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abraxasooc2022-01-20 09:31 am
abraxasmods) wrote in abraxasooc2022-01-20 09:31 am
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TEST DRIVE MEME #5
TEST DRIVE MEME
Welcome to the fifth test drive meme for Abraxas! This meme is run a little bit differently than most in that you'll be asked to choose one of the three different arrival scenarios below for your character to take. If you have any questions about this mechanic or anything else related to the TDM, please take a look at the questions below or ask one of your own under the Questions header below. For general game questions please still use the FAQ.
Our Setting pages are full of information on the world of Abraxas, and an overview of the story so far can be found on our Game History page! Anything on that page - including information about the Horizon and the Singularity - can be assumed to be told to newcomers after they arrive, no matter which faction they are received in. For more information on Ambrose and the apprentice mages, Marlo, and Rowan, please see our NPCs page.
You can also find answers to questions asked on previous TDMs in their respective questions threads— 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Arrival
You awaken suspended in the abyss, silent darkness stretching out in all directions. If you try to yell, you'll find that the sound doesn't carry. If you try to move, you'll find it's impossible to tell whether or not you're actually getting anywhere. If you reach for an item you were carrying last time you remember being awake, your hand will only touch bare skin.
You're naked and floating helplessly through the void, and what little air you have in your lungs is running out.
There's a pinprick of light that almost looks like a faraway star but as it grows it becomes clear that it's actually quite close. Through the opening you can see a bright room, but it's hard to make out any individual objects, as if you're looking from beneath rippling water.
Scenario One: Welcome to Thorne
A hand plunges through and you realize water is just what it is. Whether you take hold of the hand or not it will grab you and yank you up through the surface, lifting you out until you're sprawled on solid ground. Once you catch your breath, you can get a better look at the surroundings: tall trees and even taller stone pillars surround the platform you're laying on. Behind you is an ornate fountain, the base of which is so deep and so dark you might be compelled to scramble away from it lest it suck you back in to that endless abyss. Ahead of you are the walls of a large castle with several tall towers reaching up towards the sky.
If you had any powers, they feel unusually weak. Attempts to use magic or enhanced strength or powers of any sort fizzle out without any effect, but they don't feel completely gone, either.
Set into an indent on a marble slab behind the fountain is a card bearing the image of one of the arcana.
An apprentice mage - the one whose hand lifted you out of the fountain - brushes the water off on their robes and runs back to join a group of three others, who all stare intently at a mage with highly decorated robes and a large, heavy book. He peers up at you for a moment and starts flipping through the book.
"One moment," he says, not bothering to look up from the tome. He looks tired. "I am Ambrose Rhett, the High Mage of the Kingdom of Thorne. We’ll explain everything in a moment, but for now, please calm down. You’re completely fine."
Regardless of your response, he keeps flipping through the pages, until he stops on one specific passage, stares at it for a moment, and then sighs with relief:
"Finally!"
Ambrose's expression brightens, relief visible across his features. He waves one of the apprentices over with a fine silk tunic, pants, and some basic sandals and with a wave of his hand they reshape to fit you perfectly.
"Oh, thank heavens," he says, closing the book and approaching you with a sort of worn-out relief. “I was beginning to believe we’d never get it exactly right.”
Now that he's not hunching over the book, he doesn't seem quite so stuffy and inapproachable. The apprentices all seem to visibly relax, and the one that handed you the tunic stops to take the tarot card down from the marble slab. If you show any curiosity about the card, they'll let you take a longer look, but won't let you touch it.
"Please, come with me," he says, motioning for you to follow him towards the castle. "As promised, my pupils will explain your current situation. And, ah - if you had any magic of your own, or other special abilities you can't access right now, fear not, they'll return within the week. The summoning takes a lot out of you."
One of the apprentices steps forward and rattles on and on about the castle, Thorne itself, the names of a bunch of royals and nobles, and of course, your reason for being here. The Kingdom and the world itself is in great peril, and tales of your exploits have reached far and wide across universes. If asked about these exploits, the apprentice will simply smile and shrug. The High Mage was happy to see you and that's good enough.
