acatalepsy_logs | PHASE 3: AKVOS: THE END.

PHASE 3: AKVOS: THE END.

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the great escape.

The Circle has quite a lot on their plate, this time around. Multiple players are fighting for the control of Akvos, and many difficult choices to make. No matter what path you choose, though, one thing is for certain: it is a bitter fight to the death to ensure that Akvos remains standing, one way or another.

There are three main areas for the characters to explore in the final log of Akvos: (1) The Kingdom of Akvos, where the King is fighting to seize control; (2) The Rift, where the characters will encounter the Dreamscapes; and (3) The Kingdom of Polankos, which is where King Ka'pouli has reigned since his arrival in the pocket dimension. Decisions made in all there areas will affect the outcome of Akvos, so get to exploring.

THE ASSAULT ON WAHINE.

The King’s forces will attack in three different fronts. There will be mermen attacking from above, riding saddled giant seahorses and manta rays, launching spears at the mermaid-warriors below with terrifying precision. They seem to be indiscriminate, in their aim -- the weaponry, charged with the same dark energy that the shadow creatures seem to be made out of, find their target in civilians and warriors alike, raining down a sea of terror upon the central stronghold of the Kingdom of Akvos.

The mermen will also be attacking at the ground-level, attempting to burst their way through the Palace Gates to flood the city with numbers. While the mermaids outnumber the mermen, the mermen are certainly more brutal than the mermaids. Some of them, though, in finding the city, are more concerned with looting it than with senselessly murdering everyone inside. Indeed, this is the most food they have seen in a long time -- and markets are destroyed in grabbing as much food and riches as they can, pressing closer to the Palace, and toward the Queen's stronghold.

And, finally, they will be attacking from below, navigating their way through a network of tunnels meant to transport goods and bursting their way into people’s homes, to sneak their way closer to their ultimate goal, which seems to be the Palace itself.

The Circle's main goal, here, is to protect civilians, usher theminto the underground strongholds beneath the Palace, and fight for their own lives should they attack the mermen first. Man the wall, if you so choose, to attempt to block the air attacks from the mantas. Fight on the ground, to protect Akvos from destruction. Or make your way to the underground strongholds and tunnels, to block access to the Palace. All of these will certainly assist in keeping Akvos safe.

In addition, please remember that shadow creatures (which can only be killed by magical means) are still making their way through the entirety of Akvos. While King Ka'pouli's forces are targeting the Palace of Wahine, the shadow creatures are still present everywhere. Get to killing!

INTO THE RIFT.

Some of you, however, have elected to traverse into the mysterious rift that appeared in the midst of the Fields of Akvosia. It looks like a black hole into nothingness, crackling with odd energy . . . and passing through it feels as though you have stepped through an icy waterfall. For a moment, you cannot breathe -- and then, you are treated to beauty.

The gaps between time and space are full of sparkling lights, bolts of rainbow starlight winding around you as you move through the uncertainty that is the void. It seems endless, but something inside you is tugging you forward . . . and, suddenly, there is a soft voice in your ear. A familiar one, to those who reside within the Circle . . . the confused voice of Astoria.

"Hello? My Travelers? How are you within the Void?" The Void? That word hadn't been used to describe whatever this magical place is before, but . . . well, a witch with the ability to send you all across the universe probably knows what she's talking about, right? "That should not be possible . . . who opened this doorway?"

You can tell her, or you can not. It seems to matter not, because: "Is this not getting through? Why can I not hear you . . . but I can feel you, I can -- please, if you can hear this, be careful. The Void is not something for mortals to interact with, and it can show you terrible things -- terrible things, so please--"

And, right before you have the opportunity to respond to our benevolent witch (or captor, depending on your point of view), you see a bizarre glass-like surface in front of you. It looks like a mirror, and you see a perfect reflection of yourself. It is absolutely captivating, and it beckons you . . . almost urging you to touch it. And Astoria's whisper grows a bit louder, more urgent:

"My dear Traveler, be careful what you encounter here -- can you hear me? Can you see me? I am trying to get you out of there, to bring you back home--Akvos is--"

But it is too late.

