The Agreement

The Agreement was an event on Solstice: Meridian that took place on August 19th.

The Agreement - banner

Tensions

Two days before the event, a letter arrived on Mayor Euna's desk, addressed to her from a figure identifying herself as a 'Priestess' from the Voices. The Priestess arranged a meeting with the Pathfinders, to discuss the shared future of Locus Astra. This marks the third time any member of the Voices have interacted in a meaningful way with the Pathfinders (the first two being Shay and Visor).

Simultaneously, a message was sent to the Four Perils of Fortuna through an 'anonymous ISMail messaging service', that read "I am looking forward to the meeting. I'm sure it will be an explosive night."

The Pathfinders were swift to act, taking this as a clear bomb threat. To combat the anonymous sender's threat, action was taken to increase security at the Town Hall.

Prior to the meeting, a security checkpoint ran by Jelly confiscated several items off of Pathfinders who sought to be in attendance. Delta, upon investigating below the Town Hall, uncovered plenty TNT planted beneath the floorboards. These were subsequently disarmed and removed.

The Priestess arrived, accompanied by Shay.

The Priestess introduces herself as Priestess Ilma. She states that she called the meeting to work towards "peace and cooperation".

The Meeting

The Priestess emphasized that the Pathfinders were newcomers to this land, and the Voices had several demands before they would be willing to cooperate.

Ultimately, the Priestess' demands on behalf of the Voices were 'simple':

• For peace, the Pathfinders should refrain from agitating the sculk.
• For the safety of everyone on Locus Astra, the Pathfinders should 'Follow the Path'.
• For absolving past wrongdoings against the sculk, the Pathfinders should learn from the Voices, and 'aid in tending to the Heart's desires'.

If these conditions could not be met, then the Voices would be unwilling to cooperate with the Pathfinders.

Questioning

The majority of the meeting was comprised of the Pathfinders taking turns asking the Priestess questions, both about the Voices and the sculk (the Heart) at large. The Priestess' responses appeared to be purposefully vague and convoluted.

While most of the Pathfinders were somewhat cordial, notably, Raspberry was extremely vocal in her distrust of the Priestess and the sculk as a whole. This manifested in Raspberry repeatedly and loudly interjecting to be hostile towards the Priestess, often to the dismay of some of the other Pathfinders around her.

Regardless, the following are notable questions and answers from the meeting, transcribed.

Euna: "You described using calming rituals on the Heart, and threats we may pose to it. What exactly is its behavior?

Priestess: "It's behavior is what you might have seen already. It gets agitated, and as such a complex being, everything that it is... we have taken a long time to understand it and calm it back down, to live amongst it."

Penumbra: "When you speak of these rituals and everything we must do to calm down the Heart... is it a collective effort, or will much have to be done individually?"

Priestess: "That is a very good question. It is very much a collective effort, as cooperation involves everyone here. It is not just one individual, or a few individuals. But I will note that if even one of you strays and agitates the Heart, it may pose a threat to the rest of you, and that is something that none of us would like to hear."

Penumbra: "And a follow up on this 'agitation' that it has... there has been a vast increase in the mass underneath the ground. Where did this mass come from, if you can answer this?"

Priestess: "It has always made its home here, as records show. At one point it was much, much smaller. Much weaker. And we nurtured it from there. We helped it grow. But that agitation that is... new people coming onto this land and disrupting the flow of how it lives, how we live... that is what agitates and grows it to a degree that is this agitation, instead of growth that is healthy, and good for it."

Penumbra: "So its current state is its healthiest state?" Answer: "No, I would say it is very agitated at the moment."

(???): "Is it agitated by our mere presence here?"

Priestess: "To an extent, yes, but this can be resolved through learning and understanding. It took us a lot of centuries to fully calm it again. And now that it is bubbling up and breaching where it really shouldn't be, out of its home down below... now we know that more has to be done to help appease it, to fully cooperate."

(???): "You said earlier that in your early days, you encountered the sculk and helped it to grow. Does that mean you know how to grow the sculk and can do so?"

Priestess: "To grow the sculk... yes, to an extent. In the way you would feed and nurture a child, and let it grow and learn. And as you learn from it, it learns from you. And eventually, you can live in cooperation, and understand each other. But at the moment, you are all strangers to it, and the Heart is stranger to you. Which is the main reason I ask for you to reach out your hands and try to cooperate, and follow the Path."

