aionlogs | EVENT #2: HEARTS LIKE YOURS (GREENTRUTH)

Entry tags:

EVENT #2: HEARTS LIKE YOURS (GREENTRUTH)

Greentruth

THE FOREST'S PATH

It feels old, that is the first impression most get when entering the forests of Lohkimareen. Saplings and young trees quickly give way to regal, imposing beings that stand like monoliths over the ground. The canopy filters out much of the sunlight, leaving much of the wood bathed in dim green light even midday. Moss, ferns, and other ancient plants can be seen covering the forest floor when it isn't otherwise blanketed in a thick mist.

Travelling through Lohkimareen is dangerous, even to those who know her well.

Your journey won't be an easy one. You will get turned around, unsure of which path to take, as well as having to avoid run-ins with dangerous fauna and flora. And just when you believe this may have been a big mistake all together, an arrow flies overhead. The group is quickly surrounded by archers clad in fur, skin, and rough leathers. They exchange glances as they regard the group, communicating using hand signals. After a tense moment, they tell you that you are to come with them unless you would rather take your chances in the mists.

If you ask where they are taking you, they will be honest: Vihreaus or your death. That all depends on you. All other questions will be met with silence.

Two hours later, they say that you have arrived. But rather than in front of you, one must look up. A series of wooden platforms have been built to sit above the mists and it is up that you must go. The archers lead the way and carry the back, making sure that everyone stays in line.

You are immediately ferried to a hollow in the large tree, carved out of the wood itself and dimly lit with torches. There you are shuffled to the center where an old man meets you. His smile is weak, but a smile nonetheless.

"Show me your shards."

One by one, he will inspect them, never to touch but only to study intently for a moment. After each person has been inspected, his smile turns more genuine as he announces to you weary travelers and locals gathered.

"She speaks the truth. Aions are once again among us!"

The Aions are quickly surrounded, but this time with excitement from the scouts. They will readily share some food and tell the weary travelers that they will be camping here for the night and make their way onto Vihreaus in the morning.

WELCOME TO GREENTRUTH

From the outpost near the forest's edge, the journey to Vihreaus takes several days. Luckily for the Aions they have skilled scouts and the winding paths through the trees are much safer than walking on the forest floor, at least for those that know the way. They will encounter smaller outposts along the way where you will camp out as the scouts exchange the good news with others. This allows you some time to explore the forest further, but you will be cautioned not to stray too far from the campsite. The Regent dares not enter these woods for a reason.

The journey is worth it. The scouts proudly announce once you have arrived on the evening of the fifth day. Ladders of rope and wood are dropped from high platforms on the lowest branches of the largest trees. From there, stairs wind around and around, rising above the mists to reveal a secluded but flourishing settlement in the canopy. Torches lighting community spaces, doorways, and rope bridges twinkle like fireflies in the night. This, you are told, is Vihreaus - "Greentruth" in the common tongue. You are greeted by the locals with a mixture of trepidation and excitement, some more hesitant and disbelieving while others wish to know everything about you.

The settlement itself looks labyrinthian. There are no signs or placards to distinguish between public use and private dwellings, but with some exploration it becomes clear that houses tend to be in clusters along smaller trees and branches while the community buildings and businesses loop the main trunks of the largest trees. It seems that some preparations were made for your arrival as "The Aion of Greentruth" had predicted it. If asked about the Aion, the locals will say that she spends her time between Greentruth and the mountains. Despite heralding your arrival, she had business elsewhere but said she would be back in time to greet her peers.

One of the areas that was previously a community lot carved into the main tree has been converted into temporary housing for the new Aions. Until you establish yourself and find your own housing, you may stay here. Hammocks and straw beds with what leathers and furs that can be spared are given. If you want to wash up you can travel to a tree in the south east that gives access to a waterfall and small lake.

Once you've made yourself as comfortable as possible, you are free to explore the settlement as you wish. During the day there is a good amount of activity as residents are trading and either returning from expeditions or preparing for the next. Though you have been given what supplies can be spared, they make due with little in Greentruth. With your help they may be able to gather more resources for the community and for the resistance effort. Aions can help by performing tasks for NPCs, whether that is assisting with scouting, hunting and gathering, offering any sort of crafting or practical skills, as well as building extensions to the settlement and repairing houses. Those who have made a good impression may be invited to dinner by the locals they're helping or make use of the community style soup kitchen that feeds warriors in the mornings and evenings.

