Branch Walking

Stepping through possibility, the fractal existance of the mortal coil that winnows outward as the roots of a vast tree. Stepping through that wall that hides the potential, walk through that hesitation for it is only yet another barrier to the mind. Limitless in the divine, for these shattered realities offer nothing but the opportunity to ascend ones own mundanity. Breath deep, hear the songs of other worlds, breath deeper still and hear the song you are making. For by the side of our ancestors, guiding us the kind hands of the gods, for they both sing a grand song. Should one only listen deeper still. Tis but one step, one small step for the infantile mind you hold. Walk.
~Excerpt from Gjorn Fourth king of Dwarves lessons in magic.

History

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Highly recommend to read Battle of The Black Fortress and Ghost in the Corner for this is very condensed retelling of these two stories.

The first true occurrence of Branch Walking was preformed by Gjorn during his assault during the Battle of The Black Fortress, where he and Stjerkaler: Hjalti Evergrown found something that was hidden away from the world. Though, this was not without the help a, two willing and one ignorant, of the divines. For the assault of the fortress awoke ancient powers, the scent of blood driving a Shadow to haunt the fortresses halls. During Gjorn's nightmare into the realms of possibility, he witnessed disturbing things. Acts that cling to his mind like a vile sickness, horrors that defy comprehension.
Yet when he returned to land of waking dreams, he still needed to deal with the hauntings of the Fortress. One in which he was given a greater clue, for one of the gods he witnessed being consumed alive, told him as an echo in his own world to "find the circle". He knew immediately what the corpse women was referring too, for he escaped the nightmare after heeding the words of another mysterious woman. Telling him to find in the crack of the crumbling halls to escape the Shadow that was hunting him. Where he quickly found a strange circle of runes that allowed him to wake.
When he and Hjalti took the corpse woman's council, they found the crack in the hall again. As a cold shiver ran down Gjorn's spine, for that was no mere nightmare as it seemed. That nightmares were realities, dreams in general were windows into possibilities as Hjalti explained to his King. Then what had the King truly seen in his horror filled visons? The found the circle after excavating the crack, a runic construct that refused all attempts to interact with it.

From Beginning to End to Evermore by Thereasonwhy

After many stubborn attempts, Hjalti and Gjorn had broken through the protective barriers around the circle after reasoning out the names written in it. Four names that held no meaning to them, yet responded in strange ways to their presence. Only the circle did nothing at first, weeks went by as the King and Hjalti continued as they had found that music and song were related to activating all four sets of runes at the same time. Where they had been only able to lit three of the four.
It wasn't until Gjorn, unknowingly, activated all four. Songs and the thoughts of family where needed. It was in this moment that he had Branch Walked through time and space, through realities that should never have existed to ones that always were. Through a continuity coalescing into a singularity of self and selfless. A pocket in reality, hidden in plain sight should one be able to see the truth in the lies. He had found The Elsewhere, and was nearly killed for it. For he had opened a great risk to the Children and the last surviving member of the Quartet, Alnya.
Here learned the truth of his gods, his world, the nature of the magic and the power given to him. He and Alnya had taken an unwitting journey through the shattered remains of Namix, where possibilities extended far past what even the goddess thought possible, for even her own pocket dimension was shattered in a way. Tied to the moment of its creation and the instant she shattered the old world. They fell through countless lifetimes, in a sense Walking through many hundreds of dozens of Branches, each one a variant of the existing. Each of a mirror at different angles peering through their know reality in alternate light. They were friends, enemies, lovers, and nothing all in the same moment. They were close, distant, and a single entity existing inside the same mind. Equal with disparity.
When they had fallen through back into their own Branch, the Queen gave him a gift that would allow him to return far easier. Though, for the sake of the Children that still held the Elsewhere as a sanctuary, she wouldn't let him know the path. He would need to find it himself once more. He awoke to find himself with a singular strange power, a voice that could command magic unseen in the shattered remains of Namix.
He and Hjalti spent years hunting down everything they could, any scrap of information. Eventually, Gjorn developed a safe way to return to the Elsewhere without being followed, for The Shadows hunted him still for what he had seen in his nightmare, as well as for the voice they found so tauntingly familiar. He would eventually teach the God's Eyes how to return to the Elsewhere and bring their collective information back to them.

