⏳ 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

Hythlodaeus ✷ Meridian ✷ Stargazer

[ktizo]

Library

Amongst the stacks of books, Hythlodaeus huddles in a corner and dozes. He's really feeling the way his strength has been sapped here, and if this is a safe area he's sure a little nap won't hurt...

He can also be found idly examining a certain book. He'll glance up as people pass, and offer a tired smile. "Have you found anything interesting yet?" He's not going to spend all of his Sand on books here, but he can always ask for information from others. And of course, he's willing to share his book's information.

Hall of Mirrors

Trudging through the mirrors, Hythlodaeus soon becomes aware of a presence- a familiar voice, his own, whispering spiteful things from the shadows. Emet-Selch wouldn't be so weak. Nor would Azem. Look at you, you can barely put one foot in front of the other. Closing his eyes and stopping briefly, Hythlodaeus then glares at the nearest mirror. The voice continues, though. You always were the weak link.

His bow forming in his hands, Hythlodaeus fires several arrows in quick succession at the mirrors, but he isn't expecting one to come hurtling back at him. It catches him in the arm, and he hisses and clutches at it. Not a shot meant to kill, simply to wound. It means he needs to stop what he's doing and pull the arrow from himself before he can heal it, but if he tries to do that surely he leaves himself open to another attack. He's in a tricky situation- he would appreciate some help, even if the words the shadow continues to spit in his direction are, for lack of a better word, embarrassing. You are entirely unworthy of Emet-Selch's affections.

Wildcard

For anything else! Hythlodaeus will be in the Eating Parlour and maybe a bedroom. He might also be looking in bathrooms for medicine that he will trade to others for Sand- he's also available to heal Meridians with magic if needed, in exchange for a small amount of Sand.

Library

[lachtara]

Emet-Selch had spent a sizable amount of time combing through the Library in search of any interesting tidbits. Most of it was certainly standard fair for the library - medical books, cookbooks, and a few children's stories with a similar theme. All of them seem purposefully curated rather than something he would expect to see from a library for the populace. Is this someone's curated collection?

As he continues to wander the isles he catches sight of his friend dozing in a far-flung corner of the library. He's been so unusually tired since arriving on the isles...

Emet-Selch snaps his book shut and goes to find a blanket. Once retrieved, he draws it fondly over Hythlodaeus so that he may stay warm while he sleeps. After which he would resume his reading from the shelves within seeing distance. 'Safe area' or no, being on his own like this in a secluded area is not wise. He would stay until his friend wakes.

[ktizo]

Soon waking from his slumber, he notes the blanket and blinks- he doesn't recall having one when he fell asleep. He looks up to see Emet-Selch trying to look inconspicuous by the shelves and smiles to himself, gesturing for his friend to come to him.

"I must have dozed off while looking for information." Not quite a lie, he had looked plenty, but the decision to sleep instead had been his own. He rolls his shoulders, groaning.

"I wish I had chosen a more comfortable position, however..."

[lachtara]

"Surely sleeping on the ground has done you no favors." With a grunt of effort, he slides down beside his friend. Ugh, how he managed to sleep here of all places is a miracle all on its own. The ground is so stiff and uncomfortable.

"Feeling rested?" A question to which he can guess the answer.

[ktizo]

"Rested? Not at all." He says it cheerfully enough, but his smile is tired and his eyes are heavy- it gives away how exhausted he is.

"If I could only shake this lethargy... alas, I fear it is here to stay for a while." And so, he's spent much of his time in the library, where it's 'safe.' It wouldn't do to go out adventuring while in this state.

[lachtara]

"Never did I think that there would come a time in which I would be the 'spry' one between us." At least he can have some humor about the situation. Even if the sudden onset of exhaustion has made him nothing but concerned since their arrival.

Emet-Selch reaches into the breast pocket of his warm jacket and offers his friend some bread he'd managed to retrieve from the Eating Parlour. "I don't imagine it will make much of a difference in your condition, but we should not tempt fate into making it worse."

[ktizo]

"Nor did I, my friend."

Taking the bread, he leans against Emet-Selch in gratitude. "You have my thanks... but I should like for you to share it with me."

He breaks it in half and offers part of it to his friend, smiling up at him. "We must both keep our strength up, after all."

