It is still here, in the Temple of Silence. Save for the movement of your own journeying and the ceaseless, trickling channels of water, you find this place to be gentle and calm.
But in this passage hangs a deathly stillness with a silence so loud that you can almost hear the unmaking of noise.
Atop the wall is a scene unlike any you have seen before. It is fragmented, baked and cracked with anxiety like an ancient mud flat, fear and distress snaking as lightning hopelessly striking the earth, wanting to tear itself from the sky—
You can hardly register what is happening. Only disparate and desperate pieces surface between the vines and roots of the Temple. A dark night. A horrible, bright, gnawing and tearing light. The cold shadow of doubt smearing across the brows of eight— heavy monsoon clouds of — and suddenly a smoking burst — the innumerable and unspeakable tide of failure — raising a murky head to watch them huddle and scamper from you. Only one light remains:
A pale, lavender gleam.
The faint glow it casts makes her eyes look hollow.
You leave too.
But in this passage hangs a deathly stillness with a silence so loud that you can almost hear the unmaking of noise.
Atop the wall is a scene unlike any you have seen before. It is fragmented, baked and cracked with anxiety like an ancient mud flat, fear and distress snaking as lightning hopelessly striking the earth, wanting to tear itself from the sky—
You can hardly register what is happening. Only disparate and desperate pieces surface between the vines and roots of the Temple. A dark night. A horrible, bright, gnawing and tearing light. The cold shadow of doubt smearing across the brows of eight— heavy monsoon clouds of — and suddenly a smoking burst — the innumerable and unspeakable tide of failure — raising a murky head to watch them huddle and scamper from you. Only one light remains:
A pale, lavender gleam.
The faint glow it casts makes her eyes look hollow.
You leave too.
Change
The first thing you notice about this chamber is the water. It greets you as soon as you step inside, lapping at your paws with a gentle current that encourages you onward. Perhaps the waters chill you slightly, or maybe they’re warm and comforting, but regardless of the feeling, you allow it to guide you inside.
Further in, you can see that unlike some of the other Temple rooms, this one is nearly completely flooded. Scarce patches are scattered between pillars and walls of water, pouring from somewhere high above that you can’t see. The long streams spill into small, oddly-still pools that shimmer in the dappled light. Long, overgrown plants cascade through broken walls, pouring out like the water that feeds them.
It’s quiet here, but the kind of quiet you find in spending time with an old friend; comfortable and familiar.
You take your time looking at the small, irregular pools and towers of water until something catches your eye. Dancing alongside your regular reflection is something else: a shimmering silhouette that seems to form right before your eyes. At first, you might not be sure what you’re looking at, until you realize...
It’s… well, you. Maybe the rippling silhouette is a version of you in a previous form you no longer inhabit. Or, maybe it’s a memory or moment in time where you were more afraid, or angry, or juvenile than you are now. The sight of yourself may make you wince or want to laugh, but they walk alongside you as you navigate through this room.
Further in, you can see that unlike some of the other Temple rooms, this one is nearly completely flooded. Scarce patches are scattered between pillars and walls of water, pouring from somewhere high above that you can’t see. The long streams spill into small, oddly-still pools that shimmer in the dappled light. Long, overgrown plants cascade through broken walls, pouring out like the water that feeds them.
It’s quiet here, but the kind of quiet you find in spending time with an old friend; comfortable and familiar.
You take your time looking at the small, irregular pools and towers of water until something catches your eye. Dancing alongside your regular reflection is something else: a shimmering silhouette that seems to form right before your eyes. At first, you might not be sure what you’re looking at, until you realize...
It’s… well, you. Maybe the rippling silhouette is a version of you in a previous form you no longer inhabit. Or, maybe it’s a memory or moment in time where you were more afraid, or angry, or juvenile than you are now. The sight of yourself may make you wince or want to laugh, but they walk alongside you as you navigate through this room.
To continue on this Quest, you must draw or write about your Esk participating in something inspired by the scene above. The room may be interpreted in many different ways, but must contain a reflection, or vision of themselves in the past. These moments can be personalized to your Esk, so feel free to explore them in creative ways.
How does this room manifest for your Esk? Is there one change that is more prominent than the rest? Are all of their changes present? Does the room draw out a younger version of themselves, or a previous form before they were transformed into what they were today?
How have they changed since then? Do they feel nostalgia for the version of themselves that they see, or is it more complicated than that? How long has it been since they’ve seen themselves like the reflections that stare back at them? Do they see a moment in time that might bring back bad memories, or does it bring them joy? Are they allowed a moment to reflect back on their life and how they’ve changed over their time as an Esk, or would they rather rush through the room as quickly as possible?
If the Conservatory glass panes aren’t visible due to the Temple room’s walls, you must add some elements of the Temple’s architecture or other magical or fantasy related aspects in your piece in order to qualify for the Quest. This can be achieved by adding in elements that seem unnatural, odd, or set up in a way they would clearly not be on Earth. (ex. A building floating upside down, floating platforms, etc.)
When you depict any secondary figures, objects, or places in your work, they must appear distorted, dream-like, or obviously out of place. (ex. If your Esk is avoiding another Esk, depict clearly that the other Esk is not truly in the same space as them; rather a manifestation of your Esk’s memory.) This goes for objects, places, humans, animals and Esk alike. If other Esk are depicted, they do not receive the other Esk bonus.
How does this room manifest for your Esk? Is there one change that is more prominent than the rest? Are all of their changes present? Does the room draw out a younger version of themselves, or a previous form before they were transformed into what they were today?
How have they changed since then? Do they feel nostalgia for the version of themselves that they see, or is it more complicated than that? How long has it been since they’ve seen themselves like the reflections that stare back at them? Do they see a moment in time that might bring back bad memories, or does it bring them joy? Are they allowed a moment to reflect back on their life and how they’ve changed over their time as an Esk, or would they rather rush through the room as quickly as possible?
If the Conservatory glass panes aren’t visible due to the Temple room’s walls, you must add some elements of the Temple’s architecture or other magical or fantasy related aspects in your piece in order to qualify for the Quest. This can be achieved by adding in elements that seem unnatural, odd, or set up in a way they would clearly not be on Earth. (ex. A building floating upside down, floating platforms, etc.)
When you depict any secondary figures, objects, or places in your work, they must appear distorted, dream-like, or obviously out of place. (ex. If your Esk is avoiding another Esk, depict clearly that the other Esk is not truly in the same space as them; rather a manifestation of your Esk’s memory.) This goes for objects, places, humans, animals and Esk alike. If other Esk are depicted, they do not receive the other Esk bonus.