EVENT #10: AFFLICTION - IC POST

[abraxasmods]

Event #10 - Affliction

go to the OOC event info & plotting post

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With tensions heavy across Abraxas and all the destruction that's happened, it's no surprise that the dark shadows which sweep over the land go unnoticed...at first.

Winds initially stir in Solvunn, where the influence of the Old Gods remains the strongest. Slowly each Herald infects Thorne and the Free Cities, as well. The Summoned are the first to feel its effects and are the most heavily impacted.

Though no one will realize it until well afterwards, Nocwich remains unaffected. After all, the Summoned don't reside there.

NOTE: This event will deal with themes of death (people and animal) and horror imagery.

Emergence

It begins sometime in mid-October, around the 18th. Not everyone will experience it at the same time. You might even believe you're spared until days afterwards when you're visited by an unusually vivid dream.

The dream starts the same for everyone: you are going somewhere, anywhere, walking to your bedroom or enjoying a stroll on the beach. You might be driving down a familiar neighborhood. Wherever you're headed, you eventually come upon a stone tablet engraved with your Arcana. Laid on the tablet are three objects:

◎ A dead moth trapped inside a wilted rose, symbolizing Koth of Festering Lands
◎ A teacup inside which sits a single nightshade berry, symbolizing Adlewyrd of Poisoned Tongues
◎ An ornate cracked hand mirror that contains no reflection, symbolizing Sannleikr of Many Faces

Make a choice. Something inside your soul will be drawn towards one of the objects. Maybe you spend hours in the dream deliberating, but sooner or later, you'll pick one of the items up. The moment you do, the other objects vanish and the chosen Herald appears before you. Where one might expect a god to seek subservience, the strange figure instead extends a friendly hand towards you - as though it's greeting you as an equal.

Whispered around you, you hear its name. Then it fades and with it the dream. You awaken.

Affliction

You go about your day as usual. That's when you realize something isn't right. Creatures and people around you behave strangely. You begin to sense that you are the cause.

Depending on your chosen Herald, you'll experience at least one of its afflictions. The effects might start small, then grow. They might rush you all at once. You can't shake what haunts you, though you can try. Spells, potions, and willpower can help keep the afflictions at bay but you won't ever be completely free.

As the afflictions seep into your mind, you start to find shadows of it following you: a dead moth here, a nightshade bloom there, a cracked mirror elsewhere. You may even wonder if it's following you in the first place. What if instead, you are the one leaving these signs behind?

Corruption

The first time you inflict your ability on someone else, you don't mean to. It might be a stranger, some unsuspecting soul, or it might be another Summoned. Regardless, the afflictions that ail you seem to spread through you into another. Someone falls down as if in the throes of an invisible death or secrets spill. You brush by someone and they're suddenly upset and confused.

The more this happens, intentionally or not, the better you feel. You may grow full of life and energy, gain a renewed strength of heart, or radiate a charm that turns heads and garners compliments. The afflictions haunting you could even start to fade or completely vanish. And if you use your newfound power deliberately? You'll feel better even faster for longer. Of course, these boons are temporary, lasting at most an hour or so. When the feeling wanes, you might miss having it.

You are not possessed. You can't control this power that spreads through you, but how you respond or behave is up to you. You could be attracted to the allure of power, enjoy the boons you are granted, or realize you can gain relief from your afflictions if you choose a victim. Not everyone will fall headfirst into the pull. Some are not easily swayed by power, some struggle to overcome their dark impulses, and others would rather endure their suffering than inflict it on someone else. But others still might succumb to temptation and turn on those around them with purpose: once, twice, multiple times. The choice you make is yours alone.

Blight

With the call of the Herald at your fingertips, the world around you twists. No one knows whether this stems from you and your newly imbued afflictions, or if the Heralds are exerting power on their own. It's for sure easier to think of what occurs as the influence of something monstrous beyond your control. No matter the cause, the earth is changed all the same.

Omens

The omens arrive shortly after the initial Summoned receive their dreams, but they don't come to every faction at once. SOLVUNN is first, being home to the Old Gods' shrines, before THORNE and the FREE CITIES follow only days afterwards. Depending on where you are, the omens will affect things a bit differently.

