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

[ushiri]

[ It's as the last rescuers and rescuee's are trudging back into Nocwich that Kahlil finally takes a moment to breath. There is more to do, with the injured streaming in - healing is not what he is made for but he can help in other small ways. Eventually he has to stop, though, and when he takes that moment to rest in relative privacy he first sits cross-legged, closing his eyes as he enters Horizon.

He arrives during a short lull of patients at her tent. The wolf is still there - he knows Geralt has returned to Nocwich by now, having kept so many other the others who escaped alive up in the mountains.

The other animals are new to him. Any other time he might've been enthralled by the miniature mythological creatures, but today he walks by them, approaching Julie first. ]

Do you have a moment?

[princessvegas]

[ It's probably the last day she'll sit at the Singularity, waiting to help. Her people are all in Nocwich, and while she hasn't decided whether she's going to stay there until they leave, her presence is still becoming needed more outside of the Horizon than inside it. As it is, she appears to be clearing the table of food, although she's doing it by hand -- some of the instincts to do things without magic never really fade away.

She looks better than she did last time they met. The Singularity lies sleeping in her head, no longer a constant tidal wave of emotions she has to weather.
There's no information left to channel. She's escaped the cycle of overload and drain. ]

Oh, hey. [ She looks up with mild surprise to see him. Most of the Summoned who've appeared in the Horizon recently were the ones who were kidnapped. She's seen precious few of those who weren't captured. ] Sure. What's up?

[ushiri]

[ He ducks his head slightly, watching her clear the table for a moment. It's a habit he has too, going through familiar, physical actions instead of always just banishing things from space with his mind, so he doesn't find it strange that she's doing the same even if it's more time consuming than strictly necessary. ]

I wanted to talk. [ He starts slowly, chin still slightly tipped down as his brow furrows. ] First to thank you for looking after Jack when he was here. But also about - this. You, the Singularity. I know you have good reason to avoid this - [ Speaking about such things. Especially aloud. He remembers when he first heard Lucifer and Istredd express concern about Rhy's connection, about what might happen if Thorne found out. He shakes his head. ]

You were the only one here reaching out to it. I know that it must've responded to you.

[ He knows that there was one anonymous person leaving information that no one else here was able to glean. He knows that she nearly shot Jack in the face in Horizon once, and that it was because of a very long, very strange story shared on the network that involved one other person, Rhy. And knowing what he does about Rhy - ]

Whatever it is you're able to do here, I just want you to know that I'm grateful for it. And I won't tell anyone else.

[ That's all. She can get aggravated with him now. He braces for it. ]

[princessvegas]

[ She opens her mouth to acknowledge his thanks, but Kyle keeps talking and she freezes in place. Electricity prickles across her skin, adrenaline instantly floods her veins. Self-preservation strikes in a way that she hasn't felt since Vegas, since she sprinted towards the door, shoving people out of her way. Without her noticing, the plate in her hand becomes a knife, dagger sharp.

Picking up on the tension, the animals all become alert. The wolf rises slowly, menacingly; the other three become visibly agitated, pawing the ground and, in the dragon's case, rising into the air. From seemingly nowhere, a long, red-eyed viper winds its way up Julie's leg and body, until it wraps itself around her arm and bares dripping fangs at Kyle.

The moment feels like it lasts forever, her heart lodged in her throat and pounding in her ears. The Singularity wakes suddenly, hackles raised. When Julie finally speaks, it's slow and deliberate. ]

Do not get yourself caught up in shit you can't understand, Kyle.

[ushiri]

[ She might not notice the plate shift to a knife, but he does. And when the viper curls its way up her body to bare its fangs in warning, he flinches slightly. Nothing can truly kill him in the place, only banish him back to reality. But it the venom in his veins will still hurt, as would being torn apart by Geralt's massive wolf.

He appreciates the warning, even if it's a little late for that.

Kahlil watches her, raising both hands in the air to signal his intent, or lack of it. He closes his eyes and one hand passes over his face. His features stay the same, but there are now Prayerscars on his forehead, his eyelids, the backs of his hands. From both ends of his mouth extends a jagged scar, nearly ear to ear. Only a handful of people here have seen this face, these scars, these tattoos.

Just as slowly as that, he kneels down, head bowed.

