strike the flint upon the stone [to all Heroes/backdated to roughly midmonth]

[unyieldingspirit]

[Between one thing and another, K'pandolu thinks it's about time they gathered as much information as they can. After all, if the Sage isn't about to give them anything… maybe one or another of the others brought here has noticed something.

There’s a little part of her that thinks she shouldn’t be too obvious about it, so she adds a few more questions to her list just in case. It’s not- hiding what she’s after, exactly. Just putting it in a field of other options. Who answers what, and how… that’ll reveal something, too.]

To All Heroes:

In the interests of seeing what knowledge we can put together to find a solution to the puzzles of this world, I would like to pose a few questions.

First- to my knowledge, some of our own worlds have undergone catastrophic disasters. Has anyone seen a disaster like this one? Alternatively, what kinds of troubles have befallen your own worlds, if any? [the second is mostly to assuage her own curiosity, but – perhaps in that there may be some commonality that’s drawn them here. She won’t know without asking.]

Regardless of your answer to the first- what do you make of this Calamity? A wall of advancing crystals, that might envelope the world… It sounds incredible, doesn’t it? In fact- does it seem similar to anything else to any of you?

To those of you who shared the vision of the future, I would ask one more thing. The Imperial City of Hera changed – did any of you find a way there? Do you, perhaps, recall any other places that were changed so?

Thank you for your time. With all of our efforts bound together, I hope we will be able to forge a bright future for all of us.

Signed this day by my own hand,
K'pandolu Tohka
of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn

Comments

[unyieldingspirit]

Sephiroth,

Indeed? That would be most useful!

No doubt to inconvenience us further. Yet there must surely be a way to get around that… [also she just doesn't want to let Palitutu have any more leverage over them, for whatever this might count as.]

Does that mean there are tales of something like that in your own world? Do you think it could cross dimensions, then?

I appreciate that. I'll do my best to find whatever may be contained within. [she'll try and live up to that expectation even if it's just her own, definitely.]

- K'pandolu

[shinrasfinest]

[Referred to here and this reply comes a few days later since Sephiroth has indeed managed to find a copy of the report --about 3-4 pages-- that he submitted before. The topic was on Crystal stasis at the time, but it does present some interesting correlations between the then Heroes of Light; the vast majority, could be considered to have been something of a 'Hero' in their own right, back on their own respective homeworlds.]

K'pandolu,

I hope that the enclosed may provide some insight, even though the exact subject matter might not be too similar.

My world has it's own Calamity of the Skies, even if the mechanics differ, but that's not the only similarity. We have crystals too but their purpose is different. We've also managed to develop technology which turns the life energy of the Planet into a wildly available energy source, and it seems WEAPONs also exist.

I do think, that should we fail here, it will undoubtedly stretch through each of us back to our own worlds.

~Sephiroth

[unyieldingspirit]

[No clear pattern for why they crystallised… That's not too encouraging. But any kind of a link, however small, gives her some hope. If they were all heroes of a sort before- bringing them to combat something stands to reason. But the Calamity seems to be the expanding crystallisation… and that brings her back to the point of how they're supposed to be fighting it. Still, there must be some way…]

Sephiroth,

I believe so too. Thank you very much for this. [and perhaps it'll be worthwhile looking into the details of the people here now.] Do you think the general temperaments of the people summoned has changed over time?

Of a different kind? Might I ask what it is like? That's similar to Eorzea, too, though I suspect we use them differently again. The crystals we have of a similar size are used as beacons for teleportation magic, and have no aspect akin to the ones in the temples here. The life energy of the Planet? Incredible… [and probably also dangerous, from the sound of it.] Similar to the Ultima Weapon? […not good news. As though the Allagan relics weren't bad enough…

She stares at the last line for a time. A reminder that they can't afford to fail? She knows that well enough.]

It's terrible that that could well be the case. All the more reason to solve this.

- K'pandolu

[This reply doesn't come back until many days later-]

[shinrasfinest]

K'pandolu,

You'll have to forgive my long silence, I've been wrapped up with work recently.

I don't think that the temperament of people should be an angle that we look to for similarities or differences; you might as well ask how similar all the stars in the sky are.

