EVENT #15: THE NETHER - IC EVENT LOG

[abraxasmods]

Event #15 - The Nether

OOC event plotting | settings info

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After a Conclave vote earlier this month, you're prepared to accept the formal request from the Nether for your assistance. By now, you'll know who the delegates are and that the dragons have suffered an illness from the rifts that opened this summer, due to the unfortunate actions of one of your fellow Summoned. Whether or not you agree with your Conclave's majority rule, the decision has been made.

The expedition will begin on October 16 and last 10 days. If you need to return home sooner, you can activate your portal stone at any point during the trip, but there's no going back once you do.

Though mysterious, the Draconae - or daemons, as others call them - are not elusive like the Fey. Anyone who's been to Nocwich will have seen a handful of them amongst the population, and some reside in the Free Cities or the outskirts of Thorne. The only nation they aren't found in is Solvunn.

Into the Heart

Your arrival to the Nether is a frosty one. The northern island is barren, save for a thick layer of snow, a few birds, and some hardy insects. Massive skeletal remains can be seen as you walk over the ice. Every few minutes, the ground trembles. The Draconae warriors greet you at the base of the volcano, including Orion, The Warden herself. Though they appear intimidating, they're grateful you're here and will clap you heartily on the back.

Entering the Obsidian Heart requires nerves of steel, but appearances aside, the narrow walkway is sturdy. As long as you're brave, you'll make it down without a problem. The less sure-footed are encouraged to ask for a hand. If they do, they'll be assigned a Draconum warrior who will cheerfully carry them down the winding path. You can also help each other, of course! Any Summoned who are capable can carry their friends, too.

As you venture down, the oppressive heat intensifies...until suddenly it stops. The moment you reach the fiery gates, the smell of brimstone fades from the air and the temperature eases into that of a pleasant summer's day. If asked, the Draconae will tell you this is how it is - a blessing from the two remaining dragons. Without them, the air would suffocate all life within.

Although the main purpose is to aid the dragons, the Draconae will invite characters to take breaks, participate in recreational activities, and explore the Nether. They want their guests to be comfortable, especially as the Summoned have arrived to help.

Around the City

At the center of the volcano lies the Obsidian Heart, where the Draconae reside. Made of stacking homes and stone bridges that spiral downward, it's a wonder how anyone finds their way. There are no maps, signage, or any form of direction. Their ability to navigate appears inherent. The most dangerous beasts lurk beneath the lava, so unless you intend to go swimming, you're unlikely to run into anything aggressive.

Doors and furniture are heavy and are made of iron, bronze, or steel. You might need to push or pull furnishings and doors with both hands and extra effort. Luckily, citizens are happy to help - as long as you ask. If you don't, they won't interfere out of respect for your autonomy. In fact, if they see you huffing and puffing, they might stop to watch and will sincerely cheer for you should you accomplish your objective by yourself.

Watch your sticky fingers. While petty theft is a minor offence in other places, the Draconae are highly protective of their belongings and treasures. Hands and heads have been lost over stolen trinkets.

The Hieran Wing

As a guest, you'll be invited to stay at the Hieran Wing. Named after Hierus, the oldest living dragon, the Hieran Wing is located in the eastern section of the Citadel. The rest of the Citadel is under heavy guard and inaccessible.

◎ The rooms are carved into the stone itself. Bedding is comfortable, if simple, with room to store your belongings. A curved stairwell grants you privacy even though many rooms have curtains rather than doors. The few rooms that have doors contain no locks. Your safety is assured, but if you're nervous, you can ask for a guard to watch you at night.

◎ The dining area consists of open-fire grills, pots, and raw ingredients - including spices and fiery hot peppers. As great believers in self-sufficiency, the Draconae will leave you to make meals to your taste and liking. You can hunt and fish your meat, as well. There are numerous lava pools where one can net jumbo shrimp, crabs, and flaming fish. For larger game, you can go after the Erymaes Boar or Petran Bison. Feel free to share your catch with your friends or offer to cook for the culinarily challenged.

◎ The library contains only fiction. You'll recognize several titles from your faction or Nocwich, suggesting they've brought back their favorite stories to read. Other titles are new, written by the Draconae. Novels and poetry span all genres, but the most common ones seem to be adventure, horror, and erotic romance - some of which contain surprisingly detailed illustrations.

Magma Pools

Outside the Hieran Wing, unusual cerulean magma pools are provided for bathing. Despite how they look, temperatures are equivalent to that of a steaming hot spring. The magma bubbles naturally from within the volcano and provides soothing effects. No soap or cleaning agents are required. These magma pools contain tiny frogs that leap and jump around. The Draconae consider them a tasty live snack. Don't be surprised if you see a local munching on them.