If she wants to get rid of him, she will have to use her weapons. ]

[princessvegas]

[ Julie is caught in the same fight-or-flight response that used to accompany the appearance of a stranger in a world where people killed each other for supplies. Where men travelled, unchecked, kidnapping and enslaving women. The kind of response reserved for when one's life is very much on the line. Because hers very much is.

She has been in Abraxas almost since the beginning. She knows what happened to the first of them, the tests they were subject to. The experiment that only barely evaded ending in death. Julie will not spend the rest of her life as a guinea pig. She refuses.

But, right now? She doesn't really know what the fuck she's looking at. It's not as if she's only ever met Kyle in the Horizon -- they met for the first time in Nocwich, and he didn't have all these marks. They've met multiple times in person, and she's never seen an indication of anything like this. Then he kneels and she's still not sure why any of this is happening.

She hesitates, palpably uncertain. The animals remain on guard, the viper in particular; it hisses and spits but doesn't actually yet attempt any strike. There's a jittery edge to Julie's voice when she finally manages a thought. ]

Wh-- what the shit is this?

[ushiri]

I'm not the kind of priest you might have been imagining.

[ He looks up at her now, the scars and tattoos fading away. But he remains on his knees, non-threatening as he can manage. ]

One of Solvunn's leaders allowed us to meet with them. I asked her about their Old Gods. She told us that they believe they were borne from the Singularity, and from there all life was created - starting with this world. [ He looks over her shoulder, then back to her. ]

Whatever the truth is, this place must be protected. And you - maybe you are connected to the heart of it. [ A beat. His eyes narrowing slightly at a memory. ] Your bartender, Steven... some months ago he called me by my birth name. He knew it, somehow.

[ Only one other here knew that name at the time. It had terrified him.

Now, he wonders if he should have seen it as a sign. ]

[princessvegas]

The people in Solvunn are fuckin' crazy. Their crazy is the reason for all of this, everythin' we just went through! That is not who I would be takin' my cues from, Kyle, or whatever your name is!

[ She doesn't dispute the story, though. It's not like it's a surprising belief to have. It's no weirder than any other creation tale. But something in her face, in her tone, says it's not his faith in the Singularity or in Solvunn's fairytales that's bothering her. It's not even just what he's accusing her of.

He lied to her. Lied about his name, let her think he was part of some regular old religious cult like the Amish or Mormons, not something clearly brutal and frightening. If he's running around, lying to people, how can she trust him to protect her life?

The panic is still rising in her throat. Kyle isn't saying anything she doesn't already know, but he is saying it more bluntly than she has ever allowed herself to consider. And if he's saying this now, to her, who else might he say it to? ]

Steven knows everyone's name. He's a bartender. That's just his thing. [ Which is something she has chosen to not ask about. That he knows things she doesn't. ] You wanna accuse me of shit that will get me killed just 'cause a bartender knows your fuckin' name? Don't you know what they did to Relena?

[ushiri]

[ Kyle, or whatever your name is! This is the part his lies that he's never had to confront. In Abraxas the ones who have heard the truth about his past, his crimes, have only offered kind words or acceptance, sometimes mutual understanding. But then he thinks of Yu'mir, of Fensal - what had they thought when the guards must have come looking for him after he left?

He imagines it going something like this.

Kahlil ducks his head. ]

I've heard what happened to Relena. [ He could mention Himeka or Geralt, especially since he now knows Julie's connection to the latter, but he doesn't. ] What the queen hoped to accomplish - I'm terrifed of them finding out about Rhy -

[ He's never mentioned Julie to Kahlil, he only makes the connection from Jack's 'story'. There's no point in dancing around it now.

He shakes his head, looking up at her. ]

I'm sorry for lying to you. The last thing I remember before I came here was that I was dying. I arrived here with no allies, with no one to trust. I did what I thought I had to.

[ To survive. He understands that's what she is doing now, too. ]

[princessvegas]

[ Ordinarily, Julie's reaction would have been similar to that of the others. She understands it, really she does. Doing whatever's necessary to survive, to slip under the radar. That's nothing new to her. But to ask her to entrust him with something of this magnitude when it turns out she doesn't know the first thing about him? That feels like a slap in the face. ]

Keep Rhy's name out of your fuckin' mouth. [ For this, her voice loses the hysterical edge; Rhy and Julie are bonded together through the Singularity, like siblings, and she does not hesitate to protect him. There is only hard steel in her tone as she jabs one finger toward him. The viper stretches out along her arm, as if eager to get closer to Kyle. ] The queen can't get what she wants outta him, even if she tries. Which she'll only do if people like you keep talkin'.

