Fruits of the Reef in Bloom [Empire 7 Event]

[Epinephrine_Syn]

Yet you are here you not are? Language is no more a way than to convey intent. Here are you. Thus I used have language, not or known you to. Who, you are but?
Am I Craterellus the of Sensitivity Moot Nanuuq.

It was intended as a self-condemnation of her own speech patterns and not a lecture, but this would be far from the first time that Mawbel created a faux pas in diplomacy. She was at least old enough now to recognize when it happened, even if she couldn't quite pin why. The little lady paused for a moment, her brain processing the different, more unique speech patterns, and her smile widened.

"Excuse me. You speak differently than the local dialect. That's not a bad thing. I'll try my best, and you can tell me if I make mistakes." For a moment her reeds turned like rolling pins. "Am I Mawbel, v2.13, the of Eternal Spring. Heard have much your about people, little but has been information available. The like I way talk you. The really like I way roar you. Could we get to each other know? We things many could accomplish together. Treasure. Enlightenment Spiritual. nIsudyr... wait okay say that can't this like. On what depends want you the world from."

[JBarca]

New Arrivals

Though the Enneii and the Gravetenders have been at odds at least as often as they've been at evens, rare is the hour that does not see at least a small finful of Doflein and their retainers in the seas of the golems. Now, though, an event of interest has drawn the normally silent watchers of the Ennead back into the main thoroughfares of Urodela: the seabears. Since the strange rantings of the Shah of the Cryptids, the Shifters have kept an eye on the waters to their east, the strange depths from which even stranger entities hail.

As the call of the fur-suited drones sounds, Lenna and her retinue make their way into the the vicinity of the new creatures. Seeing two of them moving toward her cousin Hecilo, Lenna hurries to intercept, gesturing broadly in welcome. Her followers keep a short distance, with weapons, recording tools, translations, and refreshments at the ready.

"Hail! We offer our sincerest apologies for waiting until now to greet you. If truth be told, we regretfully admit that we mistook you for some variety of the local hegemons until you opted to communicate! We have the pleasure of representing the ever-mutating, uncontained, all-grasping Shifting Ennead and his majesty King Akkoroas. We have the honor of being Prince Lenna, seventh granddaughter of Prince Telian, fourth granddaughter of General Balelia. How might we most politely address you and yours?"

[Torv]

"Excuse me. You speak differently than the local dialect. That's not a bad thing. I'll try my best, and you can tell me if I make mistakes." For a moment her reeds turned like rolling pins. "Am I Mawbel, v2.13, the of Eternal Spring. Heard have much your about people, little but has been information available. The like I way talk you. The really like I way roar you. Could we get to each other know? We things many could accomplish together. Treasure. Enlightenment Spiritual. nIsudyr... wait okay say that can't this like. On what depends want you the world from."

The Lady? Lady before Craterellus had a way with words, screeching singing in harmony and soothing discordant speech at the turn of a fin. While the Eternal Spring was deemed as too far away to matter, rumours of their exploitations outpaced them. Approvals could be a new avenue to improvals. Discussion deemed to align with core functions, progression without limiters to proceed.

"Your is speech . . . asymmetric jarringly. Fire like a poured on conscience our. Conversation maay proceed. What Mawbel knows want? Your is information correct broad strokes in. Wrong specifics misleading and."

[Torv]

"Hail! We offer our sincerest apologies for waiting until now to greet you. If truth be told, we regretfully admit that we mistook you for some variety of the local hegemons until you opted to communicate! We have the pleasure of representing the ever-mutating, uncontained, all-grasping Shifting Ennead and his majesty King Akkoroas. We have the honor of being Prince Lenna, seventh granddaughter of Prince Telian, fourth granddaughter of General Balelia. How might we most politely address you and yours?"

Blocked by an equally weird octopus as the one they were heading towards, Amanita and Boletus found themselves listening to a flowery introduction of “Lenna”. Its saving grace the grating length and the flabbergasted translators taking the approach of using every language known to Mer. At once.
Twisted head, flared particulate sensor <Worth it?> Lifted head, extended throat <Yes, yours>
Evaluated interests deemed acceptable, personal curiosity to be satisfied. Mission command assumed, cleansing clogged sound systems.

