Gopher Wood

Gopher Wood is a mission-exclusive NPC on Penacony, and serves as one of the antagonists in .
==Profile==
Gopher Wood was the former Head of the Oak Family, and later became the Dreammaster of The Family's Penacony chapter. Despite his position as a Family leader, he is secretly a Pathstrider of the Order. He has two adoptive children: Sunday and Robin. He is the basis for the cartoon character Old Man Wood.Event Clockie: Dreamjoy Memoir
With two of the Nameless gone (Razalina and Tiernan), the Watchmaker had to go to the front lines in Penacony. It was at that moment his rivals saw an opportunity. By the time Gopher Wood the representative from the Montour system's Family arrived at the Watchmaker's call, the Stellaron had already been activated and was seeping into the primordial Synesthesia Dreamscape. The Family knew far more about the Stellaron than the average person. They helped the Watchmaker swiftly quell the civil unrest and played a part in building Penacony, under the disguise of the Harmony. Those three Amber Eras were known as the Age of Dreaming. The Watchmaker, who had been left in the dark, sent out invitations across the universe, spreading the hype around the land of the dreams.
However, the Stellaron was never truly sealed by The Family. It existed in a different form within the Dreamscape: the Penacony Grand Theater itself. The opulent dream is built upon the decay of spirits, with a toxic elixir called "pleasure" flowing through the Dreamscape. It tempts people to indulge in the Dreamscape, and gradually their minds succumb, becoming nourishment for the sweet dream. Weaknesses that plague humanity were magnified and nourished by The Family. Penacony became a new kind of prison, even more impenetrable than the previous one. Sadly, the Watchmaker realized this far too late. By then, The Family had a firm grip on Penacony, swiftly quelling any opposition that arose.
==History==
===Civil Unrest===
When Gopher Wood first arrived in Penacony, he was described as a kind person and a gentleman by the Watchmaker.Event Clockie: Dreamjoy Memoir, Film 3: Dreamjolt Havoc During the period when the Watchmaker went to the front lines, the townsfolk had a dispute with Gopher Wood, but he forgave the townsfolk for their transgressions and silently resumed his work. The Watchmaker noticed that people were beginning to dislike Gopher Wood, so he held a lecture/grand banquet for Gopher Wood, and the Alfalfa Family became friends with Gopher Wood.Event Clockie: Dreamjoy Memoir, Film 4: Dreammyth Escapade
According to Clockie: Dreamjoy Memoir — Dreammyth Escapade, "Banana Assassin" failed to assassinate the Watchmaker and the Alfalfa Family Head. The Bloodhound Family suspected that Gopher Wood was the mastermind, but Banana Assassin eventually admitted that it was "Grandpa Pine" all along. With the help of the Watchmaker, the nefarious townsfolk were all arrested and brought to justice. Gopher Wood forgave the townsfolk who framed him and was willing to accept them as his helpers. As Gopher Wood's reputation ascended, the Watchmaker's faith in this friend similarly grew stronger. It is unknown who were the basis for Grandpa Pine and Banana Assassin in the cartoon.
After the fall of the traitor, the Watchmaker proposed the idea of inviting more Dreamchasers from the Cosmos to aid in the development effort, and Gopher Wood agreed. The population in Penacony began to grow. Gopher Wood diligently listened to various reports remotely and approved each new regulation that emerged. The Watchmaker recognized his duty and stepped forward to assist Gopher Wood in governing Penacony. Soon, the Watchmaker realized that he was not suitable for this job. His sense of responsibility causes a lot of trouble for Gopher Wood.
As Penacony developed, the land was divided into individual private territories. The Dreamchaser rebels within the territory no longer heeded the jurisdiction of Gopher Wood. The rebels often fought for the ownership of the territory, to the extent of going against Gopher Wood. Complaints swarmed toward the heart of the town like snowflakes, and Gopher Wood finally decided to act and discipline these rebels. He then sent out the guards to arrest the disobedient Dreamchasers and educated them.
