[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/1ubOwp3.png[/img] [i][h2][sup][sup][b][color=#0AE6D3]Cath Melainea[/color] & [color=pink]Aethel[/color][/b][/sup][/sup] [sup][sup][sup][sup]A collab by [@yoshua171] and [@Bright_Ops][/sup][/sup][/sup][/sup][/h2][/i][/center][sup][sup][sup][hr][/sup][/sup][/sup]An artist might have coined the term ‘Ocean of Dreams’ to refer to some ideal or metaphorical mindset that one needs to enter in order to experience things beyond the standard reality; While Aethel could and did liken themselves as an artist (if they actually were an artist was debatable), the Ocean of Dreams that they crafted lived up to its name in that it was a literal ocean. Traveling through the Ocean of Dreams required one to swim. In theory, it was water that all visitors to the realm that got there without falling asleep was submerged in, for the Ocean of Dreams didn’t have a ‘surface’ as it were, but it lacked a number of the traits that water should possess. The first and most important for if and when a mortal somehow managed to end up here (Mortals tended to get [i]everywhere[/i], no matter what you did after all) was the fact that one could breathe normally regardless of what they [i]should[/i] require to fill their lungs. The second was that despite how one felt like they were submerged in water, with all evidence pointing to that conclusion as everything seemed to have a weightless feel to it as it drifted in the softly moving tide, there was never a sense of wetness to go with it; The sensation of being submerged in water without being submerged in water. The ocean itself seemed to go on for as far as the eye could see… and drifting in the tide in all directions in their hundreds of thousands floated the orbs. Each orb seemed to glow with a primary color, with easily noticeable traces of other colors flashing across the surface every now and then… and each one represented someone in the waking world who was currently dreaming, experiencing whatever the deeper depths of the mind wanted them to experience via visual, audio or alternative mediums for in the Ocean of Dreams the limitations of the body faded away and the mental held sway in full. [hr] Upon the skull of a great stone behemoth with the shimmering starlight above and the shifting waves of the ocean beneath, Melainea fell into repose. Eyes open, her awareness drifted across the titan’s back and deep into its core, gently skimming against the subconscious surface of her would-be subjects. Something curious occurred, for as her deific attention settled like a weighted blanket upon their bodies and their souls, so too did their dreaming minds react. A great contentment fell upon them, an unknowing languor, a haze of emptiness, a daze. Though yet to truly live and breath, each of them dreamed, and so their emotions were reflected ‘pon another sea, of which the Goddess did not yet know. First, the impressions trickled slowly into being within the many bubbles of the dreamspace, like royal ink, dying everything purple as it bled upon the pages of their many minds. Yet, this violet haze did move, dancing slowly, rhythmically to an unheard tune. Tracing lazy glyphs, humming a dreadful tune of silence and of sleeping while one had yet to fall into slumber’s soft embrace. Like satin, like ribbon, like the sound of a mother soothing babe, that inky violet invaded that unseen realm. Unaware, Cath Melainea pondered the subtle motion of the waves and sky. She considered what she might do with the children her titan had in tow. Her children. She smiled faintly and the ink blossomed across many spheres, becoming vibrant and alive. Within the great Collussus many sleeping hearts soared in a brief outpouring of ecstatic joy, before falling once more back to calm. Greens and blues, yellows too the colors danced in tune within the dream-spheres till they slowly bled back to violet, trailing like smoky threads within each mind’s domain. All around those dreaming souls, the spheres of many others remained chaotic and truly strange. Yet, in this pocket of the endless Dreaming Sea all was in harmony for each soul remained in sweet melodic sway. It was this strange calmness in the otherwise chaotic nature of the Sea of Dreams that drew Aethel’s attention to it in much the same way that movement at the corner of one’s eye did. As the equine drifted over to investigate, their curiosity piqued; Whatever was causing the disturbance wasn’t happening in the Sea itself like had been originally expected when the Sea was developed, but instead something had gathered together a number of mortals in one place and was influencing them there. Having designed the system, it was child’s play for Aethel to trace one of the affected persons back to their physical