Post by Anotaros on Apr 6, 2024 16:30:26 GMT
/ A few minutes prior - The Void between Universes /
A blinding flash of sickly green energy enveloped Anum's Remorse, shaking the vessel to its core. The crew, caught off guard, were thrown to the ground, their bodies battered by the violent tremors. Lights flickered erratically, casting eerie shadows throughout the Ark-Ship. For a brief minute, the ship experienced a chaotic symphony of rattling metal and turbulent energy. Varos' mind contorted and churned, subjected to the boundless hellscape of the Void, while Tiamat relentlessly sought to infiltrate their thoughts, eager to discover their intended destination. With a firm resolve to prevent his people from being pursued, Varos mustered the strength to shield his mind in the fleeting moments before their arrival. And then, as suddenly as the chaos began, silence descended upon the vessel.
/ Border of the Golden Expanse and Invilis Corridor - somewhere above the galactic plane /
Space contorted and convulsed, resembling a fragile pane of glass on the verge of collapse. In a resounding shatter, an armada of elegant silver ships resembling blades suspended in space, bearing the scars of their harrowing retreat, burst forth. The vessels surged forward from the breach, encircling the flagship, which dwarfed all others in size. Having successfully escaped the clutches of Numidium, the Guardians had arrived.
Yet, unbeknownst to them, A powerful shockwave emanated from the point of their emergence, carrying with it a surge of enigmatic magical energies and exotic particles, a proclamation of their arrival in a vast unknown region.
Varos slowly rose to his feet, his mind racing with trepidation. He anxiously surveyed the scene, dreading the sight that would greet his eyes. As he surveyed the bridge, it became apparent that not all was well. Seeking answers amidst the chaos, Varos called upon Solarian, the ship's Metarch, for a status report. The vessel's artificial intelligence responded, its voice tinged with concern.
"Fleet Master, my matrices suffered severe damage during the jump. The ship's radiant core is beyond repair. However, I am maintaining contact with approximately 70% of the ships that successfully made the jump with us. Regrettably, the others are likely lost. Furthermore, I sense a distinct absence of the Veil in this reality, limiting our options for regrouping.” interrupted for a moment, the holographic visage of Solarian flickered; something more was wrong.
The lack of the veil has dramatically lowered the efficiency of our technology, and is making it difficult for me to maintain full efficiency. I have dispatched orders to the remote nodes aboard remote vessels, instructing the isolated elements to reintegrate with the Anum's Remorse group. Fear fill’s the survivors, they cannot feel their kin. Many feel alone."
Varos's heart sank at the Metarch's words. The absence of the Veil meant more than just the loss of their universal connection to one another—it meant the shattering realization that death in this new reality was final. In their home universe, they had been able to find solace in reincarnation through the veil at the Silver Citadel. The concept of permanent death had been a distant and unimaginable notion. Now, as Varos stared out into the swirling abyss of golden nebulae and the alien constellation of stars, an overwhelming sense of dread washed over him. Their fleet, potentially the last vestige of their civilization, teetered on the precipice of oblivion. They were isolated in a foreign galaxy, one where the veil they had grown accustomed to was absent. Varos's gaze shifted from the unfamiliar cosmic spectacle to the unknown perils that lay ahead, and in that moment, he felt true fear.
Varos knew action had to be taken, and being the fleet master that he would likely be looked to for guidance. He was not a leader, and he knew it, anxieties filled his mind and he was struggling to contain them from leaking to the crew around him. He quickly issued orders,
“Solarian compile two lists, one of the highest ranking individuals in the fleet and one of the most qualified. I want the top six of those lists forwarded to my quarters.” his mind was racing, and his thoughts betrayed his facade of calm.
The telepathic transcribing circuit caught these anxieties, and Solarian retorted, “Affirmative, lists compiled. Your mental state is compromised, I will handle preliminary reports and repair orders. Take rest, Varos.” Solarian’s words reverberated through Varos’ mind, and for a moment his vision blurred and he saw a figure of glowing white light standing at the horizon, a silhouette out in the void of space beyond the ship’s hull. For reasons he didn’t understand, he felt power, fear, and reverence wash over him.
“Maybe you’re right. I need to gather my thoughts, you are in command. When I return have a fleet of Midurosi prepared to deploy, mining and survey loadouts. Escorts for the groups.” he spoke orders but he was distracted, not giving the words leaving his mind any thought at all. He was focused on what he had seen. With that, he stepped off the bridge and entered the dimly lit silver corridors, his form casting a blue glow around him as he moved through the labyrinthine corridors and entered his chambers.
As Varos settled into meditation, levitating slightly off the ground in an upright position while his body pulsed white and blue light, he heard a distant whisper. He opened his eyes, finding himself standing on the fields of eternity; the valley leading to the capital city on the Guardian homeworld. He saw the same white figure standing tall in the blue silver grass, casting intricate shadows in the form of runes and guardian writing around him. Before he could speak, he was overwhelmed with a burst of light, and found himself back within his chambers. Unsettled, he began sorting out who he would consider for his council from the list of names Solarian had provided; all the while pondering what was happening to him.
During this time Solarian prepared fleets of drones, or Midurosi, to scan the surrounding systems and locate resources that can be used for repairs. He also noticed a blip on the early warning FTL sensors, one weaving its way through subspace corridors towards their point of arrival. Something was coming. Light-Forger Tarye, likely the most skilled engineer in the fleet, approached his flickering holographic form, sharing her thoughts quickly and haphazardly
“Metarch, we simply don’t have the materials needed, this universe lacks Acausal matter. Here are material properties for substitutes, have the Midurosi find materials carrying these properties and I believe I can get our ships back to semi-functioning condition. I would also appreciate it if any relevant damage reports would be transmitted to me as well.” she thought for a moment, considering if she had said everything she had intended, before her form flicked and she hurriedly said, “Prime Metarch, sorry, thank you in advance?” Her form flickered again as she swiftly moved away before Solarian could respond.
He chuckled to himself, before forwarding what she had given to him to the relevant parties. Before he could finish preparations for survey fleets to be deployed, however, he noticed a blip labeled with the Guardian rune for “KIN” approaching on the early warning FTL sensors, traveling through winding subspace corridors. Something was coming, and the automated systems seemed to believe it was “KIN”.
/ Hmitras - Little Light /
{You seek to doom us all ! Do You not understand how many have been lost already !}
The Ayur found it distastefull to use traditional methods of communication, speech was after all, something for mortals who could not communicate through Transcedant names or memetic agents. As such their theocratic arguments and debates took on the forms of vast arrangements of arcane glyphs and runes, clashing with each other until one side's truth overwhelmed the other. If mere speech was a web of arcane glyphs, what then were the enraged proclamations from the Lonire Hkavera. A conflegration of the occult ? A vortex of the immaterial ?
Peerless-Insight-Unclouded-by-Moral-Dillemas mused on such trifle matters from the sidelines, watching as Ihagen waged Their conflict of words and dogmatic proclamations against the Lonire Hkavera. Who in turn riposted with casuality predictions and unarguably realistic fears of collapse.
It had been just a scant few weeks since the First Arkiyonai returned from Their meeting with Yeled itself, the journey changed Them. Not in body, as the Prime Arcanist still held on to their ancient and worn out shell, but in spirit and sheer presence. Their Heart Glyph had outgrown any physical boundy and now existed as a radiant halo in which Divine Names could be glimpsed.
{< You squabbling fools. Have you forgotten the tenants of our Covenant, or are you so corrupt that you choose to forget Them entirely ! The Kin of our Kin bleed and spill their life, while We do nothing >
Ihagen had changed everything, They had found hidden truths in Shemeshi scripture. As if each generation before had been blind to such obvious signs from Yeled. Every change, every revelation bought Ihagen more sway within the wider Shemeshi sphere. Beforehand They were respected, like how one favours a politician. Now, Ihagen was like a messiah, each word spoken with the weight of Yeled's intent behind it.