Solvunn

In Solvunn, the ground stirs. A desiccated hand breaks through the grass, a cloven hoof. Human or animal, they crawl forth, animated against their will. Some might attack, but most do not. At the same time, crops around the settlements begin to fail. Some chickens lay rotten eggs while cows produce spoiled milk. Any livestock that perishes overnight will surface in the mornings with empty eye sockets - pecked out by crows or gnawed on by rats. From a distance, the ocean can be seen bubbling as leviathans beneath thrash.

Worth noting is that many of the dead are concentrated around the shrines, especially the ones deep in the woods. They're too decayed to recognize, and some might not even move from the site, as though they are waiting for the earth to take them again...or as though they once chose to give up their life at this very spot.

Summoned can assist by helping to cast spells or place warding charms around shrines, farms, and gardens to protect crops and livestock. As a commune, the Solvunnites will share their resources as much as possible and would appreciate those who might lend a hand bringing supplies, herbs, and offerings to neighbors who are lacking. The Summoned can also brew a common herbal remedy to aid any animals who have fallen ill or to help purify the well water.

Free Cities

In Libertas, the dead buried under the rubble dig themselves out. More crawl forth from graves in Cadens' cemeteries. Beasts and bandits slain in the desert wilds rise, hungry or searching for the ones who killed them. At the same time, dead fish wash up onto the shores of Aquila while birds fall dead from their perch, dropping like flies from an unknown illness. Vultures and other scavengers begin to prey upon the eyes of the dead, leaving behind hollowed-out corpses.

Worth noting is that in the Badlands, a few very old and skeletal corpses rise with a metal plate or two screwed onto their bones, which are also oddly elongated. Only one or two make their way near the city. The army is quick to dispose of them before many can notice. They will not disclose any information about this and will claim these are just monsters like anything else.

Summoned can assist by going on patrol with the soldiers to put down any risen dead. Merchant caravans are also hiring escorts for their journeys. Additionally, they can help look through any received supplies and packages to make sure the food isn't rotting or worse, use a special dissolving compound to purify the waters, and donate staple food items to refugees and the less fortunate who can't afford the rising prices.

Thorne

In Thorne, the dead emerge only from the outskirts of the castle city. Thanks to information from one of their Summoned and their recent monitoring of the Singularity, Thorne was able to act swiftly and was able to ward any royal or otherwise significant burial sites. Graves and tombs of less importance, though, will not be protected in the same way. There are fewer encounters with eyeless corpses, though some animals might appear outside the castle in such a state. Normally extravagant dishes from the Castle's kitchens use simpler ingredients as they struggle to ration their food stores.

Worth noting is that a few unexpected corpses make their way up from deep under the castle in places beyond the dungeons. These are twisted and mangled, missing limbs, heads, fingers. The castle guards are quick to dispose of them before they get too far into the rest of the castle, but one or two may be spotted.

Summoned can assist by contributing to the wards around Castle Thorne and the city, using spells to put down the dead without mangling the corpse, and taking inventory of food stores. Further, in Nott the situation is more dire for anyone who is traveling there to continue assisting with repairs following the attack. Nott will welcome help with any problems caused by the omens. It'll be clear the kingdom has neglected the city somewhat. Thorne will claim the Castle takes priority, of course, due to King and Queen residing there along with the entire royal court.

Apprehensions

Across the factions, locals are beginning to catch on that something isn't right with you, the Summoned. No one will say it outright, but there's an air of caution and wariness around you where you go. Merchants might be quick to hand you your wares so you'll leave or locals give you a bit of space when they walk by. Chatty innkeepers are more reluctant to hold lengthy conversations.

Much of the time, it may not be conscious. The natives might simply sense something off that instinctually makes them want to put some distance between them and you. The only exception? If you've chosen Sannleikr of Many Faces, you'll continue to exude your charm towards people you encounter. At least for as long as you continue to inflict that ability you've been gifted.

Displacement

Everyone responds differently while in the Horizon. You might exert better willpower over your afflictions or you might feel its effects more strongly. It all depends on the individual and their mindset. Regardless, the Heralds are only one part of the equation. There's a much bigger disturbance going on.

It could happen as soon as you enter or it might be as you're stepping over the threshold into another's domain. Whatever the case, you are suddenly not where you're supposed to be. Instead, you're in one of two places depending: transported into a domain you never meant to go into or in a foreign setting altogether.

Visitation

Whether you're the one transported or someone teleports unexpectedly into your space, the Horizon becomes unpredictable for the next little while. Rooms normally locked to strangers, areas you yourself may not even realize exists - you and your fellow Summoned continue to pop in and out despite your intentions.