Your fingers graze the edge of the mirror, and you are pulled -- a sensation that is familiar to you, the same pull in your stomach that you feel whenever Astoria thrusts you across the universe, into new realities. And, when you blink your eyes again, and look around . . . you are no longer in Akvos, or the Void. You are somewhere entirely new.

Welcome to the Dreamscape.

THE KINGDOM OF POLANKOS.

Once the Circle emerges from the Rift and the Dreamscape, they will stumble into another world . . . but this one's wateris shallow, in comparison to the massive depths of the crystal-clear kingdom of Akvos. You can quite clearly see the surface, here, and there are shallows that allow you to come up onto islands, tropical in nature with fruit, odd creatures that appear to be multiple-headed monkeys and parrots, and sandy shores. It's a bit jarring to see, after spending so long underwater. Indeed, you emerge to trudge onto land, and look around, somewhat mystified that the deep-dwelling mermen would be from a place like this.

However, exploring the islands (which is not very difficult to do, as they are all small and will not take very much time) will yield the discovery that on the islands themselves are tunnels -- underwater caverns that thread through the islands to much deeper water. It's almost as if the islands themselves are barriers to the underwater caverns below -- shallow water, a layer of land, and then a (mer)man-made bubble of water below the barrier of land. And that whoever lived on these islands tunneled through them to find deeper water. Princess Kea, (who will attend on these journeys, while remaining in the water), will tell the Circle members that King Ka'pouli told her that when the mermen were cast out, they landed on solid land, and had to slowly dig deeper to their salvation.

Navigating through these tunnels will be somewhat perilous -- and the Circle members will need to carry Princess Kea to the nearest tunnel to get her into some water, because while she can breathe on the surface for a certain period of time, she cannot navigate the land as quickly as you people with legs. Additionally, underwater caving isn't exactly a blast, but the deeper you go, the more clues of civilization you can find. And, eventually, once you go deep enough, you emerge into a massive underwater cavern to find the small Kingdom of Polankos.

In comparison to the Kingdom of Akvos, Polankos is witheringly depressing. It is not brightly colored, nor open -- indeed, it is tiny, with mermen huddled together waiting patiently for the forces that went through the rift to return. There is not a lot to find here, save for some interesting weapons that possess a dark energy, versus a lightning energy -- and those weapons will be given to the Circle members who ask for them, because those who wield them are in no condition to fight. There is little food, little room to sleep, and these are a people clearly in need of assistance.

In order to get them out of Polankos, you will need to usher them through the tunnels back up to the Rift above -- it seems that King Ka'pouli opened the Rift on the surface, rather than risk the city below in case it did not work. The mermen there (who seem to be elderly and weak) will be eager for the assistance to get out Polankos, and at the promise of being brought into Akvos, they will happily go. There will be no resistance from them.

You may also see Princess Kea, who has filtered in and out of the Rift to assist on the journey -- teary-eyed, heartbroken at the sight of these individuals who require rescue, organizing the mermen with the promise of keeping them safe in Akvos.

"Hurry," she tells you, as she rouses another merman into getting to the nearest tunnel. "We do not have a lot of time to pull this off, and we must work quickly."

Additionally, please feel free to write up and work with your own prompts! These areas of the world are presented as jumping off points for your characters, not limitations. The idea of this world- as with all the others- is to explore -- you may use as much leeway as you want in order to come up with what your character will do, especially in the Dreamscapes.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask them back on the various threads back in the OOC post from before!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ To be fair, it's not really new to any of them who have traveled to other worlds in the Circle, though usually, it isn't their choice like this. Astoria pulls them along whether they like it or not, but this time...they made the decision to come here. A dangerous decision that could cost them, and this entire world, their lives. Is it really worth it?