Arden: "I've been growing it a little bit? I've been helping it recover. Is that bad? Should I not be doing that? Because I've already been doing that. In our basement."

(Arden briefly explains how he has been using brilliance and other exp-based items to grow the sculk.)

Priestess: "So some of you are already learning, that is very good news. It takes a lot of time and observation to learn how to nurture and grow it. That is a good kind of growth. I can feel the difference in how, to some extent, it grows healthily. But to a large extent, it grows to more agitation... it is a very complicated being."

Amaranth: "I was wondering if the calming ritual could help get rid of some of the sculk on the surface? And if so, if it's able to be calmed, is it okay if our friend (Orbit) has a little nibble after it's calmed?"

Priestess: "Pardon me for my confusion, but what do you mean by your friend will have a 'little nibble'?"

(Shay and Amaranth both clarify that Orbit is the one being spoken about. Priestess calls him the 'traitorous one'.)

Priestess: "I believe it is important for all of the voices to be heard, especially ones that are as complicated as... well. But, I digress. The rituals guide the Heart, in a calming way, in a way that lets us move it without harming it. So, if that is your goal, then yes, if you learn from us. As long as you are all careful about it, I believe we can have cooperation."

Cass: "If we all do follow these rituals, and follow the Path of the Heart or whatever it's called, will the sculk still spread after that? Or will it go back to being dormant, more or less?"

Priestess: "It is more than likely, based on our previous history with the Heart, that it will return to a more dormant and calm state. It will still grow to an extent, as it heals the damage, but it will stop (unintelligible). Let me give you an example: This is comparable to an injury, an injury that cuts into you. In theory, this should make that injury smaller. However, your body produces a swelling. That is the unhealthy and agitated growth. Once it heals, that will die down and scar over. This is similar for the Heart. It simply needs time to heal, and rituals to help it do so."

Soup: "We've been having a lot of conflicting information about this, and a lot of what you said is of concern and alarming to me. Especially what you said about the Path. This doesn't feel like cooperation, this is coercion. What you said is that if any one of us does not follow this Path that you've set out for us, that you have not really explained to us, all of us are doomed. that doesn't seem very fair. And beyond that, we have no guarantee of you keeping up your word afterwards. Of us following all of this, and the Heart is calming, supposedly, if we do all this. And what is with the Heart? Is it somethign benevolent? It doesn't seem so. You follow it, but all of your work seems to be to calm it. Why are you going to such lengths to do that?"

Priestess: "We go through such lengths as our oppressors from long ago have hurt it very deeply. And so, we have gone through great lengths in our time here, making our home here, and learning how to live here. Now, as for the other questions... it is simply a matter of time and understanding. As it is very easy to agitate the Heart with many of you. But it is true that if most of you follow the Path, it will begin to heal again, and no disruption in either lives-- your lives, or its life--"

Soup: "You're moving goalposts."

Shay: "The Heart is the ruling body of this land. And when you go to a new nation, you still must follow that nation's laws. These are the laws of this land."

Soup: "Earlier you said that if any one of us were to aggravate the sculk, then all of us are in danger. Now you're saying that if only most of us do it, we should all be fine? Which is it?"

Priestess: "It is not a guarantee if most of you do it, but it is likely. It is still a threat if even one of you does not follow the Path, as one individual can cause great, great harm if they so wish to do so. For instance, if we take a building, that building is stable if it is tended to, even as the weather may attempt to make it fall. But if even one individual of that village decides to dismantle the building, to destroy it, then none of us can live there anymore."

Soup: "I find that hard to believe. I have seen what the sculk can just barely put up as a defense. One person alone cannot take down the sculk. You know that, I know that. Can we be truthful, for once?"

Priestess: "I am not saying that it would destroy it, per se. I am saying it would agitate it. I am comparing it to destroying a building, that agitation. It is not the same, and I believe you are misinterpreting my words."

Mr. SU: "To bounce off Soup's question, this creed that you advocate for. Suppose that we do decide to adhere to it? What is the catch? What is the cost that it will inflict upon our society? What is the price we have to pay in exchange for safety from the sculk?"

