EVENT #16: THE ISLAND - IC INVESTIGATION LOG

[abraxasmods]

Event #16 - The Island

OOC event plotting | wintertide event log

---

As requested, the Summoned from all three nations will be allowed to revisit the island where the abductions, experiments, and subsquent escape occurred nearly one year ago. Officials will send representatives on this trip: Jolene Sybell of Thorne, Reva Hym of the Free Cities, and Isar Hart of Solvunn. Although they won't be available for private conversations, they're there to lead the expedition and answer any questions you have.

The excursion will take place on DECEMBER 29, after the Singularity and all magic has returned to full strength. A portal will take you directly to the island, where you'll have 48 hours to accomplish what you need. Tents will be set up on the surface for resting.

For the main Wintertide Event Log, click HERE.

The Expedition

CW: Disturbing imagery (text and visual), death, folk and body horror, other dark themes.

At the start of December, officials will inform each Summoned Conclave that their request has been granted. You'll receive a letter detailing the date and time, as well as instructions on where to take the portal. When you step through the portal, you'll land directly on the island.

The expedition carries risks. Representatives have scouted the area beforehand to ensure its relative safety, but considering the cave's collapse and its flooded areas, they can't make promises. You're advised to bring personal weapons and protective equipment and are told to dress warmly. Be sure you can handle some hiking.

You'll see an unusual figure join the expedition. She'll introduce herself as Lorelai. If you're from Solvunn or were one of the Lost, you might recognize her.

◎ All characters are welcome to participate, including new arrivals. You do not need to have taken part in Event 12 to make this trip. However, if your character was not part of Event 12, they'll need to tell officials why they want to join. As long as the explanation is reasonable, such as wanting to help recover bodies, they'll be allowed to go.

◎ To learn more about Lorelai and interact with her, see the Investigations section.

Exploration

Island Surface

Above ground, the island is muddy and wet, and the temperature is cold. Where the ground hasn't turned to a bog, the dirt has hardened from frost. Trees show signs of the same blackened rot that was present during former investigations. The air is thick with a dark presence that leaves a strange grimy sensation over your skin. The more sensitive you are to magic or the Singularity, the stronger the feeling.

Desiccated corpses drained of life, both animal and human, litter the ground. Some animal carcasses - especially birds - are fresher than others, suggesting they died recently. Although many months have passed, it seems time has not been enough to help the island recover.

Follow the faction representatives. After a short trek, you reach the mouth of the cave. Here, a mangled mass of crushed bats and birds lay at the tunnel's mouth. A dried, bloodied residue sticks to the surrounding rock walls with bits of bone on the ground, as if a body was spread into a paste around the area.

Collapsed Cavern (Pit)

To descend into the cave, you'll need to navigate the tunnels. Some of them have collapsed, so be careful of potential rockslides and falling boulders. The worst of the blockage has been removed, but some areas still need you to clear the way by hauling off the rocks. Make sure you don't slip or fall - or worse, cause another collapse.

When you finally reach the pit deep beneath the earth, remnants of the horrors within confront you. The smell of death, rot, and unidentifiable herbs is overwhelming. Scattered at your feet are what's left of the blackened corn that some of you subsisted on. Fungal growths have sprouted in their place, pulsing and glowing.

The bulbous organic growths that once confined its captives have deflated into a gelatinous mass, its digestive fluids having eaten itself from the inside out. Dissolved corpses can be found still trapped under the mass, their skeletal remains rubbery to the touch. Other bodies appear to have succumbed to terrible lesions. Some were consumed so thoroughly that they became bizarre humanoid roots. Others still show signs of having been crushed under a massive beast.

Four disturbing statues are spread out across the area. The melted wax candles - now unlit - suggest they're shrines of some kind. All four shrines are severely damaged. The intestinal mace carried by one is curiously missing.

You might remember exactly what happened here or you can ask a Summoned who was there for details - if they're willing to talk about it.

Underwater

The western end of the island suddenly ends in a series of fresh jagged cliffs, so new that the erosion of water has yet to smooth the edges. A swirling whirlpool appears to have torn a large section of the island into the depths, washing away sins and secrets both...or most of them. Barnacles have formed on the rocky ledges. More disconcerting are the bloated bodies in various states of decay and mutilation that have risen to the surface.

You'll be able to help gather those remains or dive into the water to investigate what lies beneath. Officials - and the Summoned who were here - will be able to tell you that an altar once sat in this area where the terrible rituals took place.

Key Tasks

Hidden Threats

Two major threats have survived the island's collapse:

• The bone serpent, a creature whose sharp-spiked legs grabbed many unfortunate victims from the pit. With a substantially decreased territory, the bone serpent has become more aggressive and territorial. It's missing one limb while its other legs show signs of damage or scarring. It attacks wildly, relying on its massive size and strength to overcome its opponents, and hides within the dark depths above. The only warning signs it leaves are the carcasses of its prey. It'll require multiple people to take it down.


• The ceiling monster. Its claws and blood are corrosive, and removing its head will disturb the swollen sack on its neck to cause a similar explosion. Due to its ability to respawn when killed, the captive Summoned trapped the beast in a narrow tunnel. With the cave's collapse, it's now loose once more. You're advised to lure it into a trap designed by Free Cities scientists, where the creature can be set ablaze to prevent it from regenerating, ending its reign of terror for good.

Mages have set up a protective barrier to keep the creatures out, but it won't hold forever. Guttural screams and explosions of magic rumble the ground and air after each attempt to break through. You should act quickly to make sure the situation doesn't worsen.

