WEEK 5

[killerwaves]

WEEK FIVE

21 Vacationers

The weekend sure was something, wasn't it? Tempers flared, explosions burst, and some were treated to an immersive sand bath experience. Come Monday at least, things seem quieter though not in the unnatural still way—the distortions on the islands have receded sometime in the night (with some impressive firework-like booms that may have stirred your sleep, at that; and the waves seem a little higher this morning) and the various amenities on the island have been made orderly again. Though, as always, some traces remain in the landscape; the waterfall looks like it has seen better days, though it's no longer in danger of coughing up debris on your head if looked at wrong.

This week like the rest brings new locations for you to explore, on Kakapo's Nest though it seems like only one of them really fits the vacation vibe. Hope you like snow!

!

WEATHER ALERT:

Bulletin:
Starting Monday morning and continuing throughout the week, pollen counts will be elevated. This is expected to last until late Thursday

!

TASKS:

Breathe Freely:
Enjoy the great outdoors with a fellow vacationer! It's never too late to appreciate nature.
(REWARD: RARE!)

(( Yes, only one task this week which is memshare with someone else. Have fun!
REMINDER: Task submissions are due Friday by 9 PM EST/6 PM PST. ))

(( OOC: Murder proposals are due by Tuesday at 4 PM EST / 1 PM PST, for the current week's murder, which is the last week of standard murder, week 6 being endgame!!

Also, as always, your admins can be contacted for a chat. ))

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Temenos Memshare Central

[dupiety]

[This is for personalized memshares and requests alike! Feel free to hit me up on Discord if you'd like something personalized. Otherwise, reply to the appropriate thread below if you'd like a random one with a specific vibe and any CWs you might have, but Temenos's is weirdly light on those lol. Also let me know if you'd like to avoid spoilers or not!]

closed memshares

[dupiety]

for Beelzebub | MASSIVE SPOILERS for Chapter 3 of Temenos's story

[dupiety]

[You find yourself deep within a secret underground passageway. A still-fresh wound of grief has been re-opened as you press on to find the truth. Not just for your sworn brother Roi and adoptive father Jörg, but now your dear friend Crick.

Crick, who at first admonished you for your cynical view of the world and the gods watching over it, had grown to become a trusted companion of yours. The two of you had made great strides in solving the mystery behind this string of murders together, and you both could sense that you were right on the precipice of an unbelievable discovery of heresy that would finally explain why Roi and the Pontiff, among many others, had to die. The truth behind whatever secret that the Sacred Guard was trying to hide was close at hand.

That newly anointed Sanctum Knight whom you had grown so fond of, whom you had come to entrust your life with, just became another victim of the culprits behind everything. The same person who tried to kill you just a day ago had gotten to him in turn, leaving him to bleed out alone in the frozen air of Stormhail while you slept.

How many people are going to have to die for this truth to come to light?

Though he had intended to inform you of it himself, Crick had made a discovery when the two of you parted ways last night: a secret passage within the Sacred Guard's Headquarters. Not wanting to let this parting gift go to waste, you make haste to find what he had stumbled upon in here. At last, you come to the end of the passage, revealing...a library?]

What is this place...?

[You murmur aloud, stepping forward to peruse the selection on the shelves. Much to your surprise, all of them are forbidden tomes- knowledge hidden away from the public eye. Why would the Sacred Guard be hiding something like this?

Before you can ponder this question for too long, a voice rings out behind you.]

I see the pontiff's hound knows how to follow a scent.

[A familiar figure comes into view: Deputy Cubaryi, a high-ranking member of the Sacred Guard whom you have butted heads with all along this journey. You had long-suspected her of hiding something, and her presence in this place confirms it.]

Crick knew too much. He was a fool to bring you into this. To continue his investigation. An investigation that led him to The Book of Night...and consequently, to his grave.

[She goes on to reveal to you that Crick was stricken out of the picture by none other than the head of the Sacred Guard herself, Captain Kaldena. Her desire to claim the Book of Night and summon the Shadow to avenge her people led to everything.

