MINI-EVENT: CODA - IC EVENT LOG

[abraxasmods]

Mini-Event - Coda

OOC event plotting

---

Mid-April, you receive two formal invitations. They arrive separately in two distinct envelopes and do not appear to be precisely related.

◎ The first is from Solvunn, signed and sealed by the Solvunn Council. It informs the reader that on April 18th, Josselyn Creed's fate will be publicly carried out according to Solvunn's traditions with the Old Gods. The location is in neutral territory, a safe distance from the Singularity's crater. The Council expresses deep regret for the actions of one of their own and invites you to attend as an observer if you wish to find closure. Portals are provided. The proceedings will be in the morning.

◎ The second is from your respective faction. The letter is less solemn and invites you to attend a weekend gala on April 21st - 23rd. It acknowledges that recent times have been difficult and that faction officials and locals wish to repay the Summoned for their contributions. Portals to each location are provided.

Divine Judgment

In the weeks leading up to Josselyn Creed's execution, many of you were allowed to question Josselyn. Now that you've received the answers you're seeking - as much as you were able to - officials have granted you the chance to gain some closure and witness her execution.

The factions will warn the Summoned that Solvunn does not take angering the Gods lightly. Her death will not be quick and will likely be sacrificial. They advise anyone who may not have the stomach for it to remain home and enjoy the festivities at the end of the week.

Attending her execution is optional and open to all. New arrivals are welcome to watch...though they may not want to. All characters may skip this portion of the event.

Participants of Event #12 are still welcome to speak to Josselyn. This section will close on April 30th.

Last Rites

CW: Disturbing imagery, animal death, ritualistic sacrifice, body horror.

So that all can attend, Solvunn will perform Josselyn's last rites in neutral territory. Anyone who attended the Peace Summit last year will recognize the area, though the colorful tents are gone. In their place are some plain stone benches and a temporary altar. Thick mists roll into the valley, bringing a chill to the air. As you arrive, you see Solvunn mages instructing volunteers to right certain stones as the last touches are added. Present to represent the other two factions are Jolene Sybell of Thorne and Reva Hym of the Free Cities.

The stones are arranged in spiraling circles, with twelve arches that span them. Carved into the ground beneath the arches are each of the Major Arcana. Find your matching Arcana and leave an offering if you want. You're told the gesture will appease the gods and ensure the "cleansing" is successful.

The Moon, Josselyn Creed's Arcana, has been carved into the center stone. If you share her Arcana or are The Emperor or Justice, Solvunn mages will approach and ask you to write your name in charcoal into the stone. If you bear any of the other signs, you can also do so, but you won't be asked directly.

Preparation

Soon, a hush falls over the crowd as Isar Hart comes forward with a black sheep in tow. Several Solvunn Elders flank the sheep as it's placed before the altar. They paint large winding lines and runes on its wool and face. Winifred Bordeaux turns to the crowd. She states that the wrongs born of the commune are always made right by Solvunn's hands and seeks forgiveness. The gods may cast judgment as they see fit.

Mages begin a haunting chant in an ancient tongue. With a large bone knife, Winifred kneels next to the sheep and slices its throat. As warm blood flows over the ground, it fills each etched Arcana sigil. The sigils glow a faint red upon contact, and the grass around them withers and blackens. Once fully drained, the Elders carefully skin the sheep. Its organs are placed in jars as it is hollowed out. With the skin removed, the Elders lay it on the altar and declare that those who stray from the gods must be brought back into the fold.

One of the stones vibrates, releasing Josselyn Creed into the hands of waiting Elders. As she's dragged to the altar's center, she decries Solvunn for being blind, accusing them of turning away from the truth. The old ways have long stopped serving them, she declares. The Old Gods are no longer listening.

Penance

Holding her in place, Rowan March places the skin of the black sheep upon her. The wool stretches outward to envelop her limbs, covering every part of her in the pelt and muffling her shouts. As each bone bends and snaps loudly in the silence to take the form of a sheep, her body collapses with anguished cries. Finally, a mass of quivering wool and human sinew is left, the sheep's face ajar on her broken skull.

The chanting reaches a crescendo, then stops abruptly. The mist thickens, swirling towards the altar. Your surroundings darken. From the gloom comes a massive bird-like silhouette. Its enormous wings shadow the sky, blocking out the sun. Though the figure's form is obscured, the dozens of vultures that descend are visible - and so is the feast that ensues.

Through the fog and shadow, you glimpse blood and flesh tearing. Slowly, the mist begins to clear as each bird takes its fill. The silhouette above withdraws. What remains before you is a pile of bones picked clean...and the recognizable head of Josselyn Creed beneath the sheep's mask, the only part of her uneaten.

Immolation

The Council allows all in attendance to confirm Josselyn's identity and her fate, ensuring that the factions and the Summoned are satisfied with the outcome. A ritual fire lights up on the altar. Her head is placed in first by one of the Elders.

The rest of her bones are in the sheepskin. No blood or flesh remains. The pelt is startlingly clean for such a gory display. You're invited to paint your Arcana on a bone and place the bone into the fire as a gesture to the gods that you've accepted the punishment they chose for her.

