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

[assembles]

[ In this case Steve hadn't been all that serious with those words, well aware that Natasha won't stand for it. He may be getting restless already despite it only being a day or so since he was recovered, but she knows that. It's why she's here, to give him some company so he doesn't try to climb up the walls. ]

Yeah, you know I've never been good with that.

[ It probably goes back to when he was chronically ill and people were always worrying over him, looking at him with pity shining in their eyes. He knows this is different, but it still brings back memories.

He smiles despite himself when she leans in to greet him, then glances at the basket. ]

What's that?

[godshattering]

A week.

[ Doublespeak indeed - a consideration well worth that who knows who might be listening to them even if they take the effort to keep it to small talk (sort of), but there's no mistaking the disdain in Claude's voice. He's sure there's reasons for it considering he knows of Summoned he's met who've disappeared for something far more permanent. Some of that had to factor in there. As did when it comes to the why behind the disappearances of their own citizens not garnering any notice; the nations are vast. Crime is very real no matter the setting, and his own home of Derdriu was prone to many a vanishing act ill-fated or otherwise where he wouldn't have known the difference either. Perhaps it's just the stubbornness of one who led once leading him to believe that it seems like more could've been done.

Nothing they can do about that now, and what efforts did take place prevailed quite quickly which he'd rather focus on. With a nearly inaudible sigh Claude fixes a smile back on and sends it Kyle's direction in lieu of what else he'd like to ask after deeming it better saved for somewhere far more private. ]

I've heard Aquila does let others not residing in the Free Cities visit, you know. [ Now the grin's back since Thorne will probably have a very close eye on their Summoned for some time to come if they don't already. Claude's watched a few Free Cities guards pace by his doorway occasionally. ] We were actually there about a month before all of this happened to help with a jelly that'd washed up on the beach. My friends and I made a bit of a vacation out of it, and hopefully next time you can join us.

[ It's worth hoping for, right? ]

[a_better_man]

"Yet!" For Mat, it's an important distinction. He hasn't killed anyone yet. But the potential is there. It's inescapable and undeniable. Why can't Jesper understand that?

It hurts as much as anything else, feeling like Jesper isn't listening to him. Or worse, dismissing his fears and the very real danger here.

"Fuck's sake, they won't punish me. And if I do get in any trouble, it's sure as hell not my fault. I'm not the one who painted a target on me!" Anger has long been a defense mechanism, and it's rising hot and quick now. If Jesper loves him so damn much, he has a pretty fucked up way of showing it.

"Just calm down, would you? In case you failed to notice, I can protect myself. And Light knows you have plenty of other pretty young things to keep your real bed from being empty so I'm sure my absence in it won't be that noticed! This really isn't the crisis you've decided it is."

A low blow, and Mat knows it. But he's too upset to care right now. Jesper's emotional displays somehow only make him more upset, a twist of sick guilt spurring him to further reaches of anger.

[itookashot]

Oh now it's getting personal and Jesper is usually the one diffusing fights from the outside. He is a peacekeeper, always has been. He doesn't really have a temper most of the time, but he does get a chip on his shoulder, and Mat's intentionally trying to hurt him now. After he begged him.

"Can you protect yourself? Because you were just telling me you were so out of control with your magic. You're practically helpless because of it!" Jesper glares at him and abruptly stands, putting his hand on the back of the chair. His powers, which are normally in control these days, get set off and the wood starts to melt underneath his fingertips.

Jesper actually gapes at him with that jab about his lovers. Truly feels like he punched him in the stomach, well, or lower. "What the fuck," is all he can say at first. He's horrified a little bit because their poly nature has always been something that pleased both of them. They fit so well because they could have their freedom and trusted in their love.

Mat is spitting in the face of his begging and belittling his emotions and Jesper may have never been this hurt since his mother chose another child over him. He thinks he finally understands what a heart breaking feels like. "You're a coward, Mat. You're hiding behind this bullshit and your slut-shaming insults because you're afraid of actually trying!"

