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

[abraxasmods]

Event #12 - Invocation ( 2 )

Go to the:
OOC plotting post | Event coordination post

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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

[mobezon]

They said I'll have a week to recover here, before... { Louis trails off, evident he'll have to go back to Solvunn eventually. He'll deal with it later. He'd been made to face wishes he wanted in the pit, and it only made him ache. It's the physical aches that he can handle, but he's always been far too fragile to the matters of the heart no matter how tough he may put up as a heavily guarded veil. Some aspects shatter more than others. Louis is trying to keep it together, to believe Lestat is there as much as the first time he saw him in Nocwich. The faintest touch upon his cheek makes him freeze.

There's a stray tear that escapes from his right eye, the blood tickling down his cheek. It could be from the pain of his bruises trying to heal. It's partly.

He brushes by the coffin comment, and instead he considers Lestat in his state. He remains untouched in sight, but he notices he's a bit disheveled. It's the subtlest hint upon his clothes, but there is also the familiar smell of the fresh snowy mountains upon Lestat's person. There's blood as well. }

You were out there.

camp ; steve h.

[gynvael]

[ Steve had been his biggest worry. About leaving him behind. The boy is, he knows, tougher than most might presume at first glance—but at the end of the day, he's still human. Geralt had barely survived.

Realizing Steve escaped released a heavy weight.

He'd led the group of them back to camp. Not a short trek, but not terribly long. They're fortunate the two portals hadn't separated them worse.

Once Steve dried off, warmed up, ate some rabbit (much better than a lizard), Geralt checks the sun. Few hours until dark. He taps Steve on the shoulder. For now, they're together. But they may not always be, and he wants to be sure Steve can survive a few cold nights alone. ]

Come. We need kindling.

[cryptsleeper]

All the same. The more important part right now is about having enough hands, regardless of how skilled they are.

[Alucard isn't going to fight the change of subject, but unfortunately Hilda is brushing against matters of home which is a touchy subject at the best of times. He's worked to find neutral answers over the past near two years he's been in Abraxas, for situations like this.]

I've some training and skill, yes, and have not needed to use any of it until these recent events. I'd rather be at the office, all things considered.

[blackeyedprince]

Kell has more a vague idea than any concrete plan. He thought many times what he would do in moment like this. He realized he doesn't want those people to suffer. There's no amount of suffering that could possibly make up for what they put them through. No amount of suffering that would bring back those they murdered. Like the missing people from Nott. He doesn't need anything flashy, he doesn't need to give them a fair chance, he just wants them dead. A threat eliminated. So he will hit him with everything he's got.

"I'm Antari," he says as if this was explanation enough. "They needed six people and an ambush to get me the first time. I still managed to eliminate one of them."

Truth is, it's bit more complicated than that. Yes, there were more of them then, but he was in a lot better shape. After weeks of not eating and not sleeping nearly enough, there will be feats of magic that he just doesn't have the strength to perform.

Kell observed the Acolyte pair for a while before deciding they need to go. Both are scouts, well-accustomed with the terrain and confident enough to concentrate more on looking for clues than protecting themselves from threats.

"There's enough ice around for me to use, but I'm pretty sure they have wards against projectiles and blades."

He knows Rhy would not approve of his action. Rhy would tell him to stop, would most likely prefer those men to stand trial. But Rhy is not here. Kell smiles. There are types of offensive magic that are easy to predict, and protect yourself from. That's why he'd never go for anything too obvious.

"I doubt they're protected from steam."

There's enough ice and snow on the ground for him to use. It requires absolute focus - and a few drops of his own blood - but Kell can heat every drop of frozen water all at once. He doesn't think boiling alive is a worse death that slowly getting dissolved by a digestive fluid inside a murder plant. He actually thinks it's less cruel.

[beautifullies]

[ It's nice to hear Hilda say, and she smiles softly—a smile that widens a touch at the mention of Bree. ]

Only a bit younger than you, I think. She's twenty.

[ Easy to keep track when the year of her birth was the same she left Jamie. Twenty long years of feeling adrift. ]

When I left her, she had no idea what she wanted to do with her life, but there was a young man looking after her, one I quite like. His father actually...

[ Claire trails off a bit, her hands going still as she lets her mind wander back to the year she came back through the stones. ]

...His father's home is where I stayed after I left Jamie. No one believed my story save for his housekeeper.

