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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.



stations: (rename11)

[personal profile] stations 2024-04-24 05:43 am (UTC)(link)
( It's okay that Kyle goes. Jack doesn't expect him to stay forever and always — and besides, Jack drifts too, sometimes. When he dreams, when he falls into that surreal state and his surroundings get brighter and blurrier and more colorful, he drifts, and he forgets. He chases stories, and not all of those stories have a part for Kyle to play.

What matters is that they choose to come back together, and they keep choosing that. Even after everything. Even after the bad stuff. Even after the nightmares.

Jack's gotten better about tactile things over the centuries. It took a while, a long time, a lot of exposure therapy for him to associate touch with good. Now, when Kyle rests against his thigh, it's automatic for his fingers to escape his pocket and thread through Kyle's hair, gently combing it out. It feels natural, and good, and when this is all over he'll remember being able to touch like this without awkwardness or hesitation. He'll miss it.
)

Why? Who are you trying to kill?

( He's curious, not judgmental. It also doesn't occur to him that Kyle could possibly mean himself. )
ancunin: (pic#16798756)

[personal profile] ancunin 2024-04-24 05:55 am (UTC)(link)
[ He has to admit, her masks are more skillfully crafted than his own. The only reason he's suspects her is because, well, she has a rap sheet as long as both his arms combined. A devilish angel, or an angelic devil. Still, she means no true harm, and he's... mellowed over the centuries to her teasing.

It's a familiar dance, one he thinks he might have started to enjoy without realizing at some point. ]


Fair enough. [ He gives a light shrug, as though he's taking her point at face value. But then he adds: ]

But don't you think - perhaps - the artist might be honored that such a talented creature as yourself would deign to... edit his or her work?

[ Just make the hair nice.

Please. ]
divasmio: Close up of a marble statue sitting, his body streaked with gold cracks (xAU - Cracked Body)

[personal profile] divasmio 2024-04-24 05:58 am (UTC)(link)
Apollo turns, smiling beneath his mask and letting off a weary laugh. "Very carefully. Centuries of practice. And figuring out the best ways to wrap it around my shoulders and keep it off my feet."

He shifts, and the sound of all those tiny links rubbing against each other sounds almost like rushing water. "It's mine to carry. I've had plenty of time to figure it out and make it work."

The cracks all over his body suggest it's not as smooth as he's suggesting, though.
unresponsives: (pic#17112811)

[personal profile] unresponsives 2024-04-24 06:09 am (UTC)(link)
( she laughs softly, leaning up again to kiss him, letting her fingers find his to take his hand. he'll know how rare it is, has probably been able to count before how often heather's let him hold her hand, but it matters now. she knows he's there.

there's a gentle pull on his hand when they break away, heather leading him a little closer to the water to sit by the lake, to enjoy the peace of it as she sits with him )


I'm glad you came back.
thoughts: (73)

[personal profile] thoughts 2024-04-24 06:12 am (UTC)(link)
[ the forest of the white wolf has often been a place of solace for serenity. there's the beauty of it; unfettered nature that rises in the wake of a prowling wolf, the juxtaposition of life and death, predator and prey, things living and growing and dying again. his forest can move across the world and there's a comfort in this, knowing haven can be found in many odd places.

then there's the man himself. geralt has been a calming presence for serenity's madness, someone she can stand to be around when her mind is spiraling. there's a stillness about him, unfrenzied even when his wrath is provoked, and she has never felt as though he might pity her state of being. their walks through the forest have brought her peace and comfort over the ages.

she's grown to trust him, a man of honor even as an arbiter of great violence, and perhaps this is why he's the first person she thinks of when a terrible vision of death comes to her. all grace and familiarity with the forest is lost as she crashes through it, crying and panicked. her foresight can't save her from wayward roots and stones when all she can see from behind her blindfold is a raging fire and children screaming. ]


Geralt! Geralt!

