songerein | player plot: dreammare castle

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player plot: dreammare castle

PLAYER PLOT: DREAMMARE CASTLE

The result of Phantom’s alternate personality taking over and fleeing into the Wildlands, Dreammare Castle is situated on a ruined fort near the mountains and reconstructed using dreamotion energy. The Castle resembles Victorian architecture from a distance, furnished richly in black and red, and the doors are left wide open for visitors to enter.

The interior of the castle is an ever-changing labyrinth, procedurally generated as one wanders inside its halls. No two rooms are the same, and it is impossible to backtrack within the castle, as doorways completely vanish after being used. If you die inside Dreammare Castle, you will wake up at the entrance completely unharmed – fortunate, because many things inside the castle can and will try to kill you. While fighting in Dreammare Castle, dreamotion abilities are greatly amplified. Use this to your advantage!

There are many possibilities that can be encountered inside the castle. Some of the large rooms serve as stages where ‘scenes’ play out. These are excerpts from one of the Scarlet Troupe’s plays, where NPCs (or PCs) who have been kidnapped from Reverein will be brainwashed into acting out some of the plays’ leading roles. In order to free these people from mind control, the scene will need to be acted out… or you can kill them, upon which they will wake up at the entrance of Dreammare Castle without any memories of what happened while they were brainwashed. After clearing a scene room, characters will be sent back to the entrance of Dreammare Castle. They can totally go back in again if they want.

Other information can be read here. Questions can be asked here.

I. COMMON ROOMS

The castle is filled with many common rooms that have a variety of traps, puzzles, and creatures that need to be cleared to pass through.

Generic rooms such as long hallways, dusty storerooms, a noble’s bedroom, a deserted dining hall, etc. The walls of these rooms will start to ‘crunch together' if you stay there for too long – it’s the castle’s way of urging you onward.
Nonsensical rooms that exploit optical illusions such as never-ending mirrors or confusing wall-to-wall stripes, making the exit hard to find.
A room filled with a diverse assortment of teddy bears. There is one broken teddy bear, which has to be retrieved in order for the exit to appear. However, picking up the tattered bear will immediately cause all other bears to come to life and attack the characters holding it.
A room with several stone statues that move if no one is looking directly at them. The statues will try to kill you with their fists or their stone swords, so try to get out as soon as you can.
A ballroom where many people are dancing at a dinner party. While the ballroom poses no danger, the candles lighting the place give off fumes that have gradual sleep-inducing properties. The longer you stay in the ballroom, the less you want to leave.

II. SCENE ROOMS

In these rooms, pairs find themselves needing to play out a specific scene. Fortunately they are either able to figure out what needs to be done or given explicit directions on what to do. Only after the scene "ends" will they be able to leave the room. A scene with a goal does not need to be successful—failures and bad endings count, too.

A. Frost Deer and Snow Doe. A play about two attendants to the Snow Priestess wandering through a howling snowstorm. The Frost Deer and Snow Doe will be attacked by an assortment of creatures ranging from wolves, spiders, hawks, and large people holding claymores. Characters can try to escort the two through the snowstorm to their temple. Once they reach their destination, they will try to conduct a ritual to summon the Snow Priestess. The scene will conclude before the ritual begins, so whether they succeed is left up to the imagination.

B. Big Grieving Lock. Characters will see a young man being bullied by other theatre members for his clumsy puppet skills similar to a flashback. The actual scene takes place in a dark room containing a large teddy bear puppet. When approached, the teddy bear puppet will begin to cry, and its sobs will attract all sorts of dolls trying to tear it (and any nearby characters) apart. Only by defeating all the vicious dolls will the teddy bear calm down. He will tell his rescuers that he tried to leave the Troupe by committing suicide, but the Troupe Master bound his soul to a bear. His wish is to be decapitated by an outsider so that he can finally be free of the Troupe. Doing so will cause the scene to end.

