the great escape.The Circle has quite a lot on their plate, this time around. Multiple players are fighting for the control of Akvos, and many difficult choices to make. No matter what path you choose, though, one thing is for certain: it is a bitter fight to the death to ensure that Akvos remains standing, one way or another. There are three main areas for the characters to explore in the final log of Akvos: (1) The Kingdom of Akvos, where the King is fighting to seize control; (2) The Rift, where the characters will encounter the Dreamscapes; and (3) The Kingdom of Polankos, which is where King Ka'pouli has reigned since his arrival in the pocket dimension. Decisions made in all there areas will affect the outcome of Akvos, so get to exploring.  THE ASSAULT ON WAHINE.The King’s forces will attack in three different fronts. There will be mermen attacking from above, riding saddled giant seahorses and manta rays, launching spears at the mermaid-warriors below with terrifying precision. They seem to be indiscriminate, in their aim -- the weaponry, charged with the same dark energy that the shadow creatures seem to be made out of, find their target in civilians and warriors alike, raining down a sea of terror upon the central stronghold of the Kingdom of Akvos.
The mermen will also be attacking at the ground-level, attempting to burst their way through the Palace Gates to flood the city with numbers. While the mermaids outnumber the mermen, the mermen are certainly more brutal than the mermaids. Some of them, though, in finding the city, are more concerned with looting it than with senselessly murdering everyone inside. Indeed, this is the most food they have seen in a long time -- and markets are destroyed in grabbing as much food and riches as they can, pressing closer to the Palace, and toward the Queen's stronghold.
And, finally, they will be attacking from below, navigating their way through a network of tunnels meant to transport goods and bursting their way into people’s homes, to sneak their way closer to their ultimate goal, which seems to be the Palace itself.
The Circle's main goal, here, is to protect civilians, usher theminto the underground strongholds beneath the Palace, and fight for their own lives should they attack the mermen first. Man the wall, if you so choose, to attempt to block the air attacks from the mantas. Fight on the ground, to protect Akvos from destruction. Or make your way to the underground strongholds and tunnels, to block access to the Palace. All of these will certainly assist in keeping Akvos safe.
In addition, please remember that shadow creatures (which can only be killed by magical means) are still making their way through the entirety of Akvos. While King Ka'pouli's forces are targeting the Palace of Wahine, the shadow creatures are still present everywhere. Get to killing!  INTO THE RIFT.Some of you, however, have elected to traverse into the mysterious rift that appeared in the midst of the Fields of Akvosia. It looks like a black hole into nothingness, crackling with odd energy . . . and passing through it feels as though you have stepped through an icy waterfall. For a moment, you cannot breathe -- and then, you are treated to beauty.
The gaps between time and space are full of sparkling lights, bolts of rainbow starlight winding around you as you move through the uncertainty that is the void. It seems endless, but something inside you is tugging you forward . . . and, suddenly, there is a soft voice in your ear. A familiar one, to those who reside within the Circle . . . the confused voice of Astoria.
 "Hello? My Travelers? How are you within the Void?" The Void? That word hadn't been used to describe whatever this magical place is before, but . . . well, a witch with the ability to send you all across the universe probably knows what she's talking about, right? "That should not be possible . . . who opened this doorway?"
You can tell her, or you can not. It seems to matter not, because: "Is this not getting through? Why can I not hear you . . . but I can feel you, I can -- please, if you can hear this, be careful. The Void is not something for mortals to interact with, and it can show you terrible things -- terrible things, so please--"
And, right before you have the opportunity to respond to our benevolent witch (or captor, depending on your point of view), you see a bizarre glass-like surface in front of you. It looks like a mirror, and you see a perfect reflection of yourself. It is absolutely captivating, and it beckons you . . . almost urging you to touch it. And Astoria's whisper grows a bit louder, more urgent:
"My dear Traveler, be careful what you encounter here -- can you hear me? Can you see me? I am trying to get you out of there, to bring you back home--Akvos is--"
But it is too late.
Your fingers graze the edge of the mirror, and you are pulled -- a sensation that is familiar to you, the same pull in your stomach that you feel whenever Astoria thrusts you across the universe, into new realities. And, when you blink your eyes again, and look around . . . you are no longer in Akvos, or the Void. You are somewhere entirely new.
