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beleos ([personal profile] beleos) wrote in [community profile] kenosooc2024-03-12 03:34 pm

THE ADVOCATE ORACLE - A RIP VAN WINKLE IN TIME


INTRO
Hello Kenos! Welcome to the Advocate Oracle! Did we say Stargazer? Shhh no we didn’t. As we hinted earlier in the Discord, the conclusion of this Oracle will lead to a timeskip that Bearers will be subjected to in the end. How long? Well, that depends on your choices, and how well you exemplify the Advocate Oracle.

Just like with the Exalt Oracle, and to keep things even until a little closer to the end game, this Oracle has been predetermined to go to Zenith.

SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE OF BLISS
Bearers will find themselves being pulled into a deep sleep, where the Advocate Oracle will beseech them for their knowledge of home and seek understanding. Where did you come from? What made you as you are? What were the victories and challenges of your land? How did you become the you that you are? The Advocate seeks understanding and wants to see others achieve happiness. Does your world bring you happiness, or would it be cathartic to see it lost?

As the Advocate learns bits and pieces about Bearers, it will become clear that their dream is closing in on something that the bearers who have experienced it will recognize as the Timestream. The Advocate is not a thing, but a presence, and bearers will be able to sense the force (amorphous and shapeless) reaching into the Timestream, and you know – know that they are reaching for something on your behalf. As it slides out, you can feel a calming sense of joy, because you recognize it. It fills you with joy, bliss, or perhaps frustration and disgust, as you recognize the feeling of being home.

Everything will go white, and your one-on-one time with the Advocate will be at an end.

CLICK YOUR HEELS TOGETHER, DOROTHY!
Bearers will open their eyes and will find themselves in a new world. This is not Kenos at all, but familiar or not, you know it is someplace in the scattered worlds.

Where is it? Well, it’s either your world or another Bearer’s! That’s right, it’s a world share event! Bearers will find themselves scattered either on their own or in groups (up to you!) in a new world, that could be familiar or not, depending on your CR net. The Advocate has pulled the memories and description of a world from the Timestream, and for what purpose… well, that will become clear with time. However, these are not the worlds that characters came from, not exactly. These are worlds that are AUs of your character's canon, and this can be in very minor ways that would be essentially the same as canon, or it can be in very large, dramatic ways. Up to you!

You are not required to share a world, however, bearers will feel a strong compulsion to invite the Advocate to experience their worlds in their vision with the Advocate. (This leaves you all options to opt out of sharing your own world, but for those characters who may be less inclined, this is your opportunity to do so!)

But first, the logistics! Bearers will be in worlds for 12 hours each. You will not experience hunger or tiredness – but feel free to eat or sleep your way through worlds as you so choose (we expect there to be a lot of them!) – and the scope of each world is about what is discoverable within 12 hours. (You don’t need to describe the entirety of your world, but a city or area. Please make sure it's large enough to accommodate the entire shard-bearer population. For example, the Millennium Falcon would be too small, but a Star Destroyer would be fine. It should be a place that provides significant hold over your character.) There will be an open header here for players to post a short description of their world. If your character wants to go hang out at a coffee shop and watch shit go down, feel free! (The mod team has examples, and we will be sharing those shortly!) Please have your descriptions in by 03/15/2024 at 1:30 PM so that everyone can choose participation in other characters’ worlds before they get their TLs up!

For characters that are from shared worlds, we’ll leave it up to you how you all share that, but if you choose to have different regions or cities to share, go for it! For example, Batman might choose Gotham, whereas Superman might choose Smallville. Again, this really should be what’s feasibly travelable within 12 hours – they will cycle like the rest of the worlds – and your characters will not have money or funds on them for travel, so don’t feel like you have to describe the entirety of your characters’ worlds. Just a small blurb (you can include links of course!) to give players a general sense of what they can discover.

Also, these worlds will shuffle in the order on the taken list, just so the Savants have an unsolvable puzzle to chew on. (heh)

Characters will experience every world that is submitted into the header, but the Advocate’s last impression will echo as you move from one word to another. “Is this worthy of saving?”

Your twelve hours can be spent in one of three ways. Bearers can do whatever they want, and simply experience the world as they wish, they can hunt for the soul of the world, or they cant hunt for the soul of the dreamer.

