EVENT #24: RESOLUTION - IC LOG

[abraxasmods]

Event #24 - Resolution

OOC Event Log

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

When the lunar eclipse arrives, you must act quickly, each of you locating the correct rift. You'll have had time to identify each rift the night before, so navigating there should be easy, to a degree. As the eclipse takes over the sky, you begin to experience a powerful rush of energy from the Singularity that makes it difficult to breathe and blurs your vision. While you can fight through this, it'll take all of your strength - and relying on your gifts from the Singularity will help.

◎ 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?

Comments

Formal Goodbyes/We're Staying!

[magicalarchaeologist]

If anyone asks, Istredd will tell them that he plans on staying. He will have any final conversations in that time in between decisions. He will check in on those closest to him and talk to them whether they go or stay.

During this last act, Istredd will appear as his god self, made of starlight under his skin and taller and with giant wings on his back. After the rifts are closed, Istredd will be ascending to godhood and missing in action for a few days afterward as he adjusts to his life.

[Please message me here or on my plurk/discord at theskyisnew to talk about final threads. They can begin right here.]

[carmesi]

Wanda is, unabashedly, a lot more distraught at the realization that she will have to bid goodbye to Istredd; of all the people she has met here, the empathic connection between them, his solid stance in what pertains to magic—

Time is limited, right now, and Wanda finds him, not quite solitary, but on his own, under the shadow cast by such an important night for all of them, as they await the lunar eclipse.

Her expression breaks before her voice even has a chance to, words beholden to her tongue, leaving her speechless for a moment. Still, she walks up to him, even as he's noticed her, unable to keep her eyes on him, emotion too heavy.

She aims for what's always come natural, with him.

I heard you're staying.

[magicalarchaeologist]

Saving the world is a heavy experience but he did not expect it to come with heavy losses. Putting his life on the line, he will do that happily, but what it means for the people who are leaving to do it, that he isn't prepared for. Yet here it is. And there is nothing he can do about it. Tomorrow there will be less of them after all this time together.

He feels her coming and she doesn't have to say out loud what is happening because he can feel her heavy feelings. Istredd turns toward her and he is not so proud as to avoid shedding tears at the realization. Wanda has been like a sister to him, one of the mind and of the heart, and this is a shock. He reaches out to take her hand.

Yes. There is nothing for me anywhere else, and my loves are here.

Lucifer and Yennefer have no intention of going, and Istredd will not go anywhere without them.

I thought you would stay. Haven't you found something here? Matt. Purpose in Solvunn. A pact with a god. Friends.

[carmesi]

All Wanda can do, as she gets closer to him, is shake her head and to try and memorize the warmth of his hand in hers—the warmth of this connection between them, one which came so easily.

They are all doing what is best for one's personal journey, but it's so, so bittersweet. At least she knows that Istredd will have happiness here.

I did.

Find something—people, purpose, reasons to live.

...but her future is beyond this world, to something once-familiar, to a place where she could, potentially, find herself anew, as someone of no consequence to the world neither by who she was foretold to be nor by her magic. Her eyes well with tears, and she draws closer still, pushing herself against him into an embrace, as the solidity of her choice becomes so clear to her.

The promises made to me... they can't be kept here. This is home, but I — I can't stay.

Because home beckons, in another world, in another time.

[magicalarchaeologist]

Istredd has found happiness in Abraxas on every possible level. He's led a difficult life from a difficult sphere, and going back would have been the worst case scenario. Luckily no rift opened up to the continent or they might have struggled more about what to do, but as a group, they can stay safely.

Istredd turns and catches her when she pushes against him, pulling her into a warm full embrace. He holds her tightly, arms wrapped around her, and now the tears come. It's hard to know when something is right for someone else but still suffer the pain that comes from it. He used to be embarrassed when he expressed strong feelings, but this is not the time for that.

I grew up with many other students, but none of them were truly family. I learned about family from you, Wanda, and the others I've come to love.

He avoided connections out of fear of loss and here it is, but he doesn't regret it. She can feel in him that he doesn't regret a thing about it.

I will always cherish our time together.

[carmesi]

This really is like coming of age; of leaving the next, forging one's own path. So long had they focused on sorting this mystery of the Singularity, of surviving every strange occurrence, that they had never once considered the option of returning as a choice. And now that it is a choice, it comes with grief and pain, and the certainty of memories that will be the only proof that this had not just been a dream, that this had happened.

That some of them will never see each other, again.

"You're family to me, too," she mutters against him, pulling away from the empath connection between them, because these are words that need to be said, to be put into existence. "Why — does it hurt, even if I know this is the right choice?"

Leaving, that is. This is the first chance she gets to say goodbye, not to dead bodies, but to living, loved ones—so why does it hurt so?

