Miskton/Logs/20260214 Visions

Event Name: Vision Meeting

Event Instance: Prime

Real Date: 2026-02-14

Game Date of Event: 455-06-21

Point of View: Miskton

You say, "Okay, I think we can probably get started! Thank you all for joining me here this evening." Ezathiel gazes at you. Ellywen snorts at Jaelia. Ellywen takes a seat near Dilemma. Kethrai takes a sip of his wine. You say, "There are several new visions to discuss this evening, some of which seem to have at least some thematic links to one another." Dilemma takes a seat near Ellywen. Zehira whispers something to Laflakapa. Valynn dusts herself off. You turn a page in your astronomer's journal. You say, "Let's see... I think perhaps we can start with the one that seems to have less of a potential link to the others." Zfora raises an eyebrow in Ellywen's direction. Dilemma leans back against Ellywen with a loving smile. You say, "An endless corridor stretched before me, interrupted by visually jarring and disorienting geometries which prevented me from deriving a sense of distance. Some patterns appeared merely ornamental, while others required me to step to one side to make room, while others still hid narrow hallways branching off to horizon points. I continued forward." Ellywen rubs Dilemma's back. You say, "The corridor ended in the visible distance, and I found myself surprised at how quickly I arrived. A ring of concentric squares marked the far wall, though the designs were themselves sequential, not set into the wall. The illusion was odd, and as I approached, I realized I could continue forward, stepping around the suspended stone rings and continuing forward." You say, "The hallway split: polygons to one side, curves and spirals to the other. I considered my options. The vision faded." Karthor scratches his head. Gwenddolyn says, "Trader stuff." Gwenddolyn chuckles. Kazhal's tail undulates lazily through the air. You say, "Definitely a strange one, there. Though I could see an argument for it representing visions themselves. Some of it is concrete, some of it is more decorative or hard to understand. Keeps going off into the distance, and tricky to figure out what's going on." You chuckle. Gwenddolyn says, "Perhaps the deal with the arbiter will change." Ezathiel mutters something into the air about why do visions always end right when it gets to the good part. Tirost grins. Valynn grins at Tirost. Tirost smiles at Valynn. You say, "But yes, polygons, curves, and spirals could certainly have something to do with conceptual creatures from the Plane of Probability." Gwenddolyn nods at you, obviously agreeing with your views. Ellywen smiles at Dilemma. Ezathiel beams at Tirost! Dilemma smiles at Ellywen. Tirost smiles at Ezathiel. Dilemma nods to Ellywen. Zfora smirks at Ellywen. Karthor says in a Haakish accent, "The dichotomy's interestin'. The polygons sound sort of crafted, artificial. While the curves an' spirals more organic? Or somethin'." Karthor strokes his beard in thoughtful contemplation. Ellywen snorts at Zfora. Ellywen chortles softly at some secret joke. Ezathiel smiles at Tirost. Zfora waves her hand distractedly. Ellywen smiles at Dilemma. Kethrai says, "We already had a fight between artificial and natural, nature lost." Dilemma smiles. You say, "Something appearing to be the end of a path, but actually just being an optical illusion might be important, though hard to say what that could specifically end up being." Gwenddolyn says, "It seemed that the path was at a crossroads." You nod to Gwenddolyn. Gwenddolyn says, "So the outcome could change." Ellywen rubs Dilemma's back. You say, "Yes, it seems like someone will have to make a choice of some sort." Zehira winks at Laflakapa. Zehira nods to Laflakapa. Zehira takes a sip of her tea. Tirost smiles at Jaelia. Ezathiel wipes his forehead. Laflakapa says, "Hopefully not speaking out of turn and I am not sure if this is more moon mage issues. Maybe the polygons, as he was saying are crafted, could be self impossed issues. While the curves and spirals are more organic/worldly issues beyond one's control." Ellywen nods to Zfora. Ezathiel ponders. You ponder. Ezathiel grins at Laflakapa. Valynn gazes thoughtfully at Laflakapa. You say, "Actually, in thinking on that, that does give a bit of a potential tie to the next vision. In the mixing of nature and math." Jaelia smiles at Laflakapa. Jaelia applauds. Ezathiel grins at Laflakapa. Dilemma leans back against Ellywen with a loving smile. Zfora nods to Ellywen. You say, "The next two visions have some interesting elements in common, though they seem to take place in different locations." You turn a page in your astronomer's journal. Ellywen gently kisses Dilemma on the cheek. You say, "In the first..." You say, "Standing atop a mountain's summit, I looked upward and tasted the radiance of the stars. They called, and I closed my eyes, feeling them burn, streaming brightly to my magical senses. They filled me, nourishing me, beckoning to me. I sat, and pressed my palms