  • The first is self-explanatory, of course. Each world is full of life, from creatures to people, to everything in between. (Conspicuously missing would be anyone of significant “closeness” to the character who manifested this world – think of it as the difference between a friend/family and an acquaintance.) Characters can create chaos, go to a café, find a precious spot you’ve heard about, and go wild! This is your opportunity to learn about your CR’s homes in a first-hand experience kinda way! This is your have fun and deepen connections sort of prompt.
  • The second, the Soul of the World will be a shard to be found by any who are searching for it. It is something that anyone can simply find, but it will be hidden. We ask that our players choose the location and list it in the description of their world, so players can actively plot for it! This is your opportunity to sneak, steal, fight, and destroy each other over the soul, it will come with a distinct benefit as you move onto the next world! They will be somewhere that is difficult to find, surrounded by shadows that creep closer and closer to the shard.
  • The last is the Soul of the Dreamer, which is, interestingly enough, a second Shard that matches the person who dreamed it up. The odd thing about these shards in these worlds is that they are of a different Aspect of the character that exists in game. (For example: Amos the Harbinger, or Hayame the Advocate) The character it belongs to will feel a pull toward it, but it is no guarantee that they will find it. Maybe someone else does! And maybe that’s a kind soul, or maybe it’s someone who would think to shatter that this Shard. Or maybe you keep it!


There will be a header on the turn-in post to list if your character chooses to keep the different Aspected Shard of themselves. If you find someone else’s Shard, and you keep it to the next world, it will return to that Bearer to decide what to do with it. Essentially, if you don’t shatter this Shard, they’ll be able to do with it as they see fit before you leave their world. If you do shatter the Shard, there will be no consequences to the owner. Or at least none that will appear in this event.

It goes without saying, but please plot this with that player, so there are no surprises!

AROUND THE WORLDS IN 60 SECONDS 12 HOURS
As you close your eyes, in that last moment, the Advocate will reach out to all of the Bearers that have made it to the end of this world, and beseech them to make a choice. Does this world have something of value? Something to be preserved? Do you understand the Bearer who dreamt of this world better, now? Do you think that this world has enough value to continue its existence? Before you open your eyes into the next world, Bearers will be compelled to answer yes, or no. This will be on a separate header post that will go up on the turn-in log. You will have until Wednesday March 27th at 10:00 PM.

As an aside, whatever bearer has captured the soul of the world will count to double their action's choice. (For example, if they choose to destroy, the total destroy votes will be doubled.)

We’ll be tallying the results, so there will be some extra exciting consequences to your choices as Bearers! Always keep in mind the tenets of your faction as you make your choices, bearers. Now that you have lost your leaders, the members of your faction back home are looking to you for victory. Of course, your choices will also determine the state of the world when you return, and how long it has been. Stay steadfast, and understand that you will have to make choices based on what your character believes is the best path forward. Your leadership trusts you – or if they don’t, they will have no choice, now will they? It’s up to you now, Bearers.

FAQ AND QUESTIONS
This Oracle is a touch more free-form than previous Oracles, and that is intentional! You are not required or expected to explore or have major action in every world. In fact, it's strongly discouraged, since this will provide opportunities for all players to have an opportunity to make big decisions! Even if you do not thread in the world, please still vote for them before 3/27/2024 so that we can have an accurate tally! The votes will make a difference in what our world looks like moving forward.

And finally, since they didn’t fit in the above, here are some quick FAQ style questions and answers about things we figure might be asked:

Are these really our worlds?
These are versions of bearer worlds. They can be very close (ie: identical) expressions of your character's worlds or they can have one event change such that the world is rather different. So they are alternate universes, but not so far that you're making up a whole world on the fly! The Advocate, unfortunately, cannot bring back your worlds. There's a lot of options out there in the Timestream. :(

What About Discord?
Characters do not seem to experience heightened Discord. Weird!

What happens if my character dies in the event?
They will fall into a deep, deep sleep and can no longer participate in the world-hopping adventures! They may be asleep for some time, depending on when they are dissipated, as they won’t revive early compared to their fellow Bearers. Whatever votes your character made leading up to the point that they died will count toward the goals of the faction. The Advocate accepts you for your efforts, even if they draw short.

Please make sure to post your deaths to the death page! You're gonna be sleeping a long time, and there may be things your Bearer discovers as they dream...

Are characters depowered?
Your powers will work perfectly fine! Oddly, if you are in a world where powers don’t exist, the denizens of the world may stare blankly, as if they Do Not Perceive. You gotta protect those little minds somehow.

We hope you have fun, and happy plotting!

CODING
warmare: (夕張と)

cw: JINBA includes depictions of slavery, amputation, sa, forced breeding, cannibalism, etc.

[personal profile] warmare 2024-03-13 07:38 am (UTC)(link)
LOCATION NAME: Echigo Province, Japan, circa 1590

WORLD SHARD LOCATION: tucked away in the desk in the stable master's private rooms in the manor portion of the breeding stable compound

DREAMER SHARD LOCATION: in the possession of a young filly in a hidden village of orphan jinba can be found the shard of Hayame as a Harbinger, which seems to be the most shiny and valuable of her few belongings- so you'll either have to wheedle, bargain, or use force if you want it

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION: The only difference between this world and the medieval Japan from human history is the existence of jinba (centaurs). Man and jinba once lived in harmony, rarely meeting... until humans discovered war and were driven to harness the power of jinba, reducing them to tools and beasts. Towards the end of the 16th century, high demand for military forces has led to the creation of an economy centered on jinba flesh. In the frontier northeastern region of Japan, most wild jinba have been hunted to near extinction, and only one mountain village remains hidden (for now), while a large compound in "civilized" human territory serves as both a breeding stable and an outpost for jinba hunts.