[godshattering]

[ That is something else entirely. Claude pauses in hauling the branch for a second before he hums a note of acknowledgment and then resumes dragging it to its destination while he considers this revelation. A forest is infinitely more hospitable than the desert though it's not without dangers of its own, and that Aloy can manage them on her own? There'd been no doubt in his mind she's formidable in all the complementary ways, but that just seals it. ]

Well, I'd take advantage of that if it were me. Might not hurt to have some distance from whatever it is that's going on in Solvunn.

[ Not that he knows, really; there's only been snippets of things told to him here and there by others and a heavy suspicion on his part in regards to old gods and anywhere worshipping them in earnest. The latter was all that was on his mind when they'd gone in front of that altar in the pit whether it was a fair association or not. Maybe best to leave Solvunn (sort of) out of things for the moment. ]

Am I correct in assuming you come from somewhere where these skills come in handy?

[ Just curious. It wouldn't be unheard of to Claude considering he's had the sense there's several other Summoned used to making their own way through travel or otherwise, and something close to how mercenaries travel through Fodlan. Minus the bandit killing part. Probably. ]

[theidlemaiden]

Curiosity flickers into her expression. "How so?" Having Claude as a friend, she's no stranger to conspiracy theories and not taking everything at face value. She wouldn't go as far as to say that she's naive, but she'd be lying if said that it's perhaps only been in the last several years that she's started to really consider approaching situations with a little more caution than she might have otherwise.

Lenore's little surprise goes unnoticed as Hilda too begins to reach for the provided products. As the self-care begins, she already finds herself thinking ahead to a bath in Cadens where she'll be able to apply the normal perfumes and oils she normally would to her hair. The surprise on her expression is palpable at Lenore's casual drop of her age and she pauses mid-wash. "Two hundred?!" Remembering that that might be considered a little bit rude she's quick to amend herself. "You look really good for two hundred."

[assembles]

[ Of all of the people who might visit, Steve wouldn't have expected Viktor. Maybe he does feel the obligation to return the favor, but Viktor's the sort of person who always keeps everyone at arm's length, and in many ways Steve is the same. Not that he'd had much of a choice while trapped in that pit with so many other Summoned.

He's out of there, though, and that means he can recalibrate. On the other hand, he's something of a captive audience right now.

All that aside, he offers Viktor a strained smile and then reaches out for the puzzle box. He's waiting for the follow-up comment, for the So for you, I'd guess it'll take an hour, at least. But that's more something Tony would say, and there's a brief pang at that realization. Maybe it's for the best that he missed all this. Then again, where is he instead? Six feet under?

He's not getting into all that right now, refocusing on Viktor's question. ] Decent, all things considered. My accelerated healing is coming back, so once the cure's made its way through my system I should be back to normal pretty quick.

[ He sets the box next to him on the bed, not rude enough to mess with it while they're talking. ] I saw Jayce on the island. Thanks for everything the two of you did.

[takeatrip]

If this had been the Blake from Jayden's world, he might've made the ugly mug comment and actually meant it. But this Blake is a much more welcome sight, and there's some level of grim humor in that they best they've really seen each other is when they're in a hospital.

He doesn't initially comment on Blake's remark about scattering to avoid the memories, but he files it away mentally for the moment. It's much more accurate than Jayden cares to admit, and he might've tried to pretend otherwise by completely ignoring the subject, but he can't make himself do that when there's something he might actually be able to do to help.

But first, he's briefly surprised by the last remark, then gives a weak laugh and shakes his head. "Yeah, they're green. No surprise on the hair color, but look, it's not all stuck together." One of the strands in the front flops over as if to punctuate his statement, and he tries not to think about just how weird and messed up all of this is.

But that brings him back to the previous topic. Jayden moves to rest his forearms on the back of the chair in place of his hands, leaning his weight forward and back in a not particularly subtle show of anxiety, but after everything they've just gone through he isn't too self-conscious about Blake judging him for it. And although he probably should be being more careful with his injuries, especially since his left arm in particular is going to take awhile to heal after the whole thorns incident, that's a problem for future Jayden.

