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.

---

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

[thearchangel]

He huffs out a sound that might have been a laugh in a previous life. "Not sure how to calibrate myself... Might take some study."

By all rights, he should be pulling away. Minimize contact until they can figure this out. Note down parameters, limits, triggers. Do some kind of research before launching into anything. But he hasn't. He hasn't so much as budged. His other mandible doing the expression for the both of them.

She's right - he knows she's right. On the other hand, the thought of hurting her still makes his nerves buzz unpleasantly. It doesn't matter if she's used to it, if either of them are. Hell, the fate of the galaxy was already on her shoulders. He's not supposed to be adding more weight.

"Have you had this happen with anyone else?" he asks, finally.

[catholica]

He's very particular.

( so no, no business card for stick. he took on people that he wanted to. matt still doesn't really know how stick had come to him but he's glad he had.

even if stick had caused a bunch of crap to happen. )

We've got more company.

[bealufull]

Here in this space its easier to ignore what's going on in the city that is becoming their home. He doesn't have to think about the rot, the smell isn't there, and it's easier to focus on the scent of spice, the soft lilt of her voice, and the atmosphere of a home he's never known but brought him one of the best things in his life.

The contact is not easy for him but it is wanted. Not just for her but for himself as well. Maybe he's not always shown it through physical contact but she has helped him through so much and that light grip shows how much that means to him.

"We can take time here as we need, Inej. At least while we formulate a plan."

So then they're not hiding, they're working on it. While they hide.

"As for her," he says, leaning in a bit closer. "You are free from her. If this place is using her to harass you, that is a vicious attack and nothing more. We all have the devils that can still haunt us, in one form or another. It isn't a sign of weakness but a sign you have survived hard times."

From the man who thinks he's weak for the results of his hard times. Do as he says, not as he thinks.

[catholica]

( that — that sounds familiar and matt nods, rubbing his hands over his face and sighing. )

I understand that. Duty, I mean.

( duty, purpose, they were all wrapped up in why he did what he did. he didn't always take the best route to do what he needed but it had to be done. )

You've been able to do it here? Your duty.

[godshattering]

[ He knew what he was doing with that choice of words, and when Sylvain picks up on them Claude's quick to return the smirk. For a second, at least, since he'll shift to something more contemplative seconds later in disregard of the lessons and dire need for anything. ]

Holst wins by merit of being the only one not old enough to be either of our grandfathers. That puts him leagues ahead of the others, but still. There's a limit to how much I want to hear about military prowess.

[ Maybe a bit unkind to the other lords considering it's more like fathers than grandfathers, and he doesn't dislike Holst by any means, but all the same: that's a big no thanks in Claude's mind. And more importantly, the lords or lessons aren't nearly as interesting as what follows. It's more of that easily teasing banter they've struck up so often - he thinks - and now is as good of a time as any for more of it. Rather spot on, really, given the topic, so while that thoughtful expression's still on his face he'll use it to his benefit. ]

Why, Sylvain. If you wanted my attention that badly, all you had to do was ask. [ A pause, and then complete with a shrug and another smirk - ] And I'd consider it.

[ Can't make things too easy, after all. ]

[philancer]

But looking pretty and being extra exasperating already gets me so much.

[ With a bat of his eyelashes at the other man, he goes for teasing rather than serious this time, even though Claude's words send a faint rush of pleasant heat through him. It's a nice change from the chilled sense of dread that's been lingering under his skin for days now. ]

At the very least, now I know I rank higher than Holst in your affections. I'll take comfort in that. Besides. I should have known you'd be one of those who enjoy making your partner beg.

[philancer]

Maybe just a little.

[ His voice is oh-so-dry, but very amused as he spins his lance around to plant the butt on the ground and cast a glance over his shoulder at her. ]

How many do you think you can hit with those fireballs of yours? And how's your aim, because I'd rather you not hit me in the process?

[ He keeps an eye on the approaching horde - because what else should he consider that? - even as he questions her. And then wonders if maybe he should repeat his question on her preference of fighting or fleeing. Although he's faced worse odds before. Probably. They didn't seem to be overly threatening, just numerous. Not that that wasn't its own sort of danger, if you weren't careful. ]

[philancer]

[ A few nobles come to mind immediately at those words, and Sylvain makes a face. ]

You're not wrong. And unfortunately, they're often in positions to do the most damage at the same time. Which makes for a terrible combination.

