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Entry tags:
TDM #2
TDM #2
DREAMING (new characters)
At first, there is nothing. You are nothing. Whatever existed before ceases to be if for a moment. Then, bit by bit, you start to become aware. Where there was not even darkness now is a dim haze, gentle and almost mist-like. You have limbs again and beneath your feet lays a path of light reaching out like limbs of a great tree beneath you, twisting and climbing out into the horizon.You take a step forward for what else is there to do? As you walk you begin to remember what it was you were doing before the nothingness; maybe something as simple as chatting with a loved one or close friend. Maybe you were just beginning a great journey or facing off against an old foe. Whatever it was, you get the distinct feeling that wherever and whenever that was, it is not here. Not now.
The path of light twists off into different directions. When you look up you can see that it is not a sky above you but the sky of everything, a grand cosmic tapestry littered with not mere stars but galaxies and clusters of galaxies that gleam like crystals against the velvety backdrop of space. Admire it for a moment, if you will. You don't know how long you will drift here, but you are not alone. Other wanderers will come and go as you bask together in the vastness of creation.
It seems to you that there are two paths to walk in this place, the light and dark beckoning in turn.
❖ THE LIGHT AT THE CENTER
One leads you to the center, splintered fragments folding together and colliding until only one thing remains: a light that speaks to you with the voice of all there is and has ever been. It greets you simultaneously as an old friend and as a lost child, both rejoicing in and mourning your arrival. You remember it too, somehow, with a feeling of complex nostalgia, as if returning to a place recalled from your distant childhood.
You’ll feel the same of the other wanderers that join you in the light; you know their faces, their voices, and as you reflect upon the world of your birth, you may witness fragments of theirs as well. You feel a comradery, then, a synchronicity of thought and emotion. Are the lives of others truly so different from your own? Or are you simply two hands of the same, greater being? Though some individualistic part of you may resist, the longer you spend in the light, the more you will find yourself becoming one with it.
Despite this welcoming call, no matter how eagerly your pursue its embrace, before you can fully submerge yourself in this oneness you will find yourself being torn away. As if seized by the impossibly long, cold arm of a creature unseen, you are plucked from the edge of fulfillment. The last thing you will remember is the sensation of your world, and all the others your experienced here, collapsing into nothingness.
❖ THE DARK OUTSIDE (CW: deep despair, ego death)
The other leads towards the outside, where the splintering becomes so great that the vestiges of reality can do nothing but collapse back into the abyss at the end of everything. As you wander to these barren outskirts, your thoughts will not be drawn to familiarity and oneness, but instead to memories of discontent and waste. The darker the path becomes, the more you find yourself dwelling on life’s disappointments and injustices, of the things about yourself and your world you find wanting.
If you see others here, at first they will feel frightening or contemptible, as if representing to you the worst experiences in your life. Even if they are someone you’re certain you know, that familiarity and affection will be stripped away in the face of the great emptiness before you. In the end, you were all the same. In the end, none of this was worth it. If you approach the end together, you may even form a kind of kinship around this acknowledgment, as the need for paranoia and hatred fades.
Slowly, the darkness encroaches, and you can see it devouring all the things you once knew. Memories of your home, of those you loved, dissolve into nothing, and you can only reflect on the barren emptiness in your heart as you see it happen. In your final moments, though, you feel peace with it all, knowing that there was no other way. You step from the edge of the last dwindling fragment of being and are greeted by silence.
❖ THE END
No matter which way you go, you are left with a single impression: you feel the world you came from die. It's a realization that transcends logic or sense; it weighs on your heart and leaves the vestiges of dark memories dancing in your thoughts like motes of ash. It's a memory of your home crumbling away into nothing as if consumed from within by rot. Returned to the void, all that's left to you is to be reborn.
REBIRTH (new characters)
In a new time and place, you awaken. Stirring within a capsule of warmth and isolation your senses will slowly return, only to observe that you are trapped. Your body, as it wakes, is tangled in close, yours eyes unable to open, as if still within the womb. You are held tight in the embrace of something unyielding, so smothering that at first you only have the strength to struggle for moments at a time. Yet, as you persist, the pressure begins to relent in turn; it may take hours, but eventually you will find the purchase to push, to claw, to fight, and it will all give way.The chrysalis surrounding you bends like flesh and cracks like glass. It tears as you force your fingers through, finding liberation one inch at a time, until finally you have emerged. As if having undergone metamorphosis, you feel old and new all at once. You are weak, piteously so, but the markings and scars of your previous life remain. As you slump down upon the smooth cavern stone, you realize that you've just wrenched yourself free of gigantic crystal, though its hollow, shimmering form is now in pieces on account of your passing. Somewhere on your body, a shard of similar material remains embedded.
