Offerings to the Ruined Temple
Muirreall's lucid dream
Muirreal awakes at the cliff she once, long ago, threw herself into the sea. The sky is rumbling and the wind is hrsh, but it is not the exact scenery as inscribed in her memory. The sea is empty, no ships in sight, and behind her no city to be seen. There is only mist and fog.
A bolt of lightning illuminates the sky followed by a clap of thunder. As if she were back at that moment, back on that faithful day, Muirreal takes the step and falls down the cliff. She is struck by a surge of lightning that strikes straight through her heart, no different than the first time. But unlike then, when she fell into a thoughtless slumber to awake on a coast far from home, she now is conscious and aware of her fall into the abyss.
She reaches the bottom of the ocean, the sky still roaring above, and is with an unfamilar sight. An ancient building, grand and ostentatious. An ancient temple perhaps? Muirreal thinks for a moment but cannot discern who the temple belongs to. It is built of indistinct stone and the writings are illegible. Inside the water dissappears and makes way for a bright and colorful garden of mushrooms and fungus, of different shapes and sizes. In the middle stand s a statue with its features erased in this dreamscape. At the back stands an altar filled to the brim with offerings. Lightning strikes inside the garden and illuminates the walls around it. Muirreal, feeling like she knows what is next, offers her girdle at the altar. In response thunder roars and her view becomes a colorful whirlpool as she is dragged deeper down in the dream.
Once again she finds herself at the bottom of the ocean, but the temple is now dreary and sullen. It no longer has the glory it held before. Inside it is empte and the featureless statue is shattered. On the altar only 1 offering remains: hers. As Muirreal approaches it a figure walks next to her, walking alongside her to the altar. The figure, featureless like the statue, kneels at the altar and speaks a language that makes no sense. They place an offering on the broken altar: an amber-like crystal. Muirreal sees this as a sign and once again offers something of hers to the altar: her 2 golden arm bracers. Thunder roars once more and lightning flashes outside. As the figure turns around, dozens of other figures emerge from the entrance. They storm the temple and attack the figure that was inside not seeing nor noticing muireall. It is violent, it is brutal and with another flash of lightning Muirreal finds herself back outside the temple.
This time she is not underwater, but the temple that was so wonderful is now in complete ruins, barely recognisable and in total darkness. A solemn candle light shines inside the ruins held by a lone figure. The figure walks out of the temple towards Muirreal but does not acknowledge her. With each step a path of moss and fungus grows behind them leaving lush green and vibrant colos in their wake. Muirreal steps inside for the last time. Now nothing remains not even the altar, but the room is covered in mold and moss from floor to ceiling. In the middle, where once the statue stood, now glows an amber-like crystal fused with the acrid marmelade like a pulsing heart. Muirreal offers up the ribbon in her hair and the heart shines brighter and blinds her.
Whem muirreals opens her eyes again she is once more at the top of the cliff where it all began. This time she is not alone, but in the arms of her late husband. Gazing into his eyes as the storm rages on behind her. He is happy to see her and to hold her even if she offered up what little she had remaining of him: her wedding girdle, bracers and ribbon. This confuses Muirreall as she doesn't know how to continue this dream. She had offered all she had left, yet what more could the Twins want? Her silent question receives no answer and both she and her beloved fall into the deep dark ocean below.
A bolt of lightning illuminates the sky followed by a clap of thunder. As if she were back at that moment, back on that faithful day, Muirreal takes the step and falls down the cliff. She is struck by a surge of lightning that strikes straight through her heart, no different than the first time. But unlike then, when she fell into a thoughtless slumber to awake on a coast far from home, she now is conscious and aware of her fall into the abyss.
She reaches the bottom of the ocean, the sky still roaring above, and is with an unfamilar sight. An ancient building, grand and ostentatious. An ancient temple perhaps? Muirreal thinks for a moment but cannot discern who the temple belongs to. It is built of indistinct stone and the writings are illegible. Inside the water dissappears and makes way for a bright and colorful garden of mushrooms and fungus, of different shapes and sizes. In the middle stand s a statue with its features erased in this dreamscape. At the back stands an altar filled to the brim with offerings. Lightning strikes inside the garden and illuminates the walls around it. Muirreal, feeling like she knows what is next, offers her girdle at the altar. In response thunder roars and her view becomes a colorful whirlpool as she is dragged deeper down in the dream.
Once again she finds herself at the bottom of the ocean, but the temple is now dreary and sullen. It no longer has the glory it held before. Inside it is empte and the featureless statue is shattered. On the altar only 1 offering remains: hers. As Muirreal approaches it a figure walks next to her, walking alongside her to the altar. The figure, featureless like the statue, kneels at the altar and speaks a language that makes no sense. They place an offering on the broken altar: an amber-like crystal. Muirreal sees this as a sign and once again offers something of hers to the altar: her 2 golden arm bracers. Thunder roars once more and lightning flashes outside. As the figure turns around, dozens of other figures emerge from the entrance. They storm the temple and attack the figure that was inside not seeing nor noticing muireall. It is violent, it is brutal and with another flash of lightning Muirreal finds herself back outside the temple.
This time she is not underwater, but the temple that was so wonderful is now in complete ruins, barely recognisable and in total darkness. A solemn candle light shines inside the ruins held by a lone figure. The figure walks out of the temple towards Muirreal but does not acknowledge her. With each step a path of moss and fungus grows behind them leaving lush green and vibrant colos in their wake. Muirreal steps inside for the last time. Now nothing remains not even the altar, but the room is covered in mold and moss from floor to ceiling. In the middle, where once the statue stood, now glows an amber-like crystal fused with the acrid marmelade like a pulsing heart. Muirreal offers up the ribbon in her hair and the heart shines brighter and blinds her.
Whem muirreals opens her eyes again she is once more at the top of the cliff where it all began. This time she is not alone, but in the arms of her late husband. Gazing into his eyes as the storm rages on behind her. He is happy to see her and to hold her even if she offered up what little she had remaining of him: her wedding girdle, bracers and ribbon. This confuses Muirreall as she doesn't know how to continue this dream. She had offered all she had left, yet what more could the Twins want? Her silent question receives no answer and both she and her beloved fall into the deep dark ocean below.
Context
Dream by Muireall den Mhuir after drinking Fey Whisper Potion: Lightning provided by Ingrid - Autumn.Notes
We don't know if the drink had side-effects', has been tampered with and if there is really deeper meaning to it.Interpretation
Muirreall believes this to be a vision given to her by the Storm Twins. he believes the temple she saw is literally the previous incarnation of the ruins we have explored (Reservoir of Knowledge), making it a desecrated temple.While possible (seeing the religous statues, and the similar structure compared to the dream) this interpretation also comes with questions: If it was desecrated eons ago why is it acting up now?
Muirreall thinks the smugglers stole the amber-like crystal or something as valuable/important from the ruins in their previous expeditions. There is no harm in following this up with our contacts.
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