EVENT #18: EMERGENCE - IC EVENT LOG

[abraxasmods]

Event #18 - Emergence

OOC Plotting Post ⦁ Pre-Event Info ⦁ Setting Descriptions

Whether voluntary or by force, you find yourself transported to the Singularity's crater. There probably aren't many resistors - officials have taken great pains to convince you to come voluntarily, reserving force as a last resort - but it's clear that everyone is required for this to work. It takes multiple mages to stabilize the portal, but you make it there in one piece. If you cooperate, you'll be asked to walk towards the ancient relic. If you resisted, you might be forced to do so while restrained. Regardless, a heavy fog soon descends around the area, obscuring you and your vision.

If you have thoughts of turning back, it's too late: for some of you, the second you step across the threshold, a force pulls at your chest and absorbs your psyche at once. For others, a mystical call beckons you to walk a little further before the same effect takes hold. And for a rare few, the call brings you to the Singularity itself, where you're compelled to touch it - and are subsequently swallowed up like the others.

The Horizon doesn't greet you like you might expect. Instead, something far stranger awaits.

Please communicate with your fellow players as needed! We also recommend discussing with us if you plan on a major environmental upheaval. As a rule of thumb, you should avoid changes to the landscape that will significantly alter the established map.

We've also posted comment sections for WORLDBUILDING and HANDWAVED submissions. Instructions can be found at the respective links.

Year 20,879

When you open your eyes, it feels like you've only blinked. If your body has transformed or you're someplace that shouldn't exist, it doesn't strike you as odd. You were always here. Everything around you was always here, and your physical alterations and new abilities - while perhaps not originally there - have been a part of you for a long, long time.

The world of Abraxas isn't completely foreign. Familiar territories remain, as well as the familiar faces of those with long lifespans. But a lot has changed in 800 years, too, especially where the Gods are concerned. Alongside the Old Gods of the Ancient Pantheon and the Cardinal Gods of the New Order, a third class of deities formed from you and your fellow Summoned: the Ecesis Gods of the Iterum Pantheon.

Politics, People, & Gods

Abraxas's political landscape remains complex, with continued tensions over land, worship, resources, and power. Nonetheless, since the Free Cities is no longer intent on destroying the Singularity, conflict over the ancient relic has lessened. All territories agree that the Godlands - and the Singularity - belong to the Gods themselves.

Beliefs and Gods

The active presence of the Summoned confirms the existence of the Gods. As a result, most Abraxans turn to the Summoned and other Gods for aid or protection. Extreme reverence exists in certain areas, especially on the Isle of the Lost and in parts of Solvunn. In other places, though, the Gods are merely acknowledged as a facet of life - a force that helps or hinders depending on temperament and should be respected, much like the sea. The Gods play a crucial role, sure, but so do the rain and stars. This is particularly true in the Feywilds, the Nether, and the Free Cities.

Small pockets of non-believers actively denounce the Gods. They claim the Summoned should be wiped from the world and the Singularity destroyed to prevent future invasions. Labeled dangerous heretics by Thorne and Solvunn, and "regressives" by the Free Cities - whose scientists and philosophers liken such thinking to be as foolish as declaring the sun unworthy or the earth to be flat - these people are shunned from society. In Solvunn, the consequences are more severe: heretics are exiled to the Barren, where they are subsumed by the desert, the Maw, or whichever Gods may punish them.

At the other end, some sects revere the Godlands so much that they believe feeding themselves to the relic will enhance Abraxas' good fortune for generations to come. Such cults are quite rare, but there are reports of mortals throwing themselves into the Singularity's crater and disintegrating as a gesture of their devotion to the divine.

International Relations

Due to the combined change in their priorities, Thorne and the Free Cities are less at odds. The Free Cities believes in protecting the Singularity; Thorne no longer seeks to control it. Nonetheless, mistrust flares on occasion.

While things are peaceful during these three months and have been for a few decades, Abraxas hasn't found a cure for war in the Gods. Conflict has broken out in the past and will again. Eyes are on the Nether as it grows in power, and who knows how long Thorne will be content with its losses? Will they convince the Velan Republic to reunite and turn against the Free Cities? For now, though, the territories have found their stride and appear more interested in progress than fighting.

Magic & The Singularity

Magic is relatively unchanged and is a vital part of Abraxan life. The small kingdom of Thorne continues to practice Academic Magic. Meanwhile, Wild Magic plays the same important role in the Velan Republic (formally Nott). Meanwhile, the Free Cities has developed New Magic further. The goal of decoupling magic from technology is less of a focus. Instead, researchers are eager to find new ways to fuse magic and innovation, including aspects of the Gods. Portable shrines, for example, are popular with traveling merchants.

