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

Sorry for the wait was FEELINGS

[hextechhead]

Jayce is someone who has tried to be strong and always ended up weak anyway, and after awhile, he stopped being hard on himself about it. He feels intensely and that includes sadness and loss and fear as well as love and faith and hope. He was not going to fail her though. He spent every second fulfilling his promise. It was difficult for him to not go searching through the mountains for her, but he knew where his strength in this situation lay. And he would only be useless up there. He trusted in the others. He always had faith in Ciri and Geralt.

Still after Dean's death shook him to his core, he realized he couldn't have that faith unshakeable. Until she was in his arms again, breathing, alive, existing, he would never have peace. He can't fathom what any of them went through. He heard some of it, others explained, but it's not the same thing as seeing how strung out they are. She has every reason to break apart.

"No I can be about fifty-five percent more clingy." Jayce has the same faint smile through the tears, holding her tightly to him. Honestly, they'll know when Caitlyn is ready to go back to her normal self when she finally huffs at him about hovering. Until she rolls her lives and shoos him off. Until that happens, he's not going anywhere.

"I love you so much, Cait. I can't spend any more days without my sister." They've always known that their love for each other was past friendship, they've been siblings in their hearts for a long time now. They're family. He's only saying what they both know, and yet there still is an element of them being 'surrogate' siblings or 'as close as siblings.' No. She is his sister. Full stop.

"I'm only sorry it took so long."

[theidlemaiden]

Seeing the ruined state of his hands brings a pang to her heart. She doesn't let it show however as she dutifully begins to clip whatever jagged nails that haven't been broken or reduced to nubs on his fingers. Having a hold of Blake's hand is good for her, grounding and reminding her that he's here.

"One of the Summoned - Wilhelm." The slight boy had been slim to begin with when she met him, but weeks in the pit had reduced him to a gaunt little thing that had hurt her to see. "I only met him once before in someone else's domain because he's in Thorne, so I wasn't really expecting to see him in mine." It's anyone's guess how he ended up at Garreg Mach, but she's grateful that her brief patrol had led them to cross paths.

Normally, Hilda would ask Blake what sort of shape he wanted his nails but with them being as short as they are, there's no filing happening here so she moves to trimming his cuticles instead. "He didn't stay long since he was in the mountains literally fighting to survive in the cold, but there was this warm feeling when I touched his hand."

Her gaze slides up to him briefly. "I can't explain what it is, but since the Horizon feels like a magical place to begin with, I wouldn't be surprised if that's what it was then too." She gives a brief shrug, before returning to her work, tone suddenly turning a little sing-songy. "It could help with your recovery. You seem like the antsy type and I'm trying to help the nurses out by making sure we try to curb potential runners. They have more important jobs than trying to chase you down."

[assembles]

[ There have been a lot of significant improvements, haven't there? Getting cleaned up, healing, having proper meals to eat and real beds to sleep on. Steve isn't taking any of that for granted, he just doesn't do well being idle for so long. ]

So do you.

[ Maybe neither of them are one hundred percent yet, but at least seventy-five. Steve tugs a chair away from the room's small table and carries it over to the bed, wondering if it will seem presumptuous to sit so close.

He doesn't think so, though. They worked together in that place, with capturing the ceiling monster for one thing. There was a brief, unspoken exchange between them when half their number escaped — that they would handle things on each end. And they did.

He takes a seat. ]

Had a lot of visitors? It's seemed pretty lively over here.

[ Steve's room wasn't so different, with a multitude of people cycling through to visit him or Matt. ]

[postocular]

[ Carl nods along dutifully as he listens, making mental notes. No ridges, dimpling, or anything weird around the suture points. ]

You'd have to pull pretty hard to get it to do that, right?

[ He gets the idea behind clean scar marks and why it's best to care about their appearance. Or why someone might not care. Nadine is passionate about the work she does and he can't let her down or besmirch her by being a bad student. Not that he'd want to? ]

Nicer scars are easier to live with.

[takeatrip]

Depends what floor we're on.

[He's not completely sure, both because he'd been aimlessly wandering and just because he's still very mentally scattered. But upon reaching the window he glances out, finding they aren't that high up, and now has to seriously think about how dumb of an idea this might be.]

