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

[ When he replies as breezily as he usually would, Hilda lets out a quiet sigh of relief before it's followed by a much more audible snort. Good, she hadn't sounded too off. Goddess knows what she would have done to recover from that fumble. There's no explanation - no good one anyway - about why she's trying to backtrack out of something that she'd normally be more than happy to indulge in. In reality, she'd drop any other date for Claude in a heartbeat. They both know that.

So as a result, it's very hard not to fall into old habits. Even if old habits means she's also lying through her teeth about having a date in place. ]

A real suitor would know that they have to do a lot more than prepare a speech and take me some place I like.

[ Finding a date isn't really a problem that she's concerned about though. The larger problem, the one she's been finding it so difficult to reconcile, is ensuring that her resolve stays strong enough.

With her old dress put away she steps into the new one. Buttons and corset laces, while far more finicky, were still her fastener of choice - but this one had a zipper. It's easy enough to use, but with the added distraction of trying to be careful with her usually carefree banter means her attention isn't as focused on the act of getting dressed. Hilda prattles on, laying on the teasing in return as she tugs at the zipper that gets caught on the fabric. The extra force she applies tugs it up - catching her hair in the process. ]

I don't even see any flowers or the promise of food - ow!

You didn't even give me a chance to present my brilliant plan! The speech was just for starters. Gotta have a grand opening to everything, after all.

[ Plenty more he can call up in an instant all for the purpose of teasing her - something else they both know well, though as for whether he has anything ready? That remains to be seen. It'll take them leaving the apartment first to discover some of them as anything beyond yet more ridiculousness coming out of his mouth when left to his own devices as she's done. ]

I have plenty more from there. Plus, we have the entirety of Cadens at our fingertips and I'm positive there's all kinds of places that'll fit nicely.

[ Then again, there's also the chance Claude will fall for his own plans which is what's happening here. The markets have their own allure, it's true, but finding somewhere neither of them have been in the shopping district also would work nicely for convincing Hilda to spend longer with him. A desire that's all too real even if it's something he's only admitting to himself and instead abstracting it within plans like he's somehow her suitor. If only.

That wistful thought doesn't travel far through his mind before there's a cry out which makes him pause with his second both halfway pulled on. Being familiar with Hilda's protests when they're meant to change the subject or find a way out of something means he equally recognizes the ones which are real, and this one falls into the latter. His boot gets tugged on the rest of the way quickly before he goes to lean in the doorway to her room. ]

Everything alright in here?

That's what you call grand? [ There's a laugh mixed in with her huff of annoyance at her zipper problem. ] I think your definition of 'grand' is a little different than the rest of the population, Claude.

[ Hilda is really only half listening to Claude's grandeur plans. Good thing too. If her mind were left to its own devices, it would probably end up running down a silly daydream rabbit hole of a world where Claude was trying to court her. The thought is laughable, filled with nothing of sweet perfume and fancies that she had to quickly wave away before it became too lofty of a dream. Disappointment is not a taste she's accustomed to, but she's not inclined to have more of it, especially if it comes hand in hand with Claude.

Besides, if he ever did that would mean that he would be in danger of having to fight Holst. Claude is many things but he isn't Holst Goneril. He'd never stand a chance against her big brother and then Alliance would be out one Mr. Leader Man. And then who's fault would that be? She can practically hear Lorenz chiding her for letting Claude do something silly again.

But again, those are all flights of fancy and her current priority is trying to get her hair untangled from the zipper of her dress. A faux cheerful comment about how she's fine sits on the tip of her tongue (part of her grand plan to step away from him means she has to do some things herself), but she realizes belatedly that he's already there. Even though it's only been several seconds her cheeks are flushed with frustration from her earlier misspeak and now having her hair in what's probably a tangled rat's nest. What she can't see is that the zipper is also caught in the fabric of her undergarment. Great! ]

I might need a little help.

No, that's just the first stage of making sure it's grand. C'mon, all this time and you think I don't know how to pull something like that off?

