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ABRAXAS MODS ([personal profile] abraxasmods) wrote in [community profile] abraxaslogs2024-04-17 10:07 am
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EVENT #18: EMERGENCE - IC EVENT LOG

Event #18 - Emergence
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.



magicalarchaeologist: (magic listen)

[personal profile] magicalarchaeologist 2024-06-03 02:06 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't know. [ He admits. ] Trauma from forgotten memories is not my expertise. But neither of you wants it to end what you have, otherwise it already would.

[ It's not healthy to continue this negativity back and forth, but they are holding on for a reason as far as he can tell, and that means there is something worth holding onto. Istredd knows it's better said than done. He squeezes Castiel's hand warmly. ]

When Yenna and I were young, something happened that broke us apart. I don't remember exactly what it was, but it was bad. We were apart for decades. But I know we found each other again and let go of whatever it was, choosing to move forward.

[ Istredd has that faded away in his mind, and so does she. They didn't hold onto it for one reason or another, perhaps because they did manage to focus on what worked between them, not what broke them apart. What he does know is he's loved her for most of his entire life, there is not a time he can think of when that wasn't the case, and it's what he holds to his heart.

The point is that relationships can be broken and fixed again, in his experience. That it's a choice in the end. He and Lucifer never had that, they never truly parted ways. They've been each other's constant through all the centuries, outside of one fight. A fight that still didn't break them.

The 'we have sex' makes his eyebrows go straight up. ]


Sex isn't enough, not if you want a real relationship. It's good for something casual, but I imagine the things that make you love him aren't solely sex related. Have you told him about the qualities you love in him? The reasons you're in love with him? You must have them.
flagrates: (clive-13466)

[personal profile] flagrates 2024-06-03 03:10 pm (UTC)(link)
Shit.

[ He'd had hope they wouldn't be burning. Futile, he knows, but all the same, he'd rather not burn down the forest. Nevermind that it's not him directly — it's his Demigods, and for Mythos that might as well be the same thing. ]

We need to hurry.

[ He picks up the pace, blade coming to his hand with no more than a thought, unheeding of the brush under his feet and any noise he's making. He's not in the mood for a sneak attack, anyway — he's angry at himself for letting it get this far, and he's going to take it out on the Demigods. ]
magicalarchaeologist: (holding yenna distance)

[personal profile] magicalarchaeologist 2024-06-03 03:22 pm (UTC)(link)
And you think you're so much better?

[ Istredd doesn't mind Yennefer having an infinite amount of other lovers for her heart is free and that's what he always wanted for her. But in his opinion, it doesn't mean that any of them are more important than him to her, not even Geralt. She came to him for comfort, with her concerns. They protect each other, she speaks for him too, when necessary.

He's annoyed now, speaking a little sharper, breaking through his constant calm. He is still in Geralt's way, in his personal space, knowing that his friend could toss him aside, although much has changed in the past centuries. He is no longer the weak scholar that he was. They are both gods. Knowledge is power, just in a different way.]


She came to me, using her own words. It seems you're the one thinking you know best for her.
catholica: (CC_173)

[personal profile] catholica 2024-06-03 07:50 pm (UTC)(link)
They make their own choices.

( he's never really settled fully into the godhood thing like she has but he's accepted it, at least.

his focus is more on her than his followers. he pulls himself closer to her and tilts his forehead down to rest against hers. )


Just like I make mine.
gynvael: (220)

[personal profile] gynvael 2024-06-03 08:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[ The venom leaves a faint tingle over his tongue; sometimes it stings his throat, the way his old elixirs used to, back when they still mattered. The first time her fangs appeared, it'd surprised him, but these days, he's come to expect it—even looks forward to it.

He turns his head, pressing his lips to her palm. His cloak is easy to shed, slipping off his shoulders; he lets it fall onto the grass that's overtaken the sand, though the ocean breeze still blows the fine particles their way. They catch in his hair as he undoes the buttons down his trousers.

When he kisses her again, it's just under her jaw. He can feel her pulse humming, and his fingers dip further within between her legs. ]
magicalarchaeologist: (looking to side)

[personal profile] magicalarchaeologist 2024-06-03 08:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Well it is impossible not to read that correctly. This isn't flirting, this is blatant admiration, and Istredd doesn't know for a moment what to do in the face of it. He's always been weak against flattery since he knows so little of it. He loves Yennefer and Lucifer dearly but they're not the type for off-the-cuff compliments. If he knew what a love language was, words of affirmation would be at the top of his list, and he isn't used to being fed.

