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

[techmaturgy]

[He's already had this conversation a few times--and every person has told him not to blame himself. How can he not, though, when he knew the risks of the device and built it anyway? More than that. In a different environment, Viktor could have done real good with the Hexcore.]

I was the only person to benefit from the Hexcore's intended use.

[And that's wrong, to him. He knows that saving ones own life is not inherently selfish, but it certainly feels that way, now that people have died as an indirect result of his technology.]

There was so much I wanted to do with it. So many lives I could have saved. Not just my own. Now, it's a weapon.

[How can he not blame himself for that?]

[theidlemaiden]

[ Hilda can't help but let out a little huff at that. But really, his answer only goes to prove further how much Viktor cared for those around him in his own way. ]

That's not your fault either. The military came and took it from you before you could use it how you wanted to. And if you hadn't used it to save yourself then how would you have done all the other things you've accomplished that also saved other people?

[ The Hexcore may not have helped others in the way that he'd hoped, but he had still helped others because of it. ]

I know it's hard not to blame yourself but there are plenty of people and reasons to help remind you that what's happening now, what happened in Thorne, wasn't your fault.

[techmaturgy]

It was too dangerous to build in the first place. That's why it's my fault.

[But Viktor does seem to realize that they'll just go in circles about this. It's not a productive conversation, not when the military has an automaton of their own out in the desert, and he still hasn't mustered the courage to demand an explanation from Reiner or Klingel.]

And now this. [A gesture to her drawing of the Free Cities' automaton.] Even if we destroy ours, the seem to have found some way.

[They don't need Viktor's technology anymore--they've made their own.]

[theidlemaiden]

[ Hilda knows that they could go around in circles all day. But there is nothing that could convince her in this lifetime or any other one that it was his fault. Nor that what he had built could be a danger because that isn't what he intended to do with it. She knows her friend's heart. And it would never do harm - at least, not intentionally.

Her gaze sweeps up towards Perry's body knowing full well that his logic is sound. Whether they dismantled him or tried to fight back somehow against it, their options were limited. ]

We'll figure something out, Viktor.

[ Worrying her bottom lip she turns to look at the drawing. It would be incredibly easy to fall back into lamenting about what they can't do, but there's a familiar restlessness in her now from a war that she had left behind in Fodlan almost two years ago now. They have to be able to do something. ]

What if we find a way to somehow disrupt the mechanisms just in case?

[techmaturgy]

[There's part of him that's relieved to come to the conclusion that destroying the automaton at this point would be useless, though he still very much thinks it might be a good idea to burn the workshop down. He does, at least, recognize that none of this is productive. They should be brainstorming ways to sabotage the technology instead, as Hilda brings up.

Viktor seems to ponder this for a moment.]

Yes, something like an...electromagnetic pulse, but for New Magic.

[And something he could feasibly accomplish.]

We'll have to work on it in the Horizon, to start. I can't afford to have the government take something else from me.

[theidlemaiden]

[ While she might have readily agreed to dismantle their robot son minutes before, if Viktor had suggested that they burn everything he'd ever created down she might very well have more than a couple of objections there.

Thankfully her question seems to draw him away from a self-destructive thought. ]

If and when we start working on it, we'll have to find a safe place out here to keep it.

[ Her brow furrows as she thinks. ]

I'd offer up the loft but I wouldn't want getting Sylvain or Claude involved. The shop doesn't work either even if Jesper would gladly keep it there.

[ For the same reason she also has to rule out the Old Public Hall although it would undoubtedly be impossible to find in there amongst all the other props and costumes that they had accumulated and still do on a semi-regular basis. ]

I know a couple of artists with warehouse spaces they've had to clear out because of everything happening. Maybe there's a lead there.

[techmaturgy]

[He doesn't say that he already has an offer--from someone in Thorne, even. Viktor is weighing all his options, and Kyle is adamant that everything must stay in the Horizon from here on out. He's despaired enough about the Hexcore's misuse that Viktor almost wants to admit that he's right.

It feels better, at least, to be talking about a plan, one that doesn't involve destroying everything.]

I might know someone, too.

[But he can cross that bridge when they have something actionable. Something he can build in the real world. Viktor shakes his head as if trying to move on. He pulls, again, at the hem of his glove.]

I'm sorry for not telling you sooner.

[theidlemaiden]

Good. As long as you have options that's what matters.

