abraxaslogs | EVENT #10: AFFLICTION

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EVENT #10: AFFLICTION - IC POST

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ The reassurance that any dragon form Hythlodaeus takes on would be a humorous one gets a half-smile from Claude since, well. It truly is reassuring to know he's not likely to witness what he had some years before and then in more recent times but also that if he had? At least this time he would've had some advanced knowledge of the transformation, and that certainly helps.

Still, he watches in fascination when the towering figure is swapped for someone who isn't quite familiar, given they've never met before now, but more so than moments ago. There's still a sense that perhaps - if he's not mistaken - there's something ethereal about the other man, but not in a way he can exactly quantify. Not the first he's come across and thought that, though that seems more like a 'not on the first meeting' type of thing to ask.

Then there's the slight almost frown as Hythlodaeus sits. That certainly piques his curiosity; given the strange glitches the Horizon experienced before and that he'd been part of then just like now, perhaps it's that and nothing more. Perhaps it's nothing to focus on at all. ]

I wouldn't say they're problematic, exactly. It's... [ Claude trails off momentarily, less out of hesitation than searching for an explanation. Or just an explanation which won't dive too far into the many topics tangled up in it. ] Truthfully, I thought dragons themselves only existed on the pages of storybooks until I saw one for myself. Wyverns are common where I'm from but they don't reach the magnitude of the one I saw. She was able to wreak destruction like I've never seen in mere seconds.

It wasn't all bad, though. Thanks to her we also survived something we almost certainly shouldn't have and definitely wouldn't without her intervention.

[ Credit where credit is due: for what he still sees as her many faults, Rhea had protected them and there is truth in his not being here otherwise. Or, more accurately not being here from time as he knows it, which leads him towards another question as he reaches to pour the tea for Hythlodaeus he'd promised. ]

Are you the only one from your world here, Solvunn or otherwise?

[Indeed, the comfort of having similar features to someone- be it eyes, ears, a nose or even a mouth provides can never truly be understated. It was hardly as if he did not feel welcome before. Yet now he feels the scenario has changed. He feels that Claude is far less wary. Relaxed enough to take his joke as one...

...And to give his answer. An answer that sounds rather harrowing, truth be told, and rather candid.]

Even if you were, thankfully, not within her sights, and even if what happened was of direct benefit to you- It still sounds like quite the terrible affair. And dare I say, rather fitting to most accounts of dragonkind in the literature I've glanced upon. Most accounts I've read revere them for the destruction they wreak more than aught else.

[It certainly makes him wonder, actually, of why indeed any written account should be so very impressed by something that could bring about quite so much harm. A quirk of mankind's nature, perhaps? A regrettable branch of evolution that coveted the most extreme form of violence? However. That is unvoiced. It is rather heavy. Instead...]

A few are, yes. Some are very dear to me. [Emet-Selch. Elidibus. Himeka.] Some, regrettably, are not. [Thancred, after all, had his trust for the sake of the fact he cared about the latter of those dear to him. Yet his affection? Not quite. And although he had not sensed him for a while...

Fandaniel, or what had called itself by that name, was anything but dear.]

...Saying that, I've grown rather fond of quite a few people from other worlds as well. All perversions of the natural order our summonings have caused aside, I cannot help but confess that I feel somewhat fortunate to have shared the company of a few men and women I'd have never imagined possible, were all to be well.

[Special men and women, he is most certain- even without the fanfare that was part and parcel of being Summoned- they seem to have something about them.

Perhaps Claude would prove himself the same. Not least possessive of a special form of perception- proved by the fact he seemed to simply know that Hythlodaeus' presence was courtesy of Solvunn's mages in particular. That or the smell of farmland likely clung to him as a dead giveaway, even here within this Horizon.

...And what a lovely Horizon it is.
He leans back in the chair that holds him, just enough to feel the sunlight upon his face as his eyes close, ever so briefly. It is pleasant- he thinks. Highly so. Reminiscent of a memory of the time of the year when the sun lingered for far longer in the sky than it really had any right to- illuminating all with burnished gold, and a warmth mingled with a light, so gentle breeze. It is warm, but not too warm. Perfect, actually.

