EVENT #12: INVOCATION - IC EVENT LOG (PART 2)

[abraxasmods]

Event #12 - Invocation ( 2 )

Go to the:
OOC plotting post | Event coordination post

---

As Week 3 approaches around March 6th, faction officials will begin to reach out to characters for information they've uncovered that hasn't been reported. Although Thorne, the Free Cities, and Solvunn have traditionally been at odds, the three nations have come together under these unique circumstances,, and will continue to cooperate until the Lost have been recovered. With Nocwich open as a base of operations, the Spared will have a neutral location to meet in person without border restrictions.

How events proceed will depend in part on your actions. If you're one of the Spared, you can join a team or stay back to prepare and coordinate. If you're one of the Lost, you can escape or remain behind to help others break free.

NOTES

1. For a rough TIMELINE, the Lost's breaking free and the Spared's coordination efforts will take place 2-3 days into Week 3. Leading into Week 4, the Spared will send out their teams to retrieve the Escape and Holdout Groups. Though there's some narrative wiggle room for who returns and when, characters should only participate in one team or group to keep things organized.
   
   
2. 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.


3. The Network will function properly again for the Lost who have escaped. The ones who remain captured will continue to experience disruptions similar to Part 1.

Please don't hesitate to ask us questions or clarification, even if you feel it might be a minor detail. This event contains a lot of information to go over, so we're happy to guide you through anything that requires further explanation. We'd much prefer you ask to avoid any misunderstandings or confusion!

Week 3

By now, several discoveries have been made. You've explored nearly every angle you can. It's time to take what you've learned and do something about the situation, whether you're trapped inside the dark cave or trying to bring your friends home.

Escape | The Lost

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

The past two weeks have been a harrowing experience, but you're still alive. Though the situation's worsened in some aspects, you've gained advantages in others. You might've formed unexpected allies from the other side, discovered hidden clues, or retrieved weapons and tools.

Moreover, the Acolytes don't seem quite so sure of themselves anymore, do they? Ever since the ritual, they've been watching nervously, as though they aren't confident in what's coming next. Some of you even managed to reveal one of their faces, exposing a weakness.

As you listen to the rattle of chains and scraping of metal on stone, you fear something much worse awaits you. Is it time to strike? Do you work on your own or rally the others? That's up to you, but one thing's evident: you can't sit around much longer.

Players can narrate the commotion and escape how they like, using the details described below. The Acolytes will retaliate and try to stop escape attempts. Killing and attacking them is possible with no need to request a roll, but enough will survive to subdue anyone left behind.

Characters don't need to willingly sacrifice themselves to remain captured. They can also be too injured to leave or fail to make it in time.

The First Domino (Breaking Out)

When the final shrine was unlocked late in Week 2, fleshy pillars rooted themselves into the cavern floor. As your third week in the cave crawls along, the trunk-like pillars begin to move.

A low groan shakes the ceiling above. Rocks fall along with bits and pieces of the bulbous organic prisons attached to the high walls. Chunks of melted flesh from decomposing bodies within the plantlike traps splatter below. Were it not obvious before, it is now: the pillars are legs belonging to a creature. A very large creature.

◎ Unleashed

The creature is not interested in fighting. Instead, it begins to leave. As it does, it takes portions of the ceiling with it, tearing holes above and below. People scurry beneath its feet and are crushed like ants. It does not discriminate between the Acolytes and the natives who are captured.

But it does avoid you and the other Summoned. Either it can't see anyone except you, or it recognizes you and associates you with those who freed it. Regardless, you are spared its destructive path. It lumbers off, dragging thorny vines that whip behind it. Crumpled pieces of the shrines and mangled bodies stick to its massive feet. You can't see where the creature is going, but later you might realize it has vanished into the ocean.

The brief chaos has left you with several openings:

• Seawater spills from unseen crevices above, flowing down the walls. Several Acolytes are dead, reducing their numbers.


• The already weakened cracked wall crumbles further, granting you an easier path to the webbing behind it.


• Equally weakened is the sealed opening where a smaller but deadly creature was previously trapped. A couple of determined hands could free it for a distraction. Beware - it's hungry.


• If the boulder hasn't already been pushed out of the way, the rumbling ground and smashed walls might help you finish the job.

Do you grab a weapon and attack the Acolytes while they're disoriented? Do you help save the injured natives? Are you focused on what lies behind the boulder and cracked wall? Do you free the trapped beast? Decide quickly - this could be your only chance.

◎ Opening the Door

Although the ceiling's been torn open, no open sky is revealed. Climbing up is difficult. You'll have to look elsewhere to escape. Once the boulder is removed and the cracked wall is torn down, you'll notice orange sparks that run between the strange bulb behind the boulder and the dense webbing across the cave.

Are you brave enough to reach into the pulsing bulb? If you do, you'll find thick vines connected to its beating heart. Each time a vine is forcibly pulled away and disconnected, the webbing begins to loosen, forming a small opening - but letting go will close the webbing right up again.

The more vines are disconnected, the larger the opening. It'll take 2-3 of you to make an opening large enough for people to go through... and from how quickly it closes, anyone who volunteers understands that they won't be escaping with the rest.

◎ Escape Routes

Do you trust what lies beyond the webbing? Looking through reveals only the dark abyss. You have no idea what's out there, but it can't be worse than what's in here. Can it?

If you don't trust the webbing and have the strength, you can swim down through an opening in the floor, left behind by the giant earlier. It's filled with cold ocean water. If you make it, you'll see a standard portal hidden in the depths.

Choose your path. Each one will spit you out somewhere a little different, but you'll have the chance to look for and meet up with others who took the other route.

If you're one of the Lost keeping the webbing open, you could try to dive for the underwater portal, but you won't make it. The portal will shatter quickly once the vines are released.

◎ Josselyn Creed | Interact

Josselyn Creed is difficult to spot in the commotion but not impossible. A few of her most faithful protect her. She wears a unique robe compared to the others. Her hood is lowered, revealing her brown hair tied in a bun that may be recognizable to some. Her mask is in place.

While she'll escape in the end, she isn't immune to harm. You can try to stop her and, in the process, perhaps contribute to what happens to her as she flees or afterwards.

◎ The Mysterious Acolyte | Interact

Along with the natives who might need your assistance escaping, there's also the strange pair whom a few interacted with. The Mysterious Acolyte and the Unknown Stranger will appear lost and uncertain in the pandemonium.

Some of you promised to help them escape, but saving them comes with a cost: at least one of you must exchange your place in the Escape Group for both of them. She will not leave without her brother, the Unknown Stranger. Her refusal will cost one of the Summoned their place.

Players can decide how the scenario plays out. At least one character must their place in the Escape Group so that the Unknown Stranger makes it through first. Only then will the Mysterious Acolyte follow.

Characters holding open the webbing and vines are not eligible. A sacrifice can only count for one outcome.

Into the Cold (Escape Group)

The first thing you notice is the biting cold. The sky is beginning to lighten. For once, you can breathe in the fresh air. But where are you, really?

◎ Gathering Your Bearings

Though spring is on its way, the mountains are a tundra. Temperatures are cold, though not as terrible as they'd have been in the dead of winter. Maybe you've stolen some warm clothes off the dead before the escape? Or, if you've been kind to the Abraxan natives who shared the ordeal with you, they'll offer supplies and equipment in return. It isn't much, but it could make all the difference if you're in dire straits.

• If you swam through the WATER PORTAL, it'll spit you up in an open cave. Wet and cold as you are, at least you've found shelter. Keen eyes might spot an unusual trail of glitter. Follow it to a tiny hidden hot spring. Soaking in the shimmering water are a few mischievous but harmless creatures. One was accidentally set loose at the Peace Summit many months ago, showering multiple attendants in a shimmery sheen. Large beast-like prints are nearby, though, so best not to stay long. Still, it's a nice reprieve while you can get it...as long as you don't mind being coated in glitter.