The cave itself looks almost like the inside of a geode, the walls and ceiling bedazzled with greyish crystal that shines with all the colors of the rainbow. While they vary wildly in size and shape, only a few have grown large enough to hold a form like yours, and you can see the one you just escaped isn't the only one bearing a passenger within. They may have already hatched, or they may still be lingering in stasis. Either way, there's enough time that you may have a chance to speak to yours unexpected peers, or to perhaps to struggle to find something to cover your naked body with. You feel the chill of the open air against your moisture laden skin, a distant light trickling in through the cavern's opening.
Make the most of this time. It won't be long before you're interrupted.
[Mod Note: If you don't want to deal with your character being naked in front of the others at that location, feel free to assume they emerge at a different time than the others of their legacy. Characters will be 'hatching' over a period of several hours.]
DREAMING (OLD CHARACTERS)
For those already in Horos, they will find themselves in the same dreamscape as the new arrivals, only, this time, it's familiar. You'll feel more cognizant of your surroundings as you reawaken in this psychedelic realm, more in control of your emotions. What's more, you recognize that light at the center and the darkness at the edge: it's the Pleroma and Kenoma respectively. The one you are attuned to will call our to your soul, and though you are technically free to wander as you please, the closer you get to the force of your opposite sect, the more it will grate against you spiritually. Pleroma attuned nearing the Kenoma will feel as if its presence is desperately trying to tear them apart, and Kenoma attuned nearing the Pleroma will feel as if its light is burning them from the inside out.
More importantly, you notice that entirely new souls are wandering here with faces you didn't see in the cavern. It gradually becomes clear that they are Aions in the same state you were prior to your rebirth, lost and wandering this stretch of the cosmos with no idea what's to come. Maybe this is your chance to ease the confusion of their arrival, or maybe you'd simply like to scope out what kind of people are on their way. It's also possible for you to run into Aions already in Horos, wandering just like you are. Unfortunately, things are a lot less neutral than they are the last time you shared this realm.
No matter what you do, eventually the cosmos above will begin to burn out, just as it did the first time you were here. As darkness swallows reality itself, you will wake with the visceral memory of your world corrupting and breaking apart.
More importantly, you notice that entirely new souls are wandering here with faces you didn't see in the cavern. It gradually becomes clear that they are Aions in the same state you were prior to your rebirth, lost and wandering this stretch of the cosmos with no idea what's to come. Maybe this is your chance to ease the confusion of their arrival, or maybe you'd simply like to scope out what kind of people are on their way. It's also possible for you to run into Aions already in Horos, wandering just like you are. Unfortunately, things are a lot less neutral than they are the last time you shared this realm.
No matter what you do, eventually the cosmos above will begin to burn out, just as it did the first time you were here. As darkness swallows reality itself, you will wake with the visceral memory of your world corrupting and breaking apart.
SEARCHING (OLD CHARACTERS)
Soon after the dreams begin, it will become clear that the Aion NPCs of either sect are also aware of what's happening. For those in Achamoth and Greentruth, the imminent arrival of new Aions will become a matter of official discussion. All able Aions will be called upon for their aid, in whatever way they can offer. Getting to the shrines themselves will be easily accomplished via teleportation. What's would be more complicated is ferrying any new arrivals back to a secure location. Thankfully, it seems this is something both sects have already prepared for. All characters will have the opportunity to acquire a 'returning stone'. In all cases, this will amount to an amulet made of the same shimmering material as the shrine monuments, though the stylization differs between the Pleroma and the Kenoma. While regular Aion teleportation can bring you to any of the shrines you know the sigil and location of, a returning stone is magically programmed to bring its wearer back to a specific destination to which it is attuned. Normally, these stones will only be able to store enough energy for one 'return' a month, but it turns out that the ambient power created by the shrines being active will temporarily super charge them. Though it's not guaranteed, this means they may generate enough energy to perform multiple returns for TDM purposes.
Spare returning stones will be issued to all Aions so that they can be used to bring back anyone they collect, as it's possible to bring someone alongside you if they are also wearing a returning stone. Where your stone leads will depend on your sect.
❖ PLEROMA
Tehri will be the one to supply returning stones, based out of Greentruth. She will not travel to Godsblood to deliver returning stones to those that have not visited Greentruth, but it can be assumed that Greentruth's visitors can pass them along to anyone who has been staying in the city. The returning stones are apparently set to bring them to a secure location beneath the water of Godsblood's coast. From there, new arrivals will have to be allowed to rest and then brought up into the city when they're ready.
