Atharen, A Fantasy Roleplay Forum

Posted: **Sun Jun 19, 2022 5:18 pm**

Thomas preferred not to dream. He didn't go so far as to take any drugs for it, as he found it better to have nightmares and be a bit tired the next morning than to be groggy for much of the day, but he preferred to rise with no memory of what, if anything, had transpired. This dream seemed different, though. For one thing, he wasn't reliving something from his past: this was not Starkwayte, nor the cozy confines of his wagon and any of the cities and podunks he'd passed through on his travels. Instead, he was on a stage, and a far grander one than he'd ever merited. The audience was hard to discern, but different presences in the crowd were glowing with faint lights. He could perceive them, but it was hard to see much of anything beyond the stage lights. He had the sense that the theater was mostly empty. He tried monologing a bit to see if the audience would provide any energy or reaction, but got nothing. Not so much as a clap.

If he weren't aware that this was a dream, his feelings would have been hurt. Which was another thing -- it was unusual for him to dream at all, let alone to be cognizant of the fact that he was doing it. For lack of anything better to do, he tried to use Mentalism to establish a tether to the presences in the audience that he could feel but not see, but nothing happened. Frowning, he crossed over to sit at the edge of the stage, legs dangling into the orchestra pit -- completely empty, of course -- as he tried to establish a connection. He could tell they were out there, but no tether would form. While he was admittedly not the best at doing this, still, it seemed like something else was at play. Maybe it just didn't work because a connection had to be between two people, and he was functionally locked in his own to dream.

"This is boring," he said aloud, appreciating the acoustics that his mind had built for the occasion. "What's the point of a dream if nothing actually happens?"

Posted: **Sun Jun 19, 2022 6:09 pm**

Wading through the fabric of the Reverie, he had arrived at another archway. Salen had already made his way through one dreamscape at that point, it was a wonder that he still had enough ether left to continue his journey in the search through various mindscapes to find something.

Something valuable.

As he made his way through to the next dreamscape of visitation; he stared at the corner of his eye. Instead he appeared to be on the backstage of a grand theater, but he had seen nothing like this. Was he in a mind of someone who was completely foreign? He had to adjust to the surroundings as he looked behind the curtain; the audience appeared to be blank faced, silouhetted by the faint lights behind them. However, he had realised that it was just a symbolism of mere reflections on the shiny comforting seats of the theater. He watched for a moment as the dreamer who he had come into contact with was trying to monologue towards an audience. Perhaps a performer? He couldn't tell, but it seemed like the kind of Memory Palace fitting for such profession.

He remained silent for a moment, watching him sit down and dangle his legs towards the orchestra pit. He was intrigued by this dreamer, but although he did not want to alarm him. He had respect for the rights of dreamers and unless they were trouble; he would not inflict great pain on an innocent man. He stepped forth and made his way behind him, watching him as his dark shadow loomed over him. He wanted to make his presence known, but also dramatise the effects that a Remnomancer can imbue on a certain mindscape like his, such as the compassionate healing of a mind, to letting one's dark thoughts consumed them in agonising pain.

He had been familiar with that pain.

The pain and the burden that he carried with him, since the day of his initiation and yet he chose to wear it like a battle scar. He watched as the male would try to tether himself to a mind. Of course, a connection between two familiar people was important, but since this was the Reverie; there was no such thing as reality.

This was the realm for the abstract concepts of the mind.

"Yes, because you're not imagining anything..." He spoke loudly as his dark baritone voice boomed through the hall, yet filled with elegance and suave notes.

"Blank minds tend to have very little effect on the mind itself... I'll show you." With a channel of his ether he simply casted Phantasm, bringing an element of his own dreamscape as a physical object. Two white marble chairs, followed by an elegantly decorated table. On the table, there were two wine glasses and a bottle of wine.

He sat down with his legs crossed and poured a glass for them both "Sit down..." He spoke as he looked the man into his eyes, whilst he poured the wine. There was a sense of demand and assertiveness from the man, yet it seemed intimidating to others.

