+An assembly will be called.
Tell no one where you heard this from. You need to get your allegiances in order. Divorce your husband. Disown your children. Disown your father.
The High Seraph is returning from the Paths, and she comes bearing a reckoning.
The Greatling incident and the missing Frame might be connected–because when the Thanatech went down into the Warrens to collect our death tax and seal Jhred Greatling’s rupture, they found nothing there.
Nothing. No Essence. No ghosts. No Frame.
Once again, you didn’t hear this from me. The Chivalrics are fucked. Cut yourself off while you still can or there won’t be anything I can do to spare you from her reckoning.
-Session Between two Highflame Authorities
15-6
Bonding (I)
“Wow, these are… really optimized,+ Kae muttered, the radiance of her Soul pulsing with each thought. +Where did you say you found these Heavens again? In the Tiers?”
“Fallwalkers,” Chambers clarified. He spoke on behalf of Avo though there wasn’t the need. Still, the ghoul allowed it. Chambers was going to be his functional extension, after all. More than willing, the former enforcer was joyous at being molded into something greater than he was. Such allowed for… flexible synergy in their relationship. "Our favorite rotlick here plucked ‘em right out of a few half-strands trying to do a block war. Dumb shits didn’t even know what hit ‘em."
“Hm. So, what? You caught ‘em just wanderin’ around unmanifested?+ Draus asked.
“Yes,” Avo said. “Didn’t pay attention to the shadows.”
The Regular grunted a note of disappointment. “Well, they ain’t a real cadre then. No cadre I fought with would show their belly like that. They’d either be moving, in a private demiplane, or manifested. Bein’ static’s like asking to get killed. Means these ones were probably hired snuffers then. Outside help so the in-house butchers get to keep their knives clean.”
“Yes,” Avo said, shuttling the last of his three new Heavens over into Kae’s Frame.
Communing in the post-mortem as a quartet of ebbing Souls was a fascinating experience.
There was privacy to it–a vulnerability.
Previously, when he first Ensouled Chambers, Draus, and Essus, time spurred him away from indulging in deeper considerations, but now, without the breath of haste running along his nape, Avo studied each member of his cadre in depth as his flowing flames bridged each Soul to each.
Hewn from the impulses of their flesh, their egos were unburdened. Chambers spoke with greater casualness than ever, cheerfully chirping at any would listen–whether they cared to hear his voice or not.
Kae, distracted from her tumult, cast herself back into the throes of her work while Draus hovered within the core of the Twice-Walker anxiously. For all the Regular’s fatalistic yearnings, she took poorly to actual death. Waiting for her resurrection to complete inflicted a state of restlessness upon her.
“I ain’t no use dead,” Draus had said. “Don’t know shit about thaumaturgy or nothin’. I’m better at gettin’ others to die than this away ‘round.”
Of the remaining few members of their cell, Essus proceeded at his own pace, Denton set about preparing Avo''s meeting with Aegis, and Cas had turned his mind inward to cast out a few calls. Sunrise didn’t join in due to being afflicted with a depressing condition known as “mortality.”
Hence, it left four. Four willing to be joined in death. And four aligned toward a mutual path in life.
STILLBORN THAUMIC OUTPUT: 4526 THAUM/c
UNGRAFTED ONTOLOGICS
-//-
HEAVEN - STARVATION’S ENVY
DOMAIN: (COOKING/WATER)
DOMAIN OF (COOKING)
CANON OF THE WANDERING NOSE - THE MASTER OF THIS CANON CAN SMELL ALL SCENTS FOR A 10-MILE RADIUS; FOUL SMELLS WILL STRAIN THE HEAVEN FURTHER
HUBRIS: SMELLS THAT MAKE THE USER GAG WILL TRIGGER THAUMIC BACKLASH
CANON OF HUNGER’S PASSING - THE MASTER OF THIS CANON CAN SHIFT A HUMAN OR HUMANOID ENTITY INTO AN EQUIVALENT MASS OF THREE-COURSE MEALS
HUBRIS: USING THIS ON THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY CLASSIFIED AS FOOD BY THE MASTER WILL TRIGGER THAUMIC BACKLASH
DOMAIN OF (WATER)CANON OF PRE-BOILED LOBSTERS - THE MASTER OF THIS CANON WILL BE ABLE TO DRAW LOBSTERS FROM BOILING WATER; EACH DRAW WILL REDUCE THE WATER’S TEMPERATURE BY ONE DEGREE
HUBRIS: IF THE WATER IS COOLED MID-MIRACLE, THIS WILL TRIGGER THAUMIC BACKLASH.