...Yes. He has to believe that it will be.

Alisaie squeezes his hand, and it bolsters his confidence, a small, warm smile tugging at one corner of his mouth as he glances at her. ]

...Right. Heh...how could I be anyway, when you're with me?

[ Okay, it might be cheesy, but it's true! And so at last he reaches out to touch the mirror with his free hand, and at once the air around them shudders, pulling and reforming, lights twisting and distorting. Something familiar tugs at his gut, and before he knows it, he's catching himself on a cold, metal floor, his knees meeting the ground hard, though he still keeps his grip on her hand. ]

Wh — owwwww...what kinda place is —

[ But once he glances up at their surroundings, his voice dies in his throat. He knows this place. He knows this place, and all at once, abject fear flares to life in his heart, sending him scurrying back against the nearest wall.

The First Magitek Research Facility. ]

[ it's absolutely cheesy, but alisaie smiles anyway, in that way that suggests she is trying to smother it, her cheeks tinged a soft pink - but there's no time for idiot flirting, they have to move forward, and the only way forward is through.

it's a strange feeling when they pass through the mirror, like a tugging in the gut, not so unlike aetherial teleportation. so when they arrive she is able to stay on her feet, even though prompto nearly drags her off-balance when he falls. stranger still is the feeling of her feet on hard ground after spending so long underwater, the sudden pull of gravity is bizarre, but she finds her balance soon enough.

it's dark, and there's a sharp metallic scent in the air, and a distinctly crowded feeling. this place looks.. familiar.. ]

Is this.. a Magitek Facility?

[ what could that mean? why are they here? but prompto's hand is no longer in hers, so she turns to find him all but huddling against the wall. her brows lift high in surprise. ]

What's wrong?

[ He doesn't even hear her question. The force of memory is too strong, a veritable assault on the senses. The sterile, hospital-like smell, the cold air, the sting of clinical lights on gleaming metal. They shouldn't be here.

They shouldn't be here.

A cold, familiar fear grips his heart and crawls upon his skin, and all at once Prompto is on his feet, reaching blindly for Alisaie, gripping the shoulder of her coat to pull her up with him. They need to get out of here. It no longer matters how they got here in the first place, or where they meant to go. They just can't be here. ]

No...n-no...no... [ He mutters, glancing around wildly. They're alone...for now. But this place could be crawling with MTs. It will be crawling with MTs. He knows, because this...

This is his past. ]

W-we gotta go. We gotta get outta here.

[ he's clearly panicked, so alisaie takes a moment to tilt her head and listen hard, straining her ears and her sharp sight, but there are no detectable threats - none very close, at least. besides, it is only a dream..

but first and foremost - ]

Prompto.

[ her voice is firm, but not unkind, and she leans to take his face between her hands, focusing her eyes on his own. ]

Prompto, I need you with me, do you understand? You must calm down.

[ it's clear enough that this place means something to him, something wrong and frightening, but they are in a strange and possibly dangerous position right now, she cannot lose him to.. whatever this is. ]

[ It's a good thing this reels him in when she does, before his mind can do anymore laps around itself and pull him into someone dark and unreachable. This place represents so many terrible things for him, and panic reaches deep into every stretch of his skin — but this isn't all there is.

Impossibly, Alisaie is with him now. And he made it through this place once — he can do it again. He has to do it again.

He meets her eyes and slowly begins to calm, and at last he nods. His hands, though still trembling, lift to cover her own, the warmth of her warm fingers on his cold, clammy skin an anchor. ]

...S-sorry. Didn't mean to...get all hysterical on you there. [ Keep it together, Argentum. ] What should —

[ But before he can finish that thought, there's the sound of a door sliding open down the corridor, and Prompto pulls Alisaie to the side. A moment later, Prompto himself steps into the room. He doesn't seem to see them, but...

