songerein | { halloween }

Entry tags:

{ halloween }

HALLOWEEN

Another Halloween has arrived in Reverein, and the Nightmare Troupe returns from their mysterious origins to help transform the carnival grounds to fit the season. They've added a new feature attraction: The Labyrinth, where everyone just runs around to fight spooky baddies for candy, prizes, and flex one's combat abilities in dreamotion. It's all in good fun, of course!

More details on everything can be found here. As a reminder, events double as our TDMs and information can be found here. Any outside characters participating in the log are canonly logged as appearing in Songerein in October and will remain in Songerein from the IC date of October 25th, just before the event ICly begins. TDM only characters can only thread within this log. Anyone who apps in and is accepted will have their character count October as their first time in the game without any disruption, so all content will carry over. Those who do not apply will disappear which should not seem too unusual, however players in game can choose to retcon and pretend a character was never there to begin with if it would be easier; or even think their presence was just a dream.

IMPORTANT! All outside characters MUST have "TDM" in their subject line, even if you might not app. This will help people differentiate those who are already in the game and those who are not.

TDM threads are required for samples. Refer to the Game Info for general information and feel free to toss any questions here. Reserves will open October 25th and Applications will open on November 1st. Our application cycles are bi-monthly so the next cycle after won't be until January.

TDM Toplevel Link Directory (click to view)

Bokurano - Jun Ushiro
Cookie Run Kingdom - Black Raisin Cookie
Dead by Daylight - Zarina Kassir
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves - Edgin Darvis
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves - Xenk Yendar
Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core - Genesis Rhapsodos
Final Fantasy XIV - Emet-Selch
Final Fantasy XIV - Hermes
Final Fantasy XV - Somnus Lucis Caelum
Full Metal Alchemist - Alphonse Elric
Genshin Impact - Ei
Genshin Impact - Nahida
Great Ace Attorney, The - Iris Wilson
Hey Arnold! - Helga G. Pataki
Hi-Fi Rush - Chai
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - Zelda
Noragami - Yato
Original - Astralin Turnont
Touhou - Maribel Hearn

We will request any thread submissions for certain prompts during AC and TDM threads will count. For more information, refer to the Game Notes.

I. CARNIVAL

II. LABYRINTH

COMMENTS

I. CARNIVAL

While the carnival grounds still have the standard fare of attractions themed up for Halloween, there are a few new ones popping up thanks to the Nightmare Troupe. Some are similar to what appeared last year, but with a different look to them. Some, perhaps, more terrifying than before.

A. Personalized Costumes. All throughout Reverein boutiques and tailors are in full swing to create costumes for those who wish to wear, either by renting or buying. However, for those who are a bit adverse, the fairy godmothers are out and about ready to employ their fashion magic to grant anyone and everyone a special Halloween costume, just for them! There might be the slight side effect that the wearer may behave like the costume itself, but it's just a temporary phase.

B. Vampring Frights. The vamprings are still out and about, nibbling on nightmares. But now they are also appearing outside of dreams, deciding that a bit of fear could make as good of a snack or meal as any other. Only the ones that are truly hungry will appear, so a little purple blob will bounce and latch onto any part of their target's body they can reach (though they particularly like the top of the head). Those who are bitten in this manner won't try to bite others, fortunately. Instead, they will become something like a "Vampring minion" and try to invoke fear and scare others. (For more information and use the original version of the Vampring, read here.)

C. Monster Swaps. Small monsters will roam the carnival grounds and will swap bodies with random people to go around pulling pranks and tricks in the person's body. The person is now trapped in the monster's body, but has access to the monster's trickster, spooky abilities as well (ie, players can make this up). To return to normal, they must find their original body and bite it. Otherwise, they will have to wait for the monster to get bored and return to switch them back.

D. Carnival Fare. Here are a few of the general games and attractions available for carnival goers to enjoy.

🔫 Zombie Shooter. Ride through a rickety car through a building and shoot the "zombies" that pop up with bright green paintball guns. While most are cardboard, there are a few volunteers that dress for the occasion. Don't mind their pain as they get hit, they're fine.
👻 Spooky Stories. Instead of a fire, there is a boiling cauldron set up where people can gather around and try to conjure up their spookiest story. The steam over the cauldron will change and twist to try and illustrate the story as it goes, and should it proof particularly scary, a manifestation of the terror will crawl out of it to terrorize everyone for a little bit before disappearing.
🍏 Poisoned Apples. Special caramel covered green apples are handed out throughout the carnival. One bite will inflict one or more of the following effects: floating, dizzy, sugar rush, creepy, frightful. (Players are free to be creative and come up with additional effects!)
🧹 Broom Carousel. The horses have been replaced with different styles of witch brooms, letting everyone have a safe experience of flying on a broom. Until the brooms suddenly fly out of the carousel and into the carnival. Hang on or stop that broom!
🎃 Pumpkin Carving Challenge. Pumpkins can be found all over the grounds, and there is a challenge to carve them with dreamotion and light a special candle in them. Doing so will bring the pumpkin to life and behave like whatever expression or drawing carved on them. Whether they behave nicely is a different matter. Blowing out the candle will stop the pumpkin.

