⏳ 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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4L7sryof7I

[baltimores]

[ Amos is already on the ground by the time someone else is yelling at him to duck. He does, pressing his face further into the ground and ignoring his doppelganger's shout of pain and surprise, using that as an indication that now's a good time to try to wrench his arm free.

It slides out from under his doppelganger just as he feels heat streaking above him, and as it fades he looks back up to find Voryn already rising beside him. Amos is in the process of pushing himself back up to his knees when Voryn shouts again, and... who talks like that?

It's good advice but no, seriously, who talks like that?

He doesn't have time to question it, though. With a well-aimed punch he snaps his doppelganger's head back, sending it to the ground as he finishes pushing himself back up to his feet, fists raised and at the ready.

And it's probably an okay time to spare Voryn a glance. ]

Do we got anything else to worry about, or is it just gonna try to burn the place down?

[ With them in it, presumably. ]

this is exactly the vibes

[sharmat]

(amos downs his doppelganger in an impressive show of strength. this is something to keep in mind for when they're not being pursued aggressively by their mirror images, and voryn scoffs.

there's nothing wrong with amos' question as it's a wise one to ask, but there's something so absurd about tipping someone off about himself.)

Plenty; have you heard the term "battle mage"? (it's volleyed back as another ball of fire is cast, which makes voryn lunge out of its path and into action to ready his own spell. light flares at his fingertips and his doppelganger laughs as though it were all a joke.) It has numerous spells, but it will tire if it continues casting them. I can warn you what might be coming if I see its hands.

(if. in the chaos, who knows if he'll have time? at least his lack of a sword has translated to his doppelganger because his weaknesses start to disappear when he has a weapon to wield alongside his sorcery. amos is gestured toward, and there's no avoiding the thin, translucent energy that encases him like an oval shell.)

For pity's sake, just don't let it touch you—that shield will help you resist attacks for nearly a minute. What should I know about— (a poorly-timed question when voryn's doppelganger decides to direct its attention to amo's doppelganger, preparing another spell that casts blue light over a maze of mirrors.

voryn, cutting himself off, recognizes it as a buff, one that will likely strengthen its ally further. he runs forward in an attempt to interrupt it, voice raising.)

It's going to fortify your double! Get it out of the trajectory!

[baltimores]

[ Amos' doppelganger has indeed been stirring in the background; the part that Voryn's would turn its focus to it is the real surprise. One way or another Amos would've found a way to punch his until it simply didn't get back up; he wouldn't have thought of it teaming up. ]

Shit—

[ He whips his gaze around, catching his doppelganger already up on one knee, having already made purposeful eye contact with Voryn's. There's a nod on its part, and Amos is throwing his entire body into it to force it out of the way. And right into a mirror, shards of ice raining down on the two of them as the spell narrowly misses, leaving Amos to stare down at his doppelganger, bewildered.

Well, he did appreciate the shield Voryn had given him, however busted it is now... ]

Great. We can dodge your guy, but don't think that's gonna work—

[ —on mine was how that sentence was supposed to finish, but while Amos had been making an attempt at punching his doppelganger in the head again — and again, and again, until it can't get back up — his doppelganger had taken the first blow in order to catch his arm. And not let go. And before Amos knows what's happening, his doppelganger is using gravity magic to make him lighter — light enough to lift with ease, to grab him with both hands — and is then throwing his entire body at Voryn, making him heavier in the moment to increase the force, the impact wherever he happens to hit. Whether it's Voryn himself or the ground or another mirror, it's going to suck.

Maybe he didn't need to finish his sentence, after all; whatever happens here is probably going to get the point across. Amos' doppelganger is less likely to tire out, more likely to brute force its way through this — which, turns out, is annoying to be on the other end of. ]

i am so sorry this is so late!!!

[sharmat]

(it's a close call unlike amos' body being thrown as though it were a featherweight toy into his direct path. the unexpected move forces him to reevaluate and draw his hands up instead of diving out of the way. not taking the hit would make him vulnerable without a human shield to take the brunt of all possible attacks. so, despite how much it hurts his forearms to throw his hands up to greet amos in the split second they're knocked to the floor together, this is preferable.

another spell is cast on amos by voryn. it doesn't stop his momentum, but it turns him into less of an immovable object to tackle. levitate will make him float for but a second in a last-ditch effort to stall him fractionally, then wear off the moment voryn's back hits the ground.)

