*This thread is being written in the open for everyone to see but is intedned to be between Goose, Weylin, Poppy, and Ayrin. Also, I am posting this in the Mountains as that is the place I intend this thread to head toward*
Goose walked slowly through the front of the Mage Tower and made his way to the Library. His shoulders were droopy and his ears seemed to lack a certain perk. He worked his way along the shelves, squinting to read book covers, until he pulled a book regarding meditation and peace of mind from the shelf. He took the book to a nearby table, sat down, and opened it. He rubbed periodically at his bloodshot eyes and the darkness below them as he tried to focus on the words written within.
Weylyn turned the corner and put a book back on the sheif. He picked up another one before seeing the blood bear. "Welcome Goose-san, have you found ever-." He cut off as he saw the dryad's face "My word... you look terrible." he said his ears laying back in shock. "Are you alright?"
"I see." Weylyn says pausing for a moment as his ears swivel a bit hearing something. He takes a couple steps backwards to look around one of the bookshelves and noticed the Urdeq. "Greetings Aryin-san. It's just myself and Goose-san. If you need anything don't hesitate to ask." he tells the former Grarl before turning his attention back to the druid. "Yes, bad business that. Just the fragments I can remember are bad enough..." he admits before looking at the book the Blood Bear is reading "Meditation might help." I admit before continuing "And if that doesn't work I suppose you could always find some Dryft. It might help you go into a deeper sleep."
"I have spent much time meditating in the past weeks; I have a serene place I visit when I need to think. Unfortunately it has done little for me this time. And Dryft has made the nightmares even more vivid." He turned toward the entrance. "Hello, Poppy. Ayrin, I did not expect to see you here."
Ayrin smiles and raises his hand to greet Poppy as she flitted around the shelves. He heard the voices of both Goose and Weylyn and made his way back to the source. A look of concern grew on the duskling's face when he saw his fellow Bear.
"Damn Goose, what happened to you?" Ayrin asked, taking a seat at the table the pair occupied. "You doin' alright?"
He listens to their conversation, curiosity and suspicions growing. Ayrin's brow furrowed, one eyebrow raised slightly.
"Talaud? Nightmares? This..." The uordeq threw out more questions. "This wouldn't happen to involve those exile creatures or the Beyond you and Rune told me about, would it?" He turned to the fox ulf, leaning forward over the table, both eyebrows raised and eyes wide with intrigue.
"Greetings Poppy-san." Weylyn says with a nod of his head when the vampire joined the small group. Then he turned his attention to Ayrin "Most likely, now you know why we said it was best off not knowing." the ulf said nodding at Goose for emphisis.
"So if all those things have not helped Goose-san, what are you looking for? I doubt a book on meditation will help if you've already tried that." he asks returning his attention to the dryad
He breathed heavily as he pushed himself up from the table and carried the book back it the shelf. "To be honest, I do not know. I was hoping I might find something in these books to help." He moved to another set of shelves and continued looking. "At first I thought I was just experiencing bad dreams and panic attacks from our time there. However, certain...events have made me wonder if it is not something more."
Poppy listen carefully as the three took rounds speaking." Well how did you exactly get to this place in Taluad? And what makes you think they are not simple night terrors? " she inquired curious about the dryads condition. "Is it possible maybe you left some of yourself there? Or maybe some of it came with you?" She asked before taking a seat at the table with the others. "From what I have heard of talks of this place it is nothing of any of the other relams and reeeeeally horrifying, so I am not sure what to really tell you, Goose". "I am not even where to direct as far as help goes either..or literature that mighhht be helpful with in the library "
Ayrin's expression turned from curious to puzzled.
"Yeah I see that now, though I still can't help but wonder.. This is all so strange and despite the sheer creepiness of it all I continue wanting to know more. Though, I think Poppy covered any other questions I might've asked for now." He pondered on that thought, doublechecking himself. The duskling sat back in his chair and leaned his head against his hand, recalling the various creatures he and others fought back in Jastrey; the exiles were definitely nightmare fuel, unlike anything else he'd encountered before.
Weylyn shook his head at poppy "No... well... Rune-san and I did find one book on the beyond... looked like a research journal but most of the information in it was missing... besides that all we had was the books and the journal we brought back from Talaud." he admitted before turning to Goose. "So what where these events you're speaking of? You sound like something's happened since our return."
Rune's monotone voice emits from behind the shelves. "Knowledge of the beyond is very, very rare. The only Ornians who have gone and returned are the beings known as the Watchers." The golem rounds the corner at the end of the row, and sets afew books down on the table. "Town met and witnessed the death of one afew years ago. Freewater, or so he was called, had gone mad and was taken down by his peers. If we seek to cure Goose, we should seek the Watchers out."
"Those books, unfortunately, were nearly useless. Because we pulled them from the Beyond, and much like the creatures of the beyond, the information did not persist in our world. The only way to fully read them would be to take them back, which this one isnt ready to do." emits from the construct.
"Aside from seeing what should not have been seen?" he asked as he turned from the shelves. "I have seen the buildings in Jastrey burst forth tentacles that reached out at me and the Mage Tower turn into a giant hand with a face whose eyes were mouths full of fangs. I have seen the same face appear on my hand while my other arm broke every bone turning into a tentacle that nearly choked me to death." He shivered at the memory. "They seemed so real at the time, but there has been no permanent harm. Rune was present for one of them but he did not see anything unusual."
He turned at Rune's approach. "The Watchers? I have not heard of them."
"The watchers are uhh people wizards? I guess you could calm them. They exist within the beyond I think, but I have never heard of them dealing with mortal affair. Espically when it only the concerns of one, No offense Goose. But it worth a shot I suppose if they truly exist " she stated.
