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?

---

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

[carmesi]

[some of his actions and sentences that feel otherwise incomplete are filled in by the silence—by the ricocheting of his thoughts that bounce off towards her perhaps without his notice. she catches on to names (one she recognizes—lucifer, another she doesn't—yasi'halaun), and certain precaution he seems to hold steadfast to still, around her.

deeply old feels like a correct way to describe the singularity.]

There's a lot of noise in it. Indiscernible. Not a language, nothing singular. [despite its name. like many , thousands, million things in one.] What is that? The yasi— I can't pronounce that.

[this is when kyle may become aware that wanda can read minds.]

[gynvael]

[ His expression carries some caution as he looks upon the...thing. He's ridden atop of machines. He's ridden atop of animals. But he has never ridden atop of a machine shaped to look like a beast. Does it bite? Has it got a mind of its own?

All that said, he could use a mount. Trudging through the snow loses its appeal after a time. ]

Unfortunately. Not a soft landing.

[ A pause. Then he approaches. If she provides no further instruction, he'll simply grasp the nearest hold and swing himself atop the giant metal. Chicken. He shifts uncertainly until he's settled. It isn't as uncomfortable as he's expecting. It is, however, a rare thing for him to be a passenger. ]

Did you build this creature?

[ushiri]

He nods to the question, glancing distractedly at the glass dome above. For the moment the structure seems sound, but he's not sure what might happen if this earthquakes continue.

His eyebrows lift, and he turns back to Istredd with open interest and curiosity.

"I don't think I've ever been to your domain," he frowns to himself. "I'd started to assume mine was reacting this way because of something to do with it being a temple..."

Something to do with his own god.

[aquilus]

I think that very much depends on the nature of the trap. And in the Horizon, anything is possible.

[Despite their circumstances and the disturbance that just came on without warning, he gives Alucard a wry smile, one he might even direct to a friend.]

It's worth a try. A coat can be replaced.

[aquilus]

[He's tense, waiting for whatever response is to come, which makes it that much more difficult to tell when he goes absolutely still.

The man's words should make no sense, but the way he speaks them, with ragged honesty that holds no trace of deception — Altaïr believes them.]

If I did, it was no intention of mine. That's not a skill I've ever had.

[Except in the very metaphoric sense, and Altaïr is certain that's not what he means.

claude doesn't know this reference either but it is an EXCELLENT one

[godshattering]

"Something like that, except specifically it's horses, pegasi, or wyverns you're not supposed to look in the mouth." In case that matters, but in reality it's Claude attempting (once more) to find if the latter two are common anywhere else except but where he's from. So far, it hasn't been successful.

That's just him getting slightly distracted now that things feel slightly less dire - or as less dire as they can be with the dead coming back to life since that's still a major factor in everything being awful. One more arrow through one corpse that'd managed to get up from the ground sends it back down, and he contemplates Garrus's question while reaching for his next, then thinks better of it and grabs a few arrows.

"You know, even with all of the spontaneous things we've been 'gifted' since getting here, I think I'll still take the element of surprise. For this much, anyway, since this comes with the guarantee of a drink no matter what happens."

A couple more quick shots and down goes one more body leaving only a scattered few left, and then something else important occurs to him. "In case we somehow end up tying since I suppose that's a possibility in all of this - one of us buys drinks, the other buys something to eat? Probably wouldn't hurt to offset whatever the drink is."

[assembles]

[ It's honestly a relief to hear that Wanda has enough friends in Cadens that she isn't immediately able to guess at who he means. She needs those connections more than ever now, and he suspects that's part of the reason why she was able to pull herself out of that pit she'd found herself in.

He could clarify, as well as get a sense for what's going on between her and Murdock (because he has a guess, based on what he'd seen in Nocwich), but he'll circle back.

Especially with all of these new theories and revelations.

He's busy trying to scrub the pink goo off of his hand, but it's proving to be futile. He lets out a sigh, allowing his hands to fall to his sides for the moment instead. It's not like it will be there whenever they wake up — he hopes. The Horizon only leaked things to the real world when those nightmares had tormented them. ]

You're saying the attacks were premeditated by someone else? A sacrifice for what purpose?

[ And those last two words have him straightening up in alarm, eyes growing wide. He's been trying to give Wanda the benefit of the doubt this whole time, but this seems extreme, to say the least. ]

An arm? What? Why?