body. After that, all it took was a small amount of effort and… without a noise their mind and body realigned as their physical self simply appeared within what appeared to be one of Homura’s giant transport beast… things. Blinking slightly as they shifted into a form that wouldn’t cause any mortals nearby to suffer horribly if they encountered it, Aethel decided to try something a bit new and different in order to change things up. Rather than the more equine bipedal form they favored, they opted instead for a more traditional humanoid form… though the hair seemed more like a solid piece then traditional hair should be. Now that the body count was going to be minimized, Aethel began looking around to see if they could locate the deity they had come all this way to find. All around her, blanketed by the embrace of a gentle violet-blue flame, thousands of humans slept. Yet, twas clear they had never even been awake, so deep in their slumber were they kept. As she searched through the core of the great stone behemoth, far above, another presence stirred. A brief pulse of light traveled through the violet flames that blanketed every surface and the sound of rushing air swiftly became apparent. Its volume rose, as something careened ever nearer, and then, at the end of the hall a whirling dervish of power rounded a stone-made corner. It gathered there, that wild violet flame, pulsating with strange otherworldly light. Behind it, the world seemed to warp and twist, as if some other realm dwelled beyond its luminescent surface. Slowing, the wind dying down till twas but a breath, the flames coiled upon themselves forming in their midst a feminine silhouette. Glowing ember orbs opened, their light glaring across the distance that yet remained between them. The figure took a step, filled with poise and grace, limned with silence, and preceded only by a subtle air of calm. [color=#0AE6D3][b]“Who is this, that steps among my children. A trespass, uninvited? A threat, a friend, a sister?”[/b][/color] Melodic, lilting, with deep undertones, and a richness that mortals could not stomach, these were the traits of her voice as it traveled the distance that remained. Carefully, with confidence, the Crucible moved to close the gap, stepping lightly as she did. Yet behind her trailed a great and terrible weight of power. A gown of flame, night-dark tongues of ashy desolation. A veiled threat, kept only in reserve, should her guest require its deathly touch. When Aethel spoke, their voice had a sing-song quality all of its own as they answered “[color=pink]I am merely someone who was seeking an answer to a mystery… and I believe I have found it. As for what I am now… We will see in time, but regardless of outcome I believe siblings will always be valid.[/color]” As they walked over to meet their host proper, there was a flexibility and grace in Aethel’s movements that suggested that even the very act of walking was nothing more than a performance to be embraced and enjoyed to the fullest, both for the dancer and those witnessing it. “[color=pink]I had noticed something strange within the Sea of Dreams… something that was influencing quite a number of dreamers at once in the waking world. Curious to see what was doing that, I decided to drop in and meet a new sister in the process! I see you’ve visited Homura.[/color]” A visitor unexpected, a sibling in her home, amongst her children. Intrigued, Melainea’s form began to shift, the flames crystalizing first into fractals, then further into solid flesh and blood. Her garments formed as well, full of feathers, cloth, and fur as they settled ‘pon her figure. Smiling slightly, she regarded her sister for a moment, before crossing the distance that remained and burying her in a sudden embrace. Holding her a moment, Melainea drank of her experience, coming to know the flavor of her essence, the Aspect of her form. Then, pulling away, she stood before the Goddess of Mana, mischief in her gaze. [color=#0AE6D3][b]“This Sea of Dreams, tell me more,”[/b][/color] she begged with baited breath, her voice a sultry whisper. This was not the first time that Aethel had been embraced by another, but unlike that first time they were more than willing to return the affectionate gesture as their own arm coiled around their newfound, fabulous sibling and squeezing hard. Much like how she had drunk in their essence in order to better understand them, the favor was returned… and Aethel felt truly at ease as they found what appeared to be a missing piece of themselves. “[color=pink]It’s simple enough really… I rather enjoyed the experience of laying down and having a sleep, but by chance I wondered if I could make the experience all the more enjoyable. Since going around and blessing everyone so that they could better enjoy sleep seemed like such a bother, I instead created the Sea of Dreams so that all of them could be connected to it and appear there as they slept.