Khenal
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Chapter Three-Hundred Eighty-Two
🕑 Added 2025-08-05 02:40:14 +0000 UTC__________
Doppler
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There is a lot to understand. So much, Doppler finds himself at a loss for where to even start. He can feel a purpose he was created for, but very little will from Creator Thedeim to speed him toward it. He doesn’t like to think about it, but he doesn’t think it’s his true purpose to be an interpreter for some of the senior scions, but that was why he was created, wasn’t he?
There’s a lack of conviction to his purpose, exacerbated by the feeling he gets that the spawner will eventually create automatons capable of fulfilling that role. And once they do… what will he do?
What little sense of direction he had his first day feels long gone by now. The simple assurances Teemo gave now feel like they had more meaning than he knew, and yet the full significance still eludes him. He’s still uncertain of many things, but at least one thing is clear: if he has questions, he should ask them. Everywhere around him, learning and teaching both are on display.
He heads to the big shortcut Teemo has been working on, hoping to ask the Voice a few things without disturbing his progress too much. The spatial affinity is an odd one, and yet feels familiar as well, like an echo or a reflection of gravity. He would ask about that, but he has more pressing questions on his mind.
The Voice notices him as soon as he arrives, and probably knew he was coming well before. “Heya Doppler! How’re you holding up?” he asks, stabilizing his current progress before turning his attention to the newest scion. Doppler moves his swarm in a bow, still working out the intricacies of a bipedal form.
“I am… still figuring things out,” he admits, earning a nod and a motion to elaborate. He takes a few more seconds to try to properly form his question. He doesn’t want to come across as rude or demanding, but he can’t think of any way to ask without simply being direct.
“What is my purpose?”
Teemo tilts his head at the question before snorting in amusement. “Boss says it’s not to pass butter.”
Doppler does his best to imitate the head tilt, trying to comprehend what that could possibly mean, before Teemo continues.
“Don’t mind Boss, he’s just being weird. You’ve figured out that some of the later spawns will be able to translate for the others, yeah?” The new scion nods, so Teemo continues. “I think that’s what he means about not passing butter. Interpreting is something you can do, maybe even something you’ll enjoy doing, but he wants more for you than just standing in the Lecture Hall, repeating things forever.”
“Is… that not what I was created for?”
Teemo smiles. “Not even close. You’re not the first scion to feel like this, you know? Some of us luck into what we want to do early, some of us take a while. You should have a chat with Nova. I think she might have some insight for you.”
It seems an odd thing to suggest to him on the surface, but he supposes it makes sense. Her name speaks of power and destruction, yet as he understands it, she prefers to sculpt rather than fight. If she was created to fight, yet her purpose is to sculpt, maybe she would have advice for him.
“Then I will talk with her. Thank you.” He makes his exit, glad the current shortcut still leads to the new core room. It just needs to be widened to allow the core to pass. Once through it, he takes a few minutes to appreciate the work going into the room. The carvings are interesting and make him want to study them, but what really stands out to him, at least, are the statuettes of the scions. Nova has been doing an excellent job with all of them.
Tiny manages to look both imposing and inviting, his size somehow captured even without anything else on the pedestal to give scale. And yet he also seems wise and attentive. Among all the scions, he has embraced Fate affinity the most, and Nova has captured the hints of the opportunities and the dangers the future can hold.
Teemo’s sculpture is of a similar size to Tiny’s, which actually involves scaling the Voice up a bit to take up the available space. Where the spider scion seems almost regal, Teemo’s pose says he disregards the very idea of putting on any airs. He will Voice the truth as he sees it, and if one refuses to accept it, that’s their problem, not his.
The statuette of Fluffles has his wings spread wide, his base coiled around the pedestal, looking both majestic and deadly. The Conduit has the mana of Creator Thedeim at his wingtips, and to underestimate that is to be crushed beneath it. And yet he is no simple destroyer, but a protector.
The final finished statuette for now is of Poe. The raven scion looks stern and unflinching, the Marshal of Murders fully capable of showing why he has such Unkind titles. And yet there is a subtle softness and encouragement, like his standards are so high because he knows you can reach them with effort.
Were they all created with their purpose? They are among the first scions, did Creator Thedeim have his plans prepared for them from the start? Could a dungeon so young have such foresight? It seems impossible, but Creator Thedeim is only a little more than a year old, so who can say? Possibly Teemo, but he’s kept that particular secret close, if it exists at all.
“Oh, Doppler! I didn’t expect anyone to visit so soon! I’m still not done with everyone…” she trails off, clearly in the middle of working on a statuette of Queen, if the detailed ants are anything to go by.
“Ah… apologies. I had questions for Teemo, but he thought you might be better able to help me with them.”
“Questions?” she echoes, tilting herself before her three mandibles manage to give the impression of an understanding smile. “Ah, right… you’re new. Some of us find our place quickly, but others… not so much.”
Doppler nods, glad she seems to understand. “What can I do?”
