[Quest] The Savage Garden

[Gossamer]

Timestamp: Early Winter, 511 AV Location: Otherlands - Nysel's Playground Status: Closed - Open By Invite For Cytali - PM W/Questions The dreamers were never truly safe when they closed their eyes. Nysel might not have had power to the waking, but to those slumbering, he could reach out and touch their Chavi with a flick of his hands and scoop them body and soul someplace else, someplace outside of time and space, where only the Gods dared tread. Nysel's actions often annoyed the other Gods because the Lord of Dreams made fast and loose with their lands and brought mortals into the land of immortals at whim. But Nysel always had a reason and motive. And while he sent messages via dreams, he dragged people in their physical form somewhere else entirely taking them out of the realm of the dreaming and into the dream as a reality. In this case, one of his marked had spearheaded the rediscovery of his loyalists who existed only before the Valterrian. But since the destruction of the world he'd remained quiet, letting the faithful of old move through life helping with recovery, living and dying sometimes quickly sometimes slowly, until the now. The 'Now' was unique because the world was balanced on a cusp. And since those who belonged, at least in part, to him were ready to resume their work. And he was ready to have them. But first, they needed to be awoken to their past, tested, or introduced to the future if they were not part of his fold in the past. So one by one, as they fell asleep, he stole them away to his personal playground and left them scattered about, all together, to be tested and to figure out the way home. One by one, those that had went to bed the night before slowly awoke. They were not dressed in their own clothing. Instead they wore plain knee-length robes, woven sandals, and nothing else. As they slowly opened their eyes, blinking the confusion from them, they found themselves in a lush warm garden, filled with pathways and obviously groomed though likely not by mortal hand. The clearing in the wooded garden was open to the stars, and even though the sky was lightening, it was obviously still held in the thrawl of night. The people clustered around were laid as if they had been scattered randomly by a careless hand. The only thing in sight, other than gorgeous flowers nestled in the woodland setting, was an enormous carved snail that housed not a fleshy creature of the wood but a wooden woman who stretched out from her shell, as if also in slumber. Her wooden chest rose and feel slightly, gently, as if she rested peacefully in the quickly brightening sky.

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

Dreams, they were blurred to him at times. He had been back and forth between reality and dreams. The two were blurred to him and he had no idea sometimes where or when he was. He fell asleep and at times these dreams were more real than what he believed was reality. It had been happening so much as of lately that he was beginning to believe that dreams could be reality. But wasn’t that impossible? But there was plenty he didn’t understand, so he would have to just go with it as it happened. He just had to keep his mind about him and sharp if he wanted to meet any challenges that the dream realm threw at him.

He fell asleep that night while he traveled to Riverfall. He was stressed a decent amount because of the ragtag group of people he traveled with. He didn’t know what to expect from them they seemed like they were more of mercenary groups than anything else. He had laid around in his tent for a few hours before he fell asleep and drifted out to…wherever.

Once he had come to from the pitch black he found himself somewhere he never remembered being. He had never seen a place like this before. His arms and legs felt heavy at first, which was an odd feeling but one he was somewhat used to. Especially when he was first waking. His senses were coming to slowly. He smelt flowers, of the type that he couldn’t identify right now. The ground was warm so he knew immediately he wasn’t in his tent. The sky was beginning to lighten some but it was still very much night. The night sky was staring back at him with it’s twinkling eyes. He felt almost as if he had been thrown around and just carelessly put here on the ground. He flexed his fingers some and then stood slowly feeling slightly disoriented.

He felt he was indeed wearing clothing, but only knee length robes and woven sandals of some kind. Emerald eyes scanned his surroundings, he was in some kind of garden. But something about this garden was different. Everything was literally perfect, and not the standard kind of perfect that he was used to. He had seen beautiful gardens that he thought were ‘perfect’ in Mura. But here, this garden was eerily perfect. Every little thing was flawlessly placed everywhere. It was surreal the kind of placement and growth that was happening in this garden. Obvious paths were woven in this garden as well…but should he travel one?

There, right there was a giant wooden statue…that seemed to breathing. A huge snail shell with a woman coming out of it sprawled out as if she was taking a long rest under the starry nights sky. Could statues really breathe? He walked closer to the statue and took a better look at it. The statue itself did seem to be breathing; actually breathing like it was alive. He would reach out and touch it only he believed that doing so might cause something horribly unfortunate to happen. So he fought the temptation and instead just figured he would look around at the rest of his surroundings to try and get a better understanding of where he was.