The atmosphere is solemn. Winifred offers her thanks on behalf of the Council for allowing Solvunn to make amends for Josseyn's misdeeds. They deeply regret this was necessary but promise they'll take steps to ensure it never happens again.

A few remain to watch her bones finish burning. You may join them if you like or return home at once. A harsh silence fills the ceremonial grounds as you step through the portal.

Weekend Gala

Several days after the execution, the cities prepare for the feast and gala. On the day of, portals will open up in the main hub of each city: Castle Thorne in Thorne, the Primary Settlement in Solvunn, and Cadens in the Free Cities.

You're welcome to arrive on the first day or skip the speeches and arrive on the second day for the main dinner and event. Everyone will be sent home on the third day (April 23rd), though the factions would be happy if you'd like to volunteer to clean up and take down decorations before you go. Not to worry if you'd rather go home - they have plenty of staff and locals for the job.

Each city will provide a place for you to stay for the weekend. They'll choose their best inns for you, except Solvunn. Solvunn will offer a comfortable communal tent for all attendees to share.

Thorne (Hayle)

The first evening, the King and Queen will gather guests into a grand hall at Hayle University. The King formally welcomes and expresses Thorne's gratitude for everyone's safe return. He heralds the Summoned and those involved in the terrible incident for their fortitude and bravery. The Queen follows afterward, adding that she is glad justice has been served and that they can be assured Josselyn Creed can never harm anyone again. She acknowledges the formation of the Summoned Conclave and promises Thorne will always serve those who are steadfast in their loyalty.

In a rare moment, Ambrose Rhett and the Duchess, Anastasia Rhett, can be spotted standing side by side in the background. Jolene Sybell is also present. Ambrose, however, will not be seen past the welcoming speech, returning to the Castle after.

Gifts

As a resident of Thorne, you'll receive a gift bag containing:

◎ A sweet dream potion that grants the user happy dreams and a good night's sleep. A basic spell, these potions were made by schoolchildren in Hayle as a thank-you gift for the Summoned. The custom label on each bottle has your name handwritten and decorated by the kids. If you're known around the Castle, it might contain a drawing that represents your reputation - for example, a flower if you have a green thumb. They've been told a bit about the Summoned by officials and their teachers.

◎ A jade turtle that, when placed in a bowl or pool of water, is enchanted to swim around. A novel decorative piece that calls back to the giant sea turtle which came to aid you and your friends on Thorne's shores.

◎ A soothing galaxy orb that displays the starry night sky within. When placed in front of some light, it'll cast a pretty sparkle over your surroundings.

Surroundings

Located far north, Hayle is most famous for its beautiful crystalline architecture. The weather is warmer now that spring has arrived, but relatively cool with temperatures dipping at night. Vast mountains are in the distance for a breathtaking view.

Hayle bustles with vibrant energy and a diverse population. Where Castle Thorne closely follows the formal traditions of the nobility and traditional Academic Magic, Hayle is trendier with innovative spellwork, the newest designs in fashion, and a vast library of knowledge.

◎ Arcana Deck Exhibit
Expensive custom-crafted Arcana decks are under glass cases like fine jewels. One notable attraction is an exhibit displaying one-of-a-kind decks designed by famous artists or enchanted by renowned mages in Thorne's history. Some boast intricately painted designs and real gold, while others use precious gems embedded in the cards themselves. One preserved deck is carved entirely on pinewood.

◎ Boutiques
Boutiques sell tailored clothes and fine jewelry that include Arcana-inspired accessories. Luxury magical tools are also available such as gold scales for weighing potion ingredients. Some bookshops specialize in signed or antique copies. The contents are nothing special, but editions are considered collectibles. Though most aren't for sale except to the wealthiest individuals, you're free to look.

◎ Makeover & Performers
Street performers occupy every corner around Hayle: stories told through illusions, musician-less instruments, and juggling acts that incorporate impressive balls of colorful light. You can get your portrait drawn by an enchanted paintbrush or volunteer for one of the illusionists to give you a temporary "makeover." The makeover will grant you one or more features of your choosing that will last 24 hours: a new hair or eye color (including unnatural shades!), translucent illusory wings (they won't get in the way), or decorative nails.

Personal shopping and styling assistance is also offered by Lenore and Natasha Romanoff.

Banquet

The banquet takes place on the second evening, held in Hayle University's finest ballroom. Decorations are delicate and elegant. The chandelier above drips with crystals and gold.

Although you'll have an assigned seat to start with, there's no need to stay where you are. Guests are encouraged to mingle and wander around. Make friends, meet new people, and introduce yourselves!

◎ Food & Drink
A formal multi-course dinner will be served throughout the night. The wine flows freely and food is abundant. Thorne is known for its exquisite cuisine, and Hayle is no different. With the harsh winter over and farmlands slowly recovering from the attack last summer, the nation is no longer struggling as much with supplies. Dishes include stuffed duck, delicate fish, rare nutty cheeses, soup, and plenty of cakes and biscuits.

