JANUARY TDM + SETTING UPDATES

[beleos]

BEARING FRUIT (NEW CHARACTERS ONLY)

It starts out as a pleasant dream. You’re in your favorite place, with your favorite people. It’s a moment of idyllic comfort.

And then, it goes wrong.

The sky turns dark above, and as you look up, you see the black expanse of space spotted with faraway pinprick lights of stars. Yet, they’re not stars. You’re certain. They’re watching you. A billion eyes all looked down, and they spilled forth as if the sky itself was a dam holding back those dark waters. You reach back to the people you’re with, but they’re frozen in place. Their eyes are black, reflecting only the expanse of dark eyes. Their bodies jerk, and convulse, as if controlled by puppet strings, reaching out to try to grip your hand, your shoulder, your wrist, but you know you should pull away. Something iswrong. If fingers or appendages meet your skin, there is a chill, that runs up your body, from the tips of your toes, up your spine, a full-body experience of wrongness. Would your loved ones feel like this, when they reach out?

So you run, even though you know you won’t escape it. You glance back and see it not overtaking, but consuming. The landscape around you is being devoured, and you can see it cracking apart. The world itself is breaking, and it cracks under your feet. You fall, and the billion eyes chase after you until the darkness swallows you whole. It's coming for you, it will not stop, it will not relent, and there is nothing that can be done. What a fool you were, for ever thinking you could escape. There’s agony as if you’re being ripped apart, and then—

You cannot see. You cannot feel. You simply are. Yet even so, impossibly, a woman’s voice speaks gently.

I’m sorry it couldn’t be saved. But, come, it’s time to wake.

Your senses come to you slowly. Are you here for days? Weeks? Longer? It is difficult to say. All that you are is inert, and still. You can feel parts of you that form, but they hurt, like your body is fighting through a layer of...something. Something that keeps you from a gentle regrowth. You feel a chill, next to your heart, and while your form grows, it also fights, trying to both find a form and fight against some darkness that clings to you, like it's trying even now to consume your soul. It has a taste of it, you can tell, though not enough to take from you. Enough to know you, and while your body grows, this darkness slowly, slowly ebbs away, as if it can no longer touch you when you are whole. Something protects you, a presence. You can sense it, just like you can start to sense the presence of others. Some are close by, you can tell, winking in and out of existence just like you are. Falling in and out of consciousness like you do, as you are all collectively regrown. A groaning, creaky voice hums in your ear, with breaths that thrum and hum, like a gentle summer breeze through the leaves, and it tells you: Try to reach them. Welcome their calls. Can you hear them? Through communion. Your emotions are laid bare, in this space. Will you allow them to project? Will you try to control them? Will you reach out to your fellow new bearers, and soothe their own worries, or exacerbate their fears?

Eventually, after a long time, you wake with a start, cradled by soft, velvety plants, and sticky with a sap that smells faintly of honey and iron, an acrid scent lingers, like the edge of rot that has been swept away. You can see the veins of the leaves that hold you, lit warmly and gently by what looks like a crystal embedded above you. Yet, it’s odd, because that crystal calls to you. When you reach out to touch it, it’s warm. Familiar. Important. You don’t know why, but you know you must hold onto this because now it feels wrong for it to be suspended in these leaves. So, you pull it out.

The light starts to fade, but only in time to see as the leaves cradling you immediately start to soften and crumble, and with it comes a torrent of dirt. Soft, loamy soil starts to fill the space around you in the dark as you’re buried. Or, rather, you already were. You reach out through the dirt desperately, and your hands finds a root, so you pull while you clutch that precious crystal so close that it almost feels like it sinks into you (in your panic, you don’t notice that it does). You reach out again, and this time, your hand hits open air, and plenty of sturdy roots around to grab.

From a seed you’re born, and like a sprout, you make your way out of the ground.

And once you’ve clawed your way out of the soft earth and the roots, nearby, you see the soil shift. Another hand comes up to grasp desperately for something, anything, just as you had been.

A LITTLE ISLAND HOPPING

With the new Shard-Bearers present or en route, it is Kathova and Cetina who approach the established ones, requesting that they form mentorships with the new souls to assist them with the integration process. To this end, they have both provided a centralized zone in both Highstorm and Springstar for a series of small, seemingly casual gatherings, they happen over the span of a week, so new visitors can get the chance to spend time in both cities before they make a decision.

Additionally, as Springstar and Highstorm are holding their events over multiple days, the knowledge-hungry can participate in both informational sessions -- the tones and opinions held by both cities are doubtless to differ.

For those established bearers of the opposite faction, however, your faces are known amongst the populations of our sister cities, especially the administrators of both Meridian and Zenith, and if you try to attend the parties of either city, you will be turned away, with varying levels of aggression, depending on your tier of harmonization. New bearers are free to notice if someone tries! It seems you've stumbled your way into an escalating war.

