TDM #1

[aionmods]

TDM #1

DREAMING

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

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.]

CAPTIVITY

It seems that someone was waiting for you to arrive, and not in the most friendly of ways. Though the specifics of who comes to get you will vary according to which legacy shrine your character awakens at, there are certain commonalities: most notably, how they are ostensibly here to capture and imprison you. It's easy for them, all considered. You can barely stand, so fresh out of your chrysalis, and whatever powers or special abilities you may have had will not answer your call. Even worse, your would be captors are well equipped for the job.

Each group arrives with several 'whips' made of unknown materials. What makes them so special only become obvious when one of them inevitable snakes its way around your body. Whether it be your ankle or your neck, being bound by these cords puts you under the influence of whoever is holding the other end of your leash. Your mind remains untouched, but you will find yourself physically incapable of performing physical actions that go against their will. While the possibilities are frightening, thankfully they all just seem to want one thing: for you to come along as a good little prisoner and to not cause any of them too much trouble.

The rest depends on your character's legacy:

❖ THE LOVER
The small island the shrine is built upon is approached by several modest boats with colorful sails. They carry what appears to be a collection of fearful fisherfolk and town guards. They are reluctant to speak with those being pulled out of the shrine or even look them in the eye. If they have their choice, the entire process will be done in silence. If you try too hard to upset them, the guards will sternly bring you to heel.

❖ THE CELEBRANT
The infrastructure of an entire festival ground seems to be built around this shrine, and as a result, there are an usual amount of people present. While most keep their distance, a few will engage with the local guards that arrive to capture the Aions, complaining that this is going to interfere with their preparations for the upcoming Lover’s Festival. They are pushed aside in short order, and the rest of the retrieval will be done in a stern but business-like manner.

❖ THE MARTYR
At first, those arriving to capture the Aions will be hesitant to even enter the barren crater this shrine is held within. Once the presence of the new arrivals becomes clear, however, they will run in as if crossing the no man’s land of a battlefield and complete their work with gusto. It appears to be mostly military folk and they seem to lack any patience or sympathy for those they capture.

❖ THE SOVEREIGN
The captors here seem to be a mixed bag, almost as if two separate squadrons have arrived at the same time. One is a gathering of people who give off the impression of mountain folk, while the others are well armored soldiers. Though it will be hard to make out the specifics, there seems to be some manner of disagreement between these two parties over what should be done, but the ones kitted out in full military attire win out in the end. By then, they are completely out of patience for further resistance.

❖ THE ARTISAN
The people here seem to have mixed feelings about your arrival. On one hand, it seems to be a moment of considerable trepidation, on the other, they seem unbearably curious about your nature. They will ask questions about any unusual features you have, or what your skills are, while others from the group try just as hard to shush them. Ultimately, they don’t seem that enthusiastic about having to capture you, but they also don’t seem to think they have much choice.

❖ THE INNOCENT
Among rolling hills of flowers, at first it seems as if this shrine may not be visited at all. Before the arriving Aions can escape it, though - naked and weakened as they are - a group of fairly normal looking townsfolk will arrive. They pause as they spot you near the shrine, almost like they are hesitating about coming at all. In the end, they will converge upon you and ask for you to please cooperate. They won’t hurt you, as long as you come with them.

❖ THE SEEKER
Armored soldiers are the ones to first pull you from the shrine, but as you arrive outside of it you'll see that it is situated at the edge of a great forest. An ancient observatory is build into the cliff face behind the shrine, and your captors are apparently in the process of negotiating with a series of robed individuals that have emerged from it. According to them, the soldiers kidnapping you are trespassing. Unfortunately, they are not the ones with weapons.

❖ THE WANDERER
When you first emerge from the shrine, it will appear as if you have just missed a skirmish. There are a few bodies scattered about, all wearing woodland armor made of leather and fur. The victors, it seems, come in the form of fully armored soldiers. Thoroughly irritated by the fight that just happened, they will not waste time on niceties. If you try to ask them what just happened, the best you may get is a sneer about ‘those damn forest people.’ You may spot a couple more bodies on the trail leading out of the forest as well.