I think we could climb out.

['Could' is not 'should', but it's close.]

[takeatrip]

[Sticking her tongue out earns a small grin, and indeed he thinks nothing of it being unladylike; not only does he not care, but he has exactly no room to judge when it comes to decorum or proper behavior.

He's quiet while she explains further, her response very telling about the state of her world, as well as lining up with something she'd told him when they'd first met about fighting in a war. It had been kind of a distant concept when they'd very briefly discussed it in the peace and safety of the Inn, but now it hits him a little more clearly what she must have been dealing with. Being able to stitch someone up would've been an incredibly useful skill in the pit, and if that's something people in Hilda's world so commonly know how to do, that paints a somewhat grim picture.

He pulls himself from his thoughts after a moment, taking a deep breath and busying himself with messing with the bandage on his arm and hand.]

Is that why you learned too?

[He doesn't want to pry too much, but she brought it up, and he also doesn't want to brush past it if it is something she wants to talk about.]

[takeatrip]

[Jayden is a little less graceful in catching the toy when it's thrown back, but does manage it, even if it takes both hands. He idly smooths down its ugly fake fur, partially as something to do with his hands and partially because he's indeed become somewhat attached to the toy, something that's generally unlike him.]

Someone summoned it. I think his magic wasn't workin' right; he'd said something about trying to make a knife.

[It's... Mostly true, at least for the original worm on a string, though that had been sacrificed to a monster. This one had been summoned on purpose to calm Jayden's nerves, which is not something he's about to admit, so circling back to something Claude had said--]

Spells wear off after time? Is that all kinds of magic, or just your world?

[theidlemaiden]

Oh, you know. Sleeping less than I should be and my nails might never recover from this, but otherwise I think I'm doing better than the people that were down in the pit.

[ Her answer cheerfully downplays the emotional turmoil she experienced during the last four weeks, but she doesn't see any point in going into the details with Steve. If his first thought was to ask how she was doing when he had been the one to go through far worse, she's certain that the cup he has to bear is heavy enough without her added complaints.

She happily slides into the chair after scooting it a little closer to the side of Steve's bed. ]

I heard there were bleeding statues or something down there. And I thought the big boar and bear creature I ran into were bad enough!

[ Is she joking? It's hard to say. ]

[lightkeeping]

After all this? Yeah, probably.

[She's only received snippets of the information the others are garnering from the outside, but it seems that Solvunn in particular is going to have a lot to answer for. Josselyn Creed, the bastardized ritual...somehow she doubts that the Commune will be able to stay neutral, after all this.

All the better to live outside of it, as Claude says.]

I'm used to being on my own. Learned a lot of this as a kid.

[She's glad for it, because it's coming in handy now.]

[preferscuffs]

[Caitlyn had struck a careful balance. Loud enough to alert Ciri she was coming, but not too loud that it'd potentially alert anyone or anything of her presence. Thankfully, given the hunting her family often did it's something easily within her skillset. Unlike much of what they're dealing with recently.

Truthfully she'd selected the separate spot simply so that she wasn't fully forcing Ciri to accept her presence if it had truly been unwanted. Still, she's quick to move over nearer to the other woman as soon as it's offered. While she does have an extra cloak and some makeshift extras it's still.... not really ideal for their environment.]

Thank you.

[She settles into the space indicated gladly, inching closer so that they're sharing warmth a little easier. Not touching, but nearby enough for the radiant heat to make a difference.]

Truthfully, I couldn't sleep. It felt like a waste to keep pretending.

[a_better_man]

"And you're a child throwing a tantrum because you can't have what you want right now!"

Mat sits up from his pillows, the air around him changing as his anger and hurt feelings grow. A charge coming into it. He doesn't know what else to do but fight, lash out, yell. Like an animal in a corner he has no other tools to employ right now. It shouldn't be surprising, really, that it's come to this.

Doesn't it always?

His face is reddened beneath the bruises and scratches, his eyes dark and jaw tight. His hands clench into fists in his lap.

"If you're not going to have an actual rational conversation about this, then I'm done talking about it. It's pointless when you've apparently lost your damn mind!"