Once inside the castle you're taken to the North Wing, which has been set up as living quarters for you and your fellow newcomers. There are four people to a room, but each generously-sized bed has opaque curtains that can be drawn around it. You can meet your roommates here and discuss your shared situation (those who were previously brought in may have a great deal of information to tell you), or you can wander around and meet the others.
There's also a dining hall stocked with a rotating 24/7 buffet in celebration of the new honored guests. Somehow, your very favorite food is part of the rotation (or at least an attempted recreation of it given the limited technology available to the Thorneans). The town surrounding the castle is all abuzz as well, with most shops and services willing to give free samples of their wares to the new arrivals.
You may also notice that your sign is embroidered on your tunic: the same image you saw on the card from before with the name of the sign itself beneath it. If you ask the castle residents, they'll tell you a little bit about your sign (and will mostly stick to the positives, although some might point out the negatives).
Last (and, if you ask anyone else in the castle, least) there is a worn stone staircase leading underground to the dungeon. You can go there, if you wish, but all powers are restricted in the dungeons and most of the cells stand empty.
Scenario Two: Welcome to Cadens
You find yourself pulled from the water by a pair of strong hands. Dry warmth hits you at once as you're set on a warm hard floor. As your senses return you realize you're on dull ruddy stone and surrounded by strangers. Men and women in unfamiliar uniforms of brown and red leather stand in a semi-circle around a small pool of water. The very pool you were just pulled from. The water is still now, rimmed in pale gold tiles with odd symbols etched into them. Across it on the far side is a raised pedestal with a card propped on it. The card bears an arcana symbol.
You feel weak. Drained. Any abilities or magical powers you have seem far away and impossible to access. You're in what looks like a cave lit by dozens and dozens of torches set into the wall. There's no furniture or decoration to be seen besides the pool. It's almost uncomfortably warm and there's the sound of rushing wind somewhere in the distance. Flickering shadows obscure the faces of the guards. A robed woman stands off to the side, looking at you anxiously and then to the authoritative woman standing before you. She's grinning, dressed in a fancier uniform than the others. There's a sword at her hip. A guard covers you with a blanket and returns to their place in the semi-circle.
The woman with the sword gives a nod of approval and smiles warmly.
"Sorry about the circumstances."
She gives you a good hard look before standing again.
"Take a minute, catch your breath, you've had quite a shock. Take it nice and easy. I'm Prime Minister Marlo Reiner and you're in The Free Cities. That nice lady over there will explain everything to you and get you settled." A nod to the robed woman off to the side.
Marlo Reiner steps back and the robed mage approaches to help you up.
"Come with me, please." She brings you out of the cave through a corridor that angles upwards until you emerge in what looks like some kind of storage facility. Shelves of wooden boxes and cloth bags line them, unidentifiable parts of what might be machines are tucked into corners and propped against shelving units. "This is one of the Free Cities' outposts," the mage explains as she leads you. "We're honored to have you with us, I'm sure you have many questions but please save them. You need to recover!"
You'll learn you're in the Cadens Desert Outpost 003, a military outpost on the outskirts of Cadens city. You're brought to a room in the barracks that's been prepared. Each barracks room is rather sparse and utilitarian. Six simple beds set against the wall, three on each side of the room, each with a trunk at the foot of it. You're told the world is in a delicate and dangerous times and you're needed to help. You're important, you're told, and they're very grateful you're here.
You're asked to stay close for the time being, but to make yourself at home. The outpost is more a proper military base than the name implies, with full facilities. The barracks have a communal bathing room at the end of the hall, with curtains that can be pulled around the individual raised round tubs for privacy. There's a mess hall that has food available from sun up till a few hours after sundown. You're even encouraged to make use of the training grounds, if you'd like, with non-lethal training weapons available for use and obstacle courses set up. And the city of Cadens is only a couple of hours away by wagon - though you're asked initially to please be back at the outpost within a few hours of the sun going down.
For your own safety.
