Level 5
You dream that you are sitting on your knees in a small grove. It's daytime, in the afternoon, and you can see the sunbeams shining through the cracks in the forest canopy, right towards you in the clearing you are sitting in. You have set up a small offering of twigs, bones, seeds in front of you, an offering to Faunus. The smell of nature, moss, grass, wood, rain around you penetrates your nose. You feel at home. You close your eyes to focus on the sounds. You feel the warmth of the sun shining on you. You can hear the wind blowing through the trees above you, the sound of wings fluttering by, a distant howl of a wolf looking for its pack.
Suddenly you hear that all sounds stop completely. The warmth of the sun disappears. The smell of the forest is gone. The ground beneath you feels… different. You cautiously open your eyes, and in front of you, you see it. The Eye. The eye that has stared at you several times while you have dreamed, clearer than ever. It is right in front of you, maybe 2 meters away. You see that it is massive, at least 5 meters in diameter. A bloodshot, but distinctly green eye. Staring right down at you. You are no longer in the forest, but in a vast void. You are sitting on some kind of stone, and around you, you see an endless sea of still water, gray, dark. In the distance, you see a couple of massive cliffs floating freely in the fog, but you cannot focus on anything other than the eye staring back at you…
Level 6
You dream that you and your horse, Speed, are riding gently through a grove. The sun is shining high above you and you feel the heat is almost unbearable. It's clearly one of the hottest days of the year. You stretch your hand down to your side to pick up your water bottle, but you can't find it. You must have lost it. Oh well, you think to yourself. You'll just have to find a stream for you and Speed to drink from, so you don't think much about it.
It doesn't take long before you find water. It's a small stream running between a couple of large trees. It reminds you a lot of a place you used to play at when you were little. "Must be a coincidence," you think, before you dismount Speed and bend down to the stream, stretching your hand into the water to take a sip. Speed does the same, drinking downstream from you. You close your eyes and feel the cold water go down your throat. It tastes just like a proper stream in the forest should. You take a couple more handfuls, but eventually, notice that the taste is wrong? It tastes almost metallic? When you open your eyes, you see that your hand is blood red. You see that the entire stream has changed from clear forest water to pure blood, like a blood vessel running through the forest. Speed continues to drink.
You immediately start running up the stream to see what has happened, you jump over fallen tree trunks, through bushes and underbrush, and behind a large tree stump, you see it. Hundreds of firbolgs, lying scattered in front of you, on the forest floor. You feel tears welling up in your eyes. Among the corpses, you see a figure, humanoid, a large shadow with long hair, hunched over a corpse. A corpse you immediately recognize. Wren. You let out a faint gasp, and the moment you do, you see the figure's eyes shoot towards you. Before you have time to react, it begins to move quickly over the corpses, almost as if it is running on all fours, straight towards you. It makes a leap, and you can see the long, sharp fingers just inches away from your face before you wake up.
Level 7
You are sitting in a tavern with your companions. You have traveled far and have finally reached your destination, having been through a lot. You sit drinking a cup of milk, watching your fellow travelers discuss, laugh, shout, and generally just have a lot of fun. But you notice that something is not quite right, as you hear a breathing. A heavy breathing. A BIG breathing. You turn around, and you see a massive, black dragon, lying and sleeping in the room behind where you are sitting. Think Smaug from The Hobbit in size.
You see that it sleeps quite restlessly, and you realize that if your travel companions don't quiet down, it will wake up. You turn around and whisper to the others, trying frantically to get them to calm down and not shout so loudly, but you can't get through. They just laugh louder and louder, and shout even more. You see that they become more and more hostile towards each other, and you turn around and see that the dragon is starting to move, stir a little, it is soon awake. You try to grab the shoulders of those nearest you, but they just push you away. A punch comes from one of them, and before you know it, there is a full fight between Penny and Granny. You try to intervene, you try to cast a spell to calm them down, but nothing works. You suddenly notice that the breathing has stopped, and you slowly turn around and see that the yellow eye of the dragon is open, staring straight at you.
