abraxasooc | EVENT #10: AFFLICTION

Event #10 - OOC Plotting

After blood spilled between Thorne and the Free Cities, alongside a great sacrifice in Solvunn by a group of Summoned that stirred one of the gods, Abraxas will undergo some strange disruptions beginning OCTOBER 18. The effects upon the Summoned will linger from days to the very end of the event on the 26th. How long a character is afflicted is completely up to each player.

Three of the Old Gods have awoken: heralds of war that bring with them afflictions that spreads throughout the land - and who forge a unique connection with the Summoned who are, as always, tied to the Singularity.

Further, the Horizon is unstable once again, teleporting characters into the domains of unsuspecting Summoned and other places unknown. Even if characters avoid the afflictions, they might face a different set of problems in the Horizon.

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

The Heralds

Each Herald appears drawn to certain Summoned over others, depending on the character's past, disposition, and traits. Or, perhaps it's the Summoned who inadvertently choose a Herald as their acolyte, unable to turn away from their own distorted reflection. Whatever the reason, characters will find themselves affected by one of three Old Gods, or Heralds.

◎ Koth of Festering Lands
◎ Adlewyrd of Poisoned Tongues
◎ Sannleikr of Many Faces

Players can decide for themselves which Herald their character will be affected by based on the descriptions. The mechanics of the event will work as follows:

◎ Certain traits will make a character more susceptible or drawn to a specific Herald. These traits are guidelines meant to help you pick an option, so don't worry too much about what truly "fits". Think of them similar to the Arcana signs - just choose the one that most calls to you and that you feel will be most fun.

◎ Players can decide which of the listed afflictions will affect their characters, and to what degree. Incorporating all afflictions is not required, although that's an option for anyone who wants.

◎ Characters who find themselves affected by an affliction ability will gain a small boon each time they turn that affliction upon the land and those around them (accidentally or deliberately). It may also ease the negative effects that haunt them, such as hearing voices or tasting rotten food. More about this will be detailed in the IC Event Post.

◎ Affliction abilities do not affect the characters themselves - it's only applied to the people they come in contact with. You'll need to find another character aligned to the same Herald if you want to be afflicted by the same ability you have.

◎ The Heralds will not exert control over personality or behavior. Characters might experience feelings and emotions that tempt them towards one path or another, but they're still themselves.

Additionally, the Heralds will bring a unique omen to the world itself. This will allow a common element for all characters to react to, whether they are personally affected by a Herald or not.

Each Herald is outlined below.

Koth of Festering Lands

Depicted as a blossoming plant-like figure out of which decay seeps, Koth brings with her death and rot. This affects vegetation, wildlife, livestock, the already dead...and the soul itself. She does not bring literal death to living people - she only brings it to the things around them and within them.

Affliction

Characters who are afflicted will experience at least one of the following effects:

◎ Their senses will be haunted by constant death and rot. Food may taste spoiled even when it's actually fresh, they might see dead animals that aren't there, or the image of friends and loved ones might take on aspects of death and decay such as exposed bones, rotting flesh, or similar.

◎ Their soul begins to wither, where negative emotions are amplified such as bitterness, despair, guilt, or anger. These feelings will already exist in the character - her influence only makes them stronger.

◎ They will gain an affliction ability where their touch or presence causes someone nearby to experience an illusion or vision of their death. The illusion will feel real to the person, as if they're actually dying - they may imagine themselves coughing up blood that isn't there or suffering a wound that doesn't exist. Food, plants, and small animals like birds might rot and die around them at the same time.

Each time a character inflicts decay or despair on others, they will feel themselves imbued with a small amount of strength and vitality, as though they have absorbed that life into themselves.

Susceptible Traits

Characters who have an affinity to any of the following traits will be most susceptible or drawn to Koth's influence:

◎ Those who are surrounded by death, especially if they are the cause of it - whether directly or indirectly.

◎ Those who have a strong connection to life and creation who may find their natural state more easily corrupted.

◎ Those who are prone to wrath, envy, bitterness, or other similar emotions which are known to cause an emotional rot from within.

Adlewyrd of Poisoned Tongues

Depicted as a mouthless figure with many followers clothed in red, Adlewyrd brings with them words that poison the heart and mind. This affects thoughts and emotions, a slow and subtle influence that spreads.

Affliction

Characters who are afflicted will experience at least one of the following effects:

◎ They will hear whispers taunting them, preying on their darkest emotions and desires. This can be about insecurities and aspects of guilt, but it can also be about giving in to temptations and the forbidden.

