abraxasooc | EVENT #12: INVOCATION - COORDINATION POST (PART 2)

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

Event #12 - COORDINATION ( 2 )

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Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

You mean a GRACEFUL DESCENT?

[To be fair, he still feels like total shit. But even a single breath of fresh air makes him feel like half of a new man. It's... corny as it is, it's hope. Hope is enough sometimes.]

Edited 2023-03-28 05:30 (UTC)

What the -- who let you in my room? Himeka, you let some random guy in my room? That's a sacred space!

If people know names, we can deliver the message to their families, mayhaps...

[ She's not terribly surprised that not all made it out unscathed. No, it's all but expected. That doesn't mean the families of the missing will feel any better about it. ]

Resilient and stubborn? Me as well, which is also why I can spare a moment for you before we enter. Just give me ten seconds and you'll be feel better, I promise.

I think we can handle that. We have a few forceful unsubtle types with us. A two-pronged attack could be the smartest move when they're this entrenched.

Player Name: kira
Character Name: wanda maximoff
Other characters involved: adjacently, natasha + lucifer, michael

Action: wanda learned through natasha that josselyn has brothers throughout abraxas and that they've been "managing trade negotiations" between factions. natasha will have told wanda that the brothers didn't seem to have known about what she was planning. they shouldn't have to answer for her crimes, but wanda thinks it'd be prudent to have them around, so that should josselyn be cagey during wrap-up/interrogation, perhaps family could bring something out of her or they could get some information from them regarding where she is, her efforts, or state of mind.
Thread: where michael and wanda find out about josselyn through scrying, their informing the council about her, thread discussing with natasha about the creeds, the bros ain't so bad
Notes: not particularly something wanda would actively be looking into, but she'd mention it to the council 👍

Edited (in my haste for the josselyn hate tour, misread/miswrote some details) 2023-03-28 19:15 (UTC)

Player Name: kira
Character Name: wanda maximoff
Other characters involved: alucard, michael, claire, eddie, carl

Action: josselyn's warded door is a big pain in the ass, but they have some items/clues and will try to make use of them. these are the items they currently have:

1. enchanted ledger (found by carl and eddie)
2. black substance sample (collected by wanda)
3. jars and books from the house (collected by michael and claire)
4. blackened root and blood in a bottle inside a book (found by alucard)
5. the symbol from the abduction sites/wanda's vision
6. the name of the god nikodaemus (brought forth by kyle)
7. information from the council about what they might need to open the warded door

we're thinking they need to engineer the black substance, but before they start guessing at proportions from each jar, etc, wanda would like to have a look at the enchanted ledger. she'll be able to see that the ink contains an enchantment, hiding some of its contents. in my mind, timeline-wise, this is after her pact with soris...? not sure if relevant.

ANYWAY, for starters, she will be using her magic to try and remove the enchantments to get to the real contents of the ledger.

Thread: enchanted ledger is found, collection of the substance and noticing the strange symbol around, vial of blood being found, nikodaemus name, information about the warded door, jars and books found in the house.
Notes: granted, whether this affects anything in the event or has a bigger significance during the wrap-up (or beyond), it's good. there were probably more people involved in this but i'm not even sure i got all the threads i wanted to get lmao ;-;

Breaking the Wards
Wanda may break the wards using her patron god. To accomplish this feat, she will need to draw on the power of a human corpse. There are many she can call on around them. The corpse will reanimate itself. Once directed by Wanda to destroy the wards, the corpse glows with the runes of Soris Immaneus. It then approaches the warding and will begin to stretch its body over the surface of the invisible warding, turning itself into a human paste. The ward trembles, then dissolves with the body itself.

The Thornean mages with them are clearly disturbed, with the curious exception of Jolene Sybell.

Negotiating with the Acolytes
Three Acolytes will arrive, one of whom is clearly the leader. He tells them only the gods are deserving of their fear. They are not afraid to die. He asks whether Rhy and Jayce are willing to risk the same of their friends. He adds that it is too late to stop them, and that Josselyn has fled. She will rebuild her flock somewhere else.

Jayce and Rhy can use this opportunity to offer their terms. Their best chance is to use the information Himeka learned about the Mysterious Acolyte and her past. Not even the Acolytes know of her history. Therefore, they may interpret this as a sign that the Spared have the aid of the gods.

Wanda may demonstrate this, as well, by calling on her patron once more.

Note that any terms offered are for flavor. To help facilitate movement in the plot, you may consider their negotiations successful in the end.

Negotiation Outcomes
Once the Acolytes agree to the terms, afraid to anger the gods who have sided with the Summoned, they will go down into the tunnels to open up some pathways. Most importantly, they will join the infiltration team and open the altar room, preventing those inside from drowning when the cave collapses.

Infiltrating the Tunnel
Alucard can use his bat form to enter successfully. Himeka may use her Sleep spell, though a falling rock or two might strike one of those she's put to sleep, waking them up.

While the remainder can successfully sneak in to a degree, they will soon be intercepted by the Bone Serpent. They can fight and injure it as players decide, though the monster is difficult to kill. They will see for the first time its full appearance rather than only its legs.

