EVENT #10: AFFLICTION - IC POST

[abraxasmods]

Event #10 - Affliction

go to the OOC event info & plotting post

---

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

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

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

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

Emergence

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

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

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

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

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

Affliction

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

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

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

Corruption

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

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

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

Blight

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

Omens

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

Solvunn

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

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

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

Free Cities

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

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

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

Thorne

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

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

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

Apprehensions

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

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

Displacement

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

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

Visitation

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

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

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

Ensnared

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

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

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

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

Scenes to Explore

JUSTICE ◎
FULL IMAGE

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

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

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

---

THE CHARIOT ◎
FULL IMAGE

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

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

---

THE WORLD ◎
FULL IMAGE

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

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

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

---

THE FOOL ◎
FULL IMAGE

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

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

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

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

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

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

Comments

[philancer]

Wait, they knew who they were summoning?!

[ This is news to Sylvain and he straightens in surprise, eyes widening at this revelation. Then he realizes that was louder than he intended and he glances around before hunching in his shoulders to keep this conversation between them again. Oops? ]

How is that even possible? Do you think they still have ways of seeing back to our home?

[ He doesn't want to think about them knowing about the Professor. That feels worrisome on so many levels he doesn't even know where to start. ]

[godshattering]

Thorne would've had to if they knew when they got someone they weren't trying to summon, otherwise how would they know if they made a mistake? That was back when people first arrived and needless to say they've had plenty of practice since then.

[ As have the Free Cities and Solvunn, but Claude assumes that part can be left unsaid since it's clear enough or else neither of them would be here. That brings up something else important, however, so he watches as Sylvain processes that and then adds, ] I don't think it's a coincidence that most people I've talked to in Cadens have military experience if not battle experience, Sylvain. That means they know at least that much about you, me, and anyone else.

But as for what they know or how they knew we exist in the first place, and whether they can keep looking now that we're here? Your guess is as good as mine.

[ A pause for another drink since this conversation requires it, and that's before it turns back to Fodlan proper since that feels inevitable with all of this being put out into the relative open. ]

I don't think we'll ever find that out without getting close enough to the government to look at whatever records they have. That's not something I'm in a rush to do even if I want to know the answers.

[philancer]

[ He frowns and takes a long swallow of his drink before setting the mug back down, fingers tapping restlessly on the top of the bar.

It was something to consider, at least. ]

How close do you think we'd have to get?

[godshattering]

[ Somehow - for some reason - that question isn't what he expected. It's reasonable (and something he's considered himself, when it was just him here, and when being alone hadn't made it viable) but for once Claude goes with his immediate reaction and his gaze is back on Sylvain in an instant. ]

Close enough for it to be a bad idea for, oh, about a hundred reasons, and that's assuming anyone's willing to tell us anything or where to find it even if it did work. [ Though he's careful to keep his expression neutral, the tone's a couple degrees cooler than anything ever directed towards Sylvain before though he's struggling to name exactly what feeling's behind that besides wariness of the Free Cities. Since there is something else, but that's not important. Maybe. ] Other Summoned have disappeared and no one seems to know how, or why, or where they went. I'm not particularly eager for anyone else to become one of them.

[ It's less that 'surveillance on the government is a bad idea' since really, it isn't; it's more about that whole not disappearing thing and maybe, if one reads between the lines, less directed at himself. Is he telling on himself again? Probably. Too late to take it back now. ]

[philancer]

[ Sylvain arches an eyebrow at that tone, a little caught off guard by it. That hadn't been what he'd expected from Claude at all. ]

Aww. That almost makes it sound like you'd miss me.

[ It's said jokingly, but there's a definite note of self-deprecation there. He takes another drink, shaking his head as he still considers this news Claude's given him. ]

Bad ideas haven't really stopped us before. The risk might be worth it, if we could find out something useful. Especially if it's about the... Teach. Regardless, it wouldn't be a quick effort. Getting that kind of influence and trust here would take time. And a lot of careful actions.

[godshattering]

[ The first part of that's going to be put aside for now. It's done with the note to himself that now it's his turn to silently question the tone in it, like it's a joke concealing something else inside. Sylvain's not wrong about the sentiment, but there's an elaborate web of things wound around it that even Claude's not looking at too closely. No need to start now as far as he's concerned.

It's also true they've never been stopped by a bad idea, but there's a world of difference between needling each other into eating too much glowing candy among all the other harmlessly dumb ones since, and what this would mean if they decided to undertake it. Or if Sylvain does, since Claude's well aware there's nothing he can do to stop the other man if he decides to. All the better to check on a suspicion he has while keeping a level gaze on the person next to him. ]

And what experience do you have with doing that?

