shellphones | text; Sleeping Curse

Entry tags:

text; Sleeping Curse

Type: Text
Sender ID: afflatusexarch ( G'raha Tia )
To: General
Subject: Assistance
Warnings: Nothing, honestly

I apologize in advance, for I truly wish that I could present you all with a more cheerful message. In truth, I am asking for assistance and any knowledge in relation to the malady that has stricken several individuals in the last couple of weeks. Some are finding it difficult to desire to get an appropriate level of rest, for fear of a nightmare that might ultimately result in the loss of life.

[ Okay so he's not really sleeping that much either, but that's a normal life choice for him. And only about two people ~~at this point~~ actually know that G'raha is afflicted as well. ]

There are means to temporarily alleviate symptoms, but thus far a cure does not seem to be within sight. As the nature of this does not seem to be physical, it must be magical in nature.

I was hoping to acquire aid in researching the matter. Curses, hexes, other illnesses that are thought to be magical in nature. Given how many are sharing in the same nightmare, I wonder if we might start there.

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I know a fair bit about curses and hexes, but a shared nightmare speaks of something else to me.

Tell me what you have observed, in as great of detail as you can. I assume you've at least seen someone with this curse firsthand.

[Oh, what's this now?]

Weird. Usually in these cases, from my experience, it's the opposite where people fall asleep and no one can wake them. Never the other way around.

[Hm... People can't get any sleep. What to do, what to do...]

Has anyone tried a little percussive maintenance on anyone's head? That usually knocks people right out. [Because of course that's his first suggestion.]

Admittedly, my definition of such things might be colored by how magic operated on my star. Though, truthfully, this seems to have an intelligence behind it.

You are correct in your assumptions. Initially, there is a dark marking upon one's hand. One might find some discomfort or pain there after some time, but it does not appear to be an injury for it does not heal. The nightmare itself takes the dreamer to the darkest, deepest parts of the ocean.

So vivid is the nightmare that one might find themselves out of breath as though they were the one drowning.

The issue is not the ability to fall asleep. Rather, it is what occurs once one finds themselves drifting into a deeper one.

'Tis nightmares that are causing the problem, for they are so real that some find death before wakefulness.

[Oh... Yeah no, that's bad.]

When you say find death, are you being literl here? Have people actually died from their nightmares, or the dreams are that bad that they feel like they're dying?

[what kinda freddy krueger bs is this??]

Why would I waste time by not being literal?

It is both.

Xenk and I recently looked into using the angelic jellyfish bounty as a possible counter to the curse, since the curse appears to be caused by something demonic in this world. We brought pieces of the jellyfish to a healer in Eltrut. Making its eyes into a jelly seems to have some good effects, like warding it off and slowly countering it, but it doesn't cure it fully. At least not according to the healer.

Still, if anyone would rather use that jelly instead of smelling salts, it could be a nicer alternative. Less stinky, too.

[ You'd (general "you") just have to live with the fact that you're eating seraphim jellyfish eye jelly. ]

Edited 2024-01-27 22:51 (UTC)

Demonic energy... Might I inquire as to how you came to this conclusion?

As soon as the curse started appearing among the locals, I asked around and also went to the archives. There's a sleeping curse that involves a demon that targets a person at night. It sits on a person's chest, cursing them. The text there also mentioned sulfur and smelling salts as a way to help, but that this still does not act as a cure.

There aren't really such creatures in my world, so I asked around some more and talked with Xenk for his expertise. Celestial and angelic type of creatures are counters to a demon's type of power. So, we consulted a physician on Elah if a part of the angelic jellyfish could be used to counter the curse, which brought up the result above. Even if there is no literal demon involved, there's some type of demonic or hex magic that can be somewhat countered by a substance that's made from an angelic-type beast.

I've also been scouring the volcanic mountain on Avaleci for any information. [ As she types it out, she realizes it's just Ice lava spelt backward... wild. Okay. ] One of the still intact texts mentions a dark, round disk that was used to dispel sleeping demons. Finding or making that disk might be the key, but I haven't any idea what it could be.

So I'm still exploring there almost daily for other artifacts or this "disk". There could be something else missed.

It's always the exact same dream? And for everyone who experiences it?

[THere's a pause for a minute while she thinks.]

Let me revise my previous statement. It could well be a curse, but by an active participant, not lingering malice.

Edited 2024-01-28 03:53 (UTC)

Sometimes people exaggerate or blow things out of proportions, can you blame a guy for asking? Back to the matter at hand though, yeesh, that is bad. From what it sounds like, it's either some curse or some vengeful spirit that's doing this. That's my theory on it, from experiences. Anything else you can tell me about this sleep of death phenomena?

