apocalypsehowcomm | NETWORK - Voice

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!npc

NETWORK - Voice - un: thecolepackage

[The voice that starts out speaking does not sound...right. Like it’s done with a filter on, distorting the sound into something neither inherently male nor inherently female. Something torn between, too close to the mic and too far away. Something that holds an underlayer of perpetual static.

It also sounds like they’re asking someone else something to start.]

Like this? Oh- as soon as I press the button? Cole-!

[There’s a pause and then a much more purposeful address.]

Offworlders, both those affiliated with ADI and otherwise, my name is… I am the Visionary...and I’m very worried about my friends. I’m worried about a lot, actually.

[She takes a breath as though to steady her voice, but it only helps so much, as by the end his words are more rushed, his worry pressing through.]

Several months ago, Reyes started… disappearing for long stretches of time. One time, they came back… pretty badly hurt. After that, Bonnie started going, too. To Dogtown. Now they’ve vanished. I haven’t heard from them or had any check-in at all, and I’m worried they might be hurt and alone- Please… I have a map. Something Reyes was working on, it looks like they started to find a safe path through.

[There’s a File linked that shows the distinct curving pattern of a path that loops in towards the heart of Dogtown. It’s not finished, but its spiral pattern is clear and not too difficult to extrapolate from for someone clever.]

Cole’s been helping me put what we have together, and I do know what it looks like. The path is a spiral and it’s… likely something to worry about. On top of the obvious cause, it’s not just there. The spiral’s been in… a lot lately.

[New links come through, news articles about M.C. Etcher’s art galleries, about his contributions to the museum in Buffalo a few months back, some videos of press releases where he and the late Zyrian Steele, previously of the Vast, can be seen tersely shaking hands are all shared. Etcher appears to be clothed in such a manner that all parts of him are covered, and his face and hair don't seem to be visible in anything. That hat brim is too large, the shadows too deep. The last file is a photo of the printed news article about the new miniature Gloucester when it was first announced.]

We’re pretty certain Mr. Etcher is an avatar of the Spiral, and he’s been putting his hands in things here for a while. Just as much as Steel, if maybe after him. Cole’s pretty sure one of his affiliates even traveled to Wolf Trap to help lead you all into getting rid of Steele. So, all that to say… I’m sorry, I know this is dangerous, the Spiral probably… wants you in there. I want you in there, but Cole and I want our friends back more… so, please, won’t you help us?

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Please ask any OOC questions that might arise here. Additionally, as a reminder, the Visionary is an avatar NPC living in Bonnie's Flophouse. They have the ability to offer visions of... some future in exchange for important memories. Mechanically, they function as the Canon Update mechanic in Apocalypse How. They are mostly quiet and tend to hide from others as they are trying to resist their eldritch impulses to feed.

Facts known about the Visionary: They are genderfluid and very close to Bonnie. Before she was an avatar, she was a person named Skye who worked at ADI. She is native to the Apocalypse How universe. He read a cursed book, which is what gave him his abilities.

Regarding the thing at the centre of Dogtown the path leads to- I just want to make sure that this is the same place Raine discovered while snooping around. I figured could at the least offer up that they know something that might help. Even if they're cryptic about it.

We can neither confirm nor deny! But if Raine would like to make that connection and let folks know what they found, they are absolutely more than welcome to in order to help with speculation.

And for anyone else watching questions, the Wolfe House once stood at the center of Dogtown. Asking around, folks would learn that it was supposedly wiped out along with the rest of the buildings in Dogtown a long time ago; though, the site has remained 'haunted.' But then, Dogtown has been changing a lot recently, as those who have entered it may have discovered.

(Hey Cole! Hey Visionary! Wanted to learn a bunch of new and inventive uses for swears? Wanted to learn swears in foreign languages? How about alien languages? Well, you're getting a whole bunch of great examples of all of those, now! Enjoy more common stuff, like French or Japanese, mixed with exotic Halo setting specific examples like New Nordic and Sangheili!)

I don't know how much you guys know about him but Bryn-the bakery guy-he's apparently dead now, and he's been haunting people from ADI. He tried to tell me something about needing to "stop it" and the "end of the spiral".

...I'd noticed there seemed to be a safe path before, but no one else investigated and I'm not able to explore more than the fringes of Dogtown; I have to charge regularly or I'll fall into a coma. That ...hasn't changed. With the way things are currently, I don't think I could even manage the fringes.

[It's Cole's voice that bounces back to her, sounding a little distant from the microphone - like he's leaning over the Visionary's shoulder, perhaps.]