This just got a hell of a lot weirder. ]

[ thank the gods he snaps back to reason, but she had no doubt that he would. prompto is easily startled, but he is stronger than he thinks he is, stronger than he gives himself credit for. whatever it is they are facing here, he can stand on his own two feet and confront it. the sooner they are out of this place, the sooner they can leave the rift. this place makes her.. uneasy.

no sooner is she ready to move, however, than there's the sound of approaching footsteps, a sliding door, and prompto's hand is strong on her arm, pulling her back.

by rote she unsheathes her rapier, holding it ready and aloft, but it is not an enemy that comes through the door, but.. prompto.

wait.

it's surreal, and she glances back to prompto at her side, and then to the.. other prompto, bewildered and thoughtful, but then it occurs to her - a mirror. they passed through a mirror. is this.. ]

.. a memory?

[ ...A memory.

He thinks it about the same time that she speaks it aloud, though his thoughts are still slow to recognize that as a thing that could possibly be happening. But how else can he explain the appearance of himself in this room? How else can he explain that though he is standing over here, he knows exactly what path his other self is going to take? What decisions he will make? Even what he's thinking, right now, as he presses on through the facility?

It has to be. But it's surreal, so surreal, to stand here, watching himself, knowing what lies ahead, though this other self does not. ]

No way. No freakin' way.

[ The other Prompto moves on quickly, heading into the hallway at the far end of the room, and grabbing Alisaie's hand, Prompto hurries after him, like a shadow. ]

H-heh, when I was worried about there bein' other me's, this isn't what I had in mind...

[ Yeah, a joke, at a time like this. ]

[ i mean, she knows him well enough by now to know that jokes are his most readily available coping mechanism, and something about this place has him knocked off center. better that he keep himself steady in whatever ways he can, but she squeezes his hand nonetheless to offer her silent support.

this is his dream, after all. his memory. there is little for her to do but stand by. ]

Do you think his hair looks better than yours?

[ A quiet laugh slips out of him at her joke, something in his heart stirring, because he knows why she says it. It isn't because she finds anything amusing about the situation herself, but because she knows how he handles tense situations, and it says so much about how close they've gotten. She...really does know him so well, doesn't she? As much as he might not want her to see this place, or what's going to unfold here, if he has to be stuck here with anyone...well, he can't complain too much, with her at his side.

He squeezes her hand appreciatively in return, wearing the ghost of a smile. ]

Underneath that hat? No way. I mean...that's gotta be worse than my ocean hair, right?

[ Considering his current hair is still damp and fluffy. Actually? Maybe the hat is better...

He watches himself stalk down the hallway, and thoughtlessly, he starts after him. He can't put his finger on it, but he has this...gut feeling, that they can't just hang out here. They need to progress forward somehow, and he himself has laid the course. In the past.

But as he starts to move, he glances over at Alisaie. Should they do this? ]

Oh, I don't know..

[ she says softly, through a strained but soft smile. ]

I think it is rather a cute hat.

[ and it covers up like a good 60% of that ostentatious upsweep he's got going on, so i mean. it helps that it's just kind of a good looking outfit in general. for once, he looks something close to badass. amazing. ]

Though I wonder how you managed to get yourself into those pants.

[ she can keep it up as long as she needs to, the gentle teasing to keep his spirits up, and whenever he looks back toward her for assurance she's quick to nod her head. there is no way out but through. ]

[ In spite of himself, in spite of everything that's just happened and is happening now and continues to happen, his cheeks warm at her comment, an irrepressible grin finding its way to his lips. Turns out that even when he's in the wrong place at the wrong time and the universe might be breaking, he still gets all doughy from a compliment from a girl, go figure.

Even if she sort of undoes her goodwill a moment later. ]

H-heh...I dunno, I think I like kinda good in 'em! They're very...slimming.

[ THAT'S ONE WAY TO PUT IT ]

Hey...are you checkin' me out right now?

