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

[familysucks]

Claire has many talents.

[Including patience enough to talk new ideas through an otherwise impenetrably thick skull. Michael has found her a wise confidant over the years, and he hopes she finds him the same in return.

He has respect for Aloy's opinion too, though she's more black and white in her thinking. Decisiveness is also a trait to be admired.

Michael bats one of the plants just to watch it scurry to a new spot. Admittedly, despite his fondness for a thing he made with his own two hands (okay, so it might be four plus Claire's) he can already predict a few issues—like the sun-loving plants out-competing less mobile flora for the best spots in the field.]

Are you worried our little project will create more work for you?

[If she's got specific concerns, he's listening.]

[familysucks]

[He'd agree on that much. What else is he in attendance for if not to support a friend?]

Evidently. I'd be here even if it were five hours.

[It's not as though their time is in short supply. It's good Ed has people experienced in reasonable expectations to consult about his plays, because Michael would not have been the voice of reason on that one. He'd have counselled a full day's worth of performances as perfectly reasonable (with an extra long intermission and maybe a nap break in the middle for the mortal audience).

On that thought, the mortal audience—]

Have you considered audience participation for the future? Buckets of water to throw, a handful of something glittery to toss during the wedding? Not to suggest they weren't already enjoying themselves, but you know how they like to feel involved.

[earthborn]

Sheis nothing loathe to take the lead. Below them, far below, the people of Cadens see them pass, twin shooting stars, and a smattering of wishes burst over them as they pass by. So it goes all the way to Thorne; the long, slow wingbeats cutting the air, the whispered wash of attention here and there as mortals look up and see the impossible made real...

Landing is less graceful. But then, going places has always been easy for Shepard. Arriving, on the other hand, has always, always been an act of violence.

[northerndragon]

[As long as he's known her, she's always said strange things. In some ways, she's always had something of the air of a woods witch. Eight hundred years, and he still doesn't know what a neural pathway is. Something about his mind's eye, or theirs, the people off in the distance.

He is not so sure that he has that sort of body anymore, the kind that has her neural pathways.]

What happens to them once they aren't anymore? [A beat, and he adds,] I don't know if they're content with each other, but they need nothing from me. Not now, anyway.

[infiniteban]

[Damn. What a shame. Oh well.

He just thinks it would've helped both them and him, alright. Fast-track the problem. He doesn't see the problem in that, doesn't understand why he's fallen under the look she's given him.

Seems undeserved.

But her question does catch him off-guard. Should a goo abomination look uncertain? Two of his sinewy fingers push together in a state of nervousness, the rest of the limbs tumbleweeds to the air.] Oh. Well I. [He's never really had to explain it before and even he doesn't really know what it is he does. He knows how it's gone wrong, for sure.] I can ah... put their memories back together. It! It doesn't always go well, though. But I could fix around the rotten bits. Like a... sewing project. [Except he never learned how to sew.]

[inthenameofhades]

And now...it's time to fish.

And this is where the fact that Zagreus doesn't really have much in the way of gody fishing power is working to his benefit, because...he's doing good. Really, really good.

He...might actually win!

So when they call time, and they're all waiting to hear the results...he's feeling pretty good. But how did the other two go?

i think we can wrap here!

[satanicpanics]

[ It’s enough to make him practically glow, because it’s an invitation to speak again, to return to this place without forcing his presence upon her, and that’s far more than he’s received in a very long time. ]

I won’t. Promise. And the next skipping rock I find? It's all yours.

[ And he’s going to make sure it’s even better than the one he just used. ]

[thedevilwhorose]

I spent the early creation of my world in a Cage. That isn't a metaphor. An actual cage, four walls, darkness. Punished because I had the gall to speak out against-- [A pause for confusion, because the answer of Father isn't there, and it niggles rudely at the back of his mind, just like how he can't remember Thorne's end.

Hm.