High Magic no longer exists as a specific school of magic now that offerings, pacts, and requests to the Gods are a part of everyday life across Abraxas. Solvunn has returned to its roots, using the ancient Academic Magic practiced by the Lunae for standard tasks while turning to the Gods for greater blessings.

The Singularity has been relatively stable for the past two or three centuries. While occasional disturbances rumble, for the most part, the presence of the Summoned has strengthened it, alleviating its displeasure and ensuring that Abraxas - and possibly the universe itself - continues to exist. Indeed, academic writings from Thorne and the Free Cities across time suggest that the Singularity's devouring of the world has considerably slowed. It is now as much of a threat as the eventual collapse of the sun, something that is bound to occur but not for eons.

Of course, this could quickly change if the Summoned or any other Gods provoke the Singularity by rejecting its connection or denying its magic...so all should take care not to upset the nature of things.

Old World, New World

The map of Abraxas has undergone some notable shifts, although many names and places are the same.

Setting descriptions are HERE for your reference.

Mechapolis, the Witchwood, and the Barren/the Maw contain prompts related to the event itself. Information about those areas can be found under "Exploring the Land" in the section The World as the Divine (Month 1-2).

Month 1-2: Submersion

What do you last remember? Well, that depends. You might recall most things perfectly clearly. You might have new memories that don't feel new at all. Or, you might only remember the most recent year or two. Regardless, there is something missing: an important face, a handful of key events...maybe you don't remember having ever lived anywhere except Abraxas. You might find this unsettling, or you might accept it as just the way things are.

You've transcended those old memories, anyhow. You feel a little distant from the person you were centuries ago, and you most likely look different, too. Perhaps you've sprouted giant wings, become a formless void, or you're now a shapeshifter with no permanent appearance. You've gained a substantial amount of power and influence, the type that people of this world attribute to the Gods.

The first half is a more sandbox-like environment designed for scenarios that emphasize CR and personal character moments. Active conflict between the emergent reality and the world will not arise until the second half.

The World as the Divine

The mortals have bestowed you with a title and possibly a new alias. Do you know your mortal name anymore? Some of you might've taken on a new identity, or you might have held very tightly onto who you were. Regardless, your abilities have grown. Your new powers and appearance are as unique as your dominion, influenced by your interests, subconscious desires, or personal relationships.

While in your full God form, you'll move through the world unperceived. Only when you're sought by a mortal - followers, believers, cultists - can you consciously make your complete divine presence known. To be seen freely by all, you'll have to take on a less overwhelming shape to the mortal gaze. Those who have met the Old Gods or Cardinal Gods in the past finally understand why they seldom reveal their true selves, often arriving in hazy visions or speaking through animals.

Exploring the Land

◎ The Witchwood

As the Summoned continued to ascend, their power began to coalesce, creating a new ecosystem never seen before. The dense woods, originally a temperate climate, warmed and grew into a thriving jungle. The air is humid and heavy with magic, the sky locked into an eternal sunset. Reds and oranges filter through the thick canopy. Birdcall and animal cries echo throughout the jungle. Trees and rocks seemingly move at night, meaning the Witchwood is impossible to map. Foolhardy souls who venture too deep are rarely seen again - unless divine intervention prevents a tragic fate from befalling them. Perhaps one of those intervening Gods is you?

The most dangerous beasts in the Witchwood are the demigod spawns. Creatures born from the Summoned, demigods are powerful enough to affect the world around them should they ever leave the magic-encased forest. See Impact & Consequences for more details on the demigods and how, as the Summoned, you can help maintain Abraxas' ecosystem.

◎ Mechapolis

Heartwood Syndrome persisted in Fomalhaut long after the quarantined population died out. The port city stood as a monument to loss for nearly a century until about 200 years in when the Summoned gained notable influence as Gods. This resulted in a slow but steady acceptance of the Singularity's power as a positive force for potential advancement. New Magic boomed, leading to increased sophistication in technology and the refinement of automatons.

Originally designed to clear and guard Fomalhaut, they were eventually used to rebuild it. Fomalhaut became known as the City of Machines and was renamed Mechapolis. Although humans are barred from entering for safety, the automatons gather soil and air samples for study and perform fishing duties. The clockworks require routine maintenance and must return to a hub city or outpost for recalibration. Clockwork birds are used to communicate with Mechapolis. They can broadcast through the Free Cities's primitive "radio" towers.

You can enhance clockwork performance, boosting the towers or providing additional energy to the automatons. Scientists often have "rituals" when performing maintenance or experiments to earn the Gods' favor, hoping this will prevent their inventions from breaking down.

◎ The Barren/The Badlands

Once contested territory between Thorne and the Free Cities, the Badlands was split into two by a large ravine shortly after Thorne retreated to Hayle. With neither side able to breach the gap, Solvunn naturally laid claim to the western half while the Free Cities retained its eastern half. On the eastern side, the chasm swallowed several well-known bandit camps and the presence of a new entity further drove them away. Bandits now occupy the mountains northeast of Aquila. Due to the entity's threat, the Free Cities increased its military presence in the Badlands to keep careless or foolish travelers from straying too far.