I am aware of that fact, yes. Though I would not bring up the matter in this fashion, asking for information and research assistance, if people only felt as though they were drowning.

Truthfully, I might have thought the same thing about some sort of vengeful spirit. It crossed my mind that we might be dealing with something of that nature.

Individuals are marked with discoloration on their hand, for starters.

Even if the dream begins differently, what transpires is the same. Encroaching waters and being submerged, plunged into the depths.

This shared trait is why I thought it no mere physical issue to be healed. There should be a source, one would think.

You realize that some have dismissed such claims of a demon by discovering "sleep paralysis." Not to mention, I doubt it is something as simple as that, for that would mean there are many demons all doing the same thing either at the same time or differing times. If there are multiples, how would we not have come across them at some point? How would someone not have been able to sense their presence?

Though I won't deny that there must be some sort of malevolent force if "holy" aligned magicks or byproducts seem to work against it. At the same time, since it doesn't seem to cure the person of the affliction, the source of it isn't within the person, but from some externalized place. Perhaps it is some sort of entity or even location. Mayhap even item.

Regardless, that "disk" may very well be needed.

I can think of a few kinds of beings that can cause that effect actively, but it's hard for me to determine without direct contact.

It can't kill me but this may still be problematic.

I'm only going by what I read in the archives and tomes I found on the mountain, but you are right. All of it could be myth, not a literal entity causing the curse. It'd be better to hope so, too, because it might be relatively easier to tackle sleep paralysis caused by anything else other than some mysterious creature that's powerful enough to evade detection by all. It's scary to even think about!

Xenk mentioned the same thing. He said the best way to stop a curse like this would be to destroy the source or the caster. Do you know of any ways to trace a curse back to its source?

(︶︹︺) Most of the tomes on the mountain are so burnt, it's difficult to find more information. I do wonder what, exactly, the black disk has to be, or if it can be something generic. But if we are to believe what was written, that it's a way to dispel the curse, do you think it's as simple as falling asleep with a black disk made from anything? Or maybe even the obsidian found in the mountain? Apologies if this question comes off as ignorant. I really don't know how curses like these work.

[CURSES YOU SAY?]

Have you talked to Toge about it?

How do you know 'tis a curse?

Fair enough.

From my brief experiences with vengeful spirits, you deal with them in two ways: The first being charms that ward off evil or restless spirits back from whence they came. The other is that they tend to be restless on the fact that they have unfinished business, so they'll mess with people until they eventually give them what they want or accomplish their goals for them. Like revenge, or to go on a date with a woman that looks like their lover.

[Ignore how specific that last example is.]

Maybe try digging around the place and ask questions of if there's been any people who've died long ago. See if there's possible any wives tales and folklore that match up with this, and found out what the ghost may want.

Could also just be a curse, since the discoloration sounds like the first sign of one. Or a disease, that too. Do we know how many people are afflicted? Could it spread from being too close to someone?

Would you be able to tell if you came into contact with the mark?

[ Yeah sorry Ranma. He's... Definitely looking at the words and going "um are you okay?"

Thankfully he won't. Point that out? This time. ]

We know it isn't some kind of physical ailment because curative magics and other restorative measures have not cured any afflicted.

I do wonder, however, if it could still spread like one. Truthfully, it would be hard to tell unless we gathered everyone up in one location and started questioning them.

There may yet be merit to inquiring about local folklore, however.

I have not, though in hindsight? Mayhap I should have.

Local medics have started to call it as such. I know not if it is truly a "curse" or not, but I do know 'tis not able to be healed through conventional means. Curative and restorative magicks have done little to nothing thusfar. Therefore I can only assume that it is something that must come from another source.

Were I upon my own star, there might be the means to do so. In fact, Emet-Selch would have been someone that was capable of such a thing. Yet I do not have the equipment and I've yet to inquire about what sort of limitations he, personally, faces.

[ So maybe Rem might be able to wrangle that out of him. Or get the old Ascian to help? Who knows. ]

Finding the source would be the best method. From there we would be able to determine if there is something to be destroyed or some sort of process to undo what has been done.

None of your questions are ignorant, Rem. We cannot hope to find answers if questions are not asked. Sometimes the solution can come from questions that are overlooked because they seem "ignorant." The truth is, we have no idea what this "black disk" could be. I would see no reason not to at least test some theories. At least then we can rule these possibilities out.

I'm sure he would be happy to assess if you have anything to do with a curse he can handle. If it is something he can deal with, my trust would be in him. I can't help you with a curse like he could, but I watched in a movie that if you share your nightmares, they're not so bad.

Maybe here that's more than just speaking them out loud.

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