abraxaslogs | EVENT #7: THE SIGHT

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EVENT #7: THE SIGHT

Event #7 - The Sight

go to the OOC event info and plotting post

The night before APRIL 18, your dreams are disrupted by a vivid image of the same eclipse that occurred last month. The black sun seems to be an endless void in the sky, growing ever darker - until it suddenly opens into an eye that stares straight at you.

When you wake up, much of your night seems a blur except for the vivid dream of that eye. Whether you find it unsettling or try to ignore it, the image is something you cannot get out of your mind. If you ask, you will discover that none of the locals of your faction saw another eclipse. Speak with your fellow Summoned, however, and you may learn that while there was no eclipse that formed over the world, you were not the only one who had this dream.

Of course, dreams don't need to mean anything. You can't feel or see any immediate effects, and nearly everyone around you is going about their day as usual. Maybe you should do the same.

The Awakening

It might happen that very morning or a day or two later. You could be discussing the dream with a fellow Summoned or perhaps you simply brush shoulders with them as you walk by. Whatever it is, as soon as you make brief physical contact, one of you is struck with a sharp pain in your temple that grows into a terrible headache. It's disorienting and painful as the world around you shifts to someplace you may or may not recognize. Like an old film reel, you watch the events of the past play out before you: the past of the other Summmoned. It might be something they would rather hide, a moment of failure or despair, or something they are immensely proud of and brings them great joy - or even a jumble of several images over the course of a person's life. But you see it as if it were real and right in front of you all the same. When you come to, you'll likely find yourself on the ground or bent over, possibly with one or more people around you to see if you're okay. It'll take you a bit to gather your bearings, and the subsequent pounding in your head could last from minutes to hours.

Or, maybe you aren't the one who receives the vision. Instead, as you watch, another Summoned might grasp their head and crumble in front of you. They may go silent or groan in pain. They'll be impossible to shake out of their stupor until it's over. If you ask what happened, they may be inclined to tell you the truth - that you, you were what happened to them.

Or, if your Arcana signs happen to line up in a specific way, you'll see each other in the shared memory itself. You may also find that for certain Summoned, you can help soothe the effects, calm their emotions, or help draw them out of the memory before it consumes them for too long. It's not entirely clear what determines which effect, but one thing is for certain - within each memory, every Summoned as they appear in the past seems to wear the mark of their Arcana somewhere on their person.

For some, they might experience this only once. For others, they might experience it multiple times: with the same person, with several other Summoned, or with a different memory each time. Over the next 7 days, you'll find the Summoned around you are all receiving a glimpse into each other's past, as if the Singularity has awoken an eye within each of you.

Flee for the safety of the Horizon if you want, but you'll find that in there, it's much the same. In fact, inside the Horizon, the other Summoned don't even need to be anywhere near you - just existing in the Horizon space itself together will be enough to possibly set off a headache-inducing vision.

The Factions

What has occurred between the Summoned will not go unnoticed within the factions. While it's difficult to say how faction officials have picked up what's happening, it'll be obvious they do know.

In THORNE, characters will be asked to remain in the castle walls until further notice. Characters will not be allowed to leave the castle grounds, not even to go into the surrounding city, and anyone who is already outside will be requested to not leave again as soon as they return. If asked, they will be told it's for their own safety, given the Singularity is behaving unpredictably and the Summoned have a unique connection to it. Soothing potions and healers are on hand to offer assistance, if anyone is particularly suffering from ill effects.

In the FREE CITIES, characters will find the army by the outposts show more activity than usual. A higher number of guards will patrol the streets throughout the event, particularly in areas frequented by the Summoned. Anyone who publicly and visibly experiences the effects of the memory share (pain, doubling over, etc.) will be offered assistance by the guards. They are generally there to help, but they are also there to maintain order and ensure anyone behaving erratically due to this incident is properly contained. This might include confinement for a day or two if anyone is especially posing a risk, but no one will be punished except in the most extreme cases, as the locals are aware this is not within the control of the Summoned.

In SOLVUNN, the locals will be watching what's happening with a mixture of trepidation and curiosity. Host families and neighbors will be on hand to help with charms meant to offer protection, as well as general care and assistance (soup, blankets, and so on) if your character seems to be especially under the weather or afflicted by the event. Towards the end of the event, more elders and mages will be out and about to check up on the Summoned to make sure they're doing okay. If asked, the mages will say they aren't sure what's going on, but that they are currently divining with the gods and hope to have a definitive answer soon in the upcoming days.

