-The Shepard-
With a stutter, all things seems to cease their flow. the wind dies down, the rain slows to a halt in the air, the
sandstorm becomes a glittering cage, the birds stop chittering, the stream stops burbling, even the people seem statuesque.
Deep below, the planet itself pauses, like holding a breath and not knowing when it might be released.
After all, the new Shepard has yet to guide them.
"Haha! what a suprise! I've really been had this time! Tell me again, I'll listen properly this time."
a soft chime sounds, as if blown in upon the back of the wind which does not blow
[You have gained the right to become a Shepard! Until your decision is made, this region will be unguided.]
[Your consiousness has been cradled; To prevent dissapation upon death, as is the way of automatically guided regions.]
[Choose! Will you guide you home region to follow the fates, or will you rejoin them, to await a better Shepard?]
"Well, Why not? If it is to be, then It will be done"
[Congratulations! As the First Shepard, you may guide the region with maximal freedom, beholden only to The Ways, The Lives, and The Fates.]
[During the following period, you will design a flow which deviates from the automatically guided regions in order to
give The Lives access to The Ways, and a chance to change The Fates. The region will wait for your call, so take your time and do it right!]
"I'd better get started then!"
-The Wolf-
It was an ordinary teusday; or at least as ordinary as they can be for an internationally renowned Assassin.
Having just returned to his safehouse, The man known as Blight was meditating on the recent job. He should not have hesitated,
he thought, having missed the best opportunity with the thought that a better one might come along. Instead, his hesitation
cost him and meant that he had spent several hours throwing off, misdirecting, or otherwise eliminating some pursuers.
Having resolved himself to take the next opportunity that presented itself, he was nonetheless suprised when, with the slightest
whistling of the wind, he saw something which he somehow knew couldn't be seen.
[Your resolve has been noticed! The Way of the Wolf has been rewarded, and The Fates will guide you!]
-The Seer-
Having recently lost her love, The woman sat, despondent. If only she could have known, such needless death could have
been avoided! How could a world exist, with such thoughtless moments creating tragedy unfathomable! If only she had called out,
Delaying him for a minute as she had desired. If only that man had not drank quite so much, if only that light had been red for a moment longer!
If only, if only, if only! The sound of rain pattering on glass broke through her thoughts, and she watched as an unseen message told her:
[Your Desire has been laid bare! The Way of the Seer will be your burden, and the Fates will guide you!]
-The Healer-
The surgeon sighed as he collapsed into a chair. His desire to help was once again crushed by the limited reality of his hands.
He had failed to save this patient, a young woman giving birth. A complication had resulted in unexpected internal bleeding,
and wasn't caught quickly enough. He was too slow to stop the bleeding, too slow to surture the wound, too slow to save
this new mother. For the Seventy-Second time, he had failed. Now he would carry the burden, to
help the father, suddenly alone in the world with a bright daughter. He would surely mention his daughters eyes, and how much
they glowed, just like the mother. 'How can I face my own daughter without the grief of my wife?!', he would ask.
Of course The surgeon knew there was no answer, but he would give one anyways. The crunching of leaves was unexpected enough
to break his reverie, and he felt hope blossom once more.
[Your need has been heard! The Higher Way of Compassion is your responsibility, and The Fates will guide you!]
-Neutral-
News traveled quickly of this new phenomenon. "The Resurgence of The Fates" it was called. All across the world, people
saw messages and knew things, electric power seemed to be slowly failing for no reason, and the world itself seemed to be alive.
Astronomers were astounded to see that pluto and it's moons were conjoined to become one larger world.
Physicists were mystified that gravity remained the same, even as the world visibly stretched and grew.
Electritians were befuddled, watching power systems slowly and evenly lose life.
It was predicted that these changes, whatever they were, would come to a head in exactly two weeks.
All the various rates seemed to be indicating that, whatever it was, would truly come to fruition a fortnight after they had begun.
At the end of the first day, everyone had a friend of a friend who had seen a message. They had no commonalities, with
The Ways, and The Fates' guide being the only thing that all had in common. So of course it was a suprise when, at the end of
the first week, Everyone -some even suspected animals of getting the messages at this point!- got the same exact message:
[Welcome! The Ways, The Lives, and The Fates have found a Shepard, and so you will be guided! The Ways will connect with you,
To Show you The Fates, and The Lives will be yours!
This first week will teach you the new aspects to your Lives!]
-The Wolf-
[Welcome! The Ways, The Lives, and The Fates have found a Shepard, and so you will be guided! The Ways will connect with you,
To Show you The Fates, and The Lives will be yours!
This first week will teach you the new aspects to your Lives!]
"Alright then, show me something I don't know."
Ever Anomalous, Blight had already gained some understanding of This new Life. He was tempted to call it a system,
but knew that doing so would inhibit his interaction with it, so he instead tried to use those three words. Not life, but Life;
not way, but Way, and note fate, but Fate. It took some mental gymnastics, but it seemed The Fates didn't care much for his
head start.
[First, you should know the purpose of The Ways, The Lives, and The Fates!
Let it be known that The Lives are the stories which you tell, even to yourself. The Ways are the path that The Lives have chosen,
to guide them to align with The Fates, which weave all things. Further Understanding must be achieved personally.]
[Secondly, you will need to learn to interact with The Fates. The Shepard has chosen to minimize his interference; Thus,
The Difficulty of access will be somewhat higher. However, The Shepard has chosen to give the Region a softer start, to avoid
calamitous damage to The Lives. Thus the tutorial.]
[To interact with your Ways, first accept your connection to The Fates, and seek the understanding they gift to you.]
All it took was some meditation and a slight change in internal perspective, and Blight could see the inner world.
The Fates chose this place to collide with reality, and so his inner world was much more real than it could ever be before.
In exchange, he no longer had complete inner control over his imagined reality. Instead, The Fates gave him space and control
as he earned it. Currently, Blight had Barely enough space to stand, or to lay down spread eagle.
[Congratulations! you have entered The Inner World. The Chaos around you is The Fates' companion, and The Ordered Region
in which you reside is your personal Control over The Chaos.]
[Now that you have sufficient Control, you must manifest your Ways, and build their path forward.]
'Finally something new. took long enough. Fates, how do I manifest my Way?'
