"Does that make you afraid?"

The lingering notes of harmonic purity swell to impossible heights as you step confidently through the song of reality itself.

The Pool of Stars.
This location is flooded with shallow, crystal clear water. Meeting in the radiant heart of New Celest, the broad city streets come together in a large, open plaza of marbled stone. Rising in the centre of the plaza is a structure of noble and luminescent pillars which suspend a round, ring-shaped platform twenty feet above the light-studded surface of the pool below. The atmosphere within the structure and around the pool bristles with a warm, electrical energy, giving a slightly disorienting sense of dizziness and euphoria. A gradually ascending stairway winds its way about the inside of the pillars, leading towards the upper level of the structure and offering a bird's eye view of the pool. There are 2 marble benches with emerald insets here. An enormously wide circular pool, as dark as the night sky, glitters softly between the columns. His form suffused with soft light, the Keeper of the Pool of Stars stands here attentively. A statue of Zenobia the Queen of Queens stands here, memorializing her noble spirit. There are 5 archons of Eternal Light here. An imposing sword of radiant white metal has been driven deep into the ground in a silent statement of intent. A mosaic tiled chest stands here, ready to share donations given. A golden retriever is here, panting quietly to himself. There are 6 Kusalas of the Tahtetso here. There are 5 cavaliers of the Light here. In the shape of an open palm, a metallic sigil lies here. There are 2 frisky puppies here. Curled into an amorphous mass of grey, a blubbery sea lion pup lies here, resting. A green parakeet scratches against the ground in his search for a quick meal. A hamster peers about from behind the bars of his cage-wheel. Leaping about after its shadow, a curious young kitten playfully wanders about here. A full-grown rat prowls near your feet. A sea-green kelpie drifts here as though underwater, the air thick with the warm scent of the sea. A water elemental churns here, crystal blue waters enveloped in a gentle mist.
You see exits leading north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, northwest, and up (open door).

Tridemon nods his head emphatically.

You tug urgently on Tridemon's sleeve.

You have emoted: Gurashi appears in a flurry of motion, covered in sparkling sand and looking much dirtier than normal. "We have a name we have a name," He says frantically, tugging Tridemon's arm.

Misericorde raises an eyebrow at you.

Prattling on, you say to Tridemon, "But the Shofets does not want us talking about Her because She is -Theirs-, They said."

Faintly buzzing, you say to Tridemon, "It is uhm, uhm."

You have emoted: Gurashi begins to frantically pat himself down, then drops his bag, pulling out a notepad which he begins to frantically scribble on.

Tridemon tilts his head curiously.

You scribble a few notes on a notepad emblazoned with musical staves.

Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Is it a Goddess?"

You tear that page(#205905) from a notepad emblazoned with musical staves.
You read what is written on a torn piece of notepad paper:
Crabs in: Toronada, Bondero Bay, Celest Sewers, Cay of Cloadahi
How to [[REDACTED]]
Who is Ashtariel? Things in the Shift City kept repeating Their name, and saying were only Ten of Ten, and as SOON as that name was spoken the Shofets showed up and was -mad-

Your eyes raise to the heavens as a look of hope flashes across your face.

You narrow your eyes, peering about suspiciously.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "Heck."

You scribble a few notes on a notepad emblazoned with musical staves.

Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "... literally can't write it down?"

You tear that page(#333918) from a notepad emblazoned with musical staves.

You have emoted: Gurashi gives Tridemon a look.

You have emoted: Gurashi hands over the sheet of paper before returning to look concerned.

Tridemon blinks.

Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Oh."

Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "... I thought She'd died."

Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "The whole thing was... quite mysterious."

Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Come with me."

Tridemon makes a beckoning motion to no-one in particular.

Meleris, Keeper of the Pool of Stars peers curiously at Tridemon.

Faintly buzzing, you say to Meleris, Keeper of the Pool of Stars, "Oh, Oh, Mister Keeper Meleris."

Gently, you say to Meleris, Keeper of the Pool of Stars, "We are -learning- things."

Faintly buzzing, you say to Meleris, Keeper of the Pool of Stars, "But we will update you when we know -more-, yes."

You begin to follow Tridemon.

You have emoted: Gurashi falls into line behind Tridemon, pointing.

Faintly buzzing, you say to Tridemon, "Shofets did not even want THINKING about Her, They said..."

You tilt your head, gaze softening as you frown.

Faintly buzzing, you say to Tridemon, "...They did not say anything about WRITING about Her but."

You tilt your head, gaze softening as you frown.

You sense the sweeping gaze of Ashira looking upon you.

You shuffle your feet uneasily.

Harmony echoes in your mind as you sing to Pyromaniac Ashira Mes'ard, "Am telling Mister Tridemon since he knows SO MUCH STUFF."

