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abraxaslogs2025-04-12 11:57 am
abraxasmods) wrote in abraxaslogs2025-04-12 11:57 am
Entry tags:
- !event,
- aloy; the hermit,
- alucard; the hierophant,
- annabeth chase; the high priestess,
- astarion ancunín; the wheel of fortune,
- carmy berzatto; the magician,
- cassian andor; the tower,
- cidolfus telamon; the hanged man,
- cirilla of cintra; the devil,
- claude von riegan; the wheel of fortune,
- geralt of rivia; the hanged man,
- hilda goneril; the lovers,
- himeka sui; the fool,
- iris black; the hanged man,
- istredd; the high priestess,
- jesper fahey; the wheel of fortune,
- jonathan crane; the magician,
- julia wicker; the tower,
- kyle; the hanged man,
- lord john grey; justice,
- lucifer; the devil,
- matt murdock; the tower,
- nadine cross; the world,
- nanaue; the fool,
- nero (dmc); the chariot,
- prince wilhelm; the tower,
- rocket; the chariot,
- steve rogers; the hierophant,
- teddy roberts; death,
- thancred waters; strength,
- the doctor; the fool,
- thor odinson; the fool,
- viktor; death,
- wanda maximoff; the hanged man,
- yennefer of vengerberg; the chariot
EVENT #24: RESOLUTION - IC LOG
Event #24 - Resolution
News of the increasing tremors across Abraxas soon reached the minor territories. Though Nocwich, the Feywilds, and the Nether are more insulated from the effects of the Singularity, they'll feel it, too: intermittent quakes that knock books off of shelves, cracked foundations in old buildings, and large tidal waves that swallow ships and boats into the ocean, destroying coastal buildings.
By APRIL 16, it's clear that something worse is coming. The air in the crater hums with electricity, the ground shaking. For weeks, quakes have spread throughout the region, all emanating from the ancient relic. As dawn breaks on APRIL 18, the sun rises behind the solid stone structure, a shadow of a shadow stretching long across the desert.
As the territories struggle to maintain order, the very fabric of reality itself begins to shatter.
If you have any questions about specifics for this event, please don't hesitate to ask. Because the world of Abraxas is so large, and because so many of you have had your unique plotlines, we are not able to provide every possible detail all in one post - but that doesn't mean we don't have those details to share!
Part 1: Convergence
Within minutes, Abraxas watches the world peel away like old paint. A vendor in Aquilla falls through a shard beneath their feet that reflects the deep ocean of Earth; a Royal Guard in Thorne is swept up into the vacuum of space. What doesn't fall into the shards falls through them, dropping landmarks, creatures, and familiar faces onto a quickly unraveling Abraxas.
Between the fragments of Abraxas's reality, a dark fleshy substance presses through. A raw, meaty film stretches across a myriad of undulating limbs, wet with a thick milky goo. It pulses with the beat of a racing heart, eager to break free but unable to squeeze through. Where it can manage, bone-like tendrils sprout up and wide in any direction, appearing like blackened trees after a devastating fire. Through them, the pulse of life can be felt and seen as the "bark" shakes with each heartbeat.
Veins slither forward from the pieces of reality and encase the Singularity. One by one, multiple shards, large and growing - the source of all things - appear around the Singularity. Through them peer the reflections of another world, turned upside-down but most certainly recognizable to those once torn from their homes: a glimpse of a great modern city, the interior of a spaceship, the stretches of an ancient dark road.
Between the fragments of Abraxas's reality, a dark fleshy substance presses through. A raw, meaty film stretches across a myriad of undulating limbs, wet with a thick milky goo. It pulses with the beat of a racing heart, eager to break free but unable to squeeze through. Where it can manage, bone-like tendrils sprout up and wide in any direction, appearing like blackened trees after a devastating fire. Through them, the pulse of life can be felt and seen as the "bark" shakes with each heartbeat.
Veins slither forward from the pieces of reality and encase the Singularity. One by one, multiple shards, large and growing - the source of all things - appear around the Singularity. Through them peer the reflections of another world, turned upside-down but most certainly recognizable to those once torn from their homes: a glimpse of a great modern city, the interior of a spaceship, the stretches of an ancient dark road.