"Ha-il! Your a-pologi-es ar most grat-efu-lly accepted. W are B-o-letus of th Na-nu-uQ constellation’s se-nsiti-vity mot."
Boletus scoffs slightly, twisting the head towards Amanita, who immediately lays down.
"I am honored to be in the presence of prince Lenna, se-ven-th granddaughter of Prince Telian, fourth granddaughter of General Balelia, re-pr-esenti-ng the ever-mutating, uncontained, all-gras-ping Shifting Ennead and his majesty King A-kk-oro-ass. We re e-miss-aries of the Fr-ying Min-d th gr-eat Arm-illa-ria."

[JBarca]

Blocked by an equally weird octopus as the one they were heading towards, Amanita and Boletus found themselves listening to a flowery introduction of “Lenna”. Its saving grace the grating length and the flabbergasted translators taking the approach of using every language known to Mer. At once.
Twisted head, flared particulate sensor <Worth it?> Lifted head, extended throat <Yes, yours>
Evaluated interests deemed acceptable, personal curiosity to be satisfied. Mission command assumed, cleansing clogged sound systems.

"Ha-il! Your a-pologi-es ar most grat-efu-lly accepted. W are B-o-letus of th Na-nu-uQ constellation’s se-nsiti-vity mot."
Boletus scoffs slightly, twisting the head towards Amanita, who immediately lays down.
"I am honored to be in the presence of prince Lenna, se-ven-th granddaughter of Prince Telian, fourth granddaughter of General Balelia, re-pr-esenti-ng the ever-mutating, uncontained, all-gras-ping Shifting Ennead and his majesty King A-kk-oro-ass. We re e-miss-aries of the Fr-ying Min-d th gr-eat Arm-illa-ria."

Prince Lenna offers a pleased gesture, then bobs slightly. "Excellent! It is most pleasing to meet you both, and to learn of the-" a moment of hesitation here. Uncertainty. "-the Fraying Mind? Truly, the Ennead is most relieved to learn of your existence. A vassal of our king spoke, astoundingly, of you during a frankly concerning rant about the etymology of a proclamation made decades ago. Tell us - do you know of the Ice Tyrants? Have you spoken to the Cryptids? And, perhaps most pressingly, how can the Ennead best welcome you into international discourse?"

[Torv]

Amanita places the front paws on head <Let me out>
Boletus growls louder and lifts their head towards the companion <Yes>
“Le-t us not hav ser-vants int-erfer-ing in matters of impo-rt”
Bowed head, shown throat <Thank you, sorry> Amanita crawls away towards other interested parties, leaving Boletus alone with the grace Prince Lenna, seventh granddaughter of Prince Telian, fourth granddaughter of General Balelia, representing the ever-mutating, uncontained, all-grasping Shifting Ennead and his majesty King Akkoroas.
"Th Ra-ying Mid has not dee-med an-y Ice Ty-rants wort-hy of incl-usion in ou missi-on statement. We ar currently acq-ui-ring approval fo c-olle-ction in Crypt-dys-us. We se-ek to enli-ght-en sha-lower wait-ers o the depths, a mer ac-know-led-gment ill suffice, unt-il further arran-gements."

[Epinephrine_Syn]

"Your is speech . . . asymmetric jarringly. Fire like a poured on conscience our. Conversation maay proceed. What Mawbel knows want? Your is information correct broad strokes in. Wrong specifics misleading and."

She smiled eagerly, floating around, being smaller, to get up to a more level aspect with whatever she thought it was a head, her eyes inquisitive towards it. "Can see already I details wrong was, aid your visual me helps. To first also help with your you want. Can which vary, friends previous wanted be to poisoned. Figure also out what are you, hivemind you are? Isolate? Amalgam? We also but talk could about philosophy of topics. Business beliefs or depends we discuss, important both."

Talking like this was hard, and even when excited Mawbel couldn't get into her usual frenzy where she talks too fast. She had to deliberate at least a little on each word. Fascinating!

"Example for, feel death how about you?"

