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wildestlogs2022-03-11 05:45 pm
wildestmods) wrote in wildestlogs2022-03-11 05:45 pm
THE COUNCIL OF ELROND
THE COUNCIL OF ELROND
[After their week of rest, once the injured are close to fully healed, the group is gathered up and brought into a Council. They're led down a long winding path to a circular area carved out of stone. The bubbling waters of the Bruinen can be heard rippling nearby, alongside the distance rush of the waterfalls, and birds twitter from the boughs of the trees. Rows of seats have been laid out on raised steps, kind of like very small bleachers, to allow multiple rows of people without some of them having a blocked view.]
[There are enough seats for all of them but also many other seats that have been filled by travelers from near and far. The dwarves have sent Gloin, one of the dwarves that stood with Thorin Oakenshield against the dragon Smaug. Faramir of Gondor has been sent by Aragorn to represent the Men of Gondor and Rohan. Tiffany Aching, a twenty year-old witch sits in one chair, a representative of the witches of the great Ramtops Steading of the Disc, who are not a nation like the others, but are just really, really nosy when it comes to other people's business.]
[They are just some of many who stand before the squad, drawn to this place to speak to them because of many different prophecies uttered by many different sages and prophets.]
[There are also two very small individuals, no larger than hobbits. They look even more Elven and spritely than the Elves. These two are the prophets that the gathered people trust the wisdom of the most. The two Gelflings, Kira and Jen, watch the squad join the Council with sharp and knowing eyes.]
[After they are all settled, a clear bell rings out, a last call for the Council and a signal that it's about to start. The faces of everyone that turn to the squad are grave. Some are slightly concerned or pitying, because of what they've heard about the group. A weight is about to be placed on their shoulders.]
[Elrond stands and gestures to them all. He says:]
Strangers from distant lands, friends of old, you have been summoned here to offer counsel on matters that will affect every land that makes up the new world we have all been bound to. Thanks to the threat of Mordor and the Golden Nation, and the destructive nature of the Wilderlands itself, our worlds and lands stand upon the brink of destruction; none can escape it. Yet we have been told by many prophets and sages that one group, one band of individuals, might change our collective fate.
[He gestures to the squad now.]
I apologize for the long delay in meeting with you to speak of the serious matters at hand. We have sent emissaries to a place the spirits of the Green sometimes manifest, hoping that they'll agree to a meeting with you. Those set to this task have yet to return.
The Green has done you a great disservice in bringing you to this world with no explanation behind their actions, and your coming has sent ripples through all peoples in the Wilderlands. Many prophets from many lands were able to foretell of your coming before you ever arrived, and saw possible futures that might be created by your influence before ever gaining knowledge of your existence. Messengers and sages arrived in Rivendell shortly before and during your stay here.
I've been meeting with them during the recovery of your injured and trying to discern any patterns so that I might offer whatever counsel that I can.
What's clear is that your fate has been magically tied to our own by the Green; your choices may lead to our doom - or they might save us all. For that reason, we have all gathered here today to offer our knowledge, guidance, and wisdom, and to tell you of the prophecies spoken of in our many lands that concern your place in the Wilderlands.
[Now he gestures to the Gelflings who stand in the center of the circle.]
Of all the prophets and great sages among our peoples, the Gelflings are the most gifted at foresight. They have spent their days dreaming under the stars, untangling the webs of destiny that bind us all. They, above all others, have divined the most complete visions that concern your fate, and so they will speak for us all. After they speak, the council will be open to all to discuss these matters.
[The male Gelfling steps forward, and gestures first to himself and then to his female companions.] I'm Jen and this is Kira. We've spent many nights dreaming, seeking the truth of what has happened to the world - what has happened to many worlds.
[Kira says:] We've seen the threads of fate that bind you and know who has ensnared you. This land once belonged to the spirits of the Green. A calamity befell it, one that's beyond even their understanding, causing other worlds to be drawn in to their realm. They wish to separate the worlds and unbind their realm from the other worlds that have intruded.
[Jen says:] They, too, have gifts of foresight, even greater than our own, and unlike us, they can see the past and future in many worlds. They've looked into your own worlds and have chosen you all because they believe the gifts and traits you possess fit into their visions of salvation, especially when paired with their own granted gifts.
