[X] No change to Aspiration
That or changing our Aspiration to Cups/something related to Brieta?
That or changing our Aspiration to Cups/something related to Brieta?
I Walk in Dreams -- An Esoteric Journey Quest
- Thread starter picklepikkl
- Start date
- Original Fantasy Modern
- Location
- The Surface Of A Hostile Planet
KITTY!
Interesting.
We added all the 7s this time - so does that mean we'll add the 8s, and then 9s, then the 10s? What happens afterwards? The Queens and Kings?
The Emperor showing up here is interesting, since that was one of the Major Arcana that the Shrine of Steel Undying could have added if we had the resources. Does that mean that it's a "good thing" to have show up, for whatever value of good? If it had been added through the shrine, would only one Major Arcana have been added during our next night, or would it still have been two, with it jumping to the "next in sequence"? And what is the sequence of added cards, anyhow? It's clearly not the basic order, since we've skipped Magician and High Priestess.
Interesting.
We added all the 7s this time - so does that mean we'll add the 8s, and then 9s, then the 10s? What happens afterwards? The Queens and Kings?
The Emperor showing up here is interesting, since that was one of the Major Arcana that the Shrine of Steel Undying could have added if we had the resources. Does that mean that it's a "good thing" to have show up, for whatever value of good? If it had been added through the shrine, would only one Major Arcana have been added during our next night, or would it still have been two, with it jumping to the "next in sequence"? And what is the sequence of added cards, anyhow? It's clearly not the basic order, since we've skipped Magician and High Priestess.
- Location
- New Brunswick, NJ
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
While this is a valid thing to do, I will remind you that the Aspiration is not just "what is my goal of the moment" -- it is the thing that you are Ascending for, it is the overriding yearning of your soul that you cannot satisfy in base reality, which is why it was a foundational question of character creation. So far, it has been the desire to know, which hopefully has come out in Ash's internal monologue. Changing it is a big deal, which will be reflected accordingly in the narration, since what that means is that Ash now wants something else with all their heart than they did previously.
It's a big and serious tool for shaping character direction. I'm letting you have access to it, because the alternative is to deny you sovereignty over the shape of Ash's desires, but keep in mind how impactful it is.
(Edit: That said, I reserve the right to veto meme Aspirations, including but not limited to "I aspire to be the very best like no one ever was (Swords)". I don't care if you started your journey by seeing a big magic bird, your opportunity to have that Aspiration specifically without it being a meme ended the moment you voted to be named Ash.)
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- Location
- The Surface Of A Hostile Planet
to catch them is my real test
to train them is my cause
to train them is my cause
It's not just the latter half of the dream that was all in theme, I think you can draw a pretty coherent narrative for the whole night about Ash's lack of connections. First the omen, then an altar to what I think is the suit associated with Ash's former life which they found themselves not worthy to pray at, then someone who shares that ambition. The whole thing could be read as a commentary on Ash's past, a reminder of the path that lead them to where they are and what they've lost. But then we made a connection with Idra through that ambition, and resolved to help Aiglan with our ascent, so I feel like this time around Ash intends to be the best but still have friends. For as the Book of Small Spheres says, "our courage shall pull us through, you teach me and I will teach you".
So yeah, no change.
[X] No change to Aspiration
So yeah, no change.
[X] No change to Aspiration
[X] No change to Aspiration
I think Ash's socialization is just fine. We haven't screamed at anyone for no reason or harassed poor employees.
I think Ash's socialization is just fine. We haven't screamed at anyone for no reason or harassed poor employees.
- Location
- Actually pretty lost
[X] No change to Aspiration
Are you saying we're not travelling across the dreamlands, searching far and wide? Each tarot card, to understand, the power that's inside?
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Kitty!
I really like the instruction of "to recover from spiritual strain, do things that feed the soul", and the response of "adopt kitty." (And doing other things.)
[X] No change to Aspiration
[jk] I aspire to become a cat.
