EVENT #18: EMERGENCE - IC EVENT LOG

[abraxasmods]

Event #18 - Emergence

OOC Plotting Post ⦁ Pre-Event Info ⦁ Setting Descriptions

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

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

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

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

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

Year 20,879

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

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

Politics, People, & Gods

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

Beliefs and Gods

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

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

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

International Relations

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

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

Magic & The Singularity

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

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

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

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

Old World, New World

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

Setting descriptions are HERE for your reference.

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

Month 1-2: Submersion

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

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

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

The World as the Divine

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

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

Exploring the Land

◎ The Witchwood

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

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

◎ Mechapolis

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

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

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

◎ The Barren/The Badlands

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

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

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

◎ The Maw

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

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

Horizon, "Death," and Dormancy

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

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

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

Impact & Consequences

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

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

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

Instability Effects

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

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

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

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

Demigod Spawns

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

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

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

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

Hearing Echoes

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

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

Interacting with Other Gods

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

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

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

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

Month 3: Awakening

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

Catalysts

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

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

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

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

Shattered Skies

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

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

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

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

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

---

Comments

Months 1-2

[magicalarchaeologist]

[ ooc: I will be putting OTAs and scenes involving the pre-awakening section of this event! ]

The Library

[magicalarchaeologist]

Istredd's Forbidden Library now extends a huge amount of space within the Godlands and it never fully appears the same on the inside. Rooms shift, shelves upon unending shelves shimmering and changing colors or places, and the moment someone inside of it thinks about what they want, what they might be looking for, a book will appear. Maybe it is in your hands, maybe it is on a table nearby, maybe it jolts out of the side of a nearby shelf and glows brightly for your attention, but it is there, ready to be read.

The rooms are all unique and beautiful, some have the sky as ceilings, or are designed out of large trees, some are completely one color or a rainbow. Some smell like flowers or favorite foods, or the crisp smell of open pages and an impossible scent of 'understanding' that nevertheless can be tasted. There is music occasionally playing, and for those familiar with Jaskier or some of the musical Summoned in the community, they would recognize the tunes. There are rooms that have the sound of rain on the outside, or a sunny day brightening everything inside, or snow dotting the windows. Whatever the visitor's preference is modifies the library, personalized in every way.

People can design their own rooms and the space shifts to alter to their liking. There is an entire room made up entirely of blackboards where the walls themselves can be drawn on. It can be reading nooks but for those who do not use their own domains or are in flux, they can create entire bedrooms for themselves and stay there like a port in a storm.

Istredd can be found regularly within this space of his. Perhaps people come across him by accident as he's sorting through shelves, writing notes on the walls or in journals, or re-designing a hallway. If they think about him when they come in, and he's willing to see them, the walls will part and the hallway will take them directly to wherever the god is. If he is distracted, they may have to actively go looking for him, calling out in the endless rows.

Istredd now usually sports starlight skin, a dark color with sparkles of stars and moons swirling inside of it. It is a slightly darker and more muted version of a costume illusion he designed long ago, but now it's left a mark on him. He is rarely seen with his wings inside of the library, considering it too cumbersome to go to some of the back shelves in a more crowded space. His face and body are still physically the same, although he sometimes stretches up to 10 feet depending on where he needs to physically be for the library, but those who knew him as a human would see the same features. They're just made of starlight now.

There are still several creatures that live within this vast library. The two leosylphs are now grown into the size of lions, flying or running around the hallways playing. The crows are five times larger and swoop at the tallest of the shelves. A FENRIS robot greets people often at whatever door they walk in, about the size of a horse now, to bring them a glass of their favorite drink on its back or any food they might enjoy. There may be a giant anaconda stretching its way through back rooms, but people only ever see a slither of a tail as it leaves.

This library stores 800 years of information about the planet and the planets of all the Summoned who have added to it. Enjoy.

