cvfearneuca

[cvfearneuca]

In Somnium Fortuna, The Story.

Dahlia laughs, waving her friends goodbye as she leaves the school grounds. Today had been a good day! The first of many. The teachers held a party for the leavers, of which she was, and her friends loved her new hairstyle. A good day indeed, Dahlia thought to herself.

Bag over her shoulder and her head held high, Dahlia stepped down the street of her usual route, passing by her favourite bookshop, “Wisdoms and Wonders”. Pausing briefly just moments after, she turns her head, considering entering the bookshop for the first time that week. 

She stands there, in the middle of the street, staring at the storefront.

Still staring.

And someone walks into her, startling her out of her daze. Blinking once, she looks at the man that walked into her. She laughs nervously as he nods his capped head once, muttering a quiet ‘Sorry,’ as he rushes off once more. She nods in turn, waving absentmindedly as her gaze lingers on his departing form, before she shakes her head and turns to enter the shop. 

The bell rings, signaling her entry as Dahlia breathes in the smell of old, well worn books. A smile graces her features, her eyes closing ever so briefly as she spreads her arms outwards, finding comfort in the solace of the bookshop. 

A solid thud on the floor draws Dahlia back to her senses, noticing that her bag is no longer hanging over her shoulder, but is instead now lying on the floor. 

Rolling her eyes, she kneels down to pick up the satchel and the contents that spilled out, fumbling awkwardly to lug the bag back over her shoulder. She huffs a lock of hair out her eyes, separating her hair from her fringe delicately. She’ll get used to this.. at some point. 

Growing tired of reorganising her own hair, she pushes it backwards, the fringe parting awkwardly soon after. Huffing once more, she moves throughout the store to look at their grand collection of books. 

Dahlia smiles briefly once more. She feels at home. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ “Come now, Dahlia. You’ve been in here for a solid three hours,” calls the sweetest little man in the world, Sir Travis, “I’m sure your parents are mighty worried; you really must go home, Dear.” 

Only then does Dahlia look up from her book, having almost finished the... fourth of the series. A whine escapes her, her brows furrowing and bottom lip pursing into a pout as she looks up at Travis from her seat. 

The man laughs, shaking his head as he lifts his hand from his hip to take Dahlia’s from the book. “If you’d like to buy the book, and the other two in the series, I’ll let y’have it for the price o’ this one. That sound good?” Travis whispers, smiling at Dahlia with that sweet, motherly smile.

Dahlia returns the smile with just the same sweetness, placing her bookmark into the book and handing it over to Travis. “Thank you, Travis. This really means a lot.” She says, standing slowly before pushing her chair back beneath the table. Travis merely smiles, walking over to the counter to scan in the books.

As Travis logs in the books, Dahlia decides to explore the corners of the bookstore a little further. Finding herself having seen most of them already, she huffs, frowning slightly despite knowing she probably wouldn’t have discovered much else.

Turning to head back to the main floor, Dahlia startles at the sound of a thud coming from behind what she thought was a wall. 

Peering over at the bookshelf, her eyes widen upon the discovery of an entirely new corridor. Dahlia leans backwards, craning her neck to make sure that Travis is still occupied before deciding to venture down the corridor. Squinting through the darkness, Dahlia lifts her fringe once more in a futile attempt to be able to see more. 

All of a sudden, her foot collides with a rather dense, heavy object, causing her to fall face first onto the floor. ‘Ow...’ she mutters to herself. Pushing herself up, Dahlia looks behind herself to see what it was that she tripped over. 

A book.

A rather dusty one at that, with a purple and blue gem set into the cover. 

Dahlia frowns, crawling over to the book to take a closer look at it. The brown, tattered leather cover reveals that it’s been very well used.. not quite loved, but it certainly had a purpose. Opening the book, Dahlia sneezes at the amount of dust that had been trapped inside of the pages, and upon closer inspection, so had a moth.

A small moth, trapped between the first page and the front cover, immortalised in the book through the pressure over the years. Frowning once more, Dahlia then shuts the book and lifts it to put it back onto it’s designated shelf, when the dull clunk of metal hitting wood resounds. 

Looking down from the book, Dahlia sees a pendant, almost glowing in the darkness with it’s striking beauty. After replacing the book in it’s original place, Dahlia takes a moment to admire the glimmer inside the crystals within the pendant. She smiles, pocketing the pendant and quickly exiting the corridor.

“Dahlia? Are y’reading again? Your books are ready my dear.” Travis calls, his footsteps resounding through the shop softly.

“Coming!” Dahlia shouts, jogging back to the main floor of the shop with a huff, wiping her hands on the back of her jeans. She smiles at Travis, “Sorry Sir, just got distracted by your bookmarks.”

Travis laughs, nodding in understanding as he waves a hand dismissively. “Not t’worry dear. Your books are all logged in, do you want a bag?”

Dahlia smiles, relieved. “Yes please, Travis. That would be wonderful.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

“Goodnight!” Dahlia yells out from her bedroom door, stretching as she turns, kicking the door shut with her foot. A muffled response can be heard coming through the floorboards, and Dahlia smiles. She picks up a hairband from her dresser, tying up her hair in preparation for her good nights rest. 

A glimmer comes from the bottom of her bed, catching her eye. The pendant, sat beside her book of crystals and gems. Across the pages are the names of two crystals; Amethyst and Ametrine, the crystals held within the pendant. 

Shrugging to herself, Dahlia picks up the book and takes it over to her bookshelf, placing it back for the time being. She then walks back over to her bed, picking up the pendant and, enchanted by its beauty, decides to put it on. Glancing over to the mirror on her wall, she smiles, enamoured by the way that it looks against her neck. 

As she turns off the light, Dahlia lifts the covers and clambers into bed. Her ebony locks resting softly against the silk pillowcase. She smiles, and slowly she drifts deeper and deeper into an enchanted slumber.

Moonlight gleams through the windows, catching the crystals with a gentle breath of light.

