songerein | { test drive #02

Entry tags:

{ test drive #02 - november 2021 }

✵ TEST DRIVE MEME: NOVEMBER ✵
Reminder that our Test Drive Memes double as an Intro Log and threads can be carried over in-game. They are also required for samples. Note: the TDM timeframe is the start of November, after the Halloween events. Refer to the Game Info for general information and feel free to toss any TDM related questions here. Reserves are open and Applications will open on November 1st. The next application cycle won't be until March, 2022.

I. WELCOME TO SONGEREIN

Upon "arriving" into Songerein, everyone is understandably confused. The first thought would be they must be in a dream, which makes sense since the last thing they might remember doing is falling asleep or losing some form of consciousness or awareness before opening their eyes and finding themselves in the Plaza of some strange town they've never seen before. But there are a lot of other people around, some that may look familiar but others so strange that it would be impossible for their own imagination to dream up. And they're all just as confused. Fortunately, a red tapir-like creature appears and introduces itself as Solei, one of the "keepers" of this place. It offers some explanation before letting everyone explore their new "home." [Reminder: Other people aside from the characters will also appear to act as filler NPCs. Players are also free to be creative and come up with any kind of creature or animal their characters might encounter. The only limitations are they must be small to medium in size and not be overly aggressive.]

A. Magic Journals. Everyone will find a journal stylized just for them on their person somewhere and it's the primary means of communication with everyone. The only limitation is that it's text only, but images can be magically imprinted on the page from the writer's mind. Might as well give it a whirl and see who all is out there.

B. Dreamotion Abilities. Although everyone maintains most of their original abilities while in Songerein, they are also capable of using special abilities based on dreamotion energy. From having their emotions affecting the environment to utilizing new abilities entirely, it's probably something that they should start familiarizing fairly quickly. Especially since all the emotional surprise and confusion may already be affecting things, such as random glass shattering or cracks forming at one's feet.

C. Exploring Town. The town of Reverein is small but still sizable, so walking around and to see what all there is might be a good idea. The town has filled in a bit, but it's still larger than the current population and there are a few small fae and small wild critters who have made a few nests so just watch your step—or head. Some could venture out to the farmlands and beyond...just be careful.

D. Dreambucks Café. There is a certain quaint little café back in the Plaza that is known for its refreshing and unique teas and drinks. Called Dreambucks, it's staffed by friendly tea fairies and primarily serves tea and small cakes. Their teas and foods are quite special as the flavor will influence one's emotions and dreams—but in a good way! There are no harmful side effects and they are usually positive. Bolstering one's spirit; calming or relaxing nerves. The tea fairies want everyone to enjoy their time. Anyone can pick whichever table they want to take a break and meet some people. Or take a peek at what someone might be dreaming thanks to the teas.

There are three different types of teas available:

Caramel Delight. A caramel flavored tea with a few spices to add a little warmth to the taste. Just a few sips will make anyone want to find the nearest fireplace, grab a blanket, and settle in as they reminisce on happier moments.

Cranberry Cheer. A strong, flavorful cold juice that will renew one's vigor by leaps and bounds. ...And also make one leap and bound away through their day. Drinking this will inspire one to spread good tidings and festive feelings, be it left over from Halloween or some other seasonal festivity they may be familiar with. General good will to all is also an option.

Hazelnut Hot Chocolate. This warm drink can be topped with moon and star shaped marshmallows and is a perfect alternative for those who may prefer a more mellow drink. A drink of this will develop a want to share stories from nostalgic memories to riveting adventures to chilling horrors—whatever may be on their one or feel creative to make up.

Although it doesn't always happen, sometimes the drinks will be a strong enough influence that it will make the drinker daydream for a bit. Anyone nearby may notice their dream crystal lantern flicker and catch a brief glimpse of the daydream on it. Or perhaps those who want to try out their dream crystal lanterns are deliberately trying to see if their dreams are captured. Only daydreams influenced by the tea can be caught and even then it's just a brief glimpse, but it's still an interesting way to see how the dream crystal lanterns work.

Note: There is no currency in the world and everything served is free at this time. However it might not be immediately obvious and the fairies won't mind if customers repay in some way, be it helping out via cleaning and serving, giving gifts such as flowers or fruits, or something else.

II. CANDY CHAOS

Despite the dramatic events that occurred during the dreamscape and the after effects still waiting to be seen, some good things happened as a result of the Halloween festivities. Looking ahead to other holidays, a few people are trying their hand in making candies. After all, they all can't rely on the fae for everything and with new resources at their disposal, there's no excuse now.