[Raiha]

Kanikra and Raiha kept odd hours, a habit that had begun in childhood and stayed with them all these years later. When Raiha had slept, Kanikra had walked. While Raiha walked, Kanikra watched, or perhaps stopped paying attention somewhat when Raiha was doing routine chores. It was amazing how long one could go without sleeping when you basically went along for the ride. It did wonders for her sunny disposition. Sleeping at night happened when she was finally tired out or it was time for a quick power nap. As it was, she had closed her eyes and only planned to sleep for an hour, she promised Diallo, as the massive dog climbed up and settled in beside her, sighing, and sticking his head beside hers, nosing her cheek. Just a quick nap.

Announcing your plans was a good way to make the Gods laugh.

In any case, this was very different from what she had in mind for a nap, but dreams were dreams, and Raiha’s personal theory was that your dreams were formed from the back of your head, and what you were meditating on had a way of showing up. And yet, this was far different from what she had ever seen. Before, she and Kanikra had walked in darkness. Separate and yet together. Sometimes, oftentimes, they did. But this was not darkness. This was something she hadn’t seen before, and had never thought, well, of seeing a giant wooden snail shell with a woman in it. She was not wearing her usual clothes - instead, she wore a knee-length robe, of sorts, and sandals. The Akontak wiggled her toes carefully, and checked her fingers to make sure that she still had movement, otherwise remaining still in the grass of the garden, feigning sleep while trying to look around with covert glances. She felt her sister-soul lurking in the back of her head. Is this a dream?

I think so, Kanikra was dry. Does this look like your mews? Have you ever seen a woman like that? She looks like a statue. But she’s breathing, I think. Let’s go, get up and... oh, hold on. Someone else is up. Wait for it. Watch and see how and what he is. That was her usual way - observe, scheme, react. Satisfied that the man's attention was elsewhere, Kanikra let out a sigh. There. Go ahead.

Fair enough, Raiha admitted, remaining still and watching Serrif for what felt like a few chimes before pulling herself up to her feet, looking around and letting her hair fall over her eyes, wild and unkempt. This was definitely not her style of clothing. One could call her prudish or self-conscious if they wanted, but she liked her ankle-length skirts when she wasn’t wearing pants. She stretched herself out to her full height before adopting a more relaxed posture, glancing over at those still slumbering. The childish part of her considered kicking the proverbial hornet’s nest at them - just to see what happened - but decided to first get her bearings, having a look around, and try to get some sort of settled feeling about this. She observed the craftsmanship that had gone into the snail-woman, recognizing some of the flowers, bur far from all of them. She had yet to say anything to the man that was also up.

[Seodai]

Seodai awoke with a distinct sensation of foreboding. He'd grown up with a sense of awe for the gods, a warm satisfaction over his connection with Bala, and a hefty dose of respect for the pantheon as it were. In recent days, however, god magic had somehow discombobulated everything he loved and turned Denval on it's head. Factor into that the resurgence of a past life that could not have been more different from the one he presently led, and Seodai was a bit weary in the mind and spirit. Half of him, now, boiled with a strong affinity for Ivak. His behavior had caused much damage, to be sure, but Seodai couldn't help but feel as if he'd have acted just as impetuously if he had been strong enough. Even as a gifted mage, back then, his fury had been paltry compared to that of the god. Such emotions, and a strong Alahean background, conflicted directly with the peace loving Denvali who was raised on the principles of the Suvan. He was constantly at war with himself, then, struggling with just who he was meant to be. To awaken with sweet smelling grass tickling his nose, and an unseasonable warmth, lent credence to the notion that this was one of those dreams, were it a dream at all. The last time he had felt so surreally displaced he had chased Cian Noc through his past, ran from the relentless fervor of bloodhounds, and been stabbed in the heart. It didn't make for an eager dreamer. Seodai sat up without ceremony, his fingers falling to the woven fabric that wound about his feet as sandals. His farmboy clothes were replaced with a simple shift, and everything around him shimmered with a beauty that seemed to testify to the fact that they were in no place humans had created. Humans were scarcely capable of such beauty. Seodai wiped his hand over his eyes, as a sleepy young man might otherwise do, and muttered a string of quiet prayers. Did prayers count in dreams? Perhaps this wasn't a dream at all, but an other worldly experience. Was their a profound difference between the two? To Bala, he prayed. To Syna, as well. Preserve my sanity, came the afterthought, directed towards the concept of Nysel. Seodai did not know the god, well, but as his dreams had become more convoluted and strange, he had become included in the small group of divinities the farmer spoke to with some regularity. With that, there was ought else to do except stand. The strange, sleeping snail had attracted the attention of the others who were awake, and Seodai supposed that in a landscape so sparse of points of interest except for that, it should serve as a rallying point. He couldn't help but take his time on his approach, though, adoring hands stroking the leaves of the vegetation he passed. Calloused hands that had long since been given to Bala and adored Her in work every day since. There were other sleepers, he noticed for the first time. Still lost in... dreams? Such a confounding thought, Seodai chose not to think on it. He merely stepped around crumpled frames and gently slumped figures, recognizing none of them. Until, at least, it was a shimmeringly familiar arm that outstretched into his path. Idly following the length of it, Seodai found recognizable horn, a shock of dark hair and the strangely peaceful (had he ever seen it so?) face of one sunsinger. "Caelum?" Seo muttered incredulously, the sandaled foot he'd been given coming up to nudge at the curve of his bicep.

