Solo The Dream Tower

A hunt for answers leads to somewhere most unexpected

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Built into the cliffs overlooking the Suvan Sea, Riverfall resides on the edge of grasslands of Cyphrus where the Bluevein River plunges off the plain and cascades down to the inland sea below. Home of the Akalak, Riverfall is a self-supporting city populated by devoted warriors. [Riverfall Codex]

The Dream Tower

Postby Taurina on July 5th, 2018, 12:36 am


Afternoon of the 42nd of Summer 518


The library was meant to be a place of answers. Answers to questions she did not even know how to ask. Where did one who had lost their memories find them again? How was such a thing possible? Taurina was unsure if she believed it to be. But she hoped it was. She hoped it was with every fiber of her being. She hoped that somewhere, somehow, she would be able to fulfill her promise and bring back the Azmere that had been lost.

It sounded selfish in her head to want who he was back. To not be satisfied with who he had come to be now. To want something that had been over something that was now. Truth was, she would have him broken and lost. She would take him in any shape or form, broken or whole. She would not give up on him and who they were together over a matter of missing memory. But this was for him. This was to restore what had been lost so that he might know who he truly was. Who he had been and who he could be again. So that maybe he would like himself again. So that maybe he might see at least a little bit of what she saw when she looked at him when he looked at himself. This was all for him.

Taurina knew she had let more days than she should have pass. She had wasted whatever precious time they had left and taken a gamble with his promise to her. Trusting that it would hold no matter how long she took. Stupid gamble. Especially when he had been so near spearing himself in the chest with that blade last she saw him. Now she felt as though she was racing against some imaginary clock. Whether it was true or not, some small but overpowering part of her feared that once she found her answers and then went to find him, she would be too late. That his feelings will have gotten to be too much for him, his belief that he was a monster and deserving of what had befallen him driving him over some edge she would not be able to get him back from. She could not let that happen. And that need to save him had been enough to drive her out of the mind spiral his reappearance had put her in.

The library was a fairly simple building with two floors. The walls were lined with shelves stacked with books to the ceiling. There seemed to be no shortage of knowledge here. Taurina had never been in another place like it. Had not really known such places existed. Mura had likely had one, but she had never been to it. No, when in Mura she had spent too much time wallowing in her own self pity to really focus on anything else. That she had left with any amount of knowledge or skills or made any friends at all was a miracle really. Her original visit to Riverfall had been much the same. Only a season or two spent within its walls, not really getting to know the people or culture but just to pass through so she could wander on into the sea of grass, go to Endrykas. Now was different. Now it was her home, and would be until circumstances took her somewhere new or bravery took her back to her true home.

Taurina sat at a table in adjacent to the main desk where the Akalak librarian sat scrawling words down on parchment. She could not be sure exactly what it was he was doing, but she did not care. She had her own goals to reach and tasks to worry about. The number of tomes that laid in front of her seemed endless. In reality it was only about four or five, she was just one unused to looking at so many words all day. She had books on magic mainly, sure that the key was in one of those. One was on meditation and connecting with oneself. She did not think that one was going to be much help.

Buried at the bottom of her pile was one on religion. Mostly a listing of the gods and what they were known for, brief histories on those more well known, from what she had gathered flipping through. She did not bet there would be many answers in there either. She had only ever known the gods to be silent, had never experienced their powerful gifts personally. Their only sign of ever hearing her prayers and pleas silent blessings given to her at most unexpected times. A family found after a season of loneliness crying out to her god for answers. Starfire after a plea to belong. Azmere’s return after finally accepting his leaving. Prayers answered, but not by words or materialized deities. It could have all just been coincidence, though she wanted to believe it was more than that. No matter the true answer, it was worth giving the book a shot. She was willing to try anything at this point.

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Taurina
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The Dream Tower

Postby Taurina on July 17th, 2018, 5:25 am


Hypnotism was the subject of the first book. A magic that could convince another to do what the mage wished. A power of influence over will and the ability to manipulate a mind. At first it looked like perhaps it could be promising. Power over the mind perhaps being able to become power to unlock the mind. But the more she read about it, the more Taurina believed that it would not be their answer. The picture painted in this tome was only of cruelty. A mage delving so far into the magic that it turned against them and warped their own minds. Chaos and destruction seemed more common of a theme than anything peaceful or helpful. She closed it quick and put it to the side, a shivering working its way down her spine.