The Foundry

The Foundry has expanded over the past two centuries. A marketplace now circles the ancient forge. Observing the tradespeople inside and their secrets are off-limits. However, you can browse a selection of tools, clothes, accessories, and potions. Healing potions are common due to the Draconae's lack of healing magic.

You'll have the chance to request custom-made jewelry and purchase glass ornaments that are blown for you on the spot. Merchants won't sell the large weapons on display, but daggers and other small weapons are available. They'll also modify any pieces you own by adding jewels, altering the fit, or repairing nicks and faults...for a price. The Draconae deal in Abraxan currency if you have any, but they'll accept a vial or two of blood or saliva as payment.

Negotiations & Meetings (Rank 5+)

The first order of business is to present your Conclave's terms to the Inner Sanctum, the Draconae's governing body. If you've been voted as a delegate, you'll be greeted by the NPC meeting you (and your partner, if you have one). If you haven't been selected, you can still speak to some of the NPCs available.

A Place at the Table

Negotiations will take place in The Solar on the second day, a hall lit with a fiery orb of light. This is where the Inner Sanctum conducts all of its business. Tightly guarded, you're the first outsiders allowed inside in centuries. Here, you'll have the chance to present your terms and convince the Draconae to accept. You'll also have the first day of your arrival to gather a few details about the NPC you'll be meeting.

Only one meeting is required. The Nether will give you their final answer the following day.

Be sure to reply with the terms before starting the thread. Mods will approve or ask for revisions, so try to submit your points by OCTOBER 17.

Once approved, please TAG IN with your character under the correct faction heading.

Meeting the Inner Sanctum

Members of the Inner Sanctum who are not involved in diplomatic affairs are Aster, The Guardian and Anneth, The Flame. Additional descriptions about the two NPCs and where they can be found will be in their character comments below.

Characters who are Rank 5+ (negative or positive) and who are not acting as delegates can speak with one of the two NPCs above.

To do so, TAG IN with your character under the NPC you want to meet.

Runaway at Pyritean's Rack

Abraxan outsiders will whisper that Pyritean's Rack is a nefarious torture device created by the Draconae for their victims. This is true if the victim in question is delicious meat. The Rack, in other words, is a giant cooking area filled with grilling racks and pits. Shelves of ingredients and spices line the perimeter. Its most striking feature is the primary heat source, which uses magma rather than fire. Ingredients and meat unique to the Nether result in dishes and flavors not found elsewhere. Hot peppers are a popular feature.

The Draconae cook and share their food each night at the Rack. The station is always occupied. Locals take turns hunting and fishing, preparing ingredients, and cooking. Consequently, food is provided without cost. You only need to lend a hand.

Not everything goes smoothly, though. An escaped hatchling has infiltrated the Rack, and Khloris, the baby dragon, is eager to snatch and steal food throughout the week.

Earning the Torch

Impromptu competitions are frequent. They usually begin when one cook sees another outdoing them and makes a challenge. You can either issue a challenge or receive a challenge. Challenges can be between you and the natives, or you can face off with another Summoned. Judging is done by the crowd, which can be chaotic.

Not to worry! There's no downside to losing except your pride. Though the competition can grow fierce and heated in the moment - including vulgar insults and much jeering - once all is said and done, there are no grudges when the food hits the table. Sore losers are looked down on as being thin-skinned.

Winners will receive a jar of spice mix or marinating sauce from one of the many talented cooks. We won't be modding this aspect, so just be realistic with your character's cooking skills. Be sure to work things out with your thread partner if the competition involves another player character!

Escaped Hatchling

One young dragon has escaped its sanctuary at Dragon's Glass. Curious, it's drawn to the smell of food at Pyritean's Rack. As a result, it's disrupting competitions, breaking equipment, and stealing ingredients or even chunks of meat off people's plates. Desperate to get the dragon back before it causes more trouble - or worse, injures itself - the Draconae have asked you to catch the hatchling.

Of course, you'll need to contend with the dragon's unique abilities.

Khloris, the runaway in question, leaves behind small patches of grass. Its pollen dust coats nearly everything it goes near. When eaten or touched, the pollen causes flowers to sprout in your hair for a day or two. It can't fly far or very high, but it's prone to swooping down to snatch meat off the grill. The Flame informs you the dragon can be lured with gold trinkets or bright colors like red and yellow.

To see if your character can catch the dragon, submit for a roll HERE. Submissions will close October 18 at 11:59 ET. Results will be posted on October 19 so players can account for their success or failure.

Ailing Dragons

The two ailing dragons are Hierus, the Obsidian Drake, and Kruos, the Glass Serpent. Mated to each other, they're the only remaining adult dragons in the Nether and have been for decades. When you visit them at Dragon's Glass, their condition is worrisome. The dragons' scales have lost their luster and are grown over with painful white patches. They appear lethargic.

