songerein_ooc | { dream notes: #30

DREAM TREND: This month's dream trends may involve any of the following themes: unrequited or lost love, jealousy, staring groundhogs.

WEATHER: The glitter is going to stick around for a while, but the snow is starting to melt with more sunny, clear days.

OTHER NOTES: Love is in the air~ Keeping one's thoughts and feelings private is going to be a little difficult this month ho ho ho.

It's Test Drive season, so feel free to let everyone know! And while we're not doing anything huge for Valentine's, we do have a few things happening for those to enjoy ho ho.

AC RESULTS

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

Kazuma Asogi |

chippedsoul
Chai |

futurerockstar
Leo Valdez |

morsecodes
Magilou Mayvin |

perfalmost
Emet-Selch |

snapoutofit
Dante |

turnback

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 68/85.

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 will be closed for a week before opening back up, another new name on the memorial wall in the garden. The insides of the restaurant itself still filled with life and blankets for those colder days at each table. A few more candles are visible to provide that bit of extra light, even seeming to float a bit near the ceiling. There is also special note made on the menu about the continued serving of Dream-ade Lemonade and Dream Honeyshine.

Macarons - Heart shaped macarons that come in large or small sizes and a variety of flavors to choose from; be it raspberry and chocolate for that sweet and tangy twist, or something like strawberries and cream for something sweet and light. Comes in an order for two or order for one.

Hot Pot - An at table set that comes with a choice of one or two broth flavors to have boiling at your table; broth flavors like spicy tomato and dashi, fish broth, and more. Simply note which one or two is wanted, along with what cuts of meat, veggies, noodles, mushrooms. Dumplings can also be added to this order.

Pizza - Hand-tossed and handmade pizza that can be ordered with a number of different toppings. Wonderfully cheesy with fresh made sauce that balances that little bite of acidic sweetness of the tomato and mixes so well into a savory delight with cheese. Medium or large.

Milkshake or Ice cream Float - Both are created with ice cream made in house that are creamy and flavorful. Made to be shared with two easily, or just for one; tastes just as good either way. Can add candy bits or choose freshly baked brownies to be blended in with certain flavors of milkshake or have two flavors side-by-side in a single glass; topped with whipped cream and a cherry. The ice cream float also comes in a variety of ice cream flavors and a choice of either a flavored soda or root beer.

NOSTILIUM

We are using a new term for nightmare energy because it's a mouthful. Its new official name will be nostilium. This is a new label for it, so "nightmare energy" can still be used interchangeably with it.

ICE QUEEN RESULTS

Thanks to everyone's hard efforts, the Ice Queen has stabilized and is awake, but remains in a catatonic state much to Jack Frost's dismay. It seems there is more going on, but at least for now the Orkilins are looking after while continuing to research into her condition. Nightmare energy continues to exist around her, so for now visitors are prohibited as she has been put into quarantine to protect both her and others. Jack comes and goes, trying to help in his own way, but he will also be unresponsive to anyone who tries to question him.

Here are the results given from various submissions:

Visions. Visions from the shards mostly depict the Ice Queen's relationship with Jack, which may hold clues as to how she got into her state to begin with:

Romantic walk in a garden.
A white rose given on a starlit balcony, only for the rose to turn black and the Queen looking horrified.
The Ice Queen's hand desperately reaching out in fear and desperation, glass cutting into her skin and fabric.
A mosaic of longing and yearning for others after being left in isolation with her reaching out towards someone.
An image of Jack with a sad expression.
A fear of Jack's betrayal.

It's clear there is a theme of longing, love, fear, isolation, and loneliness, but Jack Frost does not know why. He will maintain they had a good relationship and confirm they were becoming more romantic before this happened.

Noctaere Encounters. There were a few noctaere encounters and the noctaere did manage to eat some of the shards, which may lend towards the Ice Queen's current state. The noctaere is still out there, and Orkilins have increased their security while warning those to remain alert, even in their dreams.

