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.

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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

sorry about your personal space, petra 😔

[godshattering]

[ Nothing to apologize for, not your fault, Petra says, and he's not sure that's true. Maybe not for whatever's happening now in particular, but the rest still going unspoken by his own choice? That's more he doesn't want to think about when it's easier to lean into that hug when she returns it to use it as something further grounding; far better to focus on being here and now. He should let go, probably, and not tip everything into being further out of balance. But Claude's reluctant to as if by doing so it'll mean Petra is no longer Petra again if he looks, so. Staying like this might be alright for a little bit longer. ]

I think strange might be an understatement. Like, a really big one. [ There's an attempt to go back to his usual teasing tone like this is all nothing at all. It falls decidedly short and hollow. But will that stop him from trying to pretend everything is fine for a few seconds? Absolutely not. ] I'm not sure they've stopped being whatever you could call any of this since we've all arrived here.

[ Now he will pull back, both because it feels like there's no delaying doing that anyway and because - he'll have to see if she's still herself and no point in delaying it. Claude lets go with some reluctance and straightens up, and upon seeing that it is still who should be there narrowly avoids something like an exhale of relief.

That can all be set aside for a minute while he contemplates what she'd said and then frowns in concern. ]

You said things are strange, which they are, but in a way that makes it sound like you're being affected by all of it, too. Are you... [ what's the best way to put this - ] ah, also seeing people you shouldn't?

[ Good enough. ]

[cryptsleeper]

I was in the first group that was ever dragged here. When only Thorne knew how to make it work at all.

[Alucard gives a little shrug. As much as he'd like to rip Ambrose's heart out and eat it, he can't deny that being in Abraxas has been overall better for him than remaining in Wallachia could ever be.]

It was interesting. Somehow the rules of the physical world stayed in place, so that you were walking on level ground, and yet everything had impossibility and infinite possibility in it.

[philancer]

[ He's never quite been that low, although he may have come close a time or two. He always had the balancing perspective, however, that no matter how much he might hate the situation he'd been born into, it was a far easier fate than many had been blessed with. It felt selfish to bemoan his cage when it was plush and relatively comfortable. It didn't make him hate it less, of course. He's not sure anything could do that, no matter how optimistic he might try to be about it.

He takes a deep breath at her words and then straightens and glances around. Looking anywhere except for that haunting well now marring this section of the Courtyard. ]

You can visit it whenever you like. It's where Claude and Petra and I all grew up together, so all three of us have many, many memories in this place. I can give you a tour, if you like? And I'm pretty sure I still remember all the best gossip - don't tell Claude I told you that.

[ He purposefully drags a crooked grin to his lips, pushing away the lingering dread that still lurks at the edge of his awareness. ]

[philancer]

I suppose that could be true. [ Sylvain gives a thoughtful hum, even as he steps into the next attack, lance whirling and jabbing around him, He keeps pace with Altaïr, covering his back as they fight, the stance coming to him like second nature. ] But I think the arrogance would come once you think you've hit the level of being the best. Or when you stop finding a challenge in any of your fights.

[ In which case, he wonders how their Professor has managed it all this time. ]

[ushiri]

[ He's starting to get that. Another short pause as he studies Jack, mulling over his explanation. ]

Then it sounds like a second case of self-defense. [ He speaks carefully, aware of which part of all of this is bothering Jack the most. ] Not like you're becoming a homicidal maniac at random.

[ That distinction feels important. Establishing a pattern. He knows it must still be frightening to lose control like that, maybe not in the exact same way but he knows. ]

It seems like as long as I'm not a threat to you, I shouldn't have to worry.

[ Which is... problematic right now, considering he just hallucinated that Fikiri was in the room. He frowns to himself. ]

[philancer]

[ For a moment, Sylvain just gives him a wry look, because there's only one problem with that argument. ]

You say that like I've lived to see what comes after. [ He hasn't, not yet. And might never get to, in Claude's world. Hell, maybe not even in his own, what does he know?

Which just makes him sigh and rake fingers through his already-tousled hair in agitation. ] Maybe you're right. I mean I was intending to help with Libertas anyway. That I'm more than aware of the aftermath of. I'm just not sure that's going to be enough, especially if you think they're keeping secrets from us. Then again, that's nothing new. I guessed that on day one.

[philancer]

You might be right. Not that I'm keen to test that assumption right now, but...

