songerein | Saving Christmas

✵ SAVING CHRISTMAS ✵

As the sun sets and the moon rises on Christmas Eve, a strange sound of jingling bells is heard high in the sky as the snow suddenly begins to fall heavily upon the town. A heavy weight of sleep slowly overcomes everyone, and just as their eyes close they'll hear a loud, raging bellow—

That damn bastard!! I won't let you ruin—!

Before the words are finished, everyone will suddenly jolt awake and find themselves scattered in a strange looking town called Whoville. Although it looks as if it's supposed to be festive, none of that holiday cheer is evident. The town is completely ransacked with torn up decorations, broken gift boxes and toys. Even its colors seem faded, music distorted and muted.

All through the town the Whos stare listlessly at their hard work now ruined, some crying openly while others remain indoors in their grief. A brave few young souls try to help clean and bolster some cheer, chanting, "It's not too late, we can fix this! We can't let that Grinch get us down!" But many just shake their heads, their eyes dim. No one seems to have noticed the sudden arrival of new faces.

In the meanwhile, the tapirs appear to inform the Dreamwalkers that they are inside another large dreamscape similar to the one during Halloween. This time, however, an entity called "The Grinch" had suddenly appeared and attacked it, stealing all the presents and leaving everything to ruin as they see now. The tapirs point to a meter floating high in the sky, and although it's not rock bottom, it keeps wavering and lowering as time passes. The Dreamwalkers must help raise the meter to save the dreamscape from turning into a nightmare.

"But the big guy is really angry now," the tapirs chatter among themselves. "If they help fix things, maybe they'll gain a powerful ally!"

Dressed in Christmas themed attire, it will be up to the Dreamwalkers to try and restore the Christmas spirit before the day is ruined forever.

I. HELPING WHOVILLE

The town is an interesting looking place with its unique architecture, bright colors swirling and curving about that it make it look like it could be made of cake or candy instead. It's supposed to be adorned with all manner of Christmas decorations and lights, and yet all of it is missing and instead everything looks so drab and dreary, the colors faded and nary a carol sung. Its tree has also been stripped bare, the presents pilfered, and the much too big Christmas Star gone.

A. Gift Retrieval. The Grinch has scattered all of the presents and decorations throughout the surrounding forests and they need to be returned before Christmas is over. Dog sleds big enough to load up found presents are provided to be used, and the dogs will help track down presents. However, those who enter the forests should be cautious. While there aren't any huge threats, there are present mimics, monsters that pretend to be present boxes only to attack any who approach. They will also eat real presents, so be careful they don't reach the sled!

» BONUS: PRESENT DELIVERY. The last objective is to deliver the present to their rightful owners. However, it's possible the Grinch may have tampered the presents, and this will only be revealed upon opening. Players must RNG 0-5 to determine if the recipient likes the present or not.

» BONUS: SPECIAL PRESENTS. There are some special marked boxes that are guarded by present mimics. Get past them to retrieve the present. However, upon touching the box, it will disappear in a poof of orange and be replaced with a pumpkin pie that will help amplify one's dreamotion abilities if eaten.

B. Fixing Decorations. With broken ornaments and torn wreaths and ribbon everywhere, a massive cleanup is in order along with repairing and redecorating. While anyone good at crafts can help, positive emotions and dreamotion abilities will be key to help brighten everything from its current dreary atmosphere. Creative minds can help produce the necessary decorations while the athletic can figure out ways to bolster their skills to reach those high, hard to reach places. Another RNG for rating is here as the residents will judge their work.

» BONUS: JUDGMENT. Anyone can throw up decorations, but will it be to the residents' liking? Players must RNG 0-5 to determine what kind of rating their efforts receive.

» BONUS: CHRISTMAS STAR. The original Christmas star was smashed to bits so a new one is in order. Although anything can be used, the Whos do have some preferences on what can be used on the star, even if those materials may be hard to find. Rainbow crystals found in the forest will surely help give the start that glittery feeling; they prefer to have it gold; and it needs to illuminate on its own so some kind of light source is needed.

