The Clearing

[Rynturning_Light She/Her]

8 minutes ago, KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren said:

18142 nodded.

Sandy, the other human from the Trisolaran starship, walked up to them, though something looked wrong about the way his legs moved. He whispered something to 18142.

Another figure walked up, who looked almost exactly like Sandy, except his movement was normal. His eyes darted between Sandy and 18142. "I have heard about you," the unnamed clone said. He did not seem to see Sol and Ralorin. Sandy locked eyes with the clone, and they stared at each other for a long minute. Finally, the clone's shoulders slumped, and he strode over to the Trisolaran ship and disappeared beyond the door.

"Sorry about that," 18142 said. "He is one of us, and isn't supposed to be here."

Sol watched the exchange with little more than a shift in expression.

He looked to the human, ”Are you alright?” Sol asked, as he nodded to Sandy’s legs.

Edited January 29 by Rynturning_Light

[KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren He/Him]

Just now, Rynturning_Light said:

Sol watched the exchange with little more than a change in expression.

He looked to the human, ”Are you alright?” Sol asked, as he nodded to Sandy’s legs.

Quote

I don't know why I said he was human, he isn't very human anymore

He looks like one though

Mostly

Sandy's face expression did not change, though this was because it could not change.

"I am as alright as I can be." As he said it, his being appeared to flicker in and out of existence for a moment. 18142 looked at him worriedly.

[Rynturning_Light She/Her]

2 minutes ago, KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren said:

Sandy's face expression did not change, though this was because it could not change.

"I am as alright as I can be." As he said it, his being appeared to flicker in and out of existence for a moment. 18142 looked at him worriedly.

Sol startled at this. He glances down to his pack, considering, before looking back up at the pair, “May I try something?”

[KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren He/Him]

2 minutes ago, Rynturning_Light said:

Sol startled at this. He glances down to his pack, considering, before looking back up at the pair, “May I try something?”

"Try what, exactly?" 18142 asked.

[Rynturning_Light She/Her]

14 minutes ago, KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren said:

"Try what, exactly?" 18142 asked.

“When a new venor is born, we have no true reality. We start to slip between folds in creation when entering physical planes,” Sol reaches into his bag, “To account for this issue, each chooses a core place and builds an anchor around it.” He pulls out a ring of black stone, still jagged like it hasn’t been polished since it was first carved.

He held up the object, “it is not the same situation, but I can try the same on your friend. Perhaps work to anchor him to one plane, to stable him.”

Edited January 29 by Rynturning_Light

[KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren He/Him]

2 minutes ago, Rynturning_Light said:

“When a new venor is born, we have no true reality. We start to slip between folds in creation,” Sol reaches into his bag, “To account for this issue, each choose a core place and builds an anchor around it.” He pulls out a ring of black stone, still jagged like it hasn’t been polished since it was first carved.

He held up the object, “it is not the same situation, but I can try the same on your friend. Perhaps work to anchor him to one plane, to stable him.”

"Oh, his problem is not that he doesn't have reality," 18142 began. "He is very real. It's just... his powers, they allow him to access all ten spatial dimensions, a realm normally only for subatomic particles. The more he does this, though, the harder it is for him to find our infinitely thin 3D slice of 10D space, and sometimes he moves accidentally in one of the other dimensions. He is also, very slowly, gaining the indivisibility of fundamental particles, as well as being subject to quantum forces." 18142 paused. "Do you think it has a chance to work on him?"

[Rynturning_Light She/Her]

2 minutes ago, KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren said:

"Oh, his problem is not that he doesn't have reality," 18142 began. "He is very real. It's just... his powers, they allow him to access all ten spatial dimensions, a realm normally only for subatomic particles. The more he does this, though, the harder it is for him to find our infinitely thin 3D slice of 10D space, and sometimes he moves accidentally in one of the other dimensions. He is also, very slowly, gaining the indivisibility of fundamental particles, as well as being subject to quantum forces." 18142 paused. "Do you think it has a chance to work on him?"

“I think we should at least try. External magic sources shouldn’t be affected by his abilities. This might be your solution: something anchored to this…thin slice that he has no affect on.”

