kenoslogs | THE ADVOCATE ORACLE - A RIP VAN WINKLE IN TIME

THE ADVOCATE ORACLE - A RIP VAN WINKLE IN TIME

Sweet dreams are made of Bliss

As the twilight falls, and bearers begin to tuck in for their evenings on the night of the 15th of March (OOC time) and whether they tuck themselves into bed fully, or simply drift away in the middle of their dinner, work, indulgences, or what have you; bearers will fall into a deep, deep sleep. Perhaps you slump in your chair, or you wrap your arms around a teddy bear, or partner, or cup a precious shard in your sleep, it doesn’t matter, because as you drift away, into a sleep that seems to tug you under like the undertow itself, a question will echo in bearer’s minds: “If given the choice, would you show compassion in the face of adversity?”

It sticks with you, even as you fall into a dreamless sleep. As if it rotates in your mind, over and over, letting you worm over that. You know for certain what it is, that it is the calming, soothing voice of the Oracle, reaching out to you across the ether, telling you – promise you – that if you accept its promise, you will find that the Oracle could be in your hands. That thought leads you to dream of something else – of home, or your loved ones – of what you are fighting this war for. Even as you dream, you feel a presence next to you, and unlike the Harbinger’s winding, rough digging, this is more akin to a friend, who is asking you soft, coaxing questions. Things like: what was your childhood like? What were your friends like? What did you do? You cannot help but think of them, think of your home and your loved ones. Of where you came from, and how it made you what you are.

The advocate seeks to understand you, and where you come from. You can feel it, that overwhelming Acceptance and love from it, even as you reminisce, compelled to answer the multitude of questions, you can feel something building behind you, around you. “Don’t you want them all to understand this?” the impression is given through communion, and you cannot help but answer: yes.

Click your Heels together, Dorothy!

As you awake for the first time, it’s alien, the world that meets you. New smells fill your nostrils, new sights, the gravity is perhaps different than you’ve gotten used to on Kenos, even those slight shifts enough to make the world feel wholly different. You remember the advocate’s words, and it wants you to feel what it feels. Understanding. Compassion, and perhaps there is a sense that doing so would hurt yourself in turn, if you understood too much. That is the advocate’s way, after all, isn’t it?

You feel an inexorable, slight tug in your chest. Something subtle and gentle, the slightest of sensations, that gives you a direction. You know it, your mind only just now comprehending the advocate’s confusing impressions via communion, that there is something of this world’s… Soul/center/heart or whatever word you want to use for it. Something about this world that will help you along your path, and help you with the results you so desire. You know it will not guarantee a victory, but surely it will help. Especially as your numbers dwindle from world to world. You are left with an impression from the Advocate -- if you die, they cannot bring you back. There is apology in this, but alone, one oracle is limited. Only united, can they truly change your fate.

The lingering presence of the advocate starts to fade. You know this is a bearer’s world, if not your own. You look around, to see perhaps a familiar face nearby? Or perhaps you are alone. Does it matter? You know that this place belongs to a bearer, but whether they are a friend or an enemy, one has to begin to determine that. You’ll need your wits, you’ll need your strength and resolve to make it to the end of this, won’t you?

After all, as bearers were recently reminded: this is War. This is not simply the fate of this world, but perhaps all, as it will require you to find the answer to this question. So you start to move, you start to look around, explore, and search. For the soul of each world, for the bearers that lie dreaming within, and your foes that will seek you out. Stay steadfast, for the way out will come, if you make it to the end. The longer you spend in each world, however, the more the shadows look darker, and deeper. Hungrier. The more the spaces seem smaller or compressed. As if there is something gnawing away at the sides, making their way to the heart.

Around the world in ~~60 seconds~~ 12 hours

When you find yourself at the end, when you close your eyes – only a blink, but it hangs, as if the momentary motion is enough to suspend you into a suspended space before. You can see the two options stretched out before you – metaphysically – the impression of it. A long, long shadow cast over one. As if there is a presence hovering over and above, like waiting jaws, ready to strike. In the other, there remains…nothing. It is not pleasant, it is not comforting, it simply… is. A sense that there is now a lack of anything, almost like it had never existed before.

Does this world have value? You can feel the Advocate ask. Do you want to give them a chance to live? Or does should this world cease, is there nothing here to save?