For a general sense of timing, players can assume both threats are properly dispatched 24 hours into the excursion.

Uncovering Remains

Due to the haste of the rescue mission, exacerbated by the rapidly flooding cave, only the living could be extracted at the time. Now, you've returned for the dead. Many of the bodies are in a disturbing state as described above under Collapsed Covern - not just from decay but from something that appears to have been done to them before their deaths.

Few of the bodies can be easily identified and not all of them are on the ground, either. Some are up on the high ledges, which you can reach by climbing up using climbing rope that's provided. Scattered bones or limbs may need reconstruction or to be matched upon return. You can also recover small objects such as jewelry or other innocuous possessions that weren't taken from the captives.

Your task is to collect everything you can. Luckily, you won't need to handle the corpses themselves. Officials will send along attendants who will do the job for you to ensure everything is properly contained. You simply need to direct them to the area.

Purification

Each faction is focused on one of three hazards on the island. Thorne wants to dispel all traces of corrupted magic, Solvunn wishes to cleanse the destroyed shrines to ensure no other dangerous entities remain within, and the Free Cities aims to remove all contaminants. Formally, you're charged with helping your faction with their task, but no one will stop you from pitching in elsewhere.

This assignment will occur at the end of the expedition, once all investigations and exploration are completed.

• Dispelling
  Thorne will provide a pouch of small jelly-like orbs the size of marbles. The orbs are clear and pre-enchanted. Your job is to place them around the island where they'll begin absorbing unstable magicks. Once absorbed, the orbs will change into different colors. Collect and sort each orb by color. Additionally, you'll need to guard the orbs from curious or hungry critters on the island. Rodents, lizards, and palm-sized beetles may try to snatch what they believe is a tasty berry. Critters who consume a ball will explode into a gory splatter. It's not dangerous, but it can get a bit gooey, so you'll want to avoid bursting too many lizards or beetles.


• Cleansing
  Solvunn will ask you to perform a cleansing rite used for places of worship fallen under dark forces. You'll be given a pot containing a red substance and brushes made from twigs harvested from the island. You'll paint eye-shaped runes on and around the shrines to call upon the Cardinal God known as Misrklen, Patron of the Unstained. His presence is marked by a distinct fizz or hiss, followed by a popping that grows louder and louder. Solvunn's Elders will perform a chant until the ritual is complete and all of the red substance is absorbed into the ground.


• Decontamination
  The Free Cities has determined the most thorough way of removing hazards is to burn them. You'll be given a pistol-sized flamethrower and a thick gel to spread on each item to ensure the flames don't spread out of control. Once the gel is consumed, the fire will naturally go out. Main hazards to burn are the deflated organic bulbs, the rotted corn, any odd fungal growths, and parts belonging to defeated monsters. The flamethrowers are prone to overheating, so be sure to give it a few minutes to cool down every once in awhile. Otherwise, you might risk minor burns to your hands.

Investigations

As you explore the cave and its submerged sections, you might be interested in interacting with some of the things in your environment. In particular, the shrines, the mysterious woman named Lorelai, and the submerged altar stands out to you.

Characters can investigate or interact with any of the items provided in whatever way you want: poke it, smash it, try to talk to it or use your abilities on it (within reason!). We'll do our best to make sure every interaction yields something interesting.

See here and here for examples of how investigations and interactions work. The ones available on this log will play out on a smaller scale.

Shrines | Interact

The shrines, as described above, are situated around the pit. Stained with wax and blood, they no longer emit any strange energies or whispering voices. All of the magic contained within is now gone. You might recall that unlocking the shrines unleashed an enormous creature, causing the cave to collapse as it fled. It was last seen disappearing into the ocean, but where is it now? Your answer might lie in the shrines that once trapped it. Though broken and missing pieces, you can attempt to engage with each shrine such as relighting the candles, using magic you possess, or anything you can think of. You can also coordinate with others to test something on all four shrines at the same time.

Lorelai ('Hydnellia') | Interact

Originally called Hydnellia, Lorelai is a former Acolyte who, along with her brother, helped the Summoned escape. The Summoned agreed to let her and her brother return to the Tertiary Settlement where they live in their old home. She is the only non-Summoned survivor of Josselyn's ritual experiments. Lorelai has requested to join the trip to find closure and help recover bodies from her community. She is quiet and polite, and very grateful that she's been given the chance to make a new life. You can speak to her at any point.

The Altar | Interact

Beneath the water lies an altar that's now broken into pieces. To reach it, breathing enchantments will be provided that'll allow you to swim and see beneath the water, as well as protect you from any contaminants. You'll need to dive a distance down, but not too far - about 30 feet. Those held in the room during their captivity might recall a disfigured woman inside the mouth of the altar. What happened to her since is unknown. Perhaps you might try to find out?

A Decision

After the excursion has concluded, the Summoned will be sent home to their respective nations. Conclave representations can call a meeting to discuss the results of their investigations and what steps might be next. They can do this using any method they prefer, whether that be in-person, in the Horizon, or using the Network.

Most importantly, Summoned who were part of the abduction incident, as either the Lost or the Spared, will be asked to decide if they want to raze the island or restore it.

◎ Razing the island will strip it of all growth. This has the benefit of ensuring no corrupted creatures or flora can grow on it again, but will prevent nature from reclaiming it and will leave the area barren for many decades.

◎ Restoring the island will stimulate the regrowth of healthy vegetation and wildlife. This has the benefit of allowing the biome to flourish once more with nature, but may risk the growth of corrupted flora that needs to be removed every so often.

