[The first indication that, perhaps, something is different, is the state of the ravine. Most visitors to Viktor’s domain are likely accustomed to climbing the rickety metal stairs up the wall, to the overlook, then deeper into the laboratory. Now, the fissures are pleasantly lit, beckoning anyone who wanders in deeper into the gorge. The grotto appears unchanged, but instead of the wooden door leading into an ominous laboratory, there is a new passageway, an opening in the rock. Following the path eventually opens to the bottom of a fissure, light illuminating the cavernous space from above.
At the center is an orb-like structure, a strange mirror of the colossal Hexgate that is visible all the way back at the top of the cliffs. All around are clear pools of water, brought to the surface by enormous pumps with no discernible power source, and unoccupied buildings that seem to serve various purposes—one has an idle forge, another, baskets of supplies. And there are flowers, too, vast swaths of strange yellow blossoms
Perhaps you find him on your own, or perhaps Rio leads you there—Viktor is inside the central greenhouse, looking slightly out of place surrounded by foliage. He’s tending to the largest, most central plant, its large fronds nearly reaching the ceiling of the structure, and it seems he already knows you’re here.]
It’s beautiful, isn’t it?
[The plant. His gaze follows the curve of the leaves upwards, to the circular skylights, apparently not interested in explaining much more about what’s going on here.]
A marvel of bio-magical engineering.
ii. there is also an astral plane
[Or, perhaps you take a step forward only for the ground to dissolve beneath your feat, upending you into a vast expanse of stars. There is no gravity here, no discernible landmarks and no up or down, only the cosmos and what seems to be an endless fractal webbing. If you were expecting a (relatively) normal, corporeal Horizon domain, well. This is not it.]
Don't be alarmed.
[Says Viktor, who appears entirely at home here. He does, however, seem a bit solemn, as if he understands that all of this is very new, especially in comparison to the usual state of his domain.]
open; horizon
ii. there is also an astral plane