◎ Entertainment
Formal entertainment involves music, dancing, and magic shows. You're welcome to take the stage yourself, of course! If you're not good at what you do, the citizens won't boo you off the stage, but you'll feel an awkward atmosphere begin to build, and word might spread about your act. The nobility in Thorne has exacting standards and a penchant for gossip.

Musical performances include original compositions on the violin and piano by Lestat de Lioncourt and elvish songs by Elrond, while Lord John Grey will recite some poetry and music. Magical displays include illusory lights featuring the Arcana signs by Istredd, flashy divination magicks channeled through a tarot deck by Urianger, and a light-based display of intricate mandalas Stephen Strange - whose third eye may be glimpsed beneath his hood when he casts his Eldritch magic.

◎ Night's End
The banquet runs late into the night, though you can leave any time. A carriage will be waiting to take you back to your inn. You can stay for one last social breakfast in the morning before returning to Castle Thorne through the portal.

Free Cities (Libertas)

The first evening, the Prime Minister will gather guests by the mosaic sculpture in the Willow Memorial Park. Prime Minister Marlo expresses her gratitude for everyone's safe return and apologizes for the atrocities that occurred under her watch. The bravery and fortitude of those involved will be remembered. Fortunately, justice has found those responsible, and the city can begin to march forward. She acknowledges the formation of the Summoned Conclave, promising that her government will make sure nothing like this ever happens again to its people. The Summoned are, of course, people of the Free Cities regardless of where they came from.

Quilleth Kaur takes the stand afterward, addressing the tragedy that struck Libertas not long ago and personally thanking the Summoned for their help in rescuing survivors and rebuilding the city. This includes the construction of the park itself, led by two of the Free Cities' longest Summoned residents. She bids everyone to enjoy the festivities. They deserve to relax and feast after a harrowing experience.

Gifts

As a resident of the Free Cities, you'll receive a gift basket containing:

◎ Tickets to a special comeback show by one of Libertas' most famous acrobatic troupes - their first since the city's destruction. The envelope includes a letter which addresses you by name and thanks you for your help. If you've made an impression on the citizens of Libertas, the letter will mention noteworthy things you've contributed, such as volunteer efforts or donations. The tickets grant you the best seats in the house and a free drink during intermission. Performances are held throughout April and May, so you'll have plenty of time to attend.

◎ A kazoo, best used to annoy your friends or heckle anyone you find disagreeable, though beware that the people of Libertas won't hesitate to brawl on the street over insults.

◎ Luxurious bath crystal balls that fizzle and give the water a beautiful shimmer. Infused with medicinal properties, they'll alleviate aching muscles and lingering pains.

Surroundings

Located far south, Libertas is most famous for its subversive attitude and colorful architecture. With winter on the way out, the weather is warm but not scorching hot as it can be in the summer. Rare spring rains have caused flowers to bloom and sprout around the desert.

Libertas is diverse and lax in social norms. Where Cadens boasts the best research and technology, Libertas' focus is on advancements in free thought, art, and knowledge. Following the art walk not long ago and the long-term portal to Libertas, some of these attitudes have filtered into Cadens.

◎ Artist Alleys
The collapse of the city's buildings has caused street art to greatly flourish. Winding alleyways between homes and shops contain paintings, written poetry on the walls, and musical performances. Sculptor Axn Kade, famous for his pieces made of reclaimed metal and his activism for mining safety, has added a new sculpture to the city's streets. The plaque contains a dedication to the Summoned who helped clean up the mining equipment a few months ago, having used the scrap metal gathered during that process.

◎ Gambling Halls & Brews
Rejecting government oversight, Libertas is home to several gambling halls of all types. If you have the money, you're sure to find a spot to suit you. Beware of loan sharks and play at your own risk. Taverns around Libertas are rowdy. They often have an open floor for art performances, poetry readings, and philosophical debates. Always open to new ideas, many places in Libertas host tastings for brews created using innovative flavors and techniques.

◎ Market Square
Though not as large as Aquila's market, the Libertas market square is still a sprawling maze. Anyone with something to sell will have squeezed a table or a stall into the area. Enterprising merchants will give you a demonstration of some of their products, most powered by New Magic: a comb that changes your hair color upon use, eye drops that give your irises an enchanting colorful glow, and disposable crystal accessories that take on the illusion of precious jewels for a short period - invented to undermine the value of gems. Any changes to your appearance are temporary, lasting 24 hours.

Before the feast, simple dance lessons are available from Caitlyn Kiramman.

Garden Feast

The feast takes place on the second evening, held at the Willow Memorial Park. Glowing orbs of light have been hung from the willow trees while vases made by a local potter feature flowers from the park's wildflower meadows. More details about the park are available under Locales for Libertas.

Provided by Viktor (and Jayce Talis), the center of the garden contains a revolving armillary sphere modeled after the astronomy of Abraxas, casting an atmospheric starry light over the area.

To start with, you'll pull your table number from a hat to receive your "assigned" seat, but there's no need to stay there all night. Guests are encouraged to mingle and wander around. Make friends, meet new people, and introduce yourselves!