With the truth out in the open, Cubaryi begins to laugh with an edge of sick cruelty.]

You understand we must put an end to you. Just like we did to your little helper.

...

[You don't reply, for in this moment, the gravity of it all comes crashing down on you. At last, you know who's behind this. At last, you know who to blame for every loss that you have endured over these last five years.]

He wasn't an easy kill, I'll give him that. ... But he was a damn fool- as are you. Your perverse sense of justice leads you to defy the gods! And so you shall have your divine punishment.

[You no longer hear Cubaryi as she begins laughing maniacally before you. A ringing in your ears blocks out all sound. Your eyes burn with tranquil fury.]

Where is she?

[You demand in a low growl.]

Is that anger I see in your eyes? How unusual! [Cubaryi sneers, looking down on you with a wicked, cruel grin.] Heh... Does it hurt, knowing your little assistant's been killed?

...

[It takes a lot for words to dig under your skin, but with a gaping wound as fresh as yours, these ones burrow in deep. Crick... He'd become so invested in the search for truth that he had gone out on his own, and died. The guilt you bear is heavy, and Cubaryi is taking full advantage of it.]

The captain's gone. She has other matters to attend to. And that's all you need to know.

[You brandish your staff, barely containing the rage and grief in your voice.]

Fine, seal your lips, you so-called messenger of the divine.

[You barely remember the fierce fight that ensues. But once it's over, Cubaryi lies dead before you. Having refused to offer up any further information, it's up to you to discern where Kaldena has gone and bring an end to her wicked plot.

You know what you must do, yet... As you watch over Crick's funeral procession, you feel so cripplingly lost. After everything that has come to pass since you embarked on this journey, is the path you walk truly the righteous one?]

Let's just say this happens Tuesday

[gluttoning]

[There's something insulting to the loss, like rubbing salt in an open wound. Beel's never heard Temenos this quiet, but he can recognize that familiar pull of sorrow, of rage, that simmers ice cold rather than passionate and hot.

It all flashes in time in a moment they're together, on the way to explore the new island, and it's enough to make Beelzebub halt in his tracks with a fist pressed into his hair to try and calm himself. The wrath isn't his. The anger, the pain, it isn't his. But it's so raw, and the guilt so heavy, it's hard to not feel empathetic.]

...Temenos. [His look of distress is subtle, drawn back.] Did you see that?

o7

[dupiety]

[Temenos is still at Beelzebub's side, head bowed and arms tightly crossed.]

Regrettably.

[His tone is even and full of his usual nonchalance, but on closer inspection, he's trembling. Every time he thinks he's able to start properly healing, the wound is reopened and guilt digs in deep.]

[gluttoning]

[...

A hand slips to Temenos's shoulder, gently guiding him to face Beel.]

Hey...

[Words escape him as his mouth thins.]

Look at me?

[dupiety]

[Temenos looks at him, but he stays quiet beyond that. The very same pain is evident in his eyes, however, and it's shut him down into silence. Just as it had in the memory.]

[gluttoning]

[His hands lift to cup against either side of Temenos's face.]

...It's okay to let it hurt. It means you loved them.

[He can't tell him not to blame himself. Beelzebub knows firsthand how impossible that can feel. But...

Maybe just letting himself feel was a small enough step to take.]

...I'm so sorry, Temenos.

[dupiety]

["Everyone gets lost from time to time. What's important is...that when you do, there's someone there to lend you a hand."

Throné's words for him at the time replay in his mind as Beelzebub speaks to him now. He lets out a shaky exhale and finds the strength to speak.]

Thank you, Beel. I am...likewise sorry that you had to experience that with me. I've tried not to dwell on it much. Gloom has never suited me, after all, and I eventually brought the truth we all sought to light. Their sacrifices were not in vain. But...

[His hands rest on Beelzebub's arms.]

I miss them terribly.

[gluttoning]

[He lets the melancholy sit in the air, silent, letting his thumbs run idly against Temenos's jaw. Then, with an exhale, he guides the cleric into his arms, holding him tight.]

