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

[theidlemaiden]

[ It's true that Rocket isn't what most would call comforting, at least by any conventional definition of the word. But Hilda had always found comfort in his presence more so than his words. Maybe that's what a deep friendship meant to her nowadays. Time stretched on before them. There was no telling what would happen between now and then, even if a god had the power to see into the future. What mattered most to her was being able to stay by the side of those she cared for the most.

Corny, perhaps, but it was the truth.

And she thought of him specifically because she knew that not all of his creations turned out the way he wanted them to go either. Out of most anyone, she was sure he'd be able to understand. Or at least, maybe, provide some words of wisdom.

Her arms curl around as much of him as she can letting it out. Eventually it's enough for her to force some words out through her hiccupping. ]

Something I made for someone blew them up! Well, not really blew them up, it was more like it flattened them but it doesn't really matter because I didn't mean for it to happen.

[ Here's your cue to try not to laugh, Rocket. ]

im so sorry he is the worst enabler

[respiting]

[ It's true, there have been a few botched machineworks here and there, a few weapons that may have blown off the tops of a temple, or possibly set some carts on fire. And if a guy died once in a while, it was an occupational hazard — simply the price of being a little too close to godhood when you weren't quite ready for a blessing just yet.

Rocket can sympathize with Hilda, of course; he isn't unfeeling by any means. But he also understands that a lot of the time life and death are just two sides of a coin being flipped, and the gamble was in not knowing which side the coin would eventually land. His whole existence used to hang on that notion. He'd like to think he knows this better than anyone else.

He takes a moment to gather his thoughts, eyebrows (as much as a raccoonoid can have them) raising as though he's expecting ... more.

To his credit, no, he doesn't laugh. But he does sound a little surprised. ]

What, that's it? So a guy gets flattened — big deal, it's just one guy. One guy who obviously didn't know what to ask for, so how were you supposed to know what to make for him?

i love it keep enabling her

[theidlemaiden]

[ It's Rocket's lack of surprise that gives her some pause,  Some part of her had perhaps expected him to scold her for being so careless with her enthusiasm and not taking into consideration that mortals weren't meant to hold god-like powers or even slivers of it.

She'd heard of instances of it before. Maybe it was hubris to think that that wouldn't happen to her. Or maybe it was just carelessness. Whatever the reason, it doesn't help rid her of the guilt that she feels. ] 

Well - [ She can't help but stutter and sniffle almost in hesitation. ] he asked for something to help shield him and keep him safe. And I've made plenty of those sorts of things before. 

[ Those big pink eyes of hers well up, making the heart rings around her irises look far sadder than they normally are. ] 

I really wanted to keep him safe. 

[respiting]

I still think he was probably just too weak to handle it. Especially if you've made something like it before.

[ Sometimes a weak human is just the bad end of it all, and in his experience there's plenty enough of 'em to go around. Rocket would hardly wrangle the calvary on her. If anything, he can only hope that she'll laugh about this whole affair in the future. Maybe not now, and he ain't gonna bring that up, but ... you know. Some day it'll be hilarious for everyone.

He pats at her back gently again because she seems like she needs it.

And then he shakes his head for ... a little real-talk. ]

Shit happens, Hilda. [ Whatever god-name she uses isn't what he insists on calling her anyway. Valentine, was it? ] What was it anyway? You mentioned something about a shield?

[theidlemaiden]

[ Mortals, in general, are technically weaker. Even a god at their weakest would still have some sort of well of power that they could draw on that a human couldn't. And while Hilda knows that without a doubt, it still has the desired effect that Rocket is probably going for - comfort. Granted, some of that might be coming from the helpful pat on her back.

Whatever the real source of comfort is, it's enough to help soften the real-talk. ]

Yeah it was a -

[ She shifts, stepping back a bit so she can magic the offending shield into existence. It doesn't quite look like a shield though. A bloodied bangle. At least it is when it's inactive. ]

It was this. [ Her nose wrinkles slightly at the recollection as her eyes water. ] I had to tug it off his arm. Not that there was much arm left.

[respiting]

Flattened and dismembered. Pretty impressive.

[ ... which is probably not the reaction Hilda was going for, but it's the one she gets. She knows what she signed up for, going to Rocket for a pep-talk. He's never going to blame the tech, only the weakest party maimed by said tech.

Tech's just the tool.

He opens a palm, silently asking her permission to inspect the bangle. ]

Ever thought about turning this into a trick-shield? Maybe makin' the flattening the point of it?

[theidlemaiden]

[ Yeah, definitely not. Her eyes go wide as saucers as she launches into a whine. At least it stopped her sniffles and another fresh flood of tears in their tracks. ]

Rocket! That's not impressive at all. It was nightmare fuel!

[ She does hand over the bangle though. All of her sensibilities means she would have cleaned it up but it had been a harrowing enough experience trying to take the damned thing off. Maybe later. Assuming she didn't melt it down for something else. ]

You mean flatten whatever someone is facing?

[respiting]

[ Rocket's reaction to her protest is to give her something of a blase shrug.

But yes, a part of him also realizes this means that she'll turn to doing something other than crying and feeling like she's got anything to be sorry about. Because as far as Rocket's concerned, she doesn't. ]

Well, I think it's impressive. [ He's not backing down from that. ] Means you got powerful, and that ain't nothing to sneeze at.