Those researching can offer the dragons healing potions or ointment to aid their symptoms while a cure is worked on. If you're not much of a healer or a scientist, you can feed them or simply spend time with them. The dragons are intelligent and appear capable of understanding you, though they can't communicate directly.

Characters have 3 avenues of participation, depending on their interests and strengths: gathering ingredients, researching the cure, and looking after the baby dragons and eggs. They'll have time to do all three throughout the 10-day excursion.

Finding a Cure

At first, you aren't sure where or how to start. The Draconae suggest the Ashlands may be a place to explore. It's dangerous, they warn, but they have a potion that'll help keep you safe. Due to the hazards, you're told not to go alone. As you travel through the deadened land, you notice an odd phenomenon: where you walk, the air around you clears, and the ground beneath your feet springs to life. You realize you don't need the potion to protect you.

The changes are temporary, fading behind you as you walk. Curiously, the effect you exhibit is similar to what the Draconae claim their dragons are capable of - though to a much smaller degree. Still, you have to wonder if you and the dragons share a similar magical connection to the Singularity. You can't help but notice that those of you who regularly interact with the Horizon and have been doing so for a while seem to affect your environment more. Your aura may be a little larger and the vicinity restored around you lasts a bit longer rather than melting away immediately - maybe even up to a minute or two.

Restoration and Gathering

Your ability to restore the land has unlocked a vital element. Ingredients once thought lost can now be gathered by the Summoned such as yourself, and they may hold the key to curing the dragons. Bring back these ingredients to your peers waiting at Dragon's Glass. The more you gather, the more they'll be able to research and experiment, so don't be shy about making multiple trips.

There are three sections for you to explore. Each one has its dangers and a specific ingredient to collect.

Due to its circumstances, Aetherie is only available on Day 9 of the event, shortly before the cure is finalized. The Draconae will seal the area once more when they realize what's happening. Cinder's Core and Featherhive are open for the full duration of the event.

◎ Cinder's Core

Filled with petrified trees and fossilized bones, the area that restores around you demonstrates its previous life as a flourishing rainforest: the humidity grows, the grass turns lush, and tropical flowers sprout under your fingertips. Although its sulfuric air won't affect you, you'll need to brave dangerous heights to reach the tops of trees and dried-up waterfall cliffs to retrieve the kydros fruit. The fruit smells like citrus and is surprisingly light despite its size.

Vines brought back to life can help you climb, forming ropes for you to climb and bridges that weave beneath your feet. They'll wither once more behind you, so you'll want to move quickly to avoid losing your footing. Height isn't the only danger - the ground below is littered with sharp skeletal protrusions and jagged trees. Beware of dangerous thorn bushes that will come to life in your presence and try to crush you in their spiny embrace as you ascend.

◎ Featherhive

The air here is too toxic for the Draconae to breathe in for long. Luckily you're unaffected. Scattered across the ground are the remaining husks of birds' nests. A dragon's skeleton curls under a rocky overhang. Use your restorative ability to journey deep into Featherhive's heart. Pushing aside the thick overgrowth reveals a small clearing covered in bright crystals for you to harvest.

Although Featherhive poses no physical danger, the land is haunted by shadow birds, ethereal spirits connected to the dragons - and you. As you pass through, they flutter around you and parrot familiar lines to each other. Their movements are jerky and strange. Quickly, you realize the birds are mimicking your memories. They might replicate an entire scene or echo a phrase or two that's plagued you all your life. Or, if you're lucky, they're merely repeating your grocery list. Shooing them will cause them to dissipate into smoke, but they'll soon return.

◎ Aetherie

The loss of a dragon released a noxious gas through this village without warning. Escaping villagers were forced to leave behind those they could not save and seal the doors. The Oblivion is a painful moment in history for many, and none have set foot near the area since. Near the end of your stay, the Draconae request you use your ability to venture where they can't and gather Anoix pods, powerful healing seeds from a plant that only grew in Aetherie. They believe the abandoned huts will contain pouches of the pods on shelves and cabinets.

Entering the village, you expect a tragic scene of corpses. Instead, you find something far worse. The dead have mutated into grotesque arachnids, limbs fused to bulbous abdomens. They show no signs of recognition or awareness and attack you on sight. Hidden in the depths of the purple haze, rat-sized spiders scurry forth. Their venom causes painful sores that will fester and spread if left untreated. Multiple bites may result in temporary blindness or paralysis of a limb. Luckily, this will clear up within 24 hours to a few days, depending on the severity.

Grab the pods if you can or flee if you're overwhelmed. When word reaches The Warden, she'll rapidly send her people to reseal the abandoned village and come to aid any who need it. If you're injured, The Flame and her apprentices will tend to you at Dragon's Glass.