[godshattering]

[ Sylvain earns a short laugh for that one though he's just as tempted to follow it up with a roll of his eyes. Claude doesn't doubt for a second there's a bit of truth in there somewhere - on either end of the conversation, especially given that they're still having it or that he's willing to continue it rather than finding some polite way to decline it like he might've been tempted to otherwise. Now's just the opposite, and now if only he could dismiss it as idle curiosity and nothing more.

Probably better to not think about that one, though. It'd be the same as making things too easy, and where's the fun in that or in not playing along? ]

I never said anything about begging, but if you're going to volunteer to do it then I'm certainly not going to complain. [ He should probably finish his drink too, and now's as good of a time as any to do so which conveniently doubles with letting that statement hang out there a bit longer. ] Is that part of another lesson somewhere on your list of them? Or just another way to contemplate your supposed ranking?

[philancer]

[ Sylvain just hums as he finishes up the last of his drink, then leans over to bar to stick the glass with the other dirty ones back there to be washed next shift.

He stands and leans over Claude, bending to murmur in his ear, ]

I don't think you've advanced to the level of skill high enough to make me beg, yet. We can revisit the subject when you do.

[ Which is where he leaves the conversation for the time being, taking advantage of the last word this time as he casts Claude a wink and a smirk and heads for the back stairs. ]

[tobeclosetohim]

Are you saying he's sexist?

[ The question is far too breezy and pinprick mocking for Jo to be serious, but she tosses it like a dart while making a note of that being another thing in this box. He can't see that. Hell, she can only see a handful of staggers together from any direction. Superhearing of some kind? She can't even imagine what superpower makes it so he can fight like that without seeing his opponents. ]

How many do you think?

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard's little space in the Horizon is, as far as he knows, one of the few spaces that are not focused on recreating home. There is no cabin in the middle of the woods in Wallachia, no need for it. Home was a great imposing castle with impossible architecture. Not a three room shack that exists in the middle of no where and shrouded in perpetual fog.

The coffee pot is set on the stove, and Alucard turns to meet Thancred's eyes. He's calm, and he sighs slightly.]

If you're asking, you know the answer already. But ask anyway.

[aquilus]

[Altaïr stares.

The initial kick had been out of frustration, a momentary, uncharacteristic venting of his feelings. The second had been experimental, in a way, and that experiment is proving to be more successful than he would have imagined.]

All right...

[He gives a third kick, because he has always been the most successful when his actions and intent are one. At the same time, he focuses, putting himself into the same mindset that he does when crafting the shape of his own domain. It's almost like staring into space, putting himself at a distance from the world in front of him and imagining what could be. He pictures a space, empty possibility, the base form of the Horizon as he knows it and as has been described to him from earlier days.

It seems to be working. The maze itself begins to break down in front of them, brittle but easily shattered now that they know how.]

[aquilus]

Not as well as I'd like.

[It's another strangely personal admission, more information than he wants to give. Altaïr knows now that shame lies not in failure, but in denying what can be learned from it.

That doesn't mean he likes it. For all the time he's spent relying on his own skills, he's found himself adrift without the brotherhood.]

And you? Is this a lawyer's duty?

[aquilus]

It seems the same is true in many worlds.

[Another couple of ghouls shamble up and he dispatches them almost absently. This is hardly even a distraction, which isn't something he should complain about, but still...]

It's a good thing neither of us suffer from such an affliction.

[Hah.]

[assembles]

[ Wanda's right that if there is some unknown party involved in all of these changes that are happening not just to them, but to the world around them, then they probably don't mean to do any good. Another villain on the horizon? Another Ultron or Thanos? The idea is, frankly, exhausting. But that doesn't mean Steve will turn away from it.

Wanda calls him Matt, not Murdock, and she seems just as certain of something about him as Steve. That causes him to turn his back to the window, meeting her eyes which give away very little. To the point that it's almost suspicious.

Nat may have taught her a little too well.

Whatever she might be trying to hide, though, it's clear that she's concerned about Matt. She wouldn't ask if that wasn't the case. Steve nods, crossing his arms over his chest as he tilts his head up slightly toward the ceiling, thinking back. ]

Everyone's been acting a little strange, haven't they? But when I found him, he was beating down undead like... well, like he'd done it countless times. [ Not exactly lawyer behavior, last he checked. ] I'd caught him doing his vigilante thing late one night before the Nocwich trip, so it made it a little easier to put things together.

