EVENT #12: INVOCATION - IC EVENT LOG (PART 1)

[abraxasmods]

Event #12 - Invocation ( 1 )

Go to the: OOC plotting post | Event coordination post

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Beginning on February 20th, one by one, the Summoned will go missing throughout the week. As the disappearances escalate, it becomes clear that more sinister forces are afoot...especially when Solvunn eventually comes forward to announce that Josselyn Creed, one of their Council members, is also missing.

How events proceed will depend in part on your actions. Whether you've been captured or if you've been left behind, each of the Summoned will have a role to play.

NOTES

1. A Coordination Post will be used for communications between mods and players both. You can request dice rolls, start investigations, submit or review notable incidents, and begin in-person network-style threads with each other to quickly play out IC interactions. Review the post for forms and other details to fully participate in this event.


2. Using the Network is plot-relevant! You can make open posts on abraxasnet or include (disrupted) network messages in your top levels in the IC Event Log below. Messages intended to be private can be accidentally made public or sent to the wrong person, so play with that how you wish. Network messages sent or seen by any of the Lost will be distorted or incomplete in some way, regardless of the source. Messages will work as usual if sent and received between the Spared.


3. Don't feel the need to interact with every aspect of the event. We've provided multiple engagement options for flexibility, but we want to make sure players don't get overwhelmed by the sense that they need to do everything available (though you can if you'd like!)

Feel free to ask us questions. This event contains a lot of information to go over, so we're happy to clarify further. We'd much prefer you ask to avoid any misunderstandings or confusion!

Week 1

How it starts depends on where you are, who you know, and what you've been doing. Some of you will notice your friend didn't come home as they said. Maybe their belongings are in their room, but they're nowhere to be found. Then again, people can be late. After all, officials have been pulling folks in for questioning. You ask around. You wait. You begin to wonder if they've faded from Abraxas, as others have in the past. Upsetting to be sure, though not unheard of.

Or maybe you spot something that isn't right: a familiar broken necklace in the woods, a runaway horse, or a garbled message you can't read. Are they really gone from the world? Is something more ominous at play? You can take your suspicions to officials in hopes they'll listen to you.

For those who venture into the wrong place at the wrong time - whether to look for a missing friend or another reason - you'll quickly understand your mistake as robed and masked figures surround you.

Reports of the missing Summoned are filtering in. Characters can continue to make reports throughout the event for other players to reference.

Abduction | The Lost

CW: Disturbing imagery (text and visual), death, dark and horror-based themes.

Where do they find you? Not in any populated areas, that's certain. You're likely caught somewhere isolated: outside the protective castle walls or in the rural countryside of Nott, out in the desert wastelands or darkened Libertas alleyways, the thick woods of Solvunn or the empty ocean shoreline at night.

You don't know how they find you, though you might've heard them coming - too late, of course. Or maybe you confronted them in an attempt to save a friend? Magic shrouds the figures in mystery. Their voices are hauntingly distorted and impossible to identify. They smell like strange herbs and rotted earth. They do bleed, however. If you fight back, you could take down one or two - but you're soon overwhelmed by their magic or their sheer force.

The last thing you'll remember seeing is a bizarre mask looking down at you. Then your world goes black.

Awakening

As you slowly awaken, you'll find yourself inside a fungus-like growth that lines the cavern walls outside, high and low. Though nearly pitch-black within, the small space means you might quickly realize you are not alone as you bump up against another body. You wonder, is this person alive? If you're fortunate, you'll be with another Summoned. If you're alone and too weak or wounded, you'll need to rely on someone else to rescue you. Hopefully, someone will come along.

And break out you'll have to. Around you is a slimy digestive fluid. Your skin burns, and your eyes water. You'll have to push and claw at the soft membrane opening until it grows wide enough to crawl out. If luck favors you, you'll be safe on the ground. If not, you'll be up on a rocky protrusion and will need to climb down. Try not to slip and fall - that's a long drop. Vines might help, but they're rough and sandpapery, and some have small thorns.

More of those plant traps are everywhere. They pulse as new captives arrive. Some break free on their own, but others might need help, whether they're a fellow Summoned or a native of Abraxas caught in this unfortunate situation alongside you. Do you recognize them? Are they a stranger or the local fisherman you pass by sometimes in the mornings? Other plants, when opened, will reveal the decaying half-dissolved bodies of those who never made it out.

There are no guards. As you peer upwards, you understand why: the stone ceiling is impossibly high, and thick cavern walls surround you. Your prison is formed from the earth itself. While not small, there's nowhere to run. The air around you constantly shimmers as if hiding something beyond its veil. Despite the pit's modest size, it's easy to get turned around, with landmarks and details changing each time you look. You swear a giant rock was there just earlier...wasn't it?

Surviving

Escape is key, but first, you'll need to live that long. You aren't separated from the other Summoned. Instead, you've been tossed into this enclosed pit together - Summoned and native Abraxans alike - and it's up to you to survive. A few of the captured natives claim they've been here for weeks, and they're the lucky ones. Many haven't made it this far. Corpses, some fresh and others days old, tell you all you need to know.

◎ Weapons & Powers

Your weapons are gone, but you might find a scrap left unnoticed: a ring, a match, or a tasty apple in your pocket. Your captors didn't bother taking everything. It won't give you a firm upper hand, but it's better than nothing.

If you try to call on your powers, they'll only work in fits and spurts, sputtering out or appearing very weak. They might even backfire if you force it. Enhanced senses and physical abilities will be equally unstable. Sounds could become painfully loud. Smells grow muted. You feel weak. You may not heal as quickly.

You aren't out of options. Sharp rocks, vines, and even old bones can help you defend yourself, while leaves and a few common plants can soothe your wounds. You just need to think on your feet. Try investigating a crevice or an old shrine. You could find something useful, though don't be surprised if it comes with a price.

◎ Network & Horizon

Messages through the network have similar troubles: though you may not realize it at first, anything you send and receive will be disrupted, missing words, or it'll fail to arrive altogether. They could reach the wrong person or be made public when you intended it to be private. Any open network posts or received messages will be similarly distorted and difficult to read - if you see them at all.

You can go into the Horizon, but a constant high-pitched hum and frequent ground tremors make concentrating (and sleep) difficult. If you manage to enter, chances are you'll be forced out within a couple of minutes. Still, you might be able to communicate inside just enough to hold out hope for a rescue.

◎ Food & Resources

Food is scarce. Inexplicably, husks of corn grow around you despite there being no cornfield. It'd be a boon if most of them weren't blackened with rot. Dig through to find a few edible cobs. Large grubs can make for a tasty snack, while snakes and rodents provide some meat for those who are quick. You'll need to cook your food (unless you're someone who doesn't - lucky you), but you can make a fire if you know what you're doing, or you get a rare spark of magic. Just be sure to put it out at night. You'll attract dangerous beasts if you don't.

A well sits in a far corner. Sometimes it runs dry, so fighting over water is common. Drink what you can when you can. You'll spend most of your time thirsty, but you won't die from it (probably). The water won't make you sick, though its taste is questionable.

◎ Environment

Alongside hard rocky ground, several areas beneath your feet are soft and moist. Each squelching step sends the nauseating stench of mold and decay into the air. You can't help but ask yourself: what are you even walking on? It's too dark to tell, but that might be worse as your imagination runs away with you. Temperatures fluctuate while dead trees rise around you. Fungal growths form along the walls and the ground. Without daylight, the passage of time is unclear. The days blur into one another.

Though the area isn't vast, you'll have space to spread out. Some parts are more comfortable or safer than others, lined with moss rather than a sticky substance or rough ground. You can fight over these coveted spots or generously offer them to those who need them most. There are also nooks and crannies to hide in or search through. Beware of traps, brambles, and other hazards.

◎ Threats & Monsters

You might hear from the natives, in hushed tones, that when a howling shriek sounds, you best be quiet before you draw the attention of an lumbering beast they call the Bone Serpent - so named for its long bony limbs that extend into the pit like a snake to snatch up unsuspecting souls. Living roots hide among the petrified trees and thick boulders. Take care when sleeping - you might find yourself tightly wrapped in roots upon waking, constricting you until you can break free or someone else aids you.

And in the darkest of shadows, a humanoid fiend crawls along the ceilings. Its scraping and dragging announce its arrival. The others will tell you they do not know if there is more than one or if it can't be killed. All they know is that when it dies, the body dissolves, and soon there is another stalking the pit.

Fellow captives can also be dangerous, including the Abraxan natives. Some struggled to survive long before you came, making them desperate and willing to do anything. Others are easily frightened, see the more powerful Summoned like you as a threat, or even blame you for their predicament. Whatever the case, you'll find that you're not all in this together - and you'll need to watch your back.

