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Shining Diamond Wind
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> give her a minute
> sit there and hold her
> See if you can bring the Hero Soul's Inner Den into your Inner World.
Actually, Saulanna thinks that's already happened! On some instinctual level, she can sense that using that moon ability can now move things in and out of here. Perhaps this is a way in which the Hero Soul has already adapted to her titanic nature.
> Chat with Wordblood
>>480882
> Well some of your siblings put in yearning for something better in them souls. [...] it wasn't so happy and safe when one or another of your kin acted up.
"No, it wasn't. However, I would say, I'm not sure most of our kin really thought mortals were... well, real. I mean, in the sense of not being unreal, yes, but... Well, before the moment of Creation, existence was divided into us, who were real, and the fae, who were not. That's essentially the difference between us and them, and it's what brought us together and made us care about each other. After Creation... there were more middling creatures. Old ways of thinking were hard to get rid of. Besides, it could also be said that reality is based on resistance. If you see a wall, but you can just walk through it, it can't be real, can it? If you want to fly, and can just will yourself into the air with no effort, then gravity can't be a real thing, either. I'm sure you can see the consequence of this, for creatures as powerful as full-grown Titans?"
"... Time would have been a factor as well, I suppose. The world existed as we had designed, under our rule, for a very, very long time. Hundreds of millions of years. More. Several whole other species of proto-humans existed before we created yours. And hundreds of other species been and gone before them. What importance were brief individuals, in any number?"
>>480907
> Saulanna: Point out that mortals have always been controlled by those above them. If they have no agency then they can bear no blame.
"Of course! Mortals simply aren't powerful enough to be held responsible for such actions. To be frank, the gods are easily capable of just brainwashing humans into slavish servitude. I doubt even our fallen fellows hold much more than a passing contempt for ordinary humans."
>>480926
>is Wordblood aware that he sorta broadcasts his thoughts through his word-based body?
"Yes, I am. It's perfectly natural. I am Words; I express. It's quite straightforward."
>>482947
>Wings
"Yes! Aren't they lovely? Well. They are a little small. But still, it's so nice to have wings again! And an effective promise of being able to develop them more in the future. I was a little worried that I'd never really fly again. I have no idea of how long or how much Will it will take to build this world to the level where that would be meaningful, or to let me manifest in the outer world, but it cheers me nonetheless."
> Something wrong with the Hero Soul/Hero Soul's influence on Kairosa/us
"Mm. I know I keep saying this, my lady, but I have no idea how the Hero Soul works. I can't make any judgements on if something's amiss with it, or what it will do. You'd have to ask... I don't know. Autochthon."
>>480913
> Ask Wordblood about how this whole inner world thing works. Each of our lord devas has dominion over part of it, right? Can we consciously reshape it?
"Yes, and yes. You would need to spend Power, however. We all have some authority over most of it, though our level of authority alters based on elemental themes. As I said earlier, I think I, for example, have dominion over air and water here. Though not to the extent that I would if my Element was actually air or water.
> When we were talking to the Moon Heroes, we noticed that our Moon Abilities seem to last longer than we had initially expected.
"It wouldn't surprise me. As a Titan, you're rather more... solid than lesser creatures. As such, you're a much more secure anchor for magical effects, so long as you want them to persist."
> maybe Wordblood could go over a few things he didn't get to in our social combat lessons.
"I believe there's only one distinct thing I've not covered. You can spend Power to "heal" your Will Points directly. It's not actually magic, normal heroic mortals can do the same with their Will Power. You channel it through one of your Virtues, so long as it's applicable to the Topic, and regain Will Points equal to its rating. There are a few other details and specifications in regards social combat, but I think it will be easier to simply point them out if and when they come up."
> Let's go take a look inside the hut in the middle of the central island.
Saulanna is still comforting Kairosa! Also, it seems to be a tent.
> Is there anything that Wordblood wants to talk to us about?
"Actually, I've been considering that tent. And your clothes. They seemed familiar. I'm not sure... my memory is hazy on a lot of detail... but I think both may be of the type that the first humans made for themselves. Particularly the clothes. Other sentient mortal beings we had made had not tended to need them, so it was one of the first innovations humanity made for itself. Strange that it would reappear like this. Well, perhaps that's an instance of samsara, for you."
"Anything else... Hmm. Well, I've been thinking about your social situation with the other Heroes, but that can wait. And I've been thinking about Peregrin. We need to teach him something. Until we do, his oath may not hold if he ever comes to really believe we'll never teach him. It was conditional. Teaching him just one thing would bind him properly. What else... really, I'd just like to talk to you about being a Titan, in general. Where we come from, what it is that makes us what we are, how we all came together... but it would take a long time, and I don't want to overwhelm you. You're not that old yourself, my lady. There will be time."
