{ dream notes: #26 - october 1, 2023 }

[dreamkeepers]

DREAM NOTES #26: OCTOBER 1, 2023

SO that State of the Game that was meant for last month got pushed back to this month as we worked around the timeline a bit. Sorry about that! But we're also giving this month a much needed fun and relaxing break after all those months of nonstop action (sorry about that, too ah ha). SO LET'S HAVE FUN WITH HALLOWEEN!!!

CALENDAR

ACTIVITY CHECK

WORLD UPDATES

ORKILI: AFTERMATH

VAMPRINGS

HALLOWEEN EVENT

DREAM BOARD

END NOTES

CALENDAR

The Official Calendar has been updated. Here is our current schedule for the month:

10/01: Plot With Me Meme

10/05: EMP/ATP

10/16: Event/TDM

10/25: Reserves Open

10/29-31: Activity Check

11/01: Apps open

11/03: Final apps due, begin processing apps

11/04~05: Player Intro, Open Log, Cr Meme

11/??: Event

11/28-30: Activity Check

DREAM TREND: This month's dream trends may involve any of the following themes: relentless hunt for pumpkin spice latte, empty spaces, eerie stalking shadows.

WEATHER: It's finally starting to feel like autumn. The weather will be a comfortable cool, with the nights getting a bit chillier and brisk, so may want a light jacket on hand. The skies will be mostly clear for the month with just a few gray, cloudy days.

OTHER NOTES: The trees are starting to change their leaves will soon start shedding them. Piles won't appear yet, so enjoy the color changing leaves while you can! Really, the leaves are changing into different colors like colored lights.

In a more somber update, Kyo managed to escape mod jail and is off being a free man. Laena weeps the loss of the one who helped make this game happen—seriously he was the worst enabler how dare he run away…! Anyway, everyone please thank Kyo for his time and help as part of the mod team, hope he enjoys his freedom, and wish him well! the chains will always bear his name Here are his final words:

lae's your problem now.

The votes were cast and the new layouts used last month will be officially deployed from now on. Thank you to everyone who participated and left feedback before and during this time!

AC RESULTS

Congratulations to everyone who commented on our Activity Check! The following characters were removed from the game:

Asura | abyssbound
Velvet Crowe | daemonise
Ichiru Kiryuu | forsakens
Fret | galaxyremind
Meilin Lee | itsgunnabe_mei
Somnus Lucis Caelum | luciing
Zero Kiryuu | moonlitknight
Rob | nulland
Rokurou Rangetsu | rokubro
Bennett | rotacalamitas
Kor Meteor | spirialink
Toph Beifong | toph_luck

If anyone was swept because they missed AC, you can reapply in the next cycle. Just fair warning, we will notice if this happens more than once and we may not allow immediate reapplication the next time.

This puts our player population to 72/90, which means our new player reserve/apps slots are at a maximum 18.

WORLD UPDATES

Be it new NPCs, creatures, places, or some other discovery or creation, the world of Songerein continues to grow! For official lists and information, refer to the World Directory and Bestiary. So here are a few things as a result of the Dream Board and other submissions:

Places:
The Wild Harvest serves various western and eastern style earth-based street food dishes. A special menu is rotated every month.

Hoppity Donuts: Crispy sweet donuts with colorful glaze and cute sweet bunny and flower decorations that come in an array of flavors, all with a delightful chew that will bring you hopping back for more.

Spicy Cheese Fries: Hand sliced and wonderfully crispy fried potatoes covered in melted cheese and thin sliced jalapeño peppers to bring not just that extra bit of flavor but a spicy kick. A protein can be added to the dish as an option.

Spooky Parfaits with Cat Macarons: Creepy cute parfaits that bring with them the taste of fall, and with a cute spooky topping of sweet and colorful whipped cream; colors vary depending on the type ordered. The cat macarons come as a side, black on the outside with a charming cat-face decoration, and the inside a wonderful blackberry jam with actual blackberries lining the sides of the jammy filling.

Harvest Spice: A honey vodka and apple cider hot toddy, made to help fill you with that extra bit of cozy warmth on even the chilliest of days. Notes of cinnamon, brown sugar, and star anise accompany that sweet apple flavor with a nice splash of honey. Can come as a non-acoholic cider.

