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

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

Event #12 - Invocation ( 2 )

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OOC plotting post | Event coordination post

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

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.

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.

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ That much felt obvious but that doesn't prevent her from forgetting what he had said about unpleasant memories from home.

Pink eyes flit across his features as if trying to decipher what he isn't telling her. It's not so dissimilar from before, but the only difference is that she knows some details of what had occurred in the pit whereas she knew very little about his upbringing aside from the gossip. With only the pit as her clue, the only conclusions she can come to in regards to memories it's dredged up for him are merely assumptions and broad ones at that.

Had it been the dark? She couldn't recall anything happening during their time at the Academy that might have involved that, but then again, were her own memories even reliable when he had lived an entirely different life? Or maybe it had something to do with the creature that Jesper had posted on the network. She hadn't forgotten about Miklan and his horrific transformation — had that happened in his timeline too? It isn't as if she's sat down with him or Petra and gone over every detail of their memories with a fine tooth comb.

Hesitation reaches across her features joined by the familiar feeling of anxiety creeping across her shoulders. What if asking somehow withdrew what little trust he had gifted her? What if her asking anything remotely personal disappointed him? Sure they were close, but were they close enough for that? A dissenting voice says of course not. ]

I know you didn't want to talk about it in the Horizon but we could talk about it now if you want. [ More words rush from her mouth, trying in her own way to brush it off even though the brief motion of her gaze darting away is the only sign of her nervousness. ] Or you could talk to someone else about them. It doesn't have to be me. I just think it would help because...telling you that I died kind of helped me that night.

[ At that reminder, he reaches up to catch her hand against his cheek, holding i against his skin for a moment before reaching for her and tugging her closer again. ]

Come here. [ Easier to reassure himself that he's here and safe, that she's here and alive, if her can wrap his arms around her and hold her close. ] Talking about it's never really helped before, but if there's something you want to know, ask. [ A wry chuckle, as he rests his cheek atop her head, soaking up the warmth of her against him. ] Trust me, you can't make it any worse.

[ Besides. He wouldn't even know where to start. Everything is a jumbled mess in his head right now, all tangled together. If he just started talking, he'd just work himself in circles and get nowhere. ]

[ Her initial reaction is to huff even as her hand automatically rises to cup his before she's pulled towards him. This isn't meant to be about her; he shouldn't have been comforting her in this way, especially when she had tampered down the fear that learning about her death had sowed. Or at least, that's what she was telling herself.

Hilda's arm wraps around his torso, nuzzling her cheek back into the comforting valley of his chest. As she gives him a squeeze she faintly thinks to herself that she had missed this too.

The door Sylvain has nudged opened for her presents any number of threads to follow - arguably too many, because her desire to learn more about him feels boundless in this moment - that all seem equally important in the tapestry of his life. Instead she starts with one that seems broad enough that doesn't seem too incredibly personal right off the bat. It's said tentatively, as if dipping her toe in something personal might create too large of a wave. ]

What happened down there that reminded you of home?

[ He’s not surprised that she goes straight for the throat. Even if she probably doesn’t understand what a loaded question that is. The layers of answers and how deep and twisted they go. Launching into his brother trauma right from the start seems a poor way to go so he starts with the abridged version. The one he’s told all his life. The one only four people know isn’t true. Three who had seen through it back before he’d gotten so good at hiding it and one… who was just a nosey fucker and knew everyone’s secrets, honestly. ]

I was… clumsy. As a kid. [ True enough, and he gives a wry chuckle as he wraps around her and stares up at the night sky. Anchors himself in the sight of it. Every pinprick of light that breaks up the endless black. ] It took me a while to grow into myself, so I was always tripping over my feet, graceful as a fuckin gangly colt. It meant I landed myself in a lot of… accidents.