While smaller shards can appear and disappear across Abraxas, catching unaware Abraxans in their wake, the primary "canon world" shards are only in the crater. These are the ones that must be closed, which only the Summoned can reach.
Return
Across these shards, the Singularity's tendrils stretch beyond imagination. No mages are required this time to break down these barriers. Instead, the shards themselves can be seen from the other side, too, frightening passersby as they glimpse another realm amid destruction.
Regular people cannot survive going through the shard. If anyone is curious enough to try and enter Abraxas, they will disintegrate immediately. But the previously Summoned are different. They can willingly enter if they choose. And, in cases where they don't, the Singularity's instability might force them through regardless, opening a shard up at their feet and dropping them back into a world they thought they had left.
Returning Summoned will only remember they were once in Abraxas after the shards breach their canon world. Once the veil has dropped, the memories will come flooding back - and they will realize that the place they temporarily called home, however long or brief, is now in trouble...along with those they left behind.
Regular people cannot survive going through the shard. If anyone is curious enough to try and enter Abraxas, they will disintegrate immediately. But the previously Summoned are different. They can willingly enter if they choose. And, in cases where they don't, the Singularity's instability might force them through regardless, opening a shard up at their feet and dropping them back into a world they thought they had left.
Returning Summoned will only remember they were once in Abraxas after the shards breach their canon world. Once the veil has dropped, the memories will come flooding back - and they will realize that the place they temporarily called home, however long or brief, is now in trouble...along with those they left behind.
Because each Summoned is unique, please don't hesitate to ask us about your character's return if you're unsure how it might work for them!
Converging Realities
The reflections of another world are not the only thing breaching the fabric of reality. You realize, with dawning horror, that the pieces of a previous reality entirely shaped by your mind - the Horizon - are pushing through into the physical world...and some of them belong to you. A friendly sheep you created as a friend might bound out of the crater toward you. A monster you trapped in your psychic basement tears through a small village. Pools of lava from your special corner in the Horizon set fire to a flowering shrine.
But that isn't all. Some of you who have been here longest might recognize the portion of an enormous stone labyrinth that emerges through cracked shards the desert. As the light hits them, the walls of the maze shift between gritty granite and glass, flashing iridescent colors. Should anyone approach the reflection, they will find themselves at the entrance of the maze or lost somewhere within it.
Others of you will recall the same sickly-sweet smelling goo that shrouds a tower of oddly stacked containers. Bits of the substance leak out of the shards, staining the sand they land on.
Long ago, you might've suspected that these were the domains of the Gods. Now it's clear that that's exactly what they are: sections of the Horizon, just like yours, belonging to those who carry the potential to ascend.
But that isn't all. Some of you who have been here longest might recognize the portion of an enormous stone labyrinth that emerges through cracked shards the desert. As the light hits them, the walls of the maze shift between gritty granite and glass, flashing iridescent colors. Should anyone approach the reflection, they will find themselves at the entrance of the maze or lost somewhere within it.
Others of you will recall the same sickly-sweet smelling goo that shrouds a tower of oddly stacked containers. Bits of the substance leak out of the shards, staining the sand they land on.
Long ago, you might've suspected that these were the domains of the Gods. Now it's clear that that's exactly what they are: sections of the Horizon, just like yours, belonging to those who carry the potential to ascend.
Across Abraxas
All across Abraxas, particularly throughout the major territories, chaos reigns. Officials struggle to retain control of their population, no longer able to effectively direct their citizens as panic sets in and destruction is wrought over the land.
Kingdom of Thorne
In desperation, the forces of Thorne are attempting to siphon off magical energy in hopes of at least slowing the encroaching threat. While the artifacts and spells they have on hand were not designed for this particular purpose, they are making do.
The real push comes not from Thorne's castle but from Nott. The current High Mage, Mace Hemmet, is inexperienced in the face of such an unprecedented crisis. As a result, Ambrose Rhett steps back onto the stage, once again. He knows more about the Singularity than any mage. It's time for the former High Mage to come out of hiding.
Lord Veda fully supports Ambrose, lending the strength of Nott's forces behind him and offering whatever is needed. Even shelter and supplies for castle mages sent to battle the rifts and a promise to work hand in hand with the castle's forces. Meanwhile, King Rudolph Sidwell - himself more of a soldier than a scholar - returns to Borrel to be with his men. Against his advisor's counsel, he travels out to sea in one of Thorne's warships to rescue sailors trapped under the roiling and shaking ocean at great risk to himself. Queen Lia is thus in charge, and she sees the value in inviting both Ambrose and Lyle Veda back to Castle Thorne.
