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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.



infiniteban: (they're coming your way)

Echoes | OTA

[personal profile] infiniteban 2024-04-18 03:39 am (UTC)(link)
[While a bit garbled, there's still the old familiar drawl that could not only be recognized as (1) humanoid, and (2) Travis.] Not too sure what I'm doing out here, champ. [He tries to glue his multitude of limbs to his side, but they stick out like odd bug antennae, dripping a black goop that after hitting the ground, sucks back into the mass.

He turns towards the stranger, but there's no distinct face in the sinewy mess.]
They keep callin' but never with enough specifics. Man needs his specifics. [He gestures with two hands, drawn out from their plastered black cocoon.

Overlooking the small hill is a caravan of natives, except the caravan is smashed in half and there's a few dead bodies, and the remaining five sobbing.]
What d'you think you're here for?
infiniteban: (bleeding for a change)

Month 3 (Awakening)

[personal profile] infiniteban 2024-04-18 03:40 am (UTC)(link)
satanicpanics: (pic#15737640)

echoes; OTA

[personal profile] satanicpanics 2024-04-18 03:46 am (UTC)(link)
[ Eddie makes himself a lot more available than other gods, maybe to a fault. He’s not half as aloof as many of his contemporaries, answering Echoes often and speaking to mortals as it pleases him, even placing himself among them just for the sheer joy of it. It gives him something to concentrate on when the world grows just a little too quiet, and helps him to feel like he’s actually doing something worthwhile.

So when he hears an Echo, he takes it upon himself to answer it. He appears before the mortal as a swirl of bats and as they come together to form the man, the myth, the legend himself, he bows deeply and grins. A mortal boy—no more than sixteen, if Eddie had to guess, and nervous as hell, quakes before him.

Eddie reaches for the silver ring left as an offering and slips it onto a finger alongside several others. He gazes at it for a moment and grimaces, clearly not impressed, but at least they stopped leaving dead animals. The boy addresses him as “King of Twilight” in a shaky voice, and Eddie snaps his gaze up.
]

Wow, that’s an old one. It’s Metallica now, actually? Has been for at least two centuries. Sort of surprised you missed the memo, honestly, but, uh...go ahead and call me Eddie. I insist.

[ He grins easily, which doesn’t seem to do anything for the nervous young man’s anxiety. The youth just continues to stand there, shaking in his boots and struggling to speak. Eddie heaves out a dramatic sigh and settles himself crosslegged on the ground, folding his wings neatly behind him to appear smaller, less intimidating, more “normal”. The young man looks taken aback by this request, but Eddie merely tilts his head, eyes wide and expectant. ]

Take your time.

[ He hums to himself and begins to draw something in the dirt with a claw. It might be a shark. Finally, the boy finally sputters out something about how you shouldn’t tell secrets in a cornfield because there are too many ears. Eddie raises his eyes and snorts, but he can’t hide the way a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. It’s cute, honestly, the way mortals seem to just crumble into bits when he speaks to them despite the way he keeps things so cool and casual, but he hasn’t actually heard a good joke in eons, and that’s quite sad.]

Well, that was awful. Jesus. I’ve heard better jokes from goats.

[ The boy begins to beg for forgiveness, but Eddie shakes his head and holds up a hand to silence him. He can tell that this kid has a good heart, and he’s not here to be the Joke Jury. ]

But I’ve also heard worse. So, uh, I’m gonna roll the dice in your favor today.
Edited 2024-04-18 04:30 (UTC)
aquaveiled: (himeka-624)

last 800 years

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2024-04-18 04:04 am (UTC)(link)
diametrically: (pic#16867167)

[personal profile] diametrically 2024-04-18 04:06 am (UTC)(link)
[ Cassian doesn't know what exactly draws him to this place. But what he does know is that he's meant to have come here. Learning to distinguish that feeling from other places in this world named Abraxas is something he's quickly adapted to.

Faintly he wonders if it's because there are imprints of River's footprints left faintly in the dirt, worn away with time but never really gone, that he can see. Or maybe it's a trick of his powers, convincing him that it is here that he'll find something to satiate his hunger. And maybe there is an answer here amongst the stacks before him.

Whatever the reason, when he steps across the threshold of this library he can feel that pull as strong as ever. Staring up at the spiraling bookshelves, packed to the rim with books and scrolls, he can't help but get the distinct feeling that he's been here before. But that can't be. Because he woke up on a beach miles from here with salt water lapping at his form.

