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

[magicalarchaeologist]

Josselyn's mindset was dangerous. These people weren't real to her, they were tools, building toward an end goal. Fanatics can be like that.

[ Istredd didn't only speak to Josselyn, he was inside of her mind. The clarity of her belief and purpose is the type of thing more people probably wish they could have. It was just used in a violent and unhinged way there, but she's not the only person who believes that clearly. He had no pity for her and he's kept what she said in mind. There is a reality that the Summoned are never fully safe in this place because of what they represent, what they're capable of. ]

I worry about how many people in Solvunn think that way. Not necessarily in her cult, but from what I hear, most of the people there are cult-ish. It begs the question of how safe our friends are there.

[ They're slightly worshipped currently, which may seem nice, but how quickly that could turn. If the people there are convinced that anything is the gods' will, they would do any number of things to others. Istredd is not assuming all of Solvunn is a cult, but he knows the mentality is all there. And he can't help but be paranoid about the many ways in which this place could harm those he's grown to care for.

He may want to live the rest of his life here, but not in a cage. ]

I think you're right. You have a good eye.

[ He flags down one of the officials to the bodies they've found. It's strange not being able to remove them, but he gets it too. They're not actually experts in the field. As much as he'd like to carry them out of here, it's safer for people who know what they're doing to take part. Just as he's closer to an expert in the purification rituals. ]

This may have been the end of Josselyn Creed, but it's not going to be the last time people wonder what we can do for them with our specialness.

[northerndragon]

[He tries to set aside how talking of Josselyn makes him think of Melisandre; neither is really his affair anymore. Better to think of the people who had lost their lives down here, and what little can be done for them now. He only nods at the idea that he has a good eye; he tries to notice small things, but he doesn't always know what to make of them.]

No. And they only brought us here for that. It means the people in Solvunn were brought for that too. Might be that they aren't as safe as we'd like, but they do have power, and that will aid them.

If old Summoned might have been gods once, a thousand years back, what are the new Summoned now? What is meant for them -- or what are they meant for, really?

[This is troubling, and he's only beginning to put together why.]

[magicalarchaeologist]

If we knew that answer, our life here might be a great deal more purposeful. They don't seem inclined to answer us on their motivations, or how they choose who comes here. I don't know if they do, or they just claim to.

[ Istredd is suspicious because in his mind, it would make the most sense for them only to Summon people who will be helpful to their goals and that they can control. Why bring people to Thorne who won't trust them or play along, or would fight back if forced into anything? It is irrational so he doesn't trust it. He thinks it might not be many steps away from them opening up a dimensional hole and plucking someone from it. ]

I do wonder how much Thorne knows about the original Summonings. There probably were notes about it from the High Mage who started it, so perhaps the knowledge we were connected to the Singularity is what inspired Ambrose to try the same.

[ This is all speculation though. Ambrose won't answer questions not even from the Summoned he's come to a pleasant relationship with. They're still just objects to him, as far as Istredd can tell, baubles that he brings her for his own motivations. ]

They believe the Singularity is waning, weakening. They may think we can fix it. But it may be we're making it worse.

[northerndragon]

[He tilts his head to the side: considering, then conceding Istredd's point.]

Stands to reason they might have those notes, if the old High Mage didn't take them away. There are only a few libraries like this in the world where I come from.

It might be that they think our presence alone strengthens the Singularity. Or it might be that Ambrose wanted to prove his worth -- prove what he could do that hadn't been done in a long time. I've known people like that. But that would only make sense if he had summoned people once, twice... not what seems like near on a hundred times.

[This is, of course, a number pulled from the air. But it's close enough to carry his meaning.]

Sometimes I feel like I've been taken for ransom in battle. An honored guest.

[magicalarchaeologist]

They must be getting something out of us being here. It wouldn't make sense to continue doing this if they aren't, or going through great lengths to get us back like with the Pit.

[ Istredd suspects if there is a reason, it's not one that is readily obvious. Perhaps they have proof that the Summoned are helping the Singularity they're not sharing. It's only logic that dictates to him there must be some kind of answer. He wishes he could know. He hates not knowing. It's frustrating to an academic like him who wants more answers, not a lack of them. ]

Make no mistake, Jon. That is exactly what we are. And so is everyone in the other territories too, Thorne's just more obvious about it.

[ They're more controlling and put measures in place to have the Summoned under their thumb. But Istredd assumes the other two have their own ways of keeping track of all the Summoned. They have a larger space to travel in, that's true, but he is confident of this. Magic tracking would be extremely easy to put on people when they first arrive. The only reason they wouldn't find them during the kidnapping was the High Magic used to block everyone from each other. ]

I want to stay in this sphere, I have no reason to go back to mine, but it doesn't make this situation anything other than a continued hostage situation.

[northerndragon]

[He nods along slowly with that first part. Istredd is right: it's the only thing that makes sense. But the rest... well, he has a second thought.]

My sister is here. You might have met her -- long red hair, name of Sansa. Years ago, she was a true hostage at court down south. Our father had been executed for treason; our brother was in rebellion. Sansa was betrothed to the king, and it was a misery for her. They wanted her for her claim to our father's lands, to his castle; they thought they could hold the North with her. They -- hurt her. I know that much; I don't know everything. You'll understand that she doesn't like to speak of what she suffered.

There was no way to ransom her, and no demand other than that my brother bend the knee. If Robb had surrendered, I've no doubt they would have had his head -- well, they did anyway, in time. Sansa ran away in the night. It's the only reason she lives today.

What we live with here, it's nothing like that. But there must be a reason they don't want us to be really free. [Half a shrug, considering.] Might be that if you took all of us from Thorne and Solvunn and the Free Cities, we could be more than any one of them could handle. I can't say.

[Through all of this, he has kept his voice low, watched to see that none of the helpers were too close by.]

sorry for the wait, power outages, we should start to wrap on this!

[magicalarchaeologist]

[ Istredd listens to him without comment, surprised to learn that about Sansa, who he has met. A very elegant lady with a graceful composure. Istredd is also a composed and careful person, so he found they had that in common, but she has been through much clearly. Istredd is reminded of what his own future holds, he knows about it now. Vilgefortz's prison will be a very dangerous place to be. He is a cruel person and Istredd has no idea what he is willing to do to him. One of the many reasons he has no intention of leaving.]

Thank you for the reminder that we are more privileged than we think.

[ They live in a castle, everything is provided for them, they now are paid for their labor. It may be a hostage situation, but they are not actively suffering at the moment. It could be worse. It was in the beginning of all of this, for certain, but they have learned to use honey instead of vinegar. ]

They want us for our connection to the Singularity, but have failed in any attempt to take it from us. But I suppose they still think we can be useful that way.

we can probably wrap here!

[northerndragon]

[He only nods at the first part. Things could be better, but they could be far worse. The knowledge that they could be worse might be part of what secures the Summoned's cooperation, but overt threats of that nature have been few in the time he's been in Thorne.]

They think we can be useful that way because they can't do it themselves. [There's mild disgust in his low voice, more than he has shown in most of this discussion.] They can do other things, but not much of that. Power, but not always the sort they need.

[His expression becomes walled and inward for a moment, and then he straightens his posture and gives a sharp nod.]

Right. Still a few more to go today, [he says soberly, referring to the bodies.] We do what we can when we can, aye?