Nightmare Effects. Those who absorbed nightmare energy or were exposed long enough to feel some negative effects may want to keep an eye on their condition. The Orkilins gladly offer their treatment centers, but are also wary as the usual method of purifying with dreamotion energy hasn't been working as effectively. But they will help monitor and provide other means to help try and alleviate any stress the affected may be feeling.

LOVE IS IN THE AIR

Besides all the fun things happening on the Dream Board, a strange phenomenon is happening around everyone that's going to leave them feeling a bit exposed.

💕 For those in a relationship there will be pink heart bubbles floating around them that will turn red whenever they are thinking of more intimate thoughts. Try and stay chaste in public, people.

🌹 For those who have a crush, they will sneeze rose petals around the one they admire. White petals indicate they are having innocent, friendly thoughts. Pink petals will reflect more romantic thoughts. Red petals—well aren't you a naughty thing.

🫧 Those who are in platonic relationships aren't going to be left out! For more platonic reflections of their thoughts and feelings, colorful bubbles of various shapes will form, with the colors reflecting good or bad thoughts. The brighter and colorful the bubble, the nicer the thought. The darker and ugly the bubble, however, the worse it is.

💥 For those who are in an antagonistic relationship, it's just red sparks flying all the time. So should they be thinking something good and have those bubbles appear instead, well that might be embarrassing, huh. Sparks will also appear whenever someone is feeling really heated or angry at someone.

ONCE UPON A FAIRYTALE

It's been a while since we've had a fairy tale themed event, and for this month's TDM/event, a portion of the Wildlands is undergoing a slight change as various parts take on fairytale settings. Is that a gingerbread house? Three houses? A random castle with vines all around it? A strange tower? It's just a hodgepodge mash of things and everyone in town is playing a part. Because instead of dreamwalking… They are sleepwalking.

Timeline. This event will be posted on Wednesday, February 14th, but the IC timeline is from Sunday, February 25th until Saturday, March 2nd.

The Pied Piper. One night, a sweet melody will fill the air around Reverein, causing everyone to fall in a deep, peaceful sleep, as if trying to soothe them from the stress of the past few months. However, there are those who are lulled by the beautiful music, silently slipping out of bed or off the floor wherever they were sleeping and sleepwalk out of town and disappear into the woods. It will only be in the morning when everyone left will notice them gone.

Enchanted Forest. Fortunately it's not too difficult to follow the trail. Helps that the music is still playing and there are actual music notes floating in the air to guide them deep into the Wildlands. When they approach a golden bridge crossing over a large, rainbow river, they are stopped by some local fae who had witnessed the strange changes. They will tell of how the forest has shifted and changed, with new structures and creatures suddenly inside. There is a strong magic over it, and they are wary of entering as those who have to investigate have yet to return. There are witnesses who have seen people inside, but they are acting…strange. And dressed strangely, too, with some looking as if they are in costumes. It's not Halloween, so what's going on?

Roleplaying. Those brave enough to cross the bridge will find themselves suddenly changed into different clothes or costumes to match a fairytale character. Those who have had previous experiences in various story based dreamscapes may be somewhat familiar to this. It's completely random (ie, player choice) and a piece of sheet music will appear in front with the following words:

Deep within the forest your friends are stuck in play
Dreaming of a different life to live from day to day
Fear not, brave hero, for their lives are in no threat
But until the music ends will this spell continue yet

Find them in their role and play along
Be it through facing evil villains or singing a song
Perhaps you can remind of who they really are
Find pieces of their memories locked in a jar

Good luck to you, dear hero!
You've reached the final verse
Break this spell before the next new moon
Or this spell will be a cUrSe 😈

Not ominous at all. As for when the next new moon is, it's by the end of the current IC week, so they better act fast! OOCly, that's the end of the month.