The scooting sound of a desk on the floor brought a new message:
[To manifest, simply exert your control. Beware! The manifestation of your Way will be as much a guide as your built path!]
Blight considered his options. "Well, I could design some kind of personal menu layout, some kind of system. For some reason,
My instincts tell me that while this likely common, it is too limiting for any real achievements."
"I could have some kind of nebulous design, where I emmulate the fog of Chaos around me for portions of my Way I've yet to define.
This would give me more flexibility and is better than a simple menu, but I feel that leaving things undefined would leave myself
weaker than strictly necessary..."
With a sudden flash of inspiration, Blight began his work. Blood and bones, tendons and muscle, skin, fur, teeth and claw.
A wolf Slowly took form next to Blight, In all it's predatory and solemn glory.
With a snort of its nose, a new message came forth:
[Now that you have manifested you Way, It will work with you to guide you towards The Fates! Though you may have many choices,
some harder than others, and though your Way may not always agree, the final say will lie with you, as it is your Life.]
[For reaching this point, you have been given a set amount of Chaotic potential, which you can use to build your Way. Do so now,
through whatever means are appropriate for your Way.]
Blight sat down in front of the massive black furred wolf, and they stared at eachother. This, Blight knew, would be his new
safehouse. A peaceful place with an ally unbendable, with no threat of betrayal nor risk of death. Shoots of grass sprung up
beneath Blight, spreading outwards at a languid pace, a a soft wind began to blow throughout his small Controlled space.
The wolf came forward, laying to the side of Blight and resting its massive head on his lap, while Blight leaned back into the
sowly growing tree behind him.
"Well boy, what should we name you? Night? Flight? Or mabye Pinky?"The wolf opened one eye and gave a look of indignance,
and Blight lost his straight face with a chuckle."You're right, we both know that your name is Yomi."
Decision made, A slight pulse centered on Yomi's heart pushed outwards, pasing through everything inside Blight's Control
and expanding it's volume ever so slightly.Simultaniously, the sound of tinkling glass gave him pause:
[The Living Way of Yomi the Wolf has been fully manifested! The Way of the Wolf has been subsumed!]
Blight brushed away the message, considering it of little consequence. Slowly, his eyes closed, his breathing matched Yomi's,
and he finally relaxed.
A soft snore heralded a simple notice,
[Congratulations! you have learned To interact with your Way, and finished the basic tutorial. The Fates will guide you!]
and this message was ignored in favor of the first rest Blight had had in quite some time.
-The Seer-
[Welcome! The Ways, The Lives, and The Fates have found a Shepard, and so you will be guided! The Ways will connect with you,
To Show you The Fates, and The Lives will be yours!
This first week will teach you the new aspects to your Lives!]
[First, you should know the purpose of The Ways, The Lives, and The Fates!
Let it be known that The Lives are the stories which you tell, even to yourself. The Ways are the path that The Lives have chosen,
to guide them to align with The Fates, which weave all things. Further Understanding must be achieved personally.]
[Secondly, you will need to learn to interact with The Fates. The Shepard has chosen to minimize his interference; Thus,
The Difficulty of access will be somewhat higher. However, The Shepard has chosen to give the Region a softer start, to avoid
calamitous damage to The Lives. Thus the tutorial.]
'Who is The Shepard?'
[The Shepard is the first in this region to gain sufficient understanding of The Ways, The Lives, and The Fates, as well as
those who do so after. The Shepard is responsible for allowing the Lives to reach their Fates using The Ways.]
'So this means I can become a Shepard, or perhaps even The Shepard...'
during such considerations, Sarah noticed that the soft ruffling of fur was in fact a signal drawing her attention.
[To interact with your Ways, first accept your connection to The Fates, and seek the understanding they gift to you.]
With an ever blank face, Sarah laughed inside. "I've not much choice about my connection, so what's there not to accept? Regardless,
Give me the knowledge I seek"
Quickly, She fell back in the chair she rested in and the world seemed to drop away from under her.
She was seated in a small space, just a handspan higher than her and just wide enough to reach her arms in any direction. Beyond
this dark silence, there was a strange lack of reality, which bothered her somehow.
[Congratulations! you have entered The Inner World. The Chaos around you is The Fates' companion, and The Ordered Region
in which you reside is your personal Control over The Chaos.]
[Your next step is to gain control over the Ordered space which you inhabit. It is an extension of your will, but practice will allow
further control.]
The first step for sarah was to hide that somehow greusome sight of the Chaos around her. Sarah imagined a dome of opaque titanium, impenetrable,
but more importantly, something that would block her sight. The small cove around her made some attempt to comply; a flimsy barrier
of paper floated to the edges of her control. Perhaps in the future she could improve it, but for now, it was opaque enough that
she could ignore the Chaos unless she was focused on seeing it. Next, she made the floor softer, as sitting on an invisible ground
of absolute hardness is not exactly comfortable.
A slight pop! and a tiny hole at the apex of her paper barrier brought forth the next step:
[Now that you have sufficient Control, you must manifest your Ways, and build their path forward.]
'Manifesting my Way? hmm, The way of the seer huh....' With some consideration, Sarah dropped possibility after possibility.
"Maybe a series of screens, or some interface to see things? No, it's to straightforward, and leaves me with no path for growth."
"Perhaps some kind of lens through which I can learn things? Again, not much growth to be had."
"What about some kind of Analyze spell, which can show all potential futures? Better, but I feel as if something is missing from this
concept."
"Ah, it misses the interconnection of things. how about this then: a weave of fate, in which each strand is its own living potential,
and the future is shown as some sort of pattern as the weaves come together? I think this might do, although I can't see much growth
for it, it seems like it will be useful enough anyways."
And so Sarah began the arduous process of manifesting her desire. First, she imagined the simplest pieces: the rocks, the wind, the water.
Things which hae their rules, but little will of their own to affect the weave around them. Each idea was it's own strand, looking
like a glass thread holding the whole of it inside. In the weave of water, she imagined the sea, the lakes, the rain, typhoons and
waterfalls, creeks and pools, even a boiling spring. Other weaves were similarly full, cycling their visual to encompass as much of
the concept as she could imagine.
Next, She imagined the simplest types of life. plants, mushrooms, trees, individual leaves, even things like virus' and cells.
