The Dead Lands part 1 Awakening

[Captain Awesome]

The dream has faded and the world returns to you. The most vivid dream you have ever dreamed has ended... yet something remains. The knowledge and power that was granted to you remains. The world is alive with sensations you have never felt before. Colors are brighter. Smells more potent. Every sense feels like some dusty veil has been removed from it. That is not all However; there is a pulse to the city. You can feel it living essence of the very city flowing like a current. The way that the creator feels the universe has been shown to you, if only a glimpse.

The power is now yours. What will you do with it.

[Jötunn]

"Ugh... my head."

Oliver sits up in bed, lost in the silk sheets that have entangled him. He squints and rubs at his eyes before rubbing the veil of sweat from his forehead. After a moment spent untangling, he kicks his feet free and pads over the cool stone floor to the balcony, clad in just his night things.

"What in the... it's not going away."

He rubs his eyes again, and squints out at the night sky, but he can still feel the pulse of the city, see the colours of the darkness with a clarity never before, especially in the faint pink tinge just edging onto the horizon at that very moment.

"I must've... must've eaten something funny last night, and I'm still dreaming. I'm just going to go sleep it off. Yeah."

He staggers back to bed, massaging his forehead with one hand as though he had a headache. He crawls back under the silk and scrunched his eyes shut against the new sensations.

"Should tell Trey. He'll find it funny, most likely."

He's not really sure who he's talking to.

[bcool999]

Yog

Yog awakes from his dream in a cold sweat. Mind racing from the knowledge and power that has been placed within him. He slips out of bed, careful not to disturb the sleeping form of his wife Nora, and splashes himself with water from the basin in the washroom. He felt... different. Not just infused with that power he barely wants to acknowledge, but stronger and healthier than he had ever been before. Nora jokes that he could crush stones with those great big hands of his, but now he wonders if he really could take a rock in hand and just squeeze it into dust.

When he returns to the bedroom, Nora was starting to wake, and Yog didn't know how to explain all that had happened to him in one night. He takes a deep breath, sits on the edge of their bed, and explains his entire dream from beginning to end. When he is done, to prove that he is not making it up, he fashions a pick out of thin air before letting it dissipate into nothingness once more. He then looks into Nora's eyes hoping to see anything other than fear and hate in her eyes.

[Captain Awesome]

Spoiler: Jötunn

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The morning trudges on like normal. Servants come in and out to do their duty while trying not to interrupt the prince that still rests in bed. That is until the one man that treats the young prince like any other highborn.

The young man's martial instructor(please state the name) stood by the bed, took in a deep breath, then flipped the bed over," Good morning my Prince. I do hope you slept well. Might I get you some breakfast or draw a bath?"

Spoiler: bcool999

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For a time Nora is silent as she takes in everything that has been said and shown to her. He delicate hands then move to grasp the rough hands of the miner she loves," This is a blessing from the creator, but you cannot let anyone else know. If you do the Crimson Guard will take you from me."

[Ellowryn]

Alex bolts upright in bed, unsure of what to do about what just happened. He has had dreams before, everyone does, and many have claimed to meet the creator in such ways, but he had always dismissed them as attention seekers or simply delusional.

Why?

That was the next thought to cross his mind. Why him? While he never denounced the faith he had never been particularly devout either. He had not cared about where the world had come from, there were more immediate and important threats that needed his attention.

Getting up he notices some subtle changes in his room but nothing is out of place, just changed. Then he notices the feeling in the back of his mind, the pulse it felt like. This was all too much, and there were too many questions, including this new power. Magic was it? The word was foreign to him yet it seemed so close now as well. He could do things now, he knew it like he knew his combat training, but it all so confused him.

Had anybody else seen this dream? The only way to find out was to ask.

[Captain Awesome]

Spoiler: Ellowryn

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The world about you continues on like clockwork. Nothing is different, but everything is. It is as if a new sense has been given to you. You can feel the world. The energies of the trainees outside practicing, the swarm of servants in the Krissen palace, even the animals running around can be felt in some way.

After a while Susan comes to you personally. She radiated power in a way you never felt before, yet it doesn't completely seem to come from here," Captain! I regret to inform you, but for the time being, there will be no more patrols. This is an order directly from the king. The gates are to stay sealed."

[FearlessGnome]

Byron opened his eyes slowly. That had been a dream, surely? He didn't feel like before. He had always been special, of course, but this was... different.

He got out of bed, dressed, and checked the mail slot where the tavern keeper would put any letters addressed to him. The only letter in the box was from his father. It wasn't new, and he didn't open it today either. He went back and sat on the bed, pulled out his ukalele, and thought while he played.

