The Samsara of Gods ☘ OPEN

[bloomingwisdom]

Who: Nahida + You! (Players who are TDMing are welcome!)
Which: Open Interactive Dream
What: Sumeru crumbles under the Withering, and you are beckoned to save the Lord of Verdure
Warnings: Environmental Decay/Corruption, Mind Control, Glitchy Memory/Amnesia

The Samsara of Gods

Verdant green surrounds you. You stand in a rainforest, a tiny ant amongst the giant, towering trees, stretching out into the sky as if to seek for the stars. There is but one nation in all of Teyvat that has greenery of this scale and abundance: Sumeru, the Land of Wisdom, domain of the benevolent and all-loving Dendro Archon, Lesser Lord Kusanali. Ever has she protected the nation from danger, sin█e the ██ment of its incepti█̶̧̨̩̥͙͇̩͈͇͐̿̇̊̍̕͜█̸̢̭͙͎̠̬̉̿̕ͅ█̶̩̪͕͍̘̻̭͔̭̌͑̃̈́͜█̷̲̺͓̬̩̰̏̍̍͒́̀ͅ ̶̡̡̤͎̺̱͓̮͍͒ ̷̡̡̖̣̦̣̔̋̂̉̀͘͘ͅͅ ̸̻̙͕͈̜̼̪̝̜̈́̂̉͑̀̿͐͝ͅ█̸̡̮͍̉̒͒█̸̨̭̈́̓͑̍̇̿̄̓̾͝ ̸̛̪͕̯̲̺͑͒͂̕ ̶̡̨̼̮̩̄͑̀͐̂͝█̷̦̰͆̋͌̈̃͝█̶̨̡̞̮̥̗͍͕̭̾█̷̮̫͓̏́́̕█̷̛̘̝̙̽̎́̇̆̕█̸͙̰̰͚͓̫̳͒̈́̆͑͐̅█̶͖̗͛̆͛̾\


█̴̣̔█̷͇͙͗̋̓█̴̙̻̰͚̈█̷̋ͅwr ̷̧͇͖̄ ̴̝̍̃͐̍͘ ̸̲̣̱͂̎́̈́̃█̶̗͕̪̈́͒̀█̶̞̦̣̍ ̷̱̟̆ ̷͓̯́͂̓̐̇͜o█̸̡͛͌█̴̦̟̭̤̓͝█̴̹̈́█̵̖̣̣́ ̷̡̜̂̓̒̃͜ ̵̧̥͒̍̉̓ ̷̱̣̈́█̶͍̦̝͙̿͌̽́█̸̊̈́̓͋̎ͅng ̵̡͖̮̣̖̈ ̵̙̞̝͆̀̋̚ ̴̼̲̬̥́ ̸̢̹̟̮̋̍͊█̴͈̺̹̫̎̑̆̾̈́█̶̨̯͕̳̱̾█̶̢̫̻͍͕̀̾̌█̵͔̖͇̓̈́͑̇͘█̸̧̯͇͇̏͋͝█̸̜̟̒̽ͅ


"̷͓̓Buṱ̷̛ ̷̻̄████... ̶̹͛̀t̴̯̖̋h̶̆ī̷̘s ̵̪͈̃ï̴̍ͅs ̸̠͈͗͆s̶̞͆̍͜o... ̵̑͜█████.̸͚̒ ̷̳̜̽̈́I ̵d̸̪͓̔͋ö̷́n'̷́t w̵͚̓an̵t ̴̘̭̔́t̸̢̠́o̵ ̶̤͘██████ ̵̬͊͛͜y̵̱̼͛̚o̶̠̍u!"

...

"Do you still remember... what happened just now?"



"̵͚͙̅̑P̸͓̗̐l̷̤̉ẽ̷̟̚a̷ś̶̗͌e... ████ h̸̗̽̌é̵̬r."

The repeating festival day leads you to suspect a nightmare is at play, with near inaudible whispers encouraging you to save someone. Following the whispers leads you to Nahida's dreamscape, and in the dream her nation is crumbling into dust. The rainforest is withering and monsters threaten to encroach on your position. The whisper, louder now, beckons you towards a glimmering city in the distance, wrapped around a giant tree and protected by its foliage...

This log functions like a regular event log! Feel free to post a top-level and thread amongst yourselves! A majority of these prompts will not need my presence, and those that do will be marked with a ** and 🌱 in the title. If you have any questions about the setting or the dreamscape, you may be direct them to the questions thread!

Note: Some prompts in this log will allow characters to recall any forgotten memories or see brainwashed versions of anyone familiar to them, including those from their canon not in Songerein. These are purely optional, and whether or not characters keep the forgotten memories is up to player discretion!

This Interactive Dream Log is a part of the event and the TDM for April! As such, characters outside of Songerein are permitted to participate in this log. All outside characters MUST have "TDM" in their subject line, even if you might not app. This will help people differentiate those who are already in the game and those who are not. You can find more information about this part of the event here!