[ Not even Frank. But God bless Mrs. Graham. ]

[beautifullies]

Likewise, Eddie.

[ She likes to think she's a good judge of character, spot on with her gut instinct, and so far, he's made the slight tension that was in her shoulders ease, just to have someone to chat with and not be alone with her thoughts. ]

I'm happy to know the kidnappings are new, although I could do without them entirely.

[ She might have been in the past when the Cold War started, but she'd been living through it in the present before leaping back in time again, so she makes a guess. ]

Are you speaking of the standoff between the US and the Soviet Union? It's been going on for twenty-three years or so already for me. And it still hasn't stopped? [ Always another war, wherever she goes. ]

Is there still a lot of worry that something might happen any moment?

[ After forty years, you have to imagine people let go of some of their fear that any moment the world will end. ]

[blackeyedprince]

Kell swallows hard. Lucifer might as well had his ability to read other people thoughts given how right he is in guessing Kell's way of thinking. Kell knows he's not making much sense. He knows that. He knows this was what he was supposed to do. And he did it. To the letter, as promised. He did what was expected of him, in the best way he could. He dragged Wilhelm out. He made sure Mat got out as well, even if the other man didn't really need his help at this point. The issue is, this knowledge doesn't make him feel any better.

"I don't," he admits. "You're right. I did. He's still sick from whatever that poison they tried to feed us during the ritual did to him. I did what I could. Some real healer should take care of him. But I did get him out at least."

Kell doesn't realize that Lucifer probably doesn't know about the ritual. His inability to access Horizon might have been more common side effect.

Jack Kline | Nocwich | Home Team

[notoftheblood]

[ Free cities, The Sun, Will match style, feel free to wildcard ]

Week Three; Free Cities.

[notoftheblood]

[ Jack had made a promise to his chosen father.

He promised Castiel, he would stay home and out of danger. Everyone in the house knew by now about the promise. And the board Nephilim was going stir crazy about the time the house hold headed out to help save Castiel. Not all at the same time but he had gathered enough of their plan from eavesdropping, and making promises to watch over the house.

He didn't even ask to go.

But once everyone was gone it took no more than an hour to break his promise. He was getting good at that. Going down into his room he pulled out the cloak he had gotten when he had gone out with Jo months ago. A cloak that reminded him of Jedi robes.

The house was locked up as Jack set out for the first time in almost a month or more, heading off to find a way to get to Nocwich to help his family.]

Week Four; ota; oleuni square

[notoftheblood]

[ Jack had been cloaking himself in both power and looks since he arrived in Nocwich days before. He had managed to dodge most of his family until the Lost were being brought in from the rescue. He couldn't ignore that need to help if he could. It was his nature more than not.

His cloak pulled up he moved around the Square, looking for people he knew, and offering help. He knew his healing wasn't as good as the Horizon healing at the moment. Given how it wiped him out whenever he used it it wasn't the best choice, but he was willing all the same.

He could feel the other angels around, and he had a feeling that even with him cloaking his abilities that he was too close to truly stay hidden. For now his concern was trying to help others and hoping that Castiel and the others were in better shape than some of the people here.

Every now and then his worry would bubble up, and he would ask a passerby. ]

Are you okay?

[notoftheblood]

Jack had followed after the hunters, how could he not? That kind of stupid need to help was a core trait of who he is. He couldn't help but follow after the Winchesters had left to try and help others. He had yet to cross paths with his chosen family, or find out if Castiel was okay yet.

No, he needed to walk away from the infirmaries for awhile and that walk had ended up being much longer than expected. Maybe it was a pull of power, maybe it was idle wandering, but as he was walking past the inn he felt it.

That power, and the ping of pain in him. Once he had wanted to know the man, the man whose hurt him more than once. He turned, knowing before he even made eye contact it was Lucifer. He'd felt him here since he first regained his powers in this world.

How odd it had to look just standing there staring at Lucifer from under his brown hood. He should say something, or run....

"...Hi." He spoke lifting his hand awkwardly. Did anyone expect anything else. He should have kept walking, but, he couldn't, yet he didn't get closer either.

