cancry | Acedia Intro Log

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Something about the Sloth layer makes Rei feel uneasy, sleepy and wired with anxiety all at the same time. It's a bit of a relief that there's nobody here claiming to recognize her or causing any more additional complications to her already presently complicated life... but it also feels a little bit lonely. A final confirmation that these people here really are all she's ever had.

It's the sort of thing she'd usually talk over with the others... but while they're so caught up with their loved ones, Rei can't bring herself to interrupt them.

When she sees Achilles on his own at last, though, she can't talk herself out of picking up her pace so she can catch up with him. ]

Ah... Achilles, wait...!

[ Achilles doesn’t react right away - the name doesn’t register to him at all, and it’s only after a moment of something nagging at the back of his head that he finally turns to look at her. ]

Ah— I’m sorry, were you calling to me just now?

[ Rei doesn't halt when he does, momentum carrying her a few more steps until she gradually slows to a stop. That faint prickle of alarm that's been nagging her this whole time comes back in full force and she can't quash it. It's the look on his face that unsettles her more than anything else – the slightly puzzled expression of someone looking at a stranger.

But that can't be right. ]

Y–yes... it's not all that important but I wanted to... [ She trails off and fumbles a little to get back on track. ] B–but if you're busy, then it can wait.

[ He thinks for a moment. His wife and best friend are waiting for him but… he can’t turn away children. That’s just not who he’s ever been. Even if he’s a bit confused as to why she talks to him so familiarly or calls him Achilles

So he crouches down like he usually does. ]

No it’s all right. I always have time for young ones like you.

[ But if Rei wasn’t already alarmed before— ]

What’s your name?

. . . What?

[ A flat, blank look of total stunned surprise wipes her expression clean. She stares at him for a long moment like he's just asked a question in a language she doesn't speak. ]

You... you don't remember?

[ He tilts his head, still confused. ]

Should… I?

[ That thing nagging at him in the back of his head just grows stronger though. ]

Are you sure you don’t have me mistaken for another…?

[ Who else has horns besides you (and fake Cerberus) though ]

[ Okay. Okay! Now she's definitely starting to panic a little. She steps forward and reaches out to try and take his hand. ]

Of course not...! You're– you're Achilles! How could I ever mistake you for anybody else?

[ Nausea churns in her stomach. How could he have even forgotten the name he chose for himself? ]

What... happened to you?

[ He lets her take his hand but continues to tilt his head in that dog like way he often does. ]

I’m truly sorry but I really do think—

[ But then. ]

[ It starts to come back, trickling in like water through a crack in the wall. He remembers her little hand in his before, always giving it a little squeeze. How comforting and painful it would sometimes be with how much it reminded him of his dear son, how much that became a little too much to bear in recent months. He remembers spending nights with her, watching over her when she’d been poisoned, sharing a meal with her as he worked on music for their plan, trying to teach her harp, sharing stories with her as he began to remember them…

He remembers… he remembers… ]

[ And then the dam breaks and it all floods back. ]

[ His wide eyed face changes then, goes from pained to confused to upset. But finally after a few moments he meets her eyes again, wide and scared.

What… had happened to him? How could he have… ]

Rei…?

[ …How could he have forgotten his daughter? ]

[ Sheer relief makes her throat pinch tight and for a second she can't speak. ]

Y... yes...! [ Her grip on his hand tightens, like she's afraid he might try and pull back even now. ] Did– did something happen to you? You didn't encounter a Revenant, did you?

[ What else would have made him forget if not being attacked? ]

N-No, I… I don’t know. [ His free hand goes to his forehead in disbelief] I found Orpheus and Odysseus and then just…

[ He grimaces a moment ]

I was just spending time with them, but that shouldn’t have…?

[ They were no different than them right? ]

[ ... Rei averts her eyes. That's the question, isn't it? If Achilles really had just been spending time with his loved ones, there's no reason he should have regressed to the point he did. It'd been an easy enough fix this time, but... what if Rei hadn't come across him when she had? What if she'd been a bit less persistent?

It doesn't bear thinking about.

Tentatively: ] C–could it be... because they aren't Executors anymore? I–I mean... we haven't seen any of them use their powers, have we?

Acedia Intro Log

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Done

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