Priestess: "Well, this is our home. This is our land. We would rather not have those here that wish to harm us, or wish to harm that which makes up our home. And I'm sure you feel the same. If the Heart gets agitated, it will do with us as it has with its oppressors. it will treat you the same way. I'm sure you've seen the ruins below. The Path ensures the sculk is not harmed. And so you must listen to us as we teach you. We have ways to teach you, though it is a lot to fully tell right now. Some of these rituals include, as mentioned earlier, guiding the sculk back to where it should be, and to protect it, in order to protect ourselves and become fully cooperative with each other."

Henry: "How long have the Voices been on this sphere? Do you have any specifics records of when or how the Voices arrived?"

Priestess: "We have been here for centuries. We were called here, with a piece of the Heart that was lost from its greater whole. And over these centuries, we have learned to be one with it, and live in this land, alongside it."

Kili: "You keep mentioning the Path, and that sounds like very familiar terminology-- is this like, becoming like you, using the Heart to enhance ourselves..? I don't..."

Priestess: "The bare minimum of following the Path is trying to understand the Heart, as I already see some of you attempting to do so. The next steps are up to you, but in the end, all of us have the same goal of becoming one with the Heart. And the way to do so may slightly vary, but we all follow the same Path. Like I mentioned before, it is very complicated, and so, I would rather teach such lessons elsewhere, and not in a... room that is full of very loud voices and people."

Sham: "I noticed that the sculk has some similarities in traits with the Raid. And I was wondering if you had any knowledge about whether they have any connection, or whether there is some knowledge we should have on that?"

Priestess: "I'm afraid I'm not sure what you mean by 'The Raid'..."

(Sham explains the Raid to the Priestess. The Priestess allows Shay to answer this question, as he is more knowledgeable on the Raid.)

Shay: "The Raid is a tragic phenomena, but I assure you that it is much younger and much closer... much more adjacent to more common entities. The Heart is ancient and a predetermined factor that existed long, long prior to the Raid. It is not based in it, and it is not an offshoot of it."

Lewis: "After doing a little bit of surveying of one of the cities a while ago, I noticed much of the sculk seems to either come from or surrounds the large portal frames that appeared in there? Is there any reason for that?"

Priestess: "Yes... those, as far as our records show, were created by our oppressors to destroy the Heart, and use it for their own desires. That is not of our making, and we wish not to touch such a vile creation."

Guinevere: "So, y'all talk a lot of big game about 'this is what the Heart wants'. How do you know what the Heart wants? How am I supposed to take you at your word?"

Priestess: "All of us have been brought up learning how to listen to the Heart, to listen to its aches, to listen to its joys. And as such, we speak for it through that."

Guinevere: "Are you sure you're listening to it and not just making up your own assumptions for your own cult?"

Priestess: "I... pardon me, but that is quite the rude assumption. We have done this for centuries, and our ancestors have learned over the years to perfect how to listen and speak for it."

Guinevere: "Listen, this isn't my first time encountering a group of people who act like they know a lot of stuff. I just... I can't trust you, sorry. If you don't give me actual evidence that this is what the sculk wants, then I'm just gonna continue doing my own thing."

Priestess: "Like I said earlier, we can show you--"

Guinevere: "I mean, the sculk is a creature. It's a creature with its own mannerisms, how can you tell that the sculk likes it? I mean, just because it recedes, how do you know it's a nice thing?"

Priestess: "Simply because you do not understand how the Heart works does that mean we do not understand how the Heart works. It simply means that you must learn how we have learned, how we have learned to interpret the sculk's needs, and that is not evident at first. But we can show you, I promise. We can show you the way."

Nova: "I've been visiting a couple of ancient cities to see if there are any textbooks, or research, or any information on culture we could gather, and I haven't been able to find much more than a couple of etchings on walls. Do you guys have a library, or any method of recording your history, data I could look at?"

Priestess: "We keep much of our history very private and dear to us. But if you would like to have a conversation, we can discuss, and possibly present to you some things. However, like I said, people of the ancient ruins... that is not of our making. And we would be very, very not well to go back down there and try to uncover what the oppressors have left behind."

Yvelle: "You said that you were cultivating the sculk back from when it was a lot weaker. I would like to ask why you felt the need to cultivate such a thing? I mean, from personal experience it is not exactly the most persuasive, in fact, it actively tries to instill fear in those around it."

