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

ota | the horizon

[kobes]

[There's no resistance to any Summoned who want to come to Koby's -- the North Star's -- domain. In fact, if someone's never been, or has been away too long, they might get a visit from one of Koby's stardust fish, appearing out of thin air and swimming around another god of the pantheon until they surrender and slip into the Horizon.

Once there, they'll find themselves on a beach, following a sandy path, accompanied by a small school of the silvery fish, all of whom vanish as swiftly as they appeared as soon as the house comes into view. It's the only building around for a good long ways, as far out as Koby's domain exists, but it's quite a welcoming place to visit.

Koby spends most of his time here, watching the ocean, waiting for echoes from his followers, entertaining visitors or venturing into their domains as well. He feels the most secure here, one of the shyer gods who usually sends his silvery fish to guide petitioners, these days. But as soon as he sees another Summoned, he'll sit up and smile welcomingly, the stardust in his hair brightening.]

Hello! It's been a while. [Maybe it has. Maybe it hasn't.]

[krakened]

[ Sandy shores and giant bodies of water are Ed's dominion, which means that's where he drifts along in the Horizon, too. He hasn't made any place of his own in particular; the sea is vast and so, his space is, too, carrying him wherever the current wants to. These days, he isn't much one for steering. Not like there's any shore he's gotta reach.

'Course, that also means sometimes, he ends up where he didn't actually plan to be.

Like. The North Star.

Ed's probably not super visible through the distant waves, but as he draws closer, Koby might recognize him as the anti-navigator (and possibly, in others' views, huge dick) who keeps fucking with people's compasses and rudders. Ed, on the other hand, absolutely recognizes Koby, though, listen, he doesn't, you know, actually hate the guy or anything; at the end of the decade, they're all kind of stuck here together and it's hard to...make mortal enemies out of people when you can barely remember what the fuck happened between you three centuries ago.

But you gotta admit: huge spoilsport. Just saying. ]

Oh, look, it's you. [ He slithers onto the sand. ] Having a little rest from being a killjoy?

[kobes]

[If asked, Koby would say something grandiose and thought-provoking about how all voyages come to his shores eventually, how that's sort of the point of being a patron of voyages. The North Star guides all, regardless of huge dick status -- clearly, since Ed's here.

There's a flat look over the top of whatever Koby's reading -- he likes to keep the legends and learnings of the Abraxan's around, finding it fascinating how the Summoned are woven through their writings. He likes their theories, their rituals and religions, even if they aren't about him. So of course he recognizes Ed. Koby's quite often called upon specifically to counteract Ed.

The sand gleams like stardust, sticking to the other Summoned's limbs, floating like a crowd around him. Annoying.] Can I help you? Maybe navigate you to some other place? Since you have so much trouble with maps. [Regardless of relative equality in age, by now, Koby's still always going to be a snarky upstart killjoy to some.]

[krakened]

[ Look, why is it on him that some mortals haven't got any fucking sense of adventure? Or surprise. Or fun. It's not like he's leading them towards an iceberg or a massive fuck-off whirlpool full of teeth. Maybe he just wants to show them something cool like a big pod of dolphins or a bunch of fish with legs that Nanaue unleashed into a small hidden island.

Nobody appreciates the spirit of a good whim these days. ]

A map is only as good as your compass. Not my fault people don't check it before they set sail. [ He flicks a bit of sand off his tentacles and chugs the ever-present bottle of rum in his hands. In his other, he tosses Koby a questionable gift from his equally questionable pile of endless treasure. Impossible to say whether Ed came here with it or it just materialized into his hands. Horizon shit and all that. Either way, it's not a special thing; Ed's been inflicting his weird treasure on nearly everybody who crosses his line of sight for the past seven hundred-odd years. Give or take a couple of decades. ]

Thought you might like a friend. For once. [ He means the gold crabby fellow there, not himself. Obviously. ]

[kobes]

[You know what's so cool and whimsical and not dangerous? Magic floating fishies. Like the ones swarming around Ed's tentacles, giving off little sparks of stardust, like they're speaking in silent fish morse code.

Koby fumbles with the weird...little crab, very nearly dropping it, because even centuries of godlike power can't fully cure someone of being a little dweeb. He turns it over and over in his hands for a moment, trying to figure out if there's a hidden meaning.]