◎ Food & Drink
An eclectic array of dishes line a large table at the park's center. Help yourself to what you like in any order. No one will bother you if you start with dessert! Wine, ales, and hard liquors are as plentiful as the food. Dishes include grilled fish and pork, dips and spreads, puddings, sweetbread, cakes, and seasonal fruits common to the desert climate, such as figs and oranges.

◎ Entertainment
Formal entertainment involves music, dancing, and poetry. Artists have been invited to unveil new pieces or showcase old favorites. You're welcome to take the stage yourself, of course! Performers won't be judged on talent so much as passion. As long as you're creative and genuinely enjoy your craft, you'll have the support of the locals.

Jaskier will put on a lute performance, including a ballad of Spyndlveiss containing themes related to the recent disappearances. Diana Prince will recite a short portion of The Iliad, in both Ancient Greek and common. A "blade dancing" display using a painted stave by Obi-wan Kenobi will take place, as well. Finally, Hilda Goneril will draw and paint quick "fashion sketches" to commemorate everyone's style - available to both small groups and individuals.

◎ Night's End
The feast runs late into the night, though you can leave any time. A wagon is available to bring you back to your inn, but most locals prefer to walk, creating a drunken parade of people through the streets while singing cheerfully. You can stay for one last social breakfast in the morning before returning to Cadens through the portal.

Solvunn (Primary Settlement)

The first evening, the two remaining members of the Council, along with Isar Hart, address the gathered, apologizing for the sheep who strayed from their flock. They're especially disappointed with the heretical actions of a trusted community member, whose name they will no longer acknowledge. The gods have cast their judgment, and now the community can come together to heal. The Council promises the newly formed Summoned Conclave that they are vital members of the commune and that Solvunn is here to aid them in whatever they need.

Isar Hart reiterates that his position on the Council is temporary until the seat can be filled, though the Council does not give a date for when this might occur.

Gifts

As a member of the Solvunn Commune, you'll receive a gift bag containing:

◎ A clay mug, handmade by children in the settlements. Each mug is customized for the individual based on what the children have managed to learn about you, painted with what they believe to be your favorite colors, flowers, patterns, or animals. How accurate the kids are about you varies depending on your interactions with them, but they've tried their best. The bottom of the mug is signed by the child who made it for you. If you run into them afterward, they might ask if you like your mug.

◎ Thick and comfortable knitted socks made from the wool of Isar Hart's sheep farm.

◎ A few sachets of herbal teas to help you get a good night's rest and restore your energy. A small thank-you note accompanies the teas, signed by Lorelai and Esmond, who are grateful for the chance to return home.

Surroundings

The southernmost of the settlements, the Secondary Settlement boasts vast sprawling farmlands and a beautiful shoreline overlooking the ocean. Skies are sunny and clear throughout the gathering. Wildflowers bloom across the flat plains, orchards are starting to bear fruit, and fish are plentiful once more.

The Secondary Settlement is sparsely populated but maintains a tight-knit community. Where the Primary Settlement is a hub for schooling, craftspeople, and artisans, the Secondary Settlement is focused on agriculture and livestock: sheep, goats, horses, and fields of crops fill the area. Many families take pride in supplying the commune with produce and materials like wool, eggs, milk, and grains.

◎ Farms & Livestock
Farms are open with fences solely to keep out any predators or pests. You're free to visit the fields and orchards. Pick apricots and cherries, pet the sheep, play with the baby goats, and gather eggs for the evening's potluck. Isar Hart will be pleased to show you his prized black sheep, whose majestic horns are greatly admired. Smaller gardens filled with flowers and herbs are also available to explore. If you'd like to put together bouquets for the evening or make flower wreaths to decorate, you can help yourself. Finally, you can fish to your heart's content in the nearby pond. Bring your catch to dinner!

◎ Shrines
After recent events, shrines around the Secondary Settlement are full of offerings to appease the gods and seek guidance. These offerings consist of animal bones, harvested fruit, and wine. You can add to the shrines if you like or simply visit them. Many shrines hum with magical energy and all previous signs of corruption over the past few weeks have faded. You can ask for blessings of health, luck, or abundance for yourself or others.

◎ Neighborly Help
Although Solvunn doesn't place much emphasis on extravagance, the evening's affair is an important one. They'd like to look their best. Members of the commune are all around the settlement to give you a hand to get ready. You can have someone style or braid your hair with ribbons, color it with natural dyes, or lend you some clothes and accessories if you don't have any. You can help them in return, as well. They're also happy to trade items with you.

Louis de Pointe du Lac will temporarily alter your clothes or appearance for the night using illusory magic.

Potluck

The potluck takes place on the second evening, held outdoors in one of the Secondary Settlement's spring meadows. Decorations are rustic and simple, consisting of fresh flowers and candles.

Mud-clay sculptures and masks are available from Nanaue, though they are not very sturdy. Nero will hand out colorful brochures.

