NightStalkers
These dreamers call themselves NightStalkers.
Their mission is to rid the dream of the lesser mares.
They eat them.
Nocven Oneirsom, Ravyn Morpheus, and Nadia Ivanov are the ones to appear so far.
Wishbringer and the Nighstalkers
by Sadara Sat Sep 12, 2020
This past week it has been very... very much active. One of the most interesting and troubling of these events is the Nightstalkers.
The NightStalkers This was announced by Eldryck Venym via Citywide intercom from The Center. Several Dreamers, Zahra, Restel, Koriania, Severion, and Sadara were around in the Dream at this time and heard Eldryck's announcment. They decided to move to the Breach to gain more answers. Within the Temple of Elements, Eldryck appeared and announced to the Dreamers that Nighstalkers were arriving within the City Saturday. All the while congratulating Sadara for helping in bringing the Nighstalker into the City, through Wishbringer's Darkmare phase.
After some discussion soon after Eldryck left, there was a Datoken attack, as well as an interesting ordeal. WishBringer was sensed in the Dark Awakening fighting the mares.
After a brief battle with Magdish, WishBringer and many other Dreamers decided to head to his Sanctuary on the Basin. After a small discussion and some observation, Sadara gave Wishbringer a vial of Dreamsoul. WishBringer instantly collapsed.
On 9/12 two NightStalkers that came out of WishBringer through his mouth in the Lower Umbric Sewer, Rayvn Morpheus, and Nocven Oneirsom. They are immortal, they cannot be hurt, and they eat mares. All of them Lesser, Dark, Datoken. Their immortality is seen to be from what Eldryck has said, from their not attacking Dreamers. Only eating Mares. He stated, "Let them feast, they will do you no harm. If they lift a finger to harm you, they sacrifice their own immortality. A risk they will not take." They seem to not really pose a threat to Dreamers, however if they keep consuming at this rate us as a City will fall. All Mares will be gone and we wont have any energy for our primes, the Dream itsself will collapse as the overwhelming Chaos will be quenched. That is just a theory, however we dont know what could happen if the Mares all go extinct.
WishBringer also is still seemingly missing. However During the feast of the two NightStalkers, Koriania and Sadara heard from Rayvn's mouth the cries of WishBringer: >WishBringer's voice pours out of Ravyn's lips, "HELP!" >Ravyn Morpheus punches himself in the side of the cheek, closing his jaws -{S}
UPDATE: WishBringer has been found safe in his Sanctuary on the Basin. He appears to be feeling better and acting himself. With a loss of memory. -{S} The Matronette Protector of the Conclave The Restorator -{S}
The NightStalkers
The news came to us in pieces - something was coming to the city. On Wednesday 9 September, Eldryck Venym gave them a name. He stood in the Center of the city, near the Heart, and warned us to be ready. He told use that The Nightstalkers would arrive. He even provided the date. He promised that they would cleanse the city. That Saturday, Eldryck's statement proved to be correct.. Two brothers - Ravyn Morphus and Nocven Oneirsom arrived in a bloody crossing through the bridge Eldryck had prepared - WishBringer. They appeared as dreamers do, albeit with some disturbing tendencies.
Claiming to be immortal, the brothers had no interest in conversing with the dreamers present. Instead they left for the Lost Caves declaring their intent to hunt - and to feed. The brothers relished in the hunt, and in the kill; the dreamers attempts to harm the Nightstalkers themselves bore no fruit. Neither chakram nor arts affected either brother.
A few days later, the brothers were joined by another - Nadia Ivanov. Her arrival was a simple affair, and her demeanor was more controlled.
In the days since, their hunting has led to the complete disappearance of all mares on four of the eight outer planes; the Lost Caves, the Cenotaph of Dread, the Chasm of Souls, and the Ossuary of Dread. For the loss of the mares on each plane, the city shook as the balance shifted.
On Tuesday, 15 September, Kanto led several dreamers in a ritual to create fixed poles that release a regenerative stream of Dreamsoul. Dreamers placed these poles through out the Cairn of Sorrow and in a few other hunting spots hoping that the dreamsoul would infuse with the mares and negatively affect the Nightstalkers.
Additional attempts were made in other areas as well. A concoction of pure dreamsoul made invisible and infused with the oil of Harrow leaves to hide the scent was injected by needle into each mare in Harrow.
However, the NightStalkers have not been seen since these endeavors.
The Nightstalkers... Alive?
by Sadara » Thu Mar 11, 2021
An image appears within the plum book that lays on the ground. Though blurry, sound can be heard:
Sadara says, "Nocven!"
Nocven Oneirsom says, "What."
Sadara says, "I want to speak with you... about Ravyn. I know that is who you are looking for."
Nocven says, "Do you know where he is?"
Sadara says, "Can I see you..."
Nocven says, "I am not in your realm of view."
"Rayvn was killed."
"He can not be."
"Novcen... I saw it with my own eyes. Right here in Thresh. Ravyn attacked one of the Dreamers. And Eldryck dreamstruck him."
"Hoax. Illusion. He can not die. This is not so."
"It was not an illusion this time... Nocven.." Sadara looks down sadly at the tile. " I am sorry." Nocven says, "Its not possible. Death is not something we are familiar with, it doesn't happen. Ravyn did not die."
Nocven then begins to explain, "Let me explain something to you. We are immortal, because we have no soul. So there could not, have been a Soul Essence as you describe. Do you bleed?" Sadara nods gently. " We do not. We have no blood."
Sadara says, "So... what would happen if Rayvn were to get Dreamstruck? Would he.. be able to come back?"
Nocven says, "If he chose to, because it couldn't have landed. Precision illusions."
Sadara says, "What if I told you I have his Soul Essence?"
"It contains no soul."
"What does it contain...?"
"Nothing."
Pure Rage, and North Wind enter into the Lost Caves and join the conversation at this point.