◎ They find themselves unable to keep their cruelest thoughts from being spoken out loud, even if these thoughts are fleeting or something they don't mean. This can be everything from an insult to revealing a secret to intentionally cause pain.

◎ They will gain an affliction ability where their touch or presence causes someone nearby to succumb to secrets and temptations. This might manifest in someone spilling their most shameful secret or the character might easily sway someone to give in to acts they believe are wrong or go against their morals.

Each time a character inflicts negative influences on another, they will feel themselves imbued with a small amount of confidence and righteousness, as though infecting others sustains their hearts.

Susceptible Traits

Characters who have an affinity to any of the following traits will be most susceptible or drawn to Adlewyrd's influence:

◎ Those with a gift for words and influencing emotions with words, such as politicians, stage actors, poets, and writers...or simply plain good liars.

◎ Those who harbor any shameful secrets or thoughts which cause them a great deal of guilt for having. This can be anything from taboo desires they wish they could give into without judgment or acts in their past that they regret.

◎ Those who are not prone to speaking, especially ones who have a hard time saying what's on their mind or who are afraid of being judged for their words.

Sannleikr of Many Faces

Depicted as a shadowy figure often holding a white or sometimes red mask, Sannleikr brings with him deception of the soul. This affects faces and minds, causing appearances to become distorted, untrustworthy or altogether unrecognizable.

Affliction

Characters who are afflicted will experience at least one of the following effects:

◎ They will be haunted by the face(s) of their enemies or someone they fear, mistakenly seeing those faces on the people around them - including their loved ones.

◎ When looking at their own reflection, their features are distorted, twisted, or faded. Their reflection may take on aspects of what truly hides inside them or something that they fear they will become, such as monstrous horns, a face that's many decades older, or similar.

◎ They will gain an affliction ability where their touch or presence causes someone nearby to become unable to recognize familiar souls... except for the character who caused the affliction. Friends and neighbors vanish into a faceless crowd. Names once known suddenly sound like a stranger's. Those impacted may begin to feel as though they're alone, unable to find their loved ones - and that their only friend is the one before them.

Each time a character inflicts solitude and isolation on another, they will feel themselves imbued with a small amount of radiance and charm, as though the stolen faces reinforce their masked façade.

Susceptible Traits

Characters who have an affinity to any of the following traits will be most susceptible or drawn to Sannleikr's influence:

◎ Those who take on different roles and adapt quickly to achieve their goals. This can be more literal, such as a master of disguise, or it can apply to opportunists and anyone who wears many hats to get by in life like a jack-of-all-trades.

◎ Those who are prone to masking their true selves. They might be harboring a secret identity, used false names or pseudonyms in the past, or they're simply someone who covers up their emotions

◎ Those who have an exceptional memory or ability to retain knowledge, especially in relation to the people they meet.

Omens

As the influence of the Heralds latches onto the Summoned, it also brings omens that persist through the land for the next few weeks. These omens affect everyone, including the natives of Abraxas and those who were not personally afflicted by any of the Heralds. Nothing can be done to stop these omens. They will gradually vanish on their own over time.

Risen Dead

Koth will cause the dead to rise. This includes animals and people who crawl forth from their graves in varying states of decay. They are not quite zombies but rather are animated corpses that wander like mindless, perhaps confused, spirits. They might attack if they were aggressive in life, they might walk aimlessly, and others still appear to enact their last living moments.

In the Free Cities, much of the dead will be concentrated in Libertas and by the graveyard in Cadens. Slain beasts and monsters will also rise in the desert - and depending on what they are, they can be dangerous. In Solvunn, the dead will rise from around shrines and sites of worship, while in Thorne the dead will emerge from tombs and crypts, and from deep beyond the dungeons.

Poisoned Waters

Adlewyrd will cause foul waters. While a few people may fall mildly ill as a result, it affects the wildlife most significantly. Dead fish float in the seas, crops fail, and livestock produce poisoned products such as spoiled milk from sheep and rotten eggs from chickens.

With food already scarce due to the conflict, meals and ingredients in Thorne and the Free Cities will be harder to come by. The Castle's expansive buffet is reduced while prices of staple items will rise in the Free Cities. Solvunn relies heavily on its agriculture and many farmers are also struggling.

Stolen Eyes

Sannleikr will cause a frenzy in crows, vultures, rats, and other scavengers resulting in them feasting upon the eyes of the dead and leaving all other parts behind. Many corpses and carcasses begin to surface throughout the land with empty eye sockets from livestock to deer to people themselves.

This aspect is particularly prominent in Solvunn and the Free Cities, where scavengers and wildlife are common. It is less so in Thorne, but those in the castle city may still encounter the gruesome sight in birds, rodents, and other animals that wander the city's streets.

