Day 14.1: The Waking Dream

Chased down the chimney bat and made him dead. Might have also taunted him with a limerick (Geist is wearing off). 1 of the smaller bats got away with some motes, but Charles & I were able to kill him. Mutu cleans up a bunch of the other little bats while Diana & her Eidolon protect the rest of the motes. Charles was on a “hot & cold” streak, burning and charring or freezing his way through the bat buggers. (Actually, kind of impressed – not that I’d tell him). From my view from the roof, I notice more and more black dust swirling and gathering. A familiar feeling washed over me. I have seen this before – in my dreams.

**WE ARE DREAMING**

The realization rips me awake, but just before regaining consciousness I see a monstrous Watcher on one of the other rooftops. 4 horns, white fur, elegantly dressed, and glasses (?).

Q: Who is this? Could he be the Withering Man the bats mentioned or someone else?

I race to the other’s rooms to wake them, starting with Diana, then Charles, then Mutu. Diana is actually hurt and we are all a little shaken. WTH just happened? Not we have to fight our dreams as well as real enemies? This is NOT cool.

During breakfast we discuss what we all saw and I suggest the figure we saw was the Withering Man? Charles remembered what he researched.

            Withering Man is a haunting creature, tall and emaciated with sunken glowing eyes. Skin stretched thin over his frame with black twisting veins black as midnight. Razor sharp claws that drip with a vicious black icor that sizzles like acid. With supernatural movements he is like a shadow that weave in and out of existence. The air around him is filled with constant madness-inducing hum that never ceases.

Mutu speaks up as he recognized the being from his visions in the Witch Woods and quickly sketches a picture of the being we all saw.

A forgotten memory of Dreamland Lore comes to my mind.

            The Witch Woods stand as an ancient and enigmatic boundary between the waking world and the mysterious Dreamlands. Veiled in the ever-present twilight of enchantment, the trees here whisper secrets that only the bravest souls dare to heed. With roots that delve deep into the realm of dreams, these woods harbor elusive portals to the Dreamlands, where reality shimmers and the boundaries of possibility blur. Time dances to the whims of the dreamer, and enchantments long forgotten manifest in vivid splendor. Those who venture into the Witch Woods may find themselves at the crossroads of dreams and nightmares, where destiny is but a riddle waiting to be unraveled. [The last sentence feels important!]

Q: Were we in the Dreamlands or the Witch Woods? How is this person connected to everything that is going on? Why are Mutu’s vision different than Charles & Mine? Could he be the escapee?

We decide we don’t have enough information yet to deal with the horned creature, so we turn back to the original plan to interpose the points of interest and the five families on a map to look for a pattern. We find one!

A pentagram figure connects all the places we have knowledge about, including the workshop and the concert hall, which we have yet to visit. The final point lands on a grove on the outskirts of town. We ask Dieter about it.

He calls it the Carn of the Whispering Shadows. Told us we don’t want to go there at night or even a cloudy day. People in town avoid the area. Supposedly sacred ground of elves, dedicated to the moon. Area existed from before the walls of the town were built and the forest shared secrets with the Keleds. [Need to research what these are] When all the other elves were gone (Killed? Left?), one noble lady stayed behind. Her name long forgotten [Need to research this], she is now only known as the “Whispering Lady”. According to the lore, the land was corrupted (?) during a blood moon rite and bound her to the land. (Not sure if this was intentional or if she was a victim) to try and save the lands. Something about separate vessels of Anger and Agony? She now haunts the area. Her power grows and wans with the phases of the moon. Full Moon = Greatest power.

Decide we needed to go shopping and get rid of the extra unwanted gear and stock up on items needed to confront these threats. I acquired some items from the loot beforehand (legally and with the party’s encouragement – a strange feeling). Bladed scarf (fashionable and potentially lethal), Ring of Discretion (Why flaunt what you have until it is to your advantage), Bracelet of Dashing (For when you just gotta be/not be somewhere fast), and a Stiletto Pen (for when you really need to make your point in contract negotiations). We also got Mutu he Rune of Striking and +1 weapon rune for the Eidolon/Diana. (I also made sure my party members were taken care of, although done quietly. Can’t lose family – Again)