{ 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
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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
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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

[sagesurvivor]

... I'm not sure how much faith I put in things going as they are "meant" to in this realm.

[Listen, you get jumped by a Redead once during your training in the ancient temple slash historical torture facility and you learn to have a very healthy respect for the undead and their ilk.

Or he might just be paranoid. That is a valid option as well, as the ghouls haunting this graveyard aren't acting very Redead-like. The one that is now frozen in place is rightfully pissed off, obviously, clawing at its ice-covered legs in a bid for freedom, but the rest further in seem less interested in charging their guests, warded away by gently flickering paper lanterns dotted here and there among the graves. Though the flame in the next one over is looking pretty weak...

Sheik glances at his comrade in arms when no follow-up comes, and— there's something there, yes. A sense of déjà vu, or something like it, but the whens and wheres of it don't come immediately to mind with his focus split like this. Of course, there are no holders of the Triforce of Wisdom in Songerein, but if there were, the file cabinets of their mind would certainly be full to bursting. Give it a minute.

For now, though:] Are you... watching for something?

[... Wary as he is, he still may or may not be pushing himself up onto the balls of his feet in an attempt to match eye-lines. It does not help.]

[discourtesies]

[Well, alright. That part is fair, he'll concede with a brief hum. Out of an abundance of caution, van Zieks pulls out the talisman given to him earlier for the sake of protection. From fake dream ghosts. Or something.

He regards the piece of paper with a mild shake of his head that might be exasperation, but returns his attention to the creature slowly but surely struggling its way free, and to how the rest of the undead don't appear to share the same aggression as their comrade at the moment. What is the natural state of these conjurations, so to speak? Hmm.

At the question his eyes turn slowly to Sheik, gaze currently mild, at least compared to his usual. Then again, he hasn't had to deal with anything particularly horrible for some time...]

One does not typically enter the "haunted house" of such a festival without some interest in observing the occult.

[Right, Sheik? What do you want him to do, end the show immediately?]

[sagesurvivor]

[Sheik blinks, once, twice, like the man next to him just said something completely incomprehensible.]

Oh... is that what this is.

[Except the idea is running up hard against his own experiences with the aforementioned ancient temple slash torture facility and the graveyard placed adjacent to it, which are the closest points of reference he has for the concept. People make fake versions of those sorts of things? For fun? Wild.]

And would one's interest be satisfied by such a facsimile?

[van Zieks seems... unimpressed, generally, with it all if that is the case, though Sheik still has his doubts. But he'll step back, if it's so desired, lowering his "weapon" but continuing to keep a watchful eye on the rest of the graveyard.

(And a watchful eye on van Zieks himself, as the back of his mind continues to itch with scattered points of recognition.)

Meanwhile, a thin trail of smoke wafts from the formerly flickering lantern, the warding flame within snuffed out. As it does, the ghoul on ice manages to break one foot free and begins quickened work on the other, now with three limbs to claw and pound against its shackle, and another turns towards the commotion as though noticing it for the first time and begins crossing the distance, crawling over gravestones on oddly bent and twisted limbs. So the "show" goes on.]

[discourtesies]

[Just leaped in without thinking, he sees... well, there are worse situations to throw oneself into. He shakes his head in a brief display of exasperation.]

Given the implied lack of mortal danger... one must be willing to compromise authenticity.

[It's spooky! But like just in an eerie, slightly thrilling way. Not in a base survival instinct like he's been suffering for a decade way. Plus, he's got another reason:]

The myths from which these creatures were born hail from a land I'm not as familiar with as I'd like. [For instance! He nods his head towards a reptilian creature with some sort of beak and a hollowed out head whose brackish liquid contents only look more unsettling due to the flickering flame that's pacified it.] I've yet to see any such being in any legends I've read.

[And yeah, no, he sees the new one now approaching. Oh, its neck is quite warped as well, isn't it? He wonders if there's some fable to accompany such a grotesque figure. Almost absently, he holds up the talisman as he continues to observe. It's actually quite easy at the moment to channel positive feelings into the charm, though it's not like he's used this thing before, so he might get it wrong somehow...]

[sagesurvivor]

[Well, excuse him for having an impulse to help and acting on it this time. He'll keep his roses to himself in the future. Huff.

Sheik... still doesn't quite Get It, honestly, but he's not yet so embarrassed by his apparent faux pas to make himself scarce immediately, especially as van Zieks brings up the secondary reason he's out here. That's enough to pique his curosity, following the gesture to the strange turtle-like creature, his nose wrinkling a bit at the sight of the hollow of its skull. Gross.]

... I would say it appears to be some sort of... extraordinarily sickly Zora, but that is most certainly not the case if this is indeed a cultural exhibit of a kind.

[He doesn't know what the land van Zieks speaks of is, but it's definitely not Hyrule. At least it explains some things about the different architecture style of this building compared to the rest of the festival.

