Acedia Intro Log

[cancrymods]

MOVING ONWARDS

With Lana's blessing and direction it's at last time for the Executors to proceed deeper into Purgatory. Despite the downtime, the sense of unease that settled in you before has yet to wane, even at the prospect of making further progress in your journey. Unanswered questions still linger, as does the possibility that for all the progress you've made there still exists roadblocks that could keep you from fulfilling the duty you've taken on to Purgatory. Strangely, though, you feel your spirits lift as you begin your descent. Part of it is the relief that comes from the drop in temperature but mostly, you feel embraced by a sense of deep comfort and relaxation. As the snowy white landscape and gentle colours of Acedia swim into focus below you, it brins with it a sureness that whatever was going wrong before that none of it matters - you'll figure it out.

ACEDIA

♪♫ Blossom – Sakuzyo A gentle, fluffy snowfall tumbles down ceaselessly over Acedia, the Sloth Layer. In contrast to the layers above, things here are chilly enough to warrant wrapping up warm and an occasional gust of wind seems to blow right through you. With snow blanketed everywhere, all the bustle of the town seems quite muffled and far away and the overall vibe of the settlement is... sleepy. Peaceful. If it weren't for the fact that you know you're in Purgatory, you could almost be fooled into thinking that nothing bad could or would happen in a place like this. Initial explorations uncover the town's purpose - Acedia takes the form of an onsen town, a settlement built and centered around the many natural hot springs that have sprung up in the area. Traditional inns with luxurious rooms and serving all manner of incredible feasts can be occupied free of charge with waitstaff who'll serve you like a visiting king. Even aside from the springs and the inns, the whole town is packed to the brim with the sort of entertaintment you might find in a town in the snowy mountains, but all of it comes at a gentle, relaxing pace as if the very existence of this town relied upon easing your heart and your troubles. More so than the town, though, perhaps the familiar faces you encounter here will be enough to bring you some comfort... AREAS OF INTEREST ⚝ HOT SPRINGS: A number of natural hot springs can be found and visited in this layer. Some are indoor and some are outdoor with spectacular views of the snowy landscape. ⚝ RESTAURANTS: Feeling peckish? Eateries serving cuisine of any sort line the streets and all of it is free of charge. If there's anything you can imagine wanting to eat, chances are good you'll find it here. ⚝ MOUNTAIN: The town as a whole sits at the base of a mountain with a towering peak. If you squint, you see what you think is some sort of structure at the very top... but surely not. Who would want to live in a place as lonely as that?

THE DOPPELGANGERS

As discussed on Discord, the Executors aren't the only ones who seem to have found their way down to Acedia. Once they arrive in the Sloth Layer, each of the Executors will come across up to three of their castmates who seem to have been occupying the Layer for quite some time before their arrival. Each of these castmates will tell roughly the same story - they were once Executors too and found their way this deep into Purgatory but have found no way of progressing any further. They have tried every possible way to escape but no matter how long they stay here, they can't proceed any further. Despite the news, all of them seem happy and fulfilled and will encourage the Executors to try and settle here in Acedia and simply enjoy the miracle that is their reunion. It probably goes without saying that these are not actually the Executors' castmates. They are, essentially, a tangible illusion based on their memories of their loved ones. They can be talked to, touched, interacted with and basically treated like any other real person and the trickery is, at first, imperceptible. As time passes, it will become increasingly clear that there are some conflicts and missing spots in the doppelganger's memory of their lives together and confronting them on this will have them respond in confusion. If you continue to confront them on the conflict, they will become increasingly upset and eventually violent. Who is casting this illusion and why, though? Well... that's something the Executors will have to investigate themselves.

Comments

NPC CONTACT & INVESTIGATION REQUESTS

[cancrymods]

If you plan to investigate, place a comment under this toplevel detailing your investigation.

You may also use this toplevel to communicate with any of the party NPCs. Currently available are Rei, Birdie and the mysterious butterfly who lead Ariel to the Superbia Underside. Be sure to mention in your comment header which NPC you want to speak to!

