undyingcourt | january tdm/event post

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january tdm/event post

JANUARY TDM - WINTER DREAMS

Welcome to the Undying Court's January Test Drive Meme! This post also functions as the January Event for existing characters, and continues the Winter Season, led by the Blue Court.

New characters may handwave or backdate the previous season's arrival prompt should they wish to, but you may otherwise assume they've been here the whole time! Additionally, all TDM threads can be taken as in-game canon if desired. And remember that apps open February 3-7, with invites opening on January 28, and reserves not long after!

Note that this post will contain: violence, enthrallment, torture, slavery, horror and potentially sexual content. Dreams come in many forms, after all.

This event also features another chance for characters to submit Regains, so make sure to submit after you've posted your top-level or reply to someone else's dream. For characters both new and old, feel free to brush up on the Premise, Vampire Powers, and head over to the FAQ/Game Info page if you have any questions!

Note that this event will be occurring throughout the month of January and into February, so characters are free to forward-date as desired!
For new characters please format your Top-level in this format: Character Name | Canon | Court | Youngblood/Novice | TDM
For existing characters please format your Top-level in this format: Character Name | Court | Youngblood/Novice
If you have any questions specific to the event, ask them in the Plotting Post Q&A section!

Top-Level Directory:

ONCE UPON A DREAM

A quiet falls over the Castle as a new day begins to break. As with every morning, this is a time when vampires must retreat to avoid the rays of the sun, pulling heavy curtains around their beds and windows to block out any light. However, this particular morning is abnormally quiet as the whole of the Castle seems to fall asleep all at once, and all together. After this enchanted sleep, and for the the next thirty days, the Castle's residents will start to experience strange phenomena within their dreams.

During this period, dreams become more vivid, so realistic it feels like the dreamer is awake. Dreamers can pass into each other's dreams without meaning to. Some of these dreams are in fact memories--either those from the lives the characters have lived in the Castle and the outlying lands, or the strange memories they've begun to gain back.

But be careful! For what starts as a regular memory might start to warp into something new. If you're lucky, it'll be something positive, like a dream of a home you've always wanted. But if you're unlucky, the memory might twist and turn into a nightmare, catching you in it and turning your worst fears against you.

Each nightfall, everyone will wake and return to normal. Or at least, most people will.

[Note: Any current characters who participate in the dream event by creating a top level or tagging someone else at least once in this prompt may be rewarded with a free impactful memory, which may be used in the dreamscape. Don't forget to submit for your Regains!]

A NIGHTMARISH CURSE

It turns out that not everyone wakes up. Those who stay in nightmares for too long may find themselves cursed, and unable to wake up. At first, the curse appears no different from regular sleep. But a few hours in the victim will start screaming uncontrollably. No touch will wake them, no amount of calling their name will break the spell. After too long, the victim will start to bleed, slowly at first, and then more and more as they remain afflicted. A victim left unattended will bleed out and die.

The Council works quickly to step in. Kashire (who is looking rather frayed this season) delivers the news that there's no need to panic, but everyone will need to do their part in locating and curing victims. In fact, the youngbloods seem to be taking this as the perfect opportunity for a teaching moment, and students are expected to try and find a cure with the skills that match their Court. Novices and youngbloods alike are encouraged to try and help lift the curse from anyone they can. (Get creative! Blood heals many wounds...) Any victims that have progressed too far will need to be seen to by Revar.

The nightmare curse, however, can spread quickly. Anyone who enters the nightmare of a victim will fall victim to the curse. Additionally, any attempt to reach out to the mind of a curse victim will also spread the curse. With the combined efforts of the students and teachers, the curse can be completely put out. But it will take time and care to ensure everyone is found in time, and cured safely.

ANYWAY, WINTER GAMES!

But a few curses aren't going to stop the Blue Court from making sure everyone has a good time. The days might be short, and weighed down by the threats of nightmares, but winter has hit Castle Courtsheart in full force, and the long nights and snow-covered grounds make for an excellent backdrop to the Inter-Court Winter Games!