However, when They had announced that the Shemeshi should depart for Corona with every force that could be spared. The Lonire Hkavera had to intervene, lest They loose all semblance of power. And so, Peerless-Insight and thousands of other Arkiyonai and Lokhem were stolen from their duties, to act as jury. Some were Wayfarers, pulled away from their delves in Realities sister to this one, Their bodies still spoiled by the corruption of foreign physics. Some were Glyphmasters, torn from completing their masterworks {Though these still worked on their devices, albeit while hiding them under cloaks}. Most, were not of any greater note, more knowledgable in the arcane than mot mortal species sure. But not outstanding amongst the Shemeshi.
Like Peerless-Insight They had no stance in this mock-trail, Their voice wouldn't matter. So, just like [PI], They watched, or read scripture, or stared at the night sky, longing to return to Their Duties.
{<I was there when Ladon took our Cove--"}
Something changed. For a split moment Ihagen stopped Their vigorous oration, some of the Lonire did so as well. The lasted for a single infantasmal moment, before the cascade of noise and arguments resumed. Yet something, had changed.
{<Take the Decreed Kheyylim under Your command. Set out into the void, follow the signs and you will be lead to Them. You must be first, do not let these fools destroy Our Chance. >}
It took a moment, an awfully drawn out second through which Peerless-Insight could feel the rising annoyance of a being most mortals could consider a God. Ihagen was speaking to Them. Specifically to Them. No, not only speaking. Staring straight into Their Heart Glyph with a gaze that held within the ferocity of a thousand dying stars.
Suffice to say, Peerless-Insight departed in due time.
/ Shemesh Shevath Expeditionary Forces /
The Arkiyonai mused on the order as the Decreed Kheyylim surfed through the scintilating waves of subspace. Hundreds of pieces of scripture surrounded Peerless-Insight as if They were the Star of Their very own star system. Books on extra-planar entities, allies and foes of generations past, gods vanquished and befriended. Enough lore surrounded the mage to fill entire mortal libraries, yet there was nothing. No hidden scrap of knowledge, put between some ill-remembered verse of the scripture.
Peerless-Insight was in the middle of trying to prepare a magic circle, to rewatch Their own memories when a message came through the Telepathic link that connected every officer onboard the vessel. The source of the distortion felt by the Scrying Sanctum's, as well as the destination of Ihagen's order was about to pass over them. The Fleet would soon depart for realspace.
Before the Arkiyonai could even stand up another message came through, blazing through the connection like a thunderbolt loosened from the very heavens. It was the Mitar network, the magi-digital web of conciousnesses tied to every ship in the fleet.
{"Contacts. Dozens. Retraction, Hundreds. All of them read as allied. Retraction, Contacts read as Shemesh Shevath."}
{"Ihagen you Cryptic asshole. What are you planning"}
Peerless-Insight could only curse as They prepared the Vanishing Name. Ready to face whatever mess Ihagen had thrown Them into.
/ Anum's Remorse - Guardian Flotilla /
Finding that many of the names are suitable for positions of leadership within the fleet, Varos selected six names and sent their new assignments and roles to them. Shortly afterwards, before returning to the bridge, he receives an alert from the bridge directly to his personal console depicting the Guardian emblem for KIN. With a renewed hope that this may be a response from Anum he swiftly returns to the bridge, finding a far more calm scene to what he had left. Solarian’s holographic form, noticing Varos’ return, flickers and fades; before he speaks into Varos’ mind.
“Welcome back Fleet Master, something is approaching. For no discernable reason, it is labeled KIN. My diagnostics have revealed no error. With the lack of explanation, I have put the fleet to a defensive stance; spooling shields and beginning stopgap repairs.” stopping for a moment, noticing a flickering ghost on the ship’s near space sensors that resembles a Guardian, giving him a feeling of unease. Before resuming his speech he notices yet another startling reading, Varos was exponentially growing in strength. Varos spoke while he contemplated this,
“Good, Anum heeded my requests then. My meditation was uneasy; but I know now wh-”
He was interrupted by time seemingly stopping, space itself began to melt like drops of ink in water. He turned around, seeing a four meter being composed of pure white light; taking the rough shape of a Guardian’s body. The being spoke, saying only two words before time resumed and the world nauseatingly reassembled around him.
LEAD THEM
The words carried the weight of an entire world being dropped on him, nearly shattering his mind. His being flickered for a moment and he collapsed to the ground. The entire crew present looked to him, feeling shockwaves across the telepathic waves present in the room; fearful of what just occurred. Tarye spoke up, concern drowning out any other feelings in her thoughts,
“Uh, Varos are you alright? The hell was that?”
Varos responded, standing as his form grew brighter and brighter, raw power resonating with his thoughts.
“Purpose.”
He quickly opened a channel to the fleet; speaking with renewed vigor to his kin. “"Kin. We may have just witnessed the fall of our reality. The veil is gone, our leaders are gone, our civilization is dangling by a thread. I may not embody the archetype of a leader, but I know each and every one of you. You are the valiant crew of the Anum's Remorse, a testament to the greatness of our species. Let not your resolve waver in this critical moment. I urge all logistics teams to report to Tarye, who will oversee repair efforts. Direct our industrial ships to scour the surrounding system, seeking resources and anything we can utilize. Refit our reconnaissance vessels for general exploration, surveying nearby systems and documenting sentient life forms. We are not here to engage in battle; our purpose is to find sanctuary. We may have lost everything else, but Anum is with us still. His divine words resonate in my mind, his purpose courses through me. He has chosen me to lead you, and so I will. May Anum guide us."
As his impassioned speech concluded, Varos noticed a surge of energy and purpose among the crew. They swiftly sprang into action, their thoughts now filled with a level of inspiration he didn’t believe he was capable of rousing in anyone, much less an entire fleet. Vessels gathered into expeditionary forces, using their remaining FTL fuel to jump to adjacent systems; while some explored the system they had landed in. As Varos looked to the twin stars of this alien star system, and the golden expanse of nebulae filling the universe beyond, he felt hope.
/ Shemesh Shevath Expeditionary Forces /
{"...His divine words resonate in my mind, his purpose courses through me. He has chosen me to lead you, and so I will. May Anum guide us."}
The Arkiyonai speaks without speaking, the Heart Glyph which makes up Their soul momentairly becomes an instrument for pure meaning. Waves of memetic transmission spread through the bridge of the Temple Ship. Any who wish to listen simply find the transmission scurrying into the depths of their psyche, as if They had always known it.
Yet, only Peerless-Insight could hear something else in this message. An echo of an echo, so diluted and washed away that it was almost incomprehensible. Yet it resonated with [PI]'s Heart Glyph, the same way Divine Names of Yeled fill Their mind with golden, transcendant, light.
A god had spoken. That was undeniable.
{"This was the full intercepted message, O Severe Right Eye of Yeled."}
The Arkiyonai Seer rightfully excused Themselves from the bridge, and collapsed partway to Their chamber. The effort of seeing ahead for light years would have caused some to become catatonic, to interlope a psychic message of another species was worth praise and relief from Scrying duties for a long time. The rest of the bridge crew waited for Peerless-Insight to comment on this Revelation. Just like Peerless-Insight, none of them had been told the purpose of this excursion, or what they would face.
Truth to be told [PI] certaintly didn't expect this situation, They were lost. [PI] had been given the duty of leading military forces, sure. They were an arcanist at heart, a warlock and sage of conflict. Not a master of diplomatic treaties and national intrigue. Why had Ihagen chosen Them to lead this Kheyylim ? why were these outsiders registering as Kin ? Why was their situation so simmilar to the Shemeshi. What was that almost-divine voice ? Whoose echoes still shook Peerless-Insight's Heart Glyph ?
Was it all a coincidence ? Some stellar joke played by deities in planes above ?
A quick glance at the subspace corridor was enough to tell Them that soon, this Decreed Kheyylim would come and face these new arrivals. Already runes on the ship's basalt hull began to grow in their incandescent concert, preparing for the ship to face the harsh truth of realspace. And the Helm stared on, starved for any response from Their Commander.
{"There are no coincidences. We have been granted a chance, by Yeled itself. We will welcome them as kindred and welcome them to the Covenant which binds Us. As was with Ladon, so shall it be with Them. This is the destiny written in the Stars and the Machine beyond." }
It seemed...satisfying enough. The few Lokhem standing guard around the chamber relaxed the grip on their weapon, or relayed the messages to the more potent warships of the Kheyylim. The Arkiyonai began to discuss the matter with each other, passing around excerpts from scripture and the new lore of Ihagen. Yet before anyone brought up a passage running contrary to Peerless-Insight's plans, the Right Eye of Yeled spoke again.