Priestess: "Long ago, as our ancestors have told, they were called here. We were all called here. And as such, we came for this purpose of revitalizing, and reconnecting with the Heart itself. It is a very long history, but that is the core reason for such actions."

Mercutio: "I'm sure this was touched upon by someone else before. Though they are all united by being new to this place, many of us are part of different groups coming from different regions for different reasons. Not all beholden to the same power structures or hierarchies. We can communicate to one another, but ultimately we cannot control other people. What will occur ultimately, as punishments, if someone does something untoward to the sculk?"

Priestess: "We do not seek to control you. Like I said before, we seek peace and cooperation, and ultimately, understanding of the Heart. If such needs are not met, we will have to figure out a way to discuss with whoever does stray from the Path, and if none of you wish to cooperate, none of you wish to follow the Path, I believe you are not fit to stay here. Both for the safety of our people and yours."

Hyacinth: "You said that you were led here by a fragment of the Heart. Could you elaborate on that?"

Priestess: "That is a long history... and the exact details are kept mostly to us. And, I am afraid, as... pardon me for my caution, but you are all still strangers, and I wish to understand you better before fully explaining the details of our origins."

Rox: "We have a science team that was working on studying the sculk and what it is able to do. Of course we would like to ask you questions about it, but are we allowed to continue doing scientific discoveries on our own with our own methods, if you guys are okay with that?"

Priestess: "It would be preferable to follow the methods of our people, as we have taken the time to understand which methods do fully work with the sculk without harming it. If you do continue with your methods, you may harm it."

Rox: "You have continued to state that you want to be one with the Heart, does that mean just being on the Path and following it, or do you mean making us like some of the Voices or believers? You have been vague about it, but I understand that is because it will depend as time goes on, so I would like some clarification on that."

Priestess: "I believe you have answered yourself, as that it will depend as time goes on. But, to be more specific about it... it is mainly about unity, all of us following the same set of goals and ideals, in the way of specifically ensuring the safety of us all, the safety of the Heart. All of that is to reduce agitation. Like I said, it is a very complicated process. But I am sure that if you all listen, and follow the same ways as we do, you may understand and live alongside it. It does not entail that you must become exactly like us, even without seeing you all, I do feel that all of you are very, very different. But we will find a compromise, I believe."

Jonah: "I am curious from your findings if the sculk has an intelligence of its own? From previous things that we've heard it seems it isn't able to differentiate between the Pathfinders very well, for example, the fact that if even a few of us agitate it, it will strike against all of us. But it also seems to be bale to spread to the houses of those who have harmed us the most."

Priestess: "Yes, well... it does see all of you as new beings, strangers, as we see you. But, if you do enough harm to it, if you are the one to dismantle the building fully, then, it will act out. It will become agitated, and it will follow the traces of what it did to its oppressors. That is why it is so dangerous to agitate it, even if by accident, even if by ignorance."

At this time, the Priestess pauses the questioning to pass around "a piece of the Heart that we treated with rituals. It will allow you to feel the Heart, to some extent, and understand where we come from." The Priestess then passes several sculk tendrils to the group, encouraging the Pathfinders to continue asking her questions as she does so.

Caine: "You've been mentioning the Heart a lot. And it reminds me of something that we know only a bit about, but not as much as we should, known as The Heart Below. Do you know of a connection between the two?"

Priestess: "I do not know of what histories you may know of. Can you describe what The Heart Below is?"

(Caine describes the Heart Below).

Priestess: "That is definitely an interesting piece of history. I believe it is sounding familiar, though we do have historians in our ranks that may be able to fully determine how similar they are."

Caine: "Alright, then. If it is the Heart Below, then, that would be good to know. Considering one of the big theories on what happened to it is that it punished the (old aurelians/humans) for overusing it."

Priestess: "Yes, that is a similar history to the Heart itself. Our ancient oppressors used the Heart, abused it, really. Used it for their own purposes and harmed it very greatly along the way. Weakened it. Attacked it. We seek to repair those damages."

Raspberry: "You keep saying all this information, and you said we can't even research it ourselves, and we just have to trust you. So like, what proof do you have that anything you're saying is true, besides just 'trust me'?"

Priestess: "I am passing around a piece of--"

Raspberry: "I'm not going to be touching that, besides that."

Priestess: "If you do not wish to touch what you claim as 'evidence', then I do not see how I can help to lead you to the answer."

