Level 5
You dream that you are, along with the others you travel with, in a forest. The forest looks familiar, but you can't place where it is at the moment. You do what you're accustomed to doing when you take a break on the ground. Penny is sitting and playing her violin on a tree stump, a quite pleasant and calming song. Theren is sitting and studying his book, while fiddling with the ring on his finger. Willowbark is talking to your horses, and it looks like a quite engaged conversation. Demetrius is sitting and enjoying the music that Penny is playing while enjoying a cup of what looks like wine. Granny sits a bit on the outskirts and plays with Pip who is flying around her. She laughs.
You stand by the fire and cook. It's getting late in the day, and you see the sun is going down over the trees. You suddenly hear a loud boom in the distance, and you look up and can see that far away there is a storm approaching you. You look up at the clouds and see a pair of eyes staring back at you. You feel a deep silence and notice that Penny's music has stopped. Before you can think more about it, you feel two hands grabbing you from behind. You turn around and see all your companions suddenly looking sicker. Massive wounds and cuts over their faces and hands, and dead, rotting eyes staring hungrily at you as blood and drool run out of their mouths.
It's Penny who has grabbed you, she tries to bite you, and you hear the clacking of teeth against teeth missing. In a desperate attempt, you stretch out your hand, and feel the energy flowing through you and towards your fingertips, before the energy is released. You close your eyes, hear pop pop pop pop pop.
You hear the music again and open your eyes, and see that everyone is sitting as they were when you started the dream…
Level 6
You have just taken off your gear, neatly placed it beside the bed, ready to put on quickly if needed, and lie down in your bed for a well-deserved night's sleep. As you drift into dreamland, your eyes closed, you suddenly notice that your surroundings are much brighter than they should be. Annoyed, you open your eyes and see a rift in the air above you. You don't have much time to think about what's happening before you're suddenly shot up from the bed, into the rift, and find yourself floating above a layer of clouds, in broad daylight. You see a couple of mountain peaks in the distance, but apart from that, it's just clouds as far as the eye can see. You float right above the clouds, dangling in the air. In front of you, you see the cloud layer beginning to rise, and a massive figure emerges. Your favorite god, Udall. His skin is partially transparent, and you can see a flood of electricity flowing through him. If you had to guess, you'd say he's maybe 100 meters tall in front of you.
'We need to talk.'
'Actually, I will talk, and you will listen. You may not see what I am doing is in your best interest, but it is. You are conflicted. It is not your mistake, but it is your problem to deal with. You need to learn that your new friends rely on you. You all rely on each other, more than you realize. You have difficult times ahead of you, and you need to be ready. You and your friends have rung the bell, and things have been set in motion that cannot be stopped. You all will have a part to play in the coming events, and you need to be ready.'
He stretches out his hand towards you, and holds it under you, so you can stand in the palm of his hand. As soon as your feet are planted on solid... hand, you and Udall suddenly shoot forward, through the cloud layer, down towards a mountain peak, and you arrive at a small platform near the top of a mountain. On the platform, there is a large pillar stretching maybe 10 meters up into the sky, and you can clearly see Udall's emblem etched into it, along with some celestial text that you don't understand.
'These are places of power.'
You look closer and can see some figures offering prayers and sacrifices to the pillar.
'People use these places to give offerings and make prayers to us. Some of these places have been abandoned, and some even corrupted. In time, I might guide you towards one of these places, so you and your friends may cleanse them. We need all the power we can get in the coming days. And you cannot do this alone.'
You start to float upward again, above the cloud layer. He looks down at you. Almost with a judging glance.
'Do not forget what you are. What you can become again.'
He lets you go, and you start to fall backward.
'Your mother and father send their regards.'
You fall and fall, and fall back through the rift above your bed, and hit the bed, surprisingly lightly, almost like when you wake up from falling in a dream, and it's morning again.
Level 7
You notice that you are lying on something hard. A hard surface of some kind. It's dusk, you can tell by the sky, but everything is blurry. It takes you a few seconds to focus on what you see, and you look up through a hole of some sort? You see that the walls around you are made of earth. You try to get up, but you can't. You can't even move. You lie with your arms folded over each other, and you feel panic beginning to take hold of you. Why can't you move? Suddenly, you see several figures emerge from the opening of the hole. All of them are dressed in black, the men with stiff gazes, and the women all have a black veil over their faces. You see a couple of children standing among the adults.
One of the people, one of the women, bends down and picks up some soil, which she throws down at you. You recognize this woman. The same woman who has haunted your dreams at times. A woman with her hands stretched out towards you, in a plea for mercy.
