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

— kyle

[godshattering]

Where are we?

[ This isn't the first time Claude's asked this. Like all the other times, he also doesn't really expect Kyle to have an answer; it's not like either of them asked to be trapped in some hallway. Or it'd seemed like just a hallway at first when Claude wandered it by himself, trailing a hand along the stone walls next to him for guidance until it'd turned a corner and he remembered: this is the Horizon, he could do something about there not being any light.

The torches he's created seem to be unreliable, and as he and Kyle stand at a junction with multiple ways to go the one in his hand currently chooses right now to go out. Because of course it does. With a small huff of aggravation Claude taps the torch's base and it flares to life again. His hopes are low on how long this one lasts but he sets that aside to hold it aloft and peer down each potential path.

He's not normally impatient, not outwardly at any rate. Everything going on both in 'real life' and the Horizon, though - it's taken a slight toll on him. In the end, Claude looks to Kyle then tilts his head to the left. ]

Let's try this one first. If it's another dead end, at least we can come back here and regroup.

[ Claude leads the way, but he should've learned from the other things they've encountered prior to now: they don't make it more than a few steps in before a chasm yawns open in the floor, the torchlight making it visible right before imminent disaster. Without thinking about it he grabs Kyle's arm with his free hand to keep the other man from continuing on if it went unnoticed. ]

[ushiri]

[ He's lost track of how long they've been stuck in these endless corridors. The sky above them is an endless black, and his connection to the Gray Space has been warped. Instead of the familiar edge of currents, his fingers slide against the invisible spaces like they're made of thick glass. His earliest attempt to climb a wall had left him with a sense of almost claustrophobic panic: the labyrinth seemed to sprawl on endlessly in the thick dark.

So, it's no surprise that his own patience is wearing thin, eroded by the creeping anxiety of being trapped, cut off from the ability that he's bound his sense of self to, and their only light source flickering in and out.

He nods to Claude's instruction, letting the other man lead without argument, until he feels a hand firmly wrap around his arm as his next step hovers over a void. He stops, carefully setting both feet on solid ground. ]

- thanks. [ Murmured. Not ungrateful, but clearly an edge of frustration to his tone.

Maybe plunging into a pit might be preferable to this endless wandering.

He crouches low, waving his hand over the empty chasm, feeling for a second for any shifts in the currents of reality and coming up empty. Again. ]

This is getting us nowhere...

[ There has to be a trick. Something they're not seeing.

Because the alternative is that this is a prison, and he'd rather not let his mind stumble down that route. ]

[godshattering]

Don't mention it. [ By way of that thanks. Claude's not particularly eager to find out if wherever this is can actually injure them, and that means Kyle dropping down into depths unknown like a proper abyss isn't on that list of plans. Hopefully.

This one they've avoided at any rate and there's nothing to do but turn around once Kyle's search reveals nothing to his eyes either. To the implied question of what next he offers a shrug which might be missed as the torch sputters out again. Is it his imagination, or does the time each one lasts seem to greatly vary with each iteration? ]

Your guess is as good as mine. I take it this place doesn't resemble anywhere you know? Because it doesn't for me either.

[ Yet another wave and the torch is back again until it decides to fizzle out once more. With his free hand, Claude places it along the wall to trail as they walk in search of any clues in the stone surrounding them. It feels rough which narrows it down not at all, though when they make it back to the junction to try another hallway, his fingertips slide over something smooth, something oddly cool to the touch; something he knows but can't place. Before he can ask Kyle to see what the other wall is like, the torch goes out again but this time with a quick flash of aqua which is entirely too familiar. ]

Did you-- [ see that is the unfinished half of that thought, because now his ears pick up a robotic whirring he knows from being hit with their swords in a dark underground labyrinth... just like this one. That realization is enough to make Claude's blood freeze in his veins and without waiting for Kyle - or asking if the other hears it - he ducks down another hallway with torchlight restored again. ]

Quick, we gotta move. If that Titanus finds us when we don't have weapons, it won't be pretty.

[ushiri]

No. I've never seen this place before.

[ At least he can be semi-certain this isn't his own creation that they're trapped in...

They keep walking without direction, Kahlil leaving one hand on the wall as they move. A weariness is creeping on him. His sleep was fitful the night before, his dreams strange and unfamiliar: the moth, the teacup, and the hand mirror. He hasn't thought about it much since he first awoke hours ago. A mildly disconcerting dream seems a silly thing to bring up now, with how precarious their current situation is -

Suddenly Claude's voice interrupts his thoughts, and then the odd whirring, a noise he can't place. ]

- the what? [ He's moving as he's whispering, trying to follow Claude's command, and out of nowhere something slams into his back, sending him skidding on his side down the hall past Claude. His vision is all black night and stars as his head slams into the stone, and he struggles for a moment to get on his feet.