Scenario Three: Welcome to Solvunn
The feeling of floating is the first sense that comes to you as the edges of unconsciousness start to ebb. Sunlight filters through the rippling water as you open your eyes, making you squint. Before you have the chance to panic and inhale, firm hands grasp your arms and pull you to the surface of the water. Moments later, soft warmth is wrapped around your shoulders as you're guided on unsteady legs out of a pool of water. You're lowered to the soft grass. Men and women in simple garments with lavish embroidery stand by, waiting with bated breath, glancing seriously at an old man in an ornate robe. He holds an old leather-bound book in one hand and in the other is a card bearing an arcana symbol. His eyes move quickly over the page, and he mumbles idly to himself.
Any strength you may have possessed feels as though it has slipped through your fingers. Any abilities or magical powers you have don't come to the surface no matter how hard you try. You're in a grassy clearing in the midst of a circle of large stone slabs stacked to look like doorways. In the middle is the same glimmering pool you were just pulled from. A gentle breeze blows through, carrying the scent of flowers and herbs from an ornately decorated altar set off in front of one of the stone doorways. The mage closes his book and steps out of the water, addressing a matronly old woman. Behind her are two younger people, a rough-looking man, and a meek young girl, both of whom are also watching the mage.
“I detect no ill will from the gods, it seems we've been blessed with success.” Those that had gathered all breathe a sigh of relief and now seem pleased.
The old woman smiles and steps forward, offering to take your hands and help you stand. “Any gift the gods give us is one we will happily take. I'm certain you have many questions, and they will all be answered in time. For now, rest and know you will be taken care of.”
She pats the top of your hand and steps away with a serene smile, letting one of the others come forward with some clothes that seem to fit you perfectly. The rough-looking man from before steps forward once you're decent and motions with his head outside of the stone circle. His speech is informal, his consonants harsh.
“Hold your horses, I can see all those questions coming about! Rowan March, at your service. I'm one of the council members of Solvunn. There's a lot to discuss, but it's best talked about over a hot meal.” He leads you to a horse-drawn carriage and helps you up into the back. He talks the entire ride to the settlement.
You find out you are in the Primary Settlement, the first of three that make up Solvunn's great territory. The settlement is situated between two lakes and is humming with life. You're brought to the center of town and escorted to an apartment above one of the establishments in town. Rowan explains that the living conditions are temporary if you'd like them to be, that local families would also be happy to host you in their home. That there are others like you who have also taken up residence within the three settlements. You're told that the world hangs upon the brink of disaster and that there are those in this world that are happy to see it fall to ruin with their meddling.
You're important. The gods have graced them with your presence. They're delighted you're here. Welcome to Solvunn.
Everything you need has been provided in this humble apartment, and if it hasn't, there are shops that line the streets and a marketplace in the center of town. Owners of some establishments or stalls are more than happy to give out samples or barter with your time for their goods. Babysitting can be a very lucrative business. You're told of the other settlements, that they'd like you to stay here for now, but if you can find a family to host you, the secondary and tertiary settlements are best to get to with an escort.
There are tales of travelers visiting the secondary settlement without invitation disappearing without a trace. The gods are as hungry as they are protective, young traveler.
You’ll find that there are more than enough activities to throw yourself into to better settle into your new life in Solvunn. Work is done in the first part of the day so that families can spend the rest of it together in leisure and work on their crafts - whatever those may be. For those children who are not of school age, they need nannies or storytellers, and there’s always a gaggle of them running about unsupervised. Families with livestock can always take a spare hand, especially since farms are so spread out, they have a tendency to wander. Whatever skills you may possess can always be of use to the community or to honor the gods.
If any of these options are no good for your lifestyle, the main roads between settlements can always use a bit of monster clean-up… just make sure you don’t go alone.
How many slots are open?
Currently, there are 23 slots open for new players. We will process activity check before opening applications, so we will have a better idea of the exact count then. Existing players can apply for a second character without restriction.
How do I choose a scenario for my character?
Pick whichever situation appeals to you most. Which faction your character is drawn into has nothing to do with their personal morality, beliefs, or how highly they regard themselves and their own accomplishments. Anyone can be put into any one of the situations.
Can I try out more than one scenario?
You can! But please keep in mind that only the one you eventually choose can be game canon, if you decide to keep any of your TDM threads.
