clippedwolf
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2009
- Messages
- 80
In late July I slept for ten hours and had an epic dream. It was unusual for me, not in its detail, perhaps not even for its length, but in its consistent and coherent narrative up to its ending.
For this first part of the dream 'I' was semi-lucid, an active audience shouting at the actors on stage. The subconscious was the director, set designer, and the characters themselves. As the dream progressed my conscious self had less input, yet here I am awake and attempting to retell the dream in a hope that others--you-- find it entertaining.
Once there was an island nation ruled by an emperor. In the island's heavily forested north stood the fortress city of Northwatch. Along the southern coast were the fortress port of Eastwatch and the magnificent capital city of Westwatch. Westwatch was built on and around a large hill. A thirty foot wall made of yellow stone and topped with battlements encircled the city proper. At the crown of the hill stood the Imperial Palace, which was , by itself, as large as a small town. Guests to the palace would walk through red lacquered wooden gates then walk down a long and darkened hall filled with white marble columns before they found themselves in the presence of the Emperor who sat on a gold throne atop a dais. The throne was lit from above by the light of thousands of candles on golden chandeliers suspended from a high domed ceiling. In the darkness of the irregularly spaced columns were hidden alcoves and above the floor were cleverly hidden ledges and balconies. Here the bodyguards and personal assassins of the royal family waited like coiled serpents, ready to spring at their master's command or react in a blink of an eye to protect the royal family. The guardians and executioners of the royal family were a hereditary clan. They were born, raised, trained, and bred at the Imperial Palace of Westwatch.
One day, without warning, a black, rainless cloud appeared over Northwatch and all communication in and out of the city ceased. The cloud spread south and all that fell under it's shadow were not seen again. The emperor sent an army into the encroaching shadow, but after it marched into the darkness it did return. When the cloud's shadow had consumed the entirety of the northern forest it stopped growing. Villagers began telling stories of monstrosities appearing at the cloud's borders at night and carrying off family and neighbors. A long wall and a series of towers was built at the border of the persistent dark cloud. No monsters confronted the soldiers manning the walls and towers, but tunnels appeared in nearby settlements and people continued to disappear. No one returned from the shadow that spread from the fallen fortress now called Darkwatch and decades passed.
The most promising youth of the royal guardians born after the cloud’s appearance became friends with of one of the younger princesses at a very young age. As they grew into adolescence his martial skill increased and she remained kindhearted and generous. Their childhood friendship began to bud into romantic love, yet duty and lack of opportunity kept them from expressing their love. Their love was noticed. While a guardian with unrequited love for a member of the royal family was not unknown, the fact that the princess loved the warrior back was a cause of great concern. The young man was sent to war with the kingdom across the straight to the south. It was hoped their love would wither.
After a time the emperor called the princess's handmaidens before his throne and asked if his daughter had stopped loving the young warrior sent abroad to war. The handmaidens told him it had not. Enraged, the emperor sent out a letter calling the young man back to the capital. The emperor proclaimed it was his intent to execute the young warrior for treasonous emotions and to marry his young daughter to secure a peace treaty with the enemy state. These words drifted up to the ears of every dark clothed warrior in the dark ledges, balconies and alcoves.
The young warrior was recalled from war and sailed home immediately. He arrived at port still dressed for battle in dark leather armor and black cloak, a curved sword hung on his hip. As he stepped off the ship a friend, who had wrapped his face with cloth, approached him and told him of the emperor's intentions and advised him to flee immediately. The young warrior agreed and his friend, satisfied, disappeared into city crowd. Yet the young lover would not leave without seeing his beloved one last time.
That night, he scaled the palace walls and approached the princess as she was preparing to go to sleep for the night. She had been kept ignorant of her father's intentions, and was surprised when the young warrior informed her that he must flee or be executed. The princess took the necklace from her neck and cried a single tear. The tear fell onto a strawberry shaped gem held in a golden mesh at the end of a delicate golden chain. There the tear was absorbed into the gem where it swam around and glowed a soft blue. The warrior took the necklace and put it around his neck. With a brief and sorrowful look he slipped out into the darkness wearing his dark cloak.
Suddenly a fugitive, the warrior fled north toward the dark cloud. Not out of simple desperation, the warrior out of duty went to give his life fighting an unknown yet constant enemy of his people. He crept into a tower and scaled down the wall facing the cloud. Atop the wall stood a soldier who had seen the warrior's face just as he began to lower himself. The soldier had recognized the face from posters accusing the warrior of treason. So the soldier drew back his bow and prepared to fire at the fleeing figure, yet at the last moment he lowered the bow. Why waste an arrow at dead man? No one ever returned from the north.