❖ THE FIREBRAND
The first thing to be seen beyond the cavern entrance is a sheer drop into a raging canyon river far below you, with only a narrow path leading up the steep cliff face. It would be a difficult situation, even without black-cloaked warriors making their way down it to collect you. Struggle too much and you'll be at risk of being thrown into the chasm. These masked assailants are largely unmoved by your protests and will drag you the entire way up the cliff if you force them to. "Your soul will be claimed," they say.

❖ THE VISIONARY
The view from the mouth of the cavern is awe inspiring, revealing the foreign shapes of a world you've never seen before. Unfortunately, the altitude of this shrine means you will also be greeted with sharp wind and biting cold. Fortunately, or not, a party of mountaineers and three black-cloaked warriors will arrive to collect you. Despite their seeming inability to defy the orders of the warriors, the mountaineers will toss you some shoes and blankets for the trek down, even if they are taken away from you later. If the warriors speak at all, it's mostly in the form of ominous utterances.

❖ THE CHAMPION
Even if one were to stagger out of the shrine's cavern before being approached, the Aions arriving here will swiftly find themselves in a hopeless situation. Not only are there soldiers here to collect there is a moderately sized military barracks built around the shrine itself, and this particular squadron is not on your side. You will be swarmed before you can get far at all. There seems to be a mix of two squadrons here, some wearing heavy armor and red accents, while the others wear full face masks and dark cloaks.

Once you've been captured and pulled from the shrine, you will given a formless white gown made of moderately comfortable fabric, with sleeves reaching your elbows and its bottom reaching down past your knees. You will not be given pants or shoes. You're in for a journey, apparently - no matter who plucked you from the cave, most of the heavily armored soldiers in the prompts above will turn out to be 'Hylician soldiers', while the smaller number of black-robed warriors are referred to 'Achamites'. After the initial dealings with the shrines, all prisoners will be passed off to a squadron of Hylicians, though a few Achamites may follow along depending on the location.

Where are you all going? Back to Hylici, apparently.

WAITING

After you've been handed off to the the Hylician military, you have a long road ahead of you. Loaded up onto carts, and then eventually onto river borne boats, the people collected at the shrines will all be brought to a forest in the center of Horos. Along the way, the squadron ferrying you will combine with others from neighboring shrines, more and more captives arriving in your group the closer to your destination you get.

Along the way you will be fed and watered well enough (though only with military rations), and at night you will be given flimsy bedrolls to sleep around the fire with. Captives will be under constant watch by the Hylician guard, and anyone who shows any signs of resistance will be required to be bound by one of those magic whips, usually around the ankle or wrist. The rest of the trip is spent being pulled along in carts or the storage bays of boats. After the groups start converging, captives of the same legacy will not necessarily be kept together.

The final muster point of the Hylicians and their captives will be among forest ruins. For what purpose you have arrived they will not say, but the entire group will be camping there until preparations are complete. Sadly, you won't be allowed much space to explore - not without being bound and under watch. If you've behaved yourself it's possible to move about the central ruins, but only if the guards are confident they'll be able to wrangle you when necessary. It does allow for moderately private conversations along the pillars and walls of the ruins, but venturing out into the forest itself is definitely out of the question.

From beginning to end, characters will spent about two weeks in transit and waiting in the ruins. To what end is yet to be seen, but if you listen closely, you may hear whispers of a 'ritual space' being prepared.

QUESTIONS

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?
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 intial 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.

Can my character resist the influence of the whips?
Those possessed of particularly strong wills may be able to struggle with the whip's control in brief spurts, but not long enough to make a full escape attempt. They may be able to take an impotent swing at one of the guards or fight against being pulled along, though. Naturally, doing this will indicate to the Hylicians that you are a problem, and their handling of you will become harsher the more it occurs.