What happens if my character refuses to comply with the NPCs?
They will be forgiven for their moment of panic or anger if they have one, and the faction leaders will try to calm them and persuade them further. If they put up too much of a fight and/or start actively attacking anyone, they will be warned once that everyone is willing to put them back in the well where they came from (see below), and if they continue to fight they will make good on that promise.
My character intends on causing a lot of trouble (destroying parts of the cities, murdering the NPCs, etc.), what would happen to them?
Characters who make too much trouble for the mages and other NPCs would be thrown back in the well (which will mean drowning in the void, not returning home). Brawling with other PCs and causing minor damage is fine and will be greeted with a cranky attitude and intervention from various NPC guards, and there will be plenty of opportunity for destruction and murder later, but for now the Abraxans have no desire to keep huge liabilities around.
I want to wildcard a prompt or use one of the prompts from an earlier TDM that isn't on this one (eg. the library), can I do that?
Yes, in terms of the settings. As Thorne is no longer imprisoning any newcomers, that option is no longer applicable.
Is the power loss for characters permanent?
No, but it does take a week or so for their powers to be back in full, and certain powers (determined on a case-by-case basis) may require nerfs. If your character has world-breaking powers, please discuss with the mods what modifications may be necessary.
Can my character leave the bounds of the faction?
In Thorne, characters can leave the castle but not the city. In Cadens, they can take a trip from the outpost to the city. In Solvunn, they can explore the entirety of the Primary Settlement.
Can my character eventually change factions?
Yes. While the faction borders are currently closed, there will opportunities in the future for characters to relocate. For the time being, they are stuck where they are.
How much will my choice of scenario affect my character's plot later on?
This choice will determine where your character initially lives as well as the bias of the information they receive from NPCs (although other PCs can and most likely will give it to them a bit more straight). This decision - and every other major decision you make in game! - will also be used to flavor some mod surprises that will be coming down the line.
Don't get too anxious about this choice, though; this is just one choice you'll get to make in a game that has a lot of them, and every character in every scenario can work their way towards many, many individual goals and outcomes. You're not locking yourself out of anything in the future via the choice you made on the TDM. It will primarily impact the immediate future with the far-reaching effects being up to each player.
Are TDM threads mandatory for my application?
No, you may use other samples, but we encourage you to post to the TDM and get a feel for this game and its mechanics before you join. If you do not have a TDM thread you will still need to choose one of the three scenarios on your application.
What if I haven't settled on a sign yet?
You can ignore sign-related prompts if you're undecided (or try out different signs in different threads).
Can my character go to the Horizon?
First time visitors to the Horizon must be taken there by other characters, through either shared meditation or a physical journey to the Singularity, and all first-timers experience memory loss. For the purposes of the TDM, we suggest against using the Horizon.
What about making use of the network?
Much like Horizon they would need to be introduced to it by another PC, as no NPCs would be aware of the network or be able to access it. Because of this we would advise against using this mechanic for TDM top-levels.
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Instead, he turns his attention to Hythlodaeus' explanation of his arrival, offering nods where appropriate, though save for a moment of agreement on the matter of their summoners requiring tomes to draw forth those they call into this world he says nothing until Hythlodaeus finishes speaking.]
I had wondered how it was done here. My own arrival took place elsewhere. [A pause and a shrug] Though one would think they might find a way that did not require the newly-arrived to do so both wet and cold.
[Needless to say, it had not been something he had cared for. Least of all for his perennial distaste of the cold in general. But rather than say as much, there's simply another pause. An almost companionable silence, if one that stretches but a moment longer]
And while there is certainly something to be said for simply speaking a thing, I would have been perfectly capable of reading your memory of it, had you preferred.
[It's offered as gently as he can - not a condemnation nor a correction, but simply an option freely given. An offer that Hythlodaeus is free to make use of or not as he sees fit.
He does not - yet - address his own skepticism about some of the claims made about the world in which they have found themselves. And while it is certainly not impossible that it may be on the brink of disaster he has hardly seen much to show for it. To say nothing of the claims he has heard about the Singularity being the source of all worlds. He is well aware that time may pass differently from one shard to another, but that this world might also do so seems... doubtful. Especially without further proof.