For this first part of the dream 'I' was semi-lucid, an active audience shouting at the actors on stage. The subconscious was the director, set designer, and the characters themselves. As the dream progressed my conscious self had less input, yet here I am awake and attempting to retell the dream in a hope that others--you-- find it entertaining.
Once there was an island nation ruled by an emperor. In the island's heavily forested north stood the fortress city of Northwatch. Along the southern coast were the fortress port of Eastwatch and the magnificent capital city of Westwatch. Westwatch was built on and around a large hill. A thirty foot wall made of yellow stone and topped with battlements encircled the city proper. At the crown of the hill stood the Imperial Palace, which was , by itself, as large as a small town. Guests to the palace would walk through red lacquered wooden gates then walk down a long and darkened hall filled with white marble columns before they found themselves in the presence of the Emperor who sat on a gold throne atop a dais. The throne was lit from above by the light of thousands of candles on golden chandeliers suspended from a high domed ceiling. In the darkness of the irregularly spaced columns were hidden alcoves and above the floor were cleverly hidden ledges and balconies. Here the bodyguards and personal assassins of the royal family waited like coiled serpents, ready to spring at their master's command or react in a blink of an eye to protect the royal family. The guardians and executioners of the royal family were a hereditary clan. They were born, raised, trained, and bred at the Imperial Palace of Westwatch.
One day, without warning, a black, rainless cloud appeared over Northwatch and all communication in and out of the city ceased. The cloud spread south and all that fell under it's shadow were not seen again. The emperor sent an army into the encroaching shadow, but after it marched into the darkness it did return. When the cloud's shadow had consumed the entirety of the northern forest it stopped growing. Villagers began telling stories of monstrosities appearing at the cloud's borders at night and carrying off family and neighbors. A long wall and a series of towers was built at the border of the persistent dark cloud. No monsters confronted the soldiers manning the walls and towers, but tunnels appeared in nearby settlements and people continued to disappear. No one returned from the shadow that spread from the fallen fortress now called Darkwatch and decades passed.
The most promising youth of the royal guardians born after the cloud’s appearance became friends with of one of the younger princesses at a very young age. As they grew into adolescence his martial skill increased and she remained kindhearted and generous. Their childhood friendship began to bud into romantic love, yet duty and lack of opportunity kept them from expressing their love. Their love was noticed. While a guardian with unrequited love for a member of the royal family was not unknown, the fact that the princess loved the warrior back was a cause of great concern. The young man was sent to war with the kingdom across the straight to the south. It was hoped their love would wither.
After a time the emperor called the princess's handmaidens before his throne and asked if his daughter had stopped loving the young warrior sent abroad to war. The handmaidens told him it had not. Enraged, the emperor sent out a letter calling the young man back to the capital. The emperor proclaimed it was his intent to execute the young warrior for treasonous emotions and to marry his young daughter to secure a peace treaty with the enemy state. These words drifted up to the ears of every dark clothed warrior in the dark ledges, balconies and alcoves.
The young warrior was recalled from war and sailed home immediately. He arrived at port still dressed for battle in dark leather armor and black cloak, a curved sword hung on his hip. As he stepped off the ship a friend, who had wrapped his face with cloth, approached him and told him of the emperor's intentions and advised him to flee immediately. The young warrior agreed and his friend, satisfied, disappeared into city crowd. Yet the young lover would not leave without seeing his beloved one last time.
That night, he scaled the palace walls and approached the princess as she was preparing to go to sleep for the night. She had been kept ignorant of her father's intentions, and was surprised when the young warrior informed her that he must flee or be executed. The princess took the necklace from her neck and cried a single tear. The tear fell onto a strawberry shaped gem held in a golden mesh at the end of a delicate golden chain. There the tear was absorbed into the gem where it swam around and glowed a soft blue. The warrior took the necklace and put it around his neck. With a brief and sorrowful look he slipped out into the darkness wearing his dark cloak.
Suddenly a fugitive, the warrior fled north toward the dark cloud. Not out of simple desperation, the warrior out of duty went to give his life fighting an unknown yet constant enemy of his people. He crept into a tower and scaled down the wall facing the cloud. Atop the wall stood a soldier who had seen the warrior's face just as he began to lower himself. The soldier had recognized the face from posters accusing the warrior of treason. So the soldier drew back his bow and prepared to fire at the fleeing figure, yet at the last moment he lowered the bow. Why waste an arrow at dead man? No one ever returned from the north.
