{ dream faire: part 2 - dragons }

[dreamposts]

DREAM FAIRE: PART 2 - DRAGONS

Early morning on the fourth day of the five day Dream Faire, something strange is spotted in the distant skies. At first most just think it's a large cloud or large beast flying in the distance, but as the vendors begin setting up for the day, the strange shadow has grown larger and closer. At this point there are reports from the Observatory that one of the large floating mountains usually spotted around the Outer Edge has flown towards the town at incredible speed. At first everyone is excited, thinking perhaps the mysterious residents there have come to join the fun.

Unfortunately, they would only be half right.

At around noon it's all thrown into chaos when the mountain appears directly overhead and thunderous roars rip through the skies as an army of dragons fly off from the mountain and descend down into the town. Though large, those familiar with dragons will notice that they are smaller and sleeker in stature, closer to the size of large wyverns. Without warning they start tearing apart the glittering jewels and gold that decorate the city—but others ignore the treasure to search frantically instead, overturning every wagon, crate, and smashing through doors and windows.

As chaos erupts throughout town, some fae and others who can understand the dragons make a startling revelation. The dragons are not here to just mindlessly destroy the town—they are there to take back their treasure and find their missing clutch of dragon eggs.


This is the second part of our double anniversary event! ICly, this log covers the fourth day of the Faire with the festival portion contained in its own log here. Part one is still active, so don't feel as if you cannot participate in the other log! For general information and to ask any questions, refer to the Dream Notes.

I. DRAGONS

As the word spreads, efforts to fight and repel the dragons lessen and attempts to help take their place. However, with lack of proper communication and the word of the truth spreading slowly, misunderstandings will crop up. Costume effects are still active, so some may find what they're wearing useful in handling the different problems around town.

A. Treasure Salvage. One of the main purposes the dragons are invading the town is to rip up the various gold, jewels, and other priceless relics and artifacts that had been used to decorate the town. Given their enraged state of mind, they're not being very "delicate" about it, but at the very least they haven't started to completely raze the town—yet. Many people will take up arms to try and defend their homes, but those who have heard what's going on can try to help convince people and remove the treasure to return to the dragons. Of course, there are others who are taking advantage of the chaos to try and steal some of that treasure for themselves. If they get caught, however, it won't bode well…

B. Dragon Minions. As a result of all the hostile emotions and desires for revenge, the dragons' magic seeps out via dreamotion and it's so strong that it's capable of influencing those around them. Those who are unable to withstand the overbearing weight of the dragons' rage will become corrupted and side with the dragons. There are no physical changes, just the mindset has changed to follow the orders of the dragons. Since it's not a deliberate spell, one only needs to knock out the "corrupted" individual to break them from the dragon's influence. However, they should be taken away as they will remain susceptible for some time and could be "corrupted" again.

C. Dragon Fights. It's inevitable that there would be those fighting against the dragons, and with many from different worlds and backgrounds with them, seasoned fighters are the first to grab their weapons to fight them off. Given the destructive nature of the dragons, self defense is needed as they get overzealous, especially when the various elemental flames go off. But attempts should still be made to try and calm and work with the dragons instead—and convincing the dragon fighters might be just as hard.

D. Dragon Eggs. What was once thought as ornament eggs, dragon eggs can be spotted rolling around through the streets and other random places such as trees, rooftops, wagons. While some are intact, others are starting to hatch with their little wings and legs poking out and helping their movement. And then there are the ones who have hatched completely. They are small and adorable, but they are a handful. They have very little control over their dreamotion and their powers, which specialize in one of the following elements: fire, ice, lightning, wind, earth, water. The hatchlings are trying to find some tasty jewels to eat, but they are also afraid of what's going on. Returning them to an older dragon will alleviate a lot of the stress from both young and old dragons, and giving a few small jewels or other treasures to the hatchling will help calm them down.

D. Catch Those Leprechauns! Some may recall that it was the leprechauns who not only endorsed and provided much of the treasure, but had asked for assistance in collecting treasure in a strange dreamscape (see Prompt Section III). It soon gets out that they are the ones who stole from the dragons and the dragons are quite keen to exact proper justice on them. Help chase and find these hiding thieves to bring them to the dragons, which will help appease them. Just beware, those leprechauns have magic of their own, such as hiding, deception magic, and conjuring illusions, and will also try to frame anyone as the culprits. They will also try to bribe others to help them, their ability to deceive and charm others is quite effective.

II. DRAGONNAPPED

While the dragons are focused on retrieving their treasure and missing dragon eggs, some dragons can't help old habits—kidnapping royalty. Whether it's a prince or princess, a few will take anyone who happens to catch their personal interest. It could be because of personality, appearance, or even scent. Once they find their special prize, the dragon will fly them away to their lair, which could be a cave high in the mountains or an old castle tower. Now there's a rescue mission on top of defending the town.

A. Escape Attempts. Not everyone wants to stay a damsel in distress. Although the dragons will leave them in their lairs, no one is bound and is free to move around.

