abraxasooc | EVENT #12: INVOCATION

Event #12 - OOC Plotting ( 2 )

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Mid-Event Update | IC event log | Event coordination post

By Week 3, enough information will be revealed for characters to proceed with escape and rescue plans.

While we'll be offering ways for characters to coordinate and work together as a team, this doesn't mean characters can't split up, take separate tactics, or go off on their own. Naturally, everyone will need to end up at roughly the same places to return home, but there'll be space for splinter groups to peel off if they don't agree with the others or decide they're better off alone. How well teams work together (or don't!) is entirely up to how characters behave in-game.

Part 2 will contain fewer investigations, as much of the mystery has already been solved. The emphasis will be on putting what characters have discovered into action. Nonetheless, some new interactions will be available. Further, if you want to follow up on anything from Part 1 that you believe is important for Part 2, you can ask on the Coordination Post.

We're leaving the ability to disrupt and coordinate various plans in your hands, so please be sure to communicate with each other so there are no surprises.

However, as with all major courses of action, you'll need to submit for approval to proceed and clarify details, so we'll also be moderating developments to keep things on track. The goal is for players to have a good time, even if the characters are not!

The Lost

Characters will spend Week 3 putting together and enacting their escape plans. They can use whatever they've learned or retrieved throughout the first two weeks. We've outlined the options below based on what characters have uncovered, but there's no need to use every avenue available. Pick which tactic makes the most sense for your character - and if an argument or a fight gets you into even deeper trouble, that's simply part of the process.

You'll have 2 options:

The escape group will make it out, but they'll be teleported to an unfamiliar mountainous region. Their powers, and access to the Network and Horizon, will return to help them communicate with the search team so they can find each other. While they wait for the search team to organize and retrieve them, they must contend with strange monsters, captors pursuing them, and a harsh environment.

The holdout group will remain behind, either to help the rest escape or because they failed to make it out for another reason. These characters will continue to be trapped, but in return, they'll have access to the altar, the remaining Acolytes, and the rest of the cave to look for answers. They must also deal with new dangers unleashed by the escape.

To better plot with and identify others within your group, sign up here under the Escape Group or the Holdout Group depending on where your character will go.

You can also mark down the reason your character is staying behind if they're doing so as part of the escape efforts outlined under Breaking Free.

Breaking Free

Breaking out will be a combination of planning and circumstance. Characters need to work together and decide whether they will leave or stay, and if they are willing to take a risk to bring some of the surviving natives with them.

Some opportunities below come with options. Each option has its own set of risks and advantages.

Characters can take matters into their own hands, come to a consensus, fight each other, or make impulsive decisions. As long as all players involved are on the same page and are ready for potential consequences, the choice is yours.

The Boulder & Wall

With the efforts from multiple of the Lost, the boulder has begun to move and its contents revealed: a giant pulsing growth that sits in the middle of the cavern. It appears to be connected to a mass of dense webbing found behind the cracked wall, discovered by another group. This wall has not yet been fully torn down, but there are opportunities during Week 3 where they can do so.

Reaching into the orange mass, characters will find thick connectors that can be temporarily pulled apart from each other. Doing so will steadily dissolve the dense webbing, but releasing it will cause it to immediately close again.

◎ Characters cannot see what lies behind the webbing. They must take their chances if they decide to go through.

◎ About 2-3 characters must prevent the connectors inside the orange mass from reconnecting to maintain the opening. These characters cannot escape with the others.

◎ Characters should plan or find a good opportunity to do this, as the Acolytes will notice and try to stop them.

Unlocked Shrines

The final shrine is unlocked. Fleshy trunk-like pillars sprouted from ceiling to floor.

2 or 3 days into Week 3, the ground will shake. Rocks and debris begin to fall from the ceiling. The pillars move, and a great creature above will tear holes into the cavern as it retreats.

◎ While the creature won't attack, its awakening is violent due to its massive size. Acolytes and NPC captives may be crushed. The remaining shrines are smashed. The giant beast will lumber off once it's free, sinking into the depths of the ocean around it.

◎ Its retreat will weaken the cracked wall further - enough to easily break the wall down if characters choose.

◎ The creature will avoid the Summoned. It appears to recognize them as those who freed it and will not harm them.

◎ The incident will not last long - a minute at most. The creature will show no signs of aggression. Attempts to attack it will garner little response, as though it doesn't notice.

◎ The destruction it leaves behind will reduce the number of Acolytes, but there will also be some casualties among the NPC captives. Characters can take advantage of this incident to push their escape.

The Acolytes

Once enough disturbances are underway, the Acolytes will swarm to stop anyone from escaping. Characters can defend themselves using the tools they've created or obtained. They also have the option of aspects in the environment they've been interacting with. You can assume there are enough Acolytes to cause difficulties and allow characters to kill some Acolytes, but not enough to prevent the escape from succeeding.