How cruel will the Hylicians be to the player characters?
The Hylician military are not friendly people and come across as being a bit callous even at the best of times. However, unless you provoke them, they will be primarily focused on just getting the job done with as few interruption as possible. If your character makes a habit of pissing them off, either by constantly fighting back or just by being persistently obnoxious, their treatment will get worse. If driven to it, they may take the opportunity to take out their frustrations on particularly troublesome prisoners, via physical punishment, humiliation, or deprivation.

Comments

Emet-Selch | Final Fantasy XIV | Firebrand

[lachtara]

0. Dreaming - The Dark Outside

Time passes as he waits for the 'hero' to arrive. Surrounded by the winding spires of Amaurot, he intends to watch as they descend into madness provoked by the overabundance of light.

Though without warning, The world is suddenly flooded with thick wisps of darkness. Emet-Selch looks on from a diminutive square as the lights of the city blink out one by one, consumed by the encroaching shadows. And as each 'shade' turns to put its arms up in a meager effort to shield themselves from it, he can't help but see in it the similarity to the Final Days. 

Thoughts of the past are all-consuming within that dark; reconstruction of moments past, familiar places, friends lost, and occurrences that often consumed his thoughts with grief. He hears echoes of them, and even reaches out at the distant illusion of a place and a people he'd lost long ago pleading for them to 'wait', only to see them once again fade into nothing.

There is soon an all-consuming quiet.

1. Rebirth 

And then, the crystal around him bursts.

He lingers on his knees in the wet dampness of the crystal shards, all he can do is breathe for a few short moments. He bears just enough strength to look up at the cave that surrounds him - A place of unfamiliar design filled with all manner of spectacular-looking stones.

There are also people. Real tangible voices are somewhere nearby.  He tilts his head in their direction so he can 'see' them, but their aether is nowhere to be seen. Emet-Selch tilts his head to look elsewhere - at some of the landscape nearby - and finds no sight of aether there either. Where is this place?

Being weary in both mind and body, he manages to sit back and folds his arms. Although it's more about the lack of heat more than modesty.

"You," He demands of the other person nearby, also surrounded by crystal of their own. "Where are we?"

2. Captivity - Firebrand

It's not long before he's whisked off by those unfamiliar. Their robes bear no crests that he's seen, but they are militarily organized and equipped for the task they intend to complete. 

The strange snaking material binds him and, for a moment, he feels the familiar haze of enchantment from it. Which soon becomes apparent when his body stands up at their commend with no volition of his own. Emet-Selch only manages a poisonous glare in protest at first. 

They proceed outside where a raging river and a thin pathway await. One false step and they could all be dragged down the cliff, tied together as they are by these strange subjugations. He notices his fellow prisoner stray too close to the edge of the cliff and he manages to gather enough will to reach for their arm and yank them back towards a more sturdy path. "If you fall, then we all likely share the same fate." He chastises crisply. 

3. Waiting

It's been a long day of being carted around like cattle. They traveled through a forest - yet again one unfamiliar to him - and then through ruins which were just as unusual. The night was soon to fall and they are provided with bedrolls that barely have enough linen to be called 'bed rolls'. Emet-Selch examines it, leers at the solider that provided to him as if its mere existence is an insult, and lays it in the grass. If laying a bedroll in the grass could come across as an act of defiance, then he would have accomplished that.

Emet-Selch sits on his piteous bedroll and looks to the person nearest to him. He examines them critically for a moment before saying, "And how did you find yourself here?"

[ If you'd like something else or have a different idea, please PM me or contact me on plurk at weenwoon ]

Endwalker spoilers inside

[dancinglight]

[A lot of time has passed since then. Tsubaki remembered her fight with Zenos and then... Nothing. The others were waiting for her on the Ragnarok, but this dark, stifling locale that she rouse from was anything but. Still a little groggy, she'd been wandering around aimlessly until she saw a familiar figure in the distance... And a familiar recreation.

