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Big congratulations are in order for our lovely @elganac for geting Vtuber of the Year! A big round of applause and hugs for our little round fluff!
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“Can you read it for me, sweet child?”
Ana turned to the elderly man sitting on the bench beside the park fence. Very clearly, the man had played on the domino table with another group of elderly people, as was the pastime in these districts, one where the majority were native of Cemanahuac. She turned to the poster on the wall that he couldn’t read. ‘Analfabeto’, what they are called: illiterate. A large portion of the population grew up without that education, you didn’t need to read in order to work in the factories, in construction, to fight and die in the wars. It was considered a privilege.
The poster was a letter, the print large enough to be read at a distance, small enough to occupy so much to say, plastered on with haste as if to evade the sight of any authority that might find the act criminal.
“This is a personal address to everyone who is willing to hear. I am Arador. I am the ideological leader of HEAT and DUST, whom you have known in passing on the radio news, in the newspapers, in the bulletins and posts asking for information. If you are reading this in print, you must know that I have finally been taken captive by the Thorns, the gracious inquisitor wing of the Imperial Guard. I only seek to discuss with you before their words reach your ear of this event.
“I am known to the royalists, the veterans of the last conquest by Ludriq, with medals swelling their chests with pride and the nobles singing the praises of the corpses they piled to build their grand city on the hill, as Nemi of the Fifth. I have received the scorn and adoration of both the obrerists and the royalists, dependent of the name I was assumed by. I’ve known love and hate.
“I want to make it clear: I feel no pride in the work I committed during my time in the Advancement Forces, that wretched organization most visible in the power that the empire enacts upon the world. I can never apologize or make enough amends for the horror that I inflicted upon the peoples of this world in participation. To the people of Emeltao, Yulkekan, Ilximatuatli, and Tawantinsuyu in Cemanahuac. To the people of Nashur and Ingary. Know that no action committed individually can erase the sins of the empire. I will live with this guilt until my last breath, that our fight to free you as we fight to free each other continue long after me.
“As Otxo had said a century prior, ‘No man’s individual output can match the tide of history, of the peoples in their march of progression, and no man should.’ This is not a letter of farewell. I am not our fight. I urge you, with all my heart, that you seek to carry on and not let hardship break the will to fight. As I’ve said before, the quality we seek in ourselves is the heart which, faced with countless deaths, rises once more from the void a brighter flame until it learns the dangerous habit of rebirth.
“They can kill a fighter, but they can’t kill the fight. They can kill a vanguardist, but they can’t kill the vanguard. They can kill me, but they can’t kill my heart. And to my kind captors, I say to them the same words Anacaona Hosa spoke before her exile.
“We asked for maize. You gave no maize, so we asked for work. You gave no work, so we take the maize. We revolt simply because we can no longer breathe.”
She finished with dread in her paling face. Eyes watering with tears. What would become of him, not Arador, not Nemi, but Claudio? What would become of her friend?
“Serves the man right. Taking on the name of the great Nemi! Who died fighting in Nashur against those ingrates! What a disgusting act. Hogwash. A farce. I hope he’s sacrificed to Tlaloc.”
“...Yeah.”
___________________________________________________________
“CLAUDIO, PLEASE!”
His boss allowed himself to be taken in. Wounded, badly bleeding. He was being walked away by a group, his gray and dirty coveralls a stark contrast to their clean, stark white dress shirts and sharp suits.
“CLAUDIO! WE CAN FIGHT THEM OFF! PLEASE, DON’T LET THEM TAKE YOU!”
Yunuen’s pleas would fall on deaf ears. Of course they couldn’t. Of course Claudio couldn’t run away forever, now that his identity had been unmasked. The empire was so many and they were so few.
Yunuen could only lay on the cold pavement, too much damage suffered to even stand. He was healing, but it was too slow. If only it were a little faster. If only he were a little stronger. If only he could protect this dream a while longer. Too little, too late.
“Find my mother and tell her I love her. Tell Tati I’m sorry, my moonlit knight” Claudio requests, just above a whisper.
A memory struck the errant’s heart.
“I’m tired, Yunuen. I stopped wishing for salvation long ago, because I don’t believe in my own salvation anymore.”
Boss, please... Reach for my hand. Don’t walk away.
“I say this because I love you, Yunuen. One of us will die. It’s a premonition I have. I’d rather it be me than you. When the time comes, don’t be a hero.”
Please, let me save you. Let yourself be saved.
“Don’t go dying saving the ones who don’t wish to be saved.”
Please...
DISC 1. HEAVEN’S ONLY WISHFUL. EVENT 1: WON’T LAST FOREVER: END.
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In another world, in the parables as in the dreams...
“Welcome to another edition of Call it a Lesson: Topaxi. Yeah, I’m taking the place of ero-gramps today.”
This time, the world bends to the whims of the gods beyond the garden. All for fun.
“Shush, OL-lover. I’m speaking now. In an alternate plane of Tlalli, where the Empire still flourishes, a different act has fallen upon the play. The Council has concocted a devious plan, to use the City Herself to conjure up the images of nine entities assigned to retainers. The Parabola, once used by the ancient Topaxeca to quell contests of heirs.
