kenosooc | timeskip information extravaganza

timeskip information extravaganza

IN SUMMARY...

The Advocate Oracle had all of the dear Shard-Bearers drifting off to sleep... And a deep sleep, as it turned out. As characters ventured through 31 worlds, time continued along without them, but much more than they might have expected. While the characters have the impression that they spent 15 and a half days venturing through these places and making their decisions that culminated in Zenith claiming the Advocate, when they awake in Kenos, 114 years have past...

So, obviously, there's been some changes.

The Advocate Oracle has gone to Zenith. (click me!)

Presented with the choice of preserving a dying world or releasing it, the predominant choice was "preserve" — the option that allowed the worlds to exist until their natural end. And an end it was, no matter the validation that these worlds had a chance to survive, or change their fate. The Advocate explains that what was observed by Shard-Bearers was the end, difficult and final as that was and that neither offered option correlated with "Meridian" or "Zenith". Instead, it sought to observe the reasoning behind those choices, and found that the principles of Zenith strongly backed both forms of vote. That the majority of participating Shard-Bearers sought a future for these worlds, at the core of their rationale.

However, the vote itself remains "preserve", and thus the worlds are left to their natural end. Uninformed and existing in their enclosed microcosm, not one world is able to stand against the appearance of Oblivion — and held in the embrace of the Advocate, the Shard-Bearers of Generation Sessu are able to finally see what must have happened to their own worlds. The tendrils of darkness that slither and pierce, crumbling fragmentary worlds into further fragments, into dust and debris and the remnants of life that quickly, mercilessly are snuffed out. Starlight winks out of the deep dark of space, as if large bites have been taken out of existence by a great maw. Preserved, the worlds become food for Oblivion.

Held aside, even the Advocate trembles around the Shard-Bearers it tests, as the darkness within the darkness twists its head and looks upon the distant Shard-Bearers. A great, spindly-limbed entity without expression or familiar shape slithers through reality, pursuing what it needs to sate its endless appetite — and against the lightless backdrop of its existence, the familiar shape of Cyrus Kokkinos stands atop an endless, black sea. His once-warm smile has emptied of its warmth, expression mild and cold as the depths of space as the thing wearing his form speaks: To those of You who sought to p̶̌͛r̸̈̋e̶͌̚ṡ̸̀e̵̾̑r̶̺͒v̵̛̾e̶̺͌, We t̶̄͊ĥ̴͐a̸̋nk you, . You have given Us a gift, a meal. The natural order continues, no matter what You do to deny it, change it, escape it, save anyone from it. What curious a̵̎́l̴̅̌ḽ̷͝î̵̈́ê̷̳s̴͒̕ you were, this time — normally, You resist and You destroy. It says, neutral of tone despite the words of intrigue. What does it mean, "resist" and "destroy"? The shape of Cyrus lifts a hand, and with that motion, the great void of Oblivion raises one spindly limb as if to reach out, to engulf the Advocate and all awaiting Shard-Bearers in the endless span of that palm — only, you wake up.

As stated, 114 years have passed in Kenos — and this isn't the first instance of time-based magic that some Shard-Bearers have come across. Some pertinent world lore that plays into this is the following:

The premise of the Iconoclast Oracle was, at its core, an alternative "ending" to Kenos: one where the Blight had developed unhindered by the combined power of Meridian and Zenith, resulting in the death of Kenos itself.
Upon the conclusion of this Oracle, the participating Shard-Bearers were returned to a period of time several months prior to the Blight's catastrophic spread, and several Shard-Bearers were swept into a past timeline on the Scorching Isles, wherein Aetós enclosed them in a time loop that allowed them to develop a cure.
Following the Blight's eradication, a new wave of alarm sweeps through Kenos in the form of nightmares, and the presence of the past. These effects increased tenfold in intensity and strength over the following months, culminating with the death of Cyrus and the subsequent admittance of Some Thing into Kenos-Proper.
Aetós has made public mention of the Timestream ( a good reference for that is here ), a force known to be what Cetina and Kathova use to both draw gifts from worlds-gone,, as well as the fact that "Shards can be used as a lens to focus the Timestream". Among many, many other things.
The Advocate Oracle, recently concluded, featured a glimpse into this practice, as it revealed the endings of many, many worlds, many of which were alternate worlds belonging to alternate participating Shard-Bearers.
The Timestream and the individual "time" of all living people was thus directly impacted, once, by the Blight — a sickness that "rotted" and stole the time of both animate/living and inanimate/nonliving things.
With the conclusion of the Advocate Oracle, 114 years have passed outside of the slumber that overtook the Shard-Bearers. This is what the rest of the world looks like, and has changed into, while they were busy!

This post serves as an overview of the changes that have taken place in Kenos while characters were snoozing away. This will give you the largest beats of the changes and what characters can now expect, but you'll also find links to new wiki articles throughout. For more in-depth detail, we recommend giving these a read. However, this post should be enough for you to dive back in!

WHEN YOU WAKE...

Characters will wake feeling delightfully well-rested, but there are some opt-in effects that they may notice to clue them in on just how long they’ve been sleeping:

Hunger/Thirst. Characters were magically sustained so that they didn’t wither away, but they might be exceptionally hungry and/or parched when they wake. It’s been a long time, so your stomach is very empty!
Rapunzelification. Depending on the preferences of your Caretaker (see below), they may not have opted to cut characters’ hair and/or shave them as they slept. What if you didn’t like it when you woke up, after all? That would suck.
Loyal Companions. If your character had any pets that might not have lived through the timeskip and you would like them to, good news! You will find them either cuddled up or otherwise sleeping somewhere nearby, having been affected by the same sort of magic that kept you preserved in your sleep. But they might need some de-fluffification of their own too.

shrine to your character

Resting Rooms

(save for Amos, who very specifically has Adelfoúla watching over him)

toplevel on this post

You can find a timeline of events here.

HIGHSTORM & ZENITH

Following the attack on the Manor and the slumber of the Shard-Bearers, Highstorm began to withdraw and focus its attentions on the world ahead under the guidance of Florence Deshayes, since the Matron has yet to return... Florence says that Lady Yima is still with us… And she will return when the time is right.

The reflecting pools around the manor flooded and overflowed, creating two distinct districts of the city with distinctly different methods to navigate them. The area surrounding the Manor is now called “Yima’s Tears”, as the streets have all completely flooded and require skiffs to navigate a la Venice, Italy.

Otherwise, the city seems to have recovered very well. Those areas once ruined by the Blight have been repaired, and characters will find new sights on the streets outside of the flooded district—trolleys and scooters are now frequently used to navigate the city, and other innovations like phonographs and photography abound, all called "Zenitec".

However, where navigation of the city may be easier for Zenites, that is not the case for Meri that visit the moonlit city. While Tier 1 Meri are allowed to explore the city somewhat freely, those of any higher Tier will require a Zenite chaperone… Or to be sneaky and avoid being detected as a higher Tier. That can be difficult, however, since there are fae spies will report rulebreakers to Florence.

For a full description of changes to Highstorm, see its new wiki page and associated new articles therein. However, as a bullet-points summary:

The Manor still lays in partial ruin, waiting for its mother to return, but is now called The Mausoleum. It is city's center for remembrance and is treated like a holy site.
Small boats are required to navigate Yima's Tears because the waters are not safe to tread. Those that fall into the water rarely emerge from the depths.
While Highstorm still doesn't possess a formal police or military force, defense of the city is now much more important to the people. Zenites protect their own, and more shunned or monstrous people find an easier home within Highstorm taking up their skills for defense. Many former Kowloonites have flocked to the city.
The energy of Zenith is used for magical technology and has led to large innovations in scientific study. Efforts are largely focused on what could be used to make the new world as ideal a place as possible. Technology is roughly in line with the 1920s, with some outliers that are rare/cutting edge. Rare technology would only be accessible to Tier 3 or higher Zenites or require subterfuge.

Common new technology includes: Vacuum tubes, magically powered vehicles, phonographs, home electricity, photography
Rare new technology includes: particle detectors, punch-card computers, radio

And what about Zenite-aligned NPCs? Well… (click me!)
- Dr. Du Tousaing passed of natural causes.
- Florence Deshayes has taken up the leadership position in Zenith. She doesn’t seem to have aged a day since the Bearers fell asleep, but she’s united Zenites under a stronger vision. The world ahead is what Zenith must strive for, at any cost.
- Kathova continues to preside over the day-to-day matters concerning Shard-Bearers. However, it’s known that he holds a private, daily vigil at the Mausoleum where he places a single, purple flower at its base.
- Yura Szczepański was murdered during “The Uplifting” (see below). His Shard is openly kept as a trophy within Heliopolis.
- There are also some new, notable faces within Zenite ranks:

SPRINGSTAR (FORMERLY) & MERIDIAN

Following Cyrus’s assassination and the slumber of the Shard-Bearers, the election for the next Tribune quickly took place so that Meridian could find a new leader. Agapitos Voreen was chosen by a large margin, and with his experience with the commerce of the city, quickly began to lead the city in a bold new direction. Anti-Zenite sentiment quickly rose, and to deal with the problems of Kowloon’s continued attacks on the city, Agapitos secretly began working with the most brilliant mind in Kenos to find a solution.

Using the power of Shimmer and their own innovations, Aetós emerged from the shadows to work for the 35th Tribune and solve the menace of Kowloon in the years following the beginning of the slumber. In an event simply called “The Uplifting”, Springstar was brought closer to the holy suns as sections of the city were very literally lifted into the air. Now truly protected from any Zenite interlopers, the city in the clouds was named Skysong, leaving the remains of Springstar and Kowloon far below it.

Just over a century has passed since the Uplifting, and Aetós and Tribune Voreen are both praised as heroes that saved the city and led Meridian into a new era. The city is now significantly larger and more spread out, with new floating structures constantly being built. The people of Skysong are happy and prosperous. However, this prosperity comes at a cost. The military police of Skysong are extremely strict and guard the peace of their city fiercely.

Breaking the rules of Skysong carries one punishment: banishment to Old Springstar below. Cornerstones are strictly controlled within Skysong, with each official Cornerstone acting as a checkpoint guarded by the military. Zenites and the banished are allowed in the city, but are given a badge they must wear at all times to mark them. Higher Tier Zenites may be denied entry outright or must find a secret Cornerstone to enter.

For a full description of changes, see the wiki pages for Skysong and Old Springstar. However, as a bullet points summary:

If Skysong reminds you of Bioshock Infinite’s Columbia, yep, basically that. Just without the absolutely godawful social commentary, we promise.
Skysong is composed of many, many small islands that float high in the sky. These islands will connect on a very reliable schedule, but if you need to make it to other islands sooner, never fear! There are dirigibles that act as public transportation , solar surfers, and other small, steampunk-flavored vehicles.
Which, speaking of! Where Zenith has favored magical innovation, Meridian has favored the mechanical. Technology is roughly in line with the 1920s, but with a distinctly steampunk or dieselpunk flavor. Rare technology would only be accessible to Tier 3 or higher Meri or require subterfuge.