Knowing what she knew now... Seeing what's happened in Elpis... Tsubaki couldn't help but feel terrible. What she saw now was not the grumpy ancient back in Elpis, but the Ascian who'd given his all to those he lost. She didn't approach him right away. She was mostly pondering what to do next.

Deep breaths...]

... Emet-Selch?

[Finally approaching him cautiously but with no hint of malice or hostility.]

Are you... okay?

[A silly question considering all that's happened, but she couldn't help it. She could worry about where she was or why she was here at a later time.]

[lachtara]

He turns his head to look at her. Of all the people to accompany him here.

"Do I look pitiful enough to warrant your concern?" Emet-Selch has enough strength to be able to pick up his hand and wave it in the air dismissively. The gesture is accompanied by a sound of distaste. It's not entirely an answer.

[dancinglight]

Tsubaki didn't respond right away. She just gave him a look before letting out an exhauted sigh. That's right. All he was likely to remember was his time as an Ascian. The only one who really remembered what happened back in Elpis besides her was Venat. Deep down she knew that, but it didn't change how she felt about it.

Did she say something about it? Did she keep to herself like Elidibus told her to initially? Venat sort of ruined the 'don't fuck up the past' part already. With Meteion taken care of, everything should be fine, right?

"No, but what you're seeing," gesturing all around them, "this is all in the past. It's not something we can change. For what it's worth, I'm..." and she froze mid-sentence. Emotions were hard sometimes and she was not really in the best head space right now.

"I'm just glad to see you again. I know that nothing I say or do will change what's happened. I just want to say I'm sorry for everything that's happened," she just let it out. Thinking she'd never see him again, this was as good of time as any to finally speak her mind.

[lachtara]

An apology is not what he expected. It causes him to fold his arms and furrow his brow as he puzzles over what it could mean.

In the meantime, his response is chiding. "I intend to take away everything precious to you. Your friends, your world, even your life as you know it. And now you say that you're 'glad to see me'? That you're 'sorry'?" Every word of those sentences is over articulated to accentuate its absurdity. "Is your memory truly so shortsighted?"

Rebirth (will avoid mentioning Endwalker spoilers)

[heart_of_the_wood]

The figure that turns towards him, long, tufted ears angling to catch every sound he makes as well as signs of danger around them, is still slick from their own awakening. Dark skin is mottled and bleached pale around mouth and eyes, scarred by Light corruption that had yet to fully heal, yet the color of their eyes seems...off. Viera do not usually have eyes that reflect light the way theirs do, or the ring of gold around their pupils that seems to give off an eerie glow. Yet when they speak it's a soft, gentle voice as they step closer, claws digging into the earth with each silent step.

"My dearest Emet-Selch," there's something teasing in the way they say it, their voice a rich and earthy purr when they speak his name, though exhaustion is clear in the heaviness of their gaze and the way they bend to sit beside him, uncaring of their own nakedness or his own, and make little move to hide their curves. "If I knew, I'd be glad to tell you. Sadly, you caught me before I could explore. I've barely begun to get my wits about me." Long claws reach out to sweep a damp strand of hair out of his eyes, the movement slow enough that he could stop it easily if he wished.

Golden freckles dust muscular shoulders and arms like thickly clustered stars, dark flesh marred with pink and lurid purple scars both old and new, and there's a mixture of both sorrow and fondness in their gaze as they take in his frustrated expression.

"Would that I could be of more help. Are you hale enough? The hatching left you unharmed, yes? Glad as I am to see you, I would not wish one of my companions to already take ill from our mistimed arrival."

[lachtara]

The combination of concern and endearing titles earns a huff of discontent. Of all those he finds himself next to, it's not ideal for it to be them.

"Concerned about my wellbeing?" Emet-Selch asks contemptuously. He is able to summon enough strength to shrug his shoulders in a dramatic fashion, although even that is a strain at present. His strength leaving him does not rob him of sounding as he typically does. "Well, I must look pitiful indeed."

