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]

[ Trahearne reaches up to scratch Seisyll on the chin, and her eyes close, pleased. She would certainly love it if everyone who came to take a look around offered her treats, wouldn't she? ]

Yes, the beginning. The correct place to start. [ He whirls on his heels and begins making his way across the room, towards the far wall. ] Songerein's exact origins remain unclear, but we have many who have crafted reasonable theories extrapolated from what we do know for certain. Plus, most recently, copies of the answers given to us by the Master and the tapirs at the carnival.

[ He wonders if some residents realize how lucky they were to get these sorts of answers.

Trahearne leads Zhongli to a shelf in the center of the opposite wall, and begins to scan the labeled spines for the right books. It seems he's placed these ones farther down so that the shorter residents (people who are not giants like them, essentially) can easily access them. ]

[gentryofhermitage]

Is that so? Well, I would be happy to read that which you have regardless.

[Lucky, indeed. It is not very often that one is able to look into the origins on a world, let alone have it neatly archived in a library such as this.]

[Zhongli follows Trahearne, scanning the books himself. He doesn't mind having to bend down a little to find books; he knows he's quite tall, so it's not the worst thing. But he does let out a pleased hum as he peruses.]

Everything is very well organized. I am impressed at the work you have done here. Is it only you working in these archives?

[pactmarshal]

[ Trahearne leans back to give Zhongli some space to browse, absently observing him as he does. ]

Oh, no. I couldn't do this alone. [ He glances over his shoulder at the people in the building, mentally picking out his staff members from among them. ] I found four others from my home world who were willing to help with construction and management. They're very good at what they do.

[ The imp with big ears who took the coffee cup being one of them. When he spots her, he turns back to Zhongli. ]

I did not write all of this myself, either. A lot of it is time and knowledge generously donated by other residents of Reverein. [ He studies his new friend for a brief moment. Zhongli is a divine being (he still can't get over this), he must know so much... He must have so much wisdom. ] If you think you have knowledge that might be benefit the collection, you're more than welcome to write your own entry.

[gentryofhermitage]

Is that so? Well, that is fortunate. Having help to undertake a project of this size is certainly a benefit. And having those from your own world help you is only an added bonus.

[That way, the expectation of trust and knowledge of how a group's dynamic works is already there. Definitely a benefit for Trahearne and the archives, in Zhongli's opinion.]

[Zhongli nods slowly, considering the archives. Though, at the suggestion, Zhongli does perk up a bit in surprise.]

Is that so? Well, I am afraid I must admit that my knowledge on the workings of this world is still in development, so I may not have much knowledge to add. In truth, between the two of us, you are the one who possesses more knowledge than I.

[He says it with a good-natured chuckle.]

[pactmarshal]

[ To Zhongli's first comment, Trahearne only smiles in response. It is strangely comforting--and it makes them very easy to work with. He never has to worry about stepping on a stranger's toes when giving an order, nor does he have to wonder about non-Tyrian work habits. Things run smoothly, and there's implicit trust among all of them.

His second comment, though, earns a chuckle from Trahearne in turn. ]

That may be so. But I assure you--the more I learn, the more I am convinced that what I don't know far outweighs what I do know. I always ask and look to others because their experiences and perspectives are things I could never hope to replicate.

[ After a moment of thought, he turns to the shelf and pulls out a few books. ]

Here's someone's thorough hypotheses on Songerein's origins based on interactions with the fae, this one is a detailed account by a first arrival of what it was like in the beginning, and this one-- [ He pats his hand on the cover. ] --I wrote, comparing the Songerein dream with a similar dream world in my own world. [ He tilts his head. ] Only if it interests you, of course.

[gentryofhermitage]

I see... well, that is a very introspective stance. It can prove quite beneficial to acknowledge that you may be lacking in some areas, and to seek out knowledge from others in order to keep learning. [After a brief pause, he nods.] While I may not have as much practical knowledge of Songerein, if my knowledge from Liyue could contribute in any way, I would be happy to offer it.

[He follows along with Trahearne's words, looking at each book with interest. After a moment, he nods slowly.]

I see... these do seem like excellent starting points. Having three separate points of reference could provide me with a good idea of where to go afterwards. If you would let me, I would be happy to start with these.

[pactmarshal]

[ As a scholar at heart, Trahearne is always looking for ways to prove himself wrong. ]

Yes, of course! They're yours to borrow--you're even welcome to take them home with you.

[ Trahearne hands over the stack of books to Zhongli, and takes a step back. ]

You may be surprised by what experiences you've had at home turn out to be relevant. [ And someone of Zhongli's nature, he assumes, must have one or two things in the back of his mind. ] I hope what you read inspires you to share.

[gentryofhermitage]

Well, thank you. I will be sure to take good care of them while I possess them.

[He will gladly take the stack of books and hold them carefully to his side.]

I must thank you for all your assistance, Trahearne. I will surely return with more questions, and with any information that may be pertinent to the interests of the Archives here. Should you need any assistance as well, I would be glad to offer what I can.

[pactmarshal]

[ Trahearne gives a smile and a polite nod. ]

Of course. You're welcome anytime, and I will always be here to help with whatever questions you might have.

[ The prospect that Zhongli might contribute is exciting! He straightens himself, rolling his shoulders, and his cat shifts with displeasure. ]

Thank you for dropping by, and I hope to see you soon.