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

[itookashot]

[ Jesper's part of the welcoming committee and one of the first people most Summoned meet in Cadens due to that, plus he genuinely is the type of person who likes to share. He's from a gang, and the gang always watches each other's back. The Summoned are just the new Dregs for him. He and Hilda have altered their fashion these days to something more pragmatic, so he's always busy using his powers.

This is more challenging, metal work is harder than thread and fabric. Jesper makes it look like an art though. The metal spreads and he starts designing the liquid into bars, thick ones that will help trap the beast in place. He runs his fingers along it from top to bottom, forming the metal in a more genuine way underneath although it's not visible at this point. It only makes sense to him as he modifies the matter. ]

I was born this way. I'm a Grisha, a durast. It's a word meaning that I can manipulate matter and cells, the bits and pieces all objects are made of. I can turn the metal into other things. Bit hard depending on what it is. Modifying the shape is easy.

[ But Jesper could turn it into wood or marble or some other substance, just as easily as he's turning it into liquid. It curves under his hand. Visibly it looks like he's painting a bar and that's it, but there's a great deal of details going on. When he snaps his finger though, it looks without question like magic, because the liquid reforms itself and just like that, they have a solid metal bar. It's smooth and brand new, better than if it was welded. ]

As far as I know there's no magic like it here.

[judgmentbolts]

[ Cid lifts a corner of the completed bar, feeling over the perfectly smooth join where he would normally have had to weld. It's smoother than if he had poured it into a mold — as if the bar had simply formed this way, exceptional quality and all. ]

Good work. Just twenty more to go. [ He pats Jesper's shoulder, his tone clearly teasing, though it sobers a moment later. ] Don't push yourself too hard, eh? I don't need you burning out.

[ He moves over to one of the nearby drafting tables to make some adjustments to the schematics while Jesper carries on with his work. ] One might think you would have been popular back home, with a knack like that.

[itookashot]

Don't worry about me, handsome. I've got stamina to spare.

[ If Jesper's breathing he's flirting, especially with DILFs, but Cid's not entirely wrong. Like anyone else he has a breaking point and by the end he will probably need a break. Eventually his hands get tired of forming but when it used to be hard for him to make small things, now it's second nature. A few years ago he passed out after making a bridge out of a tree. Now he can make a large cage made of metal. Experience strengthens everyone, but especially a Grisha. ]

No, I was popular for my sparkling personality and good looks.

[ Not a lie! Jesper was very popular in Ketterdam, but all jokes aside. ]

No one could know what I was. Grisha are taken to be forced into the Ravkan army to fight, murdered by Fjerdans for being witches, or sold by their neighbors to whichever one offers the best price. I didn't tell my closest friends, it was too dangerous.

[ Both because they could get in trouble because of covering for him, or because they might have sold them out themselves. He knew Kaz would never let him go, the Crows could be trusted, but the Dregs probably would have turned him in for coin. That's just the way of criminals in Ketterdam. It used to be harder to talk about, but Jesper sounds very level with it now, shrugging a shoulder. ]

It was only when I came here that I could use them safely.

[judgmentbolts]

[ He shoots Jesper a bemused look. ] Save it for someone who can keep up, lad.

[ Cid doesn't believe in divine retribution, but if he did, he would wonder if some god was having a laugh at his expense. He was just as bad in his younger years. Worse, in fact. Jesper, at least, isn't serious about this particular flirtation. Point in his favor.

Cid listens while he makes his adjustments. He believes Jesper when he says he was popular for his personality; he's easy to get on with, but charm would only have gotten him so far. He's a good lad, so far as Cid has seen.

He'd had a feeling that their worlds had some similarities, but he hadn't quite expected them to be so blatant. He sets the pencil down and leans back against a workbench. ]

The place I've come from was much the same. It's taken some getting accustomed to all of this, I'll admit. [ He waves a hand. ] Never thought I'd live to see a place like this. For all its faults, one needn't fear that their life will be defined by an accident of birth... Granted, there are still plenty here whose only crime is a lack of wealth or resources. [ Not a problem that he thinks he needs to outline for Jesper, but it seems worth acknowledging none the less. ]

So, have any of your friends managed to find their way here?

[itookashot]

It took me a while to believe that I could use them here, but I still don't trust any of it. That sort of paranoia can't really be outrun.

[ Jesper can tell that Cid understands what he means. When you spend most of your life knowing you're different and that you're hunted for it, there's no sense of safety possible. Jesper didn't stop being afraid in the fake future thing for at least a century, when he was too powerful for the government to come after. He lost that fear and it was nice to be without it, but it'll never leave him in reality.

He thinks ultimately it's for the best to be afraid. That's how people stay alive. It's when they're docile that they get snatched up. ]

The army already proved they'll take us any time they want here.

[ Maybe people were willing to go into the crater to stop the Singularity's temper tantrum, but Jesper was resistant because he doesn't like the government controlling him. He fought the whole way there. He doesn't deny it saved the day, but it just proved to him that all their safety is temporary. Cadens will use them when they want to. They had the ability to trap him to get him there, they can do that to the others too. Next time people might not be willing to go. ]

Yeah, my boss and best friend Kaz is here, he's always known what I am though. Some of the others were here before, but they've all gone, it's just us and one person in Thorne.

