etrayamemes | TDM 006

TDM 006

⏵ arrival ⏴
Arrival is absolutely not normal this month. Instead of a hospital bed, you wake in a tunnel with a large group of other people. These are the residents. A woman’s voice in an earpiece hurriedly clues you in with an apology.

I apologize; I had not planned to introduce you this way, but we are low on time. Please proceed down the hallway.

An image of a shattered pearl pops up on your personal HUD and rotates.

I am Aurora. You are joining many others on Etraya in order to save your world from destruction by completing missions. Your current mission is to find the pieces of this object that have become scattered in the library ahead of you.

For everyone else, coming in is much the same. The instruction goes out to head to designated areas immediately, where companion bots will escort the residents of Etraya down into the depths, the area beneath where much the same is explained.

⏵ disrobing ⏴

The tunnel eventually opens directly into the foreroom of an expansive library, painted in marvelous hues and patterns with skylights far above. There are wizards milling about, bearded and holding tomes, quietly chatting amongst themselves.

The reception area of the library has tall ceilings with equally tall doors Before you get too caught up in the scenery, a voice directs you forward. A gentleman, hunched and bespeckled craws out.

"Make a line! Make a line, everyone! You cannot enter the library dressed as you are... Come forward and give me your name."

The receptionist asks your given name and then hands over a box from underneath his counter. You can give him any name you want, he doesn’t seem to mind. It is tied with a tagged ribbon- labeling it accordingly. “The _____ robe of _______.”

	(First Letter of Given Name)				(Last Letter of Given Name)
A	Controlling	N	Helpful	A	Melodies	N	Light
B	Glimmering	O	Floating	B	Discretion	O	Mind-Reading
C	Wet	P	Handsome	C	Growth	P	Climbing
D	Gruesome	Q	Gullible	D	Grasping	Q	Jumping
E	Observant	R	Ratty	E	Flying	R	Hurting
F	Powerful	S	Adhesive	F	Reading	S	Guiding
G	Psychedelic	T	Sweltering	G	Dancing	T	Bug-Speaking
H	Swift	U	Cheerful	H	Shouting	U	Exploding
I	Voracious	V	Anxious	I	Extracting	V	Complaining
J	Soft	W	Likeable	J	Punishing	W	Dividing
K	Keen	X	Ruthless	K	Creeping	X	Slapping
L	Fabulous	Y	Dramatic	L	Walking	Y	Charming
M	Fair	Z	Demonic	M	Listening	Z	Combustion

As you read what the contents of the box may be, they form inside- Looking and behaving as your character expects them to. After all, magic is all in the wielder’s mind.

Don your robes and enter the library.

⏵ unfamiliar familiars ⏴

For those without a familiar (like one hatched from an egg not too long ago) you may borrow one from the library counter. They all have strengths and weaknesses, but they will all assist in the very important mission. As you roam the library, they will make little indications that you are closer or further from finding a piece of the pearl.


Pro	• Hardworking • Gives correct directions 75% of time • Won’t run away from you	• Very affectionate • Gives correct directions only when paired with another rat, toad, or personal pet.	• Gives correct directions 90% of the time
Con	• Must feed bookworms	• Will run away if too close to a cat	• Does not care for you • Sleepy • Will run ahead • Gets distracted by rats

⏵ the task at hand ⏴

With robes donned and creature in hand, you must now complete your mission. Find the pieces of the shattered pearl. As you enter the library, you may notice that it’s all very dim. There’s oil lamps around the place that may be moved with you to assist in your journey if your robes do not already emit light.

Break off and search the library. There is a directory at the front to point guests to all the different sections.

	Wings of the Library
A	General Works	B	Music
C	Philosophy, Religion	D	Fine Arts
E	History, Auxiliary Sciences	F	Language and Literature
G	Magic, General	H	Science
J	Geography, Anthopology	K	Medicine
M	Agriculture	N	Hobbies, Recreation
P	Social Science	Q	Military
R	Political Science	S	Practical Arts
T	Law	W	People
X	Education	Y	Spiders

Each section looks enough like the last, though the books within have immense power. Pick up the wrong book, and you might conjure a dragon or a historical figure! You must persist and avoid making too much noise or breaking too many things.