[heart_of_the_wood]

"Would you rather I wasn't?" Cocking their head, they lean closer, their smile turning into a playful smirk. "Would you rather I chase you down like your dear great-grandson likes to chase me? Threatening you all the while? And here I thought you wanted my cooperation!" With a dramatic sigh, they lean back, shoulder bumping his.

"All that talk about wanting to offer an olive branch and all you do is scold me when I do! Honestly, do you want me to follow your directions or not?" A soft, tired chuckle, and the smile begins to fade, that hint of bittersweet sorrow seeping into their words as the next are spoken so softly it is difficult to hear. "Some things never change, do they? You scolding me."

[lachtara]

"You choose now to begin following my directions?" He chides rhetorically.

Though better some cooperation in this instance than the alternative. At least until he has his bearings. Emet-Selch sighs. "Very well. Let us implore your insatiable willingness to explore and see what our surroundings hold."

He makes his way to stand, although it's obvious he could use some assistance in such endeavors.

2

[coerthantorment]

Estinien is at the edge of the cliff because he's honestly considering his odds, were he to leap into the raging waters below. Maybe the force of it would be enough to break the whip binding him, maybe the confusion in these relatively early moments of their capture would be easiest to exploit. He feels as if time is of the essence, as if he is losing something simply by not acting-

And yet, at the same time, his limbs are sore and frail, his legs doing enough work just to keep him upright. Would he survive the water? Would his binding drag him down? He can't just let this happen-

Suddenly, he's yanked to the side by another one of the prisoners - one that he hasn't had the time or the focus to fully take in the features of. It's familiar, somehow... he should know it, he thinks. He's seen it before. And yet.

"Unhand me," he snarls instead, jerking back against both Emet Selch's pull and the whip around his wrist. This probably has the opposite effect of what was intended.

[lachtara]

His grasp is easy to shirk given his lack of energy. It's simple enough to guess at what this stranger is trying to do - reckless as it is. Though thinning the ranks of the guards at the cost of this prisoner is nothing if not convenient, he himself would struggle to make it to shore. That would be wholly inconvenient.

"Then perhaps you can consider resuming your sightseeing when you have a better vantage point?" His emphasis on the words hints at another meaning to them. By all means, escape, distract the guards with a search. Just do it when he's not in the path of it.

[coerthantorment]

How much his actions convenience this particular man is not at the top of his priorities - though, the conversation does allow him to get a better look at the man's face. One telling feature is that third eye, the mark of a Garlean. In the past, he would have had a sharper reaction to that. It still does make him a bit suspicious, but in a somewhat more value-neutral way.

"Garlean," he says, latching onto the one thing he feels sure of. "You felt something. Did you? A dream, before we woke..."

He doesn't know whether to hope it was just him.

[lachtara]

Acquainted enough to know a Garlean while not acquainted enough to know their history, it seems.

He flicks a glance to the guards as they proceed unabated. The guards seem wholly unbothered by talk of 'dreams'. Interesting. "The apparition was much too authentic for a dream." No, he could see the flames as the city burned and feel the heat in each ember. That is beyond some simple dream. "At least, in my experience. Perhaps yours was different?"

3 - endwalker spoilers inevitable

[afewstraythoughts]

Not for the first time that day, Hythlodaeus finds himself wondering if this is how Azem feels, walking through foreign lands and under unknown trees, unsure of what lays lurking around the corner, what manner of beast or being may come to them next. Its disorienting, compared to the carefully laid out and curated Elpis, even more-so compared to the highly organized sprawl of Amaurot, and it's something that Hythlodaeus finds himself unable to fully grow accustomed to.

Enough so that as he finds himself ushered to a bedroll in a foreign, guarded place, he can't quite sit still. The uncertainty of his situation has something within him buzzing uncomfortably, an anxiety he hasn't felt this strong since magic first began started running amok and fire burned through the sky. This unknown world with a disconnect from the very aether that made up everything on Etheirys, full of creatures the like of which never crossed his desk... well, Hythlodaeus is full of a restlessness he's never quite felt before.