[ His voice trails off as the... whatever that is lurches around the corner towards them and not even he can resist making a face of disgust at the sight of it.

He's pretty sure limbs weren't meant to work like that. ]

Are you sure you want the answer to that question? Because I don't think I do.

[ His grip tightens on his lance as he steadies his stance. ] Flee or fight? We better decide fast. He doesn't look all that patient.

[carmesi]

[sometimes, wanda thinks about the fantastical nature of many of the things she has experienced in abraxas—in the horizon itself. many things that don't stem from magic, necessarily, but definitely from imagination and memories. and yet it is so real. her knees against the stone floor ache as she rests her weight on them, smiling lightly as the skeleton of this girl accepts the rose, curtsies, and offers a polite word of thanks.

rousma, then, draws a sense of endearment from wanda. she speaks of her brother, revealing more than she is sure he would like being said about himself to a relative stranger he feels cautious about.]

I also had an older brother. Pietro. [is what she offers, leaning forward a little more, a secret between little sisters.] They're the best kind of person to have, aren't they?

[lightly, she touches one of the skeletal hands that hold onto the rose, just for a small connection, before letting her hands fall back onto her lap.]

You can call me Wanda. It's nice to meet you, Rousma.

[hextechhead]

"If you're tired you should let me carry you. My strength has to be good for something."

If he can't protect Viktor, if he can't save him, what is any of it worth? Jayce keeps an arm around him, holding him close to his side so he can lean on him without any trouble. He feels that anger rise up in him, anger at this situation, and the Horizon putting them here, the Singularity. It's frustrating to have so little control. There are many things Jayce prefers about this world, but this is not one of them.

"Sit and what, watch as you apparently get covered in vines and lay down and give up?" Jayce turns toward him and still holds him close. "I'm not letting anything happen to you!"

He releases Viktor and takes a step away, probably doing the last thing Viktor actually wants to see, but he is getting riled up at the idea of giving up. If they are still in the Horizon, which means he can make things happen if he wants to. Out of no where the hammer of contention appears as if summoned directly to him, giving him no need for a fire spell when it glows with Hextech power.

"We're getting out of here," he says, and his eyes seem to flicker blue.

[magicalarchaeologist]

"I am your friend. We can be scared together."

While Istredd rarely claims friends, it's not easy for him, he and Wanda's connection has been so strong from day one. They've felt so many things from each other and toward each other. He has shared with her in a way he never has before, and it feels so natural. He will not fail her now when she needs him most.

Her illusion, the magic, is trying to get her through Pietro. If he lets her stay here with it, she won't manage to get out of it any time soon. As hard as it is to lose, and lose all over again, he cannot leave her to this madness. He cannot lie to her though and keep the trust they've earned.

"I truly wish I could."

He was hoping to have her pick it willingly but with the delusion gripping and holding her down, he had to do it the hard way. Istredd moves forward quickly enough to take her hand and he psychically pulls her. Out of where they were hiding, out of the destroyed apartment, out of her brother's hand, and back into reality. Or a version of it, anyway. He uses his telepathic control to add her underneath his shield so that the glowing blue surrounds her as well, even from her own chaos. It can still burst in, but he is hoping that if he holds onto her tight, she may be able to relax into it.

It does mean that he ends up pulling her effectively into his arms, mentally and physically, but they are friends and he has a feeling after what she was just forced to relive, she could use an embrace.

"I'm sorry."

[itookashot]

Jesper glances up at him and he can see how unsettled he is. He crosses over and cups Mat's face in his hands. "We'll figure out something. Or maybe we're just stuck here until it decides to let us go. I'm not going to let anything happen to you." He kisses Mat's forehead tenderly, hoping even a little reassurance would help. He means it.

It is very difficult to make Jesper afraid, he is fairly fearless when it comes to himself, but he gets far more concerned about the people he loves. That can worry him. If this is Mat's memory or something that reminds him of it, and it's a consuming thing? Well, no need to panic, but there may be some panic later.

He thinks waiting may be the only move ahead of them, but not if this anxiety in his stomach turns out to be valid. There don't seem to be other structures they can get to either. "How did you get out of that other place?"