Or else the Librarian, a tall mass of knotted fabric will confiscate your robe and usher you back outside. Your name will be struck from the list, and you must pick a new one to re-enter the library to continue the search.

You can try to fight back against him- he may be set alight with the lamp. But should you be starting fires in here?

⏵ NOTES ⏴

Any thread with 15 comments between you and another may be submitted to find a piece of the pearl. There are 20 pieces altogether, and we will determine if the mission was successful by March 28th. A post will go live on the OOC comm for this!

This mission occurs out of time, similar to how the spaceship had. Meaning, those currently in game can experience these events any time between now, and March 14th.

Please direct all questions to our mod queries comment!

⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Wow, fuck that robe. He'd suggest she throw it away, but he's pretty sure they need these dumb things to be in the library.

He clicks his tongue, irritated as he considers some options.]

Would threatening it do anything?

How do you propose to threaten a robe? I could threaten to light it on fire, but we are surrounded by books and I am wearing it. I also do not know any magic that would unravel it either. [ Though she does know of a mage in a book who can do such things. ] But if you have any suggestion I would hear them.

[ Really, she's getting tired of floating in midair like this. Soon enough she'll be left with no choice but to take the book and see what the consequences are. ]

[Threatening to unravel it isn't a bad idea.....

This is so ridiculous. He can't believe he's actually going to go forward with the idiotic plan that's forming in his head, but magic's magic and this is a kid that needs help. If the robes decide to drop her she could get hurt.]

Hold on.

[He's switching modes on his choker, and with a blast from four miniature tornadoes exploding out of his back (whipping a few books off their shelves, he'll put them back later) he flies on up to her level. He lightly touches the sleeve of her robe, and after a few moments of calculating and recalculating for magic, a singular thread starts to unravel itself from the rest.]

Listen up, you shitty piece of fabric. If you don't get along with this brat I'm gonna slowly and painfully unravel you until you're just a bunch of useless string. [For added effect, he cracks a completely unhinged grin, directed at the robe.] So play nice, got it?

[ On the surface level threatening a robe is a very silly concept. The Archive feels a little chill when Accelerator actually does so. There's something off about the way he's smiling, about the tone of voice. But the robe actually complies and slowly lowers her to the ground. Luckily she's had years of practice keeping a stoic face and voice, and it holds up even now. ]

Thank you, I appreciate your assistance. I am the Archive, what is your name?

[ That's only the polite thing to do. ]

[It's kind of ridiculous that worked. Accelerator wasn't sure if it would, magic is so dumb and finicky, but he's glad that did the job. The grin on his face fades quickly, and he drops down with her to the floor. Once his feet are back on solid ground he switches his choker back to normal mode.]

... Accelerator.

[There's a small pause, because it isn't every day he comes across with a name (?) that's as unusual as his own.]

Not that I'm one to talk, but that's not a typical name.

[ It occurs to her that people are unlikely to know what the Archive is. Most people where she's from know what she is if she has to introduce herself, and she rarely has to interact with people who don't. Mostly she explains to the ignorant who find themselves in her path. ]

The Archive is what I am, not my name. Is yours a name or a title?

[He raises his eyebrows, absolutely not recognizing something/one called the Archive. It's possible she's from the magic side, given that nun's name is apparently Index Librorum Prohibitorum... but he isn't sure.]

More like a title. 'Accelerator' is the name of my psychic ability. I'm an esper.

[He leans more heavily on his crutch as the owlet on his shoulder gives a little hoot.]

What makes you 'the Archive', then?

[ Being an esper explains the magic. Or, something adjacent enough to magic, some psychics cling to the idea that they might have magic while others reject the idea outright and insist they have something else. She has no way of knowing which he falls under. ]

I am the collection of humanity's written knowledge. All that is written I understand and retain. Hence, I am the Archive. What do you accelerate?

[Oh, what the fuck. If she's being honest then he hopes she isn't the only one from her universe here.]

It's named for particle accelerators more than acceleration. I can manipulate vectors.

[Normal esper stuff.]

You got a parent here or something?

[Please have a responsible adult here.]

[ Manipulating vectors sounds... powerful. Any object, at least on a particle level, has a vector. Does that mean he can manipulate anything? Is there a limitation on that? ]

You are able to manipulate particle vectors? And no, I do not have a parent here; I have no guardian, just a chauffeur.