SPRINGSTAR, αιώνιος ήλιος

In Springstar, the seat of the Tribune becomes available for such an event. While a section of the building itself has been reserved for the meeting between fresh faces and experienced Shard-Bearers alike, the hustle and bustle of Heliopolis continues around them -- acolytes still gather their robes and tomes, hurrying from their quarters to lessons. A score of young militants march in step across the yard to the training grounds. The higher-ups amongst Meridian have taken it upon themselves to wrap up their Year's End and New Year's festivities with a celebration of their recent victory over the Harbinger Oracle, as well as a celebration of the possibility of new shard-bearers. One does not have to attend every day, but Springstar's celebrations do tend to be multi-day affairs, and everyone from the scholars to the titled nobility seems keen on greeting new bearers. The tribune himself, Cyrus, welcomes bearers with a rousing speech at midday each day, speaking of their victories and their battle to stand for the worlds now lost. His speeches are met with polite applause, but is it a bit lacking in enthusiasm? Cyrus seems to brush it off with little offense, but perhaps you notice, that his eyes crinkle slightly, and he may look a touch... sad.

The celebrations are in the Seat of the Tribune, with tables draped in white-and-gold-trimmed fabrics fare filled with fare typical to Springstar's slowly brightening summer -- platters of hard crumbly cheeses and stuffed doulmades, roasted meats and fish, like souvlaki and psari plaki. There are plenty of grains and other dishes that elude to the abundance of both Springstar and Alenroux, and bearer efforts there.. The atmosphere is ambient with informality and friendliness, though topics will inevitably stray towards philosophic or political, Springstar's meeting grounds are decorated with handsome chaise lounges and slouching klismos chairs in small, intimate groupings. This is a forum in the classical sense, where people are encouraged to speak freely, no matter the topic. Though excitement charges the air, the gathering at the Seat is much more muted than what transpires outside the center of the city.

The church, too, celebrates the victory. Now that the Year's End celebrations have passed, the head of the church, Hieropoios Natalia Theodora Vaso Helios offers proclamations daily to those who will attend. Her tone has turned in tone toward driving forward, for now, that they have two Oracles of 3, Meridian's light is in favor, and she offers blessings and venerations toward the bearers who support their efforts to restore worlds. Bearers who attend these masses will feel their discord ebb from her words alone, and their shards will feel warm to the touch for some time afterward, even if they are not harmonized. If they ask anyone within the church, they will be told that it is Meridian's light filling them.

One would assume after a victory, that the mood elsewhere in Springstar is jubilant, but while there is still the occasional party outside in the summer sun in the Psychagogía district, there is a hushed tenseness to the city of eternal-sun. Stay too long, and you will eventually find the reason why, when scared locals speak of disappearing friends or family members, and there are whispered rumors of attacks. Some accuse the denizens of the Below, and others whisper about monsters in the dark. Though they have captured the latest oracle, the hope that normally follows such excitement is... tentative, at best.

HIGHSTORM, луны-близнецы

Eternally in opposition, Highstorm uses the manor's courtyard as the location for a series of events over the next week, inviting bearers new and old to join them in celebration. The members of the Highstorm council have set the small gathering in the court beneath Yima's tree, and next to the reflecting pools. The Lady Yima herself is in attendance and oversees the gathering from the balcony of her manor above. She will visit the grounds sparingly, generally when a new bearer is afoot, but she will direct any questions to either Kathova, or her more established Zenites, as she has many people to greet. Though she will take the moment to hold each new bearer's hand that visits and tell them each: "You have the potential to hold the key to a new, and better world. We believe in what you can do, and what strength you will find in Kenos. Let the memories of your loved ones, and your world, guide you to the right path, and know that your loss will be honored when we achieve our new world," before she glides away.

There are few places to be seated in the Manor's courtyard, resulting in bodies milling about as they flow and ebb between smaller gatherings, clustering in small-to-large groups with small platters and shimmering flutes of drink held in their hands. Yet, as you look, you’ll see that the selection is also quite interesting. The foods and drinks on offer are from a multitude of worlds, and so you may find a new favorite! Or something not suited to your palate at all. It’s at least a chance to be adventurous. If you try something and don’t like it, might not want to say that out loud, lest you insult someone who’s from that world. More established Zenites are encouraged to attend to help draw in new Zenites, and both new and old inductees alike are encouraged to speak about what their vision of a new world would look like. The reflecting pool itself is at the center of the courtyard, and if one looks in, they can see their memories reflected back at them. Though... if you look for too long, something seems to try and reach out for you. Can you feel the allure of dark fingertips, ready to brush against your face? If you stare too long, an attendant will pull the bearer back, just before they land right in the pool, offering unsettling remarks of “that has been happening more lately, the last person it happened to disappear. We even drained the pool, but couldn’t find them!”

