Open | November Catch-all & Dream

[pactmarshal]

Who: Trahearne and you!
Which: Open log
Where: Out and about in town all throughout the month, mostly the archives
What: Catch-all for the month! Dreamboard quests in Reverein and reliving the earlier years of his life in a dream
Warnings: The disfigured undead (zombies), ghost peppers, others to be added if they come up

> REVEREIN | LIVE LIFE WELL AND FULLY, AND WASTE NOTHING.

❋ harvest.
[ As much of a bookworm Trahearne is, he does understand that he needs to go outside every once in a while. And what better way to be outside than to make himself useful at the same time?

And so, the sylvari decides to help out with the harvest one sunny afternoon, burying himself among the thick leaves of the ripened harvest to really get in there and get all the goodies out. Nothing like some hard physical work to refresh the mind, right?

Unfortunately, however, the natural colors of his "clothes" and skin blend in quite handily with the rest of the foliage, especially at this time of year. When he feels a firm grab on the leaves that make up his skirt, he shoots upright and whirls around to look at you, bewilderment written all over his face. ]

--Oh! That's--that's me.

❋ photographs.
What a curious contraption.

[ Trahearne will not say no to something novel and interesting. After being handed the dreamotion camera, he turns it over in his hands, studying it. Questions about how it could have been created, how it works roll around in his mind, but he quickly scolds himself--what point is a test if he doesn't actually experiment with it?

He turns to the person nearest himself--that's you--and holds it up with a smile. ]

Let me take a picture of you.

❋ archives.
[ As the one who runs the archives, Trahearne is there all the time. Every day. By the time the sun rises and long after it sets. He rarely takes full days off; it's rare to find him elsewhere. Sometimes, he even brings his cat with him.

And so, if you have any sort of business at the archives, he's there, ready to help. He knows every book on every shelf, and at a healthy six-foot-two he can reach the top shelves. He's happy to tutor anyone who needs assistance putting together an entry. He's happy to talk about work, either in this life or the last. He's just happy to be here, to be honest. ]

❋ wildcard.
[ Feel free to make something else up, or find me on the discord or at unkie for a personalized starter! ]

> DREAM | THE SCHOLAR DREAMT OF A LAND RECLAIMED FROM THE DRAGON'S TOUCH.
[ In his Dream before life, Trahearne saw the dead Kingdom of Orr, a land that had been dragged out of the sea by the undead dragon Zhaitan, green and growing again. Upon awakening, he knew this was his life's mission: to purify Zhaitan's corruption and bring life back to Orr. His goal is impossible. Laughable, even. Yet the call of a Wyld Hunt is irresistible, so as much as he hates it, he spends weeks, months in the dead land alone, scrambling for any lead that might bring him closer to his goal.

He will eventually cleanse this land. He will eventually lead the forces that will fell Zhaitan, but not in this dream. Right now, that is many, many years away.

The land is devoid of life, cramped by unnaturally-shaped terrain, ruins of buildings that are mere shadows of their former grandeur. Oversized barnacles and dead coral from centuries under the ocean cling to the crumbling structures, towering over the soggy ground like otherworldly trees. Unnatrual shrieks occasionally pierce the silence, perhaps seabirds that strayed too close to the corruption. It stinks of brine, of rot and decay. The clouds above take on a sickly green hue, a reflection of the putrescence that permeates the land below. And dotting the landscape, all around, are graying, decaying corpses shambling about, looking for victims to which to spread their corruption.

This is Trahearne's life. ]

❋ research.
[ Orr sat at the bottom of the ocean for nearly two centuries--any original writing that may have existed on the island decayed or was destroyed a long, long time ago. It is exceedingly rare to find any in-tact inscriptions, much less legible ones.

So when Trahearne clambers this tower and finds what looks to be a massive stone tablet partially buried in rubble and debris, he can hardly contain his excitement. The first line peeks out from the dirt--"Darkness pays Orr a visit." Is it a poem? Epitaph? A warning of sorts? He has to know.

Except the tablet is nearly twice his size, almost five times his weight, and the rubble that obscures the rest of the inscription is cumbersome--it might even be supporting the rest of the structure at this point. Regardless, he's going to try and pull it free, whether it's a wise idea or not. ]

❋ cornered.
[ Despite how careful he tries to be, Trahearne isn't perfect, and the Risen are very good at popping up where he doesn't want them to be. He's ventured into one ruined structure, keen to map it out and determine what possible use it must have served, but the problem with grand buildings of this scale having been hidden underwater for centuries means the inside is essentially a subterranean maze, interrupted in places by tunnels filled with putrid water and rotting plant matter.

