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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.

Locke recently told her of five new manifestations. As directed by Shakuni, and therefore the gods, they were brought to her temple as soon as possible. "Adara, Cheshire, Damaris, Ophelia, and Reginald," quietly whispered she, glancing over the names as soon as she had got the message. They could not be long; in matters of the gods, one did not delay.

Shakuni kneeled in front of the altar of the gods' and meditated to become one with the gods' wishes, all the while listening for any new entries to the sacred temple.

(( 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 Damaris. ))

It was hard for Shakuni not to notice the bumbling manifestation. She quickly came out of her meditative state and bowed her head to the altar before looking back at the new presense. For a new manifestation, he was an awful klutz. The rest she had met thus far seemed to be able to hold their balance, but it seemed that this one, Damaris, simply could not. It was certainly an interesting difference. Shakuni stood and waited for the klutzy manifestation to bumble a bit closer.

As he took his sweet time, Shakuni brushed herself off and moved just a bit closer. "Damaris! Come here, if you would." Hopefully, he would not fall on the way over. He seemed like the type to trip over his own feet and fall flat on his face in the process. Shakuni would rather not deal with any injury in the temple, though admittedly, it may have been the best place to injure oneself. At least there were plenty of priestesses, including herself, nearby to help.

What would the gods think of this one? He lacked any sort of grace. Hopefully, he at least had some sort of direction.

This one was quiet. It was a bit unusual compared to other manifestations she had ran into--most seemed to have a lot of questions or remarks up their sleeves--but she would cope. Still, Shakuni wished he would say something. She would feel a bit less nervous about him if he would open his mouth to speak. He was behaving like a young child with no etiquette; it would have been nice to know that he could at least speak without fumbling.

Nevertheless, Shakuni would cope. At least his lack of speaking might make her job easier. She beckoned to him, moving towards an empty stone foutain. "Come with me, Damaris. The gods wish to meet you." Realizing she was moving a bit fast, Shakuni slowed down. She didn't exactly want Damaris to fall on his face while trying to keep up with her. Plus, there was no point in moving quickly if he was going to bumble after her. Chances were, he was going to take a while to catch up.

When she arrived at the fountain, she knelt down nearby and waited for his arrival. Hopefully, he would not take too incredibly long. Gods were fickle creatures.

"They wish to meet you, Damaris. You intrigue the gods, as all manifestations do." She waited for him to arrive at the stone fountain, keeping her hands in her lap as she continued to kneel. She would not begin to pray to her gods until he had arrived. "It is nothing bad. In fact, I believe it will help you." Maybe they would give the pathetic thing some grace.

Because he was acting so childish, Shakuni wanted to assure him before the next event occurred. "Nothing bad's going to happen, alright? The room will become dark and you'll have to select a path, but nothing big and bad is going to come out of the shadows. Just stay put there, alright?" She would wait for confirmation before continuing on.

"You'll know in good time, Damaris. I have no power. This is your decision, not mine." With those words, Shakuni closed her eyes and clasped her hands together. Indeed, the room went dark. It seemed as if the daytime of before had suddenly been shut off by a light switch, surrounding them in inky black night. Shakuni, as she prayed and chanted, began to float in the air as if possessed by some unknown spirit. With a gasp, her eyes rolled back, leaving her in a freakish trance. The ritual had begun.

The darkness of the room was pierced by ten bright lights which had suddenly formed on the fountain. Each cluster beckoned and pleaded for Damaris to come towards it, dancing brilliantly in front of his bright blue eyes. "Which path shall you choose, Damaris? We're waiting." Indeed, she was right. He would know in time, and that time was now. He needed to move towards the light, but which one drew his attention the most?



(( There's a black light between the blue and green ones. ))

If she wasn't in a trance, Shakuni might have whapped him upside the head. She had told him that it was his choice, not hers, and all he was doing was panicking and asking her the same questions again. Hadn't she told him this already?

"Damaris," her voice echoed in this state, bouncing off the walls and into the ears of those nearby, "this is not my decision. Pick the light that draws you in the most." Maybe if she repeated it enough times, Damaris would understand and just pick one. She did not particularly like the idea of having to banter with him, and Shakuni was certain that the gods did not want to assist Damaris either. This was his choice.

Which light would he choose?

Finally! As he reached for the white light, it flared and came brighter than it already was. In the meantime, an avatar appeared behind Shakuni. The avatar seemed very earthy, indicated what seemed to be grass, leaves, and vines growing all about her. Even her hair gave off the impression of the woods. She had a gentle, serene smile on her face as the confused manifestation finally decided on one solitary light.

"You have chosen Shanta." Shakuni's voice had become softer, and held motherly tones as if she cared for him more deeply than anything else. "Shanta is the path of serenity and peace. Little one, what do you wish for?" If anything, he had chosen the correct path. This goddess seemed to adore him as she adored all of her creatures. She observed him closely, taking in every detail about the manifestation in front of her. He was unusual and intrigued her greatly.

The avatar knit her brows briefly. Those were not the questions she was hoping to hear. Rather, she had wanted an answer, but she would soothe the childlike manifestation despite. "'The right path?' Dearest Damaris, I can not dictate which path is right for you, and neither can Shakuni. If the path of serenity and peace feels right for you, then it is the correct path to head down. I shall support you if Shanta is what you chose." The Earth Mother herself retained her soft smile. It reflected on Shakuni's face, who spoke for Cybele.

When he asked if she needed anything, she chuckled. "I require nothing of you, Damaris. I, Cybele, simply wish to meet you and assist you in your path in life." These manifestations certainly were interesting. Each had a vague personality, and their own little quirks. This one reminded Cybele of a calf simply wishing to get its footing in the world. Cybele loved all of Duniya's creatures, and so she loved this one the same. "What do you wish in life, Damaris?"

Perhaps he would understand what she meant by that question. The goddess patiently waited for his answer. After all, she had all of the time in the world.