikyuu!!: atsumu miya,
- htwmho: rudbeckia de borgia,
- jinba: hayame,
- legend of zelda (the): link,
- legend of zelda (the): midna,
- locked tomb (the): john gaius,
- marvel: nebula,
- oc: liem talbott,
- practical guide to evil: akua sahelian,
- reverse 1999: regulus,
- vampire hunter d: d,
- zone-00: kiritsubo
NOVEMBER EVENT | THE HARBINGER ORACLE
HEDGING YOUR BETS
Bearers feel it. Similar to when the Scorching Isles was opened, there is the same tug, from somewhere in the distance. Those who are in springstar feel it from closer, like a blossom of warmth in your heart, you feel the Oracle spring to life. Those in Highstorm feel it too, but distant. Far away. You remember Cyrus’s words, that it would come to life in Springstar, and you know, just from the relative distance, from how far away it feels – He was probably right.
So bearers must make their way to the center of Springstar’s residential district. Finding one’s way to Springstar will be difficult, in fact. Preparations have been underway since Cyrus’s announcement, and Springstar leaps into action. The Legionnaires are already marching by the time the first bearers start moving throughout the city. In addition to any of Meridian’s own preparations, the Legionnaires establish choke points and start organizing evacuations. It will be difficult to make your way through Springstar, but the closer bearers make it to the hedge maze, and what seems to be the oracle at the center, the warmer their chests feel. Throughout the city, it feels warm, like small wicks of heat. The closer bearers become, the more it feels like a torrent. It is burning them to their center and igniting them to their cores. Like the fire of drive, is what it feels like. Like the hunger for something more than just food, or anything else, like the anticipation of victory.
The maze itself is where it is the most intense as bearers start to make their way through the hedge maze. Vines and brambles lie within a neat hedge, and it looks like it is safe to jump, or scale, but the moment a bearer tries to jump it, cut through it, or even go beneath it, roots, brambles, and vines lash out to entrap bearers, and start to drag them down and into the hedges. You will have to figure out a way out – lest you be stuck for seemingly the near future.
Of course, when Dimitri’s hand touches the stone statue in the middle, it all goes dark, and wherever you were, whoever you were fighting –
Every bearer collapses at the same time.
So bearers must make their way to the center of Springstar’s residential district. Finding one’s way to Springstar will be difficult, in fact. Preparations have been underway since Cyrus’s announcement, and Springstar leaps into action. The Legionnaires are already marching by the time the first bearers start moving throughout the city. In addition to any of Meridian’s own preparations, the Legionnaires establish choke points and start organizing evacuations. It will be difficult to make your way through Springstar, but the closer bearers make it to the hedge maze, and what seems to be the oracle at the center, the warmer their chests feel. Throughout the city, it feels warm, like small wicks of heat. The closer bearers become, the more it feels like a torrent. It is burning them to their center and igniting them to their cores. Like the fire of drive, is what it feels like. Like the hunger for something more than just food, or anything else, like the anticipation of victory.
The maze itself is where it is the most intense as bearers start to make their way through the hedge maze. Vines and brambles lie within a neat hedge, and it looks like it is safe to jump, or scale, but the moment a bearer tries to jump it, cut through it, or even go beneath it, roots, brambles, and vines lash out to entrap bearers, and start to drag them down and into the hedges. You will have to figure out a way out – lest you be stuck for seemingly the near future.
Of course, when Dimitri’s hand touches the stone statue in the middle, it all goes dark, and wherever you were, whoever you were fighting –
Every bearer collapses at the same time.
YOU'D BETTER BE A-MAZE-ING!
In the dark, there is that fiery impression of the Harbinger. Competition, drive, disdain for even those that best them. It is clear, in the dark, with your eyes closed, that the Harbinger does not see the Bearers as worthy to obtain it. You feel ghostly hands on your mind, into you, as if it is delving for more, trying to pluck and pull out the right memory. It looks for victories, triumphs, defeats, or betrayals. Something that shows the mettle of the bearer, what it is looking for. When it finds what it is looking for – or is this just a dream? – after the bearer experiences the dream, they will get the distinct impression that it is not enough. That the Harbinger wants more. It wants to see what this bearer can do. It wants to see you rise to the challenge, bearer! Will you do as it wishes, and show it the scope of your mettle, or will you capitulate and let the Harbinger know that it was right – you aren’t enough?
