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Who: Oriphi and anyone!
Which: Open log
Where: Around town and two (2) dreamscapes
What: Helping out with wimdy-related damages, and two traveling-themed dreamscapes. Do you want to D&D/Fantasy AU your character? Or meet Ori's friends? Here's your chance!

1 ✧ it fucken WIMDY

( A )
[ Destructive gusts of wind or no, Oriphi can usually be found helping out wherever she can around town - but this month especially so.

Some days she's around after a particularly strong bout of windiness, helping clear debris or patching up damage to buildings by using elemental magic to conjure and grow woody vines to reinforce structures. Sometimes, for a little extra flair, she makes flowers sprout all over the buildings. Though that seems like it might be pointless when the next gust will likely blow all the blooms away, it's worth it for any measure of joy it might bring to the those who dwell in the the previously-damaged home or shop or anything else. ]

Hmm... What do you think? [ This, she says to anyone who might be passing by as she finishes her work, or perhaps someone she's been helping repair this building with. ] Is it too much?

( B )
[ Other days, she's caught in the middle as the wind starts to pick up. Each time, she slams the end of her staff down, embedding it into the ground as vines come up to brace it into place. She does her best to plant her feet down and hold on, but— the livestock aren't so lucky. ]

Oh, no!

[ With one arm tightly wrapped around her staff, she reaches out with the other to send vines out in an attempt to prevent a sliding cow or sheep from going airborne. It seems to be working, but she might need additional help to hold on! ]

2 ✧ a hearth of moonlight and shadow ✧ interactive dream

[ It is well into the night, and a warm fire burns in the center of what looks like a campsite put up in the midst of the woods.

Spread out across the site are a few adventurers. A tall, lithe elven woman with copper-colored hair patrols the perimeter of the camp, embedding magical arrows into the ground in a seemingly logical pattern. In another corner, a white-haired elven man sits with an open spellbook and scrolls strewn about around him. Then, seated closer to the fire, there is (yet another) elven man with his hand gripped decisively around a bottle of wine, a tall, half-orc man sketching, a half-elven man with dark hair tuning a lute, and a masked figure. Save for the ambient sounds of jungle creatures coming alive in the night, the sound of various writing implements on parchment, and the tuning of a lute - the camp is silent.

Whose dream is this? Whose friends are these?

The answer is revealed when Oriphi emerges, seemingly out of nowhere. But the moment that she appears, it's as if the quiet vignette truly comes to life.

"Alright, this is boring. Anyone up for another team-building exercise?" declares the dark-haired elven man, setting his lute aside in resignation. Something about the dreamscape tells you that his name is Colin, and that he is a bard.

"Always," replies the bare-chested elf, Mellon, lifting his bottle of wine in agreement before he takes a hearty swig. Sian, the masked figure, simply shrugs and offers a noncommittal noise.

"Uuuuh, I'm really busy doing this drawing? It's coming out really well. Really cute, actually." And though Cibark's sketched drawing of a river scene is appealing, it's not what one would typically describe as "cute," and while his tone sounds serious, something says that he's being facetious.

Dae, the man with the glasses, slams his spellbook shut abruptly as he stands up with seemingly renewed purpose, startling Aerie and causing her to nearly snap an arrow in half. He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose as the lenses catch the light of the fire, making them gleam in the dark.

"Mister Colin, what an excellent idea! The Alchemighty needs to have a strong foundation, so we've got to team-build as much as we can!"

One can practically hear the way that Colin rolls his eyes. "Aaand just like that, I suddenly don't want to." ]

I think it'll be fun!

[ Ori finally chimes in that moment, taking her seat beside the bard and shyly nudging him with her elbow and a smile on her face. The boredom on his face fades a bit, and he acquiesces, leaning back and folding his arms behind his head.

It's then that the adventurers turn their attention and gaze towards the dreamwalker present. ]

So, how about it? Two truths and a lie. You start!

3 ✧ there once was a ship that put to sea— ✧ interactive dream

[ This dream finds its inhabitants and visitors at sea, on the main deck of some kind of merchant or passenger ship. It seems to be a beautiful day out on the seas, the waters more or less mild and the skies clear and bright.

Only that the ship is actively under attack by a massive froghemoth. What is a froglike monstrosity doing out in the ocean? Can it even survive in saltwater? Don't worry about it - it's a dream. What matters is that in its many tentacles, it holds a few of Oriphi's adventuring friends.