Further into Highstorm, the Greenwood Yards attracts many visitors during the dead of Highstorm's winter. The doors are (proverbially, we can't let the heat out!) open, to bearers new and old alike. Attendants there will explain that this season is the best for starting some of the seeds that will grow well into early and mid-spring, but most seeds need warmth to grow. They will ask visitors to find a partner, to hold their combined hands together, and to offer shared warmth to the seed, and they will explain that seeds grow best when they come from the combined care of more than one individual. Bearers will eventually have to separate, but they will notice that the small seed in their palms has started to sprout. Visitors will also be welcome to turn fertilizer with the laborers at the yards (What's in it? Don't worry about it!) and there will be sessions held by the staff on the local flora and fauna, so consider this your primer on the native plants and animals of Kenos!

The denizens of Highstorm are putting out their bells and whistles for the new bearers, as they have less to fear in the streets (or do they...?) so feel free to stop by Benny's -- watch out for any fights, or participate, I'm not your mom -- or feel free to visit the Tomes, where a certain coffee shop has opened up a cart in the largest library in the district, offering drinks to comers and goers, which are becoming quite popular. This particular barista often offers drinks based on their shards, but as a little winter pick-me-up for the denizens of Highstorm, there are several new drinks offered for visitors! They even have a menu on display for bearers to select from!

CHEERS TO A NEW YEAR

• Springstar Sunrise - One using the crushed vines that populate Springstar in their warm season, which makes bearers want to reach out and hold hands.
• Scorching Slowdown - One using water from the Scorching Isles that makes bearers grow cold, and time seems to warp around them. (This one DOES contain a modified touch of the Blight that bearers once healed, but if brought up, an attendant will shake their head, and impress upon the patron a sense of calm. It will not hurt you.)
• Xanadu Xing - that makes bearers feel warm and totally relaxed. A spa in a cup, and you’ll feel like you had a therapy session afterward!
• Worlds Edging - A drink that makes bearers start to feel...amorous. (The Aphro Drink)
• Highstorm Hiccup - A whimsical drink that gives the bearer hiccups! Do they float a little? Yeah, but there’s no fans over your heads, don’t worry
• Pastoral Punch - A fruity concoction, it’s made from the crops in Alenroux (think a Sangria) and when drank, it fills bearers with warm memories, and reverie comes easy.
• Yima Yammer - a tongue-in-cheek drink, it fills a bearer with the uncontrollable urge to talk
• Cyrus Concussion - This drink puts bearers into a deep sleep. They have pleasant, warm dreams.

ALENROUX

The pastoral farmlands of Alenroux are seeing a resurgence of life and community, since the establishment of combined Meridian and Zenith forces, and the subsequent attempts to eliminate or displace the monsters that ravaged the island at night. With a more stable population, some of the workers have established homes, and have started opening their doors in the sunny, lush farmland, which is reachable by cornerstone, and oddly? Alenroux has taken to advertising their new interest in tourism. The small farming village has started establishing shops with wares, crafts, cooking classes, and wine tastings, pretty much an agro-tourist's dream! Drink beverages crafted by refugees from distant worlds, or dishes from other worlds! Bearers are encouraged to visit, and stay the night with a multitude of Alenroux's homes opening their doors for bearers to stay in their Bed and Breakfasts.

However, while the days are 24 hours long, so are the nights. Alenroux natives do not leave their homes, and staying in for a full day's time can feel like an eternity. You'll have time to get to know your hosts, but the night is haunted by the cries and howls of monsters in the distance, particularly on the north end of the island. Should a bearer step outdoors, they will find monsters still roaming. Take one on, if you dare, but watch out! Shadow creatures lurk until you least expect it, and may try to lure you in with a familiar voice, a soft promise, the lingering scent of a loved one. What you find in the woods might be just a run-of-the-mill big monster to fight, or it might be something deadlier, a shadow, mimicking a loved one, trying to draw you into the darkness.

KOWLOON

Though Kowloon is something of an open secret amongst those in Springstar, it was normally left to lay in the belly underneath the sunsoaked city topside, like an afterthought. Only those who already knew where it was, could make their way through the dangerous maze of tunnels and corridors that leads from the Springstar sewers, down into the Below, and then further into Kowloon. The Below is dangerous to all but the most powerful, as in the dark corridors, creatures lurk, and people make dens and nests within. Some will warn new bearers away, citing that there are Dark Things within the tunnels and that they don’t encourage anyone to stay down there for long. If you remain unharmonized, it's recommended that a guide assists you on the way down. Fellow shard-bearers who visit frequently are recommended, but particularly savvy types can find their way down on their own.

