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

rocket | mcu | guardian of the small

[respiting]

( handy links: plotting comment ❂ au info ❂ assignment
contact: thwip | PM | discord [feel free to ask!] )

months 1 + 2 — ;

[respiting]

( ota + closed starters to go here. )

a little help from my friends — geralt ;

[respiting]

[ So, okay — this might've been his own doing.

Yeah, yeah, you ignore the echoes and going into the Horizon and try to spend living your life being huge and powerful and revered by a buncha normies, and these little twisted creatures start popping out of the woodwork like daisies. But oh, if you do a little too much messing around with the Singularity (which, okay, he's done on the rare occasion) you get a bunch more of the little frickin' idiots running around.

This leads us to today, and Rocket (who has remained 'Rocket' even after 800 years — because it's a name he'd chosen for himself, a name that represents what he wants to do, and how he wants to be, and for everything else that had been built into him, piece by painstaking piece without his consent or any of that garbage, this is his) trying to chase his demigod spawn down without much success.

Even gun-arms and crushing them under his feet don't seem to work. ]

Goddamned things — just die already, would you?! I told you, you can't be going around terrorizing people! That's my job!

[ It's not — not actually, and he hasn't actually done a whole lot of terrorizing random villagers for the hilarity of it for a little over a century or two by this point. Even self-proclaimed shit-disturbing gods like himself can change, okay! It's possible.

He groans frustratedly before catching sight of the familiar hulking form drawing near like a slow-moving little mountain made of fur. There's a pause as he sets his right gun arm down, and his demigod spawn snarls in response.

The cloak and head of the figure forms a snout of a wolfish beast, and Rocket knows now exactly who it is hidden beneath the shroud. ]

Hey! [ Hi Geralt, old friend. It's good to see you. ] A little help here?

[gynvael]

[ Spring brings him down from the mountains. He often ignores Echoes during the first few weeks. He prefers to visit old friends, spend time with the people he's not seen in months, and leave the mortals to their own devices. On occasion, though, trouble finds him.

Like now.

Geralt looks up. This is what he gets for wandering near the Witchwood. Perhaps next time he will take the long way around to avoid whatever chaos seems to inevitably rear its snarling head in the area. For now, it's Rocket. They're what Geralt would call friends, which means he won't say no.

His eyebrow lifts, and he slips off his hood to dispel the shroud. His gaze flicks between Rocket and the creature. The trees shake. Thin spiderweb cracks spread over the earth. In the split second pause, it takes the opportunity to flee. ]

Yours? [ He's not accusing, just. Curious. His sword appears in his hand, the blade humming gently. He's carried it for the past six, seven hundred years, ever since Ciri gifted it to him. The runes shimmer ever-so-faintly under the light. He nods towards where the beast slipped away. ]

Cut it off. I'll circle around.

[respiting]

Yeah, unfortunately.

[ It's accompanied by an exasperated sigh, but boy is he glad to see Geralt. ]

There's a reason I can't get rid of it.

[ Having to figure out a back-up plan was going to take a little bit of doing, and probably more practical supplies than he's currently got on him.

Instead of sizing down, Rocket sizes up ever so slightly — enough anyway to gain some distance on his demigod and do as Geralt instructs, cutting him off from making any mad dashes into some helpless town.

Last thing he needs is a bunch of dumb humies blaming him for letting a monster loose. ]

sunshine, lollipops and rainbows — nebula ;

[respiting]

[ Eight hundred years later, and Rocket seems to have mostly shaken the chip(s) wedged deeply onto his shoulders. It's noticeable in the way he seems so much more at ease in his gigantic form, exponentially larger than he'd ever been way back when. He seems relaxed and in control in a way that feels inevitable. Perhaps that's what it is to be a god, and if it is — well despite all of the dick-gods he's known in the past, this chapter of his unexpectedly long, long life ain't half bad because he's different.

He might be a dick, but he's not 100% an asshole.

He barely remembers much of his past, barely remembers what it was like to be so small and helpless and angry and alone (but he remembers the pain of it very well) because his preferred size is as tall as the tallest building, or at the very least, at a match with whomever he's speaking with.

Today he's diminished his size to match Nebula's, and he's brought a couple of tankards of ale (courtesy of one Horizon belonging to Geralt; no some things never change) with him to share. ]

I know we're not supposed to laugh at 'em or nothin' on account of them revering us and all that, but this guy! [ There's a wheezing huff of laughter. ] He had the stupidest name I ever heard. I'll still help him, 'cause of the sheep and the cows, but can I tell him he should change his name too?

[furibund]

First, who's telling you that you can't laugh at them?

