songerein | { once upon a fairytale }

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{ once upon a fairytale }

ONCE UPON A FAIRYTALE

One night, a sweet melody fills the air around Reverein, causing everyone to fall into a deep, peaceful sleep, as if trying to soothe all from the stress of the past few months. However, there are those who are completely lulled by the beautiful music, silently slipping out of bed or off the floor or wherever they were sleeping and sleepwalk out of town to disappear into the woods. It will only be in the morning when everyone left will notice them gone.

Fortunately it's not too difficult to follow the trail. The music continues to play and there are music notes floating in the air to guide searchers deep into the Wildlands. When they approach a golden bridge crossing over a large, rainbow river, they are stopped by some local fae who had witnessed the strange changes. They will tell of how the forest has shifted and changed, with new structures and creatures suddenly inside. There is a strong magic over it, and they are wary of entering as those who have gone to investigate have yet to return. There are witnesses who have seen people inside, but they are acting…strange. And dressed strangely, too, with some looking as if they are in costumes. It's not Halloween, so what's going on?

Those brave enough to cross the bridge will find themselves suddenly changed into different clothes or costumes to match a fairytale character. Those who have had previous experiences in various story based dreamscapes may be somewhat familiar to this. It's completely random (ie, player choice) and a piece of sheet music will appear in front with the following words:

Deep within the forest your friends are stuck in play
Dreaming of a different life to live from day to day
Fear not, brave hero, for their lives are in no threat
But until the music ends will this spell continue yet

Find them in their role and play along
Be it through facing evil villains or singing a song
Perhaps you can remind of who they really are
Find pieces of their memories locked in a jar

Good luck to you, dear hero!
You've reached the final verse
Break this spell before the next new moon
Or this spell will be a cUrSe 😈

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 February and will remain in Songerein from the IC date of February 14th (however, the event itself ICly takes place February 25th through March 2nd). TDM only characters can only thread within this log. Anyone who apps in and is accepted will have their character count February 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 February 23rd and Applications will open on March 1st. Our application cycles are bi-monthly so the next cycle after won't be until May.

TDM Toplevel Link Directory (click to view)

Animorphs - Tobias
Final Fantasy VII - Tseng
Final Fantasy XIV - G'raha Tia
Final Fantasy XVI - Clive Rosfield
Granblue Fantasy Re:Link: Rackam
Hazbin Hotel - Husk
Hazbin Hotel - Lucifer Morningstar

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

"ENCHANTED" FOREST

All characters in the Enchanted Forest will be dressed in some kind of storybook, fairytale role, and they can be as generic or as specific as players want them to be. Heroes, villains, or an odd mix between are allowed.

The following prompts are more like "setting pieces" that players can utilize either for their sleepwalking character or for a general prompt for those helping out to get through. This is a non-exhaustive list and players are encouraged to be creative and add whatever they need. Sleepwalkers can create their own toplevels featuring their own story setup and/or tag into others. Players are also free to use NPCs who are also caught in the curse to help instead.

Finally, all original abilities are gone while in the Forest, including dreamotion. Instead, they will be replaced with abilities and skills based on the role the character is playing. This does mean you can cheat and choose a role that has abilities similar to the character's original set, but if you're willing to try and be completely creative, you can do so. You can be as open or as restrictive as you want, whatever works best for you.

(Note: The Love is in the Air bubbles are also in effect throughout this event. Because of the IC dates, the Dream Board can also be used as prompts as long as they are set before the event occurs.)

A. SLEEPWALKERS

Those affected by the spell will be called "sleepwalkers" and will be found at various parts of the Enchanted Forest that fits their fairytale character's role. They will be dressed as the character, be a protagonist or a villain, and a lot of creative liberties and freedom are allowed. Their role may also be a little strange and mixed up. Perhaps Red Riding Hood is part wolf, or Thumbelina is a fierce warrior princess ready to take down all the "giants."

The "script" and story may also be twisted up, so it will be up to those trying to help them to try and play along to get a hint on how to save them by finding their memories locked in jars, which are hidden somewhere within their vicinity. Once found, it can only be opened by the sleepwalker, and it will help "wake" them up back to their original self. However, this is a temporary measure until the whole spell is broken.

(Note: To help players find your scenario, please comment to this Sleepwalker Scenario Directory thread here.)

B. FIND THE FLUTE

While some are trying to help those affected, others are focused more on the curse and breaking it. There are bubble-like music notes that appear here and there, and popping them will reveal a piece of sheet music that will have a bar or two of lyrics that will give a hint to where the flute may be hiding. It's different for everyone, and sometimes it can be straightforward and sometimes it's not. However, should anyone sing the piece, music notes will appear and form a trail to lead them right to the flute (the notes will visibly reflect how good or poorly it's sung).