Research and Magic

Dragon's Glass is a glass-domed temple said to be forged from the fires of Kruos. It's located in the Spiral, which is outside the Obsidian Heart. Here, the two remaining dragons reside while ill, along with their clutch of eggs and a few precious hatchlings.

Anneth, The Flame, will invite you into the temple's alchemy labs, where you can apply your skills and knowledge to create the healing elixir that cures the dragons. Doing so requires you to experiment with key ingredients found in the Ashlands. You'll have access to basic alchemy books and apprentices at the temple. Use any additional tools, supplies, and knowledge you possess, and take advantage of the resources donated by the factions.

How you approach your research is up to you, but each ingredient comes with a set of risks - so be careful while you work!

◎ The kydros fruit contains seeds that will explode when heated, causing a chain reaction like popped popcorn. The explosions aren't large, but they might scorch your supplies. Crushing them in the open air results in a similar chemical reaction. However, soaking them in water makes them soften into mush, allowing you to turn the seeds into a paste that could be useful. The fruit is similar to grapefruit and is excellent for a sore throat.

◎ The crystals come in three colors: red, blue, and black. Extended contact will dye your skin that color. The stains are extraordinarily stubborn, so your clothes may not recover. These crystals resonate with a strange hum that suggests they respond well to magic spells. Combining them with a liquid will give off a foul-smelling smoke, so you may need to find ways to neutralize the stench before combining it into an elixir.

◎ The Anoix pods must be used sparingly, as no more can be gathered from Aetherie. They possess strong healing properties, but each pod is very delicate and must be split open with care so as not to damage the soft seeds inside. In addition to researching the cure, you can also attempt to help the Dracaone grow new Anoix plants using the preserved seeds.

The final cure will use all 3 key ingredients. Don't worry too much about continuity! As long as your character participated, you can assume they made a valuable contribution.

However, to assist with coordination, we've provided a RESEARCH DISCOVERY section where you can present any findings your character would share with others in-game.

Hatchlings and Eggs

While curing the adult dragons is a priority, the hatchlings and eggs aren't to be neglected. Baby dragons are active troublemakers, and without their parents to keep them in line, they've become especially unruly. The apprentices at the temple can only do so much. The Keeper has even made rare appearances in Dragon's Glass to lend his assistance.

Meanwhile, the eggs are beginning to show signs of affliction. The shells are beginning to weaken, and the feathery growths appearing on them will suffocate the hatchling inside if left untreated.

Babysitting the Dragons

If you have a spare moment, you can look after the baby dragons. Keep them out of trouble by reading their favorite stories, singing songs, and playing with them. They'll also need to be fed, watered, and their bedding changed or fluffed. The hatchlings are mischievous but friendly. They're eager to bond with the Summoned for reasons unexplained, as if they feel something resonating within you.

Many are attracted to shiny objects and bright colors and will attempt to steal them. Conversely, they might gift you a trinket that they've pilfered from someone else. The local Draconae would appreciate it if you returned any missing tools or jewels.

Hatchlings you'll encounter in Dragon's Glass are:

◎ Okenus spouts water instead of flame. Bearing fins instead of wings, this sea dragon is vital to bringing lakes and rivers back to the Nether. Currently, it can only make tiny puddles and rainclouds. Watch that your belongings don't get wet. Standing near the dragon might cause a small storm cloud to spawn over you and rain down on your head. A simple spell will make the cloud disappear, but if you don't have any magic, you might have to bring an umbrella.

◎ Epeius can form miniature gusts of wind beneath its wings, but it doesn't have firm control and frequently spawns them when excited. These small dust devils and whirlwinds will follow you around. Though they aren't powerful, they can be a nuisance, knocking over cups, blowing away hats, and sending papers flying. The other hatchlings will find your misfortune a source of amusement.

◎ Ledas can help salt deposits form in the shape of large salt crystals. Salt is important to the Draconae, which the hatchling is aware of and thus takes great pride in its abilities. The crystals can be eaten as is or crushed into granules. Ledas will strive to impress you with the largest crystals that it can make...which occasionally results in the structure collapsing, littering the ground with salt. You might find yourself sweeping often around this dragon, but at least you'll never be short on seasoning.

◎ Anthusa is a very special hatchling that creates bioluminescent algae. The algae grow on its scales, forming a symbiotic relationship. Unfortunately, without a proper habitat for this algae in the Nether, its glow has dimmed in recent years and the hatchling has become languid and sickly despite its youth. Nonetheless, Anthusa is friendly and curious even if it struggles to keep up with its siblings. You can help Anthusa play by lifting it to heights it can't reach, and carrying it back when the dragon is too tired to walk.

