EVENT #23: CROSSROADS - IC LOG

[abraxasmods]

Event #23 - Crossroads

OOC Event Log

For the past few weeks, you've been stranded in a foreign territory or have had others stranded with you. Officials have assured everyone that the situation is temporary. They've been working hard to secure negotiations that would return everyone home...if that's what you want, of course. For anybody who wishes to stay in their new territory, authorities have promised that this is entirely possible. No one will be forced to go back if they don't want to.

The letter that arrives in the second week of February will say as much. It'll also emphasize that you must go to the exchange and that every Summoned has to be accounted for, or else the exchange may fall through. Even if you don't plan on returning - or you were never sent somewhere else to begin with - you'll still have to come.

The meeting will be held on neutral ground near the Singularity's now expanded crater but at a safe enough distance away. On FEBRUARY 18, portals will open to take you there.

While we will detail the incident leading up to characters fleeing, the majority of the event will be focused on characters surviving in their respective scenarios.

Remember: once you've chosen a SCENARIO for your character, they'll be rescued by the minor territory assigned to that scenario and will stay in that territory for the duration of March.

At the Exchange

The air of late winter is crisp even in the barren landscape around the crater. The Singularity stands tall and silent to the natives, but the Summoned will feel an electricity in the air. It might be magic seeping out from the cracked ground or it might be the tension that weaves the three mightiest nations closer together. The last time all three met here was for the Peace Summit three years ago. Now they meet again on the brink of war.

The territories have assured you that they anticipate everything to go smoothly. As you arrive, there is an attempt to cultivate a friendly atmosphere: Thorne has brought warm fur cloaks for anyone accidentally in the Free Cities who may be without, the Free Cities steps forward to announce compensation for any Summoned who were employed and could not attend to their job or business under the circumstances, and Solvunn declares it will be hosting an evening feast once all the Summoned have been returned to their rightful places. You even see Thornean mages and Free Cities officials chatting diplomatically, if superficially.

But as the exchange gets underway, the atmosphere begins to shift...and suddenly, nothing is as it seems.

Chaos Erupts

As a Summoned, you feel an electricity in the air. It might be magic seeping out from the cracked ground or it might be the tension that weaves the three mightiest nations.

Stillness falls across the gathering as each side waits for the other to make the first offering. An introduction that necessitates negotiation.

It never comes.

A flash from the north blinds you. Thunder drowns out all sound. The sharp scent of practiced magic rises into the air. Gunfire cracks in response. As explosions erupt around you, the facsimile of diplomacy tears like wet paper. Shouts are barely audible as soldiers, guards, and village elders rush forward.

You find yourself pulled between forces. Are they trying to hurt you, save you, or something else? A Thornean guard pushes you to the side. You can't tell if you were deliberately shoved into the line of fire or if it was an accident in the chaos. Someone else grabs you: a hooded Elder bearing the symbols of the Old Gods and urging you to come with them to safety. They can protect you from these dangerous nations, the Elder insists. The Gods have spoken.

As mayhem bleeds into the ground, the crater begins to shift and grow, reaching out to feed. The earth trembles. The soldiers, guards, and Elders notice too late as the crater expands far quicker than anyone could expect. It shatters stone, uproots trees, and swallows whole the natives who cannot withstand its powerful energy. They disintegrate in front of your eyes. Others cry out warnings and begin to flee - but they can't outrun the Singularity.

You are different. If you are one of the older Summoned, you'll remember being able to enter the Singularity's crater. In the past, it's dragged you into the Horizon...but not this time. Instead, you feel lulled by the crater's encroaching borders. You wonder if your best chance at surviving is to step into the crater where no native of Abraxas can reach you. Some of you might run toward it as a result of this conclusion. But, you may also have your doubts. If you try to flee with the rest, you'll find that you, too, cannot outrun the Singularity. As its reach extends across the entire swathe of neutral territory, you are inevitably sucked into its embrace and flung into a whirlwind.

On the Run

As you are teleported through a whirling vortex, you glimpse flashes of your domain in the Horizon. Indeed, for a few moments, it appears as though the domain itself has emerged and is now in the real world with you. Then you blink, and the sight vanishes, leaving you discombobulated.

Once you've gathered your wits, you realize you're nowhere near the original exchange site. If you attempt to use your powers, the effects are unintended: your fire spell causes rain to fall instead, or perhaps you accidentally summon a broomstick instead of your sword. It might last for a couple of hours or it might last for longer. The more powerful the ability, the longer it seems to take for it to start working correctly.

Regardless, you'll need to find each other somehow. Luckily, the Network is still working, so you can communicate with one another at a distance.

Northern Mountains

Though spring is on its way, the mountains are a tundra. Temperatures are frosty, but not as icy as they would've been a month ago. Maybe you've brought some warm clothes with you or the others have a spare cloak they've packed. You might've even brought a snack or some warming potions. Anything will help as you gather your bearings and try to determine where to go next.

If you were unlucky enough to have been one of the victims of Josselyn Creed's cult, you may recognize these ridges. Of course, everything rather looks the same when it's snowy and full of trees, but it's certainly possible to discern that you've been in these mountains before.

Characters in this scenario will go to NOCWICH.

Threats

◎ Revenant

A hoarfrost revenant has lived on these peaks for centuries. He cannot be killed. You can only run or chase him away, but he'll soon return. Take care not to stay in one place too long. A rattling chain and blue-flamed lantern announce his coming. His touch brings instant death, made clear by the frozen carcasses of animals left in his path.

With your arrival, he is now prowling in search of you...but if you encountered him before on these mountains, you'll notice that something's different this time: he does not attack. Instead, he will stand and watch - and if you, too, watch him for too long, you'll begin to grow warm. You'll then subsequently be overcome with the urge to remove your stifling layers of clothing despite the plummeting temperatures. Best hope someone not under his sway snaps you out of it.

◎ Whiteout

In the morning, you might be eager to get moving again. Perhaps you've been assigned foraging duties or you need to search for more firewood. As you leave your makeshift shelter, you realize the wind is whipping. Soon, a thick blizzard swirls around you, blanketing your surroundings in white. In the distance, you hear eerie howls...and you're not sure where you are anymore.