[ There’s a pause there, because that skirts uncomfortably close to a lie. It’s not one in itself, he had been clumsy. But most of the ‘accidents’ that haunt his nightmares… hadn’t been accidental at all. ]

I fell down an old well once. When I was… seven, I think? Broke my arm in three places on the way down. But it meant I couldn’t climb my way back up. Not sure I could have even without the broken arm, if I’m honest. There was barely any water at the bottom anymore, just enough so I didn’t break my neck when I landed but still enough that I had to worry about falling asleep and accidentally drowning myself. I screamed for help for hours, but there was no one around to hear.

It was two days and two nights before they found me and by that time I was completely delirious. Sure I was gonna die down there in the dark and the wet. I… I haven’t handled tight dark spaces well ever since and add in a damp element and it just sends my brain right back there, even if I know its not the same.

[ The hesitations say a lot, namely that it's hard for Hilda to imagine that all of the incidents he's describing were just accidents. Other questions immediately come to mind, namely who had been behind said "accidents" that weren't really accidents. But she remains silent, unaware that she's even asked a question that had shoved the door open wider than she had initially planned.

Besides that, poking holes hardly seems appropriate when he launches into his full tale. Hilda raises her head to look at him, concern burrowed deep in her gaze. Her heart clenches at the thought of a young Sylvain consumed by so much pain, fear and loneliness. It continues to ache knowing that he'd been confronted with, as far as she's aware, one of his worst fears down in the pit. For what isn't the first time, guilt begins to arise, wishing that they had been able to get there sooner than they had.

Her grip around him tightens as if her arms will somehow be able to protect him from the fears and nightmares he's describing. ]

Didn't anyone wonder where you were? Your father? Your brother? Any of the staff?

[ Sylvain was the heir to House Gautier after all. Anyone with that sort of title and expectation going missing, even at the age of seven, would have been a cause for concern. ]

[ He doesn't mention that his brother knew exactly where he'd been. That Miklan's laughing face had been the last thing he'd seen before he'd been pushed over the edge and dropped down into the depths of the well. ]

My father sent out search parties. The villagers all pitched in to help look. The well... was pretty secluded, at an old farmstead that had been abandoned for some years, so it was a while before anyone ventured there to look.

[ He slides his fingers up and down his spine, soothing her when he feels her arms tight around him. ] It was a long time ago now. It's not something I dwell on. Wouldn't have, if waking up down there hadn't brought all of it back. [ He gives a small, wry chuckle, closing his eyes again. ] Poor Claude had his hands full. Pretty sure I freaked out a couple times, especially after they dragged us in to the altar.

[ His tone of voice holds more than a hint of his disgust for his own perceived weakness down there. ]

[ The feeling of Sylvain's hand running up and down her back is soothing, but it isn't enough to dispel the pain she feels in her heart. It's silly to chastise herself for not knowing about this until now, but the sentiment is still there, stretching across the silence that settles between them.

The hint of disgust doesn't go unnoticed. Hilda shifts up to her elbow again to look at him. ]

You're upset at yourself for reacting, aren't you?

[ There's no judgement in her voice. Rather, there's something sad and heavy there as if everything she wants to say to him to try and dispel those awful voices are trying to get out. ]

There's nothing to blame yourself for, Sylvain. That's so scary. What you experienced as a child was scary — of course it's going to stick with you. [ 'No one would blame you for reacting like that,' is on the tip of her tongue but she recalls his dismissal of what she had said earlier. Remembers how the people in his life have apparently told him that what he's doing isn't enough. ] Claude doesn't blame you for that or thinks any less of you for it.

[ Despite not having spoken to him about it, Hilda knew she could say that with certainty. ]

I don't think any of less of you either.

[ Not that that has any weight for him, she thinks. But maybe it would provide him some proof, some further evidence that she cared and thought highly of him too. ]

[ Of course he is. With the strict manners and the uncompromising pressure his father had drilled into him all his life, it's typically his first instinct. He's just usually better at hiding it. Or ignoring it. He knows the rigid upbringing from his father did not always ring true to the rest of his life. That showing the flawless mask - of whichever guise he was donning - wasn't always possible. But that didn't stop the sense of shame or guilt when it failed him. Or the fear of it.