So instead he wanders through the aisles from room to room, dust gently falling off of him as he runs his fingers along the spines of books. He watches with quiet curiosity as the shelves move and shift around him as if laying out a path forward for him. To where, he doesn't know - but he's content to walk for now until he's certain that River isn't here. ]

aquaveiled: (himeka-648)

CLOSED ❥ Sylvain

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2024-04-18 04:08 am (UTC)(link)
[ It isn't just in the mortal world that she likes to travel--Azem makes it a point to visit the domains of other gods any time she's spent what energy she can in the realm of men. Of course she retreats to her own domain when necessary, but the Horizon is much more vibrant and wonderful when you see the lives of others. That much has never changed.

And neither has Sylvain's desire to be a recluse from time to time. They have gotten considerably more "friendly" over the centuries, though truth be told, just waltzing in without an invitation is something she would do regardless. But at least she always brings something to offer him.

The chill of the snowy landscape puts her more breathable attire to the test. Even as a god, she prefers warmer climates. But she persists until she finally makes her way across the lake to the beautifully crafted building. No knocking--it's too feckin' cold out here. ]


Sylvain?

[ She calls out in the foyer, bare toes curling on the wood as she shakes snow out of her miles of hair. She has a wrapped basket tucked against her side. Don't mind the shivering. ]

You better be here or else I nearly froze off my foot for naught...

[ Could she have conjured up something warmer to wear? Yes. Did she? No. Is it her own fault? Absolutely. ]
Edited 2024-04-18 20:13 (UTC)
infiniteban: (who did that to you my baby)

The Barren | OTA

[personal profile] infiniteban 2024-04-18 04:09 am (UTC)(link)
A. Affliction

[The Maw needs to feed, and these exiles keep wanting him dead when he's just trying to help!

So he'll destroy. He'll take. He'll succumb to his inhuman impulses under the mindset that he can't let these people continue on--even his means can't put them on a better path.

And there's a trail of blood and viscera left behind. Bodies half dissolved, limbs melting together. Some babbling saying they're the friend they got sent here with, while their friend is shaking their head and saying the opposite, struck by a sense of madness as they stagger closer and closer to the open chasm of the waiting Maw--because the Maw always, always needs to be fed.

The despair orchestrated by the towering Patron of the Hollow Mirror, dozens of outstretched creaking, twisted limbs, bones and muscle hidden by the impossibly thick black viscous.

Will you hinder?

Or will you help?

Or simply just try to reason and distract him?]




B. Blessing

[The opposite of the coin comes from the same abomination. But this time it's to help.

Sometimes it's better to just get back to your square one. Things happen. A chain of events made you this way. And sure, who can really blame anyone for damning the gods? The gods likely even damn themselves some days and should be exiled to the Barren just the same, marched up to their doom to feed some Unknown.

Miserable life.

Some of them weren't so bad until they got cast out to the Barrens. Those are the ones that Travis gravitates to.]
They're not so bad. They can come around. [He'll say this to anyone that may be listening, that may just be watching things play out, or want to intervene themselves but haven't reached a hand--or several hands.

Travis has already interacted with one in the scattering group of exiles. All adamant to stay together until the terror of the Maw's proximity becomes terrifyingly real. Fear wins too often over camaraderie.

They can come around he has to think because if he doesn't he thinks he'll be made an exile with them, every time he loses himself under his own instability. Travis. Travis. Travis. Patron of the Hollow Mind--TRAVIS. The rest is murky. But 'Travis' sticks to him like the personality he pulls from the exile.]
They just need a little help, you know?



C. Creation

[It's not on purpose.

The problem with having a multitude of limbs and limited control some days is that those hands end up reaching out and what pulls back with them is stuck to him like webbing, and the mortals don't even see the source.

They just know something's missing, but it doesn't seem as important to them as their lives.

He pulls pieces together. Limbs. Memories. Personalities. The thing spat out on the other end is visible to mortal eye, and maybe just as horrifying.