The effect isn't painful, just disorienting, like missing a step you didn't see or stumbling through a door into a too-bright room. The person whose domain you've inadvertently visited might sense an unwanted presence, whether they're inside the Horizon or not, or they may be completely oblivious. This will depend on the strength of their connection to the Singularity and the Horizon.

Not to worry. You won't be trapped or anything in these cases...unless the domain you land in happens to seal from the inside. You might stumble on secrets you weren't meant to find, though, locked away in someone else's mind.

Ensnared

The less fortunate will be pulled into a space that they've never encountered before. The bizarreness of it resembles the glitchy visions that flashed through a few months ago, but rather than an image flickering by, you are now inside the space itself.

Trapped between minutes to hours, you can't use the Horizon's creation magic as normal. Attempts will falter or go sideways: trying to fly out might cause you to tumble, tools and objects are broken or not quite right, wounds don't vanish or heal completely, etc. More significantly, you can't seem to send or receive messages through your connection. Anything that manages to come through will be garbled and distorted. It's as though the place you are in is just out of the reach of your control.

Luckily, you may not be alone. Someone else may have gotten lost alongside you. They might already be there when you stumble through or they might arrive after you do. They might even fade out sooner than you, unintentionally leaving you behind.

Eventually, you'll be released back into the Horizon proper, spat out in a random place in the Horizon. While you're stuck, though, you can try to survive, explore, sit and wait it out, or make friends with your fellow trapped partner. Each area has its challenges and quirks that you'll need to deal with.

Scenes to Explore

JUSTICE ◎
FULL IMAGE

High in the clouds, these snowy peaks are as cold as they look. Giant marble hands reach out, though their sheer scale means you might not recognize them as hands from up close. You can scale the mountain, but if you try to go down, the hands will flip the mountain, which sends you tumbling to the top again.

It's up to you whether you can be injured when you fall. Maybe the snow will feel like marshmallows, or you'll break a bone on the jagged rocks. No two experiences are the same. If you have a partner, they could end up faring better than you despite being in the same place.

Conjure some warm clothes or a log cabin even if you wish - they might not manifest perfectly, but it'll be better than nothing. At least the view's fairly nice...while the sun is up. A blizzard will come through by nightfall. With it arrives a strange hovering light that entices you or your friend to follow it into the frozen darkness. What draws you out depends on you. It could be a familiar voice, an image, or a simple compulsion. If you're lucky, the person with you is unaffected and can try to stop you. Or maybe you're the one desperately chasing after the other person?

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THE CHARIOT ◎
FULL IMAGE

From a distance, it's hard to tell if they're shipping containers or houses stacked atop each other. A gooey mess covers the ground below. Oddly, the smell isn't as unpleasant as the goo looks. It smells like bubblegum or cotton candy, artificial and sweet. When you first fall in, you might land inside one of the homes, on top of the stacked structure, or the ground. You can try to reach anyone else who's there with you, but be careful: the ooze is spreading. Climb if you must or move from room to room. If you don't keep moving, you risk getting sucked into its sticky mass.

Each block of a home is different. Some are furnished, whereas others are empty or filled with strange knickknacks. Some might even have subconscious creations spawned by you. Keep ahead of the gloopy substance, and you'll be fine, probably. Or you can try to fight it back or block its path by sealing yourself in a room or otherwise, which can slow it down significantly. Mostly, you'll have to hope you fade out before the pink mass completely consumes the landscape.

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THE WORLD ◎
FULL IMAGE

The hazy neon glow obscures a nothingness that seems to extend forever. In the middle of the wet ground are several stacked television sets with wires plugged into nothing. Inexplicably, there's also a cat. At first, it appears perfectly normal, but keen observers will notice that its behavior is on a loop where it will walk a certain path, pause at specific intervals to lick its paws, and meow at set points. It does not acknowledge any of its intruders. You can break its loop by picking it up, at which point it'll go limp as a ragdoll. As soon as you set it down, it'll resume its actions as before.

While you can see the same images as someone else on the screens, it's also possible you'll each see something different despite being in the room together. What you see is up to you. It could be an old fuzzy movie, home videos of your childhood, trivia questions you have to answer correctly, or even a memory or vision you wouldn't want to share. Words or faces taunting you could appear between staticky flickers, or maybe your very thoughts are projected onto the screens for anyone with you to read.

Break the televisions if you want, but given a few short minutes, they'll reform between one blink and the next. Looks like you'll have to keep watching until you're released.

