Event Log: July, A Song of the Sea

[faileas]

Event Log: July, A Song of the Sea

I. Now You Sea Me On the night of the 15th, all Mirrorbound will have the same strange dream. Like many dreams they’re subjected to, it feels very, very real. The ocean stretches far out on every side, the waves churning beneath your feet as you walk atop the water. The sky is gray and the air is thick with the pressure of an oncoming storm, making your hair stand on end every time lightning flashes high above in the dark clouds. In the distance you can see the whirlpool, frothing water sucking in everything that gets too close, including low-swooping birds and ships that try to skirt it. The Cwyld is here, and it feels as if it is here to stay. Maybe you’re trying to puzzle out where you find yourself with another Mirrorbound or maybe you’re alone, but suddenly you’re interrupted, a presence inserting itself between you, ancient but somehow friendly. You get the sense this person doesn’t want to harm you. He(?) (you think he’s a he, and he won’t put up a fuss either way, despite his androgyny) is tall, thin, and sun-tanned, with tousled blue hair and blue scales crawling up his exposed arms and legs, his torn shirt and shorts doing little to conceal them. His cerulean locks can’t conceal the tall, straight horns on his head either. His eyes are yellow and slitted like a reptile’s, and most will recognize immediately that this stranger is very draconic in nature. “Terrible, isn’t it?” The stranger says, his tone somehow mournful but casual at the same time. His clawed hand gestures to the whirlpool in the distance. “This is how the Cwyld spreads to other places, like Diasteros, through the sea. It sucks in life and it spits out Shades meant to spread the infection. I’ve been traveling for a long, long time, and it took me a while to find it. I think the Cwyldheart is down there, at the eye of the whirlpool below.” His words ring true, especially when he adds, “I think you woke it up! You’ve noticed the fish turning up in Aefenglom fishermen’s nets, right? All blackened and nasty and inedible? No, no, that’s not a bad thing, no one is accusing you-” His long, blue-scaled tail swishes across the frothing waves around your feet. “You’ll do something about it, though, right? After all, you’re a hero, right?” Yellow eyes fix on you expectantly, and you know then it’s going to be up to you and your fellow Mirrorbound. Maybe you feel the sense of challenge when he adds, “You’ll prove your courage, right? I knew you would! Well met!” Characters can interact in the dream with each other, and with Aindrias. Any questions your character would have for the water dragon, you can place in this thread and receive an OOC summary of his answer.