The Ametrine glitters, a soft mist dispersing from the pendant, only to be inhaled by Dahlia.

Darkness looms, consuming the girl, the bed, the room. 

All that is left in sight is the pendant.

...

Crack... ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

First Next Last

[cvfearneuca]

In Somnium Fortuna, Chapter One.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

... Crack...

Dahlia jolts upwards, eyes wide and heart racing. Her head flits from left to right, trying to make sense of her surroundings but she... can’t make sense of what doesn’t make sense. 

Rocky landscapes twisting up into an endless sky. Sitting on a jagged, broken rock floating above an abyss. A shrill screech resounds, echoing throughout the ever-continuous depths of... whatever this place is.

‘Am I dreaming?’ Dahlia thinks to herself, confusion washing over her as her fear slowly fades, though her heartbeat does not calm.

All of a sudden it dawns on her that when she awoke she heard a crack, and instinctively she looks down at her necklace. A fracture in the largest crystal, striking directly down the center before forking to the right.

A frown marrs her features, her brows furrowing and her lips pursing. Dahlia, wondering what could have caused the crystal to crack, is oddly and abruptly overcome with the urge to look forward.

So she does.

And she sees... a figure.

A cloaked figure, with seemingly no legs, no face, and what can only be described as angular black marks spread across the white fabric. 

A chill goes down her spine. Unsure as to whether the figure is to be loved or feared, Dahlia makes no advances. Not moving, though not through her own volition, it seems. Her gaze cannot stray from the figure, not matter how hard she tries.

And then... nothing.

He disappears, and Dahlia’s shoulders fall slack almost immediately. Groaning as she sits up, stretching her shoulders back until a resounding crack can be heard, Dahlia scratches the back of her neck and begins looking around to gain a better understanding of her surroundings.

As her gaze eventually drifts back to where the cloaked figure once stood, she notices... a mirror, just beyond where the figure once stood. Looking down to the broken ground that she is stood upon, Dahlia breathes a heavy sigh.

Taking two steps back, Dahlia draws in another preparatory breath before bounding forward, across the rocky platform and towards the mirror.

Two drops and a steep climb later, Dahlia opens her eyes, a rush of warmth flowing through her as she draws to a stop where the cloaked figure once stood. Her brows furrow, and her gaze falls to her hands, shaking with fear from running with closed eyes. ‘Why did I do that?’ She thinks to herself, slapping herself straight in the center of her forehead.

Sighing softly, she opens her eyes once more to stare into the mirror just opposite herself. 

Upon looking into the mirror, the reflection flickers with the images of a nightmarish terror tearing through the internals of three creatures, all screaming for their lives at once. Dahlia recoils in fear, lifting her hands to her chest to protect her heart, that of which is pounding rapidly from seeing such a horrific sight.

And just as soon as it arrives, the image vanishes, and all that stares back are her lustrous emerald eyes.

Lifting a hand, she touches the mirror and the reflection ripples akin to water. Dahlia’s curiosity rises, pursing her lips as she reaches a hand forward, pressing it further into the mirror. And.. sure enough, it falls beneath the cool surface. She giggles, waving her hand through the liquid surface, enjoying the almost magical sensation that teases the tips of her fingers. 

Until she’s pushed forward,

And Dahlia begins falling.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Falling...

Is that what I’m doing?

I feel like I’ve been falling for years. I’ve seen nothing but my own two hands and even those look warped beyond repair. 

And yet you’ve learned nothing.

Dahlia flinches at the abrupt voice echoing throughout her mind, jolting her out of her self-obsessed daydream. Spinning on the spot in every notable direction, Dahlia tries in a near futile attempt to see the source of the voice that decided to so rudely invade her mind. How dare they?

Still spinning within the apparent void that she’s fallen into, Dahlia folds her arms with a huff, still trying to catch even a glimpse of the person that she heard.

Your efforts are fruitless, Dahlia.

Another flinch, her arms splaying outwards to stop herself from spinning and... she does. She may have stopped upside down but at least she has stopped.

“Who are you?” Dahlia calls out, finding that yes, her voice does in fact still work within the eternal abyss she’s still falling through.

I have many names, and many faces, Dahlia. As do you, I’m sure. However, most often know me as “The Guide”.

Frowning and rolling her eyes at the rather boring and anticlimactic name, Dahlia shouts once more, “’The guide’? Come on, could you be any more predictable?” Releasing a small sigh, she looks around once more to try and find the source of the voice. Shaking her head, she finally gives up. “Tell you what,” Daflia begins, “I’ll give you a real name if you just show yourself. That is all you have to do. Just let me see you.”

A brief silence follows Dahlia’s request, leaving her still falling- No, floating now, in the abyss that surrounds her.

Very well.

A sudden rush of sharp, cold air hits Dahlia’s face, forcing her to shut her eyes and shield her face.

Open your eyes, Dahlia.

Lowering her hands tentatively, Dahlia opens her eyes, and her gaze is met by the cloaked figure once more. Her words escape her, her jaw falls slack, and a chill runs down her spine. Dahlia finds herself incapable of forming a response. 

Despite Dahlia’s silence, the figure draws closer, the details on his cloak becoming more apparent within the looming darkness. 

Birds. Crows even, strewn across a stark white cloak. At the tip of the hood lies the skull of a corvid. Beneath the hood resides a faceless person, once again with no visible legs, hands or features.

Dahlia furrows her brows, lifting a hand as she moves to push the hood back. Her arm however, becomes locked in place by an unseen force as she does so.

What I wish to reveal to you is how I appear now. You will not agree with any alterations that you make, I can assure you.

Pulling her arm backwards, she huffs out a bothered breath, “And how do you know what I want?” She says, perking a brow as if to display the confidence in her words.

That is something that you must learn.

“And how is that meant to help me?!” Dahlia shouts, despite flinching at the volume that her voice carries within the abyss.

