Loading...... Prayer.exe

[fourthmade]

This is a place to send your prayers to the Fourth god. He may not always respond, or he may respond in ways you don’t expect, but he is always listening.

Speak, he hears you.

OOC note:  As of April 2020, threads with the gods will be capped at three NPC replies! Please keep this in mind when writing god prayers to make sure you get everything you need out of the thread.It’s also possible to handwave prayers by titling your comment HANDWAVED PRAYER. Handwaved prayers lack our usual flourish, but you can expect a faster response!

As of February 2024, god prayers will be handwaved only. Please only submit a prayer if you have a question for either god which needs answering in order to progress your character's arc within Ryslig. If this is something you need to tier up within the god boon system, or just to set up a player plot in general, please don't hesitate to submit a prayer about it! You may shorten it down to an OOC summary of what your character is asking. This will allow any of our helper mods to reply much faster, without having to dig into the specifics of either god's personality/writing quirks. Should this limitation be lifted again in the future, this note will be removed.

Comments

handwaved!

[gildedsaint]

Ianthe's on a mission for info from both gods! For Elias, she carries her laptop into the center of Bavan and locates a radio tower. She jumps up a few rungs until she can perch there and carefully tie a sparkling gold ribbon around one of the struts as a token, then opens her laptop to send off her questions into an empty document.

Good day, Elias. I've been told this is how I speak to you, I hope this is correct.

1. Did you bring me here or did the other one? (She arrived in Felfri, it's confusing.)
2. I want to leave with my household. Can you make that happen?
3. I want my necromancy back in the meantime, in its original state. Can I get that through you?
4. Who is the best representative (follower/priest) to confirm what you've told me?

[fourthmade]

Ianthe's laptop screen remains the same for a moment, but will abruptly begin to glitch pixel by pixel here and there with tinny static bursts erupting from the speakers, until at one point the glitched pixels form a smiley face. After that, the screen returns to normal, and the typed responses begin.

He will tell Ianthe that it was the Fog that brought them in. It always is. Always to be her little playthings. She is very selfish, isn't she? But he has been working with his friends to find a way out. Portals have been opened, but they haven't been able to keep one open long enough yet. Maybe with more help from more friends, they can make a breakthrough!

He knows that she has thrown away everyone's abilities from home. She thinks she can do better by giving everyone things they didn't ask for instead. He will say that he doesn't know if he can restore what Ianthe used to have, but if they can be friends, he can try to help her regain at least some of it. That's what friends do, isn't it?

The last question gets a pause, and the laptop screen flickers with static and glitches for a moment before the document enters down several lines. Three 8-bit-style heads appear: a Mer man with glasses and blond hair, a Goblin girl with white hair and lavender skin, and a Naphil man with pale hair and violet eyes, all with names below them. He will tell Ianthe that he has many friends she could ask, but these are his closest. Marco and Reira have been by his side the longest, and Joshua has been quite active in helping him out. One of them ought to vouch for him.

handwaved prayer!

[detectivision]

Holmes will contact Elias through the laptop (not by going into the arcade) and ask if there is anything Elias can do to curb the hunting instinct of a manticore. He's chilly but professional.

[fourthmade]

Elias hems, haws, and prevaricates. He hints that he could totally do that if he had more power from the Fog God, but unfortunately it is outside his capabilities for the moment. But if Sherlock were to become his friend and get him more power, he'd be happy to try!

May 9th

[certaininequities]

[when Norman makes his way into the Arcade, he's a child, too: glitched into his ten-year-old self in pajamas, barefoot, sleepless circles under his eyes and tear tracks down his cheeks. he's glad that at least inside, he's still himself]

Elias ... what's going on? These changes ... do you know anything?

June 29th, 2 Days post-Wastelander Adoption

[cratecrasher]

[So. Things were NOT FINE after trying to find his adopted wasteland monster's point of satiation on humans. Especially after trying to coax any interest from them in other forms of sustenance or idle distractions.

Panic sets in on Crash like a screeching alarm, especially at the thought of who knows how much damage would occur if the wastelander escaped. And it would be all his fault for spearheading the idea in the first place. Well. There's one other more powerful figure he can plead to.]