Looking curiously at the pair, Meleris, Keeper of the Pool of Stars says, "Pray do. Particularly if it concerns the matters previously discussed. Or is this a more... personal line of inquiry?"
Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Shofet Mysrai is a little bit... ... Okay, a LOT odd about Their crechemates."

You blink.

You have emoted: Gurashi suddenly thrusts out his hands to cover Tridemon's mouth as he utters the Shofet's name. "ShhhshHHHshhhshshsh."

You stare at Tridemon, eyes wide.

Dropping his hands, you exclaim to Meleris, Keeper of the Pool of Stars, "And no! It is about the thing! The Beast!"

You flail about helplessly.

(The Crux): Ashira says, "Aurik, Gurashi, Alarin, I hope you heed Their words. I'd hate to see one of you as a maggot, or worse."

A gentle melody begins to sound throughout the area, like raindrops upon the ground.

Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says to Meleris, Keeper of the Pool of Stars, "It has to do with the prophecies, and the Divines of the First Circle. Ten of Ten."

You have emoted: Gurashi suddenly takes a seat on the bench closest to Meleris, Keeper of the Pool of Stars. "It has to do with the Shofets!"

Tridemon ponders the situation.

Faintly buzzing, you say to Meleris, Keeper of the Pool of Stars, "Have heard the words of the deva, and of the Generators of Hallifax, Gaudiguchs, Dairuchi - all keep mentioning a She, and wings, and..."

Meleris, Keeper of the Pool of Stars frowns, plainly puzzled. "Does it? I am afraid I do not follow. The Shofet is not of the First Circle, to my knowledge."

You shake your head.

(The Crux): Aurik (from the Aetherways) says, "And as I assume They would not bar us investigating something important to the current crisis, it seems entirely reasonable."

Faintly buzzing, you say, "Ah, know, but."

You flail about helplessly.

Suddenly to himself, you ask, "She is dead here, yes? The persons that mentioned?"

You stare at Tridemon, eyes wide.

Faintly buzzing, you ask Tridemon, "What if She is alive somewhere else?"

Faintly buzzing, you ask Tridemon, "If Xenthos could exist somewhere else in another time and place, then why can't someone else also be here?"

Your eyes bug out as you boggle in amazement.

You have emoted: Gurashi taps his hands on either side of the bench he's seated at, looking surprisingly knowledgeable for a change.

Harmony echoes in your mind as you sing to Pyromaniac Ashira Mes'ard, "//I will get cleaning <3 You are great!"

Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "The Shofet themselves are not one of the Firsts. Two of Their siblings, however..."

Misericorde raises an eyebrow questioningly.

You stare blankly into space.

Tridemon ponders the situation.

Meleris, Keeper of the Pool of Stars tilts his head at Tridemon "Two? Lord Zvoltz, of course, is of the First. And the sister of the Fourth."

Misericorde Coldwater, Deepwater Guide says, "Their other sibling was an artist, not a First."
You think to yourself: Friend Tsakali said they had been having dreams and visions...

Tridemon ponders the situation.

Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Oh, I must have gotten that pretty thoroughly confused, then."

You have emoted: Gurashi listens to the discussion as it moves onto the various other Divine, eyes glazing over thoughtfully.

Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says to you, "Perhaps this IS something more personal than prophetic."

Softly, you say, "The Drachou said 'We shall make you whole again.'"

Faintly buzzing, you say, "But did not say You."

You twiddle your thumbs.

Faintly buzzing, you whisper, "We shall make you ten again...."

You have emoted: Gurashi's head abruptly lolls to the side, and he suddenly looks very overwhelmed.

You see the following people here:
Ravius, Tridemon, Misericorde, Alarin, Gurashi.

Alarin snaps to atttention and gives a crisp salute with their furry right paw.

Alarin places their hands on the Pool of Stars and disappears in a fountain of pulsating energy.

Suddenly, sadly, you say to Tridemon, "Heard Friend Liar crying, too - but we could not find them, so, we could not help them."

You shake your head.

Tridemon ponders the situation.

You follow Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters down to in the centre of a cavernous geodesic prism.

Faintly buzzing, you ask, "Ah - where?"

You follow Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters east to in the shadow of a scintillating spire.

Tridemon points accusingly at a broken mirror.

You look about in confusion.

Faintly buzzing, you ask, "Where are we?"

Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "The Transcendental Fulcrux."

You stare at a broken mirror, eyes wide.

LOOK MIRROR
Riotous hues dance over the broken shards of glass in this mirror's gilded frame, dizzying spectres that haunt the very depths of another reality far away. Where the back of the frame would be, nothingness exists, a rippling void that swallows all light from the surrounding area. Stars dance just out of reach within, their slow orbit an inviting distraction from the jagged bits poised like giant teeth ready to devour.
It is strangely weightless.
It has the following aliases: exit, portal.

