The Ocularum

[pumpkinhollow]

THE OCULARUM Contact: Neil West Location: West Dream Analytics Overview - This page is intended for RP threads taking place at or in relation to the Ocularum! Additional information regarding the organization and its workings can also be found below. - On the outskirts of Pumpkin Hollow, where the rural Northwest Hollow meets the edges of Lockwood Forest, there is a cottage. A thatched roof with wooden detailing houses a tall brick chimney from which a rich pinewood smoke rises in plumes. Warm and inviting windows glow with lantern light. A red door with a golden knocker is seated below a sign. "WEST DREAM ANALYTICS," it reads. This is both the home and the business of psychic dream therapist Neil West. Indeed, it is also the meeting place of the organization which he founded--- the Ocularum. You must be invited to attend either by another member or by Neil himself, though they don't tend to be picky. Moreso they are cautious. They've been burned before for speaking out against the church's way of doing things. But they are committed to action. The Ocularum believes that they can settle the issue of Pumpkin Hollow's haunting once and for all, and that the Temple of Sacred Roots is doing nothing but hindering progress. But if you earn their trust, they will show you the secrets which they believe are key to finally undoing the curse besetting the island. Membership Initiation | Due to their poor relations with much of the island, the Ocularum is slow in its induction process. Start with a simple orientation and earn the trust of its members over time to learn more. Benefits | Those who work with the Ocularum will find themselves less impacted by the effects of the curse and better prepared for what the island throws at them. This is in part due to Neil's occult expertise and strategies taught by him for dealing with these things, but members also find themselves passively having better luck as well. Drawbacks | Neil's outspoken views against the Temple's methods and ongoing feud with Dahlia Leeds has not made the Ocularum particularly popular. Joining them may occasionally earn you the ire of others. There are also sometimes murmurings about "costs" among the members, implying that there may be some financial expectations. Philosophy The Ocularum believes that the solution to Marrow Isle's problems lies in occult knowledge and direct action. Whether the result of an angry ancient deity, restless spirits, or a leyline of dark energy beneath the land, there is some terrible magic plaguing the island. It can be treated. It can be harnessed. However, the Temple's insistence on waiting around for dead or apathetic goddesses to answer the prayers of the people is putting this on hold. The Historical Society is no better, focusing on reactionary measures gleaned from dusty old books. And the heretics in the forest are respectable folk but are exposing themselves to unnecessary danger. The Ocularum needs bold and dedicated truth seekers who aren't afraid to step into the unknown for the sake of protecting themselves and their neighbors. art credit, code credit

Comments

for zelda⸻

[raisedbyfoxes]

The small cottage with the thatched roof and the warm lantern light is somewhat familiar to Ahri already -- she has never been there, but she's passed it a few times on her way to Lockwood Forest. The apartment she'd been granted in the downtown area is nice, but Ahri hasn't yet managed to get comfortable sleeping on furniture, let alone under a roof, so she's been sleeping in the forest instead, finding sheltered areas and sleeping under the stars, only returning to the apartment to shower and see clients.

She hasn't yet earned enough coin to buy more fitting clothing than what she was given upon arrival, though she's done her best with what she has, borrowing a neighbor's sewing kit to turn the linen shirt and trousers into a short, simple dress. One edge of the skirt's hem is a tiny bit frayed from where she keeps picking at it with her claws, and it's that spot that her nervous fingers find themselves toying with once more as she stands at a distance from that cottage, watching it.

The Ocularum's ad on the board had seemed... interesting. Seeking answers certainly was something she wanted to do, and Ahri has always found that the most interesting knowledge tends to come from the most unexpected of places. If you gaze upon a boulder, you will learn about the boulder's surface. If you overturn that boulder, all sorts of fascinating bugs come crawling out of that dark space.

The problem is, she hasn't quite managed to make herself go inside.

Is it too much to hope that the owner might stick their head out and just answer all of her questions?

[hyliasblessing]

It was around this time that Zelda had much the same idea. Being on shore leave for the week, she intended to make the most of her time off of the fishing boat. There were investigations to get underway!

Admittedly, she was a bit surprised to see her new friend standing loitering outside the building. "Oh! Hello, Ahri." She smiled, tilting her head curiously. "What are you up to?"

[raisedbyfoxes]

Zelda's innocent question has Ahri looking a little shifty, vulpine ears laying flat as her gaze goes off to the side. "Nothing," she lies, and then amends, "well, no, not nothing. I was merely... scoping the place out."

Zelda smells like the ocean, like a sea breeze and cold water; Ahri can only assume she's taken up a job fishing. Zelda has something of a refined air to her. Ahri would guess that she's nobility, perhaps, or just some variety of high-born. If she's taken up fishing, that would be an awfully common job for her.