There isn't really a reward for the winning house besides bragging rights and maybe a trophy that doubles as a chalice, but youngbloods and novices alike are invited to join in the festivities and compete against one another in the spirit of glory and the chance to lord over your Court's superiority. Even Council members and mature vampires of each court seem to enjoy cheering on their respective teams from the stands. Everything is fine! Forget your troubles and go play in the snow.

What kind of sports do vampires play? Feel free to get creative, but here are some examples:

Thrall-Curling: Since vampiric strength proves to be a little too much for this sport otherwise, teams of novices (or youngbloods) of the same Court can team up to gently compel their thralls to play the thrilling sport of curling. Coax that stone across the ice with care, and take out the opposing team! Or, well, the thralls will do that, assuming they're guided well. Try not to break them. (The thralls, that is.)

Figure skating: Practicing your pirouettes? For a vampire, a quadruple-axel is hardly worth breaking a sweat over. Favored for its beauty and almost seductive grace, the figure skating competition will be scored and judged by a multi-court panel. Participants might get extra points for incorporating bladework and masking into their sets, so these performances are sure to wow the judges.

Ice Hockey: Yes, the high-contact sport transcends time and space, but vampires don't need silly things like helmets or padded safety gear. Don your court's colors and hit the ice to toss the puck around and score as many points against the opposing team as you can before the time runs out. Violence is encouraged! Everyone likes to see a bit of blood on the ice this time of year. (Shadowstepping is considered cheating, but only if you get caught.)

And more! Snowball fighting may not be a sport, but there's no better time to enjoy the outdoors and stretch those growing fangs and muscles than the dead of winter. So whether you're cheering on your Court or watching from the sidelines, there's something here for everyone. Just because the castle is full of the the undead doesn't mean they can't have a little winter fun.

CLASS NOTES

Other notable happenings for the early winter season include:

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and maybe it's time to find or make gifts for that special blood claim in your life. This season blood jewelry is the hot ticket item. These are pieces made from precious metal and glass, which hold the blood of a vampire in them. Carry a lover's blood to show how much you love them, or carry your own to force down the throat of your enemies so you can influence them.

Whispers around school start to say that Black Court lost a novice this month. Not murder this time! He simply unmade himself trying to mistwalk. Eh, these things happen.

As a result of a tie in last month's pumpkin carving contest, members of the Black and Red Courts will find small packages outside their doors. They are gifted silver letter openers, with the handle inlaid with pumpkins and leaves, and a note from Revar with a little drawing of a pumpkin and their signature. How nice!

Lady Whisperfangs is quiet for now, but her time is yet to come... This month's check-in will have a field to submit gossip about your characters! Vampires do so love their drama.

Once again, characters are free to talk to the NPCs as well: Revar & Kashire. For any questions regarding this month's prompts, please comment in the Plotting Post. For general game questions, please check the FAQ/Game Info. In the meantime, remember to submit your Regains for this month's free reward, and keep an eye out for our AC Check-in next week, starting on January 25-31.

The new year has brought us plenty of thirsty vampires, so we're glad you're here to share them with you!

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[He's just trying to make conversation... damn, and to think he's bad at socializing.

Whatever. Doesn't matter in the long run.]

If someone just tosses dirt at those holier-than-thou fops, I'm happy. Best if a team does shove their faces in it, but it might not be Blue to do that. [He knows his Court fairly well, he's the one unripe fruit in a basket full of sweetness.]

[um, people with great taste in entertainment? those who wish to liberate the masses from mind-numbing and uninspired athletic displays? there are so many other explanations than chaos gremlin, excuse you. she's a cherub.]

Depends. You gonna sweeten the pot a little first?

[...listen. cherubs have to eat too - or in this case, solicit a little outside help in tipping the scales in favor of rationally unwise decisions. there's nothing wrong with collaboration!]

I don't think it's a particular court or singular person behind this.

[ It's too grand a scale, and that's how she felt back when telling him of the sensations felt from the bonfire. Was that meant to be a magical ailment as well, then?