Library

[sharethememory]

The library does seem to be the safest place for resting, though Zhongli is surprised to find Hythlodaeus still looking a little tired. Did he just over-exert himself or did the effects of the courtyard affect them all differently? Something to ponder as Zhongli himself was still getting used to the aspects and their effects.

"I may have found something interesting though I do not know if it useful."

Zhongli trails off for a moment, brow furrowing at the quaint little corner that Hythlodaeus has set-up here. It is perhaps rude to directly say it, but well, sometimes the direct approach got the best results.

"Are you feeling quite all right? There's a room with some provisions nearby - if you need something fetched like a mildly warm drink, I can prepare one for you."

He can't really offer a hot drink in this frigid place. Would it cool completely before he could even make it back to the library?

[ktizo]

"Oh, you are kind to offer." Hythlodaeus smiles warmly at Zhongli, before pushing himself to his feet- it seems to take him longer than perhaps it might have normally. Gravity just feels as if it's weighing him down right now.

"But it would be rude of me to accept without accompanying you, I'm sure. Let us both explore together, hm?"

[sharethememory]

There's a stuttered unfinished motion as if Zhongli is deciding whether he should offer a hand in assisting Hythlodaeus or if such a gesture is too forward for a first meeting. Either way, it seems he's too slow and his decision remains unmade by the time that he is standing. Ah well.

"Now I feel like the rude one as it seems you were quite comfortable where you were.
But I would welcome the company and any tips to make sure the drink is to your liking."

And off they go, Zhongli stepping carefully around Hythlodaeus's little nook before heading back toward the entrance to the library. He does watch him out of the corner of his eye for the first few moments to ensure he doesn't outpace the other.

[ktizo]

"Nonsense, I can hardly stay in the library for this entire trip! I'd at least like to try and explore."

He follows at a steady pace, and Zhongli doesn't outpace him any- he's tired, but moving around isn't too bad after he's loosened up a little from sitting for so long.

"I only hope nothing out of the ordinary happens while we're out." He's doing his best, and he could surely hold his own if they were attacked, but he's... slower than usual. Everything takes so much more effort...

[sharethememory]

"If it does, I hope it is one of unexpectedly good fortune, even if I should know better than to rely on luck."

Luckily the path to the eating parlour is both well traveled and relatively safe at the moment. There are probably better places to ambush a lone member of the other faction, even if being a Stargazer gave Hythlodaeus a disadvantage throughout their entire stay here. Zhongli himself is equipped with a spear that looks like it is forged completely out of water strapped to his back - a gift from Childe so that he at least could defend himself a little. Who knew if it actually served as a deterrent or not?

Zhongli's pace is naturally slow and leisurely, so it takes a bit from them to make it there, but when they do he will gesture to any of the ingredients that look semi-normal.

"Please let me know if there is any specific you would like prepared."

Zhongli is personally going for some mild flavored dry leaves and herbs and acting like that picky shopper in the grocery isle who has to rearrange to entire stock to make sure they are getting the best ingredients.

[ktizo]

Eyeing the spear, Hythlodaeus gestures to it.

"Your spear is a rather intriguing weapon. Did you create it yourself?" He wonders if, when touched, it would feel like water or if it would be solid.

In any case, he goes through the ingredients carefully, not touching anything that looks like it could be contaminated. Eventually he finds some sweet leaves that seem like they'd be good for a tea.

"And now for something to steep the leaves in..." He hums as he looks around, as if this were simply a jaunt to a local store. But he's aware of his surroundings, and listening intently for anything out of the ordinary.

Library

[fishfearme]

Byleth had been merely passing by, preoccupied with his thoughts, when he heard the question aimed at him. He turned to the man who had called out to him, and couldn't help but think how this man looked quite similar to Yuri. Well, there were distinct differences of course (like the lack of make-up), but the similarities were enough to snare his interest and draw him into conversation. In a land so unfamiliar to him, he couldn't help but be pathetically drawn to anything that vaguely reminded him of his homeworld.

"Yes," his replied, and held up the book he had been flicking through before. "A book that discusses mirror shards imbued with time magic. However, I'm unfamiliar with this magic's mechanisms. A side effect of differing worlds with differing rules, most likely."