[ Is he checking himself out?? This is....weird. ]

[ he's definitely checking himself out

alisaie's face flushes warm right to her ears, they're still barely past the handholding and making out in caves stage, so the very idea that she might be checking him out is still embarrassing!! even if she kind of is. him patoot look nice in those ridiculous pants. ]

I-I most certainly am not!

[ she is. ]

[ Look. He doesn't often get the chance to check out his own butt to this extent? Let him live. Although it's weird to watch himself move about...does he really walk like that?

...Right. They're still in his own personal hell. Not that that's going to stop him from following this thread, because it sure as hell is a lot better than explaining more about this place.

He'll get to that. She deserves to know. But first — ]

You totally are! C-c'mon, am I hot or not? How would you rate me? Ten being the highest.

[ If he gets less than like a seven, he'll be crushed. ]

That is inappropriate.

[ alisaie says sternly, giving him her best librarian look, but it's undermined quite a bit by the redness of her face. he does, in fact, look rather hot in that outfit!! it's a nice parka, and the pants are so tight, and he has a serious, rugged, anguished look about him that is attractive. she is flesh and blood, okay, she has base, worldly desires!! ]

But were you to hold a knife to my throat, I should say you might hover at about a high eight or so. In those clothes.

[ the ridiculous hair loses points. ]

[ Predictably, his face goes bright red, even if he technically set her up for this, and his voice goes bumpy and high-pitched. ]

An eight? R-really? That high?

[ In those clothes???? W-well, he might have to start dressing a little differently...

What. What are they doing right now. Are they really doing this, here, now, of all times and places?!

...And then, with no preamble despite everything, despite the way he's burning up and confused and scared and amused all at the same time, Prompto doubles over, a laugh bellowing out of him as he claps a hand to his mouth.

Yeah, he's cracked. ]

[ an eight and a half even, high praise.

but then prompto is... laughing like that?? at first she thinks he might be hurt for how he doubles over, but then he's cackling madly, in a way that is worrisome..?? ]

Prompto?

[ gently, she lays a hand on his shoulder. ]

[ He shouldn't be laugh, he really shouldn't, but there's a lot of things that have happened in the last few minutes that shouldn't have, and it's just so bizarre that he couldn't take it anymore. There's just something so funny about all of this, about how things have unfolded that he can't hold it in, and his laughter gushes forth from him in rolling, full waves.

Wiping at his eyes, he glances up at her. ]

S-s-sorry, it's just...we're here, in this horrible place, that was a living nightmare for me, and we're just...y'know. Bein' dorks.

[ And that's not a bad thing. As his laughter starts to taper off, he reaches for her hand again, squeezing her fingers fondly. ]

...You're probably wonderin' what this place is, huh? Why I was here.

[ Maybe talking about it will help them figure out why they're here now. ]

[ ah. so he's not actually cracked. that's good.

alisaie's expression softens into a weary, sympathetic smile, the hand on his shoulder lifting to his cheek, her knuckles brushing the line of his jaw, her thumb skirting beneath his cheekbone. when did it.. become so easy to touch him? when had she stopped worrying so much about what it meant?

she still worries. she still has no idea whether or not it is the right choice, to allow herself to.. love him. but she is beginning to realize that mayhaps there is no real right choice at all. ]

I imagine it is.. some place important to you.

[ It's surprising for him, too, just how easy it has become to touch her and be touched by her, to no longer worry that her tenderness is misplaced, that he isn't worthy of this kind of attention from her. This is her choice, and for all they are still navigating their relationship, there's an ease to it, too. A simplicity he sometimes can't recognize through his anxiety. They fell into this thing together so thoughtlessly. Why should he be so worried about defining what it is now that they're here?

So he lets out a tense breath, leaning into her touch, his smile waxing as his cheeks brighten. ]

...Yeah. Not...for a good reason, but also...kind of for a good reason? It's complicated.

[ But she knows his past already, which helps. It saves him from having to explain so much, and for a brief moment, he's grateful to his past self for having the guts to reveal to her his deepest, darkest secret. ]

This is...where I was...um. Made.

