⏳ 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

[hauntedking]

[ Dimitri has likewise been searching the castle for resources and investigating the mysterious place. It's empty and echoing in some regards, but also frozen in the middle of life. That saddens him - he can see glimpses of his own home in these people and he doesn't particularly want to see them hurt. So when he enters this particular room, he comes up short, his gaze sharpening as he takes it all in. Kaeya he knows. Tyki he does not - but what's more evident is what they're doing.

His voice booms out, carrying through the room. ]

What are you doing?

[ Dimitri is a large man - over six feet tall and broad - and perhaps more importantly, carries a wicked-looking lance on one shoulder. ]

Leave these people be! Kaeya - you cannot mean to kill them over this?

[subsist]

[ Tyki speaks, but Kaeya barely processes any of it.

Ice has always been surprisingly fragile despite how sturdy it could be. It's all too easy to break and shatter if you know the right way to do it. He watches as Tyki snaps off the Atirat's hand, showing neither regret nor disdain for what's about to transpire. It makes him think back to what happened at Venera several months ago, how much he hesitated to do what was asked of him then, and now—

A booming voice cuts through the rest of his thoughts. He turns to face the source, not at all surprised that it is Dimitri who found them. Fate is amusing when it comes to how it chooses who gets to intervene. Back then at Venera, there had been someone who stood in his way too. ]

Does that matter? They're as good as dead anyway.

[ Does he believe that? It's hard to say.

Before Dimitri can get another word edgewise, he positions himself in front of the group of Atirat. And with a snap of his fingers, jagged pieces of ice shoot up from the floor, forming a barrier between them and the other man. Just as bitter and cold as he is. This should prove to be enough of an obstacle while Tyki continues to work on getting that hourglass.

(And like this, Dimitri doesn't have to get hurt.) ]

Now, if you'll be so kind as to wait, we'll be done here soon enough.

cw uhhh body horror kind of

[joyd]

[A brief, curious look is all he passes the newcomer, although even this perfunctory assessment is enough to tell him that the man is no green soldier. He looks like a warrior with that build and weapon in hand. Turning back to his task, Tyki doesn't conceal the loose and easy smile that shapes his mouth.]

Good timing. I was wondering if we might face some competition at last. I'll leave it to you, boy.

[There's another frozen hand in the way. This time, he reaches with a grasp slicked in Dark Matter to seize the Atirat's elbow; it takes more force to snap this part of the body, and the crack splits through the room like a knife. Evidently he's applied too much force — as Tyki separates limb from body, the Atirat's frozen weight, no longer grounded, wobbles and crashes backward. It isn't a pretty sight. The body does not shatter into countless gem-like shards of ice, but instead chunks of frozen parts, like butchered meat with pale blue centers.]

Whoops, I think I overestimated my own strength. [That one is now definitely dead. Tyki gives a vague shrug, before he reaches for the next hand and snaps it off with another sickening crunch. He's able to get his fingers around the Hourglass now.] Just another few moments and I'll be done.

[What surprises Tyki is how taxing this feeble effort is; sweat has begun to gather on his brow, and he feels heavy, clouded. He can't waste much more time at this.]

[hauntedking]

Whether they are or not is not your decision to make.

[ Dimitri calls back, voice grim. He can only just barely see what Tyki is doing beyond the ice wall and it urges him to further action. The lance comes off of his shoulder. ]

You cannot end peoples lives for them without giving them even a chance, Kaeya! Why are you doing this?

[ This is the man he spoke to so fondly. The man he kissed and yet here they are. His heart aches a little. Is he doomed to end up opposed to the people he begins to care about? ]

I will not wait. Not anymore.

[ And Dimitri launches himself at the ice wall with force. The tip of his lance strikes it, driven by horrible strength, and there's a crack as a fracture opens in it and Dimitri draws back his weapon for another blow. ]

[subsist]

As far as I'm concerned, Master Tibbs gave us the responsibility to make that call.

[ Isn't that why everything that makes up who they are have now been reduced to sand? Sand that they're meant to use however they please, whether that's by saving those who are frozen in time or ransacking all their resources. It's not as though they have an infinite amount of either, and anyone who thinks it would be so easy to give themselves up for others is both out of touch and naive.

Kaeya doesn't bother giving Dimitri a reason why. To him, it should be obvious. With the fates of all those they hold dear at stake, the people of Atirat barely fit into the equation. ]

But have it your way. Why don't I help you chill out instead?

