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

TAILORED PROMPTS.

[foresightis2020]

[ will go here ]

KHUN

[foresightis2020]

[ The reverence the people show in the midst of the village is actually more unwelcoming than not, Jing Yuan heaving a sigh once they're free and clear of it. Though, once again, he is not the type of person to be unfamiliar with the concept, it still is quite the burden to experience at all.

Anyway, the Forest of Dreams apparently has monsters that need killing, and they are to fulfill the request. So onwards we go in that direction! Surely everything will be fine. ]

Hmm. It seems we have quite a rather...enthusiastic number of villagers when it comes to our presence, don't we?

[lighthaus]

Enthusiastic? They're just groveling.

[ he is evidently not a fan. despite his huge ego, he's really not one who enjoys being praised by others. ]

[foresightis2020]

Mmm, that too.

...It is quite disturbing, for them to go to that much trouble. That says enough about their history concerning receiving assistance.

[ Jing Yuan doesn't dance around his own opinion on the matter, because it just seems very unwarranted for them to go to such extents, but it is what it is.

Upon further stepping into the Forest, one might anticipate a fight right away. In fact, the feeling of foreboding, unfriendly presences are certainly there, though there is also something else as well like the usual chill. Thank goodness he has thought to prepare a warming spell for the cold.

...Speaking of which, it was cold before, but somehow, the air seems even more frigid all of a sudden. ]

[lighthaus]

Should it be getting even colder? [ he throws a look at Jing Yuan, knowing he's not the source of it all. the chill is uncomfortable, though it's more due to the association than how actually cold it is. ]

[foresightis2020]

No, it should not.

It could be the herald of some type of monster who is able to control weather patterns. Though in retrospect, that too is unlikely.

[ Jing Yuan hasn't exactly had this happen due to a memory yet so unfortunately that is not on his mind as an immediate possibility.

As he is about to say something else, well. It feels even colder, darker...the lights go out completely for a moment.

...But, is anybody home? ]

[lighthaus]

[ 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?

[foresightis2020]

[ 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.

[lighthaus]

[ hmm. ]

Do you regret it? [ a general it, he'll be kind in this instance and not pin down a specific instance. ]

cw: torture mentions

[foresightis2020]

No, I do not.

I would rather it have been myself involved, than anyone else.

[ Regrets in this instance, are surprisingly non-existent, despite it being a complicated subject.

Though what makes it less complicated in at least letting Dan Heng go, even if it meant he may never have seen a familiar face (in a sense) again, is that the man was being constantly, repeatedly tortured in a dark place for reasons, so. Haha.

He didn't trust anybody else to handle this properly. ]

[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. ]

[foresightis2020]

[ The entire time this memory has been shown, Jing Yuan certainly has been holding himself in the most tense of ways.

There are many reasons for this, though despite that, he hears the compliment, and does not reject it. It takes him a moment to respond, and he judges it acceptable because it also is the truth, letting out a sigh. ]

Mm. No, I do not believe I have.

Which is more than can be said of others.

[lighthaus]

[ he nods. ]

Let's get back before this forest screws with us more. [ surely they'll be able to reach the perimeter without getting pulled into another memory? ]

DAY

[foresightis2020]

[ The Forest of Dreams is certainly...a Time.

Picking up after others isn't exactly new, nor is it something that he considers to be all that bothersome. But, at least there's company! ]

Back to the usual activities, hm?

[ Though something resembling normalcy is good to have, isn't it? With everything bound to get out of hand more easier than not. ]

[troublereduction]

[ It sure is. Day is wondering what on earth happened since he last came here, because it sure as hell wasn't in this bad a shape back then. ]

Would you say it's a relief? [ Preferable to dealing with the Northern villagers, Day would say. ]

[foresightis2020]

[ The apocalypse...!!

Okay, no, just kidding. Jing Yuan has started to pick up some of the mana stones, putting them away, and whatnot. ]

...Mm, yes. If not for the cold wind.

I am not one for this type of environment, you see. Hopefully you are more well-acclimated to these types of temperatures, however.

[ It is definitely preferable to being praised thoughtlessly by far, though. Anyway, there are definitely more clouds overhead now, but that seems like such a mild change compared to many others that are possible... ]

[troublereduction]

Nah. I'm more used to too hot than too cold.

[ The cold almost makes him miss being near the desert, which is messed up. Day gazes up once it becomes more cloudy, checking if it's a sign of rain to come. It doesn't seem like it. ]

[foresightis2020]

[ Is that why Day is assigned to Southern Wizard zone? No, just kidding...

Jing Yuan's gaze is also casted upwards which makes him give pause for a moment. ]

Hmm, speaking of which, I hope this is not a sign it is about to snow...

[ Jing Yuan sighs as he says this, but more clouds begin to gather, and the air seems to distinctly hint at the kind of wetness present with the impending sign of rain. ]

[troublereduction]

...It's rain?

[ He recognises the kind of humidity that hangs around before the rain starts. In any other place, this wouldn't be weird, but this is the North. ]

[foresightis2020]

It's rain.

But, at this rate it should turn into snow.

[ Emphasis on should.

Though, that is certainly not the case either. In fact, there is something like the onset of a change in environment in its entirely.

To a place far, far away. And within that place, a grouping of distant, yet pleasant memories. ]

[troublereduction]

[ He's about to say that it's unusual that there's even the scent of rain at all, but then that all plays out.

...

Day finds himself smiling a little, even though that's perhaps overstepping a little. ]

Huh. I guess I can see it. [ Jing Yuan as a guardian and mentor, he means. ]

[foresightis2020]

[ Perhaps it is, perhaps it isn't...! ]

Oh? Can you now?

[ Jing Yuan is folding his arms, raising an eyebrow just so.

Though, there is a little hint of a smile all the same; maybe because it wasn't really a bad memory or anything (and he is unoffended.) ]

[troublereduction]

You have that sorta air like a mentor. [ An honest observation. ]

[foresightis2020]

Hmm, all things considered, that is a good thing.

[ Jing Yuan does recognize that as a positive to say about him, and at least it means he's been making good impressions here or there. ]

As you might imagine, being a mentor is never easy. Though, I can say for certain that it is always rewarding.

[ . . .Sometimes. ]

[troublereduction]

Hehe, that so? [ He has to wonder if the monk who raised him ever felt the same way. ]

He a troublemaker? [ Though the way Day says it, he's asking if the boy's the kind of troublemaker you'd think fondly of. ]