That might be a more pressing problem.] Against family. [It seems like the accurate answer but it's missing something.] I spent billions of years trapped until I was released through what I had thought may be my own machinations but just fell in line with prophecy. I continued to get thrust back in that space despite my damnedest efforts not to. And then I was Summoned here. Lacking familiar power so needing to fall to the whims of mortals. Being unable to leave without permission, our needs 'met' by the Crown to make us dependent on them. The Crown previously known for experimenting on its Summoned to replicate our Singularity connection and likely looking for any reason to pull us in and get us under their experimentation again --

[Sorry Nebula, you both asked and didn't ask for this.]

-- but no, I couldn't have hated the place that much.

I'M DYING LMAO

[aquaveiled]

[ Azem is, for better or for worse, wholly unaware of any such thoughts of the younger members of her pantheon. Though no matter the age bracket, she's keen to offer the best hospitality she can and Dustin is no exception. Hells, if he wants some mead she will fill up a stein too. Never too young to drink!

To the question of her followers, she gives a half-shrug. ]

They speak of it a bit during certain feasts down below, though I prefer to bring the food back to them. But you're here now and I'm happy to say that everything we serve here is guaranteed to be the best you've ever had...or else!

[ If it sounds like a threat, it's...well, it kind of is. But she prides herself on being the Chef of this place. ]

Do you have any specific requests? Otherwise I've been working on a very potent cheese curry of late.

[northerndragon]

[At this, he moves to thump Eddie on the back in greeting. As well as he can, anyway.]

You can languish in the Great Hall drinking ale just as well, you know. You are welcome to it, when you have nothing better to do.

We're in agreement, then. Festival's over in the Velan somewhere. I can stay to the evening, but no longer.

[Claire things. Though if he does not return, he thinks she will only join them.]

You say we walk among them, or no?

[abraxasnpcs]

To love and care for anyone at all is acceptance of the eventual pain of loss. If not to time and actions, then to my walk. Feeling the pain means you haven't cut yourself off. Most people tend to think of it as a positive attribute.

[ The gems appear to blink once more, and her voice takes a thoughtful tone. One hand raises and disappears under her veil, where she taps her chin. ]

The first time? Goodness, that's far to look back. I think it was a young boy, not even thirteen. He fell through the ice and drowned. We held hands and he told me his favorite stories. He asked if we would ever see each other again, and I said nothing is written in stone.

[ Vagn does not seem sad, nor rueful, exactly. Some might argue that she should have said no at the time, that the boy would cross and not return. But there is nothing absolute about the future. ]

I'm afraid I don't remember anything before this. It was so long ago.

[thedevilwhorose]

Is he delighted by the suggestion? Just a tad. Thancred knew how to work Lucifer around and Aegis has much the same tricks. Though, to be fair, Lucifer isn't a complicated being when you remove his tendencies for rapid mood swings.

He's lazy and wishes to be entertained and thinks he deserves to be.

(Just don't touch the people/gods he deems as his possessions and you won't see an entity of horrifying-destructive chaos unleashed.)

"I should've done a fly-by to find the croplands," he admits. But that sounded like a lot of effort and he had found a sunspot amidst his stormy weather (lessened farther now the longer he's been with Aegis).

[thedevilwhorose]

"Thank you," he tells Wilhelm honestly. He would never harm Wilhelm. Would likely take a backlash of power against himself before he hurt Wilhelm.

He doesn't remember the root of that anymore.

It's just fact.

It's a fair concern of Wilhelm's. Lucifer has always been about power first and foremost. He's sought it out to the disastrous result of those around him more than once. Arguably it could be how he even regained his true form, after Yennefer had found him all those centuries ago and thrashed him on Jack's behalf until he had to sleep with the fishes.

Well.

The Singularity.

Maybe had he only recovered his grace or only had ascended to godhood he would have been more level-headed, but both slammed together did nothing kindly for Lucifer's state of being.

That he hasn't further lost himself or created more demigods is a marvelous wonder indeed.

"Have you ever done it? Tip too far over?" He thinks he'd remember if Wilhelm has, thinks Wilhelm would have told him, but his mind's a little fuzzy at the moment as it recovers pieces of itself just like his garden.