II. Taskmasters The Water Dragon, who introduces himself as Aindrias, gives three tasks in the dream, to prove your courage and willingness to fix what’s wrong with the world. No one can be forced to go, the dangers are very real after all, but it’s clear the things you’ll fetch on this little quest have a purpose. The dragon wants just as much as you to clear the Cwyld from the world. Anyone who seeks out Creia will be told (after enduring her thanks and delight that one of her siblings has finally turned up!) that her brother is a bit flighty, but he’s trustworthy, and he knows the sea as much as she knows the earth. So, will you prove your courage and fulfill the tasks given to you? a. Lightning in a Bottle A species of eel lives in the waters around Aefenglom’s coast, one that fishermen try to avoid due to the fact that they drain and channel the magic of Witches along their slippery skin, using it to defend themselves like electric eels. They can give quite the nasty shock when touched, and Monsters have an advantage in this task when it comes to dealing with the eels themselves, since the eels can’t drain them. Though, if you aren’t an aquatic Monster, such as an Undine or a Merrow, you’ll need Witch assistance to get down there. Witches can learn at the Coven how to enchant bottles to suck this stolen magic from the eels, and contain it within the glass, like literal lightning in a bottle. They can also learn to cast water-breathing enchantments, or transmute gills onto themselves and their fellows, so that they can go after the eels. Monsters can better withstand the shocks from the eels, and can’t be drained of their magic, but Witches are welcome to try as well. Just be careful! The eels are notoriously slippery and difficult to catch, slithering right through most fishing nets, since they’re able to compress and lengthen their bodies at will. The best way to catch them is to sneak up on a nest in the more still waters, bravely charge, and hope you can grab one or two with your hands or a fine-mesh butterfly net. Gather the eels’ stolen magic in the bottles. The more you can get, the better, the Water Dragon has assured everyone. b. Gifts from the Sea, Foricbly Obtained The other ingredients needed are fairly straightforward. Use your enchantments to breathe water, to have a bubble of air over your head like a diving helmet, or to temporarily transmute some gills, and venture out into the sea off the coasts of Aefenglom. The things you need here are all dangerous to obtain but not all that difficult to find. Teeth from huge, dangerous man-eating sharks, requiring you to straight up punch them in the noses in order to stun them and pull some of their chompers. Barnacles from the underbellies of whales that won’t hesitate to smack you away with their tails, or suck you into the belly of the beast like you’re nothing more than krill. Seaweed from fields of it infested with poisonous, spiky urchins that can turn invisible until they spear your flesh. Suction cups from the tentacles of strangling octopi. Many of these ingredients are interchangeable, they just have to be things from the sea, things you have to work to obtain. The more effort it takes to get something, the more potent a magical item it will prove to be, though large amounts of things that take less effort will work too, such as painstakingly gathered mussels from the coves or pearls from harmless oysters. c. Land and Sea While most of the ingredients needed to prove your mettle come from the sea, one particular ingredient comes from the land. Easier to gather now, what with the Underground people’s happy cooperation with Mirrorbound and the Coven, this ingredient is also the safest to gather, perfect for those who can’t subject themselves to the untold dangers of the sea. The last ingredient necessary for whatever Aindrias is helping the Mirrorbound create is... the Cwyld-eating moss from the Underground. He’s unsure if this will really work, but he thinks it will help, and his sister Creia trusts it, right? So, gather samples of the moss from the Underground, and seal it in opaque blackened glass containers to protect it from the light. You’ll need a lot, so it’s a good thing you all helped them so recently -- they never would have allowed you to take this much of the gray-green, swaying stuff before you eliminated the Cwyldheart deep in the earth.

III. Dive Into the Unknown Once you’ve gathered all the ingredients, Aindrias says, meet him out at sea, where the whirlpool looms on the horizon. The Diasterans will be happy to lend a ship and their sailing skills to help the Mirrorbound get out there, where the blue-haired humanoid form of the Water Dragon dances among the waves, gazing out at the gathering storm and the swirling, churning waters. The ship you stand on rocks and sways with the current, and the air feels thick and heavy, like your dream. Once there, he explains that the items you poured your blood, sweat and tears into obtaining can be combined with a touch of his own power into a magical bomb, one that he thinks will be capable of taking out the Cwyldheart below. Unfortunately, he cannot travel down into the depths alongside the Mirrorbound, so instead, he'll ask for volunteers, pouring sparks of his magic into bright little orbs like rainbow droplets of dew catching the sunlight and handing them out to those who answer yes to his question: "Will you dive beneath the waves and confront the Cwyldheart?" There’s just one catch. To get to the Cwyldheart, you have to be brave -- and fling yourself into the center of the whirlpool, to be sucked in like everything it has consumed, and he can’t guarantee you’ll make it out alive. Those courageous enough, heroic enough, gather your strength and your companions, cast your enchantments that will let you breathe underwater (Diasteran Witches are on hand to assist with this, offering magic charms to Monsters to maintain the spells deep under the sea, and can teach these spells to Mirrorbound Witches’ phylaxes, who will maintain the magic similarly), and… Dive into the unknown. To sign up your character for diving into the whirlpool, just leave a comment in this thread to make it easier to plot among yourselves and so mods can track who's taking the plunge! Those brave individuals may find themselves at a special advantage in finding and facing the final Cwyldheart next month...