Common new technology includes: prosthetics, pistols, movies and television (with 1920s era tech). As an additional note, prosthetics are in fact very popular, and you’ll see NPCs voluntarily get them to enhance their abilities! These can be purchased with AC tokens.
Rare new technology includes: automatic weapons, jetpacks, personal mech suits. There’s a definite military focus here.

Military and police presence is highly increased. If your character is being naughty while in Skysong by breaking laws, you might want to reach out to a mod!
And what about Meridian-aligned NPCs? Well… (Click me!)
- Agapitos Voreen still rules as Skysong’s 35th Tribune. There’s more gray in his hair, but less than you’d expect, considering as far as anyone knew, he was human…
- Aetós is the hero of Skysong, and many banners are decorated with images of their namesake. They still remain masked and reclusive, and they have a floating island in Skysong for their personal use.
- Cetina launched a small military assault on Zenith's capital, seeking those who assassinated her childhood friend - resulting in her death. Later investigation by the Tribune into her behavior uncovered the fact that she was lured into acting rashly by Zenite loyalists, who sought to honor Yima by following in their Shard-Bearer idols' footsteps.
- Cyrus is still dead, alas, but is honored with golden statues throughout Skysong as a martyr.
- Desmond Ó Ruadháin passed of natural causes.
- General Zaman is now an old woman, and is living out a quiet retirement in Alenroux as a warm, doting grandmother.
- Dr. Julia Melnik passed due to complications of early forays into prosthetics.
- The Madam Dee that Shard-Bearers knew has long since passed, but hey, who’s going to give up a brand name? The moniker has now been passed to another.
- Hieropoios Natalia still oversees the Church of Helios with the same tireless devotion that she’s known for. The church’s splendor has grown since the Uplifting, but Natalia herself remains a humble, warm mainstay.
- Victor Dupuis was a critic of the Uplifting when it was announced, and was banished to Old Springstar not long after. Presumed dead, since he was human.
- There are also some new, notable faces within Zenite ranks:

KOWLOON (+ OLD SPRINGSTAR)

Kowloon, like Springstar, has also become divided: both physically and ideologically. In the wake of Heliopolis's ascension, portions of Kowloon's people have taken to the surface to claim the craters and live alongside the Springstar people who chose to remain alongside them. Considered part of the Great Independence Movement, there are now two "Kowloons" — the Site of Old Springstar, consisting of "Uptowners" and the original Kowloon, or "Downtowners", and there is a great deal of tension between the two locations, reflecting the divide in their philosophies, and their visions for the future of Kowloon. Will one side dominate over the other, or will the divide continue to split the two for the remainder of the conflict?

Uptown Kowloon consists of everything from the Last Dance to certain Springstar establishments that were left on the surface level to cultivate a relationship with their new neighbors. They consider themselves independent of Springstar and Highstorm, while also being elevated enough to command respect and acknowledgment as a "third city" to both. The population of Old Springstar consists of a combination of Kowloonites sick of living underground, individuals banished from Skysong, and those who have moved to the city for an independent, metropolitan experience, such as those who are tired of the pastoral life of Alenroux.

Uptown Kowloonites have made homes within the craters left behind by the ascension of parts of Springstar's districts; networks of metal catwalks, remnants of broken buildings and other precarious structures have been pulled down and cobbled together like a hive — and apparently, its made more real estate for the large population to live in!

Downtown Kowloon remains the underground, original foundations of Kowloon. They consider themselves the truly independent Kowloon, reliant on neither Springstar or Highstorm for meaning or purpose, and at ideological odds with Uptown for betraying the intent of their dream. Downtowners reflect the dark, depraved, and original “vision” of Kowloon, where vice and crime are an export as much as anything else. You can find anything for sale in Downtown Kowloon, and that is, and has always been, by design.

And what about Kowloon-aligned NPCs? Well… (Click me!)

Yura Szczepański has been dissipated and his shard is now in the hands of the administration of Heliopolis, and displayed as a trophy!
Haruna Konishi, the leader of the Unseen, has died of natural causes.
Arjun, owner of the Cache, now spends most of their time in Old Springstar, in the Viomichanikós District. Hooray for Industry!
Coalbrand is still running the Crown. Devilish Immortality at its finest!
There are also some new, notable faces:

Gulilai Amit is the new leader of the Unseen. A Mô͘-sîn-á, she seeks to consolidate power as the Unseen spreads throughout the entirety of the Below.
Maya Shatterspire, the leader of a new gang in Old Springstar called the Scepter.
Cardinal Calix a member of the Meridian church, seeking redemption for the banished souls of Old Springstar.

ALENROUX

And Alenroux is… largely unchanged!

Alenroux still serves its crucial role as the breadbasket for the cities, though both of them have now found new, innovative ways to not have to rely on the pastoral island nearly so much. This has left it largely free from conflict in the century since, and it’s been given time to quietly grow and prosper. Thanks to the efforts of Shard-Bearers, a decently sized village has now formed around its Cornerstone.

The allegiances of the village have waxed and waned over the years, sometimes favoring Zenith more, sometimes Meridian, but there’s currently a slight bias against Zenith because of a (relatively small, at least) crop failure last year that was blamed on Zenitec experiments. Whether that’s true or not isn’t clear at all, but in a way, it doesn’t matter. That’s where the blame went.

CODING

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

THIS IS AMAZING MODS, GOOD WORK om nom nom

A few questions:

1. If a Highstorm location has not been discussed specifically here, can we presume it's still around (though maybe with some changes to account for technology/passage of time/the fact that it may be navigable by skiff now)?

2. Did Gregór die? 🥺 I'll be ok

THANKS we hope it's a fun way to open more to everyone to interact with!

1. Yes!

2. Gregór is still alive. ( Note: For now...... looks at jill, )

Edited 2024-03-31 15:58 (UTC)

Relevant to my interest:

What does Highstorm do with its dead?

SMASHES IN HERE, THIS IS RELEVANT TO MY INTERESTS TOO ( resident funeral director here )

Like Springstar, Highstorm is reliant on the presence of the Tree of Life as an integral part of its death rites and beliefs. While Springstar engages in cremation/pyres, with the release of the dead's soul back into custody of the Tree, engaging in a cycle of life and rebirth, Highstorm's rites differentiate in that they believe that the Tree of Life is a sieve through which souls pass — and custody is held in the waters of Highstorm.

Within the depths of the Greenwood Yards are a variety of greenhouses built out of crumbling ruins, known as the Sunset Gardens. These small islands are surrounded by crystalline springs of deep water, so clear and pure that one can see hundreds of feet down into the depths. Sometimes, when looking into the waters of the Gardens, one can see flickers of organic movement — as if something is passing through. This is the place where the souls of the dead are said to be interred in Highstorm's culture. As for the physical body: because individuals in Highstorm are often immortal or long of life, death is seen as natural but uncommon.

While the Church of Helios observes a yearly mass rite for their dead, Highstorm can afford a more personal touch: two teams of six vulture-like women, known as Khojin's Daughters, engage in the ritual practice of taking the physical remains of the dead ( whatever form those take! ) into their care. Once, they were brought to the Manor and now, they are brought to the Mausoleum on pilgrimage, before their remains are taken to the Tower of Silence — where the ladies engage in ritualistic excarnation. That is, they eat the remains. It's highly secretive and exceptionally ritualized! To some it might be terrifying, but these ladies are extremely respectful and adoring of the dead.

Once the body has been devoured, they process to the Sunset Gardens and breathe the soul into the waters.

This is incredible. Thank you!

Okay question with absolutely no bearing on anything -- if y'all got mechs as rare items, what about vehicles then?

As mentioned, "small, steampunk-flavored vehicles" can be found easily (assuming you mean in Skysong)! Think flying machines or motorized scooters for scale. Car-sized vehicles can't really be found except as like, industrial machinery, since there's not as much space where they're useful.

Well good grief, I totally missed that. Thank you for pointing it out!

1. since ruby was in canon update mode while everything changed - will she just be waking up at the tree of life as usual, sans resting room?

2. has the tree changed in any way?

3. what's the current state of the monsters in alenroux... are there still some remaining? are they still hunted?

1. Up to you! She can wake at the Tree as normal, or she could have arrived at some point in the 114 years and then fallen asleep as well within about a day's time.

2. Nope!

3. There are still monsters in Alenroux, yes! They're still hunted readily, and it's now become a bit of a sporting activity. There will be a little bit more about this on the TDM tomorrow!

I AM IN CATCHUP MODE so apologies in advance for any dumb questions but: aside from the assault Cetina lead, Yura's murder and the unrest created by the Uplifting etc., how have the factions conducted relations with each other? Have they agreed on some kind of formal reduction in fighting, or is this more like an implicitly agreed stalemate while the Shardbearers have nap time?

For the most part, there has not been much! The incidents you listed are the major encounters. Most other scuffles occurred in either Alenroux over the years, or some altercations between independent actors in Kowloon or Old Springstar. Essentially, think about a scuffle between a Zenite loyalist and a member of the legionnaire at a bar that blows up a little bit, but there were fewer 'official' actions, beyond what happened explicitly. After all, there were no Oracles to fight over! They're still at war, and still sniping, but consider it more of a cold-war type of circumstance. Especially since both cities spent the century buffing up their defenses.

Now in the proper place! (Again! Sorry mods! orz)

So, poking through the wiki, I saw that people in Skysong won't be rude to Meris who openly live in Old Springstar; they'll just be super judgy about it.

And I wondered: Is the attitude very different for Meris whose Resting Rooms were in Old Springstar or Kowloon versus the people who ended up on Skysong?

Because I assume.... yes.... lol but to what extent, I guess, is the question since I imagine the people in Skysong might not even recognise you as Meridian if they don't know who you are.

Does that mean you are banished by default as if you were born down there and you have to wear a badge? Or, are you just considered "High Risk" and the cops follow you around all the time? lol

Thanks!!

There isn't much difference, honestly! Because the bearers were essentially where they were, and people didn't move them, they don't really see bearers whose resting rooms were in Skysong as particularly offensive or "banished", because they are Meris. They will be fairly judgemental about Meris who decides to continue that pattern, but the fact that their resting rooms were elsewhere is not really the fault of the bearers, and therefore not really something to consider. At best, they may just be more unfamiliar with their faces, since a lot of the Skysong residents don't tend to leave the city. However, as the bearers wake, the powers that be in Meridian *are* familiar with these bearers, and will make sure that they are given a welcome fitting of their positions (AKA what their tier within the faction is.)