Fingers reached out towards one of the others and pulled it near. The Drykas ran her hand over the cover, feeling the worn texture of leather beneath her fingertips, before she flipped it open. Wherever this book had come from, it had been well loved. Someone had taken the time to doodle little flowers and vines in the corners of some of the pages and notes were written down in the margins. Taurina felt the tug of a small smile pull at the corner of her lips as she looked at those doodles. Nothing special or particularly well done, but there was still something powerful about art. It always said something even if it did not seem like it. The artist in her soul stirred in reaction to even something so simple. It gave her hope that maybe she would find an answer here.

Meditation was the subject of this one. The book she had previously thought would not be of much help. The scrawling flowers gave her hope that the first impression had been wrong. That what was inside was a treasure trove of information. So the Ethaefal began to read. Each word was devoured as quickly as eyes could shift and focus to read over it. Line after line, page after page. She read it cover to cover with that glimmering light of hope fluctuating from somewhere in the center of her chest. When she finished she closed the book with a heavy sigh on her lips and disappointment plunging down somewhere deep inside of her.

Peace. Inner peace found to create outer peace. Focus of mind on self and change through pure self control and motivation. A quieting of the mind so that things might become clear. So that one could delve into ideas and beliefs and perhaps find their own answers to things. That was what mediation was. It was more than that per what Taurina had read, but in essence that was what it boiled down to. What it was not was a way to retrieve memories. Perhaps with time. Perhaps in combination with something else. She needed something more than that, something that promised her results within days. Not years. She did not believe she had that, that she alone could get Azmere to hang on that long. Not with how he was now.

Taurina sighed softly again and stroked her hand down the cover of the book once more. It had not been all bad. Some insightful information that she might wish to go back over at a later date for herself. She had an inkling such self focus could help her with her reimancy. The magic was not important right now though. Someday it would be again, but not today. Not when Azmere needed her. Taurina tucked the title away in the back of her mind for safe keeping and rested the book on top of the one about hypnotism. Time to move on.

The remaining books up until the last one were as equally unhelpful. One was on Auristics, a magic that could help see what another was feeling through djed infused eyesight, and the other was the scribblings of someone who had lost their memory. Taurina did not make it through to the end of the journal. It was too hard. Whoever had had that life had been miserable and lost and she did not think they had ever found a way out. She hoped so, for their sake. She really did. No one deserved such a fate. Especially not her Ankal. She was going to make sure he did not suffer it.

The remaining book was the one about the gods. It was not very thick and heavy, more of an overview than anything else. The cover was in pristine condition as if no one had ever opened it before. Taurina was delicate as she flipped open the cover, wincing slightly at the cracking sound the spine made when she stretched it fully open to lay flat on the table. Newly bound then, she promised herself she was going to be careful with it. Fingertips ran down the list of names. There were so many, more than just the Leth she knew. More than the ones she had seen while in Endrykas. Taurina blew out a breath. She’d find her answer here. That part of her soul that had faith and belief in the supernatural was sure of it. The gods owed her and she was going to claim that debt sooner rather than later.

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The Dream Tower

Postby Taurina on August 24th, 2018, 5:52 pm


There were fifty in all. She counted them top to bottom. They had all sorts of names from Akajia to Zulrav. Page numbers were written next to each name and each of those pages held small summaries about the gods they were about. Some had long and sprawling descriptions such as the healing goddess Rak’keli. Others had short or nonexistant descriptions such as the goddess of memories Qalaya, just her name and domain was known. Which was unfortunate for the Ethaefal searching for a way to unlock memories. Taurina sighed and flipped through the pages, searching for anything that could be of use.