Weakened Eggs

As noted, the eggs demonstrate signs of suffering, too. Three eggs are waiting to be hatched. Whether all of the eggs survive is dependent on the decision that each faction Conclave made regarding resources found, as well as the help provided by you and your fellow Summoned.

The eggs can't be cured until the dragons are cured, but you can help slow the growths by gently scraping them off and wiping the eggs regularly with a clean cloth. They must also be kept heated, so check the magma frequently and refill any magma basins. The growths can be donated to those researching for additional study if you wish.

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Comments

[gynvael]

[ Uh-huh. Spirited is one way to put it. Geralt studies the multiplying chaos. He's beginning to think he should have brought a supply of fish, but barring that—

After another moment, he removes the coin purse hanging from his belt and digs out two gold coins that he polishes on his shirt. Then he holds it out so that the gleam catches the flickering sconces. The whirlwinds don't quite cease but they slow and shrink in size. Epeius snatches the coin between its tiny claws. Ledas leaps from its corner for its share, sending a spray of salt crystals behind it. Geralt scoops up the white-scaled dragon, grasping it firmly while it gnaws on the gold piece.

There. At last.

He glances at the Doctor and gives a vague tilt of his head as if to say, Good enough. Cost him most of his money, but it's. Fine. He'll take what coin he needs here on out from Jaskier. ]

Where are we taking them?

[ He assumes they've caught chased the creatures to bring them somewhere. Nesting, perhaps. ]

[thedreamer]

[ From an outside perspective, Geralt's method of taming the little ones seems so easy, natural, like he's done this before. It's been a long time since the Doctor's tamed any sort of young creature, let alone a dragon. Having never encountered them before, he's been more fascinated than anything else. Truthfully, he's been so much in awe of them he might have indulged their escapades more than he should have to begin with.

Of the pair of them, the Doctor is absolutely the permissive dragon guardian. ]

You'll be the first one I call if this ever happens again. Of course — shiny objects, who can resist? I'll owe you some coin later and I do keep my word.

[ One of the hatchlings settles on the Doctor's shoulder again and he smiles briefly at it before nodding his head to the left and behind him. ]

And we'll be going that way, not too far. Settle them in to their nests. They're beautiful, aren't they? Chaos in their wake, I know, but utterly beautiful. I've never seen dragons before, I suppose I...wanted to let them be. I might have miscalculated.

[ It is an attempt to admit that perhaps he hadn't handled this well from the outset, but here they are now. All's well. ]

[gynvael]

[ Ironically, it is not Geralt's experiences with his daughter that he's applied here (though Ciri can be bribed with doughnuts, on occasion), but his long years with only a horse for companionship. He's wrangled his share of ornery mares. ]

Buy me a drink, and we'll call it even. [ If the Doctor is as new a face as he looks, Geralt suspects he could use all the gold he can get for now. The only thing Geralt does with his money is pay for ale and oil for his sword, anyhow.

He follows him down the corridor, footsteps echoing between the stone walls. The sound he makes is thoughtful. Dragons are one of those creatures that seem common across most spheres, whether in stories or as living beings. They are intriguing things. He can see why the Nether wishes to preserve them. ]

I've come across only one from home. They're rare there, too.

[thedreamer]

[ The Doctor should absolutely be more conservative with the bit of coin he's managed to gather so far, but having little use for currency in his travels — he does so miss his psychic paper — it's something he still far too easily overlooks. So Geralt isn't at all wrong in his assumptions, though it goes far beyond just being new. ]

If we're having drinks together, why not make a whole occasion of it? [ Never mind that if they're sharing a drink then Geralt has this to look forward to. ] Ale or wine — oh, I shouldn't assume, do tell — and of course, chocolate of some sort. Cheese platter. Meat on the fancy skewers. I'm looking forward to it!

[ Has he just pre-arranged his loose interpretation of a picnic of some kind with Geralt just assuming it's a done thing? Evidently. He's counting on Geralt not to let him down, as well. ]

I've heard stories, legends, myths of all sorts about them. Sometimes the universe still surprises us, though, doesn't it? I love when it does that. [ A soft smile for a brief moment. ] And here we all are, given a chance to keep them safe. I worry for them — Hierus and Kruos, being the last grown. In my travels, I've seen...too many species lost, the last of their kind.

[ He knows how it sits in a heart. In a deeply personal level. ]

[gynvael]

[ There's a very long moment, as they stand over the waiting nests, where Geralt looks at the Doctor without blinking. He appears to be debating between several responses, eventually settling on a gruff, ] As long as you're buying.

[ Regrettably, Geralt will mysteriously vanish for the next several weeks upon their return—not by choice—so it'll be a bit before this elaborate picnic can come to fruition. For now, he's at least...hm. Agreed is too strong a word, but he isn't saying no.