Wooo background flavour~

[preferscuffs]

[Kindling can be carried with them, so it makes to start collecting it now. Because dry pieces would be hard to find, and pieces that could dry quickly... well they'll dry quicker in her arms than on the ground.

Caitlyn stays close, making sure she's both within speaking distance and visual line of sight as much as possible. After everything they've been through? Now isn't the time to wander off.]

[itookashot]

"When will it be, Mat? Another fucking year? Ten of them? What if it is never good enough time for you? There is nothing wrong with wanting to start our life together!"

Mat is not the only one struggling with his abilities because when Jesper applies pressure on the chair, he realizes that the top half of it has melted under his fingers from his anger. He looks down and swears under his breath, using his abilities to build the wood back the way it is supposed to be. His transmutation can seem bizarrely miraculous at times. When he first arrived, he wouldn't have been able to fix it like this. It seems rude to destroy property in here, and it's not what he was trying to do anyway.

"I am not crazy," he hisses at him. "Fuck off with your I'm being rational and you're being crazy bullshit. Why am I always the one putting my heart out there? It's like I've had to convince you to love me every damn step of the way."

Jesper makes certain the wood of the chair is back in the condition it was before and steps away from it. He no longer is crying, no longer panicking, or close to either of those things, because Mat just ignored his feelings entirely, so what's the point of them? He can live in his anger instead.

"Fine. If I'm too emotional for you, if I'm too irrational, then congratulations, you don't have to put up with me at all. Apparently all I'm fucking doing is holding you back."

[postocular]

[ Funny how life doesn't turn out how you imagine it when you make plans. Louis hugs like his dad does- it's protective and firm, but not enough that he feels like he's being squeezed. He's overcome with a wave of homesickness, but it doesn't make him sad like he anticipated. ]

Just because you've survived worse doesn't mean it didn't suck. It's okay to need people.

[ Carl couldn't be scared of Louis even if he tried. Now that he's considered family, it will take a lot more than a little vampirism to scare him away. He inherited his stubbornness from his dad. ]

Ha, you know it. I'm really glad you're here.

[thedevilwhorose]

[Platitudes would drive him mad, which is why he doesn't say any of it.] Well, offer's always open. Except somewhere we might have to deal with zombies. [But, fine. No burying bodies.

Yet.] You have to look out for you. That's not being selfish, it's just smart.

[postocular]

Yeah, that's right.

[ It's different getting comfortable in a place that's not where you came from but won't return to. Putting roots down is intentional and family is chosen. That perspective makes everything shift.

Carl hisses in sympathy as the claw marks are revealed and gently disinfects the area before readying his needle and thread again. ]

How's your pain? I have a few painkillers and some salve you can have after I'm done.

SSHHH never be sorry its perfect

[unwings]

[ at mention of the ascension, castiel stiffens, eyes drifting down and somewhat unfocused, remembering visions. impossible to say if they were divine, or just result of hallucinogens and sensory deprivation.

he doesn't share it with lucifer. it was too personal, rattled him too deeply. it's dug roots into places he wouldn't trust his big brother to so much as glance at.

he zeros in on the kids instead, watching lucifer with critical, narrowed eyes as he claims responsibility, as if he's ever felt a need to put others before himself. if he knew about the mark, maybe there'd be a sliver of a benefit of the doubt, if there were more distance between the apocalypse and to trail of corpses he lift on earth. he could tell his brother he's full of shit, but that just shuts down the conversation. no, he wants to know more. if this is some game or charade, he wants to see lucifer string it all out for him, go through the entire performance. ]

Why?

[ a stiff deadpan with a flat gaze. ]

What's special about these three adolescents that excuses their humanity?

[ if it's an act, castiel demands he act harder, do better. dance, liar, dance. make it believable beyond aggressive possession. be specific, give reasons, show some glimpse that he's taken half a second to get to know any of them personally. what's worth protecting these weak and frail things, which lucifer so openly loathed only a handful of years ago. ]

Hug icon go! And oof, yeah. All the feels you're not wrong.

[preferscuffs]

Truthfully, she's had it lighter than some of them. Avoided the ritual. And had people specifically looking out for her. Truthfully, it's enough to make her feel guilty. But she'll never admit it to Jayce. Wouldn't burden him with this. Her feelings are her responsibility and not his to deal with.