A lack of a response from the figure only heightens her anger. Pushing a hand through her hair, Dahlia bunches her fringe into her fist at the top of her head, pulling gently to relieve some of her frustration. “If you’re not going to help me, at least get me out of this void.”

And in a blink of an eye, Dahlia is transported from the abyss to the... exact same place that she started. Dropping her hands by her sides, her shoulders slump with a loud whine. 

Turning to face the opposite direction, Dahlia steps forward and headbuts the mirror that she was facing mere moments ago. “Ow..” She mutters, rubbing her forehead and turning the other way once again.

Walking slowly and taking her time, Dahlia finally takes off down the path of the rocky, and abstract landscape.

Finally, the venture begins.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

First Next Last

[cvfearneuca]

In Somnium Fortuna, Chapter Two.

As Dahlia trecks through the repeating caverns, seemingly never-ending as she tries evermore to reach the glowing exit at the very end. She groans, stopping for a moment to evaluate her situation.

First, she woke up in a cave. She didn’t fall asleep in a cave, but she woke up in one. And not just any cave; a cave that had platforms floating above an eternal abyss. 

Second, none of this seems real. Especially the part where she fell into the eternal abyss, and then fell out of a mirror. And then.. walked into a mirror. ‘Did I walk into a mirror? And who was that cloaked person?’

Shrugging off her thoughts, Dahlia considers the final point. This damned cave. It is literally never-ending. Glancing back reveals that she has not progressed further than the last time she checked, despite walking for what feels like hours. ‘But my legs don’t hurt at all...’

With a sigh, Dahlia sits herself upon the floor, resting her chin on the palm of her hand as she thinks. ‘I did wonder if this was a dream at the start, but... I passed that off for some reason. Why did I pass that off?’

Narrowing her eyes and pursing her lips, it suddenly dawns on Dahlia to take a look at her hands. Her mother once told her that by looking at your hands, the time, or a mirror, you’ll be able to tell whether you’re dreaming or not.

So she looks at her hands, and as to be expected, they are warped beyond repair.

“So if this is a dream,” Dahlia ponders, “does this mean...” Her speech trails off as she looks up, at the now considerably closer exit of the cave. Jumping to stand, Dahlia charges towards the exit with a newfound vigour. “For Narnia!” She shouts, sprinting towards the exit as laughter trails behind her.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ 

“I’m free!” She shouts, “I am- woah!” Smack. Her head collides with the floor. Dahlia pushes herself to her feet as weak laughter resounds from the near east. Turning her head, Dahlia narrows her eyes in an attempt to find whatever it was that made the noise, and lo and behold, she sees a small boy huddled behind some rocks. The boy is very small, very frail, seemingly underfed, and full of fear. 

Rubbing her head, Dahlia crouches down so as to not seem intimidating to the boy. “Are you okay? What’s your name?” She asks, her voice soft as she offers her hand out slowly. The boy recoils as if hit as Dahlia advances, causing her to stop in her tracks immediately. Instead, she decides to sit down, placing both hands in her lap.

Then, she waits.

At first, the boy doesn’t move. He merely stays there, watching Dahlia from behind the rubble. Moments pass until finally, slowly but surely he crawls out from behind the rocks, moving to sit in front of Dahlia with his legs hugged up to his chest in a protective manner.

Dahlia smiles, to which the boy flinches. Releasing a small sigh, Dahlia speaks softly, “Hey, my name’s Dahlia. Do you know where you are?” Tilting her head inquisitively, her smile doesn’t fade in an attempt to make the boy feel comfortable. 

Unfortunately it does not, and instead just comes off as creepy.

Frowning slightly in response to Dahlia’s rather.. disturbing smile, the boy rests his chin on his knees before responding, his gaze drifting to the floor nervously as he does so. 

“My name is Lucas, I-I’m stuck here, and I keep getting f-followed by these.. demons, and I don’t know how to get out... and--” Suddenly, a panic washes over his face, his eyes snapping up to meet Dahlia’s. “You’re real right?! You’re not one of th-them are you?! You won’t- don’t take me away I don’t want to go, please don’t make me go there again!” Lucas shouts, clawing at his scalp with his torn and bitten nails. Shivering violently, he rocks back and forth as his breathing becomes more and more erratic.

Dahlia shuffles forward, eyebrows furrowed as she mutters, “Hey, hey! It’s okay! I’m not going to take you anywhere alright?” Placing her hands on Lucas’ calves, “In fact,” she continues, “I want you to get back home. Now, look at your hands.” 

Lucas shakes his head in response.

Nodding slowly despite her waning patience, Dahlia says, “Okay, that’s fine, I’ll wait until you’re ready. But! You do need to look at your hands.”

“I don’t w-want to look at... them again,” Lucas whispers, “Please d-don’t make me, don’t.. don’t make me.” 

Frowning softly, Dahlia lifts her hands to rest against the boys arms, trying to make sure she doesn’t overstep her bounds as she does so. “It’s okay. They look weird, right? All bendy and wavy? Like your fingers are spaghetti?” 

Lucas nods slowly, albeit hesitantly. 

Dahlia smiles in response, “That’s okay! Okay, so what that means is that you aren’t actually awake right now. Does that make sense?” She asks, voice soft and trying desperately not to frighten Lucas all too much. “It means you’re dreaming.” 

He frowns, lifting his head from his hands to finally meet Dahlia’s gaze. “I’m... dreaming?”

“Yes!” She says, smiling gratefully as Lucas, “Yes you are. All of this is just a figment of your imagination, none of it is real, you aren’t being hunted. You are okay.” 

Lucas nods, “I am okay,” he repeats, nodding softly. He smiles to himself, reaching his arms out to hug Dahlia as he mutters, “Thank you for saving me.”

Flinching in response to the hug, looking down at Lucas through a slightly startled gaze. She laughs, returning the hug. “It’s okay, Lucas. You can wake up now.” 

And then Dahlia falls forwards, catching herself before she collides with the floor once again. ‘Huh... He must’ve woken up.’ Shrugging softly, she stands up, brushing the dust from her jeans.

