Violet begins to study Count Lowls journals...for the better part of the night.
Lowls’s notes indicate that his journeys occurred in the Dreamlands, a vast and relatively stable section of the Dimension of Dreams. Violet learns the fundamentals of travel in the Dreamlands: most types of damage experienced in the Dreamlands vanish upon waking except for mental ability score damage or drain; spells and items used in the Dreamlands are not expended upon waking; items found in the Dreamlands cannot be brought into the waking world, but persist from dream to dream; and death in the Dreamlands results in immediate traumatic awakening and permanent madness.
Lowls planned to reach a mysterious hermit in the Dreamlands known as the Mad Poet. This Mad Poet was dangerous unless appeased, and Lowls focused his investigation on how to best approach this inscrutable— and certainly sinister—figure.
"I was taking care of them for 2 years,"Captain Skywind admits a little guiltily. "I have to say being landlocked was one of the most boring 2 years of my life. I love being out at sea...but on the other hand I wonder if I'm being selfish because I'm not there for my siblings, if you get my drift?"Captain Skywind looks troubled.
"And oh about the harbourmaster, your help was most timely. "Captain Skywind sighs,"Ustalav isn't the most welcoming to non humans."
"Though in the worst case scenario I would probably have my crew to have help reload the boat, though it would delay our departure time."
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Rose gradually changes her size from five feet tall to four. Her outfit morphs to accommodate her changes, but she also changes stylistically.
“I am human, but Ustalav would likely invent a sinister term to define me as I am now. It is not my fault that my body is changed, just like it is not your fault your family suffered so.” She casts Reduce Person on herself, and her malleable flesh adjusts her height so that Rose sees eye-to-eye with Skywind. “You sail because you love the sea, no? I do not have the impression you are selfish for doing what you love to provide for your brother and sister.
“You are not shirking your responsibility. So you do not wrong your siblings by indulging in what pleasures life has to offer.”
Rose had always known she could use a little magic to become the size of a small child. She had not contemplated how this would make her halfling-sized, nor had she cast it. The feeling of being so light makes her almost envy Violet! She offers a smile to the fiery redhead, who now seems so grand and so tall in those boots!
”Sailing is your pleasure, is it not?” With a bit of a smirk, she adds, “Putting that harbor master in his place was mine.”
As for Violet, she’ll need another day of reading!
But she’ll certainly check on Rose, given all the emotions she’s detecting.
It is discovered Ann spends way too much time Not Sharing anything she is reading. She reads, but hordes each passage like a little black dragon with its treasure. Plus she stays in the cabin the entire trip and becomes just as cantankerous as an evil lizard might be.
"I know a couple of magic users called the Stardust Augurs. Even though they mostly specialize in divination magics,and studies of dreams, one of them did tell me it was possible for magic users to change their shape." Captain Skywind replies.
"I mean everytime I go back they ask me to stay on the farm with them and it sort of tears me up."Captain Skywind says sadly. "Sometimes I wonder if it would be irresponsible of me if I offered them a place on the boat, because I know a sailors life is hardly safe.I would feel horribly guilty if anything happened to them because it would be under my watch."
"But what am I to do when I'm torn between my family and what I love?"Captain Skywind says, anguished.
Violet realized Lowls selected a caravanserai in a vast Dreamlands desert as his initial destination. Here, he planned to talk with other dream travelers to gain information about how to locate and appease the Mad Poet.
Violet also figures out the Dreamlands excursion occult ritual and can use it to travel to the Forsaken Caravanserai.
Violet also finds a minature horn and ivory staircase in a compartment of the book's back cover.
Rose asks Skywind the names of her siblings, and how old they are. “It is easy for me to stand here and spout my opinion, but this matter is complicated. The one piece that is apparent: you belong at sea and not on the farm.
“So the question is, do they share your passion for the sea? If they do, it may lighten your burden to consider a likely possibility: they are safer traveling the sea with you than with another captain. If they do not, then what can you do but make every visit precious and savor such moments?”
Not intending to belittle Skywind’s conundrum, Rose downplays her own ‘advice.’ “Easy to say those words… living them is another matter.”
Regarding what the Stardust Augur said of shape-changers, Rose simply takes comfort that Skywind sees her as normal, in a way.