The Watchmaker suggested to Gopher Wood that they should devise a plan to reclaim their lands and unify Penacony. The Watchmaker began to negotiate with the rebels and find a way to reconcile. However, the contradictions between the two factions could not be resolved overnight. To seize the most fertile land in the desert, the rebels got into a violent conflict with Gopher Wood's guards. Asna, Head of the Iris Family, embarked on her concert tour through the wasteland, singing songs of peace to quell both factions' anger. Unfortunately, along the way, she encountered the lingering remnants of monsters and was killed. Neither the rebels nor Gopher Wood rescued her, and they blamed each other for it.
The rebel boss began to recruit soldiers, gearing up for an imminent large-scape battle. Mercenaries from the Cosmos could be seen marching toward the desert. Gopher Wood preemptively investigated the rebels' movements and got rid of their mercenaries. To counter Gopher Wood, the rebel boss planted explosives in his home. Unfortunately, Gopher Wood failed to detect anything amiss and unknowingly entered the house. His house collapsed in explosion. Glaux and the Nightingale Family managed to rescued him, but his wings were severed in the explosion. Seeing how badly wounded Gopher Wood was, the Watchmaker felt remorseful. Sensing his inability to make significant decisions in town, the Watchmaker no longer wanted to hold back Gopher Wood and quietly vanished.
Gopher Wood could no longer tolerate the rebels. To ensure the welfare of the remaining townsfolk, he ventured into the desert alone and confronted the rebels, extending countless "branches" as he showed no mercy in using his power. In the end, the rebels were apprehended and chased out of Penacony by Gopher Wood. And for those who surrendered, he accepted them as new generations of townsfolk. Since then, the Dreamchasers and the townsfolk have united as one. While Penacony reunited with the new lands, the Watchmaker had reappeared before Gopher Wood.
===Unity of the Five Major Lineages===
In 2151 AE, the long-prepared Dreamweaving Project had officially launched. The Twelve Dreamscapes were slated to be completed within this Amber Era. As construction of the Twelve Dreamscapes was almost near its end, the Oak Family Head Gopher Wood declared the "unity of the five major lineages." Glaux and the Nightingale Family initially refused to join The Family. However, their members were brutally treated by the Hounds from the Bloodhound Family. Under pressure, Glaux retired and Fischer succeeded the Head. The Nightingale Family eventually joined the Family, and the Paperfold Acadamy has been kept to protect the Dreamweavers better.
===Dreamburn Riots===
As construction of the Twelve Dreamscapes was completed, Gopher Wood was pleased with the result. Seeing Penacony developing into a wealthy and bustling place, the IPC surprisingly extended an olive branch to Penacony, and Gopher Wood accepted the IPC's offer to make peace for the time being.Event Clockie: Dreamjoy Memoir, Film 5: Dreamjoy Secrecy
More and more tourists flocked to the town and formed the majority of the population of Penacony. Unwilling to live by the rules set by the old townsfolk like Gopher Wood, they demanded to get involved in the town management every day. To maintain peace in Penacony, Gopher Wood stood his ground and rejected the request. The newcomers left disgruntled and started wreaking havoc in the streets. Realizing their efforts were in vain, the rebels decided to show Gopher Wood their might, which is known as the "Dreamburn Riots."
The rebels brought monsters from outside into the town, leaving the streets in pandemonium. The Bloodhound Family all rushed out to the streets to maintain order. The rebels "sprinkled poison all over the flower fields" (presumably referring to Sweet Dreams Troupe), causing the "flowers" to "grow scary thorns" (presumably referring to Dreamjolt Troupe) that started hurting the innocent. Maeven Ellis, Head of the Iris Family, put herself before the townsfolk. She tried awakening the "unruly flowers", but their thorns hurt her left eye. The Watchmaker hurried to the chaotic streets only to find everything ablaze.
As nobody was guarding the The Reverie Hotel,Event Clockie: Dreamjoy Memoir, Film 5: Dreamjoy SecrecyThe rebels brought monsters from outside into the town, leaving the streets in pandemonium. Hanu's underlings who stayed in Dreamville all rushed out to the streets to maintain order..."Wait, who's guarding the hotel now?" the rebels set the Hotel on fire. To rescue people in the Hotel, Gopher Wood entered the Hotel and his body was immolated. This historical event would be written as the play Night of Burning Dreams. Without his physical body, Gopher Wood had to possess ravens or other Oak Family members to appear in public.