The whirring sounds much, much farther away from where he's landed. ]

[godshattering]

[ It's a valid question, Kyle asking what, and it doesn't even register with Claude he should've stopped to explain. Or provide context for anything, what with that noise pulling on a corner of his mind he would've preferred to leave sealed away, and the noises now of the Titanus rolling forward on whatever mechanisms power it.

Then there's a blow which sounds too familiar and the rush of someone - something? - going by and the torch goes out and it's abruptly, eerily, silent. ]

Kyle! [ He calls out, alarmed. At the same time he casts the spell for Recover, hoping the white magic lands wherever the other man fell to heal him. Does it matter that he can't see where either of them are? Claude hopes not; perhaps the Horizon will cooperate for this alone. The whirring resumes. The echoing on the stones makes it impossible to place where the Titanus is which is all the more menacing.

It's now that with mild embarrassment Claude realizes their lack of weapons in a place where they could create anything didn't have to be a problem. As tempting as it is to call Failnaught forth, his bow doesn't feel like it'd be effective here. Instead it's Freikugel he calls forth, the hero's relic axe several feet in length and with a formidably large blade made of what was once bone. Now it glows red as if he holds the matching crest of Goneril and not one of Riegan, and the finger-like protrusions twitch in anticipation of battle.

That shouldn't be happening, but Claude's not going to think about what this means. It's not real, this isn't his axe; it's Hilda's. What matters is that the relic provides enough light to discard the torch, and he sets off with it held at the ready so the floor's at least visible. ]

Kyle, if you can hear me, say something, alright?

[ The Titanus can hear him too, he's sure. But hopefully they haven't started at square one with needing to locate each other all over again, and Claude sets a quick pace to try finding Kyle before anything else does. ]

[ushiri]

[ As the spell is cast Kahlil feels a warmth bloom in his head, the stars in his vision coalescing into a blinding white light for a split second. It's painful, but jolts him back to his senses and his feet.

Down the hall he sees something else, the bright red glow of a strange weapon in Claude's hand. Kahlil would've expected a bow too, but instead he makes out some strange, malevolent looking axe.

Instead of shouting to answer he splits two fingers in front of his lips. It takes him too much effort to split open even the smallest slit in this space, but like the first time they met Claude hears directly in his ear: ]

I'm up - landed to your left.

[ Unlike the first time in the forest, though, his voice sounds oddly distorted and clipped. And even then he quickly abandons it as something large steps into the halo of red light coming from the axe, his shout echoing down the hall with the whirring of the machine rising behind Claude - ]

Behind you-!

[godshattering]

[ Kyle's voice is a reassurance - it has to be, because surely the Horizon wouldn't make him imagine that. It wouldn't know to recreate that first time they met, surely. The directions are enough to narrow in on where Kyle is. Until that shout of warning has him pause just long enough for the machine to catch up to him, and he turns instead of dodging with the knowledge it's not enough to avoid whatever's coming --

In some strange act of mercy, the Titanus hits him with the flat part of its blade rather than the edge which surely would've cleaved him in two.

It still sends him flying, and Claude hits a wall previously out of his sight with enough force to knock the air out of him. Something in his side gives in a way it shouldn't and sharp pain radiates whenever he takes a breath. But he's survived worse, has had more injuries compounded on top of what has to be a couple broken ribs and something wrong with a shoulder and a knee, and so he gets up with a grimace and his free hand supporting his side.

His vision's blurred slightly but there's no time to think about what that means or wait for it to clear. Freikugel's light reveals Kyle at a distance, he assumes, but then it reveals something else: where the Titanus should be, Nemesis now stands. And as formidable as the tall and rather broad figure is, Nemesis is still only a man. ]

You're still an incredibly crusty old bastard, you know, [ Claude informs him, but the insult's impact is lessened by needing to gasp for air every couple of words. It's fine. He's fine. He raises the axe in both hands as he limps forward and ignores the warnings from his injuries which get muted by adrenaline, and then Nemesis's weapon also glows because of course it does. Thanks a lot, Horizon.

No time to think about where Kyle is though he has to be out of the weapons' ranges as Claude swings the axe at the same time Nemesis goes to strike with his sword. ]

[ushiri]

[ Kahlil lets out a wordless shout of outrage as Claude goes hurtling into a wall. As he moves his own body aches, but either due to luck or the spell nothing seems broken from his own impact. He watches Claude raise his axe to block a sword strike - not from a machine now, but a strange man.