E. House of Mirrors. The House of Mirrors will have new mirrors installed that have new special effects…many making everyone inside feel not quite themselves.

🎭 Jekyll and Hyde. A black framed mirror where the opposite version of the viewer appears to taunt them.
💅 Narcissism. A gold framed mirror where one will see the best version of themselves and will stand stuck in front of it admiring themselves. They will need to be forcibly dragged away…else they may get stuck on the mirror.
🛌 Dream or Nightmare? A silver framed mirror that will reflect either a good dream or a nightmare that's on the viewer's mind. It will be a strong image, so strong that the viewer may be tempted to dreamwalk into the mirror, either to be a part of it or to destroy it. Some help may be required to help them either accomplish their goal or pull them out.
🪞 Mirror Version. Sometimes, a "mirror version" of the viewer may reach out to switch places, trapping the original inside the mirror while the mirror version goes out to cause some chaos. The trapped person can only traverse through mirrors, and can only be freed if the mirrored version is shoved back into any mirror. One way to tell a mirror version apart is that they will randomly reflect things off their body.

F. Haunted Ryokan. A haunted Japanese styled inn is the theme for this year's "haunted house." On the outside, it looks invitingly eerie, with life-sized traditional Japanese dolls as their hosts and guides. They hope their new patrons will enjoy their stay…forever.

🏮 Peony Lantern. At first a beautiful woman will appear holding a lantern and take a person's hand to lead them through the narrow halls lit by floating lanterns. But whenever they pass under a lantern, the woman's form changes into a skeleton. Once they are noticed, they will screech and chase them through the hallways and rooms to the next location, but if left alone it will quietly lead them without issue.
🛁 Bathhouse. Somehow they get to the bathing area where the steam rises thick around them. Without warning a ghostly figure of a long-haired drowned woman will crawl out and chase with a bloody knife. Fish spirits will also fly out to impede them, but they could be used to smack the woman instead. Should someone slip in the water, they'll feel hands grab at them, trying to pull them under…
🪦 Graveyard. Past the courtyard is a graveyard where all manner of Japanese inspired ghosts and demons roam. A special paper talisman is available, and once powered with positive dreamotion it will create a shikigami that will help ward off and defend against the ghosts. But it must have constant dreamotion poured into it, so should it ever go out, the ghosts and demons will suddenly rush into chase.
🐕 Shiba Statues. Should anyone be having a truly terrible time, special little shiba inu statues will trot in to dispel the "evils" and give the visitor some much needed comfort and respite. They will even guide them to the exit if needed. Those who manage to pass through on their own will also meet the shiba inu statues and have a chance to play with them as if in congratulations.

II. LABYRINTH

A big structure now occupies the area just beyond the Fairgrounds. Towering stone walls hide complex pathways inside, and it turns out its express purpose is not to get people lost, but for a little bit of exploration. There is no entrance/exit, just a special circular teleportation pad that will take them inside and there is no end goal. It's not difficult to get out once inside, but the winding paths encourage visitors to check behind corners for treats because there's a lot of treats AND tricks!

A. Halloween Creatures. The labyrinth is populated with silly creatures held together by ~~craft glue and duct tape~~ both dreamotion and nightmare. These creatures will attack on sight, but subdue them and reap the rewards: candy and silly toys! It's all for fun, after all.

🦴 Skeletons. Their bones are made of rubber and most physical attacks will bounce off them. Have to get in close to blast with dreamotion!
🕷 Glow-In-The-Dark Plastic Spiders. Will shoot sticky licorice webbing that will trip up and trap any caught in it. Have to eat through it to get out, and the flavor could either be red or black.
🔺 Candy Corn Golems. Chuck giant pieces of candy corn that are delicious, but hurt! Golems will melt under intense heat.