“Oh, I get it…!” Violet seems to enjoy reading for knowledge every bit as much as Rose enjoys talking to the captain. (It may be that feeling each other’s emotions enhances the experience for the pair.)
Violet tells Winter what she learned. “If you got any more reading assignments, I just need someone to carry the book to my reading spot.”
It looks like a sort of one-pillow pillow-fort, with a blanket ‘fence’ to keep the book from sliding about with the rocking of the boat.
"Mmmmm Wyverns fly, and I'm not cut out for archery. Tell me bout the six-legged things. If they're a threat, we can hunt em. Otherwise just show me the ropes. I don't mind learning to sail."
If the others find reading a chore, that’s fine with Violet. She’ll commit to reading for the entire week!
"Albany is 14 and Neela is 12. I've actually never asked them if they'd want to come sailing with me because I was worried it was too dangerous."Captain Skywind admits.
"My crew said they were rather colourful and had six legs. Never heard of such a thing before. And they communicated in squeaks." Captain Skywind tells Kilarra
Kilarra thinks the description is like a friend that Garrosh found
Violet explains the ritual, and if the items are on the ship she will gather everyone around, warning of the danger. She has her new healing wand if need be.
Rose replies to the Captain, “Too young. Perhaps you plant the idea, and as Neela nears the age you would accept her choice of a life at sea, you can take her and Albany on a short journey.
“I of course say this under the assumption the farm is a relatively safe place.” Rose adored Violet, but she has little choice but to keep her fairy friend close. Without her, I am nothing. “Love is strange that way. We bear risks so the ones we love do not have to, even if they would share your burden.
“I feel that whatever you and your siblings decide, love will drive this decision. Warn them of the sea; hear their perspective regarding the loneliness. Perhaps in roughly five years, the three of you will all come to the same conclusion.”
If Violet needs to carry a staircase that will grow, Rose will hold Violet in her hands to share the load.
As the stairs begin to grow, Violet keeps focusing… fortunately she’s supposed to drop the stairs when they grow too big for her…!
Rose’s hands are busy keeping her little friend in hand as the stairs grow larger. This magic is too foreign for her to help anyway. She looks about at the other casters.
Piotr is out of his depth. He might have this strange magic to do various things from his mother, but he doesn't understand it at all. This... ritual is beyond him.
But he tries to help.
Garrosh attempts to help Violet with the ritual by describing more about the Dreamlands.
Violet wonders at some point if Garrosh understands what he's talking about..
Winter encourages the little fairy to do her best on the ritual. Unfortunately Violet finds Winter's faith in her a little pressurizing.
Violet runs her fingers along the stairs as others help her weary mind get through the strange ritual. The stairs grow much bigger than the fairy, who gladly lets the stairs drop to the floor at the end of the ritual.
As Violet touches the staircase, it shrinks in her hands. Violet begins the ritual...
"We, The Seekers, are bound by a common purpose - the thirst for knowledge."
She then passes the miniature ivory and horn staircase to Winter, and the staircase suddenly grows bigger and Winter runs her fingers down the 70 steps.
"We have gathered this very night in order to open the gate to the Dreamlands."
Winter passes the miniature ivory and horn staircase to Garrosh,who grabs the staircase in his palm.
"For beyond lies the knowledge we seek."
Garrosh passes the ivory and horn staircase to Rose, who takes the staircase. The cabin lights grow dim.
"Let the portal open between this world and the Dreamlands."
Rose drops the stairs case in the center of the ring made by the party, as a flash of yellow lightning emits from the staircase, striking Violet.
The staircase sinks into the ship deck, expanding to the size of a normal staircase and leads downwards into darkness...
“Ouch.”
Violet cannot take much of a beating. She self-heals.
“Looks like that actually worked! Shall we?”
”The Dreamlands. To walk those seventy steps merely makes my descent into madness literal.” Rose lifts Violet so the fairy may sit on her shoulder. Without further delay, she stands before the steps and wills her feet to become ooze form. She remains standing upright as gravity and Oozemorph viscosity take her down, gradually and effortlessly.
As Rose's foot touches the staircase both Rose and Violet fall instantly asleep, their bodies falling onto the floor in a boneless heap, Rose looking a bit puddlish. The party tries to rouse them but find that they can’t.