You’re beginning to learn, Dahlia.

“Learn what?” She shouts in response, turning to continue down the path. She pulls the pendant from her pocket as she walks, deciding to place it around her neck.

Your purpose here.

Laughing in response, Dahlia shakes her head, shouting back to the Guide, “What even is here? My subconscious?”

Close.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ 

First Next Last

[cvfearneuca]

In Somnium Fortuna, Chapter Three.

“So there are different layers to the subconscious?” Dahlia asks, staring up into the hypnotic waves flowing throughout the sky. Stars dip in an out between each wave, all of varying colour and size. She smiles, watching the tranquil sight rather peacefully.

Indeed there are. Currently, where you lie is most often described as the ‘Above’. 

...

“And.. what is that?”

The Above is a shared unconscious of all living creatures of existence. This is not just limited to your small planet that you call Tera, however expands to grant access to each being within the farthest reaches of the multiple universes.

Dahlia blinks, her brows furrowing as a sudden overwhelming sense of dread floods her mind. Her vision visibly darkens, and the air grows cold. “...Multiple.. universes?”

Yes, multiple universes. That does not mean multiple versions of ‘you’, it merely means different capsules of space, time and life. You are from universe Xaros’nil-1. Clear your mind, or else you will face terrors more horrific than you are able to consciously conjure.

Nodding slowly, Dahlia returns her gaze and focus to the sky. Taking slow breaths in and out to regulate her breathing, and forcing her heart rate to return to normal. She sighs, rubbing her eyes gently. “Anything else that I need to know?”

Yes. On this journey, you will face multiple demons, most of which are your own. To escape this realm, you must conquer them all. As you progress, moving deeper into your own psyche, the demons will grow darker, more aggressive, and more disgusting. Should you defeat them, you will be freed. 

Sighing softly, Dahlia nods in understanding. She lowers her hands to lie across her stomach once more as her gaze drifts to the sky. “And.. what am I to expect from progressing further? I guess that there are other.. ‘levels’ to my psyche?”

There are.

Dahlia frowns. “And what are they?”

As I stated previously, the one you are currently lying in is known as the Above, it is the shared subconscious. The second tier is known as ‘Miderra’, derived from ‘middle’, in your language. The third tier is known as the abyss. It is here that you are able to finally escape this realm. 

“I see--”

The only problem that lies, is that if you do not conquer your demons you pose the risk of falling deeper into the abyss. In such a circumstance, your mental wellness will deteriorate, however you will wake up with no memory of this ever happening. I advise that you keep track of your surroundings.

“I...” She breathes a deep, calming breath to gather her thoughts before continuing; “I see... and.. what will these demons look like?”

Whatever you are most afraid of.

“Oh, right. Can you take me to one? I’d.. like to see what they look like.”

No.

“Please?”

No.

“Pretty please with a bunny on top?” She begs, becoming visibly more agitated.

No.

Dahlia groans in frustration, pulling at her hair before spinning to glare at the Guide... or rather, where she thought it would be. “What do you mean you won’t take me to one?! I want to make sure that none of these ‘demons’ are that stupid duck from Duck Tales.” She shudders at the thought, her eyes squeezed shut from pure disgust. “Horrific.. beady-eyed little things. Vile. I had so many nightmares about those weird things. Too many.”

There is one nearby.

“And if you think-! Wait, pardon?” She says, eyebrow raised as she spins on her heel to look at the Guide inquisitively as it finally makes an appearance. “You know where one is?”

Yes.

“Then why are we waiting?! Come on! Let’s go!” She shouts, sprinting off towards a collection of crystalline trees.

Wrong direction, Dahlia.

“Got it!” She says, turning as quickly as she can at such short notice.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Puffing and panting, Dahlia finally comes to a stop afront the entrance of a gnarled, ruined cave. It appears to be encompassed by crystalline roots, much akin to the trees that she had seen previously. Thorns stab outwards from the roots, one actually nicking Dahlia’s arm as she attempts to push through. She bleeds, but passes the pain off in favour of satiating her curiosity.

Tread carefully.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Dahlia mutters in response, waving off the words of warning as she steps into the clearing.

Immediately, she is met by a foreboding chill lingering in the air. The atmosphere is stale, almost frozen as she peers around the enclosure. Strings of wire-thin crystal hang from the ceiling, and some float up from the floor. 

Continuing to admire the view with a confused yet admiring gaze, the location in which Dahlia travels is lost to her, until-

“Hey!” A voice shouts in a slight whisper, startling Dahlia out of her trance. Her head turns in the direction of the voice, her focus lost, causing her to trip over one of the smaller wires of crystal, shattering it beyond repair.

Silence echoes throughout the room, cold and unwelcoming.

A deep, coarse growl is followed by a gust of warm, damp air. 

Dahlia turns, and sees one of the demons.

...

“Now look what you’ve done; You woke up the duck squid!”

RAAWK!

“Ah, hell.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

First Next Last

[cvfearneuca]

In Somnium Fortuna, Chapter Four.

“Why are there tentacles coming out from it’s beak?! Why does it’s beak have teeth?!” Dahlia screams as she runs away from the gargantuan.. squid-duck. Duck-squid? There’s not much difference.

Either way, Dahlia currently has a giant nightmare of a duck chasing after her. Stark white feathers are tainted by a disgusting red hue cover the bird’s form. Dark orange tentacles spew from the bird’s mouth with every warped and twisted RAAWK that resounds. Three rows of razor sharp fangs line the inside of the beak, and the piercing blood-red eyes tell no tale of mercy.

Panting and wheezing, Dahlia continues to sprint away from the terror-beast all the while screaming at the mysterious voice, “Well what do you suggest I do then?!”

“Grab its tail!” The voice responds

“Grab its what?!”

“Duck!”

“I know it’s a duck that’s not what I was- AGH!” She yelps, falling flat on her face after being struck on the back of the head with the bird’s wing. Groaning, and spitting out a mouthful of feathers, Dahlia pushes herself off of the floor. Lifting a hand in brief apology, she then turns, looking at the Duck that readily screeches in her face once more.