TDM Toplevel Link Directory (click to view)

TO BE ADDED

I. A WITHERING LAND

II. WISDOM CRUMBLING

III. CORRUPTION

IV. HER MEMORIES

I. A WITHERING LAND

"̸͍̈́W̶̼̽̕e all ██████ ̴͓̹͊̃und̴e̷r ̷thę̵̰̚ ̸̢̰́͠████ tre̷̿e of w̵͓̉i̷͍̐ś̶͍d̸̡́̕ò̷̘m̵̛͖̏, ███████ ̵̉out to ̶̬͐█████████ the wo̸̢͘͝r̴̛̩̅ͅld."

This rainforest must have once been a beautiful place. The trees seem impossibly tall, and impossibly wide, stretching into the sky many times the height of a regular human. But all of this majesty pales in the face of a wave of rot sweeping across the region. The plants and trees have all withered. The cause? A flower, several dozen times bigger than normal, blooming in an ominous, blood red, and pulsing with dark energy—nostilium. It sits nestled in the roots of the mighty trees, spreading malady to the forest. These flowers can be found dotting the forest grounds at irregular intervals.

"T̸̲̹̿̍h̸̩̀͝i̶̢͍͊̎s ███... ████ ̸̪̭̍̏t̷̙̀h̸̦̳̉i̷͙͈͂̉s way," a soft, feminine voice whispers quietly into your ear. It is barely discernable, garbled in noise, but it directs your attention to a path that you're certain leads to a city, towards the source of this dreamscape. "████ ḥ̸̋̚e̶͝r, ple̶̝̊ả̶͈̄s̷͓̱͒͛e." The voice pleads.


A. Destroying the Tumors. The blood red flowers are filled with nostilium, and have smaller buds surrounding them, protecting the main flower from coming to harm. Touching the flower or the buds will fill a character with a rush of nostilium, and draw out any memories of failing to protect something or failing one's duty. Prolonged contact with the flowers may cause characters to be overwhelmed with any guilt associated with these memories.

It's possible to destroy the buds and flowers with positively charged dreamotion abilities. The main flower is impervious to damage until its surrounding buds are destroyed, and the buds will attack with bullets of nostilium energy. Once the buds and flower have been destroyed, the surrounding area will be restored to verdure. However, this is only temporary, as new flowers and buds will begin to sprout in the area after an hour has passed.


**🌱B. Child of the Forest.** Lucky characters might be met with a strange little plant-like creature that peeks out from behind one of the many trees of the rainforest as they progress towards the city. After a few sightings, it will approach and begin to speak.

"Once again, the trees must see the withered flowers that cover the earth, and the earth must remember the dark blood it once devoured," it begins cryptically. "Even for Nara, Marana's touch is dangerous, because Marana will teach you death." The little creature circles around them with curiosity. "Marana rampages through the forest, but foolish Nara hasn't left. Why are you still here, Nara?"

II. WISDOM CRUMBLING

"̶̬̔̌F̷ró̶̰m t̸̞͛̈h̷͈̼̏̽e █████, ̷a̴̓n̶d ̵͒fro̷m ̵̀̔t̷̂h̶̺͙͗̓e ̴̤̱͊̀████, ̷ẇ̶̧͖e p̶͝erce̵i̶̋v̶e ̶͔̺̑i̴t̴͘s ̵̬͝███████ ̵un̵̬͐ti̴͌l ̷̛̥̖ẃ̷e ̷͙̤̅██████ ̶̜̇́a ̴̠̊͝ẉ̸̕hi̵̠͔̕͘t̵̞͐e ████ ̵t̸͠o pè̴̼̠rc̷̮̚h at̶̯̓ǫ̴͔̀p ̵͕͗̓a █████..."

A crumbling city greets anyone who makes it through the harrowing, withered rainforests. "Y̷̢̟͂o̴̙̼̍̆u ̸̺̲̈͒must ████ ̵̨̬̅͝h̸̰̯͒͠e̸̬̪͒r ███ ̴̤̬̉o̵̢͖͑f ̷̫͔̎ṱ̴͋ḩ̸̟̈́e ̷̮̍█████," the voice whispers again, this time urging you to head towards the top of the city, where the abode of the Dendro Archon is located. "S̸̝̘̓ḣ̴̺͠e h̵͍̍ȧ̶̛͜ͅs ̷͈̈́͋█████████, b̶͕̐͜͝u̶͈͗t sh̴̢̔e ȋ̴̗̀s ██████ ̵̜̹̑ṱ̴͝o ████████. An̵̳͗d̵̜͙̈͝ w̸i̷͚̾t̴͖̋h ̸ḯ̶̥̖͂t c̴̢͛̚om̷es ̵͇́ẗ̷̻̹́̚h̸͋e █████████."

The city is eerily empty, almost entirely bereft of the inhabitants that would bring it to life. Blood red nostilium flowers have taken root in the pockets of earth interspersed between the roads and sprout from cracks in crumbling buildings. A man shuffles across the street in a stumbling gait. There's a glowing red symbol adorning his left ear. "Glory to the Lord of Arcane Wisdom," the man mumbles, laughing deliriously to himself. "Humanity doesn't need the Dendro Archon anymore!"