"Gale, I had no idea." Truly, it is shocking to him. Lucifer's going to laugh at him for being oblivious as per usual, although he also thinks this conversation is going to be an awkward one. But not an impossible, as Jaskier was allowed on a very short list. He considers Gale and whether his interest rests there, not one to fall for people easily. And he thinks ... yes. Perhaps. Gale is handsome and very intelligent and they have so much in common.

"I return your admiration, but I do have to speak with Lucifer before anything goes further, if that is what you want." Lucifer and Istredd have been inseparable since early on, since Thorne. They are not together every minute of every day anymore, but they are known to be attached at the hip.
magicalarchaeologist: (wait what?)

[personal profile] magicalarchaeologist 2024-06-03 08:39 pm (UTC)(link)
"I know, I know," he says, placating. She is not the only person who gets annoyed at his tendency to be oblivious to consequences of his actions. This is not new for him, he's always been bad at that, even as a human. His search for knowledge, and now being the god of it, means there are more things to know, more things to search for. And it doesn't include worrying about humans much.

Istredd brightens at the question. "Well some of it is redecorating. I know, hardly important, but I've found a few rooms that have been abandoned by their original users." The gods have permanent spaces in the library that is considered theirs, and if they return to the space and wish to fix it to what they had before, it would take no effort at all. But he hates to see spaces untouched by time, waiting there. It's important to him for everything in the library to appear grand and beautiful, to fit the motif.

"But I've been focused on the Fey. I swear every time I think I have everything I need on them, I learn something new." It took him a long time to get access to their information, and he still has to pull it out slowly since they don't worship gods and are reluctant to share. But he's determined.
monomachy: buckybear @ ij (love somebody)

[personal profile] monomachy 2024-06-03 09:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Diana stops completely, preternaturally still, letting his words echo through her head. Themyscira. Amazons. The words are familiar, somehow, but her recall is sluggish. She looks to Zagreus, clearly struggling to fit what he's said into her memory.

"Your words hold truth." Something she recognizes, because truth has always been so important to her. She brushes her fingers along one of her temples. "But I don't... I can't..." She trails off, not sure how to explain that she simply cannot retrieve the memories associated with those words.
gynvael: (368)

[personal profile] gynvael 2024-06-03 09:19 pm (UTC)(link)
[ No. He imagines very few of them did. Geralt certainly did not, but neither did he ask to be their monster, sending them scattering like ants under his shadow. What is the difference, he wonders, between a contract and a prayer? Perhaps that's why he continues to accept their money. It's a transaction. They give him something they can afford to give; he takes it and completes the job. When it's done, they owe him nothing else. Not their reverence, not their fear, not their respect.

Or so it's meant to be. He's all too aware it isn't necessarily so. That sometimes, he intervenes when he's not been paid nor asked to. That he has followers who seek the Wolf.

He lets Castiel examine the figure in silence while he stokes the fire, recognizing Castiel's bristling for what it is. It doesn't bother him.

He must've made thousands of those things by now, though. When he gives them away, he does not expect the receiver to hold onto them. On occasion, he simply leaves a carving behind in some forest or swamp, where it's swallowed by the earth or snatched by a stray dog. He can't say why he continues to make them. Something for idle hands, he supposes. It reminds him he is still as much a part of this world as any mortal—bound to its plane, if not its passage of time. And yet, he does leave every winter for a reason. So he does not forget that time moves. ]


When my memories were lost, I was called to a village just beyond the Witchwood. I thought I was well enough, but...I wasn't. [ The knife returns to his hand. He begins to work on the other wing. ] Jaskier told me afterwards that the blood I spilled infested a young boy. Since that day, mortal blood shed by my hand consumes the people it touches.

[ He is careful about when and where he strikes, but it has not stopped him altogether. Whether that's wrong or not, he doesn't know. Should he also shelter himself in the woods and surrender his sword? If an answer exists, he's yet to find it. ]

Maybe we are the natural consequences of their world.
monomachy: idolatry @ dw (centuries)

[personal profile] monomachy 2024-06-03 09:21 pm (UTC)(link)
A part of Diana envies the Summoned who can separate themselves from the affairs of humanity when they need to. But it has never been her way to turn her attention away from them for very long. She had learned how to shut out the prayers in her head out of necessity, but she cannot help but quietly pay attention to the goings-on of the factions anyway.

Diana had thought, perhaps arrogantly, that the same sort of forgetting that affected many of the new gods would not reach her. After all, she was born a god; her mind was built to withstand eternity. But in this brief moment of uncertainty, she realizes she was foolish to think herself immune. The magic here is stronger than she could have ever imagined.