Nocven says, "Do you trust me for a moment Sadara. Just a single moment." Sadara nods. Sadara feels a bite on her shoulder and screams aloud as she sees blood trickling down her arm from two small holes.
Nocven says, "Now abjure me."
Rage says, "So you trust us, then. Because now you're vulnerable."
Nocven says, "And even now, as you could attack me, I could be defeated yes. But I can not be killed."
Sadara says, "Is there a chance that... Rayvn can be... summoned or re summoned with the Soul Essence?"
Nocven says, "That is like asking if a bird can be summoned or re summoned from an empty egg shell."
Sadara nods to Nocven, "Is there a chance that you can summon him?"
Nocven says, "If I could summon him. I would have already. He is likely stuck in a conduit again."
Rage says, "So he's claimed, many times. But he was Struck and hasn't been seen since, nor have his pet mares, that I'm aware of."
Nocven says, "Is the conduit Bladeslayer still around?"
Rage says, "From time to time."
Nocven says, "Then Ravyn still exists."
Rage says, "Ah...well then. He must be stuck inside Blade. Would explain his outburst, last we saw him."
Nocven explains, "Ravyn was using Bladeslayer, if Bladeslayer is still around, and he has been seen after this "event" involving my brother, then Ravyn is as I said, not dead. Ravyn uses illusions of dreamers quite regularly. Its how he toys with inhabitants of these Citys. Foolish really."
Sadara brushes her hair behind her ear, "There was like 5 Ironies..."
Nocven says, "This is all Ravyn's doing. He is not dead. I need to find Bladeslayer so I can remove my brother from within."
North says, "So Edlryck is going to die and he didnt even kill Ravyn? Lame.
Sadara says, "Not on my watch..." and winks to North. -{S}
The Aftermath
Post by Zahra TrueB » Sun Mar 14, 2021
A cold wind blows across Basin.
"Eldryck..."
She felt in an instant him blink from existence; like a ray of light just cut by a sword. Two in one day. Wish had already been acting strangely. What the man had told her, the man wearing Wish's face (or was that a part of Wish?, she half-wondered) she had told to Rage, Agama and DoL to protect them. The eyes shined too much, and he put off a weird vibe, but it seemed to be Wish all the same.
She had kept close tabs on Wish since Tuesday night; but all the clues pointed to a direction that made no sense. It seem that Wish had lost himself, hurting Kori and Rage for no reason. Or, there was something else going on, as usual. This was Wishbringer after all. That morning, it seemed she had finally gotten her answer. So she had gone up and spent time on the Facade, and told them.
Then Nocven, that cursed Nightstalker, had to show up asking for his brother. She couldn't control her fear around that man and he seemed to enjoy it. When she finally did get to Wish, the Stalker was already gone. Everyone was acting strangely, creepily normal. Then the gaslighting began, again. She didn't immediately dismiss Wish's whisper to her, but she was cautious. She knew what she had heard.
She would never hurt Wish, and certainly not intentionally. But, it turned out she had been tricked, as least partly by the Stalker. Nocven must have known, and so gave her that info to throw everyone off, knowing she would tell them. She told Wish and Braelynn the truth of why she warned DoL that morning. It didn't make much difference. She was glad at least Jevik knew about the doubles, so he could check if it was actually them.
She stood holding Wish's head in the Basin. The scene in the Sepulchure haunted her. She hoped she could change wherever these events were leading and fix the broken bonds, between Wish and Kor and Brae and Rage. Hoping, madly dashing, that she might be able to change it. But no...it was in vain. Wish had been tortured and then blown from the world like so many dead leaves, leaving them nothing but inhuman growling and rending shrieks. Wish was gone.
Her friend was gone. She had tried to help keep him alive all these months, and he was...gone.
And Eldryck was no better. Finally the truth came out with the Oracle of Asmyr, and Alder and Sadara. Eldryck Venym was no longer an close outsider with a long history in the City. He has parents, a sister, an adopted brother...and he had her. Ever since she had the dance with Eldryck to learn about him, she had had doubts, but she could see the good in him. He wasn't completely a monster, never was. And she had held to it.
And at the last, she saw him take Dumah's burden on his own shoulders, and come to terms with his own past...well, most of it. Her sister Sama had helped him too. It hurt her to see him hunted by the Circle like an animal, running here, running there, to the Cenotaph, to the Cave of Mildew, to Chasm. She had wracked her brain for ways to save him, kept tabs on the Circle.
All useless. He slipped from her helping hands, from the City itself. Where he finally ended up was a place she couldn't reach. Stabbed, his heart and soul stolen, then Struck.
"What can I do?" Zahra wondered, as she started walking. Both of them gone, both had shaped her Dreams as much as anyone in her House families. Sorrow and guilt clouded her. A cloud of vengeance started to gather around her. Wish and Eldryck would be avenged, whether they came back or were lost.
Harkyn would be dealt, and then...
And then, she would plunge a dagger into Nocven Oneirsom's heart.
The Glimpse - Bringer Stories
by Koi-Wish » Fri Mar 12, 2021
Entry 1:
WishBringer chuckles a bit staring at the ground.
“I certainly hope no one comes and wanders what this is?”, he laughs a bit despite of himself.
Before him on the ground, his eyes trace the path where he had been pacing back and forth for what felt like an eternity, but certainly couldn’t have been all day, was it? The ground seemed to say so, the path grooved in like a well-worn animal path heading to a bed of water, but no water was at either end.
WishBringer lets out a deep sigh and looks up the mountain path. “Why doesn’t she know I am here?”, he thinks to himself as a sigh escapes him yet again, deeper each time. His brow furrows as he looks up the path yet gain through the Illapse. This time he turns to go up it, the thousandth time, his foot nearly lifts to go forward, but he turns again and continues down the worn-down path.
He evokes his art to locate others and his mind informs him yet again what he already knew. She is there, atop the mountain at that fateful house.