Two minutes later, he stretched out his hand. He concentrated and... his shadow moved. That was a surprise. But what he had expected also happened; a faint, translucent hand formed in the air before him. It picked up one of the coins that lay on the floor. He could feel its weight as the hand raised it into the air, then levitated across the room and faded as it dropped the coin into his outstretched hand. He looked at the coin. Go out and change things, He had said.

Byron rose. He went downstairs without eating breakfast. He seldom did, but this day it wasn't even a conscious decision.

[Captain Awesome]

Spoiler: FearlessGnome

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As you walk out of your room a rather lean black cat forms from the shadows and brushes against your leg for just a moment. The cat yawns then walks forward a bit before turning back to look at you. What came next is the truly shocking moment.

"Think you are having an off day? Try being me." the cat said without actually speaking.

[FearlessGnome]

Byron stops, and stares at the cat. Or rather the thing made out of shadow. For that was not a real cat. Was that good or bad? He would be more surprised if he had not done magic himself not a minute before. He leans down carefully to study it. "What's happened to you, then, that's so bad?" He holds out his hand to let the cat smell it if it wants to come back and do so. But cats are vicious little monsters, so he will pull his hand back the second it looks like it might bite or claw him. Too many memories of family cats that would decide to "play" even after knowing him for years.

[Captain Awesome]

Spoiler: FearlessGnome

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The cat moved forward and rubbed against the hand and purred before stopping and looking at you in disgust before stepping back seeming upset with himself.

"Yesterday I was a normal cat. I was happy and ignorant." the cat said before stretching himself forward as cats tend to do," No I am well, what I am. A being of shadow bound to some crazy hipster."

[Ellowryn]

Sealed!? Why in the creators name would he do something like that? He pauses after he speaks, caught up in the words he just said. Shrugging it of, he focuses on the problem at hand.

Only by pushing back like we do have we managed to keep the corruption at bay, if we were to withdraw now we would be overrun in a matter of months. Have you spoken to his highness about this?

Without waiting for an answer Alex quickly gets dressed and heads out, there are people who need to be spoken to. The undue feeling he gets from Susan is not forgotten, but the lives of the citizens of this city are now at stake and weird dreams and misbegotten power are unfortunately less important right now.

[FearlessGnome]

"Bound to some- Hey, I'm not crazy! And don't try to label me. What do you mean bound?" He peered at it suspiciously. It hadn't bitten him, but it could talk, so it was apparently intelligent. ...Somehow.

[bcool999]

Yog

Wrapping his wife in an embrace, Yog thanks the creator for his fortune in finding such a woman. "I swear to you I won't let anything tear our family apart." Promises Yog before releasing her and preparing for another day in the mine. As he does so, Yog wonders whether he really will be able to hide these changes in him. Everything seems different. Like I went to sleep and I was one bloke, but now I woke up and I don't even know who I am anymore... Shaking his head Yog thinks, I have so many questions, but so few answers. Someone must know what is happening... someone who is easier to reach than a god... the church? Maybe they would know but how do I ask without giving myself away? No matter what, I can't let this lead back to my family, but also... I have to make sure I am not dangerous to them.

Keeping such grim thoughts hidden behind a smile, Yog says goodbye to his family and heads to work in the mines, hoping that a day of work would calm his racing thoughts and bring clarity to his situation.

[Captain Awesome]

Spoiler: Ellowryn

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Waiting outside your door is Samuel, your squire. He is something along the lines of a 15 year old 4th cousin twice removed. It has been rather obvious by the total lack of skills and respect when he came to you a year ago that his 'assignment' to you was the result of political back dealings. Since that time you have broken the poor boy and rebuilt him as a proper and respectable soldier that values rank and honor more than just about everything else.

"SIR! I have a report for you from Matriarch Susan, Sir!" The 15 year old says as he holds out a scroll with Susan's personal Seal on it.

The Scroll reads as Follows.

Alexander, while I fully have home to terms with this part of your personality, you need to work on your impulsiveness. I have personally spoken to the king. HE summoned me in order to close the gates. By his order they have been sealed. If anyone attempts to open them, the Crimson Guard will be executing them on sight. For the time being you are to train the troops but remain at the ready. The gates have never been sealed before. I know not what is happening or why. All of house Krissen is to be on full alert and ready for combat.

Susan.

Spoiler: FearlessGnome

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The cat yawned and turned away so that it might head towards the kitchen. He stayed in shadows as much as he could. The cat then once more turned back, and with eyes that at the moment glowed the color of salmon flesh stated,"Everything has a 'label'. Even the one that made everything has one. You call him the creator, I call him Jeff... Anyway, Jeff told me that I have to look after you. It is such a bore really. You people always make so much noise. I would be happier hiding and hunting."

