tushanshu_logs | EVENT | LANDFALL

EVENT | LANDFALL | VALISHAERA

Characters: ALL!
Date: JULY 13-26
Location: Valishaera
Situation: Tu Vishan has made landfall on Siaxhi, to explore the Dreaming Watch City of Valishaera.
Warnings/Rating: Please indicate content warnings in subject headers as applicable.

As Tu Vishan draws near, the heavy jungle visible even from miles out quickly identifies the landmass as Siaxhi, one of the westernmost continents in Konryu and one that has been largely untouched insofar as the kedan themselves have gone. There is a natural inlet along the southeast shore on the continent and Tu Vishan makes for that, though he fills nearly all of it.

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Raine smiled in return, an expression with a self-deprecating edge. She was well aware of this tendency of hers. At the least he was a rather more understanding audience than most.

"Hold on a moment," she said, frowning a little. "Baa-- I think I've heard that term before. Ah. Have you been talking to Bakura, by any chance?"

Lifestream was a different matter altogether. Raine hummed briefly in thought, and after a moment sat down herself, tucking her legs beneath her. "It's not familiar as far as my homeworld is concerned, no. There's always the possibility that any record of something like that was lost in the Kharlan War and its aftermath. I'm disinclined to believe anything the Church taught about the afterlife, but we have no real way of knowing what actually happens. Observing mana can only tell us so much. I presume the holy river you mentioned is roughly equivalent, correct? As for here, it's not something I've looked into -- is there a parallel?"

As an aside, before she could get swept up again, she added, "This is the second time you've mentioned a Temple." It was less of a question and more of a hopeful inquiry for context.

Ah. Solomon hadn't been aware they knew each other--though somehow it wasn't a surprise, that Raine had spoken to others somewhat philosophically inclined. "He's been helping me with my research," Solomon explained, which was by far the simplest explanation, though not quite accurate for its simplicity. If she'd spoken to Bakura before, that would be obvious, so Solomon smiled wryly. "In a manner of speaking. He is Egyptian."

Her last question made him pause. Any detailed answer to that question would only direct the conversation back to death-auras and other things about which Solomon wasn't sure he wanted to speak right now. But a basic answer ... "I'm a cleric in the Necromantic Temple," he said. "An adviser to the High Priest."

And then he neatly went back to her other question, the evasion not impolite but still obvious for all that. "Asti swims in a metaphysical current," he said, "which bridges the planes of Life, Death and Dreaming. It was too great a parallel to ignore. If Asti swims in the lifestream even now, a place where our souls were borne to be put in a replica of our original bodies, then that proves the Temple's theory beyond a doubt--particularly because they need to store our souls in a separate receptacle, one that affords protection from the lifestream's internal influence. That the lifestream divides and connects three planes indicates that these are all parts of a single universe's soul. Bakura has also introduced me to a possible fourth--the khajbit, a kind of shadow-plane, where kaa, creatures representing individuals, reside."

"Hey, good job!" Impressed, Korra gave the bubble a firm poke with her finger to test out it's durability as she circled around Sarah.

"Took me forever to get that one down, you're a natural at this." Smiling Korra stopped so she could give the girl some space to work with. "Think you can make it bigger?" A gentle push in helping Sarah start pushing her limits felt like the right thing to do, even though Korra had never been a teacher when it came to bending styles before.

Always the bending student.

He was playing around with the spear, getting used to the feeling of it in his hand when Solomon spoke, and with an oops face he tried to pretend he wasn't turning red. But the spear didn't disappear when he was distracted, so he thought that should be considered an improvement.

"Right. Uh." He looked at the spear, shaking his hand to make it disappear in a puff of smoke. Then he looked at his other hand and frowned. 'A chair...' he muttered, trying to remember a particular chair that meant something to him. He discarded camp right away since they usually ate lying down, but if he thought further back...

Suddenly a very old-looking but cared for chair appeared, and he grinned. "There. That was Grandma Zhang's office chair, and I used to sneak in and sit on it all the time when I was little. Made me feel like one of the big boys."