The Horizon

Not to be left out, the Horizon will also undergo some unusual disturbances. Most notably, entering the Horizon may not put characters where they mean to go. Upon stepping inside or when crossing the border into a certain domain (theirs or someone they're visiting), characters will find one of two possibilities facing them:

They've been suddenly transported to another Summoned's domain regardless of if they've visited it before or not

They're briefly trapped in a foreign place altogether filled with bizarre sights not unlike the flashes of visions during the Mære event.

For option 2, the difference is that rather than experiencing a vision alone, other Summoned might be trapped with them. Characters will have to work together to handle any challenges that might arise while trapped.

While this will impact everyone to some degree, characters who have forged a strong connection to the Horizon over the past few months are more likely to fall into this strange place, as well as be stuck a longer time in it. A strong connection is based not only on visiting the Horizon regularly, but interacting with it in a meaningful way. This includes:

◎ Regular changes to their domain or others' domains, such as adding decorations, recreating it, or otherwise making alterations to it

◎ Creating and keeping some sort of sustained life with a (somewhat) mind of its own, such as pets, animals, or (non-Summoned) people

◎ Having a domain that's often inhabited by other Summoned or that receives multiple regular visitors, including domains that are shared

There will be four scenes available to explore, and you'll be able to interact with as many of them as you want with a variety of people. We'll reveal the images themselves on the IC event post, as well as more details about what each scene entails. To help you plan, however, here's a preview of the options you can have your characters face:

◎ A freezing mountain where a mysterious light compels travelers towards a deadly blizzard
◎ A strange oozing mass that consumes everything in its path
◎ A series of screens that display what you might least want to see
◎ A twisting inescapable labyrinth of traps and horrors

Characters' Horizon abilities will also not function as normal. Creations will go a bit wrong, fail, or backfire, so they'll need to get creative while ensnared.

Notes & Details

Event Schedule

To allow for a bit of room for players to get things started, the event post will be going up a little before the actual in-game date the event occurs.

The IN-GAME EVENT will ICly take place October 17 - 26
The EVENT POST will go up October 15 for players to participate in.
The WRAP-UP POST will go up October 25 for players to view.

Ability or Transformation Gain

Characters will receive a gain of either one physical alteration, or one new magical spell/ability as a result of experiencing this unusual burst of activity from the Singularity. While this gain can be anything, we encourage people to consider a gain that suits the Herald that has afflicted them throughout this event. Gains should be minor and not overly powerful. See Reward Gains to learn more.

To request your gain, submit it as usual on the upcoming Activity Check form.

Plotting Form

Due to the nature of this event, we recommend everyone use the plotting form below. All parts of the event are opt-in, so feel free to disregard or delete sections of the form that aren't relevant to your plotting.

Character Name:
Arcana:
Faction:

Chosen Herald: (If applicable, what Herald will your character be affiliated with?)

Afflictions: (What afflictions will your character undergo and how will they react? Remember you don't need to subject your character to every affliction! Afflictions can progress in intensity, remain mild the entire time, aggressively hit your character all at once, or however you choose to play it.)

What other Herald's influence are you interested in?: (Characters who possess one of the affliction abilities can influence other people in a particular way. Say here whether you're interested in any of that, for example if you want someone to influence your character to reveal any dark secrets or experience a vision of their demise.)

Horizon plans: (Do you want visitors to show up in your character's domain or have your character accidentally visit others? Both? Are you interested in being trapped in any of the scenes and/or searching for people to be trapped with?)

What will visitors find in your domain? (If applicable, describe what visitors might stumble onto when they land in your domain. You can link your Horizon writeup and make note of things that are normally closed or secret, but which will be open to any unexpected teleports.)

General plans: (Anything else!)

Questions and Answers

If after reading these you're still unsure about anything, or your question wasn't covered, please feel free to hit up our Questions thread below!