Welcome to the Dreamscape.  THE KINGDOM OF POLANKOS.Once the Circle emerges from the Rift and the Dreamscape, they will stumble into another world . . . but this one's wateris shallow, in comparison to the massive depths of the crystal-clear kingdom of Akvos. You can quite clearly see the surface, here, and there are shallows that allow you to come up onto islands, tropical in nature with fruit, odd creatures that appear to be multiple-headed monkeys and parrots, and sandy shores. It's a bit jarring to see, after spending so long underwater. Indeed, you emerge to trudge onto land, and look around, somewhat mystified that the deep-dwelling mermen would be from a place like this.
However, exploring the islands (which is not very difficult to do, as they are all small and will not take very much time) will yield the discovery that on the islands themselves are tunnels -- underwater caverns that thread through the islands to much deeper water. It's almost as if the islands themselves are barriers to the underwater caverns below -- shallow water, a layer of land, and then a (mer)man-made bubble of water below the barrier of land. And that whoever lived on these islands tunneled through them to find deeper water. Princess Kea, (who will attend on these journeys, while remaining in the water), will tell the Circle members that King Ka'pouli told her that when the mermen were cast out, they landed on solid land, and had to slowly dig deeper to their salvation.
Navigating through these tunnels will be somewhat perilous -- and the Circle members will need to carry Princess Kea to the nearest tunnel to get her into some water, because while she can breathe on the surface for a certain period of time, she cannot navigate the land as quickly as you people with legs. Additionally, underwater caving isn't exactly a blast, but the deeper you go, the more clues of civilization you can find. And, eventually, once you go deep enough, you emerge into a massive underwater cavern to find the small Kingdom of Polankos.
In comparison to the Kingdom of Akvos, Polankos is witheringly depressing. It is not brightly colored, nor open -- indeed, it is tiny, with mermen huddled together waiting patiently for the forces that went through the rift to return. There is not a lot to find here, save for some interesting weapons that possess a dark energy, versus a lightning energy -- and those weapons will be given to the Circle members who ask for them, because those who wield them are in no condition to fight. There is little food, little room to sleep, and these are a people clearly in need of assistance.
In order to get them out of Polankos, you will need to usher them through the tunnels back up to the Rift above -- it seems that King Ka'pouli opened the Rift on the surface, rather than risk the city below in case it did not work. The mermen there (who seem to be elderly and weak) will be eager for the assistance to get out Polankos, and at the promise of being brought into Akvos, they will happily go. There will be no resistance from them.
You may also see Princess Kea, who has filtered in and out of the Rift to assist on the journey -- teary-eyed, heartbroken at the sight of these individuals who require rescue, organizing the mermen with the promise of keeping them safe in Akvos.
"Hurry," she tells you, as she rouses another merman into getting to the nearest tunnel. "We do not have a lot of time to pull this off, and we must work quickly." Additionally, please feel free to write up and work with your own prompts! These areas of the world are presented as jumping off points for your characters, not limitations. The idea of this world- as with all the others- is to explore -- you may use as much leeway as you want in order to come up with what your character will do, especially in the Dreamscapes. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask them back on the various threads back in the OOC post from before! |
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acatalepsy_logs2019-01-04 10:22 am
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[ do not argue, almost escapes from lotor's lips, but the argument between lotor and zarkon has escalated, and lotor instinctively pulls allura backwards, against him, as zarkon moves forward, his voice thunderous in the small space.
this won't end well, and lotor's chest tightens as zarkon steps down, aggressively spitting out the words of disgust.
if you will not crush them, then i will, zarkon growls, haggar motionless in the corner, watching lotor with soulless haunting eyes, devoid of any real emotion or expression. let their demise serve as a lesson to your own ignorance, your own weakness --
and, just like that, the dreamscape lotor's tone changes from defiant to panicked.
wait! it was an odd sound, to hear pleading from his lips, a type of begging that doesn't become lotor on most days, as the younger version of himself scrambled up from his knees, to chase down his father's steps down the bridge. these people did nothing wrong, they were only listening to me -- spare them, father, and i will do whatever you ask of me-- ]
Allura.