And where is the tiefling, herself? Well, she's desperately clutching at the bulwark, looking absolutely miserable as she tries to keep her breakfast down.

See, she always gets so terribly seasick whenever they travel via ship, and she is in no condition to fight the froghemoth - at least, not without the aid of another, or at least a reminder that she's simply dreaming and could dream the seasickness away.

"Pull yourself together, Ori!" Aerie calls out from somewhere further away, nocking an arrow and letting it loose against the froghemoth. It zips through the air and finds purchase near one of the froghemoth's eyes - but it's the only one that hits before the ranger is promptly swept away by another tentacle. ]

I— I'm trying!

[ She manages to pull an arm away from the bulwark to take up her staff, summoning a bolt of fire and casting it at the monster - but she misses. ]

(( ooc: If you have any questions, especially about the dreamscape prompts, or want to plot out anything else, feel free to PM me or hit me up at

camerata! ))

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[ Anyone who wears a full suit of armor should be prepared for battle at a moment's notice. ... Even if that battle is on a rocking ship against a massive, hideous creature that's bloated with seawater, and even if the battle occurs in a dream in which one may not have expected to participate in that battle.

The fire she casts sizzles against the water-covered deck, resulting in harmless steam, wafting into the air as a tentacle retracts. The monster appears to prepare for its next strike, and that is when Somnus steps forward-- a guest appearance to this party, as it is. With one of the crew knocks back, it is only natural that he assists the primary Dreamer.

His sabatons mark the polished wood of the deck as he positions himself between Oriphi and the beast, apparently weaponless with his back turned to her. ] Hail, young tiefling. [ Thus he greets her, perhaps intentionally loud enough to draw the monster's attention to him. His tone is firm enough to be its own shield, calm enough to serve as a respite in the maelstrom of battle and choppy seas. ]

Prepare your next cast. [ His stance widens as the remaining two eyes of the beast turn to him. By now, it should be apparent what the basic plan will be: he'll serve as a distraction as she conjures her magic.

Without another word, he leaps forward against the monster, footfalls like thunder upon the hull, as it lashes out against him. Evidently, Somnus prepared to go mano-a-~~mano~~tentacle with it. ]

[ Although a full suit of armor certainly doesn’t sound as appetizing as a tiefling to a froghemoth, Somnus’ plan to act as a distraction seems to be working. Tentacle meets gauntlets as the monstrosity engages Somnus in a contestation of strength. Perhaps it’s a good thing that most of its other tentacles are already preoccupied with holding Oriphi’s friends.

As for the tiefling, herself - she finds herself staring wide-eyed at Somnus’ intervention. She feels, all in one moment, as though she’s never met this person (?) before and yet considers him a friend, all the same. And what a confusing feeling that is. Still, she tries to ready herself, finally pulling herself away from the bulwark to grip her staff in both hands. ]

O… Okay! I’ll try…

[ As she closes her eyes to cast, something is telling her that her spells don’t worry as they normally would here. That she must rely on feeling, not on incantations in Druidic or even on Fey magic. Emotion… dreamotion?

And what’s more is that… this doesn’t feel like the first time she’s fought one of these creatures. Yet it feels like it is, at the same time? Something feels off. (She doesn’t realize this is a dream, yet.)

Regardless, above her, dark clouds start to coalesce and swirl, and there’s a crispness, electrifying feeling in the air that begins to concentrate at the top of her staff. ]

[ Using his full weight against the creature, Somnus manages to force it off-balance, causing it to stumble on its short, trunk-like legs. He pursues with a lunge, causing water to splash upward when his heel strikes the wet deck, solidifying his position in front of the froghemoth. Wasting no time, he grasps at its tongue, crushing the muscle within his palms. Then, using the appendage as a tether, he pulls it towards him at the same time he charges in with a fist, breaking a series of jagged teeth upon his arm.

Perhaps too late, he hears the distinct crackle of air as a charge accumulates to her staff.

...This might hurt. ]

[ Oh, perhaps she should have thought about the fact that her new companion in this encounter is made entirely of metal before thinking to call forth lightning. But the moment to strike is here, arcane lightning culminating at her staff as she lifts it and waves it in a wide sweep. ]

Watch out, everyone!

[ She’s courteous enough to give a warning as she tries her very, very best to go for the froghemoth and the froghemoth only, hoping desperately that the armored figure can somehow dodge or resist its effects.