[emberserker]

Wolfsbane has not had a good day all year. Naturally, she'll take the time to relax, or attempt... although the hot springs do also seem to warrant investigation. Any noticeable differences between this and the bathhouse back in Limbo?

[cancrymods]

There's a few, but nothing that seems suspicious or untoward. The biggest difference are that the hot sprints seem to actually be staffed by Specters rather than everything being automated.

Butterfly buddy

[mementomoritz]

Medic is looking for any of Rei's butterflies around here, really. She looks a little worried, and she's carrying... is that a portable heating pad??

Yes, that's right. This girl is out in the snow, not wearing a coat, trying to find any metaphysical insects in case they need to be warmed up. She has priorities, apparently.

[cancrymods]

Thankfully for everyone, there don't seem to be any stray butterfly Specters this deep down in Purgatory – is she also wanting to check in on Ariel's butterfly buddy too?

butterfly

[schardynfreude]

Hello butterfly! Chiron-or-Ardyn will be looking for the little pretty to maybe have a conversation! He's not sssssure how this works entirely, given this one is different from the other he encountered. He's brought salted peanuts as a peace offering? Does it even eat do we even know

[cancrymods]

She's not too hard to find! She mostly seems to prefer sticking to places the Executors pass in and out from so if he checks anywhere a lot of them are staying, he'll find her just chillin' by a gently roaring fire and gets a soft chime in greeting.

BIRDIE WING

[ourtomorrow]

Monarch would like to speak to the other reformed villain of the party! He told Wolfsbane he would, to see whether Birdie will answer any of his Questions (because of course Monarch has questions). So he'll be poking around where the Executors all hang out, learning his way but also seeking her.....

She was described as "Rei, but not"......he wonders what that means.....

[cancrymods]

Well, it's not too hard to see once he finally tracks her down. She's a bit of a loner, but she's not too far from where the Executors usually gather when they're in Acedia. Most obvious is how similar her face is to Rei's and most startling is the abyssal black cracks splintered all across her face. Our girl's been through it a bit!

Either way, Monarch is, unfortunately, going to have to be the one who kickstarts this conversation because Birdie certainly doesn't seem to be the chatty type... but if she's an ally of the Executors then surely that's fine?

[emberserker]

[Wolfsbane's been looking troubled recently, but then, who in this group hasn't been? Things seem to abate by the time they reach Acedia, at least on the surface, and maybe you can even find her actually relaxing once in a while. That is why she's in the hot spring, right...?

...No, wait, she's dumping ice into it and getting in to use her fire magic to bring it up to boiling. Guess you can't keep her from training after all.

But later, you can also find her in some kind of fancy restaurant, seemingly concentrating on her bowl of sauerbraten until she spots you and looks up.]

What? Is there something you need?

[And afterward, she's heading back to the train station when she stops cold and stares, not even noticing you even if you were with her. Not noticing anything but a red-haired woman disappearing into the crowd.]

...Mother?

[schardynfreude]

Chiron has not been quite right. Ever since the pathway lower was open, an apparent flood of memories has made his behavior more erratic. Is he okay? Well, is anyone? He has assured Sword that it hasn't impacted his fighting--has perhaps made him even more tenacious, if anything--and that as ever he will fight his enemies, not his friends.

(Someone tell Wolfsbane.)

When he descends into Acedia, he welcomes the brisk temperatures and chill wind. "Bracing, hm?" he jokes like a true dad. "Ahhhh," with arms outstretched, "it certainly beats the oppressive heat!"

Says the guy wearing several layers.

On the whole, he seems to find this place charming. Or boring. It seems to vary with his oscillating moods. At any given time during this period, several things could happen:
-disappearing from Acedia for days on end only to show up looking exhausted if satisfied, as perhaps from a fight, and slumping off to an onsen or a hotel to rest up
-speaking of onsens, hanging out in one not unlike the bathhouse of Limbo, comfortable in nudity and definitely taking a bottle of wine with him while he relaxes in the waters
-chucking a snowball from god knows where, complete with deep snickering; good luck getting him back as he likes to warp to odd angles and away again, but sometimes he might just be more Come At Me Bro about it
-muttering to himself, tucked between buildings somewhere quiet and out of the way, as if staving off a wholeass breakdown.

