-
Re: GLoG 91
Maple Cabin, Night
The tendrils are originating in the Realm of Nightmares, which leaches into sleeping minds, though something is directing them- and not simply a nightmare. Not sure if that helps any, since that's not a physical place in the Nexus but a parallel dimension, or something I think. Shadowcaller may know more.
The dream-eater manages to eat the dream, but seconds after it has done so, more red threads appear around Cheasadh's head, and this time they're covered in spines and barbs, ones intended to pierce the dream-eater's mouth when it tries again. If the spines succeed in harming the spirit, the entity on the other side- the one generating the nightmares- will try to suck the dream-eater's essence through them, draining it of power and life and absorbing its abilities.
-
Re: GLoG 91
Maple Cabin, Night
Some spines and barbs doesn't seem to disturb the dream eater, if Cheasadh starts dreaming again, the dream eater will split into many small cats, small enougth to pass through the spines and barbs to eat the dream, thought it will avoid the red strings. As long as there is a way to the dream the dream eater will use it. You can see the dream eater as some kind of ghost, even in the dream world, but it can't go through the threads like it does with the walls in the real world.
-
Re: GLoG 91
[Maple Cabin, Night]
Sophie frowns. This is bad. Whatever is reaching out to Cheasadh is stronger than Sophie expected. She steps closer, quietly, and gives a harsh whisper:
"Stop! Get away from them!"
The whisper is imbued with her conviction and desire to protect, so the tendrils will feel a compulsion to obey. The fact that she's not shouting weakens the effect, though. I won't last very long, but hopefully long enough to give Sophie some time.
-
Re: GLoG 91
Maple Cabin, Night
The red strands aren't defending the dream- they are part of the dream. The dream-eater can't eat the dream without touching the threads.
Sophie's whisper cause the strands to retract, the spider's web of pain and spikes folding back into the Realm of Nightmares. The whole thing dissipates and flees. As it goes, Cheasadh's breathing gets more regular and she stops moving so much, as she slips into a dreamless sleep.
-
Re: GLoG 91
Maple Cabin, Night
Okay, I thougth it was just something around the dream, but for now it isn't important since they disapeared.
The dream eater will not do much and only wait for other dreams to appear and eat.
-
Re: GLoG 91
[Maple Cabin, Night]
Sophie backs away from Cheasadh and settles in to wait some more. This is very troubling. Whatever is affecting Cheasadh is stronger than they expected. The dream-eater wouldn't have been able to handle it on its own.
-
Re: GLoG 91
Maple Cabin- Night
When the nightmare returns, it spreads quickly across Cheasadh's mind. To Sophie's eyes, it's pulsing with black, demonic energy, which it wasn't before. It might smell differently to the dream-eater; I'm not sure what senses it has, nor how it finds the dreams it eats. If the dream-eater attempts to eat the dream, it'll taste rotten (if taste is a thing the spirit is capable of, or maybe even if it isn't), and the demonic corruption within the dream will try to settle into the dream-eater, changing it and warping it.
-
Re: GLoG 91
[Maple Cabin, Night]
Sophie swears under her breath, before gathering her power once more. She ignores the endless chorus of the Messengers growing louder and draws on their strength, instead. They've done all this and more, she's pretty sure. Whoever they are, they know the hunt and the protection of the weak.
"Who are you? Why are you doing this?" she hisses. The force behind the nightmare will feel compelled to stop and answer, although of course it can be resisted. This time, the fact that she's whispering doesn't lessen the force of the compulsion.
-
Re: GLoG 91
Maple Cabin- Night
I am NarTheoLoq. I am trapped in the Realm of Nightmare. I wish to leave, so am persuading this mortal child to release me... Unless you wish to serve in its stead? NarTheoLoq has three voices, speaking simultaneously; a deep, masculine voice, a softer, feminine voice and the high-pitched tones of a child. Not that the demon's actually speaking; the communion is telepathic, as it lacks a physical body to speak for it in the Nexus. It also doesn't seem to know much about Cheasadh, calling her an 'it'.
-
Re: GLoG 91
[Maple Cabin, Night]
"Why are you targeting this child?" Sophie asks, focusing on the voices. "Are you so weak you won't target adults?"
-
Re: GLoG 91
[Maple Cabin, Night]
The dream eater was just about to consume the dream as Sophie speaks up. Not sure who she is talking with the dream eater waits for a sign to eat it.
-
Re: GLoG 91
Maple Cabin, Night
Weak? Yes. Had I all my original power, this realm would not keep me. But my weakness is not why I am targeting this mortal, as you put it. Nightmare is not my home, and I am still learning its rules. I can identify a dreamer I have visited before, but I cannot find any in particular. I found this child, and it seems more useful to me than any I have previously visited. It can walk, it had no defences, it understands what I need and it is capable of leaving the dream of its own volition. The last means Cheasadh can wake up, and if the nightmares are too terrible, she does.
-
Re: GLoG 91
[Maple Cabin, Night]
"What would it take you to leave this child alone?" Sophie asks. A plan begins to form in her mind.
