Logs:A Rose by Any other Name: Astral Travels Part 1

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Cast
Setting

Astral Realm

Log

Balm is by far the most accomplished astral traveler in the confines of the consilium's oversight, if not the convocation as a whole. She may be ancient and feeble in body, but her mind is sharp as a tack and she's probably forgotten more about astral travel than most people will ever learn.

The actual bodies of the travelers are settled on cots in the Arboretum. Safe under the watch and care of the Sentinels, Epiphanius, Zadok, and Balm herself. Balm has a small white stone, flat and smooth, painted with a red spiral radiating out from its center. This she places at the center of the cluster of cots so that she can attune it to them, a process achieved simply with a quick spell.

"It is nearly impossible to travel as far as you must go in the astral realms in a single night. The touchstone will appear in your possession when you awaken in the Oneiros. It will be my Oneiros, and I will be able to help you out to the Temenos. Once there, you must travel upwards. From the base concepts to the high concepts. Follow concepts related to legacy and you will arrive at the borders of the anima mundi. That is all the further you need to progress. If you dally, if you waste time, if fail to reach the Temenos? The next party will have to make up for your lost time. And the journey grows progressively more difficult. So remember to stay on task and focus on getting to your destination."

"Once you're stopping for the day, set the touchstone down and touch it, all of you. Concentrate on awakening, and you will leave an astral waypoint for the next group. This is imperative, as if you fail to do it, the next party will have to retrace your steps and you will have wasted time."

With that said, Balm herself settles down onto one of the cots and folds her hands up on her stomach, "If you have questions, make them quick. Otherwise I'm putting us all under."

"I'm ready, Elder," Kotahitanga says respectfully, lying down on a cot next to Balm, hands flat at her sides.


Alexis takes her glasses off and places them into hard case which she tucks under her cot so no one will accidentally step on it, then lies down on the cot, resting her hands up against her sides "I believe I understand the nessecary fundimentals."

Aletheia would offer a respectful nod "I've done my share of Astral traveling, but am by no means the most experienced among all of us present but I'll certainly do my best."

With no questions forthcoming, Balm links their minds with telepathy and the puts them all under with a second effect. No mucking around with alpha states and beta waves and all that nonsense. Balm gets right down to it.

The telepathic link serves to shunt all parties into the Oneiros of the Elder. One could theoretically choose to clash wills about it, but then they'd have to try to link up with everyone else after the fact. No small feat in the dream soul of all humanity.

When the group manifest in the Elder's oneiros, they are all standing about a dream simulacrum of the touchstone Balm laid down in the fallen world. She picks it up and offers it pointedly towards Kotahitanga, "Carry it well, emissary. I've only got the one." That done, she points upwards, "The easiest way out of here is to stare at the sky until you see the trapdoor. Then pull it. A ladder should drop down and you can climb up into the Temenos. Stay together. If you become separated, remember to travel towards legacy. Kotahi, if you become separated and reach the Temenos before the others? Wait if you like, or awaken. What matters is that the touchstone is placed in the Temenos, not that you all arrive together."

"Understood, Elder," Kotahitanga says, accepting the touchstone with a small smile, tucking it into a pocket for ease of carrying. Which gets zipped shut, just for added security. Then she glances between the other travellers. "Ready?"

Alexis' astral body looks like her...if she spent the hours she usually took to hone her mind to hone her body instead. It also shows signs of exposure to a harsh, sun-filled enviroment, like a sun-baked desert - or possibly a blasted, abandoned shore full of the detrius of the human subconscious. She brushes her thumb across her nose and visibly grimaces at the half-healed sunburn there, "Let's see how deep we can jump down the rabbit hole."

Heather was (thankfully) clothed. She looked comfortable in high-waisted mom-jeans and a soft cashmere sweater. She flashed a grin at Alexis. "Rather, reach for the stars." She looked upwards, and pointed to the sky as she searched for the ladder that would drop.