So it doesn't take him long to stand and wander from his bedroll. He's behaved so far, gone along with these unknown captors to the best of his ability, and as such he's been given a small amount of trust. Hythlodaeus is only watched in a cursory manner as he moves his way through the ruins, following the light of unfamiliar souls in his exploration. But then, a familiar spark lights up within the masses, sudden and nostalgic enough that Hythlodaeus has to pause and wonder just how clouded his senses are after his awakening, but sure enough that there's no question in who else has made their way to this world.

Beelining as he is, it's only a few moments before Hythlodaeus is within hearing range of that familiar soul, although it is currently encased in a slightly unfamiliar visage. But he stops, standing just behind where Emet-Selch is resting, humming low as he taps his cheek in thought, eyes cast out among the other captives and their captors.

"Well, then. If even the esteemed Emet-Selch has found himself a captive, what hope is there for the rest of us?"

[lachtara]

The hours in the camp pass without notice. He'd rested and had since passed the time by idly focusing on the flames of the campfire, lost in thought.

His senses began to return in bits and pieces, muddled as they are. The smothered souls of those around him were a dim glow - dimmer than usual - and he's yet to see the vibrant swirling energy of aether from the world around them. Almost if the very world itself is made of something different.

It's within that intent focus that he hears his name called.

He turns and his eyes grow wide in sheer surprise. The familiar warmth and brightness of this soul is impossible to mistake for another. This is someone he's not seen in an age. Someone he thought he'd lost so long ago. He can feel the faint fervor of contentment threaten to surface within, and there is a flicker of elation that shows in his eyes. It's something he hasn't felt in so long it scarcely seems achievable these days.

The expression is forcibly expunged as he coaches his face back to dissatisfaction.

Emet-Selch stands up and motions accusingly. "What manner of chicanery is this?" He spits out bitterly instead of any manner of pleasant greeting. "Souls are unmistakable in every way, yet it is impossible to think how you could be more than an illusion..." Such wishes are for those naive wide-eyed heroes.

[afewstraythoughts]

As tired and disoriented as Hythlodaeus still is - days upon days of being shipped across both land and water haven't been kind to anyone - he's at least not too out of it to notice the... oddness of his friend's reaction. He had expected maybe a sigh and a roll of the eyes, not this... thinly masked contempt and distrust.

It's the first time in a while his old friend has fully taken Hythlodaeus by surprise. He had thought those days were long past, buried in their youth. If he wasn't so used to Emet-Selch begrudging but unwavering companionship and support, he would be able to spot the shift in Emet-Selch's expression. He'd be able to see that raw sliver of emotion for what it truly is, just as he'd be able to sense the distrust, the fact that something is wrong between them. Something he doesn't know, couldn't possibly know. The weight of countless ages that had been placed on them both in very different ways, things Hythlodaeus couldn't possibly know, because he hadn't experienced them yet.

At the very least, he has enough sense to know that something is off, and not just in the slight difference in the intensity of Emet-Selch's soul. Though he is still mostly attributing that to his tired eyes.

Almost in defense, Hythlodaeus holds up his hands placatingly, eyes wide in a way to pronounce innocence rather than any true surprise. "Chicanery? Now, now, since when have I practiced true chicanery? A bit of misleading, perhaps. Maybe a touch of subterfuge. But never chicanery!"

[lachtara]

Emet-Selch winces at that reaction, so exact to what he would remember his old friend would say and do. And what's more; to hear Hythlodaeus speak those words with a voice he's almost all but forgotten as thousands upon thousands of years marched onward is heartrending.

"As convincing as you may seem, it is nigh impossible for you - the real you - to be here." A spell so powerful is unthinkable when even he could only create a shade. He looks off, "Thousands of lifetimes have passed since the day you left for the sake of our star. You can not be of this world, as much as I wish it differently."