Is this...because I'm crabby? [He couldn't possibly sound flatter-toned. But also he has manners, unlike some people, so after slowly setting the golden bauble down on the table, Koby gestures towards one of the chairs.] As long as you're here, sit down for a little. Get your land-legs back.

[krakened]

Yep. [ He points at the thing between its claws. ] And it's got a little star.

[ That's real gold, Koby my boy, which they haven't got a single fucking need for but it's the thought that counts. Who doesn't like a bit of treasure? Anyway, he hasn't got any legs in the real world (that's a whole thing), but it's the Horizon. He can give himself legs if he wants.

He doesn't. Just feels weird after so long without 'em, going from eight to two. Especially when, you know. It isn't real.

So he climbs onto land with all eight tentacles. Somehow, he manages to sprawl in a casual tangle.

He swats at one of the fluttering fish like it's a fly. ] What've you been up to? Miss me?

[ He hasn't dicked around in the ocean for a bit. Playwriting's sucked up a bunch of his time. ]

[kobes]

...oh. Huh. [That's actually surprisingly thoughtful? Right up until Ed starts smacking at his fish, of course -- Koby waves a hand, calling them off so they don't get swatted into a burst of stardust. The little treasure gets set on top of a wobbly stack of books, mired in dust.]

I've noticed you've been less... [What's a tactful word?] Annoying. [Not tactful, try again later.] Have you been busy?

[Then, hastily, ducking down to rummage through some cupboards and drawers -- centuries of experience means that Koby's inclined to have some sort of booze on hand at all times, especially considering how many sea-adjacent Summoned like it -- he adds:] Not that I'm complaining. It's been a lot easier to, you know...do my job without you causing havoc.

[He emerges with a dusty bottle of rum, offering it out to one of Ed's weird, gooey tentacles.] But it's not like you.

[krakened]

[ That's Ed for you, thoughtful except when he isn't. He props his head up on a curled tentacle. ]

It's only a job 'cause you made it one. [ He takes the bottle of rum and squirts inky water over it to clean the dust. Then he pops the cork. ] Some of us like to have a little fun. It's not like I've been— [ He makes a vague gesture with his remaining arms. ] —ballooning people's fucking heads and shit.

[ Ed is of the belief that if you can't relax after eight hundred years, you turn into...well, Arthur. Now, don't get him wrong, he loves Artie. But sometimes he worries Arthur is gonna static his way out of existence. ]

I've been working on a project, if you must know. Saving some poor sod's playwriting career. Don't worry, I passed my treasure map talents onto a fellow Ed, so you won't be bored for long.

[kobes]

A responsibility, then. [Again, one that Koby had taken on fully of his own accord, but still. His whole thing is guiding people safely on voyages, which is very hard to do when people like Ed are messing with compasses and maps. Still, the rum is a peace offering, and Koby settles into his seat, intrigued in spite of himself.

He arches both eyebrows, surprised.] A project. A creative project. [He only sounds a little incredulous, actually, absently .] That's...new. Right? I feel like I would've hear about that earlier if that was a "thing" for you.

[Koby sits on the edge of one of the many chairs scattered about, like he's perpetually expecting a host of people to come by for dinner.] How's it going? The...writing thing.

hammock travel

[mathmetism]

[ jerry yawns and stretches in the sunny hammock swinging in the ocean breeze on koby’s front porch. He’s in pajamas: a hot pink croptop that reads "THOT" in bold, holographic lettering, some silk boxers covered in kittens barfing lasers, and unicorn slippers. Also, a neon rainbow colored, knee length, faux fur coat - per usual these day. he shuffles his way into koby's beachside domain home and beelines to the kitchen. ]

Yo, Kobbers, you got any juice?

[ jerry squints against the sunshine, hangover fierce enough it follows him into the horizon. as soon as koby rounds the corner, jerry has questions for him. ]

You ever dream about giant geese? Like, stupid huge, soulless, primordial geese, and hard as you try, you can't make yourself let go of the bread crusts in your hand.

[kobes]

[When you become a virtual deity, there's a certain level of decorum that comes with it. You're a subject of worship, people look up to you, depend upon you. It's important to behave in a way that befits that reverence.

Or so Koby believes. Jerry, it seems, never got the message.

Still half-asleep, perpetual starlight dim in the early morning light, Koby rakes a hand backwards through his hair, sending out puffs of stardust. He squints at Jerry's...ensemble, leaning against the doorway of the kitchen and blinking at the question.]