B. Mysterious Doors. Sometimes, you may find a door at one of the dead ends. Knock, and most of the time a kindly old lady (where did she come from? Don't worry about it–) will present you with special trick-or-treat bags. The other times, a swarm of genuinely sinister nightmare creatures will come pouring out. Oops! Try again next time! Here are some of the items the old lady will give and their effects (they can be taken home after the event):

🧙 Witch's Hat. The hat will automatically fly on top of the person's head and will allow them to cast silly hexes of misfortune on their targets.
🧹 Witch's Broom. Can fly at fast speeds for a few minutes at a time. Only goes up to three feet in the air.
🤓 Plastic Fangs. These fangs will fit themselves in the person's mouth and will allow them to bite any candy corn golem or sticky spider licorice webbing with ease. And normal foods, too.
🕸 Spray Can of Licorice Webbing. Releases a spray of licorice webbing similar to the ones used by the plastic spiders.
🧻 Roll of Toilet Paper. Exactly as it says.
🍫 Nougat Center. A delicious treat that will temporarily boost one's ~~stats~~ dreamotion abilities.

C. Beware of Steve. If you're very unlucky, you may hear an ominous clatter in the distance... The low rumble of a revving chainsaw... Those who spend lots of time in the labyrinth will know soon enough–those are noises that mean you need to run. Because STEVE, THE 20-FOOT-TALL CHAINSAW-WIELDING SKELETON, takes no hostages, and he's out for blood!!! He will continue chasing people until fought, and anything goes with this foe. While dreamotion attacks will work, using the items given by the old lady in the doors will inflict greater damage. Anyone who is "killed" by Steve will be knocked out of the Labyrinth unharmed.

D. Grand High Viscount of Candy Corn. On the other end of giant "horrors" is a giant golem made of candy corn with a large top hat that may appear out of one of the doors. Its main attack, besides trying to punch and pummel, is spewing sticky candy goop that will trap anyone caught in it. It'll wear off, but until then, any caught in it will at first feel very energetic and attack more quickly before becoming sluggish and unable to do much, as if they suffered an extreme sugar crash.

I. CARNIVAL

II. LABYRINTH

COMMENTS

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

(For some time now, Isabela has been exploring the labyrinth at her own pace and the rush of trying to find every surprise and secret behind each door is quite enjoyable. With the stuff she has gotten from the doors ranging from spray cans of licorice webs to toilet paper rolls to plastic fangs to brooms in her bag, she could have used them to prank any random person if she wanted.

But that didn’t come to happen when Isabela turns around the corner to get to the next part of the maze and then finds a young little girl running towards her. The two inevitably collided and she ends up looking surprised of what just happened.

While she could have wondered on why would a little girl would be alone in a maze like this, the more important matter on hand is finding out why she is running for her life. Despite her very witchy outfit, the young lady approaches Nahida to check on her and help her get on her feet.)

Oh dear. I am so sorry that I was in your way. I really didn’t mean to bump into you all the sudden.

[ Nahida rubbed the back of her head where it collided with the floor when she fell over. It throbbed a little, but didn't seem to leave any lasting injury. Nothing to worry about.

She looked up to the source of the voice and smiled brightly, allowing the witchy woman to help her up. A quick once over the taller woman indicated no injuries, so she just shook her head in reply. ]

I wasn't watching my surroundings, so the fault lies with me.

[ She gently brushed off her dress, noting as she looked down that her little bag of goodies was scattered on the floor now. Oh dear. She looks back up at Isabella, a sheepish smile on her face. ]

Could I trouble you to help me gather my treats? I must have dropped them in our collision.

(Phew thank goodness that the young girl is alright. For a moment Isabela thought that she could be in a lot of trouble for running into a little girl. Anyway, it looks like their collision did caused her bag to spill out and the treats she has gathered all over the floor.

So naturally they need to get them back into the bag soon and Isabela is more than happy to lend a hand. She could use the vines to gather all of them but she is more willing to gather them with her hands at this time.)

Oh yes. I would be happy to help in gathering all the treats you have dropped. This shouldn’t be this hard to do. Just point to me the items scattered on the floor and I will be able to gather them in no time.

[ Luckily, she had yet to pick up many goodies from the kindly old lady from behind the door, so only a few items were scattered about. Nahida bent down to pick up a few as she directed Isabela to the other items further away. ]

I have only managed to obtain five treats so far, so you need only pick up the two that have fallen over there.

[ As she points over to the objects that had somehow wound up behind Isabela, the ground trembles as a loud stomp sounds from the direction Nahida had been running away from. The small girl frowns, turning to the noise for a fraction of a moment, then back to Isabela with an urgent look on her face. ]

We must hurry and leave soon. A large creature was chasing me.

Okay, two items on the floor to pick up. Got it. This shouldn’t take me too long to fetch them back to you.

(She wastes no time to pick up the two items farthest from Nahida, swiftly running for them and grabbing them as fast as she could. In the back of her mind, she begins to wonder what caused the girl to run away when she could hear chainsaw noises and cackling in the air. They are getting closer and closer with every second.