Kowloon itself is a thriving little beating heart underground, and much like its namesake, it truly is just a built-up city within a scant few blocks, the buildings are densely packed, and ascend to over 14 stories high. It’s massive, enough to occupy a large number of oddities, such as a hunting ground for monsters, and there are bars, clubs, casinos, and shops with wares from very nearly anywhere. Though if you ask where they get them, the owners of said establishments will dodge the question, or outright threaten you when pressed. Bearers will find that there are varying degrees of openness in Kowloon, after all. Don't ask too many questions, or you may not like how they answer. Kowloon is a place where you can satisfy your every vice, and that is meant truly. There are weapons dealers, drug halls, exotic liquors, and substances that could fill innumerable universes. Every world has its shadowy elements, and every world's shady types have made their way down here.

SETTING UPDATES

In both locations, information passes between all in a forum, spread and disseminated among the masses - it's a good opportunity for city residents, faction loyalists, and interested new parties to share and share alike. Once a day, after the meet-and-greets have concluded, twin missives from both faction leads are read out -- invitations for all present to explore the cities to their heart's content, and warnings about stumbling ill-prepared ( or at all ) into the Below, or worse yet, the Beyond. As Shard-Bearers new and old take in their cities, they'll all see it change throughout the month...

OOC, these are all updates to the setting at large that players both new and old are free to interact with as little or as much as they wish! Feel free to use them as prompts on this post, in your characters' on-going lives and arcs, or just let them go "That's none of my business" and ignore it. The world of Kenos is shaped by our playerbase, and these are some of the wider-reaching effects of various player plots and actions.

TRY TO JOT DOWN A FEW NOTES

As part of New Year's gifts to everybody, Yima and Cyrus gifted bearers with an enchanted notebook. They are embossed with your characters' names, and have some unusual properties. Bearers can now send each other little letters or notes, or they can address the group at large, should they wish to! This essentially serves as a network function. Please check out the AC requirements for more information about these special new gifts.

FRONT PAGE NEWS

After the last Oracle, both cities are abuzz with gossip. Normally, the oracle appearances were wrapped in secrecy, only the bearers themselves were privy to the internal happenings, and accounts tend to be scattered, as it's always relied on what the bearers can share. This time, the oracles were broadcast to the population at large, and bearer opinions have shifted wildly, based on how successful a bearer was. New bearers may hear the off-the-cuff snide comment about some bearers here and there, and they'll notice that the cities are not very welcoming to bearers of the opposite faction. The public opinion seems to be shifting as half of the oracles are captured, and their fates are being written by bearers new and old.

DON'T LOOK TOO CLOSE TO THE SHADOWS

Be wary, bearers. Whatever patches of darkness and shadow you encountered in the Harbinger's Labyrinth, seems to be making its way across Kenos. Things like patches of shadow against a building, the slightest flash of a familiar face rounding a corner, or even hearing your name called by a name long gone. Something is trying to reach you and tempt you to find it. The shadows are hungry. For something, and bearers new and old alike will be fine feasting for whatever reaches from the shadows. Step carefully, and watch your backs.

AAH! REAL MONSTERS

If the cities didn't have enough to deal with, Springstar is taking the most hits. The city of sun may not be dealing with as many patches of darkness (for truly, Meridian's light touches all) but that does not mean that there is no danger within the city of eternal sun. Attacks by people such as vampires, ghouls, and other intelligent, people-eating races are on the rise, and fearful whispers hint that they are coming from the Below, some even suggest that this is the hint that the balance is shifting. Kowloon has always existed with relatively little strife toward Springstar, but that seems to be changing. Be wary on the streets of Springstar, bearers, you may find that lurking around the corner are hungry murderers of varying levels of danger. The attacks are not... constant, but they have begun to increase in frequency. By this time in the month, they are moving to several times a day, and the legionnaires are having difficulty keeping up with the attacks. Even one of the more well-known Meridian higher-ups, Agapitos Voreen, has been seen fighting in the streets, flanked by his second, a large, emerald dragon-born woman. All of these combined efforts have not yet been able to turn the tide, and it's clear that Kowloon was always a threat, but one that until recently, had been kept well in hand.

OOC NOTES

Welcome to Kenos! As a reminder, all new players need to submit a request, and proceed through player screening to apply to the game. Apps are now open!

This log is Game Canon. Any characters who are not apped to the game will disappear. If Cyrus or Yima are asked, they’ll explain that this sometimes happens since not every soul has a strong tether to Kenos and sometimes return to the Timestream. They may return to Kenos one day, but for now, weren’t able to make the full journey.

As a note primarily for current players, closed toplevels/prompts are not allowed in this log. If you would like to interact with the setting changes in a way that isn't open to all characters (new and old), we ask that you instead make a log in kenoslogs.