The others also start throwing soil at you. You recognize several more. And more, and the more you recognize, the more soil covers your sight, until eventually, you can't see anymore, and you can't breathe. You just hear the sounds of soil hitting soil, again and again, until you finally don't hear anymore, and you just lie there, waiting… Waiting for the end that never comes.
Level 8
You dream that you are in a vast and endless void. You look at your
hands and see that you are not wearing your armor, but a simple tunic,
your hair is longer than you are used to, and golden, instead of white.
In the distance, all around you, you can see what looks like stars,
galaxies, nebulae. A gray veil appears out of nowhere. It spreads,
surrounding you, but keeps its distance. You cannot touch it even though
you try. Behind the veil, you can see a woman, tall, pale, with a black
dress and a black veil covering her face, but you can see her white
eyes through it. You feel a familiarity, but you don't quite know where
it comes from. As if you know this person well, but at the same time,
not. She reaches out her hand towards you, through the veil, and you
reach out your hand back to grasp it, but before you make contact, you
are powerfully pulled backward, and everything turns dark.
Level 9
You squat alone in a temple that you recognize as belonging to Udall.
The temple is open, more of a shrine than a temple, and through the
pillars, you can see that you are at the top of a mountain, but you
can't quite place where you are. You don't recognize the city below the
mountain, but it's BIG, bigger than any city you've seen before. You sit
and work with something, a stone of some sort. You try to figure out
what it does, moving it around, trying to hit it. After working with it
for a while, you notice that a piece falls off, and you realize that you
need to break out whatever is inside. You pry off piece after piece
until finally, you're left with The Key, which you found under Wave Echo
Cave. Suddenly, you notice thin threads coming out of your arms, your
legs, going up above you. You look towards where they lead, and see a
dark figure with a disgusting smile, controlling you like a marionette.
Level 10
In your dream, you stand atop a mountain, surrounded by a massive storm. You feel the wind blowing in your hair and the energy of lightning striking around you. Above you, in the storm, you can see a figure. An elven woman sailing through the storm, wielding a spear. You take off and fly after her, and you feel your veins filled with electricity that keeps you going. It feels… liberating.
You approach the figure you saw and recognize the face from the books you and Dandelion looked through. Maravin. She looks back at you and begins to flee from you. You feel your pulse pounding against your chest, as if it's about to burst out.
Maravin is fast, but you are faster, back and forth between lightning and thunder, this is your element. As you get closer, you see that she holds what you are hunting for; the Stormseeker. Finally, you catch up to her, and are about to grab her, but suddenly she disappears in a flash of lightning, and she's suddenly even further ahead.
The chase continues for what seems like an eternity, until you finally get close enough to grab the spear. You roll around in the storm clouds, both with lightning shooting out of your eyes, and she gives you a stern look, as if you are doing something wrong. You suddenly feel the energy disappearing from you, and a lightning bolt hits you in the side, causing you to be thrown down towards the ground. You hit the mountain with a thunderous boom, and lie there, in a crater, while you see Maravin hovering above you, holding the spear at her side.
'You are not prepared.' The voice sounds like a mix of Udall and Maravin. The feeling of willpower is what comes forth, as you see her fly away and into the storm, before you wake up.
Level 11
You dream that you are standing alone in a vast, endless desert of white sand, as far as the eye can see. It's night, but you can see that the sand is lit up by the moonlight from Elysum above you, peeking out from behind the clouds. In your hand, you hold the Shard of the Warrior that you took from Grommok, and you feel the pulsation of energy as if it's a heartbeat.
From the fragment, you feel a quite intense energy flowing through you, filling you with its strength. Around you, you see that several figures begin to take the form of shadows. Silhouettes of warriors, with glowing eyes staring at you.
As you make a fist around the fragment, you notice that the shadows begin to move closer, with quite clear intentions. They want the fragment and will do anything they can to take it from you, as if it's a signal drawing them towards it.
Suddenly, you're not standing alone. Penny, Kal, and Relic all stand together beside you, ready to defend you against what's coming, but you still feel the danger you're exposing them to.
When you wake up, you feel that even though the fragment can make you much stronger, it will also be something that attracts those who wish to take it from you, and will often do whatever it takes to take it by force.
Level 12
As your eyes close, the world around you fades into darkness, and you find yourself floating in an ethereal space, hovering between the heavens and the abyss. Above you, a whirlwind of storm clouds gathers, each lightning strike illuminating a piece of a magnificent, ethereal tapestry that is just out of reach. Below you, a dark and mysterious abyss swirls, dark tentacles reaching up towards you, only to be repelled by the glow emanating from you.
