8 ✦ voice ✦ all courts

[erythristic]

"This world is different and yet the same."

Words I spoke to another before I truly found my footing in Allaidh Darach once again, and yet they remain ringing true even now. Over the course of the past month I've seen fit to note down discrepancies from the world we knew and the world that exists now - and for all of our benefits, I will share them. Some are plain to be seen, some are things I discovered by chance, and some were reasoned and then proven.

It is my sincere hope that my listing not be treated as the be-all, end-all truth of the matter, but simply a starting point for others in our number to add the observations they have made and feel confident publicly sharing onto my words. My eyes are not all seeing, my ears not all hearing, and even truths of the world take time to make their way across the seas.

[a pause, and the soft sound of rustling paper as she breathes in before speaking again.]

One. The Uaine Cridhe's power has sent us backwards in time thousands of years, into the year 150 in the Age of Rifts. This is not something that was predicted to occur even with the Gem's forming on the field, and essentially, we are now our own predecessors. The war between Chaos and Order has not yet begun, and so we may freely speak to each other without consequence...yet.

Two. There is another common vision in recent memory - that of an aged man with ink stained hands who spoke to us before we were returned to this land, and said as much as I have said in my first point.

Three. Seelie and Unseelie as courts do not exist. Rather, we have seven courts - the Amethyst Circle, the Jade Society, the Angelite Syndicate, the Amber Congregation, the Garnet Coalition, the Citrine Assembly, and the Diamond Coterie. Four of these, namely Diamond, Amethyst, Garnet, and Angelite, are headed by younger versions of figures we knew as the monarchs of our courts. The remaining three are headed by those of whom there has only been mention in long forgotten texts, if that.

Four. The sisters Morla and Solais use the names Shade and Shine, and both rule independently as leaders of their factions, with a great deal less tension between them than their previous counterparts held.

Five. Mount Verla is alive and well, and casting flames has proven no difficulty. Actually, our world is much grander and greater than we knew it to be, with whole continents to see and new places to learn the names of, and we have been scattered across them in new fashion but no less deliberate than our separations when we first awoke in a world with war's tension.

Six. The Station does not exist. The Void does not exist in knowledge.

Seven. Drawing from the bare minimum of this information, what stands to be reasoned is that we all hold...immense power, not as apparently obvious as a shard's energy coursing through us but no less valuable. In what will come, in the past-as-future, in charting the course of this world so that we might seek to avoid the repetition of what has come before us and set the courts upon a new path forward.

And now I fall silent, and ask for those that might know what I do not to step forward and speak so that we might take advantage of this time where we're not trying to kill each other to exchange useful information. Those that do have my sincere gratitude.

Comments

audio; private

[chromosomes]

I'd say this openly, but considering what it's about-

My sigil is gone. Like it never existed. I'd guess the others are, too.

private.

[erythristic]

[this was meant to be a public post John.]

...I'd imagine if they were anywhere, they returned to Brigid. Before everything went completely haywire, I received word that she was looking for them, and evidence pointed to her being if not their original owner, then their caretaker.

Does it bother you, to have it gone?

private.

[chromosomes]

[ but sigils!!! ]

Well, I guess if her bones are looking- uh, healthier than they used to...?

[ hell if he knows ]

No. Weight off my mind, honestly.

[erythristic]

At least we know they're somewhere safe.

[in her care. in her body? who knew, when it came to gods?]

Not scampering around somewhere causing havoc like that godforsaken cat...

voice

[wwjd]

Ah. Ever-Unseelie at heart, I see.

[But why share useful information when you can just be a dick, instead...]

"Seek to avoid the repetition". I believe you neglect to mention some parts of that repetition may still be essential, Grell. It is important for us to remain unbiased and fair, is it not?

[Just as easily, though, he adds—as smoothly as if it were breathing—]

The Void is not visible from the extent of the world I have managed to cover by air, so far.

[erythristic]

That would explain the blank looks I received when asking after it. It's good to have such confirmation.

And Father Kotomine, must you say it so coldly that my heart remains Unseelie? Such a trait is woven into my very spirit - it is not a thing to cast off at the turning of the world.

[wwjd]

Good? Do you believe if something is out of sight, it should remain out of mind?

I do not ask you to cast away any part of your identity, but to acknowledge all of the various points of view that come into play with shardbearers. It is not agreeable to elevate a single stance above others. I, for one, feel as though you are telling me my Seelie, now Diamond, leanings are to be criticized.

[Ha. Ha, ha.]

That makes me quite sad. What if I wished to become your friend?

[erythristic]

I would say, Father, that there are better ways to begin friendship than with curses written in blood.

[has she forgiven or forgotten? no.]

Take your perceived criticism if you must, for I have already said that I am no absolute authority, merely the one who has taken the first step and opened the floor to discussion. In this moment, I do not cloak where my sympathies lie, in the interest of honesty to my fellows.

If such a time comes in which I assume the mantle of a higher being than one shardbearer among others, then I might seek to be so respectful as to take all stances into consideration. As it lies, I am nothing more than one voice, speaking for one woman alone.

Voice

[chaoticwhimsy]

I miss the station. [A beat.] Weeeeell, mostly I miss TV.

[Trust Lumina to focus on the important thing.]

[erythristic]

[okay, that would be important, if not for the cry of pleased surprise from the other end.]

Lumina! Thank goodness you made it through.

[chaoticwhimsy]

[And suddenly she actually felt a little guilty for not calling Grell before this. Oops?]