---

THE FOOL ◎
FULL IMAGE

Sprawling and massive, you're unlikely to recognize at first that you're trapped in a labyrinth. Stone walls rise around you, and your surroundings are pitchblack. Manifest a torch or a flashlight if you can, though these will be prone to going out at inopportune times. Escaping over the walls will only send you into another section in the maze.

As you navigate the twisting corridors, you'll encounter any variety of trials and troubles: gaps in the ground, spiked traps, haunting whispers, monsters, decaying corpses. Some of these might've formed from your mind, others might've spawned from anyone else who's trapped with you.

If you aren't alone, do your best to locate your fellow Summoned. Voices do carry and echo over the walls, and there could be landmarks that help you find each other. Finding the exit, however, is another matter. Walk and climb all you want. A way out is impossible until the Horizon chooses to set you free.

Players can pick any scenario that interests them from the four choices above. Unlike the visions from before, characters can accidentally be trapped in as many of the scenes as you want, as many times as you want. Another option is that they can stay trapped in only one scene while a variety of characters fade in and out to join them, or some combination of the two. Choose what works best for your plans.

Each scene will once again carry an associated Arcana etched somewhere inside it, which can change from person to person or instance to instance. It might be on a wall, a table, or on the ground. Characters with a stronger connection to the Horizon are likely to be trapped for longer but the extent of this is your choice and it won't ever exceed a few hours. It's also your choice whether the afflictions continue to haunt them or not. If you want characters to deal with both problems while stuck together, you're welcome to!

Generally speaking, there are no restrictions other than that they won't be able to communicate with anyone outside the area, they can't escape it until the Horizon chooses to release them, and their creation magic will go wrong just enough that it'll make things tricky.

Comments

[gynvael]

[ Eddie talks, and Geralt makes no indication he means to interrupt nor that he's waiting to get a word in. A small pause follows, the kind that always seems to be there before Geralt says anything. ]

I'm difficult to bore. [ He can, in fact, watch paint dry. It's meditative. ] You're referring to after Nocwich?

[ He's prodding, gently, in part because he doesn't think the man means just Nocwich or the looming war or...whatever's been happening lately. Inside the Horizon, outside of it. Corpses and the rising dead. The strange corruption that's choked so many of their creations.

Either way, something about Eddie has caught his interest. Perhaps he's just looking for a reason to leave behind his own bullshit for a time. It is far easier to listen to someone else's troubles than the turmoil inside him that's been threatening to overflow for days now. ]

ensnared (justice)

[lightkeeping]

[Whether this is actually someone's Domain or not doesn't materially matter to Aloy--something is going on with the Singularity, and she's stuck here either way. Efforts to literally will herself out of this snowy mountainscape prove fruitless, and trying to descend the mountain itself only sends her careening back towards the top. Brute forcing gets nowhere fast, so in the interest of not standing around to freeze, she decides she's going to find the edge of this place. It can't possibly go on forever, can it?

She's starting to think that might be the case before she catches a glimpse of a human shape some distance away.]

Hey!

[He's the first person she's seen since arriving here, and despite the fact that in ordinary circumstances, she might want to try and tackle this alone, Aloy is quickly running out of options and isn't about to pass this up. Her clawstrider mount is functioning properly (for now), and though deep snow is not necessarily optimal conditions for such a machine, it's better than nothing. She quickly closes the distance.]

Is this place yours?

[If yes, she would like to have a Word.]

[itookashot]

Jesper's intentionally avoided Mag's Inn because he doesn't want to face Inej, but also he doesn't want to face any of it. He would rather keep hiding out here. It would be very easy to just run away, it's not as if Kaz can run after him, but he is so tired. He also feels like he's burning, not tired, so much energy running through him at the same time. It's very unsettling and then the whispers are in his head too.

When Kaz comes that close to him, he might be able to notice the shift. Jesper's gaze is wide and startled, but then they smooth out and there's a glimmer in them Kaz has never seen directed at him before. He might know it though, from Jesper's many affairs, the way he smiles as sweet as honey, challenge burning in his gaze. One terrible temptation to the next and it's changed because he knows now. He knows that Kaz wants him, despite the fact they can't touch yet. And there's a predatory glint to it.