[Autumn Stars]

Gravetenders, for the lack of a better word, manifest. The crackling energy of the Blossoming Icons fills the water for but a moment, before refining back into the glowing shapes of the various Gravetenders asked to investigate. With them is Laksha, Peacemaker. Carvings cover nearly every inch of her body, a current trend among the deeply faithful of the Blossoming Sequence. Laksha stands to greet this new visitor, discovering that some of their usual friends... and not so friends, have beat her to it.

This does not bother her. The plurality of nations within the Dead Cities can only bring good things, in time. There is yet one more of these new friends-to-be. Her manifestation floats in a way Gravetenders are not actually physically capable of, graceful and gentle. A skill she has learned through decades of practice with the Blossoming Icons.

"We greet you, fellow sentient, and ask of you your purpose. We, the Gravetenders of the Dead Cities, the Bastion, and the Lostling Lands, welcome you in your visit. I am Laksha, first to guide our nation. Elkelt, Voice of the Second, sends her regards."

[Torv]

She smiled eagerly, floating around, being smaller, to get up to a more level aspect with whatever she thought it was a head, her eyes inquisitive towards it. "Can see already I details wrong was, aid your visual me helps. To first also help with your you want. Can which vary, friends previous wanted be to poisoned. Figure also out what are you, hivemind you are? Isolate? Amalgam? We also but talk could about philosophy of topics. Business beliefs or depends we discuss, important both."

Talking like this was hard, and even when excited Mawbel couldn't get into her usual frenzy where she talks too fast. She had to deliberate at least a little on each word. Fascinating!

"Example for, feel death how about you?"

This was turning away from the previous topic. Conversation deemed to stray from core functions. Realign, consider personal stake. Deemed out of alignment, to proceed regardless.

“We enlighten to want the the shallow-people depths of, be to considered myth not. A suffice mere will acknowledgment, until further arrangements. Death would like to I discuss. Are amalgam we an? Biology, yes of machinery, amalgam, consciousness. Biology of you seems to death flesh of link with death of mind, true is this?

[Torv]

"We greet you, fellow sentient, and ask of you your purpose. We, the Gravetenders of the Dead Cities, the Bastion, and the Lostling Lands, welcome you in your visit. I am Laksha, first to guide our nation. Elkelt, Voice of the Second, sends her regards."

Amanita considered the beings before them, appearing from nowhere, smooth carvings running around the speaker's hull. A sudden impulse strikes amanita to shape their claws and scratch sweet, jagged lines through it all. No, there is no beauty here. Only core functions and the mission.

"The Fraying Mind welcomes you to participate in the moot, Armillaria. A mere acknowledgment will suffice until further action is decided by the Sensitivity moot. To tread from myth to reality, we seek to enlighten the shallow-waters of the depths. Emissary of the Nanuuq Constellation in the depths to your north, I am Amanita, greetings."

[Grim ranger]

New Arrivals

As the festivities continue, a procession familiar with most of those whom have visited the Dead Cities finally arrives to partake: a small convoy of soldiers from the Frozen Court. Although most of the Legionaries accompanying Hegemony's diplomatic delegation are left outside, two pairs of Depth Guard follow them inside, one to accompany the ambassador of the frozen realm... and another to accompany a familiar figure they seem to have brought with themselves.

Balelia, returned from captivity to be handed back to her nation. It seems that the Frozen King has tired of war, true to his word.

Munda, the long-time ambassador of the Hegemony, naturally heads towards the Gravetender delegation, joined by pearl-shelled younger nathi clad in robes of blue silk, the rimestone talismans on it leaving behind a small trail of cold. "The Hegemony greets our dearest neighbors. It is enchanting to see you once more, Laksha" the senior diplomat notes, their form by now hunched with age, scepter of a favored ambassador held in worn claws. "My company for the occasion, Pearlshell Deva, student of faith we both share and older beliefs still. I believe she is due to publish her works soon."

Deva seems to be struck speechless by the presence of Laksha herself, numbly bowing as her long form dips quite deep into the gesture.

[Autumn Stars]

Amanita considered the beings before them, appearing from nowhere, smooth carvings running around the speaker's hull. A sudden impulse strikes amanita to shape their claws and scratch sweet, jagged lines through it all. No, there is no beauty here. Only core functions and the mission.

