APRIL TDM - TIME AFTER TIME

[beleos]

BEARING FRUIT (NEW CHARACTERS ONLY)

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

And then, it goes wrong.

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

So you run, even though you know you won’t escape it. You glance back and see it not overtaking, but consuming. The landscape around you is being devoured, and you can see it cracking apart. The world itself is breaking, and it cracks under your feet. You fall, and the billion eyes chase after you until the darkness swallows you whole. It's coming for you, it will not stop, it will not relent, and there is nothing that can be done. What a fool you were, for ever thinking you could escape. There’s agony as if you’re being ripped apart, and then – The Darkness grasps you first, and you feel something deep in you, a searing pain, as if it is trying to consume you, the beast’s hungry maw wants to take and take, and you can feel it burning a mark into you, and then –

You cannot see. You cannot feel. You simply are. Yet even so, impossibly, a woman’s voice speaks gently, weakly, as if over a long distance.

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

As consciousness slowly returns, time becomes a blur as you remain inert, feeling as though you're battling against an obstructive force hindering your gentle regrowth. Despite the struggle, a chilling darkness gradually recedes from your being as your form takes shape. Protected by an unseen presence, you sense the presence of others nearby, all undergoing a collective process of regeneration. A groaning, creaky voice hums in your ear, with breaths that thrum and hum, like a gentle summer breeze through the leaves, and it tells you: Try to reach them. Welcome their calls. Can you hear them? Through Communion, your emotions are laid bare in this space. Time seems to stretch out, and how long you have been growing can vary, and the only company you have is these other fellow Bearers, growing in their own pods, alone, as if they are struggling to rouse as well.

After what feels like an eternity, you awaken abruptly, enveloped in soft foliage and the scent of honey and iron. Cradled within the leaves, your attention is drawn to a warm, familiar crystal hovering above, compelling you to grasp it. Instinctively, you understand its significance and extract it from its leafy perch, feeling an unspoken imperative to hold onto it as you emerge from your cocoon of regrowth.

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

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

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

AS ABOVE, SO BELOW

With the new Shard-Bearers present or en route, it is Kathova and Delphyne who approach the established Bearers, requesting that they form mentorships with the new souls to assist them with the integration process. To this end, they have both provided a centralized zone in both Highstorm and Skysong for small, seemingly casual gatherings. They establish a schedule of holding them semi-frequently, so there is plenty of opportunity to attend both (or neither) and they will continue as long as new Bearers filter into Kenos.

For those established Bearers of the opposite faction, however, your faces are known amongst the populations of our sister cities, especially the administrators of both Meridian and Zenith. If you try to attend the parties of either city, you will be turned away outright, no matter your tier. New Bearers are free to notice if someone tries! It seems you've stumbled your way into what is a nearly full-on war.

SKYSONG, τραγούδι του ουρανού

In Skysong, the city itself floats among the clouds. Skysong is filled with Meridian’s light, and the sun-soaked islands are even brighter, and the city is more resilient than ever to the dangers that Kenos posed to them before.

• In the heart of Skysong lies Heliopolis, surrounded by island that circle like satellites. Dominating the landscape are the grand structures of the Church of Meridian and the Seat of the Tribune, both adorned with marble and statues, basking in the gentle light filtering through lush vegetation. Amidst the festivities, trays of delicacies and drinks are served while the Great Tree's leaves transform into fiery hues and helicopter seeds lazily fall.
  
  The Legionary, Springstar's military, vigilantly guards the event, eyeing even the Unharmonized with suspicion... After all, they could become Zenites. Agapitos Voreen gives an impassioned speech to all that emphasizes their duty to extinguish darkness with Meridian's light and be the beacon that guides the people home, all under the approving gaze of Hieropoios Natalia Theodora Vaso Helios, observing silently from the church balcony.
• The streets feature propaganda-focused posters with messages such as to work hard and work for the future or to look out and watch for threats from below. The streets of Skysong are filled with people who drink and celebrate the return of their Bearers and heroes, while they also bemoan their recent loss of the Advocate Oracle. The Psychagogía District is filled to the brim in people who mill in the streets, drinking, eating, and otherwise engaging in entertainment.
  