[ So now he'll just give the bangle a close study, ignoring the dried blood and possible viscera that had not yet been cleaned from its surface. ]

Uh-huh. You tweak the controls of it a bit, maybe tone the power down for a weak mortal, and you could have something real useful in a war effort. No one'll see it coming, and then bam! People Pancake.

[theidlemaiden]

[ She's gotten better over the years at taking compliments. But the praise that she gets from gods like Rocket who have been doing this far longer than she has (the creating, not the god-ing), still never fails to fill her with embarrassment.

There's more sniffling on her part as Rocket gives her his notes. The guilt hasn't dissipated by a long shot but she'd be lying if she said that it didn't help. ]

Do you have some time to help me?

[ The awful squelching noise plays back in her mind like some awful soundtrack. Inwardly she winces. ]

Or at least check over my work? The last thing I want is for that to happen again.

[respiting]

'Course I do. [ Said without hesitation, because even after all these centuries, there's admittedly very little Rocket wouldn't do for her. ] I got nothing but time.

[ If anything, he can start now. His large claws are already itching to have at the grinds and gears, the nuts and bolts, to get to the source of the so-called malfunction, in order to make it useful.

Because while Hilda is haunted by the sound of some mortal's doom, Rocket is inspired by it — at least in terms of making it the point of this whole thing.

And now he shakes his head. ]

What you want is for it to happen again — just on the terms of whoever's using it instead. [ He's quiet for a moment before he considers his next words. In all seriousness, despite everything he's said so far (all true, by the way), he does feel the need to say something ... a little more. ] It ain't easy when you make a mistake, being as strong as we are now ... but you can't let it get to you either. Our job is to keep goin' no matter what, and we can't let those who look to us see any sign of weakness either.

[theidlemaiden]

[ Her relationship with humans is...complex to say the least. She knows that without them and without the diverse backgrounds that they come from, art would be one note. Art was meant to be shared, experienced and to inspire. When they said the more the merrier, they meant it.

But on the other hand, there were just so many lives to keep track of. And their lives were so bright and fleeting that they couldn't be faulted for recalling that a mortal they were tender towards was there one day and gone the next.

That didn't mean she didn't care though. At her worst that could easily be the case. But she didn't want to become careless or care less about others just because she had these powers. ]

No you're right. I guess I'm just used to giving up. Trying was really scary. Failing was even scarier. Maybe it's an old habit from...before. [ Before they were gods. When they were just mortals. She pauses, chewing on the inside of her cheek. ] Has something like that ever happened to you? Where you made a mistake like that?

[respiting]

I don't remember you bein' the type to give up.

[ She never gave up on him, after all, and he'd given her and everyone else around him plenty of chances enough to do so. ]

But to answer your question — 'course I have. We all had our moments, getting used to all of this extra power we got. I answered an Echo once about a temple some of my followers wanted to build for me. [ It was one of the first temples, if not the first. ] Thought they could handle it when I gave them a blessing, one of my first blessings, but — it didn't end well. Lost a handful of lives that way, and I don't go to that temple anymore. The point is: I didn't get to where I am now without running into a few obstacles along the way.

A few fuck-ups.

[ Rocket shrugs now as though to shrug off the weight of the effects it'd had on him over the decades. ]

Sounds real moronic, but it's ... part of the journey. It gets easier. Or maybe you just stop caring so much.

[theidlemaiden]

[ She clicks her tongue in protest, the guilt and self-pity dashed for a moment. ]

That's different! I'm not going to give up on my friends.

[ And her friends arguably hold more weight than some silly piece of equipment gone wrong. But that's neither here nor there right now.

A line forms between her brows in worry as she reaches for his paw to give it a squeeze. She wonders if he didn't return to that template because it was just a reminder of how he had messed up. ]

I know that making mistakes and learning from them is how you get better. But I don't ever want to just stop caring. What if I stopped caring about the people that are closest to me?

[respiting]

[ In a surprising act of emotional display, Rocket squeezes her hand back.

It was a thing that happened a long, long time ago. Most gods forget about the shit that happens even decades before, but Rocket takes special care to remember everything he can because so much of his memory prior to being a god has disappeared, faded away with time and a healthy dose of compartmentalization. ]

And that's why you're gonna be fine, Hilds. [ He gestures to her deadly godly invention, to bring their conversation back around to the point — and to put a stop to all of this emotional mush. It still makes him a little uncomfortable; he can't help it. ] And why your followers are gonna be fine. 'Cause you care about it all, which is a hell of a lot more than a lot of gods do.

[theidlemaiden]

[ The squeeze may be nothing more than that to some people, but Hilda knows what it really means coming from him. They've been friends for so long that she wouldn't be able to consider herself one if she had forgotten that about him. She lets their hands linger a moment longer before finally pulling away, a watery smile finally flickering to her face. ]

You're right. I'm going to try my best.

[ With a brave sniff she pulls the death bangle towards them. With a wave of her hand the clockwork mechanism keeping it together seamlessly come apart until it's no more than a mixture of parts floating in the air in front of them. ]

Right. So where do we start then?

[respiting]

[ Rocket nods now in a manner that says, 'atta girl' without explicitly saying so. He's glad for her commitment, glad for her determination. It's one of those things that he's always admired about her, and would've hated to see snuffed out 'cause of something as dumb as this.

Mistakes are always gonna happen; that's just a part of living an existence so different from the mortals that call upon them.

He plucks out a small handful of the pieces floating in air with purpose, already seeing the way they might come together. ]

We'll study each of these things, put 'em together in a way you want them to. And we'll do it right this time.