The real push comes not from Thorne's castle but from Nott. The current High Mage, Mace Hemmet, is inexperienced in the face of such an unprecedented crisis. As a result, Ambrose Rhett steps back onto the stage, once again. He knows more about the Singularity than any mage. It's time for the former High Mage to come out of hiding.
Lord Veda fully supports Ambrose, lending the strength of Nott's forces behind him and offering whatever is needed. Even shelter and supplies for castle mages sent to battle the rifts and a promise to work hand in hand with the castle's forces. Meanwhile, King Rudolph Sidwell - himself more of a soldier than a scholar - returns to Borrel to be with his men. Against his advisor's counsel, he travels out to sea in one of Thorne's warships to rescue sailors trapped under the roiling and shaking ocean at great risk to himself. Queen Lia is thus in charge, and she sees the value in inviting both Ambrose and Lyle Veda back to Castle Thorne.
The Free Cities
Already mistrustful of magic, citizens in the Free Cities are gripped by a multiplying fear. Some believe Thorne is responsible for what's happening, while others grow angry that the end has now arrived due to Marlo's inaction against the Singularity as promised.
Prime Minister Marlo Reiner is in a frenzy. The only thing keeping her from utilizing every resource at the Free Cities' disposal - tested or not - is the calmer head of Quilleth Kaur. It's no secret among the upper authorities of the desert region that the two are closer than simply friends or fellow politicians, and Quilleth remains close by Marlo's side in Portam Hall to present a united front.
Curfew is reinstated. Massive generators are carted to stations along the outsides of the walls to defend them against unknown threats from beyond this reality. The cacophony permeates the desert - a loud grinding of mechanisms and the crackle of New Magic that drowns out everything else. Soldiers patrol at all hours, a rotation of everybody available and able. Outposts and mining operations are treated the same, ringed, and defended as best as possible. Trade and travel between the cities halts.
All the while, the Free Cities' population becomes increasingly restless. They expected to be better protected by their advanced technology and armies - and it's clear that their government and soldiers have let them down.
Prime Minister Marlo Reiner is in a frenzy. The only thing keeping her from utilizing every resource at the Free Cities' disposal - tested or not - is the calmer head of Quilleth Kaur. It's no secret among the upper authorities of the desert region that the two are closer than simply friends or fellow politicians, and Quilleth remains close by Marlo's side in Portam Hall to present a united front.
Curfew is reinstated. Massive generators are carted to stations along the outsides of the walls to defend them against unknown threats from beyond this reality. The cacophony permeates the desert - a loud grinding of mechanisms and the crackle of New Magic that drowns out everything else. Soldiers patrol at all hours, a rotation of everybody available and able. Outposts and mining operations are treated the same, ringed, and defended as best as possible. Trade and travel between the cities halts.
All the while, the Free Cities' population becomes increasingly restless. They expected to be better protected by their advanced technology and armies - and it's clear that their government and soldiers have let them down.
Solvunn
The normally placid Commune is more divided than ever. Having fostered a deep devotion to the Gods for centuries, extremists and fanatics sing the praises of the end times. Some take to proselytizing the centers of towns and villages or along roads about how the end of this world will bring them together with the gods. Fervent prayer is common no matter the level of faith, and the oldest shrines see an increase in pilgrimages. Some people scatter themselves in earnest, while others hide away in their homes.
As reality crumbles, the most fervent believers begin to throw their most prized possessions into the reflections to be one with the Gods, whether it be material goods or loved ones. Fights break out between families and neighbors, clashing over true devotees and fear for the safety of others. The Elders try to mitigate, torn between their duties to the Gods and their fellow man.
Isar Hart is rumored to be a true believer, but he stands beside his friend and current Head of Council Rowan March. They call for all Solvunnites to return to the Primary Settlement to "take this hallowing moment in reverence. Meanwhile, without a direct call to action on the Gods' behalf, Edda Hagen, despite her recent appointment, is scarce - though some report seeing her on the roads late at night.
The Commune is in chaos.