[ a quiet interruption, from the real lotor, and he -- gently, this time -- tugs on her hand, intertwining their fingers easily. his tone sounds odd -- detached, forcibly so, though his own eyes are on the scene before him, and not looking at her. though, after a few moments -- with more panicked arguing from the dreamscape lotor, and zarkon ignoring his son -- lotor draws in a deep breath and steps backwards, hoping to pull allura along with him. ]
I want to spare you from witnessing the rest. Please.
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her heart aches. for him, for these people, for what she knows is to come because this is a memory he's told her.
and she remains at a standstill a moment longer, still staring up at the tableau before her, until her fingers entwine with his, and she moves along with his more gentle pull. and when she does finally wrench her gaze away from the dreamscape, to the actual Lotor holding her hand, there are tears in her eyes.
sympathetic. knowing that this is a truth he had told her. a truth among the lies she thought he fed to her. a side to him she's never seen, the weight of what his life had been like finally realized and played before her.]
This is it, isn't it? The planet you told me about.
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when he finally looks at allura, tearing his eyes away from the happy little family reunion, he draws in a breath at the sight of tears in her eyes. a nightmare, honestly. she should have never been able to see this, but what stings more is the realization that he had told the truth to her, and some part of her likely wrote it off as a lie.
not that he can blame her for that, really. ]
Yes.
[ finally. ]
The people of this planet were concerned that Zarkon would react with anger, when I worked with them. I assured them that he would see reason, and common sense, and see that my way of rule was more productive, better for the Empire and for its constituents. I thought putting it into numbers would cause him to see the humanity in the universe, even if it were just through an actuarial table of base production of quintessence.
[ he pauses -- the memory is still dim, dark, but is growing somewhat lighter -- zarkon's voice can be heard in the background, a dim echo: you are not fit to rule this empire; a shame on our existence, you are hereby banished --. ]
I stopped trying to see in the good in him, after that.
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only for a moment. but she feels for him, and her hand in his remains that as an anchor. and when she opens her eyes she remains looking at him.]
I'm sorry. [she feels the need to say it. and while there was no denying that what Lotor did in this aftermath was anything but wrong, the colony and the Alteans kept secret, experimented on, lost even when found and saved...
she still regrets what she said. comparing him to his father. knowing full well it came from a place of true anger and horror, but to every story there are multiple sides.
and he was wrong. she still cannot shake the horror of hearing about Lotor's colony and the lives lost. but--
in another life...]
You deserved better. I am sorry you were raised in such a way, punished for wanting to help.
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however much he knows he did what he did out of good intentions, to protect what little shreds of his heritage still existed after zarkon's wrath, lotor knows that he had strayed from his path. and he had almost dragged allura down the same route. however much anger he holds against zarkon and haggar for crushing whatever hopes he had of a future, lotor could never forgive himself if allura suffered the same fate.
and, as much as he hated to admit it, he couldn't stand to see her cry. ]
My dearest Allura. [ an exhale -- lighthearted, despite the disjointed memory swirling around them, as he lifts a hand to gently wipe away her tears, cupping her cheek with a free hand briefly. ] You are too kind for your own good.
[ he releases her face, then, to press a button -- opening the doors of the bridge to a hallway, pulling her gently with him. ]
You owe me nothing, and I owe you more than I can say. You have nothing to apologize for.
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but now...she almost leans into it. in want of a happier time, when the future seemed bright and when she believed peace could be achieved through their union.
too kind for her own good. no...it's for everyone's good that she's this way. because she's seen the a future where her heart was hardened and when she quashed the Galra Empire in revenge. it's not a future she wants.
as he turns to open the door, pulls her gently towards the darkness of a memory receding, she brushes what remains of her tears away with the back of her hand.]
You do not owe me anything, Lotor. Everything you do now...it is because of who you want to be. And you...had helped me too. With Oriande, with understanding my abilities. Regardless of what you had done, you-- [she steps alongside him.] --we are both here because we want to help the people of Akvos. To help those trapped on the other side of this rift.
Because there is a Princess who has hope for a united future for her people.
