{ surprise eggs }

[dreamposts]

SURPRISE EGGS

A few days after the Tree of Stories has been established, there's a startling announcement that is spread throughout town: there are eggs in the room at the top of the tree! Two large eggs about a foot and a half long and half as wide can be found nestled in a nest. The owls have no idea what kind they are, where they came from, or how they got there and can only assume it must have appeared along with the tree. But the eggs are clearly unusual as they can move and jiggle about, often responding to what's going on around them. A lot of extra hands will be needed to ensure the eggs are protected and hatched safely.

Note: This log is open to everyone and doubles as a "Character Intro" for new characters who were just accepted this round. As a reminder, new characters are welcome to use their TDM threads and consider April as their first month in Song so that they're not really "new" if players wish to do so! Starting fresh is also acceptable.

The log has two parts, with the first portion focusing on the eggs and the second half forward dated to when they eventually hatch. Since the log is mostly isolated to the Tree of Stories, what happens here won't affect the character base at large. Any questions can be directed here. We'll ask for thread submissions during Activity Check at the end of the month.

I. EGGSITTING

The interior of the room housing the eggs is fairly large, almost as large as an entire floor of a one story house. There are no other rooms or doors, so it is an expansive space. There are, however, various furniture pieces such as a large table with chairs, large beanbag cushions, numerous pillows and blankets, and hanging from the ceiling are white and red crystals. The largest side has a large stained glass window that filters the sunlight to change into different colors.

A. Egg Warmers. Although no one knows what kind of eggs these are, it's decided the eggs should be taken care of. There's already a nest, but the eggs will need more than that—they even look like they're shivering! Calls for blankets, fabrics, and materials to tidy up and liven up the nest are made, as well as volunteers to watch and make sure the eggs are comfortable. However the eggs are picky! They like bright colors and they will push out anything they don't like.

» BONUS: ROOM DECORATION. The room is a bit bare, and whatever is going to hatch from it will need their own space to sleep! Help redecorate the room to make it more comfortable and cozy for its future baby tenants. The eggs will seem to notice and glow a bit brightly as more things are added, but they will also shake violently if something they don't like is put in, the item either burning or slimed. Anything colorful and shiny will be a hit.

B. Temperamental Eggs. Unfortunately, eggsitting is more difficult when the eggs can exhibit emotions. Just like a newborn, the eggs will go in random bursts of emotions and it causes a bizarre assortment of effects. Sudden loss of gravity as everything in the room suddenly floats in the air; everything changing different colors; sudden temperature changes; strange music filling the air. Even worse when the eggs decide to move and roll around, risking injury as there are a lot of things they could bump into or spaces they can get stuck in. Sometimes they will try to deliberately run away from their sitters as if playing a game of tag. The only way to counter the effects and to calm the eggs down is with opposing dreamotion effects, so anything positive or calming. Perhaps reading stories, playing music, or singing lullabies will also help soothe them.

C. Egg Thieves! Somehow or another, three-headed lizards are trying to steal the eggs. However they're quickly identified by the owls as Erasers, the Story Eater's minion. But they seem to have noctaere elements to them as well, which is fortunate as it means dreamotion will work well against them. Should the lizards manage to make it into the room, the eggs will emit a loud ringing sound like a shrill alarm and the room will react to the threat. Fire erupting on the walls, storm clouds inside the room, ice covering the floor, strange black ooze that tries to trap people in place, the tree branches coming alive as fiery thorned vines whips—all out to try and eliminate everything. Unfortunately, those who are also trying to help rescue the eggs may get caught in the crossfire. Volunteers are requested to help guard outside, including on the large branches. As soon as a creature is spotted, it needs to be destroyed quickly! Using strong dreamotion abilities will help drive them out, and be careful as the tree will also lash out from the outside as well. The lizards themselves will spit out acid and inflict nightmare energy that can momentarily cause any who get hit to temporarily be afflicted by hallucinating one of their darkest fears.