Spoiler: bcool999

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"You had better not... or so help me you will suffer." she said with a wavering voice the spoke of the torrid of emotions that were fighting for dominance.

Either way she would have to let you leave. The train to work will be leaving soon and even in a crisis she will not let you be late. The train however it a totally new experience. The tightly packed fast moving lift is a sea of power. Each person has a feel to them, as does the train. Energy swirls around you in ways you never even imagined. It is disorienting yet pleasant. What comes as the most shock is when you finally arrive at the mines. Walls covered in glowstone is indeed a beautiful sight, but with your eyes... Power flows from one stone to another dancing and flowing like water yet almost alive. Each pick blow sends dazzling sparks of countless shades of glue whizzing harmlessly through the air.

After a short while Dom comes up behind you and pats you rather firmly on the shoulder,"Boy, you got a look on you like a fresh recruit. I know that the mine is a beautiful thing, but we got money to make."

[Calinero]

Curtis

Curtis stirs from his sleep fitfully, eyes opening to look at the bare stone above him. He sleeps alone, and in a room that is only a few steps above a bare cave. He could probably find better, but he prefers to remind himself how the worst among the poor lived. Similarly, he probably didn't have to sleep alone, but there was so little time.

He frowns as he rises, stretching the aches of sleep from his body. That dream...

It was not like anything he had ever experienced before. It was more vivid, refusing to fade into memory like most dreams did. And something about him felt...different. There was power there, waiting for him to reach out and grasp it.

"What is happening to me?" he says quietly to himself, flexing his fingers.

[bcool999]

Yog

"Y-yeah." Yog replies snapping himself out of the daze the glowstone filled cavern put him in. He joins up with the others just getting on shift and heads to their designated section of the mine, greeting and jesting with the men they are relieving from their shift, Yog starts swinging his pick at the glowstone, prying loose the precious mineral and gathering the chunks to be carted off to the engineers. As he works, Yog feels almost guilty. Before today, glowstone had just been a rock, a pretty rock mind you, but a rock no more alive than a pebble that finds it's way into your boot. Now though, his eyes can see the energy flowing beneath the stone's surface, the same energy he saw in the people packed together in the train and powering the train itself. He wonders if the stone is alive, and if he is hurting it by mining it. Pull it together Yog. You can't go all loony worrying if you are hurting stone. Thinking like that will make you stand out, and that is the last thing you want. Yog admonishes himself as he continues to work.

At lunch, Yog opens his lunchbox to find that Nora had made him breadcap sandwiches for lunch today. He smiles, despite the simple fare Yog wouldn't trade one of Nora's sandwiches for all the hoity-toity highborn foods on the surface, and Nora was a real magician at making the normally bland mushroom into a delight, much to the envy of his coworkers. While he eats, Yog lets his mind wander. Despite his distrust of these changes he is nevertheless curious as well, he reaches out with his senses trying to feel the glowstone around him, and even farther to the city at large. He then wonders if he could pick out a single light amidst the masses, and tries to focus on one particular life he knows very well. His wife's.

Spoiler

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Experimenting with weird life senses.

[Jötunn]

Oliver groans as he is unceremoniously tipped out of bed and onto the stone floor. Markus, why you little... I'll have you arrested, for sure this time. He yawns as he speaks, clearly not meaning a word of it. Then he opens his eyes and swears - "Damn and blast!" - as he realises that the events at dawn weren't entirely a dream after all. "I... I've got to go talk to someone," he mumbles.

Markus, leaning nonchalantly against the overturned bed, replies with amusement evident in his voice. "Oliver, I'm right here, y'know."

"No, I mean... I'm going to talk to Cousin Trey."

"You do realise that you were supposed to meet me in the sparring yard not half an hour ago?"

"No, this is important. Markus, I-"

Markus steps beside him and, grabbing him by the hand, pulls him up. "Now now, young master. I'll leave you in good hands and expect to see you down there in ten minutes sharp or I will talk to your father." He propels Oliver into the waiting hands of Irena, Oliver's personal attendant and the grizzled veteran and the servant share a glance and a nod before Markus strides away.

As he gets dressed, pulling a shirt over his head and breeches over his legs, he asks Irena to take a message to Prince Treorri when she can. "Can you tell him that... that I have to speak to him, as soon as possible? Tell him it's important.

[Ellowryn]

Alex pauses as Samuel hands him the letter. Reading it over he lets out a long sigh. This is all so insane and having the world swim in new colors and tones isn't helping.

