TDM #3

[aionmods]

TDM #3

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.

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, this is something both sects have already prepared for.

All characters will have the opportunity to acquire a 'returning stone' if they don't already have one. 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. More information about returning stones can be found on the powers page.

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 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. Compared to the last attempt, these troops are a bit better armored. Meanwhile, bolstered by recent events in Godsblood, bands of Resistance members and guerrilla fighters will turn up at the Artisan and Sovereign shrines. The Resistance members will work willingly alongside with the Pleroma Aions, but the guerrilla fighters seem to have their own priorities and that is mostly that they have a beef with the Achamites. These reinforcements will struggle against powered Aions, but they might be able to delay any troops sent by Achamoth or Hylici.

❖ KENOMA
Xishen will be handing out returning stones to all Kenoma the day after the dreams begin for the Aions that don't already have one. 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 minimal Achamite reinforcements. Due to injuries and death in both Godsblood and Venera, many are in recovery or on their return to Achamoth. She'll reiterate not to rely too heavily on them; after all, only the Aions are able to quickly move between the shrines and at the Citadel. The regular troops 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 be called to fill in the ranks of the diminished Achamite troops. They follow the orders that they are given but are very standoffish otherwise, even more than usual for them. Xishen herself says she will be traveling to the shrines and the Kenoma will be expected to communicate their movements to her as they work. 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.

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 beginning of August. The shrines will be active and forming Aions during that time. The dreams will start around the 29th of July. 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!

Comments

Anduin Wrynn | Warcraft | Sovereign

[bythelight]

REBIRTH -- SHRINE OF THE SOVEREIGN

Anduin Wrynn is reduced to kneeling on the stone floor, shivering like a fever has taken him.

His skin is cold, his bad knee is in pain where he stumbled to the ground as he emerged from the crystal and his head is spinning. Light, where was this place? And where are his clothes for that matter? Shakily, he pushes to his feet and braces one hand against what is left of the strange structure that he broke out of.

Is he... dead? He did not think he should be, did not think it was his time, yet all the same -- all the same he had the strangest dream.

The strangest dream, if it was a dream.

The strangest dream, which he has awoken in an unfamiliar place from.

Anduin swallows, trying to breathe through the whirling in his head and the pain in his knee. He pushes back lank strands of blond hair and closes his eyes, tries to draw on the Light enough to ease the pain in his knee, to drive back his headache and nausea.

The Light does not answer. There is no ring of it gathering around his feet, no ethereal wind to buffet his hair, no gentle warm presence reaching down to ease his wounds.

The drain on his limited energy attempting to cast hits a wall. Anduin wobbles, flails out a hand and feels himself sliding back down to the ground again regardless with much less grace than he'd like.

TO THE PLEROMA

Damp, and bundled into rough-spun clothing, Anduin wonders if even Mathias Shaw would recognise him. None of the fine clothing of Stormwind here, none of his heavy armour. Instead, Anduin thinks he looks like he belongs on a farm in Westfall.

Aside from, perhaps, his pale skin and bright blond hair.

He thinks of his mother's locket, his father's compass, and his heart clenches a little. How had he arrived with none of it? Had it been taken from him? It had felt, in his dream, like everything was... collapsing. Had that been real?

His strength is, at least, slowly beginning to return. Anduin hasn't felt this physically weak in some time. Not since, he thinks, Pandaria. Not since Garrosh Hellscream tried to kill him, not since he had nearly every bone in his body broken. It is not a sensation he ever hoped to feel again, yet life has a way of always being... unexpected.

Lifting pale blue eyes up, he stares at the watery ceiling from where he is sat -- strands of wet, blond hair drying loosely about his shoulders. The thin blanket is going some way to warm him back up, but still shivers every so often.

"This shield must be strong. I have read of things like this, but never seen one up close."

He shivers again, frowning at some fish as they flit past and tightening the thin blanket around himself.

"What powers it, I wonder?"

The carved stone, perhaps?

[ Can switch to action tags if anyone prefers, also willing to talk out a wildcard option if anyone likes! ]

To the Pleroma

[undertheweight]

(ooc: he's still in dragon form atm so enjoy that.)

There's a whuff of breath from behind him that might just blow his wet hair in a line. Hot and just a tad sulfurous, before a voice rumbles out.

"Anduin? What are you doing here?"

It's more than a bit surprised, and rather familiar--if perhaps an octave lower than the Young Lion is used to. To his credit, Wrathion recalls himself and which form he's in at the moment, and does not bowl Anduin over with his snout. That is a whole lot of dragon, regardless.

[bythelight]

The hot jet of air catches by surprise, and he freezes.