He lifts his hand and smiles as he breathes in the fragrance of the flower he carries, a single tear strolls down his face, its path also known, as a accumulation of tears rests on his garment, the spot glistening in the sunlight. He sighs, as he looks at the petals starting to sag, “I have to get her another one” He tosses the flower to the side and heads out through a side portal, knowing he will return shortly to pace. He turns one last time to look up the path before entering the portal, this time his eyes catch the hundreds of flowers he has now tossed wilted all along his route.
The previous Night Rose just tossed, hits the ground as his shadow fades through the portal, its petals mystical and resolute. A spot sparkles on single petal where a tear drop fell upon it just seconds before, but it dries and blends in with the many others within seconds. And for another short window, the valley well below the summit of Mt. Illapse is empty save for a graveyard of flowers that fill the air with a fragrance like no other. He breathes in sharply, his body shakes as he weeps on his journey to pluck another.
“I will wait for forever” his voice weak with sorrow, “I have to, I must.” “I love you.”, and with that he his confidence lifts and he moves forward….. again.
Hours pass and still he doesn’t return, the rose’s once wilting ends now twist and turn, their broken stem base growing, reaching, and splitting digging into the soil. They stand up right, wilt completely gone, they bloom fully and reach for the sky. A light wind blows by and the fragrance jumps on board the swirling wind.
Silence then settles in, a single petal falls.
Entry 2:
Nocven gasps for breath as his head reaches the surface.
“What a pathetic need,”, he states to himself as his breath calms, “Fragile as they are, no wonder they think he is dead.”
Around him the chaos pool spins; the deep blackness and stars swirl like a vortex around his central figure as he rises up from the pool. He trenches his way out of the chaos, and into the muck of the sewers and up onto the bridge before wiping himself off. A beast greets him and his eyes glisten for a moment as the creature barrels down on him. “Breakfast.” he states and his claws spring forth.
The bogrom itself winces in momentary terror as the claws pierce through its flesh, its internals exposed looking eerily similar to the chaos pool before turning to blood and bone. Nocven’s mouth flares open, stretching like a snake around the head of the bogrom. The Nightstalker proceeds to push and press the entirety of the bogrom into its mouth, as the flesh passes the razor sharp teeth its shreds and bleeds out spraying blood and material across the bridge.
Moments later it is gone.
Nocven takes a seat on the bridge and grins toothily in earnest, “Now lets see what we can do with this body.” He begins gesticulating with his hands and various cones of color erupt from one hand down to the other, he focused on himself a few times and feels protected, feels his body more limber and even blinks as his vision improves. “Interesting” he states as he flings out a fireball from his palm. “Time for more learning later, I must find him” he stands firmly and head out through a nearby portal.
The passageways twist and turn, with various portals and changes in scenery. He evokes a cone between his hands, “Hmm, the mountain.” He pauses a moment as if trying to reflect on a distant memory before proceeding. As he passes through portals, small creatures come at him and he bats them away with a flick of the wrist, “Time enough for you later.” At the base of the mount he comes across a field of flowers. He suppressed a gag as he makes his way through them, he pauses though, as a single petal on the ground draws his attention. He picks it up, and hold it to his nose, his eyes glimmer as he attempts to focus in on the connection, dissatisfied he places the petal in a satchel at his side and continues up the mountain.
He reaches the house atop the mountain and a being of this place stands, “Do you know?” he bellows and the hapless being reacts immediately crying out, “Not again! Oh heaven, not again!” A larger being hears her cries and says “What?” Nocven turns away, ‘I am not ready to challenge them’, he thinks to himself. ‘I can feel him, where he was last’ and races back down the mountain back towards the sewers. He pauses at the sewers and turns towards some caves his eyes focused on the entry. ‘Here’, this thoughts focus. The large being shows up, weapons drawn, “Know what” he doesn’t hesitate. Nocven narrows his eyes and focuses on the being, his mind pulling out his name, ‘PuRe RaGe’ “Where is my brother?” he states simply. PuRe RaGe responds back, “Who is your brother?” “Rayvn, he was station here”, he replies reading the others face. PuRe RaGe’s face shows no emotion as he states, “He was killed by Eldryck, defending WishBringer. Dreamstruck. Felled.” Nocven watch’s the heart beat along RaGe’s neck trying to pick up changes in pulse, “Dreamstruck. He can not be Dreamstruck. He can’t be harmed in any way” PuRe Rage shrugs. Nocven proceeds, “Your trivial arts mean nothing to the immortal” RaGe replies, “His soul essence was on the floor along with his essence, it happened here, even” Nocven sighs, “Hoax. Fabrications. Where is he?” PuRe RaGe replies “Probably abandoned his station then.” Nocven shakes his head, “Foolishness.” and moves past the man in earnest.
Nocven leaps up and takes to the sky, he pauses a moment after a few feet into the night sky, his brows furrowing. He reaches into the satchel and pulls out the petal. He looks at it closely.
“WishBringer you say?” he shakes his head.
“Lets see what he has to say” he turns and looks across the dreamscape, and sensing his target, he heads towards the Basin.
Entry 3
Nocven soars across the dreamscape back past the mountain, he pauses to get his baring’s, to focus in on where he is.
Various beings pour onto the mountain path where he flies overhead. He sighs and intends to ignore them, but not before focusing in and pulling out their names one by one just in case. A ball of flame hits him in the side a few times, from varying directions. His skin gets charred but feels no immediate pain or sensation of real suffering, satisfied he replies, “There is no need for aggression, I will not retaliation.”
The one he notes as Harkyn hollers out, “I was just pointing where ye were!” Nocven shakes his head and lowers himself to be more visible to those below him. “My brother Ravyn is not subject to your laws and rules of pain and anguish. Where is he?” he states. Harkyn responds, “Maybe ye should go talk with Wishbringer then?” Nocven pauses, ‘That name again’ “Who among you is this Wishbringer?” he looks to those below. “He is in threshold” a voice calls out. “He is in thresh” hollers another. Harkyn shouts, “Wishbringer, get up here and talk to this guy!”
