abraxaslogs | EVENT #16: THE ISLAND

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EVENT #16: THE ISLAND - IC INVESTIGATION LOG

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

I haven't met any Summoned that aren't bipedal.

[ The Summoned surviving seems almost coincidental, if only because he's seen and been told about how much Abraxas seems to appreciate their presence here. It goes without saying that just because they've survived doesn't mean that the ones that had been taken had gotten out unscathed. It would be insensitive to say that they're lucky, even if that can be true in spite of the sliver of the aftermath that he's seen. ]

Technology would have made this faster, probably.

[ That however is definitely said with a hint of dryness and a little under his breath. It's not a jab at the work everyone has been doing, rather it's Cassian wishing once again that they were working with such outdated tech. ]

Neither have I.

[ Apart from himself and a few others in Solvunn, it looks like most summoned are genuine humans; divested of the context of their own worlds, though, it's hard to say what constitutes a human for their own local definition. It's more likely that their summoners' image of what a person is might be affecting the result.

At Cassian's words, the corner of Dan Heng's mouth twists slightly in wry agreement, but the expression is just as fleeting as the way he looks back up to try and pin this other technologically familiar person in his memory. It's a careful, fugitive look used to size up the person on the receiving end, and gone almost as soon as it starts. ]

If not a proper terminal and keyboard, I'd settle for a camera or at least a pen that stays filled.

[ Do you know how much faster he types than he writes? A lot. ]

[ It's a little strange, if he's being honest, to see how many humans there are amongst them. He was used to being surrounded by all sorts of species that it wasn't until after the initial shock of being kidnapped here had worn off that it had dawned on him how odd a lack of kinds of humanoids was.

There's a commiserating huff of breath in return at his sentiment as his eyes rise to catch that wry smile of the young man's. It's also just in time to see him sizing him up. Or committing him to memory. Whatever it is, it's a look that he's seen before.

The paranoid part of him hates that he's being recognized this way. A lifetime of preferring to remain unknown and unseen is something that he still has yet to shake. But he has to remind himself that the Summoned are in the same boat he is. ]

I don't remember the last time I wrote something. Paper is...archaic.

[ Everything was written on datapads. ]

Doesn't do well in wet places either. [ The only reason the seafog isn't constantly encroaching on the edges of the record-keeping tent is because Dan Heng himself is keeping the water away from the precious paper supplies and recovered materials. When he goes to explore later, someone best keep an eye on the fire, or it might start to get damp, fast.

But this guy... Okay, so he's from a civilization where they don't bother even using paper for fun, like the Xianzhou does. That kinda place probably has interstellar travel, right?. And statistically speaking, the likeliest answer of when you run into someone from across the universe, chances are they are either from or know about... ]

... Are you IPC?

[ You know, the Insane Posse Clowns. Er. Interastral Peace Corporation. ]

With what its made of I don't doubt it.

[ Datapads were more durable nowadays but still susceptible to water damage. Then again, that's what backups were for, right?

The thought of having to write everything out by hand now seemed methodical but unnecessary; but maybe that was him being spoiled by technology - something that he'd never thought that he'd said about himself when it came to anything.

The Summoned's next question has him offering up a questioning look. He knew plenty of acronyms for ridiculous Empire corporations but none that had those particular letters. ]

IPC? No. [ If it sounds like a corporation, smells like a corporation then... ] Do I look like I'd be a corpo?

[ Dan Heng shrugs, and finishes the last entry on his description of the things that Cassian had brought over, and finally taps the last of the ink from his reed pen back into the inkpot. The ink on the page in front of him is still damp and needs time to dry before he can hand it off to the Free Cities soldier, but he can spend that time instead chasing his first lead with someone who has any familiarity with SPACE. ]

Right now, you look like you're from a planet without interstellar travel, so I can't say. [ Dan Heng forges on, not yet realizing his mistake, but hopefully fortunate in their shared misunderstanding. ] And it's not like the Jepella Brotherhood's thinking about how to keep records formatted.

[ All extant documents on the Annihilation Gangs are from secondary sources, at best. The Jepella also wouldn't bother with the recovery of victims of a mass kidnapping, so that's two Aeons down, and however many more to go. ]

Edited (WHEN U MOVE UR TAG BUT FORGET TO ADJUST YOUR BRACKET TEXT ) 2024-02-12 05:09 (UTC)

[ As Dan Heng takes his time answering him his mind still ruminates about IPC. There were any number of vast star systems in the galaxy but the only thing he could think about that was remotely close to what Dan Heng had said was the IPS. And while it was a corporation, it wasn't merely as nefarious. Unless you count delivering parcels nefarious. Which it wasn't most of the time.

His eyebrows furrow as he tries to come to a conclusion about whether or not they were from the same galaxy (and if this kid was really trying to say that he gave off the vibes of a corpo). Because while again, he's never heard of the Jepella Brotherhood, it could very well sound like some sort of gang or group.

But if they were really going to compare what someone who looked like they were used to interstellar space travel looked like then Dan Heng should probably back up. ]

And you do? You look more like someone from Aldhani that herds ghoats or drey.

[ Man, he was just answering the question, saying that this guy didn't look like ICP because he looked like someone who thinks germs are actually ghosts. ~~wait isn't that just midi-chlorians.~~ Everyone knows that heliobi are a different kind of illness, and that they do make your immune system more susceptible to environmental bacteria, but still. Hilda told him there's people here from space, so...

He wasn't expecting the sass, though. Did Stelle turn into a ghost and start haunting this quiet looking guy? Jeez. He spares the briefest glance down at his sturdy, roughspun clothes and the woolen cloak keeping him mostly warm despite the draft and shrugs up at the Galactic Sassmaster. ]

There are lots of goats in Solvunn. [ For the record. ] I'm the databank administrator for the Astral Express.

[ Even though there's plenty of things about himself that he hides, a Nameless is as visible as the stars in the heavens. He'd never shy away from that. And to Trailblaze is to take that first step into the unknown. ]

If you're not IPC, then...

[ The more he talks to Dan Heng the more he believes that they could very well be from completely different star systems even though he's never heard of the Astral Express.

Asking about the existence of the Empire would be an easy way to confirm whether or not they were from the same galaxy - but a quick glance behind him has him realizing that a line has suddenly formed behind him. It looks like their time to compare notes both about the body and their worlds was nearing an end. If he wanted to ask him more questions it would have to be at a later date.

The sass gives way to a side eye before it turns into something completely world weary as Dan Heng trails off leaving Cassian with a blank he doesn't know how to fill. Was he a thief? A mercenary? Or a rebel? The last label didn't feel earned yet. No one was paying him to be a mercenary or an operative here. His reasons to be a thief were now ashes mixed lovingly into stone or hurtling away on some ship far away from Ferrix. Which really only leaves... ]

I'm no one. Just Alyx.

[ He nods towards the page. ]

If you don't need anything else from me, I'll go.

Ah.

[ Dan Heng feels a sinking, self-aware familiarity in the way Alyx sheathes his sharp words and recedes back into the quiet man who had brought remains and recovered trinkets to the records tent all day. It would be hypocritical of him to pry, with his own secrets he keeps battened down. Well... he can relate, if nothing else. ]

It's plenty. Thanks for the intel.

[ To solidify Alyx's excuse, he picks up his pen once again, and beckons lightly to one of the other waiting Summoned. It's not until the next grim entry is done that he realizes he forgot to introduce himself back. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

EVENT #16: THE ISLAND - IC INVESTIGATION LOG

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