"I saw a flyer posted about this place," Ahri eventually explains, her gaze going back to the little cottage, narrowed in studiousness. "Whoever wrote it promises answers. I thought I would verify their trustworthiness."

The Doctor is In

[itsjustabaddream]

Neil sat behind his desk in his makeshift waiting room. It is obviously just a living room rearranged to masquerade as a waiting room--- a lovely fireplace is positioned off to the side with a sofa and armchair nearby, and a normal writing desk is placed in front of the archway leading into the rest of the home, posing as a check-in desk. But it seems to do its job, and this desk is where Neil spends most of his business hours.

When you enter, Neil looks up. "Hello there!" He smiles politely. "Here to make an appointment?"

Curiosity Kills, Sure, but What's the Worst That Could Happen?

[apocryphalarchivist]

[ There hadn't been just about anything that Jon trusted in Pumpkin Hollow, and this was no exception. For the most part, his intention had been to steer clear of anything he possibly could, until he could find his way out.

The eye symbology and claims of truth were hooks, though, and their draw couldn't be ignored forever.

And now, here he was. The Ocularum wasn't what he'd expected--- the small, unimposing cottage almost looking cozy amid the gloom of the evening--- and, for just a moment, he steeled himself. Hadn't he had enough of eyes for one lifetime?

Maybe in the old one, but this was a new lifetime, and he needed answers. They could provide them, apparently.

Only a moment longer, he stood outside, taking in a breath. And then, he carried on inside, to the desk just within. It was as cozy on the inside as it was outside. How strange. ]

I'm afraid not. Or, perhaps... not at the moment. [ Jon corrects, matching politeness, and remaining on the quieter side, as if reluctant to break the peace inside the home. ] I've read that you're the one to speak to for insight into the Ocularum?

[itsjustabaddream]

[ At the inquiry, Neil lights up and opens his mouth to speak, then pauses. His eyes grow wide, and he smiles more broadly. ]

Ohh, there you are. I thought I sensed the presence of a kindred spirit. This--- this is no accident. [ He spoke with a quiet intensity, a fire behind his eyes. ] You're one of us.

Sometime in October post Dahlia TDM

[somebodychildofanyone]

"Here to check in, mainly," comes the casual answer as River carefully drops her hood; there's a certain amount of extracting her ears first. "Regarding our prior plans. I hope it's not presuming too much if I assumed you didn't want the banishing rite happening at the same time?"

[itsjustabaddream]

Neil hadn't quite finished looking up when the words of professional greeting had popped out of his mouth, and now he is owlishly looking at River and seeming to almost regret the pleasantry. He clicks his tongue.

"I wasn't entirely sure that was something you were still interested in. Considering the company you now seem to keep."

[tisnotthehouse]

"Why, yes." Tarantulas closes the door behind himself, his by-now habitual smile on his face. "So long as it's not a bad time. Are you Doctor West?"

His many eyes allow him to examine the room freely without turning his head, and he takes full advantage of it. How quaint, a doctor working out of his own home. Not that Tarantulas has any room or desire to judge.

Demonology Round Table [cw: body horror & unsettling images]

[itsjustabaddream]

"Right this way," Neil says, guiding his guests into his home.

The living room of his cottage was converted into a makeshift lobby for his practice, but today he led everyone through the threshold behind his desk into the deeper parts of the cottage. The first rooms on either side of the hallway were the kitchen on one side and a small study that served as his patient room. Then, to the rear, a bathroom and bedroom could be seen, but Neil did not go far enough for them to be observed with more than just a glance.

Instead, he led everyone down the stairs into his basement. The room was spacious, warm, and lined with shelves and tables where he kept various pieces of strange scientific equipment. None of it, however, appeared to be for any known scientific practice. Bottles with unusual, almost nonsensical labels placed next to elaborate systems of beakers and tubes and heating elements. Herbs drying on twine against the wall. Stones carved with unknown sigils. Collections of small bones and crystals in glass cases. There was even a crystal ball. And on every shelf, surface, nook and cranny, there were books. Mountains of them! Many were ancient tomes full of aged parchment and esoteric sketches. There was even one particularly large book that appeared to be a bit newer lying open on a table to itself, apparently still being written in, presumably by Neil. If there was any question as to what sort of person Dr. West was, it was very quickly resolved.

Stools positioned around the central table were partially occupied by a small group of locals in attendance, each of them wearing a small gold ring stamped delicately with an open-eye sigil. Neil himself had one to match, though his was fitted with a small ruby for a pupil. Plenty of stools remained, and Neil directed everyone to position them around the table as he moved some of his items away so as not to block line of sight. Once this was done, he finally took a seat and clapped his hands once. "Alright! Let's begin."