Nocven heads towards the threshold. As he enters through a portal his target stands before him. “Where is my brother?” WishBringer glances back at “I am sorry?” “Where is my brother, Ravyn?” Nocven retorts. “He got struck” WishBringer says matter of factly. Nocven shakes his head, “This can not be, he is immortal.” WishBringer pauses before saying “Well apparently if one of your kind decides to make physical attacks, you become susceptible to attack and your immortality is in jeopardy right?” Nocven shakes his head, ‘this is what they believe’, and responds, “He is not a fool” Nocven considers for a moment, ‘Not yet, I am not fully ready’ his thinks. Nocven looks at WishBringer, his eyes squinting his mind assessing, “I will pick up the trail.” The Nightstalker turns and head back towards the portal.
“Should I let them know?” he says out loud as he heads back towards the caves.
He nods to himself.
He stands in the Caves and waits.
Sadara shows up and he grins to himself, ‘She will do.’
Entry 4:
"Nocven!" Sadara's voice rings out into the Caves. "Nocven! I want to talk to you" she screams again. Nocven's voice but no seen entity calls out from the shadows, "What do you want?" Sadara reigns in, and her nervousness causes her to tense up before feigning relaxation. "I want to speak to you about Ravyn" she says quickly. "Do you know where he is?" Nocven's voice lowers but inquires. Sadara looks around for the location of the voice, "Can I see you?" Nocven's voice still low and steady, "I am not within your realm of view." Sadara considers for a moment but continues, "Ravyn was killed. I saw it with my own eyes. Right here. Ravyn attacked one of the dreamers and the Eldryck dreamstruck him." "Hoax. Illusion. He can not die." Nocven retorts, "This is not so." Sadara's voice calmly responds, "It was not an illusion this time... Nocven" Sadara looks down at the caves floor, "I am sorry" Sadara pauses before going on, "I learned something else as well, Eldryck" she pauses, "He is my brother. And for killing Ravyn he soon will be killed as well." Nocven's voice rises slightly, "Death is not something we are very familiar with, it does not happen!" and with firm tone, "Ravyn did not die!" Sadara's voice nearly pleads, "Nocven, I am certain of it" She continues, "There were eye witnesses, many other dreamers were here saw! Nocven his very Soul Essence fell where he was dropp..." "Your name is?" Nocven interupts. Shaken for a moment she gives pause, "My name.... its Sadara" PuRe RaGe enters the caves and cautiously stands next to Sadara looking about and around for the source of her conversation. "Let me explain something to you, Sadara. We are immortal, because we have no soul. So there could not have been this Soul Essence" The sound of larges wings descending and bits of dirt and rocks scatter as an unseen figure lands in the middle of the Lost Caves followed by Nocven's voice, "Do you bleed?" Sadara nods gently towards the spot where it appeared something may have landed. "We do not. We have no blood. Anything you saw would have been precision illusion, nothing more. Our forms are not as your eyes see them" Sadara listens, "But the Soul Essence, it has to contain something... its hefty. It looks real. Feels real. Even has all the proper strength" PuRe RaGe speaks up, "Perhaps you show it to him. I watched Trish Pawn retrie...." RaGe grunts as Nocven interupts him, "Do you trust me a moment, Sadara?" Sadara looks to PuRe RaGe a moment, he nods, and she replies "Sure?" A brisk wind blows by Sadara, as she reaches to cover her eyes she stops suddenly as a two holes poke into her shoulder and blood begins to trickle out. She grits her teeth but makes no noise. "Now abjure me" Nocven states. Sadara lifts her arm weakly and evokes. Nocven's form appears directly in front of her. She tilts her head, "Oh, there you are, but did you have to bite me?" Nocven's mouth curls up briefly, "Its the only way you would have been able to abjure me." Sadara looks over her shoulder and brings her hand over the wound, suddenly her hand glowing a bright emerald. PuRe RaGe his hand gripping a chakram, "So you trust us then, because now you're vulnerable. Or, as you said, you don't care. I'm not sure which." Nocven turns towards RaGe and glances at the chakram, "Even now, you could attack me. I could be defeated, yes." he pauses catching RaGe's eye, "But I can not be killed" "This is a dream, illusion and what is reality are something used quite regularly, especially by Ravyn, its how he entertains himself with local inhabitants" Sadara brusher her hair behind her ear, "There were like 5 Ironie II's and other doppelgangars in the City" Nocven lowers his head a moment, as if remembering, "Illusions, figments. This is all Ravyn's doing" RaGe speaks up, "BladeSlayer, he went in to the chaos to fight Ravyn and came out all chaotic and new pet mares attacking the City as well" Nocven inquires "BladeSlayer then, perhaps he is the new conduit" RaGe continues, tapping his chin "Kruugaar. Ah... well then, he must be stuck inside Bladeslayer. Would explain his outburst, last we saw him" Nocven questions, "When did Ravyn supposedly die?" RaGe responds, "A couple of weeks ago, perhaps closer to three" Nocven then suggests, "If Bladeslayer is still around, these pet mares and doppelgangers? Then as I said, Ravyn is not dead." Sadara steps forward, "So Eldryck is going to die, and he didnt even kill Ravyn!" Nocven turns away to hide his small grin, "I do not know this Eldryck" Sadara huffs and speaks firmly, "Not on my watch!" Nocven breaths in deeply and turns back to them, "I will need to find Bladeslayer and retrieve my brother from within" Nocven turns away and heads towards a solid rock face, his eyes hidden to the dreamers turn to swirls of chaos, his smile firm just as he passes through the rock and disappears from view.
Nocven turns and looks into the open caves through the rock walls at the small gathering of dreamers at the caves entrance. "Fools. Chaos reigns." he chuckles quietly, and turns away again.
Entry 5:
Nocven watches her leave the Palace, he tucks back into the corner as to not be seen. But as Braelynn passes through the portal, he comes out and flies around the Palace windows peering in. He catches WishBringer sitting tub side, his feet in the water looking cheery and oblivious.