Meanwhile, Solvunn has named its portion of the wasteland the Barren and sought the Gods' assistance to form an enchanted forest. Those who enter are lost forever. Meant for more than just protection, the forest and the Barren serve as a place of exile. Heretics are taken into the woods and left to wander towards the Barren's harsh desert. There, they will face the elements, be devoured by the waiting Maw...or encounter a God.

As a God, you can lead the exiles to their salvation or doom, but choose carefully: the Maw is hungry and must be fed. These exiles want you dead. They don't care for you, and should their lack of faith spread, they might revive attempts to destroy the Singularity - and with it, your home. Is it so wrong to leave them to their fate? On the other hand, saving them might convert them by demonstrating your kindness.

◎ The Maw

The Maw lurks beneath the chasm dividing the Badlands. Named for its gaping jaws, the Maw waits at the widest part of a jagged canyon, mouth open and salivating in the desert heat. Rows and rows of teeth as tall as a man spiral downward into a bloodshot throat. When sated, it retreats deep into the gully, barely visible aside from the shine of a tooth. When hungry, it draws closer to the surface. Hot and heavy winds often carry the putrid scent of its half-digested meals.

Solvunn is not the only territory that uses the Maw. The Free Cities will occasionally march criminals and bandits in that direction, as well, tossing them into the gaping mouth, although this method of execution is much rarer. Desperate exiles from Solvunn will try to cross the chasm despite the danger. None ever make it - at least, not without divine intervention.

Horizon, "Death," and Dormancy

Your domain in the Horizon is no longer constrained by size. How it's changed depends on you. The more detached from your mortality, the more likely it'll have surrealist elements: bizarre statues, physics-defying architecture, odd visual or psychological effects. The Horizon feels like home to all Gods, although you ought to take care not to heed its call beyond reason. Shutting yourself off from the physical world can result in unintended consequences...but completely refusing to enter the Horizon will do the same.

Additionally, Gods are beyond true death, but that doesn't mean you can act with impunity. Engaging in an exhaustive battle with other Gods can weaken you into dormancy. In this state, you will enter an ethereal void inside the Singularity. As you heal, you'll slowly be able to return to your Horizon domain and then the physical world once more. Depending on the extent of the damage, this process could take anywhere from months to decades. For instance, losing your head could take a few months, total dismemberment might take a year, and being vaporized into atoms can take a few decades.

Mortals cannot achieve this level of damage, even if they seemingly "succeed" in striking true. Only a God can weaken another God into dormancy. If a mortal removes your head, you can merely pick it up and put it back on.

Impact & Consequences

In the early years of your ascension, you might've wondered why the existing Gods seemingly intervened so little. Why did they not demonstrate their powers more blatantly over the thousands of years? Is it apathy? A desire to watch rather than act? As you come into your abilities, you realize that the Singularity and the universe are significantly more delicate than you thought. You begin to understand why the Gods have behaved the way they do.

Of course, whether you care to keep the world (and yourself) in balance is another story, but to be sure, some of the other Gods and the Summoned do - and you may have to defend your choices.

The equilibrium mechanic is described in OOC terms HERE. The Singularity and a character's ascension will not inherently sway them one way or the other. Any temptations will result from individual personality and development.

Instability Effects

To maintain the universe's equilibrium, you need to be cautious of when and how you interfere when using your status to alter the state of the world. Conversely, you'll also need to take care not to withdraw entirely. Several Gods have undergone periods of instability, though others haven't. Which category you fall under is up to you. It depends on who you are, your experiences, and your desires.

◎ Should you refuse to ACKNOWLEDGE your Godhood or enter the Horizon, you'll find yourself losing time. You may forget how you got from one place to another, or names you knew yesterday slip your mind. Lapses in memory or time can be temporary or permanent, but one thing they are is certainly confusing. With magic building inside you and nowhere for it to go, your power will begin to spill over, causing the Singularity to exhibit bursts of power that spawn demigods in the Witchwood.

◎ Should you give into the temptation to OVERINDULGE your Godhood or retreat to the Horizon for excessive periods, you'll lose more of yourself and your history. You may make decisions that feel unlike you, forget larger chunks of old memories, or struggle to distinguish what's real. Unrestrained use of magic will cause you to absorb yet more power, causing the Singularity to lose power in brief spurts, which can spawn demigods in the Witchwood.

These effects can be halted or even reversed in some cases. You might need someone's help to bring you back or convince you there's another way, or maybe you're the one seeking others out to assist. What you do soon understand is that your ability to manage your powers and stabilize your connection to the Horizon directly affects the Singularity and Abraxas...something that may have been true the moment you were summoned.

