Deer Country Network

[When the video flicks on, Rapunzel... isn't staring at it at all. She's huddled on the windowsill in her room, knees pulled close to her chest and her cheek resting against the cool glass of the window. She's staring outside, into the now-constant night, her eyes locked on the moon hanging above.

She seems... defeated. Anyone who's met Rapunzel before, even in the terrible jungle they escaped last month, would know that she's a constant beam of bright and vibrant energy. Rarely does Rapunzel's smile leave her face, and rarely does that aura of unending optimism leave her. But now, that bright and vibrant look to her is gone; her shoulders sag, and her expression as she gazes at the moon is akin to a painful yearning bordering on heartbreak.]

The people who disappear... [She's seen some folks talk about that, the past few days. One man had said someone he lost "returned to the sea", so Rapunzel can put the pieces together in her head.] They turn into those squid things again, right? And they just... go back to the water?

[She's not sure if she believes that. She has no reason not to, of course, but Rapunzel is still holding onto some shred of hope that she can one day see Corona again. Maybe if they disappear, they really go home, and it only looks like they turn into squids again?]

What happens to them after that? Can they still, y'know... think and feel? Do they still have their memories? Are they still them?

[There's a long pause. Rapunzel's hands grip tight into the fabric of her skirt, and a soft squeak can be heard; Pascal, her ever-present chameleon friend, uncurls himself from his spot on her shoulder so he can snuggle up against her neck, just under her ear. It's the only form of comfort such a little creature can provide for her, but he still tries.]

Can they be... happy like that, even if they weren't happy before?

[The video flicks on and a girl in a blue denim jacket with pointed ears and round glasses struggles with positioning it right, even as the video is already playing. She takes a step back, sitting in a chair opposite the camera on a desk that's just full of papers.]

Um, hi. I think it's recording? Yeah, it's recording... Hello. [She clears her throat and adjusts her glasses. She speaks with a nervous somewhat nasally british accent that rings of 'very educated and also somewhat traumatized by it'.] So, I wanted to make something of an introduction, since I've heard that people show up a lot here. It's a bit overwhelming, the amount of information there is to learn about this place, but I'd like to get through it as quickly as possible.

My name is Adaine Abernant. Back home I was something called the Oracle, which is a title that was sort of just... dumped on me, but it does have meaning. Uh, basically it means I get prophetic visions, both of the future and events happening in the present. [Technically it's the 'Elven Oracle', but here's the thing. Fuck Fallinel and fuck the elven government.] On top of that, I was also a student at the Aguefort Adventuring Academy and a wizard of the Divination school, which works similarly to how Paleblood magic seems to work, at least from my initial observations.

So, uhm, the point of all of that is that if you have something you'd like to find out, a prophesy, or something to find, I might be able to help. I'm still figuring out how to work it now that it's all mixed with Trench's native blood magic. And as an adventurer, I'm also used to helping people out if they're in trouble or there's a largescale threat.

[She pauses and peers down at one of the papers, a list of some sort, and then continues.]

...On top of that, and the larger point of all this is, I'd like to learn as much about Trench's magic, metaphysics, cosmology and society as possible. I'm doing my own research, obviously, but if anyone wants to share their own notes or experiences, or even just point me in the right direction, I'd really appreciate it.