Breathing Rock

Breathing Rock Coordinates: [-392 126 394]

[Old Hermit] Well hello. Can't say I was expecting another soul up here. Nor were you, I imagine. [Old Hermit] I like that. He leans forward and looks intently at you. {...} [Old Hermit] Hail, adventurer. As the fire warms our bodies, good company warms our spirits. Care to camp out with an old explorer? [Thank you but I can't right now] [With pleasure.] The wizened hermit introduces himself as the Breathing Rock - a veteran adventurer and long-time acquaintance of Marcus and Lady Edmond. You regale each other with tales of your exploits; sharing anecdotes, comparing maps, and swapping jokes into the wee hours of the night [Breathing Rock] and then, on my honor, I saw it peeking juuuuust over the uncanny ridgeline. Blue tunic and trousers, a normal-looking chap in every way, except for these awful, soulless white eyes. [A zombie?] [Breathing Rock] Bah, an undead has the dignity to be properly alive at one point. This was something truly beyond the Veil. There's a certain obscenity to the things you find in the Farlands... [Breathing Rock] How about you? [I've been to the Farlands before as well.] [No, I've never been to the Farlands.] [Breathing Rock] No, I mean what are some of the least-travelled roads you've been down? [Breathing Rock] Where have you walked that few living others have? {...} (Which of your adventures will you share?) [Visiting Ta'Eldim and Ta'Ksaav] [Breathing Rock] It speaks well of you that the Tlaxans trust you that much. I hope you did some fishing in Ta'Ksaav's lake. Easiest catches I've ever made, almost like a dream. {...} [Entering the Dream of Kaul] [Breathing Rock] The natives would speak of the Loci as a "slumbering soul" but I'd never thought it was so literal. [Breathing Rock] To see Sierhaven aflame� I'm glad it was only a dream. {...} [Navigating the Ephemeral Corridors] [Breathing Rock] Memory - now that's a bold new frontier. Or is an old one? Sure makes you wonder what your own memory's maze would look like. {...} [Walking amongst the Black Willows] [Breathing Rock] You pierced the Veil and got back intact? Incredible. I hope nothing unwanted came back with you... [Breathing Rock] You haven't seen any strange men lurking in your peripheral vision, have you? {...} [Traversing ancient Isharist] [Breathing Rock] Hm. All my experiences with time travel have been forward. Going back's a novelty. [Breathing Rock] Consider this - for every incredible sight we've seen, there's countless variations just out of reach. [Breathing Rock] It would make me salivate if it wasn't so frustrating. {...} [Exploring the abandoned Celsian Forum] [Breathing Rock] There's a strange melancholy to places that should obviously be populated, yet are empty. [Breathing Rock] It's almost nostalgia, but without the comfort. {...} [Wading through the City of Shifting Waters] [Breathing Rock] A swim is a pleasant change of pace after a long hike, but when the world shifts around you, it's smart to take whatever solid ground you can get. [Breathing Rock] When direction itself became arbitrary, you kept your bearings and your head. Very impressive! {...} [Being escorted to the Ring by the magibotanists] [Breathing Rock]... [Breathing Rock]... [Breathing Rock] o-oh. He's clearly very disappointed that you consider taking a magical ferry service to be an adventure, but is too polite to say it out loud. {...} [Beholding the Silver Knight's Tomb] [Breathing Rock] Whether as an echo or a scream, the Knights' legacy resonates throughout the world. Participating in their history is a worthy feat. {...} [Tell him about sealing the wool spirits and the enormous golden eye] For the first time you see the whites of his eyes, widened in shock. He forces his gaze away from you and stares deeply into the fire in silence. He clearly has much to say about this, but has decided against it. {...} [Conclude your stories.] [Breathing Rock] I see. The flames' reflection in his eyes distorts as tears well up in them. [Breathing Rock] Player, you've strode through dream, memory, and time, and passed through Sea, Veil, Void, and Wool to share my fire tonight. [Breathing Rock] Thank you. [For what?] [Breathing Rock] Everything. The company, the stories, the reassurance that the spirit of discovery has not been lost. [You're welcome, Rock.] [Breathing Rock] Please, call me David. My friends do. [Breathing Rock] I'd like to give you my blessing. Let's have a look at that wondrous compass of yours. Let me know when you're ready to turn in for the night. [Breathing Rock] This night has been a greater blessing to me than you know. Are you ready to head to bed? [I'll be up a bit longer] [I am. Good night, David.]