The lightning that does hit the creature seems, at least, to have a rather potent effect on it as it shakes and convulses, its tentacles loosening around her companions and going limp. Some of them manage to land firmly on the deck and dodge any possible chain effects of Oriphi’s spell, others seem to land less graciously and unceremoniously so. ]

[ The bolt hits, and the froghemeoth convulses as the sparks scar across tentacles in vicious, web-like patterns all the way to the ends of its appendages. Somnus leaps backward, taking some damage by... basically being a giant metal conductor that's standing on a wet deck. Fortunately, since there is no flesh within his armor to singe, the metal merely crackles with static that ricochets from joint to joint along his armor.

His helm whips across the deck, surveying the others for their status. Perhaps noting their exhaustion, as well as the damage to the ship he then turns his attention to the monster. Its end cannot be delayed any longer. ] This ends here. [ The deep, hollow voice, produced somewhere within his armor, sounds as if it crackles with the lingering effects of lightning from before.

Somnus raises his hand, and in a burst of crystalline blue magic, a series of white, phantom blades surround him, then vanish once he selects one from the arsenal. Solidifying in his touch, he rushes the stunned beast through in one fell attack, coating its decorated edges in the inky blood of the frogheamoth. Sputtering against the attack, it lashes out its tentacles in one last attempt to strike at the others. ]

[ Lightning spell unleashed and its effects delivered, Oriphi rushes to the aid of one of her friends who yet reels from being grappled so thoroughly - and perhaps also from the lightning spell, too. She casts her bard of a friend an apologetic look as he coughs and struggles to regain his bearings. ]

I’m sorry - I had to get it to let go of you—

[ He manages to raise his hand to wave it dismissively.

”You did what you had to, Ori. I’ll be fine, promise.”

It’s then that spectral blades come forth into being around Somnus, pulling the attention of the young tiefling and her friends alike as he chooses one to deliver a powerful blow against the monstrosity. It’s looking worse for wear, but it’s not quite ready to give up and lashes out once more. ]

Watch out, Somnus!

[ Wait, “Somnus”? The name feels familiar and yet not in the haze of this dreamscape - but she calls it out all the same, swinging her staff around to try to reflexively conjure vines to parry the attack - only that they are on a ship, and there is no plant life to call upon.

Ori yelps as a slimy tentacle latches onto and wraps around her, pulling her up into the air as her staff clatters uselessly onto the deck. ]

[ From where he holds his blade, still impaled through the best, her warning calls his attention, albeit too late for him to prevent her from being grasped.

For someone so large and a suit so cumbersome, one may not expect him to react as quickly as he does. Aided by the magic at his disposal he dismisses his sword from where it lies within the bloated flesh, calls it back with a flick of his wrist, and tosses it in her direction. It arcs and spins through the air, a glimmer of blueish light torrenting in its phantasmal wake, and as for Somnus himself? He is nowhere to be found.

...Until he appears mid-air, having warped along with the brilliant blade, to grasp its handle in one hand to cleave through the tentacle. With his other arm, he catches Oriphi before she falls, coming to a stable stance once it is over. ]

[ Naturally, the sight of a rather large sword flying through the air in her general direction does feel a bit scary - but the feeling only lasts for a moment before Somnus seemingly appears out of nowhere to wield said blade, leveraging it to slice through the tentacle and free her of its grasp. ]

Oh—

[ Then with a gasp, she begins to fall, only to be saved yet again by Somnus’ timely intervention. Once she’s safe in one of his arms and they’ve landed squarely back onto the deck, she looks up at him. ]

Wow, that was— incredible! Thank you…

[ Behind them, the froghemoth reels. It’s in rough shape, and is missing more than a few of its tentacles at this point thanks to a few of Ori’s friends regaining their bearings and pitching in once more, but it yet stands. ]

[ His helm turns towards her, likely assessing her for injury, and then he crouches slightly, setting her back upon the deck. As for her thanks, he says nothing-- they are still in the midst of battle. As her allies rally and the froghemoth gurgles in its last efforts against the team, Somnus straightens.

Without a word, the phantom armory awakens to spin around him. He selects a halberd this time, decorated with a similar motif as the blade from before, but doesn't change his stance to throw, as if he means to use it only if necessary.

There is disappointment carried within the tone of his words, likely from how it yet stands. ]

Finish it. [ A pause, and then he adds: ] Without lightening. Then, we shall talk.

