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

[abraxasmods]

Event #12 - OOC Plotting ( 2 )

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

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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:

1. 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.


2. 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:

1. 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.


2. 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.


3. 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

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 with subterfuge, they can volunteer to lead that group.

You can divide yourself into smaller task groups if you wish. Not all of the suggestions below need to be used nor are you limited to these suggestions, but you can consider the following:

• 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.

<b>Player Name:</b> <b>Character Name:</b> <b>Lost or Spared?:</b> <b>Faction:</b> <b>Influence rank:</b> <b>Plot idea:</b> (Describe what you'd like to do. For example, if your character wants to organize a group of healers and wants help or volunteers, you can state so here.)

Personal Plotting

The standard individual plotting form for players.

<b>Player Name:</b> <b>Character Name:</b> <b>Lost or Spared?:</b> <b>Faction:</b> <b>Influence rank:</b> <b>What team or group will you be a part of?:</b> (Are you staying behind as the holdout group or leaving with the escape group? Will you look for the escapees with the search team, or will you rescue the remaining Lost as part of the retrieval team? Will you remain in Nocwich to prepare or be in the Horizon?) <b>Horizon healing:</b> (Are you looking for a Spared to help temporarily heal your character? Will your character be available for the Lost to seek out if they need a cure?) <b>Event discoveries:</b> (Anything your character has found or learned throughout Part 1 that you feel would be helpful.) <b>Knowledge and skills:</b> (Anything useful your character knows or skills they have that you feel would be helpful.) <b>General plans:</b> (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!

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.

Comments

Questions

[abraxasmods]

GROUP PLOTTING

[abraxasmods]

THE LOST - GROUPS

[abraxasmods]

While this isn't a formal sign up, you can note which group or team your character will be a part of so other players can find you easier for plotting.

Fill out the form and comment under the appropriate group heading.

Player Name, <b>Character Name</b> <a href="URLHERE">Plot comment</a> (Providing a plot comment link is optional) <b>Notes:</b> (Any notes if applicable, such as the reason they're staying behind or which escape route you have in mind)

THE SPARED - TEAMS

[abraxasmods]

While this isn't a formal sign up, you can note which group or team your character will be a part of so other players can find you easier for plotting.

Fill out the form and comment under the appropriate group heading.

Player Name, <b>Character Name</b> <a href="URLHERE">Plot comment</a> (Providing a plot comment link is optional) <b>Notes:</b> (Any notes if applicable, such as if you'd like your character to be medical support or focus on magic)

Dee and her Boys plotting :)

[magicalarchaeologist]

Amanda ❤

[tobeclosetohim]

Player Name: Amanda
Character Name: Jo Harvelle
Lost or Spared?: Spared
Faction: The Free Cities
Influence rank: 3

What team or group will you be a part of?: Rescuing the remaining lost as part of Retrieval Team.

Horizon healing: Jo’s absolutely open to people using The Roadhouse as a place to congregate Lost and have a place for them to heal up. She'll be down to coordinate that with anyone who will be in the Horizon during the event and after (though she'll be swamped helping storm the castle at the time).

Event discoveries: Jo went with Dean, Sam, Jesper, and Nadine to interrogate investigate groups of bandits. She got severely injured by Dean during the latter of it and spent some time afterward not around, then tagged along with Jesper & Sam following Aquilla's leads. (She is 100% healed in all Week 3-4 appearances.)

Knowledge and skills:
→ Hunter Skills: Tracking/hunting/fighting/killing monsters (& people where needed), basic survival
→ First Aide Skills all the way up to basic triage
→ Diplomacy: Jo's incredibly good at lying/causing distractions, incredibly intuitive/astute with others, known or not
→ Cool Head In a Crisis: Jo does not lose her shit or ability to coordinate/delegate/organize plans and keep her hand on control of everything, no matter how bad things might be going around her.

→ Sword Power: Her blade explodes outward from her in a circle and can take out anything it touches
→ Charm Power: Can make others go along with what she wants/thinks is most imperative

General plans: Jo's here along with Dean & Sam in this being the fastest, shortest path to get Castiel (who somehow thought it would be a brilliant plan on his part not to run away) and bring him home. At the same time, Sam and & Jo will be white-on-rice to keep Dean from Falling Under The Mark in check (especially after the hometown big events of Week 1). She will be down to use all her skills to complete this. Negotiation & Distractions are definitely in purview, both the talking kind and the killing kind.

