EVENT #18: EMERGENCE - IC EVENT LOG

[abraxasmods]

Event #18 - Emergence

OOC Plotting Post ⦁ Pre-Event Info ⦁ Setting Descriptions

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

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

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

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

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

Year 20,879

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

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

Politics, People, & Gods

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

Beliefs and Gods

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

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

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

International Relations

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

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

Magic & The Singularity

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

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

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

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

Old World, New World

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

Setting descriptions are HERE for your reference.

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

Month 1-2: Submersion

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

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

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

The World as the Divine

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

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

Exploring the Land

◎ The Witchwood

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

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

◎ Mechapolis

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

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

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

◎ The Barren/The Badlands

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

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

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

◎ The Maw

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

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

Horizon, "Death," and Dormancy

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

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

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

Impact & Consequences

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

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

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

Instability Effects

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

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

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

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

Demigod Spawns

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

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

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

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

Hearing Echoes

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

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

Interacting with Other Gods

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

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

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

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

Month 3: Awakening

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

Catalysts

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

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

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

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

Shattered Skies

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

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

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

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

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

---

Comments

[seaweedbrain]

[ Percy laughs, with equal good nature, before he follows suit a short moment later, casting a line a little distance away from Cassian's so as not to confuse the fish.

(Or worse: scare them off.)

Then again, fishing isn't always about the actual capture of said fish. Sometimes he really does like to sit out here with a rod and bait, under an overcast sky and in calm waters and just ... exist.

He thinks about this boat and the water, and how comfortable he feels here — if anything, these days he spends a whole lot more time in the water than out of it, unless he's with his wife or any of his friends and family because they need him — and he thinks that Cassian's probably got a point. ]

Yeah, I guess I do have it pretty good. [ At least for the moment, he has little to complain about. ] You ever thought about keeping an alarm clock with you?

[gynvael]

[ He actually might fall asleep like this. Here, there's no need to look over his shoulder.

Only—

A shift in the air breaks him out of his reverie. Geralt turns his head, not wanting to disturb John's explorations but curious about what has him lingering over those sets of scars in particular. He studies the furrow in John's brows. ]

You'll wrinkle like that.

[ Something on his mind? Or has John sensed an important Echo? It happens sometimes. There are things neither of them can turn a blind eye to—and a part of him is already preparing to leave with John if they must. ]

[kobes]

[Unlike many others, Koby doesn't feel any sense of awkwardness about entering Nadine's domain -- it's nearly as familiar as his own, after so many centuries spent exploring it alongside her, as he's sure his own beach Horizon is familiar to her. There are a few places he slips into easily, and the forest is one, the silvery stardust fish Koby's long since learned to summon dancing from his fingertips to chase after a few of the butterflies, leaving trails of sparkling dust.

Koby crouches down to sit on his heels near where Nadine reclines, half-smiling as he rests his elbows on his knees.] Am I disturbing you? I could come back later. You don't rest nearly enough, you know.

[kobes]

[Despite the fact that time has started to mean less and less, the fact that Koby's pretty sure they passed their second century at some point with significantly less fanfare than their first, the fact that they're not even really people anymore, not in the strict sense, there are some things that don't change. Koby still feels like the awkward, earnest person he'd been at the beginning, voracious for knowledge, for ways to grow and become stronger. Steve had been that way too, the two of them sharing a hunger to be able to keep people safe, be a protector. It was only natural that they'd gravitate towards one another, right?

And the lessening impact of time means that Koby's gotten better at being patient. He has time, they both have time, and maybe eventually it won't make something dreadfully human in his stomach flutter to see Steve all smudged up and working on his machine. His car. Koby's seen that exact sight a million times. It's not new. He needs to stop being so dumb.]

You know, when things come through the Singularity, they get all echoey, we're calling them Echoes. [The Summoned have never been overlooked by the Abraxans, but once centuries started passing with none of them seeming to age, more and more sections of the population began to revere them. To make requests of them. The Singularity and the portals mean it's easy to travel around and provide support, but it does take a lot of time.

