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Sable Eye Cerena

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Post: 7713249_1 created on Fri, 13 May 2005 05:44:50 +0000
Posted: Fri, 13 May 2005 05:44:50 +0000

C O M I N G S O O N

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A piece of paper on the ground...

<center>"What does it mean to dream, anyway? Some believe that they're merely reflections of the day's thoughts, recorded back to you while sleeping, but... Doesn't it feel more like you're living, breathing, through them? After all, sometimes you can take control of your own dreams, and they don't always occur when you're merely asleep. What if those dreams were part of a separate plane -- a dreamscape, I think they're called -- a separate world, a separate life, but the same you? What happens to that life when you depart from this world? What if you were given the chance to keep that life when you die, to be reborn again into that dream world, at the cost of giving up the chance to be able to reincarnate?

But it's a small price to pay, isn't it? For in this world you can become your own god, you can change what happens to you and what happens around you... And to be able to conciously use it, not just when you sleep... Some would die for that kind of power. Others already have.

So.. dying to make your dreams come true... Sounds kinda neat, doesn't it?"</center>

<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/ButterflyEdge/cerenasummonerpro1.jpg" align="right">The piece of paper, stark-white, lined, and covered with such nearly incomprehensible scribblings, seems to have an address at the bottom.

This address would lead to a grand estate, oriental in design, and almost seems floating on a large lake of water with stepping-stones leading up to the front door. It is only later that you might realize that this is the back entrance, leading to a small guest-house that served as the head-quarters for this project -- whatever it may be. Butterflies scatter at your approach, the easy to miss sound of faint wings fluttering the only legacy they leave behind.

<center>--image coming soon--</center>

Lanterns hang from various places in this area, and a girl can be seen tending to a cluster of them hanging from a rose trellis set up on the porch surrunding the small building. She turns and seems to catch sight of you, for with a small hop she waves you over.

"Hi!" The young girl greets excitedly, fiddling with the obi of the ceremonial robes she's currently wearing. She looks extraordinarily young -- mid-teens, it seems -- and the only thing of note otherwise are the soft white feathers portruding on either side of her head. These are characteristic of valkyries, one who guides the souls of the dead, though she doesn't expect you to immediately recognize that.

"Oh," She catches notice of the sheet of paper you hold, "I see you found my advertisement!" And before you can ask what the purpose of such a thing was she's already gone, slipping in the doorway of the house and gesturing for you to follow.

"Welcome to Desiderium gateway, or headquarters, whichever you prefer to call it!" She flashes you a lopsided grin amist her scurrying to light up the front room of this building. "Oh, please sit down..." She waves to a pile of pillows in front of a roaring fireplace as she walks over to a sliding door, briefly disappearing into what must be a kitchen area. "Would you like some tea? If you'll wait a few moments for me to gather my things, I'll explain everything in a moment..."

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Sable Eye Cerena

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Post: 7713249_2 created on Fri, 13 May 2005 05:46:09 +0000
Posted: Fri, 13 May 2005 05:46:09 +0000

--images coming soon--</center>

The girl -- Cerena -- comes back a few moments later with a tray and a bundle of documents, papers, and books tucked beneath her arm. Unsteadily making her way over to where you sit, she plops herself down, miraculously managing not to spill the tea and, placing the pile of papers next to her on the bare wooden floor, she places a cup and a plate of pastries in front of you and begins to pour the tea.

"I suppose I should call this a project," She says finally, raising her own cup to her lips and taking a careful sip, "For that's what it is, technically. We call it Desiderium -- sounds kinda like a mix between desire and delirium, right? -- and it's the shared name of this project and the.. village it resides in. I'll tell you about it soon enough." Placing the cup down, she turns to the pile and begins to messily rummage through it. Finally she pulls out a book, leather-bound and gilded in gold, somewhat like a fairytale book, and after turning it to the first page, she offers it to you.

The book

Once upon a time once existed only in a land of dreams, known to some as Aliapaer. Forgotten lands and faded legends stitched themselves together to form a patchwork world of the lost. It was ruled over by an entity known only as Void, an energy and power which flowed through every person and thing residing there. Length, height, width, volume, time... None of these dimensions were required in Aliapaer, only that of the fifth: opportunity.