It feels... familiar, in an unpleasant way.

His shoulders hunch, tense, and he recalls --

Dark scales, a cave, the sound of claws on stone.

The voice snaps him out of it.

His name?

Anduin takes a few steadying breaths, turns slowly. The creature he looks at knows him, yet Anduin himself cannot say it is immediately familiar. Last he Wrathion, after all, he was much smaller -- smaller enough to be far less threatening in his true form.

Yet still.

Anduin's brow furrows slowly, fingers loosening a little on his blanket as he takes him in. A black dragon, who calls him by his name. The gold rings about his horns. Something --

"Wrathion?"

[undertheweight]

The dragon's face is suffused with uncharacteristic happiness--as he'd been brought here, he'd been downright grumpy to most of the other people, so there may even be another individual or two who pause to gape as they cross through the lodestone chamber.

"It is you!" The joy is equally diffused through his voice, and though his eyes have sparked to vivid life, he only extends his head very gently to nuzzle the human. He knew the Alliance had just been spewing propaganda...

"I'm glad you're safe here. I had no idea--well. I'm glad," Wrathion says, stopping himself from going overboard. He flattens himself to the ground, lowering his head now so that Anduin doesn't have to crane his head up to look him in the eye.

"You weren't at the shrine I arrived at. Did you come here through a different one?" he asks, curious. Wrathion had heard that there were other shrines, but he hadn't had time to go off and find a library, yet. Nor the inclination.

[bythelight]

It is Wrathion, and he's... nuzzling him?

Anduin blinks, lifts a hand to brace himself against the enormous snout and tries to gather some sense of decorum.

Which is, as it turns out, difficult when you're being nosed about by a dragon.

Wrathion lowers his head finally, and Anduin tightens the blanket about himself as he studies him. Light, he's gotten so big! He feels like he's staring, and he shouldn't be.

Questions. Focus, Anduin.

"I awoke inside some sort of crystal. I'd been having the strangest dream, as if I had died... as if everything was ending..."

He trails off, uneasy, then collects himself again.

"Have you seen anyone else familiar here?"

[undertheweight]

That's...disturbing, although the same thing had happened to him. Well. Wrathion wasn't certain that he had been in a crystal, but that wasn't important. Not at the moment. His horned brow furrows, and he gives a short, sharp shake of his head, then, as Anduin questions him.

"I have not. Only you." And he had been looking for familiar faces, though there are some he'd be much less happy to see. Like the other flights' Aspects, as an example. But so far, they weren't here.

"Have you, then?" Though by now, Wrathion was fairly certain that if he hadn't, it was rather unlikely that Anduin would.

[bythelight]

"None, nor any familiar banners."

No Horde, no Alliance, no Kul Tiras or Kirin Tor or anything at all familiar.

It's... troubling. Anduin purses his lips thinking, then flicks his eyes back over Wrathion.

"... You are unhurt?"

Wrathion may not be his favourite person, but he is an ally -- and he has recently helped them in a not insignificant way. It seems best they stick together, all things considered.

pleroma

[bingos]

It's best not to think about it.

[ The voice that pops up next to him is casual, almost bored even. At least she doesn't seem as worried as she should be (or is trying not to be). The young woman it matches shakes her head, throwing up hands in a half-hearted shrug: ] Otherwise, the next thing you know it'll collapse in on itself just for thinking about it.

[bythelight]

[ He turns to look at her, sharp eyes running over her form. ]

Light, I hope it doesn't.

[ What an unsettling thought. He frowns, eyes flicking back to the water barrier. ]

Are all the settlements here under water?

[ There might be a reason for it, after all. He couldn't say, he's been here all of five minutes. ]

[bingos]

Crazier things have happened.

[ Like them arriving here. It's still unsettling being down here for her - there's some bad memories associated with being trapped underwater that turn in her head. But it's large and there's plenty of space, so she tries not to think about that time so long ago.

She hums at the question: ]

I hope not. There's not much down here in the way of food, clothes, houses... Bathrooms.... [ She really wants a proper bathroom, thanks, it's been hours!!! ] There's also that flower field place I woke up at! I betcha this place is a whole lot bigger than we've seen yet.

[bythelight]

Flower field?

[ That sounds... peaceful. Anduin has more questions now, though. ]

Did you wake up inside a crystal of some sort?

[bingos]

Yep! With wide open skies and color in all directions! I wouldn't mind going back there someday - it's the perfect place for a picnic!

[ She sounds cheerful for someone who just woke up. If she's worried or has any questions, she's intent on focusing on the here and now. Still, even she pauses: ] Sure did. Isn't that what happens to everyone around here?