Now covered in spit and flem, Dahlia wipes her face with her arm, sighing heavily shortly after. “The tail, right?”

“Go for it!”

“Gotcha.” She mutters, stepping backwards twice to give herself the extra push as she suddenly darts forward, running beneath the Duck’s legs. 

The Duck, albeit slightly startled, pushes it’s head between its legs as it tries to follow Dahlia as she runs. The attempts are futile however, and cause the duck to tip over, head-first onto the ground.

This, unfortunately, means that Dahlia is unable to take hold of the Duck’s tail. What it does mean however, is that Dahlia is able to run across the Duck’s stomach to kick the underside of the beak.

Which she does.

Or, at least, attempts to.

Running across the Duck’s stomach causes the Duck to shudder, releasing momentary quacks with each step that Dahlia takes. However, before she can reach the Duck’s beak, the Duck flips over onto its front. Dahlia reflexively clings onto the feathers of the Duck’s breast, gritting her teeth as her stomach flips with the movement.

RAAWK!

The Duck screeches once more, flapping its wings and sending corrupted feathers everywhere. Dahlia screams in response to the shaking, her grip falling slack with every passing second. “WHAT DO I DO?!”

Look within yourself. Defeat the fear. Overcome it.

Dahlia lets out a frustrated growl, “But it’s a Duck!”

Exactly.

Releasing an even more frustrated growl, Dahlia looks up at the mutant-demon-squid-duck and uses her lack of rock-climbing knowledge to her advantage. Scaling the breast of the duck with multiple issues and a lot of struggle, it takes a long while before Dahlia finally reaches the top, and even then her balance is skewed from the erratic movements of the monster beneath her.

“Stomp on its head!”

“Oh would you shut up?!” Dahlia screams, looking in a random direction that she isn’t even sure was the right one. Shrugging her shoulders, she prepares herself before releasing the feathers beneath her and standing to charge forward.

Across the back, up the neck, and finally landing on the head, Dahlia sits herself down almost immediately, taking hold of the feathers once more to remain balanced.

And then she pulls.

Three feathers in each hand, untainted.

SKURAAAH!

Suddenly, the Duck takes off into a sprint, heading directly for the opening that is conveniently only able to fit the height of the Duck, and not the height of the Duck plus Dahlia.

Dahlia screams. She shields her face, expecting the worst to come, and yet... it never does. She opens her eyes, looking down.

The Duck has vanished. And she is now floating in mid air.

Oh, right... this is a dream.

Laughing weakly to herself, Dahlia looks around the cave as she returns to the floor. She lowers her head, lifting a shaky hand to rest against her forehead in a soothing manner. “It’s okay,” she whispers to herself, “I’m okay.”

Quack.

Lifting her head perhaps too quickly, Dahlia looks around for the source of the awful sound, turning to face the entrance to see...

A duck.

A normal, white feathered duck with small black eyes and yellow flippers. 

No tentacles, no taint, no corruption.

Just.. a duck.

Dahlia breathes a sigh of relief, sitting herself down once more and placing her head in her hands. Her shoulders shake, hiccoughing laughter bubbling up from her current state.

And slowly, the laughter turns to sobs. “I’m not okay,” she mutters, “I’m not okay.”

Quack.

A gentle tap touches the crown of her head. And another.

Quack.

Some feathers ruffle. Dahlia sniffles, lifting her tear-dampened face to look at the duck before her.

Just a normal duck.

Why was I ever scared of these?

She reaches a hand out to the duck, keeping the other wrapped around her shoulder for her own comfort. Another sniffle. The duck nuzzles her hand.

Dahlia smiles. 

And light floods the cavern, warm and inviting, revealing all the spectacular glimmers that the crystals behold. Amethyst, Covellite, Sapphire, Opal. All of them light up within the cave, shining rainbows down upon Dahlia and the normal duck.

Wiping her tears away with her left hand, Dahlia continues to stroke the head of the duck with her right. ‘Why didn’t anyone tell me how cute you are?’

“Psst, hey,” calls the mysterious voice once more.

“Shut up, I’m bonding with the duck.”

“Yeah but, can you let me out?”

“What?” Dahlia asks, turning her head to look at the source of the voice, and only now does she see him.

A man, possibly not much older than herself, wearing leather.. everything. From his shoes to his jacket, he appears to be drowning in it. The only exceptions are the burgundy hat that he possesses, and the cotton shirt of the same colour.

“Hey, I’m Adam. Now.. about this whole ‘letting me out’ business. Could we do it now?” He asks, raising an eyebrow expectantly.

Dahlia frowns at the arrogance that Adam exudes, giving the duck one last pat before standing to walk over to the cage containing him.

Tilting her head, she pauses. “You know what?”

“Hm?”

“I don’t think I will.”

“You what?”

“I said,” says Dahlia in a very condescending tone, “I. Don’t. Think. I. Will.” She turns, kneeling to pick up the duck that followed her before saying, “Come on Quackers, we have better places to be.” She then turns dramatically, her dusky hair bouncing as she walks with such a confident stride.

“Oh come on, I really need someone like you helping me, don’t I?”

“Excuse me?” Dahlia turns, raising an eyebrow at Adam.

“I said-”

“Oh I know what you said!”

Adam groans, resting his head against the bars of the cage. “Then let. Me. Out.”

Dahlia’s eye twitches, huffing out an annoyed breath as she stomps over to Adam, tearing the door of the cage open. “There! Happy? Could you not have done that yourself?” She snarls, eyes narrowed and expression twisted with annoyance. The brilliance of the cave flickers.

Adam notices the sudden change in atmosphere, muttering a brief “What the fuck,” beneath his breath, before his focus returns to him. Shaking his head, he resumes, “Actually, no, I couldn’t open the cage. I wasn’t in control of it. I blamed the.. Duck squid, but now I’m beginning to think it’s something else.”