[diametrically]

[ 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. ]

[magicalarchaeologist]

[ While Istredd gets very absorbed in whatever project he is working on in the library, and he is always working on some kind of project, this vast place is still all connected to him. He does not interrupt other people in how they use his domain, but he feels them. It is somewhat of a 'ping' on his senses.

He is fully broken out of his note-taking and his head shoots up, a familiar presence clocked and Istredd doesn't have to move out of his chair, he closes his eyes and opens them and he's in front of Cassian. The path Cassian was taking would have eventually led him straight to his private study, but Istredd wouldn't want to wait that long.

Istredd has no wings in here but his skin is a patchwork of black with stars although his features themselves are clear on his face, his expression that of longing. Longing for his brother's safe return, which he is witnessing himself, and yet, he knows how this works. He knows this is likely to be a blank canvas to imprint on again. ]

Cassian.

[ He closes the space between them but does not get directly into his physical space. He pauses a respectful distance. ]

You're home.

[thedevilwhorose]

The walls don't so much as part for Lucifer as they allow him to pass unhindered. He could just appear in Istredd's space but there's something gratifying in making the slower approach to him. Because even as distracted as Istredd often is, he'll know Lucifer is nearby. He might quickly lose that train of thought, but he knew at one point. The mixing colors of their thoughts is enough for that.

"You know, I should've made a score card," he's saying, with a claw snatching up whatever secondary book Istredd has nearby and isn't at that very moment where his focus is, but likely was about to be. Lucifer's skimming the contents, clearly looking for something specific to what he was dealing with a few hours earlier and making a quiet, slightly disturbed chortle that it isn't related, but might just be his next problem.

Meanwhile another claw is skimming the closest bookshelf, ever-so careful to not damage the bindings in the slightest despite how easily fixable it would be. He may have become quite cold since his returned power, but his warmth comes through in striking ways to those who know how to read it.

He pulls a book with a third claw and makes an attempt to slide that one, open, to put in place of the book he snatched. He kindly does not mis-shelf the stolen book, still held safely secured to the right page and all.

"For how many times I've had to play 'Divine Intervention.'" He hasn't specified that he means for Istredd, or Istredd's free distribution of knowledge, or Istredd's cult. His thoughts, much easier to slip in and out and meld with Istredd's but expertly remaining separate in different ways, offer zero clarity.

[magicalarchaeologist]

Istredd does sense the moment Lucifer enters the library, but he does go back to being distracted because that could mean anything. Usually he does find Istredd but sometimes he does his own thing as well, but there is an awareness that tingles up his spine and makes him smile privately. They spend so much time together now in the Nether and yet he mentally vibes warmth at him, no need to make a formal hello when they bleed (safely) into one another. When Lucifer is with him, his white wings automatically form themselves, which rarely happens in the library but his presence instinctively sets it off.

"Mmm?" Is his response though when Lucifer does appear to scatter what he's working on. He rolls his eyes although it is difficult to tell that is what he is doing when his eyes are glowing blue and without pupils these days. Lucifer knows that is what he is doing. His exasperation can be felt and he turns from what he's doing to watch him. Luckily Lucifer knows better than to disorganize anything. Yes, he can fix it easily, that isn't the point!

"Mmmmm." He says after considering what Lucifer is probably saying. He does make a list in his head of what he's blessed lately. Nothing that stands out. Istredd doesn't know if mortals have figured out that he is easy to sneak things past, or that they simply believe he supports their endeavors, shady or not. Probably the latter. Oops.

"That's why I have a list of suspicious humans. Although ... I may not have looked at it." Double oops.

[funbreaker]

There are times when Aegis wonders if Istredd might enter his endless library and simple never come out. He'll lose his way, too caught up in his reading and researching, and no longer be able to tell where the exit is located. Or he'll end up buried under a pile of books and decide that it isn't such a bad way to spend the rest of his days. The forgetful professor role is hardly an act with him.

And... well, they're friends, are they not? So if Aegis decides that he wants to take a break from his godly duties and spend some time in the massive library while checking in on a companion, that is his prerogative.

