Envoy and her draconian companion make their way out of the Library … slowly … and it seems that time stretches on and the distance to the door gets longer, the more they walk … but, oddly, Envoy experiences no frustration, no sense of difficulty, no panic … just a languid, pervasive sense of calm and leisure … but at last, she reaches out for the doorway …

… and it is something like breaking out of a pool of water into open air, as the calm and quiet of the Library is abruptly replaced with the music and gentle laughter of Paradise. More than a few of the guests turn to regard Envoy with varied expressions … surprise, curiosity, amusement, approval, and a few distracted, mostly indifferent glances.

One of the guests looks vaguely familiar, though – a Lapi garishly attired in fabulous robes adorned with variations on the Crescent rune of Morpheus and the Sphere of Dream. He tears his attentions away from an impossibly attractive lady rabbit, and a look of recognition and surprise crosses his face – as well as a flush to his ears.

The rabbit mage pushes his companion aside, prompting a squeak of annoyance from her, and reaches out to touch Envoy's shoulder. There is a collective gasp from the onlookers, and a flash of light…

… and the light becomes the harsh glare of Primus, shining down through swaying, leafy boughs, as a breeze tousles Envoy's hair, causing a few stray strands to tickle her nose. She is lying on her back, her feathered wings splayed out in the grass, though she can feel a cloth bedroll under her back. A whiff of incense reaches her nose, and she can hear the murmur of voices … then Mystico's voice, calling out, "We're back! She's awake!" In an instant, the murmurs give way to excited shouts, and the sounds of clattering tools, robed mages shuffling to their feet, and padding footsteps.

A wispy cloud billows overhead, then clears away, and Envoy can pick out the forms of rooftops at the periphery of her upward-oriented vision … rooftops of the relocated and reconstructed buildings of the College Esoterica at Caroban.

It takes a few moments for Envoy's senses to adjust to her surroundings. After she realizes she's on Caroban instead of the Sunchaser, her mind makes a few assumptions. Before trying to sit up, she asks, "Urr … how long was I asleep?"

The Lapi leans over Envoy, and since he's at her head, it means that Envoy's view of the sun is blocked by an upside down rabbit's head. "Yes, we're over Ur. And you've been out for … oh … well … " He looks off to the side, as if for help.

A pair of feline voices mew in chorus, "One week."

One of the Lapi's ears flops. "Uhm … that would mean that I myself have been out for nearly a day." He sniffs at himself. His robes don't look remotely so nice as they did in the dream realm – the same shabby attire he has been wearing in the Bazaar for years. "I think I shall go wash up."

"I see," the Aeolun says, then smiles. "Thank you, Mystico. I know to plan ahead now when I dreamquest." She also turns her head from side to side, to see who else is around.

The two feline voices belong to a pair of Siamese Khatta twins, perhaps in their teens, adorned in robes of Dream Mages. Now that Envoy is awake, it would seem that they consider their work to be finished, as they begin putting up their supplies, and clearing up shiny stones they have used for a magic circle. There's evidence of other circles and signs on the ground as well, and a casual observation suggests that probably the intent was to magically stir Envoy from her sleep.

There are other mages as well, some of them arriving on the scene, as word gets around that Envoy has awakened from her slumber.

Envoy tries to sit up, and also makes an attempt to wave to the arriving mages.

A wolf, Iona, comes into view, an alarmed expression on her face that quickly turns to relief when she sees Envoy.

"*KAW!* She's okay!" cries out a Korv in acolyte robes of the Sphere of Spirit, and a number of the acolytes and assistants cheer. In short order, Envoy finds herself surrounded by those attempting to be helpful – offered food, drink, asked countless questions about what happened and what she experienced.

Accepting a drink, Envoy refreshes her throat before answering. "I was trying to see Inala, and learned some interesting things in the Library of Paradise. Hey, have the Schools of Mind and Spirit examined Jaffi already?"

Iona drops to a crouch next to Envoy, nodding. "Yes, they have. He's back to his old and quite talkative self. He seems to only remember bits and pieces of his experience, and is terribly penitent about the whole thing. They tried to learn what they could from the possessing spirit before dispelling it, but it was most uncooperative. And Ari was unaffected – He was only being obedient."

