Touching the Veil

High Risk, High Reward

As Samhain draws closer, the veil between worlds begins to thin. This time of year is your best chance at witnessing spirits crossing into our world and out of Somnium, though the souls may need a little help from you to fully come over.

Requirements:
To participate in this activity, you must first complete a 800+ word solo starter that focuses on inviting in a wayward soul. You can be creative in how your wolf attempts to reach a member of Somnium, whether they visit a gravesite, meditate, or utilize herbs to get into a more receptive mindspace. Once your 800+ word solo starter is complete, you may invite your Somnium partner to join your thread. Once 3+ rounds are complete of the two characters interacting in some way, the prompt has been fulfilled and can be submitted. Completed threads may be submitted for 45 skill points of your choice.

Code:

[b]Player Name:[/b]
[b]Character Name:[/b]
[b]Link to Thread[/b] <a href="LINK">Here</a>

Player Name: Hermes
Character Name: Andromeda
Link to Thread Here

NPC:

You have succeeded in pulling a spirit from the veil and although it was not the individual you wished for, you find yourself feeling relieved the experience did not go worse. Benevolent spirits are not the only ones pacing along death's curtain to seek an escape from Somnium and you are blessedly lucky it was kindness that ultimately found you. Zuriel's comfort might not have given you the closure you sought, though she will leave a lasting impact upon you for the rest of your years on this earth.

As the healer's lips touch your forehead in a gentle gesture of love, you feel a small bit of your fighter's spirit begin to break free from your core. You feel slightly less wronged, a tad bit more numb to whatever anger and anxiety you might be suffering. When ultimately you heal and move on, you might find it a little harder to bring yourself to reflect that pain upon others in combat.

You have received:

-25 Fighting Skill Points

Player Name: RelevantKoala
Character Name: Vantoase
Link to Thread Here

NPC:

You successfully reach across the veil and even pull forth some memory of your mother. Fire, there's always been a connection to fire there. But you are young and the bright light of the fire is too much still for your eyes. It is bittersweet, your mother closer than she has been in some time but you can neither touch her nor really see her, you are left with just the familiar comfort of her voice. And the heat of the fire.

You gently cover your eyes with your mother's last gift and for a moment you are swaddled in warmth, in comfort. It almost feels like your mother is there in front of you... Right there... You move without thinking, possessed by a fervor you've never felt, you must reach her, must touch her. You register the pain, but you do not flinch back, whatever has possessed you is suppressing the instincts to pull back and protect you. You do not know how long you stand there, paw outstretched as flames first burn your fur and then lick at your flesh. Finally, the spell shatters. Your nerves are screaming and you pull back, tears already streaming down your face. The only part of your paw that remains untouched by the flames is the crystalline growths, you flex it and wince, but it still works at least. But the skin is already starting to pucker and twist and even to your untrained eye you know there are places the fur will never grow back again.

You have received:

Permanent Minor Maim (Burn scars on a forepaw)

Player Name: Shard
Character Name: Corbin
Link to Thread Here

NPC:

You are brave, young one, for approaching this summoning with such naive innocence and assuming that it could only be the one you seek to answer your call. With the veil comes danger and uncertainty and lurking behind the curtain could be any matter of demon.

As Melanthios begins to depart, another looms behind the veil ready to take his place. It slinks beneath the curtain and slithers toward you - the largest serpent you have ever seen. It draws to its full height before you and flicks out it's forked tongue, slapping the wet tip against your cheek and dragging it up and across both your brows. Thick black ink spews from the forked tip, staining your fur where it brushes wetly against. It runs down into your eyes, stealing away your vision in a mere instant.

Whatever happens next, you cannot see to distinguish. The cacophony of noises are unnatural and strange and a strangled cry can be heard above it all. The serpent's departure is noticeable in feeling, and you know you are once more alone.. even if you cannot see to confirm it.  

