A Mixed Blessing

• Character: Ivo Galvan
• 2 years ago

 The Drowned Undercity has changed since the party's previous venture into its depths -- enough to make moving through it relatively uneventful, but not so much that our heroes are quite ready to move on.
 The trip by stone raft through the flooded canals is much easier now. The denizens of Aurita Meloda, assisted by Cutini Nak's lizardfolk cohort, have worked to clear away at the fallen debris that had made passage so treacherous prior. The rafts now come to a stop before the broken stone arch that they had previously cleared with a death-defying launch, the path restored with a makeshift rope bridge. A second raft awaits persons who cross it and allows passage on to the once-sealed shrine. The treasure long gathered there has been safely carried away, some awarded to the party themselves (mostly Priel), much of it left to finance the city's restoration.
 But the great sworling orb of water that is Meloda's Blessing remains, preventing the return of life to the waters beneath the cliffside city, and until it is stilled or properly controlled, the populace here will continue to struggle to survive. Indeed, no further restoration of the Undercity is possible so long as the Chaos within the Blessing causes the waters to unpredictably surge. No travel through the Undercity is truly safe when a torrent of seawater could come gushing into a canal at any moment.
 "Think it leads anywhere?"
 Ivo, blue cloak spread out behind him, is kneeling before Meloda's Blessing as though in worship. In fact, he is tinkering carefully with a glimmering device, its sparkling surface capturing countless reflections of the perilous miracle that remains in this remote cove.
 "Somewhere very far away, I hope."
 His wry answer is accompanied by a tilt of his head toward the noisily swirling orb of water suspended above them. This place may have been stripped of his treasures, but the memories of their desperate battle with the blasphemous beastkin remain. When he was cast into the center of that orb, a point obscured from view by the chaotic waters' own frenzied constant motion, Draaken vanished without a trace.
 "Just in case... I'm glad for the company."
 It seems Ivo wasn't just worried about the primordial monsters that still swim in these canals. But his idle chatter belies his focus on the artifact lain before him: the Crux of Creation, at last complete, its four arms inlaid with precious starmetal.

• Character: Priel
• 2 years ago

  Priel....

  ...Does not have great memories of this place. To say the least.

  But she laid down a heavy fine for the fact that this place actually made her try. That was a crime that could not go unpunished, of course. Now, though, she's here again, looking arms crossed behind her head as she stands by and has a more casual look around.

  Didn't have much time for that before, what with the death defying raft trip and the aquatic wildlife that wanted the dead and whatnot. Minor stuff, right?

  "I'm sure you didn't need me to be here, but sure buddy." The redhead responds absentmindedly. "So... that crown thingy of your is complete, is it? You and the kid were running around for a while now, putting that thing together if I recall." She eyes it mildly. "So? What're you going to do with it now? Sell it for a mountain of cash?" She grins. "Oh, I got it. You're gonna take over the world, right?"

  Yes. On the mark. Good guess, Priel.

• Character: Argent
• 2 years ago

  "I do not believe it is likely that individual will return." Argent says quietly from her position behind Ivo, peering over his kneeling form at the swirling orb with her usual inscrutable expression.

  She doesn't have much more pleasant memories of this place than Priel. Despite not attracting the bulk of Draaken's hostility, all that swirling Chaos spewing out into the air did her body no favours. Suddenly finding your stomach filled with what ultimately amounts to cleaning supplies is only slightly less pleasant for her than it would be a typical human.

  "Ah." she says as she tilts her head towards Priel, all that long hair swishing around from even just that minor movement. "I believe that they planned to use it for some other function. It is however possible that they have neglected to inform us of their further plans, and as such it may be the case that upon attaining their current goal they will attempt this domination of which you speak." she says quite matter of factly.

  ...she wasn't making a joke, was she?