During this fight, the ceiling monster will also break free of of the rocks trapping it at this time. It will attack the Bone Serpent and the Acolytes, creating a distraction that characters can take advantage of.

Remaining Acolytes
The faithful Acolytes will attack the Infiltration Team when they're alerted by the Bone Serpent. They rely heavily on illusion magic to strike. Their weapons are daggers. However, the Bone Serpent and the ceiling monster will attack indiscriminately, so they will struggle with the monsters at the same time.

Retrieving the Lost
Under the cover of chaos, the Infiltration Team can lead three characters up towards the tunnel path. One character can make it out entirely to the surface. The remaining two will be inside the tunnel when the cavern system collapses, and will need to be rescued.

The character who reaches the surface can join Steve, Nero, and the Negotiation Team. The surface group will be out of the main path of destruction during the collapse, meaning they will have a higher chance of reaching the turtle first, uninjured. They can best help anyone who was inside the island's cave, many of whom will be in the water.

Note that in the middle of all this, the Acolytes who have agreed to surrender to the Negotiation Team will be returning to release the Lost held inside the altar room. You can choose when this happens to best suit the timeline of your plans.

She admits she doesn't know what will happen to them or if they'll be allowed to return to Solvunn, though she wants to stay in touch. She asks him for one last favor: if he or someone else could tell the Solvunn Council that they aren't like the other Acolytes and they tried to help him and the others. She would like it if at least Esmond could be allowed to return home.

[Sten leans forward attentively. She tells him quite a bit more than others have. The information matches what's been relayed to him thus far.]

Splitting skin, like the body wants to transform?

[He clarifies what he means:]

I've been troubled that they're misusing not only Solvunn's traditions, but ours too. We've got a few ceremonies that enhance our transformations or give us insight. Visions and the like, you know. Harmless to us, but no doubt poison to you. When we partake, we're careful no humans are nearby. We only do it at the Lunar Pond.

In my estimation, it's, how shall I explain - a unifying symbol.

[Sten pulls out a gold brooch of the crescent moon design used often in Luna. He slides it across the table.]

The Lunae represent ourselves with this sign. It symbolizes the moon, but also our people. We gave it that meaning when we made it, then used it. Now I might be mistaken, but I'd be tremendously surprised if changing a few bits and bobs on an Arcanum gave it a new power. If it were that easy, mages would've done it long ago.

I believe their primary reason for altering the sigil is to represent themselves. A new faith beyond Solvunn's.

Using their combined discoveries, characters can uncover the following:

1. Wanda can invoke either her patron or Nikodaemus to dispel the enchanted illusion on the ledger. If she doesn't want to use her patron, she or someone else could logically surmise that the illusion spell on the ledger might be protected by the same god invoked for the illusion around the Thornean peninsula.

2. Dispelling the illusion reveals several recipes. One of these is for the black substance. They can easily identify the correct recipe since it's the only one involving the black root and blood found. Further, the other listed ingredients match the ones in the bottles recovered by Claire and Michael.

3. They can use the sample they have to compare and ensure they've recreated the substances successfully. If the consistency, smell, and color matches, then they've done it correctly.

4. By painting the symbol found at the abduction sites onto the door, they'll successfully open it.

Once inside, they'll find the following:

1. Personal possessions belonging to Josselyn, which may be important for scrying. Items include a silver locket, a bone charm, and another bottle of her blood. The Council would receive this from the group if they hand it over and will use it to aid in their search for Josselyn.

2. Pieces of evidence including a ceremonial dagger, one of the pronged masks, and multiple illusion-type spells recorded in notebook. They can use this evidence to prove Josselyn's involvement to the factions beyond a doubt.

3. An early base of the recipe used to create the gelatin product used in the rituals. The product in this recipe is a thick liquid instead of a jelly. Nonetheless, it may contribute to finding a cure if delivered to Nocwich.

Edited 2023-03-28 22:53 (UTC)

The Council would receive her information, informing her that they will indeed be reaching out to the other factions to make contact to the other members of the Creed family. The Council is aware of the brothers in Thorne and the Free Cities, as they left to manage trade negotiations with the Council's blessing.

Faction officials in the Free Cities and Thorne will use this information to speak to the brothers, in an effort to locate Josselyn while the Summoned are focused on rescuing the prisoners.

Though the brothers aren't in trouble yet, their connection to Josselyn might cause them a bit of trouble moving forward. Officials will be watching them closely for now.

I guess? [ She tries to remember what it looked like -- while also attempting to not look like she's remembering her own vision. ] The Summoned who went through it, they have like these mushrooms and funguses and stuff comin' outta their wounds. And some of 'em have like... almost teeth in there? Like, lots of little sharp teeth. And vines. Somethin' is changin', but I don't know about a whole werewolf-style transformation. [ Her eyes light up as she abruptly remembers. ] Oh! And a different friend, he tried to fight back, flipped the bowl. The jelly got all over him, and when one of the people grabbed him, their skin sorta fused together. They had to be pulled apart, and both lost a chunk of their arms.

