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

[foresightis2020]

I believe it's possible even if perhaps, not for everyone.

However, not everyone is inherently static. In people's hearts, there always exists the capacity and capability for change.

[ Jing Yuan has an earnest belief things can change for the better, though he doesn't think things will be easy. Once they step out past the trees, he blinks at the cold lands in front of them. ]

Well, I believe our little trek through the forest is over. Let's try to return to somewhere warm before the next storm comes.

[ And they can very well do so. Gonna say it's good to wrap it here! ]

[foresightis2020]

[ Better to find out far later indeed — as it is, Jing Yuan's concentration and focus intensifies on their immediate environment. The sounds of battle reach his ears, makes him refocus his attention on what's to be displayed before him — Robin's words and judgment on what is to be seen before them also heard. But more in the distance as everything twists before his sight.

The sudden vibrant of red etched into what he can see feels like somehow the first thing he sees, above all else, even if the background before the starkly imposing figure certainly seemed to catch his eye first. The boldness is characteristic of nothing less than a leader who believes himself assured victory, who believes that he is to claim less losses than gains than his enemy.

His words, proud yet complimentary, are another indication — he blinks at the volume, and the arrogance dripping in every sound, every tone. Still, it isn't like he is going to go unchallenged...he hears the dark-haired man bristling in his condemnation as his gaze falls upon Robin, silent as death. ]

A man that only thought of conquering, hm?

[ He has heard only just a scant words from him, and his position is obvious — his cares clear-cut.

While it seems like the kind of memory that gives to a significance of sort, he recalls still Robin's unworried reaction. ]

[fullspbar]

Then all you gotta do is work and get it back. [ His hands slip into his pockets, giving a slow nod of affirmation. ] You wouldn't be the first to feel that way here, anyway.

[ At least he's perking himself up again. Shinjiro can't have that kind of energy himself, but godspeed, catpaw. ]

You do you. Seems to be working, at least. [ Positive (?) ] I ain't much help in the healing department, but if you need anything else, let me know.

[lighthaus]

I'm not surprised. Did you get to the bottom of it?

[ khun takes the dress, walking over to a nearby table to begin the alterations. ]

[lighthaus]

Good. [ he tilts his head. ]

What's yours?

cw; violence/torture

[lighthaus]

[ khun watches the man's obvious end approach impassive, cold. someone like this...they need to be broken first or they won't yield. sometimes in body, sometimes in spirit and not at all as straightforward as what he's witnessing in front of him. broken bones hurt but they're a familiar pain for those who've trained their body. a myriad of options run through his head and khun sighs, shaking his head in time with the clank of metal against dirt at the burial.

he's thought as much, but it's been made more apparent now. ]

...you're not cut out for this, Kurapika. You should leave these kinds of jobs up to people like me who don't care about others. [ it might sound harsh, but it's less of a judgment and more him trying to be factual, and in his own way, comforting. ]

[troublereduction]

[ Huh, ]

...There's somethin' I wanna pick your brain 'bout, but maybe once you've settled in.

[troublereduction]

[ Day has to tell himself to believe in Tatara when he says that he was happy with his life. Even if he died that way, he still had a fulfilling life.

It still hurts to see him like this. ]

I know, but... You can cry if you need to. [ Not want to, because Day is alike in this regard. ]

[fellheart]

... I believe he imagined to tread in the footsteps of one of his ancestors, though that's admittedly some speculation on my part ... Valm was a tiny nation on the continent before he came to power.

[ a pause, as he collects stones still from the in between earth. ]

Well. His motives, you'll yet see.

[ the memory isn't yet finished, after all.

around them the battle rages on, and robin must have taken action back then, relayed formations and called out orders, parried blade and spell alike from fatal consequence, but in this illusory recreation of a memory, the confrontation between the two men seems to exist separate from the world around them.

"i would end the reign of the gods, and you object on moral grounds?" the man— walhart— scoffs, shaking his head. "blood is spilled in any new birth, your grace. and in many a just cause, as you know..."

"there is no justification for what you've done," insists his opponent.

