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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.



beautifullies: ("yoυr нυѕвand мυѕт lιĸe ιт.")

i.

[personal profile] beautifullies 2024-04-21 01:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[ There is a woman in Solvunn whose echoes have been intercepted by Claire more than once. She's a good woman with a small child who tries to do the right thing, but it often results in needing time to be rewound. After so many attempts, what the woman needs is the strength to leave her circumstances and begin again. It's terrifying, Claire knows, and so she seeks someone out who may be able to actually help where her powers cannot.

She doesn't mind searching for Steve, although once she focuses, it isn't difficult to locate him just outside of the Free Cities. Her arrival is accompanied by the soft blue and white hues of moon and starlight, her hair silver and shining no matter the time of day. Appearing in a graveyard of all places, she quirks a small smile, voice pitched low so as not to disturb the peace. ]


Sam never mentioned you enjoy haunting the dead.
judgmentbolts: (26)

[personal profile] judgmentbolts 2024-04-21 02:25 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Cid draws himself out of the water with far less grace — another bright flash of levin teleports him to the surface instantly, his clothes and skin steaming and crackling with energy until the water is gone. He floats in the air above the rippling waves created by Bahamut's massive body, barely an arms length from his nose, so the words seem to reverberate through his core.

He understands why mortals write stories of terrifying sea serpents. To come face to face with such a creature would provoke awe and terror, even if he was in a fine mood — which, clearly, he isn't. That makes two of them. A few centuries ago, it would be enough to draw them into a fight, but it's been a long time since Cid remembered the men they were and why they so hated each other. These days, he often feels as if he's just going through the motions of it, wearing those feelings like he wears his mortal form.

Cid's expression is drawn, despite the casual tone he so carefully maintains. He rests his staff against his shoulder, gesturing with his free hand as he speaks. ]


Azem's gone and gifted me with a fool's bounty in wine. I thought a big lug like you would be just the thing to help me find the bottom of all those barrels. [ He inclines his head. ] And unless an old dragon has learned some new tricks, I doubt you'll have an easy time of it at the bottom of the sea.
judgmentbolts: (13)

[personal profile] judgmentbolts 2024-04-21 02:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Cid laughs quietly at Sylvain's moaning, shifting his hand to scratch the top of his head as if he really is just a giant cat. Even Cid wouldn't have the audacity with another god, but they're old enough friends that he knows Sylvain will know it's well-meant. He's been accused of having a soft spot for this form often enough. ] You poor soul. Has anyone suffered so much? If you want me to kiss it better, it'll have to be somewhere else.

[ He uses his staff to push himself to his feet, then holds out a hand to haul Sylvain up. ] The more you say that you're fine the less I want to believe you. What brings you out here, if not a pleasant little stroll?
philancer: (193)

[personal profile] philancer 2024-04-21 04:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Sylvain, on the contrary, is currently leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom, having showered last. There’s still a towel wrapped around his waist as he attempts to dry his hair with another. Yes, he could just magic it that ay, but there was something about the habit of it, the preparation for the night ahead, that he found just as appealing as the night itself.

He’s grinning as he watches Jesper flick through possible outfits, all of them as colorful as a peacock. Which is pretty perfect, in his opinion.

Claude’s suggestion, however, gets a playful groan of dismay. “Does this mean I have to stop being lazy and actually come up with an outfit rather than just letting Jesper wiggle his fingers at me? But that’s so much work.”
iustise: (61)

[personal profile] iustise 2024-04-21 04:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[John has been walking, himself. Walking, and thinking, as he looks up at the sky.

There has been a lot to think about. And a lot to look at up there, ever since that quiet moment together in Geralt's bed when he had laid a hand upon his companion's back and memories of another man had surfaced in his mind. Another man, in another life. A life that he had forgotten, somehow. But one he had most surely known.

That moment had created a rift, deep within him. And the more that he had remembered, questioned, understood, the deeper it had grown. It is difficult now to maintain this form. Harder still to face the Echoes of prayer that still trickle through his mind, the mortals themselves who ask for his blessing, for the truth is there, niggling deep within his conscience.

Something is wrong. This is not right. He should not be here. They should not pray to him, he does not deserve their devotion.

He is one of them.