IV. The Cwyldheart Below You fall. At first, the surface is turbulent, ice-cold, stinging like icicles piercing your skin. Then, there is dark -- and an eerie, all-encompassing silence, unnaturally cutting out the sounds of the raging sea and storm and your shipmates above. Hold on to your fellows; there's a long way to go, and you don't want to lose one another. Time and space feel slow and wrong, and it's impossible to tell whether you've been falling (or swimming downward?) for minutes or hours. Finally, through the impenetrable murkiness, shapes begin to loom up, strange and twisted. They look like mangled, reaching fingers at first, like the ocean floor putting forth dark tendrils to entangle you intruders, but once you get nearer and your eyes adjust to the cloudy gloom, you'll see the shapes are inert. It's the long-dead skeleton of a coral forest. And beyond it, in the distance, you can see the darkness pulsing like a beating heart -- the Cwyldheart, to be precise. Luckily, it seems any underwater-breathing enchantments hold, and gravity is strangely affected down here. It's possible to walk along the ocean floor or slowly swim (though running presents more difficulty through the resistance of the thick dark water). Watch out for the dangers hidden amidst the creepy coral outcrops as you make your way toward the Heart -- Shades of merrows, Undines, and all manner of twisted sea creatures patrol through the infected kelp and coral branches. They tend to gather in huge groups of mixed varieties, presenting an impressive obstacle once they notice the intrusion. If you're careful, quiet, and don't draw their attention with any sort of light or noise, you might just make it through without an encounter. If they do notice their territory is compromised, it's going to be difficult to flee. Stand (or swim) and fight, if you must… but it's not going to be easy, or quick. a. In the Belly of the Whale At the center of the dead sea-forest, there is a massive structure of what looks to be oily whale bones piled up, sharp and broken, twisted into a crude dome shape like an eerie analogy of a ribcage rising from the sand. Inside lies the Cwyldheart, an uneven, bulging mass of inky-veined gray blubber and rotten flesh, pumping steadily and churning the water around it. It's a viscerally disgusting thing, dead matter rotting in its core and pushing into the water with each twitch of its bulbous form, covering everything with a greasy film of death and disease. Now, the real work begins. Work together to combine the ingredients each of you brought along according to Aindrias's instructions, and most importantly, the orbs full of his magic. Each person carries a vital piece, but one alone can't do it: each piece must be placed inside the ribcage dome as close as possible to the Cwyldheart. Push through the choking weight of the murky water as close as you can; risking infection is inevitable, but some things are more important… right? According to the Water Dragon, once all the pieces of his magic are in place, he will know and activate the explosion -- and though some may have been skeptical, he holds true to his word. A many-sided voice rings out from the circle of magical orbs, warbling with distortion and distance. "Bravely done, my warriors," he commends, his laughter haunting in the dark but full of genuine joy. "Now... run!" b. Flee, Mateys As the magic-infused orbs activate, a ring of bright blue surrounding the inside of the dome pierces the darkness, blinding and harsh. It's the only warning before everything erupts in a cacophony of sound and light and pressure. Strong swimmers, grab your companions and go, fast as you can. Teleportation underwater has never been advisable, but maybe some particularly confident or panicky Witches want to try it. Whether you decide to stick together or flee in separate directions, you'll only have a few moments to make your choice before the force of the explosion shoves through the water, out and up. The ocean surges. The Cwyldheart bursts, the bits and pieces leftover of its ugly mass swallowed by the bright magic and burnt up in an instant into nothing. With tremendous force, the swirling whirlpool collapses into itself -- and then rushes up, seawater shooting up into a geyser that sprays high in the air. Those who couldn't get away from its circumference in time suddenly find themselves expelled from the sea in a quick and convenient(?) fashion, if likely a rather painful and unpleasant one. They'll also find themselves falling once again -- this time through the sky. c. Back on Dry Land This time, Aindrias's laughter rings light and amused through the air. Anyone hurtling down toward an unpleasant reunion with the ocean's surface will find themselves suddenly grabbed by strong (but gentle) talons, tossed up in the air again and told to "Hold on, little one!" as they land upon the blue-scaled back of an absolutely enormous dragon, whose long, serpentine body flows through the sky without the aid of wings but rather, giant fins that guide its course. The geyser water falls back down like heavy rain, and through it Aindrias swims gracefully in the air, quickly collecting all the falling heroes before they can hit the water. Knowing many of you brave warriors are injured and uncomfortable, the Dragon praises your efforts enthusiastically and does his charges the great favor of swiftly flying them all the way back to Aefenglom's shores -- where the stunned citizens watch and listen as Aindrias announces for all to hear, "Your Mirror folk are braver than I thought! They dove into the eye of the whirlpool and destroyed the Cwyldheart that plagued the ocean, spreading infection to other continents, and lately, making your fish inedible. A deed for the history books, I'd say!" Anyone who was able to flee before the explosion or make it back onto the ship will have far less trouble sailing back (though of course, it will take longer than flying) and are greeted with an absolutely delighted welcome by the local seafarers, who've already started seeing an improvement in their fishing haul. The ports are bustling again, and overjoyed Diasterans are just beginning to talk about returning to their home islands, armed with knowledge of the Cwyld and remedies for it taught to them by the Coven. Thanks to the Mirrorbound's efforts, with the destruction of the sea-faring Cwyldheart, the infection can be dealt with on other continents, on islands like theirs, and it won't come back with the tide.