There are multiple instances of the flute and it can be found anywhere within the Forest. Sometimes it's easy to see, others will be hidden or guarded by a creature. It could even be in the hands of a sleepwalker. (Note: as mentioned in the Dream Notes, at least 10 different flute instances must be destroyed for the spell to be broken. If we do not receive enough submissions, the curse will continue with a Part Two in March.)

C. DARK WOODS

There are portions of the forest that are visibly darker. Not only is it denser with more trees, but gray clouds hang over it, further blocking sunlight from it. It's so dark in some places it almost feels like night and lanterns or other sources of light will be needed. Beware of the creatures that lurk. Some are friendly, others like to appear with random rhymes and riddles, and then there are the dangerous ones that are feeling a bit hungry. Be careful of the fruit that hang from some trees, as they can either be poisonous or just have a strange effect on those who eat it.

Deep, deep in the dark woods there is a mysterious fog that will quickly disorient anyone who are caught in it. This is known as the haunted section of the woods, so beware of spirits and ghosts that might wander through.

D. BRIDGES

There is a strange amount of bridges scattered around the Forest, and some of them aren't even crossing over any rivers—just empty ditches or even large chasms. The types will also vary, from fancy bricks to wooden bridges suspended by something that isn't very discernable (the ropes disappear into the sky…??). However, they all have one thing in common: trolls. Some are friendly and will let people pass after answering a few questions. Others will require a bribe. And some will force fights and other annoying challenges. Even then, the bridges themselves may be a bit wobbly, especially those wooden ones, or things like goblins may still pop out to try and steal from them. But perhaps some goats will help?

E. COTTAGES

And all other manner of houses, some of which may be made out of food, straw, sticks, or brick instead of wood. Some of these may be empty, others may already have an occupant. There could be people, could be animals; friendly or hostile. Just be careful of the beds—they can be quite comfortable and some may even be drawn to sleep in them…and need a little smooch to awaken. Those tempted by the food may find it delicious, but they may turn into a grumpy bear always complaining about the temperatures of the food and never satisfied. Baking a few goodies may also help those affected nearby.

Watch out for wolves and young, blond girls. They seem to like breaking into these places.

F. SWAMPS

Deeper within the Forest are pockets of swampland that house all manner of dangerous creatures, such as the will-o-wisps that like to lead wanderers astray, and those looking for a trusty steed? Avoid the horses here—they are kelpies that will waste no time in taking them into the murky waters. As it is a favorite spot for witch ingredients, it is more likely for someone to encounter one and suffer some kind of strange curse here, especially those involving animal transformations with frogs as a favorite. Don't forget the ogres—they don't like to be disturbed.

G. CASTLES

There are at least one or two castles deep within the Forest, though they are a lot smaller than their real counterparts. Some are just a single tower that needs to be climbed up to help whoever is trapped up there. While there could be fair damsels that need rescuing, there are also treasures that could be found and taken instead. Or perhaps one wants to conquer the castle instead and be its king or queen. However, like everything else here, there are curses and enchantments everywhere. The cutlery may not be so keen on intruders, and one may feel the need to sing and dance a musical number more often than not.

But of course these have their own guardians, with the dragons being a favored choice. Wizards and other sorcerers are also common tenants, and they will gladly use their magic to expel anyone who tries to get in.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[She takes another step towards him. What big eyes he's got...]

I've seen lots of unusual people in the forest today, but...Hmm. What sort of thing are you looking for? I'd be glad to help you find it.

[If she's helping someone, she's sure Grandma wouldn't mind waiting just a little bit.]

[Hm. Though he's been trying to focus his efforts on locating the true sources of this spell, he certainly shouldn't leave the poor girl stuck in her delusions.]

They are... difficult to describe, but thus far I have found them within whatever glass containers I've come across.

[She's been drawn to this small home, has she? It's likely there are a few jars inside that contain her memories, so if he implies they may appear even in unexpected places, maybe he can convince her to let them both in...]

I thought there may be some few within this cottage, in fact.

[His teeth are pretty sizeable, too. Just saying.]

In grandma's cottage...? Are you acquainted with my grandmother somehow?

[She tries to hide it, but she's starting to feel just a little suspicious. She supposes that he could have forgotten something there if he knows Grandma somehow, but it's all a bit strange. She's definitely eyeing those teeth, too.]

I suppose we could look inside...but, Grandma isn't answering the door. [She knocks on the door once again.] Oh, Grandma!!

Perhaps not by name.

[Well, those words aren't technically a lie, even if they are evasive. arms folded, he steps forwards towards her side so he can peer at the door, then attempt to see through the clouded windows.]

You were not given a key? [Hrm. His brow furrows further than his already stern gaze.] It seems a dangerous mistake to send a girl through the wilderness with no guarantee of reaching shelter.