"by whose laws do you judge me? yours? your sister's? the gods'?" derision drips from every word.

"you cannot—"

"look at you!" rebukes walhart. "are you not ashamed? your mind is filled with nothing but secondhand beliefs. you dance upon the stage of your gods like a mindless puppet! that is what i reject: being a slave to tradition, to obligation. the old ways. the ways those of your continent cling to so blindly!"

"and your response is to force your own beliefs on those who would not want you?!" snarls the dark haired man in retaliation. "at least in ylisse we choose what we believe in!"

"you claim the freedom to choose when belief lies at the very heart of the foundation your country was built on? even your own title is dependent on your absent goddess!" and that is true, of ylisse and plegia both, but walhart continues before any response can come, making a grand, sweeping gesture with a hand. "damn the gods! damn their fates and their destinies! i will have true freedom! and any man who offers less is my enemy."

"enough!" snaps the king. "i don't require every detail of your twisted philosophy, or the things you tell yourself to justify what it is you do. you're a villain and a murderer, plain and simple, and i am the justice you deserve."

a death on the battlefield, being felled not by the gods, but simply another man. exalt and conqueror, steel against steel.

walhart seems to agree. with a laugh, he declares:

"better. much better! be not an agent of someone else's justice, but justice itself!" his eyes blaze. his steed snorts and paws at the ground in impatience. "now, let us fight as two great men, freed of their gods." the man briefly looks to the younger robin, who squares his stance and heightens his guard, but the moment passes as he once more addresses the exalt: "i grant any challenger the chance to test his will against my own... but you, too, shall be found wanting!"

with that and a whinny, the destrier charges. ]

[1145pm]

Ohh... Right. Distracting. [ He lowers his voice, like there are other people in here (are there?).

And now he's whispering. ]

I could sit on the floor? Is that better?

[1145pm]

Mm-hmm.

[ He smiles. ]

I'm gonna be selfish, just this once.

[1145pm]

[ Ah, okay. No apologies, then. Khun doesn't need them, in the most positive sense. He's strong, Tatara thinks.

He turns his head to press his face into the crook of his neck. He doesn't really envy Khun's past, but he thinks it says a lot about who he is. That isn't a bad thing. It's just a part of him, and maybe he doesn't like the idea of him killing, but... ]

But... [ He inhales, absorbing some of the weight. ] You do now, right? You've learned it, you've embraced it...

Would you use it if you got the chance to see him again?

[1145pm]

[ Tatara remains still and his eyes, dry for a little moment longer. The door to the roof swings open and several thuggish looking young men rush and surround dream-Tatara's body. One falls to his knees and cradles him, shouting his name.

But it's too late.

It's hearing the voices of the people he cared so much for that eventually breaks the dam. He's not a loud crier, but his shoulders shudder in Day's hold, and his tears dampen whatever part of Day's clothes that Tatara rests his shoulder on.

The boys keep shouting Tatara's name, but it all fades as the dream does, and eventually, the two are left standing in the Forest of Dreams once again. ]

[1145pm]

[ He laughs. ]

I don't know if you got to read any of the other past sage stuff, [ he gestures to the shelves of books around them, ] but native Northern wizards are notorious. They're really independent and dangerous, and they hate being told what to do... Sometimes, when the old ones were still around, I thought they would explode me with a look alone.

[ He laughs! One reminded him of his king, and this is funny to him. Please help him he is not normal. ]

So for my Northern wizards to be so cooperative is funny. But I still like them.

[1145pm]

Wow... That sounds beautiful. It'd be cool if we could visit some day.

[ Probably impossible, but nice to think about!

Tatara zooms in on Syrlya's face. ]

What about your people?

[1145pm]

[ Tatara laughs. Is that obvious? ]

I'm weak. I'm an easy target! So they come after me!

[ There's a small alcove, where some businesses facing the main street have placed their garbage. Tatara darts inside and drags Comet with him, hiding them both behind a lip in the wall. ]

You'll have to tell me about why you were being chased someday.