3, adding to your pile

[aquaveiled]

A long day indeed. And despite her uncanny ability to fall asleep wherever and whenever she deems fitting, Himeka refuses to let the shift from day into night usher her onwards. That so many should be gathered here as well is equally a point of interest and concern, and she has never been one to sit idly for long.

She makes her own rounds about the encampment, mostly keeping free of the ire of the guards stationed. But she does take pause as one hunched over and familiar sticks out amongst the rest. The way he lays out his bedroll would be comical if the situation were less confounding.

So she does what anyone would do when confronted with a once-enemy-turned-friend-turned-enemy-returned friend (frienemy?) after being literally hatched out of weird crystal goop and captured by a team of cantankerous soldiers only to be transported to some unknown spook ruins.

She plops down adjacent and waits, just for a moment.

"Accosted by a group of soldiers in the forest while covered in dubious goop." A beat. "The same as you, I would imagine?"

Of course his presence there brings several new questions to mind, but...one thing at a time.

good pile c:

[lachtara]

"Close enough to notice some striking similarities." He says noncommittally.

But moving on he seems almost conversational in his questions. "So, hero, have you found a means to recklessly force your way through the guards and escape from this encampment? I do await to see your plan with boundless anticipation."

emet-selch: suffering from success

[aquaveiled]

It's in good humor, something she tends to have regardless of the circumstances, though it's not always warranted. Truth be told, finding comfort in the familiar does come with no small amount of guilt. Estinien is there as well and she would rather spare him this strange sequence of events if she could. Yet...Emet-Selch, as he is now, is something of a mystery.

Himeka gives a short hum as she nods in acknowledgment, curling her tail beneath herself as she adjusts, bending her knees so she can rest her arms on them. The initial shock of this place, of the visions and the chaos of being moved about has...settled. Mostly. But does not leave many pleasant thoughts in its wake.

His quip in turn is still welcome all the same, no small amount of judgment within. That she expects.

"I'm afraid I must disappoint," she says with a shake of her head. "Though...I wouldn't expect you to be here." For a multitude of reasons. "Does that mean that you can't--?"

She snaps her fingers in the best mimicry she can of his flourish.

/queue crashes

[lachtara]

Emet-Selch presses his lips into a thin line of 'unimpressed' at her imitation of him. He did not snap like that. His was more poised and purposeful.

"If you must know, I haven't tried." He admits truthfully. However, it would be potentially dangerous to admit to such a thing with someone he's tried to kill in the past, even if she and hers had proven to be disgustingly tolerant if he didn't confront them directly. He's nothing if not aware of his current vulnerability.

"There are more amicable means out of situations other than force. And, on occasion, what presents itself is more interesting than a hasty retreat." He'd like to know what is going on and how they have come to be here.

2.

[ourlastbesthope]

Capa doesn't contemplate his fate as often as he should. Still, the lingering abyss they overlook seems so inviting in a way that transcends his own mortality. Rather, it's like looking into the sun, a desperate sort of defiance of the inevitable.

The hand on his arm is a welcome grounding and he shakes his head. "Sorry," he mutters, getting back on track, not minding the harsh grab. He's used to it.

[lachtara]

It comes as a relief; finally, someone who does not argue or chastise him for giving practical advice. Perhaps he's grown too accustomed to brash heroes and their equally reckless company.

"At last, someone who listens." He says flatly in the guard's direction. They, of course, had been much less amicable in dragging them up here. "Perhaps our escorts could learn from your shining example."

[ourlastbesthope]

He gives them an equally unimpressed look, but he doesn't speak too loudly, not wanting to draw their ire.

"Yeah," he says softly. "I uh - don't think that's going to happen. But it's worth a shot trying, right?"

He shoots the other man a tired sort of smile, though it doesn't reach his eyes. "I'm not really used to - this."

He gestures slightly to the cliff side.

[lachtara]

"I chance to think I would be more interested if you were." Even he, who had experienced much in his long life, had not become accustomed to circumstances like this happening. Usually, it would not be so much of a concern, either, if the use of his skills were intact.

"Then, praytell, what are you used to?"