But he has no real way of putting that into words. Doesn't know how to make it make sense, especially to someone who didn't know his father. Or knew the other sides of who Sylvain had been, who he'd had to be.

So instead he glances up to where she leans above him, propped up with a frown as she tries to reassure him. He offers her a small smile, tired though it is, and lifts a hand to cup at the nape of her neck, fond and warm. ]

I know you don't. You and Claude... [ He trails off before giving a soft, tired laugh and shaking his head. ] It helps. Knowing that. Knowing that you don't. That you wouldn't. But that doesn't mean my thoughts - or my dreams - are paying any attention to that sort of logic. It's harder to argue myself out of a mindset I'm far too used to being expected to conform to.

[ It's not that she thinks he's lying when he says that her meagre reassurance helps; her doubt has more to do with her own abilities in being able to comfort Sylvain. The dissenting voices wonder if she should send a message to Claude because surely he'd be better in this situation than she could. She hadn't been in the pit, she couldn't begin to understand anything that Sylvain is describing.

But is that really true?

To some degree she understands that arguing with your own mind was the most difficult fight someone could take on. She understood that with startling clarity - there's a reason why she doesn't bother with it. But Sylvain has always been stronger than he wants to give himself credit for. Whatever he's soldiered through his entire life is a testament to that and she wants him to know that. Needs him to know that. ]

It is difficult, but that's why we're here to remind you. And I know that between the two of us that I've been here for less time than you have but...I get the feeling that you can be whoever you want to be here. [ A smile flickers to the corners of her lips in an attempt to bring some levity to the current situation. ] Just don't become too much of a jerk okay? That's the only thing I won't support.

[ He just laughs softly and tugs her closer again, pressing a kiss to the top of her head fondly. ]

That wasn't on my list of things to become, so that shouldn't be an issue. But yeah, that... that's one of the things that makes it so tempting to stay in this world, rather than trying to return home. For the first time in my life... I can be whoever I want to be. The choice is mine. I'm not sure anywhere or anyone could offer me a treasure greater than that.

[ It was a dream he'd never allowed himself to have, because the reality of it had been so far beyond his own reach. ]

I'm just making sure.

[ She can't help warn him jokingly even when the kiss to the top of her head brings about some colour to her cheeks.

Sylvain's statement about Abraxas offering him something Fodlan never could lapses Hilda into a contemplative silence. Levity is hard to keep up when realizations keep dawning on her. What else had she been so willfully ignorant about? ]

I didn't know it was that bad at home, Sylvain. I wish...there was more I could have done to help.

[ There's more that goes unsaid, like how she would have fiercely stood up for him no matter what demons he had faced. But she fears the expectations that come with that, fears him laughing at her like her words as nothing more than that. Anxiety constantly has her waffling about her abilities, even when others need support the most and she wishes that wasn't the case. ]

What was it that made it so bad?

There were a lot of things.

[ His tone is hushed, and a little resigned as he rests his cheek against the top of her head, letting his eyes go back to the stars. ]

Some of it I hoped to change one day, but others... Let's just say there were some traps not even I could flirt my way out of. [ But oh, he had tried. ]

It's not important now. We're here and I intend to enjoy every precious second of that. And all the unexpected opportunities it's brought with it. [ There's a fond note in his voice as he tugs a lock of her hair, implying that he counts her among those. ]

[ She wants to disagree, tell him that it is important because it's him and she thinks he's important — but she can sense that the time to dwell on those things is coming to a close. Instead she gives him a squeeze, tries to wrap her worries into a nicely wrapped package for another day.

Hilda can't help but smile slightly at the sentiment and the implication. ]

Me too.