[ Nebula is quick to cut in with a roll of her eyes. She's never been much for alcohol, but with/for Rocket she'll make an exception. Taking a drink as she leans forward, one elbow resting on knee as she casts him a look - ]

[ They might be here for some semi-annual shittalking — was it really annual if it was a a norm — but her attention remains more on him than the people they're talking about. ]

And no. You can't. His name is stupid - [ She placates, but barely wastes a second before adding: ] But then he'd take you seriously, ask for better name suggestions, and you'd give them the worst name you can think of just because you could.

[respiting]

[ Well.

Her comment just earns her a deeply amused snicker that half-disappears into the rim of Rocket's mug, because that's absolutely and totally ... not untrue. He really would pick the absolute worst, embarrassing, funniest name he could think of and call it a gift from the gods 'cause it freakin' is.

And a name like Dik Swett would be hilarious. Or maybe something like — ]

All right, fine, but I'm gonna keep laughing at him. [ Nebula may as well have given him permission with her statement, so. ] He leaves a real fine legacy of unfortunate family members with that one.

[ Another sip from his drink before he sighs contentedly. ]

Otherwise, it's been pretty okay. What about you? Any stories?

what a way to make a livin' — steve ;

[respiting]

[ Truthfully, Rocket probably spends a lot more time wandering around his own temples than any god rightfully should. He doesn't see a problem with it because it means answering prayers and echoes right as they happen and when they happen, and it's all convenient. It's efficient. And he ain't gotta be visible or anything either if he's just casually observing from above — not unless he wants to be — so the worshippers get their privacy, and he gets to be as nosy as he prefers.

Far as he can tell, it's a win-win for everyone.

It does mean fixing his own temples up sometimes, or marveling at some of the accomplished feats because he'd happened to offer a blessing on one of the visiting engineers or something. It's nice.

When Steve comes to visit, Rocket (currently the same height as Steve, so enjoy that uncanny valley nugget) wastes no time to give him the grand tour of one of his favourites. It's a temple near Solvunn, one of the few places still admittedly near and dear to his heart, because despite all these centuries of wandering around, he remembers that a lot had happened here — good and bad. He'd become part of a still tight-knit family here. ]

— and then there's this cool thing I might've added. [ He goes on, gesturing to one of the alcoves now filled up with a complicated control panel system. Security, perhaps? Who knows. ] Yeah, I know we're supposed to leave it up to them to do the dirty work, but you know some of these guys don't know good design if it punched them right in the face.

[ It's only half a lie, of course, because the rest of the temple is impressive and entirely built by his worshippers around year 500. Or maybe it was 550. Eh. ]

[assembles]

[ Rocket has made a point of remembering his name, and so when spending time around him, it's easier for Steve to remember his too.

That's only part of the reason that he visits. It's important to check in on all the members of the team — the Avengers. That's a name that's never left him either, one that he's held onto with all his might, and as far as he's concerned, Rocket has always been a member.

Steve trails after Rocket, and while the sight of a statue that should be eternally still walking around might be uncanny, so is a six foot tall raccoon. Steve is used to Rocket's variable height by now.

He walks up to the control panel, going almost eerily still as he studies it. Statues don't need to blink, after all. He doesn't always realize how it comes off. He doesn't reach out to touch either, as if he's learned by now that you don't just randomly poke at an invention like this without getting an earful from the creator. ]

What's it for?

[ It doesn't surprise him that Rocket can't help but add his own embellishments to the space. Even considering that, though, the temple is impressive. And while Steve might feel odd about spaces built to honor him, he's a lot less bothered when they're for his friends. He's ready for the whole tour. ]

[respiting]

[ Look at the pair of 'em, huh? Far be it from Rocket to pass judgments on what kinda godly form his friends take, but he has to admit he never thought of Steve as much of the literal statue type. Still, he could probably pack a mean punch with that fist, and he knows there's something legendary about Captain America. Never understood it himself, of course, but he knows it's a Thing. Saw it on the battlefield against that grape-coloured fuck-face Thanos too.

Anyway, no one really can observe them without their focusing on being visible, and right now Rocket's temple happens to be blissfully empty. The crowd tends to gather a little more towards the late evenings, or the early mornings when on one else is awake.

Something about those times of the day inspiring people to think a little more outside the box, and so they come to him for guidance.

Or whatever. ]

A couple of things. Blocks the doors from intruders getting in or out, and sends a beacon to the other temples. [ He gestures to the roll-up gates over the entrance of this particular temple. Not all of them are like that, of course, but it's common enough. ] In times of refuge, I like to make sure my followers have a safe place they can hole up until the danger's passed. And the beacon part is so anyone else with family can reach out.

[ He shrugs, like it's no big deal. Seriously Steve, don't make anything of it, okay? It's embarrassing. ]

climb every mountain, ford every stream — OTA ;

[respiting]

[ Rocket ain't a transport vehicle — never was, never will be.

But on the occasion, because it's stupid and it's fun and he'll often get some kind of traded favour out of it, he'll offer his friends a ride. It's certainly a different way to travel, but the air up here is crisp and cool, and the company ain't bad either.