Once upon a time was born to the people of that world, those lost in their own dreams or those meant to stay there because there was nowhere else for them anymore. They lived in harmony at first, working towards a better and brighter world, but slowly the world corrupted...

Once upon a time in this far-away land, the people tried to rid themselves of that same corruption that plagued them, doing whatever it took to scour their souls clean of the dirt that stained them through the ages. Dreams and lives alike were cut short in the process, martyrs to the pull of the Darkness. This led to an unspoken catastrophe, and the stitches were cut loose -- leaving much of Aliapaer to separate and drift away.

Before time, the world lived in perfect harmony, home to only Void. Then the world was divided.

Now the only known remaining shard left is a small village by the name of Desiderium. Calling to those wandering, lost in life, Desiderium seeks to shelter forgotten souls and, giving them the unique opportunity to be reborn as a child of dreams, work to revive Aliapaer once more.

The closer one gets to attaining Perfection and living only in Light, the larger one's Shadow grows. There's obviously more than what meets the eye -- but how much are you willing to risk to know the truth? In a world where the competition to live grows fiercer by the second, even just one mistake could get you killed or leave you haunted by your past for the rest of your life. There is just as much reason to die as there is to live.

What would you give for a second chance?

"The author of that particular entry is a little... dramatic, shall we say. Aliapaer is really a very lovely world." Cerena murmured, allowing you to keep the book and rifle through it should you choose. There are only half-written things, though, and none of them are written in the same spidery handwriting as the first entry. After the first few pages, the rest are blank.

As if to dissolve any confusion you may have, she hurries to explain further: "Have you heard of Alice in Wonderland? Well, Aliapaer is what we use to call the same place... It's theorized that it's a world completely shaped by will and wishes and desires alone, that can only be entered when you allow yourself to escape your physical senses... So during sleep."

"It's also said that when you're dreaming and enter this world, you're always taken to a different place... Sometimes a 'blank slate' piece of the world that you can shape however you want, though most people are so out-of-tune with this part of them that they can only react instead of taking charge. There are those who can control themselves in dreaming, though... I think you call it 'lucid dreaming'?"

"So most people won't recognize it's a world in its own right, but it is -- well... was. Recently something happened and.. yes. So we're trying to make it safe once more, repopulate it, and such... And the easiest way to do that is -- well, draw people in. You know? People who want second chances, who want power, who want revenge, who want a new life, who want a continuation on their old life... In exchange we ask that they live primarily in our world, to help us rebuild it. Except... There are those who are concerned that once, uhm, immersed in a world that relies on senses other than we, right now, do, the newly-born children would be unable to come back to this world or any other such physical world..."

"Which is where you come in!" Seeming to pause in her long speech, Cerena beamed and held out another packet, this time containing information about the typical lifestyle of such children.

Sable Eye Cerena

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Post: 7713249_3 created on Fri, 13 May 2005 05:47:10 +0000
Posted: Fri, 13 May 2005 05:47:10 +0000

--image coming soon--</center>

Cerena's attention seems to wander off as you begin to browse through the packet, pulling out pictures attached to pages of notes and explanations. Sipping calmly at her tea, the brunette finally directs you to what is meant to be the first page and arranges the other pictures around the table for easier access.

First page

<center>A life in Desiderium begins by the call to and attraction of any spirit, unable to move on, through the dark woods near Durem and through the veil separating Gaia from our world. Guided to the Temple of Oblivion and bid to drink from the still waters of the river that runs through our village, the three priests waiting there will supress the old life of the spirit and attempt to purify it as much as possible, form the new body in the shape of a child, and then bind the spirit and body together.

In this fashion, old memories and abilities are initially supressed, but the seals may be weakened in a combination of determination and the help of the ones who put them there, provided they have permission to do so. This newly reincarnated child, now a resident of Desiderium, has the chance to do whatever with his or her life as he or she pleases.</center>

Pictures and explanations of the various stages of growth comes afterwards.

<img src="http://www.kologaria.com/gaia/desi_butterfly_bycere.jpg" align="left"> The spirit is initially reborn in the shape of a butterfly, as the making a body takes some time -- and as the process of rebirth into Desiderium and ultimately Aliapaer is very similar to that of reincarnation, the spirit needs some time to be able to separate him or herself from his or her past life, and be able to at least make some vague goals for his or her next life. Though memories may be explored (and it is encouraged in this stage), they and all thought processes in this stage will be sealed during the transfer to the next. They will be available as subconcious things, however, perhaps more deeply accessible in dreams, so these explorations are not a futile waste of time.

