Hidden Truth
Mar. 15th, 2016 12:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
melodiesofdeathUpon starting the VHS tape, the Heroes of Light will see interferences and glitches, and they will hear static noises—It appears the video is either too old or was damaged at some point before Jenni could salvage it. After the initial static noise and interferences faded, they could see Kalki standing in her office, wearing a white lab coat and glasses. She was noticeably younger than when they had last seen her, but older than she had been in Aqures Tosf. The camera was shaking a bit, as if whoever was holding it wasn’t steady. When she spoke, Kalki was speaking in English and only characters who were able to speak English natively or who learnt the language could understand her. Even Scholars will not be able to understand her words otherwise.
After a short glitch, Kalki could be seen talking and as she spoke, she had a thick accent—One none of them had ever heard speak with before.
“— well then. Let us start by addressing the obvious. English is the most common language amongst the Heroes of Light. A simple yet refined language, is it not? I am not familiar with contractions, but I do not think my accent will prevent you from understanding my words. I do not want to risk Palitutu, Garland or any of their followers finding this. Therefore, I have learnt English and will record the entirety of the video in this language. Furthermore, the video is recorded through a special format existing mostly in Earth, 20th Century. Such tapes do not exist in Crystallis, thus only Heroes of Light should be able to decipher it.”
The camera shakes a bit and a ‘Kupo’ can be heard.
“If you see this, it means I am no longer here. A few of you might be saddened to hear this, whereas most of you are probably rejoicing. I have seen your reactions to me all those years ago in Aqures Tosf. This showed me what I have to do. I cannot imagine you are happy with my choices, as justified as they are. But know this; even as you are watching this video, I am closer to you than you could ever imagine.”
She smiled. At this moment the static noise grows louder and the next ten minutes of the video are glitched. By the time the skip is over, Kalki’s smile faded.
“— o two thousand years ago, my former self and three other Heroes of Light attempted establishing communication with the Calamity. What seemed futile back then, proved to be the best decision in the long-term.” The static noise grows louder, but it is still possible to hear and see her. “Doing so gave birth to the four black crystals, which were once our crystals. They are a direct link to the Calamity and allow us to communicate with it or even harness its power—They are essential to the completion of my plan. They also gave birth to the ten Avatars. To make it simple, the avatars are akin to communication terminals the Calamity created specifically to observe the Heroes of Light and try to understand them. Through them, the Calamity communicates with you, and you can influence the Calamity.”
The visuals are glitched for the next section, but it is still possible to hear Kalki.
“Narayana is an entity beyond our understanding. It does not think or see things the way we do. The difference in scale and spirit between us and the Calamity is comparable to the difference between ants and us. You do not expect an ant to be capable of what humans are, let alone to understand them. The Calamity is the same to us. Therefore, the avatars reflect this complexity. One of them might want to help you; one might not care while another might try to destroy you all. Some of them, like myself, are aware of what they are. Others are not. There are two in particular who are very dangerous and you should be wary of. They are—“
The static noises grows too loud and the next five minutes of the videos are lost. But after that, both the visual and audio feeds return to normal.
“— became an avatar after meeting you all in Aqures Tosf. Of this, I am aware. However, even I do not know what aspect of the Calamity I represent. Should you communicate with the Avatars, this will alter the perception Narayana has of you. Whether it be in a positive or negative fashion, who knows what might happen? Again, Narayana is not an entity we can understand. Should you deal with a normal person, you would expect being nice to them to be the best way for them to be kind to you in return. While it might also be the case with Narayana, it might also not. Being kind to the avatars or treating them the way you would treat a peer might not always be the best course of action in the long-term. You will have to be the judge of these avatars and of the circumstances surrounding your interactions with them.”
The next part of the feed is glitched and the following fifteen minutes are lost. When it returns to normal, Kalki is holding a Black Crystal in her left hand, floating quietly just above her palm.
“— are a direct link to the Calamity, and using them you might hope to become God and create a new world where we are free from this cycle of life and death. You might want to defeat the Calamity itself, but this is impossible. What you see on Crystallis is only a fraction of the Calamity. The true body of the Calamity exists outside of this realm, in the Interdimensional Rift. Even if you were to defeat it on Crystallis, all you would accomplish is breaking what anchors it to this world. And if you want to convince it to stop eating worlds, this would be equivalent of asking us to stop breathing.”
A glitch occurs once again, and five more minutes of the feed are lost.