(At least until Dean takes a header into not dying, and then things explode and go very, very bad, very, very quickly.)

[cryptsleeper]

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

Freya's lizards

[aquaveiled]

court | steve rogers & thancred waters

[assembles]

Nadine Cross | Spared

[nadine_he_loves]

Player Name: Faye
Character Name: Nadine Cross
Lost or Spared?: Spared
Faction: Free Cities
Influence rank: 5

What team or group will you be a part of?: Nadine is Home Team, she's staying in Nocwich to do medical stuff. She's already been working with both Sten/the werewolves and Quilleth on that, and has supplies for other healers and for the rescue teams heading out. Much as she'd like to rush off and play hero, she knows she is much better utilized as a base medic. So she is here for healing and prepping for healing and teaching other people how to do basic emergency field medicine.

Horizon healing: Technically she's available for it, but I wouldn't recommend her for this sort of healing.

Event discoveries: She did learn some about the magic used for the ritual, and how it utilizes living plants and whatnot. Which could be helpful in curing.

Knowledge and skills: Medical skills, herbal and botany knowledge, and she has the ability to diagnose general ailments by touch. Also an ability to purge toxins/poisons from someone, which might possibly come in handy.

General plans: I think that pretty much covers it!

Kyle | Spared | Search team

[ushiri]

Player Name: Jay
Character Name: Kyle
Lost or Spared?: Spared
Faction: Thorne
Influence rank: 4

What team or group will you be a part of?: Search team! He'll be looking for the Lost first (not sure yet if he'll know who went which way), the Mysterious Acolyte (Jack told him about her, vaguely, and made him promise to help her) and after that he'll be wanting to hunt down other acolytes to bring back.

Horizon healing: For close CR

Event discoveries: He found the altered arcana symbol in the mountain-forest near the Solvunn/Thorne border, found a lost light creature in the woods near Nott, found the peninsula illusion and knows which god is associated with it - he's been on top of whatever info has been shared openly in general, so he can fill people in on stuff.

Knowledge and skills: Kyle uses the Gray Space to move around, basically he cuts a seam in reality and goes into an inbetween space that can't really be sensed by most other creatures. He can observe things from this space without being affected by anything in physical space, however he can only watch and can't hear anything while in there. Physics/space is different in here too so he can get to places that aren't easily accessible by others. And he can cut through just about anything using these seams so - good at tracking and killing! He's best at moving quickly on his own, and reporting back what he finds. He also lived on a cold, snowy mountain most of his life so he tolerates the cold fine enough.

He can also make magic berries that full your belly and make you a little warm...

General plans: That's about it!

geralt of rivia | lost / escape | free cities

[gynvael]

Player Name: noa
Character Name: geralt of rivia
Lost or Spared?: Lost
Faction: Free Cities
Influence rank: 4

What team or group will you be a part of?: Escaping!!! No decision yet on which route, though i'm leaning towards the webby hole than the water slide.

Horizon healing: Probably not for himself since he's been cured and he can handle what injuries are left behind from that now that he's out (and by handle, I mean it'll suck but he won't die....yet.) I think he'd be lookout for anyone who needs to go into the Horizon for some healing, though.

Event discoveries: He has a sharp object!! that's about it haha.

Knowledge and skills: Geralt grew up in the mountains, so this is honestly right at home for him. He doesn't get cold like most people, and he can navigate no matter where he is. He can also:

+ help hunt for food, forage, build fires, the usual
+ kill whatever needs to be killed
+ protect people if you need protecting
+ give you some tips so you don't fall off the mountain and die
+ his various Signs will return, including one that lets him make a fire
+ he knows basic first aid shit, but medieval-style

General plans: Geralt will be escaping with Ciri. His priority is on keeping her safe, but frankly Ciri is also very capable herself. He usually lone wolfs it, but given there (might???) be a few coming with him, he'll look after them and he'll probably take charge where needed to keep people alive.

Once they're free, Geralt will be not as worried about his own survival since he'll be. Fairly in his element? So he'll be highly focused on others. I should stress this is only from Geralt's perception, because objectively speaking he is still heckin injured and fucked up lmao. And bleeding from a few places. But it's something he can push past until they're all safe.

I'd also like him to coordinate with people from the search team and work with them to bring everyone together, since he'll have a decent grasp on where they are location-wise.

ONCE HE'S HOME, he'll have a whole host of ppl to reunite with, and I'm down for all of that as well!!

wanda maximoff · spared · solvunn

[carmesi]

Player Name: kira
Character Name: wanda maximoff
Lost or Spared?: spared
Faction: solvunn
Influence rank: 5

What team or group will you be a part of?: retrieval team!