THE LOVER'S FESTIVAL

The Lover's Festival is a celebration of love in all it's forms, whether that be familial, friendship, or romance. It is also a time of year where the peoples of Greentruth can take a moment to forget their struggles against the Regent and their forces and instead indulge in the company of one another. Preparations for the event will take place days before it and you will see extra care taken to cleaning up the amphitheater in the center of town. Garlands made of vines and brightly colored flowers are lovingly hung by at least two people at a time, as is custom. Barrels of fermented honey are rolled out of storage and petals and mosses soften the wood of the trunk.

The festivities begin in the mid-afternoon. All are asked to remove their shoes so that their feet can enjoy the softness of the flower petals and moss, symbolizing how our bonds too can soften our journeys. A large bonfire is lit in the center which is used both for light and warmth but also to cook throughout the evening.

If there is an Aion of the Lover's Legacy in their midst, that person will be a point of interest during the celebration. Learning more about that Aion as a person is important and they may find themselves being called to join people throughout the night to take part in their drinking, feasting, and dancing.

❖ FEASTING
Greentruth regularly goes through periods of a sudden influx in foodstuffs and preparing it for long-term storage in case of a food shortage. But during the Lover's Festival, attendees are encouraged to eat to their heart's content. Meats are abundant thanks to the megafauna that are scavenged and hunted, while an array of fresh and dried fruits and pickled vegetables are also available. Nearly everything seems to be spiced. Fermented honeys and fruits make for the available liquor and a watered down version is available for children or those who would prefer something a little less strong.

❖ SACRED MESI (CW: drug use)
One staple of the Lover's Festival is the drinking of the Sacred Mesi. Throughout the evening, large flowers are passed around, brimming with a glowing liquid in the center. This is what they call the Mesi, nectar of the Mesiya. To drink this is to bond with spirit of Lohkimareen herself. It is completely optional to take part but it is fairly commonplace between adults in the settlement. Aions that choose to partake will immediately feel warm and tingly. Common effects of the mesi are slowed reflexes, blurred vision and seeing colors, a feeling of floating and general "carefree" attitude for the remainder of the evening. It is seen as a state of being unattached to the concerns of the physical world, and said that those who are particularly sensitive to the mesi may hear the voice of the forest.

For Aions in particular, the effects turn out to be more radical. The disconnect from your physical body becomes literal, with your consciousness seeming to transcend confines of your body, free to commune with the spirits of the trees themselves. Everything has a soul, you realize, while looking at the world through this lens, and when looking at other Aions you may see spiritual representations of them, their form appearing in abstract concepts and symbolism rather than a literal body. With how metaphysical the experience can be, it is hard to draw any factual information, so much as a series of emotional impressions. This effect will last for a few hours. Drinking more can prologue the effect, but the mesi can be powerful and those that over indulge may feel unwell the next day.

❖ THE AION
As promised, the Aion who predicted your arrival has made it back to Greentruth in time for the Lover's Festival. She is greeted heartily by the locals and it is not just because of the atmosphere, they appear to hold her in genuine affection and regard. She makes her rounds with a placid smile, but her true interest lies in meeting you. Those who choose not to speak with her directly will hear that she is called "Tehri of the Deep Mists" and that she has been the only Aion in Greentruth for some time. Her legacy is the Visionary and other Visionary Pleroma may feel a special connection to her.

If you would like to speak with Tehri, please tag into the open NPC thread below.

EXPLORATION

On the 20th, after the Lover's Festival and have had time to earn her trust, Tehri will request that they take a walk with her. On the boughs of one of the more secluded trees of the settlement, she will reveal that while the resistance effort has been quiet of late, she is skilled in portal magic. What appears as a tree hollow glows bright and gold as the Aions approach it. This, she explains, is her personal portal to the city of Godsblood. It leads into an an underground space beneath Godsblood, with tunnels that lead out unto a few inns and other businesses that are sympathetic to the resistance cause. They are well hidden, but from there they will be able to seek out the Pleroma that went to Godsblood and show them the way if they are interested.