[ With a frustrated cry, she stabs the knife into the table, then begins pacing back and forth. Her fingers run through her hair as she clutches her temples. Inside, the Singularity doesn't seem to fully understand why she's upset, tugs at her with its wordless requests for explanation. When she ignores it, she can feel its uncertainty as it slowly acknowledges the presence of someone else to her.

The Singularity never cares about anyone except her and Rhy. The returning kidnapped as well, but not in the same way. ]

Oh, you died, huh? [ There's a cruel edge to the sarcastic laugh she seems to choke out. ] Well then, all sins forgiven, I guess, right? I mean, when I died and got brought back to life here, I didn't lie to everyone about who I am for a year, then stick my nose in all their private business that would immediately turn 'em into Abraxas's most wanted, but maybe I just fuckin' did it wrong, huh? I'll keep that in mind for next time.

[ She's having a hard time breathing. Her heart feels like it's going to burst from her chest. Is she dying? She feels like she might be dying. Her mind is going so fast she can barely parse the thoughts.

Overhead, thick, dark storm clouds begin to gather, obscuring the top of the Singularity. Thunder rolls dangerously. If anything, this only appears to upset Julie worse. ]

Are you fuckin' kiddin' me right now? Go away! This is not helpful! [ She is yelling directly at the clouds. Or perhaps both the clouds and the Singularity. She's not entirely sure herself.

After a moment, she swings back around to glare at Kyle, her eyes sparkling in the corners. ] Are you happy now? Now that I know you get to play great decider with my goddamn life? I didn't ask for any of this shit. I just wanted to help.

cw: light mention of past suicidal ideation

[ushiri]

[ There's a flinch when she snaps at him about Rhy, the reaction more from the tone of her voice than the viper that coils in anticipation of a strike. Even the dig at his death gets a blank look.

He has spent time wallowing in fear and guilt, and he's learned that survival ultimately means pushing both down, not letting himself dwell on those thoughts more than necessary to learn how not to make the same mistakes. If he were to let either overcome him, then he would've ended his own life decades ago when he was still an acolyte. Lying is the least of his sins.

(but that doesn't mean none of this cuts)

She confirms her own death to him. It's both a surprise and not. She's told him before that she has nothing to go back to in her own world, and while that could mean any number of things about the place she came from, it makes sense now.

The dark clouds roll in and he glances up at them as she shouts at the, then meets her glare again with apology in his own expression. ]

You deserve to live the life you want here. You've been kind when you had no reason to be, with nothing to gain. Believe me or not, I won't betray either of you.

[ He'd rather die than give up any of these secrets and cause harm to them. Hers, Rhy's, Wilhelm's. That is what he believes he was brought here to do, protect these Summoned.

He can't make her accept his words, though. ]

[princessvegas]

[ She blinks and goes still as she feels the hot, angry tears in her eyes spill. It's not all Kyle's fault. The entire group has been through so much recently, and Julie has exerted a level of energy recently that she's shocked she's even capable of. It was never going to take much to overwhelm her.

But this is so much more.

Furiously, she wipes her face, leaves behind pink skin for a moment from the pressure of her hands. The viper drapes itself over her shoulders; the wolf sidles up and leans against her leg at it continues to stare him down. ]

How can I believe you? [ Although she scoffs, there's a sort of rawness behind her voice. ] I don't even know who you are.

[ushiri]

[ He does feel sorry for causing her pain. For making her cry. It still makes him uncomfortable in ways that have him itchy, but this isn't the time to suddenly leave again.

He shakes his head. ]

My name is Kyle. It was the name given to me many years ago, to use as a cover but - it's the name I choose now. [ Ravishan is someone else. Kahlil is complicated. It makes sense to call himself by his title, but it doesn't feel right to ask these people to. It's not what he would ask his friends to call him. He continues, distantly. ]

My parents were killed when I was young. My sister is... also gone now. I was raised in a monastery to become a priest, by men who hated me. [ Some of this she already knows. ] I'm not a good person. You're right - I've been a liar my whole life. A murderer too. I killed when it was asked of me.