(It isn't, okay, Rocket is a real goddamned treat.)

If you just so happen to be one of those friends, well — you now officially owe him a future favour and maybe something shiny to add to one of his numerous temples scattered across the country lands.

Tilting his very, very large head towards you, he'll ask: ]

So where are you off to, anyway?

[godshattering]

[ Look - even for all the experiences they've had as gods over centuries and with years in there he can hardly remember, this is still absolutely a novelty of one. Rocket had offered and he'd immediately accepted since if there's one consistent thing about Sidus across all that time and no matter the name he's been known by: it's that he's going to absolutely take advantage of whatever he can when it's something new.

Less so this particular moment even with all that history of mischief between them that's settled into more of a team up than anything pointed at each other (unless it's called for, because why not), though it's also perhaps tied into it as he looks away from watching great strides of the ground passing by to meet Rocket's gaze. ]

Feels a little like I should be saying wherever it is you're taking me since you're in charge here, [ is the first very amused response Sidus offers but - hm. He probably should have a destination in mind, and after a couple of seconds to think - ] If your day's clear, how do you feel about checking out a festival? A new one I hadn't heard of before, so lots of potential opportunities there.

[ Surprisingly not made up despite the vagueness, just another chance for pranks on mortals! ]

[respiting]

[ He might go as Sidus now, but Rocket remembers him when he'd been Claude. Just a weird guy with the same sense of humour that Rocket has. Tried to poison him with hot peppers once; yeah Rocket ain't gonna forget that one.

But they've had a lot of fun over the years, even when they'd been upping the ante on their little prank war a few decades back. ]

A festival, huh? Yeah. Yeah, I could go for a festival. [ He hears 'potential opportunities' and his interest is absolutely at its peak. ] Just point me in the right direction and we can make something of a grand entrance.

[divinityfrompain]

[ Julia is tired of walking on the ground and among the people so the idea of taking a break from that is appreciated. She could transform and go wherever she wants but maybe she needed a minute or two with someone else too. She's surrounded by people every day as she gets more bitter with humanity and that isn't good for any of them. As the goddess of foresight she does know where she's supposed to be, but no one said she couldn't get a ride there.

The humans know her as Wicka but she's still Julia to the other gods. She's currently in her fox form, knowing Rocket of all people won't mind. She lies down on his shoulder and watches as the world moves around them, or rather, they move across the world. She's not going to take her bad mood out on him though, that's one thing she never does with friends. ]

Thorne.

[ Her voice comes out of her snout the same as it does for him. She curls her tail around her paws. It does feel easier to be a fox right then, the form suiting her mood. She doesn't have any bad memories attached to the animal anymore, and she has no recollection of why this form in the first place. Only that it felt natural. ]

They're always uncertain of where their future is headed. The most insecure people I've come across, although I guess they have their reasons.

[ Considering that over the past few hundred years Thorne went from huge kingdom to battered back to one major city left, the ice walls being the only thing keeping their enemies back. ]

What have you been up to?

[respiting]

Yeah, can't really blame 'em. Not that I care about high lords and ladies and all of that crap but it sounds like they kinda had it coming. You got some business up in Thorne?

[ The trek is a calm one, with nothing and no one to bother them. And filling in the quiet moments between their exchanged words is the sound of his heavy footfalls as they meet the earth, and the brush of his arms or his tail against tall tree foliage and bushes. The air is clearer up here, and he can already make out the tiny speck of a city up ahead.

Aside from the preferred size of him, nothing else about Rocket's appearance has changed. He still walks up-right on most occasions, his body still maintains the deformities that had been tortured into him, righting his spine straight, and keeping the rest of his skeleton in working condition. And he's shed his Solvunn cloaks and robes for something that feels a little more himself — a long-sleeved suit made from leather that covers up all of the deformities pocked into his fur, with arm, shoulder, and knee guards. A bright red scarf scoops around his neck. All four claws remain bare, to better feel the earth beneath him. ]

Enh, not much — you know, god stuff. [ Answering Echoes. Ignoring Echoes. Playing a few pranks where he can.

He lives a simple life. ] I like the look, by the way.

[spiritread]

[ So here's the thing: Jinora doesn't exactly need Rocket to give her a ride anywhere. Their roles have similar tastes for the sky, though the particulars are different. Achieving flight through the years hadn't been all that difficult - it was a potential skill for any Air Bender to learn with enough time (and detachment of self??? entering the void? don't ask questions). ]

[ So then they both know she doesn't really need a ride. They both know it, but neither will say it. ]

[ At least currently, she's in her godly older form. Watches the sky with a content smile as she sits atop his shoulder. The question earning a giggle: ]

Shouldn't you ask that before you give someone a ride?