Raspberry: "Well, I don't care about the answer, I just want to see how I can trust anything you're saying at all, and I don't want to touch your piece of whatever this is. Like, can there be people that just exist with ignoring the sculk? Do we all have to follow the Path or can we just completely ignore it? What happens to those people?"

Priestess: "If you ignore it, you risk ignorance, you risk agitating it, harming itself and the Heart in the process."

Raspberry: "If I'm not doing anything to the sculk, why does it matter what I do?!"

Priestess: "Well, it matters in the case that you do agitate it, because you do not know what you are doing. How can we trust you to know that? How can we trust you to not harm it?"

Raspberry: "I mean, you can't trust anybody. But how do we exist, without following it? Why are you pushing your religion onto all of us--"

Priestess: "Following the Path is the way to live alongside it."

Raspberry: "So you're forcing all of us to follow you and worship the sculk--"

Priestess: "It is not worship, it is communication."

Raspberry: "What is the other option?" Priestess: "The other option is ignorance. And you have seen what that has done to the oppressors."

Raspberry: "Well, make it stop."

Priestess: "I will warn you, though. It is dangerous, and will harm you along the way."

Caine points out that now it is the Priestess' turn to ask questions. The Priestess inquires where the Pathfinders themselves have come from. The Pathfinders as a whole generally convey that they come from a variety of different places with different backgrounds.

When the Priestess asks her second question, whether the Pathfinders have a goal in mind, Raspberry interjects to snap at her and say that she has not answered most of their questions, so the Pathfinders shouldn't have to answer hers. Euna steps in to mediate, reminding the Pathfinders that this is an exchange of information, and the Priestess has addressed the questions asked of her, while waiting patiently for her turn.

Raspberry: "Doesn't sculk eat knowledge?!"

Priestess: "It consumes and absorbs knowledge. That does not mean that it destroys it, or 'eats' it. It is not harmful. In fact, it is similar to this meeting, like an exchange of information. It grows as we grow."

The Priestess asks what the Pathfinders intend to do with the Heart, and with the sculk. She addresses that Shay has tried to lead some of the Pathfinders to the Path, but she is curious what the Pathfinders' intentions are on Locus Astra. Euna largely is the one to answer, declaring the Pathfinders are here as a research expedition with the intentions to understand Locus Astra and the anomalous things on it.

At this time, Shay tells the Priestess that Visor is communicating to him, and he needs to step out to attend to that matter. Shay leaves the Town Hall, and is followed by some Pathfinders who harbor suspicions about the truth of this statement, but they are unable to keep up with Shay as he uses a waystone.

Deimos: "You keep mentionining 'oppressors' and people who wronged you and your ancestors. Is it alright if we could know who those people are, exactly? If they still exist here in the sphere?"

Priestess: "They do not exist in this sphere anymore. They are long gone. A threat that was resolved centuries ago. The oppressors, as far as our records show, were overtaken by the Heart, that they agitated."

Caine: "Sounds familiar."

Priestess: "Yes. Which is the main reason for this meeting, as we do not want to repeat history. They were similar to all of you indeed. Powerful, some... researchers, others, it would seem. There is very little left of what we know of them, being from so long ago. And since then, we have decided to move on from that history and attempt to move on ourselves."

(dialogue from Sherazi may vary-- it appears OBS was not actually picking up my headset mic during this recording)

Dr. Sherazi: "If it's not too much trouble, I would like to learn more about you and your people. How are you organized? You called Shay a 'Vein' earlier, and I believe I've heard you were referred to as 'Vessel' earlier, correct me if I'm wrong."

Answer: "Pardon my pause, but who referred to me as 'Vessel'?"

Euna: "It was in the letter."

Priestess: "Ah. That is a very... incorrect assumption. Vessel is one of our lowest ranks. It is the one who wrote my letter for me, as I have given up my eyes to be closer to the Heart, to fully see its needs."

Euna: "I see. My apologies, it was simply a misreading of the end of the letter."

Dr. Sherazi: "I do believe it was an honest mistake."

Priestess: "We do have ranks, as you have noticed. We have a organization, it helps with how we function. For the leader themselves... they can fully speak to and understand the Heart at its core. But we are not quite willing to divulge such vulnerable information to you all just yet."

