lunaecalamitas | thousand dreams, lotus boats upon the waters

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's what magic users do. Experiment and gather research for their data - no matter the cost.

[To themselves, and the people around them.

Bastards.]

What a terrible cost it is indeed, to have wrought something like this.

[ Though he certainly doesn't believe this effects all magic users. Mayhaps just the ones in Ahito's world. ]

...Your class seems also more lively than I could have ever imagined.

-Oh yeah? Why, what gives you that impression?

Their unique personalities.

[ A wry little smile at that; he's counting everybody there. ]

I had no idea that there were varying talents as well.

[ That girl with so much firepower...help... ]

...Oh, wait, do you mean the homunculus girl? Shiiko?

[Shiiraasan - he refuses to say it correctly.]

[ Help.

He assumes Shiiko is a nickname, so...he gestures for them to keep walking, but as he does so, he continues speaking. ]

Yes, her.

What is the story behind her, exactly?

She's not a member of the class - she's a creation of Professor Shortie.

[Ahito use real names for any of these people challenge.]

She's a living weapon... the results of the research that they put into the girl who became a monster. Beings created entirely from magic who can summon weapons at will, though if they use up the magic that makes them - poof! They're gone.

[A nice, clean end for what's ultimately only a tool for war.]

...That said, Shiiko was always intended to be nothing more than a kid - there was a researcher at the school who was grieving her lost child, and Professor Shortie thought she could help by creating a homunculus child.

Obviously, that's no way to get over loss. The researcher realized that, and now the Professor pretty much raises her like her own kid. Or maybe a little sister?

[Given said professor is... also a kid.]

She's in good hands.

[ Professor Shortie...now that he knows can't be anywhere near the usual standard nickname—though it is one and is something that causes his smile to prop right on his face. Enough to make him smile a little bit in veritable amusement, which lasts not very long due to his summation.

Now he understands why the teacher was hesitant to have her in battle, besides like, other reasons, and the explanation returns the small smile with ease. ]

I see.

It does seem like she has someone very much concerned after her welfare indeed. It's fortunate that someone so kind-hearted is watching over her.

[ From his estimation, anyway. ]

I do wonder what other good qualities this Professor of yours has as well.

Really? What's got you so interested?

I suppose I am always curious to hear about teachers from other places. Perhaps because I had one of my own that I followed quite closely myself.

And, of course, I do like to hear about good people in general.

[ Maybe tangentially tied in with how much he thinks Galaxy Rangers are cool, but anyways. ]

It's true, there probably aren't as many people as good as her. ...But that's exactly why there's some things she can't get involved in.

[And also why Ahito has no allies he can fall back on against that organization.]

...Ah, so she is the person who you were speaking about before.

[ When Jing Yuan was trying to figure out if Ahito had any allies against said organization... ]

Mm-hmm.

She's young, but she's a teacher and a magic user in her own right. ...But she cares a lot more about the people around her than just the research.

If magic is going to continue to be used in my world, that's how it should be.

[ Jing Yuan gives a little nod. ]

I do agree...at the least more people should be like her in general given that it seems quite a good deal have yet to catch up to her; at least from your world.

[ At least the edges of the forest are likely clear by now. ]

Yeah.

...It's probably going to take a long time before our technology reaches a point where we don't have to rely on magic anymore. But if the attitudes of magic users could change for the better, at least...

[That's something worth working towards, he thinks.]

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! ]

Edited 2024-06-01 11:28 (UTC)

As long as the overall attitude about it changes... That would already help a lot, I think.

People shouldn't feel like they're in the right, experimenting on others.

[Even if they manage it, it should be in secret, heads bowed, constantly in fear of their lives and livelihood.

That said, getting out of here sounds like a good idea, and now that they're out of the worst of it it's time to summon his broom to the side.]

Let's go.

[And away!]

thousand dreams, lotus boats upon the waters

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