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

— kell

[godshattering]

Much like in the cavern, Claude's somewhat lost track of time. It helps that now there's messages from those looking for them to clarify what's happening when and where, but the stretch of mountainous cold and snow with the occasional greenery beyond trees seem to blend together even though he can tell they're making progress to somewhere. They've settled at yet another makeshift camp as the sun begins to set and the flurry of activity needed for that and to make sure everyone is taken care of occupies his mind for a while.

It's hard to say if it's still the effects of the ritual or if it's just Claude's general lack of sleep keeping him alert where he's supposed to be resting even though he's not set to take over the watch until later. The restless urge to do something - something productive - gets more and more difficult to ignore, and pacing around isn't going to be a solution. Better to save that strength for tomorrow's trek.

But he decides if he's going to be awake, he'll take advantage of that after all. With a makeshift cloak wrapped around him, Claude steps away from the fire towards the sparse patch of plants a few feet away which remind him of the patchy vegetation where the spareness reminds him of the steppes back home. Easy enough to crouch down to inspect the leaves of the nearest one while using part of a woodchip to bring it forward until he can verify it's not poisonous and really is the healing item he recognizes it to be.

[blackeyedprince]

It's easier for Kell to track time when there's an actual Sun over his head or not. Those there are moments when he's not all that grateful for the Sun. It gives little heat, and the glare of the sun rays against the snow is brutal for his eyes. Long time ago - back home, it feels like another life entirely - he had heard you can go temporarily blind from staring at the snow on a sunny day for too long.

The mayhem of the escape, the mad run to get off the lake before it drowns them all, the arduous trek through the snow covered mountains. All that should have exhausted him enough so that sleep won't be a problem. He is sleep, he is tired, but whenever he closes his eyes, the nightmares come. So after tossing and turning in his place way too long, all he can do is move.

It seems he's not the only person who can't sleep. Kell smiles when he recognizes who's there crouching in front of a sparse patch of vegetation. He can't really tell what is that Clause is looking at.

"Found something interesting?"

[godshattering]

Someone speaking has him looking back over his shoulder, not exactly in wariness but something possibly close thanks to all that time in the pit. But - it's also a familiar voice so that dissipates all of a second later as he smiles up at Kell before nodding towards the plant in question. He'll take any and all help in trying to solve this particular mystery since it's more manageable than the greater ones around them.

"I'm trying to figure out if this one is something I've seen in a botany tome back in a library in Cadens. It's not a plant that grows in the desert, so I'm far rustier on those. But this one -" with a gesture towards a small shrub nearby - "is one I know well. The leaves help soothe irritation and promote healing if they're put over cuts like bandages. Nadine uses a dried form of them, I think, in some of her salves so we might be able to make something close to that ourselves."

For the most part; the bandage part might be the most helpful of all given how many cuts or scrapes - or worse - they collectively have. Back to the mystery leaves in front of him it is as Claude leans closer to peer at it again in the dim night light. "With any luck, this one is another useful plant if I can remember the indicators for it. You wouldn't happen to recognize it anyway, would you?"

[blackeyedprince]

Kell crouches near to have a better look. He raises hand and calls a small flame to hover of his outstretched palm, illuminating the plants beneath. It's not great feat of magic, but there are few things that make him happier now that being able to do such a small thing.

"I know this one," he points to the first plant. It's similar to the type he's found in the cave, but healthier and bigger than any of those that grew there. It could be the same species, just less sickly. "If crush its leaves and smear the juice over the wounds, it should prevent them from getting infected. It's a common ingredient in healing potions."

He tilts his head to the side, trying to remember where he's seen the last one. Than it dawns on him. Of course! That's actually quite funny. Childish, immature funny, but still funny.

"I know nothing about the use for the leaves, but I know that you can put the dried root into your tea to make it sweet. You just need be careful not to go overboard with it. Unless you want to spent your afternoon on the toilet."

[godshattering]

The flame, on the other hand, fascinates Claude for a second to where he almost forgets the plants in question. Almost being the operative word, but Kell had called that magic forth so seamlessly it's impressive. The other benefit of the flame is another light source beyond how he'd been squinting at these lit only by the moonlight's reflection, so it provides another chance to attempt placing the leaves in his memory. Those indicators never surface, but there's no need for them when Kell recognizes the plant.