Officials will allow the Summoned affected by this incident to choose, including those who didn't return to the island. You'll be able to accompany officials to execute the decision made. Individuals in each faction can vote to support one of the two choices. The majority vote will be the decision that reflects the Summoned in that faction as a whole. Officials will implement the option with the support of 2 out of 3 factions.

Vote HERE by December 31 at 11:59 ET.

---

Comments

INVESTIGATIONS

[abraxasmods]

Three investigation paths are available for characters to interact with. You can investigate something as many times as you want, as long as there's a reasonable explanation for your character making their second attempt. Although interacting with investigations might carry some IC consequences, for these investigations characters will not risk triggering anything major.

To investigate, fill out the form, then comment under the item you're investigating.

<b>Player Name:</b> <b>Character Name:</b> <b>Other characters involved:</b> <b>Action:</b> (Describe what your character is attempting to do and how. If multiple characters are taking action, include their actions.) <b>Thread:</b> <a href="urlhere">Thread</a> (If applicable. A link isn't necessary, but if you have a relevant thread ongoing, it'll let us review what the characters involved have been doing to best flavor the investigation outcome for you.) <b>Notes:</b> (Anything else)

(frozen comment) DEVELOPMENTS

[abraxasmods]

As investigations develop, we'll record any changes triggered by players and characters below. Developments only apply to things that all characters can see or learn for themselves, such as a locked door that's now broken. We will not be tracking information revealed to individual characters. Characters will have to communicate with each other on their own to learn those details.

Please check the comment for updates, as these developments might factor into your approach or decisions!

Investigations

◎ Shrines

◎ A few hours into the excursion, all of the candles on the shrines have been lit, causing the island to tremble. Those outside of the tunnels, on the surface of the island, may witness an odd multi-limbed creature rising out of the ocean. Its intentions do not appear hostile. In fact, now that the beast has regained its luster and strength, it seems it could be one of the elusive Sea Giants that live peacefully deep under the waters.

◎ Despite their candles being lit, there are no particular changes to the appearance to the shrines. They continue to be free of any unusual magical energy or signatures.

◎ Lorelai

No developments.

◎ The Altar

No developments.

SHRINES

[abraxasmods]

LORELAI ('HYDNELLIA')

[abraxasmods]

THE ALTAR

[abraxasmods]

A DECISION

[abraxasmods]

Individuals in each faction can cast a vote to support one of the options. The majority vote will be the decision that reflects the Summoned in that faction as a whole. Officials will implement the option with the support of 2 out of 3 factions.

Cast your decision under the appropriate faction.

This section is only for characters who took part in Event #12. All characters involved in that previous event may make a choice. This includes characters who chose not to return to the island during this event. There is no limit per player.

Voting deadline is December 31 at 11:59 ET.

Character Name <b>Raze/Restore</b> (choose one and delete the other)

THORNE

[abraxasmods]

FREE CITIES

[abraxasmods]

SOLVUNN

[abraxasmods]

Istredd | Thorne | LOST

[magicalarchaeologist]

[ooc: general starts to come but feel free to message me on plurk @ theskyisnew if you want specific starts]

OTA

[magicalarchaeologist]

Arrival and Before the Pit

While Istredd was one of the driving forces behind returning to the island, when on the ships there he shows active apprehension. Something in him seems to shut down once they step onto it and he sees the corruption of the land, and he will mostly seem cold and distant for most of the trip from there, withdrawn as he handles the variety of feelings this place causes in him.

In fact, when he first sees the blackened rot and feels the oppressive gritty air, Istredd looks pale and shakes his head as they walk toward the entrance of the cave. "This may not be restorable," he says to someone nearby or he's saying it to himself and they overhear it. He's already been leaning toward suggesting they raze the island, but had been open-minded. Seeing all of this disgusting destruction though, he's doubtful as his skin crawls, looking around.

The Pit and Shrines

Since Istredd has been in the Pit, when he steps onto the ground there again, and sees the corn and fungai, and feels the oppressive darkness around him, he navigates to one of the side areas he knows can give him a moment of privacy. For just a moment, he lets down his guard from his icy exterior and looks a little sick, this place just reminding him of dying on the floor (and many other things). He is trying to breathe through it, clearly unsettled, but it's a private moment and he may not appreciate anyone coming into it, but do it anyway.

Istredd's first stops are the shrines. They are all out from candles. He studies each one, having done so many, many times while there. He creates a light spell since he can use his magic this time to look over them carefully. Feel free to join him in investigating if there are any details, and he does decide to start lighting the candles. Feel free to try to argue him out of it or help.

Retrieving Bodies

At one point, Istredd starts helping people remove the corpses from around the area. He can be seen at some point kneeling over a few specific civilizan bodies, expressionless, but it's because he recognizes them as people who died during the escape. He lets the people helping them retrieve corpses and goes up to the top with them, trying to help them in identifying the bodies.

"These are the ones who can be more easily identified or had objects on them we can probably use." He will say that to whoever is nearby or helping them with the bodies. He sighs, looking to the pile that is covered in more bodies who aren't so lucky as to be easy. "What a fucking mess," he mutters to himself.

Purification Efforts

As a mage, Istredd is most comfortable with this part. While he doesn't think this island can be restored, he can see why purification is still worth doing. The first thing he does are the orbs for Thorne and places them around the island, then collecting and organizing them into piles. He puts up a shield from critters, join him in sorting.