I.. I see.

[ that's a heavy statement, and it applies more than a little pressure to their situation, and to the meaning of their surroundings. of course he's already told her of his past, where he came from, how he was born, but seeing it before her own eyes is quite different. this place is so.. dark, so cold and oppressive, it's no wonder he reacted the way that he had when they first arrived.

but he's stronger than he once was. stronger than he gives himself credit for. with her hand still cupping his face, alisaie tips up his chin so she can meet his eyes. her voice is kind, but steady and strong. ]

Do you want to continue forward?

[ if he isn't ready, or if he would rather not.. no doubt they can find some other way out of this place. ]

[ She asks the question he needs to ask himself, and he takes time to consider it, even if he already knows what his answer is, what it has to be. There's nothing he can see here that he hasn't already seen before, and while his time in the facility represents the darkest chapter of his life, Prompto made it through before. If he did it once, he can do it again.

Especially with Alisaie at his side. He nods, trembling, but resolute. ]

...Yeah. Only one way outta this place, if this is my memory.

[ But before he steps away to start following himself again, he dips down and presses a soft kiss to the crest of her cheek. ]

Like I said...I can't be scared as long as you're with me.

[ he gives the answer she expected, and alisaie smiles in return, dipping her head in a nod. there it is, as always - his hidden strength. maybe it does help that she is here by his side to support him, to keep him on his feet, but that doesn't negate his own choice to move forward.

despite it all, her cheeks flush warm and her eyelashes flutter when he presses a kiss to her cheek. ]

Y-yes.. well...

[ she murmurs through a breathless laugh, then touches his elbow to get him moving. ]

Let us go, then, before we lose our guide.

[ She prompts him to move, and there's no sense in delaying it any further, except to avoid what lies ahead. But determined to face what comes next, he steps back at last, and starts to walk, his hand still in hers. He has a pretty good idea about where in this memory they have been dropped into, about what she's going to see, but they still have a few minutes. There's time for him to steel himself.

Okay. One foot in front of the other. As they move deeper into the facility, the Prompto of the past takes out the MTs on patrol, but even the ones that rush by Prompto and Alisaie don't seem to notice them. It's proof enough that whatever it is, it isn't really happening, though that doesn't stop his blood from chilling as he watches his former self fight them off. They were just like him. Bred for this. He was just the one who was lucky enough to get out. ]

...We're gonna find the pods soon. It's...gonna be freaky. Just to warn you.

[ And then not long after that...the confrontation with Verstael himself. His maker. ]

[ they're moving again, making their way through the facility. it's like any other facility she's seen, eorzea is peppered with magitek factories as well, she's broken into a dew of them herself, but knowing just what this one hides behind its walls is all the more chilling.

still, terrifying or not, were it not for this place, she would never have known him. the world would not have been gifted his sunshine, his warmth, his kindness. this in no way absolves those involved of the horror and pain that they have inflicted, but nevertheless she is grateful for prompto, grateful that he was born, that he exists. ]

Pods?

[ she's not sure what he means - at least, not until they turn the corner and.. there they are. men in just that: pods. pale, ghostly creatures, sleeping, silent, their faces all the same. despite herself she gasps in shock and surprise, her free hand clasping over her mouth. ]

[ There they are. His brothers, for lack of a better term. His flesh and blood. Each one just like him, frozen in time, suspended until the Empire calls on them to serve their singular purpose: give up their souls for daemonification. They'll never know happiness or warmth or love like he does. How could he have been the only one to earn that right?

Should he have rescued them? Could he have rescued them? If he freed them from the pods, would they even know how to live? How to move, breath, eat?

A strangled sound catches in his throat as his eyes move between her and the pods. ]

...If I hadn't been rescued, I...I would've been just like them. I-it's weird, I know.

[ It can't be easier for her to see this. It isn't easy for him to see her seeing it. ]

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