Well. Perfect until the tea is poured. Hythlodaeus' eyes open sharply. ...The smell emanating from the pot and the cup is simply repulsive. It conjures the smell of damp rot, and earth, and...]

...!

[A glance to Claude's eyes, and then the teapot. And as he does his utmost to cover his nose without seeming overly rude...]

...Do forgive me for asking, but has the water turned?

[ It's interesting that - despite what Claude imagines are the differences in dragons, even in the ones he knows or knows of - Hythlodaeus has much the same account in what he's read. That destruction follows them or at their... well, claws. He's not sure if it's reassuring or not to find that much is consistent but it's also hardly the focus here; that's a topic for another time, perhaps, or maybe better left for researching in Cadens' libraries to see if there's anything written there.

Much more pleasant, then, to listen to Hythlodaeus's answer to his question while sipping his own tea. To Claude it sounds like the answer is the situation of who the other knows is complicated which is a sentiment he can certainly relate to himself. Those tangled uncertainties are something he's had to deal with so he nods in response first before offering a smile. ]

You and I are the same in finding those we know here and what all that may bring with it. Hopefully those that are dear to you are close at hand, if nothing else. When I arrived here there were no one I knew from home so I was much the same in reaching out to others from places I could've never dreamed existed. Then again, it's not that I knew anything existed outside of where I'm from, so getting to hear about their lives and worlds has been something rather special to me.

[ Hythlodaeus included in this, of course; though some part of him is still cautious in regards to the changing forms thing. Claude's making an attempt to let that go despite the questions which remain for what that means both inside and out of the Horizon, but he'll have to take the other's word for it. He's also not inclined to interrupt Hythlodaeus's relaxation as he leans back and Claude hides a smile to himself. That is also a feeling he can relate to and more so than ever lately with finding solace here and away from the issues awaiting in the real world.

Or - he can until Hythlodaeus has an unfortunate reaction to the tea and Claude stops pouring the tea to first peer into the teapot before looking up curiously. ]

Er-- no, I don't believe it has. But I was drinking pine needle tea which isn't particularly popular where I'm from. It's a bit of an acquired taste and I brew mine rather strong, so that may be it. [ He'll pair an easy smile with this, both in apology and to show he's not bothered by the reaction. It can be a little astringent given the ingredients, so with the Horizon's abilities at his disposal he clears this tea and water away to replace it with plain hot water and a motion to the wooden case of tea with many options inside. ] Perhaps you'd prefer to try something else instead? Or you're welcome to bring something else forth, too, and I'd be interested in trying it too.

[A charitable take on Hythlodaeus' mindset regarding dragons would be that he seemed the sort to value life- enemy or otherwise. A more critical view would be that he almost certainly had the mindset of someone that was quite unused to having to side with the lesser of two evils and as thus, had lived quite the privileged life. Regardless of Claude's take, charitable or not, it is plain. He appears wholly unused to conflict.

When Claude makes mention of the fact that he originally came to this world alone, he cannot help but allow himself a small wince of sympathy in the form of his eyebrows furrowing as well as his eyes drifting downward; for yes. To him, that is a situation that most certainly calls for such a display. It is nothing short of a nightmare for him. For he, personally, could not ever imagine being truly alone. Fondness for some individuals from other worlds aside, the mere thought of having none around that truly knew him, that he truly knew...

...Oh, it is disconcerting.]

Indeed. And mercifully, might I add, those close to me are within the same nation. It was an easy thing to reunite and stay under the same roof. Quite convenient, as well. Yet, if I may say so, I do hope that since your arrival some you know and trust have been called forth as well. If nothing else, for the fact that I think a man as charming as you should be very much missed by all you have left behind.

[A somewhat impish smile follows. For what could be said? There is no lie. They are strangers, most certainly. Yet Claude's company thusfar has been nothing short of delightful- strange smells and sights aside.]

And, of course, while there certainly is a novelty to meeting with those of other worlds, I think that sometimes our most grounding influences... or mine, anyway... are the ones we have known the longest. Perhaps you possess a strength far beyond mine- yet I fear without the company of my brethren, I would feel rather lonely indeed.