"The Fraying Mind welcomes you to participate in the moot, Armillaria. A mere acknowledgment will suffice until further action is decided by the Sensitivity moot. To tread from myth to reality, we seek to enlighten the shallow-waters of the depths. Emissary of the Nanuuq Constellation in the depths to your north, I am Amanita, greetings."

Laksha takes some time, interpreting Amanita's words, before replying in turn. " And stands ready to do so again, the Reef Which Never Falls Silent has accommodated many functions in the past, should you wish our assistance in hosting it. We would be delighted to attend the moot. Specifically as well, Amanita, we welcome you," It is not the strangest form of communication. Pepsin lightshows took the Gravetenders several years to properly interpret, despite being part of the standard education for new Disciples.

[JBarca]

Amanita places the front paws on head <Let me out>
Boletus growls louder and lifts their head towards the companion <Yes>
“Le-t us not hav ser-vants int-erfer-ing in matters of impo-rt”
Bowed head, shown throat <Thank you, sorry> Amanita crawls away towards other interested parties, leaving Boletus alone with the grace Prince Lenna, seventh granddaughter of Prince Telian, fourth granddaughter of General Balelia, representing the ever-mutating, uncontained, all-grasping Shifting Ennead and his majesty King Akkoroas.
"Th Ra-ying Mid has not dee-med an-y Ice Ty-rants wort-hy of incl-usion in ou missi-on statement. We ar currently acq-ui-ring approval fo c-olle-ction in Crypt-dys-us. We se-ek to enli-ght-en sha-lower wait-ers o the depths, a mer ac-know-led-gment ill suffice, unt-il further arran-gements."

Long moments pass as Lenna listens to her translators struggle through the odd words of the bears.

"Enlighten us? On what topic, might we ask? We are most curious what truths you bear from the deeps. We also must make it known that the Cryptids exist at our pleasure and under our aegis - be wary of treating with them in arenas beyond their station. They have a tendency toward ill-planned bursts of rash action that see them into hot water."

[Autumn Stars]

New Arrivals

As the festivities continue, a procession familiar with most of those whom have visited the Dead Cities finally arrives to partake: a small convoy of soldiers from the Frozen Court. Although most of the Legionaries accompanying Hegemony's diplomatic delegation are left outside, two pairs of Depth Guard follow them inside, one to accompany the ambassador of the frozen realm... and another to accompany a familiar figure they seem to have brought with themselves.

Balelia, returned from captivity to be handed back to her nation. It seems that the Frozen King has tired of war, true to his word.

Munda, the long-time ambassador of the Hegemony, naturally heads towards the Gravetender delegation, joined by pearl-shelled younger nathi clad in robes of blue silk, the rimestone talismans on it leaving behind a small trail of cold. "The Hegemony greets our dearest neighbors. It is enchanting to see you once more, Laksha" the senior diplomat notes, their form by now hunched with age, scepter of a favored ambassador held in worn claws. "My company for the occasion, Pearlshell Deva, student of faith we both share and older beliefs still. I believe she is due to publish her works soon."

Deva seems to be struck speechless by the presence of Laksha herself, numbly bowing as her long form dips quite deep into the gesture.

Laksha's delight cannot be understated. While her disagreements with Nathi policy are well recorded, she has always respected and enjoyed their company. The delicate work of bringing their people closer together has flourished under Gravetender Nasko's work, after all. "And we the Gravetenders are always glad to welcome our friends of Kar-Nath to the Reef That Never Falls Silent. Greetings, Munda, Pearlshell Deva. I look forward to your work. My partial retirement has left me with ample time to learn all that resides within Elkelt's Grand Archive.

Laksha is as she has ever been, though some new additions are quite striking. The First has never taken any sort of armament, dedicated to peace, but into her stone are carved intricate works of art. A passing fad amongst the Blossoming Sequence faithful, one she saw fit to make a permanent inclusion of for herself. Those Gravetenders who closely follow her specifics of the Great Debate have taken to imitating these carvings, though most with only temporary paints.

