Jun 04 2020, 07:37 AM
Visions:
[QUEST] Relics of a Forgotten Age
Vision 1 - Broken black chain
Akaari, however, would have a different experience than the rest. The touch of her possessive belly across the chain, the brief spark of magicka she provided, granted a vision into her mind. It was as though she fell away, sinking beneath the shore and down into Fornax's ocean, color fading until she was lost deep beneath its lightless depths. All around her she would see structures: alien things, monumental and angular. Pillars and spires, labyrinthine in their construction, lay all around her in the quiet dark: and light, violet in places and in others a bright and toxic green, flashed and flared across sigils etched into their surfaces, providing the only light to see this city--which stretched as far as the eye could see. She was some sort of beast, now: a vast, serpent-like fish, held in place by several long black chains bolted to several of these pillars. Purple, one-eyed fish schooled past in the darkness, and those eyes glowed green as they glanced her way. "This one is potent," came a voice, deep and gurgling, just behind her--and Akaari would know that they were discussing her, the fish-creature, her long black body writhing against its captivity. And then, the vision faded.
Vision 2 - Carved stone/the Key
Akaari was, it seemed, their eyes: viewing past the plainly-visible into, once again, something other. Something that had been, at least in part, seen once before, but never investigated fully. It was a dialogue, of sorts: two figures, shadowed and not quite clear, standing on the shore of Fornax. This time, she did not fall away beneath the sea but instead seemed to be facing into it: but it was dim, now, and surging, unrestful...
The figures in Akaari's vision were breathing heavily, perhaps from exertion or emotion.
"We will lock away the city, too..."
"...can't be allowed to escape. She's loyal to them." this figure made a gesture, perhaps spitting on the ground, or a shake of the head--it was hard to tell in the brief, indistinct imagery.
"Where?"
There was a moment of unclear speech as the other answered, finishing with, "But somewhere underwater, for irony."
There was a shudder, a roar, as Fornax heaved, somewhat obscuring the voices. "...a bloodbath. Come."
"We'll start in Polaris. We'll have to block her off." Firm. Cold. Certain. "And yes--throw away the key."
The very piece of carved stone beneath Akaari's touch was visible, then--held in the hand of the speaking figure, caressed by an alien finger, then thrown: tossed, spinning through the air, splashing down into Fornax's raging waters.
The vision cleared.
The figures in Akaari's vision were breathing heavily, perhaps from exertion or emotion.
"We will lock away the city, too..."
"...can't be allowed to escape. She's loyal to them." this figure made a gesture, perhaps spitting on the ground, or a shake of the head--it was hard to tell in the brief, indistinct imagery.
"Where?"
There was a moment of unclear speech as the other answered, finishing with, "But somewhere underwater, for irony."
There was a shudder, a roar, as Fornax heaved, somewhat obscuring the voices. "...a bloodbath. Come."
"We'll start in Polaris. We'll have to block her off." Firm. Cold. Certain. "And yes--throw away the key."
The very piece of carved stone beneath Akaari's touch was visible, then--held in the hand of the speaking figure, caressed by an alien finger, then thrown: tossed, spinning through the air, splashing down into Fornax's raging waters.
The vision cleared.
Vision 3 - Purple Fornax fish
Akaari's vision once again faded, though this time it swam in and out with reality.
From the point of view of a single purple one-eyed fish--one of many in a shoal--she could see.
What she saw was... strange, to say the least. The same underwater structures as before, but with bizarre, alien creatures swimming to and fro among them. Many had toxic green eyes; some had hands, some claws. Some flashed with bioluminescence; some had fins, and tails, and gills. Some were almost humanoid; some monstrous.
They seemed to be going from one place to another, bustling about in the pitch black.
The vision faded.
From the point of view of a single purple one-eyed fish--one of many in a shoal--she could see.
What she saw was... strange, to say the least. The same underwater structures as before, but with bizarre, alien creatures swimming to and fro among them. Many had toxic green eyes; some had hands, some claws. Some flashed with bioluminescence; some had fins, and tails, and gills. Some were almost humanoid; some monstrous.