She will advise that the portal needs to be kept hidden - not all in the settlement know its location. Though only Aions may pass through, the physical barriers of the portals may still be destroyed, rendering it inert.

QUESTIONS

What basic necessities are provided?
In addition to the beds and a roof over their head, Aions will receive clothing which is main mostly with leathers, furs, and animal skins. All will have their own water skin and a carved wooden bowl, handmade soaps that come in a variety of pleasing scents, and a candle. Other essential hand tools and weapons would be temporarily supplied to anyone who assists around the settlement with hunting crafting, etc. They would be expected to be returned at the end of the work day for repair.

My character knows how to make their own weapons or items. Is that allowed?
It is allowed and encouraged! If your character can help craft arrows, make more hand tools, bowls etc. the locals would be very pleased. If you make something of your own will you would be able to keep it as well.

Can my character join the resistance?
Congratulations! By choosing to come to Greentruth they are automatically part of the resistance effort. More information on what that will entail regarding in-game action and missions will be made clear in future events. For now you are safe to assume that helping the other members and locals is just as important.

What megafuana are in the area?
Most creatures in Lohkimareen are reptilian in nature, though more standardized birds and mammals can be found as well. The megafauna are exclusively draconic and dinosaurian in nature, though you will find that they too come in a variety of sizes. They may range from small insect-hunting dragons to forest giants. Predatory dinosaurs and dragons tend to be more aggressive and should be avoided. Dragons tend to be more elusive but can be seen both on the land and in the trees and air. There are rumors that you can plead for your life with a dragon, but not so much with others.

So I can travel back and froth between Greentruth and Godsblood?
You may! But remember that it is important to keep a low profile in Godsblood. Do not draw attention to the location of the portals on either side or else the integrity of the resistance may be at stake.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

'It tastes like fruit.'

See! See, that's exactly what she means when she thinks that he doesn't have strong opinions on things. Though she supposes as long as it isn't overtly bad she'll have to take it.

Still, she makes no effort to hide the fact she finds his feedback less than helpful.

"Well that's good I suppose because it's mostly fruit."

Her (justified) criticism is just making him become more contrary. He crosses his arms, scoffing softly.

"Well, what else is there in it? ...Spices, I assume?"

Spices are a thing Estinien understands in the abstract, but he couldn't tell you which ones are used for any particular meal. What do you put on fruit? Sugar? Pepper?

She crosses her arms right back at him, still holding onto the spoon. Are there two Aions having a stupid stand off in the soup kitchen? Yes, yes there are.

"Mhm." He got that much. There are spices, not just fruit.

"And nuts."

A beat.

"You know, the hard crunchy parts."

Estinien scowls. Hopefully, the resistance folk nearby are enjoying the show, but in Estinien's experience, this was how things in the Scions went too, and they saved the world all the time. Perfectly normal behaviour.

"I know what a nut is," he gripes, though admittedly, he hadn't thought about their presence based on the spoonful he tried. "That could have been a part of the fruit for all I know."

Now he's just being stupid.

"The seeds, mayhap."

Part of the fruit? Himeka is wholly unconvinced and raises a brow comically high on her forehead.

"The seeds."

See this face? This is a face that doesn't believe a word you're saying, Estinien.

"Impressive seeds, that."

Okay now she's just messing with him.

"Aren't nuts just a kind of seed?"

Estinien rolls his eyes. At this point, he is less actually mad and more just being obstinant for the sake of it. Truly, they are just messing with each other. He lifts his hands in apparent annoyance.

"Fine, show me again."

He's--

--right. And she kind of hates it. They are the same thing, aren't they? But she doesn't call nuts seeds when she's cooking.

"Nuts are bigger," she says firmly. And then pauses. "I'm pretty sure."

Regardless, she takes another spoonful of her dish and offers it to Estinien again, making sure that nuts are indeed included.

He eats the spoonful of fruit (and nuts) and pauses for a moment to consider it. Maybe he will actually give a coherent thought on the effect this time.