Be careful you don't trip and fall. With some concentration, you should still be able to find your way back home with the limited visibility...or, you might get lucky and somebody will come to your aid.

Resources

Though the mountains are dangerous, they also have what you need - if you know where to look. Snow hares can be hunted for food and any rations you might've had on your person can be shared among each other. Thick evergreen branches can be used for roofing. Alternatively, you can hunker down in a cave instead.

Most significantly, you can trek to an abandoned cabin containing some prechopped firewood that you can take, as well as an iron pot hanging over the cold hearth. Don't linger in the cabin too long, however. The more you stay, the more it feels like something is watching you. In the shadows, you spot two red eyes flickering in and out. You can't tell what this strange creature is, nor will it stop you from retrieving the few things you need, but eventually, the cabin's door will slowly open on its own, sending a clear message: it's time to leave.

Living Forest

Contrary to its name, the Living Forest is filled with seemingly dead trees. Like the Duskwoods, not much light penetrates, casting your surroundings in a dark gloom. Unlike the Duskwoods, it contains no giant mushrooms. Instead, the ground itself is covered in a thick moss, making every step you take feel as though you're walking upon a layer of marshmallows. Hidden in the moss itself are small vipers waiting to strike, each bite containing a venom that numbs the affected limb for several hours. Hazards are made all the more difficult to see due to the lack of light. While not pitch-black, the forest is gloomy and shrouded in a dark haze.

Those who've been to the Feywilds might not recognize where they are at first, but as you travel, you might notice something familiar: bright green and blue pear-shaped cocoons. Dozens of them hang from branches above you and will soon give birth to the aggressive spindled pear moths. As you study them, they begin to twitch, as if close to hatching. Maybe you shouldn't stay in this area too long...

Characters in this scenario will go to THE FEYWILDS.

Threats

◎ Strange Travelers

As you explore the murky woods, some of the trees shift oddly. You realize they aren't trees at all. Instead, they are figures on stilts, wandering in an endless circle. They do not speak. They are utterly silent.

One of them is holding a human-like infant. The child is also silent. While they won't actively threaten you, they have defended their territory with blinking mines stuck to trees and laid along the ground. The smooth steel and oddly modern lights imply a technology that far exceeds what should exist in Abraxas. Further, the mines don't seem to be powered by any magic at all.

Walk too close to a mine and you'll set it off, releasing a gas that knocks you unconscious. When you wake up, you'll have been dumped someplace far from where you were and must reorient yourself - if you can. Your belongings are untouched and you have no injuries beyond a few bruises or scrapes. It seems these Travelers aren't seeking to harm anyone unnecessarily, but they clearly want to be left alone.

◎ Flytraps

Massive Venus flytrap plants are one of the few plants that appear to flourish in these forests. The plant is difficult to spot in the dim light. Its vines will lash your ankles and trip you, then drag you toward its gaping maw. Its mouth is lined with sharp teeth and a corrosive spit that will burn your skin, eventually dissolving you into a paste. They're most prone to attack if you're carrying something that smells tasty: rations, freshly hunted meat, or foraged mushrooms.

Fortunately, the plants aren't too difficult to kill. A burst of magic or a few slashes from a sharp blade will release you. Still, in a situation such as this, even a twisted ankle or an infected cut could make a difference in your survival. Try to avoid the plants where possible.

Resources

As you explore the Living Forest, you might stumble across an abandoned garden that hasn't been harvested and is in full bloom as if it's spring. A variety of vegetables such as carrots, onions, and cabbages can be found, as well as some herbs for wounds and potions. The area shimmers with Seelie Magic. When you examine the crops closer, you realize that some of the garden is beginning to wilt and rot as the magic fades before your very eyes. A sign of what lies in the Feywilds, it would seem that all things Fey have left this realm altogether, leaving behind only remnants of their diminishing spells.

You can freely harvest the garden. None of the crops appear to be dangerous and the garden looks truly abandoned. However, you'll need to work quickly. The magic won't last until sunrise, so take what you can - you won't have the opportunity to return. Of course, don't overburden yourself, either, or attract predators with what you're carrying.

Open Ocean

Your arrival in the ocean will be more of a shock than the others as you splash into the water. Curiously, though it's still winter, the water isn't as cold as you might expect. It's almost unnaturally warm. As you struggle to stay afloat, the current begins to push you toward something floating in the distance: a large raft covered in moss. It resembles a small land mass, floating in the open sea, with a small curve like a hill or a hump...or the shell of a turtle.

It's possible a few of your fellow Summoned have already found refuge atop the creature's back or you might be among the first. Regardless, you'll want to help search for the others...and the island itself appears to be searching with you. Summoned who have been around a while might remember the Sea Giants who have come to your aid more than once. This may be yet another friendly Sea Giant - not quite the turtle some of you previously met, but perhaps a relative or a friend.

While the creature will try its best to keep you afloat, stormy winds and tall waves will still violently rock the living raft and may sweep away those who aren't careful. Make sure you hang on tight to the vines growing along the surface.

Characters in this scenario will go to THE NETHER.

Threats

◎ Leviathan Attack

Though leviathans are a predictable threat in the ocean, it doesn't make them any less dangerous. Appearing in all shapes and sizes, the one that rises from the water in the dead of night is difficult to discern: you glimpse massive teeth and glowing yellow eyes that, from a distance, resembles the blinking signal of a lighthouse. The leviathan will attack the creature who serves as your raft, who will struggle to defend itself.

You can help in any manner you wish. Attacking the leviathan or casting wards will aid the friendly turtle. While the leviathan is not easy to deter, it can be driven away if faced with enough aggression and will eventually leave in search of easier prey. Don't lose anyone overboard. Any Summoned who falls into the water while the leviathan is attacking will be swallowed up. Avoid its thrashing tail spikes, too.

◎ Aggressive Seabirds

More of a nuisance than a threat, seabirds are a constant menace, squawking day and night and attempting to steal rations, clothes, and other supplies that might be left unattended on the raft. These birds are quick and massive, swooping in and disappearing in an instant. They won't attack without provocation, but anyone trying to take back their belongings will find themselves assaulted by beating wings and sharp talons.