One of the sets of bedding is covered in salt crystals. He sets the white dragon in that one and the other beside it. They're sleepy enough he could probably retrieve the gold coin between their paws, but he doesn't bother.

For a while, it almost seems Geralt won't answer, though he's clearly heard the Doctor's words. He watches the dragons curled in their nests. ]

At least they have a chance to populate. Not all of us are granted that.

[ He's seen the clutch of eggs. It isn't much, but it's something. When that piece is lost, that's when there's truly nothing left to save. ]

[thedreamer]

Absolutely a promise.

[ The Doctor, of course, takes that affirmative as absolutely agreed-upon, if perhaps lacking the enthusiasm he himself might typically convey. But then, he accepts most people tend to lack his particular brand of enthusiasm, and it's all well and good. The picnic is a done thing, in his mind, at a certain, as-yet-indeterminate date and time. But he won't forget.

As he settles the last of the little ones in their nests, the Doctor stays close, kneeling near them in quiet and reverent observation. There's a certain peace with slumber, an inherent vulnerability in the act that makes the Doctor more protective as he watches them settle down. They're young and vibrant with their whole lives ahead of them; what will remain here for them? What will become of them many years from now? A long, happy life, he hopes, with more of their kind in abundance. ]

Not all of us are, no. [ He wonders at the particular phrasing of it, not all of us, and so he does his typical thing, where his mind moves forward ten paces and where it might seem he's overlooked that phrasing entirely and moved on, but he hasn't. ]

It's my experience there's always a bit of hope, even when it seems hard to find or nearly impossible. And that's what they are, hope. The promise of another day for their kind, and another, and another still, I'd like to think.

[ Eventually, time runs out for all. He knows this. He's seen it. It may be a few years or billions of years, but there is an ending for everything. And a new beginning to take its place. ]

[gynvael]

[ Since the dragons are settling and Geralt frankly hasn't anywhere to be—resting here is as good as resting elsewhere—he simply sits on the ground, leaning back against one of the stone pillars. The temple is impressive. All this, hidden away within the heart of a volcano. ]

Time will tell. [ He doesn't believe much is promised. Sometimes you wake up, and everything you knew is gone. Even the greatest empires can fall overnight. Rebuilding is no assurance of longevity. With it comes other complications—especially for those as little understood as the Netherfolk and their dragons.

Like the Doctor, though, he wants to think some good transpired here.

He studies the man before him. Perhaps it's a hunch, or maybe like recognizes like. He's certainly no stranger to deceptive appearances—including his own. ] You sound older than you look.

[thedreamer]

Time always does.

[ The optimism the Doctor wears so easily on the surface belies the darker thoughts he carries within at times, the old man with a young face. The man who's seen and done so much he forgets sometimes that a star is more than just an object in the sky composed mostly of hydrogen and helium undergoing nuclear fusion reactions; a star is also a light in the dark. He sees the shape of things, the beginning and the end, all that was or could ever be, and it's why he needs to believe so strongly that there's always hope.

Turning to glance at Geralt over his shoulder, the Doctor smiles briefly before shifting to lean against the stone pillar opposite him. ]

Oh, just a bit. I don't know what most people guess when they look at me, but they usually don't think to round up a few hundred years.

[ It's the first time, in all of this, that he's really had a chance to look at Geralt, and now he's ever more intrigued about his nature, where he comes from. ]

And you? If we're sharing. Rivia — I've not heard of it, and I've heard of most places. [ Most. He can get away with that by not claiming all, he thinks. ]

[gynvael]

[ His eyebrow quirks. A few hundred years can lie anywhere in the thousands to millions (billions? He's met the so-called angels, and he's stopped bothering with their ages). It used to be rare he came across those much older than him. Now there's been more than a handful.

Mm. That. Rivia. He doesn't often answer much at length, but it strikes him that the Doctor is one of the few to have ever asked him about Rivia despite it being attached to his name.

Or perhaps the dragons have put him in a sharing mood. ]

Rivia lies south of the Mahakam mountains. I was long a man by the time I journeyed there. Small kingdom. Pretty shit. [ A wry curl graces his lips. He was never born there, never set foot near it as a child. ] It's only a name. Supposedly meant to make me sound more...reputable.

[ As if that mattered much as a Witcher, but Vesemir insisted. Looking back, he has to wonder if maybe Vesemir simply thought it would do him some good to find a place to anchor himself back when Kaer Morhen had not yet become home—even if it was in name only. ]

[thedreamer]

Careful. [ The Doctor smirks just a little, a hint of amusement there. It's the pretty shit that gets him. ] Pretty... [ He waves his left hand out in front of him now, dipping his head a bit as he does. ] That word that's another word for excrement but decidedly not in this case — anyway, throw those two words around like that and I'll insist you start writing poetry.

