Matthew "The Boy" Jamison (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
semicharmed) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
kenoscomm2024-03-01 04:46 pm
semicharmed) wrote in kenoscomm2024-03-01 04:46 pm
Entry tags:
kenotebook post | ota | tl;dr
[ Yep, this is going to everyone–Matt couldn't think of a way to filter to "only folks who might be interested." Written out in full, it takes up multiple pages of the notebook, so he'll parcel it as needed. ]
Apologies for the long message.
This is twofold: I wanted to share the results of surveying native Kenosians re: which Faction's goal they support, and also share some less organized notes on issues that affect all of us.
[ First up, a section entitled SURVEY, with "special thanks to Gavial, Dimitri, and Ryouma for their contributions." The main points are:
Purpose of the survey, which is to see if residents of Kenos express a clear preference for one Faction's goal or the other.
Limitations, which include timespan (a week), number of respondents, and possible biases due to lack of cultural familiarity with Kenos and lack of trust.
A summary of the survey questions, which include things like I enjoy change in my life, the bigger the better and I often think about regrets I have or things/people I've lost.
Results: Answers track perfectly, with city of origin being the determining factor for alignment with Meridian or Zenith. This held true across Alenroux as well, in contrast to Matt's hypothesis that there might be more variance due to geographic dispersal from centers of Faction power. In a direct vote, Meridian would sweep through population of Springstar alone.
Final notes include the following: The divide in answers is so clean that it represents either serious methodological error or an unusually homogeneous population. On earth we referred to a phenomenon of "political polarization" to indicate deep divides. In this case, I would call the polarization more like that of protons and elections–two forces that repel each other on the level of cells and molecules. ]
SHADOWS/OBLIVION
The groundwork for my understanding is: 1) Our worlds were destroyed or eaten by a vast darkness. Forever? I don't know. 2) When Shards are destroyed, that's for good. My world has a concept of matter and energy converting back and forth, with nothing able to be created or permanently destroyed. But the type of death that comes from Shard destruction is fundamentally subtractive. For the sake of simplicity, I'm going to refer to this concept of subtractive death as oblivion (credit for this term to Set).
Portents:
Shard-Bearers have received at least one vision from the Tree of Life about being forcibly ejected from their bodies while something else walks around inside.
I had a dream recently about being hunted.
Maybe less a portent and more a rumor, but a longtime resident of Kenos has stated that these types of shadows (see below, "Phenomena") are a new occurrence.
Phenomena:
Disappearances across Kenos (not all necessarily attributable to shadows or oblivion)
Shadows (and star/moonlight) of unusual properties that include weird size, burning or slashing, mood changes
I was informed about an oracle trial in which dissipated Shard-Bearers were mimicked by shadow beings who utilized their Shards to do so
My own experience/thoughts:
I have memories of running or fleeing from things made out of darkness before Yima brought me here.
Was almost dragged by shadows into Yima's reflecting pool; subsequent conversation revealed people had died that way and the bodies were never recovered (see above, "Phenomena," bullet point 1).
I saw a facsimile of my older sister at the market in Highstorm. She looked, behaved, and sounded exactly like her. I am not the only one.
I've tried some preliminary attempts to scry into the shadows in Springstar, and wasn't able to find out anything before one of them got me pretty good in the chest. (I'm okay.) I'll update if a future attempt is successful.
There are creatures from my own world that mimic familiar voices/faces to lure prey. There are also creatures that require consent before they can pass certain thresholds, such as those of a home.
Tentative conclusions: Something unique and hungry is coming for all of us. I understand things have been set into motion that can't be taken back, but I would urge anyone reading, if at all possible, to put fighting on hold until we figure out what the hell this stuff is and how to combat it. Or else there won't be a winner left at the end of all this.
Failing that, stay safe. Use the buddy system. Bring a durable light when you go out. Please send any of your own experiences, bad dreams, hunches, clarifications, or corrections. I'll update my own notes as needed.