And though you are compelled, required to answer, you know this question for what it is. Short-sighted. Both, in the end, will lead to its destruction, but which will you choose? Will you allow the world to continue, even with that long shadow cast, like a hungry beast with snapping jaws; or will you erase it from existence and spare it that oncoming apocalypse?

Catch [???] Winks

The last world’s fate decided, bearers float in an endless sea of stars. You can see them all, spread before you. Intermittently, they wink out, swallowed into the darkness, consumed as the shadows, that inky-black nothingness grows ever-larger. It looks upon you, bearers. It is nothing, but you have its attention, and your blood runs cold, your limbs frozen. You cannot move, you cannot speak, you cannot breathe. You feel it, the power of being drawn into it, like it wants to consume you. Like it knows you.

T̸̢̼̯͓̬̘́̀̋̆͊h̷͔̣̱̝͍̬̣͕̄̂͗̆͒͌͜ͅẹ̶̱̩̅͒̿̇͠ ̵̭̹͇͖̔̀ṃ̸̢̧͙̟̼̜͌͆̍͝͝ͅo̴̟̞̓̆̇̐̆͊̽͆̂̀r̶͈̺̮̠͙̗͌ę̸̤̻̈́͐͂̓̊͐̂͆ ̵̡̛͎̩̳̤͔͚̱̼̆̒̓y̴̺̞̹̺̝̤͂ǫ̷̡̣̱̥͊̈́̓͑̕͘ű̵̼͜͜ ̶̨̨̝̟̘̱͇̲̻̪̊͂̽̈̒͊f̴̱̐͌̌̓̋̔́̀͝i̶͖̤͎̬̝̦͒̂g̸̳̰̟̀̓̽̈́̐h̸̼͍̮͎̊̅͗͊̈͋̽̀͘t̴͔͚́̓,̷̨̧̱̠̙̠̙̱̒̍̽̾ ̷̖̰̼̬̟͐̊̂t̶̖̄͂̅̃̍͐̊̑̅͜͝h̴̢̛͙̪̞̫̝̺̋̅̿͛̇̚͝͝ͅͅȩ̶͉̤͍̠́̈͑̏͋̚͘͝ ̸̢̨̧͚̖̤̪̬̪̀̉̐͗̂͆͑̚̕̚c̴̠̩̳͎̲̪͔̟̈́͂̉͑́l̶̡̲̻̣̘̏́ͅo̶̢̧͔͈̬̳̰͈̝̻͌̋̆̃͒͗̏͘ş̴̪̺̣̥̎̽̿͗̒́͛̕̚̚e̴̺͍̤͖͂̇͑͂̋͂̆̾r̴̨̩̈́͋͠ ̷̧͚̲̩̖̋͒̉́͗y̶̘̖̝̑̈͊ǒ̵͚̽u̵͎͍̇̀̏̊̕͝ŕ̷͎̜̘͙̀̋ ̶͇̲̝̞̖̝̣̘̝̬͋d̷͔͈͔̀̿õ̴̝̯͇̹̘̏͗͜ö̵͚͓͆m̵͉̦̫̥̦̞̫͐̆͐̿͊͒͌͋͜.̷̼͈̻̥̜̾̏͐̾̐͆͘͜

You gasp, as you startle awake, and open your eyes for the first time in a long time.

CODING

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Oh yes, we've an adventure ahead of us.

[ Yuri conjures a light spell, caging it between his fingers rather than firing it off, and crouches beside her. ]

Actually, House Rowe was established because the man who oversaw all this defected to the Kingdom.

[ He offers this bit of trivia with a wry turn of his painted lips. It's well known in his world how the relatively young house had come to be. And now relatively short-lived... Though as it seems in this iteration of his home, Yuri has suspected he may be called upon to become the new Lord Rowe. No one else knows Arianrhod, and its restoration is still important.

So is mending the damage to Rowe and Gaspard territories, wrought both by their rebellion and imperial invasion. Time would tell though, because his world's Dimitri was still working out whether he could trust Yuri. It's something Yuri hardly faults him for. ]

Well then, shall we?

[ Down he goes... ]

[Gavial summons forth her own little ball of light as well, expecting that the extra clarity will be useful down in these dark secret passages. She lets it float along at her side as the two of them begin making their way down the stairs, preferring to have her hands free. Not that she has much of an idea of what to expect down here, and any obstacles along the way are sure to be pointed out by Yuri, but still… better to be prepared.]