Coming closer, Koby reaches out both hands, noticing again how the star-like glow in his skin is getting brighter, like it's building up in his veins.] Here, let me show you, I just figured out how to do it, give me your hands--

[sophos]

[ there is a lot she likes about herself, but there is rarely a time she feels more like herself than when she is with percy. the only traces left of her godhood are in the fancy lines of her gown, but that's just a part of being here, in this world, a home away from home because ultimately the only place annabeth wants to call home is wherever percy is. she'll adapt to anywhere as long as it's beside him. every iteration of her life here has been with him and it's what allows her to return to this version of herself, with him. ]

[ annabeth often feels disconnected from the people of abraxas, and it's a feeling she leans into purposely, but she will never relinquish her hold on percy and the way he holds her in kind, both physically and metaphorically. together, always. there's no other way. ]

[ she has one moment to lift her mouth in a small smirk at his comment before he leans into kiss her as ordered and the expression melts off her face as she melts against him. annabeth kisses him back and relishes the taste of the ocean, the movement more intrinsic to her than any kind of magic she's learned in all these centuries. one of her hands slides to tangle through his hair, but the other lingers against his face as she tries not to shiver under his touch. ]

[satanicpanics]

[ He straightens with an unwavering smile, not looking particularly hurt that she won’t take his arm. Eddie has changed very little over the centuries, but one thing he has lost is the ability to not attempt to insert himself into other peoples’ spaces, but he remembers now. He views it as a cold necessity through no fault of River’s own, and he’s happy to make a special exception and give her a little space to breathe.

Instead, he politely threads his fingers behind his back and trails after her, chuckling at her response. He does get it! And he thinks it’s funny! ]

Oh, man, you know, recently? I had some kid approach me looking for a blessing to, get this—save his cat. It had climbed into a tree and got stuck. I mean, I got the cat down for him and blessed him anyway, but check this out. Look what I got from him first—

[ He digs into a pocket and pulls out a flat, perfectly smooth stone—garbage to most, not even something most people would pick up off the side of the road, but it’s treasure to Eddie. hE keeps an entire dragon’s hoard of the trinkets he collects from mortals, like a little magpie. ]

This is like, the most perfect skipping stone you can get. I bet I could get thirty skips out of this thing if I place my cards right.

[ He holds the stone up, beaming at it before he pockets it once more. ]

But, uh, enough about my bullshi—stuff. What would you like to show me?

[kobes]

Right. [There's a flicker of a genuinely amused grin on Koby's face -- he likes Eddie, he likes his vague, somewhat dreamy nature, his confidence, his boldness. They'd been close to the same age when this all began (this, what is "this", what does that mean?), and there was some sort of bond there.

Plus having Eddie's full attention on you is an enjoyable thing, like being part of an elite group, a club. Maybe it's the part of Koby that's still young and earnest and awkward that feels that way, but there's only a pleased sort of shyness at how close Eddie gets. The starlit glow from his skin, his hair flares a bit brighter, warm as a sunbeam. A starbeam.]

Some new religious texts out of Thorne. I like keeping up on their rituals. It's interesting to see what they get right. [Nerd.]

[thedreamer]

[ If she reached out to touch him now, if he wasn't so stubborn and could talk himself into bridging the chasm between them to at least just take her hand for a moment, he wouldn't be able to let go. Would that be a good thing or a bad thing, the way they are now? He can't really say for certain. He can only think to protect himself and to protect her; push her away, to keep her safe from anymore pain he could bring upon her.

He just barely turns to look when she speaks again, and he shouldn't, but for a moment, he feels a touch of joy at seeing the dragon again after so long. Those are good memories, of all of them together many years ago. He's missed them both, and it feels wrong to have only Hudson here without Julia, but it's for the best right now even if every part of him is battling internally to reach for her.

With a gentle touch, he reaches out towards Hudson, wanting her to feel his joy at seeing her. Then, he dares to glance at his wife, eyes only briefly lingering on her. ]

Thank you.