He also decides to do the Free Cities option and burn corrupted items down, quite happily to be honest, because it's cathartic. It's strange having the flamethrower though and he curious looks at the item, startled when it overheats at one spot, having never used a tool like this. Help him with it or assist with the burning. He seems particularly angry at the fungus.


IN THE CAMP

Istredd keeps working until it gets too dark and refuses to go back to Thorne until it's done. He uses light spells to keep doing things, but eventually you may catch him in a corner or off by himself in the woods, taking a few moments to himself. He only waits until he's completely alone to sit and put his head into his hands, normally good at breathing deeply and keeping himself calm, but all he can smell is this place.

[ooc: close CR should find it easy to approach him here, but strangers might get a calm and polished response.]

Steve Rogers

[magicalarchaeologist]

Coming here was something he's been working at for awhile and since going down into the Pit again, Istredd's felt an instinctive tug to get out, go back to Thorne, and hide under Lucifer's bed again. There is something so unnerving about being down there with the familiar smells and items. The thing keeping him sane is that he can still use his magic, so every time he starts to get anxious, he creates a little flame in his hand as a reminder that he can. They're not trapped here.

Lucifer's mind is only a brush away but Istredd's locked down for now, and on the outside he seems as calm as ever. There are a few things he needed them to do on the island, and the first is to figure out more about the shrines. They have no idea what happened to the monster and he doesn't know if they can find it, but he wanted to know who these shrines were to.

It's surreal going back to the room where he and Steve lit up a shrine and pulled a mace out of it. He doesn't think the mace is around anymore. Istredd has lit up the room with a spell so it's not dark like it used to be, but the candle is sitting there, waiting for a decision.

He startles when he feels someone else coming close, his head whipping, but he relaxes at the familiar face.

"It's fitting, meeting you here, Steve."

Alucard | Free Cities | cw: human remains etc. throughout

[cryptsleeper]

[Plotting post is here!]

THE PIT

[cryptsleeper]

--I wonder if these were made before the cult even began.

[Alucard's question is soft, his eyes moving from the statues down to a small notebook page. Three of the four statues have already been drawn, captured well enough for future study and evaluation.

The question of time has plagued Alucard since entering the pit. How long had any of this really been happening for prior to the start of kidnappings? They know that the presence of Summoned spurred it all on, but works like this have an age to them and...

...Alucard shakes his head to dislodge the thought. The key is to focus on the statues. To do otherwise is to notice all of the horrible details of the pit. The corpses with bones that are the wrong texture, the roots that are too people shaped for comfort. He hates it, and yet it is all so important.

He turns another page and keeps drawing.]

UNCOVERING REMAINS

[cryptsleeper]

[In approaching the cavern, Alucard is aware that his ability to float is a precious resource. It allows him to not only identify where things are, but dangerous areas for others exploring the area. The work is somber with the air drenched in death. That is the sad and simple truth of it all.

In guiding others along the ledges, Alucard has also made himself available to run bags of items up and down the wall so that no one is weighed down. As he runs bags back towards the main camp, he pauses.]

Do you need a new bag yet or do you have enough room for more material?

wanda maximoff • solvunn

[carmesi]

• open & closed starters • plotting comment • team restore •

• EXPLORATION •

[carmesi]

( ISLAND SURFACE )

[being here against doesn’t feel right at all. wanda’s skin crawls with a sensation of utter disgust, as if there were an unclean feeling that she cannot rid herself of. there is nothing pleasant about it, and the weather and the island’s current muddy and wet setting doesn’t make things any better.

standing at the mouth of the cave, wanda is surprised to find that the handiwork of the necromancy spell she applied—the residue that sticks to the rock walls—still remains. part of her wonders about the desecration of the body, regardless of who it may have been (cultist or not), and makes herself walk through and further inside the cave. it’s unnervingly quiet, despite the sound of boots on the ground, of stepping onto loose rocks and discarded carcasses; no one really feels like speaking. she puts a hand to her nose and mouth, covering them in the face of the smell of the place, and stops, pressing her other hand to the cave wall and needing a moment to situate herself.

the heaviness of this place—the emergence of the emotions felt here, the residue of the horrors felt while here… they’re overwhelming. and to think that this isn’t the worse it’ll get.]

( COLLAPSED CAVERN )

Hold on!

[wanda raises her hands, as plumes of magic ensnare around the falling boulders threatening to crash after an accidental grab at a loose rock within the tunnels. the magic also wraps around the summoned that was about to lose their footing. the boulders float in place for a moment, and wanda puts her focus in returning them to where they were before, making sure they remain lodged and unmoving before her magic swaps away entirely. wanda, too, sets the summoned free of her magic’s grasp once the ground has become steady again.]

We should try another tunnel.

[the collapse might be too much for them to try and push through. besides…]

It doesn’t smell too good down here.

[she says, with a crinkle of her nose. she isn’t exactly tickled by the idea of going down a foul-smelling tunnel.]

( UNDERWATER )

[it really isn’t enticing at all to dive into the waters when there are bloated bodies floating about it in various states of decay and mutilation. brave are those that do, but wanda isn’t sure she could do it. she steps closer towards the shore; it would be respectful to pull those bodies out, but… to put them where?]

Do we know what we will do with the bodies?

[she glances back towards another summoned.]

I can bring them closer.

wilhelm | thorne

[ordinar]

I. the pit

Wilhelm feels like he's going to throw up. Half because of the flesh smeared onto the rock at the mouth of the cave, and half — something more visceral, rooted deep in his gut — because of what darkness and the stale breath of the earth brings him back to. Bodies, bloated and rotted and so soft that your foot squelches through them, float up in his memories. His skin crawls with the itch of roots and growths that aren't there anymore.