Demigod Spawns

Under the red haze of the Witchwood, monstrous creatures known as demigods or spawns emerge from crimson waterfalls and claw their out through the mossy soil. Born out of instabilities caused by careless actions from all Gods, they're usually contained to the Witchwood. For the most part, the older Gods - and the Summoned, if they choose - keep the demigods from leaving. However, now and again, one or two might escape, damaging towns, destroying villages, or causing ecological destruction in ways that are similar to natural disasters.

Demigods are not sentient. How they look can vary, but their appearances are often corrupted and disturbing: twisted animals, amorphous blobs, or alien-like parasites. They may resemble a monster you recognize from home.

Defeating one is possible but a challenge even for the Gods. Most crucially, you cannot kill your own spawn. Another God must deliver the killing blow, so working together is imperative. Should too many demigod spawns be allowed to invade the Witchwood, they will overwhelm and disrupt the Singularity further. Culling them is the only way to maintain stability.

You can submit demigod spawns you create to the WORLDBUILDING section if you want. Similar to using character powers, just keep the scale of destruction at a reasonable level.

Hearing Echoes

Echoes are a form of prayer that resonates through your connection with the Singularity. Solvunn has dedicated a monument to where the "First Echo" was heard, though the accuracy of this is debatable. Like the Network, you can hear an Echo regardless of where you are and can shut them out with concentration. However, your ties to Godhood may compel you to listen every so often. Mortals can entreat you through more formal methods (rituals, offerings, seasonal ceremonies) or in a moment of duress or desperation. They may seek you specifically or call to any God who will listen.

You can answer or ignore these cries for help as you like, but your choices carry consequences. Answer too many too eagerly, and your increased interference in mortal lives can upset the world's equilibrium - and the Singularity. Ignore your impact on the world, and your refusal to accept your ascension will equally destabilize the land as prayers go unheard.

Interacting with Other Gods

The Old Gods and the Cardinal Gods are an equal part of this world. For the most part, you coexist peacefully, though personal pacts and tensions can play a role. Each of you is aware of the impact of your actions on the Singularity: extreme displays of power are reserved for substantial transgressions, considering the price it carries.

Further, the older Gods have also walked the earth for centuries before you came. To them, you're still young, and rising against one of them won't end well for you. Nonetheless, many older Gods are more interested in giving advice or guiding you, ensuring the health of the Singularity and the universe so as not to doom all of you - Gods and mortals alike - to the void.

You can REQUEST AN INTERACTION with a God. Interactions will be brief but informative.

You will not be able to request a specific God. For logistical reasons, we have curated the list of Gods available ahead of time. However, we'll do our best to pick one from the pool that suits the purpose of your request.

Month 3: Awakening

Over the past 2 months, you've existed in the emergent reality without question. As you enter the third month, however, everything you've known over the past many centuries begins to shift. You might decide to investigate further, wondering if there's more out there that you aren't seeing. Alternatively, you might choose to ignore it, believing that your awakening is damaging the world and your life.

Catalysts

A catalyst can occur at any time through any circumstance. Do you see a familiar face you've forgotten in the eyes of a stranger? Do you recall a moment in your past while watching the mortals? Has a friend approached you specifically to try and remind you of the things you've forgotten?

With each memory returned you'll gain another piece of yourself. Depending on how much you've lost and how hard you'll cling to this reality, the effect may be clarifying or it might cause you distress and confusion. You might begin to encounter temporal cracks: buildings or areas that normally don't exist will flicker in and out of existence, or your reflection will briefly show an image of you from before your transformations took hold.

If you allow yourself to doubt your abilities or divinity, you might have trouble controlling your powers. If you've made alterations to your Horizon domain, it might start to revert to its original design.

These cracks are difficult to ignore, but if you bury your head, you can make them disappear - briefly, at least.

Shattered Skies

The effects go beyond the individual. As more of you and your fellow Gods reawaken, the sky also begins to form cracks that spread like broken glass. Through the fractures, you glimpse flashes of lightning and a swirling fog. The fissures only grow larger.

Soon, you realize you can see the Singularity itself, reflected upside-down in the crater. Disconcerting though it is, it may serve as proof that something is very wrong. Of course, you can also refuse to acknowledge this disturbance, closing your eyes to the crumbling sky. Doing so will let you remain unaware to the very end, but your friends who are seeking the truth might find your denial distressing.

The sky won't hold, though. Eventually, it does shatter completely - and you awaken abruptly, your body and others scattered several feet away from the Singularity's crater as if you were physically thrown out. The fog begins to dissipate. The lightning has stopped, the unrelenting storms fading across Abraxas. Whatever you went through, it seems to have done exactly what the territories hoped: stabilize the Singularity.

Characters will be returned home afterward. They will be thanked for their assistance regardless of if they cooperated.