• Character: Ivo Galvan
• 2 years ago

 "You've seen through me as always, Priel," Ivo gamely replies. "I've brought you here to rule the world at my side. Let's become the ultimate power couple. What are your terms?" He nods toward their homunculus companion. "I was thinking that the charming Argent here could be our-- you know-- what's the word--"
 Uh oh.
 "Mascot."
 Is that a better or worse suggestion than expected?
 The place they are in now, the cove that was once Draaken's sealed prison remains strewn with rubble, its features broken from years of his tantrums. But based on its amphitheater-like structure and central position, one can deduce that it was once a central forum for high-minded debate by the beastkin of old. Perhaps someday that utopian society could be restored here -- if the lesson of the past is not forgotten.
 But is that lesson to reject the promise and power of Chaos and its infinite energy? Or that mortals should not rely on the Beasts to manage it for them, but learn to understand and manage it properly themselves?
 "Alright. Here's my hypothesis."
 Rising, Ivo turns back to his friends, cloak swirling, framed by Meloda's Blessing behind him, a constant reminder of a task yet incomplete. Though a vestige of his playful smile remains, the young man's gaze is serious.
 "In our battle against the elemental on the River Delta," he begins, "we saw with Kernunnos's summoning and Argent's attunement to Creation with the starmetal athame that contact between Creation and Chaos causes a mutual annihilation. From what Cutini Nak tells us about so-called beastkin blasphemy, Chaos is an elemental power that rebels against the cosmic order, which is supposedly why the Beasts took its use to be a rebellion against the divine."
 Ivo isn't sure if he believes that the Beasts even exist, let alone that they were anointed by some divine beings, but he does think there's at least some scrap of truth to these stories.
 "So you'd think that a domain aether aspect like Creation and Chaos are incompatible. But it's not quite that simple, right?" He nods to Argent. "Because Argent was able to attune her athame to Chaos, at cost to herself, during our battle here."
 He takes a deep breath.
 "The Crux of Creation is going to be key to reaching the floating city of Arcadios, where the secrets of the Star-Crowned are likely hidden. But... in case anything goes wrong... before we depart on that venture, I want to try something first." He glances between the two women. "I suspect that a kind of equilibrium can be created between Chaos and domain aether, and that this is how Meloda's Blessing has endured without expanding. I want to test that theory... and try using the Crux of Creation to entrap a kernel of Chaos within its center, between the four arms. For that, I need your help."
 He first looks to Argent.
 "I'll understand if you refuse," he continues, "and I'll find another way if so." He has no idea how, though. "But if you could briefly attune to the Chaos within Aurita Meloda, and project as little of it as possible into the center of the Crux after I position it... we can test to see if it works."
 He then looks to Priel.
 "And... on the chance that anything goes awry..."
 Normally, he'd be reluctant to admit it were possible.
 "Priel, I'd appreciate it if you could get Argent to safety."

• Character: Priel
• 2 years ago

  Priel looks to Argent, and cracks an insincere smile. "Ah yes, she gets it. That's definitely what they're up to, isn't it?"

  But with the jokes put aside, and Ivo giving his hypothesis, Priel nods along occasionally. She won't claim to fully understand these going ons, considering she hasn't been present for a good eighty percent of it all. But she can pick up the broad strokes of the situation at least. "So basically... you want Argent here to do her little dagger wavy elemental thing, and put a sliver of that power into the crown. I get that much." She crosses her arms and sighs.

  "Well, I'm already here, so I may as well stick around and see what happens, right?" She shrugs her shoulders with a wry look on her face. "Go ahead. If anything goes wrong, then ... I'll figure it out. I usually do." Confident as ever.

• Character: Argent
• 2 years ago

  Before Ivo can even finish talking, Argent is already drawing that oddly shaped athame. Without saying a word the homunculus takes a step towards the swirling orb of water, peering at it for a long few second before her hand comes up, the athame clutched in it pointed straight at the orb in front of her. For a few seconds it seems like nothing is going to happen, but it's as she's about to give up that a little fragment of that Chaos flows into the tool, making it and the air around it take on an odd blurriness, like neither can quite decide where they want to be.