Posted: **Mon Jun 20, 2022 12:09 am**

In the same way that Thomas had known this was a dream, he knew this man was not part of it. There was a sense of wrongness to him -- not the man himself, but his presence here. He recalled his remedial lessons on what magic could actually do from Taelian, and deduced this must be dream magic-- Remnantmancy, or somesuch. He hadn't been very interested in learning more about it, because it seemed a harmless sort of craft compared to all of the other magics that could directly and easily kill others. He was regretting that decision now.

None of that showed on his face, however. He was still a good actor, even if it had been quite some time since he'd performed on a stage. Instead, a genuine smile of delight crested and then fell off, remaining in his eyes.

"Ah, refreshments and a companion! This dream just became one hundred times more tolerable."

He sat down at the table, because why not entertain a madman who was strolling through dreams, and expertly poured the wine, surprised to find it chilled to the ideal temperature even though it had appeared from nowhere. Perhaps it had been teleported in from cold storage somewhere. The marble chairs, by contrast, were beautiful but not comfortable, and rather cold. Apparently the strange man had not thought of the necessity of cushions on such surfaces. He looked familiar, in an odd way, but Thomas chalked that up to him just being tall and handsome. Or maybe him appearing in a dream made his mind feel that they must know each other. Thomas knew little of dreams, and had studiedly avoided learning more.

Once Salen was seated across from him, Thomas decided to break the silence. "You're saying nothing much is happening because I'm blanking my mind? What should I be thinking, do you think? This is just a dream, after all -- they're nonsense, and then you wake up."

Posted: **Wed Jun 22, 2022 4:12 pm**

Salen had chosen to sit crossed-legged on the stool as he created more Phantasms, making a cushion appear underneath their marble chairs for extra added comfort "I apologise, the seating is rather uncomfortable, especially for a king-fitting figure like yourself..." He said as he looked around the memory palace for a moment, wondering what kind of person Thomas was; perhaps he was an actor or some form of social chameleon, or even one of his brethen; a Corvo. The hardest thing to decipher when it came to one's memory palace, although the confusion and the riddles that went on, resulted in Salen's confusion to become more prominent. Firstly, why were all the audience members blank? Why did it feel like a empty and lonely place inside his mind? Perhaps he was lonely. A Remnomancer was usually the last person that someone would want in their dreams, but it appeared that he was clueless and yet kind of cute.

Salen had taken advantage of this moment; his gaze changed to somewhat inspecting of Thomas; he looked him up and down as he sipped his wine more, before he listened to him speak about the dream "Dreams are made by the thoughts and imagination of one's mind..." He chuckled as he tilts his head, sipping on the phantasmal wine that he had poured; the flavouring would be different for each person, each quainted for one's own desire of taste. As Salen explained further he sighed for a moment as his current attire turned into a pink cloud-like substance; his chiseled athletic body appeared naked for a while as the pink cloud covered his visage as the energy circled around him as it transformed into attire that was Grisic in style. A waistcoat, pair of slacks, shiny vantablack monk strap shoes and a monocle. An element that he had borrowed from Thomas' dreamscape using Phantasm "I must say, this mind shouldn't be a boring mind... After all, dreams are what you make of them, whatever fantasies, pleasures or existing torment you have, they must be awakened somehow... Sweet dreams and beautiful nightmares, that's how you should look at them." He said as he held his glass out.

"What do you think of the wine?" He asked holding out his glass as if he were to make a toast "Very tasty isn't it?" Salen's feline gaze fixated on Thomas for a moment. It seemed predatory and wanting of something, like he had come here for a reason. Perhaps he did, but it was the exploration of one's mind that would give him the possible answers to many.