Resistors will not face any consequences, as long as they don't cause excessive trouble upon their return. Officials will issue an apology for the heavy-handed action, stating that they saw no other way to keep the world safe. With the portals and weather returning to normal, it does seem to have worked...even if characters may not find the method agreeable.

---

Comments

[judgmentbolts]

[ The corner of Cid's mouth quirks. Another time, he might tell Clive that he could come back and provide the boy with some lessons in swordsmanship but, as much as it pains him, he has duties that are more important than looking after this place. ]

They are, aye. They don't look much alike but I've rarely seen them apart.

[ The younger brother, Eli, pulls that scraped elbow into his lap, holding a hand over it as he says a healing incantation. He has to stop partway to sneeze and have a small coughing fit and be fussed over in turn.

It's the pollen this time of year, Cid knows, nothing truly harmful — but he doesn't say as much. Instead he keeps an eye on Clive so that he can be sure to grab him if he tries to do something foolish. ]

Do you remember him yet? Joshua Rosfiled.

[ It's a bold gamble to be sure, but he can see that Clive has already started to come around. ]

[flagrates]

[ His right throbs again at the assertion they've never been apart, and harder still at the healing magic, and when Cid says the name, it's almost blinding. Clive clamps a hand over his eye, pressing the heel of his hand up on his brow bone as if that will relieve the pressure, and he's not sure but he thinks he might feel blood trickling down his nose, if he feels anything at all.

He takes one step, and then another, away from Cid and the boys, half blindly stumbling his way through the market. He has to get away from here, something isn't right, there's something he needs to remember, something big, something important and it has to do with — ]

Joshua?

[catholica]

Wow, so long.

( his voice sounds a little lighter when he says that, a tone he wouldn't use with many people. his eyes are still closed when she turns him around. )

It's not horrible. It's just not correct.

( there were rules and guidelines about this sort of thing. there were rites to follow. he makes a face at her. )

[iustise]

[John watches his companion reach for his shirt, understanding his need to move, to free himself from whatever it was that had come over him. He cannot say that a ride will fix whatever strange feeling it is that has settled in and broken the peace he had found here, but he will be grateful for the air and the open sky and familiarity of the action of riding itself.

He pushes himself to stand, reaching for his own clothes to dress and glancing toward the window, a slight frown creasing his brow. Storm? The sky does look darker, but he had not noticed the clouds rolling in before now. Strange, though he supposes not uncommon for this time of year. Or, he supposes, the mood that Geralt has settled into.

Geralt has never been a talker but John usually makes up for the silence in his own way. Still rattled as he is, he can feel the weight of the quiet between them, unnaturally still in its uncertainty and he forces himself to break it even if it does not come naturally this time.]

We still have time yet. Enough for something short, at least.

[restingstitchface]

[Crane watches the scene without offering advice or passing judgement. Perhaps he would revel at the sight sometime long ago.

But what is there to enjoy about dominating - eating in this case - somebody who cannot fight back? Everything, because people are more than their body.]

Well, enjoy, but try not to choke.

[Can Nanaue even choke?]

wrap with the next tag?

[beautifullies]

Claire's smile softens into one of appreciation. "I think that's a fantastic idea. My talent isn't in seeing the future, but with just enough time magic in my blood, I can almost feel his path. He'll be just fine with you as his guide."

She doesn't mind that this family has both their blessings; Claire knows they're wise and well-restrained enough to not interfere with large things, to only gently whisper and leave the rest to the mortal's free will. Today was much different, though it proved them a capable team.

"Mortals find themselves in so many odd and unique situations, I don't doubt we'll be able to work together again. Perhaps sooner than we think." Which she realizes she looks forward to the moment she says it.

[aquaveiled]

[ And they're off! Aegis' form for his dive is something to be lauded, like a bird dead set on capturing the nearest fish in his beak. Azem's own dive is much more human--that is, until she's beneath the water's surface. The flesh of her tail expands and flattens, creating quite a useful paddle.

Every now and then she's wondered why she came with these changes and not Aegis--the tail and her fin-like ears--but he has his own. It must just be a side effect of godhood. She does vaguely recall them being still a little different earlier on, but...she can write off easily. Abraxas has changed them much over the years.

Though she spends a majority of her time on land wandering about, there's something about being in the water that feels so right. It's why she's fully convinced their world must have been a water world before they were brought here. They are both so well-equipped for it.

But the fishing is the priority now and Azem zooms in on the same school that Aegis does. She could try to find her own, but this is much closer and direct competition is simply more fun. Her tail swishes powerfully, sending her forward as she keeps her limbs close to her side to streamline the approach. That is, until she narrows in on a fish and...cuts her brother off to grab it with her hands!

That's one!