◎ The Acolytes

Your captors, known only as Acolytes, appear in and out without warning, as if through mist and illusion. They won't acknowledge the prisoners and seem to view you all as lambs before the slaughter. They aren't invincible, though. You can attack them, though it's risky. The outcome might be worth it. The Acolytes are most vulnerable when they come to refresh the spells and illusions that hold the structure in place. They'll be in pairs or threes. Watch closely. You might notice a few have hidden injuries, likely earned when capturing some of you.

(Attacking an Acolyte requires rolling for the outcome if you intend to have some measure of success. If you want your character to fail, then there's no need to roll.)

Other environmental threats can include gaps in the ground, tripping hazards, falling rocks, and critters such as spiders, snakes, and rats. Characters are free to devise weapons and tools from what they have available and their pooled resources or skills. Surviving should be difficult and harrowing, but not impossible.

Finally, the native NPCs captured with the Summoned can be treated like any non-mod NPC in the factions. You can make up their names, rescue them from a monster, fight them, and even kill them. The Acolytes won't interfere, though other characters might.

Opportunities (Investigations)

Keep your eyes open: chances to help yourself will arise. This can come in the form of scattered items, trails of magic, or even one of your captors. Some things will assist in the immediate term, while others will aid you later on - possibly helping you in your escape.

Characters can investigate or interact with any of the items provided in whatever way you want: poke it, speak to it, set it on fire, or even make use of what little powers you have left. Not every attempt will be a success, but we can assure you that every interaction will yield something interesting!

◎ Mysterious Acolyte | Interact

One of the Acolytes stands out from the others. Though robed, her hood is down. She's unmasked, revealing a unusual appearance. She frequently appears with two other Acolytes, who hover close by her side. Are they protecting her or guarding her? Her demeanor is calm, but sometimes her hands wring nervously. As she walks, she occasionally leans down to pick certain plants and mushrooms and place them in a small pouch.

◎ Crevices / Tunnels | Interact

Hidden in the walls and ground are crevices and small tunnels you can look through. Often, you'll find bones, though occasionally you come across what feels like a decaying corpse - human or animal, as well as strange moist fungus and crystal formations. You can search through with your hands, use what little magic you have, or do anything that comes to mind. You might get something useful, or you might trigger something you shouldn't have.

◎ Eerie Shrines | Interact

Around you are shrines that seem to have grown out of the earth itself. A dark aura emanates from the statues. The material is wood-like and hard as stone. An odd symbol is inscribed on the side of each shrine. Unlike the dilapidated shrines, the symbols look freshly painted using a dark substance. There are also notches at the shrine's base as if something is meant to slot into them.

(Depending on how many characters seek to investigate a shrine, about 3-5 shrines are in the area. Illusory effects can obscure a shrine if you need to explain why your character is unsure of how many there are!)

Discovery | The Spared

Back home, you might not feel so lucky when your friends are missing, and more continue to vanish as the week goes on. You might've been one of the first to notice, or maybe you're the last to realize. Most of your time will likely be spent gathering evidence, looking for a trail, or talking to your fellow Summoned about what they know. You could also file a report to officials to convince them something's truly wrong. Should you investigate a friend's vanishing, you could find traces of blood, but no bodies will be found.

For some, you might receive disrupted messages through the Singularity's network: missing words, scrambled text, and faded handwriting. Is it from another Summoned? It's possible you haven't spoken to this individual much or at all - as though their message has gone to the wrong person. When you try to meet them in the Horizon, they can't maintain a connection for longer than a minute or two. What they do manage to tell you sounds terrifying, with descriptions of dark pits, decaying corpses, and bizarre monsters.

By the end of the week, all of the Summoned will be gathered together by faction officials to receive an update. Once the meeting is over, you'll have the chance to speak to each other and share information, as well as begin to consider your next course of action.

Since Week 1 is about the disappearances of close CR, we won't provide too much direction for this section so players can focus on individual interactions and the emotional impact between characters. Heavy plot details and investigations will be provided in Week 2.

If you're unsure of where to start, consider interacting with other characters after the Summoned faction meeting, going to the various known gathering hubs in each faction, or have your character begin searching or investigating solo and see who meets up with you along the way!

Solvunn

Rowan March will present a record of all Council meetings in which Josselyn was absent. You'll notice a pattern that Josselyn was missing more and more in the weeks and months leading up to and after the mediation. Rowan believed she was attempting to make trade deals in secret with the Free Cities and Thorne - hence removing her from the negotiation table in Luna - but he is no longer sure this is the case.

The Council will inform those gathered that they will tell Thorne and the Free Cities about Josselyn's disappearance by Week 2. They hope this decision will prevent any potential fallout. They also hope that Solvunn's neutral position and recent assistance after the attacks have generated enough goodwill that the other two nations will provide any information they may have on Josselyn, seeing as Josselyn had trade connections with both places.

Outside, the locals and Elders will attempt to give you offerings to help you find your way to the lost. They'll encourage you to bring those offerings to the shrines around the settlements, especially those dedicated to lost travelers. You don't have to - but maybe it won't hurt? If you make your offerings, you might discover an odd aura around the shrines you visit. Keep an eye on that. You'll be able to investigate in Week 2 under the next section.

Isar Hart will be arriving from the Secondary Settlement to temporarily join the Council, though he prefers to remain on the outskirts where he can. Where Josselyn has frequently been turned away or left out of discussions, Isar seems to have the full trust of both Winifred Bordeaux and Rowan.

Thorne

If you know any of the Summoned currently outside the Castle, you'll be requested by Thorne to help bring them back to the Castle so their presence can be accounted for. They won't be forced to, but they'll be strongly advised it's for the best. You'll also be assigned guards for protection who'll accompany you when visiting the rural areas of Nott.

If you have magic knowledge, you can follow directions from the mages to put up wards to guard the Castle and the city itself. Borrel will send more of their military into Castle Thorne, as well as Nott. Due to the Summoned's frequent travels to Nott lately, the Castle will focus attention there for once.

Apprentice mages could further use help refilling supplies for potions and spells or gathering spell books from the library. If you're not inclined towards magic, you can assist with carrying ingredients or tracking down misplaced tomes.

Anastasia Rhett will be arriving from Hayle via portal. She'll be, for once, working with the High Mage and her brother, Ambrose Rhett - though how well they work together is another issue. You might hear the occasional whispered argument outside their temporary shared office. The King will also make his presence known.

Free Cities

News is slowest to reach officials in the Free Cities. The bureaucracy of a large city, combined with an influx of refugees and heightened tensions, means even the Summoned run into trouble making themselves heard. Once they do realize things are awry, they move quickly. The army and city guards, concentrated in Libertas to patrol, are pulled back to Cadens.

Unlike Thorne, the Free Cities is more concerned with keeping their citizens in place. A curfew is instilled at sundown. As a Summoned, you're an exception, free to come and go. You're warned to travel in pairs and groups and to avoid isolated areas. If you're capable, you can help patrol and herd citizens back into their homes if they venture out at night.

You can also wind and release the mechanical pigeons (or repair any damaged ones) sent to fly over the city and the desert to observe. They can only fly for roughly an hour before their core needs to be recharged.

Fallon Marsh will be arriving in Cadens alongside Quilleth Kaur to join up with Aleksander Klingel. While rumors say the three of them had a falling out, they're now in the same room together, though they avoid doing so when not necessary.

Week 2

By now, you've likely made contact with each other. Though you probably haven't been able to talk long or exchange much information, you've at least confirmed that most of the lost Summoned are both alive and in Abraxas. Those spared capture will be able to push forward with their investigations and any plans they've made.

Meanwhile, the Summoned who are held will face further trials as some glimpse what lies behind the reason they were taken.

Test of Faith | The Lost

CW: Disturbing imagery (text and imagery), mild gore, body horror, dark and horror-based themes, ceremonial rituals

As the sleepless days and nights fade into each other, it's easy to fall into an uneasy routine. That's soon disrupted. If you've been chosen, you'll wake to find yourself completely alone and surrounded by a dense fog.

Out of that fog emerge the Acolytes. They won't give you a chance to come peacefully. Instead, your hands are bound by sharp thorny vines that sap your strength, making your struggling ineffective. Though the fog is impossible to see through, the Acolytes appear to know where they're leading you. The further you go, the staler the air grows. Above all, you can smell blood, like stepping into a slaughterhouse.

When the mist finally clears, you see an altar looming. You might be alone, or you might be with one, two, or even several others. There's no rhyme or reason for how many or when, as if the Acolytes are experimenting with different methods.