The Harbinger wants you to prove them wrong. Can you do that? Will you use spite to convince it that it is wrong? The Harbinger at the center of this labyrinth imparts to bearers, that it will not allow the weak to succeed, that nobody who cannot reach it, would ever be able to protect them. They look down on bearers, and it is up to you, to convince them that you are worth their attention.
When bearers wake, they will be stuck in a foyer. The walls seem blank, and there is a door, leading further into the maze. It is not… fully dark, everything here seems to be lit just enough to move around without trouble, but it is not bright. Bearers can look left, and right, and see others beside them. They are not alone, but nor are they with others of their faction. No, you can feel it, between all of you, gathered here in one space. The humming of your shared aspect fills the room, as if all of you together in one space feels right.
You will not be able to stay. The foyer lasts only until the last person leaves, and if any try to stay behind and stationary, they will find that eventually a door appears, and the room begins to shrink. You had better get moving!
You must move further into the maze. You will find that grouping up for long periods of time becomes impossible, and moving from one door to the next can find foes, allies, or even neutral parties. Every door you open within this maze, leads to new and unusual locations. You may both walk in, from opposite ends, only to find that the doors are gone when you turn your back. Do you end up on a precarious path over spikes, lava, or even water? Do you walk into a room with your greatest desire, a hunger that can now never be sated? Will you do anything to find your way through the corridors? Will bearers help each other, and resist the call of the Harbinger, or will you push over even your treasured ones to win?
The Harbinger wants you to prove them wrong. Can you do that? Will you use spite to convince it that it is wrong? The Harbinger at the center of this labyrinth imparts to bearers, that it will not allow the weak to succeed, that nobody who cannot reach it, would ever be able to protect them. They look down on bearers, and it is up to you, to convince them that you are worth their attention.
When bearers wake, they will be stuck in a foyer. The walls seem blank, and there is a door, leading further into the maze. It is not… fully dark, everything here seems to be lit just enough to move around without trouble, but it is not bright. Bearers can look left, and right, and see others beside them. They are not alone, but nor are they with others of their faction. No, you can feel it, between all of you, gathered here in one space. The humming of your shared aspect fills the room, as if all of you together in one space feels right.
You will not be able to stay. The foyer lasts only until the last person leaves, and if any try to stay behind and stationary, they will find that eventually a door appears, and the room begins to shrink. You had better get moving!
You must move further into the maze. You will find that grouping up for long periods of time becomes impossible, and moving from one door to the next can find foes, allies, or even neutral parties. Every door you open within this maze, leads to new and unusual locations. You may both walk in, from opposite ends, only to find that the doors are gone when you turn your back. Do you end up on a precarious path over spikes, lava, or even water? Do you walk into a room with your greatest desire, a hunger that can now never be sated? Will you do anything to find your way through the corridors? Will bearers help each other, and resist the call of the Harbinger, or will you push over even your treasured ones to win?
MADE IN THE SHADE
And even further in, as you start to catch sight of them, patches of darkness seep into the corners, into everything. They may be hidden, at first. They may lurk underneath patches of leaves, or in shadowed corners. But the longer bearers are within this labyrinth, the longer the shadows seem. They start to reach out, to pull bearers into their shadowy depths. You may feel malaise, or an unwillingness to continue, once you first step within these patches. The longer you are there, the harder it is to get out. You will need help from your friends or dear ones, or sheer strength of will – but can you fight on, as you start to lose the things that motivate you?
And then there are the visions. People you know, love, or trust, they round corners, just ahead. They seem just out of range, and at first, it is difficult to tell if they are there or not. But they happen to reappear, and then disappear around a corner. Try and chase them, if you dare. When your fingers touch their arm, or grab their clothing, or heaven forbid, if you pull them into a hug – it seems impossible to pull away. They were treasured, weren’t they? There is a reason they appear here, to you. Why would you want to pull them away? Why would you –
They reach out, their fingers seem long, as they reach toward your shard – they will not be deterred by clothing or armor, their fingers seem to bend and twist around the junctions – before they find purchase on your shard. They rip it from you, and it feels like you are being separated from something. It’s painful, it hurts, but the last thing you see, as they hold your shard in your hand, is someone you care very deeply for, placing the shard in the same place on their own body, and your own face smiles back at you, and it all goes black. You are gone. Into… nothing.
