EVENT #14: ANOMALIES - IC EVENT LOG

[abraxasmods]

Event #14 - Anomalies

OOC event plotting | Coordination Post | Wrap-Up

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Over the last several weeks of summer, leading up to AUGUST 20, the appearance of rifts, and the subsequent creatures, has become a disturbingly common appearance. The average citizen has taken the changes in stride. Some have even integrated these creatures into communities as pets or beasts of burden. Nonetheless, these unprecedented appearances have resulted in rumors. Is the cause the Summoned? Have they carried a dark curse back from the Feywilds? Are the Old Gods offended?

A Coordination Post will be available for communications between mods and players. Report notable actions and events, or track Developments. Though we encourage you to take advantage, using the Coordination Post isn't required to participate in the event.

Anomalous Threats

Dubbed Anomalies throughout Abraxas, suspicion and curiosity turn to terror when much greater threats - called Anomalous Beasts - begin to fall through large rifts. Where did these creatures come from? Why have they arrived? And is this only the beginning of something far worse?

Arrival of the Beasts

The Anomalous Beasts tumble through open rifts that appear in set locations throughout Abraxas. You won't know where those rifts are at first, but it steadily becomes obvious as reports from locals come in. The beasts won't stay put, either. At random intervals, the rifts will suck the Anomalous Beast back through it and spit it out at another location somewhere in Abraxas. It might be in another city or in another faction altogether. It appears these beasts are not limited by borders.

Fortunately, each rift area only holds one Anomalous Beast at a time - so you won't have to face multiple threats at once.

Tracking the Beasts

Soon, you discover that the rifts are in stable locations. The beasts can go into one rift and out the other, but the area where the rifts appear doesn't change. You can use this to your advantage. Officials will set up portals to identified rift locations, allowing you to focus on an individual area - even if you can't predict which Anomalous Beast arrives from the other end.

Many of these locations are important to the locals. While confronting the threat, you'll want to minimize damage and casualties.

If you're tempted to try and go through a rift, you'll get a nasty shock that sends you flying back. Of course, if you happen to witness a native Abraxan attempt the same - whether out of fear or by accident - you might not want to try yourself: upon contact with the rift, any native Abraxans will be vaporized in front of your eyes. You should probably stick to travel via portals.

Arcanum Effects

Each Anomalous Beast bears a glowing Arcana sign on its flank. Be careful if you match its Arcana - you may begin to take on the beasts' animalistic traits, absorbing its aggression, hunger, or fear. These sensations can overwhelm you, causing you to mimic its behavior. Is your will strong enough to resist? Or will you succumb completely, becoming one with the beast?

You can get help from another Summoned of a different Arcanum. They'll feel compelled to make physical contact, absorbing some of the effects into themselves and lessening its severity by sharing it with you. This effect will remain while you're near the Anomalous Beast - as long as it's alive - but with effort and help, you can mitigate it and overcome the powerful sensations.

Types of Beasts

The types of Anomalous Beasts arriving might be familiar to you. Maybe you heard stories from another Summoned. Maybe you remember seeing it from your home world.

If you know what it is or its weaknesses, you can share this information using the Network or by word of mouth to help others defeat it. As for the beasts you believe have no way of being defeated? That may be true to your world. But you're in a different world now with strange powers, abilities you've never heard of, and spells you might've never seen before. These factors can change much. No matter the beast, there will be a way to defeat it.

To review what characters will be facing and each beast's Arcana sign, see the List of Anomalous Beasts on the OOC Plotting Post.

Faction Assistance

While the factions have asked for your help given the overwhelming number of threats that arrived at once, the factions can hold their own in many battles. They'll be able to assist you, and familiar officials may even arrive on the battlefield. General NPC actions are outlined below. You can assume they'll come to your aid based on those descriptions as needed.

Portals to each rift location will also be established within the first 24 hours. While the portals won't take you directly into the fray, they'll be near enough that you'll have the chance to arrive on time to mitigate damage or confront the threat.

You can request more significant aid or resources from an NPC using the Coordination Post.

There is no influence requirement to make a request, but influence and your character's relationship with faction NPCs will be taken into account to determine the outcome.

Thorne

In Thorne, assistance will come from the following:

◎ Jolene Sybell. Jolene will arrive at the front lines as needed. She has offensive spells but specializes in healing and medical magic. If you're wounded, she can mend you quickly or stabilize any grievous wounds so someone can take you to the infirmary.

◎ Soldiers & mages. Thorne's soldiers are concentrated in Borrel, while Castle Thorne has skilled mages. They'll be able to offer shields, offensive magic, and wards to help in any battle.

The Free Cities

In the Free Cities, assistance will come from the following:

◎ Marlo Reiner. The Prime Minister is as much a soldier as she's a politician. A former military captain, she'll direct the soldiers under her command on the front lines. She can provide cover in a fight or strategic advice. Her weapon of choice is a sword and a sidearm.