II. HATCHLINGS

Sometime later in the month the eggs will finally hatch to reveal two very small winged kirin-like foals. One is a male with an orange yellow hue with a fiery mane and tail that flicker like a true blazing fire, his wings tipped crimson. The other is a female with a dark blue hue, with a silvery white mane and tail always flowing even when there isn't wind and small clouds appearing at her hooves. Although they cannot speak much, they can say their names: Perlios and Elimei. They don't know where they came from or who their parents are, but they prefer to stay in the tree where they feel safest. The lizard Erasers will also cease their attempts and no longer appear, providing some peace. Unfortunately, while Perlios is fairly active and curious, Elimei usually remains curled up in the nest and is plagued by nightmares.

A. Pastry Run. Seeing his sister suffering from nightmares, Perlios takes it upon himself to try and bring her things to cheer her up! Venturing into town, the sweet scent of baked goods attract his attention and with a bit of dreamotion magic, he brings them to life so they can march right on up to the tree. Unfortunately, he's a baby and it causes all sweet treats to take on interesting forms to run amok through town instead. This can be a little upsetting and cause Perlios's dreamotions to make every other food around him burn to a crisp. Help Perlios gather the runaway baked goods to bring back to Elimei.

» BONUS: MAKING GIFTS. Help Perlios make other gifts that could help cheer up his sister. This could be other baked goods, toys, or other shiny crafts they might enjoy.

B. Buried Book Hunt. Sometimes Perlios manages to sneak out and cause some mischief. This takes the form of grabbing books from the library and burying them in the ground. Why? To annoy the owls. Fortunately it's around the tree, but the Tree of Stories is massive, so it's a lot of ground to cover. Searchers will get some clues by seeing life sized paper cut outs of the story characters circling in place where the book is buried. However, retrieving the books may be a little difficult as depending on the genre, the cut outs may interfere, especially if they are horror based and monsters have spawned. Other books may have other elements of their stories creep out, like miniature castles or giant puddles. They can be dealt with, just a bit bothersome. Help recover the books quickly before the owls blow a gasket.

C. Nightmares. Elimei remains in constant sleep and can often be found making small sounds of distress as she seems to be trapped in nightmares. Nothing seems to wake her up, but dreamwalking and dealing with those nightmares can help. A few owls watching over them will alert anyone nearby when she is having one and will ask them to quickly dreamwalk into it to help end it. But the dreams are strange—could they have some secret meaning?

1. Moon Rabbit. The dreamscape is set on a strange rocky, gooey black surface with the sky a bizarre green with purple stars that twinkle in and out of existence. In the distance a small strange looking white rabbit can be seen hopping about as if trying to escape from something. The "something" is quickly revealed to be a strange looking fox . The goal is to rescue the rabbit from the fox and help it gather mooncakes that are also being stolen by the fox.

2. Monster v. Hero. Here the hero of the story is terrorizing and hurting the people they are supposed to protect, whereas the monster that is supposed to be the villain is now fighting against the hero to try and save them. While one person will find themselves transformed into some kind of monster character type, the other can either be a fellow monster or some other side character to assist fighting the "hero," OR the other person could take the place of the hero instead and will behave violently and must be stopped. The cause of the "hero"'s strange behavior is due to an abomination found latched onto their back. Destroying the abomination will free the "hero" from the mind control, but it won't be easy as the "hero" must be defeated first before the abomination will release its hold. Saving the hero will restore everything back to order and end the nightmare.

3. Crumbling Library Tower. The first thing dreamwalkers will notice is they will find themselves looking a bit paper thin as they are now mostly two-dimensional and appear like a paper cut out, similar to those seen from the buried books. Movements are limited, which is unfortunate as the floor is immediately starting to crumble and give to a black abyss below. In this form they must climb up a spiraling tower of books while grabbing shining pages that stick out. Finding three will be enough to stop the process and additional pages will help rebuild the tower. Of course the ascent is filled with razor blades and scissors that will try to cut the climbers, so they must be avoided, deflected, or blocked. Any who fall into the abyss will be immediately ejected out of the nightmare and will need some time to recover.