Welcome to July's event, A Song of the Sea! This event marks the beginning of Aefenglom's endgame plot. For more information on that, please check out the OOC mod post detailing the rest of the game's run over here.

If you have questions specific to this event, please leave them in this thread here. For those signing their characters up to face the Sea Cwyldheart, please be aware that the mods may ask you to link your finished or ongoing threads before your character receives the boon for their participation (PMs will go out at the beginning of next month).

For plotting on the OOC comm, we've put up a little summary and post for you over here. And finally, as always, you are welcome to play in this log or set up your own logs in the comm as you prefer. Have fun!

Comments

QUESTIONS

[moustre]

General event questions go here.

[noblegarnet]

Will infections from the Cwyldheart clear up immediately after it's destroyed, like the previous one in the Underground?

[moustre]

Generally, yes! Though this is largely up to player discretion, and if you want to keep some infection as a souvenir (which can be treated at the Coven), we won't stop you.

[noblegarnet]

Decisions, decisions... 🤔 thank you, mods!

ASK AINDRIAS

[moustre]

Does your character have questions for Aindrias? Leave them here, and they'll be answered! Please note we will not be replying in dialogue ICly, but rather summarizing Aindrias's responses to whatever your character asks.

SIGN-UPS FOR DIVING INTO THE WHIRLPOOL

[moustre]

Sign-ups are unlimited, but we do ask you to thread out your character's involvement instead of handwaving it. All characters who volunteer to dive down to the Cwyldheart will privately receive early information about the next great danger and the final battle that awaits.


Player: player name
Character: character name
How does your character feel when they agree to dive down?
Are they eager to help? Are they doing it because their friends are doing it? Are they looking for glory or do they feel this is their duty? Etc.

<b>Player:</b> <b>Character:</b> <b>How does your character feel when they agree to dive down?</b>

[adventageous]

Player: Colleen
Character: Alice Elliot
How does your character feel when they agree to dive down? Eager to help! She has a habit of being reckless in situations like these, putting the needs of others ahead of her own safety, so this is right up her alley.

[noblegarnet]

Player: Ryoko
Character: Ferran Gallagher
How does your character feel when they agree to dive down? Mostly, kind of fatalist about it. He's lost a lot of people lately and is wondering if he's next to leave, which he sees as a death sentence. So he might as well actually die in the service of a greater cause!

[inlikethebrume]

Player: Lita
Character: Mira Chambers
How does your character feel when they agree to dive down? Mira has lost everyone she has cared for so it's odd for her to do this right?

