Welcome Traveller.
Let your body grow still.
Let your breath slow.
The world of the day is done.
Now we enter a land of old magic,
Stone castles,
And whispered legends.
A world where torches flicker in castle towers,
And starlight falls gently upon the earth.
And upon winding forest paths.
A world where peace drifts like mist across quiet lakes.
And ancient secrets slumber beneath mossy ruins.
Come with me now to the realm of Ellarion.
Long ago,
In the gentle heart of this realm,
There stood a keep.
Not of war or conquest,
But of light.
It was called Lantern Keep,
And it shimmered at the edge of the whispering woods,
Where the trees were so tall that branches held up the sky.
Built of pale stone and ivy,
The keep glowed softly at night,
Its many lanterns never flickering,
Never dimming.
They were said to be enchanted,
Fueled not by flame,
But by dreams.
And it was here,
In this quiet citadel,
That the keepers of dreams watched over the land.
You are one such keeper.
Tonight,
Your task is simple.
To walk the halls,
To tend the lanterns,
And to listen to the silence.
The evening begins in the high tower.
The sky stretches endlessly,
Painted in hues of rose and indigo.
Below you,
The Valley of Elarion is wrapped in soft fog.
You can just make out the silver curve of the river,
Winding like a ribbon through the trees.
Inside,
The tower is warm,
Quiet,
Lit with golden lanterns that cast gentle halos on the stone walls.
You walk slowly through the corridor,
Your fingers brushing the smooth stone.
Your robes whisper as you move,
And each footstep is a gentle echo in the peaceful air.
There is no rush here,
No fear,
No noise.
Just calm,
Just the sacred hush of the night.
You descend the spiral stair,
Your lantern in hand,
Its glow guiding you like a friendly star.
You pass ancient tapestries,
Each one telling stories of old.
Of dragons calmed by lullabies.
Of moonlit stags that lead lost travellers home.
Of starlit mages who turned sorrow into song.
Each tapestry moves slightly,
As if stirred by unseen winds,
And you smile softly.
In the main hall,
Other keepers pass you silently.
Each carries a light and a look of deep peace.
You nod to one another,
Like monks sharing a secret only the night understands.
You pause to check the great lantern of the hall,
A towering glass sphere filled with golden mist.
It pulses faintly,
Like a heart at rest.
All is well.
Later,
You step out into the garden courtyard.
The air is cool and filled with the scent of lavender and damp earth.
Crickets hum their slow,
Sleepy chorus.
Overhead,
The stars emerge,
One by one.
Until the entire sky is scattered with silver.
There is a stone bench near the moonwell,
A still,
Glassy pool said to reflect not just the sky,
But the soul.
You sit.
A breeze brushes your skin,
And the leaves above rustle softly,
Like lullabies spoken in an old,
Forgotten tongue.
You feel yourself relaxing even more.
Held by the night,
Cradled by this place,
You gaze into the moonwell.
At first,
You see only the reflection of the stars.
But slowly,
Images emerge.
A child dreaming of a feathered griffin.
An old woman walking through a garden of memories.
A distant castle where someone lights a candle in the dark.
These are the dreams you guard,
Small and quiet,
But as powerful as tides.
You bow your head in silent thanks.
Later still,
You return to your chamber.
It is simple.
Stone walls,
Thick blankets,
A wooden chest of scrolls.
A single lantern glows on the bedside table,
Humming with soft,
Golden light.
You slip beneath the covers,
The day's watch complete.
You hear the distant bell toll midnight,
Its tone low,
Rich,
And steady.
It echoes through the keep like a whisper of time,
A lullaby carved in sound.
As you lie there listening,
You feel the weight of sleep begin to settle.
Your body grows heavy.
Your breath deepens.
And just before your eyes close completely,
You see,
Just for a moment,
A figure in the doorway.
A gentle figure in robes of silver,
Smiling.
They nod to you and raise a hand.
In it,
A tiny lantern.
It glows for you now,
A dream given to the dreamkeeper.
Your final thought before sleep takes you is this.
All is well.
The night is gentle and you are held in the heart of magic.
Sleep now,
Keeper of dreams.
You have done well.
Let the lanterns glow.
Let the stars watch over you.
And may your dreams be light and kind.
Good night.