Envoy sighs, "It's a shame that Jaffi didn't at least get to keep all the alien's memories, after going through all that. He's not upset about his feet being burnt, is he?"

Iona's ears twitch. "Ah … We haven't deigned to explain everything to him quite yet. It's a very difficult thing to work through, after all. No need to burden him with everything at once."

The Aeolun makes an "oh" sound, and nods. "Has Life learned anything from the other samples we brought? And has the Inquisition or Inner Mysteries shown up yet?" she asks, while carefully standing up.

Iona nods. "We may have well found something about the origins of many of the non-sapient species on Sinai, and some of the peculiar relationships between them. We may very well at last be able to understand why 'Eeps' ever came to be." She grins, but then sobers. "As for the Temple, they have descended upon the site, and they have demanded that we be not so free in throwing around claims of having discovered a 'First One' – particularly the idea that one of them might be evil and might have possessed Jaffi of Madara. That is something that is very … controversial." She bites her lip.

A black-banded serpent flicks his tongue disdainfully. "It would be," he hisses. "But all peopless are defenssive of their most prized mythss and legendss, lesst any foreigner try to pick them apart."

"I don't know how that rumor got started in the first place," Envoy says, and nibbles on a bit of fruit. "At least we know from my conversation with the possessed Jaffi that this group arrived later than the real First Ones, and didn't seem interested in staying around. Aside from the Goliaths and Zakis, they probably didn't have much of an historical impact. The Emir will likely be upset though. Has anyone contacted Barabbas about this?"

Iona frowns. "No … no, we haven't contacted him directly yet. He has no doubt heard something of this by now, but … " She shrugs helplessly. "I should have thought of that. I'll be certain to pen him a missive today."

A vulpitaur – a Fnerf, her upper body swathed in robes of gray and hemmed with shapes of bodies of the Procession and the crescent of Morpheus - pads up, asking around, then seeing Envoy, and smiling as she approaches. "Greetings, Mage Envoy of Lothrhyn. I am Yffryn of the Sphere of Dream. When you have had a chance to recover from your ordeal, might I be able to consult with you about your experience? The affairs of the realm of dream concern me and my comrades greatly – surely no surprise to you."

Mystico grins at the arrival of the vulpitaur. "It worked! I found her and brought her back! I just had a few … distractions on the way." He tugs at one ear absently.

"Are we anywhere near Zahirinee?" Envoy asks, rubbing her head. "Ah yes … I think some Spirit Mages would be good to have in on it as well, Mage Yffryn. Things could be getting hot in the Spirit and Dream realms soon, especially when Sunala becomes a full deity. Is there someplace nearby we could meet?"

The Fnerf bows. "I humbly offer you the use of my abode, if it will help you. Otherwise, I understand that your old dormitory abode is available for your use as a guest room."

Iona smiles awkwardly. "And if there's anything I can do to help, just let me know. I … I feel really bad about letting something like this happen to you."

"It's not your fault, Iona," Envoy says, smiling to her friend. "I think staying close to the Sphere of Dream would be a good idea for me at the moment though, so I accept your offer, Mage Yffryn."

Iona chuckles lightly. "I didn't claim it was my fault, Mage Envoy. I just still feel bad about it." She smiles lightly. "And I really do mean it – If I can be of help, just let me know." She nods deferentially to Yffryn.

Yffryn pours tea into cups, then adjusts a few cushions to settle down upon. Her kitchen is halfway what one might expect of the decor of a townhouse in Rephidim … but the other half of the kitchen … isn't there. Instead, the area opens out directly to a grass-covered roof of the first floor. Her whole abode has no distinct sense of where one room ends and another begins, and it hasn't so much as a single door in the whole place … let alone complete walls to separate it from the outside world. Given the nearly seasonless weather of Caroban, however, it's probably just not a concern … and the Fnerfs have traditionally been a rather outdoorsy race regardless. Despite the odd lack of usual boundaries and definitions and enclosures one would expect in a home, the place is fairly comfortable, and no doubt furnished with the help of some friends in the Sphere of Earth.