[magicalarchaeologist]

"Goodbyes always hurt. Even if done for good reasons." Istredd's had his share of them over the years, with the humans he came into contact with over the decades, with the work he did on the continent. He became closer to the people he met than those he grew up with, so bonding is not entirely new, it's allowing himself to truly care that is new to this sphere. He wanted to protect himself from exactly this, but he can't find regret in him.

"It's likely we'll never see one another again. And usually people don't want to choose that with the people they love." People want to hold onto those they love as tightly as they can. This is supposed to be the opposite of what you do. Let go. He wants to hold onto her, that this can't be the end, but it's not likely he can lie to himself about what is possible.

"I love you very much, my sister. And there will not be a day that goes by that I don't hope you got everything you deserved."

[carmesi]

Wanda's hands tighten against his clothes for just a moment, his words holding a lasting impact on her. That they'll never see each other again, that goodbyes are meant to hurt, that she is so very loved, his sister.

At least, this time, she gets to choose; she gets to go, knowing that there is a future ahead, for them both. This is a choice Istredd has made, and he is not one for making light of choices.

"You, too," she says, through the heavy knot in her throat. Pulling back a touch, she glances up at him. "I'll never forget — all you've done for me. All your lessons."

Albeit few, he taught her so much about herself, by accepting her. She has grown in many ways, and some of that is certainly thanks to him.

[ushiri]

Goodbyes are strange for Kyle. In his own world, in his old life, he drifted in and out of other lives like a ghost. And here - departures had always been abrupt, someone vanishing in the night or between hallways. Some returned, most never did.

With no rifts to their own worlds appearing, it would have become clear to both of them fairly quickly the decisions they would each make - they'd talked around and about the topic enough in the past year. This was never going to be a surprise, but it doesn't make it any less bittersweet.

"I have something for you."

They've been watching the Singularity from a relative distance. It looks nothing like it once was, nothing like the Gates he knows - and yet looking at it, he can't help thinking about the issusha'im. It frightens him, and he knows that whatever decision they make for themselves - this might not be survivable.

[magicalarchaeologist]

Istredd has been good at accepting the things that happen to him. He comes from a place where you have to, where wishes about what could be or what you hope for, it's pointless in the face of reality. They have to close these rifts and to do that, people must be on both sides. That is simply how it is. And Kyle has wanted to go, this was never supposed to be his forever. He's following his heart again, this time to a time and place that he cannot come back from.

It hurts. All of this hurts. Istredd lost his family and it's happening again, but at least this is some illusion of a choice. Still. He is hurting. Internally bleeding. They don't know what will happen next.

"I didn't know I had to have a goodbye gift ready." It's a forced joke, but he attempts a small smile for Kyle.

[ushiri]

He laughs, just as strained. He knows how much he hurt Istredd back when he told him his plans to leave Thorne for the Free Cities. At the time, he expected it wouldn't be for months before he made his escape - only for the Singularity to send him there much sooner. He's glad that they had the time in the Nether to see each other again, even if they didn't know that it might be for the last time.

"I only just thought of it, so -" he shrugs with another faint smile. Having made his decision quickly and needing to make few preparations, he had some time to slip back to his domain - traveling has been much easier as everything collapses around them.

From inside his cloak he removes something, opening his palm to reveal one of the crystal berries from the iron tree that grows within the temple.

"If all goes well, my domain will be gone. And I know gardening is more of your partner's thing but - I thought maybe you could plant this in yours."

Maybe it would persist, even without him here.

[magicalarchaeologist]

There was always the possibility that any of them could disappear one day and that was hanging over their heads, but this is a sort of permanence that could not be wiggled around. And it's a choice. One without a guarantee. He's not concerned for himself, but for people leaving, it seems more daunting, crossing spheres like that.

Istredd reaches out and takes it, looking at it in his hand. He knows what it's from and nods to himself, swallowing hard. "I'll find a place for it. The library could always use some decoration." He could put it in the main hall, maybe, or right outside. He'll find a way to keep it there. Little does he know now, but when he's ascended, part of the Horizon will be a giant iron tree, forever a symbol of Kyle's presence in this world.

This is not a situation where controlling emotion is easy, even for him, who is usually good at seeming level and calm. Istredd reaches into his bigger-on-the-inside bag for a moment and pulls out one of his many, many journals. "I don't know if you can carry this, but." He offers it over. "These are all my notes and drawings on the Thorne Summoned who have come in and out of this place." Istredd's kept details on them over the years so he doesn't forget them. "Perhaps it will remind you of us, when you have too much time apart."

[ushiri]

Kyle knows better than almost anyone else here how dangerous it is to cross the White Space between worlds. If they're not torn apart passing through the rift, they might arrive on the other side broken in mind, body, both. They might lose their memories, fail to secure the rifts from the other side and doom them all. But he will risk it to follow Viktor, so that he doesn't fall into that solitude again.

