{ halloween }

[dreamposts]

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

Comments

[songbird_slayer]

The mirrors do seem to tap into one's... desires, to an extent. But should it wish for something in exchange or lure the viewer to trap it, I don't know which.

As for where we are... Reverein.

[She folded her arms behind her back.]

You and I, and everyone else here, presently slumbers in their home worlds. We're but a small piece of the energy generated from our dreams existing as the way we wish to appear. The natives here need our help to keep the realm stable by simply living and dreaming, creating a power combining dreams and that of our base emotions, aptly dubbed 'dreamotion'.

When you wake, you will be right back where you were, and it's understood that this Reverein and all within it is promptly forgotten, thus my lack of surprise that you would not remember me.

We were... chums.

[She flashed a smile at him.]

...Despite everything. You even tolerated my cooking.

[snapoutofit]

[Chums. He assumed that was her word; the amount of people he counted as his ‘chum’ didn’t even include all the fingers on his right hand. The rest sounded ridiculous, and that was the problem wasn’t it: a lie – ugh – meant keeping it within the realm of the believable.

None of what she had just explained to him was that.

His eyes lingered on her for a moment, silently reading her face, before he reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose.]

And I assume that there is no way to force ourselves awake?

[It was a pointless question. He could tell the answer already.]

You are most likely overstating our acquaintances. [It was a mutter, thoughtful, before looking back at the mirror again. How it sang to him.]

[songbird_slayer]

...Ser Hythlodaeus enjoyed my fruit turnovers. He was the one who purchased them primarily, and always a little more than I thought he would enjoy on his own.

His was a warm smile when it met his eyes. He would spend his days in leisure here... he was so, so eager to speak ill of concepts like sharks and so much more, like speaking of them would lift a weight off his shoulders.

...I think you can go in there, if you wish. I can pull you out should there be signs of malevolent energy. But I will not deny you what joy can be had in this place.

[snapoutofit]

[There was a slow, subdued range of emotion that eased over Emet-Selch’s face; at a different angle, it might have been missed. But like a shimmer over heat, it was there: something soft, something nostalgic, something hopeful, and then something abruptly closed.

Everything she said about Hythlodaeus’ smile was true. He was far too open with himself and while that allowed for people to flock to him, it did affectionately wear on Hades. But that she knew it, that he had been here… it seemed like a lie. Or maybe a fulfillment of hope that he – that they could all – be brought back. If he was here, if he was dreaming, then surely he could be brought back.

But he shook his head.] I will not take part of another place’s lie or mockery. [That reflection wasn’t Hythlodaeus. It wouldn’t even have the glimmer of Sight that Emet-Selch offered him in the reconstructed city, which was more of an homage, a piece to fill the void. This was a mirage built by a House of Mirrors that didn’t even know him.

His skeptical, tired gaze landed on her.] So, he was here, then? In this city? Were others?

[songbird_slayer]

He was, yes. He awoke shortly after you had before.

Ah- Two others too, but I didn't get to know them terribly well. But they wore robes like the figures there. One had white hair and the other like that of the setting sun.

[She turned away from her own reflection in another mirror: Dressed in so many furs and skins, eyes burning bright, head thrown back in a primal scream. Fresh blood ran between the fingers of clawed gauntlets. ...Essentially, a tuesday morning in the forest.

She needed to go hunting again. Her meat stocks were running low.]

Shall I lead you out, then? I should get started on your 'welcome back' pie.

[And slap kevlar on G'raha]

[snapoutofit]

[Those hair colors could have existed on a hundred different people, so it hardly narrowed it down. One couldn’t even guarantee that it had been members of the Convocation considering that Hythlodaeus had been here, so what was the link? What was the reason that they specifically had been drawn to this place?

And if it had been coincidence, there was an annoyance in a chaos generated by someone other than himself.

He caught her turning away from something, and surmising what direction it was, he caught a glimpse of that. Oh ho ho. Interesting indeed. Something to keep in his back pocket should he need it.

Ultimately, though, there was a sigh and shrug, a universal sign of defeat. Remaining in a dangerous lie did little to help him through his day.]

Why not? I suppose there is no true reason to stay here. [There was a glance at Hythlodaeus’ familiar smile, before he turned away and made to follow her.] I am sure that I can live without your pie, but humor me for a moment: what flavor?

[songbird_slayer]

[Oh good. If he wasn't going to come along, she'd have to go with something drastic and hold his hand.]

Well, I have a couple of ideas really... my Rainbow Apple Pie has been quite the hit and my lattice work is a dream in itself! But a mixed berry pie has that warm and cozy appeal as well. My raspberries and blackberries came in wonderfully this year, and they beg to be slapped into a crust.

But there is the other kind of pie, if you're feeling a little different. I make a mean pizza!

[snapoutofit]

[The flat and even look he offered her was reminiscent of his time as Hades even more than his later years. His arms crossed over his chest, the ends of his sleeves riding up a little more to give glance at his gloves and cold leather that shone in the dim Mirror House light. The flavors offered were varied, and yet it felt trivial in comparison to everything else.

On the other hand, he would not learn much here. Perhaps more time spent over... pies ... would allow for additional moments of information.

But he sighed all the same, uncrossing his arms enough to loosely wave one hand.] And I suppose that denying said 'pies' would be met with absolutely disregard to my wishes and some sort of force-feeding act. Fine. As you wish.

[songbird_slayer]

[She lay a hand to her cheek and peered through her lashes at him.]

...Only if you would like to be force-fed? I'm good at climbing tall men.

[She tapped that cheek, looked him over.]

You have plenty of spots on your coat to grab on to. I won't even need climbing gear.

[snapoutofit]

[Emet-Selch leveled another Look. That look had withered people before, but as Hythlodaeus would have stated had he been here, it rarely made people back off.

Well, certain ones, anyway.]

I am not a tree, and especially not a tree that needs - or wants - to be fed.

[Hands smoothed down his coat, as if that would stop any pockets or straps from finding a new life as a hand/foot hold. Ridiculous that he was entertaining such prattle even this much.]

When I feel the hunger pangs and I am two breaths from starvation, I will call upon your pies. Does that sound reasonable?