usir | Mini Event: Aftermath and The Oxen Gods

Entry tags:

Mini Event: Aftermath and The Oxen Gods

🜙 The Aftermath

	The re-animated fighters attacking both Krimnos and the City of the Free Peoples burst into flames as the waters of the glass ocean flooded back into the bay. Now nothing but ashes remains of the bodies and the bay has gradually returned to its crystal clear calm waters. Not a trace of the cloaked figures or the fog that had accompanied remains, and the phoenix marks on the survivors of the pit have faded away. The cities have been quietly dealing with their individual recoveries. Didymos' people pulled together to help clean up the shores of the bay, repair damages and recover boats that had been damaged or knocked loose into the bay. In Krimnos, efforts to clear away and repair damages from both the avalanche and the siege continue. With no one certain what has become of Captain Lykos in the general population of the City of the Free Peoples even the end to their second war with Tsekour's Stormers has not brought calm to the civil unrest as the Defenders attempt to force the city to fall into military control and the people of the city continue to resist with violent countermeasures. In this state of recovery, conflict, fear, and uneasy confusion the day of the Oxen Gods comes with few people truly in the spirit of what would normally be seen as a warm and cheerful holiday. An uneasy lull of peace settles on all three cities as people attempt to be faithful to honoring the spirit of the paired gods. Vodi and Voda's day of celebration is meant to be a time of community, love, and reflection. The day of the paired oxen gods of marriage and fertility marks the true start of the thaw, when the snow and ice begin to melt and temperatures begin to rise. Spring is still months away but the first true thaw comes mid-February, right on schedule. The snow in the foothills, plains, and open lands has begun to melt, small patches of greenery appear near the edges of thawed rivers and lakes, the outer edges of tree branches sprout new growth and small, fresh leaves. Animals that have been hibernating or hiding through the winter freeze begin emerging from their homes and can be seen exploring the land for more abundant food sources. Whispered rumors from Didymos about a dragon rising from the bay reach other cities but are never discussed outside of hushed conversations in the shadows or in huddled gatherings that quickly break apart. Speculation is widespread and varied over the origin of the fog and the masked figures that stole away over a hundred people in the night, the strange attacks, and the ultimate fate of those kidnapped. Many citizens who had lost daughters, brothers, sisters, sons, mothers, fathers, friends, or other relatives and acquaintances to the pit continue to desperately seek out the missing, their bodies never recovered and the truth behind their disappearance and eventual death unknown to any but those awakened who had come back from the pit and those they chose to share their stories with, if they chose to believe such horrifying tales.
🜙 Top

🜙 The Oxen Gods.

	Outside of these concerns, rumors, and the general unease across all three cities, attempts are made to forget for just a little while and focus on the celebration. Vodi and Voda are honored by a show of community and compassion. Gifts of fruits and flowers, usually those grown in greenhouses or by magic, are given to loved ones. Ceremonies take place at both dawn and dusk, offering food, gifts, and music to lift spirits and symbolize a union of peace. In Didymos a pod of fin whales can be seen returning to the bay, unusual for this time of year. They linger near the center of the bay, singing mournful whale songs to one another. Celebrations in the city have a heavy focus on Vodi, the moon god. Vodi's impact on the tides makes him a highly respected god, especially among the fishermen and sailors. As the moon rises and reflects on the bay's reflective surface the city comes together as one unified community. In the open squares people from both quarters gather over music, a fresh bounty of fish dishes from the repaired ships, sea shanties sung loudly over various types of liquor and beautiful displays by wild magic entertainers, pairing water, wind, and fire magic to create visual plays, displays of talent, and melting ice sculptures. Didymos' specialty of sweet and salty ice creams are offered by various inventive food fanatics who offer up new and exciting flavors and naming competitions. A pair of young ox calves are paraded through the town, dressed up with ribbons and colorful paints. People pet them as they go by, and the oxen are eventually taken to the temple of the oxen gods near the outskirts of the city where they will live out the rest of their years free from expectations and protected by the temple caretakers as symbolic creatures of honor. In Krimnos as most of the snow is finally cleared away from both sides of the wall, the great sundial is cleared off and the light of the sun's rays reflect off its many-faceted surface, creating dozens of rainbows in the light fog of the warming sky above the city as a colorful artificial aurora borealis. Voda is honored most strongly in the cliff city, the warmth of the sun praised for the thaw that pulls the city out of dangerous freezing temperatures. People throughout the city provide her with offerings in the hopes of ensuring a slow and even thaw that won't bury the city in snow or mudslides. Celebrations across the city happen near midday and are most often celebrated by couples in love and close friends or families, celebrating passion, family, and love with sweets, plants, and crafted goods made of rare metals or glass. Normally celebrations in the City of the Free Peoples revolve around a parade of oxen from local farms, banquets, music, and a celebration of the vastly diverse community of varied cultures with a heavy focus on the rebirth of a new year, the start of a new planting season, and a celebration of the farmers that help keep the city fed and prosperous. This year the city is divided by the conflict between the resistance and the defenders. The city is actively pushing back against the militant hold of force the defenders are attempting to keep over them with the preface of keeping the citizens under control and it is widely assumed Captain Lykos is dead, with the prevailing theory being that the current leaders of the Defenders have killed him. Several members of the resistance broadcast across the city a video of them in possession of Lykos' hooded cloak, claiming they recovered it from the Defenders' warcamp and insisting that the Defenders are the city's enemy. A pair of large orc captains, the duo currently in charge of the city's defensive army, return fire, claiming that the members of the Resistance have kidnapped or killed Captain Lykos and are attempting to destabilize the city so they can take it over for themselves. A hefty reward is placed on the heads of the Resistance and people who speak out against the Defenders are routinely taken into custody and locked up. Before the celebration in Krimnos, during the celebration in Didymos, and following the celebration in the City of the Free Peoples, a strange feline can be seen pacing about the trade district, meowing insistently at anyone with a vial like hers who passes her by. Did you see her? After the full moon on the 19th, several farmers report sightings of werewolves around the city outskirts or report close encounters with the dangerous creatures.

