Some people, upon realizing they're dreaming, especially dreaming of some kind of creepy subway system, might be more than a little put out. Others might simply take quite a while to realize they're dreaming at all, wandering in a funk without quite recognizing the little oddities here and there.
Merlin is neither of those types of people.
In fact, if anything, he seems almost delighted by this new development. If you happen across him, especially if you were one of those skeptics who questioned the waking reality of the strange world in a void, he'll likely have something to smugly say to you:
"Now this... this is a dream!"
That it's not strictly his dream is a minor quibble. It's a dream, and he's here, as are the minds of others. It's about time his incubus side got a chance to play!
[II. Flowers]
As anyone who's, well, even taken note of the details of Merlin's robes, let alone noticed his gardening efforts may have realized, the man is quite fond of flowers. What might not have been immediately obvious is that, under ordinary circumstances, he doesn't need to bother with all that work of growing them the old-fashioned way.
Needless to say, he's taking full advantage of the nature of this being a dream to make up for his months of being relatively flower-less, causing them to suddenly bloom, well, pretty much everywhere. He might fill a room he's happened to pause in, or send some running down a set of train tracks as far as he can manage, or just have a few blooming about wherever he happens to be.
For that matter, don't be surprised if you suddenly find some tendrils of flowering vines growing on you, if you happen to catch him in one of his overly enthusiastic moments.
[III. Dreamscapes]
And, of course, being (partially) a creature of dreams, Merlin can't help but play around a bit in making a few things of his own design manifest. Pausing in a room suitable to his purposes, he focuses, overlaying the existing dream's features with those formed from his will. They're quite temporary, tending to fade almost immediately if he ceases putting effort into maintaining them and gradually even without that, but while they last, they might offer a brief respite from... the rest of the dream.
A - Garden of Avalon
For those who've visited the burning flower field in the Unforeseen Simulation Joint might find a familiar sight in this dreamscape. Minus all the fire, of course. And with the addition of a brilliant blue sky scattered with clouds seen through the now (temporarily) invisible ceiling. Merlin can typically be found here sitting under a tree by the edge of a pool in the midst of the field of flowers, while far off in the distance a tower can be seen, though no matter how far one walks it never seems to get any closer. Probably because there's only so much space he has to work with here, so he's tweaked physics a bit to make people run in place after a certain point rather than run (or jump, or fly) into an invisible wall.
B - A Rose-Scented Night
Stepping into this dreamscape is stepping into darkness. Not absolute, but like that of a summer night, one illuminated solely by the stars and a crescent moon. As one's eyes adjust, one can make out carefully-trimmed shrubs and flower beds, with smooth gravel paths winding between them, and the smell of flowers heavy in the slightly humid, warm night air. It's altogether enchanting, almost intoxicating... And, well, should one be tempted to take advantage of having a brief tryst in the dark, the white-robed mage will gladly assist.
C - Camelot Castle
Perhaps conjured more on a whim than anything, this dreamscape features a piece British castle from a bygone era. It's bustling and full of people, though those people are merely the phantoms of a dream, more a sort of mobile scenery than individuals who can be spoken with.
Still, it's whimsical and lively, and the man with long flowing robes and a wizard's staff doesn't look in the least out of place in it.
[IV. Exploration]
Merlin can't spend all his time goofing around though. Quite a lot of it, to be sure, but messing around with someone else's dreams takes effort and energy, and he doesn't have an unlimited quantity of that.
Well, that, and he probably got bored.
Which is why you might find him wandering about the tunnels, apparently not heading anywhere in particular, but rather quick to approach anyone he happens across.
"Hmm, the aesthetic here leaves something to be desired, don't you think?"
He might even help drive off a nightmare for you if you ask nicely. Maybe.
[V. Beast]***please see notes at end***
Are you feeling watched? Or have an ominous sense like something is out to get you? Well, you might not be wrong, because from time to time, there's a monster that appears to be roaming the tunnels. Its exact form is vague, like a half-remembered dream, but there's no question that it's some kind of beast. A large beast, with a gaping maw, silvery-white fur, and a pair of horns adorning its head.
And no question, if you so happen to look in its eyes, that it wants nothing more to slay you.
Fight is ill-advised, the beast seems to respond to such attempts by simply growing fiercer. It might be safer to flee, and hope it doesn't give chase.
[Notes/Wildcard]
First of all, see my comment here for a quick rundown on event-related stuff Merlin can do. I did forget one thing, namely Merlin's Clairvoyance: he can observe any place he wishes in the present time. If you want him to possibly spy on your character, please let me know, otherwise I'll just assume his attention is elsewhere.
Second, regarding his dreamscapes, please note that they're basically just changing the appearance and such of an existing part of the dream. Think of it like a holodeck: it might LOOK like there's scenery going off into the distance, but you're still actually in just that small room. You can even see the door(s) if you look for them!
Third, for the nightmare beast scenario, for the purposes of this being a dream/nightmare and operating on dream logic, the beast cannot be defeated in a fight. However! Finding alternatives like turning invisible, teleporting away, distracting it, etc, are perfectly fine. And in fact if you want to run with this scenario you can do basically anything short of harming the beast without bothering to ask first! It's all dream logic, after all. :)
Finally, feel free to tag with scenarios of your own, or hit me up in PMs or Discord (AC#7235) to plot!