[hairington]

[ he's doing better now - now that they know how many others made it out. now that they've got a general camp and a place to settle. now that they're out, and free, and the smell of rotting plants has abated slightly. steve knows he looks like a wreck - the lesions and bruises and caked on blood only marginally washed away by the sea water, but after a little time in the horizon (thanks to geralt's advice) and some actual food, he feels the most like a person that he has in weeks.

it's a relief, to know there are this many of them free of the pit. it almost balances out his own racing thoughts of who all they left behind. almost.

for now, it does feel like things have softened a bit. like it doesn't hurt to look around, to see everyone else settling in. steve has passed a point of feeling the pain of it all, as now it's more that his entire body aches and will always ache, but it's better. an improvement. he can work with this.

so, when he feels a tap on his shoulder and looks up to see geralt - who also doesn't look great, who also is just getting by, but who is still on his feet and still helping - telling him to follow, steve doesn't even think before he's pushing up to his feet. ]

Yeah- okay. [ their numbers have increased since geralt brought everyone together, and the need for more warmth grows with it. he doesn't bring up the fact he's probably not the best choice out of everyone, considering him, but instead a little selfishly is going to take the chance to have something to do.

he follows geralt, wherever it is they're going to start searching, and tries not to think beyond that. ] Are we gonna have to worry about any of the wood being too wet? With the snow?

[gynvael]

[ Geralt has the benefit of being able to bathe in the icy waters. It isn't difficult to melt the thinning surface of a pond or a small lake, and the cold doesn't bother him—though it does leave frosted crystals in his hair afterwards. He isn't clean by any means, but he's scraped some of the dried blood and globs of mystery flesh off.

He waits patiently for Steve to follow—watching to make sure he is well enough to come. He stands without much trouble, though. A good sign. ]

You can always find dry wood. Even after a rainstorm. [ Geralt leads them towards one of the trees. The land is sparse. Not quite the thick mountain forests he's used to back home. Steve is right: he isn't the best choice, were Geralt seeking experienced help. But that isn't what this is about, and perhaps that becomes evident as he continues. ]

Don't gather off the ground. Look for the dry side of a trunk.

[ He reaches up and pulls off a fallen branch caught in the tree. One that never made it down. He hands it to Steve. ]

Dry twigs break cleanly. Easy way to check.

[gynvael]

[ He's quiet while she explains. It sits uneasily within him, but the truth is, he's always felt the Singularity, too. Not like her. Vaguely. An awareness that it's there, an open door. Whether he's the only one, he isn't sure. No one else meditates regularly without the intent to go into the Horizon. Not that he knows of. Ever since the connection awoke in them—he can sense it when he sits down to clear his head. A path, waiting for him to enter.

He'd assumed the vision was a hallucination. Now he wonders if it was the Singularity. It isn't the first time he'd seen that sprawling labyrinth. ]

But it's not been bothering you?

[ In the end, that's where his main concern lies. That there is no more noise or feeling or images that plague her, unwanted.

Still, his lips twitch a hint at evil jelly. Something like that. He'd only torn the skin, but each small cut or scrape would grow worse, splitting and festering. Then he vomited a lot of blood, tried to kill Sam's friend before Istredd knocked him out, and spent most of the last week dying, having feverish dreams of the Trials. Before Ciri woke him up, hovering over him with a blade.

In conclusion: ] Yeah. It wouldn't heal right. Made for a few unpleasant nights.

[blackeyedprince]

See? That's why he's not a healer. Kell wouldn't have thought about combining the two plants for this particular purpose, but he had no trouble remembering the curious side-effects of the third. In fact, he's more likely to remember such useless information.

"For sure, you should be able to find it everywhere. It's a common sweetener. It's actually not even considered a medicinal plant. More of a weed. I've heard it's difficult to get rid off once you get it to grow somewhere."

There's the impish grin again.

"No, that's mine. The Abraxan would use an incantation just for the light. This is real fire."

Kell turns his hand letting the flames spill over, dripping from the tips of his fingers as if they were liquid not open fire. He catches the glowing 'droplets' with his other hand letting it form a pool floating just over his palm then reform in a ball and shoot up to hover over their heads. He doesn't have a favorite element, but fire makes the best spectacle, and Kell is an awful show-off.