She pictures those mountains in her head, a smaller Ciri facing off against the brutal elements, and smiles. The mountain probably hadn't stood a chance. "When I was young, I--" Again, she trails of, trying to remember what it was like. "I trained too, but not anywhere so cold. It was warm. I think." She isn't used to second-guessing herself like this, and frowns. What can she remember about when she was young? Was she... ever even a child? She shakes her head. "No, it was definitely warm." She sounds more like she's trying to convince herself than pulling on a tangible memory.
monomachy: gazgraphics @ dw (girl crush [event])

[personal profile] monomachy 2024-06-03 09:41 pm (UTC)(link)
[As she listens to his reasoning, her heart grows heavy. It saddens her to hear him speak this way, but she knows now that it is just how he thinks. Whether he's always been this way or it's a product of his domain, she doesn't know.

She exhales slowly, almost a sigh. Her eyes fall almost closed.]


A man does not run into a burning building to save a pet because it fulfills a basic need. He could let the beast burn and then replace it, saving himself from any potential injury. He chooses to risk himself because he is human, capable of indescribable love and resilience. I do not think of that as a conditioned response.

[The opposite, really. It goes against all logic in her hypothetical situation. But such examples are not uncommon among humanity. She repeats herself:]

There is always a choice.
monomachy: buckybear @ ij (tongue tied)

[personal profile] monomachy 2024-06-03 09:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[Long ago, Diana had chosen to position herself as a rock for the new gods. There were few on this planet who had been alive as long as her, and even fewer still who knew what it could mean to be a god. She had found herself in an entirely unique position that she had gladly embraced. And all these centuries later, she doesn't regret that one bit.

Especially not now, when Koby has come to her for advice. She pauses just a few feet away from him, her concerned expression turning contemplative. She can understand what he means, though it has been a long time since she felt as much herself. Her forehead furrows slightly, a delicate line forming between her brows, before smoothing into reassurance.]


You are still young. [She doesn't say it condescendingly; it's more affectionate.] Your abilities are bound to grow with you. Have you thought about where this feeling is pointing you? What you might want to do?
magicalarchaeologist: (fuck off stregobor)

[personal profile] magicalarchaeologist 2024-06-03 09:52 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Istredd's considered it himself. A long time ago, he was quite obsessed with the idea. He doesn't remember why these large rocks, not the Singularity, used to take up so large a space in his mind, but he knows they were related to other worlds, and it used to be his life. He sought out the multiverse and its secrets, but he's long become, as Viktor said it, complacent. ]

And where would that answer lead you to? What are you hoping to find?

[ The search for knowledge isn't the only thing that Istredd is good at, or all about. He finds people as enlightening as the questions they ask him, for the answers they seek. If he can give them, he does, but he doesn't give boons to other gods. He's just genuinely curious about what Viktor is hoping for. ]
nadine_he_loves: (smile)

Vaguely NSFW Dialogue and Implication

[personal profile] nadine_he_loves 2024-06-04 12:03 am (UTC)(link)
[Garrus gets it.]

Okay, so that sort of thing is pretty common, actually. For spring festivals and anything concerning sowing the fields and all of that.

[Nadine can think of at least two others among their own number who's festivals have a certain after-hours, adults only flair to them. It's not that weird, she understands all the logic behind it. In her case, she and Jaskier have actively encouraged it.]

It turns out there's this weird little niche group - I don't even know who they follow - that has taken that idea really literally. They don't do it with each other, they do it...with fruit. Literal fruit.
funbreaker: (thancred-court-008)

[personal profile] funbreaker 2024-06-04 01:50 am (UTC)(link)
[ Aegis isn't entirely certain what to expect, as he normally isn't in the business of dueling with other gods and he tends to leave even those he considers friends to their devices. He knows that dirt and sand are Cassian's weapons of choice, but the way he manipulates them is like nothing he's ever seen. The coiled sand shoots toward him like a whip, and maybe if that had been his only concern, he would have been able to react in time to avoid the strike.

However, then Cassian sends the remnants of his "meal" and debris from the ruined buildings Aegis' way. There's pieces of bone and rock that all combines into some terrible whirlwind, and while Aegis brings up a shield to absorb some of the damage, he's just not quick enough, allowing a few shards to break through and knock into him even as one of those lightning-like coils smacks into his wing, causing brittle bones to snap.