Level 8
You are in the middle of a sea of flames. But not traditional flames
that you are used to, these are green flames. You don't feel the heat
from them, but you can feel a sickly, nauseating energy flowing out of
them, preventing you from getting closer. Beyond the flames, you can
barely make out a swamp of some kind. Large dead trees are scattered
across the area, puddles cover the muddy ground, and in the distance,
you see the forest on fire, with the same green flames that surround
you. You turn around to see if you can find a way out, but the flames
are too big and thick. Among the flames, you can glimpse eyes staring
back at you. You don't see any face, but you can clearly see glowing
eyes that appear through the fire. You turn back again, and you see Wren
standing on the other side of the flames now. You try to walk towards
him, but again the flames stop you. He looks at you. "Thana...?". He
walks towards you, as if he doesn't notice the flames, but before he
reaches you, he has also caught fire, and he falls and disappears into
the fire when the pain becomes too much for him…
Level 9
You are a bit out of it, but as you dream, you notice that you feel
completely weightless, as if you are floating in water or something.
When your vision clears, you notice that you are in an endless void. You
are surrounded by what looks like green dust, almost like a cloud
floating with you. You feel the wind pulling you further along with the
green cloud, past stars, nebulae, planets... Past you, you can also see
figures floating both with you and away from you. Eventually, you see
two figures you recognize. Clementine and Galen. They stand stationary,
together, and look at you as you float past them. They smile at you, and
you get the feeling that it is in a way they who are saying goodbye to
you, before they eventually turn to dust themselves, and become part of
the cloud that follows you, before you continue further into
nothingness.
Level 10
When you fall asleep and dip into unconsciousness, feeling the ground beneath you take you into itself, so that you become part of nature again, you feel a peace coming over your body. As you drift away in dreamland, your mind begins to fill with fog that twists around you, and you hear the sound of your forest. The fog that surrounded you forms so that you find yourself in a clearing in the forest, surrounded by trees towering over it, and the sound of birdsong. In the distance, you can see the lights of your tribe, who have settled down, safe from the dangers that once plagued your forest. You feel a flood of homesickness come over you, and you notice that you long to return to your family.
Before you have time to do anything, you see a large figure approaching. A massive stag suddenly stands among the trees and towers over you.
"Do not be tempted by your longing for home," you suddenly hear a voice say. "There are greater forces at work."
The fog changes again and takes on a new form, and you now see Penny, Kal, Fie. Those you have traveled with the past month. A large dark figure stands over them, and they look like they are in combat with this figure. You feel the evil that flows from it, and you get a feeling of fear and concern over you. You feel that you want to help, to defend them, maybe even fight with them, but at the same time, you feel the feeling of homesickness pulling you away.
The fog recedes, and you are back in the clearing in the forest, alone.
A voice rings out around you, "remember, the forest will always be here, but the world may not be, if you do not take the right path.
Level 11
You find yourself flying around in the sky with a massive snow-covered landscape below you. Around you, you see Ira and Argus, flying in formation with you, while you are in owl form, and you all flap your wings in unison.
You fly back and forth, between the clouds, letting the glow of the sun above you warm you, while you feel the joy of your owls affecting you, and you have a strong sense of freedom. Below you, you see the snow beginning to disappear, while grass, rivers, and lakes become visible again, and you realize that you are starting to miss summer a bit. As you fly around in the sky, you feel that you become one with the wind around you, and all three of you fly faster and faster, down near the ground, between the trees and the mountains. You see all the animals below you watching you as you soar past. You have a feeling of somehow having left your sorrows behind, if only for one night, and you feel at one with nature once again.
When you wake up, you feel your heart still pounding with the adrenaline of flying, before it slowly but surely calms down again.
Level 12
When sleep takes you, you find yourself standing in the core of your forest, Faunus' Forest. The ancient trees tower over you as guardians of what you hold most dear. A sense of calm floods over you; you are home. You take a step forward, eager to explore, when suddenly roots spring up from the ground and weave around your feet. Before you can react, they pull you down, and your form changes—you can no longer move, as you have become part of the forest.
The world around you shifts to a sort of fast-forward: days turn into nights in mere seconds, and seasons change as if a painter rapidly alters the landscape's colors. Animals come and go, entire lives play out in a blink. A whole world continues, struggles, and evolves—but you are just watching, unable to influence.
Your gaze falls on another tree nearby, with ancient branches hanging down. Hidden among the roots, you catch a glimpse of a pulsating light, an aura of something powerful, potent. However, you notice that the tree is not affected by the passage of time like the rest of what you see.