With Fall fully in season, the decor around the Harvest has changed accordingly with a cozy aura and blankets sprawl around benches in the garden as the weather gets colder. Plants have grown heavy with fruits and vegetables. They're ready and needing to be picked, or else they may just fall onto an unsuspecting patrol from above, so do watch where you're standing. The interiors of these harvestable goodies come in a rainbow of colors(all or just one) once cracked open, and some are either meaty or contain a mystery liquid to... enjoy?

There is a new display in The Wild Harvest's garden; a large white snake scale around the size of a dinner plate. Touching it will allow people to temporarily understand the garden snakes; do be warned, they like to gossip.

Tread carefully; Fang has built a nest, and within it is a large snake egg that she has decided to take care of. She will give warnings to anyone she doesn't know getting too close for her liking. Failing to heed these warnings leaves whatever possible injuries your own fault.

ORKILI AFTERMATH

A quick summary of the Orkili event is as follows:

• Refugee Camp participation- 28
  
• Worked with the Crystalei - 14
  
• Dealt with the Nightmare Blobs - 7
  
• Participated on the Sandworm Express - 18
  
• Helped with Orkili Evacuation - 14
  
• Chased after Tikbalang - 1 success, 1 ongoing
  
• Went on a Supply Run - 1
  
• Used the Reactor Bombs - 8 success, 1 fail

Good news! Thanks to the efforts of everyone who helped the city, especially around the reactor, enough dreamotion was gathered to create a strong enough "seal" that prevents any further nightmare energy leaks and will keep things more or less stable. The Crystaltei will also keep returning to try and provide some extra dreamotion whenever they absorb enough. However, this is not a permanent fix. The engineers of Orkili still need to not only repair the reactor, but also find an alternate source of dreamotion. They can't rely on the Dreamers of Reverein, after all, nor can they just shut down the reactor. As dangerous as it can be, it's a vital necessity to their livelihoods, and they will not give it up. That isn't to say they won't work on improving it, but it's here to stay.

For now, the city will undergo renovations to repair damaged buildings and to help clear out any lingering nightmare energy. Since only the section of the city that was closest to the reactor was hardest hit, the outer sections of Orkili will reopen and some of its people will be able to return to their homes. Those from Reverein are also allowed in to help. The Orkilins who decide to stay out of the city will either move to the inner side of the Outer Range, opting to stay within the large cavern systems as it is most similar to what they're used to, or to Reverein itself. Many will notice only the younger Orkilins will venture into Reverein while the older generation will stubbornly refuse. Any questions as to why are still rebuffed with silence, but they still accept assistance. This is in large part due to the abundance of help they received, a lot of the early mistrust and wariness diminished. For now, at least, they are able to care for themselves with locals sending in supplies every so often.

There is a Tikbalang still loose somewhere, having managed to elude those who try to catch and heal them. No one knows where it could have gone, so only time will tell when and where it will appear again… They can only hope it doesn't take in more nightmare energy or it will become a bigger problem.

Finally, the nightmare blobs will no longer appear and the fountain is back to normal. There are still some extra dreamotion flowing through it so a sip may help calm those still having nightmare troubles, but it's at least not pink. Sales of the water collected from last month will peak before eventually selling out.

As for what can be done to continue this plot, we're offering people to sign-up for small investigations that have the potential to send the plot in different directions! Here are the options:

• REACTOR: So what happened to the reactor, anyway? It lost its dreamotion crystals, but that leak happened somewhere, and that is being harder to detect than expected. Additional options in this category are helping to repair it and/or create additional barriers or systems to help. This can lead to fixing the reactor for the long term.
  
  
• CRYSTAL CAVES: Something was definitely taking those crystals. Initially attempts to follow led to nowhere, but now that things have stabilized, teams are being sent out to investigate to see if they can find the cause. This will lead to a number of different possibilities, such as finding the problem, finding potential new resources, and more.
  
  
• SPECIAL REQUEST: Maybe there's something the Orkili that you or your character may be interested in digging into. Or maybe there's something else about this event you noticed that you'd like to try and poke into. Could even try to take the rogue Tikbalang. If we can work something up, we'll do it, so ask away! If not then we'll try and work something out, anyway.

There is no real limit to how many can sign-up, but threads will need to be wrapped up or have a direction you can report by the end of the month. This is so we can start building off the results. If you're interested, please comment here.

We will definitely return to Orkili as it is connected to something larger happening 👀 But it's time to take a breather and let those who want in on the action to help with the build up.

And of course, we can't forget the rewards for the event!