You have received:

Temporary blindness - Vision restored February 28th.
(Note: We know these are late, so liquid timed threads with sight are fine, but all threads from now onward should have Nico blinded)

Due to the supernatural quality of the serpent and ink that has blinded you, not even the most skilled of healers will be able to determine whether or not your vision will ever return.

When inspected, your eye appears to be functioning perfectly. Your pupils respond to light and darkness and even track movement when it is put blatantly before the eye. Everything appears to be in working order, but all you are capable of seeing is a thick, black film of ink.

Player Name: Shard
Character Name: Nico
Link to Thread Here

NPC:

In life there must be balance, a fact that still remains in death. As you are consoled by the kindly wolf Meadow, a shadow lurks quietly behind. Like your mother it is formed of pure energy, the purest sort of evil and hate that could ever exist. The tiger listens to the ghost's explanation from afar, his chest rumbling in discomfort at the show of love and light that is now filling the air. The warmth is suffocating, compressing his anger back down into him until Meadow finally departs... leaving the pup behind alone, taking the love with her.

The tiger's fury explodes and he leaps, enraged. The majority of his attack passes right through you, though a swipe of his claws is delivered with enough of that hate that your mortal body absorbs the blow.

Suddenly the tiger recoils, rivets of inky black blood welling up first upon his limbs and then onto his chest. Ethereal slices of tooth and claw materialize upon the ghost's form rapidly before your eyes. The blood runs onto the grass freely, evaporating as it touches the mortal realm and rising around the cat in plumes of dark smoke. The tiger crumples and falls beneath the invisible assault, his already ethereal form growing fainter and fainter until finally, you are left alone. Alone and in pain.

You have received:

Permanent Minor Maim - Ear tip removal [L]

Player Name: Dragon
Character Name: Ignis
Link to Thread Here

NPC:

You have called for a spirit and found another in his place. You hear her wisdom and wishes, but do you truly hear her? Are you listening? Do you even truly wish to change? Deep within your mind lies another who might not wish for the same redemption as you do - one whom you cannot or will not control.

You feel suddenly judged, not just from the rat but from the rocks, the lava, the cavern walls themselves. The judgement is all around you, suffocating and unrelenting. A chorus of cruel, ethereal laughter begins to sound deep in your ear canals and you know the world is laughing at you. At you, and at your weakness.

The sound morphs, the laughter contorting into a dull ringing that grows louder and louder. It's coming from nowhere and from everywhere all at once and it is all you can hear.

And then there is silence. The rat's lips are still moving but you hear nothing at all. The laughter has stopped, but so has the lava's slow bubbling and gurgling around you.

You have received:

Temporary deafness - Hearing restored February 28th.
(Note: We know these are late, so liquid timed threads with hearing are fine, but all threads from now onward should have Ignis deafened)

Due to the supernatural quality of your punishment, not even the most skilled of healers will be able to determine whether or not your hearing will ever return.

When inspected, your ears appear to be working perfectly. They still flick forward to catch distant sounds or swivel to bring a sudden noise into focus. Everything appears to be in working order, but all you hear is a vast empty expanse of silence.

Player Name: Beau-tifullyWritten
Character Name: Bellamy
Link to Thread Here

NPC:

You have reached out into the veil and summoned another, one you once loved and lost and did not have the chance to say goodbye to. His words inspire you, and as you listen to the wisdom of your long lost friend you find your ambition begins to grow. Can one ever truly conquer their demons? Acere seems to think so, and maybe the knowledge that this wolf believes in you is enough to drive you forward and past it all.

As your desire to fight and conquer your demons begins to grow, something else wanes. That sane, logical part of your mind that guides you is beginning to grow just that much duller. Your fierceness and temper is a strength, if Acere is to be believed. But can you truly harness and master them without the intelligence you need to guide you?