He smiles when Istredd takes the berry, trusting he will find a way to keep it safe - and maybe see it grow. Having already said he has nothing prepared, Kyle is surprised when Istredd hands him the notebooks. There's a look that says are you sure? but he supposes these must be copies, Istredd would keep all this information safely stored in his library.

"I have room," he says, holding the journals under his arm. He's brought little but that which he can carry on his person. His grin turns wry.

"Besides, I'm used to being able to cross worlds and keep all my clothes... I think Thorne was just very bad at their ritual."

[magicalarchaeologist]

Istredd's copied everything he has, it's foolish to keep only one version. His library is full of what he's learned from Abraxas. But he wants Kyle to have some kind of memory of all of this. If he ever starts to forget the details, he'll be able to remind himself. Maybe it's just insecurity that leads him to think anyone could forget, but it's just in case. It's something of his.

He smiles faintly. "They all were." Everyone shows up naked but beyond that, Istredd's always been skeptical the spell was the way it should have been. Every time they used it was foolish. But right now, he can't find it in him to mind, given all the people that showed up in his life. And the people leaving it.

Istredd's face falls and he sighs, bolstering up his inner strength to get through this next part. "This may be the last time we speak, Kyle. So let me tell you that I love you dearly, my friend. And you will never leave my heart."

[ushiri]

His smile turns sad, knowing. Kyle wonders what it could have been like to stay, if he could be certain he wouldn't be granted godhood - those who ascend will have to watch the others grow old and die. That would be difficult too, he thinks.

"And I'll keep you in mine," he says, stepping forward to embrace his friend for the last time, the finality of it all seems to hit him then - like a crushing blow to his chest. If they survive, their plan could still fail - the doors could remain locked, or too dangerous to interfere with again. He knows all this, and he holds his hope to himself.

"I know you'll take care of everyone - but promise me you'll take care of yourself, too."

This, he knows, Istredd is not good at.

[assembles]

It's odd to see Istredd like this, if Steve is honest. It's a stark reminder of the fact that those who opt to stay here might end up ascending into godhood, just like that strange vision they all experienced, but Istredd is calm. At peace. He seems to have made up his mind to the point that some of those features are already manifesting for him.

Steve, on the other hand, remains pure flesh and blood. Enhanced, yes, but he's exactly the same as his first day here, and that's how he wants it. He's also made up his mind, and while the future is uncertain for both of them, at least they've decided.

In the quiet of the crater, Steve steps over to Istredd, giving him a quick once-over. He can't just ignore it, frankly.

As he gestures up and down with a wave of his hand, he asks: "When did this happen?"

[magicalarchaeologist]

As Istredd used more and more of the Chaos in his veins, which could ordinarily kill him, he noticed changes. The stars under his skin, and for right now the wings are not physically solid but they are visible as illusions. They'll grow out of him in time for the completion, he's still changing as he embraces more of the power the Singularity is pulsing into the air.

Yet despite that his physical body has altered, his mind is clear. When he first ascended in the vision, it took over a century before he started to disengage from humanity, and this has been minutes. It's still Istredd, exactly as he is, even if visibly he seems disconnected. At Steve's question he looks down at his arm, turning it around to see the stars mixing underneath his brown skin. He should be concerned but he's not.

"When I began to copy the runes for the ritual." Istredd volunteered to work on those, obviously, this is his area of expertise. "They're powering us."

wildcard; crater pre-ritual, after all their other goodbyes

[thedevilwhorose]

He's going to do the ritual.

Of course he's going to do the ritual. He needs a world for his body to exist on. He needs a reality to exist in.

But it's not fair, and he knows Istredd agrees.

Sure, they could be happy for their friends going off to different places to be with different people when it was in ABRAXAS. But to another reality? Another plane of existence where they don't even know the laws of those planets or have any way to still communicate when they're so used to having an innate connection via the Singularity?!

It was concrete Fact that Istredd and Lucifer were staying. That would be Truth even if for some reason their partnership had fallen to shreds at this juncture. But here, still, they are a unit. A force of insurmountable, unholy, power. Quaking beneath their skin is more, remembered, waiting to burst. An echo whispered from a time that existed but didn't exist, amplified and nestled between their minds.

It would be adrenaline-pumping thrill if it wasn't for just how many people were leaving them.

He's kept his thoughts not exactly blocked from Istredd more than usual, but there's been almost a mesh over their usual-crafted scenario. They both were not doing The Best with interacting with their people. It's only when Lucifer finds Istredd before the eclipse, tired and drained, that the mesh is drawn back.