“And what might that be, oh Wise One?”

“You aren’t here through your own lack of will. You wanted to be here. I didn’t. Neither did Lucas.”

Dahlia turns, raising an eyebrow, “You know Lucas?”

“Of course I do. He was in here with me when the Squid Duck was neither a squid, nor a duck. In fact, it started out as a Spider. A spider with as many wings as it had legs, and--”

“Okay! I get the point.” Dahlia shudders, her face paling at the thought of something so terrifying.

“Yeah,” says Adam, “My point exactly. So who are you?” He asks, removing his hat to adjust his mousey-brown hair, before replacing his hat atop his head.

“Dahlia Arman, a pleasure. Truth be told, I don’t actually know why I’m here.”

Adam nods once in minor understanding. “Neither do I, but all I know is that you have more control over this place than I’ve seen anyone have so far. Maybe you’re,” he fakes a gasp, “Special?” 

Obnoxious laughter cascades from Adam’s mouth, causing Dahlia to turn and solidly muffle any sound produced from the eternal void that is Adam’s maw. “Now you listen here-” Dahlia begins, before her wrist is grabbed by Adam, easily pulling Dahlia’s hand away from his mouth.

“No, I think you should listen. I’ve been in a cage for what feels like three weeks, almost a month by all accounts. I’ve witnessed a spider turn into an octopus and then into a duck, and each time it gets horrifically mutated somehow.” A pause, “I do not need you prancing about, telling me what to do, and how to do it. If I want to have fun, I will have fun, and I will use you as my go-to for humour. Now, Your Highness, let’s get moving.” Adam says, walking forwards with his head held high and his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket.

Dahlia blinks, slightly taken aback. “Uh, sure.” She says, despite not moving.

Quack.

She nods once in response to the duck, however still not moving.

...

You need to move, Dahlia.

...

“Come on, Dahl.”

She jumps, shaking her head and lowering her gaze as she hugs the duck to her chest, “I’m coming!” She shouts, “You don’t need to rush me!” 

“Alright, Dahl.”

“And don’t call me Dahl!”

“Alright, Dahl.”

Adam laughs, Dahlia groans.

And so, the adventure begins.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Start Over? 

[cvfearneuca]

The Above, Digital Collage

Today I made a digital collage for the land known as The Above, within In Somnium Fortuna. This landscape idea was heavily inspired by the natural formations of rocks and crystals, as well as the concept behind The Fade in the Dragon Age franchise. 

For my story, The Above is the weakest and most open level of the psyche. It is a hive mind, inspired by the ideas behind Carl Jung’s levels of psyche. When I publish the story you will gain a better insight into my thoughts behind this compared to what I am able to explain currently.

As you can see, I went through a series of tests for colour palette. This was because I know that different colours can represent different atmospheres, emotions, and such. I wanted to have a mystical atmosphere, while also giving a sense of solace, and not-so-immediate knowledge.

Red for me was a tad too ominous, too representative of blood and war. I did not choose this as I didn’t want the scene to feel violent, or antagonising. I will be using this colour theme later on in the story however, as the journeys travel farther.

Gold for me was also a no-go, as it reminded me too much of wealth, greed, and the desire for treasure. Because there was nothing to be gained here, wealth wise, I didn’t think that this would be very fitting for the desired outcome.

A pinkish red was almost there, but not quite right, as it held undertones of romance, love and lust. I did not want this atmosphere to be translated, for reasons of which may already seem obvious, however everstill, I continued on.

Green was out of the question, feeling far too natural and earth-like for it to even be considered. Even with the impossible structuring, I still felt that green was just too much of a natural colour to be able to consider for use within this theme. I wanted to keep the air of a dream-like landscape alive, and so, green does not fit.

Blue is a colour that I thought would work well in the beginning, however upon execution, didn’t work as well as I had hoped. I thought it would be a perfect colour, due to it’s peaceful and tranquil nature, and it’s intellectual properties. Unfortunately, upon testing it, the colour seemed far too vibrant for me to consider it in the first place. 

And so, we landed on lavender. The cool, almost neutral tones of the purple allow for the atmosphere to feel peaceful and without worry, however the darkness of the cave and the abyss below offers a slight foreboding atmosphere, that does indeed serve a purpose.

At the bottom, you can see the image without any colour adaptation, to show what the original images I used had looked like.

[cvfearneuca]

Max Ernst

Max Ernst was a Surrealist Artist, born in Bruhl of Germany. The majority of his work comprised of collages and paintings, or paintings from collages. They were dominantly fantasy based, however some were fashioned in a realistic style.

It was recommended to me that I research Max Ernst due to his frequence with creating collages and paintings from collages to create some rather absurd and abstract images. I took an interest in Ernsts work due to the disturbing, yet graceful nature of the images present.

Throughout Max Ernst’s early life, his major source of inspiration was from his father. His father, despite being completely deaf, tried his hardest to encourage Ernst, and continuously showed him how to improve and keep moving forward.

Max Ernst did attend the University of Bohn in 1914, studying philosophy as his primary subject. Unfortunately however, Ernst dropped out of the course, due to his desire to focus solely on his art. Shortly after this however, he began to develop an interest in psychology - fascinated by it, in fact. 

The artwork of Ernst was apparently heavily inspired by artists such as Van Gogh, Claude Monet and Paul Cezanne. He was also very drawn to the idea of fantasy and dreamlike themes within art, both of which are subjects of Giorgio de Chirico, another inspiration of his.

Unfortunately, Max Ernst was forced to join the first World War, within the artillery division. As such, he was expectedly traumatised by the effects of the war, as well as the actions and such of the West.

Later on in life, Ernst began to go to his memories of his childhood and the war to inspire him and his work, and eventually it became a key source for inspiration within his work. Creating art through inspiration from his memories of the war also served as a great assist to heal his psychological trauma from the event.

