songerein | { GAME OPENING LOG }

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{ GAME OPENING LOG }

✵ GAME OPENING LOG ✵
Normally our TDMs serve as intro logs, but we have prepared a special character intro log for game opening! It is a massive, chaotic feast that can only be found in a dreamworld like Songerein. You can also use this to continue ongoing TDM threads, especially as it nears captcha. Reminder that any thread from the TDM can be carried over. Players are also welcome to make their own logs for things if they would rather skip this part. Be sure to read the Mod Announcement for other information and you can ask any questions regarding the log here.

I. THE FEAST

As the sleepy looking sun begins to set, the small little tapir fairies will buzz around to find all the new inhabitants and usher them to the plaza. There everyone will find several tables of various lengths, sizes, and shapes. Yes, that is a star shaped table along with a moon one. A special feast has been made just for them to welcome and celebrate their arrival. Some may even recognize decorations: leaves mottled and changing to an assortment of colors, festive streamers, popcorn strings, glittering garlands and bows, string lanterns, and maybe a few small gravestones here and there. Some areas might look a bit brown and withered while some of the trees take on a more cherry blossom look. It's a bit of a strange mashup, and yet the chaos seems to have a sense of harmony as well—especially when considering everything else that the feast has to offer. This is one divine feast that is going to be completely topsy turvy.

A. What's Your Sign? Everyone will find themselves mysteriously "tagged" with a special sticker and will suddenly gain special characteristics based off the animal: ears, tails, behavioral traits. They're mostly mild and to add flavor, but they may also feel different compatibility towards another, such as more attracted or opposed. The sticker will be hard to remove, but it is possible to swap with someone if they want to try a different experience.

B. Special Bowls. There are many tables and anyone can sit wherever they want. Just don't forget to pick up the special dinner bowl already personalized with their name on it. Of course there are some extra paints and decorations that can be added to it if one desires.

C. Wild Food. Every table has the same kind of food, and there is plenty to go around. Of course, that's only if the food can be caught and if one can keep an appetite for some of them. The boar's head is a bit talkative and might settle down if someone stuffs an apple in its mouth or tells it a joke. However, it might just get several laughs by the barrel of monkeys funnel cake nearby, monkey shaped pastries hiding within it to chuck out various candies and fruits. Not even the candy is safe, at least not the stringed ones. Licorice, chocolate coated taffy, and others will start slithering around and even hiss, sometimes wrapping around the arm of those who try to eat them. Playing some music might calm these sweet serpents so they can be eaten properly. How about that special carousel cake stand with the horse cookies prancing about?

D. Spice Up Your Li—Meal. However fear not. There is normal food around so it is possible to have a proper meal. However, some helpful little dragons may fly by to add a few herbs and spices to the dishes. They are quite friendly and will listen to requests, however if one is rude or too demanding, they may just dump a bunch of a hot pepper and other unsavory seasoning instead. Make a good enough impression and they might make house calls, even follow someone home. They live to spice up food, after all.

E. Drink Tea. Although there is an assortment of beverages, the prevalent one will be tea. They are similar to the ones found in the cafe and all will help bring out festive dreams and restful sleep later for everyone. However, someone is clearly making mischief as they have slipped in some rodentia tea. Drinking it will cause the drinker to shrink to the size of a rat. The only way to return to normal is to find the elusive cat cookies, which can be strangely hard to find; they seem to vanish and reappear at random, but only the ones with wide grins and “Eat Me” written on them can be eaten.

II. FUN & GAMES

Perhaps the food isn't up to one's tastes, or they just would rather have some fun. There are a few games around the plaza that everyone is welcome to participate in and they are encouraged to play to their heart's content. Just beware of the geese as they are being a menace not only at the tables but disrupting games as well.

A. Playing Chicken. A simple game, really, one that will test one's creativity and taste buds. There is a goat cheese fondue fountain surrounded with various platters of cooked chicken: grilled, steamed, boiled, baked, fried. This fondue fountain, however, is special. The flavor of the fondue can be altered depending on the kinds of emotions near it. Joy and love make it sugary sweet, anger and jealousy spicy hot, despair and distrust salty sour. And of course everything in-between including a chaotic mix. The challenge is one person will try and alter the flavor of the fondue, lather it on a piece of chicken, and then hand it to their opponent. The chicken must then be consumed. If not, the one who "cooked" it wins. If it is consumed, then the second person can now do the same to the other. This continues until one forfeits. It should be noted that the emotions of the one eating can also affect the fondue. (It is of course possible to take either the fondue or chicken without playing this stomach churning game.)