Posted: **Mon Jul 11, 2022 9:59 pm**

Thomas was surprised when the cushions appeared, and it showed on his face, the mask slipping just a bit. Magic was unsettling, and for all that dreams weren't real, this all felt not unlike real life. Remnantmancy, then, was more of a threat than he'd assumed. He would have to ask someone more about it when he arose. For a moment, he thought to try and wake himself up somehow, by screaming or pinching himself, perhaps, but if it didn't work, he may offend his guest. Or worse, he might leave the man to wander around his mind unattended, which seemed worse than having a conversation with a stranger who was holding all the cards in this exchange. The clothes, by contrast, elicited no reaction. How the stranger dressed was his business. It was apparent he wasn't Griscian, or Thomas knew he would be able to tell, and so him wearing the clothes was a costume more than a threat. So instead of expressing any of those feelings, he smiled and took another sip of the wine.

It really was rather nice. "Reminds me of some of the drier variants grown in Daravin beloved by the Entente and Veiren there," he said, eyes studying the stranger to see if he had a reaction to any of those words. "I don't travel to Daravin much, but when I do, I try to enjoy their wines. I find Lorien's ice wine rather too sweet for my tastes, even as a postprandial in the club." An admission of wealth, which happened to be the truth at this point. Not the worst thing to reveal to a stranger, and it showed that he had no interest in playing by the rules of the Candor should this interloper prove to be from Daravin.

"As for my dreams, Ser, I have no interest in sweet dreams or beautiful nightmares. I've lived enough of both to know that asking the mind for more of either is just borrowing trouble. Nightmares are just illusions of what the mind fears. I have no cause to investigate those. And dreams, or fantasies -- there's a reason those are synonyms for delusions. Dreams do not come true, and nightmares have no power. Perhaps this is why my mind does not show them to me often. Perhaps if I were more interested in what they had to tell me, they would make their presence felt with more frequency? I am unsure. Nonetheless, if you are hoping to explore a world made of my deepest fears and desires, I'm not sure I can accommodate you. We're just on a stage, which seems quite ordinary to me."

The stage was ordinary, sure. Something about the audience, both empty yet hungry, unsettled him, but the stage was a bastion. What harm could come when he was playing a role?

Posted: **Tue Jul 12, 2022 4:37 pm**

Salen could sense the fear in Thomas as well as exploring the man's background through his clothing and identity, it was clear that he was from Grisic; a country that appeared to have adverse views against magic, however he wasn't going to let that scare him away, perhaps a gentle approach was needed if he were to seek allies in the Reverie.

He smiled in response to the man's keen taste on Daravinic wine, it made him chuckle almost, but he chose to remain calm; it was hardly a coincidence that Remnomancers were merely wolves in sheeps clothing, especially with the gift of their illusory abilities "So, you're a man who knows their wines eh? Daravin does grow the finest produce of wine, after all Genteven is the capital of such quality of wine. It isn't a surprise that Entente and Veiren love their wines, especially when... They get drunk and reveal slightly too much about themselves and their... Sad ways of life, that only leads the average politicians scrambling about like vultures and ravens, picking away at the very core of their carrion." He bluntly stated, although there was a hint of venom to his tone of voice, almost as if he was angry, bitter and embodied with malice. Every word, punctuated with the dagger-like tongues he spoke in.

"Lorien? I figured you were a Griscian." He raised an eyebrow "Any reason being there? I heard it was just snow, ravaged land ruled by strange birds... Birds that well, they believe to be angels, only they..." He sighed, before laughing "Nevermind..." He spoke sliently, initiating a change in subject; it was clear there were some trust boundaries to be broken, especially when meeting a complete stranger in someone's dreamscape.

Salen narrowed his eyes towards Thomas as he made his interests clear, perhaps a foolish one which caused Salen to issue a warning towards him "Nightmares can become reality if you don't protect your thoughts, your dreams, everything... Why do you think I'm here? Well, I'm usually drawn to dreamscapes for a complete reason, it's either a person is naive enough to let themselves become open to the facts of the Reverie, or they simply have no clue how to control themselves, their thoughts and everything." He smiled as Salen's eyes met with Thomas' once again "Let me tell you something, I'm a Remnomancer... We can find our ways around a mind with great ease if we wanted to, but as long as you're not in proximity to us; we can only infect your outer mind... Your dreamscape, which can still be a powerful weapon, known to drive even the strongest man on the brink of anxiety; some Remnomancers in history have even driven people to suicide..." He said with a frown, clearly using it as a tactic to warn Thomas of any danger nearby, as subtle as it may sound "You're inner mind, is something much more sensitive to play with..."

