Message of the Moon
High Seeress Aki welcomes everyone into the small room that has been set aside for the communing. She has the door closed behind and settles herself onto a small mat on the floor and motions for everyone else to do likewise. "Join me." There is incense burning in the corner, and she breathes deeply of it. "Ask your questions, do not hesitate or delay. They will be answered by the servant of Eluna through me."
She breathes deeply again, her sightless eyes close and her breathing becomes slow and easy. "Begin."
Critias inclines his head and takes a place on the edge of the mat. He crosses his legs and holds himself straight with practiced ease. As far as questions, he has a moment of stage fright despite coming here for just this exact purpose. Luckily he was prepared. "Ah, yes. Our first question is: Did Eluna or Her servants send the vision experienced by the Seers?
"Unknown." Comes the voice from within Aki. It sounds almost nothing like her voice, a hollow echoing of some unknown force rising from within her.
Aryia, a heavily scarred mul woman, settles into a mat nearby. A journal unfolds into her lap, flipping to a page with just a handful of questions. A hand raises, hesitant if the Seer could, well, see her, but she recalls the last time and gestures out, "Is Taara's claim to magic waning?" <Handspeech/Tongues>
"Magic is waning." The voice corrects gently, or perhaps explains.
Critias turns to look at Aryia now. He's being careful not to accidentally ask any mistaken questions. But his expression conveys confusion, and uncertainty. He turns back to the Seer once more, and then visibly composes himself. "Is 'magic waning' something that will the Gods of Good and their followers will look upon with favor?"
"No." The reply is certain and to the point.
A flicker of frustration crosses Aryia's face. Not at the answer, but at her own introspection. Of course. It'd all be waning. She rubs her temples, taking a glance at Critias. She just shrugs at his confusion.
Referencing her list, she gestures out with a hand, "Does something, or someone, threaten the Shadow Sorceress and Her faithful?" <Handspeech/Tongues>
"Yes." Another short reply, but at least direct and illuminating.
Critias has seen the same list as Aryia apparently, and is ready with the question to be asked in the event of that Yes. "Is it Eluna's will that we act to counter this threat?" Critias' expression is subtly distracted as he tries to construct his next question following the 'magic is waning' responses.
"Yes." Another short answer, but again, direct.
Aryia scribbles down the answer to those questions, tilting her journal to show Critias the questions laid out. Seems like she wasn't too phased about magic waning, probably having come to terms with that a while ago.
Another question, this one making her hands hesitate before flowing on, "Does the man known as the Griever act of his own free will?" <Handpspeech/Tongues>
Another short reply comes, this one quickly given. "Yes.
Critias strokes his chin. He settles a bit, not exactly content with his words and his question but more resigned. "Are there other Gods beyond Eluna we should ask for advice, and answers to these questions?"
There's a moment of hesitation from the answerer of the questions, and for a moment the silence of the communion lingers. Then, at last, an answer. "Unclear."
The mute blinks at her answer. Aryia shakes her head, scribbling it down as she hisses something to herself. Something with some vulgarity, no doubt. She chews on the end of her pen, thinking.
Slowly, she scribbles out her question to read it to herself. Then asks, "The vision given to Eluna's chosen. Is the man at the shore a representation of Animus?" <Handspeech/Tongues>
"Yes." There's sweat on Aki's brow from the effort of communing with the servant.
Critias examines Aki. He notices the strain and seems sympathetic. But he also wears the long-suffering air of Responsibility. He draws in a breath, pauses and then speaks: "Does the Goddess Eluna believe, that Animus can be remade?"
There's another moment of hesitation. "What was can be again." A more riddle-like answer rather than a direct yes or no it seems.
Aryia's brow quirks at the answer. Ok. Solid confirmation on that. She flips back a few pages to read what she saw in the shared vision. He's standing by the shore. A moon falling. Sea turning red. Then a flash of crimson. Thinking. Thinking. Thinking.
She blinks. Then starts to scribble out a drawing. A circle with the Sea of Mana scribbled in to name it. A dot to represent Animus. A moon drawn above. An arrow showing its going into the Sea. Is Eluna falling into the Sea? Is that what will cause bloodshed and chaos?
She blinks at Critias's question. Writes it down. Then pen presses harder at the answer. What was can be again? He can be remade. He can be-!
She stares at her drawing, glowing eyes growing brighter as something clicks. "Does Animus need to go into to the Sea of Mana?" <Handspeech/Tongues>
"Unclear." The voice almost sounds frustrated. Probably not with the question and more with the limited answering.
Critias thinks for some time. Then he flashes Aryia a look that might almost be apologetic. He turns back to Aki. "The vision that many of Eluna's faithful have experienced, with the man at the shore - was it a vision of the future?"
"No." Many of these answers have been simple in nature, and this one is no less so.
"F-ck," Aryia hisses, a knuckle thudding against the floor. Frustrated at the answer. Reword it. Think. Think! Tak. Tak. Tak. He's at the shore. If this plane is the shore, what is he doing on it? Is it his shards? The Ressurectionists want to bring him back.
She looks at Critias, suspending her thought process to include the answer. It's /not/ of the future? Of the past? Present? Ongoing?
"Is it a vision of the past?" Have to eliminate one of them before jumping to anymore questions. <Handspeech/Tongues>
A touch of relief comes in the tone of Aki's voice. "Yes."