He swallows, and he descends. He holds it back, all the feelings rising in his throat like bile or a scream, until he actually steps out into the belly of the pit. It's like revisiting a familiar nightmare, the kind where you already know what's going to happen but you still can't do anything to stop it.

White-hot impulse sears him, seizes him. Before he has even thought about why, he's throwing his hand out and launching the fire cradled there. It lands with a crackle and hiss on a clump of blackened corn stalks, but struggles to find purchase in the damp rot. So Wilhelm sparks another flame to chuck. Then another, growling a chain of curses on his heaving breath.

II. recovery

As the expedition carries on, Wilhelm commits himself to recovering the bodies of those who never made it out. It's not exactly survivor's guilt that he feels, because he can't be sorry that he lived — he fought tooth and nail for it. But he does feel sorry for the dead. It swallows him up, grief for people he can't even name.

In silence, he rolls a stone off of a smashed somebody, or carefully untangles hair from tree roots. He keeps his mouth pressed into a tight line, because he's sure that if he opens it, all that will spill out is some horrible, bubbling, keening, screeching thing.

III. the altar

On the second day of the excursion, Wilhelm stands at the edge of water that has devoured a portion of the island. He hasn't gone down there himself, but from the reports he's learned that a broken altar rests there, and he knows at once what it is.

The thing is, he doesn't remember what happened in that chamber. It's all a dark smear in his head, up until the moment when, staggering through the dark with Claude, he struck fire in his palm — miraculously, after being blocked for so long. All he knows is that he was taken there, and they did something to him that invaded his body and mind.

He can't burn this down. The best he can do is gather up a wad of spit and blow it at the water.

ii recovery

[pathologise]

"Here use this."

She's holding out one of the bags that they'd been given for the piece of the body that he'd just uncovered, a careful look on her.

"Are you okay?"

Norman Jayden | Free Cities

[takeatrip]

[[ Plotting comment and on plurk at amiasha if you want to plot anything, but feel free to alter prompts/wildcard/whatever works! ]]

The Pit | Body Recovery (OTA)

[takeatrip]

[For some reason, he'd expected this to be easier.

It's not like he isn't used to crime scenes, even particularly disturbing ones, as he did decide to specialize in serial killers and all the awful weirdness that can come with them. He's used to it by now, at least to the point where he can put aside the natural emotional response and focus on doing his job, and he'd thought that, after months of getting more used to this place, he could do that here too.

But, of course, it turns out that it isn't that simple. The empathetic response brought up while investigating the death of another person is a very different thing from the emotions that come with having nearly been one of them. From being there when this happened, from seeing some of the people's deaths, from--

Those thoughts won't help, and Jayden tries to refocus on what he's doing. Remember the basics of looking through a crime scene, even if this is more like the result of a natural disaster than anything else. Try to do something useful.

He orients toward where the water had risen from, turns and follows the natural paths of the ground and the rubble and bodies that hadn't yet been collected, and scans for things that might be overlooked. Particular ways that rocks wedge together, tangles of rotten vines, alcoves hidden away at far corners of the pit. Places that small pieces of things may come to a final resting place.

It's both encouraging and horrifying to have the first spot he checks yield a find: something still recognizable--if just barely--as a hand, and even better, a hand wearing a distinctive woven ring made of now-tarnished metal. That will, hopefully, help in identification. But it's only then that he realizes something, glancing over at whoever is working nearby.]

Were we given some way of markin' finds?

[Or do they have to go track down an attendant every time they find something?]

river tam || thorne

[thoughts]

⨀ uncovering remains

[ river wasn't here when the horrors that took place on the island unfolded but she's heard enough, has felt the tension all around castle thorne over the last few weeks - the lingering feelings of fear, anger, resentment, loss. so much loss.

when asked why she wants to go on the trip, she responds quite simply: ]

We're looking for ghosts. It's time for them to come home now.

[ at least, that's how it appears to her and it's what compels her toward the island. curiosity, wanting to see the aftermath firsthand, and a desire to see these ghosts laid to rest.

river follows behind while others work to clear the path to the pit, her eyes wide as she looks all around. the deeper they traverse through the death and decay, the more it seems to affect her; she throws up several times and can't seem to stop scratching across her body. she mutters under her breath, frenzied but quiet for now. ]

It's too hard. There's - there's too many teeth. They're so hungry.

[ she sounds fearful, teary-eyed as she kneels beside piles of gore to pluck out pieces of fabric or bits of jewelry. for a couple of hours, she's able to help the attendants locate some bodies for recovery - but over time, she becomes more and more distressed, until eventually she can be found curled into a ball as she sobs. ]

They just wanted to go home. Can't put down roots, can't - won't grow tall enough to see the sun. Réncí de shàngdì qǐng dài wǒ zǒu and let them go!

[ it might be helpful for someone to check in on her, or perhaps even send her back to the surface... ]

☽︎ camp

[ that night, it's impossible for river to sleep. she usually has difficulty finding rest even on a good day, but this place is haunted by so many horrors and she can't shut any of it out. she tosses and turns, whimpers and sobs, until eventually it all crescendos into a unified scream that echoes in her mind.

echoes from her too, as she wakes up screaming in the middle of the night. ]

No! Let me go! I don't want - don't want you to go. They'll eat you alive, carve you up and wear your skin. You'll come back different, or you won't come back at all. Don't lay down - don't go!

