⏳ THE SCORCHING ISLE: Oracle Event One ⏳

[beleos]

ARRIVAL

All Bearers have heard whispers of them - the Oracles. Mysterious and unknown entities of an abstract nature, they serve as the heart of each faction’s cause - both as a means to an end and a very real stepping stone in achieving their objectives. To claim an Oracle means growing ever closer to victory: to see your homes restored as they were, or to herald in a new one of your making.

So you go.

A Cornerstone has been set up for each faction; one for the Zenith and one for the Meridian in Yima’s manor and Heliopolis, respectively. They warn you that upon transportation, your safety cannot be guaranteed and there is no telling what waits for you beyond - to be prepared. To make sure you have whatever you deem necessary with you before you go, as there is no telling when - or how - you will be coming back. CONTINUED HERE...

NOTES

Upon your arrival, you woke up with an HOURGLASS NECKLACE. Please refer to the Time Mechanics on the OOC Summary and bottom of this post for details on its usage.

The COURTYARD is frozen in time. Player Characters and the Great Tree are the only signs of moving, free life in the courtyard. During the intro, time magic does not work.

Characters are free to investigate but cannot move beyond the courtyard if you choose a prompt during the intro. You may mingle among your fellow Bearers or speak with [MR. TIBBS] if you so choose. (Also? LOOK AT HIM HELP)

Iconoclasts and Stargazers will notice Aspect benefits/detriments now.

All characters will be weak for the 24 hours - think like mild flu - and unable to leave until Mr. Tibbs has dispersed them. This is the time in which any threads with the NPC will be carried out.

The INTRO concludes with said dispersal of PC’s once interactions concluded. They will be sent to a location around the castle of your choosing; they are free to move about freely from here. Your prompts can start with you waking alone or in the presence of others - whatever you’d like!

Your character will innately understand how to use time magic from this point forward. It will come naturally to them, like a skill they were born with.

CASTLE: OVERVIEW (p a s t)

The Scorching Isles is home to the Atirat, a people of sea-dwellers who have the ability to walk on land. (Think mermaids with the ability to shift back and forth between human and mermaid forms.) As such, much of the Scorching Isles is covered in large bodies of blue water and glistening pieces of ice to accommodate their lifestyle.

THE CASTLE, however, is what dominates the landscape and it's where the Shard-Bearers will be spending their time. The white castle with colorful glass windows is obscured by a thick layer of clouds and fog. Nearly every location on the island has a thin layer of fog that rolls through it, which gives the entire Island an inescapable chill. The castle has artfully built rooms with a CAVALCADE OF DECORATIVE ICE, lavish mirrors, and white plants accented with blue decorations. Several portions of the castle are submerged due to the aquatic nature of the native residents.

And everywhere you go, you find them - STATUESQUE BODIES FROZEN mid-movement. They are haunting reminders of the power in your Hourglass - the very real power to decide their fates.

The castle has many winding paths to explore, as castles often do. There are sleeping quarters, HALLWAYS, a wine cellar, and a few large rooms presumably for diplomatic affairs. Players can use these rooms at their own leisure for whatever purposes they see fit. (Exploration, combat, or supply gathering.)

However, many of these rooms will require some strategy to access their full potential! Atirat were much more comfortable being underwater than many Kenosians may be. Therefore, rooms of higher importance may be COMPLETELY SUBMERGED or require swimming through an underwater pathway to reach them. Very minimal supplies will be kept out in the open for all to reach. More desirable supplies - such as warm clothing, small weapons, treasure, and the like - will be located past or within one of these flooded areas.

Players may gather supplies within and preserve their Sand or use their Sand to make other rooms accessible and gather whatever lies within! The larger the asset you attempt to unfreeze, the more Sand it costs - and the more drained/vulnerable you will be as a consequence, so choose your path ahead wisely.

Currently, a pervasive fog is preventing you from wandering beyond the Castle's limits. Should you try to venture past it, your Sand will rapidly be stolen and you will find yourself suffering the same fate as the islanders if you don't move back to safety quickly... However, if you ask Mr. Tibbs what lays beyond the mist - he will tell you about the thriving farmland, the once-bustling village surrounding the castle, and the beautiful coral reefs beneath it. Sadly, they're beyond your reach - but maybe if the Bearers decide to unfreeze them when the week is up...