[Jen spreads a hand and whispers words he learned from his masters, the wise UrRu, that are not exactly a spell - just a simple utterance of truth, something that washes away the illusions of normalcy over reality. This reveals something on every member of the group, a mystical mark on their bodies, etched into their souls by the Green in glowing lines of green entwined with gold. This mark is on all their foreheads, and is a symbol in the Green's own strange spirit language that marks them as the saviors of the natural world.]
[When he stops murmuring, the brand fades, but now they'll all find that any magic spell from magic granted by the Green, or use of a magic weapon given to them by the Green will, cause the brand to glow when a spell or weapon power is active.]
[Kira says:] They've marked you as their own. But this choice isn't something handed down by a divine force or all-seeing being, it's based on their guesses. On their own predictions of possible futures. They are right in that you're capable of this, but have brought you here according to their will and bound you together, even changed some of you, hoping you'll serve them.
[Jen says:] And though some individual spirits of the Green are sympathetic to other life in the Wilderlands, many of these spirits don't care for the fate of anyone other than themselves. The Green has chosen you to save the Green alone.
[Kira says:] While the Green brought you here against your will, you still get to choose which paths to take. You have the ability to choose to unbind yourselves and save only yourselves, or to save only the Green so that you can go to your homes.
[Jen says:] Or you can choose to walk the more difficult paths to save us all, and to stop more worlds from being torn apart. To do that, you must empower the spirits of the Green that are willing to help save life beyond themselves: the Spirits of the Seasons, who each will place a task before you.
[Kira says:] You must also defeat the Dark Lord of the East, Sauron, and the Witch of the West, the Unfinished Princess. While many are fighting these enemies, the visions of many prophets have shown that you have the greatest chance of making sure that all those who resist them aren't fighting in vain.
[Jen says: And you must awaken the Childlike Empress, who sleeps in her Ivory Tower. To do all these tasks is to do the near-impossible, but only by walking all these paths can you save more than the Green.
[Kira says:] We wish we could give you more but our view of the future is imperfect. All we can do is place the truth before you: a great burden, especially since all the prophets of these lands can tell you of the roads you must follow, but few can tell you how to defeat all the evils you'll find on them, or even which ones you would face for sure.
[Jen says:] But this is all we can give you, A glimpse of what might be and the choices you must make. [Jen's expression is deeply sympathetic, almost sorrowful.] For what it's worth, I'm sorry. I was once...Chosen by a prophecy. Destined to end the reign of a great evil and heal my world. But the prophecy led to... [It's hard for him to say.] It led to the loss of our people; they were all killed to try to stop the prophecy from coming to pass. And now Kira and I are the last of our kind.
[Jen holds Kira's hand tightly in his and continues:] It hasn't been an easy path to walk and your path - I fear that yours will be much harsher, even if you only seek to free yourselves and return home. I hope I'm wrong.
[The two Gelflings share a look with each other that comes with their shared understanding. They are bound by what they are and bound by what they lost and it's clear they wouldn't wish that weight on anyone else.]
[Elrond beckons for them to step back and take a seat and they take seats in small chairs at his side, their hands still clasped tightly.]
[Elrond looks at the assembled squad, and says:] And so several choices are laid before you. I would advise you to withhold a final decision until you gain more information from the Green themselves. But in the meantime, grave matters must be discussed today.
[He arches an eyebrow.]
They have kidnapped you against your will - even despite the fact some of you are still children. They have entangled you in the threads of fate, even transformed some of you in grotesque ways, and yet expect you to grant them power and solve their problems.
They have much to answer for.
[He gestures with a hand to some of the assembled Elf servants and another bell rings, clear and bright.]
So that you're ready to face them with as much knowledge as possible, we will answer any questions you have about the state of the world, and what tidings others have had of prophetic visions about you that have been recorded in their own lands.
❧ Free-for-all Post: This event will be in "free-for-all" format, meaning that threadhopping is encouraged and that threading should be treated in the same conversational way as network posts with branching threads. This post will only contain the part with Elrond and others. The agents of the Green will be set up with their own Q&A post after they've had time to talk to Elrond and co.
❧ Joint network Post. Due to the magic mirrors having the ability to be widened and set to float, any characters that don't (or can't) attend the meeting will be able to still participate.
❧ Post in bracketspam format. We're trying to keep a brisk pace and allow a network vibe where speech matters more than action, for some talking heads rp.
❧ b>NPCing. The mods will handle all the fantasy npcs and some may show up that aren't specifically listed in this post. There are many people at the Council.