I would’ve figured secrets like this would be hard to keep for someone switching sides.

[She lets her gaze drift along the lower corridor as they reach the foot of the stairs, trying to pry out any obvious secrets that might be lurking here ahead of them.]

Never know who might be harboring old loyalties, and all.

[Unless of course the prospect of secret-keeping was a more ruthless one.]

Rowe's only loyalty is to convenience.

[ The razor sharp edge of contempt in his voice is unmistakable. Yuri looks upon most nobility with disdain, corrupt as they have proven to be in his experience, but Rowe bears a special distinction. For very personal reasons, not the least of which is the man's lack of any form of loyalty, there is no one Yuri reviles more.

The other reasons...well. ]

He did know the value of keeping his knowledge to himself, but it didn't stop him from telling me.

[ By the end of his descent, he's straightened and the corridor they find themselves in accommodates their full height easily. If anything, it was built to allow the comfortable passage of someone a head taller than Yuri at least.

He glances around, taking in the stone walls that recede into deep shadow. ]

Looks the same as it does back home thus far. Mind you stay behind me — there're a few places we ought not step.

[Gavial’s gaze drops to the pathway stretching out ahead of them as if whatever little traps that may lie in wait would be that simple to catch sight of. Yet all that she can see is plain stone stretching out into the corridor, out past the boundary of their artificial light and into the awaiting gloom. Alright, careful steps it is. She knows when it’s best to let the experts take the lead.

Following obediently as he takes the lead, she considers the unmistakable tone Yuri had adopted when speaking of the one who spearheaded the creation of this secret route they’re exploring. Gavial wouldn’t call herself anything nearing an expert on reading the feelings of others, but that sharp note of disdain is a hard one to mistake.]

Clearly he had some trust to place in you, then. [Golden eyes turn his way as she motions with one hand to let her little globe of light drift just slightly ahead of them on their path.] Though I’m getting the feeling that it wasn’t exactly mutual, huh?

[ Yuri's eyes follow that orb of light as it drifts ahead of them. It'd be handy to do such a thing without his spell dissipating. He doesn't linger on the thought for long, aware Gavial is awaiting a reply, watching him. ]

I'd sooner trust a starving bear.

[ He could only look upon the time spent tolerating the man's attention with contempt, for all it had involved. Somehow, Rowe had never noticed, but those around him had. And even after parting ways, he's heard the man obsessed over him until justice finally found him for his betrayal of the land that made him a lord. Traitor that he was, that had only been a matter of time.

The only reason he'd returned to Rowe County at all was because Gwendal had called upon him in his hour of need. ]

He was a coward and a traitor, among other things... But it's distasteful business, really.

[ He leads the way along with decisive strides, moving to one side of the passage and gesturing for Gavial to follow suit before turning at a fork in the path. ]

[She lets her gaze linger on the path not taken at that fork for just a moment before keeping to the path Yuri sets before her.]

I guess I can kinda see how that sort of person thinks up something like this…

[She gestures to the walls around them. Or maybe Gavial’s just much too straightforward a person to really see the appeal of elaborate secrets like this. But she also has to remind herself that this is a different world with different rules. This wasn’t anything like home. Not the jungles she was born into nor the array of mobile cities she paid infrequent visits to.

She sighs and offers a slight shrug.]

Must feel kind of weird, getting to see this place again. Am I right?

[Mostly from the association with such a despicable guy, but… well, it’s been a while too.]

Just a little. Feels like it's been ages since I was here.

[ They haven't really spoken on the matter of whether Gavial genuinely believes their worlds are gone for good and should remain that way that Yuri can recall. It wouldn't change his evaluation of who she is, anyway.

But he does believe in saving his home and returning to it, so it may come as no surprise that he has thought about what future that may entail, and so— ]

Rebuilding this might not be half bad, if I'm set to the task. Remove his mark on the place.

[ And maybe on him, though he doesn't voice that particular thought. In many ways he's ever been reticent to acknowledge, the corrupt nobles he'd dealt with growing up had left their impact on who he is, how he is. On his very memory, so deeply that at times he fears that influence is indelible.

Yet he wants to believe otherwise as they walk, passing along the corridor. He pauses briefly to point at a nondescript stone near the middle of the passage. ]

That'd trigger a pitfall, right there.