to the ground, the bare rock rough against my palms, mottled with lichen, and I sank into the cracks and grains, seeking moisture. My spine twisted, lengthened, and I arched my head back further, rolling my shoulders. My skin hardened, and the stars continued their song. I changed." You say, "I heard them, seeking a place amongst my canopy, bathing my leaves, and I cradled them close, making space. They laughed as they danced along my branches, my flock, glittering in the night sky. The vision faded." Zfora nods to Ellywen. Tirost smiles. Karthor acts puzzled. You say, "Trees and stars are not a common combination." Tirost nods to you. You say, "And then the next vision also features trees and stars..." Dilemma nods to Ellywen. You say, "I found myself standing in a bizarre forest, misshapen trees spiraled into jagged geometric forms, their branches dripping with shimmering stars. A skittering echoed behind me, and with a start, I whirled, hands raised in defense, and I saw it racing forward, an amalgamation of tendrils and claws and eyes, moving in a disorienting stuttering lope. It vanished, appearing to my left, and I dropped, barely evading its reach, and it blinked, leaping from behind a tree and already in motion." You say, "I scampered backwards, putting distance between myself and this horror, and it flickered, appearing directly in front of me, roaring, and the vision faded." Ellywen stares deeply into Dilemma's eyes. You say, "Though many trees in a forest, this time, instead of one at the top of a mountain." Dilemma gazes thoughtfully at Ellywen. Karthor says in a Haakish accent, "Sounds like that'un needs those gold-armored folks to step in, yeesh." Tirost frowns. Kethrai nods at Karthor, obviously agreeing with his views. You say to Karthor, "It did seem a bit like the kind of thing under their purview." Tirost asks you, "Were both visions recent, or was the first from some time ago?" You say, "All of these are recent." Tirost nods to you. You say, "Though, although this thing was a strange amalgamation, it didn't seem to be made of disparate elements, like many of the things the figures in golden plate battle against." Zehira leans on Laflakapa. You say, "Given the stars, and the possible teleportation in its movement, this creature could be something related to the Plane of Probability. Or otherwise capable of using Lunar magic." You say, "I couldn't say if it was made of shadow, or crystal, or some other thing that would make that more likely." Zehira grins at Laflakapa, her dimples flashing into view. Tirost asks you, "The skittering always makes me think of the Plane of Exile and the things that lurk there. You think it may be related to the Plane of Probability?" Zehira laughs at Laflakapa. Zehira nods to Laflakapa. You say to Tirost, "Primarily from the apparent teleportation, and being in a geometric forest with trees dripping with stars." Tirost gazes thoughtfully at you. Tirost asks you, "Do you know off the top of your head other visions where the skittering was heard or sensed?" Ellywen nods to Dilemma. Gwenddolyn says, "That reminds me of a spider skittering across the web of fate." You say, "More ominous than the previous vision... but they both feature trees with stars in their branches. Which seems like an interesting potential link." Kethrai says, "There are scuttlers. Skittering doesn't feel that different from scuttling." Gwenddolyn nods to Kethrai. You say to Tirost, "Not off the top of my head, but I'm fairly certain there have been various unsavory things that skitter about." Kazhal gets a red-chested songbird from inside her diplomat's backpack. Tirost grins at you. Tirost nods in agreement. Kazhal viciously tears the wings off her songbird, discards them and then slowly peels the feathers and skin away from the legs, revealing fresh meat. Kazhal sinks her fangs into the poor creature as it shrieks painfully. Ellywen glances at Kazhal. Kazhal offers Ellywen a red-chested songbird. Kazhal peers quizzically at Ellywen. Ellywen gags. Ellywen declines Kazhal's offer. Dilemma shakes her head at Ellywen. Kazhal looks at Ellywen and shrugs. Kazhal digs into the songbird's flesh, going after tender portions of meat under the feathers while avoiding its thrashing beak and feet. Valynn clears her throat. You say, "Stars causing a transformation into a tree seems pretty odd, even by the standards of visions, though. There's certainly plenty of visions of stars, and many that feature various facets of nature. But while I know there have been several places where they intersect regarding the ocean, I'm having trouble recalling many where it happens with plants." Ellywen rubs Dilemma's back. Ellywen smiles at Dilemma. Tirost says to you, "Stars have some meaning beyond my knowledge. They seem important to the Immortals in ways I don't understand..." Kethrai asks, "When we were on the Nascent Unknown, the scuttlers there seemed to have been star-burned, altered by their close exposure to stars. Or a star in particular. Something