You have received:

-30 Intellect Skill Points

Player Name: Sea
Character Name: Ciaran
Link to Thread Here

NPC:

You must be a foolish pup indeed to actively attempt to summon a demon, and perhaps the only reason you were unsuccessful was that their amusement was more motivating than your stupidity. Behind the veil the evil spirits watched your interaction with the ghost, undecided in how they might move to punish your actions until the very moment your fear reared its head. Entertained by the event and in a decent-enough mood on Samhain, the demons allow Tiburtius to finish his act uninterrupted. You were lucky - this time.

As the ghost steps back into the summoning circle and lets himself fade back into Somnium, something is left in his place. A black cat's foot, it's claws unsheathed and from them dripping an inky black substance. It pools onto the grass and gives off the smell of death and decay, you probably want to be careful handling it.

You have received:

Black Cat's Foot

Staff: Please note when claimed

Player Name: Sea
Character Name: Riva
Link to Thread Here

NPC:

From the moment you begin your summoning, guilt surrounds you. You feel it on your shoulders and spine, all the way down to your paws. The weight of it holds you to the ground, immobile. Your daughter is dead and it's your fault, but more than that.. you once had the audacity to blame another, and to allow him to suffer your guilt. Voices in your ears reaffirm this again and again as you stand before Shaye, drawing forth the memory of that time and how you - a master healer - could not even do your job well enough to check for a wound. The wound that supposedly killed your daughter. The wound that did not exist.

A faint sort of tingling begins at the base of your throat, so mild it's almost not noticeable beneath the heavy weight of guilt and the repetitive voices in your mind. It grows slowly, morphing from a tingling into a stinging and then into a pain. You lift your paw to touch upon it, finding it paints your toes a thick, dark crimson. The blood runs down your chest and into the grass - you'd better get that wound looked at. Strangely enough, it's in the exact location Danta's wound was not. Your guilt only grows as you realize the implication.

You have received:

Permanent Scarring - Throat

Player Name: Chrono
Character Name: Balthier
Link to Thread Here

NPC:

From your attempt at summoning, a spirit arrives. This wolf is not the one you seek, but perhaps that is for the best. Your wrath is polluting the air and the veil itself and Somnium seems to be almost protecting your mother from whatever cruel words you had rehearsed for her dead ears. Aranea has already been punished in death.

Though anger and hate fueled your experience here, a sudden warmth begins to surround you as your father departs. The wounds left behind by your mother's callous treatment of you may last a lifetime, but there is more to this world than your time on this earth. You were wronged - born to a selfish parent who did not deserve the responsibility of a child. The warmth encloses you in a tight embrace, flooding you with that feeling of love and the scent of warm milk. Across Boreas and Auster thousands of wolves are born and raised knowing the limitless love of a mother and feeling valued and respected.. and maybe you will have that chance too, one day.

You have received:

Rebirth Pass

Staff: Please note when claimed

Player Name: Beau-tifullyWritten
Character Name: Memento Mori
Link to Thread Here

NPC:

Your ancestor answers your call and answers you with all the wisdom he can offer. You may feel lost and full of shame, but family is forever and together with those you and your bloodline has lost, your burden can be shouldered. Ganta offers you all he can with words alone, spoken from the form of a small and humble mouse. It is not your mother, but perhaps one day you will hear her wisdom too.

From your grandfather's words you feel a new strength begin to build within you. It is normal to feel lost sometimes, but with the guidance of your ancestors you know you will find your place here in this world and in your pack. You've gained something today, maybe not something tangible, but something just as important as any mere trinket could be.

You have received:

+30 Intellect Skill Points

Player Name: Beau-tifullyWritten
Character Name: Alexander
Link to Thread Here

NPC:

The innocence of a pup always brings a lightness to the air of Somnium and spirits gather to watch as the child is offered a chance to touch the veil. Unlike a common wolf who might look for guidance, meaning and understanding from his ancestors, you seek only strength. It is a simple ask and today, the spirits are eager to provide.