You can chase them off with rocks, sharp objects, or small spells. Supplies can also be warded, but with many people's magic working oddly, the wards might not last as long as they should or may backfire if struck too often by the birds. It may be a good idea to touch up the wards or assign someone to guard your things the old-fashioned way.

Resources

After a rough night, you'll awaken to discover that your raft has brought you to a small island. It's unclear where this island is from or whether anyone has ever mapped it, but nonetheless, the island exists. More importantly, it contains crabs and mussels that can be dug up. You can also find, inexplicably, some coconuts. Possibly bespelled by a Thornean mage who washed ashore in the past, these coconut trees have continued to flourish for decades, if not centuries.

You won't be able to spend long on the island. As the tide rises, more and more of the island begins to disappear. Soon, the water will swallow it up altogether and you'll be forced to board the creature's back again with your findings. Don't get greedy. If you linger too long, your efforts might be washed away with the tide.

Rescue

As your resources dwindle and your situation grows more dire, a glimmer will shine in the distance. You peer at it, curious and, perhaps, a bit anxious. Is it another threat? Is it a rescue? Or is it something else altogether?

Please wait for the WRAP-UP before proceeding to write your character being rescued. Full details will be provided on the Wrap-Up that will help inform what your character will be doing in March, including which NPCs your character will be seeing and the exact manner in which your character will be rescued.

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Comments

Garrus Vakarian | Mass Effect | Justice

[thearchangel]

( Prompts below! Garrus is heading to the OCEAN, and will end up in THE NETHER )

THE EXCHANGE | ota

[thearchangel]

1) WAITING
[He is on edge. Garrus is shifting his weight amongst the others brought in from Solvunn. He's still wrapped up in his makeshift cold weather gear, but, given how damned tall he is, he can see over most peoples' heads readily enough. He's scanning the crowds for someone in particular, but can't make them out. There's just too many people.]

[So he'll opt for regaling whomever is next to him with what he's seeing. Figuring they might not be able to see over the assembled as well as he can. Also, he has to do something to really combat the uneasy energy, the weird electricity, he can feel down to his bones.]

Can't make out what they're all saying. No one looks angry - not yet. Most of them look pretty calm about this whole thing. Too calm...

[Or maybe that's just Garrus being a paranoid weirdo.]

2) CHAOS
[He was not, as it turned out, just being paranoid.]

[The flash has him reach out, to try and cover the Summoned nearest him in sheer reflex. The gunfire has him do the same, but with more urgency. Pulling them down, to try and cover them, keep their heads down while things start to go crazy.]

Are they firing on us! [It's supposed to be a question, but the chaos is too loud. So he just ends up shouting. There's no good cover here, there's just - just the crater.]

Let's move!

Alucard | Free Cities -> Thorne -> Forest

[cryptsleeper]

Plotting post here!

AT THE EXCHANGE | Open

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard would like to think he managed a month and change in Thorne quite well.  Beyond the first round of panic which was calmed by communication, Geralt actively checking in on him, and finding lodgings outside of the castle itself, Alucard did as he always has.  He found projects to work on, cooked, and used his leftover energy to try and be kind to those who were letting him stay in their dwelling while they too were flung to other territories.  (He cleaned.  He cleaned so much.)  But his feeling of success, or at least small glimmer of pride in not completely melting down, is no where visible on him at this exchange.  Instead, there is immense relief as he stands around the crater clad in a thick, warm coat (one of the few advantages of Thorne, actual winter), arms crossed over his chest.

To those he knows, he'll offer a small smile, thin and warm.]

I see you endured.

Kyle | THE OCEAN

[ushiri]

( open and closed starters below! hmu here for plotting )

OPEN ( turtle time + the island )

[ushiri]

the raft;

[ Kyle's supplies for a prolonged trip are meager, though you might remember in the past he's been a source of goodberries. You might approach to ask him for some if you get hungry enough, though he'll offer a frown in response. ]

I can't promise what they'll taste like.

[ If you've had one before, you might remember the jewel-like fruit having a sweet and pleasant taste, while filling the belly and curing minor ailments. This time - the berries in his hand appear in shades of green and purple - still sparkling (and maybe you are drawn to put sparkling things in your mouth, no one is judging you here) - but the flavor might range anywhere from licorice to cilantro to the intense iron taste of brussel sprouts. Maybe you appreciate those particular flavors, but you will notice that the berries don't have quite the same filling effect at the moment. ]

small island;

Here -

[ If you've been staring up at one of those coconut trees, Kyle will offer half of one filled with its hydrating water. With that, he'll go back to cutting them down from the tree - which seems to involve him motioning with his hand as the coconut falls from the branch. He'll settle down with one, the Unseen Edge creating a tear between his thumb and forefinger that he uses to cut open the hardened shell. ]

Do you have a waterskin? [ He'll glance up - it seems he's filling up the empty ones. ]

geralt of rivia | the witcher | forest.

[gynvael]

rocket; peter.

[gynvael]

[ Trekking through the desiccated forests in what he thinks must be near the borders of the Feywilds is not how he wished to spend his day. He is, in truth, especially concerned about what may happen should they tread too close to the Feywilds themselves...or if they have already made some transgressions by crossing this far, whether intentional or otherwise.

So far, no Fey have arrived to confront them.

A rustle above makes him glance up. He glimpses a bushy striped tail. ]

Rocket. [ Geralt nods towards the blinking light in the distance. It's odd. He's been inching closer for the past ten minutes or so, curious what it could be. It doesn't appear to be the flicker of magic. It's much too uniform. ] Do you know what that is?

wilhelm

[ordinar]

Plot with me here.

the exchange | ota

[ordinar]

I. chaos erupts

For a narrow window of time, Wilhelm lets himself hope that the circumspection he's keeping in his back pocket will amount to nothing more than paranoia. Soon enough, he'll be back in Thorne. Everything will be back to normal.

Then, in an ionized flash of magic, the window slams shut, and his hope shatters. Someone shoves him forward. A hand grabs his shoulder. Instinct has him slamming his elbow backward into the assailant's chest, wheeling around to aim a kick at the back of their leg. In the chaos, he trusts only his friends.

Recognizing a face in the wild current of violence, he shouts, "Run!"

