EVENT #20: ADVENT - IC EVENT LOG

[abraxasmods]

Event #20 - Advent

OOC Event Log ⦁ The Gods ⦁ NPCs

The Badlands has remained contested territory between Thorne and the Free Cities for many years. During a mediation two years ago, a resolution was attempted but fell apart. The Badlands is valued for being the direct route toward the Singularity...meaning it was only a matter of time before conflict broke out over it.

Early in AUGUST, Thorne and the Free Cities begin to march on the Badlands. The clash is bloody and violent, taking place exclusively on the ground. Although the Free Cities military has its share of firearms, such things are still rare and expensive. Most of the fighting, as expected, makes use of horses, swords, arrows, and - of course - magic.

The territories won't call upon Summoned like yourselves. You are meant for something more important. If you insist on joining the fight, they may approve depending on who you are and what you plan to do. Soon, however, a powerful force emerges, one far bigger than just another clash of swords.

This event draws on a previous event involving the Heralds of War. Knowledge of this past event is not necessary, but you may review the information for added context if you wish!

The consequences of Solvunn's choice in Event #18 occur at the end of the event. The result of this act will be further detailed in the Wrap-Up.

Overture

The return of the Heralds might stir familiarity within some of you. You may recall how they whispered in your ears, planted visions of death, or corrupted the Horizon. This time, although their coming spreads across the land, you as the Summoned are remarkably resistant to the Gods' influences. Newer arrivals might be more susceptible, but those of you who have been here for months or years won't find yourselves afflicted much, if at all...until you start to make your choices.

As the Summoned, certain actions may open you up to vulnerabilities. Everything you do carries a weight. If you experienced the emergent reality, you'll likely have learned that lesson. You're not fully one of the Gods yet, but your connection to the Singularity means the magic that flows through you contains both a great capacity to help others and a cost that comes with it which you must consider.

A Taste of Blood

It begins sometime in mid-August, around the 16th onward. Not everyone will experience it at the same time. You might even believe you're spared until days afterward when you're visited by an unusually vivid dream.

The dream starts the same for everyone: you are going somewhere, anywhere, walking to your bedroom, or enjoying a stroll on the beach. You might be driving down a familiar neighborhood. Wherever you're headed, you find that the world around you shifts. Thin red veins spiderweb across nearby surfaces. As you press on, they become engorged with blood until they form a fleshy tunnel. A light at the end beckons you. You can turn around if you want, but aren't you curious?

If you proceed, you eventually come upon a beating human heart with your Arcana painted in gold. A swarm of large mosquitos quickly encase the heart, sucking it dry. As their abdomens become fat with blood, more and more join the swarm until it becomes a whirlwind of insects that gradually take on a large humanoid shape: bright red with blood with horns bent upwards like a lopsided crescent moon.

This is Zorne of Last Blood, the eldest of the Heralds of War.

The veins are pulled in by the insects, connecting one to the next and holding them in place like latticework of sinew. No longer obscured, the world that surrounds you is bleak and gray. A large sword materializes in Zorne's hand. Holding it aloft, he measures your resolve.

◎ If you have spilled blood, the blade begins to drip with it. The steel beneath glows hot, then begins to harden.
◎ If you have not spilled blood, the blade turns brittle, eventually falling to dust.

Zorne accepts you regardless. He sits down on his simple stone throne, laying the sword against the armrest. His eyes are thinly veiled sockets in a skull made of insects, downcast towards where you stand below his form. A thin layer of red skin stretches across his mouth with every word he speaks.

"The path...has been chosen. The snake has found its tail. Each new age rises from the ashes of its grave. It is...as it always has been."

Zorne holds the sword up again. Behind his throne, you glimpse the rays of a rising sun.

"A sword hardens in the fire. In the darkened hearts of mortals. Destruction heralds purification from madness.

All things end before they begin. Mortals, Gods, the smallest insect. And when it ends...we will be there. I will be there. And you...little godling...must find your place in that end."

The sun reaches its apex. It is blazing and fierce, as though it might soon swallow you in its fury - and then it does.

Do you feel at peace from its cleansing fire? Strengthened by it? Or is it purely unimaginable pain and fear that consumes you?

Zorne's sword measures the blood on your character's hands as perceived by them. A character who took only one important life to save the world may see as much blood on that sword as another who killed many to do the same.

Making Your Choices

Whether you believe Zorne or not, you must still do something, even if that something is nothing. As things unfold before your very eyes, you can decide whether you will aid the Heralds for what you may believe is the greater good, help the individuals you can't deny, or decline any involvement at all.

General Effects

Each territory will have a set of circumstances brought forth by a combination of human actions and the Heralds. Those who experienced the afflictions in the past may recognize that the Heralds never implanted or controled your thoughts. Instead, they showed you visions, whispered in your ear, or coaxed you to indulge the darker impulses that live inside you.

The same effect will take hold of the regular citizens now, whose dispositions play a large role in what the Heralds can influence and how much. This is made most obvious by the fact that children are the least impacted. The younger and the fewer their worries, the less vulnerable they are. Of those who are afflicted, the effect might manifest in ways that are more fitting of a child: dreams of a beloved pet dying, bullying a sibling, or giving in to the desire to steal a toy. Adults who are naturally and genuinely carefree may also fail to be affected by Koth's despair or Adlewyrd's poisonous thoughts.