"Today we are joined by a handful of our new friends who have just arrived on Marrow Isle. I wasn't--- entirely sure I was ready to open up our doors to the public yet, but due to the nature of the dancing plague, well... I think it's rather necessary," he began, and his colleagues nodded and murmured in quiet agreement. Clearly this situation was disquieting to them.

"That said, I think it would be a wise choice for me to inform you all on the basic power structure of infernal beings, the names of noteworthy devils, and common indicators of demonic presence. This should give all of you a better understanding of what we often deal with on the island. Let us begin, shall we?"

Behind him, a square of light appeared on the wall, forming a rudimentary projector screen. Neil clicked an image into space within the square.



"The evil beings of the Infernal Realm existing parallel to this one, known commonly as devils or demons, thrive off of energy of cruelty, corruption, and pain, and are both born of and produce evil magic, and live an existence antithetical to our own. I have had my suspicions that they are at least partially involved in our fate here, but given what the people mad with plague have been heard saying, I am all but certain in the potential of infernal involvement to some extent," Neil said gravely. "While most demons are nothing special and content to sow inconsequential chaos or pain from the shadows, there are at least four demons who have any real power."

Click.



"This is Eligos, the current King of Demons," Neil explained. "Known as the King of Treason, he came into power when he killed his elder brother Therius, Prince of the Red Fields, and usurping his claim to the Infernal Throne. His power thrives off of betrayal, distrust, inequity, broken oaths, and blood feuds."

Click.



"Efrain is the Prince of Sorrow's Song, who derives his power from misery, pain, despair, hopelessness, and defeat. He is associated with lamenting music and the cries of the suffering."

Click.



"Mendel is the Prince of Fools, and draws his power from lies, tricks, misinformation, stupidity, hubris, and willful ignorance. He thrives on a specific kind of chaos that comes from complete breakdowns of communication and loves mean-spirited and cruel pranks."

Click.



"And finally, Aster is the Prince of the Dark Feast, whose power comes from consumption, indulgence, greed, manipulation, and cannibalism. Acts of destroying other people and things in order to feed oneself, and taking control of or subjugating others."

"The three demon princes are the sons of Eligos, and they are said to be in competition with one another for his favor, in hopes of being chosen as his successor."

At last, he clicked off his projector.

"In any case--- that ends my presentation. If anyone has further information to share, or has any questions, the floor is open."

[ OOC note: anyone can thread here with Neil either to ask questions or talk after the meeting. People can also thread in the Ocularum post in general to mingle with one another. ]

[witheredpeonies]

Annabel Lee in her plain black dress, hair in rag curls, pays attention to the presentation, noting what information they're given down in some form of shorthand on a scrap of brown paper.

"If the Princes want to be named successor so bad, does that mean they think their father's reign is due to come to an end sometime soon?"

Data! We Love Data!

[restingslasherface]

Citation Needed [Closed to Neil]

Jean is the picture of attention during the presentation, both figuratively and, as it were, literally. They have their notebook of information about the island, and they carefully - and remarkably swiftly - sketch copies of the pictures shown during the presentation, appending each with the short descriptions that the occultist has offered and leaving plenty of space to fill in more, for organizational purposes. Only when they're satisfied does Jean raise a hand like a student might.

Nugget of Wisdom (OTA)

Are you talking? Sharing information? Guess who's taking notes. Jean has an uncharacteristically worried look on their face.

[somebodychildofanyone]

"...Often deal with," River echoes, her lilting voice soft. "Deal with how?"

[woocas]

While loosely affiliated with the Historical Society, Lucas is still determined to poke his head into this informational meeting. He's run into Neil before and is curious what all will be shared about the demons of this world.

Assuming he's not booted out on his ear, Lucas dutifully scribbles notes into an already well worn notebook. His pencil is twirled around his fingers while he stops to process something.

"Hey, um." Lucas speaks up but doesn't actually look up just yet, pale eyes scanning over his notes. "Do you happen to have any record of this dancing plague before? Some of the afflicted where talking about Aster and I was wondering what sort of connection might be there."

[deepbluerevue]

When the name “Aster” came up, Grace Holloway stiffened where she sat on a stool near the back of the room, hands clenching on the crutches leaning against her legs. She listened intently to the questions and answers that followed the presentation, noting the others that mentioned having heard of Aster. (It was a comfort to see Mister Kovach attending the meeting. He seemed well-intentioned, and probably just as naïve to all the feuds apparently flying around in this town as she was.

