EVENT #23: CROSSROADS - WRAP-UP

[abraxasmods]

Event #23 - Wrap-Up

IC Event Log

As you near the end of the second day, you glimpse a glimmer of light ahead. Though you might be wary at first, you realize that the face emerging from the light is familiar...or at least appears to be friendly. They certainly don't belong to anyone who appear to be part of the major territories.

Characters will spend March in one of the three minor territories, depending on which scenario they were rescued from. While cross-border interactions will be limited, there will still be opportunities. Additionally, low influence characters will have the chance to run small retrieval missions on behalf of their fellow Summoned.

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(Another) New Home ⦁ Retrieval Mission ⦁ Notes ⦁ Questions & Answers

(Another) New Home

The rescue scenario and subsequent territory descriptions will be provided below for each minor territory. Characters may briefly cross into another minor territory to visit a character or otherwise conduct important business, but cannot stay there overnight and will be limited to one or two trips for the month. Officials caution that too much portal use could be dangerous.

Characters will also be able to speak to the NPCs in each area. However, for the sake of expediency, we will not be offering full threads. Instead, interactions will be similar to how they were conducted during the Epulum event, where players will receive an answer or a response from an NPC after providing us with a short description of their character's action or question.

To speak to an NPC, use the form and REPLY TO THIS COMMENT under the corresponding minor territory.

◎ Nocwich (Mountains)

If you were on the mountains, the glimmer of light you see will reveal itself to be a portal. Out of it steps Sten, who represents the werewolves of Luna, and Celeste, who represents the vampires of Ikorr. They appear to be working together, and tell you they heard news from the Nether that one of the dragons sensed the Summoned's distress. As a result, they've arrived to lend a hand and urge you all to come to Nocwich, where they promise the distance from both the major territories and the Singularity will provide you with some safety.

Indeed, older Summoned can assure you - if you're skeptical - that Nocwich has been known to help in the past and have, for the past three or so years, had a relatively amiable relationship with the Summoned despite some complications that have occurred on their soil.

◎ Your accommodations in Nocwich will be at one of several inns around Oleuni Square where you can stay for the foreseeable future at no cost. The inns will provide you with a complimentary breakfast and dinner. Nocwich has an infirmary for any injuries that require tending.

◎ You can travel freely between the Square, Luna, and Ikorr, although the isolated fishing and mining island, Silvcres Island, remains off-limits.

◎ You can take temporary jobs in any one of the shops, markets, or taverns you like for supplementary income while you try your best to settle into your new home. It's unclear whether you will ever return to your former territory again, but...you may not want to, considering the circumstances.

◎ Nocwich officials will assure you that they have no intention of handing any Summoned over who do not want to go back to the territories. As far as they're concerned, you may take refuge in their territory for as long as you need.

◎ For full details, see the NOCWICH SETTINGS PAGE.

◎ The Feywilds (Forest)

If you were in the living forest, the glimmer of light you see will reveal itself to be a portal. Out of it steps figure familiar only to the oldest Summoned: Elizabeth Francis, one half of the mysterious duo (the other being Oliver) who originally freed the Summoned from Thorne several years ago. The portal she creates carries the unmistakable shimmer and signature that belongs to Seelie Magic...an intriguing fact she does not yet explain, but may later.

Elizabeth will tell you that she sensed an intrusion on Fey soil nearby and went to investigate. She appears to be aware of what has occurred at the Singularity's crater and urges you to come into the Feywilds. According to her, the Vermillion Court has returned to the old Fey realm of Faerie, no longer interested in staying in Abraxas when it has grown so unstable and full of strife. The Feywilds is currently empty and will serve as a sufficient temporary home for any Summoned seeking refuge.

◎ Your accommodations in the Feywilds will be at the Cascading Boughs where you can stay for the foreseeable future at no cost. Some of the Seelie magic has faded, but the luxurious baths are available. The Listening Tree, however, has vanished.

◎ You can travel freely throughout the Feywilds. All of the small homes and the palace have been vacated, leaving behind furniture or a few belongings the Fey didn't bother to take. The overgrowth has reclaimed much of the land, so beware of tripping hazards and beasts roaming. While dangerous, the Feywilds is one of the few places in Abraxas completely free of any other residents and you may do as you like there so long as you don't destroy the environment.

◎ In the absence of civilization, you won't need a job but you will need to provide for yourself or share amongst each other. Elizabeth will be able to offer some assistance with her magic, and will do her best to heal any injuries. She will also be able to guide you on what's edible and what's poisonous if you'll be foraging for food.