◎ Mysterious Acolyte / Unknown Stranger

Although the Mysterious Acolyte and the Unknown Stranger, whose names have been revealed to some as Hydnellia and Esmond, have interacted with some of the Lost, others have yet to encounter them. She will arrive alongside the other Acolytes, but rather than attack, she will quietly take the Unknown Stranger aside. They will seem uncertain of their part in the commotion.

A few of the Summoned plan to help her escape. To help her escape, at least one of the Lost must volunteer to stay behind - separate from the ones attempting to keep the webbing open. In exchange, the Escape Group will have her assistance as she travels with them. She may also have insight regarding the Acolytes she'd be willing to tell once they're safe.

The volunteer can be left behind unintentionally while the Mysterious Acolyte makes it through or they can decide to make the sacrifice. So long as someone exchanges their escape for hers, deliberately or not, that will be sufficient.

If no volunteers help her, she will remain behind. In return, she can lend her assistance to the Holdout Group to help more of the Lost escape or prevent casualties, but she may suffer some consequences.

The Unknown Stranger will stay behind or escape with the Mysterious Acolyte based on her outcome.

◎ Trapped Monster

Some of the Lost successfully trapped the creature previously seen crawling on the ceiling. It's injured and still inside the tunnel. In the commotion, the rocks preventing it from escaping loosen. It will be possible for 2-3 characters to release it by working together.

Releasing it could create a diversion but will likely result in unintended casualties. The creature is very hungry, having been caged for several days.

Escape Routes

◎ Webbing Behind the Wall

The main escape route will be through the webbing behind the cracked wall. As long as enough characters are willing to keep the exit open, characters can go through. They can help others, allow the natives to go ahead of them, or push an elderly woman out of the way to be first.

They won't have any idea of what's on the other side. They must trust their instincts and crawl through the tangled root-like webbing.

◎ Water Tunnel

An alternate escape route will occur when the disturbance causes seawater to seep into the cave. The flooding will be slow. No one is in immediate danger of drowning, though it'll be a problem for anyone left behind.

Characters who don't trust the webbing can follow the source of water through a tunnel. Strong swimmers can swim into a flooded cavern and find a strange portal surrounded by dead sea creatures and coral.

The portal will shatter before those holding the webbing open can make it or if not enough characters sacrifice themselves for the webbing pathway, the portal will close on its own before everyone who wants to can exit.

Escape Group

Escaped characters will stumble into a snow-covered mountain. The time will be sunrise, giving them several hours of daylight to find shelter and hunker down. They'll be able to see the Singularity roughly southwest. The ocean is visible to the east and north.

The escape route your character picked will determine where they end up. The two groups are close enough to find each other within a day but might take longer depending on directional skills.

Those who went through the webbing will find themselves on a frozen lake. They'll need to get off the ice quickly before it cracks from the sudden weight of so many people dropping down all at once.
Those who went through the water tunnel will find themselves climbing out of a dark cave. They can use this cave for shelter or leave it to meet with the other group. Characters will be wet and cold from the swim, so they may want to build a fire.

The Mountains

Characters with navigational skills can use the sun, the Singularity, and the ocean to determine where they are. It'll be a good idea for the two groups to meet up first before proceeding, but they don't have to. From here, characters can split off on their own, get terribly lost and lose a toe to frostbite, and more.

There will be many dangers in the mountains, including some Acolytes who will be in pursuit. Characters will need to keep moving to make sure they're not easy targets, meaning they can't sit and wait in one spot for the search team to come to get them.

◎ Although temperatures are harsh, characters will regain enough of their powers to make things a bit easier (see Abilities & Healing below). They won't be completely powerless or helpless even if surviving continues to be a struggle.

◎ These mountains are relatively unexplored territory, and home to some dangerous creatures. They should be prepared to defend themselves if necessary.

◎ Winter wildlife is available in the mountains, such as boars and winter hares. Fashioning weapons from stone or bone is possible.

Abilities & Powers

Having escaped the oppressive enchantments from the underground cavern, characters will begin to regain their powers and magic. While standard injuries need to be addressed, this will be less difficult with healing powers returned. However, the effects of the ritual will heal differently. See Ritual Effects & Healing in the next section.

◎ The more powerful a character's magic or powers, the slower it will return. Instant healing, flight, conjuring powerful items, and teleportation will remain in flux for the next week or so.

◎ More modest powers such as elemental spells, moderate healing, enhanced physical abilities, and similar can be regained much quicker over a day or two.

◎ On an OOC level, we're just asking players to be reasonable about what their character can accomplish upon escaping to keep things fun and engaging for everyone involved!