His thoughts are miles away, so he is not entirely paying attention to his surroundings when he suddenly finds himself nearly bowled over by a flurry of fur and feathers. It is all he can do to throw out a hand toward the nearest tree to catch himself before he turns back to Jaskier, already mid-apology. Even in this form, he still seems... Harried. Stumbling through and over his words.

He glances down, toward the flowers, growing, wilting, rotting beneath The Piper's feet. Jaskier's. So similar to the way the forest has its way of growing up around Geralt as he moves through it, and a twinge of sadness strikes through him as he wonders how the Wolf's magic is faring. Fading. He misses it already.

Aloud, he says:]
My dear friend. I cannot promise sunshine, I fear, but I do know of a quiet spot nearby where we might sit and rest a while.

[He indicates his pack.] I have been long on my feet and I could do with your companionship.

[Something tells him Jaskier could use the company as well.]
philancer: (203)

Closed: Hilda

[personal profile] philancer 2024-04-21 04:30 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Despite the soft curtain of falling snow just beyond the walls, the interior of Sylvain’s forge is toasty warm, lit by the roaring fire on the heart of one wall, even as his hammer comes down against the metal he’s working with a resounding clang. His arm works with methodical rhythm, his focus on the metal he’s honing into the shape he wishes.

There are easier ways to do this, of course. Magic, will. But he likes the process, one he’d learned centuries ago and honed over his many years now. It was a hobby these days, but one that drew him back again and again. An easy way to clear his mind as he got lost in the crafting of something unique and beautiful.

This one had a purpose, however. He didn’t know what that was, but he didn’t really need to since that part wasn’t up to him. It was up to the petite figure currently perched some distance away on the edge of his workbench, legs swinging idly under the table as she watched him work. Which he enjoyed just as much as the craft itself, especially since he was here working in only a pair of breech’s and a smith’s apron, skin slicked with sweat from the heat of the forge.

Giving one more sharp impact to make sure the metal was holding the shape he wanted, he shifted it off the anvil and into a vat of water to cool, stepping back as the steam hissed and rose. Wiping an arm across his brow, unaware there was a smudge of soot across his nose, he turned to cast Hilda a crooked grin. ]


Well, that part should be done. I think I need a break before I start the next one, though. Or maybe a snack. Hungry?
philancer: (098)

[personal profile] philancer 2024-04-21 04:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Are you kidding?

[ There’s laughter in Sylvain’s voice as he steps back so he can usher the other man inside. There’s a roaring fire in the hearth, because Sylvain had felt him the moment he’d crossed into his Domain, and he knew Cassian was one of the many who were unused to the more frigid climates of his mountain.

All his favorite people were, unfortunately.

That doesn’t mean he can’t still tease them about it, however. ]


This is practically high summer. It’s barely chilled!
philancer: (022)

[personal profile] philancer 2024-04-21 04:44 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He’s not purring, that is totally Cid’s imagination. Even if he does lean into his touch, because Sylvain’s always been tactile and even now, after so many years in this world, he still craves affection. Even if he doesn’t exactly remember why.

But he does take that outstretched hand to let Cid help haul him back to his feet, brushing off the dirt and leaves that cling to his form. And his fur. Ugh. ]


Someone called out to me. Someone in here. But I haven’t been able to locate them yet. Something about this place always throws off my sense of direction. I don’t know how you can stand it.

[ This place has always given him the creeps. ]
Edited 2024-04-21 16:44 (UTC)
glaciare: (jill-08122)

[personal profile] glaciare 2024-04-21 04:51 pm (UTC)(link)
( From the moment Yinyue speaks, Metia brightens -- leaning up to press a kiss to his forehead before gesturing that he should take a seat wherever he likes as she sets aside her own work. Nothing is as important as having a conversation with her son at the moment, and she will not let herself be distracted. )

A gift for a particularly devout mortal. She turned to me some decades past, and I did my utmost for her. She is getting married in a month, and I thought to give a gift for her and her wife.

( A sign of her protection, her enduring promise to answer those who need her most of all. )

What brings you here, Yinyue?