Of the other creatures, the twisted one begins approaching more carefully as the talisman is presented, the wary stalking of a predator awaiting an efficient opportunity to strike. Its jaw opens - too wide - to hiss and screech, as though to create that opportunity for itself in the form of a moment of shaken focus. As it does, the first finally claws its other limb free, and resumes its charge, angered enough to disregard the risk to itself the ward might pose. Sheik flinches, muscles tense with the urge to spring into action once more, but if the man says they're harmless...]

[discourtesies]

[Although Barok may have been willing to let the creature come closer for the sake of examining it further, a glance out of the corner of his eye tells him Sheik would rather not be involved. In any case, by the time the thought has occurred to him, the talisman has already taken in the magic that's been channeled and folded itself into a suddenly very detailed crane, which proceeds to swoop forward and start pecking at the angry ghoul before it can get within reach. While its beak is still only paper, the power of the talisman has apparently granted it some advantage over these foul demons, at least while it still has a reserve of dreamotion at its disposal.

He lets out an interested:] Hm.

[But yeah, speaking of different lands:]

... what are Zora?

[sagesurvivor]

[Yeah, Sheik is Suffering trying to hold himself back, so it's fortunate the talisman reacts when it does. Repelled by the shikigami, the ghoul is forced to back off, and Sheik... doesn't laugh, exactly, but his sigh of relief is colored by a touch of befuddled amusement. It's kind of funny, seeing it get pecked at by a piece of paper. Maybe there's hope for him learning how to enjoy the spooky sort of thrills yet.

Just ignore that another lantern is starting to go out, and the twisted creature is still lurking nearby...]

An amphibious people from my homeland. [He answers, slightly distracted watching the shikigami's work.] They are capable of walking on land, but they are far more at home in the water, possessing fins and fish-like scales. The resemblance is superficial, but it is the only point of reference I have.

[Princess Ruto would likely be quite upset at him for comparing her people to that squat little creature, and he's quietly thankful she isn't here to overhear him.]

What is the land you speak of? The one you do not know as much about as you'd like.

[discourtesies]

Another species the like of which I am unfamiliar with, [he muses with something like interest in his tone. He supposes fish people was the next logical step, after bird people and plant people.

Anyway, they'll be fine! Van Zieks is confident enough that he can handle the turtle-being that's waking from its stupor, even if he doesn't have another talisman. He's willing to do whatever is actually necessary for that, if it lets Sheik relax from this apparently perpetual state of vigilance. (Relatable.)]

The Empire of Japan, from which a few of my dear friends hail. [He won't often say that to their faces, but.] Given its great distance from my homeland and long history of isolation, knowledge of their culture has only recently come to our shores.

[He turns his attention from the shikigami's currently-ongoing assault to the more cautious thing attempting to skirt around rather than try a direct assault like its fellow.]

Do you think that one delays out of cunning or cowardice?

[sagesurvivor]

"Japan"...

[Sheik parrots the word quietly, testing it out on his tongue, and it sounds like a puzzle piece clicking into place. Ah, so this is for the sake of understanding his (dear!) friends better. That feels a more adequate reasoning behind his continued observations here than simple interest in being worldly. Briefly, Sheik wonders what those friends must be like to draw a seemingly quite stoic person to such a place, but then his attention is called back to the creeping crawlers nearby.

Huh, cunning or cowardice... His eyes track the twisted ghoul as it stalks around them in a wide arc, and some part of him feels like he's had something akin to this internal debate before.]

... I am not certain that there is always a clear distinction between the two. One often begets the other, in my experience. [Though maybe that's his own biases talking, coward himself that he is.] But I think it better to presume the former than the latter generally, but particularly here; the dead have little use for fear, one would think.

[But he's also a paranoid weirdo, so.]

[discourtesies]

[Well, he can't argue with the idea that the two may well be intertwined. But without fear, does any creature stand a chance of continued existence, alive or no?]

A remark that could draw one towards a debate regarding the minds of undead beings.

[He doesn't know if he has actual experience with being undead given the whole Dracula powers thing, though said figure was certainly portrayed with a particular mindset—in any case, he won't indulge for the time being, unless Sheik encourages it. Even if he really, really misses arguing.

Meanwhile, the pecking of the shikigami continues along with the first ghoul's pathetic screeching and swiping, the conjuration only gradually losing energy in its assault. Between that, the shriveled kappa opening its dark eyes and slowly assessing its surroundings, and the circling creature, they have plenty to keep an eye on. For now, van Zieks's eyes stay on the latter, fluffy arms folded.]

Fortunately there is no practical use for such conversation in the world from which I hail.

[Which is part of why he's treated this exercise in such a casual way. He'd really like to believe that nobody else has to deal with actual undead, either, but he's not so optimistic.]