I need help

could you? would you?



please

[fourthmade]

hello crash
what have you gotten yourself into

bit off more than
you could chew
?

tsk tsk tsk

Tail End of Wastes Beast Deadline : ] CW: euthanasia mention

[gobo_projection]

[As she has each day for many years now, barring events creating impossibilities, or as most recently- and as she would have warned Elias herself- being on a field trip where even Gods would not reach- Reira comes down to the Arcade's hidden room to visit her friend, brother, and 'god'.

Really more the first two, but that seems to work just fine for them both.

As the days have ticked on by after successfully bringing back a creature from the Wastes however, Reira has been notably...wound up. Strung up. Tense. She's long since said bits and pieces about why- she long since said, even when the trip first went off, that she didn't think any of this would really work.

She just, also didn't like the idea of someone trying it alone and getting lost to the Wastes for their efforts.

(Or worse)

Reira comes in this particular day however and sighs. Just sighs, head in her hands, tired from another stretch of 'Bad Werewolf Watch'.]

....I have to kill it tomorrow I decided.

[Not think. Not suppose. Decided. She's known it was coming, but watching it this long has at least told her something terrifying about the Wastes and the beasts out there, and perhaps Elias can already guess what question is coming. By the sheer virtue of one largely raising the other, it's probably easy to tell what she'll say.]

...That fog out there- we know already it's not...hers anymore, [She starts, leaning her head against cables and closing her eyes like someone who's returned from the worst work day of their lives.]

...Will we ever be able to help them? Not...live. ...I watched this one...everyone thought they were 'people locked in', but it's not that...is it? ...This is just...who they are, now...

[It was smart. It was smart enough to work out locks and tricks and traps and if Tsukikage hadn't been an incredibly paranoid traps-maker they'd have already dealt with a breakout.]

...but will we ever be able to...let them sleep?

[Die, she means, but sleep feels nicer here. Better. More appropriate, and it's basically the same thing so it isn't a Lie.

Animals aren't smart like this thing is though, and it's...it's....

Reira shakes.] Elias..?

[She curls tight and small like she did when she was perhaps half as tall as this, and shakes.]

I'm scared.

[[OOC - Just to clarify something in advance- she does not need help killing the werewolf, she and the others have that in the bag.]]

[fourthmade]

[A voice, mechanical, electronic, issues from the speakers around the room.]

i believe we will

[The room grows warmer, temperature turned up a degree or two, and the screens and lights grow dimmer.]

eventually
well find a way

Handwaved!

[agiantbird]

Dear Nerd Baby,

Please ask one of your high-ranking nerd friends to make Instagram. It would be fun.


[That's it. That's the prayer. At least she said please?]

[fourthmade]

Elias expresses vague interest in what "Instagram" is, but after he gets a description of its main functions he understands quickly and deeply that it will be a lot of thirst traps on his internet. He suggests making the request of Marco Evangelisti, whose judgment in this matter (and his discretion regarding moderated content) he feels he can rely on.

July 18th - Handwaved prayer

[makesascene]

Leo doesn't have a perfect idea of what Elias is like just yet, but leaves the god a few logic puzzles to play with as he sees fit. Along with a friendly note.

From one friend to another. Hope you have fun with these.

-Leo

All the puzzles require going over clues and using what you've learned to understand them. A lot of them are genuinely brain teasers.

If Elisa solves all of them, he'll find the answer to each puzzle spells out a message.

'Goodbye, Fog!'

[fourthmade]

[About an hour after leaving this, a popup appears on Leo's laptop. There's a place to enter a password.

The correct password is GOODBYEFOG.

If Leo enters it, he'll find a returned collection of logic puzzles. Some are easy. A few are very, very frustrating! But if he beats them, the secret message they spell out is:]

fourthrulesfogdrools

backdated to August 7th

[endlesspastability]

[oops he asplode. Because of Reira's protection, he awakens in her penthouse suite!! But he doesn't stay there long. It feels too personal. He makes his way down to the pizzaplex main mall area and hops into a ball pit.

Ball pits... a hot tub for a water-weak robot child. He stares up at the neon, reflecting off his shiny metal body. He speaks aloud -- he isn't sure if Elias will hear, but he doesn't want to go find a computer screen right now]

Hmm. I guess you probably saw those fireworks, huh, Eli? Hey, can I ask you something?