[ And she means it too. As much as she misses certain things about Fodlan, there are things she's quickly grown to love here. She reaches up to tug at his beard teasingly. The same fondness in his voice is mirrored in hers. ]

Even if that means spending a night on the roof with you without a mattress. If I wake up sore tomorrow you're taking me to the spa for a massage.

[ He gives a quiet chuckle at that and brushes another light kiss atop her head. ]

I wouldn’t dream of it. Probably quite literally, right now. I’ll be okay, Hilda. You should go down and get some rest, though.

[ He suspects she’s not going to agree to that, however, and is already assessing his own state now. And if he can bear to drag himself back inside just yet. The last thing he needs is to make this worse by going back in with her and promptly having another panic attack. He’s kept them all hidden so far, upon getting back. Even from Claude. He’d prefer to keep it that way. ]

[ There’s a drawn out hum as if she has to think long and hard about Sylvain’s urge for her to return back downstairs to her bed and Marianne.

A younger Hilda would have seriously considered it without a second thought, more concerned about her lack of sleep or her back — a fact current Hilda can’t help but feel slightly ashamed of now. As she’s realized over the course of the evening however, dwelling on the past is something that won’t serve her. She knows now with certainty that she won’t be leaving him alone, not after everything he’s done for her and certainly not after they’ve grown closer.

And even with those undisputed facts, Hilda also knows that some levity might be appreciated. She presses a kiss to his chest, nuzzling briefly into it before untangling herself from his embrace. ]

I’ll stay here a little longer. But if I’m staying here a little longer there’s something I have to go get.

[ As she stands she brushes whatever dirt there is off, and giving him a look. ]

Don’t go running off, okay?

[ He squints at her suspiciously as she gets up and brushes herself off. ]

I'm not going anywhere just yet. But you can go back down to sleep, Hilda. It's late. Go to bed. I promise I'll head back down myself in a bit.

[ He already feels a little bad about inconveniencing her this much. ]

I'm sure you will, but not before I'm back, right?

[ Her tone is a dead giveaway that she doesn't seem entirely convinced of the intent behind his words.

True to her own words though, Hilda quickly makes her way down the ladder and back towards their apartment where it's still quiet save for the soft ticking and clicking she can hear from Veliki's hybrid machinery. A part of her hopes that Claude will have returned in the time they've been up on the roof, but when she peers into their shared room, his bed is still empty.

She shoots Claue's empty bed a little pout before walking over and quickly removing his pillows and blankets from the mattress. A quiet rustle of wind beside her signals Perry's existence and without a word from her, any books left on the bed are quietly and quickly stacked away atop his desk. Free obstructions, some of the mattress lifts, thumping onto the floor as Hilda all but tosses the pillows and blankets back onto the empty frame.

With Sylvain's pillows and blankets tucked neatly under one arm, she grabs the other side of the mattress and Perry's invisible form moves back out towards the hallway and up the ladder. Unfortunately, her master plan does hit a bit of a snag - namely that the mattress needs a little more force to be pulled from the top.

Which means that Sylvain will see half of Claude's mattress being pulled (and pushed) by some unseen forces. From below she calls out - ]

A little help here?

[ He hears her coming back before he sees her, glancing towards the hatch with a puzzled frown as he tries to figure out what she's doing. He can hear her struggling with something, but he has no idea what she's up to. Propped up on one elbow, his eyes go wide when something that is definitely not Hilda starts poking up through the hatch from below.

Getting up, he moves over to the hatch and glances down past the stuck mattress at where Hilda is stuck below, struggling to keep the laughter off his face. ]

...Hilda. What are you doing?

Training.

[ She peers up between the tiny gap and gives him something of a flat look indicating that the last thing this is is a Raphael-style training regime. This is what she gets for her kindness and ingenuity? Laughter? ]

I obviously went and got you a [ Claude's ] mattress you could sleep on so that I won't have to hear you complain about how sore your back is tomorrow.