Greentruth is limited in its resources, but it will attempt to send troops to the Innocent, Seeker, Wanderer, and Firebrand shrines, all of which are close to the forest. Meanwhile, while no formal affiliation with the new Aions has been made, bands of guerilla fighters, most likely from Godsblood, will turn up at the Artisan and Sovereign shrines. Whether they have any affiliation with Greentruth will not be clear, but they do seem to have a beef against the Achamites. These reinforcements will struggle against powered Aions, but they might be able to delay any troops sent by Achamoth.
❖ KENOMA
Xishen will be handing out returning stones to all Kenoma the day after the dreams begin. She'll explain how to use them, and state that the Regent expects for them to head to the shrines once they become fully active. The Kenoma will have whatever mundane weapons or supplies they need at their disposal for this mission, along with some modest Achamite reinforcements. She'll warn not to rely too heavily on them however; after all, only the Aions are able to quickly move between the shrines and at the Citadel. The Achamites will have to be deployed by river or by land, and mobilizing them will take time. They will feasible be able to reach all of the shrines to some degree or another, but will more easily populate the shrines of the Martyr, Celebrant, Lover, Champion, Visionary, Sovereign, and Firebrand.
The Hylicians will apparently not be helping this time around, as the capture and holding of the first batch of Aions was already a lengthy venture. Xishen herself says she will be travelling to the shrines, however, while another Aion named Dionys remains in Achamoth to 'keep watch'. All Kenoma Aions will be given a familiar vial of black sludge, and are instructed to feed it to any Aions they capture at the shrines. It will cause the same effects it did in the cavern, though it will resolve in a few days rather than a week.
RETURNED (ALL CHARACTERS)
New characters that are found a the shrines will be brought back to one of two lodestones, depending on which sect they are taken by. This will be accomplished by their escort putting a 'returning stone' around their neck that will enable them to be teleported to a secure area in their sect's territory. It is advised for your character to be taken by whichever sect you'd like them to end up in.
❖ TO THE PLEROMA
In a dazzling flash of psychedelic light, you will find yourself brought to the Pleroma's lodestone: a monolithic rock set in the center of temple-like ruins. The entire cavern is hidden away beneath the ocean waves, just outside of Godsblood, and the ceiling itself is comprised of nothing but a barrier of water, as if held back from filling the space by some unknown force. The waters surrounding the lodestone are exactly body temperature, with swarms of tiny, violently iridescent fish darting through it. Crabs that look as if they're made of pure, clear crystal wander the sparkling, sandy shores.
There isn't much here in the way of accommodations, but it's comfortable enough that the new arrivals brought in by the Pleroma can take a moment to catch their breath. Some relatively plain but assorted new clothing will have been brought to the cavern to make sure they are actually clothed, as well as blankets and basic food items. It's a good time to ask your questions, or if you are an established Pleroma, to help out your freshly arrived peers. After all, their welcome at the shrine may have been a confusing one.
New arrivals will be permitted to leave the lodestone's temple when they are ready. Unfortunately, the only ways out of these place are through your choice of either swimming through pockets of water that eventually lead to the surface, or by spelunking through a series of tunnels to make your way the cliff faces near the city of Godsblood. More information about the city itself can be found on the setting page, though it would be preferable to keep TDM interactions to the lodestone area. As characters emerging from the shrines will start our as Untouched (more info about attunements here) they will not be permitted entry into Greentruth until they have attuned to Pleroma.
❖ TO THE KENOMA
As your returning stone activates, you will feel yourself thrust into a suffocating void, only to emerge just as quickly somewhere else. The most pressing thing on the minds of anyone taken by the Kenoma will be the vial of pitch black sludge they are forced to drink, whether it is before or after their arrival. Maybe their 'escort' from the shrine gave it to them, or perhaps another Kenoma does soon after they arrive. If not, one of the Achamite cultists wandering around definitely will. Dedicated servants to the Regent's will as they are, they are not afraid to gang up on the vulnerable new arrivals and force it down their throats.
Once in your mouth, the potion will slither down your throat as if it's a living thing. The effect takes hold quickly: as this darkness creeps through your insides, it will embolden your darkest and most despair inducing emotions, plaguing your thoughts with the worst sorrows of your life. What's worst, it simultaneously seems to awaken some form of enhanced psychic empathy within you, both projecting your thoughts for others to hear, and allowing you to receive those of the others around you in kind. Black ooze will begin to seep from orifices, or the space around your shard. The effects of this contamination bring out your worst, and its recipients will be forced to live with these effects until they accept the force corrupting them into their souls.
