⇨ EDEN

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 79 - Day 85
Where: Eden
What: Everyone arrives in Eden with their new animals forms - unfortunately, the welcoming party is a bit more intense than expected, with a ritual called 'The Anointment.' Better get this place figured out before anything gets any crazier.
Warnings: Hopefully no ritual sacrifice!

FLAME OF INSPIRATION↴ So it begins. After everyone has been given their new animal form and have had about an hour to readjust to it, the Ringmaster begins the infiltration. You don't see a lot of the specifics of the magic - all you know is that Pru's sword, the Hand of God, is somehow involved. It alone can tear through the wardings of Eden's realm, and once that entrance is made, the teleportation is instant. Everyone will find themselves in an open grassland overlooking a dense forest, with buildings and lights poking up out of the leaves. Behind you, there is a darker place - the barrens, the Ringmaster has explained. It's were the Outcasts are sent after they're banished. You are scattered across the area as if you've been dropped in with nothing. You've been given specific instructions - act as if you have no memory besides the vague life of being an animal. None of you know each other. You don't know how you got here, you've just been suddenly found yourself enlightened. Hopefully feigning ignorance will be what the residents are expecting, as what information the Ringmaster could find suggests it should be. Before the beasts of Eden come to claim you, you'll see the Ringmaster once last time, in the form of a giant serpent. With a nod of her head, she slithers away towards the barrens - she'll be in touch. ► THE WELCOMING: It's not long until you're discovered. The first to find you is a pigeon, who seems rather surprised. She'll ask the first few new arrivals she sees a couple questions - 'did you just get here?' 'did you meet the great Lilith?' Regardless of your answers, she'll hurriedly say she's going to go get help, and will fly away back into the forest. A short while later, an entire welcoming party of different animals will have come to greet you, sweeping out to find every straggler and explaining that you are the newest of the chosen. After they are sure that nobody is being left behind, they will invite you into Eden. ► THE GARDEN: Eden is a beautiful place. Every street, every structure, is surrounded by flowers and vibrant plant life - every bit as idyllic as its mythos would imply. The architecture is ambitious and creative, as if the residents have been perfecting the art for thousands of years, which they almost certainly have. There is the sweet smell of perfumes and incense on the other animals are you are led into the city. This is your home now, the locals will explain. You have been chosen by the Creator to serve Her cause. You will become one of the Honorable, one of Her artisans working towards the Divine Clarity. But first, of course, you must be sanctified. ► THE ANOINTMENT: On that first night, everyone is brought to a vast cathedral, covered in unknowable writings in a shining script. You are brought in through several gorgeous hallways lit with shining crystals and blue flame torches, only to emerge in a great hall built around a circular, sparkling pool of water. There are several braziers around its circumference blazing with fire, with sets of tools hanging out of them, like iron pokers. All of the new arrivals are gathered into the grand hall, and scriptures are read in the background that you can't really make out the specifics of. You will all be made to stand around the outside of the pool, and the local animals will gently explain to you what needs to be done. To become a new Honorable, you must be Anointed with the Flame of Inspiration - that is, they are going to brand you with the metal pokers they have heating up. If you go along with it, they will burn the mark into a highly visible part of your person (they have smaller brands for smaller animals), and then cool it off in the pool of water, where you are encouraged to bask until you are comfortable again. There are obviously a couple concerns with this. The biggest one is that it's sketchy as hell. The second one is that the brand is definitely made of medium grade iron. While the painful difference it makes won't be super obvious from the outside, long-term veterans and those with superlative fae qualities will find it very uncomfortable, and it will blister for a fair while afterward, which is seen as unusual. If your character refuses, or tries to get around it somehow, please explain in reply to the post down below. ► THE DAYS AFTER: After everyone is branded (or isn't, as the case may be), you'll be given the opportunity to dry off and head back into town. All of the fancy structures here are communal, they will explain, and you can choose wherever you'd like to sleep. There are a few buildings that are mostly empty that newbies seem welcome to hole up in, though the locals assure everyone they will be nearby in case they need help. In the days that follow, everyone will be welcome to explore Eden and find their bearings, and begin to discover what gifts the Anointment has bestowed on them. Whether or not you were good at a creative pursuit before, you will find yourself filled with inspiration for something - any artistic talent will do. It's like a creative talent will have been born in you overnight, or like an existing talent of yours has been boosted to near perfection. This effect will last as long as the characters are in Eden unless you are told otherwise. You won't feel the need to eat, but there is breakfast available, if you'd like it. The locals are very courteous, though they seem a bit confused. Something about your entry seems to strike them as different than usual.