• If you went through the DENSE WEBBING, it'll spit you up on a frozen lake. Cracks will begin to form as more and more land on the surface. You'll need to find solid ground quickly. Take care - a large shadow lurks beneath the thinning ice. If there's too much commotion or excessive movement, it'll realize there's prey above and begin to thrash, disturbing the delicate ice further.

◎ Temporary Relief

Though some healing abilities and magic have returned, the wounds caused by the ritual don't seem to recover properly. They aren't getting worse, but it's troubling. Your mind could remain confused or disturbed. Even those who were successfully cured will discover the lesions heal much slower than other injuries.

As the days wear on, you might feel a strong pull from the Singularity that leads you into the Horizon. This is especially so if you remain under the ritual's influence. If you give in to the urge and find a safe moment to enter, you can go in without as much difficulty as before.

You won't land where you intend, but you might find one of the Spared within. Somehow, the Singularity has brought you together. Something compels you to reach out and make contact. When you do, you'll feel a gentle warmth. You might not know what's happening, but it feels right.

When you depart from the Horizon, effects from the ritual have lessened by a noticeable degree. They'll stay that way for the next day or so, giving you the strength to keep going.

◎ Preparing for the Night

What you do next is entirely up to you. You can organize with your fellow escapees, go off on your own, or try to bring the two groups together. Boars, rabbits, and foxes can be hunted. The surrounding snow can be boiled for safe drinking water.

Even more fortunate, your powers will return - to a degree. Stronger abilities might take longer to return fully, but elemental spells, modest healing, and enhanced senses or traits can be accessed. And you might find that messages on the Network are no longer distorted.

Not all is safe and well: though the first few days are quiet, the mountains aren't without the usual predators. Wolves howl, and large gryphons soar the sky. They're wary of people and are unlikely to attack, but that doesn't mean you should let your guard down. In the wild, you never know. As you enter Week 4, more formidable threats could arise.

Sacrifice (Holdout Group)

Maybe you're one of the unlucky souls, or maybe you chose to sacrifice your place for others. However it came about, both escape paths close, and the Acolytes inside the cavern overwhelm you and the rest once more. Those left behind are a mixture of native Abraxans and the Summoned. The ground is sticky with blood and viscera.

Forcibly, violently, you're led or dragged deeper and deeper down the stone paths to the altar room where the rituals took place. The Acolytes push as many of you in there as they can and seal the door - and if a few limbs are caught in the way, that's just too bad. Someone with you, perhaps one of the natives, ends up with a crushed finger or hand as the doors slam shut.

Not everyone is pushed inside in the end. In the Acolytes' rush to contain the Summoned, a few Abraxan natives are left outside the doors with the remaining Acolytes. When you hear their cries through the sealed barrier, you have to ask yourself if you're truly the lucky ones.

◎ The Altar Room

The altar is built of bone. The husks of now-empty bodies are piled into a macabre amalgamation. It's not meant to house anyone for long. Supplies are limited. Water trickles into a small pond used for the Acolytes' rituals. There are bowls of hardened bread. Sealed crates contain more mushrooms. They're edible, but some might carry psychedelic side effects. If you've succumbed to the ritual, though, you might not consider that a downside.

While not as open or large as the cavern you came from, you can explore the altar room for any potential answers to where you are and how to escape. The entrance is sealed tight. Outside, you can hear the Acolytes - and that might be important for later.

Since the door is magically sealed, nothing can come in or out...except the Bone Serpent, whose legs continue to slink down from above to snatch unsuspecting victims. Blood drips from above, possibly from one of its missing legs.

Now and then, something bangs on the door. Is it the creatures you unleashed before? The beasts that were never contained? You can try to follow the Bone Serpent to see where it leads or maybe even glimpse the creature beyond its thorny limbs, but that's a high risk. The consequences could be dire.

◎ Slow Flood

The destruction seems to have broken what prevented you from using the Network. You can now communicate with the Spared and the Escape Group uninterruped.

Unfortunately, the chaos has also dislodged the structure of the entire cavern. Husks of limbs crumble to the floor. The ground grows moist. Bit by bit, water begins to collect in small puddles. More drips through cracks in the walls and ceilings. The rocky floors offer higher ground, but that'll only last for so long.

As slow as it is, there's no denying the dread that washes over you: the cavern is flooding, and it's seeping through into the altar room. Some of the captured natives look uneasy. Others are too injured to help themselves. You can try to plug the leaks. Though the idea might strike you as morbid, the bodies of the dead can be used to keep some of the water at bay.

◎ Temporary Relief

Wounds caused by the ritual don't seem to recover properly. Your mind could remain confused or disturbed. Even those who were successfully cured will discover the lesions heal much slower than other injuries.

As the days wear on, you might feel a strong pull from the Singularity that leads you into the Horizon. This is especially so if you remain under the ritual's influence. If you give in to the urge and manage to find a safe moment to enter, you can go inside without as much difficulty as before.

You won't land where you intend, but you might find one of the Spared within nonetheless if you wander through. Somehow, the Singularity has brought you together. Something compels you to reach out and make contact. When you do, you'll feel a gentle warmth. You might not know what's happening, exactly, but it feels right.

When you depart from the Horizon, effects from the ritual have lessened by a noticeable degree. They'll stay that way for the next day or so, giving you the strength to keep going.

Coordination | The Spared

You might have compromised a few morals to get what you want - if you had any in the first place - but regardless of how you got here, you and the other Summoned have gathered enough information to proceed. Of course, there are still a few details to iron out. How will you approach the island without compromising the Lost? What spells and resources are required? What needs to be done so that survivors have a safe place to rest and recover once they're home? And what about the ritual inflicted upon them?

Players are encouraged to organize teams, rescue efforts, and tactics with each other. The details outlined below are to provide a starting point and some guidance but are by no means the only options available.

Nocwich

Thanks to a request by one of the Summoned in the Free Cities, Nocwich's doors are opened as a neutral meeting ground for the Spared from all three major nations. Some officials will also be arriving to monitor the situation.

◎ Ritual Details (Sten) | Interact

Sten, one of the Nocwich ambassadors for the Lunae, received a request to help find a cure for the ritual. To do so, he wants to first learn as much about the ritual as he can. Anyone with information can come forward either in person or with a note - anonymous or not. While he'd prefer to put a name to the face, Nocwich won't interfere with the Summoned's desire to protect themselves and their secrets.

Sten will be available in Oleuni Square, in one of the many tents. Pale-haired and scarred, he's warm and friendly to everyone. Due to Luna's connection to Solvunn, he has some knowledge of High Magic, although the traditions of the werewolves are different. While he can't hold long meetings, he'll make time to see everyone who has something important to tell him about the ritual - and if you need a little extra reassurance, he'll offer that, too.

◎ Oleuni Square

Normally a thriving marketplace, Oleuni Square has been repurposed. In the northeastern corner, a collection of tents have been set up. Most are utilitarian but others are covered with homemade blankets to help cover imperfections. The Lunae have come to lend their aid. Volunteers help set up tables and supplies. Others guard the area and the portals. A communal cooking area is available to provide hot meals.

You can make use of the tents for talking strategy, organizing supplies, and other meetings. Nearby inns are available for sleeping free of charge, although one of the inns is closed so that it can be converted into a temporary infirmary. Faction officials and employees are available, as well. You can consult them on tactical advice, resources, and the lay of the land.

Early in Week 3, a few representatives from Ikorr arrive with a supply of their sacred sap. With the sap and the metal ore from the Lunae, you can fashion supplies and potions from raw materials.

The mood around the makeshift camp is somber but hopeful. As one of the Summoned, you'll have control of the situation and can work with a variety of officials and locals to arrange what you need.

Reevaluating Plans

Shortly into Week 3, you'll receive word that some of the Lost have escaped. As details come in bits and pieces, you realize the situation's taken a dramatic turn. More than that, messages from the Lost are no longer disrupted as before. You can read the words clearly again.

Who makes contact first and how the news spreads depends on you. Regardless of how it comes about, your focus can't be solely on breaching the discovered island. Now you also have another group to retrieve - and you don't know where they are, though they at least have some helpful information: the Singularity, the snowy mountains, and a view of the ocean.