"My thanks," he says.

Then he just walks out of the kitchen and fucking disappears into the canopy with a single dragoon leap, with only a cheeky wave to offer as he goes.

He is the worst! She can't believe she fell for this. Himeka watches him leave with her mouth hanging open. The other cooks are sharing some unsure glances before she just sighs and turns around.

"Oh, don't mind him. He's got some bugs to attend to."

She's content enough to continue her work with no complaints from the locals, so she figures that's what matters the most. Estinien will just have to eat all ~~deez~~ these nuts later if he wants to eat at all.

The rest of the preparations continue without incident. And when it's time to finally get down and party, Himeka enjoys the fruits of her labor both literally and figuratively. As well as some of that delicious, amazing Mesi...of which she has just taken a hearty drink from that magical flower.

The bon fire is mesmerizing right now.

He never imagined he would, again, be in a scenario where he was using his dragoon abilities to pick fruit. It turns out, when it's required, he's actually a hunting-gathering machine. It's convenient for him to have so noble a purpose during a time that he would like nothing more to keep himself busy and preoccupied at all times.

It means that when he finally settles down to enjoy the celebration, it's the first time he's sat still for a while. Like a cat that's been exhausted and stimulated just the right amount, he feels surprisingly content. Weirdly content, even. Maybe it has something to do with that golden drink everyone was sharing. Though, it's telling that he was relaxed enough to simply accept it without question in the first place.

While Himeka is focused on the fire, he is spread out languidly across the floor, each movement of his limbs feeling blurred and disconnected from the thought inspiring them. He flops a hand against her back, communicating... something, presumably. He's not even sure he knows.

The hand takes a moment to register as she looks for where it came from but from above. It takes another good moment for her to slowly connecting it instead to an arm coming from down below. Himeka stares at Estinien as if she's never seen him before.

"...Shhhh," she says instead. "Don't be so loud. I'm trying to listen."

Estinien suddenly wonders if he'd actually been saying something and has already forgotten it. It seems plausible at the moment. But wait, if he was talking, then who was he interrupting?

He squints at her silhouette in the firelight, finding something about her presentation sort of strange. It's almost like her form is made of smells and light more than physical shapes. He rubs his eyes drowsily.

"Tell them to shut up," he says. He's already feeling a bit overwhelmed, frankly.

Himeka closes her eyes as she lets the forest take over all of her senses. Speaking to the elementals before had felt natural, but never so...encompassing. Its as if the trees themselves have voices. She knew that the forest felt old, ancient, but now the weight of those years settles upon her and she--

--Estinien's voice breaks through the chorus and she doesn't quite register what he said.

She turns towards him with a confused frown. Her tail flops dangerously close to his face.

"What?"

Estinien, for his part, has no real frame of reference for this whatsoever, and he's not sure he likes it. It's a complicated feeling - on one hand, he feels detached from the concerns of his body, like he could float away if he isn't careful. On the other hand, there's a lot of noise, and he's not sure how he feels about getting intimate with a bunch of trees.

This seems like something that is Himeka's problem, and he'd rather her deal with it. Grumbling, he curls his body so that his face is hidden in her tail, grasping it with his hand like it will somehow block out the forest vibes.

"Make them shut up," he says again, hoping it will work this time. Please, Himeka, you have to help him. He doesn't want to be one with the forest.

Himeka's tail wiggles in his hold, but she doesn't try to pull it out just yet. It's strangely grounding...that is until she feels herself going lower, lower, as if her soul is travelling down through the trunk of the tree instead.

She can feel it--each of the little rooms and halls carved out of the old and new wood, the heartbeat of the mighty tree as water moves up through a labyrinth of microscopic pores and tunnels. Everything around them is just the essence of life itself and she basks in it.

Apparently, at some point, this hand made her fall back onto the ground. Luckily her rather ungraceful plop was somewhat softened by the moss and petals strewn about.

"I can't tell what they're saying..." she says as she breathes out a sigh. "But I flew. Did you see it?"

He's not sure of what he's seeing in absolutely any context. His vision is distorted, too colourful, and Himeka herself feels hard to hold onto, like well-arranged sparkles rather than a human form. It just makes him hold onto her tail more determinedly.

