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

Well the little guy looks like he may need to lay off the stuffed crust, but Dante could provide a classic pepperoni and mushroom.

The Acolyte explains that in return for immunity from execution and allowing her to leave the island with the Spared coming to rescue them, she will be able to sneak a few of the Lost through a narrow tunnel leading up. She says only one at a time can come, and cautions she can free up to 3 of them at most as she fears more than that will cause the others to realize what's happened.

The Lost may choose who they would like to send with her, if any. Chosen characters will be able to reach the surface as the Spared are arriving to save them, and will also be able to show them this path for one or two Spared who want to sneak in through it. Although characters must take her at her word, she must also take them at theirs.

The Lost will later have two options to betray her and the 3 other Acolytes who are on her side:
1. Upon the turtle, it becomes clear there isn't very much room and that the turtle moves slowly under everyone's weight. Characters can choose to push her and the other Acolytes who helped them off the turtle, allowing them to move faster...especially as the leviathan approaches out of nowhere from under the ocean.

2. They can refuse to vouch for her and the 3 other Acolytes upon arriving at Nocwich, thus allowing her to be sentenced to execution if that is the determined outcome.

The Acolyte herself is telling the truth. She will believe the Summoned and help them to the best of her ability.

Edited 2023-03-23 21:10 (UTC)

[As always, she finds herself thinking this would be much more expedient with her Focus, but between her own skills and Geralt, they're in better shape than most. They know there are other Summoned separated from the rest of them, and if anyone's going to find them, it will be two experienced trackers.

They're already scoping out the surrounding area when the message comes through.]

We're on our way, don't worry. Me and Geralt.

[ castiel isn't doing great, slumped against a wall as this conversation goes on with a vague nod to Istredd, who's voiced his stance on this issue already. the ritual's sickness has worn him down, but he's still with us for now, at least doing better mentally now that the shrines and the creatures are gone. still, his voice croaks, and he couldn't care if they acolytes feel sorry for their treatment right now, so long as they get out of the damn way. ]

We can deal with that later. If this is our only chance at leaving this room, we'd be foolish not to take it.

[ anything for progress. the cavern's structure is clearly failing and the longer they wait around deliberating, the further it degrades. the water's rising, and nothing either group's done - summoned or acolytes - has stopped that. ]

I agree with Istredd. We're likely their only way out of here alive. They must realize a rescue team is approaching too.

[ cas does, usually, have some baseline level of recklessness, yes, but the pit's exasperated that over the last several weeks. the ritual's effects have been more than a little crazy-making, but the shock of the last 24 hours have been enough to reel him back in. now, it's getting all he can done before the sickness can drag him back under.

steve joins in on holding the vines, and the angel nods to him, a clear understanding of what they're agreeing to. castiel's response is quick, the answer seems pretty straight forward to him. if the risk gets even some of them free, it's worth it. ]

Yes. [ resolute, certain. there's no question for him. ] We'll find another way.

[ he doesn't know that for sure, none of them can, but castiel's clearly decided it. There's no point fretting otherwise until they're completely out of options. ]

Free Cities can provide the ship to take us over, if Thorne mages can help shield it, I suspect we have to make this as subtle as possible. They might try to move them if they see us coming.

We're both scientists, so, yes. I'm not sure that's a good idea, bombs in enclosed spaces like that can be very dangerous.

I'm thinking negotiation and/or espionage are the best moves here. Fighting our way in should be last, it sounds like they're caught in a tight space. We could easily crush our own people if done incorrectly.

Butting in as Dee has invited Nero to be one of the 3:

Nero and Steve will go with the Acolyte to the top, bringing one of the wounded native NPCs with them. Steve is going for reconnaissance, and Nero's going to test the idea he might get some power back out of the pit. There they will communicate with the retrieval/spared team where they are and the lay of the land. Nero will attempt to fly up to get a bird's eye view of where they are, as he can manifest working wings. Let me know how far he might manage/what he could see! (If he falls Steve will catch him)

From discussions with participating players, the idea is a chunk of the retrieval team would then like to separate into two groups: 1. a negotiation team who goes up to the top where the tunnel leads out to communicate with the Acolytes/Summoned escaping, and to serve as a distraction while 2. a second group attempts to get into the tunnel towards the others in order to pull out people for escape and healing.