Ritual Effects & Healing

Unfortunately, the effects from the ritual, both psychological and physical, continue to follow the Lost who escape the cavern. Still, they aren't without options and access to the Horizon in particular will help them. In fact, characters might even feel the urge to enter the Horizon and seek someone out like an itch in their minds.

◎ Both psychological and physical effects can be temporarily alleviated by going into the Horizon and making physical contact with one of the Spared. As noted below, entering the Horizon is risky while there are threats around them in the real world and requires concentration. It is possible, however, and characters can receive a brief reprieve of a day or so.

◎ Characters who have experienced the ritual will land somewhere random in the Horizon instead of a chosen domain.

◎ Healing magic can also temporarily halt the progress of the lesions, but it's evident a proper cure is required for a full recovery. While characters can attempt to perform the cure from Part 1, after suffering the effects for over a week the cure carries an even greater risk of making both parties ill.

◎ Characters who were already cured from Part 1 can remain cured with no further effects, though the resulting wounds will still need proper treatment to recover in full - or a visit to the Horizon as above to help alleviate some of the pain.

Communicating with the Search Team

In addition to their abilities, the network and Horizon will return as usual. Characters will have uninterrupted access once more.

◎ Characters can use the network to communicate their location to the search team. This is important since they must update their location if they're forced to move, describe any threats nearby, and explain if they're currently hiding or running.

◎ While entering the Horizon is now possible, they'll have to find a place to concentrate and enter without danger. They might want someone to keep watch so they can be alerted if any threats approach. Remember that characters can still be physically harmed and attacked in the real world while in the Horizon.

◎ All characters will eventually be located, regardless of whether they split off from the main group or remained together. They might just face additional challenges and cause the search team some difficulty depending on how far they've wandered off and how lost they are.

◎ Once located, characters still need to travel to the portal site with their rescuers to go home, so there'll be opportunities for some danger and adventure when meeting up with the Spared.

Holdout Group

Once the last of them escape, those left behind must face the remaining Acolytes and anything that might've been unleashed during the fight. Characters can stay back on purpose or they might accidentally fall behind. Regardless, the Acolytes will eventually manage to close all openings and prevent any further captives from fleeing.

The Altar Room

Though the Acolytes have succeeded in closing the gates, the escape has evidently left them in disarray. With their plans now disrupted, they'll force the remainder of the Lost inside the altar room where the ritual previously took place. The door will be magically sealed.

◎ While characters won't be able to escape the room, nothing can come in, either, so they'll be safe from any monsters. Unfortunately, ocean water is beginning to seep through the cracks beneath the door as the exterior fills up. It isn't flooded yet and will take several days before water levels become dangerous, but the threat is there.

◎ Corpses and bodies are fused together and to the ground around the altar, but characters will have the opportunity to find answers by exploring their surroundings.

◎ A few of the natives in the altar room were in the middle of a ritual. Characters can help save them and look after them while awaiting rescue.

◎ Fresh water is accessible through a steady trickle down the side of a cavern wall, but no corn grows in the altar room. Characters might be able to scavenge crusty bread in abandoned crates, along with the usual rats, lizards, and (edible) mushrooms. Hopefully, their rescuers are on the way soon.

Network & Horizon

Disruptions to the cavern from the escape as well as the creature from the shrine will allow characters to access the network and Horizon will return much easier. Although you're free to continue to play with interruptions and difficulties to keep things interesting, characters can overall communicate much easier.

Abilities and powers, however, will remain in flux just as in Part 1.

◎ Both psychological and physical effects can be temporarily alleviated by going into the Horizon and making physical contact with one of the Spared. As noted below, entering the Horizon is risky while there are threats around them in the real world and requires concentration. It is possible, however, and characters can receive a brief reprieve of a day or so.

◎ Characters who have experienced the ritual will land somewhere random in the Horizon instead of a chosen domain.

◎ While entering the Horizon is now possible, they still need to concentrate to maintain the connection. The more injured or affected by the ritual your character is, the more they'll have trouble going into the Horizon and remaining for any length of time. Further, characters can still be physically harmed and attacked in the real world while in the Horizon so they might not want to risk staying inside for too long.

◎ While characters can attempt to perform the cure from Part 1, after suffering the effects for over a week the cure carries an even greater risk of making both parties ill. Characters who were already cured from Part 1 can remain cured with no further effects, though the resulting wounds will still need proper treatment to recover in full - or a visit to the Horizon as above to help alleviate some of the pain.

Remaining Acolytes

After losing some of the Lost in their escape, the Acolytes will have to make some tough choices. The Holdout Group can interact with and take some actions of its own, both peaceful and aggressive.