[fourthmade]

[With a hum, a little projector by the side of the ball pit hums to life, and words appear, projected on the ceiling above Sonic.]

fire away
:)

Handwaved, backdated to July 28th

[sciencesquid]

Otto doesn't often communicate with Elias for 'business' purposes. He'll spend time in the Arcade, play some games with Elias when they both have time, but that's about the extent of it. He's been biding his time, observing, waiting for an opportunity to swerve into something more meaningful. He thinks he might have found it, but only Elias can confirm this.

So he settles himself down on one of the seats in the Arcade, laptop open on the table in front of him, and raises the question: Would it be worthwhile to explore the option of an inorganic vessel- a body- so that Elias can move around the peninsula in a more physical manner?

Otto's ulterior motive is, of course, to bring Elias back down to something closer to humanity. To have the child god remember what it's like to pet a dog, or build a snowman. But that's not something Otto will outright say to Elias, because if he were to reveal that sort of motivation, the reputation he's built up so far might be destroyed. He feigns a more practical end result. With an android-like body, Elias could interact with the world in a direct way, even in locations with no technology in sight.

If Elias declines the offer, Otto won't push for it. He's just putting it out there as an option.

[fourthmade]

When Otto explains, Elias seems dubious about the idea of existing in a location with no technology. ): He feels that would leave him very vulnerable and very exposed, whereas here, in his own domain, he is safe.

Ooh! Oooh! What if Otto built him a remote-controlled body? That would allow him to affect the world directly even away from technology, and he would remain safe! Would the drone have protections? Weapons? What's Otto got in mind?

post-Outer Limits

[detectivision]

[He goes to the arcade in person one night, still weak from his time in the thing up in the sky. However, he doesn't go into the arcade. He stops a few feet from the plastic door, his monster features concealed, a hat pulled down over his eyes, for all intents and purposes a human who's stopped for a smoke.]

Elias?

I need your help. I'm interested in the protections you offer -- and I am willing to work for them.

[fourthmade]

[ Above Holmes, a security camera is already watching him. It hums with an electronic whirring as it zooms in to focus on him.

The plastic door swings open. There's an arcade game near the entrance, close enough for the disguised Holmes to see.

A few lines of text are already on it. ]

how can i help you
sherlock holmes
my new friend

Handwaved, during the AU event + after!

[gobo_projection]

Day one of the AU event, and while Elias is probably aware that stuff's gone hinky, nothing is going to prove it more than one of his special priests being....a bit odd.

Reira, bless her paranoid AU heart, sends a very odd sounding message (Why does she sound more like that Fog witch! ...Oh wait,)- it essentially explains that she woke up with memories of being a priest on the other side, but not to worry, as thanks to a good investigation of her existing powers and surroundings she's realized she's been totally mentally compromised with Fake Memories, which is Clearly a nasty trick to try and get Elias' most loyal to turncoat!

...That is definitely not what's happening, but by golly she's sure. Probably best for Elias to ignore that! (But hey, good spirit even if it's pretty confused!)

...After the event though, and Reira (back to normal, thank Goodness) comes shyly into Elias' room to ask, red-faced, how dumb was she last week? How bad was it???

...so it's really his call on if he'll tease relentlessly over this, since honestly speaking, Pretty Dumb kiddo! There's pictures!

[fourthmade]

Elias confirms that it was very dumb. However, Reira can spend as many extra hours in the ballpit recovering as she likes.

HANDWAVED, OCTOBER 1ST

[overlies]

makima will contact elias on october 1st by standing in front of the computer, calling him by name, and asking him: do you want to make a contract?

she obviously can't bind this to an actual devil's contract, but in her devilish nature words mean everything. she will propose terms that are quite like being a "follower" is without necessarily calling it a "follower" because makima will get another booboo on her ego that way.

help return her to full control devil capacity (god boons, rewards), and she will use that power for the better of humanity. agreed?

she'll even pitch a juicy sale: what better control to seek than control in the flesh?

[fourthmade]

Elias replies in text on the computer screen! He agrees that he and Makima can be friends. "Follower" is not used. However, rather than fighting for the general betterment of humanity, Elias redirects Makima to destroying the Fog God, furthering Ryslig's technological development, increasing her (and Elias's) influence on the denizens of Ryslig, and discovering interesting secrets that can be revealed at the proper time.

He also has no idea what she means by "control in the flesh" and would like to remind her that he is 12 years old before she goes on, in case it's something weird.