( Even if it is simply to visit with his family, she will not demand he stay longer than he wishes. )
techmaturgy: (pic#15348795)

[personal profile] techmaturgy 2024-04-21 05:04 pm (UTC)(link)
[Viktor, behind his mask, is as expressionless as always, though his head tilts slightly in what might be amusement. He can tell that Cassian is interested, even if Viktor himself has been nothing but vague. In truth, there might be a part of him unsure how to broach the subject, given how long he’s considered himself the de-facto charge of Cassian’s horizon conjuration.]

Well, yes. To your first point, not the second.

[Even so, Viktor has been unable to achieve true sentience for his automatons, something that has been a frustration of his for years. At a certain point, he’s had to decide that a particular level of advancement was good enough.

Viktor motions for Cassian to join him at the worktable, where he produces a set of blueprints.
]

I’ve been working on a new project that might be familiar to you. Do you recognize this design?
philancer: (077)

[personal profile] philancer 2024-04-21 05:08 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He’s great at catching those subtle reactions, though. He’s been with Claude for 800 years now, he had to be adept at it. ]

I insulted it with just cause! [ it’s a token protest at best, because he’s laughing as he says it, dusting himself off as he gets to his feet again.

But her words have him turning solemn again as he nods, frowning a little as he glances around him, taking in their surroundings again. ]
I did. Although I tend to get a little turned around in these woods, no matter how many times I venture in here. Think we heard the same plea?
iustise: (21)

[personal profile] iustise 2024-04-21 05:13 pm (UTC)(link)
[Cadaevos. The shrine does make sense, now that the pieces fall into place. A lesser man might have been startled or shocked by her appearance, her True Form. John, a fellow god himself, understands an honor when it is presented to him.

John places a hand upon his chest and offers her the most gentlemanly of bows in return (a leftover habit from a former life, although he does not realize that).]


Herald. I did not mean to intrude. I am a wanderer, as I am sure you know, and I had only just come upon your shrine and its offerings.

[He looks back upon the flesh and bone laid out before them, but there is no disgust to be found there. He is the Patron of Verity. Death is but another truth of life, after all.]

Perhaps my feet led me where I most needed to be. I have often found that most to be the case: here with you now, and perhaps tonight I will find myself at the end of a path with a nice warm meal and a bed to rest my head in.

[He glances back up at her. At her folded wings. At her golden crown.]

Do you find it so yourself? Ah -- forgive me if it is too bold a question. I do not wish to presume what a life you must live.
Edited (repetition oops) 2024-04-21 17:13 (UTC)
philancer: (019)

[personal profile] philancer 2024-04-21 05:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Maybe I did!

[ He didn’t. But lions don’t hibernate so it would have rendered his comparison moot.

Setting what they’d need on the counter, he hooks his foot through the lower rung of a nearby stool and drags it closer so he can perch on it. More than happy to keep it casual while they sample it right there in the kitchen. Himeka is one of the few people he knows who shares his passion for unique dishes and he always enjoys indulging one of her new creations. ]


I’m pretty sure I said the opposite, but I can see how it might have been lost in translation as I’m pretty sure I was weeping from the burn.
philancer: (047)

[personal profile] philancer 2024-04-21 05:18 pm (UTC)(link)
He leads the way into the kitchen, and then towards the stone staircase that leads down to the lower level, which holds a large cellar where he makes and stores wine. There are several vintages now that are several hundred years old, all of them scattered from various periods over his time in Abraxas. Sometimes crafted for special occasions, or at momentous times in memory.

He pauses at the bottom of the steps, however, waiting for her to join him there before he slides a finger under her chin and tips her head up so she’ll meet his gaze. He doesn’t miss how red her eyes are.

“You don’t ever have to apologize for that. You’re welcome here, Claire. Always.”

He holds her gaze a moment, wanting her to see he was serious.
abraxasnpcs: (Default)

[personal profile] abraxasnpcs 2024-04-21 05:33 pm (UTC)(link)
The Old Gods won't mentor specific Summoned in the sense that there is a line of succession; each god has a unique position and set of powers. However, gods with similar goals or realms of influence may work together to combine their efforts. You are free to assume that the god in this thread is one who could have assisted Crane in the past.
blackeyedprince: (gone)