Today Istredd is not easily found, and Aegis worries that he might end up wandering the walls packed with shelves and shelves of books for ages. He can't help but feel clumsy in here, especially when one of his wings knocks yet another book off of a table.

Aegis heaves out a sigh and bends down to pick it up. It's a brown, leather-bound book with gold detailing entitled The Unending Journey.

It might be difficult to keep this massive place neat and tidy, but sometimes Aegis does wish it was a little less cramped.

[magicalarchaeologist]

"That's why I remove the wings in here." Istredd just seems to appear in the same room as him, which could be startling, but he can move around the library as he deems fit.

He sensed Aegis once he arrived, the domain all connected to his mind, but he usually leaves people alone or doesn't dive too deeply into their presence unless they go looking for him. There are many who come in to enjoy themselves or fill up their books, even a few who live here when they need a place to stay, and he gives them their privacy. But he could tell that Aegis was searching.

It's true that Istredd typically has large white wings which contrast nicely with his skin made of dark skies and swirling starlight. But his body is in flux, at his whim, and he knocked too many books off their shelves himself until he figured out the fix. He isn't suggesting Aegis does the same, only an observation.

"Aegis, how have you been?"

[thoughts]

Today is a good day - a quiet day, something that has become more common over the last decade. Serenity has grown accustomed to the madness coming and going as it pleases and she pays no mind to the time, knowing that this is just the way of things, the past and future overlapping in a single second.

It's easier to exist in the moment, and as she finds herself in a quiet moment where the storm in her mind isn't so frenzied, she allows herself to wander home. This library was her favorite place to roam as a child. Entire worlds of knowledge at her fingertips and her father beside her, showing her the way.

Serenity doesn't hide her presence from him - can't, even; he could probably tell when a single page is out of place in one of his books - but she doesn't make her way to him either, content to simply walk through the fantastic space and observe Istredd's monumental work in silence. Her sparkling eyes roam over every inch of the new building, her fingers trailing lightly along shelves and spines and spiraling staircases.

Eventually, she makes her way to her room, something that remains unchanged even as the library shifts and reforms over the ages. Overflowing with colorful flowers and branching vines as books line every inch of the walls, save for where there is always sunlight filtering in through the enormous windows, and a pile of blankets and pillows where she once slept and studied when she was younger. Things were simpler then, she thinks. It's all become a blur, the details lost to time and delirium, but the feeling of belonging remains.

It's only then that she finally acknowledges that Istredd has probably been watching her this whole time. She lifts her head, fully expecting to see him there the way he so often appears on his own accord, and smiles. Her lips don't move even as her voice gently chimes, "Bàba."

[magicalarchaeologist]

Istredd does know the moment she exists within the library. He is connected to every aspect of his domain and the presence of another lights up the space, but he leaves people be unless they come looking for him. Those who know him well are aware he sees them so they can speak his name if they wish. He gets visitors frequently, some who are adding knowledge, some looking for something specific or random, and there are a few who occasionally live in here, the wanderers of the rest of the sphere.

He stops everything he's doing the moment he senses her, it may as well be an alarm blaring in his ear. Istredd's chest fills with a familiar sense of overpowering love and concern, for he knows existence is not always easy for his child. The library reacts to his feelings, seeming to glow a little brighter, everything to appear more full and intriguing. He never touches her room or allows a single aspect to alter. Only Serenity herself can change this place.

Istredd manages to hold himself back only long enough for her to get to her room, because if she went to start reading or was there to look for a text, he would leave her without an invitation. He cannot contain himself longer than this. He appears to her a moment before she smiles, his own smile wide.

"Luned," he says back. It's a word from a language in his past, for daughters. Istredd opens up his arms in an unspoken request for the embrace he craves every time he sees her. As if holding her will give him the ability to ground her here. "I have missed you so much."

[unwings]

[ it isn’t often that Castiel leaves his forest any longer, but Istredd is one of the few he makes exceptions for. When he visits, he brings his forest with him, morphing the rooms of the library to leave the isolated tranquility of his home in his wake. As Istredd arrives, he’s sat in a shallow pool, a step along the path of the trickling waterfall as the stream parts around him. He doesn’t look up from the tome he’s paging through when he speaks. ]

He visited last night.