◎ Some Acolytes remain loyal to the cause. There may be arguments between the loyal Acolytes as to who is responsible for the failure and what to do next.

◎ Some Acolytes are questioning their allegiance in the face of failure and potential entrapment. They may be reasoned with or they may be prime targets for leverage.

Rescue

How the Retrieval Team arrives to rescue the remaining Lost is up to players. The Lost can use their newly regained Network communications to help with recovery efforts. This portion will be detailed on the IC Event Log and will rely on what actions the Spared choose to take.

◎ While trapped, the Holdout Group can uncover ways to aid the team coming to retrieve them. There may be a connection between the altar room and what lies behind the warded door in Josselyn Creed's home.

◎ Some Acolytes will be taken alive, but casualties will be expected. What happens to the Acolytes apprehended will be resolved mid-April during the mini-event. We'll reveal related details in the Wrap-Up.

◎ Once freed from the cave by the Spared, characters must still contend with dangers on the island and in the ocean waters as they make their way to waiting portals.

The Spared

Characters will spend Week 3 putting together and enacting their rescue plans. They can use whatever they've learned or retrieved throughout the first two weeks. We've outlined the options below based on what characters have uncovered, but there's no need to use every avenue available. Pick whichever tactic makes the most sense for your character - and if an argument or a fight gets you into even deeper trouble, that's simply part of the process.

You'll have 3 options:

The search team will head off to locate and meet up with characters who escaped to bring them home. They might encounter obstacles, monsters, or other dangers. How the team discovers their escape, who goes to help them, and what their plan looks like is up to you.

The retrieval team will be sent to breach the island and/or negotiate for the release of those who were unable to escape, then retrieve them. This is not just limited to combat-oriented or politically-oriented characters! Characters with healing skills, who want to act as protection or backup, and more, can all join in.

The home team will remain in their factions. They can help prepare for everyone's return, coordinate things on the home front with officials, or not be involved at all.

To better plot with and identify others within your group, sign up here under the Search Team, the Retrieval Team, and the Home Team depending on where your character will go.

Though it will not be possible to participate in multiple teams, all groups and teams will converge in Nocwich at the end, so characters can have their in-person reunions at that time! Rescued characters can remain in Nocwich for a few days to recover.

Coordinating Efforts

Characters can organize cross-faction efforts as much or as little as they want.

The Lost have been located thanks to efforts from multiple Summoned using planted trackers and coordinating a signal. What remains is accessing the island, getting past its defenses, and contending with any dangers in the area - including any Acolytes who are left.

Of course, plans might be waylaid partway into Week 3 by developments inside the cavern. Since the Escape Group will regain their ability to communicate unhindered through the network, they can inform the Spared of the situation, including their escape, the Lost left behind, and so forth. The Spared can factor this information into their plans and readjust as necessary.

Resources

Each nation, along with Nocwich, will provide resources to aid with any search and rescue, and to find a method to heal the effects from the ritual - something officials fear won't disappear with the return of the Lost.

Nocwich

◎ Thanks to an arrangement with Luna led by one of the Summoned, Oleuni Square is repurposed into a meeting space for the Summoned. Portals will be available for anyone who wants to enter and discuss plans or exchange resources.

◎ The Luna will also offer a surplus of their unique metal ore while Ikorr has agreed to provide a supply of their sap to rescue efforts. See here for information on the sap and the metal ore.

◎ A request has spurred Sten, a representative of Luna, to request details about the ritual being performed on the Lost so that a cure can be found. Characters can meet with him or deliver notes. Nocwich is careful to signal that they're not seeking information for nefarious reasons. Therefore, anonymous messages are acceptable, though Sten stresses he would prefer to speak in person.

◎ The largest inn in Oleuni Square will be converted into a temporary center for healing and treatment. Characters can assist with this throughout the event.

Thorne

◎ The peninsula closest to the island is in Thorne's territory. They'll allow the Spared from Solvunn and the Free Cities to use the area as needed. The enchantment was recently dispelled by a group of Summoned.

◎ Magical assistance and mages will be available to work on the island's defenses and other protective spells.

Free Cities

◎ As the nation with ships closest to the island, the Free Cities will provide transport. In the interests of stealth, they would recommend smaller and quieter boats. The mechanical birds will continue to offer aerial support.

◎ Other technology, as well as military support, will be available.

Solvunn

◎ Josselyn's house is hiding something important behind its warded door. Solvunn Elders will help the Summoned who are investigating gain access. The Summoned currently have a potentially enchanted ledger, unmarked potion bottles, and a sample of the black substance used to draw the symbol that might help.

◎ The Council will also send their Elders with the team attempting to access the island to help contend with the form of High Magic used by the Acolytes and take some of the guesswork out.