[Rorugir]

Reality, or the playground's approximation of it, broke through sleep in an explosion of light and color. Rorugir awoke with a gasp. His hands gripped the foreign cloth covering his skin in terrible white-knuckled shock. Rorugir struggled to orient to his surroundings, squinting to make out the room around him. Once he had done so, Rorugir tried to cast a glance around the room. But the realm in which he found himself now...it was too strange and too mundane for the isur to process in one single glance. He was, to put it lightly, disoriented. But it was to be expected. All his life, Rorugir had paid homage to the one god all isur knew and praised: Izurdin. The god of strength, patience, and industry - Rorugir bore one of his marks, after all, like all of his stony kin. He knew that the other gods and goddesses had existed, true enough, but not really given them the time of day. He'd seen others, especially among the magic-wrought halls of the Pitrius Citadel, who worshiped other celestial beings, but never once had he thought that it would be he doing as such. Well, it seemed that was not exactly the case. What Rorugir really had never anticipated was that another god besides Izurdin would take an interest in him... ...The stars, the garden, the other mortals and the wooden woman were paid hardly a glance as Rorugir's inflamed mind strove to understand what had brought him here - and why. Slowly and hesitantly, Rorugir stood up, as another errant thought brought to attention the sandals on his feet. Combined with the clothing, it was another mystery Rorugir wanted to solve. It seemed everything in this night would be filled with abstract enigmas. But did that include the others that had been brought to this mysterious garden? He thought not. The ones that were awake seemed almost as confused as he was. One man, apparently recognizing another man who was yet still asleep, approached the prostrate form and asked something Rorugir's ears couldn't pick up. The other two awake acted more like Rorugir, not moving and simply examining the surroundings in which they all suddenly found themselves. A frown twisted Rorugir's mouth; while it was good to know he was not alone in his confusion, it was conversely frustrating to know that no one else here knew what was going on. It seemed they were going to have to rely on the gods to help them. Petch. A black gaze settled on the snail-woman. Rorugir was not surprised to see that she was breathing. Among the more pressing mysteries here, Rorugir almost expected nothing less than the wooden sculpture to be alive. Heavens forbid something act normally here... But it seemed like the best place to start, as it were. A quick stride brought Rorugir closer to sleeping woman, where he crouched down next to her. Rorugir's fingers drew close to her face, but stopped abruptly, sudden anxiety stopping them from getting any closer. He bit his lip. The fingers were drawn back, crossed across Rorugir's chest in something akin to thoughtfulness. He looked at the woman for a second longer before speaking for the first time that night. He spoke the words he knew was on everyone's mind; "What is going on here?"

[Caelum]

Though Leth was but beginning to relent, the moon a hollow skull in the Chavena sky, His lover's son lay below in the gilded flesh of his most divine claim: ethaefal. Caelum had been hounded by dreams now for seasons, chased by baying winds from the grasslands of Cyphrus and beneath the waterfalls on the eastern shore of the Suvan Sea. The boulevards of Alvadas had spun him an illusion of a life long lost, turning him the wrong way in a one way maze. Compelled by Syna's mysterious beckon, he had found his way out only to land with one foot in the sea off the coast of an embattled, forgotten town. He was not surprised when amber eyes opened to an alien woodland. Surprise was a thing difficult to produce in him undiluted anymore. He gazed at the spaces between the stars through cradling boughs, a shadow settling on his countenance that looked a little like recognition. The gods had had at once too much and too little to do with him, scattering the struggles of his soul to the four corners of the universe. No, he was not surprised, but he was wary. The familiar face of the Denvali farmer sharpened in his view. "Yeah," he mumbled, Common half knotted in the trenches of an accent closer to home here in the Chavena than it had ever been on Mizahar. "Seo," a pause and a grimace as he rolled up to an elbow, then to a seat in the grass. "Hullo." Dark embers of hair splattered as he shook his head, trying to rattle out all the sand, the elegant curve of his horns catching that palest first light of slow coming dawn and turning it to splendor. When he lifted his head, it was to blink owlishly -- first to Seodai, then to the strangers who to the last possessed the same stamp of confusion. The snail and the wooden woman -- both as one -- was given a very, very long look. "We're dreaming," Caelum said slowly, memory of Kavala's words of Nysel and Chavi and oh, oh Lillis -- such things, they always hurt, stabbing at him in too vivid recollection -- rose in his mind. "We're dreaming," he repeated and looked to them. Coin bright eyes narrowed. "Who's the Dreamer then?"