Then miss them. Even if it might hurt... it means you still want to remember them.

Maybe the people you've loved would want you to find your own truth in that.

[dupiety]

[Ever since Roi disappeared five years ago, Temenos hardened his heart against the cruelty and uncertainty of the world. It's become so hard to speak openly about his sorrows, preferring to keep them hidden from others. He never wanted anyone to worry about his woes. They would just cloud his judgment and make his job difficult, anyway.

His walls have been chipped at bit by bit during his time here, however. Wang Lu had offered his shoulder after the trial that nearly killed Beelzebub, and he had taken it to calm himself down.

Something in him finally shatters and gives way completely as Beelzebub pulls him in for an embrace and says those powerful words to him. He leans in easily, pressing his face into Beel's chest to...allow himself to weep. The grief, the anger, the guilt, the longing- he releases everything that had been tightly bottled up inside into the light.

It's okay to let it hurt- to miss them. And so he does.]

[gluttoning]

[There's no words - only a low hushing when Temenos starts to break down, holding him tighter and letting them sink to the ground with Beelzebub holding their entire weight the whole way down. He can't take the hurt away. He can't bring Temenos's loved ones back. Not the pontiff. Not Roi. Not Crick.

All he can do is be here. A reminder of the present, to let him feel his pain is safe enough to let out... before his heart twists itself in two.]

[dupiety]

[The comfort and security that Beelzebub provides is something that Temenos couldn't possibly hope to express his gratitude for in words. He clings to that warmth as emotion consumes him...until the ache begins to dull and there are no more tears to shed.

What awaits him at the end is a long-overdue sense of catharsis.

He quiets down for a moment, releasing the tension in his grip and settling his breathing to something calmer. He's exhausted, but he feels lighter now. Better.]

I...suppose I truly did need that.

[...is the first thing he says upon lifting his head up. Of course, that's not all he's going to say.]

Thank you, my dear Beel. [That's not enough, either. Just as he suspected.] I love you, so very much.

[gluttoning]

[They stay like that for a while, until the shuddering finally starts to even out, Beelzebub's hand rubbing against Temenos's back as he catches his breath and calms himself.]

...I love you, too. [He tucks the sleeve of his jacket against his own fingers to start wiping Temenos's face clean. It's not perfect, but it'll do for now.]

Tell me more about him sometime. About Crick.

[dupiety]

[He manages a smile as Beelzebub cleans him up. He'll have to freshen up later- perhaps take a nap to rest his eyes. They already sting from all the tears.]

...If you would like, then I would be happy to tell you.

[The subject doesn't seem quite so daunting anymore.]

But I will say now, I daresay he would have had quite the conniption fit if he knew how close to a demon I've become. [In spite of that...he laughs.] But he'd come around. He always did.

for Lacus

[dupiety]

[A familiar nightmare invades your dreams once more, leaving you feeling hardly rested when you startle awake. As nice as it would be to try to get some more sleep, you have business to attend to in this dusty city of Crackridge. The mystery of the Fellsun Ruins isn't going to solve itself.

As you and your travel party leave the inn, someone pulls you aside. It's Agnea, the dancer of your merry little group. Concern is plain on her face.]

Temenos, your eyes are red! I guess you didn't get much sleep.

I'll be all right. I appreciate the concern. [You're quick to brush it off, as you always do when something troubles you. Time for a deflection.] You're an incredibly kind soul. You must be adored far and wide.

[She seems surprised by how you changed the subject.]

Well, I wouldn't say that...

[Without really thinking, you admit something to her. Maybe it's best someone hears about him.]

I have few friends in this world.

H-How?!

Though there was one whom I considered a friend beyond a shadow of a doubt. He and I were foundlings, both taken in and raised as the pontiff's own. [You smile, melancholy as you reflect upon him.] He was unfailingly honest. He was so easily deceived, he may as well not have known the word doubt, much less its meaning.

[Agnea watches quietly as you return your gaze to her.]

And so I came to doubt anything and everything in his stead.

Ah... So that's how it all started.