❧ Food: Food and drink are plentiful. The food leans towards fruits and veggies but there's enough game for any meat-eaters, cooked well in unknown spices. Wine is abundant, some vintages more inebriating than others. The restorative cordial miruvor is available to help weary travelers get their energy up and revive their strength. It doesn't get characters drunk but helps them revive their strength. It has a light, pleasant floral taste and smell. Beer can also be provided, though that of the traveling dwarves is superior to what Rivendell has to offer.
❧ It's okay if the conversation gets messy. It's a giant group that's going to be talking here. That means it's natural if side conversations happen, interruptions happen, or things get missed because people are talking over each other and switching conversational partners.
❧ A private discussion will happen later. A crossroads post and private conversation among the squad will happen after the Council, and after the meeting with the Green, so they can decide for themselves what to do next and how to handle what they've learned.
no subject
During that search, I stumbled upon information that stated the Green has given strange powers to others in the Wilderlands, not just to we all present here. If there's a chance the Green screwed up and now we'll have to clean up a mess they made, it'd be good to know as soon as possible.
[Although her words are not really the most diplomatic ones ever, at least she seems to be trying to not direct her grudge towards the Green at Elrond]
no subject
This was a book in our own library here in Rivendell?
[He looks like this is the first he's heard of it.]
I have ready every new addition to the library since Rivendell was transported here. What was the book's title?
no subject
You...are unaware of that?
[Ange searches in her pocket, taking out a piece of paper, passing it along to Elrond. Seems Ange copied down what she found, but the gist of it, indeed, is that "Yes, there are a few handwritten books talking about the Green magic. Important thing of note: apparently the Green has given strange powers to others in the Wilderlands, not just the group."]
I don't remember the name of the book, but I could bring it. I remember where I left it.
no subject
Perhaps it was left by a traveler staying in our halls, but that I don't remember it is...concerning.
There is much in this world that is beyond our understanding. Magic that acts unpredictably, magical objects that sometimes spontaneously appear in unexpected places.
no subject
...Are the Green the ones that caused the Wilderlands to do this in the first place? Or was it a power out of their control?
no subject
Whether or not they created this world by accident, or other powers did it on purpose, is unknown, but they do seek to fix it.
no subject
[No time to waste. Ange quickly leaves, going to the library in a hurry. Can one take books out of it like this? Maybe not? Well, whatever, she thinks. Take it up with Elrond if it's not allowed, she's on a mission right now. Screw the rules.
Ange returns a few minutes after leaving, glad the book hadn't moved from the place she had left it at. When she returns, she passes it to Elrond]
It's handwritten, now that I think about it. Perhaps someone wrote and left it there, knowing we'd come here at some point.
no subject
[He suddenly stands.]
[Glorfindel and several other Elves stand and gather around him, also taking the book and looking at it. They all start talking frenetically in Elvish, not because they don't want their guests to understand, but because they're that shocked and alarmed that they resort to their own language.]
[Elrond looks at the squad with an expression of extreme alarm and speaks Sylvaen again.]
I have no memory of this...yet it was written in my own hand, I'm sure of it.
[He looks horrified by that prospect.]
[An Elf's mind is a difficult thing to influence, especially one belonging to a bearer of one of the Elven rings of power.]
no subject
[And it doesn't seem to have any information that could go against their mission to help them. Even if they feared there were people out there who had been bestowed powers as well, it'd mean nothing to them, she thinks. It's not exactly a good tool to spread paranoia. Then...it's likely the Green authored this through Elrond to help them, maybe?.
Rude if they did, Elrond sure seems surprised, she thinks]
no subject
[He looks at the book with eyebrows deeply furrowed.]
But to my memory, I have known nothing other than the rumors until meeting all of you.
[He finally looks up at her.]
It may be that the Green moved me to write this without my knowing, or...
Or perhaps there is knowledge that was lost to me. Perhaps there are experiences that I have been made to forget. If that is the case, the existence of this book may have been overlooked by those who sought to have such knowledge stricken from my mind. It may be that they didn't know I had written it down and put it in my library.
[And he'd also forgotten the book too and overlooked it on its shelf.]
no subject
That and also she really hopes there's no metaphysical stuff going on like in her world. Umineko is a bit of a tough nut to crack when it's about how some of its concepts work]
Any clues in there about when you wrote it?
[Maybe you wrote the date of when this was written, Elrond!]