Though, he's not sure where to run. There's nowhere to go but the crater that surrounds the Singularity.

thancred waters | final fantasy xiv | forest

[funbreaker]

[ Open prompts below. Find plotting info here. Reach out at demonology or demonology @ discord if you want to plot more specifically. ]

the exchange | ota

[funbreaker]

[ Thancred finds himself on edge as soon as the letter arrives insisting that every Summoned must gather for the exchange to occur. It's not only that, but the fact that this exchange will happen at the site of the peace summit. He still remembers that time well, as it was one of the first notable events that happened following his arrival to Abraxas.

It's neutral ground, yes, but it's also fairly close to the Singularity. Why risk it?

Not that he has much choice. He does arrive at the appointed place on the appointed day, but he doesn't wear the warm cloak that the Thornean officials provide him, instead draping it over his arm or his shoulder. He's decided to return to Nott (and frankly, hadn't even considered remaining in Cadens), but taking this "homecoming" gift feels odd all the same.

That, and there's a certain tension in the air. He doesn't like it.

He's more grim-faced than usual as he waits for the exchange to take place, though he'll nod in genial greeting to anyone he recognizes, his expression fonder if it's someone he knows well.

Once chaos erupts, there is little chance to react or decide what to do. He's pushed and shoved by panicked natives, not that he can blame them when the exact thing he was concerned about happens and the Singularity's power surges outward. ]

Run! Get as far away from it as you can!

[ But already, people are being turned to dust by the oppressive power of the Monolith. While Thancred does what he can to grab people and drag them away from its influence, it isn't long before he's swallowed up as well. ]

claude von riegan | the forest

[godshattering]

( closed starters below | wildcards welcome or plot something with me here, by PM, or find me at indech! )

network inbox / OPEN

[godshattering]

( OTA for network messages! Claude will be available more or less the whole time for any conversations about anything. Unless in the middle of something he'll respond fairly quickly - even more so at late hours if messaged then. )

tifa lockhart | final fantasy vii | the mountains

[suplexer]

[ Closed prompts below. Find plotting info here. Reach out at demonology or demonology @ discord if you want to plot more specifically. I'm also open to wildcards! ]

— cloud

[suplexer]

[ Really, Tifa should have known that nothing was going to go as smoothly as everyone had promised, with the exchange. Still, she couldn't have expected it to be this bad either. To go from the chaos that erupted near the Singularity to now being stranded on a snow-covered mountain had not been in the plans for today, not even close.

Thankfully she had been pretty decently bundled up, but all the same, the layers she's wearing are still not quite enough for these frigid winds. She's kept on the move, both to keep the blood flowing and also to figure out if anyone else is stranded on this mountain with her.

It wouldn't have just been her who got tossed here, right? She's seen a few panicked network messages pass over her vision, written in the snow or formed in the clouds overhead, as people try to locate each other. Something about water, about a forest, and none of it matches her surroundings.

It's hard to see far ahead of her with the snow whipping around, making visibility nearly nonexistent, but... then she sees something. A shock of gold among the white.

She picks up her pace, but still takes care to maneuver around the rocky terrain so she doesn't end up tripping and collapsing into the snow. Once she thinks she's close enough to be heard, she calls out to the figure. ]

Hey! Wait, over here!

[ Is it wishful thinking, or... is that Cloud? ]

Ciri | The Witcher

[wiedzminka]

(( closed starters below; hmu on plurk or discord if you want one! ciri will be in the living forest scenario. ))

chaos erupts ♦ closed; geralt.

[wiedzminka]

[ She thought she was prepared for anything. As the three most prominent powers in Abraxas meet, through the niceties and trinkets brought for at least the appearance of friendliness, Ciri is quite sure no one is fully buying it. She can sense the tension among her fellow Summoned, catches uncertain looks and murmured conversations. Keeps her eyes peeled.

She finds her family first, making sure she knows where everyone is, making eye contact. Offering a smile. While the territories prepare for the negotiations, Ciri checks in with each of them -- especially Yennefer and Geralt, from whom she's been separated along with Jaskier (and Istredd, who counts among their number, though she might not call him such aloud just yet).

As chance would have it, she is near Geralt when it happens.

There is little time to think. Her ears are ringing, the blinding flash of light casting dark spots across her vision in the moments after it fades. One moment, everything is tense but civil -- the next, it is a warzone, earth erupting beneath her feet, the scent of flame and ozone stinging her nostrils. The taste of dirt and blood fill her mouth, the impact leaving her lungs empty, but Ciri's body is moving even as her thoughts lag behind, realizing how far she's been thrown a fraction of a second after she's already rolled up from the ground, sword in hand.

Instinct tugs her in different directions at once -- save yourself, it screams, and find the others.

Geralt was closest. Ciri casts about for him through the smoke. Regroup. Make it out together. Her heart is pounding in her throat, but despite the adrenaline suddenly flooding her veins, her head feels oddly clear. ]

annabeth chase | ocean | the high priestess

[sophos]

[ ocean ➝ nether. ]
[ open and closed starters! hit me up: communism, romanitas @ disco, or pms for more plotting. ]

ota | ocean fun

[sophos]

TURTLE RAFT

[ for being on a raft in the middle of the ocean, annabeth is remarkably calm. she doesn't harbor a lot of fear of open water, mostly on account of the whole percy being the son of the sea god thing. his powers might be a little muted and uncertain right in this moment, but they're already coming back in pieces, so she just figures she has to stay patient. he did manage to wash them up on the raft in the first place, but it seemed to be the one trick up his sleeve. she's not used to remaining wet after a dip in the ocean though, another loss while he's on the fritz. ]

[ a particularly strong wave rocks the whole turtle, but she mostly seems unbothered, gripping one of the vines and holding herself in place even as some of the water sloshes up to soak her legs and feet again. no, the most annoying part is the seabirds. ]

[ one of them swoops down and she literally tries to punch it, her fist brushing against it before it divebombs away instead. ]

Maybe we can eat them instead. [ it's... only half sarcastic. ]

RESOURCES

[ this is not the first time annabeth has essentially washed up on a strange island in the middle of nowhere, but there are no guinea pigs in sight, only crabs, so she's hoping for better luck. ]

[ she figures out the island seems to be shrinking pretty quickly, but it doesn't stop her from trying to gather as many supplies as she can while they have access to it. she puts together a rudimentary slingshot made of leaves to fling other coconuts up at the trees to knock more over. her pile grows to a decent size before she pauses for a break. ]

[ she looks thoughtful for a second, then makes an attempt to summon her golden sword - it usually shows up in times of duress, but she simply thinks to herself that they are technically! in danger! and after a few moments, it works. looking pleased with herself for outsmarting the trick of the summoning, she uses the sword to just... slice open the top of a coconut so she can take a drink. ]

[ she'll hold her sword out a little casually, but she'll gesture with the coconut in her hand towards the one someone else is holding before making an idle sawing gesture with the weapon. ]

Want me to open that for you?