Vulnerabilities

Your status as the Summoned affords you some protection. The longer you've been in Abraxas, the less open you will be to influence. However, depending on what you do, this might change.

◎ If you choose to counter a Herald's influences, you may inadvertently absorb the affliction's effects or experience a "bleedover" from the person you're helping. The more you do this, the more severe the impact will become. You might also be concerned by the new ability you're exhibiting when countering an affliction. Though the ability is small, you feel its power coursing through you. When you try to call on it outside of aiding others, however, nothing comes. It seems this ability only manifests when interacting with an afflicted individual.

◎ If you choose to enhance a Herald's influences, you may inadvertently absorb their abilities as yours and thus, in turn, spread them toward individuals who are nearby. This could occur deliberately or accidentally, depending on how much you desire to act as an extension of the Herald in your chosen territory.

◎ If you choose to ignore a Herald's influences, you'll receive no effects either way...but you might find it difficult to disregard what's going on around you.

For an OOC explanation of the mechanics regarding being a countering, enhancing, or neutral force, please review the Deciding Your Actions section on the OOC Plotting Post.

Patchwork Horizon

Luckily, the Horizon isn't intent on trapping any of you this time. Its instabilities instead manifest in your own domains. It might revert back to a previous state or older elements might resurface that you thought you got rid of. Or, it may take on transformations from a future version - the domain that you had as a God in the emergent reality. The more you've made yourself vulnerable, the more unstable your experience in the Horizon will become.

Further, these instabilities aren't limited to your domains. Effects from other domains might overwrite yours, or perhaps pieces of your domain are showing up in another's.

◎ For some, it might just be a minor inconvenience. Perhaps your flowers have transplanted onto somebody else's yard across the Horizon or your pet keeps teleporting around to everyone's domains except yours.

◎ For others, the effect might be more troubling. You could find private letters surfacing in a stranger's desk or you might open your closet to find another's buried skeletons.

Anything that ends up in someone else's domain will be missing in yours. Rather than a duplication, the effect is more like a jigsaw or a patchwork quilt. You can put it right, of course, with some concentration - but it's best done with a partner, especially someone who knows your domain well enough to help you reform it.

Setting a domain right will also repair any vulnerabilities its owner might've exposed themselves to, so it's a good idea to try and assist each other. Of course, if your concentration's off, attempts to fix a domain might actually make things worse, so be careful!

Arrival

The sections below will contain more specific prompts to help players jumpstart threads, but you may use the broad descriptions of each Herald's impact here to inspire your own ideas and scenarios.

The First Shadow

The arrival of the Heralds of War is subtle. For many citizens, they might not realize that there is a force exerted throughout the world. Indeed, how much of what happens can be attributed to the Heralds, and how much is simply human nature? That's a question even the Heralds can't and won't answer. They are only here to carry out the same task they have done since the dawn of time, each time a war brews.

Koth, the Kingdome of Thorne

Koth of Festering Lands brings with her death and rot. This affects vegetation, wildlife, livestock, the already dead...and the soul itself. She does not bring literal death to living people - she only brings it to the things around them and within them.

◎ Missing Warship
In Borrel, a naval warship on its way home to resupply goes missing. Led by an experienced captain and with no fighting taking place at sea (surely, even the Free Cities can't sail that quickly toward the western coast), the mysterious disappearance has many concerned. Unfortunately, some mages who attempt a common tracking spell report visions of bloated corpses sunk to the bottom while others dream of drowning, an effect so real they must be shaken awake. Many mages refuse to try the spell again, leaving it in your hands instead.

Each tracking spell can only vaguely locate an individual or a part of the ship, so multiple attempts are necessary. If you're not skilled in magic, you can take a more active role and board a rescue ship off the coast of Borrel. This ship will venture out based on the coordinates according to the spell...but take care: the sailors with you are prone to similar visions of drowning when they look into the blackened depths below. Others claim they see the faces of the dead in the ocean's surface. All of this leads to high tensions amongst the men and women on board.

It'll be possible to rescue a few sailors, but others may be lost entirely. The ship itself appears to have broken into pieces. Survivors report a grotesque undead leviathan that cannot be harmed or killed, though it's difficult to tell if this is true or another hallucination.

◎ Dukewood Lumber Mills
Previously a site of a dangerous rift, the lumber mill in the woods by Nott has since returned to normal. Unfortunately, that ends quickly when the trees begin to rot. Workers report a horrible smell that comes from the trees themselves, and that the normally clear sap has turned into a putrid black-blood substance.

To make matters worse, the rotting stores of food and now the dying trees are putting the workers and locals around Nott under great stress. Thoughts of despair are amplified by both the situation and Koth, leading to higher rates of drinking, which in turn has increased the amount of accidents at the mill, including mismanaged safety protocols and mishandled equipment.

