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DUST TO DUST ❅ EVENT
It will take them time to discern the cause. After all, all the artifacts brought back from the fight with Project Prometheus were deemed safe or at least contained, only able to have their dangerous power unleashed if people were dumb enough to try it.
The altheiometer is not the real thing. It was created by the belief of a child, after reading a certain book series, and therefore is more of a symbolic object, with none of the real capabilities of the device in fiction. Instead, it had other magical abilities. It was not entirely understood by the Project itself, just kept there to be studied and eventually co-opted for sinister use if possible. But it had remained inert in their company.
At the Pole, it passes the magical scan, since it technically is "safe," then finally activates. It works on a child's logic, after all. A child would think daemons are cool but wouldn't think bad people deserved them. A child would think the device should only activate to let good guys have daemons.
In the study containing the safer artifacts, the altheiometer opens of its own accord. Gears turn. The hands start clicking as they move in circles around its clock-like face, rotating back and forth between different symbols. The hands finally stop, clicking as they meet in the same spot, on the symbol of an apple, with a bite taken out of it.
It's all very metaphorical isn't it. The soul can't exist without free will. In some worlds they think free will only exists because of an apple in a garden.
There is a burst of light and sound that reverberates through the Pole. As the floor shakes, everyone sees a brief glimpse of the wave as it passes through walls - and then passes through each of them. Getting hit by it is like getting hit by a storm wave in the ocean, briefly lifting everyone off their feet.
Alongside the sensation of being briefly levitated, there is also the painful sensation of suddenly being aware of something deep inside, briefly made to feel almost like a splinter in their very core.
Then, with all the subtlety of getting attacked with a giant hole punch, the splinter is removed, excised. It does hurt, but there is also a strange relief. Except...whatever it was, it's still here. Next to each of the Guardians. Still attached, just...an externality now.
The wave crashes to the shore. They're all knocked to the floor again.
If they were alone in a room, they aren't now. If they weren't alone in a room, said room's occupants have now doubled.
Each PC now temporarily has a daemon. Daemons are the soul externalized, sentient and able to talk. Taking the form of animals, they often shapeshift and change forms during someone's childhood, but settle into a permanent shape during someone's teen years as the person's personality becomes more concrete and distinct.
- Form: A daemon takes an animal form that represents the person's personality. They usually have a gender opposite to their respective person's, but there are sometimes exceptions, sometimes for entirely unknown reasons, or if the person is some flavor of queer. Daemons will know that they're their owner's soul and be able to tell them that.
- Daemon Selection: Here is a page with interpretations of a few animals and what types of personalities they can represent, but please don't take it as law. It's just possible inspiration. The daemons can be any animal. For characters not from Earth, their daemons can be animals that are entirely made up or ones in their canons.
- Link: Daemons are connected metaphysically to their person through an invisible link, allowing that person to still be attached to their soul. Moving too far from your daemon can cause physical and spiritual agony. Suddenly being ripped apart by a great distance can kill someone. Killing a daemon - which is only as hardy as the animal they are - also kills their owner.
- Personalities: Daemon personalities are often similar to their owner's, but sometimes daemons are more willing to be honest about feelings or subconscious impulses. For instance, daemons often instinctually show affection to the daemons of people their owner is fond of. Daemons will remember everything their owner remembers, and was basically there the whole time they were alive, just integrated. Despite being externalized, they aren't something separate from each person, they were always a part of them.
- Physical Contact: People can touch their own daemons without effects and cuddling their daemon can be a positive experience of self-love. Someone hurting their own daemon can feel like they've caused the damage to themselves, and hurts on a spiritual or almost self-hating level. Meanwhile, picking up someone else's daemon without permission can cause incredible discomfort and pain. Alternately, touching someone's daemon with permission can cause comfort, a surge of happiness, or even pleasure, depending on the context of the contact and the relationship the two people have.
❅ Event Length: The plot will last an OOC and IC 2 weeks before they can figure out what's causing the change and reverse it, making the daemons internal again. During this time, allies of the Guardians will temporarily take over their duties and fortunately no major crises will happen. Players can set their own opens during this time as well as play out anything that happens over the whole 2 weeks in this post.
❅ New Characters: If your character is introing at this time, assume they arrived just in time for the magical wave to hit them, or walked into a cloud of its residual energy.
❅ Opt-out: Anyone that doesn't want to play in the plot or have a daemon can handwave Vasilisa's magical defenses caught on to the power surge and her glowing charms protected at least some people in the Pole from the transformation. You can ignore this and thread as if there's just a little extra chaos around the Pole.