===Conflicts with the Watchmaker===
Gopher Wood became a man of few words after the Dreamburn Riots. He stopped discussing Penacony's future with the Watchmaker anymore. Instead, he started implementing changes to the town alone. The Watchmaker reconnected with his old friends in other Family lineages, hoping to make them see Gopher Wood's mistake, but he got no support. The Watchmaker made his way to Dewlight Pavillion, hoping to have a chat with Gopher Wood, but Gopher Wood did not respond to the Watchmaker's confrontation.
The Watchmaker returned to the abandoned Dreamflux Reef and revamped it with the help of Gallagher, Micah and Orla. Gopher Wood found out about Dreamflux Reef and issued the Watchmaker a warning. The population of Dreamflux Reef was growing, but Gopher Wood's influence kept encroaching the village's borders. Due to the worsening living conditions, many chose to return to Penacony. As the Watchmaker dug deeper into Penacony's secrets, he found out that Gopher Wood was stealing everyone's emotions to repair the collapsing Dreamscape.
The Watchmaker came up with a great idea: they would organize a festival, using the "Watchmaker's Legacy" as a facade, and send invitations to the entire Cosmos to gather people and fight against The Family. He asked Gallagher to make sure to send an invitation to the Astral Express, so he can leave the true legacy for the Express. Gallagher would execute the plan during the Charmony Festival in the first year of 2158 AE.
===Resurrecting the Order===
Sunday and Robin became orphans after a Stellaron descended upon their hometown. They were adopted by The Family when they came to help. Gopher Wood recognized their potential as "twins of the Order" and brought them to Penacony.
In Gopher Wood's plan, Robin was supposed to be the Chordmaster of the Charmony Festival in 2158 AE, so they could seize the power of the Harmony and resurrect Ena the Order by controlling Dominicus with the 107,336 souls of the Oak Family.
After Sunday succeeded the Oak Family Head, the ravens possessed by Gopher Wood acted as Sunday's Servant to monitor the Dreamscape. After Acheron slashed Ten Stonehearts: Aventurine of Stratagems in Clock Studios Theme Park, Gopher Wood possessed other Family members to confront Acheron. He recognized her identity as a Self-Annihilator of Nihility and asked her to leave Penacony, and she followed his request. Acheron judged that The Family wanted to avoid the risk from her because she's rarely affected by the power of other Paths but somehow she can unconsciously infiltrate The Family. Later, she shared this information with Black Swan, Dan Heng and Boothill on the Astral Express.
When Sunday and Robin met in Dreamflux Reef and learned that Gopher Wood was the suspect who employed the Stellaron's power, Robin gave up her role as the Chordmaster. The twins and Welt confronted Gopher Wood in Golden Hour. During the negotiation, Gopher Wood asked Sunday to beseech THEM to cast THEIR light unto him and question him in THEIR stead, so that no lies may be concealed, and Sunday did as commanded. However, Welt pointed out that the Aeon Gopher Wood and Sunday both mentioned were not Xipe but Ena. As their secrets of the Order were exposed, Gopher Wood asked Sunday to put Welt and Robin to sleep. However, Welt kept Aventurine's Token on himself, which was actually an IPC miniature transmitter to track the wielder's location or contact the wielder when needed. Before being put to sleep, Welt used the transmitter to send a message to the IPC.
3 system hours before the Charmony Festival began, Gopher Wood realized that Welt used the transmitter, so their secrets of the Order had spread like wildfire within The Family, and IPC starships were gathering towards Asdana. Then, Sunday betrayed Gopher Wood and was willing to sacrifice himself for Robin. Still, Sunday's betrayal was also part of Gopher Wood's plan. Sunday finally asked why Gopher Wood chose to bring the Order to Penacony instead of a desperate world. Gopher Wood answered that it's for justice and not to make the same mistake as the Harmony did. Sunday thought that Gopher Wood was not the one who manipulated the Dreamscape with the Stellaron, but Gopher Wood ended the conversation abruptly and died for unknown reason. Then, all of his possessed ravens collapsed and had no response. After Ena's dream was shattered, The Family branch from the Montour System soon arrived and swiftly took control of the situation, and his death was officially confirmed.
==Missions and Events==
==Character Mentions==
==Gallery==
==Trivia==
* is the material God commands Noah to build the Ark from (Genesis 6:14).
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