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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
and just the thought of her is like a blow to the chest. this isn't the first time they've been separated, not even the first without knowing if she's alive, but he'd still had mat last time. he hadn't seen vivid visions of the end of everything. the idea that he might've lost everyone he loves feels as poised to crush him as the water up above, but with a higher likelihood to actually happen.
still. not yet, not yet, not yet. ]
At least I know how I got here. Sort of. [ Some Mystical Way Of Moiraine's is an explanation he's fairly used to, at least. ] But before that?
[ he shakes his head. ]
no subject
Kind of hard to avoid completely with the conversation that will be coming up though.
Ernesto lets out a long exhale as he slowly moves one foot through the water. ]
I wish I could give you something that even resembled a decent answer, but I can't. Not really. None of us are completely sure how we ended up getting yanked out of our worlds and into this one.
no subject
[ he sighs, gaze turning back out to the water. if there's a faint thread of bitterness in his voice, it isn't directed at ernesto. of course there won't be any easy answers here; why would he expect otherwise? he hasn't found any since the winternight that turned his life on its head. and if people knew how they got here, there's a decent chance they would've worked out a way to get back already, maybe even stop arrivals from happening.
worlds, though, is a strange thought. it's easy enough to think of everyone here as from places beyond two rivers, but other words, realities, entirely? he would've called the idea mad a little over a month ago. ]
What do you know about this one?
no subject
The bitterness doesn't look like it's being taken personally either as the smile on his face doesn't waver for a second. ]
Just a handful of things, really.
[ He stops kicking at the water, growing still as he gets serious with his answer. ]
Someone called The Regent seems to have a lot of influence and pull over it, though not everyone around is happy with their rule.
[ His smile gets an ironic lopsided look to it. ]
When the first batch of us came here they rounded us all up by weapon point, shoved us into an underground cavern, and forced us to down this ooze that had us writhing in physical and mental agony for weeks.
[ It's almost impressive how light and breezy his laugh sounds after admitting that. ]
Can't imagine why some people wouldn't be a fan.
no subject
[ ernesto's composure does little to belie how absolutely horrifying that sounds — must've been, for all of them. in comparison, his own arrival had been downright leisurely. though this story makes all of amos's earnest assurances that going with him would've been the right thing to do all the more inexplicable. ]
Why would anyone stay there after that?
[ because, clearly, people did. ]
no subject
People change, and that's part of the problem. Ernesto studies Rand's face for a moment, unsure of how much he wants to admit regarding his own personal experiences in those miserable ruins. ]
For a chance to escape the pain. At the time, we had no idea that escape was even a possibility, and it seemed to some like the only choice was to either accept what was now inside them, or stay in agony.
[ In a rare moment, Ernesto actually lets his smile drop away completely. ]
I can't really say what goes on in the minds of people who fully embraced it, but when I was dealing with the thing they had forced fed me, there was a voice inside of me that gleefully spoke to the very worst of me.
[ He breaks eye contact now. ]
I have to hope that faded for them, but I doubt it did. A guy that I had made pleasant conversation with a couple of times before was suddenly willing to put a very literal knife in my back.
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rand shudders.
ernesto's lapse in composure says just as much as his words do in this moment. he can't even begin to imagine the hopelessness, the agony. and if they'd all seen what looked like the death of their homes before that...how much harder would it be to resist? ]
And they're still trying to take people to their side. There was a man there when I woke up. He said he'd been through all of this before.
[ and he would've made rand drink the stuff, too, if he could've. he would've had the opportunity, if moiraine hadn't found them. and while he hadn't made the experience sound like it'd be a good one, rand never would've imagined something quite this awful. how much pain, how many reminders of his failings, would it take before something in him broke so irreparably that he'd inflict the experience on someone else? ]
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A pretty terrifying "what if" to reflect on, though the thought has crossed his mind a couple of times as he hears other Pleroma speak in aggressive terms about those that were taken in by the Regent.
As serious as Ernesto was for a moment, it's hard for him to step outside of his pleasant facade for long, so with a small sigh, a sad smile creeps back onto his face. ]
The person they work for seems to be pretty aggressive in their recruitment methods.
[ Only to get a little peppier looking as he turns his attention back to Rand. ]
Glad to see you didn't decide to go along with him though. Our escape from them wasn't easy the first time, and I'm betting they would have double down on security to make yours harder.
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I got lucky. That's all.
[ if moiraine hadn't found them — what could he have done on his own? he's hardly rejected the darkness once to willingly submit to something that looks a lot like it now. but his objections wouldn't have gotten him very far. what he wanted wouldn't have mattered. ]
Mind you, I wouldn't have chosen to leave with him no matter what, but Amos wouldn't've taken no for an answer.