Gaian crystals contain the knowledge of the Ancients; the secret powers of the Planet. We call them Materia and they enable the user to utilize a vast array of abilities, from magic, support, command or even to summon creatures similar to the eidolons here. All dependent on the particular mental power of the wielder. I do still have mine stored away; perhaps one day I'll have to show you.

Ultima WEAPON is indeed named as such on my Homeworld, and it doesn't appear too different either.

I can only agree with you, but we all know what has to be done. It's the how exactly that continues to elude.

~Sephiroth

[unyieldingspirit]

Sephiroth,

Not at all, I understand entirely. [whooooo wanders off to make friends with slyphs and Amal'jaa and forgets her linkpearl? yeah. he's being responsible, he's fine.]

I suppose so. It's simply… if there was something, some kind of pattern, perhaps it'd point towards how we're supposed to solve this. But I suppose that would have been too simple. [and in all likelihood the Ancients had no idea what they were messing with and no way to create such pointers (if they even wanted to).]

Incredible… I'd be glad to see that! I know of materia in Eorzea, though perhaps their applications may be somewhat more limited. I find it difficult to imagine being separated from magic. […class restrictions aside.] You mean that they can hold such beings?

And with the same purpose of defending against Calamity? I see. But it seems strange that there should be such creations in different worlds, with such similar appearances… Have you any ideas for how that might have come to be?

That's true. There must be something- or else we'll forge it ourselves.

- K'pandolu

[shinrasfinest]

K'pandolu,

I'm beginning to think that it may well have been nothing more than random happenstance that we're all here at all; no matter how much I'd rather not ponder on the chaotic laws of the universe.

Think of Materia as the 'bridge' between the life-energy instilled in a person and that which is already in abundance within the Planet. It's not that the Materia itself contains such beings, they are a manifestation brought out from the Planet itself.

Yes, exactly the same from what I understand. [Carefully omitting the fact that he was the Calamity they had been awoken to defend.] And I'd predict that similarity would be borne from the clear fact that all worlds are connected somehow; or at least, all worlds are connected to Crystallis.

Indeed, there are still many secrets we're yet to uncover.

~Sephiroth

[unyieldingspirit]

Sephiroth,

Perhaps so. Perhaps there's no more reason than that whatever force there is could pull us, more than anything, and has no kind of basis to choose.

Strengthening a connection, in other words. That makes sense. [both the idea of a bridge and the concept of materia bringing forth a manifestation of an eidolon. Admittedly, it still sounds stronger than what Eorzean materia does, but- why bother lying about that?] Do you know what gives them that shape?

Curious. [all for the best, really.] It's incredible. To think of all the stars that could be out there… Do you think it was always that way?

Would that they were a little clearer. But then, I suppose they wouldn't be such secrets. Perhaps it's time to find a pickaxe once more.

[shinrasfinest]

K'pandolu,

That's a curious question,for sure. I'm no expert on the mechanics of life energy, but I suppose it's a similar process which manifests monsters on our world. For example, when a Mako reactor malfunctions one of the consequences would be an increase in the local monster population.

I think that no one can claim to know the full expanse of the entire universe. Therein I suggest we might find a thread that has yet to be discovered, which may help our particular predicament.

~Sephiroth

[unyieldingspirit]

Sephiroth,

I suppose it is, at that. Call it a personal interest, if you will. [or just plain what the hell is up with summons.] Mako- a manifestation of that life energy? [on the assumption 'reactor' translates across- there's the processing plant in North Thanalan, after all.] Such as a spillage? An excess of energy would certainly disrupt the balance in the area. I'd have thought producing something like that must take a great amount of energy, though. Did that kind of thing happen often?

Certainly. It would take more than a lifetime of work, I suspect. Something to pull at, to unravel and make anew. It has a pleasant ring to it. The question, then, become where do we start picking. [which is not something she expects an answer to from him. But perhaps it'll be useful to keep in mind.]

- K'pandolu

[shinrasfinest]

K'pandolu,

Mako is the processed life-energy once it's been drawn out of the Planet and turned into a form suitable for consumption in the generation of energy. It's a relatively new technology that was utilized on my home world to provide convenient energy for the populace.

You've the right of it, though. There were a few leaks, from time to time, but no more than might be expected - all equipment degrades through use. You have to bear in mind, Mako reactors were only built in areas where the lifestream ran suitably close to and in high-enough concentrate to the surface of the Planet for it to be harvested profitably; these areas may well have been a little more dangerous than most even before the advent of mako energy.