similar?" Karthor strokes his beard in thoughtful contemplation. Dilemma smiles at Ellywen. You say, "Perhaps, though this transformation felt pleasant, in the vision. Looking back at it, the process of becoming a tree feels more unsettling, though." Dilemma smiles at Ellywen. Ezathiel takes a sip of his Justice. Karthor says in a Haakish accent, "Given the stars-Immortals link Tirost mentioned, I wonder if the tree-nsformation might have somethin' to do with whatever happened to our mortality after the battle with the heralds." Karthor asks in a Haakish accent, "Is that convoluted enough to be a valid vision interpretation?" Karthor grins. Tirost laughs! You chuckle. Valynn grins at Karthor. Gwenddolyn grins, revealing her dimples. Ezathiel chuckles at Karthor. You exclaim to Karthor, "You're getting the hang of it!" You grin. Karthor grins. Jaelia grins at Karthor. Ezathiel chuckles. Anuril says, "Be careful to keep the immortals connection to constellations separate from stars in general." Karthor says in a Haakish accent, "Hm, I s'pose that's a good point." Karthor jots down some notes. Zehira rolls her eyes. You say, "But yes, a vision related to the Immortals is much more likely to feature something like their animal avatars." Tirost asks you, "Do you recall the visions with the craftsman forging stars?" You nod to Tirost. You say, "A lot of that may have been related to the Involuted Passage. Though we still don't understand a lot about its actual nature." Tirost nods to you. Kazhal whispers something to Zehira. You turn a page in your astronomer's journal. Zehira whispers something to Kazhal. Zehira hugs Kazhal, who wraps her arms around Zehira with a warm smile. Kethrai says, "Seems like we should put together a diving expedition. Or ask the Merelew to help." Kazhal waves to Ellywen. Kazhal waves to Dilemma. Ellywen stands up. Ellywen hugs Kazhal, who wraps her arms around Ellywen with a warm smile. Kazhal hugs Zehira, who wraps her arms around Kazhal with a warm smile. You say, "The next two visions also feature a bit of a thematic link, but it's much weaker than the one with trees and stars. Just... dangerous smoke." Kazhal hugs Ellywen, who wraps her arms around Kazhal with a warm smile. Ellywen takes a seat near Dilemma. Dilemma smiles at Kazhal. You say, "Surrounded by a thick, choking haze, I stumbled forward, eyes burning, coughing as fumes reeking of burnt sugar and metal greasily infiltrated my nose and throat. I could not see more than a few feet in any direction, my hand barely visible in the gloom. Sounds howled in all directions, the murk seeming to carry all noise, and I was overwhelmed with a barrage of screaming, yowling, chittering, sonorous calls and responses. Everything felt heavy, my shoes leaden, a crushing weight pressing down on my spine. I painfully fell to my knees, and found the ground carried a similar deluge of noise, shuddering and vibrating, a constant of heavy footfalls and scraping, sizzling and grinding." You say, "Everything went quiet. Nearly blind and nearly deaf, I looked back and forth, but sensed nothing. The vision faded." Karthor scratches his head. You say, "Greasy fumes that smell of burnt sugar and metal would seem to indicate some sort of elaborate engineering project... that apparently has lots of things lurking inside it." You say, "The shuddering and vibrations of the floor, as well, with the scraping, sizzling, and grinding." Tirost takes a sip of his Expanse. You say, "Though that degree of smoke filling the interior of such a mechanism would also seem to indicate something's not functioning correctly." Kethrai says, "It sounds like even gravity itself is unreliable." You nod to Kethrai. You say, "I'm fairly certain I have felt similar sensations to that in visions before, but I'd need more time to go looking through old notes." Laflakapa stands up. Gwenddolyn says, "One was related to the mechanical spider from HE imploding and burning." Zehira hugs Ellywen, who wraps her arms around Zehira with a warm smile. Zehira just hugged Dilemma. Dilemma smiles. Zehira says in a cultured accent, "See you two soonish." Laflakapa waves to Ellywen. Laflakapa waves to Ezathiel. Ezathiel waves. Ezathiel smiles. Ellywen nods to Laflakapa. Ellywen hugs Zehira, who wraps her arms around Ellywen with a warm smile. Ellywen ponders. Dilemma grins at Ellywen. You say, "The last vision also features smoke that seems to be dangerous, though it otherwise has a rather different feel to it." You say, "A figure in a billowing purple robe slowly walked towards a tall city, leaning heavily on a twisted wooden staff. The figure's robe was plain save for a single protea flower embroidered across the chest, and only the figure's gaunt hands were visible. As the figure approached the city, a warning horn trumpeted out, and a guard fired a warning arrow, which landed near the figure." You say, "Stopping, the figure spread their arms wide, and a purple mist billowed from beneath the robes, heavily spreading across the