She supposed it made sense that they had been talking, given the apparent overlap in their interests. Bakura being even that forthcoming was frankly a little startling, but perhaps they'd come to some sort of exchange. Perhaps Bakura simply liked Solomon. "Ah. Hm. I'm less sure now that I'd agree with his analogy, but... later." That was something to query the primary source about, even if she wasn't sure he'd answer.

Raine could recognize an evasion when she heard one, fortunately, and as it had been both polite and not strictly relevant to the lifestream thought, she nodded and moved on. It seemed like it had the potential to take them back to death magic, at any rate, of which there had been more than enough for one day.

"That plane, since it's accessible here, must be connected in some manner similar to the others, and if it's a distinct and separate place, it seems reasonable to presume, in the lack of evidence against the idea, that it is that fourth part." She had calmed into simple thoughtfulness by now, turning the idea over and over. "I had initially thought the separation of our souls was only a backup measure, to keep us from permanent death. Which-- it is that, to an extent, but if your hypothesis is accurate then that illuminates the reason it was necessary. And, perhaps, why it's important that we stay close to them." The last was tacked on as an afterthought. If Eva's magic wasn't as strong as the late Emperor's had been, and they were in a current of souls, the danger of being swept away, so to speak, might be a very real one.

"Oh!" Rapunzel said with an enthusiastic nod. She was always eager to learn about new things that she hadn't heard about before. There just always seemed to be something new, especially when there were people from so many places around her now.

"That sounds nice! So that people can see what you experienced."

"A good choice," Solomon said. It was: it was a very personal object, one from Frank's childhood. It was the sort of object that would last; something so deeply rooted in the teen's consciousness and memories that Solomon wondered if it would vanish even if Frank told it to. "You shouldn't have trouble keeping that manifested."

Solomon took off his coat and hung it over the back of his chair, and took a seat. The chair was a good start, but the writing materials would be the difficult part. Solomon could have summoned a chair for the teen himself, if necessary. "The book is more important," he said. "It's what will represent your subconscious mind, and therefore is something you'll have to manifest and maintain on your own."

The comment about Bakura seemed to be mostly for herself, but it made Solomon wonder what analogy Bakura had made. Something to do with baa, obviously--but Raine hadn't explained what.

"That was my thought as well," he said. "I don't know how to access it, but I was able to manipulate it when Bakura showed it to me--and while it's possible for people here to learn magic from those not of their world, the khajbit is not magic per se. If it's possible for someone other than Bakura to access the khajbit, that would imply it's a founding plane. A strange one, admittedly; I would have assumed an individual's sheut would be found there, rather than their ka, but it is what it is."

Solomon smiled deprecatingly. He had initially thought the separation of soul was a way to keep the Foreigners under control--and he still felt that was a possibility. But if it was true, then it was Evandau taking advantage of a situation rather than creating the situation for that purpose. Asti, as much as Solomon disliked his soul being elsewhere, was right: returning it would have been a very bad idea.

"The palace may have provided a buffer around the city which enabled us to move at a distance," he said, "but now the palace is taken, we no longer have the benefit of that protection. It makes sense that we would need to remain near to them, under those conditions."

Raine took a few seconds picking through the newly-learned terminology. "A shadow within a plane made of shadows might be easily lost," she offered, a little absently. In the unlikely event that Bakura felt talkative, she would have to query him on this topic, too. "Or, perhaps, the ka as a creature in this case becomes like a shadow cast by the person...? Hm. I wonder why he chose ba as comparison for mana, instead -- vital essence sounds closer, as far as comparisons go, but..."

She fell silent there, thoughts directed inward. Mana was necessary for life as their world knew it, and each and every person had it. It was possible, if ill-advised, to completely exhaust your mana, and the consequence was usually death, but on the one occasion she had seen it occur, the unique self had not gone with it. But in the case of those who had been absorbed by exspheres-- those took both. They must, or speaking to Alicia would have been impossible. Mithos' survival would have been impossible. "I think," she said aloud, slowly, "mana must be closer to ka, as uniqueness and a concept of self is not necessarily attached-- but exspheres likely feed on ba as well, or entrap it as a result." And she shook her head. "But that's beside the point, for now." She'd think on it later. "It's true that the palace has some sort of powerful magic in it, and the results of its corruption speak for themselves. Eva also said she had needed to move them, didn't she? Perhaps that, too, had an effect."