B. Gravity of Luck. There is a special wheel lottery set on a table decorated with rabbits. In fact there are a lot of rabbits congregating here and would love a few carrots. Anyone is free to spin the wheel one time per round to determine what kind of special "gravity" effect they receive. Each time the wheel is spun, a ball will drop and the color will indicate the type. A gold ball will cause them to lose all sense of gravity, their bodies starting to float away and although they can fly and float around, they'll need help being tethered down. White balls allow them to jump higher, small mushrooms appearing at their feet so others can follow. A black ball will cause them to be stuck in place, even fall flat all the way to the ground and need help standing up. Those imbued with the power of the different balls can help balance each other out until the effect wears off in half an hour.

C. Ox Go-Kart. For those who really want some speed and action, there are ox driven carts stationed by various streets. Two people can partner up with one driving and the other serving to help try to slow the other cart down. In this race, all non-lethal, non-destructive abilities are allowed to try and disrupt the other racer. Perhaps utilizing dreamotion based abilities may fare better. Just beware of other obstacles, especially any random crying dodos that create giant pools of tears as water hazards.

D. Tiger Fishing. There are special colorful ponds filled with sparkly gummy koi fish. At each one there is a little round tiger(?) with a pair of tiger mittens. In the same vein of fish scooping games, players must wear the tiger mittens and catch the gummy fish with them. It won't be easy as the gummy fish are even more slippery than normal. Perhaps some other skills could be used...but the little tiger will be watching and will latch onto anyone's heads who try to cheat. But if caught, they will make for a delectable treat—or interesting pet.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[While she doesn't feel like she's going to float away anymore, she's still sort of... floating. Something that could be corrected with a bit of effort, but at least the more troubling aspect has ceased with him holding her down. Is that because of the specific coloured ball he got? Maybe.

In any case, he supports her suggestion and she's beginning to think she's found a kindred spirit.]

That makes total sense! [does it?] I'll be back on my feet in no time!

[In reality, what is actually going to get her back onto her feet is his draw canceling hers out. That's probably how this works, but she's more than willing to help speed up the process by imagining all that food from earlier that she didn't get to try. Sounds logical enough!]

[Who could argue with logic like that? It's just science, really!]

I can see it now... stuffed and roasted pheasant, sauced berries, like a dozen different tiny cakes, and there's gotta be booze I overlooked before—

[Never mind that he's not the one who's supposed to be imagining food. He's definitely making himself hungrier as he draws her further from the air, planting one end of her staff against the ground so that she can potentially try to contort herself into the right position to land.]

Oh, and some more of those roasted potatoes! Damn, those were good.

[She's too young for booze, but the rest of what he says is already making her mouth water. Perhaps she's earned herself another tiny cake after all of this. Besides, calories don't count here, so who cares!

Of course, with that said, she should still work on curbing such urges or she's going to end up eating more than she should when she eventually gets back home.

But for now? She's earned it.]

Right? They were super fluffy and rich. And so was that chocolate cake, I could've eaten the whole thing!

[Actually, she's so lost in her own little world that it takes her a moment to realize her feet have finally touched the ground. She startles suddenly, and looks down to confirm her suspicions.]

Huh? Oh wow, it actually worked!

[Okay, sure, there were other forces at play here most likely, but she chooses to believe in the power of good food.]

Damn, an entire chocolate cake...

[He, too, is so distracted by thoughts of returning to the feast and what he might sample when they do that it takes until she speaks up for him to fully realize that yes, in fact, she'd made it back to the ground.

Hey, how about that!]

You made it!

[Well, joint effort, maybe? He doesn't feel like claiming much credit after he'd been stuck on the ground to begin with, though.]

I'm really glad you came along, who knows how long I would've been stuck down there if you hadn't. Not my finest hour. Name's Balthus, by the way.

