⏳ 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

MR. TIBBS (NPC REQUEST)

[beleos]

Please respond here if you would like to speak with Mr. Tibbs! Make sure you specify if this is during the Intro or in the Library.

intro!

[baltimores]

[ Oh, no. No, fuck this. Something feels wrong. And nevermind everything else — the cold, the creepy stillness that surrounds them, the way he feels like shit — but now here's this guy, bouncing around like a lunatic, prattling away like he's having a good time, and he just took something from him.

What, Amos doesn't know, but he's officially pissed off now.

When he's got some of his faculties back about him he approaches Mr. Tibbs, his aura only a little murderous. (The fact that he still feels too weak to actually do anything — let alone how the otter seems to be able to go wherever he pleases, just like that — only pisses him off further.) And, eyes dead, voice flat but for the edge to it, ]

What the fuck is wrong with you?

[kenosnpcs]

[ Mr. Tibbs is examining one of his paws like one might check their nails when bored as Amos makes his way up to the otter. He gives a chipper chirp despite the rude greeting, ]

Aren't you one to talk, mister? With manners like those, no wonder you're in such bad shape. Tsk, tsk.

[baltimores]

You did something.

[ He took a part of his soul. What the fuck. What the fuck. Instead of trying to wrap his mind around it Amos has defaulted straight to a cold fury — he knows he isn't going to get anywhere if he reaches out to try to grab the otter by the neck, but he can bide his time.

Biding his time doesn't come with manners, though. Sorry, Mr. Tibbs. (He's not sorry.) ]

You got a dead world all around you. Living people show up and the first thing you do is assault them?

[ What the fuck is wrong with you, just said differently this time. ]

LIBRARY

[ragou]

[ Sorry, impossibly cute otter, you deserve better than this.

Butー here we are. A giant of a man, picking through books with long, careful fingers, stopping mid-motion during his search to turn his attention sideways to poor Mr. Tibbs, who is probably just here to have a good time (?).

Douman didn't approach him after their preliminary meetingー had felt it would be foolish to, given how strangely weak he'd feltー but now that he's better-equipped to speak to the jolly little otter who'd steered them all in their respective places, well. That's exactly what he's going to be doing! What a tragedy for all parties involved. ]

Mmmm, Tibbs-dono, Tibbs-dono! [ TIBBS-DONO... ] Ah, always on the move, despite the state of this place. Admirable, admirable. Would you spare a humble onmyouji a moment of your time? Just a moment!

[kenosnpcs]

[ Maybe they deserve each other, did you ever think of that Freshy

Tibbs-dono is wagging his tail at this manner of address; apparently it pleases him, because he's adjusting his bowtie and giving a toothy otter-grin. ]

Why, yes! You're the first polite and well-mannered land-hopper I've spoken with; it's such a delight! How can I be of help to you, my good man?

[ragou]

[ Douman, internally: I wonder what you taste like between my teeth, you weird noodle

Douman, externally: ] You must forgive the others their folliesー they seem to be very delicate, you see. [ Look at this polite clown, he is not UNCOUTH like the others!! #notallclowns. ] Mm, I was wondering, merely, how you keep yourself so spry and cheerful, of course. You seem to be the only one with any measure of vigor, and I can't help but envy it.

[ wink wink wink wink ]

library!

[epiprocta]

[ It's at some awkward hour, where most people have either retreated to the quieter corners to rest, or have departed from the library to explore the larger castle area, that Mr. Tibbs is approached by a guest. Probably an unwelcome one.

Back before he and his fellow Shardbearers had been dismissed from the courtyard, Gen had shot the otter a brief glare -- clearly suspicious, but too physical drained to do anything about it. But now that he's feeling a little better (hungry, tired, a little frazzled from trying to acclimate to all the magic bullshit going on here), he might as well follow one of the only direct leads that comes to mind. ]

Hey. [ His bootsoles scuff against the flooring as he slinks his way over to where Mr. Tibbs is stationed, smoke trailing from his lips in a long plume as he exhales slowly, a cigarette held between his fingers. No need to waste time beating around the bush. ] So I've been meaning to ask -- what makes you so special, hm? Who'd you bribe to be the only one still walking and talking, here?

[kenosnpcs]

[ Mr. Tibbs is as he always is - floating about the Library this way and that, weaving through the aisles with familiarity. He's nosing on all of the Bearers as they pass through, watching them with curiosity; he never seems to need sleep, constantly in a state of watchful intrigue.

This means that he is perking up at Gen when he's addressed, twisting around from where he had been perusing a book - a children's picture book about a magician and his white rabbit, flipping the page idly. Hm. ]

Isn't it obvious? I'm the one who froze everything.

[epiprocta]

[ Gen offers no response at first save the gently crackle of his cigarette's ember as he takes a long drag. Then, with the cigarette still parked between his lips and muffling his words a touch, he drawls, ]

You think you're real funny, huh.

[ At the same time, he reaches forward to (sigh) condescendingly pet Mr. Tibbs on the head. Like he's a dog. ]

You wouldn't be bothering with all this menial bullshit, explaining things to us and keeping an eye on things if you were actually responsible for this, yeah? So for real, now -- there's gotta be something that makes you special, hm?