"I'd rather... you stay here."

He's too anxious about this to fly, he thinks. He feels like if he flies right now he isn't going to come back down. It's a level of emotional freedom that he isn't prepared to indulge in. If she just disappears, what is he even going to do about it?

The tip of her tail continues to twitch in his hold, albeit lazily. Himeka opens her eyes as the canopy above them swirls in a myriad of colors, pulsating with that same heartbeat of the tree. All she feels is wonder, contrasting the apprehension in his own voice.

"Come with me instead."

Estinien has never been one to be satisfied with succumbing to his own fears. As uncertain as these feelings make him, her invitation serves to remind him that he's the one keeping himself down, in the end, too afraid to face the sky. He's not supposed to be like that, is he?

He lets go of her tail, getting onto his hands and knees so that he can crawl forward, half on top of her, and look her straight in the face. His expression is intense.

"Show me how."

His expression is intense and Himeka stares back at him with similar resolve. For quite a long period of time. Before reaching up and just giving him a quick "boop" on the nose.

"Lay down. Let yourself relax."

Estinien looks so confused about what just happened that it lasts long until after he's already started to lay down as instructed. This time he does so at her side, putting a hand over his face. As it turns out, closing his eyes doesn't actually make the hallucinations less intense.

"What now?" he asks, though whether he's actually relaxed is questionable.

He doesn't sound relaxed at all, but that's hardly surprising. It doesn't seem to really bother her either because she is relaxed and enjoying herself just fine, thank you. Though to be fair she can't see if his eyes are closed or not because hers already are.

"Can you feel your body just...falling away? Let it happen. It'll be okay."

She won't see how relaxed he is or isn't, but she will feel his hand snake around hers. The grip just slightly tight with unseen urgency, but slowly begins to relax as he lets his thoughts drift. He's not used to losing control of himself, he reasons. It's not something he feels like he should do.

"How do you fly?" he murmurs a moment later, sounding a bit more subdued.

She's already floating, falling back into that lofty feeling of the forest ushering her forward. She's content to go wherever their songs take her. The words are different, strange, but still resonate inside of her. A similar language, perhaps. One that she can learn in time.

The change in his tone makes her smile. She gives his hand a squeeze in return, though it's gentle.

"You just let go. When you finally relax they will carry you upwards towards the canopy."

He falls quiet for a while, apparently taking her words to heart. It's still a bit frightening, feeling himself begin to drift, as if letting himself be carried by the breeze with no ability to truly direct himself. He remembers that feeling, the experience of being wind... though it had been an unending struggle in Ultima Thule, there had been a lightness to the environment that he'd been fighting to cultivate. As he'd sacrificed himself, he'd wanted to give that much to the Scions. The power to fly beyond the prison that sought to contain them.

It's a grim thought, in its way, but it doesn't feel like it right now. Instead, all he feels is the memory of triumph and trust, efforts rewarded, and a kind of peace with his own path in life that he'd never quite expected to find.

He wonders if he can be like that again, right now.

As his mind meditates on feeling of wind, his physical body turns onto its side, moving closer to Himeka, the sensation of her hand in his making its way through to him despite it all. He doesn't just feel himself lift, he feels something stirring and tickling within him. In a daze, he opens his eyes a crack, peering up into the dazzling canopy, seeing through the boundaries of the elements and what they represent.

In that same moment, a pair of familiar, draconic wings erupt from his very real and physical back. He doesn't react at first, or at least he perceives it as entirely non-literal. Now he's getting it, he thinks. Now it feels right.

Around them, some of the festival-goers are a lot more suprised to see one of the Aions suddenly grow wings. The ones that didn't also embibe, at least.

Himeka does not register the wings--she's too lost in her own experience of sorts. But what she does feel is a sense of oneness, not just with the forest but with the man beside her. He isn't asking questions, just...being.

Feeling.

And that's all there is to it--to allow oneself to flow with all things. Himeka feels that happy dizziness as she lets herself float higher.

"It's lovely, isn't it?"

(no subject)

coerthantorment - 2022-05-03 04:17 (UTC) - Expand

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only