lunaecalamitas | thousand dreams, lotus boats upon the waters

thousand dreams, lotus boats upon the waters

NEW MOON ADAGIO

Between the constant requests from the North and the sense of tension that pervades the manor, Sage Tatara makes an executive decision: we're going North, baby.

Of all the things that have happened thus far, let this be the ultimate test of your magic. Even as we near summer, it's frigid. Protect yourselves and your allies from the cold. Protect yourselves while also fighting off monsters (or other territorial wizards, should you make the terrible mistake of wandering into another's territory), flying through the vast wilderness, or protecting the poor humans who need your help to survive. Time to blow off some of your steam. Just be sure to obey Tatara's one rule: don't kill each other.

One particular problem of note is in the Forest of Dreams. Without its guardian, many of these rogue monsters and dangerous predators, displaced from their normal habitats, have found their way into the forest. Many of them, however, are unable to survive against the fatal toxin, and there are plenty of animal corpses and mana stones that litter the forest. It might be best to clean these up before the forest guardian returns...

That said, the toxin is yet another thing you must protect yourself against in addition to the cold. While you can likely keep yourself from dying from the toxins, you may not be immune to its effects. This deadly toxin causes anyone who breathes it in to dream and hallucinate vividly, be it images of the past, imagined futures, thoughts of the present processed and warped...

Strangely enough, those nearby may end up sharing in your dreams... Did you want the darkest recesses of your thoughts, hopes, and fears unearthed for others to see?

Those who decide to venture far past the more populated (in relative terms) parts of the North may find themselves stumbling upon what looks to be an abandoned bandit hideout. It seems it's been abandoned for quite a while—nothing to loot here, sorry!—but there sure are a whole lot of monsters that have decided to make this hidden corner of the North their home.

While you're at it, you may find a nearby cave. Beautiful crystals dot the walls and the floors, and there are small pools of hot spring water free for relaxing. It seems to be relatively free of monsters, too. So maybe this wouldn't be a bad spot to relax, away from everything else?

However, there's one thing that makes this cave truly unique, and it isn't the vistas or the springs—it's the bats. These bats hear echoes of the past and replay them for visitors. Should you stay a while and listen, a bat may pay you a visit. And when it does, it may play for you the voices from the memories of visitors past, whose stories may hold a clue or two to your circumstances...

While the Forest of Dreams is a memory/dreamshare free for all, the aural memories replayed by the bats in the Cave of Time will come from one of the original wizards only. If you'd like an audio replay of a perhaps significant moment either in their personal life or a clue as to what happened to them (it will be randomized), then please reply to this comment!

JOB BOARD

Clean-up and repairs. While thanks to the hard work of your Eastern friends the worst was prevented, the City of Rain emerged from their short ordeal a little worse for wear.

Buildings need repair, blood needs to be cleaned off the streets, the injured need help. This is, perhaps, the only time you will be allowed to use magic openly in the city (you've been given permits and everything!), but you still are not allowed to talk outside of designated zones. Please, please don't get arrested...

As for the scrap that litters the streets? Unfortunately, you'll have to take it back to the scrapyard. But this time, there's a big, roaring bonfire out there. Just chuck all the scrap and debris in the fire. The city isn't taking any second chances—extreme situations call for extreme measures.

Reverence. Several Northern villages are currently outside the protection of a wizard, and have requested the sage's wizards' presence. They're terrified of the monsters and worried the barriers for their villages will fail sooner than later. They don't simply ask for help for free, however, and these smaller villages are steeped in their tradition—they'll pay you their respects, praying to you, offering you gifts, groveling at your feet, in hopes for a modicum of your time and protection. Do their offerings please you? Then assist them with what you deem appropriate for their worship to you: kill a few monsters for them, or a lot if you're pleased. Strengthen the barrier a lot, or not at all if you're displeased. It's up to you! You have the power here. What's it like to be a god for a day?

Ladies' night. The monthly lady officers' gathering is coming up in the City of Affluence—it's an exclusive meetup for the women involved in and related to Western military and bureaucratic affairs. Anyone is welcome, so long as they meet two requirements: they are outwardly presenting feminine, and they have an invitation to the gathering. Here's your chance to flex your transformation and glamour spells! Infiltrate the meetup with a disguise and a fake invitation, mingle, enjoy the drinks, the jazz, the entertainment, and find out what you can... What's the Western army up to? Be careful, though—don't get caught and kicked out!

The attendees seem to be excited about the new phantasmagoria technology and the upcoming display, and many whisper about the upcoming Venator meteor shower...