  "Ah. Please present the crux, Ivo." she says calmly as she turns, athame held out in front of her. Then a moment passes and she turns to Priel. "If such a negative sequence of events comes to pass, I will rely on you to remove me from this location. Please do not hesitate to pick me up, if that is what is required."

• Character: Ivo Galvan
• 2 years ago

 Ivo, in an unguarded moment, allows his shoulders to sag in sincere relief when Priel agrees to help in her usual blase style. He'd been worried she might end up annoyed when it turned out that he was planning to expose her to potential danger. He should have remembered that she's invincible.
 And a lopsided smile brightens his features as Argent, wordlessly, is already stepping up to the task. She's been an indispensible partner in his experiments at the laboratory, but he hesitated to ask her to experience any further pain. Perhaps she's merely as indifferent to threats as she was when they first met in the marketplace. But regardless, to Ivo, her act is courageous.
 "Thanks, you two."
 He has no illusions about his own resilience. Normally, he would only pretend to be so reckless as to attempt something like this: an experiment on a phenomenon as dangerous as Meloda's Blessing involving an item as precious and central to their goals as the Crux of Creation.
 "I, uh..."
 He takes another deep breath before extracting a jumble of metal rods from a voluminous cloak pocket. As he speaks, the telescoping rods extend, forming a handcrafted stand on which he begins to carefully position the Crux, angling it while ensuring that it is properly braced against the dusty stone floor.
 "I don't know what we'll find in Arcadios," he admits, "but if we're faced with a great power of Creation, I want a secret weapon that I know can compete with it. And if this works..."
 He looks to Priel once more.
 "...the people of Aurita Meloda deserve to know."
 An understanding of Chaos will benefit the party, but it will surely benefit those suffering here, who have done so much to assist our heroes, all the more. And Ivo has his own concerns. He can only distract the Covenant to Control Chaos with nonsensical dates for so long. If Meloda's Blessing isn't somehow neutralized, eventually, The Capo and his allies will strike again, seeking its limitless power.
 "Alright."
 He takes a step back.
 "The quadrata have been fully empowered. If anything can contain Chaos, it'll be the Crux. Send its power straight toward the middle -- and as soon as you're done, attune to the Creation within the quadrata, okay? That should help to ensure the Chaos doesn't linger within you."
 He hopes.
 "And if anything seems off..."
 He takes a step back.
 "Priel, you'll carry me too, right?"

• Character: Priel
• 2 years ago

  "Well, aren't you a selfless soul?" Priel halkf-smirks. "If it were me, I'd just let them go as they will." She says that, but her actions might speak otherwise when the going gets rough. But that's all hypothetical anyway. The redhead glances at Argent as she casually goes ahead without consideration for the potential danger.

  "... Sure. Carry you. Got it. Maybe I should charge extra for all that hair." She asides while averting her eyes slightly. And then, when Ivo asks if she'll carry him too, her blue eyes find his and she makes the universal sign for money with one of her hands. "Sure, but I'll have to charge you a hefty fee for it~"

  Typical.

  With that, she steps back and watches, waiting to see just what exactly is going to happen here, and keeping ready to bolt if needed.

• Character: Argent
• 2 years ago

  For another long moment, Argent just stares right at Priel. Unblinkingly. "Does the additional weight cause the increased cost? I do not believe Ivo carries a significant amount of weight upon him. Ah." she says, eyes flicking aside to look at him before they flick back to the redhead. "However, he often carries a significant number of items upon his person. As such, the increased charge based on weight is warranted. Ivo, please be prepared to pay on my behalf, as I have neglected to bring a significant amount of money." She'll pay him back. Really! Eventually.