Take advantage of the Network's return to reevaluate your plans. You'll need to determine the situation in the island cave as well as the mountains, split into teams, and bring everyone home.

Assigning Roles

Under the circumstances, officials will recommend the Summoned divide into at least two groups: one to search the mountains and one to retrieve the Lost remaining on the island. If you're not the type to rush to the front lines, you can also stay back and help out at home. There's plenty to do here between finding a cure, delegating tasks, and preparing for survivors to return.

◎ Search Team

Reports from the Escape Group tell of snow-capped mountains, Acolytes in pursuit, and other creatures that lurk. Many are injured, though fortunately, abilities have started to return. The area isn't guarded, but the terrain is difficult and temperatures are harsh. Officials will suggest using portals to arrive at the nearest safe point on the mountains before traveling on foot to find the Lost. Others can choose to hunt down the Acolytes who are chasing their friends. Anyone with strong tracking skills would be key, but the team could also use medical assistance in case anyone needs treatment on the spot.

◎ Retrieval Team

Word has it that some of the Acolytes remain on the island along with the trapped captives. The area is tightly guarded and possibly infested with some unknown creatures or those not in their right minds. Officials will suggest negotiating to prevent unwanted casualties but will caution that having a team for infiltration and force is necessary, too. Some distraction could also be helpful, and it would be wise to have some medical assistance in case anyone needs treatment on the spot.

◎ Home Team

Having hands on deck at base is equally vital. Officials will recommend a cure for the ritual be found while the teams are out searching, and standard healing supplies will need preparation, too. Outbound teams could use someone to help bring together lines of communication, updating officials and the Summoned alike about what's going on. And of course, with the Horizon as a place of respite, anyone who can go in to help the Lost seeking healing would be of value.

Week 4

The days have been taxing, but you're beginning to feel a change in the air. Now that resources and information have been pooled, things are moving quickly. Soon, you'll be reunited.

Once you find one another, you'll still need to return home safely - but at least you'll have each other now.

Although players have been divided up until now between Lost and Spared, Week 4 will bring the Spared in contact with the Lost's environments. We'll provide relevant information or redirect each group accordingly so that you don't need to review the entire post for the correct details. If there's anything you're uncertain about from the other group, please ask!

Survival | The Lost

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

By now, you've undoubtedly heard from the Spared back home. You're relieved to know rescue is coming, but you probably don't want to sit and wait. With threats to contend with and a dangerous environment, you can take steps to be sure the Spared have help from the other side.

Escape Group

Surviving the elements is only half of it. As the days turn to nights, you realize you're not alone. More than wolves and bears prowl. Something sinister comes...as well as the Acolytes who want their captives back at all cost.

◎ Pursuing Acolytes | Interact

Loyal to the cause, some Acolytes chase the fleeing Lost into the mountains. You might be lulled into safety the first few days, but by Week 4, you sense their presence. The evergreen trees wither, winter shrubs rot, and unexplained husks of wildlife are found. The winds carry a stench in the air that you now identify with the fungal cavern you were held in.

They hunt in pairs or small groups. Their powers seem weaker for reasons unknown, but they remain formidable opponents. You can run, protect others, or go on the offensive.

◎ Hydnellia & Esmond | Interact

If they successfully escape in Week 3, the Mysterious Acolyte and the Unknown Stranger will travel with their rescuers. They'll introduce themselves as Hydnellia & Esmond. Though nervous, Hydnellia is more trusting of anyone who helped them. She's skilled in healing and foraging, while Esmond carries a draught for warmth that could prove useful. Depending on where you stand, you could find their addition helpful or contentious.

◎ Revenant | Interact

Something else stalks the night, scaring even the Acolytes. A hoarfrost revenant has lived on these peaks for centuries. With the sudden arrival of the Lost and Acolytes, he prowls the snow, searching for who's disturbed his sleep.

He cannot be killed. You can only run or chase him away, but he'll soon return. Take care not to stay in one place too long. A rattling chain and blue-flamed lantern announces his coming. His touch brings instant death, made clear by the frozen carcasses of animals left in his path. Best not to fight him.

◎ Rescue

Landmarks such as lakes, cliffs, the Singularity, and more can be used to direct the Search Team to your location.

You might want to warn the Spared about the dangers they'll face when they reach the mountains. Unable to portal to you directly, they'll reach you on foot. You'll need to brave the dangers together one last time to reach the waiting portals below. The trek isn't far, but making that final stretch might feel like an eternity. In the distance, the ground trembles, and the snow begins to form an avalanche.

Players can arrange how the Search Team and the Escape Group meet and decide what threats they'll encounter as they return to the portal.

Details on the avalanche and what characters will face when traveling to the portal will be provided under the Search & Rescue - Search Team section.

Holdout Group

As you huddle in the altar room, you can only hope your sacrifice, intentional or not, was worth it. At least you've been able to communicate with the outside world. The Acolytes are beginning to show signs of unease and budding dissent. At some point, you have to ask, why haven't the unhappy ones left or fled themselves?

Maybe you aren't the only ones trapped anymore. Maybe you're all trapped together now.

◎ The Altar | Interact

Now that you can approach the altar and examine it closely, you see the terrible remnants of twisted figures sunken into the ground beneath it, as though they've fused with the altar itself.

If prodding at the shrines worked, perhaps doing the same with the altar will reveal some answers. A strange energy emanates from its open maw when those afflicted by the ritual come near.

◎ A Promise | Interact

In the final hour, some Acolytes desperately try to resume the rituals on the few remaining Abraxan natives left outside the altar room - many in poor condition. You hear it, though you can only glimpse it through a gap in the sealed doors. Their bodies quickly succumb and sprout more fungal growths while long, spine-like tendrils protrude from their orifices.

You can plead with them to stop, or you can join them in hopes that you will find your divine emancipation. The Acolytes will release anyone who wants to join the ritual from the altar room...but what you step into could carry horrific consequences.

◎ Dissenting Acolytes | Interact

More arguments beyond the sealed doors erupt as water fills the cave and altar room. They accuse each other of being faithless or too blindly loyal. Some say Hydnellia betrayed them. Others say the High Priestess did, perhaps referring to Josselyn.

Toward the middle of Week 4, it grows quiet outside. The arguments stop. One Acolyte approaches the door. She promises to free you and the others and help you find a way out of the cavern together, including overwhelming Josselyn's faithful.

This could be what turns the tide, but things might also go very wrong. You and the others trapped with you must decide if you'll accept the olive branch. Of course, agreeing to trust them doesn't mean you have to follow through. The Acolytes sound desperate and might be a bit too trusting themselves.

◎ Rescue

Unlike the Escape Group, the Spared know where the Holdout Group is. Getting to them will take effort, but you can help by providing information from the inside. After all, the Acolytes won't know when you're using the network. You can even coordinate with each other in secret despite being in the same room.

You might want to warn the Spared about the dangers they face when they reach the cavern areas. The Bone Serpent could pose a problem, along with any crumbling walls and obstacles. A creature might still be trapped in one of the tunnels if no one freed it. As the team approaches, severe quakes shake the entire place. Water flows in faster. It appears ready to collapse at any moment.

You'll need to get off the island to reach the portal on the Thornean peninsula. That'll pose a problem when the boats break from the collapsing island, but an unexpected friend might arrive.

Details on the quake and what characters face when getting off the island will be provided under the Search & Rescue - Retrieval Team section.

Search & Rescue | The Spared

CW: Disturbing imagery (text and visual), dark themes.

After an exhausting month, it finally seems as though things are coming together. By now, you've made decided on your plans, gathered your resources, and chosen the role that suits you best. Not everyone may agree with what you're doing, or maybe there's someone you don't agree with. Nevertheless, your friends are waiting, and you'll push forward with or without support.

Search Team

As part of the Search Team, your goal is to portal from Nocwich to the mountains and locate members of the Escape Group.