-
Re: GLoG 91
[Maple Cabin, Night]
The dream eater waits and is skipapble unless the dream expands or such.
-
Re: GLoG 91
Maple Cabin, Night
Are you willing to get your hands dirty? Not very dirty, promise. There's not much blood in a squirrel. A mouse should do, even less blood in that, but a squirrel would make certain.
Or you could find a rat, that would be as good as a squirrel, and its death would help the camp, wouldn't it? Less vermin around. NarTheoLoq wants to be free of the Nightmare, and is implying the only way to stop it is to free it. That's a lie, the demon could be fought off, if Sophie could enter dreams to confront it there.
-
Re: GLoG 91
Maple Cabin, Night
Sophie looks and sounds unimpressed. It's not the first time she's been made such an offer.
"Really. And what would you do if I did all that?"
-
Re: GLoG 91
Maple Cabin, Night
If the circle was drawn correctly, and there was enough blood, and my name was repeated three times, I'd be pulled out of Nightmare and leave this realm, and enter that one. This child would have no more nightmares from me, and I would promptly leave, to get revenge on the one who banished me here. That is true, and it sounds like NarTheoLoq is planning on enjoying the revenge.
-
Re: GLoG 91
[Maple Cabin, Night]
"And who was it that banished you?" Sophie asks. She needs to gather information, but she's not sure how to get this thing to leave Cheasadh alone without unleashing it on the world.
-
Re: GLoG 91
Maple Cabin, Night
A grey-skinned elf and a red-skinned demon-blood with horns. The elf had a sword, and the demon-blood did the binding. Before that, I was bound onto a scroll by a human whose soul was pledged to a black unicorn. I would like to get revenge on them, too. The unicorn, at least; the human probably died of old age a long time ago. The elf and the other released me from the scroll so they could banish me. Cassandra and Astrana of MERC, but I think you know that.
-
Re: GLoG 91
[Maple Cabin, Night]
Grey-skinned elf and red-skinned demon-blood with horns. The former sounds like a drow, the latter a tiefling, like Trick. Not terribly precise, but she's not going to unleash this thing on them anyway. What could she do, instead...
"You ask for a lot. Those people will take revenge if they find out I released you before you get them," Sophie says. "Leave this child and come to me in my dream, when I sleep tomorrow night. Then we'll strike a bargain and I'll release you."
-
Re: GLoG 91
Maple Cabin, Night
Why should they find out you were involved? I have no intention of informing on anyone who assisted me. I doubt they are scrying on me. Nobody spies on a problem they consider solved, do they? I shall try to find you. I believe I know the colour of your thoughts; hopefully that shall be enough, but I do not know enough to find specific people by their dreams. As NarTheoLoq mentioned earlier, in fact.
-
Re: GLoG 91
[Maple Cabin, Night]
"I will sleep in the room next to this one," Sophie says. Hopefully Trick won't mind her pulling another all-nighter at GLoG...
-
Re: GLoG 91
Maple Cabin, Night
NarTheoLoq laughs, its triplicate voice a deep masculine guffaw, a sultry female chuckle and a child's innocent giggle mixing in an unpleasant way. Sleep where you like. The geography of dreams is not related to the geography of other realms. I will find you, or not, regardless of where you are. All nightmares lead to where NarTheoLoq currently resides; not just the ones from the Nexus.
-
Re: GLoG 91
[Maple Cabin, Night]
"...very well. Now leave this child. You're dealing with me now," Sophie says. She has a bad feeling about this...
-
Re: GLoG 91
Maple Cabin, Night
The red threads and spikes encasing Cheasadh's head in bad dream dissipate and fold away as NarTheoLoq retreats. Either this will work, or it won't and the demon will have to find someone else. Either way, this child has proven she has defences and allies, ones powerful enough to hinder its efforts... And NarTheoLoq doesn't like that.
-
Re: GLoG 91
[Maple Cabin, Night]
Sophie leans against the wall and settles in to wait until morning, not trusting NarTheoLoq in the least bit. Then she'll have a day to prepare against the demon. Either way, she has more of a chance to confront it in a dream than poor Cheasadh.
-
Re: GLoG 91
[Maple Cabin, Night]
The dream eater waits and when te threads go away it starts doing it's work.
The nameless man won't know much about the whole night unless he can talk to Sophia the next morning.
-
Re: GLoG 91
Maple Cabin, Night
Well, looks like Cheasadh is going to have a deep, dreamless sleep for the rest of the night, and the Dream-Eater gets fed without demonic corruption.
Nothing else will happen my end until Cheasadh awakens in the morning.
-
Re: GLoG 91
[Maple Cabin, Night]
Sophie does step out of Cheasadh's room early in the morning, before the gnome girl has woken up, and looks for the nameless man.
-
Re: GLoG 91
[Maple Cabin, Night]
When she head to the room, she likly finds him a few meters befor his room lying on the ground either totally asleep or maybe unconscious. Hard to say.
It's rather the later one currently, not that he will take a nap anywhere.