[ her ghosts are getting confused and it's unclear who she's even shouting about. herself? someone else? maybe it's you, if you happen to check on the girl that's screaming and crying at the skeletons that live deep in her mind. ]

⟴ purification

[ after the nightmares that plagued her all through the night, river probably should've returned to thorne as soon as the sun rose. but she's stubborn and insists she can help, to the point that she almost seems desperate to do something. perhaps she's haunted by more than just what happened on this island and feels a mighty need to put some wrong to right.

so as a compromise, she stays on the surface for the entirety of the second day. they need to purify the island, the officials say, and these are easier instructions to follow. the free cities' flamethrower sounds tempting, and perhaps she gets a light of mischief in her eyes as she considers it, but after hearing that it's mostly to burn away the rot in the pit, she opts for placing thorne's magic marbles around the island instead.

river can be found wandering around slowly as she carefully sets down the marbles and then circles back to find ones that have already changed colors. she isn't very diligent about keeping the critters away though, so when she finds one that swallowed a marble while she wasn't looking, river crouches over it to stare at the viscera left behind. her eyes are still red from crying and by now, she just seems sad. ]

They'll never stop. They're still hungry.

[ cryptic and confusing. she just places another marble beside the animal's corpse and moves on to the next one. ]

⍟ wildcard!

[ feel free to toss any ideas at me! you can find my plotting comment here or hit me up on discord @ ragemarshmallow. ♡ ]

uncovering remains, assuming he's heard of her if that's ok!

[ushiri]

[ He'd briefly attended the welcoming party for the new Summoned arrivals. Even if he hadn't taken notice of the strange young woman at that time, he might've heard a little gossip about her in the castle halls.

Kahlil doesn't understand why anyone let her come here. It's a bit too late to start questioning the wisdom of that, though.

He hears her before he sees her curled up on the ground. There's something in the way she cries out that makes his heart hurt for his own little sister. Rousma sounded like she spoke nonsense too, in her strange, child-like way.

But it was because she could see things that the living couldn't. The bones all spoke in rhymes to protect themselves. ]

Look at me, pashim'iri. [ Little friend. He crouches down next to her. Kahlil is tall, his long hair bound back to reveal half a face - after a moment he tugs down the cloth he'd been using to cover his nose and mouth from the stench. He speaks softly, a pinch at his brow as he studies her: ]

We'll bring them to see the sun one more time together, alright?

claude von riegan | free cities

[godshattering]

( closed starters below | action, prose, and wildcards all welcome | plotting comment or find me at indech! )

— cal

[godshattering]

[ Claude takes a deep breath as he stands outside, and then it's into the cavern's depths once more through that foreboding cave entrance.

He's heard about the flamethrowers the Free Cities brought to make sure nothing harmful remains once they've finished their tasks, and for a fleeting moment it's tempting to ask to retrieve one and get started on that right now. There's parts of the Pit Claude could've done without ever seeing again, but. He's also not one to back down from those who need help, and the victims here who didn't make it out need it most.

As he tugs on the thick gloves he'd packed to make sure they're secure in place while casting a cursory glance around the pit to reacquaint himself with it through eyes which aren't feverish this time, his gaze falls on someone familiar. Giving a wide berth to one of the disintegrated pods, he offers Cal a nod in greeting as he approaches to see if they have the same retrieval mission in mind. ]

Careful if you touch those. We ended up in them upon arrival and the - [ with a point to the gelatinous mush on the ground where it's consumed itself, or so Claude assumes - ] was less than pleasant to have on you. I can't imagine it's improved any since then.

Urianger Augurelt ✨ Death ✨ Thorne

[soothsighs]

✨ ARRIVAL + INITIAL REACTION.

( Urianger had to return to the island.

Thorne had given them the choice, of course — there was no need for anyone to venture into what remained of the nightmare unwillingly — but Urianger had to. Too much of what he'd always known about himself had been lost in that oozing Pit, and over the past moons he's come to realise that what he's in desperate need of is some kind of closure.

He spends the days leading up to the venture sequestered away in his room, mulling over thoughts of who he once was, who he wants to be, and the weaknesses deep within his own mind that allowed the fungus to take hold. He represses a shudder at the amorphous memories of moving, speaking, threatening the people he cares for the most—

But all of that crumbles away when he steps through the portal and abck onto the island. The sight that greets him lurches his stomach in a way he hadn't anticipated: the chill in the air is somehow festering, the bodies littering the land twisted husks of what they once were, and Urianger's lips thin as he centres himself enough to press on to the mouth of the cave ahead. )

✨ UNCOVERING REMAINS.

( The bodies are the worst of it. Urianger is no stranger to corpses — he and most of the other Scions have seen plenty in their journey to put a stop to the Final Days — but the putrefication that litters the collapsed tunnels is both extensive and disturbing. He is a long, long way from Hydaelyn yet Nald'thal's prayer comes easily to his lips: a prayer for the dead, for their safe passage back into the Lifestream, and to remind himself that this is an eventuality that will come for them all.

The work is hard, but Urianger commits himself to it without so much as a flinch. Trinkets must be gathered and returned to loved ones; bones must be matched to bodies, and corpses rebuilt; the latter of which Urianger finds himself uniquely prepared for as a student of the healing arts. He attends the bodies with calm-faced determination, his gaze lingering only when he finds he recognises a profile he'd come to know during his time in the pit, and assists in gently moving them to the volunteers extracting them out to the surface.