[ Claude might sound put out like he's been deeply insulted by this where he leans on one shoulder against the door frame, but it's entirely negated by clear amusement on his face he doesn't bother to hide. Not only because this is more familiar back and forth between them, a faux argument carried on until one or both of them laughs after they reach one escalation too far, but also... maybe just slightly at Hilda's expense now that he has a better view of the problem that'd caused her to cry out. He'll lose this round of 'arguing' by chuckling first at her statement that's less a request for help than an acknowledgment of something going sideways. ]

I think you might need more than 'a little' here.

[ Lightly enough as he pushes off the doorframe to walk closer, since: how many times has she rescued him from varying levels of misfortune? Far too many, really. Dealing with a dress zipper is the least of how he could repay her. He spends a second assessing the situation now that he's not peering from across the room, and then reaches to brush some of her non-tangled hair out of the way. ]

Look down for me, will you?

[ Maybe that'll help with moving the hair even if it'll likely pull on the trapped strands a bit more. Claude reaches for the zipper to tug the fabric around it upwards to help with that though doing so means he spots the actual problem. A bit of investigation releases her hair first thanks to a few deft movements and then the zipper is next when it lets go of her undergarments. ]

There we go, good as new. [ Rather than let her go back to struggling with it, Claude zips the closure the rest of the way and looks up into the mirror. Some smart remark is on the tip of his tongue but it melts away at the sight of her and he's left smiling before leaning down to press a light kiss to the top of her shoulder. ] You've survived the Great Zipper Disaster, and you're still a sight to behold after it.

Don't tease me! I've never gotten stuck like this before with a zipper.

[ Her whine is a mix of impatience and embarrassment as her hair continues to be tugged in her attempt to try (stupidly) to face him. It's rare that she'll feel embarrassed. If she had to rank this moment, it probably doesn't even rank on any sort of scale, particularly ones where Claude has to bail her out. Even if these scenarios are far and few between, Claude has been there to get her out of it. That in itself is a constant, even if the constant usually comes with a bitten back, but kind smile or laugh at her expense. In spite of all her whinging, it's only fair because that's exactly the sort of reaction she'd give him.

Hilda nods, stilling immediately at his request. Out of habit the beginnings of crocodile tears mist in her eyes even though there's really no pain to speak of so long as she didn't count her ego. Thankfully it's an easy fix. But before she can thank him properly for freeing her, she catches the expression on his face in the mirror. It's one that she can only describe as tender which is wildly confusing to her.

She's seen this expression before. It's one that she's tried to overanalyze before telling herself to stop because whatever conclusion she wants to believe is probably wrong. This isn't like the look she's seen him shoot, ever so fleetingly, at Petra and Sylvain. If only. The thought would make her heart ache were it not for the kiss he presses to her shoulder. Her body, traitorously, almost lets out a wistful sigh at the feeling of warmth through the fabric. Thank god she has enough agency to bite it back, but it's not enough to stop the creep of warmth crawl up the back of her neck.

Hilda tugs her lips into an exasperated smile holding his gaze a moment longer before turning her back to the mirror to face him. This time the teasing lilt is back in its place. ]

All thanks to the moon of my life. [ If she acts like everything is fine, then it will be. Right? Her eyes skip down before going back up to his face. The curve of her lips becomes less forced as she bats doe eyes at him. ] Did you shine those boots just for me?

Edited 2023-05-11 23:42 (UTC)

[ There's a danger lurking here, he knows, even as he wants to let his lips linger longer or press another kiss or five along her shoulders. How many times has he done such a thing only to imagine it being something regular, something happening often, rather than finding small moments like this one and telling himself it's enough? Too many; too many when the years have led them here to where he gets away with slipping in a deeper feeling attached to all those actions on occasion. There's the ever looming possibility he's only setting himself up to be hurt in the end by his own hand. 'Enough' is a hollow word he's never been able to fill before - not with other dreams or this one to placate a want, and yet.

