EVENT #16: THE ISLAND - IC INVESTIGATION LOG

[abraxasmods]

Event #16 - The Island

OOC event plotting | wintertide event log

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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.

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Comments

[ofthesword]

Oh, they will. There's not a chance in hell Nero's going back without razing this place to the ground, even if they gotta try to jail him for it after. But he doesn't say it, 'cause there's no sense in getting someone dragged in for the ride with him.

"Bet they already have. At least someone in Solvunn has, I'd bet."

There's no way they just coincidentally rounded up everyone involved in that cult. It's not how cults work. It's the reason he moved out of the settlement in the first place.

Nero gives Istredd a harder pat on the shoulder. "All right, calm down, Zorro. This place is goin' up in flames, one way or the other. But we gotta help the people who didn't make it off the island first. At least what's left of 'em. Unless you think they deserve to be part of the pyre."

[magicalarchaeologist]

"Do you think there are still cultists active in Solvunn?" Istredd assumes so, but he's far separated. "Josselyn told me all her people were rounded up, and it is very difficult to lie to me successfully, but I think that's a situation of as far as she knows." That is the thing about telepathy. All she can do is say - truthfully - what is within her realm of understanding.

He means specifically the ones from this island. He knows that most of Solvunn is a cult of some kind.

"I don't." Think they deserve to be a part of the pyre. "I almost died twice in here. They were just unlucky, to have no one who was coming for them." Istredd means actual death, like the life was fading out of him, an hour or two away. Or, a minute or two away, in the first one. He doesn't know how to handle the kind of casual affection that Nero gives even to people he doesn't like, but he does try to mirror it, pushing at his shoulder a little.

"Thanks for saving me the first time. I didn't get a chance to say it before." Or, well, he did, but he didn't think to. It was a complicated situation, considering Ciri is the one who was doing it. They were all messed up down there. No one was coming for him. He really was simply that - lucky.

[ofthesword]

Right, the mind thing or whatever. He doesn't get it, and doesn't want to, but he figures Istredd's not got love lost for Josselyn or the cult to lie to him about it. What'd be the point? "Like you say. As far as she knows. I know cults, and I know I don't believe they coincidentally found everyone involved. It'd be fuckin' impossible. Cultists are cowards more than anything."

The conviction he speaks with doesn't leave room for argument. Every person in the Order had been a coward, too. Cowardly enough to willingly turn themselves into demons just so they could pretend there was nothing to be afraid of anymore.

People probably joined because they were scared of Josselyn, of what she could do, of what she could use the gods' powers to do.

Nero crosses his arm. "Figured as much." Istredd can be a dick, but he's not... you know. Sanctus levels of evil. Just regular dick levels. Whatever his shit with Lucifer is -- he's not here to pick a fight about it (yet). The thanks makes him back off, looking away, like he's spotted something to pick up. "Don't worry about it." He's still not sure what it's about, but Ciri's got a temper that rivals his, so Nero suspects the answer is not much. Truthfully, he hasn't even thought of it since then. "Being down here all that time made all of us nuts." He looks back, over his shoulder. "So don't hold it against her, either."

[magicalarchaeologist]

"I agree, I was skeptical when she said it. The question is if they'll ever be stupid enough to try it again." It would require another charismatic leader and organization willing to take over, which is not impossible. The Summoned just have to accept themselves as targets. Istredd thinks belief like that, it doesn't get snuffed out easily. "She was a true believer. Some of them must be too." Not so much they'd step forward though. Cowards, as he said.

Istredd is a little awkward himself about the whole thing, so he doesn't mind Nero looking away and not making it too fine a point. The message was given, and not rejected, so there is that. He is usually expecting rejection when it comes to his genuine moments, a carry over from his past. It's only fitting that it comes on the heels of bringing up Ciri.

He snorts, shaking his head. "I don't. I was trying to protect her at the time, but she's made it very clear she doesn't want that." It doesn't change that Istredd is still protecting her every single day by keeping her secrets and looking out for her interests. And he doesn't have the Child of Surprise connection to make him do that.

"We're from the same world, her adopted mother is my oldest friend." His loyalty does come in part from Yennefer. Letting anything happen to Ciri would break her, and he loves her with all his heart, he would never do that now he knows. "I think we're on fine terms now. She's unlikely to strangle me currently. Probably."

[ofthesword]

Maybe. They'd be real stupid. Not only because the native Solvunnites would be wanting justice for their own people, but because there's still plenty of Summoned in Solvunn who are around and have bad memories from this place. And a hell of a lot of anger. (Nero, basically.)

