[AP Peer Moderator Adventure 1] The Garden of Aelyria & It's Tower Of Souls

[Gossamer]

ooc: Anyone on the peer moderator team in AP, meaning if you've peer moderated any threads to completion in AP/Primus Countryside, is eligible to join. PM me a link if you aren't listed in Moderation Central as having a Point. This adventure costs 1 point. :P Future adventures might cost multiple points, as they get more complex. If you agree to join this thread, you must post once per week, and this thread in turn will be posted too once per week if not sooner by me. Anyone failing to post without excused absences will not be carried along with the party, but written out of the script. This thread will be open for one week. If there is little response, I will consider throwing this open to peer moderators Aelyria wide.

TS: Sometime outside of time.

The scarred old man dipped his quill into a pot of ink, ran the end over the edge of the jar, and began to write. Lips curled up into a smile, his thick silvery hair slipped out of its leather thong and briefly concealed one glittering green eye. He smiled to himself as he scribed onto the parchment, adding a new entry into his journal.

"They call me a collector. Funny huh? People all over Aelyria collect things. Some collect swords, some women, some even more mundane things like umbrellas. Not me. I go to the heart of it. I love the colorful variety of life on Aelyria... all of it, the plants, the animals, and most importantly the people. People remind me of gems. And I love holding their essences in my very hands, storing them, and putting them on display. I even love throwing them into life and death situations, watching how they react, what they will do... I especially love watching them pick one another off one by one, determining who's strongest, who's most clever, who gets to eat at the end of the day. It's all good fun. I mean, what else do I have to do to fill my days? When one anticipates living forever, one has to find the time to fill up the space."

He smiled and laughed.... turning to look up at his expansive new addition to his home. He'd carefully constructed it. A compound. To initial appearances, it looked endless, boundless. But that was the nature of his power. He was a Master of Illusion, and this garden, he called it his Garden of Aelyria, was one of his finest. It even had a centerpiece. A tower, rising high and magestic in its very center. It was a variable fun house, cleverly designed to trap the wise, and lure the ignorant. The Tower of Souls was a proving ground, and to him and his kind, a crowning jewel centerpiece for watching the games that were about to begin.

All he had left to do was cast the net, and set free his messengers, the ones that had been a direct gift from his Lady. They would pick randomly, assembling souls to populate his garden and begin his newest entertainment. He smiled, eager, unwilling to wait any longer. So he rose, and walked to the giant aviary that flanked one side of his office, where it overlooked The Garden, and unlocked its door. He opened it slowly, and the dozen or so white ravens within it cawed with excitement.

"Yes, my lovelies... its time. Go gather me some toys. Gather well and randomly. Select from here and there. I want male and female, young and old. Race is of no consequence. And bring them back... leaving them in the garden to sleep until the false sunrise awakens them."

He said, stepping back and letting the flock of snowy white birds free upon the land. They backwinged out of his office, through the window and into the starry expanse of the night sky. Tonight, they would hunt, gather, and please their Master, who treated them so very well.

They would visit the unaware, those sleeping, and to an onlooker, they'd see only that a giant white raven with gossamer wings swooped down defying walls, ceilings, and boundaries otherwise hindering the mundane, to reach out with their claws and pluck a glittering ghostly image from the sleeping forms below. They would resemble giant eagles, lake fishing, plucking fat unaware trout from where they lounged waiting for insects just below the surface.

And then they'd return to the Master's dwelling, and leave the souls in the garden, some in groups, some alone... to awake with no knowledge of how they got there or what their purpose was. The victims would feel hunger, thirst, exhaustion. They would feel very much alive, never once realizing, that somewhere beyond, in the real world, their bodies slept on, soulless, while they played the role of toy for something that wasn't quite mortal anymore.