I really like the instruction of "to recover from spiritual strain, do things that feed the soul", and the response of "adopt kitty." (And doing other things.)
[X] No change to Aspiration
[jk] I aspire to become a cat.
- Location
- New Brunswick, NJ
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
I cannot even with this shit.
Vote locked to an unsurprising result, update in the morning probably.
Consider yourself lucky we're not quoting Cardcaptors at you.
Yet
The Second Night -- Part One
- Location
- New Brunswick, NJ
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
You open your eyes in the dreaming-realm. No matter how many times you do that, you think you'll never take it fully in stride. There's always the sense of disorientation, when the world isn't quite operating by the rules you're used to. And of course, this time, you're not in the lowland area where you had previously always appeared. You're on your Ascent, now, and so you're higher. Still in the lowlands, but rising out of them, approaching the true foothills. Not where you were, though; there's no sign of the lonely mountain on which sat the Shrine of Celestial Winds. Just the normal oversaturated terrain of the dream, on a gentle rolling slope.
Oh, and sitting on a tree-branch not too far away is the omen vulture.
"Seriously?" you say. "Were you waiting for me? How?"
It cocks its head at you with wry interest; then, without making any noises of its own in response, it spreads its wings and launches itself into the air, flapping to gain height until beginning its soaring circles, high above you.
You sigh, and start walking.
THREE OF PENTACLES
As you walk, you find yourself humming a tune. Nothing you heard on the radio, and not even any of the Schubert you heard at Severance Hall the other day while you were recovering. Just... music. Kind of catchy. You stop, though, trying to focus and keep your eyes open for the next station of your Ascent, when it comes.
A little while later, you're humming again, and you realize what's going on.
A Tragoudion is a creature of tone and rhythm. It has no corpus, no visible or tangible form even within the dream; it is only sound, and the persistent psychic urge to let yourself be claimed by that sound, to dance and clap and sing. Of all spirits, it is the least metaphorical in its nature, the least symbolic. The melodic pulse of the Tragoudion doesn't mean anything or stand for anything -- it is only, entirely, itself. To get swept up in the sound is to leave everything else behind, if only for a moment.
It is, in every practical sense, harmless. It takes nothing. But many occultists have a deep-seated horror of Tragoudia. Occultists are the sort of people who live in their heads, and who have devoted themselves to metaphor and symbol. It is hard, sometimes, to leave everything behind, and harder still to return.
There is one approaching you now. You can drive it away, or you can dance with it and allow it to follow until it tires of doing so.
[] Spend one of any Supernal resource: Gain this card as an Aura.
-[] Supernal Force
-[] Supernal Connection
[] Spend one Willpower: Add this card to your Pneuma.
[][ASCENT] Keep exploring.
[][ASCENT] Wake up, ending the Night.
Decks and Resources: Character Sheet
Night-specific information: 1/max 6 Explorations
- Another night, another Three to start off with. You see what I mean, though, about how even under the previous system this would still necessitate a vote, because you have Supernals now, if you decide you want to spend them instead of Willpower.
- That said, we do need to include "do you keep exploring", since there wasn't a vote about how many Explorations to go for. Maybe I should have had one during the last Day; like I said, still figuring out what the best balance to strike between giving you all control and keeping things moving. Thoughts welcome.
- Short update, but I didn't want Ash to react too much to the Tragoudion before you decided what your response to it would be.
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Narratively, I don't think I want this thing in our head. Ash calls it harmless, but a persistent intrusive thought that could distract us at any moment seems pretty bad actually. Maybe all those occultists horrified by the Tragoudia know what they're talking about.
Mechanically, it sucks to loss a Supernal resource but it also sucks to loss Willpower, and there's a chance we'll get an opportunity to use an aura - not a great chance, if our previous cards are anything to go by, but on the bright side it's still the start of the night and we haven't seen any cards that could've used an Aura of Pentacles yet (which means they're all still in the ascent deck).