“Parabola are the metaphysical manifestations of Sanctified Entities, people that have been codified in legend by their respective cultures. Heroes, villains, symbols, all those sorts. They call their appearance on the world The Sanctified Rites. Their competition for power the Sanctified Contest. Even if it ends in more death than most contests. Well, except for Waffle House company meets.”
“There are nine of them, taking position as one of the Tarot, each assigned their own Archetype and their own Virtue or Vice. They are conceptually the same as Bastions, though differ in that the city herself fuels their presence. Because of this, the retainers chosen to participate cannot leave the city’s limits, or they die.”
“There’s no distinction between Hero or Villain, because one’s hero is another’s villain. It isn’t limited to Topaxi’s general cultural zeitgeist, here. Think Mr. Worldwide. The Sanctified Contest only ends when a sole retainer remains, the Council deciding to grant them a single, unlimited policy. It can be wealth beyond imagination. It can be freeing your nation from its rule. It can be growing a bigger ****. It’s done through magical contract, so it can never be broken.”
“Since there’s an inherent disconnect between the Parabola and the Retainer, they do not know each other’s thoughts. They do not know each other’s motives behind what they might know of their legends. If your Parabola is an open book, all the better for you. If not, you’re right fucked. Isn’t it fun?”
“Oh, one last thing. The Parabola have a secret weapon: the Parabola Synthesis. It’s their own version of a Bastion, occupying their greatest personal memory, their one true remembrance. It’s basically the Bastion of a Bastion, and it can only be used three times. Why? Because you grab three stacks and bring it back to the four-tress. Wrappin’ five fingers round that much cash will make a motherfucker Cassius Clay.”
“More details and a stats sheet to come soon. Signups to bring pain to your little meow meow will be present, but the limit is nine. As a heads up, the three main ones, Claudio, Tatyana, and Yunuen, will not participate. Bye.”
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madamhatter:
act 0. observer’s notes
your name is…..
the lost art of physical reinforcement: qi
“Salutations to those lost and to be found, ichor manifestation throughout Tlalli has appeared sparingly in the meta-reviews. Depending on the geographical location, the concentration, flow, and nature of ichor would create different raiz (the human-interpreted language of magic) and other glyphs (unique signs for material form or indicative actions). This is also applicable to how magic systems are to use ichor.
In the continent of Houto, specifically in the country of Fuso, ichor is used through the lost arts of ‘qi.’ This technique was exclusive to the royal family of Fuso and the samurai class that lived here. Fuso’s pride and endurance have led to them never formalizing an army against the incoming forces of Topaxi. The primary reason was due to the unique training and capability that they were taught. However, the city-state of Topaxi had continuous efforts to meddle with the ichor within the region by creating and planting ichor-heavy machinery that depleted the land.
Topaxi’s conquests saw that the country’s dissolution was to decapitate the head from the body - ridding the ruling party/family from the state. The most common ways were burning fire arts, scholarly works, and other written materials, alongside the mass executions of the royal family, staff, and relatives and the taking of their lands. Depending on the conquering of the land, the outcomes were either tributary states (land reaped for materials for Topaxi city-state) or suzerainty states (foreign power dictates policies in the country but supplies internal autonomy).
Fuso falls into the latter category, but it came at the cost of the samurai class unestablished. However, before the complete dismantling of the class, the Fuso royal family gathered their teachings of ‘qi’ and created an informal class known as ‘shinobi’ to continue their teachings.
‘Qi’ is the formalization of channels created in the user’s body without necessarily having continuous flow. Unlike the innate and artificial, qi-users can create channels that are one-way flowing and can be willed off at any point. These users are among the rarest and are exclusive to Fuso. The most critical aspect of qi is that there must be concentration to unlock the channels to allow to ichor through them. As it is one-way and not constantly flowing, there is also very little to no miasma that these users suffer.
‘Qi’ channels are exclusively found in five places: palms in hand, the base of feet, and the center of the throat. Special training to unlock this method includes mental meditation and physical exercise that capitalizes on focus. The most critical aspects are gaining focus and providing enough force to unleash it.
As mentioned before, the ichor flow through Fuso makes qi possible. The concentration of ichor in the country would be low and has to be cultivated explicitly by the users. As for its nature, it is forward and smooth movement without overpowering. However, the flow is choppy. It cannot be consistent and must be gathered to be in 'bursts.'
The shinobi class is the last remaining user of 'qi’ alongside the dissolved samurai class. Their techniques saw their bodies as weapons and prioritized ichor as enhancements for their existing fighting style. Samurais are more formal in using qi when drawing their weapons and creating an extension of their body with their weaponry.
Because their system of beliefs is not emphasized, but their physical prowl is, the 'ideal’ basis of a bastion is incompatible with qi users. Qi is not using magic as casting from the body but as a reinforcement for the body.
In the case of glamor, qi users use this ability relatively more straightforwardly than most. Changing their entire forms will not be an easy feat, but they can make physical adjustments to their bodies. Facial contortions would be the most common while changing hair color is tricky. Most important is that it must be already there/the preset must be there, and the details can then be edited.