[assembles]

[ Steve meets her gaze and responds with a crooked smirk. ]

It's surprisingly effective. Keeps them from getting too far, at least.

[ Though he hasn't only brought his fists and his feet to this fight, unlike a certain vigilante that he identified yesterday. He pulls a round metal disc from where it had been strapped to his back. The replacement shield that Jayce made for him doesn't have any of the spangled decoration that it would back home, and it's also not made of vibranium, but it's been working well enough.

He tosses it in a wide arc toward a further undead and the shield hits true, causing a clanging noise as it collides with the thing's forehead. The zombie collapses to the ground and Steve races forward to collect the shield. It's frustrating, not having it bounce back to him like he's used to, but it is what it is. ]

[godshattering]

[ Claude opens his mouth to say - something, then shuts it immediately after when he realizes he doesn't know what it'll be. Then he follows that up with a frown down at his drink as he lets go of the bottle to let Sylvain put it back or do whatever else, but his glass doesn't offer him any answers. ]

No, I didn't ask her. But I've thought about it enough to know there's no way they marched to Derdriu without a few deaths along the way.

[ 'A few' is likely an incredible understatement given what he knows about the Empire's commitment to their plans. Some of that reasoning only became clear after making it to Enbarr but even then, there's much he thinks he'll never learn. It's not like any of that will offer Sylvain any peace, so he makes the choice to (yet again) keep it to himself.

Instead he drags a hand down his own face. He has no answers for the rest of that. Not for what they're missing, what they've left behind, what they might find when they get back - or whether they ever will. ]

If I thought it'd help, I'd say I hope you miss it but I don't know if that'd be better or just make it all worse for lots of reasons. I haven't heard of anyone who's left here and came back from anyone I've talked to, so maybe we don't want to know what happens.

I have had the same thought about Teach somehow being the key to everything. I can't think of anything else that would make sense... not that... well, that makes no sense no matter how I put it. [ A weak substitute for a laugh get huffed here as he lifts his glass to take a drink like it'll focus his thoughts. ] But he has to be, somehow, if not the actual Goddess as ridiculous as that sounds. None of that explains how any of us are here.

[magicalarchaeologist]

Istredd tries to soothe her fear, feeling her extreme emotions as they happen, but he can't make it stop or fix it for her. She doesn't know how to stop fighting and in that she reminds him of Yennefer who could never do the same thing either. He doesn't want Wanda to repress herself or try to disconnect from her feelings and life, but right then all she's doing is causing harm to herself and the Horizon. She told him once that she feels stuck and that is what is happening here.

It isn't her fault, what is going on here is so much larger than them. Istredd cannot pretend like he can control this any more than anyone else. It has driven him off course too, throwing him around the Horizon, his own domain shaking for no given reason. He has times when he sees Stregobor everywhere he turns and then recognizes no one, lost and alone in a castle he knows little of. This is above them, but he struggles to make sense of it anyway, so things do not get worse.

As well shielded as he is, he can still be hit by the chaos around him, he has to push back against it, wrap himself up in his own power. It can't last forever. He is strong but not as strong as she is, she could swallow him whole if she wanted to. He grits his teeth and holds against the hurricane. And then it all stops.

Confused, he looks around at the strange apartment, noticing the cracks so they are still locked inside. Istredd sees the girl and knows who she is instantly. She's regressed, but it makes sense. If she is trying to pull back to something simpler. He kneels before her and gently offers her his hand so she can take it if she's ready.

"Yes, I'm here to help you. I know it is scary in here, but it need not be. You have the peace inside of you. Power doesn't make someone strong, strength is in the heart."

[cryptsleeper]

Especially one that's not real, at the end of the day.

[Alucard shrugs his coat off quickly enough. He's so focused on the action, on the movement as a way to shake off that apparition, that he almost misses that smile.

He's calmer in the Horizon. Alucard knows that much, because he doesn't immediately snap at it. Accuse Altaïr of knowing exactly what just blindsided the dhampir, and taking pleasure in the sudden fear.

The fact he's having the thought at all remains concerning, but for now, no matter. The coat is tossed and--

--vines whip out, lashing at the coat with. In moments, the fabric is ribbons.]

Well. That's useful information.

[ordinar]

[His shoulders slope with a sigh as Claude's chuckle signifies that he isn't mortally offended. It's the sort of thing he might have thrown at one of the guys at Forest Ridge, burns and barbs a central piece of the complex social webs teenage boys weave — but Claude is mostly a stranger and ostensibly an adult besides. (Wilhelm guesses that he's only a few years older than Erik was.)