Istredd | The Witcher | Raft

[magicalarchaeologist]

[Coming soon!]

The Exchange OTA

[magicalarchaeologist]

Istredd has had an interesting time in Solvunn, and accomplished his main goal while there, so he was eager to return to Thorne. It was a strange experience but not a bad one overall, yet he missed his library and classes and the life he had with Lucifer. He was amiable on the way back and ready to go, waving at a few people he knew since they were all about to shift.

The change could be felt in the air. Istredd is very sensitive to magic so he can sense after the flash that it is there with them. "Wait ...." He gets pushed aside by a Thorne guard and then with a flash of gunfire, Istredd screams, getting hit in the shoulder by a sudden pain he has never felt before. The knife at least he could understand in the Pit, this is something else entirely.

He crashes to the ground, the pain making him white out for a moment as blood drips from the wound. Everything is chaos. Someone could help him to his feet and to start to move. Using one hand he creates a shield around himself and anyone else in his vicinity, the effort a little weaker than usual because of his distraction.

Eventually he does get up, with help or not, and shouts Lucifer and Yennefer's names into the chaos. In the chaos he can't feel them like he normally would and he searches, but then the earth trembles and Istredd turns, pale, to look at a Thorne guard he recognizes coming out of the shadows. "Run, you have to run!" He knows what the tremors are now, but he and anyone else nearby can watch as the man disintegrate before their very eyes.

He grabs someone nearby with his good hand. "The crater ... we have to go in it. It's our only chance." As the earth is going wrong between them and there's violence everywhere, Istredd pulls them toward it, feeling in his gut that's the right thing. If it brings them into the Horizon at least they'll be out of direct line of fire. And then everything goes dark and he is swept away in a whirlwind away.

Jesper Fahey | Grishaverse | The Forest

[itookashot]

[coming soon]

Exchange/Chaos OTA

[itookashot]

Jesper is tense when he agrees to go to the meeting point, having asked the authorities many, many times that they promised those who wished to stay could. He was not giving Mat back without a fight and making even more of a scene than the first time. He is reluctant and grumpy when he goes, suspicious since he doesn't trust anyone to make good on their word.

Jesper is good in a crisis so as soon as everything goes horribly wrong, he's ready. His guns are flipped up into his hands and he will protect any loved ones behind him the moment he hears guns go off elsewhere. He puts his body between the fight and anyone else, shooting his bullets into the air blindly. And then he puts his guns back in their hilts and uses his telekinesis to control the bullets. They zip around and whenever he spots someone about to attack, the strike with perfect precision, only hitting legs or shoulders to start with.

But as the fighting gets worse, he takes the carefulness out of it, and anyone who is grabbing or trying to pull the Summoned will get hit by a potentially lethal strike of a bullet whistling through the air and into them. "Stay back, I will kill you!" he warns, and a few people back away from them, going to fight each other rather than him.

"It's too dangerous here, we've got to run." Jesper can fight his way out of most situations but he knows how to retreat, pulling all his bullets back to him and swinging them back into his gun. And then he takes off toward the crater, maybe he grabs your hand and pulls you with him, knowing all Summoned on sight and trying to protect.

diana prince | dceu | the mountains

[monomachy]

i. aimin' so high but swingin' so low [chaos erupts]

Diana has always been optimistic about relations between the factions improving, but she still wears her armor and carries her sword and shield with her to the meeting. If anything at all goes wrong, she wants to be prepared, and since she was one of the few Summoned who did not find themselves in unfamiliar territory, she has the luxury of preparing herself well.

She feels power in the air before the meeting falls apart, but doesn't think that it could be anything except their proximity to the Singularity's crater. So, like everyone else, she is caught off guard when power cracks through the air, and in moments the exchange has fallen to havoc.

She pulls out her shield, not willing to draw her blade unless absolutely necessary. But she sees the crater expanding, swallowing up people on all sides of the conflict, and she knows that no weapon will help her now. She sees other Summoned moving into the crater, drawn by either fear or survival. Does she stay and protect those who cannot withstand the magic, or does she follow the other Summoned into the unknown?

The decision is made for her as the power pulls her forward, towards the Singularity. She feels it calling out, and her jaw clenches at the power of it. She must follow it. She reaches for the nearest Summoned, grasping their arm. "This way! Towards it!"

ii. tryin' to catch fire but feelin' so cold [northern mountains]

When Diana comes to, she sees nothing but white. She blinks a few times, thinking something is wrong with her vision, but no; she exhales, and a puff of white vapor coalesces in front of her face. Then she feels the cold, biting, but not unmanageable with the ichor in her veins. She sits up, cautious, and sees a mountain range all around her, punctuated by groves of tall pine trees. Wherever the Singularity sent her, it is not a place she has been before.

Amazons are trained for survival, but snowy mountains are outside even Diana's expertise. Still, she learned the basics. She must find shelter, warmth, and food, along with any other Summoned that were sent here. Securing her shield to her back and checking her sword, she starts towards the treeline, hoping to get out of the flurries for a brief moment.

Once shelter and a fire are built, and game traps are set, even Diana is tired. Still, she knows she must remain on alert; there is a power in these mountains she cannot name, but that makes the small hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She hears the clinking of metal, and on occasion, sees a flicker of blue among the snow drifts. When she is not near the fire, she feels inexplicably warm, uncomfortably so, and it sets her on edge. She pulls her cloak tighter around herself. "Something watches," she observes quietly to her companion, dark eyes scanning on the white expanse before them. "Can you feel it?"