This world is not good enough, a voice speaks to your through the Kenoma. This suffering you feel, the cruelty that has birthed this darkness in you... it is simply the rot that is consuming this existence. A better universe awaits, one forged by your own hand, and all you need do is first bring about this broken reality's end.
How long this goes on will depend on how long the characters is able to fight it. Acceptance of the Kenoma can come as quickly as immediately, if your character is inclined towards it, or it could be drawn out to take a few days. In the meantime, they will have to stay in the barren halls surrounding the Regent's lodestone, and will not be permitted to exit into the greater Citadel as the current Kenoma are. All that will immediately be offered to them down there are stone slabs that can be used as beds and formless white robes that reach down past their knees.
Of course, that doesn't mean the characters that are already of the Kenoma can't do something about that. If they desire it, they will be able to bring food or other supplies to those suffering with their Kenoma infections, and it will be equally within their power to try anything from bullying them into accepting to lovebombing them. Once a character accepts the Kenoma and attunes to it, they will be permitted to leave, but for the sake of the TDM interactions should be kept to the lodestone area.
❖ TO THE PLEROMAIn a dazzling flash of psychedelic light, you will find yourself brought to the Pleroma's lodestone: a monolithic rock set in the center of temple-like ruins. The entire cavern is hidden away beneath the ocean waves, just outside of Godsblood, and the ceiling itself is comprised of nothing but a barrier of water, as if held back from filling the space by some unknown force. The waters surrounding the lodestone are exactly body temperature, with swarms of tiny, violently iridescent fish darting through it. Crabs that look as if they're made of pure, clear crystal wander the sparkling, sandy shores.
There isn't much here in the way of accommodations, but it's comfortable enough that the new arrivals brought in by the Pleroma can take a moment to catch their breath. Some relatively plain but assorted new clothing will have been brought to the cavern to make sure they are actually clothed, as well as blankets and basic food items. It's a good time to ask your questions, or if you are an established Pleroma, to help out your freshly arrived peers. After all, their welcome at the shrine may have been a confusing one.
New arrivals will be permitted to leave the lodestone's temple when they are ready. Unfortunately, the only ways out of these place are through your choice of either swimming through pockets of water that eventually lead to the surface, or by spelunking through a series of tunnels to make your way the cliff faces near the city of Godsblood. More information about the city itself can be found on the setting page, though it would be preferable to keep TDM interactions to the lodestone area. As characters emerging from the shrines will start our as Untouched (more info about attunements here) they will not be permitted entry into Greentruth until they have attuned to Pleroma.
❖ TO THE KENOMAAs your returning stone activates, you will feel yourself thrust into a suffocating void, only to emerge just as quickly somewhere else. The most pressing thing on the minds of anyone taken by the Kenoma will be the vial of pitch black sludge they are forced to drink, whether it is before or after their arrival. Maybe their 'escort' from the shrine gave it to them, or perhaps another Kenoma does soon after they arrive. If not, one of the Achamite cultists wandering around definitely will. Dedicated servants to the Regent's will as they are, they are not afraid to gang up on the vulnerable new arrivals and force it down their throats.
Once in your mouth, the potion will slither down your throat as if it's a living thing. The effect takes hold quickly: as this darkness creeps through your insides, it will embolden your darkest and most despair inducing emotions, plaguing your thoughts with the worst sorrows of your life. What's worst, it simultaneously seems to awaken some form of enhanced psychic empathy within you, both projecting your thoughts for others to hear, and allowing you to receive those of the others around you in kind. Black ooze will begin to seep from orifices, or the space around your shard. The effects of this contamination bring out your worst, and its recipients will be forced to live with these effects until they accept the force corrupting them into their souls.
This world is not good enough, a voice speaks to your through the Kenoma. This suffering you feel, the cruelty that has birthed this darkness in you... it is simply the rot that is consuming this existence. A better universe awaits, one forged by your own hand, and all you need do is first bring about this broken reality's end.
How long this goes on will depend on how long the characters is able to fight it. Acceptance of the Kenoma can come as quickly as immediately, if your character is inclined towards it, or it could be drawn out to take a few days. In the meantime, they will have to stay in the barren halls surrounding the Regent's lodestone, and will not be permitted to exit into the greater Citadel as the current Kenoma are. All that will immediately be offered to them down there are stone slabs that can be used as beds and formless white robes that reach down past their knees.