Still, the corners of his mouth flicker upwards just a bit at their old joke - and the meaning behind it - even as he offers his answer.]
You have ever had a knack for finding weaknesses; surely it's not too far a stretch to imagine that might be of use here? And though this may be a far cry from our own world, your familiarity with all that passed through the Bureau of the Architect may see some use besides.
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[A laugh- gentle yet animated, flowing, comes from him at that. The faint turn of his eyes away indicates, yes. He's still quite mortified over it. When the old woman approached him in such a state of undress at the summoning he hadn't any idea where to put himself.
The way his eyes turn back indicates that perhaps he would like to know more of this other place, alluded to yet so briefly and dismissed with such a shrug. His lip quirks, just slightly, and it appears he's a breath away from asking something. Was it Thorne? Or the Free Cities? He'd heard much about these places during his conversations with the locals. And really, he's quite curious.
Still. There's time for all of that. That and more. For now, the even more interesting matter is Emet-Selch's new (to Hythlodaeus' thinking, anyway) ability.]
Ah, mastery of both the Underworld and the mind? ...As ever, I've picked the right talent to redouble any paltry contribution I might make to all of this.
[Joke aside, It stands to sense he had expanded his power. For after all, Their world was so long ago. Their relative youth, really. Now so distant. Such a talented mage, of course, over multiple millennia, would have new tricks. ...And he's so proud. Quietly, but genuinely so. ]
Should you feel any need, you're welcome to dig. There shall be no resistance on my end! ...But... [And it's a small 'but', that comes with his eyes coming back to him, a faint bump of his... well, upper arm really, given he's so much taller than Emet-Selch's new body, bumping shoulders is all but impossible-] ...I must admit, this is rather fun. And I did miss the sound of your voice.
[And honestly. Each and every one of Emet-Selch's little tirades of this inconvenience, that frustration, articulated in such a theatric fashion, have a special place in his heart. Hearing them mentally (if even afforded that) wouldn't be half as endearing!
A certain look- one of affection- crosses his face. But he sobers. Quickly. And as they lower to regard some of the flowers at their feet, so imperfect, so pointless:]
Ah. About that. It's best I'm upfront with you. My Sight... [His one skill. Allegedly.] ... It's lost to me. My fault, I'm certain.
[It doesn't occur to him to blame the summoners. And it's clear he has little idea that it would return.]
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[Admittedly, he also hadn't been thinking quite as much about it as he could have been, when he'd arrived. Partly on account of having been all but dead at the time, but also quite simply because he's worn his current form for long enough that it simply hadn't registered to him as being properly naked. Not the way he would have been had he not arrived in the possession of a mortal form.
To say nothing of the sheer number of other things that had been imminently concerning, as of his arrival. Still he does take note of the way Hythlodaeus seems to be still mortified over the experience, for all that he says nothing on it. Nor on his own arrival, though as there are other topics at hand perhaps that much is something he can be excused for.]
Memories are composed largely of aether. Still, I have no desire to pry. If naught else, it's hardly the easiest of processes, and - as you say - there is little to compare to the voice of an old friend besides.
[Especially one he had very nearly been on the verge of forgetting, before he'd spotted Hythlodaeus' soul and come looking for him. But that little tidbit is one he means to keep to himself for the time being.
Conveniently, then, Hythlodaeus' comment about his Sight provides an excellent distraction... and prompts a slightly concerned face on Emet-Selch's end.]
Did your summoners not speak of it? To hear it from those who were responsible for mine, something in how we are drawn into this world negates what abilities we might have otherwise had, for a time. A week or so, as I recall? And as my own abilities were rendered all but nonexistent and have long since returned to what they ought to be, I have every faith that so too shall your Sight return to you.
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[And it was strange.
Honestly, Azem's own magicks spring to mind at the mention of summoning. Yet that- whatever that was, wasn't that. This incantation, even to a supposed layman such as he, lacks a great many things to mark it as truly similar- efficiency, elegance, or accuracy (given he had been summoned, surely there was someone better he would add, if he had chosen to vocalize his thoughts.)