Aletheia appears within the Astral Realms in a semi-sheer fabric white raiment gown with golden earrings, a golden necklace and her hair reaching down almost to her legs, her presence in this realm seems fortified, as if she truly belongs here. This place is where she is her true self, Aletheia Goddess of Spirit and Truth

It takes some time, staring up at the starry night sky and sorting out just where that trapdoor in the heavens is. But, sure enough, Kotahi and Aletheia both spot the faint outline of darker darkness in the canopy of night. The stars there appear almost painted on. Close enough to touch. It gives the impression one could just reach up and pull the sky open, like a hatch to an attic hidden in a closet in some old house.

Kotahitanga does in fact reach up and pull it down, stepping back slightly to make sure the ladder doesn't hit her. Then beginning to climb it. No time to waste, after all.

Aletheia would motion up towards the stars, a single finger pointing where Viv was reaching before she says simply "There." the action seems like it was intended to help anyone who failed to notice it initially

Alexis starts humming vaguely along to a musical piece as they start their way up the ladder into the greater Astral.

The ladder descends with a clatter. Just like an attic, really. And when Kotahi ascends through the trapdoor, she emerges into a forest. Not a normal forest, though. A very ordered one. It would be an orchard under other circumstances. All the trees laid out in a tidy grid, sorted by species and by age within that category. The ground is minecraft flatworld dull. But the trees sure are interesting! If one is a big fan of trees.

Once the last person climbs through, the trapdoor disappears, leaving a patch of boring grassy ground in its place. They are now on their won.

Hearth scuffed a foot gently over the spot that had been left behind, then looked around curiously at the orchard. "And thus we go. Onward and upwards. Perhaps we should find one of the tallest trees to climb?" she suggested.

Kotahitanga is indeed a big fan of trees. Which probably surprises nobody, considering the Order she belongs to. "Seems reasonable enough," she nods.

"We probably shouldn't get too locked into metaphysical and literal ascent through astral realms being the same, I think, but the worst that climbing a tree would do is give us a higher perspective to look from." Alexis glances around them, "This place is rather groomed looking, even for an orchard."


Aletheia concentrates for a single moment and a golden key manifests within her hand "I can attempt to summon a guide, it would be quickest."

"Also a useful approach," Hearth agreed reasonably, but shot Kotahi a wink and thumbs up for climbing.

Climbing a particularly old evergreen is probably the easiest way to get a good vantage of the ground here. Evenly spaced, sturdy horizontal branches and all that. Once she's climbed as high as she dares and pauses to take a look around she sees... trees. Lots and lots of trees of every conceivable variety. Even Doctor Seuss trees. Even the trees from Avatar. What it does not reveal is where to go from here. But this might be an awesome place to visit for botanical study.

"It sounds like we're in something like the conceptual region describing the archetype of an Arboretum. I guess the best bet would be to travel from here to something more primordial than this sort of cultivated landscape - towards something more like the forests that all these trees should live in?" Alexis posits

"That could work," Kotahitanga agrees, dropping from the final branch back onto the ground.

The following is only fully understood to those who fully speak High Speech. To everyone else only bits and pieces are heard "Hear my call, from the farthest reaches of the Anima Mundi. We have need of your assistance to guide us towards our goal. I, Aletheia summon you."


A rather startled and then rather annoyed looking sprite pops into being in front of Aletheia. Think Tinkerbelle with more of a metal goth aesthetic. And she doesn't look amused. In a squeaky, high pitched, bell like voice she demands, "You got two seconds to explain what this is all about, lady."

"Thank you for coming, your time is greatly appreciated. We seek Truth and the tree near the Anima Mundi. I would like to request that you guide us as far as you are willing to, the further the more lucrative I will make it for you. First, for your trouble." (If possible I would like to pay it two Potentia as a sign of good faith, I am also acting in accordance with my Shadow Self so all interactions are increased)

The sprite crosses the arms of her studded leather jacket and sticks out her lower lip in such a pout. Such a pout! "You're going to have to do better than that. It's not a short jaunt from here to there. You'd know that if you'd gone there yourself instead of yanking me away from a really awesome party, by the way." She sticks her nose up and shuts her eyes, looking away in a huff. Then she adds, "I'll take you to the Anima Mundi. Sure. But if I do that, you have to promise you'll get really fucked up and then let us into your Oneiros for a party. It's your head, you'll be fine. Hell, you'll probably enjoy it. Just one night. We've been kicking it in the Anima with nothing but high concepts and idealized forms to interact with, and that's dull as hell, you know? I want to get tilted in an Oneiros. You mortals are wild in your subconsciouses."

