⏳ 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

[sharmat]

(and a fine face it is, voryn notes not for the first time; he is certain that sebastian is not only a servant but a shrewd businessman. how handsome, well-dressed, and well-mannered a person is can also drive prices high.

resdayn's economy hinged on bartering, arguing prices lower and lower until a satisfactory deal was made. voryn comes from wealth, but this did not preclude him from haggling over virtually everything. shipping costs, buying from and selling to the drug and alcohol markets, and the creation of textiles—he is always hunting for the best price despite his expensive tastes.

sebastian asks for more before anything is even offered to him, which has him settling on one thing:) I offer what anyone might in these circumstances. My hourglass is still full, so I will give some of this precious sand to you in exchange for your help. That should cover your time spent below.

(considering they don't know what the loss of sand does, he knows he's taking a big risk. nothing ventured, nothing gained.)

How long can you last down there before having to resurface? What I want is specific and may require... depth.

[cutlery]

[ Sebastian nods at the offer looking perfectly pleased, since unsurprisingly that’s precisely what he was going to request. It at least gives some confirmation to Sebastian’s claim during Communion that he wouldn’t back down from the competition before them, but also that he preferred to be civil. It suited his purposes better, naturally. He gets far more out of being a gentleman than being a beast. ]

It is exactly what I would have asked, so no further negotiation is needed there. Similarly, whatever I do find shall be yours to do with what you wish. I shall stake no claim upon it in return.

[ Unless they found one of those large hourglasses down there, at which point he might want to renegotiate, but. Luckily not a concern here! The question does make his smile quirk a little, because he’s not sure which way he’d like to answer at first, though it’s only for playful reasons. His existence is largely known and not something he intentionally hides like he would have back under Ciel’s employ. But still. There’s a bit of fun to be had with revealing it at the right moment. He decides to be a bit vaguer for now since he imagines when he emerges with no sign of the water’s chill it may prompt the question more. ]

A few minutes will not be a problem. I can always do multiple dives if need be.

[sharmat]

Brave.

(or foolhardy. of course, for a demon it's no issue. voryn's impression of sebastian is positive overall but is becoming muddled by these outward displays of confidence, as no servant he knows of would display behaviour quite like this. but he has been given no other insight with which to make assumptions.

sebastian is smiled at. voryn draws in more closely, someone who prefers to speak intimately with others when given the opportunity to. this has been his way for centuries, as it both impresses his presence on a conversational partner and allows him to totally experience their own.)

They say the initial shock of frigid water can kill you. It strains the heart, as blood vessels are constricted excessively, limiting flow... and also the lungs... the lungs cannot bear it. (a hand comes away to indicate a glass-like surface, knowing that if he were to plunge into it, he might never again emerge.) I do not believe mortals were meant to explore places they were not born adapted to, yet curiosity so often drives me to resist my own opinion. Luckily, we are tasked with dissecting this place, and the route down must not be overlooked.

(painted fingers come to rest on sebastian's shoulder, elegant but carrying obvious signs of work. it's clear that he would do this himself if he were able.)

What I want you to investigate is the roots of the Great Tree. Do this for me, Sebastian; if you need speed or protection from the chill, I can provide these things to you.

[cutlery]

[ As Voryn steps in closer, it’s met with warmth, if only through Sebastian’s expression. Whether there’s anything behind it or not… Who can say? He simply naturally responds to gestures by mirroring and encouraging them, wherever they may lead.

…Though Voryn’s explanation does help to explain some things. Even as old as Sebastian is, his interactions with humans created a understanding of them that was incomplete and usually in odd areas. It was only a year or so ago that he had been aboard the Campania and seen it sink. The amount of humans that had perished so quickly in the frigid water had surprised him, but if that was why, well. Another tragic failing of the mortal constitution, so far as he saw it.

Of course, even so… He’s intrigued by the offer. His nature hasn’t come up yet (and it is a yet—Sebastian is sure he’ll bring it up eventually or Voryn will learn it himself when it’s nothing he keeps all that secret), but it’s still not so bad to do a job more efficiently. ]

Well, that would certainly be helpful. I can only assume that the roots are perhaps a bit deeper, after all.

[ Which might still be fine. He has confidence about the time it might take, since even with how Kenos has dampened his ability, it hasn’t required him to breathe. The chill, though… He could see that being slightly more troubling. ]

Is that the sort of thing that is difficult for you to provide?

