abraxaslogs | March open

Entry tags:

March open

Who: Zagreus and you!
When: After the Eplum event
Where: Horizon (& Zagreus's Domain specifically)
What: Zagreus finally visits Horizon
Warnings: NA

Immediately upon his arrival to Horizon, Zagreus's appearance had altered to align much more closely to how he appeared at home: red and black exomis adorned with three canine skulls on one shoulder, a belt made of more skulls, arms adorned with golden bands. And around his head a crown of fiery, ever-burning laurels. The only difference was the now the symbol of the Chariot had been etched into the metal greaves he wore above his fiery feet.

Driven by the compulsion to create, he had also swiftly begun construction of his Domain: a space for which the most immediately notable feature was the river of blood surrounding it. Perhaps you will dare to attempt to cross it.

[[ooc: Starters will be in the comments below! And if you would like a custom prompt, feel free to poke me at

blueflowers!]]

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For new visitors to Zagreus's Domain, there was a bit of a problem: the only way in was through a river of blood. One which did not yet have any stepping stones for those who didn't want to take a dip, because in his currently amnesiac state Zagreus hadn't thought to include them. As far as he was concerned, a river of blood was a completely normal and logical place to put an entrance.

But to anyone who manages to make it across - or who just stands awkwardly on the other side wonder how they're supposed to get in - Zagreus will give a warm welcome. "Hello mate!" He say, cheerful and friendly.

Edited 2024-03-10 01:18 (UTC)

Assuming you manage to make it across the river of blood, inside you will find Zagreus, busy with creating his Domain. A process which involved Zagreus giving instructions to a ghostly Shade in what seemed to be the Ancient Greek equivalent of a hard hat, sitting at a desk filled with blueprints and diamonds.

For some reason, Zagreus seemed to feel that this was necessary.

"Contractor!" Zagreus says, as he gestures towards the great hall. "This ominous bonework should really liven up the place. Work approved!"

There's the sound of hammers, and a whir of activity while the Shade valiantly works to give the impression that they are actually doing something. And then then, poof! The floor is now filled with skulls and bones.

This continues on, with several other developments - a hellish fireplace by the entrance, a large decorative rug, a chair that Zagreus declares he will "never ever sit on." Until Zagreus pauses, a faintly puzzled expression on his face.

"You know, I have the strangest feeling that there's supposed to be someone making disparaging comments about every change I make around here..."

Fortunately for those who didn't want to swim in blood to visit, once Zagreus's amnesiac first visit was over, he did make sure to put in some stepping stones. Though now you might instead meet the dog.

Said dog was red, with hellish yellow eyes. Big enough to swallow a person whole. And had three heads, all of which will stare very intently at any visitor.

"They're allowed in, Cerberus! This realm doesn't need guarding." Zagreus says, before turning to look at his new visitor. Cerberus rumbles softly, but settles down. "Please, come in. I hope he doesn't bother you."

Zagreus's Domain, while no larger than anyone else's, nonetheless contained a multitudes of rooms. So perhaps while you are here, you will admire the Great Hall, or have a drink in the Lounge. You might gaze upon the many portraits in the Portrait Gallery, or the array of weapons within the Courtyard.

Or you might just poke around through all of Zagreus's stuff in his room. That's always an option, too.

[[OOC: For full descriptions of all these locations, see here!]]

Nanaue had NOT been deterred by the river of blood, and even with the stepping stones added he happily swam right through.

Soaked in blood and confronted by a giant, three-headed dog - Nanaue hunches slightly, a deep growl vibrating from within his own chest. He only stops and straightens again when a voice speaks up to calm the larger beast. Nanaue looks between Zagreus and the dog, confused.

"... Friend?" he asks, uncertain.

"Nanaue mate, welcome!" Zagreus says, giving his big fish-man friend a wide grin. "And yes, he's a friend. This is Cerberus. Cerberus, meet Nanaue."

And with that Zagreus reaches up to give a big friendly rub to the side of Cerberus's neck. At this, Cerberus settles a little, and - after giving Nanuae a quick, curious sniff - cheerfully barks once, and wags his tail.

Wandering around into other people's domains is something of a pasttime for her and the best time to do so is around when the latest Summoned start to really get their bearings. What someone does with their domain can really say a lot about them, after all, of their lives and their worlds and their experiences. Who wouldn't be more than a little curious?

But she's not used to showing up in the midst of things.

It seems completely necessary--building is much more fun with friends! Himeka's own domain took quite a bit of effort from the little companions she created and they all have hung around after the fact as well. They add their own flare...even if said flare technically comes from the original creator's subconscious, but it still feels like it's a group effort. And that's what matters.

Himeka is subsequently impressed with the amount of activity she's found. It's more than a few helping hands but an entire operation making something--

--well. She supposes that the aesthetics thus far definitely work well with the river of blood she had to cross. Is that just...a pile of bones?

"Do you need someone to tell you it's right shite?"

"Hello mate!" Zagreus says, greeting Himeka with absolutely no recognition whatsoever. "And no, that's not quite right...I don't think I actually want someone telling me everything wrong with the decorations."