As Salen took a step closer to the stage, he smiled as he turned around to Thomas "Lets link our minds together and travel through some of your greatest memories you have. I'll link and you choose, simply imagine something. Imagine your greatest triumph, the things you've achieved." Salen grabbed Thomas by the shoulder and stared at him sternly into his eyes "But no negative thoughts... I'll know if you've pulled me into a nightmare or not..." He stated as Salen would channel his ether and choose to cast Mind Collision, bridging Thomas' mindscape with his. There was no change in the atmosphere around Thomas, but he had full control over which part of his mind he was to pull him into.

"Think of something positive... Anything."

Posted: **Sun Jul 24, 2022 2:56 pm**

Thomas did not fail to notice the venom toward the Daravinic over-class. This man, then, was familiar with the rulers of that magic-infested land, and was not a fan. Perhaps he was from them but not of them. His comments about Lorien were droll, as well. Whoever this man was, he was not well-traveled. Although to outsiders the civil war was probably big news, to Thomas it mostly meant that his husband was called up to the front often to command Hollows in battle. Fortunately not the house staff Hollows, who Thomas had grown rather fond of. They were unnerving abominations, sure, but they seemed to have distinct mannerisms and personalities. Then again, he was fairly certain that Blobby was somewhat alive, as well, despite Taelian's insistence that such a thing could not possibly be true. He couldn't dismiss the idea that his ideas about magic were just somewhat fanciful, but they felt right to him.

"Something pleasant? I find your company and this wine perfectly pleasant, Ser, but if we must, then very well."

He imagined being in Leiden, where he'd first met Taelian. It was a few days into their arrangement, and the man was away on knightly business. Thomas, or Lord Ashley, had not yet hit upon helping Taelian, or Lord Latham, with rooting out the Dranoch he'd come to fight, and so was mostly at loose ends. Lord Ashley was supposed to be waiting on the check to clear from his wealthy father, which meant Thomas did not have much to do during the hours when Lord Latham was out. Finally, he'd hit upon making him some soup. Not that Thomas was a great cook, but he was a decent one.

Lord Ashley, though, would have no business knowing how, so after Thomas made a perfectly good stew, he let it boil over until it was burnt at the bottom, the vegetables turning to mush. He paired it with a bottle of wine lifted from the club the night before that would help balance the now overly burnt notes, and some day old bread he re-warmed in the oven. This was about an hour or so before Latham's return, and the small, sparse apartment gleamed in the dim light of the cook fire. With just him here, he could appreciate how nice this place was, and he could be Thomas for a bit, instead of Lord Ashley. There was no pleasure quite so sublime as taking off the mask.

"Are you, you know, seeing it?" He asked his companion.

Posted: **Wed Aug 03, 2022 9:12 am**

The Daravinic male's magnetism begins to unfold as Salen was introduced to the memory of Thomas meeting his lover Taelian; it seemed to be a bittersweet memory, knowing he did have the same rude awakening for love. The smell of rustically cooked food, followed by the mingling of wine and ale. He smiled at the thoughtful process of this memory, for the way he was perceived himself "I see that you're a romantic, thoughtful of everyone's company. A people pleaser if you will. On others I sense nothing more than a man consumed by the simple things in life, someone who seems to be drawn to the pillars of whatever society you come from when all you want is just to be free. A man who strives to find happiness in a world that is darkened with challenges and political wars and yet such motives have a dark consequence, knowing that the world is run on mere natural selection." He paused for a moment as he created a Phantasm of a cigarette, directly from his mindscape, lit it and took a single drag of it, blowing the smoke away from Thomas' direction "It's either your happiness or other's happiness."