There are more individuals shuffling across the city in a daze, mumbling similar phrases. And not all are citizens of Sumeru. Some may even be individuals you recognize from home. But they are under some influence all the same, and if you try to shake them out of their daze, they won't respond favourably.


A. Break the Brainwashing. Any individual that characters encounter in the city will be seemingly brainwashed to repeat the same thing over and over again, praising the Lord of Arcane Wisdom and disparaging the Dendro Archon. While a majority will be citizens of Sumeru, it's possible to encounter any individuals the character is familiar with, including those from their home world. Trying to snap these individuals out of their brainwashing will provoke them and cause them to attack.

The source of the glowing red symbols is an earpiece, which can be removed to stop the brainwashing. Once they are removed, the brainwashed individual will fall unconscious, and cannot be woken up.


B. The Purest Branch. The dreamscape is saturated with nostilium, which should be affecting a majority of characters by now. The nostilium will try to draw any forgotten memory to the surface, or magnify any negative emotion characters currently bear. Those particularly sensitive to nostilium may eventually find themselves becoming Noctaere as their own negative emotions begin to overwhelm them. However, those seeking to fight against the slow march of the corrosion will find that thinking of positive memories will temporarily help.

White branches with glowing, blue veins can be sparsely found across the city. Should characters approach the white branch, they will find that the pressure of nostilium will ease off entirely. But it doesn't last forever. The branch's influence will eventually begin to wane, and it must be supplied with dreamotion energy to continue its warding effect. Characters can traverse by locating these branches and sheltering in their warding aura as they progress to the top of the city.

III. CORRUPTION

"̶̢̽̊A̴̭͇̋̔n̴͓̮̍d ̴███████ ̶ṡ̴̜͖n̵̨̨͘a̸̱͛p ̷███ t̶̡̳͛h̵̯̳̓e ̶͕̄m̴͖͆́o̵̩̾s̵̰̐̀t̴͓͆ ḯ̴̭̻̀m̷͈̥̓p̵̸̴̴̣̩̭̌̋̈́͝o̵̡̥͐̉rtant leaf."

Eventually, you reach the highest building in the city. A beautiful door with green stained glass greets you, carved into a building that seems to meld seamlessly into the tree that holds up the city. This is the home of a god—the one you have come to rescue.

A bright light engulfs characters' vision as they open the door. Once it subsides, they're greeted with a dreamlike scenery. Surrounded by towering cliffs forming a valley, a massive silver white tree with light pink foliage stands before them. The tree hums with energy, glowing with a radiant light. It is a wondrous sight, but before anyone can take a step towards it, the scene darkens as black mist shrouds the entire area, and dissipates to reveal a barren, dark landscape carved into dead wood.

In the clearing up ahead, a swirling mass of nostilium sits, barring the way forward. The concentration of nostilium emanating from this mass is overwhelming. It must be the source of all the withering across the dreamscape, and is likely drawing the negative energy from the repeated days outside of the dreamscape. Destroy it, and everything will be resolved.

Marana's Avatar bars the way to rescue Nahida from her nightmare. It fights by generating a whirlwind of nostilium around itself, showering the area around it with negative energy and protecting itself at the same time. Characters must destroy the blood red flowers in the surrounding areas to weaken the concentration of nostilium and stop the whirlwind. Once it's no longer protected by nostilium, Marana's Avatar can be damaged by positively charged dreamotion. But the flowers and buds will reappear quickly, so characters may need to eliminate the flowers multiple times as they tackle this fight.

Arama, the mysterious plant-like creature from the rainforest, will appear halfway through fight to aid characters. When Marana's Avatar is showering the area with beams of nostilium, Arama will generate a barrier warding off negative energy that characters can take shelter under. Arama will not be able to hold the barrier indefinitely, however, so call upon their aid only when necessary.

**🌱IV. HER MEMORIES**

"Only dreams can awaken consciousness from the deepest darkness."

With Marana's Avatar vanquished, the nostilium permeating the dreamscape quickly vanishes. Lush greenery returns to the region, and Sumeru is saved. However, Nahida, the source of the dream, is nowhere to be seen. Arama flutters forward, towards the center of the clearing where Marana's Avatar was fought and turns towards everyone present.

"The Lord of Verdure wishes to remember the dream that has been severed on purpose. Even Sarva cannot remember dreams that have been severed on purpose, but here, in the dream severed from Sarva, dreams can be connected again," says Arama, "Once, the Lord of the Roaring Sky appeared with the severed dream. Now she is not here, but the forest remembers all."

"I will become a tree, to bear the dream as Bija. Nara, you must give the Bija to the Lord of Verdure, so she will remember what she has forgotten."

It seems, in order to find Nahida and wake her from the dream, this little creature must become a tree and bear a seed containing the memory she has forgotten. Characters can try to dissuade Arama, but there doesn't seem to be any other way forward, so whether or not characters bid the Aranara farewell, they will burrow themselves into the ground. Soon after, a sprout appears and begins to grow rapidly, growing and growing, morphing the environment until suddenly, characters will find themselves standing in front of Irminsul again. In front of them is a small branch bearing a unique looking seed, and even further forward, nestled in the hollow of the great world tree, is a large orb of energy.