Nocven slips in quietly and walks around the side of the hot tub.
WishBringer looks up startled, “Wha!?”
Nocven holds a finger to his lips, “Shhh” he attempts to reassure, “Don’t get up” The Nightstalker sits across from Wish and slides his own feet, boots, and all into the water, looking across at WishBringer.
“They say you and Ravyn had a bit of a situation, at the Lost Caves, and …. “, Nocven watches the others eyes, “….. one thing led to another you were collapsed, and you were about to be Dreamstruck by Dumah, and then my brother sensed the hesitation, got involved and was attacked and collapsed by dreamers, and then everyone wanted Dumah to instead Strike him…. then, correct me if any of this doesn’t line up for you, suddenly Eldryck shows up and Dreamstrikes my brother.” Nocven eyes the neckline of WishBringer, noting the hurried pulse. “That about sum up things, or is there more then that?” WishBringer swallows, “I was, there, but… I couldn’t communicate, Ravyn had me tossed around the Caves and I, I am telling you, I couldn’t focus on what was happening, I was… lost in it” “Lost in it?” Nocven’s voice raises, “My brother was obviously upset with you for something, what, I am not sure, but my brothers enemy is certainly mine, wouldn’t you say?” WishBringer looks down, “Not necessarily, I … I didn’t choose to be this conduit, I … I well, again, I had no control. I didn’t attack him.” Nocven tilts his head, “He can’t be dead. We are immortal. I am not sure what happened, but death is not possible. Yes, oh yes, we can be foolish and lose our defenses against your attacks, but we are soulless, Wish, we can not die. You, however…”, looks WishBringer directly in the eyes, “can.” WishBringer swallows again, he looks quickly over to his satchel of weapons and shields and then back to Nocven, “What are you saying?” The Nightstalker twirls his finger around his chest and a crest appears, showing his sphere and more importantly a crimson red ring around the outside. He lifts a single brow and looks as WishBringer’s face begins to tremble a bit. “You are in the Circle? Wait, are you intending to kill me?” WishBringer asks firmly Nocven nods, “Yes.” WishBringer immediately jumps up and flings Firestorm and Flame fire at Nocven, who breaths in deeply and sighs but shrugs off the attacks as if nothing happened. “Really?” Nocven smirks, and then lifts his hand out in the direction of WishBringer, and unseen force lifts WishBringer by his neck and Wish grabs onto a nothingness at his neck as he is lifted into the air, his face contorting and turning red. Nocven casually gets up and walks up as WishBringer gasps but grabs no air. Nocven looks him in the eyes, and as his face turns purple he releases the grip slightly allowing Wish to breathe. “I am going to have you choose a life, her’s or yours” and with those words he slams Wish against the Palace wall, releasing his throat but holding him immobile.
WishBringer gasps, and pulls in air sharply and vigorously looking up at Nocven, “Who’s?” Novcven, “The young lady that left here, or your own?” WishBringer’s face goes deathly white, “Brae!?”, he tries to read the Nightstalkers face, “No, no! Me, I choose me!” Nocven chuckles, “Then go tell her goodbye, she is at her fortress atop the mountain, let us go.”
The Nightstalker spins his finger and WishBringer finds himself standing at the Main Entrance of the Dreamers of Light, he turns to go through the portal, but Nocven catches him mid spin, “No no, wait for her” WishBringer turns towards the house, tears streaming from his face. He begins to use his locator, and see’s she is inside, with him. He shakes his head. “She wont come out, she is with him” WishBringer turns towards Nocven, “Lets go back, kill me there, not here… please” Nocven grabs Wish by the arm and whips him in and out of the portal, between the house and the mountain multiple times, setting off a signal inside altering them Wish was there. The Nightstalker squints and turns to Wish, “Stay here” and he turns invisible and heads inside. He see’s Braelynn and RaGe talking, as RaGe tells Brae, “He is here”, Braelynn grabs his arm and says, “Ignore him.” Nocven silently chuckles to himself and heads back out. The Nighstalker swoops down and grabs Wish by one arm, flying across the dreamscape back towards the Palace, he looks down at Wish, “It doesn’t appear its going to your night” WishBringer struggles to release Nocven’s grip but it is tremendously strong, he looks down as he passes over the City. His Palace comes into view, and for a moment he feels the warmth it brings each time he see’s it, but its quickly replaced as the Nightstalker flings him through the window onto the floor.
Nocven circles Wish and pulls out a small petal and a vial of liquid that’s contents can be seen through the glass encasing. The contents are a constant swirling mass of black and glimmering sparkles that remind one of stars. Wish stands up and races toward the window, just as he reaches it, Nocven swoops past him and paralyzes him with a glance. “Now now, you haven’t had a drink yet” Nocven grins and drops the petal into the vial. The vial immediately turns blood red and stops swirling. Nocven starts to hand it forward and stops suddenly his head tilting and listening. “Ah! She has come to you after all, break her heart, Wish, do it, now, or I will make her drink this and let you watch her suffer and die as the chaos eats her alive.” “No! You will not!” WishBringer eyes the portal, “Oh my gawd, no.. No! I will, I will! Don’t you touch her! Please, I am begging you!”
Braelynn walks in and WishBringer turns from the window, and looks at her. His heart shatters before the words begin.