Nova sighs and solidifies her work before turning her attention to her fellow scion. “I… don’t really know. I guess I can only tell you how I got to where I am, and maybe it’ll help? You could ask Jello or Coda, too, if you want?”
“Maybe later. I really would like to hear what you have to say, first.”
Nova nods at that and motions for him to come closer, and he watches her form a fresh pedestal as he nears. Instead of intending him to have a seat, she starts forming magma upon it, making many small lumps that he soon realizes are the first steps to making his own statuette! Before he can object, she starts speaking, sculpting to help guide her thoughts.
“I think, for me, my uncertainty started with my name. It speaks of a calamity that would blot out the stars in the sky. How could a fresh little scion even think of such a thing? Not just the destruction, but the scale! I was scared of it for a while, worried about what Guide Thedeim might want me to do.”
She smiles despite the heavy words, working her affinity on the magma to give the poppers proper definition. “But… he didn’t have anything like that in mind for me. He gave me my name because… well, because dragons are powerful. He gave it to me not to try to make me live up to it, but to try to have my name live up to me. He never wanted me to be destructive… he just wanted me to be great, in whatever way I decided.”
She pauses, squinting at the magma as she works on a small detail, glancing back and forth between Doppler and the magma for a few long seconds before continuing. “For a while, I was worried about disappointing him, and I bet you are, too.” Doppler fights to not flinch at that, but the small understanding smile Nova dons says she knows exactly how he feels.
“One thing I can say is that you don’t need to worry about that, but I guess it’s easy to hear and not really get. For me, finding how to be great felt like an accident. I was helping scout for the Maw, trying to find where it was with the help of the delvers. I… didn’t hate scouting, partially because I was pretty good at it. I’m no rockslide, but I never got caught. Anyway, I had taken to also acting like the fire for camp, providing light and heat for them to see and cook with.
“It was Aelara, actually, who showed me something. I had been struggling with the idea of only being able to destroy. Magma is pretty dangerous, so I thought my only options were scouting or destroying. But then she created a beautiful flower out of some of the obsidian that had cooled around me. That was the first time I ever saw someone make something like that. Not a weapon or armor, or a fancy gizmo or enchantment to do something. It was just… pretty.”
She smiles and cools a small portion of her current work, managing to capture the differences of glass and brass in basalt and obsidian. “It was hard, at first. It takes delicate control. But I wanted to make something beautiful, so I kept at it. I made more detailed sculptures. I even learned to sculpt magma around me to look like a more typical dragon, and hid myself inside it. I still didn’t want to fight, but with what we were learning about the Maw, I knew I wouldn't be able to avoid it forever.”
She sighs. “The Redcap was an absolutely vile monster, and his last words were to call me beautiful. I’m still not sure if he was an artist trapped in a monster, or a monster wearing the skin of an artist. What does that make me? Was he complimenting my work with the magma dragon? Was he impressed at me overcoming him? Maybe even both.”
Nova pauses and shakes her head at herself. “But I’ve moved on from worrying about that. Mostly,” she admits with a smile. “Making art just feels… right. And if other people like looking at it, that’s even better. So, I guess to get to the point and try to answer your question: all you can really do is try. Guide Thedeim can show us a lot of paths, but we have to pick which ones to walk.”
Doppler sighs at that, wishing she had been able to just give him an answer. In a way, she probably has, but it doesn’t help him with what he should actually do.
“Though if you’re looking for something to try…”
“Yes?” he asks, trying and failing to not seem too eager.
Nova giggles at his reaction. “I think maybe you should try to spend some time with Slash. He has a lot of music, but he’s never tried to sing. Maybe he just prefers instrumentals, or he never figured out how to make words. Maybe you’ll be able to help each other?”
Doppler considers that. He can speak, but can he sing? He should be able to, changing pitch is simple enough. Does he want to sing? He doesn’t think he has the passion for music that Slash clearly does… but why not at least try? At worst, he’ll know something that isn’t his purpose.
“I will try.”
“Good! And take this, too.” She gestures at the statuette, though Doppler doesn’t know why. It’s clearly unfinished. Nova can see his confusion and smiles. “Exactly. How can I sculpt you if even you don’t know who you are yet? Bring it back when you have a better idea, and I’ll finish it then, alright?”
He accepts the statuette, still puzzled at it, and makes his exit. He doesn’t get far before he gets a better understanding for why she gave it to him. It makes it easier to picture himself doing something, captured in wrought stone. He still doesn’t know what he actually wants to do, but being able to imagine the sculpture as something else helps him think.
And he thinks it wouldn’t look bad with him singing.
Comments
Juno Tubolino
It would be so awesome if Slash & Doppler made a cover of "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk, maybe for the grand opening of Thediem's new cathedral?
Aerowarrier
I’m disappointed I still laughed at it
Aerowarrier
Goddamnit TheDiem, I knew you were gonna mention the damn butter xD