Hilda solves the problem of what he should do, somewhat, by turning in place to face him as he straightens back up and abandons kissing her shoulder again. He's about to speak but what she says first catches him off-guard even as his smile doesn't falter. Suddenly he can't remember when the last time one of them pulled out one of these terms of endearment was, and though he knows she doesn't mean it there's a split second where he thinks maybe. It passes soon enough because it's impossible to not view this equally through the lens of two teenagers making themselves laugh over increasingly flirtatious ones tossed out between them as much as the one of being the adult standing here now swallowing a wish. ]

Only for you, my stars. [ It's easier if he just pretends he doesn't mean it. It's just another line in their long-running game and a flippant response about the state of his boots in one. Claude follows that up with a tilt of his head and a far more mischievous smile in response to her batting eyes as he brushes everything else aside since there's a better - tangible - point to be made in front of them both. ] You didn't think I'd show up to escort you with scuffs on them, did you? That's hardly fitting for any kind of grand plan. And based on my recollections, I'm pretty sure that'd disqualify me immediately and my heart just couldn't take that risk.

[ Claude steps back to give himself the space needed to fall into a flourishing bow, one so overwrought he can practically hear Lorenz's tsk from however many worlds away it's echoing from, even as he also offers her his hand afterwards Very Properly to complete the whole thing. It's not that far off from their years of mocking courtship rituals and propriety, really. It's all the same thing. ]

And should I meet your exacting standards even if it's just for tonight, the market really does await us.

[ He's her moon and she's his stars; it's all so wistful, so childish and wanting that she has to remind herself repeatedly that this isn't meaningful in the way the part of her that she's trying to quash wants it to be. There are others that he holds in that sort of esteem now and it's a fact she has to accept.

But what is so wrong with childish and light, she asks herself as she watches him dip into a ridiculous bow that is a caricature of the nobles they knew from home? It's what they've been doing for years. What was the point of trying to change something that clearly worked for the both of them? Telling herself that half truth makes it easier to swallow; if she continues to tell herself that then surely it'll stick.

The corner of her eyes crinkle in time with the genuinely amused laugh that is drawn from her lips. It goes unsaid that she'd toss all of her standards out the window for him because that in and of itself might reveal too much if he looked too closely. There's a part of her that worries he had figured her out in the moments that her vulnerabilities had peeked through her painted face. Hilda doesn't think she's a complicated person to understand; it's not hard to figure out what she likes because she'll simply say so. Which means Claude might have easily figured her out if he had seen something. And if he had seen something and hadn't done or said anything - well, that was an answer in and of itself, wasn't it?

Slipping her hand daintily into his, she dips into a grand curtsy as if they're about to begin a dance (when figuratively they already have been for a while now). When Claude rises, she puts on a show of inspecting his sleeves for ink stains. Surprisingly there's nothing there and he's rewarded with a smile as a result. ]

Good thing your sleeves are ink-stain free. I still haven't forgiven you for looking like that when I arrived in Abraxas. Lorenz would have never! [ The reality is that she would have been happy to see Claude in most any state after the jarring welcoming all the Summoned receive. It's just fun to tease and remind him that she had a long memory when it came to the most inconsequential things. The put on sweetness returns. ] But since your sleeves and boots are as clean as your intentions, you may take me to the market.

Who said anything about my intentions being clean? You may not know this but back at home, I do have quite the reputation.

[ The grin he gives her is nothing short of teasing, both because at this moment he truly doesn't have any intention other than taking her to shop as promised and since there's no need to remind her of what his reputation is. They both know it well, which is all the better for playing it up now and then for the sake of their entertainment. It's what Lorenz would do, after all, even if once upon a time the noble in question would've brought up that reputation in far less joking contexts.

Still. With her hand in his since he doesn't let go while leading her back to collect her shoes, or on the way to the market a few blocks away from the inn, or when they arrive. The market tonight is full of activity between there seeming to be more stalls than usual open for business and a handful of extra musicians and performers at the intersection of rows or streets they'll have to check back on at some point.

This is as close to meandering through Derdriu hand in hand as they used to in another life, and yet again nostalgia comes back to tug at all the edges of his mind. It's a reminder that he should have made a point of doing this sooner - not that Hilda needed to be escorted anywhere or that she wasn't perfectly capable of coming here to explore on her own. It's a nice memory, yet another one he hadn't consciously noticed how much he'd missed until examining it closer. A running theme for him lately, really.