Her grin is entirely unapologetic. ]

[glaciare]

( What is it like? Metia gives it some thought before she answers, considering -- there are no cults dedicated to her, no centers of worship. Just heartfelt pleas made in anguish and hopelessness. And Metia answers them in whatever way she can, desperate to keep them safe.

So she knows what she is, the answer easy once she has come to it: )

I am their sword. Their vengeance, or the blade to cut away the parts of themselves they cannot survive so that they can heal free of the burdens forced upon them.

( It is true that some think of her as a woman of domesticity, considering that Metia is happy to play at something akin to a mortal family with her husband and her son. And she is -- she loves them so completely she does not know what she would be without them. And it is that love that she uses to temper her sword.

To help where no one else can. )

[gynvael]

[ This is not the most absurd event he's partaken in, but it's close. He squints at the bat wings and recalls an abruptly clear memory of Jaskier screaming at a cloud of bats.

They'll hope this goes better than that. It may go worse. ]

If I have to restrain you, don't take it personally.

[ He cannot say what altogether lurks in Alucard's mind, waiting to spring like a trap, but it seems reasonable to forewarn. ]

[funbreaker]

There is a hint of relief that comes with hearing that Istredd has taken care of his own missteps this time, and yet Aegis is so used to stepping in that he's also left with this odd feeling of absence as he realizes that there isn't anything for him to do.

Granted, he knows that is his own short-coming. He always needs to be doing something. The truth is that this is the better outcome and he certainly doesn't regret coming to check in on Istredd all the same.

"I suppose that's part of being human, though, isn't it? They're not perfect, and they're going to make mistakes." The gods can only involve themselves to a point before their meddling is considered to be too much, and then the land will usually find a way of telling them they've overdone it.

At Istredd's question, Aegis huffs out a nearly soundless laugh and shrugs, his wings shifting with the movement. "Well enough. Azem has been dragging me all about the realm, as she is wont to do. She wants to make a trip to the Serpent's Sea, so I think we'll be setting out that way before long."

[beautifullies]

[ None of them need any of this, and she realized, long ago, that Percy didn't necessarily need her either, but he always returned, and that filled some sort of long ago ache of motherhood. She looks after plenty of others she knows consider themselves adopted by her, but Percy is the one who'd stayed long enough to warrant a space of his own, making her feel most like a mother. ]

Tell me about your adventures. Any smiting lately, or have things been calm?

[ Setting cake and drink on the table, she smooths her skirts beneath her and sits. She's all smiles, clearly pleased at his presence; even the flowers on the table perk up, leaves turning a richer, deeper shade of lush green. ]

[assembles]

[ It's far too easy for gods like them to let day-to-day troubles such as finding edible food fade from their minds. Neither one of them requires food to sustain them, after all.

However, it's Viktor's next statement that truly takes the Nomad by quiet surprise. It's all too easy to think of the Machinist as a hermit who has sequestered himself away from the world by living here in Mechapolis, surrounded by automatons that he relates to more than humanity itself, and yet...

Viktor wants that to change. He wants this place to be inhabitable again. ]

It's been centuries in the making. [ The fact that they still haven't been able to either eradicate the plague or find a cure or vaccine for it is surprising, but maybe it's simply that no one has dedicated themselves to it. ] If anyone could figure out how to make it possible, it'd be you.

[ Thus far, the humans have been struggling to solve it on their own. It could be that it's time for some sort of divine intervention. ]

[beautifullies]

You raise a good point, though I like to think I've perfected a nice balance. I don't mind multiple chances, depending on the situation.

She can almost—almost—remember a time when she would've begged for another chance to get it right, to make a choice based on logic and not her heart. But she can't quite remember the circumstances and sighs softly.

Of course, I have my limits. Making a mistake is fine, but not learning a lesson from it to make a better choice is not. Every mistake is a way to a better path forward.

Claire suddenly wrinkles her nose because this isn't her strong suit. I sound like some sort of philosophical scholar.

[ ooc: please don't worry! there are some new developments post event I probably need to have her hit his inbox up for, if that's okay? ]

[assembles]

[ There is a moment of regret when Sidus speaks of terrorizing. The Sentinel truly hadn't planned to use fear to try and sway the mind of this exile, but then again, he'd known that he was making a gamble when he included Sidus in this. If he's going to help, then he's going to do it his own way.

The Sentinel knows better than to try and convince Sidus not to participate after all. He's made up his mind, an idea has formulated, and he isn't going to let it go until he sees it through. The Sentinel wishes that he could respect that trait of Sidus' more, but it so often is used to cause trouble rather than help.

Still, in this case? Maybe it's exactly what they need.

He watches as Sidus begins to transform into something more monstrous, more godlike. ]

... I want to at least offer that as an option.

[ He settles down on a sand dune not far from the exile in question, who continues to struggle against the sand and the sun overhead. They can keep a close eye on him from here. ]

Whether or not he changes his mind, that's up to him.