This is kind of a general pitch for what is happening all at the same time, but will let the other groups know (negotiation and sneaking teams) if they need to poke in for additional information!

Edited 2023-03-23 23:50 (UTC)

{ one can’t say if it’s relatively easy to forget louis’ presence since he can be still enough like a statue if he wanted. he’s undead after all. or he sticks out like a sore thumb in the vastness of their new surroundings. it could go either way. they haven’t been long in the cave. a day or two, perhaps?

all he knows is that he purposely is keeping away from people when he can. the effects of having escaped are fresh visuals and the presence of the shrine monster he felt pass him left a lingering apprehension in the back of his mind. he’s been trying to rebuild his mind in a sense, so he won’t pick up what others are thinking.

i’m cold. i’m hungry. i hate this. what’s going on? when are we getting out? fuck everyone. is that blood on— snippets of thoughts that drew him to ends of the cave until he saw the snowy mountains in the distance. meditating, one can call it. he decides to sit at the edge, to see if he can sense what’s out there, has been occasionally. the rays filtering though the clouds linger near his feet, indicating it is still daylight. he barely slept. he’s alone, since it is technically warmer deeper in the cave.

what he doesn’t get used to is the reach of the network, when it goes on blast for everyone in radius. is it always so intrusive? at least he can listen in. }

It's true. [ He nods at Jayden. ] But self-preservation is as good a reason as guilt to get us out of this situation.

[ It looks like they're all on the same page now. ]

Next time she comes to the door, I'll talk with her and see what we can work out.

Although some powers would return upon exiting the cavern, flight would take longer to come back in full. However, Nero may fly above the island for a few seconds before his wings disappeared. Steve will have to catch him. While up there, he would glimpse a large moving shadow in the distance, possibly the turtle that will come rescue them later. He could also see in the far distance one very long leg belonging to the shrine creature.

The Acolytes bringing the captives up cannot be negotiated with much more as they've already struck a deal and have little sway over the faithful Acolytes keeping the rest of the Lost captive.

The negotiating team will need to attract the attention of the other Acolytes to begin negotiations. Though players are not limited to these options, we have two suggestions:

1. They enter directly through the main warded entrance described in the event log. Characters have Thornean and Solvunn mages, Wanda's patron god, and other resources to accomplish this. Once through, with enough show of force, they can convince the Acolytes to negotiate their surrender.

2. They take the Acolytes helping the 3 captives escape hostage (either as a ploy or without the agreement of said Acolytes) and go through the secret tunnel, using those Acolytes as leverage. Although the faithful Acolytes serve their cause first, they do share bonds with each other and may reconsider their stance when faced with a difficult choice.

The first option prevents any prisoners from being snuck out by the infiltration team while the second option may risk the other Acolytes allowing their comrades held hostage to perish.

Other scenarios are possible. Players are welcome to offer any ideas they'd like to explore.

[ Between a scorching wasteland and a frozen tundra, he'll always be most at home in the latter—and now that escaping has let some of his natural strength return, he moves easier over the uneven terrain.

Once they locate one patch of wayward souls, the others aren't far off. He sniffs the air, searching for a scent to follow, and ignores the handwriting scrawled across the frosted ground. Lets Aloy confirm their arrival. The way it looks, it'll be dark before long. He'll decide whether to hike through the night or not. Depends on who else they find, what condition they're in.

The smoke catches his attention first—the sort that often comes from burning wood that's not the driest. The smell of it is distinct, and soon he can see it, too.

He ducks under a rocky ledge, stepping into the cave. (More fucking tunnels.) Sylvain's scarlet hair is a beacon in the snow. Claude is beside him. Then—hm. Oh. Him. Didn't realize he was with them, though from the distance Louis has placed between, perhaps the vampire isn't with them at all. Geralt can understand the inclination.

His and Aloy's arrival is marked with an unceremonious, ] This is all of you?

[So maybe doesn't want to stay here for even a moment longer than she has to-- but like hell is she leaving at the expense of anyone else. Other Dude sounds pretty certain that they can find some other way out, but even if they can't, even if they're fucking themselves over so that everyone else can get the fuck out of here--

(She thinks of Jeannemary and Issac, her efforts and her failure to keep them both safe)

--her hands don't falter on the vines and she gives both men a resolute nod.]