"That's perfect." If Claude sounds hopeful, it's because this is even better news than he could've hoped for. It doesn't require drying like the other plant in the salves he knows making this immediately useful and without much effort to do so, from the sound of it. "If we can pair it with the first plant being used as bandages, hopefully we can figure out something that can give people some added relief."

Of course, relief isn't exactly what the roots promise as Kell follows up with, and that's the sort of thing which gets a wide grin from him.

"I'll have to remember that. This sounds more like it'd be good for a prank or two if someone felt so inclined. I'd imagine the dried form of this has to be lurking around in some shop somewhere." Or in Nocwich, maybe, at someone's stand where there's so many more options. Assuming they get the chance to go back and browse there again, though he's choosing to believe they will.

Something easier to think about than their current predicament, though Claude's reminded of it soon enough when a brisk wind cuts through. That also reminds him of something else, and he nods to Kell's hand. "Is that Abraxan magic or something you know from home?"

[blackeyedprince]

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

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

There's the impish grin again.

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

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

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

[godshattering]

That the plant is common everywhere, even for its actual use, is reassuring. He'll have to make a note of that to look it up when they've all returned since he's choosing to believe that will happen. Nothing ends here on this unknown mountain if they or the rest of the Summoned have anything to say about it, the latter being based on what he's heard.

Claude will grab some of the leaves to bring back with them in a bit now that this investigation turned out to be a successful one in terms of some supplies to keep on hand while they travel. What's more interesting to him is the revelations Kell's provided as he watches the fire trickle down just as a handful of water might pour out before it moves into the air.

"An incantation. So Abraxan magic is invoked by words, then?" Assuming that's right, that's intriguing. Not for the first time Claude's regretted not learning more about the magic available here - even if the Free Cities doesn't exactly seem to be the best place for it, or not Cadens, anyway - since this feels like something he should've known more about. "The magic I know relies on knowing spells and theories to be able to call it forth which takes some practice. By comparison yours seems to appear with ease."

It's easy to return Kell's grin with matched delight over getting to see such a thing even if it's not something to be picked up here. From demonstration alone it's not difficult to tell the other's got some incredible talent considering how easily the flames were manipulated. That's impressive and there's no small amount of admiration as he looks up overhead again.

"I'm not much of a mage myself so this also makes the wind spells I know look rather tame. Useful for a warm day, maybe, but not nearly as much so for where we are right now."

[blackeyedprince]

"At least the Thornean variant does. They call it academic magic, and indeed it relies on words. Carefully worded spells that require diligent practice before you can make them work. The mages in Thorne believe it's safer. It surely is easier to teach this kind to people with even a trace of skill. It doesn't need deeper understanding, innate talent or raw power. All you need is to have even a drop of magic within you, say the right words in the right way, and there you have it."

He's being unjust in his assessment. What he said is good for the basics, and it was made perfectly clear by the disaster that preceded their current one, that Thornean mages are capable of both impressive and deadly feats of magic. But he can't pretend that his own didn't need practice.

"It only looks easy because I've been doing this since I was little," he admits. "It's as much a part of me as my blood is. It may appear effortless, but that's just years of practice." And focus, and control. Both of which he had to learn, with the latter being harder and more tricky.

"Don't sell yourself short. There are many uses for wind magic. It doesn't need to be hurricane strength to help."

Kell can list a few right off the top of his head.

[godshattering]

"That explanation makes a lot of sense, right down to being able to activate it using just the words. Fodlan's magic can be powerful in the wrong hands and with inexperience behind it. One of my good friends is a powerful mage who can level something with a blast if she chooses."

Neither here nor there, except in the range of capabilities, and perhaps too close to whatever magic it was Thorne had summoned to also level Libertas. Not that Claude's planning on calling attention to that when they're already in the middle of their own crisis here in terms of survival, and there's a half-grin at Kell's reassurance about his own skills.

"It's true, there's definitely uses. I could probably create a small blizzard for us if needed, not that I want to tempt the fates into giving us an actual one more than what we've dealt with. But when it comes to utility, something like fire or lightning do seem to have a bit more going for them."

Possibly also borne out of admiration for Kell's clear talents even with that confirmation of practicing, though there's another detail he finds interesting in there.

"You've been studying since you were small, then?" That's what he's hearing as practice, at least, though the actual application might be different. "At an academy like with formal or sort of formal training, or somewhere else entirely?"