You know. Normal fun things!

doppelgangers

[schardynfreude]

It's Chiron's worst nightmare come to life (as it were).

It isn't the hair that catches him. Enough young ladies have a blonde bob that he's stopped whipping his head around many layers ago, scrutinizing in surprise. It's the outfit, the white dress he remembers so well. She's wearing a more modern jacket on top of it, but the white catches, and the hair, and the--

She lets out a short yelp of alarm when he warps into her, wrapping his arms around her. "Aera," halfway to sob. He repeats her name several times, kissing her face tenderly, until his knees start to give out, and the giant of a man starts to buckle, knelt at her feet, still uttering her name. Until the shock wears, and she strokes fingers through his hair.

"Ardyn...I'm so glad to see you at last..."

He's overjoyed and despondent in equal measure. She's here! Oh no, she's here.
(And another part of him hisses it, she's here.)

Nothing Could Possibly Go Wrong

***

I can't believe things could possibly go wrong said no one ever

When he sees him, Chiron freezes in place like a deer in headlights, torn between two equally intense reactions. He is delighted to see the little brother he cherished so dearly in life again. And. He is filled with a deep, flaming rage at the usurper who imprisoned him and erased his very existence from the annuls of history.

He does not approach Somnus. Keeps his distances. Watches him like an anxious hawk, from rooftops, around corners, through a store window. It's hard to tell if the blue-haired man is aware and simply not acknowledging Ardyn-or-Chiron until acknowledged first, or if Chiron is actually doing that good of a job being inconspicuous.

(It's Chiron, fucking look at him. What about this man screams inconspicuous?)

Maybe, uh, maybe someone needs to help him figure out what to do with this one.

***

If you happen to see Chirdyn with a riding-sized black bird, don't worry about it, this is all perfectly normal, there is nothing to see here if he trots through the streets atop a chocobo.

don't worry about if a chocobo is sapient enough to have been an executor bc it isn't but if a weird peacock thing can be in purgatory why not another burd

ernesta -- i mean somnus

[emberserker]

[Wolfsbane is half in a panic as it is, power-walking down the street and away from something, until she spots Chiron and then the man he's stalking from down the street. She pauses for half a second and makes her way over to her usual teammate and perpetual annoyance.]

What exactly is going on here, Chiron?

sometime vaguely post-meeting

[schardynfreude]

Chiron comes trudging back down the stairs, looking battered but pleased. Aera waits for him at the bottom. Somnus leans on a nearby wall.

"Brother. I beg you reconsider. Whatever it is you are doing, surely a Beyond of rest and relaxation is better."

"I have to agree." Aera reaches out a hand to grab one of Chiron's in both of hers. "Whatever plagues you, allow me to ease the suffering."

Chiron laughs. "Oh? Oh, is that what you would have me do? Sit idle and remain, reliving the same days until I go madder?"

Somnus scoffs. "Do not twist my words."

"I'll do what neither of you could, then. We'll find the Authority and move on, as ever. I imagine, perhaps, at the peak of the mountain?"

"You always push yourself so hard." Aera tugs at him gently. "Stay. Rest. This can't be so bad. Remember how we used to sneak away to rest and spend time? We can do that as long as we like."

Chiron walks, the others following at either side of him, but he doesn't seem to have a destination. Except perhaps towards the base of the mountain. "Do you remember," he says slowly, "how you sold me out, allowed Somnus to do as he pleased?"

Her face pinches. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"He's playing games," Somnus grouses. "Not that he was ever very good at them."

"And how many times did I best you at chess, brother mine? How many games did I teach my dear baby brother and watch you struggle to keep up with me?"

Somnus crosses his arms. "I don't see it that way. I won. You lost."

