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TDM #3
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.
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.
❖ 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 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!
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!
GOD ON GOD ACTION
nothing.
he looks to set instead for answers of his own.)
No one possesses the right to force their will on another. If they return, I will stop them again. (a no-frills promise with no room for misinterpretation: set has found, in the unlikeliest of places, a protector. they may need to carry out the will of their sect, but lessa will not allow them to intervene with the natural order; set will flow as he flows.) Drink when you see fit to drink, and I will drink with you.
...
Are you not young?
(???????????)
no subject
what lessa says, though - is oddly comforting. it gives set the room to come to terms with the fact that he must properly join with the kenoma, who he chose. imbibing in their dark substance is simply part of that choice -- it was the way they insisted, with their hands holding him and fingers in his hair... that was unappreciated. ]
It's been some time, since anyone bothered to drink with me.
[ drink anything, he means. not just drink the kenoma-cocktail.
as for the rest, he points both fingers to his face and wrinkles his expression like a thug when he utters haa?, rough and absolutely bemused. ]
No divinity has true youth, [ by way of explaining: ] You may be mistaking my divine appearance with something else.
no subject
If you're certain, (he says, hypocritically uncertain. set is both objectively and subjectively young, beautiful, and expressive. the exclamation of surprise, too, makes lessa guesstimate an age further in the privacy of his own thoughts.
for a moment, lessa lapses into a contemplative—sad—silence.)
It's been some time since I spoke with the divine; we're both unaccustomed, it seems. Are you an angel? A god?
no subject
Set.
[ unlike the announcements he'd made, brassy and sharp before the sight of others who simply did not recognize him, or came to insult his existence, lessa has old eyes. the depths of something equally old, equally knowledgeable of the divide between immortal and mortal. his name evokes the knowledge of humanity's first steps, for egypt stood among the eldest of faiths -- ]
I am a god. [ to lessa, who acknowledges him without laughter or disrespect, he concedes: ] Was, a god. I serve in a diminished form, these days. What of you? You're too understanding, to be an adherent. And your power --
[ it reminds him of his mother; her hair and body littered with starlight, the depths of the night. ]
no subject
(the sadness is not gone, just overwhelmed by clarity. recognition and duties far more considerable than his own worries supersede it, making narrow shoulders straighten. it's not difficult to find some dignity here, even stripped bare and disoriented; nudity, the aspect of having shame in one's body, is a human creation.)
I know of you, however, or a concept of you humans worship... which means that I have you at a disadvantage. I am Lessa, God of Night and Death. (it'd be laughable if it weren't such a burden. lessa isn't comforting set but instead seems to be commiserating with him. he felt it, the destruction of earth, the collapse of their plane of existence. what does that make them now?
set's desert is gone, lessa's night sky is gone, but war and death remain.
he steps closer—lonely, perhaps, a part of him still in mourning—far slighter than set, away from the dark fringes of the cavern and into refracting light. both look ethereal, and it makes their combined presence uninviting. intimidating.)
In the end, even as our homes have turned to dust, it'll take more than diminished forms to remove our titles. Would you walk with me?
1 sad twink + 1 sad twunk
Lessa.
[ god of night, like nut. god of death --
he won't consider that right now. all gods served their roles, and all mortal lives required an end.
watching egypt collapse into dust ( not even sand, but dust ), fallen and decaying at an exponential rate within the confines of his own mind was a nightmare. everything he had once sought to prevent had come to pass, as his role as egypt's protector had become wargod had become evil deity. yet, lessa's misery in that loss is not wholly embraced by him. maybe, despite his timeless existence, he still hoped that what he saw had not come to pass, but existed as a warning. a vision of something that would come, if he did not stand against it.
laughable! even stripped of his titles and once-goodly name, he still yearns to protect the land. ]
Maybe they are gone. Maybe what we dreamed was a vision to warn us. I have no confirmation either way, and will demand it of whom or whatever rules this place -- I will have an answer, and then. I will decide if I fight, or mourn.
[ lessa is so much smaller than he, a delicate elder god of fathomless beginnings and endless night; he is more like ra, than set. still, it is comforting to find someone in this place who will comprehend the weight of a god's existence, and the way that their mind worked - so unlike that of a mortal's own. perhaps, that is why he brushes his bare shoulder along lessa's, as demonstrative as clasping the other to him in an embrace, and nods. ]
We must be here for a reason, Lessa. Come, let's find it.
putting the d in DEPRESSION
with no destination, lessa walks with set, arm against his arm. sharp unconsolidated rock beneath his feet occasionally forces his hand to raise to grasp at the back of set's elbow, but it's always for leverage, fleeting.)
You're stubborn. I'm beginning to understand how precious a quality that is. (his eyes stray from his fellow god to their surroundings. each and every hanging head is one he'd like to bless. it torments him so to see them suffer, momentarily trapped in their own minds.) I... think I am... swayed too easily by matters that shouldn't concern me.
(even set has been a recipient of wanton kindness—or is it selfishness? lessa finally puts on a wan smile, even sighs as though tired. (human influence, undoubtedly, when his son was prone to extreme boredom.))
The potion might give us answers to our maybes, but I admit... I'm uncertain. The consequences could be dire if a god were to become a tool, and yet there's no other path available to take. What do you suppose it'll do?
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It's impossible for my grandmother to be overcome, [ he sighs it; such is his unyielding faith in her, for it was ra who created herself and stood upon her barge for all eternity, fighting the void at the edge of her creation and conquering it - day and night. a god's power was a thing unseen by any and all, but she managed to ooze it without having to demonstrate even a hint of it. ] She's a hag and a wretch, but there is nothing in all of existence that could end her, or Egypt.