Trahearne should know better than this, and curiosity is coming dangerously close to killing the sylvari. He stands with his back against the wall in this little pocket of air, the only passages in or out are filled with water. Risen stagger out from the water, clawing at the ground to try and tear Trahearne apart. ]

S-stay back! [ He brandishes his scepter, though he knows it isn't much of a threat. His own necromantic minions stand before him to guard him. ] You will rue the day you crossed my path!

[ Despite what he says, the fear is evident in his eyes. The Risen are everywhere, and there are so many of them. If only he weren't alone... ]

❋ respite.
[ Nighttime in Orr is dark. With no real settlements for miles in any direction, the veil of night that falls over the island is thick, impermeable. The only dot of light is the small fire Trahearne has going--he's perched himself atop a crumbling stone structure, just large enough for two people to sit side by side. Not that anyone will come to join him, of course. He's alone in Orr, as he has always been, and he sits with his knees to his chest, as though trying to shrink himself from the Risen's view.

There is a little pot bubbling over the fire. Cooking inside are asparagus, truffles, and ghost peppers--what he always eats. It's all that really grows around here. The oysters and fish are nowhere near safe enough to be consumed.

Absently, Trahearne reaches into his pack and takes a bite out of one of his ghost peppers. He doesn't even flinch. ]

Comments

[pactmarshal]

[ It is...dead quiet. Haha. Because. Zombies.

After a moment of studying Beat--he looks familiar, but dream-Trahearne can't immediately place him--Trahearne reaches for his spoon and starts stirring the pot. He speaks quietly; his tone is tired. ]

We're in the heart of the dead Kingdom of Orr. Though-- [ He pauses for a moment, looking to Beat wryly. ] --"heart" is a bit ironic, isn't it?

[ That's a funny joke. He goes back to minding the food. ] I'm alone here because no one alive and in their right minds would come here of their own will. Which is why I'm worried about you. Were you hurt getting here?

[stillarhino]

[He scoffs a little at that, but he doesn't seem to realize that Trahearne seemed to be having trouble recognizing who he was.]

Naw, you's right. If this here is the heart, I ain't lookin' forward to seein' how the rest a' the place looks like. It's thanks to your light that I figure I can book it over here.

[He makes a gesture towards the fire. It's only then that he realizes that Trahearne seems to be cooking something and he stops himself from salivating for a moment. Maybe he can ask what that is later.]

You don't gotta worry about me, Nightlight. There wasn't nothing out there. [His brows suddenly knit together and he can't help but suddenly feel a little uncertain about himself.] Was there supposed to be somethin' out there?

[pactmarshal]

[ "Nightlight"? It doesn't register for a moment, but it does eventually hit Trahearne that this is meant to be him. He opens his mouth to correct the human, but ultimately decides against it. He needs all the company he can get--he'd rather not start any unnecessary conflict. ]

Risen. [ He glances at his guest before letting the spoon rest on the rim of the pot, leaning over to rummage through his bag. ] The undead wrought by the Elder Dragon. You're lucky you got here without running into any--I may be immune, but their corruption can turn humans in an instant.

[ It feels like a curse, sometimes. He would be lying if he said he did not sometimes think it would be a kinder fate than this.

When he sits upright again, he's holding a simple wooden bowl in his hand. ] Hungry?

[stillarhino]

[Beat simply listens as Trahearne explains, but the way he understands it might not be something that's expected.]

So, like zombies? First time I heard 'bout one comin' from some kinda dragon.

[When the bowl is handed to him, Beat eagerly reaches for it. He didn't realize just how hungry he was before that point. Was the walk here that long? When was the last time he'd eaten?]

Starvin', yo. Whatchu got cookin'?

[pactmarshal]

[ Trahearne gives the bowl to the human and turns his attention back to the pot, mixing what paltry ingredients he has cooking in there. ]

Asparagus, truffles, peppers. [ He lifts the spoon, a bit of the broth visible as he pours it back in. It is a deep red color. A hint of spice wafts from it. Trahearne does not divulge that these are ghost peppers. ]

Not much else edible grows around here, and that's due to the dragon's corruption as well. [ He peers over at his companion again; the worry on his face is back. ] I'm genuinely shocked you didn't know about this. It'd be best if we stick together from now on.