However, because of this emphasis on the body, using qi in other locations around Tllali can place the body under great duress. It would require them to retrain their bodies in areas with thicker, heavier, and constant ichor concentration, flow, and nature.
In the case of Topaxi, the five channels constantly face pressure from the thick ichor around. Depending on what districts a qi-user is in, they will suffer through pseudo-miasma, but it is often temporary and not long-lasting. This will include lightheadedness and growing irritation. This worsens when forced into combat and relying on the qi technique. Some areas in Topaxi have less demanding ichor flow, which qi-users can use for training and fighting priority/advantage as they transition to Topaxi’s ichor.
A new doorway through the illusory world of the entrapped god! What more can we see now through his dormant mind?” With gentle wave of her hand, the Witch laughs.
“And that has been a lesson!”
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welcome to call it a lesson topaxi
shitlusive man
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Bastion Skeleton Stats Sheet
REMINDERS:
- Scaling works from E to S.
- Low and high ranks matter only in direct application. Willpower is the biggest factor on who might win. Discuss with your thread partner on how to go about this, it’s only reference.
- Bastions are the most powerful application of magic available, requiring an ichor crystal as the catalyst (artificial with ichor infusion can crystallize the ichor in their body to create a catalyst, but this usually leads to death). Because of this, they are rarely used.
- Subtitles can be used to distinguish between stages or to describe in few words what they do.
- Bastions are separated into two elements, combating their contradiction to create its synthesis: the Axiom and the Bind. The Axiom is the desired truth. The Bind is the reality it influences.
- Bastions usually have a personal chant used to be summoned. They also have a song title as their name. For fun :).
[NAME] BASTION STATS SHEET
Axiom: The desired truth controlling the Bastion; usually its chanter’s ultimate desire.
Bastion Type: (Emission / Conjuration / Transmutation / Invocation / Specialization)
Emission - Highest Range, High Power, Lowest Potency. An ‘area of effect’ Bastion. They emit the Bastion’s effect on a specified area. Their potency is usually low. Because of their effective range, they usually create a general effect that doesn’t require precise focus, such as Lino’s Field of Ilhuican. Healing, poison, leveling effects are some examples.
Conjuration - Highest Power, High Potency, Lowest Range. Summons objects composed entirely of magic. Used primarily for weapons or tools. The objects hold specific properties, and their high potency means they are some of the most powerful direct effect bastions. Mythical weapons fall in this category, as does tools useful for more powerful magic outside Bastions.
Transmutation - Medium Potency, Medium Power, Varied Range. As it directly uses the Bind as its source of the Bastion, materializing as the transmutation of matter, it requires less concentration of magic, allowing for a variety of ranges. The properties of the Bastion also vary wildly. These are weaker than Conjuration types, but stronger than Emission types, and create a greater variety of effects.
Invocation - Highest Potency, High Power, Low Range. The summoning of a legendary figure, a being of pure magic, in direct command of the Bastion’s chanter. This can include heroes, monsters, and even people once known by the chanter. The person one reveres most. The highest potency, binding strong belief of an individual to achieve the Axiom. The Nahwal are experts of this type, summoning the Aspects of their gods.
Specialization - Varied Power, Varied Potency, Varied Range. A rare type which can summon two of the other four types of Bastions. Summoning two at a time will take a hit of stats, usually by three grades. These Bastions are summonable by a chanter without a rigid moral code. Because of the wild variation of these types, their effects are wild cards. Dangerous by element of surprise.
Bastion Stage:
Stage 1: Root / Grounded Bastion; Abstract Axiom; Negative Bind
Stage 1 is when the chanter’s axiom is still an abstract, wherein it can barely be held as a projection in its bind, as the bind itself starts to negate the projection. It is called a Root Bastion, or a Grounded Bastion, as the impact the projection has on reality is almost minimal, though it is still more dangerous than most applications of magic.
Stage 2: Stem / Phantasmal Bastion; Partial Axiom; Overcoming Bind
Stage 2 occurs when the chanter is capable of starting the synthesis between the axiom and the bind, making the axiom into a partial reality as it slowly begins to overcome the bind. It is a Phantasmal or Stem Bastion, because the phantasm of its slowly flowering complete form can be seen. At this point, it is one of the most powerful magics possible.
Stage 3: Stage 3: Bloom / Perfect Bastion; Fatal Axiom; Concrete Bind
Stage 3 is the chanter’s axiom realized into fate itself, creating a concrete synthesis within the bind. It no longer is a ghost of this will, it has become complete reality. It’s the bastion become perfect, a full bloom of its manifestation. It is finality, a magic which very little can overcome.
Effect: An explanation of the effects this Bastion causes. (+ Subskill)
Power: E-S (The overcoming strength of the Bastion, meaning how powerful it is in achieving its Axiom. Power does not equate to Combat Strength.)
Potency: E-S (The potency of the Bastion, how much power is behind the Bastion. The higher the rating, the more strain it takes on the chanter.)