[ Because Claude has the experience in question, even if the application was different and not for nefarious (to him) purposes. It's also not something he's particularly eager to repeat without some serious thought first, but - he's listening. ]

[philancer]

[ Sylvain just shrugs, almost flippant in his disregard of it. Not in offense to Claude or anyone else, but there's almost a purposeful air to the otherwise nonchalant dismissal. ]

Me? None whatsoever. [ Not that that's ever stopped some of them before, either.

But he does pause for a moment, considering what else to say as he stares down into the dregs of his drink before turning to flash Claude a halfhearted rueful smile. ]

But giving people exactly what they think they want to see so they underestimate you from there on out? That I might have considerable experience in. I know how to play a role, Claude.

[godshattering]

[ The shrug is - not ideal, though this time Claude doesn't go with his first reaction, instead willing himself to wait it out and be a bit more careful as usual. None is exactly what he would've guessed and it's not reassuring in terms of what the bigger picture would require. Not even with that rather illuminating reveal that follows it; he studies Sylvain for a long moment afterwards. It's not lost on him that now's a time to choose his words with even more deliberation than usual. A given, really, but now if he selects an incorrect one who knows what the consequence will be? ]

I don't doubt that, but this isn't 'playing a role' to get out of practice at the training grounds that we're talking about here. This is considerably different.

[ Where to start? There aren't a lot of ways he can explain what he'd actually like to without giving too much away and that won't help anything either. That's something he can think a bit more about first because there's something more important to address in there. ]

You realize that about the only way they'd trust us is if we joined the military, right? I don't want information badly enough to consider doing that, and you shouldn't either.

[philancer]

[ Sylvain huffs out a dry laugh at Claude’s comment about training. If only that had been the worst of his worries back home. No, the facade he wore had been for a different purpose entirely. ]

I realize that, Claude. The only way they’d trust one of us is if we prove ourselves trustworthy to them. Joining the military would be the least of it. [ Claude would be disappointed to know his mind is already calculating all the angles of this particular problem. All those strategy lessons he’d drilled over and over again were more useful than their Professor had probably ever anticipated. ] It might be worth the risk. We still don’t know what - or how much - they’re hiding from us. Least of all the information on how to get back home. Or how they found us in the first place. Or how to keep them from finding and Summoning the others.

[godshattering]

I'm not sure spending who knows how long enlisted in hopes maybe they'll decide to trust you is the way to go. What happens if they send you to attack Thorne like what was done to Libertas since that's coming sooner rather than later, and that's how they decide you can prove yourself?

[ There was an attempt to mostly avoid sounding displeased before, but that resolve's failed a little since he's not about to agree this angle sounds reasonable. Never mind that so far the angle in question is entirely his own invention of where cooperating with the military could lead. It's not far of a leap, Claude thinks, and still entirely not worth it. ]

Neither of us have been here long enough to know what we're up against. They're clearly lying to us about a lot and have been all along, considering there's people who've been here much longer who still don't know the answers to any of those questions. [ Or, well - ] Or if they do, they aren't sharing them either.

[ That's too much negativity all at once and could only serve to push things further in the direction he doesn't want. Better to temper it, just a little. ]

There's other ways to accomplish the same thing without taking up the Free Cities' specific causes, even if it's a less direct route.

[philancer]

[ Sylvain had already had an argument ready, but if he's honest, there's thoughts lurking in the back of his mind he's not ready to voice just yet. Not to Claude, not to anyone from home. They're not even fully formed yet, but they're persistent at the very least.

He's not ready to speak them, though. That makes them too real and he's not there yet.

So he lets Claude divert him instead, arching an eyebrow at that leading statement. ]

What other ways?

[godshattering]

[ This is the part where Claude's reminded there's some level of preciseness with which he'll have to choose what to say yet again. There's multiple ways his ideas can be taken, but still worth it in the end. He hopes. Another few beats go by in which Claude takes another drink, considers his answer to make sure it's all in order, and then glances at Sylvain once more. ]

Influence through goodwill. Get involved with other causes and issues, and ones that will actually help the people here in the process which is just as important.

Before you and Petra arrived, a couple other Summoned put on an art walk with Libertas. We were able to go there whenever we wanted for about a week to see galleries, performances, just about anything to do with the arts. And some of those acts came here to Cadens, too, and it dialed back a lot of the pro-war with Thorne feelings I'd noticed citizens had before it. It almost certainly helped create more of a connection to help with Libertas after it was attacked, not that anyone was predicting that happening at the time.

Obviously, that kind of thing isn't in our reach now since I don't even know what kind of connections they had or have. But there are other smaller ways: help in Libertas when they start rebuilding, volunteer at the different organizations both here and there, and use that to build upon because that need for support isn't going away.