LIBRARY (s a f e z o n e)

The ROYAL LIBRARY - A treasure trove of knowledge, history, and glimpses of a fractured past scattered throughout. The lower floor of the Library is void of much reading material and contains several intricate-looking art pieces on decorative pedestals.

A spiral staircase dominates the center of the room, with its once delicate structure overtaken by sheets of formidable ice; it leads you toward the upper levels where a sea of books awaits. There are isles and isles of books, most perched on intricately carved shelves. Many books lay in piles or are discarded onto the floor, and scattered papers are common throughout.

Curious Kenosians may pick out books from the shelves and read on various topics, but players may also pass through this room on their way elsewhere. This area will function as a safe haven where violence and the taking of others' Sand is not allowed; do not disturb the books or Mr. Tibbs won’t be happy!

NOTES

Characters who wish to receive a book with lore specific to the island may comment [HERE]. You will be RNGed a book from a pre-written list of topics. The books may give you a deeper look into the island, its inhabitants, and its history! (Only 1 book per player! Please assume all other books they read are about commonly-available topics.)

THE EATING PARLOR (p a s t)

There are no basic amenities on the island. No hot water, no warm beds, and no salacious magazines (that you know of. heh heh). That would make the Eating Parlour a wise stop for anyone. After all, this could be the perfect chance to procure some provisions!

The EATING PARLOUR has all the equipment one would need for meal preparation. Dried plants hang from the ceiling, and the walls are lined with mason jars filled with every strange manner of presumably edible thing (Is that a head over there? Hmm… maybe you should check).

The parlour also comes with a garden under a massive windowed dome so that the inhabitants could have fresh produce at hand. Many plants have withered, but there are some salvageable plants if you know how to look for them. But beware… Some of the plants have a strange blue glow. These plants can spell potential disaster.

If someone should make contact with these glowing plants, they will crumble into glass shards - glass that will quickly burrow its way under the skin and curse that person with Blight. Blight will make all resources within that person's vicinity slowly age and eventually crumble to dust. (Which I relate to on a personal level tbh.) Iconoclasts will be immune to its effects.

NOTES

Please see the "Blight" section below for more information on its effects.

TREASURE ROOM (f u t u r e)

Faint singing can be heard coming from this room. Once you hear the song, it dulls your senses and leaves you in a haze. There is no stopping your feet from guiding you to it through the doors and into the Treasure room. The door slams shut at your back, sealed with a wall of ice and magic.

Players will find themselves lured to an icy chamber bordered by a ring of cold blue fire. There is a deep pond that surrounds the platform you’ve found yourself standing on. Beyond its glassy surface and crystal clear water, one can glimpse all manner of treasures - from crowns, jewels, ornate statues in various statues of repair, scepters, spears, and books that seem impervious to the water's cold chill.

As you come to your senses, you will find yourself frozen in place and at the mercy of a large statuesque being before you. This beautiful and horrifying figure in a perpetual song is the SIREN, the only Atirat you’ve seen in person. She measures nearly 20 feet (6 meters) from her head to the tip of her long-finned tail. She cradles an icy shard in her arms, singing to it as if it were a child.

She sits serenely in front of a large hourglass filled with white sand, which is bordered by a spear and a lance. Emblazoned in faint text at the base of where she sits reads: “The future lies in our hands.”

NOTES

Welcome to the Siren’s Chamber! Players must use their wit, charisma, or some good ol' fashioned elbow grease to escape the room or break the Siren’s magic. The Shard that the Siren holds contains dormant time magic that players may activate by using the Sand within their necklace. Players can access the future in 5-second intervals and use whatever they find in that time period to escape their predicament.

For example, if they activate the shard by using their time magic, that shard will begin to glow blue. The room around them will shift, and it could change to a point in the future where there is a sword nearby. If you can grab it, now you have a weapon! When the 5 seconds are up and time returns to the present, you will still have that weapon on your person. You may also try verbal communication if you’d like. If your character is someone who would try and talk their way out of a situation diplomatically, they may give it a try!