He just kept expecting it, for some reason. Like frequent passive aggressive criticism was simply the natural state of the universe.

"Besides, I think it's all coming along rather nicely!"

See, that's not just piles of bones scattered across the floor of the Great Hall. They were aesthetically placed piles of bones.

That this is Zagreus' first foray into the Horizon doesn't register with her, even with that greeting, because he's been nothing but agreeable since they actually met. He's also taking much faster to creating his domain that she certainly did upon her arrival, but then again she also just extremely prone to wandering and seeing what's out there. Mayhaps that says more about her than about him.

Still, she respects his wishes. After all, she doesn't have many criticisms to offer. So she nods in agreement and smiles towards Zagreus.

"It looks like a tomb."

That's not a criticism, it's just a statement of truth.

Fortunately, Zagreus does not take it as a criticism. In fact, he brightens and beams back at her as if she gave him a compliment.

"Thank you!" he says. "Glad to know that I'm getting the vibe right. But..." he trails off a moment, looking around at everything he's created. This entrance area was looking rather nice, but...shouldn't there be more?

"You know, I feel like I need more here than just a nice big hall. Especially if I'm going to have guests. Contractor!" Once again, he steps over to the Shade in the hard hat. "Let's make a space where people can stand around for a drink or two. We can call it...The Lounge!"

The Contractor nods, and with another whir of activity...suddenly, in the hallway off to the side, there's an open door that wasn't there before.

While the Horizon is constantly shifting and changing its layout on the whims of those who are present in it at any given time, Thancred does what he can to keep an updated mental map of sorts. People tend to try and keep their domains in the same general place in relation to where others have settled, but of course, there are frequent shifts as Summoned vanish from this star.

Or some are like Himeka, who prefer a constantly moving realm.

All this to say that when he notices what seems to be a new domain, one that can only be described as doom and gloom, he feels he must investigate and see what it's all about.

The stepping stones over a pool of blood certainly set the mood. It would be difficult to find a buried dungeon in Etheirys this eerie, and that's saying something.

And as soon as he crosses, Thancred finds himself face-to-face(-to-face-to-face) with a massive, three-headed dog.

"Cerberus?" Yes, he knows of the myth of the guard of the Underworld from home, and when a young man shows up and confirms that this is in fact the same beast, at least in name and appearance, Thancred's even more baffled. He turns his attention to the stranger, raising an eyebrow at his attire. Well, it's certainly on theme with everything else here.

"Not at all. This is not the first time I've heard tell of Cerberus, truth be told, though it is the first time seeing it in the flesh. So to speak."

Eerie? Gloomy? Surely not! It's...atmospheric! Charmingly deathly!

Zagreus may have some rather unusual aesthetic standards.

"Oh, I'm not surprised you've heard of Cerberus. He's got an important job guarding the entrance to the Underworld, don't you boy?" Zagreus punctuates this by giving one of Cerberus's heads - the one on right - a good rub. Something which Cerberus clearly enjoys, from the way his tail wags and his right head leans into the pat, tongue lolling out of its mouth.

The question is, of course, why someone would want to build their domain to look like a tomb, but the introduction she received from Zagerus does make it decidedly not strange coming from him. He'd traveled all around the Underworld, hadn't he? And there were clearly discrepancies between what he described and what she experienced herself.

Now that she thinks about it, he did say there was a river of blood, didn't he? Something about fishing there?

This must be what he's recreating! What an excellent opportunity to get to explore it for herself--

--erm, once it's ready, of course. But he has quite the crew so she can't imagine it would take too long.

"Every place can use a good lounge." She nods in agreement. "And a good lounge means good refreshments, right?"

Should she be concerned that a place catering to the dead would cook up something in a similar vein? Well, only one way to find out...

"Of course, refreshments!" Zagreus says, with a nod. "Now if only I can remember just what exactly is meant to be served there. I have the feeling that it's supposed to be something not approved, and therefore must be secretly gifted to those you care about..."

As he says this, he wanders in through the door, inspecting the new space with a look of consideration. It's rather bare at the moment - there's some lonely tables without chairs, and a bar staffed by another Shade in a chef's hat. But it's a little lacking in ornamentation - particularly when compared to the Great Hall.

There is very little that still startles Claire, but being face to face with a red, three-headed dog is new, and she stills with her basket of Horizon-made goods. When she hears someone speak to the beast, her only thought is of course the dog is called Cerberus (why wouldn't it be after all it took to get here?), and Claire spares a thought for Will and his Grecian roots.

"Hello, I—I don't mean to intrude, it's just that one can't have a river of blood and then not expect a bit of curiosity. Though I would've brought dog biscuits had I known what I was in for." She doesn't know if she believes Cerberus would be satisfied with a Milkbone or three.

Despite her brain's trepidation, Claire makes her way in further, glancing around curiously. "I feel as though I wouldn't have missed this, previously." He looks vaguely familiar, in the 'might have seen him in passing' sort of way. She's seen so many people new to Solvunn though, she doesn't ask right away. She's still too impressed by the dog.

If Zagreus looks familiar, it's probably because he's not exactly someone who will blend into the crowd. That one hellish red eye - and the fact that his feet are apparently on fire all the time - tend to make him rather distinctive, visually speaking.