ground and snaking outward. Everything the mist touched began to corrode and rot, and crackles of electricity and pale fire seethed outward from the figure, carried by the strange choking gas. The figure began to chant. The vision faded." Ellywen giggles at Dilemma. Dilemma blushes, the tips of her ears turning a delicate scarlet hue. Ellywen rubs Dilemma's back. You say, "Aside from the protea flower symbol, the figure would not be a bad match in appearance for a Dragon Priest crone." Tirost ponders. You say, "Their robes carrying a dragon symbol, rather than a flower." Gwenddolyn says, "Well that flower is only found on Tasaidon." You say, "Purple in visions is often linked to sorcery, of course. Corrosion, rot, electricity, and fire could indicate a mix of Life and Elemental mana." Tirost nods at you, obviously agreeing with your views. Tirost says, "It is odd that a mist or gas that brings rot and corrosion would also carry electricty and fire." You say, "I could see it being flammable, though also being conductive seems a bit odd." Casari asks, "Think Suulnir's rebranding?" Gwenddolyn says, "Purples robes could also be G'nar Peths." You say, "And probably worth noting, all of that happened before the figure even began to chant." Karthor says in a Haakish accent, "Oy, if it's indeed sorcerous in nature then "odd" is in the job description." Kethrai says, "Protea blossoms, though." Kethrai frowns. Ellywen nods to Dilemma. Gwenddolyn says, "Protea is only found on Tasaidon." Kethrai asks, "Most recently in visions it was associated with the Heralds, no?" You say, "They've been seen in a number of visions, though I think this may be the first time I've seen a person wearing one as a symbol in one." Tirost gazes thoughtfully at Casari. Gwenddolyn says, "And also the vision about the path that changed, could signify Fortune's Path." You turn a page in your astronomer's journal. Kethrai says, "An image of a straight path diverging into two seems... too universal to pick a single thing it could mean without a lot more context." You say, "I think the most recent prior vision with a protea blossom was the one with a boat which had a garden on it, and touching the blossom burned my fingers." Dilemma shivers suddenly, seeming less secure. Dilemma ponders. Tirost scratches his storm-grey cat. Karthor says in a Haakish accent, "Sounds like they've been studyin' up since then. Now it's burnin' corrosive zap-rot." You say, "And that covers the visions I had to discuss for this meeting. A bit more on the obscure side, this time around. Not that that's unusual." You grin wryly. Karthor chuckles. Tirost chuckles. Ezathiel chuckles. You ask, "Does anybody have any questions, or other things to bring up?" Ezathiel raises his hand. You nod to Ezathiel. Gwenddolyn grins at you, her dimples flashing into view. Ellywen nods to Zfora. Kethrai takes a sip of his wine. Ezathiel pleasantly asks in an Ilithian accent, "Could someone tell me who the golden armored peolple are?" Kethrai snorts, loudly. Tirost smiles at Ezathiel. Ezathiel glances at Kethrai. Kethrai quietly says, "If only." Ezathiel pleasantly says in an Ilithian accent, "Well in general then." You say to Ezathiel, "Not for certain. But a popular theory is that the represent the phenomenon known as The Bulwark. Which we also don't know much about." You chuckle. Tirost asks Kethrai, "Do you have an interpretation?" Ezathiel nods. You say, "It is related to paladins in some way, and helps to protect our plane from incursions from... strange places." Jaelia says, "The basics is that it likely involves the Paladins or Paladin guild." Jaelia nods. Ezathiel pleasantly says in an Ilithian accent, "Well at least now I have a word to look up in the library...the bulwark." Kethrai says to Tirost, "'Something to do with the Bulwark' yeah." Gwenddolyn nods to you. Tirost nods to Kethrai. Zfora mildly says, "Speaking of Bulwarks, I hear that Paladins have a... darkness... within them." Ezathiel nods to Jaelia. Gwenddolyn says, "Well thanks for hosting these Miskton." Gwenddolyn waves. Ellywen taps her head. Gwenddolyn says, "Night all." Ellywen nods to Zfora. Zfora nods to Ellywen. Ezathiel stands up. Ezathiel stretches his arms. Valynn asks, "Don't we all?" Zfora smoothly says, "I certainly hope so." Jaelia says, "Thank you, Miskton." Ellywen says to Valynn in a lilting accent, "You wish." Ellywen stands up. Ellywen stretches out a hand imploringly to Dilemma. Valynn smirks. Dilemma stands up. Ellywen kisses Dilemma. And she doesn't seem to want to stop. Kethrai says, "Some darker than others." Ellywen winks at Kethrai. Kethrai takes a sip of his wine. You exclaim, "Well, then, thank you all for coming!" Dilemma smiles. Tirost says to you, "Thank you for sharing your visions, Miskton." Ellywen just hugged Zfora. Elizzibiana says to you in an archaic accent, "Thank you for holding these." Karthor stretches his arms. Tirost bows to you. You carefully mark your place and close your astronomer's journal, securing the clasp.