[blackeyedprince]

"You've just said it yourself. You can create a small blizzard. We are in the mountains, fleeing from those that would very like to drag us back to the cave. A lightning can take out one Acolyte at a time. Fire can't burn snow. But a blizzard, even a small one, can shield a large group from the pursuit and obliterate all the trace of them passing, or the direction they went in. It can make all the difference between getting caught, and successfully escaping. I'd say that's a lot of utility."

Kell is usually the opposite of talkative. He's as probable to response in single sentences or even single words, as just not talk at all. There's one exception. You get him talking about magic, he might never shut up.

"It wasn't anything as big as academy, but yes, it was kind of formal training. At least part of it."

Tieren told Kell he's not going to treat him differently just because he's an Antari. He was to learn the same way, the same things, as every other apprentice. It was an idealistic sentiment. Nobody ever had a smidgen of doubt that he's like other apprentices. Nobody - other than Tieren himself - ever treated him like the others. It was obvious to them that he's different. It was obvious, that he does not belong.

"Most of people learning magic formally pick one element they feel good with, and study that. I did all of them, and one that only I can use."

[godshattering]

He'd meant it more as a joke of sorts (even if that'd only been known in his own mind), a very abstract sort of complaint about there being so much snow around them when it's not his preference even before operating on their collective desire to survive, but Kell's rebuttal to it pulls Claude up short. In a good way; having the value of being able to create cover for them on the move is something he hadn't considered. But it's absolutely an important tool beyond simply using the wind blades he can generate, and the smile he offers Kell after that consideration is more genuine.

"Huh. I'm embarrassed to say I'd never thought about it like that, but you certainly make a good case for it. I'll have to do a little experimenting later on to make sure that's something I can pull off. Better to practice now than when he might need it most, right?"

It's said as lightly as ever, but that they're likely being pursued - if they aren't already - by their captors weighs on a corner of his mind at all times. Given that they weren't meant to escape or to tell of what was happening to them with so many wards in place to prevent both means they're valuable enough to capture again.

That can be a problem to mull over later since Kell's enthusiasm about magic is catching, and now it is beyond just in what he's demonstrated but now also shares.

"All the elements narrowing down to one on your part is certainly impressive." The temptation's there to ask about the one Kell's mentioned only he can do, but. That might take a little working towards first, Claude thinks. "Much of Fodlan's magic is treated the same in narrowing down to an element or possibly two to focus on. Or some others show aptitude for dark magic which seems to be learned by only a select few, given that one of my friends who's a powerful mage is one of the only people I know who managed it."

[blackeyedprince]

It wasn't Kell's intention to embarrass Claude. Quite the opposite. He got carried away into too much theorizing.

"Oh, I was just trying to point a very common misconception. Everyone likes fire and lightning. Both are flashy, dramatic, but there are situations where there are better tools for the job. Nothing more complicated than that." A smirk follows. "Well, if you'd be in need of practice partner I'd love to offer assistance."

The situation here is so different from what he had to deal with back home, that Kell catches himself behaving quite differently. While technically he was just one of the students there, everyone knew it was a facade. There was hardly a reason to blame anyone. Who would want to be on the other end when an Antari fucks something up? So he ended studying and practicing alone most of the time. He didn't mind. Here, he's constantly surprising himself - and no doubt Rhy - that he actually tolerates... and sometime even like, the company of other people.

"Dark magic? And what kind of magic that is?"

Kell knows he shouldn't ask. He has a hunch it might something very familiar to what he already knows, and would do better to stay away. But curiosity wins. When it comes to magic, curiosity wins every time.

[godshattering]

"It's true, and if I'm being honest - or just telling on myself - flashy and dramatic usually are my signatures." Claude's kidding, kind of, though there's the temptation to clarify that slightly by telling Kell his friends from home wouldn't disagree with that assessment either. As much as he enjoys bending wind gusts to his will or forming them into blades, there's no denying the sheer theatricality of a lightning bolt crashing into the midst of battle. "But until the day comes when I can pick up one or the other, I certainly won't say no to a practice partner here. I'm certain there's ways to combine fire and wind even in the midst of all this snow to be something devastating."

Something he hopes they won't need, but as said before: best to prepare ahead of time rather than finding out they need last resorts at the worst possible timing for such a discovery. And even if their experiments here result in nothing more gained than mischief: that's still valuable enough in Claude's mind. They could all use distractions now.

