THE HORRORS OF OBLIVION | [@]MERIDIAN

[damnpire]

[D's communion into Meridian aligned minds is like a very polite knock at the door, except when the door is finally opened, a rush of icy wind blows in. No warmth or mirth can be found in the space of his mind, though it's a surprisingly gentle, dark void despite the chill. It's familiar for anyone who has had a communion with him, but probably kind of eerie for those who haven't.

It's also pretty quiet now actually.]

I made an attempt to Reincarnate the late Tribune. [He delivers this all very clinically, very factual.] It failed, but not because he hadn't been willing.

Something else had been inside him. [Can Nothing be something?] It had cleaned his soul out, if he had one at all, and left him as a husk. There was no soul to shift into another body.

It spoke through him. It said, "We never would have been able to Enter without the Choices that have been made."

[:wooper:]

Comments

[damnpire]

[The churn from D's mind is like a consideration.]

If this kind of entropy continues to exist, it won't matter which of our sides win. It will eat returned worlds and new world alike.

[leicesters]

But there's a real possibility Zenith are weaponising that against us somehow, and that's what happened to Cyrus, don't you think? We can't rush into a potential trap when we're already in disarray.

[damnpire]

I know. Not about telling them. Just in general.

This is something larger than the fight for the Oracles.

[leicesters]

Yeah, no kidding. Hopefully there are still those on the other side who will feel the same way, but I won't count on it.

I'd suggest if you can try using that ability of yours on more corpses, see what you can learn. If you can get a corpse of Zenites who fell in the fighting, checking those should help, too.

[damnpire]

Mm. I'll see what I can do. I'll let you know what I find.

[leicesters]

Thanks. I'll try doing some digging on my end, too.

[damnpire]

If you find someone who has died and retains a body, you can let me know. I'll try Reincarnate on them to see what happens.

It's best if we can figure out if it was using his body, or if it appeared after he died. Regardless, it's worrying it was in someone with a lot of sway.

[leicesters]

I saw my fair share of the dead during the fighting, but I imagine most of the bodies will have been moved by now. Your best bet is to ask the Legionary if you can access them.

But yeah -- influential people disappearing and being replaced by others imitating their appearance was something a certain group in my world used, so I wouldn't rule it out here, too. Though if that was the case, wouldn't it be counterproductive for Zenith to then assassinate him...?

[damnpire]

I'll ask.

[When D finally learns the Femblems all know each other.]

If it's something detrimental to Zenith, too, then perhaps not. It just happened to kill two birds with one stone. But I'm wondering if Cyrus was himself, and that had been inside of him. Waiting. I got feelings of fear, of being hunted, like the dreams others had when dispelled.

Whatever it was did tell me without the choices made, they wouldn't have been able to enter. Maybe his assassination unintentionally triggered the opening they needed to get inside him. If it's entropy... death could be the gateway.

[redsoil]

[ whispers ]

How about a Zenite Shard-Bearer that we know of — and we would have access to? I could get him for you, with a little work.

[damnpire]

[(cat who knocked over onion meme) YOU!!!!!!]

...Who? As long as they aren't defiled, I'd like to investigate.

PRIVATE.

[redsoil]

[ He nearly says that he wouldn't defile them, wow!! And then he looks at the dark curse around his wrist with all the souls he defiled and, uh.

Noted, D. ]

His name is Manon. Have you heard of our dealings with him?

ALSO PRIVATE

[damnpire]

[MANON?!?!?! PAX?! Also (looks at Set's already defiled hands)]

The "monster" of Alenroux?

[redsoil]

A Zenite assassin. He became disillusioned and attempted to flee to Springstar, but was experimented on by Aetós — we hade a whole debate over his fate.

[ Set declares it, solemn but divinely flippant. Of course a debate was held, and he was part of it! ]

He ran, soon after we interrogated him for the final time. I bet we could track him down again, if he is not dead. Zenith wanted him eliminated. Aetós could have taken him back. There are unknown variables, but he would be a good target.

[damnpire]

[A Zenite assassin. Why are there so many Zenite assassins. "There are Meridian ones, too." Listen.

D's mind does a little thoughtful churn. He feels so tiredly frustrated about Aetós. When you hate a person's methods, but need to speak to them... Meanwhile, Set is just radiating Nobility vibes, too.]

I had planned to see if I could speak to Aetós. Perhaps finding one will lead to finding the other. But would Aetós give up Manon?

[redsoil]

Let us ask among the Church, first. If anyone has an idea where Manon fled to [ or maybe he's in witsec ] we can at least begin there.

[ also, set's mind folds in a little, like hands seeking to cradle d protectively ]

— I do not want you seeking Aetós out. They all too often ask for the right to experiment on your Shard in return for information.

[damnpire]

Alright.

[Spill your secrets, Church. D really stands there in his mind palace like :man_standing: while Set coddles his brain pan.]

I think they could have information useful to us, or would at least know where to look. [...] I'd rather it be me than anyone else.

It's something I'm familiar with.

[Experimentation.]

[redsoil]

And I would rather it be anyone else!

[ Snapping the words, Set's horribly possessive little hands curl into claws; a cat seeking to keep something it wants from escaping or being taken from it.

Anubis has been experimented on enough. Osiris has torn him apart, body, mind and soul too often for Set to let him go through with this. HE IS YOUR DAD NOW, D!!! ]

We have already had enough people engage with their experiments, your willingness may not net any further gains. The Church or General Zaman likely know where Manon is — he fled to us after all. We start there, not with Aetós.

[damnpire]

[Damb, when Dad is mad at you for being self-sacrificial... What churns under Set's clawing isn't annoyance so much as a very teenager-like resignation and exasperation.]

Fine.

[He thinks arguing Set about it won't get them anywhere. Set is very stubborn.]

We can start with them.

[The "but if that fails, then the lack of morality dude" is left unsaid.]