kenoscomm | LOCKED TO MERIDIAN

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LOCKED TO MERIDIAN

[Claude's communion prescence has always been like a summer breeze; warm, easygoing, albeit difficult to read before it moves on. Now it has more of a brittle, bitter quality, like a looming dust-cloud he has to hold at a distance. There's no going back from this point when he knows things will only escalate from here, and so now seems like an important time to address his fellow Meri.]

The fight for the next Oracle will be on us soon. The Tribune may have been slain, but he entrusted the future of the worlds to us. Though he won't be able to help us see this through, we can still fight for him, and all the others we've lost along the way. We can fight for Springstar... and we can fight for Quetzalcoatl.

[There's a brief pause on this point. Her death deserves respect and acknowledgement, and she may not be the last to meet such a fate before the fighting is over.]

...We'll fight for your homes, too. After all, our worlds aren't that different, right? They might be flawed in their own ways, and there might even be some of you who would rather stay here when this is done. But every world and the life on it is precious, and it beats whatever phony world Yima and her followers come up with.

Speaking of Yima: I've discussed this with a few people already, but I suspect she's still alive. When the Blight almost destroyed Kenos, somehow she was still around. When I asked her about it, she said she wasn't bound by time like a normal person is. She can exist in different times and different places simultaneously; I don't know how it works, but maybe she even foresaw this attempt on her life before it even happened.

That said, it's just speculation, so we might as well play dumb and behave towards Zenith as if we're convinced she's dead for now. It'll be easier for us that way.

[Others have probably arrived at a similar conclusion, perhaps people among Zenith's ranks too, but it bears saying, particularly for those newly arrived to the conflict.]

Anyway, enough about her -- how about we use this opportunity for a little strategy get-together? We have a few new faces around, so feel free to introduce yourself and your capabilities.

For those of us who have been around longer, feel free to toss in an introduction too. More importantly, share what you know about Zenith and its current capabilities, in combat or otherwise. Any insight into their current thinking would be useful right now, too. What's their morale like? We know by now that some of them really hate our guts, and I wonder how much their desire for revenge is going to play into the next battle...

[He sounds casual, almost flippant, but there's a serious point in there he's sure he doesn't need to overstate: the more loyal Zenites are going to have some serious motivation in the next battle to get back at them, whether they believe Yima is gone or not.]

Let's not let our own judgement be clouded by revenge, even if we've sustained losses. We need to go into this with a clear head, looking toward the future.

Oh-- on that note, Hayame wants to speak with some of you about some further strategising either before or after the Oracle. Sorry that's a little vague, but I'm sure she'll talk to you about it properly when the time comes. For now, let's just focus on one thing at a time.

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I advise to be aware during the next Oracle of what I found inside of Cyrus's body. A hungry force of something like entropy.

[Not to distraction from an attempt at the Oracle. It just doesn't help to have something else hanging over the whole ordeal.]

A few who were dissipated in the last Oracle had dreams or visions which aligned to what I experienced. If you also experience anything unusual during or after the competition, let me know.

While I have been reluctant to speak of or contemplate turning this into a war to the death, I no longer think it is possible to win this fight and restore what has been lost without grappling against those who hold ideals utterly opposed to our own. No matter if they have good reasons for them or not...

[ There's a moment of silence and thoughtful regret. ]

I have had to kill before and in this case... some of the individuals serving Zenith I believe are too dangerous to be allowed to continue as they are. While I believe shattering a shard, especially here, is the equivalent of killing... in war we must be prepared to kill. Especially if the ideals our opponents cling to lead them to a barren and fruitless place.

There are several among Zenith who should be shattered if you find yourself capable of doing so - whether because they are too dangerous to be allowed to oppose us or because there is no compromise or peace possible with them.

[ As he lists names, indistinct mental images filter through the bond. Although probably clear enough to make these people recognizable. ]

Amos. He is utterly dedicated to Zenith and has no compunction about killing.