C. Christmas Carols. Carolers are doing their best, but everyone is stumbling over their verses and instruments are out of tune. A bit of positive reinforcement and Christmas cheer will help sort things out. Those who are musically inclined can lead the way by singing and even creating new songs to help inspire others.

» BONUS: A SPECIAL CHRISTMAS CAROL. In the designated thread, a new carol will be composed by the dreamwalkers. Each one will supply their own verse in response to the previous (click here for example). The thread is only for the verses, but there will be another thread where players can go ham for their characters to comment on the song as it goes on. Anyone can participate multiple times but must wait for another comment to be made first.

II. SANTA'S TOY FACTORY

Just beyond Whoville with just the Winter Forest to separate them is one of Santa's toy factories. It, too, has been attacked and smoke rises from the damaged buildings. With machines malfunctioning, toys are running rampant and everything is chaotic. If not fixed soon, there will not be enough toys for Santa to deliver.

A. Elf Rescue. The Grinch not only stole the presents and destroyed the toys, but they also sabotaged the machines running the factor. Now elves are trapped inside and are in desperate need of rescuing as toys malfunction and start to turn on them. The machines are even trying to box up the elves as gifts instead! Behaving similar to the present mimics, boxes, wrapping paper, and ribbon bounce around in search of anything to wrap up. Dreamwalkers must venture in to try to turn off the machines and rescue the elves without getting turned into a present themselves. The more elves rescued, the more allies gained to fix the factory and more favor earned from Santa.

B. Reindeer Games. The reindeer have been scattered all over and the only way to bring them back is to attract them with fun and games. In order to do so, dreamwalkers will transform into reindeer and will have additional abilities granted to them, such as flying and manipulating snow. As for what kind of games, they can choose from any of the following:

Ring Racing. High up in the air is a flying course with rings made of magical frost. Racers must pass through each ring to count, but they must fly quickly. As soon as they approach, the ring will start to contract, and if too late it will close and the racer will be disqualified.
Sleigh Pulling. This is a contest of strength! Sleighs will be piled high with presents and, if not enough presents are available, large rocks to weigh it down. Each reindeer must then try and pull their sleigh down a simple straight lane to the finish line. Just beware, rogue toys will appear on the track and will need to be dealt with somehow. There are no restrictions—each reindeer can use whatever ability or skill they can think of to help pull the overloaded sleigh. The contest can be 1v1 or 2v2.
Robot Reindeer. All the excitement does attract many of the reindeer back, but unexpected guests arrive as well—and they're not friendly. Sent by the Grinch, robotic reindeer will suddenly descend from the skies to ruin the festivities. It will be up to the dreamwalkers in their reindeer form to fight back against them—or try to convert them to help out instead.

C. Gingerbread Army. Giant gingerbread men occasionally appear and try to smash through the toy factory, hampering rescue efforts. Fortunately, they are only made of gingerbread and easy to fall apart. Unfortunately, they will not only regrow lost parts but grow from severed parts. Their weak point is the glowing gumdrop located among the many gumdrops on the body, and destroying it will destroy the gingerbread completely.

[Mod Note: Details can be read and questions can be asked on the Event Details post. Submit all special threads and ratings to the Event Thread Submissions form.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He tries to imagine it, a comforting light in a yellow or orange hue, flickering like a candle in these small bulbs. It's somehow easy to imagine, and Vigil pulls his hands away from his face as he nods in response. Yes, he thinks that addition would add a lot to this.]

Small flickering, reminiscent of a candle. It's easier to imagine the warmth it provides if these lights emulate that properly.

[...] You can truly control these lights in that manner?

Magic back home is a matter of taking one's will and feeding aether into it to make it manifest. Dreamotion seems little different.

[She put her hands together, cupped and took a moment to focus.]

Say I want that flickering light. I think of a candle, but not just any... I think of a whole entire candle sitting before me, light dancing across the table top. I can smell the wax, the faint hint of a burning wick. I feel its warmth. I wish to just pluck it...

