❧ Of Gods & Magic [video]

[leveilleur]

[ It takes a moment for Alphinaud to set up everything just right but once he does, the video feed goes live revealing the faces of elven twins solemnly gazing into the camera. Alphinaud Leveilleur towards the right dressed in blues and whites with his sister Alisaie, dressed in red and khaki, towards the left. They look identical in every way but there are subtle differences that only a keen eye would notice. Nevertheless, Alphinaud takes a moment to clear his throat before finally introducing himself. ]

Greetings & Salutations to All,

I am Alphinaud Leveilleur and this ---[ He gestures to the girl standing at his left. ]-- is my sister Alisaie.

[ Alisaie raises a hand in greeting. She seems to be regarding the device with some skepticism, and so she's a bit more subdued than normal. ]

Greetings to you all.

[ The boy doesn't feel the need to address that they're identical twins since he's certain the audience has eyes. However, if anyone makes any rude comments about their appearance, they'll be promptly blocked. Alphinaud doesn't have much patience for those who make fun of his allegedly girlish looks. ]

We hail from the realm of Hydaelyn, a wondrous world plagued by both strife and great unrest. We are members of a faction known as the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, peacekeepers if you will, who strive in earnest to bring an end to the bloodshed that plagues our world.

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Due to great circumstances, we've been summoned to Prismatica along with all of you, by unknown powers. It has come to my attention that this fantastical realm is chock full of wonders, many of which we Moonblessed fail to comprehend. With that said, I wish to hold a forum regarding these wonders in hopes that we can further understand more about this world.

[ Alisaie leans in a bit more, cutting off Alphinaud from view for the moment. ]

-- We're interested in talking about where the Moonblessings supposedly come from. These beast gods, Sanguis, Iris, and Cordis. It's not the first time we've heard of such things.

[ She glances knowingly over to her brother.]

Not the first time-- [He states looking somewhat remorseful now.] Nor will it be the last, I fear.

[ Alphinaud comes into view again looking rather grim now. This not a light topic meant for the faint of heart. ]

In the region of Eorzea and even beyond her, false deities called “primals” offer succor in the form of blind fanatical servitude promising the moon and stars to all who worship them. Their promises are nothing more than lies told to bewitch their followers into supplying them endless aether in the form of great sacrifice.

The payment---one’s own life.

[ His gaze narrows some as he ponders about the deities of this realm. The more he thinks about these foreign gods, the more they truly sound lime “primals” to him. ]

We know naught if this payment would be the same in regards to the deities here within Prismatica but servitude certainly seems to be one of them.

[ Alisaie speaks up now. ]

Think about it. We are 'blessed' by these gods and they ask that we generate energy in return. Sound similar? The energy itself is benign so far, but then they twist and change our bodies and call it a gift.

[ She shakes her head. ]

I realize the people of this star depend on Chroma, and that it changed their way of life. I also know this life is better for some of you. But we deserve to know why we have been brought here and changed, not just be given some blind venerated explanation.

[ Her voice gets more earnest as she speaks, ending with her slamming her fist down on the surface the video device is propped on. She has to right it after it tilts, and then stills, taking a deep breath. Alphinaud takes over. ]

This is all we ask.

[ He chimes in after a moment of thought. It seems there’s something else on his mind but the boy hesitates to state it. Instead, he directs this introduction to a swift end. ]

We ask to know and understand the meaning behind our arrival here so that in turn, we could perhaps undo what has been done.

[ Alphinaud takes a breath. This is quite the intro and it will surely gain them some scorn. Nevertheless, he’s content. ]

I open up the forum for others to speak.

Comments

Re: video; un: academician

[leveilleur]

[ This particular commenter gets a raised brow from Alphinaud. Out of all the comments and discussion thus far, besides Shar's bizarre reaction, this makes Alphinaud wonder if people are truly listening to them. It certainly doesn't seem that way but the boy doesn't truly want to assume. He just never expected to come across such...complacency. ]

Greetings, Titus.

[ He states with a faint smile while doing his best to stay somewhat friendly here. ]

I find this level of complacency to be quite worrying when hundreds and hundreds of moonblessed have been systematically kidnapped, whether living or dead, by unknown forces that have yet to make themselves known.

I find that far more troubling than anything else at the moment.

[wearingguess]

Well, what I mean to say is...
How to put this?

I am not saying that you are definitely mistaken. Obviously, there are still many things that none of us truly knows about this world and its circumstances. It is just that you seem to have very fixed ideas about the very premise of our existence here, and I wonder if it is possible you are looking at things through too narrow a lens.

For example, can you really be absolutely certain that we were, as you say, "systematically kidnapped"? The Prismals themselves believe that their gods summoned us here, but none of us has actually seen those gods or spoken to them. The moons clearly do contain some kind of strong power, but that doesn't mean that they are self-aware beings with anything we would recognize as volition or consciousness. We do not even know if it was truly the moons that brought us here in the first place. The possibility exists that we were not "kidnapped" by anything other than an as-yet unknown natural phenomenon caused by some sort of flux or distortion in the boundaries between multiple universes. Since we contain a form of energy—or, to be more precise, a means of generating a form of energy—that was on the verge of vanishing from this world completely, perhaps what is occurring now is something like an equalization of pressure. Rather than being summoned or kidnapped, it is possible we were merely drawn in, like a ship caught in a maelstrom.

Of course, I am not saying that is certainly the case, either. The truth could be something else entirely... it could even be just as you have said. But this world is different from the ones any of us came from, right down to its most fundamental principles. If we seek to understand it by assuming it can be only a slight variation on what we already know, we are likely to make mistakes.

[leveilleur]

[The well thought out response honestly catches Alphinaud off guard for a moment. He falls quiet for a time, clearly lost in thought as he taps his fingers to his chin. Maybe Alisaie and he were too quick to label the Prismals as perpetrators behind a heinous plot. That could be the case since the Prismals seem to have no control over the moon and its activities. Much how they lack any control over their patron deities and their penchant for mischief. If that's the case, then the Prismals aren't their adversaries. That's a likely hypothesis that Alphinaud can easily accept but where does that leave the Moonblessed as a whole? That's his question.]

Mayhaps I did overthink the gravity of this plight because of past experiences in Eorzea. [He admits quietly as he mulls over his initial statements.] Had this been Eorzea, then all of the key principles spoken would've been true.

[Alphinaud glances back into the screen with a look of absolute sincerity in his gaze.]

However, this is not Hydaelyn not Eorzea. Therefore, it shouldn't be treated as such since its quite unique.

[Although, all of his previous experience tells him there's a commonality here somewhere with the Primals the Scions faced before. The similarities are just too great for him to ignore completely. That's why Alphinaud plans on hitting the metaphorical books in terms of learning more about Lunatia.]

There's much we still need to learn about this realm before we can cast judgment. That I can certainly agree upon.

[wearingguess]

Well, there will certainly never be anything wrong with saying sharp. And I also know firsthand how upsetting it can be when everyone around you behaves as though something that seems outlandish or unacceptable is totally normal...

...I never want to let myself become complacent about harm or oppression being carried out against anyone. So you have given me a lot of things to think about, as well.

Anyway, those Primals you mentioned--you said they are "false deities," yes? In your world, are there also genuine deities?