[godshattering]

[ Even between the war and Nadine's careful tutoring, Claude's skills of medicine (with medicine being a generous description) are rudimentary. He could summon the healing potions and poultices he knows from Fodlan and almost starts to - then thinks better of it. The Horizon's made that seem like a terrible idea based on those torches and Freikugel nearby. Not important; he can think about what to do later since when Kyle starts what sounds like something adjacent to an explanation, Claude quickly shakes his head. ]

I hear you. [ Said with the deceptive calm of someone who's been here before, post-battle, and sitting with someone coping with it while trying to do so themselves. This time, fortunately, it's the Horizon and not an actual battlefield. That means death isn't a thing here. He hopes. ] Just take a minute. Not gonna tell you to relax or anything, since, well.

[ Claude doesn't finish that thought - that everything is strange right now - figuring it goes without saying and repeating it won't make anything different. That still ranks below getting Kyle stable, so he absently reaches up to pat the hand on his shoulder briefly for whatever support that offers after securing the equally makeshift bandage before going right back to his other checks with a glance up at the other man. ]

My point is, if you're about to put an apology in there - it's not needed.

[magicalarchaeologist]

"If that was the truth, it might have done this sooner, although we have no way of knowing if the nightmare entity wasn't a god itself. If the experiences people have had here earlier aren't also a part of it."

Istredd hasn't experience any of them, he is a recent addition. This is his first experience with things going strangely, and while it's been mostly irritating or frustrating for him, he can see the harm it's having on the people around him. And sometimes feeling helpless is the worst thing for him. What is the point of being brilliant if you can't actually do anything? A question he's had for a long time.

"Or the Singularity is pure magic and deities can draw power from it. Really impossible to say. Although with these gods ... it seems so random, why now? Why those ones? It could be random. Or someone could be summoning them."

[magicalarchaeologist]

"Mine looks like this."

He's uncertain if Kyle has gone looking so he makes a very easy illusion of the stellacite monolith tower that Kyle could probably see if he steps out into the rest of the Horizon. It has a tendency to stand out, although not unlike Kyle's own interesting and unique temple. But it is very foreboding, dark, and serious in comparison.

"A thousand years ago at least, there was a calamity, many spheres - worlds - were put together. Different species that were completely separated before were forced to live in the same space. The only real symbols left all these years later of what happened were monoliths, they were said to be the scars of this event on the continent."

In a way it seems obvious why. It's a giant black ancient stone that used to just be standing solemnly in the middle of the land, as a reminder to all who saw them that something once occurred. And yet people forget anyway, or stop caring. Except for Istredd.

[righteously]

She urges, he relents, and it's about now Dean starts to get lost. It's about now everything else in his mind goes quiet, and his perception narrows. That urgency drives him, and he meets it — exceeds it. Darts a tongue out to taste lip, a gentle and fleeting appeal, coaxing. The hand that'd been safely gripping her arm wanders, finds her ribs, palms the span of them, and then drifts lower. They both do, down waist, down hips, ducking down until they both hit thigh, so he can abruptly lift her, spin them, and set her on the table where he'd been perched. All in one smooth maneuver, without ever fully breaking away from her lips.

It's a little faster than he'd go normally, but something about this... it's momentum set to snowball.

[hairington]

[ the second he hears movement when he calls out, steve feels a bit like he can breathe again. when he lifts his eyes up to the next level of whatever structure it is they've fallen onto, geralt is crouching down and holding out a hand for him, one that steve takes and uses to pull himself up to the next floor. ]

Yeah- nothing's broken.

[ it's not until he's up on that next level and on his feet that steve actually gives himself the time to look around, not really sure what he's supposed to be seeing. there are buildings, or he guesses they're buildings, though they look more like shipping crates on top of shipping crates.

off in the distance is much of the same - more of these strangely stacked buildings, rolling clouds that make steve feel like there must be a kind of storm on the horizon, and then there is that pink stuff everywhere. it reminds steve a bit of the fair, or the concession stand at the movies - like too much cotton candy and too small a space. steve can't quite pull his eyes away from it, though he doesn't know what it is that's caught his attention. something about the mass, about the ooze, how it's everywhere, in almost all the windows, how it's kind of consumed the lower levels of the buildings, how it's...it's not moving, is it?

that's when geralt breaks the window and steve jumps, his attention turning back to the task at hand, which apparently involves geralt climbing through a window that is...well. steve was going to say too small for him. but the larger man manages, and steve follows suit quick after him, having a much easier time sliding through the frame and ending up in the middle of the kitchen.

it's dark - but not pitch black. steve looks around for a light switch. ]

Do you think these are people's homes?