[personal profile] blackeyedprince 2024-04-21 05:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Feature: Nott Hospital
Location: Nott
Description: A restored hospital building considered to be especially blessed by the gods by those who believe in Summoned as gods. Surprisingly always kept in good condition, well stocked and staffed by mysteriously showing out of nowhere more or less anonymous contributors.
Character Involvement: It started with Rhy (Kell's adopted brother) as his main project as liaison to Nott. Has been taken over by Lyle Vela and Nott authorities after Rhy disappeared from Abraxas and Kell went back to live in the castle. Kell and Thancred has been actively supporting the place over the centuries, with other Summoned chipping in.
Kell would visit incognito to serve as or help the current main alchemist / apothecary, or a healer, there even after he forgot his connection to the place. Prayers coming from there have more chance to actually being heard. Even when he's ignoring everyone else.
bealufull: (0x3gUqU)

[personal profile] bealufull 2024-04-21 05:38 pm (UTC)(link)
"As if you give them any reason not to."

He was giving and friendly, helpful and there was this warmth about Jesper that was lingering too long in the sun. That way it just seemed to warm a man, or a God, to their bones in a way they would never find in any other person. Or deity.

Though Kaz's feelings on that are entirely biased and he made no effort to hide that.

Even now, lounging as they were, there was an inner light shimmering in his eyes as he watched the other two with a fondness that changed his features every time he looked upon them.

Kaz's fingers curl around the stem of the glass as it appears there, arching a brow at Jesper's comment. He can't help but to smile. This time wide, and pronounced, and oh so wicked.

"It'll be my worst if they break their vows. If they don't mean to keep them they shouldn't make them tonight on all days."

He's never entirely kind about it, his own morals on giving one's word coming to play often, but to make a mockery of Jesper's festival, that's something he most certainly will not abide.
ancunin: (pic#16696128)

[personal profile] ancunin 2024-04-21 05:50 pm (UTC)(link)
[ At the appraising nod he quirks an eyebrow. Should it be such a surprise? It's fitting that the Machinist should arrive. Viktor was the one who helped set him on this path of assisting the wretched and the powerless. His companion helps temper his more capricious habits too, which have no place in this call for help. To be fair, his appearance makes him appear out of place in a house of healing, with his eyes glowing red and his sharpened teeth. He's resisted some of the more extreme changes to his body over the centuries, but he's not quite the same as he once was - if Viktor remembers at all. His body, particularly his limbs, are subtly lengthened - in such a way that would make him appear even more at home in the Feywilds than out here in the dustbin of the Free Cities.

As Viktor speaks, he idly plays and plucks at those black strands of infection across the woman's body, the visualization of his blessings unfolding as the black is enveloped with lifeblood red. Viktor will be able to tell he's already taking the first step of calming the patient's immune response, lowering her fever. He also takes the opportunity to bend the will of the woman seated at the bedside. It's not difficult, she hasn't slept since this happened, and so Astarion simply pushes her toward the temptation of curling up on a nearby empty cot while they work. ]


Well - I suppose that depends on what you can do for her hands. [ he replies, his brow creasing as he eyes his companion. Astarion appreciates Viktor's genius - but the Machinist's gifts come with a price. Her hands might be saved, perhaps even better than before, but they'll be changed. Not everyone reacts well to such a thing. ]
Edited (repetitive wording) 2024-04-21 17:52 (UTC)
iustise: (113)

[personal profile] iustise 2024-04-21 05:50 pm (UTC)(link)
[It would be, John has to agree. He can see himself, wet and indignant. And he can hear Geralt's laugh in his head. Rough and warm. He thinks to himself about how he would like to hear more of that laugh. Even, he supposes, if it does come at the cost of his own dignity.

John smiles at the offering, reaching out to run his hand through Geralt's hair this time, gently combing out some of the tangles and knots with his fingers as he does.]


I should like nothing better. [He replies, a soft smile in his voice as he shifts forward in the bed to press a kiss to Geralt's shoulder. He can picture it now. The evening to come. The morning after. A deep feeling of contentedness wells up from within his chest, threatening to spill forth into the quiet of the evening between them. Geralt does not need words to understand how happy he is to be here. With him. Laying back down against the bed, he moves to brush Geralt's hair to the side and lay his hand flat against his back, tracing little circles against his companion's skin...]
beautifullies: (yoυ're a ĸιnd woмan.)