Anyone who touches the seed will also see Nahida standing in front of them, smiling kindly. But she will not respond to calls of her name, instead beckoning characters forward, towards the orb of energy, revealing... another Nahida in deep sleep.

"I am her, and she is me of the next Samsara," Nahida(?) says, and it's then that things click. It is this person's voice that has lead you here, and has been asking you to save Nahida from her nightmare. "She was forced to forget, but now she can remember. Thank you, and goodbye." With those parting words, Nahida's duplicate dissipates into a swirl of leaves and vanishes.

You now hold the Bija, and Nahida is in front of you, sealed within that protective orb, in deep sleep. It's time to end the dream.

I. A WITHERING LAND

II. WISDOM CRUMBLING

III. CORRUPTION

IV. HER MEMORIES

Comments

Questions?

[bloomingwisdom]

If you have a question about how the dreamscape works, or about the setting of the dreamscape, or anything else, please ask here!

[ranchgirl]

Quick question! What does Marana's Avatar look like? Also, Arama is this little fellow, right?

[bloomingwisdom]

Marana's Avatar looks like this when covered by the whirlwind of nostilium, and like this when vulnerable!

And yes, that is Arama! Here is a clearer picture!

Isabela Madrigal | Encanto

[senorita_perfecta]

Destroying the Tumors
(As soon as she begins hearing inaudible voices to save someone, she is running towards the direction of the pleads and into a crumbling corrupted land much to her horror. She is very much in shock: she has never seen a world this badly corrupted since the Orkili incident. Then she recalls another person who spoke well of their land’s flora that it dawns on her that the voices are talking about Nahida. Well, what happened that caused her to be in this state, she is going to try to help her out.

The blood red flowers and buds are pretty dangerous as they surround the main flower in the rainforest so she is being rather mindful not to touch besides destroying them with positive dreamotion abilities. It is not easy destroying the buds and flowers to get to the main flower but she is giving it all she got.

If she sees anyone struggling to fight the nostilium, she will try to assist them in any way she can.)

Breaking the Brainwashing
(Once she reaches the city, Isabela notices that a lot of the citizens of Sumeru are all under a trance, praising the Archon of Wisdom and speaking ill of the Dendro Archon. Oh dear, that is pretty horrific. But before she could do anything urgent, she freezes at the appearance of two women, one tall with a ponytail and a strong build and the other small with a curly mop of hair and dressed in vibrant colors. How did this dreamscape managed to bring in her sisters, to mess with her?

Either way she is very much tempted to run towards ‘Luisa’ and ‘Mirabel’ to snap them out of this hypnotic cult like trance. Please get her out of there before these ‘ladies’ try to hurt her.)

Corruption
I can’t believe that this is what we’re fighting against.

(Isabela is honestly flabbergasted at the sight of Marana’s Avatar as she joins up at the clearing from the green door at the city after what felt likes hours walking across the city with purifying branches and refueling them with dreamotion. While the view would have been certainly nice, she could see how corrupted the landscape has become under Marana’s influence and the amount of the blood red flowers and buds in the area. Not exactly a beautiful sight to behold.

What she didn’t expect to encounter is the appearance of the enemy everyone has to defeat. She was expecting a tall dark gothic figure looming over the land and holding Nahida hostage in a cage or an orb, not a shattered looking purple orb. Nevertheless the Avatar is not to be underestimated with its vast power and Isabela is very determined to fight tooth and claw to save Nahida and her land from its power.)

It looks like we might need to go for the flowers. It might be this ‘thing’s power source; if we try to destroy them, we can be able to defeat them. There doesn’t seem to be any visible weak points on it that we can take full advantage of.

Her Memories
(Once Marana’s Avatar has been vanquished once and for all, Isabela then turns to Arama and she gasps upon hearing Arama pleading her and her companion to plant it on the ground so it becomes a tree and help them the long forgotten memory.)

Are you sure that it will work, little one? I just want to be sure if this is the choice you’re going to make.

(Arama just simply nods back to her in return. It must be done if they want to restore everything in this land and help Nahida to remember of what has been forgotten. She then turns to the person next to her and asks them if they are ready to plant Arama on the ground for the next phase of the quest.)

Corruption

[your_best_friend]

[Flowey gazes at the multitude of flowers before them. Flowey lets out a somewhat long chuckle that is only a tiny bit unhinged. That was the first thing Flowey thought to do when trying to express frustration. Up until now, he hasn't been of much use aside from supportive stuff such as holding things in place using his vines and keeping an eye out for any dangers people weren't paying attention to.]

...Gosh, now seems like a good time as any to help me learn dreamotion. I doubt support will work this thing!

[senorita_perfecta]

Got it. We might have to change up strategies in order to defeat this floating dark orb thing. I’m starting to wonder how are we supposed to beat that thing without getting infected by the nostilium it is generating with no major weak points to be found other than the flowers and buds sprouting all over the clearing. If anything, that orb might be more cunning than anyone can imagine.