It is up to player discretion/creativity to think of a scenario you’d like. Each “future" does not have to be the same across player encounters! What one group experiences may be tailored to the player wants (because branching timelines exist). Let your imagination run free!

HALL OF MIRRORS (p r e s e n t)

Should you reach the rightmost wing of the massive castle Library, you will find a door hidden in the very back of one aisle against a wall; it looks as though the door used to be concealed by magicks that have since dissolved.

The stairwell leads down and into darkness. Once you reach the bottom, shimmering light cast from an unknown source beneath sheets of glistening ice will illuminate your new surroundings; you are in a maze of mirror-like ice. This labyrinth is silent save for the quiet creaking of shifting ice that may disquiet you and leave you uneasy regarding the stability of this area… but it holds beneath your feet.

Mr. Tibbs had told you that the “Kaleidoscope” - where your Sand is counted - rests through here, so eventually, you must brave the journey. Is it a trick of the light? Maybe the product of an especially active imagination…?

Did you just see one of your reflections move without you?

NOTES

Please refer to the OOC Summary for details on the Hall of Mirrors!

THE BLIGHT and TIME MECHANICS

BLIGHT

Blight is an infliction that will age supplies and infect people with a creeping disease that steals their Sand. For objects, this includes weapons, food, and items like cloth. It will take a few days to deteriorate things beyond use - so watching your supplies and acting accordingly is in your best interest. Generally, it will make it more difficult for PC's to get by given that their already scarce resources will dwindle and deteriorate - especially since it's 'contagious' through touch.

The Blight will not act quickly enough to severely hamper infected persons, but repeated exposure will cause effects to a person's body - notedly protruding VEINS in the face and extremities, a lower body temperature, and increased agitation. These effects start out mild and grow more severe with each 'dose.'

Characters must touch an object/person that is Blighted to become inflicted with Blight themselves. When that happens, it will become easily identifiable as Blighted from the faint blue, shimmering outline around the infected subject, as well as the WITHERED, FROSTBITTEN or ashy appearance it takes as it progresses.

However, there is one single perk with Blight. (Or is it a perk?) Players will feel reduced impact by the cold surroundings, making the climate around them somewhat more hospitable. Beware of falling victim to a chill you can't feel...

TIME

To use your Sand, each character is granted access to and innate knowledge of a spell they channel from their Shard that automatically manipulates their Hourglass. This allows the remote control of Sand (aka gathering and dispersing), as well as the ability to pull Fragments of time from Shards.

Fragments are literal pieces of you taken from your Shard. They manifest as memories or images displayed on little shards of broken glass (think of the memory being played out in real-time on the mirror's surface), and can be crushed to convert into Sand automatically, either voluntarily or by force. The only stipulation is that the parties must be close to one another, and the Fragment must be exchanged while both Bearers are still. This means someone has to give it to you, or you need to immobilize them before you take it - one way or another.

Once the Fragment is crushed, the memory and associated time of that person's life is lost and your character will suffer amnesia until the Oracle is claimed. How deep this goes is up to you; they could lose a large chunk of time - even all their memories surrounding a person or place for a big payload of Sand, or they could lose very little for a meager net gain.

Sand is automatically gathered or distributed by your Hourglass and added/subtracted to your running total. No need to micromanage. Convenient!

Please note that using Sand to unfreeze anything (resources, a door which can be then opened, etc) is an unpleasant experience. Each time you use Sand in this way, your character will be left feeling weakened and flu-like for an hour or two, which will leave them vulnerable. This effect stacks and scales up to outright KO-ing them for a few hours if they go crazy, so unfreezing too large of an area is off the table!

NOTES

• An OOC POST will be coming shortly explaining how Sand is going to be tallied and the Oracle claimed.
• Should your character attempt to unfreeze any NPC's, please respond [HERE]. NOTE: unfreezing NPC's may result in physical violence with CW's for severe mental instability/illness and a potential reference to self-harm.
• HAVE FUN!!!

CODING

Comments

[glowup]

A mattress for a healing? That's not the strangest payment I've ever been offered.

[He shan't elaborate. That is a mystery for the ages, but he's definitely been around the block when it comes to strange returns for helping someone out with a healing.]

I'll do what I can. Take a minute to eat, then we'll give it a try.