Gen. He is... lost in his own misery and willing to take it out on everyone around him. Likewise dedicated to the Zenith cause.

Sebastian. A rather dangerous demon who has no compunction about inflicting pain and harm on others.

Silco. A egotistical madman - there is little more to be said about him. He publicly shattered the shard of one of our own only a few weeks ago.

These four come to my mind most strongly... and I would rather avoid shattering others unless it can absolutely be avoided or unless they prove themselves utterly intractable to reason.

Shall I start us off with one of the most dangerous threats Zenith has at their disposal? Sebastian is a powerful demon who has a wealth of powers at his disposal.

I've fought him once in combat, and while I am a sorceress of some great capability, he erred on the side of physical confrontation. An interesting thing to note, but that was some time ago. I do not doubt that he is far more dangerous than simply that.

Do not confront him if you are not prepared for it. In fact, should you find yourself cornered, I recommend myself or Set to extract you from danger.

[ She communes. Sipping tea. With Sebastian next to her. 😇 Good thing nobody who didn't know is at her house. ]

Everyone's seen how creepy the shadows are in Springstar by now, right? One tried grabbing me, but when I tried fighting it off, nothing worked!

[what good is a persona without being able to fight shadows, smh...]

I managed to run away, but what should we do? I'm worried the problem will get way worse if we ignore it.

It has been said a hundred times, but- Amos Burton cannot be reasoned with, he will not leave Zenith, and he will never not follow the orders of that sacred bitch on high, Yima. Even if she is actually dead, he will continue to hold her tenants. I have no doubt she was behind the order to assassinate the Tribune.

And you saw what resulted from that. What resulted from allowing Zenites free reign of Springstar to let them map our our streets and vulnerabilities.

Amos is a human man, but he has embraced the powers of this world quite smoothly. I have heard tale of his strength when he rampages, and that is cause enough to be cautious with him in battle, but my personal experience is more with his ability to manipulate "gravity".

[... She says that word like it's made-up. Just medieval Japanese things.]

He can make rob you of the ability to stay upon the ground, and just as quickly make the air around you so heavy that you can barely lift a leg to stand, let alone fight. Beyond countering his spells as he casts them, I do not know how they can be fought. Mages, what say you?

And those who know more of his abilities... I would ask you share them here. It is likely Amos will charge at the forefront of Zenith's offensive in this next Oracle, as long as the trial's nature permits.

So, are we going to talk about what happened when someone tried to revive the Tribune?

That something said, "We never would have been able to Enter without the Choices that have been made."

[ He wrote it down. Does he have a Pepe Silva wall on his boat? Maybe. ]

Did everyone forget? Because I can't.

In case it needs to be said louder, maybe we shouldn't start destroying souls when something horrible — possibly Oblivion itself — is banging on the doors and windows to our reality, trying to find more footholds to get in and consume us.

[ He's sure they've all felt that hunted feeling. ]

You're right if you think it sounds like I'm trying to scare you. [ Just being honest. ] A blind push forward in the name of progress and victory helps no one if our actions invoke what we're trying to repel first.

This is all for nothing if Kenos dies before we can complete the ritual.

While we're talking about the merits and demerits of our offenseive, we might want to consider our defenses too. Not that we have time for fortifications, which a few of us do know a thing or two about, but I'm thinking about how we keep our people alive.

[ There is no fight to be had, for any cause and with any tactics, otherwise. ]

I've extended the offer before, but I'll do it again since we've got so many fresh faces here. If you want to learn field medicine or healing magic, I'm willing to share what I know. The less of us that see avoidable dissipation, the better — we're our most vulnerable then, and we know what happens if we fall into the wrong hands.

[ Now that he's dispensed with that offer, he moves right along to something else that's on his mind. ]

I'd also like to establish who among us has skills in that department. If someone's in a bind, it'd be best if they know who to call, yeah? So if you're game to share with the class, let people know what you can do in the healing or medicine department.

