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Runtime Break start
4h 17m 2h 18m

Episode 99: Downfall: Part One

Light.
Light suffusing all. Eternal, undying, infinite.
Names beyond counting does this place have in the timeless time in which it existed. But in your tongue, Exandrian, let us simply call it Tengar, the Eternal Palace. Behold endless ramparts and hallways of spinning stars. A nebula so vast that light would age a thousand lifetimes of its origin to cross from the threshold to the ending of this palace.
Let us imagine beings of infinite possibility and endless wonder, populating the vast and joyous caverns, chambers, hallways, ramparts, all of the chapels and unending mystery that this Eternal Palace has to offer those that have always dwelt herein. Shimmering light, beings of wonder whose potential (having never touched ‘the real’) is limitless.
Within this place we must describe for you in words that mortals can comprehend. What you have come now to witness.
In Tengar, the Eternal Palace, past the hallway of the Unbroken Shard, one can spy the Quill of Infinites (that which writes those worlds that have yet never been). We see a small parade of twinkling lights. These lights that we now behold are, to us, inhuman. But of course, this realm has never known the touch of humans. So, let us instead give it a name, that we might understand it. Sparkling light traveling down a hall, we see EDUN, a kaleidoscoping ephemera of twinkling lights moving through the palace towards the Orchard of Possibility, as once it was called. EDUN beholds a small flickering shape, ARU. Though it would be impossible for a mortal to comprehend, (Nick describes a star). EDUN, much larger than you, ARU, rolls past.
“Oh, Aru! Splendid! I was wondering if I might come across any of the vibrant denizens of these wings of Tengar. Have you any friends nearby to call out to? I wish to show you something, if I could.”
Light spirals out as EDUN moves past you. (Aru calls out to Luz (Ashley)).
LUZ, you arrive at the edge of a vast balcony ending in a staircase descending to an orchard of fractal light. They are trees, but they are also mirrors and stars and perhaps the hands of some great and eternal love for the being of all things yet to come. EDUN, this kaleidoscoping, shimmering train of light begins to descend the staircase, and you see ARU, eternal sibling of yours rushing behind you, LUZ. As you see ARU, a shape comes and turns to look at you and it’s now shimmering blue, but a crackling fire in front of you. This is your sibling IMRI.
Imri:“What’s going on? Is something happening? Are we starting a new game?”
Luz:“I don’t know.”
Aru:“Edun has something to show us.”
Imri:“Well, Edun certainly can’t show it to all of us at the same time and I, as ever, shall be there first!”
IMRI surges forward as a trail of fire shoots down the staircase, into the stars. Luz takes off after. IMRI rushes past EDUN as quickly as possible.
Edun:“Careful! Careful!” You see the trees shimmer. Purplish light, almost what you would describe as the reflection of water when it plays on a wall, lounging beneath the trees, fractals playing on fractals, enjoying the peace.
IMRI races past, trips on a purple fractal, explodes in endless fireworks.
Imri:'I could’ve known, always louging around in the Orchard. EDUN! Nahal tripped me!"
Edun:“Oh, sweet Nahal. I did not wish to disturb your slumber. IMRI, you have run much too fast and become a thousand beautiful exploding fireworks. Enough of that!”
EDUN begins to surround a tree. NAHAL you look on. You feel a growing sense of something that you’ve always felt, like you might feel one day, but have never yet felt, is unusual in the Eternal Palace, to feel anything for the first time. You feel a sense of dread.
Nahal:“What is this? It’s exciting and horrible.”
EDUN looks.
“Ah! Yes. What I wished to show you. A new tree being born in the Orchard of Possibility.”
A tree shimmers and twitches. Sharp, painful. There is a fruit hanging from it, but also a gem, but also a sun falling into itself. EDUN looks up. IMRI looks at you and goes,
“Beautiful…I don’t know if I agree. Don’t you feel a little bit…”
IMRI looks to you for the word that they have never had to say before. EDUN reaches up and plucks the fruit.
Luz, you say, “Wait. Give it a chance.”
A moment too late.
Edun:“Oh.”
Edun’s shimmering form ceases. Each point of light is fixed.
Nahal:“What is this?”
Luz:“What is happening?”
Edun:“I’m sorry. I think I’m going away.”
Nahal:“What is away?”
Aru:“Edun!”
A point of lightlessness rests in the middle of the Orchard.