[In the interim, he will sort some other jars of mystery fruit. He might be using the inside cover of a book to keep track of what he's collected, so let him go update the inventory...]

I'm Anders, by the way.

[glowup]

[That is some top-tier guilty sulking, and yet it somehow wins a point with Anders; he's had his fair share of caught-but-still-mad-about-it sulks in his life, he knows how this one feels. Not that it changes his opinions about how to treat these frozen people, but it's with less biting accusation that he speaks next,]

A man who's lost his home will still suffer when you steal his coin purse. "Suffering" doesn't get easier because it's happened before.

[So maybe just don't shove at all, that could be an option. But he relents from his soapboxing to come over and look at the frozen person on the floor, crouching down and reaching out to gently survey them for any signs of Blight, first. He doesn't plan on unfreezing any more people, after the first one simply stared at him in vague terror and articulated nothing; it seems kind of cruel to do, without the means to actually provide for them beyond a corner in the library to sit in.

But Gen and his sulking probably don't need any Blight, so it's best to be careful. He glances over his shoulder.]

No one is asking you to worry about them. [Not... directly...? Who knows what that otter actually wants them to do, what the arbitrary "correct" choices are in this place. Still: no one has asked them to do a rescue. That much is true.

...But, you know, what about these people? Anders doesn't know how to advocate for people who are literally frozen solid, like this poor bastard in a fetal position he's arduously trying to move without hauling them like furniture. If it were up to him (and he had unlimited Sand, but details) he would bring back as many people as possible and give them a fighting chance— but without that means, it's only frustrating.] But if we can't better their situation, we may as well leave things as close as we can to how we found them.

[glowup]

[The bonding experience offered by being the one doctor in this whole shitty place, indeed... He's almost glad to provide.

But oh: mirrors, and he makes a grim sort of face of sympathy; he has yet to be accosted by a doppelgänger of his own, but he'd rather not experience it. He's avoiding the hall of mirrors for as long as he can, now.]

Call that personal growth. [ha ha. Anyway, are they talking about this, alright. He can multitask, focusing on the healing spell while giving a slight shrug about mage haters.]

I wouldn't call it "normal" to hate anything purely for its existence. [Ahem. Mage rights, etc. Now, not nitpicking--] But I come from a world where the persecution of mages is a common occurrence, yes. They wrote it down in the law books, and everything. According to the Chantry we're hardly people, so it's perfectly alright to do all manner of awful things to us.

[That's bitter, the next part merely resigned:] And some of those views span plenty of worlds, apparently, and even made it here. I'm not surprised.

[glowup]

[With snack delivery and rest-and-recuperate directives out of the way, Anders returns to sorting through what supplies he's managed to get his hands on. Putting these in some semblance of order if only to determine what he should go back out and look for again is the goal, as he feels just a little bit short on just about everything.

Ah, and conversation is still happening, yes-]

Anders. Meridian, if that matters to you. I don't recognize you, so...

[A shrug; not that he recognizes every single Meridian, of course, and not that it matters much to him if someone is aligned to Zenith unless they want to kill him about it, so... That's that on that.]

[hauntedking]

I will.

[ He rolls his shoulders, clearly bracing himself for the plunge - and then he steps down into the water. It's icy cold and he can feel the shock run up his body. He takes a moment and then plunges onward, wading down the descending steps until he's up to his shoulders. There's gooseflesh prickling all over him now as he takes a moment, breathing deep. ]

I'll be back.

[ And then he ducks his head under and starts to swim; behind him the rope slowly begins to uncurl as he moves onward... ]

[hauntedking]

Your reflection-?

[ He glances sidelong at his own as he struggles to hold the doppelganger in place. Fortunately, his own seems to be just that... a mere reflection. He frowns. ]

Well, he - it - certainly doesn't want to talk! How do we get rid of it?

[hauntedking]

Yes. But this whole island feels like something out of a storybook.

[ He shakes his head and gently reaches out to touch one of the pair and then draws his gloved hand back. ]

A part of me wants to try and help these people. Well - more than a part. I know we're meant to be doing what's best for Meridian, but... leaving these people like this feels wrong.