🜙 Top

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The response immediately piques her interest and she takes a second look at the page before she makes a reply. Both the symbol for air and electricity? It looks like someone else was gifted through their courier.

"Interesting, indeed. I also have a new found interest in electricity. Maybe it's something we can discuss in depth?"

And her response piques his interest. Considering that his curious circumstances involved the courier and Christine's in the same boat as he is, perhaps his circumstances with the scale were her circumstances as well.

"I have a room upstairs for the night. Maybe we can discuss it there? After all, I wouldn't want to disturb the people trying to eat or drink with any magic we might perform."

Plus, he just doesn't want to bring out a dragon scale in the open like this.

Christine nods her approval to that plan. She's had no one to speak to about this yet, and though she doesn't really like that the magic is tied to her emotions, she feels there's a way to control that.

"Lead on."

Strange's room is on the first floor, near the back of a long hallway, thankfully far away from the main bar area where a lot of the people are. When he reaches there, he unlocks the door, holds it open for Christine, then closes it behind them.

"So," Strange starts, going right to business. "Did you find something interesting in your courier as well?"

"I did." She stays still as Azoth hops off her shoulder to flap to the floor, examining Strange's room. She's starting to enjoy the exploration of things, such as the Didymos bay when the water was gone.

"A white dragon scale with the alchemical symbol for air on it. It shocked me when I touched it. And then—" She gestures towards Strange since he already knows. "I was able to create electricity not long after. However, it isn't easy to control yet, so I've been trying to keep my feelings in check. The two are tied together. I take it from your notes, it's the same for you?"

"It is," Strange remarks, with a nod. "I'm afraid I've shocked a few people while trying to figure this whole thing out." Understandably, Strange isn't the best at keeping his emotions in check.

"But something else of interest happened."

He reaches into one pocket, pulling out the white dragon scale with the alchemical symbol both of them found in their couriers and sets it down on a desk in his room. Gesturing for Christine to approach, Strange reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a second dragon scale: also a shimmering white. He sets the second dragon scale near the first. The same ink design that was on the first scale slowly starts to appear on the second scale.

"The not tattooed scale was found in a library book as I researched the dragons. I only have theories as to why it's mirroring the second scale."

She steps forward, clearly surprised at this additional revelation. She contemplates reaching for the scale but thinks better of it before her hand even twitches.

"And did the second scale shock you, either before or after obtaining the rune?"

"It didn't," Strange responds, as he shakes his head. "I found it in a leather bound book. The book was filled with runes to prevent necromancy, the same sort of runes that we saw on the dragon's skeleton."

The more he talks, the more some fervor seeps into Strange's voice. Yes, this involves them. But in his mind, it also involves the dragons. And he is always up for anything that could remotely involve the dragons, bringing them back, or figuring it out.

"I think that the scale I found and the scales in the courier are from the same dragon: Logistykon. And I think this means he's chosen us."

It isn't exactly news Christine wants to hear. After returning to life and hearing how the war ended, she's been fine going along with the general consensus that dragons are dangerous. But then they received messages on their couriers...

"How?" she asks, for once at a complete loss. Usually, can she cook up a theory of some kind. "The dragons are dead. We saw the skeletons. How are they reaching out to those of us who have awakened?" She crosses her arms over her chest, feeling a sudden chill. From across the room, Azoth takes flight to land back on Christine's shoulder.

"How can we be sure this isn't a trick? After all, a blue dragon exists. Who's to say these aren't from a white one, and someone is magically planting these for us to find?"

"Logistykon had lightning breath," Strange says, with the confidence of someone who wrote a book about the dragons. "A white scale that looks like his, a message on the courier signed from him, both of us gaining the ability to manipulate electricity...this cannot be a coincidence! I don't know how they could reach out to us or how they were revived without their skeletons, but so much is happening to us that I refuse to believe this is a trick."

Strange is getting more and more excited, working himself up as he continues to talk about the dragons and about his theories. Where Christine thinks they're dangerous, Strange thinks that the dragons are something to be idolized and studied: the fact that he's got enough information to believe that one of them is back is like getting a Christmas present early. Unfortunately, this means his static electricity is also working itself up. The air starts to crackle around him as Strange gives Christine a wide grin.