Entry 6:
It seemed like hours since Braelynn walked out the portal. Before Nocven had left he had set the vial on the table and simply said “Drink it” before fading away. WishBringer looks up at the sky, trying to gauge the time. “Soon it will be done”, he whispers to himself his voice breaking up. He places his head back into his hands, as he sits on the pedestal of the palace. The room is tattered and torn, things overturned and pushed aside, drawers opened and cabinets wide open. Walls are littered with burn marks from flame or chakram fire. His tables used for dining covered with half eaten foods and partial glass of wine where Nocven had rummaged through his things and laughed at the basic needs to eat food. He thinks he hears someone coming up the path and he glances up; his heart skips a beat for a moment. He evokes locate dreamer, and immediately sulks back into his hands as he sees she is back at the mountain. His face normally full of smirks and grins is grim and dark. He eyes the chakrams on the floor in front of him, mostly depleted now, and picks one up, points it at himself and braces, his face grimaces for a long minute before he sighs and tosses the chakram to the floor. WishBringer gets up and screams his knees buckled halfway, his arms bent and fingers curling as his voice hollers out, “BRRRRAEEEEE!!” The palace shakes from the ferocity of the scream, which is shortly replaced by an agonizing whimper and wail of man seemingly in tremendous pain. He stands their gasping for breath and then his face goes firm. He looks around the room, and twirls his finger and all that was, goes back to order, the room is clean and unblemished. He picks up the vial and rolls it in his hand, eyeing the contents. Sighing, he then reaches in his satchel and takes out a beautiful locket. He holds it close to his chest for a moment before setting it on the pedestal and heading upstairs. Tears stream his face again as he climbs, smaller trails this time, his eyes bloodshot having cried themselves nearly dry. His tub in his view, he shakes visibly and walks toward it. Slowly methodically he sinks into the water fully clothed. He sits quietly there for a moment, his lips just above the water, the tears on his cheeks slipping into and onto the water like a glistening oil. He lifts the dark red vial, and without hesitation open it and swallows its contents. One final lone tear falls down his cheek. His face twists slightly in agony before going pale, and then slowly he sinks the rest of the way into the water. Bubbles fail to rise to the surface and his eyes open for a moment before closing as a final gasp of air releases from his mouth, the room goes deathly quiet.
His body starts to change color, abyss and dark before floating up out of the water, he stands at the edge of the tub. His eyes open, swirls of complete blackness and stars fill his eye space as he walks towards the portal.
As he passes the locket it glows a brilliant blue and red.
His walk takes him down the Basin, methodical and slow. He passes emphants and as they charge at him in their typical bloodlust they dissolve into nothingness before getting close.
He steps into the halls of the sewers, his motions purposeful and his direction known.
He passes by the reservoir where Nocven sits casually toying with a bogrom essence, he hardly looks up as WishBringer’s form passes him by but says, “First volunteer is here to find you, my brother, soon you will be home.”
WishBringer continues past Nocven and takes a sudden turn off the path, stepping off the bridge into the murky sewer waters, a bogrom dissolves as it chases him into it, the dreamer never even turns.
Minutes later, Liolira enters, she tilts her head eyeing WishBringer oddly as he runs into the dark corners of the sewers and back out again, spinning and twirling, letting a new bogrom attack him and remove his avatar. She gasps as the soulsphere floating starts firing flames at the bogom and restores itself, giving the form of WishBringer again, albeit dark and growling. As the moment dawns on her, her face turns suddenly terrified.
As she races out of the room in a panic, her screams for help carry across the dreamscape.
Nocven looks up from where he sits, drops the essence in the sewer waters, and turns towards the crys for help, “It is time, he is ready.”
He pulls out an Obsidian Blade and evokes the art of Invisibility before passing through the portal after his prey.
Entry 7:
Eldryck springs forward first, chakram fire flashing as he lunges forward towards Lolo. Two shots are landed before Lolo's snarl was even able to leave it's face, it screams out and turns towards Eldryck, a mixture of anguish and anger in its eyes. It bellows and releases its own flame, but its target suddenly disappears, startled Lolo glances about hurriedly before its suddenly feels its protective arts being stripped away. Lolo panics and takes off towards a portal, but its demise already foretold as Eldryck appears suddenly blocking its path, his dagger quick to strike as Lolo falls quickly to accurate and lethal blows.
Eldryck spins towards Sadara and Vunai whom are engaged in their own dance of fate. Sadara's arms is burnt, evidence of landed attacks by Vunai who once again is sizing her up for an attack. Eldryck's protective instincts grab ahold of him, and he launches forward dagger lifted high.
Mid-jump he freezes, paralyzed in mid-air, Sadara and Vunai frozen as well in simultaneous chakram fire, the flames of the fireballs not even flickering. Eldryck's eyes are able to look around but struggle as he may his limbs are completely immobile. Suddenly a dark shadow passes over head and a being lands between him and Sadara.
Nocven Oneirsom!
Eldryck begins to panic, his heart racing a bead of sweat immediately pools above his brow as he struggles to turn his dagger towards the Nightstalker, his arm flinches a bit, but not nearly enough.
Nocvern see's the slight movement, "Impressive." He almost chuckles.
The Nightstalker grabs Eldryck by the face, his eyes mere inches from the others, "You know I could kill you right now! You, her, the lot of you!"
Eldryck attempts to swallow hard but his jaw, immobile can only pull off a tremble.
Nocvern sensing Eldryck's fear steps back, "My brother, as you know." he pauses before continuing, "Has fallen victim to this mortal City's art of DreamStrike. You, Edlryck, were the user of this art. As per protocol of our esteemed friends in the Circle, your life is forfeit." Nocvern, looks back at Eldryck, "You are aware of this right?" With a slight chuckle, he snaps his fingers, "Thats right...", Eldrycks head is able to move, the rest of him is still paralyzed in mid-motion. Eldryck stretches his head a bit before looking at Nocvern, "I know this. Get it over with."
Nocvern squats down and picks up a rock, looking out over the ledge of the Illapse. "Ravyn can not die. You know this, I know this," gestures around the circles, "They, don't appear to know this" and with that he throws the rock over the ledge, listening for it to hit the sides of the cliff on the way down. "He is locked away in the Chaos. You can not kill an immortal, foolish citizens of this City, though I give them credit for getting as far as they did. My brother is a fool for leaving himself vulnerable, but that's an argument for another day."
The Nightstalker turns back towards Eldryck, "You sir, are going into the Chaos to find him, and bring him back."
Eldryck's face goes pale, "Not again. No. I refuse, years was enough, kill me now. End this here and now."