As Melanthios departs, you feel a swirl of wind begin to engulf you. It lifts up your fur and plays with your tail, tickles your nose and dips in and out of your ears. When it eventually dies down and the air grows still once more, you feel.. stronger! Wow, who knew summoning spirits could be so fulfilling?

You have received:

+46 Hunting Skill Points

Player Name: Lolaf
Character Name: Recluse
Link to Thread Here

NPC:

Life is a fucking mess, and you're beginning to think your bloodline just might be cursed. Why do terrible unspeakable things keep happening to the ones you love? Maybe it's your fault. Maybe it's all your fault. Losing your pack, too, is your fault. The things that will happen to the ones you've left behind in Habari-turned-Insomnia... it's all your fault. You carry this blame and shame each and every day but it's overwhelming as you look upon your dead father. Was his death your fault too?

The pain is overwhelming, rooted deep in emotion and infuriatingly there is no physical wound upon you that might one day heal and end your suffering. It's almost too much. You need a wound to match your innermost pain, this much you're sure of. Like a wolf possessed, your head arches downward to the easiest part of your body it can reach. You cannot control your jaws as they reach your paw and enclose around a single toe. Crunching down on bone and tearing it from the paw in a single strong movement of your head.

It isn't until you throw it and see the blood begin to pool that you regain control of yourself, capable now of feeling the pain of your severed toe and feel the guilt begin to grow once more. What have you done?

You have received:

Permanent Minor Maim (Toe Removal)

Player Name: lunarcat7
Character Name: Áskell
Link to Thread Here

NPC:

As you throw your arms around your brother's neck, you feel a remarkable warmth surge out from his form and into your own. It is both concerning (do ghosts give off body heat?) and comforting, though you relish in the opportunity to once again let yourself feel that familial love you've been missing. In your brother's arms the warmth begins to swell... and then burn.

You try to recoil in pain but you cannot bring yourself to release your brother, no matter how hard your try. Where the underside of your limbs touch his ethereal form, they might as well be touching lava. Each moment feels like hours as you burn with him, the two of you locked in an agonized embrace until suddenly you fall. Jigsaw is gone and you find yourself writhing in the grass, reliving a memory that is not your own. Did he burn to death in the depths of the volcano, or did you?

You have received:

Permanent Scarring (Underside of forelimbs)

Player Name: Shelby
Character Name: Gwynevere
Link to Thread Here

NPC:

Your conversation with your mother is emotional and full of love and light. The pride she feels swells up within you, filling you and encouraging you. While she can not remain on this earth very long today, a part of you knows that the love and acceptance she shared with you today is something you will carry with you forever.

Each time you look upon the infirmary you built, treat a patient upon the cots, or prescribe medications that were hand-mixed on those shelves... you carry her with you.

You have received:

+46 Healing Skill Points

Player Name: Shard
Character Name: Outlaw
Link to Thread Here

NPC:

Meadow shares with you her story and you can't help but feel exceedingly grateful that you got to see and speak to her one last time. While you've lived a full life out and about on the sea, her guidance and friendship has unknowingly always been there with you. It is a very special friend that can leave that sort of impact upon a wolf, and Meadow was a very special friend indeed.

The two of you talk, laugh and share stories for hours. Wasting not a minute of the time allowed between you until slowly, she begins to fade back through the veil. In her place, something almost as special as she is remains. You're not quite sure what it is, but it feels like Meadow and it smells like Meadow and you know that she wanted you to have it.

You have received:

Post Acceptance Minor Mutation Pass

Staff: Please note when claimed

Player Name: Ali
Character Name: Kuroki
Link to Thread Here

NPC:

Man, this guy sure is a jerk isn't he? Are all ghosts this way? You can't help but feel that if you were dead, and someone summoned you from Somnium, that you'd have the decency to at least be a little nice to the curious fellow who came to say hi. In fact, you spend so much time thinking about how much better a ghost you would be.. that for a moment, you feel like you've become one. The feeling is fleeting - perhaps just a snapshot of the future - and soon you find yourself back solidly upon the earth, mortal once more. Strange.