[ That's not entirely true, her father is alive, but so estranged that he might as well be dead to her. They have never met and will never meet. As far as she's aware, he doesn't even know she exists. And her mother... well, she has her mother's memories. In that way she lives on. Even if this Archive sometimes wishes she did not know. But it's something she's lived with her entire life. ]

Yeah. Magic vectors, too.

[No point in not being straightforward about his ability. He's a lot less concerned about telling her that than he is her situation.]

Is your chauffeur around?

[He's displeased he has to ask for a chauffeur, but he supposes any kind of guardian is better than no one at all.]

[ Oh he's treating her like a child. Well, she is physically even if she's not in other ways. An explanation is probably in order. ]

I have memories of the lives of the past Archives as well. Even though I am 14 I have thousands of years of memories. You needn't worry about my maturity level. Though if you do find a man named Kincaid do let me know.

[ And then because she's really quite curious: ]

What's a magical vector?

[He makes a mental note of that name, Kincaid, and clicks his tongue.]

It's not your maturity that matters. Do you have a way of defending yourself?

[That's what matters.]

Same as scientific vectors, but following magical laws.

[ Oh, that's his problem? Easily solved. ]

Yes, I have access to magic. I am quite capable of defending myself if need be and have done so in the past. I simply did not have any recourse against robes compelling me to take a book.

[ The last time she had to truly fight was not a fair fight. Or at least, not a fight she was prepared for. Magically she was capable of keeping up, the sleep gas was not something she could combat. It's a problem she will face again if anyone tries to undermine her physically, but there's little she can do against that. It's a dark thought, it makes her nervous, but she's learning to live with it. ]

Okay.

[That's a bit of a relief. It's not a guarantee, given the robes situation, but he knows how powerful magic can be so it's a good defense.]

Having that much knowledge crammed into your head is a good way to get kidnapped or killed back home. Things are a little safer around here, but it still isn't a good idea to let your fucking guard down.

[ The Archive does not consider herself "safer" here. She has lost her primary source of defense: knowledge. Since arriving she hasn't had one whisper of writing come through. It's unnerving and disorienting after thousands of years to have silence. After living her whole life with a constant stream of knowledge she finds that she doesn't like it. It makes her... anxious. ]

Even if I die the Archive will not. [ It has countermeasures. ] And I cannot reveal information that would break neutrality, so kidnapping is an inefficient way to extract information from me. However, I do intend to stay on my guard.

[ It's only the lifetime of keeping a calm visage that keeps her from fidgeting nervously. Even after the years since her kidnapping it still upsets her to think of it. To remember being at the Denarians' mercy. It was only due to the bravery of Harry and his friends that she was saved. ]

[It sounds like she's got some strange rules she has to follow, and Accelerator isn't sure if they apply here in Etraya. That rule about the Archive continuing on is probably going to be messed with since death isn't permanent here in general.....

At least she's taking the situation seriously, though he's still curious.]

What do you mean by 'neutrality'?

[ Most people she meets are well aware of who she is and what the Archive is. It seems likely that she'll be giving various renditions of this explanation in the future. ]

Since I have a record of everything written, I know information that would give one party an advantage over another, but the Archive is meant as a preservation of knowledge. [ It's not. ] The Archive itself has safeguards against giving out such information that I cannot go against, no matter my own feelings. I cannot be coerced in a way that would provide an advantage, no matter how small, to any individual. It is not something I have an option to disobey.

[ The Archive, of course, is a tool to fight the Oblivion War, but no one knows that apart from her. The fact that she collects and preserves humanity's written knowledge is just a side effect of hunting down signs of Outsiders.

[There are upsides and downsides to those safeguards, Accelerator can see that right away. It should prevent her from being manipulated, but how many people would really believe she doesn't have an option? There are plenty of people back home who would ignore that and figure that with enough torture she'd break.

Beyond that, he can only imagine how restrictive her life has been. It's clear she wouldn't have gotten to have normal childhood experiences despite physically being a kid. That's rough.]

I see. Sounds really limiting for you.