[ There’s no need to question who he’s talking about. Istredd remains one of the still fewer Castiel ever mentions Dean Winchester to anymore. It’s hardly every conversation they have - sometimes they dig through obscure knowledge, while away hours with intellectual ponderings and debate, or squint at Lucifer and whatever shenanigans he’s getting up to. Cas always ebbs away from discussing most other gods, making no disguise of his distaste for the entire structure of their ascension. The control they wield freely over mortals.

But when there is another Summoned he’ll allow himself to mention - it’s Dean. ]

It’s the same as it ever was. We enjoyed each other, until we didn’t. [ the page turns with more of a snap, Castiel’s carefully guarded calm splintering under the veneer of unshakeable peace. ] It’s paradise, until one of us speaks.

[magicalarchaeologist]

[ Istredd is not surprised to see the change when he walks in, having sensed someone changing a section. He is mentally connected to everything in this vast space and Castiel rarely arrives without intending to see him. His wings are off since he doesn't wear them in the library (too many bumped shelves), but his skin is a patchwork of black and starlight.

He's embraced his identity as a god because it brings him this. Endless knowledge. Intimate information. He is gracious and indulgent of his followers but doesn't lord over anyone either. Scholars aren't really the type who need to be intimidated. He knows how Castiel feels about all of it though.

Istredd is also not surprised that it is one of those conversations. Dean and Castiels fraught romance is one he's well versed in now. ]

Speaking is integral to a relationship, Cas. I know you love him and want what you can have, but one of you has to be strong enough to step back and demand a conversation.

[ It's easier said than done, but this is from experience. He had to do the same thing with Lucifer. The two of them were terrible at communication in those early years, and it wasn't always easy to step back and insist on talking instead of swimming safely by that. ]

You may be afraid that it'll end if you do, but in my experience, getting it out in the open could lead you to being closer.

rolls in here late, with starbucks

[earthborn]

"Istredd!"

Shepard has always had an exemplary parade-ground bark. It behooves someone in her position to possess such a tool, of course; to threaten, and issue orders, and to call out from the doorway of the library itself. The floor steams underneath her feet, little embers left behind, flickering briefly as they die, scorchmark footprints that follow Shepard wherever she goes— or at least they do when she's riled up.

If today the library appears a mite more labyrinthine than usual, that's surely her imagination and not that anyone might be avoiding confrontation. Surely. It's easy to invent new annoyances when you're already upset.

"I know you're in here! Hiding won't help!"

Actually, at this rate, she might be inventing new reasons to get mad, wholesale.

[magicalarchaeologist]

It is incredibly easy to get lost in the library. Psychically, someone can lead themselves to the places they want to be, but they need to know how to do that. Otherwise it could be endless shelves and rooms, and they're all beautiful and interesting, so probably distracting.

Istredd is not hiding, he doesn't know why he would be hiding, although Shepard shouting his name from somewhere in the distance does seem to be a reason for him to. His eyebrows furrow and he shifts the library around them so that when she stomps her way from one room to the next, she finds herself immediately into the same room as him. This is his space, he could make her get lost too, if he wanted to.

His skin is pure black currently with consellations and stars playing across it, although his features are still very distinct, and his eyes glow blue. He's in the blackboard room, where the entire thing is made of blackboards with different things written on it, in multiple languages. He looks genuinely confused when she steps in.

"What did I do?" He must have done something!

Exploring the Land

[magicalarchaeologist]

When out and about in other locations, Istredd more commonly appears with his normal skin color but with white wings and glowing blue eyes. He is in his 6'3 frame while with humans, but he grows to a larger size on his own.

The Nether

Istredd loves the Nether for many reasons. He is often seen visibly there among the Draconae who worship the dragons but not the gods, but he never gets tired of exploring the now-alive spaces. He reads a book by the river, walks through the vibrant forests, wanders the new villages to see the people thriving in places that once were dead. Come join him as he writes down new echoes he plans on fulfilling while having a picnic in the forest or while enjoying the lush life within the Nether.