No. I can honestly say I've never dreamed about geese. [A stifled yawn, then an annoyed flick of starlight -- pointed, feeling like a jab to the ribs -- as Koby starts closing the cupboards Jerry'd left open.] Stop rummaging and sit down. I'll make you something, you don't need to make a huge mess.

[mathmetism]

[ decorum? nope, never, not even once. jerry can't conceive of taking himself that seriously. there was a reason for it, once, but he can't be fucked to recall it now. doesn't matter. it's not like jerry's ever been capable of being anything but utterly, completely, offensively himself. there's just not another option, and honestly, he's fine with that. they can crown him king of the multiverse and he'll still be waving his bare ass out a window to assert dominance.

he lets out a whiny huff and pouts his way over to plop down at the table, covertly yanking open a couple more drawers he doesn't even bother looking in on the way. ]

Well, you should. It's the refreshingly real mortal terror. Good for your skin.

[ other things good for your skin: immortality. whatever. some days, it's like jerry doesn't even know he's a god, and no one well ever know if that's intentional, or this stoner just fucking forgot. ]

Can I make a waffle request? A wafquestle, if you will. [ jerry slips a very cute little bento box tupperware out of fucking somewhere in his croptop and slides it across the counter like he's in the midst of a high risk narcotics deal. ] Slip some of the good shit in there.

[ it's candy corn. and jalapenos. ]

[kobes]

[Koby grumbles quietly to himself, following along to nudge the drawers shut with an elbow, his hip, his knee. After however many centuries, he's sort of used to the fact that he's never getting used to Jerry. Jerry defies things in the way even the other gods don't.

Case in point -- Koby makes the mistake of opening the tupperware and looking down at the sticky mix of pepper and candy. Then he looks up at Jerry with the most patient, put-upon expression ever invented.]

You're going to make yourself sick and throw up on my floor. I'm not going to be complicit in culinary insanity. [He nudges the tupperware back towards Jerry, then turns and starts gathering together ingredients.] Put them on top yourself. Be the cause of your own destruction. What kind of juice?

[mathmetism]

[ jerry places a hand dramatically on his chest, looking shocked and appalled at the suggestion of wasting his delicious candies and peppers on an unplanned barfing. excuse the frick out of you, friend. ]

I would never commit so grievous a party foul. [ the offense passes just a quickly as it came. instead, he takes a faux-grandiose voice, while fiddling with any knick knack of koby's stuff within reach, like an ADHD child digging for a stimming toy. ] There is no man, beast, god or assorted candies that can destroy me. Only I will choose to open my arms to the Sun and embrace oblivion.

[ jerry pascal is smiles and jokes and manic laughter. he's also chainsawing and enough hard drugs to kill an elephant and existential horror. these things shouldn't be able to coexist inside one person. and yet, here he is, requesting juice. ]

Papaya, please.

[kobes]

Uh-huh. [The flattest of retorts, though Koby does pour an assortment of nuts and pretzels and other crunchy items into a bowl and slide it Jerry's way -- mostly so he can snack on something instead of messing with a fairly fragile tacky shell ornament. All the powers of the North Star, of the cosmos contained within his finger and Koby is still weak to cheaply glued-together touristy crap from the Free Cities.

On some level, maybe, he's afraid of Jerry -- but in the way one may fear the universe, the force of the tides, the sun itself, oblivion-bringing or no. It's respect, a bit of bewilderment, and an admiration that's only grown over the centuries.

Case in point: an absurd juice request, and yet Koby produces it, because it's Jerry and it's best to be prepared. He pours a glass, slides it across, leans against the counter between them like some sort of tropical-juice-peddling bartender.] Did you have a reason besides that to come by, or...? [Not everything needs to have a purpose, Kobes.]

[mathmetism]

Yummers.

[ jerry immediately feasts on the offered snacks, leaning back so he can toss some pretzels up in the air and try catching them in his mouth. success rate is about 50/50. thankfully, floors in the horizon are sterile, and the 5 second rule is golden. ]

I need reasons for things now? Who made that rule, and kindly fuck him, her, they or it. [ jerry wrinkles his nose and tries to bounce a nut off the counter so he can snatch it with his teeth midair. again, same success rate. his juice is next, which he sips, swishes around behind his lips like mouthwash, gargles, and finishes the rest off like a normal person. ] I'll be meaningless until the day I explode in a supernova and spaghettify the universe around me in a super rad black hole.