C. The Treasure of the Lake. Characters will accompany a treasure hunter through a medieval forest and come to a lake. They will need to repair a nearby canoe and then row out to the island in the middle of the lake in order to take the treasure within. There is a sword stuck into a large stone on the island. Whoever can pull the sword out of the stone will ‘win’ the treasure, and the scene will end soon afterward. Certainly a very normal play compared to the Troupe’s other offerings…

D. Searing Sheep. A shepherd needs help shearing his sheep. Seems normal, except if you take too long to finish shearing a sheep, it will turn into a wolf. Hope you’re fast. Luckily, there are only fifteen sheep. If you manage to shear more than ten as a team, you will wake up at the entrance after the scene ends with a few antique gold coins.

III. LUCIEN THE CRIMSON DIAMOND

CLOSED TO PHANTOM'S CR. Dreammare Castle is anchored to reality through dreamotion energy, so by defeating its creator, it will disappear entirely. However, Phantom is very elusive, and he can only be found inside the castle with the help of Miss Christine. Phantom has his own stage, and he will use his song as well as a rapier to fend off any assailants. This is complicated by the high concentration of nightmare energy surrounding him; he's basically a Noctaere at this point. The key to defeating him is to try bringing him back - calling out to the real Phantom will cause his alternate personality to become disoriented. (Designated thread here.)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Eustace had been suspicious about everything from the start, especially when Phantom never returned any of his messages. So he had warned Tifa with as much as he was allowed to say and they entered together, but were immediately separated. This has left him split between priorities—trying to ensure Tifa was safe while also trying to figure out where phantom is. At the very least they were able to communicate through the journals to check in on each other.

So now he's carefully but quickly going through the halls, each room more annoying that the last. But when he goes through the next doorway and follows the path, he sees the cat first.]

...Miss Christine?

[His eyes quickly narrow. Is this the real deal or another trick of this place?]

Meow!

[ Miss Christine heads directly for Eustace and tries to rub against his leg as a sign of greeting. There's not a trace of nightmare energy around her, and Trahearne should be coming by soon. ]

[ Indeed, Trahearne comes in not long after, right behind Miss Christine. He isn't sure what he's expecting when he comes into the room, but--hey, that's not Phantom. His eyes widen in surprise for a moment before a frown takes over. ]

Eustace! What are you doing here?

[Not sensing any of the nightmare energy that had been more prevalent everywhere else, he relaxes a little and reaches down to gently pet her. But before he can ask about Phantom, he hears someone approaching and immediately straightens. Again his guard is lowered as quickly as it was put up upon seeing the Sylvari.]

...Trahearne. Same reason as you.

[Especially if Miss Christine is here.]

Searching for Phantom.

[ He nods. Good. Two (plus cat) was better than Trahearne going at it alone.

He crouches down, directing his attention back to Miss Christine. ]

Are you able to locate him?

Meow.

[ Miss Christine dips her head in affirmation. She turns and faces the corridor that Eustace had been heading down, then sweeps her tail towards her, as if to say 'Follow me'.

She knows where Phantom is - has known since she stepped foot in this place, for her connection to her human companion is so very strong. However, she is still just a cat. There is no way she would be able to defend herself against his alternate personality, nor the being that drove him to turn.

She leads Eustace and Trahearne through a doorway into a room full of statues, then weaves her way through the statues to reach another door. The two men have time to talk a bit before they reach their destination, though the sound of music is getting louder by the moment... ]

Edited 2022-05-24 14:01 (UTC)

[As they walk, Eustace remains silent for a bit, listening carefully to their surroundings especially once they get to the statues. But when they're clear, he glances at Trahearne.]

How much do you know?

[About Phantom.]

[ The music is unsettling, but probably a good sign. Trahearne keeps his attention ahead on Miss Christine and staying close to Eustace. He scarcely looks back in Eustace's direction when he asks. ]

I have known, almost since I arrived, that he has been plagued by a shadow. And I've done nothing to help him.

[ The frustration and regret is palpable. His frown deepens. ]

He doesn't deserve this.