Range: E-S (The range of the Bastion. S is a hundred meters from its bind, E is just the bind itself. E is reserved for Conjuration / Invocation types, while Emission can reach S, and Transmutation types vary wildly in range.)
Resilience: E-S (Its defense against other Bastions. The weaker it is, the easier it is to overwrite with another Bastion.)
Willpower: E-S (The willpower of the Bastion’s chanter. No matter the high stats of the Bastion, if the willpower stat is low, it can lose to a lower stat Bastion.)
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“Welcome to another edition of Call it a Lesson: Topaxi. This time it will be a miscellaneous edition! Take it away.”
We’re covering four topics today: Lingua Franca, Alphabet, Branding, and Lino’s Bastion.
The official writing system of Topaxi is based on the glyphs used in the Nahautl codices, simplified into a consonant-vowel featural writing system, similar to Hangul. Each character equates to a certain consonant, vowel, or consonant-vowel combination. While each character also has an origin in a glyph with a specified meaning, they primarily represent the sound being produced and a combination of characters in a string creates the word.
The alphabet is here.
Though the official writing system is based on Nahuatl, a majority portion of official documents are Spanish in origin, many of the family names of nobles are Spanish, and a majority of the population speak it as a second language. This being that in its history, Topaxi was visited by Sphaniam traders, who first sought to establish an outpost by force before such action was quelled by the standing armies of the empire. Afterwards, peaceful negotiation was instead established. In creating trade relations with Topaxi, Sphaniam agreed to give Topaxi direct control of its traders, which involved the traders and merchants becoming spies for Topaxi along its trade routes as was traditional with Topaxi. In doing so, many traders and their families became slowly integrated into the nobility, including even the Imperial family itself. Spanish, as the lingua franca of the traders and soon the nobility, became an official second language, slowly turning into a commoner language while Nahuatl remained the established ‘sacred’ language.
“With that out of the way, let’s get into some fun stuff: branding.”
Is it fun, though? Throughout Topaxi, there are many establishments that consolidated enough wealth to spread throughout the districts and to the empire proper, becoming ‘chains’ that are operated by a guild.
One of these is Waffle House. Established during the last decades of AM, it became popular for its offerings of relatively cheap Eastern food while remaining open all throughout the night. It’s since spread through the empire. Because they’re open so late into the night and are relatively cheap, the diners became known as a ‘pvp zone’. Instead of weaning off this reputation, the guild decided to lean into it: to become a cook, one must pass a ‘boxing exam’ which is a 23 second sparring match with another cook. If the prospective worker goes zerk on the cook, they are assigned the night shift. If the cook paps them out, they work the day shift.
Waffle House is seen as a guild of very strong fighters who cook great food. Every violent faction in Topaxi considers them a neutral zone: any violence started in their diner will be ended by them, without question.
“You can call it a waffle.”
Finally, some may wonder why Lino was defeated by Yunuen, if Yunuen had even less experience fighting than Lino did.
Lino’s Bastion is Field of Ilhuican, which creates its bind as the legendary field where all great warriors rest. Its effect is to temporarily heal all within its field and to equalize the magic and strength between them, creating the perfect environment for a true, honorable duel. Thus, skill becomes the only means by which a winner is established.
If Lino had defeated Yunuen, Lino would have survived. Whether Yunuen was more skilled or if Lino let herself get defeated, is up to your interpretation.
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“Welcome to this edition of Call it a Lesson: Topaxi! Today we will be discussing Witch Marriage. Take it away, Witch Married Lad!”
“Howdy! Witch Marriage is a ritual created deep in the past of A.M. by the first practitioners of magics in the central lands of Anahuac, in the marshes near the southernmost reaches of the mountain range where Topaxi’s floating island stands. It was a practice first developed by the innate nahwal.
“They discovered that by linking two people’s ichor flow together, they were able to grow exponentially in strength and potency in their casting, it quickened the pace by which they were able to transcribe sigils, and more easily developed more acute and specific forms of raiz. They discovered this by experimenting with the knowledge that twins held greater magic in an attempt to replicate this naturally occurring phenomenon.
“In the end, they discovered that through a ritual and continuous presence near each other afterward, the ‘fire’ of their ‘soul’ slowly became more attuned to one another and greatly increased their affinity for the control of the flow of magic and the release of ichor into magic. They form a soul bound, can share each other’s connection to magic, can aid one another in castings and rituals and even the chanting of Bastions, and they’ll feel each other’s energies more intimately, becoming more receptive to each other’s magic flow, ichor paths, emotions, and sometimes even thoughts when they become close enough. The bond gets stronger through the years, but sometimes compatibility is so strong that it overcomes the need for years of experience and even the differences in strength from awakenings or disciplines.
“The ritual involved crafting items with sigils on them, like this here ring, for each other, then activating the sigils on them when gifting it to one another while reciting vows of loyalty. Raiz can also be used, but it is not as potent as sigils. Afterwards, they would spend years, many times the rest of their lives together, to better strengthen the link of each other’s magic and ichor paths. Because of this ceremony, the practice became known to the layman as Witch Marriage, but to the practitioners it’s known as the ‘Union of Two Fires’.