"The throne was not a game. You chased me out, lured me back, and turned to ash all I cared about." There is black oozing from him. It hasn't stopped. "I would have hoped for an apology at least from you in the afterlife, but alas, that was simply too much to hope for."

The king stops, arms uncrossing. And after a few steps, Chiron stops as well. "I apologize." A deep breath. And then, a deep bow. "I wronged you, brother. The throne was ill-gotten, and I was a fool. The line of Lucis should have begun with you to lead the country into safety, and into prosperity."

Chiron turns to him, staring openly, mouth agape. When Somnus rights himself, Chiron pulls his hand free from Aera's grasp. "You are no brother of mine."

"You don't have to accept the apology for all the pain I--"

"No." A weapon appears in an instant in Chiron's hand. "I do not know what trick this is anymore, but whatever daemon or specter or illusion you are, you're hardly a perfect copy of him. If you think he would have ever accepted responsibility--even in all of his apologies, he still thought it the right thing to do, that he was only doing what he thought best, that even if it pained him to do it to what once was his brother, I was still a monster unfit to rule."

As Somnus summons up a blade, Aera hangs back. "Don't be so cruel. Don't be so rash! Things have changed; you've changed! Somnus can change as well!"

"What did you tell me at the waterfall, Aera?"

"What?"

Chiron's weapon gets turned on her. "The waterfall in the ruins. What did you say to me?"

"I...that isn't important right now!"

"Surely you remember."

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Then you aren't her, either. You are both...here to torment me! I should have known."

She summons up her trident in the same instant he swings.

BOY COMIN THROUGH

[ourtomorrow]

[ Into this bastion of literal and metaphorical chill bursts - positively rushes - An Childe. Monarch had initially stayed behind at the school, looking after it, but the longer he spent the more he felt.....like he was running away. Like there were things that only he could do.

So he's hurried, as fast as he can, only to discover they've moved on a full two Layers. Everyone......He hopes they're well!

The moment he makes eye contact with an Executor, no matter who, he'll be blurting: ]

Sorry I'm late!

[ And somehow slice his body from "running" to "full waist bowing" in no time at all. His shoes must be anti-skid. Especially in this climate. ]

[emberserker]

Monarch?

[Wolfsbane nearly slips on a patch of ice, but keeps her footing and frowns.]

Who else from our pasts is going to show up down here?

[ourtomorrow]

I won't make excuses. [ He feels bad about leaving, the guilt hot in his chest, curled in his stomach. ] I apologize for staying behind, and I'll work twice as hard to -

[ .......Hold on. ]

-- who....."else"?

[mementomoritz]

Monarch! [So the good news is that Medic's happy to see him.]

[The bad news is that she's expressed this via full-on tackle hug. At least she's pretty small, so that's not a lot of weight to carry.]

How are you, where were you, do you have time for a full checkup?

[See, she even asked if he had time before just whipping out the stethoscope, she's learning.]

[phantasmagorial]

[ He barely gets a chance to bow – or even apologize – once he finds Rei, because the instant she lays eyes on him, all her breath rushes out of her in a cloud of white and a gasp of– ]

Monarch!

[ – before she just goes ahead and throws her arms around him in a hug. Greetings can wait!! Hugs first!!! ]

cw: trauma, mental health issues

[crypddyd]

[ So they've been here for a bit now, but after they arrived Lion seems to have just... up and disappeared? Like he went investigating and just never came back.

If one goes out looking for him though, they might eventually find him near one of the onsen, laying on the ground with his head in the lap of a beautiful young man around his age with snowy white hair. She's petting his hair, and two other older people are near by- one a woman looking very much like the first one, only with brown hair, and a blond man that looks a LOT like Lion himself.

He makes no move to acknowledge anyone that approuches ]

[emberserker]

...Lion?

[Wolfsbane carefully walks over and stops about a metre from him.]

