Side Trek: Through the Cotillion of Hours

[Raven Crowking]

The cat sniffs Jed's fingers, than excepts his caresses, and eventually begins to purr.

"You've the stink of a dead god on you," the cat comments when he has had enough. "But you are polite, for a human. Perhaps I can do something for you.

Mouse and moth;
hare and frog.
Name each to each,
and turn time back.”

It then leaps down from the fountain’s edge and disappears as though it had passed through the ground.

[Dumnbunny]

Jed will scan through the revelers he can see from where he stands, looking for anyone wearing a mouse, moth, hare or frog mask.

[Raven Crowking]

No one seems to be wearing such a mask.

[Dumnbunny]

Given the cat was on the edge of the fountain, can Jed now take a closer look at it the fountain? Peer into it's depths? And the woman in the full moon mask, is she in the same section with Jed?

[Raven Crowking]

The fountain seems to reflect nothing more than the moon, the greenery, and yourself. Depending upon your angle, if may reflect one of the four statues in this section of the room. It doesn't seem that deep, nor does there seem to be anything special about the bottom.

You can easily find the woman with the full moon mask...the other guests seem to sort of fade away when you are not paying attention to them. She is in the other section of the room.

[Dumnbunny]

If I'm visualizing this correctly, the bat statue should be in this section with me, correct?

[Raven Crowking]

If I'm visualizing this correctly, the bat statue should be in this section with me, correct?

There are four statues in the section with you: a cat to the north, an owl to the south, to the east a night heron, and to the west a great bat.

[beermotor]

....... maybe we can narrate the end of this? I PM'd Dumnbunny the answer to this part, at least my guess as to the answer. Figured that's sort of like sitting around the gaming table, talking.

[Raven Crowking]

....... maybe we can narrate the end of this? I PM'd Dumnbunny the answer to this part, at least my guess as to the answer. Figured that's sort of like sitting around the gaming table, talking.

Or, perhaps Jed simply does not wake up until Dumnbunny finishes this, but the rest of you can go on? I hear you, and will start you out tomorrow, after I make sure that I have a proper answer for a certain question asked in the dream....

[Dumnbunny]

Yeah, my intention is to say mouse to the owl statue, moth to the bat statue, hare to the cat statue, and frog to the heron statue.

[Raven Crowking]

Yeah, my intention is to say mouse to the owl statue, moth to the bat statue, hare to the cat statue, and frog to the heron statue.

Is that your intention, or is that what you do?

[Dumnbunny]

Should have been clearer; that's what I do.

[Raven Crowking]

You hear a strange, otherworldly sound, as a chime rings in reverse.

You now have 3 chimes.

[Dumnbunny]

Jed will pass through the nearest half-door between him and the woman in the full-moon mask, and approach her. "I've seen you before, haven't I, in the cotillion."

[Raven Crowking]

As Jed passes through the half-door to the southwest, another chime is heard.

You are now down to 2 chimes.

After Jed speaks to the woman, she replies: "Yes, you have seen me before. And I have seen you before as well." There is a tone of amusement to her voice.

[Dumnbunny]

"Yes, in that room with the alabaster walls. I assume your being here at the same time as I is a coincidence, but in case it is not I have to ask if I may be of service to you."

[Raven Crowking]

"Coincidence that you and I are here? There is much that is not! You have known me for many a long year, Jed, and I have known you all of your life."

[Dumnbunny]

"I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint you, but I can only guess as to your identity. Here, in this place, where cats talk and gods slumber, I can only think that you are the Moon herself."

[Raven Crowking]

She laughs. "Such hubris, and so modestly stated!" She takes Jed's arm. "No, Jed, I am but one who has taken service in the name of the Lord of the Deep and the God of the Dark, the Keeper of the Dead, Himself Dead by the hands of His sons, by calling to the darkness in my darkest need. Think you there is any coincidence in dreaming?"

[Dumnbunny]

"Heh, I have never had a dream like this, but no, I guess there are no coincidences. I'll assume you know how I came to be in His service and not bore you with the tale. I will say that when I entered the barrows, I had no idea what kind of man I would be when I left. I suppose I thought I'd become a warrior like in the stories.

"I've ... come to terms with what I am now, His cleric, His servant. 'When a man makes a deal, he keeps it', or so my dad taught me. He also taught me that anything worth doing it worth doing well. So I seek to not just honor the letter of my bargain, but to serve him as best as I can. In fact, that's why I'm here.

"I'm rambling, aren't I?" Jed pauses for a moment. "I apologize if it is considered rude to ask a fellow dreamer about their waking selves; as you know this is my first time here, and I haven't learned proper dream manners, yet. If it's not rude to ask, are you part of my village? Have we met in the waking world? Will we meet?"