[ He won't force anything, is the point. ]

And you want to just scare him into submission?

[carmesi]

( she doesn't expect anything less from him. between keeping order and following 'rules'—both written and unwritten—maybe vexani herself is the one that could learn a thing or two from him.

though despite the chastising tone of his voice, she knows that he would never be truly angry at her.

he can't. )

Alright. I will go — go and sit in my despair while I wait for you.

( at this, vexani pulls away, hovering above the ground and the trail of her hair allowing for flowers to bloom in her wake—small and plenty, white daisies. she stops, though, a few feet away, turning her head over her shoulder to glance back at him. )

Promise me you'll come.

( hardly a promise he has to make, but part of the ritual, isn't it? )

[godshattering]

[ It's not until Ciri reappears in relative safety compared to when she vanished he exhales a breath he hadn't he was holding. Which is - odd, considering it pulls forth some vein of worry which doesn't feel familiar to the last few centuries where he's witnessed her handle any number of challenges. Something from before, he suddenly thinks. That's where that came from as 'before' is a concept that's been pulling harder and harder at his mind since remembering fragments of things which still have no context.

Now isn't the time to find it when there's ash falling around them from those fires he caused and they have work to do. The demigod shrieks with the realization Ciri's buried her blade into it. Its attention seems to be drawn away from the village, so that's one more thing in their favor.

Sidus himself has shifted to his own god form of something more wyvern than man and as a formidable block between the demigod and the path it seems to still want to take towards the village's center. A sweep of one arm and a wing brings a burst of wind with sand and grit on it he aims it towards the demigod and away from Ciri to pull its attention towards him. ]

Not today, you don't!

[ A warning crackle of charged static zips through the air, one that isn't from the concerning skies above, and one that materializes into a bolt of electricity which lands ahead of him to begin that convincing to leave the village alone as Sidus addresses that comment to the demigod stubbornly staying where it is. More bolts of lightning follow, especially as he lines up more arrows to fire them off one after another. ]

[gynvael]

[ His fingers dip gently into the small of her back. She's not changed a lot over the years, and he likes that about her. Still the same height, still the same pink hair. Though he does enjoy the small fox that occasionally darts around his forest or curls under the sunlight. It suits her, that form.

He smiles a little. ] Me, too.

[ It's a welcome ache. And he won't deny he likes to know he's been missed. Time is strange when it's spun for so long; he's come across his share of others who've closed themselves off. He glimpses shades of himself in them, and he knows that were it not for his family, he might've fallen down the same path. Or stayed down that path, perhaps. He was there once before, though the edges of those memories have blurred now.

As he pushes her onto her back, a dense patch of grass sprouts beneath her like a blanket. He glides one hand up her leg. The sun has warmed her skin, and he can feel it against his back. ]

[judgmentbolts]

[ Easier said than done, but he trusts Steve to know how to handle himself and keep a level head, come what may. If Cid gets out of this one alive, he'll have to remember to write him a thank you note. Nice parchment and all.

He nods at the question and claps Steve on the shoulder. ] Let's make haste. We'll sort out the plan on our way.

[ They make good time getting to the village and setting themselves up. If this phantom was the real thing, he'd clock the empty village from a mile away and slice it to ribbons with barely a moment's pause before he moved on.

Instead, the creature's sword parts the sea just ahead of him as he rides out of the ocean, eerily silent as Sleipnir's hooves tread the air only a few feet from the ground. The blackness of his armor seems to swallow even the light from the setting sun. He only stops when he reaches the center of the village, sword already drawn at his side. Without a stream of screaming villagers in his path, he doesn't seem to have any idea of what to do.

Cid has set himself up on the roof of one of the houses, already prepared with the two orbs of levin he'll need. It takes him only a moment to let the charge loose — one slams into the center of Odin's chest, and the other centers itself on Sleipnir, the charge traveling back and forth between horse and rider.

It's hardly enough to unseat Odin, but it buys him the time he needs. Sleipnir's hooves finally touch the ground as he bucks, trying to shake free, and Odin makes an inhuman sound — more anger than pain Cid thinks. His baleful gaze turns to the rooftop instantly, and Cid only dodges the strike that follows because he knows this form so well.

He leaps for Odin then, semi-primed, levin raining down around him. Unlike Odin, he does find his mark. (The way his knee hits the ground when he lands lets him know that he's going to regret this thoroughly if he lives to see another sunrise.) ] Captain!

[ He staggers to his feet ungracefully, but he's done their opening gambit — it's up to Steve to get the rider off the horse now that he's weakened. ]

[sketchycharacter]

[His words are pleasant, relaxing, almost like he's an old-timey hypnotist or something. But there's something unpleasant underneath, leaving him unnerved even before the Doctor gets to the part that isn't true. That can't possibly be true.

He really doesn't want it to be true.]

What — no. No.

[He shakes his head.]