“First, we have to answer an essential question: what is God? God is an entity made up of all existence and to which nothing is exterior. Furthermore, God has control over everything that composes it. In a sense, within a single world, the universe—Or in simpler terms, nature is the closest there is to God. It is everything and there is nothing external to it. However, nature does not have control over us, over atoms, over science. Therefore, nature is a step away from being god.”
The next glitch only lasts thirty second, but the static noise grows louder over the next section.
“Then, we have to look at the very base of all sciences. Nothing is created, nothing is destroyed, everything is transformed. When the Calamity destroys worlds, they become a part of the Calamity, and can then be transformed into something else. The Calamity would be able to become God by destroying all of existence, and then a new world could be born out of the Calamity—One free of life and death, of the cycle that binds us. As you have understood it by now, my plan is to create a world where life and death do not exist, composed from all existing worlds, in which all of us and all those from our worlds could exist peacefully. Such a world cannot be conceived by our minds, but it can be conceived by God. However, much like nature, the Calamity lacks the essential for being God. It needs a will, someone who will become the mind of God, who will be able to see what Naryana cannot. This is where Heroes of Light come in.”
The static lessens in the next section.
“By becoming the Will of the Calamity, you will gain control over everything composing it. The atoms, the souls—Everything. You would be the true God. To do so, you have to do as I described above—It may sound easy, but it is not. A Hero of Light becoming one with the Calamity would have to be strong-willed; otherwise their will would be crushed under the weight of the Calamity. They would have to be determined and good-willed.” Kalki shook her head. “You may think you are filled with good intentions, but what would happen once you have the powers of God in your hands? Would you build a perfect new world in the way that benefits everyone, or an imperfect world in the way that pleases you? Would you become a savior or a destroyer? As much as you like to believe you would do the right thing, you are wrong. This power would corrupt you and your perfect world would be a nothing more than a nightmare in the eyes of any others. Your spirit needs to grow stronger. My doings, most likely perceived as cruel and heartless by you, have all been in the efforts of shaping the Heroes of Light into beings who could become God.”
The static grows back louder in the next section, and a glitch skips two minutes of it.
“Any Hero who wants to put this plan to execution will first have to conquer his or her other self. By now, you should be aware half of you is the Calamity.” A pause. “The Calamity has parasited the process summoning you from other worlds. Indeed, a fragment of the Calamity became a part of you when you awoke here. Only a tiny fragment, but it grew as it fed on everything you reject.”
There is a glitch that skips another minute.
“Your being as a whole is a multi-layered entity. Some of you already know that. For those of you who do not, I’ll give you a simplified version. There are things you accept and that you use to define you, this is what you call your Self. But there are things you Self rejects. What happen to these things? For example, sometimes killing specific individuals would benefit everyone. We all know it, but many amongst us reject the notion and want to believe everyone can be saved. And so, they bury the thought deep within, where their Selves can ignore it. This subconscious domain is known as the Shadow. The Calamity itself is alike to a shadow for you: it represents the death of your world, your fate on this planet and all the hardships you’ve gone through. Therefore, the Calamity fragment within you fed—No, became your shadow, or more accurately, everything that you are but refuse to see.”
A one-minute long glitch occurs once more.
“It will be impossible for any of you to become the Will of the Calamity, unless you can first conquer the entirety of who you are.” A pause. “I am aware most of you will think poorly of this plan and aim toward something better, less risky and more heroic.” She turned around and carefully deposited the black crystal in a recipient. “Countless Heroes of Light before you have tried, and because they aimed for something better, they failed every time. Versions of yourself were amongst them at some point, and failed. How many worlds will die until this cycle ends?” She closed the recipient before turning back to the camera. “I respect your hopes. But ask yourself, if it is the best thing to do. Do you want to burden yet another generation of Heroes of Light with what you have gone through? Do you want to risk them and their worlds?”
Another glitch occurs, eating another three minutes of the video.
“Palitutu and Garland will try to stop you. Therefore, before accomplishing the plan you will have to stop the two of them.” A pause. “Palitutu is a spectacular enemy, but I trust you can overcome her. She has a perfect mastery of the Job System and will be able to use every existing Jobs against you, as well as disable your Jobs. However, should you be well prepared, I expect you to be able to defeat her. I plan on giving you access to Advanced Jobs at some point, so you may unlock Crystal Knight which possesses a skill that will immunize you to her ability to disable your Jobs. Garland on the other hand, is something else altogether.”
The one holding the camera nearly dropped it, before focusing back on Kalki.