1. Mirror Mirror. There are a lot of magic mirrors that connect between the various lairs and castles, allowing everyone to communicate through them freely. They might even happen to see fellow captives through the mirror's glass. Tall, wall length mirrors act as doorways, allowing individuals to travel from one area to the other. The catch is once it's used, it can't be used again. But it's better to work together than try and figure out a way alone, especially with everything like a huge maze.
   
   
2. Enemies Everywhere. Beware of other creatures that lurk nearby, from fire salamanders to various imps and large bats. Castles will have stone gargoyles that will come to life while the caves will have stone golems instead. They can all be defeated, but some may find themselves lacking suitable weapons. Fortunately, there is an abundance of magical artifacts and weapons at their disposal. While a bejeweled golden sword may be more decorative and actually useless, it's better than nothing! The creatures can also be distracted by throwing treasure their way. Bonus appearance: those corrupted by the dragons could appear here to guard.
   
   
3. Flying Steeds. The real question is, once they get out of the cave or castle, how do they get down and off the flying mountain? There are a few giant eagles and pegasus around, but taming or coaxing them won't be easy. It's not that they are wild in nature—in fact they are quite intelligent and will understand whatever is being said. They just don't want to get mixed up in whatever trouble is going on—these are dragons after all. Only those with the bravest of hearts will be able to approach…but feeding them their favorite foods could also work. Catch some rabbits or gather some golden apples and maybe they'll help out.

B. Brave Knights. For those determined to save the dragonnapped victims, help has arrived just in time! Appearing seemingly out of nowhere, several hot air balloons that look similar to the ones from Oz descend from the skies, a few flying monkeys waving in greeting. In addition, giant owls wearing gondolas fly in, ready to carry anyone who needs a lift. Giant Butterflies have also been enlisted, so there's no shortage of transportation up to the dragons' flying mountain. But it won't be easy. No matter which method they use, the winds around the floating mountain are strong and stormy, making it difficult to navigate through the skies. Having a partner to help use dreamotion to create more stable winds will help. Once there, the now dubbed "knights" have the following options in trying to save the dragonnapped.

1. Operation Stealth. Sneak in through a hidden entranceway. Those who are inside the lair or castle can help guide them through, especially if they toss down a mirror to help communicate. Unfortunately they can't cheat and use one of the mirrors from the outside, but once inside they can try to use the mirrors to make it out.
   
   
2. Persuasion. Should they encounter the dragon, it won't be happy. However, it might be possible to persuade the dragon that they're all on the same side and that everything was a mistake. Surely it would be better to have a dragon as an ally than an enemy?
   
   
3. Bribery. Maybe just talking isn't enough. If the knight happened to bring any treasure, dragon eggs, or a hatchling with them, this would be a great time to offer it up and score some big points.
   
   
4. Boss Fight. When all else fails and the dragon is determined to keep their prize, the only way out is to fight. However, although the dragon has the home field advantage, it's also its greatest weakness. Use of the treasure and artifacts will inflict more damage, and threatening to break anything has a strong chance to weaken the dragon until they give up. Bonus appearance: those corrupted by the dragons could appear here instead or to assist the dragon.

Comments

Dragon-napped

[twilightskey]

[Amidst the group that had been taken by the dragons, 76 will see a familiar face amidst the hoard of treasure. Roxas is in the middle of trying to climb over a pile of treasure when he sees 76 atop the blue dragon, and his eyes widen a bit in surprise.]

Woah..!

[Struggling over the shifting pile of treasure, Roxas hurries over to grab the man's hand.]

Yeah! Let's get outta here!

[steadypulse]

[76 took a firm grip and used that to hoist Roxas up onto Blue's back, settled near the rear of the saddle.]

Hey kid- ah, mind the hatchling there. A few of them are apparently excited about the 'friends' being dropped here. Don't know any better.

[Blue adjusted well for the extra bit of weight, picking over the piles of gold with talons as she walked. Wings flared out and tail moving to help keep balance. Coins slipped over one another easily after all.]

Lucky for me Blue here was able to catch-up and make it to the mountains, huh?

[twilightskey]

[Up into the saddle! Roxas gets settled in, but then jumps a bit when he's suddenly face to face with a baby hatchling.]

Woah! Hey, little guy..!

[You know, this small, the dragons are actually kind of cute.]

Yeah, that's pretty lucky. She's not one of the ones attacking us, huh?

[steadypulse]

[The hatchling trilled and puffed a bit of smoke with a few little sparks that died out, clinging to the back of 76's shirt still, but boy was it happy to transfer to Roxas the first moment it could.

Bright oranges and golds, with a few blacks, colored those scales.]

She's not, no. I raised her from an egg around- nearly two or three years ago now? Blue is actually from another world entirely.

[Fingers were curled in the feather fluff at the base of her neck, and one hand was on the saddle itself. She was making her way carefully, ears pricking as she was paying attention to sounds even 76 couldn't hear.]

Honestly, she's a big reason I figured out what was going on when the dragons came down on the faire and town.