[ It may factor into the bargaining, after all. ]

[sharmat]

Indeed, I only have so much magicka to share afore it is exhausted totally. (voryn doesn't share that this is only until he drinks a restorative potion or rests because it isn't necessary. he is still the opposition, and if this small omission will both curry favour and mask a weakness, he chooses to stay silent.)

It is, of course, in exchange for your generosity. (the honourable man in him, however, realizes that this is already due to sebastian. voryn's hand squeezes and then falls away.) A course of meals all my own, to be shared with you in your home. I look forward to tasting what you intend to design for me.

(it's that easy.

in an almost childish crouch, robes spreading at his feet, the lip of the water is reached for so that his fingers may test its chill. bitter, absolutely bitter, which confirms what he already knew: there's no fucking way he's going swimming.)

When you are ready to enter the water, I will cast these spells on you.

[cutlery]

[ He gives a little nod at the squeeze, but it dips a bit lower in playful fealty once the matter of meals is brought up. It is something he’s genuinely looking forward to, and no matter how things go on this island, he’ll proceed as if it were no consequence. After all, to him, it isn’t! A dinner party was clearly much more important than this Oracle nonsense.

…Though not really, of course. Just as they’d discussed, Sebastian’s competitive streak meant that he did take this seriously. So, back to the task at hand. As Voryn moves to crouch, Sebastian slips off his fine dress shoes and starts to take off his jacket. Naturally, he’s not going to get his nicer layers wet. Which is clearly the problem here and not the chill. ]

But a moment, then. These are the layers I would rather stay dry, after all.

[ Though with the lightly flirtatious undertone, there’s definitely still a playful amusement in Sebastian’s tone. Stripping (a little) in front of your enemies(ish), that’s just the cost of business. Or something. This could probably also be quicker if Sebastian wasn’t so dedicated to The Aesthetic that he’s truly out here wearing a waistcoat and tie too, but whatever. ]

[sharmat]

(offering sebastian an encouraging little wave of the backs of his freshly wetted fingers, voryn props his elbow on his knee and watches from a low angle.) We are to spend a week in this frigid place together and we have only just arrived... You may therefore take as many moments as you'd like.

(yeah, take your sweet, sweet time, baby.

while sebastian divests himself of his clothing, spells are chosen carefully and magicka cost is weighed. preservation will be key; if he should have to cast more than he suspected, it could be dangerous for him to go overboard here. he wants to help sebastian, which means that he must convince himself to offer him the maximum—thirty and sixty seconds a piece. these times sound short, but beneath the surface of the water, hugged by such a frightful cold, the duration will feel far longer.

he rises, pressing chilled fingers to his cheek.) Such a daring thing to do for a bit of sand. But they could be the grains to tip the scales in Zenith's favour. I gain two things from this dive, and they both take root in knowledge. Knowledge about these depths. Knowledge about you.

I enjoy learning new things, Sebastian.

[cutlery]

[ Sebastian gives a little laugh in turn as he’s granted as many moments as he needs, and… indeed, it might be a few. Voryn is going to learn many things today, such as how many items make up a Victorian gentleman’s outfit. Or, well, Sebastian’s. There’s the obvious like the waistcoat, but there’s also the smaller items like his pocketwatch or his sleeve garters. Clearly, there’s a lot that goes into his impeccable appearance.

But once Sebastian is satisfied and Voryn has weighed out the costs, Sebastian is down to just his slacks, white dress shirt, and perhaps curiously, gloves. But with all that removed, it’s clearer that he cuts a lithe and muscular figure, stupid sexy Sebastian, etc,

It’s nothing he draws any attention to though, just shrugging easily as he approaches the edge of the pool to indicate that he’s ready. ]

Well, what can I say? I have a somewhat daring streak as well as a competitive one, for better or worse. A little risk-taking to satisfy both is not so bad.

[ Sebastian stretches like he’s warming up, though his pleasant smile never slips despite the task he’s about to undertake. ]

So, I shall endeavor to provide you with interesting answers to both curiosities. Whenever you are ready, Lord Dagoth.