You find yourself falling through cold darkness…then you see a speck of light in front of you. Moving towards it, you find yourself standing in a vast and featureless desert under a blistering sun.
You check your equipment and find that you have everything on you.The heat shimmers in the distance, creating an air of unsettling illusion when looking towards the horizon. The only structure in sight is a partially ruined limestone caravanserai. The place looks like it has been abandoned for years.
<Ma petite amie, she says in Sylvan, <it would appear we have overstepped.>
Rose holds Violet close to her heart. She morphs her outfit to form a red cloak. <I will shield you from the elements,> she assures the tiny fairy, though under her cloak a stinger extends from her backside, and as her feet solidify, they become talons.
She rests her head against Rose and listens to her heartbeat.
“You don’t need the brave front. It’s just the two of us, Rose. I’m not as fragile as I would’ve been if we hadn’t bonded. And we can leave if we gotta… but I say we hold out a bit and see if the others descend the stairs.
“Until then, if there’s something ya wanna get off your chest…”
Violet accepts Rose’s protection as the cloak covers her.
Ann is ready to step on the steps, her eyes holding a glossy sheen of desire to Know. But the collapsed women make Piotr pause. Once he is certain they are still breathing he'll look around at the others. "We can't leave them to do whatever that is alone, now can we?" He'll reach out for Winter's hand if she'll be willing to go up the stairs with him. The buddy system at its finest.
Piotr finds both Violet and Rose still breathing. "Yeah I guess the answers are down that way. Lets go. Together." She places her clawed hand with Piotr, as they place their foot on the staircase.
You find yourself falling through cold darkness… with Winter's hand in yours strangely comforting. Then you see a speck of light in front of you. Moving towards it, you find yourself standing in a vast and featureless desert under a blistering sun.
"Urgh," Winter shudders, like a dog trying to shake fur from its coat."Not my idea of a fun trip." You find that you have everything on you. The heat shimmers in the distance, creating an air of unsettling illusion when looking towards the horizon. The only structure in sight is a partially ruined limestone caravanserai. The place looks like it has been abandoned for years.
Rose and Violet suddenly see the air shimmer as the forms of Piotr and Winter, both hand in hand, appear. "Urgh," Winter shudders, like a dog trying to shake fur from its coat."Not my idea of a fun trip."
Piotr and Winter see Rose in a red cloak, a stinger sticking out of her backside, her feet sprouting talons.
“You two are adorable together.” She takes off her hood and contemplates the one visible structure.
Piotr almost draws his sword at the sight of the stinger sticking out of the backside, but he quickly realizes it is Rose and feels bad. "Sorry" he says meaning it. He reddens a little at the adorable comment, but does not let go of Winter's hand.
Ann materializes next to the couple and informs Rose, semi quietly "Her hand is the only thing keeping my brother sane at the moment, so limit your teasing please." she says this offhand as she looks around in wonder. "This place is amazing!" she practically twirls in her ghostly skirts, excitement billowing off her.
"We should wait for the others, shouldn't we?" she says this like she hopes everyone disagrees and they can rush off to investigate, but knows that is unlikely. Piotr frowns at his sister but doesn't respond.
As Ann takes in the view, Rose opens her cloak to let Violet out. She casts Mage Armor on Violet and herself, and also on herself, she casts Greater Magic Fang.
“They’re right behind you, aren’t they? How long does it take to descend seventy steps? The last sixty-nine of them are kind of a blank.” Violet tries in vain to recall Rose carrying her down. She only remembers one step, then falling in darkness.
Winter blushes at Rose's comment and is about to slip her clawed hand out of Piotr's big bear like paw of a hand, then reconsiders."This is a really, really strange place. I mean, a desert? Is this place something our subconscious came up with, or is this somewhere else in another plane of existence?" Winter muses out loud.
"Ann," Winter chides the gawking Ann."We need to be careful. We don't know what lies waiting for us."
Also, Rose wants her stinger back. She unmorphs the claw, remorphs the stinger, and morphs her entire outfit to a long summery dress with a wide-brimmed hat.
If Garrosh and Kilarra take too long, Rose may come up with a more thematic outfit.
