open 🍃 still I follow heartlines on your hand

[hearthwarming]

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! ))

Comments

and the name of the ship was the Billy o' Tea ♪

[indolentaxe]

[Ewwwwwww, Hilda hates this thing even more now that she's seeing it in person. Why does it have so many tentacles?

Unlike poor Oriphi, Hilda has no issues with being on the water like this. Goneril territory is mountainous, but she's been to the capital of Derdriu--a bustling port town--enough times to have built up some semblence of sea legs. Plus, she has a strong constitution overall thanks to her Crest.

In this dream, she's armed with Freikugel, which is weird because she hasn't seen the thing since she left for the Officer's Academy. The Heroic Relic is her brother's birthright, not hers. Not yet, anyway; he'll eventually give it to her.

She'll ponder the implications of that later. Priority number one right now is to help Ori not die thanks to a combination of seasickness and frog-tentacle-monster. It's a dream, sure, but even dying in a dream is awful stuff. Been there, done that (twice!), would not recommend.

She runs to her friend's side, and grabs a hold of her arm.]

I've got you! Take deep breaths, okay?

2

[disdelusioned]

[Diluc recognizes these adventurers, both in spirit and in appearance, long before Oriphi becomes visible in the dreamscape. He's heard many stories of them, both grand and inconsequential, and more recently Ori has shown him a picture of the group of them and pointed each out. Because these people are so dear to her, he listened with rapt attention and committed every detail to memory. To see those details brought to life like this is a touch surreal.

Stranger still is the feeling that he belongs with them, one of the group of adventurers sitting near the fire and resting at the end of a long day of travel. It feels as though it's been lifetimes since he's allowed himself this level of camaraderie outside of the confines of Songerein; he typically works alone, with only Lumine and (to a far lesser extent) Kaeya breaking through his guarded nature to assist him. By technicality, he supposes Aether counts as well. To be part of a team like this, and to feel like he truly is one of them despite knowing it's a dream and isn't quite real... it's a bittersweet feeling, to say the least.

He's clad in full armor - because he is a paladin, the dreamscape makes clear to him somehow - and tending to his falcon as the rest of the party goes about their business. And then, everyone is looking over at him expectantly as the team-building exercise begins.]

There are better and more interesting candidates to start than me, Ori.

Moonlight and Shadow

[senorita_perfecta]

(Isabela has found herself to be part of the campsite just moments into her sleep and, for a while, she hasn’t found out whose dream she was in this time. It wasn’t until when she sees Ori being visible that she realizes where she ended up in: it is her own dreamscape. And it looks like she was in a guild back in her world too.

Looking down her clothes in here, which has her dressed as a ranger with a capybara for her companion, she is amazed by how real it feels as if she is also a part of Ori’s group. Now she was hoping that she could stay quiet and look after her capybara when the adventurers spot her and asks her first in the team building activity.)

Oh, me first? Oh gee, where do I start? Let’s see: I come from a large family, I grow plants as a hobby, and I like canoeing.

[grappleking]

[Balthus is right there alongside Hilda, armed with his own Vajra-Mushti, and while Hilda makes a dash for their poor seasick friend, he plants himself firmly on the deck and angles himself towards the looming froghemoth, aiming to act as a barrier as much as he can. It's not much, given the open space, but it's something.]

If it were as simple as slicing through tentacles, we'd have this easy, but we've gotta get your crew down safely, first!

[Well.

Maybe some blunt-force trauma at the hands of the Delectable King of Grappling will do the trick! He rolls a shoulder back in its socket to loosen up, glancing back to where Hilda is helping to prop Ori up.]

You guys alright there?

two!!

[pactmarshal]

[ It takes a moment for Trahearne to realize he's found himself in a dreamscape. It's not often this happens to him, as embarrassing as it is to admit, but he's thankful that the other people present don't seem to pay him much mind. So he lets his bewilderment wash over him.

From his quiet spot on the soft grass he observes the party; there's a nagging feeling somewhere in his mind that he should know who these people are, that he has read about them somewhere and they look awfully familiar, even though he has never seen any of them before.

It clicks when he sees Ori emerge, and he brightens. Yes--these are her friends from home. What a treat this is! His gaze scans the group again, trying to match the names he can remember to faces. In this moment, he's their quiet observer.

He is content to stay that way, in all honesty. Content to absorb the scenery and formulate questions to bother Ori with another time, when in his concentration he notices a strange sensation in his chest. He looks down and--

Oh. Oh, Pale Mother, he has been made into a flesh being.

Dark green has been replaced with a dark human tone, his skin now squishy and soft and warm and that feeling in his chest is most certainly what it feels like to have a heart--

The question directed at him draws him out of his panic, and the sylvari-turned-elf-wizard stares wide-eyed at Ori and Colin.