An order is an order after all, Sam i need you to head to the troops and get them on full alert. I want full drills and supplies, make sure we are ready to move at a moments notice. If anybody is on leave recall them right away.

If i can't do anything about the lock down then i can at least focus on myself. A thought crosses his mind, and he stops Samuel before he leaves.

Oh, and could you pass on to my aunt before you go that i would rather be impulsive than complacent.

See him off, Alex turns and starts heading towards the first place that might be able to help him, the family physician.

[Captain Awesome]

Spoiler: Calinero

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Whether this is still a dream or whether you are still awake is hard to tell. It becomes harder still when at the completion of your spoken question, a six in tall man appears at the foot of your bed. This man looks exactly like the one in your dream that called himself the creator.

"I gave you power... I thought that was clear. Was that not clear?"

Spoiler: bcool999

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As you shut off your outer senses and focus on your inner power the feeling of energy you get from people becomes as visually vivid as the glowstone, but in a myriad of colors and shades. The harder you focus the move vivid the colors. This works the same with the glowstone surrounding you. So much power makes it hard to focus on anything outside of the glowstone.

As you focus you start to notice a glowing blue coming from you that seems to be the same shade as the glowstone. Moments later people begin to gasp and move away from you quickly.

"What the hell is that!" someone shouts in fear while moving quickly away from you.

Spoiler: Jötunn

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The servant nervously bows,"Right away my prince."

The letter is then quickly taken to the other 'Prince' that resides in the palace.

((If you wish to continue controlling Markus go for it. Otherwise I will. If you are only interacting with npcs in your control post as frequently as you desire without need of my input.))

Spoiler: Ellowryn

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Samuel salutes you and hurries off. You easily have full confidence that this young man will have the majority, if not the entirety, of all fighting capable members of the Krissen fighting force assembled within the next half hour. The physician Doctor Walter Grisshim is doing what he normally does in the royal palace, being bored. When you want into his officer, he is leaned back in a chair balancing a tongue depressor on his nose. Despite being a middle ages man, he is quite childish.

[Calinero]

Curtis blinks as he looks at the small man. "No...I mean, yes. It was clear...sir?" His mouth stumbles over the honorific--he doesn't like using titles for others at the best of times, let alone with the "other" is a six-inch tall man in his room. However, if what he had dreamed was really happening...then this was his god. A measure of respect seemed in order.

"You've given me power," he says, slowly, "Something I've never really had before. I've spent my entire life raging that the nobles were born with it and we weren't. That you bring power to me now, and ask for change..." He looks down at the little man, the little deity. "I know what I want to change. I want to raise my people up. Shatter these walls. Does this please you?"

[bcool999]

Yog

Yog you dust brained idiot! Yog thinks to himself as his thoughts race on salvaging his blunder. He stands up and calmly brushes himself off, squashing the glow as he does so, "Hmph, must have gotten some glowstone dust on me." He says before he looks around at the onlookers and says with a smirk, "What's the matter with all of you? Never seen glowstone before? Pop your eyes back in your skulls you ninnies and lets get back to work." He then picks up his pick axe and makes his way back to work laughing.

Spoiler

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Big Fat Bluff Check: (1d20+8)[22]

[AvatarVecna]

With a strangled cry, Treorri woke from his slumber, drenched in a cold sweat. Possibilities whirled through his head at the speed of sound, each one more troubling than the last. Why was the deity appearing now to bring about change? Everything he knew about the church indicated that they would be in favor of a revolution, and yet the king had been allowed to run roughshod over his people not once, but twice! And why had they chosen him? He was hardly the most responsible person; he tried to be a good person, but nobody's perfect. And of course, it was only a dream, right? He hadn't actually been visited by a goddess, had he? Surely there were better candidates for supreme power...

He straightened up, as the possibilities flashed before him. This power...if he truly possessed great power now, it was his responsibility to use it for the good of the people as a whole. The only problem was, he had never had great power before...at least, nothing of this nature! How could he control it, what did it do, how could it make the city a better place for the common man? He needed proof that this power truly existed. "If this power is real, milady, give me a sign."

As his mind still whirled, the doors burst open, and two of the Crimson Guard rushed in.

"Is everything alright, Sire?" the one on the left asked. "We heard you cry out. Bad dreams?"

"Of the worst kind," Treorri replied, finally rising from bed to get dressed. "A world made of nothing but nobles. Nothing ever gets done because everybody's too busy passively aggressively attempting to convince everyone else that they're more important and need more servants than the other person."

"Horrifying, Sire."

