songerein | 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

[ Using necromantic magic seems to be a bit counterintuitive right now, even if it ultimately doesn't really matter. Trahearne quickly draws his scepter, which his minions take as a signal to rush the giant shadow creature, ramming themselves into whatever parts they can reach.

With a couple swipes of his weapon, Trahearne sends arcs of warm light, dreamotion up at the monster. It isn't nearly as much or as powerful as what the other two have to offer, but it's something.

A flying candlestick breaks the rhythm of his actions--he moves out of the way at the last moment, but a sharp edge scrapes at his arm, breaking skin. He doesn't have much time to dwell on it, though, when Eustace tells them to brace themselves. He isn't exactly sure what that means, or how he should brace himself, but how the gun widens and transforms tells him that it's going to be a big one. He steps back towards Eustace and away to the side, just to give him the widest berth possible.

He thought the laser was the only attack. The barrage of lightning that comes after catches him by surprise and he ducks, holding his arms above his head to shield himself.

Pale Mother. Eustace is powerful. ]

[ Phantom has to put all of his focus into maintaining control over his part of the hall, and he trusts Trahearne and Eustace to know what they are doing. They have to fight his shadow, and while only he can truly banish it, their attacks are greatly reducing its strength.

The world suddenly shifts - he sees Eustace's lightning bearing down on him, and he feels a primal urge to flee from something that would end his life. A heartbeat later, he realizes that it's only an illusion. His shadow is projecting into his mind through their connection, and he knows that he may never be able to rip it from his soul... but that doesn't mean he cannot triumph over it with the help of others.

Phantom closes his eyes as Eustace's lightning hits, hearing his shadow's distorted screams as most of its body disintegrates under the electricity. He feels some of its pain, but his resolve keeps him standing. His friends have bought him time, and he would not squander this opportunity. He raises a hand, and darkness coalesces in his palm, angular and sharp. A spear of obsidian forms in his grasp, and he hurls it at his shadow with all his strength. ]

Begone.

[ The darkness passes cleanly through the shadow's remaining form, and its body starts to break up. Phantom walks forward, and the hall reforms in his wake. His shadow is reduced to a pile of glittering chaos, and it seems that the battle is finally drawing to a close. ]

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[ Phantom removes his mask, throwing it on the ground next to his shadow. ]

It matters not. I will never give in.

[ There is no response. Perhaps the shadow can no longer respond... at least for now. Phantom lets out a long sigh - the tension doesn't leave his body, but the agonizing pressure of nightmare energy has lifted somewhat. ]

[Flamek is still hot when he finally lowers the weapon, but it had reverted back to its unreleased form. Seeing the shadow dissipate, Eustace remains cautious as he steps closer.]

...Is it over?

[ Trahearne stands from his crouch, and he feels a sting in his arm. But that's not important right now.

He directs his attention to Phantom, taking a step towards him after Eustace does. ]

...We should finish this before it decides this isn't over.

[ The castle still stands around them. As far as he's concerned, they're not done yet. ]

It is over.

[ Phantom raises his arms and closes his eyes. Fragments of memories are flowing back to him - how he created this castle, how he kidnapped those people, how the nightmare energy surged from his body without end. The guilt and regret will crush him later, but he has a job to do now. He must end it before any more people are hurt. ]

I will ensure that it is over.

[ The ceiling begins to disappear, revealing the bright blue sky above. How much time has passed since they entered the castle? It's impossible to tell. The castle walls start to fade away, leaving no trace of the ridiculous labyrinth or the tragedies that were replayed ceaselessly within.

Phantom's consciousness is entirely supported by force of will at this point - he hasn't eaten for a few days, and he knows his limit is fast approaching. ]

Once it is over... I am sorry, my friends, but I must trouble you once more. Could you... take me back to the town? I fear I am about to keel over at any moment...

[Eustace watches the castle disappear in slight amazement. Is this Phantom's power...or is it from the nightmare energy? Was it nightmare energy that augmented his own cursed power or is this a level of nightmare energy he now needs to consider. Troubling thoughts, but there's something more important to focus on right now.

As soon as Phantom starts to stumble, Eustace steps forward and grabs him.]

I got it.

[And with little difficulty, he crouches down and lifts Phantom over his shoulders for the firefighter carry.]

[ Phantom's instincts upon being lifted would have been to struggle, but his physical exhaustion has at last numbed most of his assassin's reflexes, so Eustace gets to do it without any interference. ]

Thank you.

[ For not just carrying him, but for coming to find him. He knows these words won't suffice, and he'll definitely follow up on them later... just not now.

There are no more words from him; the castle continues to vanish, its walls fading to reveal disoriented people newly awakened from their dreamlike trance. It seems Phantom really has lost consciousness, and without his mind to anchor the castle, it will truly disappear.]

[ The tension in Trahearne's shoulders eases with relief as Eustace catches Phantom and the castle itself vanishes from around them, placing them back on the forest.

Yes, there is plenty to learn from this encounter, but Phantom's comfort is paramount in this moment.

Someone is missing, though.

Trahearne crouches down and taps some of the crunchier dried leaves by him, scanning the area. And when he spots movement, finding who he's looking for, he opens his arms to catch her.

Maybe he's not strong enough to carry Phantom, but he can at least carry Miss Christine. ]

player plot: dreammare castle

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