LIBRARY

[passio]

…

[ dextera, to be fair, does wait his turn for everyone else who wants to yell at mr. tibbs about this and that, but when he sees an opening once the others have reluctantly gone off to explore the castle, he…

…stands there. he stares. he doesn’t know if the otter can hear him through his shard, and so his choice when he comes to it is to gesture to himself over and over, as if scooping the air and trying to place it into his chest.

give it back. ]

[kenosevents]

[ Standing and staring, eh? Well, two can play at that game.

Mr. Tibbs stares at Dextera in return....and stares some more....and a little more for good measure.

He waddles over as soon as Dextera speaks through his shard. Then, Mr. Tibbs withdraws a slip of paper from the jacket of his coat and scribbles something on it with an otter-sized pen. The paper is offered to Dextera - the paper says 'It' on it. ]

I hope this will do! 💙

[passio]

[ bro… :( ]

…

[ dextera shakes his head, shoving the paper back at the otter. he finds it easier when he’s feeling particularly forceful to go without his words and let others divine their own meaning from his gestures—but honestly, he’s not playing that high right now. he’s just frustrated, and he doesn’t know exactly what he’s missing to ask for it properly. ]

[liuli]

What excellent eyewear you have.

[ says gu yun by way of greeting, sometime into their time in the library, coming to find mr. tibbs. my brother in monocle wearing and adorableness(?).

it's very friendly. he's got a book in his other hand, and gives a little bow of his head, a polite greeting. manners to questionable creatures. ] Do you think I could pick your mind about something for a moment or two?

[kenosevents]

[ Oh, a fellow of good taste!

Mr. Tibbs nods sagely, and takes his monocle so that he may clean it on the edge of his little jacket. ]

Sure, sure! I can spare a moment or three for someone of such discerning taste.

[liuli]

[ this is the cutest thing. it's a shame you're a little bit of a sociopath, lil otter!!!

he grins at the acceptance though, winks behind his liuli glass, and plops down with his book so they may better talk on eye to eye level. my god, if shen yi could see him now. ]

I wanted to ask about the reading material in the library. Do you have any particular favorites? Since you seem fond of this place as to keep it safe and sound.

intro.

[vapour]

[ this entire situation sticks and yet, the icy stones is almost vanilla in a soothing kind of way, reminding him of the frozen landscape of his home. Even feeling awful, the familiarity is snug Well, since he's such here feeling like shit... might as well talk to the cute otter that just like... did something soul violating, he's pretty sure.


Hrm. It's always the cute stupid looking ones that pull the rug out from under you. Hmph. ]

Do you like kids? My siblings would love one of you. Or are there other versions I can get that do like kids, if not?

[kenosevents]

[ That very same cute otter is perched on a patch of ice and observing the surroundings. Oh! A visitor! He perks right up. ]

Other versions? [ Oh, huff. He's hurt!! ] I'm a one-of-a-kind - and that kind enjoys spending time with those of any age. As long as they can appreciate a good joke, of course. You'd be surprised at how many folks around here can be stone-faced when I give them my very best pun.

[ He gives a pointed look at the frozen statues in the area. You get it, right? ]

[vapour]

[ he sure does. He'll give a chuckle. ]

They do, they're great kids. Can I take you off this island after everything's said and done or are you stuck here somehow?

Library

[prizeneck]

[With a book in his hand, he goes searching for this magical otter who he had spotted floating about before. The way he introduces himself is with a scoff:]

So, should I be calling you Sir Tibbs, instead?

Re: Library

[kenosevents]

[ The little otter whips his head around. Oh! What a bold introduction. ]

Sir?! I'm sure I haven't the foggiest what you mean.

[prizeneck]

What about 'Tibbar', then? [He wiggles the book in his grasp, his hand raising just to make sure it's the otter's line of sight.] Just read an interesting book about your life as a Knight. What's that all about?

Library

[sharethememory]

[ Sometime mid-week Zhongli will come looking for one Mr. Tibbs. Unsurprisingly, exploring the castle had just created more questions than answers, so there was no time like the present to see if he couldn't shed a little bit more light on the whole situation.

Once it appears that Mr. Tibbs is not busy with anything, Zhongli approaches bearing him a cup of mildly warm tea (since it was beyond Zhongli's ability to keep anything truly hot here) recently prepared from the eating palor. Do magic otters even drink tea? Do magic otters even need to eat? Perhaps not, but that was no excuse for being a poor guest in someone's frozen home. ]

Master Tibbs, would it be possible to borrow a moment of your time?

[kenosevents]

I would half think that was a pun, given your present predicant.

[ It looks like he is being beckoned! And what is that smell? Hmmmmm... Excuse him as he pops out of existence and pops right back in so he can sniff the delightful scent of tea. Warm tea! ]

Sure, sure! What might I do you for?

[sharethememory]

Perhaps if it came from another. I am not nearly so clever with words.

[ Since it seems Mr. Tibbs doesn't seem opposed to the idea of tea, Zhongli will offer the cup and saucer to the otter with a quick remark on the type of leaves that he used from the eating parlor. ]

I have a couple questions, much like many around here. You seemed quite surprised by our arrival but were able to organize us rather quickly in spite of that. And for that guidance, I am grateful. But I must ask - were you expecting us? And do you know of the those who sent us here to this castle?