Just to give his hands something to do while he listens, he wrings out his shed sweater over the pond. Surprise sneaks into his expression as Claude reveals that he's no stranger to people talking shit. The man commands confidence and charm so easily, it's hard to imagine him carrying around the weight of negative comments.

He should probably excuse himself, ask for the best way out. Instead, he stumbles on:]

Were you...bullied before?

[A clumsy question, though it's shaped with sympathy.]

[subhuman]

[ Dante's lips form a thin line as he turns his head. Sure, he can poke fun at his own tragic backstory, but a stranger's? There's no humor in that.

But a heart-to-heart when you stumble upon it isn't exactly what he imagines this man is after either. Unfortunately for the both of them, Dante is a bit of a bleeding heart while also having questionable people skills. He does his best. ]

Show me something to laugh at and I'll be hootin' and hollerin', deal?

[ He's not going to laugh. He knows what it's like to be a messed up kid. ]

[aquaveiled]

[ Himeka, for her part, does smirk because a little pre-battle banter is always appreciated. It certainly feels brighter than their darkening surroundings, at least. And...it is Horizon. Nothing truly horrible can happen here as long as they will it so, right?

(That she can't reach her Domain should be enough of a warning. But she's determined to stay positive. It's easier with another person around.) ]

Oh I'm very experienced at keeping the pace and my comrades at live.

[ That is normally her job.

She falls into step behind Sylvain easily, holding out the flame to keep their way alight. ]

As for mazes, several! Although they are usually wrought with monsters and breakable walls. Do you think we could just smash through these instead?

[ofthesword]

Know some pretty skittish people, don't you?

[Not that Geralt's wrong; it's just a person thing. Anything that they don't understand. Anything that could hurt them. It's not like he was all that different himself --

Nero's head jerks up at the sound, and in a second he's on his feet. Following Geralt's lead, punching the rock in his way out of it, sliding out as ice forms underneath his boots. No. It's not forming. It's the snow, falling away, as a crevice fucking forms out of nowhere --]

Hang on! [Nero reaches back for him, skin splitting with energy as his arm reaches, stretching further than a human arm in the demonic transformation. He gribs Geralt's wrist and they fall --

Slamming into cold, hard stone so hard that even Nero is dazed. He curses, his body still feeling like it's tumbling through the air, his claws hand no longer holding Geralt. Instead scraping the stone.

He holds his head as he lifts it, looking around. It smells rank. Like sour mold and blood.] What the fuck just happened?

[gynvael]

[ He lands heavy even with Nero catching him. Cold stone, sticky blood beneath his hands. Dried, warm, congealed, all of it layered atop each other. Slicking his palm. The screams are as loud as he remembers, echoing off the walls. The air is suffocating. Sickly sweet, acrid, tinged with copper and rot.

Is he—?

Revulsion tightens his chest, curdles his stomach. He has been outside this room. He's even set a foot inside, once. But he has never been thrown in it without warning, where the door has bolted shut and with a blinding darkness. He can't see, he cannot breathe. It's utterly overwhelming in a way he's forgotten he can feel. Not since—the labyrinth, but even that had been different. He'd known, in the back of his mind, where he was. That it wasn't real.

Right now, he isn't thinking about what's real or not. He isn't thinking at all. Something inside him feels like it's fucking dying; his breaths are choking. Every beat of his heart sends a pulsing, scorching heat through his veins. Distantly, he hears someone speaking but it hardly registers.

He doesn't know when he lurched for the door. Doesn't make it, exactly. His fingers dig into the stone walls, finding the grooves in the scratches like it's the only thing holding him up. ]

[thearchangel]

"Fuck."

Garrus' repertoire of human curses is probably as varied as anyone else on the Normandy anymore. But he definitely has his choices - and the word he utters right then normally isn't one of them. This isn't a normal situation, though. Far from it. First, this place makes her relive Alchera, and now this? What the hell is wrong with it? What the hell is going on?

He doesn't need her to elaborate. He saw the aftermath. The whole ship had. He'd known then, deep down in his bones, the literal explosion had been the last choice. It meant all other options failed. Shepard was a lot of things - a lot of them explosive - but not with that many lives... why the hell force her to see it again?

"Right. Grab my shoulder." Conveniently, the place he has clothing - not that he's put that together yet. Why would he? It's too absurd. "Hang on and I'll stand." Once he gets his arm around her.