He reaches out not to touch any skin but instead to place his hands on Kaz's shirt. Still only fabric, caressing up to his chest and curling in the fabric. There's influence in his voice when he speaks next, curling around them both. Touch can make it stronger, the dark whisperings on his voice now, the god's affliction underneath. "Don't be mad," he murmurs intimately, looking down at Kaz with open desire. Kaz is the one who closed the distance between them but he is using that.

"Let me make it up to you." This is not something Jesper would ordinarily do. He is really caught into dark emotions and temptations, the fact that he is a seductive and addictive person is simply amplified. But he usually knows better, especially with Kaz. He would not risk what was building between them, but all he can think about now is chasing another need, another desire. He is more susceptible to influence than more controlled people will be, a side effect of being so reckless and open. "You know you want to, Kaz. I don't need to touch your skin." His hands slide suggestively downward.

[itookashot]

[ There is no spa place for them to go to. The man did distract him successfully that one time, beautiful people are always an excellent way to do that. Jesper remembers looking at him in the hot springs, it's caught in his mind right then, one desire and temptation swapped for another. He flexes his arms underneath Sylvain's grip, smiling slowly. ]

And what do you need right now?

[ Adlewyrd's affliction goes both ways through touch and Jesper gazes down at him with warm and suggestive gray eyes. There's fever in there too, not a real kind but a mental kind, but he's always someone who burns with energy and charm. He changes tactics, leaning into Sylvain's grip instead of trying to get out of it. ]

Where do you plan on taking me?

[gynvael]

Geralt never hesitates in a fight. He doesn't now, exactly, but he can tell when he's facing someone who's seen their share of combat and when he's up against someone who can barely wield their own weapon. This feels like the latter. Though he knows better than to drop his sword, he makes the split second decision not to slice the woman in two.

Instead, he slams her into the ground, twisting her arm until there's a sharp hollow snap. The crossbow hits the dirt. It crunches beneath his boot, wood frame fracturing as he strides towards Nadine. He can see the the flame in her hand, small but visible. They're in Cadens, at least, where slinging magic is infrequent; the two men do not back off, but they do pause a second or three as though waiting to see if the spell grow bigger. Uncertainty crosses their faces.

It gives him enough time to step in front of Nadine. One glances at their comrade on the ground, then at the sword in his hand.

This, here, it's normally where he would tell them to leave. Let them retreat and lick their wounds. No real reason for complicating matters when he can tell they're about to turn tail. But there's a strange pull in the air, so subtle he hardly notices. It makes him glance over his shoulder at Nadine—as if he's waiting for what she may tell him to do.

[gynvael]

[ He gives Thancred a look that's not quite discouragement for that remark before he makes his way down the corridor. It's on his mind, to ask how Yennefer may be doing. He swallows it down for the time being, not wanting to provoke any more dark shadows that lurk in his mind. The Horizon has not been kind to him in that regard.

He walks a step ahead of the torchlight, his vision cutting easily through the darkness. He can hear a strange clicking in the distance. Not animalistic. Mechanical, perhaps. Or a disturbance beyond the walls themselves? ]

Boasting rights? [ If they're alive to collect. (He's aware they can't die in the Horizon, in theory. And yet. That knowledge always feels so fucking tenuous when it comes down to it. Perhaps it's because death, more than anything, has always haunted the edges of what's unknown—and he has yet to experience it in here or outside.) ] Last time I was in this place, we found a hall of spikes. Made for an unpleasant squeeze.

[ To say the least. What he means is: yes. Pitfall sounds entirely reasonable for what may appear. ]

[thedevilwhorose]

"You'll have better luck getting back out with help," he says.

"And at least this time you're not in the Library concerning the staff. Which... on a similar note, I didn't think to grab any of your work."

Which is partially because he knows what it's like moving someone's work and getting everything moved mixed up. Any system they had, ruined.

But also partially because he just completely forgot. Distracted.

So. Hopefully there wasn't anything he was trying to hide.

[godshattering]

[ There's a slight grin which crosses over Claude's face when it's pointed out it's only fair to give his name back in return and even more so after that offer of friendship put out there whether it becomes more than simply existing in the same space at the same time or not. It's the kind of thing that, if he was up to his usual self, he probably would've volunteered first to put someone more at ease. Nothing to do but make up for it now, and he'll table that mention of vessels and constructs for just a moment. ]

Nice to meet you, Hythlodaeus. You can call me Claude, and normally this is around the time where I'd offer you some tea to make good on the friendly influence. At least within these borders since I'm not sure I have much impact outside of them, but here's good enough for me.