There are no assigned seats. Tables and chairs are placed tightly together, along with natural seating created by tree stumps and boulders. You're encouraged to mingle and wander around. Though a sober hush lies over the gathering, the atmosphere is hopeful. The people of Solvunn look forward to better days.

◎ Food & Drink
Solvunn's potluck feast consists of dishes and drinks brought by everyone in the commune, including members of the Council. There are hearty stews and soups, freshly baked bread, butter churned that very morning, and a variety of Solvunn's famous goat cheeses. You're invited to contribute anything you like! Simply add your dish or dessert to the table. The centerpiece of the potluck is a pig roast. Mead and ale flow freely.

Wanda Maximoff will bring sečenica, propeć (both cheese and egg savory baked goods), and traditional fruit pies of plums, cherries, sugar, almonds, and vanilla sugar. Claire Fraser will provide a unique loose-leaf herbal tea blend.

◎ Entertainment
The people of Solvunn will sing, dance, and make music together. On occasion, there are pauses for someone to take the spotlight, but overall no one's center stage for long. Instruments are passed around, and guests are encouraged to join in. Due to recent events, many songs are subdued, speaking of honoring the gods. Later in the night, stories are exchanged around the campfires. One particular folktale is told by Rowan March about Spyndlveiss, a figure who captures wayward sheep on their way between the settlements. From these lost sheep, he makes sheepskin suits for hungry wolves to wear.

Eddie Munson will hold a lively musical performance.

◎ Night's End
The potluck runs late into the night, though you can leave any time. Large tents are nearby for you to rest and spend the night. In the morning, you can join in on the communal breakfast before returning through the portal to the Primary Settlement.

---

Comments

time for head swivel?

[blackeyedprince]

You can't just logic your way into a conclusion that a powerful, inhuman being that mostly has derision for humankind can possibly love you. The signs that might have been there did not belong to a human, and couldn't have been interpreted as if they did.

"I think I can understand it. I was lucky. I had Rhy to show me I'm more than a weapon and shield raised for his protection."

There are no words to express the difference it made. Kell can't imagine himself, the person he could have become, growing up without Rhy's love and kindness. Would he end like Holland? A powerful but hollow husk bound to whims of his king and queen? Perhaps. It was Rhy's love that saved him from such fate.

"Don't sell yourself short. You were the reason he even entertained the thought of making that effort. He didn't start to care with me, or even Wilhelm."

Given Wilhelm's rather stormy relationship with Lucifer, Kell will give him more credit in swaying the archangel's mind than he'd give himself. He started as resource, an access to funding and refuge, and it was too comfortable an arrangement for him to prod for anything more. Istredd on the other hand...

"He did with you."

Kell smiles at the description give the Thorne's Summoned. Lucifer is not far away with his chaos gremlins either. With few exceptions, that's what they are.

"I think you might be right."

He most certainly has such a person. Same as he always did. Now? He suddenly has more of them, and it never ceases to both shock and amaze him. Kell suspects that Lucifer is similarly perplexed by his own developments.

[restingstitchface]

Curiosity. It directs one to learn, to investigate, to ask questions. Crane turns his head and looks up at this man who wants answers to everything: to secrets he is better off never knowing. His newfound friend is broad in the shoulder with a trimmed beard that suggests pride in one's appearance. That or he values the discipline of keeping clean. He turns his gaze back to watching the crowd.

"There is a friend who made it here. A fellow from home. We exchange words now and then."

Blake is hardly a friend. But he doubts this man would appreciate hearing him call Blake a headache. He smiles - the slightest twist of lips - at how that rhymes.

"I suppose we find it important to keep in touch."

One must keep an observant eye on their research, after all.

[mobezon]

{ the hunger is a familiar undercurrent most tend to miss since louis hides it well enough. almost gives him pause. the rest he welcomes. people are filled with muddled thoughts. sometimes all louis seeks is simplicity.

the imagery of the sun causes him to chuckle. }

I haven’t seen the sun in over a century. It matches this, { he lifts up his right hand, showing the neon smiley painted on top. it’s a purple glow. an insistent exchange for helping a kid with adding sparkles to their dress. should he question what an odd day it’s been? first, celebrating an execution, now… }

You’ll fit right in. Pleasure to meet you, Nanaue.

[restingstitchface]

Optimist. Idealist.

Crane flips open a mental notebook and begins scribing his observations. Her statement suggests some fondness or affection for others - and offers the deeper suggestion she stands alone from others. The people of this city are something to protect? He finds himself reminded of Batman.

He pauses his thoughts and sips his water.

"Is that surprising? The only alternative is to lose hope." He reliquishes his glass. "I suppose rebuilding offers some comfort against the emotional despair that has poisoned their lives. We should all be happy for that."

[mobezon]

It’s still warm in the bayou when the leaves begin to turn. It’s like walking between worlds before the cold winter arrives. No specific memory. My favorite season changes. It could be different here.

{ he’s figuring out leaning into a vibe, as they say. his vintage shows though, but between them, he can allow it to default. }

I’d love to see your magic one day. I’m starting to realize it can be used to prosper rather than destroy. It’s astonishing to give life in any capacity. Maybe you’ll be able to grow a tree one day? Might be nice to decorate one come Christmas.