Execution

Silence Child. Do you wish for them to hear us? Creeping in the dark, listening where ears hang from trees. Watching were eyes are stone, stalking in the void between air. Hush now. We will send you home, we will see that the Queen welcomes you with open arms. Now Silence the area. Good.
Do it again, but stronger. The set up the wards in a greater circle, silence it all once more. Yes, this is needed, we do not wish to even give them the idea that something is happening at all. But tarry not, they take interest when the world goes silent as well. Yes this is still a risk, but a much mitigated one. They will not be able to see past the wards, they will not be able to touch the greater rings.
I don't care if you don't trust me, I don't care if you cannot trust a Shadow Touched Child, Alnya marked me as her own. So do what I tell you, I have already sent dozens of God's Eye's home. Yes, they returned to continue their mission, so now you must as well.

Double check the wards, we haven't much time before we are noticed. Now, you will object, but hear me out. Draw the Quartet's names in a ring. Etch it with a destructive timer, the circle cannot be found after you leave. If it fails, I will destroy it before they find their way here. Hurry! I already told you, we haven't much time, hear that? That tapping on the wards like the fingers of the dead? Have you finished yet? Good.
Sit in the center of the circle, calm down. Yes, they can hear your panicked breathing, so calm down or do I need to force you to calm? Good. Think back, back to ancient skies. Think further back, remember the home that was taken from you. Remember the family you have waiting for you in the Elsewhere. Good, though I must warn you, think only of that family, do not let you mind wander for even an instant. Else you will find yourself in a different place, a different reality, and you will have to do this all again without my help. Without me keeping the Shadows at bay.
Do you understand? Good. Sing their names while still thinking of that family.
Ah, I never get used to that, at least she's safe at last. Now, to get out of here without that sickness following me this time...

The ritual itself is fairly simple in execution. Though many precautions are needed. The ritual has three rings that need to be set up before the final circle is drawn at all. The reason this is needed is simply for the fact that the Shadows are actively hunting for anything related to the old gods, and where their final victim escaped to. Should they find the Elsewhere, they'd be like rats in a cage.

• The outer ring is runic in nature, based entirely in the Domain of Air. Where it is built to block the touch of anything that has Shadow woven into its being. But, seeing as every thing in Namix is currently, some way shape or form, Shadow, it makes a rather violent reaction with even the air itself.

• The second ring is made of sound based magic woven with fire, built to block the sight of anything trying to peer into the sphere of influence. A physical circle is not needed, for a physical circle would be able to be seen. Thus this circle is much more of a manifestation of the Caster's will.

• The third circle is a sickeningly potent Silencing spell, unfortunately for anyone that has to be inside of the circle, the feeling of their flesh dying and the mind growing distant is just a fact of the ritual. This is needed for the Shadows are able to penetrate both circles relatively quickly. All they do is buy them time, though in a good stroke of luck, the Shadows will not appear at all. By the time the Caster in the center of circle finishes the ritual, they should be well out of reach by the time the Shadows break the barrier.

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  Moment of Creation by Thereasonwhy
  The center of the circle is paramount. The same rune that Gjorn found in the Black Fortress. The Caster needs to sit in the center singing the names of the rune, or at least be accompanied by any kind of music in general. The Caster must fill their mind with thoughts of family, as the Quartet operated as such, it calls back to the moment Namix was shattered. In that moment, Alnya had thought about Family, and those she would leave behind. As such the branches are connected by that thought. The music is needed as the all magic in this world is birthed from Vilorlith's Song, without it, the circle wouldn't function as intended.

The Caster must maintain that thought as they fall through reality, they must keep a destination in mind or chance will decide for them where they will end up. In many cases this is what is desired, though for those wishing to return somewhere specific, could be rather lethal. Wayfares refined this to a further degree, though their methods leave them open to be followed. Gjorn's does not. Wayfares can transcend realities, they may teleport freely using many of the same methods. Though, not with any sort of protective wards that restrict the free casting of teleportation.

Primary Related Location

The Cradle

Important Locations

• Isle of Mhuzelt
• The Pocket

Related Organizations

• The Elsewhere
• The Quartet
• Wayfare Guild