Besides, he's just happy he regained access to his magic. Having it blocked for almost a month was as painful - no, a lot more - than all of the torment, thirst, hunger, exhaustion, that the Acolytes subjected him to. If the only thing they did was to block his magic, he still would have been in agony.

achievement unlocked: meeting all current angels

[magicalarchaeologist]

[ After healing to the best of their ability and some rest, Istredd asked for a blank book to start taking notes in. It probably seemed like a strange request at the time considering the insanity of the situation, but he suspected that mental trauma would gloss over a lot of what they experienced given time. So he had to live it now and make detailed notes of everything he saw and went through before it was wiped away.

He came back less messed up than the others due to not having gone through the ritual, although he still had severe starvation and dehydration, and a fairly serious stab wound that was very close to infection. He's hurting in a general way, moving around very slowly and with occasional wincing. He stays close to the general vicinity of Lucifer so he doesn't get anxious but checks on the others.

Istredd is limping his way back toward the room, even a short walk to see one of the others exhausting him, and he glances over at the young man when he speaks. ]

I'm fine.

[ This unfortunately is followed by him dropping his book and pen to the ground and warily looking at it. From the stiff way he's moving and the tight wrappings around his torso, it is obvious he shouldn't try to lean over, and yet he does, stopping when he winces. ]

If you wouldn't mind? I may have gone too far today.

[hairington]

[ it's been something steve hasn't really known what to do with; which, actually, is somewhat apt for his whole life. getting through high school had been one thing, ending up tangled with the kids was another, but it had given him something to do. even when he didn't get into college, even when his dad all but cut him off: the kids always needed something, whether it was a ride to school or someone to help them with their newest project or just. someone there. and when he didn't have the kids, he had work. he had robin.

he didn't have any of that here. he was pulled up out of the lake and told to figure it out and yeah, eddie had been here, and thank god for that - but eddie didn't need steve. no one really did. and-

don't do that robin says, and what escapes steve is a kind of half-laugh, half-sob. he doesn't really even know what she means - stop what? but it's robin, it doesn't really matter what it is. she pulls away and steve feels a bit lightheaded; not panicked, because his arms are still around her, but unmoored. his eyes turn to her just as she's reaching for his face, wiping under his eyes, and for as delicate as her smile might be, his is equally fragile. unsure, self-conscious, exhausted, but trying. ] Okay. [ to her let me take care of you. because okay, yes, maybe he can do that. it's not like it would be the first time robin's had to pick up the bloody pieces of steve harrington. ]

That...is kind of creepy, but I've spent the last like...month? In some place that makes the Upside Down look like daycare. [ steve watches as robin turns and sniffs and he can tell she's been crying. sobbing. can see the puffy and raw and red of a post-cry, and he wonders how bad he must look on top of all that. his eyes follow her as she tries to clean at one of the lesions across his forehead, something he's pretty sure has been open and semi-bleeding for three weeks now, and robin is just cleaning away.

instinctually, he furrows his brow at her answer. right before? then she was here and he did miss her? and she's just been here the whole time? something heavy and awful drops in his gut and no matter how much she might have told him to stop, it is still guilt that flits across his eyes. ] Robin...you've been here a month? Where? Solvunn? Or...?

[schlick]

( luckily, there seems like a shortage of people who are, in terms of medical aide, pretty useless, but with the stubbornness of applying themselves somewhere they're needed. in this case — errand boy, meet errand girl. in general, robin is ill equipped to handle pressure, but thanks to a surprising amount of it back in hawkins, she's adapted. like alchemy, she turns her anxiety into persistence. as long as she has two working feet, she's going to point them in the direction of benefit.

it just so happens to lead her away from the group she was hovering around, in search of more supplies. she is pointed in a direction and she goes, rounding up on eddie, out of breath. )

Hey — do you have clean bandages? I got sent over here, I think someone has the idea that you're ...

( whatever she was going to say trails off, once robin actually sees who she's talking to. halved over, she had her hands braced on her knees, but she straightens herself up, huffing out a harder breath that fluffs the bangs off her forehead. she stares at eddie. it's a confused, long moment before her mouth opens up, mouth wobbling in some difficult to place emotion, that lands somewhere between denial, hope, pain, and ... maybe insanity? )

Wh-what the fuck. Dude.

[oversurge]

[ Can't he? He just did.

Luckily, a bigger problem crashes into sight before Reno can get swept up in a childish playground slap fight (more than he already has, anyhow.)