With one tug of their linked hands he brings her with him as he turns down the aisle he was looking for when spotting the sellers he was looking for as they passed through. This particular stand is one with all kinds of beads carefully laid out in their trays by shape, color, size, and material for buyers to browse through. ]

Here's some of what I was telling you about. Look at these.

[ With his free hand, Claude gingerly picks up a marble sized bead made of glass to handle it with care as he holds it up to the nearby lantern. While it looked like unassuming cobalt while in the tray, the light makes it come alive when it catches the material suspended in the glass so that it shines brightly as it with silver and gold sparks. Not unlike the stars, he realizes suddenly. It's even more fitting. ]

If your reputation hasn't scared me away at this point, I don't think much else can.

[ Hilda knows exactly what he's referring to, but she hadn't cared then and she certainly doesn't care now. Even in the throws of her turmoil, she knows with certainty that every word she says is true. They could joke about it now because it wasn't being used maliciously, and the best part was, no one in Abraxas cared. But if they did, Hilda knew she'd immediately have some choice words to say.

While she had been hesitant about the market at first (and for what? It was just the market, they had been to the market together plenty of times before), it's difficult for her to remember why when he continues to hold onto her hand long past the point when he actually had to. It's warm and it makes her happy, it makes her think - no. She can't think that. This is simply how they've always been. Nothing more, nothing less.

She allows herself to be led through the stalls until they reach the destination that Claude had in mind. The hours she's spent in the market would be impossible to count; at this point she's become a fixture, with several of the merchants beginning to recognize her, asking her thoughts on some of the new wares in the hopes that she'll buy them. Even though she doesn't always spend money, Hilda has a sneaking suspicion that the anticipation about whether or not she will is a fun game for some of them.

But she must have missed this stall. The bead is nothing less than stunning and she looks at it in wonder, stepping up close to Claude so that she can get a better view. When she turns towards him, her eyes shine, not unlike how the sparks in the bead. ]

Claude, these are amazing! I have to make something with these. [ There's an adoring fondness in her gaze even though in her next breath she's teasing him. ] Nice to see that even the second-best archer in Abraxas is still keeping his observation skills sharp.

[ He's supposed to keep looking at the bead, probably, given that he's the one holding it up for her to look at in the light. But he's seen it before, and while it's certainly stunning his gaze drifts to Hilda as she takes it in and he watches with a smile. It's a small delight, a private one of sorts even as they stand in the middle of a busy market with crowds around them and sellers doing their best to draw in customers.

This is familiar too; in all those trips through Derdriu's markets he'd always found himself looking for things to show her when she could visit. It was a reprieve from meetings, debates, and endless paperwork every time - something far better to focus on since it meant finding all kinds of treasures or trinkets to keep on hand to surprise her with even if he'd offered them up as casually as ever.

Like the beads at home, and the ones here. The expression on her face is worth more than anything he could ever hope to purchase. It's priceless. When she turns to look up to him he doesn't bother pretending like he was doing anything other than looking at her with the smile still on his face, though it's quickly replaced with a laugh. ]

I didn't win that second best title for nothing! All those skills have to come in handy for something, and what better way than this?

[ They've certainly lost a bit of bargaining power when it comes to price given that they've both marveled over it. Not that it'll stop Claude from reaching for his money after offering to hand off the bead to Hilda if she wants to inspect it up close for herself but before he can ask about paying, the merchant who owns this particular stand offers up another tray for them to browse. This one must have been hidden somewhere - possibly waiting for enthusiastic customers as they're proving to be - because these beads don't resemble ones he's looked over here before.

That also means he's going to pick up a very yellow one with wisps of some iridescent material running through it and look to Hilda with a grin. ]

I think you need these too since this one looks like Waffle's eyes. Maybe for charms or something like it? I've heard you can imbue magic into different creations around here.

[ That's possibly also some subtle prodding in there. ]

[ The fairy tale expression, the one that people search for and write about is on Claude's face, but she knows it's a trick of the light. He wants to show off, to preen about his find and for her to croon right back about how brilliant the bead is, and how lucky she is to have him think of her. Their song and dance is typical and one that she's done so many times before. To assume that all of those reactions are fake however would be doing both of them a disservice.