◎ She will assure you that she has no intention of handing any Summoned over who do not want to go back to the territories. As far as she's concerned, you may take refuge in the Feywilds as long as you need.

◎ For full details, see the FEYWILDS SETTINGS PAGE.

◎ The Nether (Ocean)

If you were on the ocean, the glimmer of light you see will reveal itself to be Kruos, the Glass Dragon, followed by her mate, Hierus. Riding atop the dragons are Orion, the Warden, and Ermis, the Keeper, in a rare appearance beyond the Nether's borders.

They tell you that Anneth relayed that one of the dragons sensed the Summoned's distress. As a result, they've arrived to lend a hand and urge you all to climb aboard one of the dragons and return with them to the Nether, where they believe you will be safe from the Singularity's expanding crater and interference from the major territories.

◎ Your accommodations in the Nether will be in the Hieran Wing where you can stay for the foreseeable future in one of the guest rooms at no cost. A curved stairwell grants you privacy even though many rooms have curtains rather than doors. The few rooms that have doors contain no locks.

◎ You can travel freely throughout the Nether, both within the Heart of the volcano and above ground across the tundra. Beware that doors and furniture are made of heavy iron and bronze due to the Draconae's natural strength. Citizens are happy to help as long as you ask. If you don't, they won't interfere out of respect for your autonomy. In fact, if they see you huffing and puffing, they might stop to watch and will sincerely cheer for you should you accomplish your objective by yourself.

◎ You can fish in the lava pools or hunt to provide for yourself. The Draconae believe in self-sufficiency but will aid you if requested and share with you anything you need. You can shop at the Foundry, where expert craftspeople sell wares and potions. The Draconae tend to request hair, saliva, or blood rather than typical currency, and are also willing to barter.

◎ The Inner Sanctum will assure you that they have no intention of handing any Summoned over who do not want to go back to the territories. As far as they're concerned, you may take refuge in the Nether as long as you need.

◎ For full details, see the NETHER SETTINGS PAGE.

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Retrieval Mission

Characters who are Rank 4 or below in influence will be given the opportunity to go on retrieval missions in one of the major territories. These missions will allow any Summoned who left behind a valuable item in their residing territory to regain that item. Players are not required to play out these threads in full, but are encouraged to do so if they wish!

In-game, officials of each minor territory will agree to facilitate provided the item characters ask to retrieve are important in some way. Some acceptable things for retrieval are: deeply personal items, weapons, enchanted tools or trinkets, and small pets.

The goal of the retrieval missions is so that players can regain any items they worked hard for but could not feasibly justify their character taking with them ICly during the chaotic territory switches. The secondary goal is for newer characters to have the chance to use their lower influence for something positive!

Please do not use this mechanic to obtain all manner of things just to have them. Clothes, money, and other items of that nature can be purchased in the new territory or replaced by the NPCs. Just ask if you have questions!

◎ How It Works

In addition to being lower in influence, characters who travel to the territory must also meet the following conditions:

◎ Characters may not conduct their task in the territory where they have spent the majority of their time in. In other words, if a character was originally summoned to Thorne but was quickly displaced to the Free Cities and spent the month in the Free Cities, then they cannot do retrieval missions in the Free Cities. Essentially, the logic will be that they should not be doing retrieval missions in a place where they have the highest chance of being noticed as a "familiar" face.

◎ Characters can "retrieve" as many times as they want and can carry back what they're able, but keep it reasonable. They are meant to be sneaky and should avoid attracting too much attention. They may use any abilities they have to achieve their task.

◎ While Thorne's castle is more difficult to infiltrate, the damage to the castle itself will make it possible. However, characters going into Castle Thorne will need to exercise the most caution.

Players may organize retrievals between each other. COMMENT HERE to volunteer your services or to request a volunteer to retrieve something for you.

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Notes

CR Meme

We will be posting a CR Meme within the next few days for players to plot amongst each other in light of their new circumstances.

Changes to Final Event Schedule

Previously, we announced that the concluding event will be two parts. However, having gauged overall circumstances, we've decided to post the final event as one single event, to be going up as scheduled in April.

This will allow players to have ~1 month (from early April to mid-May) to play out all their threads in full to avoid anyone feeling as though they need to quickly wrap up threads and move onto the second part. It will also give players the flexibility to choose which aspect of the event they wish to focus on. The first section will be more action-based while the second section will be more CR-based.