[Eyvind Redbeard]

Eyvind was on watch of the city's gate. It had been a hard day with many merchants trying to enter the city without showing visas. And that wasn't all, the heat had almost boiled him inside his armor. Not to say a group of kids had tried to steal some apples from a wagon and ended up in a brawl with the owner and one another. "Damn sewer rats." the Vagaran thought. The man despise his physical capabilities was indeed tired and looking down at the gates verified their were closed except for a little door that was being guarded by two militia men. With a smile Eyvind nodded to them and then leaned against the wall, he would take a nap and wake up before the next shift show up.

His head was getting heavier and heavier and his eyes wanted to shut. He allowed them to shut and had the strange sense of seeing a huge white creature flying in his direction. But he was already asleep.

Eyvind opened his eyes a bit as he felt a cold breeze on his face. He was still sleepy and his moves were slow. Glancing up he saw the same giant white bird, below him he saw the plains outside Aelyria Prime and at distance, Southwest of the city, he saw the Pegasi Woods. He even thought he saw a Prime Lion flying beside him before falling asleep once more.

Soft grass. The smell of flowers. The sound of running water. Eyvind smiled. A warm breeze. A sense of well being. Eyvind slowly crawled into conscience. He felt terribly tired as if he had marched for dozens of miles with complete gear on. The sound of water nearby was making fun of him, he was thristy for Aslan's sake! And the smell of flowers indicated there should be something to eat nearby. Slowly the red haired Vagaran rolled over facing the sky, his eyes still closed. Sitting and scratching his head he tried to feel his whole body. Everything was there. Then, he opened his eyes.

[Alphonsus]

ooc: Alright, entered 1 point into the slot machine.

Another darkening had gone within the sweet, protected forest of Natura. A land not protected by thick stone walls, locked doors and heavily grilled windows; instead, it was a land that was protected by an enchanted spring where evil could not penetrate. Sweet dreams and pleasant sleep would always, as if it was a blessing, follow through the sleeper’s sleep.

This darkening, was not one that many could call as the usual always as a white raven flew through the land, searching for a random target for the beyond, and one such raven found a sleeping elf on a nice pile of green grass bed, dreaming of owning a golden harp which produced the best music that one could ever dared imagined. This elf rolled over to one side as he dreamt he was a teacher to many aspiring bards, and the dream went blank.

Alphonsus was an early riser, and it seemed to have become his practice that he would wake at the moment the sun touched the lowest bush within Natura. The sun rose as usual, and Alphonsus opened his eyes slightly and prepared to step out of his bed when he found that he was on no bed. It seemed that someone had carried him through the dark and left him somewhere within the forest. Though deeds of evil were not allowed, pranks of fun were often made, and these pranks had no danger in them, only a good laugh, and that was what Alphonsus did. Laugh, and was sure that within minutes, several elves, faes and maybe humans would appear and laugh with him. Minutes passed, nothing came, and that worried Alphonsus a little for it seemed weird. In fact, the surrounding seemed strange.

The sun rinsed a little higher for Alphonsus to look a little further into the gloom and the sight he saw was quite shocking. Everywhere looked strange and weird, a tower could be seen nearby, and no smells of Natura could be smelled. His heart pounded faster, his sweat glands went onto its next gear, then the logic came that calmed Alphonsus down. He must be still dreaming, and this was not the first time he was in a dream and knew he was in one. The elf sighed at his own stupidness and looked around for a golden harp that he was sure would appear from thin air…

[Odyleon]

Sadly, this was not the first time that our Mystic went to sleep in one place and woke up in a totally different place. It had happened not too long before, with Robyn - they had traveled to another continent in their sleep, no less. From Taralon to Trelore and then back again, with a stop by the Gnomish homeland, a small nation called Selin. Ody had made his way throughout the whole ordeal in his pajamas and slippers, and Robyn in even skimpier clothing, but that was beside the point. At least he seemed to have retained the dignity of his full clothes this time.

Still, his reaction was easily predictable. He shook his head and muttered something along the lines of "Noo... not again" as soon as his attempts at pinching himself did not make the current reality any less real. And Robyn was not there, which comforted him a little as this situation reeked of danger, but also weighed down on his heart. What was going on? Why was he feeling so tired and what had happened to his love?