[ so, no, rand isn't particularly deserving of any credit for defiance. it came too close to being wasted breath. ]
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His own expression goes slack, ears drooping down as a cold realization washes over him. ]
So it was Amos, huh?
[ Well shit...
Given Amos' own encouragement of him to keep fighting even after Amos himself had accepted the Kenoma, that wasn't one of the ones Ernesto was expecting to eagerly hop onto furthering the Regent's agenda. It's not like he'd really known Amos well though, and he certainly can't say he knows him now that he's had more time to let the Kenoma influence him. ]
He was one of the few that wasn't looking to fight us or keep us from leaving when we made our original escape. Guess it really does keep twisting you up inside once it's in you.
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That's hard to imagine. [ a little. his tone is plainly honest, though, not sardonic. ] He really didn't try to stop you?
[ it doesn't line up at all with his experience of the man. he shakes his head. granted, amos maybe hadn't been looking to fight him at first, not until moiraine found them. little point as there would've been in fighting him, rand has to admit to himself with some disgust. weak as a newly-born lamb, unarmed and cut off from the source; how much of a fight is that? amos simply would've led him by the hand to the regent's domain, had him take the vial, and then brought him to achamoth. simple as anything.
a thought occurs to him, and he asks, ]
Is there an antidote? How did it take him, but not you or anyone else here?
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Whether or not he seems himself as a particularly noble guy (he doesn't), Ernesto is at least empathetic enough to be glad they could have spared at least some people the same experience.
Shame they couldn't save everyone this time around, and certainly not everyone the first time. He nods slowly at the question about Amos, expression smoothing out into something contemplative to try and mask whatever negative emotion learning this truth might bring with it.
Yeah, at the time they'd made a break for it, Amos had been one of the ones to step back and let them go unbothered. Hell, Amos had actively supported Ernesto's own decision to reject the Kenoma, so it's equally hard for Ernesto to imagine the quick flip to Regent loyalty.
The second set of questions he's more comfortable with answering though, and he's able to relax his face completely as he starts to answer that. ]
Not exactly.
[ A half smile twitches at the corner of his mouth. ]
All the people here were apparently just too stubborn to be taken in by it. Apparently holding out against the influence for long enough is all you have to do, though...
[ He chuckles humorlessly. ]
I say "all", but that's really underselling it. We spent weeks struggling with this thing trying to physically and mentally wear us down. It wasn't easy at the time, and I'm sure the Regent is going to make it harder for anyone going forward.
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he hadn't entirely understood her meaning at the time, not like he does now. ernesto's descriptions are vivid, harrowing. and he understands now too that moiraine had spoken from personal experience. there had only been the one group before his own arrival. moiraine had been among them. she'd gone through this exactly, and that is how she'd known the man who stayed with kenoma. impossible as it is to imagine her in that kind of state —
— except, not entirely, is it? if he hasn't been able to reach the power, maybe she couldn't either. and as formidable as she might be, she'd be as susceptible as any other ordinary person to whatever the regent did to them.
he shakes his head. all — well, all — someone would have to do is deny it? and if they don't, the stuff would just, what? burrow deeper and deeper into their souls, turn their allegiances to this regent? ]
What does the Regent want with us?
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A shiver threatens to run down his spine at the thought, but he's always been pretty good at keeping visible signs of his emotions at bay when he wants. It's all just a matter of taking how unnerved he feels at this new, simple knowledge, and swallowing it down so he doesn't give any visible tell.
That clarified "all" still doesn't convey just how close so many of them came to that tipping point.
This question gives Ernesto more pause than any of the others so far, because he really has to turn it over his his head for awhile. ]
To unmake existence, and give it another go.
[ And this is the part that he's a little hesitant to fess up to, but... ]
I kind of get it. I came from a world that was a mess in a lot of ways. A lot of people suffered pretty needlessly, but there wasn't a lot that those suffering could do to change their situation.
[ And he's not entirely sure he could do much to change it for them either. ]
But I guess I'm a little too short sided for their goals. I can't quite get on board with destroying all those lives that are still struggling to survive, no matter the circumstances.
[ He fixes his gaze on Rand now, there's still a smile on his face, but his expression is a little hard to read. ]
Not that I'm saying I'm right for thinking that way either. If nothing else, at least while you're among us, you have a little more time to figure it out for yourself, instead of having a belief immediately forced onto you.