A. Candy Mining. One morning a few friendly gnomes that dwell beneath the town pop up and announce that one of the caves has changed from normal rock crystals to candy rock crystals. More strangely, once mined they change color and flavor depending on the person's emotions or their last dream is at the time the candy rock crystal is removed. Ready to create something new, various candy makers send out requests for various "flavors" to experiment. People are welcome to try and create their own kind of candy or other crafts with the new candy rock crystals as well. However, the gnomes will warn that the candy rock crystals may explode if anyone who had strong nightmares or extreme emotions touch them, even after they are extracted. So take care!

B. Cotton Candy Sheep. A new type of sheep has been discovered (or introduced? Who is to say—) roaming just outside of the farmlands and it appears their wool is made out of cotton candy. While one might be wary of eating straight off the animal, it is said the wool is not only delicious, but could actually be used in clothing if processed correctly. Of course, that still needs to be tested so who knows if it's true. For now, some would like to herd them to the corrals, however they are fast and flighty creatures, capable of hopping several tens of feet into the air and float away. The best way to lure them is to create hard candy wind chimes as they are not only attracted to the sound, but also the taste. The sweeter and crunchier, the better.

C. Trick Candy. Halloween may be over, but the idea of using candy for silly pranks is eternal. One day there will be full "joke" shops around, but for now candy will be the focus. A contest is being held for anyone to not only learn how to make candy, but devise ways for them to turn into fun pranks. Turning one's tongue a different color is too basic, how about something that could change the entire body? Or hair if that's too difficult. Those not part of the creative process will also be exposed to the end products—and failures. Some taffy rope that's decided to slither around and tie people together, a giant jawbreaker expanding to the size of a large boulder rolling down the streets, people taste testing bubble gum now floating in the air—the possibilities are endless.

III. DREAMSCAPE TUTORIAL: HAUNTED TOY HOUSE

To help everyone understand their dreamwalking abilities, the tapirs will ask anyone who is willing to gather around the Dream Swings in the Central Plaza. There anyone is invited to sit in the chairs or hammocks and focus on their dream crystal lanterns to enter a special dreamscape made just for them. Those watching might find the sight of everyone suddenly turning into a colorful ball of light and disappearing alarming, but that's just the normal process of entering a dream. When someone leaves the dream, they will briefly reappear as that light before returning to their original form. The theme for this dreamscape is Haunted Toy House with everyone stuck in a life sized doll house filled with cursed toys.

A. Feeling a bit stiff. Upon entering the dreamscape, some dreamwalkers may find themselves looking a bit like a cursed toy, so hopefully no one mistakes them as an enemy. The form can vary from a wooden doll to a plush toy and always with some kind of corruption or missing piece. A truly ghastly appearance that would scare any child and spawn nightmares. While in this form, dreamwalkers may find their abilities a bit altered to fit the form.

B. House Traps. There are numerous rooms in this strange house, and some might even feel they are in a piece of Escher artwork instead with stairs going here and there and upside down. With it being a dreamscape, the concept of gravity is certainly otherworldly here. While some rooms are harmless, others are filled with traps. Spikes shooting down from ceilings; doors sealed shut as the walls close in; floors turning into black goop or disappearing completely. It's a giant maze and one has to wonder if that giant exit sign is real or another trap (it's another trap). Best way to disarm the traps and obstacles is using one's imagination and test out those dreamotion abilities.

C. Corrupt Toys. Inhabiting the house are several toys ready to pounce on their new "visitors." Fortunately they can be beaten back easily and can be "purified" to return to their original state. All it requires is a nice "injection" of positive dreamotion energy, though how that can happen varies. A healing spell, a smack from a weapon created from positive feelings, encouraging words—the toys just feel lonely and abandoned. Playing with them may also help turn them into allies. The more toys "purified," the less corrupt the house will be in turn. However, if more become corrupted instead, things will turn into even more of a dangerous nightmare and noctaere may start appearing.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

i-a ✧ magic journals

Hello! I am Oriphi.

I've never owned a journal this nice with a quill that never runs out of ink, so this is exciting! I've just learned if you use the feathery end of the quill, it erases what you've written. Usually I have to scribble out my mistakes, and then the pages don't look as pretty.

Anyway, is there somebody that I can speak to or write to, so I can learn more about this place? I'm a little confused about what all of this means and how to go back? I'm willing to do favors in exchange.

I hope you have a nice day!

i-b ✧ dreamotion abilities;

[ Oriphi has always had a rather peculiar relationship with dreams, but she must admit that everything that's just been presented to her about dream selves and what not are even more confusing than anything she's encountered about dreams before.

She's taken to wandering the streets when she notices a small creature scurry across the pavement at her feet - it's a cute little thing and she finds herself following in its steps when it disappears beneath a colorful display of fresh floral arrangements in front of a flower shop.

Ori utters a quiet "Wow!" when she finds the display; it's with her excitement and delight at the sight before her that the flowers - many of which have yet to bloom - suddenly do bloom. Every single one, almost as though they're responding to her reaction. ]

Huh? Oh, no. Can you please go back? You're not supposed to bloom yet!