Lumber is of great value during wartime, especially for the construction of naval ships, outposts, and weapons, so Castle Thorne is determined to help restore the trees, as well as calm the workers. You can help with everything from checking equipment to ensure they're safe, searching for any missing mill workers, providing first aid where necessary, or confronting beasts that might've been disturbed by all the commotion.

If you happen to fall under Koth's sway, you might also see the dead when looking into the waters as you rescue the other sailors. The bodies might reflect something you fear or they may be a reminder of a death that's already passed. You could also sink into despair or experience haunting dreams as you try to help another recover from their hopelessness.

Adlewyrd, the Free Cities

Adlewyrd of Poisoned Tongues brings with them words that poison the heart and mind. This affects thoughts and emotions, a slow and subtle influence that spreads.

◎ Untold Secrets
In Libertas, where underground networks thrive, sudden slips of the tongue, rising tempers, and impulsive actions have caused the black market to collapse into disarray. Between power struggles, accusations of betrayals, and missing transactions, the violence has spilled into the open.

Preoccupied with the battle, the number of guards and soldiers keeping order is reduced. Venturing into Libertas can be dangerous and those who live there, including artists and orphans, are struggling to go about their day-to-day without disruption. You can help calm tempers or break up fights...or maybe, if you're a bit more vulnerable to the influences yourself, you might become drawn into the chaos yourself.

Because of the limited number of hands, the Summoned are allowed to make an arrest, but you must bring the culprit to a guard outpost for formal processing. Taking matters into your own hands too severely can lead to scrutiny. Given the circumstances, however, a bit of non-fatal violence will be overlooked, especially if it takes place in the darker corners of Libertas.

You don't have to enforce the law, though. In Libertas, this enforcement is rather loose, anyway. Instead, you can mediate as a neutral party, take advantage to make a deal of your own, or simply offer your services to fill in any gaps that might've occurred in these networks. This could involve more illicit activities like transporting underground goods or something more above-board like searching for a missing person. Just be sure you don't draw too much attention if you're acting outside the law.

◎ The Red Path
Previously a site of a dangerous rift, the scenic Red Path leading between Cadens and Libertas has since been restored. Unfortunately, that ends quickly when conflicting reports cause an accident involving merchant wagons carrying silk, spices, and wine. Some claim the merchants are spies while others insist they were bandits in disguise.

Regardless, the accident leads to several fatalities and disturbs a monster nest: that of the dangerous Copper Spine Wyvern. It also draws swarms of hungry Kaskadura, the latter of which are lured by the corpses. While not normally aggressive towards the healthy and living, the Kaskadura seem to be in a frenzy and will bite just about anyone they see - and there's a lot of them, gathering over the area like a black cloud.

To make matters worse, a clerical error has slowed down the cleanup and identification process. If you're not inclined to fight monsters or locate missing bodies, you can help at Portam Hall to manually match names to surviving family members, as well as locate said family members to deliver the somber news. As for Portam Hall, the main hub of government activity might not be under threat from beasts, but isn't calm, either. Gossip, secrets, and missing paperwork plague the various departments and offices.

If you happen to fall under Adlewyrd's sway, you might read too deeply into an innocent comment or mishear a remark that raises your ire, leading you to snap wrongly at a friend or attack an innocent. You might also give into lurking temptations that surface as you try to help others overcome their dark desires.

Sannleikr, the Solvunn Commune

Sannleikr of Many Faces brings with him deception of the soul. This affects faces and minds, causing appearances to become distorted, untrustworthy, or altogether unrecognizable.

◎ Lost Herders
In the Secondary Settlement, a woman named Eydis has lost her prized herding dogs and her flock of sheep. They left one morning as usual to herd the sheep out to graze and never returned. She worries that rumors of livestock sprouting teeth are true and will harm her dogs. She isn't the only one, either. Several other sheep and goat herders have claimed their dogs and flocks have gone missing, too.

The dogs themselves have scattered across Solvunn. There are roughly a dozen dogs and several flocks that failed to return home. Should you run into any livestock, it would appear the rumors are indeed true: the normally fluffy sheep have grown wicked claws or horns while the goats bear their sharp fangs. Despite their fearsome appearance, however, they are not aggressive except when frightened. Keep them calm when herding them lest you provoke them to bite or claw.

As for the dogs, some might be wounded while others will growl at you. They don't recognize familiar toys or faces and will attempt to run away or behave apprehensively. You can use any abilities or techniques you have on hand to try and bring them home. After all, the Solvunn woods are dangerous, and there are many creatures within those dense trees that will strike.

◎ Living Statues
Previously a site of a dangerous rift, the Feintak Ritual Site, located just outside the Primary Settlement, has since returned to normal. Unfortunately, that ends quickly when confused citizens of the Commune begin to wander toward the area at night in search of their "missing" loved ones.

Unable to recognize familiar faces, some begin to see those faces imposed upon the statues at the site instead. You can find children playing with their "mother" or an elderly widow spending time with a "relative." While this would be disturbing enough on its own, the sacred area contains an ancient magic that, should any missteps occur, could be released into the world and spell disaster.