In front of her, a beautiful tapestry of reality coalesced in front of her. All the threads came together, nudging and feeling the
strands nearby. Finally, She added complex life, animals, people, and even herself. These strands seemed slightly less harmonious,
exerting their will and occasionally even tangling in the weave around them.
Finally, She imagined the how the past and the future would affect her weaving. Unravelling and fading into non-existence quickly.
at the other end, a slower, longer form of the weave held sway. each individual strand stretched out to the edges of her domain,
slowly coming closer together and interacting more as it came closer to the present, where the weave was a proper cloth.
Thus she finished. Her ever unraveling weave was in front of her, a faint glow underlying all it's various strands.
Clearly, she had considered that things are more than the sum of their parts; after all, life exists.
[Now that you have manifested you Way, It will work with you to guide you towards The Fates! Though you may have many choices,
some harder than others, and though your Way may not always agree, the final say will lie with you, as it is your Life.]
[For reaching this point, you have been given a set amount of Chaotic potential, which you can use to build your Way. Do so now,
through whatever means are appropriate for your Way.]
Hmm, The first improvement I need is a way to interact with the weave in a way that affects reality, rather than just my representation of it.
As she considered this, the weave itself seemed to partially manifest several options. A complex sewing machine, a loom,
Krochet needles, even a pair of scissors. However, what stood out to sarah was a simple hook. Just the right length, with a tiny hook at the end
and a small edge at the other end to help cut. this was a tool of subtlety, and would require precise action, rather than the
overwhelming brute force of the sewing machine or the finality of the scissors. She reached out to the hook, and it fully manifested,
coming to rest in her palm. She knew that this hook would follow her even once she left the Inner world, and that it would affect
the weave somehow, but that was the extent of it.
With the hook in her hand, things seemd to become more final, the weave glowing strongly for a moment and the hook warming slightly,
then, with the sound of fabric sliding against skin,
[The Fateful Weave has been fully manifested! The Way of the Seer has been subsumed!]
[Congratulations! you have learned To interact with your Way, and finished the basic tutorial. The Fates will guide you!]
With her first smile in days, Sarah woke to the new world.
-The Healer-
After nearly a Week of madness inducing attempts to further understand this Way that had been given to him, Something would finally
show him the way forward.
[Welcome! The Ways, The Lives, and The Fates have found a Shepard, and so you will be guided! The Ways will connect with you,
To Show you The Fates, and The Lives will be yours!
This first week will teach you the new aspects to your Lives!]
[First, you should know the purpose of The Ways, The Lives, and The Fates!
Let it be known that The Lives are the stories which you tell, even to yourself. The Ways are the path that The Lives have chosen,
to guide them to align with The Fates, which weave all things. Further Understanding must be achieved personally.]
[Secondly, you will need to learn to interact with The Fates. The Shepard has chosen to minimize his interference; Thus,
The Difficulty of access will be somewhat higher. However, The Shepard has chosen to give the Region a softer start, to avoid
calamitous damage to The Lives. Thus the tutorial.]
'Can The Lives be further explained to me? Life is sacred, and I would like to support it any way I can.'
[The Lives are all things as they are. The stepping forward through time, and the knowing of the past, and being in the present.
All things are The Lives, just as all things Follow the Ways into the future, seeking the Fates.]
After some consideration, Dr. Sana dropped the subject and allowed the plinking of coins to grab his attention.
[To interact with your Ways, first accept your connection to The Fates, and seek the understanding they gift to you.]
As he had long felt, Dr. Sana closed his eyes and grabbed at that not-quite-space in his heart, Descending once more into the
peaceful silence. Just above his standing head and barely out of reach, the deep red of flowing blood marked the borders of his space.
[Congratulations! you have entered The Inner World. The Chaos around you is The Fates' companion, and The Ordered Region
in which you reside is your personal Control over The Chaos.]
[Now that you have sufficient Control, you must manifest your Ways, and build their path forward.]
To manifest my higher Way of Compassion?.... What a nebulous concept. I'll go with what I know here, and build the lifegiving system
that is the heart and blood.
Rather rapidly, a heart formed in front of Dr. Sana, Beating slowly. With each beat, the veins and arteries stretched outwards, branching
more and more. Eventually, each branch either narrowed to the point of being microscopic, or it reached all the way to the edge of his
Control, taking in the Life-Blood of Chaos, coursing and beating through his Way before returning once again to Formlessness.
[For reaching this point, you have been given a set amount of Chaotic potential, which you can use to build your Way. Do so now,
through whatever means are appropriate for your Way.]
Almost without thinking, a sryinge made of clearest crystal flowed together, seeming nearly fluid in its construction.
He knew this sryinge would allow him to act directly, healing and aiding those who were in need.
[The Living Way of Beating Heart has been fully manifested! Higher Way of Compassion subsumed!]
A single drumbeat brought him back to his darkened office, a new picture framed on the wall across him, a young couple with all of life waiting
for them. Now that his eyes had opened, the weight of his failures were clear to see, those joyous lives he had failed to keep alive.
'Perhaps now', he thought as a syringe of fluid crystal flowed from a small break in his wrist, 'Perhaps now I can truly do my duty'.
[Congratulations! you have learned To interact with your Way, and finished the basic tutorial. The Fates will guide you!]
-The Shepard-
"Och, there's a scant few Higher ways. But what's this? Two Living Ways, and a Fateful Way?! On the first day, no less.
What a wonderful tale this will be."
Sitting back once more, The Shepard waited and watched, his task of begining the stories already done, but his task of further
understanding having barely started.
-------------------------------------------------------------
-The Wolf-
Waking with a slow, easy restfulness, Blight felt the reassuring presence of his new companion.
"So you really did follow me."
Blight once again found himself in his old safehouse, a small shack with all sorts of tools, a tiny cot, and a simple door.
After some consideration, Blight decided he would leave the life of being for hire behind him. Things were changing, and money
likely would not have much use beyond paper soon. Already, the global markets were in chaos, spiking and crashing strongly at every speculation.
Some cheerful laughter outside distracted him from his brooding.
'Laughter? That's not very common in a place like this'
Pushing the rickety door to the side, Blight stepped out into the slums of the nearby city. The stench of such a place
was as everpresent as always, if somehow weaker than normal.