"Do you like sugar with your tea?" Yffryn asks, picking up a clock from a mantle over a fireplace that has no back to it (and no fire), and then popping the top off of it and spooning out some sugar into her own cup.

Envoy feels immediately comfortable in the otherwise odd surroundings, since she's never really cared for artificial structures. "You have a lovely home here, Yffryn. And I think I'll have a spoonful, please."

Yffryn chuckles, and adds a spoonful of sugar to Envoy's tea. "It's a dream come true." She winks, then slides Envoy's teacup and saucer across a table engraved with a tight spiral design that gives it an optical illusion of seeming to "spin" if looked at directly from above.

After taking a sip of the tea, Envoy relaxes further. Finally, she asks, "How much do you already know about the project started by the Babelite Dream Mages during the last war?"

Yffryn shuffles around a little more, flopping her fluffy tail around her rear paws, then blows on her tea, and contemplates the question. "Well … I know that it has something to do with the Seven Sisters, and I know well that there's been an increase in activity in Babel centering on their worship. As you might know, the Babelites have long harbored hedge wizards under the guise of being members of the priesthood, and due to a long-standing tradition – or a truce, you might say – the College Esoterica hasn't pressed the issue. However … there's something else going on. The reports might be exaggerated, but purportedly, some of these priestesses are performing 'miracles' … without need of ritual or held spells."

Envoy blinks. "I hadn't heard about that part, but I've been a bit isolated lately. The original Mages were able to create the dream-worlds of the Seven Sisters by managing to take control of Morpheus himself … although Morpheus isn't a deity, exactly, but an ancient Sifran artifact that attained a sense of self awareness. I had assumed the whole thing was just an elaborate trap for other Dream Mages, but I just learned that the ritual is still being carried out, and that it has a definite goal."

Yffryn nods, frowning. "Well, it certainly has been a trap. I have been mostly teaching theory for the last five years. We haven't been able to train any apprentices in our Sphere, since they wouldn't have the strength to defend themselves. Even I only keep to the lesser incantations, and don't allow myself into a magical dream state." She sighs. "But … please, go on?"

"They aren't just trying to bring about the Seven Sisters as actual deities; they intend to actually control them and their power," the Aeolun says, and has another sip of tea. "It seems that the more followers or believers enter the dream realm of a goddess, the more real power that goddess attains. That could be the reason for the miracles. All I know about the ritual itself, though, is that it culminates in some sort of blood sacrifice, and actually has to occur in one of the created realms. But that's just one of the problems."

Yffryn sips at her tea, then wrinkles her muzzle at the mention of blood sacrifice. "Just one, you say?"

Envoy explains, "Morpheus told me that if certain people could survive the challenges of the Sisters, then he might be able to free himself from the Mages' control. Specifically, they need to be people that have the knack for making their dreams actually manifest physically on the planet Morpheus. I've been trying to get through Inala's challenges, but I learned that others are making the attempts with Barada, Blakat, and Sunala as well. As they progress, they make the realms more real, and that seems to be something the original Dream Mages didn't count on. The Seven Sisters aren't the nicest of deities, and having them be as influential in the real world as, say, Dagh or Amenlichtli would probably be a bad thing."

"And that leads to the third problem," the Earth Mage says. "The other deities aren't likely to stand still and let the newcomers join the club. They see them as a threat, and it isn't hard to imagine how Amenlichtli will react to Sunala, Dagh to Zakaro, or Kasaris to Barada. I have no idea what a battle between deities would mean for the physical world, but war between their followers is probably the most likely outcome."

Yffryn sets her cup down. "Really … I hadn't considered … If they're somehow bringing these Seven Sisters to life … maybe the other mythic beings could become more than just shared-dream phenomena as well." She lets out a heavy breath. "But … you said 'certain people'. Do you know anything about these criteria? Somehow you were able to enter this realm in a way we've not been able to … not safely, certainly. If there could be some way to replicate this … perhaps, in great numbers, we could overcome these challenges together."