"Quite. There's already far too many bluebloods in the world for my liking."

"Ahem," the other guard interrupted, "Since there's no problem, perhaps we could escort you to breakfast? Three squares a day does a body good."

"So goes the conventional wisdom," Treorri replied, finally emerging from his walk-in closet. He was wearing his ceremonial robes--in reality, a set of powerful armor with inlaid glowstones--under his signature overcoat, a gift from his mother; below the belt, he wore the finest of trousers with a pair of knee-high black leather boots."Shall we?" he asked, as he went to retrieve his harrow deck. He froze as the deck briefly flashed red.

"Something wrong, Sire?" the first one asked.

"Nothing...it's nothing," Treorri replied. He straightened up, stuffing the deck into its belt pouch. "Shall we continue?"

The three of them continued to the dining hall; it was rather empty at the moment, with only a few cousins milling around. Unfortunately, the one he was hoping to talk to was nowhere to be seen; he expected that Oliver was busy with his lessons. "Oh well," he thought as he settled in to his breakfast.

As soon as he finished, the dishes were swept away by a servant (much to Treorri's consternation), and he retrieved his harrow deck. As he began shuffling, he saw a rather sore-looking Oliver enter the hall, followed as usual by his martial instructor. He raised a hand in greeting, which Treorri returned with a smile. As the prince sat down across from him, he asked "Rough morning, Ollie? I don't know about you, but I had the most interesting dreams last night..." As he spoke, he began drawing cards from the deck; Treorri preferred to start the day with a harrow reading, to give himself an idea of what to expect. As he glanced down at the cards he'd drawn, he stiffened: the Juggler, the Theater, and the Tyrant, just like in his dream.

It was his sign.

As he glanced back up at his cousin, he contemplated how to tell him without seeming crazy.

[FearlessGnome]

Creepy cat is Watching me for the Big Guy, eh? I suppose he wouldn't just hand out magic like that. Never fear, I'll put the power to good use.

...But how, exactly? Byron frowned as he continued down the stairs. He needed to get a little air, and think about things.

[Captain Awesome]

Spoiler: Calinero

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The six in man walks away and towards the wall. The figure then starts walking up the wall and grows to a rather large man in the outfit of a royal," The squabbles of humans does not matter all that much to me. Your kind does their best to bring themselves freedom, but end up taking it from others in doing so. What I want to be changed is SO different, Far grander than you can imagine. I have given you, and a few others a chance to fix things for all of us... "

Moments later the being on the ceiling was gone.

Spoiler: bcool999

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The miners around you, thankfully are mostly blue eyes like yourself, seem leery at first. Eventually they all seem to shake it off and go back to doing what they were doing.

"Never seen glowstone do that." Dom said as he walked up towards you," Just to make sure you are ok, maybe you should go home for the day. You might have had too much exposure for today."

Spoiler: AvatarVecna

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"Don't worry," the juggler on the card spoke as anyone that was not a prince had left the room,"You are not crazy and you know it."

Spoiler: FearlessGnome

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"If you think you can get away with not feeding me, your delusional." The cat said as he began to pur.and weave around d your leg,"Also, I need a name."

[FearlessGnome]

Byron stared at it. Well. It was pretty cool how it moved.

"Alright, I'll bite. Do you want to be Biscuit or Sunshine?"

[Captain Awesome]

The cat turned into a cloud of black before spiraling up Byron's body to then reform on his shoulder where the cat began to lick at his paw," Call me what you like. I just need to know when you are addressing me."

[FearlessGnome]

"Biscuit it is. So, what do you eat?"

[Captain Awesome]

"... Seriously? You have highborn education. I'm a cat. I eat meat. You should eat too. Going without energy with what you are now is not wise."

[FearlessGnome]

"Yeah, well." Byron looked around him. He wasn't hungry. Wasn't gonna let a cat tell him what to do. ...But he should probably get it some food.

He made his way to the kitchen. A young man was the only one there. Byron hadn't quite learned his name yet. "Hey. Do you uh, have any rats here? Something for a cat to eat?"

[bcool999]

Yog

Glad his ruse had worked, Yog sighed and considered his dad's proposal, "Maybe you're right, I have been feeling off all day... maybe I will go see a doctor."

For a moment, Yog considers telling his father about the dream and all that came with it, but he dismisses the idea. The old man has enough to worry about with the mine. Even if I were to tell him, now would not be the time for it. Besides, a half-day gives me the perfect chance to go see a priest about dreams and deities. With that settled, Yog gathers his things and nods at his dad as he makes his way to the train station. Intent on finding a church and getting some answers if any were to be had.