[ She teases, the closest to getting at a hint that this was never about hitching a ride. She breathes out before adding, ] Actually, I found a new trinket you might like to see... unless you're busy?

[respiting]

Hey, if there's anything I got now, it's time. If we gotta turn back, we can turn back.

[ Rocket is surprisingly chill these days, which probably stems from his ability to be any damned size he wants any time he wants, and knowing he's probably not going to die tomorrow, either because his body finally fails him, or because something's got it in for him and [ insert finger slicing across neck motion ]. You know, it's his time to go or whatever.

He'd always expected to live to the ripe old age of thirteen and a half before he finally croaked.

It's now been eight hundred years plus that, with a whole lot more in his future. It can brighten anyone's mood. ]

Of course, we could always go look at this new trinket you've got. Where is it?

I feel like this is a semi-annual challenge. extreme sports for gods.

[aquilus]

[Altaïr does not ask permission before beginning his climb.

He has climbed very, very tall buildings before, he remembers; long ago, when those buildings would often be surrounded by men who wanted to kill him. But — and this is a critical difference — those buildings did not move. This one does. Also, it isn't a building.

Which just makes it a more appealing climb. Altaïr remembers the first time he saw Rocket like this, too, not quite so long ago, striding through the land, practically shaking the earth. He'd known immediately what he wanted to do. He hadn't hesitated then, either.]

Up!

[Obviously. At the moment, he's focused on scaling Rocket's right leg. Being in motion, it's more difficult than it sounds, especially as he's bracing for an attempted shake-off.]

Wherever you're headed is fine.

absolutely extreme sports for gods: ROUND 1

[respiting]

[ Rocket laughs. ]

Oh, yeah? You don't think I'm gonna make it easy for you, do you?

[ He could. Obviously he could. But the first time Altair had done this, he hadn't been all too pleased, and over the decades ... and centuries ... it kinda just became ... a thing. A fun little challenge: see how fast your climbing buddy can, uh, climb you.

And so he jiggles at his leg as he walks, because the point is to always be in motion — not enough to fully wrench himself free of Altair's hold, but enough to make it challenging. ]

[sorser]

[Never a transport vehicle, no, but definitely a friend. After all this time, Stephen thinks traveling via giant Rocket is both novel and efficient, and if given the invite? Of course he'll take it.

He rises from the ground with ease; though a dark-colored cloak made of billowing fabric whorls behind him, he no longer needs such an item to fly. Now, divinity has made such a thing intrinsic, not even needing a spell uttered from his lips to make it reality.

He alights on Rocket's shoulder, high, high, high up.]

Back to the godlands. [A beat.] ...If you'd be so kind. I'll give you something nice for your efforts.

[respiting]

[ It's a little showy, sure, but Rocket's always figured the guy for a bit of a showman with that fancy cape of his.

Over the long years, he and Stephen had become closer, connected through some old conflict that had bonded them together and then kept together by way of the 'Avengers' gatherings that Sam kept going over the next eight centuries. Rocket can barely remember how they all originally met anymore, except for bits and pieces, images of an old war off-world, and the many ways this world in particular kept bringing them all together in the end.

And now he's a giant god in control of his own destiny.

Yeah, life's not so bad. ]

Ooh, and what's that?

[ He thinks he was meandering sort of that way anyway, so it all works out. Especially if he gets something good for it. ]

there's a starman waiting in the sky — dustin;

[respiting]

[ There's a definite difference between spending too much time in the Horizon, and not spending enough of it, a balance that's supposed to be struck to avoid spawning anymore of his own personal winged creatures that seek to cause more chaos than Rocket can rightfully control on a good day.

Today is one of those 'you probably haven't been to the Horizon enough' days, which has Rocket wandering around like he's exploring a very eclectic, very extensive gallery. Maybe he's getting ideas to add to his own domain, or maybe he's just here to admire the spaces of his fellow gods.

Either way, the comment is out of his mouth before he can stop it, ducking under an upside down floating bookshelf that somehow manages to retain every book from slipping off the ledge (the single downside to being as tall as he is now), and then finding himself drawn to a row of colourful neon glowing lights. The sounds coming from them are a little obnoxious though. ]

— now this is what I call a Horizon.

[sscuriosity]

( ooc:i'm so sorry about the delay i had some irl grief/mourning things come up if you are no longer vibing with this event feel free to ignore this tag! or discuss it with me on discord at newdlle and we'll hash out what happened!! )

---

Well, it suits me just fine.

[Dustin comes out from behind the "desk," in the arcade room wearing a pair of magnification spectacles that make him look truly deranged. He's got some of the oil from circuitry on his fingers and smudged on his face. A smudge that only gets worse when he pushes back the magnifying lenses onto the top of his head so he can see Rocket normally.]

Glad you like it, pal. Wanna play? What kind of games are you into?

month 3 — ;

[respiting]

( closed starters for catalysts + awakening. )