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

[leewards]

[Without a care in the world, Ithaqua sticks his hand into the dragon's mouth and deposits the stone onto his tongue, and then withdraws it.]

[lustro]

[ Yeah, but............ that much blood? Ginger's face says DOUBT. ]

[erythropoiesis]

[Yet...]

That's good to hear.

[He nods, relieved.]

Now, on to something less serious. Are you handling magic training well? Is magic something you're familiar with from your home?

[chronosynthesis]

Hmm? [He catches Yamato's surprise at first, and then realizes the echo of his voice. He turns to look for the source of it, hand resting on the hilt of his blade but not quite drawing it yet.]

[foresightis2020]

[ Well, that is a strange sensation; of all the things, Jing Yuan hadn't anticipated that Kurapika would end up staring at him mid-memory, but perhaps he may be less himself and maybe someone else entirely. Which is honestly something that could make sense, though it isn't exactly a theory he is looking to commit to completely.

As it is, it isn't something he's about to dwell upon.

The memory is already moving along regardless.

Strange, how he is the only one in the auditorium with Kurapika. ]

...Kurapika?

[ He opens his mouth in a ask, as he follows, noticing the way the other moves, footsteps unsteady. Though, the memory certainly won't allow him to affect much, he asks nevertheless; it's just out of his usual form of worry. But, recognizing how useless it is, he just falls silent regardless. ]

[revengier]

See you later.

[ He's going to let other people fuss over Ithaqua now, and show up at his room sometime in tomorrow!! ]

[chronosynthesis]

Wait, Bruno-[Syrlya reaches out as he loses sight of him. But his hand only comes away with empty air.

It pulls away, and Syrlya stands along someplace new. He hopes that means that Bruno is safe in for forest. He doesn't wait long to start walking forward, taking in the sand and stone as he does.

The crying catches his attention, brings him to a stop. Of course, how could he neglect the sound of someone's suffering? He tilts his head, turning in the direction and taking careful steps closer.]

Hello...? Is someone there?

[revengier]

Mm, I would imagine so. Chances are they're all fine, but a visit wouldn't hurt.

[ Not that he's suggesting Malice go. ]

[erythropoiesis]

Truthfully, nobody knows for sure.

[because i haven't done that side content yet shhhhhh]

Or Krile has decided not to make me worry over her by telling me the truth. She wouldn't be the first to attempt such a thing, after all.

[fellheart]

[ snap. the jaws shut, the dragon lifting its head and tilting its head back as it swallows. ah, but will the stone be lonely? perhaps he should later snack on one of sophie's, just so they can be together again...

lowering his head back down to the ground, he'll regard itha one set of eyes, and... ]

Tʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ.

[revengier]

[ Kurapika stops in his tracks, fingers grasping tightly at the box in his arms.

He doesn't turn around. ]

...How do you know my name?

[ His tone is carefully even, but there's an undercurrent of something else there, something akin to pure, unbridled rage. It isn't unusual for someone to know his name, not after he's moved up quickly in the ranks of the Nostrade family's security detail, but to ask for him out of concern?

That's new. ]

[fellheart]

[ crying, this really has just turned into a chaotic genre-defying mess huh ]

Tᴏ ʙᴇ sᴏʟᴠᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʀᴇsᴛ, ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴏʀ ʟᴇss.

Uɴʟᴇss ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ᴀᴡᴀʀᴇ ᴏғ ᴀ ᴡᴀʏ ᴛᴏ sᴘᴇᴇᴅ ᴀʟᴏɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇsᴛᴏʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ sᴘᴇɴᴛ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ ᴏʀ ʟᴏsᴛ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ?

[foresightis2020]

[ How hard do you want this man to try.

As it is, Jing Yuan doesn't seem affected by even a dragon's unimpressed glare. He has weathered worse withering looks, and even far more terrible gazes than even this.

At least, by his estimation. There is not even a flinch nor a change in his tone, measured as it usually is. In casual conversation or with more difficult topics. It is just how he is. ]

I recognize that they are certainly non-fatal. Though I also don't see the point in not bringing attention to them either.

You all weathered the same blizzard, which means that all of you could stand from a certain amount of attention.

If you are so certain you can attend to them yourself, then so be it. I will eventually see the results of that myself.

[leewards]

Ah, that. [He says that so casually! As if he hasn't thought much of it recently-- which is true, Ithaqua has had other things on his mind, particularly what's happening with pieces of the moon here.

He taps one finger on the table, careful not to use his claw.]

I haven't an issue with fighting the moon personally... even if it would be more difficult than anything I have ever done in the past. But this is much safer for us, isn't it? And I've a life I must return to.

[Which is why he's not going off on his own to do something reckless.]

[dyingtohealyou]

-Oh yeah? Why, what gives you that impression?

[dyingtohealyou]

What did you think it was...?

[chronosynthesis]

Oh, yes, magic is very commonplace in Tyria. [He nods.] I practiced it then, though the method is quite different compared to here.

[dyingtohealyou]

...What magic?

[Hm. The hated word.]

[troublereduction]

Well, the first thing I was told when I asked 'bout ways to get stronger was "How do you feel about cannibalism?", so. Prob'ly wasn't thinkin' of anything great 'bout it.

[ Thanks, Wanderer. ]

Then hardly a week later a bag of manastones just appearifies in my room out of nowhere.

[lustro]

[ Ginger lets his eyes go big like welp, what can you do? And then he shrugs. ]

It's a surprise, but - uh, compared to being dragged to another world, it's kinda...

[ Small stuff. ]

[divineth]

[It's a difficult moment to relive, that's for sure, but Urianger seems to be taking it about as well as he can. He gives Ithaqua an appreciative nod, then turns his attention back to the scene.

But not without giving Ithaqua a warning first.]

Pray do not be alarmed by what thou art about to witness.

[That's fine, probably.

Back at the scene, the miqo'te's words seem to take the generic hero man by surprise.]

But you mustn't, for it would mean losing our way forward. [She immediately follows her previous words up.] This, I only reveal to so that you can promise not to invoke the magick.

We came here knowing what victory may cost, so press on. Press on and do not look back.

[The others watch somberly, knowing that the woman is right. With her sacrifice, a path will be revealed to them. They have to continue, for much is at stake. Such is palpable in their silence.

As the woman waits for the storm to take her, someone else steps forward to join her.

Urianger.]

[lustro]

[ He looks relieved at that. ]

Good... good, I'm glad you're all going to be alright. How long will you stay - that size? Can you shrink?

[dyingtohealyou]

You really are kind. I don't think most people would bury the dead who didn't even extend the same respect.

[leewards]

Mm~ You're welcome. [He takes a step back to examine Robin better.]

I imagined you needed a bit of that, what with all the flying.

[dyingtohealyou]

...I know how to take care of myself, Ginger.

[Why doesn't anyone believe him??????]