He rose up and took a few random steps around. He remembered little of what had happened. He could vaguely recall the image of a white bird, but nothing more - he had never liked birds, anyway, and while he could tell that something was a bird, his knowledge of the subject was pretty much exhausted after that. He tucked his hands in the pockets of his trousers and pondered.

Aeternia, why a garden? He was not dead, was he? The thought crossed him but he repelled it fiercely. No, it could not be, but he had to find out somehow, even if it meant a nasty discovery on his part. As usual, he hated not knowing, and the idyllic environment around him did nothing but reinforce the feeling of impending danger. Was he able to reach Clara? Was he able to cast spells? He tried to, a minimal Psionic Orb to be thrown at a random flower bed. Property damage did not really enter his mind. It never did.

OOC: Link sent, permission granted.

[Tarfuss]

Tarfuss sat on his bunk smoking the last of his pipe. Finishing it he disposed of the ashes and came back to the bunk. He took the pipe apart and thought while he cleaned the stem and the bowl. It had been a typical day. Mostly he was enjoying his recruit training, but it did become tedious at times. He would be glad when the day came and he'd be done with the arbitrary wrath of instructors, whose singular goal seemed to be to attempt to anger him beyond the point of thought. Indeed, they put heroic effort in to their attempts. They were good at their jobs. He'd be done with it soon, he hopped, and then he'd be able to begin soldiering, not simply being a punching bag for the instructors. Who knows? He might be able to travel, and that would be a fine thing. Anything might happen.

He put the pipe away in the leather roll where it was kept and in turn put it away. Laying down he continued to think of what life might hold for him in the future, adventures and grand sights. He drifted off to sleep and began to dream of a white ship which turned into a cloud and then he smelled moist earth and flowers, but couldn't place them in the cloud, as was often the case in dreams.

[Aegis Labyrinthine]

*~TimeStamp: Sometime outside of time~*

Mug after mug, the large minotaur pounded back frosty servings of his favorite beverage. He was feeling tipsy, but nothing he couldn't shake off or drown away with another ale. It was a good darkening, the kind that deserved the reward of tipping back the mug and snorting the foam from his nostrils. Aegis was yammering back and forth to various patrons of the tavern, half of which he could not remember. Their faces all blurred together to form some kind of... super race, or so the inebriated mind of our beloved bull-like beast thought. All the traffic of people and the constant chitter chatter tossed around the tavern was enough to tire a person out though, so Aegis found himself a table by himself and rested his horned head down. The floor always looked like it was rising then dropping when he opened his pale eyes, which made his stomach churn, so he closed his eyes and took in deep breaths... deeeeeep breaathhhsss...

Caw caw! Aegis' eyes shot open as that sound pierced his ears. He raised his head only to find himself not at a table... not even in the tavern for that matter! His eyebrows lowered in confusion and he got up from the ground and looked around. A white bird of some kind was flying towards a tower that was in the middle of this... garedn!? What in the name of the gods was Aegis doing in a garden! Trying hard to keep his balance, the beast wobbled back and forth, gripping his head with his steel guantlets trying to keep the ground still. He felt so drained and his mouth felt like a desert sand dune cracking in the heat and his stomach felt about as empty.

Once Aegis caught his balance, he pried his pale eyes open more fully and took in the scene. This was too wierd, nothing he had seen in Prime. Someone must have hauled his drunken body here... but why? Why not just toss him in the alley to sleep it off?

"Is anyone here!" He boomed through his cupped gauntlets. There didn't appear to be any life besides that damned bird that scared the cowpies outta him! The bird went to the tower, which seemed to be his best shot at finding his way home... or someone who could point him in the right direction.

"Next time, I not drink so much..." He said to himself as he began his hike through the garden to the tower.

[Roland Moonstar]

Roland strolled through the garden. He had no idea what was going on, but truthfully, he very rarely did. He remembered at some point sitting in his Houseboat and being convinced something that was called "Sardines al bolognese," and a few hours running to the head later, he know found himself here, wherever it was.