You'll need to determine the best place to portal in - close enough to the Lost that the trek is reasonable but safe enough that the portals won't be at risk. Considering the terrain and the condition of many of the Lost, it's likely the distance will be about one day's travel on foot.

◎ Resources & Support

Thorne will send their military for support since their soldiers are used to winter conditions, unlike the Free Cities. The Free Cities will provide portal stones so that mages won't be required to maintain an open portal. The Lunae will offer guides to help navigate the wilderness.

Solvunn's aid is limited to healing supplies, as their efforts are focused on the island due to the heavy use of High Magic there.

You are not limited to only what the factions offer upfront. If there's more you think they can do, you can make a request.

◎ The Acolytes (Escape) | Interact

Though rescuing the Lost is the top priority, you might feel justice or vengeance is long overdue. Some Acolytes are pursuing the captives while others might try to pass as one of the survivors. Those most faithful to the cause will attack you, but not all of them are that steadfast. Some prefer to flee. Others still may surrender, under the right circumstances.

Officials have requested that the Acolytes be brought in alive if possible, but no one will be counting the bodies if you decide to take out a few on your own.

Players can write out attacking, capturing, or killing the Acolytes without using the interaction. However, if you want to take a more specific action in terms of identifying any Acolytes pretending to pass as one of the captured Abraxan natives, negotiating a surrender, or interrogating them on the spot, you can submit an interaction.

◎ Getting to Safety

During the search, you'll encounter the same dangers the Escape Group has faced over the past week. Common predators include wolves, gryphons, and wild boars. Most significantly, a revenant must be avoided or else death is certain. Detailed under the Survival - Escape Group section, the revenant can be interacted with by the Spared once on the mountains.

Keep your friends safe after you meet up with them. You'll have to guide them back to the portals and make sure they can keep up with their injuries. Though you hope the journey is smooth, you know better.

And sure enough, a rumble draws your attention. When you look up, you see it coming down: an avalanche pouring down one of the mountain slopes. Get out of the way quickly or risk being swept up in the landslide. If you're lucky enough to dodge the avalanche, you can help anyone caught in its path.

Retrieval Team

As part of the Retrieval Team, your goal is to infiltrate the island and safely retrieve the members of the Holdout Group. A portal from Nocwich can only take you as far as the peninsula on Thorne's coast, near the island. The rest is on you.

Your team's likely already decided the best method to breach the island and you may have done your best to account for every last detail, but that doesn't mean everything will go as planned. The flooding hasn't stopped. Frequent, violent quakes are now shaking the island, and the structure beneath is rapidly crumbling. Time is of the essence.

◎ Resources & Support

Thorne mages and Solvunn Elders will accompany your team to focus on dispelling the enchantments, while the Free Cities will send some of its soldiers. They'll also provide boats powered with New Magic. Though normally quite noisy, Thorne has stepped in to enchant them to be much more discreet.

You are not limited to only what the factions offer upfront. If there's more you think they can do, you can make a request.

◎ Dispelling Protections | Interact

The illusions that once held the island together are corrupted from the escape. Navigating the constantly shifting landscape is dizzying and confusing. You might experience strange visions brought on by your imagination - terrifying images from home you know shouldn't be there.

Fight through it to find a warded tunnel. You'll need to find a way to break the wards to enter. Should you feel the urge to rush in heedlessly, you might want to observe the pile of dead bats and birds all around you. Their bodies are mangled and crushed. You can only imagine what might happen to you.

◎ The Collapse

Whether you make contact with the Acolytes or the Holdout Group first depends on your approach. You can apprehend what Acolytes you can, negotiate their surrender, or kill them. Whichever tactics you use, once the Holdout Group is released from the altar room, you'll end up in the same situation: the way out is blocked from falling debris. Seawater rapidly fills the cavern.

Your best bet is to follow the water flow into the open ocean. As you do, the cavern begins to collapse in on itself in a swirling whirlpool as the magic which kept the water at bay falters. You'll have to struggle to swim against the current, and a few Acolytes are sucked into the vortex. The boats splinter and break apart, leaving you and many wounded stranded in the ocean.

◎ An Old Friend

Deep waters aren't safe. When a deep rumbling sounds and a massive shadow looms below, you might wonder if this is the end. Instead, the shadow takes on a warm moon-like glow. A familiar figure to some of you from Thorne surfaces. The giant sea turtle waits calmly for you to climb on its shell. You can save any captured Acolytes, or you can let the sea swallow them.

How did the turtle find you? If you have strong psychic abilities or an affinity for communicating with animals, you might sense a connection to a much smaller turtle: Admiral Chuck from The Arcanis. Perhaps a friend is looking out for you from afar after you were kind enough to spend time with him.

The moonlit turtle will carry everyone to shore, where the portal to Nocwich awaits. Then it vanishes into the depths once more.

Home Team

As part of the Home Team, your goal is to support the others and prepare for the return of many survivors.

Two important tasks are healing in the Horizon to aid any of the Lost who are struggling, and finding a cure for the effects of the ritual. You can also assign tasks, transform the inn into an infirmary, and make sure supplies are available.

◎ Ritual Cure | Interact

The answer to a cure is likely found in the contents of Josselyn's house, the mushroom rings, and the odd black substance painted around the abduction sites. Solvunn's Elders and the Lunae, including Sten, will be there to help and provide any information they can.

If you're not the experimental type, you can still help in one of two ways: you can go to Ikorr to retrieve a bloom from their sacred flower located in the Nightbloom or you can go to Luna to collect moon-blessed water from the Lunar Pond. You'll be accompanied through a direct portal by the vampires to Ikorr or the werewolves to Luna.

Researchers and mages from the major nations will also work on the task using the information they've learned - but they'd be grateful for any assistance.

◎ Horizon Healing

As discovered in Week 3, you can continue to use the Horizon to offer to heal those who need it. In moments of calm, anyone connected to the Singularity will feel a familiar pull. The urge to enter the Horizon itches at the back of your mind as the hours go by, even if you're not usually inclined to do so.

If you give in, you could find one of the Lost there. You sense they need your help, or you feel compelled to reach out and touch. A warmth flows between you. Though you may not realize what you've done until afterwards, you'll know it's something unique and powerful.

Forging a stronger link to the Horizon can subtly strengthen the gifts and magic you receive from the Singularity - and a deep healing connection with another Summoned is a part of that.

Return

For the next week or so, Nocwich is the place of refuge. Concerned that the ritual and other unknown effects may have a widespread impact, everyone must remain in Nocwich. This includes the abducted Abraxan natives, the soldiers, mages, and Elders who arrived to help.

Captured Acolytes will be held in the prisons in Nocwich. Their fate is yet to be determined.

Should the Mysterious Acolyte and her brother make it to safety, they'll also be held in Nocwich for now. Nocwich will recognize that they were rescued by some of you, however, and will make sure they're placed in a comfortable - but still guarded - home.

Recovery & Cures

The Square's largest inn serves as a temporary infirmary. The Lost will be brought here to recover and receive the cure for the ritual. Any of the Spared who were injured during the rescue will also be treated.

Healing & Care

Although a few healers and doctors from the factions are in Nocwich, most have stayed home to prepare for when the Summoned and their citizens return. Instead, healers from Luna and Ikorr will look after you with a combination of salves, healing magic, and potions. Ikorr's powerful sap is used in healing concoctions, reserved for the most severe injuries. Overdoing it can cause unwanted side effects, so healers are careful.

If you're lucky, you can get a room to yourself. If not, you might have a roommate. The infirmary is hectic, though you'll receive the best care possible. Visitors are allowed. Nurses caution against overtaxing yourself, but you can finally reunite with everyone you've been separated from over the past four weeks.

Receiving the Cure

After such a harrowing ordeal, you'll be relieved to learn that the cure is effective and painless. It consists of a spoonful of a thick mixture. The aftertaste is bitter and a little sour but not terrible. After a day or two, the psychological effects will fade completely. Physical afflictions will begin to heal again.

If any growths remain, they must be removed. Thankfully, potent sleeping draughts means you won't feel a thing - a blessing that those who sought a cure in the caverns didn't have.