{ the concept of holidays might be different, but he’d always liked decorating a tree come winter during the one he personally celebrated. }

[blackeyedprince]

The horrible, embarrassing thing is that yes, Kell indeed does love it when Jesper behaves so carelessly nonchalant. With complete disregard for social norms or what people might think of him, of them. He does have a thing for rule breakers. This is nothing new. What is, is his own reaction, the strength of it, the immediacy. It can't all be Jesper's captivating persona.

There's a flash of recognition when Jesper pulls out of his pocket the very ring that Kell made for him on the ship. Surprise too, since he did not expect Jesper to keep it. It's just a silly little thing. A flash of something else, that doesn't belong here, and yet it arises the very moment Kell looks at the ring. He can't stop red creeping up his cheeks when Jesper winks at him, nor does he even want to. It's desire mixed with annoyance, and a dash of sadness, when Jesper puts it away. Desire, for the memories this sight brings. Annoyance, because did that little bastard just winked at him right in front of everyone, with whatever is left of Jossellyn's mutilated corpse in full view? He sure did. Sadness, because of the irrational urge to touch it lest he won't believe the thing is real. That Jesper really kept it.

Kell takes the alcohol gladly. Not anywhere near modest in the amount he drinks before returning the flask. Saints! For what he's about to say? He really needs it.

"Sounds nice." he comments in a flat voice. The cabin and all. Sounds cozy. "It will sound even nicer after I fucked you on every surface there; horizontal or otherwise." The contrast between his words, and the way he looks and speaks while he utters them cannot be more jarring. It's entirely intentional. Kell's face has barely changed expression from the battered anguish he has shown since the beginning of the execution, save for the criminally traitorous flush it now displays.

Kell shivers. Now that he said it, the place feels even more morbid. A ritual fire is being lit on the altar. The ceremony progresses with the Summoned being invited to take part. Kell doesn't plan to accept the invitation, nor even linger any longer. If not for his chance meeting with Jesper, he'd regret coming here at all.

"I think I had enough of this spectacle." He says as he gently extricates himself from Jesper's embrace. "See you later. You better have the evening free."

Kell leaves for the portal before anyone notices that he is now burning full beetroot, and gets a completely wrong idea about him from that. Saints! This man! During a public execution! What did I just do?!! He both hates and loves what Jesper brings out in him.

[politicians]

[ he chuckles softly. ]

Not anymore, but its beginning was.

[the_keeper]

Sabine nods a little; no flicker of surprise spawned at Kyle's admission. That part is going true wherever Jack goes, whatever he does, because it boils down to what Jack shouldn't be, is, and will ever be. It's all her relief that she can be near him through it again. Do what she's meant to do and wants to do, with all her heart and soul: love him, watch over him.

"Well, it's a good thing he has two of us, then."

Sabine says with the ring of already untestable, unquestioning fact.

Then. Amends it the second later. "Three, if Jerry manages his way here, or us there, or all three of us somewhere else entirely eventually." There's an acquessing tipping her head sideways that easily admits that it isn't set or settled or hers alone to decide. "You know, if."

This place is still full of so much she doesn't know,
and so much uncertainty for those who've been here well over a year.
Sabine already understands there's much that can't be planned or predicted.

[catholica]

Couple of years. And it's me and another guy, friend from law school. We opened it up when we could.

( got the building on the cheap, thanks avengers. )

So, we're definitely not well known or anything like that but we get by.

[godshattering]

The portal's been open for something like seven moons now, I think. We spent a lot of time using it to come help rebuild after the attack, though Sylvain and Petra were here more often than I was at the start. I left to help bring in supplies for a while.

[ Something easy enough to volunteer for given how close it was, in some ways, to the war that'd more or less just ended at home. Even more familiar for Marianne, he remembers a second too late, given that the war's ended even more recently for her. ]

The park really has come together wonderfully as a memorial for all of that. It's nice to know it's possible after seeing what it looked like before, and I'm sure Fodlan will be much the same.

[ Since - there's no getting around that comparison from what he can see, but Claude offers Marianne a smile afterwards. Even if it's unavoidable to an extent, there's no need to dwell on it for longer than needed to bring down an otherwise nice night that's mostly been a good distraction from what else has happened. ]

Say, Marianne. Have you been by to see some of the artwork on display yet? There's one painter I recognize, and their works remind me of places around the Alliance if you'd like to see them.

[ And for good measure if she accepts, he'll offer her an arm for escorting purposes with a cheeky grin mismatched with that little bit of etiquette. Sometimes it's still fun to pull it out now and again for teasing purposes only. ]

elmo is always lurking around them lbr

[aquilus]

You are not. You are only attempting to hide and are very obvious.

[He'll allow himself to be pulled slightly, but he is not hiding her. He is simply standing. There is a difference.]

Why wouldn't you carry a knife around like me? I've found a good tailor in Cadens who can adjust your clothing to make it less obvious, if you're worried about showing it off.