[/color]” There was a pause… before Aethel grinned as they offered “[color=pink]If you want to see it for yourself, I could show it to you.[/color]” Watching with rapt attention, her eyes shifting from lidded, to wide and intense with burning violet interest, Melainea replied. [color=#0AE6D3][b]“Please do,”[/b][/color] her voice a whisper filled with curiosity and yearning. At the edges of her clothes and ‘pon the angular lines of her horns, flares of amaranthine flame shuddered and danced, revealing the true intensity of her desire for the thing of which Aethel spoke. “[color=pink]Very well then! If you’ll just close your eyes for just a moment…[/color]” They instructed. Waiting until their new sister’s eyes were closed, they reached forward and lightly placed their hand on her forehand… and with some light and sound effects that would have looked incredibly cheap and tacky in some of the entertainments that Astus’ civilisation would have employed, the pair left the waking world and transitioned into the Sea of Dreams proper. “[color=pink]Ta da![/color]” Aethel announced with some flare, their ‘hair’ already floating in weightless directions. While the environment was something that they themself were familiar with, they were curious about how Melainea would respond to the place. Something shifted in the world around her, that much she knew even with her eyes tightly shut. So it was, that after a moment, her body floating weightlessly in an unseen sea, Melainea unveiled her gaze. Her eyes widening in supreme delight, a flush colored her cheeks as she raised her hands to her lips in a quiet gasp. Flames sparked and flowed from her form, banking and rising in billowing waves that carried with them tremendous joy and exultation. A smile spread across her lips, wide and wild, her eyes filled with limitless violet mirth. Excitedly she grabbed her sister's arm and squeezed, shaking her slightly with the intensity of her jubilation. However, as deep and all-consuming as her happiness appeared, the glowing embers of her core were far more wild. Within her seeming mortal vessel an inferno raged just short of bursting through each and every seam of her being. Releasing her sibling, Melainea drifted through the vast expanse of the Dreaming Sea, her gaze darting about to peer between bubbles of glorious consciousness--each filled with the many dreams of mortals far and wide. [color=#0AE6D3][b]"It's beautiful,"[/b][/color] she whispered, and even that quiet sound echoed outwards in a wave of powerful intent, coloring everything around them with a sheen of violet power. Then, all at once, her fires paled to a hue of somber blue, like slowly flowing stream. Turning slowly, she met Aethel's eyes as tears beaded in her own and fell, slipping down her cheeks and causing ripples in the Sea. [color=#0AE6D3][b]"Yet, tis empty, nothing exists to truly enjoy its currents or the imaginings of mortals that drift therein."[/b][/color] The tears, with the same suddenness that they'd appeared, ignited into tongues of flame and burned black and violet against the unreal waters of the Sea. Once distressed, downtrodden, and despairing, Melainea squared her shoulders, pulling herself up as both defiance filled her eyes. Swiftly joining that emotion was the golden glow of intense determination. [color=#0AE6D3][b]"I would change this,"[/b][/color] she declared, and in that instance, the black edges of her deific flames burst into golden light, flooding the realm around them. From within her, an amaranthine glare grew to the point of blinding, and her eyes shone with that same pulsing luminescence. As she looked upon her sister, the creator of this wondrous realm, her gaze challenged her very essence, as if [i]daring[/i] her to try and stop her. Yet, quietly, in an unseen corner of her being, she hoped it would not come to such a frightful conflict. Truth be told, Aethel had been intending to give the Sea of Dreams some residents… though their motives weren’t as pure as wanting someone there to be able to enjoy it. The realm needed someone here to maintain it and since they didn’t want to have to fix something unless the problem demanded their personal attention as a deity, developing some breed of ‘helper’ species to handle the day to day things that popped up… in a manner of speaking, since the Sea didn’t really have a day/night cycle in the traditional sense. Melianea deciding to take that first step might have, under other circumstances, be taken as a grave insult… but reading from the emotions that she was radiating it was easy to see that she meant no slight against them; If anything, it