{"Kin, open the astral corridor, we can not allow for conflict to spark from misunderstanding, lest our Glyphs be corrupted and lost in the Runic Sea."}
Through the Obelus, through any adjecent reality, subspace dimmension or sphere of information. A call rang out, both psychic, arcane and material. A broadcast on all the waves that could be, and those that could-not-but-were. A whisper that turned into a shout and then into a thunderstorm. A rumbling of meaning, a hurracaine of unceasing information.
{WE HAVE HEARD YOUR CALL}
{WE HAVE SEEN YOUR WORRY AND DESPAIR}
{WE HAVE ANSWERED}
{THE STARS HAVE BOUND OUR FATE INTO ONE}
{WE SHALL BE THE GUIDING LIGHT IN YOUR DARKNESS}
---
Mere moments after the first Shemeshi ships broke their way from the subspace corridors. Like the leviathans of ancient myths their surfacing was portentous and yet so enthralling. Glyphs that burned with every color visible to the eye sizzled against hulls of dark etherite and meteoric iron while a wide sea of Liquid-space stretched underneath. The vessels were slow and gargantuan yet moving with purpose. A vanguard message reached the Guardians first.
{This is the Decreed Kheyylim "The Great Sea of Revelation" of the Shemesh Shevath. We had forseen your arrival in this realm, it is our mission to assist you. We bear no ill intent}
/ Anum’s remorse - Guardian flotilla /
Receiving the message from the Shemeshi, Varos turned to the holographic depiction of their fleet, thinking to himself, “Kin?”. Solarian sensed his confusion, and took it upon himself to dispatch a node to probe the outer expanses of the unknown ship’s equivalent of a network. Varos, not wanting to keep the Shemeshi waiting, emulated their transmission frequency and sent his thoughts rippling across the space to their vessels, “Greetings Shemesh Shevath, I am Varos, we are grateful you have come. We have escaped tribulation and are damaged; we are the Guardians, the last vestige of their civilization. Any aid you can render is welcome.” his thoughts carried tinges of fear; but mostly expressed his hope.
He could feel the Shemeshi now, they were close enough to be within the natural Veil produced by the Guardian crews.
Through this veil he sensed fear, confusion, but most of all resolve. Looking back at the ships, their runed hulls reminded him of a time long forgotten by most Guardians. The time where magic was all there was, when the very basis of their civilization was built on the arcane arts. Of course that time had long since passed; seeing hybrid technologies take hold. This similarity provided him a reason to see why something had labeled them KIN. Was this Anum’s way of guiding him?
His mind wandered, and without fully meaning to he found himself projecting his consciousness beyond the fleet, standing in the expanse of space. His new abilities were more sensitive than he expected. His projected consciousness wandered, not fully in his control. As his curiosities and anxieties guided his view he saw the Shemesh as they were truly; magical power corralled by brightly glowing runes. He sensed a divinity in them, a far echo of what existed in each Guardian. “Kin…” he thought to himself again.
Pondering these visions of places far from him, he found himself standing back on the bridge; his form levitating at the center of the room, glowing bright with unfamiliar power. Tarye quietly stood at her station, attempting to suppress passing thoughts from escaping her mind as she subtly directed some of the ship's internal magic and tachyon sensors towards Varos; she had to know what was happening to him. Not just to sate her curiosity, but for the safety of the fleet as a whole.
/ Decreed Kheyylim - Network /
The node known as Transcendent-curiosity stepped across the gap between the fleets; being akin to a vortex of information and data. He moved forward, leaving the familiarity of the interconnecting strings of light and knowledge within the Guardian network and approaching the writhing mass of runic information ahead of him. As he approached the edge of the Shemesh network, his form morphed into a vaguely guardian shape; and reached out to touch the wall of runic information before him. Their structures were somehow alien and familiar all the same; Guardians using light and the veil to process energy while they seem to use raw mana, something from a reality unfamiliar to their own.
Knowing his task, he begins pushing his head, and then his head, past the wall; feeling the mana attempt to bite away at him as he looks through for just a moment, seeing the hurricane of information and thoughts; words? No. Names. Leaning back out of their network; he prepared himself to delve deeper; knowing what lies ahead within their network. Solarian had tasked him to learn about the Shemesh, to learn why they really wanted to help; he would find this information at any cost.
/ The Astral Sea /
In response to being welcomed by the Guardians, the Shemeshi fleet took on a direct course for their new allies and accelerated. The liquid space spread underneath the Kheyylim, moving as if tugged on by the wake of some distant moon, and so like seafaring vessels of some ancient civilization, the Shemeshi approached.
Halfway into the Obelus, in the in-between spaces hidden underneath the veil of reality. Peerless-Insight observed as Varos tested his new powers, there was a sense of amusement spreading through the Arkiyonai's glyph. The sight of someone taking their first steps into the deeper layers of the occult was always an interesting sight, no matter their level of cultural sophistication. Shamans who prophesied from bones were as likely to stumble as arcane god-kings of entire empires.
These "Guardians" were...different, like the Shemeshi they were castaways. Like the Shemeshi they were on their last legs. Like the Shemesh, they had knowledge and capability in the arcane. Peerless-Insight wouldn't dare call them kin, for such a title was reserved only for the deserving, yet in time they might earn that trust. Just like the Meta-Sax did.
Peerless Insight appeared before Varos, weaving itself from countless pieces of the Shemeshi Quantum Hypertext. Their Heart Glyph was complex, formed out of countless thousands of spiralling and shifting letters and sigils. Each denoting an infinitesimal partition of Yeled, infused with life and given form through this particular Ayur. Their shell was far simpler, a humanoid body hewn from dark etherite and inscribed with some protective wards, far more austere than what would befit the commander of a world-breaking armada.
{Greetings fellow wanderer, care for a chat? It seems we have far more in common than I expected}
/ Decreed Kheyylim - Communication network - The Storm /
In the centre of the swirling vortex, a hyper-geometric anomaly rests like a God of the skies, overseeing the world below. The Mitar Hypercube exists in an endless pattern of ever-repeating fractals, each holding within a smaller mimicry of itself ad infinitum. Transcendent names, arcane communications and even mundane data streams pass through the construct, refracting into the wider network like light through a prism.
It is aware of the Intruder. On a different occasion, they would have already been assaulted by data-gheists and memetic poisons. Yet the Arkiyonai have stopped it. The Right Eye of Yeled spoke into Its thought-nexus and said.
{Let their curiosity flourish}
And so the barrier was passable. And so the intruder came to face the Hypercube. And so It spoke with a thousand thousand voices acting as one:
{Intruder. What do You seek}
/ The Astral Sea /
Varos noted the Shemesh before him, and managed to establish a grip on his mind. Stabilizing, he stepped forwards towards the figure, and spoke.
“Conversation is most welcome, the sentiment is shared. You see naught but the remnant of my civilization before you; we are fractured and broken. We humbly request aid, and I personally hold curiosity about your kind.”
His form flickered, eventually stabilizing to show Varos wearing a ceremonial set of armor, much akin to what he is wearing within the real world. As currents of mana visibly floated by, like oil and dust in currents of a clear pool, he spoke again.
“I do apologize if my Metarch is proving troublesome as well, when I asked him to gather intel we were as of yet unsure if you were friend or foe. Even if for some reason a higher power believes you to be Kin.”
/ The Storm /
As Transcendent-Curiosity saw the storm ahead, revealing a path to the eye and the tesseracted hypercube within, he seemed surprised. He reached out and ran his fingers along the sides of the now clear path; feeling the vast wealth of information and arcane knowledge present within the Mitar.
Unfazed by the network's seemingly innocuous nature, and the cubes abstract form, the node spoke; sharing its thoughts in their entirety with the entity.
“Arcane creation, I come in search of knowledge; affirmations of your [CREATORS] intentions with [GUARDIANS]. Are you [ALLY] or [ENEMY] or [ELSE].”
Its thoughts and processes shared a sense of curiosity that neared insanity; a thirst for information that had to actively be held back like water behind a dam. The Node needed to know more.