Sol looked to Sandy, “would you like to try?”

[KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren He/Him]

1 minute ago, Rynturning_Light said:

“I think we should at least try. External magic sources shouldn’t be affected by his abilities. This might be your solution: something anchored to this…thin slice that he has no affect on.”

Sol looked to Sandy, “would you like to try?”

"Would I still be able to use my powers?" Sandy asked.

18142 glared at him. "The Trisolarans have relativistic-"

"Too slow. Light is too slow, and you know it."

"It is enough."

"It is not." Sandy turned back to Sol. "Would I still be able to access ten dimensions when I wanted to?"

[Rynturning_Light She/Her]

5 minutes ago, KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren said:

"Would I still be able to use my powers?" Sandy asked.

18142 glared at him. "The Trisolarans have relativistic-"

"Too slow. Light is too slow, and you know it."

"It is enough."

"It is not." Sandy turned back to Sol. "Would I still be able to access ten dimensions when I wanted to?"

“If we do this right, you should have no restrictions,” Sol paused for a moment, “it would function as a tether to this plane of existence. Something to ensure you don’t slip too far, as well as something to be pulled on to regain your footing in this degree.”

[KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren He/Him]

1 minute ago, Rynturning_Light said:

“If we do this right, you should have no restrictions,” Sol paused for a moment, “it would function as a tether to this plane of existence. Something to ensure you don’t slip too far, as well as something to be pulled on to regain your footing in this degree.”

Sandy and 18142 nodded simultaneously. "Let's try," Sandy said.

[Rynturning_Light She/Her]

1 minute ago, KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren said:

Sandy and 18142 nodded simultaneously. "Let's try," Sandy said.

Sol nodded, and gestured to Sandy to hold out his hand, ”Now, for this to work, you need to picture someplace within this plane. It doesn’t matter where, as long as you can hold it in your mind vividly.”

Sol’s eyes began to glow with a golden light, as purple and black tendrils began crawling up his arms, “can you do it?”

[KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren He/Him]

Just now, Rynturning_Light said:

Sol nodded, and gestured to Sandy to hold out his hand, ”Now, for this to work, you need to picture someplace within this plane. It doesn’t matter where, as long as you can hold it in your mind vividly.”

Sol’s eyes began to glow with a golden light, as purple and black tendrils began crawling up his arms, “can you do it?”

Sandy complied, picturing that strange place, one that felt like a dream. "Yes," he whispered.

[Rynturning_Light She/Her]

19 minutes ago, KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren said:

Sandy complied, picturing that strange place, one that felt like a dream. "Yes," he whispered.

Sol placed the ring in Sandy’s hand, “good. Hold onto that place.”

He stepped back, and drew in a sharp breath. Something from the center of Sol’s chest began to glow with that same golden light. The light extends towards the ring, now clutched in Sandy’s hand. The tendrils on Sol’s arms growth further, and engulf more. Within this, Sol speaks,

“I gift you a place beyond the dark between stars. Fear no longer, for through this, you have a place.”

The light flows from Sol into Sandy’s ring. As the transfer completes, a ring of light pulses outward, beyond the clearing.

The ring now has flowing lines of gold embedded into the black stone, “It is done. You may traverse freely now, using your abilities as you wish.”

Sol ignores the purple and black that did not recede and now coats his fingers.

Edited January 29 by Rynturning_Light

[KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren He/Him]

1 minute ago, Rynturning_Light said:

Sol placed the ring in Sandy’s hand, “good. Hold onto that place.”

He stepped back, and drew in a sharp breath. Something from the center of Sol’s chest began to glow with that same golden light. The light extends towards the ring, now clutched in Sandy’s hand. The tendrils on Sol’s arms growth further, and engulf more. Within this, Sol speaks,

“I gift you a place beyond the dark between stars. Fear no longer, for through this, you have a place.”

The light flows from Sol into Sandy’s ring. As the transfer completes, a ring of light pulses outward, beyond the clearing.

The ring now has flowing lines of gold embedded into the black stone, “It is done. You may traverse freely now, using your abilities as you wish.”

Sol ignores the purple and black that did not recede and now coats his fingers.