[He falls silent when the composition of the tea is detailed. Pine is certainly a different form of tea from what he is used to. Yet he can think of nothing better in a place such as this. Refreshing, not overly sweet- and with a long-lasting undertone of mint.

...Mint, of course, being the exact opposite of the earthy rot that seemed to permeate the very air a few moments ago. To his (slight) dismay and (slight) embarrassment, the table is cleared in immediate order. So. He leans back in his chair again, this time keeping his bright gaze fixated upon the youth's face in a somewhat playful manner.]

Well. As I've spoiled your usual, I should think that I have an obligation to provide something new. ...So I do hope this works.

[It is clear that he appears a little concerned over the idea of exerting power within someone else's horizon (Or perhaps it is a discomfort with exerting power in general?) yet he at least makes an attempt. Which is to move his hand a few inches over the table- just enough so his palm is parallel to the top of it. A few moments of concentration, and...

A small, silver box stands directly beneath it. And oh- he actually seems uncannily relieved that the very tabletop did not burst into flames or otherwise. And as his eyes meet Claude's again-]

This is something from the world I come from; some leaves from the sykonia tree. We consider the fruit, the sykon, to be an enduring symbol of nature. Mostly, of course, because pollination of said plant depends upon invasion via a parasitic insect known within my world as an agaonid- but what those here call wasps. It is breached, entered, and pollination occurs within. Eggs are laid, and the parents then die- consumed in short order by their hatched larvae. They then fly off to begin the cycle anew. Their leavings cause a chemical change within the receptacle- that then forms the fruit.

[A somewhat wry smile follows.]

Of course, following that somewhat harrowing account of the cycle of nature, I would not blame you for not wishing to try such a tea. Thus, I would like to inform you that I have only conjured the leaves. You'll find them untouched by any and all waspkind. This, I assure you.

[Or such it would be, to Claude. For him, touched by Koth of Festering Lands as he is- death was never far away. And it rears once more. For to his sight, as he opens the box, something utterly vile assails both his sight, and his senses. A very mashed up, very rotten sykon lies within said box, decayed wasps, unhatched eggs, and all.

And the smell is utterly putrid. Putrid enough to assail his sense of smell, his sense of taste- even his sight in the form of the fact his eyes are watering. He audibly gags, covering his mouth with his hand in immediate fashion, and he stands, eyes wide.

Yet to Claude, there is no fruit. The box is filled with the very leaves promised.]

[ That Hythlodaeus had not been alone gets a genuine smile from Claude since that's a relief for him to hear, considering while arriving somewhere unknown to figure everything out is something he knows well from past experience. So while arriving here hadn't had that particular shock (on top of all the others, at any rate) it's still not one he'd wish on anyone else. The mention of loneliness just has the smile on his face stretching a little wider since - that's not an unfamiliar concept to him either, not in all the varieties it's sunk in. Abraxas brought new people to know, at least, and in a fortunate twist of fate it wasn't long before familiar faces did show up even with all the complications that brought on with them.

All of that is a bit much to place upon Hythlodaeus, so it feels much simpler to say for now: ]

I've been lucky enough to have others I once knew arrive here. That's certainly helped though it's made me aware there are those that I would rather not see appear should the chance arise for them to also be present.

[ A complication, really; while Claude's not unfamiliar with smoothing out wrinkles in plans and in the realities of what comes to pass, there are some creases he'd rather leave where they are. The same goes for leaving that vague explanation as it is in favor of leaning forward in interest as Hythlodaeus mentions providing something new. There are few things which pique his curiosity more than the chance of something he's never seen before. Something being in Abraxas has paid back more than he could've ever guessed through both the lands themselves and from those he's met so far, so as the other concentrates Claude watches the tabletop with minor anticipation. A box is produced and he eyes it first before looking back to Hythlodaeus next.

What follows is an explanation he has to work to keep his face expressionless throughout, but from amusement and not disgust. It rings a distant bell of something he knows, another similarity between worlds, and he shakes his head slightly after. ]

I hope you'll find some relief in knowing there are plants where I'm from that are harvested much the same and thought of as delicacies or rare delights, given the amount of work which goes into them existing in the first place. So I'm not--

[ Bothered by it, is what he means to say but as the box is opened, Hythlodaeus has a very visceral reaction to it which has Claude standing out of instinct based on pure alarm. But inside are leaves from what he can see and he reaches down to tap it cautiously lest it be some kind of projection; it isn't. That has him looking up to gauge the other's reaction which also seems truthful enough. ]

Are you quite alright? If there's something that should be offending me about the leaves, I'm afraid to say I'm completely missing it.