[thedevilwhorose]

[He does have a preference for lightning-based enchantments, though that's fallen to the wayside in later centuries. Less need, though he sometimes found it funny to bestow a chain-lightning shield to mortals and watching them one by one burn alive under the divine power.

His hobbies can be gruesome, what of it?] So kind of you to notice. [His personality.

He taps a claw idly against bone.] Perhaps a bracer. Bangles just add to the bound imagery. [Is that a reference to genies? Probably not this far in time, but it's a thought in Lucifer's mind regardless.] I think I have a design I could borrow from in order to replicate half of the effects anyway. [He sketches several symbols side by side in the dirt, similar to ones he uses for defense-lightning, but doesn't overlay them and avoids feeding any magic to them.]

[theidlemaiden]

[ Semantics schemantics. It was only fair (in this particular context) that they try it out themselves. If the cast knew about this, they'd probably appreciate it. Not that they thought it would serve her right because of bossy (she is), but because it was about being in it together (or else).

How well-liked her human persona is however is not up for discussion at the moment. Hilda readies herself, the water suddenly giving way as they're shot up. What starts as a startled shout immediately morphs into thrilled laughter joining his like a sweet melody. The sound of joy is brought on by the sensation of flying through the air - but mostly because it's so rare for even her to hear Yinyue laugh so freely.

She takes a big gulp of air seconds before she hits the picturesque water. Feeling Yinyue's hand in hers, Hilda knows that there's no reason for her to fear. What is there instead in her eyes is wonder. She doesn't even really have time to complain when they finally reach the air pocket and she takes a breath of surprisingly fresh air. The joy from before still shines across her face. ]

Of course. [ She pulls their still held hands up. ] I'm in good hands.

[ And still hold onto it she twists her head around, wings fluttering slightly to rid themselves of some of the water. ]

This is amazing! We should have done this sooner.

[northerndragon]

"Good," he echoes, his voice a husky rasp, the hint of a laugh in it. What happens between them is too good for him to have many words for it. What she does with her body makes it sweet enough, honey-sweet, and he knows he isn't far from spilling in her, but he has learned enough even in his small time with other women that their love is a great part of it, the flint for the fire. The bedding had been enough for him at the time, there had been pleasure in it, some happiness and some shame, but whatever joy there was, it was not like this. Nothing had ever been like this.

She's so close and tight against him that there isn't much room for his hand, but he has the presence of mind to slip his thumb between their bellies and stroke her with it. Later, he'll kiss her there, but for now, it's just his thumb, and even as he caresses her, he can feel that he's near the end. My love, my love, my love.

"Gods!" Half a shout, half a groan, and he is too far gone to think anymore, the passion flooding out of him and into her.

[diametrically]

[ That earns a short bark of laughter from him, not realizing that it had come across that way. ]

I'm not.

[ His amusement fades. ]

I never stay in one place.

[ And the only person that feels like home is...well, now they're roaming the same plane together. A domain of his own wasn't necessary any longer. But prior to that he had purposefully wandered until he knew he could be reunited with Serenity again. Even if for a brief moment. ]

The only home Serenity and I had was a ship. Neither of us remember it very well.

[theidlemaiden]

[ A squeaky "ow!" is her retort but she's quick to loop her arm back through his as they continue on their impromptu walk through the woods. It's a quiet "fine you win" of their silly, hypothetical fight. ]

Okay fine.

[ Speaking of hypothetical debates. Soon enough she breaks into a grin. ]

But you'll really do it? I know that Ed would absolutely love for you to be involved. You are the second best Ed after all.

[thearchangel]

She's fine, as far as he's concerned. Landing - it's like driving, he thinks again, before banishing the thought - it doesn't suit her, no. She's someone made to move forward, through every obstacle. Through all opposition.

This doesn't stop him from laughing as he comes in for his own landing, talons clicking on stone as his form shifts with hers. Quieter, less dramatic. But right behind her.

"You're getting better. I think."

[spiritread]

You decide.