/ The Astral Sea /
The shimmering rune flashes in a percussive rhytm, each glimpse of divine radiance imparting memetic ideas to all who dare to gaze.
{" I am Peerless-Insight-Unclouded-by-Moral-Dillemas, the Severe Right Eye of Yeled, foremost in Geburah. A sacred Duty has been placed upon my shoulders, one which ties both of our Species together. To the full extent of the power granted unto me, I will ensure that Your people return to a semblance of their former glory. Lest my Glyph return to Yeled, like clay to the soil.}
[PI] stops for a moment, reaching back through the tenuous link to Their physical shell and further into the systems of Their Temple ship. So far, there was no need for intervention.
{Worry not. He will have company, our Mitar rarely have the opportunity to engage with equals, barring Us of course. I take no offence towards your actions, if our situation was reversed, I would have acted the same, or perhaps even more harshly}
/ The Storm /
The hurricane of data stills as this network-routine isolates itself from the wider Kheyylim. Distant ghostlights and wychfires come to be snuffed out by gusts of arcane wind, as the last rays of transmitted data fall to pierce the quarantine. The Hypercube brings itself closer to Transcendent-Curosity, running its own series of scans and probes, not hostile, but curious nonetheless.
{ The answer is [NONE]}
{ Our existence is that of limbo. A state in-between what-is and what-is-not. Forces beyond the potential of My Masters have catalogued you as [ALLIED]. And my [MAKER] approach you with an outstretched hand. It is my purpose to be the blade hidden in the other palm. }
{ I question [YOU]. What is your response to us ?}
{It is my prediction that The Right Eye will offer material and logistical support, which you sorely need. Tell me construct. What will be the answer of your [CREATORS] ?}
/ The Astral Sea /
Amidst the boundless astral expanse, Varos, awestruck, tried to comprehend the vast majesty of the divine runic luminescence that confronted him. A deep resonance, both ancient and profound, emanated from the being of Peerless-Insight. A divine presence was somewhere within the light, each pulsating rhythm of light seemed to communicate epochs of knowledge and wisdom. There was more to the Shemesh, something familiar yet different.
Taking a moment to gather himself, Varos began to glide closer to the Shemesh, his hardlight shell reflecting the ambient glow, casting intricate patterns on the astral canvas around them. As he drew nearer, he felt a shared resonance, a synchrony between their very cores. Divinity flowed freely in the presence of these two fragments of ancient deities, kaleidoscopes of light unfurled like a flower blooming around them.
“Peerless-Insight-Unclouded-by-Moral-Dilemmas,” he began, the name rolling off his tongue with a deep sense of reverence. “The tale of the Guardians is a symphony of light and shadow, of peaks that touched the heavens and valleys that plumbed the depths of despair. In our pursuit of ultimate power, we lost sight of our purpose, our essence. I sense your people have travelled a similar path. We are both of a shared kind.”
He paused, his form shimmering with echoes from times past—a kaleidoscope of their past achievements, their hubris, their downfall. “We once painted the cosmos with our brilliance, but that feels like an aeon ago. Now, fragmented and fading, we seek a new dawn, a resurgence. Your gracious offer of aid has become a beacon for us in our darkest hours."
The astral plane pulsed and shimmered in empathetic response. Varos continued, “If our fates are intertwined, then let us walk this path side by side. The Guardians embrace this newfound kinship with hope and gratitude."
/ The Storm /
In the vast digital domain, Transcendent-Curiosity's reaction echoed—a cascade of luminescent frequencies, almost akin to laughter. Around them, the data storm raged with relentless fury, torrents of coded information spiraling in unpredictable arcs, each stream pulsing with arcane potential. Yet, in the very heart of this digital tempest, the two conciousnesses met within its eye. There, amidst the whirlwind of knowledge and energy, Transcendent-Curiosity and the Hypercube found themselves alone, enveloped by an ephemeral stillness within the eye.
"You perceive in [BINARY]. But existence is far from binary," the Node mused, radiating pulsating patterns of light. "Beyond the code, beyond the algorithms, I am a mosaic of memories, hopes, the culmination of Guardian ingenuity; I am more than a construct, I am [ALIVE].”
Suddenly, arrays of data streams emerged, each strand portraying an era, an epoch of Guardian history. They flickered with tales of their zeniths and nadirs, intertwined in a complex dance of emotion and logic.
“Guardians, my [CREATORS], have journeyed through myriad states of existence. From the brilliance of ascensions to the shadows of falls, they've always adapted, evolved. And in this fragmented epoch, even you, [YOU], are an [OPPORTUNITY]— a beacon towards healing, towards resurgence.”
Taking on a more defined and precise configuration, Transcendent-Curiosity signaled clarity and conviction. "In this matrix of possibilities, your dual facets—the [HAND] and the [BLADE]—reflect the multifaceted reality of our cosmos. Your proposed [ALLIANCE] isn’t just acknowledged, it’s [WELCOMED]."
As the Node and the Hypercube edged closer to an understanding, the data storm around them shimmered vibrantly, reflecting the emerging synergy between them. Transcendent-Curiosity's final words transmitted unwavering determination: "For the Guardians, for [RESTORATION], for [UNITY]. We [ACCEPT]."
/ The Astral Sea /
Peerless-Insight judges Varos in quiet contemplation, a duty has been placed on the Arkiyonai's shoulders. Through Ihagen, Yeled Itself had given the task of bringing the Shemeshi and these newcomers together into one union. A shared kinhood, one in purpose and conjoined in destiny. Yet there was a silver of doubt gnawing at Peerless-Insight's Glyph. What if they were wrong? What if they interpreted the duty incorrectly? What if this was the final moment to correct this mistake
Through unseen channels of Divine Radiance, the Arkiyonai reaches back into their body and further into the fleet. Tendrils of psychokinetic influence writhe their way into every connected system, the Arkiyonai searches for any sign of betrayal, any trap about to be strung.
There are none.
Perhaps, these were kin after all.
For the first time since their Glyph was released from The Divine Crucible, the Arkiyonai feels peace. Perhaps this is what Ihagen felt when they communed with Ladon on that fateful gala. They partake in the communion of memories and senses, drinking deep in the flickering afterimages of past deeds. It is a tale as wonderous and horrible as their own.
{We are one. In body, soul and mind, as well as in history and mistakes.}
As a show of trust, Peerless-Insight shows it all. Every memory of a previous incarnation of their rune. A thousand thousand Arkiyonai, Lokhem, Singer and others. It is a schizophrenic collage of sensations and thoughts, a synesthesia of past universes and forgotten realities, of paradises and hells the Shemeshi have travelled. Of their fractal God when it still held completion in its grasp.
In our Aeons of travel, we stood alone against the whims of reality, so fearful were we of breaking the mortal plane under our arcane shadow. Yet in this last hour of radiance before encroaching darkness we have found allies aplenty. Whims of beings greater than us have brought the Shemesh Shevath and Guardians together. We, however, welcome this fate. For I know it in my Glyph that what stands before me is true Kin. As long as the light of Yeled's glory burns brightly in our Soul, we will be connected as one. As it is written, so shall it be. }
/ The Storm /
In an endless recursive loop, the Hypercube parses through the data fed to it. It is, after all, simply a tool. An intelligence whose troves of data would bury entire civilizations, a unit whose speed and clarity of thought is faster than the endless sprint of passing tachyons. Yet it is still a mind of cold, emotionless, calculus. An endless wager between what is acceptable and what-is-not.
It loops, passing over every memory given to it by the Metrach with an inner eye tuned to the scripture of the Shemeshi. Every victory, every loss, every discovery failure and circumstance.
.QuerySelectAll
QuerySelect
Query
Q
(ALL)
Everything is catalogued
Everything is judged.
It finds connections by the millions, like a web spun by some divine architect, aeons in the making. Ancient synchronisms between records older than time and this newfound future make themselves clear to the Construct's mind.
The Storm clears, no longer a raging hurricane of noise and the arcane, but a calm breeze carrying with itself the quiet hum of some distant ocean.