Akajia, the goddess of shadows and secrets. It made sense that there was not too much about her, but the page did tell her that the goddess was considered a mother to the Akalak race. She found that very interesting but not enough so that she lingered on it for long. The task in her mind was stronger than any pull to delve deeper into any of the gods or goddesses longer than it took to figure out if they could help her or not. She did note one thing on the shadow mother’s page though, a handwritten note that told her of a temple right here in Riverfall. That was useful to know. Taurina found herself suddenly hoping that the god she needed would have a similar note.

One god did pull Taurina into lingering longer than she should have. Her god. The one she loved so dearly. She had never known Leth to be the god of change but it suddenly made sense for such change was reflected in the phases of the moon. Plus, she changed. Night and day but also overtime she had changed. From the unknowing and scared little Ethaefal living in the Drykas world to a full fledged member of their society to someone who had run away from it all. Change. Phases of life. She smiled a little bit to know this, but something threatened to pull her into a whirlwind of emotions she was not ready to face. Written in the margins were a series of small notes. Spirals of thought really but what they suggested… that it was all not just an accident but something on purpose…

The Ethaefal had always thought that she was sent back down to Mizahar for a reason. That there was purpose to be found and a place to belong. A need for her so that was why she had not been allowed to linger in the Ukalas with her brethren and her god. What this suggested though… that Leth had pushed her from his domain on a whim and that it was all a lie… Breath caught fast in her throat as her pulse began to rise. It could not be true! But then why did it make sense? Why did all the pieces suddenly feel as though they were falling into place? His silence. His lack of presence and the way he did not seem to care that her heart was breaking. But then he also had cared… He had sent her Azmere and Starfire and gifted her the body that thrived on his light alone. She fully believed that these things were his doing. So then he must care. It must be more than what the writer of these notes suggested.

Taurina pushed past the swirl of emotions and thoughts boiling in her mind so that she might continue on. Azmere. That was who was important right now. All of this could wait, and would because she was not going to let it overcome her. She was not going to let her mission be derailed. Only after she had saved the one she loved.

Pages were fished through again and again until she finally came to a name that seemed like a long shot. Nysel. The god of dreams, nightmares, and sleep. Taurina did not know why she lingered on his page except for the fact that his domain was buried in the mind. She knew what it was to dream and she knew what came to her in her dreams. The fragments of memories from a past life. The black stallion who she had once called her own. Fuzzy faces and names and places that she felt strongly about but could not pinpoint. Most was lost to her, always had been and would remain to be, but dreams were funny things so connected to the mind. A gate so to speak to the place so sensitive and full of life. All life, past and present. Perhaps, just perhaps he could be of some help.

His followers were called Dreamwalkers, the book said in a handwritten note. Taurina had come to the conclusion that this was not so new as it had originally appeared. Someone very knowledgable and devote had taken the time to scrawl their musings in the margins. Some of it was very clear like these. Others, such as the ones found on Leth’s page, were less so. Taurina decided to take a leap of faith and, for once in her life, just trust. A note said that there was a tower dedicated to Nysel in Riverfall. An answer to her prayers. She pulled her own journal out and copied down where exactly she might find it. She also copied down what the book entry said about Nysel. About his Dreamwalkers. It was not much, she understood little of it, and she knew it was a long shot but she was going to try anyway. Tomorrow. It was late now.

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Taurina
Lost in the Stars
 
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The Dream Tower

Postby Taurina on August 31st, 2018, 9:18 pm


Morning of the 43rd of Summer 518


The tower of Dreamwalkers stretched tall into the sky where it was built of a shimmering stone that seemed to almost dance with Syna’s soft light of morning. Carvings and pictures on the surface seemed to change at any given moment, depicting almost what it felt like to dream. It was fascinating really. Such careful craftsmanship had gone into building such a place. Taurina was not here to stare though or ponder the great workings of those who had come before her. She was here to see a Dreamwalker as part of her quest for answers.

There was no entrance to the tower for those who did not bear the Dreamlord’s mark so Taurina stood out in one of the courtyards that the stone building overlooked. She had already met with one of the priests of Zulrav who were around the outside and available for talking to. He had told her that Osdyn, the high priest of the tower, was out in one of the gardens teaching a class or playing his instrument. It had not taken too long to track down the red skinned Akalak who sat upon a stone wall plucking at his gittern. The Ethaefal smiled softly when she saw him, there being something just peaceful about the way he and his brother existed with the world.