A walking, menacing machine he may not know how to fight. But men bleed.

Concentrating on his right hand he forces the yasi'halaun into existence. His hand grips the hilt, the sword's long, black blade nearly invisible in the darkened corridor, barely reflected by the twinned lights of the clashing weapons ahead. He rushes toward them, leaping to strike at the old man's back as he's bearing down on Claude. In a flash the glowing sword parries his black blade, sparks like static flying out and filling the air with the scent of burning ozone. The yasi'halaun seems alive for that second they connect, time almost stopping as he feels it vibrating beneath his grip, the blade of black bone lengthening in response to the absorbed power.

The force sends him back - he lands with a hard jolt, but on his feet. ]

[godshattering]

[ It takes a bit but eventually Claude realizes why this particular set of injuries feels familiar: a wall wasn't involved then but it's the same strike Nemesis gave him back on a battlefield to send him sprawling. If that's the case - his shoulder and knee are his imagination, maybe, and just bruised. At least in comparison to his side since that part's still a problem.

He can worry about that later since now he's a little too busy with keeping the Sword of the Creator from extending its long reach, careful that with each deliberate parry he works to chip away the mechanisms or at least remove the serrated edges of the blade itself. Freikugel holds up - thankfully - and with a feint he lets Nemesis advance a step towards him. Maybe it'll buy Kyle some time to get away.

Or instead, it buys Kyle time to strike with his own blade.

The flashes of sparks seem much brighter in the darkness now that his vision's cleared enough to focus and as Kyle attacks it brings Claude to a halt to stare at what he can see of the weapon. A dangerous move for more reasons than one, and common sense to keep moving kicks in right after.

With one thrust of the axe Claude sends the no longer glowing sword clattering down the hallway before then using it to knock Nemesis off balance and onto his back. As for Claude: he advances again, axe raised, but slower than he should be while trying not to show it. Even if this is an illusion they're fighting, some twist of Horizon magic - all that training to keep him composed wins out. ]

[ushiri]

[ From his angle Claude hardly needs his help - another set of feints and swings and the strange man is prone on his back without his weapon, and for a moment the fight feels over. With his own weapon raised he flanks from behind, watching Claude's approach and taking the moment to ask: ]

Who is this?

[ Someone familiar, by the way he addressed him. Between that and the stranger being unarmed, he doesn't move to strike again, though his sword remains ready and waiting for an answer or signal from Claude. In his hand the yasi'halaun feels almost alive, pulsing in a way that feels unfamiliar.

Energy continues to crackle along the blade, extending a few more inches toward the stranger, the static charge licking hungrily in their opponents direction.

Something's not right. ]

[godshattering]

[ Right - context would be a good thing. Now that there seems to be a lull (relatively) as he holds the axe to Nemesis's chest, like that'll keep an imaginary figure where it should be, as if the Horizon couldn't move him in a second like how it's trapped them here in whatever this maze is. Claude spares a glance Kyle's direction, gestures with his free hand to the man apparently waiting for what will happen like they are. ]

Remember the man I mentioned who wanted to destroy everything where I'm from?

[ That'll have to do as an explanation since even if the injuries aren't real, they still hurt like they are. No longer moving is a mistake as it allows the ache in his side to catch up in earnest, but there was something else he saw in that quick look. Common sense says he should strike Nemesis now - try not to think about the parallel between this and Teach doing the same - but Claude looks back again.

No, it wasn't his imagination. There's something going on with Kyle's weapon and he looks at it uneasily. ]

That wouldn't happen to be a Relic from Fodlan I've never seen before, would it?

[ushiri]

[ His eyebrow raises, then he grimaces at the man. Another question, then, to add to the pile: why is this place summoning monsters from Claude's past?

At the question Kahlil follows Claude's gaze to the yasi'halaun's blade. ]

It's from my world, but it's not -

[ but it's not is when the blade seems to spasm in his hand like a living thing, defying physics and reality as it extends further and further out, impaling Nemesis in the shoulder and continuing to grow, reaching through muscle and sinew in Claude's direction. Kahlil instinctively drops the hilt. There's a sickening series of cracks as the blade seems to splinter along its shaft like curling branches, like a rib-cage of a creature the size of a draft horse, then the size of an elephant. What was once a straight blade continues segmenting into a spinal column, and from what was once the hilt ruptures many, many sets of legs. ]

STOP! [ Kahlil shouts as though he has any control over this corruption. The pointed end of the blade, the last remaining piece that still looks anything like a sword, continues toward Claude, stopping right in front of his face. It splits, continuing to defy any sense of reality as it reshapes and grows into the skull of some aquatic predator.