A group of teens nearby, showing marks of slum life clearly, were overjoyed about a small pile of trash between them.
Watching closely, Blight saw that one of the children had been focusing his hands, and where they passed, the pile of refuse was
visibly cleaner, less rotted, and, most importantly, more edible. After sharing the food around, another child made some strange motions in front of him,
like interacting with a menu in some game, and a small globe of water was brought forth, which he quickly drank from before his friends
were able to snatch it away. This new thing was clearly a grand opportunity for those downtrodden, as talent, skill, and smarts seemed
to have little, if any effect on the Way that you manifested.
Smiling, Blight walked away, heading away from the city and the slums. Ever present, Yomi slinkedd along beside him, strangely unnoticed by most.
The street rats had long learned he was no easy target, so he was left alone during his wandering walk throught the winding paths
amongst the world-worn shacks. Quickly, Blight reached the river, where the slums were more or less forced to stop. The river
itself was not much to look at, full of filth and slow moving. using the various detrius as stepping stones, Blight was quickly across,
Standing in the small cleared area before the jungle proper. Watching the sun set over the mountains upriver, It was with a light heart
and plenty of excitement that Blight strode into the forest, much to the suprise of those urchins still watching.
Everyone knew that strange things happened in the wild these days, especially with distances changing daily, and the environment being as
unpredictable as it is. So why would the smart man, the one feared, make such a blatantly foolish decision?
--
Gracefully heading deeper into the jungle, Blight quickly noticed several things were awry. The groundcover underfoot didn't quite match
the trees above, the sun dappled canopy seemed farther away than it should be, and the call of animals around him seemed to come
from some other jungle, not the one he was familiar with. Following the sounds of fierce compitition, yowling, and yipping, Blight came
to the edge of a small gap in the underbrush, in which two strange creatures were having a clear disagreement. Short statured
humanoids, their skin matched the forest around them, and they wore not much more than a bundle of leaves and fronds.
They seemed to be fighting over some food, one was yanking the paw end, while the other held the thigh in its mouth and was flailing
its arms at the other. Just when it seemed things might truly become violent, a third creature stepped out of the brush across
from Blight and made its position clear by whacking both before they could resist. snatching the food, the new leader growled
and led the other two back from whence it came.
Glancing down at Yomi, Blight saw the disgust in his eyes. Yomi looked up at Blight, begging for permission to kill them.
"Lets follow them, we might find a bigger group. Plus, I'd like to make sure they actually deserve death. I'm trying to turn a new leaf,
you know"
A snort and a whip of the tail was all Blight got as a response when Yomi quietly chased after these new critters.
"Something tells me my Honourable new outlook will be more of a struggle than I thought", umbled Blight as he followed.
Behind the bush was a small game trail, making traversal of the jungle easy, which can be a pain even for someone as
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
accomplished as Blight. Following the trail, he finally realised what had been bugging him. The jungle he knew had given way to
some new environment. The trees taller, the bushed thicker, with more thorns and bigger fruits, grasses of colors he'd never heard of,
all sorts of new life. 'This must be one of the new areas, brought forth by the growth of the planet.'
He wondered what things would be like by the end of the week, only six scant days from now. Perhaps some kind of
fantasy world. Already, things that could be called magic are somewhat common. How, then, was he to get the advantage?
It was no longer so simple to be the strongest, the fastest, the most ruthless. Magic was to unknown to him, with too many
unpredictible uses. Not something that can be prepared for. As he came upon Yomi, he crouched nearby to watch these new humanoids.
A group of six , each with mottled skin and barely reaching Yomi's ears fully standing. The leader from before seemed to be properly
in charge, with three having only waist leaves, while the other three took over the fire and the cooking. One of the new three,
clearly female by it's bikini-frond style, was nagging the male that had held the haunch in it's mouth. The final male from before
was posting a lazy watch, glancing around reluctantly, then quickly returning to watching the one who turned the spit.
Suddenly, Blight knew what he could to to remain on top. Wolves ran in packs, after all. Silently grabbing Yomi's attention,
a plan was formed as the sneaked back into the forest. Blight followed the game trail a ways, until he found what he was looking for
tracks from a large creature, by the size and depth, nearly three-hundred pounds. He stalked the tracks for a ways, until he saw it
in the distance. a boar-like creature snuffled at the ground and tore up the roots of nearby trees, looking for its own food.
The tusks were a remarkable shade of blue, like some kind of crystal growth. With a smile, Blight and Yomi descended upon it.
The boar barely had time to notice Yomi by it's side before Blight slipped his hunting dagger into it's neck, and with a pathetic cough,
the boar collapsed to the jungle floor. As blight began to clean and dress his kill, he noticed something shiny fall from it's mouth.
A small bead of rock, but glowing strange colors. When he grabbed it out of curiousity, a sudden sound of a pencil snapping startled him.
The Dropped gem forgotten, Blight examined the message that had spooked him so.
[You have found a lesser rock of Life! This object has been suffused by the essence of chaos, giving it many potential uses.]
[As the first to find a lesser rock of Life, the rock will be further strengthened for this unique achievement! May the Fates guide you!]
After a moment of stunned silence, Blight grabbed the rock again. It did not escape his notice that it's glow was stronger, and had more
colors than before, as he dropped it into a pocket for later. Focusing once more on the task at hand, the boar was quickly ready
to be dragged about. Blight took out his rop and secured the boar before he and Yomi dragged it back in the direction of the
camp those critters had made. After an hour of struggle, they were close enough that it was time to enact his plan. Yomi waited by their kill
as Blight made his way to the camp with a small cut of the boar's meat. Pausing a moment, he ensured that they were all there, -check-
and that they were as calm as he could expect them to be. Carefully, Blight stepped out into the small clearing they had made for their camp.
For a moment, nothing seemed to happen as they all stared at each other, then there was a choked squak from the lookout and a flurry
of activity resulted in six shoddy stick spears pointing at Blight. Clearly, they feared him and were not keen on getting into a real fight.
