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abraxaslogs2022-04-16 10:46 am
abraxasmods) wrote in abraxaslogs2022-04-16 10:46 am
Entry tags:
- !event,
- aerith gainsborough; the sun,
- alucard; the hierophant,
- anakin skywalker; judgement,
- castiel; the hanged man,
- cirilla of cintra; the devil,
- commander shepard; judgement,
- dean winchester; the lovers,
- diana prince; the empress,
- edelgard von hresvelg; the emperor,
- garrus vakarian; justice,
- geralt of rivia; the hanged man,
- gideon nav; strength,
- goro; the chariot,
- harrowhark nonagesimus; the magician,
- hendrik; death,
- himeka sui; the fool,
- jaskier; the sun,
- jasper; judgement,
- jayce talis; the magician,
- jesper fahey; the wheel of fortune,
- jordan hennessy; the moon,
- julie lawry; the wheel of fortune,
- kell maresh; the magician,
- kylo ren; the tower,
- link; strength,
- nero (dmc); the chariot,
- princess zelda; the high priestess,
- rey; the star,
- rhy maresh; the lovers,
- ronan lynch; the moon,
- sam wilson; justice,
- shuten-douji; the devil,
- thancred waters; strength,
- thane krios; death,
- viktor; death,
- wanda maximoff; the hanged man,
- yennefer of vengerberg; the chariot,
- zhou zishu; strength
EVENT #7: THE SIGHT
Event #7 - The Sight
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.
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.
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.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.
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.
no subject
Throttling it out of him requires more time and energy than Zhou Zishu feels like expending at the moment. Instead, he gives his zhiji a more than slightly exasperated look and peels one of the hands off his shoulder to press the fingers against Zhou Zishu's own pulse point instead. ]
Who's beating who here, you irritant? I'm not dying.
[ Well. No more than usual. ]
no subject
He's supposed to be meeting him half way. Even though it leaves a knot in Wen Kexing's stomach, he knows he should at least try to step away from the Valley Master's cruel hold on his own heart and try to give back some of what Zhou Zishu gave him.
He sighs loudly, checking his pulse point carefully for signs of irregularity before he lets him go. ]
What did you see?
[ After all, he was asking, so he must have seen something. He isn't sure how to address his own vision. He has a hundred questions about it, but where to begin? ]
no subject
A vision. Something to do with you.
[ Something real? Something his mind invented? Zhou Zishu has never been the most imaginative, but it isn't that difficult to guess at some things, with what he knows of Wen Kexing's history.
But it had been so vivid. ]
no subject
Eh? What do you mean "something"? A-Xu, are you feeling all right? You'll tell me if something is wrong, won't you?
no subject
Tell me how your ascended your throne, Valley Master.
[ He doesn't sound frightened, or horrified. Mostly just firm and expecting an answer. ]
no subject
Zhou Zishu was never meant to see that.
He's not ashamed of the past. That revenge was well-deserved, and he has no doubt that the leader of the Tian Chuang is well acquainted with violence, but certain things he never wanted to share. Knowing and seeing are two very different experiences, and part of him selfishly wants to preserve the good memories of Zhou Zishu as clean and better. Someone detached from the horrors of the Valley and his atrocities. He wants to avoid looking at him, but it's already too late for that. ]
You've heard of how ruthless the Valley is. There is only one way to rise up.
[ I'm not sorry. He forces himself to stand still, accepting the conversation as much as he can bear it. ]
They're only ghosts. It doesn't matter if we tear each other apart or even eat each other, right? Only the worst ghost can become the Valley Master.
no subject
When he finally speaks, his voice is slightly softer. ]
I know. [ What more can he say? Wen Kexing did what he had to. Zhou Zishu had screamed it into the face of an angry immortal and he'd do it again. Does he wish Wen Kexing had never had to, that he hadn't experienced whatever had driven him to that sort of revenge? With all his heart.
But he has enough regrets of his own. Lest Wen Kexing somehow think his hands are any cleaner. ]
Your technique could use work.
no subject
A man like that didn't deserve to enter the underworld in one piece. If it was sloppy, then at least it was as painful as possible. And when he went, I hope he was unrecognizable.
[ He doesn't try to hide the bloodlust behind his words. Wen Kexing would have preferred that Zhou Zishu never knew the full extent of his deeds in his rise to power, but if he's seen what Wen Kexing has done, then there's nothing he can do. The mess he left the old master as is undeniable.
But if Zhou Zishu really saw that... ]
A-Xu. Are you sure it was me you saw?
[ After all, he hasn't given any details. Could it have been a mistake? There are countless rumors about what Lunatic Wen has done. ]
no subject
The question, however, earns a mildly wry look. ]
Who else? [ As if he wouldn't recognize his own zhiji, no matter what state he's in. But he shakes his head slightly. ]
That's not something I would imagine. Not of you.
no subject
What wouldn't the Ghost Valley Master do? Now you know. There is nothing.
[ He's shaming him. Wen Kexing can't help but feel he's managing to taint another good memory by revealing this side to Zhou Zishu. Whatever the man had imagined him as, seeing it was destroying part of that image. Selfishly, he hates that.
Of course he can't be Zhen Yan again. But is it so much to ask to allow Zhou Zishu to still look at him with hope and belief? He hates that too, but... he wants it. ]
What about you? A-Xu, you wouldn't hide anything from me, right?
[ It's unfair, yes, but he's always unfair. ]
no subject
Do you think that matters to me?
[ The question is mild, despite the intense focus on his face. He knows who his zhiji is. He's never cared.
And then he finds himself blinking once in genuine surprise. ]
What would I be hiding?
no subject
But all Wen Kexing can think as he sulks before his zhiji is how unfair it is that this man always manages to shield him at every turn. Even when he isn't looking! ]
When I came to find you at the capital, you had me worried. I thought you were in terrible danger. But actually you handle yourself very well.
[ Instead of the usual rage and madness, Wen Kexing huffs. ]
Why didn't you tell me?
no subject
What did you see?
[ He can't imagine why he'd be bringing it up now otherwise. But there are any number of things that could actually mean, and Zhou Zishu is not in the habit of giving away more than he has to without some basis. Pure habit. ]
What should I have told you? You saw me after. [ Handled himself well perhaps, but he'd still come out of it with a few more holes than he'd started with. ]
no subject
Of course I saw you! I should have killed every last one of your pathetic pursuers. I only refrained because it was your past.
[ It was Zhou Zishu's business what happened to what he left behind, but now Wen Kexing is having some serious regrets. The one time he wasn't impulsive and irrational! ]
A-Xu. You tell me what happened.
no subject
[ There's a thread of exasperation winding into his tone, if only because he doesn't know what Wen Kexing is actually searching for. It's obvious he wants something particular and equally obvious he's going to dance around actually asking it. ]
My cousin and I argued. I crippled him and ended up in the Tian Chuang dungeon for a while.
[ He's still not entirely certain how long it was, not that it likely matters much. ]
no subject
I'll kill him. Why didn't you tell me? I'll kill him for you.
[ He says that darkly, without the exaggerated tone he usually takes. ]
Someone like that shouldn't dare touch you. He shouldn't have spoken to you.
no subject
[ He lets himself be pulled in without resistance, even if he does roll his eyes extravagantly. Things are starting to make a bit more sense, however. ]
Is that what you're so upset about? That he called me zhiji?
[ It hadn't worked out that well for him, but Wen Kexing will be Wen Kexing. Zhou Zishu will let him fuss for a moment if only because it's an unusual situation.
He's not entirely sure Wen Kexing didn't see what happened in the dungeon, either. That would certainly send him into overprotective mode. ]