You can play out the ritual alone, with other characters, or involve NPCs (who may live through it or not). You may also opt out of threading altogether and only write the aftermath.

Which stages your character goes through is your decision. If you'd prefer your character have a mild experience, they can pass out after the first stage before the full ritual completes. The Acolytes will deem them a "failure," but this won't impact the effects characters receive afterwards.

The Ritual / Visions

At the altar, the Acolytes announce that you have been chosen to commune with the gods, a process they believe the Summoned are more susceptible to than the natives. All signs point to this: the Singularity has manifested memories and visions through you, given shared dreams, and new powers. They tell you they will help you reach your full ascension and that, in the end, you may feel yourself becoming one with the old gods yourself. You should be grateful for the honor.

◎ Stage 1: Consumption

As you're pushed roughly to your knees, the thorny vines grow into the blood-soaked earth. They root you to the spot - but this is the least of your worries. A small bowl is placed before you. At first glance, it doesn't look that bad. Maybe even appetizing? You've probably eaten worse in the past few days. Though the offering smells sweet, if you stare at it too long, you wonder if it's moving.

• If you take a bite, it'll go down smooth and cold, like jelly. You become warm. Your extremities tingle. The sensation is almost pleasant, if somewhat unsettling.


• If you refuse to eat it, the strange gelatinous orbs burst, unleashing a thick cloud of pollen that'll burn your eyes and nostrils, making it difficult to breathe. Your fingers go numb, and you feel nauseous.

At this point, you might feel faint and go unconscious. If you do, the Acolytes will leave you on the ground while the rest of the ritual continues. If you're fortunate (or unfortunate, rather), you'll remain awake for what follows.

◎ Stage 2: Endurance

Should you remain conscious, you'll feel dizzy and your skin will begin to crawl. Small light-colored spots spread across your skin and nails. The vines wrapped around you turn flesh-colored as if becoming one with you. Spongey growths, sensitive to the touch but not easily broken, begin to cover your body. They pulsate as they spread, inching along like slime mold. Is it real? Are you imagining things?

• If you're with others, the crawling network of vines twists and conjoins, merging you together. The Summoned fare better - only slightly - but a few who are native to Abraxas might not make it, succumbing on the spot. Abrasions form on their bodies, peeling apart to reveal sharp hard cartilage piercing through the gummy flesh. Small fleshy mouths lined with thorns gape open, hungry for sustenance.


• If you're alone, the vines will inch towards the corpses and pool of blood by the altar. One body, in particular, is a husk, twisted and bent. The jawbone hangs open in a silent scream. The skull is pulled long and stretched like gum as it melds into the fungal remnants. Whether it was being consumed or becoming part of the mass is unclear.

The experience might be unbearably painful or, perhaps more disturbingly, you might feel nothing except the growing horror of your transformation. Abruptly, everything reverts to normal, as much as anything is normal right now. The growths are gone. You'd question if it were real except the dead remain dead, their bodies hollowed and melded into the roots of the altar.

◎ The Aftermath

With the ritual complete, the Acolytes tell you that the gods have chosen you and that they will return to observe your Ascension. Precisely what they mean is unknown. Weak and injured, you'll need to free yourself from the tangled thorns that hold you. It won't be easy and might shred your hands, but pull hard enough and the roots will come out of the ground. Maybe someone else will be there to help. Either way, once you're free, you'll have to stumble out of the altar room.

A bloodied trail guides your way, left from those who were here before you. It leads you through narrow tunnels overgrown with roots and vines. Prickly brambles claw at you as you squeeze through. You walk and walk with no light ahead - until you simply fall through back into the pit you were taken from.

When you look back, you're faced with a solid wall. Whatever tunnel you came from has vanished. And yet, if you weren't the last taken, you'll see others who disappear next continue to stumble back into the pit from some unknown place.

◎ Effects & Symptoms

You'll undergo different effects depending on if you reject the process or if you succumb to it. The reasons for which category you fall under are unknown. You might oscillate between the two before you eventually surrender to one.

Check the OOC Plotting Post for more information. Effects are opt-in regarding what kind and severity. You can have your character experience light bruising or a headache if you prefer.

• Rejecting the process will leave you exhausted. You might snap more easily or exhibit a temper unlike yourself - one that could even progress to violence. You may break something or hurt someone you don't mean to, unaware of the uncontrollable burst of strength or magic that strikes you on occasion before leaving you weak and dizzy. Paranoia overtakes you. You see threats that aren't there or attack your friends, believing they've converted and want to harm you. The dim firelight becomes painfully bright. You cough up blood in the night. Sleep is difficult.
  
  Your skin might bruise and split. Bloody lesions form that refuse to heal. And if you look inside the wound, you may find growths forming within. Sharpened points that look like thorns or teeth line the open flesh. More grow outwards, covering parts or all of your body. A high fever grips you. If you were wounded before this, those wounds might reopen, festering.


• Succumbing to the process will fill you with an unnatural energy that leaves you unable to sleep at all. You feel the need to "convert" anyone not like you. Those unaffected or undergoing rejection will draw your attention. You want to convince them to receive the same treatment the Acolytes gave you. Should they reject your advances, you begin to grow agitated or even violent. It's for their own good. This is the only way you'll all survive.
  
  Vivid images overtake you. They might be familiar influences from home or this world, telling you that you're doing the right thing. You hardly notice the lesions that form over your body. Even when someone points it out, you are annoyed by their suggestion you're unwell. You've never felt better. The open wounds start to sprout fungal and plant-like growths that spread over your body. Thin roots sprout from your pores...not unlike those strange creatures that haunted the pit.

As for the NPCs who underwent the ritual with you? The ones who managed to survive? They'll experience the same symptoms, but some might have it even worse, falling ill or dying within a matter of hours. Afflicted as you are, you might be in no position to help them, though your unaffected peers could step in. Indeed, you may even be their biggest threat.

◎ Ascension

Regardless of if you reject or succumb to the process, the ritual burns through you. At its peak, you reach what the Acolytes are hoping for: a vision that they claim will answer all. Certainly, this vision appears to be shared across some of you - but the details may differ slightly.

It begins with pure blank whiteness. For the few - if there are any - of you here who experienced the Horizon at its very inception, through Thorne, you might find the blankness familiar. Your surroundings form slowly around you: building, growing, creating. At first, the landscape isn't noteworthy: a beach cabin, a cozy indoor garden, a lovely mountain lodge. No matter the setting, it's largely mundane aside from the occasional touch of magic. Time passes. It transforms, gradually. Finally, it crystallizes into one of the strange images some of you may have seen when the shared nightmares visited or when you were trapped inside unknown areas inside the Horizon.

In flashes and flickers, you'll also glimpse a shadowed figure. His form and face are unclear, but he evokes a sense of powerful magic and a deep connection to Abraxas.

What does it mean? No one yet knows though the future might unveil more. If you try to enter the Horizon again, you'll only experience pieces of that vision once more. It seems the Horizon is closed to you until your symptoms fully fade. This will take at least a couple of days, but it might be much longer.

If you participated in EVENT #8: MÆRE and/or EVENT #10: AFFLICTION, your character will see one of the images that they experienced during those events. If your character didn't participate or they're brand new, you can pick any one of the images from the gallery linked above.

The Unaffected / Cures

For anyone who didn't "disappear" for the ritual, you won't know what's going on, though you might hear any screams or cries echoing through the caves. Your friends do return within a few hours, but that's not very comforting when something is very wrong with them. The other Summoned are no longer quite themselves. It'll be up to you to aid them, protect them from each other, and help keep things from falling further apart.

Or maybe you'll need to run and hide as they turn on you. You can barricade yourself in small tunnels, fashion weapons, or try to talk them down. This depends on how those around you react and behave after the ritual.

◎ Finding a Cure

Attempts to ease the symptoms can come in many forms. You can try to call on your limited magic or use your knowledge of soothing herbs. These will help temporarily, but a true cure to halt and revert the symptoms altogether will be more drastic.

The native Abraxans whisper that they've seen the Mysterious Acolyte save a few by cutting out the roots and growths. With few options left, you can certainly try it yourself.

• Succeeding will free the affected Summoned from further symptoms. They'll still need to heal from their remaining injuries, and they will still receive the ascension vision.


• Failing will cause you to absorb one symptom from the person you're attempting to cure. They'll be permanently free of that effect, but you'll now bear it in return. This will last less than a day rather than the full duration.

If you want to attempt a cure, request a roll on the Coordination Post.

Searching for Escape (Investigations)

As for the Acolytes, they'll want to know what you saw, and they're willing to do anything to extract it from you. There's much more movement throughout the shadows of the cavern. You hear the clank of iron chains, the scrape of sharpening steel, and the scuff of heavy stone tablets. You probably don't want to be here for what lies ahead. Escape is more vital than ever. Thankfully, the Acolytes' distractions afford you further opportunities to investigate and make a plan.