  But now, there's work to be done. Argent sweeps her hair out of the way with one hand, athame clutched tight in the other as she reaches it out towards Ivo's little stand. She moves slowly and carefully, determined not to accidentally touch one of the arms. Eventually the very tip of the tool touches the centre of the Crux, and the transfer begins...

• Character: Ivo Galvan
• 2 years ago

 "Naturally," Ivo gallantly replies to Argent, unfazed by the fact that he also has no money, inevitably spending it all on materials for the lab. Maybe he can ask The Capo for a loan. What could go wrong?
 But any further bluster is quelled by the tension in the air as the experiment commences. The athame takes on unearthy colors as it resonates with the unspeakable energies at the core of Meloda's Blessing. Immediately the material begins to warp, as though something is straining at its starmetal prison. But that struggle begins to settle as those energies, highly focused, are channeled through the dagger's tip. Chaos, raw and umbral, drips from the athame like a dollop of mercury, at once liquid and solid. The Crux flares up, practically sizzling, and Ivo flinches.
 Blinding flashes of light follow, accompanied by an unsettling hissing and the stench of ozone. The artifact vibrates dangerously, white aether bubbling about its four arms in rapid succession, the quicksilver within pushing frenetically in different directions. But in time, that struggle slows as those bubbles fuse, until at last the Crux seems to be projecting a halo about itself that seals the Chaos within. It is never entirely still. Looking closely, it quivers unceasingly. But--
 "It... worked?"
 It cannot escape the overwhelming power of Creation contained within the Crux, the greatest legacy of Vaeltrandia and the sacrifices of their Star-Crowned.
 "It worked!"
 Laughing for joy, Ivo, genuinely carried away by his own delight, moves to (try to) embrace Argent, then to (try to) embrace Priel.

• Character: Priel
• 2 years ago

  Priel watches on, taking in the... frankly unsettlingh phenomenon as it goes through the process that it does. This chaos stuff is some mean business, isn't it? Sure, she's seen some crazy things in her vanguard travels, and especially back at Cosmopolis during that whole... incident, but the wider implications that this stuff has isn't lost on her.

  When it looks like it might explode out of control, Priel takes a stance, ready to grab them both.... ..... .... .... But it never becomes necessary. That moment never comes, as the crux appears to be holding the chaos under control? Is that what's happening? Either way, judging by Ivo's reaction, they seem to be in the clear.

  ......

  And then Ivo goes on his hugging spree.

  Priel doesn't stop him, no. She lets him hug her, but while he does so, and she pats his back in turn, she adds. "That's going to be another five thousand added to your tab~"

  ...Ah.

• Character: Argent
• 2 years ago

  Argent isn't particularly expecting the embrace. The homunculus lets out a soft little noise as she finds Ivo's arms around her, one arm outstretched so as not to get in the way. Notably, it's the arm that holds the athame. That sharp, dangerous athame.

  "Ivo. I believe it is important to contain yourself in this matter. Due to your excitement you are neglecting to exercise caution, and as such may inadvertently cause yourself harm. Additionally, it is inadvisable to become so animated in the presence of this phenomenon." she says dryly, indicating her head in the direction of Meloda's Blessing.

  The homunculus stumbles back slightly as he moves on to Priel, watching the pair blankly. A few seconds later, she speaks up, staring right at Priel as she says it.

  "Ah. Access to your body is costly."