[sharmat]

(layering is customary to the chimer, but in this fashion, it's new and curious because of it. there are so many buttons and knick-knacks stowed within small places that it seems a marvel the man's able to move at all. why would anyone prefer zenith when it's so clear that the restoration of worlds and their cultures adds colour to the universe?

not that voryn damn well cares. their planets can be consumed, their cultures can be digested—his must avoid the gnashing teeth of oblivion or be regurgitated the way that it was.

bold hands fall over sebastian's shoulder, front and back. there is no hesitation in the action, unafraid of touch—least of all when it seems encouraged.) You tell me things I am very fond of hearing. It is not as suspect as I initially thought; do you like my attention? (rhetorical food for thought as two spells are cast back-to-back.

the nature of his magic has changed, a private thing that voryn noticed after harmonizing. some of it is restricted, but before he even climbed out of the soil beneath the great tree, something was amiss. it spreads in him like a toxin, corrupting energy in its path. this is why it almost stings to have light gather beneath his palms for speed fortification and strong resistance to frost, chapped skin being pulled taught, an itch being pleasantly scratched until the point where nails break the skin.)

I'll lift you out should I spy you struggling near the surface.

[cutlery]

[ Sebastian dips his head with a laugh, and it exists as a charming non-answer to the non-question. It’s not a question asked in full (yet), so Sebastian just coyly teases back in his way. Yet, there’s a truth in the gesture of that answer. He does enjoy the attention. It’s just also not something unique to his relationship with Voryn, though he would have him believe it to be so.

Though whatever actual answer would have come is quickly forgotten in the ever-strange sensation of magic cresting across him. He feels it as a human would, in part, but more than that, it’s a force that dances against his actual being much more intensely. Magic was not something Sebastian actually practiced before Kenos; it was simply a force that existed as a collar for his kind, were someone clever enough to use it so. The sensation is therefore novel, but not unpleasant. He reaches up to place a gloved hand delicately on Voryn’s, though only for a moment. It’s clearly a response to the sensation, but also one that’s brief, whether for the feeling’s actual sensation or simply Sebastian not wanting to give it too much importance.

He pulls back instead. A coy smile and a slightly theatrical bow is given first. ]

Then I must give thanks in advance. I shall take care not to waste the time you have given me.

[ He turns back to the water and does take a deeper breath first. For a human, it would surely be to test his resolve and to protect himself against the cold. But for a demon that doesn’t need breath in the first place, it’s just to make sure his lungs are expanded so that they don’t contract too fiercely against the cold.

It is truly no more than that before Sebastian dives into those icy water without hesitation. He’s also clearly as good a swimmer as he had claimed, since the silhouette of him quickly disappears as he dives deep and fast. If it’s the roots Voryn wants report of, then Sebastian will find it as efficiently as possible. ]

[sharmat]

(it is a laugh, a gentle touch, and a few pretty words before sebastian is diving into the water, and voryn leans just over the edge of the land to watch his descent. black and white become muddled, overtaken after a time by blue. after that, what he sees is nothing.

so, he waits. there are frozen things around, debris like sticks and dry bark and leaves that are easily transported back where he will build an insignificant fire. it has been a long time since the need has been great enough for voryn to use his own hands to create something a chap'thiil might otherwise provide for him and his king; should his self-sufficiency surprise him or make him feel proud? no, and it doesn't, wishing that he had the privileges he once did in resdayn. he is a diplomat and general, more than capable of basic survival, but it's decidedly fucking annoying regardless.

sebastian might've taken care of it for him.

it's been minutes now, voryn thinks, and he is certain that his spells have worn off at this point. flipping the edge of his robe away from sparks expelled by the fire, he returns to take a look down into the depths.)

[cutlery]

[ As soon as he’s out of sight, he essentially stops pretending at being anything other than what he is. It’s the more efficient use of the time he has (if it’s limited at all), or so he decides. Like he had shed his jacket, he sheds the human shape he takes on to become the mass of abyssal black that’s much truer. It’s as formless as the water itself, and he’s able to move through the water far faster than being constrained by limbs.

He dives deep—far deeper than any mortal or the former residents of this island were capable, but eventually, he sees how the pool opens up below. It turns into an expanse of the sea where he sees no bottom even now, but he can see how the roots snake through the structure above to poke out and still continue down, and they too stretch out just as much as the ocean. He’s surprised to see it, honestly. Both the roots and the sea are far more vast than he expects. He swims to the closest root, and for a moment, he does hesitate. His run-ins with the Tree of Life haven’t been ideal, but. A deal is a deal.

He reaches out to the Tree, and indeed, the first impression is absolutely rejection and a sting of pain. As it turns out, it’s not exactly thrilled that Sebastian and Jinx (mostly Jinx, he’d argue) set it, uh, a little on fire. Don’t worry about it. But he pushes through, trying to convey peace as if he were in Communion, and that seems to be enough. But it’s still brief before the connection cuts off. It’s only enough for Sebastian to be certain that this is the same Tree, somehow. How very strange indeed.