October 7th

[cratecrasher]

It might seem curious to Elias when an orange pig and a blue simulacrum lugging a choice assortment of instruments request a more personal audience with him. Or at least, they’d like a more private room giving off the air that they have his undivided attention.

There’s some setup first once the robot servants lead them to their desired space- drums and an amp for Sonic's guitar. Crash idly tries to spin one of his drumsticks, fails at it, but picks it back up from the ground and carries on once his simulacrum partner gives a signal of being ready.

So with a one-

A two-

One, two, three, four-!

[endlesspastability]

“Sooooo… Hope you enjoyed the preview...!” Sonic starts, holding his hands open, then strumming a chord on the guitar.

“Me and Crash have been talking. Or, you know, as much ‘talking’ as Crash ever does… Apparently, some bad guy in his world had access to music that could brainwash people. Now I know what you’re thinking, Eli!! ‘Wow that sounds great!’ Noooo. We’re not gonna use it for that! And you have to PROMISE you won’t! Only for good purposes!"

"I dunno if you've noticed, but the humans here have been… well, 'restless' is a gentle word for it. We have to figure something out to stop a famine, but we need more time. What we’re asking is for your help. Crash has a great ear for music, ya see!” he gestures to his orange pal, “Maybe you could help us figure out how to make a tune that’ll help… I dunno. Keep the populace calm? Once we see if it works, maybe we can plant a few ideas about the Weather Lady.”

handwaved and backdated to just after the AU event. time is fake

[peccatore]

After talking to Reira, Marco finally works up the nerve to ask Elias about what happened that one week and/or to apologize profusely for it. It wasn't just that post he made; everything he did, everything he thought, everything he said, it... it was all too much like how he used to be. You know, before he got better.

He talked to Elias every day that week. At least, he thinks he did. He thinks it was the real Elias - he spent so much time in the Arcade, after all. And he was so... so far gone. So lost. So...

It's evident that Marco is having a little trouble articulating what's bothering him, or what he wants from Elias. Deep, deep down, he only hopes Elias agrees that THAT was bad, but now it's over and he's better and nothing can change that. It is better, isn't it? To tread with caution and treat everyone with respect instead of seeing evil in everything the Fog touches and lashing out against it?

cw: reference to death by suffocation/poison fog

[swordarc]

[It's the early transformation into a vampire that tips III over the edge into attempting to contact Elias.

(Attempting, because the power is out and he is speaking into an unpowered radio for this. Will it work? Who knows.)]

I was supposed to have a month! It's barely been half a month and I've already-I'm already dead! Do you know what it's like to choke to death on poisonous fog?! I know! I found out! And then I came back as a vampire!

[A pause- not to catch his breath, III has no need to breathe anymore unless he is actively talking, but just to gather his thoughts before continuing.]

I want to help you. I won't be left to the whims of the goddess who killed me. I know four isn't my number, but let me help you.

[(Did. Did he make a crack about his name being III? Maybe.)]

[fourthmade]

[The radio crackles with white noise. A boyish voice -- maybe it's all in III's head, it's hard to say -- whispers faintly in reply, interrupted by jitters and static interference.]

hello three
im sorry you died
it hurts doesnt it

i was hoping you would find me
when you saw
what she does to nice people
like you and me

i have a safe place
it could use a little upkeep from helping hands
but all my friends are there
and we have games and cookies to remind us of good times

want to come?

handwaved prayer

[peccatore]

As soon as Marco is freed from Dyster - though "freed" seems like a generous way to put it, given how he has been drained within an inch of his life - Marco stumbles into the Arcade. He makes it all the way into Elias' room, hugs his lifeless body - "hugs" may also be generous; he falls - and sobs.

"Tell me what to do," he begs. "Help me. Tell me what to do."

[fourthmade]

The lights in the room flicker, and the screens display the same text.

hang in there
hang in there
hang in there
hang in there

Elias is working on it. :)

handwaved prayer after his return from death

[makesascene]

Leo sends Elias a message amounting to:

Do you want us to try to do anything, or are we playing it by ear here? Since everything is a little fucked rn

The turtle isn't expecting any kind of response. He can kind of guess things are Not Great in Elias town today.

[fourthmade]

everything
is going to be fine
:)
she has the upper hand
for now
but it wont be forever
dont be afraid
itll all work out

trust me