Returning Home

After a week, officials determine that the ritual effects are cured and request that you return home. Their doctors and healers will look after you once you're back. Eventually, they'd like to know the details, but you won't need to talk about it just yet.

◎ Thorne

Your return to Thorne is greeted with a show of fanfare. For many, the castle staff has grown familiar with your presence. They're heartened to see you return. A few may have get-well gifts if they've come to know you.

If you still require significant healing, you'll be taken care of in the Castle's infirmary. Otherwise, you'll be assigned a healer who'll check in on you in your room.

◎ Free Cities

Your return to Cadens is greeted with a buzz in the air. With a city so populated, reactions vary from relief to curiosity to a much less welcome invasion of privacy from local writers. City guards will do their best to make sure you return home or arrive at the hospital with minimal fuss.

If you were injured, doctors will insist you remain overnight at the hospital. If you were severely wounded and remain so, they won't clear you for release until you're fully recovered. Of course, no one can stop you from leaving, but you may want to listen to the doctors.

◎ Solvunn

Your return to Solvunn is greeted with a somber air. Many in the settlement are in the midst of prayer, having devoted themselves to seeking your safe return. Your friends and neighbors are relieved to see you, but they're troubled by the perversion of their traditions, the close involvement of one of their Council members, and the terrible suffering you endured.

Healers and Elders will see you in your home as needed. Offerings will be made to shrines on your behalf, and you won't run out of home-cooked meals for a while. Many will lend a sympathetic ear if you want someone to talk to.

Comments

Lenore | Thorne | Retrieval Team

[beloyaltome]

whirlpool / breaking boats
[As chaos breaks out with floods and earthquakes, panic wraps tight fingers around Lenore's throat. She can hardly think, with strangers and foes on all sides, and this has never been the kind of situation she's good at. She knows how to handle problems she can talk at.

The water isn't a problem for her personally--as long as she doesn't get trapped beneath anything--since she can levitate above the surface. But Lenore survives through cooperation and negotiation, so she's never been the type to just look out for her own skin. In order to survive, she needs allies, which means she needs her allies to survive. Bodily lifting one of the acolytes who surrendered to her, Lenore hefts that one over her shoulder and rises up to float just a few inches above the surface of the water. Another acolyte latches onto her ankle and she doesn't kick them off. But she's looking around for others of the summoned, especially anyone who's struggling against the current. When she sees someone in need of aid, she hovers quickly in that direction, fingers outstretched.] Grab my hand! I've got you!


boarding the turtle
[Once their living raft arrives, Lenore helps those with her aboard the turtle and then goes back for more. Her vampire abilities allow her to dive again and again into the waves, searching for those who have slipped beneath or fallen behind. But even though she's not human, she's not a particularly strong example of her kind, and soon enough she starts to tire, moving slower as she drags more people to the turtle's back.

Her levitation is flagging, so that she's basically kneeling in the waves rather than hovering above them, and on this round she can't manage to get herself and the person with her up onto the back of the turtle. She needs to rest before she continues, but if she lets go, the unconscious acolyte she's towing will slip beneath the waves. Someone needs to either lend a hand to help pull her human burden up onto the turtle, or perhaps to convince her to let them drown. Struggling helplessly, Lenore whines with frustration, feet slipping on the edge of the turtle's shell and powers flagging too much to boost her up.]


nurse lenore
[Aiding the escape and saving people from drowning was an exhausting affair, but Lenore knows that she's still one of the lucky ones, the spared. So she throws her energy into helping to care for the lost who have returned, carrying food and water and medical supplies, or even just sitting by bedsides to offer company, wanting to make sure that everyone feels safe and no one feels alone.

Entering one of the rooms with a tray of soup, bread, and a dose of the cure, Lenore offers a tired smile to the summoned resting there.] Hungry?


Wildcard
((Plotting Comment. Lenore will be in Nocwich as soon as it's opened, helping with setup and planning for the Retrieval Team, especially with plans for negotiation. Upon arrival on the island, she'll be doing her best to negotiate surrender of the acolytes and find and carry those among the lost too injured to escape without assistance--she's got superhuman strength, so you can take your pick of being piggybacked, princess carried, or slung over her shoulder.

Feel free to reach out for plotting at marlovingian or Marlowe#2340))

turtle time

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard is still running on adrenline. He's aware of it, and thus suspects that it may signal the effect of it wearing off. But for as long as he still can move, he is capable. With regards to the turtle, Alucard has not sat himself down on top of the thing's back but to follow along as a series of bats, swirling and flapping to keep pace. It allows for more who need a seat to take it, and perhaps it might see him eventually sleep well for a night due to sheer exhaustion.

Out of the corner of the eyes of one of the bats, the dhmpire notes that Lenore's height in the water is sinking. That's not right, and.

Shit. He can't speak as bats.

He changes form, hovering beside her, aware that this is precarious for them both.]

How many have you taken out of the water already?

[Alucard has no shame in how adding sea salt to the blood splatter, plant matter, dirt, and everything else that has clung to him since setting foot on the island's shores makes him look like an absolute mess - or the fact he's raised his voice to be heard over the waves. His tone is trying to be calm in spite of that fact.]

Jack Townsend | TFTGS

[stations]

( Lost; Escape Group; Thorne; The Moon.

open & closed prompts to follow. ping me at paingravy or ⲉⲙ#5555 for anything. )

𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔

[stations]

ooc

personal plotting comment

acolyte rescue group plot comment

coordination post comment 1

coordination post comment 2

network/inbox

jerry's inbox

kyle's inbox

ic group quick exchange

( please don't reply to this comment. )

Alucard | Castlevania | Retrieval team

[cryptsleeper]

Plotting post comment here, available for all heavy hitter needs for the retrieval team

Week 3, Nocwich

[cryptsleeper]

Sap
[In a little corner of the space where medical supplies are being set up and the sap from Ikorr has been placed, Alucard has created a makeshift work area for himself. He's aware that more or less lurking behind boxes makes him look suspect, but he feels entitled to a hair of privacy. Using pipettes to take small amounts of Ikor's sap and parse them out into smaller vials is delicate work, and what he intends to add to the stuff is a deeply personal matter.

(He's adding blood. His blood specifically, and is absolutely not telling anyone beyond marking on a shipment order that yes, he's taken a single container of the stuff for himself.)

At the sound of approach, he sits upright.]

Are you looking for anything in particular?

Around and about
[When not actively playing at questionable ethics in science with his own blood, Alucard can be found around the square carrying supplies, pacing while waiting for information, or quietly listening in to what the plans are as they evolve. On occasion, a large white wolf can be seen under a table or off to the side somewhere, tense and watching.]

((Al is on the retrieval team, please feel free to talk about evolving plans or to hit me up about the actual planning.))

Nadine Cross | Free Cities | Home Team

[nadine_he_loves]

[Specific TLs to come below!]

OLEUNI SQUARE - BEGINNING OF PART 2

[nadine_he_loves]

[With the kind help of Sten and Quilleth, and Jaskier's assistance with the actual physical set up, Nadine has devoted one of the tents in the medical section of the square to field medicine, both offering instruction on basic field first aide and handing out medical field kits. Each kit consists of:

Topical and oral painkillers
Antibiotic cream
Surgical needle and thread
Bandages
Burn cream
Splints
A piece of chocolate

Anyone going out to rescue the lost is welcome to a kit, to help spare the magically inclined exhausting all of their strength. She knows how much magic can take out of a person, and can imagine how much medical care will be needed before the lost are even brought back here. Having as many people equipped with physical medicine and supplies means all the more aide to go around.

Nadine herself can often be found either outside the tent or in offering basic field aide lessons, dressed in plain black skirts and blouse with her hair pinned up securely. While she looks tired and a bit thinner than usual, she's quick and alert and on top of things. If not around the field medicine tent, she can be found directing newly arrived volunteers to where they should check in or conscripting them herself to help sort supplies. Or taking supplies to where they need to go herself, arms laden with boxes and baskets.

Either way she's on her feet and working, and will gladly accept any offers of help.]