Of course, that doesn't mean the characters that are already of the Kenoma can't do something about that. If they desire it, they will be able to bring food or other supplies to those suffering with their Kenoma infections, and it will be equally within their power to try anything from bullying them into accepting to lovebombing them. Once a character accepts the Kenoma and attunes to it, they will be permitted to leave, but for the sake of the TDM interactions should be kept to the lodestone area.
QUESTIONS
Is this TDM canon?
Mostly! It's part of an in-game event. However, only threads with new players that app and are accepted will be considered game canon. Threads between old characters will all be canon, but threads involving new characters that don't apply or aren't accepted will either need to be tweaked to remove their involvement or made non-canon. New characters will also be able to decide TDM threads aren't canon if they end up changing directions.
Who can toplevel on this post?
Anyone, whether they are a new character or a current one. However, we do ask for current players to do their best to tag new characters. If you are bringing in a new character and want a current character to bring them into your sect of choice, post your request here! ICly, current characters are fighting to claim new arrivals, but it's up to the player of new characters where they ultimately end up going.
When is this TDM taking place chronologically?
The last few days of April. The shrines will be active and forming Aions during that time. The dreams will start around the 24th. All current Aions will be able to sense when it's time for the new arrivals to start emerging.
What are the shrines like?
Every shrine is comprised of the crystal-filled cavern character emerge inside and then the massive statue symbolizing the relevant Legacy built on top. More information about each shrine can be found in the "Aion Shrine" section of the setting page.
Are everyone's homeworlds really gone?
That's a complicated issue, and while the fate of their world is not without hope, they may certainly get the impression its been destroyed from the dream they had. Alternatively, they may refuse to believe what they felt and attempt to dismiss it as only a vision. More about this situation will be revealed as the game goes on.
Can I only experience one end of the dream sequence prompt?
New characters may experience one ending, both endings, or neither. If they experience both they will struggle to recall which came first or which feels the most 'true' to them, as both will simultaneously be the thought they are reborn with. If your character refuses to pursue either path they can simply linger in the middle until the infinite worlds above them start being extinguished one by one, eventually expelling them into darkness in a similar style to the light prompt. Which dreams they experience will not dictate their initial sect affiliation.
Is it possible to pull another character back from the end of the light or darkness dreams?
Yes! If your character is able to resist the pull of either end, they will have the chance to try to pull another character back from the edge of the abyss or the edge of oneness. Whether or not they succeed is entirely up to the other character, though.
Do you come out of the chrysalis wet?
For most intents and purposes it's the same experience as hatching out of a real butterfly chrysalis, so yes, a bit.
How does attunement to the Pleroma or Kenoma work for new characters?
More information about sect attunements can be read on their dedicated info page, but in summary: when new characters are brought to Horos, they will be in the state of being "Untouched" meaning they are not attuned to either sect. By the end of their first month in game it is expected they will either attune to Pleroma or Kenoma, though for those taken by the Kenoma's forces, the transition will be forced within the first few days. If taken in by the Pleroma, it may take then some time to attune to Pleroma, depending on the strength of their spirit, but it could also happen almost instantly if they are allowed to. How quickly it happens will depend on how strongly they align with the Pleroma's traits. Characters who have been taken by the Pleroma but that remain Untouched will not be allowed into Greentruth until their attunement to Pleroma is complete.
Can a character taken by one side end up attuning to the sect of the opposite one?
This is theoretically possible, yes: a person taken by the Kenoma could potentially resist the Kenoma's call, and someone taken by the Pleroma could end up falling to the Kenoma while staying with them. Generally, though, we recommend that you have your character be taken by whichever sect you want to end up in, as doing a switcheroo will cause narrative complications that might bog their introduction down in plotting that will need to be done with the mods. It can happen, but it is not to be done lightly!
Mostly! It's part of an in-game event. However, only threads with new players that app and are accepted will be considered game canon. Threads between old characters will all be canon, but threads involving new characters that don't apply or aren't accepted will either need to be tweaked to remove their involvement or made non-canon. New characters will also be able to decide TDM threads aren't canon if they end up changing directions.
Who can toplevel on this post?
Anyone, whether they are a new character or a current one. However, we do ask for current players to do their best to tag new characters. If you are bringing in a new character and want a current character to bring them into your sect of choice, post your request here! ICly, current characters are fighting to claim new arrivals, but it's up to the player of new characters where they ultimately end up going.
When is this TDM taking place chronologically?
The last few days of April. The shrines will be active and forming Aions during that time. The dreams will start around the 24th. All current Aions will be able to sense when it's time for the new arrivals to start emerging.
What are the shrines like?
Every shrine is comprised of the crystal-filled cavern character emerge inside and then the massive statue symbolizing the relevant Legacy built on top. More information about each shrine can be found in the "Aion Shrine" section of the setting page.