Whoa, Cortana -- I didn't catch all of that? There's a dead baker guy talking about the Spiral now?

I didn't know you'd been out there exploring it. I don't know...if there's a safe path in and back out you might be able to get farther, but I can't...I mean, I know we just asked you to do that, but I can't ask you to do that, if that makes sense? I know it's dangerous. I don't really know what to do.

What do you need to be able to recharge?

A year ago, give or take, there was an incident with a local bakery: A man named Bryn got trapped inside and forced to bake ...evil bread? Don't ask. A bunch of us got trapped--it's a long story--trying to rescue him.

Eda knows the full story.

(She lets out a long, tired sigh.)

I thought we'd saved him from all this, but...

(Apparently not.)

As for Dogtown, I haven't done much exploring. (And that was less exploring and more getting chased by a giant bear monster.) A portable generator might work for helping me recharge, but that's hardly the only issue.

(She hesitates on explaining more, though. Can you blame her? Who wants to tell people they're starting to literally fall apart?)

I'm not...certain what we have available to us, but perhaps if we were able to make some sort of battery-pack type of thing?

But...you say that is not the only issue? Besides the danger inherent, I assume...

You're the Visionary, right?

(She's not really met this person, despite living at Bonnie's for a while.

She takes a breath before deciding to just come out and say it.)

I'm affected by whatever force has been damaging the technology.

...Yes, I am.

[She's kept to herself and that's just fine by her...but none of that is as important as-]

The...corrosive affect? It ate the microwave...I thought it had died down, but it's still lingering with you? Has ADI not been able to offer a solution or defense?

[His voice comes in first soft, as if talking to himself while turning the device on.]

I told them not to go, I told them--

[And then, stronger.]

Do you know if they're even alive? Or... or might it already be too late?

Edited 2023-11-09 07:32 (UTC)

[There's a breath's hesitation on their end of the line.]

I...we do not know. I'm simply hopeful...and trust in their resourcefulness that they might still benefit from help.

But what can we even do?

[Martin sighs, already sounding a bit panicked.]

We-- we don't know where they are, or where they've gone, and you've already said they're basically bait! How are we supposed to save anyone? How are we-- how do we even know there's anything to save!

[He's quiet a moment and then sighs, her voice turning softer.]

I don't know...and I don't know if what I can See of them is even real...or set in stone. But I genuinely don't think they're dead. I don't think....I'm not sure I could see them if they were dead.

If there's anything left to save, I can't promise. But...I can't abandon them. They...they never abandoned me.

[It reminds him of Jon's logic, about piecing holes in the apocalypse about what he could and couldn't Know, and it softens him to the discussion. They're trying. They're scared, and trying, and he doesn't have the heart to tell them not to.]

Okay, I-- I understand that. That's still a little more that, that we know, so... okay.

[A bit of a pause for him to catch his breath, and then--]

Will... are you going to try and come too? To help at all?

[There's a significant hesitation on her end.]

I...I don't know what I could do. I think I would be a danger to you. My eyes aren't normal anymore and I was never a field agent when I...when I worked for ADI.

I think that house is a danger to us, more than anything.

[But he can understand they're scared. He is, too. He doesn't want to go.]

Don't you think you could... I don't know. Use what you have against them? Fight back?

How?

What I have is a Sight. I can look into a person's future...and I don't even know if it's real.

I will help how I can, however I can, but I'll just be a liability if I go with you all.

No, I-- I understand.

[It's not great, but... they would be no help if they didn't want to be there.]

Do you... Know anything about the house? About the people who go there, or-- the people who made it?

[There's a pause and a sound of static through the connection that lingers just at the edges when The Visonary next speaks.]

Wolves built it and Wolves maintain it...they live with the Spiders now, but still their form twists and writhes. Yet they were clever, sharp, planned. There is a gate made of ants and fire and darkness over a span of Nothing and Everything. Too much- too much too-

[They gasp and the static fades. When he speaks again, it's quieter.]

I'm sorry...I've tried to look into Dogtown before, when Reyes first started vanishing...there's...something that pulls at me...and blocks me. I don't know...

Dammit... I didn't think they should keep going alone but I also didn't think Bonnie was the best person to take. [This is muttered half to herself.]

But... it looks like they made some progress since the version they showed me. At least that's somewhere to start.

[There's a small pause of consideration on the Visonary's end.]

Bonnie's more capable than she might seem to most...but I agree it was too dangerous to go like they did. I should have said something to them...or to someone else.

I doubt there was much changing their minds. But... I dunno, maybe we both should have.

[Not that that really changes anything now.]

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NETWORK - Voice - un: thecolepackage

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