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

3/3 anyway

[fellheart]

[ some time, but not too long after ithaqua makes his return to the manor, a great, six-winged dragon lands heavily in the courtyard, a growl thrumming lowly in its throat. a large stone, about the size of a cow is clutched beneath one of claws, the likeliest culprit for the heavy landing.

as the dragon mantles and folds its wings, a few...? figures can be seen on its back, bloodied and worn.

> approach? ]

[troublereduction]

[ Oh.

Oh.

Day is running over without hesitation because he is sure (like, 80% sure. 90% sure. 99.9% sure, really, because he doesn't believe in coincidences). ]

Robin? [ Who else is on his back? ]

[fellheart]

[ a tilted head, a voice, hissing and sibilant: ]

Wʜᴏ ᴇʟsᴇ?

[ Several people are on his back, the Sage and their mentor both included. ]

[foresightis2020]

[ What the hell is happening here? Jing Yuan is probably, well, definitely outside in the courtyard when THIS happens, hello???

Ok well he is just going to hurry on over - ]

- Who?

[fellheart]

Tᴏ ᴡʜᴏᴍ ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅɪʀᴇᴄᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴏ̨ᴜᴇsᴛɪᴏɴ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜᴏ ɪs ɪᴛ sᴜᴘᴘᴏsᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ?

[ like, are you asking him who he is, dude (which, fair, he doesn't sound like robin right now, since dragon vocal cords work different than human ones), or are you asking who he's carrying on his back. ]

[revengier]

[ Oh neat, a dragon! Kurapika's also here, running along with whoever else is too to get the scoop on what's going on. ]

[fellheart]

[ the dragon yawns? that thing snakes do where they readjust their jaws, you know, like clicking them back into place.

it's a tired dragon... ]

[chronosynthesis]

[All the commotion has drawn Syrlya as well, and he's among the first in the courtyard because whatever it is that's approaching is something that will need to be dealt with.] Oh, goodness.

[His gaze flickers to the rock, to see if it looks like the other moon fragments.]

[fellheart]

[ it sure is a giant-ass moon fragment. notably, it's not entirely round, looking like pieces had broken up a long, long time ago.

there's also an odd, angular cut on it, where it seems like a piece is missing. ]

[mirristry]

[Unlike the others, Phil can't exactly run, but he's still making his way over to the dragon as quickly as he can, even though he's not sure what he'll be able to do once he gets there...]

[fellheart]

[ does phil want to be nudged in the direction of the others via dragon snout. ]

[fallingsand]

[ ok for real tho

Bruno actually isn't going to run out to something that big and terrifying, but there are people on its back, which might mean their people, and so he does inch close enough to at least hide behind one of the taller wizards and wait to see if he's needed. ]

[fellheart]

[ there there, bruno, he's not going to be eaten today.

the dragon might be watching him with an amused air, though. ]

[dyingtohealyou]

[Anyway.

Hopping down with a surprising amount of grace considering he looks VERY tired and VERY annoyed and VERY covered in blood with corresponding clothing damage. Someone got bitten by something very, very big - twice. That said, a closer inspection (or cheater vampire hearing) would reveal he's not injured at all? A bit low on blood maybe, but functionally fine.]

Finally.

[revengier]

[ Hey, Ahito? Did you want your dear friend Kurapika all up in your space almost immediately? No? Too bad!

He's giving Ahito a close look, checking for any injuries. ]

How are you feeling?

[ It sounds like more of a demand than a question, but... still. He's concerned. ]

[fallingsand]

[ Oh, okay, screw everyone else, there's Ahito covered in blood. ]

Ahito!

[ Being afraid of a fuck-ass huge dragon be damned, Bruno is stepping out from behind whoever he was hiding behind to run over to him. ]

[shortleash]

( Cheater vampire hearing is right. But did you consider: cheater vampire speed?

It's barely after an entire dragon descends upon the scene than Mika's there, caught sight of a particular figure on its back, and waited until Ahito's properly embarked before bodying him - not literally, but basically.

He hops down beside him as if some kind of Naruto ninja (he probably took to his broom after seeing Robin from the roof to get a proper view), and he grabs him by the collar aggressively. )

What happened to you.

( He sounds mad, and looks stressed. He can gauge the apparent injuries but also tell there are none on his person, which just stresses him out more. )

[troublereduction]

You look like you had an adventure.

[ Said in the same tone one might say "interesting times". He's concerned but Ahito looking tired and annoyed is weirdly reassuring that he's mostly okay, for some reason. ]

[lustro]

[ The state of him... ]

How much of that is your blood?

1/2

[annihilator]

[What a fun ride back! He'll have to thank Robin later, but for now, Malice hops off Robin's back and lands easily. In his arms he carries one (1) passed out Solomon, who has clearly Been Through It. Malice himself is also looking a little worse for the wear - sporting some minor bloodstains on his shirt from cuts that have already healed - but his grin is just as manic as usual as he greets everyone gathered with:]

Hey c'mon, what're those looks for? You miss us all that much?

2/2

[impacter]

[Currently short of his cloak, Solomon sits limp in Malice's arms, caked in red and completely unresponsive. His outfit is coated in strange pittmarks and many, many slashes, from all angles, though much of the damage seems to have been at least partially repaired, either by magic (is that Bruno's signature?) or by someone's quick work with bandaging on the ride over.

Those with finer hearing (hi mika) will hear his heartbeat struggling at a rapid pace. He's lost a lot of blood, but he is still very much alive.]

[erythropoiesis]

[Hello, a cat is also on top of the dragon, seeming a bit starstruck.]

Thank you for your assistance, Robin.

[He pats Robin on the shoulders, sliding off of the dragon smoothly. He turns to the gathered frown, looking sheepish.]

I did my best to mend the worst of their injuries, but more assistance is deeply appreciated.

[That explains Nothing.]

[lustro]

[ Wow, a dragon -

But after he hears that it's Robin, he sighs with relief. ]

... Welcome back. I can't tell if you're hurt at all. Is there anything I - we can do for you?

[1145pm]

[ The sage slips off the dragon's back last. ]

Ahhh... We're finally back! That was an event.

[ Tatara stops to turn, and then pat Robin on the head. ]

Thanks, Robin. Make sure you get some rest.

[ Riding a dragon is now ticked off his bucket list. ]

[leewards]

[mun totally did not just forget that grima needs his konpeito-

After a lil impromptu nap to recover from his magical overload (for now), Ithaqua holds out one of Eva's mana stones to Robin-the-dragon.]

Here, have a little boost, and see if you can transform back sooner than later.