Search Team

The abrupt reveal that some of the Lost have escaped and are now stuck somewhere in the mountains means the Spared must divide their forces. Characters with navigational and survival skills can take on the task of searching through the mountains to bring the Escaped Group home.

Locating the Escape Group

The Search Team needs to first locate where everyone is. The Escape Group may be scattered. They'll be pursued by the Acolytes and other dangers in the mountains, so they're unlikely to remain in one place for long. The Search Team will need to maintain communication to try and bring everyone back to safety.

Portals will be provided to drop off the Search Team at the closest approximate location. The rest of the search will need to be completed on foot. They'll face heavy snow, the bitter cold, and other threats that make their home high on the mountains.

Organizing

There'll be room for a few characters to take charge in various capacities. While the factions are most inclined to trust and listen to the Summoned who have a higher influence rank, this doesn't mean characters of a lower rank can't have an opportunity to step up - especially if someone with a higher rank supports their initiative. For instance, if your character has experience mountaineering, they can volunteer their skills to help lead a group.

Players can arrange smaller search parties or divide themselves further however they like. Some of this may depend on the actions of the Lost and whether they can stay together or if any are separated. Due to unexpected dangers in the mountains, the Escape Group might need to run or move quickly. Separation is likely.

The Search Team can further choose to hunt down the Acolytes pursuing the Lost who've escaped. The factions will request that the Acolytes are taken alive to get some answers, but if a few are killed in the process, no one will be much concerned.

In the commotion, some Acolytes who lost their faith in Josselyn will also attempt to flee.

Returning to Safety

Due to the scattered nature of the Escape Group, characters will first need to make their way toward the portal site where the Search Team was originally dropped off, and avoid danger at the same time.

Once at the portal site, they can step through the portal into Nocwich. Hopefully, the other team will meet them there.

Retrieval Team

The Retrieval Team will consist of characters who plan to stick to the original goal of accessing the island and retrieving the Lost held captive there. What tactic they use is entirely up to you, but we'll provide some guidelines below to help you plot.

Breaching the Island

To maintain the element of surprise and to prevent the Acolytes from killing the remaining captives in retaliation, faction officials will advise a quieter approach.

◎ Enchantments will need to be removed or dealt with beforehand. Since the enchantment must be lifted quickly and at once, a few of the Summoned must lend their energy to the cause. Characters who wish to help but aren't suited towards combat can volunteer for this.

◎ Boats will be provided, but players aren't limited to one method if they have additional skills or ideas. Should the investigation in Josselyn's home proceed far enough, that may also offer an additional path.

◎ Once on the island, further enchantments can help them remain undetected for a short period. Characters can use this to their advantage. They'll have limited time to enter the holding area.

Organizing

Negotiations, if characters want to incorporate negotiating for the release of the captives.
Distraction, if characters want to form a distraction as part of their approach.
Healers, if characters wish to take characters skilled in healing or medical care onto the island for anyone who requires immediate assistance.

You can also consider if characters will want to focus their forces entirely on rescue or if they want to have a group apprehend the Acolytes who remain. This decision will be left in the hands of the Summoned. Faction officials would like some taken alive for information - and they surely want to bring Josselyn Creed in.

Returning to Safety

Since maintaining portals on the island is unsafe, characters must first return to the Thornean peninsula near the island and avoid the dangers that stir in the water. Fortunately, some unexpected help might come.

Once ashore, they can go through the portal into Nocwich. Hopefully, the other team will meet them there.

Home Team

Not everyone needs to be on the front lines. Characters may opt to stay back and prepare for the return of the search and rescue teams, and those who want to avoid confrontation or feel unable to face the dangers of expeditions into the wild can still have plenty to do.

Although you can have your characters help how you like, key efforts will be required in Nocwich. Oleuni Square is being set up as a base of operations to organize and execute missions, as well as later house and treat the returning Lost. The largest inn at the Square will be converted into a temporary hospital.

Additionally, a cure for the ritual needs to be found and produced, a vital task that characters can lend a hand in while the other teams are out bringing home the Lost.

Creating a Cure

While in Nocwich, characters can continue to assist with the creation of a cure by doing the following:

◎ Speaking to Sten if they have any information about the ritual, as detailed in Coordinating Efforts.

◎ Going to The Nightbloom in Ikorr or Lunar Pond in Luna to collect the ingredients Nocwich officials believe could be a key component in the final cure. A portal will be provided.

◎ Testing the cure by recreating an approximation of the ritual based on information gathered thus far and applying it to animal test subjects. Items that might play a role are the unmarked jars from Josselyn's home, the mushroom rings, the rotted wood, and the black substance gathered by some.