was fueled by a desire to create something to bare witness to the backstage in order to understand and appreciate how the ‘magic’ on stage happened. Instead of being hurtful, it was flattering…. As such, Aethel was more than happy to start pouring some of their own strength into their sister’s efforts. It was nice to create something with someone else again! So it was that with her inaction, Aethel condoned creation. Gladdened by the welcome revelation that her sister would not oppose her, Melainea’s flames were stoked till they burst out from her core. It would appear as if her vessel had been but a thin skein laid upon her true nature, a glamour to hide away her glory from those unprepared for such a sight. Billowing outwards, the prismatic flames of her essence erupted from what could only be described as a violet tear within the world. Hidden beyond that aperture was a visage impossible to discern, even for her kin. T’was the Crucible of experience which briefly Aethel saw. Then, in a golden flash, the varied hues of Melainea’s widespread might snapped inwards upon numerous axes, creating singularly brilliant points of light within the endless Sea of Dreams. At the center of the gathering of starlight emanations, was the familiar countenance of Aethel’s sister. Eyes closed, fatigue upon her features, Melainea waited. Slowly, the whispers of many minds made themselves known, first as utterances to the senses of her sister, then as slithering sigils within the Dreaming Sea. From each dreamspace of that far-cast realm did these sigils emerge, seeking out the countless shining stars. Languidly, the Violet Goddess opened her eyes, her gaze falling upon her sibling. [color=#0AE6D3][b]“Brilliant and untarnished by Galbarian Law, behold ye these souls: Our children. Borne of my flame, and the dreams of mortalkind. Give unto them thine gift, such that they might act upon thy edicts, and impose upon Galbar the shifting wonders of the dream!”[/b][/color] Though she did not shout, there was a quiet intensity in her every word. Curious and eager, she awaited her sister’s choice. Having waited for their sister’s part of the performance to end and their own to begin, Aethel stepped forward as they started to pour their own energies into this new creation. While granting these new lifeforms the ability to use mana was a given, there was a simple obstacle that needed to be dealt with in order to make that mean something because the Sea of Dreams was largely separate from Galbar… and that included the winds of Mana and the system in place to manage it. This would require a bit of reshaping of the nature of the Sea of Dreams in order to connect it with Galbar and thus gain access to Mana. This… required creating gateways between the two realms that would be a physical anchor between the two of them. It wasn’t a prospect that Aethel really liked, but the exact method of how to use these gateways to gain access to the Sea of Dreams would be so complicated and dependent on circumstance that in the unlikely circumstance that a mortal managed to wander in, figuring out how to gain entry again once they were evicted would be more than a lifetime of research and experimentation. With the background changes taking place, the proper work on this new life form could begin. Considering that in their current state that these unfinished souls were closer to Mana in nature then the standard living creature, Aethel easily understood as they gave them the gift of being blessed with being able to channel it freely and naturally that these new entities would be heavily affected by the deeper, more primal ideals of the colorations they encountered. Considering the plans that they had for the creation of life within the Sea of Dreams, Aethel’s energies were bent more towards making these new creatures more attuned to their home itself, easily granting them the ability to shape and alter the Sea as required or desired… but these gifts came with a price. “[color=pink]I, Aethel, grant you life and the ability to thrive and enjoy your new home in the Sea of Dreams. In exchange for this through, I task you and your descendants with the duty of maintaining and safeguarding the Sea of Dreams from threats overt, subtle and general decay. This includes the safety and wellbeing of the dreamers within the Sea of Dreams. You are free to call upon me if a problem requires a deity in order to solve.[/color]” “[color=pink]The only restriction that I place upon you and will hold you accountable for is interfering with the Dreamers. This realm is meant to serve as a safe place for them to experience their dreams and you are not to interfere with them lightly. You will not end a dream prematurely, nor will you alter or enter one. The only time I will accept you entering a dream is if an outside force has already invaded it and it needs to be evicted. There will be [b]dire[/b] consequences if this rule is broken.