[ Now he'll flash a wry smile Sylvain's direction, because if it wasn't apparent before: ] I had more than one reason in mind for going on that supply run.

[philancer]

[ Sylvain had already planned to get involved with Libertas as much as he was able, if for far more altruistic reasons. But he gives Claude's idea some deep thought all the same. ]

Considering they summoned us here to be their support [ or their fodder? ] in this war, do you think just doing something like that will be enough to grant us the influence we need with them?

[ He doesn't sound too convinced of that, but he's not writing the option off yet either. He'd prefer not to have to enlist, but it might be the more direct approach. ]

[godshattering]

Maybe. But considering what the alternative is? I don't think there's any harm in trying to do something besides be another uniform for them. There's only one Summoned I know of that's joined up with the military and it's because it's what she knew before coming here. So we have that in common, sure, but I got the impression she was starting maybe at a lower rank despite that. If it's going to take a long time to get any kind of trust that way, then I'd rather spend it actually helping people who need it instead of just pushing papers around for someone who needs to say they're successfully ordering us around.

[ Not an exaggeration; he's pretty sure that's exactly what Shepard was doing with that information check in. Or information gathering, even if there wasn't much provided besides some basic things the government most likely already knows about all of them since Claude finds it hard to believe they aren't under some kind of surveillance. And while he'd also love to know what's known about them before and after arriving here - and any kind of insider information - there's still too much risk involved in his mind.

What's left of his drink's mostly forgotten now as he turns to lean an elbow on the bar and face Sylvain more than just a look to the side now and then. Don't mind him as he continues right on into a familiar routine: convincing someone he's right. ]

Think about it. The unfortunate side of being through war is knowing what it costs. But then there's also what comes after, and that's something valuable we have to offer and far more productive than waving weapons around in training like we're back at the academy. There's going to be a lot needed in both Cadens and Libertas for some time to come and with it more opportunities to assist.

[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.

[godshattering]

I meant after any battle in addition to the war part, since the aftermath from each field still counts. [ Sylvain has a point, but Claude's not willing to surrender this so easily. Not with that convenient little loophole. ] Honestly, it'd be more help considering we don't know what's coming next from either the Free Cities or Thorne. Or even Solvunn, if they decide to stop being neutral.

[ Too close to Fodlan, he thinks for the umpteenth time in a day, week, month. Even more so when he'd been the one projecting that neutrality for the Alliance and the reality had been anything but; for all they know, Solvunn could be doing the same thing. ]

They're definitely keeping secrets and likely a lot of them. I don't even think that's arguable between letting us leave the barracks with no questions asked after telling us how important we are to them. Can't really hold up a bigger sign saying, 'you weren't going to agree with what we're doing anyway' than that, if you ask me.

[ All of this is a lot, but: it also feels oddly like a start. To what exactly Claude's not entirely sure but the larger plan can be fully defined later on. What's really needed now is some smaller ones to build towards something larger, so maybe it's time to float one of his ideas out there. Better than talking directly about war, at any rate. ]

There's a thought I had - a while before this - about starting something to help support somewhere like one of the shelters or the orphanages with supplies. Food in the form of some kind of crops, maybe, if I could find somewhere to do that. Let alone figure out how to do that on every scale, but Viktor has some ideas we're supposed to talk about at some point for what advances he knows of that could help.

[philancer]

[ Sylvain gives a quiet sigh, staring down into his glass for a long moment before lifting it and draining it dry once more. Setting it back on the bar top, he swivels to face Claude entirely, his expression firmed into a serious, focused expression. It's one he hadn't worn all that often back home, at least not before the war, but it's been making an appearance more often here in Cadens in recent days. ]

Alright, Claude. What do you need from me? What can I do to help?

[godshattering]

[ Somehow, even despite the various turns everything's taken, Claude isn't really expecting Sylvain to face him with such a relatively severe expression. For a second he appraises the other man, like one might if they were expecting some kind of gotcha or they're used to constantly looking for one, but it never comes.

Well. Hard to doubt that conviction then. And yet - ]

That's the problem I've been stuck on myself. The main thing we need is money, and I haven't the slightest how to go about getting that level of it. Weird thing for nobility to be complaining about, isn't it?

[ He says this deadpan, because part of him is serious, but there's a telltale twitch of his mouth which plainly says he's trying not to laugh over the sheer absurdity of no longer having some of those resources they're used to. Funds included.. ]

Or maybe it's spot on for nobility to complain about. Could really go either way, but the money part will be something to figure out later when there's actual goals to put into motion rather than an idea alone. In the meantime, I've dragged some plants from out in the desert into town to see what can be done if you want to help me experiment with those.