Merlin | Fate/Grand Order | Open!
Some people, upon realizing they're dreaming, especially dreaming of some kind of creepy subway system, might be more than a little put out. Others might simply take quite a while to realize they're dreaming at all, wandering in a funk without quite recognizing the little oddities here and there.
Merlin is neither of those types of people.
In fact, if anything, he seems almost delighted by this new development. If you happen across him, especially if you were one of those skeptics who questioned the waking reality of the strange world in a void, he'll likely have something to smugly say to you:
"Now this... this is a dream!"
That it's not strictly his dream is a minor quibble. It's a dream, and he's here, as are the minds of others. It's about time his incubus side got a chance to play!
[II. Flowers]
As anyone who's, well, even taken note of the details of Merlin's robes, let alone noticed his gardening efforts may have realized, the man is quite fond of flowers. What might not have been immediately obvious is that, under ordinary circumstances, he doesn't need to bother with all that work of growing them the old-fashioned way.
Needless to say, he's taking full advantage of the nature of this being a dream to make up for his months of being relatively flower-less, causing them to suddenly bloom, well, pretty much everywhere. He might fill a room he's happened to pause in, or send some running down a set of train tracks as far as he can manage, or just have a few blooming about wherever he happens to be.
For that matter, don't be surprised if you suddenly find some tendrils of flowering vines growing on you, if you happen to catch him in one of his overly enthusiastic moments.
[III. Dreamscapes]
And, of course, being (partially) a creature of dreams, Merlin can't help but play around a bit in making a few things of his own design manifest. Pausing in a room suitable to his purposes, he focuses, overlaying the existing dream's features with those formed from his will. They're quite temporary, tending to fade almost immediately if he ceases putting effort into maintaining them and gradually even without that, but while they last, they might offer a brief respite from... the rest of the dream.
A - Garden of Avalon
For those who've visited the burning flower field in the Unforeseen Simulation Joint might find a familiar sight in this dreamscape. Minus all the fire, of course. And with the addition of a brilliant blue sky scattered with clouds seen through the now (temporarily) invisible ceiling. Merlin can typically be found here sitting under a tree by the edge of a pool in the midst of the field of flowers, while far off in the distance a tower can be seen, though no matter how far one walks it never seems to get any closer. Probably because there's only so much space he has to work with here, so he's tweaked physics a bit to make people run in place after a certain point rather than run (or jump, or fly) into an invisible wall.
B - A Rose-Scented Night
Stepping into this dreamscape is stepping into darkness. Not absolute, but like that of a summer night, one illuminated solely by the stars and a crescent moon. As one's eyes adjust, one can make out carefully-trimmed shrubs and flower beds, with smooth gravel paths winding between them, and the smell of flowers heavy in the slightly humid, warm night air. It's altogether enchanting, almost intoxicating... And, well, should one be tempted to take advantage of having a brief tryst in the dark, the white-robed mage will gladly assist.
C - Camelot Castle
Perhaps conjured more on a whim than anything, this dreamscape features a piece British castle from a bygone era. It's bustling and full of people, though those people are merely the phantoms of a dream, more a sort of mobile scenery than individuals who can be spoken with.
Still, it's whimsical and lively, and the man with long flowing robes and a wizard's staff doesn't look in the least out of place in it.
[IV. Exploration]
Merlin can't spend all his time goofing around though. Quite a lot of it, to be sure, but messing around with someone else's dreams takes effort and energy, and he doesn't have an unlimited quantity of that.
Well, that, and he probably got bored.
Which is why you might find him wandering about the tunnels, apparently not heading anywhere in particular, but rather quick to approach anyone he happens across.
"Hmm, the aesthetic here leaves something to be desired, don't you think?"
He might even help drive off a nightmare for you if you ask nicely. Maybe.
[V. Beast] ***please see notes at end***
Are you feeling watched? Or have an ominous sense like something is out to get you? Well, you might not be wrong, because from time to time, there's a monster that appears to be roaming the tunnels. Its exact form is vague, like a half-remembered dream, but there's no question that it's some kind of beast. A large beast, with a gaping maw, silvery-white fur, and a pair of horns adorning its head.
And no question, if you so happen to look in its eyes, that it wants nothing more to slay you.
Fight is ill-advised, the beast seems to respond to such attempts by simply growing fiercer. It might be safer to flee, and hope it doesn't give chase.
[Notes/Wildcard]
First of all, see my comment here for a quick rundown on event-related stuff Merlin can do. I did forget one thing, namely Merlin's Clairvoyance: he can observe any place he wishes in the present time. If you want him to possibly spy on your character, please let me know, otherwise I'll just assume his attention is elsewhere.
Second, regarding his dreamscapes, please note that they're basically just changing the appearance and such of an existing part of the dream. Think of it like a holodeck: it might LOOK like there's scenery going off into the distance, but you're still actually in just that small room. You can even see the door(s) if you look for them!
Third, for the nightmare beast scenario, for the purposes of this being a dream/nightmare and operating on dream logic, the beast cannot be defeated in a fight. However! Finding alternatives like turning invisible, teleporting away, distracting it, etc, are perfectly fine. And in fact if you want to run with this scenario you can do basically anything short of harming the beast without bothering to ask first! It's all dream logic, after all. :)
Finally, feel free to tag with scenarios of your own, or hit me up in PMs or Discord (AC#7235) to plot!