In addition to the investigations in the Windows of Opportunity section above, you'll now have a couple more avenues to investigate. You can use anything you found before to aid you with these new points of interest.

◎ Lifting the Veil | Interact

Before, the misty illusions held firm. Now, after enduring the ascension, you can see through them. You glimpse the Acolytes coming and going instead of watching them vanish and appear from nowhere. You catch sight of a cracked wall and heavy boulder that wasn't there before. Unlike the shifting landmarks, the wall and boulder don't disappear. What lies behind these objects? Does it have something to do with the path the Acolytes take?

◎ Unknown Stranger | Interact

Should you be good with faces, you'll notice a young prisoner about 20 years old who wasn't there before. You can't recall anyone new being brought in, though the Ascension ritual might make you an unreliable source. If you're convinced something isn't right, you can approach the man to try and question him - gently or otherwise. Where did he come from? What is he doing here? He doesn't appear injured or affected, but he does seem extremely frightened. Whether that's an act or genuine is for you to decide.

◎ Mysterious Acolyte: Unusual Charms | Interact

The Mysterious Acolyte from before will continue to make her appearance. She is now alone, no longer accompanied by anyone. She only arrives when the other Acolytes are at their busiest as if taking advantage of their distraction. You may find it possible to speak to her a bit more without the presence of the others. She will also carry a series of gold charms. It dangles from her robes and hums with magic. Do you try to steal one? Ask her about them? Do you search around to see if any of them dropped? And what about the notches you saw in the shrines earlier?

Taking Action | The Spared

CW: Disturbing imagery (text and imagery), dark themes, ceremonial rituals, violence, bodily mutilation or harm.

Officials will grant the Summoned nearly full rein to do what they need to. Of course, there are some regulations they'll expect characters to obey, especially anything that's done in public or broad daylight or involving regular citizens, but officials are willing to turn a blind eye to anyone who goes a bit too far as long as they don't run the risk of compromising the stability of the city or kingdom.

Depending on your goals and alignment, you might consider the chaos advantageous. If that's the case, there are ways to manipulate the situation. It could be an opening for you to look heroic and win over the hearts of the Summoned or faction officials. Or you can interfere with investigation attempts, whether that means providing false information, covering up evidence, or obstructing progress. Take care your true intentions aren't discovered.

Are you the lone wolf type? You're free to head off on your own, but chances are with so many of the Summoned affected, you'll run into someone else as you investigate. The question is, are you okay with that or will this cause problems for everyone involved? You might be reluctant to take on a partner or join a team, but you may not have a choice.

Characters can investigate or interact with any of the paths provided in whatever way you want: interrogation, spying, bribery, use your powers or inventions, depending on the circumstances. Not every attempt will be a success, but we can assure you that every interaction will yield something interesting!

Keep in mind that although officials will likely look the other way - as long as you don't give them a reason otherwise - the other Summoned might not feel the same way. Be sure to communicate with each other to work out any conflicts that might occur between characters.

Connecting with NPCs

If you're well-known among faction officials (Rank 6+), you can speak to known NPCs that you've developed a relationship with. You can ask for their assistance, request resources, or help facilitate or negotiate proposals by other Summoned who might need your help getting their foot through the door. This can include officials outside your faction if you've spoken to them during previous events.

Of course, you don't need to take the lead or talk to any officials if you'd prefer to approach things differently. The individual investigations below are also open avenues for you to help in any way you like.

As noted on the OOC Plotting Post, if you've made any connections through Plot Engagement with an NPC, you're welcome to approach us with any ideas you have regardless of your rank.

Submit a Plot or Contact an NPC

Thorne

Thorne will allow the Summoned to investigate by providing resources and portals to Nott and Borrel. Hayle, due to its isolated location and lack of any recent contact with the Summoned, is not considered part of the investigation. Because Solvunn has been upfront about Josselyn's disappearance, Thorne will tell the Summoned this information.

Although Thorne is willing to take great steps to bring the Summoned back safely, they won't let you damage the monarchy or anyone important. Go too far with the wrong person, and you might find yourself thrown in the dungeons instead, or worse.

◎ Locating Spells | Interact

Locating spells can be done using your learned magic or by assisting Thorne's mages. Items belonging to those who went missing are valued, especially if recovered from the place they were taken. Safer spells have a lower chance of revealing useful details, but that doesn't mean they won't give you answers.

If you're willing to risk it, you can take on more dangerous spells. While Thorne won't let you put any royalty and the Castle's people in harm's way, contained labs are available beneath the Castle. As for those dungeon cells that have been filling up? You could ask to borrow a prisoner if there's something from them you need. Some magical energy? Their life force? Don't let word get out. The monarchy won't support you if you give them a bad reputation.

◎ Tracking Leads | Interact

Mages will open portals for you to go where needed if you have a reason to visit based on information revealed. This can be anything from a clue given by a captured Summoned, the result of a locating spell, or similar. Options include forests, mountainous regions, and the rural areas of Nott or its surrounding farmlands. Once there, you can investigate by visiting suspicious sites, looking at tracks, or using additional spells and locating magic.

◎ Witnesses | Interact

In the rougher areas of Nott, you can come across bandits who might've seen something. Knock on doors, ask around, or even rough up a few people if you want, as long as you're not doing it in front of the locals in broad daylight. Bandits possess less powerful magic than trained castle mages or the nobility, so they're weaker to mind reading and other spells.

Additionally, you can spy or eavesdrop, talk to the soldiers or regular citizens in both Borrel and Nott, or request to question someone if you have reason to find them suspicious. In Nott, bribes of food, spices, and alcohol can get you further than money, given the shortage of crops and goods among the commoners. Take care not to make unsanctioned actions upon royal guards, soldiers, castle mages, or the nobility. Who you engage with makes all the difference.

Not every questionable act has immediate consequences. You might learn information that could save lives in the short term, but long-term might be too high a cost, putting dangerous tools in the hands of officials. Even if you believe it's worth it, would the other Summoned? Will you use this information? Sabotage or hide it for what you believe is the greater good?

◎ Interrogations | Interact

Thorne might have one or two prisoners brought to the dungeons beneath the Castle that soldiers claim know something. Maybe you or one of the Summoned were even responsible for this person's capture. Unlike before, entering the dungeons will not affect your powers, though they will continue to dampen the prisoners' magic.

The guards will allow you to do what you must to these prisoners - though not all of your fellow Summoned may approve. Depending on your status and how much information you stand to gain, the guards might protect you while you go ahead, assist with the process, or they could let you fight your own battles. This will be determined by the mods as you interact and investigate.

Free Cities

The Free Cities will allow the Summoned to investigate by providing resources and portals to Aquila and Libertas, as well as areas of the desert that typically take over a week or more of difficult travel to reach. Because Solvunn has been upfront about Josselyn's disappearance, the Free Cities will tell the Summoned this information.

Although the Free Cities is willing to take great steps to bring the Summoned back safely, they're protective of the image they hold with their citizens, since the government and military rely on the support of the people. Do what you must in the shadows or behind closed doors, but don't damage public relations or make the government look bad. You'll find yourself made an example of if you do.

◎ Inventions & Tactics | Interact

Some inventions are typically available only to the military - until now. Due to the circumstances, the Free Cities will grant you access. These include locator devices that use New Magic similar to a tracking spell and army tracking hounds previously used to recover survivors in Libertas. Items belonging to those who went missing are valued, especially if recovered from the place they were taken. Safer tactics have a lower chance of revealing anything useful, but that doesn't they won't give you answers.

If you're willing to risk it, you can experiment with more dangerous inventions - both for locating and interrogation, such as mindreading devices. While the Free Cities won't let you put its citizens in harm's way, contained research labs are available in the military barracks, as well as in areas beneath Portam Hall. These spaces offer animal testing on rodents and birds. If you tell the military you need more complex specimens they won't necessarily provide you with one, but they might be willing to close the door and look away if you decide to haul in a prisoner who's been sentenced to hanging, anyway.

◎ Tracking Leads | Interact

Portal stones will be available for you to go where needed if you have a reason to visit based on information revealed. This can be anything from a clue given by a captured Summoned, the result of a tracking device, or similar. Options include desert hillsides, the Badlands, isolated shorelines, and the notoriously dangerous alleyways in Libertas. Once there, you can investigate by visiting suspicious sites, looking at tracks, or using additional tools, inventions, or spells.