Horizon healing: wanda would likely avoid the horizon for the time being, preferring to focus on what she can do outside of it instead. especially when things are potentially dangerous around them.

Event discoveries: she and several other folk in solvunn (either residents or visiting friends) have gathered increasing amount of information to hopefully help out with opening up josselyn's door. she and michael discovered that josselyn is involved in this whole thing. ( 1, 2, 3 )

Knowledge and skills: the biggest thing for wanda right now is that she has made a pact with an old god, so she'll be able to handle some high magic/old god powers into her own. i'm still workshopping the specifics. other than that, she's highly skilled in magic and mind control.

General plans: it is ON SIGHT for josselyn, so wanda will very likely want to find her, first and foremost. she will be rounding up acolytes if she can; maybe kill one? she's really upset @ this whole thing. otherwise, she would be very useful for removing or applying enchantments as needed, as well as doing anything magic related. ✌️

Lenore | Thorne | Spared

[beloyaltome]

Player Name: Marlowe
Character Name: Lenore
Lost or Spared?: Spared
Faction: Thorne
Influence rank: 0

What team or group will you be a part of?: Retrieval team!

Horizon healing: Lenore's on the retrieval team so she won't be spending much time in the Horizon, but she will be checking in briefly from time to time and can also be lured there through the itch in her mind.

Event discoveries: Lenore spent some time investigating the strange symbol and its possible connection to the page of pentacles, but she's hit a little bit of a wall with that and isn't sure if it's at all relevant or what to do with it. Other than that it's been reports of missing people and some withered foliage.

Knowledge and skills: Lenore's a diplomat by nature and by trade, so she'll be focused on the negotiating aspect of the retrieval team. She's also very good at stealth, with her ability to transform into mist, bats, or (more recently) a white cat, and she's skilled at hand-to-hand combat in a pinch, though she prefers that to be a last-resort option if negotiation and stealth have both failed. Also she's got superhuman strength and I would love to lean in to the comedy of tiny Lenore carrying much larger people to safety.

General plans: Worth noting that she has Kol's daylight ring, so sunlight is no longer a problem for her. Also she's very much a nurturer type, so if you want your injured character fussed over, Lenore is available for all your hurt/comfort needs.

Mat Cauthon | Lost

[a_better_man]

Player Name: Faye
Character Name: Mat Cauthon
Lost or Spared?: Lost
Faction: Thorne
Influence rank: 2

What team or group will you be a part of?: Team Escape! Going out via the webbing.

Horizon healing: He could sure use some

Event discoveries: Nothing here

Knowledge and skills: So Mat actually knows how to survive in the wilderness very well! He has a lot of knowledge and skills that are useful - foraging, hunting, crafting basic weapons and traps, making shelters, sterilizing water...this kid has been living half in the wilderness his whole life.

General plans: Mat will absolutely be down to do whatever it takes to get back. He is all messed up from the ritual, but he's fighting it and will do what he has to to get home alive.

Kell Maresh | Lost | Escaping

[blackeyedprince]

Player Name: Ran
Character Name: Kell Maresh
Lost or Spared?: Lost
Faction: Thorne
Influence rank: 2

Plot idea: Kell plans to escape and will try to take Wilhelm with him. He will be more than willing to help organize some planned effort. Gather a group to stick together since they don't know what's outside.

Player Name: Ran
Character Name: Kell Maresh
Lost or Spared?: Lost
Faction: Thorne
Influence rank: 2

What team or group will you be a part of?: Escape group

Horizon healing: Kell has been cured by Istredd so he doesn't really need healing. But would ask for healing for others.

Event discoveries: Retrieved an Acolyte mask - the one with prongs - with Jayden, and revealed that the Acolyte wearing it had keyholes in place of eyes.

Knowledge and skills: Outside of pit his elemental magic will be back so he can help with shielding the group from the effects of severe weather and protect from monster attacks. He can also fight better now that he has his magic. He can heal or at least stabilize other people's injuries. He's also alchemist and will be using his knowledge of plants. Both what's edible, but also finding medicinal plants.

