Chi

Chi (chi0san)

Notice: All art work on this page belong to Juno-san#3437 on discord

Summary

A woman of little known origin who stumbled upon the land of Paradise. She quickly gained the trust of the towns people and settled into a peaceful lifestyle. This woman with remarkable skills of brewing and building opened her own bar with a friend in two towns one a ghost town the other busy city. Though she is a bit weary of the towns people and hardly talks to anyone outside the military leader who welcomed her and her spouse shockingly who is his "sleep paralyses demon" soon though she hopes to learn more about those towns and herself.

Origin

She seldom talks about where she came from and how she wondered into the land where she now resides. But if asked Chi will tell you this.

"I am unsure of where I was born but I do remember a seemingly magical place. All light was snuffed when I came too not a shred of light I couldn't tell if my eyes were even opened or closed without touching my face. Stumbling through the darkness eventually I did happen to come across a single blue flame. The flame like wisps guided me through a near labyrinth of stairs and halls. Prevented me from falling to my death many time through the journey in fact. I figured one adventure was enough for me so I started wondering. Lucky for me a town was near by and they quickly set me up on my own in what's now the Frost and flame tavern... we'll end the story there"

Her life story Is mostly a mystery but It can be assumed she's not fully human although she looks it. Through further inspection It has been determined She is a homonculious; better known as an artificially made human. No branding can be found on her skin so her maker is unknown. The only clue she has is her red crystalized arm which is fully functional. The second best clue she has is faint blue light and the memory of purple glowing crystals. (Assumed to be some sort of crystal imbued with magic)

The crystal growth

After spending months in her tavern a growing feeling in her gut began drawing her back to the first thing she remembered. She needed to go back, and soon. Taking a trip over to the ruined fort the next day she found herself confused by her transfixion of the place. Almost as if she knew every inch by heart she started walking through the place. Making her way to a small basin of water that could fit a person in it like it was meant to be stepped in. Next thing she knew she was underground staring at a beautiful tree and stairs. Luckily bringing a lantern with her she made her way down hoping to find a way out as she could go the way she came from. During her visit she felt her body grow weaker and heavier. Confused she found the exit quickly making her way back home to sleep the weariness away. Days went by and things started getting weird first her hand getting stiff, then changing colors, then crystals? Concern made her go back a sinking feeling in her chest growing and the absence of memory making her fear what's happening to her. By this time half of her arm had been coated in blood red crystals. She gained the ability to use her hand again but adjusting to the change was scary and hard. She couldn't hide it well so she went back to the ruins hoping going back would revert the effect. Maybe she did something wrong and was cursed? The moment she stepped into the ruins- something was different about this visit.She began searching the ruins more closely hoping for a clue. With no luck after searching every nook and cranny above ground. She made her way to the tree again. The stairs dark yet some how also glowing faintly with something she doesn't remember. Magic? Her heart dropped. What if is this place was cursed and she was trapped in a jump spell... She had heard of mages in other towns from a friend she had made. Hollow steps echoed around her. The place that seemed comforting the first time now eerie and terrifying. What was happening to her? reaching the bottom of the ruins once again she was faced with something new and far more magical than she thought possible. She knew mages were still around though far weaker than they used to be. How she knew that wasn't the point but the portal standing before her was strange and enthralling demanding her to go through it. One hand, foot, than her whole body fell through the frame leading her somewhere she wasn't familiar with at all. Though there was a blue and familiar light shining within. Drawing her in. A hand. A face. gone. The purple haze pulling her thrashing her around and spitting her out the other end to goodness knows where. It was dark and empty? No. There were tents and a fire somewhere. Dragging herself up she was faced with another ruin but this time it was made of something new and there was something floating above the water in the middle. She had no idea where she was. But this is where our true story begins.

.

.

The rift

PT. 1) The night was long and the tunnels longer. Exploring abandoned mines was proving futile; they collapsed for a reason. Maybe this was for naught? But that wasn't going to stop her. Ruins are never that small; there had to be more to it than that tiny portion that she had seen. Maybe she had to go deeper? The tales she's heard of a massive and ancient city lying in wait for its people to return had to be true. If so, maybe it held the truth behind what and who she was. The moment she fell out the first portal was where she could no longer be satisfied with the mindless and meaningless life she was leading before in that ghost town. These people. This city…. This ruin. My ruin. All of them had connections in one way or another they were connected to those giant crystals. Clenching her arm she swung her pick once more out of desperation. The echo of the stone and drips of sweat against her skin the only thing of comfort she could come across aside the small specks of glittering red she used to follow her path. She had learnt early on she didn't need to eat or drink if she didn't want to. There was another life source she could live off of. Bloodshed. And this world has plenty of it. Food did taste good and made her more energetic but it wasn't needed. So she wouldn't surface till she found the rest of the ruin.