Piotr looks at Winter and smiling and nodding his agreement about travelling with them. Ann, who is looking away, slightly rolls her eyes. Only slightly since she is eager to explore. "They are taking a while." she grumbles slightly.
Kilarra watches the ritual with a certain disgust and unease, especially since everyone just falls asleep at the staircase. First thing she does is makes sure all doors are locked, then she casts two spells on herself.
Finally, Kilarra grinds her teeth together and exhales with frustration. "I gotta bad feeling bout this." She says, before making a big leap onto the staircase.
"Yes it is good not to have to hide my heritage. Yet I wonder if I can run away from the consequences of it forever.."Winter muses.
The air shimmers slightly as Kilarra appears behind the party.
You find yourself falling through cold darkness…then you see a speck of light in front of you. Moving towards it, you find yourself standing in a vast and featureless desert under a blistering sun.
You check your equipment and find that you have everything on you.The heat shimmers in the distance, creating an air of unsettling illusion when looking towards the horizon. The only structure in sight is a partially ruined limestone caravanserai. The place looks like it has been abandoned for years. You see Rose, Piotr, Winter and Ann seemingly having been here for a while.
Violet wonders how well she understands the consequences Winter fears. While she has been able to keep Rose’s powers under control, the bond between her and Rose is unique.
What Piotr and Winter appear to have is surely a love story that’s been repeated since Changelings sought to deny the Call. The two seem so innocent… is what they have really enough?
Violet knows that sometime in their life, changelings receive a spiritual call from their mother hag and following it will bring the offspring to their momma and may come into great power by transforming into a hag.
“Running away from the consequence might not work.” She flutters down to the joined hands, momentarily placing her own tiny hands upon them. ”This will. No way is Piotr gonna let you say ‘yes’ to that Call—because he’ll know your mind would have to be compelled. If you two stick together, there isn’t a hag powerful enough to deter Piotr from protecting you.
“And if she comes for you now, she’s gotta get through all of us.”
Instead she welcomes Kilarra and eagerly awaits Garrosh’s appearance…
Piotr is in the process of nodding to Kilarra when Violet starts talking about a 'Call' and how he is supposed to not let her say yes about it. "What are you talking about?" he asks, confused as ever.
Violet’s eyes widen with guilt. “Aw, I gotta learn to be more subtle about sensitive stuff like, ah…”
She stammers a bit—
—Rose interjects, “Violet merely speaks of a witch’s spell that manipulates one’s mind. She believes you would protect Winter from such magic.
“Surely, this is the case.”
Piotr shifts his confused gaze from Violet to Winter, and says with determination if nothing else "I'll do all I can, as much as I can, and with all that I have. I know nothing of witches, so got no idea if that will be a bucket of help or just a leaky mess." Piotr's use of metaphors has a lot to be desired, but whatever he is saying he truly means it.
"I haven't heard the Call yet, which most changelings do during puberty."Winter has a troubled look on her face. "I'm not sure if growing up in the temple of Pharasma protected me or if my mother,"Winter narrows her eyes,"Had other plans to Call me at a later date."
“I hate to even suggest what a fortunate turn of events it would be, had your mother passed on, and this Call you await with dread can never occur.”
Rose morphs back her cloak, rearranging her entire outfit into something gorgeously Victorian, a somewhat revealing blouse, a somewhat modest skirt, hues of faded scarlet and viridian and leather.
“My point is not to give you a false hope, Winter. Merely to recommend that you consider the possibility: this Call from your mother is not worth the wait. You and Piotr are quite capable of vanquishing evil.
“The fear of this Call may harm you more than the Call itself.”
Without so much as a grunt, Garrosh followed the others through the strange portal.
You find yourself falling through cold darkness…then you see a speck of light in front of you. Moving towards it, you find yourself standing in a vast and featureless desert under a blistering sun.
You check your equipment and find that you have everything on you.The heat shimmers in the distance, creating an air of unsettling illusion when looking towards the horizon. The only structure in sight is a partially ruined limestone caravanserai. The place looks like it has been abandoned for years.
The rest of the party, Rose, Violet, Kilarra, Piotr, Winter and Ann are somewhat impatiently waiting for you.
The air shimmers as Garrosh appears next to the rest of the party.
Violet will not show an impatient face. With a chipper tone and welcoming smile, she says, “Everyone ready to explore?”