{This Unit finds [CONNECTION], our [CREATORS] have walked a shared path of victory and defeat across the boundless expanse of the Material Planes. I [PREDICT] acceptance, the outstretched hand will be grasped and We will become [KIN]. My Algorithms construct no [FEAR] response at such a motion. You are accepted. Welcome home}
A blinding flash of sickly green energy enveloped Anum's Remorse, shaking the vessel to its core. The crew, caught off guard, were thrown to the ground, their bodies battered by the violent tremors. Lights flickered erratically, casting eerie shadows throughout the Ark-Ship. For a brief minute, the ship experienced a chaotic symphony of rattling metal and turbulent energy. Varos' mind contorted and churned, subjected to the boundless hellscape of the Void, while Tiamat relentlessly sought to infiltrate their thoughts, eager to discover their intended destination. With a firm resolve to prevent his people from being pursued, Varos mustered the strength to shield his mind in the fleeting moments before their arrival. And then, as suddenly as the chaos began, silence descended upon the vessel.
/ Border of the Golden Expanse and Invilis Corridor - somewhere above the galactic plane /
Space contorted and convulsed, resembling a fragile pane of glass on the verge of collapse. In a resounding shatter, an armada of elegant silver ships resembling blades suspended in space, bearing the scars of their harrowing retreat, burst forth. The vessels surged forward from the breach, encircling the flagship, which dwarfed all others in size. Having successfully escaped the clutches of Numidium, the Guardians had arrived.
Yet, unbeknownst to them, A powerful shockwave emanated from the point of their emergence, carrying with it a surge of enigmatic magical energies and exotic particles, a proclamation of their arrival in a vast unknown region.
Varos slowly rose to his feet, his mind racing with trepidation. He anxiously surveyed the scene, dreading the sight that would greet his eyes. As he surveyed the bridge, it became apparent that not all was well. Seeking answers amidst the chaos, Varos called upon Solarian, the ship's Metarch, for a status report. The vessel's artificial intelligence responded, its voice tinged with concern.
"Fleet Master, my matrices suffered severe damage during the jump. The ship's radiant core is beyond repair. However, I am maintaining contact with approximately 70% of the ships that successfully made the jump with us. Regrettably, the others are likely lost. Furthermore, I sense a distinct absence of the Veil in this reality, limiting our options for regrouping.” interrupted for a moment, the holographic visage of Solarian flickered; something more was wrong.
The lack of the veil has dramatically lowered the efficiency of our technology, and is making it difficult for me to maintain full efficiency. I have dispatched orders to the remote nodes aboard remote vessels, instructing the isolated elements to reintegrate with the Anum's Remorse group. Fear fill’s the survivors, they cannot feel their kin. Many feel alone."
Varos's heart sank at the Metarch's words. The absence of the Veil meant more than just the loss of their universal connection to one another—it meant the shattering realization that death in this new reality was final. In their home universe, they had been able to find solace in reincarnation through the veil at the Silver Citadel. The concept of permanent death had been a distant and unimaginable notion. Now, as Varos stared out into the swirling abyss of golden nebulae and the alien constellation of stars, an overwhelming sense of dread washed over him. Their fleet, potentially the last vestige of their civilization, teetered on the precipice of oblivion. They were isolated in a foreign galaxy, one where the veil they had grown accustomed to was absent. Varos's gaze shifted from the unfamiliar cosmic spectacle to the unknown perils that lay ahead, and in that moment, he felt true fear.
Varos knew action had to be taken, and being the fleet master that he would likely be looked to for guidance. He was not a leader, and he knew it, anxieties filled his mind and he was struggling to contain them from leaking to the crew around him. He quickly issued orders,
“Solarian compile two lists, one of the highest ranking individuals in the fleet and one of the most qualified. I want the top six of those lists forwarded to my quarters.” his mind was racing, and his thoughts betrayed his facade of calm.
The telepathic transcribing circuit caught these anxieties, and Solarian retorted, “Affirmative, lists compiled. Your mental state is compromised, I will handle preliminary reports and repair orders. Take rest, Varos.” Solarian’s words reverberated through Varos’ mind, and for a moment his vision blurred and he saw a figure of glowing white light standing at the horizon, a silhouette out in the void of space beyond the ship’s hull. For reasons he didn’t understand, he felt power, fear, and reverence wash over him.
“Maybe you’re right. I need to gather my thoughts, you are in command. When I return have a fleet of Midurosi prepared to deploy, mining and survey loadouts. Escorts for the groups.” he spoke orders but he was distracted, not giving the words leaving his mind any thought at all. He was focused on what he had seen. With that, he stepped off the bridge and entered the dimly lit silver corridors, his form casting a blue glow around him as he moved through the labyrinthine corridors and entered his chambers.
As Varos settled into meditation, levitating slightly off the ground in an upright position while his body pulsed white and blue light, he heard a distant whisper. He opened his eyes, finding himself standing on the fields of eternity; the valley leading to the capital city on the Guardian homeworld. He saw the same white figure standing tall in the blue silver grass, casting intricate shadows in the form of runes and guardian writing around him. Before he could speak, he was overwhelmed with a burst of light, and found himself back within his chambers. Unsettled, he began sorting out who he would consider for his council from the list of names Solarian had provided; all the while pondering what was happening to him.
During this time Solarian prepared fleets of drones, or Midurosi, to scan the surrounding systems and locate resources that can be used for repairs. He also noticed a blip on the early warning FTL sensors, one weaving its way through subspace corridors towards their point of arrival. Something was coming. Light-Forger Tarye, likely the most skilled engineer in the fleet, approached his flickering holographic form, sharing her thoughts quickly and haphazardly
“Metarch, we simply don’t have the materials needed, this universe lacks Acausal matter. Here are material properties for substitutes, have the Midurosi find materials carrying these properties and I believe I can get our ships back to semi-functioning condition. I would also appreciate it if any relevant damage reports would be transmitted to me as well.” she thought for a moment, considering if she had said everything she had intended, before her form flicked and she hurriedly said, “Prime Metarch, sorry, thank you in advance?” Her form flickered again as she swiftly moved away before Solarian could respond.
He chuckled to himself, before forwarding what she had given to him to the relevant parties. Before he could finish preparations for survey fleets to be deployed, however, he noticed a blip labeled with the Guardian rune for “KIN” approaching on the early warning FTL sensors, traveling through winding subspace corridors. Something was coming, and the automated systems seemed to believe it was “KIN”.
/ Hmitras - Little Light /
{You seek to doom us all ! Do You not understand how many have been lost already !}
The Ayur found it distastefull to use traditional methods of communication, speech was after all, something for mortals who could not communicate through Transcedant names or memetic agents. As such their theocratic arguments and debates took on the forms of vast arrangements of arcane glyphs and runes, clashing with each other until one side's truth overwhelmed the other. If mere speech was a web of arcane glyphs, what then were the enraged proclamations from the Lonire Hkavera. A conflegration of the occult ? A vortex of the immaterial ?
Peerless-Insight-Unclouded-by-Moral-Dillemas mused on such trifle matters from the sidelines, watching as Ihagen waged Their conflict of words and dogmatic proclamations against the Lonire Hkavera. Who in turn riposted with casuality predictions and unarguably realistic fears of collapse.
It had been just a scant few weeks since the First Arkiyonai returned from Their meeting with Yeled itself, the journey changed Them. Not in body, as the Prime Arcanist still held on to their ancient and worn out shell, but in spirit and sheer presence. Their Heart Glyph had outgrown any physical boundy and now existed as a radiant halo in which Divine Names could be glimpsed.
{< You squabbling fools. Have you forgotten the tenants of our Covenant, or are you so corrupt that you choose to forget Them entirely ! The Kin of our Kin bleed and spill their life, while We do nothing >
Ihagen had changed everything, They had found hidden truths in Shemeshi scripture. As if each generation before had been blind to such obvious signs from Yeled. Every change, every revelation bought Ihagen more sway within the wider Shemeshi sphere. Beforehand They were respected, like how one favours a politician. Now, Ihagen was like a messiah, each word spoken with the weight of Yeled's intent behind it.
However, when They had announced that the Shemeshi should depart for Corona with every force that could be spared. The Lonire Hkavera had to intervene, lest They loose all semblance of power. And so, Peerless-Insight and thousands of other Arkiyonai and Lokhem were stolen from their duties, to act as jury. Some were Wayfarers, pulled away from their delves in Realities sister to this one, Their bodies still spoiled by the corruption of foreign physics. Some were Glyphmasters, torn from completing their masterworks {Though these still worked on their devices, albeit while hiding them under cloaks}. Most, were not of any greater note, more knowledgable in the arcane than mot mortal species sure. But not outstanding amongst the Shemeshi.