◎ The army. The Free Cities has the largest army in Abraxas. They'll be out in full force, providing combat assistance, protecting citizens, and offering medical aid. Any soldier will readily give you a hand on the field. If you aren't sure where you're needed, they'll direct you.

Solvunn

In Solvunn, assistance will come from the following:

◎ Isar Hart. Deeply devoted to the commune, the newest Council member will arrive with his ever-present companion Skaldi. A fierce and protective herding dog, she will fend off any threat. He's also followed by a few sheep that cast an unusual shadow. When attacking, they grow powerful ram horns and sharp teeth. Their muzzles elongate, resembling a wolf in sheep's clothing. Word is, Isar has a pact with Spyndlveiss, Guardian of the Flock.

◎ Elders and the Gods. Solvunn may not have a strong army or powerful mages, but they do have the Gods on their side. Elders will lead offerings and sacrifices - and the Gods will answer. While facing a threat, you might find something invisible blocks a blow or a wound suddenly appears on the beast. Though no physical presence arrives, you nonetheless feel the helping hand of something.

Ending the Threat

Resolving the threat involves not only defeating the Anomalous Beasts but also closing the open rifts. Fortunately, accomplishing the former will contribute to the latter.

Defeating the Beasts

Taking on the Anomalous Beasts is no easy task. You'll be faced with several obstacles while you fight them that might prevent you from defeating the beast: the rifts might suck the creature away before you can finish the job, you might be overwhelmed by your mind merging with the beast's, or you simply lose the fight.

In the end, one team will successfully defeat the beast. If you're one of the victorious, how you approach and finish the job is up to you. Take advantage of your surroundings, seek help and knowledge from other characters, and make creative use of your environment and skills.

And remember - defeating it doesn't mean killing it. The beast only needs to be subdued as a threat, whether through death or capture. Of course, once subdued, what happens to it may be out of your hands...but there's a chance that not all of them will be put down.

Requests for a victory roll will be accepted until AUGUST 23 at 11:59 ET. Only characters who win the roll can kill or defeat the Anomalous Beast. Please see the OOC Plotting Post for more information.

Closing the Rifts

With each Anomalous Beast dispatched, you'll notice that the rifts in the world start to shrink. The effect is subtle at first, but with every victory, it's undeniable that the key to closing the rifts is to bring down the Anomalous Beasts climbing through them.

Not every beast must be killed, but the majority of them should be for the rifts to close completely. By the end of the event, all of the rifts will have closed.

Across the Rifts

Each rift opens in a particular area. Each Anomalous Beast will have a "first sighting" at a specific location. Reports will surface as rumors, victim statements, and witnesses. Regardless of how the information comes to you, it likely catches your attention. Perhaps you hear a description that sounds chillingly similar to a monster you've encountered in your past. Maybe you're worried that the area has innocents who need to be protected. Or, maybe you're merely excited about a potential new species.

The beasts will move from rift to rift - not by choice. You might catch the one you're chasing when you arrive, or you might find yourself facing something unexpected. Your task isn't just to kill the beasts - the areas will need protecting, too. You'll have to work with others to do so. You could, for example, decide to have someone distract the beast while you evacuate an area.


[ Click the image for a larger version. ]

Each location is assigned a number that corresponds to an area labeled on the map above. Characters will have access only to their faction's territory on the rift map.

Kingdom of Thorne

◎ Castle Thorne (1) | IMAGE

Security in Castle Thorne has always been paramount. The thought that something could get within the castle walls is unheard of. Fortified by the kingdom's military and strongest mages, and boasting the host of the majority of Thorne's Summoned, it should be ready for any threat. That is, until something monstrous appears right outside the city's borders. Locals claim it slinks by on large tentacles with a single massive eye and a sense of foreboding.

◎ Frostwurm Tunnel (2) | IMAGE

Located northeast of Hayle, the snow-covered peaks are the perfect habitat for the Giant Frostwurms that provide valuable healing crystals. They burrow deep into the rock, creating a labyrinth of large tunnels. While the last time the Summoned were in those tunnels was not by choice, this time, you're asked to help protect the Frostwurms from what witnesses are claiming is a dragon or a very large wyvern. Except...dragons haven't been seen in Abraxas for many decades.

Due to the crystal's hallucinatory properties, the Summoned will be provided protective shield to prevent them from breathing in the air. The shield is invisible, causing the air around them to shimmer slightly. Be careful not to damage it in any ensuing fights.

◎ Whitehill Village (3) | IMAGE

A quaint village, Whitehill is an insular community established for many generations. Well-read despite their economic class, residents of Whitehill pride themselves on their magical knowledge used to help cultivate the Snow Petal, a rare flower that blooms only in their valley. Highly sought after for potions and elixirs, a small garden patch has already been destroyed by what appears to be a corrosive substance left behind by a large black wolf or wildcat. Residents fear this strange blight could devastate the elusive Snow Petal.