Ugh!

(his lungs struggle with air and breathing is painful in the time it takes for him to come to his senses. he hasn't fought like this since he was back fighting the war for his lord, and the memory of being struck down makes him bare his teeth. grasping hands try to take fistfuls of amos' shirt to both check his status and to speak to him privately in the small window they have to recuperate.)

I hope that was sorcery and not your actual weight, (he says, in shockingly good spirits for having an anvil dropped on him.) We must split up. Go for the mirrors, human; you must destroy all that you can. Do you feel their pull?

(whether amos replies to him or not, a bitter laugh from his doppelganger inspires him to roll from his back to his knee over shards of jagged ice in a low crouch.

the imposter smiles as though welcoming them into his home, arms open to embrace them.) Do not settle this by stealth. Face me, enemies of the Sixth House, and restore your honour in proper combat!

(does he really sound like that? bro, yikes............)

god, me too... grips your hands

[baltimores]

[ The sensation of levitating isn't exactly a new one, and it's something he would've done on himself if he'd had the wherewithal to do so, so... good one, Voryn. Like, it was still shitty, but it could've been shittier.

He's still gasping for air when Voryn grips his shirt, and the movement makes him quiet down, inhale deeply and as silently as possible instead. He'll ignore the comment about his weight — it was, indeed, increased on him in that moment, and he still feels a bit too heavy now — and also they really don't have time to banter with each other.

So Amos just nods, lightening himself back to normal with a groan as he pushes himself back up, looks to start charging through every mirror he can—

Before Voryn's doppelganger earns a doubletake. Then Voryn himself. Amos hesitates for just a second before he grits his teeth, shakes his head. ]

Fucking unbelievable.

[ It's muttered under his breath, though Voryn can probably hear the disdain in his voice. It is. Kinda. Fucking unbelievable.

And Amos' doppelganger seems to agree on both counts — that Voryn's doppelganger's speech is kinda ridiculous, but also kinda right, as without preamble it's charging right back at the two of them, fist cocked back at the ready—

Before Amos spots it just in time and uses his own lower posture to headbutt it in the stomach, send it bowling over him and landing hard on the ground. ]

Gravity magic. And I'm really fucking strong. [ Those are his words for Voryn, detailing what he — and by his extension, his doppelganger — are capable of, while he's still got a few spare seconds. ] Might mess you up if you let it hit you, so try not to do that.

[ And then he's off, looking to shatter every mirror he possibly can while still undisturbed by the threats around them. Breaking them with a single punch, charging through them where he can — whatever; he can ignore the mild damage he takes from it if it solves this quick and easy. ]

[sharmat]

"Try not to do that"... (voryn mutters caustically, though plenty loud enough for amos to hear before the mirrors begin to splinter.

it's the fastest and easiest way to dispatch these identityless ghouls, and voryn suspects that amos, too, is a man who appreciates working smarter—not harder. the practicality of their plan is picked up quickly by their opponents, but there is nowhere for them to go.

voryn's hands alight with fire to mimic his doppelganger's action, a greater fireball gathering only to be cast at their feet in a wave that forces them to scatter. it doubles as a trick to melt some ice so that the arena beneath their feet is covered in a thin layer of water, but that doesn't deter them and he doesn't expect it to. amos' doppelganger chooses then to pursue him directly, a mistake because voryn is better prepared with a headstart and able to duck behind mirrors that are incidentally smashed by fast fists.

he doesn't want to break them when they could damage his own hands. forever a press even in a life or death fight.)

I can feel the pull of my own! It's central, but positioned perhaps closer to your left!

[baltimores]

[ It's okay if Voryn's sensibilities are too delicate — as it turns out, both Amoses are more than happy to shatter ice and break mirrors in the heat of battle, although the real one much more so. The doppelganger knows one wrong move, and it's dead; the real Amos is going for just that.