-Jill

Resting Room Location: Where did your faction set up their Resting Room? Was it precisely where they fell asleep? Did they get moved somewhere interesting? Tell us!

Description: What is the room like? What offerings and trinkets are in it, and why? This is a chance to have fun public misconceptions about your character flourish too!

Purpose: What did Kenosians come to their Resting Room for? Was it just to wish that they wake up and prove themselves to be loyal members of the faction? Or are they just a wee bit cult-y about it and a little more obsessed with your character?

Caretaker(s): Who was taking care your your character? Share as much or as little (or nothing at all!) about them!

Resting Room Location: Sebastian's place in Highstorm, aka Matt's bedroom where he fell asleep

Description: I think the biggest things any Kenosians would know about Matt is that he loves flowers and greenery (having had a Greenwood Yards plot he'd just started) and that he spent some time at the Starwatcher's Spire looking for portents. So the offerings would probably be living flowers/herbs/plants in pots, along with space- and star-related paraphernalia. Paper stars, maybe a star pendent here and there.

Purpose: Matt's newish and Tier 1, so I think mostly anyone dropping by would be doing it to be a good Zenite. That said, I can definitely imagine some arguments like, "I think he's waking up, one of those buds sprouted way earlier than usual."

Caretaker(s): Honestly I have no idea. Whoever it was DID cut his hair, though ... it may be a bird's nest but it's a well maintained bird's nest.

Resting Room Location: Her room at the Seat of the Tribune where most of the new Shard-Bearers lived.

Description:
So not long before the sleep hit everyone Alice had gotten her Mahne commissioned and completed. She was found with it and rests with the unusual weapon, giving rise to the idea that she really liked swords. Which she did, good for those Meridians and all. What it meant though was many Meridians in the early days of her sleep brought blades with them as offerings. Knives, daggers and so on. Little of anything left were fancy swords given she wasn't that high tiered.

The walls of her room are covered in the ones that got mounted in the early days of her sleep. A collection of them surrounded her on her bed eventually as her caretakers grew a little lax with their caring. There are hints of moss and dust in her room, telling the story of how she was gradually lost to time.

Purpose:
In the beginning most people who came to visit Alice might have been those she helped during the troubles in Springstar when she first arrived. Most of them didn't know her name and so over time she just became known as the Swordmaiden thanks to that Mahne of hers being found with her and the prevalence of visitors leaving blades as offerings.

Over time it became more tradition than not to bring a blade to the Swordmaiden during a Meridian's pilgrimage around the Resting Rooms. No one remembered why exactly and it wasn't for any true praying purpose given few remembered just who she even had been as time went on. More than a few Meridians made it to her stop in their visits and went, "Hell, I forgot the blade." If you wonder why there are so many pocket knives in her room, well now you know.

Caretaker(s):
Alice's caretakers were some of the civilians she assisted in Springstar. With time one family became the prominent caretakers and for the first sixty odd years they were pretty good about it. They kept Alice's hair trimmed as short as she had it in the beginning, routinely mounted or displayed some of the better blade brought to her and in general kept her room tidy.

In time though as grandchildren and greatgrandchildren took over and distance between those who remembered her and those who didn't increased Alice's care was minimal at best. Her hair has been left unchecked for near fifty plus years now so it's pretty much covering her bed, draping down onto the floor and tangled up with a fair few tiny blades. Fun fact -- at six inches of growth at fifty-four years she's rocking 27 feet of hair, around five times her height of 5'.

There is also moss in the corners of her room and dust that might be knocked off maybe a handful of times a year.

Edited 2024-04-02 22:05 (UTC)

Resting Room Location: Regardless of where Atsumu fell asleep, his sleeping form was eventually moved to a flooded area of Highstorm, placed on a small plaza above the waters. His resting room is in a spot that is only accessible by a gondola (or whatever other kind of boat people might opt to use), and isn't connected to any other stores, homes, or really buildings at all, though it's clustered in the middle of a canal surrounded by taller buildings. That means it's not easily accessible, and not a spot that most people are going to want to go out of their way to visit.

Description: Though near the beginning of the Shard-bearers slumber, Atsumu was gifted with small trinkets mostly relating to some sort of physical athleticism (and people's own homemade versions of Vabo-chan), the relatively difficulty of accessing Atsumu's resting room, and the out of the way location means fewer and fewer people stopped by to pay tribute as the years went on. Anything perishable has long since been discarded, and even some of the old trinkets put out in his honor have fallen to pieces and been removed at this point. His resting room shrine remains remarkably bare looking in comparison to others.

Purpose: By and large Kenosians do not visit his resting place anymore. The occasional curious individual will make their way to it in order to look around the quiet temple, though it's not reverence that draws them there. There's something sad and lonely about the spot that keeps most people from wanting to return after their curiosity is sated.

Caretaker(s): An old woman is his only caretaker at this point. She inherited the duty from her mother, who inherited from her father before her, who was a man that Atsumu helped out in the early days of the manor rehabilitation effort. The old woman never did marry or produce children, and she was worried that there would be no one to take care of the resting room after she passed. There's a sense of loneliness from this old woman that matches the sense of loneliness from Atsumu's resting room, and though she has always been excited to share stories about the young man resting inside the small shrine, few people are willing to listen when more exciting tales of old exist to consider instead.

Almost all of the current trinkets currently residing in Atsumu's resting room have been left by this woman and her family.

Resting Room Location: The Church of the Key is a stone church located in a prosperous region in Alenroux. Founded by Liem just before the Advocate’s trial, the church has become his resting place for his long sleep. Visitors to the church can find him laid out in the inner sanctum, watched over by acolytes.

Description: Liem is laid out on a bier in the candle-filled inner sanctum, in a sleeping-beauty-style glass coffin, still dressed in the priest’s robes he was wearing when he passed out for the Oracle Trial. On the fabric-covered surface surrounding the coffin, offerings are crowded about in the form of coins, keys, and other items of value. Thanks to Liem receiving periodic baths from his caretakers, he has earned an association with compasses as well due to the shard on his chest. Prosperous residents also like to leave examples of their work there, such as a spool of dyed thread or a small bag of grain. Like the rest of the church, this room is constantly filled with bright light that makes the interior gleam.

The church collects offerings periodically from around the shrine to keep it from becoming too cluttered, but over the decades, the steady influx of visitors to the shrine has only grown, and the inpouring of offerings with it.

Purpose: Unfortunately for Liem, visitors to his shrine definitely fall into the “culty and obsessed” category. His sleeping form has become something like a holy relic for the Church of the Key, and church attendees regularly visit the sleeping founder to either pray to Abadar on his behalf, or even to pray to him like a saint or an idol. His work in Alenroux prior to the beginning of the Repose has lent Liem an association with the expanding of frontiers: plucking knowledge from obscurity and making order from the wild and untamed. As a result, worshippers commonly pray to him for guidance in times of adversity.

Caretaker(s): Liem’s snoozing body is carefully maintained by the same acolytes who care for the rest of the inner sanctum. His glass coffin is unlocked periodically so acolytes can trim his hair and his beard—which someone made the decision to let grow in at some point.

The current head of the church is Father Thengill, a charismatic dwarf who has been leading the church since only a handful of years after its founding. Though the congregation has long awaited the day the church’s founder would return to guide them, in practice the church is Father Thengill’s, and most automatically look to him as the church’s spiritual leader and authority.

Edited 2024-04-03 16:18 (UTC)

Resting Room Location: Gavial conked out on the doorstep of her recently acquired home when the Advocate put everyone to sleep, and she was moved upstairs to the bedroom once discovered.

Description: Her once-sparse bedroom reflects the oddly opposed interests she was largely known for. Those who knew originally knew her as a boisterous lover of fighting with a penchant for collecting weapons sought to seek her favor in that vein, leaving various blades as tribute, which over the years became traditional offerings for those wishing to seek strength. On the other hand, visitors seeking the favor of good health from the slumbering doctor would leave offerings of some of the medicinal plants she often tended to in the gardens. This leads to the odd dichotomy of steel hung up upon the walls and flowering plants set up along her bedside.

Purpose: Those who had originally helped set Gavial’s sleeping form up in her resting room had been a few people who had recognized her from her frequent work with the Gilden Academy. When others there got word of it, it soon became a stop for students of the Academy to both seek good fortune in their studies of medicine and hopefully inspire the Shard-bearer’s further work for Zenith once she awoke. Eventually there became a growing crowd of those who saw her strength as inspirational, who would stage impromptu fighting matches right there in the front yard every few years in the hopes that such excitement might entice the Shard-bearer to wake up and join in. Needless to say, the two groups often butted heads, but neither were willing to back down to let the other take the lead with things there.

Over the years, visits broadly tapered off to just a small and dedicated group with the occasional yearly spike around the Academy’s exam time. The two sects of followers that remained eventually put aside their differences and opted to follow in the footsteps of Gavial’s free-spirited desire to help people by using the rest of her home to set up a base for an independent emergency medical response team. In the last few years leading up to the end of The Repose, they’ve obtained a Zenitec vehicle to use as an ambulance of sorts to get them to places to provide on-site first aid (and break up any remaining altercations in progress) or ferry more serious cases over to Gilden’s hospital.

Caretaker(s): Originally cared for by a couple of familiar faces from the Academy, these doctors eventually left the task up to their families once they got older. As the long years wore on, those who camped out at her place took up the task of caring for her along with the rest of their self-imposed duties.

Resting Room Location:
Though Sebastian fell asleep in his home in Highstorm, as preparations started to be made to make him a Resting Room, Florence used the opportunity to inform the loyal Zenites that the demon was already a lost cause and had betrayed their faction… So he was unceremoniously shipped over to Meridian instead. He got put in a pretty nondescript room in Old Springstar, and it remained there ever since.

Description:
So. His cats are with him because I, personally, cannot go through pet death angst. Sebastian wouldn’t but I would!!!

And this has led to a crucial misunderstanding about the kind of demon Sebastian is, especially with the time that’s passed. It’s assumed that he’s some kind of cat demon, and Cesare and Farnese are his chosen familiars/emissaries/etc. Their role has changed over the years too. This has meant that his Room has become a place for things that it’s assumed a cat demon might like. Such as, you know. Dead animals. Birds, rodents, etc are all common offerings. And on occasion, human victims weren’t out of the question either. It’s nasty in there and he’s going to have a whole breakdown about how messy it is when he wakes up. ♥

Purpose:
Sebastian’s Room was largely abandoned and even left without a Caretaker for many years. Zenites didn’t like him because he’d turned traitor, and Meri didn’t like him because he had been a notable enough, problem-causing Zenith for most of his stay. There were likely talks of just getting rid of him while they could, but these ~conveniently~ never came to fruition before his little cult moved him.