"Have you been to the Horizon yet?" He realizes it might seem like an abrupt change of subject, so he elaborates. "It's somethin' to do here. While we're all recovering." A distraction. Something other than being left to think about what happened, a way to almost literally scatter to places far from the memories of the last month.

[theidlemaiden]

When it comes to Blake's answer, Hilda doesn't bother trying to hide the skepticism in her expression but she doesn't say anything for the time being. Instead she focuses her efforts on tucking the napkin back between the pages of her notebook and bringing out the little manicure kit she's taken to bringing around with her instead.

"You know I could have brought you if you'd asked," she tuts finally by way of a slight scolding. It isn't as if she's got any skin in the game; she likes the Horizon well enough, allowing them to communicate with their friends outside of their conjugal monthly visit to Nocwich. And she's a proponent of anything that could be of help, especially after what they had gone through. In the same breath, Hilda is well aware that it offers a form of escapism that could be considered concerning if one spent too much time there.

She extends her hand for Blake's without much explanation of what she means to do with it although the kit that now lies on his bed should be enough indication. "It's funny you mention it though. I ran into someone I sort of know in the Horizon. Maybe it was a trick of the Horizon, but it looked like his injuries might have gotten better."

[a_better_man]

We aren't together anymore, so there's literally nothing to worry about!

[Mat clutches at his bedsheets, the air around him suddenly alive with crackling electricity. Enough that little blue sparks dance around him. He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes, trying to get a handle on it.

It's fine. He's fine.

Only he isn't, not even a little bit. But he has to be. This is exactly what he was talking about.]

It's done. Just...leave it.

[techmaturgy]

Viktor might ordinarily shy away from such public displays of affection, but this is an important exception. Jayce is back safely, and Viktor doesn't care about anything else. He leans into the kisses and then pulls in close, settling in Jayce's arms. The comfort is just as important as the rest of it, at this point--what Jayce has been through is harrowing, and though Viktor can't exactly fix any of it, he can at least be present.

"Always come back to me. No matter what."

They've come too far for any alternative. Even if he's safe now, that could change in an instant. Jayce talks about what the captives went through, and he can't help but imagine what might have happened if Jayce was one of the taken, instead. He understands the inclination to stay by Caitlyn's side, always afraid that she might vanish again.

All he can do is offer comfort. Viktor holds Jayce close, hand running soothingly up his arm. "We're ready to help them. We've been engineering a cure while you're away, and the healers and doctors are prepared. It will be okay, Jayce."

Caitlyn will be okay. Like his own cure, there's no other alternative.

[godshattering]

[ Claude catches the toy easily enough in one hand when it's tossed his direction and spends a split second examining it. The exam coincides with Jayden's explanation and he glances up without lifting his head before looking back at the shape in his hands with new clarity. ]

Hey, at least this one doesn't require magic to use it. Nothing worse than when the spell runs out when you're trying to entertain yourself and you don't know how to make it start up again.

[ Speaking from childhood experience? Maybe. This particular toy might make a good one for the Leosylphs if they're still around, though given that he's not sure if Jayden has any particular attachment to it maybe it's better to not risk any particular tiny animal ferocity. After a couple more seconds of turning the fuzzy little form over in his hands he holds it up to toss it back to the other man. ]

Are there gift baskets going around that I missed out on?

[ Claude's only guess for where the toy in question might've come from and mostly as a joke than anything else. It doesn't resemble anything he's seen around Cadens, but. That's not to say he's an expert on what's around here and it certainly came from somewhere. ]

[malicieux]

[ The moment is fleeting, but it doesn't go unnoticed by Lestat. Their breath hangs in the space between them and then there's an inhale, an exhale, and Louis' eyes flick down too far for Lestat to think he can gaze at them any longer. ]

Of course I had to.