Horizon Healing

Characters with a domain in the Horizon will feel a tug or an itch in their minds when one of the Lost enters, as though the Singularity is reacting to the reestablished connection and the lingering corruption that follows the Lost after the ritual.

◎ Characters might feel compelled to establish physical contact while in the Horizon, especially if the other person is suffering from any psychological or physical effects from the ritual.

◎ When they leave, the Lost who they interacted with will have some temporary relief of a day or so from the effects of the ritual.

◎ For the Spared, there is no limit to how often they can help or cure any of the Lost. It depends on how your character wants to spend their time and where they wish to put their focus.

Setup, Supplies, & Communication

In addition to the specific tasks above, characters can help on a broader level including:

◎ Organizing workers and volunteers to ensure everyone has a job and is assigned a role.

◎ Delivering supplies to the right station or person, or organizing supplies to make sure teams have what they need.

◎ Training volunteers in simple tasks like creating basic healing potions, first aid skills, or similar if your character is knowledgeable.

◎ Maintaining communications between the teams going out and officials monitoring the situation and delivering news to the other Summoned.

Week 5: Aftermath

Although the Holdout Group is likely to make it back together, the Escape Group might trickle in depending on how long it takes to find and rescue everyone. Characters should all be safely in Nocwich by the end of Week 4.

Nocwich will remain open for the next week or so to ensure everyone is rested and recovered before they take a second portal home. The largest inn in Oleuni Square will be converted into a temporary hospital for the Lost to receive care as needed, including administering a proper cure for the ritual. The other inns will be available for the Spared to stay in - without cost, of course.

By the end of Week 5, the Summoned will be deemed well enough to make their final portal trip home to their respective nations.

Healing the Ritual Effects

The precise components of the cure and how it's put together will depend on the actions of the Spared. However, to preserve continuity and avoid confusion, the cure itself will not change, and we'll detail the process on the IC Event Log so that players can incorporate it into their threads at their own pace.

We can also tell you it'll include the following:

◎ The blessed water from Lunar Pond
◎ The flowers at the Nightbloom

Contributions made by characters throughout the event towards this process will only be regarding measurements, additional components, or certain spells and enchantments. The cure will be found in the end and will not have any adverse or distinct effects on the Lost.

The Factions

◎ Thorne has an infirmary in the Castle where characters can continue to receive care. They can also recover in their rooms if their injuries are not too severe. Healers in Thorne are skilled, and the healing sap from Ikorr is a potent aid. Curiously, the wounds from the ritual take a little longer to heal than others.

◎ The Free Cities has a hospital in Cadens. Characters will have access to some of the best doctors in the city, as well as the healing sap from Ikorr. They won't be allowed to leave until their doctor deems them well enough and signs off on the paperwork. This might be anywhere from an overnight stay to a week, depending on their injuries. Wounds from the ritual may take a little longer to heal than others.

◎ Solvunn will send healers and Elders to the homes of the Summoned, and their host families will also look after them. Solvunn also has access to Ikorr's healing sap, as well as their own powerful herbal concoctions. The commune will pitch in as needed, bringing supplies, meals, and more. Wounds from the ritual may take a little longer to heal than others.

The Acolytes / Coming Days

What happens to Josselyn Creed and her Acolytes will be detailed in the Wrap-Up and the mini-event in April. Characters will have some choices in the outcome by April, though not everyone may agree on what should be done.

Additionally, the three major nations will begin discussions regarding the Summoned and their role in the world. Many have been here for some time and have undergone some troubling experiences as a result of their unique status. Officials may soon have a proposal for the Summoned.

Notes & Details

Ability or Transformation Gain

Characters will receive a gain of either one physical alteration, or one new magical spell/ability. While this gain can be anything, we encourage people to consider a gain that suits their experiences throughout the 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.

Event Organization

Same as Part 1, Part 2 will have a Coordination Post. While there will be less emphasis on investigations, you can use the Coordination Post to do IC Exchanges, contact the mods for requests and randomizations, and alert each other of notable occurrences.

Event Schedule

Unlike most of our events, Part 2 will take place in-game 1 week before the IC Event Log is posted. Don't worry! March will remain quiet until the end of the month.

Only one major political development will take place during the Wrap-Up. Characters will not need to take part in it or make any immediate decisions.

April's mini-event will contain an important incident regarding Josselyn Creed and the Acolytes, but this will not take place until mid to late April to give players plenty of time to catch up and finish threads.

The IN-GAME EVENT will ICly take place March 6th-25th, roughly.
The EVENT LOG (PART 2) will go up on March 18th for players to participate in.
The WRAP-UP will go up end of March or early April.

Plotting Form

Plotting forms are available below for your convenience. We've provided two forms: one for personal plotting and one for group plotting.

