01 [video]: the heart of the forest(?)

[topslug]

Name: Yako Katsuragi (un: katsuragi)
Date: May 25-ish
Format: Video

[ The young woman on the watch gives the camera a small smile, though her expression is also a touch uncharacteristically serious for those who’ve met her before. ]

First of all, for anyone who was badly affected by the full moons, I hope you’re feeling better now. If you need any medical attention or want to learn how to help keep others from going feral when you’re not Bonded to them, you should ask the Coven.

[ PSA done, she clears her throat, brushing her hair away from her face. ]

There’s something else I’d like to share. When we first came here, some people mentioned having a dream about being in a banquet in a forest. I had the same dream, too. I don’t know how much other people recall, but one of the the things I remember hearing while I was in it was the name of the place: Dewaint.

Anyway, I did a little looking into it, and it seems like I’ve found it. Or at least, um, something used to have that name.

[ That’s her cue to move, turning the watch to face ... a map. For those who’ve already seen a map of Geardagas, it will look pretty familiar, but it’s large — taking up most of a wall, and Yako has to take a few steps back to take it in its entirety — and it’s clearly old, preserved from being tampered with by a layer of glass. Yako continues speaking as she steps back in closer, panning her camera slowly as she points out areas of interest. ]

The librarians said this map is about five hundred years old. This is where Aefenglom is today, near the coast. And where Dewaint Forest was is...

[ She focuses on the dark spot towards the center of the map, right by the river (since she’s a little short, this takes a lot of standing on her toes, so the video goes a little wobbly before it straightens). The inscription scrawled over it bears a script similar to what might be seen in places around the Coven — and on the protection charms that were offered in the bonfire ceremony when they first arrived. Though the script might resemble Irish Ogden runes in form, for those who recognize such things, it’s clearly a different language. ]

There -- in the center of what The Wilde covers today.

[ Yako pauses, letting the camera linger. ]

To be honest, I’m not sure what this all means. I haven’t been able to find out much else about it, though some books said something about leylines passing through it and called it the heart of Geardagas. [ Although it’s a heart that most people seem to have forgotten. ] All I know is that it doesn't feel like a coincidence.

[ Spiel done, Yako turns the view back to herself. ]

I'm still trying to see what I can learn, but this is what I have right now. I thought other people might find this interesting too. I asked some people about this already, but if you have access to Parliament Records, the librarians and Miss Nessie think they might have more. So if you would like to help with that or with looking through some more books and papers, please let me know! If you’ve found anything related, I'd like to hear about it too.

Comments

[topslug]

Really, I couldn't have done it without the librarians. They've been so helpful. [ Credit where credit is due! Yako might have remembered scant details from a dream, but it's the librarian's willingness to help and familiarity with the archive that made it possible. ]

As for expeditions, I'm afraid not ... but I wasn't looking into those specifically. But it appears that no one's travel so far into the Wilde -- at least, not in the College's histories -- in a very long time. Maybe the Wilders would be the right people to ask, but I don't really know beyond that...

[futhark]

Hmm. There were none, you say? Isn't that interesting on its own? [ Caster taps his chin thoughtfully. The Forest is dangerous, but there are always those who thrive on danger on exploration on being the first to walk into unknown. ]

"Curiosity" is like defining trait for humans. I would understand if the expeditions failed, but a simple lack of them is puzzling. [ Or just means they're either A) wiped out of public records, B) forbidden, C) both A and B ] But such musings are derailing the topic— You've mentioned it being the crossing of all the leylines. If I was investigating it from a point of a mage, I'd look at what interesting spots lie along with them—

[topslug]

I do think it's interesting. And you're right -- being curiosity is just part of being human. [ That sounds so much like something she's heard before that him saying so can't help but bring a warm, genuine smile on her face. She has her own thoughts on why that could be, but it's probably a lot of baseless speculation right now.

At the mention of leylines, she grows a bit more sober again. ]

Do you know much about leylines yourself? Apparently there are people in the city who study them, but it's not a term I'm all that familiar with. [ Outside of the sort of crackpot videos you'd get anywhere, anyway. ]

[futhark]

[ There is a moment of hesitation before Caster answers. Pooling their knowledge can do better than keeping secrets. Also, screw the mages and their secrecy, I guess ]

As a matter of fact, yes I do. Ley line is where magical energy is channeled through the Earth. You can liken it to a vein of a gigantic lifeform. It's also where drawing the magic from the ground is easiest, and many places where miracles happened turn out to be located somewhere atop a leyline. Or their crossing.

[ He grins impishly as he continues ]

Sidhe building their court on top of the land's heart doesn't surprise me in the slightest. That's of course only if the leylines here work the same as back on Earth. But if they do, we should look how well-mapped their are. [ "we??" ]

[topslug]

Miracles, huh ... [ Bringing a whole bunch of people to a different world probably definitely counts as miraculous. In any case, that could explain a lot. ]

Ah -- since you seem to know so much about this kind of thing, it would certainly be a great help, if you're offering! This isn't really my area of expertise.

[futhark]

I'm not exactly the bookworm type, but I'll see if there is something I can get out of people around. And if what I know proves useful, all the better.

[ a beat ]

Guess the best way to find the answers would be simply to go there, where Dewaint was. But it's too early for that.

[topslug]

To be honest, neither am I ... [ This is more reading than she’s done in a while. ] I do spend a lot of time at the Coven, so if you’d like to see anything else I have so far, that would be the easiest place to meet.

Maybe we can figure out another way of getting into Dewaint Forest.

[futhark]

Ha! [ Okay he sounds excited. ] I like that attitude! I like you- Katsuragi, is it? Just call me Caster.

[ That's very much not his name but it works for now ]

I'm interested in that forest for personal reasons, but I'm even more interested how close to it you can get. [ And hey, since they're sharing— ] You can find me at Coven library more than I'd like to admit. I'm familiar with the runewriting used here, so let's say, I'm seeing how far it can take me.

[topslug]

[ Personal reasons, huh? How mysterious! She's intrigued, but not enough to ask right off the bat. ]

Well, it's nice to meet you, Mr. Caster. And I'd like to see how close I can get too. I'll certainly keep an eye out for you!

[ He's kind of hard to miss. ]