I'm all in.

𝕴'𝖉 𝖆𝖑𝖘𝖔 𝖇𝖊 𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖞 𝖌𝖑𝖆𝖉 𝖙𝖔 𝖒𝖊𝖊𝖙 𝖎𝖓 𝖕𝖊𝖗𝖘𝖔𝖓! 𝕴'𝖛𝖊 𝖏𝖚𝖘𝖙 𝖆𝖗𝖗𝖎𝖛𝖊𝖉 𝖎𝖓 𝕹𝖔𝖈𝖜𝖎𝖈𝖍 𝖇𝖚𝖙 𝖍𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖞𝖊𝖙 𝖙𝖔 𝖘𝖊𝖈𝖚𝖗𝖊 𝖆𝖓𝖞 𝖆𝖈𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖒𝖔𝖉𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘. 𝕾𝖍𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝕴 𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖊 𝖙𝖔 𝖞𝖔𝖚?

𝕻𝖑𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖊 𝖋𝖔𝖗𝖌𝖎𝖛𝖊 𝖒𝖞 𝖎𝖌𝖓𝖔𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖈𝖊, 𝕴'𝖒 𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖑𝖑 𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖞 𝖓𝖊𝖜 𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊. 𝖂𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝕮𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖈𝖎𝖑 𝖎𝖘 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘?

I have a feeling options B and C are going to be the likely outcomes here. Maybe both.

[Minute surprise appears on his face. Then Sten moves smoothly past the question of names.]

I understand.

[He listens carefully to her explanation.]

Anything at all would help. I've heard about the condition your friends are in ... though the god invoked is new information. Were any able to describe what they saw during the ritual? Or felt?

Well ...

[Sten gives Alucard's question some thought.]

Only they could answer that. I'm reluctant to make assumptions, but it seems to me they think they're beyond Solvunn's beliefs.

[He takes the drawing and nods. Yes. He recognizes the image.]

Your associate, Jaskier, showed me this. I can tell you what I told him, which is that this symbol must have a new meaning ascribed to it. It's been altered, you see, in several fundamental aspects.

I have heard about the alterations, but I fail to see what new meaning might be ascribed in making those changes. All I have been able to comprehend is that the act is not common.

[There is no hiding the look of embarrassment on Alucard's face at admitting ignorance. It feels an oversight. Something else he could have done to end this earlier.

In leaning back in his chair, Alucard tries to think of anything else that might be useful. Speculation from the Summoned left at Sam's house, tiny details, the smallest thread that could be relevant.]

If you were to make an assumption though. Or hint at making one, in that it might make some tiny detail come into focus.

My friend told me... They were tied up with vines, real thorny ones, and the vines grew down into the ground so's they couldn't move. Two of 'em, Summoned. Put in front of a -- I suppose you could call it an altar. It looked like a big tree... monster. With a wide-open mouth. Human skulls at the bottom, all around it. There was a bowl with some jelly blob things in it. Sorta like cat's eye marbles, blue and green and a little brown, but if they were made of Jello. They smelled sweet. But they exploded after a minute. There were like, little spores everywhere. They burned and made it hard to breathe. She said they made her feel sick. And like somethin' was crawlin' on her.

[ For just a moment, she pauses and takes a breath. The words have been spilling out in a way she doesn't mean for them to, like she needs to purge them from her own brain. She doesn't even know who she's talking about -- not only did she not recognize the woman she'd seen through, she hadn't recognized the other Summoned, either. Her eyes roll to the tent ceiling for a moment as she inhales. ]

The cult people said the Summoned need to "commune with the gods", but they did the whole thing to natives too. There was one there with my friend and the other Summoned. The native girl, she ate the jelly. Her skin started to split open. She was shakin' like she was 'bout to die of rabies. Then my friend passed out.

[ There's a brief, awkward silence, and she doesn't exactly meet Sten's eye when she adds, ] That's it. For the ritual.

Edited 2023-03-24 23:47 (UTC)

[ Sylvain has never been so glad to hear Aloy's voice. That she's coming with Geralt is reassuring, too, even though he's sure she'd be more than capable on her own. But at this point, he's a firm believer in the more the merrier. And they're going to need help rounding up the natives in these caves on top of the two - three? - of them. He knows Louis was around here earlier, but lost track of him after they'd gotten a few fires going.