[ It's not meant to be demeaning in the least, but from the way he says it she's curious if it wasn't exactly his experience. ]

[bythelight]

[ He hums in thought, offers her a small smile. It does sound like a good place for a picnic, in truth. Still, he focuses on her question: ]

I did -- I wasn't certain if it was the same for everyone, given the other differences.

[ Flower fields and so on. He hesitates, then adds. ]

It is... strange.

[ It isn't just him, right? This is peculiar? ]

rebirth... fellow sovereign

[wolof]

"Watch yourself," a voice said, high and imperious, but there's no malice in her tone. She's lurking there, in the shrine, looking about as if to find those that she shared a sect with, as if she could make the transition into this new world easier. Oh, if they could see her now, those from her world, what she was doing now.

She had a blanket in her hand, but did not offer it yet, not until she took a few steps closer, to take stock of him. Some would lash out, from the shock, and Akua did not want to get her freshly remade form struck a second time.

"Would you like something a little warmer? It's not much, but... it will help with the..." Her eyes do not drift, but...most prefer a bit of modesty.

[bythelight]

Ah, there's someone here.

A little embarrassing to be caught naked and stumbling about on the floor, but Anduin does his best to gather his dignity.

"Please," he manages, "I fear I have quite misplaced all my things."

He shivers again, not quite meeting her eyes as he tries to at least... sit himself up, until his knee aches less and he has the strength to try standing up again.

[wolof]

She gave him the space, and looked away, although there's a slight smile, when he tries to quip about it.

"Yes, I'm afraid we all came here with nothing but that which we arrived in our previous world with. Perhaps a bit older than the first time," when he sat, she looked him up and down. Young, crowned in golden hair, she could suspect why he was the type that arrived in this particular shrine.

"Have you met many yet? Or am I your first new face, so far?"

She didn't sit, but her hands clasped in front of her. No shard to be seen -- for it was hidden underneath the high dress that covered it. Her smile was not warm -- almost courtly, but it's also not hostile.

[bythelight]

Once she's offered the blanket he hooks it around his shoulders, wraps it around himself (including over his lap, for some small modesty) and tries to shiver himself warmer. Still, he does at least make an effort to sit up straight -- to try and muster some dignity despite the awkward situation.

"The first," he admits. "You were expecting more?"

His eyes flit around the cave, brow furrowing in thought as he takes in the crystalline structure. It doesn't appear, on the surface, full of other people -- nor the sort of place he'd expect them to be constantly arriving. Then again, he did just emerge from a crystal. He supposes his expectations on this will need to be... adjusted.

[wolof]

"It's difficult to predict, how many there will be," she admitted, with a small, sad shrug. "I met a few fellow Sovereigns when I arrived, but even now, there are few of us."

She looked around, and sat primly, on a rock, to the side. She kept her eyes on his face, when she appraised him. Some were... finicky about that, and well, when there's the additional shock of being reborn, it can only be expected that there shouldn't be that additional stress. "You've arrived in the same place I did, the shrine of the sovereign," there's a sad smile, there, as if to say: "heavy is the head that wears the crown", but she doesn't voice the thought.

"If you are not royalty, then perhaps you have the aptitude, hm? Not that it makes a difference, in a place like this," a pause, and then: "I'm sure you have questions."

[bythelight]

Certainly he doesn't seem surprised by her suggestion he might be royalty, and have the aptitude. Anduin is, after all. Even if he tried to deny it, the behaviour is so drummed into him it's inescapable.

"I do," he admits. He has questions, so many. "This place -- what is it?"

His eyes flick around once, skimming the crystals thoughtfully.

"I've never seen a structure like it."

It must be powerful, he assumes, to pluck him here unwilling. Yet at the same time --

The dream. He'd followed the Light, because of course he had. Anduin Wrynn is a child of the Light, answering the call when he was young and training in it. What else would he do?

Rebirth

[tohell]

Whoops! Careful, now. [ Before the ground rushes up to greet Anduin, a strong hand grips his elbow. ]

You might want to take some baby steps when it comes to the whole walking again thing.

[ In making his rounds, looking for new recruits to the Kenoma's side, the demon had chosen to take a quick stop at this particular shrine based on a hunch. Turns out his gut instinct pays off. Arriving at the right place and time, down to the moment that Anduin appears at risk of kissing the ground beneath him, in all its crystal-covered glory. ]

I wouldn't want to see your pretty face smashed against the floor.