Are everyone's homeworlds really gone?
That's a complicated issue, and while the fate of their world is not without hope, they may certainly get the impression its been destroyed from the dream they had. Alternatively, they may refuse to believe what they felt and attempt to dismiss it as only a vision. More about this situation will be revealed as the game goes on.
Can I only experience one end of the dream sequence prompt?
New characters may experience one ending, both endings, or neither. If they experience both they will struggle to recall which came first or which feels the most 'true' to them, as both will simultaneously be the thought they are reborn with. If your character refuses to pursue either path they can simply linger in the middle until the infinite worlds above them start being extinguished one by one, eventually expelling them into darkness in a similar style to the light prompt. Which dreams they experience will not dictate their initial sect affiliation.
Is it possible to pull another character back from the end of the light or darkness dreams?
Yes! If your character is able to resist the pull of either end, they will have the chance to try to pull another character back from the edge of the abyss or the edge of oneness. Whether or not they succeed is entirely up to the other character, though.
Do you come out of the chrysalis wet?
For most intents and purposes it's the same experience as hatching out of a real butterfly chrysalis, so yes, a bit.
How does attunement to the Pleroma or Kenoma work for new characters?
More information about sect attunements can be read on their dedicated info page, but in summary: when new characters are brought to Horos, they will be in the state of being "Untouched" meaning they are not attuned to either sect. By the end of their first month in game it is expected they will either attune to Pleroma or Kenoma, though for those taken by the Kenoma's forces, the transition will be forced within the first few days. If taken in by the Pleroma, it may take then some time to attune to Pleroma, depending on the strength of their spirit, but it could also happen almost instantly if they are allowed to. How quickly it happens will depend on how strongly they align with the Pleroma's traits. Characters who have been taken by the Pleroma but that remain Untouched will not be allowed into Greentruth until their attunement to Pleroma is complete.
Can a character taken by one side end up attuning to the sect of the opposite one?
This is theoretically possible, yes: a person taken by the Kenoma could potentially resist the Kenoma's call, and someone taken by the Pleroma could end up falling to the Kenoma while staying with them. Generally, though, we recommend that you have your character be taken by whichever sect you want to end up in, as doing a switcheroo will cause narrative complications that might bog their introduction down in plotting that will need to be done with the mods. It can happen, but it is not to be done lightly!
no subject
Somehow, that thought feels even worse than the idea of forcing the Kenoma on Rand. The latter may not be pleasant, but it's better for everyone in the long term — Rand included. Hell, even Moiraine included. As much as they're clearly on opposite sides now, Amos doesn't hold anything against her. He still remembers the kindness she showed him when they first met. He would reciprocate it, if she let him.
He weighs his options. Collecting her shard to bring back to the Regent along with Rand would be the most ideal outcome, but he'd seen how she'd handled Childe; it could go south. On the flip side, he's not particularly worried about his shard being taken — if the Pleroma even know to do that. But a contingency plan would be nice to have here, and Amos isn't too sure what that looks like.
He steps forward, meeting Moiraine, but doesn't make any move to attack. Instead, he looks back at Rand — past Moiraine's hand, past her dismissiveness, to Rand's uncertainty.
Something clicks. Naomi had been the closest person to him, once. And even they'd found a way to end up on shaky ground.
Back to Moiraine. ]
What'll you do with him. [ His voice is soft — though he's speaking directly to Moiraine, it's meant for the both of them. And, counterintuitive it might seem to them, he does genuinely care about Rand's welfare. ] Because when I got here, he was upset. Something about not being able to stop the end of your universe, like it was all up to him. Freaked out when he found out what shrine we're at, too.
[ He cocks his head at her, aggression in the movement, body tensed — he'll still fight through her to get him, but he needs to see where this goes first. Might even help with accepting the Kenoma later. It's still salvageable. ]
rand al'thor would like to be excluded from this narrative!!
that brief burst of energy at finding moiraine alive — at the idea that some of the others might be, too — bleeds out of him and leaves stillness. if he'd been upset before, and he had been, that's locked away somewhere inside now. maybe there is a sting of betrayal, but mostly? there's no one to blame but himself. why wouldn't amos, someone who apparently means him, and moiraine, and light knows what else, harm — why wouldn't he use a weapon like this? rand had all but handed it to him and suggested where to aim. if he'd been more in control of himself, he wouldn't have breathed a word of any of that in front of a stranger. or in front of anyone, dreams or no dreams. was the situation really so much stranger than anything he's seen before now?
he breathes out, so slowly. this is ridiculous. he's not a child, to be spoken over or decided for. ]
I already know Moiraine's intentions. [ said from behind moiraine levelly, if tightly. and he does: for better or worse, sometimes. ] It's yours I don't have any reason to trust.