[ooc; i'm down for anything! feel free to wildcard, or pm me or ping me on plurk at watchet for anything specific. i will match tagging style.]

jaskier | from solvunn to the feywilds

[cointosser]

[closed] for geralt

[cointosser]

[Later, and for years to come, Jaskier thinks, he will blame this whole situation on his mind being preoccupied by the Solvunn elder, the memory of his wrinkled hands and panicked face, as he tried to lead Jaskier to safety. It seemed his intention, at least.

Right before he turned into nothing but smoke and memory, half a second before Jaskier was pushed into the crater.

He won't forget that face. That expression. Jaskier had spent all of his time in Solvunn with unchecked suspicion, but in a panicked moment, where magic was cracking the air and weapons were firing, one of the Solvunnites had attempted to save him.

The forest is nearly the opposite of Brokilon in every way possible. Devoid of life beyond the most pissed off snakes he's ever encountered, and if Mog hadn't leapt upon the one that almost bit through Jaskier's boot, he may have as well been dead. While Mog munches upon his newly hunted prey, Jaskier sits on a dead stump and runs his fingers through his hair. His magic still sparks at the tip of his fingers, but here? Something about this place makes him afraid to reach for until -- at least until he's on the bring of starvation, dying for a drink of water.

There's some envy for Mog. The little bastard can just eat a venomous snake and be fine.

The forest puts a heavy challenge whether a man can talk himself into insanity, considering though Jaskier is alone (besides the gryphon in his bag), he's alone. At some point, his feet are too sore to keep going, so Jaskier sets his lute down and leans against a tree trunk --

It moves.

He screams, a burst of magic coming out of his hand. Reaching for his vines, the vines that have protected him, that have done so so many times before. And they come, but they wrap around his ankles, jerking him back as the tree trunk -- no, no tree, but stilts -- step away, and Jaskier, in his panic, feels himself transform. Wings, feather, tiny clawed feet -- small enough to escape the vines' hold and flutter backwards, right onto a round metal disk that his claws click on. He sees the red light before darkness swallows him with a shrill sandpiper shriek.

Perhaps to most passing, it's a sight that can mostly be ignored: elsewhere in the forest is a fainted bird, laying on its back, with a toy gryphon curled up around it, a paw on the bird's tail like he means to eat him eventually. The only thing out of place is the lute, still in its case, nearby, sinking into mud.]

dion lesage | from thorne to the nether

[princeofruin]

[closed] for cid

[princeofruin]

[Hardly is this the first time he has attended peace negotiations. Hardly is it the first to be so rife with tension that the very air crackles with its energy, not unlike a storm building in the distance, static in the air.

If only it t'were as simple as lightning from the heavens. The Singularity is the storm, and it is an unstoppable typhoon. The chance of negotiations dissolves as easily, as abruptly, as the world's people, caught in the growing hole of the Singularity's reach.

Flashes of wyvern tails, a sweet whiff of their scent --

And then Dion swallows a mouthful of bitter saltwater, stealing the breath he may have used to yell. The heavy vestiments he wore to the peace summit -- or Thorne's closest equivalent, embroidered with the symbol of the Emperor, and somewhat similar to those he wore at home -- grow stone-heavy from the water around him, pulling him down into dark. A dark that is so sudden, so bottomless, that it sparks real fear in his heart. When he tries to scream -- for help, for fear of the dark -- there is only water in his mouth, in his throat, choking him.

The dark and two, large eyes staring up at him.

Dion reaches for his magic, to fight both dark and the eyes watching him, a moment made full in panic, no thought given to his curse. Even Bahamut is screaming, a beast in the air tangled up in water, bringing to mind a flash of the long lengths of Leviathan he had seen in his studies. Is this it, then? Has long lost Leviathan come to claim the king of dragons?

Light sputters and explodes from his hands, launching out in all directions under the waves, piercing down into the dark (it never ends) but up through the surface, like a beacon from an underwater lighthouse. But Dion can no longer tell the surface from the darkness, as it all bubbles and lights up from his magic, and he swallows another mouthful of water.]

lucy maclean | from the free cities to nocwich

[sunnygoose]

[open] the mountains

[sunnygoose]

[There's plenty of things in the world Lucy could safely say she was not prepared for, whether she excelled in all of her classes during childhood or not. Of course she knows what snow is. She knows, by definition, what a tundra is, even if they were not natively located in her country.

Or, well, um. Anywhere. Anywhere in the world, probably, though the news about any country beyond America is limited to history lessons and whatever snippets of impending war news she got from the Pip-Boy's radio.

Falling (quite literally!) into this? She's not prepared. At first, Lucy is so frozen (hah) by the realization of where she is, what she's standing in, that she can't even think. It's a fear she'd thought she'd be prepared for, after, you know, leaving the Vault, venturing into the Wastelands, coming here to, apparently, an entirely separate world from her own.

But snow in every direction, jagged mountains, too-tall trees? Even Solvunn's trees didn't feel so oppressive. It's only pure luck that she happened to have a warming potion on her, specifically because she'd spent all her time in Cadens trying not to sweat to death. She doesn't have supply beyond a small bag she carries around her with batteries in it -- one of those magic abilities she's been told about, but which isn't exactly helpful for, um, most situations.]

Hello? [She curls her hands around her mouth, calling out, voice cracking a little.] Is anyone out there? Please, answer me!

Eddie Munson | The Ocean

[satanicpanics]

{ Starters to hopefully follow
muttonchops | poultrylegs @ discord }

network inbox; OTA

[satanicpanics]

[ For all your crazy network ordeals if you're bored... ]

Mat Cauthon | The Hanged Man | Forest - OTA

[a_better_man]

Forest Arrival

Of course it had all been too good to be true. Sometimes the dice came up the dead man's eyes. Sometimes even Mat's luck turned to the bad, the price paid for how often it was good.

He'd say 'at least we're away from whatever that chaos was, but he isn't entirely sure this is much better. Perhaps a small bit better. But what a dismal and oppressive place...there's a permeating dampness that makes his skin crawl. At least he's comfortable in the dark. And well experienced in surviving in the woods, even if these are far more dark and wasted than what he's used to.

Another small blessing, he doesn't seem to be alone. He hears others in the gloom.

"'Allo?" he calls, aware he's announcing his location to friend and foe alike. He doesn't care. He needs to find his people.