It is also thought that any physical actions in this stage -- sunbathing, for example -- will affect the physical and mental disposition of the body when it is bound to the spirit. Sun streaks in dark hair may appear, for example, if the hair is not lightened completely -- or the newly reborn child may appear 'sunnier' (so to speak) initially.

<img src="http://www.kologaria.com/gaia/desi_child_byfinni.jpg" align="right"> The butterfly-spirit must undergo a name-quest to fully bind itself to its new body. It can either choose its old name, showing a subconcious and vague idea that it will stick to its old path and thus merely be granted an extension on its old life, or else pick a new name and forge a new path. Any decisions made can be changed at any point, however, as nothing is set in stone yet.

The child stage is very first stage in which the 'Desi' may be able to interact fully with others and in Desiderium. They are usually curious and inquisitive at this stage, as they are still getting used to their new bodies, and oftentimes do foolish and extreme things in order to relearn their own boundaries. Their past generally does not come to play here as this stage was designed to allow them to get used to Desiderium and Aliapaer as a whole. They are allowed to do small, simple missions, such as gardening or watching over others. There is a school available for these children, and some training is required in order for them to be allowed to wield weapons, use magic, or go on bigger missions. Innate abilities generally start to manifest at the midpoint or later in the child stage.

<img src="http://www.kologaria.com/gaia/desi_teen_byfinni.jpg" align="left"> After undergoing a brief trial in which the seals on his or her memories are severely weakened, the Desi will be thrust into the teen stage of turmoil.

Innate abilities and powers will become more manifest in the teenage stage, and a whole different kind of exploration is discovered in this age-group. Self-exploration is more highly emphasized here as the past may come into play once more, but exploration of relationships and others is generally favored still. Having hopefully completed at least a basic training by now they are able to more fully hone their skills, and the option of more difficult missions becomes available at this point. They are also able to take on a variety of jobs should they want to earn more money. They are also able to spend more amounts of unsupervised time outside the village.

<img src="http://www.kologaria.com/gaia/desi_youth_byfinni.jpg" align="right"> After overcoming a peculiar sort of trial ("metamorphosis" might be a more accurate description), the teen Desis are allowed to advance to youth stage. Abilities, both physical and magical, should ideally reach their peak point around this stage. Their paths and destinies are determined by now -- and they are, at this point, able to follow through.

When you are done reading through these things, you look up to see Cerena quickly scribbling something down on a nearby scrap of paper. "Oh, uhm, here," She hands it to you with a sheepish look, "It wasn't covered in the descriptions."

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"Memoriae," Cerena begins, "Are sort of like guardians, and more like remnants from the Desi's past. Nothing and no one can live through an entire lifetime without being marked like that, you know, and the priestesses aren't perfect in their being able to completely purify a being. Usually they ask, though it isn't always necessary, what the greatest regret and greatest hope of a spirit-before-they're-reborn are... If they know, then it is somewhat more easily determined what the Memoriae will be. Sometimes they manifest as markings or jewelry or even weapons -- small, inanimate things that stay with the Desi their entire lives -- or, in Itziar's case," She gestures to the scrap of paper, "They manifest into animate things that help and guide the Desi in their lives. They evolve and grow alongside of the Desi, and are sometimes even able to aid him or her in battle."

There is a pause as she refills her cup with rapidly-cooling tea, and, taking a small sip, continues. "There are other things in Desiderium that a Desi may use and interact with, other than people, to further him or herself. ...If that makes any sense. I'm not really good at this exposition speaking-all-fancy-like-ish-stuff. Anyway, if you'll flip through the pages, you'll see another list of such features..."

Sable Eye Cerena

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Post: 7713249_4 created on Fri, 13 May 2005 05:50:28 +0000
Posted: Fri, 13 May 2005 05:50:28 +0000

--images coming soon--

"There! Stop there!" Cerena suddenly yells as you flip through the book, jabbing a fan you didn't realize she'd picked up at the pages. Glancing down at them, they seem to illustrate a certain crystalline-type material that is heavily prevalent in Aliapaer.