He peers at the thick tail, the heavy coat of fur, and the giant ass teeth crunching down a spooky bush full of berries. See, he does come from a planet with huge animals and robots, but that planet also happens to be equipped with machine guns and grenade launchers.

Let's just say they're a little bit short on firepower here.

So. Yeah. Slipping away? He likes the sound of that. Except there's two of 'em with brightly colored hair. And—okay, Reno's not gonna stand here and admit it, but maybe he does, kinda, hit the shade of a real tasty berry bush. Maybe.

Whatever it is, the thing locks eyes with him, unhinges its jaws, and lets out a mighty roar. The trees shake.

Well. Great. ]

Who wants to go first?

[theidlemaiden]

[ Alucard's reassurance (is that what it is?) means a lot to her, even though she's been denying her ability to do anything up until that point. It shakes the brightly coloured box she's painted herself into.

She's just managing to hit all of the sensitive subjects today, isn't she? Thankfully she doesn't linger on it too long, narrowly avoiding more to her blunders bingo card today. ]

I don't blame you. Did you and Jaskier have a new project lined up after the gardens are completed?

[ Work is safe right?! ]

Caitlyn Reunion

[hextechhead]

Jayce thought for certain that the search party would make it back before his, but it turns out once they got to the island, there were already movements in play that made it faster. The acolytes turning on each other, the plan to split the party into two, and then the very unexpected reality of the cavern crashing down on everyone inside. What it all means is that Jayce is back, thanks to a ride from a giant turtle, before Caitlyn.

He gets to work healing people and helping out around the tents and inn, but he is watchful and waiting for the group on the mountain to get back. He got a note that they did find each other, but nothing since. Jayce already had to cope with the death of a friend right before his eyes, something he is still grieving actively, and right then he just needs her back.

So Jayce is there when she steps through the portal with the rest of everyone, and he anxiously looks for her. When he spots her in the group he's already pushing through and he knows better than to hug her or anything, her injuries could be extensive, he doesn't know yet.

"Cait, come with me, there's help here. Everyone's going to be okay." It's too soon after the avalanche and the entire experience to actually talk so Jayce just stays by her side and escorts her to the main healers. He hovers nearby as they go over everything and when all the Lost are through their main wave of healing, have gotten cleaned up and given new clothes, he escorts her to the room she's been assigned in the inn with the others.

Jayce is there when she manages to rest and he's still there when she wakes up, having not left her side that entire first night. He did mentally check in with a few others, and Viktor is out and about, but he knows he needs to be here. He'll help later. When she stirs he makes certain the food and water is next to her bedside. It's soup and bread, purposely light since they were starving and too much could make it worse.

"Doctor's orders, you are required to stay in this room and rest. With the understanding eventually you'll get stubborn and want to leave the room, but for now, indulge me."

Kell reunion

[hextechhead]

Jayce is waiting in Nocwich when the search and escape parties finally get in. He's there to grab Caitlyn as soon as he sees her, but he makes sure to keep an eye on everyone else there, make certain they can all get safely to a doctor. He spots Kell and knows Rhy is somewhere there to see him, so he can focus on Caitlyn. He stays with her for that first day and night just to make certain everything is healing well, before she shoos him out to give her a break from his hovering. And he does have other obligations.

Jayce is a healer so he promised to help the doctors and healers there, he is also good at heavy lifting for tents and moving people to and from rooms, so he puts in time for that since he assumes Kell is resting. So it's about a day in when he peeks in on Kell. He knows Viktor's already been there, having done the checking so he could see Caitlyn. It is why Jayce knows where his friend is and he raps at the door, stepping in few are in a condition to actually get up and let someone in.

"Hey, it's me. Sorry it took so long." It hasn't actually been that long and most of the time people have been unconscious, but it's still Jayce and that is always his concern. He has a little more scruff than usual having not had time to shave and there seems to be a very deep sadness hanging over him. Not the sort of relief someone should have, but this came at a cost, one he knows that his friend Dean would say was worth it. And he would have said the same, if it was him who died, but it still hasn't set in.

Jayce pulls up a chair. "How are you healing so far?"

[thedevilwhorose]

There's a resigned exhaustion when it comes to the kid aligning into his senses. Lucifer knew, often, with a cloudy certainty that Jack existed in Abraxas. Think about it at all and he'd lose that thought and wonder if he was imagining things.