[ one might think she's grown more accustomed to processing her visions after centuries, but this one in particular has her desperate. she knows he must be here somewhere but can't find her way in the dark. ]

Bái Láng! Please, I need you!
satanicpanics: (pic#16082481)

[personal profile] satanicpanics 2024-04-24 06:32 am (UTC)(link)
[ He actually would climb onto Henry’s shoulders if he thought he could get away with it. But despite the years, he still has some sense in that scattered brain of his. So instead, he snorts and nudges the vines away, turning it into an odd game that’s fun for no one but him. It’s a stark difference from the young man who once tiptoed among those vines with extreme caution, terrified by the very idea of even brushing against one.

Eventually, he grows bored of his game and begins to climb a little higher into the tree, humming some long-forgotten tune beneath his breath.
]

Sure. I’ll do that. What about, like, flies? Beetles? You gonna leave them hanging? How about I just send all insects your way?

[ He crouches down on the branch to grin down at Henry, but the scuttling of the spider across his hand, freed from its amber prison, is what ultimately makes him slip. It doesn’t scare him so much as it startles him, like being jolted out of sleep, and he takes a relatively short fall to the ground, landing on his back.

He’s got a full on slapstick act going on over here. You should be glad he came, Henry.
]

Shit—You know, this is a good angle for you.

[ He grins and sits up with a grimace, contenting himself to sit cross-legged on the ground for the time being, fingers laced beneath his chin. ]

What do the mortals normally leave you, Henry? Maybe we can arrange a trade.
flagrates: (clive-10564)

sneaking into the village and catalysts lets gooooo

[personal profile] flagrates 2024-04-24 06:53 am (UTC)(link)
[ It happened so long ago it feels more like a distant tale told over campfires and in hushed whispers in sacred halls — the day the ember scourge came, a monster of flame and sorrow, leaving everything it touched buried in ash. Some more recent scholars have started to put forth the theory that it wasn't a god who had done such a thing. After all, nothing like it had ocurred since. Certainly, then, the scourge had been nothing more than a wildfire ripping through the village and burning it to the ground.

But there are those out there who know the truth. The man slipping his way into the borders, hood drawn up over his head to hide his features (from the blistering sun, he says, if asked). It's a man who's been here before, now and then, centuries apart. Guilt keeps him returning to check on the people, though this place is no longer his and hasn't been in nearly 800 years. He is quiet and unassuming, reluctant to speak to the people there. He's a wanderer, just passing through.

(Occasionally, the cloak slips, revealing just the quickest glimps of the glow of fire, though no heat radiates from him if you're standing near.)

The man settles into a more secluded spot in the tavern, hesitating as the waitress offers him a drink. He orders an ale, paying for it immediately and leaving it to condensate on the table as he watches the people coming and going, listening to the thunder rumble above. He's not here to mingle. He's here to watch, to remember. To make a vow to himself that it won't happen again.

He can feel the eyes on him, after a while, and he doesn't look up from the people at the bar he's watching laugh together, reaching for the mug going flat in front of him and tracing his finger across the rim. ]


If you've got something to say, you can say it, you know.
ushiri: (pic#16565790)

[personal profile] ushiri 2024-04-24 06:56 am (UTC)(link)
[ The Doctor smirks and a puff of air escapes Kyle's lips, a small sound of amusement. But it's clear his focus is now fully on the world spinning within his palm. He takes a few steps closer, almost hesitant. ]

I think you might be right. [ About belonging to the stars. There's a softness to his tone, only in part due to his awe and fascination with the stars and galaxies shifting in the Doctor's hand.

Kyle remembers a very, very long time ago, watching the birth of a star. He remembers that it was the Doctor who showed him.

He could tell him this, and about the circular symbols etched into the top of a strange console. But it would only be infinitesimal pieces of a much larger whole, one that Kyle knows little about. He thinks of someone else too, who was happier not knowing these things he'd lost. So he keeps these small bits of memory to himself, for now. ]


It's the one place we can't reach. [ he says instead, still watching his open palm ] Why do you think?

[ The monolith, he thinks. ]
flagrates: (clive-18225)

[personal profile] flagrates 2024-04-24 06:56 am (UTC)(link)
[ Your father is so proud!!! He's going in for the hug. ]

Very well done, Yinyue! You nearly crested the ceiling!
flagrates: (clive-18637)

pre-play, perhaps!

[personal profile] flagrates 2024-04-24 07:02 am (UTC)(link)
I must say, [ says Mythos, testing the weight of his prop blade, prepping himself for his own big moment, glancing out from the wings towards the crowd filtering into their seats. ]

We've amassed quite the crowd.