Wait a moment, let those gears turn in his head. ]

...You want me to tell you two truths and a lie? [ ... ] About me?

3

[luciing]

[ 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-manotentacle with it. ]

[hearthwarming]

[ Oriphi, whose mind is still rooted deeply in this dreamscape, hasn’t quite realized that this is all a hodgepodge of memories from her adventures melding together. And as such, she only has a vague recognition that the two figures who’ve joined her aren’t complete strangers, and yet at the same time the sight of them brings such a feeling of relief and ease.

She nods at Hilda and draws in a deep breath, releasing it slowly. That helps. Then, at Balthus, she says, ]

I think… I think so!

[ She has to be alright, in any case, so that she can do exactly what Balthus has pointed out that they must do: get her friends down safely!

The froghemoth, of course, has different ideas. Its strangely loose yet substantial form moves, two more tentacles coming up to hoist itself up onto the ship, planting its elephant-like legs firmly on the deck. With its entire body out of the water, its Huge (capital H) size is on full display, and when it roars in a way that only something called a froghemoth can, it spews saltwater at the three of them. ]

Watch out for its tongue - it’ll try to pull you in…!

[ And almost as if on cue, the froghemoth’s long (and serrated??) tongue lashes out in a wide, arcing sweep. ]

[hearthwarming]

[ Somewhere in the background, Aerie is scolding Dae for having startled her while she was trying to set up her alarm arrows. He apologizes, of course - it’s the polite thing to do - and then suggests that the best way for them to smooth this little ”intra-party” conflict is the team-building exercise!

”It’s alright, Mister Diluc,” he says as he pulls Aerie over by the arm to have a seat with the rest of the party, “I’ll go first, to ease everybody into it. It’s only right that I do, as the Team Leader! So, here goes: I’m over a hundred years old, I’m an only child, and my favorite spell is Fireball!”

”Oh, definitely the only child one,” Cibark chimes in almost immediately, “You seem like you grew up in a big family.”

”Aha, Mister Cibark, you’re… Absolutely wrong! I’m ninety-two years old, and in the flower of my youth! But thank you for your effort!” the white-haired elf then turns his attention back to Diluc, giving him an enthusiastic thumbs-up with a hand. “See, Mister Diluc? Your two truths and a lie can be that simple - but I'm sure you're full of interesting anecdotes, too! Now, who’s next?” ]

I’ll go!

[ Ori stares thoughtfully into the bonfire as she formulates her three statements in her head. ]

I… can turn into an owlbear, I can play the lyre, and… I can write poetry!

[ Ori glances over at Diluc, a pleading look in her eyes. She wants him to answer. ]

[hearthwarming]

[ Strangely enough, in the haziness of this dream, it really does feel like they've all been adventuring together for some time, Isabela included. While the rest of the adventurers meet Isabela's three statements with some confusion, though, Ori's face lights up in recognition almost immediately. ]

I feel like that last one might be the lie...

[ She tilts her head curiously. ]

How did I do?

[hearthwarming]

[ If Trahearne’s transformation took place outside of this dreamscape, Oriphi might not have recognized him even a little bit, other than perhaps by his voice - but here, she knows even before he’s realized his own change in appearance that this is her dear friend.

His apparent panic and confusion draws a smile from Dae, who’s quick to sweep himself into enthusiastic helper mode as he explains, ”Don’t you worry, Mister Trahearne, it really is that simple! You tell two truths and a lie, in no particular order, and we have to guess which one is the lie. It’s a fun way to ‘break the ice’ and get to know each other!”

The way he explains it almost sounds as if he’s reciting the whole spiel from some kind of team-building manual. Which, in all likelihood, he is.

Resting a hand on her chest, Ori clears her throat. ]

I’ll go first!

[ She might as well give Trahearne an example to work off of, right? ]

Let’s see, I… I’m a really good cook, I can turn into a dinosaur, and I… [ And here, she averts her gaze, avoiding eye contact with anyone in the party - Trahearne included. ] Have… a tattoo!

[ Colin moves an arm to clap a hand over his mouth, trying not to laugh outright.

”You’ve always been a terrible liar, Ori,” he says, to which Ori responds by shaking her head at him before looking back at Trahearne with a expectant look on her face. She hopes he can answer. ]

[hearthwarming]

[ 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. ]

1-b

[stillarhino]

[The sheep bleats in a panic from the wind, legs kicking wildly it begins to take off from the ground only held down by the vines. The vines stretch out to it limit in the wind, threatening to snap. A black shape suddenly appears and grabs at the sheep legs, trying to pull it back to the ground.]