Uhm. Yup. Sorry I haven't called.

voice;

[notyetlegend]

I did a quick teleportin' to see what was still around. Treun an' Daonna haven't been founded yet.

[erythristic]

That's definitely information we need...I imagine those with holdings in Treun are going to be quite displeased.

[notyetlegend]

No kiddin'. I think it goes without sayin' that th' Caers are gone, but th' White Citadel wasn't brought back, unlike a few other places.

video;

[fulminants]

Well hey, fancy seeing you again.

Important question, though: what happened to all these courts, and if this time loop thing gets all weird, could this mean we've got a chance of directly causing the Unseelie and Seelie thing to happen?

[ you know, the whole back to the future theory, etc. ]

voice.

[erythristic]

I don't know what happened to the courts other than my best guess, which is that some joined via marriage, others were conquered. It's the most logical course of events given the landscape...but as to your latter question, it would likely happen without interference, so our status may change nothing if we do nothing.

voice.

[fulminants]

Good point. So, where do we start? I mean, information's one thing, but we've gotta be heading somewhere. Who do we take out of the equation -- some slimy courtier or another? We've got a chance to Butterfly Effect this thing.

voice; private

[wasteofbreath]

[Simon is doubtful the lockets' private function will do much good if any of the monarchs (or their agents, rather) are listening, considering how insecure the locket system is in the future, but at least it'll prevent any other eavesdropping shardbearers from listening.

He's also really grateful for all this information (though he isn't aquatinted with the person giving it), since he'd only picked up bits and pieces of it up until now, to have it all laid out is a good starting point. He's still sad to be here now without Kieren, but to have this purpose, and even to be a bit hopeful they could manage it, has helped immensely to motivate him. Plus if they change the future, he can prevent any of the awful things that happen to Kieren in the Drabworld from happening again, along with everything else.

The bit about Shine and Shade stick out in particular to him.] Haven't spent a lot of time at my court, they don't seem to care very much where we go now, but I did learn that Reul's in charge there and that there's been some talk of an alliance with Amethyst, headed by Morla-- Shade. Since we know they end up married in the future, and ruling one court, that could be one place to start, especially if it leads to Shade becoming enemies with her sister.

Any of the natives who came back in time with us, like the ones in Leathann, might have some idea about how the Seelie and Unseelie courts formed, there must be some stories or myths. I'm planning to start asking around. Some of us might remember some useful things, too.

[And then, of course, there was their shared vision, which he's been thinking about a lot lately.] That old man we all saw, I'd be willing to bet he'd have a few answers or clues for us. Only we don't know if it's the present or future version of him who talked to us. [Probably the future, knowing their luck.]

[erythristic]

[Angelite, her mind supplies when he mentions Reul.]

That would depend on you finding him and convincing him to talk - I recall vividly he said that he's not supposed to be interfering, and granting answers may be the very definition of that.

[she holds no illusions that even private communications on these were under the monarchs' eyes, which is why she uses her compass more often than not. but this needed to come from a source all could have access to, all could hear her words in, and if she is struck down for using her locket to distribute information, she doesn't care.]

But look to that information about the courts. If my hypotheses are correct, there still remains the question of what will occur if we prevent one course of action from taking place.

[wasteofbreath]

He did say that, right before he interfered to tell us we could change history. [So he already cheated. Although asking him to cheat more probably wouldn't work,but...] He could be a last resort, if nothing else seems to be working, or if we can't find anything about what to prevent.

[Just like in the movies, he thinks. Time travel and changing history always brings unforeseen consequences.] Yeah, we'll have already changed things just by being back here, even just little things, like with the spires and everything else we've brought back with us.

[However, he thinks now there is one thing that matters most in all this.] Stopping the Void is what's most important, even if there's consequences. You say no one knows about it, so I wonder if it exists yet, if it's been created, or brought here from wherever it came from. We could stop Seelie and Unseelie, or keep Shade and Shine from becoming enemies, but none of that'll matter if we don't stop the Void.

[Of course, it was possible something else might come into existence in the Void's place, or other things might happen, like the idea that destroying the Void meant the end of all future life. But they had to try.] Least we've got plenty of time to work all this out.

voice;

[arla]

Do we know much about the other court leaders, the ones who had not been around in the old world?

[ Future world? Time traveling grammar is confusing. ]

I know Treun hasn't been founded yet. My tavern ended up on an island that has no fairy ring or way of transport outside of the usual means. [ She's been so spoiled by these fairy rings. ] But what Treun is now, I haven't the slightest.

And do we know anything of the gods and their avatars in this world?

[erythristic]

As to the leaders, I only know what is commonplace of them - there hasn't yet been time for me to look deeper into their histories. But their names are easy enough to find - Brigid of Amber, the Darolise of Citrine, and Allendia of Jade.

As to the gods, that is a question I hold even less information on. Certainly they all still exist as divinity is wont to do, I imagine, but they are no doubt young as the world is. Save the Hart and the Shuck, who are endless and so cannot be viewed through the same lens.

video

[benumbing]

These seven courts. Do we know why they came into being?

voice.

[erythristic]

Certainly, I do not. There are only guesses I can hazard - a month is hardly any time to begin deeper inquiries as to the fabric of our world. But it makes sense, does it not, that great powers would seek to have a place to call their own?

voice.

[benumbing]

It does make sense. And things seem peaceful enough for now. But it's only a matter of time before stronger courts start looking at the weaker ones like they're their next meal. These are the seeds of war before us.