Slowly, Blight brought out the cut of boar meat and gestured for the leader to step forward. With not much choice in the matter, The tallest of the green midgets
stepped forward, once, twice, then jumped and grabbed the boar meat, trying to snatch the prize and escape. Unfortunately, Blight
had a much better grip than it had expected, and it was held fast. Stuck between a Blight and the ends of his 'friends' spears,
the little green monster froze. Blight smiled, barely managing to hold back a laugh as the group of critters finally noticed the huge wolf
that had at some point dragged a massive corpse into their clearing. They abandoned all pretense of defense, huddling together near a small lean-to,
but they couldn't run away, hemmed in on all sides by danger. Reassured that his plan was going well, Blight grabbed the -no longer lesser- rock of Life from his pocket,
double checking with the Fates that he would get what he wanted.
'You are sure that granting this stone to the leader will give us the means to communicate?'
[That is among its uses yes, but intent is very important, so be sure to be holding it when it is used.]
Wide-eyed and disbelieveing, the green creature reached out for the glowing rock. Glancing once at Blight as if it had met god without
realizing, it's hand touched the rock. All at once, the glow exploded, nearly blinding Blight, but he managed to hold onto the rock, even as he felt it shrink into nothing.
Blinking the stars from his eyes, Blight saw that the glow had merged with the Thing's hand, and was languidly pumping upwards,
towards it's heart. Once the glow reached the heart, it seemed to pulse along with it's beat a few times, before the midget himself
started to glow, growing nearly a foot in height, becoming less of a scavenging, hunching critter and more of a wiry hunter with strong arms and
a sure footing. When the glow died down, a teenage sized green man with very small tusks seemed to stand before Blight with reverence.
"Can you understand me?" Blight asked.
"Eh" the creature nodded, clearly eager to please.
"You all are part of my pack now. I will lead you, and you will follow." With authority, Blight made it clear he was not asking.
Squating Suddenly, It spoke "Eh. Us Gobz Folo The Wolfman!"
The others -Gobz?- barely hesitated, throwing themselves to his feet in supplication. All at once, Blight realized what he had just
made a deal with, and laughed out loud.
"Haha! Imagine the looks on those idiots faces. 'But goblins are the bad guys!' they'd say. Hahaha!! Don't they know, we're all the bad guys!"
-------------
-The Seer-
Sarah opened her eyes to quite the dreary day. This was a mistake. Instantly, the brightness and shocking color around her bored through
her eyes into her brain. She screamed out in pain and fell to the floor, covering her face with her hands and sobbing. After a few moments,
she heard a voice. "Sarah? Sarah!" quickly, her mother ran across the room and crouched before her. Sarah was forced to blindly reach out,
seeking that comforting grasp. They met hands, and Sarah looked up to where she thought her mother would be.
"Oh my god sarah, what happened! Your eyes..." Sarah knew that the fear she had held since she first fell to the ground was true.
She had been blinded somehow.
Looking back at sarah's mother was the face she knew and loved, but clearly something awful had happened. From temple to temple,
Sarah had a glowing golden gash, trailing and splintering like lightning over both eyes and across the bridge of her nose. It pulsed
with the beat of Sarah's heart, and sarah's mother knew things. As if on the cusp of discovery, she felt as if the knowledge of all
the universe was just at her fingertips, and all she had to do was gaze just a bit longer, just a bit deeper into this lightning scar
on her daughter. It took everything her mother had to look away, and deny herself such knowledge. She was always a wise woman,
and she knew such things often came with a price too high to bear.
"Mom? What is it? What happened?"
Oblivious to the struggle her mother had dealt with, Sarah only heard her mother trail off into silence.
She skquaked silently in suprise when her mother dragger her into a hug.
"Oh, Sarah. Your poor eyes. We'll have to cover them, I know you know what happened, but you can't see it."
With further comforting cooes and calms, they sat together for several minutes more, until finally they were able to gather themselves
up in some semblance of composure. Sarah's mother guided them slowly up the stairs to her sewing room, where she had Sarah sit
while she stitched up a soft strip of cloth with a single open eye in the middle, the same glowing golden color as Sarah's new
Scar. The hours ticked by quietly for them both, as they tried to come to terms of what the future might hold for them with these new changes.
During this time, Sarah tried several times to open her eyes, but each time, her blindness did not abate. Slowly, however,
glimmers of something else began to color her lack of vision. At first it was just the faintest colors around her, showing her hints
of what could be, but as time passed, the colors resolved themselves into strange, amourphous shapes. If pressed to describe what she saw,
it would be like looking at her weave from the inside. Each object in her vision had the vaguest definition, and they seemed to flow from the inside out,
except the inside wasn't really physically inside, it was like different versions of the object were sliding along the surface, changing
constantly. Some of these object versions appeared more often, and some were incredibly rare. In particular, she saw a strange needle shifting like the others,
and every few minutes the needles form would seem to warp and bend, pushing against the vision around it, like a black hole warping
space. Before she thought to stop it, the hook Sarah had manifested flew out and grabbed that needle, dragging that strangely aggresive version
to the surface and bringing it into stability.
"ouch! ho, silly me, I haven't poked myself while sewing for quite some time." Her mother spoke to her self with a silly tone,
making fun of her own carelessness.
Sarah, however, became palid at this. She felt in her soul -and her new scar, suprisingly- that she had done that somehow. Immediately,
Sarah mentally ordered the hook to return to her side, and, with hint of wistfulness, as if saying 'it was the Way', it did so
flippantly.Intellectually, Sarah had known she would become some kind of oracle, with the power to influence the future.
Seeing it in action, however, was completely different. She felt she was completely out of her depth. How could she responsible
for the future of everything around her?! This was surely an insurmountable task!
As if to remind her, the hook rubbed her palm, and she thought of that first message she had seen.
"It is my Burden to guide and be guided by the Fates." Sarah spoke with resolve.
"And why is that?" asked her mother. Sarah yelped in suprise, having forgotten where she was with the magnitute of her contemplations.
"Well, your blindfold is done, sit still for a moment." Sarah did so, knowing that this would help her somehow, else her mother
would not have worked so long for it.
A beautiful cloth with a soft white color was carefully tied behind her head, under her hair. Sarah felt the careful embroidery around
the edges, and choked back a soft cry. It felt truly beautiful. The embroidry was the same color of the opened eye, a rich
golden color, supported by the glow of her new scars. After having put on the blind, she felt whole somehow. As if she had stepped
into the shoes she had been looking at her whole life. As if this position was the only place she could possibly have ended up.