It takes a moment to search for the bit of charcoal that was in her notebook, having probably slipped out into the bag. After dipping into it an elbow deep, she finally pulls out the charcoal to write down and at least confirm those things. It was a nice mix of black leather, silver and a hunter green that matched the clothes she was wearing, still holding the appearance as it stayed around her shoulder and in her lap. ]

So we're back to you not knowing about magical ailments, and Revar saying nothing like this has happened in about a hundred years... Yet there's so many books taken out, I can't find anything about curses or even if there's been projects between Gold and Silver courts that could help.

[ Being a reclusive enough nerd has kept her from getting too much of Xenk's attention in Compulsion Class, so it's not like there's been anything wrong with it. Sure, some would think being that way suited a Silver Court novice, but given the way Eden's been... Maybe there's a balance everywhere. ]

Mm- Oh, Yasuho. Hey.

[ She'll get a small bottle out from her bag- it's a pretty red-golden color when the light hits it juuuust right. ]

Cinnamon and cardamon, which is good for muscles, tension, and can be warming, so it's a nice comfort. Vampires can't enjoy chocolate like us novices do, so they need alternatives for keeping their bodies from tensing up too much. It's not much, but the longer we have before people start screaming until they bleed to death, the more time we have to find and treat everyone.

[ Then a tease of an idea came to mind. Really, given that she was more shy than Yasuho was quiet in the beginning of Autumn, some people have been incredible ~~terrible~~ influences. She'd been helping since the screaming first started, so a bit of light hearted commentary would be a nice enough break. ]

I mean, if you'd like a demonstration...

[ You done messed up now, Yasuho. You've engaged and accepted Xenk's "teaching moment" so now he's going to brightly smile as he steps over to her. ]

Excellent. The compulsion must be done gently in order to achieve the desired result.

[ He is so excited about sports. Don't worry, Yasuho, he can tell she has no idea what she's agreed to. ]

Do you understand the rules of curling?

[Kirk follows, of course he follows, how could he not? He was witnessing Xenk as a child of all things. This was something he will literally never see again (probably). He was eager to learn about Xenk and if this was a way to learn more about him then...

But that forced smile, yeah this was fucked up. "Playing" his his thrall parents while-- while what? He thinks he's already piecing this together, ("master" "sunset" thrall parents...) but--]

Oh? [He whispers back, he gives Xenk a sneaky smile.]

What happens at sunset?

[He tends to go hard, play hard, work hard, fight hard... and other kinds of hard]

Good!

[He laughs as he tries to twist away, but he's nailed right in the shoulder. The man lunges for the pile and darts behind a thick, sturdy pine, stealing a glance to try to discern where Wyll might pop out from to nail him]

Hadn't done this since I was a kid.

[Yuri turns his gaze to the vampire. At the very least he's going to try and remember her face, since she's obviously bad news.

That is, if she's even real. It's possible she isn't. Brains are weird like that.

At any rate, he scoffs a little. Whether that's towards that remark about survival - all we have - or the mention of a god, that isn't clear. Maybe it's both.]

Your god? You think your fucking god works like that?

At the same time, they've always known the system existed. Everyone in these lands knows that Findings exist. Snakes and birds have several eggs each laying season, and plenty other animals also have several children if they're preyed upon. At least in this case it's with the idea of the taken human becoming one of them, and not automatically being taken as food.

[ Sadly, only a small portion of this was accepting and adapting to the lessons that were being taught these two seasons. It wasn't that Eden lacked empathy, not at all. It just made sense, in the way all other systems in nature had their own fallacies, and she wasn't attached to humans as something specific. Nature wasn't exactly kind. ]

Everyone in my court was anywhere between annoyed and upset, but we're the ones that take care of them. Sadly, every Court seems to be allowed to hold power over a season however they want. Even still, I don't think it's right to paint every single person of a species as anything.

Magic was not uncommon among our kind, many centuries ago. When we warred with humans, and lived more among the fringes of the world, it was no doubt needed to survive.

