[NASTRANDIR] - STEADY HEARTBEATS LEAD ME

[lifeaftr_mods]

Who: Everyone!
What: A new friend makes themself available for questions, propositions, discussions...and answers
When: October 4th, and throughout the rest of the month
Where: Nastrandir
Warnings: Nothing of note!

For the second time in as many months, the waters about Ensō rise, though not nearly as much as they did in the month prior.

This time, the water's intent does not appear to be outright submersion, but rather seeking - small strands of water separate from the larger pools and wind their way across the island's surface until they've found what it is they seek. Namely, you. Someone to talk to.

Throughout the day, each islander is certain to spot the water behaving in this strange manner at least once, snaking its way towards them before curving and splitting into much more recognizable forms on the dirt below them.

It's forming words.

You seek many things. So do I. You can answer some of what I seek. I can answer some of what you question.

Beside the mana pool of Nastrandir. All are welcome.

Waiting for you in the once shallow recesses of the swamps, the great water dragon that battled alongside others in defense of Nastrandir is...smaller, having shed some of its bulk to make conversing more simple. Move as close as you'd like - or stay as far away as you're able. They don't mind. The Water's patience is unending, and this conversation will begin with you.

No matter how long it might take.

For the more cautious of characters, the Water will remain passive regardless of how long one needs to stake them out, only retaliating against attempts to attack them. Otherwise, the great creature remains in the water, looking only to those who step close to the waterline, and failing to do more until indicated that such actions are desired of it.

So speak up, friend, and let your intent be known. For there's much to discuss - and for you, only mortal amounts of time to do so.

This NPC will be available to interact with for the remainder of the month; characters do not have to approach them on the precise day to have a discussion!

Comments

[thankgods]

It was a gift. They were not always my people, but pledged themselves to me. This was rewarded, though the gift was not used in its intended sense.

Still, it is not my habit to interfere unless it becomes necessary.

[lesbeau]

[Beau crosses her arms, cocking her hip to one side.]

Intended? What was it 'intended' for? Because I can't really see a use for 'water sleep pit' that doesn't involve ritual sacrifice, but maybe that's just me.

[thankgods]

If you have already made your judgments as to my intentions, perhaps I should not attempt to change your mind.

[But she never saw it herself, as she just said. She only read of it.]

[lesbeau]

I'm just telling you how I see it. Important for you to know where I'm coming from, same with me to you. So what was it for?

[She has an idea, regarding the quarantine zones she's heard of and the documents she's read from Umui, the ones that concern the argument between cleansing water and burning fire, but she won't voice that until they show more of their hand.]

[thankgods]

Storage. The keeping of precious things. Not what it is currently used for.

[Not that they necessarily expect her to alter her perception of them over that alone. Not that they particularly care.]

[lesbeau]

[Beau keeps an eye on them, carefully writing that down. Storage, huh? Weird thing to ask a god to make magically.]

Then how would you get it out? It's super deep, 'ss not like a closet. Unless the precious items part is also people.

[thankgods]

As I said, it has been misused. In certain cases, people might be included among those things.

[lesbeau]

... Alright. Sure.

[Gonna write that down, but she can tell she isn't getting far with this line of questioning, so moving on.]

So why ask for that? Or like-- why did they need it and come to you? Were you their god, or just the one that'd listen?

[thankgods]

No. I was not their god. They wished for one to follow, and I was there. I would not deny them that desire.

It was a gift to them in appreciation of their loyalty to me. Their interpretation of its purpose is their own.

[lesbeau]

Alright. So if these islanders treated you so well, why'd you leave? Why look for... us, and the fire guy?

[Interesting phrasing they're using here. Beau intends to let them use it more.]

[thankgods]

I did not leave.

Do you fully comprehend how much of this world is currently occupied by water? Water that I embody, and that embodies me?

The comparison is inadequate, but imagine that you must exact the full force of your focus upon a follicle of hair on your arm for many hundreds of years.

[lesbeau]

Okay, yeah, hard. Kinda feel like at that stage it's pretty shitty it's only one of you.

[Maybe this is why gods are so traditionally unresponsive. There's no all seeing all knowing bullshit, they just can't pay attention. Huh. That'd throw a lot of people off.]

But you can still concentrate enough on me to talk? To have office hours for anybody's dumb questions?

[thankgods]

Yes.

[A simple enough response.]

You have made yourselves noticeable.

[lesbeau]

Well alright.

[She pretty much has nothing she can say against that, and it's not very important to what she wants to know, so forget it. Something to note, though. Just a little one.]

So what kind of intel are you looking for? Anything you're willing to pay for? Me n' my friends are pretty damn good at figuring out stuff people need to know, among other things.

[thankgods]

I'm interested in discerning just what you remember of this place.

Perhaps "remember" is not the right word. What you have....learned of it. I believe I might be close to an answer, but my memory is not as it was.

[lesbeau]

[Beau hums, crossing her arms. She's a little less forthcoming with what she knows than most around here, and she would rather get them talking first.]

How about you lay out what you're looking at and I'll see if I can fill in some gaps. If you've got the idea and everything.

[thankgods]

Things do not behave here as they should. This much is clear.

Have you noticed...perhaps this is the wrong way to put it.

Certain laws of the universe are nigh universal, no matter the world. Laws of time and of space. Have you noticed whenever those laws might have gone askew?

[lesbeau]

[She doesn't like being on the back foot like this, but they're backing her into a corner. Knowing she needs to get them talking, she'll opt to slip a little information their way to grease the wheels.]

People drop in here from all kinda points in time. Even from the same world it's not the same moment. Can even bring people from after they die. Doesn't make sense.

[thankgods]

No. It does not.

Time has been tampered with. The cycles of life and death have been tampered with. A great deal of things have been tampered with. This world should not be in the state that it is in, and yet...it is.

I find it troubling.

[lesbeau]

So what are you gonna do about it?

[Because that's the real kicker, the action. Beau knows full well she hasn't been able to influence anything really important, no connections and boons to lean on or trade. But they've always been good at allying themselves with powerful factions to get a job done, and things that call themselves gods are no exception.

Once she figures out if their motives sound like a good idea or not, of course.]

[thankgods]

The same as you, I imagine.

I intend to seek answers.

[lesbeau]

And what do you do with those answers? Just figure out what happened? If you just wanted to know, you wouldn't have to make yourself so public.

[Unless they hit a dead end, or got desperate. There's something here, or at least she thinks there is, and she wants to get through to it. And here she said she wasn't a good Cobalt Soul monk. Psssh.]

[thankgods]

I am in the dark about much that has transpired here, similarly to many of you. I would like to think that our goals are aligned - that we could find some of those answers to gether.

[lesbeau]

Maybe.

[She isn't sure if she can trust them yet, and that sort of thing seems dangerous.]

What're you bringing with you then? How are you gonna tell us what you find, and how do we know you're gonna tell us the truth?

[thankgods]

You don't.

[Well, there's that out of the way.]

I expect my memories will return with time. And the more I know about this place, the more I will be able to recall.