General plans: Kell main goal would be get people he's escaping with mainly Wilhelm to safety, and that means reaching Jayce - because Jayce told me they are coming. I want him to be able to coordinate with search team while he's on route. I would also like him to try the Webbing Behind the Wall route

Lucifer | Spared | Search

[thedevilwhorose]

Player Name: Heather
Character Name: Lucifer
Lost or Spared?: Spared
Faction: Thorne
Influence rank: 3

What team or group will you be a part of?: Begrudgingly Search Team

Horizon healing: No. I think he's going to keep up with his actively not being present in the Horizon unless something drastically comes up.

Event discoveries:
-he's had some loose chatter/information with note passing via Natasha and the network
-got a fisherman eaten I mean found a sea creature in Lake Circinus, where it definitely did not belong.
-Went on a grand ol' tour with Natasha after interrogating a prisoner, met with Brion Creed and found some further knowledge that checked out with what others have learned about Josselyn and the weird corrupted supplies.
-Part of the group with Yennefer and Kyle that had taken down the illusion on the peninsula.

Knowledge and skills: In general he's an expert combatant with supernatural strength. He does have Bless as a quick help ability that he hasn't used on purpose yet and I'd love for him to make use of it in helping the team. On a usual day he's weaker but he's been riding a Rage Wave since this started so he's a little more hardy than his average.

Someone give him a blade and he'll slice and dice.

He also knows some minor warming enchantments that he picked up from Istredd. He's not very good at them because he's never done them himself so it's 50/50 on whether or not they'll help out.

He CAN help with actual tracking if need be, if the Search Team ends up more offensive folks than actual trackers lol.

General plans: He's literally avoided the Horizon except for a trip to his domain and two brief trips to Sam Wilson's to leave notes personally. He has not talked to anyone from other factions except the most basic cross-communication posts. Thorne Summoned got stuck dealing with him hahaha.

He'll be in Nocwich until the teams go out and be cooperative to Get Shit Done but he's a thorny pain in the ass that is making no efforts for masks or charisma around people soooo. Yeah.

Em's Nerds

[stations]

( individual comments to follow; hit me at paingravy for anything! )

castiel | free cities | lost - holdout group

[unwings]

Player Name: Jay
Character Name: Castiel
Lost or Spared?: Lost
Faction: Free Cities
Influence rank: 0, I haven’t turned any of my shit in bc I’m a slacker oops

What team or group will you be a part of?:
The Holdout group! Cas will be staying behind to help Steve with holding the webbing open with his not totally reliable angel strength. He’ll tell the others “don’t worry, we’ll find another way” totally believing that. He also really wants to investigate the altar/altar room and question the remaining acolytes.

Horizon healing:
Cas will definitely pop up somewhere in the Horizon, but idk if he’ll really be able to hold on long. Once he gets to Nocwich, sure. When the Spared meet up with them, Cas will be in pretty fucked up shape, after succumbing, grace drain, fighting the ceiling monster, and brawling with Blake. A temporary heal would probably be nice, but for other plot reasons (Dean pseudo-death), I might hold off on it, so he can be easily dragged away while weak. So, TBA.

Event discoveries:

- originally killed the ceiling creeper with Geralt, got acid in the face for it, worked with the bigger group to seal it away in a tunnel. Cas will be very against releasing it again.
- Cracked open a shrine with Istredd, got a cool shroud that hides the wearer from monsters. He’ll probably toss it on a couple injured natives in part 2
- Opened the last shrine with Inej and Louis, heard creepy whispers saying his name in ear-rupturing angel voice, freed the behemoth thing
- Ciri and Cas found a canister of gun powder in a tunnel but I’m expecting Ciri will be taking that to help the escaped folks get out

Knowledge and skills:
He stronk. But also did the ritual and is still in the pit, so that strength’s going to periodically give out. He has an incredibly drained healing ability that’s probably going to be useless at this point. Fighting, so he can help take down some acolytes if needed. He was Succumbing the last week but I’m thinking with the whispers and shrines gone (since he was hardcore focused on them) he’ll be doing a little better in that field.

General plans: current plans are:

- help Steve hold the webbing open
- Put shroud on injured natives to protect from monsters
- Investigate the altar + room, definitely going to take a look inside the altar mouth to see what’s up in there
- “””Question””” acolytes, he’s not above smacking them around for it, or jumping acolytes to try to even out the numbers
- Probably bouncing into Horizon a little, send some texts
- At some point Dean is going to become mostly-dead, and Cas will be trying to drag his beat up near-corpse self to get to Dean’s (unrecoverable) body or having a general stubborn melt down about it, so anyone who wants to do a “he’s gone, maverick, u have to let him go”, that could be a thing

Otherwise idk, hit me up with your thoughts!!