[ for the first time in his life, he actually misses the one power. ]
sorry rand it's time to be fought over ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
She doesn't flinch from the new aggression in Amos's posture, and the obvious attempt to bait her has the effect of simply offending her. Her mouth sets, her chin lifts -- a lesser woman would probably have an angry outburst here, but when she speaks her voice is firm and even, volume barely louder than conversation level. ]
You would take him, feed him that poison -- [ her gaze flicks briefly to the familiar vial in Amos's hand ] -- in order to break him, so you can use him to destroy this world and all others. I cannot allow it.
[ Amos will have to kill her first, and if that's the sacrifice she must make, then so be it. ]
at least he has a nice blanket to wear
You're doing more damage than I am, trying to save all of this. [ And, to Rand. ] Her intentions aren't good ones.
[ He sighs then, pocketing the vial as he shuts his eyes, head tilting downwards, shoulders slumping. It's less a movement of concession, more one of getting the annoyance out of his system. This really did go so south so fast.
When Amos looks back up, Moiraine will feel three times as heavy as she actually is, albeit only for a handful of seconds — he's yet to master manipulating gravity at that intensity for any longer than that. Still, in that exact moment he's also cocked back his fist and taken a violent swing right at her temple, holding nothing back. If he connects, she'll probably feel it — and though he's not a professional fighter by any means, he's been in more than enough street fights that it's clear, on some level, that he knows what he's doing.
(Well, when fighting against normal people, at least. Who knows how Moiraine will counter, but this is what he's got to work with, so he'll use it to its fullest extent right out of the gate.) ]
i survived waking from a crystal pod and all i got was this lousy blanket
he doesn't respond to that, of course. something at his jaw works, tense, but that's all. the bigger surprise had been the back and forth right before: moiraine's accusation, amos's lack of denial. if surprise is the word for confirmation of growing suspicions. whatever either of them are, moiraine's trying to save the world, all worlds, and amos and his people at achamoth (if that had even been true) are trying to destroy them.
had he known? had amos come to this place looking for the dragon reborn? had he offered answers and quiet sympathy to capture that power? rand will realize later that no, that doesn't quite add up. but for a moment, it seems chillingly possible.
for now, he watches amos and moiraine fight with growing dread. ]
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So it's fortunate that she has a moment, just before Amos's gravity spell takes effect, to weave a shield of Air that covers both herself and Rand. It's invisible -- at least until Amos's fist connects with it and it bows inward, but doesn't break.
Moiraine focuses on maintaining the weave of the shield, and on breathing through the sudden dragging pull of gravity that feels like it could crush her. In a matter of seconds it turns her loose, and she dodges backwards away from him, not entirely graceless but with the air of someone unused to close combat. She drops the shield, then calls on a Water weave that turns any lingering water molecules on the ground beneath Amos's feet to a thin sheet of ice -- all but invisible against the cavern floor. ]
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Amos' brow furrows as he stares at the spot where his fist had stopped. Looks back up at Moiraine as he catches her retreat through his peripheral vision, his movement shifting his body slightly and— it's slippery— He falls, only just barely catching himself, making himself that little bit lighter to make his landing less painful as ass connects with ice.
He grunts on impact, looking upwards at Moiraine and Rand, confusion evident in his features. That isn't physically possible— none of this makes any sense—
Amos pounds the ice beneath him with his fist, frustrated but also with the goal of shattering it — which, under his hand, it does. He brings himself back up to his feet, and when he meets Moiraine's gaze again, it's with anger. He'd been frustrated before. Annoyed. Like he'd been trying to have a conversation with someone and she'd barged in, taken it over, and now is going to ruin this kid's life, so now he's actually kinda pissed.
Ice shatters beneath his feet as he strides over towards her, ready to grab her, toss her out of the way with everything he's got, get a returning stone on Rand and get them the fuck out of here. He's done with this. ]
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and it has, actually, little to do with amos. he's seen moiraine use the power before, of course. not that fateful winternight in the town proper, but countless times since then. he's watched her bend the world to her will, make the power do her bidding, from healing his father to that whirlpool at taren ferry to using the ways.
but he's never seen her weaves. that was part of the problem, heading to the eye — without the slightest idea of what he's doing, how can he even begin to understand channeling? the dark one, ironically, provided some help; and moiraine had been right that the power sprang into his hands when he needed it.
now, though. he catch the wisps of light come to her, twist together as she wills. it makes the objectively alarming image of a man as big as amos going after her less frightening. ]
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Knowing Rand can see her weaves, though, would probably shock the calm right out of her, so it's probably good he doesn't say anything just yet. She calls on Fire -- the white light winds around her wrists, her hands, and Amos won't see that, but he will see the end result as a pair of fireballs streak towards him from what seems to be thin air. Moiraine isn't much concerned about whether they hit or not, although if they do it's a valuable distraction; Amos will have to stop to put himself out, which will give her more time.
