victory_road | ANOMALY DETECTED

A. Hivemind/Astral Plane
[ The corridors of the hivemind might be disorienting or distracting for strangers, but Kimmuriel strides or floats through them with perfect ease. He spends much of his time lingering at the open parts of the hivemind's city, bustling with all manner of psychic Pokemon, staring out into the vast sea of stars that is the Astral Plane.

He seems entirely at peace, here, enough to offer a few comments to anyone who stops by. ]

It is a truly beautiful place, I believe.

B. Scarlet Marpenoth
[ Kimmuriel, looking quite at ease, can be found in any of the rooms, simply inspecting it as if it were his own property. He looks a little disgruntled, however. ]

What a ridiculous expense this must have been...

C. Roadside, Night
[ The drow has decided to take to the roads mostly at night, given that his newly returned powers have come with the side-effect of aversion to sunlight once more. He appears to be taking things slowly, with his entire party of psychic Pokemon following merrily along behind him.

If spoken to, or even if he is accosted or stopped in some way, it takes him a moment to respond, as if he is listening to something only he can hear. ]

Did you speak? [ It seems to be a honest, if very blunt, question. ]

D. Wildcard

[ Anything goes! Hit me up on

rukafais if you want to do more detailed plotting or just do whatever, it's all good. ]

Edited 2022-11-26 14:29 (UTC)

Ridiculous indeed, [a familiar, gruff voice agrees.] I think I have found the room that is Jarlaxle's—and one I think Soluun may be sharing, considering the size.

[Zak looks little changed from when Kimmuriel last saw him before he and Jarlaxle set out for the far north. There is a Honedge following him.]

[ Of course he would have a Pokemon that looks like a sword. That is just like him. ]

I am sure he would rather his bedroom all to himself. [ He turns to look at him. ] Unless you or I are in it, of course. But it is easy enough to find, with that scent he enchants half his property to smell like.

[WELL THIS IS UNSETTLING. Naeva hasn't gone fully to her beast form but her ears are out and her nails lengthened into claws...only to find nothing here is really that aggressive. Remy has, for the first time, elected to stay in his goddamn pokeball. She reaches out a bit with her magic, curious if these things have blood or life energy she can pull at, but stops when she hears Kimmuriel.

Honestly she's not sure how to even respond to that but it'd be rude to not at least try and see what he means.]

...It's a surprise, certainly.

A surprise for some, yes. [ He will acknowledge that much. He seems very amused by Naeva's reaction. ]

You do not have an astral plane in the world you are from?

[She makes a flatter expression. She can hear the amusement in your tone, sir.]

No...and even if we did, it would be full of the sort of horrors beyond comprehension that definitely want to eat people, not...

[She gestures out at the stars. This place is terrifying, but she won't deny that view...or that nothing here, right at this moment, is trying to murder her.

She is open to revising her judgement if that changes, by the way.]

[ He knows. He's not toning it down At All. ]

A pity. I have found it a consistently fruitful experience. [ He pauses. ] Though it is not to everyone's taste, I will admit. My own past has given me different perspectives on such things.

I am sure there are experiences of mine quite disconcerting to others in turn.

[Like being an undead being that requires the life energy of others, usually in the form of blood, and also having to kill her mother with her bare hands!

She doesn't know Kimmuriel can pick up on her thoughts, or she might not have allowed that to have occurred to her. ]

It's...quite different, from the other parts of--ah, I shouldn't assume those worlds are the same, but your language sounds quite similar to Mr. Jarlaxle's...

[ He notes it, and files it away. He's not gonna ask about it outright, but honestly, he's familiar with all of those things so he just...doesn't consider it weirder than all the other things that he's experienced? ]

That is because we are indeed from the same world of Toril - the same city, even. If you have met Vierna Do'Urden, she, too, hails from that place.

This is a separate plane, however. The prime material plane and the astral plane can only be traversed through select methods. But they are still connected to the same world.

Planar travel...so a plane is not truly another world, but a...layered facet of it?

[She closes her eyes a bit to think, calling on her memories. Truly, while she enjoys learning about magic, she is no scholar of it--a Queen hasn't the time to dedicate, unfortunately--and so she has to think hard on what she's heard from people who are. There are theories about these kinds of things, but that nothing like this--something factually known and asserted.

How curious. It's a little exciting, come to think of it.]

I believe I have met the young lady, yes.

[...Who is probably also older than she is but Naeva is electing to ignore numerical age for emotional experience to stay relatively sane.]

Something of the sort. While some are entirely different dimensions, such as the Astral Plane you see before you, some are an overlapping version of the material plane and allow the user to cover great distances quickly - the plane of shadow is one such example.

But they are all still connected to Toril. To my knowledge, no plane can transport one to another world entirely. Even with my powers restored, I cannot return to the true Astral Sea on which this hivemind resides, though I could normally.

Do you have such things in your own world? Or are they unheard of, or unexplored?

