The Circles

[center][b][size=500]The Circles[/size][/b][/center]

[box][b]Circle of Storms[/b]
Sage: Altino
Values: Mediation, Trust, Courage

A storm came to Karma, vicious and destructive. It ate away at all that Karma had been remembered for and left Altino standing in the rubble of her precious Zenith while winds that refused to stop blowing whipped around her. Dread filled her bones as she looked around. The storm only grew, and she clasped her wings against herself to avoid being carried away by it. This is not the fate she had hoped for her home. Karma's evolution had always required breaking down old things to build something new. Altino had learned to dance through demolition with hope for the future because she knew change would come, but it was hard to remain hopeful while she squinted against the storm. This was not demolition, not renovation. This was destruction. She was afraid. 

The storm roiled and battered her with the dust and sands of her ruined world. Altino reached down and drew a small circle on the ground. The storm did not cease, but she discovered that inside this circle of her own power, she was safe. The wind slammed against the invisible wall she’d created. She tested stepping outside of the circle to see if she could leave but found that it moved across the ground with her. She walked a few paces and drew a bigger circle around herself. The wind within the circle immediately stopped blowing. Again she tested moving outside of it and found that though the small circle traveled with her, the larger circle stayed put. The winds could not break them. Altino beamed. She could fix this. Right. Reasonable. Whatever it takes.


Altino stared out at the storm and decided that she would not call it an enemy. She would find a use for it. Her fingers skimmed through the dirt and she scribbled her mantra into the ground before flying away. Slowly she trekked out into the storm to find her people and bring them to the safety of her circle. They would be free, they would be understood, but above all they would be safe.[/box]

[box][b]Circle of Simulacra[/b]
Sage: Lynxi
Values: Mimicry, Absurdity, Intangibility

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[box][b]Circle of a Beast[/b]
Sage: Bridgett
Values: Fate, Order, Hierarchy

Bridgett fell into a completely random hole in the ground and was buried by wind and time. For a long time it was content to stay there, but even monsters can die. Unprepared for a long stasis, Bridgett, the monster adopted by Altino, perished beneath the sands.

Some monsters take centuries to be reborn by Earth and Blood. Bridgett was reborn in under a day. She was reborn as a child of Altino, in a small circle which sheltered her from the storms that entombed her last body. Not much is carried past Death. Bridgett kept a name, since names are what things are. Thought and power: kept. Bones, memory:gone.

The things that remain are important to her. But more telling than anything else is that which was never passed by death: who she was to those who knew it/her. Adjective prisons bound her back into herself. Monster, nice, funny, dream-killer, criminal, annoying, sister…

All that she ever was, and it was balanced. Bridgett was a creator. So what would she do after she had never been in a desert? Create more monsters. Create more family. Create more worlds to explore and find them in. Consciousness is solid ocean where things might surface all at once or never again.

She stepped courageously out of the circle only to be immediately socked in the face by an angry rabbit. Ow! She stumbled backwards into some sticky tree sap. Peeling free of it, a slip of paper demanded her secrets in return for removing the stickiness. No! She wiped off the sticky on a pretentious looking flower, losing a small amount of skin on the now red petals. Oops. Before anything else unfortunate happened, she hopped into a dream and rode it to some snowy cold mountains. It was empty and hard to get to. She’d take anyone who made it to her under her translucent new wings. It was time to start building.

Bridgett gained a brutal mindset on the mountain. She had all the love in the world for the ones who made it up the treacherous slopes. She respected the ones who were climbing, so she would not help them. But the ones that never climbed, she had no patience for. Sometimes she would swoop over them and drop rotten plums on their heads. They’d shout and throw things, threatening to lock her up. So every time, she flapped away, thinking [i]I[/i] dare [i]you[/i].[/box]

[box][b]Circle of Whispers[/b]
Sage: Aegis
Values: Knowledge Secrecy Progress...?

[i]You have maybe heard whispers about them... But you are not quite sure what they say at this time...[/i][/box]

[box][b]Circle of the Carnation[/b]
Sage: Lev
Values: Kindness, Change, Hope

Lev was never the social type. He met many people during his academic studies and even made a few friends, but Lev never cared that much about kinships, not back then. He was consumed with his studies, spending time locked away in his room reading book after book for hours on end. This habit of seclusion never really left him, as even after he donned the mask of the doctor, he always kept to himself and did what he had to.

Moving constantly from town to village, Lev never really settled anywhere, he never felt truly welcomed as he was often shunned for the bird-like mask he wore. A symbol of ill omen, they said. But during his travels, he found a dense forest, untouched by human civilization. It called to Lev, beckoning him with its mysteries and serenity. Intrigued, he ventured into its depths, his footsteps swallowed by the lush undergrowth. The silence enveloped him, broken only by the rustling of leaves and the distant calls of woodland creatures.

As Lev delved deeper into the forest, he discovered its hidden treasures. Majestic trees towered above him, their ancient branches intertwining to create a natural canopy that filtered sunlight, casting a tranquil green hue over the forest floor. He stumbled upon a bubbling brook, its crystal-clear waters meandering through moss-covered stones, providing a soothing melody to his ears. He observed the delicate dance of butterflies, the intricate patterns of spiderwebs glistening with morning dew, and the symphony of birdsong that filled the air. 