[ so, no, he has no reason. this was just the hammock he woke up in, and he thought it'd be cool to see koby today. apparently he's feeling a little cosmic in a disengaged from all purpose, cycle of nature kind of way. it's very soothing (for him). ]

[kobes]

[Koby half-reaches for the broom, but -- no, Jerry is already scooping things up and tossing them into the limitless void that is his mouth. Technically do they still need to eat? Koby supposes it depends. It's nice to, at least, especially in the Horizon where things can be created at will and everything.

He's not going to watch Jerry expound about universe spaghetti, not while he's talking with his mouth full. Instead he'll turn and pour another glass of papaya juice -- because it's delicious -- and sip slowly.] Well, I'm...flattered your meaningless void-wandering brought you here? It's been a while since I've seen you. How've you been?

[Small talk, in the face of eternity. Bless.]

Re: ota | the horizon

[tedandroses]

[Theo — for it’s an Echo that brought him here today - technically listens to echoes for and ensures the balance of all ecosystems, despite his love of the mountains and frequent appearance in moss and branches. Something about the ocean, though, never fails to inspire a little extra awe and respect (is it the vastness? the very different workings of the creatures who survive in it?). That’s as true in Koby’s Horizon as by the literal shore.

Calming, too, though.

It’s a boyish day, which like being Theo is both a mantle that can be worn and also deeply intrinsic. To anyone else’s eyes, all it means is that Teddy’s shape today skews masculine: bared skin to the waist reveals his natural strong-but-lean build favoring shoulders just a touch more; pectorals he might have grown into if a single chromosome had won a race. He’s wearing pants in some material that echoes the tan and sort of the texture of beach grasses, cuffed at the ankle, with a flowing sort of skirt-train attached at the waist that fades into blues and then white, like the waves.

(On a mission as Theo, or just Teddy hanging out: he likes to honor the environment. The usual branch-antlers are driftwood pieces, shells and barnacles perched like a wreath.)

The smile he offers to Koby’s hello would be the same in any form, at least any humanoid one: bright and echoed in his eyes]

It has... [A tiny apologetic wince.] And …I’m actually here with a question. Or — a mission. Should you choose to accept it.

[No, he has no idea why those words belong together. Where do phrases come from? They just happen.]

[kobes]

[With the advance of centuries, the slow growth of magic within Koby had impacted his body similarly -- he's mostly starlight now, softening the shape of his chest, his hips, flesh and blood adjusting to fit the way he'd always imagined himself. The change had been slow enough that he scarcely remembers what he'd appeared like before. There isn't really a before anymore, quite frankly -- just the starry slope of his shoulders lifting at the sight of -- Theo, Teddy, Theo, his mind settles --approaching.

The book he's holding is closed, set on a teetering stack -- mortal texts have remained a weakness for Koby, the new theories and ideas and developments of the human plane fascinating him even now. Then he sits up, sending the hammock he's in swaying slightly.] A mission. Sounds serious. [There's a note of amusement in the words, in the flicker of Koby's stardust fish, forming out of his aura and skipping over to greet Theo.

Standing up, sending more stardust scattering to the floor -- Koby goes through brooms like nobody's business -- he moves deeper into the house, calling over his shoulder:] You can ask while you eat something and sit down for a moment. [He's a host, first and foremost.]

[tedandroses]

[What would 800 years be worth if there weren't books involved? Theo lifts a curious eyebrow at the stack next to the hammock, forever interested in what people are reading (or writing, or discussing). But only briefly. He does smile at the fish, lifting a hand to weave around it as it "swims", circles around Theo, flicking its tail with a flutter of stardust.]

[His smile fades just a little, a line forming between his brows as he follows. It's so tempting to just set things down, to avoid making the light, joking mood more serious. But -- ] Well. It might be, actually.

[He can't help a grin at the tone, wry but fond. It makes a sort of sense that seeking out the North Star means you get a meal and a moment off your feet insisted upon. Honestly, it feels like ...a little like home? Not home in the mountains, alone as often as not, though he loves it. More like the idea of a home. Or just Solvunn, maybe, the slightly over-protective sharing of everything -- even after centuries...

