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Entry tags:
- !event,
- arcane: vander,
- d. gray-man: tyki mikk,
- dragon age: anders,
- elder scrolls (the): voryn dagoth,
- ennead: set,
- expanse (the): amos burton,
- final fantasy xiv: emet-selch,
- final fantasy xiv: hythlodaeus,
- genshin impact: kaeya alberich,
- genshin impact: zhongli,
- mob psycho 100: reigen arataka,
- oc: liem talbott,
- orv: dokja kim,
- orv: sooyoung han,
- until death do us part: mamoru hijikata
⏳ THE SCORCHING ISLE: Oracle Event One ⏳
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...
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.
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
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...
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!
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.)
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
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.
Please see the "Blight" section below for more information on its effects.
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
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.”
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!
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?
Please refer to the OOC Summary for details on the Hall of Mirrors!
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
THE BLIGHT and TIME MECHANICS
BLIGHT
TIME
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!!!
no subject
gu yun doesn't know how to be even remotely straightforward. even being straight is kind of a stretch? he hums, glancing down at the book again. ]
I think it does make a point. Prophecies, thoughts of the future - spending too much time dwelling on anything but the present is a mistake. [ that's some monk shit, honestly. that's hu guo monks and the third emperor, making decisions by bald headed men cooing about the stars and the buddha and the alignment of things. gu yun's never once worked that way. ] Truthfully, I'd rather not be mucking around in time at all.
[ not that they get any choice. ] The future's just temptation. It's easy to screw it up, too. [ there's a thoughtful pause, after a moment longer, and he tilts his head back to look at eustace. ]
There's a name, at least. Mimsy. Not sure who that is, only that it's about as fanciful as the otter's.
no subject
But alas he can't do any of this alone, and so he must continue to act (somewhat) polite in their company as he opens up his book to reveal….some very cutely illustrated pictures. Oh, okay. So he's picked up a children's book. That's cool. ]
Speaking from personal experience?
[ Though even if it isn't, Eustace has to agree. There's a lot out there that's better left alone, and time definitely seems like one of them if all those fiction novels out there are to be believed. Idly he flips through his book, eyes scanning the page while his ears listen to Gu Yun talk. Mimsy sounds like such a childlike name, maybe there'll be something about it in his book…
The page-turning slows, then stops. ]
Did you speak to the otter before this?
[ Mr. Tibbs, with his dapper little monocle. ]
no subject
a picture book, huh. gu yun scoots forward to look at the pictures. is this...a Lore Book? or a random book... and for the first bit, he shrugs a shoulder, sounding mostly nonchalant, though he does scoff. ]
Not particularly. It's just logic - and besides, magic isn't real in my normal circumstances. The closest we have to it would be having your fortune read by a charlatan, and I can tell you with no uncertainty that I would rather leap into a cactus and cover myself in vinegar than spend more than thirty seconds in the presence of anyone who claims they can magically discern what's to come.
[ gu yun
has some strong feelings about this. he's too pragmatic to lean on the mystical practices of the temple of his world, and this place is no exception. he's only going to be using any sort of time magic by force or necessity. ] It seems a fool's endeavor.
[ as for
my new retainerthe otter, gu yun makes a thoughtful noise, tapping his pen against his book. ] I did. We had an interesting conversation. Did you?no subject
Despite his obvious distrust of Mr. Gu Yun and
his new retainerMr. Tibbs, Eustace nonetheless holds his book out for the other man to view, the cold light in the library painting the illustrated scenes in an almost creepy view. Though there's nothing particularly alarming about the story, as the words spell out a tale of a lonely child with their newretainerbest friend the otter. ]I didn't. Did he happen to say how he came to be here?
[ He wasn't given as a gift to some lonely child, was he.... ]
no subject
gu yun leans in to examine the book, adjusting his liuli glass as he does as if to get a better look at it, and then leans back. ]
No, he didn't. As you might have noticed, he is a very slippery little creature. [ much like gu yun. this is why he's adopting mr. tibbs. ] But, he did speak a bit to me about his favorite stories - a fairy tale about a brave knight, and a story about a traitorous wizard. Seems like it might be relevant.
no subject
But, ah, that's interesting to learn. His brows crease as he takes in the information offered to him. Maybe it's not so surprising that a whimsical (?) creature like Mr. Tibbs might be fond of fairy tales and fables. It could be coincidence, or there could be a buried seed of truth in how everything ties together.
There's only one way to find out. Unfortunately, Eustace isn't much of a fan of talking. ]
How truthful do you think he was being with his answers?
[ All the stuff about sand had been accurate enough to his limited exposure, but everything else... ]
no subject
I think in many lies, there are grains of truth.
[ gu yun, a professional liar, would know this. he also recognizes the sort of creature mr. tibbs is, even if he... is an otter... because there's something familiar about it. ]
The 'knight' and the 'wizard' are perhaps the most relevant to our story, or at least the story of this place. Perhaps he sees himself as the knight. What do you think?
no subject
even if I do notand while he's usually amenable to using it, he prefers it be for his own goals and not…whatever this is. A castle he's been brought to by the orders of others, being lectured to by an otter with so many secrets up its sleeve. ]If he's the knight, he's not doing a very good job of it.
[ Standing around while directing other people to do his work for him. No doubt there are reasons for that, but Eustace doesn't have it in him to shake the answers out. ]
We don't seem to be the wizards though, unless there's another piece missing.
[ There are plenty of missing pieces left still. ]
no subject
Perhaps, but - if we think of it as a fairy tale, then, why would the 'knight' be anything more than just a costume to play dress up in? Besides, wouldn't most people want to consider themselves something brave?
[ even if they're not? goes unsaid. even if they're furry little creatures also goes unsaid because, once again, he has to resist making a joke, but less so this time if only because things are very serious.
as for the wizards... gu yun hums. ] I don't know. Able to do time magic or not, I'm not sure what we would do to be called traitorous so easily. Rather... to me, it smacks of a friend. A former one, perhaps.
no subject
And since Gu Yun has not started talking about the benefits of pleasuring your partner in bed, as certain other people have, Eustace will continue to give the man a begrudging amount of respect.
He sighs, and flips a few more pages, though the story that unfolds doesn't seem to hold any more secrets. ]
Are you going to investigate here until you solve that mystery?
[ They can't exactly talk to any of the people standing around, so the books seem to be their best bet for now. ]