> Questions when Kairosa is rested
> Past incarnations of the Hero Soul
"Oh, um. Yeah, I can tell you... some stuff. But, erm. There are a couple of problems. Like, first of all, Time, time is things happening, you know? Events. Changes. I'm not so good at things like names and faces, things that stay the same. The difference wouldn't be much on its own, I mean I know who Pluto was, right? But the Hero Soul is a bit weird. I think it actually gets cleaned in between hosts. By some god, I think his name is... Lytek? He cleans off a lot of the identity, so it's hard to make out the details. Particularly of the human parts. And on top of all that... I think this Hero Soul's hosts have all tended to be sneaky types! The stealthy magic's all gone and rubbed off on it. The big stuff all still stands out, of course, it's just... it's just going to be a summary, you know? Maybe when I'm stronger, I can power through all these problems. Or when Wordblood has his reading thing."
"Uh. Anyway. Let's see... first incarnation. Died during the war with the Titans, after doing a lot of snooping. Pretty early. Second incarnation. Killed a lot of devas. Even some Lords. Died in the last battle of the war. Ugh, got their soul crushed. Owww. Third... lived a long time. Fought fae. Helped build nations. Aaaand... something weird. There's this one spot where it feels like everything... splinters. And then comes back together? Turns unpleasant after that. Tastes like traces of the imprisoned Titans. And then dead when the Sun Heroes were betrayed. Fourth... lived out on the edges of reality, so it gets hard to taste. After a long time, there's a giant plague that kills most people in the world, but they survive. Fights the fae when they invade after that, including some that the third fought. Survives again, tries to kill the Scarlet Empress, gets done in by Dragon Heroes. And one of them is descended from one that killed the third! Samsara. Fifth... doesn't live long. Sixth lives to see the Sun Heroes return. The war with the forces of Oblivion. Survives that. Problems with a Sun Hero. Your Hero Soul's mate? Tastes of... death, and destruction, and betrayal. Fights. They end up killing each other. Aww. That's kind of depressing."
"I think I can... almost taste some other stuff. I'm getting a strong "secret base" flavour from somewhen. I can't quite make it out yet, though... I... Sorry. I'll do better when I'm stronger."
>>480913
> Would it be beneficial to go over [information from souls] and fact-check, so that we can be reasonably sure that we're not working off bad information?
"Sure, we can do that. It'll take some time, though. Like, manual effort, I mean."
"Perhaps we'll do that to occupy ourselves in the future, while you're busy with other things."
> Kairosa might even have some answers for Wordblood, as to why the first Heroes were so willing to kill him when he loved them.
"Oh, well, that's easy, actually! It was just practicality. There were a few select Titans who would have been of specific tactical trouble in the war, and He Who Bleeds the Unknown Word was one of them. Hard to carry on a campaign if there's someone on the other side who can, say, read or hear any message, from anywhere? Seriously, he could do that. Just pick up on everything being communicated, everywhere. So the opening attack of the war was to disable those Titans who could do stuff like that. The Lidless Eye That Sees was another one, I think. So it was just... strategy. Probably the Sun's idea!"
"... Oh. I... see..."
> Does Kairosa have any distinct Titanic Abilities that she'll be able to use on our behalf when we're not in our Inner World?
"Oh, plenty of stuff! Well, potentially. Right now, not much. I can pull spirits in here like Wordblood can. I can taste the history of things, though I need to spend a dot of Power if its outside here. And I think I can do something about your Soul Fire, if, uh. If you don't mind a little pain. Aside that... well, in the future there's lots I could do. Drain energy from things, move it around, give it to people. Do the same with Time. Not until I'm stronger, though."
> She said that the Hero Soul is growing and evolving even now- how is it changing?
"Can't really say. Not without looking into the future, anyway. It'll respond to its environment, so it depends."
> Can Kairosa tell us anything about the limitations and mechanics of the control that the Dragon's Shadow has over the cycle of days and nights in shadowlands?
Just your basic time-stretching. Pull the seconds from between the hours here, push more seconds between the hours there. The further outside his domain, the harder it is for him to do. Pretty simple."
> what would be the consequences of altering the circumstances of your own creation to block the influence of the Lunar Exaltation Shard?
Saulanna doesn't think it works that way. Wordblood said that all a Titan's devas influence each other; she and Wordblood have had influence on each other, and Kairosa seems to have had influence on them, though she was created after them. If the Hero's Soul is acting like a deva, then its influence is persistent, not just introduced at the moment of creation.
Besides, asking her if there's a way to change her would be a horrible thing to do! Just imagine it. Kairosa would look up with those big open eyes, and the corners of her mouth would slip down just a bit, and you'd see the thought: Is there something wrong with me? painted all over her face. All over her adorable honest little face. You'd hear a soft crack, and know a tiny fracture line had appeared across her heart.
Aww, no, Saulanna's imagining it right now.
D:
> Get a reading on those souls
Good idea. Aside the obvious practicality, perhaps getting to do her job will help Kairosa feel better!
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