EVENT #10: AFFLICTION - IC POST

[abraxasmods]

Event #10 - Affliction

go to the OOC event info & plotting post

---

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?

---

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.

---

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

[cryptsleeper]

For a time, Thorne was the only place capable of these summons. They had opinions about who came out from their well, regardless of the fact they were the one who put the spell in motion in the first place.

[Fuck Ambrose, honestly.]

You're not. Solvunn's technology is what most people in 1470s Wallachia had. I grew up in a more advanced household, the technology akin to that of the Free Cities. I did not want to give up those luxuries.

[It is rather impossible not to miss how Eddie's eyes are falling on that bat mug. Alucard scoots it off to the side in his direction, just so it's clear that's yours when I'm done.]

[godshattering]

[ The more she speaks, the more Claude considers whether he's genuinely losing it at this moment in time. Not even the nightmares from the Singularity with his entity, his own personal horror on top of everything else, had felt this real. The voice he continues to hear is not Petra's, but - everything about it feels like Petra. But why can he not see her if that's the case? He says nothing to what he's told, just simply stares with his brow furrowed. He's no closer to finding an answer from even the short distance of standing on opposite sides of the room, and that's rapidly leaving only one way to be certain. ]

Because you don't look like Petra. You look like Edelgard. In... every way.

[ 'You' being a nebulous concept because he's still not sure who he's addressing and the thought of finding out makes him even uneasier. Without bothering to explain what he's doing - and with as much trust as he can muster if it is Edelgard - Claude leans over to the nearby side table to set his keys down. They're followed by the dagger tucked in his sash and then the one from his boot, a small pile of whatever he was armed with left behind as he now takes deliberately slow steps forward to telegraph exactly what he's doing. ]

Do me a favor and don't move, will you?

[ Claude's careful to not make any sudden moves besides raising a hand when he comes to a stop. He reaches for the edge of the crown, fully expecting the solid metal of the horns to meet his fingers. But instead they pass straight through it, like nothing's there at all. Because there isn't, he realizes finally, and the illusion fades to leave behind who really was speaking to him all along: Petra.

Relief floods him as he lets out a mildly shaky exhale, and without thinking it through he pulls her in with a tight hug and a mumbled I'm sorry, but for what - Claude's not even sure. ]

[hairington]

[ steve was okay to be calm about this at first. okay to just let it go, to get out of here, and then to handle it while they're anywhere but here. except that eddie keeps talking, keeps pushing, and steve finds he just can't do this right now. not after how awful he's felt, how he hasn't quite shaken the awful, terrible, guilty mass stuck in his throat. and now all he can smell is that weird, sharp cleaning smell. can only hear echoes of robin, somewhere else.

on a scale of one to absolutely nightmare fuel, part of steve knows this isn't anywhere on the list of what hawkins has dealt with before. but it's what haunts him, what he still can't shake, and now that eddie's here... ]

Are you serious right now? [ because that's where steve doesn't exactly snap, but can't handle this any more. eddie doesn't even know the half of it, steve doesn't know the half of it, but this is where he wants to put his foot down? ] Fine! Fine. This? [ steve is furious, though there is a distinct feeling it's not directed at eddie, but more like he's been pushing closer and closer to this for days now. the more steve talks, the faster he sounds, turning and pacing around the room, arms gesturing a bit wildly. eddie's probably never heard a steve harrington explosion before, but oh well. ] This is a Russian base that was under Starcourt. You know that fire? Not a fire. It was the Russians trying to open a gate, and this huge creature thing had come through and was possessing people, and it killed Hargrove and it killed all those other people and it killed Hopper, too. And of course Henderson was the one who figured out the base was under the mall before anyone else, and of course I followed him down the weird creepy elevator, with Erica Sinclair and Robin too, because why not, right? Why not.