[ And he hands Beat the spoon so he can serve himself. Enjoy. ]

1/?

[stillarhino]

[As good as the smell was, the expression on Beat's face twists, his lips turning into a frown as he hears exactly what was in the soup. Bleagh, vegetables. While he's been better at eating some of it than he used to in the past, he still had some aversion to it. Though he doesn't mean to be rude either, the way his face wrinkles is obvious.

But hearing that there's nothing else around here makes him feel obligated to at least partake. He takes the spoon from Trahearne, and begins to pour himself at a small portion.]

[stillarhino]

Yo, I don't know nothin' 'bout this place. If there's anythin' else I gotta watch out for, you gotta tell me.

[He's delaying, trying to buy some time before he eats from his bowl. He clicks his tongue and curses under his breath. Despite the contents, he's nose picks up the spice from the broth. Just why does it smell so good?]

[stillarhino]

[And so he takes a big sip of the broth, hoping that downing it quickly would help with the taste. Only to immediately regret that decision.]

done

[stillarhino]

[Suddenly his throat burns and he's brought back to the time he had eaten the spicy curry that was offered as a challenge back at the Wild Harvest in Reverein, and how he fought through the heat back then too.

His mouth hangs open, tongue sticking out as he suddenly lets out a deep breath.]

Y-yo, you don't happen to got milk on ya or somethin'?

[pactmarshal]

[ When Beat is finished serving himself, Trahearne takes the spoon back and goes back to mixing the pot. ]

Orr is foul, haunted by its tragic end and the shadow of the undead dragon. Consider nothing here to be friendly, and that--

[ And when beat speaks up again, Trahearne looks up and is mildly shocked by Beat's expression. For a second, he doesn't understand why he's making that face, but-- ah. ]

I-I'm sorry. [ He reaches into his pack and hands over his waterskin. It is full of lukewarm water. ] I should have told you. Those are ghost peppers.

[stillarhino]

[There's an urgency to how Beat reaches for the waterskin, immediately taking a long drink from it. It offers little comfort from the heat he feels in his mouth. He lets out a long exhale after, his tongue sticking out of his mouth as he pants.]

The hell are ghost peppers, yo? [His speech is garbled slightly from the way he holds his mouth open.] They dead too 'cause a' this place?

[pactmarshal]

[ That's a bit of a funny association, one Trahearne hadn't put together before. Even though there is a distinct lack of actual ghosts in Orr. It takes a great deal of his willpower to keep himself from smiling at the realization. ]

Ghost peppers are a plant endemic to Orr, and one of the few edible resources on the island.

[ A beat. ]

They are also quite spicy. My apologies; I should have warned you ahead of time.

1/2

[stillarhino]

Spicy? I've had spicy but these hella deadly, yo.

[Generally, Beat is a fan of spicy food. But an actual ghost pepper was proving to be quite the experience.]

[stillarhino]

[And yet he brings his spoon to his mouth once more for another sip—only to regret it immediately. WHY DID HE DO THAT AGAIN?]

Bwuuuh! It still hella hot, yo!

[pactmarshal]

[ Trahearne's brows only lift more in worry, and he reaches to take the bowl from him. ]

If it's too much, then don't hurt yourself.

[ That'd just make him vulnerable to the Risen corruption.

His other hand, in the meanwhile, begins rummaging in his bag for something else. ]

And please keep your voice down. We don't want to attract the Risen.

[stillarhino]

[At this point, he's just kind of fanning at his mouth and tongue as he hands the soup over.]

Sorry yo. Keepin' on the down-low, ain't really my style. But you know this place better than I do.

[Had things been different, he might've been more stubborn about this, but between the killer veggie soup and the new place he's found himself in, he'll yield to what Trahearne has to say.]

[pactmarshal]

[ Trahearne sets his mouth in a thin line as he pulls out a raw truffle from his bag. Wordlessly, he hands it to beat. At least it's food, even though he doubts it will taste particularly good. ]

I'm curious, and partially concerned. We are deep within Orr--how did you make it this far without encountering any Risen?

[ If there was a gate or waypoint activated out here, it needed to be turned off immediately. ]