However, as Old Springstar started to become what it is today, the Room became more frequented and looked after by those who might have known Sebastian from his time working (and lurking) in Kowloon. Good people don’t visit Sebastian’s Resting Room—people that want the power of a demon do. This developed into a small, but devout and debauched cult that eventually moved his Room further, down into Kowloon proper. The location is kept secret by the cult because there are a lot of Crimes that happen in or because of the Room, and because they want to keep Sebastian safe because of his tenuous position with both factions.

Basically, Sebastian ended up with a classic devil-worshipper cult.

Caretaker(s):
The head of the cult is the only one allowed to interact with Sebastian directly in any way. This is currently a man named Malgath. He’s a serial killer. It’s fine!

Resting Room Location:
Fane had simply been in Heliopolis at the time he fell asleep, but he was eventually moved to a small building in the Akadimaïkós District that was uplifted into Skysong.

Description:
Fane’s room is austere and extremely tidy, containing only candles that are lit by visitors. Fane’s body is entombed in a glass case, and his body has been posed to hold a scroll in one hand and to nestle a pitch black chicken in the crook of his elbow.

Purpose:
Fane’s Room is one that’s… a little misunderstood.

For the decades after The Repose began, Fane’s Room was treated as a place of dedication for Meridian because of his steadfast, loud devotion. Those that worked on engineering and with magic were especially prone to visit, since with Fane’s open admittance of working on the weapon that fired at Yima’s Manor, his Room became a place where people wished for good luck or inspiration. However, as this became more and more of a distant memory, Fane’s unusual state became the subject of fascination far more.

The fact that Fane is in fact a living Shard-Bearer has been forgotten by most, and his Room is now more akin to memento mori artwork because it was assumed that Fane was special in some way because he hasn’t dissipated despite being dead. Clearly. Visitors to his Room use it as a shrine of quiet contemplation, and it’s occasionally used as a setting for more somber, grave speeches about the necessity of Meridian’s victory. “This Shard-Bearer gave their life for you, won’t you honor them with the same sense of duty,” etc.

Interpretation on Peeper is divided and is a matter of hot, near-theological debate.

Caretaker(s):
Technically, none. Fane has not been effected by the timeskip literally at all.

Resting Room Location:
Tezcatlipoca technically started taking his nap in Draumahol because he and Set were being stupid in this kind of way, but luckily, Gregor had the sense to move everyone to a new location… But this created some accidental symbolism. Once Set and Tezcatlipoca were discovered together in Kowloon, their Resting Room sprung up around them and became one of the few spots that more “normal” people would come to visit.

Description:
Actually quite nice so far as structures in Kowloon go, there’s been effort over the years to turn the small building they’ve been sleeping in into a proper, temple-like place. Set’s half of the room is dedicated with tokens and symbology of Meridian, while Tezcatlipoca’s half bears those of Zenith. They’re also given offerings that match their worship back home… Mostly. There’s definitely been some mixups over the years about which god prefers which offerings. Set has been getting the fresh hearts and Tezcatlipoca has been getting the fresh vegetables, for example…

Purpose:
Set and Tezcatlipoca have garnered some Actual Worship in their time off! Since they’re both fairly famous and known deities who not only share several domains (or adjacent), but they also look alike, they became known as the Twin Gods of War, each representing their faction respectively. Their Resting Room is a place where Meri and Zenites alike will come to pray for their victories in war and conflict, and if fighting breaks out in their presence? All the better. They’ll accept it gladly. Blood is shed and everlasting vows are made in the presence of the two gods .

I regret to say that this is not something they will put a stop to, either. Keep it comin, kenos, they’re lovin’ it

Caretaker(s):
The main caretakers of the Twins are also pair of twins.

Oya and Ndiaye, opportunistic and intelligent warriors familiar with both deep jungle and sprawling desert, have taken it upon themselves in the most recent years to look after their chosen gods. Even though the ladies themselves are divided by ideology, with Oya serving Meridian and Ndiaye serving Zenith, they take the war in stride as their responsibility and duty, while never sacrificing the easy camaraderie they share. In this, they are the truest servants of the spirit of Set and Tezcatlipoca's position as gods of war.

Resting Room Location: Having returned from the Tree just after the Oracle's conclusion and gone stumbling into Alenroux looking for her monster friends before she too fell asleep, there's since been a shrine constructed for Ruby on the outskirts of the village.

Description: An ordinary hut on the outside, except for the rather large flower-covered sleeping dragon curled around the structure. Inside, Ruby still bears the marks of Meridian Discord - flecked with white feathers and cradled in her own angelic wings, her hair grown absurdly long like a river of gold. She's surrounded by the monsters she calls her friends, all of them deep in slumber with her. There aren't a lot of offerings, firstly because there's not a lot of room for them with the monsters taking up space, but what is left behind is usually flowers and food, both of which are cleared away as they degrade. There are, however, a scant few offerings that look like they would be more at home in a shrine to Set... She still wears her priestess regalia, after all, as well as her wedding ring that matches his, so their relationship hasn't been forgotten.

Purpose: Given that Rudbeckia has always made her neutrality clear, there's little purpose in coming to her as a Meri. Instead, Alenroux has come to treat her as something of a symbol of peace beyond the bounds of either faction. She's also a bit of a Saint of Beasts, and some of those who aren't hunters hope her presence will grant them safety from the monsters that still reside in the forests of Alenroux.

Caretaker(s): Various people have done a basic level of upkeep over the years, but she's never had a consistent guardian, especially because most are wary of getting too close to the monsters that surround her. Very recently, though, she has gained a dedicated caretaker! Ami, a young girl who has always been self-conscious of her own monstrous appearance and has taken it upon herself to tend to Ruby with the hopes that one day, the Saint will wake up, and she'll be accepted just like the other monsters.

Edited 2024-04-03 23:00 (UTC)

Resting Room Location: Silco was in his office, ~~getting Set high~~ when the great repose began in Draumahol, deep in the center of Kowloon, and oddly? That's where he remained for the entirety of his long sleep.

Description: What was once Silco's locked and inaccessible office quickly became a place for Kowloonites to show their respects. The doors were opened, and furthermore, once it was discovered there was a hidden cornerstone in the office, it became a heavily trafficked area, and Draumahol itself became an expansive site of adulation and drug den all in one. The second-floor office was eventually turned into something of an overlooking balcony, where Silco was interred. He was essentially left behind his desk, and because of... well, his glowing, unblinking eye looks down over the entirety of the establishment. It's an eerie atmosphere in the smoky den, and though Draumahol was once a thriving nightclub, it was just a bit too weird for partying, and the almost cult-like adulation around Shard-Bearers meant that Gregór moved the majority of Draumahol's operations up to Old Springstar. Although they still maintain and deal with a great deal of drugs in this location, it's just not the main party site anymore.

The sign has been changed outside to only the wide, unblinking eye 👁 that once replaced the "o" in Draumah👁l, flickering with violet neon, and the inside is filled with Downtown Kowloon regulars, the desperate, and the poor. The top balcony overlooking the entirety of the club's floor has been filled with everything from cigars and drinks, to fresh kills and gifts of blood, to trophies from Kowloonites' own murders or deals. Thankfully, because he's a vampire, Silco looks exactly the same as the day the Repose happened, still in the same chair that he'd fallen asleep in, one arm extended over his desk, as if inviting someone to reach out and touch. Strangely, because Silco's hands were exposed from dispensing shimmer before the repose began, he's become an odd symbol associated with giving power to the needy, as the desperate of Kowloon will often touch his hand, and occasionally are granted the gift of a shimmer hit, leading to great attacks or rampages of shimmer-powered individuals as they tear through Kowloon. It's considered an implied endorsement for the plight of whomever touched his hand.

Purpose: What rose in the den of Draumahol — now simply called The Eye — is something of a cult of the spirit of Kowloon itself. Some come to beseech him for power, granted occasionally by the gift of shimmer, and some come to court favor with the bearer in the form of gifts or trophies from their kills. It is considered "blessed" to make a deal under Silco's unblinking eye, so it is a favored place for dealmaking. However, it is also considered "blessed" to murder an ally who has lost their use, or an enemy that needs to be eliminated. Inviting someone to The Eye is considered high risk and high reward, whether it's an ally or an enemy.

It's not quite a cult, but it is close, given that Silco is something of a deified figure in Downtown Kowloon. Many aren't looking for gods, which means that there's no cult, but there's something in between an atheistic appreciation for the supernatural, and cultlike superstition, which means it is just on the cusp of tipping over into a true cult when bearers awaken.

Caretaker(s): At first, it was Gregór, Silco's retainer who took control. He is the one who got the resting room essentially established as an open-air viewing in Draumahol, but as he has been forced to spend more and more time topside in Uptown, several Downtown business owners rotate duty making sure there are no rotting corpses, disposing of overdosed bodies, and generally ensuring that he's cared for. They even apply makeup every day. :) How nice of them. I'm sure that he'll be grateful and won't be weird about it.

Resting Room Location: Once it became clear that the Shardbearers wouldn't be waking any time soon, Gen's snoozing form was claimed by some of the vampires who favored him as a regular of Bloody Marie's. His Resting Room was established as a little cottage-sized shrine right next to Bloody Marie's; though the shrine is its own building, both an aboveground path and a short underground tunnel were established to allow for a quick, easy walk between it and Marie's.

Description: The shrine is largely decorated in a way to match the style of Bloody Marie's -- lots of rich, heavy, black or burgundy drapes, dim lighting provided by a few fancy candles, a smattering of tastefully ornate decorations here and there. Gen's four-poster canopy bed sits upon a dais in the center of the chamber, the curtains almost always drawn so visitors can look upon the sleeping 'hero.' Offerings usually come in the form of small amounts of expensive alcohol or tobacco, which are boiled off or burnt on a designated burner to symbolize consumption. Non-consumable offerings are rarer because Shardbearer Gen never really seemed to have strong leanings for any in particular, but a small pile has built up at the foot of the bed over the years -- a few maces, some trinkets and, curiously, a bunch of gold buttons. (Because they resemble the buttons of the uniform he was originally found wearing, and since then it's just become custom.)

Purpose: Though the shrine is hardly popping and there's definitely no cult, Gen's Resting Room does get its fair share of visitors outside of dedicated Zenites making routine pilgrimages. Due to a combination of Gen's higher tier and his association with Bloody Marie's despite not being a vampire himself, he's become something of an underground patron saint for the 'work hard, play hard' mentality. Those who visit tend to request the strength to persevere through hardship so they may enjoy their lives afterward. Individuals who just have or are about to indulge in something hedonistic will often come to the shrine for 'forgiveness' and peace of mind; it's thought that Shardbearer Gen would approve of such hedonism as long as it's balanced out by earnest effort. (Does this have anything to do with the shrine being so close to Bloody Marie's? Well ... though the belief originally came up organically enough, half-jokingly whispered between the vampires who'd known him when he was awake, when it started to spread, the vampires certainly didn't discourage it. After all, it works out in their favor if a tourist attraction in support of hedonism is right next to their establishment, wink wink.)

