Chapter Thirty Five

ntering Threshold I stumble, quite accidently, into RavenXR sharing a story with Shemei. I listen delightedly, and take the opportunity when he is finished, to ask RavenXR for his story during the Dreamstrike days. I had previously learned that RavenXR was one of those who carried the art, and that he had chance to use it upon Guard Dog.

"It was a chaotic time with the pieces of the Codex of Immortal dreams broken down further than they were in the past. There were nearly 15 pieces if I remember correctly. Shortly after the pieces started appearing, the Cowled one begain to enter the city. He would be in the Threshold Caves. The ceremonial hall perhaps? I forget what it is called now. Its right up front there, with the semi circle on one side and the platorm on the other. Which you must go through the maze to find."

Dremorus interjects: "Aye. the same location where Telomir shattered it after reforging it." RavenXR nods and continues.

"Regardless, I seem to remember him only being within the city 15 minutes, not a full thirty. Once a week. At the same time. I do believe a few weeks past, with nothing significant happening. He moaned a bit, moved around made some odd noises. Then disappeared. He would always hold up his bony fingers, all five of them.And one week he started dropping those fingers. Counting. It was unclear as to what was going on, and I dont know that many of us thought much of it.

"It is believed that this is when Loveslight learned the art. I have been told personally that her sphere crest was seen, stained red Which was the mark of Dream Strike. I am unsure how the stories emerged, but it was said that she did Hiro Ulee in on Illapse Mountain one day. He had a very...negative history with the home. And would have been a likely choice to test her new powers."

Dremorus makes another note in the story: "His soul essence was never found though... so there was no definitive 'proof.'"

"As Centurion of the Covenant, and leader of the FreeSoul Knights it was seen as a direct threat to have the leader of the Illuminate Front holding the dreaded art. As such, it was decided that if the Covenant were to obtain the necessary parts, I was to take on the burden of the Art. During this time the Front and the Knights had made a very strong reemergance And the Freesoul Illuminate beliefs were truely at the forefront. I am sure you have read about them and their battles of the past."

Dremorus: "The seneschals turned the houses in that direction. Previously it had been 'essence manipulation' that forged alliances between the houses."

"As they should have. I still feel as though the FreeSoul, Illuminate debate is most important."

"The Union at the time, was rather close with the Shadow. As the Shadow too had emerged FreeSoul After some searching, the Covenant found numerous pieces of the Codex of Immortal Dreams... And was secretly supplemented with a few more by the Shadow.

"The original 8 or 9 pieces from the lore, were found to be broken into about 15 pieces. There were no duplicates.Some were re-found after they were used to learn strike As the Cowled one seemed to dispurse them about the city once again after he took them.

"Once the Covenant was in possesion of five pieces, it was upheld that I would learn the art. And so, we planned. We used a decoy, emoting that they were handing over pieces. Naturally they were attacked. Meanwhile I was the one handing over the pieces, silently from the back. With each piece the Cowled one would identify it, and drop a finger. When the fifth was done his fist clenched, a rumble filled the room as he rose up and evoked train. I was then a holder of the art.

"Soon after I learned the art, he started appearing in random spots. There was no way to predict where he would show, so it became a race."

Dremorus: "One thing to note is that when his location was found out, he would often remain there, at least for a few weeks. Chasm, Albino, Trinity, etc."

"Press forward in time. GuardDog, ruler of the entranced... a Home that we at the Covenant had some issues with. Began to come after me, and my family. He would come to our home with insults, and tales of Codex pieces that the Gathering held. Stating his intentions to learn the art, and to use it against us. So, two rooms outside of the Covenant on the Edgeward Barrows a fight emerged. The entranced there were collapsed, as the wards remained. And I took the opportunity to prevent that home from learning the art in the form of taking the dreams of their prominent Ruler. It has left me with a burden that I continue to carry, however I stand behind my decision to this day.

"For many dreams following that I was not able to navigate the city without someone following me. Often I would have someone at my side spewing insults and hate within seconds of entering the city. I was attacked, constantly. Flooded with Soul Shield in attempts to prevent me from using Mind Blank. As heartless as I am protrayed to be, I still returned his soul essence to his family. Publically."

At this point I am burning with a question for RavenXR. "Forgive my intrusion, did you have help with the deed from others, or was it done using wards?"

"Wards were up. Standard practice for a battle in such a room. However, he stood there. He watched it coming. There were no attempts at soul evoke and shatter. Nothing."

Dremorus responds: "Some will walk into the flames, knowing their flesh will burn but their name will live through martyrdom. That or to be blunt, he was a bit over-aggressive in nature. As his name so accurately implied."

Fiorel, standing silently until this point in the room, asks to speak. We all turn to listen. "In the biography I'd read about Guarddog for one of my sphere tasks... He had begun to hear things and see visions at this time. And he went to Union in opposition to draining that day. He might not have been in right mind, but if it was an Ancient that guided him... Then all of the Gathering would know how destructive draining was."

More interesting facts were uncovered in the continuing conversation that followed. RavenXR reaveled that Dreamstrike could not be used on any of the House Planes themselves, nor in the Citadel. Ironically enough, it was not an aggressive art and it could be evoked in Sanctuary-- although the probability of it being used in Sanctuary was extremely low, given the absense of bared soulspheres in such a place.

I thank RavenXR and compliment his him on his skilled story-telling. With his account, I have happily found another piece to that puzzle that is the Dreamstrike period.

Dreamstrike: RavenXR's story