Well, not really. Mainly because if this shit continues, it can spread to other worlds possibly. Which means her kids could end up dealing with more shit and she doesn't want that. Best type of person to handle this kind of thing is when you have nothing to lose.

[towards_okeanos]

Player: Ran
Character: Iskandar
How does your character feel when they agree to dive down?
Certainty of death. Small chance of success. What are we waiting for?
Excited, even if concerned about how little he knows about what to expect.
In for the glory, even if that could potentially cost him his life. This is the kind of situations Iskandar thrives in. Besides, contributing to eradicating cwyld has been his (irrationally ambitious) goal from the start.

[yesdoubt]

Player: Revise
Character: Momo
How does your character feel when they agree to dive down? He's partially eager to help and partially does feel it's a duty, because with the first Cwyldheart gone he feels like there's some hope of actually clearing out the infection if they keep following this route.

[exsoldier]

Player: Court
Character: Zack Fair
How does your character feel when they agree to dive down? While he's a little frustrated that Aindrias is claiming he can't go down himself, Zack is definitely willing to do what has to be done here. He was part of the group that took out the first Cwyldheart and saw the good it did, and so he definitely wants to continue this trend in hopes of wiping out the infection once and for all.

Ferran Gallagher | Fae | OTA

[noblegarnet]

[The apparently friendly aura the dragon had given off hadn't done anything to change the fact that his yellow-eyed gaze was a reminder of Ferran's mortality—of the fate he pictured himself facing when he returned home. It was only a matter of time, really, at this rate. So why wait? He'd thrown himself into a suicidal mission before, only that one was entirely selfish. At least like this, he could do something helpful.

Witch assistance isn't hard to come by, and his lack of fins doesn't mean he's unable to swim. With some practice, he manages to get his wings to pull their own weight, so to speak, instead of being more of a nuisance. And as reckless as he might be to throw himself into the effort, he's at least gotten himself a proper wetsuit made before he heads out, leaving little exposed to the open water.]

II.a
[When he reaches an eel nest, he pauses for a moment at a distance, net in one hand. If there happens to be anyone else nearby, he gestures for them to approach, promising a plan with his gaze. How are they supposed to escape you when they can't see you, after all? Not that it will prevent them from zapping anyone if they simply lash out, but it's better than nothing, surely.]

II.b
[Whales may be enormous and intimidating because of their size, but they're not sharks—and Ferran hardly thinks gathering a few hangers-on from their undersides is the same as trying to outmaneuver a shark head on, especially once you get out of the range of those overeager tails. Not that he thinks sharks are particularly worrisome, either, if you don't look like a seal or a fish, which he's definitely certain he doesn't. Plus, he'd rather not hurt anything if he doesn't have to, and punching a shark in the face or ripping a sucker off an octopus just sounds like an unpleasant time for everything involved.

That doesn't mean there's not a shark nearby and possibly approaching, though. And Ferran may have entirely missed the "dangerous, man-eating" label, simply thinking he knows better than the typical paranoid mindset he knows from back home...]

IV.
[Ferran thinks it might be bullshit that the dragon can't come down with them, but he's stopped caring enough to call Aindrias out. He's asking the Mirrorbound, as always, to risk their own lives instead of stepping forward and doing the work himself... just like everyone else in this world.

But it's not like the Fae can deny this thing needs to be destroyed, so after the breathing enchantments have been sorted, he heads into the whirlpool without a word.

All he has in the way of protection are illusions to conceal his presence, and failing that, a knife. When they finally settle at the ocean floor, he doesn't head out immediately, regarding the infected forest with the look of someone who knows exactly what he's gotten himself into and how little he's prepared for it.]

IV.a
[Dark spots already stand out on his white and gold wings by the time they reach the heart, and the sight of it nearly makes him sick by itself—he has to turn his head and close his eyes, holding the back of his hand over his mouth.

He's already infected, so there's no more "risk." It's just a matter of finishing the work. After shaking his head to snap himself out of it, he pulls out his own sack of now-magical components and surges forward to enter the twisted whale fall, whether the others have made their decision or not.]