"But for what purpose?" she asks, growing worried. "We still don't know why we were brought back. What if we now have lightning powers because we're expected to start the war again?" As Strange gets more excited, Christine gets more apprehensive and her own powers have the static in the air increasing until Azoth leaves her shoulder to avoid the shock.

"You didn't see those battles up close; I did. I was a medic on the field and I saw the worst of people. The dragons fueled our anger and our greed. How can I trust this magic?"

"What would you rather do, ignore it? This magic...whatever it is that changed us, I doubt we can ignore it. If you don't trust the source, then make it your own instead."

His tone is still excited, but there's a little hint of a pleading tone in Strange's voice. He likes Christine. Even though they radically differ on this point, he still likes her and enjoys talking with her. He just wishes that he could convince her to worry less and focus on his way of thinking.

Her lips part to refute what he says, but the words are lodged in her throat as she remains unsure of her thoughts. Neither of them can prove they're right, and that irks the academic like nothing else. She wants proof, not feelings and assumptions. But she can't convince him that they're being used because she can't be completely sure they are. But who will consider these scenarios if not her?

"I suppose that... I could try to do that, but I fear that someone or some group is still using us to their ends. They could be using our prior loyalty to the dragons to do it." Strands of her golden hair lift on a static wave surrounding her head.

"I just wish for answers. I hate having to make guesses."

"Short of going up to whoever revived us and demanding they tell us, I don't know if or when we'll get answers." He sighs as he says it, frowning a little. Because Strange knows how Christine is feeling: he'd like answers too, if only so they can prove his assumptions correct.

He looks over at Christine, attempting to give her a small smile, before his expression shifts a little as he notices her hair.

"You'll need to get better control over that," Strange says, as he points to Christine's hair. Unfortunately, he also needs better control over his electricity. A spark shoots from his finger towards Christine. It's mild, like someone getting a static electricity shock, but it's definitely noticeable.

Christine lets out a tiny yelp — more of surprise than pain — before taking a step back.

"Look who's talking," she retorts, but the tone shows she's not angry about it. She draws herself up straight and tall before releasing a breath to calm herself. Holding up her hands, she looks them over before facing her palms towards each other. A short arc of lightning passes between her hands as she focuses.

"I can at least do that, but I need to make the unintentional energy stop."

Strange watches the lightning pass with an interested expression. This is something new...could he do that himself? Time will tell.

"I with I could help—the most I've managed to do is pull this energy around me." Strange closes his eyes for a moment, concentrating. The static energy seems to gather around him for a few seconds, as his hair even more visibly stands on end, before the static dissipates back into a more spread-out form.

"Maybe if we practice together we could come up with even a small idea on how to control this?"

Christine's lips twitch at how his hair stands on end, but the suggestion that they work together is quickly agreed upon with a nod.

"Absolutely. Together I'm certain we can figure out the best methods for controlling and using this." Whether it's a gift or something with ulterior motives, Christine isn't going to ignore it and let static shock people.

Strange, at least, is interpreting 'we can figure this out' as 'we're going to start figuring this out right away.' He gives Christine a gentle little smile before launching right into an interrogation.

"So, I suppose we should start with the obvious question: have you found a trigger yet which causes the static?"

"Well, I suppose reflecting on stressful things causes a flare up. What about you?"

"Mine has happened whenever I get excited. Unfortunately, so many of these changes excite me."

And considering that Strange gets excited by the simple existence of magic, this means he's spent the past few days trying not to shock somebody.

"I'm not surprised." Christine's ability to overthink and worry about everything causes flare ups of electrical energy, and Strange's excitement at the unknown causes his. Typical, really.

"Perhaps some breathing exercises can calm us down and stop the worst of it?"

He looks a little skeptical, but he's not saying no. Breathing exercises and keeping calm are things that Christine is much better at than he is: if she thinks it might help, then he'll trust her judgement and do the breathing exercises.

"The problem with that is that I don't know of any breathing exercises. You'll have to teach me."

"All right. Do as I do." She then draws a slow breath in through her nose and exhales through her mouth. Though she was far from a midwife, she'd been called upon in the past to drop off elixirs and potions at the houses of women in labor, and they had a way of breathing through the pain. She figures it could work to calm themselves as well.

After several breaths like this, she adds, "Try releasing yourself of your excitement on the exhale."

And so Strange does. He takes a few breaths in and out, trying to calm himself and calm his emotions. It works a little bit? But he's still a little excited and worked up.

"I think it's working?" There's a hesitant tone in his voice because he's not so sure how releasing himself of his excitement works.

"I suppose as long as your hair isn't on end, it is." There's a smile coupled with this statement because she can understand Strange being puzzled at how to stop being excited.

"Though I suspect there will be flare ups. Just remember to pause and breathe, and things might just settle back down." This isn't a proven theory, after all; merely her hypothesis.

Mini Event: Aftermath and The Oxen Gods

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)