[ The nature of Matt's relationship with Wanda isn't quite as clear. He's going off of the fact that he saw the two of them together a lot in Nocwich, an odd detail given that they were from different factions. Matt had even dedicated his lantern to her. So, he's got a pretty good hunch about it. ]

[assembles]

Steve only shrugs at that, because there are plenty more things about Abraxas, the Singularity, and the Horizon which are just as mysterious. He knows that Stephen Strange has been trying to investigate the Singularity as much as he can, but that's difficult when trips to it seem to be few and far between. Or so Sam tells him.

Which means the rest of them, who don't even have the knowhow to make sense of any of it, are really just left to speculate.

A galaxy wide invasion. Losing good people. Yeah, Steve knows what that's like, a little too well. The wounds are fresh enough that there's a moment where he appears distinctly uncomfortable as he stares at the swirling map. It's all so close to home, and even if the fight's been won in his case, that doesn't erase the last five years.

Snapped out of his thoughts by the question, he glances back over, smoothing his expression into something more neutral. "The fight was over, thankfully. And we won. But... like you said, not without losing some good people." One who's here, having dreamed of five years of memories and earned himself some scars in the process.

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard also stares. He cannot believe that this is so simple. They both probably tried this before, but not until this moment was it liable to work.

The dhampir breathes out, and that breath happens at that third kick. He offers his own as the fourth, and the sound of glass shatters around them.

It takes all of a moment for the maze to shatter, leaving them both in a small space. In every direction, the borders of a domain are visible, making it clear that this is one of the few areas that has not been built upon.

Alucard stares at Altaïr in genuine disbelief.]

You know, I think the part I hate the most is knowing that it would have not worked at any other point in time.

[aquilus]

That was ridiculous.

[He's fighting back a smile as he speaks, though. It's half out of relief.

Altaïr turns his head to look behind them but no, there's nothing unusual — no signs of the maze they'd been trapped in. He shakes his head, a little disbelievingly.]

Was there any purpose to that, do you think?

[thedevilwhorose]

[Distractions. He allowed himself to get distracted but it's the first time he's seen the symbol and it reminds him too much of that image he had seen cut through his vision in the Horizon before.

It bears the question what is the connection between the arcana and the Singularity?

But he needs to make it through this to figure out that question another time--if he doesn't get horribly distracted by everything after all this. Ha.

There's the briefest moment of holy light and the silhouette of wings extended in a bracing posture to steady the two of them, but it passes just as quick before he wheels around and looks up.

For all that Lucifer's been connected to Hell, he'd argue that the demons had nothing on Eve's monsters. He doesn't even know where something like this falls.] Nope. No. That's not-- [He really does not like that. Instead of pushing further into their surrounding darkness to get out of grabbing distance he reaches out in some imitation of a handshake to grab the creature's hand, pulling in a tug-of-war with inhuman strength and slashing up with his small blade in an effort to slice through tendons and muscle, and whatever magic it had stolen for its own lifeforce, disgustingly twisted and misused.

His blade glows, white and power similarly to his wings moments before.

Looks like a switchblade.

Feels like an angel blade.

Huh. Ain't that something.] Little help! [He still hisses back to Wanda, pulling more and opening up weak points.]

[thedevilwhorose]

"Malformed Horizon bits; that's exactly what we need."

He's started to follow after her, unfortunately with nothing else in hand to give up to her. Neither of them are going to like his solution for the last space to clear, but it really does require them both to have some form of trust. He thinks if she tries to screw him over though he'll be able to fly the rest of the way through no problem, but then they'll be back at each other's throats.

He makes it almost to her.

"I'll give you a boost," he says seriously. "Keep an eye out for anything else that might be waiting to pounce."

And then if she allows him he will make to push her up through.

[thedevilwhorose]

Oh, harm? There's been no harm. Everything is going perfectly fine for the people around you, Istredd. Why would anything possibly be wrong?

"Unfortunately the knowledge we have on the gods is extremely limited courtesy of Thorne's control of our information." How many gods were there? What did they all represent? Were they fueled by Abraxas? Did they need followers or did they simply need to be believed in? Or were they all Summoned to just be given to the gods as sustenance instead of the natives?