IV.b
[Now... run!

Ferran does not run.

He watches solemnly instead as the light builds, shoulders sagging. Although there's still a strong part of him that's terrified by the prospect, the rest of him is tired, and aching, and miserable in a way he can't see changing. So it's easier to simply float there as their efforts come to fruition.

Perhaps someone will see this and try to drag him along with them—or maybe they'll simply wait by his side with a similar mindset, thinking their job is over.]

Wildcard

[OOC: If there's something else specific you'd like to plot with me, hit me up via PM or at lumieresdedragon!]

IV.b

[adventageous]

[Alice has every intention of heeding the dragon's warning, starting to swim away from the Cwyldheart and the magic they've forced into it. As she passes Ferran's motionless body, however, she stops. At first, she fears something's the matter with him, that he's too infected or injured to move on his own. But then she catches a glimpse of his face, and she realizes what it is he intends to do.

It's not so different an expression than she wore when she made up her mind to take on Yuri's curse, she supposes.

Still, she can't allow him to die here like this. They're still newly acquainted, all things considered, but she still considers him a friend. Those are increasingly few here, and their lives mean more because of it. Besides, Rikku would never forgive her if she let him be. The girl may be gone from the city, but to Alice that doesn't change that fact.

So she grabs his arm and gives him a shake.]

Ferran, we have to go!

[noblegarnet]

[There are a few people who wouldn't forgive him for the outcome he intends, but he's resigned to the idea. Dragging someone else along with him because they want to help him, though—that's what he wouldn't be able to forgive himself for. He takes her wrist to move it away from his arm with more force than his usual politeness demands, but it's too urgent to do anything by halves.]

You do—don't waste time on me.

[adventageous]

[Alice has neither the strength nor the leverage to prevent Ferran from pulling himself free. She's no less resolved to save him, however, and merely reaches to grab him again.]

I can't leave you! You could die here.

[From any number of things, especially since they've been warned to get out of the way as quickly as possible.]

Now's not the time to throw your life away.

[noblegarnet]

[He moves away from her this time with a flap of his wings, moving closer to that building blue light.]

That's not your choice.

[He'd rather it be like this than one of his nightmares—being used against others instead of helping them.]

Go!

IV

[exsoldier]

[ The trip down beneath the waves is a literal whirlwind, and while they've landed and Zack's now got the sea floor firmly beneath his boots, his head's still spinning to some degree. If it weren't for his general constitution and sturdiness, he's pretty sure he would have lost his lunch somewhere in there, but with each passing moment he manages to catch his breath and regain his bearings.

Yes, his breath. They can breathe down here, which is a trip in and of itself. Zack only hopes the magic that allows them to do so holds. He's similarly frustrated that Aindrias insists he couldn't come down here himself, that he even spurred him to action with a "you're a hero, right?" as if he wouldn't have done this job anyway, but that's neither here nor there.

They've made it this far, and the Cwyldheart looms far ahead of them, pulsing in the depths.

Zack catches sight of Ferran, noting his uneasiness. Not that he can be blamed for that, given where they are and what's ahead of them. That's not even touching on the fact that it feels like they're among the skeleton of some giant beast, even if that's not really the case. ]

You all right?

[ It's good to remind each other that they're in this together, to keep each other grounded. ]

[noblegarnet]

[The Fae's hands tighten around the handle of his knife, and the wary expression of dread he wears doesn't change even with his subdued, cynical response.]

Are any of us?

[Volunteering for a mission like this doesn't speak to the best state of mind either way, Ferran thinks. ... the answer is no.]

[exsoldier]

[ Man, coming right out the gate with something like that? Zack knows that this is not something a normal person would volunteer to do, even if to some extent it feels like business as usual for him. He didn't go rooting out massive living infections under the ocean back home, true, but he'd still signed up for a job that consisted of constantly putting himself in dangerous situations.