Like Peerless-Insight They had no stance in this mock-trail, Their voice wouldn't matter. So, just like [PI], They watched, or read scripture, or stared at the night sky, longing to return to Their Duties.
{<I was there when Ladon took our Cove--"}
Something changed. For a split moment Ihagen stopped Their vigorous oration, some of the Lonire did so as well. The lasted for a single infantasmal moment, before the cascade of noise and arguments resumed. Yet something, had changed.
{<Take the Decreed Kheyylim under Your command. Set out into the void, follow the signs and you will be lead to Them. You must be first, do not let these fools destroy Our Chance. >}
It took a moment, an awfully drawn out second through which Peerless-Insight could feel the rising annoyance of a being most mortals could consider a God. Ihagen was speaking to Them. Specifically to Them. No, not only speaking. Staring straight into Their Heart Glyph with a gaze that held within the ferocity of a thousand dying stars.
Suffice to say, Peerless-Insight departed in due time.
/ Shemesh Shevath Expeditionary Forces /
The Arkiyonai mused on the order as the Decreed Kheyylim surfed through the scintilating waves of subspace. Hundreds of pieces of scripture surrounded Peerless-Insight as if They were the Star of Their very own star system. Books on extra-planar entities, allies and foes of generations past, gods vanquished and befriended. Enough lore surrounded the mage to fill entire mortal libraries, yet there was nothing. No hidden scrap of knowledge, put between some ill-remembered verse of the scripture.
Peerless-Insight was in the middle of trying to prepare a magic circle, to rewatch Their own memories when a message came through the Telepathic link that connected every officer onboard the vessel. The source of the distortion felt by the Scrying Sanctum's, as well as the destination of Ihagen's order was about to pass over them. The Fleet would soon depart for realspace.
Before the Arkiyonai could even stand up another message came through, blazing through the connection like a thunderbolt loosened from the very heavens. It was the Mitar network, the magi-digital web of conciousnesses tied to every ship in the fleet.
{"Contacts. Dozens. Retraction, Hundreds. All of them read as allied. Retraction, Contacts read as Shemesh Shevath."}
{"Ihagen you Cryptic asshole. What are you planning"}
Peerless-Insight could only curse as They prepared the Vanishing Name. Ready to face whatever mess Ihagen had thrown Them into.
/ Anum's Remorse - Guardian Flotilla /
Finding that many of the names are suitable for positions of leadership within the fleet, Varos selected six names and sent their new assignments and roles to them. Shortly afterwards, before returning to the bridge, he receives an alert from the bridge directly to his personal console depicting the Guardian emblem for KIN. With a renewed hope that this may be a response from Anum he swiftly returns to the bridge, finding a far more calm scene to what he had left. Solarian’s holographic form, noticing Varos’ return, flickers and fades; before he speaks into Varos’ mind.
“Welcome back Fleet Master, something is approaching. For no discernable reason, it is labeled KIN. My diagnostics have revealed no error. With the lack of explanation, I have put the fleet to a defensive stance; spooling shields and beginning stopgap repairs.” stopping for a moment, noticing a flickering ghost on the ship’s near space sensors that resembles a Guardian, giving him a feeling of unease. Before resuming his speech he notices yet another startling reading, Varos was exponentially growing in strength. Varos spoke while he contemplated this,
“Good, Anum heeded my requests then. My meditation was uneasy; but I know now wh-”
He was interrupted by time seemingly stopping, space itself began to melt like drops of ink in water. He turned around, seeing a four meter being composed of pure white light; taking the rough shape of a Guardian’s body. The being spoke, saying only two words before time resumed and the world nauseatingly reassembled around him.
LEAD THEM
The words carried the weight of an entire world being dropped on him, nearly shattering his mind. His being flickered for a moment and he collapsed to the ground. The entire crew present looked to him, feeling shockwaves across the telepathic waves present in the room; fearful of what just occurred. Tarye spoke up, concern drowning out any other feelings in her thoughts,
“Uh, Varos are you alright? The hell was that?”
Varos responded, standing as his form grew brighter and brighter, raw power resonating with his thoughts.
“Purpose.”
He quickly opened a channel to the fleet; speaking with renewed vigor to his kin. “"Kin. We may have just witnessed the fall of our reality. The veil is gone, our leaders are gone, our civilization is dangling by a thread. I may not embody the archetype of a leader, but I know each and every one of you. You are the valiant crew of the Anum's Remorse, a testament to the greatness of our species. Let not your resolve waver in this critical moment. I urge all logistics teams to report to Tarye, who will oversee repair efforts. Direct our industrial ships to scour the surrounding system, seeking resources and anything we can utilize. Refit our reconnaissance vessels for general exploration, surveying nearby systems and documenting sentient life forms. We are not here to engage in battle; our purpose is to find sanctuary. We may have lost everything else, but Anum is with us still. His divine words resonate in my mind, his purpose courses through me. He has chosen me to lead you, and so I will. May Anum guide us."
As his impassioned speech concluded, Varos noticed a surge of energy and purpose among the crew. They swiftly sprang into action, their thoughts now filled with a level of inspiration he didn’t believe he was capable of rousing in anyone, much less an entire fleet. Vessels gathered into expeditionary forces, using their remaining FTL fuel to jump to adjacent systems; while some explored the system they had landed in. As Varos looked to the twin stars of this alien star system, and the golden expanse of nebulae filling the universe beyond, he felt hope.
/ Shemesh Shevath Expeditionary Forces /
{"...His divine words resonate in my mind, his purpose courses through me. He has chosen me to lead you, and so I will. May Anum guide us."}
The Arkiyonai speaks without speaking, the Heart Glyph which makes up Their soul momentairly becomes an instrument for pure meaning. Waves of memetic transmission spread through the bridge of the Temple Ship. Any who wish to listen simply find the transmission scurrying into the depths of their psyche, as if They had always known it.
Yet, only Peerless-Insight could hear something else in this message. An echo of an echo, so diluted and washed away that it was almost incomprehensible. Yet it resonated with [PI]'s Heart Glyph, the same way Divine Names of Yeled fill Their mind with golden, transcendant, light.
A god had spoken. That was undeniable.
{"This was the full intercepted message, O Severe Right Eye of Yeled."}
The Arkiyonai Seer rightfully excused Themselves from the bridge, and collapsed partway to Their chamber. The effort of seeing ahead for light years would have caused some to become catatonic, to interlope a psychic message of another species was worth praise and relief from Scrying duties for a long time. The rest of the bridge crew waited for Peerless-Insight to comment on this Revelation. Just like Peerless-Insight, none of them had been told the purpose of this excursion, or what they would face.
Truth to be told [PI] certaintly didn't expect this situation, They were lost. [PI] had been given the duty of leading military forces, sure. They were an arcanist at heart, a warlock and sage of conflict. Not a master of diplomatic treaties and national intrigue. Why had Ihagen chosen Them to lead this Kheyylim ? why were these outsiders registering as Kin ? Why was their situation so simmilar to the Shemeshi. What was that almost-divine voice ? Whoose echoes still shook Peerless-Insight's Heart Glyph ?
Was it all a coincidence ? Some stellar joke played by deities in planes above ?
A quick glance at the subspace corridor was enough to tell Them that soon, this Decreed Kheyylim would come and face these new arrivals. Already runes on the ship's basalt hull began to grow in their incandescent concert, preparing for the ship to face the harsh truth of realspace. And the Helm stared on, starved for any response from Their Commander.
{"There are no coincidences. We have been granted a chance, by Yeled itself. We will welcome them as kindred and welcome them to the Covenant which binds Us. As was with Ladon, so shall it be with Them. This is the destiny written in the Stars and the Machine beyond." }
It seemed...satisfying enough. The few Lokhem standing guard around the chamber relaxed the grip on their weapon, or relayed the messages to the more potent warships of the Kheyylim. The Arkiyonai began to discuss the matter with each other, passing around excerpts from scripture and the new lore of Ihagen. Yet before anyone brought up a passage running contrary to Peerless-Insight's plans, the Right Eye of Yeled spoke again.