Lucifer could theorize for days.

"The Singularity and the gods have to be connected," he says. "I don't see a possibility where they aren't. If even we're connected, and we're considered alien to this world, then so must they. Why those gods?" he echoes, humming.

He taps a finger to his chin. From what he's experienced it isn't as though the gods arrival has been a blessing to anyone but the Summoned using their abilities, and even that is like... chasing a fix. Positive reinforcement for afflictions. Do Bad, Be Rewarded.

You know, exactly the kind of thing someone like Lucifer shouldn't have.

"Strife," he starts to say, then shakes his head, smirks, and continues, "Death, War, Pestilence, Famine. We've started into this little war. And maybe that's just it." He steps towards Istredd, grinning. "How about it, history nerd? When was the last time war broke out here? Maybe there was sign of the gods then, too."

[ushiri]

[ Kahlil pulls in another breath and nods to Claude's calm reasoning, latching on to it. It's not the pain of any wounds setting him on edge. It's the lack of control. He considers himself adaptable. It's what's kept him alive. But something about seeing the yasi'halaun tainted and warped by this place...

No, he's putting too much weight into a facsimile of the relic.

(But the pain feels real enough here. He's heard you're not supposed to feel pain in dreams, but what does it mean when you do? )

Another grimace as Claude continues to work on him. ]

Didn't anyone teach you to look after your own wounds first? [ There's a tired gratitude in his tone that softens his words as he examines Claude, but if the way he's breathing is an indication of broken ribs, there's little Kahlil can offer him in return to help stabilize that kind of injury. Another thing he needs to try not to be frustrated about. He tries adjusting the subject: ]

The man was from your past - the robot creature as well?

[ Why would this place pull creatures from their memory? ]

[ofthesword]

[They sit, and it's quiet. Nero's a bundle of restless energy, but he doesn't really feel the need to disrupt the silence, either. He can hear plenty: Geralt's uneven breathing, the tape straining a bit against the blasted door to keep it in place. He leans against the wall with one foot propped up, looking at the door they've moved a little bit from. Just a stairwell up. Straight up. Carved right outta stone.

He takes the quiet time to try to put together what the hell's happening. The Horizon's fucking up, for sure, like a television merging two channels together. Neither of them wanted to be in a goddamn blizzard. And his -- the deer, helping once and fucking off? Falling from a cave into this?

And whatever this is, it's. Not something Geralt meant to confront. Something he didn't mean to make, maybe; something like the panther that dogs Nero's footsteps. That lashed out in the last few days like it didn't even recognize him.

It isn't his place to pry. But he can't help but wonder if Geralt will ever bring it up again.

Eventually, he stands. Nero hands him a towel (he meant for it to be, like, a little cloth, but what falls into his hands is a freakin' bath towel) and follows behind him up the stairs. The air grows colder as they go, and for a minute he's thinking they're heading right back onto that mountain.

Door opens to... well, not a mountain, but not exactly anyplace he recognizes, either. But it's weirdly homey, with the fires burning, long stretches of tables.] Huh. Reminds me of the eating hall in the Order.

[Maybe that's it. A place where people were meant to gather. Except there's a weird fuckin' tree.]

Yeah, well. You survived both. That's braggin' rights, yeah? [Nero tosses down a loaf next to him, stretching out his legs. Not sure if his company is helping, or if there's helping at all, but it'd be fucked to just up and leave.] Personally, I dig this place. It's warm. I mean, not literally, but -- this home for you?

[ofthesword]

You -- huh? You share it?

[That was not what he'd been expecting to hear. And it definitely shows on his face -- his previous insults to her already forgotten, apparently.]

I mean, yeah. Probably. That's what the thing's for. [He gives her a look, though, a bit skeptical. The way she said car like it's something she's not really said before. And -- it's a van, by the way.]

As long as you promise not to puke in it if you get carsick. [He bangs his fist twice on the door until it pops back open, the engine turning over. Better to get out of here before the shadow gets more pissed off, anyway.] So you and Geralt, uh... are you like, his... I dunno. Sis...ter?

[That does not sound right, and he cringes after he's said it. This is like the whole Dante thing, isn't it? Fuck.]