“He is the Guardian. His existence was created with a purpose in mind, to perpetuate the cycle and ensure the continuity of life. Each cycle, his eternal soul is born again to protect and enforce the cycle. He is neither good nor evil—His very reason to exist is to protect Crystallis and the worlds. Much like myself, he is bound to his purpose and has to make things he doesn’t like. His powers were designed by the Ancients specifically to defeat you. No Heroes of Light ever managed to defeat him. Though the previous Heroes of Light nearly managed it, they all died in the process and eventually Palitutu restored Garland’s memories. There are ways for you to kill him however.”
She picked up a book on her desk.
“Garland fears the power of Eidolons. This is because…”
A glitch occurs and five minutes of the video are skipped.
“—also know he fears the power that sleeps sealed within the Temple of the Heroes of Light, on the Continent of Ruins.” By now Kalki had put down the book she had taken before. “He could never enter the Temple, and neither could I. I do not even know if you will be able to. For you to enter, four of you will have to prove you are worthy Heroes of Light and master the O—”
Another glitch occurs and eats five more minutes of the video.
“Faced with these impossible odds, I have designed a way to kill Garland. But, I have not had the time to perfect it and now I will no longer be able to. Hence, the task to perfect this way rests upon your shoulders.” She looked beyond the camera, presumably at the one holding it. Mogzie, please…”
Another Kupo was heard and the camera turned toward a piano located on the right side of the room, as Kalki walked toward it.
“You have to equip a Job of my design, Bard. It is a seemingly fairly harmless Job and Garland does not suspect the power it hides. Indeed, there is a secret melody you can learn.”
Kalki sat down by the Piano and played a melody—It sounded somewhat similar to Melodies of Life, but far slower and sadder. The notes played can be seen, albeit faintly, on the video.
> Bards can now learn the hidden skill “Melodies of Death”
“Playing this melody while being a Bard will kill all who hear it—including the Bard himself. It is an attack that cannot be avoided or somehow blocked; only the Calamity itself could survive it. However, there is a drawback. As you can expect, to kill a monster the energy of the Bard will be enough but he – and all those around him – will die as well. The bard can go alone and sacrifice himself, of course… But against powerful monsters or people, the energy of the Bard alone won’t be enough. Many heroes of Light will need to lend their strength to the bard, and as such will die. And against Garland… The power of all awakened the Heroes of Light will be necessary for this melody to work. Which means you can kill Garland with it, but you too will die in the process and there will be none left to prevent the Calamity from blindly returning all of existence to nothingness.”
There is one more skip and some static noise remains.
“You now know what to do, and you are the only ones who can make the dream of all past Heroes of Light a reality.” She smiled. “Good luck.”
The video ends.
After a short glitch, Kalki could be seen talking and as she spoke, she had a thick accent—One none of them had ever heard speak with before.
“— well then. Let us start by addressing the obvious. English is the most common language amongst the Heroes of Light. A simple yet refined language, is it not? I am not familiar with contractions, but I do not think my accent will prevent you from understanding my words. I do not want to risk Palitutu, Garland or any of their followers finding this. Therefore, I have learnt English and will record the entirety of the video in this language. Furthermore, the video is recorded through a special format existing mostly in Earth, 20th Century. Such tapes do not exist in Crystallis, thus only Heroes of Light should be able to decipher it.”
The camera shakes a bit and a ‘Kupo’ can be heard.
“If you see this, it means I am no longer here. A few of you might be saddened to hear this, whereas most of you are probably rejoicing. I have seen your reactions to me all those years ago in Aqures Tosf. This showed me what I have to do. I cannot imagine you are happy with my choices, as justified as they are. But know this; even as you are watching this video, I am closer to you than you could ever imagine.”
She smiled. At this moment the static noise grows louder and the next ten minutes of the video are glitched. By the time the skip is over, Kalki’s smile faded.
“— o two thousand years ago, my former self and three other Heroes of Light attempted establishing communication with the Calamity. What seemed futile back then, proved to be the best decision in the long-term.” The static noise grows louder, but it is still possible to hear and see her. “Doing so gave birth to the four black crystals, which were once our crystals. They are a direct link to the Calamity and allow us to communicate with it or even harness its power—They are essential to the completion of my plan. They also gave birth to the ten Avatars. To make it simple, the avatars are akin to communication terminals the Calamity created specifically to observe the Heroes of Light and try to understand them. Through them, the Calamity communicates with you, and you can influence the Calamity.”
The visuals are glitched for the next section, but it is still possible to hear Kalki.