» BONUS: DREAMOTION FOCUS. While dreamwalking is the main method to help Elimei, focusing positive dreamotion energy to the small foal will help as well. Sharing one's good dreams via the crystal lantern is another method. There is also black ooze that starts to pool around Elimei that can be cleared away with positive dreamotion, especially those filled with hope and love.

Comments

[lonelysmiles]

Alastor stood for a moment, taking slow breaths as he concentrated. He could feel his magic deep inside of himself. It just didn't have its usual ways out.

Well, time to get creative.

"Whatever you are, I'd suggest you get out of that log sooner rather than later!"

He re-opened his eyes, radio dials clearly visible as they glowed bright red. Little wisps of flame started dancing between the wickedly sharp points of his antlers, Eldritch symbols dancing among them. He gave a sharp toss of his head, releasing the flames to encircle himself and the log. After a moment or two, they started slowly creeping closer to the stag and the log.

Alastor grinned maliciously as the heat from the flames teased at his hind legs. "I've endured the fires of Hell itself, so these are nothing to me! But if you don't come out, we'll be seeing how well you fare!"

[senorita_perfecta]

Nervously waiting on what is hiding inside the log to show themselves, Isabela keeps an eye on the rabbit who is getting understandably worried of what is going to happen next.

So she did channel some dreamotion energy to calm it down through her arms, which is slowly doing its job.

“So um… Has that ‘thing’ gotten out of the log yet?”

[lonelysmiles]

Alastor didn't answer, ignoring how the flames were now close enough to start licking his hind legs and singe the hairs. He focused solely on the log.

Whatever was inside was definitely getting nervous, starting to panic. Wild things didn't like fire.

[senorita_perfecta]

Both Isabela and the rabbit watch in concern on the sides, wondering what could be hiding inside the log with mooncakes with the flames forming around the log and the demon. The young lady is trying her best not to be scared and let show it on her face, but at the same time, she is hoping that Alastor is able to get the log’s mysterious resident.

Needless to say, she didn’t say a single word as she tightens her grip on the rabbit who is also chittering on with morbid concern.

[lonelysmiles]

Something dark bolted out of the end of the log, taking to the sky like an oily shadow bird.

Alastor's head snapped up to track it, leaping into the air with jaws wide open. The flames he'd conjured went out the moment his feet left the dirt.

SNAP! SCREEEEEEECH! The shadowy creature writhed in Alastor's fangs, black ichor streaming down.

Alastor landed, shaking his prey like a hunting dog before it finally stops screaming. He then spits it out and gives it a stomp for good measure.

[senorita_perfecta]

Once the creature of the log is gone, the rabbit chitters as if to say if it is safe for them to retrieve the mooncakes. Isabela pays a good attention to its concerned noises.

“So is it safe to get the mooncakes from the log now?” Isabela asks Alastor while avoiding the remains of the shadowy creature as much as possible, “Or is there something else hiding inside it?”

[lonelysmiles]

Alastor didn't answer right away. He pressed his ear back against the log, waiting for a minute or two before smacking the log with a hoof to see if he'd startle anything that was "playing dead".

After waiting another minute to listen, he lifted his head to look at her and the rabbit.

"I don't hear anything else in there, so I think we should be all right."

[senorita_perfecta]

“Oh thank goodness, I guess that we can start retrieving the mooncakes now,” she pulls out a sigh of relief as she and the rabbit begin to carefully take out the latter’s mooncakes from the log.

The rabbit squeezes its way inside the log, pushing out every single mooncake for Isabela to catch and count. Every mooncake looks vibrant in a variety of colors and designs like a mural or a painting. She must have wondered how could that fox manage to put all those mooncakes inside this seemingly skinny log, but that can wait for another time as she has to make sure that every one of them is accounted for.