Upon looking into psychology, a lot of his work became influenced by people such as Sigmund Freud and Che Guevara. Around this time, and due to the influences, Max Ernst began producing more surrealist art as opposed to realist.

Max Ernst eventually began developing quite the following, and actually helped shape the trend of American Art due to his wild and expressive talents. Soon after, he joined Piet Mondrian and Marcel Duchamp in New York to help inspire more artists there. 

While in New York, he met his third wife, Peggy Guggenheim. And during his stay he was able to inspire Jackson Pollock due to the odd and nonspecific nature of his collages. 

Later on in life, he married Dorothea Tanning, a surrealist painter of Sedona, Arizona. The couple began touring America soon after, leading to inspire many fledgling artists trying to grow and develop their skills, however not quite knowing how.

Overall, the work of Max Ernst and the story of his life are both very inspiring to myself. It’s also rather curious comparing his rendition of ‘The Temptations of Sir Anthony’ to that of Salvador Dali’s. This has inspired me to create two worlds of the same name, but in highly contrasting style and colour.

[cvfearneuca]

“I want only to be Salvador Dali, I have no greater wish.”

Salvador Dali was a Catalan Surrealist Artist who was born in Figueras in 1904. Dali claimed that he was named Salvador (meaning saviour), under the pretense that he was ‘destined to be the saviour of painting’.

It was not recommended to me to research Salvador Dali, however he is one of my favourite artists due to having some very surreal and dream-like creations. I do believe that some of his paintings were actually inspired by the dream, so I think it’s fairly fitting to research someone of his technique.

From a child, Dali’s ambitions have changed very frequently. For example, at age six he wanted to be a cook. By age seven, he decided that a cook was too simple for him, and instead wanted to be Napoleon. 

He discovered impressionism at age 10, finding it rather inspiring to work in such a manner and even tried to create some himself. And at age 14, he discovered the “Pompiers”.

At age 24, Salvador Dali has the Didactic Code dedicated to him by Frederico García Lorca, his childhood friend. Which honestly is rather sweet isn’t it? Honourable, even.

Salvador Dali’s work are all inspired by a retelling of his memories and dreams, and as such the appearance of his images are all very fluid and warped. Possibly symbolic of how his memories and dreams appear within his mind.

Overall, I’ll be referencing a selection of Dali’s work throughout my project to ensure that I remain within the surreal world of dreams and a false reality, while working through my ideas and sketches.

[cvfearneuca]

Louise Bourgeois

It was recommended to me that I research Louise Bourgeois due to her artwork and sculptures based on her dreams, and insomnia-ridden nights. Many of her pieces of art are inspired by that of which she’s imagined and dreamt in the past. As such, I will be taking a look into her as a person, and the work that she has created.

Louise Bourgois is a Dream-specific Sculpture Artist who was born in France, and died in America. She had been producing producing art from 1938 all the way up to 2007, before her passing in 2010. 

Bourgeois, despite being an artist from the late 1930s, never received a formal exhibition until the 1970s. During her wait, she did receive smaller exhibitions, however she wasn’t professionally recognized until the 19070′s, and as such didn’t receive many professional exhibitions.

Having produced art for so long, Louise Bourgeois has collectively produced well over 200 pieces of artwork, solely by herself. Working consistently through day and night, it is no surprise that she has been able to produce so many pieces at once. 

Despite how many pieces of artwork Bourgeois has created, all of it was done to her own tastes and preferences. Louise Bourgeois specifically stated that she “does not make work to please”. As such, her work can be seen as rather ghastly or disturbing, however I personally think it’s rather intriguing. 

Her very first sculptures are known as ‘Personages’. An example of one would be ‘Spring’, a five foot tall monolith that, despite being so small, is also rather imposing with it’s high contrast in comparison to the rest of the sculptures present. I quite like it, not because I’m the same height as the sculpture, but because of the odd formations atop the podium. They’re rather peculiar to observe, and I still have yet to figure out what exactly they are.

Bourgeois was also known for her poems, diaries and engagement books. A few entries that I have taken favour to can be categorised under ‘Abandonment’. One poem called Abandonment made in 1990, an entry speaking of infinity, eternity, and abandonment made in 2004, and my personal favourite;

“If I am abandoned again, I am going to set the house on fire.” An entry made in 1960.

Overall, I enjoyed looking into the story and artwork of Louise Bourgeois, and I’ve a few ideas that have come to mind through inspiration from her artwork. You may see them in my sketchbook under the ‘Monsters’ section.

[cvfearneuca]

Sigmund Freud, Neurologist

Sigmund Freud is an Austrian Neurologist, once again from the early 19th century. He studied the mind alongside Carl Jung, and was heavily inspired by the teachings of Josef Breuer.

As with Carl Jung, it was recommended to me that I research Sigmund Freud, due to his research and theories into the human psyche. Despite his work being fairly similar to that of Carl Jung’s, it is also fairly separate making it just as entertaining to read, if not more.

Looking into Sigmund Freud’s work has been a curious journey, in truth. From his ideals about the layers of the psyche to his creation of the Oedipus Complex, his studies and teachings have all been very interesting to look through.

Similar to Jung, Freud believes that the psyche is a collection of separate but interacting systems. Unlike Jung however, Freud believes that these systems are known as the Id, the Ego, and the SuperEgo.

The Id is what Freud believed to be the primitive, impulsive and irrational unconscious. He believed that this level of the psyche was responsible for the sexual and aggressive instincts that a person has.

The Ego is what Freud believed to be the ‘I that people perceive’, the I that evaluates the physical and social world. The plan seeker. This level of the psyche is most visible in everyday social situations- as such it is the most professional view of yourself.

The SuperEgo is the moral voice that guides the Ego, as Freud believed. He also thought that the cause of anxiety and guilt was down to violating the demands of the SuperEgo, of the moral voice.

As most of the people that have looked into psychology, dreams are a recurring subject and consideration when for knowledge. And so, as to be expected, did Sigmund Freud.