  Small mopeds artfully dive through the cobbled streets, dodging individuals and carts alike. Some individuals sport or show off their altered bodies, and will challenge new Bearers to a fight, excited to show off their new stronger limbs, or legs, or even reinforced bodies. Or, if you're especially daring, take a solar sail for a spin and soar and surf the clouds and currents of the city in the sky.
• The church welcomes all who wish to come and worship under Meridian’s light. Hieropoios Natalia Theodora Vaso Helios leads sermons daily, and the high stained windows allow light to filter into runic patterns on the ground of the church. If asked, a deacon or other attendant will state that they are of protection for Skysong, as the last attack had been so devastating to their people, that when they lifted the city from Springstar’s original site, they made sure it would not be attacked again from beneath. Those who come and worship will feel a tingling of Meridian’s presence, promising them revival, and the return of worlds. It’s like being welcomed by an old friend, a promise to visit once again, now that you have reconnected with them.
• One place that does seem to be slightly off-limits for those who are exploring Skysong, is Aetós’ island, which is only slightly away from Heliopolis. Plumes of violet smoke that match the varied technologies found in Skysong billow from multiple exhaust sites, and every now and then, one can hear the cry of a beast from within. Aetós is well respected by the people of Skysong, but with that healthy respect comes a measure of distance. After all, nobody would dare bother them from their work.

HIGHSTORM, луны-близнецы

The city of eternal night, Highstorm, still rests on its original island. The rubble of Yima’s manor is no more, and instead, the gardens surrounding the tree have spread to a vast memorial. The standing remains of the manor have been transformed into a humble hostel for new Bearers.

• Amidst a landscape adorned with cold-hardy plants and evergreen trees, a modest sepulcher marks the presumed chambers of Yima. Florence Deshayes hosts welcoming ceremonies beneath the grand Highstorm tree, where large tables offer diverse culinary delights and a live band fills the air with music. Grateful for Bearers' perseverance during the Oracle, Florence welcomes newcomers with reassurance, highlighting the ongoing pursuit of Yima's vision and the support of her cult, the Waru. With the Advocate aligning with Zenith, Florence sees hope for a shift in the conflict and pledges unwavering support to new Bearers, guiding them towards self-discovery through the Reflecting Pool's manifested memories.
• Specials are live at Bloody Marie’s and Benny’s. The Gilden Academy of Medical Sciences has also opened its doors in the form of a science day, to welcome all Bearers to explore the new inventions and cures developed by the most brilliant of Highstorm’s minds. A great spread of developing inventions is on display, such as electrified gloves, boots that seem to flash and affix to the walls, and even a small craft in a pool, that if boarded, will allow a bearer to take off and offer a leisurely glide around the academy grounds. Thalissa Brightspark watches over all of it and will encourage Bearers to try any number of inventions out. (And feel free to make up your own Zenitec inventions! The possibilities – as Thalissa would say – are endless!)
• An area that seems to be struggling is the Tomes, where Bearers can find that the large stacks of books and libraries have to carefully maintain the paper tomes, and prevent them from absorbing too much moisture from the chill air. The building itself is dry, but now if you wish to leave with a book, they will demand that you pay for it, if only because some of these books may be priceless, and they’ve had too many accidental droppings to just loan any books outside of the building. A small floating gondola travels around the tome area, something of a whimsical pop-up from a certain café on the corner. They will hand out drinks, and new characters may find that they will take one look at your shard, before offering you a drink unique do you. It can taste like whatever you like, but your fortune will be at the bottom of the cup.
• And of course, there is the Theater, long in disrepair after the blight, while Bearers were gone the Theater was not only rebuilt, it has begun to thrive under the control of its owner, Khojin, who presides over it with pride. After all, this was a dream of hers to have the theater reopened, and with the new Bearers, the Theater has been running dramatic retellings of several incidents from Kenos’s history, one in which Khojin was convinced to star in herself, about the Twilight Strike, and the revenge sought by Meridian for the death of their leader. Missing, of course, is any implication that Zenite loyalists have been involved, and if asked on the subject, Khojin will say that whatever a fringe foolishly tried to do, she did her duty to Zenith, and defended Highstorm. What they did was not of concern to her, just what she did herself.

ALENROUX

Alenroux is a pastoral land, though the village there has expanded to something of a bustling town.