[Gossamer]

The slumbering snail continued her vigil behind closed eyelids, getting a feel for the group even as the sky brightened into twilight and then no further. A scattering of Zintila's stars hung in their lofty heights, dancing in a world which was painted a silvery blue streaked with pink and purple. The streaks hung like Morwen's Aurora ever changing as the woodland around them partially woke. The snail opened her eyes, yawned, stretched and sat partially upright in a position that looked comfortable enough for her. She was the most unusual creature, easily their size, but indeed half snail with a full human torso which was bare of any ornamentation. She had a smooth slightly slim slickened wooden skin that flexed and moved easily with her motions. She smiled brightly. "Oh! You're here and awake. My Lord said you were coming! I'm to greet you. My name is Selva Giftgiver. I'm authorized to give each of you one gift! It maybe anything you want. But it must be something that will help you here. Then you are to find Question and Answer. They will then assist you further. One each, I believe. This is so exciting. We've not had one of your kind here for a long time, let alone so many at once." She said in a delightedly soft voice. Stretching again, she tipped her head to the sky, noted the seizure of the progression of dawn, and nodded to herself. "Well? Who's first? Don't be shy. I'm so happy to be the one to greet you and then gift you." She reassured, beckoning first one of them then another over, hoping to coax them closer.

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

OOCI really had to think about this.

It was indeed alive, he was right! It was good to know that his observational skills hadn’t gone awry on him. There was a deeper question here though. How was something made of wood alive like this snail woman was? She must be magical or divine in some way or fashion. The second her eyes opened Serrif was almost startled. He could feel the adrenaline rush up through his body. It had been awhile since something startled him like that. But it was a good startled; something was going on here. And he knew he wasn’t anywhere near smart enough in the divine to know.

He took a step back to look the snail woman over as she spoke to the group. She seemed like she was excited to see them. Which was good; but then again if he was managing a deadly trap he would definitely make the entrance inviting…just like this divinely touched garden. The snail woman spoke of a journey ahead, he had a feeling such a thing was involved. Question and Answer was the next destination but they would first be gifted an item before going on. An item that could be anything that would help them out here.

That got his mind turning as he started to hash out all the possibilities. He first came to his bow and arrows…but that wasn’t a single item. And either of those items by themselves would do him absolutely no good here. He then thought about his daggers, but he wasn’t sure if anything here was actually going to be dangerous. That coupled with the fact that he was just getting used with how to use them meant they really wouldn’t do him much good here. No, he needed to think larger; something he KNEW could help him anywhere. It didn’t help that he had no clue as to what really lay up ahead. Through all his experiences he really could’ve used the ability to just pass through things. Iron bars, walls and the likes.

The snail woman’s eyes met his and he knew it was his time to step forward and make a request. Maybe, just maybe the others would make request that complimented each other. After all he had no idea what laid up ahead.

“Leather gloves.” Serrif spoke with determination as he got the woman’s attention. “But not just any gloves. These gloves would allow me to pass through solid objects like, walls, iron cages even people when worn and activated and deactivated by a word of power of my choosing.” He wondered just how far fetched that idea was but he got a smile on his face as he spoke the words. Now it was time to see if the woman could provide these gloves for him. It wasn’t a simple request and he had indeed made a very interesting request.

He was beginning to wonder just what the others would ask for, but he had now set precedent for the absurd. This would be an interesting test to see if what he asked for could actually be provided or if the snail woman would just simply tell him that he was insane. Whatever the case this request would indeed set the precedent for the other gifts that would be asked for. And that was the point. He wanted these people to think deep about the possibilities this snail woman was laying out before them.