Though in that dark period right after she'd tried to help Gideon and failed? When she'd gotten a glimpse of the paranoia and wrong-ness that those who'd undergone the ritual had to deal with? Even then, when her mind betraying her at every turn, the voices whispering fiendishly about the other survivors and their situation? Her faith in Jayce and Viktor hadn't been swayed. Nothing - no person, no ritual, no foul magic, or anything else for that matter could shake that trust.

"Only fifty-five? I'm not sure I'll even notice." Not when she's feeling extra clingy herself at the moment. Which might be the real giveaway. Because Caitlyn isn't particularly clingy by nature, not in the same way Jayce is anyway. So when she returns to her more normal, huffy routine it might not have anything to do with him being too clingy. Instead just being that she's clung enough for her own needs for the moment.

And truthfully? Even then she'll probably endure for a while longer. They've both earned that little bit of extra indulgence.

"Oh Jayce." His declaration has her arms gripping a bit tighter, the sniffling that had started to taper off starting up again as her emotions well up in response. Because it's true. He's right and it's silly that neither of them have said it before now. "I love you too. I always will." She snuggles in a bit more, mindful of the state of her body. Maybe some people might still consider her an only child, and in some ways? That's true. But she's also an only child with one Actual Older Brother. Stuff what anyone else thinks they might have to say on the matter. "I couldn't ask for a better brother."

Because it didn't exist. Jayce has always been a cornerstone of Caitlyn's world. A dependable rock she relied upon and always would. To her? He was everything a Big Brother was supposed to be and had been... practically most of their lives if she's honest about it.

"Nonsense." Caitlyn finally pulls away a little, to look at him properly. To scold him of course, a favorite pastime. "It took exactly as long as it had to take. You couldn't have done it any faster."

She knew him well, enough to know that it was true. They'd done everything in their power, of this she had zero doubts. Find her defending his honor at some point in the future, if anyone dares to disagree. Because she will. Preferably not with a duel, if there's anything she's learned over the last few weeks it's that her melee combat skills are lacking compared to her ranged ones.

Chiding over, she scoots back in for more cuddling. Coddling really? Emotional healing, but not just for her. For Jayce too. They both needed this as badly as the other.

"Enough of the past. It's done and we can't change it." And she'd see it enough in her nightmares for the next while to want to avoid thinking about it while she's awake. "Talk to me of the present, or of our future."

Cuddling and gossip sessions. Truly, could it get any better than this? Yes, there could be more tea But later, that would mean a temporary halt to the cuddling. No thank you, not just yet.

[oversight]

Jayden makes his explanations and Blake feels the dubiousness crawling up his spine. He's the kind of guy that follows his instincts and they're screaming at him over how the whole concept of the Horizon is just rife with risk. On the other hand, he's found Jayden to be resourceful and by all rights, similar to Blake in his thinking. And there's no reason he'd lead Blake astray, right? Not after everything they'd shared together.

"So, what'd you make?" he asks, carefully curious. Interested. He doesn't want to act dismissive, especially now that the other man's mentioned his appreciation for the process.

[nadine_he_loves]

Carl? Yeah, he caught on quick. And he really wanted to help out. He's been a great assistant. He's a real smart kid, I spend a lot of time with him in Nocwich and the Horizon.

[And on her brief trip to Solvunn, where he'd been so eager to show her where he lives and the family he stays with. It had been nice, to see all of that.

Nadine takes a seat beside Geralt's bed. There's time to stay for a little while, at least. She could use getting off of her feet, and Geralt...he's more than just a friend. In a way, he's family. She reaches a hand out to rest it on his arm, giving it a squeeze.]

And I know you're okay. I'm still going to fuss over you, but I know.

[godshattering]

[ There's a split second where it occurs to Claude too late that this isn't the best choice. For a lot of reasons, the largest of which is it being months where he could have initiated this and hadn't. Not for a lack of want or wanting to, or even chances to, but because doing so felt like adding another tangle to all the knots tied between them lacing so much together. It's a silly thought now and one he would take back if he could, he thinks vaguely, though he can't do anything about that now.