Critias's back was already straight, but now it becomes like a ramrod. He places his hands on the knees of his crossed legs and leans forward slightly. He tries to remember the vision as it was described. Even if he had seen it for himself, who knows if the ability to read expressions and manner would have been the same as when he observes objects in the real world. For that matter who's to say any such techniques would even work when employed against a god. Without being able to stop himself, Critias asks, "Was Animus a willing observer for his own demise...?"
"Unclear." The response comes in a mildly unhappy tone, and Aki seems to be concentrating very hard now.
Aryia grimaces at the answer. "F-ck m-." Okay. Think. She rubs her temples. It's the past. Man at the Sea was watching over the sea. Like how Eluna was above it. She scribbles down Critias's question. Frowns at the answer. Writes it down anyways. Stares at her drawing once more. The moon is going into Animus's territory. She squints. There was a lot of blood alluding.
Either uncaring about the heresy, or grasping at straws, Aryia asks, "Did Eluna kill Animus?" <Handspeech/Tongues>
There's a moment of hesitation. A very, very long moment of hesitation. "Knife of Dreams killed Animus." Came the answer. Clear, concise, and muddy all at the same time.
GAME: Aryia rolls knowledge/religion: (15)+7: 22 GAME: Critias rolls knowledge/religion: (7)+12: 19
Critias furrows his brow. He glances at Aryia writing. He looks back at Aki. Finally he lets out a breath. He inclines his head to Aki once more. Then he gestures at Aryia and holds out a hand perhaps in an 'after you' gesture.
Aryia quirks her head to the side at the answer. She scribbles that down, then shows the page to Critias. 'Eluna's weapon. Knife of Dreams. Someone must have used her weapon.'
She nods once at Critias passing the ball to her. She taps her finger against the page. Her hands flit slowly, "In the vision, does the woman's voice that was calling belong to Taara?" <Handspeech/Tongues>
"Unclear." A lot of things in this seem 'unclear' to the servant. Things that make the answering all the more difficult.
Critias's eye tics at the latest 'unclear'. He turns his head slowly to Aryia, and then holds out his hands helplessly in a shrug. He turns back to Aki and then looks back and forth, listening for more questions and the answers.
"F-ck's s-k-..!" Aryia hisses out, louder this time. Enough that something catches in her throat and she hacks a nasty cough. She abandons her seat, wiping a bare arm across her lips, crimson staining it as she paces.
She stops at a wall, letting her forehead thud against. It's a vision of the past. But why show it today? It must be relevant. If her knife killed him, and he shattered into shards to be strewn about the planes. Plane? It's probably unclear because it could be Taara disguised as Eluna. Or someone else? There was too many, unclear answers to muddy questions. Needed a clear question.
She perks. Turns back to Aki. "Does Eluna still possess the Knife of Dreams?" <Handspeech/Tongues>
"It is missing." The reply comes. Helpful or not, that is the answer.
Critias stands up, puts his hands on his hips and stretches to one side and then the other. He pauses and casts an apologetic look at Aki, still under the unimaginable strain of communing. He takes a few steps off of the mat and then waits by an edge of the room.
White brows shoot up. Missing? Aryia says something, but based on her expression, it's got to be a very crude phrase of surprise. "It's missing. That implies they don't know where it is. Something or someone is hiding a fucking /god's weapon/ and has the power to do it," she signs to Critias before kneeling in front of Aki.
She inhales deeply. "Does the Knife of Dreams slay by shattering a being into pieces?" <Handspeech>
"It could have that effect." Comes the reply, Aki taking a deep breath of the incense burning in the room.
Aryia scribbles into her journal, watching Aki strain. "Stay with me Aki. I'm the absolute fucking worst person for this, but I'm trying," she tries to reassure the priestess. Which is... not very reassuring.
Tap tap tap. Throw things out there. "Do the Shards of Animus have to be brought back to where he was shattered to bring him back?" <Handspeech>
"Yes." Says Aki, her bearing that of someone deep in concentration. The spell has nearly worked its course, and she's holding onto it as best she can.
Aryia grits her teeth. More scribbling. Another steadying breath. "Was he shattered in the Sea of Mana?" signs follow up the previous question. <Handspeech>
"Yes, in Equilibrium." Something slightly more than a defined yes or no. Odd.
Equilibrium? Aryia never head of that before. Whatever it was, she writes it down. Others smarter than her can figure that one out. One last question. The weight of the revelations was a towering thing, and Aryia had to set that burden aside to focus.
If the Knife of Dreams has the capability of shattering people, presumably into shards of their dreams, it must have other capabilities. It's a god's weapon after all.
Her brows shoot up. A weapon can do more than destroy. If it can shatter things, surely it can- "Once the Shards of Animus have been gathered in Equilibrium, do we need the Knife of Dreams to put him back together?"
Question out, she prepares to catch the Seer should she collapse from the strain.<Handspeech/Tongues>
"No." The answer leaves the High Seeress and she opens her eyes only to tilt to the side... and smile gratefully at Aryia when the woman catches her before she actually hits the ground. "You have my gratitude."
It is clear that the questions took a toll on her, her voice is dry and parched-sounding, her body lightly covered in sweat. She licks her lips and looks at Aryia with trepidation. "Let us hope that those were answers enough."
Aryia sighs. Oh well, she tried. At least its ruled out. She sets the Seeress back down into her seat, nodding at the thanks.
The mute locks gaze with Aki, her deeply inhaling. "I do too. But it spawns more questions."
A pause. A huff "Such as- How in the /fuck/ do you lose your fucking god knife?" the mute exasperates rhetorically.
Hopefully those answers were enough. <Handspeech>
-End