She was also unsurprised to see Agent Jean. That one had an eye on information-gathering of all sorts, huh.)

After the meeting had dissipated a bit, folks splitting off to chat, Grace got to her feet with some difficulty and a nearly-hidden grimace, pinning the crutches under her arms with as much finesse as she could manage, which wasn’t much.

As she approached the meeting’s host, she cleared her throat politely, stationing herself strategically near an empty chair. “Doctor West? I don’t think we’ve properly met. I’m Grace Holloway.”

Demonology Table (Round II) - Early December

[restingslasherface]

Jean has called this meeting of the Ocularum and its allies, asking Doctor West and Princess Zelda to secure the discreet invitations. They've allied themself with these people they don't trust; it's time to make use of it. Specifically, it's time to start breaking down an overall goal into actionable objectives. Mendel dies first. Jean already swore it.

They wait for everyone to filter in that's going to, holding a pointer and standing in front of the chalkboard. As they talk, they will be pointing to things, but Jean is...not the cheerful nugget they usually are. Every motion is layered with volumes of barely-restrained rage.

Are those wolves howling, just outside?

"Thank you all for coming," Jean begins. "This proposal is somewhat far-reaching and diffuse, but I've seen for myself that silver-bullet solutions are, ha ha, ha...ha. Worse than useless. Stupid. It's time for concrete steps that can be tracked. I ask that everyone who chooses to participate both keep their own notes and create a copy to be left with another volunteer; ideally," here they glance at Neil, "we can create a master copy to be filed with Town Hall and the library at such a time that we have information that will benefit the public good. Please let me outline."

The pointer goes to the top:

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE
RENDER COMPETITOR INCURSION ("DEMONS") UNABLE OR UNWILLING TO PREY ON MARROW ISLAND

"Grand strategy," Jean murmurs, "is the art of deciding who or what an organization wishes to be, its purpose in the world. Doctor West has declared for the Ocularum that it wishes to be for the good of the community, through the practical application of knowledge. Well. These incursions are shitting on the living room floor. It's time to do some public good."

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES
DETERMINE NUMBER AND MOTIVATION OF OTHER COMPETITOR INCURSIONS

"We've had confirmation that the Parade Day massacre was not a demonic attack; its nature is, instead, Abyssal. Doctor West can enlighten us on that matter. If we're to make headway in the curse, we need to know the who, what, and why of who's locked in here with us, and who can breach the barrier."

KNOWN FACTS
- "Dancing Plague" ASSOCIATED WITH HOSTILE MANAGER ASTER
- "Nightmare Carnival" DIRECT INCURSION BY HOSTILE FORCES UNDER COMMAND OF MANAGER MENDEL
- "Parade Day Massacre" COMMITTED BY SMALL FRAGMENT OF GREATER, UNKNOWN BEING ("ABYSSAL")
- ENTITY "Sirens" NOT ASSOCIATED WITH DEMONIC INCURSION
- ENTITY "Brutoks" NOT ASSOCIATED WITH DEMONIC INCURSION

"This then is our jumping-off point," Jean continues. "It's not much to go on. If anyone has more, it's time to be forthcoming with more. In the meantime, I have a list of avenues of investigation that may prove profitable."

MATERIAL MOTIVATIONS OF DEMONIC ENTITIES
-
-
-

IMMATERIAL/INTANGIBLE MOTIVATIONS OF DEMONIC ENTITIES
- Increase the power of their domain through feeding
- Establish and exert influence over non-demonic entities ("Pacts")
-
-

RESOURCES OF MARROW ISLAND
-
-
-

POLITICAL STATUS OF INFERNAL REALM
- See minutes of previous meeting
- Why isn't any given demonic leader dead already? What keeps their current stalemate?
-
-
-

AVAILABLE ALLIES
- TEMPLE OF THE SACRED ROOTS (Existing access to demonic knowledge)
-
-

Jean turns to the room. "I am taking questions. I am taking suggestions. And I am taking volunteers."

OTA! Characters with questions can splinter off this thread!

[itsjustabaddream]

Neil frowns, tapping his pen on the table a few times thoughtfully. He is admittedly not in complete agreement with Jean with regards to methods or understanding of the issue, plus some of their language implies he isn't doing anything. But he's willing to be flexible and understanding. He appreciates their motivation.

"Allow me to flesh out this information a bit more," he says.