We hope this change will help everyone reach endgame as smoothly as possible!

May 18 will see the Epilogue posted. The Epilogue will not contain prompts to respond to but instead will close up any loose ends and allow players to thread out anything they wish that they feel would wrap up their character's arc. The mod team will be around to answer any final questions players may have until May 31. By June 1, the game will enter sandbox mode.

Returning Characters Opportunity

The opportunity for characters previously in Abraxas to return will also be taking place in April during the concluding event. We'll provide the full details on the OOC Plotting Post in April.

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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!

What kinds of items can I retrieve?

Moderate weapons, tools, trinkets, plants, and small pets are all acceptable!

My character has been around for a long time, but still has a low influence. Can they also retrieve something?

Yes, absolutely! All three major territories are quite large so it's unlikely they'll be noticed if their influence remains low regardless of how long they've been in Abraxas.

How many questions can my character ask the NPC? Can they speak to multiple NPCs in the territory if available?

Yes, characters can speak to multiple NPCs and there are no restrictions on the number of interactions or questions. However, please keep in mind that the mods need to answer all questions so please try to limit questions to the most important ones only!

There's something I want my character to know. How can my character can approach things to get that result?

Just let us know in the form what outcome you're hoping to receive for your character and we'll do our best to accommodate!

What if my character wants to sneak back into a major territory?

At this time, that will not be possible!

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Comments

Questions

[abraxasmods]

[magike]

hello!! rowena's going to be hanging out in nocwich. i wondered if she asked around if anyone would have an issue with her trying to work/make some money doing divination & readings, especially since lady elin isn't around. they obviously wouldn't be the same/anything plotty, just what rowena would read but curious what the npc vibe would be?

[abraxasmods]

Hello! Yes, she's free to do so. Although her version of divination may not be exactly as the Nocwich locals practice it, they would be curious and interested in trying it out, especially now that some of the Summoned will be in Nocwich for the foreseeable future.

Much like in other worlds, how much the natives believe in divination is varied. Some see it as a lighthearted superstition while others take it much more seriously.

[techmaturgy]

Is it possible to offer a retrieval quest, but uhhh to destroy things? Viktor is slightly worried about government access to his workshop now that he is not there and may or may not want to have someone set it on fire.

[abraxasmods]

Yes! Many buildings are already unstable after the quakes so anyone can hasten the process and destroy it first. The person will need to take some precautions not be caught, but it will be possible.

Re: Questions

[tedandroses]

Is it possible to have whoever might be volunteering to run fetch quests in Solvunn bring things from Teddy as well as to?

(Not particularly plot relevant unless it could be! which would be fine and cool!; they'd just be sending a thank you I'm sorry I disappeared and a few little trinkets to the little group of NPCs they got close to, but I understand that bringing things across borders in two directions miiight be pushing their luck.)

[abraxasmods]

The retrieval quests are predicated on the character accomplishing this to not be recognized or discovered, so delivering anything to the NPCs would out them immediately and would not be possible.

Teddy can simply give anything they want to officials of the minor territory they are currently with. Officials will do their best to get them delivered but cannot promise anything given the chaotic situation.

NPC INTERACTIONS

[abraxasmods]

Use the form below and reply to the comment under your character's corresponding territory.

All NPCs listed on the NPC page are potentially available for characters to speak to. There are no rank restrictions.

<b>Player Name:</b> <b>Character Name:</b> <b>Other characters involved:</b> <b>Specific NPC?:</b> (Name the NPC you are approaching specifically or leave it blank if you'd like us to pick the most suitable NPC for the interaction.) <b>Action:</b> (Describe what your character is attempting to do and how. If multiple characters are taking action, include their actions.) <b>Notes:</b> (Anything else that might help us provide a response!)

NOCWICH

[abraxasmods]

[cryptsleeper]

Player Name: Dia
Character Name: Alucard
Other characters involved: N/A

Specific NPC?: Sending a note to Sten
Action: Alucard will be sending a brief note to Sten with the intent of a) checking in on Nocwich in general and b) letting him know that there are select Summoned who are interested in creating a new home in the Feywilds and that contact with Nocwich is being considered. Alucard will note that he recalls reading that the Feywilds were once a part of Nocwich itself and expresses concern about a potential conflict here. He'll ask if there's anything he should share with the fellow Summoned about this in the immediate future.
Notes: N/A

THE FEYWILDS

[abraxasmods]

[itookashot]

Player Name: Dee
Character Name: Jesper Fahey
Other characters involved: n/a

Specific NPC?: Elizabeth
Action: Jesper is going to go introduce himself and be warm and his friendly self, and then ask her why she and Oliver helped the Summoned all that time ago. He's curious if they've been in the Feywilds since and where Oliver is. He'll thank her for what she did for them and that it's meant a lot, and the people who she helped never forgot what they did and appreciated it.
Notes: Jesper has a 'detect lie' ability but I don't think he'll be really looking for lies here, but just in case it comes up.