Uh oh, this is not good. Whatever this large creature she speaks of, she doesn’t want to have the unpleasant honor of running into them.)

Wait a minute. There is a large creature going after you? If I may ask, do you have some idea of what this creature looks like?

[ After picking up the three other items and depositing them in her goodie bag, she follows after Isabela, glancing behind her to check on the creature's position. The stomping was getting louder. Not good. ]

Yes. It was very hostile, and started chasing me the instant it saw me.

[ If Isabela stops to ask that question, Nahida will jog past her, turning around to urge her to continue forward as they talk. ]

It's shaped like a human skeleton, but almost twice as tall as a Ruin Guard. It was carrying some sort of spinning bladed device, which I think is its primary method of attack.

[ The end of her statement is punctuated by the rev of the chainsaw, and Steve stomps into view behind them, rounding the corner in a lumbering run. ]

Ah, there it is.

A hostile creature? Oh dear. That is a very terrifying individual to deal with. I thought that there is going to be loads of weak creatures just there to give people a scare and not much else.

(This situation is getting to be scarier the more she thinks about and proceeds to return the fallen items to Nahida’s bag. The noises are getting louder and louder to the point that it is almost deafening.)

Human skeleton, twice as tall as a Rune Guard, and carrying a sharp spinning blade-

(Isabela’s talk then ends abruptly as Steve finally makes his and his chainsaw’s presence, the latter roaring loudly and his grimace just as horrible.)

Oh no! That’s the creature with that sharp spinning device you’re talking about. We should get out of there quickly before it tries to get us.

[ Perhaps the labyrinth's toothless tricks and treats had only been a ruse to draw down the guard of anyone who entered, that they would be surprised by the giant creature and fall to it.

But she had a feeling that wasn't actually the case. Nevertheless, she didn't think it was wise to stick around and find out. A dream this world may be, but she couldn't be certain it would behave the same way as the dreams she knew. ]

The entrance to this labyrinth isn't far from here. Let's hurry.

[ She'll wait for Isabela to sprint forward before following, positioning herself behind the taller woman if she lets her. She was an Archon after all, she had a duty to protect people, even if Isabela wasn't from her nation. ]

Alright then. We should make our escape in no time heading to the direction of the exit. Let’s get out of here.

(Without any hesitations or asking, Isabela agrees to run away from Steve as quickly as she could, making sure not to lose track of Nahida as much as possible. Now a part of her does wish that she could have brought out the licorice web spray cans so she can stop Steve on his tracks and make it hard for him to escape.

But maybe now is not the the time to attempt to do this while him still running rampant and that chainsaw being as sharp as it is.)

[ Nahida steadily follows behind, despite her shorter stature. Though Steve was much larger and thus had a wider stride, he was as slow as his stature would suggest, which made it easy to stay out of the skeleton's range. Perhaps a little too easy--as if the monster was never meant to catch its prey.

It takes a few turns, a left here and a right there, but they soon arrive at the entrance with Steve nowhere in sight. Nahida slows down to a walk, deeming their position safe from danger. ]

I think we're safe here.

(The adrenaline rush of running away from Steve certainly got Isabela’s heart pumping very fast by the time they went to the entrance. She couldn’t imagine how terrifying a skeleton can be until he showed up.

A part of her is tempted to collapse onto the ground and lay down on the ground for who knows how long but it does take a lot of sheer will power to not fall down in public.)

Thank goodness. I don’t think that our skeleton ‘friend’ will try to come out of the labyrinth that easily. That was a close one.

[ Nahida turns to face the labyrinth, expression one of careful thought. Earlier, she'd seen plenty of people enter and exit the labyrinth safely. Some had left spooked, certainly, but it hadn't seem like the kind of expression that would result from believing one's life was at stake. She'd even seen some forcibly ejected, scared at first, but then suddenly relieved.

She also hadn't seen any response from the people around the carnival suggesting that people were dying due to attractions. That could only mean one thing. ]

No, I don't think he will.

[ ...but there was no point in spoiling the fun, so she didn't say anything. She'd seen enough of the carnival to understand that part of the fun was to experience fear in a safe environment. She didn't yet understand why anyone would want that, but she could keep observing.

She looks over to Isabela, noting how tired the other woman looked. ]

Are you alright?

Oh gee that’s good to hear. For a moment, I thought he might break out of the labyrinth and cause a ruckus.

(The exhaustion is real as Isabela tries to catch her breath from all that running. She does hope that she will be able to recover from that horrifying experience soon enough.)

