Consuming Memory Shards in the Dune Domain
The shadow horde quieted and—without warning—dissolved into the dunes. Yana looked at it all calmly. The four memory shards materialized before her.
They rose up and swirled before her, creating a funnel of knowledge and magic. It spun faster and faster, as if it was breaking the shards into their basic components. She breathed in deeply as the mists flowed into her very pores.
Everything stilled. The shadows she had created and the shadows natural to the domain surged, not as an attack, but in overwhelming respect and yearning to be hers.
The domain itself rippled and began to change. The dunes became jagged mountains, rising high into the skies above, deep sprawling valleys forming below. On the highest, most impossible peak, a vast castle of smoke and shadow formed—massive, solid, and corporeal, yet shadows rolled endlessly off its walls, filling the valleys.
Yana sensed the sentience of the domain awake and "look" at her. It spoke, sounding like ancient beings looking through seas of lost time. As it spoke, an inexplicable magic washed over her, and she felt both enlightened and renewed.
“You have returned, Pallindrone. My companion is no more; replace her with another. There is one in Orb, where you are. Her name is Sisma. Bring her here, Pallindrone.”
Yana’s eyebrows rose. The idea of being commanded caused knots to form in her being that she couldn’t quite explain. She shook herself to calm and focus.
“I will bring her to you. Can I enter this castle?”
“It is yours.” There was a pause, the silence heavier than a mountain. “It is yours, but you seem very weak. You would be consumed.” Yana felt the castle’s power tugging at her, a beautiful, fatal pull.
“Your soul depth needs to be at least Soul of Pure Transcendence. You have a way to go, Pallindrone. What has happened to you?”
The domain continued without giving her time to answer. “Your items are still with me. You are not powerful enough for all 14.”
14 separate items appeared before her. They were silhouettes of darkness within dense balls of light, each slowly spinning before her in reverence.
Two moved forward—a dark gem with brilliant internal light and a small cylindrical black cage.
“Bring forth your weapon, and the shadow gem will fuse with it, boost its power, and give it a few more abilities. Call shadows to the cage, and they will stay within it until needed.”
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The domain quieted and did not speak again. Yana’s shadow scythe materialized in a surge of smoke – the dark shadow gem embedding itself into the staff of the scythe just below the blade. It shifted form again and her broad staff was in her hand. Black smoke swirled around it even more densely. Yana could feel the surge of power within the newly Augmented weapon. She squeezed it, and it responded, the gem sitting perfectly at the center of the broad black rod.
Yana nodded and sent the weapon back to her soul. She called the shadow cage to her. It swirled and imploded, becoming a small, smooth black pearl. It embedded itself into her forehead.
Once it was in her forehead, she understood its purpose. Shadows from the domain streamed into it and waited to be called – the pearl itself disappearing.
Yana then continued her practice within the domain. She united more shadows, she used her shadow weapon, and she explored her expanded soul. Yana began to remember who she was, and the cold, powerful being was slowly beginning to return.
As soon as she exited the Dune Domain, the System alerts began to violently assault her vision, their flashing text burning through her eyes.
? [Shadow Unite has increased by two levels]
? [Two new mandatory missions have been initiated]
? [Two special Items can be obtained]
She groaned at the sight of two new mandatory missions and opened her main System window.
SOUL SYSTEM
| Attribute | Detail |
| :--- | :--- |
| Name | Yana Pallindrone |
| Soul Depth | Soul of Truth (0/1500 to next level) |
| Rank | Shadow Novice |
ABILITIES
| Ability | Level |
| :--- | :--- |
| Dimensional Step | Adept |
| Shadow Unite | Initiate |
| Shadow Walk | Adept |
| Shadow Control | Adept +5 |
| Shadow Step | Adept |
| Shadow Dispersal | Adept |
| Discernment | Adept |
| Seer | Adept |
MAGICS
| Magic | Level |
| :--- | :--- |
| Shadow Light | Level 2.5 |
| Spell Weave | Level 2.5 |
| Shadow Manipulate | Level 3 |
| Shadow Create | Level 4 |
| Fate | Level 2.5 |
| Illusion | Level 3 |
| Dimensional Door | Level 2.5 |
SECRET ITEMS
? Dark Heart: 3rd Unbroken Soul Depth needed
? Winter Soul: Soul of Truth Depth needed (Location: Truthless Lie Tower in Shi)
? Diamond Shadow Case: Clairvoyant Soul Depth needed (Location: Teeth of the Blue Moon in Orb)
MISSIONS
MANDATORY:
1. Collect enough memory shards to reach a soul depth of 1st Unbroken Soul (No timer). Rewards: 1 familiar and 1 pet evolution.
2. Sisma:
o Find and rescue Sisma – Timer: 3 days.
o Sisma must accept your Dune Domain – Timer: 7 days.
o Reward: Shadow Lark evolution and soul depth evolution up one level. (Both parts must be completed for the reward.)
o [Failure in one or both will result in punishment of Almawa’s choosing]
She almost killed over when she saw how many memory shards she needed to reach the next level—which she knew was Shadow Soul, followed by Shadow Seer Soul. She did not remember the soul depths behind Shadow Seer Soul.
She sighed—‘How many frigging memory shards are out there?’
She called DD and Alisha to her side as she bent down to check on Heli.
“Okay. First the church artifact on Ut Continent, and then the one on Gra Continent. By then Starlight will have Sisma’s location, and we can go ‘rescue’ her.”
Heli’s chrysalis was still solid and unbroken. She nodded, and DD and Alisha entered the cave.
“You two will go artifact hunting with me, then we will return them to the church.” Annoyance glinted in her eye. “I need to get rid of the charity work and focus on me.”