[cryptsleeper]

Player Name: Dia
Character Name: Alucard
Other characters involved: Thancred

Specific NPC?: Elizabeth
Action: Both Thancred and Alucard will bring in a full day's worth of foraging for Elizabeth to double check in terms of what is safe to eat and what isn't. It will be a week or so in, so they'll have a good overall sense of what is okay, but both will be open to learning the finer points of what to look for. This will act as a pathway for more questions, which will be framed as a discussion but may be a bit overeager on the part of the boys.
Notes: Alucard's and Thancred's curiosity is extensive. Alucard in particular is interested in knowing what Elizabeth's and Oliver's original intent was when they originally freed the Summoned. More broadly, they are both curious as to why Elizabeth has made herself known now, what she has been up to over the past several years, where Oliver is, and express curiosity regarding her own nature - if she is a native of Abraxas, might have Summoned somewhere in her family tree, or a third option (as implied here.)

OOCly, we're aware that there are somethings you'll need to keep close to your chest for end game, so no worries if there are limits here.

[divinityfrompain]

Player Name: Dee
Character Name: Julia Wicker
Other characters involved: Himeka

Specific NPC?: Elizabeth
Action: Julia will approach Elizabeth and thank her for the rescue. She will ask her if she's ever heard of the gods showing up to the Feywilds because she has a connection with one and she was hoping to make a small shrine to her and see if she will answer her call here. Once given the go-ahead, she will be reaching out to Himeka and setting this idea up.

Notes: If this makes OOC sense to you, without any requirement for an NPC thread just a back and forth like here, Julia will be reaching out to Endrborrin and Himeka will be reaching out to Vimorskas in an attempt to pray/contact them to discuss what's going on. Freya and I are up for whatever you think is reasonable!

[nomnoms]

Player Name: Jay
Character Name: Nanaue
Other characters involved: SOLO MISSION

Specific NPC?: Elizabeth, and Zeemer
Action:
1) He will give Elizabeth a half-eaten fauna as THANK YOU for hosting them (there is no need to respond to this part lmao)
2) Halfway through the month he will make a shrine for ZEEEEMER near whatever body of whatever he can - preferably near the ocean if he can get close, but if not he'll settle for a waterfall. He'll try to replicate the one he would visit in Solvunn, making little clay figures and offering food in the form of fish is he can catch any fishies, and other dead things if not.

Baby is with him, they will have a little dance party by their shrine.
Notes: DEALER'S CHOICE HOW YOU RESPOND TO THIS, I'm just shitposting, thank you!

[if i am waaay too last minute, feel free to ignore!]

[tedandroses]

Player Name: Faye
Character Name: Teddy
Other characters involved: None necessarily

Specific NPC?: Elizabeth
Action: Teddy would be an attentive listener to anything Elizabeth told them, and will probably come by at a time where she's not busy. They'd also introduce themself and be generally grateful to them for their help.
They'd ask about anything that Elizabeth thinks, or knows, that the Fae would want carried on in Abraxas after their leaving (traditions, unique concepts or beliefs, stories especially) or that she herself hopes survive them that Teddy might be able to know. They're also interested in, if now that the Fae are gone, there's any way for people like the Summoned to help the parts of the environment of the Feywilds that seem to be suffering.
If Elizabeth seems to be open to Teddy generally being curious alongside offering help, they'd also ask about the Strange Traveler creatures and specifically, the little gas traps they have that seem unlike any other kind of technology here.
Notes: Teddy's genuinely curious and wants to learn as much as they can about the Feywilds and how to exist within it. They feel safe in the city, but they don't want to take advantage of that safety and end up disrespecting what made it.
- They are, obviously, still very "???" about the history of Abraxas and the Summoned and the multiverse, technology, how species interact, etc; hence the curiosity about the tech.
- They'd openly talk about their love of stories, music, and the way they interact if that helps direct what Elizabeth might discuss
- They wouldn't ask overtly to learn any of the Seelie language or Seelie magic, but would be obviously interested and honored to be able to even see any of that.

