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

[diametrically]

[ Call him sentimental (something that whatever scant followers he did have would never think to associate with Brother Dust), but hearing someone like Viktor call him a friend means a lot to him. Cassian is well aware his penchant for self-sacrifice and the subsequent memory loss that follows it is all his own doing.

It's hurt those closest to him more than he'd like to admit and he doesn't expect any forgiveness from those that dislike the way he conducts himself. So to know that he isn't a lost cause yet it still brings him a small comfort all the same - even if he isn't deserving of it.

He mulls over the proposal before nodding. ]

It sounds like it could work. What can I do to help?

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor regards Cassian for a moment, as if searching for something. Perhaps he believed that he would have jostled some memory loose by now. He considers, once again, offering his services, but decides against it. Cassian knows he can always ask, and Viktor has a feeling it would distract from what he really wants to talk about.]

I'm not sure if you recall--but this automaton was a construct of your own domain, once.

[And Viktor had started to care for the imagined version of Bee, once Cassian seemed to forget.]

[diametrically]

[ Even with his less than reliable memory, that has never affected his perceptiveness. The way Viktor looks at him makes him think for a moment that he's reacted in a way that his friend had hoped. Just as he's about to ask if that's the case, Viktor confirms his hunch. ]

Mine?

[ The faint amusement that tinges his confusion is only because he can't tell if this is something that he simply hasn't remembered yet or not. He knows that Viktor has no reason to lie to him. But he doesn't have a domain. He's always drifted through the Horizon much like how he drifts through this plane. ]

I don't have a domain in the Horizon. At least not from what I can remember. [ A pause. ] Is that not the case?

[techmaturgy]

You did, once.

[Had Viktor not stripped away most of himself, he might have decided to tread a bit more carefully. Now, however, he has no trepidations with regard to simply relaying the facts, even if they might cause some distress.]

I admit I don't recall the details. [It has been a long time for him, too.] There may have been spacecraft. But I do remember Bee.

[And he's looked after the little droid, partly out of fondness, but also out of a sense of duty to his friend.]

[diametrically]

[ Cassian understands that before this, somewhere between landing here with Estrallita and after godhood, dust and a self-fulfilling prophecy, that he'd had some semblance of a life here. Why else would every cell in his body remember the pulls and the echoes of those that had been important to him before? So it isn't outside the realm of possibility that he'd had a domain once upon a time.

The problem is that he doesn't recall it. At all. Because what would a wanderer, someone whose physical existence on this plane was so brief, need with a domain? What could it possibly represent or look like when all that mattered to him was a sister who represented home was not there? ]

...Do you think it's still there?

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor watches patiently, waiting for any recognition that doesn't come. He supposes it's more to satisfy his own curiosity than anything else, but he can't help but note something inside him feels slightly sad. Maybe for Bee's sake.]

It might be.

[He spends all of his time in his laboratories--he's long since stopped paying attention to most other domains.]

We could go look.

[diametrically]

[ Cassian initially answers his question with a dart of his eyes towards the partially assembled automaton. Truthfully he doesn't know how he feels about the fact that a domain could exist for him here. Despite how it ends every time, he's lived his life with so many certainties.

An unknown like this and what it could possibly bring...it left him feeling unsettled in a way that he so rarely felt. In the same breath however there's comfort in having Viktor's willingness to go with him.

He nods, a wryness to his voice. ]

It might be easy to tell if it's mine. It could be covered in dust. [ There's a beat before - ] I'm ready when you are.

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor waits patiently for Cassian to determine whether or not he wants to pursue this--he can imagine it feels uncomfortable, to realize that some part of yourself has been forgotten, so he will not press the issue if he decides he doesn't want to know.

But he does, and Viktor will be glad to show him. He offers a nod, confirming that he's ready, and with only the slightest amount of effort, they both shift into the Horizon.]

What puzzles me, [He says, as they start to walk,] is that you believed yourself to have no domain. Out of all of us.

[diametrically]

[ As they materialize Cassian doesn't so much as blink, falling into step with Viktor as they make their way through the domains of their fellow gods. Some he isn't capable of putting a domain to a name, but there are others that immediately spark recognition where they hadn't been any before.

