beleos | ARRIVAL

ARRIVAL

Perhaps it comes to you as you lie cradled in a seedling buried beneath the earth, not yet aware of the circumstances around you. Perhaps it comes to you after your harrowing ‘rebirth,’ shedding your would-be cocoon and walking among foreign cities whose streets are not your own. Or maybe it finds you as you gaze skyward, feeling restless and aimless, adrift in a place you don’t belong.

You dream.

It comes for all Shard-Bearers, and it starts as a voice. It is not one that you recognize, but one that you know to trust, somehow - this is someone who will not lead you astray. Someone whose words you must listen to, and heed, for your own survival. What they say is important.

So they speak, and you listen.
You are in Kenos, they tell you. A series of floating islands standing at the end of the universe. Your homeworld is gone - swallowed like so many others, lost to the sands of time. But do not lose hope… there are others like you - survivors. Maybe even some familiar faces if you are especially lucky. The voice explains that there are two forces that oppose one another in ideals within this place, and you must choose where you fall among them.

First comes the vision of Florence, and with it flows a sense of stern chill, like that of a matron. Not uncaring, but one that expects to be heard, and would see you succeed by virtue of standing on your won two feet. You feel yourself painted in the pale moonlight, cool and calm; you feel a sense of belonging, and you understand that the force filling your veins, now, is known as the Zenith. Florence’s voice speaks, her tone understanding, but stern; you hear her. She has brought you here, she says. The forces of Zenith itself has spirited your soul from the edge of Oblivion, and should you decide your path lies with her - she can answer the deepest wishes of your soul. Power; love. A soul of someone precious to you. A weapon to end all weapons. A chance to see, to live, with your family again. She cannot resurrect your world, but pieces of it connected to you are not beyond Zenith's reach. All she asks in return is your loyalty and your faith.

Your home is gone, she says - but she hopes with your help, the Zenith can bring forth a new world with the ashes of the old. One in which you will be free to enjoy the fruits of your labor. One in which you can do, become, anything you desire. The ultimate freedom.

And slowly, slowly, moonlight begins to burn off into daylight - bright and beautiful and warming your skin, leaving you feeling invigorated and full of life.

You see Hieropoios Natalia Theodora Vaso Helios , your dreamscape consumed by the near-blinding rays of dual suns - calm, knowing smile. She welcomes you as if she knows you, and there is something in you that feels that she could share your secrets, should she choose to. You can sense it in her - a genuine appreciation for the worlds you came from and the potential therein, and you can sense that she wants to see you grow, under the light of Meridian's sun. For a moment, that same innate and natural sensation consumes you, too - and you recognize it as the Meridian.

Natalia points toward the distance, speaking plainly: “Every one of us is proof our worlds can be saved. You can go home, Bearer - the Meridian’s life-giving power can help us bring it all back.” And then, you see it in the distance - the hazy, shimmering vision of your world, and you know it in your gut - this is real. You don’t understand it, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that home is gone, and yet…

Is there a way to save it?

…Do you want to?

Natalia gestures toward the visage and begins to say something - a soft offer to bask in Meridian's light and dream of returning your home... but the words are already fading. You are fading, once more sinking into the deep emptiness of slumber - a silent slumber punctuated only by that familiar, quiet voice.

“...choose well, dreamer...”

That’s right - a choice lies ahead of you, one you know will shape your fate as well as the fate of all others on Kenos. Kenos… a world floating at the end of time and space, and you… its newest Shard-Bearer.

AFTER THE DREAM...

In addition, all characters arriving in Kenos will be able to easily discover the following information. This could come from factional NPCs like Delphyne or Kathova, should characters wish to seek out the factions and ask them questions, or it can come from other NPCs/PCs. Essentially, all of this information is considered readily available/widely known and should help characters adjust to their new lives in Kenos.

Agapitos Voreen, the head of the Meridian faction, is a native aristocrat of Springstar who provides characters with an iliachtida, or sunbeam. This item tethers a character to their world, ensuring it does not fully disappear. His stance involves the idea that, using Meridian's light, worlds can be restored and you may return home.

In contrast, the head of the Zenith faction is Florence Deshayes, who has been the head of Highstorm since the destruction of Yima's manor over a hundred years ago by some of the current bearers of Meridian. She provides characters with a Shard of what they love most, to protect and hold - or the promise to help you attain what you desire most: be it power, influence, or love. Florence believes the same as her Matron, that your former worlds are lost and looks to the future instead.

While Harmonization occurs as the characters' Shard ( literally the manifestation of a character's soul! ) accrues the natural energies generated by Meridian or Zenith, Discord is also as natural an occurrence -- a symptom, in fact, of that process. Discord is best reduced by someone from the opposite faction and is also influenced by the Aspect of one's character.

The new marking that has appeared upon your character's body is known as their sign of Aspect, and supposedly correlates to the fundamental truths of their soul. A Shard also exists, and is known as the characters' soul itself.

Characters are asked to pick a faction to join because of the now ongoing war for Oracles, which are mysterious objects that will allow either faction to achieve their goals. What the Oracles are is still a little unclear, but they're clearly vessels for the energies of Meridian and Zenith. Once enough Oracles are gathered by a faction and filled with its energy, it can then be utilized for their purposes. Only Shard-Bearers of the current generation (that is, player characters) are able to fight for and claim these Oracles, which appear at random (OOC, every three months)

As characters explore to learn more about these Factions, they'll certainly encounter Delphyne or Kathova whether they're quick to Harmonize or if they take a bit longer. These NPCs are the helpers to Agapitos and Florence. They will optionally receive a moleskine-style notebook from one of them, and this will allow the character to do texting-style threads. This system is opt-in at a player level.

Your character will be offered temporary housing either at the Heliopolis district or Florence's Mansion for the first few weeks after their arrival. They will also be given a stipend for basic supplies like clothing and personal effects, and food is served in the cantina (Heliopolis) and at regular meal times in the Dining Room (Florence's Mansion). Once they Harmonize and have been in game a month, they will be asked to pursue other housing - you might want to try getting to know some long-standing bearers, and ask them for a place to stay!

Residents of Kenos are very involved in the happenings of their world (considering the war at hand), and as such, it's fairly easy to find out most of what happened before the most recent timeskip, during the timeskip, and after the timeskip since the new Shard-Bearers began to arrive, AKA, our plot so far.

If a character has special needs or desires (such as a vampire who needs to drink blood or a character who wants to negotiate their loyalty to a faction), you can ask about this on the FAQ page, since these requests are possible and will be handled generally in the same way. If there's a truly specific case that requires specific NPC interaction, we'll let you know, but this will be rare.

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