Istredd joins the dragons when they meet up to go on a flight with them every few days, growing his wings out to their size. Make a pair of wings if you don't already have them and join the group as they soar over that part of the map together.

Exploration

On his own, Istredd flies over the rest of the planet at least once a week, his white wings bright against the blue skies. He will fly even if there is bad weather though, pushing through the rain or snow, letting the wings unsettle his feathers. He can often be found hovering over the Witchwoods with a created book in hand, writing down details. He takes notes on all the demigods that appear and frowns if he notices a new one, floating down a little closer when he does to take in the details. Feel free to warn him if you think he is getting too close or reaching out to see what he's doing, as glowing blue eyes get distracted enough not to notice other people approaching.

"That one is getting a little worrisome," he might mention to another god if they decide to join him in watching. Istredd will point to the demigod in question, one that looks like it may be testing the boundaries of the wood. Perhaps it is considering escaping, which can only mean destruction for the area nearby. But Istredd is not a warrior --- at least not without reason.

The one place he rarely goes inside is the new Thorne. No, the closest he'll go is standing on the ice walls that keep the other humans from getting to them, staring Hayle down. He doesn't do anything, but he does sometimes linger there, as if trying to remember something behind why there is anger in his heart.

One day he can be seen hovering, his wings flapping, nearby the Maw. Istredd is watching a group of exiles from Solvunn, non-believers, attempt to walk across what is almost certain death. It is clear he is considering whether or not to help them. There is indecision on his expression but while it may be obvious to save lives, there are always questions to consider. There is still time to decide to go help them, but every second that ticks by, it becomes less likely.

Istredd does sit with the Singularity regularly as he did when he was still human. He may be reading or writing there, or he has his hand on it listening to the various Echoes while deciding who to answer. He commonly might run into other gods who are there for their own, and will smile pleasantly, no longer held back by shyness or social anxiety like in the past.

[iustise]

Being a wanderer of the wilds himself, John is quite familiar with the sight of Istredd flying overhead by now. He is sat just now with a little picnic of his own on the peak of a grassy hill, just outside one of the many forests of the Velan Republic. Raising a hand to shield his eyes against the sun and watch the flap of his wings against the blue of the sky, John waits for him to draw close enough so that he might hear his voice before he calls out:

“What news does the wind bring?” Gesturing to Istredd’s book of notes.

(He thinks he is being funny.)

[magicalarchaeologist]

Istredd is focused on his task so he didn't observe John there until he speaks. He is used to ignoring most of what's going on around him, since humans cannot see them, but he smiles once he spots him. He swoops down to drop a few feet away from John's grassy hill, his wings resting.

"Just keeping an eye on the demigods. I saw one that seems to be testing the boundaries of the wood." And that means it could wander out of it and into trouble for the mortals. They usually are good at staying within their territory, but once one gets out, they have a very easy time starting havoc. Istredd has none of his own, and he's fairly certain they've handled all of Lucifer's.

"I believe some of the others have been culling them." They can get a good fight out of them. Boredom can inspire that.

[starscollapse]

Merrin is drawn to the Witchwood more frequently than most other areas, as if some old memories stir — whose shape and meaning are lost now to time — and find comfort in the landscape's mix of harsh and gentle hues, the atmosphere with its persistent warmth so like a land far from here. What it's called, what it was, she doesn't know, but this land offers a feeling of belonging. Mortals wisely fear it, and some of the pantheon seem to avoid it still, but it's as close to home as any area of this land has ever been for her. She doesn't stay here permanently, but it's a rare day indeed when she isn't passing through or near the Witchwood.

She will tame and cull the monsters here without compunction, if she must, though like Istredd, she prefers to watch and observe. She will not start a fight, but she will end it. Swiftly.

To the demigod in question, who troubles them both now, she offers: "It will be dealt with," she notes bluntly. "If necessary."