Then you realize what's happening. You're not just watching the world; you're missing out on it. All the opportunities to learn, grow, and make a difference pass by, beyond your reach.
As you start to wake up, the roots that held you in their grip loosen, and the sight of the power you saw among the other roots leaves an impression in your mind, almost like a challenge. You're back in your own form, but the feeling of being a passive observer lingers, as if you're being pushed to explore what lies beyond your forest.
Level 13
You find yourself deep inside a lush, ancient forest. It feels like you have been here before, but at the same time, there's something mysterious and unknown about the place. You walk quietly through the forest, hearing the sound of your own heartbeat echoing in time with your steps. The old trees whisper your name, Dandelion, with a tone of both devotion and warning.
You come to a clearing, where the moonlight bathes the landscape in a silvery sheen. In the middle of the clearing, you see a mirror image of the forest – a beautiful, but ghostly sight. You approach and discover that your own reflection is not mirrored in it. Instead, you see a scene from the past: children's laughter, your playmates running through the forest, as well as those you have lost, Galen and Clementine. You reach out to the mirror, but your hand just goes through it, as if it isn't there.
Suddenly, the scene in the mirror shifts. You see your current travel companions, Penny, Kal, Relic, fighting a desperate battle against an overwhelming enemy in a dystopian, dark, and desolate world. Their cries for help fill the air, but you cannot reach them. A voice whispers, 'The path you choose will shape their fate, as much as yours.'
You turn around and see a path leading deeper into the forest, away from the mirror. Along the path, you see glimpses of light and hear voices calling to you, some familiar and others unknown. These voices promise new adventures, learning, and opportunities to grow.
You stand at a crossroads. Homesickness pulls you towards the memories in the mirror, towards the familiar and dear. But another call, a promise of new discoveries and the opportunity to influence a larger world, entices you further down the path.
'Remember,' whispers the wind, 'the journey is long, and the path is yours to choose. But know this, your heart may long for the past, yet the future beckons with untold stories.'
You wake up with a feeling of both longing and anticipation, a deep understanding that your choices matter, not just for you, but for the whole world you travel through.
Level 14
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 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
Thistlethorn, in your dream, you’re in the heart of a lush forest, but the air feels heavier than usual, filled with a quiet urgency. The trees seem to bow, their branches swaying toward you as if whispering secrets. You feel the familiar weight of the Heartwood Staff, yet it feels warmer than before, pulsing in time with the forest’s heartbeat.
Ahead, a corrupted patch of land lies like a wound in the earth, but this time, a faint green light shimmers around its edges, like it’s already beginning to heal. When you step closer, the earth beneath you trembles, and roots start to unfurl, weaving over the corrupted land, binding and purging it. The dream leaves you with a sense of the forest’s trust in you, knowing you’re near to completing its healing.
Level 17
You stand on an endless expanse of golden grass, the wind shifting in waves across the plains like an ocean of sunlight. The land stretches far beyond sight, open and untamed, with no trees to anchor you, no forest to call home. The sky above is vast, cloudless, and impossibly blue.
As you take a step forward, the ground beneath your feet ripples, as though the land itself is responding to your presence. Each footprint lingers for a moment before fading, like the memory of a path walked long ago.
Ahead, a great herd of beasts moves across the horizon—elk, buffalo, massive creatures you do not recognize, some with curling horns, others with antlers wreathed in faint, ethereal fire. They move as one, guided by an unseen rhythm, their hooves like a heartbeat against the earth. At the center of the herd, a single figure stands, tall and draped in flowing pelts, a staff in their hand. Their face is obscured by the wind, but they watch you, waiting.
You approach, and as you do, the figure speaks—not in words, but in a feeling, a whisper of understanding carried on the wind. "The forest has shaped you, but the world does not end at its roots."
They turn, gesturing to the vast expanse before you. The herd moves, shifting like a tide, opening a path. You look back, but there is nothing behind you—no trees, no home, only the open land.
"A shepherd does not only guard one flock, one field. The world is vast, and balance is more than what you have known. Will you follow where the path leads, or will you turn back to where your roots were planted?"
The wind picks up, carrying the scent of earth and storm, of lands untouched and stories yet told. The figure steps aside, leaving the choice to you.
As the dream fades, the whisper lingers: "To guard the world, you must walk beyond the trees."