◎ Dukewood Lumber Mills (4) | IMAGE

Deep in the forests east of Nott sits Thorne's most profitable lumber mill. The sparkle of magically powered saws keeps the mill running at all hours. Although the land is owned by an aristocratic family, its residents are working-class. They earn a meager living for their families and fear not only for their livelihoods but their lives. Whispers of a shadowy figure with sharp claws spread through the workers, who remain on guard as they try not to let superstition get the better of them. Unfortunately, a few may be too far gone. They're even beginning to insist that the figure is...wearing a hat?

◎ Southern Farmlands (5) | IMAGE

The rolling hills east of Borrel are some of the most fertile land in Thorne. With harvest season drawing near, fields of green turn to amber for the most plentiful of crops: wheat. However, an unexplained fire in one of the fields has raised the alarm. Talk has arisen of a strange silvery creature wearing a crown. Witnesses claim it sits on wagons and anything that looks remotely chair-like. Or perhaps...throne-like? What could it be? Does it have anything to do with the fire?

◎ Southern Mountains (6) | IMAGE

This winding path between the peaks is an important trade route that cuts towards Borrel for those unable to cross the waters. While dangerous, many seasoned merchants will take this path to save precious time. Lately, though, the dangers seem to be much greater. Injured men stumbling out of the mountains claim their friends were torn apart by a multi-limbed insect the size of a full-grown gryphon. One describes black horns, while another insists it had hands grown over its torso. Whatever it is, it's hungry.

◎ Fishing Docks (7) | IMAGE

Home to dozens of fishing boats and trawlers, the docks and its nearby fish market are the lifeblood of Nott. These fishermen are skilled at traversing the lake - so it's unusual that one of them has gone missing. Whispers say the man was dragged under the waters by lurking black tentacles. Many are afraid to venture out again, claiming that something in the lake is watching them.

The Free Cities

◎ Fomalhaut (1) | IMAGE

Though the port city is a fixture in the Free Cities, no one is granted permission to approach the heavily guarded barricade that leads into Fomalhaut. A large sign reads NO TRESPASSING! Official Travel Only Beyond This Point! Another reads Deadly Force Authorized. A third states simply DISEASE. Fortified walls and barriers protect the valuable machinery powering the shields that enforce the quarantine. Lately, tensions have heightened due to heavy bipedal tracks and reports of a moving metal statue. A breach in the shield could devastate not just the Free Cities but all of Abraxas.

◎ Northeastern Mountains (2) | IMAGE

These sharp peaks span past most of the Free Cities' territory. The smaller mountains near Aquila are popular for mountaineers, geologists, and engineers looking to test their newest inventions at higher altitudes. Finding abandoned equipment is not uncommon. Recently, many travelers have fled the mountains, escaping an invisible entity that haunts the area. One scientist who returned injured insists that he doesn't believe in spirits but says that "an unseen force" caused him to slip and fall.

◎ Andromeda Bay (3) | IMAGE

A popular destination for rest, the waters of Andromeda Bay are a welcome reprieve during the hot summer months. Except, the crystalline blue waters have grown tainted with a pungent stench. People are fleeing the shores, warning each other that the a tentacled swamp-fish with a gaping maw has overtaken the bay. Locals fear this disruption to tourism will impact their livelihoods. Meanwhile, biologists are concerned the foul waters will disturb the delicate ecosystem.

◎ Cadens Barracks (4) | IMAGE

The barracks are familiar to most of the Free Cities Summoned. Now, the usually bustling and tightly run military hub is in a state of high alarm. Few soldiers are out in the open. Barracks and rooms feature hastily boarded windows and doors. Here and there are splashes of blood. Any soldiers out and about have their weapons at the ready. Injuries appear to be bites and vicious claw marks. There are ominous whispers of, We can't even see them.

◎ The Badlands (5) | IMAGE

With frequent dust storms, difficult rocky terrain, and extreme heat, the Badlands are the last place you want to be. Most know better than to venture towards its heart. Bandits occupy only the more habitable edges around the area. The few souls who brave the landscape are hardened survivalists or soldiers on patrol. You should take their grim reports of a new fearsome creature seriously. They say it bursts out of the ground and spits deadly acid - melting one individual to the bone. Though the Badlands houses some of Abraxas's most dangerous beasts, this one appears to be new...and it might be coming closer to the city.

◎ Farhill Mining Camp (6) | IMAGE

The Farhill Mining Camp is the largest mine in operation. Rows of cheap housing are pressed together with little care, sitting dangerously close to the mines and the fumes that come with them. Jagged hills of varying height and stability make traversing the mining area tricky. Citizens of all ages work the mines daily, with children able to quickly squeeze through small crevices. The ground often shakes with the rumbling of machinery, but recently something else burrowed beneath has been sending quakes throughout the mine. Unusual dragonfly-like insects, glowing green, have also swarmed the area. With operations refusing to cease, a collapse could be disastrous for everyone involved.

◎ The Red Path (7) | IMAGE

Named for its iconic red sand on the surrounding hills, the Red Path leads to and from Libertas. Known for being relatively safe, merchants, travelers, and hiking enthusiasts frequent the Red Path for its beautiful scenery. When reports of frequent animal attacks begin to surface, word spreads quickly. Merchants now take the road warily, and many refuse to hike it. Surviving witnesses say the creature's enormous white bulk stands out starkly against the red landscape. Most injuries consist of burns, and scorch marks mar the area.