"They're called 'krystals', with a 'k' -- I'm not sure why, I guess it's do distinguish them from normal crystals." Cerena explains, digging beneath the table for some unexplainable reason. With a small 'aha!' of satisfaction, though, she finally drags out a silver chain with an ethereal-looking pendant attached.

"This is an example of a krystal. Basically -- you read the part about the fifth element, right? Well, krystals are sort of... imperfect embodiments of it. They have the opportunity to become.. well.. a lot of things, really." She shrugs, an apologetic gesture for her vague explanation.

"We call these kinds of krystals 'stage one' krystals. You can mine them in Desiderium, they grow sort of like bushes in areas where 'opportunity' is not widely used -- so unpopulated areas, I guess, or lawyer firms. These krystals in particular are used to absorb a certain element in a form so purified that anyone can use it, magic-users and warriors alike. The problem is, is that it's very easily and quickly used up, so the most you usually get is one use out of it before you have to 'recharge' it again. Anyone can 'recharge' krystals through concentration and understanding of purified magic, but it's usually easier to pay the craft-charmer to do it for you."

Cerena places the krystal down on the table for you to inspect while she rummages beneath the table again. Finally she seems to find what she's looking for this time, and drags out two handpuppets. Tugging one of them onto her hand, she begins to explain again, this time with dramatic puppet-y gestures:

"For example, you could use a stage one krystal to absorb purified-light-magic. Normally, without training, it would just sit there and look pretty without actually doing anything. Through will alone though -- and usually through subconcious wishing -- it can be shaped to help you -- through the limited use of a new ability, a new physical feature, or by enhancing certain stats. Like so!"

"'Blank' krystals can be worn, though they won't initially be useful at all. Instead of magic, they'll absorb the memories and feelings of the wearer -- and people used to use them as recording devices in the past, I think there are historic krystals on display in the library in Desiderium if you'd like to see that -- and eventually the krystal will absorb so much of the person (as long as it's not expelled, used to hold anything else, or passed off to another person for longer than an hour) that it will become something close to concious. Err... Not that wearing it will make someone into a zombie, it won't actually steal anything away from a person." Cerena blinked confusedly at her own explanation.

"...Anyway. The result is what we call a 'stage two' krystal. Although it's still not very useful, at least as far as I can tell -- maybe there are uses for such krystals that haven't been documented yet -- it can do one very neat thing. It will only do said neat thing if you've worn it for... for years on end, practically, or if you 'sacrifice' your memoriae to it. At the price of not being able to see or use your memoriae again in their normal stages, they will instead inhabit the krystal and turn it into what we call a 'living weapon'. This weapon will only appear at the will of the user, and its form will evolve along with the power of the user. Here, lemme demonstrate..."

You wonder if you should feel surprised when she takes the current handpuppet off and replaces it with another one. You settle for vaguely interested.

"The last stage!" Cerena declares, hardly giving you any time to digest the information, "refers to a cluster of krystals. The priestesses give one to each Desi when they're born -- and stage 2 krystals are usually formed by taking a small piece from this cluster -- and it, too, grows and evolves along with the Desi. I'm not sure why, maybe they put the past into the stage 3 krystal... Like the memories, and pieces of the old personality, and things." She shrugged, taking a deep breath before continuing.

"It's a vital part of each Desi. Because much of Aliapaer is destroyed, but it's not exactly a normal world that makes sense like Gaia does, the destroyed parts are kind of like... fresh soil to plant things in. Only instead of dirt, it's just white blankness. When Desi dream, they get transported to a specific blank part of Aliapaer -- all their own -- to run around in while they sleep. Remember when I said krystals were embodiments of the fifth element? Well, by having a krystal cluster that's a part of them, it means that they're able to directly influence Aliapaer in their dreamings... Meaning eventually they can form their own part of Aliapaer, maybe a city or a village, that will remain even when they wake. Thus, Aliapaer will eventually be rebuilt through the help of Desi-children. I hope that makes sense." She smiled apologetically.

She reached forward and flipped the page to one illustrating such a krystal cluster. It looked like someone scribbled on it with a black crayon.

"Anyway, hopefully I've covered everything you need to know about krystals. You can ask me questions later if you still don't understand, if we have time. Normally I'd go over a few more important aspects of Aliapaer, but I don't really have anything further prepared on this subject, so I guess it'll have to wait for now. Anyway, if you'll turn the page, you'll see a map of Desiderium itself..."