[Raiha]

Raiha and Kanikra watched and listened as others woke up and spoke up, moving amongst each other or closer to the snail-woman... who in turn pronounced herself as Selva Giftgiver. So they were right - she was, in fact, alive. This was definitely a dream - someone else had said as much, and it seemed to be the conclusion of the others, too. There was some comfort that they seemed as confused as she was. Cold comfort, her sister told her dryly. This many people in a strange place is just asking for trouble. The big question: how do we get out of here? Dreams could be alarming things, especially in something like this. And while Kanikra was calm, this sort of place had her guard up. This was not Riverfall anymore, and there was a distinct lack of knowledge and information about where they were and what they were in for. If dreams could come true, then what of their nightmares?

Her words gave Raiha a pause. Any gift whatever, so long as it had value here. She sincerely doubted that Selva could give her a gift of knowledge - to know all about where they were, whose dream this was, what the geography was like, or, for that matter, who or what Question and Answer were. That was far too easy. A weapon of some sort? She looked around them, stretching out to her full, and considerable, height and peering out from around her hair, finally tossing it to get a better look around her, craning her neck to see if there was anyone, or anything, else in the garden around them, looking for paths and shadows, gold eyes darting. She doubted there would be an immediate sign of Question and Answer, much less clues as to what they were. A guide? Someone, or something, that knows where we are? She didn't say it, but she was thinking it - just how much she liked having Kanikra's cold, leveled, remorseless logic to bounce things off of. Akajia had been right. They needed each other.

No, Kanikra dismissed it. Anything can be made into a weapon. From rocks to sticks to anything else. And others likely will think that way as well. And while a guide might be useful, dreams can change on a whim. Who’s to say that the guide would be able to keep up with some changes, much less that they’ll be helpful in the first place? This is not the realm of shadows. Still. Be prepared. In terms of a purely survival standpoint, look at it this way. The best tool one could have is knowledge and attitude. The second is shelter. Third, the one thing that everyone always forgets, despite its infinite usefulness...

“It's nice to meet you, Selva Giftgiver," she inclined her head in the snail-woman's direction, never taking her eyes off of her. She wasn't about to touch her - such things were rude - but she could certainly inspect and observe her up close. "I would like some rope,” the blue-skinned, white-haired female said once the human said his piece, asking for leather gloves. “A length of rope that can grow to any length I like.” If it was cut, it could grow again. If it wasn’t long enough, it could stretch. It wouldn’t - hopefully - be too heavy to carry, and it would be something that had any number of uses, not just for herself, but for this group as a whole. As much as Kanikra trusted no one, and Raiha had learned her lesson there, she was under no delusions that this would be easy to get out of. They were all here for something. Everything happened for a reason. But the rope could help. Offense. Defense. Survival. If they were lucky, such extremes might not be necessary.

Don’t count on it. In dreams, we can overcome any obstacle. Anything can happen. Be prepared.

You are such a ray of sunshine.

I do try.

[Gossamer]

The snail woman chuckled at the concentration the group seemed to acquire. Her small wooden face was well animated and took in the lot of them, scanning around and watching just what they were thinking. There was so much a person could ask for, and indeed a great deal that would help. But not everything was tangible or material. But creatures such as what stood before her thought differently than she did. Forewarned, she knew this was okay and part of their learning process. So gratefully she lifted her hands, rubbed them together in the sound of two pieces of wood being rubbed, and they began to glow. As Serrif spoke, she nodded looked thoughtful and then between her fingers, two gloves appeared. She offered them to him carefully and spoke quietly. "They are gloves, of leather like you asked, which can allow anything within them to pass through solid objects. Your whole body though, that is asking too much for simple gloves that only cover your hands. But I've done my best. You're hands will pass, but not anything uncovered by the gloves. Clever, and useful still, they should be of use. You did not specify a word for me, so your word is 'pass'." She said, handing over the gloves. When Raiha approached, she tilted her head, looked thoughtful, and her little glowing hands were raised again. She seemed to lift her digits in a sort of offering which again caused power to flare. A length of rope, the size Raiha's foot, manifested in the Snailwoman's hand. She offered it to Raiha as a suitor would offer a Rose. "Wise choice. Practical and something magical that makes sense. Wise choice." She said, knowing that Raiha would easily figure out the rope would grow when she simply willed it too and shrink in the same fashion. She waited for the others to step forward and speak up. When no one else was forthcoming she beckoned westward into the deep forest. "Your next task is to find Question and Answer. They are lurking in the deep woods. You cannot miss them. Ask Question only one question. Then wait. Answer will respond. They will speak only the truth and the question can be of anything you want. But ask carefully for you will only get one question. Good luck!" She added, then yawned. She stretched, sat up a little straighter, and began to move. Slowly, snail-like, the woman began to traverse the log she was on, leaving a slime trail behind her, looking for all the world like an actual snail bent on snailish things.