Regain Bauble (x3). Wahoo, all that hard work means a giant bauble bonus! Within the first week of the month, everyone will find special little baubles next to their pillow with a note that reads, "Thanks for helping! Throw this into the Wishing Well for a special item or use for something else (watch out for the glitter). Can also be used at the Observatory or gifted to others!" As briefly described, this bauble is basically the game's "regain token," though it has other uses. With this item, characters can throw it into the Wishing Well and receive the item they think about. All regains are manifestations of the item rather than the original and are affected by the game's limitations so nerfs may need to be applied. All regain submissions may be posted to the Regain Wishing Well entry.

ITEM: Mini Crystaltei. The Crystaltei were so excited to help out, fragments of themselves will be left behind for everyone. Dreamers will find a small crystal figurine of the Crystaltei that best matches their personality, and this little trinket will absorb that particular emotion. This can later be used to help counteract the negative emotion. So if the figure absorbs love, should anyone feel particularly hateful, the dreamotion released from the figure will help reduce that hate.

ITEM: Nightmare Voomba. Remember the vacuum-like device those mysterious strangers appeared to help "suck up" the nightmare distortions back in June after the Story Eater battle? Turns out, those were actually the Orkilins. As thanks, they will give a newly designed "Nightmare Voomba," a special vacuum that is circular in design and automated to move around small spaces to absorb any nightmare energy it can detect and purify it. It can only do small amounts so don't expect nightmare energy to be completely gone or be effective against large amounts, but it'll help things clean. Any resemblance to something else is purely coincidental…………………………

ITEM: Dreamotion Canister. Another device the Orkilins will give is a special canister that can be attached to anywhere in a building. This device will absorb excess dreamotion energy, ie any dreamotion energy produced from high spikes of emotions. Whatever effects will still happen, but the canister will also capture that energy. This energy will be converted into a shimmering white liquid and stored for some other use. What that use is, well. That's for people to figure out.

ITEM: Free Ticket Voucher for the Sandworm Express. Due to all the help received while traveling with the sandworms, the Orkilins want to express their gratitude with this voucher. Should anyone want to travel to Orkili, they have a free voucher to use the sandworms, which will come and go intermittently throughout the month. Usually they would still require a fee, but they are grateful for the help so it's the least they can do. In addition, one might even be able to even pet and feed the sandworm! Learn how they are taken care of and different from the wild ones in the desert! Oooh aah.

LOCATION UNLOCKED: Sandworm Nursery. Not available this month due to needing renovations, but as a result of the number of submissions involving the sandworms, access to the nursery where the Orkilins breed and take care of the tamed sandworms will be granted! It's a…uh "magical" place to see the young worms come to be and trained for not only transportation but defense of the city from underground threats. Perhaps Dreamers could train a sandworm of their own to traverse through the Wastelands… Totally not something that could be tied to something in the future. Totally. cough

VAMPRINGS

As everyone starts gearing up for the Halloween season, another "guest" will be arriving, drawn by the nightmare energy that had spread from the month before. Throughout the month of October, dreamers may be visited by Vamprings in their dreams. They are creatures that feast on nightmare energy similar to tapirs, however they are not so friendly and they cause some problems so everyone should be wary about them.

For one, these Vamprings come in two forms. Their small form looks something like a little purple blob with devil horns and wings. It may look cute, but these are actually the most dangerous as it means they are very hungry for nightmare energy. They will also try to "induce" dreamers to have nightmares, slipping into dreams and twisting them around, changing them from good dreams to bad ones, and the "cuter" the Vampring is, the worse it is. However, when they do absorb nightmare energy, they will become larger and more grotesque, their form varying on whatever they've consumed. However, this is their most "harmless" form as it means they are full. So those who appear like this will just want a light snack, taking a nibble and only making a dream mild instead.

Not only that, there is a high chance that the dream will become infected by the Vampring if the Vampring actually takes a bite directly to their dream self in the dream rather than just passively absorbing the energy from the dream. This will cause them to act normal during the day, but then seek out nightmares and bad dreams via dreamwalking at night. Those affected will enter dreams until they either find a nightmare or will also try to twist things around to turn it into a bad one. Similar to the original Vamprings, how badly it goes will depend on the mood of the affected person. During this time they are unaware of their behavior and may even take on a different personality entirely! And as for whether the affected just absorbs the dream or…tries to take a bite out of the dreamer they've invaded, that's up to the player (ho ho ho).