Julie Lawry | Free Cities | Spared / Home team

[princessvegas]

[ plotting comment | group plot | bitchcraft | bitchcraft#2753 ]

Horizon | Week 3 start | OTA for the first few to return to the Horizon

[princessvegas]

[ Julie has spent over two weeks in a cycle. Go to the Singularity, guide their shared consciousness as they look for psychic scraps of the kidnapped Summoned. See something, get immediately thrown out of the Horizon to suffer the physical effects of allowing herself to be used as a channel. Sleep and eat for a while. Repeat once she feels any better.

It's a taxing loop, to be sure, especially after months of some remnant of the Singularity running amok inside of her head. Despite exhaustion driving her to sleep for hours and near insatiable hunger, there are physical signs that she's pushing herself too hard. Her eyes are dark, her skin sallow. Her nerves are frayed from the Singularity's neediness, the sheer effort needed to navigate its emotional magnitude.

But she still stubbornly returns each time, as soon as she can, to the big cushion on the ground that she's made her perch. The big white wolf from Kaer Morhen never leaves her side, remains even when she's forced out of the Horizon. The pink crystals on the collar it wears sparkle from under the thick fur.

It's here that it first happens. She's taking a bit of a rest, sitting with her legs folded lotus-style as the wolf tears at a rack of ribs beside her. Silently, she drinks from a bottle of water, but in her head, there is a back-and-forth happening.

The Singularity pushes at her -- it wants to continue its unceasing search for the connections it is struggling to find. But Julie does not have the energy of an all-powerful magical colossus. She tells it, as patiently as she is capable of in this moment, that it must wait. Give her a break or she's going to be too drained to come back. She can feel its ire rising, the frustration not unlike that of a toddler being told no.

With a sigh, she prepares herself to once more try and reason with a titanic numen incapable of human logic. But that's when she feels it. A familiar crawl under her skin, like an itch she can never hope to scratch.

The same itch she'd felt as others traipsed through her domain while she was lost between psychic planes, trapped. The itch that grew and grew, as it does now, the longer they'd stayed. But this time, it doesn't feel like slime coating her, like toxic ooze. This time, it feels tingles ghosting up her spine, oddly pleasant; she can't help but recall being a child with her eyes closed, listening to her friends softly chanting crack an egg on your head, let the yolk run down.

Without thinking, she rises to her feet and spins, looks around. The wolf watches her, clearly unnerved enough to stop gnawing the bone it still holds between its paws. Julie darts to the edge of the Singularity and looks around it. ]

Hello? Is someone there? Hello?

[ There's no response, but the sensation remains. She turns and looks out toward the rest of the Horizon, the various buildings and natural features that make up the domains. For a moment, she lets her eyes wander, as if she might suddenly see someone she's searching for.

No one appears. But still the tingles go on, and she abruptly begins to run in one direction, driven by nothing but pure instinct. She simply knows there's someone there, someone she needs to find. An absolute certainty, same as she'd found her own domain, pre-made for her. The same as she found Wanda with nothing more than a name to go on. It's a feeling she's only ever had here, in the Horizon.

Her heels pound the ground, and her voice almost echoes in the air. ]

Where are you? Please, I wanna help you!

Kyle | Thorne | Search Team

[ushiri]

[ plotting comment + general warnings and opt-out ]

week 3

[ushiri]

hilda goneril | free cities | search team

[theidlemaiden]

( starters below! I’m happy to write prose or brackets — pick one and I’ll follow.
for some pre-planning Hilda’s plotting comment can be found here, or feel free to shoot me a message at timescars, discord, or PM )

— week three | coordination

[theidlemaiden]

Inej Ghafa | Free Cities | Escape Group

[shadowthief]

[Open & closed starters below. Plotting comment, if you want something specific!]

Week 3 - Summary

[shadowthief]

Inej is still pretty high on that cult zeal life, very convinced she did the right thing by releasing the beast from the shrine with Castiel and Louis. She will be very curious about the webbing and probably be convinced it's a sign from the gods and she has to go through into depths unknown- it's all about faith, you see, sometimes you just have to trust in the process. She'll land on the frozen lake with the webbing route folks and try to regroup once they're on proper land.

Mat Cauthon - Thorne - Lost

[a_better_man]

[Specific TLs to come below!)

The First Domino - Closed to Alicent

[a_better_man]

[This is it.

The whole damned place is coming apart, this is likely their best shot. In the chaos there's surely paths to get out by, and Mat clearly isn't the only one with that idea. Whether it works...

At this point, it hardly matters. Whatever risks there are are worth it, to escape certain doom down here. And much as his first instinct is to find a way out and just go, he resists it. That would be damned shitty. He'd made a promise, after all, and there are many shitty things he will do but breaking a real promise isn't one of them.

Staggering some, pained and feeling feverish, instead of looking for the exit he looks for Alicent. His time in the pit has not been kind, his beard thick and wild now, his hair shaggier and matting, his already thin form now nearly skeletal. His arms and torso both sport ugly looking lesions that gape and weep. But by the light, he's not done for yet. They've made it this long, they've held out this far...

Against all odds, they're still alive and able to fight.]

Alicent!

[He manages to yell for her when he sees her, gesturing wildly for her to join him.]

claude von riegan | free cities | the lost (escaping)

[godshattering]

( Closed starters below but please feel welcome to wildcard in to any of the timeline top levels as you'd like since I'm open to anything in this event! If you'd like to chat plans over first, stop by Claude's plotting comment or you can find me at indech, on Discord, or by PM at any time. )

week three

[godshattering]

Dean Winchester | Supernatural

[righteously]

( Spared; Recovery Group; Free Cities; The Lovers.

warning: implied character death scene. ping me at paingravy or ⲉⲙ#5555 for anything. )

ғ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴛ

[righteously]

It happens fast, it happens slow.

The pit is found. Reunions are had. The cavern collapses. All of them swim, and those who can't are pulled along by groups of hands that reach for one another unceasingly, until every last Summoned breaches the surface and breathes in salty sea air. They tread water, hardly safer now than they were ten minutes ago — but with fewer falling rocks, so that's a perk.

For a moment, he considers trying the wings. Seeing if he can't fully break the surface, get to airborn, start flying people back to the island — but he can't. He knows it. He barely had a grasp on flight in the first place, he couldn't do it water logged. Not that it matters. He knows now there aren't enough feathers left, they're bare and nearly skeletal. The last of them fell the moment his fist connected with Jo. They won't carry him, let alone a passenger with him.

And then comes- a giant fucking turtle, because apparently that's just the kind of reality they're working with these days. Breaching the surface to the sound of gasps beneath the feet of exhausted people who barely have the strength to tread water anymore. They're lifted, and those that aren't begin to swim forward, clambering onto the shell. He helps them, salt water in his eyes and matting his clothes. He shakes his hair from his face and hoists folks one after another.

He's one of the last to pull himself out of the sea. Maybe that's why he sees it.

Disturbed by the cataclysm, annoyed by the commotion. Tempted by the snack-sized abundance of floundering legs in the water, like a scene straight out of god damn Jaws. It's a juvenile. Barely the size of a whale, but still plenty large enough to swallow a man — or two — whole. It is a blurry but rapidly crystallizing shape beneath the waves. It is teeth and eyes reflecting sunlight through surface tension, aiming straight up, intent to quickly snatch what it can reach. The least-clustered food-shapes on a turtle that it may or may not confuse with a ship.

He moves faster than a human should, these days. To Jo or to Sam, it may seem like a repeat of the horrific incident from a week ago, the way he springs forward, the way he launches himself at them, the way he knocks them backward onto their asses on the shell's surface. It'll quickly become apparent that isn't the case when the first tooth pierces cleanly through his chest and spears out the other side.

This part seems slow. He has enough time to glance down, to feel the impact. To glance back up again, wide-eyed and stunned, to make eye contact with them as he's impaled.

And then time speeds up again, and the leviathan rips its meal off the back of the turtle, descending swiftly into the dark depths, gone in the blink of an eye. Dean is gone with it. They can dive after, or they can wait, but it won't matter. He doesn't resurface.