[ ooc: BLESS YOU IF YOU READ THIS WHOLE THING. Feel free to comment with questions, brainstorming, dragging Matt, whatever. Or equally, feel free to just have your character know the things in here, if you want them to! ]
Apologies for the long message.
This is twofold: I wanted to share the results of surveying native Kenosians re: which Faction's goal they support, and also share some less organized notes on issues that affect all of us.
[ First up, a section entitled SURVEY, with "special thanks to Gavial, Dimitri, and Ryouma for their contributions." The main points are:
SHADOWS/OBLIVION
The groundwork for my understanding is: 1) Our worlds were destroyed or eaten by a vast darkness. Forever? I don't know. 2) When Shards are destroyed, that's for good. My world has a concept of matter and energy converting back and forth, with nothing able to be created or permanently destroyed. But the type of death that comes from Shard destruction is fundamentally subtractive. For the sake of simplicity, I'm going to refer to this concept of subtractive death as oblivion (credit for this term to Set).
Portents:
Phenomena:
My own experience/thoughts:
Tentative conclusions: Something unique and hungry is coming for all of us. I understand things have been set into motion that can't be taken back, but I would urge anyone reading, if at all possible, to put fighting on hold until we figure out what the hell this stuff is and how to combat it. Or else there won't be a winner left at the end of all this.
Failing that, stay safe. Use the buddy system. Bring a durable light when you go out. Please send any of your own experiences, bad dreams, hunches, clarifications, or corrections. I'll update my own notes as needed.
[ ooc: BLESS YOU IF YOU READ THIS WHOLE THING. Feel free to comment with questions, brainstorming, dragging Matt, whatever. Or equally, feel free to just have your character know the things in here, if you want them to! ]
no subject
I couldn't have done it without you, [ he points out--playful, but also totally sincere. And he admits, ] That's how it was with my sister. She's the one who talked to me first, but when I tried to get close to her, she vanished.
Which at this point, I'm starting to think was a good thing.
no subject
[ That small comment is unexpectedly welcome. He isn't one to seek praise or compliments, but things have been rough lately, so it's nice to feel useful. ]
The thing is, I thought I was seeing things at first.
Strictly speaking, I don't need to sleep, but I was beginning to think I might need to do it more often. I figured I was tired, even if I didn't feel tired.
Then it happened a few more times, and now I know I'm not seeing things because they're real. I don't know how I know it, but I do...
[ Ryouma trails off, at least having the sense to look sheepish about this. He doesn't like asserting something when his only evidence is his feelings. ]
It has to mean our worlds are still out there if nothing else.
[ At the same time, he would've preferred hallucinations or more dreams. It's worse knowing they're really there, nearly close enough to touch them before they're gone. It's worse to wonder what it means for the people on the other side. ]
It's probably inevitable that things will continue to escalate after what's happened, but I can't help but hope this might make the Zenites stop and think. I would hope it's harder to consider the possibility of condemning one's loved ones to the void when they're standing right in front of you.
[ None of this is good, but if it helps pull any Zenites off the path of destruction, it's at least something positive that will have come out of it. ]
no subject
I think they're definitely real, [ he answers slowly. He's a big believer in trusting your gut; he can't imagine magic without it. ] What I don't know is if they're really--
Who they appear to be.
That's why I think it's significant that the shadows around here have imitated familiar voices and faces before, and that shadow beings have mimicked Shard-Bearers. I think it's possible that they're diversifying their tactics.
no subject
That's a fair way to look at things, I suppose. That could be one tactic to encourage us to let our guard down.
[ Ryouma ignores the intrusive thought that creeps in and thinks it wouldn't necessarily be a poor way to go, together with the people you love. He isn't sure what to think, but he acknowledges that it's every bit as likely as believing what he believes. The only thing anyone knows for certain is that they don't know anything. ]
Have you considered how the light might factor into this? I haven't been to Highstorm myself, but I've heard talk.
1/2
That's a good question, [ Matt allows. ] And honestly, if there's anything that totally blows up my shadow theory, I feel like it might be that.