At the question of dark magic, Claude needs a second to think. Perhaps it's fitting he chose to bring it up given their recent experiences here in Abraxas and how those both align and don't from what he's been told. As he considers the best explanation, he spends a couple moments also fidgeting with the leaves of their discovery.

"I would say it bears some similarities to what we went through," he finally says, dropping his hand away from his plant pretense. "Not entirely in the practicality of it since the spells function as attacks upon their targets, but the roots of it are... generally associated with those who've been through a ritual themselves if my understanding of it is correct." Claude's silent for another moment, though his reluctance to be more specific isn't directed towards Kell but rather because on this topic, he's not sure what those from Fodlan know. Maybe there's no harm in sharing more at all.

"I only know of two rather proficient mages able to cast the spells who weren't associated with this group, and one of whom's since passed away. Most of what was written about it has been carefully removed from available tomes."

[blackeyedprince]

"I can definitely relate to that," Kell replies with a knowing smile.

As it wasn't obvious already, he's a bit of a show off. He likes to wow people with his magic. Both, because he prefers this reaction to fear, and because he wants to share his genuine love for magic. Back home, the most common reaction he got was fear, so he's latching on any opportunity to get something different.

He nods along the explanation. It is as he expected. There are similarities he cannot ignore. Black London used its magic too freely, relied on it too heavily, until it took over to the detriment of them all. He doesn't think it's the same with dark magic of Claude's description. Something must have happened though. The purging of all existing knowledge sounds very familiar. Same thing happened with Antari magic in Red London.

"I could tell a similar story about magic I specialize in. Though I have mine through having been born with this, no rituals needed." Kell points to his black eye. He rarely call attention to it willingly, but Claude revealed something potentially dangerous about his own magic, so it's only fair to respond in kind.

[godshattering]

That Kell says there's similarities is enough to pique Claude's interest all by itself, though when he glances up and sees the other gesture to his eye, it somewhat feels like there's a small connecting of dots on his end. It's something he'd noticed before and despite any curiosity also assumed that was something best brought up not by the observer. Now explains why (somewhat).

"Being born with it seems that grants you different abilities." If he heard that correctly which he thinks he has, and that has Claude considering something else adjacent to it. From Fodlan, anyway.

"It's not magic since it's something within bloodlines down to literal blood, but there's different abilities granted through them in my world. Mine is healing," with a pointed grimace at his bandages proving that's not worked well at all ever since the ritual, "but others have physical strength from it or improvements to their magic, the latter being what reminded me of it. That's mostly to say I'm not unfamiliar with the concept, if that helps.

"For my friends with added gifts in magic, I want to say it affects what they already know though I can't say for sure." It's more likely that the ordeal they've been through going on for weeks now is affecting his memory more than anything else, but Claude still furrows his brow in thought like that'll summon the knowledge about Crests and how they affect those who have them forth. "Is yours something like that or different entirely?"

sorry it too me so long :(

[blackeyedprince]

For the first time in saints know how long Kell gets a question about magic that he has no immediate answer to. Claude's description of his people's innate skills that are not magic, but sound awfully like one resembles nothing he's familiar with. He has to think really hard how to express the difference.

Back home he hunted down every scrap of knowledge about Antari magic that he was able to put his hands on. Quite often through pretty dubious means. And still, what he did end with were a few additional words, one rune and a boatload of conjecture from people writing about a thing they never experienced or witnessed themselves.

"I don't think it is. I mean, similar. It is blood related as in I was born with it, and I need my blood to use it, but I need specific words for specific outcomes and I need to use them consciously."

Kell pauses, hesitating to follow that train of thought. That's all true, but he can't shake the feeling that it doesn't exactly answer the question.

"From how I see it, it's more like other people in my country have access to magic through the elements. Everyone has it to greater or smaller degree." Well... not everyone, but the example of someone who doesn't is too painful for him to share. "They all need to channel it through the elements, the use of those requires focus and training, but not really much more. What I have is a direct access to the source. No intermediaries. More powerful but more dangerous and difficult to use."

no worries at all, you're totally fine!!

[godshattering]

Blood-related but not similar beyond that - that does offer him some clarification, at least in that some version of Crests is not what Kell is referring to when it comes to his own abilities. He nods slowly at the initial response to take a few seconds to absorb that, and then Kell adds more to that which does make it far clearer.