[Not that fairy tales tended to focus very much on safety, but he's still offended!!]

[An acquaintance of Grandma's? Or a neighbor? Out here? She supposes it's possible?? This guy is getting more suspicious by the second...! She gestures to the axe on her belt.]

Not to worry. Should any danger arise, I'm prepared to defend myself. Especially considering the kind of beasts that prowl this forest.

[Though she seems incapable of easily identifying a wolf somehow??? She looks back at the door, frowning, and unsheathes her axe.]

Speaking of which, it's strange that she won't at least answer when I call her, even if she's feeling poorly. Perhaps drastic measures are in order...!

[... well. She does appear to have an axe. Why has this forest seen fit to grant more than one small girl a blade like this...?

And yeah, he's—squinting, momentarily. She's obviously in one piece, but.]

... You've not encountered any beasts today?

[Just... asking. He doesn't attempt to stop her when she draws the tool from her belt, simply nodding and staying right where he is near the window, hopefully away from potential mishaps. He's keeping a sharp icy eye on her attempts, however... Miss Wilson was miraculously granted the ability to wield her axe, but he can't help but worry a little bit. He might have offered his own blade instead, but his sword is not meant for chopping.]

I haven't. Maybe all the strange people are keeping them at bay...or maybe they're particularly sneaky today. Some of the creatures in these woods are surprisingly sly. They may even trick me or you...

[Carefully, she lines up the axe with the doorknob of the cottage, intending to break it off. She lifts the axe and swings downward...only to somehow totally whiff it.]

I...Hmm.

[She hunts animals all the time, so this should have been easier than that. She's going to have to give this another go and raises the axe again.]

[Van Zieks steps forward and holds out a hand.]

Wait.

[That swing was not very encouraging! He would much rather not see her chop her foot off, and if he thinks about this in terms of the tales... He withholds a sigh, but his exasperation comes through in his tone somewhat.]

... perhaps that should be my task.

I-I'm an experienced hunter! I assure you, I'm more than cut out for this!

[Even she's not sure how she managed to miss the doorknob entirely. She's confident that she can do this, but...well, she does pick up on the exasperation in his voice and offers him the axe.]

However, if you insist upon doing yourself, I suppose I wouldn't mind lending you my axe.

[He accepts the axe with a nod and little hesitation; it's only his typically deliberate movements that slow him enough to keep his hurry from being obvious.]

All the better for you to keep watch for any creatures, then.

[The remark is mostly just meant to placate her; he's likely to hear anything coming sooner than she will, if just by virtue of his currently-enhanced senses. Either way—to the doorknob. He hasn't exactly done a lot of chopping in his life, but how hard can it be to deliberately ruin a door, anyway?

Not too hard, thankfully. It does take him two tries to properly break the knob off, but the job gets done. A solid shove from his shoulder gets the door open at that stage.]

Oh my!

[She's not so much shocked that he was able to break that doorknob off so easily, but still. Once the door is open she pops her head in before cautiously entering.]

Grandmother! Grandmother, we're coming in! I've brought a guest today, Grandmother!

[Brow furrowed, she looks about the cottage. Everything inside looks unused, the tea cups and dishes sitting neatly in a cabinet with no normal signs of anyone having recently been there. But her poor grandmother was said to have taken ill, wasn't she?]

Grandmother...? Something isn't right...

[Van Zieks follows in behind her, ears brushing unpleasantly against the door frame. Ugh, right, he has to account for those when ducking while like this. As if this whole curse wasn't aggravating enough on its own.

Regardless, he doesn't let it slow his pace as he takes a look about.]

Hmm.

[With a step towards a table in the kitchen, he drags a single gloved finger through a fine layer of dust. Despite knowing the nature of this place, he can't help but turn to his investigative instincts.]

You're certain this is the correct cabin?

Oh, as many times as I've come to visit dear Grandma, I'm sure of it! It must be!

[Or she thinks it is, anyway. Surely, she must know her own grandmother's house! Then again, with all the strange goings on in the forest today...well, one never knows. As she wanders around the cabin, she glances back at Van Zieks, regarding him with a bit more suspicion than before.]

And you believe that some of the things you seek may be here?

They've apparently been scattered even in places previously locked to outsiders, even without their occupants notice.

[He can even give an example, if needed—he has proof! Of a sort. Unconcerned by the apparent absence of the fairy-tale grandmother, the wolf takes to methodically searching the shelves and cabinets for any jars or containers that appear particularly magical, with his typical unhurried demeanor.

But that lack of another presence will likely trouble the girl as she is now, so he won't just leave it at that—but he can't help the edge of something dismissive that comes to his voice. He's gotten better at playing along with these sorts of things, but there are still limits to his patience.]