[She murmurs. You nod in turn and put a hand to your chin, closing your tired eyes.]

Looking back on it, I was a very meek adherent. But times change, and I've come to doubt the Sacred Flame itself. [Your eyes reopen, cold as ice.] Ever since the day he was killed...

P-Pardon?

[Agnea startles. She certainly wasn't expecting that. You hadn't expected to let that slip, either. Before you knew it, the words came tumbling out. Shaking your head, you decide to end things here, now that you've said too much.]

Forgive me... I'm prattling on. Let us be off, Agnea.

Temenos...

[The dancer goes along with it, but it's clear that she's now even more worried about you than she was at the beginning of this conversation.]

for Billy

[dupiety]

[Your investigation into the pontiff's murder brings you to Canalbrine, a port town that houses your Person of Interest: Lucian the theologian. This man was the last known person to have spoken with the pontiff before he died, and you've come to get answers. After running into a familiar friend—Crick, a newly anointed Sanctum Knight—the two of you quickly pair up and continue the investigation together.

Your sleuthing brings you to Lucian's residence, though you were reluctant to come interrogate him just yet. A recent murder in town has you wondering if this was his doing, or something else entirely.

You knock on the door, but there is no answer.

Crick steps forward and calls out:]

Lucian? Are you there? I am from the Sacred Guard. I wish to have a word with you.

[Silence follows. Your eyebrows furrow.]

No reply... As I thought. [Without a second thought, you brandish your staff.] Then it's come to this... We must use brute force.

What are you suggesting, Temenos? [Crick asks... But then the realization hits him and he looks like he's about to have a heart attack on the spot.] No, stop! We need the Sacred Guard's permission!

[You give him a blank stare and shake your head.]

Says the man who tells me we've not a moment to lose.

[It was Crick's idea to come rushing over here to interrogate Lucian, after all. Having his words thrown back at him makes him back up, embarrassed.]

Ngk! Well...yes, but--!

[You smirk, stepping away from the door. You know Crick is struggling with this because of how straitlaced he is.]

We can beg for forgiveness later. But for the moment, I need you to give us an "edge."

How dare you--! [Crick barks back, aghast at the request. But he quickly falls into silence, and after a moment, he sighs heavily and reluctantly draws his sword.] There's no arguing with you, is there?

[Slash! Lucian's door is cleaved clean in twain and falls to the ground in a heap.

Pleased to have gotten your way, you clap.]

Bravo, Crick! You're learning. Now, let's invite ourselves in.

[Crick looks absolutely ashamed by his actions. Bowing his head, he mutters:]

O gods... Please forgive me!

[With that, the two of you step inside the dark house to investigate... But what you find isn't quite what you expected. The place is absolutely trashed. Books are strewn everywhere and in the middle of it all lies a man in a pool of blood.]

Is that... Lucian?!

[You carefully step over and lean down to check for a pulse.]

Dead. And it's him. There's no mistaking it. [...] I very much doubt he is our killer now.

Then who could it be?

[Isn't that the question of the hour? Just what is going on here? You had better investigate for clues before the rest of the Sacred Guard comes running. Unlike Crick, they cannot be trusted.]

for Shuda | MASSIVE SPOILERS for the final boss of Temenos's story (cw mention of genocide)

[dupiety]

[You have just confronted Captain Kaldena of the Sacred Guard for her heresy against the Church, and the numerous murders that she has committed in pursuit of the Book of Night. Intending to use the book for a rite to avenge her people who were massacred by the Moonshade Order, she rebels against the very gods who she believes forsook her.

Having proven your accusation against her without a shadow of a doubt, she...begins to laugh.]

Why do you oppose me? You gain nothing from it. And it would be a shame to kill you. So join me.

[Offended that she would even dare to ask for your allegiance after everything she has done, after your loved ones died due to her ambitions, you simply shake your head.]

I refuse. It was with the help of Crick that I made it this far at all.

Crick Wellsley... [She muses.] A fine young man he was for stumbling upon the Book of Night.