I’m going to be alright. Just a little shaken and tired.

[ Nahida just smiles in response, and beckons Isabela over to a nearby patch of grass where the two of them can sit down to recuperate from the chase. Not that the young Archon had exerted herself at all, but clearly Isabela needed the rest. ]

Thank you for helping me, by the way. May I know your name?

(Without saying a word, Isabela follows through on Nahida’s direction and proceeds to walk and plops down on the patch of grass. Phew, this is going to take a while for her to regain her energy from that chaotic run in with Steve.)

You’re welcome anytime. Oh my name? Okay then. My name is Isabela Madrigal, it is really nice to meet you today if even having an encounter with a chainsaw wielding skeleton in a maze is not exactly the perfect way to have a first meeting in.

[ Nahida giggles in response, smiling brightly. ]

I had a lot of fun though! My name is Nahida. It's nice to meet you, Isabela.

[ One would think a tiny six year old would have been afraid for her life, but she really is unbothered by the fact that she was just chased by a 20-foot chainsaw wielding skeleton. ]

Yeah it was a lot of fun running inside the labyrinth regardless. I think that I enjoy getting plenty of the offbeat treats from the old lady a lot. She might be the best person giving out treats I have met so far.

(Isabela can finally let out a sigh of relief, knowing that there are no signs of Steve and his chainsaw anywhere to be found in the carnival grounds.)

I enjoyed receiving treats, but I also enjoyed the anticipation of discovering what was behind each door. The tricks were startling but ultimately harmless, and somehow not knowing which you would get made everything more fun.

[ This has been her observation so far, and she's starting to understand why such a festival exists. In Sumeru though, it probably wouldn't be so well received, which is a shame. ]

What other attractions have you visited so far?

I have been to the broom carousel and, while the brooms did have some surprises by going all over the place, it was a lot of fun just trying to hang in there for much as possible. In addition, I also got to do the zombie paintball game too. Got a little messy with paint flying everywhere but I really enjoy it very much.

And while I haven’t visited it just yet, I do want to try out the haunted inn as well. I heard that there is plenty of interesting spirits just waiting to give people a scare and a lot of thematic elements too.

[ It really was a wonder to see how humans could find ways to entertain themselves. So many different attractions, all of them meant to impart fear and joy, but catering to different preferences. ]

I'm interested in the haunted inn as well.

[ She's interested partially because the architecture of the inn reminds her of Inazuma, and it's the only familiar thing she's seen in this world so far. ]

Shall we go together?

That’s terrific! I am so glad that you also want to come with me to the attraction. Let’s get to the haunted ryokan and see what surprises are in store for us.

(She is pretty excited to hear that Nahida is just as interested in going to the haunted ryokan as well. Great minds think alike in this situation. Luckily for the both of them, the haunted ryokan attraction is not that far away from where they are resting at.)

[ Nahida hops up from her seated position and waits for Isabela to get up before she starts for the haunted inn. As she waits, she takes a better look at Isabela. The unfamiliar wear was reminiscent of a mage, but she had seen many people wearing similar outfits, with decoration suggesting it was part of the festivities. She seemed somewhat familiar or at least with her surroundings. Had she been in the dream world for a while, then?

It's a minute into their walk when she gives into her curiosity. ]

Have you been in this world for long?

(Isabela does finally get up from the ground after sitting on the grass for a while, making sure to dust off the skirt portion of her dress a bit. It was a very chaotic time in the labyrinth and she is hoping that she and Nahida will have better luck in the ryokan.

Please no more chainsaw carrying skeletons for the rest of the night, Carnival, pretty please.)

Oh yes, it is a long time. I have been in this for over a year now. Since April of last year in fact and I couldn’t believe that I was able to stay here for that long.

[ Knowing the Carnival, Isabela's wish will probably go unfulfilled. She had passed by the inn before, and saw it filled to the brim with all sorts of monsters, much more vicious looking than those in the labyrinth, giant skeleton excluded.

She keeps her face carefully neutral as she listens to the other woman. Over a year in a dream... if she hadn't known that they had not been torn out of their realities, she would be concerned for Isabela's health. It was never healthy to stay so long in a dream, if only because that meant reality was being neglected. ]

Has it been an enjoyable stay?

[ Physical needs aside, she wanted to know if there were mental repercussions. ]

It has been a mostly nice stay. Aside from a major battle, dealing with a town wide curse, an encounter with a sea monster and an underground city under a major crisis, the world has been a great place so far.

I don’t have that many problems thrown in my way that often at the moment. I even have a flower shop business in the residential area too.

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bloomingwisdom - 2023-10-23 16:14 (UTC) - Expand

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