Maybe it's best to not think at all. Far less complicated to lean into something they know well and nothing he's ever forgotten, something he couldn't have ever managed that even if he'd wanted to try, when her hands find their way into his hair. Easy to follow the invitation of space to be eliminated - of the physical kind to begin with with a silent request for the rest to follow - by letting his hand trail down Hilda's back until he can wrap an arm around her waist.

The kiss deepens and Claude chases it further, wills it to somehow transfer over all the words always strangling themselves in his throat. I missed you. I care about you so much. You've always been important to me. I don't know what I'd do with you. I didn't know what to do when you weren't here. All things he should have said without them being wrapped up in anything else or layered in fifty different disguises. All things he should have said years ago when they were only the weight of a feather, of a pebble, instead of the boulders they've become now. But it's thoughtless to ask for something not reciprocated when there'd been all those years where it could have been; where for all that this had become soothing in its consistency, it never had changed, had it?

Things could be different here. Claude pulls Hilda closer to cradle her against him like it'll block the rest of the world out, like there's not a hallway where anyone might walk by, like it'll absolve him of his past wrongs as an alternative to asking for forgiveness. It's not so insurmountable when it comes to the two of them - it can't be. Nothing is. This is proof. ]

[thedevilwhorose]

[Why does everyone keep asking him that? He'd think if anyone met the kids it'd be obvious enough, and he doesn't even know yet that it's true for Mat, too. It's so obvious that he laughs at Castiel about it. He'd like to think nothing completely excuses their humanity, but that isn't an easy argument to make, but in Lucifer's defense... he wasn't closer to human than angel a few years ago. The damage has been smarting; not just the physical toll, but the emotional.] Really? You can't tell? [Maybe pit life hid it.

He grins. Castiel isn't going to get much any dancing from him. Lucifer is not a liar in this. He tells Castiel the same thing he had mentally written to Kyle, similarly spoken to Istredd.] They're like me. Volatile and shouting at the world to be heard, to come out on top. [Another laugh.] Destructive and without outlet, trying to find some semblance of control over their lives. [That last part is a little too revealing for Lucifer, but he ignores it.]

[a_better_man]

There are likely dozens of responses Mat could offer. Plenty of them with the intent to de-escalate the situation, to bring it back round to something productive. Or at least steer it off of this track.

Mat does not choose any of those options.

"Fine! It's so easy to walk away from me, then fuck you, too!"

He's lost in his own irrationality, emotions taking control. It's blinding, in its way, and he spits out the first things that come to mind. How dare Jesper act like the wounded party. He put his heart out there? Mat hadn't even been sure he had that sort of heart until Jesper! Who can apparently just toss it aside with ease. Who'd been the one just talking? Who hadn't really meant it?

And after everything he'd done to get back to the man...all that hell, all that suffering...

Just to come back to this.

"Just get the hell out of my room!"

[assembles]

[ When Steve gets a glimpse of the small sphere filled with mist or fog, he tilts his head. It looks like a crystal ball or some other magical artifact that isn't supposed to be real, but then again, Stephen Strange would have something to say to him about that. ]

Any idea what it does?

[ The mace is a bit more straightforward in its purpose, though Steve has no idea if there might be more to it. When Nero makes that offer, Steve glances down at the pulsing head of the mace. ]

This thing kind of feels like it might be cursed, but I couldn't say for sure. Nothing's happened the entire time I've had it, but I also haven't used it on anything. So... just keep that in mind.

[ If Nero's willing to roll with the potential consequences, Steve will hand it over. ]

[itookashot]

There is a moment when the anger falters, when Jesper seems to understand with some clarity what is going on. There is true regret that flickers in gray eyes, almost like he is a second away from apologizing, a second away from de-escalating this fight too. Neither of them intended it to go this far and they've never fought before.

But he is being irrational, he is hurt and not chosen and sure why not abandonment issues on top of it, why not everything terrible he's been feeling for the past few weeks or the past eighteen years suddenly piled up all at once. Only moments ago he'd been teary-eyed and begging, and he is teary-eyed again, but he clenches his jaw, goes cold. Cold like he's been for weeks.

Jesper walks over and puts the letter down next to Mat's bed instead of destroying it, in case he needs both of them. He lingers maybe a second or two by the door, as if expecting him to change his mind, but before he can, he's gone.

But not without slamming the door very hard behind him, obviously. That is required.