• Character: Ivo Galvan
• 2 years ago

 "Ah ha ha! It's all worth it!"
 Eyes shining with childlike enthusiasm, Ivo's unabashed glee seemingly cannot be suppressed by knife or fee. But as he continues to marvel at the Crux, his grin slowly softens. So swept up in wonder is he, it will be several hours before he recalls how soft the embraces of his companions were.
 But he will definitely recall, eventually.
 "The druids of Vaeltrandia likely didn't even know about the phenomenon we call Chaos," he murmurs. "But Kernunnos led them to a star from which, to pursue their fervent goals, they fashioned the Crux of Creation. Now, over a century later, that very artifact may be the key to saving Aurita Meloda... and Lily, too."
 That grin broadens as, beaming, he turns to his friends.
 "History's eddies are as unpredictable as these canals," he then remarks, "but we can't ever let unknowns and unknowables dissuade us from taking great risks!"
 He understands Kernunnos's regrets. Ivo fears the consequences of his own risk-taking too. Who knows what will come of the connections he's made with the Covenant to Control Chaos or if his decisions to make those connections will cause more trouble for Reize and his friends? But in this moment, he feels more so than ever that he should plunge ahead.
 "Priel, I won't ask you to join us in Arcadios," he continues. "Instead, if you're willing, please keep watch over Aurita Meloda for a few days while we're away and make sure no one tries to sneak into this place. I think Cutini Nak would be grateful for your help." And, unlike him, she still has some money. "But, Argent..."
 He smiles at the steadfast homunculus.
 "...I'd like you to join us, if you're able and willing. It'll be a dangerous journey to the floating city." He hasn't even said how they're getting there. It's... a little unconventional. "Take some time to speak with your family before you decide. But with the seed of Chaos with us, you could attune to it at any time... and that'd be an ace up our sleeve."

• Character: Priel
• 2 years ago

  Priel eyes Argent while Ivo is in her embrace. "You're damn right. Why shouldn't I get paid for my goods?" A playful smirk forms at that. Soon after, Ivo is back to celebrating, and she rests a hand on her hip, watching him go around in all his childlike glee. He really does get like this when he makes some sort of breakthrough, huh? She almost smiles sincerely at the sight.

  "Uh huh. Well, advancement has been mankind's one good trait, I'd say." She rolls her eyes as she says that, keeping her comment simple and looking off their surroundings to make sure nothing was disturbed. Seems safe enough.

  She waves a hand at the mention of going to Arcadios. "Oh yeah, I'm definitely not going up there. You guys have fun." A grin. "I'm pretty busy these days, but I think I can squeeze in a few days to check on this place, if you think it's really that necessary."

  A shrug.

  "Just don't get killed up there. That'd be annoying."

• Character: Argent
• 2 years ago

  Argent returns Ivo's smile with a complete lack of one of her own, her lips remaining stubbornly in a straight line as he makes his request. "Ah. I have not accompanied you as of late. As such, I believe it may be advantageous to accompany you on this travel. Additionally, I believe that given your apparent reliance on Chaos, it may be required that I continue to use my athame." she says, sounding like she's mulling the offer over. Then, eventually, she nods.


"Yes."

• Character: Ivo Galvan
• 2 years ago

 "I appreciate it, Priel."
 Ivo isn't sure it's necessary for Priel to guard Aurita Meloda, to be honest. But for all his renewed confidence, he can't help but want to cover his bases. He doesn't want to come back to any dire consequences of his own actions. But if he learned anything in the wilds of Cosmopolis alongside the Star Chasers, it was the possibility -- and the importance -- of relying on others without fear or shame.
 "Look forward to Reize's retelling of our adventure."
 In making the druids' ambitions a possibility, Kernunnos unwittingly brought about their downfall. But Ivo, in a way he still does not fully understand, finds himself determined not just to fulfill their original objective and find a way of reviving Lily, but to prove to the eidola that history is not yet written. The results of past actions are not yet fully settled. What Kernunnos did. What Ivo has done. What Ivo's father did.
 ...None of their meanings are set in stone. Not yet.
 "Oh?"
 The Cosmopolitan is startled from his hopeful reverie by Argent's response. Her resolve surprises him. For a moment, he looks almost flummoxed, as though it is hard for him to believe that honest requests, without diplomacy or discretion, can succeed so straightforwardly. But within seconds, he's grinning again.
 "Thanks, Argent. You're a good friend."
 He crosses his arms, grin widening.
 "I could hug you again... but, uh, I'd better refrain."
 Ivo elects not to elaborate.