Total War: Seas of Change IC

[Let'sGetKraken]

The Endless Gaze

A young Raxi swims through uncharted waters, dreaming… well, not dreaming. That is the purview of Sethrika. But he desperately wants to prove himself to the others. How many dreams must there be, across the Seas, waiting to be discovered? He imagines himself the pioneer, unaware that the waves upon which he skims have been witnessed for millenia. High above, pinpricks of light pierce through the night sky. If the Raxi had been gazing up, instead of outward, he might have noticed the glimmer of intelligence in the stars above. He does not, his mind occupied with the thoughts of discovery and renown.

The Warriors of the Sun rest in the shadow of their great mountain. They have watched and waited as their craftsmen and villagers have raised a grand edifice, bloodstained and glorious, to venerate It Above. They are blood-drunk, riding a wave of righteous glory from the sacrifice under the midday sun. Protected as they are during the day by the light of Xiyah, they never think to question what watches them while their god sleeps. They boast and tell tales of the essence of the sun to be reclaimed. Had they eyes for anything more than the glory of Xiyah, they might have seen the constellations above shift and observe their revelry.

The gray island twists and turns, more a hive than a landmass. It has only a single occupant, split between many shells of flesh and chitin. There is only the Opae. It grieves for the suffering of all that populate the Seas. If only they knew that true immortality waited for them, should they choose to sacrifice something that brings them only pain. It keens into the night as it works, split between a thousand drones, dreaming of a world in which all choose to be one. As it does, far above, another multitude, equally helpless to stop the suffering of mortals, watches in silence.

Under the vast expanse, a hundred different Holts sail forth with open paws, driven by the struggle for survival and the thrill of the horizon. They carry corals, precious stones, and items crafted by generations of families, who hoard secrets as freely as they trade their goods. On one small ship, a Wayfinder peers downwards, outwards, and upwards, ever-vigilant. There are many dangers across the Middle Sea, and not all of them are apparent, after all, and she has a duty to her people. But to notice the sliver of intelligence that watches her from above, she would need to set her sights much, much higher.

Across the Middle Sea, a song of reverence and pride resonates from a people that want for nothing, their desires made manifest in divine flesh. Yet for all the bounty they possess, they worry. A warrior, clad in elaborate armour of coral, paces anxiously up and down the rocks, next to the falling water. The Singers know that their place in the world, at its centre, but the ceasing of the storm has left them vulnerable. It brings opportunity, the chance to spread the glory of their God to all the seas, but there are threats to be dealt with too. He looks up, his eyes heavy, and for a moment he swears he sees hundreds of eyes peering down at him, the sky filled with watchful gazes. When he blinks, there are only the stars, unchanged.

They are a people of action, even after the setting of the sun. Complacency was how the tribe had lost so many. They sharpen their fangs, knowing now a single fundamental truth - there is only the hunt. The arc of the spear, the flash of the blade. Death given and received. One of them sits on the beach, scratching makings on leather. The Alu’li have entrusted her with guiding them in search of glory and salvation, and as she attempts to chart the skies, she grows frustrated. They do not match the rubbings she made the previous night. It is almost as if the stars have shifted in the sky. But that is impossible, of course. Even so, she cannot shake the feeling that she is being watched.

It is an endless tapestry of dazzling lights. Images and sounds flash before her, faster and faster. There is too much.She must leave, or risk losing herself forever. Faintly, she feels Them. Just a fragment of a fragment of a fragment of a fragment of a fragment of a -

She gasps, jerking back, her eyes wide, trembling, her awareness suddenly once again only her own. The woman beside her - elderly, her mentor, she dimly recalls - sits with a half-smile, pride and longing in one. “You did well, child, for your first time seeing through them. You lasted longer than most. Now, sit, and when you can, you will tell me what you saw, and I will in turn tell you what it means for our people.”





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Spoiler: To the Kahealahana Holt

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The Storms could not hold back the Gaze of the Gods above. So long as they persist, so shall we, in reverence of those who came before and those who may one day come again.

With the shift in fortunes, our traders - though not as skilled as yours - are occupied, as our our crafters. We would share our many dreams, but we see that you have no need of them. May the winds carry your people to safe shores; in the seasons to come, we may have much knowledge for your people to use.