G'RAHA TASKS

Greetings, new friends! I am G'raha Tia, and while I hesitate to call myself a mentor or a replacement for the one you had, I am eternally grateful for the assistance I received and will do my best to help your cause in any way I can. To that end, I feel I may need to be caught up to speed on the events and get to know all of you.

We can have some tea and sandwiches and have a discussion! That's the best way to learn, sometimes.

TATARA ACTIVITIES

Even if we're not here for very long, I think we should leave our mark (not literally! Don't paint on the walls!). I got paint and big paper in the dining hall, but no brushes... Do you know what that means? Finger paint! Finger paint a portrait of yourself with your name and I'll hang it up in the library when they're all done!

Thanks to Cid and Khun, my camcorder works now. The thing is, what's the point of filming anything if we have no way to watch the film?! Could you guys work together to make some kind of projector? Or like...VHS player? We could have a movie night together!

OOC NOTES

🌙 Welcome to your fourth event! It's your dreamshare and memshare event! Ready to open up with your deepest and darkest secrets?
🌙 We're halfway through the game. How do you feel?
🌙 Back at the manor, Kurapika and Maya have set up a bulletin board! Leave comments, argue with your neighbors, have fun. Be nice. Don't set it on fire.
🌙 On the admin side of things, Lav has swapped out Wanderer for G'raha! Please say hello to your new mentor NPC.
🌙 Your OOC plotting post is here! Remember to keep all wider plotting to the post, and remember to check back frequently, since not everyone checks plurk or discord all the time.
🌙 The next country to go on their mission is North. Do you think a PVP-enabled mission will go well?

» NAVIGATION

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[Just moving areas doesn't get him free from the glare. Learning from your mistakes is all well and good, but not risking arrest and incarceration in the first place is better!]

[Nonetheless, she answers his question.]

We need a better distribution of effort and more efficiency, but in what operation is that untrue?

[ the entire experience is unsettling, down to the chill that sets in his bones despite his natural disposition. but khun watches and observes as he's want to do, even if it's something not many have seen him do here—the role of the lightbringer is to assess the battlefield, make calls and find weak points and ways of victory. if he tells himself that, the experience isn't as uncomfortable as it was to start.

when it's over, khun takes a few moments to settle back into the present. ]

The hallucinogens. [ gesturing at a tree, languid. ]

You clearly didn't want to do all of that. Why bother to?

[ Man, and he can't argue with Solomon on that. ]

...Fine, let's go.

[ Before more hallucinations happen. ]

[Time to gently guide Day in that direction, though he will keep whatever pace Day can manage.]

I'm sorry you had to see that.

[She isn't sure if he's genuinely confused or just being sassy, and elects to presume that it's the one that doesn't get him burned.]

Supposing someone else wants to use that table as well.

[She hesitates for just one split second, because unconsciously she had expected him to sound substantially different. Gormotti all have an accent completely unlike his.]

Then you are at least progressing properly. Am I not mistaken in thinking this whole 'magic' thing is not unfamiliar to you?

Everything is dictated by the King and the administrators of each floor.

[ his world is very rule specific in some areas despite being the wild west in others. though this isn't about his world, so he moves on. ]

I can't. [ does he explain why he can't? absolutely not. ] Most days have more than one holiday—that doesn't even make sense.

Book Giving Day, Library Lovers Day, National Ferris Wheel Day, Valentine's Day, Bonobo Day, Welsh Music Day...

[ they're all foreign to him and he has no idea that one of these is the only real relevant holiday on February 14th. ]

Edited 2024-05-24 13:54 (UTC)

No doubt we could. But then the blood will simply not go anywhere.

[Tricky. The worst part is, blood doesn't properly burn, else this would be an easy matter.]

Perhaps our only real option is to ensure it drains past the town's access. Either that or ensure a supply of well-filtered water for long enough that it dissipates.

Maybe next tim—

[ he's already answering before bruno repeats himself because-

wait

what. ]

Repeat that. What you said the first time.

[ he did not just hear his actual native language?

every single one of the Ten Families has a native language, and the Khun family is no exception. usually though, it's only spoken in conversation within a given family, with Macsethian being the universal language for 99% of conversations. plus with a pocket, there's no point in trying to hide conversations between languages regardless.

also yes, the dress is green! ]

Sure. [ khun can definitely picture it. he'll never view a couch as cozy himself, but he can easily see tatara thinking of it that way. he grabs his drink briefly wondering if hallucinogens can imitate drunkeness, but thankfully he had a real meal before they left so he's fine either way.

to the couch! still holding hands as they are. ]

I couldn't sleep in here. [ ostensibly at the pleasant chatter, but also in the presence of so many people. ] Is this HOMRA's base?