[ A pause, as he considers that he should do it himself too. ]

So I guess I'll go first. I'm not a dedicated healer, but I can handle heavy injuries with magic. I'm not a surgeon either, but I can bandage you up, set bones, get you stable. Done it a few times here and many more back home.

I was in Highstorm, until the manor fell and that... [ He trails off, overtly hesitant. Any Advocate will feel it distinctly. ] Deeply unpleasant man gave that terrible performance.

[ It's the gentlest way Subaru can phrase it, not for any reason save that he is surpassingly polite by nature. ]

Of course, because I was unharmonized, I wasn't particularly trusted, so there isn't much I can offer as insights go. They're angry, as you expect, and I agree that Yima is most likely still alive. I helped search for anyone trapped in the rubble, and there was no sign of her.

Furthermore, I have known someone with a similar ability to be many places. She was known as the Dimensional Witch, though she didn't involve herself in the affairs of any one world in the manner Yima does, so far as I know. Such a person...there must be something to which they are bound, something that tethers them, but I know no more than that.

Edited (thought i should clarify subject line 💦) 2024-03-09 02:52 (UTC)

And what is to be done with Silco?

Ideally, I would see him answer for his public actions in the exact same dramatic manner he seems to love. His execution in the courtyard of Heliopolis could do just as many wonders for Springstar's morale as the Tribune's assassin.

But if he keeps hiding in Kowloon, how will he be dragged out? Perhaps he has changed from a rat to a whelk.

I do not know exactly what he has done to change himself, but he did do something before the Harbinger Oracle. He is supposed to just be a human, as far as I knew, but he somehow had two hands again when I encountered him in the labyrinth, and he moved far too fast for what his wizened knees should have been capable of.

His bones are not any more durable than a human's, though. My arrow pierced his skull just as easily as it should have.

I know some of you must know more. So I ask you to tell us.

His madness may have made some Zenites cringe away from him... but those that remain are willing to be his ilk. And more of that is the last thing we need. As rewarding as an execution would be, taking care of him in a way that is far more final is likely best.

The little one who lost his will — we share a connection, as Savant.

He and another long-eared individual were caught spying on us in the Beyond, and while handled, I heard the echoes of a warning he sent out to all of Zenith. And his thoughts of an individual he holds dear to him, but that is only as important as we decide it to be.

Anyone who still harbors hope that he will find his way back to us, dispense of it. He's chosen to place more importance on the well-being of a Faction that harbors individuals like the assassin, Amos Burton, the murderer, Silco and weak-willed naysayers who think they have the power, the fortitude or the ability to wield the Authority of a god. [ yawn, zenith is full of delusional fools ]

He has essentially said to me he only wants solutions, on his terms. Real, workable things — yet, had he asked any one of you for aid? No, I bet not. He simply closed his mouth, his eyes, and his heart to his world because he did not have a solution — and chose the path of instant gratification, as all Zenites do. He is small, deeply guilt-ridden and morose, and prone to shouldering things on his own. Make sure he finds no comfort in companionship, keep him isolated and confused and insecure by asking him difficult questions such as oh, say — why he chose to stay with the reprobates of Zenith, over his proven friends in Meridian, and he will be no threat to us.

Another individual whom is devoted to Zenith, but has put no thought into anything he does. I asked how he would explain his role to his loved one, and he refused to answer. "I will figure it out when it comes to that point" is no answer we can allow, if Zenith truly believes in their path.

He is a normal child, unused to the moral quandries and difficulty of war, battle and strife. Make him uncomfortable, focus on isolating him. He will also be of no consequence. [ set is offering info now because, well,

he's a little deeper in the merisauce, and these are some people he wants to see CHALLENGED ]

I know little about her. She is a magic-user, she is full of herself, and her pride could be used against her.

[ Aka, let him know more about her, please. ]

The less I know about someone, the more I wish to target them to discern who they are, what they can do, and how to handle them — if anyone deals with her during the Oracle, inform me. I wish to engage her directly, this time.

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