He falls to one knee, strengthening the shield that he makes sure now surrounds him in a perfect orb. He is a god of protection, after all, and that can include protecting himself. Eventually Cassian will have to pause in this barrage or try a different method, and Aegis is willing to wait him out. ]
assembles: beard (pic#13195923)

[personal profile] assembles 2024-06-04 04:04 am (UTC)(link)
[ No, it wouldn't be a life at all. They can't mix up man and machine, or even god and machine, without there being some troublesome outcomes. He knows the Machinist probably has a different take on it, though, with the way he's augmented his body over time.

But still. He has a soul. That can't be excised.

When the Doctor goes quiet for a moment, the Nomad doesn't push him. It's all too easy for them to get caught up in their thoughts, sifting through more memories than any one person can contain. And the Doctor has always been like that, hasn't he? A bit absent; a bit distant.

The Nomad can't shake the feeling that the Doctor didn't voice his original thought, but he isn't going to pry. He nods, blink and you'll miss it. ]


And mine.

[ He would be content to spend the whole day, or week, or month here, in their peaceful and kind company as the Doctor puts it, and yet as if a switch has been turned, he's suddenly being harassed to go. It's not often that his more subtle movements or expressions are perceivable these days, but there is a lilt of curiosity in his voice. ]

A quick trip to where?

[ The Doctor is a bright and excitable presence, and it's difficult to refuse him. ]
mathmetism: (tumblr_inline_p5gf6lgElA1rvxgyx_100)

[personal profile] mathmetism 2024-06-04 04:07 am (UTC)(link)
[ wow, what's wrong with ted? it's short, to the point, reliable. it's timeless. ]

Maybe he was named for his favorite grandpa, Theodore, you don't know.

[ this festival is a safe space for all boringly named maybe-people, let's withhold the judgment.

nebula's right in assuming he can and he will do just that, in fact, he's well past that mark and the way he seems to constantly sway is either indicative of that, or uncontrolled ADHD. regardless, he's having a good enough time for everyone. ]


Way ahead of you. But hey, if drink's aren't your thing, we've got violence? In about— [ jerry looks at a watch that does not exist on his wrist ] 20ish minutes, we're having the inagural bashing of the piñata to ring in the new... week.

[ sometimes the near futures is fresh out of holidays and special occasions, but you've got this piñata and you lost the reciept to return it, so you just make up your own. ]
cointosser: ([186 - S3])

[personal profile] cointosser 2024-06-04 04:40 am (UTC)(link)
[If he had his tail right now, it would certainly droop a little. Leave it to a robot to not appreciate what he's granted.] Really? Not a single one?

[Fiiiine. He thinks that's terribly drab and boring, but he does respect the choice, as wrong as it is.

The giant pumpking is large enough to take up the space of at least 10 or so on its own.

Jaskier offers his hand freely, considering the only thing that's kept it in line is Viktor's tinkering. Though he certainly cannot help but balk a little at his... third arm. (He thinks of so many other things he could've given himself a third of.]
This isn't going to hurt, is it...?

[Maybe once upon a time, his hand being held under someone else's hold would've terrified him. Even now he feels a twinge of -- something. A shadow of something. Funny that a god should ever worry about pain, considering what they've been through, but he feels he must ask.

He's dutiful in not moving, afraid to make it worse.]
princeofruin: (077)

you're right ♥ you deserve better ♥

[personal profile] princeofruin 2024-06-04 04:59 am (UTC)(link)
[The touch is a gentle one he leans into, and though smiles are rare, still, after all this time, there's this sense of a pleased cat laying in the sun despite it. Tenderness is as rare as a precious gem, and he soaks it in to hold as a precious memory, for later.

There shall always be a later.]


It did not strike me. [He speaks true. His presence is not the gift that Cassian's is; even when he's quiet, there's so much shifting in him to watch, to feel this sense of life from. Bahamut can go deathly still, and often does.]

I desire a hint, now you have offered. [He moves close, a hand laying on a spot of his hip large enough to land on.] Though I do think a surprise is, in its essence, a secret.
theidlemaiden: (pic#16095020)

[personal profile] theidlemaiden 2024-06-04 05:20 am (UTC)(link)
[ They probably don't need to go into the specifics of why Horatio probably isn't the best fit for a baby wyvern. An old one, sure. One that had already lived thousands of years and had a beard to show for it - wait, were they even talking about a wyvern anymore at this point?

The point is that they aren't going to name this wyvern Horatio.

You know what is a cute name though? ]


Oh, Paella is a really cute name!

[ She turns to give the wyvern a little scratch under its chin. ]

What do you think?
karsiteweave: (25)

[personal profile] karsiteweave 2024-06-04 12:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah.