Faintly buzzing, you ask, "... is that Her Fulcrux?"

Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "More properly, it should be on the other side of the mirror."

Shaking his head, you say, "Do not want to go there."

Faintly buzzing, you say, "The Shofets were very clear."

Faintly buzzing, you say to Tridemon, "They..."

You have emoted: Gurashi trails off, as if unsure what to say.

Tridemon gathers a handful of runes and casts them upon the ground, carefully studying the way they have broken. Rising, he pronounces a prophesy of good fortune upon himself and his allies.

You follow Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters to the Fulcrux of Zvoltz.

Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says to you, "This is the Shofet's Brother's fulcrux. He is currently... indisposed within the Seal of Justice."

You blink.

The Fulcrux of Zvoltz.
A comforting feeling of privacy pervades the area. Concentric rings of heptagonal tiles cover the entirety of the floor, the tiles alternating between the purest ivory and the darkest onyx. Arching overhead is an enormous latticework dome of translucent crystal conduits, icy white energy arcing across the dome in brilliant flashes of light. Between the reticulated crystal, glimpses of a bright, azure sky filled with unmoving albescent clouds are visible. The area is empty save for a monolithic shrine that stands at the centre of the rings on the floor. A wall of static runs along the entire base of the dome, crackling with contained energy. A hollow globe of transparent quartz floats above a seven-stepped dais, icy white bolts of energy arcing within the crystal. A slender leothin sits here motionless, brightening its surroundings with its natural golden bio-luminescence. A water elemental churns here, crystal blue waters enveloped in a gentle mist.
There are no obvious exits.

Whispering, you say, "Oh..."

You tilt your head, gaze softening as you frown.

Faintly buzzing, you ask, "How come some Divines are of the same... creches... but, different Circles...?"

You have emoted: Gurashi looks at Tridemon thoughtfully, shaking his arm out as he discovered an undisturbed pocket of sand.

Tridemon ponders the situation.

Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "It's the difference between your family and your job."

You tilt your head and listen intently to Tridemon.

You blink.

You think to yourself: They were so angry ... so must have hurt Them greatly to lose...

Faintly buzzing, you say to Tridemon, "What happened to Her?"

Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Their crechemates were family, growing up in the same place and becoming mature together, or something along those lines. The Circles are just divisions in the Divines into what They're good at, or what comes to Them naturally. As for the... Goddess with the cracked mirror? as far as I know, She wasn't quite stable enough."

You have emoted: Gurashi lets out the smallest of gasps.

Faintly buzzing, you ask, "...unstable...?"

You think to yourself: What does unstable mean?

Faintly buzzing, you ask Tridemon, "..would She have been one of the Firsts if wasn't unstable?"

You tilt your head, gaze softening as you frown.

"No."

You have emoted: Gurashi bristles suddenly.

You glance about alertly, your antennae twitching as you scan the immediate area.

The voice snaps into existence like a whipcrack, soft and hard all at once. It comes from nowhere in particular - above, below, around.

You have emoted: Gurashi looks up at the sound of the voice, confused.

Faintly buzzing, you whisper, "...then what would She..."

Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "She was an Artist."

Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Perhaps IS."

"Ashtariel is gone. You are wasting time chasing Her ghost."

You have emoted: Gurashi stares at Tridemon, still looking nervous. "...like Miss Lady of Serenity?"

Tridemon peers about himself unscrupulously.

You blink.

You have emoted: Gurashi looks up in surprise. "Oh - but, the voice..."

You have emoted: Gurashi picks a point on a nearby wall to talk to, eager for something to focus on. "...then, if is not Her, then are looking for Something or Someone else??"

Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says to you, "Uh... I think this might be Lord Zvoltz?"

Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "It's His fulcrux..."

You blink.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "....OH."

Hoarse, feminine laughter ripples through the tiled room. "Do not be foolish."

Faintly buzzing, you say to Tridemon, "...-wait- I thought you said He was somewhere else."

You have emoted: Gurashi lets out a gasp, then whips around. "Wait, who is This?"

You have emoted: Gurashi picks another spot to stare at.

"It is not so long since you heard My voice, Gurashi An'Ryshe. I doubt even you have forgotten it."

With a gasp, you exclaim, "Miss Lady Welkin!"

A featherlight touch brushes over your throat, as thin as a blade.

Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "I will be exactly as foolish as I wish. It will doubtless get me in trouble a number of times, but I reserve the right to be wrong."

You have emoted: Gurashi freezes, grimacing and lifting a hand as if to reach for his throat, but does not move.

Keeping his head still and awkwardly looking both left and right out of the corners of his eyes, you ask, "...hi, hello how are You doing?"