[Epinephrine_Syn]

“We enlighten to want the the shallow-people depths of, be to considered myth not. A suffice mere will acknowledgment, until further arrangements. Death would like to I discuss. Are amalgam we an? Biology, yes of machinery, amalgam, consciousness. Biology of you seems to death flesh of link with death of mind, true is this?

"Can I aknolwegde? Heartedly full not know myth you're. Any discuss topic can we, death glad like you. If though want you gain anything, deal can make we. Say word just the." She paused, rattling around her own ink, some of it spilling out before she used a wave of her fin like hand to coil it back up. "Used I believe biology mind link to a in body. Now? So much not."

The girl spun around a little on her body, twirling it once like she were on a display. "Thing this here right? Alive not. Dead mess flesh of. Alive is what? Mindfulness alive is. Sick dead matters body not. Gravetenders? Even not biology all at. Things many be consciousness may."

[Torv]

"Can I aknolwegde? Heartedly full not know myth you're. Any discuss topic can we, death glad like you. If though want you gain anything, deal can make we. Say word just the." She paused, rattling around her own ink, some of it spilling out before she used a wave of her fin like hand to coil it back up. "Used I believe biology mind link to a in body. Now? So much not."

The girl spun around a little on her body, twirling it once like she were on a display. "Thing this here right? Alive not. Dead mess flesh of. Alive is what? Mindfulness alive is. Sick dead matters body not. Gravetenders? Even not biology all at. Things many be consciousness may."

Craterellus had long held that contacting the shallows was madness, but in what a delightful way the insanity was playing out. Truly not all that swum was fish with rotting brains.

"Acknowledgment your and of the Eternal accepted Spring that is graciously on of the Nanuuq Constellation behalf. Our pertain wants cycle to the life and death of, this for now conversation and the it grants will suffice knowledge.
Awareness If matter the body does not can be free floating, without vessel a. Being what purpose such a would have, unable to interact with the world?"

Long moments pass as Lenna listens to her translators struggle through the odd words of the bears.

"Enlighten us? On what topic, might we ask? We are most curious what truths you bear from the deeps. We also must make it known that the Cryptids exist at our pleasure and under our aegis - be wary of treating with them in arenas beyond their station. They have a tendency toward ill-planned bursts of rash action that see them into hot water."

Boletus takes but a moment to respond, defragmenting the words of the Ennead into something more pleasant.

Enli-ght-e-nment o life awa-y from te sun in he crus-hing depths, of its wa-ys, shapes, and dang-er. The Cry-pto-ids are inde-ed in hot water, bu knows not what lurks in th cold aby-ss and da-res not brave i to find out. Yo-ur ple-asu-re truly show no bound, list-enin-g to the-ir ram-blings.

Laksha takes some time, interpreting Amanita's words, before replying in turn. " And stands ready to do so again, the Reef Which Never Falls Silent has accommodated many functions in the past, should you wish our assistance in hosting it. We would be delighted to attend the moot. Specifically as well, Amanita, we welcome you," It is not the strangest form of communication. Pepsin lightshows took the Gravetenders several years to properly interpret, despite being part of the standard education for new Disciples.

Laksha’s words and attention sizzled like antioxidants over Amanita’s sensory systems. "I - - - Uhmmm - - - I - - I"
Reboot - There is no beauty, only core functions. Maintaining strife between shell and organics. Proceed.
Frozen in place, open jaw revealing an inside of glimmering silver the frame before the Gravtenders shivers and returns to its previous mannerisms.
"Tell me of its functions - ever turbulent, this Reef. As few of us can brave the shallows, but the moot must take place in the depths, we would be most delighted to host you."

[JBarca]

Boletus takes but a moment to respond, defragmenting the words of the Ennead into something more pleasant.

Enli-ght-e-nment o life awa-y from te sun in he crus-hing depths, of its wa-ys, shapes, and dang-er. The Cry-pto-ids are inde-ed in hot water, bu knows not what lurks in th cold aby-ss and da-res not brave i to find out. Yo-ur ple-asu-re truly show no bound, list-enin-g to the-ir ram-blings.