[ He whispers. The running footsteps are getting closer... Hopefully they'll go past? ]

[chronosynthesis]

Well, if you ever find a way to reverse our arrival, anything is possible. [Humans are aliens brought from another world by their gods, he believes in it.

He is also oblivious to Tatara's zooming.] You mean the Sylvari, yes? We are a young people, in truth, but we have managed to establish ourselves across the corners of Tyria. We aren't so unlike races of flesh when it comes to our desires, feelings, duty...

[foresightis2020]

Mm, I see. I suppose I shall, then.

Though, I will find myself surprised if they are ones worth thinking over.

[ Robin's voice echoes on two fronts — between his battle commands, but also the one who is merely picking up stones ever-so-casually between the flashing of memories before his very eyes.

Though that seems to pale in comparison to the grand stage presented by the two fighters going head to head with their convictions and weaponry. He has to admit, Walhart uses the exact kind of tones that can very well easily stir up his fellow countrymen into action. As for how Jing Yuan personally thinks of them? He compares it to the sound a man who is far too bigheaded would definitely make when he has the chance to use his lungs at full capacity.

In order words, this is the kind of charisma that has negative effect on him. It seems to be the exact same case for this other man who is facing him down; most certainly because for the most part he is his enemy, but likely values as well. ]

I have heard his motives indeed, though his execution is rather basic.

[ What a man.

And that is all he is in the end — just a man.

Though, he does idly wonder what Robin thinks — even if he was on the opposing side. ]

[lighthaus]

And some things too. [ unhelpful he's sure, but he feels the need to state that things aren't static. ]

There'll always be forces prodding at us, though.

[troublereduction]

[ Totally normal. So normal that Day is watching it, his expression carefully neutral, though not judgmental either. He might not have all the pieces to fill in the blanks here, but... ]

...What happened, Malice? [ It clearly did not end well. ]

[foresightis2020]

[ . . . ]

Well, I certainly had the opportunity to read upon them at one point, so I did at least know of the original ones'...reputations.

Though, I hadn't known that you were, at times, a target of such unfortunate gazes.

[ Tatara secretly at times having nerves of steel even in a potential dangerous situation...check. He has concerns but at least not one of their group will try that here. ]

Either way, I understand. I am also ever the more grateful in the differences, and that you are able to get along quite well with them.

For Phil

[troublereduction]

[ Day...is still of two minds on how to feel about eating mana stones, but at the end of the day, those stones aren't going to pick themselves up from the ground, which is why he's at the Forest of Dreams. And he's asked Phil to come along since he's learned the hard way from previous experience that this is not a place you want to go to alone.

Phil probably had to hitch a ride on Day's broom, and for once Day took a more scenic pace out of consideration to Phil. After they arrive, Day's got a protection spell up. ]

Hm? Need help with yours?

[fallingsand]

I mean, I could show you how to do the spell or. Or anyone, really? I'm not going to sit here and bleed all over the place if that's what you thought.

[ See? It's fine, it's fiiine, everything is fine. Even if, well, Bruno might anyway, if asked. Mika looks so taken by the tea, it would be hard to say no. As to the smell... ]

Oh, uh, yeah. I could add that. [ He won't bring up that Mika had been saying not to do that only a moment ago. That feels cruel to do. If the poor kid wants to be selfish over something so little, who's to stop him? ] That was a part of the full spell. I just... I pulled that part since I wasn't sure, y'know?

i'm sick of how much red there is in this damn room, /has a ch20 video open as reference

[fellheart]

[ there's a derisive snort from the robin of the present day at jing yuan's words. ]

Quite. The end he speaks of may be a pretty thought, but no matter how he dresses it up, the reality is that he's invaded countless nations and spilled no small amount of innocent blood in his crusade to rid the world of gods. He would try to lay claim to the title of revolutionary, of humanity's savior, and perhaps he was able to sway many to follow him, but... I wonder.