Perhaps your grandmother has chosen this time to take a stroll?

[How awkward that would be, if she were to come back to a broken door. Thank goodness she's not real, if just to save van Zieks from that faux pas.]

I suppose that's possible...

[Though, she had been told Grandmother had been feeling unwell; it was the reason she had come to the small cottage in the first place. Maybe grandmother had suddenly been feeling better? She muses aloud as she haphazardly roots through a drawer.]

I wonder if I should go looking for her. It might be dangerous for Grandmother to walk alone, considering the terrible things that live in these woods...

It seems a strange place for the abode of someone unable to defend themselves...

[If this grandmother were real he might judge, just a little bit. But, hm. More to the task at hand, it's not like he's going to be able to open any memory jars for her... It won't help if she goes running off into the woods again.]

... Perhaps we might investigate further to see if she's left some indication of where she's gone.

Hmm. Now that you mention it, it is quite strange...I've never thought about it before. Why, I can't even remember Grandmother having ever lived anywhere else.

[She frowns. Why in the world would someone build their home in a forest inhabited with vicious wolves and bears? Thinking about it is making her feel strange for reasons she can't quite pin down. At his suggestion, she starts searching with a bit more urgency.]

What a fine idea! Perhaps she's left a letter or note of some kind. Everything still seems like it's in order, so I can't imagine she left in much of a hurry...

[The wolf turns a sharp eye towards her. The story is beginning to fall apart, it seems. It would be easy to offer a plausible reason or two, but he's trying to break through the fantasy, not encourage it.

With the task agreed upon, however, he notes to himself that he's seen nothing in the kitchen resembling a message thus far, though he might have missed something in the main room.]

I shall follow your lead. [Presumably she would know best where her own "grandmother" would leave anything, and perhaps that location would be significant enough to have the jars where her true memories lie hidden...]

[She wanders about the cabin for a few moments, thinking hard about just where her grandmother might leave a note. She peeks inside things and underneath others to no avail. However, eventually, with a quiet "Oh!" she scuttles over to a small, neatly made bed.

Tucked beneath the quilt is a plain glass jar. Pauline picks it up, regarding it curiously.]

I've yet to find any note from Grandmother, but...might this be one of your glass containers?

[Barok's long strides keep up with her easily, though the size of the cabin perhaps doesn't leave as much personal space as he might have liked without him shoving himself into corners and the like.

When the jar is revealed, he steps forward and narrows his eyes in thought. The others he'd found thus far seemed to have some sort of distinguishing features, but nobody said these things were consistent. Well, there's only one way to find out:]

Perhaps. Would you mind opening it for me, Miss?

[So focused is he on the jar that he hasn't realized he might be standing too close.]

Oh. I, er, don't mind at all.

[Too close indeed. She doesn't mean to, but she sort of gives him a look. Surely someone his size is capable of opening a jar. Still, she sees no reason to refuse. Cautiously, she pops the lid open and...something strange happens. Memories start to flood back to her and she begins to look around the cabin.

Why would she think her grandmother lives here? She's never seen this house in her life! And even if her grandmother did live here, her grandfather would have been here as well, and hey wait wasn't there someone here with her? Slowly, she turns to look at Barok and stares at him for a moment. Apparently, along with her memories, Pauline has regained the ability to recognize what a wolf looks like.

After a moment, Pauline starts to scream.]

Edited (typos) 2024-05-24 11:46 (UTC)

[They share that moment of staring at each other, staring face-to-snout as van Zieks tries to discern whether her dazed expression means they've succeeded at task number one: memory retrieval. Unfortunately, his answer does not come as quietly as he'd like.

He jerks back at the sound, taking a reflexive step away with his arm drawn up defensively.]

C-calm yourself!

[Still screaming, Pauline scrambles away and, once she deems she's far enough, starts throwing anything she can get her hands on. Tea cups, decorative pillows, small saucers; most of them fall almost comically short of their target, but she's trying really hard.

She's also forgotten that she had an axe, but that might be for the best.]

[They're not impressive throws, and perhaps he could teach her a thing or two about dramatic flair if they're not even going to meet their mark—either way, he holds out a palm in surrender, tension in his posture gradually loosening once he sees each throw miss, at least until he has to dodge another teacup.]

I'm not here to harm you!

[He is grateful that axe has remained untouched, that's for sure.]

[Pauline skitters around to the opposite side of a small table, clutching a small vase of flowers. While her initial panic has subsided somewhat, she's still pretty anxious.]

C-Can you like, clue me in here?! I like, kind of remember things up until now, but I don't get what's going on...!

[She doesn't completely trust him yet, but there's a lot to unpack and he seems a little more on top of things than she is at the moment.]

{ once upon a fairytale }

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