[ And she's glad for it. It's comforting for her to know that he's accepting help from his support system here - from his friends. So much of her worry during their time as gods had been how much he had isolated himself.

Dream or not, it was a sliver of a reality that could be. And no matter where they went in the days to come, whether that was here or their home worlds, she didn't want to see Viktor alone. ]

It's okay. I understand. [ Her lips quirk in an attempt to lighten the mood. ] Just as long as you're not hiding anything else from me, I think we should be okay.

[techmaturgy]

[They'll see how viable those options are, with time. Viktor will try to be optimistic, though it's been difficult lately, and his stomach sinks a little when she mentions hiding other things.

Because he is. He's hiding a few things, though now that he's shown his changed arm to Alucard, maybe he can do this, too. She was certainly more understanding of everything, both in the imagined future and after it. Still, there's guilt. He shakes his head, as if dismissing the idea that he has somehow been entirely forthcoming.]

There's something I should show you.

[theidlemaiden]

Something else?

[ There's no point in trying to hide the surprise that appears onto her face. ]

You know I was joking, right?

[ No part of her had expected to be right and a part of her can't help but worry for what's to come if the previous news is anything to go off of. ]

[techmaturgy]

I know you were joking.

[But Viktor owes this to her, anyway. It's been more than enough time--he'd convinced himself that he was hiding it to spare the feelings of those distressed by what he became in the imagined future, but now it's only an excuse to refrain from talking about it.

Viktor pulls off his right glove, and rolls up his sleeve. Underneath is the living metal that he transmuted in the imagined future, deep purple, the flickering of some kind of magical energy deep within it.]

I didn't mean to hide it for so long, I just--I didn't want to upset anyone.

[theidlemaiden]

[ There isn't anything to prepare her for the reveal and when she's confronted with the sight of his arm, she can't help but stare.

In hindsight maybe she should have suspected that it would be some physical change. Alucard's bone finger, Jesper's pointed ears, her own claws that she'd had to feign sick for several days until she figured out how to retract them.

Really, she was in no position to lecture him for not telling her either. The changes were scary. Or at least they were for her. After a beat of watching the magic swirl and move, she looks back to him. ]

...Does it hurt?

[techmaturgy]

[He doesn't mind the staring--she might as well get it out of her system. Viktor cooly finishes rolling up his sleeve, securing the buttons of his shirt cuff.]

No, not at all.

[That's the first question everyone asks. Viktor wants to be emphatic that it doesn't pain him in the least, though maybe that's dangerous, too. That all of him could feel this way.

He extends it towards her, turning his hand to offer his palm.]

You can touch, if you like.

[theidlemaiden]

[ You try to tell a really close friend not to stare at your new, kinda weird looking purple arm, Viktor!! It'll only take time for the spectacle of it to wear off. She just needs to get used to it much in the same way she's gotten used to Alucard's exposed finger bone.

After a moment she reaches out her hand to make contact with his arm. Her fingertips trail across the purple, expecting to feel cool metal beneath her skin but is instead surprised that it's warm. ]

When did this happen? Was it after we came out of the dream?

[techmaturgy]

Yes. [He nods, trying to put on a braver face than the shame he actually feels.] I woke up with it at the crater.

[Finding himself back in his natural body, even if the future was imagined, was a literal shock to the system. Viktor hadn't been able to process it, at the time, but once he was back in his workshop with some of his wits about him, it seemed best to keep it hidden, so as not to further upset anyone.

He holds still while she inspects it.]

I don't mind it.

[At least, not after he got over the shock.]

[theidlemaiden]

[ The confirmation doesn't do anything to soothe her feelings about the matter. It's just further proof that the longer they stay here the more this place changes them. Worrying about the future has never been something she's enjoyed and she reminds herself of that now as the purple beneath her fingers seems to gently pulse in time with Viktor's heartbeat. ]

From the way it looks I thought it would be metal. But it's warm.

[ There's a pause, relief flitting through her expression. ]

It feels like you. I think I just have to get used to how it looks.

[techmaturgy]

[That had been Viktor's insistence throughout the entire imagined future--that he was still him, no matter what changes he made to his body. He knows that not all of his friends believed that, and perhaps that still hurts, a bit.

He lets her examine as long as she likes. It's warm, yes, and it doesn't bleed--the exact material is something of a curiosity.]

Take all the time you need.

[He can continue wearing the gloves, in the meantime.]