Dr. Sherazi: "Not even any titles to call them by?"

Priestess: "What titles are you seeking? Simply the leader?"

Dr. Sherazi: "Well, who you're led by."

Priestess: "At its core, we are fully led by the Heart itself. But... we also have the Aorta in our ranks."

Dr. Sherazi: "So you would say the Aorta is your leader?"

Priestess: "One of the greater leaders, yes. But... not the top one. The Stillheart is the one that you may refer to as a leader."

Dr. Sherazi: "Interesting. Thank you, that is all."

Nova: "Could you give us a better definition of 'straying from the path'? Is ignorance straying from the Path? I feel a lot of us aren't too knowledgeable and aren't exactly comfortable following the sculk until we get more information on it."

Priestess: "Ignorance itself is not considered straying from the Path. But, it may lead accidentally to straying from the Path. Essentially, any harm that is done to the sculk, destroying it, destroying what it creates, that is considered harming it, straying from the Path. Not following what we teach you is also a form of that, as our teachings very greatly aid in this understanding and mutual space with us and the Heart itself. If you do not wish to walk the Path, I would like to know now which of you seem to desire to stray, as I am afraid I have heard many questions regarding this, and I am concerned for those who do."

Nova: "It was mostly just a rather vague statement, and most of us are researchers and knowledge seekers, so we like to have more concrete evidence. But as for my question, there's not really concrete, like, a Path actually to follow, steps to follow. But that's why the question most likely keeps getting asked--"

An Explosive Conclusion

The meeting was rather abruptly cut short, as tear gas was dropped from a hatch in the ceiling, and the Pathfinders were forced to evacuate in the haste. At the same time, distant explosions were heard coming from deep below the ground, followed by the shrieking and screaming of sculk.

Immediately, it became clear something had happened to the ancient city below the Anchor. A team went down to investigate while Mayor Caisa and Dr. Sherazi attempted to keep order at the Town Hall. The Priestess departed in all the chaos.

The ancient city underneath the Anchor was on fire, though minimal damage had been done to the city itself from a cursory search. However, Pathfinder investigators were also able to find bombs that had not been properly detonated, as well as evidence of a remote redstone link being triggered, implying the bombs were set off remotely.

As the information was gathered, Dr. Sherazi received a call from the High Stellar Council, following up on her request to trace the bomb threat. Although it appeared the device was no longer sending signals, implying it was destroyed, the bomb threat was sent from a location inside Grainland.

This, combined with a previous history of constructing explosives, served to implicate Bramble, who denied involvement. The lawyer and HSC agent Savannah Crest began her investigation.

Despite evidence pointing to Bramble, something didn't feel right. Orbit, after investigating the bombs recovered from the Town Hall and the ancient city, was able to determine that the majority of them were indeed planted by the same person, and he could taste their clear intent and determination. However, he could not seem to match that smell to anyone in the room at the Town Hall.

At around this time, Raspberry, who was rapidly becoming a second suspect in the case, was detained at the Four Perils' base. The majority of the Pathfinders moved to see what would happen. Raspberry fled to her pocket dimension, after which the location she was in was boxed off.

Savannah conducted more questioning of Raspberry, but nothing remained conclusive. Raspberry was released from being detained, and the Pathfinders dispersed to theorize among themselves.

That was the last time the public saw Raspberry. Shortly after, Raspberry's continued absence became concerning.

Out of the Pan, Into the Fire

After discussing the issue, Dr. Sherazi, Henry, and Dr. DeLott decided to follow the last known signal of Raspberry's communicator. This led them to a patch of sculk, next to the sculk that had overtaken Delta's home following his slaughter of numerous wardens. Dr. Sherazi uncovered the communicator from the sculk, and relayed the bad news to the others over comms. Although no body was found, knowing that the sculk grows when a living being dies on or next to it, coupled with Raspberry's communicator being left here, implies Raspberry has passed. The question being: how? What was Raspberry doing here at Delta's home? Did someone kill her? Was she even at fault for the bombings?

To make matters worse, relations with the Voices have severely deteriorated following the attack on the Town Hall and the bombing of the ancient city and the sculk covering it. Shay reports that the Priestess was injured in the commotion, and if conflict was not already in the future before, it definitely is now, unless something drastic changes. The Pathfinders must pick up the pieces, or war may very well be on the horizon.