It was scary not knowing what was going on, and it was odd to feel hunger, thirst and exhaustion as he now felt them. He had never quite felt this way, not even after all the hours he had put into rebuilding Paxia.

And yet, it was also a rather nice feeling, just ambling around like this without having to worry about Milo and Jenius and everyone else.

He decided, after a few minutes of contemplation, that he liked this place. Like Odyleon, he was no stranger to suddenly finding himself on a Pirate's cove, or in a Lamia Cave, or anywhere in between, so to find himself in a rather nice garden... Roland had no problem with this at all.

* * *

He heard a familiar voice off in the distance. Odyleon? Odd.

And then another famiiliar voice, much closer. Aegis! "Aegis, is that you?! It is I, Roland Moonstar." He went dashing to meet up with the towering minotaur. "By Labyrinth City, it is good to see you again! It seems like too long away we were drinking away in Alleria Prime! How are you?"

He pointed all around. "Welcome...welcome to what Viskyia would call... my vacation!"

[Aegis Labyrinthine]

The jet black beast's ears perked up when he heard his name in such a seemingly desolate place. Thank the brew masters, I am not alone! He thought to himself in his minotaurian language. Aegis turned around to see his drinking buddy Roland Moonstar galloping towards him.

"Serale, Roland!" He shouted enthusiastically. "I thought I alone in here. I feel tired and thirsty..." He added, finding it funny that he should feel thirsty when he had just downed enough ale to turn a master scholar retarded. Then again, ale did seem to dehydrate the body. Tossing aside his pointless inner rambling, the minotaur raised a steel guantlet and gave a friendly slap on Rolands back as he asked. "How you get here, Roland? Where we vacation?" He was pretty confused as to what the human meant, but he was glad to have a friend with him in such a... strange time and place.

[Roland Moonstar]

Roland looked at Aegis. "Fret not, my good minotaur. No one is alone who is friends with Roland Moonstar. If you woke up and found yourself on the Plane of Fire, even so would I swim through lava to bring you back. That's the kind of man I am."

He paused for a moment, ready for a certain otter to make a sarcastic quip, and then he gave a puzzled look. Where was the furry Toe of Meephos? He scratched his head. "That's odd. Hmm." He looked up at Aegis. "You say you're tired and thirsty? I feel the same way. I haven't felt so... depleted in .. a few patterns." Well, of course he felt tired-- he had just remarked to Viskyia how tired he was-- but that was emotional weariness. This was new, though, this lack of vitality, lack of being indefatigable. He was not sure how to process it.

Perhaps he was... free? A glimmer of hope came to him, and he decided to examine this place carefully.

He pivoted on one leg, turning in a slow circle. "This is odd. I don't remember how I came here, or what I was doing last. I don't know what's going on here. " He shrugged, raising his palms in the air. "But that's okay. This is actually the fourth time something like this has happened to me." He burst into a smile as he began to walk and talk, recounting some of his other adventures to the minotaur...

[Gossamer]

ooc: Okay here we go. Once a week posting or quicker if you all respond. Sorry it took so long, I had to free up some threads.

The garden spread out around the souls, though in truth they did not know they were only present in their most purest form. To them, their hands had flesh, their lungs had air... there was no sign they were anything other than what they were; alive and well. Back in their realities, their bodies slept on, unaffected by time, by the passing of their souls journey.

The giant ravens, snowy white and proud, soured overhead, calling softly as they observed their catches and relayed what they saw to their masters. All men, all different, all representing aspects that were truly unusual. And all of them.... bare as the day they were born. Without gear, without clothing, without even jewelery or markings. Their bodies bore no scarring, no tattoos if they even had them to begin with. They were as if born anew. And they were together.