Somebody's gotten popular. What's going on? We haven't seen you.

pre-meeting

[emberserker]

[Wolfsbane may be easy to judge everyone else she knows, but she's no less concerned about all these people. Still, it might surprise you to spot her standing at the edge of town, near the mountain path, a metre apart from a woman who seems to be pleading with her.]

You must reconsider, my... what was your name in this world?

Wolfsbane. [She glares defiantly.] Do try to keep up.

How can you continue to speak that way to your mother? I've done everything for you, we all have. I'm asking you, please stop these fruitless efforts. Even if it were possible to find the next Authority, I don't want you to be disappointed when you can't surpass the next Layer after that.

This again? You don't think I can do anything! Everything I have accomplished, you look past and tell me I can't get any further!

Please understand, I'm saying this to help you. You're a very gifted child, but your talents lie elsewhere. No amount of hard work can make you a mage who can stand against such an Authority even if they do exist. Even after what you've done, we can take you back. So please...

[What she's done. Of course. But what came after...

Wolfsbane's eyes snap open as memories flood her head, Magiaconatus half erupting and half frozen over. As she processes them, the single drop gem in the earring she wears shatters, even though nothing's touched it. Pieces fall to the ground, and she doubles over, clutching her chest.]

Mother... Ernesta...

Surely she's found success while we've been here. [The woman, Wolfsbane's mother, cautiously reaches out a hand.] This is how things ought to be. Now you can be happy with what you were meant to do --

Mother. [Wolfsbane brings her head up. Her eyes are bloodshot suddenly, as if she's straining under the pressure.] Tell me. Why are you here?

Why? But you know, I've told you. It's all right, I forgive what you did, so just --

I don't think you understand.

[In a flash, Wolfsbane has transformed.

Clare, your mother, and everyone else... They all love you.

(Really, Ernesta?)

(But...)]

Ernesta told me as much. Just before I nearly won it all.

[(But that would mean...)]

You survived that night, Mother.

[The woman steps back, her face beginning to twist like her daughter's.] You're delirious. Rest. I'm telling you --

I didn't kill you. And no one else did. [Wolfsbane stands up straight.] So tell me, if you're truly my mother, how can you be here now?

[Something snaps in the woman. She steps forward and swipes at Wolfsbane, who jumps to the side. Once she -- Wolfsbane's mother, or whoever this really is -- spots you, she casts a series of scattered fireballs at the both of you.]

Oh, now one of you shows up! [Wolfsbane swats a fireball away with her summoned axe.] I suppose I wouldn't mind the assist!

Arrival - Memoria

[twibeast]

[ Arriving is... difficult. Once more like clockwork he finds his mind hit with more memories as they arrive. And while nothing will quite top remembering your own murder, it's not exactly a nice one either.

Orpheus was gone.

He'd known this was probably coming. She wasn't in his later memories and he was a pseudo immortal - he was going to outlive her no matter what. He could connect the dots, this was just a fact of the life he once lived. Him outliving her hadn't been the upsetting part.

"...Hey Orthrus? There's something important I need to tell you... and you mustn't tell anyone else, no matter what."

A dual prophecy. Something only the most gifted of prophets could ever receive. One where you see two alternative outcomes, and know that one will happen if the other does not.

"In just a few more years... I'm going to die."

In one vision: Orpheus of the Fair dies tragically young. In the other: all of the Fair are wiped out in the far future, with no survivors. She could save herself and live a long, happy life with her dearest companions or she could save her people. A cruel choice but one that while not easy, had been clear.

And he'd always known. He was the only one who knew.

It was like a missing puzzle piece had been given to him, so much suddenly clicking into place. The behaviors in his memory that struck him as strange were all coming from this - hoarding money she didn't need so she could leave it for her loved ones later and make sure they were cared for, hesitating in acting on her feelings for Odysseus knowing she didn't have long left, insisting on building a home for the three of them in the safest place she could find so he and Odysseus would even have a home, teaching him every song she knew so at least in some way she would continue to live on...

