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 Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2025 1:30 pm
Prompt 12: In Tribute In the days leading up to the Star Festival, small stone shrines began to appear randomly throughout Destiny City–on rooftops, in alleyways, hidden down long forest paths. They’re small, altar-like platforms with a little bowl in the center and a single glowing stone inside. There’s something peaceful, refreshing, about the shrine, even if no one seems to know who is setting them. However, if the stone is removed, the glow vanishes–along with your sense of peace. This was not your offering to take. Immediately, you feel something breathing on the back of your neck but there’s nothing to be seen. Returning the stone returns the area to an uneasy stillness, but if you attempt to leave without returning the stone, a mounting pressure and anxiety will grow within you. You never make it far from the shrine before some unseen force overtakes you. It feels like a great force collides into your back, and unconsciousness is quick to follow. When you awaken, the shrine is gone. All that remains is pain and fear. If you are tempted to leave an offering of your own, however small, you will find yourself feeling as though you have received the protection of something greater than you can understand. This strange blanket of security will last for the remainder of the day. A shrine never stays in the same place for long but no one ever sees who is setting them up or taking them down.
She stopped when she felt like they were far enough away, along some deep forest path. "Ok I can breath again" She took a deep breath of fresh air. "Ok lets try introductions again now that there isn't a demon bird trying to kill us. I'm Corporal Vaylin, I'm from the Vanguard of Velencya. Thank you for your assistance tonight!"
Vaylin offer the Page a friendly smile. "I'm not sure I've met anyone of your knight order before, you said you're of the Moon right?" She assumed he was referring to the Moon above them right now. She liked meeting learning more about new knights or senshi so even if the eggs had not borne much fruit this could still prove to be a productive night.
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Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2025 8:31 pm
They'd made it away from the monster, and Pergamon was thoroughly relieved. He shook out his cravat, and considered putting it back, but--no. It would be a waste of time, and it was no longer keeping the scent from his nose, so, he tucked it into subspace. It would reapply itself next time he powered up anyway, he was fairly certain.
"Thank you for the backup," Pergamon said, and he huffed. "Ugh. Smelled like rotten eggs. Appropriate, perhaps, but also nauseating." Honestly? Cursed Undead hell Chicken sort of seemed like the kind of thing that might as well happen, these days.
Also like something fascinating and worthy of study, but perhaps...another time. The whole thing seemed particularly interesting--empty eggs that summoned an undead guardian who vanished when the eggs were destroyed and left behind rotten smoke...all of it felt thematically connected, but Pergamon would have to ponder it another time.
"Lovely to meet you, Valyin of Velencia," he said. "And I am very happy to assist, in whatever small way I can." His eyes drifted upward when she asked about him, and he nodded.
"Pergamon of the Moon, yes. Earth's, specifically. I gather we're a very new order of Knights--I had to bring the Code piece to my Wonder by hand, and install it there. I don't think that's the normal procedure." Or, at least, nothing had indicated to him that it was.
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Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2025 4:31 pm
"Really?" Vaylin's eye lit up as the Page told his story. As she understood it the Code piece of a Knight's Wonder brought life to the area. It was not reviving a planet like Senshi seemed to be capable of but even if it was over a smaller area it brought up intriguing possibilities. Vaylin had been under the assumption that Wonders were all predetermined locations but if it was possible to physically install a Code piece into a new location perhaps that could be the salvation of her people. Perhaps if she could find a way to make more Code piece or find more of them she could bring them back to Velencya and install them. Like planting nourishing seeds in a garden.
She reached into her subspace and extracted a journal. "Please tell me more about that!" She asked fascinated and wanting to learn as much as possible. She was practically buzzing with excitement at this new possible solution. " I hate to take up your time but anything you could tell me about that could mean the world!" She spoke quiet literally, her world and her prince's life.
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Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2025 5:18 pm
Ah, a fellow researcher. Perhaps their fields were different, but Pergamon could recognize the enthusiasm of someone given a new tidbit of information that helped with their grander understanding.
"I only understand so much myself," Pergamon confessed, "but as best as I can explain--Wonders themselves are already important places, no? Or at least, mine was, once, a thousand years ago." And every time Pergamon thought about all the bookshelves, he itched to pull things down and start reading, but he suspected many would be in languages he couldn't hope to understand. "So a Code piece placed there makes it into a Wonder and empowers the Knight, allowing for the preservation of a valuable magical-historical place. It's a fascinating thing, but I'm sure a more experienced Knight could explain it to you more fully."
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Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 2:15 pm
She took copious notes as the Page spoke. It seemed he didn't know much which made sense, as far as she understood it Pages were only just starting out and probably wouldn't be super knowledgeable but it was a place to start a new lead to probe. Perhaps she could find a full fledged Knight who knew more about the ins and outs of this process.
"You say it was an important place, if you don't mind me asking what made it important if it wasn't already a wonder?" She asked wondering what the criteria was for this process.
She noticed out of the corner of her eye a glow in the distance of the dark forest path they were on. "Hmm I wonder what that is?" She mused out loud as she glanced in that direction.
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Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 2:22 pm
Pergamon grinned proudly. Certainly it had only been his Wonder for a short time, but he was proud of it nonetheless--it had been given into his care specifically, and that meant something.
"Oh, it would be deeply important just because of what it is--a library." Pergamon sighed, fondly, in the way of a scholar purely in his element. "Massive, with more books than I think would be possible to read in a lifetime. But I also found a courtyard with a fountain--I suspect there's something special about it, but I'll have to do more investigation to be sure. It's dry, now, but I'd like to repair it."
The obvious pride in his tone was matched by his expression, utterly delighted. "It really is a remarkable place. I can see why the Code saw it as a place worthy of being preserved." And, also, why a professor was its ideal Knight.
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Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 2:42 pm
Vaylin wondered would the Code consider anywhere on Velencya important enough to place a Code piece on. There was also the intrigue of a grand magical library. The possible knowledge it held was enticing and she had to stop herself from begging the Earth man to take to it right now. "How'd you get a Code piece to install?"
She could still saw the glow in the distance so while she spoke with the Page she made her way over to investigate it. She saw it was a shrine of some variety with a glowing stone inside. "Huh? Have you ever seen something like this?"
Admittedly her knowledge of Earth religions were rather lacking but she hadn't seen any religious site like this in her time on this planet. "That stone looks magical." She noted.
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Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 2:54 pm
"I threw my bag at a youma to protect myself and someone I was with," Pergamon said, lightly, as if he wasn't describing incredibly foolish behavior, "and the Code decided that it liked my gumption and wanted me as a Knight. It gave me a piece of itself to install on my Wonder."
You know. As you did.
He followed Vaytlin over to the glow, bending down to examine the little shrine.
"Not exactly," he said, "but it is reminiscent of a certain variety of memorial that some Earth cultures prepare. The stone may be magical--" and he did feel a certain sense of warm peace, just being near it--"but regardless of if it is or isn't, I suspect this was made as a tribute to someone. Best left alone, unless you have something to leave behind as well."
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Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 4:33 pm
That was interesting so the Code itself just sent it to him because he had she supposed proved himself worthy of knighthood. She wondered how the Code made these determinations and if she could somehow convince it to give her pieces to take to her world if there was some way she could prove herself.
She set that thought aside as she focused on the shrine. "That makes sense." She reached into her subspace placing her journal inside it and withdrawing a small glowing crystal. She set the crystal into the shrine.
She felt a presence enter her some benevolent force that was offering her blessing and protections. It was a strange but good feeling. She could tell this was a special place, she didn't know why but this shrine was blessed.
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