[/color]” Their ‘commandants’ given, Aethel turned to their sister and offered a smile now that the serious moment had passed. “[color=pink]Do you have anything to add?[/color]” With the subtle workings of her sister’s power weaving to-and-fro, Cath Melainea remained rooted in place, hovering within the currents of the Dream, her silhouette surrounded by the numerous stars of their children. As each emanation of experience was joined to Aethel’s power, becoming souls en full, the whispering sigils gathered about their forms. Focusing on a soul before her, the Violet Goddess watched as each sigil expanded into a greater form, melding with the soul itself until the form of the entity was precisely in line with its intrinsic nature. This entity, their child, opened its eyes, and irises of red and swirling gold laid eyes upon the Dreaming Sea, their realm, their home. Melainea smiled as wonder entered the eyes of the newborn, many limbs spidering out from its shifting vessel as it turned, the sigils continuing to attune to its essence. [color=#0AE6D3][b]“Dearest children, borne of sisters two, let the tides of emotion and ideation shape your beings true. Follow thy whim and fancy, sow chaos, but beneath it all know this.”[/b][/color] Melainea’s form grew more distinct, the flames of her body crystallizing into fractals of endless depth. Her amaranth gaze pierced to the core of each child, many glowing eyes opening across her form to take in each and every one. [color=#0AE6D3][b]“You are the Lords and Ladies of this realm. Stewards and heralds both. Underpinning the storm of thy nature will reside a singular truth. Know it as such, to defy thine word is to break the covenant of your being. The covenant binds you, by it you shall not tell a lie for to do so is to be untrue to thyself and this I will not allow.”[/b][/color] The being before her, at her words, turned to gaze upon Melainea and so was struck by an unseen force. Freezing in place, something within each mortal shifted, twisting into a set pattern where it crystallized and remained, hidden beneath the veil of their appearance. Satisfied as this same reaction happened to each of their children, Melainea once more took on her mortal guise, her many eyes closing, leaving only two. Glancing to her sister, Melainea smiled in kind. However, something mischievous entered her expression as she met Aethel’s gaze. Drifting through the Sea, she made her way to Aethel and took her then into an embrace. Holding her closely, there was something far more intimate than before about the expression of her love. When she pulled away, there was a heat to her that had before not been present. Her eyes, half lidded and filled with temptation, flitted over Aethel’s form, then–with great effort–pulled away. [color=#0AE6D3][b]“What shall we call them?”[/b][/color] She said breathlessly, her tone low and filled with honey. Quietly, she slipped her hand into Aethel’s. This was a brand new experience for Aethel, but as they gazed at their sister they offered a soft, gentle smile as they squeezed her hand in return. Of course, this blissful moment was somewhat ruined by a slightly frustrated sigh. “[color=pink]I don’t like naming things. It’s hard to do right and I feel like I’m terrible at it. Granted, I’m better at it then some of our kin, but that isn’t as grand an achievement as it sounds.[/color]” Still, Aethel did look at their newly created children with the expression of one who was going to do their best for a task they didn’t like doing. After several moments of concentration, an idea managed to gain enough traction that it managed to meet with their personal approval. “[color=pink]Let them use whatever name they so wish, but compared to the races of Galbar they are ethereal…[/color]” Listening intently, Melainea nodded, before her gaze fell once more upon their children, a deep-held adoration spilling forth from her in palpable waves as she did so. Taking a breath, she closed her violet eyes and thought on the nature of their offspring, these ethereal beings in all theory mischief and glory. A gentle smile touching her features as she pondered their quintessence, Melainea spoke as if without thinking. [color=#0AE6D3][b]“They are a fey lot are they not,”[/b][/color] her eyes opened and she looked to Aethel, [color=#0AE6D3][b]“...why not call them as such?”