• The vast fields of farmland, the deep forests where monsters lurk during the night, and the odd 48-hour days mean that Alenroux is rife for exploration during the day, and monster hunting at night. Bearers have helped stave off the monster threat from overtaking Alenroux, and they are no longer required to leave at night. The garrisons of Meridian and Zenith also keep things relatively calm. The people in Alenroux are generally friendly, open, and happy to speak to Bearers about their homes, and their favorite foods, or even share their own local delicacies with you! Some are from scattered worlds and may be able to share with you something new and unique that you’ve never seen before!
• While the Garrisons have done their best, there are plenty of dangerous creatures that stalk the woods, and gobble up any Alenroux natives that may skulk into the forests at night, desperate for acclaim. It's become something of a sport to hunt down monsters, and small groups of young Kenosians take off in small vehicles (think steampunk ATVs) in packs to hunt them down, and they will encourage Bearers to do the same if they want some notoriety. Though the city of Alenroux itself is relatively safe, the monsters still lurk in the woods and will attack not even a mile outside of the walls of Alenroux. (Some examples of monsters: 1; 2; and 3 – but please feel free to make whatever you want! Live out your monster hunter fantasies!) The citizens of Alenroux’s hamlet would be endlessly grateful if you handled the creature pestering their pastures, or the one that stalks the path between two distant neighbors. They may even thank you with a home-cooked feast, and a restful bed for the rest of the night.

KOWLOON/OLD SPRINGSTAR

In the site of what used to be Springstar, Bearers will find the bustling city of Old Springstar, also called Uptown by locals. The city is a series of leftover districts from the Uplifting, coupled with large craters where the population has built up and turned into massive pits of housing and commerce.

• Old Springstar is a sprawling mix of remaining buildings, shacks, and structures erected in the craters. It is not uncommon to see teens on small magic-powered sleds take to “surfing” down the sides of the craters to raucous laughter under the light of Meridian’s sun. The entrances to the Below are no longer sewer pipes, but instead excavated openings, where travel is freely maintained. While the tunnels between Uptown and Downtown are certainly no less maze-like than they were before, the path between the two is much more worn and obvious, and large transport mechanisms drive supplies from one to the other via mechanical sleds, to bring food, mechanical materials, new inventions, and of course – Kowloon's primary export these days: certain drugs into the world at large.
• The underground city is awash with lights both magical and powered, organic-looking wires spread everywhere within Kowloon, and the high walls of Kowloon’s caverns have now been filled with various pop ups or small holes where vagrants have moved in. Real-estate is rare in Kowloon, and they have learned to adapt to this circumstance, even as somehow the population grows. After all, it's a place for those who turn away from society to thrive. There are gambling dens where you bet with more than your coin, brothels to satisfy any degenerate fantasy, and even Arjun’s Cache has become more of a franchise, with locations both Downtown and Uptown, where you can find nearly any invention you can dream of, and if you can’t – tell one of Arjun’s attendants, and who knows, maybe Arjun will get word of what you seek, and next time you visit, there will be something new.
• Beware, however, for these neutral locations are as dangerous as they are free. Gangs run the streets of both locations and those with unusual appetites (such as cannibals and vampires) roam the streets of both Downtown and Uptown openly. Disappearances and murders happen frequently, and Skysong’s military enforcement does not look down below, so the citizens of Downtown and Uptown are truly on their own.

SETTING UPDATES

For new players, this post is the first after a large timeskip in which Shard-Bearers have been asleep for a whopping 114 years! If you would like to read more about this, you can find the information on this post, but it is not required. More just helpful information or directions for some things that have changed in the setting!

As new shard-Bearers take in the city over the month, they’ll notice there is an electric air, as Bearers have returned after a long, long absence. Old Bearers will feel something like new Bearers again, as they are reintroduced to cities that have changed while they slept.

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

CULT OF PERSONALITY

Old Bearers were kept in remarkably good condition as they slept during the last Oracle event. Those who did not die were left in what amounted to public viewing spaces. Some left gifts, effigies, or even food or baked goods that were distributed to locals in need in the name of the Bearers while they were gone. We leave what was left and how their cult/fandom grew fully in the hands of players! For new Bearers, on the other hand, you may quickly find that you're gaining a fanbase. The Shard-Bearers are the heroes that will lead people to their foretold home, so you're treated as a celebrity and a hero once you're known as a Shard-Bearer.