(Isabela winces as she stares the nostilium flowers in front of her. Annoyed by how prominent they are becoming, she shoots out a blast of positive dreamotion energy at several of them and they soon begin to die out upon being hit. It is not that different from destroying the flower tumors back in the rainforest.)

Just stay close to me and you might learn some things from me trying to destroy these nightmare flowers with dreamotion.

Wanderer | Genshin Impact

[threebetrayals]

General

[The second it starts happening, Wanderer is furious. How dare the Withering show up here? How dare it target Nahida? Wasn't it gone from the world? How dare it show up here!

As they enter the dreamscape, Wanderer starts to head off for Sumeru City in the distance. And then he pauses, and calls out to whoever else is in here:]

Try not to let it touch you. I'm not certain the Withering can be transmitted by touch, but better safe than sorry.

Wisdom Crumbling

[Glory to the Lord of Arcane Wisdom!

No. No no no no no. What the hell, why is this--does Nahida fear him? Or is this just repeating her memories of the incident with the Akademia? Gods, it has to be that last one. She isn't afraid of him.

Is she?

No, he can't panic. He can ask her later, when she's safe and out of danger. He sees the Akasha terminals in the people's ears, glowing red. That's probably the source of this, but he wants to try something else.

Wanderer leaps up, hovering a few feet above the ground.]

The Lord of Arcane Wisdom demands you kneel.

[They want to worship him? Let's see if they listen in this dreamscape.]

Her Memories

[Finally, finally they've found Nahida.

Or. Not Nahida. A name flashes across Wanderer's mind, but he doesn't dare say it out loud. But this...this is Rukkhadevata, isn't it? The Archon Venti and Morax forgot.

"She was forced to forget"...is that how the Traveler knew you could erase someone from Iriminsul?

Wanderer doesn't have the Bija, but as the barrier around Nahida falls away he rushes to her side, catching her so she doesn't hit the ground.]

Wisdom Crumbling

[gentryofhermitage]

[Seeing the people praise the Lord of Arcane Wisdom is surprising enough to Rex Lapis, mostly because he hadn't heard of this so-called Lord of Arcane Wisdom before. What's more surprising is when the Wanderer flies up and commands the hoards of people to kneel. Even more surprising is when they do, kneeling in reverent worship towards the flying Wanderer. Though he is glad the horde isn't attacking them, he does turn a wary look to the Wanderer.]

The Lord of Arcane Wisdom... is not a deity I am familiar with.

[threebetrayals]

[Oh, oh he hates this. They listen and fuck that. Ugh. He feels gross, and it's bizarre to think that just over a year ago he would have reveled in it.

He stays in the air, clearly unamused]

Nor should you be. He was a failed attempted to make an archon to replace Lesser Lord Kusanali.

Her Memories

[bloomingwisdom]

[ Thanks to the Wanderer, she lands softly within his arms, unharmed but still asleep. However, the breaking of the barrier surrounding her rouses her, and she drowsily opens her eyes to find him hovering over her worriedly. ]

...what is...?

[ She seems a little disoriented, having just woken up from a long sleep. ]

[threebetrayals]

[He just. picks her up, holding her close.]

A nightmare. You're having a nightmare.

Venti 🎐 Genshin Impact

[concierto]

[🎐 a. destroying the tumours]

[Venti has seen something like this before a long, long time ago. When he visited the nation of Sumeru, a land ripe with wildlife and greenery. Seeing these darkened patches of withering dead grass and angry red bulbs somehow reminds him of a painful memory he can’t entirely recall. All he knows a the moment is how those dark red pulsating wisps of energy make him feel … g̸̫̋u̶̡̚i̷̇ͅl̴̰͗t̷̖̂y̷̰͠.

He winces painfully as a high-pitched static note stabs through his head. He stops for a moment to place his hand over his brow to try and ease away the pain. But it hurts… Hurts too much.]

a̷n̸d̴ ̴i̷ ̴t̸h̵r̴e̸w̶ ̵m̷y̵s̸e̶l̷f̷ ̸i̸n̴t̶o̸ ̵f̵r̷e̶e̴d̶o̷m̸'̷s̴ ̵t̵u̴m̴u̶l̸t̸

[No. No…]

The bulbs. We have to destroy the bulbs. Before it’s too late…

[When Venti opens his eyes there's a flicker of purple in them before it’s gone. Teal eyes glow brightly alongside the tips of his braided hair. A harp-shaped bow appears in Venti’s hand with a flourish as he aims for the first bleeding bulb hanging up in the branches of a dead tree.]

[🎐 b. corruption]

[Marana's Avatar. So this thing is what’s in the way of pulling Nahida out of her nightmare? Then don’t mind as Venti stands closeby with an uncharacteristically serious look on his face]

I wonder, did you think you could get in my way?

[A flourish of powerful anemo energy flows around Venti. It’s stronger than the usual playful winds that he naturally allows to flow. This energy is angry. Unrelenting. Unforgiving.]

Let’s see you try to get away now.