Should I be the arbiter of what is right and wrong? Should I have the ability to be swayed, manipulated, or tortured into turning the tide of power? There have been attempts in the past to do just that, and by people who would use my knowledge to bring about nothing short of the apocalypse. By these restrictions I am saved from such a weight, or disaster. I much prefer to be an observer of the world than a participant.

[ Though it's been a couple years, the Denarians' attempt on her knowledge is still fresh in her mind. Time will not diminish her recollection of it, she and all her descendants will always be able to recall the incident with perfect clarity. The Archive preserves all that it does not consciously delete, and that is not something it can afford to forget. ]

[That should be the end of the conversation, because that's a reasonable argument to take. Avoiding hurting people or being hurt by becoming an observer.

Accelerator still clicks his tongue in annoyance.]

You're also being 'saved' from being able to choose for yourself, right?

[Her whole situation is unfamiliar to him, and that's what he's getting out of her explanation.]

Someone who used to be here once asked me if I'd rather be wise, uninvolved, and look on or be practical, involved, and suffer. I think having the agency to pick which one I want is the important part of that equation, not which one I'd pick.

[Of course, he'll always pick suffering if it means getting involved and making someone else's life a little bit better.]

[ The Archive has long wondered what it would be like to have such a choice. To be able to reject this fate she was left with. Certainly her mother made that choice by passing the Archive on to her. A rare thing in the history of Archives, to be able to make a choice like that. There are few choices she's known since birth: what to eat, when to sleep, what to wear for the day. Just little things. The large philosophical questions he's posing are far beyond her reach. ]

That is not a choice I have, but I do not begrudge those who do. I have always lived this way and always will until my death. It's pointless to wish for things that will not come true.

[ And that's the reality of it. No matter how much she daydreams, no matter how much she wishes, it's a pointless endeavor. She can chose between life as the Archive and death, and nothing else. There's no joy to be found in wishing for more. ]

[Ah, if that Level 0 was here Accelerator is positive he'd be yelling about how much total bullshit that is, and how things need to change. He would changes things, too, because he's the kind of person who can change fate despite having the title of the Weakest.

He agrees with this theoretical Kamijou Touma. It makes him angry to think that this kid never had a choice in the matter.]

That's bullshit. It isn't pointless. You should be fucking angry about this.

[He's saying that, though he doubts she's the type to actually get angry. Still, he doesn't want to see her being resigned to such a fate.]

This library has books on all kind of shit. Screw the pearl shard, maybe there's a book around here with information on how to change that.

[ This is the first person who has ever told her she should be upset at her fate. Even Harry Dresden accepted her as she is: the Archive. He rebelled in a small way, gave her a name, but ultimately accepted her role. This is different.

Is she angry? Is it bullshit? Does she even want to change, given the choice? But, she doesn't have a choice. She can feel the tightening restrictions of the Archive. It has its way and it will not be denied. She could struggle, she could fight, maybe she would make some progress. ]

You mistake me. I understand why the Archive is the way it is. In the early days the Archives did not live like this and they were insane. We do this to protect ourselves. My daughter will inherit a lifetime of my memories: all my thoughts, all my desires. It is not just for myself that I maintain a distance. Her daughter after her will know, and so on for perpetuity.

[ Just like she knows that her own mother resented her daughter's freedom so much that she killed herself to pass on the burden of the Archive. A memory that she has lived with since her infancy, a memory she will never forget. When the Archive's host is able to feel so much, to feel so strongly, what good can come of it? ]

[Despite being an atheist, Accelerator would like to find whatever higher power exists in her universe and beat the shit out of it. Assuming it exists, of course, and if it doesn't then he'd like to destroy whatever natural laws keeping this rule in place.

He's done it before, with help. That had seemed completely absurd, impossible, and still, the three of them had done it. He has to wonder if he could do something for her. He's crossed the Abyss, or whatever, he may as well put that to good use.

Sighing, that thought remains in the back of his mind, and he runs a hand through his hair. Who knows if that's even possible. Right now, the least he can do is at least try to get her to start thinking about change instead of just accepting it.]

Do you want your future hypothetical kid living this kind of life? If you could give them the choice?

['Hypothetical' because he's tempted to ask if she even wants kids. Some people don't. But despite her knowledge she's still a kid herself, and that feels a bit strange to ask when the main point is her agency.]

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cw: suicide

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