The Council has asked the Summoned to help bring home the lost folk of the Feintak site. They must be guided gently, as any negative energy could be absorbed by the dark power that lives in the earth and the statues. Victims of the affliction might become frightened of you or fail to recognize you even if you've been neighbors for months or years, making your task more difficult.

If you happen to fall under Sannleikr's sway, you might also begin to see faces in the statues at Feintak and forget the real figures around you. The faces might be friendly or they could be adversarial - an enemy or a source of shame. You may also see a twisted reflection of yourself in the mirror, representing something you've been trying to hide from.

The Final Coming

Zorne first spoke to you in your dreams, but his presence is noticeably absent for the first few days. Then, one week later, after one of the most fierce and bloody battles in the Badlands in recent history, a red sun rises over Abraxas. The morning's dawn is cast in a red glow across the territories.

If you met Zorne in your dream, you may recognize this very sun. You remember feeling its heat over your skin and the emotions it stirred in you, whichever they might've been.

By noon, the blood-red hue will fade...but Zorne's coming has only begun.

The Last Affliction

Unrestricted, Zorne's influence travels across the land and joins forces with his siblings.

◎ The Badlands

Forces from the Free Cities introduce a new prototype to the war: a semi-automonous suit of armor armed with a piece of technology derived from something that came through the rifts: a unique firearm that launches explosive discs imbued with New Magic.

The weapon's destructive capabilities wreck havoc on both people and the environment...inadvertently setting loose yet another creature of the rift - the swamp-like creature that researchers had been studying in the Badlands before the war broke out. Its giant mouth is lined with numerous teeth. Its breath can paralyze, blind, poison, and weaken anyone caught in it.

The morbol will move toward the borders of each territory throughout the event, so the Summoned in all locations can encounter it when arriving at the front lines to deliver medicine, supplies, or news. Zorne's influence appears to prevent it from dying. When killed, it respawns in another location - sometimes miles away.

◎ Forging the Soul

Zorne's influence can affect those who are already under the effect of one of the other three Heralds. A shopkeeper angry about a misspoken rumor might begin to have disturbing and violent dreams of confronting the offending gossiper. A soldier who sees his death at the hands of another may start to feel the urge to kill first before his turn comes.

Aggressive wildlife will begin to invade city borders. While most are stopped or killed before they enter a major city, one or two predators might slip through. Trade routes are disrupted. Nearly all caravans are halted except the most critical transports. Hunters and farmers begin to report disturbing sights of deer scavenging on corpses or butterflies biting as mosquitos do.

You, too, may experience similar dreams or desires if you've allowed yourself to become too vulnerable or exposed to the Heralds. The more you entertain such thoughts or let your guard down, the harder they become to ignore. As you move through your days, surrounded by turmoil and conflict, you may have to ask yourself if you're as above it all as you first thought.

And what about your friends? Your neighbors? After all, you might associate frequently with the other Summoned, but you've made connections with the native population, too. Perhaps the kindly innkeeper is now treating you with a suspicion she didn't used to exhibit. Maybe you hear that the baker across the street, who once offered you free sweet rolls, has been gravely injured by his own son.

As Zorne said, this is about forging peace through madness - or so the Heralds believe. Maybe, in the pandemonium and bloodshed around you, you begin to understand something important about yourself, your friends, or the world.

Beyond the Heralds

It's tough to deny that even without the Heralds, this conflict would be ongoing regardless. Neither Thorne nor the Free Cities has demonstrated any desire for peace. Solvunn seems to be considering their role, as well. Despite the war, life must continue for Abraxans: parents have mouths to feed, farmers have fields to sow, and professors continue to lecture and hold classes while they're able.

As the Summoned, you can engage in any of these elements. You can agree to take notes for a fellow student who's suffered an unfortunate attack after being mistaken for someone else. You could babysit for households who need an extra hand while their partner has been sent to fight. You can pack medicine, offer healing abilities, or bring supplies to units stationed by the Badlands.

You can also take on acts of diplomacy. This is not restricted to communicating with the leaders of your territory. Both Nocwich and the Nether have a relationship with the Summoned, which is something you can utilize. You might have to begin by sending a letter instead of meeting them directly, but if you're determined to find a peaceful solution, it's worth trying.

Individualized actions are entirely possible! We will discuss it on a case-by-case basis. You can SUBMIT YOUR REQUEST by replying to the comment with the form.

Please have a concrete goal in mind and try to keep your requests concise. We will do our best to accommodate everyone, but we may have to ask that you hold the request for after the event or ask you to revise it, depending on what you've submitted.

Departure

When the Heralds withdraw, it's quiet and as difficult to notice as their arrival. Did they vanish near the end of one of the battles? Did they leave days ago, the seeds they sowed flourishing without further intervention?

For the Summoned, it may be a bit easier to tell. Steadily, as the month comes to a close, the Horizon begins to stabilize once more. If you have been countering the Heralds, you find your ability no longer triggers, even if there remain those around you who behave as though they are still being influenced. You suppose it's fair to remember that the Heralds don't need to exert their powers for people to behave as they do.

The battle in the Badlands continues to wage...but on AUGUST 30, Thorne's troops receive abrupt orders to return home. It appears that, while the kingdom's forces were occupied on land, her naval warships were dealt a serious blow, handing a sudden victory to the Free Cities - but not by who you might predict.