[ She hasn't cast a spell or done anything on her part to make the flowers bloom, to her knowledge. Ori also knows that having younger buds in an arrangement is very important to increase the shelf life of a florist's product, so the fact that they've now all bloomed... With an expression of mild panic, she looks around to see if anyone's around and says, ]

Do you think the florist will be angry? Should I go talk to them? I should probably apologize, right?

iii ✧ cursed toy;

[ "Dreamwalking" very much sounds like something Oriphi is interested in; she can barely parse her own dreams, so the idea of being able to just walk around in one is intriguing. So naturally, she volunteers to enter this "special dreamscape made just for them." It sounds magical and exciting; maybe it'll be like a guided meditation.

But maybe she missed the spooky atmosphere of everything, or maybe she just wasn't paying attention if at any point a Haunted Toy House was mentioned. Either way, she's surprised to find herself in a dark, dingy house and not a tranquil forest clearing at sunset, which would have been her idea of a "special dreamscape made just for her." What's more is that she's now taken the form of a felt doll with loose, frayed seams and fluffy stuffing nearly falling out of various tears. Oh, and is that one of her felt eyes kind of dangling loosely in her peripheral vision?

To feel disoriented at suddenly being made out of fuzzy stuff feels like an understatement, although luckily she's no stranger to being in various forms and shapes. They just normally still have flesh and bone instead and not fluff. She whirls around on her felt feet and reaches out for whoever's closest. ]

Hello? Um... Is my eye supposed to be falling off like this? What happened to my body?

✧ choose your own adventure;

(( Feel free to DM or reach out to me at camerata if you have any other ideas! ))

[ Thoma happens upon the shop just in time to watch all the flowers bloom, a bright array of colors unfolding right before his eyes. He stops to watch, eyes wide with wonder and a soft "ooh" escaping his lips.

But then the girl next to him starts to panic, and he belatedly realizes that this must be her doing - and not intentionally at that. ]

Hey, hey it's alright! I'm sure this kind of thing happens a lot around here!

[ He gets something like a blank look in return; the look on her face says that she's too busy thinking of all the ways she can rectify the situation to really process his reassurances. ]

I could probably grow more flowers for her or help make new arrangements? I'm really good with plants— Oh!

[ Her hands go up to her mouth, like she's just now realized that she's actually talking to a person. ]

Sorry! I heard you - right, this probably happens a lot, with all the um... dreamotion... things. But still...

[ For a second there, he’s not even sure she saw him with as caught up in her dilemma as she is. He kind of waves at her when realization does strike, letting out an awkward little laugh. ]

Well… can you dreamotion them back to the way they were? If you were able to make them bloom, maybe you can make them un-bloom.

[ Ori's eyes widen at his suggestion, and then she nods. ]

That's a great idea! Let me try...

[ She isn't quite sure what she did that made them bloom, but maybe if she just... thinks about it? Or maybe if she pictures them the way she found them when she first found them?

After a moment or two, she notices that the petals on the flowers do, indeed, start to change. They seem to be moving a little bit and... getting smaller and... ]

Oh no, they're wilting!

[ HELP ]

[ It seems to be working for a split second, but then it backfires rather spectacularly. Thoma has a very loose grasp of how this stuff is supposed to work, himself, but he's sure panicking won't help anything. ]

Easy! Maybe we can still fix it! What were you thinking about when they bloomed?

I was thinking about...

[ What was she thinking about? A thoughtful expression washes over her face - albeit still tinged with anxiety over the current state of the flowers - as she tries to retrace her steps out loud. ]

I was following a little critter and it ran under the stall, and when I saw all the flowers I just thought that the display looked really beautiful... Umm...

[ She closes her eyes as she the keeps going, and sure enough the flowers start to perk up little by little as she keeps talking. ]

And lot of the flowers remind me of the ones from back home, too!

[ Thoma keeps one eye on the flowers as she talks, breaking into a grin when they begin to perk back up. ]

Yeah? Anything else?

[ Probably good that she has her eyes closed so that seeing her progress doesn’t accidentally derail it. Thoma’s goal now is to just keep her talking. ]

[ Ori tends to follow directions pretty well, so she keeps on, though at this point she's less thinking about what she had been thinking about and just saying whatever comes to her mind. ]

Oh! Something in this display smells a lot like chamomile, which is one of my favorite teas... it's really good with honey. I wonder if I'll find new flowers and herbs to make teas with here? That would be nice.

[ At length, a smile pulls at her lips, and just as it does do the flowers seem to return to the state they were in when Thoma first arrived. She opens one eye slightly. ]

Umm... Is it working?

oriphi ✧ oc

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journals!

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iii

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