With a curious nod to the book in his hand, though, she asks, "You keep notes on them?"

[magicalarchaeologist]

Istredd has never made a demigod of his own; he has ever been endlessly balanced as a person and then as a god. His partner is another story. He considers himself somewhat shepherds of this land, now they are in the positions they are, and so the demigods started becoming something of a concern. As long as they stay within these boundaries, he leaves them be. He has not killed one himself, but then, he's always been a scholar instead of a warrior. Being capable of it isn't the same thing as having the stomach for it. That's never changed.

They do need to be culled, some becoming more dangerous than others, and to one another too. There is a hierarchy of a kind from what he can see, but he has yet to figure out what it is. Creatures make their own rules, same as people.

"I fear it might need to be. The last time one got out, it was a problem." Or rather, it was a tragedy. A series of them. Eventually it was dealt with, but considering the demigods can do dangerous fights with the gods themselves, humans truly stand no chance.

"Yes, I think all information should be saved." Even if it stays in his library, never looked at. "But also we never know what may come in handy. Or if someone ends up wanting to claim one and ask for help." They cannot kill their own, that was figured out early on.

[spiritread]

[ Jinora feels the emotions of the exiles long before she sees them. The wind carries with it all sorts of sensations, dangers, and thoughts. It's the ones that scream the loudest, the ones that tell her there is trouble that will always get her to answer. She does not care what her status is, all life is sacred. ]

[ And yes, that's gotten her in trouble before. ]

[ She appears as lightly as the wind itself; A young girl in her current Earthly form reminiscent of a time long ago. The newest appearance of an Avatar and with a blast of warning wind, knocks the exiles back further away from their destination. ]

Go. Now.

[ The please goes unsaid. For a god, she pleads with them - wishing for their well-being, for something more. The fans held at point, like the way one would wield a sword. The people scramble and she hears the low hiss of comment about how they don't need her from one of them. She ignores it, impassive... except for the fact she feels another nearby and shoots the skies a hard look. The feeling of: You would let this happen? Accompanying the expression. ]

[magicalarchaeologist]

[ Istredd watches her intervene and frowns, saying nothing at first. He doesn't blame her, it is easy to feel for their plight, even as they show such spite as a response. It isn't him taking insult to their lack of belief, because the gods exist whether they believe in them or not. He and Jinora are examples of that. But he has his reasons.

After she sent them scattering, he decides to light up an escape. A path to knowledge, and in this way, a path to safety. They seem to hesitate, almost spiteful because it's clear that this is a god action, willing to choose their beliefs over their lives, but they eventually give in. The walk will take them to the Barren where they can stay, if they follow the illuminated path there. They do not know it is him who did it, they believe it's all the young woman in question. He never appears to them, watching them leave.

He hovers for a few seconds, his wings flapping, and then he sails on down to step on the ground nearby. His skin is a black night sky with constellations and stars over it, with his face clearly defined throughout that. ]

Sometimes people have to make their own choices. Even to their death. It is theirs to decide.

[ He explains. It wasn't spite that stayed his hand. It was deciding whether or not intervening was the right thing to do.]

ᴛʜᴇ ᴅʀᴀɢᴏɴ ꜰʟɪᴇꜱ; ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʜᴏᴇɴɪx ᴅᴀɴᴄᴇꜱ

[the_keeper]

She isn't there, and then she is.

A stray breeze, a coiling curl of presence in the wind.

Two of the dragon's overhead wheels to site the location of its genesis—the feeling of her known to, deep in their veins, since their ailing infancy so long ago now that few of the new Gods remember such little things. They return to their flight, shepherding the young among them, as Sabine slowly fades into something like, if not solidity, something with far less opacity.

He is not one of her three charges to Keep, but in an ironic turn of wheels, he could be said to be one of the first handful who chose to 'keep' her instead. She finds him often enough. They walk the same lines of this land, the physical and the not: the Nether, The Library, The Singularity.