The identifying will be left to those with a head for matching names to faces. This time, Urianger belongs behind the veil of Death. )

✨ SPELLCRAFT AT CAMP.

( The rotting woman will need to be burned — of that much Urianger is certain. Hushed conversaitons with Istredd, Cas, and the handful of others seem relatively unanimous; whatever is growing inside her festering corpse cannot be allowed to escape into the sea or into the air. The most pressing question of the moment is how to ensure her spore-ridden body remains contained—

A problem put to himself and Istredd, or so it would seem, as the most advance mages of the group.

Urianger settles on the edges of the camp as he puts himself to work. On paper the plan is simple: he and Istredd will craft a spell of containment that will allow her to burn without overspill, but meshing magicks that come from two such different sources is not as simple as it sounds. Furthermore, Urianger's shielding spells are somewhat limited in comparison to his celestial regeneration, however if he can manage to combine the Neutral Sect and Celestial Intersection into something new? The moment of their merging would be a magically binding event, and would provide the perfect opportunity for Istredd to combine his own spell with Urianger's.

It's a ... medium shot, he thinks, and certainly do-able. Urianger's fingertips and eyes glow with starlight as he shapes the celestial aether before him, because before he gets to any of that? He needs to figure out how to knit his own spells together. )

✨ PURIFY AND DISPELL.

( Eventually, all that's left is to purify what they can of the rotting island. Urianger accepts the pouch of orbs with a wearied curiosity; had their time there not been quite so harrowing he would surelty have questions, might even try to track down Istredd and see if they couldn't pick apart the enchantment and save the knowledge for further use, but his body aches from his time in the caves and his soul feels somehow scrubbed raw.

He places the orbs as instructed, then patrols their circuit until they begin to change colour and fill with absorbed magicks. Only one or two unfortunate rats make it past his patrol — and of that, Urianger blessedly only witnesses one explosion of rodent viscera. Perhaps it's a little telling of his state of mind that he doesn't bother cleaning off his robes — barely even seems to notice that they're soiled with filth from the cave and critter gore — but rather he keeps on with his patrol, slowly but surely, as the corruption is dispelled. )

✨ WILDCARD.

( Or let's go with something else! Feel free to DM me to hash something out, hit up my plotting post here, or ping me on Plurk at horrology to discuss ideas more in depth! )

wildcard

[funbreaker]

[ As much as Thancred had endeavored to convince Urianger to stay behind, concerned that coming face to face with this pit of death again would be too much of a strain on him, there had been no changing his mind. Eventually, Thancred had understood that Urianger needed this, to put this place to rest in some way.

Even if that meant burning it to the ground.

They'll see what the final vote from all three factions turns out to be. In truth, Thancred believes that those who were kept captive here should have their wishes weighed more heavily, and he'll accept any outcome.

After doing a quick lap around what's left of the surface of the island and connecting with Himeka once she came through the portal from Solvunn, the three Scions are as ready as they can be to delve deeper into the island. It's time to learn what secrets it might still have for them.

Positioned near the mouth of the cave, Thancred turns to his two companions, his gaze settling on Urianger in particular. ]

Are we ready to press deeper in?

[ They've explored any number of dungeons together, the three of them. Usually with a fourth along, Y'shtola or G'raha or one of the twins. But this feels different. It's personal, an open wound for at least one of them. ]

steve rogers | free cities

[assembles]

[ Closed starters below! Contact me via PM or at demonology. ]

— nero

[assembles]

[ It's really no surprise that Nero has decided to come back. Not that Steve would blame any of his fellow captives for never wanting to set foot on this island again, but Nero strikes him as the sort of person who isn't going to leave a job undone. And if there's anything left on this island that they need to put down or burn to the ground, then they should be here to make sure that happens.

All of that aside, though, there are things that need to be salvaged from the ruins of the grown-over, decaying island. Even if it's just the means of identifying a body to give a loved one some closure, or finding a small memento that someone can remember the deceased by, it's important. It matters. And Steve doesn't want to see all of that burn up with the rot.

Nero's scaled one of the cavern walls to get to a body that seems to have been wedged in a difficult-to-access place, and in the meantime Steve searches the lower tunnel, on the lookout for anything that isn't just the infection that's invaded the island. What he comes across is...

What looks like it used to be an arm. Enough of the skin has sloughed off that a good amount of it is just bone at this point. He crouches near it, carefully inspecting it to see if there's enough left to even make a positive identification. The bones, maybe, although he sees that the humerus is slightly crushed, probably from the cave-ins when they all escaped.

He glances toward the ledge where Nero leapt up. ] You find anything? [ It's possible the rest of the remains are somewhere in that vicinity. ]

dan heng; solvunn; the high priestess.

[exuviage]

( open toplevel & headers below. dm me @ rashoumon for questions! )

record-keeping; ota.

[exuviage]

[ Though the sun has long since risen, a dark cover of clouds hangs low in the air, keeping the light cold and overcast on the grim landscape. The the fog that rolls in from the sea brings with it a wet blanket of chill that clings to a person's hair and skin, and sinks deep into their bones. The wrongness of the island seems to cling to the moisture, adding an extra layer of discomfort. None are spared the chill, or the damp, but the camp, situated on the leeward side of a small hillock and facing south towards the meagre sunlight, is spared the brunt of it.