A CRACK IN THE SLAB

Now that Springstar has fully lifted from the ground, and spread into the sky, Kowloon has spread itself further into the remains of Springstar. Many of Kowloon’s establishments have made their way to the surface, including Draumahol, the Last Dance, and CACHE has a second franchise on the surface. What is now called “Old Kowloon”, features the poorer or criminal elements of the city, including many experimental minds and inventors, looking for an avenue into discoveries that are not sanctioned by either Meridian or Zenith, since they still have ready need of bodies and desperate souls. It's a perfect place to find trouble or stop trouble, if that's what you're looking for. Or maybe you're just in the market for something a little less than legal...?

CAST A LONG SHADOW

After the waking of the Bearers the attention of the darkness beyond seems to have reawakened with them... Oblivion has returned to hungrily look back upon Kenos, now that it has greedily feasted on so many worlds. The darkness seeps into Kenos at every corner. The dark waters that look just a touch too deep, the shadows that you cannot quite peer into, and the dark forests of Alenroux and the Beyond are all rife places for the darkness to creep in. There are some whispers of fear, as while the Bearers had slept, Oblivion had seemingly turned away from the land, but now it returns in full force – stronger than ever – thanks to the choices of Bearers and even now, it still hungers, insatiable as it turns its wide maw upon Kenos, ready to c̷̨̨̻͕̞̭̼͈̣̮̖̤̣̗̱͂̾̿͛́̏͆͠o̵̻̲͍̟͌n̴̞͈͈̙̻̗͖̗͎͇͈̦͆͆̐́̈́̑̐̽s̶̡̢̨̬̞͙̩̳̝͈͚̟̱̹̻̍ṵ̵̹͚͚̬̜͚̈́̍͆̐̓͒̋̈́̉́m̶̛͍͎̠͔͕͉̭͖̞͉̈͂̃͑̋̆͗̏̋͘̚ë̸̞̜̩͇͖̮̒̏̀̅̄̆. Encountering the darkness can come with some of the following effects:

• Physical weakness, fatigue, and lethargy due to drained vitality
• Weakened immune systems and increased susceptibility to illnesses
• Premature aging or potential death from chronic exposure Mental effects including despair, hopelessness, and depression
• Distorted perceptions, hallucinations, and erosion of mental resilience
• Spread of fear, distrust, and paranoia within communities

LET’S DO THE TIME WARP AGAIN

As mentioned, Bearers both new and old have stumbled onto a Kenos that is far different than the world it once was! There are new faces, new locations, and the cities have changed drastically – time has skipped forward by 114 years since the last event. Bearers will be required to explore this new landscape as much as possible to get their bearings in a new world. Why not rope in a new person to join you as you explore the new Kenos, and you can discover it together?

OOC NOTES

Welcome to Kenos! As a reminder, all new players need to submit a request, and proceed through player screening to apply to the game. Apps are always open, but at this time we are only accepting characters that will be choosing Zenith as their faction. Please keep this in mind when submitting your Application!

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

This TDM is intended to welcome new players. If you are a current player, we ask that you refrain from top-leveling in this log. If you would like to interact with the setting changes, we ask that you instead make a log in kenoslogs.

FOR NEW PLAYERS:

When characters emerge from their cocoon/the ground, they may be wearing their normal clothes or nude. Up to you! Some may also show up with a dark mark that looks like teeth marks on their person. The marks are pitch black and seem to absorb all light.

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

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

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

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

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

CODING

Comments

[holonethero]

The Jedi Way is to be as conscientious as possible, when faced with a conflict and a choice.

[Which he recognizes is both not helpful to someone unfamiliar with the Jedi, and also cryptic. Yoda would probably be proud of him for even attempting that, rather than his usual bluntness. Still, he smiles at the stranger. He really does want to talk and learn, he's just bad at it.]

I'd like to hear about him as you knew him, all the same. And about your beliefs, if you're willing to share. I don't disagree with you, but I also am at a point where I don't entirely know what to believe. I'm sure you understand that this is all a lot to take in.

[sterngaze]

[Anakin’s answer might be vague and cryptic, but it makes Liem smile a little just the same. He seems approving.]

That is the way of my faith, also. Abadar frowns on impulsiveness.