“Of course, even acquired could enter a Witch Marriage, including two acquired and innate. There were also cases where upwards of five partners entered a Witch Marriage. There’s even tell of a coven that did this during the age of Mus. At a certain point, the connotation became romantic in nature, since who really wants to enter a lifelong partnership with another if there aren’t feelings involved? Except for me, though.”
“Yeah... No feelings involved. Just a Witch Marriage out of convenience. No feelings whatsoever... Why are you talking like that?”
“’Cause if’n I talked like a normally do, ain’t a body be pres’ standin’ my ramblin’.
“Ah! One more thing. A Witch Marriage is usually between two who fall under the same discipline of magic. Very rare that a magus partners with a shaman, a nahualli with a keeper of mu’uk, and so on and so forth. But it is still possible, just that the affinity of the disciplines will be weaker than normally would. Elemental affinity is also a thing, but two opposite elements complement instead of contrast, so it’s the exact opposite how discipline works. As well, it’s essentially Marriage but Magic™, so the living conditions tend to follow that they become more domestic with each other.
“You know, if you want to be shipping trash.
“And that’s it for this edition of Call it a Lesson: Topaxi! Ciao!”
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“Welcome to another Call it a Lesson: Topaxi! Today we’ll be going to the history of that ever-looming symbol of the Topaxi empire’s power, the airship! No silly comments, no asides, just right into it.”
The airship, at least in its modern DM era definition, is a relatively new invention. Before going into the history, it must first be noted what is the modern airship.
There are many different makes and models of airship, ranging from small and speedy single-manned flyers to large and hulking cargoholds. Despite their growing variety, the most common is the medium-sized cruiser.
An airship is an air-bound vessel built with the appearance of sea ships from the old days, they are powered by large ichor crystals which hold within them the natural ability to maintain static in their position of space. Research in the later years of AM proved that the ichor crystals didn’t really float, but were held in place by their magical energies. All airships, no matter what model, house an ichor crystal within them to not only maintain them airborne but also power all their mechanisms. Indeed, without ichor, there would be no modern airship industry.
“Back in AM, airships used sails to navigate the winds. Because they were up so high, the winds are even stronger than on solid ground. This is how airships and their navigators gained such high esteem that lasts even to this day: being an aeronaut really was a dangerous job. It required skill, discipline, and a good stomach to handle airships in those days.”
The airship traces its history to the first peoples that made the holy mountain Topaxi floats on their home. They considered the floating island as sacred and holy. At some point, they discovered the floating crystals that fell from the island and attached them to rafts trying to make it on the island.
These were the first inhabitants of the island. Their use of this discovery was very rudimentary: they attached lines from the island to the mountain and used the rafts to pull them to and from the island.
“There came another group of people, who witnessed this and thought of its boundless applications. They were the first to experiment with airships, and over generations were able to perfect it for aerial travel. What did they call themselves?”
The Topaxitlin. They eventually were successful in settling permanently on the island. This settlement soon expanded further and further, slowly adding artificial land to the island itself, creating the most magnificent city since the floating gardens of Tollan.
This, in essence, was the start of the Topaxi empire as we know it today. With these airships, they were able to cross the whole of the continent with ease, opening up trade routes and more avenues to exercise power over the other city-states and nations of Cemanahuac.
The earliest application for these fledgling airships was in war.
“Thus came the airship becoming the symbol of power throughout the world. If it approached from the skies like a calamity, it was an airship. And if it was an airship, it was Topaxi. Fast forward a couple of centuries and this still holds true. The modern airship is considered essential for Topaxi’s rapid expansion throughout the world, which is why many works of art made during the transition from AM to DM feature the airship as the symbol of this sudden change.”
It is the symbol of unstoppable conquest.
“On that happy note! That’ll be all for this Call it a Lesson: Topaxi! Until next time!”
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Interlude 1: Voyna i strast
“Look how much I lost! I was here with him! He was here, alive! I made him present through the mirages conjured in the mind, manifesting in the folds of reality like pressing a bookmark for his memory.”
The detective scratched his white hair. He held his hands open, palms upward to show how empty they were to the blind woman, breaking down crying.
“I need him here with me. I can’t solve anything, I can’t breathe in the puzzles of life without him. I loved him. I love him! He’s my partner, my partner, my love eternal!”
“My favorite passage from Guinevere Salvatierra Huapano’s The Blind Woman. It’s not the climax or anything, but it shows Vincento’s devotion towards Mariano Ulises so effectively. A very amazing, deeply cutting exchange from a novel about a blind woman who doesn’t realize she’s blind and two psychic detectives who don’t realize they’re psychic.
“Salvatierra sure knows how to use irony proficiently. But it also demonstrates how love has taken hold of Vincento into making Ulises so important that he can’t function without him, driving him so mad that he creates a conjuration of his memory through ichor, known back then as majia.
“Love is evil. It creates such imbalances in the world, where you put something above everything else. It’s not ‘I love you’, it’s ‘I choose you over everyone else’. I despise the notion that there can be a universal love. Love never operates in that manner. To love anything is to create a divide, to separate that loved thing from all unloved things. It is not a good thing.
