The Map
Sitting alone in the throne room, Dean focused intently on his hands, his brows furrowing in concentration.
After Alor's departure, the room felt markedly empty, amplifying the noise of the soft crackling between his fingers.
Sparks of purple light flashed between them, erratic pulses of energy that twitched like pulsing lightning, before steadying slowly.
Geometric shapes hovered between his finger tips, as he manipulated the energy into different forms. An orb, a cube, before moving on to more complex constructions. A house, a castle, into a miniature human that walked lithely across the velvet carpet. He watched on with fascination, struck dumb by the ineffability of his ability.
After reviewing the tablet, he immediately began to test his newfound power to manipulate light. Doubtless a gift from Alor, he discovered that its construction and manipulation was second nature to him, and relatively simple.
After dealing with the foremost matter, that is, his newly discovered abilities, he shifted attention to the second most pertinent matter on the agenda.
Motioning towards the tablet with his hand, he directed his attention to the bottom of the tablet, selecting the lowest option
[Map]
Akin to a projector on Earth, albeit much more advanced, the tablet began streaming light that filled the entirety of the throne room.
Dean sat amongst the yellow light, gazing at the image projected. It was a simple, symbolic representation of the place where he currently was.
Above the representation was a red dot of light, which he intuitively knew he could focus on for more information.
[The Violet Vast Expanse] - [Discovered by Dean Prosper]
The Vast Expanse is a dreamlike realm suspended in perpetual twilight. Bathed in hues of lavender and deep indigo, this endless landscape is blanketed by luscious violet plains that emit a calming ambience. Seven moons of varying sizes drift in the sky above, casting fragmented light across the land, while a black sun looms ominously, absorbing all radiance and leaving only deep shadows in its wake. The night sky shifts constantly, housing moving constellations that dance across the sky. This eerie cosmic movement creates an environment that feels timeless and surreal, where the line between reality and dream blurs with every step.
The cartographer currently resides within the Violet Vast Expanse.
Environment Features:
Seven Moons: Unique moons of different sizes and brightness drift across the sky, bathing the Expanse in a peculiar, layered light that shifts as each moon moves. Black Sun: An imposing black sun dominates the heavens, a void that absorbs light, adding an unsettling yet magnetic presence to the sky.
Entities:
No entities are known to inhabit this realm.
Glancing at the information, it seemed somewhat comprehensive, perhaps because of Dean's extensive time traveling through the realm. Although, he wondered for a moment why Zsalasi's name wasn't present under the entities encountered section.
Additionally, despite his time falling between worlds, none of those that he had visited were present. He assumed that was due to the limited amount of time he had spent therein, and shook his head.
After a cursory analysis of the expanse, he turned his focus towards the tablet itself, where the main dilemma presented itself.
Engraved below the circular groove where the pendulum swung was a way-finding compass, pulsing with a warm yellow glow.
Its needle drifted in and out of alignment, moved by the energies rather than any sort of magnetic pole. The cardinal directions were marked out in foreign symbols that Dean found strangely familiar.
Above the section marked North, script was written out in the format of a Quest.
[Find the Others]
In the depths of the realm of Ragathon, there lies a secret gathering of others like yourself. Find them.
The description pulsed in tune with the compass, and vibrated faster as Dean approached.
Again, he understood intuitively what would happen if he focused his attention on the compass. In some way, shape, or form, he would be transported to the location of the quest.
Ragathon
Ba-dum
His heart began to beat faster.
He wasn't scared. Quite the contrary, his trepidation at these novel experiences had long since turned into excitement, and his hesitation to explore the realm had only been to prepare.
Feeling the surging of purple energy between his fingertips, he felt more than prepared for the challenge.
Taking in his surroundings in a final census, he focused his attention upon the compass.
He waited, expecting some signal, notification, or auditory queue to mark the beginning of his journey.
Nothing came.
No sounds, no dramatic shift; only an eerie silence as the compass vibrated on the wall.
Then, without warning, his body shifted of its own accord, a gentle tug pulling him forward.
His foot lifted and fell, and, with that step, his vision burst into soundless white.
Time, movement, space - all of it slipped away, lost to the white that encroached upon his vision.
He was neither moving nor standing still; he imagined this must be what babies felt like, floating in amniotic fluid.
'Hm. This is nice.'
In the vast, formless whiteness, Dean's sense of self began to dissolve, melting away like ice in the sun. His concept of 'Dean', the boundaries that held his thoughts, memories, and problems began to soften into nothing.
He was everywhere and nowhere at once, suspended in silence.
A thought drifted through him, if there was such a thing.
'Why would anyone leave this place?'
There was no struggle, no fear or ambition. There was no depravity, and no status. The notion of "doing" something seemed entirely mundane, a relic from some backwards bygone nation. He couldn't remember why he had ever concerned himself with such a thing. For a moment, he began to fade away, the boundaries that made him up disappearing into nothing.
And then, just as quickly as he'd entered the void, his senses returned.
Colors snapped back into focus, vivid and strange, as white void gave way to rich tones of vibrant crimson, and shades of muted gold.
He had arrived.
He had arrived in Ragathon.