[ His horns are tangled with seaweed and fishnet — appropriate, for the Foul Beast of the Sands, the first boss the pirate lovers must face in their journey to the kraken. ]

Are you nervous?
cointosser: ([033])

[personal profile] cointosser 2024-04-24 07:08 am (UTC)(link)
[While there was a time he would have appreciated the offer with his whole heart, now it makes him balk, his wings folding snapping tightly against his body. So close to the ground, it is hard to ignore the wilting flowers at his feet, though he looks up to Verity's face instead. (Handsome. Trustworthy. It has always been second nature to trust those who Geralt trusts.)

A quiet spot. He doesn't need quiet now; quiet is when his mind rockets around inside his skull, desperately clinging to anything it can before it slides off this rift crafting itself in his thoughts.

But more reprehensible it feels is being alone with his thoughts.]


Yes, of course! I could think of nothing lovelier. [He could, actually, which were all much louder things. What he hated more was the idea of disappointing his friend. In half a second he is on two feet, human in appearance save the several wings folded over his back, and a polite sash of cloth around his waist. He offers an arm.] What have you been up to, then? Frolicking on cloven hoof?
flagrates: (clive-10910)

bbq time

[personal profile] flagrates 2024-04-24 07:12 am (UTC)(link)
It is.

[ And he looks unhappier for it. They'd been springing up since his scourge, setting little fires to the area, though thankfully nothing that had flared up into something worse. Still, they need to go. ]

Thank you, for your assistance.

[ It can be... intimidating, when Mythos smiles, because it's more a baring of teeth than anything else. But his eyes are kind, at least? He reaches for the long blade ringed in flame and phoenix feathers at his back. ] Shall we?
cointosser: ([162 - S2])

[personal profile] cointosser 2024-04-24 07:24 am (UTC)(link)
[While he's looking for the sun and the Starman does appear, it feels like it's still hidden somewhere -- an eclipse, a full eclipse, and there is a moment where it feels that there will still only be darkness. Simply imagination from a mind overactive with it... but also a man who has been waiting centuries for the other shoe to drop.

A man. A god. They are the same now, if they ever were not. (He remembers when they were not.)]


There's no harm in wanting to hear that. [The voice comes from nowhere and everywhere, much like the man -- such a fitting thing, Jaskier thinks, though he recalls, too, when there was simply a man... one who was filled with more life than anyone Jaskier had ever met.

So when he appears, Jaskier reaches for a hand with both of his own, never fully knowing if there will be anything there to grasp.]
The first what? The song? Surely you've heard such better ones since then. I couldn't stand to think I've stagnated --
cointosser: ([061])

[personal profile] cointosser 2024-04-24 07:32 am (UTC)(link)
Fun. [Jaskier repeats the word, to confirm it. He'll not have Geralt thinking he doesn't fully intend for this to be fun. Because it will. While many of the creatures of this world are horrible -- none less than the demichildren -- the Maw is... well, it is what it is in a name. It is unmovable; a piece of a land rather than a predator. And while some of the mortals are reprehensible towards it, Jaskier has spent many a season sitting by its -- well, maw -- to speak and sing to it.

It is an awkward thing, an incomprehensible thing, perhaps. But he feels kin to it, as being one of few things that has been around as long as he has. (Or longer?)]


Oh, it's fine! Usually they take care of themselves, anyway. [He sits up, tail lashing, now that his attention's been taken off the little carving (having already decided it must be for Verity.)] Come, then! Where's Roachie? She's still kicking around, isn't she? You better have the saddle ready.
cointosser: ([216 - S3])

[personal profile] cointosser 2024-04-24 07:47 am (UTC)(link)
[There isn't a chance he would miss it.

The calling of Nadine's name is like a siren call to himself. When Jaskier thinks of himself, the things that craft him, she is one of those -- with music, with the sun, with flowers, with nature. Nadine and nature, after all, might as well be the same concept.

And he knows that, despite the years, the scattered memories, this strange, endless existence, that he loves her in the very core of what, and who, he is.