[The anemo swirls darkly and soon Venti appears once again floating off the ground with a glowing harp in his hands. The Holy Lyre der Himmel. And for anyone nearby, they will no longer see Venti. But a god. And an angry one.]

[🎐 c. his memories]

[It is curious for Venti to see the conclusion pour out. Watching the trees grow green once again and Nahida’s little body appear once more, her and yet not her, is … curious. While the pain is gone from Venti’s head he can feel a different pain lingering in the center of his chest. As memories flow back and winds calm down…

Venti sits down in the grass with a little seed in his hands and he hums softly…]

So, this is what you wanted. You were always so much wiser than the rest of us, hm? Silly.

[It seems that Venti might be talking about Nahida? … But perhaps not. Perhaps he’s talking about someone else. Either way… Venti flops down on the grass and flowers and lets out a soft sigh. It’s time to rest… Nap with him?]

[🎐 d. wildcard ]

[got something else? feel free to put it here. please note that Venti appears as Barbatos in prompt two and there are heavy sumeru-plot spoilers throughout these. You can also find me at michrure for plotting if you need it.]

B

[iracorn]

[Ira has always known that there is more to Venti. Or at least, always suspected. it's a subject he's tried to broach but one that Venti dances away from and, well, Ira is not going to push. Everyone has things that they don't want to talk about. But a part of him has always hoped that one day, maybe, they could.

This, for the record, was not how he wanted it to go. And yet, he is fascinated. It is not often that one gets to stand in the presence of a god. And yet, he is terrified. The anger comes at him in waves, unrelenting. How can he hope to stand with his friend.

It's all he can do to chase after him.]

Venti, wait! What are we supposed to be fighting?

B

[gentryofhermitage]

[Unfortunately for all involved, there is not one, but two angered gods in the fray against Marana's Avatar. As the wind picks up angrily, the ground trembles beneath their feet as Zhongli steps forward, his eyes and hair glowing as he thrums with Geo energy. A pair of horns begin to form in his hair, and his hands begin to sharpen into claws.]

This chaos threatening the stability of this realm will not stand. I will have order.

Joshua Rosfield | Final Fantasy XVI

[empyreancatastrophe]

I-B. Hey there, Bud
[As Joshua continues his journey through the rainforest, he catches glimpses of a strange little creature. Its plant-like form captivates his attention, and he kneels down to speak with it when it finally approaches.]

[He listens intently as the creature speaks cryptically of the forest and its dangers, its words stirring a sense of foreboding within him. Though he may not fully comprehend its meaning, there’s an unmistakable weight behind the riddle. There’s little headway he can make, however, until he can set some things straight.]

I am from an outside world, I don't know of Marana or Nara.

[Joshua shifts in place as he tilts his head with curiosity.]

But I wish to understand.


II-B. Branching out for help
[As Joshua traverses the streets of the crumbling city, he can’t avert his eyes from the blood-red nostilium flowers sprouting from cracks in the buildings. They’re like a pox. An illness bleeding what must have been a lively home dry. The whispered chants of the delirious inhabitants underscore that sense of foreboding. It presses on and around him, prompting his arms to instinctively wrap around his torso. He shivers.]

[There’s no break from that oppression. Not when pain in his chest begins to intensify as nostilium snakes around and saturates his very being. He’s a beacon, inviting an outpour of darkness from the flowers with every painful, staggered step he takes fueled by the broken hope that the next one will see him to reprieve. Like ice coursing through his veins, it threatens to extinguish the warmth within him, leaving only darkness in its wake.]

[That familiar gnawing in the back of his mind. The voice that taunts him to give in. Let it take over. Let it grant him unimaginable power at just the tiniest price. A steal, even.]

[You need it, don’t you? You want to escape. You want to go home.]

[He does, yes. Joshua wants to see this mission through, and then wake up in his bed.]

[You can’t do it without me. We can work together.]

[It’s so very tempting to say yes. Joshua has denied such a voice—the one not belonging to Phoenix at least—for years before his arrival to Songerein. That demi-god’s replacement isn’t nearly as loud, but it’s insidious. It’s…]

[Joshua’s steps come to a halt. He sways in place. He’s so tired. So cold. Fighting has only brought him here, in the middle of a battlefield targeting not just his physical being, but the core of who he is.]

[Maybe it isn’t all that bad to give in.]

[Just this once.]

[Black fire flickers at his fingertips, lapping up his gloved hands. Completely devoid of the heat brought forward by his usual life-giving flames, the tongues will not bring warmth: they will consume it.]

[They will consume everything.]

No!

[Joshua falls to his knees, his fists curling against the worn ground.]


IV. Time to end this, once and floral
[There’s little time for Joshua to marvel at the splendorous greenery that erupts around him, a sight that’s all but disappeared from his home world. First, there’s a sense of sadness that washes over him at the inevitability of Arama's fate. As much as he can understand the necessity, a practical approach doesn’t change that pang that rings against his heart. He murmurs a quiet thank you for the strange little creature, grateful for its guidance and companionship.]