None of the factions appear to be doing much more than keep a watchful eye on the situation - but as the week comes to a close, officials will start making a decision as to what they want to do and how to handle the Summoned who have demonstrated this unforeseen connection to the Singularity.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Jesper would really like to stop feeling like his brain is going to snap off and roll down the floor. He shouldn't be in the Horizon if he wanted to avoid it, but nothing really feels safe. He lets Anakin help stabilize him, it's not as if it matters whether they're touching in here, it won't make it happen here, or stop it from happening.

"Clearly. It was giving me flashbacks to every political conversation about the warring nations in my world that I've just walked out on." He had that luxury! Ravka and Fjerda were trying to kill each other, and Kerch more or less hung out in the background. Inevitably, if Fjerda won he would absolutely be hunted down and murdered, so he was somewhat aware of the situation, but not enough to get involved.

"Why are all politicians the same? They've got these very condescending vibes." He hates politicians, and in his case, merchants are the politicians, and they're definitely annoying. Except for the one he loves.

It takes him a moment to form his rebuttal, floundering in the wake of someone criticizing the Chancellor from the outside. Anakin had never really gotten that vibe from him, Palpatine had always been supportive of him, offering him help where he knew the Jedi couldn't- or wouldn't.

"Most of them are, but he's not like that. He's just very critical with good reason. The Jedi were only going to destroy the Republic." If only he'd seen that sooner and not played into the hope that the war might be over soon. "He's supported me when no one else would and didn't try to squander my potential."

"The Jedi and the Sith both sounded really shady, I'll give him that. You always have to suspect people who claim to be selfless and pure, that's not really how people actually work. No one is that good." Jesper believes that absolutely, he is automatically predisposed to being suspicious of the overly good. There are people who are genuinely decent, he knows a few of them himself, it's just the extremity of it that's the problem. Flawed good folks are real things, but a group actually fully selfless? Nah. He can't believe that.

Jesper's a mercenary, a thief, a rogue. He's surrounded by people worse than he is in Ketterdam. He knows how things can be. "In my experience, most people are somewhere in the middle of good and evil, leaning one way or the other, but extremes are rare. Why would someone have to be a Jedi or a Sith? Isn't there a middle?"

Anakin sighs, dragging a hand down the side of his face. "It seems easier from the outside looking in. From the beginning, you're taught that there is only the Light side of the Force and the Dark side. That only those corrupt with power or emotions such as anger and hatred are weak enough to use it. The Jedi were meant to be the peacekeepers of the galaxy."

The further the culling of the Jedi gets behind him, the more solid in his belief that he did what was needed. That the galaxy was better off without them. He'd been disillusioned with them for a while, but Anakin has had the space to analyze everything. As much as he's allowed himself to, anyway.

He shakes his head in dismay. "If there were, it wasn't something spoken about. There's no middle ground that I'm aware of- it is only Light or Dark. It's-- that doesn't feel like the case in Abraxas."

Jesper makes a face. "Being angry is part of being a person, there's no one in any world that has never been angry before. If there are ... they're an outlier. Emotions are natural." It doesn't sound like it is healthy to be one or the other person. Never feel anger when anger is just a feeling like any other? Yikes. "I mean, yes, probably don't go on a murder spree when you're angry, generally not a great idea, but just feeling it isn't weak."

After a moment he shrugs, crossing his arms, chuckling. "Well, what do I know. If it's weak, I'm weak, so be it." As if it bothers him. Jesper doesn't have the energy to care all day every day about this type of thing. He lives in the moment.

"Maybe the people in your world are assholes, mate. Do you really feel like you're only one or the other?"

Just don't go on a murder spree. Well, that's too little, too late. His expression is briefly affronted before the conversation quickly moves on without him. Anakin shrugs at the question, considering it before speaking.

"I don't know. I thought I knew what was right and what I should do. I know I wasn't the ideal Jedi they wanted, but I think I was fooling myself at the end. My faith in them had been shaken for a while."

He knows that probably doesn't answer Jesper's question, but it's complicated.. And why should it be against the teachings to feel things like love or hate? They're powerful feelings. What's wrong with feeling powerful?

Jesper raises his eyebrows at Anakin. "Well sorry if this question is obviously stupid, I am new to all this, but why didn't you just quit? Were you their prisoner? If you don't like a job, you should always be able to walk away from it." To him it sounds like a job. Obviously it's more of a calling, to be fair, this is far bigger than a job, but he didn't seem like he was a prisoner either.