[cutlery]

[ Honestly, someone is probably just watching like “there’s no way this is happening” / “what the fuck is happening” and I will make sure to link this to chat so that they can be Perceived for their weird crimes

However, it’s never bothered Sebastian before, and it certainly won’t start now! He gives Matsui a grateful little nod as he also stands and politely waits until they’ve started the routine to continue the conversation. It’s unfamiliar to him, but as it’s easier than what they did at the circus, he has no problem following along. ]

You know, I was wondering about hypothermia. It was not something I had to worry about before coming here since I was a tad more immortal, shall we say… But in my reduced capacity here, it could be a possibility. But also as a result, I do not know much about it. How does it present?

[cutlery]

[ Sebastian nods at the offer looking perfectly pleased, since unsurprisingly that’s precisely what he was going to request. It at least gives some confirmation to Sebastian’s claim during Communion that he wouldn’t back down from the competition before them, but also that he preferred to be civil. It suited his purposes better, naturally. He gets far more out of being a gentleman than being a beast. ]

It is exactly what I would have asked, so no further negotiation is needed there. Similarly, whatever I do find shall be yours to do with what you wish. I shall stake no claim upon it in return.

[ Unless they found one of those large hourglasses down there, at which point he might want to renegotiate, but. Luckily not a concern here! The question does make his smile quirk a little, because he’s not sure which way he’d like to answer at first, though it’s only for playful reasons. His existence is largely known and not something he intentionally hides like he would have back under Ciel’s employ. But still. There’s a bit of fun to be had with revealing it at the right moment. He decides to be a bit vaguer for now since he imagines when he emerges with no sign of the water’s chill it may prompt the question more. ]

A few minutes will not be a problem. I can always do multiple dives if need be.

[cutlery]

[ Sebastian gives Anders a doubtful look at first, but… Decides against explaining it. He has a feeling that even if he did elaborate on why their scolding holds some weight, Anders wouldn’t exactly believe him. What he doesn’t think about is that this is totally fair because it’s stupid. ]

They are, yes. Longer than I have been, even.

[ If you count the little excursion before Kenos, at least. Sebastian personally does in part because his own stay was brief but just as much because the thin thread that connects the two worlds is enough of a similarity that Kenos feels like a continuation. accidentally genre saavy ]

I feel that I should point out that most of Zenith has “good heads on their shoulders”, as it were. It was not our side that had proclamations to give.

[ set and voryn, looking at y’all… Not that Sebastian disapproves, of course. He loves the drama they brought, but that’s also just his personal taste at work. ]

[cutlery]

[ Sebastian (the real one), pushes back at his doppelganger strongly, but unfortunately, it’s just as strong. He gives Childe a glance as he approaches and first hears the cheerfulness in his voice. He correctly guesses where it’s coming from, and he can only hope it means that he’ll be inclined to assist. As Childe draws the arrow back, Sebastian gives his copy a great shove which manages to line things up a bit better. The arrow pierces into its shoulder, but the reaction is nearly nothing other than the copy jerking back. Not that it isn’t effective, but this quiet copy is more akin to the part of Sebastian that doesn’t feel the need to put on a show of pretending to be human at all. ]

Well—

[ Sebastian starts to speak curtly as he follows his copy. Given a moment to draw his combat knife, he slashes at its neck. Clearly, he’s not messing around here. ]

I am the one that made those, so please just hit the other one!

[ His copy smiles and steps back with light steps to avoid the arcs of Sebastian’s knife, but it also gives Childe a somewhat curious look to see if he’ll really be joining in. ]

[cutlery]

Ah, Mr. Joestar—

[ Sebastian does give Johnny a little nod of greeting as he enters. The thought does cross his mind that Johnny would perhaps be especially easy to steal some sand from… But he also remembers Ciel’s warning and description of his powers that had been given a literal world away. It made Johnny a bit more of an unknown, so he’s more cautious and dismisses the thought.

He looks back to the frozen person again but doesn’t yet touch his hourglass. Instead, he reaches out to touch some of the spiky scales that decorate their head to test their sharpness. ]

I at least thought that perhaps freeing one would be… illuminating, I suppose? I am curious as to how conscious they are in this state or if it is merely likely being eternally asleep.