[hairington]

[ steve barely waits until she's made it through the door before he's shifting the gears and slamming his foot on the accelerator. because she does have a point - his car, these wheels, they're not made to avoid the root system. he's not looking to sneak, here, but rather outrun.

the engine roars to life, climbing in speed as steve weaves through what's left of the forest before his tires squeal over asphalt. once on the highway, steve's booking it even faster, and faster, because it's not a matter of avoiding detection - that much he's figured out. instead, it's about outrunning, because whatever's gone weird about his horizon, whatever it is this place has become, it always manages to stop just enough if he can get out of it.

so that's where he's going. or at least trying to go. because it's only a couple of minutes after that something large, and larger still, will burst through the treeline and onto the road. steve doesn't seem surprised by this, and instead will just lean forward a bit more and tap at his steering wheel, urging the car forward. ] C'mon, c'mon...

[ at the very least, he's got a decent soundtrack? ]

[hairington]

[ whether or not wanda remains calm through this, the moment she's close enough, steve will take her arm and tug her into the bus, closing the door tight behind them and checking quickly to make sure nothing has started. when he's comfortable enough with the eery silence of the space around them, he'll look back to her with a look somewhere between apologetic and exhausted. ]

Sorry- this is uh. [ Indiana? except that it's not. steve cuts himself off and looks a little confused, like he's trying to figure out exactly how he wants to go about this explanation, before letting out a breath. ] I think something is weird with the Horizon. This is usually my- what did you call it? Domain? But it's wrong. It's not what I tried to make with it.

[ it's that second question that has steve's eyes moving through the bus around them - the metal half-hazardly attached to the windows, the small details he couldn't help but keep around. dustin's radio, max's headphones. he shakes his head. ]

This place is from my home. I had to use it with some friends when we were fighting these things. It worked then, so I guess I thought it'd work here?

[hairington]

[ steve doesn't really know what to do with any of this, now that it's out in the open. he supposes that might be part of the problem, the problem nancy had years ago, the problem the kids all have, the problem he's been avoiding since that first night. that beyond dustin's rants every now and then, none of them really talk about this shit. they know what the others have seen, they've all lived through various different versions of the same nightmare, but putting it in words? letting it out? hasn't always been part of the program.

and, genuinely, steve thought that was for the better. keep it in, don't bring it up, and the rest of it will stay behind them. they can just keep moving, have a bad day here and there, and then it will be like nothing ever happened.

except that isn't at all what is happening. no matter if these circumstances are beyond different, no matter if he never could have even imagined whatever it is they've found themselves, he is literally standing in the midst of all that he thought he could leave behind. even with his eyes held closed, he can still smell it. can still hear the echoes of russian soldiers right on the other side of the door.

don't apologize to me, man eddie says, and steve feels himself laugh at that, no matter how it might still sound a little shaky. he knows he's apologizing for exploding, he knows that eddie didn't ask for any of this and didn't deserve the outburst either. hell, they're just now even kind of friends - but some part of steve can also recognize that this is all. ridiculous. and apologizing like he feels like he needs to kind of also sounds stupid.

it's eddie's hand on steve's shoulder that does it in the end - that settles him enough to pull his hands away from his face. that grounds him enough to take an actual breath. part of him doesn't really want to meet eddie's eyes, but steve finds himself looking up at him anyway. nodding, once. ]

Yeah. Okay. Shit. [ he rubs at his face one last time before nodding, looking fractionally more steady as he starts towards the elevator. ]

[funbreaker]

[ That dry joking comment earns an equally wry smile out of Thancred. Yes, Himeka would likely prefer it that way as well. She's not exactly uncomfortable with the attention she receives, but there is a humbleness about her when all of the "great hero" talk starts. Understandable, given her beginnings. He'd met her when she was still wide-eyed and new to the world of adventuring, her future yet unknown.

That's neither here nor there at this point, save for the fact that Thancred and Himeka have plumbed their fair share of dungeons quite like this maze.

As Geralt feels around, Thancred leans forward, trying to see as much of the room as he can before actually stepping into it. There are panels on the floor that look extremely suspect to him, but other than that...

Then Geralt pipes up, causing him to glance over, slightly incredulous. ]

We should rip off the bandage, then, is that what you're saying? I suppose it is the Horizon. What's the worst that could happen?

