Two Ships Passing in the Night(mare)

Whilst sleeping or in reverie of one's day or whatnot, there is a period during which that is filled with nothing but darkness.  This darkness begins to fill all your senses, stealing control from you and forcing you to become enveloped in a sense of hopelessness and despair.  You scream and scream, you call out for help, yet nothing and no one answers you – you cannot even hear yourself.  The sensation of feeling fades as you are unsure if you are even touching yourself any longer, everything is as if nothing.  Your sight is only of an ever present blackness, so dark that you cannot be sure if you have your eyes open to begin.  The mind begins to crack under such conditions normally and even the mind of an adventurer can only hold out so long until all is pointless and naught.  As hope truly begins to fade, something stirs in the darkness that is of a purer black than what has surrounded you, something that you can actually see.

You believe it is some sort of creature though its size is unrealistically massive compared to where you were previous to this, it has to easily be into the hundreds of feet long and at least half that wide from what you can tell.  A long serpentine body is the most general statement you can make as you make out the features, of various sizes, of what are likely to be fins, wings or larger fins, claws, tails, and tentacles though it all remains at a great distance from you and of such pure black that it stands out from the surrounding darkness.  A forgotten primordial fear begins in the pit of your stomach and creeps across your body freezing whatever movements you were trying to make as you become paralyzed with dread as the creature seems to be moving closer to you.  The shadow of death has made itself known and much like the case of a baby rabbit and a hawk, escape is most unlikely.  A clarity fills your mind at at the center of this terror is understanding, the understanding that you cannot do anything to avoid your impending doom.

Yet this end does not come and instead a voice, emotionless and disembodied, inquires for information within your mind.  The voice speaks in a language and dialect most personal to you, in a perfect sense – too perfect in that it is not genuine yet seemingly on purpose for reasons unknown.  Certain words (those marked in '') seem to translate strangely from a harsh sickening language of unknown origins to words understood in the familiar language used.  Whilst speaking the creature's movement seems to halt, as if it is waiting on a response.

“Another in this endless drift, rare it is to find and rarer still one that has not succumbed to this realm's affect on the 'Uninitiated'.  Answer 'me' three questions and 'I' will aid you in both leaving this place with your facilities still functional and a boon.  A boon from one 'traveler' to another.”

The words echo within your mind for a few moments, though not nearly enough time to process it and respond with anything before its voice reenters your mind.  Its tone notably more inquisitional in nature, it begins uttering forth its questions.

“The first inquiry is thus: Are you more fearful of death, the failure of one's mission in life, the end of your personal dreams, or the thought of surviving, be it living or not, forever and alone?”

There is a pause before it continues.

“The second question is this: If I granted you the power to do one of the following, which would it be?  To change a decision in the past, to save or end a life, to start over anew, or never to exist?”

Once more a pause between its questions before it asks the last.

“And for the final one.  If I were to give you one thing, what would it be? Select one of the following options and a subcategory and if you wish to go further detailed, explain:  Power; in a sphere of politics, trade, war, magic, or love.  Riches; in a sphere of politics, trade, war, magic, or love.  Knowledge; in a sphere of politics, trade, war, magic, or love.  Or Secrets, which admittedly is akin to Knowledge, but these are of thing well removed from the mundane.”

After the final question is asked and before you can even possibly respond with a set of answers, its voice sounds once more.

“Answer these three and in addition to the offer of a boon, 'I' will let you ask of me a single question.  Think well on it before you ask.”

