KENOMA // voice+memory

[devilmancrybaby]

[ This takes place the evening after the first event described in the Event Wrap Up post, the entity having withdrawn its influence from Venera.

Binghe is in a bit of a bad mood, having had to haul Makoto's unconscious body out of the street when he would have preferred to drop him in the ocean, and as things are currently he can't really be bothered to pretend that he's not. There's some attempt to be polite, but mostly he sounds kind of tired and cranky. ]

My apologies for the interruption. I am Luo Binghe. No doubt many of you have heard at least a little of what has happened lately in Venera. I was there for the event at the heart of it, so I thought perhaps it would be of some use to share a few of the details.

I am sure it will not come as any great shock to learn it seems to have been the fault of that dog Estinien Wyrmblood. The spirit that seems to have been responsible for what has been happening was so angered by his death that it appeared to smite anyone who tried to keep it from... I don't know, I think it wanted his shard. I don't know what it would have done with it. Kept him as a pet, perhaps, in one of its illusions.

If I am honest, whatever this thing was it seemed rather simple, like the ghost of a child, but it clearly possessed immense power. The Aions of Pleroma who were there, their unconvincing promises about—taking care of him in its stead, that kind of thing. That was enough to convince it to retreat.

I think it did something to them, though. I'll show you.

[ He shares his memory of this moment, when the mass of wings demanded that those gathered keep their promise, grasping onto those closest to it with its ethereal hands.

The image fades and Binghe's voice resumes: ]

So the problem has been solved, but only temporarily. The spirit was not destroyed, and it seems if these Aions fail to fulfil its whims it may return with something worse. It might not be so easy to persuade next time.

Comments

[galdorleod]

...what? A spirit? [ That's what all those ghostly wings were in the sky yesterday??

And — ]

Estinien's Shard?

[ Why does he feel like Binghe is burying the lede here. Burying TEN THOUSAND ledes. ]

What happened??

[devilmancrybaby]

A spirit or something like it. I couldn't claim to know its exact taxonomy.

[ He shrugs; obviously it's not visible, but he is conveying Shrug Energy. ]

Estinien Wyrmblood was killed in Venera. The Pleroma saved his shard, though, so I expect he'll come back.

Does that answer your questions?

[galdorleod]

[ Killed. At the hands of another Aion, then. That is what's been implied by this talk of Estinien's death and a fight over his Shard, but it's enormously helpful for Binghe to come out and say it plainly.

Even so, Howl is silent for a moment. His feelings on this revelation are mixed, to say the least. ]

Who killed him? What precipitated all this?

[devilmancrybaby]

[ uuuughhhhhhhhh ] It was M. [ ugh!!!! ] I don't know that anything precipitated it, I assume he just saw an opportunity.

[galdorleod]

[ That... is one of the last people Howl would have guessed. But now that he knows, he can go get the information he wants himself. ]

I see.

And the spirit? Did it simply... appear out of thin air?

[devilmancrybaby]

Something like that. You could feel its presence before it became visible.

[galdorleod]

As I recall, the Regent told us the Pleroma was responsible for the infection.

[ said matter-of-factly; he's not begrudging their supreme leader by bringing it up. but no, it was some sort of... spirit? ]

[devilmancrybaby]

Mm. Do we know enough about the Pleroma to say for certain it wasn't?

[galdorleod]

No, we don't. [ He'll concede that. ] But — would the Pleroma's Aions have to convince it not to smite people? Force them to make promises under the threat of its return?

[ As soon as Howl asks those questions, though, he knows that Binghe's prior answer is just as applicable. The other Aions could be subject to the will of some insane "benevolent" force, for all they know. If that's the case, this war has just changed significantly. ]

[devilmancrybaby]

That does seem to be what already happened.

[galdorleod]

Yes. It does.

[ and he's not sure how to feel about that. quiet, unsettled contemplation follows. ]

[lachtara]

[ He doesn't leave a comment exactly, but there is sort of a...silent regard in knowing how he views Estinien. ]

[galdorleod]

[ ...

he feels you there, old man. but he's in no hurry to face you after... what happened, so he says nothing. ]