Lucifer is bone-weary. He'd gotten accustomed to sleep as much as any angel could and then he didn't properly manage it for three weeks. Instead he clung to rage and a sparked invigoration there and finally, with everyone back and recovering, he's running on empty.

It shows.

So, this may as well happen. Perhaps better now than a week ago. Now he doesn't much know what to do. Ignored the possibility and maybe even found replacements, though they lacked the power, and the meaning of what Jack's potential for Lucifer was supposed to be.

"Jack."

He only knows the name courtesy of Michael, and only because Lucifer had mentioned the reality-bending, pain in his ass, worm-on-a-string Jack in Michael's presence.

This is where he should slide into a mask and puts on his best salesman pitch. Except from the vague knowledge he gleamed from Michael, and his previous manipulations of Wilhelm, it just seems... counterintuitive.

So they're in an unusual standstill where Lucifer doesn't have words to fill a silence.

IM ALREADY CRYIN FRIEND DONT WORRY

[hairington]

[ thankfully steve isn't going far, doesn't really actually let go himself. part of him is thinking the same thing as eddie, that if whatever this is breaks then that might just be it. that it might all be over and he'll wake up on the cold ground back on the mountain top. that he'll lose whatever it is that's keeping him connected here, and he...he can't. he can't.

if he had the energy, or the mind to really acknowledge it, there'd be something to say about how eddie is starting to feel a bit like home. something steve didn't realize he'd miss, something that steve wants - no, needs - to hold on to now that he has it. fake horizon bullshit or not, this moment is the best steve's felt in...weeks. and he's somehow not at all surprised that it's eddie's doing.

and maybe steve doesn't look half as bad here in the horizon as he does back wherever his body is, but that has more to do with steve not wanting to look like that than it does to spare eddie any of it. he just wants to be clean. wants to be healed. wants to be anything but what he is. and though he does his best to subconcious clean up his whole look, the exhaustion and the pain of it doesn't quite leave his face. he's thinner, he looks beat to shit, but the rest has been left out. eddie can get a good look at that later, when they find each other, because they are. ]

Yeah. It was...yeah. [ horrifying, terrifying, traumatizing. steve doesn't really want to think back to the technicalities of what all just went down, and instead focuses back on the fact eddie is pulling him into another hug. this time steve also exhales, stress and tension and who knows what else slipping from his shoulders as he ends up letting himself fall fully into this - whether or not eddie meant it, steve's just going to press his face into eddie's shoulder and hold it right there. to let himself breathe.

and then laugh, because apparently he's that predictable. ]

Do you- [ steve stop, realizes he hasn't actually been doing any of the actual stuff he should be doing now that they have contact. but then as soon as that realization hits, he remembers who told him to come here in the first place. how it's already taken care of. ] Geralt's already told people where we are- some mountain range, on an island. Shit man, I don't even know how we got here. And now there's a fucking- [ nope, nope, nope, now is not the time to talk about the giant monster creature that he's pretty sure they all just released out into the ocean. he doesn't have the capability of dealing with that like...at all.

steve stops himself and just kind of forces another breath, and then another. eddie gets to completely ignore and/or forget if steve happens to possible be shaking a little bit. it's the first time he's really had a chance to think back, and figuring out what's important and what isn't is becoming a little difficult. ]

The Acolytes are coming after us, we're pretty sure. There's like twenty of us who escaped, and not just Summoned; there were a bunch of locals in there too. Most of them didn't survive, but... [ he shakes his head. ] We've been keeping on the move but it's hard when everyone's kind of beat to shit.

[oversurge]

Eh. Here and there.

[ Yeah, he's heard. He's not gonna let it go to the guy's head first meeting, though. Personally, Reno's a little...back and forth on the whole. Infamy thing. Had it back home, don't anymore. It's not like it was something to be proud of. Just—made shit easier. Convenient. Opened doors, you know?

Or kicked them down, more like.

He pokes the end of his lightly crackling rod in Jaskier's direction. His clothes ain't the problem here. The weather is. ]

Worry about your own nipples. [ Look, he would, but he doesn't actually have buttons on his shirt in the first place. Now that's commitment. ] You out here looking for someone?