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 - Horizon - Months 1-2

[nadine_he_loves]

[For as long as she can remember, Nadine's domain has been open to any of her fellows who need a respite. It's become a place of healing and retreat, a place to rest and recuperate. She likes it that way, likes having people come to her to be taken care of.

She spends a good deal of her time here. It's as much her home as the places around the Lunae's land are. Moreso, in ways. Over time, a fantastical forest has overgrown the quaint little New England town that had once stood there. In the depths of the woods, choked by vines and overgrowth, ruins of shops and houses can be seen. Tunnels of bowed and entwined trunks run through the thickest parts, and in the center is a glade where Nadine's house sits. An abundance of butterflies reside in the glade, and the flowers growing on the roof change with the seasons. The lights always appear to be on.

Nadine might be found within, studying some new plant or variant that's sprung up in recent years, or writing in one of her various journals. Her collection of writings on medicinal plants and their uses would be the greatest collection in the world, if it existed in reality.

More often she's out in the forest, urging new flowers and mosses and saplings to grow. Not all of them are recognizable, pulled instead from her own mind. Why not? Her dominion included new growth. Why not entirely new? Or she'll simply be lying sprawled in the roots of a great tree, watching butterflies float through shafts of sunlight overhead.

No matter where she is or what she's doing, she'll be quick to greet any visitor to her woods.]

[kobes]

[Unlike many others, Koby doesn't feel any sense of awkwardness about entering Nadine's domain -- it's nearly as familiar as his own, after so many centuries spent exploring it alongside her, as he's sure his own beach Horizon is familiar to her. There are a few places he slips into easily, and the forest is one, the silvery stardust fish Koby's long since learned to summon dancing from his fingertips to chase after a few of the butterflies, leaving trails of sparkling dust.

Koby crouches down to sit on his heels near where Nadine reclines, half-smiling as he rests his elbows on his knees.] Am I disturbing you? I could come back later. You don't rest nearly enough, you know.

[nadine_he_loves]

You're never disturbing me.

[Nadine tips her head with a warm smile. No, his presence is never a disturbance. Quite the opposite. It always lifts her heart to see him. Her domain is as much a home to him as to her, in a way.

She shifts herself, sitting up a bit more in the cradle of tree roots.]

I rest whenever I want. But I appreciate you looking after me. Come, relax with me.

[kobes]

Good. [Over the years, Koby's become more confident, more secure in his presence, in his body. Nadine had been there at the very beginning, though the details are fuzzy now -- most of the time Koby can't quite recall the fact that they aren't related by blood. Time is a stronger bond than that anyways, one that's build over and over again over centuries.

So he settles down between a couple tree roots, with the familiarity of someone sitting on a comfortable chair. Maybe it's this exact tree they've sat under a thousand times, maybe not -- it's home, though, he knows that much. His little starlight fishes formed of stardust skip over to greet Nadine, swimming in midair around her, letting off sparks of excitement.] Someone needs to. Even goddesses get tired sometimes, right?

[nadine_he_loves]

I take it easy during the winter. What do I have to do then?

[The cold months are Nadine's quiet months. Hardly anyone even calls on her, other than the regrettable laments of those suffering loss. But winter was a fitting time for mourning, or so she tells herself to ease any guilt of letting those laments go unanswered.

She lifts a hand, stretching her fingers towards the little silvery fishes, a fond smile on her lips.]

And what about you? Are you taking care of yourself?

[kobes]

Take up knitting, maybe? Embroidery? Basket-weaving? [Koby's much more quick to joke these days, decades and decades of acclimating to being more confident in himself, in what he says and does. It's accompanied by the silvery fishes nuzzling against Nadine's palms, radiating a soft, silently affectionate warmth. They're as much a part of Koby as his hands or feet, an extension of his emotions and attachment. Nadine's one of the few they'll cuddle up to.

The question has the starlit glow dimming a bit, and Koby folding his hands behind his head and frowning a bit.] I'm...all right. I've sort of been hiding for a bit, I know. I'm sorry.

...I've just felt off for a little while, that's all.

[divasmio]

[ One fine morning, Apollo beats her to it — He lounges in the roots of one of her great trees, basking in the sunlight that filters through the canopy. He remembers always being fond of sunlight, but the reason why escapes him.

Under his chiton, golden cracks snake across his body — more than there had been last time Nadine had seen him. How long ago had that been? He wanders so much, and doesn't care much for keeping time these days. Either way, he doesn't outwardly appear to be in pain.