Nocvern turns towards Sadara, "I believe in choices, Eldryck, I believe very much in giving you a choice, as you say... here and now." he takes a few steps towards her frozen form, Eldryck's eyes go large, "No, don't you touch her!", he struggles again to move, his arm again flinching as Nocvern lifts an Obsidian Dagger from his belt line, "Choose Eldryck, you or her."
Eldryck's face sinks, he begins to sob uncontrollably, recent days with his sister flash before his eyes, a single tear falls down his cheek. He sniffs sharply and lifts his head, looking at Sadara before tilting his head towards Nocvern, "I choose me."
Nocvern traces the dagger along Sadara's jawline, running it down and along her neck. "Wise or foolish choice, time will tell"
Nocvern's grins spreads across his face, "You won't be alone, I sent another before you, WishBringer joins you on your escapade, whichever of you brings out Ravyn first, well they get to stay, the other, well they can stay for all eternity." He walks towards Eldryck and pulls out a vial and pops off the cork top, "Open wide, and drink." Eldryck does as he's told and swallows the vile liquid it burns on the way down his throat. As soon as he swallows, Nocvern disappears, his limbs continue their mid-jump spree, and he lands directly in front of Vunai.
Sadara blinks in surprise for a moment, as Eldryck swirls and drops the beast in a lightning quick move his back to her. "I had him, brother." she says defiantly as she brushes a piece of loose hair behind her ear, "I truly did." With that she hovers her hand over her wounded arm, and the burn marks fade away.
"I know sis, I know you did." Eldryck tries to say as normally as he can. He looks down at his wrist, the abyss skin of his is getting darker. He takes in a deep breath. He considers his next words before recollecting something.
"I hear they are trying to unlock the portal in Horron's Cave, my doing, I should really go help. May give some more credibility to my name. What say you sis?" He says after the brief pause.
Sadara grins, "You know big brother, even before I knew you were my brother I have been cleaning up your messes. Lets go, I will race you there!" she says with a quick laugh and races towards the portal.
Eldryck's eyes watch her pass through the portal, he evokes locate dreamer, the Nightstalker is already there, he sighs, "I am so sorry sis.... I am so sorry", and with that, he follows her.
End of Dreams - The Reign of Nightstalkers
Nocven watches as the fragment of the heart turns to tiny shards and drops from his clenched fingers to the ground. His breath releases, a deep sigh escapes.
“It is done, what is will be no more.” his voice cracks the sudden silence.
Remnants of dreamers being torn from the Dream fade about his vision. He watches them each in turn, not needing to lift a finger as they vanish into nothingness.
Moments pass and absolute silence creeps over his surroundings like a warm velvet blanket.
He takes a stroll, casually passing dropped items of dreamers whom vanished without a moment notice, he kicks a few just to hear the brief crunch as the items smack against a wall. His tour takes him up mountains, across plains and through valleys, occasionally passing one of the silly strongholds these inhabitants called home. The mares still remain, scurrying from his path out of fear and in a quick flurry. They increase in numbers as he comes across the Umbric, he pauses and chuckles a bit at the scene before him. More of these chaotic fuel cells then ever litter this plane, he finds what is left of the canon and whispers to it, “Nice try, but thanks for ordering in”, and with that he snatches two Agoknight’s, one in each hand. He smashes their heads together and they burst into a gooey paste, a single eyes runs down a river of blood along his arm and he laps it up, biting it firmly causing it to explode in a burst of pus and blood. He sits casually munching on his dinner, watching as two more Agoknights slip from the chaos onto the plane. He merely shakes his head and continues eating, the Agoknights bare down on him, but with a glance they scurry away like rats from a bright light.
As he squeezes an Agoknight tail over his head allowing the blood to flow across his face and down his neck, for the first time in a long time, he smiles.
“Vengeance is mine.” he almost purrs.
He takes out the two essences of WishBringer and Braelynn and sets them beside each other on the ground. With a brief sigh, he spits on each of them in turn, watching his blood thickened saliva slide down the nose of WishBringer’s essence getting caught up on his lips. Braelynn essence now splattered with spittle falls over and the sticky goo drips from her cheeks.
Nocven stands up suddenly and stomps down on them, twisting his ankle and grinding the essences into the ground. “Good riddens.” he says with barely a huff.
He turns and walks out a portal, the sun quickly dries the blood, the essences absorb into the soil and all that remains are a brown splotch and the shapes of a male and female essence.
Hours turned into days and Nocven fed exclusively alone. Laying on a bed of dreamer essences, house primes and trinkets he gathered over the days, he twirled his finger haphazardly in bowl of deep red blood. Carcasses of mares of all types lay about the room. This spot he decided would work well for his devouring this day. A room that connected all the pathetic houses of this dream world together. He lay upon the table and looked about; crests of the various buildings lined the walls around the corner from their corresponding portals. He crushed and crumpled up mare parts and pieces into fist size balls and through them at the crests chuckling to himself as the skin and meat stuck to the surface.
And that’s when he first saw her. That despicable woman, how is she here… how could she? She was completely ghostly white and nearly completely see-thru. She walked in and picked up after him, parts of mares, the bowl of blood and then throwing them in a large leather waste bag. He tries to grab her arm, but his hand passes right through. He looks on oddly, she seems unaware of his presence and continues to work. He throws one of the mare ball clumps at her, it passes thru her form and just as it goes through the other side she reaches up and grabs it and tosses it in her bag.
“How is this possible?” he growls, swiping at her form with his claws and gnashing at her with his teeth. His face goes deep crimson as his anger spills over.
“This is not possible!” he rages.
The woman continues to clean up the room, sweeping and mopping until all is well again, never stopping once to even look in his direction. He tried grabbing the bag but to no avail, the broom and the mop his hands passed thru as if nothing but air.
Defeated he slumps against a wall as she finishes, his lip curled in a snarl his chest heaving from anger and anguish all at once.
