| I found myself in Jinok's Cliffs in the East The Valley of Totality, wandering but with purpose. I stopped at a spike, an ordinary spike, but it stopped me in my tracks. I gazed up at it and saw that it pointed in perfect harmony to the large cluster in the sky, perfect alignment. Then I looked down at the base of the spike. There, well hidden, was a scroll, gold and concealed to all but the eye of the seeker. It was there that my insanity began. It was there that I learned of Artavus. The second encounter was in Upper Umbric Plains, again wandering around in a purposeful fashion. Stopping suddenly, turning to the wall, I was merged before I knew what had happened. I was again led by an unseen force. Unable to step in any direction or jump, I was left there to spin in a small circle. After a time (unsure if it was a minute or a day), I squinted across the way to notice something shining in the distance. This item, placed any further away would have been unattainable, but I was able to stretch out and grasp it with the tips of my fingers - another scroll. This one while written in the same hand, had the tone of a dreamer gone mad, angry and full of uncertainty. It spoke of three places, research notes scribbled on parchment in haste and bound by a gold band. On the inside of the band were some symbols, I had seen them before. They were the symbols on the walls of the Lost Caves. I went to the three places in search of answers. I came away with my memory tattered, shredded, and near dissolution. The notes yielded me 3 unique experiences, again tearing my mind apart little by little. The Lost Caves. What key did they hold? Drawn to the Caves, I brought the StarScanners there and told them of my experiences. The experience left the members with confusion and wonder, but no answers. Then I heard of the Other Dimension, and the Art of Flight. Mystified, I was again compelled to experience this first hand and was lead to the doorway, The Lost Caves. A merge. A jump. A side merge. Then, the slip from the Dream to the Dream, but not the Dream I had fallen in love with, but an alternative, sectional, multidimensional state of being. Confused, I found myself lost and forced, no compelled to the madness of Chaos. Gathering my Willpower, I attempted again, saw beyond the insanity of the dimension, and reached the other side.
My avatar transformed, as was my mind when I reached the other side. The voice of Artavus was clear and eloquent. A merge. Reaching the second phase of confusion, I passed through with the confidence of the Ancients. A merge. A jump. My feet were no longer on the terrain of the Dream. My own Insight and Willpower to succeed supported me. I was flying! Beating out of my chest, my heart raced and seemed to propel me around the outer edges of the Caves. Overcome with fear and excitement, I could barely speak, but there was something there. I could hear his voice whisper to me with clarity. I knew of the history of the Lost Caves and the battle that had ensued there. There was more though. I felt it. Why in this place, of all places, could an Avatar leave the ground and take off into flight. Moreover, why had Artavus been so insistent on me going there? I spent many days there, studying. Each visit, I was compelled to the area of blackness. One of my first visits yielded a unique view. After the last merge and the uplift of flight, I again made the side merge. Then moving backwards, I saw the plane move away from me and as I watched the other Dreamers fly about, I asked if I could be seen. "No", was the reply I received. There was another voice there with me though... whispering to me... Artavus. Soon thereafter, my mind failed me as my Arts often do these days. I vaguely remember the days that passed; though, it is not clear. Strangers surrounded me; claiming that they knew me, and that I knew them. They raised their hands in a gesture that produced a magic light. When I asked what they were doing, they laughed. There were portals I could not enter, nor could I determine where I belonged. In general, most were unkind and unhelpful. One dreamer told me of the monsters and showed me a light. He then proceeded to tell me that it was a monster. (I remember this, as the light in question was in fact the torch of return by a portal) I became further confused and it wasn't until I found myself at a StarScanner meeting, that my mind began to recover. As a result of this experience, I have been unable to find any more lost scrolls, and in fact, all I hear is the voice in my mind. Whispering. A Crystal. The means to an end. What is it? I know, yet I do not. The Caves must be the key to the answer. And then, it happened. While teaching a group to fly,