[ will the memory continue? for how long?

blows are traded; the bite of the noble rapier the king handles scoring superficial strikes at best on the red armor, walhart's wolf berg striking into places quickly vacated by his would-be opponent- and on at least one occasion, parried and deflected by the younger robin himself, expression determined, though not without effort.

in the end, the clash isn't decisive, but walhart comes off the poorer of the two sides. the man retreats into the fortress capital, a clear invitation to follow— which the king and tactician and their army take him up on.

the memory doesn't follow them, instead fading to blank whiteness ... and then into the vast, open halls of a keep, carpeted in red, light streaming down from the windows high above. again, it comes to a duel,

and again, there is a final exchange of words.

"walhart! will you surrender?"

the man looks haggard at this point- both of them, chrom and walhart both bear the proof of their weariness, in truth- but his spine remains unbowed, the proud jut to his chin making his answer clear before he even speaks it. "don't waste our time with questions you know the answer to, boy."

"it did not have to be this way," says the exalt, simply. his eyes are resolute, even if he speaks of alternatives to the scene playing out now. behind him and to his side stands the younger robin, again watching their backs for any who would dare interrupt. "you believed in mankind's strength, as did my sister. you believe that we are masters of our own destinies, and so do i. you could have joined with us, instead of ruling by strength, and strength alone."

"pretty words!" once again, the man scoffs, not a single word making a single dent in the shield of his convictions. "will we just talk, or will we fight? me, join you? does a pegasus join with the flea on its back? a dragon, with a cow it eats? you forget your place, boy. look where you stand! you stand within the halls of an enemy's castle, ready to paint the stones red for your cause. for all the borrowed ideals you parrot, you're little different than i, save for the strength needed to see your convictions through."

he sneers, his next words a challenge.

"but i am the conqueror, and i will see this world united!"

"not you!" the king retorts, the force of both parties' declarations cracking the air like a thunderclap. "i will. and not by forcing all the people to choose the sword or the knee! i would stoke their hearts, for peace cannot come about in a land ruled by fear!"

(if jing yuan thinks to look at the robin of the present, who has straightened up from collecting mana stones and instead is now watching his king speak, he may note a distant, solemn expression on his face.)

the world seems to come to a standstill as whatever forces bidding them not attack seem to shatter, sword flashing up to meet axe. it is there that the memory ends, reality bleeding back in before any sure end to the clash of ideals, but robin's words, likely, eliminate any doubt that might exist of its outcome. ]

... Is that where it ends? I suppose his dying moments were just that unimportant. [ a harrumph, even if he can't quite clear his expression of the pensive cast it's taken on. ] When Chrom defeated him ... he held onto his beliefs to the last.

Still, I suppose it must be that strength of conviction that led to many to support him such that they would rather die than surrender, that day we marched on the capital.

help help

[foresightis2020]

[ Ah, there it is — there is something like a sense of understanding when Robin's tone sinks into such obvious and clear disdain about this man. Especially the more he hears of such putrid men. ]

...Humanity's savior, hm?

[ A man like that, who is so conceited to spill blood even long after the goblet has overfilled with innocents who died at his hands. A man who begrudges the gods and is made blind for all the horrors he commits in his crusade. And he dares believe him humanity's savior? Who did this man save? His own condemnation burns in his throat, and in the place of the man, he sees something else instead — those who would dare call themselves saviors. Disciples of the Sanctus Medicus — Abominations of Yaoshi. Scum that slither out from the shadows and think themselves glorious for it.

He thinks, above all, he dislikes those who parade themselves as saviors and kill and distort their fellow men.

(It's all the same...isn't it?)

The man continues to speak with arrogance still — declaring his previous words with the air of the one who is just and subsequently undermining them as he looks at his fellow man like he is ant beneath his shoe. Such it is that for a moment it causes his gaze to tear from the sight, and fall upon Robin — the sorrow and distant gaze surprising him a bit. But he follows it to his King, his own gaze softening in contemplation.

And then it ends. ]

This is where it ends, so perhaps so.

How unfortunate those people believed his drivel to be taken as sacred to throw their lives away.

[ A sigh. Quite a pity. ]

...Chrom is the one who fought valiantly against him, yes? The one you supported. I would be correct in assuming he is quite a noble man, is he not? He seems strong, not just in his combat capabilities, but his beliefs — of what is right, what is wrong.