Well. He can sit down and be just Teddy for a few minutes if it'll make his host happy.]

[Eyes amused, but tone easy and obedient:] Yessir.

[And he does: sit down that is, politely, once he's inside, perched on one of many, many chairs and pillows and sofas that in concert make the inside look like it's just waiting to host a cozy brunch of everyone Koby knows. The wood floor shimmers a little, with tracked in mica from the sand or from lightly shed stardust.]

You don't have to do anything special, you know that, right.

[Look, Teddy knows how this dance goes, but it's still a required step.]

[kobes]

Should I be worried? [It's said with a touch of amusement, because for a solid couple centuries, worry was what Koby did best. There were so many potential outcomes, so many of them terrible, so many risks that came along with Ascending. It's hard to hurt a god, but there were so many terrible possibilities all the same -- demigods and curses and the cost of innocent life should two Summoned feud.

Now, though, he's settled quite a bit, into his powers, into his self. So even if what Theo suggests is dangerous, Koby doesn't immediately flare up into anxiety like he would've centuries ago.

Instead he raises his voice a bit to be heard across the cozy house, open and full of light and windows and brightly colored pillows.] If you need my help, you know I'll do whatever I can. I've been practicing a few things. [That too is delightful, in it's way, how they're all still growing and becoming stronger, more talented, more powerful.

To the last comment, Koby just grumbles vaguely, dismissively, his required role in the exchange. When he reappears, it's toting an odd assortment of all the things a kitchen might have -- bread and fruit and cheeses and a bottle of wine under one arm. It all wobbles a little, and a few grapes spill onto the sparkling floor.] Hmph-- sorry. [An ottoman is kicked over, then Koby plops down, starting to assemble the assorted bits and pieces into something resembling a passable cheese plate. Because of course that's what he's going to pull out of nowhere for one (1) guest.]

[tedandroses]

Probably not. ...Unless you were really attached to the idea of doing nothing for an extended period. [Even having known Koby for less than the entire most-of-a-millennia, Teddy has seen him settle into that confidence; has, himself, where it was more of a persona before. The wry humor lifts one side of his smile in a little in an understanding inside joke.]


[That gets a lifted eyebrow] Well, if I'd known that, I'd have just asked you to show me instead of coming with an ask.

[Slightly apologetically and a little quieter:] I do though. Need help. Or rather, I think one of my kids does --

[Teddy interrupts himself falling back into mission-mode, half hastening to 'spot' Koby's over-stacked assortment, spontaneously creating a little vine to wrap around the whole thing and keep it together as best possible.] You know you can make that stuff float here, right?

[It's not really a chide as much as amusement; Teddy likes to keep physics physics-y for the most part in his own domain, too, except for the parts where it just sort of gets weird on its own. He does rescue the grapes and pop one into his own mouth idly. Unless Koby imagined bacteria onto his floor, they're safe, and even if he did, it's not like Teddy isn't as much earth as flesh these days.]

[Teddy can't resist a small tease.] You trying to impress me, Stardust?

[kobes]

Not so much, no. [Koby dusts a little bit of starstuff off the bread, off the top of one of the little wedges of cheese, scattering it to the floor. He doesn't eat right away, watching Teddy instead, brow furrowed in his usual show of gentle, persistent concern. Godlike or no, he'll always worry about anyone he cares about -- it's how he shows he cares.] I'll show you, regardless of what you need. It's nothing that special or dramatic, really.

Floating is cheating. [Also Koby had never quite managed that, even after all this time, though he's gotten very dexterous with his stardust manipulation. Even now, his little silvery fish swim around in midair, flicking their fins and scattering more motes of light here and there.] I aim for an authentic experience, I'll have you know.

[Grabbing a couple grapes, Koby's normal starlit glow flares a bit brighter -- a blush, in his silvery way, accompanied by him plopping into a chair and mumbling around a mouthful of fruit:] No. Shut up. [There's no venom behind it -- not for Teddy, not with so gentle a tease lobbed his way.

Another grape, then, prompting:] One of your kids?

[tedandroses]

[Teddy can't help a silent shrug of laughter at Koby dusting off food from his own domain. It makes them wonder idly what it would be like to end up eating starstuff. It's a nice distraction from their concern.

And then because they're not rude, and they like that he cares (and they can just about always eat), they take a plate and a wedge of cheese and some bread, and shrug easily.]