[ Kidding. Kidding! ]

Did you feel a pull to it when you returned? A call to a place like home that never was, or did it remain only that, just a name?

[ For himself, he'd spent so long running away from Gallifrey and near the end, he couldn't see the pretty shit anymore. It had all gone wrong. Now he misses it everyday, and yet...it had never really been home. ]

It does make you sound more reputable, though! I'd picnic and tend dragons with Geralt of Rivia, but would I do that with Geralt all the same? I'm not so sure.

[ Another tease of a smirk. ]

[gynvael]

[ Never seen somebody twist so hard to avoid cursing. ] I know a poet. Would hate to rival him.

[ He'll remain Jaskier's muse, thank you, though neither is that a position he relishes. He's just. Accustomed to it. And it did earn him more money. Or, as Jaskier likes to claim, he saved the Witcher from dying destitute.

Geralt picks up a salt crystal formed in the dragon's sleep. He turns it idly between his fingers. There's an irony, he thinks, in talking of names with a man who will not reveal his own. But what difference does it make? Jaskier was only ever a Julian until he decided to take on another.

Amusement crosses his features. Then he turns thoughtful. Home is a complicated topic. ]

No, Rivia isn't... [ Geralt lifts a hand and drops it in something of a shrug. Meaningless. Passable, for what he needed. ] I was twelve summers old and more interested in my horse than what the villages below thought of a name.

[ He still can't give a shit what the villagers think of him, so that's not changed. ]

[thedreamer]

Fancy that, I know of one myself. Well, many through the years, but one here recently. Extraordinary talent, that one — songsmith, poet, caretaker of plants all in one. [ Most definitely a big fan already. ] Your poet, is he here or back in Rivia?

[ He assumes here based on the phrasing, but point of clarification. And perhaps they're thinking of the same one if the former. The Doctor, meanwhile, has the perfect vantage point from where he's sitting to duck his head quite simply and watch the way one of the little hatchling's fins flutters gently in its sleep. He's briefly distracted, a tender smile on his face before he focuses back on Geralt. He hasn't missed anything he's said, despite the way the Doctor sometimes appears to not be fully present at times, flitting about from one thought to the next. ]

To be fair, the horse would be vastly more interesting. Far more than the opinions of others about one's name. I do like your name, for the record! In case that wasn't clear. I've been told sometimes I'm not, gets a bit muddled — I don't know how, exactly, but — my point, you understand.

[ He raises back up now, fidgeting and stretching his legs out carefully. ]

How long have you been here?

[gynvael]

[ Of course they've met. Jaskier is hardly discreet. At least that answers where the Doctor resides, if he's seen Jaskier's newfound gift of greenery. ]

I see you're familiar. [ He decides not to get into the particulars of the Continent and the fact that neither he nor Jaskier lived in any one place back on their world. It's not important. ] He's here. Jaskier was taken alongside me two summers ago.

[ So. A long time, though Geralt sounds unbothered by the length. He's chosen to make his home here. Even if they were granted the opportunity to return, he would not. His daughter is content. Safer, too. And with Yennefer and Jaskier both alongside him, what else remains for them on the Continent? Bloodthirsty kingdoms looking to use her claim to Cintra? Elves pursuing her for their prophecy? The Wild Hunt?

No. It's better this way. He thinks of his brothers often. Vesemir. But they don't need him. If he must leave them behind for Ciri, then that's the price he'll pay. ]

[thedreamer]

Jaskier! [ Just as quickly as he's stretched his legs out, he tucks them beneath him again, leaning in more, notably more attentive. ] Delightful and generous. We'd all be a little better off with more of his songs. Not just here, but out there in the whole of the universe.

[ The songs of hope, he'd said and meant it. The real trouble in the universe comes when the songs stop, when the words are forgotten, when the silence is just as deafening as the screams. ]

I'm glad he's with you, I'm sure he's glad of the same. Are there others in your family, or just the pair of you? Being here so long now — does it feel like home?

[ The Doctor can't remember the last time he'd been forced to stay in one place like this for very long. Well, Earth, technically. He'd been exiled there so long ago now and his friends had their memories wiped just because they knew him. But that was different than being here, altogether different. ]

Or do you miss where you were?

[ It certainly didn't seem that way, but he's curious. Though, he's trying to better remember his manners, and so with a little flinch at himself — ]

Sorry, sorry, I do get going with questions! Leave me to run with them, I'm hard to stop but if you tell me to, I will. Promise!

[gynvael]

[ Geralt's eyebrow arches. Delightful and generous, and ceaselessly talkative. How the fuck either of them got a word on edgewise when they met, he'll be left to ponder.