[ He wants to ask when he'll see her again, he wants to tell her she should stop by soon, he wants to say that without her, life may be manageable but not good or happy or anything of the sort. Instead, he says nothing else at all. ]

OTA ⚝ across abraxas

[thoughts]

[ a girl wanders alone through the forest or across the desert or along the snowy peaks of mountain ranges. she appears at random, a black shroud that manifests like a sudden oncoming storm before vanishing again in a cloud of white smoke. strange happenings seem to follow - or perhaps strange things were already there, and the girl comes to greet them with a smile as others run away.

such is the path of the mad maiden. there's no saying where serenity may strike next - only that there's sure to be an oddness left behind in her wake. these are the whispers you may hear amongst mortals, and perhaps this is how you find her.

in times of delirium, she's a frenzy of whispers and cries and screaming madness. an area may become plagued with nightmares and visions of ill-tidings as humans pray for mercy from her chaos magic. trees may shiver and quake with the force of her agony, her tumultuous emotions rattling the earth as she tries in vain to escape the multitudes of reality that exist within her mind. ]

There's too many. Too many - one becomes three, so does the first one disappear? What happens when the string cuts loose? He said he wouldn't go but they're all liars! They're lying to you, can't you see?

[ she turns to face whoever's closest, her eyes burning gold. ]

I can make you see.

[ when she returns to serenity, the delirium remains but it takes a different shape. sometimes she wanders slowly through fields of flowers, fingertips brushing against each fragile bud as she searches for something specific but unclear to anyone other than her. she hide in the shadows of a small village, muttering to herself as she narrates the lives of those going about their everyday activities, with the intensity of knowing what will happen next and doing absolutely nothing to stop it.

and when she crosses paths with mortals, it's anyone's guess how it may go, but few leave completely untouched by the presence of the mad maiden. they may feel as though their sense of empathy has been rubbed raw, absorbing the emotions of those around them for a time. they may forget the exchange altogether - and perhaps even more beyond that, memories of their past shifted or changed.

she may even be found in the midst of the unfortunate few that made direct eye contact. they stand in place, travel gear forgotten, weapons and belongings dropped to the ground, as they stare at the sky unblinkingly. serenity stands with them as they weep silently, awed by something far beyond the perception of mortal minds. there's a quiet reverence in her voice as she whispers: ]

Welcome home.

[divasmio]

[ Though Apollo's under no delusion that he's the only one of Crane's subjects, perhaps there is still a bit of his old ego buried under centuries of change — He likes to think he's the favorite one. After all, Apollo rarely says no to any of Crane's proposed experiments in bed. He'll try anything once.

He tilts his head, smirking behind his mask. ]

Invite me in and ask away.

[cointosser]

[It is only a testament to how much he enjoys their competitions that Jaskier not only does not curl up and die in place at the sound of the word "Jasky," but that his only complaint about it has dissolved into a slow closing of his eyes and a wrinkling of his nose, letting the moment pass.

He cannot say why, or what prompted it, but there still may be a small part of him that fears her.]

Who's to say we shan't disappear if they do?

[He's not sure if it works that way. To be honest, he hasn't asked a lot of questions, to anyone, about much, for quite a while. He simply does things.

He hmms. Oh, he's catching on. Why limit their festival to just them? It's boring being worshipped, to be honest. What he likes is performances. Performing. Being appreciated is what matters.]

An homage... oh, I think we can do that. [He gives her a wink, pausing by a particularly bright colored stall, covered in flowers.] If they're going to come, then I'm sure they'd like to see our appreciation for their company. Perhaps in the costumes themselves.

closed. jack

[ushiri]

[ At the Isle of the Lost, near the sea turtle's statue, Kyle and Jack sit together on the sand. The weather is calm, the sun closing in on the horizon at the other end of the ocean.

Kyle is at his most human here on the beach with Jack, in both appearance and demeanor. Rather than a cloak of shadows he wears a plain cotton shirt and trousers, no shoes so that he can dig his feet into the sand. Only his eyes stand out as strange. Some centuries ago they went fully black, with a gold ring around the center.