[cutlery]

[ Sebastian is, above all things, thorough. It’s what led him to this room, and though the statue did give him a little pause, it wasn’t so much that he wouldn’t enter. After all, every other statue had been just that. By the time he catches a glimpse of the treasures the Siren protects, she begins to sing, and it freezes him in place. It’s also something that instantly makes his proverbial hackles raise because Sebastian simply isn’t used to anything being able to get such an advantage over him.

He strains against the magic of the song and throws what feels like all his strength into trying to break it, but there’s no such luck. When Caren speaks, he glances to her with eyes already aglow with the unnatural light that signifies he’s using a little bit more of his true ability. Yet even with that vicious marker that might bloom literally for Caren, his voice is a cold calm. ]

I will kill her. Or try.

[ He looks around and sees the Shard she holds, which causes his eyes to narrow. ]

I suppose we are meant to use our Sand for this. How unfortunate.

[liuli]

[ once again gu yun does not answer this question. he just lets anders wonder, because this is the kind of person that gu yun is? he's always got this look on his face that suggests that he's laughing at some kind of inside joke and this is one of those moments.

but, ah, the chest. gu yun holds the top open so anders can prod around. there are ropes! ]

This has done very little to answer the lovers or fighters question. [ imagine they were shibari ropes. no but there are some ropes, and there's, maybe of most importance, a couple of folded blankets! linens, or maybe this was a tent? who knows. gu yun clicks his tongue, reaching in to touch it and find the material thankfully not damp. ]

Better than nothing. I wonder why it was locked?

[liuli]

[ i am so delightedly floored by the fact that gen has dog ears

to his credit he makes no remark about the bouncy ears, which is a fairly impressive amount of self restraint, but this reminds him so much of chang geng that he has to bully just a tiny, tiny bit. just a little. the smile on his face goes a little mischievous, conveniently deaf to being called little or maybe just not caring, and he peers from behind the shirt. ]

How are you planning on paying for it?

[ he was not planning on selling it to him actually but you know ]

[liuli]

Well. A swordsman and a sword, one way or another.

[ gu yun's smile is a little playful as he pats the handle of the borrowed sword from back in springstar sitting on his belt. he wouldn't have brought it if he didn't know how to use it. this just honestly makes matsui's blood thing make like. a tiny bit more sense? a tiny bit. just a little

anyway. ]

That's not a bad idea. I was present when two were awakened earlier, but they were, ah... not very cooperative, so to speak. Or particularly verbal.

[liuli]

[ gu yun will take her hand! misa can find that even through a pair of gloves underneath his armor, his fingers are cold? maybe it's just the atmosphere in this icy place, or maybe he's just got hands as cold as a corpse all the time. who's to say.

misa's not the only one who feels a little big paranoid, considering gu yun's gaze flicks to the mirrors as he pulls himself up, too, with a clank of armor. his doppelganger is there, but a few mirrors back - despite the fact that his eyes are closed, it's hard to shake the feeling that he's watching them both. as for the person himself, once he's up, he gives misa a polite bow of his head, hand coming up to his heart. ]

My hero. [ it's playful and silly, coming with a wink as he straightens back up. despite the serious circumstances, gu yun seems perfectly fine goofing around - and when he looks back at the doppelganger and they (sort of) lock eyes, he lets just a little of that mannerism fade, focusing. ]

I don't think it's a ghost. Though, quite frankly, I'm not sure what it is, either, besides a poor imitation of the original. [ that's him. hes the original. he's very cute. ] But, this labyrinth is quite a bit more dangerous than just all of its twists and turns, I think.

[ it gives him a chance now to actually look over his savior. she is... cute. and small. and baby? ] Have you been able to avoid trouble so far, miss? I'm not sure we've met.

[liuli]

No, I'm deaf.

[


joking! except he' isn't joking!! he winks after he says it, mischief on his face, before moving to carefully set sooyoung back down on her feet if that's what she wants. and, with a proper explanation: ]

I heard noise, but no particular words. When you hit the ground, I happened to be around the corner. How lucky, hm?

[ his own doppelganger mimes setting sooyoung down. he still has his eyes closed. it is a little creepy. in the meantime, the crow bird squawks, flying over their heads just once, and then settles on gu yun's shoulder. ]

[liuli]

[ gu yun tilts his head just enough to look at dimitri, quietly assessing before he returns his gaze to the statues. ]

Well. [ measured, thoughtful. ] Money spent can be earned again, but time lost is lost for good.

