SPECIAL EVENT: The Flower Oracle

[polymods]

✖ Meet The Oracle

A low thrumming sound builds in the background noise of the raised village, starting so softly that it would be easy to mistake it for the ever present hummingbirds. It keeps building slowly, somehow managing to be both a sound and to bypass the ear as it hums in the bones. The local Temple Guardians bump heads and brush against each other, quietly affirming their bond as they divide their duties: one staying with the local Temple and the other winding through the paths of the village down to the bud of the Flower Oracle in its place of honor in the city center.

The villagers stop what they’re doing, not quite in a panic, but their speed is deliberate and definite. They gather things on their way, flower wreaths, fish, beautiful food, sharp knives, until everyone has something in their arms. There is an ecstatic tension in the air, after all, the time has come when these people will yet again see substantial proof of their god, and it seems they have forgotten all about the Travelers who might have joined them. There is plenty of room for everyone to gather in a circle around the green bud that has grown even larger.

The thrum rises until it is hard to breathe, until some of the structures around begin to groan in the onslaught, and then it stops, suddenly. In the vacuum of silence, there is a wet and meaty sound as the bud begins to open, a first hint of things that look like red lips and white teeth. A canny Traveler might be forgiven for running at that point. The visceral sound of the splitting, of this birthing, continues as the bud splits, then splits again as the four sepals fall open, exposing an inner surface that glistens red and is lined at the edges with white sharp growths that may be fangs. The villagers ignore the implicit threat. They have eyes only for the structure in the middle.

Who can blame them? Translucent petals form a breathing tower, curled tight and perfect as a seashell. A glow pulses like a heartbeat as the petals slowly unfurl, collapsing elegantly to reveal the Oracle and provide protection against the threat of the sepals. The Flower Oracle is beautiful, glowing, soft and round. She is initially surrounded by four guards, each masculine and clearly dangerous, but they move aside to leave a clear path. The villagers line up with their sacrifices, and there is ritual patience in the act. Everyone will have their time with the Oracle, and anyone must be allowed their time alone within the petals.

Notes:
Characters who wish to approach the oracle need to respond to the thread titled ‘Meet the Oracle’. After they get their response, they can post a separate reaction thread to play out some of the consequences of the event.

Responses to the Oracle Thread should include: a short description of their IC reaction/actions, a description of what they bring for a sacrifice, and their question for the ancient. Villagers will have let them know that traditional options include: fish, flowers, art, blood, secrets, or memories. Characters/players may come up with their own sacrifices. Please include a note if the character helped decorate the local temple this month.

WARNING: Contacting the Oracle may result in negative IC results for characters, and there is a degree of randomness in how the mods assign results.

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Comments

[dothelokimotion]

Nothing import — [ nope, he has to clasp his mouth once more to stop the flower petals from spewing out. his form is wracked with shakes.

finally, he manages to seize control of himself, straightening as if it never happened. though it's clear underneath that calm is a simmering rage. ]

Nothing that warranted such a curse.

[unkindled_madness]

[Sephiroth raises an eyebrow. Well, probably that much is true.]

Should I be concerned then? It seems... inconvenient.

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki wipes his mouth. ]

I have to find the cause of the curse. They didn't say what it was, but every curse has a reason for existing.

[ he rubs his throat idly. hmm. nothing then. so it wasn't speech. it was something else. ]

[unkindled_madness]

[Coughing up flowers is more akin to something out of a faerie tale than any real magic Sephiroth knows. It could be as much a whim as anything.]

Have you committed any crimes against the flora, perhaps?

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki mentally thinks back. ]

Not to my recollection.

[unkindled_madness]

Perhaps your sacrifice was unsatisfactory.

[dothelokimotion]

[ his eyes flash briefly and his expression is tight. ]

Apparently.

[unkindled_madness]

[Sephiroth tilts his head at that reaction.]

Don't tell me you gave something personal.

[dothelokimotion]

I cut a few inches of hair.

[unkindled_madness]

[His eyes drift down to Loki's hair. His own is actually braided now, and even the thought of cutting it makes him uncomfortable. An understandable thing to be upset about, although expressing sympathy is not really part of his skillset.]

And despite that she saw fit to curse you. I don't even see how you could be meant to "learn" something from it.

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki huffs. ]

It's fine. I'm used to curses. And I'll be sure to pay it back ten-fold when I have the chance.

[unkindled_madness]

Hm.

That chance may be long in coming. This little affair proved quite worthless.

[dothelokimotion]

Perhaps. I have yet to speak to others.

[ it'd be rather strange if all the oracle did was dismiss or curse. it's too . . . predictable. ]

[unkindled_madness]

...I have my doubts about most even asking anything useful.

[Much less getting an answer.]

[dothelokimotion]

What did you ask for?

[ he's not expecting an answer, but there's no harm in trying. ]

[unkindled_madness]

[It's not like it has anything to do with him, so he's fine with answering, actually.]

I was hoping to determine the Ancient's connection to Earth.

Apparently she "likes their stories."

[dothelokimotion]

Ah.

[ that is an interesting answer, though it probably doesn't mean much. ]

A god of narratives, then. Then perhaps it wasn't random. Maybe it had to do with our stories. Or our . . . colours.

[unkindled_madness]

It still fails to explain the bias.

There must be others on my Planet with "stories."

[He won't say stories like his, but surely there are some at least as interesting as any other human's here.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ he cocks his head at sephiroth. ]

Most likely. Do you know of any?

[unkindled_madness]

I'm sure I do.

[If Loki was hoping for a specific example, he isn't giving any.]

...the flower petals seem to have stopped.

[dothelokimotion]

[ hmm. loki rubs his throat idly. ]

For now, perhaps.

[unkindled_madness]

Perhaps it was only a brief affliction. Not all spells are lasting.

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki isn't convinced. that stopped too quickly and too easily. ]

It wasn't a spell though. It was a curse. They're not easily removed.

[unkindled_madness]

I didn't realize there was such a difference.

[dothelokimotion]

The difference is minute, but pertinent. Spells do fade but curses have . . . criteria.

[ "speak to him". is that what loki thinks it means? would speaking to thor break it? ]