“Narayana is an entity beyond our understanding. It does not think or see things the way we do. The difference in scale and spirit between us and the Calamity is comparable to the difference between ants and us. You do not expect an ant to be capable of what humans are, let alone to understand them. The Calamity is the same to us. Therefore, the avatars reflect this complexity. One of them might want to help you; one might not care while another might try to destroy you all. Some of them, like myself, are aware of what they are. Others are not. There are two in particular who are very dangerous and you should be wary of. They are—“
The static noises grows too loud and the next five minutes of the videos are lost. But after that, both the visual and audio feeds return to normal.
“— became an avatar after meeting you all in Aqures Tosf. Of this, I am aware. However, even I do not know what aspect of the Calamity I represent. Should you communicate with the Avatars, this will alter the perception Narayana has of you. Whether it be in a positive or negative fashion, who knows what might happen? Again, Narayana is not an entity we can understand. Should you deal with a normal person, you would expect being nice to them to be the best way for them to be kind to you in return. While it might also be the case with Narayana, it might also not. Being kind to the avatars or treating them the way you would treat a peer might not always be the best course of action in the long-term. You will have to be the judge of these avatars and of the circumstances surrounding your interactions with them.”
The next part of the feed is glitched and the following fifteen minutes are lost. When it returns to normal, Kalki is holding a Black Crystal in her left hand, floating quietly just above her palm.
“— are a direct link to the Calamity, and using them you might hope to become God and create a new world where we are free from this cycle of life and death. You might want to defeat the Calamity itself, but this is impossible. What you see on Crystallis is only a fraction of the Calamity. The true body of the Calamity exists outside of this realm, in the Interdimensional Rift. Even if you were to defeat it on Crystallis, all you would accomplish is breaking what anchors it to this world. And if you want to convince it to stop eating worlds, this would be equivalent of asking us to stop breathing.”
A glitch occurs once again, and five more minutes of the feed are lost.
“First, we have to answer an essential question: what is God? God is an entity made up of all existence and to which nothing is exterior. Furthermore, God has control over everything that composes it. In a sense, within a single world, the universe—Or in simpler terms, nature is the closest there is to God. It is everything and there is nothing external to it. However, nature does not have control over us, over atoms, over science. Therefore, nature is a step away from being god.”
The next glitch only lasts thirty second, but the static noise grows louder over the next section.
“Then, we have to look at the very base of all sciences. Nothing is created, nothing is destroyed, everything is transformed. When the Calamity destroys worlds, they become a part of the Calamity, and can then be transformed into something else. The Calamity would be able to become God by destroying all of existence, and then a new world could be born out of the Calamity—One free of life and death, of the cycle that binds us. As you have understood it by now, my plan is to create a world where life and death do not exist, composed from all existing worlds, in which all of us and all those from our worlds could exist peacefully. Such a world cannot be conceived by our minds, but it can be conceived by God. However, much like nature, the Calamity lacks the essential for being God. It needs a will, someone who will become the mind of God, who will be able to see what Naryana cannot. This is where Heroes of Light come in.”
The static lessens in the next section.
“By becoming the Will of the Calamity, you will gain control over everything composing it. The atoms, the souls—Everything. You would be the true God. To do so, you have to do as I described above—It may sound easy, but it is not. A Hero of Light becoming one with the Calamity would have to be strong-willed; otherwise their will would be crushed under the weight of the Calamity. They would have to be determined and good-willed.” Kalki shook her head. “You may think you are filled with good intentions, but what would happen once you have the powers of God in your hands? Would you build a perfect new world in the way that benefits everyone, or an imperfect world in the way that pleases you? Would you become a savior or a destroyer? As much as you like to believe you would do the right thing, you are wrong. This power would corrupt you and your perfect world would be a nothing more than a nightmare in the eyes of any others. Your spirit needs to grow stronger. My doings, most likely perceived as cruel and heartless by you, have all been in the efforts of shaping the Heroes of Light into beings who could become God.”
The static grows back louder in the next section, and a glitch skips two minutes of it.
“Any Hero who wants to put this plan to execution will first have to conquer his or her other self. By now, you should be aware half of you is the Calamity.” A pause. “The Calamity has parasited the process summoning you from other worlds. Indeed, a fragment of the Calamity became a part of you when you awoke here. Only a tiny fragment, but it grew as it fed on everything you reject.”
There is a glitch that skips another minute.