Relaying the news to Claude, the pair of them wait, huddled near one of the fires just inside one of the cave entrances, tucked back out of the way enough that the wind from beyond didn't reach them. He doesn't know how far the other group got out from where they were now, but he still jumps a little when Geralt suddenly just appears out of nowhere, muttering a startled little curse under his breath. ]

Goddess. We definitely need to get you a bell. [ A glance around the cave as he nods. ] Most of us. There are a few more natives tucked a little deeper in, but we wanted to keep an eye on the entrance.

[ He leans forward enough to peer out at the sky before glancing between the others. ] Does it make more sense to make camp here until dawn or do you think we need to keep moving before then? There's some wounded among the natives who aren't going to be moving real fast.

Player Name: Dia
Character Name: Alucard

When: During the rescue mission
Where: Altar room
What: Taking on the Bone Serpent
Link: Thread

apologies if this is the wrong space

Edited 2023-03-25 15:08 (UTC)

There's a couple others scattered around. [ With a wave of his hand over one shoulder towards where those Summoned might be, Louis included, aside from the natives mentioned though Claude's been careful to account for them all in the same way he once ran mental lists of who was on any battlefield and where at any given point. After separating, he's determined to make sure everyone makes it out. ] People have camped where they will while we worked on not freezing after the dip in the seas. You all made it out alright through the webbing then, I take it?

[ On the plus side: being here for a while means that no one should - theoretically - be heading out in clothing wet from anything more than falling snow during the trek back. That does leave the problem of when to depart and Claude considers what to give as his input with his brow furrowed. ]

It'd probably be best to give the very wounded some added time to get ready or even to give them a head start if we want to leave in shifts.

[ If that's even feasible. Aloy and Geralt know much more about the state of what's waiting for them out there, so he glances to them next. ]

The Summoned here can probably do well enough. Neither of us are strangers to wandering around in less than ideal conditions, but how difficult will it be for everyone else?

My friends, first of all, thank you for your help. We truly cannot do this alone to find our lost.

I have been in contact from a Summoned who has managed to escape with a small group of others, and he has provided a general location of where they have ended up. It seems that their escape was interrupted by a portal, and they have been dropped in another location.

[Jaskier then attempts to recreate Geralt's map, though perhaps the strokes have more of a flourish.]

Before you ask, no, he will not provide a more detailed map. He's skilled at survival, not mapmaking.

They are in the mountains north of the Singularity in the general location, as indicated. I will continue to contact him as he is able to provide, but this will, at least, lower the land we must traverse.

When Julie said they were in the mountains that was my first guess, because it's not that far from the island itself. That will be much easier than going to the Thorne mountains.

If they can see the Singularity from where they are, they could use that as a directional point. Everyone get armed, let's go.

It is always better to have confirmation, as you can imagine.

And while I do not typically advocate for the inclusion of weapons, I believe they will be necessary here. My compatriot has shared that there are both monsters living on the mountains, as well as lingering members of the group that took them in the first place. They are not to be trusted, but --

I suppose it would do well to capture them, as well. If possible.

If no one else is going to say it, then I will. Getting them out of here with us is a chance for us to learn about why any of us are here we may not have otherwise. That means no recognizing if this group tries to take others next time, and then what?

[ Look - Claude can be realistic about an additional motive beyond not wanting to leave someone behind. The other points made are all valid, especially not leaving someone behind to face whatever cruelty their peers are going to enact upon them and that they don't know if they can even trust this acolyte and her brother, but. Answers are just as important as all of that. He also says it in a tone which says he's not interested in whatever arguments anyone else might have against that. ]

No one's kicking Jack's ass either unless they want to take on all of us. [ See also: Claude and anyone else rallying behind Jack. ] Focus on getting yourselves out through here and then you can squabble about it later.

[ And with that he turns to Jack next, expression serious and thoroughly ignoring whatever grumbling's going on as people start to advance to leave in the chaos surrounding them all. ]

Get them out with you. Sylvain and I will distract whoever we have to that wants to protest and then make our way out later.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 7 of 18

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

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Network to Spared -- Search Team

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shows up late with pit starbucks (from jack, probably)