“In that instance, love is everything that was created out of nothing. Love is the contaminant out of which the world is formed from the void, just as Mancha wrote in The Endless Rose, and even more obviously in ‘Love is the Contaminant’, the short story precursor. Salvatierra is the only one who picked up on that theme and went further with it. I wonder if any of you will meet her one day...
“To both of them, love is war. There is no separation of it. There is no denying it. Love becomes conflict, becomes violence, becomes a root from which chaotic change can stem from. Love is the opposite of order, yet becomes the foundation for order. To prepare to love is to prepare for war. Love truly, truly is evil.
“But I think it’s quite precious to watch all of you run around with love in your hearts.”
“In the city of Topaxi and many of its surrounding nations, there is a traditional holiday known as ‘The Week of Two Hearts’. Its origins have been lost to time, but the time frame of the first celebrations coincides with the first kingdoms of the Nahwal. To them, the heart was tied in duality with another. Opposites that joined together, like creation and destruction, to make an equilibrium and form their own world. This is what they thought of as ‘love’.
“Just as they viewed twins sharing the same fire of the soul from birth, becoming two of one, so did they believe that soulmates could be as such. The festivities involved eating together with lovers, friends, anyone that one considered a soulmate of any form. There was a special game of patolli made for two players that was played during this festive week. Street vendors would sell a chocolate treat made exclusively for that week. Marriages were officiated. Proposals were given. It’s all good stuff.
“Some human sacrifices here and there, but what can you do?
“When the tradition came to Tollan, which by that point had been seen as the paper capital of cemanahuac, this tradition was paired with the city-state’s love of poetry and song to create a tradition of writing little love poems on small cards of paper to give to a potential partner. They call this tradition, ‘white cards’, because the heart was thought to glow white when it was in love. Basically, it was seen as handing your heart to someone.
“This festival was introduced to more and more cultures, creating more and more iterations of the festivities that, when it finally reached Topaxi, all of its methods of celebration had already become established. Topaxi, in its ever intrepid industrialization, has turned this traditional holiday into a commercial one in the last twenty years. Turns out you really can sell love! A lot, actually, it’s one of the most important holidays financially speaking.
“But don’t let the commercialism deter you like some grumpy no-fun revolutionary. Go out there! Have fun in this week of festivity! Share some love, go to the boardwalk district and ride that Ferris wheel! Go to a restaurant! Write a love poem in some white card and give it to your crush. Whatever you ought do.”
THE WEEK OF TWO HEARTS is an event exclusive to Topaxi that will run from February 14 to the end of the month.
As it is unofficial, you don’t have to do anything with it and you don’t have to use any special tag (unless you want to).
This is only an informational post to give a lore backdrop on what to do for Valentine’s in Topaxi!
“To prepare for love is to prepare for war.”
“ Sunrise, Parabellum (Prepare for war).“
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“In the interests of maintaining my position as the greatest fear in the mind of everyone, I’ve let myself in to allow a little opportunity, plus an announcement afterward.”
“But first, I will answer any question you might have about me, what I want to do, or what I have in mind. Within reason. And I’ll limit the answers to four. So choose your questions wisely.”
“Or don’t. I don’t command your journey for answers. Only the end.”
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“Hope you’re all having fun with this event!”
“I’m not.”
“Too bad!”
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“Salutations, inmates of the endless exiled dream! The intrusive sorceress has made her, once again, invasive emergence.
In the grave light of what has come, the beginning of Disc 1, I have returned to share a concept referenced in the remnants of antiquated ‘ichor’ theory. Almost a year since its concept, miasma has been thoroughly explored and the expansion of artificials has only proven how ghastly and depraved minds humanity has…!” Why does she say that with such a peaceful smile..!?
“Miasma, though the writers discuss that concept by such a name, is not known by such a name commonly in the world of Tlalli. The academics like the acquired and others privileged to know ichor-human history would refer to it as miasma. However, colloquially, it is known as rot.
Miasma, generally, refers to physiological and psychological repercussions of ichor exposure - this is not only limited to artificials, acquired, and innates, but anyone and everyone overexposed to the substance.
Rot, in context of artificial and innate, has a explicit history that includes visual cues that would suggest or hint to others around them of their condition in very specific situations. This originated from Antes de Mecanism – it was commonplace to see ichor itself as a living and independent figure living in Tlalli. To say someone is rotten in that time is akin to possession from our world - - - it is saying that ichor is slowly replacing and effacing the human’s soul. Which, retrospectively, isn’t that far from the truth.
The displacement of someone’s humanity the longer exposed to ichor they are is very much a fear for artificials and innates. If their channels - - a specific system where ichor mainly flows to in the body - - are being forced to output an extraneous amount, that will harm the body. It can be temporary or permanent, depending on what exactly it is.
I’ll touch upon the temporary conditions because of what is going on.
Under extreme emotional duress, physiological and psychological effects related to the channels will begin. This is different from typical miasma - think of it as the body reaching a sudden peak and ichor breaking the threshold. Not terribly detrimental, but it is enough for both mind and body to begin presenting differences.