It is possible for dreamers to combat both the original Vamprings and the infected. The good news about the infected is that the "nightmare vampirism" will only last a few days. They also have alternatives, such as consuming or absorbing nightmare energy directly, so once someone realizes they've been infected, they can work to try and handle it until it wears off. Unfortunately and fortunately, the Orkilins can provide due to the current state of their city. This is also something that characters can try to provide the original Vamprings, who were clearly drawn to the increased nightmare energy around the area.

Finally, there is one last bit of "good" thing that comes out of this. Those who become infected by the Vamprings and consume nightmare energy will not be at risk of turning noctaere. Instead the opposite happens: they will gain an increased resilience to and control of nightmare energy. Not a lot, so it's not something that people should be seeking out. But it will help those who are more susceptible as well as those who are already trying to use and control nightmare energy. You can think of it as gaining a level or two in experience.

HALLOWEEN EVENT

While Reverein will become more festive as the spooky decorations start going up throughout the month, it won't be until the weekend of October 27th that the real Halloween Event will start. OOCly this log will go up on Monday, October 16th and will be forward dated. This event will also double as our TDM, so anyone is free to participate. We will also incorporate the Vamprings as a prompt.

Halloween Costumes. This is not limited to the event and will be available all month. Just like previous years, there will be many boutiques and tailors who will be happy to provide Halloween costumes to those who wish to wear one for the spooky season. Some may even be a bit "enchanted" to help feel more like what they're wearing. For those who need a little help getting their character into one, there are some helpful "fairy godmothers" that will "force" Halloween costumes onto them. If some recognize them from the masquerade ball back in February, they are the very same. The costume could fit the character, or it could be a terrible fit. Fortunately, the costumes can be removed… After a day. Just a day!!

Nightmare Troupe Returns. On the evening of Friday the 27th, the Nightmare Troupe from last Halloween return with their usual grand entrance—although this time they don't have to create an entire fairground since they can use the existing one they left behind. Instead they make a different entrance, literally rolling in on giant pumpkins flying through the sky to land on the grounds just outside the Fairgrounds. The Fairgrounds will magically transform with Halloween themed decorations and attractions similar to the ones from last year. No mystery items this year, however. Instead it's just some good ol' fun with a brand new attraction they will feature.

Festival Fare. Standard carnival fare will be around, with the usual rides and some of last year's attractions, such as the return of the Haunted Dollhouse. The carnival food is edible, but it may be more of a "trick" than a treat. There will also be a pumpkin carving challenge for people to carve as many pumpkins as possible. Though some pumpkins may not like their faces…

Halloween Labyrinth. A big structure now occupies the area just beyond the Fairgrounds. Towering stone walls hide complex pathways inside, and it turns out its express purpose is not to get people lost, but for a little bit of exploration. There is no entrance/exit, just a special circular teleportation pad that will take them inside and there is no end goal. It's not difficult to get out once inside, but the winding paths encourage visitors to check behind corners for treats because there's a lot of treats AND tricks!

• Halloween Creatures. The labyrinth is populated with silly creatures held together by craft glue and duct tape both dreamotion and nightmare: goofy-looking skeletons, glow-in-the-dark plastic spiders, golems cobbled together with candy corn, etc. These creatures will attack on sight, but subdue them and reap the rewards: candy!
  
  
• Mysterious Doors. Sometimes, you may find a door at one of the dead ends. Knock, and most of the time a kindly old lady (where did she come from? Don't worry about it–) will present you with candy and fun novelties like plastic fangs and little witch hats. The other times, a swarm of genuinely sinister nightmare creatures will come pouring out. Oops! Try again next time!
  
  
  
• Beware of Steve. If you're very unlucky, you may hear an ominous clatter in the distance... The low rumble of a revving chainsaw... Those who spend lots of time in the labyrinth will know soon enough–those are noises that mean you need to run. Because STEVE, THE 20-FOOT-TALL CHAINSAW-WIELDING SKELETON, takes no hostages, and he's out for blood!!!
  
  
• Grand High Viscount of Candy Corn. On the other end of giant "horrors" is a giant golem made of candy corn with a large top hat that may appear out of one of the doors. Its main attack, besides trying to punch and pummel, is spewing sticky candy goop that will trap anyone caught in it. It'll wear off, but until then, any caught in it will feel sluggish and unable to do much, as if they suffered an extreme sugar crash.