[ The wall made out of ice cracks and crumbles under the force of Dimitri's incredible strength. Tyki says that he only needs a few more moments and he'll be done so Kaeya is going to stall the other man's approach for as long as he can. If an ice barrier can't hold him back, then he has to go on the offensive.

The temperature in the room drops even further as sharp icicles manifest directly above Dimitri's path from every angle. They'll start to rain on him like a hailstorm, and even if just one hits its mark, the ice will spread out from where it strikes, aiming to freeze the man in place. ]

[hauntedking]

Pitiful. I thought you had a better heart-

[ Dimitri's voice rises in response, but he's forced to batter his way through the storm of ice that Kaeya sends at him. He pauses to raise the lance, using it to better ice out of the air. He isn't perfect, of course, and the icicles slash at him, cutting open his cheek and slamming into his armored chest and torso. He can feel the creep of the chill along his body and he snarls, keeping himself moving through force of will - and sheer, bloody-minded strength.

The chill saps at his body, but he is a native of snow and ice. He slows, but does not entirely stop, each step as if he were walking through mud, his form hunched against the storm. ]

[subsist]

You barely know anything about me.

[ Kaeya has warned him of this — over and over again, he's sure. There's a flicker of something indescribable that makes itself known through the empathic connection between Dimitri and him, a twisted and gnarled emotion that can be likened to a withering heart. It's both sad and fragile.

He doesn't slow down his assault even as Dimitri continues to advance, summoning larger icicles the closer the man gets. One might notice, if they care to pay close attention, that he might be deliberately avoiding any vital spots.

He glances back at Tyki. ]

How much longer?

[hauntedking]

I thought I saw something in you-

[ And in response there is something fierce; deeply angry and passionate. A groundswell of the need to protect and terrible, terrible guilt sharpened into a spear. He deflects another icicle and then another and then jerks as one slams into his side. He has to pause and then he lunges with a yell that is almost more animal than man - he will endure and he will reach his target - Kaeya. ]

[joyd]

[Part of Tyki's attention divides itself at the unfolding drama, naturally intrigued. There's some relationship here, although its history he can't guess; whatever it is colors the exchange nonetheless. At Kaeya's question, his smile becomes thin and close-lipped.]

Don't be impatient. This is delicate work, you know. [Another sickening crunch. Then, those last few inches, Tyki phases his hand through with the ability of choose — wrapping dark fingers around the shape of the Hourglass and ripping it loose. Another frozen statue of an Atirat falls backward, smashed to chunks.] There. Done.

[Juggling the gilded Hourglass to his left hand, now Tyki assesses the battle behind him. Ice and blood, an enraged man, a wickedly sharp lance... He chuckles, a low noise almost lost to the room, eyes lingering too long on Kaeya.]

You're being rather soft, aren't you? We shouldn't waste this opportunity — he's got Sand on him too. [He takes a few steps closer.] Allow me to help.

[In the same hand, still slicked with Dark Matter, a long black spear materializes in a liquid shimmer, hardening like obsidian stone. Romantic poetry, he thinks, for the weapon this man himself wields. Tyki pulls back his arm... and throws with preternatural strength, aiming for Dimitri's chest.

A vital spot indeed.]

[vapour]

[ A third spear made of hydro element comes shooting down vertically like lightning from above, crashing into the tip of the projectile. It's not nearly enough to stop the momentum or damage it, but it is enough to shift the trajectory of the oblivion spear that it goes flipping, and, due to its length, hitting the ground to ultimately spiral itself out of control. Dimitri will feel himself suddenly being yanked to one side roughly (away from the spear,) the man's own momentum being used from his charge to get him well clear clear of the attack. The oblivion spear is then knocked further off its path by a hydro blade's flat side ricocheting it to have it ultimately barrel roll into the bottom rows of amphitheater seating ( and maybe some unlucky frozen npcs, too; oh well can't save everyone. )

A low whistle escapes the individual that is now standing near Dimitri before they turn their attention towards the two Zenites. ]

Well, that wasn't very nice, ganging up on him like that.

[ Childe steps forward to his own spear, it now leaning far sideways despite its being dug into the ground and pulls it out. ]

Don't you guys think it's a little early to be killing someone on the other side for their sand? At least wait until later so the Meridians have no time to retaliate and get any from weaker Zenites. The fatui harbinger glances over to Dimitri now. ]

These people aren't worth getting yourself killed over, no matter how much you feel for their situation.