Lena | Rhy Maresh, Spared, Retrieval

[londonbound]

Player Name: Lena
Character Name: Rhy Maresh
Lost or Spared?: Spared
Faction: Thorne
Influence rank: 3

What team or group will you be a part of?: Retrieval team headed to the island! This is going to be a rough personal choice for Rhy, as his brother Kell will actually be escaping, but he is deeply committed to helping the people too injured to get out, those who sacrificed themselves for the escape, and as many natives as he can. He's going to be especially adamant about helping the NPCs.

Horizon healing: He can provide Horizon healing a couple times! I'll probably limit this for my own sanity to 2 or 3 ppl max

Event discoveries:
Not so much discoveries but some stuff that mighttt be useful?
- Lyle Vela of Nott supports the efforts to retrieve and care for those taken, as many were from Nott. Rhy's been gathering supplies and healers near the portal from Nott to the castle. Pending info on how much that can transfer to the emergency hospital in Nocwich, he may be looking for anyone staying on home front to take the reins there.
- there's a mage with a wonky eye who's good at Wild Magic and takes bribes. maybe there is a use for him. maybe not. just a fun npc if anyone wishes to know about him lol

Knowledge and skills:
- Healing magic (trained in Thorne, so Academic Magic) with moderate skill in making healing potions as well
- knows how to handle a sword, but inexperienced in actual combat
- high charisma, good at talking to people, could be helpful in negotiations; also has the power to sense the true emotion behind someone who may be trying to put up a front

General plans: Rhy wants to help as many people as he can, including NPCs. He's fairly strong physically speaking, but not much of a fighter -- I would like to get him into fights and have to use violence as a last resort, mostly because he'll hate it lol. He has some ability gains I've also not gotten to use yet which I'm itching to deploy. He can get a physical buff and last longer in a fight or ignore injuries for a bit, and he can also siphon energy from others when he's really depleted (most likely involuntarily).

Not sure yet how much he'll try to negotiate with the acolytes, but it may be on the table! Will iron out details when the IC post drops, but I'm interested in both attempts at negotiation and some fighting to survive shenanigans.

One last thing: Rhy thinks he can't die. I would love to have him try to take a hit for someone else, jump in front of them to protect them, or something!

Eddie Munson | Spared | Retrieval

[satanicpanics]

Player Name: Hannah (2)
Character Name: Eddie Munson
Lost or Spared?: Spared
Faction: Solvunn
Influence rank: big ol' zero

What team or group will you be a part of?: Retrieval! Eddie is not the most useful person when it comes to skill or knowledge, but he has a huge desire to help in any way he can, works well with others, and just works best as support. He also great at causing distractions which could possibly be helpful!

Horizon healing: He's unlikely to check in on the Horizon because he'd be more concerned with what's going on around him, but if you really would like to do something, let me know. I'm not set in stone on this!

Event discoveries: He and Carl found an enchanted ledger in Josselyn's house, possibly connected to her warded door somehow. It will have been given over to Wanda by this point, though.

Knowledge and skills: Hm...well. Nothing here of use--
No, for real, he has a couple abilities that will work well for distractions, and he has plenty of common sense, and is capable of holding his own. But mostly please let him be a distraction and feel useful. HE'S SO GOOD AT IT.

General plans: Honestly, here for all the things! He just wants to make sure everyone gets saved.

Lena | Ciri, Lost, Escaping

[wiedzminka]

Player Name: Lena
Character Name: Ciri
Lost or Spared?: Lost
Faction: Free Cities
Influence rank: 4

What team or group will you be a part of?: ESCAPING, BABEYY. Going through the cracked wall + webbing, and ending up on the frozen lake. too bad she doesn't have knife shoes to skate-murder people with, a real thing that happens in the witcher books lmao

Horizon healing: nah, she got cured (thanks, Caitlyn!!) so she'll be mostly fine. she just has some normal injuries, but she's used to those...

Event discoveries:
- TOOLS: a tiny knife + multitool, a glow ring, a box of explosive powder, a rusty metal medieval-style eating pick with which to stab things and maybe give someone tetanus, and... a glass jar.
- Ciri will be helping tear down the wall as she was part of the group starting to chip away at it in Week 2

Knowledge and skills: Luckily, Ciri has excellent wilderness survival skills. She can track, hunt (for food and skins), and help fight monsters. Her bigger powers will be coming back very slowly, so no portalling around until later in the week (and she can only take herself), but she will have smaller elemental magic coming back, like forming a fire or doing a little energy blast. She can also make weapons for characters who want them, offer advice on how to shelter down, etc. Basically, she's finally in her element again, and was cured of the ritual effects, so though she's moderately injured, she's going to be doing better than a lot of folks probably and willing to help the group.