This is just a brief glimpse of what will be in the log, but as we said in the beginning, we're aiming for some chill fun this month. After everything that happened, everyone deserves a break and celebration! We are also open to any suggestions for carnival activities, so feel free to comment or come to us if you have something!

DREAM BOARD

How the Dream Board works:

• This is all optional, the quests are just extra content for players and while they can sometimes relate to upcoming or current events, they're just kind of "filler" stuff. Some will be set out in Songerein proper while others may involve dreams.
  
• The Dream Board can be found at the Plaza and quests will automatically appear on it like a bulletin board. Some will also appear in the journals. Anyone can accept them and rewards automatically generated upon completion of the task. It's a dream world, it's full of magic, it just knows.
  
• Quests can be done as many times as a character would do them and rewards will be delivered to the character upon completion.
  
• If you have any questions, comment to the designated subthread.

ID	QUEST	REWARD
1001	Mad King Says. As you drift off into slumber, you are suddenly visited in your sleep by a towering figure with a flaming pumpkin head, claiming to be the Mad King. He's trapped you along with other dreamwalkers in his "nightmare space"--there's nothing but you and your friends, him, and a swirling green void beyond–and won't let you leave until you play his favorite game with him... Mad King Says! A bit of fun for him, a bit of humiliation for you. What's the harm?	Who knows. Maybe his favor for next year, when he comes back..?
1002	Cuddle Your Fears. One day, you turn around to find, floating perfectly at eye level, the physical manifestation of your worst fear–in plush form. Blank, soulless eyes stare at you as you move around, and it follows your every move silently. It hovers over you as you sleep. Nothing you do will get rid of it...not, at least, until you decide to confront the doll and work through your fears. Once you do, perhaps it vanishes. Or perhaps it takes the form of a soft toy of your favorite animal, filled with the dreamotion to help you through dark times.	Peace, and perhaps some closure.
1003	The Face Stealer. Someone has found a pretty little hand mirror, and it's making the rounds through town. Except it has a sinister downside: stare into it for too long and it steals your face. The only way to get it back is to force another person to look into the mirror so that it steals their face–it can only hold one face at a time, after all. Never fear, however, it will only hold a face for a week before getting bored with it. You're not stuck like this forever.	Literally nothing, unless you enjoy spooking your friends. Sorry for the harrowing experience.
1004	Only You and Me. A boy's scrawled request appears on the board: Please help me, she haunts my dreams. Dreamwalk into this boy's nightmares to find a girl who has been trapping him in a room every night, with just the two of them, to try and convince him that he's her soulmate. Except when you appear? She focuses her efforts on you. You can't leave. You can't wake up. How are you going to get out? She loves you, why don't you love her back? Maybe you should love her back. You're soulmates, after all.	The girlfriend of your dreams...?
1005	The Fluff of Nyaightmares. An old lady is missing her black cat! Set off on the search to find that the cat is being held, trapped by a ghost. It is, in fact, a creature of nightmare, and cannot be allowed to roam Reverein freely, lest it absorb more nightmare and grow beyond control. The ghost, however, can do nothing and attempts to convince you to subdue the cat. Will you do as it says? Or will you let the cat free, letting it on one final destructive rampage before it dissipates?	Cat toys, cat food, cat treats, cat litter. The old lady has no need for them anymore, after all.
1006	Ice Cream Challenge. Dr. Senku Ishigami would like to invite prospective volunteers to his and Gen's ice cream and soda shop to taste test his upcoming challenge item. They are to bring big appetites and eat as much as they can.	Far too much free ice cream to be healthy.
1007	A Wild Harvest. Come pick fruits and vegetables at The Wild Harvest- but be careful not to get hit by any that may suddenly fall! They are either filled with juice, pulp, or a combination of both. They have a variety of flavors, from sweet, sour to even spicy. It is open to the player's interpretation.	Whatever you can gather.

END NOTES

And that should be it! Hope everyone has a good October and that your spooky hauls be plenty. If you have any questions, just comment here

Comments

[multidisciplinary]

Players Involved: Jen, Jordan
Characters Involved: Zelda, Revali
Topic: Reactor!!!
Questions/Others/Requests: Zelda is really interested in learning more about how the reactor works (especially from a mechanical standpoint) and helping to repair it, but she's also happy to do more with her sealing magic if that's also needed. Revali is happy to fight things if there’s anything lurking around there. Also if there’s anything higher up or difficult to reach/get up into (basically anything that lets him fly and show off), he’s more inclined to investigate those areas.