"I stayed with a job longer than I probably should have ... because I loved the people in my gang, and I didn't know what else to do. I didn't know what else I'd be good at, and that's been a pain in the arse here, let me tell you. So I'm not saying it's easy." To start over. To be completely different from who you thought you were. But it's still an option.

"I'd been with the Jedi since I was nine. There wasn't much else I had, and saving the galaxy by stopping a war was a big motivator." He'd liked it, despite how long the Clone Wars dragged on and what little rest there had been between campaigns. Being The Hero With No Fear had always been a point of pride for him.

"I thought about it a few times. Moreso when they made a decision that went against everything they touted. The Jedi were meant to be peacekeepers. I think that stopped being true the longer the war went on." It feels like Jesper is describing him- didn't know what else to do, what else he'd be good at.. He's always been good at fixing things, but how could he walk away from a prophesy so big? Anakin has always known deep down he was meant for something bigger. He believes the Jedi were only a stepping stone.

"Wow, I knew something was ringing familiar." There were a few key words he put together and now he wonders how many things people have in common here. If they really do take people because they're similar. "You have special abilities. A group takes you from your family when you're young, trains you how to use them, and makes you into a soldier for their cause, right? And you believe in them, because you were a child and they brainwashed you into thinking this was the only life. Maybe you were even grateful to them for it."

Ahhhh, a life missed by a paranoid father and being in the right place. Jesper does not have a high opinion of Ravka, which is unfortunate as his friend Nina absolutely loves her country and her people, despite what he believes very good reasons not to. "That was my fate, if I hadn't been born somewhere harder for them to find their child soldiers." And it's not as if Jesper had an incredible other path, to be fair. "My life might have been shit at times, but I was free. I was always free."

When put like that, he can't find it in him to argue. He opens his mouth to retort but snaps it back shut. His own situation had been different, but what about all the other younglings taken from their home because of their Force sensitivity?

"When I was still with my mother, I always dreamed about becoming a Jedi. I always insisted I would be the first one to travel to every star and come back and free all the slaves." Neither of those things happened, and the Jedi always insisted they couldn't get involved with the Outer Rim's way of life. Something that's always sat rotting in his chest about them. How was that not something they should interfere with?

The business with Zygerria had proven enough they don't give a damn unless it suits their needs. "It had felt like freedom. Or what I'd expected it to be like. Really, it was only a set of chains exchanged for another."

"What, they weren't on board rescuing slaves? Seriously, these are the good guys?" Jesper doesn't consider himself a particularly good person, but he sure as hell would help rescue slaves without question. "My friend was a slave. Before she came here, she was about to go out on a ship with a mission to find slavers and free all of the people they'd taken, like no one ever did for her. We were all behind her, and we're not even the good guys."

Criminals and thieves, actually, but not on team slavers, so he feels rather confident that they were on a more righteous path than these Jedi people. "Honestly, it sounds like both sides just wanted to use your power, mate. What did you want for yourself?"

"They were always hesitant to mess with the affairs of the Outer Rim but contradicted themselves when it suited them. Slavery ran rampant in the Outer Rim and that was fine, but a planet in the Mid Rim's citizens vanishes in a potential enslavement and then they care! And why not send in the Jedi who may have a problem with slavery and get him and the Padawan he's responsible for involved while simultaneously telling him to just let it go into the Force like that's supposed to erase nine years of bad memories."

Anakin lets out an angry huff before looking at Jesper with his brow knit in irritation, an embarrassed flush on his face. "I-- sorry, that was uncalled for."

He does take a minute to consider what he'd really wanted before he'd jumped into the deep end. "I think I'd have wanted to walk away, to not have to hide my marriage or be made to feel like my attachments were wrong. I'd have wanted my Padawan to not have been thrown into the middle of a war like I was?

Jesper wasn't even involved in the situation and he thinks Anakin's frustration and righteousness is completely valid. "There's nothing to be sorry for, you're right. The fact they took you from slavery because you had useful powers and not because it was the right thing to do says a lot, if you ask me." It means if Anakin wasn't a Jedi, they would've left that kid in slavery without a second look, and anyone who would do that, it's questionable, that's all Jesper's saying. Suspicious! There are people in Ketterdam who believe in slavery, obviously considering Inej's situation, and they're the bad sort.

"I'm not saying everyone has the right to go around telling other countries what to do, but I feel like there are lines even someone like me knows." Jesper is not a good guy; he's not a bad guy either. He's a criminal, and he knows that, thus the self-awareness.