The empty sockets stare down at Claude, pausing for a half second before striking. ]

[godshattering]

[ It's not from Fodlan, not a Hero's Relic. That's enough for Claude to relax ever so slightly since that likely means nothing can or will go wrong. It's not like he knows the weapon like Kyle does so there's no reason to make assumptions so quickly.

And then the blade changes.

Claude can't bother to hide his horror as it morphs, expands further, and for a sickening moment all he can think of is the Lance of Ruin changing Miklan into a beast before their very eyes. Without thinking he reaches forward like that'll keep Kyle from being absorbed into it as if he can drag him back from that transformation. But a second after he holds his hand out and the creature keeps growing Claude realizes Kyle hasn't been pulled into the transformation at all.

Nemesis gets impaled and just like when Teach ended their aptly-named enemy's too long life, he crumbles into dust in a burst of light. The light's enough for him to see what's really facing him, what's staring at him while he holds his breath with muscles tense and ready to flee. It serves him when he he picks up on the motion at the same instant he twists away to pivot on his feet in combat familiarity, but Claude is well aware of the rush of air skimming his face which means that blade only barely missed. ]

What is this?! [ The shout's directed Kyle's way and hopefully carries over the clash of the axe with the... being. It lunges again and he spins once more to dodge, but it's fast, he's tired, injured. And maybe there's something to his Crest not matching Freikugel's; the axe glows brightly still, brighter than before, but he feels weaker than he should while wielding a Relic. Can't think about that now, though. ]

cw: gore

[ushiri]

I don't know!

[ He shouts back over the clash and grinding of bone against bone. The tail-hilt swings in his direction, slamming into his ribs and throwing him toward the wall again. It rattles his brains again and he can feel something in his right arm snap.

The blood streaming down from a new wound on his head feels sticky and hot against his skin. It's as close to panic as he's come since facing Jath'ibaye - he doesn't know what this is, he doesn't know how to stop it. In the midst of striking Claude the beast turns its head toward Kahlil, sniffing the air.

The earth is your flesh, the rivers your blood, the skies your breath. Parfir, the earth is your flesh, the rivers your blood, the skies your breath. I honor you. I honor you. I honor you...

The prayer wrings in his head as he struggles to his feet. Too scared to summon another weapon, he bites into his own wrist, tearing open the flesh with a pained cry.

The spill of fresh blood has the bones whipping around, ignoring Claude entirely as it fixes on Kahlil.

It's the opening he was hoping to give Claude. Hopefully he either has the strength to swing a good hit - or the strength left to run. ]

[godshattering]

[ The darkness - and the monster taking up the space between them - makes it difficult to see what's really going on even despite the axe's glow illuminating the immediate area. It does so in flashes with each swing Claude makes to parry or attempt striking only to be countered each and every time, and eventually he has to focus on what he's doing and hope Kyle's okay after that answer which isn't reassuring at all. Maybe that they're both lost on what happening makes it better somehow.

Until there's a sharp cry not from the creature or him, unless that collision from earlier jarred him more than he realized. He opens his mouth to call out to Kyle again when the beast turns. Claude doesn't need light to realize it's zeroed in on the exact person he's concerned about so without hesitating he lifts the axe again. Now it glows with an ominous pulse as if a heartbeat's inside, the blade's protrusions reaching like fingers for its target as - he thinks - bone recognizes bone. Claude extends it to answer the Relic's call as red light streams out which become like ribbons to light the walls around them as he whirls to put all of his body weight behind his next swing.

It connects and there's a crunch of bones that doesn't belong to Freikugel as the creature falls. There's no movement, and Claude has to hope for the best as he lets the axe go.

He's now well aware of the drain it had on him what with his breath being even harder to catch unrelated to the sharp ache in his side, but that's not important. Claude ignores it to limp to where Kyle is, one hand placed on the other's shoulder with a brief downward shove in the universal (he hopes) signal to be seated. He'll kneel down himself a moment later to send the same message again. ]

Here. [ Basic battlefield medicine will come in handy in the aftermath of this one. He first assesses the open gash on Kyle's wrist with no questions before summoning another healing spell to mend it, ignoring the drain it has on him before yanking the sash off his clothes to wind around the mostly closed wound. ] This'll have to do for now.

[ushiri]

[ The monstrous bones shatter under the strength of the axe, the red lights briefly blinding him. He hears the sound of what must be its body shattering, and even then when his sight comes back to him he's half waiting for the pieces to pull themselves together somehow -

Fortunately, they don't.