Solvunn Commune

◎ Tertiary Settlement (1) | IMAGE

The Tertiary Settlement is a rough place to make a living, but skilled fishermen have learned to thrive. Rundown wooden houses dot the shoreline as boats row out in the hopes that this day's catch will be the one to feed several mouths at once. Lately, the fishermen claim that an unusual leviathan has been spotted in the waters, something massive and grey. Unlike most leviathans, its teeth are blunt, and it doesn't seem to dive deep under the sea.

◎ Shrine of The Maw (2) | IMAGE

This wooden path lined with dark runes leads to a foreboding tree on a hill. This tree sprouts no leaves and sheds no bark. At the base of its trunk are lit candles. Old and new wax alike stains the tree's roots. This tree is the central shrine to Dyvoraetiir, Herald of the Maw. Dyvoraetiir consumes hopes and dreams, sending those who offend into despair. Intriguingly, the reptilian rock-like creature spotted here is not the threat it should be. Instead, witnesses say it's sluggish and disoriented...and other beasts who arrive through the rift will exhibit similar symptoms. Commune elders fear this is a sign of an angry god. They're desperate to protect the area from further disruption.

◎ The Offering Grove (3) | IMAGE

East of the Secondary Settlement is a popular ritual site. A winding spiral leads to the grove's center, where a large offering bowl sits. Offering bowls are common in Solvunn, but the Offering Grove hosts the largest bowl. Made from sanctified metals, it never rusts or erodes. Many travel to this site to make crucial requests or as a show of penance. Because rituals may take several days or longer, many are reluctant to undo their work and refuse to leave the site, despite the glowing pink light that shines from the shadows.

◎ Mountain Ritual Site (4) | IMAGE

Halfway up the cliffs is a small rounded platform. Crafted to divine truth and one's true path, this is where many seek their answers. The mountain air is said to provide a person with clarity and even visions. Elders have grown concerned by returning visitors who say they've glimpsed the face of a new God, a hulking figure with a decorative mask of hanging tassels.

◎ Forest Shrines (5) | IMAGE

Several shrines make their homes in the Solvunn forest, dedicated to Gods you might've encountered or heard of. The most popular shrine caters to all Gods of the land. Sacrificial bones rest beneath the arched altar, bones that locals whisper are moving. Elders fear not only upsetting the Gods but damaging precious and ancient shrines that served the commune for centuries.

◎ Feintak Ritual Site (6) | IMAGE

If you were here last June, you might've taken a journey to the hills just outside the Primary Settlement into a small wooded area that hosts a plethora of unsettling statues. Called "Feikinstaftaka" in the old tongue, locals refer to it as "Feintak" to avoid invoking the power of its true name. Used to remove high-level curses, performed only under the guidance of the Solvunn Council, this sacred area keeps a tight lid on dark magic - magic that could spell disaster should it be unleashed. Unfortunately, that might've already happened: a walking figure shrouded in shadows has been spotted in the area, and no one knows what it means.

◎ Abandoned Settlement (7) | IMAGE

A popular trading route skirts the edge of this swamp. Well-worn and overgrown, the few homes still standing are in disrepair. Despite its foreboding appearance, the swamp hosts small creatures said to be servants of all nature gods. Playful and harmless, they emerge to seek treats from visitors. They might be recognizable to a group of Summoned who undertook a delivery quest several months ago. Locals say the spriggans won't come out anymore, as if they're hiding. A small pile of crushed pebbles suggest a few have met an unfortunate end. Witnesses report stomping and a disturbing growl from deep within the swamp.

The Horizon

The world outside is not the only realm in chaos. Anyone who enters the Horizon, whether to retreat, recoup or connect with allies, will find unwanted visitors. Anomalous Beasts will appear here as they do across Abraxas. Their presence might damage your domains or cause unwanted environmental changes that you must contend with.

Unwanted Visitors

The Horizon is an unfamiliar landscape to the Anomalous Beasts. Unlike the Summoned, the beasts won't have the sentience to understand it. Their entrance is involuntary. They won't know how to leave on their own and will wander through the domains as if those spaces are real, reacting how they normally would to any sudden appearances or threats.

Of course, as the Summoned, you have full control of the Horizon. As you observe the Anomalous Beasts that appear, reports from outside begin to make one detail clear: when an Anomalous Beast is active in the Horizon, they're asleep in the real world - and will stay asleep unless they "die" in the Horizon or are disturbed outside. Maybe you could use this to your advantage?

You can use the Horizon however you wish, but some possibilities are:

◎ Coordinating with teams outside the Horizon to keep the Anomalous Beasts occupied and asleep in time for an ambush.

◎ Killing the Anomalous Beast in the Horizon will force it to wake abruptly. If done correctly, this will be advantageous, but if done incorrectly, it might cause more chaos.