You hear a whisper—faint, almost unrecognizable through the wind of the storm above. It's a voice you can't place, but still seems familiar. 'You drift, yet you shine. Find your place in the heavens or be consumed by the void.'
Suddenly, your attention is drawn to the storm above as a lightning bolt stretches downwards and strikes something you can't see. Your senses expand across the world you're in, and you see the overlap with the material plane. You see a shrine of Udall, illuminated by the storm above. Large dark figures appear, casting shadows over the shrine, and you notice the light dimming significantly.
The whispering returns, now almost like a prayer, 'Light the path, for others, and you will find your own.' As you hear the last words, it seems that the darkness and the storm recede from each other, leaving you in a calm, silent space. And then, with a jerk, you wake up.
Level 13
As you drift into sleep, you notice that the night's rest becomes something quite special. The dream first takes you to a quiet, empty room with walls covered in ancient drawings of storms, lightning, warriors, and wizards. A sense of vibrating, almost electric power fills the air.
Suddenly, a door opens in front of you, and you step into a huge cave, illuminated by an intense light source from above. In the center of the cave stands a massive, black obelisk with the symbol of Udall etched into it, pulsating with energy. At the foot of the obelisk lies the Stormseeker, the spear you have been hunting for, embraced by a supernatural light.
A voice fills the room, powerful and resonant: 'Kal, you have found your way here, to this source of power. Stormseeker is more than a weapon; it is a catalyst for change, a tool to weave destinies.'
You approach the spear, and as you touch it, you see a vision: You are leading a battle, side by side with your companions, in the heart of a violent storm, fighting against a dark and formidable threat. Stormseeker glows in your hand, channeled with your and Udall's power.
'The power it holds comes with great responsibility,' the voice continues. 'The power to protect or to destroy. How will you weave your destiny, Kal? Will you lead your companions towards light or darkness?'
The vision disappears abruptly, and you are left alone in the cave with the spear. The cave begins to fade, and the voice says one last time: 'The choice is yours, Kal. The path of power is enlightening and perilous. Choose wisely.'
You wake up in your own bed, with the echo of the voice vibrating in your mind. A feeling of overwhelming power and possibility rests in your thoughts, like a promise of what the future can bring.
Level 13
As the veil of sleep envelopes you, you find yourself standing amidst the verdant expanse of your beloved forest, the heart of Faunus' domain. The familiar scents of moss and earth mingle in the air, a balm to your spirit. Yet, an unsettling silence pervades, the usual chorus of wildlife eerily absent.
A path, not there before, beckons you forward. With each step, a sense of foreboding grows, the lush foliage giving way to a landscape marred by decay. Trees, once majestic, stand withered, their leaves ashen, the ground beneath your feet cracked and barren. A mirror, tall and imposing, stands alone in this desolation.
Your reflection is not your own. It is you, but twisted by malevolent strings that dance in the unseen wind. This other you smiles, a grim parody of joy, and begins a dance of destruction. With every gesture, swathes of the forest fall to ruin, creatures of the wood writhe in agony, and the sky darkens with the ashes of desecration.
The reflection speaks, its voice a dissonant echo of yours, "This is the path you tread, the end of your journey. Failure will see you become the very force you swore to combat, a harbinger of ruin to all you hold dear."
A figure emerges from the shadows, recognizable yet indistinct, embodying the essence of nature itself. "Not all is lost," it whispers, a voice like the rustling leaves, "The strength to avert this fate lies within. Remember who you are, what you fight for. Let not the darkness consume your light."
As the figure fades, so does the mirror, and the devastated forest around you blossoms anew, a phoenix from the ashes. Life returns in vibrant abundance, a testament to the resilience of nature... and of your spirit.
You awaken with a start, the dream's warning etched into your heart. The journey ahead is fraught with peril, but the path of destruction is not yet set in stone. Your resolve is strengthened, a bulwark against the coming darkness.
Level 14
As you drift into a deep sleep, Kal, you find yourself enveloped in an inky blackness. There's a sense of weightlessness at first, as if you're floating in space, but the sensation quickly morphs into one of descent. You're sinking, slowly at first, then with increasing speed, into the depths of a vast, endless sea.
The water is cold, shockingly so, wrapping around you like a vice as you try to swim to the surface. But no matter how hard you struggle, the surface seems to grow further and further away. The sky, once visible through a diminishing circle of light above you, fades into complete darkness.