[hauntedking]

[ Dimitri gasps as he's yanked aside and the spear that had been aimed for him goes tumbling end over end, spattering to a halt. He has to catch his breath, still bleeding from cuts to the face and still feeling the chill in his extremities from the ice attacks. Despite that, his numb fingers still grip his lance and he stares with intensity, trying to figure out who his would-be-rescuer is and to see if there are any more spears coming his way. ]

Who-?

[ He doesn't have time, does he? ]

If I don't defend them, who will? [ He asks Childe with a frown. Although perhaps that's more rhetorical, considering that Tyki and Kaeya seem to be just about done... ]

[subsist]

[ Before Kaeya can protest, Tyki has already launched his assault, one that he's sure would have resulted badly for Dimitri if it hadn't been for the hydro spear cutting through its path. He doesn't need to look to know who that is. ]

—Childe. [ His eye narrows at the other man. ] Your timing is impeccable as always.

[ He doesn't see the need in continuing the attack now that Tyki has acquired the Hourglass. He won't bother looking back at the clustered group of Atirat either, not at all that interested in knowing just how many of them are broken and shattered beyond repair. ]

We're done here.

[ It's all he's going to say before he summons a bigger spike of ice to ram against the wall closest to him and Tyki. Might as well carve their way out of this mess since going through the door is out of the question right now. ]

[joyd]

[Another wildcard has appeared. Not a face he recognizes, unsurprisingly, but no matter. Tyki can feel his pulse climbing, blood hot at the prospect of a proper fight, not at all dissuaded when his spear of Dark Matter is deflected. The weapon itself holds no value to him; he can leave it behind, where it will dissipate. Its essence is as much a part of him as his own blood.

When Kaeya speaks, however, he looks in his direction with disappointment.]

Already? Oh — well. [There's more he wants to say, but the fatigue is like a sudden wave, interrupting the track of his thoughts. Tyki wavers. He thinks that he ought to pass the Hourglass over to Kaeya, but his arms feel too heavy. His vision tilts blearily into the dark.] Hold on, give me a moment...

[And then he passes out cold.]

[vapour]

[ Childe glances from Dimitri to some of the frozen statues. This reminds him of what the he heard concerning the God of Salt's domain in terms of the fate of her followers. Even not having been there to see it, hearing the Traveler describe the salt pillar statues that were humans was enough. ] I don't think there's much left of them even if you could unfreeze all of them. Just diseased husks at best. You're better off not burdening yourself protecting what is already lost.

[ but Man, Childe would be so down for a proper fight, too, if he knew the stranger was into that! Too bad not only does Kaeya decide they should leave, which Childe goes to say something about (don't give him that look and then run off with another guy!!) but suddenly Childe finds himself silent and watching the third Zenite drop like a ton of a bricks.

Oh. Uh.

He brings a hand to his mouth. ]

Uh oh. Is he supposed to do that?

[hauntedking]

[ Dimitri struggles to his feet, leaning on his lance. He's bleeding from a dozen small cuts on his face and the chill in his limbs makes them heavy and clumsy. But he seems determined to continue, his gaze locked on Kaeya, a grim sense of determination in his expression.

And then Tyki collapses.

He should press his advantage now, he thinks - but this newcomer is a wildcard and he's wounded. ]

I doubt it.

[ His tone is a touch acidic. ]

Get out of here, Kaeya. Take your ally with you.

[subsist]

[ Kaeya doesn't understand what just happened.

But it's an opening nonetheless, one that he'll take regardless of how badly a part of him wants to stay behind and figure out what to say to Dimitri. There's no way to salvage that now. He gets that. He's already taking a few steps back just so he can be closer when he crouches down to examine what's wrong with Tyki.

At least a quick check for a pulse tells him that the man is alive. Simply unconscious, but for what reasons, he can't tell. All he knows is that he has to get him out of here. So he reaches for the other man's arm and settles it around his shoulders, slowly rising to a stand while he reorients their balance together.

He doesn't have any parting words. He won't even spare a glance at either Dimitri or Childe before he leaves through the exit he'd created.

There's no point in looking back. ]

[vapour]

[ Childe glances to Dimitri once Kaeya is gone, head tilted in slight curiosity. ]

Not my business what's between you two, but it's obvious you two have different priorities of whatever you felt you both had in common. Kaeya's priority is long term, he can't make exceptions for short term things like this in his opinion. I wouldn't take it personally, though.