[Approaching the orb containing Nahida, he takes a moment to observe the sleeping figure trapped within. Although he’s never experienced the terror of losing his memories, he understands the distinct fear of losing time. Of waking up from a deep sleep without any inkling as to what has transpired.]

[He’s determined to help her awaken from her nightmare, but he’ll take a gentle approach. Cradling the Bija, he wanders slowly towards the orb.]

Good morning.


Wildcard
[Anything else you'd like to try out together? PM me on this account or at goatlegs!]

II-B

[notachickenhawk]

[There's a hand on Joshua's shoulder. A gentle hand, with a familiar-sounding voice - one that's only been in the man's head before.]

You can't let them get to you.

[He's not sure what's going on - he's not even sure why he's in his human morph other than 'dreams' - but he can't let Joshua fall prey to whatever this is.]

[He's seen hopelessness before, how much it can overwhelm you. Make you feel utterly alone, until you're at the very edge of your rope and dangling above the abyss. It would be so much easier to let go. You can feel your hand slip -]

[- but someone needs to catch you.]

Whatever you're feeling, think of the opposite. Remember who you are and what your mission is.

[Is he talking to Joshua still? Or himself? ... He's not sure.]

[empyreancatastrophe]

[Joshua's head snaps up at the touch on his shoulder, his eyes wide with a mix of surprise and desperation. His body trembles with the effort of resisting the encroaching darkness, his breaths shallow and ragged between strained grunts. Black flames dance ominously around his hands, eerily unfamiliar in color and presence. There’s no life, there’s no promise of renewing that which they may destroy, there’s only the threat of annihilation. As if spurred by that cold fire, the pain in his chest continues its relentless onslaught, each pulse of darkness threatening to overwhelm him completely.]

I'm… trying…

[Joshua’s words barely make it over the rasp of his voice, warped and nearly unrecognizable.]

[He struggles to maintain his focus, to cling to the flickering light of resolve amidst the engulfing pitch. His mind is a battleground, torn between the seductive whispers of the noctaere and the faint, but still resounding, echo of his own will. He’s a stubborn man, one who clings to hope in the darkest hours. He just has to remember that.]

[He has to remember who he is. What he fights for.]

[The crackle of the flames intensifies, but they don’t climb up his arms any further, caught in an impasse.]

It's... it's trying... to take me... to make me...

I-B Sorry for the late response ;;

[bloomingwisdom]

[ The little forest spirit seems unperturbed by his confusion and his admission that he's from an outside world. ]

Marana is the name of death. All who know it will die. Nara Joshua, are you not afraid of Marana's blight?

[ The little spirit floats up and whirls around the area, drawing his attention to the withering of the forest. ]

Marana's influence is too strong. The flowers that herald its presence have spread too deep. Nara Joshua is not safe here.


(//oop, forgot to ask, did you want me to start a second thread for your IV prompt?)

no worries! i was on a break, so it worked out! :>

[empyreancatastrophe]

[Joshua watches the spirit flit around with keen interest, listening to its explanation as he takes in the familiar image of wilting foliage.]

Afraid? No, although I understand the gravity of the situation. My home, too, has been affected by a similar blight.

[Similar enough that he feels even more compelled than usual to help.]

If I'm in danger, then I won't rebuff any help you can give. However, I would like to offer my help in return. What can I do to eliminate Marina's influence?

(Sure!! But no rush!)

Zhongli || Genshin Impact || OTA

[gentryofhermitage]

Destroying the Tumours
[Zhongli knows of the Withering; has heard of it, has seen it in the distant past when he visited Sumeru. He knows of the tales of Forbidden Knowledge and how it poisoned the land and the people. He’s lived long enough to understand the severity of the situation, and knows they must be taken care of. Seeing it here in Songerein makes concern and worry course through him, but he steels himself and sets himself forward on his task. He’s always done so before, and he will do so now.]

[But perhaps it’s due to his state of mind this month, how the loss of his dear friend and beloved had affected him, for as he gets close to the pulsing red and sickly green bulbs, the waves of guilt and loss and failure pulse through him, causing the ever-stalwart Lord of Geo to falter in his step. Even the stone shields he usually is able to cast with effortlessness as easy as breathing aren’t able to be summoned, and despite himself he finds himself stumbling, leaning on his spear as he clutches at his chest.]

Ngh..! No, I… I cannot…

[Even bedrock can be reduced to dust, and even a god can be brought down by corruption. Zhongli can be a staunch and skillful ally in fighting against these tumours, but he isn’t at his best right now. He’ll need some help in stabilizing before he can fight back.]

Corruption
[Once recovered enough and fighting through the tumours, Zhongli fixes his gaze on Marana's Avatar. a hard, firm gaze is set, his grip on his spear tight as he watches the corrupted being before him. He may have faltered before, but now he is focused, and set on putting an end to this nightmare.]

You are putting this dream realm at risk. For the sake of those here, I will have order.

[Golden Geo energy flows around him, circling around him like chains of stone as his form glows. His hands sharpen into talons and a pair of horns emerge from his hair. Even his eyes glow as a rumbling of the earth can be felt, the very stones in the ground beneath their feet responding to Zhongli’s judgment.]