“Your being as a whole is a multi-layered entity. Some of you already know that. For those of you who do not, I’ll give you a simplified version. There are things you accept and that you use to define you, this is what you call your Self. But there are things you Self rejects. What happen to these things? For example, sometimes killing specific individuals would benefit everyone. We all know it, but many amongst us reject the notion and want to believe everyone can be saved. And so, they bury the thought deep within, where their Selves can ignore it. This subconscious domain is known as the Shadow. The Calamity itself is alike to a shadow for you: it represents the death of your world, your fate on this planet and all the hardships you’ve gone through. Therefore, the Calamity fragment within you fed—No, became your shadow, or more accurately, everything that you are but refuse to see.”
A one-minute long glitch occurs once more.
“It will be impossible for any of you to become the Will of the Calamity, unless you can first conquer the entirety of who you are.” A pause. “I am aware most of you will think poorly of this plan and aim toward something better, less risky and more heroic.” She turned around and carefully deposited the black crystal in a recipient. “Countless Heroes of Light before you have tried, and because they aimed for something better, they failed every time. Versions of yourself were amongst them at some point, and failed. How many worlds will die until this cycle ends?” She closed the recipient before turning back to the camera. “I respect your hopes. But ask yourself, if it is the best thing to do. Do you want to burden yet another generation of Heroes of Light with what you have gone through? Do you want to risk them and their worlds?”
Another glitch occurs, eating another three minutes of the video.
“Palitutu and Garland will try to stop you. Therefore, before accomplishing the plan you will have to stop the two of them.” A pause. “Palitutu is a spectacular enemy, but I trust you can overcome her. She has a perfect mastery of the Job System and will be able to use every existing Jobs against you, as well as disable your Jobs. However, should you be well prepared, I expect you to be able to defeat her. I plan on giving you access to Advanced Jobs at some point, so you may unlock Crystal Knight which possesses a skill that will immunize you to her ability to disable your Jobs. Garland on the other hand, is something else altogether.”
The one holding the camera nearly dropped it, before focusing back on Kalki.
“He is the Guardian. His existence was created with a purpose in mind, to perpetuate the cycle and ensure the continuity of life. Each cycle, his eternal soul is born again to protect and enforce the cycle. He is neither good nor evil—His very reason to exist is to protect Crystallis and the worlds. Much like myself, he is bound to his purpose and has to make things he doesn’t like. His powers were designed by the Ancients specifically to defeat you. No Heroes of Light ever managed to defeat him. Though the previous Heroes of Light nearly managed it, they all died in the process and eventually Palitutu restored Garland’s memories. There are ways for you to kill him however.”
She picked up a book on her desk.
“Garland fears the power of Eidolons. This is because…”
A glitch occurs and five minutes of the video are skipped.
“—also know he fears the power that sleeps sealed within the Temple of the Heroes of Light, on the Continent of Ruins.” By now Kalki had put down the book she had taken before. “He could never enter the Temple, and neither could I. I do not even know if you will be able to. For you to enter, four of you will have to prove you are worthy Heroes of Light and master the O—”
Another glitch occurs and eats five more minutes of the video.
“Faced with these impossible odds, I have designed a way to kill Garland. But, I have not had the time to perfect it and now I will no longer be able to. Hence, the task to perfect this way rests upon your shoulders.” She looked beyond the camera, presumably at the one holding it. Mogzie, please…”
Another Kupo was heard and the camera turned toward a piano located on the right side of the room, as Kalki walked toward it.
“You have to equip a Job of my design, Bard. It is a seemingly fairly harmless Job and Garland does not suspect the power it hides. Indeed, there is a secret melody you can learn.”
Kalki sat down by the Piano and played a melody—It sounded somewhat similar to Melodies of Life, but far slower and sadder. The notes played can be seen, albeit faintly, on the video.
> Bards can now learn the hidden skill “Melodies of Death”
“Playing this melody while being a Bard will kill all who hear it—including the Bard himself. It is an attack that cannot be avoided or somehow blocked; only the Calamity itself could survive it. However, there is a drawback. As you can expect, to kill a monster the energy of the Bard will be enough but he – and all those around him – will die as well. The bard can go alone and sacrifice himself, of course… But against powerful monsters or people, the energy of the Bard alone won’t be enough. Many heroes of Light will need to lend their strength to the bard, and as such will die. And against Garland… The power of all awakened the Heroes of Light will be necessary for this melody to work. Which means you can kill Garland with it, but you too will die in the process and there will be none left to prevent the Calamity from blindly returning all of existence to nothingness.”
There is one more skip and some static noise remains.
“You now know what to do, and you are the only ones who can make the dream of all past Heroes of Light a reality.” She smiled. “Good luck.”
The video ends.