Except that by the time we got down here, the Russians noticed us, so Robin and I held them off while Erica and Dustin got out, and then they did exactly what Russians do! The tortured us. I got the shit beaten out of me and Robin and I got shot up with some kind of insane drug because they thought we were spies for the government and wanted us to spill secrets. But then Henderson and Erica came back and by the time we got out of this weird base, that's when the monster thing was coming after everyone because it was looking for the El. [ the girl with superpowers, but this time steve doesn't bother specifying. hopefully eddie's been paying attention? ] And then we had to fight the thing and we destroyed Starcourt in the process and then the government covered up all of it. Just a fire! All of it was just a fire! [ and steve can't handle it anymore. he really can't. he kicks the chairs off to the side of the room because he has to hit something, has to do something, but even as the chairs clatter against the wall he doesn't feel any better, but he doesn't feel like he's on the edge of exploding, either, heaving a few breaths before he's able to calm down.

whether or not eddie offers his white flag doesn't really matter any more, does it? there's also the chance that steve doesn't even hear it, needing another second or so before he looks back to where the other is still standing in front of the elevator.

sorry, eddie says, and a wave of shame and embarrassment courses through steve so intensely he feels like he's going to get sick. so instead of doing that, he just presses the heels of his hands into his eyes, exhaling once and then twice.

eddie didn't deserve that. eddie didn't deserve any of it. eddie is dead, and steve is sitting here getting upset because...what? he stepped into a room that steve didn't want people to see? god, he's so selfish, but it's all just...

bullshit. ]

Sorry. That- [ it comes out mumbled, a little quiet, as steve rubs his hands across his face to try and calm himself down. ] Sorry.

[catholica]

( the only thing that stops matt from pulling up short and just staring is his training. he hadn't planned on this happening but the fact that is has, that someone's recognized him isn't all too surprising.

it's not a huge city and when you're around someone like that a lot, it's bound to happen. he doesn't immediately answer, dispatching another one of the undead with a particularly vicious twist of a leg that takes the creature down and leaves them flailing and unable to move.

matt drives the heel of his boot against its back to further incapacitate it before he glances over at steve. )

If you're asking me that question, you already know the answer.

[philancer]

[ It takes them a few moments to clear out the wave, the stragglers staggering towards them with enough time to take down each of the undead as they lurch in their direction. He's quiet as he focuses, wholly immersed in the task at hand, although as he stabs through the last undead within his line of sight, he withdraws and then leans on his spear for a moment to catch his breath. ]

...Is everything going to claw3 it's way up here tonight? That should mean this one would be empty on other nights, right...? [ Please tell him there's a silver lining here. ]

[philancer]

Well, if we want to get out of the cold, common sense would have us going down, right? Although this is the Horizon, so I'm not sure how much common sense actually applies here... I think in this case, you might have more experience here than me. What do you think?

[philancer]

[ Sylvain glances over to study him, tracing a finger around the top of his mug as he considers those words. ]

You're not the only one to find strange things happening after a strange dream. I've heard similar things from others around here this week. Other Summoned. [ Because people seemed strangely inclined to confide things in him this week, beyond even what he's accustomed to. ] You're seeing the faces of friends from our home? Just their faces? Like on other people, or full illusions walking among the others here?

[ He doesn't know if the difference there would actually mean anything, but he's still curious about the details. ]

[catholica]

Feels like it's been longer than it is.

( he's been out here for awhile and he doesn't know how long he'll be out here yet. until everything is done? until they're safe again?

he'll be out here as long as it takes, he knows.

when he gets a moment's respite, he stretches his back and rubs at the knuckles of one of his hands before sighing. )

This is a first for me.

[tobeclosetohim]

[ She'd always rather a gun, but that opens too many invitations. There are more malfunction possibilities to blow back on the user and run out without another piece on hand to replace it. Her blade might break or twist if the Horizon decrees its fuckery games to do so, but it'd still be a weapon in two pieces, with blades in, no matter how many.

The red lightning is creepy and reminds her of the red smoke in the second forest to take her this week. Forest Kidnappings, who knew they were so fond of trying to eat little girls who tasted nothing of sugar, spices, and everything nice and never went down tame or ever at all. There's no whistling, no cackling this time—yet—but it's not silent out there either; the crack of thunder defeating everything and then snapping it back in makes it easier to tell.

She's not the only thing out here. But she can decide on whether engagement is the better part of valor only after whatever's out there spots her rather than the other way around. It's not running. It's economy. There's like 5% of whatever it is the Horizon has out today isn't down for eating all her inner organs, and she's already lost them twice more than she wanted since this fuckall started raising hell in the waking world and the Horizon.

The sound of an engine, scattered debris only kicked up by tires, surprises her.

