@everyone (cw: pit shrine related gore)

[unwings]

It’s time we address the behemoth released from the shrines.

For those who weren’t in the pit, we shared the cavern with 4 occult shrines that produced a steady flow of blood. When the exterior of each was removed, a second was beneath - an armored figure with a spiked halo knelt in prayer, bleeding from empty eye sockets. Save for one other - a standing, armored skeleton-like humanoid carrying the upper half of an iron maiden, and wielding a spiked ball at the end of what appeared to be a chain of its own small intestines.

When the last of these shrines were opened, pillars of writhing flesh struck through the pit’s ceiling. Later, it was apparent these were the monster’s legs, and some were crushed underfoot when it began to retreat from its cage.

Proximity to the shrines caused a flood of sinister whispering and visions of a shadowed figure, and those of us succumbed to the ritual’s effects felt a certain draw to them. It’s unclear if the acolytes were hoping we’d interact with these shrines, as they never intervened, but the monster’s escape caused the eventual collapse of the pit and did them no favors.

Did anyone in the rescue team see where it went, after it broke off from the cavern? Best we learn what this creature is and what it’s capable of before we encounter it again.

There will be a cross-faction book exchange and research effort hosted in Istredd's domain regularly. Please come by if you’re interested in helping with this, sharing books not available in your faction, or any other pursuit of this world’s knowledge.


And, if anyone’s seen Dean Winchester - in the Horizon or otherwise - Sam, Jo and I would appreciate a word.

Comments

[unwings]

Ah. It appears counseling services have been offered by another of the newly arrived Summoned. Perhaps some of the lost will take advantage.

[ not him. but some of them, maybe. ]

[obiwanofthosedays]

What of you? It is all too easy to focus on the work and neglect our own wounds until long after they've gone rancid.

[unwings]

Thank you, friend, your concern's appreciated, but um.
My psyche isn't... formatted for what human counselors are trained to manage.
I assure you, I've healed from worse.

[ 'healed' he says, like he's not heaven's own self-sacrificial walking disaster in a little guilt ridden meat suit ]

[obiwanofthosedays]

How fortunate that I'm experienced with a multitude of non-human psyches. While I am no mind healer, I can offer an ear or place of rest if you ever have a need.

[unwings]

Are you? What type of non-humans are you familiar with?
A good conversation and place of rest can never go amiss.

I'm Castiel.

[obiwanofthosedays]

There are many sentient beings in my home galaxy, many species I've lived and worked alongside for years. Listing them all would take the better part of an afternoon, as even among each species there are significant individuals that are more... I do not know if it is more accurate to call them 'particular' or 'troublesome', though the former is far more kind.

Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, at your service, Castiel.

[unwings]

Your world's achieved interplanetary contact? Fascinating. Being bound to a single faction, let alone planet, must feel terribly limiting to you.

It's an honor to meet you, Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. If we're including titles, I suppose I should add Angel of the Lord. Is the term familiar to you?

[ of course, he recognizes that this is obi-fucking-wan from a very reknowned star war, but cas isn't dean, he has manners and he's keeping it to himself ]

[obiwanofthosedays]

Terribly limiting is something of an understatement.

I can't say that I have. Lord of what? A planet? A system? Is it more a political or local religious association?

[unwings]

[ he has so many questions, if only he were aware of how obsessed his son is with this man's canon. ]

I'm afraid we come from vastly different realities, Master Kenobi.

"God", typically, or Lord, Father, a sundry of other honorifics, is an omniscient, omnipotent, ancient being responsible for the creation of all life in my universe. He crafted angels - my brethren and I - to look over his creations on a single planet - Earth - and maintain the afterlife.

Angels are essentially sentient energy. We're incorporeal clusters of light - wavelengths of celestial intent. We have a kind of form on certain layers of reality, in Heaven, the afterlife we maintain. But to gain corporeal form, we possess a consenting host. This body once belonged to a man named Jimmy Novak, though he's long passed on now.

[ castiel's immediate instinct is to text Dean about this. a split instance of giddy thrill, directly followed by a sinking, sharp pain, knowing his dearest friend is far out of his reach right now. ]

[obiwanofthosedays]

I must admit, while this isn't the first I've heard of such a monotheistic theology, it is the first I've heard of that is quite this intricate.

[ Multidimensional sentient energy beings interacting with this level of reality through a consenting host? That is also unfamiliar, but no less fascinating. ]

I suppose the closest approximation for my reality is if one considered the will of the Force as something much less abstract and more sentient, focused.

But you are not the first being of sentient energy I have known, and having this background provides excellent context, thank you.

[unwings]

The theology exists in some worlds the other Summoned are from, but not all. It's always interesting to hear how it varies for each. The other Summoned don't typically have angels as less theological, more present beings in contact with humanity, but to be fair, very few in my world are aware of us as more than religious theory.

What can you tell me about the Force? Is it related to your Jedi mastery?

[ look at him acting like he don't know. still, he'd rather hear it explained by obi-wan himself, what it means to him, rather than cinematic script. ]

[obiwanofthosedays]

The Force is, ultimately, an energy field created by all living things in the universe. It surrounds and penetrates us, and binds everything together. It is known by many names to different cultures and peoples in my reality, and the Jedi are able to sense it, channel it to perform acts of protection and healing.