The Hands of Solvunn

Solvunn has often refused to pledge for one side or another. The Council maintains that they are devoted to protecting their commune and their way of life, nothing more. They certainly have no army or weapons to speak of. Their disinterest in the Badlands conflict is expected, and neither Thorne nor the Free Cities consider it unusual that Solvunn has remained isolated.

What you might've wondered, however, is this: why have the Heralds visited Solvunn twice now when they spare genuinely neutral lands like Nocwich and the Nether?

A Guiding Light

After Thorne's retreat, news begins to travel. It moves through Solvunn and Thorne first, eventually reaching the Free Cities. Multiple stories surface about the sea in Borrel, not about the storm wall or Koth, but something else - a mysterious lighthouse and a thick fog that's obscured the waters for days.

Survivors of one destroyed warship, The Queen's Secret, return telling tale of a light that beckoned them during a heavy storm. But the lighthouse keepers in the western sea swear they saw no ships come their way. The ship itself seems to have crashed into a massive sea stack that should've been easily avoidable. What lighthouse could have drawn them near?

Over the next few days, this happens again and again. Sailors looking out from shore confirm that they can indeed see the flickering beam of a lighthouse. It stands proudly in a spot where no lighthouse was ever built.

Then, on the final day, the lighthouse moves.

Blessings Granted

Citizens gather seaside despite sailors and guards ashore attempting to send them home. They watch as a naval officer and his men are sent to investigate. As the lighthouse grows brighter, its hypnotic pulse begins to pull others forward. Fishermen and noblemen set sail on their own civilian ships. Sailors of the Royal Navy break rank and order, as if under a powerful compulsion, and set forth in Thorne's prized warships. One by one, ships big and small pull out of the harbor in the dead of night.

Witnesses report strange limbs emerging from the base of the lighthouse. The limbs do not strike or attack. Rather, they open up like a waiting embrace. They gently accept each vessel that sails towards the light. Then they enfold the ship and pull it down into the depths. To onlookers, it's a silent but horrifying affair. Each ship disappears until only bits of wreckage are washed ashore the following morning.

A surprising number survive by abandoning ship, though some captains choose to go down with their vessel. Having made a crippling dent in Thorne's Royal Navy, the lighthouse vanishes. Back on shore in the Tertiary Settlement, the storm wall finally vanishes.

The incident above will lead a few changes in Solvunn and to the borders of the Badlands. We'll detail those changes in the Wrap-Up!

---

Comments

[theidlemaiden]

[ The last thing Hilda expects to see when she wanders into the Horizon that day is that her entire cottage is gone along with its residents. After a quick meditation reset confirms that she isn't in fact seeing things and that her cottage and wyverns are indeed missing, she heads down into the grassy valley in an attempt to find clues of where it could have possibly gone.

What she manages to find might not be a clue per say, but it's a place to start. A framed of a group of silhouettes, some vaguely familiar sends her towards Rocket's domain first. Not finding any trace of her cottage or wyvern there however, she goes to the next possible location with a sense of mild trepidation.

She offers a quick knock on the spaceship door before poking her head in a little cautiously. When a squawk that sounds vaguely wyvern-esque (albeit much quieter than what she's used to) answers her there's a hopefulness in her voice. ]

Nebula? Are you here? I think I might have something of yours.

[furibund]

[ The lizard - because that's what she has the word for - hops and squawks her head at the noise. The feeling in her hand jolts her from her question to the voice of an interloper. She breathes out a low sound. Less at who it is - because the voice doesn't register - and more at the creature in her hand. If she moved too fast, like instinct said, it would get flung out of it. Not a good idea even with its wings — ]

[ It's a quick moment of thought and decision as she turns to look over her shoulder. ]

What?

[ Her remark is sharp - unpolished. Now light-colored eyes furrowing beneath her brows in consideration. The person knew her name, but the face doesn't register (yet). She frowns some as she turns around, not too slowly but without any movement too sudden. The wyvern squawks more. ]

Sorry. [ Mumbled, but not quite half-hearted. She tries again. ]

...If you have something of mine, would this be yours?

[ If they're trading and all - ]

[theidlemaiden]

[ There's too much going on outside and within the Horizon for Hilda to consider the possibility that Nebula doesn't recognize her. And even if it did occur to her, a part of her might consider it deserving, especially if it was based on how their last couple of interactions had sort of skewed south.

This time though she doesn't flinch in the face of a sharp response. She's been on the receiving end of it enough times at this point and she's here for a purpose. Which is why she's surprised when an apology comes on the tail end of it. ]

It's okay. There's a lot going on right now what with gods and lost things.

[ It's said breezily as she steps inside. Seeing Adelheid - albeit much smaller than the last time she'd seen her - brightens her expression considerably as she lets out a little whistle. The wyvern lets out another tiny screech, nuzzling briefly into Nebula's hand before she stretches out her wings and glides back towards her mistress. ]

She is. One of them anyway. Thank you for looking after her - hopefully she didn't cause too much trouble.

