It feels like forever since you fell asleep on Derse and Prospit, in those hard beds with your symbols engraved on their surfaces. Now, when you wake up, you feel weightless.
Because you are.
Each of you float in a circle around a circular platform, which in turn floats in midair. Unlike last time, you're still clothed in your godtier outfits. The platform is white stone, an indentation of a compass in the middle of it. Nost and Lumi stand on it, waiting patiently. Their wings are completely shattered now, floating behind them and glowing with all colors of the aspects on your clothes.
"Good morning." Nost begins.

"Don't be shy!" Lumi smiles. "We have much to do, and little time." She glances back at Nost, who nods supportingly. "All of you have your shards." It seems like it should be a question, but is isn't. They already know.

Nost looks around, locking her eyes onto you.
"Pirine, please come down to the platform."

Nost steps back and gestures to the indentation on the floor. There are nine indentations in total; one in the center and eight spires, the hands of a compass, pointing out in every direction.
"Please place your amulet in the center."

The entire platform lights up. The color washes out of the amulet and onto the white stone around it. Lumi claps her hands in excitement and Nost nods approvingly. "Thank you, Pirine."
"Now we have some things to explain." Lumi clears her throat.

"The shards form a compass. Compasses, as I'm sure you know, are used to find things. I hope you aren't tired of scavenger hunts just yet." She grins, observing your reactions.
"Twelve objects, known as 'aspect tokens', have been scattered throughout your reality. To finish the game, these must all be found and assembled. The shards you have gathered are the only way of quickly locating them."

"Oh, thank fuck. I didn't know how we were going to transistion into talking about the deities." Lumi smiles at Hale pleasantly."The shards serve a greater purpose: honoring the sixteen deities that reside over every world. It would not be unwise to pick a deity to follow, if you feel that is your path."
"We will be calling for the shards two by two and listing the deities that go with them. Every two shards we call will go on opposite sides of the compass, as each deity has its opposite."
"Would Hale and Finn please step down?"

Nost and Lumi each step to a side of the compass, gesturing to an indent before them. Opposite sides, opposite shards.

Nost winces and glances at Lumi. She really doesn't want to say anything anymore, but Lumi shakes her head and Nost sighs.
"The royal, or purple, shard is the shard of Katanalosi, the All-Consuming Hunger. She is the deity of darkness that devours, sight that blinds, manipulation, illusions, and silence." Lumi smiles as Finn slides his shard into the slot.
"The fern, or lime, shard is the shard of the All-Mother. She is the deit of light that creates, crystals, tangible power, energy, and finite life."
"I'd reccomend not affiliating yourself with Katanalosi, and probably not the All-Mother either, but hey, it's your choice."
Painon glances at his feet nervously.

"Don't worry Hale." Lumi winks at you. "I'm pretty sure you'll like the sound of Eyja."

"Definitely. Some are far more radical than others."

"Would Seth and Cavall please step down?"
Seth glances at Cavall, who gives him the death glare of the century. He shrivels in his crown and the two lightly set down on the platform. Cavall removes her golden shard from her sylladex, and Seth removes his indigo shard. From Parker and Lanval's lusus, respectively. They both kneel down and slide their shards into their respective slots.
Nost begins. "The aegean, or indigo, shard is the shard of the Watcher. They are the deity of the ocean, silence, those who see without speaking, watching, patience, and deep spaces."
Lumi finishes. "The honey, or gold, shard is the shard of Windwing. They are the patron of heights, open spaces, vibrancy, loud noises, chimes, birds, and flight."
Seth scurries back to his spot floating by, but really behind, the others. Cavall strides with far more confidence, tail lashing and arms crossed as she floats opposite Seth.
"Would Quin and Dane please step forward?" Nost requests politely.

Dane does as well. Shard time, come on.

Indentation.
He gives you one of his signature dumb-happy smiles (:DD) and places his shard in the slot opposite yours.
"The azure, or cobalt, shard is the shard of Pinga. She is the deity of gentle healing, light laughter, washed fabric, and the silent appreciation of help." Nost starts.
"The copper, or bronze, shard is the shard of Pakhet. He is the deity of the hunt, bloodshed, wounds, violent death, and the breathless chase." Lumi ends.

"There is no switching. You only carried them, now you give them up."

Dane smiles again. Dumb luck got him this far. He flies back to the others.

The clocks frown at each other, then look down at you. "He's not affected by the shard that he picked up. Unless he chooses to follow Pakhet...?"