Comments

[scientificist]

Herbert started out staring for the usual reasons, but swiftly noticed something awry the more he visually shifted through the wolf's innards. They're just full of...junk, in a way that they absolutely shouldn't be? It's not a typical side effect of becoming an Honorable, he knows this, he's been looking into animals all day.

As the wolf eventually stares back and starts heading over, Herbert is gradually able to piece together what's actually going on. It's briefly close to intimidating (although Herbert is bad at reacting appropriately to intimidation) but then he works it out, and oh, is that usual, for Tyki, what the hell. That seems like it would be uncomfortable. Useful, but does he have to concentrate on all that? He'll remember to ask later.

"I-it's my art," he says, stuttering not out of fear but out of a rush to explain, because that's like the one good thing about this place. "I can see through skin, I'm. Finding inspiration. ....Eia." That. Feels like he's just making noises. He hates these 'soul names'. Utter garbage. "That's the, name I was given."

[prazerbutterfly]

The junk is there more than it just isn't. A lot of it just doesn't fit into anywhere and all those Tease shouldn't be able to be housed in a body like his. Given how thin they are and how small his body is right now.

It's magic. He doesn't have to explain anything. It all depends on what mood Tyki is in and how willing he is to give away information. His wolf like body comes pretty close to Herbert in general, sitting right in front of him and towering his cat body in comparison, "Baruchi." His name, sounding more like a name then some little squeak of one that comes out of Herb's mouth. "Just skin? Are you enjoying the view and the freedom to be invasive."

[scientificist]

"In VA sive," Herbert scoffs. It's hardly invasive, he's standing a good distance away. "I-it iiis fascinating, the ability to see how anatomy moves and intersects when the subject is, alive." That's not breaking character, right? Cats eat prey. "I can see however deep I choose, down to the bone but that's the least interesting view, I think."

Herbert isn't even looking at Tyki while he talks. People always try to take advantage of comparative height with him and make him crane his neck to make eye contact and now that he's a small cat he's feeling especially done with it. "I'll...sew something, eventually--what's your inspiration. Baruchi?"

[prazerbutterfly]

Still don't know boundaries, does he? Tyki would sneer if he could make the proper facial expression as a wolf but from being a cat he knows animals expressed themselves more in their fur, stance, ears, and tails. "Oh, I'm aware of how your type is." Cats, he's implying out loud, but the meaning is much deeper than that. He knows who Herbert wants on his table the most.

"What about walls? Buildings? Or do you have to be some distance away?" he says smoothly with eyes narrowing at Herbert not even maintaining eye contact with him. How he wants to bite back verbally and physically. Instead, he noses into the pack tied around his flank and pulls out a glass cylinder. He sets it down and steps to the side to allow light to pour into the cracks. Designs flood the floor around Herbert, bathing his fur in blue light. "Glass and light refraction, I suppose, or I think that is what is called."

[scientificist]

He wouldn't even need the Ringmaster on his table if he could use this power around her as she usually is. Fae are mysterious, Tyki, and he doesn't get them. Maybe she'll show up as a dragon much later again and he'll luck out.

"No, only animals," Herbert is more than willing to explain. "Fitting, considering my inspiration is anatomically based--I have...ideas. Plans." Tyki's art, though, that's...unexpected. He doesn't know what he was expecting but it wasn't this. He walks a little bit around it to get a slightly different angle. "Very...delicate. Is it. Glassblowing or whatever power you use?"