The tome the elderly man held had been strange. The card stranger- if only because the same design is on his attire, giving it significance where it would ordinarily have none.
It's all quite the mystery. And he is curious, but it's a mystery he's happy to let wait- for it's been far too long.
He listens, his gaze considered. He has no reason, whatsoever, to ask for further clarification, or even to question what is answered freely, evenly, and concisely. He had not seen the world- any world, actually without his Sight revealing bursts of colour in accompaniment. Even in death, in that terrible little corner of the universe he had been called where the Meteia built their nest, he had not seen without additional layers and layers of meaning added within, little splashes that signified cause, effect, and beauty.
Would this world have beauty when his Sight returned? Or would it be as he saw it now without, somewhat muted- the colours in the sky not quite right, the flowers at his feet somewhat of a sad display, even though they're trying their very hardest?
...He's unsure. But it'd still be worth trying for. And should it be a disappointing sight, at least the sight of someone's soul would still be beautiful. And speaking of which:]
Thank you for explaining. ...I would know about you next, though.
[When he got here. Where. How. Is he well? Each of his questions threaten to spill forth all at once, and they're marked with a faint smile, the lowering of his eyes, and his hand moving to his own chin just lightly to signal restraint. As his eyes raise back to the other man's face-]
If you've a mind to indulge me, I would know everything.
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[It would be odd, of course. And speak to a number of things as to the nature of both the spell involved and those who should happen to be casting it. But it's not impossible. Not entirely.
And of course, that assumes it hadn't been a deliberate action. Which would bring with it any of a number of other questions besides. Of the nature of the politics of Solvunn. Of those who had given them the spell. Of what any of the major cities might have to say - or not say - to their respective Summoned. But that is a matter he can turn to later. If he should come across more proof that it was indeed something done deliberately.
(And in any case, his theorizing on the politics of this world isn't something he wishes to inflict upon Hythlodaeus. Not when the other is so newly arrived, at the least.)
Instead, he waves off Hythlodaeus' offer of thanks, as if to say that it hadn't been any trouble to offer the explanation, and turns his attention to the rest of his friend's words.]
"Everything" is quite the request. Unless you had a more specific starting point in mind?
[It's not a denial, though. Nor anything that would suggest that he is particularly unwilling to answer questions. For now, at least, it would seem that he is more than willing to indulge Hythlodaeus' curiosity.
And if he should come to regret that later, at least he can hardly say he didn't know what he was potentially getting himself it.]
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[Another possibility comes to mind. That his arrival (much less the arrival of so many others) through Solvunn's summoners was the work of flawed men that did not have a true understanding of the forces they would deign to command, yet would utilize them regardless.
Why though?
Was it their star apparently in crisis that forced such measures? Or was he to take what they said at face value, and believe they thought it the will of their gods?
The thought has his gaze drop, his lips move into a terse little line, and the backs of his curled fingers to drum faintly against his jaw. Either of these things instills in him no small amount of unhappiness, that's clear. But he doesn't have enough to go on to suggest it as possibility- as freshly arrived and as unknowing as he was. He'd have to learn how this nation worked before he could posit anything better than idle speculation.
...Much better, (right now anyway) to focus on clarifying that little request. His hand finally uncurls and then lowers back to his side, his gaze raising, and his smile returning, though changed. This one is far more impish.]
Everything. From arrival, if you would be so kind. Adventures. Trials. Successes! ...As well as all else. Spare me no detail.
[He just wants to know how his dear friend is doing. ...It's important to him. And surely hearing about Emet-Selch's time here would go a long way toward that.]
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But then... who? And to what ends?
(He needs to know more of the gods of this world, and the forces behind such things as the Singularity, but it has been slow going even for him.)
But those thoughts are easily enough put aside, even if he can't help but sigh at Hythloldaeus' impish smile and the question that follows.]
As you wish, then.