Has he told you the extent of his powers or about the nightmare energy?

His powers, no. But he told me the nightmare that haunts him was cast upon him not of his own volition. He may not be himself.

[ He knew Phantom preferred to be alone. It was unlike him to put on such a...show.

He glances at Eustace. ]

What do you know?

[There's a slight pensive look as Eustace debates on how much he's at liberty to say. But given the situation...it may be better if Trahearne knew. But before he goes on, he glances at Miss Christine.]

Do I have permission?

[ Miss Christine looks back at the two of them, and nods. Sharing information is their best bet, and she knows Phantom would consent to it as well. ]

[Given the go ahead, Eustace quickly gathers his thoughts before giving Trahearne the preliminary brief rundown.]

Phantom has powers to control the shadows and it's more of a curse that he has managed to keep in control. However, it's been affected by the nightmare energy of this world and thus more difficult and susceptible to it. He's been managing his nightmares but something must have triggered to create all this.

[A small glance around them.]

He's told me that if the shadow takes control of him there are two ways to stop him: render him unconscious or kill him.

[He now looks at Trahearne as he speaks with the utmost gravity, the following words the most important of all.]

Phantom wears a collar that serves as a sealing device. If it's not on him, we need to act with utmost caution and not hear or listen to his voice. It will drive us to madness.

Edited 2022-05-26 08:30 (UTC)

[ Trahearne listens, frown not leaving his face, lips pursed. There's a moment of brief silence after Eustace is finished explaining this to him as he takes it in. ]

...All right.

[ Whatever he's thinking, he's opted not to share it. ]

I understand. We will do what we must.

[He studies Trahearne for a moment.]

I'm saying this now. While I would prefer we snap Phantom out of this unharmed, if that collar is gone I'm not wasting time—I'll use Flamek and neutralize him. We have no replacement for that collar.

[ If Miss Christine hears it, she doesn't respond. Maybe she's accepted it. Maybe she's trusting them to not kill Phantom on this excursion.

Whatever it is, there's one last door between them and the source of all that creepy orchestral music. Once either of them opens that door, they would see some sort of stage. The stage is fully illuminated, and the music is played by an unseen orchestra in the wings. There are no audience members, but there are quite a few masked ladies dressed in red standing around.

The stage is empty save for a single person... Phantom's alternate personality, the Sanginue Diamond, his shadow given form. He does not immediately address them, but the sheer amount of nighmare energy surrounding him should already tell them who is in control. ]

[ Trahearne feels Eustace studying him; he only casts a brief glance in his direction before answering. ]

I agree. If it comes to that, then you'll have my full support.

[ He has a feeling Eustace is the better fighter here, but he doesn't plan on taking this lightly, either.

As they arrive into what looks like an auditorium, Trahearne scarcely pays any mind to the ladies standing around besides a quick, cautious look. This can't be good, but there's a more pressing matter at hand.

The sheer amount of nightmare energy around the figure on stage tells him that this must be their destination. As either he or Eustace swing open the door, Trahearne does not break stride, marching down the aisle, keeping an eye on their target. He raises his voice to call: ]

Phantom! Where is he?

[As they go through the door, his hand rests on Flamek holstered at his side, but he doesn't remove it yet. Despite its size, he can quick draw it as fast as a small handgun and can harness enough dreamotion to stall for time if needed. For now he just eyes their surroundings, noting everything in just a few glances before focusing his attention on the figure at the forefront.

The amount of nightmare energy makes his skin crawl and small hairs stand on end. In some ways he's grateful for his brief visit back home as he doesn't feel as susceptible to it as he might have before, but he keeps his wits about him. For now he waits for the figure to respond, though he has a feeling they're staring at the one they're after.]

[ Luckily for all of them, Phantom's collar is unbroken, allowing them to converse; but even if his voice was still leashed, the nightmare energy flowing off his body and into the auditorium poses sufficient danger. When he is addressed, he jumps lightly off the stage and walks a little closer. Perhaps either Eustace or Trahearne have seen the mask on his face lying somewhere around Phantom's residence once or twice. The mask conceals the top half of his face, the eye sockets looking more like two bottomless pits rather than simple black resin.