Envoy gathers her thoughts. "I don't know how to identify people with the proper talent. I don't believe I have the talent myself, since I do not dream under normal circumstances. I do remember that Morpheus was able to fashion talismans of Sifran crystal here on Sinai, through his link with the Dream Mages, and was able to get these to people that could use them. They help them enter the proper dream state or something. With me, it may just be because I wear Morpheus' talisman on the inside, since he actually helped to create a part of my consciousness."

Yffryn nods. "Have you met any of these others? Any who might have any of these talismans? With proper study, we might learn more about how they function … and, perhaps it would be possible to enhance them, to give additional protection to the wearer, or perhaps we could enact protective rituals for those who venture into these 'dream realms'."

"I only know of two," Envoy admits. "An Officer of the Temple named Elise de Bellefeuille, and a Ranger named Lochinvar. Elise was my companion through most of my journey through Inala's realm, and she and I also briefly entered Blakat's domain as well."

"Using actual dream magic to enter would surely alert the Babelite mages though, wouldn't it?" she asks the Fnerf.

Yffryn ponders this. "Dream magic would not be used to enter … only to provide additional protection for the dreamer. So far, entering by means of normal dream magic has been fruitless. It can be presumed that these talismans represent a means that the Babelites have not accounted for."

Envoy nods. "There is no guarantee that meeting the challenges of the Sisters would make a difference though. Morpheus said it had a chance, and even the Library of Paradise, which I assume to know at least as much as the Mages, couldn't be sure. The spell is ongoing, and I imagine the Dream Mages can react to changes if they have time. The only other wild card I know of is Barada, as she is the only one of the Sisters that is actually aware of the nature of their realms."

Yffryn raises an eyebrow. "This Barada … is self-aware, you mean? That is, she is aware of her nature as a magical construct?"

"I'm not sure, really," Envoy admits. "To test the ability of the Library, and asked it to tell me Barada's best kept secret, and that is the one it replied with. It gave me some hope that if the challenges could be met, and the Sisters made real, then they would be able to resist the control of the Babelite mages."

Yffryn furrows her brow. "What is this 'Library'? It is a part of … you said Paradise … Inala's realm?"

Envoy nods. "One of the traps, it seems, which lock people into that comatose state of sleep."

Yffryn drums her chin. "But although it was a trap, it still afforded you useful information? Hmm. Perhaps an oversight on the part of the Babelites that could be exploited, given due care?"

"I suppose," Envoy says. "I don't know if I could have left the Library without Mystico's intervention, but none of the offered temptations were very appealing to me in the first place. It would take a lot of self-discipline I think."

"Have any of the other Dream Mages that succumbed to the comas broken free on their own?" Envoy adds.

Yffryn shakes her head. "It does not seem so. Others have come out, but they have spoken of their freedom being gained by someone within their dream – interfering, rescuing them from one snare or another. These could well be the others you have spoken of."

Envoy thinks of other possibilities. "You can implant subconscious triggers into a person's mind, which will express themselves in their dreams, can't you?"

Yffryn nods. "That is correct. However, we do not fully understand the 'rules' of these magically-induced dreams. You cannot, after all – or so I presume – simply will into being anything you please within your dream. There are certain restrictions upon your actions, and your ability to affect your environment. Am I right?"

Envoy nods, "Yes … although I myself have been able to carry special dream artifacts that grant special abilities. Once I reached the higher level of Inala's realm though, the ability to manipulate one's environment seemed to be part of Paradise. At least, outside of the specific temptation traps which were meant to gain Inala's interest."

"I didn't see how far the ability extended though," the Aeolun admits, and finishes her tea. "It didn't seem wise to experiment with that sort of power."

Yffryn leans forward over the table, enrapt with Envoy's detailing. "Dream artifacts? What manner of artifacts were these, and how did you utilize them? And have you any idea how you might have obtained them?"

"They were four hand mirrors," Envoy explains. "When I first encountered Morpheus, I was undergoing dream therapy from Mystico. A mental trauma had caused my personality to begin fragmenting into different aspects, and it was Morpheus who provided me with a fourth one that could help manage the others. In the dream realm, each of the mirrors reflects one of these aspects, and when I look into them I become that particular aspect, with physical attributes that match. I can become a child, a dragon, a … very perceptive if awkward creature, or a creation of dream and shadow. Each aspect thinks and behaves differently, but some of my true mind still has influence."

