Welcome to Gaia! ::

Many of Duniya knew of the Divine Order. They all had varying thoughts of the religious body, but most held some measure of respect for them whether it was for their devotion to the Pantheon or for their willingness to cope with the unreliable Duniya gods. The Divine Order did not typically involve itself in the everyday affairs of its residents, but something about the uniqueness of the existence of the Tabula Rasa had intrigued the gods.

The Order contained the gods' messengers, and so, the Divine Order learned that they must interfere with these 'Tabula Rasa'—blank slates born out of Rasa. The particular reasons for the gods' interference was unknown, but no matter if Locke particularly agreed to it or not, the new manifests were to be brought to the Divine Order—specifically, Shakuni—immediately upon manifestation.

Shakuni herself was a deeply devout priestess of the Order. It was said that the gods had touched her themselves, and therefore she held a deep connection and affinity to the affairs of the gods. Shakuni was a leader in the Order and perhaps the most important messenger of them all. To be called to bring the Tabula Rasa to the gods meant that the Tabula Rasa held some deep significance. The certain significance was, as of currently, unknown, but one did not question the gods' wishes.

Another manifestation had arrived—Aletheia. It was time.

As routine before she had to present someone with the gods, Shakuni entered a meditative state where she could speak with her gods. No matter what, she kept alert for the sounds around her, to make sure she would not find herself surprised and to make sure she knew exactly when the manifestation would enter.

If the gods wished to meet all the manifestations, Shakuni would be the vessel which would allow that.

(( The gods have spoken through their faithful servant! They have decreed that all new manifestations are to be brought to the attention of the Divine Order and brought to Shakuni, their faithful messenger, as soon as possible.

This PRP thread is reserved for the manifestation Adelaide.

This introductory post is very similar to the ones of the other Tabula because the Divine Order and Shakuni have not been known very long; it gives you a chance to get to know them as well. ))

Shakuni bid the gods a temporary good-bye as she heard the click of sandals from another Tabula who had chosen to enter the Divine Order. Though a few of these Tabula visits had briefly come to irritate her because of a couple Tabula's mannerisms, she appeared to be feeling much better now, as she was delighted to see at least some of these Tabula had manners and were not out to wreck the peace. That appeared to include this quiet, meek Tabula.

The High Priestess stood up to greet Adelaide, bowing in turn to the nervous Tabula so she would not worry. "You are fine, Adelaide. That is a perfectly appropriate way to greet." The priestess was continuously serene and peaceful. Just seeing her soft smile could have a calming effect on some, and it seemed her peaceful manner remained.

"You may. I am High Priestess Shakuni of the Divine Order, and I have summoned you here because the Gods have taken an interest in you and the other Tabula that have been born. They wish to meet you and see what makes you think. The Gods have never seen anything quite like you before." That was as much as she claimed to know about their reasoning, which no doubt Adelaide would soon ask. Shakuni figured she would intercept the question before it came.

Shakuni could grow to like this Tabula. She was rather adorable with her kind manners and her little expressions. "Ah, the Gods told me you were coming, Adelaide. That is how I knew who you were." This young girl was much less annoying than Albel or Sephiroth had been, this was for sure.

"The Gods are curious, and you, along with the other newborn Tabula, are what makes them so curious. They wish to know more about you, Adelaide. It is indeed a high honor, but do not be nervous." She offered her hand to the nervous Adelaide, hoping that the newborn Tabula would take her hand and walk with her.

Only once Adelaide had taken her hand would Shakuni continue. "Together we shall go to the Fountain. Do not be frightened. There shall be a choice for you to make, and the Gods shall see what you shall choose. There is nothing to be afraid of." Shakuni realized that she was repeating her, 'Do not be afraid,' point several times, but it appeared that this nervous Tabula would need continuous reassurance.

Hopefully, the progressive darkening of the room would not scare the poor girl too badly.

Shakuni had a sinking feeling that Adelaide didn't quite understand what was going on, but the priestess sincerely hoped it would become clearer as they moved to the fountain. With a silent nod, Shakuni led Adelaide towards the fountain which appeared to glow even with the low light in the distance.

In some ways, when they arrived, the whole scene seemed a little surreal. There was complete darkness, and yet the fountain was shining as if it was a light source all its own. There were clearly no candles or sunlight, so it most obviously was the fountain itself that was giving off light, as impossible as it was.

"This is the fountain I was talking about." Not wanting Adelaide to be scared, Shakuni was taking an extra few seconds to comfort the nervous Tabula. "Here the Gods shall meet you. However, which god you meet shall be your chose. Soon, lights will appear all around us, and you shall choose." Usually, Shakuni wasn't so insistant on explaining all beforehand, but this sweet Tabula seemed especially frightened.

Shakuni felt bad for Adelaide. The girl fluctuated between confident and distressed quicker than the priestess would have liked. Unfortunately, she had to do what she had to do, and that meant she had to lead Adelaide into this whether the poor girl was confident about herself or not.

The priestess was retaining her normal voice for longer than usual for reasons not even Shakuni quite understood. "Step up to the fountain and reach out for the color that calls to you. Whether it be pink, white, blue, black, or any of the colors, reach out and try to touch it. Then, I suppose what will occur afterwards will vary."

Admittedly, Shakuni was often foggy on many of the events that transpired afterwards. It was only by piecing together the information that Shakuni had much of any idea what happened. "Make your choice, Adelaide."



(( Black is between the blue and green. ))

That was a very interesting choice, considering Adelaide's seemingly shy and nervous nature. Before Shakuni could really ask what Adelaide was thinking when she made her choice, though, her eyes shut tightly and her voice changed it's tone. Instead of her usual soprano, it seemed Shakuni's voice had gotten a little deeper.

"Adelaide, you have taken a strong step forward to courage and great heroics. Clearly, you are meant to do great things." Shakuni--or what seemed to be Shakuni, anyway--offered her hand for the nervous one to take. "You have chosen Veera."

The other colors faded, and it seemed the fountain was glowing with a beautiful gold that reflected around the room. The shadow was gone. Instead, they seemed to be in a nice, welcoming place.

Adelaide was silent and amazed, and the voice of courage was quiet to let Adelaide take her new surroundings in. The deeper voice kept silent even when the woman's grasp loosened and she relaxed, and it seemed to take a few moments for the voice to realize that she wasn't going to say anything. It was at this point that the voice continued on.

"Adelaide," said the deepened voice of Shakuni, though the priestess's eyes still appeared a bit absent, "you have a courageous soul within you. Tell me, what do you wish to do with your life? Why have you chosen the path of courage and valor? Do you wish to leave your shell of shyness and take the lead? Do you wish to save the world of Duniya some day? What is your dream?"