Storm clouds brew above, unseen but felt through the tumultuous waves that rock you. Lightning illuminates the waters in brief, startling flashes, revealing the silhouettes of strange, twisted forms swimming around you—creatures of the deep, drawn to your struggle.
You fight to keep your head above water, gasping for air whenever you can, but the sea is relentless. With every wave that crashes over you, you're pulled deeper into the abyss. The pressure builds in your chest, a desperate need for air that you can't satisfy. Your limbs grow heavy, weighted down by the water and your own exhaustion.
In a rare moment of calm between the waves, you catch a glimpse of something in the distance: a beacon of light, faint but unmistakably there. It offers a glimmer of hope, a possibility of escape from this watery prison. But as you swim towards it, it seems to flicker and dance, always just out of reach.
The realization hits you then, in the cold, unforgiving embrace of the ocean: you are alone here, adrift in an unending storm. There is no voice to guide you, no hand to pull you free. This is a trial of your own making, a challenge you must face by yourself.
And yet, even as despair threatens to take hold, you find a resolve within you. You will not let this be your end. With every ounce of strength left in you, you push forward, fighting against the current that seeks to drag you down.
The dream fades before you reach the light, leaving you to wake in a cold sweat. But the feeling of determination lingers, a reminder of the strength you found within the depths.
Level 15
Thistlethorn, you wander through the deep embrace of an ancient, whispering forest. The Heartwood staff in your grasp pulses with a comforting warmth, connecting you to the murmuring life around. Animals, both mythical and real, silently accompany you, a guard against an unseen, looming threat.
Your path leads to a serene pond, mirror-like and still. Gazing into its depths, you don't see your reflection but rather a vision of the Crags of Despair, the waterfall thundering with the heartbeat of the earth. A shadow stirs below the surface — a dark echo of the chaos Vuthul threatens to unleash. As the forest creatures begin to dissolve into the mist, they implore you to protect the balance of nature against the coming storm.
Level 16
Kal, you find yourself standing on a high cliff overlooking a dark, stormy sea. Stormseeker glows with a fierce, steady light in your hand. As you raise it, a wave of lightning flashes across the horizon, illuminating a vast sky. You feel Udall’s presence, steady and strong beside you.
Then, from the sky above, a single, blindingly bright star descends, and as it nears, you feel a deep peace settle within you. The light surrounds you, and suddenly, it’s not a stormy sea beneath but an endless field of stars, each twinkling with purpose. You realize that every star represents a path, a choice, and that you are no longer alone on this journey. As the light fades, you wake with a renewed sense of clarity and determination, feeling fully connected to your divine purpose.
Level 17
As sleep takes hold, you find yourself standing on a vast plateau, high above the world. The air is crisp, charged with electricity, and the storm clouds churn around you, forming an endless horizon of roiling darkness. Below, the land stretches far beyond your sight—mountains, rivers, cities, all cast in twilight. You are alone.
A gust of wind surges beneath you, lifting you into the sky. It’s effortless. Natural. The storm does not hinder you; it carries you, cradles you. As you rise, thunder rumbles, but it does not sound like the usual crack of the heavens splitting. It is a drumbeat. A war march. A herald of what is to come.
Then, from the swirling clouds, a shadow emerges. A figure, clad in battle-worn armor, stands upon the storm itself. You recognize the stance, the presence—it is you. Or rather, a reflection of you, but different. This other you does not carry Stormseeker, but a jagged, midnight-black spear, wreathed in violet lightning. Their eyes glow not with the divine light of Udall, but with a deep, consuming hunger.
The shadow of yourself speaks, though their voice is layered—one moment it is yours, the next it is a chorus of a thousand voices, overlapping in chaos.
"You have risen, but not above."
The clouds beneath your feet shift, revealing scenes from your journey. Friends standing beside you. Battles fought. The moment you reclaimed your divinity. The instant your hand first closed around Stormseeker’s haft. Then, a future unseen—your companions lying broken, the land torn asunder, and you, standing alone amidst the wreckage.
The shadow-you steps forward. "You think the storm is yours to command?" Their grip tightens on the black spear. "You are the storm. And storms do not choose their path. They destroy."
Lightning arcs between you, the sky splitting as if the world itself recoils from this meeting.
Then, the choice becomes clear: stand firm, or fall. Fight, or surrender to the storm within.
As the shadow lunges, the dream shatters into a blinding flash of light.
You wake, heart pounding, Stormseeker crackling faintly in your grip. Outside, the night sky is clear, the storm distant. But the echoes of the vision remain. The storm is coming. And this time, it is not just one you must weather—it is one you must master.