[ Ori finds her footing on the deck once more, and she’s reminded of her own lack of empty-handedness as Somnus’ corporeal blades appear once more. With a quick glance around, she finds where she had dropped her staff and conjures vines to reach out and pull it back into her grasp.

She stands beside him, staff in hand, and nods when he calls for the creature’s end. But he adds, without lightning, and she can’t help but feel like she’s being… scolded?

Which, she suppose she can’t blame him for. But her posture goes rigid all the same. ]

I, um. Okay. No lightning. Got it.

[ With that, she lifts her arms to point her staff towards the froghemoth. In one short moment, it seems caught as a dark, blighting energy washes over it and seemingly drains it of its vitality. Its veins darken, its skin wrinkles as it shrivels up, and it gives a piercing shriek of pain as it - for all intents and purposes - begins to wither away. ]

[ And with a spell that he can only liken to rot, the battle ends. On the ship's deck, the detritus that once was the great froghemoth mixes with the seawater it had slopped onboard, creating a miserable slush. Something for the deckhand to deal with, no doubt, and absolutely worth it for bringing the battle to an effortless close. He gives Oriphi a curt nod of approval, dismissing his halberd. Then, he makes his way for any of her companions that may be in need to support.

While he's capable of helping the nearest one to their feet, he'll have to rely on curatives to assist those injured.

...including the Dreamer, at whom he glances back if she should be in need of help. ]

[ Oddly enough, although this certainly has felt like a real, tangible combat encounter, it also feels strangely… unreal. And as Ori looks down at her torso, which had only moments before been wrapped up in the froghemoth’s tentacle, she feels more… Okay than she thinks she otherwise would be. She knows that she didn’t emerge from this unscathed, and that she likely will see some bruising at the very least from being grappled, but how come she doesn’t feel… Worried?

The haziness of it all almost has her completely lost in the moment, until she catches Somnus’ gaze as he glances back at her and realizes that she should be helping see to the injured, too. Especially since some of them are her friends. ]

Oh, sorry…!

[ Hastily, she makes her way over to Aerie, the ranger whom Somnus has just helped back up to her feet. The elven one knows that being approached by Ori at the conclusion of an encounter comes with a healing spell or two, typically, but she’s quick to wave the druid off.

”I’m fine,” she says, already walking off to help someone else, ”I promise.”

Which leaves Ori there with Somnus. ]

Th… Thank you for helping us. I don’t know what we would have done if you hadn’t shown up…

[ His helm tips forward, a motion that suffices as an acknowledgment of her gratitude.

Dreams influenced by this realm, he finds, often occur for a reason, and as he looks back from her companions to her, Somnus watches her intently. If he recalls correctly, she had arrived around the same time he did...

At the risk of disrupting the dream, he speaks: ]

Your companions... [ His voice has smoothed from the piercing tone he had used during the battle. Now he speaks with care, his voice carrying above the waves. ]

It has been some time, has it not?

[ It has been some time, he says, and although she can see with a sidelong glance cast their way that her companions are right there... Somehow, at the same time, it doesn't feel as though they're here. ]

It... It has. Or at least, it feels that way...

[ A few paces away, her companions are doing what they would normally do after an encounter such as this: checking on each other, helping each other up, looking to see if there was any substantial damage or injuries to others. And usually, Oriphi is right alongside them, ready with her healing and restoration spells.

She misses that sense of camaraderie. ]

They're right here, but at the same time they... They feel so far away?

[ He watches along with her as her fellow sailors support each other after their battle. To anyone who has traveled with a similar company, their companionship is noteworthy.

She may hear the sound of two heavy footfalls upon the deck as he steps towards her; then, a gentle, tap of his palm upon her shoulder. Perhaps it is meant to be supportive, but the contact is brief, and the metal is cold.

Nonetheless, his words carry a soft lull. ]

Are they your family?

My... family?

[ She glances down at the gauntlet resting gently on her shoulder; indeed, the metal is cold, yet the gesture itself brings warmth. Then, slowly, Oriphi's companions seem to fade more and more into the background, an inescapable distance forming between where the dreamwalkers and the dream figments stand. ]

I... They are. They're my family, too...

[ Too?

The dreamscape around them turns blank as the adventurers disappear into the distance, until scenery fills in around them again: this time, a forest. The very same that Somnus saw the very first time he'd walked into one of Ori's dreams. And in the middle of a clearing stands another tiefling with red skin, white hair, and silver eyes, dressed in black. She is taller and carries herself more confidently than Oriphi tends to. Also the very same tiefling that Somnus saw in that dream, but grown to adulthood.