So I think I'll rather spend a resource and drive this thing away. Connection, I suppose, just because we have two of those, and that way we'll have two types of Supernal resources and an aura associated with a third so we'll be able to interact with most stuff tonight.
EDIT: wait no we don't have two Supernal connections, why did I think that? Well, still voting to use a connection, since we've seen more Cups so there's less in the deck??
[X] Spend one of any Supernal resource: Gain this card as an Aura.
-[X] Supernal Connection
[X][ASCENT] Keep exploring.
Mechanically, it sucks to loss a Supernal resource but it also sucks to loss Willpower, and there's a chance we'll get an opportunity to use an aura - not a great chance, if our previous cards are anything to go by, but on the bright side it's still the start of the night and we haven't seen any cards that could've used an Aura of Pentacles yet (which means they're all still in the ascent deck).
So I think I'll rather spend a resource and drive this thing away. Connection, I suppose, just because we have two of those, and that way we'll have two types of Supernal resources and an aura associated with a third so we'll be able to interact with most stuff tonight.
EDIT: wait no we don't have two Supernal connections, why did I think that? Well, still voting to use a connection, since we've seen more Cups so there's less in the deck??
[X] Spend one of any Supernal resource: Gain this card as an Aura.
-[X] Supernal Connection
[X][ASCENT] Keep exploring.
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- Location
- New York
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Spend one Willpower: Add this card to your Pneuma.
[X][ASCENT] Keep exploring.
Is willpower the vote to let it be, or have I misunderstood?
[X][ASCENT] Keep exploring.
Is willpower the vote to let it be, or have I misunderstood?
- Location
- New Brunswick, NJ
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Willpower is the vote to engage with it (which in this case means letting it do its thing and being caught up in its dance) and add it to your Pneuma. You need to expend a Supernal in order to drive it off; they're persistent little beasties, much like the omen vulture before it.
- Location
- Outside the Box
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Goodness, what do all these stuffy cultists have against cute friends?
[X] Spend one Willpower: Add this card to your Pneuma.
[X][ASCENT] Keep exploring.
While Willpower is precious, this is basically harmless. I'd rather save our Supernal resources for things that are more important or more dangerous.
Who is outside my house singing "be less thinky for three whole seconds," show yourself coward, I will never...
If Ash takes this into their pneuma, it will be part of them. Ash might be able to exist in the moment, without ulterior motive or other thought.
Ash is driven. So driven they burned themselves out at 28. So driven they charged through 6 stages of the Ascent on their first night and made themselves sick and sore. Ash is badly in need of some chill. I think trading a willpower for learning how to relax is well worth it.
[X] Spend one Willpower: Add this card to your Pneuma.
[X][ASCENT] Wake up, ending the Night.
Also, wake up and see if it helped. Can Ash relax? Can they learn to lose themself in the moment now or will they still retreat to the corner of the club to drink and brood? I don't expect this to be popular, but it fits thematically for me.
Are you sure this isn't a pokemon quest?
[X] Spend one Willpower: Add this card to your Pneuma.
[X][ASCENT] Keep exploring.
[X] Spend one Willpower: Add this card to your Pneuma.
[X][ASCENT] Keep exploring.
- Location
- New Brunswick, NJ
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
That's not quite the order of causality at play. Ash choosing to expend their Willpower to engage with something they encounter doesn't (usually) mean that they are absorbing magical power from it directly like some sort of amoeba absorbing other microbes. Rather, it means that Ash is asserting to themself/the universe at large that they are the sort of person who does that sort of thing. You don't develop yourself in a Pentacley direction by eating a Tragoudion and gaining its power, you do so by being the sort of person who has an impromptu dance party with a living song. Does that make sense? It's a little like the concept of "fake it until you make it," but writ mystical. The Tragoudion doesn't give you the power to have a dance party, it gives you the memory of having had a dance party with it.
It also means there's another little magic critter following you around, which you may have feelings about one way or another.
Between the little magic critter already following you around, the new one you just found, Hana, [REDACTED], and [REDACTED], I grow less sure by the day.