The odds don't change, but she's thinking of Ipala always outside the Roadhouse, and she starts making it that way, keeping careful listen on whether the other noise, the other whatever it is decides to stay put or starts following her, too. There's a slightly higher chance that there might be a person with the car, but she won't let that sink hooks into hope until she's got her own eyes on it. She's been made fool enough by the Horizon lately not to leap blind. ]

[tobeclosetohim]

[ There's a sharp touch of amusement to that, and zero percent surprise. Most normal people never came into contact with the things that went bump in the night ever in their lives, unless they were the thing that monster decided to tear the face off of or eat the organs right out of their chest, still hot and pumping—and one didn't live through those kinds of meeting and greets.

Her voice is cool as she finishes with her stretching wrist in those circles, only half thinking maybe she should wrap them like Ciri said if she's going to be out here every day, every night, whenever screams start, during this. She's doing better at not slipping, but hour after hour, night after night, slipping form's focus for survival might make sense to switch that up. ]

Monsters?

[carmesi]

Wanda tries diverting her magic so it keeps just away from this entity, with mixed results. Still, she doesn't sense it actively feeding after a while, so much as just... not waiting, but pausing, it seems. Pausing long enough for her to see it begin to shift, to change.

It speaks, although the words don't come from any one place in particular. It also doesn't seem entirely a language she knows, yet she still understands it. It's somewhat familiar to her, which is why she keeps herself from banishing entirely with a spell.

Perhaps this is not some creature formed from the fluctuations in magic that have been sending the Horizon into a spiral.

"You are in my domain," her magic dissipates as her hand lowers, taking a step forward. It's intelligent, and it must understand concepts such as that—but it sounds confused. "In the Horizon, in Abraxas."

The following question should not be surprising.

"Who are you?"

[funbreaker]

[ Thancred nods, having heard about Eifstide even if he wasn't here when it happened. Himeka's given him the basic rundown of what came about during that time, and while this particular instance of the dead resurrecting seems different, Alucard nonetheless makes a good point. ]

It's not something that I intend to spread around, I assure you. These sacrifices were also made before the attacks between Thorne and the Free Cities.

[ Perhaps they would have thought better of it, if the continent had already been pushed into such disorder. Thancred knows that Himeka feels it's her duty to further understand the old gods and what role they play here, and it isn't as if she could have expected their reach to extend so far.

Either way, he isn't naming names. Not if this could lead to her being blamed for what's happening now.

He lets out a small sigh, then tilts his head up to the Horizon's ever-changing sky. Here, it's rather dark and gloomy. ] The question now is, what happens next? These gods have reached out to us, but what do they want?

[hextechhead]

How dare you? What a bad host.

[ Jayce smiles wearily but takes the seat without complaint. It's completely fine, they do have some control here about how everything feels anyway. Or they would, if it wasn't haywire at the moment. Jayce can't believe he's actually stumbled into a rather quiet moment, a burst of relief he didn't expect. He sits next to Alucard and sighs. ]

I don't think I've been able to tell you that I'm sorry about Sypha.

[ She was there in Nocwich with them, they'd danced and had a good time, and then everything went crazy in Libertas. That led to several days of only worrying about that before this came down. But Jayce went looking for her, he had questions about some spells. He knew where to look, and they'd been at the academy together before. It was a hard reality, she was his first close friend who disappeared, but he knew it had to be worse for Alucard. ]

[hextechhead]

Jayce knows that 'unhurt' isn't the same thing as 'okay' which is something he can worry about once he actually gets to him. That may end up more complicated than he thinks. He knocks on the wall to see how firm it is, as if he could just slam his way through, but no such luck.

"Remember the illumination spell I taught you? Can you cast it? If I can find a way around, it'll make it easier to find you."

The spell is bigger than his current light spell because it can do an entire room, whereas he's currently using a personal one. Jayce is a pretty skilled mage now, he knows a variety of small and medium spells that are just helpful for him. Nothing, unfortunately, that can necessarily get him through or over this wall though.

"I'm going to see if I can find a way to your path. Be right there."

Well, in theory be right there. Jayce walks a reasonable amount of hallway down and he's delighted to find a break in the side, so he turns that way, but he ends up in a crossroads and suddenly it's all very confusing which way he came in and which way he has to walk. He turns in a circle, three paths open to him, but no clue which one leads to his boyfriend.