There are many components to it but the most common, or at the least most obvious aspect of the Force is the Physical Force. Channeling that energy to move objects, or enhance one's ability to run faster, leap farther.

[unwings]

The similarities are certainly striking. There's a celestial power used by angels to heal, move objects telekinetically, and I suppose perform acts of protection, though the definition and intent may vary. We don't always agree on what and how we should be protecting of late.

The innate power born within us, we call Grace. Do you have a reserve of the Force within you that depletes and refills over time?

[obiwanofthosedays]

A reserve? No. We merely connect and channel the Force around us. How much we are able to do is limited by our experience and ability to open ourselves to it. There are times when the level of connection required can be overwhelming to the untrained; which is why we are taught from a very young age how to manage ourselves and our emotions, as managing them is vital to proper control and restraint.

It is possible to overextend oneself, however. Pushing too hard or holding something for too long past your endurance; the burnout afterwards is not pleasant, let me tell you.

[unwings]

Channeling the energy of life itself. I could see how that'd be overwhelming, simply in it's vastness and harsh duality, to someone young and inexperienced. Power can be as dangerous as it is helpful. Rage or hubris backed with an ability to destroy can produce massacres. [ don't ask if he has personal experience, but obi-wan's point of emotions, control and restraint, pings another curious similarity worth noting. ] I'm unsure angels could ever be called young. There was no child-rearing, no training. One moment we simply were. We're created without souls. Angels were never meant to experience emotion.

[ meant to, but maybe capable. or perhaps a mimicry of feeling - it's hard to say exactly, what qualifies or defines emotion? the time he spent as a human was certainly more vibrant, more visceral, but the feelings were essentially the same. he couldn't have created a soul simply by losing grace, so perhaps the emotion was never truly there. or, it has been all along. who's to say? ]

What does a Jedi do with that burnout, once they've hit it?

[obiwanofthosedays]

The young are often afraid of what they don't understand, especially within themselves- which can be a problem if they do not know how to face and process that fear. We have a saying in the Order-

Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.

So one moment you weren't, and then you were, with full knowledge of your purpose, power, and role? That sounds a little like how one would describe the mind of a droid, who are for the most part empty of the Force; though I have heard tales of those that lived long enough to begin to experience and radiate genuine emotion. But those are beings created by sentients, not birthed by a greater cosmic power.

[ Curious, fascinating, and not something he's spent much time thinking about- he'll have to find a way to keep notes once he has more coin. ]

Rest. Endure. Not reach for the Force in full for some time. It's...a little like a migraine and full body ache- an overworked nervous system. Not entirely unlike being electrocuted. In time, it will pass.

[unwings]

[ come find cas in cadens, he'll hook you up with some paper. ]

A wise saying. Is there a state Jedi masters are able to achieve that transcends suffering? Some in my world would call it 'Nirvana'.

Yes, that's correct. It wouldn't be the first time we've been called robotic. Our purpose was to be soldiers without question. There are, for lack of a better term, means of programming an angel's mind, erasing memories, or digging into a "base coding". It isn't unlike brainwashing, if brainwashing also required drills and needles pierced through the skull. Nor is the programming completely insurmountable. Free will wasn't meant for us either, but recent events have changed that.

As for age, I'm at least 2 billion years old. Two of my brothers here are likely pushing 13 billion. A solar year for Earth being 365 days, composed of 24 hours each, if that translates.

Do you still feel your connection to the Force here, in Abraxas?

[obiwanofthosedays]

I wonder then why you were not created as a hive mind if that was the intent. Most species with that goal tend to develop that way; but now I'm speculating as to the will of your creator.

[ Obi-wan's takeaway here is that Castiel is both horribly old, horribly young, and deeply traumatized.

Oh dear. ]

It's quite similar- at least enough for me to reach out to it and channel it as I would back home; though some actions require more effort than they used to. Training and regular meditation will aid in the adjustment.

[unwings]

We do share a telepathic connection, colloquially known as 'angel radio'. But only for communication, we don't think as a single unit.

[ obi-wan is not wrong, at all, in his conclusions. ]

I find my powers reacting the same. Some are as they were, some are completely out of reach. Is meditation a regular practice for Jedi? Have you entered the Horizon yet?

[obiwanofthosedays]

I've been guided there once before and have created a...domain, I believe is the term? And it is, centering one's thoughts and emotions is vital to our connection with The Force. The difficulty in meditating is on occasion I find myself there when I do not intend to drift quite that far.

[unwings]

It’s a rather low bar of meditation required to enter the Horizon, that’s true. Given most Summoned aren’t terribly experienced with it. I’ve found meditation within the Horizon to be just as effective, if not more.

If you feel the urge to explore, you’re welcome within my domain. You’ll spot a border if densely populated trees, as you approach, a pathway should open.

[obiwanofthosedays]

I appreciatethe in invitation.
You'll find my domain quite easily, I should think.
There's a large crystalline tree in the center, it's hard to miss.

[unwings]

A crystal tree seems hard to miss. Though, I do know another Summoned's domain that contains an iron tree with crystal fruit. Kyle, in Throne.

I'll keep an eye our for your tree, and hopefully see you in the Horizon some day soon.

[obiwanofthosedays]

Curious. When I begin to venture through the horizon, I'll keep an eye out.

You are always welcome to visit, honestly? I would be glad for the company.