[gynvael]

Later, he may reflect on it more deeply. In this moment, he does not respond so much to the command as he does to that feeling in the air, the one that says someone important to him needs him.

It only takes a second, two. His sword slices one man's throat, pierces another through the chest before slashing downward, spilling blood and more. They fall, hitting the ground wetly. One remains. Perhaps Nadine meant for him to stop there, but when he has a job he'll see it through. The woman on the ground hasn't moved. He finishes her, too.

A pause where uncertainty almost rises. Not over the bodies; because—he's suddenly not sure what drove his decision so sharply.

But Nadine takes priority. He turns to her instead. "You okay?"

[londonbound]

[ Maybe he does know, a little. He says it because it's what brings him the most relief too -- the realization that he is also not alone. Even if he can't reach her. Or see her. Sometimes, he thinks he sees a shadow, a movement that doesn't go with the water, but among all the other bloated shapes floating up on it, there's never any certainty.

Maybe she can see him, though. The faintest shadowy figure, a whisper of a silhouette. It never lasts long. ]

Yes. Yes, that's- that's exactly what happened.

I can't do anything. Or go anywhere. Or make anything. It all breaks or comes out wrong or vanishes immediately.

[ He thinks about going to her. Whatever that place is she described, it can't be worse than here.

He closes his eyes and tries and tries, and nothing works. ]

How long have you been here?

[ At this point, he's honestly not sure. ]

[ofthesword]

[The fact Geralt doesn't answer at first isn't the most weird thing, but it is there's not even a grunt of pain. Or an annoyed grunt. Or a "fuck." Nero gets to his knees, realizing he's kneeling in something wet.

His demonic arm does not become human again. The rough scaling and spikes instead begin to thread through with glowing blue light; the only light in the whole fucking room. It's otherwise pitch-black in here.]

Geralt?

[The blue light turns it an almost unfamiliar color, almost purple, but he's been in plenty after that damn tree to know that's blood. Staining the floors in thick, stinking layers. Some as hot as if it was just spilled. Other patches cold, turned to sludge.

He jerks as a scream echoes around them. It's not Geralt's, for sure. Too high pitched. Like a -- a kid.

Shit. It's like the basement of a haunted house. Or a serial killer's.]

Geralt? [He nearly trips over him, thrown off by the way his light is reflecting off all the wet, off all the noises bouncing off and hitting him right in the head. Just like the Horizon, he guesses, for you to be on a mountain one second and then in a dungeon the next.] Hey. [Nero touches his shoulder. Between one scream and the next, though, he can hear him. Like he's choking on air.]

Hey! Geralt! Come on, man. [Geralt suddenly moves past him like a bear about to take a massive shit in a hurry, but he misses the door -- is that a door? He gets closer, sees it is. Shit. What the fuck is happening? Where is this?]

Okay, okay. Come on, big guy. Gotta get somewhere I can actually see. [He tries tugging Geralt, but too much resistance sparks Nero's annoyance (and this growing sense of dread he's going to cover up.) All right, fuck this. Fuck the Horizon. Fuck its little games. But pissed as he's gettin', he's not leaving Geralt behind.] I got you, grandpa.

[His transformation surges through him. It's not like manifesting a sword or a gun; this is him. Another tug, and it's sharper, until Nero's wings unfurl and he simply picks up Geralt with the two of them, ethereal claws digging into his shirt. Geralt's huge, and it's fucking awkward, but Nero's got plenty of strength to manage to get Geralt half onto his shoulder. Effectively four-armed for the moment, he holds Geralt and holds his glowing arm out to find how to open the door. A knob... a bar?

Seriously, not a single goddamn torch in this place?

With a oh, fuck this Nero simply shoulders the door, barreling out of it carrying the hulk of the Witcher with him. They fall out into more stone hallway, but a gust of fresh, freezing air greets them, pushing down the smell of blood for at least a second. Nero sets him down, slapping his face (lightly).] Hey, come on. Get back with me.

[cointosser]

[Oh, so this is what he gets for trying to be sincere? Jaskier huffs at him, but doesn't push it. He suspects, like always, Geralt wants to pretend it didn't happen, or that he didn't say it, or he doesn't want to deal with the consequences of having said it.

Like always.