[ He had no reason to question it. To do so would mean endangering his life, his sanity. Explaining that part is only an excuse. Kahlil lets out a breath. ]

The rest is more complicated than you probably care about right now, but - my home is connected to Earth. I used to be able to travel between the two worlds. I did live in a city there, with a roommate. He was very kind to me, and I lied to him about who I was too.

[ That's the jist of it. Not a compelling reason to believe him, but, this is who he has been. There are a handful of people here now who know these pieces of his history, that he's shared with. And now she is another. ]

[princessvegas]

So what, you're just an evil dick? [ She's incredulous. ] So why should I believe you won't turn around and sell me out to the queen? They'll give you anythin' you want for somethin' like me. Any of these native assholes will. You can live wherever you want, like a fuckin' fat cat. You'll be set for life.

[ She sniffles sharply, wipes her cheeks again. Ever since she learned what she's capable of, Julie has avoided actually voicing the reality of the situation -- that she's the key they're all missing, all of the factions. They all want control over the Singularity. Julie doesn't believe she can control it, but she can communicate with it, and that's more than anyone else seems to be able to do.

Purple flames, old words, dangerous magicks. Lightning. The things apparently binding her to it. Things she has in her brain for some reason, some piece in there that isn't hers.

The Singularity coils around her consciousness protectively, but she doesn't know that it's actually capable of helping her now. She showed her hand too much in her efforts to get the others back. ]

I mean, I guess I can't stop you. Not really. It was probably only a matter of time anyway.

[ushiri]

[ He winces. ]

I'm trying not to anymore. [ Be an evil dick. ] Not to the people who are important to me.

[ Which he has quite a few of here, now.

He doesn't dismiss her accusations outright. Actions hold more meaning than words. However, there's little more he can do to prove his sincerity at the moment. So he takes a second to consider, then shakes his head, his features going cold as he speaks of Thorne's defacto ruler. ]

I would never hand over to the queen anything or anyone that would give her power of the Singularity. Not after what she's done. [ The attack of Libertas. Everything he's heard about the Summoned's treatment in the past. ] There's nothing in this land that could sway me.

[ Only his god, or the Singularity itself. He trusts divinity over men. He can't be bought with promises of wealth. He could be threatened, thanks to these new connections and relationships, but that's a bridge he'll cross later.

He shakes his head again, the animosity dropping from his voice. ]

What can I do to prove that to you?

[princessvegas]

[ His voice gets so hard, like he's upset with her, but what he says makes her laugh, cold and bitter. There's nothing in this land that could sway me, he claims, but he has no idea. How could he? ]

What about your life, Kyle? Are you willin' to have your back split open to the bone to protect me? Have your mind dug through like a dumpster? [ The viper seems to leer more aggressively at the edge to her voice. The ridicule in her tone. ] What about if it's me or Rhy? I know what that woman is capable of. I cleaned it up myself.

[ And that doesn't even take Marlo Reiner into account. Maybe her best option is to escape to Solvunn, out herself and let them hail her as some kind of prophet.

In her head, she berates herself. You're so fuckin' dumb, Lawry. You shoulda just told Sam and left it. But no, you wanted him back bad enough to stick your own goddamn neck out like a stupid turkey. The Singularity, distressed by her continued state of agitation, prods at her, tries to understand. The clouds overhead rumble loudly.

Julie throws up her hands. ] I don't fuckin' know, Kyle. I don't know. I've never really been in this situation before, so. There's not a fuckin' handbook I got, "Bein' Able to Talk to God Rocks for Dummies" to help me out. Way smarter, more powerful people'n me can't do this. I don't even know if it matters for you to know. Like, shit, there's probably already eyes on me that I don't even know about.

[ushiri]

[ His frown deepens at her ridiculing, cold laughter, and the words she spits like venom.

It's true, if it truly came down to her or Rhy - but there's no point in saying it. He wonders what she means by I cleaned it up myself. He doesn't ask now, though. ]

I would protect you both. I serve my god, and he's brought me here from the edge of death to you all for this reason. [ To the Singularity. He doesn't have a death wish, and he doesn't relish the thought of being tortured, but he's sworn himself to a higher power. And then it's his turn to smile grimly. ] And I pity anyone who wishes to tear through my memories.