Jon Snow | Game of Thrones | Thorne | Spared | Search Team

[northerndragon]

[ Plotting Comment | detectivefiction ]

HORIZON: WEEKS 3 AND 4, OTA

[northerndragon]

If you passed through this way before, you might have noticed a modest stone cabin in a clearing, with a fire always burning inside. You might even have noticed a great white wolf asleep near its steps, or prowling the deep woods nearby. The architecture of the cabin was rustic, or medieval.

All of that is gone. A castle stands in its place.



It's big, or it isn't; it's hard to say in the Horizon. You might remember a blink of it from your dreams, months ago. As large as it may seem, there are only a few places you can go in it: the first is a courtyard full of training pells with targets on them. Connecting to it in one direction, the great hall of the main building, filled with tables and benches and a high table near a large hearth; in the other, an expansive walled garden with many trees, and a large white one at the center, with red leaves and red sap dripping from the eyes and mouth that someone carved into its bark long ago. A heavy wooden door is set into a wall across from the opening to this wooded area, but it can't be opened. And while there should be many rooms in the castle, there are just two, both down a corridor off the great hall: a bedroom and some sort of study. The study has a table with a map, painted blue rocks to mark it, pens and ink and seals and a pile of correspondence, more chairs by the fire. The bedroom has the same stone walls and slate floors as the other rooms, and a big wooden bed covered in furs.

All the rooms have warm fires and a frankly unusual number of wolf motifs, but other than that, the air is cool, at best -- around 40 F outdoors, warmer inside.

The white wolf, with his deep red eyes, can be found anywhere on the grounds.

Did you find yourself here at Winterfell?

Jo Harvelle | Retrieval Team

[tobeclosetohim]

[ Spared; Retrieval Group; Free Cities; Strength.
Plotting Comment | Plotting Plurk | wanderlustlover

Summary, Open, and Closed to follow, as needed. ]

Norman Jayden | Lost | Holdout Group

[takeatrip]

[[Plotting comment is here, and please feel free to PM or message me on Discord (Ami#8741) or plurk (amiasha) for anything. And if none of my open prompts strike you I'm also totally open to wildcards!]]

Week 3 OTA

[takeatrip]

[In some ways, it’s almost welcome when something new happens. Although boredom is not exactly the worst of their problems, being trapped for weeks with very little to distract from the general misery of the situation hasn’t been fantastic.

Of course, things getting worse is not a generally preferred way of alleviating boredom, especially not when it involves the chaos of the awakening creature. Then there’s the escape attempt and everything that goes with it, during which he tries to assist a few of the natives in getting out and ends up in a scuffle with an Acolyte, which he could use help with from anyone so inclined. But eventually it’s all over, and now most who didn’t escape are trapped in a smaller, even worse room he really wanted to convince himself to forget.

And if all of that weren’t bad enough, water had been coming into the other room. There’s only hints of it in the altar room so far, just the softness of the ground and a few leaking cracks somewhere above, but the threat is there. They were already on a time limit before, but now it’s a much more tangible, present one.

Great. There’s nothing horrifying about any of this.

But as awful as this situation is, it feels less surreal and more solid, somehow. It’s likely as simple as the mental shock finally beginning to wear off, and although that certainly doesn’t mean he’s thinking clearly–between his injuries and the lingering effects of the ritual and the general trauma of it all he’s certainly not at his best, and his best is often questionable to begin with–it’s a definite improvement over the week before.

So he’s doing his best to keep busy once again, the way he had during the first week of this mess, which feels like so long ago. He does what he can to help with the natives who had been in the midst of the ritual when interrupted, then turns his attention toward assessing the room they’re all trapped in. He’d never wanted to think about this place again, but since that isn’t an option, looking at it analytically is going to be the way to get through this.]

Okay.

[He says it half to himself, half to whoever is nearest to him.]

Maybe we should take a look around. Figure out exactly what we’ve got to work with.

[Over the next few days he can be found trying to identify the location of leaks so they could be plugged, pondering the mushrooms once the bread has run out, and occasionally just pacing around in a clear attempt not to have a small breakdown.]

louis de pointe du lac » the lost — escaping.

[mobezon]

( arcana: the lovers. faction: solvunn. plotting comment, for further ideas. wildcard me on any week for all your suffering, possibly meek chill moment, or raging heart's desires. can also be found here: groovygenes. )

» — 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐;

[mobezon]

( trying to keep a timeline, so will edit as we go. )

Istredd | Lost | Holdout

[magicalarchaeologist]

Week Three - Escape/staying behind - OTA

[magicalarchaeologist]

Istredd finally came to himself after a day of madness to find out that the last shrine was opened, and it ended up feeling like a relief. The decision was out of his hands and so far, nothing bad had happened. The place changed and there was tension in the air, for certain, but they were still working at the boulder and cracked wall, both that he still couldn't see. He thought he saw a message of some kind go across his eyes, something about finding them?

He looked over the pillars when he first came to and it was strange, but when they begin to move, Istredd understands. Istredd throws himself backwards out of the way as the shrine monster reveals itself. He grabs a hold of the natives nearby and anyone else, pulling them with him, stumbling back as it stomps over an acolyte as he runs away.

"Back up, out of its way!" He shouts to everyone in the pit, and he shuttles whoever he can to the side as they watch it stomp away. He sees the bodies left behind and the ones dragged with the monster, and it's tragic, but he has to shake out of that to focus on what is left here. It happens so quickly and the chaos only continues as it becomes clear this is the chance to leave.

After an incident with Ciri, Istredd looks like he is in pain when he holds onto the webbing and allows the last of them to get out. He managed to see who left and that is enough for him. A message is sent to Lucifer and to Louis. As soon as the escape ends and it's only them left behind, Istredd only has one option left to him when he lifts his hand from his side and sees blood. He passes out.

Either an acolyte or one of the group has to drag him with them to the altar.

Jesper Fahey | Spared | Search

[itookashot]

Week Three - Getting Ready - OTA

[itookashot]

Saying Jesper has been on the very edge of sanity the past few weeks is an understatement. The people who are usually good at calming him down when he's in this state are all taken and he is left unstable and so terrified he's living in rage instead. He has tortured and killed and deep dived into a fucking lake in the pursuit of answers, and now that they have them, all he can do is wait to be told what to do.

He has never been a leader, he is always the second-in-command, the one who follows the orders, and Jesper doesn't want to change that. He knows he is not in the right mind regardless. People can find him in pacing in Oleuni Square, uncomfortable since he needs his guns but they're not ready to go out into violence yet. He looks much like a caged animal searching for an outlet, a dark mood hanging over him in a way very unusual for the genial gunslinger. For once he doesn't seem interested in making friends or being social.

Catch him maybe on the verge of conflict with the native people there, not actually getting into fights but it definitely has the air of he could when pushed the wrong way. He is looking for an outlet with none to find. Jesper does seem to have some interest when he hears about a cure for the ritual, staying in the outskirts for that, but he has a grim look on his face. As if weighing some inner conflict.

Once it comes out that a group escaped, Jesper finally seems to have found life in him again. "We need to hurry!" He impatiently snaps as conversations continue, in his full fighting garb now that they're getting ready to go out. He has his warm cloak on and is geared up for a trek into the mountains.

Jayce Talis | Spared | Retrieval

[hextechhead]

Week Three - Getting ready - OTA

[hextechhead]

After he, Viktor, Sam, and Stephen guaranteed the location of the Lost, the information spread quickly and each faction now was in the know too. Jayce went over to Nocwich as soon as possible so he could help out with the preparations as decisions were being made about the approach to the island. He can be found either heading to the portal from Cadens carrying bags on his back or doing some heavy lifting of supplies, or doing the same thing within Oleuni Square itself. Including pitching tents and preparing areas for people to sleep in.

Jayce can also be seen in the medical sections, either the inn or the tends themselves, putting together healing packs or talking over with the doctors there about what to expect. As a skilled healer himself, he wants to be prepared for what is coming, and learn some new techniques while he's there. He is already skilled using Luna metal so the inclusion of the healing sap is fascinating to him.