The body and mind will begin expelling out ichor the best way it can. Because it is trying to adapt to it within a short amount of time, which isn’t enough time. If the miasma on the person is more linked to the mind, hallucinatory effects will begin like one, or several, of the senses will be impacted. There will also be ‘signs’ showing where the main channels are. For example, there may be strange markings like great discoloration with varying shapes - be it large blemishes or scratch-like marks.
There are many other effects that can happen that may affect different functions of the body. Temporarily at least. But it is still notable and has to be hidden if you wouldn’t want to be figured out so soon..! The display enough is so nonhuman that it is quite impossible to ignore…
But this is how the term ‘rot’ is coined, at least one of the reasons.
Goodness, the time! I must tend to my forest!
And, that has been a lesson!” With a graceful wave of a hand, there is - -
Was there someone here? Why are you even standing here? Where even is this place?
Aren’t you late to what that thing you’re supposed to be at 10 minutes ago!?
Hack, hack, hack - - - Desperate clutch to burning throat, the sorceress breaks down on her legs, face burying between her legs. Clawing nails against flesh, red streaks running over and over. Release, release, release.
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Congratulations to Everi @maledictus-maleficus / @eraba-reta-unmei for passing the BAR exam! And, of course, a very big congratulations to Birb @asocier for passing and scoring high on her GREs this summer!
Our members did so much this past summer! We are excited for what's in store for them in the future.
Keep up the awesome work, ladies! We'll keep cheering you on and we're wishing for the best.
💖💖
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YNI: TOPAXI, WELCOME TO DISC 1.
FIRST STORY EVENT: WON’T LAST FOREVER.
BELATED INFORMATION POST BUT!!
The way story events will work in Topaxi shall be thusly: there will be a drabble post that will explain the setting, the story that is occurring, and then an event information post will fill in on the details.
There will be a period in time where the event is ACTIVE. The roles will be able to thread with other roles about the event and what they do during it, and after the event becomes INACTIVE, there will be an event recap, with a timeline of events of all the canon occurrences summarized.
IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO THREAD WITH OTHERS TO PARTICIPATE IN EVENTS.
A drabble counts for participation; this will be included in the event recap.
ALL THREADS AND DRABBLES MUST BE TAGGED WITH THE APPROPRIATE EVENT TAG TO BE COUNTED.
____________________________________________________________
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s head into the details:
Amidst the mounting tensions between all the warring factions in Topaxi, a single event is now threatening to break the peace.
The Rose Guard and Noble Guard both committed an execution of demonstrators in the Topaxi Central District Plaza, covering up the story by saying they were detained and held in the Royal Dungeon.
The majority of the populace will buy this story, but there are many who see it for its lies: those who fight against them and those who fight for them.
In addition to this development, because some of the demonstrators were UCAT students, the Rose Guard, with help from the Topaxi Advancement Forces and Royal Mage Court, has seized the UCAT District and forced everyone under martial law.
They are not allowed to leave or enter the district without express permission from Royalty.
This will last four days.
Almost everyone in the city will be affected, either directly or indirectly, so even a simple drabble of your muse reacting to the news will be sufficient.
Thank you for reading, and WELCOME TO TOPAXI DISC 1.
EVENT TAG: #topaxi event 1
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The lull in incidents within the near decade after Emperor Ludriq’s assassination gave everyone within the empire’s capital a sense of uneasy peace. Tensions on all fronts were mounting; after the order to hunt down all knights within the Empire’s limits was lifted not a single direct revolt sprung up, but there was still dissidence lurking in the shadows. The emergence of the underground rebel group HEAT and its more infamous splinter cell DUST, which never directly engaged Topaxi, but worked in the dark to undermine the interests of the Royal Family and the Imperial Council in the selection process had, in the three years since its activities began, started to become a greater and greater threat in the minds of the royals and its loyalists.
In the public side, a form of direct action was being created in demonstrations made by citizens from the downtrodden districts, laboral groups organized these demonstrations, some being accused of holding ties to the rebellions. UCAT’s alumni, as well, grew more and more bold in joining in, further sowing distrust of the public university and its faculty in the eyes of the loyalists. The Royal Guard and its allies found themselves in a dilemma. If they allowed these small problems to accumulate, it could spell trouble for the empire at home.
Like a boiling pot, the slow burn of all these mixing hostilities would be precariously placed on the back of one’s mind until it was too late, until it all bubbled over.
Until at last this fractious peace was finally broken.
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He sits in his office, greasy gloves on a greasy desk, tapping along to the music playing on the radio in the corner of the room. The song was a loud, bombastic jazz piece, his favorite kind of jazz piece. He’s a huge fan of Yves Corea for that very reason.
When the piece ended, a somber guitar song was the next record played from the station. Claudio sighed, then took a long drag from the cigar on the ashtray on his desk. The door to his office creaking open alerted him, and the following information given to him would change him forever, on that unassuming day.
“You hear they have this thing called television now?” asked Tatyana, stepping into Claudio’s office without even knocking.
“Television?” Claudio asked.