"Viktor!" he shouts, hoping that'll help.

sick brain, am alive

[hextechhead]

[ Jayce sits on the stage but a few feet over, shaking his head at the wine. He normally doesn't put so much distance between him and others, but he has a really good reason. ]

Just be careful not to lean in or anything, I've been having to try to dodge people all day, even a bump on the shoulder is setting off a vision.

[ Jaskier can imagine how hard it is to dodge every person around him considering his size. And also, Jayce is not that graceful, so he's not someone who can excel at getting out of people's way. That's been half the exhaustion of his time so far, because it seems like such a horrific response each time. They see their own death. He and Viktor haven't been able to touch since this began at all, not really. It's definitely adding to the general frustration. ]

I'm sure giving people something to listen to that isn't about the disaster is appreciated. A depressing song would be fitting but a little much.

[ The people of the Free Cities have had a rough time recently, and now with the info about apparently walking dead in Libertas, it's raining and pouring in terms of bad news. ]

You're okay though? Not likely to go running at the dead, I hope.

[funbreaker]

[ Thancred doesn't have a wealth of experience scaling mountains such as this, if he's honest. There was Mt. Gulg, yes, though there had been no snow or frigid temperatures to contend with then.

(Just an army of sin eaters flying around them.) ]

Well, I can hardly argue with you. Logic dictates we should head down. Yet why place us on a mountain if we're not to scale it?

[ If they head down, it almost feels like they're been denying the challenge. Therefore, Thancred finds that his instincts tell him to move onward and upward. He takes a few steps up the incline which seems to lead into a switchback trail up the side of the snow-white mountain.

After a pause, he turns back to Sylvain, the sharp winds sending his hair all over the place. ] Are we in agreement?

[carmesi]

[the absolute last thing that wanda wants is for the ruthless ghouls that haunt her horizon unbidden start tormenting those who accidentally find themselves here. even worse, she doesn't want them to antagonize the boy who feels so much like her son, even if his mother is another wanda in the multiverse.

scattered and dangerous as things are in her domain, she pinpoints where billy is. it's easy to tell — his magic so similar to her own.]

You don't touch him.

[even if she's been awkward and hesitant around billy, her voice holds a protective quality to it. she will not have him be hurt nor harmed, not if she can help it, even if it is indirectly her fault. the ghouls are easy to get rid of, disintegrating under her scarlet magic, but the mist is something else entirely.

wanda holds on to billy, grabs at his arm, keeps him close.]

Billy, look at me.

[there is little time before it catches up to them, and while wanda could act right away on her own, she needs to make sure that the spell she is to think into being doesn't disorient him to the point of acting defensively.]

[assembles]

[ There isn't much reason to hold back against these things, Steve knows, and yet there is something brutal about the way that Matt takes them down. It isn't quite like Natasha's efficiency and precision; he's more of a brawler, but his technique is definitely effective.

That response really does sound like it's coming from a lawyer, with a reluctance to actually admit anything out loud. Still, it's enough of a confirmation to Steve, who huffs out a half-laugh and shrugs. ]

I guess I do.

[ He leaves it at that for now, wanting to finish their job here. His shield is sent soaring again, and it clangs into the sternum of one of the undead. The impact causes its chest to partially cave in, and Steve follows up both to recover his shield and to finish the job with a well-aimed kick to the zombie's head. ]

Just a couple left. [ In case Matt's struggling to keep track of them, though he hasn't really missed a beat this entire time. It's impressive, almost to the point that it's unbelievable. ]

[cryptsleeper]

Before? That's too easily weaponized.

[How easy it would be to just say that some gods that Solvunn's Summoned fucked around with threw everything into chaos. Alucard's never been fond of religion, but here it has seemed easier to deal with.

Not anymore. Great. Fantastic!

He's so glad he is far away from the Free Cities right now. A long, tired exhale follows.]

I'd say war. Chaos. Blood. These effects seem designed to sew all in equal measure. Or else we need more information about how gods and the Singularity interact, as well as a somewhat decent history of religion here. Something I doubt the Free Cities will have.

[cryptsleeper]

My mother would be slightly disappointed, that's true.

[He's willing to roll along that lines but then Jayce just sort of mentions the thing he's made a point not to speak about.

