Get on the Down With Fish bus

[arrowace]

WHO: Lilybells, House Wardens, Azdaja, others??
WHERE: Lily War Room
WHEN: Day 71 morning

[ After a few different discussion, Lily and Bluebell have invited some allies to discuss a problem and make some plans. They've probably put out like. Berries and water. Mute and Ananke stand at the front of the room, them speaking and him providing large illusions of the presentation. ]

Lights please. Ananke.






This is Eph'meris. It is not my home but . . . where I was most recently before . . . arriving in the Meadow. Next.








This is Meris. Meris was once the primordial . . . sea goddess that formed Eph'meris and its people. Now she is a . . . festering mass of malice, squatting in the astral sea and longing only . . . to drag all life she encounters with her into the abyss. Next.








This is the Merisian Pillar Array, which turns one or several individuals into the "Pillar" of Eph'meris. It allows the bulk of Meris's hatred, necrotic power, and general "evil bullshit" to be visited on . . . that one or several persons rather than . . . reality itself. It also fortifies those individuals' . . . bodies to bear this malice without being destroyed. It also . . . kills them. Next.









This is a small piece of the Merisian Pillar Array, that we are . . . currently calling the "Gate". It's purpose is to . . . ensure that the energy exerted by Meris upon reality is directed at the selected Pillar, but also that . . . some of this energy may be siphoned off to the Merisian power grid. I am told . . . this is "like electricity but worse" but I don't . . . actually know what electricity is. Next.









I believe these diagrams speak for themselves. Next.









Next.








This concludes the . . . background briefing. Everything should be clear now.

Comments

[mykidisthebest]

[frowns at the sluggish pulse]

...Mm. I think I saw you bigger, during the child rearing ritual. I did have some idea you'd age slower than others, since you mentioned it before. I didn't realize it was because...

[arrowace]

I didn’t either.

[ shrugs, a little helplessly. Their future self had been shifty about it, their current self oblivious. ]

My comrades are . . . in the same state. It may last centuries and the Academy is not . . . motivated to see otherwise. I— while I’m here, while we have the chance— . . .

[mykidisthebest]

[nods]

That explains a bit more. Thank you for telling me.

[...reaches over and pats their head]

There's enough people here to get it figured out.

[arrowace]

You . . . understand?

[ read: he understands why they’d take this kind of risk, or even consider what Minuet is offering ]

[mykidisthebest]

I understand. I can't really say I'm happy with it, but that's because I'd prefer a situation where no one gets hurt. If that much is inevitable then what you want to attempt seems best. It's not like I have a better plan. So I'm not going to arbitrarily strike down this one if it makes everyone happier in the long run.

[arrowace]

[ gives a single slow nod as they think through what he said, then nods once more decisively ]

[mykidisthebest]

I do have a question, though. For the "gate" portion of the Merisian Pillar Array, can it be used to travel to and from the astral sea?

[arrowace]

It's intended purpose is . . . regulated transfer of energy and intent. But . . . I can't say for certain.

[mykidisthebest]

...It's probably better if it can't transfer things from another plane. The energy already seems like a lot.