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the thing is, he's heard something a lot like this recently. the thing is, he's heard something a lot like this recently more than once. the regent's goals sound chillingly similar to the things he's heard from darkfriends, from the dark one himself. small wonder moiraine is ferociously opposed to the kenoma. this war doesn't sound all too different from the one they were already fighting. ]
No. [ there's a brief moment before he realizes he's said that aloud. he looks back to ernesto, and if the other man's expression trends towards inscrutability, his is an easy study. ] No, I don't need the time.
[ he's seen more of his world at this point than before, has a little bit of a better idea what it is that people struggle with. two rivers has its own problems, but never anything they've been unable to overcome on their own, be it losing all their crops or even trolloc attacks. he's started to see more of the suffering in the lands beyond home. but he's seen beauty he would've thought unimaginable, too: the shining walls at tar valon, the ferocious honor of shienarans, countless ordinary people scattered across the kingdoms just living their lives. and maybe he isn't the best judge of what's right, with this question, but that's...sort of the point, too. ]
They don't care if we join them willingly or not. I doubt they care what the people of this world, and others, think about destroying everything. Forcing your will on people isn't helping them. And if you have to spill innocent blood to achieve your goals, then they aren't worth doing.
[ there might be some irony to this coming from rand al'thor. prophecy demands his blood for the continuation of his world's existence, and what it means that his world might be gone and he isn't will keep him up at night for a long while. but that's the difference, isn't it? his would've been willingly given. ]
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As inscrutable as Ernesto is trying to be right now, a careful observer might be able to notice the way his body tenses up, even if smile that spreads across his face seems relaxed. It's not that he doesn't fully agree with everything Rand is saying here, but...
Well, there are probably very few people here that don't have a pretty complicated personal history, and that's true for both sides of this war. The new kids can figure that one out on their own time. ]
It's a relief to hear you say that honestly.
[ Being as overly aware of himself as he is, he forces himself to relax his muscles as he lets out a small laugh. ]
I don't really relish the idea of having even more people that I might have to eventually fight.
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because he does, a little bit, not look like hearing rand say that is a relief. just for a moment, quick enough for rand to question whether he'd noticed anything at all. it's a difficult topic of conversation, a difficult conversation, a difficult day. few months, for ernesto and the others, hard as that is to believe. he'd only seen moiraine a few moments ago, only to hear that she's been here for all this time.
despite all that, he can offer a smile. ]
Don't worry, I'll never be part of that. You won't have to fight me.
[ not willingly, not in his right mind. and if the day comes that he isn't...when the day comes that he isn't...that'll not be ernesto's problem. ]
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Maybe it won't, maybe it will be. It's hard to say. So far they've done an excellent job keeping the rest of their numbers safely out of the hands of the Kenoma, but they have a lot working against them here. Not that Ernesto wants to be particularly doom and gloom by stressing this fact too hard. There's enough to worry about already.
Which is why Ernesto will at least make a go at being cheerful in turn, his smile stretching wide back, and putting on a little bit of an act to lighten the mood. ]
I'll put any worries I had to bed then!
[ He'll cant his head a little to the side as he looks at Rand. They're both sitting, but... ]
You're a pretty big guy, Señor, so I don't really like that match up for me without a weapon in hand anyway.
[ He says like he's not six feet tall himself. Still, there's a small gap between them, huh? ]
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I'm no warrior. I'm just a shepherd.
[ and it's even true. mostly true. may as well be true, at the moment. untouched as his shard is, he can't channel. he can hardly channel even without the block, really; a scant handful of times, most of them accidental, barely count. and none of that makes him a fighter. laila used to talk about the difference between tools and weapons. even his arrows weren't weapons, really, certainly not against other people. just a means to keep the sheep, the farm, safe from wildlife. ]
I forgot to introduce myself, [ he says after a beat, ] My name is Rand.
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[ Ernesto gives Rand a curious look. It's not that he doesn't believe his story, just that it's interesting the kind of people that end up surviving from these various worlds. So many of them do seem adept at handling themselves in a fight, but he's taken notice of the fact that many of the ones who aren't used to battle ended up on this side.
Admittedly with Rand it was by luck they pulled him over to this side, but by his own admission he wanted nothing to do with the Kenoma.
Maybe it wasn't surprising that people fucked up by fighting would be the ones that wanted to end the world. What Ernesto saw during his time as a soldier was a big part of why he'd struggled so hard against the Kenoma himself. ]
Ernesto. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Rand.
puts a bow on this?
but for now, he only laughs again, waving a hand. ]
Light, just Rand. It's good to meet you too.
Wraps it up neatly!
Fortunately, if you can pull yourself away from the cold cruelty that comes with having to kill your fellow man, it's surprisingly easy to stumble across some good normal folks too.
Now both of them just need to hold on and remember that for the next time the Regent comes with an intention to recruit. ]
Rand it is then.