Man, I never woulda seen that…

[Half muttered as Gavial pauses to crouch and get a better look at the trap he points out. She guesses if she squints she can kinda see the way the stone almost kinda sticks out just a little compared to those surrounding it. Man, he’s really got sharp eyes. She’d gotten a little taste of his expertise with traps way back during a previous Oracle trial, and she’s starting to piece together where some of that influence might stem from.

She straightens up and, careful to avoid the stone, briefly picks up the pace to fall back into step just behind him.]

Is that what you would’ve planned on doing? Rebuilding the place.

[Not that she can really tell if the place would need such a thing, but tossing out old associations sounds like as good a reason as any for some renovations. Whether something like that could even still be in the cards, though…]

Y’know, if we’d never got pulled away to Kenos?

[ His strides had slowed when Gavial paused, but when she catches up he resumes his usual pace. They only have so much time before they're shuffled off to the next place, and he fully intends them to reach their destination before that can happen. ]

I'd considered the possibility. No one else alive knows the place like I do, and His Majesty would likely consider it practical.

[ The war had still been on, when he'd been swept up into all this. When they were so close to putting an end to it, it'd be an understatement to say that it was frustrating to be torn away from his comrades and homeland. He can only imagine Byleth felt much the same, with the added bonus of no one remembering the same events until Yuri'd joined him here. ]

Dimitri from my version of Fódlan, I mean. He's got a sharp mind for things like that — where people can do the most good.

[ In stark contrast to Count Rowe, Yuri has nothing short of genuine respect for his king. For the one here as well, but the way he knows the Dimitri summoned to Kenos is quite different. ]

[That’s something Gavial can respect—letting people play to their strengths to do what’s good. Hell, it’s the whole reason she and Zumama had figured out how to patch things up after butting heads when Gavial had finally returned home for the first time in practically seven years. They might not understand one another’s interests, but what they did understand is how much it meant to them, and the desire they had to put it to use for others.]

Practical, huh.

[She mulls the word over a little as she lets her eyes wander along the stones of the corridor. In what way, she couldn’t be sure, though he had offered a little bit of insight into that when he’d first approached her about this whole venture, hadn’t he?]

You’d said this place was made for sieges, right? Must’ve been a lot of fighting going on to make that worthwhile.

[Hard to tell with only a brief glance at this world of his, but Gavial understood the way conflicts might play out that way even if her own experiences had been more in open skirmishes and precisely-planned deployments.]

Faerghus' independence was something it had to fight for, so a fortress along the its border with the Empire is invaluable.

[ It's an involved but of history, but Yuri can't imagine it'd be all too interesting to hear about. The broad strokes get the point across besides — it's less a matter of frequent battle and more the prospect of it. Sure enough, Adrestia's emperor had targeted Arianrhod after declaring war, and Rowe's erstwhile lord had handed it right to her. ]

Even if the continent's unified under one ruler, there's still value in structures like this. For instance, were we to deal with a natural disaster, civilians could take refuge here... Not to mention, it's a secure place to store supplies.

[ While Yuri knows sieges, he also knows looking after the interests and safety of people. Their homes aren't so advanced as some of what he's seen during this particular Oracle's test, and foul enough conditions can not only ruin residences but farms and food stores. ]

All this, down here? Traps aside, it could be useful for emergency food stores.

[ He pauses abruptly, shifting to the other side of the hall. As he does so, he points at a subtle trigger mechanism in the wall. With a closer inspection, there are slots between the stones through which the points of spears can be seen nested between. ]

[Broad strokes are perfect for Gavial, frankly. She knows she lacks the proper context to really hammer everything home, but the little snatches of insight are interesting to her because it means she gets to learn a little bit about Yuri in the process. She’s never been one to put an enormous amount of weight on the idea of how much one’s home could shape them—it plays a part, yeah, but it’s not the be all end all—but it’s a neat chance to get a little more insight than she would have otherwise.

And this place itself is just interesting. Each trap pointed out earns an eager little glance from her and she takes it all in with the casual ease of someone enjoying an adventurous little stroll. They might be on a mission in search of that Shard, but that’s not gonna stop her from enjoying the ride.]

Pretty good to have a solid place for people to take refuge, that's for sure. Feels a little weird to think of a shelter from natural disasters bunkered down in one place, though. [She laughs.] Places like that were meant to move, back where I'm from.

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THE ADVOCATE ORACLE - A RIP VAN WINKLE IN TIME

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