[Right now, those here to fight Marana’s Avatar with Zhongli will no longer see a mild-mannered man, but the Lord of Geo, the Prime of the Adepti, the God of Contracts himself. And he is not about to let chaos disrupt the natural order of this world.]

Her Memories
[Watching the scene play out before him, he remains silent, listening and beholding like a silent witness to the events unfurling before him. When all’s said and done, he can only look down at the little seed in quiet contemplation as the feelings of loss, emptiness, and feeling of something missing finally makes sense. After a long delay, he will hum softly.]

The God of Wisdom has always worked in ways that not all understand. But now… I think I understand. Now, let this dream finally end in peace.

Wildcard
[Got something specific you’d like to thread out? Feel free to write a starter, or PM me here or at pocketnoivern to plot things out!]

Tobias | Animorphs

[notachickenhawk]

I-A

[Tobias flits from branch to branch, staring down at the plants. A lot of them look like bad news... should he maybe go Hork-Bajir to clear them out? He's not sure - and he's not sure if people will freak out if they see him like that. Probably. He sighs internally and flutters down to check one of the plants. He nudges one of the buds with his beak and -]

[The Yeerk Pool. The source of a lot of their woes. He'd hid in the corner, up out of sight. Counting down the seconds, frantically looking for an escape... he was supposed to keep himself safe. If he got stuck, he couldn't fight anymore. He couldn't - but did he really want to go back to that? He should leave, he should take any chance - it wasn't like there was going to be any lasting damage as long as he could morph, right?]

[But he couldn't bear to go back. He should. He shouldn't. He wasn't sure.]

[Tobias jerks back from the plant, looking around and sighing mentally. He's beat himself up over that a lot... hm. Well, it's a dream, right? He calls out mentally, trying to locate... anyone, really.]

<Hey! Don't touch the flowers!>

[He's not sure if anyone's close enough for it to matter, but...]


II-B

[There's a blond boy standing in the middle of the street, eyes wide. Black tendrils of nostilium wrap around his arms, snaking up towards his shoulders and then down around his torso. He's frozen in fear, unable to even scream. He's doing his best to hold onto himself, but there's too much - it's too much -]

[There's the sound of breaking bones, of twisting flesh - but nothing's happened to him yet. He's not morphing... but his shadow is. The boy's shadow grows large and monstrous, like a giant raptor with huge wings. He's breathing hard but it's getting to him, all of it's getting to him - the nightmares, the failures, missions after missions that feel like they're accomplishing nothing -]

[The tendrils keep moving down his body. He doesn't know what to do. And it's cold... so very cold...]


Wildcard

[Got something else in mind? Grab me on Discord at artematthew or atrypical.]

II-B because apparently I can't give you any peace

[xenamorph]

[You'd think she'd stop being creeped out by new creepy places after so many, but this place is definitely creeping her out. It just feels slimy, and she doesn't really... know how this dream-magic thing works, but if this place is dripping with the bad dream-magic... Well, she's not even sure it's a good idea for her to be here at all.

So far, though, she hasn't noticed anything too weird, aside from how creepy this all is. At least, not until she sees him.]

Tobias?

[Human Tobias. Staring-blankly-ahead Tobias. With weird shadows around him. Or- not shadows. What are those-]

Tobias!

[It only occurs to her after she starts running toward him that it might be a bad idea, when she has no idea what that stuff is around him. ...Then again, she doesn't really care.]

cw: body horror

[notachickenhawk]

[He doesn't seem to notice her, doubling over from the pain he's feeling but not experiencing. His shadow grows larger until it starts moving up off the ground, settling around Tobias' shoulders with its talons digging into his skin.]

[He falls to the ground, pinned under his own shadow - and his body shudders at the nightmare energy seeping into him. His shirt twists and bulges as wings start to grow out of his own back. Finally he makes noise, and it's to scream - a human scream mixed with a hawk's screech. This isn't the painless experience of morphing, this is something starting to twist his flesh in ways unintended by technology.]

A

[heartatsunder]

[Helga strongly suspects this is a dream she's experiencing, but she's never gone into a dream before and doesn't know what to expect. The flowers seem real enough, though... or are they? She couldn't care less about them any other time, but perhaps she should touch one just to be sure...

And then as clear as day, she hears a warning. In her head. Oh, that's so invasive and not cool, screw this whole dream thing actually... wait, why does this voice sound so familiar?

Clearly, there's only one thing to do, and that's to shout back into the abyss.] OUT OF MY HEAD, MIND PROBE! I'LL TOUCH WHAT I WANT!

I-A

[belheir]

[Well... He wasn't really going to touch any of the plants, but hearing that voice, out of nowhere, seemingly, startles Kazuya a little.]

I didn't plan on it? I don't go touching strange plants. Especially in a place like this.

[A bit of searching reveals... It's that bird-boy. The one he'd met in the forest. Is it even safe here for such a small animal? Birds usually are flying, right? Surely the confines of a forest can't be great for him.]