And then there are the visions. People you know, love, or trust, they round corners, just ahead. They seem just out of range, and at first, it is difficult to tell if they are there or not. But they happen to reappear, and then disappear around a corner. Try and chase them, if you dare. When your fingers touch their arm, or grab their clothing, or heaven forbid, if you pull them into a hug – it seems impossible to pull away. They were treasured, weren’t they? There is a reason they appear here, to you. Why would you want to pull them away? Why would you –
They reach out, their fingers seem long, as they reach toward your shard – they will not be deterred by clothing or armor, their fingers seem to bend and twist around the junctions – before they find purchase on your shard. They rip it from you, and it feels like you are being separated from something. It’s painful, it hurts, but the last thing you see, as they hold your shard in your hand, is someone you care very deeply for, placing the shard in the same place on their own body, and your own face smiles back at you, and it all goes black. You are gone. Into… nothing.
NOTES
Here are some prompts to set the scene and foundation of the Exalt Oracle! Please refer to the ooc post for more details about what’s happening in the labyrinth! Feel free to direct questions here.
If your character gets killed by a shadow-copy, please let us know in the reporting post that goes up on November 20th if they touch the effigy. If they do not, please let us know on the deaths page! Don't forget to report any dissipations as a whole! Please also let us know if your character is saved by another bearer, or if your character’s shard is taken by the shadow copy for the entire duration of the event. This will not result in any permadeath, but you might get some cool lore! Teehee! If your character defeats a shadow creature, please let us know [HERE]
If your character gets killed by a shadow-copy, please let us know in the reporting post that goes up on November 20th if they touch the effigy. If they do not, please let us know on the deaths page! Don't forget to report any dissipations as a whole! Please also let us know if your character is saved by another bearer, or if your character’s shard is taken by the shadow copy for the entire duration of the event. This will not result in any permadeath, but you might get some cool lore! Teehee! If your character defeats a shadow creature, please let us know [HERE]
no subject
Tohsaka hesitates. Her vivid blue eyes growing wide with shock, she stands frozen. Unable to accept her sister, yet also unwilling to leave her. Despite Amos' urging she can't seem to budge. Even if her hands ball into fists like she's trying.]
You're not real.
["I'm not? Touch me, sister. I will prove my existence to you with my body." Sakura's reply is followed with a beckoning motion. It's difficult to deny the slim chance she could be real. After all, Aetos had said that some of the people were merely displaced 'visitors' from the time stream. She had Seen Sakura among them leading up to the oracle. Shirou and Archer too. Yet time and time again... it's Sakura. It always had been Sakura, it always will be her. Rin had only saved that boy's life because he was the only thing to make her smile.]
no subject
Sakura doesn't acknowledge him, and that makes sense on its own — who is he but some guy, especially when her sister is right there? But everything about this — about her — feels wrong, and Amos does not at all feel inclined to let Rin get caught up in what he is increasingly sure is a trap.
So he steps in front of her, putting himself in between the two sisters. He keeps one hand behind his back, still on Rin's shoulder; his gaze is straight forward, though, looking directly into Sakura's. ]
Even if you are real, we can't do anything for you here. [ His voice is firm — he won't be argued with, as far as he sees it. ] Leave her be, and when we can save you, we will. But it can't be here. That's not how this works. You just gotta hang tight.
[ And he gently tries to push Rin back — go, let's leave, now. ]
no subject
Just... tell me she's not real. Right? You don't see a shard on her, do you? Tell m—
[Rin attempts to move out from behind Amos, but Sakura doesn't seem to be taking his interruption well. The younger sister's expression twists as her eyes glow a bit. The tendrils of her ribbon dress begin to undulate at a more agitated pace.