WHAT TO DO IN THIS WORLD: (CW)
🐎 Breeding Stable Exhibition Day (Rituals): At the breeding stable, buyers and their representatives from all over the country are gathering to watch the jinba that will put up for sale at tomorrow's auction. Player characters will be treated as a regional lord or merchant and ushered around to view archery competitions, races, tug-of-war, the breaking of newly captured jinba, and other shows of strength that show off the prowess of the jinba produced by this outpost's expert trainers and stable master. Most of them are Armless, of course, but there are a few prized, hand-raised Armed jinba up for sale and inspection as well.

💰 Breeding Stable Exhibition Day (Banquet): Once the rituals come to an end, the stable master hosts a luxurious banquet, complete with various entertainments such as lute ballads and dances. The host and his grooms drift between buyers arranging deals and talking up the products, and occasionally those important enough to request it are led off to more private areas to inspect or "sample" certain merchandise before money comes into play the next day. Jinba can cost between one man's or an entire fief's annual income, depending on their quality and training, so it's a very important purchase!

🌳 Hidden Village (Welcome/Work): Those that go into the mountains may instead encounter a band of orphan jinba who are hiding in the deep forest, gathered there under the protection of a charismatic young leader. Player characters are treated as if they were jinba themselves and attempts to convince the young jinba that they are not will be treated with blank confusion, (or you can apparently choose to be centaur'd if you want?!). After being given the tour, they are welcomed into the village, and they can start pulling their weight by joining groups sent out to forage for food, farm, take care of the babies, cook, patrol the borders, or... just play with the kids. Adults will be treated with awe, traumatized attachment, or crying, as most of these children have lost their parents in violent ways and some barely remember what a grown jinba person looks like.

🍲 Hidden Village (Mealtime/Gruesome Discoveries): As night falls, the youngsters all gather around for a communal hot pot, sharing what little they have as equally as they can. Despite their dire circumstances, the older jinba try very hard to keep a positive attitude for the youngsters, and there is still laughter and warmth around the campfires. Weirdly... their leader is not present at the meal, and asking about him reveals he takes his dinner privately at his "house", a shack at the very edge of the village's territory. If you investigate, though... what's that sound? Is that a scream?


More Info—
🏯 BREEDING STABLE REFs: The compound is largely made of of wood, with high walls around the entire thing and only one large gate, which is near-constantly barred to prevent escapes. Most of the area is taken up by stables, training grounds, and corrals, with the stable master's manor and administrative offices on the eastern side. Though player characters are encouraged to stick with other buyers and to the public areas, it is possible to sneak away and explore more. The stables are divided into Armed and Armless wings: the Armed area is notably more open, like plain horse stalls each marked by a wooden name plaque, while the much larger Armless area is delineated by barriers and various restraints like bits, harnesses, and hobbles (01, 02). The breeding stall with mounting block and restraint ties is out back. There is also a section of the courtyard with stakes in the ground at varying heights that grooms will explain is used for flensing the arms from wild or disobedient jinba.

🐴 INTERACTING WITH STABLE JINBA: Attempting to interact with the stable jinba, particularly the Armless, will not get very far, as all seem to be quite well-trained and broken to human mastery. They will not speak unless spoken to, and then will only provide short, respectful (if not sometimes resentful) answers without making eye contact. It's almost Auction Day, they aren't about to mess things up for themselves getting in trouble. The grooms and stable master will discourage conversation, interrupting to point out how obedient the Armless are, how you needn't worry about anything like backtalk or disobedience. See?

🏹 JINBA HUNTS & THE ARMLESS: Spending time in the breeding stable will expose player characters to the concept of jinba hunts and how they are conducted, details of which can be seen here (CW): 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06. The stable master will shamelessly make clear his position on the Armless, explaining that is the simplest way to control the powerful creatures, break their spirit, and ensure they will not escape. Reference (CW): 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06.

🍖 CONSUMPTION OF FLESH: Investigating the mountain shack where the hidden village leader takes his meals will reveal that he is taking humans captured in their territory and using them as meat. He will be calm and candid in his attempt to explain his situation, and even offer a taste. It's what they deserve. He cannot help that he became a demon after what the humans did, but do not worry. He does not bring the other children into his grotesque habits, and wants only to protect them. He asks for your understanding and your silence. Examples of how this might go can be seen here (CW): 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07.

If you have any questions feel free to ask any time!
Edited 2024-03-13 12:25 (UTC)