As reality crumbles, the most fervent believers begin to throw their most prized possessions into the reflections to be one with the Gods, whether it be material goods or loved ones. Fights break out between families and neighbors, clashing over true devotees and fear for the safety of others. The Elders try to mitigate, torn between their duties to the Gods and their fellow man.
Isar Hart is rumored to be a true believer, but he stands beside his friend and current Head of Council Rowan March. They call for all Solvunnites to return to the Primary Settlement to "take this hallowing moment in reverence. Meanwhile, without a direct call to action on the Gods' behalf, Edda Hagen, despite her recent appointment, is scarce - though some report seeing her on the roads late at night.
The Commune is in chaos.
Part 2: Doorways
As reality splinters further, it becomes clear that the answer lies in the epicenter of the Singularity's crater. Unlike previous crises, there are no officials or territory leaders that will guide the Summoned or make requests of them. Instead, it's up to you to figure out what to do. Logic dictates that one should approach the Singularity to determine the next steps.
A certain God will chime in - and he might be worth listening to.
A certain God will chime in - and he might be worth listening to.
Due to the thinning veil between the mortal realm and the domain of the Gods, the Summoned can now communicate with the Gods through the Network. Using the information they learned from the minor territories last month, plus the knowledge they've gained regarding Abraxan magic throughout their time here, characters can come up with a solution.
We'll outline the solution for players to know OOC, but this does not mean characters can't have doubts or concerns. However, for the sake of moving the endgame plot to its conclusion, the majority of characters should believe it's their best chance to prevent further destruction despite the risks.
RESPOND TO THE GODS HERE.
We'll outline the solution for players to know OOC, but this does not mean characters can't have doubts or concerns. However, for the sake of moving the endgame plot to its conclusion, the majority of characters should believe it's their best chance to prevent further destruction despite the risks.
Coming to Terms
As you work together to gather what you know, it becomes clear that the only way to stop the Singularity from overwhelming not only Abraxas but all worlds, is to permanently seal the shattered rifts - which, according to what you know, will require at least some of you to remain on the other side of the rifts while others stay behind.
The spell must be performed during the lunar eclipse taking place tomorrow night. Everyone will have a brief 30-minute window to perform and complete the spell using various runes learned from the Gods, the Fey, and Solvunn. You're told that you may need to channel an immense amount of energy, so much so that the process could leave irreparable, lasting effects upon you and your soul.
You cannot receive assurance of the outcome. While all sources indicate that this method grants you and the universe the highest chance of survival, it's unclear what the impact will be on you and your friends. You'll have to take that risk if you want any hope of seeing the next sunrise.
The spell must be performed during the lunar eclipse taking place tomorrow night. Everyone will have a brief 30-minute window to perform and complete the spell using various runes learned from the Gods, the Fey, and Solvunn. You're told that you may need to channel an immense amount of energy, so much so that the process could leave irreparable, lasting effects upon you and your soul.
You cannot receive assurance of the outcome. While all sources indicate that this method grants you and the universe the highest chance of survival, it's unclear what the impact will be on you and your friends. You'll have to take that risk if you want any hope of seeing the next sunrise.
A few Gods may fill in the gaps for rifts that do not have a Summoned willing to go to that canon world. For some of you, it would be possible to stay in Abraxas while one of the Gods takes your place. Remember, too, that the person stepping into a canon world does not need to originate from that world. The process only needs someone on the other side.
Defining Fate
You and the Summoned gather into the crater, now expanded many miles in all directions. It's evident that the crater is safest: here, the quakes do not affect you, and though the rifts continue to fracture and shatter, the creatures emerging do not seem interested in attacking anyone within the crater - only outside of it.
Having learned you must wait for the arrival of the lunar eclipse, there is little else to do except spend time together. Perhaps it's a blessing in disguise. You have time to make your decision. You can say your goodbyes. After all, even if this works as intended, some of you may not be with each other tomorrow. And, if it doesn't go as planned...you'll want to get anything off your chest you haven't yet shared.
Having learned you must wait for the arrival of the lunar eclipse, there is little else to do except spend time together. Perhaps it's a blessing in disguise. You have time to make your decision. You can say your goodbyes. After all, even if this works as intended, some of you may not be with each other tomorrow. And, if it doesn't go as planned...you'll want to get anything off your chest you haven't yet shared.
