TO: EVERYONE (Posted in morning)

[magicalarchaeologist]

To the Summoned –

Right then, sorry to blast this into all of your eyeballs first thing on this fine morning, but it seemed like the sort of thing most of us would be interested in discussing. We’ll get right to the point.

Some new nonsense is happening with the Singularity. A few weeks ago, Dion and I paid it a visit on the Horizon side. I didn’t offend it but we didn’t get much out of it. In light of recent events, we’ve gone back, and it seems as if it’s feeling a bit more lively now.

In our initial meeting, the only feeling, if one can call it, was a sort of vague recognition of us, particularly so when I made mention of our potential future. My personal experience with the Singularity is quite limited; however, other experiences indicate this is not unusual. What is unusual is this new state of the monolith as of now, a sort of alert consciousness.

Istredd’s taken it upon himself to do some proper follow up, so we’ll let him get on with what he’s found.

The Dimming happens on December 21st of every year but the Singularity starts waning throughout the month of December. It is dormant on that day, enough that people can visit in person. I've been there twice. It is the natural cycle of the Singularity. Cid saying it's feeling a bit more lively is deeply concerning, it is supposed to be slowing down right now.

After hearing about the tremors causing havoc on the outskirts of the crater, I decided to investigate. I had a suspicion. Going inside of the crater around the Singularity kills the natives of this world. We are instead thrown into the Horizon. Many of us experienced that in April during the collective vision we had, when our territories threw us in there.

I am sorry to say my worry was well-founded. The tremors from the Singularity pushed into the territories and the crater has taken ground. I recommend that no one from the Summoned investigate closely. For right now we don't know if this is reflective of what's to come or just a strange one-time incident. I don't want anyone to panic, but we should keep an eye on it.

I currently do not have an answer as to how to stop it or how to force it into dormancy. I know that there are people in our community who have a connection to it. If you could approach it and see if it will communicate anything worthwhile, or see if there is a way to calm it, that might be helpful.

For now, I would recommend those who are near the base of the crater give it adequate leeway. From the amount of power it appears to hold still, we can only estimate it will continue to grow.


[OOC: Purple is Cid, blue is Istredd, gold is Dion.]

Comments

[ushiri]

Maybe. It's been taking interest in more of us, at least since we were all last thrown into the crater and shared a vision.

[ordinar]

Well, if we gain power from the Singularity...and it gets more powerful because we're using our magic...

It's not going to stop, is it?

[ushiri]

No, it wouldn't.

[ At first it was a relief to think that maybe they aren't bound to any version of that future they saw. But it makes him wonder now, too, where he would go if staying here became impossible - if there is anyone else for him to go. ]

But we can't say for certain yet.

[ordinar]

It's kind of like before. In the vision.

We had to keep everything in balance.

[ushiri]

That's what the heralds wanted too, or what they tried to tell us.

[ But death had been a part of keeping that balance. ]

[magicalarchaeologist]

I have to wonder if it's a collection of things. The many Summonings. Our magic and growing power. But also our use of the Horizon, in its domain.

[ushiri]

That last one would be hardest to give up after all this time.

[ Rousma, and Rio. They aren't real, he knows, but even so. ]

[magicalarchaeologist]

I know. Especially with no guarantee it'll make a difference. But there is an argument for it.

[ordinar]

Should we stop using so much magic then?

[magicalarchaeologist]

Maybe. I wish I knew. Anything we might be able to do would require group agreement and that's unlikely.

[ordinar]

Yeah, that will be a huge mess.

You remember what it was like the last time I avoided using magic.

[magicalarchaeologist]

Truthfully I don't think stopping to use our magic will make a big difference at this point. The Singularity is likely feeding off our very energy.

[ordinar]

So there's nothing we can do about it.

[magicalarchaeologist]

I wish I knew. For right now this make be a strange happenstance that doesn't lead anywhere.

[ordinar]

Let's hope it goes back to normal then.

[ordinar]

[He thinks the unwritten part too. He hadn't wanted to listen to the Heralds, choosing to push back against their influence.]

I want there to be a way that doesn't mean a bunch of people have to die.

[ushiri]

I know. I do too. These people didn't ask for this.

[ And he doesn't want to find himself becoming another shepherd of that balance again. It isn't always so easy, though. ]

[ordinar]

If we stay in this world, do you think that...what happened in that vision will actually come true?

I thought it was a "what if" kind of thing. Like how in science fiction books and movies they try to predict what life will be like in the future. Nobody really thinks it will be exactly like that, you know?

But there's some truth in it too.

private;

[ushiri]

I don't think it's all set in stone, no. I don't believe that's how any of it works. From experience.

[ If Wille remembers what he's told him about his own strange past, about the other life he remembers. Two lives, now. ]

Everything is happening much more quickly than it did in that vision. And seeing glimpses of the future doesn't always help you avoid a certain fate.

[ This is why the Oracles speak in riddles. ]

private henceforth

[ordinar]

Yeah. I know. None of us were meant to end up here. Or maybe we were, I don't know.

It's not inevitable, but it's not totally inconceivable either.

[ushiri]

I think I was meant to be here.

[ What the rest of you think about that matters less to him. ]

Would you stay here, if there was a way to avoid that future?

[ The bad parts. ]

[ordinar]

Honestly? I'd stay here even if there wasn't.

I don't know if I was meant to be here, but I know I wasn't meant for the life I had before.

[ushiri]

[ He feels both very proud of Wilhelm just then, and very sad for him too. ]

You deserve to have the life that you want. For it to be your choice.

[ordinar]

Sometimes I get scared that

I won't get to choose.

[That one day he'll wake up, and it will have felt like a dream.]

[ushiri]

Some of us are willing to risk a lot to make sure that doesn't happen.

[ They would take many risks to make sure they all get a choice. ]

For a long time I thought I would have stop them.