[ And, well. He's already mentioned it and he's a little bit at a loss here on what else to do despite not showing it outwardly (or so he hopes) so Claude reaches for the tea tray on the nearest side table and sets it forward. The Horizon cooperates enough to replenish what's on it along with a fresh pot of hot water for any type of tea Hythlodaeus should choose from the box full of options. If the magic here's still helpful as normally, then perhaps the tea will be just what it's meant to be without any of what he's come to feel are omens added to it. Hopefully. Nothing to do now but tackle the rest of what was said. ]

If I'm hearing what you're saying correctly, [ and a pause, because he needs time to think that through one last time, ] this is more of your... true form, and how you appear outside of the Horizon is not? Or is another form that's maybe, say, closer to half of the height of a building, and still an easier fall rather than at your current height.

[ The last part's added teasingly and a light joke, but. Some part of Claude is hoping someone would've mentioned someone being this tall as someone he might meet, or that in the excitement of Nocwich he somehow hadn't overlooked Hythlodaeus. But if one or more parts of his question is true then it's difficult to not think of the Nabateans, and - wait a minute. Something clicks in those words about influence and he casts yet another curious gaze up towards Hythlodaeus' face. ]

Or... maybe what I should be asking is if you're saying I can return you to that form somehow? Safety first for no accidents, and all.

[philancer]

[ He thought it looked familiar, but hadn't quite pieced that together.

The question, however, has him making a face before he spreads his arm in a shrug. ]

Not from lack of them trying. But I'm not exactly a cooperative sort in general. Really bad at taking orders. And I wasn't all that keen to be yanked off one battlefield and immediately dropped on another, if you know what I mean. Especially when they're still pretty cagey about what actually fighting for them entails.

[gynvael]

[ He raises an eyebrow. Sylvain speaks as if he's already been drawn into the battlefield on behalf of the Free Cities against his will. It's not quite how Geralt sees it. ]

If you have no desire to cooperate at their behest, [ he replies simply, ] then you are not their soldier.

[ Will there come a time when they are forced into it? Perhaps. It's yet to come, though, and Geralt already knows where he will stand should that day arrive. He is here, strictly, to protect his own. Whatever that takes. Anything beyond that is not his problem. ]

[wiedzminka]

[ Ciri keeps her balance. Her blade jammed deep into the space between the monster's armored back and its more vulnerable neck, she holds onto it while it shudders and turns, its desiccated swinging tail mostly bone. Alucard might recognize it as something that had been a chaigon once, but now the distinct shell over its back is really the only part that remains mostly whole.

Crouched on the edge of it, Ciri leverages her sword deeper, meaning to saw its head clean off. ]

[philancer]

[ Good question. But it's probably a good thing, in this situation, that Claude's been sleeping even less than normal this week. The room's been all but empty every time Sylvain's gone to use it. Which, if he's honest, hasn't been a lot himself. Anytime he's closed his eyes, he's been haunted by nightmares and memories and the endless whispers preying at the edge of his consciousness, so he's given up even trying until he's too exhausted to resist anymore.

Jesper's not the only one in dire need of distraction.

But he knows that look on Jesper's face all too well, but seeing it there, aimed at him, has him freezing for a moment. Almost balking when the whispers latch onto the guilt, the self-loathing, but he pushes it away. He can worry about his own issues later, he needs to focus on getting Jesper away from here first. And if that means distracting him with another sort of distraction...

Well. At least he's real damn talented at that.

Which is why he leans in against the slim body he's got pinned to the wall, a knee angled between Jesper's legs as one corner of his lips quirk upwards in challenge. ]

Oh, I can think of a couple places. [ No one's ever accused him of passing up a chance at terrible innuendo. ] But for the moment, anywhere that's not here.

[ He steps back, fingers curling in the front of Jesper's jacket as he drags him along with him, keeping him faced away from the gambling hall as he backs away. ] We can go to my place for the time being.

[wiedzminka]

[ Lucky for him, the bit of fire fizzles out quickly. Ciri frowns. There's a flash of brief annoyance, but she seems to consider. (She's not even sure why she's annoyed; he's not telling her she can't do it alone, just offering to help.)

Ciri shrugs. ]

If you want.

There are enough of them.

[wiedzminka]

[ He's lucky she didn't accidentally vroom all the way across his domain. The van, apparently not in drive, just makes a loud engine noise when Ciri puts her foot on the gas pedal. ]

Shit. Nero.