[The name is probably just as foreign to Anakin as “jedi” is to Liem—though it’s possible he may have heard it, if he’s spent time in Alenroux and visited the Church of the Key there.]

I have been asleep for a long time, but when I lived here previously, and the previous tribune still lived, Agapitos Voreen was the head of a successful family of boutique-owners operating in the Empório District. His family was known for nurturing commerce in the area by mentoring new businesses, and I respected him considerably.

He was, however, also quite vocal about thinking Meridian should be taking a harder stance against Zenith. It seems that leaning has expressed itself consistently in his policies as tribune.

[holonethero]

So, with a gap in power he moved in and started taking a more hardline stance.

[Anakin nods to himself, as that makes sense. He knew about the stasis, and he had heard something about an assassination, so that tracked. He eyed Liem once again, this time appraising him.]

Do you believe the same stance is necessary?

[sterngaze]

[Liem accepts the stranger’s appraisal without quibble or comment, still familiar with the mindset of the newly-arrived despite the fact that he himself chose a faction to support well over a year ago. And, while scrutiny used to make Liem nervous, he’s learned to receive it with more calm in the past few years.]

That depends on what you mean when you say “necessary.”

[He clasps his hands idly in front of him, apparently unconcerned to be answering “that depends” to a question that is absolutely calling the leadership of Skysong’s primary leader into question.]

If Skysong and Highstorm were simply neighbours warring over opposing ideologies, I would say that seeking peace would be the best for people of both settlements, so they could work towards prosperity together. That is not Tribune Voreen’s goal, though. His goal is to put his city in a good position to win the Oracle war, and for that purpose perhaps it is necessary.

[holonethero]

[Anakin tilts his head, watching the calm reaction. It's good to know this isn't a question that's unexpected at least. He doesn't really know the whole context of the Oracle War, but he's gathered by now that it is over the metaphysical conflicts. The return of the dead versus the forging of a new path...which he doesn't necessarily agree with.]

What is war save an ideological difference? Is there no compromise in this conflict that could be had? Or concerns over the entity that started all of this in the first place? I'm not trying to be difficult, but would winning destroy Oblivion and prevent its return? Or would it be able to circle back and start all of this again?

[sterngaze]

[Though the tall young man raises a good point, and Liem doesn’t disagree with him, he’s moved further from this more neutral point of view over the many months he’s spent in Kenos. The conflict that seems to rule this place is too deeply-ingrained to make cooperation a likely outcome, and the stakes are too high to risk failure on such unlikely odds.]

My impression from the time I’ve spent here is that the matter of Oblivion is separate from the conflict between Meridian and Zenith. It came for our worlds, it pursued us to this one, and it will surely follow to whatever world Zenith makes if they leave it be; it will need to be dealt with regardless of who wins.

[Whether that means destroying it entirely, or simply casting it out or sealing it away, the end result would be the same. Failing to do so would be disastrous.]

There is merit, I think, to the idea of working with the other side to ensure this future. However, when both sides are also working to destroy the future of the other, there can be no peace.

[holonethero]

[Anakin makes a small, disgruntled noise in the back of his throat. He does understand that this conflict is...big. That both sides have long-ingrained reasons to want to fight one another. A part of him sympathizes, too, but he's stubborn and the stranger has hit on the thing he thinks they should be doing.]

It seems to me as though both sides should be fighting to ensure they'll even have the opportunity, first, by dealing with the common enemy. I could be wrong, but that's what I'd do.

[Shaking his head, he sighs again.]

Sorry. That's...just where my thoughts keep turning.

[sterngaze]

[For his part, Liem remains unbothered by and perhaps even sympathetic to the man’s point. He’s long considered war to be a last resort, and something to be turned away from at the first reasonable opportunity. The costs involved are generally just too high to be worthwhile.

But he has long since inured himself to the necessity of being involved in this world’s conflict.]

You may have luck finding other shard-bearers who agree with you. I know some of us are of a more neutral bent, having only been here for a year or two at most.

Oblivion has been nipping at our heels for most of that time, it seems like. But for the locals, it’s a new threat. They’ve been at odds with each other for generations without Oblivion being a factor at all, so their perspective is bound to be a little different.

[holonethero]

Hopefully I can. And hopefully I can make a difference, or change some minds.