Sandy took a step forward - one that looked normal - and gasped. He, very slowly began wriggling his fingers. He disappeared, then reappeared after a few seconds, the slightest of smiles on his face. 18142 grinned.

"Thank you," he said to Sol, before looking down at Sol's hand. "Are you alright?"

[Rynturning_Light She/Her]

2 minutes ago, KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren said:

Sandy took a step forward - one that looked normal - and gasped. He, very slowly began wriggling his fingers. He disappeared, then reappeared after a few seconds, the slightest of smiles on his face. 18142 grinned.

"Thank you," he said to Sol, before looking down at Sol's hand. "Are you alright?"

Sol looks at his hands, before clutching them in fists, “I will be,” he says “performing something to that magnitude so far from Kaos will have some consequences. I will have to limit which abilities I use, but…I will be okay.”

[KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren He/Him]

6 minutes ago, Rynturning_Light said:

Sol looks at his hands, before clutching them in fists, “I will be,” he says “performing something to that magnitude so far from Kaos will have some consequences. I will have to limit which abilities I use, but…I will be okay.”

Sandy nodded. "Is there anything we can do for you? We can get you faster than light to anywhere you want to go."

[NameIess]

On 1/28/2026 at 2:42 PM, Spark of Hope said:

She looked a bit down. “There’s… a lot."

"Well I have plenty of time to listen." The drone pointed out.

Quote

It's going good, thanks!

 

[Through the Living Hope]

3 minutes ago, NameIess said:

"Well I have plenty of time to listen." The drone pointed out.

 

D-do I…. She looked like she was considering talking but was nervous. 

[NameIess]

47 minutes ago, Spark of Hope said:

D-do I…. She looked like she was considering talking but was nervous. 

Lights blinked on the drone's surface. "It's all right." The drone said. "I'm just curious about the reasons people have come here."

[Through the Living Hope]

Just now, NameIess said:

Lights blinked on the drone's surface. "It's all right." The drone said. "I'm just curious about the reasons people have come here."

She glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one else was watching, then pulled the cuff of her sleeve closer to her elbow, just a little. Scars criss crossed over her forearms.

[Rynturning_Light She/Her]

20 hours ago, KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren said:

Sandy nodded. "Is there anything we can do for you? We can get you faster than light to anywhere you want to go."

Sol smiled slightly, “a kind offer, but I fear I am not welcome beyond this Clearing.”

[KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren He/Him]

1 hour ago, Rynturning_Light said:

Sol smiled slightly, “a kind offer, but I fear I am not welcome beyond this Clearing.”

They nodded slowly.

"We can give you Invested Arts, if you know what those are."

[Rynturning_Light She/Her]

22 minutes ago, KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren said:

They nodded slowly.

"We can give you Invested Arts, if you know what those are."

“I know of them, but this is a problem of the source. My siste-” Sol paused, considerate, “Chemia has sealed off the Rift, and with it my connection. My body is feeding on its own essence instead of that of Kaos. This problem has no easy fix.”

Edited January 30 by Rynturning_Light

[KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren He/Him]

4 minutes ago, Rynturning_Light said:

“I know of them, but this is a problem of the source. My siste-” Sol paused, considerate, “Chemia has sealed off the Rift, and with it my connection. My body is feeding on its own essence instead of that of Kaos. This problem has no easy fix.”

"What exactly is Kaos?" Sandy asked. He summoned something that looked like a Shardblade, but was had some colours that looked wrong.

Edited January 30 by KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren

[Rynturning_Light She/Her]

5 minutes ago, KaladinsSenseOfHumourSpren said:

"What exactly is Kaos?" Sandy asked. He summoned something that looked like a Shardblade, but was had some colours that looked wrong.

Sol looked to Sandy, “it is…a source. Everything my reality is founded upon comes from the battle between the entities Chaos and Order. Their battle has lasted many centuries, and in time they have grown and evolved. Chaos…stabilized in a way, creating the first of the venor, my siblings, and founding itself into Kaos.”

Sol paused, staring off into the distance, “all things I know are of it. I am of it. It was my home, my power, and eventually…my prison.”

He took another pause, “that, however, is a very long and tragic story. One that would be best left untouched for now.”