[ She offers without fanfare — Jinora isn't of the mind to encourage him to go any smaller than he feels comfortable with. It's certainly true the section of this particular mountain she wants to show him means he must be much smaller than his current state, she isn't even sure he'll like it. ]

[ As they get closer she jumps off his shoulder to float down to the mouth of a cave not far from a waterfall - this sight alone is spectacular in itself, but it's not her focus. She points into the cave and says: ]

There's pieces of gold in there that form a really thin sheet. I don't know how it's formed, but it's really crinkly and almost soundless.

[spiritread]

[ Jinora wishes she had the easy confidence the other had. While she was a far cry from some timid girl - she wouldn't have called herself that - Annabeth shows confidence in spades. She's not afraid to put herself out there and Jinora... well, she's admittedly always struggled with that kind of thing. Even if she doesn't remember it. ]

Hey, you're the one who told me to come sit next to you.

[ She says, making a face as the other nudges her - but doesn't move. If it had been something serious, she's sure the other would have said something. ] You know what I mean.

A festival, huh? [ She considers; The ones for her are far more infrequent. ] What kind of food did they have? How did they celebrate?

[spiritread]

No.

[ Her response is immediate as something more melancholy lays itself across her shoulders. She glances away with a shake of her head. ] I mean. Not really, but kind of?

[ Which she know doesn't make sense, but she gently tucks herself away from him to find a place to put the fruit pie. The pastry jiggling in a way most other pastries could not - the fluffiness of help from airbending defying aesthetics. ]

I remember Air Nomad culture. What these tattoos mean - [ Her hands curl and uncurl as she steps back from the table and she puts them behind her back once more with a sheepish smile, ] I know what they mean, but I'm not sure why they're important to me.... you know?




[ ooc; briefly noting we were doing missing years for this!! but if during event time fits better i am happy to match!]

[wiedzminka]

[ The mortals haven't seen them yet; they won't, unless they reveal themselves. Ciri makes sure it will be far too late for them by the time they realize. ]

Get her out of there. I'll take care of the rest.

[ There's an urgency in her voice that seems somehow too much for such a simple job. For them, this is easy. Just a handful of humans. Why does she feel so tense, so... upset? There's anger on behalf of the girl whose echo she'd answered, for the fear and desperation Ciri can tell she feels at the hands of men who may do unspeakable things. But that's not all.

And she doesn't quite understand why, but somehow it feels personal, raw, and too close to home in a way that leaves her agitated more than usual.

They make a brief plan to break out the prisoner (or prisoners, since that's not beyond the scope of possibility in a caravan that size), after which Ciri says she'll banish the whole wagon and the kidnappers straight into the Maw. ]

[spiritread]

[ Jinora settles in her position as she grabs the cup up in a featherlight touch. She beams at the pairs mother, leaning into the touch before resettling her position. Properly minding the drink as she glances over at her borther. ]

That's how it is. You're not the only one who wants to see her.

[ Annabeth, she means, sounding like the put out younger sibling who probably likes their siblings significant other more than their sibling (it's not the case). But it does feel like he's hogging her all up! She sips and then smiles readily, any teasing-banter falling to that gentleness. ]

I'll always make time for tea. Or anything, for both of you.

[ It doesn't need to be said, or perhaps in a life as long and arduous as theirs it does. Difficult to keep pace now sometimes, even when they're this close - Even when. That's a question. She blinks owlishly and looks embarrassed resettling the cup on the table. ]

No? [ Yes, maybe. Depending on your definition. ] I've been traveling a lot - there's been a lot of strange emotions on the wind.

[ Because that's the kind of gossip they're looking for. Not that she doesn't sound genuine - worried, even - but she shakes her head of it. ]
What would you consider worth sharing?

[wiedzminka]

So true. [ About the cocktails. Her warm personality? Maybe also true. To the right people.

With a thought, Ciri conjures up something she's seen from Julie before: a floating circle shaped vaguely like a unicorn, and with it an accompanying floating tray for their drinks. Between one moment and the next, Ciri disappears from where she'd been treading water and reappears atop the unicorn floatie, now wearing a sunhat and bathing suit. ]

The blender! Ahh, that was so long ago -- I can't believe you remember that. How embarrassing... It seems such a simple thing now, but I seem to recall it was a real surprise to me back then.