HELL - [FIRST CIRCLE] - STARVATION’S ENVY
DOMAIN: (COOKING/ENTROPY)
CANON: SPOILING - SPOILS AND ROTS ALL THINGS THE USER CONSIDERS FOOD - THIS CANON IS CONDITIONAL
DAEMON: ATTEMPTING TO SPOIL SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE CONSUMED AS FOOD WILL BIRTH AN ANATHEMA OF RUIN TO SERVE AS THE MASTER’S ANATHEMA; THE ANATHEMA CANNOT BE SLAIN AND MUST BE STARVED
HEAVEN - RIMELOST
DOMAIN: (ICE/NAVIGATION/ENDURANCE)
DOMAIN OF (ICE)
CANON: FROSTGAZE - THE MASTER OF THIS CANON CAN ENCASE ANY OBJECT IN SIGHT IN ICE; THE LARGER AND HOTTER AN OBJECT, THE MORE REND WILL BE GENERATED
HUBRIS: TRYING TO FREEZE SILICON WILL TRIGGER THAUMIC BACKLASH (X10)
DOMAIN OF (NAVIGATION)
CANON: BREATHMARKED - MARK UP TO 122 BREATHING ENTITIES WITH A TRAILING CHILL THAT MAKES THEIR BREATH FOG THE AIR; EACH ENTITY’ LOCATION WILL BE KNOWN TO THE MASTER REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY ARE
HUBRIS: IF THE ENTITY STOPS BREATHING FOR MORE THAN TEN MINUTES, THUAMIC BACKLASH WILL BE TRIGGERED
DOMAIN OF (ENDURANCE)
CANON: THE COLD UNBREAKING - ENSURES THAT ALL ICE REMAINS SOLID AND TEMPERATURE-FIXED FOR UP TO TWELVE DAYS AFTER MANIFESTATION; SOMEONE DELIBERATELY ALTERING THE SURROUNDING TEMPERATURE WILL INFLICT A PERSISTENT COST OF REND
HUBRIS: IF SOMEONE SKATES ON SAID UNCHANGING ICE, THAMIC BACKLASH WILL BE TRIGGERED
HELL - [SECOND CIRCLE] - RIMELOST
DOMAIN: (NAVIGATION/ENTROPY)
CANON: NORTH-LOST - ALL OBJECTS OR MATTER TOUCHED BY FROST WILL BE POSITIONALLY UNFATHOMABLE IN THE REAL CAUSING PATHS AND DIRECTIONS TO TWIST OUT OF ITS WAY
DAEMON: SHOULD ANOTHER ENTITY TRANSPOSE THEMSELVES TO A LOST OBJECT REGARDLESS, BIRTH AN ANATHEMA OF CORRESPONDENCE WILL MANIFEST TO SERVE AS THE MASTER’S ANATHEMA; THE ANATHEMA CANNOT BE SLAIN AND MUST BE STARVED
HEAVEN - DATABANK
DOMAIN: (SIGNALS/MATTER)
DOMAIN OF (SIGNALS)
CANON: SAVE AS - CAST OUT A BURST OF RADIO WAVES AT PHYSICAL ENTITIES WITHIN [ERRRORRRR1221309$@$] RADUU123123
HBUUJBRIS: 92[FCNNONANON IS IN EED OF REAPIRS]
“Oh,” Kae winced, as she shrank away from Glitch’s former Heaven. “This one was definitely one of Omnitech’s old mistakes.” She sighed. “There is a reason–a very good reason! Why no one but the Agnos should be handling mythology? There is so much that can go wrong and get distorted. But does Omnitech, listen? No. And it can’t be thaumaturgy to them. It has to be ‘true technology.’ Dealing with them was a night–ahem.”
A pause of embarrassment came over the Agnos but Chambers hummed in rapid agreement. “Why’d you stop? I like rants. I like hearing you rant. It’s pretty much the only thing I actually get about this thaumagic shit.”
“Thaumaturgy,” Kae said. “It’s basically the creation of the impossible through stable self-referential subrealities made possible through Souls. Heavens are pretty like… pillars of sorts. Each one connects to the real in some transformed facet as subreality and true reality overlap.”