He considered the man for a moment before awkwardly holding the book out. "You may have it, if you like. I've already committed its relevant contents to memory."

[ktizo]

"Oh? My thanks." He takes the book, looking down at it briefly before glancing back up at Byleth.

"'Tis only fair that I share my own book's contents, then. If you would like, we can sit together and read."

It seems like the perfect excuse to get to know someone and learn at the same time. "I am Hythlodaeus. A pleasure."

[fishfearme]

It was subtle, but Byleth perked slightly at the invitation. Rare was it that someone offered to share his company, what with his terrifying reputation and social awkwardness scaring most people away.

"I'm Byleth. A pleasure." he replied, and he placed a hand over his unbeating heart and dipped his upper body in a shallow bow. He was mimicking what the Kingdom nobles did when introducing themselves, as it seemed to be the polite thing to do. Of course, he had no title or noble line to follow up, so he paused fractionally before straightening back up.

"Thank you for the invitation," he continued. "It's very kind of you. I must confess, though, that I have never sat and read with someone before. Are we to do it in complete silence, or may we speak whilst reading?"

[ktizo]

"We may speak. It would be rather dull if we couldn't, wouldn't it?"

Chuckling, he scoots over a little to make room for Byleth, and holds out his own book so that the other man can get a look at it.

"My apologies if I seem somewhat... tired, though. Ever since I arrived here, something has been weighing me down, almost."

[fishfearme]

Byleth took the offered space, though he had to adjust his sword hanging at his hip to make it comfortable (no clipping through solid objects game physics here). He sat very straight-backed, his hands on his thighs - a rigid posture that, oddly, seemed to be perfectly comfortable for Byleth (it meant he could spring to his feet at a moment's notice).

"This place does seem to drain one of their energy." Byleth had felt initially groggy as well, but had ignored the funk with well-worn experience. "I'd offer to alleviate your symptoms, but... my magic only works on physical injuries, rather than ailments or malaise. Apologies."

[ktizo]

"My thanks for the offer, in any case. I am afraid that attempting to heal myself will simply drain me of Sand, and so I haven't tried it."

He notes the rigid position Byleth sits in, but if that's how he wants to sit then Hythlodaeus can hardly tell him to do otherwise. "Now then, these books... mine seemed to concern using time magic to accelerate the growth of livestock. There's a creature mentioned, the Sarmonia... a terrible birdlike beast with many wings, and a cry like 'the dying.' The creature is a work in progress from what I can gather."

library!

[liuli]

[ oh, that's a familiar voice. gu yun greets hythlodaeus with a mischievous little smile and a polite bow. ]

Doctor. [ stop calling him that

but then he comes to sit down next to him in a clunk of armor, holding his own book in one hand and a cloak over his arm. meridian reading friends. ] A bit on time magic, a bit of bad taste. A name, too, if nothing else. What about you?

[ktizo]

[Laughing at the name, Hythlodaeus waggles his book at Gu Yun.]

Information on how time magic was utilised here. To grow specimens for meat, apparently! Ah, but they seem to have created quite the terrible creature in the process.

[Not that he hasn't seen worse, in his line of work.]

[liuli]

[ oh! that's interesting. he reaches out for the book... ]

Can I see? That sounds fascinating.

[ktizo]

Of course.

[Handing it over, the book isn't a particularly heavy one- but the creature described within certainly piques Hythlodaeus' interest.]

Can you imagine? A scream that sounds like the dying... how terrible. I'd love to see it.

[liuli]

[ bruh ]

I imagine you wouldn't be seeing it for very long. [ because boy if that just ain't a deadly sounding creature! we're learning a lot about hyth today...

anyway gu yun leafs through the book absently though, checking the pages. ] ... I wonder what the relationship of the beast to the meat is. One hopes they weren't eating it; that brings eating crow to a whole other level.

[ don't joke about that ]

[ktizo]

Perhaps they were testing on the bird first, to make sure it was a viable solution. You wouldn't want to use magicks on an entire herd of animals, only to realise it ruined them irreversibly..

[He shrugs. From the way the bird turned out, he has to wonder what was wrong with the methods they used. It surely didn't come out correctly, right?]