He nods at what Anakin says, tilting his head. "That really doesn't sound like much to ask for yourself, right? I don't know what a padawan is but the rest seems reasonable." Jesper thinks wanting to be openly married is what most people would probably want in that situation! Why else bother with one? "So now you've got neither of those groups trying to mess with you. What do you want for yourself here?"

Anakin leans against a piece of wreckage, arms crossed tightly over his chest as he's forced to rethink everything he's ever known. Right from the beginning, he was told that he was special, and could be part of this Jedi prophecy.. If he hadn't been, it wouldn't have meant anything. Would Qui-Gon have bothered upping the wager or just taken his parts and left Tatooine? It makes his blood boil to think too deeply about it. He scowls at the ground, scuffing at the dusty area with the toe of his boot.

Sighing, he forces himself to look back at Jesper and at least try to maintain politeness in the wake of his stormy feelings. "I've seen firsthand how very little effect politicians have on forming a unified front. In my experience, they're only out for their own interests. A padawan is a learner, as a Jedi, you live in the temple and hone your skills until you're chosen by a Jedi Master to be taken on as a pupil. I don't think I was ready to be a teacher, but I wouldn't take it back."

Ah.. That is a little less clear to him. At first, he shrugs a shoulder.

"I want to be closer to my grandson. I want to have friends that have nothing to do with my previous life. Other than that? I don't know. I can't say that I have very lofty goals. Maybe see about building something, I could use a project."

"In my experience, you're correct, although the city I'm from we have a merchant ruling class. And if there's anything worse than politicians, it's politicians whose sole purpose is making more money." So of course none of them have the best interests of people behind them. In a way, it's more upfront. Royalty and armies in other countries who pretend that they mean well or they have patriotism, but in Ketterdam it's about greed. It's also why the gangs and criminals have such a strong hold in the city. "But they're honest about it, at least. They don't wrap it up in pretty lies."

Jesper nods, okay, he understands that. "An apprentice. Not wanting them to be in a war seems like a good instinct for a teacher to have." He knows apprenticeships in terms of learning skills. You're supposed to care (vaguely) about someone you're training, as far as he knows.

"Seems like all you have are friends who will know nothing about your previous life here." So he's got that covered. Jesper looks around though with a faint frown. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but your Horizon is a bit depressing. Don't you want it to be a little more comfortable?"

"You'd think that, but with the Jedi, it's always duty over personal feelings. It was 'never our place' to interfere even if it would have been better for everyone. Part of me thinks they wanted the war to last as long as it could. It gave them purpose in a war we had no business being in."

He sighs, scrubbing his hand through his hair and over the back of his neck. "Yeah.. That's a relief, isn't it?" Anakin blinks, looking at Jesper and then around to his domain. "Too dramatic? Kinda felt right after coming here, but I'm not sure what I'd want from there. Got all I need." The little droid scuttles over with a series of beeps and whistles. When he's close enough, Anakin gives him a pat on the top of his domed head. "Isn't that right, buddy?"

"I don't know, it sounds like there are still personal feelings involved, it's just different people who get to decide what feelings matter enough to go to a war. So you've still got a ruling class situation." So this group of people had their own monarchs or whatever, typical. Nothing new under the sun, just different names for the same kind of thing. Jesper wonders if that should be reassuring.

"Well it's a bunch of wreckage and the weather looks terrible. And the throne doesn't even have any cushions, doesn't it hurt your arse?" Jesper has designed other people's Horizons at this point so apparently, he's decided he's a decorator. This isn't the first time he has commented on the drabness of someone else's design, it isn't personal. "You could make the weird bubble room here, that looked more comfortable." Though he hopes there's no creepy old man attached. Yuck.

Jesper's attention is wholly taken away by a droid, something he's never seen before, and he absolutely gasps in delight. "What is that? Is this a mechanical pet? That's a thing?"

"No, it's not quite like that. It's complicated. The Republic is a democracy." A democracy that the Jedi were trying to overthrow, but one nonetheless.

He considers Jesper's suggestion, looking around his domain in thought. The opera he'd only been partially paying attention to might be a bit complicated in his space if only because he's not sure of the mechanics. Anakin grins at his excitement and gives the droid an affectionate pat. "This is R2-D2, he's an astromech droid. They're responsible for ship repairs and automation. He can do practically anything from taking control of the ship to navigation or communication. Even repairs mid-battle."

The little robot trills in a series of beeps and whistles.