[/b][/color] For a moment, Aethel seemed to be considering the suggestion… before a small nod was given. “[color=pink]Yes… yes I can see that. Fey is easier to remember than Ethereal anyway…[/color]” Clearly accepting the new name, Aethel was about to suggest something before… they paused. They entered a brief bout of deep thought, before they blinked as an idea came to them. “[color=pink]...At some point we need to visit the spirit world and have a chat with the god of souls. I suspect that a few of the cases passing his way might be a lot more comfortable here…[/color]” In response, Melainea only nodded, her faintly glowing eyes drifting shut as she reveled in the moment. Some time passed this way, with the mothers hand-in-hand as their children took form all around them. However, all things must come to an end, even the Crucible knew this, and so her eyes opened and she seemed somewhat renewed by the moment of quiet indulgence. Leaning into Aethel, Melainea briefly kissed her cheek, before pulling away with a teasing swiftness. [color=#0AE6D3][b]“I must go,”[/b][/color] she said, her half-lidded eyes speaking of other desires left untended. With effort, she pulled her gaze away from Aethel, glancing upon the Fey, before taking her leave. As she departed, a flirtatious whisper touched the ears of the other goddess. [color=#0AE6D3][b][i]“I’ll surely return, sweet sister, for revelry and bliss~”[/i][/b][/color] Then, with a sharp crack, Melainea’s form vanished from the Sea as she returned once more to her charges nestled deep within the Titan’s core. [hider=Summaries][hider=Narrative Summary]Her mind drifting in a gentle song, Melainea’s power seeps into the slumbering minds of her human children, so coloring the Sea of Dreams with her violet essence. Taking note of such, Aethel travels between realms, appearing within the Violet Goddess’ Colossus to investigate the intriguing disturbance. Melainea, noticing the intruding presence, confronts Aethel. The two engage in various activities, Melainea learns of–and experiences–the Dreaming Sea, and so the Fey are born from the revelation and the union of the divine sisters.[/hider] [hider=Resource Summaries][hider=Cath Melainea][u]Starting Vigor:[/u] 8/8 [b]Help Create an Extraordinary Sapient Species (-5 Vigor. 1 Free vigor from the Shard of Tempering. Total 6): The Fey[/b] [indent][i]Borne from the Sea of Dreams, the Fey are beings wrought from the Dreaming Minds of mortals and the distilled power of both Emotion and Mana. They are the first inhabitants of the Dreaming Sea and indeed its Stewards as dictated by edicts of deific source. Due to the esoteric quality of their birth, Fey are uniquely emotional entities, capable of extreme temperaments and manifestations of various psychological phenomena unheard of in most mortal beings of Galbar. However, this emotional intensity works in harmony with their innate magic, causing them to not only be accomplished wielders of mana, but to also be able to wield the power distilled power of Emotion to affect the world in exotic and startling ways. Among their innate gifts are those of biological immortality–for they have no true form which might age–shapeshifting, though this is to varying degrees, and of course the wielding of powerful magics. Fey are particularly attuned to the minds of mortals due to their plane of origin, allowing them to easily switch between languages and dialects almost without thought. Further, as they were bore unto the world from the depths of the Crucible’s essence, they all natively speak the Cathyrian Tongue. Notable beyond these traits are the peculiarities of their forms when treading upon Galbar. They are, for unknown reasons, particularly vulnerable to pure iron, which acts as a poison and a bane to their existence. Simply to be in its presence is to feel the shadow of illness or death. Its touch is especially painful and it is one of the few things from which they cannot easily heal themselves, be it by magic or natural means. Further, while they do not age, Fey can be killed though to do so requires that one strike at the very core of their being, unseating their soul from the mana that anchors it to both the Dreaming and Material realms.[/i][/indent] [u]Ending Vigor:[/u] 3/8[/hider][/hider] [hider=Aethel]Start: 3. 2 Vigor (plus 1 freeable for Mana Shard to make 3) on assisting the creation of and empowering of the Fey. 1 Vigor (plus 1 Freeable for Mana Shard to make 2) in order to empower the Sea of Dreams further so that it is connected to Galbar and have mana running through it; These places where the Sea of Dreams touches Galbar create doorways into the SoD, but the method for a mortal to properly cross over often requires a rather precise and often complex set of circumstances that to do so is often a work of pure chance and actually working out the exact rules of an individual ‘Fey Portal’ might take decades, if not a lifetime of study and research. The Fey themselves instinctively understand how they work and how to pass through them.[/hider][/hider]