[ As the wyvern settles onto Hilda's shoulder, Hilda offers out the framed picture she'd found in the grassy meadows. ]

Is this yours?

[furibund]

[ The good news is - if it can be called good news at all - is that with Nebula she's rarely ever not sharp. It's a natural inclination, like that of a readied weapon, even when she's trying to be a little better about things than she has been. ]

[ She's trying. ]

[ Which is why when the small lizard presses into her hand she bites back something - a smile, maybe - and looks back up. The woman more familiar between movement and motion (9!!!) and she stiffens a touch (6). For different reasons, as she drops her hands like they're on fire. ]

I wasn't - It was just here when I got here. She.

[ It's said abruptly, hurriedly, because her attention was promptly drawn to the photograph. Which is undoubtedly hers - except it's not really hers. Or maybe it is. She knew it was here before, but she uses the Horizon infrequently. When did it? ]

No. It's Rocket's.

[ That's a lie. It's such a lie. Please call her out on it Hilda, because every fiber of her being is screaming that she's a terrible liar.]

[theidlemaiden]

Well, thank you anyway for not trying to shoo her out of here. I've walked through so many domains at this point that I've lost count.

[ Just because their past interactions had been coloured with nerves and annoyance doesn't mean that she can't always try to be kind, right? It's not so dissimilar to the dynamic they'd had in the dream. If this was what it was meant to be - tolerating and cordial for Rocket - then that's something Hilda would just have to accept.

Speaking of which...

Her eyes flit down to the picture in her hand before looking back up to Nebula. She had been to Rocket's domain, albeit not recently. And the last time she had been there it had still been a plot of land where his spaceship was being built piece by piece. The last thing she is accusing Nebula of lying but if the reaction she'd had is any indication, Hilda can't help but think that there might be more to it. ]

Are you sure? It doesn't seem like something Rocket would have since he doesn't really have a place to put things anywhere yet.

[furibund]

I don't think shooing her out would have been very effective.

[ Mumbled, still just a bit. Perhaps, if Hilda knew her more, she might note the embarrassment that tinges at the end of the metallic beats. The creature had seemed to like her, for the brief moments it laid in her hands and she doesn't get it but there's comfort it - And really, this whole situation is embarrassing. Especially glancing at the photograph again. ]

He could have.

[ He likes to keep a whole arsenol on him at all times - she thinks - why not a photo? But no, she knows it's not Rocket's either as she scrubs metal hand again the back of her neck in irritation. ]

It's not mine. I haven't — [ Pause. Mouth tightening as she decides, ]

I didn't put it here. The other one had it here when she forgot her family. I haven't [ The forcefulness in the statement sure makes it sound like she's saying I won't, ]; I don't have need for it.

[ She doesn't say who the other one is because she doesn't want to give it life - but from the way she shrugs it off it's (hopefully) clear she meants from that alternate timeline. Who she's trying not think about all too often. Maybe this place is making a joke of her, since she's having this scattering of memory problems that means she might forget them. What would she do if she saw Rocket and didn't remember him? She doesn't let herself think about it. ]

[ With no lack of awkwardness: ]


Was there something else you were looking for?

[theidlemaiden]

[ There's a humoured smile on her lips at that. ]

No, probably not. Adelheid is stubborn.

[ She had to be if she wanted to keep up with the other male wyverns that she shared the aerie with. But maybe her strong will is why she had drifted to Nebula's domain in the first place.

Adelheid buries herself into the crook of Hilda's neck, taking full advantage of the fact that she can do so. This would never happen otherwise and it dawns on Hilda that she's going to have to figure out how to return the wyvern to her proper size when they return to her domain. Her drifting thoughts almost have her missing how Nebula had referred to their god-selves as the other.

Her gaze drits back down to the photo still extended towards Nebula. After a moment she lowers it, taking a hold of it with both hands. The topic isn't over yet, at least not for Hilda but she understands enough to know that it's not something Nebula wants to discuss right at that moment. ]

Actually I'm still looking for a couple of other things. My cottage being one. [ Her tone lilts. ] Any chance that it ended up miniature here too?

[furibund]

She deserves to be stubborn.

[ For Nebula, it's said a little too casually. Approval, in her own way, but then she doesn't think stubbornness is a bad thing. She's still here because she was stubborn enough to not give up. It stands for something. ]

[ It's her awkwardness that has her not take back the photo - Some part of her screaming she should, because that other twisted life be damned it's still her family. She's not sure she's ready to be that vulnerable in front of Hilda yet, though, who that other side tells her knows more than she should in certain ways. She shoves it done. You can't pretend it doesn't exist if you let it effect you right? Right. ]

[ So she's relieved when Hilda lowers it. Even lets out a snort that's more amusement than bemused at the question. ]

Try looking out the docking bay window. Can't miss it.


... At least, I sure as hell hope it's not someone else's random house.

[theidlemaiden]

[ There's a hum of agreement from Hilda and a tiny trill from Adelheid as if she can understand their human chatter. On that they're on the same page. Stubborn wyverns, as exasperating as they could be, were rewarding in a way if you could actually manage to earn their trust. ] 

What?!