[She opened her hands and- with perhaps an intentional and faint whiff of melted wax, there lie a small yellow light, gently flickering.]

Make it yours, want it, and you'll have it.

[Vigil can't help but be slightly dubious when she starts describing the candle. Is this really the method of getting something to form? But he dare not say anything, just watching with a slightly curious expression as she opens her hands and--]

...!

[And just like that, a small, but clearly visible light flickers from her hands. There's even that familiar smell of melted wax emitting from it. Something like this shouldn't be possible, but that's the magic of this world. Dreamotion, to be exact.]

It's truly there... that's remarkable. [He sounds slightly breathless, just in awe that she formed exactly what she wanted.]

[She smiled. She'd come to learn so much of magic in her time away from her home land. What better place to learn how to channel energy than in a country so rife with it? This place wasn't too different. Just... emotional. And she was in tune with her own heart. Mostly.]

Sure is. Why don't you try? Nothing too complex- I bet we can make anything with practice- but something you can clearly picture in your head.

[He's honestly not entirely confident that he can pull this off correctly, but it seems rude to not try at all. She just offered her time to show him how to create things through this world's magic and he honestly wants to be competent with it... so guess now is the best time. So, with a small exhale, the former guard nods, before holding his hands out and closing his eyes for a moment.

......

At first, nothing really seems to happen, before..... a pair of handcuffs begin to form in his hands. They don't look entirely sturdy, but it's pretty easy to see what they are.]

No, that's not what I want--

[She watched as he focused. The magic grew, coalesced, and became... handcuffs.

Madhuri blinked, folded her arms, and for a moment didn't know what to think. But there was a ghost of a smirk on her face as she canted her head.]

...I'm flattered, but this holiday must remain kid-friendly.

[Almost instantly, Vigil feels the handcuffs slip from his hands, the metal clattering on the ground as he raises both of his arms in protest. He also looks pretty mortified as an apology spills out from him, almost stuttering as he tries to complete a full sentence.]

I-I meant nothing by this-- it's just my fault, nothing personal towards you, I promise. I dare not presume anything of anyone and--

[He is truly dying a little inside.]

[She had to mask her lips with a hand as she broke into giggles.]

I'm so sorry, I'm only teasing...!

[She's not sorry. But with a hand raised in a placating motion, she had to explain herself.]

You've naught to worry about. I don't feel as if you have roguish intentions toward me, but you have to admit that's an interesting choice for dreamotion. Do the cuffs mean something to you?

[Despite her reassurances, Vigil finds himself burying one of his hands in his face, still both embarrassed and rude to do something like this to someone that's been only kind thus far.]

I ah, I'm the chief prison warder back home.

[As he says this, however, the cuffs begin to break apart on the ground, as Vigil forces the lie from his throat. He's been telling everyone that he's still employed, even though he really doesn't have to worry about social standing here. It's just... what if Evie does come here and she finds out about everything?]

I've handcuffed many people since the start of my tenure there.

Oh! Well then, that makes complete sense.

[Hook, line and sinker. She folded her arms to push the cold away from her middle as best as she could.]

Perhaps you can cuff that terrible Grinch and we can give this town the help it needs, eh? But first, we should finish decorating this cottage for the poor family waiting for us inside.

If I come across Mr. Grinch, I'll do my best to cuff him for terrorizing this town.

[He's never really actively chased someone down before and handcuffed them, so he hopes that Grinch will mostly be incapacitated by the time he find him... if he ever crosses paths with him in the first place. Vigil really doesn't have much interest chasing him down otherwise.

It's far better decorating this cottage for the time being.]

...I believe that to be a splendid idea, madam. We don't wish to disappoint them.

Alright. Why don't I handle conjuring the lights, and I leave it to your impeccable aesthetic sense to place them where they may truly shine?

[The first she'd conjured would be what she'd hand him, and she immediately set to work giving life to more. She was sure the whos may not appreciate handcuffs dangling on windowsills and the like, but she'll know who to turn to should the Grinch appear.]

Saving Christmas

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