She's not thinking much of that though, just smiling absently at the sky.
"The new hatchlings are getting better. Maybe no one will fall today."

They were spiraling lazily, but still tucking close to the elders.
She wondered which one would brave itself today first.

exploration

[judgmentbolts]

Cid often takes stock of the Witchwood and its various inhabitants as best he can, what with the village so nearby. Scouts and levin barriers can only do so much against the varied threats that the wood seems to contain. As he moves across the sky, the telltale rumble of thunder follows him, even in his mortal form.

Other gods often appear in or near the wood, but it's a boon when said god is a friend, rather than an acquaintance. He's not surprised that Istredd is enraptured by the creature below; its form is shrouded in a cloud of spores, and everything it touches seems to bloom with bright, thick mushrooms. He holds out his staff a couple of feet in front of Istredd as he begins to drift closer.

"I wouldn't," he says, by way of greeting. "It's an odd one... a sort of parasite, I think. Thought I'd stop by your library soon, see if you knew anything — it's kind of you to save me the trip."

( ooc: sorry dee I know this is super late so if you want to ignore this and pick up post-event that's totally fine too! )

Jaskier

[magicalarchaeologist]

[ Istredd's library has become an extensive resource beyond even his original wildest dreams. It is an endless wonder of large rooms and endless shelves, multiple levels, everywhere you turn a new room designed in a very singular way, because many of them are created by other gods. There are some gods who live in the library when they're between locations or if they want to stay and research, and there almost always is someone else in there when Istredd is. He senses them all, although usually only when they first arrive, and then he detaches so they can have privacy.

To find him is a very simple task for people who know him, since as soon as he knows they are there, a glowing pathway will appear in front of them and they can follow it into the next room where he will be. They really are being transported directly to him, but there is only a short list of people he does that for, and Jaskier is certainly one of them.

The path will lead him into a sunny room with vines and plants growing within it, and Istredd is there sliding a few books into place. He usually has angel wings but he doesn't wear them in the library since they're large and get in the way of shelving. His skin is a black night with starlight swirling on it, his features still very clear, and his vivid blue eyes remain the same. ]

I'm so glad you're here. [ He says right away. Time has eased away most of Istredd's anxieties and social awkwardness, his self-doubt replaced with comfort in the world around him and his place in it. His smile is wide and he gestures for Jaskier to come over. ]

So I wanted to organize a new room of the best sheet music, and I started with yours and went from there.

[ Even now, centuries later, and with warm nights together behind them, Istredd is still a fan. There are various rooms for music lyrics and sheets, it's not possible to have all of it from every culture in one space, so he was specializing it. But he smiles. ]

I realized that outside of a collection older than either of us ... I think most of these books are inspired by you.

[ He would say it's his bias showing but it couldn't have been, this was very unintentional and he used a metric system that could not be cheated. It just goes to show that Jaskier's influence over the years can be visibly seen, at least in his opinion. ]

[cointosser]

[It's at least every year or so that Jaskier peeks in on Istredd, but honestly, he's turned into such a beast of spontaneity that most often he just shows up, without prompting, to see what's going on. To see if his friends have changed form, or changed their domains, or grown a second head (that hasn't happened yet, fortunately.)]

Good morrow, my friend! [Jaskier bounds over to give him a tight hug without a pause, squeezing him while all his little wings flutter about them both. He has to say, much easier to embrace when one's wings don't get in the way, and Istredd's are particularly fanciful and large.]

You've done a lovely job with it already. Love the sun and the green. [That's what he's about, after all. He's already pulled back to start looking over the books, the music stands holding hand-written notes in the boldest inks.] You rascal, are you trying to flatter me? [But there's a noted way his wings all puff up and flutter when he's pleased, which Istredd is particularly good at if only because he's the only god who still seems to remember what Jaskier was meant to do. Make music, and spread it... and inspire it.] If I should ever disappear, I decided, I wanted to have plenty to leave behind. The music that I inspire isn't mine, per se, but... it's like children, I suppose. Having them, I mean.