They've been here a while now, watching the sea turtles eat kelp in the shallows, watching little crabs scurry across the white sand. It's peaceful.

Kyle's fingers worry apart a piece of dried kelp. ]

When's the last time you were afraid? Really afraid.

[ Sometimes Jack remembers more than most people. ]

prayer site;

[rookvision]

Aw, but it looks so much like you.

[Meanwhile Jacob’s own shrine, a little off to the side and in the shadow of a tent, is a rock with feathers stuck to its sides and a crude approximation of a hat. It’s very cute and Jacob appreciates the effort that went into it, gathering black feathers can be a chore and a half.

He smiles at Astarion, teasing and light.]

Seriously, though—it’s really quite ingenious of them.

OTA ⚝ in the horizon

[thoughts]

[ all told, she doesn't enjoy the chaos she brings into the world. it's hard to control - nigh impossible at times - and she doesn't want to hurt people, much the same as she doesn't want to hurt. there are too many mortal lives to witness and only so much pain her heart can take to see it all unfold at once.

the horizon becomes her haven. a way to escape the world, even if her cognition can reach across the veil. it puts distance between them, and at the very very least, it protects innocent mortals from the influence of her delirium.

serenity spends most of her time within her own domain, curled into a ball as she watches the stars burn bright from lightyears away, safe and free from the mess of the mortal plane. they call to her, and sometimes she can be heard responding, seemingly holding a full conversation with no one else around her as she murmurs to herself. ]

It's okay. It's going to be okay. You're safe here, they can't reach you now.

[ or maybe she isn't murmuring to herself at all - as word of the mad maiden's powers spreads, more echoes come to beseech her aid. whether they seek reassurance of their future or the ability to escape their past, a way to curse their enemies or a way to make someone finally understand, she listens to their woes and sometimes she responds.

sometimes she doesn't wait for them to reach out to her first. serenity sees all, and when there are frightened children and lost souls suffering in the mire, backed into a corner for being different or anguishing beneath someone's boot, desperate for a way to escape or understand their place in this rotten world - she sits in the horizon and watches, her eyes glowing golden as she whispers to them too. ]

You can do it. Just gotta be brave. They'll never hurt you again.

[divasmio]

[ One fine morning, Apollo beats her to it — He lounges in the roots of one of her great trees, basking in the sunlight that filters through the canopy. He remembers always being fond of sunlight, but the reason why escapes him.

Under his chiton, golden cracks snake across his body — more than there had been last time Nadine had seen him. How long ago had that been? He wanders so much, and doesn't care much for keeping time these days. Either way, he doesn't outwardly appear to be in pain.

When he sees Nadine approaching, he smiles — It's a weary smile, drained of so much of the warmth he'd once held, but it's kind and genuine all the same. ]

[diametrically]

[ Saying that it makes him happy when there is clear variance in Viktor's normally even-keeled voice feels like something odd to mention out of the blue. Instead his eyes skip towards his friend, a glimmer of star dust moving across his void-like eyes.

It might easily be mistaken for interest however. It depends on how deeply Viktor might read into it. ]

I didn't think you cared about my compliments, Viktor. [ There's a teasing warmth to his voice. ] Why the sudden desire? You've had the droid a while.

[ As long as he's known him, really. ]

[restingstitchface]

[There is nothing like a favourite subject. There is only the subject he favours in the moment. It depends on method and hypothesis; his patients behave differently and fascinate in different ways. One experiences fear as love and attraction. One processes fear as aversion and loathing.

There is personal preference. His own aversion for nicknames like darling and sweetheart means he favours clients who act conditionally. Gods and mortals in a state of disorder who depend on him for guidance. The implications of intimacy, the indications of bonds and ties, connections. Each is a novelty to pick apart and analyse in his spare time. But it is a matter of finding time; for he is a god who is constantly working.