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[ everything. his happiness. some semblance of peace in his life, a yearning for what life could have been . . .
but before lotor can continue his sentence, he pauses -- his eyes shift around, taking stock of the hallway they are walking down before he pauses, curling his fingers a bit more tightly around allura's. it took him a few moments, to recognize it -- the shift in lightning, the different touchscreens, the language on the screens . . .
galran. which, if they were still trapped in his memories, is not a good sign. ]
This is a different ship.
[ it's murmured, uncertain, as his sword materializes in his free hand, keeping allura close with his other. ]
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he reaches for her bayard at her hip, her weapon still physically on her person since entering the rift. but, she hesitates.] We cannot be hurt here...can we?
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[ in previous experiences with the rift . . . the white lion did not hurt allura, but what's to same illusions can't kill here? lotor wasn't welcome in the empire, until zarkon was killed. and he has no idea what could be waiting down one of these hallways . . . particularly if zarkon is still alive.
lotor finally lets go of allura's hand, moving toward one of the screens, touching his palm to it experimentally. it reads his palm, and pulls up his information . . . curious, as lotor quickly runs a search through the systems on years, dates, places in the galaxy where they could be . . . ]
Central Command. [ he murmurs to himself, scrolling through a list of officers, before he bypasses a security protocol and opens a log of repair. checking the date, lotor's brow furrows, thinking. ] The date is of little significance to me. I was a child.
[ like . . . eight thousand years ago . . . ]
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I was a child.
funny, it's difficult to imagine Lotor as a child. or someone having had a childhood, with a father like Zarkon.
but...obviously he had been one.]
It's significant enough for us to be here. [just espousing a hunch.] We're clearly still trapped in a memory of yours.
[perhaps it's a happier memory?]
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still, lotor glances down the hallway, allowing his eyes to rove over the familiar hallways, mentally placing out where he would have been. ]
I was young, and I don't believe I began my combat training yet. [ that had been a very Definitive Moment in lotor's life, when he elected to pursue such things . . . perhaps that's why the rift took them here. he pushes that aside, though. ] I likely would have been with Dayak, who was tasked with ensuring I didn't run off or become corrupted by outside influences, or discover anything I wasn't supposed to learn.
[ he says it in a dry tone; clearly, that worked out extraordinarily well. ]
At any rate, the ship should be relatively safe, so long as we continue to remain unseen. There is little harm in exploring.
[ besides, lotor trusts allura not to use anything seen here against him. perhaps foolishly, but she already knows more than the majority of the universe. seeing him as a child will hardly make a difference, even if that is why they are here. ]
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there is something about this that feels...harsh.
so as she moves with him to wander the ship, to explore with him parts unseen and unknown by her (the only mention of his past was of that planet...granted, they never spoke of their childhoods, but--)] Was...she your nanny?
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[ it's said automatically, a reflex in a long-suffering tone from days of olde. but he peers into open doors, memorizing the layout as he goes, remembering what he was allowed to see versus what was hidden away . . . ]
I spent most of my time with her. She is . . . very Galran.
[ 'blood emperor lotor' and all that. but as they walk, there is a sudden clattering, along with a barked prince lotor! down the hall, followed by a young boy's voice responding in a pointed, I can only carry so much!, which causes lotor's step to slow, and his expression to grow even more long-suffering.
this is essentially the equivalent of allowing your girlfriend to see baby pictures, except worse. ]
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not in mockery, but...amused, and for a moment she forgets the nature of their relationship, a strange sort of comfort falling to their conversation even as they walk in this rift-induced memory, on a very Galran ship.]
I see. She sounds like quite a-- [whatever she's about to say is cut off when she hears the echoing of a stern, female voice calling out to Lotor. and Allura comes to pause when a young voice responds.
familiar, yet small, and for whatever reason she feels something in her heart catch at hearing a voice so young.]
Is that--? [again, she's cut off, this time by herself and her curiosity, and she steps past Lotor towards the commotion.
sorry she is. Nosy.]
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the young prince lotor clutching said books looks about for half a moment before his eyes focus on allura . . . really focus, and his mouth opens for half a moment before he squints, uncertain. ]
Who are you?
[ not . . . argumentative, but curious, and the moment the young lotor seems to be able to see allura, the real lotor immediately steps into a side room, exhaling in some amount of frustration.
he'll be damned if he creates a time paradox for allura's aggravating nosiness. ]
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she turns briefly to look for the actual Lotor, but he's seem to have ducked out of sight.]