The remains that are being recovered are to be brought to a tent (military in its uniformity and clearly a Free Cities contribution) guarded by a uniformed woman with gauntlets that bristle with the cold blue light of New Magic at each joint and seam between the plates every time she makes an appearance on the small perimeter. The effort is illuminated by tiny hovering sparks of magic—evidently Academic in nature, as it is refreshed every other hour when the glow begins to dim by a sharp, spoken word from a short, timid-looking man with an expensive cloak, who appears to be fighting a losing battle with the mud accumulating on the hem. The third, a sturdy woman with ink stains on the bottom seams the pockets of her apron shaped overdress (girdled with a belt of embroidered thorns and woven ribbons), has set up rough set of portable writing desks, all equipped with parchment and inks. At the back of the tent are the boxes and containers, clean cotton bags and tags, all for holding whatever grim evidence the Summoned find and see fit to return to those who have lost loved ones.

The last member of the impromptu mortuary record keeping staff, also dressed in the rustic, sturdy clothes of Solvunn, is Dan Heng, standing out by being visibly younger than all the rest and easily mistaken for an apprentice. Even in the foggy chill, his sleeves are rolled up—to keep any ink or unsavory viscera from staining one of the few things he feels comfortable calling his own. A short length of bone, carved in the shape of an otter cradling the High Priestess' intersecting moons, hangs from his belt; it is identifiable as a charm for for Xeimer's blessings, and must be what protect him in the winter months from biting chill. To those sensitive to such things, though, there is no trace of divinity's blessing more than the weight of reverence the carver granted to it.

Anyone who finds recovered items or remains and returns with them to the camp will be asked where they found it, if there were any other notable details near its location, if they recognize it, and if they feel comfortable or confident sharing conjecture or testimonial of what might have happened. Any of the three scribes can take the notes: the mage and archivist from Thorne (wholly out of his element, and looking for a reason to linger in conversation), the woman from Solvunn invoking Innominate's guidance on finding the truth (haphazard in her questions, believing the invocation will identify the victims), or Dan Heng himself (coldly professional in his questions, and recognizable as a Summoned by the Solvunn woman's deference to him). Once catalogued, the remains and items are placed in the cotton bags, charmed for cleanliness and tagged with an identifying number that matches it with the records, and the Free Cities soldier helps load larger items into the Nocwich-bound crates.

By the end of the day, the three record keepers' hands are stained with ink, and they have filled several pages with a list of bones, teeth, found trinkets, personal effects or jewelry, and... other items. Some more detailed entries are accompanied by drawings of the item in question, provided by Dan Heng, in order to help identify them without unpacking the entire collection.

Dan Heng can be drawn away from the record keeping group at a single request from a fellow Summoned, of any kind. Perhaps someone thinks he needs distraction, if his stony expression gives the impression that the grim evidence they are cataloguing is too much. Maybe extra hands are needed elsewhere? He is definitely a 100% normal human teenager, though, so why would you want his help? 100% normal. ]

Dean Winchester; The Lovers

[righteously]

( closed starters below; paingravy if you need me. )

→ blake

[righteously]

( Dean comes to this island for his own reasons. In part, it's because those bastards took Cas, scrambled his brains, screwed with Geralt. Screwed with his people. He carries a lingering grudge about it, about everything it represents, and he's got an invested stake in seeing the corpse of it.

He also comes for his own closure. The last time he was here... He wasn't himself. He was in the deepest throes of the Mark, and he didn't even get to walk away from it. Everything this place represents sucks.

He knows he's not the only one to think that way, either. Some twelve or fourteen hours after their arrival, once the place has stopped being a nightmare and started being a relatively benign hunk of land to his subconscious, it's Blake that flits to the top of his mind. He remembers how bad the guy struggled with it, those early months. He remembers, disassociated and demonic as he was, how off the guy seemed. How long it took him to bounce back, though Dean didn't know him nearly well enough to peg it at the time.

They're not even that close now, but he still feels...

Invested.

Are they friends? Maybe. At this point, their record with one another's been so spotty it's probably hard to call it that. Going from homicidal thoughts to haircuts, from mistrust to a little bonding road trip ambush, they're definitely something.

So yeah, he tracks the guy down, wherever it is he might have holed himself up among the supplies and the searchers, the Summoned and the officials, the outposts or the caverns. Wherever Blake is, eventually Dean will stumble across him and approach with uncommon care. )

hilda goneril | free cities

[theidlemaiden]

( closed starters below | hit me up at  timescars for plotting! )

— blake

[theidlemaiden]

[ Hilda had only caught glimpses of Blake in and around the island during the cleansing and work that had gone on. It had never seemed like a good time though - or rather, when it did seem like a good time, he somehow managed to slip out of sight. She'd be more annoyed where it not for the fact that she had an inkling of how painful all of this must be.

She lived with two pit survivors. Had spent several days with Jayden who was also in the process of trying to work through everything that he had gone through in the pit. These things weren't easy to talk about and she had barely broached the subject with her so called roommates. Maybe it was because she didn't know how. Maybe it was because for all of her sometimes bluster that she was still afraid of breaking something important to her. Hilda told herself that it was because she was giving them space and time.

It was what she was telling herself Blake needed.

The sun begins to set on the day of the island's razing. With all her things packed up and ready to go, she stretches, deciding to take one last walk around the island. She isn't particularly inclined to stay longer than she's had to, but if she couldn't talk to those she cared about what had happened, maybe she could at least try to understand what they had gone through.

She happens across Blake by accident staring out towards the shore. With his back turned to her she wonders if she should leave him alone but after a moment she chances it, quietly moving closer towards him until she's beside him. ]

Hi, stranger.