In the end it'd been on her own terms - if she was going to die anyway to keep her people safe then she may as well save her beloved as well, giving up her life to protect Odysseus. He remembers holding her and sobbing as he felt her remaining strength fading away, unable to do anything about it, and he remembers holding Odysseus later and comforting her as best he could.

It's the funeral though where the life he once had with the both of them truly fell apart.

"You... knew? All this time... both of you knew?"

It wasn't his place to say anything. Orpheus had made him swear not to. But seeing Orpheus' enraged and grieving mother place all the blame on Odysseus he knew was the last thing she would want and so he couldn't stop himself from revealing the truth.

What a fool he was.

Everything else after that is a blur. Odysseus was hurt and felt betrayed. She ran off. He went after her.

Static.

And then he came back to face their friends. Alone. Haggard. Hollow. Heartbroken.

"Orthrus.... where's Odysseus?"
"She... returned to her own world."
"...You're lying. I know when you're lying, Orthrus. What--"

He ran. Whatever happened he couldn't tell them. He couldn't even face them. He just ran and ran.

And then he slept. And slept. Until one day a Queen appeared before him with her child-- ]

---

[ He wanders Acedia aimlessly, splitting off from the rest of the group as he dwells on this knowledge, reliving Orpheus' death and the fall out over and over again, unable to think of anything else until-- ]

"Ori...?"

[ He stops abruptly in his tracks.

There's only one person who ever called him that.

Cautiously he looks behind him, unable to believe it. But there she is. Her tiny form covered in white, flowy fabric, her green hair tied back in those familiar hair buns, her eyes full of stars feeling like they reflect the universe itself-- ]

Orpheus--

[ He can't stop himself. He throws himself against her, weeping openly as he holds her as tight as he can, afraid to let go and lose her again. ]

Doppelgangers

[twibeast]

[ He doesn't ever leave Acedia and he barely sees the other Executors. He just spends all his time with... them.

They're outside today, sitting in a nice little secluded spot. They don't seem to mind the cold at all, Odysseus sitting on the ground with Achilles' head on her lap as he lays there, eerily still. Orpheus sits nearby, playing her own harp. There's something a little off about the sound though - like an overly idealized, impossibly perfect version of something rather than what it actually probably was. A precious memory tinted with nostalgia.

Every now and then Achilles speaks up. Ask if Orpheus wants to hear how he's improved. Ask Odysseus what really happened to her. Ask if there really is no way forward.

"No, it's fine. You don't have to play at all anymore, Ori. I'll play enough for the both of us."
"I went back to my world - didn't you say so yourself?"
"No, there isn't. But isn't this okay? We can finally be together now."

Maybe it is... maybe it's fine to just be happy getting back the happy ending they were supposed to have. ]


---

[ It isn't just his ex-wife and best friend he spends time with though.

Much harder for other people to miss is the... absolutely enormous three headed dog that sometimes stalks the streets with Achilles in his own canine form following closely behind. Even with as large as Achilles is, this dog is even larger, and the horns on its heads even more intricate. It carries itself with an almost regal like poise, like something ancient and wise... something more akin to a god than a lowly beast.

Sometimes though they aren't in their beast forms. Sometimes both of them are humanoid. Like this the other beast takes the form of a beautiful young woman, a few inches shorter than Achilles. The resemblance is even clearer in these forms - aside from the hair and eyes, the same kind of crystal earring always hanging from Achilles' left ear hangs opposite on her right. There's something cold and stand offish about her though. Almost as icey as Acedia itself... though she seems warmer when addressing Achilles directly.

If they're not walking together then they're cuddling in their beast forms, or she's fussing over him while they're both humans. Either way, Achilles always seems sheepish around her... a little more shy and childlike than he usually is. ]

Much later

[twibeast]

[ It's been some time since they arrived, and Achilles has at this point practically disappeared. Too busy being with the shadows of his past.

At some point though, he can be found wandering on his own for a change. But something seems off. There's an almost vacant look in his eyes, and he looks like he's going through motions of what the person who came to be known as Achilles should be doing rather than... actually acting like himself.

...Maybe an intervention is in order. ]