General plans: Mostly what's outlined above!! Ciri will be so excited to be out of the pit!!!

I would love to play her helping out characters who need a hand surviving, maybe doing some hunting or fighting some beasties. I'm also interested in her killing some Acolytes who are trying to chase them down. If anyone wants to see Ciri do a murder.

terra | spared | search team

[theidlemaiden]

Player Name: Terra
Character Name: Hilda Goneril
Lost or Spared?: Spared
Faction: Free Cities
Influence rank: 2

What team or group will you be a part of?: Team Search via some coercion from Reno.

Horizon healing: Hilda can probably be made available for one or two healing sessions in the Horizon since she's been spending a fair amount of time during Week 2 on patrols. If that's of interest, let me know!

Event discoveries: During her bandit adventures with Altair, they discovered more evidence of the same symbol that has been cropping up all over Abraxas. She handed off a withered set of purple lupine found at the site of Blake's kidnapping to Nadine for examination, and also collected traces of the black sludgy substance in the desert caverns with Alucard and Petra. She, Altair, and Wanda also explored the Solvunn swamps and are now parents to a pair of mechanical-hybrid lizards which she'll want to explore the origins of post-event.

Knowledge and skills: Apart from being a bright beacon of pink in the mountains, Hilda is extremely handy with an axe (lances and swords can be roughly grouped here but she's more comfortable with an axe), stronger than she looks, and has the ability to lightly heal and cast thunder, thanks to magic she's learned from home. It should be noted however that magic takes a fair bit out of her since it's not her go-to. She has some basic first-aid skills that are the equivalent of, "this will hold until someone who actually knows what they're doing can look at you."

General plans: Help any of the escaped Lost they come across to get off the mountain and back to the Nocwich portal! She's also happy to hunt down and/or act as a voice of reason to keep at least one of the Acolytes alive. She'll also be available to help coordinate game plans/battle tactics before everyone goes their separate ways. Reuniting with people in Nocwich is also a given!

Gideon | Lost | Holdout

[frontlinetitties]

Player Name: Kam
Character Name: Gideon Nav
Lost or Spared?: Lost
Faction: Free Cities
Influence rank: 3

What team or group will you be a part of?: holdout! I'd like her to help hold the webbing open for others to escape, or/and to be helping other people get out so she ends up having to stay behind. She won't be willing to leave people behind.

Horizon healing: She may possibly need some healing! Cait is going to give it a try but I'm not sure how that goes yet.

Event discoveries: the webbing behind the crack in the wall. She'll be super down for helping fully tear up the wall


Knowledge and skills: She's an exceptional fighter and very strong. She's definitely more muscle and meatshield inclined than someone looking to take any leadership role.

General plans: super open right now!! Other than helping others escape whilst getting stuck behind herself, she'll be there to defend anyone else left behind, and she'd advocate for helping acolytes escape their cult because she has some experience with creepy cults and has empathy for them ;;

Cloude | Claire

[beautifullies]

Player Name: Cloude
Character Name: Claire Fraser
Lost or Spared?: Spared
Faction: Solvunn
Influence rank: 1

What team or group will you be a part of?: In Solvunn, Claire has set up a triage of sorts, although whoops she probably should've done something in Nocwich, but before there are any potential patients, she would 100% volunteer herself to be the doctor in tow. She's not as good a magical healer, but...she'll make sure you live. More details, I'm sure, to come on this.

She will also split her time with the Horizon once she realizes what the benefits are the first time she goes. More than happy to volunteer her for your character in need.

Event discoveries: Claire broke into Josselyn's with Michael and saw the seal on the door, and could probably tell you what the different herbs and plants hanging from her ceiling/the flowers in her garden were/are. She first saw the root and the finger in a bottle there, too. weird, wtf Josselyn.

Knowledge and skills: Knows where to stab directly into the kidneys to kill someone.

Also, of course, the medical stuff!

General plans: At some point she'll make a group stew or something, just to help in a different way. She'll be present/available, so I'm down to handwave whatever might be happening behind the scenes or not necessarily super important to thread out. She'll help anyone regardless of whether or not they've ever met. You can always hmu on discord @ lifewasawillow#5524 and we can chat stuff out!