◎ Studying the strengths and weaknesses of the Anomalous Beasts in a contained environment before approaching it in the real world

The Domains

The arrival of the Anomalous Beasts will impact your domains as they travel from place to place. Important fixtures or buildings might be broken or torn. Created animals or pets might be crushed or injured. Ominous wisps of malice linger like a foul friend amidst the wreckage.

Direct damage is not the only possibility. The Horizon is constructed from memories and influenced by emotions. As a result, the presence of the Anomalous Beasts can cause unwanted shifts and changes to your carefully constructed space. You may find a once peaceful area of your domain has grown twisted and dark from a hellish Anomalous Beast. Maybe a beast associated with fire has manifested pools of magma.

As is the case under all circumstances, any involuntary effects on your domain will cause a sense of unease, and you'll feel compelled to fix it. If you have a weaker connection to the Horizon - either because you don't go in often or don't create much inside it - you'll find these changes harder to mitigate.

On the other hand, if you have a stronger connection to the Horizon, you'll have an easier time retaking control of your domain and reversing the damage.

This aspect is optional. Impacts on your character's domain, if any, are entirely up to players. Characters can also help each other rebuild their domains.

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Comments

[godshattering]

[ There's no (verbal) response, and at first Claude thinks nothing of that. They're both a little distracted, to say the least, and Steve is busy launching skywards and towards the monster with confidence he can admire in more ways than one.

Claude fires another arrow which lands and sends his Crest surging again, though now he finds himself wishing maybe it had some level of strength behind it, something to make the retractable sword strapped to his waist a better weapon in his hands as it was crafted to be. Or that he toted an axe like Hilda's or the ones he'd grown up with as the thought's crossed his mind before, but when he goes to switch to a blast of magic that's when he catches sight of Steve on the monster's back.

The shield is held aloft and there's no hesitation before it sinks into a sizeable wound if both it disappearing slightly and the resulting noise and blood is anything to go by. That's finally what grants Claude some pause, since - this isn't something he's seen in Steve before. It's something else almost like what he knows from battlefields, certainly, or when paired with the strength belongs more to the last time he'd seen the prince of Faerghus tearing through battalion after battalion at Gronder Field.

That realization gets him to swear loudly and with the monster temporarily forgotten, he sends that wind blade flying through the air to only just brush past Steve as a warning. ]

Hey! Focus up there! [ That's snapped with the authority of a commander which his usual humor forgotten, though whether it'll work? That part he doesn't know. ] If you kill it here then we have to figure out how to get off the beach. Move it back away from the water.

[ Can Steve hear him? No time to consider that as another variable; this time Claude does grab his sword, snaps it open, and goes to take a swing at the monster's legs. ]

[assembles]

[ When the tacky blood splatters up and onto his face, Steve doesn't react. This is part of battle, and with the connection that's been forged between him and this bloodthirsty creature, he doesn't think twice about it, the borrowed instincts telling him that this all feels right. It feels like what he's supposed to be doing in this moment, like it's the only thing that matters.

He brings the shield down into the widened wound, digging further into the flesh under the monster's thick skin. The gore and viscera don't trip him up, either, and it's only that blast of wind that skates past him and gusts through his hair that gives him pause.

When he looks to the source of the blast and sees Claude, it's like he's seeing him through some sort of blurry filter. He hears his voice, but it also sounds muffled, like the words are being spoken underwater. Whatever Claude is saying, it doesn't matter.

All that matters is putting the creature down.

Steve doesn't respond, not sure that he has it in him to make words right now, and instead shifts to another spot on the beast's back where one of Claude's arrows landed. He grabs it by the shaft and tears it out, causing the monster to snarl even as it stumbles away from Claude's approaching attack. It readies another beam of light, which charges up in its mouth, ready to be unleashed as soon as Claude gets close.

Normally, Steve's instinct would be to protect his teammate, but he seems to have forgotten all about that. ]

[godshattering]

[ There's no reaction, not really, not beyond Steve ripping out that arrow in a way which has Claude wincing on instinct more than anything else. Maybe if there wasn't an ever growing sense of dread settling over him he might have spared a moment to send some kind of thanks to all the healers he's ever known for removing an arrow with ... well, any level of care beyond what this was.

No time for that since Claude can feel the air crackle with heat he's come to (quickly) associate with that blast of light, and when the monster roars he quickly dips to slide along the sand to slide beneath it. Not a safe maneuver given it could just decide to sit on him as a decisive end to this, but it wasn't a second too soon when the world behind him bursts into flame temporarily. What little greenery was around on the beach is no more, and though he slashes his sword against what he can reach of the monster's skin while rolling back into a standing position, Claude doesn't linger. One quick move after another and he's scaled the creature's leg to stand on its knee for all of a second when its next step gives him the vault he needs to land on its back.

Mostly; predictably, the creature's even less pleased about now having two enemies hanging out on it than it was with just the one bashing it with a shield. Claude slides backwards as it takes another rapid step and shoots out more fire, though this time he's definitely out of range with how it can't twist back to reach him. There's more casualties in the form of whatever's left on the sands, but it's finally headed towards the water.