[ This is, in part, posturing. There are plenty of things he wishes for no one else to see, some personal, other that have to do with powers in his world that no faction here should know. But, his mind is also a mess. A jumble of mismatched pieces that make little sense when trying to put together something whole. Good luck to them, is how he bitterly sees it.

After a long moment, he begins to stand, telegraphing his movements and raising his hands up in the air again, palms toward her and the viper. ]

Probably. [ He agrees with a small nod. He's suspected something about her for a few months now, he can't be the only one. Too many people in Thorne already seem to know about Rhy than he's comfortable with. ] It's impressive you've managed to keep it hidden for this long.

[princessvegas]

[ The viper seems to pick up on that failure to definitively answer more than Julie herself does. It spits and hisses again, but Julie places a hand on its neck, her first real acknowledgement that it's even present. She's spent months working out her control of the snake, her ability to contain her rage and fear so that it doesn't just continually show up and strike everyone who bumps into her on the street. ]

You wouldn't. [ She looks at him with a dark sense of resignation, her jaw set firmly. ] I mean, that says it all, don't it? You can't say it. That if you hafta make a choice between me and someone else, you can't say you'd choose me. And like, I'm not sayin' I'd expect that from someone I didn't tell. But you took it on your fuckin' self to puzzle it out. And you knew, you fuckin' knew from the second you first suspected, what kinda dangerous this shit is. And you still kept diggin'. Did you just want leverage on me or somethin'?

[ Because that's what it is. Leverage. The second Rhy or Jack or any of his other little boyfriends gets caught out for something serious, she's the magic get-out-of-jail-free card. And there is no leverage she can ever get on anyone else that will be equivalent.

There are others who know about her, to varying extents. Most of them are people in her daily orbit, people she is physically close to. The others found out accidentally, but have been protective all the same. And they haven't been lying to her for as long as they've known her. She doesn't worry about Stephen or Wanda -- they are both so powerful in their own ways that she knows they won't break. Rhy cannot sell her out without selling out himself, and he does not know the full truth of her connection, not identical to his own. Everyone else is in Cadens, with her.

Kyle does not fit any of those boxes so neatly.

It begins to rain. Julie stays dry, but her cheeks don't. ]

And now it's not hidden anymore. Hope your god's happy.

[ushiri]

[ Another grimace, like it struck out anyway. ]

You're not leverage, Julie. You're special. You're important to us all, even the ones who don't know. And it won't be from me that anyone else finds out.

[ Kahlil can't make her trust him, though. This is a losing battle. He hesitates. ]

Find a way to take it from my memory. I won't fight you.

[ If she won't trust him to protect her secret, then this is all he can offer. He knows there's Summoned who can rifle through minds, and there's probably Abraxan magic that can do the same. If she can't cast the spell herself, she likely knows someone else somewhat capable.

And he'll just have to trust that she won't scatter his mind. ]

[princessvegas]

[ You're special.

Her whole life was chasing that drug. Being special, being important. There's no other reason to have bright pink hair, to wear head to toe sequins, to viciously cling to those with power. She'd wanted it so bad, for so long, and when she finally was the special one, everyone else fucking died.

But now, now that she is special and important, she almost wishes she weren't. Almost -- she doesn't want to be separated from the Singularity. She feels like it's a part of her actual being now. Now, it keeps pushing at her, prodding. Not content to be ignored, even in a moment where she doesn't have attention to spare.

Kyle tells her to find a way to alter his memory and she wants to laugh again. She knows people who can do it, it's true. She had one of them in her head just a few weeks ago. She doesn't think she could ask them without being in immediate danger, though. And she doesn't think it's right to meddle in people's brains anyway; it's been done to her and she resents it.

There's a long silence. She honestly doesn't know what to do or what to say. She wants to say it's fine, to play it cool. Pretend she isn't scared out of her gourd. She wants to believe him, but it feels impossible. ]

Just go. Please. [ She sounds small and tired. How could she have felt so content just an hour ago? ]

[ushiri]

[ He swallows, and nods slowly at her answer.

I'm sorry.

In all these conversations, he's never meant to upset her. But his curiosity, his need to understand, and his own confidence that he had been right has led them here.

The offer remains open, if she changes her mind.

He won't bother her again.

There's no fanfare to his exit. Here's there one second, vanished in the next. ]