...It's a difficult question to answer. Certainly, there is a space in reality kept separate, where demons lay in myth, but it would considered quite ill-advised to try and explore the properties of it.

I think, though, the answer is largely that it is unexplored. Much of our world is--the seas became impassible in the last two centuries, and we are not nearly so long lived as your kind--and the beings who would know are of the opinion that mortals should sort it out for themselves.

[She pauses.] And if one of the witches finds out she could make it become true, and cause a headache for everyone in the process.

That sounds much like the Abyss. Though, to mortals' detriment and the delight of demons, it is far easier both to visit and summon them forth...yours sounds much more well sealed.

Impassable? By magic, or some disaster? [ He sounds genuinely curious. ]

Very, very angry dragons. So a bit of both.

[ He just sighs. Dragons, huh. ]

Dragons are ever a nuisance, no matter the world. An unusual constant, but I cannot say I find myself surprised. [ If he knew about Ishgard's Dragon Problems he would likely bring this up here too, but he doesn't, so it's a moot point. ] Was it an ancient transgression of some kind that brought this about?

(no subject)

desirestruth - 2022-12-07 07:25 (UTC) - Expand

...I'll admit, this is pretty cool.

[ Val has her normal, creepy-ass cadaverous look back, the blackened sclera, the Beast crying out to her from her ribs, the cobweb hivemind speaking out to her and rattling around in her skull again. Shit feels good. They're particularly loud here, and when she locks eyes with a Gothita for just a moment and feels a particular kindred spirit, man, that's nice.

Usually she doesn't give humans the time of day, but you are clearly not a human, so let's go. ]

[ He gives her an unruffled once-over. While the dead are not terribly common, life in Menzoberranzan has made him less than concerned about people with less...lively appearances. ]

It is a brilliant place. It is somewhat less impressive than the true one, but it is an acceptable substitute. [ He misses visiting!! ] Would you be able to see such sights, in your own world?

"N-no!"

Chip attempts to shrink behind the head of the Gogoat they're riding on, nervous and a little confused. This man looks like he should be of the Wilds, if anything, but he doesn't feel like that at all. He feels red, mostly, with what's more like an odor of Below than anything part of him. It's...weird.

"...the magic won't let me get home." Since, you know. He's probably wondering what Some Kid is doing out so late.

Coming from Toril - and being introduced to this place - he's not very inclined to question what a child is doing out at such late hours, especially with Pokemon in hand. It's none of his affair, after all, and with such creatures by their side, even a small child is protected.

"It is a rather annoying discovery," he surprisingly agrees at Chip's words, looking at them with a piercing, unsettling gaze. "Even with all powers restored, neither of us are able to return to the place we once inhabited. It is very troublesome - even if this place has become a pleasant respite, it is merely a prison without the ability to leave."

Oh god he's staring at them can he tell they're evil he can tell can't he is he gonna get angry he's gonna yell oh no oh no oh no--

...wait, no he's just. Talking? A lot, actually; they miss most of what Kimmuriel is saying between their anxiety and getting failing grades in English class. The bit about being stuck manages to land, at least.

"It sucks we can't go home. But I like here better anyway, we have Paliens and I get to be normal!"

He raises his eyebrows, his expression softening a little into curiosity - perhaps even a little understanding. "Is that an aspiration for you?" Despite his stare, it seems to be a genuine question.

Uh-oh. Chip shrinks down a little more, looking away with a mix of shyness and shame. Chip doesn't want to admit anything, even if he can tell, but...

"...'S what people're supposed to be..."

It seems that no matter the culture or species or even world, some things are a constant. In Menzoberranzan, children are beaten into shape - both metaphorically and literally - whether they aspire to it or not, and so this particular anxiety is not...unfamiliar to him.

He is what someone made him to be, after all. And even before, when he was so moulded, he was scorned regardless.

"Will that goal bring you satisfaction?" From all he can read off this child, that doesn't seem to be the case. But some are oddities like that. "No one individual is the same as any other regardless."

The Gogoat snorts and takes a few steps forward, starting to get curious about this odd-smelling trainer. Chip startles a bit but doesn't tell it to stop, instead keeping their eyes on the stranger.

"...I don't wanna hurt anyone." It's the truth, but also the only safe thing to say. No one trusts what a demon would say, and for good reason. "What're you?"

He doesn't move at all. He sees no threat in them, not even with the thoughts they harbor. He thinks he would well be able to defend himself from the worst of a child's temper, though that is unlikely given how timid they seem.

"Anything is capable of hurt. Even a simple pebble can be fatal in the right circumstances. I have never found much use for conforming, unless it is for survival." And it tastes bitter in his mouth, certainly, to have to do such things to survive.

It is still a novelty, to see humans - or, at least, creatures that look like humans - that do not know what he is.

"A drow. A dark elf. You are not familiar?"

ANOMALY DETECTED

kimmuriel | OTA

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