Strange Travelers

"What the bleeding fuck is that?"

Mat hisses the words between clenched teeth, not wanting to speak too loudly. He'd thought they were just odd trees. Spooky, odd trees. Even the movement didn't seem too odd at first - mobile trees wouldn't be the strangest thing found in this world. But these things...

What in the name of the Light are they? Are they some sort of threat?

If they are, he's not sure he likes their odds.


Flytraps

These woods are thrice damned! Mat is dirty and tired and already sick of the dark and the sounds of the forest, longing for somewhere even slightly civilized. An empty cave would be a blessing at the moment. Something without snakes and strange, ominous creatures and horrible moths...

He notices the movement but pauses to look at it, to try and discern just what it is in the shifting shadows of the deep forest. Before he can parse what he's seeing, the vine closes around his ankle. He cries out and stumbles, feeling it pulling at him with surprising strength.

"Fuck!"

Flytraps

[itookashot]

Kaz and Jesper were together when they were pulled through into the forest and he'd lost sight of Mat in the chaos. It filled him with active terror once he got there and figured out where they were, and instead of going to where others were gathering, he went searching the forest. For anyone, really, but let's be real, mostly for Mat.

He doesn't shout his lover's name because there are a lot of creatures in here who would only see that as a person to attack, so he has to be quick and smart about it. His powers aren't working so he can only pull his guns if necessary, and when he hears fuck, he knows it's necessary. A gunshot sounds out, loud for the forest, and the vine is shot through is an instant before it can fully drag Mat away.

He runs up a few seconds later having shot from a distance, but he doesn't need his powers for perfect aim. That's always been him. He would recognize that curly head anywhere. "Mat, thank fuck."

james sunderland — silent hill 2 — free cities > solvunn > forest

[hurtling]

— living forest (strange travelers)

( for all of his flaws and the darkness that lurked deep within his mind, if there was one thing james was resilient at was just surviving whatever was thrown at him. even if this place was a strange mess of being pushed into one thing to another, he did his best to keep a level head [even if it came at the expense of appearing so cold and detached from everything].

little by little, even if he didn't want to engage with others or be a part of things, he was forming bonds with others. familiar faces had been seen here and there, and while he wasn't truly the best at providing reassurance to anyone, it did bring him some sense of familiarity and care for this world and its territories. how much of it was just him trying to survive was left up for debate.

what did seem to finally affect him was being brought back to a place that felt far too familiar, far too painful to what he had seen in that town, the town of silent hill. the agonizing views of past sins, the reminders of his own failings, and the cold terrifying monsters that seemed to take his visions and contort them into something gruesome to nag at him endlessly. he was self-aware enough to realize that this forest, full of dead trees was not a vision of his own mind, but it was nonetheless still disorienting.

it was in that disorientation and seeing the figures on stilts that he seemed to appear aimless, bumping into anyone nearby without a word, coming across as rude. instead he was truly seeing visions of the past, haunting his mind and movements. it was finally then that he walked far too to one of the mines, a gas releasing and ensnaring him a haze before he immediately bolted off with what strength he had. whoever happened to be close enough would witness the mess he had made of himself. )

Get away....run from here.

( it's the most polite thing he's said so far. )

— wildcard

( since a good portion of this event seems to rely heavily on closed interactions/scenarios, feel free to hit me with what you've got! I am also 100% down to write a closed starter exploring any of james' past horrors/trauma given the landscape. feel free to hit me up at pinkwestwood (@) discord or fuels for contact. )

Living Forest

[nadine_he_loves]

[Nadine isn't about to blame anyone for having a panicked reaction to...whatever is happening in this woods. She can't exactly parse it herself, only that the not-trees were probably very dangerous and just one fraction of what might be around. Her own heart is in her throat and she clutches her bag tightly against herself as though it can provide some manner of protection.

She sees the guy stumbling in a run from a cloud of something that cannot be good. Nothing here is good. She thinks he looks familiar, someone she'd seen around Solvunn.]

Hey! You should take your own advice! Here...

[She move towards him, to offer help if it's needed. It certainly looks as though it's needed.]

cid telamon | from thorne to nether

[judgmentbolts]

⚡ barnabas

[judgmentbolts]

[ Things are not going well for Cid. He wields his sword against the Kraken's lashing tentacles, doing his best to help keep the damned thing's attention on himself or the other Summoned, and away from their meagre supplies. He's had to stay well away from the others as levin crackles around him — for the first time, truly out of his control.

He'd not been planning to use his abilities at all, but it seems whatever is happening with the Singularity or this place has left him without any choice. Levin leaps from his body in great arcs, striking anything or anyone unfortunate enough to get close. Only Nir, his wolf familiar, seems unworried about the lightning. (There's a sharp pain in his side, but he can't worry about it now.)

For the most part, no one gets too close. For the most part, it works... except that Cid is tiring. His shoulder aches with the weight of stone. He ought to back off, regroup. Let someone take his place. The levin has started to ease. Now of all times, it presents less of a threat, and the Kraken's attention is drawn elsewhere. Perhaps if someone else had approached him, he would step back without much of a fuss.

Barnabas is greeted with a sword aimed at his throat. ]

Sod off. [ He sounds more weary than he'd like, but his eyes still glow a bright, aetheric blue. He tightens his grip on the sword. Beside him, Nir crouches, growling. ]

Nadine Cross | The World | Forest - Healing, OTA

[nadine_he_loves]

It's been, to put it mildly, a very long day.

In a moment of calm, Nadine settles in and opens up her medical bag. Thank God she'd had it with her, and she'd made plenty of supplies while in Solvunn. It should be relatively well stocked, but best to check.

And see if anyone needs her services.

She unrolls a woven mat and begins setting out little bottles and pouches, frowning thoughtfully as she takes a mental inventory. Every so often she glances around, keeping a close eye on the surrounding woods. Now isn't a time to let her guard down. But in the initial flight through the portals and through the woods, there are bound to be wounds that need tending. Who knows how long they'll be out here? Magic is on the fritz, and an infection could easily mean ending up at death's doorstep....

steve rogers | mcu | the ocean

[assembles]

closed to sam; the exchange

[assembles]

[ As soon as the letters come through to all of the Summoned in Solvunn, Steve's ready to pack his bags, so to speak. It's not that he had a bad time in Solvunn, or that he has any problem with the people here beyond finding their religious fervor a little off-putting, but...