Things don't always have to be dramatic. I still think crocuses showing up every year is amazing.

[Maybe that's why he takes it so hard when something prevents it.

Teddy smirks.]

Oh, that's where that line is, good to know. [He takes a bite of cheese and bread and pauses in genuine appreciation, blinking.] Actually, this is really good. Thank you again.

[They nod, sitting up straighter, at the mention of their kids.]

I got an Echo that I think was meant for you, really, but, not enough that it would've made it -- here --

[There's probably a way just to show someone an Echo, the same way answering doesn't require walking to them, but he hasn't figured it out without direct contact. And it's possible Koby has seen this, but it was so specifically addressed to him that he's not sure: he can't just let herself be unsure. So he leans across and reaches for Koby's hand to try and get across what he's seeing.

Theo's Echoes always start with a blur of the world around them, a doubling, and a distortion of the sounds they're hearing as they melt into first echoey and then clearer sound or vision, sometimes linear, sometimes not. She doesn't know if the North Star will see it exactly as she does or receives it in his own way, but --

- there's a child. Not a little one, but not a grown adult; maybe ten or eleven? -
- the sound of singing, first, cut off at the last syllable, as though the Singularity recognized it as a prayer after the song -
- there's something about it, odd or almost like interference -

Theo Ellanen. Sightbringer, Peaceplanter, thank you for your care.

(Her tone breaks from the formality of the introduction, more distressed, at times stumbling over finding a word and hesitating. Theo can feel her fear and guilt reverberating; it's clear just from her voice, but that's part and parcel of Echoes.)

I, I know this isn't what you normally do, I just can't -- I can't think of anyone else. Um, I'm just supposed to be going across the ridge to get supplies. One day there, one day back. Only, it was. Sort of, harder than it should be? It felt...wrong partways. I'm good for trips, I promise, but it's dark now 'cause I had to, to stop, I thought I heard something big. And now I can't remember...

I don't know -- can you send me a vision or...ask...

(The Echo stutters as if it's going to stop, and then she bursts out:)

I can't go straight back, they won't ever let me go alone again. They never want to -- (She pauses for a long time and then just adds quietly.) If you could help me, I'll do anything you need.
Um. Thank you for everything you do for us.

(Then she begins singing, wobbily)

Follow the drinking gourd. Follow the drinking gourd...

And then it cuts off, abrupt; blurs, returns them to the cushioned living room and the cheese.

Theo half-explodes into talking, leaning in toward Koby, before he's even certain he's making any sense.]

That song. I mean, for one thing, I know where she's from now. I reckon I would, anyway, but even if I didn't. There are only a scattering of places where they call me Ellanen and where they think I've blessed kids with visions. And only a few of those where they still sing to get my attention.

And -- that song. It's really old. Older than me. And -- the drinking gourd in the song. It points to the north star. She knew she needed you but she didn't remember how to say it. So she asked for me. Because I'm supposed to protect her.

[Their tone, intent on making him understand, goes a little heartbroken. Yeah, okay, their kids mean a lot to them. More than is probably warranted, sometimes, but this doesn't feel like a petty Echo. Teddy chews on their lip, realizing they're being a little intense, and straightens up, dropping their hands into their lap and looking at them, then looking back at Koby.]

I'm worried about what something big might be that far toward the Witchwood.

[kobes]

[Maybe once upon a time, when this was first starting out, sharing Echoes back and forth had felt strange -- invasive, perhaps, overwhelming to be so intimately a part of another person's thoughts and emotions. But now it comes easily, Koby letting Theo take his hand, closing his eyes and focusing on the message.

He's already planning to help, because he's Koby and that's what he does, he helps people. But the fact that it's a child, it's one that had needed him, but had reached out to the god she knew best -- Koby knows that, knows that often his petitioners need someone more powerful or vengeful, but they call on him because they know him, because they're his.

Well. By the time the Echo ends and Teddy is speaking earnestly, leaning forward, pleading for something that Koby's already made up his mind to do, there isn't a doubt left in his mind. He smiles, reassuring, squeezing their hand.]

I know that song. [Of course he does; it had travelled places even his name hadn't, but it tugs at something old inside him, something that had chosen the North Star without even being consciously aware of it, ages and ages ago.] Should we go and see? In person? I don't think my guides alone would be able to help her.

Especially if there's...something big.