She can only speak for herself, but once Hilda realized that there were no ulterior motives, that Claude wanted nothing more than to adorn her with things she liked, to show her that thought had gone into his finds, it never failed to make her smile and warm her from the inside out - even if his attempts didn't always hit the mark.

Hilda catches sight of the telltale sign that Claude is about to reach into his pocket. Before she can stop him, the merchant's next play at getting them to purchase more is laid out in front of them. She's well aware of what they're trying to accomplish, but nerves return at Claude's pointed comment. ]

They do look like his eyes, don't they? [ She takes the bead from his hand. Rolling it between her fingers she watches the light make it material dance in front of her admiringly. ] Even if I could enchant it - which I can't - I don't even know what I'd make it do. [ Her eyes flit to him. ] Any ideas?

Oh, is that magic called enchanting something? Hm.

[ He's feigning surprise as if this isn't something he could have possibly ever heard of before this very moment when Hilda's called it by its proper name. Or close enough to it which is what the amusement playing across his face now says as he's also trying to not smile to ruin the effect he's going for here. Never mind that both of them know what it is even if he's not (fully) tipping his hand in giving away that he has a better idea of what her lantern necklace could be destined for.

There's only so far he's willing to push that for now in the name of flustering her just a bit, so Claude looks back at the Waffle eye beads in question in their tray then to the one in Hilda's fingers before humming. ]

Well. I suppose that depends on what you'd like to do with it when it comes to either echoing wyverns and what they can do, or something else entirely? If we're going with eyes being a theme, then maybe something to help see in the dark or to use as trail markers for exploring once the sun sets.

[ That relies on taking apart something she's created, which isn't really what he wants to have as their destination, so on second thought: ] They kinda also remind me of the flame on a match, too. You could always enchant them to be a candle wick without needing something to light it like the flameless lanterns around Cadens. Safety first so then I don't accidentally burn down the inn when I fall asleep with one burning on my desk, right?

[ He's grinning, but - that's a legitimate risk, really. ]

[ Pink colours her cheeks at the feigned surprise and she bites back pursed lips at being found out. She knows far better than to think that Claude doesn't know what enchantment means. Having been here for practically a year, Hilda would have expected him to dive into learning everything he possibly could about Abraxas' magic - or specifically new magic in Cadens. That, and being friends with Jayce meant that he had to have known.

He isn't playing dumb for her sake though. This is a kindness; his way of telling her without actually saying that he might have found her spell book and pieced what she had been doing together. Clever boys were going to be the death of her some day.

Her gaze flits back to the bead to give the impression that she's thinking hard about his ideas. ]

If you did that Mags would never forgive you. Neither would we for the record if you did that to wherever our new home ends up being. [ She elbows him slightly, a teasing light back in her eyes. ] Also I knew you were trying to get me to make something for you. I can probably make the hardware but not the magic part. That sounds way out of my area of expertise.

No? So you're saying I shouldn't try any experiments with how flammable different types of parchments and paper might be?

[ He's grinning again after dramatically holding his side with his free hand after her elbow like he's been deeply wounded before dropping it away. Entertainment's too easy to fall into, especially when that telltale flush on her cheeks means he wasn't far off with the enchantments even if he hadn't actually looked at the book any closer than the title. Who knows what information is in between the covers of said book, but it's something she's studying and something he'll support her in even with those small denials of what she's actually doing.

Which is also exactly why he arches an eyebrow immediately at her insistence that she's only capable of the hardware, since he doesn't exactly buy that either. It's a verbal shrug he knows well, though, and more so than any of the other tiny glitches in normalcy between them he's noticed. This is something he knows well. ]

Maybe it's out of your area of expertise now, but I don't think it'll stay that way for long while you're studying what to do. [ Just another guess as he studies the beads again and adds a bright orange-red one to the ones in his palm, still held up where the vendor can see them as he weighs a purchase. ] But if you're offering to make something for me out of the sheer goodness of your heart, you know I'm not going to say no. What would you need for it for that to happen?