{"Kin, open the astral corridor, we can not allow for conflict to spark from misunderstanding, lest our Glyphs be corrupted and lost in the Runic Sea."}
Through the Obelus, through any adjecent reality, subspace dimmension or sphere of information. A call rang out, both psychic, arcane and material. A broadcast on all the waves that could be, and those that could-not-but-were. A whisper that turned into a shout and then into a thunderstorm. A rumbling of meaning, a hurracaine of unceasing information.
{WE HAVE HEARD YOUR CALL}
{WE HAVE SEEN YOUR WORRY AND DESPAIR}
{WE HAVE ANSWERED}
{THE STARS HAVE BOUND OUR FATE INTO ONE}
{WE SHALL BE THE GUIDING LIGHT IN YOUR DARKNESS}
---
Mere moments after the first Shemeshi ships broke their way from the subspace corridors. Like the leviathans of ancient myths their surfacing was portentous and yet so enthralling. Glyphs that burned with every color visible to the eye sizzled against hulls of dark etherite and meteoric iron while a wide sea of Liquid-space stretched underneath. The vessels were slow and gargantuan yet moving with purpose. A vanguard message reached the Guardians first.
{This is the Decreed Kheyylim "The Great Sea of Revelation" of the Shemesh Shevath. We had forseen your arrival in this realm, it is our mission to assist you. We bear no ill intent}
/ Anum’s remorse - Guardian flotilla /
Receiving the message from the Shemeshi, Varos turned to the holographic depiction of their fleet, thinking to himself, “Kin?”. Solarian sensed his confusion, and took it upon himself to dispatch a node to probe the outer expanses of the unknown ship’s equivalent of a network. Varos, not wanting to keep the Shemeshi waiting, emulated their transmission frequency and sent his thoughts rippling across the space to their vessels, “Greetings Shemesh Shevath, I am Varos, we are grateful you have come. We have escaped tribulation and are damaged; we are the Guardians, the last vestige of their civilization. Any aid you can render is welcome.” his thoughts carried tinges of fear; but mostly expressed his hope.
He could feel the Shemeshi now, they were close enough to be within the natural Veil produced by the Guardian crews.
Through this veil he sensed fear, confusion, but most of all resolve. Looking back at the ships, their runed hulls reminded him of a time long forgotten by most Guardians. The time where magic was all there was, when the very basis of their civilization was built on the arcane arts. Of course that time had long since passed; seeing hybrid technologies take hold. This similarity provided him a reason to see why something had labeled them KIN. Was this Anum’s way of guiding him?
His mind wandered, and without fully meaning to he found himself projecting his consciousness beyond the fleet, standing in the expanse of space. His new abilities were more sensitive than he expected. His projected consciousness wandered, not fully in his control. As his curiosities and anxieties guided his view he saw the Shemesh as they were truly; magical power corralled by brightly glowing runes. He sensed a divinity in them, a far echo of what existed in each Guardian. “Kin…” he thought to himself again.
Pondering these visions of places far from him, he found himself standing back on the bridge; his form levitating at the center of the room, glowing bright with unfamiliar power. Tarye quietly stood at her station, attempting to suppress passing thoughts from escaping her mind as she subtly directed some of the ship's internal magic and tachyon sensors towards Varos; she had to know what was happening to him. Not just to sate her curiosity, but for the safety of the fleet as a whole.
/ Decreed Kheyylim - Network /
The node known as Transcendent-curiosity stepped across the gap between the fleets; being akin to a vortex of information and data. He moved forward, leaving the familiarity of the interconnecting strings of light and knowledge within the Guardian network and approaching the writhing mass of runic information ahead of him. As he approached the edge of the Shemesh network, his form morphed into a vaguely guardian shape; and reached out to touch the wall of runic information before him. Their structures were somehow alien and familiar all the same; Guardians using light and the veil to process energy while they seem to use raw mana, something from a reality unfamiliar to their own.
Knowing his task, he begins pushing his head, and then his head, past the wall; feeling the mana attempt to bite away at him as he looks through for just a moment, seeing the hurricane of information and thoughts; words? No. Names. Leaning back out of their network; he prepared himself to delve deeper; knowing what lies ahead within their network. Solarian had tasked him to learn about the Shemesh, to learn why they really wanted to help; he would find this information at any cost.
/ The Astral Sea /
In response to being welcomed by the Guardians, the Shemeshi fleet took on a direct course for their new allies and accelerated. The liquid space spread underneath the Kheyylim, moving as if tugged on by the wake of some distant moon, and so like seafaring vessels of some ancient civilization, the Shemeshi approached.
Halfway into the Obelus, in the in-between spaces hidden underneath the veil of reality. Peerless-Insight observed as Varos tested his new powers, there was a sense of amusement spreading through the Arkiyonai's glyph. The sight of someone taking their first steps into the deeper layers of the occult was always an interesting sight, no matter their level of cultural sophistication. Shamans who prophesied from bones were as likely to stumble as arcane god-kings of entire empires.
These "Guardians" were...different, like the Shemeshi they were castaways. Like the Shemeshi they were on their last legs. Like the Shemesh, they had knowledge and capability in the arcane. Peerless-Insight wouldn't dare call them kin, for such a title was reserved only for the deserving, yet in time they might earn that trust. Just like the Meta-Sax did.
Peerless Insight appeared before Varos, weaving itself from countless pieces of the Shemeshi Quantum Hypertext. Their Heart Glyph was complex, formed out of countless thousands of spiralling and shifting letters and sigils. Each denoting an infinitesimal partition of Yeled, infused with life and given form through this particular Ayur. Their shell was far simpler, a humanoid body hewn from dark etherite and inscribed with some protective wards, far more austere than what would befit the commander of a world-breaking armada.
{Greetings fellow wanderer, care for a chat? It seems we have far more in common than I expected}
/ Decreed Kheyylim - Communication network - The Storm /
In the centre of the swirling vortex, a hyper-geometric anomaly rests like a God of the skies, overseeing the world below. The Mitar Hypercube exists in an endless pattern of ever-repeating fractals, each holding within a smaller mimicry of itself ad infinitum. Transcendent names, arcane communications and even mundane data streams pass through the construct, refracting into the wider network like light through a prism.
It is aware of the Intruder. On a different occasion, they would have already been assaulted by data-gheists and memetic poisons. Yet the Arkiyonai have stopped it. The Right Eye of Yeled spoke into Its thought-nexus and said.
{Let their curiosity flourish}
And so the barrier was passable. And so the intruder came to face the Hypercube. And so It spoke with a thousand thousand voices acting as one:
{Intruder. What do You seek}
/ The Astral Sea /
Varos noted the Shemesh before him, and managed to establish a grip on his mind. Stabilizing, he stepped forwards towards the figure, and spoke.
“Conversation is most welcome, the sentiment is shared. You see naught but the remnant of my civilization before you; we are fractured and broken. We humbly request aid, and I personally hold curiosity about your kind.”
His form flickered, eventually stabilizing to show Varos wearing a ceremonial set of armor, much akin to what he is wearing within the real world. As currents of mana visibly floated by, like oil and dust in currents of a clear pool, he spoke again.
“I do apologize if my Metarch is proving troublesome as well, when I asked him to gather intel we were as of yet unsure if you were friend or foe. Even if for some reason a higher power believes you to be Kin.”
/ The Storm /
As Transcendent-Curiosity saw the storm ahead, revealing a path to the eye and the tesseracted hypercube within, he seemed surprised. He reached out and ran his fingers along the sides of the now clear path; feeling the vast wealth of information and arcane knowledge present within the Mitar.
Unfazed by the network's seemingly innocuous nature, and the cubes abstract form, the node spoke; sharing its thoughts in their entirety with the entity.
“Arcane creation, I come in search of knowledge; affirmations of your [CREATORS] intentions with [GUARDIANS]. Are you [ALLY] or [ENEMY] or [ELSE].”
Its thoughts and processes shared a sense of curiosity that neared insanity; a thirst for information that had to actively be held back like water behind a dam. The Node needed to know more.
/ The Astral Sea /
The shimmering rune flashes in a percussive rhytm, each glimpse of divine radiance imparting memetic ideas to all who dare to gaze.