"Would Navy and Silas please step down?"

Navy does too, popping out their crystal and twirling it in their palm with a smirk, green electricity sparking around it. They flip it into the air and it falls neatly into place on the ground.

"The crimson, or rust, shard is the shard of the Tidekeeper. It is the deity of the moon, unstoppable forces, knowledge, physical prowess, great mental discipline, and those who know without seeing."
"The sapphire, or cerulean, shard is the shard of the Stormbringer. It is the deity of lawlessness, unpredictability, the golden apple, chaos, and needless strife."
Navy perks up at the second description, smiling slyly before they fly back to their spot among the others.

"Maia and Painon, if you would?"
Painon freezes, but slowly floats down anyway.

Painon removes his, a dull silver, and slides it into the floor, stepping back.
Your shard rattles in your hand, humming. You know, somehow, in some crazy way, that it'll miss you.

"The scarlet, or candy, shard is the shard of Eyja. It is the deity of eternity, that which endures forever, eternal bonds, eternal life, mechanical devices, machines, and islands."
"The silver, or steel, shard is the shard of Silverbreath. It is the deity of calm death, the grove of the lost, eternal protection, cycles, silver, and painless ends."
Painon goes still for a second in thought, staring off into the distance. He soon shakes himself out of it and practically sprints back to the other descendants.

"Would Lirium and Chlori please step down?"
The two do so, one much more hesitantly than the other. Lirium pulls her fuchsia shard out of her sylladex, and Chlori slowly removes theirs. It's a dull teal, color swirling inside like fog. Lirium crouches down and places here on the ground, but Chlori stares at theirs absently. Nost clears her throat and they jump a little, putting it on the ground. "The magenta, or fuchsia, shard is the shard of the Lotus. It is the deity of plants, uninterrupted life, unparalleled expansion, unbridled growth, and life before death."
"The peacock, or teal, shard is the shard of the Banshee. It is the deity of life beyond the grave, bones, death, rot, loneliness, ghosts, despair, and graveyards."
They fly back and the clocks call two more.
"Would Lanval and Levett please step down?"

Your shard is jade. Lanval floats down, revealing their orchid shard. They gently slide it into the slot.

"The orchid shard is the shard of the Lone. It is the deity of wanderers, a single person, the lone wolf, a dedicated stranger, and those dedicated to their path without help."
"The juniper, or jade, shard is the shard of Metra. It is the deity of companionship, friendship, togetherness, passionate achievement, hive mentality, and partners."

Lanval follows, still floating. "Cole and Milo are the last two; please step down."
Seth squints at Cole as the two land on the platform and remove their shards.
Nost and Lumi hold up their hands. "Don't insert them yet." "The amethyst, or violet, shard is the shard of Kavas. He is the deity of loyalty, truth, a black and white moral compass, those wholly dedicated to their cause, and paladins."
"The emerald, or olive, shard is the shard of Lady Luck. She is the deity of turncoats, betrayers, luck, chance, daggers, rogues, thieves, and gambling."
Nost and Lumi step back to the edge of the circle. "You may place them now." The two kneel down and place their shards in at the same time.
The entire platform glows once more. The color from the shards expands over the entire thing. The platform itself hums. It grows larger in every direction, all the new growth still plain white, though it still floats in place. It expands well beneath your feet. The completed compass in the center glows brightly, all sixteen shards lighting up.
"You have twelve tokens to find. The seventeen of you will split up into four groups of four, four, four, and five to locate them. Each group will have to find three tokens. You may choose to take ancestors or adjuvants with you, if they will go."
"For now, this should not be focused on. The Storm is coming quickly for your Stronghold, and you must be there to assist."
Nost and Lumi each raise their hand, Nost her left, Lumi her right. Four flickering stars rise from the ground and take form. Each one becomes a small, handheld compass. They float in the air expectantly.
"These will guide you to your goals, powered by the shards here, when you decide your targets."

"I suggest you defer that question to your ancestors."

"Yes, Finn?"

"It may, in either a positive or negative way, depending on the diety. Of course one like Katanalosi would, and choosing the Lone deity would require renouncing your need for companionship altogether. But in most cases, it won't matter."

"No more questions? Well then. You have a Storm to attend to." Lumi smiles sincerely, raising a hand. "Good luck, descendants."

Lumi snaps her fingers.
With the sound of a gunshot at your back, you all wake up in an instant.