I'm...A-- [she's. so terrible at lying, even now, so her voice stutters a bit when her mind wraps around the fact that a young Lotor may have heard about Princess Allura.] A...a new advisor!
[nailed it. she leans forward a bit to the young Prince's height, hands resting above her knees.]
You...must be the young Prince!
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it's like watching the puzzle pieces connect together in his mind, but he readjusts the books in his arms. ]
A new advisor for what?
[ curiously, and he looks down the hall, almost uncertainly. ]
I need to meet with my father, to give him an update on my studies, so I don't really have the time to meet with you today, miss . . . ?
[ somewhere, the real lotor is closing his eyes and saying a silent prayer to gods that are likely long since dead that allura does not accidentally ruin the space time continuum by being a nice person. ]
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Er...for...tactical advisement. Of new Galran territories.
[she notes the way he shuffles his books around, focusing on that, and the whole of this small person standing before her, as opposed to thinking on this young Lotor having to report to his father.
she doesn't want to think about it. and she knows at the very least she cannot be seen by Zarkon. she's no idea how these memories work, but if anyone aboard this ship would recognize her, it would be him.]
A...Alinor. [she frowns a bit] Do...you need help carrying your books?
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No, you'll probably just report to my father that I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing.
[ it's said in a remarkably familiar dry tone -- prince lotor seems to be in his early teens, just beginning to learn precocious attitude and maybe the slightest hint of rebellion. ]
But if you really want to help, you can follow me. I am researching today, and "new Galran territories" will probably come up.
[ the way he says it, it will definitely not come up. ]
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[said...a bit defensively, and her posture straightens a bit. again, she's not good at dealing with younger people. her relationship with Pidge only kind of cements that.
but she does smooth herself over, despite taking offense at the idea of reporting to Zarkon.]
But, I...am afraid I cannot follow you to your meeting with your father. [she's not even going to say his name.] It would be improper.
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young or old, lotor is still a personality. ]
Why would it be improper?
[ he asks, glancing over his shoulder at allura. ]
Other than the fact that no one really wants to talk with him.
[ meanwhile, the real lotor moves down the hall after them, avoiding being seen for the most part, though if allura catches his eyes, he very clearly gives her the look of let it go before slipping into another room, to avoid being seen by his younger self.
NOSY WOMAN ]
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and as he walks down the hall, Allura hesitates in following him. really uncertain as to where this could lead, but also just...wanting to know about a facet of Lotor that the real Lotor would never reavel otherwise. so, after a tick of hesitation she follows him.
half wondering if she ever put Coran or her teachers of past years through this.]
I-I am of a lower rank. Today is only my first day here. [and she does take opportunities to try to look for the actual Lotor, only to look away when he does give her A Look.
she's kind of caught up in all this at the moment. and she cannot just duck away while the young Prince is speaking to her.]
And I cannot say I am...ready to meet him.
[no he's right nobody wants to talk with Zarkon.]
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it also doesn't help that lotor has no idea when this is. he can't remember when he figured out his mother was altean, or that he was only half-galran . . . which meant he could recognize allura's markings, if he were far enough in his research. he looked young, but not too young . . . certainly old enough to begin looking into his mother's lineage, but he certainly isn't capable of holding his own in a fight . . .
to make matters worse, zarkon is on board, which will quickly spiral out of control if he catches sight of allura, or an adult lotor, which he is about to hiss to her when the young prince speaks again: ]
Is it because you are Altean?
[ evenly, as he continues walking, though his lips twitch into (again) a familiar smirk, his eyes darting to allura, to gauge her reaction. ]
Or is it because today isn't your first day?
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and she thinks back to their time in Haggar's lair, and she falls paces behind the memory-Lotor before finally moving to catch up to him.
there's, an awkward laugh.]
It is my first day aboard this ship. [not a lie, because. well.] And...is that...what do you know of Alteans?
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just
shrug. ]
Just fairy tales and old stories.
[ somewhere, real lotor is Proud of his younger self for dodging that awkward question. ]
Likely not as much as you do.
(no subject)