[ Jesper doesn't know about Zoya yet although he'll be absolutely delighted when he finds out about her! He's officially reached the point where referencing Inej and Wylan doesn't hurt so much he stops breathing, so that's probably for the best. ]

What about you? What makes you special and hunted?

[judgmentbolts]

[ Cid nods, understanding all too well. It's still rare for him to use his abilities for anything more overt than lighting a cigar, though he suspects this particular endeavor will force him to do a bit more than that. That fear is still very much alive at the back of his mind. ]

When they get desperate enough, aye. [ Or when it becomes favorable. The situation with the Singularity is an exception at the moment, but Cid has no doubt that it's a matter of time before the Summoned are pressed into service. It seems as if both he and Jesper come from worlds where those with magical abilities can't avoid being turned into weapons of war.

He'll have to remember this if he runs into Kaz around the Free Cities. Jesper isn't the sort to follow just anyone; he must be more than competent to earn the title of boss and best friend.

The bluntness of Jesper's question gets a low chuckle out of him, even despite the weight of it. ]

Nothing so impressive as that. [ He gestures at Jesper's work before holding his hand up. Violet levin crackles up the length of his forearm, disappearing when Cid closes his hand into a fist. The sharp scent of ozone lingers in the air, even when the sparks are long gone.

He lowers his hand to rub at his wrist, already regretting it. ] Can't use it much, even here. It's the same for everyone from my realm. Magic's got a steep cost for us — but I've come to find out that isn't true for other realms.

[itookashot]

One of these days we'll get out of here, and they won't be able to stop us.

[ If the 'vision' is to be believed, it might take them a few decades to a century to finally break through, but Jesper is bitter enough that he would be fine taking that long if it meant being free. He'll just hold onto his resentment and violence until then, no big deal. Obviously he hopes and wants it to be sooner. He probably would like Cadens if it wasn't so clear they were prisoners without the title. He's built a life, a business, he's made the most of his time here. But he doesn't like being caught in a trap. ]

Few things are as impressive as me, that's true.

[ Jesper flashes him a grin as he works on a bar. This is only one example of his powers, there are many uses for it, as Cid probably can think through. He's clever like that. Jesper learns as he goes, he's highly adaptable, he finds a way to make things work. His eyebrows go up at the lightning that Cid calls to him, admiring how shiny it is along the length of his arm. Lightning is a Grisha power, but from a very specific sect, he wouldn't be able to use it.]

No, the steep price we pay is if we don't use it, which makes hiding somewhat complicated.

[ It did some very serious things to Jesper, but that's not really important right them, his attention is on Cid. He's curious, he hasn't seen much magic where there's a downside outside of people generally seeming to hate the gifted. ]

So what happens? You feel sick or something?

[judgmentbolts]

[ Cid nods, though a part of him finds it hard to imagine. Getting out of the Free Cities is a given, sooner or later, but getting out of Abraxas... he doesn't know where he would begin with that.

Even with that vision of the future at the back of his mind, he can't pretend that he feels as if he has the time left for that ambition. Whatever gifts the Singularity has seen fit to bestow on the other Summoned, it hasn't granted any to him. Not yet.

Still, he'd be glad to help Jesper and others like him with whatever time he's got left.

Cid snorts, amused. ] You know, it's hard to reign in that ego of yours when you're right.

[ And he is, about himself and the price of magic. Some might say he was wise beyond his years, but Cid suspects that he's also grown up fast, as most do in his position.

As for the cost of his own magic... ]

Worse. [ Cid flashes him a grin. ] I get grey hair.

[ It's not, literally speaking, untrue. Cid turns back to his work. ] Where do you think you'll go when we're done with this place? Back home again?

[itookashot]

It's okay to think I'm fabulous, Cid, everyone does.

[ Arrogant, certainly, but Jesper says it with a wink and a playful manner which gives off that he doesn't entirely mean it. He knows that he's great at a lot of things and he does generally like himself a great deal, but he is the opposite of perfect, and he's as much trouble as he is fun for people. He's getting by like anyone else, quirks and flaws and everything else.

Jesper was fourteen when the sickness from not using his powers got to him, when he went to Ketterdam an innocent boy with a bright future, getting into college younger than anyone else at a prestigious place. Then he lost it all and fell into the criminal underbelly like most people in Ketterdam. He learned a lot of harsh lessons that young, outside of spending his entire life hiding from death and destruction.

The Crows are all old beyond their actual years. If Cid ever meets Kaz, he'll see a forty year old in a teenager's body. ]

Nice dodge. It's fine if you don't want to share.

[ Jesper won't push him. As for the other question, he shrugs. ]

Yeah. I can't choose an option where I never see my father again. Or my best friends. I've made a good life here and met some wonderful people, but I'm lucky, I have a good future to go back to, I know it for a fact.

[judgmentbolts]

And so modest about it, too. [ Cid's tone is dry as ever, but there's warmth to it. He does enjoy Jesper's antics; the lad just has a way about him.