What I'm saying is that sometimes you have really awful ideas and we can slot that one right into that camp.

[ She grins back sweetly at him, teasing. It's just like home, this sort of gentle batting down of his enthusiastic ideas. The only thing missing is Lorenz who had ended up becoming her partner in crime when it came to keeping Claude humble. Yet another odd outcome of the war. With a shake of her head as if defeated, she turns her gaze back towards the vendor and their array of beads. ]

But if you're that insistent about it, at least do it outside where there are less flammable things.

[ Turning away is partly to shield herself from seeing Claude raise his eyebrow at her. Just because he suspects, doesn't mean that she'll confirm those suspicions and her silence says as much. The quiet encouragement doesn't go unnoticed either and is only partially somewhat of a balm against her usual anxieties when people foisted expectations on her delicate shoulders.

She hums in thought as she reaches out to pluck several other beads of similar colours and style. ]

Just some guidance on what you want to wear. [ Her gaze flits back to him, some kind of laughter dancing her eyes. ] Because what I'd like you wear and what you actually want to wear are two different things. Also your promise to take care of it to the best of your ability and that you won't just lose it like Sylvain has other things I've given him.

Edited 2023-05-23 22:38 (UTC)

[ On cue, here's another dramatic gasp with his hand still holding the beads (very carefully, even as the vendor eyes him) clutched to his chest. ]

Will tonight's insults never end? I don't know how you expect me to go on like this! I'll have you know my ideas are all very brilliant with no flaws whatsoever, thank you very much.

[ He'll lower his hand now while squeezing her hand still in his in the process, and to appease the merchant looking understandably way of any sleights of hand he sets the beads back into their respective tray compartments to keep them safe. Probably for the best just in case he has any more hand gestures to go with this, anyway. ]

Also, now that you've pointed it out, I'm not so sure there's anywhere that isn't flammable while we're out here in the desert though that's more so once the summer heat kicks in soon. Maybe that's all the more reason I should only be trusted with enchanted flames. And at least my track record is better than Sylvain's for having never lost something you've made me. I'm not planning on starting now either.

[ None of which particularly answers Hilda's requirements, and he hums thoughtfully before cutting his gaze to her with a smile to match hers after eying what's before them for a little bit longer. ]

What if this time around I say you make whatever it is you want to make for me?

[ The familiar banter is easy to help her forget that she's conflicted about Claude in the first place. This is all she wants with him, she thinks. It doesn't have to be anything more than this. She could learn to enjoy this easiness for simply what it is. Greediness doesn't have to play a part here, not when her heart already feels full as it is. ]

Did you really think that a different world was going to stop me from reminding you how awful some of your ideas are? I have to make Lorenz proud somehow. [ She gives him a world weary sigh as if a small part of her didn't enjoy pointing out the flaws in some of his plans. At the same time, she returns the squeeze of his hand even as her lips creep back into a smile. ] It's exhausting doing this on my own! I'm going to have run up a tab or something for Lorenz to make up for all the work he's making me do.

[ Purposefully she leaves out the when. It's unclear, even to her, whether or not she wants Lorenz to wind up here. The last series of events have proven that they're no safer here than during a war. But she misses him, despite all his winging and Lorenzisms - not that she'd admit it.

Her eyebrow cocks but when she replies, it sounds more like she's pleased with the answer he's given her. ]

You're really going to leave that up to me? Even if it's ridiculous? I don't think I've recovered from Sylvain questioning my tastes the first time around.

[ As if she's waste beautiful beads on something ridiculous. But it's fun to joke about it all the same. ]

Ugh, don't remind me. Can you imagine how many complaints he'd have over just being here? I'd officially never get any rest ever again between the two of you destroying what pieces are left of my ego. It's just fortunate it's so healthy or I might be completely ruined all at your hands.

[ That's played up just as much as her sigh when Claude puts no small amount of Great Suffering into his voice - as if some of their complaints about what he'd done hadn't actually helped since it meant a way to refine his plans. Would he ever give Lorenz the satisfaction of knowing that? Definitely not. Hilda at least has a fair chance of seeing right through that as the act it is, unlike Lorenz who would take it as an opportunity to segue right into a lecture complete with his full name at some point.