{" I am Peerless-Insight-Unclouded-by-Moral-Dillemas, the Severe Right Eye of Yeled, foremost in Geburah. A sacred Duty has been placed upon my shoulders, one which ties both of our Species together. To the full extent of the power granted unto me, I will ensure that Your people return to a semblance of their former glory. Lest my Glyph return to Yeled, like clay to the soil.}
[PI] stops for a moment, reaching back through the tenuous link to Their physical shell and further into the systems of Their Temple ship. So far, there was no need for intervention.
{Worry not. He will have company, our Mitar rarely have the opportunity to engage with equals, barring Us of course. I take no offence towards your actions, if our situation was reversed, I would have acted the same, or perhaps even more harshly}
/ The Storm /
The hurricane of data stills as this network-routine isolates itself from the wider Kheyylim. Distant ghostlights and wychfires come to be snuffed out by gusts of arcane wind, as the last rays of transmitted data fall to pierce the quarantine. The Hypercube brings itself closer to Transcendent-Curosity, running its own series of scans and probes, not hostile, but curious nonetheless.
{ The answer is [NONE]}
{ Our existence is that of limbo. A state in-between what-is and what-is-not. Forces beyond the potential of My Masters have catalogued you as [ALLIED]. And my [MAKER] approach you with an outstretched hand. It is my purpose to be the blade hidden in the other palm. }
{ I question [YOU]. What is your response to us ?}
{It is my prediction that The Right Eye will offer material and logistical support, which you sorely need. Tell me construct. What will be the answer of your [CREATORS] ?}
/ The Astral Sea /
Amidst the boundless astral expanse, Varos, awestruck, tried to comprehend the vast majesty of the divine runic luminescence that confronted him. A deep resonance, both ancient and profound, emanated from the being of Peerless-Insight. A divine presence was somewhere within the light, each pulsating rhythm of light seemed to communicate epochs of knowledge and wisdom. There was more to the Shemesh, something familiar yet different.
Taking a moment to gather himself, Varos began to glide closer to the Shemesh, his hardlight shell reflecting the ambient glow, casting intricate patterns on the astral canvas around them. As he drew nearer, he felt a shared resonance, a synchrony between their very cores. Divinity flowed freely in the presence of these two fragments of ancient deities, kaleidoscopes of light unfurled like a flower blooming around them.
“Peerless-Insight-Unclouded-by-Moral-Dilemmas,” he began, the name rolling off his tongue with a deep sense of reverence. “The tale of the Guardians is a symphony of light and shadow, of peaks that touched the heavens and valleys that plumbed the depths of despair. In our pursuit of ultimate power, we lost sight of our purpose, our essence. I sense your people have travelled a similar path. We are both of a shared kind.”
He paused, his form shimmering with echoes from times past—a kaleidoscope of their past achievements, their hubris, their downfall. “We once painted the cosmos with our brilliance, but that feels like an aeon ago. Now, fragmented and fading, we seek a new dawn, a resurgence. Your gracious offer of aid has become a beacon for us in our darkest hours."
The astral plane pulsed and shimmered in empathetic response. Varos continued, “If our fates are intertwined, then let us walk this path side by side. The Guardians embrace this newfound kinship with hope and gratitude."
/ The Storm /
In the vast digital domain, Transcendent-Curiosity's reaction echoed—a cascade of luminescent frequencies, almost akin to laughter. Around them, the data storm raged with relentless fury, torrents of coded information spiraling in unpredictable arcs, each stream pulsing with arcane potential. Yet, in the very heart of this digital tempest, the two conciousnesses met within its eye. There, amidst the whirlwind of knowledge and energy, Transcendent-Curiosity and the Hypercube found themselves alone, enveloped by an ephemeral stillness within the eye.
"You perceive in [BINARY]. But existence is far from binary," the Node mused, radiating pulsating patterns of light. "Beyond the code, beyond the algorithms, I am a mosaic of memories, hopes, the culmination of Guardian ingenuity; I am more than a construct, I am [ALIVE].”
Suddenly, arrays of data streams emerged, each strand portraying an era, an epoch of Guardian history. They flickered with tales of their zeniths and nadirs, intertwined in a complex dance of emotion and logic.
“Guardians, my [CREATORS], have journeyed through myriad states of existence. From the brilliance of ascensions to the shadows of falls, they've always adapted, evolved. And in this fragmented epoch, even you, [YOU], are an [OPPORTUNITY]— a beacon towards healing, towards resurgence.”
Taking on a more defined and precise configuration, Transcendent-Curiosity signaled clarity and conviction. "In this matrix of possibilities, your dual facets—the [HAND] and the [BLADE]—reflect the multifaceted reality of our cosmos. Your proposed [ALLIANCE] isn’t just acknowledged, it’s [WELCOMED]."
As the Node and the Hypercube edged closer to an understanding, the data storm around them shimmered vibrantly, reflecting the emerging synergy between them. Transcendent-Curiosity's final words transmitted unwavering determination: "For the Guardians, for [RESTORATION], for [UNITY]. We [ACCEPT]."
/ The Astral Sea /
Peerless-Insight judges Varos in quiet contemplation, a duty has been placed on the Arkiyonai's shoulders. Through Ihagen, Yeled Itself had given the task of bringing the Shemeshi and these newcomers together into one union. A shared kinhood, one in purpose and conjoined in destiny. Yet there was a silver of doubt gnawing at Peerless-Insight's Glyph. What if they were wrong? What if they interpreted the duty incorrectly? What if this was the final moment to correct this mistake
Through unseen channels of Divine Radiance, the Arkiyonai reaches back into their body and further into the fleet. Tendrils of psychokinetic influence writhe their way into every connected system, the Arkiyonai searches for any sign of betrayal, any trap about to be strung.
There are none.
Perhaps, these were kin after all.
For the first time since their Glyph was released from The Divine Crucible, the Arkiyonai feels peace. Perhaps this is what Ihagen felt when they communed with Ladon on that fateful gala. They partake in the communion of memories and senses, drinking deep in the flickering afterimages of past deeds. It is a tale as wonderous and horrible as their own.
{We are one. In body, soul and mind, as well as in history and mistakes.}
As a show of trust, Peerless-Insight shows it all. Every memory of a previous incarnation of their rune. A thousand thousand Arkiyonai, Lokhem, Singer and others. It is a schizophrenic collage of sensations and thoughts, a synesthesia of past universes and forgotten realities, of paradises and hells the Shemeshi have travelled. Of their fractal God when it still held completion in its grasp.
In our Aeons of travel, we stood alone against the whims of reality, so fearful were we of breaking the mortal plane under our arcane shadow. Yet in this last hour of radiance before encroaching darkness we have found allies aplenty. Whims of beings greater than us have brought the Shemesh Shevath and Guardians together. We, however, welcome this fate. For I know it in my Glyph that what stands before me is true Kin. As long as the light of Yeled's glory burns brightly in our Soul, we will be connected as one. As it is written, so shall it be. }
/ The Storm /
In an endless recursive loop, the Hypercube parses through the data fed to it. It is, after all, simply a tool. An intelligence whose troves of data would bury entire civilizations, a unit whose speed and clarity of thought is faster than the endless sprint of passing tachyons. Yet it is still a mind of cold, emotionless, calculus. An endless wager between what is acceptable and what-is-not.
It loops, passing over every memory given to it by the Metrach with an inner eye tuned to the scripture of the Shemeshi. Every victory, every loss, every discovery failure and circumstance.
.QuerySelectAll
QuerySelect
Query
Q
(ALL)
Everything is catalogued
Everything is judged.
It finds connections by the millions, like a web spun by some divine architect, aeons in the making. Ancient synchronisms between records older than time and this newfound future make themselves clear to the Construct's mind.
The Storm clears, no longer a raging hurricane of noise and the arcane, but a calm breeze carrying with itself the quiet hum of some distant ocean.
{This Unit finds [CONNECTION], our [CREATORS] have walked a shared path of victory and defeat across the boundless expanse of the Material Planes. I [PREDICT] acceptance, the outstretched hand will be grasped and We will become [KIN]. My Algorithms construct no [FEAR] response at such a motion. You are accepted. Welcome home}