“It can broadcast like the radio, but it sends out images!” Tatyana proclaimed excitedly.
“You mean a projector?”
“No, it doesn’t need film to work! The film is played somewhere else like a record on the radio, and it’s broadcast through the air like the radio too!”
“You’re lying.”
“I’m not lying! One of the bastards I chauffeur has one, and it’s so cool. It doesn’t have sound yet, but it’s something that UCAT R&D is working on.”
“Cool.”
“Just cool? This is gonna change the world!” Tatyana waved her hands excitedly in front of Claudio, her eyes bright as she talked about the famous Development Department’s latest invention.
“Why would you want television if you can just have a radio?” asked Claudio.
“You say that, but wouldn’t you like to see a jazz band play live from a monitor?”
Claudio paused. Billows of smoke from his cigar framing his face. “Radio’s fine. Television won’t kill the radio star.”
The door to the office slammed open.
“Boss!” shouted Anayeli through the frame. She appeared out of breath and disheveled, having clearly run all the way over. “Have you heard?”
“About the television?”
“It’s amazing, right?” Tatyana grinned with excitement.
“What? No. What?”
“Television’s this screen like a radio, Tatyana told me--”
“Boss! This is serious! It’s--”
“What?”
“...”
Claudio’s blood ran cold. Tatyana stood in shock.
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“Unbelievable,” whispered Bibi from where she stood between shelves of books in the Central Library of the Universidad Cultural Autonoma de Topaxi. In her hand was the third edition of the short story collection by Latora Gelard during her exile from Asaseya, the seminal ‘Mitzius’, which she was rumored to have written between caffeine highs in a table at Cafe Cuervo.
She wasn’t entirely sure why she forced her attention on the book more than her surroundings, especially the scene out the window beside her. Maybe it was dissociating herself from her current place in time, and time isn’t a singular traipse through the garden; it was more like hedge maze and the mind was guiding itself, turning around whenever it found dead ends and pauses, or at least that’s how Mateno da Silas described it in his hefty novel, Templos desconocidos como saludes.
It made her want to laugh thinking about it. It made her want to cry. Was she crying? She saw it all, yet she didn’t see a thing. She’d rather if she hadn’t seen a thing, but reality had a tendency of going against her preferences. Now the tears are running down her cheeks.
Out the window, at the entrance of Xocalla station, a couple dozen of the Royal Guard rushed through the entrance. Following behind them, what seemed like forty people streamed in wearing the familiar red and green of the Topaxi Advancement Forces. They were carrying rifles with them. It appeared a few nahualli mages were in their ranks as well.
Bibi remained paralyzed with shock, watching as UCAT was suddenly seized by order of the Acting Imperial Command. Heartbreaking, as she thought it would never happen here.
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These past few months have been like a dream for him.
He can’t remember the last time he felt so happy. He really couldn’t. In his heart, he couldn’t quantify his emotions in such a manner, as all his life had been his service to the code honored by all cuaxic sworn under the Order in Stark, the last great order of the defunct Tollan city-state, even after he’d proclaimed himself an errant from their ways.
Spending his days in Topaxi, his world was opened up to many new and wonderous things, even with the atrocities he’d come to witness. Now, for the first time he feels since ever, he was starting to hold his own wish, a personal desire beyond what he considered his duty.
It was a wish in his heart that carried on the spirit of continuing this dream.
But today, he realized that, no matter how much he wished for it, dreams won’t last forever.
On that fateful summer morning, the unease that was felt in the central markets as he ate his pork taco while strolling around before going back to UCAT to spend more time with one of its alumnus, he heard it far in the distance.
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For two days, a group of UCAT alumni, along with some members of allied organizing fronts, decided to do a sit-in at the plaza in front of the Central District’s main entrance. Their main contention was a desire to open up the Imperial Council’s emperor selection to allow the civilians and not just the nobles to participate.
This small crowd doubled in size on the first day. By the second day, it had quadrupled to around sixty. On the morning of the third day, it fell apart. And all the tensions and animosities that held itself in the hearts of those within and without the empire finally exploded. The entire world held its breath.
The Royal Guard positioned itself in rooftops, streets, and alleys surrounding the plaza. Their intention was clear: to not let a single demonstrator escape. The crowd was slow to rouse to suspicion that something was amiss. Before long, nervousness within them turned to a slow, fearful anxiety.
Then they opened fire on the crowd.
Officially, they were detained and held in custody by the Royal Guard, but those who were near the scene knew that what had occurred was nothing more than murder.
The Royal Guard, using the UCAT alumni as excuse, took to seizing hold of UCAT itself to ‘make sure the threat to the Royal Family was properly abated’, in an event that would last four days, shocking all who saw this as breaking the unspoken sanctity of the public university being off limits from the clutches of the crown.
The aftermath of this event would send ripples throughout the world, a massive tide of change would occur. The world itself would become uprooted.
But the personal stories of those few whose roles were connected with the secret story would also be rewritten in those four days. To be changed forever.
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YNI: TOPAXI, WELCOME TO DISC 1.
FIRST STORY EVENT: WON’T LAST FOREVER.
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