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

[troublereduction]

[ Day has just accepted that the Maidens are what they are, which is to say, ineffable. At least for his part Day doesn't seem upset so much as kind of chagrined that someone else saw this moment of his life. ]

Uh, if you mean everyone forgettin' 'bout me, no one's been able to figure out how to fix it. The best we've come up with is magical cover identities, more or less.

[ The cat is out of the bag now so he may as well. ]

[foresightis2020]

[ Jing Yuan is the type of person to try to think of solutions and fortunately since the memory is over, it isn't like in the heat of moment type of deal.

Maidens sound comparable to Aeons, which at least makes it possible to calculate the grand scope of this change. Possibly. But, that still ensures that it's incredibly difficult to tackle. ]

If there was a way to get into contact with the Maiden and revoke what was done, I'd wager that it'd be possible to fix matters. Even if that would be a trial in of itself.

The next potential possibilities would be to construct a spell that reverses what has been done. That sounds like a feat only Aeons could manage, however. Or perhaps an Emanator from The Remembrance.

The third possibility would be a permanent spell that ensures no one forgets you going forward. That is likely something far more manageable, even if it'd still be quite potent.

[ He just starts talking about possibilities and options assuming the other wants to look for them, it's fine? ]

[troublereduction]

[ Day...sort of looks baffled? Like, partially because Jing Yuan is using some terms he's trying to figure out what they're supposed to mean, but mostly because of how he just immediately launched into problem-solving. In that regard, it's not unlike how Day gets when he's in work mode, but the idea that someone is trying to help him solve problems just like that is...

...Maybe he really has been on solo assignment for too long when he's not used to help just being given like this. ]

Well, the reason why it's this way is kinda, uh, complicated, but it ain't the Maidens' fault. The third option is the most plausible one that I can think of, I just ain't sure where to even start on how.

[foresightis2020]

It isn't?

[ Jing Yuan is a little amazed that Day doesn't blame this Maiden, considering it seems like this being caused this problem by choosing him. So he just has to wonder why he doesn't find such a force at fault.

He is in thinking mode, and can in fact breeze past subjects without explaining. But if Day asks he will elaborate. ]

I'd argue that a good place to start would be the manor library, and also take the time to speak with our Sage. Now that we've all grown far more powerful, more options have opened to us.

We've made amulets and the like that also help with our magic power, and there are likely other items that can enhance spell efficiency.

[ Gods Jing Yuan doesn't know about the manastones yet, which is funny, but anyway, his words still stand. ]

[troublereduction]

The easiest way to explain is that a long time before I was ever born, a bunch of us did a thing and accidentally broke a constellation. [ And maybe this is why as much as he still doesn't understand why Venus Chose him, he can't really find her at fault. Destiny happened, and that's all it is. ]

Since we're all tied to the stars, that...caused problems, and here I am. It's...how do I put this, the constellation that broke represents "hidden knowledge", so now it hides all our fates from the rest of the world all the time. That's why people forget. [ Which is part of the reason why Day doesn't know where to begin to try addressing this. ]

I can't, uh, read most of the stuff in the manor library. [ Suffering when you're the only person from a fantasy setting. ] But I can talk to Tatara, and look into stuff like amulets.

[foresightis2020]

A bunch of 'you'? As in humans? Or those in your division?

[ Jing Yuan is not a person where the stars or otherwise is his jurisdiction. His title as Divine Foresight is more battle-related than anything, really. ]

...It sounds like a very exhausting and tiresome aspect of your world.

[ Seriously. All places have drawbacks, but this deserves criticism by far.

Though there is a pause when another unexpected barrier is run into. Which only lasts a moment even if he's really surprised. ]

You have those two options to explore, then.

But, if you would like help with the books, let me know. We should all be assisting one another whenever possible. Even in a matter like this.

[troublereduction]

In the bureau. [ When you all had a Plan and it worked but it also ended up having unintended, terrible consequences. ]

And you mean the fact we have fate and destiny as actual forces? [ It's a somewhat wry question. ] But...thanks. [ He's honestly kind of astounded at how Jing Yuan just immediately tried to propose solutions. ]

[foresightis2020]

[ Sometimes plans are not the answer to all things. ]

Yes, I mean exactly that. That is not the say I am unfamiliar with those being forces as being perceived back home, just not in as inconvenient a manner as your world.

[ He still answers, even if it's rhetorical, but anyway! ]

Of course. I feel it's only natural and that most would do the same, no?

[troublereduction]

[ There's this pause where it's as if Day actually hadn't really considered whether people would try to offer solutions, even though Malice so straightforwardly bringing up the idea of looking for one is why he's even entertaining it. ]

...Yeah, I suppose.

[foresightis2020]

[ Jing Yuan passes Day a faint smile, letting the words settle in his head; the meaning behind perhaps a slight reluctance. ]

And yet, it still surprises you.

Well, I can't say I find that shocking that you may find it as much. None of us are from your world and are still relatively new to your presence.

Even if I imagine you have forged important bonds by now.

[troublereduction]

[ It does, because at this point Day is used to quietly doing things in the background, often by himself. If a problem is resolved with no one to wiser to it, then he's doing his job right. ]

...Well, you're right. Biggest reason why I'm even entertainin' this idea.