TO THE WATERS AND THE WILD

[redlightgreenlight]

Characters: All
Date: February 7th-16th
Location: Throughout Aifaran
Situation: The Dreaming has unleashed Fairy Tales upon the city, and those sensitive to the Dreaming are playing them out.
Warnings/Rating: In Headers


Once upon a time, on a world where the planes collide, an extraordinary group of people were brought together to protect a place they didn’t call home. They waged war against a faceless enemy, and many people died, but using the power of the Third Plane, called the Dreaming, they finally defeated him. But not all was saved, for the magic that summoned them began to break down, and tears between the three planes brought new calamities, causing the Last Great Turtle to go between them in order to save his world, leaving behind only his offspring to protect the people who remained.

Over five hundred years passed, and the Planes did not calm, wreaking havoc on the world, tearing it apart and putting it back together. A coalition of peoples, all except one, came together with the now grown hatchlings to form a new nation, a nation of all shapes and sizes, all beliefs and deep magics. They learned to live with the movements of the Planes, showing great fortitude even as the heroes from other lands continued to appear and disappear, as is the nature of the Dreaming. For a time, things seemed to be at peace. But all peace is fragile, and the nation has unknown enemies far greater than those of old. Now the heroes must rise to unlock the newly woken mysteries unfolding before them.

So it began as all stories do, with heroes, a quest, and an enemy, how it ends is up to you…but until then, here is a little gift of tales and stories from your own worlds. Some roles have been reversed of course. A princess is now a prince, a king is now a queen, and since females can be thieves too, well, there’s some fun to be had. Then there’s the story about stories, a journey far away, shapeshifters, and a strange fascination with monsters and men. Maidens in towers, lost shoes, and mermaids. I have many stories, each with roles for you to play. So I hope you enjoy them. Perhaps they will offer some inspiration.

Comments

The Pilgrim's Progress

[psituational]

There are a number of decisions X makes that morning that, if you asked him why he made them, he'd be completely unable to explain. The first is that he leaves his apartment without the coat he laid out the night before, tailored for and given to him by the Fool. The second is that he buys an outfit in the market that could best be described as the robes of a Buddhist monk, and puts them on. The third is that he goes to the dojo, a place he's never found himself outside of his fighting lessons with Valdis.

The result is that he's standing in the middle of the dojo, looking very regal and peaceful, and yet also completely and utterly confused.

Gene is there, however, and draws X's attention when he speaks. X, happy to latch onto something that actually makes a bit of sense, walks over to join him. "What did you do to deserve what?" X asks, leaning against the wall beside him.

[wrathfulkhan]

Gene's a little annoyed in general, so it takes him a second to come out of his stewing and realize that he's being addressed. When he looks up and sees X, though, a bit of confusion passes across his face, followed almost immediately by despair.

"Please tell me that you normally dress like that," he says, which is a weird way to begin a conversation.

[psituational]

X looks down at the robes he's wearing. "No," he answers slowly. "Not typically. I bought them just today, and I'm... not sure why."

He glances back up, looking equal parts chagrined and worried. "I take it by the look on your face that you do. What's going on?"

[wrathfulkhan]

Gene pinches the bridge of his nose. Typical.

"You've noticed a lot of people acting weird lately, I'm sure." He flicks the gold circlet on his head. "They're acting out fairy tales and legends. I've been drawn into one, and it seems that you have, too.

"Are you familiar at all with the legend of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King?"

[psituational]

Oh.

Oh, damn.

"Yes," X answers, looking much less chagrined and much more exasperatedly resigned. "I've been drawn into one once already. Fairy tales and legends, hm?"

Where he comes from, 'fairy tales' are usually misremembered encounters that human beings on Earth have with people from Actacea. Or at least, that's the running theory he, Luci, and Liz all came up with together. X spends roughly two seconds wondering how Earth legends translate to Aifaran where Actacea is concerned, and immediately stops when he can feel a headache coming on.

"I've heard the name Sun Wukong," X says instead. "But not attached to a legend, and I don't know what a Monkey King is."

[wrathfulkhan]

Gene nods, looking as exasperated as X. "Essentially, he's a trickster who gets on the wronf side of Buddha, and is given a chance to redeem himself by being the bodyguard of a monk on pilgrimage." He indicates X's clothing. "It seems like you've been chosen to play a part."