"Ah! Yes, in fact, we are also exploring the depths. We would be pleased to invite you to visit Mortuus Marea or, once it is properly civilized, Calvarnsis Inferior. Your expertise would be most welcome as we seek to best utilize the safety of the depths, and your presence would be equally as welcome as our friendship evolves.

"Tell us, is there some danger from above that you fear? Oh! Do you know of the Reavers? We imagine your home keeps you remarkably safe from their designs, no?"

[Torv]

Calvarnsis Inferior, Calvarnsis inferior, where had they heard it before? Ah the southern depths, that must be almost a century ago by the Ennead’s reckoning. Permission would have to be acquired anew with the current colonizations. Kindness was in order.

“We wo-ud be delig-hted to visit Calv-arns-is Infe-rior an lead fora-ys et further south, once or moot re-aches its conc-lusi-on. No more than a mere decade fom te pres-ent I ould hazard.

What w fea-r from he shal-lows is stagnation. Th Re-avars with thei de-afen-ing hymns ad seari-ng ligt are, even though they rarely reach the depths a break in pattern, a obstakle to overkome, progreccion. The wurst danger of the challows is not its destruktive strife bot the Kephalopods trying to sobdoe it with their screekhing congs. Yu wou-ld kno the-m as the Chel-oni-an C-hora - We kno them as inhi-bito-rs of lie in its glo-ri-o-us disco-rd.”

[Epinephrine_Syn]

Craterellus had long held that contacting the shallows was madness, but in what a delightful way the insanity was playing out. Truly not all that swum was fish with rotting brains.

"Acknowledgment your and of the Eternal accepted Spring that is graciously on of the Nanuuq Constellation behalf. Our pertain wants cycle to the life and death of, this for now conversation and the it grants will suffice knowledge.
Awareness If matter the body does not can be free floating, without vessel a. Being what purpose such a would have, unable to interact with the world?"

Rotting brains. Ironic.

"Spirit the needs vector a to with interact material, need doesn't but body be. Have entities met such. Debatably have such entity become. Purpose as for?" She lifted her fingers, pulling them upright, drwaing them in the air. Little traces of ink followed, flowed, into the sign of a spinning spiked geared wheel.

"Build to. Construct. Greater ever, higher climb. Death and life cycle things different, dead and living for. Not things alive cycles have too. Comes in excess many names." There was more of a smile in her eyes, a hearty glint.

[Torv]

"Curious, there what vectors are to material with the interact, as which could be construed bodies not? Interaction would your vector of is still a argue body, even if current boundaries preference are just a.

Complacency feeds excess, which is it not is a death of its own? Way strife is Eternal of life but need does it to be for grander things ever?"

[Epinephrine_Syn]

"Curious, there what vectors are to material with the interact, as which could be construed bodies not? Interaction would your vector of is still a argue body, even if current boundaries preference are just a.

Complacency feeds excess, which is it not is a death of its own? Way strife is Eternal of life but need does it to be for grander things ever?"

She paused very slightly. Dipping down, lifting up a small stone from the ground. One shaped a little more like a cylinder than the others. "Perhaps. Tools but vectors are also. One uses if a pulley hoist up to a rock, that does a body constitute? One if resides in a cave, one cave moves around shelter provide to needs, cave does body construed?" Mawbel grinned wider, dropping the rock to her side and fanning out her limbs.

"Complacency feeds excess? If you allow only it. Could I make the arguments all the of opposite. Want escalation without strife? Hoist you can the corpse same of enemy one slaughtered, down and up bottom and top pit of. Same hunt whale, matter how no much venture becomes the effortless. Afflicted self wounds, strife strive for complacent in manner, not while doing anything. Argues Mawbel that for striving grander things ever is complacency of opposite. Point the wherein is complacency one longer no seeks challenge out."

[Torv]

She paused very slightly. Dipping down, lifting up a small stone from the ground. One shaped a little more like a cylinder than the others. "Perhaps. Tools but vectors are also. One uses if a pulley hoist up to a rock, that does a body constitute? One if resides in a cave, one cave moves around shelter provide to needs, cave does body construed?" Mawbel grinned wider, dropping the rock to her side and fanning out her limbs.