“Nice,” Chamber said. Avo could feel the man nodding without truly grasping was Kae was saying. It wasn’t that he was stupid–though there were wanting aspects to his cognition–but more that he fixated on other details.
“So. What’s wrong with the Heaven of Signals? Usable?” Of all his gains, this was the one he wanted to lose the least. However, it was genuinely broken in some way.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“It’s not ruptured,” Kae said. “The fact that it’s transmitting any data at all is pretty much a sign that it’s working perfectly. Well, as perfectly as Omnitech can do it. Honestly, the fact we’re getting anything understandable at all instead of a mess of numbers and symbols is a miracle. Most of their data runs on a strange system they call Casement-95. Don’t ask why. The Agnos just clean up their messes as best we can, and I didn’t specialize in pseudo-technologies.”
A shudder passed through the Agnos’ flames. “One look at those classes and I ran, ran, ran! Give me interpretive mythology any day–even our voider-advisors can’t fully figure out how their trinary network functions.”
“Does it function?” Chambers asked, pouring his attention on the error-ridden Heaven. “Or is it just… perfectly broken so all the shit is collapsing on each other and holding itself up.”
Everyone took a moment to digest Chambers’ words.
“We speakin’ from experience here?” Draus deadpanned.
“Hey, if I can fuck myself up perfectly, why can’t a guild?”
“That’s… a good point,” Kae agreed.
“I wish it godsdammed wasn’t,” Draus muttered.
“Anyway, we have larger considerations than just the Heaven of Signals. Frankly, Avo, most of this is… well, pretty bad. The canons themselves, the hubrises… they can all be much better. So. I think we have a choice.” Kae cleared her nonexistent throat to ready her pitch. “We can distribute these Heavens among ourselves, or we can try doing something radical.”
“Yeah, I like radical,” Chambers said, his tone bare with enthusiasm.
Kae giggled. “I know, I’m really excited too. It’s the first time I’ll be trying this.”
“We’re gonna die for good,” Draus said.
“Trying to will your wish into existence?” Avo asked.
“Just bein’ optimistic, rotlick.”
Kae clicked her tongue to chide Draus. “It’s not that bad. With the Stillborn’s capabilities, it won’t even be that dangerous. I think. I think we can make our own Heavens. Avo, do you remember accessing the foundational mythos of your Heavens?”
“How he has not forgotten,” the Woundshaper interjected defensively. “Though I fail to see what point there is to elevating these… misshapen oddities to awareness. I say be done and away with them and dissolve them for components. Let the detritus flow toward more useful Heavens.”
“I’m never gonna get used to that,” Draus said. “Gods are supposed to be dead.”
“And the ephemerals are supposed to serve as obedient death-stock. Alas, it is expectation that always proves to be the missing pillar in our grand design; all crumbles when weight falls where there is no support.”
“No, you’re not listenin– Kae began.
“Can I have a new canon,” Chambers said. “My Heaven’s not talking to me yet, and I really want to know what a phoenix sounds like. Come on, Avo, aren’t your curious? The bird looks screechy. Yeah… that’s what I’m gonna call her. Screechy.”
Avo grunted. “Chambers. Kae’s talking.”
“Right. Got it. Next time.” The ultimate half-strand retreated into quietude, but Avo knew it was not to last. Regardless, the fact the man was willing to listen even here beyond the reach of mental or physical danger displayed just how much Chambers valued his position in the group. “Back to you, Agnos lady.”
“Thank you.” Kae’s appreciation was twofold. “So, I think that we can use the Stillborn to fully formulate a new Heaven of our own making. It’s very much theoretical, but I don’t see why it can’t be done. The main danger is rupturing the nascent Heaven and real-deathing Avo, of course, but aside from that–”
“Aside from that?” Avo whispered incredulously.
“Hey, Avo, come on, the Agnos is talking,” Chambers said, the tone of his voice betraying the grin that would have been on his face.
A hiss of outrage escaped from Avo as he realized Chambers had turned his own chastisement against him in the span of seconds. “Going to find aratnids and–”
“Come the fuck on people,” Kae snapped. “Focus! I’m trying to explain something important! Important! Let me finish talking before you all start doing something stupid.”