Eventually, he gives a soft huff. There was a time he'd have told the Doctor to fuck off some twenty minutes ago. He reminds Geralt of Jaskier, though—endless questions, endless chatter, endless curiosity. Things that no longer provoke his annoyance. Hasn't for a long time now. ]

Not much to miss. Most of it's fallen to chaos.

[ The fate of every world. Geralt's watched plenty of wars swallow the Continent. It's only that this one, between Nilfgaard's hunger for what extends past land and power—it's different. Or maybe he simply has far more to lose than he once did. ]

What of you?

[thedreamer]

[ Some of that conversation with Jaskier was a blur, admittedly, though that's only because when the Doctor really gets going, many things are a blur to him. He's always particularly delighted when someone indulges his chatter and curiosity.

He realizes only belatedly that he's made an error bringing up any topic that might inadvertently loop back to Gallifrey in some way. ]

I've seen that far too often, though when I do see it, it's often at a tipping point when events are in flux and there's a chance to help. I do try.

[ He can't fix everything, certainly, and despite the boasting he does do, he wouldn't claim as much. ]

Home for me is my TARDIS, my spaceship I travel in across the stars. And I do miss her.

[ He doesn't assume Geralt will believe that a ship is his home of origin, but to speak of Gallifrey is complicated for more than one reason, and the TARDIS has always been home. ]

We haven't been separated like this before, but she has safety protocols, she'll be okay wherever she is right now.

[gynvael]

[ He hums. Cynicism has made its home in Geralt's heart long ago. It's difficult to shake. Most days, he doesn't think the world can be fixed. Any world. And yet, he can't bring himself to begrudge anybody for wanting to try. Some piece of himself had hoped to try, too—not for his sake, but for Ciri.

He knows it never quite came to pass. But he doesn't regret anything he's done for her, either.

Homes of origin are complicated, anyhow. He understands that better than anyone. There's a reason he had so few answers for the Doctor's questions about where he came from, what a name like Rivia meant to him. If he once recalled where he was born, those memories have long faded. He's a wanderer, anchored only to Kaer Morhen in the winters, somewhere he did not choose so much as it was chosen for him. A home with as many dark spots as there are bright ones.

Sometimes, you make your home in unexpected places. Whether that's a ship or a broken fortress on a lonely mountain. ]

Before I arrived here, travelling the stars was a distant fantasy. [ Vague theories posited by scholars with too much time on their hands. Now he's met several who claim to have lived nowhere else but amongst the stars. ] Do you feel trapped without her?

[thedreamer]

[ There are those things that lurk deeper, in darker places where he tries to forget the memory of all that was ever destroyed or lost in ways he couldn't mend; people, places, things. It all breaks his hearts. Sometimes the dark smothers the light before he can stop it, sometimes he is the dark, and the universe keeps turning and he keeps trying.

That hum from Geralt tells him something, beneath the words. No one need believe the way he does, or hold on to hope to the same depth. Of course, he loves those who keep trying with him, but he admires those who find a little life and make their own hope wherever they may be, whomever they may be with. ]

I've always been an explorer. I don't...stop for very long.

[ Trapped, yes, even if he can't quite say that. For some reason, saying those words aloud makes it all the more real, the things he fears most. This place and all its mystery gives him plenty enough to worry about — the sake of others, more than anything. There are some here who want to remain here, some who want to go back from where they came. The Doctor wants everyone to have what they choose, but to be able to have a life that's as peaceful as it can be. Not at all guaranteed right now, given the state of the world around them. Those worries are ever present, but there's another worry about what being trapped really means. He's never settled anywhere for loads of reasons — too restless, too much to see, things that need fixing, and most of all, he can't get complacent and attach to anyone for long. Running away in a blue box rather ensures he need not worry. Here, he has no such means of escape and he wonders when what he's always run from will catch up to him.

And yet, he smiles softly. ]

I have loads of stories I could tell you of the stars, anything you might ever wonder. On our not-in-the-too-distant future picnic, eh?

wrap? 🎀

[gynvael]

[ Mm. He can relate. He may not travel the stars, but he's wandered his entire life, never bound to any kingdom or nation. He doesn't dislike settling. In a way, it's something he's often thought of—a fanciful notion he only indulged during the rarest moments. What Witcher played house? Even after Ciri came into his life, they were on the constant run.

And yet, here he is. With a home he never thought he'd have. But it isn't the same when he can't leave the territory as he wishes. The lack of choice sits uneasily with him.

Geralt rises to his feet with a small tilt to his lips. As much as he hasn't minded the Doctor's company, he's overstayed his time. He inclines his head, acknowledging the invitation. Sure. Their not-too-distant picnic. ]

I'm not hard to find. [ A white-haired hunter is simple enough to locate; somebody has usually spotted him somewhere. ] Keep an eye on those dragons.

[ He exits, leaving the hatchlings under the Doctor's sole care once more. ]