◎ Witnesses | Interact

Bandit camps are scattered near the main roads that encircle the Badlands. To be discreet, you'll need to trek a few hours over the rough terrain. Otherwise, the portal can take you straight there. Soldiers will accompany you if you need an additional show of force, depending on your approach. You can try to befriend the bandits, offer a trade of weapons or alcohol, question them directly, or enact more aggressive tactics.

Additionally, you can do the same to anyone in the Free Cities, or request to bring in someone for questioning if you provide a good reason. You'll have less leeway to be forceful with regular citizens, and city guards will stop you if you get out of hand where people can see. In the Free Cities, gold opens doors - often more than aggression. You can get far by paying the right people. Be careful as you go up the chain of command, and avoid bribing generals and top scientists.

Not every questionable act has immediate consequences. You might learn information that could save lives in the short term, but long-term might be too high a cost, putting dangerous tools in the hands of officials. Even if you believe it's worth it, would the other Summoned? Will you use this information? Sabotage or hide it for what you believe is the greater good?

◎ Interrogations | Interact

The Free Cities might have several prisoners held in the military prison instead of the city jail. Maybe you or one of the Summoned were even responsible for this person's capture. The military's holding area is much more secure and is reserved for more extreme cases.

The soldiers will allow you to do what you must to these prisoners - though not all of your fellow Summoned may approve. Depending on your status and how much information you stand to gain, the soldiers might protect you while you go ahead, assist with the process, or they could let you fight your own battles. This will be determined by the mods as you interact and investigate.

Solvunn

The Council will allow the Summoned to investigate by providing resources and portals to other areas of the settlement and its woods. Solvunn may have its secrets, but they consider the Summoned one of their most valuable members of the community.

In Solvunn, the Council and the locals are very willing to condone zealous acts when it comes to what's best for the commune - even at the expense of others. You can get away with quite a bit as long as you can justify that you're doing so through the will of the gods, and you don't offend any sacred rites and rituals.

◎ Josselyn's House | Interact

A house stands atop a hill, isolated from the rest of the Tertiary Settlement. Where other homes are painted in bright hues for the fishermen to see through the fog, this house seems dull in comparison with its monotone stonework and a porch that creaks as the wind blows by. The front door is locked, so you'll need to find a way in. There are windows and a small rock by the porch that you can examine.

The open plan reveals a kitchen area and hearth, a single bedroom, a storeroom, a bathroom, and an open sitting area/study. In the corner, there is a bookcase from ceiling to floor covered in books, tomes, and unmarked bottles. Off to the side is a dark wooden door, warded with runes.

◎ Tracking Leads | Interact

Portals will be available for you to go where needed if you have a reason to visit based on information revealed. This can be anything from a clue given by a captured Summoned, the result of a tracking device, or similar. Deep in the woods, the paths are overgrown and the sun doesn't reach as far through the canopy of trees. Signs indicate few come in this direction lately, though for what reason is unknown. There are several things out of place: the bogs that have a life of their own, an old shrine (once beautiful and now terrifying to behold), mushrooms that only seem to grow in rings, and the eerie lack of the sounds of nature. Sensitivity to magic will aid you most, but so will your ability to track and observe.

◎ Witnesses | Interact

When a crisis occurs, the commune comes together. Residents in the settlement gather to volunteer their memories for the Council to examine in case they witnessed anything suspicious they don't remember or aren't aware of. They'll be taken to a flowing spring, upon which they willingly submerge themselves at great length. A strange magic does indeed fill the air. Afterwards, they'll be available to speak to you if new information comes to light. While possibly disturbing to watch, those who undergo the process above appear fine afterwards, if a bit wet and cold.

Additionally, you can spy or eavesdrop, speak to your neighbors, or even use your magic on the folks in the settlements if you want. You'll have the freedom to question who you want how you want, as long as the Council deems your intentions are not malicious.

◎ Ritual Sacrifices | Interact

The Council will suggest to the Summoned that there is a more powerful method available, one that could yield greater results and answers. This method comes with a ceremonial dagger, and a leather pouch lined with herbs and animal bones. If you're willing to do what others may not, you can take it upon yourself to collect bodily sacrifices from a list of names the Council holds.

These names belong to people who owe the gods in some way, having offended them deeply by committing a crime or harming the commune. They are supposedly willing, but the Council will warn you that those who express reluctance in the final hour are only experiencing the same weakness that led them to previously stray from the flock. It's up to you to help them perform their godly duties and earn their redemption. No one will die, of course - you're only harvesting a piece of them, whether it be an eye, a finger, or an ear.

Days Ahead: Part 2 (Upcoming)

What characters do during their capture and investigations back home will influence what the next part of the event looks like. We'll factor in characters' escape plans, rescue suggestions, and other details when building Part 2, which will be released in early March.

◎ Please try to coordinate with us as soon as possible if you have any plots you'd be interested in implementing in regards to escape and rescue. While we'll do our best to include everything up to the last minute, the longer you wait, the less we'll be able to adjust for your ideas.

◎ If you don't have anything you want to add, that's okay! Simply participating in the scenarios we've provided is completely fine. Plot suggestion opportunities are for interested players, but it's by no means required or the only method of engaging. We have plenty of scenarios and outcomes we'll give alongside player plots, and we'll also be keeping an eye on what characters are doing in their individual threads, their investigation decisions, and more when writing the next part.

◎ Part 2 will feature more prominent cross-faction collaboration for those the Spared. Characters will be able to go into rescue or relief teams and eventually meet up with others as they journey on - whether planned or accidentally.

Comments

» — escape musings: lifting the veil;

[mobezon]

{ in having observed, he’s been able to see the acolytes come in and out through a particular boulder. he wonders what leads behind there. louis had something similar at the rue royale home he had all those years ago. they had their coffins hidden behind a wall, the bed a distraction to what truly lied behind. louis closes his eyes and lets out a long, frustrating sigh. he has begun to draw circles with his sharp nail, causing damage to the floor where he sits. it ruptures the surface from his habit to use his hands to distract from his thoughts.

he doesn’t have his books. he doesn't have someone to keep him contained. armand was good at it, he’ll admit. louis asked for it. it's a mantra.

he keeps his motions, the sound a slight scratching when he considers the patterns of the acolytes. it’s isn’t a desire to truly escape, rather it’s the urge to make the overwhelming sensations stop. they told him he was a chosen one. the last person who thought that of themselves left a massive gap in his life, and now he thinks there has to be a way to make it all go away. if he’s truly a chosen, then the grief needs to cease. moving the boulder is a necessary distraction. louis also wants to help. }

They’ve been at it for hours.

finally kicks down the door to this thread

[vecna]

[Henry is ravaged by fever, by flesh that wants to transmogrify into something with teeth embedded in it, but still, this does not abate his resolve. If anything, the white-heat of anger that he keeps so easily hidden beneath the surface boils and boils, overrides pain and disorientation, and pushes him forward to seek a way out of this place. Furor, his old friend.

Enough to set aside his tendency to look down upon he company of others and rely upon their aid instead -- perhaps begrudgingly, but willing all the same.]

Then let's find out what's so important that they need to hide it away.

[Henry Creel is a tall man, but not necessarily an intimidating one. He stands a few feet behind where Louis sits dragging circles into he ground with a nail, having brought a group who trails behind him, and it is hard to say that he is looming. But his eyes are sharp and assessing as he looks down at the stranger; he cannot be bothered to glue together too much of his polite, amicable mask right now.

But at least his ire is not directed at any of the Summoned around him.]

I can sense... something there. Something that leads beyond.

[Past the boulder, the network extends. He can feel it, thrumming in the plant life. Still, he tilts his head to indicate just behind his shoulder -- Steve, Sylvain, Claude. The muscle, and then some.]

We're here to move that boulder, if you want to help.

[assembles]

[ Steve's also flagging under the effects of the ascension ritual, with festering lesions having appeared in various places on his body. His shirt has completely changed color since he first arrived here and delivered those speeches to the rest of the captives, assuring everyone that if they stuck together they would get out of here.

And well, he hasn't given up on that idea. Even if he has had to subdue a few different people who were under the ill effects of whatever the acolytes have done to them. He's resisting as best he can, using sheer force of will alone to oppose the changes taking place inside of him, the fungi eating its way through his skin.

When he's approached by a man named Henry about contributing to trying to move that giant boulder that he's pretty sure he hadn't been able to see before, he at least gets confirmation that it's actually there and there's more to it — that he isn't just hallucinating. It could still be some kind of trap, but they have to investigate. They're out of options. This Henry seems determined, driven by his anger at what's been done to all of them, and that's not to be underestimated either.

It helps that Claude and Sylvain have been recruited too. He trusts the two of them, even now when their brains are boiling with this strange infection and it feels like nothing can be relied on.