When the announcement that people have escaped went out, Jayce immediately springs into action. He asks permission to do something specific while everyone's still talking about what to do next, and he disappears for a time. He comes back from Cadens with nothing short of a small arsenal of blades and weapons that are ready for people to take on their journey. He did not have the time to upgrade them with anything fancy, and he suspects Nocwich would only be comfortable with a simplistic arming, but they are all very well-made blades and worth having. Staffs and batons are available for non-blade fans. Jayce supervises them to make certain only people heading out on the trips can have one.

Jayce takes part in whatever discussions he's allowed, sharing thoughts about the cloaking for the ships and how to split the teams up for this next part. After decisions are made, he is ready for the big move.

Sylvain Gautier | Lost | Escape

[philancer]

[ open and closed prompts to follow: Water Tunnel Escape and Cave | Mountainside Survival | Return and Recovery ]
[ plotting comment or hit me up at chaneystarr, discord, or pm!

Week Three: Water Tunnel Escape and Cave

[philancer]

Natasha Romanoff | Spared | Retrieval Team

[widows_kiss]

[ open and closed prompts to follow: Coordination and Preparation | Retrieval Team | Return and Reunions ]
[ plotting comment or hit me up at chaneystarr, discord, or pm! ]

Week Three: Coordination and Preparation (OPEN)

[widows_kiss]

◎ OLEUNI SQUARE

[ Natasha isn't as familiar with Nocwich as some of the others yet, but at least the repurposed corner intended for the rescue efforts is fairly well contained, well laid out and surprisingly organized. She reserves a room at the nearby inn, acknowledging that she doesn't mind sharing if the lodgings get too crowded, but wanting a place close by so she doesn't have to travel to and from Thorne. Not until they find everyone and bring them home again.

That accomplished, she throws herself into preparation for what is to come. Tactics and strategy meetings with those intent on heading out on retrieval - and then altering that when they receive word of some of the Summoned escaping their captors and requiring them to split their efforts. She already knows where she'd prefer to focus her efforts and she's relieved when Sam steps up to get involved with the search and rescue instead - which leaves her reassured enough to leave the escaped captives in his capable hands while she keeps her attention focused on the infiltration of the location they were held - and the rescue of those that were left behind. She doesn't even need to hear it from him personally to know that where she'll find Steve - he never would have left while some were still trapped behind him. Frustrating, but predictably noble of him.

When not involved in meetings and talks on tactics, strategy, and infiltration, she's helping out around the camp in preparation for the incoming captives, whatever state they find them in. Food and water, medicine and bandages. She's not a healer but she knows what kind of wounds will likely need to be treated and she'd prefer to be kept busy until they move out. Assisting the Lunae and the other healers with whatever they need, whether it be running errands, creating or organizing supplies, or just offering another set of hands where needed, she works with dedication a whatever help they need.

She's also focused on keeping spirits up, with the fellow Summoned missing their friends and loved ones around them. Many of them she'd just met or spoken to over the network over the past couple weeks, but this gives her a chance to check in with them in person, reconnecting or maybe coming face to face for the first time. ]

Claire Fraser | Solvunn | Spared

[beautifullies]

[ ooc: there will be things here eventually. plotting comment | group plot. don't have plurk but I am on disco @ lifewasawillow#5524. ]

WEEK 3 - SOLVUNN

[beautifullies]

[ Claire would never say that she's satisfied with her setup—she isn't in a hospital for one—but she is as confident as she possibly could be. What she has now is more than she ever had during the war, especially in Scotland and most especially after losing her medical kit. With the help of others, she could perform a minor surgery if she had to, a major surgery if left with no other option.

The first few days she's fussy; checking things, requesting items, then rechecking that things are where they make the most sense. She sterilizes instruments and preoccupies herself with making salves.

At least once, she sits behind the medical tent, a prickle of dread tightening in her chest. She's so reminded of Prestonpans, the way she prepared, the way she worried. She doesn't know many people on this star in general, not yet, but there are some, both lost and heading out into the unknown. Enough to make her thoughts wander to every death she failed to prevent. It isn't fair of her mind, really; she's saved exponentially more than she's lost, but she'd missed Angus's internal bleeding, hadn't she?

A panic attack, that's what Claire's having, uncharacteristically wan as she clenches her fists in her skirts, closing her eyes and making an attempt to breathe.

Late in the week, she keeps herself busy by visiting others, checking in to be sure they have everything they need before going out to rescue the others. If supplies are needed, she'll give them over gladly or ask someone in Nocwich for something. One thing that's better than the lead up to Culloden: she has knowledgeable help, and that's gone quite a long way in making her grateful. ]

matt murdock | free cities | lost

[catholica]

( plotting comment is here. he'll be staying behind, helping in anyway he can before getting out. )

( left behind ; ota )

[catholica]

( despite the pain he's in, the way his body feels like it's been through a blender and then put through again, he knows that's something going on. he hasn't been much of a help, not when he's been so disconnected from everything that helps him be who he is but there's a commotion and then, soon enough, there's people escaping.

he knows that he's not going to be able to make it, not with how he's feeling, not with how his body aches but he uses the adrenaline that the sound of somethinggives him and gets himself up and around.

he does what he can to help others, providing some quiet words or first aide despite his own need. he walks around the room, trying to keep himself focused and from thinking that he's never going to get out of here.

when he feels the slosh of water around his ankles, he curses and tries to find something to climb onto, higher ground. he'll help others that might need it get out of the water and he'll use the water to try and wash any blood or dirt away to make them all look presentable. )

You good?

( he doesn't know who's beside, can't tell, but he asks anyway. he just...needs to do something to keep his brain from going to the worst possible outcome of all this. )

geralt of rivia | lost | escape

[gynvael]

(( prompts below. plotting comment or find me discontinued.

geralt (and aloy) will be locating the water tunnel group and bringing them back. ic exchange thread is here. open to handwaving him doing little things like setting up camp, hunting for the group, limited first aid, stabbing angry wildlife, etc. he'll help you if you need him. ))

week three.

[gynvael]

castiel | lost | holdout group

[unwings]

[ free cities, the hanged man + plotting comment

open and closed starters, and summary things for me to keep straight what he was up to? feel free to wildcard me or hit up the summaries with anything in it that might cause our peoples to run into each other. ]

WEEK 3: ESCAPE SUMMARY / OPEN

[unwings]

[ pillars of flesh, vines ripped from their roots and tangled in decomposing bodies of those that didn’t make it strike from the ceiling to the floor like lightning, like judgment reigned down, utterly unconcerned by the destruction in their wake.

With it, the whispers abruptly go silent, leaving castiel feeling stranded inside his madness, open and empty and exposed. Vanished like a fog rapidly dispersed, he’s left alone to witness the stark evidence of choices he’s made, and the catastrophic consequences. It’s an uneasy feeling, returning to a place you’ve been before, vowed never again.

Watching the carnage left behind, devoid of whispers and visions clouding his head, it rattles Cas from his stupor. The urges to succumb, to convert, remain but it’s as if he’s finally found the water’s surface and emerged for a gasping breath in the midst of it. In this last, desperate moment, he has to do something with the gnawing guilt and bottomless dread, realizing what his weakness has wrought.

Through the chaos of the shrine monster pulling free and stomping off, Castiel swallows down the remorse and panic to rescue natives about to be crushed underfoot. He’ll drag as many as he can out of the monster’s path, towards the walls. There, Cas joins Steve and Gideon in pulling out the vines within the glowing bulb that hold the webbing open for others to escape through. He urges the natives through, and remains behind in the pit, determined to do whatever he can in penance for what horror he helped release into Abraxas. ]

steve rogers | lost | holdout

[assembles]

[ Plotting comment can be found here, and please feel free to reach out via PM or at demonology if you want to plot out anything in particular! I am also happy to discuss handwaved interactions or short IC exchange threads. ]

week 3

[assembles]