Caretaker(s): A rotation of vampires associated with Marie's takes care of Gen, usually swapping out at the end of the week. Though the work is unglamorous, it does come with a perk. Given how eagerly Gen had fraternized with and fed the vampires at Marie's, the vampires have come to the agreement that taking a small amount of blood from their slumbering hero is fair payment for their (excellent) services, as well as being what Gen would probably want. The vampire on caretaking duty is permitted to take a small sip from him each night; the amount is barely enough to sate any hunger, but it's thought that getting to taste the Zenith hero's blood brings good luck. In exchange, the vampires have been taking good care of their sleeping charge -- they've kept him clean and nicely groomed, though they've let his hair grow out a bit to better suit the Goth Aesthetique. The gakuran he was found in was also eventually replaced with fancier, goth-y clothes to match the decor.

Resting Room Location: While Akua fell asleep in her home, her Walin-Falme panicked when she did so, and retrieved her retainer Astou to help. Astou helped move Akua to the foyer of her home, where she rests to be publically viewed by the populace, wreathed in warm sunlight that keeps the viewing room

Description: When the Uplifting happened, Akua's home ended up on the island of Heliopolis only by chance, so her home is truly within the center of power upon Meridian's island, and draws the powerful and elite to her home. Though Akua's involvement in The Weapon is well-known, because of her connection via her retainer, Akua's visitors began for another purpose, but like many, they became corrupted over time. Venerated as the patron of those whom need guidance, many of Heliopolis's powerful used to pray in her resting room, and bring gifts of dresses, baubles, trinkets, and other such treats. However, the accompaniment by Akua's Walin-Falme and incarnate both certainly color the type of nobles that frequent her room.

It is time that it takes, but Akua's sun-soaked foyer is not so much a place of guidance, but instead a place of ritual and divination. Blood sacrifice is not uncommon, and while it started out...smaller, it comes to pass that they indulge frequently in human sacrifice as well. The cult-like adulation begins to drift into depravity and it is not an uncommon site for a variety of deprave rituals looking for guidance or paths to either the future or for actions. The richly decorated space features Akua on a throne of rich construction, with a pillow that holds her head up high, so it looks like she is indulging in the ritual, and enjoying it, rather than an inactive sleeper nearby. Her hair continues to grow, of course, but her keepers have taken to keeping it neat and braided, though the complicated knots and braids have eventually been tailored and adorned to it looks like devilish horns spread from within her dark curls.

Purpose: While she had once been seen as a lucky charm, the highborn of Heliopolis certainly has taken things too far, and there is a rather strong Cult of Calamity that has cropped up amongst those that follow her. They believe that the events that led to the destruction of worlds was Divine Retribution for their weakness and that there is a path through sacrifice and cutthroat dedication that will reveal the path toward reviving worlds, and they have begun to fashion themselves after what records they can find of Akua's actions, meaning that there is a rather strong contingent of... what can only be called "evil" actors within the Heliopolis government. (Like all government workers amirite?) They hope to spread their word to the varied worlds that Meridian saves and become Villains themselves in the new worlds to come.

Caretaker(s): It is Akua's Walin-Falme, a square little devil that looks like a monkeybat who maintains her day-to-day. The descendants of her retainer's family have continued to maintain Calamity's resting room, and see it as quite the honor. As they have always been among the high-class of Highstorm, and the political elite, they use it as an honor to remind others of their commitment and devotion to seeing Meridian's cause through.

Resting Room Location: Raphael had been in the Last Dance when he fell into the Repose, and though they tried to move him, by the time they did, he had reverted to his Natural Form, and Springstar thought it would send the wrong message to keep him somewhere. (rude) A structure was erected in the Last Dance that ended up on the side of Old Springstar.

Description: By nature, it had to be a rather sizable room, and it grows into something of a performance stage for poets, artists, musicians, and creators of every sort. Raphael's reposing figure has a private balcony in the small structure, where he sits and presides over the performers in the small, intimate stage. The balcony has been a repository for artistic endeavors — most of which feature Raphael himself (of course) — and everything from Paintings to statues, to macaroni art are featured. It's considered a point of pride to be featured along with the patron of artistic endeavors, and they are generally on a rotation at this point, as that's over a hundred years of art!

Raphael is clearly a devil by those who frequent the location, and very well known as the "Devil of the Poets Pit", and some whisper that having the opportunity is an implied contract, however, and it is somewhat supported by the breakout successes of many amateur and up and coming artists who are given the opportunity to perform. Oddly enough, there is no other audience other than Raphael, many have taken to treating it as sort of a ritual, and artists go there to not only offer private shows to the Devil, but practice their work, or even paint, craft, or create before him. By the end of the repose, it's half-studio, half a performance venue, although still fully private, except for the staff who go there. Who knows what happens!

Purpose: At first, it was inspiration, but the Devil of the Poet's Pit is something of a venerated space for those wanting to break out, and all who enter come out just a little bit changed — and truly unbeknownst to them, Raphael's retainer, Aditi, inscribed a contract in blood to the door, instructing that all who entered do enter a contract with the devil. She's really out here doing the most, and it is inscribed in blood that stains the door, in Raphael's own infernal script. Few ask what it means, but those who do are offered the direct text obviously, and the administration of the Poet's Pit still continue to share this knowledge with those who ask, but few do, or even pay attention to it.

So those that come are artistic types of all stripes, all seeking renown or fame, and many who enter come out and find it. Too bad they're probably dying and their souls are siphoning into the red gem that Aditi placed around her master's neck before she passed. Those who are more perceptive notice the malevolent little gathering of souls he holds, and it is always tragic for those families, when they find that the souls aren't present to send off in any rituals later. Oopsie!

Caretaker(s): While it was at first Aditi, Raphael's first contract, it has now passed to the rest of the administration of the Poet's pit, who all willingly share and sign contracts to the devil when they begin working there, and remain until their deaths.

Edited (HELP GRAMMAR....) 2024-04-01 04:11 (UTC)

Resting Room Location: His body was moved to Old Springstar inside of a dark, marble tomb which descends several yards below ground, keeping him both within the dark and within the confines of a cemetery.

Description: D lies inside an ornate, black sarcophagus with his sword on his chest beneath his only hand. The lid of the sarcophagus is inscribed with ritualistic scripture from the Church of Helios, most of it about rebirth and immortality. The room's walls are decorated with two dimensional illustrations of the known history of Kenos from the Tree of Life, to the Blight, to Cyrus's assassination and everything after. The room itself is filled with a collection of mystical offerings one may need upon re-awakening: a lantern with a glowing crystal in the shape of a moon for guidance; coins for prosperity; a jar of blood for thirst; daggers for protection; plants of fortune which only grow in the dark; robes and jewelry for status. A reddish-black dog sleeps on the floor at the bottom end of the sarcophagus. Outside the tomb is a familiar black, cyborg horse with red eyes and horns.

Purpose: A subset clan from Set's followers have clung to the whispered rumors of Set having a son, and as a T3 Meridian, D has been unknowingly venerated by them with the delusional title. He is regarded as a sleeping god of death, dissipation, and dreams, and people visit him to ask for safe delivery of spirits between the Tree and life and death, or sometimes Shards, as long as they are kept from the clutches of Oblivion. Every night, the lid of the sarcophagus is pushed open, a silent hope that one day D will wake and rise into the night.

Caretaker(s): Descendants of a clan of anthropomorphic jackals who broke away from Set and the Church for this single purpose. They worship the night and death in Meridian secrecy. The latest guardian is stern and serious Tabari. He stands guard over the tomb during the night with a pair of khopeshes, and only allows visitors inside when he's present.

Resting Room Location: Yuber collapsed in the streets and was later moved by some well-intentioned citizens to a room at an inn. Once it was clear he wouldn't wake up he was moved yet again to his final resting place on the outskirts of the Beyond.

Description: Yuber sleeps in a stone sarcophagus nestled in the outskirts of the Beyond. The area around it has a few old weapons but not much else. The sarcophagus is carved with intricate scenes of battles. It would seem someone at some point felt this is where Yuber might prefer to sleep.

Purpose: It is unusual for the locals to visit Yuber, who is a Tier 1 Zenite and therefore not well known. The one thing locals know about him is that he has a love for chaos and violence. It is unclear whether his shrine was built to honor him as a protective warrior, guarding Highstorm from threats in the Beyond, or if he was placed under the trees to keep him out of the way. Since Yuber is a Shard-Bearer, most people assume the former, but rumors about the latter have been circulating for years. Over the past few decades, people have whispered to each other that a demon is resting in the sarcophagus.

Caretaker(s): Technically nobody. Yuber is a physical manifestation of chaos who has existed for a very long time. His body doesn't need any caretakers.

Edited 2024-04-01 02:54 (UTC)

Resting Room Location: Amos fell asleep at one of his workbenches, and was initially kept in his home under watch of a very adept caretaker. However, considering his status as both an exceptionally loyal Zenite and also the guy who assassinated Cyrus, the decision was made to move him to (or at least directly nearby) the Mausoleum, where he could simultaneously be kept under closer watch while being accessible to the denizens of Highstorm.

Description: Upon being moved to a more suitable location Amos was redressed from casual, if shlubby, workman's clothes into ornate black robes, and his body was rearranged into a position that's a bit more dignified than guy who slumped over on his desk. Reflecting the Mausoleum's general atmosphere the space is solemn and tranquil, and it's common to light a candle upon visiting. As he had long since established himself as a mechanic/repairman previous patrons of his would sometimes leave behind things they had commissioned him to build or fix, with offerings increasing as Zenitec comes to fruition. Weaponry is often left behind as well, considering his most recent exceptionally public act, and the fact that the dagger Yima gave him close to when he first arrived has never really left his side.

Except the longer the Repose goes on the more people forget he never presented himself as anything more than just a guy, especially considering Florence's talking up of Zenite Shard-Bearers. Extra care and attention is shown to his space, with offerings growing to increase in value, ranging from precious metals and gemstones to valuable family heirlooms to maybe just really fuckin' fancy candles used to light the space. It probably smells amazing.