Jaskier travels down on the winds, riding the wings of a barred owl, large and silent. Somehow, it's never been hard to find her. He follows the scent of home and that pull inside him, an incessant tug when the winter snows begin to melt. He lands beside her, owl to human in an instant, with only fluttering wings about his head and down his back to show he's anything but.]


What is it this time? Oooh. Feral hog? Smells a bit like smoked pork. Though I could certainly do with a bit more fish... [He leans in to kiss her cheek, a flirtatious flickering of his feathers sparking with bits of color around them.] Hello again, my most magnanimous, beloved goddess.
Edited 2024-04-24 07:49 (UTC)
inthenameofhades: (Thoughtful face)

[personal profile] inthenameofhades 2024-04-24 09:24 am (UTC)(link)
"Ever thought about getting a chariot?" Zagreus suggests. "Would make lugging it around much easier, I'd think. You used to have one, didn't you? With four fiery horses, pulling the sun across the sky?"

He'd never seen the chariot of the sun himself, of course. But he'd heard stories. Just like he'd heard stories about all his relatives, long before he had the chance to meet them.
inthenameofhades: (Action 1)

[personal profile] inthenameofhades 2024-04-24 10:24 am (UTC)(link)
"Of course! They can be our cheer squad. Front row seats!"

For a given value of 'seat', anyway. They might not have much of a view from where they are down at the bottom of the floor. Not unless Nanaue decides to set a few on the rim of the chariot itself, that is.

They'd probably be fine if he did that. Probably.

"Alright then...Asterius, Other Goat! To the weird mutated demigod deer-thing!" Zagreus commands. The skeletal goats screen, and then start to run at an impossible speed - leaving behind trails of fire in their wake.
inthenameofhades: (Concerned 1)

[personal profile] inthenameofhades 2024-04-24 10:47 am (UTC)(link)
"Yes ma'am," he says - and then Zagreus moves, a shifting through space that leaves behind familiar streaks of red light. It used to be that he couldn't ever travel far this way - no more than a sword's length in front of him.

But that was a long time ago. He moves farther now, bridging ever-larger gaps in space with him. And it's a trail that Claire will easily be able to follow, almost as if he's leaving behind a divine thread for her to follow.

A trail she will find leads her to their target - a man with blood-stained fists, drinking from a near-empty bottle as he walks by the river. He mutters a near constantly stream of obscenities - all of which seem to feature phrases like 'that bitch' and 'how fucking dare she'. And, worst of all, 'got what's coming to her'.

Beside him, Zagreus waits, with rage flashing behind his eyes. His is an anger that bubbles beneath the surface, contained and barely-concealed. But he would not be so rude as to begin this man's punishment without Claire.

And besides - his Affliction will be rather more effective once the man is already at the edge of despair.
inthenameofhades: (Sarcasm and snark face)

B. Visiting a shrine

[personal profile] inthenameofhades 2024-04-24 11:26 am (UTC)(link)
As Sidus quite shamelessly rifles through offerings meant for another god, a voice rings out.

"Hey!"

Oops, looks like he's been discovered. Now Zagreus appears next to him in a streak of red light, looking vaguely annoyed. He might be known as a rather friendly and easy-going god, but that doesn't meant he's happy for people to go through his stuff!

"That's my shrine you're disturbing mate. Get your own offerings of skulls and bloody flowers!" And of course, by 'bloody flowers', he meant literally bloody. Zagreus had a theme, and his followers had taken note. Flowers drenched in blood, burnt skulls, dice carved from bones. A couple of drawings from the little ones, usually featuring the two skeleton goats that pulled Zagreus's chariot.
cryptsleeper: <user name="malagraphic"> (thinkin for a sec here)

[personal profile] cryptsleeper 2024-04-24 11:44 am (UTC)(link)
The emotions of it were right.

[Alucard will be the first to admit that this bias is probably 100% a product of befriending Jaskier very early on into his time in Abraxas. But even before then, he's at least been aware of the powers of an oral history. It was the specialty of the Speakers, who carried stories as a part of their bloodline. Some favored correct emotion, others the facts. It was all a matter of balance.]

But that's also a bias of my preferences, nothing more or less.
inthenameofhades: (Concerned 1)

[personal profile] inthenameofhades 2024-04-24 11:45 am (UTC)(link)
Perhaps others would wish to avoid Wicka in her sullen mood. She's not been the easiest of company of late. Or for a while, really.