[You fall into silence. Crick was your trusted companion whom you had come to grow very fond of. You had worked together on this journey, and just as the two of you were about to make a great discovery together, Kaldena took Crick out of the picture by personally killing him. You wouldn't have found out it was her behind this if it wasn't for the clues that Crick left behind.

As the pain and guilt over what happened to him comes creeping back into your periphery, Kaldena continues her efforts to persuade you to her side.]

Come, Temenos!

["I want to extend a hand to the weak and cleave the wickedness from this world. I wish to be that sword for the people."

Crick's wish replays in your mind. A wish that you chided him for, but a wish you fully believed in because it was him. A wish...that will never be fulfilled.

The pain and guilt begin to bubble over into anger.

You advance to the center of the ritual site and wordlessly brandish your staff.]

Is that your answer? [Disappointed, Kaldena shakes her head and draws her greatsword.] Why, Temenos? Why must you defy me?

[With a rage as cold as ice, you reply:]

Because doubt is what I do.

Diligent to the end, I see. Long may you labor in the bowls of hell with your dear friend Crick!

[With that, the final battle to put an end to Kaldena's ambitions begins...

...and that rite of hers? From the brief flash you get before the memory ends, it doesn't seem like it went so well.]

for Wang Lu

[dupiety]

[While taking a stroll through Flamechurch, you come upon quite the commotion down near village entrance. A group of insurgents have gathered and are shouting to passersby.]

Listen to me, you fools! The church uses the Sacred Flame to deceive us! But the truth shall be exposed! The purge begins here and now! Open your eyes! The truth lies within all of us!

You are the ones who must open your eyes.

[A man appears on the scene to break up this nonsense, immediately startling several of the insurgents with his presence.]

A Sanctum Knight, are you?!

[The knight gets in between the insurgents and the townspeople, drawing his blade.]

Newly anointed, but yes. [He continues:] Why do you rage against the Sacred Flame? I beg you, look inside yourself and repent!

You didn't say they'd set the knights upon us!

[Several of the insurgents flee, leaving just one behind.]

Y-You cowards! [The remaining insurgent yells, desperately looking around for a way out of the situation. His eyes meet with yours, and before you can react, he has grabbed you and now holds you at knifepoint.] I'll start the purge with this cleric! That ought to open your eyes! You'll see that the Sacred Flame protects no one!

How dare you! [The knight shouts, but is unsure how to proceed with this hostage situation.]

Oh, dear... It seems I've been captured. [There isn't an ounce of fear in your voice. After all, you're hardly in as much danger as it seems. This fool has bitten off far more than he can chew.] But while we're here, allow me to ask... You're a heretic, are you not?

...What?

[The insurgent is so taken aback by your nonchalance, he doesn't even manage to say anything else before you raise your hands in prayer.]

"O Sacred Flame, shine your light upon us!"

[The insurgent is immediately struck by a ray of light. With a startled scream, he falls to the ground, incapacitated.

With a laugh, you brandish your staff and say to the villagers:]

Behold the protection afforded by the Sacred Flame.

Ah, you saved us, Temenos!

Thank him, not me.

[You smile toward the Sanctum Knight. As the villagers give their thanks to the knight and take their leave, he comes over to you and notices something.]

Is that the Staff of Judgment? Are...are you the inquisitor?!

That I am.

My word...it is an honor to meet you! Only the best among us are chosen to assume the honorable role of inquisitor. I...I hope to one day join your ranks!

[He speaks with such passion... He's definitely newly anointed, that's for sure. As the memory fades, you can't help but find his greenness to be charming.]

request a memshare here

[dupiety]

[Now with added prompts! Choose from a scenario below:

A Familiar Nightmare: (chapter 3 spoilers) The night of a great loss replays in your dreams.
Gambling: Throné invites you and Hikari to a game of poker.
Memories of Youth: You, Partitio and Osvald reminisce about what you were like as children, and how much your lives have changed now that you have grown.
The Grieving Process: (chapter 1 spoilers) Castti is worried about you after having overheard you murmuring to yourself.
Mural in the Ruins: Ochette draws a picture for you.]