[ Her expression shifts into that of an exasperated one as she immediately rushes over to the window. Sure enough there her cottage is floating gently through space. It's a ridiculous sight - and funny too, honestly - but she's so preoccupied with another matter. Another whine escapes her. ]

What am I going to do? How am I supposed to get that back to my domain?

[ A small wyvern was easy. A whole cottage? Not so much. ]

[furibund]

[ Nebula half leans against one of the railings that line the ship as she folds her arms to watch. The hint of an amused smile crossing her features as she watches. It's amusing enough, if annoying initially. She doens't particularly care that it was there - same as Nanaue's butteflies. It made it less personal. ]

It's a building.

[ She remarks with a raised brow, questioning: ]

It being in space is the least of your worries on moving it.

[ How did you intend to move a whole building Hilda??? ]

[theidlemaiden]

[ How will they move it indeed? She's never had to move a whole building before, much less do it herself. On that front she has no experience. But what she does have is ingenuity, a little silliness and experience asking others to do things for her while she stands on the sidelines watching them do it.

Not that she's about to ask Nebula to do the last thing. Rather, she's drawing from experiences of having done that.

She stares out at it floating serenely in space, the cogs of her mind clicking when a lightbulb goes off. Quickly she turns back towards Nebula, nearly sending Adelheid tumbling off her shoulders. ]

Could we use your ship to tow it back to my domain?

[furibund]

[ The way she sees it: Moving the cottage isn't her problem. She's not even sure how you would - or why you wouldn't simply make it disappear and rebuild it. Easy enough, in a place like this, as much as she'd not like to admit it. In her mind, it could stay there until it (hopefully) returned to where it was when this madness stopped.

Not like she'd mess around with it any, right? So the question earns some consideration and the thoughtful quirk upwards of the corner of her mouth. ]

Probably.

But I've never flown it around others domains. Don't know how it will get through them or if it'll crash into something.

[theidlemaiden]

[ All great questions. Why not just rebuild it? Presumably having done it once means that she can do it again. And magic means that the lift is technically far easier than it would be outside of the Horizon. But why do it the practical way when you can have some fun with it?

Besides, she had a soft spot for her cottage and the last thing she was about to do was leave it up to chance that it returned to her domain where it belonged. ]

I guess that's a good point. We could try push it instead, what about that? If there's a way we can loop the ropes around it and your ship we could drive it that way not have to worry about it crashing into something.

[ There's a pause. ]

Hopefully.

[furibund]

[ And yet, sometimes, practical is in your name and for Nebula none of this sounds practical. Not that anything in the Horizon is practical. She rolls shoulder and neck as she moves forward through the ship towards the pilot's seat. Considering the building with furrowed brows. ]

I can't promise it won't get broken in the process.

[ She affords. Breathing out. ]

Pulling it will work better if we attach it in four corners, more control. With the right metal wiring. Everything's going to get shaken up regardless; Up to you, if you really want to try.

[theidlemaiden]

Well, it's nothing a little magic can't fix, right?

[ Obviously her cottage coming to harm or causing destruction to other domains is hardly ideal. Clean up is also probably inevitable assuming that it wasn't already a mess but that is somehow an easier thing to wrap her mind around. ]

I would see if I could get Adelheid to pull it for me but [ She gestures to the wyvern who is still scrambling back into place on her shoulder. ] she's a little too small at the moment.

[ Hilda's gaze turns back towards Nebula, gratefulness edging into her expression. ]

I would really appreciate it if you could help. I know it's probably a bother.

[furibund]

Dunno. Don't really deal in magic.

[ The response is off-handed if lacking some in fact. She doesn't - currently, as much as she can. She's stubborn about physically doing something for herself and magic's not something she's thought about (as much as it feels Solvunn pushes it on them). ]

[ Her mouth twitches in thought before she sighs and takes the pilot's seat. It's probably a bother, Hilda says and Nebula mildly agrees. It's really not her problem, even so... She doesn't feel right saying no as she inclines her head back.]

Buckle up. If you go tumbling around the ship, I'm not taking fault with your friends.

[ not that you stay hurt when you leave the horizon, but that's a different detail ]

[theidlemaiden]

[ If Hilda is deterred by her initial response she doesn't show it. She's been here long enough to know that magic isn't wielded by everyone, let alone exists in other worlds. But being here, it's hard to ignore how it exists around them in every facet of the Abraxian's lives. And after everything they've gone through, if that response betrays any hesitation on Nebula's part to use it, she understands.

She half expects her to still say no. But when she settles into the seat and she offers her an invitation to follow suit - well, her eyes light up. She doesn't waste any time sitting down and buckling up. Once she's tucked Adelheid into a secure pocket, she gives Nebula a bright smile. ]

You know I've never flown in one of these before. I'm excited.

[furibund]

[ Nebula doesn't smile back, but neither does she sneer. She casts the other, younger woman a glance over - making sure she's properly secured without saying anything before shaking her head and turning back to the controls. Thankfully, M-Ships are straightforward and nothing like the Bowie's (Rocket)made controls. Not that Hilda knows that, but she moves the controls with the practiced ease of someone who's been flying for most of her life. ]

When you do it everyday, it's not that exciting.