Things will be relatively quiet at the Singularity's crater to allow characters to have any final moments they wish to have together. They may use the Network to communicate or speak to each other in person! Once the lunar eclipse arrives and they proceed with the plan, there will be no turning back and no time for long discussions.
◎ The spell itself is simple: you copy the runes from the research you've done, drawing them around the rift itself. How you do so depends on the power you possess. You can paint it, etch it with a weapon, use a magical design in the air, mark it using a floral pattern, or so forth. You're drawn naturally to the method that feels most intuitive to you and the power you wield.
◎ Once drawn, you must reach into yourself and channel the power that connects you to the Singularity. Physically, you may experience the following symptoms: a splitting headache; feeling as though you're torn in half or your soul is rendered; an overwhelming rush of emotions; or all of the above. You might feel you can sense the very universe crying out.
◎ The longer you persist, the less certain you are that you will survive the process unscathed. You can try to stop, of course...but at a certain point, you'll be too late and the power continues to flow from you regardless.
Closure
Flashes of light pulse with the closure of each shard. You hear the crackle of glass as the rifts are crushed and reformed. The ground shifts and shakes in every territory, the night air vibrating with chaotic power. This could be everything...or it could be the end. For a terrifying moment, you don't know which.
Your body is suspended in an abyss, a reminder of your entrance to Abraxas. You feel once more a light and the oppressive water around you. As the world stitches back together, the veins on the scorched trees shrivel and crumble to dust. The trees turn to ash.
The eclipse passes. The night is calm. Most significantly, the relic that cast its shadow over Abraxas for thousands of years has vanished. The crater is empty. There is no more Singularity. Yet, Abraxas still stands.
As for you - that's another matter. In your quest to restore the universe, what has become of you?
Your body is suspended in an abyss, a reminder of your entrance to Abraxas. You feel once more a light and the oppressive water around you. As the world stitches back together, the veins on the scorched trees shrivel and crumble to dust. The trees turn to ash.
The eclipse passes. The night is calm. Most significantly, the relic that cast its shadow over Abraxas for thousands of years has vanished. The crater is empty. There is no more Singularity. Yet, Abraxas still stands.
As for you - that's another matter. In your quest to restore the universe, what has become of you?
😭
[ As if he'd had any control over this or no longer being able to return to the homes they've built here - and more importantly, as if he'd ever dream of finding any reason to get rid of Jesper. Even for the shift into seriousness Claude's made over the past few days, it's good to find that joking still isn't out of reach even if it's misplaced. Even if it's also not particularly amusing, and it's not something he follows up with anything else like he might've at any other time.
Instead he leans into that arm around his shoulders in the same instant he wraps his own arm around Jesper's waist to tug him closer still as they lean on each other here with the weight of everything around them. Claude draws in a deep breath and then hums while turning over the other man's words. ]
You've hit upon the exact thing I'm feeling. Well, that and that we don't entirely know what'll happen for all of us staying.
[ The same for those leaving - and while he's far from superstitious, Claude doesn't want to speak that thought aloud. For now, anyway; for those choosing to leave he'd never stand in their way when the important thing is there is a choice there. Still, the next smile he shoots up to Jesper is on the wry side. ]
But we'll be here together for whatever it is, and I wouldn't change that.
no subject
[ Jesper's always good for a joke even at the very end. He'll be joking until his last breath, whether that's in the next day or in sixty years from now. He really hopes it's the latter, it'd be nice to hope for decades of working on the commune with his lovers, and gray hair for each of them. But he's an optimist. He knows what he wants to hope for. ]
To any of us! But think about it, if all goes well, we'll have saved several worlds. We'll be heroes! That'd be funny.
[ He's not the hero type, as far as he's concerned. Jesper's a screw up and a rogue, or at least he was before he came here, and then he became - gross - respectable and honorable. Still, the title of a hero would be something he'd boyishly use to crow about his own achievements, while secretly not thinking he should actually get the title. But it'll be true. They're risking a lot to save worlds. Everything.
Jesper reaches out with his free hand to caress Claude's cheek affectionately. ]
If we do live, what do you think is next? Are you going to help your handsome boyfriend start a commune or run off on an adventure or two?
no subject
[ It's easier to focus on this hypothetical among all the other possibilities. There's too many unknowns - already his least favorite when it's a singular unknown but then to be multiplied is even worse - and whether any of them will be here to see the accolades... well. That's the biggest mystery of all as it draws ever closer to the time where they'll find out.