[The arrival he describes is markedly different - though he, too, arrives wet and cold from being pulling out of a fountain, what he describes is a castle and the mages of Thorne rather those of Solvunn - like Hythlodaeus before him, he takes some care to describe Ambrose to the best of his ability, noting not only that he had been asked to wait before being given any clothes (and that Ambrose seemed to have at least something approximating the barest semblance of their creation magics given that Ambrose had been able to reshape the clothes to fit him) but also that - at the time - there had appeared to be some question over whether or not he would have been welcomed as a guest. The card he describes is different too, the Emperor, to Hythlodaeus' Empress and he turns his hand palm up so that Hythlodaeus can see where he has left it sewn into his sleeve at the wrist even despite having altered his clothes to better suit his preference.
From there, he turns to what he had found in the castle; the tidbits he had learned from his fellow Summoned, both welcomed and not (with a brief stop to mention that there had been those who had found reason to dislike Ambrose for their imprisonment; while he make it clear he himself has no strong feelings either way, he doesn't deny that Ambrose's actions had hardly been the sort to win him any friends from those so shunned). To the events that had followed shortly after his arrival, of being called to the castle courtyard for the summary execution of a man he had barely known but who had been accused of - in Ambrose's own words - 'assault and intentional of lethal harm'. Acts that Emet-Selch had not seen in person, but wouldn't be surprised to learn had been not nearly as dire as had been made out - and he says as much.
And then had come the portals. Ones created by a still-unknown ally, but given the chance to see more of the world he hadn't seen any reason to stay, when he had so few ties to Thorne as it had been.]
Thus, did I follow those others present from our world, and in so doing found myself here.
[There's a shrug with that last. Solvunn may not have been where he would have chosen given more information on the matter, certainly. It's a far cry from Amaurot, or even Garlemald. But he's managed to make enough of a living for himself, and for now that will do.]
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And yes, he finds himself thankful for both the level of detail provided, as well as the patience it must have taken to describe it in its entirety. As he listens, brief sounds of acknowledgment come alongside quiet mumblings of astonishment... and of course, at the mention of Emet-Selch being forced to wait for anything as simple as attire, honestly, he has to laugh. The cuff is focused upon (So he has been marked too...) but of all of things Emet-Selch brings up and goes into his usual remarkable level of detail regarding, Ambrose is what he notes most.
The old man appeared to be the one who called his aether to Solvunn. And after the summoning magicks had fashioned his body, the old one more-or-less faded into the background. Ambrose was the one who would presume to call upon Emet-Selch, and his methods differed, from the sounds of it, taking a more central role himself rather than deferring to a council.
...Interesting.
That one, he would want to explore when he has his bearings.
Some things are received a little less quietly. The mention of the execution for one. For those who had not existed in a world where such measures were utilized, much less needed, something like that would be shocking. And frankly, Hythlodaeus is shocked. The mention of the execution marks a clear contrast between he and Emet-Selch as well. While the other certainly isn't skimming over it as nothing (the comment regarding the validity of the accusation certainly tells him as much), he doesn't appear to be surprised by the idea of a group of people deciding to take another's life as punishment for some perceived wrongdoing.
...Likely because of what happened to him after the Sundering. He finds his mind moving to contemplations of what the other would have had to endure (for honestly. There was so much he didn't know.) and... yes. That's... certainly worthy of a good, long discussion. But now isn't the time.
He's looking distinctly thoughtful again as his friend closes, brow furrowed. Others, though? Perhaps he's hoping against hope, but...]
Ours?
no subject
(Though if there's any comfort to be had it in, it's that his own arrival had been in the warmer months, rather than the current cold. Bad enough that he must deal with colder weather as it is; to have had to deal with arriving from out of a fountain in the middle of same would have been more unpleasant still.)]
Yes, though not of the Etheirys you or I would call home. Rather, they hail from a time beyond ours.
[Long after the Sundering, though given that he isn't entirely certain as to how much Hythlodaeus knows about that - or the truth of what befalls their star - he doesn't address it. Not yet anyway.]
No doubt you will meet at least one of them ere long. A young woman I have had no few dealings with, over the course of our respective travels. The other I know less well, though he tends to be far more reclusive.
for the sake of keeping our first thread simple I'll go like he hasn't met himeka yet!
...Ah.