Purpose: While initially people would come seeking an item of theirs to be fixed or wishing for luck before embarking on a new project, considering his standing and central location both, coming to Amos' Resting Room becomes kind of a one-stop shop for virtually anything any Zenite might want, in hopes that by visiting him their wish would be granted. Wish your greenhouse garden would grow or that your Zenitec engine would start? Want your jackass neighbour to stub their toe or just fucking die? Want a raise? Wish Skysong would fall out of the sky because it'd be really funny? Visit Amos, maybe it'll happen.

And yeah it definitely gets a bit culty.

Caretaker(s): Adelfoúla! While certain (propagandic) decisions were made over her head (like the decision to dress him up as though he's royalty) she's been his sole caretaker over the years, looking after both him and making the trek to his home/shop so it doesn't fall into disrepair and is somewhere he can return whenever he wakes up.

Resting Room Location: Fell asleep in his packed-up room at the Tribune (only a day or so from moving out, how sad), was moved to a slightly smaller room when it was clear the Repose was a whole thing, and has been there ever since - so now, in Skysong.

Description: A small, but cozy, room outfitted from its initial use as a temporary lodging. Chrono lies on a bed covered in comfortable sheets and pillows, each card of his deck strewn around him with Chronodragon Gearnext in the middle of his chest. His hair has grown out, seemingly trimmed occasionally but currently quite long. Its usual swirl seems lost in the length, just looking like a stubbornly cowlicked strand of pink mixed in with the bright red.

Shelves are littered with trinket offerings - Chrono had been new and wasn't widely known, but had made friends with some of the younger city residents and had saved a few citizens during the last major battle - but most are dusty. There's a variety of items, from hand-drawn cards that emulate the style of the deck around him to stones that had spiral patterns either naturally formed or carved in. There's a very detailed little statue of Chrono Dran at the foot of the bed.

Purpose: Determined Kenosians seem to have studied his cards, working with those who Chrono had explained the basic rules to in the past to develop their own take on Vanguard. It actually matches the original game fairly well, though it has fallen out of fashion in more recent years. His room is visited infrequently now, and if it wasn't in such an accessible location may have been forgotten about.

Caretaker(s): A few caretakers have vaguely looked after this Resting Room over the years, but the current one seems the most invested - a dragonborn woman with purple scales by the name of Relsina. She resembles Chrono's acquaintance Shiranui a fair amount, minus the wings and elaborate outfit.

Resting Room Location: Hayame and Claude were abed (pajama-clad!) in Hayame’s home in Alenroux when the Advocate Oracle trial began, and there they have stayed ever since. The many sapling fruit trees Hayame planted before their slumber have become a magnificent grove that now surrounds the house, and Claude’s wyvern Naira sleeps curled up in a mossy clearing within.

Description: Much of Hayame’s home has been preserved as it was when The Repose began, as the caretakers believe that the pair of shard-bearers will eventually wake and live there once more. The only major change they made was mounting Claude's weird bone bow Failnaught and Hayame's giant asymmetrical bow on the walls beside them. Though they initially dressed Claude and Hayame in their own clothing and arranged them neatly side by side.. over the years the presentation has gotten a bit more ostentatious. Hayame’s hair is kept at glossy fetlock-length, but the centaur voted amongst themselves to let Claude’s beard grow out. At some point, a well-meaning granny gently moved them to lay hand-in-hand, and no one had the heart to change them back.

Offerings placed in front of the pair are arranged neatly by the caretakers- they mostly consist of various makes and sizes of arrows in a plethora of donated quivers, archery-related items such as bow wax or strings, fruit, and coins. Also, braided cords consisting of two different organic materials such as hair, scaly skin, or feathers seem to be tied on the rope marking off the sleeping shard-bearers.

Purpose: Hayame receives a great deal of worship as a Meridian of the highest tier known for her unwavering dedication to claiming the Oracles and defeating Zenith, as well as her role in The Taming of Alenroux. She receives individual prayers for victory in battle, a path home to original worlds, and strength of will. Claude receives individual prayers from Kenosians looking for help finding diplomatic solutions and overcoming challenges. Hayame worshipers seem to view him either as the peace-advocating consort who provides wise counsel and a tempering influence to her rage… or, as a hindrance to her righteous fury.

Together, as the only shard-bearers who had been living officially in Alenroux before The Repose, they are worshiped by some as saints of the island who guarantee its prosperity and safety from monsters. At some point, they became a symbol for those Kenosians in interspecies relationships, and it became a popular activity for couples of different races to come to their shrine and pray for a successful and harmonious relationship despite challenges of culture and biology. Couples on these pilgrimages often leave the braided cord offerings as proof of their intentions to each other.

The off-hand proposal that a spring archery competition in Alenroux be held on the grounds in front of the home “since they were both archers, after all” has grown into a somewhat massive annual event that warriors from all corners of Kenos attend, and wooden plaques commemorating certain distances or achievements can now be found hanging on arrowhead-pocked trees in the grove. Archers now pray to the sleeping pair for accuracy, improvement, or victory over their enemies.

+ NAIRA: A certain Alenroux farmer once picked up a pure white scale that had shed from the sleeping wyvern and, on a whim, kept it in his pocket. When he soon after struck it rich, he wondered aloud if the scale hadn't been something of a charm... and ever since then Naira's scales have been a coveted charm in Alenroux. Legend says you'll be cursed instead of blessed if you actually pluck it from the creature's body, so people hang flower wreathes on the wyvern's horns and hope they will be lucky enough to see a glistening scale on the moss when they visit.

+ LIEM: Some of the followers of The Church of the Key sometimes visit Hayame's home as a sacred pilgrimage site, having heard that it was the first structure that the great Father Liem constructed on the island.

Caretaker(s): The two shard-bearers have been mindfully tended by a herd of Meridian-aligned quadrupedal citizens (mostly centaurs) that meet monthly to spend time together in the wide open spaces of Alenroux. Hayame had been attending those meetings ever since her first invitation 1.5 years ago, and in February had finally given in to peer pressure and brought Claude to introduce around. He was a hit! Which is good, because otherwise he might have gotten kicked out of the shrine. Their original primary caretaker was the young filly who first invited Hayame to the meetings, Lyra, (well, Lyra’s parents, she begged them), and since then the job was inherited by Lyra herself, then her daughter, now her granddaughter Halide.

It became common practice for members of the herd to spend part of the meeting day on any maintenance, cleaning, gardening, or construction that might be needed at the house-turned-shrine. Thanks to them, everything within has remained in as pristine a condition as possible. They also do their best to nip any weird rumors or cultish behavior in the bud, helped by the fact that some members of the herd are more long-lived and still have first-hand memories of the pair.

Resting Room Location:

Ryouma's damaged ship was discovered after the Uplifting of Skysong, where it had gotten swept down into a partially flooded crater, beached and wedged against the wall. It has been largely restored in the intervening time and become a part of the developing landscape of Old Springstar, unique if only because it is a fully intact steamship circa 1865 jutting out of the crater wall.

Description:

Over time, the ship's structure was stabilised and converted into a permanent fixture built into the side of the crater. It serves as a shrine and a living space for the most devoted.

Ryouma occupies the Captain's quarters, seated in what appears to be a sturdy throne made of wood and leather and has been posed so that one hand rests on one of his swords and the other on his leg, gun in hand. It was as if he was so confidently at ease that he felt comfortable dozing off while waiting for an enemy to appear.

He is also displayed (weirdly) shirtless to keep both of his Shards on display, although a long black jacket in his usual style is draped over his shoulders. He is wearing a lot of mismatched jewellery all at once, all meant to play into a royal or pirate aesthetic and does so in the most kitschy way possible. Given how well-attended he is, the decision to let his hair grow long and wild to cultivate a more feral image was intentional. And, in case anyone was wondering (no), his most devoted followers are definitely braiding shed strands of hair into wearable talismans, which they believe grants them luck or protection because this is a completely normal thing to do!!

As far as offerings are concerned, the years have seen tokens and symbols of Meridian slowly being overtaken and replaced by offerings of money, weapons, and liquor. Then, there are the more gruesome offerings of blood and bone. Thanks to the number of rats, mice, and pigeons left as offerings, both sections of Kowloon must have less of a vermin problem, and rumour has it that leaving a frog is especially favourable...

If nothing else, it means the live snakes that are also often left as offerings always have something to eat because that's a thing that's happening.

Purpose:

The unstable social and political environment within Old Springstar has had a significant impact on how Ryouma was remembered — or not remembered, as it turns out. Little knowledge remains about the man he had been, and the gaps have instead been filled in by lore suitable for an ideal bearer who could carry all the people's problems.

It's unclear when exactly his name was lost to time, but at some point, people just started referring to him as the Pirate King or the Lord of Snakes.

The legend goes that he (and his ship) were cast down into the mud despite his devotion and commitment to Meridian. This appeals particularly to those banished from Skysong, and the tale has grown more sensational over time. Ryouma is seen by most as the patron saint of outcasts and those who have been abandoned or disenfranchised, hurt or betrayed. He is often prayed to for protection from violence and hatred.

Ryouma has also attracted particular interest from the denizens of Ryad, as many 'monsters' have also come to see their own struggles in him. His two Shards are a curiosity that some take as proof that he is more monstrous than his human appearance would suggest. Others claim to have seen him change — temporarily developing claws and scales — and believe this proof of an internal fight to reconcile two halves of himself, even in repose. This monstrous nature is often cited as a reason for his expulsion from Skysong, and naturally, this belief in a shared experience further endears him to those who have been shunned and oppressed for ages.

He is also associated with criminality, as offerings will often be made or candles will be lit for luck and protection over "illegal" affairs so that shady deals are profitable, heists go according to plan, hits go down with no complications, and rival gangs don't interfere.

While not on display, the glowing brand on his back at the base of his neck is known and is a matter of debate. Those with particularly strong Zenith leanings see it as an auspicious sign.

What ultimately unites this Cult of Takachiho (named for the ship) is their fierce hatred of Skysong and the desire to see it fall (if you're a Downtowner, maybe literally??). They believe that one day, he will wake and lead them to claim their place in the sun. So, like, no pressure when he actually wakes up or anything??

Caretaker(s):

The people who initially found Ryouma and established his Resting Room were friends. They were fishermen, dockworkers, and anyone else who spent much of their time on the water. They had known him as a person because he had spent time with them, trying to get to know them all individually and learn their stories. That was true about a lot of people in Springstar since he had spent his first month trying to immerse himself in the city, but since he lived on the water himself, those people had been his neighbours and had made an effort to search when his ship went missing.

Unfortunately, the area it had ended up in was a frequent target of raids, and eventually, the original caretakers were killed or forced out. Ryouma hadn't been a target, of course, but the new owners just sort of inherited the local bearer shrine when they took over the neighbourhood. His name and any actual memories of him were lost to time, and new lore would crop up to replace them.