For now, though, it's enough to let his attention be pulled back to Jesper thanks to that affectionate touch. He'd glanced once more towards the Singularity as if it's going to reveal anything they haven't seen pass through the shards, including that glimpse of Derdriu he'd seen among the rest of the worlds unknown to him until friends pointed out their own. The smile on his face has some of that weight lifted. It's impossible for it to stay when Jesper's around. ]
Now that you mention it, an adventure does sound rather fun, and maybe one that's less life threatening than the rest we've been through. [ Rather than letting himself dwell on the shards any longer, Claude turns to face Jesper with an expression of (supposed) deep thought on his face. ] There'll be time for that later after everything gets settled first. Seems unfair to make you do all the work even if you look pretty good while doing it.
no subject
[ Jesper's come an enormously long way from where he started. He would have never thought of himself as settling down and planning to create a commune. It was Inej's idea but it'll be him who fulfills it, and he can think of no other way to respect the legacy she and his own father would put on his shoulders if they could. It makes it easier to let go of going back, knowing he's doing what they would want.
And knowing it's what he wants, to be here with the great loves of his life, and a future worth holding onto. Jesper turns toward Claude and smiles, putting his hands up over his chest and hooking around his neck, smiling down at him. ]
You know I've been extremely mature about everyone who is leaving even though I wanted to just about die every time. [ Goodbyes suck. But Jesper believes in people making their own choices. ] But I would've locked the three of you up somewhere until it was over. I'm not entirely selfless.
[ Sylvain, Claude, and Hilda are an entire other story, and he can't be mature all the time! ]
no subject
[ Goes with receiving all the accolades, anyway, since Claude certainly thinks Jesper's earned all of them and then some. Definitely without any bias involved! There's a second where he's tempted to utter something beyond cheesy - especially when the other man's smiling down at him like that which makes it all the easier to find the words - but not a second later he's glad he didn't (for now).
Better to save it for later since the goodbyes are hard. For as much as Claude derails moments all the time at his whim, this won't be one of them. ]
Goodbyes are terrible. You know, my plan for when I was going to head home after the war... I was planning on leaving without telling anyone much about where I was going. It seemed fair to me at the time since I knew it'd be an 'until someday' which made it less of a deal, though - [ with a wry smile - ] saying goodbye to so many friends taught me I might've been wrong about that one. So we can be not entirely selfless together, right?
[ While talking he lets his hands fall away from Jesper's waist where they'd rested to instead loop his arms around the other's waist instead. ]
That sounds pretty good to me.
no subject
[ Husband, for example, is one he'll be happy to have once everything settles down a bit more. Jesper has that to look forward to, along with a happy life with everyone in this place he sometimes hated, but mostly has turned him into the adult he is now. For better or for worse, he's married to Abraxas too. ]
We can be anything we want to be, Claude.
[ Jesper smiles and turns to face him, cupping his face and leaning down to kiss him. Knowing that this is going to stay helps him, because he waited a long time, and for it to be fleeting would've been a depressing reality. They may have picked a selfish choice, staying and building here, but it feels like it was the right one. ]
I think selfish on you is very sexy, to be honest.
no subject
Including this as Jesper turns to him and that smile's mirrored on his own face. An automatic reaction, but one he means unlike the many masks he'd worn before he hasn't reached for in some time. No need to, really, when contentment for this between the two of them as he returns that kiss despite what's looming overrides everything else. ]
Is it? Careful, I'm going to remember those words and you might just come to rue them when I remind you of your encouragement. [ He's partially serious. A grin stretches over Claude's face as he brings his own hand to cover the dear one resting on his face and to squeeze it lightly. ] Then again, some might say that's a particular charm of mine. I'd say it worked on you pretty well over time.
[ An exaggeration to go with it since there's no denying he was the one who took more time than needed to come around; Jesper's more than earned the right to tease him about it for all time. Because that's what Claude wants to believe they have - that the ritual won't be the end, but a step towards more time to come. ]
A good thing all the time we've about to spend together, though. I couldn't ask for anything better than that.