[Video] Eos Files: The Case of the Missing Gods

[kingkingcxiii]

[When the video starts, it shows Regis is settled into one of the chairs in the back room of the new house he, Cor, and Ignis so recently moved into.  There are several papers just visible on the table in front of him and there is a notebook propped against the knee he has casually crossed over his other leg.  It's obvious he's been going over the notes in front of him for a while.  If nothing else, all the large windows in the room show it's now well after dark.]

"Rawna granted me strength of heart and Ainea gave me love to guide it. Diacht taught me honor and Ohma the wisdom to wield it. Mighty [NAME ILLEGIBLE] molded the weapon to my fingers and [NAME ILLEGIBLE] pointed it at my enemies. Thus I am victorious when none else are, and so by rights I claim this land for us and all our generations after. Though far we have fallen from our original grace, forever shall we prosper."

[The words he starts the message with are spoken with the air of someone who has said them many times before.  Those from Eos will also likely be struck by the similarities the passage has to certain events in their own history, both past and future for those who know it.]

This is the passage I found when we were allowed into the Archives a few months ago.  I was not able to post it to the network at that time, but it and a passage found by Emet-Selch mention gods that we have, until this point, been told nothing about.  After discussing the passage with several people, I came to the decision we should look more into these missing gods both to find out who they were, but to also find out why we are not helping to strengthen them as well as the four we are all more familiar with.  Ardyn, Ignis, Emet-Selch, and I have all spent the last month and a half or so speaking with various natives, priests and scientists on this matter and have come to the decision we should share what we found with everyone in hopes of sparking more ideas.  As three of us are from the same world, there is also a very real chance we could be biasing our views without meaning to.

[Regis pauses to motion at the papers scattered in front of his propped up tablet and then lifts the notebook resting on his lap briefly before settling it back down.]

Our results were...  To be honest, they are rather disturbing in both their similarities and the completeness with which the natives--priests, normal people, and scientists alike--believe what they told us.  Not a one of them can recall who these missing deities are.  Some of the priests were kind enough to run diagnostic checks on themselves and the only thing they found is that they must have purged any related information centuries ago because it was no longer needed.  Even more worrying, some of the scientists we spoke with found that the areas in their memories related to such information were corrupted and unaccessible due to disuse.  They actually needed to purge those sections while speaking with us.

On Eos we have our own, not missing, but exiled god.  Even once his fellows killed him to stop his rampage, he was not erased from our history.  In fact, his story remains a very important part of said history which makes me very suspicious of how thoroughly these two gods have been erased.  The passage I quoted above makes it quite clear that these two gods care little for love and kindness.  As we have no names for them, I will use those that Ardyn gave them when we spoke: 'Wrath' and 'Retribution,' two forces that are strong in their own rights, but in a very different direction than those represented by the gods we currently know.

[His gaze turns from the tablet for the first time, and those who have been out to the house may realize that he is looking in the direction of the wall and where it failed in October.]

The natives may not remember who these gods are, but if anyone can challenge the strength of one god it is that of another.  I cannot help but wonder if there is some kind of link between those missing gods and the attack we witnessed in October.  After all, there is no better way to harm your enemy than destroying what they hold dear and we have seen just how thoroughly everything outside of the wall has been destroyed.

[Regis turns his eyes back toward the tablet.]

This is where I would like to ask for the assistance of the rest of you.  Do you have further ideas as to how we may pursue information on this topic?  Have you come across something that might tie into our investigation?  Even stories of how fallen gods are treated upon your own worlds are welcome.

I thank you in advance for any help you may be able to provide.


(OOC: This post is open to all and anyone from the investigation group may answer a tag.  If you wish a response to be private or directed to a certain character on the team, please mark that in your subject heading.  Thanks!)

Comments

[shroudedsecrets]

... if you will allow my advice, I would not recommend testing that particular matter further... there are those who would have been more resistant to such atmospheres who have experienced the effects of long exposure--as well as seeing what happens to those more ordinary.

If there are other ways to go beyond the barrier at this time without that risk involved, then we should seek them.

[scourgingstars]

Indeed, I would not wish to take such a risk unnecessarily. Were it my own choice, I would insist no one venture beyond the barriers recklessly, but I feel it something of a foregone conclusion that someone will refuse such reason. In which case I would elect to follow that they might not be left wanting for protection.

[shroudedsecrets]

Such risks were taken, during the breach, unless you speak of new arrivals that may proceed to attempt doing so despite warnings that they may hear now.

Although I have not heard of any breaking past the guards recently, not since the repairing of the walls.

[scourgingstars]

I know better than to put such things past the very well-meaning and the very reckless, I'm afraid. It's fortunate no one's tried anything foolish recently.

[iustaegis]

Even the robotic locals do not travel much beyond the barrier, as far as I am aware. Whatever sort of scout or drone one might send out must be extraordinarily resilient. Consider that the barrier’s energy is ultimately derived from contact, and it’s our greatest protection from the forces beyond. We, us otherworlders, generate that resilience, but nothing else does.

I believe it is worth trying a scout, though.

[shroudedsecrets]

From their own records, there were past excursions lost to the archives. It is likely they withdrew in on themselves when they made the city smaller. I suspect that the barrier must have been larger, once, although we did not have the opportunity to see more of the scope of where the original city's borders ended at the time. I would have liked to discern for certain if there were any other signs of buildings of importance, though there seemed more excess housing than anything else.

If we had a way to divert that divine energy it would likely serve as protection. I do not believe simply holding hands and stepping out into that atmosphere would be enough to stave anything off, since it is a unified force. The barrier protects what is within, and not what is outside. We would require something capable of transporting that energy with us.

[iustaegis]

Ooh, that's an even better idea, of diverting that energy to extend as protection.

[ Lots of brainstorming. Lots of research. And probably lots of collaboration from the locals. ]

If the barrier did extend further than it is, then perhaps there are beacons farther out which may be activated that may act as conduits for the barrier's energy. If these things exist, maybe they can be repaired.

Then again, there are no such towers within the city that power this barrier, either. [ So, back to square one? ] That leaves us with little choice of making our own sort of conduit if we're truly interested in pursuing that route! However, this shield broke a few months ago; taking any energy away from it to power even a small camp beyond this wall may make the one surrounding the city more fragile. That's not a risk that settles too well with me. So, we'd need at least a conduit and a transformer to amplify its power for another location.

[ If this power can be amplified at all. If. That's... that'd involve a lot of physics and resources on an energy she has very little idea about, but she's willing to learn and investigate, if anyone else wishes to help with the undertaking. ]

[astralera]

Arcanima could likely be used to aid with conduction and amplification. My partner would have more knowledge than I in that regard, however.

Does anyone know if the barrier needs a divine signature to fully guard against the atmosphere? I doubt it would be beyond the skills of us here to build an electromagnetic shield and then augment it with magic.

In the end I believe the biggest challenge would be maximizing efficiency to minimize power expenditure.

[iustaegis]

The barrier's energy is very divine in its nature, but it appears to be unique only to this world. I think it's safe to assume that the nature of the divine energy guards against the outside better than any energy or magic of our worlds, even our respective worlds' own version of divine energy.

A mesh shield is worth a try; one being of electromagnetism and magic of our worlds may help compared to no extra protection at all.

For longer term exploration, the natives will have to be more forthcoming of the nature of this barrier and how it protects, since it seems this barrier’s energy cannot be singularly replicated by us. Only then may may we consider applying it to similar technology or spells to shield our own bodies or camps.