Can the character's affliction ability affect NPCs?: Yes, although it will affect natives of Abraxas to a lesser degree. Its effect is most impactful on the other Summoned. Naturally, any noteworthy or named NPCs are off-limits. You're free to play around with the local baker, though. If you're unsure, please check in with the mods!
How many people can an affliction ability affect at one time?: One or two in the vicinity at most. The person being affected will need to be within a few feet or in some cases touch may even be required. Players can decide this based on the thread being planned out.
How long will the affliction ability last when it affects someone?: The effects are meant to be temporary, but can last anywhere from minutes to a full day or so. For Koth, this means the death illusions can persist as a "slow death" if you choose, like a spreading infection or a wound that grows worse over a period of hours.
Do the death visions need to be a real or realistic death?: Not at all! It's just a vision/illusion so play with it however you want.
Can characters use their affliction ability deliberately?: Yes. While the ability will manifest against their will and its effects cannot be prevented, they also have the choice of redirecting the power towards someone on purpose if they choose.
Will the factions do anything about these occurrences?: Faction officials are currently preoccupied with the conflict and will be unable to offer any specific help. Rest assured, they are taking note, and the natives are also beginning to grow wary. There will be some fallout within the factions in the wrap up, but at the time of the event, nothing is happening yet.
Will the Heralds reveal themselves or their names?: Yes, characters will know the Herald's appearance and name. As for how, that will be revealed during the IC event post.
Can characters fight the Heralds or drive them away?: No. Their influence is intangible, and the Old Gods can't be fought or killed. However, characters can use their willpower, related abilities, and other similar tactics to try and resist the afflictions or the temptations of their abilities as best they can. It's up to players how affected a character will be, if at all.
Are the Heralds possessing or controlling the characters?: No. Characters might feel as though they are being corrupted, but no force is taking over the characters to control them or make them to behave a certain way. The influence of the Heralds is strictly psychological: whispering in their ears, showing them visions, and letting them have a taste of what's possible.
How long does it take to strengthen a character's connection to the Horizon? How will I know if my character's connection is strong enough?: We won't be strictly modding this aspect, so don't worry too much about it! Generally, if your character has some in-game threads demonstrating that they regularly create and interact with the Horizon's creation capabilities throughout their time in Abraxas, you can consider your character's connection decently strong. Even those with a weaker connection will still experience the strange areas - they just might not occupy it for as long.

Plots surrounding the Horizon will be ongoing, so there's plenty of time to progress your character along these lines...and keep in mind having a strong connection isn't necessarily desirable.
How long might a character be trapped in one of the strange Horizon areas?: It can be anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours - the choice is yours. You won't be trapped longer than that, though.
When trapped, will they have any way to escape? Can they "leave" the Horizon altogether?: No. Once drawn in, they'll be stuck there until the Horizon chooses to release them. They'll be spat out in a random place in the regular Horizon after a set amount of time. Characters can be trapped for as brief as a minute or two, though, so if you want them to escape quickly, you can keep their time inside it short.
Can characters be trapped multiple times in different scenarios?: Yes, if you want to experience all four scenarios or one scenario multiple times, you're free to do so. If you want to avoid teleporting your character an absurd amount, they can also remain trapped within one for a while and find other characters inside it at different points in time.
When characters are transported to another's domain, will they be inside it or will they arrive just outside of it?: This is up to players to decide! It's entirely possible for a character to be transported into a part of the domain that's normally forbidden or locked as long as all players involved are in agreement.
Will characters be stuck in other characters' domains the same way?: Not unless the domain that they've been transported to has that feature! Players can work this out among themselves and decide how they want their domains to behave or what will happen to those who get accidentally teleported in. All characters technically have the ability to shape the regular Horizon plane however they want and to leave it whenever they choose, but many things can interfere with this such as their state of mind, subconscious desires, and so forth.
Will the afflictions follow characters into the Horizon or any of the trapped scenes?: Either option is possible! Characters might find the Horizon makes the afflictions worse or it'll make things better. They might find when trapped, the afflictions disappear or it follows them there, too, forcing them to manage it while stuck with another. Or maybe being in certain domains will exacerbate things while being in others helps greatly. Because the Heralds affect each character on a personal level and individual mindset plays a role, you can choose what works best.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

OK SO NOW THAT THE POST IS UP I'm still looking at either The World (the screens) or The Fool (the labyrinth), I can't decide! Flip a coin, or does either look more appealing to you?

AHHH THEY BOTH LOOK SO GOOD but how does the labyrinth sound to you? I'm all for making them encounter some gnarly things throughout it, and same for something "generated" by Claude being something Kyle has to deal with and the other way around too. Would you rather they start off being separated and then meet up after a bit, or starting in the middle (so to speak) post-meetup and then dealing with All Kinds of Things? I can go for either!

Labyrinth sounds great! I have an idea for Kyle to summon one of his bone weapons and for it to go out of control/animate into something larger 8)

I'm down for them skipping past the greeting stage and moving straight into navigating!

OOOH EXCELLENT and even better, I'm excited for this! I'll add a starter for them to my list of things to do. I'm hoping to have stuff up soon enough but once it's up I'll send you a ping as well!

Awesome and no rush! I'll only be sporadically around for the next couple of days so tags will be slow.

EVENT #10: AFFLICTION - OOC POST

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