[This may ring some alarm bells as the subject of knives had been second in heatedness only to overall couture. Ultimately, he had conceded the point and agreed not to display a single knife during the event, and it's true that none are visible now.]

i hello it's me I'm late

[lightkeeping]

[Aloy gains no joy from public displays of force like executions. She's not so soft-hearted that she doesn't understand the need for someone to die, whether as an example or otherwise, but it's never going to sit right with her. The method, too--that's going to be impossible to get out of her head, probably for a long time. The last thing she thinks they need is a party, but at the very least, getting ready for it is a good distraction.

Flowers seem inconsequential. Flowers seem distracting enough that she can focus her attentions here, momentarily, instead of on the old gods taking their vengeance.]

Those are nice. [Not that Louis was asking, or anything, but she's drawn to the fact that he, at least, recognizes that this should be a somber occasion.] Do you need a hand? I can run errands.

[sorser]

'The Lovers' is an answer that offers a different kind of insight into personality here than back on his own version of Earth, but it's still enlightening to a certain degree. He wonders, vaguely, if she thinks it suits her.

"Do you think it's fitting for you?" he asks, straightening to look at Lenore, not one to let curiosities rest on his tongue out of a sense of propriety alone. "Mine is Death," he continues, thinking it's only fair to share.

As for her question, he nearly shrugs a shoulder. "The Sanctum Sanctorum keeps plenty of things behind glass, mostly magical and arcane. From wildly innocuous to not-so-much, we have a little bit of everything. A Swiss army knife of a collection."

[princessvegas]

[ She tips some of the water onto her fingers (and, subsequently, the ground), as if she's judging it. Water. She is, actually -- when she says water spells are harder, she means that she knows by experience, and water that comes out greasy is very disgusting. But it apparently passes her stands, because she reaches into the small beaded pouch around her wrist and takes out a gold coin, which she tosses on the counter. She hands the canteen in her hand to the sort-of-familiar man, then grabs a second canteen and begins to walk away. There's a distinct feeling that she's expecting him to take his new canteen and follow her. ]

I need a gift for someone anyway, this is good. [ She tucks her canteen in one of the shopping bags. When she pulls her hand back out of the bag, she opens it and there's a butterfly made of green flames floating above her palm. ] Yeah. It's the easiest element, least for most folks I've ever met. In Thorne, they teach it to kids as one of their first spells.

[ The fire butterfly flits up and flutters in front of his face for a moment, then flies into the sky and dissipates. ]

[gynvael]

[ Geralt's expression twitches. Not displeased. Inscrutable, more. ] We're friends. Same sphere.

[ Friends for over twenty years now, but that's neither here nor there. Geralt rarely likes to put his relationships into words; likes it even less so when that person occupies a space he would not and has not granted to anyone else.

He tracks the course of her gaze towards the crate at his feet. Then he looks back at Hilda. ]

No. [ The flat reply is accompanied by him picking up the crate of decorations. ] But I can for a price.

[ A joke. Mostly. Wouldn't say no to a drink if she's inclined. Though, knowing what he does of Hilda, he suspects she may have different ideas of what could constitute valuable repayment for a favour. ]

[princessvegas]

[ The divide is natural, maybe, but also well deserved, in her opinion. Abilities aside, the Summoned are pulled by force from other worlds. They don't get the rights of citizens, the natives view them as curiosities at best, and they have gone two years without any kind of real representation of their interests in the hands of their captors. As far as she's concerned, they are owed this kind of treatment in exchange for the freedoms they've lost. The natives have their own problems, sure, but she doubts many of them are of the same magnitude as "brought back from the dead and robbed of all rights".

Besides, it's way easier to cater to a single group of like, thirty than it is to apologize to millions and millions for not taking their lives seriously. (Also, some of the Summoned are... vampires and other absurdly powerful beings. Julie knows which side gets priority if she were to choose.) ]

If government people ever really learned their lessons, they wouldn't be in the government. [ She says it with a scoff. ] Those power-hungry jackasses just work on a loop of fuckin' up, pretendin' to learn from it, then not doin' anythin' different. All of 'em.

[ Julie's view of governments, particularly the hyper-militaristic kind they've found themselves living under, is even darker than most people's. It's sort of inevitable when one survives a military fuck-up that kills eight billion or so people.

She nods, agreeing to show him. When he sees her domain, he will understand the degree to which she really does appreciate making a space into something beautiful to see. ] I was thinkin' I might have a party next month, in the Horizon. Might be nice to give everyone a space to just sorta relax without the officials breathin' down our necks. I can have somethin' done by then for you to see. It would be kinda like, my recreation more than the true thing, but it'd be close.

[funbreaker]

[ Thancred pulls a face at that description, eyes narrowing and mouth twisting to one side in distaste. Perhaps it is merely entertainment and no one is actually being harmed in the productions, but it does unsettle him that someone would want to watch such a thing in their leisure time.

Perhaps the man is right, and it is because the viewers believe they won't ever experience something so gruesome in reality. ]

You may be right.

[ He glances back to the altar where it all happened, where Josselyn's head had sat when it was done. ]

I suspect it's also a means of showing people their place. These old gods are not merely stories and scripture. We saw it with our own eyes.