Kotahitanga blinks once at the sprite's demand. "Does just one of us have to accept this?"

"Why, you offering?" The sprite flutters her way over towards Kotahitanga, propping her head up on her elbow and lying in the air with a saucy grin. "Don't be jelly. Say please and we'll stay a whole week! No party like a head party, amirite?"

"I made the offer, you all are with me. But she's right, if you want to come into my Oneiros, I don't mind company." she replies to Kotahi then glances back towards the Pixie "You think that just because I'm a Goddess of Truth that I have never partook in a few parties here and there? Now I am the one who is insulted." : She chuckles, seemingly joking at being insulted: "I accept your terms, it has been awhile since I let loose within my own space, I'll need to spruce it up properly though. As it stands I don't think you would find it too much fun."

Hearth watched, trying not to appear too amused by the negotiations.

Alexis shares a glance with Hearth, one corner of her mouth twitching upwards before she can force it back into a stoic expression

"Just making sure," Kotahitanga says, shrugging one shoulder. "If the deal's made, lead on."

"Hey, just say the word and we'll show up!" The sprite does a little roll in the air and zips back around Kotahitanga, leaving a little shower of sparkles in her wake. She draws up in front of Aletheia and says, "Anyway, fine. Deal and whatever. You want to get to the Anima Mundi, you said, right? Start thinking about high concepts, then. You're down here slumming it in the orchard and you want to be up there in the the monad of treeness, girly goddess! Or whatever. All you gotta do is riff, babydoll! Like jazz but with your brain. What's a concept related to orchards that's more quintessential than orchardness? It might take you a few jumps, but. Like. You'll get there! I'm Eyebleach, by the way. I mean. I have a Pixie name, too, but you wouldn't understand it. So. Eyebleach."


"So...trees. We want something more tree-y than an orchard, which is what you get when you make trees live on a farm. When trees are just being trees, they live in a forest."

"A grove? Garden?" Hearth suggested. "I feel like we're doing a crossword without knowing how many letters we're trying to fit into."

"Eyebleach huh? That means something very different where I am from. Perhaps I should entertain attempting to learn pieces of your language so I could better understand it. I am Aletheia, the others may introduce themselves if they wish it. It's not my place to divulge names without their consent." a pause "The last time I was there, I used my own Oneiros which is significantly different from this one."

"Nah, not a garden. We could probably get to garden from here, but its the same kind of concept - a place for plants regimented by human action and construction. We want, if I understand it correctly, to move away from human and especially cutural concepts."


With Eyebleach there to act as their life coach, they are able to locate a door in the trunk of a particularly ancient and gnarled looking oak tree. Eyebleach buzzes around it a few times then bobs her head in the affirmative. "This should do it. Good eye, you guys." Once the door it open, the tree is seen to contain a forest. A proper north American variety of forest filled with deciduous trees. Getting warmer, but you could find this sort of forest within the boundaries of Phialdelphia itself. To paraphrase the meme: You must go deeper.

Eyebleach flutters through and spins about to get her bearings, "Okay! Now we're cooking with gas. Where to from here, cats and kittens in cute knit mittens?"


"So a forest by itself brought us here, would thinking of a specific tree take us to the edge?" She says curiously alound

"Let's see," Hearth muttered. "In stories, forests are archtypal symbols of the unknown. Tests. Self-discovery..."

"Hm. A forest is a human division of things, isn't it? We want something more universal than that. Something that creaks and groans in the thoughts of the world itself."

"Just as long as nobody's expected to hang themselves from an ash for nine days and nights," Kotahitanga mutters. Someone knows her norse mythology, apparently.