He shrugged, watching the memory further as it rewound itself backwards and forth, like a residual Griscian movie. He turned to the male and smiled "Let me look through one last memory, it's important I understand another's mind, before I simply disappear into the void of the Reverie. Take me to the worst place in your heart, where you've found it difficult; where you felt the crippling anguish of anxiety down your neck. I wanna see how you triumph from such situations, how you cope with setbacks in life. Then I will decide if you're a worthy friend or not." He said with a smile, his eyes appeared to be penetrating him as Beguiler had been casted, influencing Thomas to make the move.

The question is will he give into the Corvo's demands, or will he fight back letting his own will influence his decisions?

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Posted: **Mon Sep 05, 2022 12:52 pm**

Something was wrong with Salen's eyes. They were just a little bit too bright, a little bit too mesmerizing. Thomas knew better than to look away; doing so would indicate that he'd noticed whatever was going on and was uncomfortable with it, or worse, that whatever the effect was supposed to be had failed. No one liked to look like a fool in front of someone they were trying to impress, and everything this man had done so far had an aspect of showmanship to it.

So despite the fact that he was not compelled to do so, Thomas thought about the orphanage he'd grown up in. He thought back to being about ten, and waking up in the winter because he got too cold when the wind whistled through the window. He thought about days he'd tried elbowing his way to the front of the line so that he could get gruel that was slightly more grain than what was left after they rehydrated the bottom of the pot and called it another ration and got the tar beat out of him for his trouble. He thought about getting his leg broken.

He did not think about Ned. It was none of Salen's business.

Instead, he brought his thoughts forward to the present: the manor house, the signet ring on his finger, the servants and finery and jewelry. A neat little before and after: rags to riches. Anyone who had come from the former knew that getting to the latter was not a crystal stair. While luck had been involved in befriending, bedding, falling in love with, fleeing, reuniting with, betraying again, and finally marrying Taelian, he would have been fine even without the other man's help.

"I've done adequately by myself," was all he said aloud.

Posted: **Mon Sep 05, 2022 4:01 pm**

Salen would sigh as his initial effect to imbue Thomas with the trust to reveal information only proved to be far more consequential "I see you're hiding a lot and yet it seems the memories of the past are interesting, it appears you have endured much although you cannot quite show me the events that truely shaped you as a person." He shrugged with a nod as he would move around the dreamscape, looking at every possible memory that existed within Thomas' mind and yet they were simply closed off by how much distance Salen and Thomas were away from each other. The Reverie was the abstract realm, to dream is to invite the many Remnomancers that seek knowledge.

"Perhaps, I should tell you why I am truely here." He said with a smile as he walked about the memory palace of Thomas' dreamscape "Although, my time is short..." He stated simply as he was on the level of straining his magic once again "I want to learn about other people's trials and tribulations. How they recovered from their downfalls, their misfortunes" He paused for a moment as he appeared to be saddened for a moment "I seek the guidance of others and yet I find myself here in your dreamscape, possibly because you have wisdom that may be unlocked... You may think you're an idiot, Thomas but believe me it seems like you are far more intelligent than you give yourself credit for." He said with a smile "You've made mistakes and yet, you don't let it define you, that to me is a making of a man." Salen smiled as he moved closer to Thomas, perhaps dangerously close for his liking.

He proceeded to channel his ether one last time as he casted Mind Collision upon him, eventually memorising his mindscape for Salen to return to in the future "I will return to this memory palace, but I want you to promise me something..." He chuckled with a grin "If you feel as if something is wrong, question it... Think for a moment if there are any possible outcomes, which will be the lesser of evils. Always set for the middle, never right or wrong, because what is right and wrong is much more of a blurred line." He stated.

"I must go..." He fades into the nothingness of his memory palace, suddenly a giant mirror appears to reveal itself on the stage. Inside the mirror appears to be a blinding light that shines like a sundial. Salen had familiarised Thomas' mindscape and will return soon enough.

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