Whatever he thinks about how fuckin' stupid cultists are, there are always true believers. The ones who would give up every part of themselves -- souls, lives, humanity -- to the cause. That's how they get power, after all. Without them, it'd just be a lot of hot air.

Nero rolls his shoulder, snorting. "Yeah, I'm pretty you picked the worst woman to try to pull that machismo stuff with." Besides, he's seen her fight. She's insane, for a human. Even better than most Order members, up there with Credo. But... he get sit. It hadn't mattered in the pit. Even he'd almost died there, from exposure. Like a lizard drying up in the sun.

Nero finally turns to Istredd with an open curiousity in his eyes. Huh. "She's got a mom? Weird. I've only ever heard her talk about Geralt." Which never struck him as weird. Nero was adopted, too, even if his parents hadn't lasted too long. "Not that she's all about chatting on our families between all the shit we kill."

[magicalarchaeologist]

"Machismo?" Istredd laughs and gestures at himself. "What about me strikes you as having anything to do with that?" He's a scholar, a nerd, and he only recently started to learn how to fight with any skill. He's pretty decent at it thanks to Lucifer's consistent pushing and regular training, but he'll never be in Ciri's league.

"I wasn't protecting her from a fight. She was drawing attention to herself while sleeping, the cultists already had snatched her once and Geralt nearly killed Steve Rogers trying to get to her. I didn't want them to take her again." Istredd is walking around the specifics about why they would be more drawn to her, because her scream was certain to get attention if they realized they had someone special in their group. More special than the others. Istredd was trying to protect everyone.

He pauses, uncertain how much of a secret that is, and his loose lips have been a problem in the past. Istredd wasn't made to be a spy or someone subtle, he's terrible at it. "I don't know if that's public knowledge, so please don't spread it around. But yes, she does have one, and she's been my family since childhood. So I care about her daughter."

[ofthesword]

Nero gives him a glare. "You don't need to be a jock to be an asshole, if you didn't notice." He's not talking about Istredd being physically strong, because neither of them are that blind. Ciri's like Lady, though. Least how he sees it. Gets pissed off if any guy even insinuates they're here to protect her.

Especially since Nero knows she can keep herself safe.

It doesn't surprise him in the least Geralt almost offed Steve for getting in the way. Nero would've eaten Steve himself given another month in that pit. "Why, 'cause she's got a freaky scream? Why the hell would they care? They weren't picky about who they snatched. I couldn't see a single pattern between all of us except we're all a bunch of dumbshit Summoned."

we can wrap on this here or on yours!

[magicalarchaeologist]

"I ... think I understand." Jock is not a word he's familiar with. "I know Ciri can take care of herself, she could break me with her littlest finger, but she was sick. You all were, and I was the only one who wasn't." It was his responsibility to look out for them, or that's how he saw it. It's why he saved Steve and knocked Geralt out at one point, it's why he looked out for Ciri while she slept, it wasn't even particular to her, although knowing about her made him more careful.

There's a flicker of his eyes away from Nero and not at all subtly looking around them, at the barest hint of Nero saying her scream. They seem to be in a private place now, and his telepathy doesn't detect someone listening, but he is very cautious. Nero's stepping into some secretive shit and it doesn't take a genius to see that Istredd is worried about it.

He shakes his head. "It doesn't matter now." If Ciri wants Nero to know, she'll tell him herself. Istredd is the last person who should be trusted with her secrets, all things considered, so he's not going to bring it up. "I'm just saying thank you. Her mother wouldn't have liked her killing me, although." Istredd smiles wryly. "She would've gotten over it."

It's funny because it's Yennefer and they're in love with each other but it wouldn't make a difference. She would be upset he was dead, but she wouldn't have been mad at Ciri, nor should she be.

sure!

[ofthesword]

Nero's not so stupid he can't see when he's stomping on toes, especially edgy ones. Istredd's about as good at lying and subtle as a goddamn mirror. Whatever the scream is supposed to mean, besides that Ciri's got some banshee blood in her, apparently he's not meant to ask about it.

Nero steps away, his boots crunching over the rocks that litter... well, almost the entire damn island. He shrugs when he turns around.

"Look, I don't care either way, so I won't ask. We're all freaks around here." Istredd's probably into freaky shit, too. Look at him, he's a nerd. All nerds are. Anyone with a spot of magic seems to be. "I'll accept the thanks or whatever, just don't act like you owe me somethin'. We got out of here alive, and that's all that mattered to me." He snorts after a moment, rubbing his nose. "Just put in a good word for me with her mom. I don't need any more women on my ass for knowin' too much."