They seemed to be going from one place to another, bustling about in the pitch black.
The vision faded.
[SOLO] I've been taking my time
Vision 1 - Left Orion pillar
As cool stone pressed to fur, magic flared and vision flickered.
The stone was no longer worn, around her: faintly pitted with age or sanded down by the wind of centuries. Instead, it was fresh, bright; and before her was a strange creature.
Slimy, spined, blue-skinned; and around it were others, some alike, some unalike, vague in the brief image. They held chisels, and hammers, and small brushes: they carved out the images in the very stone Akaari touched, honing them, perfecting them. Behind them crowed a voice: deafening, deep, ringing across the stone with a growl that promised death, a sound that even through the ages pierced Akaari's very being:
"FASTER! YOU, THERE--WHAT IS THAT?"
If she turned, she would see it: large, hulking, the flash of a silhoutte and violet fur; and then it was gone.
She was here; she was alone, alone with the worn-down stone and the near-silent hiss of air across the rock.
The stone was no longer worn, around her: faintly pitted with age or sanded down by the wind of centuries. Instead, it was fresh, bright; and before her was a strange creature.
Slimy, spined, blue-skinned; and around it were others, some alike, some unalike, vague in the brief image. They held chisels, and hammers, and small brushes: they carved out the images in the very stone Akaari touched, honing them, perfecting them. Behind them crowed a voice: deafening, deep, ringing across the stone with a growl that promised death, a sound that even through the ages pierced Akaari's very being:
"FASTER! YOU, THERE--WHAT IS THAT?"
If she turned, she would see it: large, hulking, the flash of a silhoutte and violet fur; and then it was gone.
She was here; she was alone, alone with the worn-down stone and the near-silent hiss of air across the rock.
Vision 2 - Right Orion pillar
One of them--the small, alien things--threw his chisel at the other.
There was angered chattering.
The chisel was thrown back.
Body threw itself against body, and a scuffle broke out, the chittering turning into yowling of anger in some unknown tongue.
"GET BACK TO WORK!" came a bellow, and a large figure swept across her vision, clawed arms pulling one creature from the other, tossing it harshly away.
The vision faded.
There was angered chattering.
The chisel was thrown back.
Body threw itself against body, and a scuffle broke out, the chittering turning into yowling of anger in some unknown tongue.
"GET BACK TO WORK!" came a bellow, and a large figure swept across her vision, clawed arms pulling one creature from the other, tossing it harshly away.
The vision faded.
Vision 3 - The carvings (Received a name: Azazel)
The magic Akaari held seemed to, over and over, display images from the past.
It did not, however, at any point decipher what those images meant. They were glimpses, visions; they did not provide understanding and perhaps that was the curse of the clairvoyant and the seers-of-the-past in turn: meaning had to be gleaned, assumed, on its own.
She saw, now, a gathering of creatures, clustered around the carvings as she was now: a large, sleek, orange-and-black patterned bird; a smaller, red-and-black bird; a black leopard; a black-and-brown dog; a fox; a fawn; a bird; lions... It was unclear if they were all there together, or if the image was jittering, short periods of time passing. But gradually the carvings were becoming visible from... nothing, and the strangers watched it happen.
The black cat turned to the orange-and-black, large bird. "It's okay, Azazel. We all mess up. You're not that bad, really..."
It did not, however, at any point decipher what those images meant. They were glimpses, visions; they did not provide understanding and perhaps that was the curse of the clairvoyant and the seers-of-the-past in turn: meaning had to be gleaned, assumed, on its own.
She saw, now, a gathering of creatures, clustered around the carvings as she was now: a large, sleek, orange-and-black patterned bird; a smaller, red-and-black bird; a black leopard; a black-and-brown dog; a fox; a fawn; a bird; lions... It was unclear if they were all there together, or if the image was jittering, short periods of time passing. But gradually the carvings were becoming visible from... nothing, and the strangers watched it happen.
The black cat turned to the orange-and-black, large bird. "It's okay, Azazel. We all mess up. You're not that bad, really..."