SKILL : - - - ( 1 / 5 )

From the meadow to the Rise, Fable trekked through the night and, by the time they reached the standing stones, dawn broke through the blanket of night.

Fatigue wore at the edges of the dreamer, but she was adamant about returning to her family as soon as possible. Something about hearing the voices for the first time so intimately managed to give her the fortitude she needed to press on despite her achy limbs and tired paws.

There had to be answers here - there had to be; the plea echoed within her mind as she surveyed the stones. They looked entirely how she recalled them: stalwart, omniscient. She was certain they could hear them and were aware of their presence. The stones stood tall and steadfast in the sea of low-lying mist.

Even in her life before, such stones were mechanisms of magic. They served as a conduit between their plane and beyond the veil, porous and carrying a quality that made her hair stand on end with anticipation.

We're here, Fable announced quietly as she paused near a stone. Green eyes peered up at it, her brows stitched in thought. Admittedly, she didn't know what to look for - runes varied so greatly in shape, quality, material - but she kept moving, leaving no stone unturned as she investigated the area.

Skill:

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They'd traveled through the remainder of the evening, traveling what felt like North — but it was hard to be certain with the amount of mist they'd pressed through. Over time, the dense fog would disperse, rippled away by the strength of a rising sun. It was a small blessing, at least, to be released from the strange, asphyxiating blanket of blackness and mire.

Normally, sunrise brought the man a sense of joy and renewed energy. A new day meant new discoveries ... But Torben did not feel such emotion now. His chest still ached with the pain and frustration of a catastrophic and unexplainable loss.

This world, full of ... magic. It had stolen his soul.

And for what?

"We're here," came the voice, and Toben would snap from his demoralizing inner dialogue. His gaze would drift upward, trailing along the monoliths that now sprawled out around them. There was a certain presence about the granite figures, especially the way they would glow against the colors of the warm sunrise. Fable would move forward, drifting with poise and purpose as she began to root around amongst the rocks. And Torben would exhale, simply using a few moments to admire her from afar when he could think of nothing else productive to do.

Well, he supposed he should ... help.

It would give him something to do, after all. Help take his mind off things, perhaps. There was just one problem: Remind me what it is we're looking for, exactly? It was perhaps an ignorant question, but seeing as he had just been "born" into this world yesterday, perhaps Fable would give him a free pass. His cinnamon gaze searched over her, glancing for her expression and looking at the hints of emotion along the gentle contours of her cheeks.

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Rune Discovery: 「 Partial Success! — +5 modifier towards your next search 」 Fable Torben

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As the sun rises, basking you in the warmth of a new day, you can’t help but feel as if you’re being watched. It’s not malicious in nature, in fact it almost feels comforting and familiar, a gentle reminder that you aren’t in this search alone. The Dream Visitor is present, their emotions stirring up in a way that radiates into your own bones. Yia’re genind krosir… eip kol hur ut sukonind yia ali eaken ut. Yia muk vina firdr, (You’re getting closer… I can hear it summoning you to awaken it. You must go forth,) as you come up empty handed, your efforts are not in vain, you can sense a rune waiting for you.

The Visitor’s presence fades away, but you are able to revitalize your hope with the reassurance they’d given you. You feel like the rune is getting closer with every step you take, you just need to keep searching.