Perhaps if you moved the astral projection into the fire?

I would get rid of the grate around the fire. My understanding of vision quests is that they take place in the wilderness where you would not find such things. I would also change the ground tex to be more dirt and sand, then I would scatter a couple rocks and twigs around. You could also do with a little vegetation. I would also make the astral texture more solid, yet transparent. By that I mean to eliminate the particles. BTW I like your concept and think it is the best one so far.

I think I would also give him an allie like a coyote or an owl to watch over his body while he is away questing.

What's wrong with a vision quest in an urban environment. Some folks can't get to the wild open spaces but that shouldn't stop them from their meditation. My 2 eurocents. :) Cat

Cat - those urban vision quests are called BBQs and involve lots of beer to aid in finding ones dillusions, err... visions. Cho - I like the light ray effects - maybe roughing the terrain up a bit that is serving as the ground will help things along. Definitely like your idea behind it.

no offense or anything, but i'm having trouble figuring out if that guy's a guy....

That's the thing about this astral projection stuff...I can never turn the lights on when I'm floating around the place. It always seems too dark for me.....I keep trying to hit the light switch but I can never seem to touch it... The Bryster

It requires a bit of effort, Bryster, but I assure you it could be done. I had big problems when I tried to gulp down a glass of Jack Daniels, though... went straight to the floor of my kitchen... Stefano

chohole, From looking at your rendeer I have a vision of a large fire outside to heat almost head sized gray white granitic looking rounded stones which are placed inside some sort of covering where in sit seekers of a sacred and secert knowledge. I can not tell if it is a tentlike or houselike structure but the floor is fine sand or silt and water is poured over the hot stones piled in a depression in the floor inorder to create steam. There is a not too small bright fire in the center with several warriors sharing the quest sitting in a semicircle facing the fire. A woman wets the lips of an enlightened one who's eyes are like the fire and who otherwise appears to be made of stone. The shadows seem to have a life of their own and as one shadow moves toward the one warrior . . . I do not know what he sees then.

When I started this image my inspiration (if that's what you call it) was from one of Mercedes Lackey's books. An'desha is sending out his astral projection onto the moonpaths, to search for the avatar of his goddess. He was actually in the underground ruins of Urtho's tower when he did this. Maybe I should have done the vision scene as a seperate render and then superimposed it on the tower scene as a picture onbject, to make it more obvious?

chohole, shows to go you people sometimes see what they want to see nomatter how well something is done. Somehow I missed the astral cord or whatever you call it and was predisposed to thinking more in terms of a native american ceremonial scene . . . Sorry I got carried away . . . Mercedes Lackey? Please elaborate - Sounds interesting!

Hey bikermouse I enjoyed your story, was waiting for the sequel. Mercedes Lackey..ummm fantasy. Started with the heralds of Vlademar series which were very simplistic and juvenile, then they got more involved, ended up with the returning echo of a mage storm which could devastate their known world. Hence they need help from any quarter, including the goddess. Lots of books, nice light reading if you are into fantasy.

I speak with a clear head neither drunk nor drugged - but I have gone as far as I can with this story as the ancestor which guided me that far in the writing would not let me into the head of the unnamed warrior - I see only bits and pieces of others lives but not their actual thoughts. I can only tell you I sensed awe and wonder, fear and anger, hope and hopelessness. I also sense that the warrior died soon after this and that his spirit is still among us. I sense too that he died bravely and we should not grieve for him; rather celebrate his life. I'll have to check out Mercedes Lackey - sounds like I'd like these stories. When I was in the sixth grade my teacher Mr. Niebolt, introduced me to "The Illiad" and "Helen of Troy" and I've been a fan of adventure stories and fantasy if you will ever since; although as Little Dragon recently noted, sometimes I tend to blend stories I've read long ago together.

Love the stories Bikermouse and love your idea chohole. I'm very interested in vision quests and fantasy too, it may be my way of detatching from the woes of everyday living, but it helps me survive. I'm looking forward to see where you go with this one chohole, I think maybe a bit more emphasis on the astral projection perhaps it should be possitioned a bit higher in the scene. Wish you well. :) Cat