[ But - in case it's affecting Hythlodaeus too much, Claude's quick to shut the box, as if that'll solve whatever is happening that's beyond his comprehension with his own affliction - yet unnoticed by him - faring much differently. ]

[Hythlodaeus would think it rather unfair that amidst such an interesting discussion (with so many interesting things to speak further on! The wrinkles, the fact his world had something all but identical!) that his visions had to start up once more. That was, were he in his right mind. He is not- most assuredly, he is not- and Claude's concern is met with a shake of his head as he stands from the table quickly, inelegantly, scraping the chair back against the tilework as he does so.

His eyebrows furrow. A look of disbelief enters his glowing eyes, and his well-placed, fair features contort just slightly into an expression of dismay- before they are covered with a hand- the thumb and forefingers belonging to it moving against his temples.]

You truly cannot see? Or smell it? I had not thought-

[Not thought that what had plagued him in Solvunn would follow into the Horizon. Let alone someone else's Horizon. The statement is cut off as nausea hits him. What little of his face behind his hand can be viewed pales, visibly- and he finds himself turning away from the table, willing himself not to openly retch.

Fortunately, he does not.
Yet while he is turned, while he gazes over the balcony, Claude should begin to experience Koth of the Festering Land's affliction- namely the very real sense and feeling that something is wrong. Deeply wrong. Whether or not Claude's apparent demise comes in the shape of a vision or an illusion cannot be known by Hythlodaeus, at least not yet. Even if it could, it would fall to the wayside. For to him, something about Claude seems different. And that takes priority, even in light of the fact that suddenly, he feels a lot better. So.]

...Are you well?

[ Hythlodaeus absolutely isn't faking his reaction - that many years of observing and watching others closely he's had convinces Claude of this, even if he's never met this particular person until now - and that only doubles his confusion. Or triples it when he speaks as though there's something obvious in front of them being missed, and Claude casts a quick glance at the box once more. No, it still looks as Hythlodaeus described it should be prior to opening it.

Then Hythlodaeus pales and Claude sits back down with concern growing considering it's new to him that anyone can feel adverse effects in the Horizon. It makes sense on some logical level, what with how close it is to reality, that it'd be possible. There's the slow creep of foreboding running alongside which he hasn't noticed yet, as he means to reach out to place a hand on the arm of Hythlodaeus' chair to ask... something.

Something he quickly forgets because at once dread floods him. It's dread that's too familiar with the way it creeps through his veins like ice - like poison. Then it hits Claude that poison is exactly what it feels like when it's from something brushed up against him, like an assassin's cloth soaked with something unknown rather than a blade or an arrow, and the cold realization which comes with it. That's before recognizable panic from not knowing what it is and without that knowledge, how can he treat it?

He can't; antidotes work best when targeted to the poison. The only thing he can assume is what Hythlodaeus brought as a gift is the cause and without studying it in detail, there's no way to fight the numbness spreading which has Claude pressing a hand to his chest like it'll help him catch his breath instead of struggling to breathe. (It doesn't.)

All at once the illusion snaps as if he's woken up from a dream and the nausea, shakes, everything disappears. But it brings him no comfort while he struggles to regain his composure after a real fear being played upon, especially with that question asked as his gaze falls on Hythlodaeus again with the assumption the other caused it somehow and now with wariness to show for it. ]

How did you do that?

[Something even more bizarre happens. Hythlodaeus, by now, had paled quite significantly. Waves of nausea had overwhelmed him- and bot from the smell and the sensation of feeling- truly feeling- like he has buried himself- rigid and cold as a corpse, filthy beyond all imagining, the smell of earth in his nose and his throat- he was trying, truly trying, to not lose all sense of the grace he commanded by turning and retching over the balcony.