All things considered, Ryouma's shrine is very well taken care of, and the worst thing that happens is an offering of something dead gets left a little too long before it's removed. The members of his cult consider themselves members of his "crew", so acts of service to maintain the shrine and care for its bearer is an expectation for any crew member.

Resting Room Location: Although he was found asleep in his dormitory room at the Tribune, Howl's body was eventually moved to a new, separate building in the Emporio District. The Resting Room rose into the air along with the rest of the Emporio District, and is now located in Skysong.

Description: Howl was a low-level Meri, and those who were first entrusted to care for him had little to no information about who this guy actually was, with him being such a recent arrival. But one thing they did notice is just how much Howl seemed to love stuff, as he had clearly done a lot of shopping in his short time in Kenos prior to the Repose. Therefore, as the years went on, he became known for his love of clothing, books, trinkets and luxury goods; the stores and brands whose products were found in his room got the most out of this factoid, advertising themselves as being "favored by the Shard-Bearers." These outlets also provide most of the funding to maintain Howl's Resting Room, which they of course advertise to their customers whenever it is convenient for them.

The only other thing that could be said for certain about Howl was the strange fire burning in a small brazier in his room. Although it appeared to be a small fire that never went out, no matter how long it burned, Kenosians were shocked to discover that the fire possessed a Shard and was actually a Bearer himself. Despite this, there was no records of who or what this person was, leading them to be the most famous and mystifying find within Howl's dorm room.

While they initially started crafting a separate Resting Room for the strange, unknown Bearer, those plans were quickly canceled, as both the fire-being and Howl would rapidly begin to grow ill and weak if the two were apart for too long. Weird!

Purpose: Although Howl became known for little more than his vanity and consumerism, the nameless fire-being slowly took on a mythology of his own, as "the living fire that never goes out." Visitors to their joint Resting Room might leave a coin or two in honor of Howl, but most are there to gaze upon the mysterious, nameless "Shard-Bearer" whose body was made of fire. Offerings of wood, coal, and other burnables are routinely made to the fire, and some even sacrifice documents and personal items with the hope that it will bring them good luck — i.e., a student might throw in a bad report card in the hopes that his grades will improve, or a recent divorcee might toss in their old wedding dress as a kind of personal and spiritual spring cleaning.

Caretaker(s): As mentioned above, Howl and Calcifer's Resting Room is maintained by several prominent businesses acting in cooperation. Rather than being cared for by any singular person, the responsibility gets rotated around to different prominent merchants of the Emporio District; sometimes an exceptional employee would be "awarded" the honor of taking care of the Resting Room for a month or two, the same way they might receive a yearly bonus or an "Employee of the Month" award. These periods of service to the Resting Room are a favored award for employees in the District, as the amount of work needed is minimal, leading it to be seen as a type of quasi-vacation from normal work duties.

Resting Room Location: Dimitri has stayed in his small, humble cottage in Springstar - or Old Springstar, rather. The part of the city he was in remained behind and no one has moved him since.

Description: Dimitri is poised in his sitting room in a chair, appearing fast asleep, with his great lance Areadbhar set on the wall. Otherwise, the house is very much as it was when he fell asleep - it's been kept up over the last century or so by a variety of people

Purpose: The visitors are an interesting mix - people from Old Springstar who have heard stories about Dimitri's helping hands in and around the city when he as active and some Legionaries who have heard stories about Dimitri's dedication to the cause and the strength of his lance. As such, he's become sort of a representation of hard work, kindness, strength, and some degree of forthrightness. The soldiers who do come down from Skysong are hoping he'll awaken again and sometimes ask for his advice on certain things. The civilians mostly ask for help with the little things - chores, cleaning, and offer wishes of kindness and hope for a brighter future. He is not deified as much as others - but he is seen as a good luck charm in a lot of ways and although the neighborhood has grown and changed over the century, especially with the movement of Skysong, the house itself (and its garden) are protected and kept up for his return.

Caretaker(s): At first, most of the visitors were friends and followers Dimitri had made during his time leading a group of Legionaries. Many of them were tied into the military and had deep ties to Springstar. Also among them were various people who Dimitri had helped during his long time living in the city and in the neighborhood. He was known, after all, for being willing to do just about anything to help out. The caretakers in the modern day are a mix of the neighborhood locals, who tend to view Dimitri as "their" guardian and good luck charm and visiting descendants of his original legionaries who want to be in touch with the stories their grandparents and parents have told them. This has expanded a bit - his unit was quite fond of him, so there's certainly a small tradition of groups of soldiers coming down to check in on the place. So far, there hasn't been much friction between the soldiers and the locals... but it's not exactly cordial.

Still, they figure Dimitri wouldn't want them squabbling about that kind of thing, so it's mostly under wraps.

Resting Room Location: For several months preceding the Advocate Oracle, Link and Drizzt have been camping together at the border of the Beyond, just to the south of the Manor, instead of living in Highstorm itself. When the Bearers fell asleep at the start of the Oracle, both Link and Drizzt were at their camp — and since the only people who ever visited them there were Shard-Bearers, none of the locals actually knew where to look for them. Because of this, Link and Drizzt were not discovered until almost a year later when the ruins of the Manor began to flood, and only because workers surveying the extent of the flood happened across the remains of their camp, right on the edge of where the flooding stopped. News of their discovery spread quickly, and those who worked at the Manor identified the two men as relatively new Zenites who had nonetheless demonstrated their commitment to Highstorm's cause shortly before the Repose began.

After finding the two missing Bearers, their bodies and belongings were moved to the northwest, still in the Beyond but at the edge of the Fields of Fantasia, which is a much more accessible area than the woods they had been living in. A small log cabin was constructed to protect and enshrine them.

Description: The cabin is fairly small and rustic, having been built with wood and other materials from the surrounding area. The front entrance opens to a small receiving room, which splits off into two separate rooms, one for each of the Bearers sleeping inside.

To the left is Link's room, where he sleeps on a small pedestal constructed from wood and cushioned with grass and leaves. Link's belongings hang from the wall behind the pedestal, including his painted Hylian Shield and a small pan flute that he received from Kathova shortly before the Repose began. Over the years, it became customary during the winter to dress Link in the Frostbite Armor that was given to him by the Tree itself, probably on account of the way the fabric glows with mysterious snowflake imagery when the weather is sufficiently cold. During the rest of the year, Link is dressed in the same tunic, boots and shawl that he was first found wearing.

The most notable feature of Link's room are the hundreds of softly glowing blue flowers that sprung up across the bare dirt floors and clay-caulked walls of the cabin. These are Silent Princess flowers, all of which had propagated from a single bloom that Link once kept in a flowerpot at his camp. The plant is notoriously sensitive and was well-known in Hyrule for its refusal to grow in captivity; Link's attempts to have the botanists at Greenwood Yards take care of the plant were not successful for that reason and he had resorted to keeping it alive with his basic Druidcraft magic. However, when Link's body was found, it was surrounded by these flowers, as if protecting him and Drizzt from the floodwaters. Some of the flowers were transported to the Resting Room after it was constructed, where they continued to flourish beyond explanation in Link's half of the cabin.

To the right is Drizzt's room, where he has been placed on a comfortable, reed-woven frame. Somehow, word of his humility has manifested into a passion for the most simple of lifestyles and the embodiment of ensuring one's basic needs are met for survival. Like Link, the majority of his belongings have been hung on the wall over the simple bed, and even then he has few things to his name: a pair of swords, a green woolen cloak and the simple linen tunic and pants upon his body. The most precious artifact, kept on his person and interred with his sleeping form, is the onyx figurine of a panther that has been placed between his hands.

The most notable feature of Drizzt's room are the luminous, pale stones mined from the depths of Highstorm's island that have been handcrafted into the shape of a Rhumbline network on the ceiling that illuminates the windowless room. Parchment litters the floor around him in various states of use, ink and paint used to create maps of structures and the inroads made into the Beyond now and again, as offerings to one of the two. Various black cats have also been left to breed and live within his room, resulting in a thriving colony of spoiled kitties that enjoy napping and tending to the simple house, hunting and accompanying all visitors who come!

Purpose: When Link and Drizzt were found, it caused a mild buzz among the Highstorm populace, as most of the other Resting Rooms had already been constructed by that time. This led to a revived interest in the men among a small but devoted minority of the city, including both the well-documented events of the Harbinger Oracle and the lesser-known events that occurred prior to the attack on the Manor. The general public felt a sense of admiration and appreciation for all they had done in the short time they fought for the Zenith, but what the average person found most impressive was the two men's ability to traverse through the Beyond for as long as they did, surviving on nothing but their own skills and knowledge. After all, the Beyond remains a frightening and highly dangerous place for anyone unprepared to venture into it... which is most people!

As a result, over the decades, Link and Drizzt became akin to patrons or protectors of travelers and wanderers. The two are thought of as the Astral and Lunar Longstriders, not only because they were found together but because of the strange duality that seemed to exist between them: light and dark, young and old, north and south, moon and stars. Their Resting Room is a small shrine devoted to safe travels; anyone venturing into the Beyond or the wilds of Alenroux will typically visit the Bearers to pray for a safe voyage into the unknown and a safe return home. Visitors typically leave small gifts in their honor, such as dried flowers and herbs, arrows, tools, and other traveling gear, along with customary donations of money and food/drink. Link and Drizzt can sometimes attract unique donations of their own, based on how they came to be remembered within Highstorm: in Link's case, his famous sacrifice of the Master Sword to the Harbinger Oracle has given rise to a casual tradition of offering him pocket knives and other small blades, and in Drizzt's case, compass roses and star charts.

Caretaker(s): A singular individual known as Elaith Dasatra, who was among the workers who discovered the two Bearers during the flood survey. A long-time resident of Highstorm, he had also been among those who felt particularly sympathetic to Link when the entirety of his backstory and switch to the Zenith had been broadcasted to the city at large and reported on in the newspapers. Perhaps because of that, and because of his own elf-like appearance, Elaith had a sense of kinship with the two Bearers and became their dutiful caretaker, living in a small hut built behind the cabin. It is said that he sustains himself on the surplus offerings made at the shrine, but this is true only recently, as he has become unable to live off the land in his old age.

Resting Room Location: The lobby of a brothel in Kowloon. Because she never kept a home anywhere or spent more than a night or so in various lovers’ bedrooms, Kiritsubo was not found immediately when The Repose began. Those sparing few who wondered where she might be figured that perhaps she had been shapeshifted at the time and, unrecognized, perhaps buried or disposed of. It was not until some 50 years later that demolition in Kowloon exposed the “corpse” of a dirty white tanuki. She might have remained forgotten, or been thrown out with the trash, except that the elderly owner of a local brothel remembered a certain shard-bearer’s reputation and actions during the broadcast Harbinger Oracle trial. The madame bought the tanuki from the unsuspecting young laborer who found it to enshrine her and drum up business.