[ He doesn't say he thinks Louis would do the same for him. He isn't sure that Louis would do the same for him, but, really, didn't Lestat just do this as a way to draw them back together? If their roles were reversed, Louis would offer himself up from some place of righteousness.

Since it's obvious Lestat won't be tasting those blood-reddened lips any time soon, he lets his hand slide from Louis' neck (careful, of course, to let his fingers stroke the back of Louis' shoulders). His head tilts with a small, self-satisfied smile. This is a very good start. He won't push it, knowing the dynamic is different between them now but knowing, too, that the best way to lure Louis in is to let Louis feel like he's come to the decision on his own. There just need to be little seeds planted along the way. ]

Rest now. And let them treat you.

[monomachy]

Well met.

[The greeting comes naturally to her, one she speaks more out of kinship than circumstance. Altaïr is a warrior, as she is, trained and honed in ways that she's learned most people are not. It is a comfort, strange at it may seem.

She smiles wanly, since he has guessed her intent so easily.]

I am. I thought that perhaps I could find one of them here, and gain more information as to their situation.

[chainedqueen]

It's a level of devotion she's not used to. Larys had offered to be her ally, but she's never felt such trust for someone as Mat. He’s forceful, aye, but he's insistent at what he views as his duty. Clinging to his side throughout all of this, she can't bear the though of being without him. Not in her current state and not after what's been done to them.

She tore at her finger, biting her cuticles nervously. Better to risk it all than be left alone with her fear and paranoia.

"Then let us run." She extended her hand, bloody and raw. "Do not let go."

[malicieux]

He is, yes.

[ That's the simplest way to put it, anyway, and Lestat's never been the sort to tell more about himself than he needs to. Best to leave the complications of his and Louis' relationship out of things for now. ]

He's gone to Solvunn. I wouldn't have known he was taken at all if not for him finding a way to reach out to me.

[oversight]

If he's bothered by Jayden's lingering, he doesn't show it. He notes it, though, as he does with many things, slipping the information he has into a nice little directory in his mind. Maybe it's another indication they're alike; Blake certainly doesn't like to sit still himself. In fact, this stint in the hospital is practically driving him mad (ironic, all things considered).

"The Horizon? No, not yet," he admits, only just avoiding the sigh that wants to come with it. This isn't the first time it's been suggested, and while Blake appreciates that people are willing to go incredible lengths to make him feel better, the idea of it all makes his insides coil unpleasantly. Particularly the part where he's told he won't remember anything on his way in.

"Is it good?" The way he say it, it's almost like he's asking about a drug. Maybe that's not wrong.

[monomachy]

[Diana frowns as she sees how little there is in the cabinet, and is suddenly grateful the healer accosted her for this errand. She can't imagine if anyone injured was brought into this tent and there was nothing here to treat them.

She looks down at the items on the cot, considering for a moment as her desire to do this the right way and her need to get as much done as quickly as possible are at war. Eventually, she blows out a breath and says:]

I think the healers will be able to tell what they need.

[Meaning, the may as well just stock the cabinet as best they can.]

[oversight]

Blake watches as Hilda takes his hand and begins her process of fixing him up. He's not bothered — his hands are absolutely wrecked, nails jagged and skin healing in places – and as she moves ahead, so does he.

"How d'you mean? Someone from here? Someone from back home?" It's hard for him to imagine, having never been there himself. He's heard descriptions, usually from impressed lips, and he's not entirely buying it. Anything described so positively has to come with a catch. And by all rights, there aren't a lot of people he's willing to share himself with, which seems exactly what they're gearing up to do with the Horizon.

He waits for Hilda's explanation, anyway. He's bound to trust her more than just about anyone else right now.

[magicalarchaeologist]

[ Istredd doesn't say that he's not a witch, he's a mage, because that snobbishness only matters to the Brotherhood and it's stupid. Besides, a witch from another world could be the exact same thing as a mage. ]

I try my best. So far I think it is going over well. I'm just glad to have my magic back. We were all separated from our abilities in there.