Group Plotting

If you have a large-scale idea, you can use the Group Plotting form and comment under here to request the involvement of multiple players. Please only submit one plot per form.

Personal Plotting

The standard individual plotting form for players.

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!

General

My character wants justice or revenge. Can they have it?: That depends on the scale. The Lost and the Spared may confront and kill some Acolytes during the escape and rescue efforts. However, the aftermath will require more political maneuvering. Although characters will have a chance to sway the outcome, they may need to contend with differences of opinion.
I want my character to suffer a lot. Can their injuries take longer to heal even though the healing sap is available?: Absolutely! The healing sap has side effects when overused, so it'll only be applied to the most severe injuries. It's not meant to be a cure-all.
What will happen to the island afterwards?: Officials will seal the underground cavern to contain it while they decide how to proceed. Since the incident affected all three nations, the fate of the island and its contents has become a political point.
Will it be possible to visit the Singularity since it's visible?: Not at this time. The Singularity is massive despite being visible from on top of the mountains. Traveling down to the crater will still be a journey.
Will being near the Singularity affect magic or abilities?: There will be no noticeable effects on magic or abilities from this distance.
Will characters be able to learn the truth about Josselyn and her motives?: Yes, things will be revealed between Part 2 and the Wrap-Up, as well as the mini-event in April. Rest assured, characters haven't seen the last of her.
Are there any limits or numbers for the various groups and teams?: There are no hard limits or assignments we'll be handing out! If you're on the fence about what you want to do, we ask you consider choosing something that helps balance the scales. However, the event will not be dependant on precise numbers. As long as each group has at least 3-4 characters, things should be able to proceed.

The Lost

Can my character hold the webbing open, then escape through the water tunnel?: No, the portal will shatter before they can make it. If your character is making a sacrifice for others to escape, they must commit and remain in the cavern.
Will there be any lasting effects from the ritual once a full cure is found?: No. Once characters receive a full cure, they'll be healed entirely without any lasting effects.
What does the vision they saw mean? Will they find out?: Possibly! The Acolytes don't know what the Lost saw. The vision occurred through the ritual, but what it showed is not necessarily connected to the Acolytes. They may have unexpectedly unlocked something none yet understand.
Will characters discover any mysteries or information while on the mountains?: The Acolytes haven't hidden anything in the mountains, but the area is unexplored. They might encounter some unique entities no one's seen before.
How many times can we use the "Horizon" cure?: There's no hard limit on the number of times. Remember that it can be difficult to find opportunities to focus and enter the Horizon, and keep your attempts reasonable! We'd recommend maybe once or twice before rescue occurs.
What if my character hasn't gone into the Horizon yet? Can they still do this?: Yes, but characters must have someone to take them inside, and they won't have memories of their past during their first trip. If you aren't interested in memory loss, you don't need to play out your character's first Horizon visit. You can handwave that they've gone into the Horizon before the event.
How soon will the Spared find the Lost?: That's partially dependent on character actions, but broadly speaking the Retrieval Team will attempt to breach the island early in Week 4, while the Search Team will spend Week 4 locating members of the Escape Group.

The Spared

My character isn't helpful, but they're reckless and want to join a team. Is this possible?: Of course! Characters don't need to make logical decisions. If they'll cause difficulties during the rescue efforts, that's completely okay. Just be sure to communicate your intentions to everyone involved.
What sort of negotiations are possible? How will that process work?: The Acolytes will be available for interaction similar to Part 1. You can submit a proposal on behalf of a team to see what happens. Not every Acolyte is loyal to Josselyn in the final hour. Some will seek to save themselves.
Can my character contribute to the team with something that wasn't described?: Yes, similar to Part 1, characters have room to propose their own ideas. We'll do our best to incorporate player suggestions while maintaining event logistics!
I didn't get the chance to finish some of the investigations from Part 1. Can characters still find or use the information?: Yes, characters can carry knowledge from Part 1 over into Part 2 whether or not the investigation was "completed." For example, if your character has an important clue they found in Part 1 that they think will help the Retrieval Team, you can use the Coordination Post to ask how it might apply.
What does the Horizon cure feel like? Can the Spared feel it working?: Somewhat! This depends on how strong your character's connection to the Horizon is and how often they spend time creating inside it. Those who have a stronger connection can feel something warm pass between them. They'll also feel a stronger urge to seek out the Lost inside.
If the Lost land at random in the Horizon, how can the Spared find them?: Not to worry! The Horizon isn't very large. Characters can stumble upon each other, the Lost individual can end up in an occupied domain by chance, and similar to "find" each other.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Player Name: Dia
Character Name: Alucard
Lost or Spared?: Spared
Faction: Free Cities
Influence rank: 4

What team or group will you be a part of?: Retrieval, with coordination before hand.

