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

[magicalarchaeologist]

Istredd is not accustomed to getting a lot of compliments tossed his way and he can hardly argue against what Gale is saying. He does have a thirst for knowledge and a spark for this, but he flushes all the same, the positive reinforcement touching his heart.

"The sentiment is very much appreciated and returned, Gale." He smiles at him brightly, a little flustered about it, but he is generally in a perfect mood untouched by any of his doubts or worries. A triumph should be celebrated. "Your encouragement means more than I can say." Not everyone fully understands the desires or drive of a scholar, that hunger in him, it really requires other people of the same mindset.

"When I started this library, I never thought it would get to the level it has." It was always large and splendid in its own way, but limited by the human limitations they all used to have. It was an ambition for something larger that couldn't be realized, and now it can. "But with people like you adding to it, it makes a difference."

[karsiteweave]

Gale grins, watching Istredd as he talks.

"A little help from one's friends never hurts."

A lesson Gale himself could have learned much earlier. He hesitates, lets out a slow breath. The flush over Istredd's skin makes his stomach squirm. Some part of him is dying to say something, to address all this, but perhaps... perhaps not yet? This is Istredd's moment, he should support him in this.

"All the same, it is your victory -- and any victory is worth celebrating. What would please you?"

The wizard moves closer again, resting one hand on Istredd's arm gently. He gives it a light squeeze.

"I don't doubt enjoying the results of your work may feel reward enough, and the study is always a pleasure to be sure, but there are other joys to be had in life as well."

They should do something they don't usually do, surely? To commemorate this landmark!

[magicalarchaeologist]

"A little help from one's friends is necessary. I would be nothing without it."

Istredd smiles at him warmly. It is a stark contrast for him, from who he was long before all of this. An incredibly lonely individual, having convinced himself that was what he wanted. He spent decades on his own, distanced from everyone he knew and the rest of the sphere, with not a friend to his name. He does know that until he came to this sphere, he was incapable of reaching his greatest potential. It required other people to get there.

He tilts his head thoughtfully at the suggestion. "How bad is it that I never know how to have fun outside of the library easily?" Istredd laughs and pats the hand on his arm affectionately. It's true, he gets so deeply into his projects that he goes from one to the other. A celebration? Well he will probably inform Lucifer and Yennefer, and they will either go 'and?' at him or say 'good job' and go about their non-scholarly lives.

"I suppose we could have a drink? There are Feywilds liquors that would be right for the victory. Come with me. I know a spot in the Nether where we can sit and possibly not talk about my library for five minutes." It's a lesson in teaching himself how to do this too! Istredd's the problem. He offers Gale his hand so he can move them.

The Nether is in a volcano and while it used to be a dying place, thanks to the Summoned, it is beautiful and alive again. They are still healing the land though, in the next few hundred years, it will be brand new. As it is, the hatchlings are now young adults and boldly flying around, and there is a comfortable spot up high where everything can be seen. Istredd loves the Nether, it is his true home. It is high up there, but a secure enough spot, and Istredd's wings are out here, so he can always swoop and get Gale if necessary.

[karsiteweave]

Gale takes his hand without a second thought, allows Istredd to move them. The view is magnificent, it's a good spot. Gale stands a moment, taking it all in, then turns to Istredd and studies him instead. Happy, vibrant, basking in his own victory. Gale's voice takes on a soft, warm tone to it -- smile something shy and fond.

"Stunning view."

Yes, he's still looking at Istredd when he says this. Gale can be smooth, when he wants to be! Or, at least, he's trying to be smooth. He's found subtlety doesn't always go in his favour, it's a learning progress. Hopefully his one lands? If not, time to try a new angle he supposes. It does feel like the atmosphere is... right, like the moment is one he has to grasp hold of. Now or never, perhaps.

Thank you for your patience, back from vacation!