--But wait, you haven't been to Highstorm? So you haven't even seen any of the light scars?
Hang on.
2/2
Matt's still working on passing along what he sees via Communion. Some of the difficulty, at least for him, is that he moves through a surprising amount of the world without truly observing it. He fills in gradients, he autopilots. It's been embarrassing to realize. In Matt's opinion, as a practitioner of embodied magic, he should be more attentive to the world around him.
All that's neither here nor there. The image itself is pretty faithful: a quiet, moonlit street corner in Highstorm, lit by a buttery glow. Lamplight, maybe? The building on the corner bears strange, bleached scars towards the base of its brickwork, almost like it's been slashed at with corroding claws. ]
Can you see that?
no subject
[ There is a hint of amusement that goes with those words and a twist of guilt he can't bury behind it entirely. It's the truth, but it's also a hell of an understatement, considering he's spent that time assisting the Legionary with securing the city and helping the locals clean up the mess. No one expects him to clean up Highstorm, too. He knows that. He can't help that he always wishes he could've done more; that's a feeling that's a lot older than this crisis.
But enough of that for now.
It gets compartmentalised with the rest somewhere during that brief interval so Ryouma can bring his full attention to bear when the Communion resumes. It's weird to "see" something like this, real enough that he feels like he can lean closer to get a better look, only to remember he's not looking with his own eyes. ]
Yup. And that sure is something, huh?
[ That's a funny way of saying it's unnatural and strange, evoking a different sort of unease than he gets from the shadows. ]
I wonder what would happen if someone tried to channel Zenith or Meridian energy directly into something like that. Apparently, that's been a solution to other problems in the past.
[ But it's probably too much to hope that that would help something like this. ]
no subject
[ That's his automatic assumption--that it's the political situation that's making it less feasible for Meridians to visit Highstorm and Zenites to visit Highstorm. Less desirable, at least.
Whether Matt picks up on Ryouma's thoughts, or whether he simply wants a better look at the phenomenon for himself, the view of the scarred brick does push in as Matt draws nearer. It looks bleached, the way such brick might get after hundreds of years' exposure to sun. ]
... I've actually been thinking about something like that, [ Matt says, with instant academic interest. ] Harnessing Zenith and Meridian's energies. Do you know exactly how that was done before? Like, if I'm understanding correctly, it's Zenith and Meridian that are letting us use any native abilities we have, and I know how to channel those ... but I don't know if that's close enough to the source, as it were. But it seems like just physical contact channels them enough to reduce Discord, so.
no subject
[ Something he's just going to say very casually and then move right along. ]
We should all be grateful for your efforts to keep us informed!
[ It's a good assumption. The climate was already changing when Ryouma had first arrived, and he'd observed everything from distrustful glares to open hostility. Both cities were guilty of it. It's not that Ryouma is afraid, but he's the sort of person who trips into a diplomatic incident while acting with the best of intentions. Springstar has its own mysteries, anyway. ]
Hopefully, you'll have a bit more success following that thread. I don't have any training when it comes to magic, so everything goes right over my head after a point.
Anyway, have you heard of the Blight? I guess it was some kind of magical corruption that spread around and became a huge problem at one point until they figured out a cure for it that required both Zenith and Meridian's energies to work.
no subject
Well, if you ever want to know what's going on in Highstorm, like ... phenomenologically. I'm only a brainwave away. [ He wouldn't offer any information on his fellow Zenith Shard-Bearers, unless maybe they seem inclined to commit war crimes again. But surely just the lay of the land is okay. (Matt doesn't realize this is also espionage.) ] I haven't heard of the Blight. [ He doesn't like the sound of "corruption," though. It feels dishearteningly on brand for what's been going on in the universe. ] I know you just said magic's not necessarily your thing, but do you happen to know what the mechanism was for fixing it? Did people from opposite factions cast a spell of some kind? Did they ... hold hands, or think good thoughts?