[ It's not actually teleportation (this time). Ciri's noticed the Horizon is weird right now, but this is the first time she's simply appeared in someone else's domain like this. And in such a specific... confined space...?

It clicks that she's in a vehicle. She hasn't been inside Dean's car, but she knows it, and it doesn't take longer than a moment or two to put it together. Ciri grabs for the door handle, which is also intuitive enough. ]

Horizon's acting up.

[ That is her only explanation. ]

[funbreaker]

[ As soon as Thancred hears her agreement, he turns to look at the space they need to cross, picking out places where they can stand without ending up knee-deep in the ooze. There are the tops of vehicles and smaller structures (benches, sheds, and other odd assortments of things he can't recognize when they're half-submerged) that should provide them decent platforms to make their way.

He turns back to Himeka, about to voice this plan, just in time to see her pop her pink-coated fingers into her mouth.

Yes, he's aware that she's someone who will try at least anything once when it comes to food, but this is simply too much. ]

Himeka, you literally don't know where that's been! [ It's the Horizon, so nothing too catastrophic can happen, but still. As soon as it seems like she isn't instantly going to keel over, he adds: ] Are you quite ready, now?

[monomachy]

That seems good, at least. Rather, not the worst thing in the world. She's heard stories about what happened before she arrived, of the dead who attacked with weapons and rage. But if these are just wandering, there's a chance they will continue to do so until a solution is found.

But Diana isn't the kind of person who can just ignore something like this. She may not be able to figure out what has caused it right now, but she can try to ensure that nobody gets hurt while it's happening. She looks off to one side, frowning. "There are a few cemeteries in the city. They warrant checking on."

[monomachy]

Diana can't help but rear back a little bit when he emerges from the snow, mandibles and mouth doing all of that, and it takes her a second to focus on what he's saying. It's a little bit distracting. But after a beat, she shakes her head, taking a moment to look around them and then up this cursed mountain. "I don't know. I was in my domain, then I took one step and was here."

The wind howls, and feels as if it grows colder, and she offers him a hand to help him out of the bank. "Were you trying to go down?" She says it with a wry hint to her tone, indicating she's already tried and has had a similar result.

[funbreaker]

[ At the mention of the Singularity, Thancred's head snaps up. While it's true that they can almost always shove at least some of the blame onto that massive rock in the desert, he does suspect that there could be more to it this time.

He pauses for a moment, wondering how much he should say. But then the words start spilling out, and he isn't sure if he's been affected in this moment or not, but it happens all the same. ]

Perhaps. I happen to know that a group of Summoned in Solvunn made some sacrifices at one of the old gods' shrines in order to test if they would receive any sort of answer. They saw a vision, an entity of some sort...

[ He pauses then, circling his head for a moment to crack a few of the kinks in his neck. ]

Prior to this all starting, I had a dream where I also encountered an entity. Between that and the way the land's been affected, it feels like there's a connection.

[ Based on his experience with primals, at least. He can't say it all works the same here. ]

[philancer]

[ He freezes at that unexpected touch against his cheek, and then at the words that follow, his eyes going wide as they drop to her faze. He stands there unmoving for a moment, searching her face, before everything in him sags a little, his shoulders drooping and his breath exhaling in a soft, resigned sigh.

His eyes close for a moment, as if he's trying to grasp what little shreds of his composure remain. ]

You're not supposed to know that.

[ The words aren't all that chiding. More confused than anything else. But when his eyes flicker open once more, they are intent on her face, searching for answers.

No one here should know that, in fact. Not even Claude and Petra, as far as he knows. It's not like it was something he talked about very often, even back home. Maybe especially back home. ]

[hextechhead]

Jayce can only see never-ending tunnels of black on either side of him and that does not bode well. This is a place he's never been. It is definitely not the Horizon or it is a part of the Horizon he's never seen. This couldn't be someone's domain, could it? He has seen most of them from their tower, he thinks. No, this feels different. How is he going to find Viktor here? He'll just have to walk until he does.

Luckily his voice carries and he hears Viktor's voice elsewhere, but he glances at the wall and frowns, moving over to it. It sounds like he's on the other side which is worrisome considering all the roads in front of him look straight. There doesn't seem to be an obvious way to get over. He looks up to try and gauge how far it is.

"It's me, I'm here, V."

At first he isn't that concerned as this is the Horizon, you can't die here. Except. This isn't the Horizon. There's no reason to assume that. Anxiety rises in him and he tries to jump to see how far up he can go, but not enough to see if there are any footholds. He murmurs and the light spell goes brighter, shining higher.