I can't — I was never married.

[catholica]

I had no idea you were so dramatic.

( he says it mildly, reaching out and grazing his fingers down her back before he nods. )

I promise I'll come.

( and he means that. )

You won't have to wait long.

[godshattering]

Noted. I'll be sure to bring you only far more interesting things instead, like something just as destructive but smaller.

[ As if that's really what Viktor meant, though the amusement on his own face is readily apparent at the very idea of bringing something else very complicated into the lab. An irate demigod certainly counts as much.

When asked about his own activities, Sidus merely shrugs a shoulder nonchalantly. ]

I hadn't been here in a while so I thought I'd stop by. There might've also been a call to come here, I suppose.

[ There definitely was. At least it wasn't to deal with the demigod's poison this time around, though he casts a quick glance at the ground by Viktor. One of the antidote ingredients is nearby - a flower - so he could probably grab it for later. Maybe. If he feels inclined to, since rather than do that he raises an eyebrow in interest while looking to Viktor next. ]

What is it you're up to? Aside from your own hunting, that is.

[gynvael]

[ His brows knit further together. After a second, he sits down on a stump outside the cabin next to a pile of firewood. The faded memories have seldom bothered him. It is different than the ones he lost in one fell swoop; his life was long before this state of immortality took hold of everyone, and plenty of images were already blurred at the edges.

But lately, it has felt...like more. Something tells him it's not yet time for those memories to go. That they are not as old as he believed.

He chooses his words carefully before he answers. ] I did. I left Kaer Morhen behind centuries ago.

[ Or so he thought. Its name has only resurfaced over the past week, and he cannot explain why. What has dredged up the memory, when he'd put it in the past for a reason? And why does he suddenly recall that tree so fucking clearly? ]

What's on your mind?

[wwrench]

Wrench has had centuries now to let himself believe that discussing his own past might not be the sure path to destruction he always thought it to be. He might be more willing now than ever before to discuss those moments of crossroads in his own life; problem is, he scarcely remembers them these days. He remembers feeling as though his life has harbored one or two great regrets. Moments he once thought that, if only he had another chance, the trajectory of his whole existence might've been completely different. Sitting with Claire overlooking the vast space below them, he can't quite seem to call them to mind.

Instead, he laughs at her self-deprecation. It's a response he doesn't try to disguise like he might've once done. He doesn't mind that she realizes she amuses him, or that he appreciates the opportunity to converse, even if she does worry about going on at length. I think you've earned the right, he goads. Who knows more about second chances than the Herald of the Timeless herself?

There's something else weighing on his mind, though. A thought he can't quite shake. After a few moments of stillness, Wrench turns all his attention to her. What if the bad decision wasn't their own? What if it was out of their hands entirely? Can you change that, too?

[[OOC - Yes, absolutely! I need to take a better look at all that. Please feel free and let me know if you'd prefer we swift-stop this one and move onto that!]]

[cryptsleeper]

I won't. Promise.

[Alucard puts his mouth to the rim of the mug and takes a small sip first, testing to check the temperature of the soup-made-of-himself. It's hot but not enough to burn. It'll do.

The first full and proper sip does nothing at all. Alucard only frowns and mutters about needing more time and poor mouth feel. His second is likewise uneventful.

Unfortunately, the soup seems to play by rule of threes, as with the third sip and the gentle thunk of the mug going down onto the kitchen table, something bodyslams into Alucard's brain. He doesn't fall over from it, but he digs his hands into his own palms hard enough to draw blood. There's a groan. He rests his forehead on the table itself, eyes downward at the floor.

He manages to choke out a FUCK!, but that's it. Whatever it was like for Geralt, it is not this. It is not sitting paralyzed while the flood gates open back up fully, leaving one gasping for air while being wholly still and on dry land. It's being washed over by a great wave and waiting for it to recede.

Except it doesn't recede, not immediately. Alucard doesn't know how long it takes him to come up to the metaphorical surface, but when he does, his face is flushed red and streaked with tears, his palms are bloodied, and he looks every inch the 800 that they aren't.

His breathing, however, is still labored. Every breath is a struggle, and when he locks eyes on Geralt there is visible panic in them.]

[gynvael]

[ So they do. They are filled with an abundance of time. (That thought no longer holds as firmly as it did just hours ago.) ]

We've weathered worse storms. [ If they're caught in it, they're caught in it.

Geralt waits for John to finish dressing, leaning against the wall. His eyes are worried, though his expression is unchanged. He knows things often weigh heavily on John's mind. He feels like John deserves the peace they've found. It bothers him to see it disturbed.

The horses are outside, Roach already saddled. He hops on and urges her forward down the trail that opens up for them alone. ]

You should visit. Next winter. [ He glances over. John occasionally does, but he can admit he could use the man's company again in the coming year. ] Ciri would like to have you.