001 ⚙ a lucid light

[clockgears]

[ The connection through the Murmur is clear and focused. Maybe not entirely steady at first, but intentional and to the point. ]

I reached out to the one calling herself Espera. She shared several pieces of information that I believe may be of interest to our little community.

[ There's some wry amusement in the way he says 'community', but he moves on without further comment. ]

She advised us to 'worship', referred to us as those who were once dreaming and are now awakened, and called both herself and us 'Vessels'. Much like the voice in the orchard did, for those who heard it.

And then...

[ An image comes through the Murmur, and lingers for a few moments before Ozpin continues. ]

A cipher, though one with scant information thus far. If anyone else discovers additional messages written using this 'alphabet', I'd appreciate if you would share with me. With more keys to reference, we should be able to decipher it.

Comments

CW: Cult Death, Poisoning

[sculptedash]

We'll see!

They haven't said there isn't a hungry snake god yet!

[Her hopes are in the ground on that one.]

Oh. Oh. Oh! Okay. So. Sometimes when you're in a cult. They throw a huge party and they have punch involved. Kind of like a dance.

Except the punch is poisoned and everyone who drinks it dies!

Isn't that fun!?

[clockgears]

[ There's a soft sigh. Yeah, okay, he probably should have expected something like that. ]

I wouldn't be so irreverent as to describe it as 'fun', even sarcastically.

I'm familiar with the idea of cults enforcing suicide pacts, however.

[sculptedash]

[Don't mind her as she snorts.]

Oh come on. A little black humor never killed anyone. Trust me, I've tried.

[And then a pause as she gets a little more curious.]

You do?

I never really got that vibe from you.

[clockgears]

It takes a great deal of practice to effectively use weapons as words.

[ Which sounds a bit like he's saying 'keep at it', but... eh. He's not not saying that. ]

I never said I was in such a cult, Ms. Graven. But there have been several throughout Remnant's history.

[sculptedash]

Oh? So the machine gun approach doesn't work? That might be my first problem.

[She's going to take it as him saying to keep at it.

But hey, he's telling her about his world! That's something.]

Oh. Oh. My bad. Okay.

Remnant, huh? Sounds a little bleak. What kind of cults do they have there?

[clockgears]

Mm. Remnant was certainly a difficult place to live at times—the Grimm made sure of that, and many of the people there are capable of unthinkable acts of cruelty. But there are those that risk their very lives to fight the Grimm, and oppose the cruelty they see no matter the cost.

I think it's a remarkable place.

[ There is a distinct thrum of wistful melancholy through the Murmur as Ozpin speaks, before he manages to wrestle it back under control. Right, she asked about cults. So why not tell her about the cult? ]

Well. There's a story about a particular cult in Remnant's history. A fairy tale, strictly speaking, though some historians argue it has a historical basis. It's called "The Infinite Man".

Would you like to hear it?

[sculptedash]

You know. You aren't aren't really selling me on this place not being bleak when it's filled with things called Grimm.

But I do have to admit- It sounds kind of awesome.

[She considers that briefly. The name "Infinite Man" drew on some memories she wouldn't really like think about right now. And there's sort of a strange bubbling beneath the surface feeling that comes across the murmur as she decides.]

Sure, why not. Lay it on me.

[clockgears]

Well, perhaps it's a matter of perspective. Remnant is certainly more inhabitable than New York has been thus far.

[ That strange bubbling is noted... but Ash doesn't say anything, so Ozpin doesn't either. If it's really bothering her, she'll say so.

So he launches into the story. There's a faint undercurrent of melancholy as he does, but for the most part his retelling is steady and clear. ]

Once upon a time, there was a man.

This man was said to be very powerful. Some people swore that he could use magic. Others claimed that he would come back to life every time he died. "He must be a god," they would say, but he would always reply, "I am only a man. Not even a very good one."

One day, this man came across a village under attack by Grimm. While many people would have fled, he had been wandering Remnant for this exact reason. Armed only with his staff, he leapt into the fray.

It was a mistake. But it was not his first, and it would not be his last.

[sculptedash]

[Don't mind Ash as she chimes in with an almost thrilled tone to her voice.]

Did the Grimm rip him limb from limb!? Did they gnaw on his bones, and use his staff as a fetch stick!?

Or did the people mistake him for a Grimm and shoot the hell out of him instead!?

[clockgears]

[ Ozpin blinks and falters. Bafflement flickers through the murmur, before it's replaced by weary amusement. ]

Not quite. He very nearly died, continuing to stand his ground long after the other village defenders had fallen or fled. But in the end the Grimm were defeated, the village was saved, and the man collapsed where he stood in the wake of the battle. Four survivors emerged from the ruins of the village, shocked to find him alive. Together, they nursed him back to health, and four days later he awoke.

When he did, the villages thanked him for saving them. When they asked how he had defeated so many Grimm, he said only that he had been fighting Grimm for a very long time. When they said he could have died, he said he would have if not for their help. And when they asked why he had helped them, he asked why they had helped him.

"We were here, and you needed us," the villagers told him.

"I was here, and you needed me," the man replied. "Thus the circle is complete."

Three of the villagers fell silent, puzzling over his answer. But a young girl, the only child in the group, stepped forward. She claimed that knew how the man had survived: he used magic, turning an entire wave of Grimm to ash with a wave of his staff. The adults berated her for making up stories, but the man spoke in her defense. What she said was true: the man had used magic to defeat the Grimm. The villagers were astonished. It was an outlandish claim, but no more outlandish than the objective fact of his survival.

"You must be a god," the villagers declared.

But he only insisted, "I am only a man. Not even a very good one."

Exhausted, the man closed his eyes and went to sleep. The villagers allowed him to rest.

[sculptedash]

Okay- You know what. I was not expecting this guy to have the ability to barbeque the monsters.

But it does make it easier to torch the village while everyone else is asleep to keep his secret.

The nosy girl wont know what hit her.