Inside the sanctuary, shadows are slithering up limestone walls, swallowing everything in sight as they descend into its blackest depths. He leads with a brisk pace, showing no fear of the endless dark, nor concern if his subject loses sight along the way. Those same shadows that moved like snakes seem to have weight as they slither across Apollo's foot.

He could ask his subject to remove his mask. His ego understands what it feels like, to feel whole wearing it. But since when has he been kind?]

You can remove your mask. It's not like anybody will see you.

[He silently clicks his tongue.]

Not anybody else, at least.

[earthborn]

Eight-hundred years old, and he never stopped sounding like a teenager. Shepard can't help but roll your eyes. Thinking. Right. Bullshit, but convincing bullshit— she discards the concept on the merit that doing so is in her best interests, irrespective of the truth.

"Sure. Look at this," She holds out her hand, and it appears in response, ruddy flame-colored, a hologram in orange blaze-glow. It might've resembled an omnitool, once. Now it has heat-haze. She's used to it, "People are always coming to me with their issues. But the smart ones know better than to do it for nothing."

The complaints scrolling by are heartfelt, a transcript of all the little voices whispering in Shepard's ear while she stands and looks at the ship.

My boss is so selfish! First it's one shift, then it's covering for rush hour on no notice. It's my fucking day off! Gods, I just wish he'd get a taste of his own medicine!

Please Shepherd, grant me the patience to deal with my captain. He means well, but he drives us so hard...

I don't know what she even wants from me! I'm just a secretarial aide, not a miracleworker! Oh gods of all beleagered employees, give me a short line at the coffee-shop this morning, I don't know what she'll do to me if she doesn't get this hot and on time.

I ask for so little, and no one can do the simplest task. Are they deliberately undermining me, or is it incompetence? Lady of Fire, I'd make an offering at your shrine if I thought it'd help, but even the gods won't have mercy on me if we miss this deadline, and all for want of a little initiative.

Shepard nudges him gently, "C'mon. Take your pick. It's a big world out there, and what's the point of all this power if we don't use it?"

OTA ⚝ across abraxas

[thoughts]

[ it takes a long time - several centuries spent trying and failing and trying again - before serenity feels like the ground is solid again. she still floats somewhere just beyond it all, bare feet taking gentle steps that don't shift a single blade of grass beneath them. but more often than not these days, she can feel her place in the universe without it pushing her to the brink of insanity.

it's easier, then, to spend more time walking the physical plane. she is never seen without her blindfold but her gaze is still intense for those that feel it pass over them as she observes them curiously. if she pays you a visit, you may feel her attention like the warmth of the sun, even as whispers of the world still reach her.

and she does start to visit more often. centuries spent isolating herself as an act of protection, and only now does it feel like she may be able to witness the lives of those around her firsthand rather than watching from afar. she may show up randomly as you go about your travels, or you may return to your regular haunts to find her already there waiting for you. ]

Nǐ hǎo. Long time no see.

[ a dry joke, perhaps, but despite her otherwise passive expression, she is happy to see people. the process of reconnecting with everyone is a slow one but surely by this point, all they have is time.

perhaps sentiment has crept in with her desire to see others, and she can occasionally can be found hidden from the mortal eye as she watches her followers during times of worship. the cult of serenity, as they're known, tend to celebrate their own mortality in rituals that involve singing and dancing and fucking through the dead of night, using mind-altering substances to transcend their ordinary lives in search of higher planes of understanding.

it makes her smile. amused, endeared, call it what you will; a human's life is so short, that they might spend it reveling in delirium and praising her name is a gift. she may choose to appear before them through the plumes of smoke from candles and bonfire, but for now, she simply watches from afar. ]

Oh. They're going to fall.

[ and so they do, literally in the case of those that trip over their own feet in their ecstasy and more spiritually for those that slip into visions and dreams granted by serenity's blessing. ]

[stations]

( Jack likes it here. Despite the association he should probably still harbor from centuries ago, the terrible things that were done to them... he likes it here. It's different now than it was, and he can barely remember that long-ago torture. Now, there are turtles. Plants. Wildlife. It feels like a healed wound here, and there's something peaceful about scar tissue sometimes.

