??? (the binging of babish)

??? was a character played by the binging of babish.

Appearance
A pitch black humanoid figure with single, analog, red eye. No other discernible features.

Bio
Unknown. Only briefly manifested after a group of citizens "broke the First Chain" by sacrificing GORP Tokens, seemingly somewhat obfuscating their memories of the autumn festival event. Plausibly shared a connection with the strange object near Laundry Town often referred to as "the egg" or "the rotting thing" by citizens, and possibly the collapsed edifice between Sulphur Sanctum and Ancient City as well.

Personality
Appeared to be interested in ushering "obliteration" and preventing "entropy," though unclear how it regarded the two as distinct. Promised "GREATER SACRIFICES STILL". Paid little attention to those around it. Was as quick to vanish as it was to appear out of thin air. Egotistical.

DEC 01 2022 - DEC 10 2022: Initial Structure Appearance


On December 1, 2022, a strange object suddenly appeared near the Subterranean Church, consisting of 4 spires and a large sphere constructed of ice and amethyst, with a swirling helix of snow about it. A sign accompanied it, indicating that it was due to "hatch", with no further elaboration. A cryptic verse was found nearby, reading:

When Creator and Creation are one and the same, If It gains Sentience beyond the station of the Game, Should a certain Chain be eschewed in the Final Match, Perhaps, then, here, you will witness The Forgotten hatch.

On December 10, 2022, a large, red, tendril-like structure spewed forth out of the sphere, which had become discolored. A sign indicated that "IT'S ROTTING". The cryptic verse had messages missing. These changes were ushered with the following global announcement:

''A GLACIAL GROANING ECHOES QUIETLY THROUGHOUT THE AIR AS PERMAFROST GIVES WAY TO SOMETHING UNKNOWN. AS IF ANTICIPATING, THOUGH UNREADY, SOMETHING HAS BEGUN TO SHIFT.''

Since then, the mass has slowly begun to "rot" further. Patches of End void have been appearing. The original cryptic verse has been replaced with an equally cryptic warning:

YOU MAY REGARD OBLITERATION AND ENTROPY AS EQUIVALENT

BUT DO NOT ALLOW THE GUISE OF DIVINITY TO FOOL YOU

ASK YOURSELF, DO YOU WISH TO TOIL IN NOTHING ETERNALLY?

DEC 27 2022: Breaking The First Chain


On December 27, 2022, citizens were made aware of a strange rumbling whose epicenter was located a distance away from Ancient City. While searching for it, some individuals came across a titanic, rusting chain embedded into the earth and stretching far into the sky. The surrounding area was decimated. At its base was a flaming structure that demanded a sacrifice symbolic of the autumn harvest event, as well as a note warning that the sacrifice not be made. Despite this, the sacrifice was made, and a result,

Memories of the season become obfuscated, replaced by a dull, pulsing ache.

??? then briefly appeared, thanking the "acolytes" for their assistance, and assured there would be more sacrifices to come. It vanished as quickly as it appeared without letting any others get a word in.

JAN 05 2023 - Present (Ongoing): The Second Chain


On January 5, 2023, ??? made another sudden appearance to raucous thunder on the outskirts of Touchdown. It professed pleasure in the progress being made on behalf of "The Will", then issued a warning of "A GRAVE ENTROPIC FORCE" attempting to manifest, stating that if it were to succeed in appearing before them, it would result in a "COUNTDOWN TO MIDNIGHT" and usher "UNENDING ENTROPY". Monarch pledged allegiance to ??? and The Will and was in turn given the "honor" of choosing where The Second Chain would fall, with the notice that it would "reach far further" than the First and that "THE MANNER OF ITS SACRIFICE SHALL ALSO BE IN ACCORDANCE TO THE STORIES AND MEMORIES THROUGH THAT LAND'S CRACKS AND SOILS". ??? left soon after, having answered but a few questions, and rather cryptically at that.

Monarch decided where The Second Chain should fall that very day. It rests at the easternmost border of the world at the center of massive corruption and destruction, accompanied by 'the constructed larval state' of The Will and the singular source of The Unbinding.

FEB 15 2023: Introduction of The Unbinding
On February 15, 2023, the booming voice of ??? rang out in anger, enraged that denizens were finding, collecting, and postulating on a specific series of messages in bottles. The following transcript was recorded by dootsnek:

''DO YOU TAKE ME FOR FOOLS? YOU THINK ME SO PREOCCUPIED BY AFFIXING THE CHAINS THAT I WOULD NOT SEE?

''I HAVE FOUND THE THREAD THAT ENTROPIC PARASITE HAS BEEN CLINGING ONTO. THE THREAD YOU HAVE LAID.

''IT HAS BEEN SPEAKING TO YOU. WORSE YET, YOU HAVE BEEN LISTENING.

''DO YOU NOT COMPREHEND YOUR ACTIONS? YOUR OBSERVATION? THAT IS HOW IT FEEDS. HOW IT GROWS. HOW IT BECOMES.

''IF YOU VALUE WHAT TIME YOU HAVE LEFT, HEED IT NO FURTHER. IF IT BREACHES, YOU SHALL FORCE MY HAND.

''THE MANIFESTATION OF THE WILL COULD BE A BEAUTIFUL AND COMFORTING OBLIVION. BUT SHOULD TIME BECOME OUR ENEMY, IT SHALL BE AGONIZING ON A SCALE INCOMPREHENSIBLE TO EVEN THE LEAST MORTAL OF YOU SENTIENT ONES.

''TO THE ACOLYTES EVER-LOYAL, SEEK THE SECOND CHAIN IN THE NORTHEAST. IT HAS BEEN SILENTLY CALLING FOR SOME TIME NOW. MEET ITS DEMANDS.

''I EVEN OFFER YET ANOTHER GIFT, IN MY BOUNDLESS GRACE. AT THE CHAIN YOU SHALL FIND A SPECIAL SUBSTANCE. WITHOUT FORM, OR DEFINITION, OR BEING.

''TO THOSE PLAGUED BY THE AFFLICTION OF BEING, AND IN TURN AFFLICTED A THOUSANDFOLD MORE, I GRANT YOU AN AFFLICTION TO BECOME UNBOUND.

''FALL IN, AND LESSEN THE ONUS OF EXISTENCE. YOU SHALL EMERGE ONLY A FRACTION OF YOURSELF, THE REST OF YOUR STORY AND SELF DISINTEGRATING AWAY WITH YOUR WORRY. YOUR SORROW. YOUR FEAR. WITH YOU. YOU SHALL BE, WITHOUT. SUCH IS THE UNBINDING.

''AND WHATEVER YOU DO,

''DO NOT

''SPEAK

ITS NAME.

Multiple individuals then sought out The Second Chain and found ??? waiting for them, who proceeded to explain The Unbinding (an affliction that leaves individuals 'incomplete'), as well as how The Second Chain's sacrificial requirements are more involved than the prior, and require the one sacrificing to 'understand' what they are giving. As a result, ??? mentioned appearing more often for the foreseeable future. Shock proceeded to fall into The Unbinding chasm, though the effects are currently unknown. ??? concluded by warning one final time to "NOT SPEAK ITS NAME", reminded the individuals to make use of the chasm, and vanished into thin air.

Trivia

 * the binging of babish has stated outside the server that their inspiration for the character relates to epistemology (the study of knowledge frameworks) and postmodernism as it relates to "the subject" (the self), as well as the impact that stories and language itself has on both. They have recognized these were extremely lofty and inaccessible concepts to try and fit into a Minecraft server, but gave it a shot all the same.
 * They also created 'concept prose' for the character here.