"What's a democracy? We've got a bunch of monarchs, a merchant ruling class, minister ruling class." Jesper was born and raised in Novyi Zem which is a much more open-minded place than anywhere else. They mostly wanted to do their farms, let Zowa/Grisha live comfortably, and be left alone by anyone else. He didn't pay attention to government though there, the ministers were all he knew, and then Kerch was full of merchants.

He may be in love with the concept of a mechanical pet. Or a droid, whatever this thing is called. Jesper kneels down to be more level with R2-D2, tilting his head back and forth to try and get a look at it. It looks so compact and a little unwieldy. "Machines that can think?" This is far above his understanding. He understood a little more, seeing Shepard's spaceport, but it's still so much more than this.

He puts his hand on the droid and a Fabrikator pulse goes through his fingertips. It's not dangerous and would not even be noticed by anyone, if they weren't able to feel it like a droid would be. It's gentle, searching, curious. Like if a telepath was reading a mind, only it's Jesper reading physical matter. He just wants to know what types of metals there are, although this is in a fake reality, so it might not matter. "That's so much wiring, how does it not break?"

"In a democracy, the people are meant to decide who leads, but it doesn't always work out so great."

He's more than happy to move on to better conversation, especially about the intricacies of droids. Anakin grins, happy to explain. "It's not exactly thinking, they follow commands and can do simple things. I'd even go as far as to say they have artificial intelligence. They're programmed to do certain things but can learn others. Our buddy here specializes in ship repair and maintenance, but he's pretty much capable of anything we set him to. If you think he's cool, just wait."

Waving his hand, he makes another shape appear nearby. This droid is humanoid in shape and the metal a bright gold. "This here is Threepio. I built him myself." Seeing they have a visitor, the droid politely introduces himself.

--Greetings! My name is C-Threepio, human/cyborg relations. And you are?--

"I'm not sure that's any better, people are generally stupid."

Jesper doesn't know the right type of government nor does he care to, because he's just a nobody mercenary from a gang island. His one brush at getting involved with politics was because they had no real choice and he had to keep his friends alive. Otherwise, he'd happily stay out of them.

"I sound like my friend Kaz, he's very negative about humanity." Jesper on the whole prefers to be optimistic, whenever possible! But he still does think people aren't very smart, as a whole. Individuals, sure, but groups, nah. He is far more interested in looking at these mechanical creatures.

Jesper stares at the bright gold humanoid-looking machine and grins, standing up to look at little closer at C-Threepio. It speaks! Not in whistles or beeps, in real words. "I'm Jesper Fahey, C-Threepio, aren't you a marvel?" He is so interested in the little details, things probably people from Anakin's universe rarely pay attention to. The way parts are together, the writing below.

"You made a live machine?"

"Too many people have their own motivations despite what they say. That's why the system will never work." Anakin huffs out a laugh. "Perhaps it's easier to believe the worst in people because even the best people can disappoint you."

Standing up, he gestures for Jasper to interact with Threepio, who seems absolutely delighted to talk to someone else.

"Yeah, I started building him when I was nine. I've always been good at building things.. I was initially building him to help my mom. I took scraps from the junk shop when I could and salvaged other things from pod racers that didn't work out."

"I think all people have ever done is disappoint him. Even me, a few times." Jesper smiles wryly at that, but it's the absolute truth. He can name a few of them off the top of his head right now if he had to. "I don't think there's a perfect system out there, though. This democracy included." But systems of government will always exist, so it is what it is!

"Nine! That would mean you're the marvel." Jesper winks at him. "He must've been interesting as scraps in his original form because he's very shiny now." He looks like gold and Jesper loves gold. He knows, obviously, it is not made of gold, he'd be able to tell, but he thinks the droid very pretty regardless.

"And that's part of your powers? The building robots?"

Anakin ducks his head under the praise, rubbing his neck with a gloved hand. "I've always been good at fixing things. When I got him back, it wasn't the best cover job, but it worked. I think he appreciated the upgrade, though."

He looks back up and looks between R2 and Threepio. "Not really, that's just a skill. Anyone can do it with the right mentor and time. My powers are different. There's a lot I can do, and the Force helps me do it better."

"They're both beautiful, just like you." Jesper winks at him because he can't help it, that's his nature. And he means it too, he's beautiful, the droids are beautiful, he's having a great day right now. Yes, he had a horrible headache and saw a weird bubble play with a creepy old man, but Jesper's mood shifts quickly from bad to good. He's easy-going.

"There's a lot I can do with my powers too." Jesper raises an eyebrow, a little cocky. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

EVENT #7: THE SIGHT

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back from vacay! hi

hello there!

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