His eyes skip towards Viktor. ]

Really? Why?

[ If anything he thinks it makes perfect sense that he doesn't have a domain. ]

[techmaturgy]

Why would you be special?

[Viktor says it half-jokingly, but he means it. They all have a unique connection to the Singularity, and though domains shift and change overtime, he finds it hard to believe that Cassian never had anything.]

[diametrically]

[ That earns a short bark of laughter from him, not realizing that it had come across that way. ]

I'm not.

[ His amusement fades. ]

I never stay in one place.

[ And the only person that feels like home is...well, now they're roaming the same plane together. A domain of his own wasn't necessary any longer. But prior to that he had purposefully wandered until he knew he could be reunited with Serenity again. Even if for a brief moment. ]

The only home Serenity and I had was a ship. Neither of us remember it very well.

[techmaturgy]

I don't see why that would be indicative of one thing or another.

[The Horizon works in mysterious ways, and often manifests things unconsciously. Viktor does not remember his first trip here, but he does know that he did not purposefully create Rio. She has simply always existed as a part of him and his domain, even as he sacrificed greater and greater parts of himself in order to work.

So, the ship seems like a promising lead.]

Perhaps that is a good place to start. If it still existed, where do you think it might have settled?

[diametrically]

[ Viktor lives up to the methodical, logical way in which he thinks. "No domain" is not a good enough answer for him even though it had never bothered Cassian.

He gives his friend a brief look before turning his gaze back towards the horizon. ]

Probably the highest point of the Horizon. As close to the stars as we can get.

[ They were grounded, god-like beings with clipped wings. It would make the most sense that they would want to be as near as they could to "home". ]

[techmaturgy]

Very well. I'll follow you.

[Despite all possibilities being available for them in the Horizon, Viktor still prefers to interact with it as he would in the real world. It's a useful testing ground, yes, but he rarely gives himself abilities he does not already have, wanting to be able to replicate his experiments and activities if necessary.

That said, it seems expedient to will themselves to this place, rather than walking there--though since they're not quite sure what they're looking for, it may prove difficult. Viktor watches Cassian expectantly.]

Do you think you can remember the way?

[diametrically]

We'll see.

[ His feet had always led him wherever it was he needed to go. And if all else failed, maybe there would be remnants of stardust that belonged to Serenity that would guide the way home like she always had.

They continue on foot for a little while before he comes to a halt. For a moment there's a faraway look in his eyes before realizing that there's a tug in the dirt beneath his feet. Casting a glance towards Viktor he nods off to a distant peak. On foot it would take time but they were gods. Teleporting was easy so long as you knew where to go. ]

It's there. I think. [ Casting a glance towards Viktor he asks - ] Can I meet you there?

[ As soon as he gets an answer though he's gone, dust swirling in his wake. When Viktor arrives he'll find Cassian staring at a husk of what had to be an old spaceship, rusty and hollow. ]

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor follows in silence, letting Cassian follow whatever cosmic threads pull him in that direction. He's not necessarily good company, in this regard, but if Cassian looks back he's not far behind, wanting to see this journey to its end, whatever they might find.

And what they find is, perhaps, the highest point. Closest to the stars. Cassian says he'll go on ahead and Viktor nods, even though it will only take him the blink of an eye to get there too. He seems to understand that Cassian might want a moment alone, but doesn't keep him waiting long.]

I recognize this.

[Does Cassian?]

[diametrically]

[ Dust swirls around him as he manifests again on that little peak. He doesn't wait for Viktor, pulled by a force in his bones towards the old husk that looks like how he feels. Empty, long past his prime. The bones are good though he finds as he steps into the entrance ship. It could fly again with a little bit of tender, loving care.

But even with that knowledge he doesn't move further in. When Viktor joins him he's rooted to the spot, staring blankly ahead into the depths of the darkened winding hallways. He hears Viktor but doesn't move. ]

I was taken away in this ship.

