middleofsomewhere | Under the Sea: Conclusion and aftermath

Ritual

The jellyfish is no more and as red team take stock of their injuries, or collapse from exhaustion the lights zip around them, singing their song of joy. They gather around the light that had been inside the jellyfish and now that it has been released it is obvious this light is different. Stronger. They surround it and the song gets even louder as they begin to move towards the plinth.

In the caverns where the purple and orange team are there is a stillness. For those in orange team still in the cavern they can only hope that the instructions they gave out had been followed. Luckily for them they have been, Purple team have done a remarkable job of defeating the crabs and cleaning the temple. The priests gather around the shell on the alter, arms linked together in prayer as they seek to re-sanctify their temple. As their prayer begins they will invite the voidtreckers to join them, though no one is forced into taking part in the ritual. They suggest that they use their strange wrist jewellery to open communication with their friends in Bui.

The monster on the beach is defeated and though the fight is still raging against the crabs, a beacon has been built and lit. The islanders who are not fighting gather around it, linking arms, drawing any voidtreckers who don't object to joining them into the circle.

The song begins hesitantly, almost as if everyone has forgotten the words and only half remembers the tune. The SCA translates, the prayer is simple, a blessing on the land and its people, deliverance from the darkness and hope for the future.

The light from the jellyfish reaches the plinth and is set upon it. The song heightens and the light shoots upwards, blinding in its brilliance.

Through the dark storm clouds a light streams towards the island, most of it towards the beacon on the island though there is a break away light that goes towards the train, where some of orange team have set up a second beacon. It swirls around those on the train roof, singing a song of happiness and bounces back towards the island.

The light reaches the main beacon and hits it with a strength that lights up the whole sky. The light splits more solidly into two and speeds off over the ocean. Light pours into the underground caverns, not caring about the ocean and rock in the way, the light pools into the shells, the caverns glow warmly.

Outside the storm calms, clouds roll back, the sun shines. The sea stills. The wind stops. The sun is rising, a beautiful dawn. Any monsters left scuttle away, vanishing into the ocean, away from Bui.

Those with any powers that they couldn't reach before find them returned in a rush. Those who can sense life find this world teeming with it. A song that dances between every plant and creature.

Some of red may have evacuated to the train but those who stayed to see the ritual through, the world around them seems to melt away and they find themselves back next to the rock pools. Among their number there are some confused looking islanders who intrinsically draw closer to those who helped free the lights.

Orange and Purple

Down underwater there's noise and a babble of voices as the citizens of Bui wake up. There's a shimmering around the city now, like a shield though they can pass through easily. Parents scramble to locate their children and all check on loved ones and friends.

The familiar voice of train announcements is heard through Orange team's SCAs. Orange return to the VoidTrecker Express. Once everyone is on board it flies low over the ocean, skimming the waves.

In the underwater temple the priests finish sealing the ritual and then it is time to begin the return trek. There are no monsters this time and after a few hours, as they emerge onto the first of the sandbanks they will find the VoidTrecker Express is waiting for them.

Red and Blue

The monsters gone, those of the island gather everyone from the rock pools and for a few hours everyone sleeps.

At about noon the islanders begin to stir, begin putting things to rights. Wood is moved from the strategic points to more communal campfires on the beach. Any dead monsters that haven't been gathered for food have been washed out to sea, disappeared into the depths. They begin to prepare food and won't turn away any helpers. Though those who have been fighting are encouraged to rest.

The islanders bring blankets and start to gather. Everyone is exhausted but the children, in the way of children find the energy to play in the sea and the sand.

Beach Day

Early afternoon the train lands on the beach and everyone gets a holographic message to their SCA.

Mission successful. Well done Voidtreckers. Enjoy the rest of your day. You will find suitable clothing in the dressing room. A new recipe has been added to the kitchen information points.

The dressing room is indeed open once more, this time it holds swimsuits of every style, shorts, t shirts, wraps and beach skirts. Sun hats and sunglasses can also be found. It's a bit of a mush mash but they should be able to cobble together something other than their uniform wet suits.

Time to laze around on the beach or for those who still have energy swim or play. A few hours later a ripple across the water brings some of those from Bui and they swim or lounge on rocks to talk.

Food and stories

Food is cooked and shared, the islanders will happily try the voidtreckers' offerings and share their own. As the sun begins to set they gather around the fires. Stories and songs are shared and there's even some dancing for the brave.