[ She returns mildly, moving to angle the ship to manuever and get a good angle on the house. Eyeing it for a moment before pressing another button that launched a harpoon-like line to sink into the side of the building to move it. Absently adding: ]

Even less in this place. There's no where for it to go.

[theidlemaiden]

[ No sneer is a good thing! Or rather, it's progress in this particular context considering how their interactions have historically gone in the past.

Bolstered by how things are going she settles back into her seat, content to observe Nebula and how she deftly mans the controls. The spark of awe is only dampened by a wince as the harpoon sinks into the side of the cottage. Hopefully there was nothing too irreplicable in there. ]

I guess not being able to go very far would make it a little more underwhelming than what you're used to. But I try to appreciate what little flying I can do in here with the wyverns. It's not like we can do that outside the Horizon.

[furibund]

[ It's fine!!! It's probably only effected the outer wall and maybe any portraits on the wall... Sorry Hilda. But at least it seems to be locked in place. Nebula doesn't think much of it, since she's given all the warning she can. Instead she pulls the harpoon in some and thus the house closer so it'll be a little less unwieldy. ]

Aren't there winged lizards around here?

[ A mumbled question; She doesn't know. What she does know is her follow-up: ] I don't fly ships for fun - usually there's a mission.

Besides it's dead in water here. I've had enough of that experience to not want to do it again.

[theidlemaiden]

[ It's okay that's what magic is for right? At least that's what Hilda keeps reminding herself. Although she'd be lying if she said wasn't also keeping an eye out for any loose pieces that might escape the cottage and float out into space. ]

I think they're wyverns. It's hard to say though. They tend to be too far away to tell most of time. Although we adopted a baby wyvern that came through the rifts last year. He hasn't seem to grown at all since then so I doubt we'll be able to fly him anywhere any time soon.

[ Which is probably for the best if she's being honest. She doesn't want to think about what would happen if the military got their hands on Khrushid. ]

Did you do a lot of missions back home?

[furibund]

[ Thankfully, there are no loose pieces and Nebula's a good enough pilot that the house is... relatively safe. As they pass through this side of the Horizon, at least, and enter the sky of another she has to pause to assess and navigate again - ]

You sure that it's not just aging slowly? Some creatures do that.

[ Or fast. Like Groot. Which never really made sense because most trees didn't grow that fast. She gives a slight nod. ]

Most days. We'd get hundreds of calls for help a day. Couldn't help them all.

[ Just by virtue of stretching themselves thin. Just because it wasn't something they wanted to deal with and there were bigger problems out there... and, sometimes, because the pay wasn't enough. The latter had become a little less relevant over the years, but still often necessary. Especially when they bought Knowhere and started building up. ]

[theidlemaiden]

He might be aging slowly. He's been here for months now - there's no way he would have stayed the same size. And he still acts like a wyvern pup.

[ Including the hyperactive energy to boot. The number of times they come home to the loft to find a toy or cushion ripped up with Khurshid in the middle of the destruction has happened more times than they count. It had been exasperating at the time but they're memories that are tinged with affection now.

As much as she could gush about Khurshid on any given day, she's too preoccupied with the new information that she's gleaned about Nebula. ]

I didn't realize that you were literally guardians. [ It sounds stupid but she's owning it. ] That must have been hard not being able to help everyone. [ There's a pause. ] How did you manage it all?

[furibund]

He acts like, sure, but there's no saying he's the exact "wyvern pup" you know, right? Different worlds, different universe. Multiverses.

Whatever.

[ There's too much of it. In her own way this is Nebula saying: Don't stress about it unless they're acting unhealthily. Which it doesn't sound like they are worried about that, so it's discarded as a worry for herself. ]

[ In favor of snorting: ]

What did you think we did?

[ It's a light-hearted enough question, not accusatory, and she's more focused on pulling the ship-house combo into the next area of the horizon. A cityscape reminiscent of New York, she tilts it higher than the skyscrapers as she considers the question with a shrug. ]

You do what you can. Split up if you have to. Go for the highest offered payment if you have to. [ A swing around a building and she adds: ] And before you ask, yeah we made them pay if we had to. Ships and equipment don't fund themselves and we had a city of refugees to care for.

[ Because that's what Knowhere became after the Blip and during it's rebuilding. It was the headquarters of the Guardians, it also became a place where those outcasted and without homes came to. It still had its seedier parts, it always would - because the Guardians would always be a little good and a little bad themselves. ]

[theidlemaiden]

I guess you're right. [ It's something that they've discussed. Wyverns and dragons weren't exclusive to Fodlan as was evidenced by various conversations with other Summoned and of course the existence of them in Abraxas even without the rifts. ] But it's nice to to think a little piece of home followed us here.

[ Is that sentimental of her? Absolutely. But she doesn't mind saying as much when it's true. Why else would she have willingly created wyverns in the Horizon otherwise? As if reading her mind (and to take advantage of that fondness), Adehlheid scuttles down into her lap and burrowing under her hand in a quiet demand for pets. ]

You sound like noble mercenaries. Or knights. But not quite as boring and stuffy. It sounds like an exciting life.