When Henry leads them over to the boulder and it's Louis awaiting them, Steve tilts his head. He'd done his best to quell the vampire's outburst yesterday (or was it the day before? Everything's blurring together) and he seems not necessarily better now, but at least he's not rabid. The blood he donated must have been some help, at least.

Steve gives him a quick nod of acknowledgment. Covered in grime and dried blood and exhausted as he might be, he's ready to do this. ]

... Between the four of us, we should be able to get it out of the way.

[philancer]

[ Sylvain's lagging behind the other group a little, but sticking close. Just like the others, he's been ravaged by the fevers and other effects from the strange ritual they've all been pushed through. His eyes are still glassy with a high fever, but at least he's stopped seeing things out of the corner of his eye - for now, at least. Henry had managed to catch him in one of the sporadic periods of time when the warring instincts of anxiety and hallucinations seem to have exhausted each other against themselves. So he's here, and upright, even if he is sticking uncommonly close to Claude.

He's staring at the boulder with a puzzled frown on his face before glancing around to take in their surroundings. It was hard to tell, with how much the terrain seemed to shift and change around them at times, but he's almost certain he'd been through here before, and he remembers only a stretch of fungus-covered wall, not a rock at all. But maybe he's thinking of somewhere else? Or it really was hidden right in front of them all this time. The acolytes seemed talented like that.

He eyes Louis a little warily, if only because he doesn't know him, but approaches the rock, smoothing a hand over the surface of it, trying to gauge its weight. ]

It might be a struggle, even with four of us. None of us are at our best right now. [ Obviously. ] But it's worth a shot. If this is a way out...

[ They need to try. They're running out of options. ]

[godshattering]

Then it's more than worth it. Better luck than we'd each have alone otherwise, or something like that.

[ Just to finish that thought Sylvain started, because now that his mind seems to mostly be sorting itself out the idea of escape has been something he's entertained more and more often. With nothing else to think about besides suffering otherwise - something they've all been doing - it's a welcome thought.

He still looks visibly unwell himself and, like everyone else, having been down here for a couple weeks in addition to that has also done him no favors. There's a wound on his arm he's absently rubbing like that'll soothe it while considering the boulder until his fingers run over one of those protruding thorns, then he drops his hand away with a grimace. It's not distracting enough for him to not keep considering their options here, even if one of them ends up being failure. Even if he'd rather not focus on it, there's always a chance for it to happen. But - this is possibly the best lead they've had yet.

He has always enjoyed a good puzzle, and particularly ones with gambling on various risks involved. ]

Anything else you can add about what they're doing on the other side? [ This said to Louis given that at it for hours implies substantial observing of what's going on. That's potentially rather valuable information, because: ] Whatever details, even small ones, would be good to know though we can always focus on moving this outta the way first.

[ And speaking of that and with a glance at Henry next before his attention turns back to their boulder sized obstacle waiting to have their collective force applied to it shortly, ] Same goes for if there's any more specifics to that 'something beyond' and if however you'd sensed it isn't being interfered with like most of our abilities.

[mobezon]

{ it's a rhythmic beat, one he hasn't allowed to play for a long time. it's the same sort brought out that would make him have to force his hand and pull out a knife on his own brother in public. it's the displays, the need to show up. but, this is different. there's more to his anger, as if he's angry he had to even put up such pretenses. now it's coursing through him, redirecting and the boulder is right for the taking. he has to redirect it.

louis stays calm when he agrees to follow the others. he only just misses the implications of sensing when he notes henry. his own have gone haywire that he's barely grasping his own sanity. no time to question the way he's attune to the suffering of others telepathically, only distractions. his window is lessoning, but he's certainly better for now. he looks over at claude when he perceives the question in his direction. }

Not too noteworthy. They don't move the boulder when they go in and out. I would say it's a magic trick in plain sight, but considering our circumstances... I may have something that could help us. { he's been holding castiel's anti-monster shroud, having kept it neatly folded by his side. it wouldn't be visible unless he brought it out, considering the dimmed pit. } Didn't know if this can come in handy, but I asked. The shroud Castiel found in a shrine. We're gon' probably need it if something is in there. Apparently the bone serpent and other monsters live in the tunnels. I don't have to be the one to wear it. I can spot in the dark if needed.

{ well, if his senses don't decide to short-circuit, but he's had a boast. he's truly appreciative, steve. louis was going to wait and see if others were going for it as well. he always likes to be prepared if he's going to get involved at all. he does shift his eyes to the rest so he can take in the full group, all of which seem intent with the purpose at hand. louis wouldn't consider himself "muscle" by looks alone. he'd forced himself to not rely on most of his gifts that he can forget his true vampiric strength of which surpasses most, and certainly if human. }

Just tell me where you want me.

[vecna]

They’re the muscle. Follow their lead if you can manage it.

[He doesn’t even mean for if you can manage it to have a sting behind it when he responds to Louis, it just comes out that way — this is just how Henry is when he isn’t trying to be amicable, when bitter determination underlines everything he says and does.

And every warm body they can help to move the boulder is helpful, because he will be of no use. He knows this, begrudgingly. His strength was never rooted in the physical (as a child, he was teased for his gangliness; as an adult, he’s still long-limbed, more lithe than muscular), but he can be of use elsewhere.

Case in point:]

Can’t you feel it? [If he is singular, even amongst Summoned who possess strange abilities, well. Wouldn’t that be par the course. He scoffs, the thought flitting though his mind.] The fungi that grows here has its own consciousness. It wants to subsume us all into its— [What’s a good word?] —hivemind.

[And believe him, he knows. He had to fight tooth and claw to detach himself from their all-encompassing influence, even though he had done little more than brush his mind against its consciousness during a brief period in which his powers had flickered to life again.]

And runs all around us. Along the floor, beneath it. All along the walls. And beyond— [Yes, he’s using that word purposefully again, a tinge of facetiousness.] —the boulder. It led me here. I can sense it because I'm telepathic.

And if this is a way out, I’m not stopping until we find a way past it.

[He is not going to die here, his body twisted up with strange growths, a fever eating away at his mind and body, seeing things, hearing things, his powers just a dying ember when they used to be a conflagration. He won’t. He won’t be a prisoner again, he won't.]

[assembles]

[ Steve appreciates the questions that Claude poses, as well as how readily they're answered by Louis and Henry. With all of them struggling from the ascension ritual to some degree, five minds is certainly better than one. Steve's paranoia has faded with the attempted cure from Istredd, and while he's still saddled with the guilt of that having backfired, he also knows he can't waste having a (comparatively) clear head.

If it weren't for that, maybe he would have been sending wary glares at Henry and Louis by now, as the two in this group he knows the least. Instead he focuses on the information they have to share. ]

... The shroud might be useful if we're actually able to open up a path out of here. We've gotta move the boulder first, though.

[ A fungus-based hivemind that wants to assimilate them somehow? Are they only in the starting stages of that process, then? How much worse will it get, if they're forced to stay here another week? Steve doesn't know and he doesn't want to find out. If they can escape and get to proper magical and medical care, surely they can nip these infections in the bud. ]

All right. Louis, if you're helping to move it, I think let's have three of us one side pushing and one on the other to keep it steady and pull. It doesn't look like we can roll it, so we're just gonna have to push with brute strength.

[ Louis certainly has supernatural strength, Steve felt that for himself, so he gestures for him to come and join him on one side of the massive boulder. He'll let Claude and Sylvain decide where to put themselves.

And then he finally turns back to Henry. ] If you're telepathic, will you be able to tell if they're coming? The guards, I mean.

[mobezon]

I'll try, { comes his simple and direct response to henry as he secures the shroud around him. telepathic, he says. henry must be skilled in it, and he has to wonder if he has it in the way he's known the Mind Gift — it causes some wariness in him. he does not have it at the level of older vampires, and he's better for it. louis does not take the comment too personally. he's been undermined before, particularly by the ego of white men. for some reason it brings back the same itch. he knows the difference here, but it does not mean in his particular state of mind that he won't take what he perceives as slight disrespect. he merely puts it aside.

since louis does not truly know any of the men, and their only common goal is to escape, he'll take it as an extra observation without revealing too much. he's keeping whatever energy he needs to focus on trying to push the voices out while aiding. truthfully, he's almost grateful steve gestures instructions, away from the temptation of a violent pulse that he's more sensitive to since the ritual. he has to recenter the sharpness poking at him as he slips over to steve's side. louis can snap, but he doesn't wish it to come out.

oh, but the boulder might get the bulk of it. }

True. Best we focus.