❅ Jack Frost: There will also be a network post with Jack explaining what Vasilisa has magically discerned has happened. It will take time to find the source, as the altheiometer is very good at cloaking its readings and registered as "safe." (Technically, it is safe, it's just...inconvenient.)
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[Forgiveness doesn't sit well with him, anyway.
There's likely a corkscrew around here somewhere, but Crowley just summons one into his hand rather than wasting time looking for it, and opens the bottle with the efficiency of someone who's been doing this since they invented corks.
Two wine glasses appear on the table in front of Siffrin, and Crowley pours a generous amount of the dark red wine into each.]
You're new, yeah?
[He might not be the most social creature, but he has a rough idea of who everyone is at the Pole, and he doesn't recognize Siffrin.]
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He just nods silently at first. It's only after taking a swig that he remembers he doesn't have the rest of his party to do the talking as usual and he has to make more of an effort.]
...Get new people here often?
[The wine is just as tasteless as everything else, but that's less of an issue with alcohol. It'll do its intended job regardless.]
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Crowley takes that as a cue and sprawls into a seat to drink his wine.]
Every now and then. There aren't a whole lot of us, so you're not easy to miss.
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He pauses, then shrugs and holds the wineglass by his shoulder so she can sip at it too. She has to stick her whole head in the glass to reach the liquid, steadying herself with a paw on the rim, but Siffrin doesn't appear to care about the gross factor he he takes another swig himself as soon she she's pulled back.]
And how often do you get multiple people from the same place?
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Happens on occasion. My — [Hm. He makes a sort of vague fruity gesture because he needs a second to pick the right term.] — partner's here, and we've got a few other people from the same places.
[He tips his head, regarding Sif for a moment.]
You looking for someone in particular?
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A few people.
[Siffrin makes himself continue sipping at his wine, totally casual. He is definitely doing a very good job of not seeming completely unhinged about his family's absence, like he didn't nearly break reality last time he was almost separated from them.]
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Well, once the barrier's broken the first time, it's easier for more to fall through.
[This is actually kind of a bad thing, generally, but he's not going to go into all that.]
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[Bad thing or not, there's a shred of hope in that one word that they're desperately trying to keep a lid on. Wanting is dangerous. A single wish can destroy the world – or just doom him to eternal torment, if nothing else.
As if sensing that delicate balance, Mallory curls back into his collar and quietly presses against the side of his neck.]
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[Considering Crowley's whole.... vibe, it's probably not surprising that he's the sort of person who doesn't pay attention.]
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The guy with the darkless hair, right? He seems kinda...busy.
[And maybe a little overwhelmed, and Sif doesn't have the ego to discount that and pester him with questions anyway.]
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He likely needs the break to handle an easy question, honestly.
crying at that gagtag
I'm pretty sure answering stupid questions is more of an annoyance than a break.
im so glad
[Everything is so fucking weird. All questions are valid.]
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[Unfortunately, the irony of saying that to this person in particular is lost on Siffrin.]
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She'll be fine.]
Oh, piss off. [This is directed at Asteria, judging by the way Crowley turns to look at her laughing herself silly.
Back to Siffrin:] I'm hardly nice. S'just a relief to have an easy question sometimes. World's ending, sure, but at least you can get this one thing sorted. Speaking from experience on that one.
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You seem nice enough to me.
[In his defense, he's full of self-loathing and thinks most people are probably better people than him, so it's not like that's even saying much. But hey, this guy did come over to defend their dinner from a cat and shared some wine.]
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I'm a demon, we don't do nice. [Asteria doesn't stop laughing. She can't wait to tell Aziraphale all about this.] I'm just polite, there's a difference.
[Don't ask him what the difference is, he'll have to make up some bullshit.]
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...You don't look like a demon to me.
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And what should a demon look like, then?
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Like...Sadnesses, I guess?
[Which...probably isn't something even people in his own world would understand if they weren't from Dormont, since the King was a pretty localized phenomenon, so he tries again with another shrug.]
Monsters.
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It upsets the humans if I go wandering about in my proper shape. This — [with a gesture at himself.] — is only a costume.
[That's not entirely true; his relationship to his corporation is more complicated than that, but he doesn't need to get into all that.]
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...Ok, then can you take it off? I promise not to get upset.
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[Asteria decides that it's absolutely vital for her to interject in this moment:]
Yes.
[Crowley ignores her.]
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I like her.
[As a reward, he picks up a bit of meat from his abandoned meal as tosses it to the ground for the cat.]
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[The smugness radiating off this creature is ridiculous, as she gracefully leaps down to grab that offering.]
Don't encourage her, she's already a bloody nightmare.
[He loves her soooooo much.]
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