They're just people again, today. Kyle in his cotton shirt with his hair tousled from the sea breeze, Jack with clothes from home he'd dreamed onto himself at some point — foreign to Abraxas even 800 years later, his hoodie with the big front pocket he's stuffed his hands into. Feet likewise bare, sweatpants pushed up past both real-life flesh knees. He doesn't remember when the other leg grew back. He barely remembers that it was ever gone.

But he does remember the answer to Kyle's question. )

Not that long ago. A few years, maybe. The last time I was alone.

( Without Kyle, without Cassian, without River, without Jerry, without Sabine — though she's never very far away.

He peels his eyes away from the water and turns them on Kyle, studious. Thoughtful. Only one or two moths flutter, touching down on his back, on his shoulder, melding into the cloth or breaking free again. )

What about you?

[abraxasnpcs]

Indeed. That refinement can be catastrophic. You are not alone in that concern.

[ Innominate, himself, does not sound concerned. There are other more volatile Old Gods that might take action if any Gods of the younger pantheon acted out of line. ]

Exacting is precisely how I choose to act.

[ Pious though his mannerisms may appear, Innominate speaks with a finality and authority of someone who is confident and unabashed in their beliefs. ]

I see no sense in keeping the peace if other actions are going to disturb it. Some might accuse me of casting propriety aside for my own whims, but each decision I have made has been with the insight I had available.

cw: suicidal ideation incoming throughout the thread

[ushiri]

[ He loves Jack, but he doesn't love the moths. There's a scar across his shoulder like a burn, a cloud of moths imprinted on his skin. Sometimes he swears they move, repositioning themselves when he's not looking. It bothers him, but he says nothing of that to Jack.

He would stay with Jack all the time if he could. But he finds himself incapable of staying in one place too long, no matter how much he wants to. Part of it must be that he doesn't want the people he loves to see him in a mood like this.

Except for Jack. Almost nothing fazes Jack. There's a kind of comfort and safety in that for him.

He shifts, resting his head on Jack's lap with his head turned out toward the water. He likes being able to touch people whenever he wants, without feeling guilty about it. ]

I don't know.

[ He closes his eyes. ]

But I keep thinking about what it would take to kill one of us.

[theidlemaiden]

[ Astarion's doubt drips off his words; she wouldn't need her powers to be able to discern that. But ever the practiced performer her expression remains innocent with just a touch of confusion. 

Innocent until proven guilty - right? 

She taps her chin thoughtfully at his request. ] 

But it's presentable on its own already, don't you think? The artist clearly thinks it is! And art is so subjective. 

[ She juts her lower lip out just a hair. ]

If I just changed creations willy-nilly, that might discourage the poor thing from ever creating again! 

[ Think of the children, Astarion! ] 

[abraxasnpcs]

[ If she believes the question a foolish one, she is polite enough not to say so. If she had lips to smile, one would stretch across her beak, but instead the look in her eyes softens as she once again reflects on the ramifications of her duties.

She nods once, deeply. ]

Yes, it does. To know that I have done my part and to see the relief it brings. Sometimes it feels...momentary, but it is peace all the same.

[ Cadaevos cants her head to the side, cocking it not unlike the bird she resembles. ]

Is it peace you're looking for?

[theidlemaiden]

[ Seemingly oblivious to Koby's annoyance, Hilda is all but enamoured with his little companion as she usually is want to do. Her giggle is cut short with a flick of his finger and she turns towards him with a vicious pair of doe eyes.

...That's a little difficult to do though when her dearest darling sibling is looking a little cross-eyed. Taking pity on him she lets out a sigh and in another flash, she stands before him at her normal height. ]

Oh that was your mortal that you were trying to lead out!

[ Those not used to dealing with her antics might not so easily be able to tell that she was feigning innocence. But since Koby has spent years dealing with her...it's probably rather easy. ]

You know I wouldn't have done it if I had known they were yours! Really, they have to get little signs above them or something for us to tell.