[ The question is at least partly facetious, but he steels himself and steps forward all the same, at least hoping that Geralt is in step with him. They should endure this together. Lo and behold, as soon as his boot hits that floor panel, the trap triggers, a green smoke bursting forth from tiny holes in the walls and clouding over them. Once it makes contact, Thancred feels something oddly familiar, as his entire form shifts without warning (or, thankfully, pain).

And then he's only a few ilms tall. A tiny creature. With smooth, moist, green skin.

He hops to the side and spots another frog. A Geralt frog. ]

Ribbit.

[funbreaker]

Giant sand worms...? Well, I suppose I'm relieved to hear that it was easily appeased.

[ Naturally Thancred thinks of the large sand worms that are not all that uncommon in Southern Thanalan, but even if he's familiar with them, the idea of something even larger that feasts on them is still unsettling.

However, there doesn't seem to be any sign of the hand shifting in response to their slow ascent up the mountain, at least not yet. He'll take it.

He thinks making conversation will be preferable to climbing silently in this bitter cold, and so he carries on. ]

I did ride on the back of a massive, island-sized beast once. [ He glances over to Sylvain, wearing a playful smile. ] That one was kind, at least. We can hope the same here, I suppose.

Getting NSFW

[nadine_he_loves]

Nadine gaps into Dean's mouth when he expertly lifts her and turns them round until they've switched positions, as though she's barely a weight to him. It sends a sharp thrill to her core. Her free hand grips at his shirt against his chest and she lifts herself up into the kiss, responding hungrily.

In the moment she's very aware of all the little details. The feel of his hair under her fingers. The taste of his mouth. The warmth that radiates off of his body. The hard surface of the table underneath her. All of it feels good and there's no thought spared for how quickly things are heating. It feels right, like this is how it's supposed to go.

Spurred on by how eagerly Dean reacts, once the ice is broken, Nadine lifts her les to wrap them around him, skirts bunching up and lifting over her bare legs. Even now, through their combined layers of clothing, she can feel how strong he is. How solid. Maybe it's a shallow cliché, but something about muscles makes her breath catch and her head spin.

Whatever force urged her to act on her impulse, she doesn't regret it.

[aquaveiled]

[ Short and to the point as always--it's a good enough sign that he's not so unsettled into complete silence. But what it tells her is that much of what they're experience isn't an isolated incident, that something is creepy out from the Horizon...or creeping into it. She's not sure which would be worse. ]

"An old friend"...

[ Another pause as she mouths the words themselves as if testing their weight and validity. She finds they hold true. ]

Yes, it did feel like that. It was...welcoming, in a way.

[ She tosses the fire at the creeping tendril, watching it catch alight and pull back as the wood turns suspiciously to ash. It only lasts a moment before the fire dies down. ]

Though everything around it was in a state of decay, it seemed so full of life...

[ Not unlike Solvunn now, hm? That cannot be a coincidence. ]

What did it look like?

[londonbound]

[ It's lucky she has ideas for what to do. Rhy has never been outside on his own, at the mercy of the elements like this. He's rarely been outdoors for any length of time without the benefit of an entire caravan or an entire ship, all complete with servants and guards. Thorne might feel limiting to many, but to him, it's been a familiar sort of gilded cage he hasn't even thought to complain about until what had happened with Libertas and Thorne.

Out here, all alone, panicked and cold and uncomfortable, he really has no idea. Even the fires he'd tried to start, he'd attempted magic first, then methods he's only read about. ]

Th-there are sticks. Yes.

[ It's a good idea. Julie is helping him, even from however far she is, and what's he doing for her? Nothing but complaining.

He glances at one of the washed up corpses, then quickly looks away. ]

Rags, at most. All wet.

I'll try to build a shelter.

I'm sorry... you're stuck where you are too.

i am somewhat alive

[hextechhead]

I am an optimist, this is true.

[ Jayce has been forced into some realism lately and also some cynicism, but it really isn't his natural state. He's always believed in things that no one else could see. The answer does make him think and he nods, he can see why Alucard with his history would be worried about their intentions. And also perhaps to look for connections that will last in his longer lifetime. ]

If they were a real threat wouldn't they already have defeated the werewolves? Or come after the other factions? They seem content to stay in their corner.

[ Obviously Alucard knows better than he does about some vampires, but maybe not all of them. He hasn't read anything about vampire domination in this world, even attempted. Thorne seems to be the one stomping around conquering (and losing). ]

I suppose you'd rather go home, given the chance.