[ a saying, and one that bodes particularly well in this situation - time lost is lost for good. gu yun is a strategist, and it shows here, though he doesn't reveal any of his own feelings on the matter too much. ] Every decision made has to be weighed one way or another. Lose sand, gather sand. Perhaps sacrifice a memory in order to revive someone frozen.

[ gu yun pauses. ]

I don't necessarily disagree with you. The otter did make a point, though; what happens if it's worse for them to be unfrozen?

[fishfearme]

"Does the book name an author? Or have their profile? They could be one of these frozen people."

Of course, that would mean a bit of sleuthing of figuring out which frozen person was the author, if the credit didn't come with a handy portrait. Failing that, they could simply explore the castle - perhaps there was an area where livestock were kept, or some sort of stable where the creature lived, whereupon further research notes were stored.

"Failing that, we could explore the castle and ascertain whether they conducted these experiments locally. A creature such as that would need to be stored in a location built for it. Rather distinct, I'd imagine."

[hauntedking]

[ Dimitri has been a war leader - but his leadership tends toward the personal. On the other hand, he does understand politics reasonably well. But he has a soft edge of idealism... ]

Time is - well. Normally it's impossible to hold onto, isn't it? So this is a strange situation.

[ He frowns. ]

...can we make that choice for them, though? We don't know whether it's better or worse, but if they're unfrozen... won't they at least have a chance to live?

[regression]

[ Before that fist can reach him, Joonghyuk drops the double so Matsui can go back to trying come out on top. ]

You still haven't bought a weapon.

[ While he hasn't received his sword back or regained the sword he picked up when he fought for Kenoma in Horos, but he did procure something to bide his time. His hand slips into his coat and in a flick a dagger is tossed the two Gous' way. This is his way to say FINISH HIM. Let's hope the real Matsui snatches it first. ]

[subsist]

[ For a few brief moments, Kaeya hesitates. A part of him doesn't know what will be accomplished by idling around when their task here is far from over, but in the end, his own weariness and exhaustion win him over. He settles down by the area that Zhongli has pointed out to him before looking up at the dragon right next to them.

It makes him wonder just who Zhongli really is if Azhdaha is truly his friend. There are only so few individuals out there who can claim such an outrageous statement. ]

There's still work to be done, [ he starts quietly, thinking back to the Hourglass he'd taken with Tyki but at a terrible cost ] but I've no idea if either side is any closer to acquiring the Oracle. [ He looks back at Zhongli. ] And you? What have you been up to, Master Zhongli?

[cutlery]

[ Since Sebastian’s attention is on clearing the glass out of the way, Ocelot will miss his little frown as he mentions problems with Silco. He’s tempted to sigh because the more he gets to know Silco, it seems like his hope that this contract would be a little simpler than Ciel’s was a foolish thing. As it turns out, he gets along with people about as well as his previous master. ]

Well, do pardon me for saying so, but you will find that there are not many here in Kenos who are… tactically minded, shall we say? I do imagine there would be some that would walk right up with intentions, yes.

[ Not that he thinks Ocelot is one of them. He hadn’t gotten the impression that he was dumb in that way from their conversation, at least.

Sebastian grabs the box carefully, then steps back as he pulls it out. As he pulls it away, the glass held midair wavers until it finally crashes down and the rest of the pain finishes breaking. Yet around the box itself, there are still little floating pieces pulled along with Sebastian. How interesting indeed! He turns to face both and gives a little shrug. ]

It is as Mr. Silco says. We met under amiable circumstances, all things considered. I take it that was not the case for the two of you?

[regression]

[ Joonghyuk grumbles... It would be better to leave, wouldn't it? As the reflection drives Dimitri back lance to lance, he uses momentum and weight in an arc kick to the double's side full force. His blades are ready, but quick decision tells it's better to abandon pursuit.

His attention shifts to Dimitri, deliberating on what to say. ]

Pay attention next time or else you'll lose your head. [ Criticism first. ] We're leaving.

[ Fight a for in a strange environment without more information? Unwise. ]