He catches himself on one of the ridges on its spine, hanging on by a couple fingertips until he swings his other arm around to hook it over another one with sword in hand. Nothing about this is safe as he eyes the blood streaming down its back, but what's new in that? ]

Steve! You alright?

[ Maybe if he can just make it up there he can find out for himself, and Claude reaches for another spike to pull himself up farther. ]

[assembles]

[ In any other situation, Steve would have been impressed by Claude's ability to dodge the blast, thinking on his feet quickly enough to make use of the monster itself for cover before launching himself up onto its back so that he'll be safe from any further attacks. And, of course, to get to Steve and check on him.

Maybe this will all come back to him in a day or so, maybe it won't.

Right now, though, all he can really register is that there's another piece on the board. When he stares at Claude from his crouched-down position on the beast's back, there's no recognition in his eyes, as if everything that's Steve has been scrubbed out and replaced with something else. He doesn't even react to Claude saying his name.

He'd been gripping onto his shield where it was partly lodged into the monster's back as a handhold to make sure he wasn't flung off, but now his desire to hunt and destroy shifts from the creature to Claude. He releases the shield and it's quickly forgotten as he straightens up and stalks toward Claude with purpose despite the uneven "ground" he's walking on.

He isn't walking like a person, but like a weapon, poised and aimed at its target. ]

[godshattering]

[ There's no answer, and he's not sure what he expected. Swearing under his breath, Claude reaches for the final spike, uses the momentum of the monster moving somewhere near the water if the vague splashing below is an indicator of anything, and hauls himself up to stand on its uneven back.

And, as it turns out, right into Steve's path.

There's hardly enough time to get himself centered before all those years of scanning for any danger in any situation kick in to scream a warning: Steve is the danger. ]

Godsdamnit.

[ It bears repeating, muttered as it is under his breath as he eyes the other man's approach with all those alarm bells ringing. Reason is far past happening, he thinks, but then there's no time to think further. Instinct kicks in and before it's too late - for now - Claude uses the monster trying to turn to look back as a convenient place to leap out of Steve's reach. Something only temporary since he's under no illusions it'll be anything but.

And from there, he hesitates. An odd feeling because it goes against all of those deliberately built self-preservation skills where he would've struck with the blade in his hand with no second thoughts. But this is his friend - this isn't like Steve, and he can't bring himself to do it. Reasoning doesn't seem like it'll work either with the expression on the other man's face.

Instead, Claude calls forth a wind spell and sends it out haphazardly as the same instant the monster dips again to try to remove them and he slips in the blood trailing across its back. It's the best aim he has even if he's not confident it'll do anything but fly wide of his target, but maybe it'll buy some time for something. ]

[assembles]

[ Filled with the need to do little more than hunt, to rip and tear until his prey is destroyed, Steve gives no reaction to Claude's cursing and tightly controlled panic, or to the night creature's attempt to dislodge him.

That's the case at first, at least. But as much as he's built like a brick wall, enhanced to the point that he can withstand situations that would quickly unbalance any other normal person, he's also not completely impervious to outside forces.

Between the wind spell that knocks into his shoulder and disrupts his balance and the monster's bid to lower itself suddenly to make its back even more unsteady, Steve is forced to fall into a crouch and grab one of the spikes down the beast's spine to not fall off. He would rather not lose the high ground when his prey is so close at hand, and his jaw tightens as he stares Claude down.

It doesn't take him long to recover his balance, and once he does he springs up, forgoing menace for speed as he aims a leaping tackle right at Claude. ]

[godshattering]

[ There's a second after the spell leaves his fingertips where Claude wonders when the lack of foresight hits him: what happens if it knocks Steve off the monster? The ground is a far way below, and though he knows there's something else to the other man - something undefined as of yet - which might help, that's not a fall he'd voluntarily wish on anyone.

Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, that's not something he'll have to answer right now. Steve grabs hold when that spell glances by him at the same time Claude pushes himself up from slipping in the blood which makes finding footing all the more treacherous as the monster continues to thrash.

It's one more variable but a less concerning one than Steve immediately lunging at him. There's no time for Claude to do anything but go on the defense. He means to dodge somehow but Steve is far too fast and he finds himself knocked back again. No time to think - instincts finally kick in as they should have from the start when Claude moves to block Steve's nearest arm in hopes he can do so before he finds a grip. Some vague fact Marianne told him once about healing magic breaking other spells cast crosses his mind and so he tries casting that next.

Maybe, if nothing else, it'll buy him a few seconds to come up with another plan. ]

[assembles]

[ With the momentum Steve put into his running jump, there's no stopping it now that he's leapt forward. Claude's arm snaps up just in time to block some of the blow, but both of them still end up landing hard on the monster's back, slipping through even more of its blood in the process. It's messy and violent and for a moment, it's everything that Steve wants, the monster's own instincts eclipsing his own.