After years spent in the Free Cities, there's no doubt in his mind that he wants to go back there. It'll be more beneficial to put the connections and foundation he has there to use, as the threat of war still hangs over them.

So he takes the portal to this neutral ground that's been designated for sending everyone back where they came from. While Steve finds it weird that everyone has to attend, that's not the only thing creating a certain tension in the air. It's also that there are officials from all three nations in one place, and...

The Singularity, looming over them.

He spends a minute or so just staring down the monument, but then he continues on, shield strapped to his arm, a pack slung over his shoulder, as he looks for one person in particular.

Calm as both of them have stayed about it, all things considered, finding Sam is now his first priority. ]

the doctor | the forest

[thedreamer]

closed to julia.

[thedreamer]

Though the Doctor is reasonably sure most among them aren't at all surprised when everything devolves into madness, he'd still hoped for a different outcome. The more cynical part of his nature that never really goes away simply accepts that this is to be expected, that things just go wrong, and he adapts to the Going Wrongness with ease, generally speaking. The louder part of him, the part that's more the hopeful optimist, imagines they'll sort this all out soon enough.

For now, his priority is sticking close to Julia, and he's determined not to lose his grip on her hand for a single moment when they're transported to another place entirely. This does, of course, prove to be easier said than done, evidenced by him stumbling to his feet completely alone. But she can't be far, can she? She better not be. Weeks spent close to her in Thorne have had him growing so accustomed to her presence, he's not eager to lose that again.

It would be simple enough to send her a message, to communicate like they often have when separation was status quo. But he's not thinking of that first this time. Instead, he acclimates and steadies himself on his feet and calls to her out loud to start, before following that quickly with a gentle touch in his mind. Could it work? He's only done this most often with other Time Lords, or telepaths, and that's obviously quite lacking these days. Well, not lacking telepaths exactly, but it's not the sort of thing he just tries with anyone either.

What would it feel like? It's a light touch, like slowly stretching an arm out, a caress in the back of her mind.

Julia?

teddy roberts | the forest ➔ feywilds | death

[tedandroses]

[open starts for both event and wrap-up threads below. hmu at wingedvoices or DM for any plotting!]

the exchange - chaos erupts

[tedandroses]

AT THE EXCHANGE
Teddy hadn't been sure if the summons was a good sign or not. Political rubbing of elbows -- the surface friendliness over the underlying what can we get of it all -- always makes the hair on the back of their neck prickle. Even to break the silence of war.

It could be positive, the excuse to exchange -- whatever the Summoned are at this point to their nations. But if nothing else, it just felt gross: an awful lot like they were all, at best, proof of good faith, an asset exchange. And at worst -- well, who even knew. Hostage negotiations? Bartering chips? Some kind of ritual? Teddy's generally not inclined to assume the best. Not of governments in general; much less, these.

Having it so close to the Singularity's -- ever expanding -- crater with the insistence that all the Summoned be there didn't help that notion any.

But there wasn't shit to do about it, not without knowing more and more time. So in the week in-between they'd joked a little about summoning the Summoned to the Summons, and tried to keep their tendency to catastrophize and over-prepare to themself. There were a few exceptions to that -- a wry comment here or there to friends; a quieter, more open confession to Chris while they couldn't sleep -- but they'd mostly just followed instructions. Even stepping through the portal, Teddy'd faux-dramatized about all this travel being so taxing to nearby friends to try and keep things a little lighter.

Now, watching quietly, she wishes her ability to make people work together was any good with numbers like these. She's been using her skills over the months, while starting to learn new, different magic from Julia, and now Jack too. Teddy can feel the difference: the same way that with practice, at-first impossible intervals or hand positions on a fretboard became easier and then nothing. But there's no way she could get away with singing or interrupting to make a speech, and even if she did, her aptitude hasn't increased so much that it would ensure everything go smoothly if it's not going to.

Silence falls, and even in the heavier, slightly nicer cloak and boots he'd acquired in Thorne, Teddy feels a chill run down his spine. As everyone waits, seemingly on the edge of a held breath for who will speak or act first, he reaches the hand that isn't resting on the inside of Chris's arm to link a finger or two with the nearest friend from the (at-the-moment) Thorne Summoned.

And then the world explodes.

CHAOS ERUPTS
In the aftermath, Teddy remembers it half like a dream.
They follow their instinct to hit the ground, dragging at those they're trying to hold onto as soon as they hear gunfire. Maybe sooner even, in that crack of ozone and light. They shout to others, scrabbling to try and find their friends, to see if anyone's hurt, to protect.

The flashes of incendiary and muzzle and of Academic magic, the shouts and pleas and grabbing hands and smoke become a haze of indistinguishable noise. Pushing, shoving; people falling or being grabbed -- eventually, they're all separated by one thing or another. Even if Teddy has a general idea, they're too far to keep a hold on.

Someone, face hidden in the folds of a Solvunn Elder's cloak, shepherds him and a few others away from a Thorne guard, but the earth itself has begun roiling under them. As Teddy, in a very basic desire to trust someone, reaches toward the Elder, they stumble, pulled into the widening cracks of the crater.

The cloaked figure, reaching, disintegrates before Teddy's horrified eyes.

She tries to scrabble to her feet, to see if she can help -- to push the Abraxans away from the cracks, to grab hold of those around her. For a moment or two maybe she succeeds. But only a moment: it's like trying to surf with no board, and she's knocked backward herself, wind and earth whipping up around her, gravel thrown in her face.

In the chaos, they can almost see glimpses of their home between the whirlwind they find themselves in. No, their domain...? It becomes clearer, until it's there with him, in the eye of the storm: real as anything. People are still shouting outside the winds, the earth is still collapsing and rising all around -- but momentarily, her feet find purchase. Solid ground, in that strange mashup of West Virginia and Kentucky: the smell of early-spring plants, of rain on dirt path, ice-cold brook; the clear sight of her porch and its swing --

Then it's gone, and they're standing in what looks like a winter-bare, possibly dead, forest. Alone.