[He's not sounding terribly optimistic, but Anakin is nothing if not someone who'll try his hardest.

Shaking his head, he blows out a breath and offers his hand and a slight change of topic.]

I'm Anakin Skywalker, by the way. I should've led with an introduction, probably.

[sterngaze]

[Even if he hasn’t been telling Anakin things he’s happy to hear, Liem nods, seemingly in agreement, at the other man’s words. He truly wishes him the best in that endeavour; though Liem is himself devoted to Meridian, and to a fairly high degree by this point, he obviously agrees that the matter of Oblivion should be addressed in some way.]

It’s a pleasure to meet you, Anakin Skywalker.

[What a very apt name considering the city in which they now find themselves; it’s a shame that Anakin doesn’t seem to be especially impressed with it. Liem reaches out and clasps the offered hand briefly, his grip firm and callused despite his clerical garb.]

I am Liem Talbott. A shard-bearer of Meridian, as you no doubt surmised, and also a priest of Abadar. When the tribune is not hosting events such as this, I am usually tending the Church of the Key, in Alenroux.

[holonethero]

[Anakin's grip is oddly cold, his mechanical hand hidden in it's glove not quite warm to the touch. But it is firm.]

You're a priest?

[Anakin sounds a little surprised, honestly. He wasn't aware of many religious orders outside of the Jedi, and that was less religious and more a way of life. Still, he's always been curious about those that pray.]

Is your faith something from your homeworld?

[sterngaze]

[Even if Liem’s hand is not made of metal, it probably isn’t all that much warmer than Anakin’s prosthetic. His circulation is really terrible, and his metabolism is half-unliving; even in Skysong’s heat, he can only manage to be lukewarm.]

It is, yes.

[Liem nods, and though he shows little outward sign of being obviously pleased by Anakin’s question, he is always happy of the chance to discuss his faith.]

Abadar, the Master of the First Vault, was one of many gods presiding over that world. His faith is concerned with the growth and prosperity of civilized peoples, particularly in the areas of law and commerce. The church often worked with local governments, acting as a regulatory body in associated matters.

[holonethero]

[Anakin blinks, quietly considering what he's hearing. It's interesting, and he does like hearing about people's beliefs, though in his head, the only thing that really sticks out is...]

So he's a god of banking and law?

[Not...the most graceful question, but that's what he got out of that. Go easy on him, Liem.]

[sterngaze]

[Anakin’s extremely simplified understanding of Liem’s explanation earns him only a small nod, because even that description is not wrong.]

Among other things.

[Though Liem doesn’t give the other man any attitude for his question, Anakin has definitely signed himself up for yet more explanation about the most unexciting religion imaginable.]

Cities, as well. In lands far to the east of my own country, he was known as the God of Walls and Ditches, and was associated more with the building of earthworks.

More broadly, Abadar is a god of civilization. He teaches us that all things fit together in a certain way, and that the orderly expansion of civilization brings prosperity to places afflicted with adversity and chaos.

[holonethero]

[Anakin is more than willing to listen. It may not be exciting, but he's asked and so he has committed.

God of Civilization? That's a bit more impressive, and he knows pretty well how important earthworks are.]

He sounds like a good one to take lessons from. A lot of places where I'm from could use a bit more civilizing.

Though gods aren't really a big part of our lives. The Republic doesn't really have a State religion as such, other than the Jedi.

[sterngaze]

The worship of gods was quite standard in my own country. Some might haven chosen not to worship, I suppose, but none could deny their existence.

[Obviously, as gods go, Liem is most attached to the one his own church serves. He might respect the importance of others, but he’s devoted himself in service only to Abadar, and he has been serious about that service for many decades.

Still, he has long been interested in religions of all kinds, regardless of how much or how little they have to do with him. Anakin’s mention of the Jedi for the second time tempts his curiosity.]

What is the Jedi Way, if you do not follow the guidance of a deity?

[holonethero]

The Will of the Force.

[He sounds almost reverent about the words, his head dipping as he adopts a more somber attitude.]

The Force is the essence of life. The...energy...that binds all living things together. Some of us can feel it, sense it. People who can do that become Jedi, and we use it to protect those that can't protect themselves, to maintain peace and stability, and other teachings. The Force has a will of it's own, and we try to interpret that will, and to live as it wishes us to.