"If you're trying to get to the anima mundi, you need to work your way towards elemental concepts. The dreams of beasts and stones and stars. You need to think two steps ahead, right? Not just what links from here, but what links from what links from here. You're closer to the Omphalos here, I can sense it. So you made a step in the right direction, but you can start going in circles if you don't plan ahead. Strip away human kind, strip away cultural dogmas, strip away all the clutter of technology and ego, right?" Eyebleach spins about in the air a few times then flutters over to settle down on Aletheia's shoulder. She pulls out an Emory board and begins buffing her nails.

"I . . . believe that Yggdrasil is actually a full concept but of sacrifice as per its own mythology." her words spoken aloud as gently pats Eyebleach "A little more on your left pinky." she offers randomly "The Primal Wilds?"

"Well if we boil a forest down, stripping away everything we can, perhaps a Forest could become a Fountain of Life- or youth. All life comes from the forest."

"And also very much a concept of a single human culture, though some others have parallels. Maybe what we want is something like...soil formation. The grinding centuries of a forest as its plants turn rock into dirt. That could lead us to the primal foundations of stone, the basalt that makes up the bones of the planet itself."

Eyebleach squints at her pinky and says, "Oh, thanks." Then buffs it a bit more and holds her hand out to examine her work. Nice. "She's got the right idea," Eyebleach remarks, hooking a thumb Alexis's way.

"The whole purpose of going to the Anima Mundi is to visit the soul of the cosmos, a place where even the thoughts of animals and stars can be heard. I don't think the Primal Wilds is a singular culture idea. It is a part of the supernal. The Sidereal wastes should be next I think."

"The roots of life itself?" Hearth suggested, walking around a little to try to spot a way in near the roots.

"Down we go, to the...root of the problem." Rashida said

After some more poking around, they find a portal in the roots of another old, gnarled oak tree. It's tiny, but that doesn't seem to really be a factor, here. The second it's touched, they're sucked through to the other side. As before, Eyebleach accompanies them, popping out of the portal on the other side along with the others.

This is a much changed location. The connection seems to have been a very smart one. Here, the ground is naked covered in lichens and mosses. Flora, yes, but of an ancient and primordial sort. Nearby, in a nook created by a jutting finger of stone-- a massive megalith, really --grows a larger plant. A thick trunk with a few sprouting, sharp and stiff leaves at the top. Some ancient predecessor to trees, but not a tree itself. One clinging to life in the collection of grit and decayed matter that is slowly accumulating and breaking down the basalt stone around it.

Overhead the sky looms large. It's an alien thing, with constellations all shifted out of sync, and the band of the milky way thick and bright across a sky absolutely bereft of pollution. On the horizon looms a massive stone edifice. The Omphalos.

"Well, I guess we've found the destination for when we come back tomorrow night," Kotahitanga murmurs, glancing between the other three as she unzips her pocket, retrieving the touchstone Balm'd given her.

'This is the boundary stone, isn't it?" she would look to Eyebleach

"Looks like it," Eyebleach confirms with a nod, "I'd have to get closer to say for certain but we definitely moved closer this last jump. So. Like. Ninety-five percent sure, yeah. And if not? You're not far away at all."

"It does indeed look like we've found our path down. Or up. Depending on how you metaphor it." Alexis grins.

"I'm not sure it could be anything else," Hearth said with a little shiver. "Let's get as close as we can."

'From here I don't think we can really leap any further, its all travel. We either burrow through it or skirt the edges to walk into Primordial realms."

"So everyone gather together and touch the stone, and then we click our heels together and think 'there's no place like home' right?" Alexis has an impish grin on her face

"Something like that," Kotahitanga chuckles, holding the stone out to make it easier for the others to touch.

"I hope to be back again to continue the journey. But if I can't make it, would you mind helping the next team as well, Eyebleach?" she asks the pixie curiously before playfully booping her nose

"Ha! Good one! Sure. For another night of partying!" Eyebleach turns over in the air, crosses her legs, and laces her hands behind her head, floating in mid air as though relaxing on a couch. "I'll be here. Stock the drink cooler in your heads, though, I aim to get turnt."

"I think you'll want to remember the night, can't have you drinking too much or you might get black out drunk." a smile and shake of her head as she reaches out to touch the stone "See you soon."