[He shouldn't have got his hopes up, and honestly, part of him isn't exactly thrilled with himself for allowing that faint sound of disappointment to show through. For what should he have expected? He had knowledge- some knowledge- of the Sundering. Being part of Zodiark's consciousness ensured he knew, well, of bitter defeat at the hands of Hydaelyn. The imprisonment as well. Zodiark's pain was the pain of all of those who had been part of him. ...And while nothing compared to the pain Emet-Selch endured at wandering the shards of their broken world, this pain was enough to have broken quite a few of the souls that were bound alongside Hythlodaeus- rendering them vengeful, spiteful.
When Fandaniel and Zenos had destroyed the seals that bound their god turned caretaker turned prison to the moon- he, as well as all of the others had the opportunity to wander the moon- yet bound still. Most lamented their fate. Most cried out for their lost world, railed against the tragedy of it all- yet he had not. He'd looked upon the surface of the new Etheirys, and he'd reflected. He'd come to terms. ...Even helped someone he dimly recognized. Wished them well. And then at Fandaniel's finishing blow to the heart of Zodiark, he had died alongside all of the others.
So disappointment, of all things...
Perhaps he got ahead of himself. His gaze returns to the other man. And he smiles once more, this one perhaps wan.]
I look forward to it.
[And... Perhaps more prominently...]
I'll have to be honest with you. I'm certain I, as well, am of a time quite different. Last I remember you and I were to set to embark on our journey.
[Not just a journey. Their journey. Their return. Something long-delayed, yes. Not quite to their star, more like a fragment of it. And without Azem, either. But despite those things, just as beautiful as he'd always imagined in the end.]
So I very much hope your future self might deign to forgive me for this further delay!
[A gesture to everything around them. And another smile- this one a little more vibrant.]
And I hope that you would not hold this difference against me. I don't think my heart could take it.
Works for me!
[The disappointment does, at least, not seem to be anything Emet-Selch considers to be a surprise. Not that there are very many people from their time he might have welcomed the appearance of, mind. But the comfort of it, of knowing that one might not be alone... that he knows all too well. Even if there's naught to be done for it.
(There does, admittedly, exist the possibility that another from their time might be summoned to this world. But it is not something that Emet-Selch is going to expect. Least of all when Hythlodaeus' summoning has come so many months after his.)
But he doesn't dwell on that. Nor on the wanness of Hythlodaeus' smile. He does notice the latter, but now is not the time to speak of such things. And in any case he hasn't a foot to stand on - though he knows exactly what Hythlodaeus means by 'our journey' he can't hide the flicker of concern that crosses his face. The hope that they might one day be reunited is something that he has carried with him into the endless future of his duty and yet... he knows the only ways for Hythlodaeus to be freed from his (from Zodiark's imprisonment. And with but one of the Unsundered left he cannot imagine that all the rest of the Rejoinings will have happened so soon.
And yet, who would defeat Zodiark? Who could?]
You would not be the first. Both of the others present from Etheirys have spoken to me of things I cannot recall.
[He shrugs, as if to say he thinks nothing of it - it's mostly the truth, though in both cases it had been less serious than the matter of Zodiark's potential defeat.]
And besides, why should I hold it against you? I am not my future self - and should be more than glad for the company of an old friend.
no subject
[Perhaps it's a little too soon to be speaking so candidly, let alone casually, about that skin he wears. But he wants to be playful. If anything to balance out that little moment earlier and to maybe coax an exaggerated sigh out of the other, in hope of replacing the look of concern at his friend's face. For that look of concern does trouble him.
So! In the spirit of being playful:]
... Perhaps I should tell your future self that you, now, have no complaint when he will. And I would be pleased if you would remember your lack of reservations for when I, in your future, suddenly vanish!
[A small laugh follows. Honestly, he's not even that sure how things would stand in the grand scheme of time with all of this. And hearing that multiple individuals, from multiple times had been targetted...
All of this is quite beyond him. He can only focus on what's familiar. What's more comforting than vague abstract thoughts of potential damage in an area he scarcely understands. Company. For yes, the thought is a (very) welcome one.]
Will you show me where you reside? I'd like to visit. Often.
[You'll likely not be rid of him, actually. But that goes without saying.]