[twilightskey]

[Oh boy, Roxas soon has a handful of baby dragon in his hands. He jumps a little in surprise, but he settles into holding it carefully. Heh, cute little guy... and a pretty colour too. He pets its scales carefully as he listens to 76.]

Woah... so she's like Breezy...

[Breezy was Vanitas's cat-bat hybrid, brought over from the world he was in before this. 76 did mention before that he'd been in another world before this one...]

She warned you about what was going to happen? That's pretty smart of her. [He lets out a huff.] It woulda been nice to know we were being duped, though. All this could have been avoided.

[steadypulse]

Mm- she came through that Wishing Well in town. Guess she'd been missing me since she was left in that other world.

[Now a part of her didn't have to be apart from him, even if in a world of dreams. Funny, almost.

He kept that firm hold on the saddle, watching where she was going and trying to keep alert himself as they made their way through the golden horde.]

She ran up to me with a freshly hatched baby- still had eggshell stuck to them. Wasn't hard to put two-and-two together that some of the dragons were looking for their eggs. [Reminded him a good deal of what happened with the giant flaming owl and her eggs. There was just an extra twist.] A few were mighty suspicious of the leprechauns when they turned up with their gold and bank. Notice that even most of the folks in town kept to the barter system?

Guess most wouldn't imagine they'd be dumb enough to steal from dragons.

[twilightskey]

Woah... so she just happened to find this little guy, huh? It was good she found it.

[He gives the dragon another little rub, smiling as it coos at the affection.]

Even I know that it's not a good idea to steal from dragons. Why would they even try to do that? Like, what would they gain from something like that?

[steadypulse]

She must've heard them coming down and stumbled across it on the way. [She had certainly come running for him pretty quickly once the dragons had descended from the skies after all. Blue was smart, had figured that out quickly once she had hatched. Probably a good thing she recognized other dragons, along with hatchlings.

Had managed to collect a few, along with a few eggs, that he'd managed to hand over. Before he'd gotten snatched up.

Blue jumped a bit from a pile, gliding down to land on the floor, and peeked her hear around the corner. So far so good. Nothing prowling yet.]

Enough gold to decorate the town, for starters. Reason the dragons were ripping it off buildings and everything else, while also looking for their eggs.

[twilightskey]

[A smart dragon indeed. At least 76 wasn't as caught by surprise as the others had been. As she jumps to another pile, Roxas lets out a small noise of surprise, holding onto 76's shoulder with one hand and holding the baby hatchling close to his chest with the other. But once things settle down he sits up straight again, a frown on his face.]

In a way, I kind of don't blame them. That gold and those eggs belong to them. If the leprechauns wanted it so badly, they should have done something else to earn it. Not steal it.

[Destroying the town was a bit of a harsh reaction, but Roxas can see the motive.]

[steadypulse]

[76 was used to shifting his center of balance and going with Blue as she did things like this with him on her back; sort of rolled with with it and kept steady in his seat on that saddle. Really was fortunate he'd had it on her still-]

That's just how some of them work, I think. There are other sorts here who had nothing to do with that business, and have enough trouble getting confused with them and the Redcaps. They're a kind of fae after all.

Some of them you can't trust, unfortunately. [To put it in an extremely kind way.]

[twilightskey]

They are?

[Roxas has to ponder this. He remembers Tinkerbell, but aside from her, he hasn't met many fae before coming here.]

Yeah... well, hopefully when all this is done, they can stop bothering people. Cause this isn't worth it, I don't think.

[He just kind of gestures to the air around them.]

[steadypulse]

Yeah. All sorts, some divided between courts and others a bit... looser? Still, wouldn't just go trusting them.

[Speaking from experience and stories, sounded like-] Some would trick you into selling everything that makes you you and throw a murder party about it, like it was just another day for them. There are those that are kinder, but even they've got tricky rules that if you act like you're paying them they'll curse you and everyone you have and will care about.

[Another reason he liked the barter system, favor for a favor-]

They probably thought they'd get away with it, given they talked some folks into helping by giving misleading information. Like a frame-job.

[twilightskey]

Woah... that doesn't sound like any fairy I know...

[Just hearing about them being described by 76 makes a shiver go down his spine. Sounds like it's not a good idea to mess with fairies like that...]

So they took all the gold from the dragons, and then put it so that we would take the blame when they were caught??

[steadypulse]

Wouldn't doubt other worlds may have different ones, but it's best to be cautious at first.

[Blue stopped as her ears pricked a bit at a sound, keeping to the shadows as the cave had turned somewhat into stone walls through a break in the wall. A castle built into a mountainside where a cave intersected it seemed.]

Some people did help take gold and treasures, but they weren't informed it belonged to anyone; let alone that it belonged to dragons.

[twilightskey]

It's still pretty low. Makes me angry just thinking about it...

[76 might even feel some of that anger, in how the air around them gets a little thicker and heated. But Roxas's attention is drawn to their surroundings, and he blinks in surprise at the cave wall.]

Wait, a cave? Weren't we in a castle?