To answer your last; that, I suspect, is more the relevant question at this point.

~Sephiroth

[unyieldingspirit]

Sephiroth,

Like ceruleum. […maybe. Sort of.] It sounds incredible. And the world has been thriving? [whether that's good or bad- she thinks she won't specify.]

That stands to reason. The processing plant was built in a similar kind of location. If the lifestream runs so close to the surface of the world, it would only be natural to be able to observe some of its effects… [this sounds like an amazing opportunity for some scholars. Maybe even up Urianger's alley.] Who built them? […who looked at this and said yes this is a sensible thing let's try it?]

Of course. And the best place to start is where we haven't looked too closely yet, I'm sure.

- K'pandolu

[shinrasfinest]

K'pandolu,

Whether or not it had any particularly detrimental effects to the Planet as a whole was a hotly debated topic. Before I had come, Shinra had already faced many eco-terrorism threats claiming that it was upsetting the balance. There was only one girl who could truly have been able to tell for sure.

Not that any of that matters here.

[Aerith is not a topic he's going to go into, sorry K'pandolu; it's not relevant anyway.]

Can I ask what you thought of the contents of that VHS?

~Sephiroth

[unyieldingspirit]

Sephiroth,

No, I suppose not. But it's been interesting. […maybe a little disturbing. It's not as though she's going to say that!

…well, that's piqued her curiosity, but alas.]

It's inconvenient that it cut out as much as it did, but I believe we have most of the salient points. It ought to be useful to have all of that in one place, where we can make good use of it. […hopefully.] However- I do not believe that following what was laid out in the video is the best course for us. I cannot believe that becoming anything like that "will of the Calamity" will serve us or this world well. [somehow, it'll be screwed up. she's certain of it.] That song- if everyone has to be sacrificed for it, that's not much good either. Perhaps one person might manage, but it would be better if they were supported.

But perhaps there's something in the eidolons. The shapes are familiar to me, but- perhaps they are the closest to having been born of this star. I must confess to some curiosity about the Temple as well, though reaching it sounds to be an arduous task. [and she's… a little suspicious of mastering Onion Knight, still.] Perhaps it might shed some light on matters, though.

Might I ask what you made of it, in turn?

- K'pandolu

[shinrasfinest]

[So glad for the change of subject.]

K'pandolu,

I think we need to be more cautious with the context.

What details may have been cut from the recording, might well be even more important to know than the information Kalki has managed to communicate with us through this medium. It's important to remember as well, the time at which it had to have been recorded; Kalki was older, the last time we laid eyes on her.

Moreover it's not the first I've gleaned of this particular plan.

I also confess to some curiosity with regards to the Temple of the Heroes of Light as well; though I do think we'll need to go in well-prepared. The more we know about the Temple before we approach its doors (Onion Knights or not) the greater the chance for success will be.

You wouldn't go into a hostile territory without having some reconnaissance done first, after all.

My concern, is those of us who will not wait that long.

~Sephiroth

[unyieldingspirit]

Sephiroth,

True. I'm glad you're here to remember that.

You think it could have been deliberate. If she thought it more useful that way, and had the ability to do so… you're right. Why shouldn't she? And the time might have given her time to finalise some of this, and work out an approach. [which starts as unsettling, and then gets worse with the idea that they're being pushed some way or another. She's never been too fond of that.]

No? What did she say then?

I imagine Mysidia is our best location for information about it. [as little as she suspects it might be… Better than nothing.]

And the information's out there… But it will still take some time to work out a way in, even a second one. Perhaps, if some of usstart looking now, we can mitigate some of that.

- K'pandolu

[shinrasfinest]

K'pandolu,

We can't rule out anything, not to mention where the VHS tape was discovered. From an Imperial Spy, I recall, from within the Heran capital? I'd say the likelihood of tampering is quite high even if it might not have been deliberate on Kalki's part.

Worst part is, we're never going to know for sure.

One thing I do know is that Kalki referred to that particular method, directly to me just before we were all thrust back in time. Lets call it another correlation that's too obvious to be disregarded.

I do think a return to the libraries in Mysidia might well be on the to-do list. As will at least another trip back to the Tower in case we missed something important.

~Sephiroth