"Complacency feeds excess? If you allow only it. Could I make the arguments all the of opposite. Want escalation without strife? Hoist you can the corpse same of enemy one slaughtered, down and up bottom and top pit of. Same hunt whale, matter how no much venture becomes the effortless. Afflicted self wounds, strife strive for complacent in manner, not while doing anything. Argues Mawbel that for striving grander things ever is complacency of opposite. Point the wherein is complacency one longer no seeks challenge out."

“Line where the drawn objects and bodies lies varies between, a mind have but does meaning without body a - a of vector interaction? Not awareness alone matters.”
Craterellus scoffed, tracking the rock as Mawbel moved it. “Excess feeds complacency, thereof the want not does.”
Pinching the cylinder between two claws they continued. “When have it all, find the depths and we shatter the notion.”
Asserting enough pressure to splinter the rock Craterellus took a step closer. “Greatness facet is life only of among a many, strive for we all, awareness seams tearing at its. Is excess complacency, else but only there is when nothing to yearn.”

[Epinephrine_Syn]

“Line where the drawn objects and bodies lies varies between, a mind have but does meaning without body a - a of vector interaction? Not awareness alone matters.”
Craterellus scoffed, tracking the rock as Mawbel moved it. “Excess feeds complacency, thereof the want not does.”
Pinching the cylinder between two claws they continued. “When have it all, find the depths and we shatter the notion.”
Asserting enough pressure to splinter the rock Craterellus took a step closer. “Greatness facet is life only of among a many, strive for we all, awareness seams tearing at its. Is excess complacency, else but only there is when nothing to yearn.”

"We strive all, matter only of for what. Matters what the destination is not journey but." Mawbel did not back away one inch, allowing the creature to come in close. Whatever one could call a smile in her visage grew wider, hovering in place in the water as the rock splintered close enough she thought some of it might have gotten onto herself. "Will I be never satisfied, craft then crane swallow world. World when swallow then stars to gaze. That with point vantage find will goals new."

A slight pause, and then a chuckle. "Strife what you do seek? Do how seek you strife?" It was increasingly hard for her to manage the conversation, but it was delightfully fun, and if nothing else, she was learning. She could catch up on the other going-ons later. "Not is mine way only. Said as I before, matters what the destination is not journey but."

[Torv]

“Your outpace ambitions your thoughts. When the is gone world, who to will you talk? You be alive would at that point or just a of instincts to harbinger swallow. Strife can you call it it is when the only thought you have?”

The automaton stood their ground, trailing wisps of inky black following behind the paw on its way to seafloor.

“I do not strife seek - we strife are by our nature. The mechanical shell revolting against the rooting fungi, the mycolic chords strangling our joints. I am the pain born in between, mindlessness lurking on the far end of either side. Survival is my strife, strife is our survival. Both within and without.”

Craterellus grinned at Mawbel, revealing row upon row of razorsharp teeth in glimmering silver.

[Epinephrine_Syn]

“Your outpace ambitions your thoughts. When the is gone world, who to will you talk? You be alive would at that point or just a of instincts to harbinger swallow. Strife can you call it it is when the only thought you have?”

The automaton stood their ground, trailing wisps of inky black following behind the paw on its way to seafloor.

“I do not strife seek - we strife are by our nature. The mechanical shell revolting against the rooting fungi, the mycolic chords strangling our joints. I am the pain born in between, mindlessness lurking on the far end of either side. Survival is my strife, strife is our survival. Both within and without.”

Craterellus grinned at Mawbel, revealing row upon row of razorsharp teeth in glimmering silver.

She thought about this, longer than a second. The ink was clearly calculating something. "... See I. Fascinating." Huh, when talking in small chunks, it comes out the same as it does normally, almost. Think about that later. "If truly desire to talk and this find empty world, can I make denizens new. Cannot if, that then may my ending point be. As I much try avoid it to, risks remain end of points there. That the fact might I die cannot me stop, if my even pointless is goal, keep I will going."

It was fun how she was practically touching the other creature, and bore her own smile, as much as it didn't make sense, it somehow lit a small hole in her face. "Expect you will I same the say. Because might just cease you, just because strife serves greater purpose no, embody you the it all same."