I again found myself in a daze. Floating above all I had understood, I knew what that place holds to me. For it is the hiding place, I have sought all this time. The Lost Caves. It is not an end to a plane, an outward extremity, but a gate. So near the Caudal Rift and Gloom Peaks, the Caves are a passage to the other side. Of what? The wall of blackness does not fit; it stands out obtrusive and stark in contrast to the beauty of the Cave walls. It does not belong there. It is not of the City. ponders the Rift Theory of Tone Yes, it is not of this world, and so close to the Rift. It is as if some part of another existence has collided with the Cave wall, and juts out of the weakest part of the City... the plane in which flight is possible, The Lost Caves. There are forces within the City few understand: the Being locked inside the Ring of Passage, the waterfalls that flow upward, the complete formation of Rifts (columns, murals, and portals), and the Art of Flight outside (and around) the Lost Caves. I am a StarScanner, and I will learn the truth of these forces no matter the cost upon my SoulSphere. Will I go completely insane? Will my friends (further) forsake me? Will my family turn their backs on me? It is of little consequence, for the Dream is at stake. I am a FreeSpirit, having no ties to any house and hindering me not from my pursuits. And, I am a Dreamseer, and I know the true nature of the Dream. My quest now shall be to unravel the mysteries of this place and to hinder, lessen or halt the efforts of the Chaos Eclipse. I will attempt to keep a journal so that when my mind does falter completely (as I feel it will), others may possibly understand my quest and any and all success I make therein. As for how flight actually is possible in the Lost Caves, the principle is based on the Merges. And I do refer to them as Merges, for these phases must be done precisely. Some call it climbing; these are not climbs at all. The Dreamer must first bend the fabric of that which he/she seeks to merge through, and at the same time, must stretch the fabric of their own Dreamsoul thinly so as to pass through unscathed. The first merge is a normal one (what is normal in the City?), and the Dreamer finds himself on the other side of the wall at the Cave's entrance. The second "merge" is the basis for clarification in terms. For it is definitely not a climbing at all. The dreamer literally bends the fabric of the Dream as he/she slides towards the left away from the wall, which restricts him/her. As the slide progresses, a new dimension appears, the result of the fabric successfully bend and the properly phased Dreamsoul is then able to slip effortlessly through to the other dimension. This slide merge is the most critical, for it not only places the Dreamer's Avatar in a new location. It also surrounds the Avatar with a completely different atmosphere. This is plainly obvious upon entering the other dimension. The Dreamer is immediately unable to use his Vision in the fashion he/she has become accustom to. This is due to the density of the atmosphere. A buffer? Perhaps.
This may be what holds the city together. Further study is required here. The Dreamer sees in elongated phases, and can become quite disoriented. The focused Dreamer must seek the large landmass and concentrate his/her Avatar towards it. Another disorientation awaits the dreamer at the landmass. He/she no longer has the ability to jump, and his/her Avatar transforms into a phased state, it's appearance transformed, or almost transformed. The third merge is a crucial one as well, for it completes the transformation from that which is known as Avatar form, to that of the other dimension. The merge appears to be normal, until it is complete. Once again, one's Vision falters, as multiple phases appear. The Dreamer must choose their direction carefully, for the other phases are meant to deceive and confuse. The reason for this is simple. This merge completes the transformation of the avatar allowing it the ability of flight. Once this merge has been completed, the Avatar regains his/her ability to jump. Then a look around usually brings about a sense of failure and confusion. The Dreamer appears to have arrived at the location that he/she began, the entrance to the Lost Caves. Closer inspection reveals one startling difference; the two portals do not function for the Dreamer (as the portal entrance to CoD would for an unsphered Dreamer). This is the physical evidence of a task completed. The denseness of the atmosphere is non-conducive for the operation of the portals. Perhaps one day, a Dreamer will discover a way to make these portals work and what is on the other side may be revealed. The Dreamer now possesses the ability of flight, but one more merge is necessary. Going to the same wall as the first merge was made places the Dreamer on the ledge overhead. Taking a deep breath, the Dreamer focuses his/her Resilience, suppresses his/her Lucidity and jumps forward knowing Insight will propel him/her forward. Flight. The proper transformation of the Avatar coupled with the unique atmosphere permits the Dreamer to float as high or low as the ledge he/she has jumped from. The properly transformed Dreamer is not only able to fly, but to land, and use all the skills he/she is accustomed to. The atmosphere is denser outside the Cave entrance area, but short bursts of flight are possible inside the area as well. This is due to the wisps of denser atmosphere seeping through the cracks and crevices of the cave walls. My remaining dilemma is the Wall of Blackness. This wall juts outward from the Cave walls and is, thus far, impenetrable. The reason, in my humble opinion, deals directly with the Rift Theory of Tone. She believes that another "city" or existence has collided with The City of Dreams. If her theory is proven correct, then this Wall of Blackness could be the result of the same sort of collision, which caused the rifts. If my mind retains its cohesiveness, I shall study this theory further and note any conclusions on the subject (perhaps only after my mind loses its cohesiveness may I understand this wall). A task for another dream... |