Zack shoots a glance at that knife, wondering how well Ferran knows how to use it. His own massive sword is sheathed against his back, between his wings. ]

Think we'll be better if we can pull this off. [ He turns his attention to the Cwyldheart in the distance. They've got a hike ahead of them before they're even close enough to put together the spell components, so he starts walking. ] If something comes after us, try to stay behind me, all right?

Mira Chambers | Witch | OTA

[inlikethebrume]

2.C

[Mira knows too well about world ending dangers. She's stopped them constantly and yet she has grown to really hate the title of hero. Why she is down here then quietly gathering the moss needed in order to stop this cwlydheart? Because if the problem grows out of control, it can possibly reach to other worlds.

It can maybe get to her sons. And Mira cannot allow it.

So there is a woman by herself and just gathering as much as needed and keeping to herself. Would she be fine with a bit of talk? Probably if anyone approaches.]

3.

Of course you can't go. It's always some excuse or another that I've heard so many times.

[If there's a reason, Mira has already heard it. The fact that this dragon has said that 'courage' is needed to make the dive...well, she has thoughts on that too.]

To be honest, I'm not sure if my life has much meaning considering who I am back home. My sons mean everything to me and if this stops it from potentially seeping to their worlds then I'll do it.

[Call her out all you want but this dark knight is frankly mentally exhausted. But there is one thing they will be able to see: she has that courage...even if it's more cynical than most. She still has hope for others but due to experience, is much more grounded.]

4.b

Move your arses, now!

[She knows what run means and she knows that if they stay, they will die. So for any straggler that decides to lollygag around, they will either find themselves being scruffed by their shirt (or neck) or possibly getting a swift kick to their ass.]

If you wanna die here that's fine by you but don't back up the escape route for those who want to live!

[Mira's fucks are in the negatives right now and clearly she is not in the mood to babysit do better do as she says.]

[adventageous]

I. Waking from a Dream

[Alice finds herself unable to refuse Aindrias's call to action. Her belief that she's been sent here with the divine purpose to help this world free itself of the Cwyld's blight has waxed and waned in her time here, but over the past few months she's realized that she had the right of it when she first arrived. The Underground has been cleansed, and now she has the opportunity to cleanse the oceans and start saving the greater world.

The word "hero" doesn't sit right, but only because she's never thought of herself as such. She's merely a woman thrust into extraordinary circumstances, both home and here, who does her best. Still, she doesn't fault Aindrias' choice of vocabulary. For him, after all, this task means everything. Heroes are necessary.

When she wakes, she quickly writes the tasks down before she can lose the details to her waking mind. Once she's satisfied with her notetaking, she rises from bed to begin her work.]


II. Lightning in a Bottle

[This is not a task that Alice can accomplish on her own, so she has enlisted the help of another. She's a very capable Witch, quickly learning how to capture the lightning and how to enchantments to prevent drowning underwater. What she can't do, at least not in full confidence, is collect the electicity. Should she be unlucky enough to have her magic drained in full, she's dead. With a companion (or multiple companions, depending on how persuasive she manages to be), that risk decreases significantly because there's someone else to assist if she should find herself in danger--and vice versa.

Besides, she's generally a fan of working in groups. And, by not rushing out to the waters alone, she can put the minds of her remaining loved ones here at ease.

With a smile, she turns to her partner for the afternoon.]

Hold still while I cast the underwater breathing enchantment. Then we should be good to go.


III.a. Descend into the Depths

[Once the materials are gathered and she's properly charmed and enchanted, Alice takes the plunge into the whirlpool. It's not a pleasaant experience--the water is icy and rough, and for a moment she feels like it may tear her apart--but it lacks the prolonged pain and traumatic parallels that their work in the Underground gave her. She'll accept that as a boon.

Even so, the disorienting distortion of time and space is the same, and it feels as though Alice falls for both an eternity and hardly any time at all before she sees the infection and the beating heart in the center of it. Her feet touch the ocean floor, and she finds herself able to walk along it without struggling. Interesting. Useful.