When he speaks, his voice is definitely recognizeable as Phantom's, but the emotion and intonation is starky different. ]

Phantom, Phantom, Phantom... Who exactly is 'Phantom'? A mask, a disguise, a persona. A shadow, never truly solid, never truly there.

[ He puts his hand to his chest and gives the other two men a slight bow. ]

Welcome to Dreammare Castle, honoured guests. I must commend you for coming this far.

Edited 2022-05-29 12:09 (UTC)

[ As the individual hops off the stage, Trahearne comes to a stop and quickly draws his weapons. He flinches as he feels the waves of nightmare energy roiling from their target - it's painful, and he'd run if left to his instincts. But they came here for a job. ]

I did not ask what Phantom is to you. [ There's almost a growl to his voice. ] Release him at once!

[Now that he can get a closer look, seeing the mask only gives more credence to his suspicions, but the collar...there. He can see it and given that they seem to maintain their senses—assuming it is Phantom in front of them—then it's a good bet it's the real deal. They still might need to subdue him, but at least there's less urgency to do so.]

Getting through to him won't be easy.

[Both physically and mentally at this rate. As much as he'd rather cut to the chase, with all these "people" around that are clearly being controlled like puppets... Even if they act now they could be quickly overwhelmed. He definitely won't have a clear a shot from where they are, not with all the bodies likely ready to fling themselves. And are they lifeless puppets? Or people caught as victims?]

[ They could be people, they could be illusions. It's hard to tell with the concentration of nightmare energy around them; even if they were people, the darkness has concealed their minds and identities. Luckily, only the puppets will try to attack; he doesn't quite have enough influence to force his victims into lethal violence. ]

My, that stings. Asking me to vacate my own body - how rude. Why are you so fixated on him, either way? I assure you I can accomplish far more than he.

I know.

[ Trahearne murmurs in response to Eustace. It's at this moment he realizes he might be a little in over his head. He grips his scepter tighter, aware of just how surrounded they are. He trusts Eustace, though. He isn't sure if he can back him up appropriately, though.

But if anything, he can concentrate on "Phantom" despite all the nightmare energy. Hopefully this conversation will buy them enough time, or can help in talking him down. ]

We don't care for your capabilities. You are a curse, a plague upon Phantom. And curses are meant to be done away with. You do not deserve him.

[ Ah, fighting words. Sorry if that backfires, Eustace. ]

[ His eyes aren't visible behind his mask, but it's clear that he gives Trahearne a Look. Not quite hostile yet; perhaps there's pity somewhere inside the mask's bottomless gaze. ]

You would pass judgment on us so simply? How much do you truly know of him? He has not even trusted you with his real name. You have met only the mask which he wears in order to walk unhindered amongst the streets.

[ A sweeping gesture with one arm, a flourish. ]

Our name, I shall bestow upon you, as recognition of your prowess, and in good faith. We are Lucien, the Sanguine Diamond. Should you vanquish me in this body, he too will perish in turn. Make your choice... and live with it.

Edited 2022-05-30 07:35 (UTC)

[ Trahearne stiffens under the gaze, his anger flaring in the process. ]

We do not need to know one another intimately in order to accept him into our community. [ Flatly. ] Whether he decides to trust us or not is a separate matter entirely. He has already done much to enrich Reverein, but you've done nothing of the sort.

[ He'd seen plenty of people come and go from the music studio. Plenty of people who enjoyed his performance at the flower festival. That was no fluke.

His eyes narrow as Lucien makes the introduction. ]

I can't say, in good faith, that this is much of a pleasure, Lucien. But thank you for the reminder. I assure you, I am very familiar with the concept.

[ No wonder the intense waves of nightmare stir up such a familiar sickening dread that has laid dormant in the back of his mind. But this time, he believes, it will be different. ]

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