This might be more effective if it wasn't for the fondness creeping around the edges of what's said before it's outright increased by Hilda's reaction both over their stuffy noble friend and as he can see the wheels turning in her mind over giving her full creative abilities over what she's going to create for him. Claude's still going to raise an eyebrow right back just for fun. ]

Will it be ridiculous or a work of art? I dunno, Hilda. I don't remember anything you've being being anything but the latter, so I'm not sure whether I should be concerned about what you're planning. [ He immediately screws his face up into an expression of deep thought while looking back at the beads momentarily. ] If you really want a suggestion, though, I don't want it to be something I could lose accidentally out in the desert while working. Maybe a necklace would be best since it has less chance of slipping off.

Oh, please. We do it with love and affection. And besides, we always end up building you back up again, don't we? [ She leans into him briefly with a laugh. ] Your ego doesn't sound tender enough today though. How about I come up with some complaints? I could do my best Lorenz Hellman Gloucester impression for you later so that it's a little slice of home.

[ If you knew what to look for, the tenderness in his tone stood out like a beacon against his usual light and airy tone.

As slight as his compliment is, she gives him an embarrassed click of her tongue all the same. While she had been known to put plenty of time and effort into silly pranks that would amount to nothing more than one off's (see: Sylvain's hat), she'd never waste something as precious as these beads. ]

I could make a necklace. And if you're going to wear it all the time, it should be something lighter and not too bulky so it doesn't catch on anything and can be tucked under your shirt. Gold or silver? Or maybe something like a brushed bronze? Or is that up to me?

[ She reaches for several more beads, before pushing the tray towards the merchant with a smile and reaching for her purse. ]

These ones please.

I didn't know your love and affection was so wounding. Won't you just put me out of my suffering next time instead of making Lorenz lecture me on the merits of literally anything? Or imitating him now since it's been rather blissful without it, don't you think?

[ He's still going to bemoan this for appearances' sake even if they both know that's a farce, and that perhaps if he didn't want to be lectured by Lorenz he could have devoted a little less time to riling up the noble in question little by little before turning him loose. Something he's going to miss, Claude thinks with a sudden pang of something like sadness, because someday he'll have to settle for it happening in letters instead.

That feeling doesn't belong here so he sets it aside, attentive to what she lists off as options before looking back to the stall's counter once more. There's something more he'd ask for here if it wouldn't be revealing too much, if it wouldn't tell too much about a past he's never shared with her beyond in bits and pieces of things abstract enough to be both out of place and fit right in. A request that can't happen here so Claude focuses on the beads and hums. ]

A lightweight necklace would be rather nice, I think. Less chance of it snagging and it'll stay safely tucked away to keep it in one piece, or to make me less of a target for someone who appreciates fine craftsmanship a bit too much.

[ The look he sends here somewhere between a smirk and a grin is entirely meant to be mischievous as she finishes up her purchase, absolutely teasing about being a target for theft but also absolutely meaning the compliment somewhat hidden in there about her work drawing attention. ]

And I'd wear any of those you listed, really, though if I had the choice I'd probably lean towards gold. I'll let you surprise me with it.

[ Her expression settles into a very serious one then giving off the air of their noble and friend. ]

Now, Claude. An impression of Lorenz Hellman Gloucester isn't complete without a full ten minute lecture about decorum and standards that we nobles have to uphold. Why he'd insist that it happen.

[ And if she did say so herself, Hilda had mastered the art of impersonating Lorenz remarkably well. What else was a girl going to do when she was avoiding school work and chores? Surely learning how to impersonate all her friends and housemates was an excellent use of her time.

His compliment is met with a roll of her eyes again but she does note the rest. ]

Good thing you picked gold because I was going to pick that for you anyway.

[ Silver was lovely on him of course, and despite her elaborate term of endearment for him, she thought he shone like the sun. Gold only made sense for him in her mind. Her beads are packaged up in a lovely cloth bag for her and once the coin had exchanged hands, Hilda gazes up at Claude from under her lashes teasingly. ]

So was there anything else that you wanted to show me on this grand tour? Or is it a surprise?