The healing spell hits him soon after that, the bright burst of energy that invigorates him at least serving as a distraction — layered onto the fact that he and Claude are now touching. Not just touching, but quickly sliding down the night creature's back and in danger of teetering off the side, on a fast trajectory to fall clean off in some tangled mess of limbs.

While he's not quite lucid yet, for a split second Steve's priorities rearrange and he realizes that if they slide off, they're going to fall a pretty long way and he's probably going to end up landing on Claude, and that's — that's not what he wants. Is it?

He stretches one arm out and up, his fingers just barely gripping onto one of the spines, but Claude's pinned under him and they're both still halfway off the bulk of the monster, legs dangling.

He's disoriented and confused enough to not know what to do for at least the space of a few breaths. ]

[godshattering]

[ There's seemingly no response to the spell at first, and his heart sinks. He's rusty, Claude realizes, at any kind of direct hand to hand combat, and Steve has plenty of advantages as they continue to move along the beast's back and he does what he can to get away (which isn't much).

The descent towards the ground sends a feeling through him that's - not fear, not quite, but something close to it unless he can find a plan to prevent them from falling right over the edge to whatever waits below. And unlike the times he'd jumped or otherwise fallen without any specific safety in mind: there's no wyvern here to catch them.

Before he can fling an arm around to grasp whatever he can, to Claude's surprise it's Steve who reaches out to stop it rather than continuing to struggle against him to harm him, he's now realizing, and everything hangs in the balance for a moment. Almost literally, though he tightens the grip on the other man's arm. Like something's calling him to do so even as Claude doesn't notice it. The spell worked. That's all he can focus on as he switches to the higher level spell to try it next. ]

Steve. Listen to me. [ The grappling's left his voice a little ragged - and so has whatever feeling it is that's pulsing in his mind Claude's now struggling against to focus on his friend. If he can. ] Either get us back up on top or throw us off into the sea so we can let this thing go!

[assembles]

[ Finally, Claude's voice seems to penetrate. Hearing his name said with such urgency, Steve responds, tensing up as the precarious situation he's gotten them into starts to become clear around him. He's still disoriented, enough that he can't quite find words in the immediate moment, but he processes what Claude's saying and that's what matters.

Even with both of them hanging off the side of the creature like this, and Claude really only staying aloft via gripping onto Steve's arm, he's pretty sure that he would be able to pull both of them up with one hand. He's got that kind of strength.

But Claude also mentioned jumping into the ocean, and that somehow seems better. The water will cleanse them of the blood and sweat and whatever it was that took hold of his mind.

So with that, he tightens his hold around Claude with his free arm, pressing the soles of his boots into the side of the monster's bulky flank, and then pushes off from it with all his strength, releasing its spine at the same time. The momentum propels them away and out, far enough that they land in the ocean rather than on the packed sand.

When the water rushes up around him, Steve remembers falling from the helicarrier, almost bereft of hope. He remembers falling into the water with Bucky after he stopped him from flying off in that helicopter. In that way, this is all weirdly appropriate. For a moment Steve just lets the water envelop him before he remembers himself and starts kicking up to the surface. ]

[godshattering]

[ Enough returns to Steve's gaze that he thinks his friend is there again, just possibly. There's not enough time to puzzle through that entirely with far more dangerous things in play and now with the added feeling boiling its way through his veins. If there'd been any chance poison could've been slipped in Claude would've assumed it was that with how it pulls at all of his senses. But their grips begin to slip slightly from being covered in blood and having an angry monster which wants them gone in any way possible, and instead he unconsciously digs his nails into the other man's arm as that hold tightens before gravity takes over as they fall.

There's just enough time for him to inhale a sharp breath in his surprise at being airborne before they crash into the sea below. The saltwater is shocking as it burns at scrapes and cuts and his eyes as he opens them to get a better sense of where they are as they sink further beneath the surface. A tiny bit of panic wriggles free of the iron hold he has on keeping it tamped down as while they've certainly left the creature behind as they don't move and he realizes Steve still has a strong hold on him.

The sequence of jumbled thoughts crashing into one another ends when he's dragged - willingly - upwards and they break the surface just as his lungs are starting to complain in earnest. Then it's just a matter of sputtering out the water dripping into his face and unwedging himself from Steve's grasp (or trying to) in case going back into the water is in the other's plans, though he also grips his friend's shoulders to shake him a little like that'll bring things back into focus and out of something adrenaline-fueled for one or both of them. ]

You still with me? Sorry that an impromptu bath sounded like our best option, but I'm glad you agreed.

[assembles]

[ By the time that they reach the surface, Steve feels like himself again. He's disoriented and dazed, yes, but he doesn't feel the presence of something else taking up space in his mind. He treads water without thinking about it, some automatic instinct where his body takes over for him to keep him going.

