thousand dreams, lotus boats upon the waters

[promittere]

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

Comments

[fallingsand]

...actually, yeah, your dad seems kinda scary, kid. Uh. Well. If he wants to defeat me, you must enter the haunted forest! Bwahaha?

[ cough right anyway, he's whisking away Jing Yuan backstage until the scene changes to his castle, adios muchacho ]

[foresightis2020]

[ small wave before Bruno does the whisk-a-away-routine byeeee ]

[fallingsand]

[ w-well just try it, farmer boy! he's... a big, scary demon! yeah! ]

[fellheart]

[ his father is a very awe-inspiring figure, nods

he just decided to take a brief sabbatical in the countryside for a bit. you know. ]

[fellheart]

[ waves back?? hello why is he being waved to, don't mind him, he's just watching. all this happen. because his dad told him to. ]

[fellheart]

[ he'll just like, sleight of hand a dramatic smoke and doom and gloom special effects exit for Bruno all the while looking Somewhat Concerned about all this going down, sure

you gotta make the dramatic exits, come on, ]

[fallingsand]

[ thanks for the dramatic outro, my dude, it is appreciated ]

[dyingtohealyou]

I guess if we really are returned home after we get the original wizards back, it wouldn't be a problem for our future, but...

[...Leaves a bad taste in his mouth.

Ugh. Time to get going on this barrier, at least that's something he can actually do right now.]

[fellheart]

[ robin glances sharply over at day when addressed, opening his mouth to respond, ]

"what are you doing?!" [ hisses robin's voice,

but it doesn't come from the man in front of him. that man only grimaces, what seems almost like an uncharacteristically hunted expression on his face, but it's fleeting, quickly schooled away into an expression of irritation because... no. absolutely not. how dare this forest.

from elsewhere in the 'room,' now identifiable as someone's personal chambers in a castle, robin's voice issues forth again from the phantom hovering at someone's bedside. "you're not supposed to be up! lie back down, chrom, before you reopen something you shouldn't and render all the healers' work useless—"

... the present robin mouths along to the reprimand word for word before folding his arms and stalking over to day, mouth a thin line. ]

... Hah. If it isn't enough to dredge up these things in the first place, it's going to have others witness them too, I see.

[ if day is watching the scene, the unfamiliar figure in the bed only groans, disoriented. then: "robin-? what did- oh gods, emm! the assassins- is she all right? what happened with the assassins?" ]

[impacter]

And I suppose all that fighting prowess and the title of General also came from only a "tad bit" of experience as well, hm?

[Jing Yuan definitely doesn't need to be so modest - Solomon has seen him fight. That wasn't the stance of a man who's only dabbled, and with the memory he'd seen to build a foundation, he can put two and two together.]

You're a father, then. [By choice rather than blood, given that wording, but a father is a father nonetheless.] I could see it. You do have a good countenance for it--

[Except there goes Jing Yuan, digging for his cell. Solomon can't help but stifle a laugh from behind the scarf.]

You have a phone on you, of all things? Hahah... Sure, why not.

Out of the trees first, dear Jing Yuan. I would feel pretty rotten if you fell to poison over pictures of your loved one.

[revengier]

[ Kurapika leads the way, still just as silent, simply because he doesn't see a point in saying much when what's going on will become clear soon enough.

As they approach the precipice of the gorge, the scene becomes clear—

In the bottom, there are two figures facing off: one that is most definitely Kurapika (although he's in different clothes) and another, much taller and bulkier figure. ]

...It's what I suspected.

[revengier]

The first person I killed. I fought them here.

[ And sure enough, there's a rumbling in the distance, the sound of the earth caving in in some places, followed by the sound of chains hitting the ground and ricocheting off of rocks. ]

[fellheart]

Ah, yes, an entire nation of undesirables. And may all their children now and henceforth be the same. Though 'nation' might perhaps be stretching it, all things considered.

[ still, if that's really the case, his distaste of the other countries bordering the north can only grow. ]

One of the representatives at the ball some weeks ago relayed to me his concerns about being able to take care of the children his village found themselves suddenly taking in. What must it be like, to know that you would rather petition unknown wizards that you are clearly terrified of for aid rather than any of the other countries in the world?

[ it doesn't exactly paint a good picture of the other nations. beneath the others' notice sounds about right, if they're putting it lightly. ]

[lighthaus]

Nonsense. Just because we didn't cause it doesn't mean we can't capitalize on it.

[ time for them to mosey to the other thread?

what about this is farming khun, he's too focused on the father part. ]

[fellheart]

I see...

[ wakarimasu. let him just sort of do some mental adjustments to his persona and whatever backstory growing up with a father like this must have involved. ]

All right then. I'll follow your lead, father.

[ time for them to mosey to the other thread, nods. ]

[lighthaus]

Then there's that, at least. [ he sticks his hands in his pockets. ]

They say being a ruler changes you, but I don't think you've forgotten all of who you are.

[ it's a compliment. ]

[revengier]

[ Can Currentpika hear him? It's hard to say, because he's... not there, at least not right at the moment.

It seems all Jing Yuan can do is talk to the one that nearly bumped into him. As he follows, he'll find himself in front of those double doors, still swinging from Kurapika disappearing behind them in a flurry. ]

[revengier]

...Doesn't seem to be.

[ There's a precipice of some sort that they can head towards, with the distinct sounds of battle coming from the bottom—sounds of the earth shuddering and breaking followed by chains hitting rocks.

He sighs, beginning to walk towards that ledge, since he figures Khun will. ]

This is something from my memories.

[lighthaus]

[ death doesn't scare him, in some ways it's more natural than everything he's had to deal with here. people die in the tower everyday, due to whim, luck, and everything in between. he doesn't like the feeling though, the phantom pain; it's alien to him and all wrong.

he scans the environment, assesses what he sees and draws conclusions. ]

Your memory. Of what?

[revengier]

Of course I am. I've done this before.

[ And if he's not... well, confidence counts, right?

But experience really means something here, so he'll lower his sunglasses, showing Mika the light touch of eyeliner he's applied that accentuates the shape of his eyes so that they appear more cat-like. ]

[lighthaus]

[ yeah, he's in lockstep. ]

I don't think much can surprise me. [ seemingly general, but he means it more between them. their echoes and the way they intersect mean that even if he doesn't understand fully, he can still accept it. ]

[lighthaus]

[ "Thank you." It's a compliment he knows, but one he'll try not to think about beyond face value. He thinks about the size of the forest again, and knows he's not nervous but—thought for later, and he pushes them to the side once again. ]

Good, she deserves to be. [ ...maybe his soft spot for familial princesses of a certain nature is also showing through.

khun does hear the footsteps, but he doesn't react to them, at least physically. mentally he's already speeding ahead, but in this world he's decided to take cues from tatara. ]

candy time

[lighthaus]

[ khun's also out to collect manastones, it's the only reason he keeps coming back to this forest even though he's already been through it with memories. he's so tired.

the sound of crunching isn't exactly comforting, so he has to investigate, walking up to malice with a bemused expression. ]

That's the first time I've ever seen someone do that.

[troublereduction]

...This is your...

[ Kurapika's memory, he means to say, but Day's eyes are focused on the fight below. ]

[shortleash]

( Mika stares at Bruno for a few moments, the concept not at all ringing. He knows Bruno is kind of this tea guy (he has the scent of it, probably), but... blood tea... what...

Then - Oh. Oh - right - ah - jeez, he was so fried when they last spoke.

... Bruno actually did it???? )

... You made it work??

( Literally just repeating Bruno but. It's possible ??? Did he taste it himself or...??? It's possible ?? )