He doesn't recognise her, but that doesn't stop him from giving her a friendly smile. "No no, please do come in! You're very welcome. Isn't she, Cerberus?"

Cerberus's middle head leans forward slightly, to give Claire a good sniff - before apparently rumbling in agreement. Now content that Claire has permission to be here, he settles down to lay on the ground as his three heads - somehow - settle between his paws.

"And the curiosity is also very understandable. Myself and this little patch of Horizon are still quite new."

Edited 2024-03-16 00:20 (UTC)

Her smile is broader at the welcome (and the acceptance by Cerberus) and she makes her way closer, extending a hand in greeting. "I'm Claire; sometimes I like to leave my own little corner of this place and see what others come up with. It's one of—if not the—most interesting ways to get a first impression of someone."

Claire's lived a life that took her to Greece on an archeological dig as a teen, which led to a lingering interest in myths and ancient wonders. It's the only reason she decides to take a guess as to what the domain is; the addition of Cerberus boosts her confidence.

"Is this...the Underworld?"

As she asks, she looks back at the river she had to cross, and at the ghostly hands emerging from the blood, only able to grasp air.

"Ser-bus..." Nanaue repeats, testing the pronunciation. "BIG dogs..."

When Cerebus wags his tail, Nanaue seems to relax and chortles happily. He looks at Zagreus, curious.

"Serbus know fetch?"

HIS dog knows fetch. They could play fetch now, if they had something big enough... Nanaue glances around the space for a moment before remembering he can just make what he wants.

A bone that could be the size of an elephant femur POOFS into existence in front of them.

Will had already taken a a dip in the Acheron, and while he was mildly sure that a river of blood wasn't the same thing as any of the underworldy rivers, it was still....off putting? Then again, it was also a clear sign as to who this domain belonged too. No need for a signpost. He studied the river for a moment, and then decided that it was only blood. It wasn't even lava, and he'd jumped across wider banks of lava at camp. So, he jumped. Pleasantly surprised when he ended up on the other side, not covered in blood, he waved to his friend.

"Nice river."

"Pleasure to meet you, Claire! I'm Zagreus."

It's a name she might - if she's read very extensively on Greek mythology - be able to recognise. But as Greek gods go, Zagreus is very obscure - and there's not much about in him the record.

"Yes, this is the House of Hades," he confirms, smiling. "Or at least a replica of it that I made while in an amnesiac bout of compelled creativity."

Cerberus, immediately, goes on high alert. All three heads affix all of their attention upon the giant gone. Every muscle in the massive dog's body tenses, ready to spring into explosive action in an instant. And most notable of all, he shifts into a position Cerberus would be familiar with - front paws and heads crouched down low, rear end lifted high in the air.

Yes, Cerberus does know fetch. And he is ready to play.

Zagreus meanwhile - knowing just what's about to come - says, "Oh no," and then steps back. He's going to want to get out of the potential damage zone.

Good thing Zagreus's realm was surrounded by the River Styx, and not the River Phlegethon - otherwise it would be made of lava. But you're in luck, Will - no need to potentially take a dip in magma today!

"Thank you!" Zagreus says, beaming. "I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. And the ghostly hands reaching out from it really adds to the vibe, I think."

Sure enough, if Will takes another look - he'll realise that there are large spectral hands emerging from the river. Just in case he needed more clues.

Edited 2024-03-17 00:09 (UTC)

According to Nico you could actually drink from the Phlegethon, but Will still wasn't willing to try. Will arched an eyebrow at the large spectral hands emerging from the river. Nice creepy factor, although he was quite sure Zagreus' did not see it that way. Like Hades and Nico, they all saw death as simply a part of life, not something to escape or fix. How had Persephone put it? Those who are surrounded by death seem to appreciate life more than anyone else? That quite fit with his understanding of Zagreus. And Nico. He figured Persephone knew what she was talking about.

"Are they actual souls?" Like fragments from the Acheron or something?

The name does completely escape her, but enjoys the sound of it, and she repeats it with warmth. "Well, Zagreus, this is stunning. I spent months of my studies learning about all sorts of deities, but it's something else entirely to momentarily step into the world of one."

It's been a long while since Claire had her first experience in the Horizon, but she remembers her second trip well, reevaluating everything she'd done while not quite herself.

"The magic here is so wild to me, but," she pauses to glance down at his feet, on fire, then looks back up at him with a lopsided smile."I'm guessing you're used to the unusual and impossible."

Edited 2024-03-17 00:26 (UTC)

"Yes, I...wait." Zagreus frowns, eyebrows furred in faint confusion as what instinctively feels like the answer clashes with the fact that he knows those ghostly hands were created not that long ago.

"But...I had the Contractor make them. I suppose they can't really be souls, if that's the case..."

Perhaps these are questions Will might get a better answer to later, when Zagreus can actually remember the answer for the real House of Hades.

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Page 1 of 8

March open

Who doesn't want to swim in the river of blood? (First visit to Horizon)

The new trend in interior decorating is 'bones' (First visit to Horizon)

The very good boy

Wildcard!

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