[ For some it was annoying, but for him it was devastating. Chaos is a part of him, it is burning through his veins even now, but it was blocked and he felt empty without it. He didn't realize how much he relied on his magic until it was taken away, having always thought of himself as less reliant. ]

You make a good point, but we will always seek to shield the people we love from danger, even if they can help. You should be allowed to be here at least, and to see him. I think that you should, you may be of great comfort to him.

[ Istredd doesn't know for certain but he can't imagine otherwise. He never had a parent, so to speak, he had a mentor who was a bad person, so this kind of relationship is beyond him. He cares for Castiel, they went through it together. If Jack is here, he may as well go see him. Istredd doesn't know that Dean is dead, he has missed that entirely.

As for the Lucifer and Michael conversation, he goes back and forth mentally about it. Deciding whether to say anything or let the boy do as he wills. It's not as if their family is close. Castiel gets to choose how he feels about this. It's not Istredd's place, even if a part of him will always want to speak up for Lucifer.]

I understand. I know that Lucifer has hurt many people in your world. He has a different life in Thorne, but that is not your concern. Michael is a complicated person, I think all of you angels are, but I'm fond of him too.

[takeatrip]

"Now that I've gotten past the first time, yeah. It's pretty great."

Which he's very relieved by, having been quite nervous about the whole thing initially as well, especially the part about the memory loss. It's what had prevented him from trying to get there before everything had happened, but being unable to escape into the Horizon, even for a few minutes at a time, had quickly become a regret while trapped. The potential of something like that happening in the future, as well as the need to distract himself from his thoughts now, had quickly overridden any trepidation he'd had and he's glad it did.

"It's takin' a little practice to get used to conjuring things up, but it seems like you can make almost anything in there."

[techmaturgy]

[He's vaguely aware that people don't exactly expect this from him, but this is a special occasion. There are actually those among the captured that Viktor worried about--of course he did, otherwise, why would he enact such a risky plan to get them back?

If Steve doesn't want him here, then Viktor will take his leave soon enough, but for now he can at least try to repay the favor. People were kind to him, when he was in recovery. The least he can do is show that same kindness in return.]

That's good to hear. [There are others in worse shape than Steve. Viktor shakes his head.] You don't need to thank us. It's what anyone would have done, given the ability and resources.

[And giant brains. But also many people probably wouldn't have done what he did, given the gamble it was.]

[philancer]

And that would be a terrible shame. [ The grin lingers in his voice, even as he tugs her back to snuggle once more, resting his chin atop her head. ] Especially when that's one of my favorite hobbies.

[techmaturgy]

Yes, I know. But we were all going to worry regardless.

[If something had happened to her, Viktor and his plan would have been to blame. He'd been ready to answer for it, but he's glad that he won't have to--well, at least not in so dire a way. He's still expecting to hear it from Geralt, but the fact that it all worked means that he's got more of a leg to stand on.

Jayce will be relieved to hear all this about Caitlyn, though of course it's a curiosity for Viktor to contemplate further. What matters, he supposes, is that she didn't go through the ritual. Maybe that had something do to with it.]

In a situation like that? I imagine it did. [He'll have to tell Jayce, if Ciri doesn't beat him to it. That is not, however, the most important detail of their time in the pit.] Do you have any idea what they wanted with you?

[techmaturgy]

"If you like."

He's not terribly confident in Blake's physical ability right now, but he's even less confident in his own. If they end up in a fight, he'll defer to the man next to him. Viktor concentrates on the receiver in front of him, which isn't exactly subtle, but he can't imagine the acolyte in question is expecting to be tracked.

"I thought I would find the interloper, first. Then decide."

It's probably not a secret that Viktor doesn't think much of the government, or the authorities. It's also possible that he functions on the assumption that people aren't going to think much of him at first glance, either, affording him certain advantages.