"Mhmmmm." The fae mumbled to herself when suddenly her eyes light up as sge smacks her hand upon the table. "That it I got!This may sound outlandish but I have an idea But to do it I need your help." She said pointing at Weylyn.
Ayrin snapped out of the daze of thought at the sudden noise as Poppy hit the table. He looks over at Poppy as she announces that she has an idea. Ayrin sat up in his chair and scooted it forward.
"Do tell Poppy, what do you have in mind? Could I be of any assistance?" He leaned back over the table, resting his chin in his hands as he listened.
"Of course Ayrin I am sure Goose would feel more comfortable with one of his fellow bears tagging along as well." She said a with a light nod to him. "Welll I figure that the beyond has done something to your state of mind. See hows you are having these visions and dreams and such of the creatures and things you guys encountered. Meaning they are fucking with your head from the inside." She said taking a deep breath before continuing. " SO I figure that with Weylyn being a seer and having a strong connevtion with the astral. We may be able to enter your dreams while you are having one of these visions and perhaps sever whatever seem to still being holding on to you from the Beyond." Poppy said nodding proud of her plan
Weylyn just looked at the fae like she was crazy... well... crazier "Poppy-san. .. you want to go... inside the mind of a madman... while he's in the middle of a psychotic episode? That's a terrible idea." He cautioned "besides when have no idea when and how these episodes are triggered." He said falling back on the logical response."
"Oh," Goose said as he thought, "I know how to trigger them while I am awake. And based on my quality of sleep, I daresay you will not have to wait long after I fall asleep. However," he turned to Poppy, "I am hesitant to have you messing in my mind. There could be even more negative effects if you are not careful, and I am not entirely sure I want you to see what I have seen. You are certainly better off without those images."
"That.... honestly sounds like a pretty solid plan. It makes sense to me anyway." Ayrin countered. "And while yes, we would be better off not seeing such things, but I don't feel like it'll have the same effect on us since we'll still be -here- and not... elsewhere." He explained, standing up from his seat, and leaning on the table, palms flat against the wood. "I think we should consider giving it a try."
"Ooof Weylyn that is a rough sentence I would not say he is a madman yet, on the way there yes. And probably will be in less then a month if left unattended to, yes." She said nodding. "And it would not be at the peak of one of his visions just at the start of sleep, at very least we may get a glimpse into what is going on. I wouldnt offer such a hands on approach if I knew if there were info about his condition in the library, but we however are not that fortunate. And since he knows of his triggers he can inform us of them so they can be avoided of course." She said finishing before turning to Goose to address his concerns.
"Of course I understand how you would not want someone like me stomping around in your head, that is why I am glad Ayrin volunteered to help. Surely someone you consider family would not let us do any harm to your mental state. And I know more regression isnt ideal but at the rate you sound like you are going sometimes gambles have to be made" She said confidentiality while motioning to the former gaarl
"Ayrin also makes a good point we did not experience the beyond like you did, so while terrifying they will probably not look like much more then bad dreams to us. And what if these visions of yours hold truth then they may be coming to town regardless." She said flatly
Weylyn paused and nodded "You're right, that was inconsiderate of me. My apologies Goose-san." he told the dryad with a bow of his head. "That said he himself said he was having these visions and how vivid they are. The problem with the Astral is that is is the exact opposite of that Poppy. They would be more real, and more terrifying. Think bout the last time you had a dream that felt so real that you had trouble telling dream from reality when you awoke. Going into the astral makes them real for the person there, dream or no." He paused to let them consider before continuing "Dreams are sweeter and nightmares more terrifying because our minds come up with things much more wonderful or much worse than reality. From what I remember these things go beyond even that."
"Ahh, see, I don't know much about the Astral realm, hence my assumption." Ayrin nodded. "But.. don't you think it's still worth trying, to help Goose? Whether we poke about in his head ourselves, or bring him to someone who can help, I feel that it's the right thing to do. As Poppy said, he's not a madman- yet. But in time that can and will change." He continued, taking a single step back from the table, straightening his stance and crossing his arms.
"This one would say you are all entirely to eager to go jumping to places without knowing the bottom. What we have here in the Library is by no means all the knowledge in Orn. We need more information." emits from the construct in a less monotone voice. "Somewhere in this world there has to be a recording of how the Watchers became who they are. A shipping minifest of the the components, a lease on a space, something, somewhere, can lead us to some more concrete than we have now." The golem's rant ends sharpely, as if it cut something more off.
"Well in my experience with the Astral the beings usually manifest themselves in solid forms. Ei fears, dreams, drives, ect. " she said clearing her throat before continuing. "All we are looking for is his fears, and shouldnt be hard to find since according to him the occur pretttty quickly after he goes to sleep. If we can possibly vanquish the manifestation of the beyond in his psyche then it may put his mind to easy out of the astral. I am hoping that when he goes under, if we go through with this, a version of goose will manifest with us in the astral, so then maybe after weaking the beyond concentrations he can vanquish them himself, for boost of ego and some solace if you will" the fae said nodding to the ulf content with her explanation.
Having assumed Rune cleared any potentially dangerous plants from the greenhouse atop the tower by now, Ayrin trotted through the woods to his destination with his deer friends by his side and borrowed books in arm. He poked his head through the doorway before walking in, deer trailing shortly after.
"Hello? Anyone in here?" He called out before placing his satchel over Niabi, and the books inside of it. He patted her on the flank and ushered her and her fawn up the stairs to the greenhouse to wait for him.