[ 'I', not Serentiy. Just him. From a planet in a galaxy far, far away that had once been lush and green and full of life before something sinister came forcefully knocking on its door. ]

But we've always been here. Why would I have been taken?

[techmaturgy]

[Despite everything that Viktor has forgotten, there are some things about his personal history that he knows to be true. That he wasn't always like this--that he grew up destitute, in a place that sickened him, and he overcame it through sheer force of will.

Whether it was Abraxas or not is irrelevant. It does mean that they were not always this way. Why wouldn't the same be true for others?]

We've long known of the existence of other worlds. Of the Summoning ritual. It's not difficult to imagine a life before this one.

[Or maybe it is.]

[diametrically]

[ Something else, a fact that he'd known from his time here (at least, he thinks it's from his time here - his memories a jumbled, jagged mess but he could have sworn that he had collected all the pieces and had finally put them back together), falls into place.

His gaze hasn't moved. Something draws him further into the ship and he begins to take a step further into the dark, yawning dark. ]

No. I had a life before this. Before Abraxas. Before being a god.

[techmaturgy]

[The definitive way Cassian says it indicates that Viktor has made some kind of breakthrough, bringing him here. What this means for the rest of them, however, he isn't sure. Viktor follows him down the hallway, a step or two back.]

What do you remember?

[diametrically]

A galaxy far from here. A jungle.

[ As they pass by the windows in the ship, the landscape outside seems to shift with it. Where there had once been a desolate mountaintop bursts a lush, green landscape with creatures that definitely didn't seem to exist on Abraxas.

The voice of children laughing and chattering in a language that is unfamiliar (and yet so familiar to him at the same time) bounces off the walls around them as he continues deeper inside. ]

A government like the one that used to exist in Thorne before it was toppled.

[ He pauses, turning around to look at his friend. His black eyes are filled with concern. Worry. ]

Viktor, what's happening?

[techmaturgy]

[If Viktor realizes that Cassian is entering a crisis, he doesn't show it. Instead, he seems to be entirely intrigued, by this sudden remembrance of another world. Chasing true sentience for the automatons has been one of his major goals here, but he's never lost sight of reaching beyond this world.

He wonders if this might be the key. Awakening these memories of another life in one of their own.]

I can't be sure.

[But it is, in its own way, thrilling.]

We can stop here. You don't have to learn more, if you don't want to.

[Viktor could take it away again, he's certain.]

[diametrically]

[ If notices Viktor's lack of concern, he doesn't question it. There's other things that race through his mind, demanding his attention. He wants to learn more. He needs to learn more. The hunger that reaches through every fibre of his being demands it. Cassian knows this hunger though. He's had eight hundred years to understand it, and there's something distinctly different about it this time.

An emptiness. A yearning that couldn't be filled with mere food or emotions or power.

Just as he's about to speak more there's a deafening crack so loud that he thinks it has to be the glass of the ship's window. As he gazes closer he realizes that it's not the glass that had shattered but the sky. ]

The sky is -

[ Before he can finish his sentence however, memories begin to flood his mind making him clutch his head and cry out in pain. ]

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor doesn't show much of anything, nowadays, but this is unexpected, and his body language says as much, leaning away from Cassian's outburst. Whatever's happened, it seems past the point of no return--past Viktor's intervention.

For once, he isn't quite sure what he can do. When Cassian is seeing things that he can't, and remembering things he otherwise might not want to. All this, because Viktor thought it might be a good idea for Cassian to know Bee again.]

We should go. This is not what I intended.

[diametrically]

[ Memories had returned to him before but never like this. Never had they pained him in the way that it felt like his breath was being smothered from him. Perhaps it's karma. After all, he had done as much to mortals both innocent and guilty alike.

Viktor's voice sounds miles away, just another voice lost to the voices in the memories that race into his mind. None of them are familiar, save for Bee, the automaton, no the droid, that Viktor had been building. But in that confusion he understands something else - Serenity wasn't in them.

He gasps for air as the pressure in his head begins to dull. When he glances up to look at his friend his forehead is damp with sweat. It takes him a moment but he nods straightening up shakily. There's something haunted in his gaze. ]

...Okay.