It helps, again, to hear Claude's voice. Both of them look a bit worse for the wear, especially with the water making them look kind of like drowned rats, but it's better than where they were a few seconds ago. ]

Yeah, I'm... [ He coughs a few times, then gives a hard shake of his head to dislodge some of the water. ] I'm here. Sorry about—

[ But before he can say anything else, or think about swimming the short distance back to the shore, the night creature lets out another angry scream as it turns toward them. Steve tenses, half-worried that it's going to somehow take over his mind again, but before it can charge up another attack a massive rift opens behind it, swirling with dark energy. The creature shifts, almost seeming confused, before it — despite its size and bulk — is sucked into the void.

And then the rift closes, leaving the beach almost eerily silent. ]

— That... could have gone better. [ But hopefully they've at least softened it up for whoever it runs into next. Steve glances back to Claude. ] You all right?

[godshattering]

[ It takes just about everything in him to heave a sigh of relief when Steve speaks, and it's only then it sinks in how long it'd been since the other man had spoken. Or maybe it hasn't been long at all and his brain simply made everything seem longer the same way it had in some battles, a word he thinks definitely applies here.

It's enough for Claude to release his grip on Steve's shoulders, not without a brief clap of them first, as he finds his footing in the sand in the water below finally. The sound of the monster freezes him place as he instinctively snaps his head around to look in the direction just in time to see it disappear into the rift. The quiet is eerie - but he'll welcome it as he looks back to Steve. ]

I'm alright. Nothing worse than what I've dealt with before, really. [ As for what he's referring to? Claude doesn't specify. Stranger things than this have happened in Abraxas at that, and he'd like to think he knows Steve well enough to see how this - what'd happened isn't something likely to repeat itself with the monster gone. As he goes to stand, he holds a hand out to Steve to help him up at the same time. ] The important part is we're still here, right? Let's go see what the damage around looks like and if anything else has appeared.

[ Business as usual. ]

[assembles]

[ Nothing worse than what he's dealt with before? Steve wonders if Claude's saying that just to make him feel better about whatever the hell just happened to him, or if he's actually experienced a friend going feral and trying to attack him before.

It might have happened in the pit, come to think of it.

Claude breezes past it all like it's no big deal, but Steve can't just let it go, especially when he considers how badly he might have injured Claude if anything had played out differently. He paddles forward until his feet find the sand below, and then wades through the water. When Claude offers his hand, he hesitates, but physical contact had seemed to help. So he takes that extra bit of support as they push through the waves to the shore.

It's only once they're safely standing on the beach again that he speaks up. ]

I'm not sure what that was, but it seemed to be because there was some connection with our arcana. It's like suddenly its thoughts were my thoughts, and all I could think about was... [ He trails off and shakes his head. After heaving out a breath, he turns to face Claude directly and stares him down, as water continues to drip from his hair down his face. ] Anyway, I'm sorry. Thanks for figuring out how to snap me out of it, before something worse happened.

[godshattering]

[ There's a large part of Claude's mind which is going to need considerable time to process... well, all of this. Maybe later when it feels more distant than standing here dripping seawater onto the sand now they're both upright.

A joke's on the top of his tongue as he looks up from vaguely attempting to wring out his shirt hem, ready to make another quip about how they've earning lying around in the sand, but Steve beats him to speaking. He stills to watch the other man as he speaks with a sincerity he doesn't doubt.

Not after everything they've been through, both individually (or so Claude suspects, anyway) and together here in Abraxas. What's one more mind whirlingly confusing event as Steve describes what sounds like some kind of melding with the monster? Maybe it's easier to joke because it did turn out fine. Half of the fear he'd felt, he thinks, is less because of what could've happened to him but more because of the fear of losing someone important to him.

Another couple of seconds go by of studying the other man before he breaks out into as easy of a smile as ever. ]

I'm not sure I should take credit for a gamble working out in my favor, but hey, if you're offering than who am I to decline it? I'll be expecting you to return the favor should a need for it arise.

[ With a slight grin considering it's not like they can predict that - and it's paired with a silent thanks to all the healers he knows for the inspiration, but: the thought remains that Steve might find that response equally unsatisfying. It's not that the humor in his expression fades entirely when he reaches out again to grasp Steve's shoulder - but this time, it's more like relief. ]

I'm just glad you're back with us and not under the influence of... whatever that was.

[assembles]

[ Steve can't help but wonder if what he just went through, brief as it might have been, is anything like what had been done to Bucky's mind for decades. The Winter Soldier may have only been deployed for certain missions and otherwise been kept in cryostasis, but still. Steve didn't ever want to know firsthand what it was like, but it does give additional insight into what his best friend suffered all those years.

Claude's voice pulls him back to the present again, along with that hand on his shoulder. After a brief moment to recalibrate, Steve turns to him and nods. ]

Let's hope not. It's happened two times too many already.

[ The idea of Claude with his mind cleared out, his body language and expression devoid of all personality when he's usually brimming with it, is enough to make Steve uneasy.

Still, there's no need to catastrophize. ]

So am I. We may not have taken that thing down, but at least no one was left worse for the wear here. [ Himself included.

It'll help to get back to work, he decides, and so he gestures for Claude to follow along as he starts back down the beach. ] C'mon. Let's do a sweep for any injured and make sure nothing else crops up in the meantime.