"All that remains of My Brother rests safe in My possession. You have agitated it by stumbling into this sanctum of His with talk of someone lost and irrelevant."

You blink.

You tilt your head, gaze softening as you frown.

You have emoted: Gurashi's arms drop and he looks at Tridemon, confused.

(Trasto): Esei says, "I TRIED TO SCRY GURASHI AND CAUSED AN UNTRAPPED ERROR IM SO SORRY AAA."
(Trasto): You say, "LOOL WHAT."

Faintly buzzing, you say, "Oh - am Sorry - uhm."

You have emoted: Gurashi clears his throat. "...we are trying to figure out what is going on!" He explains finally, "And that name came up and so am learning more about Her but guess was wrong??"

Beads of sweat break out on your face.

"Indeed," the soft, clipped voice whispers.

Still standing very stiffly, you ask, "Do YOU now what is going on Miss Lady Welkin?"

"No."

"Does that make you afraid?"

"...it should do."

You have emoted: Gurashi turns his head just barely. "....afraid... of the world ending? Because yes am afraid of the world ending."

Tridemon glances around the fulcrux, his left eye rotating first to let the pupil in amber focus, and then the pupil in emerald, before back to the pupil in amber. "Lost, but not quite irrelevant, I'm afraid. Would You prefer we move elsewhere to continue this discussion without disturbing this place?"

"The Destruction of all things is inevitable, Gurashi An'Ryshe," the Goddess replies, before the location of Her voice shifts, moving to sound from within the latticework above you. "Do as you will, but chase this ghost no longer. It will waste the time that, as you well know, is crumbling within your very hands."

A jagged bolt of icy white energy strikes down from the dome above, out of which steps Esei.

Esei stares implacably at you.

Esei stares implacably at Tridemon.

Weakly, you say, "Wait... if are related to Mister Lord Z..." He trails off, abandoning an attempt at pronouncing the name, "Does that mean are also sibling with Shofets?""

Esei stares implacably at Bizirik, the leothin.
Bizirik, the leothin stares blankly at Esei. After a moment its tail lifts once then thumps back against the ground with potential delight.

You have emoted: Gurashi doesn't even register Esei's entrance, vision drifting upward to the ceiling overhead.

Esei lays a hand on your forehead, and your body tingles with a healing warmth.

Laughter sounds again - low and hoarse and fading towards the distant sky. "No," the voice says, as it evanesces from hearing.

You have emoted: Gurashi looks up and after the voice, as if able to following it with his eyes but ultimately finding nothing.

Weakly, you ask, "...are we back at squares one?"

Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Well, I think that's a good time to... leave."

You have emoted: Gurashi blinks, suddenly noticing Esei. "Oh, hi."

You follow Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters to a stark cavern of monolithic quartz pillars.

A vortex of black and white pinpoints of energy erupts from the air as Esei arrives in a storm of static.

You have emoted: Gurashi rubs his throat, trembling lightly. "Hmm."

A flurry of blackthorn petals arrives from the east, thorny vines sprouting within the floral cloud and twining together to form the body of Esei.

Esei shifts their eyes suspiciously from side to side.

Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Kind of wondering why She didn't end up threatening me, instead, since I brought you in there. ... I'm actually mildly irritated by that for some reason."

Esei begins to follow you.

You blink.

You tug urgently on Tridemon's sleeve.

Whispering, you say to Tridemon, "You do not want the Lady Welkin's blade to neck, it does not feel very good."

Esei shifts their eyes suspiciously from side to side.

You tilt your head, gaze softening as you frown.

Faintly buzzing, you say to Tridemon, "She was mad at us BOTH."

You tug urgently on Tridemon's sleeve.

Faintly buzzing, you say to Tridemon, "But have made Her mad before maybe... oh, did give Her a gift basket from Festival..."

You have emoted: Gurashi trails off, staring into space.

Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Annoyed at the most, I would think. Presumably, She would have made Her ire quite obvious had we really stepped over a line that should not have been crossed."

You have emoted: Gurashi nods sadly, looking towards his feet.

You see the following people here:
Tridemon, Esei, Gurashi.

Faintly buzzing, you say to Esei, "...we have learned things."

You tug urgently on Esei's sleeve.

Faintly buzzing, you say to Esei, "They are big things and they may also be dead ends of things."

Faintly buzzing, you say to Esei, "But have prepared another post for commune - am waiting to see if can hear more... ahh."

For a brief moment, you see double - no, quadruple, three extra images overlaid over what you once knew to be reality. You blink, and it fades.

You wince in pain.

You think to yourself: Do the Divines feel all these things too....

You have emoted: Gurashi glances up briefly.

You think to yourself: Or does it matter to Them ...?

You tilt your head, gaze softening as you frown.