abraxaslogs | EVENT #23: CROSSROADS

EVENT #23: CROSSROADS - IC LOG

Event #23 - Crossroads

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.

Threaded | Flat

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

Plotting post here!

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

Plot with me here.

[ Open prompts below. Find plotting info here. Reach out at

demonology or demonology @ discord if you want to plot more specifically. ]

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

indech! )

[ 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! ]

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

[ ocean ➝ nether. ]
[ open and closed starters! hit me up:

communism, romanitas @ disco, or pms for more plotting. ]

[Coming soon!]

[coming soon]

Edited 2025-02-16 20:52 (UTC)

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.]

{ Starters to hopefully follow

muttonchops | poultrylegs @ discord }

Edited 2025-02-19 02:11 (UTC)

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!"

— 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. )

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....

[open starts for both event and wrap-up threads below. hmu at

wingedvoices or DM for any plotting!]

Threaded | Flat

Garrus Vakarian | Mass Effect | Justice

Alucard | Free Cities -> Thorne -> Forest

Kyle | THE OCEAN