[philancer]

Experiment how? What are you trying to do with them?

[ He’d spotted Claude a time or two messing around with what looked like a makeshift little garden, but hadn’t really been certain what he’d been up to. He’d just chalked it up to a new hobby or something. And hoped Claude wasn’t actually cultivating poisons or something. Claiming ignorance seemed wise, just in case.

As for the money, though. ] Well, since inheriting it is no longer an option… Earning it would probably take far longer than either of us want to think about. Which leaves… stealing it. Or finding a very rich patron willing to indulge your every whim. I suppose you could marry into money, too, that worked often enough back home. That one comes with more responsibilities than just an indulgent patron, however. Probably.

[ He might be teasing. There’s a glint in his eye that hints very heavily in that direction Although this is Sylvain so there’s a 50/50 chance either way right now. ]

[godshattering]

Seeing if I can grow them outside of the desert or in other conditions, mostly. But I do have some other plans for them besides that.

[ The latter part added casually with no further explanation provided for said plans. Probably for the best since Claude learned a long time ago that most of Fodlan didn't particularly want to hear about the whole poisons thing, and those he's met here don't seem too keen on it either. He'll keep that to himself, though. Besides, where Sylvain decides to take the woes of nobility gets a blink from Claude first before he breaks into laughter a split second later. ]

Huh, I'm torn on whether it's the rich patron or the marrying one part that sounds more like some sort of previous plan. [ He's trying to look serious again, like these are valid options and not something he's also about to run with, but it's not going so well. ] I've noticed plenty of people with money around and the merchants I work for are certainly some of them, but even then. I think we'd have to marry about five people each to get anywhere or find even more so-called patrons. Nowhere quite the same as finding a random noble in to finance everything.

[ A pause, and then he'll tilt his head conspiratorially like this is an actual discussion of prospects, ] and if you were looking to put any of them on your list back home, I can promise the current Alliance nobles who weren't our classmates aren't worth it now that I know far too much about all of them.

[philancer]

Please. I was the rich patron back home. I didn't bother with making lists. Besides, it wouldn't matter anyway, I was only biding my time until I got ordered back home to play stud anyway.

[ Crudely blunt, perhaps, but Sylvain had never really made a habit of hiding his disgust for what lay in store for him. Although not everyone picked up on the disdain he had for those who sought to check him off their own 'lists', that hadn't exactly been subtle either, if one was paying attention. ]

As for here, hmm... That is a conundrum. Well. Seems like your best solution then is... [ He trails off, rubbing his chin for a moment before casting Claude a cheeky grin. ] Start a harem. Then you can collect as many as you need to fund whatever you're working on.

[godshattering]

[ Huh. There's a small flicker of surprise that crosses Claude's face, there and gone in a second, because that answer was unexpected. Not the part about not making lists since he'd like to think he could've guessed that and it was part of why he thought he'd joke over the idea of either of them making one. The bluntness doesn't factor in either - he's always appreciated someone being direct even if he doesn't always manage it himself - but. It slots another something else into place fitted up against things they've spoken of before, however briefly, and rings a distant bell back to monastery days. Maybe he'd known that once and forgotten it.

He knows better than to pry into it right here and now, though. That gets pushed aside with everything else to laugh at Sylvain's next proposition. ]

Kinda think that one only works out well when it's written into the pages of some novel somewhere, but it would be an interesting challenge to juggle it all. [ Now he'll look faux thoughtful as if he's actually considering it. From the supposed vaguely (if one squints) romantic angle, anyway. ] That also sounds a lot like having to stroke the egos of the Roundtable lords, and I've already made that my full time job once. Then again, anyone in Cadens would probably be less frustrating than them so it'd surely have better immediate results.

[ Remembering his drink, Claude reaches for it but not without sending a smirk Sylvain's direction simultaneously while adding, ] Do not take any of that as an excuse to start up with another round of your flirting seminar again. I'm good.

[philancer]

I think you'd be stroking something a little different than their egos. [ The smirk that flashes across Sylvain's lips is wicked and instantaneous. Did you really need to set him up that well, Claude? ] But considering who those lords are, I can't blame you for being reluctant. Hilda's brother's not so bad, at least? [ Not really his type, but there are definitely worse options out there. ]

You're clearly in dire need of those lessons, if you're so quick to give up. Really, the challenge here would be to make them juggle you. Then you don't have to do any of the work and can still reap all the rewards.

But ah, well. I can't be too disappointed. [ He reaches for his drink, finishes the rest of it. ] If you're not going to take up a harem, it just means more of your time and attention for me.

[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.