[ stubborn, yes!
he puts careful thought into the answer he gives lessa, even as he peels down the white material of his assigned robe and begins to tear into it with the points of bare claws; if the kenoma will not provide him appropriate attire, he will modify what they do.
what will it do? piss osiris off, some part of him hopes. ]
Ensure we cannot abandon the Kenoma, is my guess. Whether that means it will change something within us, or serve as a fetter so that we are dependent on them remains to be seen. Some others have already had it forced on them, or taken it willingly; they bleed blackly, like a curse.
[ like his own curse. ]
They say something about hearing one another's akh.
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... I feel very fortunate to have met you, (lessa murmurs. this is the work of destiny. an event predetermined but not shared with him by ra.) I will acknowledge that it is my responsibility to right any wrongs I may commit by willfully drinking. This is my oath; you are my witness.
(the timing of the declaration is awkward, set having just begun to tear his robe to expose more of his body, but lessa simply looks on with frightfully honest interest. (it's strange behaviour that prompts him to look for a robe of his own, wondering if the stares of kenoma adherents are in part due to his state of undress. ares had taught him to cover himself to appease others, and it seems that that holds true in this dim place.) his translation of akh is immediate, the term concerning souls, their mingling in the afterlife, and the judgement that accompanies death. all things within his jurisdiction and therefore understood implicitly.
once his own robe is on, hanging loosely from him like a burlap sack, his hands once again come to rest on set. the war god's forearm is apprehended and stilled.)
For millennia, I reaped and ferried the souls of the dead. If what they say is true, your akh—whatever I hear will remain private. You may trust me, Set.
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You're delusional. In shock.
[ maybe even desperate. that lessa finds fortune in meeting him is absolute insanity to set, egypt's downfall and rot; the words remind him of what horus would insist was true, the earnest wishes for peace and calm upon even the evil god he had become in the eyes of history. set's response to lessa's declaration that meeting him was a good thing is immediate, a kneejerk scoff of disbelief. it's fine, his tone implies - lessa doesn't have to butter him up to be permitted to stick around.
lessa doesn't have to keep touching him, either! he would understand the need to touch his person if he were a human, seeking the gods' glory, but for another god to be so keen on being in contact -- well, the last god he'd ever touched so gently was anubis. and that was so long ago, cradling his young son in his arms during lessons of dignity and responsibility. eons ago, lifetimes ago, as near to him as yesterday and as far away as tomorrow. ]
-- Ma'at isn't here to hear your vow, but if ever I see her again, I'll convey your words to her. You needn't offer them to me, I'm not the god of order, nor truth. I govern chaos, disorder.
[ still, it soothes him to think that if his mind or soul were to cry out against his control, at least someone could keep a secret. perhaps there was a way to huddle up somewhere quiet and private with lessa, and drink together without prying fingers and eyes and ears working to catch the intimate things within their new members. to that end, it is set who reverses the hold that lessa has on him, seizing one slender forearm to half-drag the fellow god through the barracks in order to find such a place. ]
Still. Lessa, if you really mean it, you'll help me find a space where we won't be interrupted when we do this.
[
how lewd!!!!]A HO!!!!!
thoughts stray to ares. thoughts stray to diane.
his stride quickens.)
Of course, I mean it. We are assigned beds that might do... They're slabs of stone in the separate room ahead. Left, if you'll lead the way. (tethered to set, he'll drift along like the god's left a current in his wake. once they're within the chamber, it's a relief to see fewer people. the ones who are present sleep fitfully on their own slates, oblivious to their comparatively loud entrance.) Set, I'd ask you to keep my own experiences to yourself, too... Though many of them are painful, my memories are very precious to me.
(once again, he glances over at his unlikely friend.
set will know the weight of time. thousands upon thousands of years of good times and bad. how could he not? the war god's age shows in his eyes if not in his face and body. so lessa will trust him, and he'll sit with a hand still holding his arm.)
...
I don't suppose you'd know any cultists with extra flasks of goo we're supposed to drink. A god of truth would.
(ma'at, please..........)
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I won't say a thing.
[ simple as that. if lessa will keep his counsel and not speak of what he may see within set's existence, then he will do the same. many experiences were painful, indeed; yet, his memories of happier times had kept him staggering forth, one foot before the other, to reap what he had sown throughout the world and rebalance the scales of justice. no matter who tried to convince him to lay that burden down, no matter who was more powerful than him and could accomplish it on his behalf - it was his task. lessa would know it, along with all the things that had lead to this moment.
the achamite cultists aren't hard to find. ] Wait here.
[ they're constantly around, flitting about in their robes to ensure every kenoma prospect had drank of the vial's contents; set, bright and crimson, bears down on a group of them with his shoulders rounded and his fists clenched tightly. ]
Give me my share, and Lessa's. And don't come near us, you creeps!
[ barked commands, as he seizes the pair of potions from those grabby, demanding hands, and stiffly makes his way back to the room. it's quiet there, with only the precious few seizing, feverish, upon their beds. for a moment, he regards them with pity -- before realizing, he and lessa will be in such a state soon enough.
he flops onto the bed, grumbling about the whole situation. careful not to spill either vial. ]
They're always around. I think they're meant to make sure we all partake, but I told them not to bother us. If they do, I'll judge them accordingly for their sins in Ma'at's place.
[ his head rests near lessa's knee. red hair strewn across the surface of the stone bed, he quiets. ]