You have received:

Ethereal Somnium Pass

Staff: Please note when claimed

Player Name: Bunni
Character Name: Audra
Link to Thread Here

NPC:

While the wolf who answers your call is not the one you seek, Meadow is not a consolation prize. Her sweet words fill you with love and friendship, warming you from your toes to the tip of your nose and making you feel that at least for the moment, everything will be okay. Through her kind words you have almost been given a second chance at life - should you choose to truly take her words to heart.

Everything you are and everything you will be is formed from your experiences and upbringing, from your one remaining eye down to your stutter. Perhaps in your next life, you will know how it feels to be loved, cared for, and doted on.

You have received:

Rebirth Pass

Staff: Please note when claimed

Player Name: KatG6
Character Name: Venom
Link to Thread Here

NPC:

Faith is a funny thing. We cannot see it or touch it, one must simply hope and believe. You've called for your ancestor and he has chosen to ignore your summons - or has he? Perhaps he's been watching you all along, or perhaps he has moved beyond Somnium and into the heavens, to continue his religious work. Is what you are suffering now truly abandonment, or simply another test? You will receive no answers from Viper, nor any other wolf, and as you look upon her familiar ethereal form.. your vision begins to fade.

Is it mere biological coincidence, a punishment for your lack of faith, or a sign from the father you tried to hail? These are questions you will have to ask and answer for yourself. At least you will have plenty of time for meditation and self-reflection as you're lost, alone in the inescapable dark.

You have received:

Temporary blindness - Vision restored February 28th.
(Note: We know these are late, so liquid timed threads with sight are fine, but all threads from now onward should have Venom blinded)

Due to the supernatural quality of your punishment, not even the most skilled of healers will be able to determine whether or not your vision will ever return.

When inspected, your eye appears to be functioning perfectly. Your pupils respond to light and darkness and even track movement when it is put blatantly before the eye. Everything appears to be in working order, but all you are capable of seeing is a thick, black film of ink.

Player Name: KatG6
Character Name: Deathbelle
Link to Thread Here

NPC:

Seeing your brother once more (even in the body of another) should have been therapeutic and perhaps even might have brought closure, but your broken heart is beyond such simple forms of healing. Your grief and frustrations of a life hard lived have left a lasting impact upon you, and all you can feel when you think of his squirrely form is how you could not save him. Again and again you try your best for the ones you love, but your best is not enough.

The more you dwell on it, the more you feel your capacity to do good is fading away. What's the point of trying, when your effort is always for naught?

You have received:

-16 Healing Skill Points

Player Name: Ali
Character Name: Hanako
Link to Thread Here

NPC:

Life sure has been hard on you lately, hasn't it? Unfortunately, it's not about to get better any time soon. The more you speak to your once best-friend, the more you feel that guilt and pain within you. The guilt of your mistakes and the tickling of knowledge in the back of your mind that everything, ever, is all your fault. Why couldn't you have just tried harder? Maybe you are a liar, maybe you are an attention seeker.

I suppose we'll find out for sure when you come to terms with your punishment, and decide how exactly you are going to milk this to your friends, family and pack.

One minute you're speaking to Meadow, eyeing her ethereal form and wishing she was real and whole once more and the next... darkness. The blackness is inescapable and has a depth beyond comprehension - it's not like you can't see, but instead like you're looking through a curtain of ink that absorbs all light, motion and sight.

You have received:

Temporary blindness - Vision restored February 28th.
(Note: We know these are late, so liquid timed threads with sight are fine, but all threads from now onward should have Hanako blinded)

Due to the supernatural quality of your punishment, not even the most skilled of healers will be able to determine whether or not your vision will ever return.

When inspected, your eye appears to be functioning perfectly. Your pupils respond to light and darkness and even track movement when it is put blatantly before the eye. Everything appears to be in working order, but all you are capable of seeing is a thick, black film of ink.