But the mortals he pulled from are free and unharmed. They run, they get out, what creature's left behind can take their place. The question is--should that entity be allowed to continue? Or is it to be the Maw's next snack?]
diametrically: (pic#16919485)

cassian andor | star wars | herald of the fettered

[personal profile] diametrically 2024-04-18 04:14 am (UTC)(link)
🌌💫 plotting comment | au info
closed & semi-open starters below
reach me at [plurk.com profile] timescars or discord @ cardialloyed for plotting!
Edited 2024-04-18 04:16 (UTC)
diametrically: (pic#16919498)

🌌 months one - two

[personal profile] diametrically 2024-04-18 04:16 am (UTC)(link)
Edited 2024-04-18 23:52 (UTC)
diametrically: (pic#16867133)

🌌 month three

[personal profile] diametrically 2024-04-18 04:17 am (UTC)(link)
Edited 2024-04-18 23:52 (UTC)
satanicpanics: (pic#15737630)

[personal profile] satanicpanics 2024-04-18 04:21 am (UTC)(link)
[ Maybe that’s why Eddie clings so tightly to all of these people, even if seem of them have made it vehemently clear that they don’t want to be clung to. The ties he’s made are have rooted themselves so deeply, they’re more of a part of him than the ties he’d made back home—ties lost to time that he can’t even recall now. To cut them would be akin to cutting off an arm.

He tilts his head thoughtfully. Was it yesterday? He supposes it could have been. It’s been so long, time is practically meaningless. It runs at an odd pace, never truly consistent. There have been times where ten years has felt as long as a week, and there have been single days that felt as if they’d lasted forever. But it doesn’t matter, not really.
]

So you do remember me, then.

[ He grins and suddenly he’s climbing the tree, hooking his knees over a branch and dropping upside down, just high enough that his face is level with Nebula’s. He didn’t need to go full bat to have this conversation, but he did anyway. ]

Sure, but I don’t want them to get too dependent on me, you know? Besides, maybe I just wanted to see you. A day is a long time. Sometimes.
aquaveiled: battle (himeka-267)

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2024-04-18 04:25 am (UTC)(link)
[ What is growing but building? Sure, they all have their own domains of influence in the world, but Azem believes that they can compliment one another and overlap in more ways than may be immediately obvious. All it takes is just a little will and creativity.

Not at all unlike the village that Nebula dedicated herself to for so long.

Azem purses her lips slightly, but in good humor as she finishes the spell on the land. A Blessing of Bounty, that much she an give. It won't make the crops grow any faster, but their haul will be one to write about. ]


What if you made them a nice little barn or something? With a turtle emblem on it!

[ She offers as she turns to the other woman with a smile, her excess of hair effortlessly swinging around her without causing abject chaos. (The true perks of being a God.) Though she knows the implications here--Nebula wants to do something else and Azem is already stepping away from her project without protest. She's always keen to keep busy. ]

Or did you have something else in mind?
aquaveiled: (FAMINE)

CLOSED ❥ Alucard

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2024-04-18 04:25 am (UTC)(link)
[ It wasn't meant to happen like this.

These changes, these abilities that were slowly developing over the last several decades--nay, the last few centuries have been nothing but a blessing! And that's all she's ever wanted to impart on the world and people around her--blessings. A bountiful harvest, a filling feast, the warmth of a hearth when you're surrounded by friends and family and all the lovely memories that flow with it.

There's always another side. A balance. Too much or too little of a good thing could certainly turn sour, and sour...she became.

Himeka--that is still her name, isn't it?--recalls the incantation that brought her forth: a dispute between families, feelings of discontent and good fortunes stolen. A boost in one's haul meant there was naught for the other and to a goddess of feast they asked for famine. Just a little, just for their crops to fail this year to allow the others to catch up.

The endless deep. The Empty.

She tried. Because balance must be sought.

A Flood of Light. Color drained from everything. Everyone.

But she lost herself in it. The crops, yes, those were dealt with--but so too went the farm, the house, the inhabitants inside...

...and in a minute's time, Himeka watched as the ground became empty and chalk-like, the walls shattering beneath the lightest touch. Her tears of regret soon consumed her as she fell into a heap.

Fix it, fix it.

But she only made it worse. Consumed by her own affliction, her body stretched and twisted into the likeness of a beached leviathan. She drags herself along, sending what were curious onlookers fleeing in fear. In her wake, she leaves a trail of tainted earth, and with each "step" she feels that emptiness in her belly grow and grow. She has to find something to fill it.

Anything. Anything.