[ Her head cocks a little. The werewolves have visions? She hadn't really cared much about the whole ceremony at Lunar Pond, hadn't paid attention. ]

What kinda visions?

Player Name: kira
Character Name: wanda maximoff

When: week 4, during the escape while talking to the dissenting acolytes
Where: the main warded area
What: wanda breaks the wards using her patron god, drawing on the power of a human corpse. the corpse turns into human paste (gross) making the ward tremble and dissolve along with the body. this will confirm for others present that wanda's made a pact with an old god (npcs and playable characters alike). not that she was keeping it secret but no one had asked.

Link: Thread

Edited 2023-03-29 00:10 (UTC)

[The message sends a wave of relief, warming Alicent where the hot springs couldn't. "We". Geralt isn't alone, it meant the search time might be lessened. Two or more heads, after all, are better than one.

Her eyes scan her surroundings, trying to force her mind to register details that might be useful to the trackers.]

I am near the hot springs. There are a few others nearby, but they are natives.

[That might not be enough detail, but her hands hadn't healed since her arrival to the pit. She has no way of knowing he can use the small trail left, but it's there for them to find.]

Sten is an utter gentleman.

If possible, Jaskier will send him a package of fresh bread and blackberry jam (grown by yours truly) with his sincere thanks, written in a neat, flourish-filled cursive.

You're not wrong there. He was... special.

That is my impression as well. Perhaps part of the same glamours that are keeping them so well hidden.

Alone? Are you inclined to keep the Singularity company, then? That's an... interesting way to put it. Though I suppose I never put much time into contemplating if a monolith can be lonely.

Edited 2023-03-29 04:15 (UTC)

I have an idea of what might be happening with the illusions, but I can't explain it here.

That's where I've been this whole time. If you have any downtime, come by.

You're being far too lovely to him.

I -- excuse me? Vikky?

they'll be using their different skills to get it done. wanda will dispel the enchantment invoking her patron (don't wanna anger her with invoking niko, just in case), alucard and claire will work out the recipe with the measurements and ingredients, and alucard can give them the thumbs up on it smelling the same as the substance. michael will paint the symbol and wanda will point out any details he's missing.

once opened, as far as what they find:

1. they'll bring the personal possessions belonging to josselyn to the council so they can use it to search for josselyn during/after the event. enough scrying for wanda and michael for the time being.

2. the evidence will also be given to the appropriate authorities in order to prove her involvement.

3. claire will be handling the gelatin, and alucard will help get it delivered to nocwich.

additionally, if it's not needed for evidence, would they be able to keep the ledger? or — understandably — if the council/elders would want to keep it, if later on it would be possible for wanda to ask and peruse it. for reasons ? maybe. and in case it might help them with cure stuff down the line if there are lingering effects on those that were taken.

Okay went over this with the others:

Once the three of them arrive, Jayce, Rhy, and Lenore will be stepping forward to talk for the group. Jayce will not blink an eye about the threat to their friends and tell them that if they fear gods, they are putting themselves in the path of the wrath of the divine. He will say that Wanda is beloved of Soris Immaneus and just broke their ward, gesturing to her.

Wanda will then display some of her impressive Chaos magic and say that if they dare go against the Goddess of Dark Blessings and her chosen, they will have no defenses against darker troubles. The goddess will turn her back on them.

Rhy will then bring up that they have a Summoned who is blessed by the gods with foresight and visions. In one she saw the truth of the Acolyte named Hydnellia and her brother Esmond. She was once known as Lorelai, friend to Josselyn Creed, and she had been seeking a cure for their ailing grandfather. The gods showed the Summoned this.

Jayce then says that Hydnellia and Esmond were allowed to escape because of the gods' favor on the Summoned and if they wish to have the same chance, they should lay down their arms now and make amends.

Lenore adds persuasively that even though Josselyn led them astray, using deception to claim she had the favor of the gods, they can still be forgiven.

Rhy adds that if they agree to release the prisoners, they will inform the authorities that they worked with them in the end. And that the gods will be informed by their chosen too. They don't want any more bloodshed.

The other Summoned confirmed with them are Robin, Eddie, and Michael. Just so we know where everyone is!

awesome, thank you mods!!

Player Name: dai (+ hannah)
Character Name: yennefer of vengerberg
Other characters involved: jaskier

Action: given what yennefer has learned from ikorr regarding the elements of the cure, yennefer will go to Nightbloom to retrieve some of their sacred flower, and she will reach out to Jaskier to go to Lunar Pond for the werewolves' moon-blessed water, knowing that he has a much better relationship with them. Once retrieved, she is going to attempt to experiment with the three ingredients based off of her own understanding of the sap she has been working with for months now. In addition, she will bring into play (if necessary) what she learned about the illusionary magic they discovered here (if that is at all part of it), as well as what jaskier has learned through his conversations with sten. she will have brought her own collection of ingredients and such that she has been using during her alchemy studies back in thorne, but also is not against reaching out to others (from solvunn, specifically) who might be able to help.
Thread: Thread!
Notes: if you'd like me to start spitballing various ways she would start experimenting, I can also do that! c:

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 11 of 18

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

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