FOR NEW PLAYERS:

When characters emerge from their cocoon/the ground, they may be wearing their normal clothes or nude. Up to you!

At some point in the days after leaving the Tree of Life, new Shard-Bearers will have a dream, even if they're usually not capable of sleeping. All new players should read this post since this details how they'll learn about both factions and their goals and should help them make a decision about which Faction they'd be drawn to.

Characters who arrive and harmonize to Zenith will receive a bonus token!

When meeting with either Cetina or Kathova, along with their shard or sunbeam, they will be given a Kenotebook! Think of this as your text-based comm. (This is also opt-out, so if you want it to not be ready/lost, go for it!) Any AC with the Kenotebook must be doubled, so make sure you are aware of that!

As a reminder, your character has a Shard somewhere on their body that encompasses their soul, so keep note of where you're sticking it on their person for reference! Additionally, they have a tattoo of their Aspect somewhere on their body. Please be mindful this Aspect will be assigned to you upon approval and whatever you choose for the TDM may be temporary (for new characters)!

For the Island Hopping prompts, all locations will be fully open and accessible to all characters once they are freed from their rather harrowing ordeal at the Tree of Life. For prompt ideas and any general information about the cities and what you can find there, please see the Locations section of our Wiki!

New characters will not have access to any canon abilities on the TDM until they Harmonize, AKA make a choice of which faction they choose to support. For some characters, this may be an easy decision, but it make take others time. We just ask you keep this in mind!

CODING

Comments

i

[sterngaze]

[Liem does not often come to spend time at the Tree of Life. He’s a busy man: always needed somewhere, to apply himself to problems that can’t really be fixed, only mitigated somewhat. These days, when he visits the Tree, it’s usually in search of a little bit of peace, seeing as it’s in such short supply everywhere else in Kenos.

It looks like it’s in short supply here too today, though.

The sounds of a screaming struggle draw him deeper into the roots, away from his mossy lookout with its view of the endless stars. He finds the woman without difficulty, aided mainly by the noise she’s making, and stops a cautious distance away when he sees the tattered individual on her knees.

Today, he looks like the priest he is, garbed in white and gold, with one hand resting lightly on a neighbouring root.]

Miss. Do you need help?

[dreamflowers]

[It becomes clear very quickly that she isn't alone. A sense of panic sinks in as Jade quickly searches for her dagger and...

[Nothing is there.

[Still clutching the necklace in one hand, she flicks her fingers in her other, attempting to summon even a single spark in her palm.

[Nothing.

[Fuck. Fucking fuckity fuck fuck fuck.]

No.

[The word cuts like one of her missing blades, but soon wilts as her shoulders droop in defeat. All she has are her fists, and she's always been a terrible brawler (not that that's ever stopped her before). She just... doesn't have it in her to fight anyone right now.

[Especially when they're simply asking if she needs help. Jade sighs, her free hand now rolling down her face, covering her stinging eyes.]

I mean... yes. I guess? I'm... not entirely sure where I am. This isn't the Powder Desert.

[That isn't even a question.]

[sterngaze]

No, it’s not.

[Liem doesn’t know where that is, except that it must have been somewhere in the place she was before, and that means it’s been swallowed up by Oblivion. Seeing her reaction, he remains where he is for now, making no move to approach and offer assistance while she’s still so jumpy.]

This is the Tree of Life, in Kenos. It’s where new arrivals emerge, after the Tree pulls them here.

[And, he guesses, grows a body for them? He’s not fully clear on how a big tree can do either of those things, but he’s long since decided that this tree must have some kind of divine connection to reality, so he’s not too worried about how strictly logical any of this might be.]

You’ll be weak for a few days because of it. Don’t try to push yourself too hard.

[dreamflowers]

[So it wasn't all just a dream. Or maybe it was. Maybe she's dead but still dreaming. Does it matter?

[Does anything matter?

[Did she really just let a child die for nothing...?

[Jade doesn't realize how long she's stopped breathing, or when she starts breathing faster. She's clutching the necklace that just feels so empty and useless now -- just like she is, and yet somehow they're here.]

I... I s-see.

[Her wobbling syllables are barely audible by the time she just.

[Fucking laughs.

[Both hands on her face this time, she laughs, joyless and strained. Of course she's weak (no. He didn't mean it like that. Or did he? She doesn't know this person). Of course everything she did amounted to nothing in the end, no matter how hard she tried. No matter how many people had to die or get hurt in the process.

[After several moments, her manic laughter dies down into a quiet sob, until she's drying her tears with the back of her fingerless gloves. She'd take deep breaths, but she can hardly get half of one in her lungs as the reality of it all starts to sink in...