As if no other option would have ever lifted her from the drab existence which lay just behind her. The feeling faded quickly,
and Sarah noticed that while she wore the cloth, the strange vagueness of the forms around her was hidden; only the most likely
futures seemed to display themselves. The chirp of a baby bird drew her attention, and she was astonished.
[An Item of Fate has been made! Through direct contact with the fresh scars of a newly born Fate Priestess,
The Blindfold of Vision has been born!]
[The Blindfold of Vision has become an extension of your Fateful Weave, allowing you a stronger control and hiding those fates who
are unworthy to meet your eyes.]
A strange feeling met Sarah then, like the Blindfold could be removed, but that she could never really take it off. She reached up
her hands, and carefully peeled back the Blindfold. Once it was completely clear of her eyes, the blindfold stopped, and she could
push it no further up. It rested on her forehead in a way she knew wouldn't have been possible in the past. Looking about her,
Sarah noticed that, while the vagueness had returned, she could focus on things and exclude everything else, which allowed her
focus to change from merely it's form and potential, into a single strand of the weave she had made in her inner world. however,
instead of one single strand leading out into the future, there were hundreds, nay thousands. Most were incredibly faded, barely
visible even when straining. A small few were bright and solid, ready to become the present. One strand, however, Frayed completely
and turned a bloody red color before it could reach the chaos. She could feel the death coming from that strand, worse than any mortal
end she could imagine. For it would not be merely death, but the End of the Fate. In her revulsion, the blindfold dropped over her
eyes once more, hiding such greusome sights and returning the world to its flowing vagueness.
"Thank you mom, this is the greatest thing I could have wished for, except perhaps having kept my sight." sarah chuckled morosely.
"Huh? Oh! sorry Sarah, one of those strange notices was telling me something strange. It said:
'Way of The Preistess' Hand has been rewarded!' I wonder how that happened. It also mentioned something about
starting the tutorial now that I have a Way available to me. What do you think I should do?"
Sarah stood and stepped forward to hug her mother. "lets go back downstairs and I'll try to explain.
---
"So you're saying I should do this tutorial thing to gain magic powers that will help us? Sounds kinda absurd to me."
"I know mom, but trust me, this is the only way forward for us, for earth." said sarah, with some exasperation
"Well, As long as I can still teach, I suppose it makes little difference." with that, Sarah's mother leaned back and closed her eyes.
After about 3 minutes, Sarah finally relaxed and assumed her mother had gone to her inner world.
"How am I supposed to get to this inner world place you talked about anyways?"
"Gah! Mom! Just do what the message says, accept the Fates and let them guide you. It's super easy."
Madeline laughed at her daughter's nervousness, then did as she asked and relaxed into the feeling which had been subtly nagging her ever
since she had got that strange notice with her daughters' blindfold.
Quickly, she found herself in a strange room, almost exactly the size and shape of her sewing space, except without any furnishing.
[Congratulations! you have entered The Inner World. The Chaos around you is The Fates' companion, and The Ordered Region
in which you reside is your personal Control over The Chaos.]
[Your next step is to gain control over the Ordered space which you inhabit. It is an extension of your will, but practice will allow
further control.]
"Well firstly, this place needs some serious refurbishing." With that, all her familiar tools and chairs and cloths formed in the room,
becoming just as cluttered as the real one. It was suprising really, Madeline had thought it would take some more effort than that.
The messages had even said that things would be harder than they could be.
[Now that you have sufficient Control, you must manifest your Ways, and build their path forward.]
'Manifest the Way of the Preistess' Hand, huh?' She had heard of such things, people who were responsible for helping oracles
and teaching those around them. Madeline loved to teach, so it was not too challenging for her to manifest what she figured
made the most sense.
Thinking of the blindfold she had made before, she sat in her chair and begain to weave an outfit. It would be a robe of sorts,
very modest, with a high neckline somewhat like a turtleneck, and loose sleeves like those robes she had heard of from eastern
countries. The robe itself would tighten up just below the armpits, hugging the curves of her torso before hanging naturally
down to her ankles. She made simple shoes almost not worth noticing, and, on a whim, added a strange cloak-like peice that would
rest on her shoulders and hide most of the tight torso. The whole ensemble was hemmed with the same intricate golden embroidery
that she had put on Sarah's blindfold, and the cloak-like portion was itself this golden color, hemmed by the off white of the other parts.
Finally, she made a fancy hat. No religion can go without a fancy hat. Some might say the hat has to be silly even! She designed
a simple hat, honestly looking more like some kind of cowl for a hood, with the front coming down to rest on her forehead, where
she added the same open eye from her daughter's blindfold. The hat itself, after some consideration, she ended up adding to
the cloak like piece, making into something resempling a cloak with an open front to be loosely held by a sash.
the golden color of the cloak clashed with the golden eye, so after some consideration, she changed the eye on her hat to the
of white color and made the hat match the cloak. Similarly, the hem of the cloak flowed up the edges, meeting at the front of the hat
just below the eye. the bottom of the hat had the same curve as the eye, giving the whole thing the illusion of the resting place
for the eye.
With the outfit finished, She decided she needed a tool of some kind. Chuckling at the thought of old nuns with rulers, She
Imagined a book. This book would hold all the things that her daughter learned from her new vision, and Madeline would
try to distill lessons from it, to teach others. The pages were, as ever, the off white color of the robe itself. The cover,
however, she decided would need to stand out somehow. She tried a few different things, first with a white cover and gold embroidery, then vice-versa,
and even leaving the whole cover blank but for the opened eye. Suddenly, she was inspired! On the front, in the top third
where a title would normally sit, She put the opened eye in its standard golden color. the embroidery was the same, following the edges
of the book, at the top and bottom of the spine, with the same pattern on the back. On the back of the book, however, instead of
leaving it blank like she had done before, she added the eye. This time, it was a bloody red color, and it was closed to the world,
sitting in the bottom third, completely opposite the opened eye at the front. Looking at the closed eye made her sad, somehow,
as if such a thing wasn't a punishment or a condemnation, but a different kind of ending. Inevitable, she supposed, as all things come to an end in their own way.