[ With his considerable height, it's not difficult to offer some support or even hold up the terribly weakened figure of an adult man. But adding a second hand to Anduin's other arm does help steady the fellow as J attempts to ease him into a more dignified position, more befitting of someone with the Sovereign's legacy. It's not much, but kneeling is probably better than crawling about on hands and knees. ]

[bythelight]

[ Anduin would likely flush if he wasn't too tired to even feel embarrassed. He takes a few steadying breaths, letting the ache in his bad leg settle down, then lifts his eyes to thank his saviour --

Who is... surprising in appearance. There's only a second or so of silence before manners catch up to Anduin and he swallows, gives a nod of recognition. ]

Thank you. You have quick reflexes.

[ Where Anduin has... reflexes. They exist. But being quick and careful has never exactly been a strong point. ]

[tohell]

Lucky for you, I happen to be quick on my feet. [ Said like it's supposed to be the punchline of a joke. Because, well... There isn't anything like human feet to be found, if Anduin should look down. Only two strong feline legs poke out from his trousers, ending in paws that resemble the shape and size of a lion's. One lifts to show off his toes, which give a little wiggle to attract Anduin's attention if he hasn't devoted his full attention to J's most appealing feature. Yes, J's on a rescue mission. That won't stop the demon from preening after a compliment, and maybe begin fishing for more.

Aren't his toe beans adorable? He thinks so. Anyway, back to business! ]

You're not looking so peachy, kiddo. [ J's expressive brows raise as the newcomer pushes himself through what looks like a spike in pain, judging by his concentrated efforts to breathe. Hmm, J cocks his head to one side as his three eyes flick over Anduin's figure without any sense of modesty. Who'd have guessed demons weren't big on such a prudish notion? ]

The whole re-birthing ordeal isn't the most graceful of ways to make an entrance. Don't tell me- [ J's face falls a little, his expression hedging towards incredulous. This kid, is he some kind of klutz??? ]

Did you manage to hurt yourself before I leapt to your rescue?

[bythelight]

[ Re-birthing ordeal?

There's a lot to process quickly in a short amount of time. The three eyes, the horns, the toe beans as J wiggles them to draw his attention.

Anduin tries to stay calm, even if the knowledge that he cannot channel the Light while in the presence of a creature so large is... unnerving.

Still, it hasn't done him any harm. It helped him to his feet. He may well just be tired, from -- whatever stasis this crystal put him in. ]

An old injury. Nothing you could have prevented, your timing was still perfect I assure you.

[tohell]

You flatterer, you. And here I thought chivalry was dead. [ Now that Anduin has managed the spectacular feat of getting himself upright, J pulls back a little to settle into his more than seven feet of height. Tall as the other man is, he's practically a baby chick in comparison to J's domineering stature. ( Not to mention the alarming horns, wings and other bizarre anatomical features that make him all the more imposing. ) Maybe that explains why he reaches to softly pat the man on his cheek, as though he's a child who has earned warranted praise. This amusing interlude ends up disrupted when the demon realizes Anduin is missing something of rather vital importance. ]

Oh, I'd almost forgotten. Let me give you something to help with your current.... situation. [ One of J's hands demonstratively sweeps down in front of the man's very naked figure as if J needs to point out the obvious fact of Anduin's own nudity to him. This little act of show and tell done, J reaches into a fancy satchel at his side to draw out a simple white robe. He may or may not have swiped a few after his last return to the Kenoma's lodestone, before setting out again. ]

Here you go. It's just your size and everything. [ Holding the garment up in front of Anduin's figure, J gives a thoughtful hum, as though he tailor-made the "outfit" for his new friend and is debating if his work is suitable. ]

Consider it the first of my gifts to you, with the second being my name: [ If Anduin does take the clothing he's been offered, J holds up a finger in pause as a sly look flashes across his face. That finger settles in the center of Anduin's chest, then drags down, to draw a J that loops up slightly at it's tail. ]

The demon known as "J", at your service.

[bythelight]

[ The pat on the cheek sends a faint flush of colour through Anduin's pale skin, even as his eyes narrow a little in irritation. Still, the mention of his situation does catch Anduin's interest away. Yes, he would prefer to be dressed if possible -- although the white robe is not... ideal. It's still better than nothing.

He reaches for the robe, a 'thank you' about to fall from his lips when J holds up a finger in pause.

The demon reaches out, and Anduin goes tense. This is too much uninvited physical contact, from a demon. A self-confessed demon. Why? Why is he here, why is the demon here?

Anduin's eyes narrow further, and he summons up as much confident authority as he can into his voice. ]

My name is Anduin Wrynn. What is it you want from me?

[ This would likely be more impactful if it weren't coming from a pale, naked man clutching a white robe with one hand. We work with what we have. ]