What's left is simmered anger, discourse, and two threads woven thickly together: one of empty sadness, and the brighter silver gossamer thread fueled by the unparalleled knowledge that Istredd remains, and Istredd isn't going anywhere.

"This will be a piece of cake," he says about the ritual, like there isn't a discordant harmony synergized between them with their distress.

[magicalarchaeologist]

Istredd used to avoid emotional connections because of this particular type of pain that was associated with it. He felt it was better to stay apart from people, that his work and his focus was to be used for research and bigger picture concerns. When at its heart, it was just about someone who feared loss on a level he wasn't able to cope with. Yet here he was without his walls. They tore them down one by one until he loved, until he found a family that hadn't tortured him first, and while losing the Brotherhood tormented him for a time, it was nothing compared to this.

Saying goodbye was carving a piece of his heart out each time. He wonders if it would've been easier if they were just gone, like it happened sometimes here, if there was no chance to truly sit in the feelings of people choosing to leave him. For their own reasons and betterment, sure, but still, it felt very personal. And that was those silly human emotions talking that he couldn't be high and mighty about in the face of them.

He understands that Lucifer is going through his own version of this and at least this is not going anywhere. He would tear apart the universe to keep his beautiful mind close, but it won't be necessary. It's them until the end, whatever that is. He's said the goodbyes now. It's almost time for them to act. And he does feel gaping emptiness where people once occupied.

"Easy. As you might say, a walk in the park." Istredd forces a smile because they both can feel how agonizing this is for them otherwise. He reaches out to take Lucifer's hand, threading their fingers together like so many times before. "I didn't try to convince anyone to stay. I wonder if I should have."

[techmaturgy]

Viktor is not surprised to hear that Istredd is staying; everything he knows about the Continent is that it's not necessarily a pleasant place. He's happy for him, really, and their imminent goodbye has him reflecting on the journey that brought them here. How valuable he's been, to Viktor's own work.

"It suits you."

The look of a god. Viktor, himself, appears as he always does--perhaps a sign.

"What are your plans now? Provided the ritual works?"

And they don't, you know, evaporate in the process.

[magicalarchaeologist]

"It feels right," Istredd admits, looking down at his own starry hands. "I didn't think it would happen again, as it was just a fantasy, but enough power can make them real." They were given the vision by a god, but it shed a light on a part of Istredd that's always been there underneath. Apparently when given that power again, he's blossomed similarly.

He glances over to Viktor. "Staying here. We're lucky that no rift opened to the continent." Then they might have had to talk about what to do to close it. None of them planned on leaving. "If we don't turn into dust, I am going to stay with the Draconae. They shared memories from the dragons with me, I have more questions." And to bond with the dragons closer.

"As for you, to home, I assume? And the rest of the universe if all goes well?" Istredd knows what Viktor's wanted.

[techmaturgy]

"I suppose I'm lucky that a rift opened to mine, then."

There's no rift to Basawar, either, which he knows is what Kyle wants. If the Anomaly works the way he hopes it does, though, they should be able to get back there anyway. Viktor allows himself to hope, because the alternative is unacceptable. He's come so far, and his goal is finally within reach. He won't let it all fall apart now.

"We'll go to Piltover, yes." Temporarily, anyway. "There's something there I need to collect, so...with any luck, this won't have to be a goodbye."

[magicalarchaeologist]

"I might have had to go back if one did, but thankfully, it didn't." The others were a family here, he wouldn't ask any of them to go. He is the odd man out of their sphere, and he would have felt honor-bound, despite the grim fate he had there. He wonders if there is some sort of kismet to it, that the gaps opened where they were wanted.

"You would come back here?" Istredd looks surprised. He assumed they would be leaving to greater spheres. He is disinclined to hope that this is not the last time he'll see them, as he's a little more pragmatic than that. "If so, it would be a delightful surprise. I would rather this not be our last conversation."

[techmaturgy]

This is what he's always wanted--a choice, for everyone. His only regret is that it's happening under these uncertain circumstances, not under his control. He supposes he's not powerful enough yet, for that. He's not sure he wants to be.

"If I can, to visit."

He doesn't want to make any promises, but he thinks Istredd understands that he'll do what he can, if the anomaly allows.

"And even if we can't, I'll find a way to send a message. To let you know we're all right."

[magicalarchaeologist]

"I would appreciate it. I'll worry." That is if they all survive, but Istredd feels somewhat confident about that. He has to, or he'll panic. It helps that the gods have reached out and become a part of this fight. He feels more confident with that type of power behind them. It is possible at the moment, filled with godly power himself, he's feeling that sort of confidence and surety that will stay with him after.

"I know you'll look out for them and do what you can." Kyle and Wilhelm are competent, and the boy in particular has worked hard to become who he is now. Istredd has been his teacher for years, he knows where he is now. "But I love them very deeply, and it is difficult to let go."