Previous Episode: “The Nox Engine”

  • Ultragramps@lemmy.blahaj.zoneOPMEnglish
    1·
    4 months ago
    • 02:41:04 “Is this (crate) of interest to the ministry?”
    • 02:42:12 S.I.L.A.H.A. shuts down an influencer
    • 02:44:05 Ashley goes from smiles to “Stop it!” face after Laura’s sneeze.
    • 02:45:27 S.I.L.A.H.A. already knows where to go
    • 02:46:47 -Vermillion Line-, Final destination, Opus Ward. Arynx Station.
    • 02:47:58 Fan Art Moment Drunken Aeorian enforcer with what appears to be a demonic spirit trapped in a jar.
    • 02:49:54 BLeeM:“This man will be dead before sunrise.”
    • 02:50:59 The Opus Ward is kept in the shade of other spires and wards.
    • 02:52:26 A large stone building, derelict, its roof having caved in some time ago. At the back, a massive gate, cracked open very slightly. As you enter this place, a voice calls out,
      “SILAHA, is that you?”
      You walk into this space and see an Aeorian archmage.
      Nick and Noshir share a knowing look.
      As you enter, you are in the antechamber, and all of a sudden, all of you feel it rippling throughout. You’re in the antechamber of a tample.
      This place is somehow forgotten, deep in the bowels of Aeor. You look on the walls of this antechamber, and you see that there are smashed sections of the wall where once stone images bore faces, images, scenes, tales of miracles. They are defaced and ruined here, but the stones know the faith of those who once tread them.
      The archmage turns to look at you. She is a beautiful woman, vibrant robes of red and white in a geometric pattern, long braids, deep black skin, a golden headdress. She smiles and her eyes gleam white. She turns to all of you and says,
      “I am the Archmage Arcadia Cerenvetorix. I trust you all received my vision. Well, it’s very unbecoming of me to ever admit to this. I didn’t know this would work. Not sister…”
      The Emissary of Arathis reveals itself
      Arcadia:“Why has she not come?”
    • 02:56:59 “What did she tell you before she sent you here? Do you know what you’re supposed to do?”
      Emissary:“Yes. Share her love with Aeor. Guide them through. I will save them.”
    • 02:59:18 Arcadia:“The ministry of Intention is at the height of their paranoia. There are some within the city, leadership, though much ostracized, the Somnovem believe that great danger is coming. It will be helpful if you look as though you are a part of this. It is a deception, if you can stomach that.”
    • 03:01:19 Arcadia:“The mind of flesh and blood needed time to catch up to great purpose…Our brother arrived here in a form shapable, and as such was actually created within Aeor. Very clever way of bypassing many of the defenses herein.”
    • 03:03:15 Arcadia:“Some of them betrayed and lied and are not here, but four are…” Laura tries to hide a smile. “…Back when distaste for the gods was a small cultural detail. Before it was law and might and writ upon the face of Exandria.”
    • 03:11:56 BLeeM:“Chains. Chained Oblivion. Chains of ruin, chains of torture. Thin golden chains holding the scales of justice.”
    • 03:12:35 Arcadia:“This is a place where they tried to kill a story. It’s a very frightened thing to do.”
    • 03:12:44 BLeeM:“You move into the dark.”
      Nick: smiles “Uh, It is not dark.”
    • 03:12:58 *Four figures arrayed at an altar…a kindly old man (Father Milo Cowst), a “priest of the Dawnfather”…a powerful barbarian woman (Tishar), wounded, resting on the altar…a sickly-looking tortle (Zaharzht)…and a small halfling woman (Umleta) hidden in the rafters.
    • 03:18:30 Umleta:“Who knows? They might do something crazy, like kill a god. Imagine that.”
      Laura smiles.
    • 03:21:05 Arcadian describes The Factorum Malleus as a weapon that can take something infinite and “tear it asunder from the fabric of creation.”
    • 03:24:29 News of a celestial arrival invokes a sense of urgency
    • 03:29:16 Umleta:“If they were reasonable, they wouldn’t have opposed us in the first place.”
    • 03:32:24 Arcadia:“The Eravox Protocol, is if something goes wrong, it’s their ability to take what they know and send it across Exandria. The engines that power the Obtenebrator, that which keeps this hidden from divine sight, that is within the Genesis Ward. If that is still operating, our true selves will not be able to find us here. Then the Latimus Princeps, the repelling wall that you felt when you came here, that will have to be the last thing we do because that has been incorporated into the Factorum Malleus.”
    • 03:42:08 Arcadia:“Our brother does not have to come here in person to to send the storm.”
    • 03:48:06 Arcadia:"We have time to delay this decision. A moment may come when that time is beyond us.My hope is that we have space to do this carefully. We will know quickly and abruptly if we do not.
    • 03:51:16 Zaharzht:“You don’t think you have hooks in you? I know their names.”
    • 03:54:47 Arcadia's Cone of Silence
    • 03:58:42 Ashley rolls a 32 Insight check and Noshir’s eyes nearly pop out of his head.
    • 04:06:11 Two bats, one stone
    • 04:11:06 Laura:“So, both of the main healers are in the same group?” (nervous laugh)
    • 04:13:28 “…and this will be their downfall.”
    • 04:15:18 Umleta’s sarcastic and creepy monologue about family and truces
    • 04:16:16 Arcadia:“To the heart of Aeor, to disarm them of the weapon they would use to destoy the gods. One way or another, this will be our last night as mortals.”