Impressive. The more time I spend here, the more I realize I have yet to consider all the possibilities that magic allows for.

[ the dress being green is the actual important thing here i mean ]

Huh?

[ At first, Bruno is perplexed by what Khun is asking. Repeat... what? Too much? His brow furrows briefly but even if he can't understand why that stood out to Khun, there's no harm in it, so. ]

Demasiado?

[Ithaqua has to scratch his head at that, in confusion, making the ears on his hood twitch.]

Have you not been looking at books in the library? [Which... honestly? If this is true... why... Why would you not...] I had the ideas and the knowledge in said books helped me push my ideas into reality.

It ain't like you had any control over it.

[ Despite being shaken earlier, Day does manage to put up a good pace. ]

[ Aw...what an adorable image.

Though, he does actually laugh a little when the other says that. ]

Oh? Is that so? I suppose it helped with deepening your evasion skills. Most certainly imperative to develop for your future. [ Help. ] But, ah...I see.

Both do sound like—hm? Do you smell that?

[ Jing Yuan's expression turns curious as he looks back towards the trees in an attempt to sus out the direct location of where it originated. ]

[ Jing Yuan still looks curiously at the book for awhile, as if simply laying his eyes upon it a little longer will divine its ultimate secrets.

Then, he looks back over at Tatara. ]

Ah, I see. That would be most certainly convenient, if so.

...It appears to be written in a strange language unfamiliar to me, though. But, you can understand it?

[ Mercy, mercy, Special Inquisitor! Jing Yuan's poor, old man heart can only take so much!

...Nah, he'll be fine. Jing Yuan is glad that she answers his question well enough. ]

Haha, well, I do believe that while your answer is true enough, it is also true that this operation can benefit from being efficient in certain ways that would be different from others.

...Such as to get rid of those inefficient laws regarding those certain areas where people are unable to speak.

[ The criticism of this place is coming out on main. ]

[ Well then, it isn't like Jing Yuan hasn't been revealing he was a General, so that's not all that much a problem. Though, the memory itself is kind of...hmm.

It's not something all that light-hearted either, and even though he conducted himself with professionalism throughout most of it, it isn't exactly something he prefers to have been broadcasted.

Still, it is what it is, and he nods when Khun gestures to the trees. Easy, obvious answer now. But, for the question...just to cover his bases for what he means by 'all', he answers for both portions of the memories: ]

It was my duty as the General of the Luofu.

Admittedly, originally freeing Dan Heng was not. But, you already know about Dan Feng. Originally he was consigned to eternal imprisonment, even when his reincarnation replaced him. I intervened due to my past history with Dan Heng, and ensured that it was myself who had a hand in his release.

As for my duty in general in compelling Dan Heng when he returned, we needed his strength to combat the threat. In addition, it would facilitate other opportunities—though he was reluctant I had to make him understand his participation benefited him as well. He would no longer be seen as a criminal by the entirety of the Xianzhou Alliance, if he assisted.

That's...

[ Day looks confused for a moment, and then recognition hits him, followed by "oh shit".

The forest ground is a clean marble floor now, and the scenery changes. They're in a place not unlike the manor, but cleaner and more luxurious, the decor made of ivory and the scent of fresh orchids in the air. They seem to be in a dining room, where a somewhat younger Day is talking to a woman.

It's not a fun conversation. And the feelings are probably far more vivid than either of them would like. ]

I wasn't, but I would hardly say healing magic is my specialization.

[he's a multi-talented cat!]

More destructive forms of magic would make for a poor parlor trick, though.

The fog is...? Oh. Ohhh no, no, nope, let's. C'mon.

[ Bruno grabs for one of Ahito's hands and immediately turns to drag him along, away from this spot. ]

It's the forest. It's about to do something weird again.

[ They can't actually outrun it but, damn, Bruno is sure going to try! ]

Probably? I've never been outside the valley before, well, this place, so I don't really know.

[ Although on that note, the fog in the forest around them seems to be gathering as they discuss this. ]

[ Western Country is going on the list of places Bruno likes, just below Southern Country, of course. After all, the South feels like home. ]

Maybe we should all drop by for it when it comes around. It might be a fun trip... or, uh. Hm.

[ And he opens his fan to hold it up as though to hide what he's saying, just in case. They are here to spy, after all! More quietly, he adds, ]

If anything lands in the West, that could be a problem, considering what's happened in the other countries.

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