Description: Kiritsubo in tanuki form rests curled on an embroidered pillow in the brothel lobby, her fluffy tail half-obscuring her face. The pillow is in the lap of a large statue carved of black stone that depicts a naked woman with three faces and six arms, each hand holding something useful in a house of pleasure: coins, a riding crop, silk ties, a glass vial of lubricant, assorted pills, and an artificial phallus. But for smiling (smirking?) lips, all three faces are blank and featureless. Lines carved into the black stone on the statue’s arms, breast, back, and ~~womb~~ lower stomach have been filled with glittering colored lacquers. They are not entirely accurate, but they vaguely correspond to the shape of Kiritsubo's tattoos. Much speculation and joke has been made of what might be under the pillow.

Purpose: Thanks to the shrewd business sense of the brothel owner, Kiritsubo’s name and reputation have been spread in certain unsavory circles. Those visiting the brothel pray before tanuki and statue for pleasure and stamina, as well as safety during sex... because hey, this is Kowloon, and you can catch a knife in the back when vulnerable! Prostitutes pray for protection from pregnancies, protection from STDs, and occasionally… for love. The stamina prayers are particularly popular, and customer belief seems to be at an all-time high… but that might be because the owner is magically spiking drinks to fuel the rumors. Shhh.

Believers buy small amulets from the brothel that look like lucky ~~rabbit’s foot~~ tanuki foot charms. They're fake, of course, but they’ve been rubbed on Kiritsubo! Supposedly! Other goods sold within those walls, such as lube, recreational drugs, etc, are marked with a tanuki logo. They say that if you pay enough, you can even be granted the privilege to stroke the sleeping tanuki with your hand and receive her power directly. Those who pay even more have been allowed to pluck a finger’s pinch worth of hair from the tanuki’s tail- hence the artfully curled placement to hide the growing bald patch.

Each month, the brothel closes to general customers and special paying members of the brothel are invited to a debauched night "overseen" by the shapeshifting tanuki. What goes on there... Well, it's titillatingly pseudo-ritualistic sex club stuff.

Caretaker(s): The owner of the brothel known as Nothing, (officially named Her Ladyship's Nothing), is Lady Tsui. She bought Kiritsubo's body for her business and has been profiting from it ever since. Though she appears mostly human, the blood of a malevolent fox spirit flows through her veins, and she uses the sexual energy generated at the brothel to prolong her own life and boost her powers. She has a really good thing going for herself with this whole Shard-bearer worship thing, and she won't be very pleased that her little cash tanuki has woken up... Until they strike a little deal, of course ♡

Resting Room Location: Due to Demeisen’s extremely loose affiliation with Zenith, and the fact that he fell asleep in Kowloon instead of Highstorm, his body was left to the little dive where he passed out. Initially tucked into a cramped alcove in a little hole-in-the-wall club, he was eventually moved aboveground and has spent most of his sleep in an Uptown gambling den called Dumb Luck (sometimes called by an even less flattering name, ever since the sign’s L was damaged and left unrepaired). He sits propped up in a side room just off the raucous gambling hall, within easy access of visitors.

Description: Since Demeisen had no real personal effects, nothing in his shrine room is actually his—not even his clothes, which have been swapped out numerous times throughout the years in order to suit changing fashion trends. At some point his hair was cut short and styled into something more current, and then it never grew out again. He appears to lounge in a comfortable chair, as though just resting his eyes for a moment, though the offerings scattered on and around him belie this appearance.

Most of the offerings made to Demeisen’s shrine are monetary, mostly small denominations tossed or tucked wherever they might fit. Dice, cards, and other gambling paraphernalia make popular offerings, and the shelves around the room are filled with non-monetary offerings from throughout the past century, even including a significant number of quite nice-looking items.

Purpose: Unsurprisingly, ever since the Dumb Luck installed Demeisen in their establishment as a good luck charm, people have visited him for good fortune in games of chance. His main body of visitors is made up of the den’s patrons, especially now that most of the people who knew him when he was awake have either passed away or just forgotten about him. He is remembered mostly as an inveterate gambler, with a knack for coming out ahead, so it’s considered good luck to make a little donation in the hopes that some of his fortune will rub off on you.

More and more over the years, his association with gambling has come to include an association with wealth; as a result, his current attire is weirdly fancy given the kind of people who tend to frequent the establishment.

Caretaker(s): The gambling den’s owners have been in charge of Demeisen’s upkeep for as long as he’s been there, though this mostly just involves collecting and organizing offerings and making sure Demeisen himself doesn’t gather too much dust. His weird density and completely ungrowing hair are a poorly-kept secret, but while it’s a common assumption among staff that the shard-bearer isn’t human, there’s no consensus on what he actually is.

Resting Room Location: Though she had initially fallen asleep in her room in Heliopolis where the new arrivals are usually kept, Jade was eventually moved into Old Springstar, in a basement-level room at one of the orphanages that she had been helping prior to her long sleep.

Description: Due to having arrived just shortly before the Repose, not much was known about Jade. Most didn't even know her name as she hadn't given it freely, almost as though she didn't want to be remembered for any good deeds done in the wake of a widespread tragedy. A few only recalled in passing the title "the Prophetess", which stuck over the following years.

What small impact she had made on Kenos lay with the orphans she had helped with Yuri. As such, she had been transported from her room in Heliopolis where she would have more likely been neglected, and into one of the rooms of an orphanage in Springstar. There, she was cared for by the staff, as well as the older children that came and went.

After several decades, however, the strain of her long sleep had started taking a toll on the Prophetess' physical body, and she started exhibiting symptoms of Arcane Fever. Seeing as how no one understood the nature of this condition, they simply viewed it as an omen... and given the eerie skeletal glow that now patterned her skin, the implications became unsettling ones.

By the time she wakes, the Fever will have reached advanced stages; her skin glowing brightly in the shadows of the darkly lit Resting Room where she is kept, surrounded by withered flowers.

Purpose: As the Prophetess was known for her assistance at the orphanage, she became known as something of a guardian for foundling children. Not because she had simply provided them with supplies when Yuri had first brought her there, but because, not long before the Repose, she had briefly returned to the orphanages to establish magical wards in order to protect them from future attacks. These wards had proven useful in the following years, as they had repelled attempts at burglarizing and looting during incidents such as the Uplifting, which had consequentially left the orphanage behind in Old Springstar.

Fortunately, there was minimal cult behavior surrounding the Prophetess' place of rest, and her presence brought comfort to those in the orphanage for some time. Not fully understanding the magical wards, some believed that her presence was necessary for their continued protection.

Even the most skilled in healing could not cure or contain what ailed the sleeping Prophetess. When her Arcane Fever only worsened, her visitors would leave flowers, medicine, and other home remedies they believed would reduce the symptoms... but to no avail.

Caretaker(s): The staff and children of the orphanage where she is kept. As the symptoms of the Arcane Fever worsened over the years and began to trouble most of its inhabitants, those whom the Prophetess had helped and their descendants were a bit more dutiful about returning to the Resting Room below the orphanage to tend to her sleeping form. It was mainly those descendants who returned to tend to her growing hair, and offer her fresh flowers and herbs in hopes of somehow figuring out a way to alleviate her malady.

Resting Room Location: Ann had been moving from place to place in Springstar, so she fell asleep in a temporary abode, the second floor of a building in the residential district.

Description: It was decided not to move Ann, but no one really knew who she was, either, so the room fell into general disrepair and neglect besides the token efforts of a few. Since then the room is kept largely clean (if a little dusty), and, owing to its general neglect, stray cats have taken up residence there too and can be spotted napping in the rafters or in a quiet corner of the room. Ann herself rests on a few cushions, with dried flowers that seem as though they were left long ago as offerings. More recently, her hair -- which has grown almost to her ankles during her long sleep -- has been let down, and she's been dressed in finer clothes and jewellery that change with the seasons.

Purpose: A few Meri realised she looked suspiciously like a girl in a red feline mask who healed them during the assault on Springstar when Cyrus was assassinated. Assuming she's the same Shardbearer (even if she doesn't wear a mask here), people would leave her red flowers as offerings, or else they'd pray to be healed of minor injuries and maladies, though this tiny tradition died out after a decade or so. Others just come to light candles or feed the cats, who they find the more charming main attraction than an unknown Shardbearer. As a consequence, the room has become known as having some obscure symbolism with anonymous strays and vagrants in general. A new self-appointed caretaker has tried to improve that image, however...

Caretaker(s): In recent years, a clothes shop owner named Duyen came across the Resting Room out of curiosity and felt pity for the state its occupant had been left in, and is now the one responsible for Ann's wardrobe swaps, accessorising, and hair care. The old woman didn't have the heart to evict the cats outright, though she is allergic to them, and can sometimes be spotted shooing them out the door with a broom before she sweeps up.

Resting Room Location: Flat fell asleep outside in Meridian, and was found by one of the people that he had rescued during the attack from Zenith. They took him to their home and in an attempt to pay him back for his efforts, they took care of him and passed the duty down generations like a family tradition.

Description: The room is small and cozy, filled with things that hold sentimental value to the family more than anything. Childrens’ drawings and trinkets, some old jewelry, toys. Nothing that would get a big buck at a pawn shop, but filled with emotion.

Purpose: As a tier 1, there isn’t much purpose in visiting Flat. However, those visiting him say that his smiling, sleeping form gives them energy and hope. Maybe they went just to get a little bit of cheer back in their life.

Caretaker(s): Current caretaker is a young man who inherited the role from his mother. He’s dutiful and serious in both his duty and supporting Meridian, though his skills at cutting hair are subpar. And since he thinks that the sleeping shardbearer looked more regal with longer hair, he has let it grow for the past few years.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

timeskip information extravaganza

QUESTIONS

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

RESTING ROOM QUESTIONNAIRE (optional!)

Matt Jamison | Zenith

Alice L. Malvin | Meridian

Miya Atsumu | Zenith

Liem Talbott | Meridian

Gavial | Zenith

sebastian michaelis (meridian)

fane (meridian)

set & tezcatlipoca (meridian + zenith)

rudbeckia de borgia | meridian

Silco | Zenith

Minegishi Gen | Zenith

Akua Sahelian | Meridian

Raphael | Meridian

no subject

Yuber | Zenith

amos burton | zenith

chrono shindou | meridian

HAYAME & CLAUDE 🏹 MERIDIAN

sakamoto ryouma | meridian

Howl & Calcifer (Meridian)

Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd | Meridian

Link and Drizzt (Zenith)

KIRITSUBO 🔮 ZENITH (soft nsfw)

Demeisen | Zenith

Jade "the Prophetess" | Meridian

Ann Takamaki | Meridian

Flat Escardos | Meridian