After a deep breath--or what feels like one, thanks to the charm around her neck--Alice turns to the person who's landed next to her.]

It's best if we move slowly and stay together. I can watch your back if you'll agree to watch mine.


III.b. The Cwyldheart

[As it was in the Underground, the Cwyldheart is a horrible thing to behold. It writhes and pulsates and infects the very water that surrounds it. Alice is sure she'll be infected herself, if she isn't already, but she had already anticipated that when she agreed to enter the whirlpool to begin with. Aindrias had warned her that the task would be dangerous, and if it came to the worst... well, the others wouldn't hesitate to cut her down, she hopes. It wouldn't be the first time she's died to save another, and this time the other is a whole world instead of one dearly beloved man.

(They're equally equivalent, in her mind. Yuri simply means that much.)

Keeping close to the others who are here with her, Alice swims in and presses her orb flush against the wretched flesh of the Cwyldheart itself. She feels something course into her from around the orb, painful and alien as it starts spreading under her skin, but doesn't pull her hand away immediately. Instead, she closes her eyes and offers a prayer in addition to the magic it has already been imbued with. She prays for herself and this world, for Yuri and Karin back in the beloved world she left behind, and for her own soul when all here is said and done. She prays that they all find peace, somehow, despite everything.

Eventually the dragon speaks, and it's time to go.]


IV. Get the Hell out of There!

Thread with Ferran here


V. Wildcard

I know full well that two out of four of these are un-respond-able (unless you want to interrupt her prayer, which by all means go ahead), but I got excited and decided to write it out anyway.

As always, feel free to respond with your own ideas or hit me up at asondeiru or asondeiru#9009 if you'd like to plot!

ii

[exsoldier]

[ For all of the strange twists and turns that Zack's life has taken, one thing he never envisioned himself doing is diving into the ocean to try and collect lightning from an electric eel. Yet here they are, and more than that, it seems the the fate of this very world relies on this to some degree.

Teaming up with Alice has quickly become second nature, which Zack's relieved about. He'd so often done solo missions that having a reliable partner to turn to has been great. Especially since as a witch and monster duo, they compliment each other perfectly.

Zack knows what his job is here, which is to catch and contain the eels, absorbing their shocks until Alice can draw their latent power into a bottle. While he should be apprehensive, he's mainly concerned with how he's going to catch the slippery little things...

He turns to Alice and nods, ready for whatever comes next. He has complete trust in her at this point, with no doubt in his mind that she'll be able to render them able to breathe underwater for as long as they need to do so. He clamps his arms against his sides, back straight, and stays as still as he can. ]

Holding still!

[adventageous]

Standing at attention isn't necessary, but thank you.

[There's a lightness in her voice that borders on a laugh. Teaming up with Zack is just as enjoyable as it is productive, his optimistic attitude keeping things from becoming too heavy without distracting from the work. Alice's only regret is not having met him earlier so that they could start these sorts of missions together sooner.

She gives one last wave of her hand and then steps back.]

There. Whatever dangers await us down there, drowning will not be among them.

I appreciate you being willing to help with this. This is a task I absolutely could not do alone.

[exsoldier]

[ Zack grins and eases up at Alice's words. ] Whoops! Habit. [ Years spent in a military program will do that to a person.

The spell doesn't feel like much, but he imagines that he won't feel its full effects until they've dived into the water. Will it be odd, to not have that pressing need to take a breath? He's not sure how his body will adjust, but he isn't going to overthink it.

When Alice thanks him, Zack quickly waves her off and shakes his head. ] Don't mention it! The more of these Cwyldheart things that we take out, the closer we get to completely getting rid of the Cwyld.

[ There's nowhere more important for him to be right now than here, at the shoreline of a beach not far from the city proper. Zack watches the waves lap up against the sand, and while everything feels peaceful right now, he doesn't expect catching the eels to be easy. ]

Ready to head down? I hope you're a strong swimmer!