[If everything she dreamt about was the truth, then it's gone. The whole damned world. Gone. Just like that. And if there's nothing, then can she say the High Ones -- the very beings who orchestrate such a genocide each Cycle -- even exist anymore?]

Well, I guess that's one way to end the fucking "game" - can't start a new Cycle if there's nothing left...!

[It's. Certainly one way of "winning". But really, she feels like the loser.

[And here she is, about to have a mental breakdown in front of a complete stranger in a completely strange place. Or did she already just have her breakdown? Who can say. She can't even bring herself to apologize for what probably seems like bizarre behavior. Who the fuck laughs and cries at the same time?]

[sterngaze]

[It’s unfortunate for Liem that the person he finds beneath the Tree has such an immediate and obvious emotional breakdown. Comforting others has never felt easy for him; he’s always worried he’ll make things worse somehow, or that he’s seeing some vulnerability that he wasn’t meant to witness. He his fingers tense on the tree’s bark as he watches her, shifting back as though he might just withdraw out of sight entirely.

But he can’t just leave her here in the dirt. If she needs privacy, surely it would be better for her to at least have a room of her own to have her breakdown in.]

There may be a way to bring it all back—but you don’t have to worry about that before you’re ready. There are free rooms for newcomers, if you’d just like to bathe and rest. I can take you to them.

[dreamflowers]

[Keeping his distance was probably the wisest thing. Jade isn't sure she could handle being coddled and hugged by strangers at the moment.

[At least she's trying to hold herself together here, but she's clearly hanging by a thread. The visions she just had before crawling out of the dirt still feel too raw. Not quite real, even though she knows better.

[Attempting a few deep breaths that come up a little short, Jade plants her hands over her knees. Her head bows a moment. Another breath. And then she slowly rises back to her feet. Or attempts to. Her limbs ache, but she manages to stay vertical long enough to find something to lean on as she catches her bearings, and tries to fully process what he just said -- "bring it all back" and "before you're ready" particularly stand out.

[Even hunched over as she is, Jade is towering. She'd almost be imposing if she weren't simultaneously cradling her head while looking like a gust of wind would knock her over in her current state.]

I... Yeah. I'd appreciate that. These rooms aren't shared, are they...?

[She's never been the most restful sleeper. Chances are that hasn't changed.]

[sterngaze]

[Liem’s brows rise fractionally as Jade rises to her feet, going from being collapsed on the ground to almost towering. If she was standing straight, he thinks she’d have a good foot on him, which is something he can’t recall thinking about anyone other than Hayame.

But her obviously weak- and sick-looking appearance does rather prevent the newcomer from looking actively intimidating, at least at the moment. And, despite his unassuming stature, Liem is no weakling. His intention to escort her to Heliopolis’s housing area doesn’t waver so much as an iota.]

No, you’ll have privacy.

[He wonders for a moment if the accommodations might be a little small for her, but people in Kenos are used to accommodating people of all shapes and sizes. Probably Cetina can find this woman a room that, at the very least, has a bed long enough to accommodate her height.]

We can go whenever you’re ready. And you may ask me whatever you like; I was brought here much as you’ve been, but that was over a year ago now, so I’m familiar with this place’s goings-on.

[dreamflowers]

[Funny enough, Jade should be fine with normal human accomodations. She'd spent most of her life with poor posture, trying to make herself appear smaller to conceal her non-human nature. All those nights spent sleeping curled up in a ball became more of a habit than anything else -- and that's assuming she could even get to sleep on the first place. If the dark rings around her eyes are any indication, it's that this woman doesn't look like someone who's had a decent night's rest in decades.

[Maybe it's that fatigue that led to her lapse in judgement, as Jade doesn't immediately think of the implications of trusting the first stranger she sees. After all, it's not the first time she's come to a new country (Eventuality?) and had little choice but to begrudgingly accept the aid of the first people she meets. But back then she had at least some ways of protecting herself.

[Now... She has no weapons, no magic -- just an imposing stature that probably would be intimidating if she didn't look like she was already halfway to passing out again. Willpower alone is the only thing keeping her on her feet at this point.

[There are a lot of things on her mind that she could say, rather than addressing the issues at hand. "Why should I trust you?" "Where are you gonna take me?" "Who do you work for?" But none of them would likely yield the answers she could accept at face value. Rather than immediately moving to welcome the generous offer, Jade just presses her shoulder against the tree, holding her head in one hand while her gaze sizes down the man.]

A year's a pretty long time. That why you just happened to be conveniently hanging around the parameter here? Folks grow outta the ground often?

[There is a slow, wary mistrust in her words. Jade doesn't want to be cagey, but she didn't live for as long as she did in a world like Vyn because she trusted everyone she saw. She's been burnt by fake kindness before -- figuratively and literally.]

