Oneiromancy [WQ]

So this was the infamous land of Norforva. Didn't look like much, but from what Amrita had gathered from other people, she shouldn't have expected it to. Blood magic (actual blood magic, what had the world come to) didn't tend to leave much in the way of beautiful scenery behind.

Still, there was talk about a cult, or some other complicated business that she hadn't listened too closely to. Nobody seemed to know a thing about them, other than the vaguest hints of information. And she'd seen a fair few adventurers set out to uncover information through one way or another. Most of them had barely spared a few moments to mutter a silent prayer to the Court before setting out.

Ah, Amrita should have expected that. Those so-called 'players' were weird people, as she had come to find out. Still, that didn't mean that Amrita herself would be so woefully underprepared to go on an information-gathering excursion. While it was possible to perform this ritual anywhere, it would probably be for the best to do it near the location in question itself. Not up for making the journey alone, she had found someone willing to come along with her, and she and @Luna had arrived at Norforva without incident.

Just as dusk was setting too. All the better.

Finding a safe, isolated spot to spend the night was easier said than done, but they managed. Now Amrita could perform the ritual with no fear. She narrated what she was doing aloud as she made her preparations, noting that Luna had seemed interested in what she was doing.

"Fire is part of Idna's domain as much as knowledge is," she said, gathering the kindling. "It illuminates ignorance, reveals secrets that may have otherwise gone unnoticed. Now comes the sacrifice." After starting the fire, she pulled out a shabby leather-bound book, one of the first books she had ever bound herself. She used it as a diary of sorts over most her life, adding pages whenever she was about to run out. The journal probably knew more of her life's story than her husband ever did.

"We give up the past to Idna, so that we may receive a boon from her." It was bittersweet, to tear out the first pages of her journal, to throw the papers into the flames and watch the last records of her childhood go up in smoke. But knowledge for the sake of preserving the world was worth more than some silly teenage scribbles. "And now we sleep. If Idna has given us her blessing, then our slumber shall be filled with visions. Of the past, of the future, of the secrets we seek."

 

After watching each step of Amrita's 'ritual', Luna took it upon herself to scout out around the camp one last time. Yes, they had checked it was isolated and safe when they first came. Nevertheless, there was no such thing as too much caution.

So she swept out of their little hiding hole, leaving @Amrita a chance to mourn the loss of whatever knowledge she had sacrificed. She admired the mental fortitude the old woman showed. To give up something you know, memories of the past in exchange for guidance… Luna wondered if she would be able to do that herself; if she could bring herself to give up parts of her most valued knowledge. By the time the mage returned, she had not found an answer beyond an uncertain 'maybe'.

Luna unhooked the cloak hanging loosely around her shoulders and shaped it into a poor excuse of a pillow. Without a word, she offered the makeshift pillow to the elder Felis, then turned around and settled herself with her back to the wall.

"See you in the morning," she said.

She had never considered sleeping in the game before, but Luna found her drowsy eyes lulling her into a restless sleep regardless. What visions would reveal themselves to her? What would Idna deem worthy of their sacrifice? As the sun broke the horizon outside, Luna's breathing evened out.

( FAITH Approach )

@Asch

 

The sky was bright when Amrita shuddered herself awake, body still convinced it was burning. For a moment the light of the midday sun on the red-orange rocks around them tricked her eyes into seeing tongues of flame, for a moment the heat of the rocky ground magnified a hundredfold.

She shook her head briefly to clear it. Amrita looked over to @Luna, who had also risen, looking to see if the other woman was all right. As she turned her head, the remnants of their fire from the previous night caught her eye. It was all she could do not to reflexively shudder away from the faint embers.

So, that was their vision. Was this a vision of the future, should the cultists' supposed plan come to pass? Or was that dream the influence of something else, that had blocked Idna's blessings from reaching their minds as they slept? And then there were those eyes...

Amrita frowned. She did not know enough of Idna's ways to be certain. Turning her gaze back to Luna, she said, "You saw the same thing?" Letting out a long huff, she continued, "Couldn't figure much out from that. Might be some priests of Idna somewhere that could know more."

 

As the darkness consumed her, Luna found herself holding eye contact with that chilling gaze. "Come back!" she said, reaching out. It was too late.

She woke with a start, blinking away the sleep and trying to ignore the itch that spread like wildfire (no pun intended) across all her flesh. Despite the pounding of her heart deafening her thoughts, Luna tried to focus on what she had seen. What she could decipher from it. However, it simply made no sense to her. Perhaps asking for clear information had been too much a task; it made sense that the deities of the world would find the most challenging, roundabout ways of answering their questions.

@Amrita's voice snapped her out of her daze. "Falling and burning? Somebody staring into my soul?" she recalled aloud. If they had really had the exact same dreams, it was more than just a coincide. Their 'ritual' had worked, their prayers were heard… but was it Idna listening?

Luna squinted at her hands, finally lifting her head to look at Amrita. "Unlikely we will find any in this area," she pointed out. With the tainted blood magic corrupting the lands, many had escaped to safer, holier lands. "Do you know of any local temples?" Unlike Luna, Amrita was very much a local to the game's world. The expanse of knowledge in that little woman's mind, accumulated over her years of experience, was far superior to Luna's. She was almost jealous. Almost.

"We should get going before somebody finds us… unless you want to look around here?"

 

"Falling and burning," Amrita confirmed. "And those eyes." She shuddered at the memory of the chilling gaze. Was it another one of the gods? If their prayer to Idna had been subverted, then it seemed as if it could only be the work of another god. Perhaps one of the Tora? Seemed malevolent enough for that.

But which one, she wondered. She had set up a small shrine to Uene at the back of their garden, and when business seemed tough she often found a prayer to Endra falling from her lips. But beyond that, she did not have much to do with the other gods, much less the Tora.

Amrita picked herself up slowly, returning the borrowed cloak back to @Luna. "No, probably not here. I'm not too familiar with the world outside of Dunnstads, but there ought to be some temples or shrines in most cities. Let's head east, to greener pastures. Should have better luck finding some settlements there. You'd have to be crazy to want to live here."

They would have plenty of light to travel by, Amrita thought, looking up at the sky. With any luck, they would be able to find a temple specifically dedicated to Idna in the next large town they encountered. Or perhaps someone at that shady Brotherhood would be able to tell them more?

 

She wrapped her cloak around her shoulders again, tugging the hood down over her face. "Even the Brotherhood aren't in this area. The contact said to meet at the Eastern border," she reminded. With the daylight guiding them, they had plenty of time to trek along the treacherous lands of Norforva. And if Luna were a bit curious in the odd magic lingering, oozing death and sin, well, she tried not to be too obvious about it. The old lady had made her disgust with it clear. "Stay close to me," she said, stretching her fingers and licking her lips. She hoped they wouldn't be attacked, but better safe than sorry.

Their walk was silent. Luna had no need to fill it with meaningless chatter, and the other seemed content to think through their experiences. Good. They had to have a cohesive report for the Brotherhood. It seemed like such a small piece of the puzzle they'd received. Maybe others had had better luck with their research.

She thought back to piercing eyes and liquid fire, coiling all around her and stealing her breath. Of a never-ending plunge into the core of the earth, screaming without a sound. By the time they reached the Brotherhood to report, Luna could speak about the experience in an almost clinical manner. "Then I'll see you around," she nodded to @Amrita. "Thank you for your guidance, ma'am."

Slipping away, Luna found a nice tucked away niche to log out in for the evening. She had work in the morning.

[ EXIT THREAD ]​