Amos figures Voryn is just being helpful in stringing his doppelganger along, drawing attention towards him and letting Amos do the heavy lifting. He doesn't mind. It's what he's used to. It's the role he's meant to play; he knows that.

His ears perk up at Voryn's instructions, and without so much as looking back at him Amos turns to his left. There are little shards of ice digging into the skin between his knuckles by now; they're easily ignored in pursuit of the bigger goal.

So he goes, trusting Voryn to have his back. He's observant enough; he knows how to deal with Amos' doppelganger, he knows how to deal with his own. Amos can take the direction as he lowers his head, goes charging right through a line of mirrors.

Shit, maybe he'll get lucky and take care of his own doppelganger while he's at it. Doesn't feel totally out of the question that they might have come into existence near one another... ]

[sharmat]

(amos' charge is unstoppable now by either doppelganger locked in two-versus-one combat against voryn, stressed and heaving breaths as the toll on his stamina grows larger. fatigued, it makes his attacks more difficult to land, which places him in great danger, but there is luck on their side as well as a dogged refusal to lie down and die.

the frame of the last mirrors of a particularly long column in the centre of the room snap under the storm amos brings them. all at once, with chilling, alien screams, the doppelgangers shatter with them, and voryn staggers backward from the pieces.)

It's done, human, (he calls, resting on one knee to search within for his magicka reserves. they aren't gone, but he has drawn on them extensively, leaving him frustrated with his rationing.

if whatever force brought them here didn't see fit to restrain his abilities, this room might've been a sea of flame and steam. amos' gravity spell was novel, though, and thinking of it reminds him that he is not yet alone in the maze.)

Where have you rampaged if not clear through the castle walls? I wish to tell you that this was a job well done!

[baltimores]

[ His head hurts. Whether it's from running through several sheets of ice or the doppelgangers' death screams — who is he kidding, it's the former — Amos puts a hand to his head, exhaling roughly before straightening back up as Voryn confirms that they're in the clear.

He takes a second or two to breathe before stepping back out onto the main path, dusting little shards of ice off of him as he does. Yeah, he's a little busted up from that, but he's had worse. He'll live. ]

Over here.

[ His voice is as calm as ever, considering everything. Amos gently runs a hand through his hair to dislodge any shards that had ended up sticking in there, carefully so as not to cut himself any further, as he starts making his way back towards Voryn. ]

Don't I know you from somewhere?

[ Something about him sounds familiar. The way he talks, mostly. They've done good here, so he's not going to call him out or anything, but there's something really specific about this speech pattern? ]

[sharmat]

(amos is sought out without delay. he considers the possibility that he may be a zenite, weighing the threat against what they have done here together today, and decides that stealing away now would be dishonourable.

he emerges from behind one of the last standing mirrors to survey the damage, then meets amos at the centre of it all.)

... It's possible, but I do not recognize your face. Perhaps my address over Communion is what you know of me, for I introduced myself to all before our arrival here... I am Voryn Dagoth.

(it's his shortest introduction yet. because while voryn is not bleeding, exhaustion is setting in. battling these things was going to take a toll. he breathes heavily, fatigued, but rolls his shoulders back to stand prouder.)

I had thought we could escape this without sustaining injuries, but it seems that we are not as efficient a team as our doubles. That was a surprise.

[baltimores]

[ There are plenty of little cuts over his hands; some on his face. He's also pretty sure there are bruises forming under his clothes, and there's a persistent soreness nagging at his right arm that'd almost be fascinating to aggravate, except for the part that he's still in a hostile environment, regardless of who this guy actually is.

So when Voryn does announce himself, it's all Amos can do but to blink at first, mind connecting name with aggrandizing speech. He's still letting it connect in his head when Voryn continues, as though he hasn't just announced himself not just an enemy, but an immeasurable jackass.

Amos looks down, sighing for a moment before matching Voryn's posture — less about standing proud, more about getting ready to fight. ]

They were single-minded dipshits that had nothing to lose. Makes sense they'd get some blows in.

[ God, he really wishes this was a fellow Zenite he'd been fighting alongside. It'd make things so much easier. ]

Good to know you're that asshole though. So. [ He rolls his shoulders, once. ] How do you want to play this, Vern? 'cause I don't think we're both walking out of here.