How long she's like this, she doesn't know. It feels like second and an eternity at the same time. The only pause in her pursuit of sustenance is the appearance of a familiar form... ]
Edited 2024-04-18 23:25 (UTC)
aquaveiled: (himeka-492)

CLOSED ❥ Thancred

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2024-04-18 04:28 am (UTC)(link)
[ The Isle of the Lost has become a comforting place over time. The greenery is always pleasant to see and the mortals there are kind and open-minded. Though over the centuries, the specifics of what transpired have slowly faded, leaving Azem with only memories of the happiness she's experienced since and a great appreciation of turtles.

As much as she travels with her brother, she and Aegis haven't spent much time on this particular island together and she's never been sure why. So she reached out, seeing if their next journey might be to pay a visit to Chuck's memorial and enjoying some of the other wildlife.

As they set foot on the edge of the high cliffs, she smiles and asks absently-- ]


Do you believe the stories?
Edited 2024-05-01 17:51 (UTC)
furibund: (pic#17131123)

[personal profile] furibund 2024-04-18 04:33 am (UTC)(link)
You don't let me forget.

[ She says it mildly, without any real heat. A truth she won't admit to is she doesn't want to forget anything. Not more. Even if she feels herself, feels whole, it feels like with more time - there's more loss. ]

[ - She shakes it off. Doesn't matter. There will always be the other gods. So she rolls her eyes at his antics, breathing a puff of air that sends hair flying as she adds: ]

You're always the humble one. [ Undoubtedly, that was sarcasm. ] Sometimes. Not this time.

What do you have in mind?
furibund: (whatif11)

[personal profile] furibund 2024-04-18 04:42 am (UTC)(link)
Buildings don't appear out of thin air.

[ A gentle reminder, though cutting through the truth all the same. Some things were too obvious, made their presence too well known. Besides, some part of her thinks, they still need to be able to do some things on their own. ]

[ They're thriving right now, who was she to intervene? ]

You'll have to trust me. It's not far. [ She tilts her head, as cheeky a motion as it is challenging: ] Unless you think I'd lead you astray.
divasmio: Close up of a marble statue sitting, his body streaked with gold cracks (xAU - Cracked Body)

Apollo - Patron of Amends

[personal profile] divasmio 2024-04-18 04:43 am (UTC)(link)
AU info | OOC Plotting

emotional/mental:
  • Apollo's domains of inspiration and prophecy have become muddled together and he's become a god of taking time to contemplate your own future.
  • He's also trying to make up for past selfish behavior by over-correcting in the opposite direction; He's taking other people's consequences and suffering onto himself, and refusing to dump his problems onto anyone else.
  • So much of himself has become other people's suffering that he's forgotten how warm and joyful he used to be. He's forgotten that he was once a god of art, music, medicine, or anything else. It's just his own misery in the present and hope for other people's futures.
  • He still tries to project happiness! But it's very subdued now, and he doesn't really remember what joy actually feels like. But he gets satisfaction from seeing other people smile.
  • He does remember the people he loves and cares for, and will check on them regularly.

  • physical:
  • Each unit of suffering manifests as link on a thin golden chain. Over the centuries, the chain has grown so long and wraps around him so many times that it looks like a scarf or a cloak.
  • The weight of that chain is taking a physical toll on him, and he's starting to literally crack under the strain. He's streaked with gold cracks, and one leg has already shattered and been replaced with a prosthetic.
  • Anyone else who tries to support or carry him doesn't feel the weight of the chain, only he does. Can he get rid of it? Maybe, he doesn't know! It's his burden to bear. It would be selfish to try and discard it.
  • nomnoms: (Default)

    [personal profile] nomnoms 2024-04-18 04:55 am (UTC)(link)
    Feature: Reverse mermaids
    Location: Every available coastline, although mostly found on the southern beaches of Solvunn
    Description: Exactly what it says on the tin! Over the centuries Nanaue has been using his new powers to give marine life legs. Why? For more friends! You can find these critters roaming around the beaches sometimes. Every so often there's a starfish with human arms on every star-arm.

    Marine mammals are spared from this nonsense. Especially the orcas. Screw those guys!

    Character Involvement: Nanaue
    thedevilwhorose: » hallucination (not be afraid and forsaken)

    Lucifer

    [personal profile] thedevilwhorose 2024-04-18 05:14 am (UTC)(link)
    AU Info
    Edited 2024-04-18 05:15 (UTC)
    thearchangel: (Archangel | ... *breathe* ...)