--she's been circling round to Rand this whole time, so she's almost directly between him and Amos again. Moiraine reaches for the pouch on her belt, pulls out the returning stone Tehri gave her and tosses it to Rand. ]
Put this on. Quickly.
[ Her tone holds the air of command he'll be familiar with, the one that brooks absolutely no argument or question. ]
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Not that he's being sent into a blind rage or anything. No, that wouldn't happen here. But his teeth are involuntarily bared as he advances, no clue as to what it is she's doing, but if he can be quick enough—
He can't. Amos sees the fireballs, ducks with just enough time to avoid them. A bullet would have been much faster; this isn't that. That'll be something for him to think about later. Proper propulsion. The best way to take someone down.
As it stands, he recognizes what she's doing with her own returning stones. And. Shit. They're just barely within his range, so he does his best to use gravity to pull the both of them down. Slow them, if not stop them entirely. He's not good enough yet to maintain it for anywhere near long enough, but if he can just hinder them from this distance— even though he has to right himself again after dodging those fireballs— even if he can't make it in time—
Gravity pulses to the cadence of a man scrabbling to hold onto an edge, leaving him with just the faintest of chances, but it's not like he's going to concede until that's truly his only option left. ]
cw for referenced self harm
but real enough to be dangerous.
as it is: the different stylings of the stones means that he chooses to keep believing that moiraine is moiraine, and that wherever it is she wants him to go is going to be better than amos's achamoth. assuming the crush of gravity power doesn't slow him too much, he moves to loop the stone around his neck. ]
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Simple it may be, but when she feels the pull of Amos's power again, she realizes it won't be quite so easy as she thought. Moiraine staggers under the weight of it, watches Amos getting closer and closer -- then turns to see Rand, struggling, then finally managing to clasp the pendant around his neck.
It's far more work than it should be simply to raise her hand to touch the returning stone concealed beneath the neckline of her blouse -- gravity drags her down, makes every action feel as if she's moving through thick mud. When her fingertips finally touch cool metal, the sense of relief she feels is inexpressibly profound. Moiraine concentrates, just for a moment, like she was told to--
--she and Rand vanish in a flash of prismatic light, and are abruptly elsewhere.
Moiraine pulls herself straight, giving herself a moment to catch her breath and to take in their surroundings -- the shimmering lodestone, the arch of water over their heads held back by what appears to be nothing at all. She'd known what to expect here, but this is startling, even for her.
Not that she shows it, or even dwells on it very long -- more concerned with Rand in this moment. ]
Are you all right?
[ She does not really mean physically; she can tell he's whole in body easily enough. ]
it's been an honour, let's do this again sometime
He was just a couple of feet away. A difference of mere seconds and he could have stopped Moiraine, incapacitated her, brought Rand back with him. To the right side of things. As it stands, he's left worse than empty-handed — not just that he lost an Aion, but that the enemy's ranks just got bolstered.
Amos' shoulders slump, his head hanging low as he takes a moment to just stand there, alone in the cavern, breathing in. He's tired, too; might've overexerted himself. And for nothing.
So, he's gonna have to get better at this, and fast.
He takes several minutes. Waits, just in case anyone else shows up, breaks free of their crystal.
If maybe Cap will end up here after all.That, and he needs the rest.But there's nothing, nobody, here. Finally, Amos sighs. Nothing left to be done about this in the moment, but there are other shrines.
He'll fuck around less next time. ]
<3333
(moiraine using the Power had been expected. but this man — )
and then they are elsewhere, somehow. the heaviness gone, amos gone, their surroundings still dark but lit by the cool glow of the lodestone and distant sunlight, the sound of splashing water nearby. it should be incredible. not so long ago, he would've been craning his neck to get a good look at everything, wondering how they'd come here so quickly, or what holds the water at bay overhead.
now, he pays the cavern about as much mind as her question, as he turns to face her. ]
What is this place? Why are we here?
[ it looks and feels nothing like the eye of the world, and if that dream is to be believed, they must be far from the lands of home. there's no question in his mind that moiraine has the answers; doesn't she always? ]