Sigmund Freud was actually heavily against the use and production of dream dictionaries as he thought they were far too limiting in the symbolism of what the dream could, and would have meant. Freud believed that subjects within dreams all had some form of universal symbolism, that could explain certain situations in the person's day to day life. 

Overall, researching the practices and theories of Sigmund Freud has been wholly enlightening. His ideas and opinions, although some may seem slightly... out there, were all very intriguing to read and to take into account. As such, I will try and incorporate some of his ideas into my story, In Somnium Fortuna.

[cvfearneuca]

Carl Jung, Psychiatrist

Carl Jung is a Swiss psychiatrist from the late 19th century. He studied the mind alongside Sigmund Freud, and later went on to develop his own theory as to how the mind works.  Jung was an early supporter of Freud and his studies, often inspired by him and his ideas. Because of this, a lot of their work is fairly similar in a number of ways.  It was recommended to me that I research Carl Jung by my tutor, as my research was very narrow in spectrum, having focused solely on artists. I have taken her suggestions into account and found Carl Jung’s work fairly interesting to observe. Carl Jung’s teachings have actually been fairly interesting for me to research, as his opinions on the conscious, the subconscious and the unconscious are rather peculiar when looking at from a naive perspective. For example, Jung believes that the psyche is a collection of seperate but interacting systems. These systems are known as the ego, the personal, and the collective.

The ego is the conscious mind. It contains all of the thoughts, memories and emotions that one person experiences on a day to day basis. Jung believed that this was most responsible for the identity.

The personal is everything that has been temporarily forgotten, or repressed. Information such as names, dates, and where you last put your keys. This also includes repressed memories, from traumatic or regrettable events. These can also be categorised into something known as ‘Complexes’.

The Collective is what Carl Jung believed to be a hivemind of sorts, or a ‘shared subconscious’ as he put it. This contains all memories from the known world within the past, future (?) and present.

There are also these things called Archetypes that are images and thoughts that have a universal meaning across culture. Carl Jung believed these to be mostly present within dreams and projections of the subconscious, however they can also be seen within culture if you look deep enough.

Overall, researching Carl Jung and his teachings has been highly enlightening. The information I encountered has been very interesting and I’m sure I can include some of his theories into my concepts.

[cvfearneuca]

The Results Are In!

The polls have ended! The results for the main characters were very close (excluding the guide), however we have some visible distinction! 

As the options already have brief backgrounds behind them, there will not be a poll asking for feedback on these archetypes. 

As previously mentioned however, I will be creating some moodboards going into further detail for these characters and items, and how they will be important to the main adventure within the story. 

A big thank you to everyone that took part in the polls. They’ve been a great help for me! 

[cvfearneuca]

The Follower

I have made a poll for people to take part in, to choose what character design they would like to see me develop and work into the story of In Somnium Fortuna. This character will be met along the travels of the protagonist, then to follow them in their ventures.

If you would like to take part in the survey, please click here! As with the other surveys, whatever character is chosen, I will then use the result to create a moodboard based upon the option with the highest favour. I will go into further detail exploring the traits, features and quirks of the character.

[cvfearneuca]

The Key

I have made a poll for people to choose what item they would like to see most recurring in the story of ‘In Somnium Fortuna’, as it will be what pushes the main character into the realm of dreams, and eventually what will pull her out. If you wish to take part in the poll, please click here! Once I have enough results, I will create a moodboard detailing how this certain item pushes the protagonist into the realm of dreams, as well as draw a more detailed version of the item on paper.

[cvfearneuca]

The Guide

I have created a poll for people to take part in to choose what character they would most like to see as the Guide of the protagonist within the story of ‘In Somnium Fortuna’. To take part in the poll, click here! Once I have enough results I will create a moodboard based on the chosen, expanding on the personality, the history, and any smaller details that haven’t been shown in the example sketches.

[cvfearneuca]

The Main Character I have created a poll for people to fill out to choose what character they would like to see focussed on most within the story of ‘In Somnium Fortuna’.  To take part in the poll, please click here!

Whatever character is chosen, I will then create a moodboard looking into closer detail for the character, such as personality types, height, eye colour, hair colour and race. 

[cvfearneuca]

Bastien Grivet’s nationality is Switzerland however he lives in Montpelier, France. He currently is the Co-Founder, Art Director, Lead Concept Artist, Matte Painter, Composer. at Wardenlight Studio, which was with Jessica Rossier in 2013.

Bastien has for almost ten years worked for the video game, film and advertising industries. He specialized in visual development for all kind of visual productions, from Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, to Angel Stone (2016). He has also been a percussionist for almost 15 years and now he cannot imagine life without his music. He began writing his own music shortly after leaving music school. His list of past clients for concept art include companies such as Activision Unisoft, Onyx Films, Blur Studio, Maneki Lab, Dontonod.

Grivet has also worked as a Concept Artist, Illustrator and/or Composer for companies such as: APPLIBOT, FIAT, WARNER BROS, CITROËN, IN EFFECTO, THE GAME BAKERS, and many more.

Angel Stone – 2016  – Cinematic concept artist

Emperor – 2015 – Concept artist

Productions; Call of duty: Black Ops 3 – 2015 - Lead concept artist/illustrator for the environment

The Elder Scrolls Online, Tamriel Unlimited – 2015 – Cinematic Concept artist

Upside Down – 2012 – Matte painter, Concept artist

The reason that I chose to research Bastien Grivet was because his landscapes are both extremely detailed but also extremely simplistic. His artistic prowess is very fluid and flexible as is evident from his line of previous work. What caught my eye with his art is how even the simplest of landscapes appear to tell a story with what he has depicted. From his sci-fi art to his fantasy landscapes, his work is truly spectacular and something I can only wish to achieve. His work has inspired me in the past, and it is only now that I decided to research into his abilities further than what I had previously. What I have learned has been truly enlightening, and I will love to incorporate his techniques into my work in the future.

Overall I enjoyed researching Bastien’s work as it broadened my horizons as to what landscapes could possibly look like.