She felt it would be good to have a sort of sad celebration for the end of things, rather than the grieving and mourning common
today.
With a sigh of satisfaction, she stood from her chair. The outfits flew to her, and she donned them with the same respect she felt
she would give her daughter, with her new outlook on life and the burden she knew would be carried.
The book, too, came to her side, floating mysteriously as if it had found it's place.
All at once, Madeline realized she had ignored several mesages:
[Now that you have manifested your Way, It will work with you to guide you towards The Fates! Though you may have many choices,
some harder than others, and though your Way may not always agree, the final say will lie with you, as it is your Life.]
[For reaching this point, you have been given a set amount of Chaotic potential, which you can use to build your Way. Do so now,
through whatever means are appropriate for your Way.]
[The Way of the Preistess' Hand has been fully manifested!]
[Note: do to your actions, The Higher Way: First Word Weaver has been manifested! Your previous Way has been been subsumed]
[Congratulations! you have learned To interact with your Way, and finished the basic tutorial. The Fates will guide you!]
Waiting in the living room was much more boring than Sarah had figured it would be. About half an hour after her mother had
properly started the tutorial, a light much brighter than most shone out from her mother, suprising Sarah.
She did not see the new robes her mother was wearing, nor did she see the strangely satisfied look her mother gave her.
What she did see, however, was a Book of glowing light, as bright as the fates themselves! The front cover had the same opened eye
she had felt on her blindfold, but the back of the book held a closed eye, the same greusome color as the severed fate she had seen
before. This color was softer somehow, as if it was a natural thing, rather than a forcefully chosen severed fate. It gave her
the same calming feelings that she had had when she watched the Weave she had made in her inner world. Things come and go, and their
fleeting brilliance is what gives them meaning. In fact, the whole book stood out to sarah so much it was hard to see anything else!
She reached out to touch it, to make sure something so beautiful was real and not just some figment in her new sight.
The moment she brushed her fingertips on the cover, a message displayed itself to her:
[Madeline has made the Book of Lives and Ways, which records those Fates you deem fit to reveal to others!
will you permit your words this permenance?]
With little hesitance, Sarah gave her permission, knowing that her mother had always had the greater inspirations between them.
Both were suprised by a sudden car alarm, and saw a message that would shape the future of the world:
[Congratulations! The First Preistess and The First Hand have Joined together and founded The Weave!]
Before they could react to such an important event, more messages followed, though these seemed personal rather than global.
[You have gained the Higher way: Weave Watcher!] was unique to sarah, but the others had the attention of both:
[You may bestow "Follower of the Weave" as a standard Way!]
[Together, you may bestow the higher path: Word Weaver to those you deem worthy!]
[Weave Watcher may Only be granted by the Fates!]
[You may use a Token of Fate to claim land and build a unique structure for this achievement!
Tokens may be earned once the tutorial ends.]
Flabbergasted, they could do little but fall to the couch and see what the world thought of such things.
---
-The Healer-
[Congratulations! The First Preistess and The First Hand have Joined together and founded The Weave!]
Things had been rather hectic in the hospital lately. With the end of the world arguably on their doorstep, and all sorts of physical
laws changing, the rioting, panic, and general chaos had been growing beyond what the government could handle.
Dr. Sana was quickly reaching the point where he would be unable to keep doing surgery. This new message, some kind of
Religion that's supported by the new system, led only to further chaos. it was only yesterday it had first appeared, but
everyone even remotely religious got the same follow up:
[Your faith has been rewarded! You may be granted the Way: Follower of the Weave. Note that you only have this one chance,
and either choice is permenant.]
In an instant, every established religion had splintered into millions of pieces. Was this a sign from their god?
Or perhaps some devilry sought to pull them away from the path. Maybe this was the moment of rapture, strange as it was?
Everyone seemed to come to their own decision without much hesitation, and so even though there were only two choices:
To Become a Follower of the Weave or not, there was no consensous of reason. This only made The Sana Clinic even more busy,
Dr. Sana's workers and himself had been overworked already, but this new conflict was boiling over.
"Something needs to change. I have this new power, but I'm afraid to use it, since I've no idea what it might do."
"Dr. Sana, you're the head here. If you choose to use your new healing powers, we will follow you!" said one of the nurses.
Considering all options, Dr. Sana knew that he honestly had not much choice, soon he would be doing more damage than good with
his normal practice simply because he was too overdrawn.
"I'll ask the patients if they would like to try my experimental new treatment. Only then can my conscience let me proceed."
Walking quickly to the nearest patient in serious need, Dr. Sana explained the him the options. The man, in his eagerness to recover,
chose the "new treatment"
Before Dr. Sana or the patient could change their mind, Dr. Sana allowed the syringe to flow from his wrist and do it's duty.
Even without having used it before, Dr. Sana knew that he had to stick the patient near the heart for fastest treatment.
With as much care as he could manage, The syringe was inserted, and then the strangest thing happened. Everyone in the room
could feel a slight suction coming from the rear of the syringe, as if it drew in the world itself. It quickly became filled with an ethereal
golden light, which was immediately plunged into the man. The man was in quite a panic, and his heartbeat showed it.
When the golden light entered him, it began to spread with his heartbeat, healing and calming. Before anyone could release the breath they held,
the man was fully healed, and the syringe drew back up its plunger, drawing out what could only be described as a chaotic liquid.
It backed itself out of the man, and then reabsorbed into Dr. Sana's wrist.
Dr. Sana then discovered what the cost of such a healing would be with the sound of wind through an autumn forest:
[You have gained some chaotic potential! Be wary, too much unused potential will change your Fate!]
The patient, However, saw a slightly different message:
[As Price for recovery, your chaotic potential has been slightly reduced! Worry not, you will regain it over time!]
"What's this 'chaotic potential' stuff? Why'd you take it from me doc?"
"It's as it says, the fuel to heal you. The treatment can't operate without it, I guess. Chaotic potential is what you use to grow your Way"
"Ah", said the man," I don't have a way yet! But i have this weird feeling....."
As if on queue, the sound of a coin sliding into a vending machine gave way to a message:
[Your Fate has been found! Way of the Defender has been granted and manifested!]
[Direct your intent to your new way to discover it's secrets!]