This is... a wild mix of emotion. On the one hand, he had no idea. A pit of unease forms in Gale's, embarrassment simmering under his skin. Has he made a fool of himself? Seen affection where there is none? Read too deep into what was, in truth, just friendship?

Then, Istredd continues: he returns the feeling. Hope, then? Perhaps it had not all been in Gale's head, perhaps there is something here...

Then, yet more: he will have to speak with the other man. Lucifer, his name is.

Unease bubbles up again, uncertainty.

Gale studies Istredd's face, trying to read intent from it.

"I see," Gale says, swallowing down his emotions. There's hope, and he wants to hold onto it -- if only for a moment. "When you say you'll have to... speak to with him?"

Somehow, he knows the answer won't be what he'd want. Nobody would leave their partner for Gale Dekarios. Why should they? Far be it for him to get in the way of a happy couple. He shouldn't have said anything. Carried away in the heat of the moment, swept up in the heady romance of being here. Hasn't that always been his problem? Not thinking through the consequences carefully enough?
carmesi: <user name="berks"> (Default)

[personal profile] carmesi 2024-06-04 03:49 pm (UTC)(link)
The fancy pots and embossed vessels, decorated with wax and paints, circle around and behind the shrine. Michael’s judgement is right in assuming that he ought to find Vexani—no, Wanda—in one of them.

She is tiny, like a forest fairy, as she peeks out of a small, green pot, hands pressed and poised onto the lid as she lifts herself to see who exactly it is that comes seeking her. Their eyes meet, momentarily, and Wanda hides again, back into the darkness of the pot.

Her voice is amplified by the echoing chamber.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Whatever it may be, she is not sure, but all she knows is that she is upset and is feeling all too overwhelmed by the current rupture of circumstances, of their current reality.

“Go away.”
carmesi: <user name="berks"> (Default)

[personal profile] carmesi 2024-06-04 03:57 pm (UTC)(link)
( her son answers the question in her stead, the one that her daughter poses. vexani takes a moment, sitting back on her own spot, gathering them both up in her eyes before she brings the cup of tea up to her lips.

there is a light click of her tongue. )


Don’t meddle too much. If they need anything, they will pray or call to their divinity of choice.

( it isn’t like there aren’t enough gods around as is. )
carmesi: <user name="berks"> (Default)

[personal profile] carmesi 2024-06-04 04:03 pm (UTC)(link)
( that is one way to get her to fluster, cheeks flushing as the press of his forehead to her own keeps her magnetized adn stuck to the spot. the flowers around them bloom and blossom quite suddenly, likely in virtue of how vexani feels. )

And what is it that’s ‘yours’ to make a decision on?
judgmentbolts: <user name="sonea"/> (08)

[personal profile] judgmentbolts 2024-06-04 06:41 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Once the Doctor is back on track, Cid lets him to it. He cocks his head, eyebrow raised as the Doctor licks a few of the items in the bag, but he doesn't comment. The Doctor has been an odd one, even for a god, as long as he can remember. He doesn't always understand why the man does the things he does, but his head and his heart are always in the right place.

Aiden seems relieved, maybe even hopeful. Cid, on the other hand, feels a knot of dread form in the pit of his stomach. Would have been easy if that odd little trick worked on people as well as parts. ]


D'you know how to use magic? Anything at all? [ Aiden shakes his head, no. He'd suspected as much. That would make it an easy test — if he'd had some ability before, and now he couldn't weave a spell, that would tell them all they needed to know.

Cid takes a breath. The set of his shoulders is enough to betray his uncertainty to anyone who knows him, but he can put on appearances well enough for a mortal he thinks. ]
Alright. I'll grant you a touch of mine. It's intuitive — you'll know how to use it once you have it. If you can create a spark with it, there's naught to worry about — but just a spark, mind. My gift has a price that I'd rather not see you pay.

[ Aiden looks between them, uncertain again. ] What sort of price?

Depends on how much you use it, and how often. If you let it sleep, live an ordinary life and make your music, there'll be no price at all. It's just that most find the taste of power a little too heady to resist. [ He glances at the Doctor. ] Nothing for it, eh?

[ Cavalier as he sounds, it's a rare request for reassurance — or at least, any other ideas before he commits to this one.

Though his magic no longer eats its caster alive, most of those he's granted it to still find themselves aspiring to be above their mortal peers, for good or ill. Even now, Cid isn't certain if there's some true curse to it, or if it's simply a run of bad luck; power is an easy thing to get carried away with, even with the best of intentions. ]