Yet as the affliction begins to take place within Claude's form, he finds the nausea lifting instantly. Poison- yes. He is most certain that the other man feels the effects of something terrible, something potent- something that seems to make his heart slow dangerously.

And strangely, it gives him strength. His mind- his rational thought- is horrified. Most certainly, it is horrifying. He is horrified. Claude's skin, to him- is as pale as his own had become. Yet there is more going on. He can see the pallor take on an ugly shade from constricted blood vessels- and he can feel the way of which Claude's stomach twists- the way his lungs seem to exhale, exhale, exhale, regardless of how much oxygen he draws in.

Claude is dying.
And strangely...

Every breath that the other man cannot take is a breath of sweet air into his own lungs. Every lurch of Claude's stomach brings him relief- eases him into standing upright- and every ounce of pain wreaking its course through the other man's nervous system gives him a feeling not unlike sitting out in the sun, on a gentle summer afternoon. The smell of rot and filth and decay is gone. Instead, to him, a sweet scent pervades the air.

It is pleasant. It is so very pleasant to feel invigorated by the other's very life energies- and although his rational mind is horrified, his body, Koth herself, cannot help but appreciate such vibrant life.

But then, it is over. Instantly, he is at the other's side- wary enough to keep some distance, yet undoubtedly concerned enough to be within arm's reach. ]

I-

[Hythlodaeus is not a man typically lost for words. In most circumstances, actually. Yet seeing someone go from hale and hearty, to resemble a corpse one moment, and then back again...

It is something he has no refrence for. So he cannot help but stammer.]

... I think that I should leave.

[ It wasn't real - this is something Claude keeps repeating to himself while catching his breath but the feeling alone was something far too much like everything he remembered it could be. But how? The Singularity? He still remembers the nightmares and how the Horizon hadn't been quite what he'd come to understand in his short few weeks of visiting before things had turned on them all.

Does that narrow it down to an illusion cast by the other? There are many mages of all kinds here, he's learned, and he is no stranger to how some of those magics can warp what's around them to be something else entirely. Something darker, something threatening. There's no actual poison in Claude's veins, but memory calls those feelings back too and leaves him no closer to uncovering an answer that fits besides what his mind is forcing this one to be.

When Hythlodaeus draws close, as any concerned person would do, Claude takes an automatic step back quickly followed by another one. Wariness isn't normally something he shows so openly as it will always reveal far too much, will always tell much more than he'd prefer to let on. This response now is too much of an instant reaction for him to stifle it. It's something from being cornered before while looking for a way out and here they have the benefit of space.

So it's space he'll get even while registering the concern written on the other's features - something Claude will recognize later as genuine, but for now? It fits as another puzzle piece into it being something Hythlodaeus is responsible for. The other benefit of recalling this later will be after Claude himself has caused several different kinds of upset and he'll think back on this with added clarity. ]

I think that'd be for the best.

[ No insight now, though; just his voice hoarsened by some nonexistent strangling feeling and the desire for Hythlodaeus to just go. Claude will remain still as he has been until the other leaves, at which point he'll sit down shakily from what feels like far too close of a call with something unknown. ]

...Indeed.

['Do accept my apologies' is most certainly one of the platitudes that move throughout his mind, among so many others, yet he dares not utter anything of the sort. Claude seems ...rather afraid still, yes, very much the picture of a man whom has almost just died, but a number of things, not least the steps back or even the strange sort of recognition in his eyes at what has just happened, tell him that the best thing to do is to be far away.

...So he does not attempt to bridge the gap again. Instead, he takes a single step away, lowering his eyes before a vortex of swirling darkness opens behind him- in the energies advertently causing the tablecloth to flap around, as if weathering a sudden tempest.]

...

[What could be said? 'Take care'? It is not anything at all adequate at this point, and it is with a long, silent glance, that the portal closes around him and taking him with it- leaving all as it was before his arrival.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

EVENT #10: AFFLICTION - IC POST

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dw very helpfully ate this notif, sorry for the delay!!

Hey no worries! I've kept you waiting long enough!

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affliction time go! sorry claude ;;

YESSS also the holidays consumed me but i should be back now!

GOSH me too ;; to both being back!

yay! if we wanna wrap this one here and continue on w/ the next, i'm good with that!

Works for me!