    Garrus Vakarian | Mass Effect | Guardian of the Gray

    [personal profile] thearchangel 2024-04-18 05:15 am (UTC)(link)
    (Links: Plotting | General Info
    [plurk.com profile] redfirelight or PM for anything specific! I'm Open!)
    thearchangel: (Archangel | Like the Bat Signal only not)

    Months 1 - 2

    [personal profile] thearchangel 2024-04-18 05:16 am (UTC)(link)
    ( OTAs and any closed starters for the pre-awakening will go here! )
    Edited 2024-04-18 06:16 (UTC)
    aquaveiled: battle (himeka-253)

    OTA ❥ witchwood

    [personal profile] aquaveiled 2024-04-18 05:16 am (UTC)(link)
    [ An adventurer's heart rarely calms, especially when given godlike abilities. Himeka Azem is an embodiment of this, always wandering from place to place in search of people and new experiences. While many of her travels are pleasant and often focused around mortals, she does take her time to venture out further away where greater dangers may lay...

    Azem stands next to you at the edge of the jungle with her crooked wooden staff, feeling the humid air drift out from between the tall trees before them. She turns to her companion with a wry smile. ]


    Another pruning is in order, I think. Is it one of yours, this time?

    [ Culling these creations is simply the way of things--they can become too powerful and too dangerous. Though Azem feels she's caused enough destruction in her lifetime--both intentionally and unintentionally--there's something about this that feels too easy. Something locked away...she doesn't like dwelling much on such things.


    Or perhaps, you have also followed a mortal inside. Being a traveler herself, Azem is ever fond and quite protective of those who venture out into the great beyond to see what there is to be seen. Realistically there is little reason to go through the Witchwood even though it takes up quite a bit of real estate between the tall mountains and the largest inland sea.

    To go from the Lunae Settlement to the Castle Hayle? Mayhaps, but perilous would be the kindest way to put it.

    She has to give it to their adventurous spirit. If only she hadn't lost track of the person. ]


    They couldn't have gotten far, could they?

    [ She asks her fellow deity as she bites her lower lip. ]

    And this close to nightfall...they won't have a clue where they've been come sunrise.
    Edited 2024-04-19 00:26 (UTC)
    thearchangel: (Archangel | AAAAAANGST)

    Month 3

    [personal profile] thearchangel 2024-04-18 05:17 am (UTC)(link)
    ( OTAs and closed starters about the awakening portion will go here! )
    Edited 2024-04-18 06:18 (UTC)
    satanicpanics: made by <user name="inkonic"> (pic#16613125)

    [personal profile] satanicpanics 2024-04-18 05:17 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Years ago, it didn’t take long for Eddie to start to pick up on Henry’s signs. Mere months, maybe, because Henry hides himself well, but he’s not exactly subtle. While Eddie’s memories of home have become patchwork and hazy, not wholly forgotten but not easy to decipher, his memories of the world beneath Hawkins are as still as crystal clear as ever. The gnarled roots and alien plants mirror those memories almost perfectly.

    As that voice booms out, somewhere in his head, Eddie laughs. Whatever fear he had in Henry’s presence has long since withered away, leaving behind an odd mixture of feelings that are difficult to interpret. He knows there’s rage; that’s the easiest to pinpoint, but there’s also sympathy and just…confusion. He knows that he can’t hate a man for a future that he never even lived out, but he does, and at the same time, there’s a part of him that still cares for the friendship they once had. Maybe that’s why he visits so often—once a year, at least. He can check in, but also annoy him at the same time.
    ]

    Why do I always have to want something?

    [ He rolls his eyes and purposefully steps on one of those vines, just to reassure Henry that yes, he’s here and no, he's not leaving. ]

    Maybe I just came to see my favorite person. I mean, it’s not you, but it’s you lucky day because I found you anyway.
    Edited (omg im so sorry just so many typos...) 2024-04-18 05:24 (UTC)
    thedevilwhorose: » power (and when I closed my eyes)

    Lucifer | Herald of New Beginnings

    [personal profile] thedevilwhorose 2024-04-18 05:26 am (UTC)(link)
    AU Info | Plotting | Handwave
    [plurk.com profile] ShadowSpirits | will match style