[ And he does not think that was some stage illusion. ]

[godshattering]

You can say that again.

[ And then some, or maybe several times over - as Claude absently reaches up to run a hand over the beard he'd been convinced to keep (though in a far more trimmed state than before) it serves as another reminder of just what all that everything was comprised of they aren't elaborating on. It's a strange contrast; a far stranger one than he found while standing at the end of a war looking at a crossroads.

That's before he found himself at yet another one here in Abraxas though the paths leading from that particular one seem far less clear than those at home, so he leans back in his seat with another smile. ]

It's good to see Libertas like this, though. It's hard to believe in some ways that it wasn't all that long ago you and I were crawling through buildings here in the wake of the attack, and now here we are in a park established after everything.

[ It's difficult for him to not think of it in contrast, especially, to the execution resulting after their recovery from their captors in going vastly the other direction in outcomes. A necessary step and one he hadn't disagreed with, though that hadn't made witnessing what the execution consisted of any less harrowing when it turned out to be something vastly different from ones he'd witnessed before.

There's likely been enough discussion of that in the days since and it's not something he's interested in inviting in beyond the chance they're both already thinking of it. After another second or two of silence, Claude shrugs one shoulder slightly. ]

The nature of conflicts in some ways, I suppose, to look for what good can be done after something terrible.

[theidlemaiden]

[ Talk of the colder months to come also means marking a year of her being in Abraxas. There are several feelings there had loom beneath the surface when she thinks about it, but she shakes it off, focusing her attention on helping Alucard instead. But then there's a bit of a record scratch on her end too. ]

That's a compliment, right? Jaskier is lovely.

[ Even if he had dive bombed into her hair as a bird that had been mostly out of his control. ]

And you can't always just wear a coat. What's underneath it matters just as much. But I didn't know you did some of the detail work yourself.

trueee

[theidlemaiden]

[ Obvious or not he is an accomplice to her hiding and there is no trying to persuade her otherwise. ]

Do I look like the type of person who would carry around a knife? I'm delicate! What if I cut myself or something?

[ Never mind that he's now seen her wield an axe and do some level of magic completely debunking any sort of delicate claims. Her attention quickly turns to what she senses is Altaïr implying something that she sincerely hopes he isn't implying. Hilda's eyes narrow. ]

Wait a minute. You don't have multiple knives on you right now, do you?

[assembles]

[ Her first time in Libertas? While it's possible that might be the case for a native, it seems unlikely. Steve shakes his head at the question, pausing to take a sip from his drink. He does seem to have some experience with formal events like this, with his posture and table manners being passable. ]

No, I also live in Cadens. I'm one of the Summoned.

[ He doesn't mention that he's also one of the Summoned who was abducted not so long ago. That seems like a lot to put on a person, especially if he's right and Marianne here is newly Summoned herself. ]

If it's your first time here, I'm guessing you are too?

[ In which case, it's entirely likely they'll see each other around the Sarstina after this. ]

[bealufull]

"They'll be herding people to rooms eventually," he points out, casual about it in that way Kaz does that isn't casual. Not in the least. It's almost as if he's giving an order though he's not trying to.

He's just trying to keep things easy between the Crows, when things are anything but easy between this world and them.

And maybe, just maybe, offering an olive branch to try and soothe out some things... and not put Wylan or Jesper in an odd position as well.

"You should stay with me tonight."

[vecna]

I'm not criticizing.

[Says Henry Creel, whose tone of voice never loses a pleasant edge (in most cases), which might in fact hide the way that, yes, he is criticizing. But there's hardly any real ire to it, not when it comes to something as mundane as fishing. After all, why does he have any real interest in the hobby?

He steps nearer, just beside from where she's crouched down, his shoes just missing the edge of the water.]

I guess this is just one more skill that might prove useful to us in Solvunn. [Fishing. Very communal vibes. Henry looks down at her, gesturing with a hand at the knotted line.] Do you need help with that?

[iustise]

[John is all too happy to continue the conversation with, what he can only assume must be a fellow scholar. Only a scholar, he assumes, would open such a conversation inquiring about the stars in the first, after all.]

We do indeed. Most are quite old, classical literature. [He offers a smile.] The sort of story which was likely oral mythology, until the history of written word. My Latin instructors would be quite proud of me now, to hear me so diligently recalling their tutelage.

[He tilts his head at his companion.] And yourself?

[iustise]

It does sound pragmatic. Which is not a bad thing, as far as John is concerned. As an army man, spells for healing and defense would be useful for him to know, on the battlefield. There is no guarantee that the healers will find you in time, if at all. He has helped to carry men to the field surgeon more times than he would care to count. If there were at least some way of aiding himself, or his companion where they fall, he would take it in a heartbeat.

His attention catches on the rest of the other man's explanation and he tilts his head to the side, inquiring. His 'partner'.

"There are others here with you, from your home?" he asks. He was not sure how common this is, although -- John does have Claire, and he is not complaining of her companionship, even if she does not reside here in Thorne with him.