THE OCULARUM

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.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ahri knows not to judge a book by its cover -- she is, after all, talented in seeing what's behind the front page -- but she can't help but assume this man is a scholar. Everything about him screams it, from the clear lack of sleep to the writing desk in the room.

But-- dream analytics?

"Good afternoon," Ahri replies smoothly, all of her apparent nervousness fading into a confident exterior. "My name is Ahri, and this is Zelda. We came because we saw the flyer on the bulletin board, and we were curious about what it promised." She offers her hand for a shake, keen gaze studying him. "I believe there was mention of answers?"

"Ah, yes, delightful!" He takes her hand, shaking it, then Zelda's in turn. "You're interested in the Ocularum, then. Splendid! Take a seat, I'll bring you two some tea and we can chat at length."

Zelda cast Ahri a slightly confused look, but shrugged and moved toward the couches.

"Tea would be wonderful," Ahri says warmly, "thank you."

She can't help but be a little wary of this man. On the surface, he seems perfectly polite -- and he even seems the same to her empathic senses -- but he's willingly based his office a way outside the town and claims to know answers to whatever mysterious question he's focused on.

Ahri doesn't even know what answers he means. The answer to who pulled them here? The answer to Pumpkin Hollow's stagnation? The answer to life itself?

She responds to Zelda's look with a tiny little understanding smile, and sits, her tail curling neatly over her lap. "What is the Ocularum?" she asks, curious.

Neil returns after a moment with tea he evidently had already made. It was still just a bit warm, but on the verge of going cold. He set a cup in front of each of them before sitting as well.

At the question, he smiles broadly, a beam of almost parental pride. "The Ocularum is an organization dedicated to occult studies, and by extension, deconstructing and reverse engineering the powerful energies that have taken hold of Marrow Isle. The temple, as I'm sure you've seen, believes in trusting the goddesses and weathering this so-called test. And the Historical Society prefers to focus on reviewing the past for breadcrumbs about what is going on, piecing together bits of others' research to form what they hope will be a larger picture. The Ocularum, like both of these groups, seeks only to help residents of Pumpkin Hollow restore peace and safety to their lives. But our approach is in the form of science and magic, rather than history and religion."

"And... you think you have something of significance?" Zelda asked leadingly.

"I believe we are on the precipice of a breakthrough, yes," Neil replied. "And it is my understanding, if the gossip is to be believed, that all of you are here from many different places that do not exist in our world, and have come here to avoid some sort of untimely demise. My belief is that your being here has something to do with the state of Marrow Isle, and that if we seek out its cause, information about what you all were sent here to do will make itself apparent in the process. I feel that you newcomers may be able to offer the Ocularum and the island itself something very precious."

So, there are essentially three schools of thought about Pumpkin Hollow's current woes. There are those who want to trust the gods and do nothing, those who want to search records of antiquity to divine an answer, and the man in front of her, who wants to take a scientific and magical approach. As of yet, Ahri cannot say which sides she aligns with, but for now she's happy to hear about Neil's ideas.

"When I first arrived, Mayor Poe explained to me that Marrow Isle has been stagnant yet still withering for some time now. That many people left because of all of the supernatural dangers, and those that remain are cursed to never die, and never leave. My immediate assumption was that some kind of magical force wanted to repopulate Pumpkin Hollow and see it thrive once more, and thus, started bringing in beings from other worlds. Of course, I'm only speculating."

One claw taps at her chin, thoughtful.

"Some kinds of magic leave a residue. An after image, so to speak. The magic that pulled us here must have been very powerful. Have you tried testing any of us to see if we have magic lingering on us?"

"I had not!" Neil raised his eyebrows, then brouXght his hand to his chin. "You are quite right about residual energies. I would need a few volunteers... Perhaps some magic users and some individuals without magic at all, just to see if any of the energies are consistent... Hm."

Zelda cleared her throat. "I might, ah, be willing to help with that. I use magic."

"Is that so?" Neil brightened a bit. "If you like! I'll have to get some materials together first, of course."

Ahri, on the other hand, isn't willing to be tested. She doesn't know this Neil, she has no idea what other information he might be seeking when he does the tests -- for all she knows, he'd use the tests to figure out the details of her magic and its needs, and if that information got out, it would become very difficult for her to walk openly in Pumpkin Hollow.

"There are others with magic or other powers here that may allow themselves to be tested. I think the most important people to test will be those without magic at all, though, as any magical residue would be more obvious on them."

She pauses thoughtfully.

"How do you propose seeking out the cause of what's happening to Marrow Isle? Are there people you are suspicious of? Or natural magical events that you are researching?"

"I'm glad you asked!" He seemed quite cheerful, excited to answer questions about his work.

"Presently there aren't any specific people the organization is suspicious of. While this very well could be intelligent design by a resident, I have my doubts that anyone we know personally could be capable of something of this scale," Neil explained. "I am currently working with two potential theories that I believe are more feasible. The first is that there is some manner of abyssal or infernal entity which has decided to make Marrow Isle its home and thereby drawn a great deal of dark energy to its location. The second is that there is just something fundamentally wrong with the place itself, such as being on a corrupt leyline."

Those, Ahri thinks, are some excellent points.

"You're right. I'm not sure I was thinking big enough. Some sort of abyssal or eldritch entity may be a far likelier scenario than merely one person," Ahri muses. "As is the possibility of a corrupted leyline. Perhaps a spell meant to preserve and make life flourish became corrupted and turned on itself, like a snake eating its own tail."

More and more, she's beginning to respect Mr West. He's willing to acknowledge multiple theories, he has specific ideas, and he's prepared to take action to investigate his ideas. All of that certainly sounds better than just praying and hoping it will stop.

"Is there anything we can do to help you acquire that equipment, Mr. West?" Ahri asks. Getting a job and making a life for herself here are all well and good, but... she feels the need to do something. Even if it's just helping someone else with something they need for some tests.

The Ocularum

THE OCULARUM

Overview

Membership

Philosophy

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