[sterngaze]

[Liem’s mouth quirks into a slight, wry smile for “grow outta the ground.” That is literally what happens, of course, but it still hasn’t stopped being just a little strange to hear out loud, or to think about too much.]

Not often. But usually people come in waves, and there’ve been a few newcomers of late.

[Old acquaintances, and strangers he doesn’t know appearing without fanfare on public communions. The shard-bearers of this generation comprise a small enough group that he feels confident he’s seen all of them around before. If there are unfamiliar voices floating around, it means they appeared recently.]

Truthfully though, I came here looking for a bit of peace. The Tree seems like one of the only places here where peace can still reliably be found.

[dreamflowers]

[Near as Jade can tell, she can't read anything unusual about what he just said. Not that she currently has a preternatural sense for that kinda thing, but... good old fashioned intuition rarely fails her. She takes a moment to run her hands down over her face; the way the dirt and sweat clings to her skin serves as another reminder that she really did just come out of the ground like a dumb potato.

[Another misplaced laugh, without a care of how unhinged it might seem to the stranger. Really, how was one supposed to react in situations like this? Like a perfectly calm, well-adjusted individual? That would require being well-adjusted in the first place. Not really her style.]

Okay, okay, okay... That kinda makes sense.

[Her hands slide from her scarred face, eyes closed for a moment. Deep breaths. This will pass.

[It takes a few seconds for her to muster the strength to straighten herself again. Her body still feels weak, but she tells herself that she'll live. Somehow. She always does, it seems like, even when the odds seem unlikely.]

These rooms... Where are they? Far from here, or...?

[She's debating whether imposing on a would-be escort is necessary or not.]

[sterngaze]

[There’s almost nothing Jade could do that would make Liem assume there was something wrong with her mind at this point. The shock of witnessing the end and being reborn in this strange place would be enough to rattle even the steadiest, he’d think. If she keeps laughing, maybe it’s so she doesn’t start crying again.]

In Heliopolis, which lies within the city of Springstar. It’s a warm place: sun-drenched. It’s also quite busy, as cities go.

[He speaks like someone who has no trouble making such an assessment, like he’s done quite a bit of travelling and has seen cities and towns of multiple kinds. On many days Liem loves Springstar’s bustle, but he admits it can also be overwhelming in the wrong circumstances.]

We will need to walk through some of it, but not as much as you might imagine. Springstar is on a different island than the one we’re on now, so we’ll need to teleport to a cornerstone there. And there are plenty of cornerstones near Heliopolis.

[dreamflowers]

[There were plenty of things wrong with Jade's mind, even without the mysterious absence of the psychosis she suffered since she was young. Masking that wrongness was something she turned into an art form over decades. Small miracles that her behavior could easily be attributed to something else.

[What she needed right now was... Well, she doesn't know what she needs. Solitude? A nice quiet place to have a mental breakdown, preferably isolated from discerning eyes? This guy might not judge her, but she'd judge herself plenty if she were to make a display in front of the first person she sees, understandable as it might be.

[Even though she just. Laughs shakily again. Not that what he said was funny. Just an old habit.]

Sun-drenched...

[Maybe he brings it up because she referenced a desert earlier, but it's a small comfort either way. Her home in Nehrim's Southrealm was surrounded by arid lands, too, so she always felt more comfortable in warmer climes. If things had gone her way, she'd have been drinking rice wine on the tropical beaches of Kilé she only heard so much about.

[Silvergrove wouldn't have been so bad, either. If it hadn't all been the illusion of a dying child.]

[Pushing down those too-fresh feelings and memories for now, Jade clenches her jaw and nods.]

Fine. If you're done finding your peace in this bloody place, I'd like to leave it, myself. The sooner I get into some clean clothes, the better.

[At least she isn't naked.

[But it's hard to find this to be a soothing environment when she just crawled up out of the damn ground. It reminds her of something else she'd rather not have at the forefront of her mind -- that there's a likelihood that she was already dead, and has been for quite some time now.]

[sterngaze]

[At least she isn’t naked. That’s how Liem arrived, and he doesn’t recommend it.

In response to her request, he nods. Even if he hadn’t been done finding his peace before, obviously he’s finished now. That’s always the way of things, it seems. There’s never the time he’d like to actually escape from the need to do something.]

Of course. It’s just this way.

[The nearest cornerstone is just a brief walk through the tangle of huge roots, out from beneath the tree and into a mossy clearing all around it. The tree Jade emerged beneath now towers above, stretching up towards a starry sky, but it can’t compare to the sheer, limitless breadth of the branches growing all around, seeming to reach for the very stars. It looks as though the clearing they stand in is located atop an even more massive tree that makes up this “island” itself.