When she finishes, she evokes a fireball on the bag and it burns quickly to a crisp, leaving nothing but a ghostly smoke. He roars again in her general direction, but she appears oblivious. Finally, she turns and lays an item on the table and heads back out through the portal from whence she came, for a moment he considers giving chase, but intrigue stops him in his tracks and he heads over to the table.
His eyes fall upon the item, and he inhales deeply and lunges towards the portal after her ghostly apparition.
The room falls silent and bare, save for the table where upon sits a single Night Rose.
The city lay scorched and desolate as Nocven rampaged alone and furious leaving a trail of anger and hatred in his wake. The woman was gone, lost to him in this maze of a city. What was more upsetting, is there was no signs of her anywhere. He had hoped to draw her out, but she didn’t clean up after the devastation and destruction he left behind as she had so casually done before.
Soon the others would come, thousands of his kind to feed and bathe in the chaos. He will not allow himself to look incompetent. No, he must find her and rid her of this place like he got rid of everyone else. He stands at the base of Illapse looking at the field of Night Roses and an evil smirk falls over his face as he ransacks by kicking, pulling and ripping the flowers from the earth. He stomps and spits on them as he breaks their steams and removes their petals one by one. After several minutes the threshway of Illapse is covered in tattered petals, stems and soil, with nothing left to smash or focus his anger upon. Nocven breathes heavily, satisfied with his destruction he slips out through a portal unsure of where to go next to find her.
As the portal swallows him up leaving behind the the evidence of his anger, the threshway falls silent. From the shadows a ghostly form steps forward. He surveys the area with a saddened expression.
“She will not be happy when she see’s this.” the figure says whilst shaking his head.
He bends and picks up any petals he can find that still hold their shape, he gathers them methodically and carefully. His ghostly cheeks stream tears that look nothing more than a shadow of moisture running down his pale skin. Content he has collected the remaining petals he once again surveys the scene. A soft whimper escapes his lips as sadness consumes his form, he shakes softly. He slumps against the mountain wall, holding the petals in his hand as if they were small living creatures he cradled carefully. Tears continue to streak his cheeks and he lowers his head and begins to sob. After a few long minutes, he sniffles and tries to regain his composure. He stands and lets out a deep sigh, shaking off his emotions and again looking at the wreckage before him.
“This is where I waited for you once,” he says with conviction, “I miss you my love of loves.”
He takes the petals and turns towards the portal Nocven passed through, he takes another look over his shoulder.
“I love you, Braelynn” he says firmly, “We will find a way.”
And with that he steps through the portal.
Weeks passed. The city lay in smoldering ashes and chaos. The halls and pathways littered with Darkmare and Nightmare parts and pieces. Quivering bits of flesh and dried blood nearly everywhere one’s eyes rested. The sounds of roars and bones crunching echoed across the dreamscape like a haunting horror. Laughter and squeals of pain mix to create a chorus of death and doom.
An emphant steps through the chaos, unknowing its fate, its starts roaming the threshway of Umbric looking for a victim. Before it can even make a corner, a figure lunges at it from unseen shadows. It hardly makes eye contact before its head is removed from its shoulders and it feels itself being rolled along the ground. It comes to rest on its side, looking back at it’s own body which is being hefted over the face of a Nightstalker. The emphant’s eyes peel back in horror as it watches its own entrails and blood gushing from its body into the waiting mouth of the stalker. The Nightstalker already bathed in dried blood from previous kills, has a fresh layer of thick red blood run down from its mouth over its naked form. As it shakes the remaining bits into its mouth its dark eyes turn and peer into the eyes of the emphant and it steps forward. As everything fades to black the emphant looks out at its now emptied body, its eyes stay glued upon it even as it feels the bones in its skull begin to crack.
The Nightstalker crunches and chews, and then suddenly cocks his head to its side listening intently. It’s bloodied teeth suddenly peer through its mouth as it grins hearing yet another chaotic creature in the near distance, it tosses the emphant skull to the side and races off. The umbric threshway falls silent again, before a moment later another emphant steps through the chaos.
Elsewhere, Nocven surveys the Dark Awakening, a flood of his brethren stand about feeding on bits and pieces of the chaos creatures.
“Success”, he nods to himself.
More Nightstalkers swarm in, racing through the portals in search of something to consume. Nocven, eye’s his brother, Morpheus as he chews on the remains of a Shamblix. It seemed only yesterday he was rescued from his imprisonment within the expanse. Morpheus hadn’t been the same since, but his hunger was surely as strong as ever.
A sudden clamoring and disturbance grabs his attention from his brother as he turns to see Nightstalkers fumbling over themselves to get back into the room from a nearby portal. Nocven steps passed them and through the portal himself to see what caused them to scramble away in fear.
He surveys the room, a plethora of unidentifiable remains cover the floor as if blasted apart from a central spot. Bewildered his eyes fall upon one his brothers standing completely still in the center of the room. Suddenly the body of this nightstalker begins to swell and shrink, each time getting larger and shrinking back to normal. Nocven tilts his head in bewilderment and shock as he races to the stalkers side, but before he can make it to him, an explosion causes him to launch into the air backwards and onto his back, his face littered with the remains of the stalker’s body. As he wipes the blood and fragments of bone from his eyes, he looks back where the stalker once stood.
She now stands in the stalkers place, her own body glistening with the nightstalkers blood, her Night dress running with bits and pieces of its remains. Her body heaves as she breathes in and out deeply, her face is seething.
“You!”, Nocven screams at her, “You are dead, I saw you die!”
Braelynn turns her eyes upon Nocven, they peer into him as she takes a step forward. Her lip curled and her voice hissing, she picks up her pace.
Nocven covers his face with his arm as she bares down on him. But the impact never comes, he moves his arm away from covering his face and looks about the room. Nothing, nothing but the remains of the chaos that moments ago had ensued.
He scrambles to his feet and races back towards the portal from whence he came.
“Morpheus!” he shouts as he runs, his eyes panic stricken as he passes through.
Also See
Nocven Closes Keepers of the Eternal Shadow
