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]

Us Northerners had our mission. [Simple question, simple answer. That actually answers so little.

He waves a hand around.]

Mission accomplished, I would say.

[revengier]

Successfully?

[ He has a feeling Ithaqua is just going to say "yes" to that, so let him quickly amend: ]

Where are the others?

[leewards]

[He'll give a non-committal wave of the hand. because the player doesn't want to icly ruin the surprise.]

[revengier]

[ Kurapika rolls his eyes. He's not too put out by that response, at least. ]

Whatever. Take this.

[ He pulls out a bag of wizard sugar. ]

Ahito disappeared on me, so I figured a few of these would be needed. You look like you could use some.

[leewards]

-- Oh. [There goes his relaxed mood, because he makes a face of disgust.]

You should save that for someone who would really want it. [Like, say, Ahito.]

[revengier]

I made bags for all of you.

[ But he'll pocket it, since it doesn't seem like Ithaqua is going to take him up on the offer. ]

But if you're going to be that picky about it, I'll bring you something else later.

[leewards]

Wizard sugar is disgusting, no matter what properties it has. [Hence the expression. Which is easily visible due to the lack of mask. He often expresses himself through body language with it, but without it, everything may seem a little more heightened.]

Nothing a little sleep won't fix.

[revengier]

[ Wow, the dramatic. But there are a few things Kurapika doesn't like too, so like. He gets it, even though he crosses his arms. ]

I'm still bringing something. I've already made up my mind.

[leewards]

Aa~ah. Stubborn.

[As if he, himself, is not.]

Very well.

[revengier]

See you later.

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

[leewards]

[Look Ithaqua is not expecting a visitor... so when he opens the door for Kurapika, he stares, confused and surprised, and these emotions are so obvious on his expression due to his lack of a mask. He's the most vulnerable he's been in a while, in just nightclothes and his head bare.]

Er. [Eloquent.]

Right. You did say you would be coming. Ah, well.

[He steps aside to let Kurapika in.]

[revengier]

Well, it's good to see you too.

[ It's strange seeing Ithaqua so... vulnerable, though, and he feels a little bit awkward even as he steps into his room.

He holds up two thermoses. ]

I have black coffee and tea. Both are enchanted to encourage relaxation.

[ Akira helped him with the coffee, too, so it actually tastes good but he knows better than to mention that... ]

[leewards]

[Isn't that a funny bit of dissonance... After all, Ithaqua drinks either to keep awake. Still, tea keeps him less awake, and he's more in the mood for something mild right now.]

I shall take the tea, then. [He holds out his hand. The long, spindly fingers are indeed part of his features and not an illusion of his clawed gloves.]

Take a seat where you like, save for the bed. [Not just because that's for his personal use... but also because there's a depression in his sheets that's too large to be him. And he realizes this, so he shakes his blanket with one hand to remove it.]

[revengier]

[ He'll do exactly that, taking up whatever chair is available to him. The way Ithaqua shakes his blanket out to get rid of that depression... hm. Hm! ]

You had company, I see. It's good you were looked after.

[ He probably needed it after whatever North went through. ]

[leewards]

Healers worry quite a bit, who knew? [Sorry, boyfriend who is not here at the moment...] But they are appreciated all the same.

In any case, is that they only reason you have come by?

[revengier]

[ That they do and that they are! ]

I wanted to check on you in general, to see how you were faring.

[leewards]

Well then. [Ithaqua places his tea down on the floor so it's secure, and pulls up a sleeve so Kurapika can see-- no bruises. His face is clear of bruising as well.]

The physical is entirely fine, though the magical? That needs a bit of replenishment, but that will be easily handled soon enough.

[However, he's unsure of why Kurapika is just here to... look on his condition. What about asking for the mission?]

[revengier]

[ Condition is more important to him, so he nods, his first priority attended to. ]

Good. I'm glad you're well... and the magic will sort itself out in due time, you're right.

[ And with that, it's time for business: ]

Ahito told me about the mission. Well, parts of it. He mentioned that you fought a chimera.

[leewards]

[Ithaqua settles down, taking up the tea again and crossing his legs.]

Did he also tell you about the witches?

[revengier]

A little bit. Though I'd like to hear about them from you as well.

[ Multiple perspectives are important. ]

[leewards]

Mm~ [He stretches his arms.] Where to start.

I suppose I shall tell you that we were forcefully brought to the North because the barrier for the City of Ice had fallen, and the chimera was the culprit. As it was bearing down on us, we had little time to prepare.

In the middle of battle with it, two Northern witches appeared not just to attempt to steal our kill, but also kill us-- wholly unacceptable, of course.

[revengier]

[ He nods. ]

Right. [ It's absolutely unacceptable. ] Did they give a reason for wanting to kill all of you, or were you just in the way?

[leewards]

Oh, they specifically wanted us.

[He's quite casual about it, and even takes a break to sip at his tea. He's not too bothered about the fact that someone tried to kill them-- they're already dead after all, and Ithaqua enjoyed himself in the act of making them dead.]

They wanted the chimera, and our mana stones. [As tends to be part of the North attitude.]

[revengier]

[ That casualness is actually something Kurapika is rather used to—back in his world, Hunters tend to have the same attitude towards anything that threatens them, especially once that threat has been vanquished. ]

How powerful were they?

[ Powerful enough to be hungry for mana stones, that's for certain. ]

[leewards]

Annoyingly difficult, even for five wizards. [Ithaqua makes an aggrieved sigh.]

One of them died easily to Solomon and myself, but the other? Apparently her master and lover, required far more effort.