[Still! She wouldn't have made it down without him. Granted, she might not have made it up in the air either, but it was actually kind of fun. Besides, he seems really nice, and it's always worth it to meet a new friend.]

I'm Leia! And don't sweat it, I've had some experience dealing with this kinda weird stuff before. You'll get used to it, eventually.

Good to meet you— thanks again, too.

[Can't forget to thank her for helping him up off the ground.]

So this kinda weird isn't new for you? Do you make a habit of floating up into the sky, or what?

[Probably not, given her reaction, but he's still curious!]

[While she's never floated away before in the Story Realm, she probably would've had she been there longer. Enough weird things happen there that sort of worked to desensitize her to these things. And what she didn't experience, she read or was told about.]

No, that's the first time that happened. But, uh... well, I've met talking furniture before. And watched my friend turn into a frog. Though we could never figure out what triggered it. Then there was the time people turned into toys, and the house keys that drag you to your assigned homes, not to mention that one time when water started attacking people...

[She sort of trails off, lost in thought.]

Man, and I thought things got weird back in Fodlan from time to time...

[They've got demonic beasts, sure, and the occasional dragon, not to mention there are people around the monastery itself who never seem to age, and there's all that stuff about Crests and Heroes' Relics, but talking furniture is in an entirely different category.

Actually, he'd kind of like to see that?]

Sounds like fun, if you ask me. I wonder how you'd fight water...?

[He, too, adopts an expression that makes him appear lost in thought. What an interesting opponent that would be...]

[If he thought all that sounded a little weird, just wait. And she recalls the matter as if it was the most normal experience.]

Not by normal means, I'll tell you that. What ended up happening is that my friend summoned his legion of loyal frog subjects to disperse the water and contain it within the pond outside our home.

[Yes. He did hear that right... an army of froggy followers under the command of her friend that could turn into a princely frog. Absolutely, totally normal.]

They—

[Give him a moment. There's a lot to unpack here, and he reaches back to rub at the back of his neck with one hand.]

Your friend can talk to frogs?

[He'll start there. Marianne talks to birds and horses, so maybe it's not all that different? He's never seen her command them to do something, though, it was always more like... you know, casual conversation. Nothing to raise an eyebrow at.

This person had frogs working for them.]

That's right! He was the frog prince, after all. So, naturally, all the frogs obeyed his every word.

[And she just mentions it so casually, as if it's the most normal thing. Did that even answer his question, or did it just create more?]

Seriously? How does someone get a sweet gig like that?

[Well, if it's anything like the nobility he's familiar with—]

I guess you have to be born into royalty, huh. Even frog-related royalty.

[Somehow, Leia, you managed to do both.]

[Well... the person in question was born into a wealthy family. So there's that as a possible connection. But that same person is also a shameless flirt and she's still convinced it's because of him they got stuck with those Essences.

She just laughs sheepishly.]

Uh, no, it was actually a curse. I'm pretty sure he pissed off a witch or something? Or angered a lot of women. He was a lot cuter as a frog, though! And slightly less obnoxious.

Shoot, seriously? I didn't think magic did that outside of fairy tales, but—

[Right. There it is.]

Oh yeah. Dream world. And I heard some other stuff about the storybook world, too.

[Anything can happen...]

People got paired with these things called Essences, which is just a fancy name for a fairy tale character, and gained different abilities that were related to them. Like my friend? His Essence was the Frog Prince, so he could turn into a frog and was able to communicate with other frogs.

[Then there was her Essence, but it was pretty lame and boring.]

That actually sounds like it could be a pretty good time.

[Look, he's sure there were plenty of inconveniences, but lots of opportunities for entertainment too, right?]

So, what was yours?

[Come on, Leia. You can't give him a setup like that and not tell him.]

Lame, that's what. Mine was the Princess- the one from the Frog Prince. She was spoiled, and rude. Completely unlikable. I swear, that idiot dragged me into his curse.

[So, no, it wasn't entertaining in the least. At least not for her, anyway.]

Huh. Doesn't seem like you.

[He may have just met her, but he likes to think he's a pretty good judge of character. Usually, he's not far off the mark.]

I mean, we just met, but I'm a stranger and you were happy to help me. Nothin' rude about that.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

{ GAME OPENING LOG }

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