Sleepwalkers. Those affected by the spell will be called "sleepwalkers" and will be found at various parts of the Enchanted Forest that fits their fairytale character's role. They will be dressed as the character and a lot of creative liberties are allowed. Their role may also be a little strange and mixed up. Perhaps Red Riding Hood is part wolf, or Thumbelina is a fierce warrior princess ready to take down all the "giants." The "script" and story is all up to you, so have fun with it!

Heroes. Our "heroes" are those who are not affected by the spell, but they are bound by whatever role they are playing. It does not have to match the person they are helping, and if players want to go with "generic hero prince" to be flexible, that's perfectly fine. "Hero" is also loosely defined, so if someone wants to have a "villain" type role instead, that's cool, too. Unlike sleepwalkers, heroes will maintain all their wit and original personality. However, while acting against a sleepwalker, they may be influenced to match the setting.

What kind of fairy tales? Any kind! We will provide some basic setting prompts and story prompts for NPC action, but because the roles depend on who all is participating, it will be up to the players to provide some kind of prompt for their sleepwalker. So go wild. We'll try and create some kind of directory so players can link and make it easier for folks to find.

Abilities. All original abilities are gone, including dreamotion. Ho ho ho. Instead, they will be replaced with abilities and skills based off the role the character is playing. This does mean you can cheat and choose a role that has abilities similar to the character's original set, but if you're willing to try and be completely creative, you can do so. You can be as open or as restrictive as you want, whatever works best for you.

Breaking the spell. Sleepwalkers can be broken out of the spell, however, it is only a temporary measure until the root of this whole thing is destroyed. Even if the sleepwalker returns to Reverein, they will return to the forest lulled by the music by the next day. For the sleepwalkers, the hint is in the song: memories locked in a jar. Jars filled with the sleepwalker's original memories are hidden around the forest, usually nearby the owner, and must be found and opened by the sleepwalker. How difficult it is to find and convince the sleepwalker will be determined by the player. The memory inside the jar will also be determined by the players.

Find and destroy the flute. As some will likely guess, it's the music that's the cause of everything, and there are music notes floating everywhere. Pop the notes to find sheet music that will have clues to where the flute is hidden. We're being loosey goosey with this, so players are free to come up with what the clue says and where they find the flute…because even if they find the flute and break it, there are multiple instances of it. What an annoying flute. This flute needs to be destroyed at least 10 different times, and while players are not limited to multiple attempts, for official counts it is once per pair. Ideally we'd like to have 10 sets of completely different character pairs, but we'll count pairs with the same character if needed in the end. So Eustace+Beat and Reaper+Azula will clearly count as two, but if needed Beat+Joshua can also count for a third if we don't have enough unique pairs. TDM pairs will count, even if the characters do not apply!

If we do not reach the 10 goal, then a part two of this event will occur as part of the open log after applications. If we do reach the 10 goal, then there will be a different kind of ending that will be featured on the open log.

The "Love is in the Air" bubble effects are also active during the event so have fun with that.