The forest’s beauty filled Lev with utter happiness and joy. He finally found a place where he could escape from the judgmental gazes of society. Even the herbs and plants had unique healing properties that he could use to improve his medical practice.

Gradually, a bond formed between Lev and the forest. The forest provided him with solace, inspiration, and the resources to heal, while Lev, in turn, became a guardian of the woods, dedicated to preserving its beauty and ensuring its well-being.

But this bond was immediately tested… The forest grew sick and started rotting at an alarming rate. The green shriveled, leaving the browns and grays to consume the earth and its vegetation. Lev watched as an entire world of love, hope, and giving was being erased right before his eyes, but he was not about to let his home, his friend, wither away.

Lev got to work, brewing all sorts of weird concoctions and potions, trying to find something - anything - that can revive his forest and bring back its vibrance, but to no avail. He was stuck, unable to do anything, except watch the miserable scene and give up. And it was in this moment of mourning and surrender that something seemed to catch his eye at the periphery of his vision. Moving closer and closer towards it, he could see… a flower, a singular red carnation that was standing alone in a field of dead herbs and trees. 

This sight rejuvenated something in Lev, a feeling of hope long-lost, which was the kindling he needed to save his friend. He gathered up his bag of herbs, coat, and mask, and set out on a journey to cure the forest he loved.[/box]

[box][b]Circle of Seekers[/b]
Sage: Plasma
Values: Hunger, Revelations, Opportunity



A fire consumed the land that was once prosperous and teeming with social activity. Unfortunate, yet Plasma remained indifferent to the fate that had befallen the most recent community which he had found himself favoring. For if there was one thing that his travels throughout various realms had taught him over the years, it was that all things would meet their eventual end sooner or later so it was best to not grow too attached. No, what mattered was that he secured the data he had collected thus far and continued seeking after his objective, for his hunger after what he truly sought was not yet satisfied. 

As he plotted his next destination, Plasma considered the worlds and communities he had traversed through over time. A kingdom of...quesadillas of all things. A tournament realm utilized by a clan of robot masters. A shadow council who loved collecting doorknobs. A sea of stars being harvested by leopards as they feuded with foxes. An aggravating galactic civilization who waged wars across the stars. A pirate crew that farmed smiles in efforts to make folks laugh. A league of heroes who loved making informative content. And a collective of archivists who gathered lore for that which they held dear. Yes, Plasma was either an observer or active figure in these realms at one point in his life. Why there was even a region known as Karma-[I]"hey now that's an idea"[/I], Plasma thought to himself as he finalized on his next course.

As he returned to the familiar territory, Plasma thought back to his history with Karma over the years as it was one of the first realms he began his journey at. He was one of the first denizens of this land when it was founded, its leadership and community always maintained a level of civility and friendliness towards him that led to Plasma marking this region as a place akin to a "summer home" that he would sporadically return to every now and then. However, Plasma preferred to be a passive observer for Karma's activities, he followed Karman leadership when they made an expedition to a far off land of deserts and pyramids, and followed them back to Karma when their business was settled there. Yes, being only a passive observer allowed Plasma to collect data, make some dumb jokes, have some chill conversations, and to come and go as he pleased without drawing too much attention to himself. 

That would've been the case on this occasion as well, as he talked and joked with faces new and old amongst Karma's populace, even finding a dedicated following to a series of polls he started for fun and giggles. However, as Plasma was about to end another cycle of activity for his time in Karma, a peculiar slime ended up catching Plasma within her circle of dissonance. Frustrated but he wasn't worried, for he had gotten himself out of binding vows before and this predicament would be no different. As he was about to leave again, he found himself agreeing to be a member of Karma's executive council, [I]"What? No! That's not how the MO is suppose to go![/I]", Plasma thought to himself.  

As his term was drawing to a close, Plasma was prepared to fade away into obscurity once more, but the slime threw another curveball at him.
"[I]Hey scrub, catch u.u[/I]" she said as she tossed a circle at him. 
Plasma blamed his reactive hand-eye coordination for not failing him on this occasion. Looking at the circle he had caught, he glanced at the other circle bearers to gauge their reactions to this new development.

"[I]Excellent, I'd knew you come around sooner or later[/I], said the Forgetful Owl.
"[I]Not my first choice, but it's your own fault for catching the circle u.u[/I], snarked the Egg-shaped Tree.
The dancing Plague Doctor had no words, but Plasma felt an impending lawsuit headed his way should he try to challenge the legal grounds of this inheritance. The Beast that smelled of coffee beans lost interest in this development and began chasing after a forest chair. Plasma took a moment to compose himself, no matter, he was nothing if not adaptable. If Karma required his talents then he would endeavor to lead the circle he had been entrusted with the utmost fervor, for he had led rebellions, directed cults, conducted covert ops, and had become a trusted figure that commanded armies in previous communities, this would be no different.

"[I]Perhaps I will finally find what I'm seeking as a result of this[/I]", he thought to himself as he arrived towards an abandoned Castle That Never Was. The enormous behemoth of a castle was discovered throughout his various travels, he will repurpose it to gather fellow seekers who have yet to obtain what they are after in this life. Together may their research and efforts lead to revelations that provide opportunities both to themselves and Karma as a whole, this will be a never-ending quest, for a seeker must maintain a constant hunger if they are to obtain their objectives.[/box].