"I don't think I can climb this. Are you okay?"

[philancer]

[ He hasn't, but the welcoming speel he'd been given made it sound like that was the fate waiting for him. Although he hadn't been all that reasonable after being kidnapped naked anyway, so things might have ended up a little exaggerated and blown out of proportion during that initial confrontation anyway. Being abducted off of a battlefield hadn't put him in a great mood anyway. ]

I'm not sure they'd agree with you there. They sounded pretty entitled when it came to what we owed for being chosen to come here and aid them. Or maybe I just had an asshole for the welcoming committee. [ He shrugs. Either way, he makes a bad soldier, especially when he doesn't believe in what he's fighting for.

Back home... well, there hadn't been much choice there to begin with. ]

[wiedzminka]

...a library? Inside this thing? And Istredd tells her this like it's the most innocent and normal construction he could have come up with.

The word monolith makes her jaw tighten. But the word itself is merely a descriptor, and a very literal one at that. The Singularity is also a monolith. It's hardly a specific term.

No, it's the other part that really catches her attention.

"These things existed on your sphere? What... were you studying about them?"

Istredd seems to be trying to invite her inside, keeping the door open. Ciri takes a step forward, a bit uncertainly, but knowing this is merely a construct of Istredd's imagination. This is no more a real monolith gateway to another world than Kaer Morhen is the actual Witcher keep. She'll step inside to keep talking to him, if that's what he's trying to do.

cw: animal death

[thedevilwhorose]

Spoilsport. What's some dancing between--enemies?

Honestly, Lucifer wouldn't rank Geralt in his list of enemies. That is, currently, reserved for Dean Winchester and Geralt's daughter--though Lucifer doesn't yet know that relation. Geralt is... an interest. Someone that could provide him answers to things he doesn't understand--and he's always been able to understand the Winchester Brothers.

Geralt is a puzzle piece and Lucifer will find out how he fits one way or another, one day.

Until then, the actual four-legged wolf is a nuisance. He wants to know how the man fights without any distractions and when Lucifer flits back in just the smallest blink of a flight, he's spinning a killing blow across the mangy beast.

He twirls the knife in his grip when the creature falls. There isn't much space in the corridor. He almost wishes he moved them to the so-called bone-littered snowfields above. Wonders if Geralt after he's been afflicted has more of a chance to follow him than before.

He grins. "I wonder if now you'll tell me what's behind Door Number One?" He slouches to one side and reaches up, tapping into the power he only feels in the Horizon and making a grabbing gesture to pull Geralt from what space he had gained and into a slice from Lucifer's knife. Not to kill. No, no, he wants to draw this out.

[princessvegas]

[ Julie doesn't know how long she falls for. Time seems to stretch and bend in alien ways as she keeps falling -- she screams the whole time, never losing breath, never feeling gravity's pull hasten her to some splatter of an end. It feels like an eternity, yet the blob's touch against her mind unfurls at lightspeed, an infinity of swirls and colors and movements that seem to somehow exist in tandem as the nothing through which she descends.

There is no sound and yet so much sound at the same time, a billion different noises and voices all competing against each other in cacophony. It deafens her, drowns out even her own voice in her head. She can't parse any coherent thoughts of her own, too overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of what the blob left inside her in that single, brief brush.

For decades (or is it milliseconds?), she is lost in that void.

And then everything happens extremely quickly.

The abysm through which she tumbles abruptly gives way to light, to sights, and she can't adjust fast enough to know where she is before she crashes through the roof of her own loft. She hits the softness of her bed so hard that it cracks and collapses, leaving her on her back on the mattress on the ground, staring up into a hole in the roof. She doesn't even manage to stop screaming until the breath is knocked out of her in the fall.

Her brain still hasn't caught up. Her whole body aches, her lungs on fire and her throat raw as she coughs. From outside, the music suddenly begins to blare through the hole she made, the lights neon again. Like her returned presence has flipped a switch. She can't really understand what's happening or where she is, stuck in some primal place in her own mind that's designed only to keep her breathing.

As soon as she can breathe again, she struggles to sit up with a feral sort of determination. ]

[wiedzminka]

[ Ciri looks just as startled as he is. ]

Dean? What are you doing here?

[ A beat. She looks from him to the dead snake to the walls rising up all around. ]

...where is here?