"You're not forgetting about me again, are you, sister?" ]

[ Somnus' helm tips forward, as if regarding the knew tiefling cautiously, and waits for Oriphi's answer. For now, he says nothing, instead waiting patiently as the dream continues. ]

No... Of course not, Val.

[ Ori casts a sidelong glance at her armored companion, then reaches out to tug on a gauntlet as she starts to walk over to where her sister is, as if asking him to come along and see.

Soon enough, Ori's friends begin to rejoin the scene one by one, all gathering around Valphi, some of them even throwing an arm around her (much to her chagrin).

"Any friend of Ori's is a friend of the Alchemighty's - and that especially includes siblings," one of her friends exclaims with enthusiasm.

"Even ones that have tried to kill us in the past, but ehh," chimes in another. ]

Can I introduce you to my family, Somnus?

[ She leads by his gauntlet, and he follows. There is some contention between her and her sister, if not from dialog alone, but how Oriphi appears more reserved around her. Yet as the crew from before reappears around them, the ease with which they address each other and their familial comfort is apparent; indeed, it is something of which to be envious.

Somnus turns his head to look at each one as if he means to memorize their faces. ]

Tell me of them, young tiefling.

[ The adventurers, as well as Ori's sister stand at attention, waiting to be introduced. Somnus has seen most of them in various states of disarray as they fought the froghemoth, but Valphi was noticeably absent - and so she steps forward, first. ]

This is my sister, Valphi. We, um... We were mercenaries together, when we were young. But I left and we sort of... fell out of touch. But now we're back together!

[ The other tiefling shrugs, at first, though in just another moment her expression softens into something resembling relief.

Ori then takes a moment to point out each of her friends: Cibark, the tall half-orc in armor, Colin, the dark-haired half-elf bard, Sian, the mysterious masked individual, Mellon, the elven monk, Aerie, the elven ranger, and Dae, an elven wizard.

In turn, each of them offer a short greeting or acknowledgment towards Somnus. When all is said and done, though... There is something about them that just doesn't feel real, and Ori is beginning to realizes this. They aren't here... This is a dream. And as such... ]

...I don't know when I'll get to see them again, but I think... I know they'll be okay. What about you, Somnus?

[ Does he have family, too? ]

[ As she introduces them one by one, they each give their greeting as if they were at the end of a performance. This, he finds rather typical of dreams, for the fascimiles created rarely act without there being an action taken by their Dreamer, first. They are reactionary in nature, operating on another's psyche, merely constructs... and as she appears to realize the facade, he notices her expression changing.

It is suspect that she asks after him, but perhaps it is a way to distract from her own. ]

Like you, [ He steps forward, lifting a hand to the layer of platearmor that covers his torso. Steel-covered fingers flex inward into a loose fist, moving to the upper left side of his chest to, presumably, where his heart would be if he still had one. His hollow voice does not diminish the meaningfulness of his words. ] They are here.

[ There is security in the gesture, for he needn't dream of them to know their presence. But this is not about him.

His hand lowers. It is time for the illusion to come to an end. ]

Will you be well?

In your heart, huh...?

[ It is, indeed, time for the illusion to end. But Somnus has reminded Oriphi of something very important during their time together in this dream - that no matter how much she longs for her friends from home, they dwell in the waking world, and the her who dreams in this realm must remain separated from them. But that doesn't mean they're apart. They are in her heart, and as long as they continue to be in her heart, she'll be able to see them from time to time in her dreams. And maybe, just maybe... That's enough.

She has family here too, now.

At his question, she closes her eyes and sighs, but offers a small smile nonetheless as she turns towards Somnus and tries to wrap her arms around his large, armored figure. ]

Yes, I think I'll be okay. Thanks for looking out for me.

[ She embraces a form that provides no natural warmth in return, but as her arms (attempt to) envelop him, his weight subtly shifts. His hand lifts, then rests upon her shoulder: a single pat, a touch impossibly light for all the weight of his armor, but present.

The forest of the dream rustles, and for a moment the imagery of grand trees and light sifting through their boughs wavers with shadows, shifting as if another force contends with them. A peculiar scent carries through the air, that of wheat after a night's storm. Just perhaps, there is something nostalgic about this scene that has evoked a memory of his own.

Which means it is time to go. ]

I bid you farewell.

[ If Oriphi doesn't dismiss them from the dream, he will awaken himself. ]

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