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

Sam Drake

[libertalia]

( he imagines this is sort of what meeting the pope must be like — only, you know, if the vatican were something out of a dutch floral painting and the pope were some sort of ethereal plant woman birthed right before his eyes (an extremely bizarre image he isn't likely to forget). he can't think of a single thing he'd want to ask the pope (frankly, he'd rather punch the pope than shake his hand), but there's been something weighing on his mind since his arrival, and now that he's had more time to sit with it, it might do him well to consult with the speaker of the ancient herself. it's not exactly a confessional, but maybe he is looking for some degree of spiritual guidance to ease his conscience. )

You're not gonna eat me, are you? ( said more to the maw of the plant that bloomed the oracle rather than the oracle herself, followed by a slightly nervous chuckle. it's something of a self-deprecating inside joke just to ease into his actual question, which has a little more weight to it, obvious by the fact that he seems a little apprehensive to say it out loud. acknowledging that it's a problem is in itself a problem, but it's a problem he got himself into, and it's a problem he's eventually going to have to get himself out of. things are a lot more complicated when libertalia isn't in their sights to keep nathan focused on avery rather than, well, the fact that sam lied to get them there. rafe makes things more complicated, too, and sam only trusts him not to let the cat out of the bag about as far as he can throw him.

that and the exit strategy to the whole mess isn't something he's thought out all that well. truthfully, there was never supposed to be an exit strategy, because the lie itself was never supposed to be an issue (aside from the morality of it all, which sam can rationalize as long as keeps telling himself the ultimate end — avery's treasure — justifies the means).

which isn't to say he hasn't thought about telling nathan the truth before — standing under avery's statue, sky darkening, nathan calling him out on his behavior when they were kids, he thought for a moment maybe this is my chance to come clean; or researching in one of carcosa's libraries, finally getting a real moment to themselves to catch up — but every opportunity thus far hasn't felt right or the moment's been interrupted by a threat, a discovery, so he's kept his mouth shut, put it off ... or maybe he's been trying to convince himself that he's still doing this for nate's own good. or ... maybe he's just scared there's one thing nathan can't forgive, and so the snowball of that lie keeps rolling down the metaphorical hill, careening toward inevitable doom and the explosive impact when it all eventually blows up in his face.

after a brief hesitation, he offers a handful of fresh fish to appease the oracle (mostly from that earlier comment, less because there's any real reverence there) — and when he's still standing and fully clothed, he breathes a short sigh of relief before posing the real question on his mind. )

Alright, good. So ... here's the thing. Nathan and I, we've got a good thing going right now. Thick as thieves, you know? Making up for all that lost time on these islands — and I just wanna say I really appreciate the opportunity, I do. ( it isn't a total lie, but there is some deception to his sincerity considering he's still not overly pleased with being stolen away from the quest he was already on. ) But say there's, uh, something pretty big I haven't been totally truthful with him about. How much would you say this is gonna bite me in the ass if I don't tell him?

[polymods]

"Not unless that's your sacrifice," replies the whispery-voiced Oracle with none of the weight of a true Answer. It's hard to tell if she's joking or serious. After all, that pile of hands did disappear rather quickly...but her crystalline tendrils only reach for the fish. They are gathered and pulled below the protective cover of petals to the hungry sepals below. The sound is far from pleasant and may distract from the divine darkening of the Oracle's eyes.

She sees the lie and lets it be. The Oracle, after all, has no more control over the Ancient's selection of Travelers than those gathered themselves. She suspects he knows the answer to his question even as he asks, and so finds it interesting that he bothered to ask. It seems very...human. Her answer is simple: "How you handle this secret will affect both your relationship and your Travels. Some poisons must be purged and healing will come with what remains."

He receives a conditional gift. If he speaks honestly about the issue with his brother within the next month, both men will find a single, non-magical piece of treasure. If not, Samuel will find it extremely unrewarding to be a treasure hunter for the next month.