It's as he withdraws that he starts to feel the chill seep in as Voryn’s magic fades, and he gives what would be a sigh if he had the breath to do so. Time’s up, he supposes. Just as quickly, he withdraws from the tree and heads back towards the surface, though it’s well before his figure is visible that he reforms to something human. It makes the progress slower (to his annoyance, but not really inconvenience), but it’s not long after Voryn starts to look that a shape starts to become visible in the water. And indeed, with the rate of a very good swimmer, Sebastian comes to the surface.

As he should, he takes an immediate, deep, and sharp breath as he breaches the surface. His skin looks at it should from the extreme chill, but still, he’s remarkably calm. It’s another little detail for Voryn to piece together about what Sebastian is later, likely. He grabs a side of the pool to start to pull himself out, but also reaches for Voryn’s hand, since, well. That’ll make it easier, certainly. ]

[sharmat]

(voryn sees down as far as a black spot whose shape is decidedly that of a man. when sebastian is a few metres from the clear water's surface he quickly takes a knee, unmindful of his robes and the risk of getting them wet. their hands are joined, and sebastian's momentum is used to pull him from the water to his feet.)

Come, (he urges. removing himself only to take a place at sebastian's side to more easily take hold of his biceps, voryn demonstrates uncommon chivalry. if he should have difficulty taking himself to the fire, then the chimer will help him do so.)

You were down there for some time... I thought you must have surely drowned.

(not fond of swimming, he has never once thought to test himself or others on how long they are able to hold their breath. there are spells for that.)

Are you well? Take my cloak, it is warm and it will help to protect your chest.

[cutlery]

[ There’s an appreciative sound as Voryn helps him out of the pool since he wasn’t actually sure if he would. It’s nothing he would take personally if he hadn’t, but lords simply tended to have certain temperaments, especially when it came to those that served them. As soon as Sebastian is out of the water, he shivers, and it’s even an action that’s subconscious, but it’s not exactly for the chill. It’s more the fact that his real form is feathered, so the icy water would be irritating to that. Even so, he’s eager to go sit by the fire since it may not be anything he has to be mortally concerned with, but the wet clothing is uncomfortable as well. As he goes, he does laugh. ]

What an embarrassing way to die that would be. I would hate for my last impression to be that of a reckless braggart.

[ He at least has good humor about it! But he’ll still gladly take the cloak when it’s offered. ]

It went even deeper than I expected, so my apologies for worrying you so. I thought I would perhaps find the bottom of it, but it instead opened out into the sea.

[sharmat]

(the hand that grasps sebastian gets wrenched away the moment the man is on his feet. that this cold doesn't seem to be hurting him is miraculous, so odd, in fact, that voryn can only stare as his cloak is donned. but there are too many worlds to discount one in which humans are resistant to abnormally low body temperatures. for now.

fireside, he fits his hands back into his sleeves and shakes his head.) Embarrassing... Yes, but only I would know of it. And I think, gratified by the private humour in it, I would guard the story as a secret.

(good to know that they're both cretins when it comes to the sad fates of others.)

How interesting that its roots should go so deep. Down until there is no soil left through which it can reach, I'd imagine. Did you discover anything else of note?

[cutlery]

[ Truly, they’re in good company… Because the comment gets Sebastian to laugh and wears a wry smile easily as he teases back, even at his own expense. ]

Well, in that case, your grace and kindness are boundless, milord. [ Okay, maybe a little bit at Voryn’s expense too considering he’s obviously overdoing it on the flattery, but. It’s purely warm and playful rather than any biting sarcasm about status. ] It is not my first choice for how I would have you think of me, but ah, well…

[ But, onto the more serious matters. As they sit, Sebastian does keep his hands busy by wringing out some of the water in his hair since it’s uncomfortable and annoying. ]

But indeed, it is quite odd… I thought perhaps it was indeed a similar case to the trees that can be found at what I shall simply call “home” for simplicity’s sake. The tree which people arrive through is certainly not bound by convention, after all… Though my experiences with it had admittedly been poor indeed.

[ And technically more with the corrupted dryad than the tree, but it’s also a matter Sebastian is very petty about, so. ]

But I attempted to reach out to it all the same. I did not glean too much from it, so you have my apologies for that failure, but I can at least be certain that it is like that very Tree I speak of, if not perhaps the same one. It gave the same impression, at least.