[ She could have gone with something a little more sincere, but being laughed had changed that thought around pretty quickly. ]

Help Perry pull it! His little ghost arms aren't strong enough to pull it up himself.

...Who the hell is Perry?

[ That eyebrow arches up a little higher in skepticism at this, even while his laughter still bubbles just under the surface. Sorry, Hilda, but you can't convince him that this isn't absolutely hilarious. ]

Whose mattress did you steal? Because if it's mine, now you're just encouraging me to stay up here.

[ Still, he obediently starts to tug and wiggle the thing up through the hatch for her. ]

Who the hell is -

[ If Sylvain had felt any sort of help as he wiggled the mattress through the hatch, it's all but gone replaced by an indignant noise from the bottom of the ladder. She's definitely putting off answering his question about mattress ownership now that he's gone and insulted her dear friend. ]

He's my ghost friend! He's been helping clean the apartment - I can't believe you don't even have the decency to remember his name.

[ Hilda is still huffing about it as she climbs up the ladder once the way is clear. When she emerges she all but chucks both Sylvain's blanket and pillows at him. ]

It's Claude's. But those are yours.

[ He's pretty sure he hasn't actually heard the ghost friend's name before. And he hadn't believed her when she had mentioned a ghost friend, figuring she was having a laugh at him or something. Maybe she still was? He really hoped their inn room wasn't suddenly haunted, anyway...

But the rest of her statement catches him off guard just as the mattress pops free and he staggers a moment before he manages to catch himself - and the mattress - before he goes tumbling off the roof. ]

Wait. You stole Claude's mattress?!

[ Hilda isn't close enough to Sylvain to steady him or the mattress — but Perry is. As soon as it's clear Sylvain isn't going to tumble off the roof, one end of the mattress is gently tugged towards the ground by a ghostly hand.

The thrown blanket and pillows float up in a similar fashion; the pillow is fluffed and the blanket is laid out atop the mattress leaving Hilda to roll her eyes with an, "Yeah, and?" attitude. ]

It's not like he's using it. Besides, whenever he does come back he can use your bed, the couch or the books on his floor. He has options.

[ Her breezy explanation doesn't have any sharp edges to it but she moves on quickly before anything else can be dissected. Not that speed has ever stopped Sylvain from doing so before. Hilda pouts anyway, hands placed firmly on her hips. ]

If you want your own mattress you're going to have to get your own because Perry and I are tired.

[ Her tone is still light and unconcerned, even though he picks up an underlying... something she's not letting him see and he can't interpret easily. Which is really exasperating. Up until now, Claude's been the only one evasive enough that Sylvain felt he needed a translator to interpret half the shit he picked up from him. That Hilda was joining him in his evasiveness was just annoying. ]

Do ghosts get tired? I don't think they need to sleep. Besides. Isn't it prime haunting time?

[ Hilda, please tell him you don't actually have a ghost. Wasn't the lizards enough? Even though he's eyeing the floating pillow and blankets a little warily because honestly, if this is a joke, she's taking it further than he expected. ]

Fine, but if Claude gets mad... I'm totally blaming your ghost. [ And decidedly not Hilda. Because a mad Hilda is way scarier than a mad Claude. ]

[ Well you know what they say about those that spend a lot of time together… ]

If Perry wants to sleep, they can sleep as long and as much as they’d like.

[ Unfortunately she’s absolutely serious about this one, Sylvain.

The pillow, apparently sufficiently fluffed, is placed gently onto the mattress. For added measure, what looks like a little hand indent pats the pillow as if to say, “All done and enjoy!” Can she really call Perry a ghost if he’s magic though? A ghost really seems like the simplest thing to call whatever they are, and it isn’t like she can ask.

Innocently, she looks at Sylvain from under her lashes. ]

Why would he get mad? We can just tell him there was a mattress thief and I guess they somehow got into our living quarters.

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