[magicalarchaeologist]

The Nether is rising in life and power and several of the former Summoned have made their home here. The Draconae are not believers, being long-lived themselves, but they are very fond of their new occupants and treat them well. Istredd smiles as he looks out into the valley below, turning his head to look at Gale when he comments, about to agree with him. He thinks the Nether extraordinarily beautiful, having flown around it for decades now and never getting tired of it. But Gale wasn't looking at it, was he?

"Well." Istredd actually picks up on something for the first time in awhile, and he looks a little flustered, but flattered. "The wings really do add something, I know, but they don't fit in the library." He's never gotten good at flirting or knowing when someone was. Even now he's unsure if he's reading it right. Gale could be joking with him, no doubt. He folds the wings back and if his cheeks were more visible, he might have seen a little flush to them.

Istredd waves a hand and the drink he mentioned appears, creating both the vintage and the glasses. Since he assumes that is what they're still there to do.

[karsiteweave]

Gale chuckles at that, eyes dropping away. His smile is rueful, something resigned to it perhaps.

"You have no need of wings to be magnificent, Istredd. You will always be the most beautiful, most impressive man I know. I cannot imagine anything that would turn my heart from you, not now. Seeing you here, proud, flushed with victory -- I know there is nowhere I would rather be than at your side."

He looks up, expression softening to something fond. He can see the faint signs of fluster in him, but Gale knows he can sometimes be... overmuch. It's possible he just needs to... resist the urge to keep talking. Then again, if he doesn't say it all now when will he? He's held onto this for years. He could hold onto it a few years more, but it would be agonising.

[magicalarchaeologist]

Well it is impossible not to read that correctly. This isn't flirting, this is blatant admiration, and Istredd doesn't know for a moment what to do in the face of it. He's always been weak against flattery since he knows so little of it. He loves Yennefer and Lucifer dearly but they're not the type for off-the-cuff compliments. If he knew what a love language was, words of affirmation would be at the top of his list, and he isn't used to being fed.

"Gale, I had no idea." Truly, it is shocking to him. Lucifer's going to laugh at him for being oblivious as per usual, although he also thinks this conversation is going to be an awkward one. But not an impossible, as Jaskier was allowed on a very short list. He considers Gale and whether his interest rests there, not one to fall for people easily. And he thinks ... yes. Perhaps. Gale is handsome and very intelligent and they have so much in common.

"I return your admiration, but I do have to speak with Lucifer before anything goes further, if that is what you want." Lucifer and Istredd have been inseparable since early on, since Thorne. They are not together every minute of every day anymore, but they are known to be attached at the hip.

[karsiteweave]

Ah.

This is... a wild mix of emotion. On the one hand, he had no idea. A pit of unease forms in Gale's, embarrassment simmering under his skin. Has he made a fool of himself? Seen affection where there is none? Read too deep into what was, in truth, just friendship?

Then, Istredd continues: he returns the feeling. Hope, then? Perhaps it had not all been in Gale's head, perhaps there is something here...

Then, yet more: he will have to speak with the other man. Lucifer, his name is.

Unease bubbles up again, uncertainty.

Gale studies Istredd's face, trying to read intent from it.

"I see," Gale says, swallowing down his emotions. There's hope, and he wants to hold onto it -- if only for a moment. "When you say you'll have to... speak to with him?"

Somehow, he knows the answer won't be what he'd want. Nobody would leave their partner for Gale Dekarios. Why should they? Far be it for him to get in the way of a happy couple. He shouldn't have said anything. Carried away in the heat of the moment, swept up in the heady romance of being here. Hasn't that always been his problem? Not thinking through the consequences carefully enough?

[magicalarchaeologist]

Istredd assumed this was only friendship because it is hard for him to imagine otherwise, but he is flattered and it is not that difficult for him to pivot in the face of possibility. There has been affection and Istredd's behavior of warmth and openness could easily be misconstrued as romantic interest, but it's unintentional. It isn't a shut door though. He thinks he could make a case for it.