[theidlemaiden]

[ It's strange because before this, she's well aware that they've had very little physical contact. Or at least nothing to this extent. Hilda knew that he tolerated her hanging on (quite literally at times) or hugs because she would whine or complain otherwise, so this is a different experience altogether to be able to run her fingers along this new addition to him. Her touch doesn't linger long out of respect for his boundaries. When she pulls away, instead of placing her hands back into her lap she places them flat on the table. Her own transformation still had yet to be discussed widely with anyone. Save perhaps for Claude, Sylvain and Alucard who had genuinely found out by accident no one else knew.

A part of her was too ashamed. But after everything she and Viktor had gone through she knows that she has no judgement to fear here. ]

I think that experience changed me too. [ Her worry is dashed only just by a hesitant lift of her lips. ] But I don't think it's as pretty as yours.

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor doesn't necessarily think of this as pretty. Strange, yes, but altogether more curious than anything aesthetically pleasing. He pulses with magic, somewhere within, but the whole of his arm looks like it has been flayed, the strange metal approximating the structure of what was once muscle and tendon and bone. Fascinating, certainly--but pretty?

Hilda brings up her own change, and Viktor looks up, slightly surprised, with his eyebrows furrowed.]

You too? [Maybe now he feels slightly less guilty, for hiding.] What happened?

[theidlemaiden]

[ Fair enough. But then again, Hilda's definition of pretty has tended to morph and change over time; and while the purple is unsettling at first, the magic that pulses beneath it gives it an ethereal like quality. At least, it does in her opinion.

Her cheeks flush at his question, heat warming the back of her neck and her ears immediately. It's clear that the shame she feels has less to do with the fact that she's kept relatively tight lipped about all of this than she is by the thought of them and how it's changed her appearance. ]

Well, I can't just do it on command. They just seem to have a mind of their own.

[ Her nails are long and painted a cute, petal pink that catch the light every so often. They look normal now but - ]

When I get upset or startled wyvern claws just sort of appear where my fingernails should be and they get all scaly and gross.

[techmaturgy]

I see.

[He's not going to try and instigate the response, given that it seems to be at least somewhat distressing to her, though he'd be lying if he said he wasn't curious. He'll just have to pay attention more closely, or perhaps she'll gain more control over it, in time.

Given that he's not sure it's what she wants, however, he'll do his best to be reassuring.]

I'm sure it isn't gross. [Nothing about her is, though that also seems too forward to say.] It's part of you now, but it doesn't need to define you.

[theidlemaiden]

[ She's not trying to fish for compliments or reassurance. Wyvern claws were fine for wyverns. But for her? Never once in her life had she claimed to be a delicate wyvern. Needless to say she's quick to jump in and correct him. ]

It's gross. They're horrible, Vikky. I -

[ Hilda can't help but falter, suddenly overwhelmed with the thought that what she nearly says sounds vain and vapid but would be no less true. ]

What if the rest of me turns into a scaly wyvern? Would you still be my friend?

[ Don't you fucking laugh, Viktor!! It's a real concern!! ]

[techmaturgy]

Hilda--

[Viktor is not distressed by his own physical changes. In a way, it's like a gift from his other self, from a procedure that he devised. He's intrigued by it, more than anything, wondering how he might reproduce the magic and alter himself further.

He can't expect everyone to feel the same way. This is something imposed on her, against her will.]

I would be your friend even if you turned into a lizard and had to live in my terrarium. [With the other lizard.] But that won't happen. You might even be able to learn to control it.

[theidlemaiden]

[ In all honesty she probably would have freaked out if she had woken up with a purple arm that was metal. That, in hindsight, would have been harder for her to hide than retractable wyvern claws, but she's been given this so called gift and now has to learn how to live with it whether she wants to or not.

And she doesn't want to. Not right now anyway.

The longer she dwells on the subject the more her eyes threaten to mist with real concern. Some of that however is dashed with the knowledge that in this hypothetical situation Viktor would look after her and more importantly look after her well. ]

I'm not sure about the whole controlling thing. They're finicky.

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor knows she'll have to take this at her own pace--all he can really offer is reassurance, not that she won't continue to change, but that he'll stick with her even if she does. It's the least he can do. Viktor hasn't forgotten how she stood by him until the very end of the imagined future, after so many others had given up.

He reaches for her hands, not sure if it's comforting, but knowing thats he's done the same for him many times.]

You don't have to try if you don't want to. But it might help.