Pt. 2)

The endless digging and searching of caves had led her to this point. It was here. How it was here of all places was interesting and confusing. But when she took everything into consideration. It made sense how the bottom and top got separated like this. Now to uncover everything here. There had to be a clue here about what she was and who these people were. Endless crumbling halls of pitch black stone and red vine like crystals were the only sight within this place. She could just barely see her feet thanks to her eyes adjusting to the dark ages ago. Unbeknownst to her it wasn't that she had adjusted, it was that her eyes had changed completely. Now softly glowing and pupils slit like cats to narrow in on a target. Her hand slit across the wall tracing the cracks and veins hoping it would guide her through the area. Soon enough she found herself at a dead end with something engraved on the black stone walls. What did the words mean?

'Uif qbttbhf dbo cf pqfofe cz uiptf pg dpssvqufe cmppe. Cf xbsofe gps podf jotjef pof nvtu tvggfs boe hspx hsfbu bnpvout up ibwf uif dibodf up sfuvso.'

What did this mean? Reaching her hand out to the letters to trace them in an attempt to guess their words. She flinched when red sparks went flying towards her hand. Nothing had happened other then that. So she thought anyways, the crystals in that hall started to palse like a heart beat. In the midst of her studying those words a sudden pull brought her backwards. Her body couldn’t catch itself on anything and she began falling. And falling. And falling… Panic reached her heart and she screamed reaching for the last glimpse of that small ledge. Missing it but mere inches she let out soft tears and a silent sorry to her lovers.

Pt.3 Pt.4. My dreams have been plagued of them. The ones I love the most. I wonder how they're doing? If they're all still together, if they still remember me, if they're all ok? My dreams plague me of being ripped away from them and not being able to ever go back. It doesn't help that I have no friends here, no ally to help me; I'm all alone in my efforts. Though this loneliness feel's familiar. Almost like I've done this before. Some time from before I can remember. Funny enough these aren't the only dreams I've had that feel like memories and things I wish I had done before. But that's a worry for another day I've had far to many near death experiences here to back down now, I can't give up I must get back to them. I can feel it I'm close, I have to get out of here at least before this place collapses. Little do these people know I can feel something is wrong with this place. Maybe it's the amount of portals to other worlds that are linked here. Or maybe it's because I was never supposed to stay here this long. I heard there was a thing called a dragon here maybe it can help me force open a portal back to my home. Or those researchers, their tech is far more advanced than my wife's maybe they can help. If anything I should take notes of that stuff for her. Never mind that I'm getting off track, for now I'm going to try another portal and hope it doesn't want me dead like the last few. My body still hurts from being thrown by this one monster.

Final.

This had to be it. Full of new scars and memories Chi realized they knew how to go exactly where they wanted. Home. With a little bit of help and hope I can go back and see everyone. I've missed them all so dearly. I wonder what every ones been up to. If they missed me? I learned many things while I was away. How weak I am is one of them. But the biggest thing was that there was a memory of a woman who I assume was my mom. She looked nothing like me yet exactly like me at the same time. The way she held herself in my memory was elegant and strong. Brilliant red eyes and deep black hair and strange armor. All I know was her leaving me with a smile and a pat on the head. Smiling to myself I realized I'd have to tell my friends and wife. But when I stepped through that portal I realized things weren't right. The place where I had settled was empty and dusty as if no one had been there for months years even. There was a single dagger lying at my feet. I remembered it as an artifact I had found when I first got here. I took some time to dust things out and check on my home that sinking feeling in my gut continued. There was no one. A few things were missing but it was of little value and trouble. Not noticing anything important I went and checked for my wife. Acerina. I hadn't seen her in so long. My scared skin shivered in anticipation. I had long forgotten the cold feeling of the endless snow in the town. That was when I saw it. Her stuff was gone. The house was empty of her and filled with someone else's things. Confused I went to find Tim but upon seeing his house also empty I felt lost and confused. Was Jill still here? Anyone that I knew? What happened to this place? I need to find someone. Anyone. Even one sign of life of the past. And then I saw them. Cold dead eyes of an overworked and tired Jill. Alone. Soon enough I got caught up realizing Tim had died and Ace was gone. I couldn't believe my ears. Why? How could this happen? Staring upon the new flag of the nation I had set my worries aside and began what I do best. A party. That would suffice if I could honor the memory of the old and continue onto a new age. But one thing I couldn't muster to accept was that my darling wife had disappeared and betrayed us. I would find her and confront her myself to see what happened. I didn't want to pick sides not yet at least till I heard what happened from her as well. It's just a matter of how will I find her now that she wasn't in Voskovy?