The first thing they'd see was each other... scattered about in various positions, as they slowly woke and the birds above sored away. The sun was rising, fading the stars to nothing, and causing the wild garden around them to grow alive with sounds... creatures greeting the world, insects buzzing, bird calling, strange rustlings in the underground. There was no horizon, no clue where they were. Nothing. Odyleon's spell went off without a hitch, blasting a nearby flower to non-existence. The others would notice a shower of petals and the ugly abrupt demise of a wild rhododendron.

The Master watched on, unseen, willing to give them their first test. It was a tree strewn with clothing, robes of all colors, shapes and sizes fluttering in the wind. There was no armor, no pants, no shoes.. only robes, draped from the branches of the tree like great heavy fruit. Some where ornate, hung with gems and metal bits. Others were simple, homespun... with tattered frayed edges. Pretty much anyone in the party could pick whatever style they wanted, as fancy or as plain as they desired, in whatever color they preferred. All was there, hanging... available.

[Alphonsus]

As the sun rose high, Aphonsus first noticed several others were with him, and several, he found familiar. He rubbed his eyes as he wondered he had seen wrongly. A talking standing bull, making a civil conversation to the governor he knew. Alphonsus wondered if he had promoted since.

The next thing he saw, was a tree filled with cloths. He looked down on his own, and found that he was dressed in Nature's Gift. He scratched his head a little, wondering what sort of odd dream this was, but whether it was a dream or not, it would be best if he could dress up a little... It still felt cold somehow.

He made his way to the tree and picked a plain emerald robe that he had seen worn by several great sorcerers in several paintings he had encountered, though he believed that these sorcerers robes would not be as plain as his, as his had no designed, and that those robes looked more for decorative purposes. The robe Alphonsus was wearing was slightly shorter, only reaching his knee, and it's thick enough to block out the cold air of early Spring

[Roland Moonstar]

Roland waved to Alphonsus. He turned to the minotaur. "That's a bard I knew back in Centripax. Primus Gaudeo or Natura or some such place. If we find a nice Inn to drink in, he could sing a merry tune."

He noticed at that point that Alphonsus was naked. He hadn't paid much attention to how Aegis was dressed or undressed as he was rather used to 'furries' and their clothing-optional policies.

This made him aware of his own state, and he glanced down at himself and frowned. "My clothing is gone. And after all the effort Toruko-chan went into in fitting me while Looie was knocking over yarns and spindles and distaff statues left and right."

He shrugged when he noticed the tree. He was far more interested in putting on a pair of pants or some boots than a shirt. Still, he didn't want to get arrested for indecent exposure. He walked up to the tree. I guess I will borrow something for the time being, thank you."

Roland picked the most ostentatious black-and-purple robe he could find. If it had epaulets, he would take one with epaulets. Gilt trime. Silver chaising. Chevrons. Medals, pins, ribbons and bows. Whatever he could find. Gems and metal bits: all to the good.

There was no point in playing games or pretending to false humility. Roland was a parvenu farmboy. He could never pretend to the refined taste of a De Lylles with 200 years of experience.

He put on the robe, laughing at himself slightly. "I probably look ridiculous, especially with my knobby knees and ugly feet sticking out." He didn't care. He just felt anyone who owned something like this must have 30 more of them and wouldn't miss it as much as someone with a single tattered gown.

Roland paused then, waiting for Aegis and the rest to adorn themselves.

[Tarfuss]

Opening his eyes Tarfuss found himself in the company of naked strangers, all men. And the talking bull. He remembered the Bull and a man near him from the Crown. He saw Eyvind. He appeared to be asleep. He then realized that not only were the others naked, he was as well. He didn't recall undressing, but then he didn't recall going to sleep in this garden with these others either. Sorcery. It couldn't be a dream, if felt too real.

Tarfuss got up tentatively and saw the tree with the robes. Several of the others were picking robes off of the tree to clad themselves. That seemed like a reasonable approach. He went up to the tree, looking at all the robes. They were in all manner of styles and types, plain to the point of being a rag and gaudy enough to suit the most greedy and self important merchant. He chose a modest robe of dark gray, unadorned but well made. It came to just above his knees. He nodded to the man he recognized from the Crown and the Bullman.