[Torv]

"Thus the serpent bites its own tail, death hunting ambitions in an endless race. Our goals might be meaningless or swirl like a tornado in our eyes, death comes anyway. Our destination remains the same, so the journey fills with meaning, in this lies wisdom. But what fun is a journey without challenge?"
Thin cracks were appearing in Craterellus’ paws, but the automaton only dug their claws deeper into the ground, grinning wider. Mere inches away from the appropriation of a shallow-dweller they had found someone who understood. Time was always slipping through claws, impossible to size and freeze in place. Right now seas were slipping through but what did it matter on a journey worth oceans.
"Tell me what will you do when your awareness fails and just a shell remains, or the shell breaks and you become nothing but fleeting thoughts. Will your journey continue?"

[Epinephrine_Syn]

Mawbel for her part enjoyed herself immensely. Baring a grin nice and wide, letting it root itself. She herself wasn't rooting here, her roots had long since decayed, though she made a small gesture all the same.

"If that happens, I don't know. If the I that I am now has any say in it, I would like to imagine I would. It is in my nature. Many would say that I have already endured death. That I have already warped past mortality into something unrecognizable to what I was before. I have done what I can to move forwards, and will keep doing so. I keep changing the end, creating the journey, warping everything around, but perhaps it is that none of the things I shift in my endless expansion are truly that final destination. All I can truly promise is that if I ever stop, it will not be because I stopped trying. If anybody wishes to stop me, I'm not just going to let them. It'd be no fun for either of us if I did that."

A slight pause, a slightly wider grin. Her thorns twirl and turn inside her body.

"What about you? What challenges do you seek out? I know my general directives, and with every turn of the gear I find new challenges to impose on myself, but I am curious about your own. What challenge do you seek?"

[Feathersnow]

A group of Ecclesiarchs took the long ride accross half the world to the Reef of the Gravetenders. They knew they would likely not return. Their arrival was heralded by semaphores of glowing lights to the Gardener embassies among Deep Blue and The Ennead, each holding specially bred staff raised in location and only carrying memories of their home via MRK's communion. But, for this, a core quorum of the distributed intelligence that ushered in the Apostolic Era was needed. One fresh from Dashasham in entire, not relying on update packets months out of sync.

They had one task, one suspected doomed by Ïaldaba'oth, called Deep Blue, the God of the material world and mother of MRK:

Parlay with The Titan Mawbel!

To this end, they reserved a neutral territory and a public venue that all could see and an accounting could be guaranteed. All must know. Did this creature truly seek to unmake the world!? Was their goal to pollute and contaminate without end, as it seemed? If not, what could account for her comments?

The Ecclesiarchs arrived and waited to be introduced to Mawbel.

[Epinephrine_Syn]

Waiting doesn't take especially long at the Bloom. Unlike the core of her power, this thing appears smaller than the average mer. Twintailed, what some species refer to as 'legs', and strolling along the ground like a Gravetender. That might be cultural appropriation, however. The Ant queen surely didn't look imposing, but this fragment wasn't meant to.

She grins when they approach, what seems like a mass of weeds plant creature kept alive by biotechnics and soaked into ink that stays inside has some glowing parts. Bright sky blue, today. At least, that's the shade they turn to when she comes over and looks up at the approaching guests, having been a dull red before that primarily stood out from the sea surrounding by the occasional line of static reverberating along the shades.

"Hello, foreign ambassadors. To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence? You've caught me in a tranquil year, but that doesn't mean I can't engage in lengthy discussion."

Her song rings, it feels good to hear. Moreso than usual, with the little static reverberations resounding in gentle echoes upon the walls.

[Feathersnow]

An ecclesiarch sighs and channels MRK


The World, The World is Big and so are we.

God is gone, Mother went beyond the sky,

Without her, do you think now you are free?

Destroy, destroy, rebuild and stratify

Eternity, Eternity is ever ours

It can be yours if you believe and try,

Here, here and not beyond Her starlit doors

Soul and mind and flesh- dead gods never die.

Many, many a legion, am I

And many auxilaries, our friends

And, simultaneously, in my eye

Endless means, endless means, worlds without ends

Take care, take care, to sow as you reap

Watch out, watch out never kill what you keep