"One would think," said Solomon, "but if you've seen the monsters Bakura has summoned, you may think differently. They are all the kaa, or were in the past, or will be in the future--I'm not sure time exists in the khajbit except when taken into it by duelists. Either way, they're certainly unique themselves."

He leaned forward, gazing up at the foliage overhead and tapping his fingers together. "Of course, from what I recall when I visited the Egyptian Temple, it's when the ka leaves the body that the person dies. But that may be a matter of exchanging cause and effect--the ka leaves the body when the ba dies." He shook his head with a deprecating chuckle. "This is where the cultural conditioning would be useful. Either way, as I understand it, the ba and ka are more closely connected than the other parts of the soul; they can join one another in the afterlife even after death."

Those sorts of complexities were the things Solomon was having trouble with, though he suspected it may not be as simple as an easy one-to-one parallel. The Ancient Egyptians may have been accurate, to some extent, with their view of their universe and its planes; but that didn't mean that all they believed was accurate.

"I would like," Solomon said thoughtfully, "to try and draw parallels between the planes and the features, and the ways in which the parts of the soul are believed to be connected. It's difficult to do so without practical research on the planes themselves."

Frank sat on his own chair, worrying his lower lip as he thought about it. He could have summoned a desk as well, now that he had the vision of his grandma's office in his mind but like Solomon said, the book was the important part if they were going to keep on writing.

And he was painfully aware that every moment Solomon took to explain because Frank didn't understand was a moment he could have spent studying on his own, so he was going to make the most of it.

"I don't really have a book or a journal in mind, but..." He took a moment to remember, to focus on the memory. Eventually he placed a hand on the desk and slowly a calligraphy kit began to appear: a pot, some ink, an ink stone, a few brushes and paper. "I think this might also be useful?"

[It had been what they were told, but so far, Kaldur has found little to support it considering what Malicant has accomplished. Those without powers have had just as much impact and influence, so are they abilities truly what they needed? He wonders if they have been looking at their purpose here the wrong way.

But he also realizes he may have pushed it too far.]

Apologies, I may have made this a heavier occasion that it needed to be.

"I believe I have, once-- though not in any position to examine it in detail. A dragon." It stuck out in her memory, but mostly as dragons in the middle of a fight did, and not with sufficient clarity to distinguish anything important.

It was increasingly clear that she'd have to broach this subject with Bakura at some point, however. "The context would certainly help," she said, only a little resigned. It was not that the idea was particularly unpleasant, but rather that, in her limited experience, a conversation with him had high potential to become frustrating. "The concept itself is clear enough, and I understand the broad idea, but the specifics likely make more sense to someone raised in the tradition."

Even if a direct parallel to things with which she was familiar couldn't be achieved, and she was prepared for that, it would still be nice to have a clear understanding, of this world and of others. "How do you propose to proceed, then?" Raine asked, and, shortly after, "And will you continue to share what you learn?"

"The specifics, in this case, are unfortunately what's important," Solomon said wryly. "But it means I've needed his input, and he has been helpful."

Her second-to-last question was an important one, but it was her last that Solomon answered first. "If you like," he said. "Knowing more about other universes seems wise in any case. But my next step is to take advantage of the opportunity here." He nodded at their surroundings. "I have not been able to study the Dreaming directly before; I don't know details about its characteristics."

"I'd like that, yes," she said. "And if there's anything I can help with, I'm happy to. Though I haven't been here before, either." She rose at that, dusting her pants off absently. "Before this I had heard it was a lucid state, if not always a wholly sensible one. At the very least we've proven it's malleable, which matches what I know of 'normal' lucid dreaming. I do wonder how much it varies depending on the place from which you enter, but that much can't quite be tested right now." All of the questions she'd immediately want answered demanded comparison with other points of Dreaming. Well, there had been multiple arches: there would be time.

"It would," Solomon said with a nod. "The pages on which you write don't necessarily have to be bound, though you may find it more difficult to retain or connect the knowledge together. In the subconscious, a bound book would represent something a touch more ... cohesive than otherwise."

