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

[epitaphs]

[ She's used to being one of three or four people with medical knowledge. It may not be her actual job to help, but she thinks she has some responsibility in any case. ]

By using my eyes? I think it's going to become obvious pretty quickly if that thing is handing out curses that are making people sick.

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki shakes his head. ]

I doubt she'll be handing the same curse to everyone. Mine was tailored to me. The others may not be so . . . noticeable.

[epitaphs]

Okay. Well, unless you know how to undo it, you'd still probably more comfortable lying down somewhere until it wears off.

[ She's got a certain set to her jaw that says she's used to dealing with reluctant patients. ]

[dothelokimotion]

[ this is so weird. ]

Probably. But I can manage.

[epitaphs]

[ Yup. We've got a badass on our hands here, folks. Clarke tries not to audibly sigh, but it's a near thing. ]

What, do you have somewhere else to be? I'm pretty sure it can wait til you're done hacking up flowers for the foreseeable future.

[dothelokimotion]

[ he doesn't and it annoys him that he doesn't have a readily available lie. his head is still spinning from coughing up flowers. so he grouches, very maturely. ]

I suppose not.

[epitaphs]

Good, then you'll have no objection to walking back to the temple with me. I can try to care a lot less if that makes it easier?

[ She doesn't care about him as a person, really. Caring about people gets them killed, in her experience, so it's not even actually that hard to distance herself as much as comfortable for them both. ]

[dothelokimotion]

[ he rolls his eyes. ]

I'm not sure how caring more would look like.

[epitaphs]

You'd probably end up dead, so we'll stick with professional curiosity. Do you notice that anything makes it worse, or better?

[ It's not just professional curiosity; she'd also like to know how badly she's going to get screwed over once she finally talks to the giant flower. ]

[dothelokimotion]

[ the fact that it only happened while he was lying? yes, he noticed but loki doesn't want to admit that. ]

They tailored it to me.

[epitaphs]

Yeah, you mentioned that.

[ Clarke sighs, realizing that she's not going to get far with a particularly aggressive approach. ]

Look, I'm not asking for you to give up your secrets. I just want to help you and anyone else who might hit with something equally uncomfortable. We're all in this together, right?

[dothelokimotion]

[ he gives a long look. it might seem unnerving. ]

Do you believe that?

[epitaphs]

[ She shrugs and eventually looks away first. Her secrets aren't on offer, either.]

I do until someone gives me reason to think differently. I know how to survive alone, but it sucks. We might as well help each other.

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki gives a slow shake of his head. ]

Unless you have experience in magic, you can't help me much.

[epitaphs]

Not so much magic as highly advanced science I can't really explain. It can be hard to tell apart. But if you know how to undo it, why don't you?

[ He seems awfully confident about the whole curse angle, which Clarke isn't going to outright deny given that she can't explain most of the rest of what's happened since she was pulled to this world. ]

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki purses his lips tightly. ]

It is asking a great deal from me.

[epitaphs]

Is it worse than coughing up flowers forever?

[ It's a genuine question; there are worse afflictions to be had. ]

[dothelokimotion]

[ it involves emotional honesty. so yes. ]

It is . . . close enough.

[epitaphs]

[ Clarke isn't unsympathetic. She'd probably take her own chances with the flowers, given an equally distasteful option. ]

All the more reason to get some rest while you can. Maybe you'll get lucky and run into someone with an affinity for undoing curses.

[dothelokimotion]

[ he chuckles. ]

Has anyone been that lucky here?

[epitaphs]

[ She rewards him with a wry smile. ]

I suppose it depends on what you consider lucky. Some might say we're lucky to be here at all, given some of the alternatives.

[dothelokimotion]

[ ah. he glances at her. ]

Do you truly believe that?

[epitaphs]

[ Her expression turns somber. This isn't her first rodeo. She's still waiting for the other shoe to drop as it always has. ]

I think I've been given more second chances than ought to be possible, and I'm not going to say no to another.

[dothelokimotion]

. . . But you don't trust it, do you.

[epitaphs]

I don't trust easily.

[ An understatement. This place is too weird and unpredictable to trust even if she did. ]