Voidtreckers can choose whether to sleep in their own beds or spend one last night on the island before the train flies off into the sunrise and into the void.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I think I would too if our gods were like yours." Eva shrugs at the end. It's not exactly something she's really thought about, if she's honest.

"Oh, that must have been an interesting revelation to have. Hopefully without too much of a brain-break."

"It was definitely interesting!" She laughs. "But I was so used to him that it was also not as odd as you might think. Not all the Valar were so easy to understand, but Lord Aule loved us dearly."

"Gods shouldn't be easy to understand."

They wouldn't ve gods otherwise. "What is he like? Lord Aule?"

She laughs softly. "Well. They aren't gods, as they are wont to remind us. Lord Aule is... as if a Mountain or a Forge took form. He is Rock, and Fire, and Craft."

Edited 2020-08-01 08:19 (UTC)

"And he's person-shaped..."

If she's a bit dubious, it's because she is and her brain is breaking, just slightly, with this. "It's just... well. It's strange to hear of a person described like a literal force of nature."

"When he's dealing with us, yes! Easier, you see. His Lady though, Kementari usually remembers to be people-shaped when she's talking to us, but not always. I suppose being the Earth Queen she has the care of so many types of 'people' that it's not easy for her to remember to be one particular type!"

"It makes sense though, if she can shapeshift and has more than use elves to talk to," There's a grin on her lips though, as if despite the brain break going on, it's also amusing to think of a god as forgetting to be people shaped when dealing with people.

That said, she probably shouldn't ask this, but people... humanoid at least. "How many... How many types of people are there in your world?"

"Well, of the Eruhini, there are Elves, Men, Dwarves and Hobbits - we are called the Children of the One, for only the One had a hand in our creation. Some also call us the Free Peoples. Then, there are the ainur - the Holy Ones, the powers of the world. Of them, the Valar are the Great amongst them - there are seven lords, and seven ladies, and one who is Fallen - and the Maiar are those of lesser power who are allied to them. After them are those special folk - the Tree herders, and the spirits of the earth and trees and waters, and... last of all, are those creations of the Enemy, those beings he has warped and twisted to his own use, slaved to his will. The orcs and trolls, the dragons, the balrogs, the werewolves and vampires... some were us, before. Others.... fallen maiar, perhaps. No one truly knows."

"That's a lot of races to share a world with," Eva says with a nod. It sounds strange and alien, but at the same time, they are people and there is so much she could ask about in reguards to what Dwarves and Hobbits are. What the One is-

Yet... "Tree herders?"

She needs to know about that, first, because of course she does. Everything else can wait.

She smiles. "I suppose that is true! But I have never been to Middle-earth, where most of them dwell. Valinor is fairly confined to Elves and the Ainur, for the most part. It is, after all the home of the Ainur!"

Nerdanel shrugs. "Well, I've never met them! But they are in young Master Bilbo and Master Frodo's book - apparently they call themselves Ents, and they are the Lady Yavanna's creations, the Guardians and Protectors of the Woods. The Shepherds of the Trees, the Sindar call them."

"They sound like people I'd love to meet," Eva says, eyes wide with wonder and awe and an imagination that's firing on all cylinders.

"Meet and talk to. They likely have so many tales to tell about the forests and jungles and the creatures that live within, to say nothing of the plants contained within-"

Dear train: please stop off at Arda so she can meet the Ents and have a very long, very animated discussion with them. Thank you.

Nerdanel laughs.

"Well, by all accounts, you might find yourself talking for ... far longer than you expected. Entish is a ... very ponderous language."

"I wouldn't mind. It'd be interesting!" Probably. Mabe. These are tree-people after all.

And then she goes to take another bite of food and there's a very 'kicked puppy' look at her thoroughly empty plate. "Ah... "

When did she eat all the food?

"Are you sure?" She laughs, and seeing her face, fills her plate with another scoop.

"They say that in Entish, it takes five days to say hello! But we can discuss that after you eat, I think."

"They are tree-people. It'd only be natural it takes a while to say hello."

There's a grin, though. "Sounds like a plan, though."

She laughs. "True. Until that day, I suppose we will have to rely on imagination alone."

Under the Sea: Conclusion and aftermath

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Shall we start to wrap for points?

yus

Wrap?

yus