{ his hands press firmly against the rock-like texture. his palms feel the roughness of the boulder with the added pressure of which he halts and reels into a steady rest. louis will wait until they are in a better position as a whole unit. }

[vecna]

[If he makes someone bristle with offense at his tone, knowingly or otherwise, Henry doesn't appear terribly concerned. His mind could not be farther from niceties and pleasantries, instead only seeking who might be useful, who might provide the most efficacy amongst the gaggle of Summoned thrown underground and experimented upon.

While the others situate around the boulder, he notably... does not. He won't be able to move it as he is; he wouldn’t be able to move it (without full use of his powers) even before he was suffering from the ill-effects of the ritual. Instead, he offers an answer to Steve’s question.]

Everything is noise. [Not helpful, but he continues:] I can try, but it gets lost in the sensation of the hivemind when my abilities do work. Or the feeling of something pulsing behind that boulder.

[But, never one to question his own abilities even when it rational to do so:]

But if I do sense anyone near, I won't just stand here and not warn everyone.

[philancer]

[ Sylvain has been trying very hard not to pick up whatever might be beyond that boulder. His magic is sporadic at best right now, but being able to sense emotions while they were down here was not a fun time on top of everything else they're dealing with. There were times, when he didn't have control of it, that he lost track of what was him and what wasn't.

While they discuss what to do, he's keeping an eye on their surroundings, eyes scanning the shadows, his paranoia and hypervigilance not letting up even when surrounded by others. He's not sure if he's imagining the feeling of being watched or if there is something lurking nearby. Either way, he'd prefer to not have to stay here longer than necessary. ]

This is going to take a lot of brute strength. Let's see if we can even budge it any before we worry about what's on the other side. [ He doesn't say that might be a moot point, but it's implied all the same. He flicks a glance to Claude. ] Want to take the other side? You're better than I am at keeping an eye out, at least.

[godshattering]

[ Getting subsumed into anything isn't on Claude's list of things to do, what with the long list of everything else they've been dealing with since arriving. He contemplates that and the conversation that follows as Louis moves into place, absently running a hand over his beard like it'll help him think this through any better than they can with so many unknowns.

Moving this boulder still seems to be their best bet regardless of what's lurking on the other side, and he offers a nod both to confirm Henry's abilities will at least be enough to not be caught (hopefully) by someone approaching to thwart their plans and to Sylvain's suggestion. ]

Alright, let's give it our best shot since who knows how much time we have to work on this before something else happens.

[ Said while going to the opposite side of the boulder - the trio lined up or lining up likely already have their tasks for this under control. From this spot he can see about making any adjustments in their path of moving it, with any luck, and he finds a couple of notches in the rock's face to use as grips for his hands. Claude leans back on his heels, ready to offset whatever force is applied through bracing himself for whatever progress they're going to make since he's choosing to believe they will. ]

Focus time, as Louis said. On the count of three?

[ If there's no objections, he'll start the countdown. One step closer to figuring out whatever it is that's pulsing out of their current collective sight. ]

[assembles]

[ Something pulsing, Henry says. Steve doesn't like the sound of that, but whatever it is that's behind this boulder, they're going to have to deal with it if they want to get out of here alive. Or at least if they want to get out of here before they turn into mushroom people.

Everyone's in position, though, and as ready for the potential consequences of this plan as they can be. Steve listens to Claude's countdown coming from the other side, and in time with both Louis and Sylvain, puts all of his strength and weight into pushing the boulder.

Enhancements or not, between the four of them it does start to budge, moving inch by inch but moving all the same.

Except when the boulder moves, it also reveals an opening in the ceiling overhead, too narrow still to make much use of it. Yet a few small rocks spill out, barely missing the three of them.

Steve pauses, pulling his hands back from the boulder to both take a breather and eye the gap overhead. ]

... Huh. Well, that could be a problem.

[vecna]

[He watches as the boulder moves—if only barely—and rocks above tumble and threaten to crack a few of the men on the head. Henry’s brow furrows. Concern is a faraway thing, but the necessity of pulling this off, of seeing what’s behind this boulder and if it might act as a way of escape, is paramount.

Of course it can’t be so easy.

He opens his mouth to say something, and maybe it’s a suggestion, maybe it’s the desire to tell them to keep trying, anyway — but something tugs at the back of his skull. Feels like the barest whisper of a presence, like something that has the audacity to lurk in the shadows, quiet, a predator seeking prey.

Henry scoffs. No, I don't think so. He reaches out instead with his mind, and—

And—]

Everyone move, there’s something above—!

[And hopefully that’s warning enough, because in the next moment, a huge, bony limb descends from above, long and jagged and deadly, looking to skewer or constrict anyone who happens to be below. Watch out, boulder crew.

The Bone Serpent is here to make a mess of things.]

[mobezon]

{ the rocks fall, and one of them cracks in half against his arm as he steadies against the boulder. it's only one, and with many it'll add more harm. he hears henry's message clear against his ear, picking up on the sound quick. louis sees it right away, in the filtering of a dark corner above. the leg. it emerges and it's huge, causing louis to truly pause.

he finds he is actually concerned over all their well-being, at least enough to get the task done. it takes a whole team. louis decides against his better judgement that'll he'll amplify henry's message to let him focus. his hesitance is the intrusion of it, but whatever is emerging seems deadly. he uses his energy to reach out to the others. unless they have a block to mind reading, it'll only be a brief echo in their heads:

Move back. Now.

the thing is, it takes much from him. it's enough to stagger back, and narrowly miss the damning monster leg. he has to wonder if the serpent is going to push the boulder back for them in its wake. does it want out? is it guarding? louis is more so focused on trying to see the wide view and how he can support the trained muscle (to the reminder to keep up). he'll find an opening. }

[philancer]

[ There's only so many directions Sylvain's exhausted attention can focus right now and it had been fully focused on moving the rock and not reopening the worst of his wounds in the process. So when the warning comes, his reaction is slower than normal, sluggish almost.

But the delay - as the warning is echoed in his head, what the hells? - means he's still standing beside Louis when the other man staggers. Sylvain reaches out on instinct, attempting to steady him, or maybe push him safely out of the way. But it also means he's still right there as the limb descends, searching.

He's knocked back, feeling a sharp pain searing along his nerves as one of the jagged edges scrapes against his unprotected side. He's slammed back against the boulder, pinned to it with how the limb has come down, the breath knocked from his lungs from the impact. He manages to grunt out a curse as his hands lift to grapple with it, trying to push it off of him to free himself. ]

[godshattering]

[ The smaller rocks issue a warning which is overshadowed by a far more pointed one, and Claude barely has time to spin out of the way of the leg that appears. Something about it is familiar from when he'd roamed a tunnel with someone else not so long ago, but this is far more of an active threat. He raises a hand to do - something, he's not entirely sure what, but before he can Sylvain's back hits the boulder and he winces.

Some choice words are muttered under his breath as he rips his gaze away from Sylvain to check on the rest of their team while a half-organized plan forms in his mind. To buy himself a second to call forth magic Claude backs away a couple steps to allow some room and to scoop up a couple baseball sized rocks from the ground. Those are launched to pelt the monster with in what feels like a totally logical move one might use with, say, something much smaller and less likely to rip them to shreds with one blow.

Because: ] Hey, look over here, you bastard!

[ Something that might be a head follows the sound of his voice. It's probably not total distraction but it's enough for Claude to send forth the blast of wind he'd summoned. And that isn't as strong or accurate as it could be when it flies wide of his intended aim, but it strikes the monster's side enough for it to issue a harrowing shriek in response. Now he can practically feel the focus honed in on him as he readies another spell; all the better to give the others more chances to strike. ]

[assembles]

[ Steve had realized that such an obvious escape attempt wouldn't go off without a hitch, but if anything, he'd expected for some of the acolytes to show up and do whatever they could to stop them. This isn't exactly subtle, after all.

He wasn't ready for the creature that starts slipping out of the gap in the ceiling that they made, first one limb followed by something that must be its head. Its body all bones, it's able to twist and contort as needed to move itself through the small opening. The movements are all wrong, grotesque in a way that might have made his stomach turn if he wasn't already focused on dealing with the problem.

The words in his mind seem to be Louis' voice, and Steve doesn't hesitate to listen as he backs away from the boulder and the hole above it. Another vampire thing? He's had people talk in his head before, so it doesn't distract him as much as it does some of the others. When Sylvain's slammed against the side of the boulder with a clacking of bone, Steve lunges forward again, protectively. Claude's wind spell activates from the other side of the boulder, the sudden gust knocking him off-balance for just a second.