Avo considered telling Kae he liked her much better when she was mentally crippled, but the thought of her deliberately sabotaging his Frame made him relent.
“Sorry, sorry,” Chambers said. “Alright, Avo. Your turn.”
The ghoul muttered something and moved on.
Chambers laughed. “Fucker can’t say sorry. Ahem. Kae. Continue”
“...Aside from that, we have other Souls,” Kae said. “Using one extra Soul, I think we can create a reliable incubator and testing grounds for new Heavens. So what we can do is break each of the current Heavens and Hells down to their foundational Domains and consider what we want to create. What might benefit us? What do we need? And using the Stillborn to make adjustments, we can avoid risking Avo’s precious existence in case the entire thing collapses in on itself and a big tear opens in the tapestry.”
“Hm,” Avo said. “Much more palatable than dying. Still missing a lot of details. Beat by beat. Generalities clear. Process not so much. Need to demonstrate. And portion cyclers first.”
“Give one to Chambers and Draus,” Kae said. “Keep one for the test Soul.”
“What about you?” Avo asked.
“I don’t believe I will be seeing active combat soon,” Kae replied. A beat followed as she felt the three other Souls gaze upon her. “I mean to say, I hope I don’t need to be involved in active combat, but my current Heaven should allow me an easy escape. The next one can go to me, maybe. What matters right now is generalized redundancies. In-field Godclads should get at least a few.”
“Abrel had over three,” Avo said.
“Unsurprising, but eventually ineffective without a sufficient Hell,” Kae said. “Another major consideration is how much someone else can deliberately paradox you. There are an uncountable number more golems than Godclads in this city, and it will only take a few to overload and rupture a Second Circle once they figure out your domain and start paradoxing you. And unless you hide your manifestation forever, your domains will eventually be obvious. Thankfully, we have the option to be flexible. And adaptable.”
A note of consideration passed through her as their shared resurrection pace climbed past sixty-six. “We will need some way to hide our presence if the tests fail, though,” Kae said. “Ruptures aren’t quiet occurrences. It won’t be hard to detect even from across the city with the right instruments.”
“Have an idea,” Avo said. “One that Draus might like.”
“This’ll be good,” Draus said.
“Crucibles. We crash one.”
Draus held for a moment before speaking. “This is good. Keep goin’.”
“We find an active one. With golems. We trigger ‘malfunction’ in the Rendsinks as a distraction. Will that muddy the waters?”
“For a time,” Kae said. “But a ruptured Soul’s output is continuous. And there’s also the matter of domain symmetry…”
“More golems,” Avo said. “Bigger mess. Can draw “volunteers” for our test Soul from the Syndicates. I will make them docile first. Make them easy to use as we please.”
Now, everyone stopped to consider his words.
“That’s… pretty disturbing, Avo,” Kae said.
“Not sure what’s the difference between that and typical sacrifices for Heaven.”
“The difference…” Kae cleared her throat. “Well, the Agnosi make a lot of preparations to make sure the sacrifices–”
Avo grinned. “More ineffective then?”
He could feel Kae frowning at him. “I swear, you were much easier to talk with back when my mind was still burning.” She directed her words toward Draus. “Was he always like this?”
“A half-strand? Nah. He was worse.”
“Oh,” Kae said. “Well, I guess being mentally damaged has its perks.”
Chambers laughed.
Avo, himself, found himself surprisingly… at ease.
For all the mockery entailed, they didn’t hate him for what he was. Perhaps this was a flavor as well–being consangs with people. Such a novelty was an acquired taste.
“Yeah,” Draus said. “I think that might be a good play. It’ll be practice, lootin’, and good openin’ to test this new Heaven-making possibility of ours. Graft us first though. Give me the Ice and Chambers the cookin’. That’ll do it.”
“What?” Chambers whined. “I wanted the Ice. I already have the fire.”
“You’ll be takin’ the cookin’,” Draus insisted.
Chambers remained undeterred. “Avo. Consang. Draus thinks she can decide who you give your Heavens to. It’s like she thinks she owns you or something…”
“You snake-fuck,” Draus snorted.
“Are… are they always like this too,” Kae said, now asking Avo.
“No. They’re getting worse.”
“Oh. That’s nice.”
“I can set your mind on fire again. Make you forget everything. Might make the world bright again.”
“...Fuck you, Avo.”
And so they were all getting worse together.