Taurina did not approach him and interrupt his song all at once. Instead she lingered a chime and just listened. Taking pause and finding herself able to enjoy the pleasurable melody he played. She sat in the grass with her legs crossed and her hands resting in her lap. Her gaze was drifting, but mostly she watched his fingers as they moved across the strings. There was something mesmerizing about one who knew their way around the strings of an instrument. Knew how to make it create such beautiful sound. It was a talent she lacked and did not even know where to begin to change that so she just admired where she could.

It was hard to hear where one melody changed into another for his shifts were seamless. Nothing jarring about the notes his chose or the way he switched between keys. Even the transitions between songs, seamless. Taurina felt her body begin to relax and her soul follow easily. She could have drifted off to sleep there. Entered into the dream state. But he ended his songs before then. The Ethaefal did not even notice until she felt the presence of another invading upon her space. Eyes opened as she tilted her head up and was met with the kind face of the Dreamwalker.

“Hello, can I be of some help to you? Or are you just here to enjoy the music?” he asked her calm with a voice warm as sunshine.

Taurina did not answer right away. Sleepy and slightly dazed, it took her a moment to even realize that he was talking to her. But then she realized it and she blushed before scrambling to her feet.

“Yes!” The words jumped out excitedly before she could take a moment and really think. “I mean.. Um.. yes. Hi. I would like some help. I’m looking for the high priest Osdyn and Alvikin. Are you them?”

The male was patient even as a smile curled at his lips over her tumbling words. Taurina blushed as she typically did when embarrassed or flustered, but he did not seem to mind much. If he did than he did not make it obvious. Instead taking everything in stride.

“Osdyn at your service,” the male confirmed with the slight bow of his head, “how can I help you?”

Relief flooded the Ethaefal as her suspicions were confirmed. She sighed as it came over her and smiled with thankfulness in her heart.

“Recently the man who I love came back into my life but he has suffered a great accident that left him without any memories and it has torn a great hole in his soul,” Taurina began to explain, “Not knowing who he is has caused him to become.. Self hating and lost. I want to help him- more than that, I promised that I would. So I have come to you because you are a last hope. A book in the library led me to believe that perhaps a marked of Nysel would be able to help him.”

They had moved back towards the stone wall as Taurina explained. She had just followed the Akalak and sat down across from him when he wandered back over here. Osdyn listened to her closely with his eyes focused on her so that she knew she had his attention. Once she was done the male took his time to answer her. That made Taurina nervous because she so badly needed this to work, but she was also patient and relaxed. So she waited with bated breath. Then, finally, words came.

“The mind is complicated, dreams are complicated,” Osdyn admitted to her, “there is never a guarantee. I can promise you nothing. But send him and we will do our very best to help him, Alvikin and I will work with him personally even.”

It was the very best that she could hope for. Taurina smiled as relief caused her shoulders to sag. Yes, no promises, but it was better than nothing. It was better than Azmere having to suffer for the rest of eternity trapped in a mind that did not even truly know its own name. Yes, she hoped that all would go well. That the secrets of his mind would be unlocked for him. But if they were not, if only some was broken through, than she would take it. Because even half was better than nothing.

“Thank you. Thank you so much.”

Curiosity begged her to ask him how it worked. Begged her to ask him about his lord and what it meant to be a Dreamwalker. She nearly did, but something in her stopped her. Something about how he did not offer that information readily and about how the book had had little about Nysel written on its pages told her that maybe it was not meant for her to know. So she kept her words to herself and when he asked if there was anything else, she just told him that her love’s name was Azmere and promised to send him when the time was right. Osdyn promised that time would be made for the man and then the two said their goodbyes and parted ways. A soft melody rising from the glittern as Taurina departed the garden with a new hope in her heart.

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User avatar
Taurina
Lost in the Stars
 
Posts: 411
Words: 752473
Joined roleplay: January 18th, 2016, 4:18 am
Race: Ethaefal
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Plotnotes
Medals: 5
Featured Character (1) Featured Thread (1)
Guest Storyteller (1) Overlored (1)
2016 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1)


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