Still, he gets his hands around one of the bony limbs and yanks hard. Barely healed wounds in his palms (from the ritual vines and from the aftermath) reopen as he puts all of his strength into wrenching against the leg. Somehow, he finds the strength to rip the limb clean off, and the creature lets out another angered hiss, attention split between him and Claude. ]

[mobezon]

{ it's a loud crunch cutting through his now sensitive ears. every fiber of the bone having held it together is the tear he hears plainly. it's impressive to witness steve's strength. there's much going on from the spells (of which are new to him overall - something to process at another time). brute strength, he knows.

the creature is hurt. it's an opportunity, one he contemplated. he doesn't want to, but he can't deny the what if. something is compelling him, closer as if there is another whisper near him pushing him towards the aid he could be providing. the creature is descending upon steve and claude, and he sees claude trying to conjure something. the bone serpent is menacing, but louis will risk it. he could be quicker. his speed still gets him between the two instantly. }

Be ready.

{ it's thrown in passerby, since he's not waiting for a response. he gathered the courage now. louis calls the hunger that he's been mediating, pushing it forth. he might as well use his dark gift in a useful manner. louis leaps off the ground. he knows he can reach it. it might even be a surprise to the creature, and that is what he intends. his fangs are fully extended when he lands upon the creature's shoulder and he bites down. it's sharper than a blade, enough to cut through the toughest skin. it's a gamble, to taste blood unknown to him. he clings until he can drink fully, until he can hear the piercing cry of the creature, until -

the taste is becoming acidic that he can only hold onto so long before the creature uses one of its remaining limbs to push louis off. it's a thrash against the wall. louis manages to scratch along its leg as he is thrown off, adding further injury. when he sets his mind to it, he can be ruthless. he hates having to showcase it, but what choice does he have?

there's blood on his shirt now. it's smeared on his mouth, covering his lower jaw in a dark color. it's darker than red, black even. his pupils have dilated and it's as if he were a fledging again, but he remains on his knees where he landed. he hopes that was some help. }

[vecna]

[Between the Bone Serpent itself, and everyone's harried actions to protect themselves from it, Henry only observes chaos from where he stands. Claude's magic, and his distraction; Steve's pure show of strength in which he tears off a leg; and Louis' sudden, ravenous vigor in which he bites the damn thing. It's almost comedic, the range of ability that these men choose to employ against this creature, though Henry has not even a single moment to dwell on that thought. There is still the issue of Sylvain and his perilous position, caught between another lashing leg of the creature and the others, and he watches as one rises up and back down, less purposeful and more a result of twisting its body around in reaction to this newfound assault. It doesn't change the fact that Claude is in the line of fire where many-pointed limbs are concerned.

Henry reaches out, grabs the man with his telekinesis (a strain, he can feel his head throb, the crimson begin to trickle down his nostril again), and drags him closer to him, out of the way. It's practically a throw, but now's not the time to be gentle with... anyone or anything.]

You owe me.

[He barks out, wherever Claude's landed; near enough for him to hear it in the chaos.

That aside, far be it from Henry to stand around and fling people out of the way. This creature is nothing more than an obstacle if his anger has anything to say about it, and though it's likely an unwise choice given the state of their abilities, Henry reaches out telepathically in the Bone Serpent's direction, lancing into its mind, filling it with disorientation and static and pain-

It rears up, twisting its body about even more, thrashing and flailing. Now's an even better chance to get a few hits in!]

[philancer]

[ Trapped as he is against the boulder and scrabbling to push off the massive limb pinning him in place, it gives Sylvain front row seats to the chaos that follows - Claude's distraction, Steve's brutal attack and Louis... wait, had that guy just bitten the thing? What the hells was that? But he'd also not missed the spiked appendage descending in Claude's direction and with the wind knocked out of him, he didn't have a voice to even call a warning.

Fortunately, it seems Henry's got it under control and he might owe the other man for that now, too. He can't see where Claude landed, but while the others are dealing with the other reaching limbs, he still has the one pinning him in place as the primary problem.

Yeah, fuck that, this is going to hurt, and he's not even sure how much he can summon, but it should be enough to do some damage. He reaches up, grasping the spiked limb with both hands and reaching deep for that flickering, guttering flame that's been so faint and distant since he'd woken here. He pulls on it anyway, summoning fire to his hands, channelling it up through the thick limb crushing him against the rock.

It works, maybe a little better than he'd anticipated. The thing gives a pained, furious shriek that echoes off the rocks around them and has Sylvain's ears ringing. Flames lick up the surface of the limb, leaving charred, sizzling wounds in their wake. And the limb is abruptly withdrawn, sluggishly moving away in a pained flinch. Abruptly freed, Sylvain sways for a moment before sliding down to his knees against the rock, wheezing for air and cradling an arm against his aching ribs. ]

Good news. [ His voice is more a breathy rasp than anything. ] I don't think it likes fire very much.

[godshattering]

[ He's ready to fire another blade of wind if it'll cooperate - if that's what the shimmers passing between his hands mean he's calling forth and not something which won't do anything at all. Claude doesn't get the chance to hope it's something better when in short order there's a leg missing, a bite taken, and just enough time for him to think what- suddenly he's flying through the air before landing with a thud some feet away. The leg touches down where he'd been standing a second later for a near miss in being pinned himself thanks to that quick thinking.

What Henry says is lost to him only because the impact draws another bout of coughing out of him, but he thinks he got the point of it. No time to stop, Claude thinks, and he pushes himself back up in time to see Sylvain's fire engulf the monster. This time when it waves a blazing leg around, probably in pain if that screech is anything to go by, Claude's quick enough to half roll, half stumble out of the way. Turns out it doesn't land within a vicinity where he needs to be (too) concerned, which means he's able to get closer to Sylvain to rest a hand on his shoulder. Enough for a healing spell to pass through quickly, though his gaze is still tracking the monster partially on fire if the smoke is anything to go by so it may or may not work. ]

Nice work. You stay here. [ To Sylvain first, and then to Steve, Louis, and Henry with a point towards one particularly flame damaged spot on the Bone Serpent - ] On this side! Another leg is damaged where it connects. It's--

[ Waving a hand towards it really isn't going to clarify anything given this thing is all connecting spikes so on second thought, Claude brings forth that wind spell again powered by sheer spite. This time it strikes where he intended it to go and has the added fortune of flaring the still smoldering edges of that potential target he'd spotted so it glows like a beacon. ]

[assembles]

[ There's a whole lot that happens all at once, but for someone like Steve, he's used to the chaos of fighting alongside multiple other enhanced or magic-imbued individuals. Louis leaping up at the creature to bite into it is a brief shock, but given that Steve's felt those fangs sink into him, it's more a surprise at the fact that the monster bleeds at all.

But if it bleeds, that's probably a good sign for them. It means that the blows they're peppering it with aren't just glancing off.

Steve clocks the way that Henry manages to yank Claude out of the way of a dangerous blow with a flick of his wrist, how Sylvain sets part of the creature on fire, and then how Claude makes its new weak spot glow like a Christmas tree.

Steve doesn't have to think twice, having been in enough situations like this, working with a team, that he knows this is his cue. He races toward the limb in question and seizes it between the hands, ignoring the heat that sears into his already injured palms in the process. He can worry about that later; he needs to send this thing packing. Thankfully, he doesn't have to hold on for too long, as a strong pull is enough to break the limb clean off, and that turns out to be the final straw. The monster's had enough. With one final, angry screech, it retracts back up into the ceiling and disappears almost as quickly as it arrived.

Leaving the five of them here, various levels of injured (or not) as the adrenaline of the sudden attack slowly drains out of them. Steve turns to give the other four a quick once-over. ]

... Everyone all right?

[mobezon]

{ he'd tried to concentrate and cull the fire that he knows can arise. except it failed him. he'd used the majority of his energy and there are still restrictions on what they can do in the confinements of the pit. amongst the midst of steve giving a final effort that'll make the creature retreat, louis turns to one of the others. he's not sure who, all he knows is that he looks past them. there's a distinct static in his head, one that makes a voice slip through.

no. it's a song. someone is singing. something activates within like a switch, and he finds he's compelled. there's the high of the adrenaline, and the blood of the monster on his shirt, on his face. louis rises from the ground. steve's everyone all right becomes further static as he glances in his direction and gives an automatic nod. it'll give the impression he's good, but instead he's hyper focused on the song in his head. can they not hear it...? all he knows is he needs to desperately follow it. louis uses his speed to blur out and he's gone within a blink of them all recovering from the fight immediately after steve's concern to the group.

louis will see inej and castiel surrounding the shrines in the distant. in his entranced state, the succumbing reaching heightened levels, he'll step towards them. the battle with the bone serpent had caused him enough damage to let his defenses down until it was too late, and now... another bites the dust. t-minus. }