THE NETHER

[abraxasmods]

[ushiri]

Player Name: Jay
Character Name: Kyle

Specific NPC?: Ermis
Action: He's going to express gratitude for allowing them to stay and generally be straightforward. If Ermis has any questions about what happened at the crater he'll answer truthfully as best to his ability - otherwise he's going be trying to follow up on that thread from forever ago about the supposed Singularity relic the Nether is in possession of. If Ermis is like 'why u asking' he'll admit it's mostly grasping at straws for anything that might lead to answers about stabilizing the Singularity.
Notes: ICly he is just longshot hoping to get the Nether folks to give over any useful info that might help explain or help with whatever the heck is going on, before the crater expands further and eats everyone. He might ask if Ermis thinks the dragons themselves are capable of withstanding the force of the crater.

[magicalarchaeologist]

Player Name: Dee
Character Name: Istredd
Other characters involved: n/a

Specific NPC?: Anneth
Action: This is mostly because they've made a connection, but he'll go thank her for them rescuing her and joke that it seems his request to stay in the Nether will be moved up now. He is half serious, he wants to stay there, he's said as much. Since they spoke before he was in Solvunn about the AU and the gods, he will update her about his talk with Umbvagher and what the god said specifically about how the Singularity is acting. Istredd is concerned that the escalation will be worse and he wants to know if there's any knowledge or research the Nether has on the Singularity's behavior over time, or if the dragons themselves know anything about it.

Notes: This is mostly for emotional closure since he respects Anneth a great deal but also Nerd Stuff.

[judgmentbolts]

Player Name: Sra
Character Name: Cid
Other characters involved: Jesper indirectly?

Specific NPC?: Aster or Charis if possible? I don't know that his rep is high enough for that so just lmk if it should be someone else! I can also ask around with my CR if he might need an intro or w/e
Action: Cid wants to set up the Summoned in the Feywild long term (should they wish to go there) so that they have a place to live on their own terms instead of being pulled into conflicts between the major territories or potentially pulling the minor territories into such conflicts. He thinks that they need a place to collaborate and focus on what's happening with the Singularity without being concerned that anything they learn might be used for war.

He'd ask if The Nether would be interested in trade if/when they've gotten established, both in terms of resources and innovation. He'd be happy to share examples of his own inventions and his theories about replacing some magic with electricity as the Singularity becomes more unstable.

Basically:
1. There are some benefits he can potentially offer. Would The Nether be interested in being allies if it all pans out? (He wouldn't turn down aid in getting established either, but he won't push his luck too much.)
2. Do they have any ideas about what's happening with the Singularity?

Notes: Though he wasn't in Abraxas during the first meeting with the Draconae, Cid will confide that he has gone through something similar in his own world, where the loss of magic caused the land to become barren. He would freely share what he's learned of restoring the land from his own world and offer to help them with the recovery if he can, whether they help him in return or not.

For the Singularity stuff, OOC I'm definitely fine with not necessarily sticking my fingers into EVERY pie and leaving that for other people to dig into. If they're like "go talk to some other Summoned about that" or w/e that's totally fine! I have to put it in here because he'd ask about both he's just Like This...

RETRIEVAL MISSIONS

[abraxasmods]

Comment under the appropriate heading depending on whether you are volunteering your character or requesting a character to help yours.

VOLUNTEER FORM (RANK 4 OR BELOW)
<b>Player Name:</b> <b>Character Name:</b> <b>Current Territory:</b> (Which minor territory is your character currently in?) <b>Major Territories Available:</b> (List which of the two territories your character can safely travel to unnoticed: Thorne, the Free Cities, or Solvunn)

REQUEST FORM
<b>Player Name:</b> <b>Character Name:</b> <b>Requested Item:</b> (What does your character want retrieved?) <b>Item Territory:</b> (Which territory is this item in?) <b>Current Territory:</b> (Which minor territory is your character currently in?)

VOLUNTEERS

[abraxasmods]

Barnabas Tharmr | The Nether

[obscuris]

Player Name: ashley
Character Name: barnabas tharmr
Current Territory: The Nether
Major Territories Available: Thorne and the Free Cities

[satanicpanics]

Player Name: Hannah (2)
Character Name: Eddie Munson
Current Territory: The Nether
Major Territories Available: Free Cities & Thorne

REQUESTS

[abraxasmods]