Horizon healing: He'll help close CR.

Event discoveries: 1. Al still has some knowledge that may help at Josselyn's house
2. He found some rotting wood that smells like human flesh in Libertas! When the sample was reviewed, he was told by Solvunn's council that it is a highly guarded ingredient used for rituals.
3. In correspondence with Sten, Al has been told the werewolf suspects that this is a version of were-rituals that have gone awry.

Please see here and here for the full details.

Knowledge and skills: Alucard is here to use vampire powers. Mostly because he's doing Great and this isn't brushing up against past trauma at all.

General plans:
Alucard is going to be busy on two fronts: helping to coordinate in week three and then acting as a part of the retrieval team. I'm up for anything and everything here, and helping friends out on the Horizon, but the long and short of it is: Alucard feels he has permission to use the full of his vampiric abilities in combat and he's going to.

Misc. Solvunn things
-Alucard is happy to work with stuff on Josselyn's house and try to kick down that door.

Coordinating
-Al will be in Nocwich to help organize information and general support.
-He'll also be asking Sten about what he thinks the ritual is.
-He'll want to explore the sap of Ikorr more, but for Reasons he won't explain why he's so interested. (Blood, it's fucking around with his blood.)

Retrieval
-So okay, this is my OOC excuse to go over the top anime nonsense for Alucard.
-What this translates as is he is willing to go first in a fight, provide a huge distraction, and take damage because he knows he can heal faster.
-tl;dr: What you need for retrieval, you've got, just ask me.

I'm here for any and all suggestions, so let's gooooo

Edited 2023-03-16 18:31 (UTC)

I am very, very excited for these boys to team up.

hey thancred u know how you figured out how the boy ain't human

well

u wanna see how not human

YOU BET HE DOES

if you want i can tag out to you now that the new log is up?

yes that sounds good!

oop i just realized that your retrieval part is still TBA because you're waiting on some stuff, so i'll keep an eye out for when it's up!

yeah i'm kinda waiting for rescue team stuff to be certain before doing that, unless you can think of a spot where they can do a Violence without needing to have all the deets?

nah, that sounds good! i'm waiting on a few answers myself, so we can chill until then

Fuck it you want them to fight the fucked up stick monster thing the Lost trapped a while ago?

OH YES i am so down!!

so let's just fight the bone serpent so that everyone can get out and not have to worry about it following

I wanna see Alucard go full tilt boogie here. I want to see him UNHINGED

he's going Full Dracula the moment he can

Himeka like "wow that's neat" as he goes anime vampire mode.

If he wants to be on the frontlines in berserker mode he should definitely do so! I feel like we'll want to have a few people to kind of pave the way who can take a beating, so to speak.

meanwhile he's working through like, so much trauma

I am very much up for him to be on the front lines for all of this. He's big. He's angee. He can become a bunch of bats. What can go wrong?

Absolutely nothing short of everything! Which is why they should go all out, anyway.

Himeka will definitely want to try and talk with the Acolytes first when they find them since it would probably be better if they had some to answer with WTF all this was about...but you never know how that will go, so knocking a few heads may be necessary.

That being said I'm sure that the island itself or how they get to the Lost down there won't be very safe either, so there will probably be reason to fight either way.

Alucard is so there to Loom Menancingly and to smash a head or two in as a show of force. 8) Talk to the nice lady or else.

yooo Rhy is also on Retrieval, and prior to that will be taking an active role in coordinating the safe space/med area in Nocwich

Would love for these two to work together. Rhy isn't much of a fighter, but I want to push him into actually having to fight and getting some action lmao

but. maybe he could use an assist bc it's definitely not his strong suit

Okay so, there's defs options here. The first may be pre departure and discussing how Rhy isn't much of a fighter (and Al can just be very helpful in "are you angry? good. now use that for Violence"). The second may be a pause in all of the fighting where commentary can happen, and then they both have to get spurred into fighting something else and can tag team. (Depends on how much action you wanna write.)

Or a magic third option that my just woke up butt hasn't thought of!

I like writing action! I'm into the idea of them having to fight together, and maybe in the moment Alucard can spur him into actually doing violence to protect himself if Rhy freezes up. Or Alucard can do a helpful little murder for him, depending on how it works out

Let's do that for sure! Since we have enough details with the retrieval team, do you see a particular opening you want to take advantage of? I don't mind writing the starter itself :>

Unfortunately I haven't had time to read the IC post yet and won't be able to do so until Monday! if you have some time and feel like writing a starter, I'm happy to go along with whatever you think would be fun :)

Okay I will figure something out today and get it up tonight~

awesome, thanks so much! obviously no rush!

of course~~

EVENT #12: INVOCATION - OOC POST (PART 2)

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