Unfortunately for Cid, he's as canny as he is charming. He considers taking the out that Jesper gives him, but fair is fair... and frankly, Cid has another question of his own. ] It's not pleasant, is all. Over time, our bodies turn to stone, consumed by the magic. There's not much that can be done for it. When you said that there was a cost to not using your gifts — did you mean that literally?

[ He straightens up briefly, rolling some of the soreness out of his shoulder. It's like the bloody thing can sense when he's talking about it. ]

Travel between worlds is a bit above my pay grade, but if there's aught that I can do to aid you and yours in returning, see that you ask, eh?

[itookashot]

[ Jesper would joke about his best qualities all day, but one of his sharpest skills is being able to read people. He sees through nonsense easily because he himself puts up a veneer of nonsense on a daily basis. He reads people well, even someone who is guarded like Cid. He wouldn't have pushed him to answer but he is glad that he did, if only so it gives him some context. ]

Might be worth learning the magic of this world instead then. It shouldn't be the same as yours, the source is different, so it might be safer to use.

[ Jesper knows the difference since he can always tell when he's using Abraxas magic versus his own. They feel like opposites when it comes to casting spells compared to what he's doing now as the matter rearranges itself underneath his fingertips. ]

Literally, yeah. It's the opposite. Not using them makes you sick. But we've got good reasons not to use them, because then you get captured or killed. So hiding isn't much of an option either.

[ They're opposite sides of the same coin. Use your powers, don't use your powers, either way they're probably going to end up dead. Jesper chose a high voltage sort of lifestyle though, it's not as if he expected to live a long time. That's not how Ketterdam works. He's just outrun his young death, it really is inevitable. ]

I don't know if Kaz feels the same. He's my partner, you might've missed him because he's so quiet and sour. Dark hair, so serious he looks older than you, but he's younger than me. I'm not going anywhere without him. So I guess it's up to him, really.

[judgmentbolts]

[ Cid makes a noncommittal sound. He has mixed feelings about the Singularity's boons, and the magic in this world in general. While he might not think of it as dangerous in the same way that Valisthea's magic was, he's still weary of its source, and of what hidden costs might accompany it.

He nods at Jesper's words, even so. It reminds him a bit of the dream, and the way that the their godly selves might suffer if they attempted to sever from it, or avoided their "duties." ]

Aye, it was the same for us. I know some who managed to hide for much of their lives, avoided the Empire's brand and tried to live as normal folk... but I'm sure you know how that goes better than most. [ Cid shakes his head. ] Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Makes no sense, but people still carry on as if it does.

[ He huffs out a frustrated exhale before returning to his work. It's different here of course, but a part of him is always weary of the day the wind starts to turn.

He frowns, trying to recall the man Jesper is referring to. He's met many of the Summoned by now, but hardly all of them. ] "Looks older than me"? You've got a type, haven't you. [ Cid is only teasing, really. It seems nearly everyone is Jesper's type. ] I've seen him around, I think — haven't gotten the chance to meet with him as yet. You must trust him a great deal if you'd leave the choice in his hands. Been together long?

[itookashot]

It's so fun being special, right? [ Jesper snorts. ] I've come to really love my powers here, don't get me wrong, the freedom of this place is one of the only great things about it, but we're special for being Summoned too. And we've got a lot of eyes and pressure on us because of it.

[ Jesper doesn't love that aspect. He's mostly made a name and place for himself in Cadens by just being who he is, but he knows that some part of all his civilian friends are still aware of what he is. That he isn't normal, that he isn't one of them at the end of the day. There will always be that hole between them. Mags is like a surrogate mother to him and she loves and cares for the Summoned, that's why she made her inn basically theirs, but even she knows what they are and what they're capable of.

Jesper hasn't forgotten that they threw him in the crater by force. He's waiting for the government to pounce on them. The different will always be at risk of that sort of behavior.

As for Kaz, he laughs. ]

I mean, he doesn't actually look older than you. It's more like in the eyes, the way he carries himself, like he's seen too much shit, which he has.

[ He isn't going to mention why but if Cid meets a teenager with an air of ancient exhaustion, he might get a sense for it. ]

He's everything to me.[ A very sincere statement, the depth of their feelings are theirs. ] I was his second in command back home. We go back five, six years now? [ Jesper's only twentyish so they started out early. ]

wrapping? 🎁

[judgmentbolts]

Special indeed. [ Cid replies, wry. Jesper has the right of it. People are glad to have them around while they're useful and helpful, but he has to wonder what happens with those Summoned who might not be so generously inclined, and if all the Summoned might be blamed the day that one of them steps too far out of line.

It's a more precarious place to be than most people realize, Cid thinks. Of course Jesper sees it just as he does. A part of him regrets that. Jesper is hardly a child, but he's still young. He ought not to have spent much of his life looking over his shoulder, like so many others. ]

Sounds like someone I know. [ He gives Jesper a meaningful look. He knows it isn't quite the same. The lad carries himself with good cheer despite having seen to much, but it's still worth teasing him about. ]

You've got a big heart, lad. [ He adds, a bit softer. ] I'm sure he's glad to have his share of it. You hold on to him. Time passes more quickly than you think.

🎁

[itookashot]