[ There's a snicker from him at that impression, both because it's entirely accurate (as she knows, and as he knows) and for something that's both nostalgia and isn't. Because it's too easy to again think of their younger selves imitating Lorenz - sometimes with the noble in question right next door, because that made it all the more entertaining - as well as their present day selves still doing the exact same thing.

Or - his present day. Not Hilda's, just yet. Which brings a pang he bats away as quickly as it arrives when it has no place here; the alternative is not having her at all, and that's not something he ever wants to go back to when those first few months were long enough.

Better then to shift into a smirk somewhere between actual sentiment and a mask to put over what he'd been thinking about to make it out of sight, out of mind. ]

You know me that well, do you? I take back all the wounding since you've flattered me so my ego knows no bounds now.

[ Too easy to squeeze her hand as they wander away from the stall towards everything else with her beads safely in tow. If he's not all that kidding about the flattery paired with that flutter of her lashes, well. Who's to say? He's just going to hum in response to draw out the anticipation in answering her question. On second thought, that's not really enough so he lifts their linked hands brush his lips against the back of her hand. ]

I suppose that depends. Do I still get to bribe you with paints to go with the beads?

[ Inherently she knows that Claude doesn't mean to irritate or sow more seeds of doubt with what he says but that doesn't stop her from feeling like his words are a thorn she's caught a piece of her clothing on. It's hard to ignore the niggling voice of doubt asking if that's really the case. Most days it felt like a constant back and forth between convincing herself that what Claude said was actually the case and believing it.

Thankfully he gives her a moment of proverbial reprieve to detach herself from that snag, playing it off like she's seriously scrutinizing the offer laid out before her. It's easier to focus on the warmth of his hand. As if she'd say no. Not with the way he squeezes her hand like it means something and that this is all a regular, normal day and that nothing was the matter. ]

I mean you're really going to have to add in more than just paints and beads. What about my stomach? [ She presses into him like that will somehow also press the doubt out of her. ] I'm giving up a dinner here, remember?

I didn't say that was my only bribe!

[ Granted, some parts of this are things he's still piecing together as they walk when it comes to his supposed grand plans - something Claude's pretty sure Hilda knows - but will that stop him from taking mock offense? Definitely not. It also won't keep him from sending another smirk her way. ]

Does that mean I've officially triumphed over your plans for tonight? My ego really is shaping up to be better than ever.

[ Not for long if he doesn't produce something to do next even if the paints really will be a topic at some point. Since it's already close (enough) to dinner, why not multitask as they approach the stalls to also look for somewhere to go? At one street corner he nudges her with his elbow then points to a restaurant a few doors down and across the street from where they are. ]

I've not been here yet, but I've heard this place tends to have shows to go with dinners. Singing, short plays, that sort of thing kind of like what you can find out here in the market. Now tell me, where does that fit on your scale of approval?

[ At this point, she's lost count of the number of times that Claude has made grandiose, sweeping claims in order to impress her or capture her attention. It's flattering really. It was part of the reason she had taken a shine to him, especially early on. But that had changed the more she got to know him; after a while, it became more than just having his attention and more about simply being by his side.

It's selfish, yes, but she had grown past the point of caring. Watching him think on his feet, putting in all of this effort just for her means the world to her even if she knows that that time is probably coming to some kind of an end. Her heart sinks at the thought but she forcefully buoys herself, slipping easily into the banter. ]

You just caught me in a hungry mood. If I give in this easily all the time, what are people going to say about me? I'm really putting my reputation on the line here, you know! [ She scoffs, turning her head defiantly even though her lips curve and he's probably able to see that even from this side view. ] But I guess dinner and a show does sound better than what I had planned so your ego is safe for now.

[ She remains close by his side, fingers still intertwined with his. ]

But first, where are these amazing paints? And please don't say it's the one beside that grouchy gem merchant. He refused to bargain with me for some really nice opals even though I was giving a super fair price!

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

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it's a wrap!