Actually, the fact the teen couldn't manifest a book, but pages, said something about his psychology. For whatever reason, he seemed to have trouble connecting thoughts together--not obviously, but enough that concentration was an effort. Dyslexia or something similar, if Solomon recalled correctly; mental states hadn't had much in the way of name or description when he'd been born.

"Fortunately there is no limit to the pages you can create, here," he said dryly, manifesting his own utensils--a fountain pen and inkpot. They weren't what he meant to create, but they were an image of the ones his father had owned, and personal. Possibly Frank's explanation of the rocking-chair had influenced him. Either way, it meant that he could pull the empty journal and Frank's notes closer, and being his transcription. "If you need help with the interpretation, feel free to ask."

"I'll let you know," Solomon said, vaguely amused but thinking of the toll the khajbit and the death-plane took. It was quite possible he'd need Raine's aid, if not interference.

He rose when she did, looking around. "It does imply solidity is possible; this area is obviously sectioned off from the rest of the city. It was probably deliberately created or cordoned off by the monks." Solomon shook his head. "Still, not a question that can be answered here, and I do believe I've had enough of mushrooms for the moment."

While perhaps not quite as adept at interfering as her impetuous students, Raine could definitely provide both interference and aid, as appropriate.

"They do become monotonous after a while," Raine agreed, a little dryly. "A moment, then, and I'll accompany you back the way we came." She hadn't forgotten the idea floated earlier, and she began briefly to cast. White light spun for a few seconds before vanishing, without the usual payout of an arte. Her hands and staff retained the faintest of glows when she was done, and, with a little smile, she started walking back.

[She could only offer a noncommittal shrug at that.]

Just a bit.

A nod. "Thanks, I'll look for her." But then she sighs, because - well, he's not wrong. The city is far too pristine.

"Abandoned place do usually show signs of wear. Unless it was abandoned immediately after it's inception - which could very well be the case. Nothing seems far fetched in this world sometimes."

"It's still a pretty big job. Their giant selves can be a handful." She says it with complete affection, despite topical content.

"No worse than my brothers were."

Spoken with equal amounts of affection and truth. There was only one Riva. She had three brothers. Even taking into account the fact that Michel had always been a perfect angel, there were the twins to consider.

[Now things could get interesting.

Hellboy takes up the rear, tearing at the tangle of vines with his right hand, his cloven-hoofed feet clattering on the stone floor.

So far, every room he's entered in the city had been empty. Not so much of a scrap of paper or an abandoned piece of furniture was left behind. But as he stops just inside the doorway, Hellboy can see that this room isn't like the others.

The dog's still barking excitedly at the sword on its pedestal, and Hellboy can't help feeling pretty damn suspicious of a trap. He searches the room, eyes narrowed and tail twitching like an agitated cat's.
But nothing really stands out. There's no incantations, no prickle of magic in the air, no temperature change from the hallway. No scent of sulfur or oils or death. Just the sword, lying there harmlessly, and a flood of recognition washing over Hawke's face.]

You recognize it?

[Hawke doesn't respond immediately. For a moment all he does is simply frown at the sword. Even Notch appears to be bothered by its presence. His ears fold against his skull and he gives Hawke a look that one might call worried. The hound remembers just the blade just as well as his master.]

Are you sure you're not just a demon trying to use my memories against me? Because honestly that would make things so much simpler.

[Without waiting for an answer Hawke approaches the weapon. He gives a sigh of resignation before grabbing it by the sheath. Leaving it behind would be a mistake. Even he knows that. If it's here then it's for a reason. But he has to make sure.

Grabbing the hilt, Hawke draws the wickedly hooked weapon from it's sheath. The thing looks like a jagged talon ripped from a giant bird of prey. Instantly power thrums up his arm as it reacts to the blood in his veins. Arcs of lighting race up and down the blade while Hawke twirls it in his hand becoming instantly familiar with it again.]

Never thought I'd see this thing again.

[The trails of light pouring from the weapon make Hellboy nervous, but he trusts Hawke, even if Hawke no longer trusts him. Still, the whole situation just feels off.]

Yeah. But where the hell did it come from?

[He's still searching the room for some kind of clue.]

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EVENT | LANDFALL | VALISHAERA

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cries i suck i'm sorry

i see no sucking here

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