"You have no right keeping my sister from me. She's mine." Sakura's final word is heavy — dripping with some mixture of possession and disgust.]
no subject
And keeps his hand firmly on Rin — not denying her if she wants to move out from behind him, but not leaving her alone, either. ]
I don't see a shard.
[ His voice is quiet, to her. And when Sakura speaks up, Amos starts to push Rin back a little as he takes a step back, too. Towards the exit. ]
And people don't belong to other people. [ His voice is louder, now — meant more for Rin, but it's still something Sakura could hear. ] You don't want to go to her like this. Let's win this thing first. Then we can work towards reuniting you two — but not like this.
[ Wrong, wrong, wrong — the sensation is thrumming through him now, that something about all of this is desperately wrong, and he very much does want to keep Rin away from this iteration of Sakura, even beyond Oracle purposes. ]
no subject
[Rin knows that if they turn their back and make a break for the exit that Sakura will skewer them. Whether the illusion is capable of making such things fatal, she doesn't know. However she believes Amos. He has no reason to want to trick her. They've been through a tight mission before, and she trusts him.
Which is all the more reason why, even if it means ripping her own heart out, Rin wants to deal with this. She raises a hand to squeeze Amos'. To reassure him that his words have given her the strength she needs to continue. And so...
Breaking from Amos, Rin charges Sakura. The younger sister is laughing maniacally until Rin's goal becomes clear. All of Sakura's vocalizations are cut short when Rin pulls her into a squeezing hug. The illusion is shocked, and Rin cannot help but wonder if something similar might have happened if she embraced her sister in the cave rather than confronting her with an all powerful dagger.
It hurts. It hurts so much knowing what she has to do, and yet Rin perseveres. The tip of her finger begins drawing something on Sakura's back. A symbol? A rune?]
I've been a selfish sister, but maybe in the end you can forgive me.
[The rune is finished. The symbol for "ansuz" alights on Sakura's back briefly before she pushes Rin away and bursts into flame along with the room. Tohsaka stumbles backwards into Amos — clutching him for stability. She stares shocked at what she did, and immediately tears begin to well at the corners of her eyes.
Ah. Truly, without her faith in Amos' statement, she wouldn't have been able to do this.]
no subject
She's squeezing his hand in turn, and then leaving him, charging at her sister. Amos' heart stops for a beat, and it makes him too slow when he reaches out to try to grab her, pull her back — he didn't think she was going to charge in like that — his hand only grasping thin air where Rin had just been. It's all he can do to stumble forward a step, impotently watching as she goes for the... hug?
But it's not her sister—
Amos hangs back, dumbfounded, cautious,
a little afraid. She says something to her... A kind of apology, or...And then everything is on fire, and Rin is back in his arms, being supported by him. He spares a glance for the scene before him before looking down at Rin, and... ah.
Quickly, but gently, he pulls her back up. To stand on her own two feet properly, if she can. Into his arms entirely, if she can't. ]
C'mon. Let's get out of here.
[ And one way or another, he'll try to take her back to the exit — away from the scene that's causing her grief.
Not the time, not the place. Not during an Oracle. Maybe later, if she wants, but... not now.
Rin's focus was on Sakura, and it saved them both. Now his focus is on her, so she doesn't succumb to anything else in the immediate aftermath. ]
no subject
The room burns around them. Flames licking at the walls and consuming the false furniture. Out... which way is out? Possibly the bedroom door.
Her feet feel as if she's trudging through mud. As if wet cement clings to her soles and attempts to bind and harden to the floor with each step. The only thing keeping her in motion is Amos. Feeling his solidity in her hand. The touch of something real.]
Mm, let's go.
no subject
(Doesn't outright scoop her up into his arms and carry her out, if only because the fire isn't that big yet. Not that dangerous; not at risk of consuming them.
Yet.)
His pull is, if anything, politely insistent — enough to keep her on her feet, to remind her that this is the real world, he's got her and they are getting out of here, no matter what. ]
Yeah.
[ Amos' voice is quiet, accepting. He really doesn't want to prod her. Just... they'll get out of here, and then maybe everything will be fine. That's how these things work, right? ]
Let's go.