I gotchu. [Beat spreads his arms over and across the animal, putting as much weigh as he could to keep it from going airborne.] Keep doin' what you doin'. I'mma try to hold this lil' guy down.

[The sheep continues to baa and bleat as the wind surge continues, right into Beat's face which immediately scrunches up from the smell. If that isn't the worst smelling thing he's smelled in a while, he doesn't know what is. It almost looks like he's about to throw up himself even as he holds the sheep down and back on the ground.]

Ugh, barf. Try to do it the other way next time.

[But he manages to hold down his lunch. For now. He then directs his attention to Oriphi.]

Yo, you aight there?

[senorita_perfecta]

(Of course, the last one is a lie, so Isabela is glad that at least one person is able to pinpoint that one without any problems.)

Oh yes, you did really great. The last one was actually made up on the spot.

[luciing]

[ 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. ]

1-A

[archivists]

[ Noé happens to be a volunteer who helps with repairing the damages, but as soon as he sees the building decorated with flowers. After a closer look, he realizes that they're sprouting on a couple of buildings, which makes him almost drop the tools he's been carrying. ]

Too much? [ He's looking to the left and to the right, trying to see how many buildings got Oriphi's treatment. ] Absolutely no! I think they're gorgeous! How did you do that? That's impressive!

[ He might not shut up in a while and his eyes are shining. So many flowers...! ]

[hearthwarming]

[ Ori prepares herself to try and conjure more vines when she feels their hold starting to loosen and snap under the tension, but a young man appears just in the nick of time. She holds no small amount of sympathy for the young man, honestly; getting a face full of sheep and sheep breath can’t be a pleasant experience on a normal day, even more so in these strange circumstances.

But, once the sheep’s hooves are firmly touching the ground once more, Oriphi sighs, visibly relaxing even though she keeps her vines snugly around the livestock. You know, just in case the wind picks up again. ]

Thanks for your help! I’m fine, just…

[ She lets go of her staff with one hand to try and pull some of her long, brown hair out of her face. It’s a mess. ]

How about you?

[hearthwarming]

[ Oh! For whatever reason, she isn’t quite expecting such a glowing review. Maybe something more along the lines of, “Hey, dial it back a bit,” or “Won’t these just blow away next time the wind picks up?” or maybe even an “Actually, I’m really allergic to pollen and this is actively killing me.”

So, at Noé’s enthusiastic reaction, she laughs sheepishly, reaching up with a hand to scratch at the back of her head. ]

Wow, thanks! That’s so nice of you to say. As for how I did it, um… It’s a bit of a combination of dreamotion and my own spells.

[hearthwarming]

[ Oriphi’s friends look decently impressed. Especially since something tells them that Isabela’s a bit green in so far as being an adventurer goes; she was able to come up with an innocuous lie for the game so easily - after all, their very Oriphi has been at this for some time, and yet… She’s pretty bad at lying. Which is why she’s almost never the first pick whenever someone has to go undercover.

”Your turn, Ori,” Dae declares, and Ori stiffens a bit in surprise. ]

Oh, okay! Umm… I’ve climbed to the very top of a mountain, I… [ Her gaze falls away a bit, avoiding eye contact with everyone. ] Uh, I have a twin sister, and I can sew!

[hearthwarming]

[ 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. ]

[senorita_perfecta]

Oh wow, this is going to be a hard decision to make. Hm, let me see: the first and last statements could be true, so maybe the second statement could be fasle.

(She is hoping that her guess is wrong. This is supposed to be not a competition after all, so she is not entirely pressed for time to make any guesses. Feel free to correct her if she does get it wrong.)

[luciing]

[ 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. ]

[hearthwarming]

[ She's correct, though, is the thing! Ori doesn't make this game very difficult by virtue of the fact that she's a very bad liar. So she's almost relieved when Isabela chooses the correct answer as the lie - and she huffs a laugh. ]

That's right! People sometimes mistake Val and I for twins, but she's actually my younger sister...

[ Which earns a confused look from her half-orc friend, who says, "Wait, really? I knew you weren't twins, but I thought she was older." ]

I mean... She's much more put together than I am, so...

[hearthwarming]

[ 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. ]

[senorita_perfecta]

Oh wow, I actually got it right! Phew.

(The capybara mumbles behind its breath as it lays down on the ground. It doesn’t seem to pay attention to the group too much as it tries to sleep while Isabela cis caring for it. At least she does get to know that Ori has at least one sister just like her.)

Oh, a lot of people got you and Val mistaken for each other often? I didn’t know that siblings of differing ages can get mixed up for each other appearance wise.

[luciing]

[ 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. ]