When he sees Nadine approaching, he smiles — It's a weary smile, drained of so much of the warmth he'd once held, but it's kind and genuine all the same. ]

[nadine_he_loves]

[Visitors are common in Nadine's domain, though usually they seek her out. She rarely finds them lounging in repose waiting for her. It's a delightful surprise...though he doesn't look as vibrant and bright as he had when last they'd met.

She glides over, the petals and leaves that decorate her and comprise her gown fluttering as she moves. The flowers on either side of the pass seem to shift and strain towards her when she passes.]

Nice to see you, stranger.

[She thinks it's been a while. Time...time was a funny thing these days. It's so easy to lose track of it, for a year to pass without realizing. But she's glad to see him.]

[assembles]

[ It's become a habit, his visits here. Nadine's domain is quiet, sprawling, a place he can get lost in if he wants, and when he's functioning as a nomad rather than a sentinel, that's all he wants.

There have been times when he's come here and planted his form and stayed still for longer than he could count, an odd statue among all the wild growth. Time doesn't mean much to them, after all.

He wanders through the wood this time, enjoying the fact that there is a thick canopy that blankets him from the rest of the Horizon, the rest of existence. He knows by now that Nadine will leave him to his devices if that's what he wants, but in this case he comes across her as she bends over a patch of the forest floor and wills more plants to grow.

It's a forest, but it's also her garden.

He approaches, his heavy footsteps sinking into the soft soil below his stone feet. He doesn't mind watching her, but also doesn't want her to feel uneasy, so he speaks up: ] What are you making this time? [ His voice is a neutral monotone most of the time, and now is no exception. This place leaves him feeling at peace. ]

[nadine_he_loves]

[She rises when she hears him, turning a smile in his direction. The greenery and flowers at her feet shift and move with her.]

Just experimenting.

[At her feet are flowers that look something like roses. Only they shimmer and glitter and bloom in colors no rose ever has. There's no real plan, Nadine's only playing around and seeing what she likes.

But now her attention is diverted, as she has a guest. That takes precedent.]

Nothing important. It's good to see you.

[assembles]

[ Toying around, seeing what she can come up with — and why not? It's like a painter with a blank canvas in front of them, except her canvas is this entire forest. He moves closer to take a look at the shimmery roses that seem to change color depending on which angle he views them from.

It's been a long time since he engaged in making any sort of art himself, but he still appreciates it. ]

It's good to see you too. I didn't mean to interrupt. Just thought I would stop in.

[ So she's free to keep experimenting while they talk. To make that point, he finds a nearby boulder and moves to sit on it. ]

How have things been?

[nadine_he_loves]

You're not interrupting at all. What's to interrupt?

[Nadine's smile doesn't waver. She really isn't busy, and she welcomes others to her forest. If she doesn't want to be found, she knows how not to be found.]

But I'm good, things have been mostly good. Winter's almost over so I've been getting a lot of offerings and pleas lately. It's not like I can make it happen any faster, but....

[Well, people think what they think and the abilities and intents of god-tier beings have been misunderstood and misinterpreted since time began. Why should she be any different? It's easy enough to ignore the pleas to bring on the warm weather and the planting season. It's probably the same for plenty of the rest of them.]

How about you?

[assembles]

[ Steve can't help but be amused by Nadine's words, given that he's encountered this kind of behavior from mortals himself. Haven't all of them? Sometimes humans think that because they're gods, they can do anything and everything, when that isn't necessarily the case. ]

They really think you get to decide if spring comes early, huh?

[ He shakes his head, but it's with a sort of fond dismay, the way one might react to a child who didn't know better and was acting out. ]

Well, sorry if it's been kind of loud for you then. And let me know if there's anything I can do to help.

[ The sorts of echoes they receive don't always overlap that much, but it could happen here or there. And it's just his instinct to offer help wherever he can. ]

I've been fine. Just wandering. I was on my way to Solvunn to check in on Rocket. It does feel like there's been more demigod spawns than usual lately, but other than that, I can't complain.

[aquilus]

[No one hears ever Altaïr approach, even in the Horizon. It's not an aspect of divine power, it's simply because after so many centuries, he is very, very good at being utterly silent when he moves.

Very possibly Nadine senses his presence anyway. He would not dare underestimate her.]

You do good work here.

[He's seen it before, but not in a while. Maybe he craved the respite of this place; the glow of his eyes and a faraway expression he can't quite shake shows that he could use it.]

[nadine_he_loves]

I try.

[Nadine turns and straightens up, dusting her hands off as she turns her attention to Altair. She's not sure when she saw him last, she doesn't pay attention to that sort of thing, but he seems...distant, in a way. Had he looked that way before?]