With a hand on his shoulder he easily slips down to one knee, bowing his head slightly. The pulse of the healing spell warms his wrist, and he remembers the copper taste on his tongue is his own blood. He lets out a sharp exhale, shaking his head, his arm in Claude's grasp as he covers it with cloth. Up close he can hear the sharpness in Claude's breathing. He has no healing to offer in return. Maybe that's a blessing in disguise right now... ]

I don't, I don't know what that was. I've summoned my sword dozens of times in Horizon - [ He grimaces, his features lined with tension and his voice rough. ]

[godshattering]

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

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

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

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

[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? ]

[godshattering]

Can't use the healing magic on myself, so. [ Claude shrugs then winces with immediate regret. Apparently that action's tied to whatever's happening with his ribs and certainly didn't feel great at all. Of all the times for his Crest to not activate and spare him this, or even just knock it down to a dull ache. It figures. ] That means you win by default despite your chivalrous offer.

[ If it was an offer. He's made that remark to many a healer in battles before, even had to tell Marianne to get rest before she tried to take more shifts in infirmaries to help where she could. Kyle has a point, even if Claude's unceremoniously brushing it off. Focusing on his tasks is a good enough way to forget about his own maladies, and so is what the other man asks next. ]

Yes. He - they were linked. Found the robots in the same place underground where Nemesis was being kept, by an underground civilization we didn't know existed. The civilization was called Shambhala and the people Agarthans. They wanted to destroy Fodlan.

[ A severely abridged version, but part of him hasn't forgotten telling Geralt about this and then being aware of how it looked from the outside quite suddenly. The rest can wait for if Kyle has more questions, and Claude sits back on his heels to look at the other evenly now that whatever's healed for now is healed. ]

It's not the first time I've come across... things from the past. A few months ago, the Singularity gave all of us horrible nightmares. Mine were of other parts of my past, but they didn't make it into the Horizon like this. [ There's a vague gesture of the dark around them, Freikugel still putting out enough light for them to see by despite it being a distance away. ] This part hasn't happened to me before.

[ushiri]

[ An underground civilization? Kahlil has plenty more questions about that. But he focuses on the next part. ]

I've heard about those nightmares. [ Lucifer mentioned them, vaguely. It jogs something else in his memory - His brow furrows. ] I had a strange dream some nights ago. Three items were laid in front of me, objects I'd never seen before. When I picked on up a stranger appeared, giving me its name.

[ And then he woke up. ]

[godshattering]

[ That gets his attention. Claude had been, in the loosest sense of the term, applying something vaguely like whatever care he can towards his side. The first mention of the nightmares, that Kyle's heard about them: that doesn't phase him. It'd be strange enough to get around.

It's the dream Kyle mentions that makes his head snap up to stare at the other man, attempt at his own first aid immediately forgotten. Those nightmares from before - they were different for everyone. But this one? ]

A flower, a cup, and a mirror. [ That part's said in a tone which might suggest Claude meant to say them to himself more than anything, or maybe didn't mean to say them aloud. The realization he did gets him to blink and refocus. ] Or was it something else for you?

[ushiri]

[ He lets his back press against the stone wall of the labyrinth. It's quiet around them again, and though he doesn't have much hope for respite, this seems important enough to speak of right now. ]

The same. I chose the mirror and was given a name. [ He won't saw it aloud. There's power to naming something, and he's not sure what that effect that might have here. But something else strange - it didn't feel like a threatening presence. The opposite, in fact. He's not sure what that means. ]

[godshattering]

You chose it too?

[ Just - normally he's a little better at piecing things together, might also be slightly sharper at thinking things through. But that they shared not only the same dream with the same objects but then picked the same thing is all Claude can focus on for a minute as he sits back on his heels.

There's got to be more common threads in there than just the two of them picking the same object. Realizing he's more or less staring at Kyle thanks to the high levels of astonishment, he casts a glance down the labyrinth's hallway like it'll reveal something new. (It doesn't.) ]

Have you heard of anyone else having the same dream? And also picking the mirror?

[ushiri]

[ There's a flicker of surprise from Kahlil as he is also a bit slower than normal to pick up the meaning behind the question. Well, there's a coincidence.

Why are they always finding more questions instead of answers? ]

I don't know, I haven't -

[ Whatever he's about to say can't be heard though, as the stone wall behind him suddenly becomes less solid and he falls backwards into nothing.

If Claude tries to search the same spot, he'll find it completely impassable again. ]