"Well, he is my partner, but our relationship is open, depending on how the other feels about it." So that is why Istredd has to talk to Lucifer first. They have an open form of communication and while Lucifer is extremely possessive, he listens when Istredd is interested in following his feelings. They started out already in that situation with Yennefer, so there is a slightly opened door there.

"I thought everyone knew about us, although I suppose we don't speak of it often when we're studying and theorizing." It's because Istredd truly thought it was public knowledge so he saw no reason to bring up his partner frequently when they're speaking of other subjects.

[karsiteweave]

The problem with Istredd is he seems to be... close with a few of their fellow summoned, that Gale has noticed. The wizard is, naturally, aware that some people have open relationships but it's not something he... thinks of. Is it common...? In truth, he has no idea. Maybe it is, maybe Gale Dekarios is an old fashioned fool. He just cannot imagine sharing someone like a loaf of bread! His heart doesn't work that way.

A series of emotions flickers across his face. Confusion, irritation, resignation, gentle acceptance.

"I see," he says. "I was aware you had a... connection, of course, but clearly I underestimated it. Or chose not to see it, perhaps."

His smile is rueful, the air of a man who has already decided his fate about him.

"I do not doubt he is a good man, Istredd. I suppose I had hoped that... I was a good man too. That I might be worthy of you."

A lofty ambition, perhaps, but that as always Gale's weakness. Ambition, someone who aimed for great heights even when he should know better.

[magicalarchaeologist]

It is fairly common among the Summoned, Istredd's fairly certain that monogamy is the rarer of the two. For him, it's always been an open door. He fell in love with someone here when he was already in love with Yennefer. It wasn't something he intended or planned for, it just happened. But he was sharing her long before that with others, so it all worked out between them. It's not something that comes up between them as a problem.

It's why he looks somewhat confused. "You are a good man, you are worthy. I don't know what I'm saying that would make you feel otherwise." His wings flutter a little as an outside visual of his inner turmoil. The last thing he expected or wanted in this situation was to hurt his dear friend.

"Oh." It comes to him then, reframed. Gale wanted to be picked. He's sad and honestly, upset, because he didn't expect this to happen. And now he is in a position where someone he cares for is in pain because he didn't talk about his situation sooner. "Gale, I am so sorry. You must understand, I am not accustomed to other people's admiration, otherwise I would have told you my relationship status sooner."

It didn't occur to him that he was getting attention that was becoming genuinely romantic. Istredd feels terrible about it. He reaches out to touch his friend, to give him some kind of reassurance, but he stops himself. It's not appropriate in this situation. "But Lucifer and I, we're forever. I'll be with him until the day I die."

[karsiteweave]

"Don't apologise," he murmurs, and takes a deep breath. "You must not deny your heart's desire. I would rather see you happy with another, than not happy at all."

He shifts, presses his lips into a thin line.

"But to know that I had less than the whole of your heart, I couldn't do it. Not when I would give all of myself to you."

Oof. Bit of a mess this one, wasn't it? He takes another breath, and reaches for one of the glasses. This situation calls for alcohol most definitely.

"I'm... very glad to have met you, my friend."

No hard feelings. He will... get over this, eventually, with time. He's not going to... rub it in, or drag it out. He's doing his best.

we can wrap on this one, I'm replying to the other with a start :)

[magicalarchaeologist]

"I understand." Istredd does too. He and Lucifer may have opened up their situation slightly, but they are very possessive of each other depending on who it is. Lucifer probably would have permitted this, but only because at the end of the day, no one compares to what they have. His devotion is absolute. There is no threat to it.

"You deserve to be with someone who will give you all of them. And I hope that for you, Gale, truly." Istredd resists the urge to try and physically comfort him as a part of him wants to, but he knows that will not help this situation in the least. "You are a wonderful and brilliant man." One Istredd would have been genuinely proud of having as a partner, but he wouldn't want to put him in that kind of pain.

He definitely thinks they need alcohol though and he pours Gale's glass full. Luckily there are many topics they can talk about. They can get past this.