"Yep, it gave me a Way all of the sudden. strange, it says to 'direct your intent'. Lemme Check this real quick boss"
Unnoticed by the man himself, but not by Dr. Sana, the man had already cast hhis lot in behind the Doctor.
As Dr. Sana considered the rammifications of this new information, a slight -pop!- directed his attention to the patient.
Suprisingly, a small buckler shield made of pale, matte metal had formed on his left forearm.
On the front of the buckler, a strange eye with the color of burnished bronze looked out, as if judging those who might go against it.
"What did you do?" Dr. Sana knew that it had to have something to do with that new religion, since the message had been both proceeded and
followed by a similar opened eye.
"Well, when I thought about my new Way, I was suddenly in this dark space, and there was a computer-like menu in front of me, and a few different
choices. The only one that spoke to me was something called 'Defender of the Weave', which the system implied gave me some kind of legitimate
backing, and ability to protect, rather than some kind of generic shield wall member. I asked what the catch was, and all it said was
'Your chosen Lord will bear this burden.' I don't remember having no Lord, but if anyone would fit that description for me, it'd be you, Doc."
And with that, the other foot finally fell, heralded by the sound of a ball bouncing off a tray.
[Congratulations! several people have considered you worthy, and at least one has been granted a way! Henceforth,
It will be your responsibility to create a land in which your people may thrive!]
[The Way of the Lord has been granted and manifested!]
[Direct your intent to discover it's secrets!]
[Take heed! Your first citizen was sponsored by The Weave, and thus your State Religion has been chosen as collateral.
Seek the guidance of the Weave Watcher and her Word Weaver.]
Before he had a chance to worry over nothing, he decided to double check what this meant. He thought about seeking the guidance of this
new Way, and suddenly, he could see the Inner world he had constructed overlaid on the world around him. It didn't block his normal vision, but
he could see it clearly. Thinking about it too hard gave him a headache, so he just focused on the topic of importance.
Before him was a glowing node, like a little ball of power. Almost the moment focus rested upon it, the globe of power expanded into a
screen-like thing, at the very top there was the word "Lord", with several options listed below.
The First option was "Benevolent" and had the following description:
Those who follow you will be more loyal and less likely to fight internally, so long as you never raise a hand against another.
Penalties apply if you do commit an act of violence.
Next was the word "Learned":
Those who follow you will learn new topics very quickly, but are less likely to engage in combat. As a Learned Lord, you must
prioritize new scholarly pursuits, or your citizens will be less likely to follow you.
As he looked down the list, the options seemed less and less appealing, as if it had placed his most likely choices at the top.
When he got to the last option, his hunch was surely confirmed:
As a Tyrant Lord, your people will do exactly as you say, but only if you hold significant power over them. Chance of Revolt
Drastically increased, especially as your Strength wanes.
Luckily, this option, along with several others, seemed to be locked somehow. At this point, he noticed what had been locking the options:
*Sponsored Religion The Weave is incompatible with these Ways. Since you have already chosen your sponsored religion, you must choose a compatible
Lordship type.
Dr. Sana needed little time to make his decision; After all, he had already sworn to do no harm. Thus his first option was one of the few
with no downside whatsoever.
[You have become a Benevolent Lord!]
As he made his selection, several new panels were brought up to the sides of his original screen, which had condensed into a simple nameplate.
each panel seemed to have some portion of governance upon it, some had options while others had more freeform inputs.
Looking through them, he soon found the Religion panel, and was somehow unsuprised.
[Sponsored Religion: The Weave]
By the nature of this religion, your are honorbound to take in all followers of the Weave, if they seek refuge.
Further, Your Sponsored Religion has automatically given you your first task as Lord!
you must use a token of Fate to formally claim a new land once the tutorial ends. On this land, you must leave space for the
First Church of the Weave, which will then become the beacon of the new world!]
What followed was a blank space that he suspected should have been the major rules for this new religion, but for some reason, there was only one:
"Guide and be Guided by the Fates"
The blank space following led Dr. Sana to believe that there would definitely be more to come. Taking a deep breath, Dr. Sana let his inner world
fall away, bringing his attention to the real world where he realised he had been standing awkwardly while everyone watched him.
Dr. Sana did his best not to let the pressure he felt get to him, and immediately started to form what might be called a plan,
if you were inclined to some kind of madness.
"We need to get the message out: If you need healing of any kind, come to us and swear allegiance, and you'll be healed and cared for.
We will form a community that can survive the end of the world! Son, what's your name?"
"I'm george, boss"
"Alright george, I need you to gather your friends and family and bring them here, plus anyone you think might be an asset somehow."
Dr. Sana spewed commands like it was his last day on earth, which all things considered could definitely be possible, since there was hardly
Three days left until the Fate's tutorial ended.
Quickly, almost everyone who had been waiting care in the Sana Clinic was healed and, seeing this miraculous power, did whatever they could to
get in on this new community. The area around the Clinic was more charged with life and hope than it had been since all this chaos had began.
---
-The Shepard-
"Three days until things really get going, Huh? Well, It's about time to make sure everyone understands that there's no coasting through!"
With that, the shepard set into motion one of the plans he had been dreading to use, even though he knew it would be necessary for the future.
With all the chaos, hardly anyone noticed that whatever had been protecting the major population centers from the earth's growth had been cut,
and now they to were being swallowed and seperated, with streets getting wider, neighbors becoming isolated, and even some larger buildings
torn to pieces by the stretch of their foundations.
As the next days passed, The Shepard remained ever watwchful, and was pleased to see that those three had already formed groups, two being small
and organized, and one being scattered across the whole globe. Once the new world began, The Shepard knew that such trivial things like distance
would have little meaning for the Fates' guidance. Already, he could see that the growth of the central and north american regions
were strangely spiralled, almost bringing the three together of it's own violition. By the time things Began, he could see that they
would be able to come together after only a few days' travel, though it was likely that things would conspire to bring them ever closer.
The Fates' had a strange philosophy of action and non-action, and The Shepard knew that without his perspective, he would be absolutely convinced
that the Fates had done nothing whatsoever to help the world.
Tomorrow, the sunrise would bring with it a whole new world, with challenges and rewards unlike any before. The Shepard looked forward to the
things the Fates would teach him.
------