abraxaslogs | EVENT #16: THE ISLAND

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

This the final straw. It's what ultimately shatters the dam, and Kell breaks down, shaking and sobbing as he clings to Istredd. As if he was slowly sinking into the sea, and Istredd was his lifeline. The only thing keeping him from succumbing to the darkness. It takes a long while before he's even able to form words. Recognizable words, that are not drowned by the deluge of tears, garbled beyond comprehension.

"That's kind of my point, don't you see? That I don't want you to. Not for me, not for anyone else. I never had anyone like you. I never thought I will. I never thought I even need it. But now that I do, I ..." Kell swallows hard. It feels impossible to even say those words out loud. Too dangerous. As if in saying them, he somehow could make it more likely to make them true. The fear of it like icy fingers closing on his throat.

"I cannot stand the thought of losing you. I just don't."

He's not finished. Now that he said what was haunting him the whole time, from the moment he set his foot back on this cursed island, breathed its poisonous air again.

It was easier not knowing. Maybe he was miserable, trying to fend off the whole world on his own, but at least he never knew any other way. So there was never a question if he should. If he can do it. He had no one to ask for help, no one to truly ask for advice. No one who would understand. Now that he knows how it's like to have someone. Someone who cares, who he can come to with a problem and get even if not a solution than at least understanding and a sympathetic ear.

"You always tell me that think more about myself, what I want, that my worth is not based on what I can do for others or what they think of me. I just wish you valued yourself as much as you to tell me to value myself."

Istredd may be getting better at social situations but that doesn't prepare him for the extent of this much emotion aimed in his direction. It feels like too much, but Kell needs him and he needs this so he pulls Kell into his arms and lets him cry it out. He rubs his back as comfortingly as he can but none of this is learned behavior so he's just going with instinct.

"It's okay, I made it, we both made it." It's pointless soft words but he's saying it anyway as a reminder. They're in this terrible place but they get to leave, they get to go home together and continue to build this important relationship.

Istredd remembers making the choice to cure Kell. At the time it seemed logical; he needed help and he trusted the boy to look out for others and listen to him when he needed too. It's the type of logical choice that Stregobor would have approved of, seeing people as tools, and in his desperation that's what he thought he was doing.

But maybe the truth is he saw Kell suffering and sick and he just wanted to save him. It was an emotional choice, to take care of him like now, under the cloud of perceived rationality. He prioritized Kell over everyone else in the Pit in that moment, even over Cirilla. And again, in the escape, it was his first instinct. Is this the behavior of a father? Is this his kid? He can almost picture Triss right now, rolling her eyes at him. Obviously, now do it right.

No one ever put him first until Lucifer. Lucifer told him that it wasn't just about him losing Istredd. He was an idiot to think that everyone's situation here gets to change but his. People care. About him. He feels something hard in his stomach and choking in his throat, and his eyes burn, and he nods, holding onto Kell.

"I know," he murmurs, his voice heavy with emotion. "I'm working on it, I promise." It's not enough to care about everyone else. He has to be willing to let them care back.

"Mages, we can't really have children. You can't love anything more than the Brotherhood." That makes having more mage children harder, but it's just how things are. Istredd pulls back to wipe Kell's tears away, wanting to soothe his pain. Whoever thought that he would end up here? "But I think ... I have one now." He hesitates, second-guessing. "I mean, if you ... don't mind."

Kell would emphatically object needing reassurance of any sort. Especially of the plain and simple kind. But he would be lying, to himself and anyone who'd listen. He would be lying because it works. It shouldn't, but it works. Simple mundane words stating the obvious yet they ring so powerful in his ears. As if the darkness, the horror, has been ripped to shreds by the very fact of hearing them uttered out loud. Who says them only makes them more powerful.

"We made it," he repeats in a weak whisper. He can barely hear it himself, but the fact remains, he's no longer shaking. Yet clings to Istredd all the same.

All the ways through his explanation, his reassurance that he heard Kell's plea, that he intends to honor it. That alone makes Kell let go of the breath he didn't know he was holding. To finally allow himself for a deeper inhale. Even if the air carries the same foul stench as it did, it no longer bothers him.

We made it.

They will leave and this place will disappear as if it never existed, and all the horrors with fade with time. The grief and the sorrow will remain for the families of those that weren't as lucky as him, but in this moment Kell can only think how he was spared this. All the people he cares about got out of this battered, shaken and traumatized, but alive. And it's all that matters to him.

When he feels Istredd's touch on his face, Kell blinks his eyes open startled by the softness of this gesture. He stares at the older mage, a smile curling his lips as he listens in disbelief to Istredd practically declaring him his son. As desperately as he clings to people that mean a world to him, Kell is surprised every time he's actually accepted.

"You bet you do." The smile slowly creeping up transforms into a full grin. A rare sight, reserved only for special occasions, and special people.

This is not a time for his usual witty quips, Kell knows he must get his words right. Direct and obvious, so Istredd can have no doubt where he stands on this.

"No, not only I don't mind. I'm so happy you'd want to see me this way. You know I've never new my real father and my adopted one threw me into a dungeon. I'd take you over both of them any time of day or night."

Istredd is holding onto the reality they can leave, and maybe that's all they really need. When it feels warped and sick down there, they can climb back into the sunlight and breathe fresh air, knowing they survived. The Summoned all made it, but they nearly didn't. They took with them as many natives as they could, but so many lives ended here. He doesn't know how many corpses they'll have at the end of the day, but enough probably, to see the extent of the damage done to this sphere.

But what he said resonated with Kell and he seems better, so that is what matters. It may take months or years for people to get past this, and if it does take that long, Istredd understands. It would've been harder for him, before he lived through Thanedd, but now it only makes him sad. They'll never feel safe again.

It's a little nervewracking to make an offer like family to someone, for Istredd. He's never had one. The Brotherhood was not really a family, although the female witches were better at banding together. It was an organization, and while they took children, they didn't raise them like children. The only father he knew was a bad person, and he used Istredd's shy affection for him like a weapon. It simply wasn't in the cards for him, to have something like that.

Yet here he is. Putting himself out there. It's not easy for him. At the least he doubts that Kell will take it poorly, but he's relieved when he grins instead. When his feelings are not thrown back at him with a sarcastic laugh. He appreciates the directness. It feels so out of tune with his experience. Istredd smiles back, reassuringly.

"I know that rejection well myself." Though not in the exact same way. "But I would never do that to you, Kell. I am honored to be your surrogate parent." Sometimes, family is what you make of it. "Let's get back to business, hm? Then we can go home together."

Their mission may be less painful, now that they've gotten something good out of it.

EVENT #16: THE ISLAND - IC INVESTIGATION LOG

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TEARS

so many TEARS - sorry it took me so long ;__; - ready to end here or on yours

we can wrap here!