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
201	Dreamotion Candy Hearts. A new innovation is sweeping Reverein! Worrying a pack of candy hearts might not reflect exactly how you feel about your beau is a problem of the past! The pack of hearts is susceptible to the giver's dreamotion energy, imprinting itself with sweet (or sour) words for the object of their affection (or loathing) without the giver ever needing to open the box. That's right–simply hand over the pack of hearts, and let the other know how you truly feel! WARNING: The manufacturer is not responsible for ruined relationships over inadvertent negative messages.	Well, that will depend on what the hearts say, won't it?
202	Cupid's Arrow Archery Range. There's a new attraction in town. Come try your hand at archery! Except when you pick up the bow and arrow, you'll realize your target has morphed to look like the object of your affection (don't worry–no one else can see it). They say that if you manage to hit bulls-eye–the heart of the target–then whoever it is on the target will start liking you back. Does that sound like you're willing to give it a shot?	Returned affection? Maybe. Stronger arms? Definitely.
203	The Goldclaw Valentine's Special. That dapper-looking lion man is back–remember him and his quest for love stories? If you don't, then never fear, because he'll loudly remind everyone that he was here before, and that he brought with him published novels featuring all the stories told to him the previous times he was here. He's signing books, he's giving them away. Come pick up a tale or two of your fellow dreamwalkers and their romantic escapades. Oh, you don't remember sharing that story? That's too bad, because whether he was told or not, everyone's got a story about them. Just hope it's not too embarrassing...	Embarrassment or blackmail, depends on your outlook.
204	Starlight Smooches. Various colourful, star-adorned booths have begun popping up throughout town, beckoning passersby to approach or even step inside. You’ll be compelled by something to come closer! Once inside, an irresistible urge takes hold, compelling you to offer kisses in exchange for positive dream energy. The goal is simple: gather as many kisses as possible and spread bursts of starry dreamotion to those who partake. Then you will be released! It's a whimsical kissing booth phenomenon!	A star charm that glows when you blush.
205	Nekomata Matters. A cat spirit has recently been on the loose and has been stealing little trinkets and toys from the locals. The only way to tell if the nekomata spirit is near is you’ll hear the little jingle of the bell on its collar. Track down this mischievous little kitten and capture it in a trap. Capturing it is one thing but the only way to dispel the little spirit is to tell it a sweet or tragic love story. Once it’s satisfied it will go poof!	A pretty bell that summons stray cats.
206	A Helping Hand. People keep saying they keep spotting a disembodied hand walking on its fingertips around town… It must be the product of someone’s strange dream or nightmare. It doesn’t seem to be a hostile disembodied hand. But a strange walking hand walking around all over the place nonetheless. Find a way to use dreamotion to get rid of it. Maybe it’s lost something like a bracelet or a ring. Or maybe it needs a good high five?	A multi-coloured friendship bracelet.

END NOTES

And that should be it! If you have any questions, just comment here

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Any specific Dream Board questions or future requests go here.

With powers gone, what of those who can’t speak intelligibly in their natural forms?

… It’s hard out here for a bird.

Up to the player! Being able to speak normally is perfectly fine, as is losing the ability to and needing to come up with some other method.

I just wanna clarify with the bubbles. Do they only ever happen when they're around whoever they're in that relationship with? Or is it just in general?

In general! But definitely around those in relationships.

Got it, thanks!

Just to clarify! Will sleepwalkers also be able to destroy flutes while under the spell, or will their memories have to be released before they can help with that?

They can't do it while under the spell, but they don't need all their memories to be released to be temporarily "cured," either! We don't want to restrict people, so it's very doable to do timey wimey handwavey "My character was helped by XYZ (PC or NPC) and is normal for a little while!!" scenario and be able to help with flute destruction before they're back under the effects.

Sounds good! Thank you for the quick response.

Will sleepwalkers be able to interact with each other, or will they need to be released from their spells first?

They can interact with each other! How aware they are of the other sleepwalker's role or not is up to the players, but they won't recognize the original version of the character.

Oooh very helpful, thank you!

Since my character is not in a relationship, would unrequited filial love be acceptable for the dreams?

Yes! The dream trends are just very general ideas for those who might need some inspiration, so you can be as loose as you want with them.

Excellent. Now to subject everyone to dreams of Mother...

Similar to a question asked above, just want to clarify... do the hearts/bubbles/sparks only come up when they are with the other person, or thinking about someone not in scene (or in game) will also work?

Also are they only during the event or all month?

They can also appear when the character is just thinking about the other person! They are just stronger/more prolific when the person is there.

They are also around all month!

Thank you very much!

{ dream notes: #30 - february 1, 2024 }

DREAM BOARD QUESTIONS AND REQUESTS

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...ambiance...question?

Re: ...ambiance...question?

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Dreams question - now in right spot, sorry!

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