Jaskier is not annoyed at it now, though. Gods, he's so far beyond being able to feel something as simple as annoyance. His chest is a tangled ball of threads: of fear, and trepidation; of a strange sort of hope; of a small part of him that does want to connect with this giant, living stone, because he has gained magic and made it so much of himself that Jaskier often finds he wants more of it, the same way he feels an itch to craft another song. A source of inspiration that he opens himself to. At first, slowly. And then more eagerly.

Jaskier steps away from the Singularity, fingers rubbing together where they still buzz with this unknowable, frantic energy.

This has been either the longest day or night of his life. Or journey of indeterminable amount of time. All the things that have happened already... and they have found no clue of where Julie is.]

Of all the things you could apologize for so readily. [He snorts.] Where was this energy a year ago? Anyway, I agreed to come, you lummox, but I'm not sure I've helped at all. If she has some connection to the Singularity, I can imagine she might have come here, but... I don't know. Could it have sent her somewhere else? I have not had a great deal of luck landing where I wanted to accurately for a few days, so. I may not be the only one. We do all seem to share in the misery, after all.

[ofthesword]

[Nero's been taking enough excursions into the forests for a variety of reasons -- cleaning up shrines, or escorting a few worshipers, or going out to kill one of those giant boars for a community stew -- that he's gotten way better at navigating through it. Combined with a series of small claw marks he's left in the trees (or sometimes with his tail, if he's being honest), he can track through pretty easily now.

There's no path leading directly to the shrine that ate his arm, but it gets close enough. Even if everything feels like it gets way too tight before it opens up again.]

Yeah. Deeper in. [He doesn't need to say that's classic trap material; Wanda would know, too. But he can't just... leave it. It's not the kind of guy he is. And fuck, who knew Solvunn would have mysteries in it? He hasn't even brought it up with anyone from the settlement. Just seemed like a bad idea.

And now they got an extra stone from Thor. Nero has the sense Thor being gone and the shrine aren't connected, but he can't help but. Wonder.]

After we set this one up, we'll check. See if it's still pointin'. Then... I guess follow it? [He looks at her, and it's an honest question.] Feels like we're gonna get into trouble.

[ofthesword]

Ow. [He might actually be hurt by that, a little. He always thought he was cool with Ciri.] I mean, I guess so. Sorry.

[He'd be cool if she wanted to visit. Not that his domain is much of one. Just a car, and a pissed off giant cat that he can't get to fuck off. This is why he's in the hunter bar way more than out here, where his mind starts to wander and summons up stretches of long, lonely road and the occasional demon.

Wait. He tips his head.]

Uh, I didn't go inside, but I think I saw a little hint of it, maybe? My phone booth dropped on a mountain that was definitely snowy. Kind of like home. Might be the same one. Guy named Geralt led me back down it. Think I could figure the way back up.

[cointosser]

[Jaskier appears very undisturbed by this information, because it's half going in one ear and out the other between sips of his very sweet wine.] I mean, I've had nightmares, but that is nothing to write stories about.

[And nothing where someone touched him and he... what? Hallucinated? It feels as if Jayce has gotten into someone else's wine.

Jaskier sighs heavily, so much so that his entire upper body lifts, then falls, at the mention of "Alucard's" cemetery. As if Jaskier's contributions were nothing!]

I'll have you know I helped. All of the greenery was provided by yours truly. And they fucking destroyed it. [Now his sipping is not for fun or for show, but to temper back down everything he feels about that fact.] But I'm not picking fights with corpses. I am far from a fighter. Except, coincidentally enough as you bring it up, last year. I managed to save a man! From a corpse! Only one, but it was still rather impressive. The dead then were far less passive. They were lunging after people, actually. It was quite terrifying at the time.

[cointosser]

Or refrain entirely.

[Not sarcasm. It won't be easy, but if there is something in the air that is influencing his words -- and Jaskier can tell, given his natural gift with words -- that it would be better to avoid miscommunication altogether.

He hates the idea that there may be something out there intending that to happen in the first place.

Jaskier bites his tongue. All this mentioning of Adrian's father is, well, upsetting, to say the least, both in that he has a very vivid memory still of the man dying in front of him in the most horrific way, and also because he truly does not wish to think Adrian reduces himself to "like his father."

Fuck, indeed.]

Oh, I go straight to blaming our giant, stony deity. After all, if it sees fit to grant us boons, why not trials and tribulations, too? [Jaskier pauses, and he steps over his bushes to pick up some broken shards of a tombstone, moving them off the path.] Adrian. You don't think this could be Thorne, somehow. Do you? Some follow-up to Libertas...?