But Zagreus is stubborn - and she's family. And he's been a little worried about her.

"...They don't deserve this," he says softly, appearing next to her in a streak of red light. Before them are a pair of mortals - two siblings, clinging to each other as they huddle beneath a dead tree in the woods, trying to stay warm. It's a perilous situation, and one that could soon go very, very badly for them.

And he reaches out, red light settling over the pair as he gives them his own blessing. Once that will give them another chance; another shot at finding their way back home.

"Sister, what's gotten into you?"
cryptsleeper: (Increase bad thoughts)

[personal profile] cryptsleeper 2024-04-24 11:51 am (UTC)(link)
[Not being alone in the concern is one thing. The fact that no action has been taken (aside from whatever the hell weird godly fling Jaskier had had early on in this process, Alucard decided ages ago that he didn't want the fine details) says makes it clear: the problems are not that bad and that the dhampir would be better off not worrying about them. Alucard is not sure if it is a comfort, but he can at least file it under the heading good to know.

There's something familiar in Innominate's words. Yes, there is the exacting part (but that's obvious, architecture requires that), and then there's balancing propriety and whims. It is the heart of what he's wrestling with.]


I can understand the perspective, if nothing else. [Vaguely, Alucard wonders if the other god was also assigned the sign of the hierophant centuries ago.] With acknowledgement that this tips into the personal - how do you decide when to cast that propriety aside?
judgmentbolts: (27)

[personal profile] judgmentbolts 2024-04-24 12:50 pm (UTC)(link)
[ What's that rumbling then, Sylvain? Sounds a little sus.

Frankly though, that makes them two of a kind, because Cid is pretty tactile himself. He picks some of the leaves out of Sylvain's fur, and gives him a firm pat on the chest when he's tidy enough. ]


What can I say? A bit of adversity is good for you. Keeps you young. [ He flashes Sylvain a brief grin. He has a few theories about why the wood is the way it is, but he can always talk Sylvain's ear off when they're done with the problem at hand. ] If your mortal has already been fool enough to stray into the wood, they're not like to last long. They give you anything useful in that echo? They're not looking to fight one of the demigods, surely?

[ He can only guess, considering Sylvain's domain, why this mortal might have called for him particularly in a place like this. It wouldn't be the first time that someone had walked into the wood seeking glory or revenge. It won't bode well for their lifespan, but Cid has a good sense of where many of the wood's demigods usually reside, and that might just give them a place to start. ]
iustise: (26)

[personal profile] iustise 2024-04-24 02:34 pm (UTC)(link)
[John’s smile widens slightly at the continuing of his banter, and the use of his chosen moniker. Veritas. He will admit, he has come to enjoy being called so, when at first he had shied away from the connotations of the name.

He waits for the other god to catch up to him — and his shrine, he supposes — before offering his own reply in turn. Gesturing to the carved wooden goat-man beside them. John is in his mortal form just now, but if Wilhelm has seen his godform previously, he will understand John’s amusement at the carving.]


You stand before me in my element, can you not see? Come and unburden yourself, Herald, and we shall know your heart’s desire.
iustise: (66)

[personal profile] iustise 2024-04-24 02:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[Something is scratching at the edge of John’s mind. A memory he cannot place, but the fact that he has forgotten it makes him deeply uncomfortable. Or perhaps it is the forgotten memory itself that troubles him. Both?

He does not realize that he is frowning until Geralt speaks, bringing him back into the present from his thoughts. To the realization he has been fixated on these particular scars. He draws his attention back to his companion, his expression softening slightly, grateful to be called back from such a moment, but it is clear that he is still troubled.

His fingers still linger upon the scars themselves. Lash marks. He cannot recall whether Geralt told him how they were acquired. Not that Geralt owes him an explanation of his history, but they have shared these little bits and pieces of themselves, over the years. As if compelled, he cannot help but ask:]


Where did these come from?

[Is it this he has forgotten? Could he forget such a thing done to a person he cares for so dearly? Living such a long life, there are bound to be gaps and yet. The thought of it makes him even more uneasy.]