But right now I'm just playing around with flower colors. And I could use a break, so you've shown up at the perfect time.

[aquilus]

How fortunate.

[He expects she would say so regardless of when he arrived. After so many years, her ability to put others at ease still far outpaces his own. He ventures further in, taking a longer look at her efforts and managing a small smile. For a dear friend, he can still do that.]

Do you have a goal in mind or are you letting yourself be surprised?

[nadine_he_loves]

No goal. I find nature does best when it just has a little help going in its own direction.

[Most of her domain has been grown that way, gently urged and encouraged but ultimately left to random design. Nadine likes it that way, it lacks that artificial look that too much directed intervention brings.

She dismisses the plants with a wave of her hand, leaving them as they are.]

What brings you to the woods today?

[thearchangel]

[He probably should start announcing himself. But honestly, he figures by now, she knows his habits. It's been so many decades of visiting.]

[So when the feathered, scaled form drops out of one of the massive trees near where she's studying the canopy, it is hopefully not as alarming as it could be. Her domain always seems to bring more peaceful sensations into his head. The grey feathering along his body turned to white.]

[A little more swagger in his walk as he moves to perch - literally - on a root near her.]

Seen anything interesting, lately?

[Despite everything, despite the mask of wings covering his face, the feathers, the overall more bird of prey look of him, his voice - or the wry humor in it - hasn't changed.]

[nadine_he_loves]

Hey!

[Nadine looks up in surprise as Garrus announces his presence, and lets out a little laugh at her own reaction. He certainly knows how to make an entrance.]

There's always interesting things to see.

[She smiles and turns her attention to her friend, the blossoms that cover her fluttering in delight at his arrival. A few butterflies gather about him, an extension of Nadine's welcome.]

[thearchangel]

[He spreads his hands in a gesture of apology.]

I really have to stop sneaking up on people... huh? [At least he sounds a little embarrassed about that. Just a little.]

Anything in particular?

[His hand extends, then, to let one of the butterflies land on it.]

[nadine_he_loves]

It's fine, I was lost in my own world.

[Nadine dismisses the apology with a wave of her hand. There's no fault whatsoever. What harm was done? A moment of surprise can't be called harm by anyone. At least as far as she's concerned.]

And I guess that depends on what you think is interesting. I've got everything from a really neat looking beetle to one of the weirdest worship rituals I've ever encountered.

[wiedzminka]

[ A soft crunching beneath boots announces Ciri's presence, intentionally mundane as she strolls through the forest, even though she could appear already within it if she wished. Ciri greets Nadine with a smile and a wave. ]

It's been some time. Wanted to see how you're doing.

[ As she often does, Ciri's spent the winter with Geralt and emerges with the snowdrops and first-blooming trees. Then, she wanders her favored places on the Continent, visits friends, and helps to chase away the lingering frost in the places that need it most. ]

Lots to prepare for the coming spring?

[nadine_he_loves]

Not as much as you might think.

[Nadine offers a warm smile in greeting, a ripple of motion going through the leaves and flowers that cover her.]

The great thing about nature is that it mostly takes care of itself. But I'm feeling the coming change of seasons.

[It's not something she can easily put into words. It's like a buzz inside of her bones. This growing sense of expectation and something coming. It makes her restless, more active, less prone to lounging in her domain. She may not have any control over the arrival of spring, but she's tied to it all the same.]

I'm good, though. Full of energy.

[wiedzminka]

I know the feeling.

[ Ciri agrees with a bright smile. She feels the same. In the last few decades, content in her life and with most of the turmoil of the first few centuries well behind her, she's really grown into her own role as someone the mortals look to for the ushering-in of spring.

She's still tied to lingering frost in long-lasting winters, but there are even some festivals that have been cropping up to theoretically appease her. Ciri mostly thinks it's amusing, but she's been more responsive to Echoes lately too. Now is the time when Geralt's gone to find Jaskier again, and they're all emerging into the world again after resting for the coldest months. ]

Is there anything I can help with?

[nadine_he_loves]

Just keeping me company.

[Nadine gives one last wave of her hand to the plants at her feet and turns her attention from them to Ciri. She's glad for the younger deity's presence, it always seems as though she spends too much time by herself, simply absorbed in the plants of her own domain.

It's easy enough to lose a year or two, considering their nature.]

I'll be going into the world soon enough, but I've spent the winter here. Winter makes me sad, for some reason. Maybe just because it comes along and kills off so many plants.

[Or maybe there's something deeply rooted but forgotten. She doesn't think about it much.]