"These are probably artifacts created by Morpheus himself, but there are other artifacts that are creations of the realms, and which have influence in them. Magic wands, nonsense spells and other tools."

Yffryn nods thoughtfully. "So … the power of these artifacts comes in that they are a symbolic representation of some … aspect of yourself?"

Envoy nods again. "So, it may be possible to fashion tools with Dream Magic, and implant them in the minds of those venturing into the realms, where they might actually function?"

Yffryn nods emphatically. "Yes, it just might be! Those 'mirrors' may be only a symbolic representation of aspects of yourself … but they are also treated as objects within the dream realm. Carefully chosen symbols could well be tools in the dream realm. If we could learn more of these artifacts – and others that may have appeared – we could learn to replicate … or even improve them."

Yffryn pauses a moment in thought, then ventures, "Do you know how 'Morpheus' might be contacted? And how does he communicate with you? Does he appear directly in your dreams?"

Pulling a memory from her past, Envoy suggests, "Bungee cords. Oh, he isn't really able to contact me directly now, he has to be careful not to let the Mages know that he retains any autonomy. Usually, he contacts me through an agent. Err … a rather short, foppish fox bard, actually. I think Morpheus is aware of all that happens in the dream realms, though."

Yffryn raises both eyebrows. "A short, foppish, fox bard? Does this have any sort of symbolic significance to you?"

"Oh, he's an actual person," Envoy says. "One of the special dreamers, only acting as a messenger instead of taking on the challenges."

Yffryn nods, frowning thoughtfully. "Do you happen to know who this person might be, and how he fits into all this – or how he might be contacted?"

"I last spotted him on the docks at Rephidim, when the Sunchaser stopped there," Envoy says. "But he gets around a lot."

Yffryn nods. "Rephidim. And you mentioned the others were a couple of Templars. Perhaps that is the common thread." She drums her chin again, then offers, "Would you object, during your stay at Caroban, to being monitored during your sleep periods? Aside from your comatose state here – and the similar state of unfortunate comrades of mine – we have not had a proper opportunity to magically observe the process of entering the Dream Realm. If we should be able to observe during your next visit there, we might learn more about what is entailed in entering the Dream Realm in a manner that the Babelite mages are not prepared for … and how we might better exploit it."

"Oh, certainly," Envoy agrees. "That's why I thought it best to stay here, if it isn't an imposition? I am close to meeting with Inala, I think, and will probably enter the dream realm again soon."

Yffryn smiles pleasantly. "It is no imposition. I would be honored to have you as a guest. After all," she says with a wink, "it would give me the first opportunity to hear all tales of your travels and adventures before my fellows do! They will, no doubt, be terribly jealous."

Envoy blushes. "I'd write it all down, but the Temple would probably censor it."

Yffryn laughs, then cuts off with an un-lady-like snort, and slaps a hand over her muzzle. "Ahem. Of course, I wouldn't laugh at such a suggestion. I was merely … enthusiastic about hearing your tales." She winks again.

"Well, I don't sleep much – my recent state not withstanding – so I will be glad to talk your ears off tonight," Envoy offers, smiling. "I think I should check in with the School of Earth though, and see if I have any correspondence waiting. I have several letters of my own to write as well. I can be back for dinner though, if you want to invite anyone else over?"

Yffryn nods. "Certainly. Ah … what exactly do you eat, by the way?"

"Oh, vegetables, fruits, meat, bread … pretty much anything," Envoy says. "I even like hardtack rations, although they take a lot of chewing for non-Rhians."

Yffryn grins. "I'll try to present a healthy variety, then. Although the Life Mages were keeping you sustained during your trance, I'm certain that something like that is bound to build up quite an appetite. And, of course, a big appetite makes food taste better, so I can't pass up this chance to win you over to my cooking!" She winks again. "Feel free to let yourself in, when you come back!"

Looking towards one of the open walls, Envoy can't help but comment, "Thank you … I wouldn't know where to knock, otherwise."