"Ah, I see. The words offer you the control for what you want to do rather than it being a... one lone pre-determined outcome of sorts as what ours allows us to achieve." That's not the best way to summarize that, Claude's sure, but it's where Fodlan's bloodline 'blessings' vary in their set and individual offerings from Kell's own mastery of a deeper kind of magic from the sound of it.

"I think I also see what you're saying in regards to intermediaries. There's an area of Fodlan's magic - Faith, related to healing, mostly - that's supposed to rely heavily on one's belief in Fodlan's goddess. I probably shouldn't say it's supposed to either since I'm likely proof of it. My belief's never been all that high and my skills as a healer certainly leave much to be desired compared to my more devout friends."

An association which sounds closer to Kell's explanation but still doesn't feel right either as Claude thinks this over again. There's a thread there if he could get his mind to follow where it leads, but given that everything from this mountainside is catching up with him he shakes his head another another moment when nothing else in that train of thought brings more ideas to the surface.

"Well," he begins, with a grin to match the conspiratorial tone, "in that case. I have to say this makes me all the more curious to have you as a magic practicing partner while we're here."

[blackeyedprince]

"We can start whenever you're ready. " Kell replies without thinking about what he's really proposing first, then chuckles and adds. "Though maybe not in the middle of the night. I wouldn't want to disturb people who actually can sleep."

It's easier when he can make light of it, but also a clear sign how much things have improved with their escape. For all the other horrors inflicted on them by the Acolytes, being cut off from his magic was the most painful. Kell always knew his magic is truly a part of him. He never realized the true extent of it. Having it blocked, didn't feel, as some people might describe, like missing a limb. No, it felt like missing a heart, a lung, or any other vital organ. Like continuously dying every waking moment.

No surprise then that he takes every opportunity to reach for it now that he feels whole again.

[godshattering]

Claude casts a glance back over his shoulder towards the camp at the mention of the middle of the night, then turns back to Kell with a grin. "You have a point. Now's probably not the most ideal time to start stirring up winds and knocking things around, is it? Especially not after everything."

The everything being something they don't need to specify given what they've been through - no need to make it look like they're under attack to someone who might startle awake and wonder why magic's flying around them. The people able to get rest need to get it where they can while they weather the element.

"And speaking of that, if we're going to be putting fire into the experiments, we probably don't need to make ourselves extra visible to anyone or anything around we might not want to visit. I've not been out in any of the groups hunting yet, but I've heard stories about the creatures roaming around the mountains."

One squint up at the sky shows the faintest traces of daylight approaching, so at least there'll be opportunities soon once everyone wakes up. "Dawn will be here before too long, so it probably wouldn't hurt to try getting some rest ourselves, for whatever that might be worth." Not that Claude believes he'll be falling asleep anytime soon, but maybe sitting with eyes closed counts enough.

sorry, i lost the notif on this, lets maybe wrap here?

[blackeyedprince]

The camp is unsurprisingly quiet. They all need as much rest as they can get. Uninterrupted sleep was not a luxury available to anyone trapped in that horrid cave for weeks. Kell can't even tell how long they've been there. With no day or night to measure its passing time has turned into another source of torment. He was barely aware of it until they got out.

"So I've heard. That there's more to be wary off here than an occasional bear or a pack of wolves. Even if those alone are dangerous enough."

Kell shakes his head trying, unsuccessfully, for the hundredth time to blink away the dizziness. Sleep would help, he knows that. It's not that he didn't try earlier. He wouldn't have been on his feet if it worked. But Claude is right, eventually everyone else wakes up and it will be time to move. Magic practice can wait until daylight. There's less chance they'll be spotted by any search party then.

"You're right. Let's meet again when there's some proper light and we won't be raising half the camp in alarm."

no worries! that works for me, it's a wrap!

[godshattering]

That wolves or a lone bear are dangerous all on their own gets a bit of a wry smile from Claude since that's certainly true. There's plenty of things roaming around Cadens' deserts which qualify despite looking non-threatening at first, and he's positive the same is true for the mountains. Between the snow, the temperature, being weakened from everything about the pit - there's too many disadvantages working against them.

All the more reason to make sure they don't attract beings they don't want to come any closer, no matter who or what they might be.

"Daylight it is. I'll be around whenever you're ready for our grand practice session. See you then, Kell."

No trace of wryness now; the smile he offers Kell as he picks up the plants and leaves he'd collected is genuine before he nods in parting and heads back closer to the fire. At least there's now some supplies to categorize to pass away those hours to sunrise and to keep him occupied - hopefully.