[personal profile] beautifullies 2024-04-21 05:52 pm (UTC)(link)
I was being glib about the complaints.

[ Not everyone is acknowledged every time they pray, and she's sure when echoes aren't answered, mortals get upset. She doesn't think there's actually a complaint department. ]

If you meant believing in having emotions about things, I don't worry I'll be forgotten, but being immortal doesn't preclude me from feeling pleased when I'm acknowledged.
abraxasnpcs: (Default)

[personal profile] abraxasnpcs 2024-04-21 06:00 pm (UTC)(link)
NikodaemusPatron of Phantasms

[ The metallic chime of bronze incenses burners is a familiar precursor to the Patron of Phantasms. A tall figure in dark robes, Nikodaemus sees himself as a deity of possibilities, choosing to spend most of his time in the realm of gods than that of mankind. He travels from domain to domain when it suits him, as it does on this day.

The large triangular face cants to the side as Nikodaemus regards the godling. ]


Ah, Anthropos. Locked in a tower of your own thought as usual.

[ He clicks his non-existent tongue. ]

Are thoughts not a waste if they remain unshared?
beautifullies: (415)

[personal profile] beautifullies 2024-04-21 06:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Claire thickly swallows back a fresh round of tears, so tired of crying; she manages to hold his gaze, the amber of her eyes dulled almost to a plain brown. She can't muster up any sort of smile, but she does give him a slight nod of acknowledgment, reaching up to wrap her hand around his arm, just above his wrist.

"Thank you, Sylvain." She squeezes gently, lingering a moment before letting go and looking around from the bottom of the steps.

"You keep yourself plenty busy, don't you?"
exuviage: 🍁 game. (Default)

dan heng

[personal profile] exuviage 2024-04-21 06:13 pm (UTC)(link)
event info!

- yinyue, the patron of untold sins, may be considered a prominent god in recent memory as he was a child god who first appeared around 200 years ago.
- his godly parents, metia and mythos (jill and clive), are his parents in every sense except blood relation; any cr of clive and jill from the last two centuries can assume they've either seen a very shy, very young yinyue hiding behind metia's skirts, or met the young god in passing while visiting
- he also has spent a lot of time wandering around in the woods with clive's hound, torgal, who was his official babysitter up through probably the last 40 years or so. torgal's still his buddy tho, and they hang out a lot.
- his true godly form is pretty unimpressive, and he rarely takes an even lesser form, and therefore spends most of his time either by himself or in the company of other gods.

- those with cr with dan heng over the first 300 years would have noticed that he aged extremely slowly when others stopped aging at all, and that he disappeared entirely after those 300 years
- his travel journals survived, however, and were a great primary source for historians afterwards
- in that time while he was present, cr can assume they learned he is originally from space, abraxas was the first planet he ever spent more than a week or two on, and maybe that he was born on a spaceship. other than that he remained very reticent.
Edited 2024-05-11 18:32 (UTC)
abraxasnpcs: (Default)

[personal profile] abraxasnpcs 2024-04-21 06:17 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Innominate steeples his fingers together as if in prayer. His face is difficult to read with only the edges of his mouth flexing as he speaks, but he still closes his lips as much as they can as he considers Alucard's words. ]

No. The meandering thoughts of men are often trivial.

[ He delivery is blunt as it always has been. ]

If I did not want to be here I would not.

[ Innominate lower his hands to rest above his midsection. ]

Self-regulate in what way? The ascension? It is unavoidable.
abraxasnpcs: (Default)

[personal profile] abraxasnpcs 2024-04-21 06:30 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Cadaevos shakes her head slowly to erase any misgivings her peer may have about her sudden appearance. ]

I'm ever at your disposal, dear Patron. I do enjoy less gruesome tasks when they're available.

[ She has never once complained of her work, diligent and dedicated as ever to perform the Rites of Purification as mortals see fit. And likewise to her fellow gods she has never once turned down a summons. ]

I go where I'm called so that we might finally cleanse this world of the impurities it's accumulated. But, as you likely see, it is a goal with no true end in sight.

[ A sigh escapes her beak as she shakes her head once again. ]

Yet there is a small victory in each. It delivers comfort in the mortals who seek it, to see wrongs made right. I'm blessed by them in that way... And so I can go on to my next summons as the cycle continues.