With this the creature, whose form is still that of a strange alien visage without defined visuals due to being a pure pitch blackness awaits a response.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LORE CHECK: DC is 28 (request to make in game if you wanna try)

For those that pass the DC 28 Lore check in game, the following is known to you:

LORE:

The creature before you seems to be an amalgamation of several familiar creatures from existence as well as fictional beasts.  It is hard to tell how much of what you are seeing is real and what is just your mind's attempt at rationalizing what matter of madness floats before you.  Despite all this, you realize given the conditions of your meeting, the nature of where you are currently at, and the size as well as presence of this beast before you what – who you are speaking to.  The what, is the simpler of the two questions and it is that this creature must be a Great Old One or a being greater than even they are, an Elder God.  As to the latter, you believe you have found yourself somehow in the void between worlds, a gap between life and death as well as the awakened world and the dreaming world and you recall in all your research only one name mentioned there, Gansisxabzu – The One Who is and Who Was, The Dweller of the Void.

Gansisxabzu, what little you have read or ever heard of it, suggests that this entity is a creature purposefully banished and sealed in this reality gap.  It is a prisoner, though it is unsure if it was its own doing or another's.  This being is said to have the power to alter any reality it deems fit to interfere with, though typically it has no interest in anything besides its own serenity.  It has no cult, no worshipers though it does not wish or need such things.  To encounter this being is not accidental or coincidental, it is said to be fated.




[Every character will have this nightmare/dream, it does not occur at the same time unless you wish it to with another character, such as a couple might have it at the same time but is optional.  Each character will be allowed to respond.  Active characters get first responses.  There is no rush to make a response either, though it does delay any potential rewards.  Think of an item you may wish for your character as after my response to your answers and question IC, I'll see about making something fitting.  Zanks.]

Varastan peers curiously over the creature to the best of his ability given its size.

He ponders its words and the questions in silence before responding.

"Failing my mission would be the most devastating outcome that you describe. But I do not fear - for I know I will not fail."

"One only changes the past or wishes to never exist at all if they lack purpose. I know my purpose. So to save or end a life is of far greater value."

"The pursuit of knowledge is what drives me. Knowledge of the great old ones - their power, their history, their plans. Perhaps that falls under magic or politics for you?"

"For my question... I devoured a being - a spawn or fragment of a great old one I have come to believe. I feel changes taking root within me as a result. I believe it was the will of my patron that I devour it. Absorb its power. And I believe meeting you now is no mere coincidence. If you have knowledge to share then tell me - how do I control the changes happening within me? How to achieve the most desirable outcome?"

Naiad takes a moment as she thinks about the creature’s questions.  

"First, I think I am more fearful of having no purpose in life."

"Second, I would and to save my grandfather’s life."

"Third, I would like knowledge to learn more about my kind and their abilities."

"As for a question, I would like to know how I can become strong in using my water abilities."

Aeryn’Drada tries to keep her composure, knowing she is powerless in this situation, she keeps her temper in check.  When it stops speaking, she takes a moment to think about the questions.

"I believe I would be more fearful of surviving and being alone, and to have nothing."

She pauses in between each answer giving it careful thought.

"I would rather start anew." She stops herself from adding more, unsure of this creature and not wanting to give them to much knowledge on who she is deep inside.
She pauses again.

"I could not pick just one, but first I would want power, and with that power I would want to make sure I have riches."

"And I would want to have the knowledge to know secrets. Secrets always lead to more power. "

Malagarr is no stranger to dream visitors, but this one truly shakes him - for all his might, he knows this being is of incomprehensible power. Yet its tone of speaking slowly disarms him.

"I did not expect a conversation when I first laid my eyes upon ... "you.""

He took a deep breath - or so he thinks he did, with his body still numb he isn't even certain he is breathing.

"Death does not frighten me. But failing my "mother" is something I cannot accept. She saved me from a life of servitude - I would give anything to see her will done before accepting failure."

He ponders the second question for a long while. "To end life. Those who stand against my "mother," my house, and myself. I would see those enemies destroyed."

"The third is easy. Power. The ability to destroy those I spoke of. Be it magic or war."

"And a question of you?" He looked at the being as best as he could. "I don't know what to ask of you. I don't imagine that we walk in similar circles. But should you know any secrets belonging to the denizens of the underdark or specifically the undervillage .... secrets are the greatest form of currency, and I will always listen."