Everything with Sypha was fragile. They had both been broken by their time apart, and Alucard's inability to trust had not helped. Overcoming that was a small miracle and--

--she left. Again. Easier this time, knowing it had happened to other Summoned, not that she didn't want to be there.

Still, Alucard's response is stern.]

Thank you. It is not something I wish to dwell on outside of my own company.

[Easier to focus on literally anything else.]

I need you to settle a debate for myself and Viktor though. Have you noticed any changes to the texture of his hair?

[hextechhead]

[ Jayce opens his mouth to disagree but then closes it. He is a sharer by nature but he knows not everyone feels that way. In truth, he wishes he could speak of it, he was very fond of her, but there's no point. Everyone has their own boundaries. ]

I understand. If you ever do want to talk, I'm here.

[ And he will leave it there with respect. As for the hair, he nods. ]

I thought it was due to my hair products. He's been actually using them rather than washing his hair with soap.

[ As you can imagine, this made someone like Jayce want to die, so convincing Viktor to enjoy the various types of ways to pamper himself was delightful. And necessary. Jayce's vanity is one of those things he knows he should be embarrassed about, and yet he isn't. ]

But I think you're right, according to the notes. He's been using them long enough that it wouldn't suddenly make such a difference. It's out of the ordinary.

[ So Alucard was right to note it. Jayce doesn't take part in the experiments with Alucard's blood personally, but Viktor writes down all their research and notes and gives them to him later. So he's aware. ]

[magicalarchaeologist]

Istredd leads her inside and she can see that he's telling the truth, it is one big library in there, with spiral staircases looping up the monolith tower with more shelves. There is a lobby area like one would find in most libraries. Currently it's a bit of a mess in there with books on the ground and shelves up above knocked over from the strange earthquakes. Nothing that he won't be able to fix later, but he's still flustered over the shaking.

"I'm a historian in my world. A long time before my time, there was a cataclysmic event called the Conjunction of the Spheres. It brought many different people and spheres together into one, causing chaos and conflict. It was theorized that the monoliths were leftover scars from that event, points of impact when the spheres converged."

Istredd just goes right into his explanation like any scholar would, he is sometimes awkward as she knows, but at the moment, he seems easy and friendly, comfortable with this topic. He also has a tendency to talk with his hands. Books rumble from above them and he glances up, easily swatting anything falling their way with his telekinesis to the side. It's safe in there, it's just a mess.

"So I was studying exactly that for decades. What they were, what they meant. I doubt it's very exciting to someone from another sphere, but I think there could be connections between this place and everywhere else."

[carmesi]

[she can almost gather what he's thinking, about being stuck here, the ultimate punishment for the devil himself. wanda takes solace that she's not alone, but she's been wandering this labyrinth for so long now; she can only imagine how long lucifer has been doing the same, too. it's almost surprising they have managed to meet somewhere in the middle.

but then it leaves them in a bit of a curious spot: where to next?

wanda doesn't want to head back the way she came, looking back over her shoulder again when she thinks she hears a clicking noise against the walls somewhere in the darkness.

she doesn't like feeling like prey, especially when her magic isn't working right. especially when what looms in the darkness is something horrific and incredibly silent despite its size and weight.]

Let's go back the way you came.

[by way of explanation—]

I've been here before. We can't leave when we want, but after a while it'll let us go. [...] I think.

[cryptsleeper]

[And like that, there's a smug grin sneaking up the dhampir's face. He has won his stupid argument. He was right, the mice are softer than before and so is Viktor's hair. This is not exhaustion or blood loss at play, thank you.]

Could you let him know? We've been having a back and forth about this and he cannot be convinced that it's a side effect.

[gynvael]

[ His lips quirk, though that's the only answer he gives. Thancred is right that the silence will not be filled by Geralt, who treks onward without another word until he's spoken to.

He tips his head in acknowledgment. ] Once or twice. It's part of the Horizon, but beyond that—I can't be sure. All I know is we were trapped at its whims. [ He pauses before admitting, without thinking twice nor quite knowing why, ] It showed me...things. That only I would've known.

[ Which means they're linked to it in the same way they are in the Horizon. Thoughts spilling out into manifestations, made real and whole even when he knows they are not.

He's not looking forward to it happening again.

At the crossroad, he turns right—the direction towards the lit room. As far as he's aware. It's hard to say if the maze hasn't changed shape already. ]