"The primary motivation of each demon prince is to prove his mettle to his predecessor, to his father. This is the tradition of Infernal royalty, which takes place once every... few centuries, theoretically? It's believed that the last inheritance took place during the War of Ages back in 11:89, in any case. To be frank, I don't have any meaningful theories about why demons, chaotic as they are, actually go through this process rather than just trying to kill each other. They don't seem the type to stand on tradition. Perhaps there is a ritual element to it, or the rest of the Infernal realm would cast aside a weak king. It's hard to say. But regardless of the reason, Efrain, Mendel, and Aster are competing to show the value of their domain and the breadth of their power by making flamboyant demonstrations of violence and chaos in the hopes that King Eligos will name them heir. And for some reason beyond my comprehension, they have chosen Pumpkin Hollow as their battleground, or at least one of them. Since the ferry arrivals, we have not yet seen a demonstration that I would ascribe to Efrain. We should be wary of this. But I can only assume the stalemate persists because Eligos has yet to make his decision."

"As far as elaborating on the nature of abyssal entities--- They are vast, incomprehensible interplanar cosmic entities of extraordinary power. Typically the affairs of humans and even demons are too small for them to notice, and very rarely is anything they do in our dimension part of any grand scheme. It is possible that the workings of their splinters as we see with the Parade is the result of the random echoes of chaos they cast off as they attend to grander matters, though with all the interplanar travel required for you all to get here... one might postulate that Pumpkin Hollow may be playing host to some sort of portal."

"I strongly doubt we could peacefully acquire the cooperation of the Temple. They much prefer to offer up prayers and lamentations to goddesses who may not even exist. And if they do, they verifiably cannot help us in any lasting or meaningful way. But if they can be persuaded to forsake their passive simpering in favor of actual progress, by all means, I invite any of you to try."

[tisnotthehouse]

The cross-talk between their presenter and Dr. West is probably some flavor of important, although there's a lot of context there that Tarantulas knows he's missing -- or at least, he assumes Neil isn't the kind of person who just says random words at people for fun. But Tarantulas's own thoughts are important too! Which is why the first time there's a lull in the discussion, he attracts Jean's attention to ask, "For the record, has anyone already tried making a really large gun and shooting the demons? I find kinetic energy to be a wonderful equalizer."

Why Did the Jester Go to the Doctor? [Closed to Neil]

[jeveuxpartir]

Because she was feeling a little funny, of course.

Except there wasn't anything fucking funny about it.

Living her life out of the Digital Circus for a few weeks now, the longer Pomni went about her business, jingling along, unable to share stories with others who confide in her about their past lives in return, the more and more it started to absolutely drive her up a wall. The best she had was taking her hat off and sometimes, not reliably, her mismatched-colored gloves, but that was about it. And to say the least of it, she was sick of it.

She had an afterlife to live, and this wasn't cutting it anymore.

It was time to follow Gerry's advice.

And, after building up some nerve, she arrived at West Dream Analytics, opening the door and urging herself through the door before she could second-guess the whole thing. No time to waste now - there was a man at a desk she had to meet.

"Hi, uhhh. Are you... the... wizard I keep hearing about?"

Actually, maybe she should have second-guessed it for a little while longer. Too late now!

[itsjustabaddream]

Neil looks up, processes what Pomni has called him, and barks a laugh.

"People call me a wizard??"

Closed to Neil

[redlightgreenlight]

The vastness of the island compared to her last accommodation means plenty of opportunity to explore. The scents of the forest, the animals, the grass, the sky...even the cold feels nice. It's like being in a real world again, because of course, she apparently is. The thatched cottage seems inviting enough, as does the sign on the door. Finding her footing here, a place where factions seem to draw vaguely visible lines between each other, means talking to everyone, even if the whispers give them a poor reputation.

Valdis knocks on the door with a perfectly open mind. She'll judge for herself.

[itsjustabaddream]

As the bell attached to the door jingles, a man looks up from his lunch and smiles. He's seated behind a pair of perpendicular desks arranged in the shape of a counter.

"Good afternoon! How may I help you?"

March Madness

[tisnotthehouse]

It's been a few days since Elias's expedition returned to town -- meaning it's been a little more than a week since Tarantulas pilfered Neil's arcane focus for the sake of his deal with Eligos. He'd been expecting Neil to cancel their regular appointment, but no call or message had arrived.

Had he not noticed that the focus was missing yet, or had he perhaps found a replacement? Or was Tarantulas about to face an accusation?

He...had no idea how he would handle it if he was...

Re: March Madness

[itsjustabaddream]

When Tarantulas enters for the appointment, Neil smiles as he always does. "Good evening! How was your trip with Dr. Coldwood?"

June | For Neal

[pineapplesalmon]

César's doing better. He's no longer overworking himself to death. In fact.

"If I told you I've gone down to a 36 hour work week, would you believe me?" César asks, laying back on the couch; he doesn't need to lay back on the couch, but he likes it.