The cornerstone itself is a little moss-covered, just like everything else, but its top is worn clean from the transit of many hands. When they reach it, Liem takes a moment to incant a brief spell, and the light filtering through the branches above seems to touch him a little less.]

Put your hand on it, [he says, doing the same with one of his own hands,] and I’ll take us there. Once you’ve visited a particular cornerstone, you can travel to it from any other just like this.

[dreamflowers]

[Against her better judgment, she follows -- even though every fiber of what survival instinct she has screams otherwise. It wouldn't be the first time she crawled her way into a new country (world?), completely alone and in a very bad way, and have little choice but to accept the first hand offered to her. It was either that or finding a hole to crawl into and die.

[Maybe it's also that experience that makes her so remiss about how easily aid comes to her. People are generally not so kind where she is from, but there have been some exceptions.

[Exceptions that have been swallowed into oblivion. Exceptions that deserved to be here more than her.

[Stop that.

[Jade half stares at the ground, stumbling awkwardly as she walks, avoiding any obstructions in the path. Myriad questions run through the back of her mind, but they become static noise when an odd light filters through the shadows. She shields her eyes, before realizing that the man -- Arcanist? -- must have created it.

[Taking small comfort in at least some familiar things that she can understand (that most non-magically gifted individuals would tend to consider unnatural and abhorrent), Jade finds herself intrigued more than anything by the simple instructions.]

Huh. Seems simpler than using scrolls.

[She always hated having to use those things to get back to the city.]

Just touch it? [As Jade says this, she's already reaching out to touch the stone with her right hand.]

[sterngaze]

To use it yourself, you’ll need to concentrate on the cornerstone you’d like to travel to. Since you haven’t been to any others yet, I’ll be taking us there.

[Liem explains as she reaches out to touch the mossy stone alongside him. Once her hand is firmly in place, he calls their destination to mind: a public cornerstone just outside Heliopolis’s outskirts, within easy walking distance of the housing dormitories.

It’s not until he’s called the place to mind, and the cornerstone’s magic has swept them up to deposit them in a broad, sunny courtyard full of bustling people, that Liem recalls that some people experience a bit of an adjustment period with teleportation. He turns to the woman next to him, waring a small, cautious frown. In the light of Springstar’s two suns, the half-shadow draping him is a little more apparent.]

Oh—do you need a moment? I’d forgotten, but some people feel sick after their first few times.

[dreamflowers]

[It's a lot. But Jade is able to process what he says well enough. Or as best she can, given the circumstances. Her head is too much a mess to process everything, save for taking it all in stride.

[At least the concept of teleportation is something that isn't too alien to her. Different method, same shit.

[Easy enough.

[In fact, once the sensation passes through, she almost expected it to be even worse. Especially when he mentions people feeling sick afterwards.]

Pff? Really? That was noth-- hrrhrurk.

[If she had anything in her stomach, she'd have likely lost whatever contents on the ground right then and there. Instead, she wobbles and leans forward, hands on her knees as the world around her spins while she's making unholy gagging sounds.

[Just. Give her a minute.]

[sterngaze]

[As Jade suddenly leans over to dry-heave over the cobbles, Liem’s cautious concern turns to a pursed look, like he’s trying to suppress a grimace. Though the experience of retching in front of strangers is fortunately now well behind him, he still hasn’t forgotten how uniquely unpleasant it was.]

I’m sorry, [he says, sounding genuinely apologetic. He hadn’t even remembered to warn her beforehand…] It should pass momentarily.

[In the meantime, Liem waves awkwardly at the people who now have to divert from this cornerstone to use another one instead, and fishes his sunglasses out of a pocket, hiding his eyes behind dark, round lenses. Though most here are familiar with the look of his strange eyes, he still prefers to use sunglasses when he’s out in the sun, even when he’s already making use of his protective shadow.]

[dreamflowers]

[At first Jade starts to say something, but the bubbling nausea creeps up in her throat again, eliciting another retch. Instead, she just mutely waves a dismissive hand.

[Once it subsides some seconds later, she slowly pushes herself into a more verticle position, nursing the throbbing ache in her forehead.]

Hnn, m'fine. [Jade finally says, though her complexion looks a little greener than before.] I just. Really hate. Teleports.

[If it were up to her, she'd travel by myrad, horse, or donkey, but that didn't seem to be an option from where they were. Just one more thing she'd have to learn to adapt.

[After a moment, she takes deep breaths, before looking down at her new guide as color slowly returns to her dusky cheeks. She doesn't question the eyewear, having seen similar spectacles worn by magisters or those with poor vision. The fact that they're shaded is strange, but not any stranger than anything else she's seen. Her attention seems more captured by the appearance of the Springstar locals, some of whom did not appear to be entirely... human.

[Is. Is that normal here? Would it be culturally insensitive to even ask? What the fuck?]