[ But now everything is totally fine and magic is boring anyway, especially when it causes curses like this! ]

It is likely that the knowledge was lost, as the oldest vampires guarded their secrets closely. I myself have been searching the archives of the library for any similar instances, to limited success. A transfusion of blood may be most successful, but it is unclear if such a solution would benefit a Novice, when you have not become undying.

[ Well, that's getting noted down for someday in the future. Maybe. Depends on if she dies from some curse or something. For a moment, there's a questioning thought from that, which she doesn't think too loudly, but it's easy to guess. If the best solution meant either losing all the novices or forcing them to be turned early, which doesn't seem likely, was this a more intended sabotage? ]

Hopefully we can do this with only some blood and Silver Court healing if it does come down to any being necessary for the cure.

[ Then there's a weird thought that has her writing 'gold needles??' in the notes, on a page with potential things that could help. ]

There's also something odd that's been going on. I seem to have ideas and a feeling of knowing medical things I hadn't been taught before. It just keeps coming to mind, but with everything that's going on, I'm scared of where it's from...

[ Xenk's childish glee falls, his eyes cast low at the talk of sunset. He begins tugging at the buttons on his sleeves, the tiny shirt covered in gold filigree. ]

Uncle Tam wakes up at sunset... I'm supposed to call him Father now, but I...

[ Xenk's mother appears around the corner, her hands on her hips. ]

"Honestly, Master Xenk. You know what will happen if you fall asleep during your lessons again. Your friend here needs to go. If -- If he finds out, your --"

[ Her words are labored, the compulsion and commands keeping her from speaking freely. The man who looks so much like Xenk walks up behind her, setting a hand on her shoulder. Young Xenk only groans dramatically, as if this is just normal for him. ]

Alright, alright, I'll go... I just. [ He looks back down, holding his arms around himself. His parents, for that's clearly what they are, can't seem to approach him. Xenk knows it too, his voice strained. ] I have so many lessons now... I never get to see you anymore.

Ah?

[She asks that question and it's enough to actually pull his gaze away from the hockey game, because what. Maybe he should've been paying a bit more attention to the conversation, sheesh.

His surprised expression settles into something vaguely annoyed (though given how annoyed he seems to have been this whole time, that might be his default expression).]

No. No way. I'm not going to sit here and watch some goddamn brat getting herself torn apart for no good reason. [Is he exaggerating? He doesn't know. That's probably the worst case scenario, but he'd rather work off the assumption of a worst case scenario than throw caution to the wind.] Just tolerate this shitty game with the rest of us.

[ No, turning all of the novices early would cause more casualties than even a nightmare curse, that's for sure. ]

It should be possible for each Court to cure it. A curse is not physical the way illness is. If the magic affects the person's mind...

[ He sighs into his notes, a rare sign of frustration for him. A mental fix was of course the easiest, but that only spreads the curse. ]

I am in the process of devising a cure, hopefully. Its success remains to be seen.

[ Numbers! It's all for the greater good, even in his mind. ]

Have these memories come to you in dreams? Things you did not know, but recall with startling clarity?

[ Wyll's smile is quizzical, but not entirely surprised. He knows the people here aren't much for gods. ]

I believe They set me upon this path, and it is up to me to weather it.

[ Wyll runs a hand over the bleeding gashes on his face. His fingers come back bloody, but this being a dream, the wound doesn't hurt. ]

I owe my strength of will to the Blade and its teachings. Regardless of strife, the Blade is unbending, and so must I remain.

The curse affecting the mind is why you were who I thought of to talk to. And hopefully you figure out the key to its success.

[ See? She also has plenty of logic in all of this. She just wanted something to ground and link the two together. It's just that these other thoughts kept getting in the way. ]

I can't say they came through from dreams in particular, but it is oddly clear and like it's a fact, not some whimsical thought.

[ Flipping back a few pages, Eden offers the notebook for Xenk to see. It's... well, the figure of the human body is traced, but the lines and dots marked are all written by hand. ]

I know that what I drew onto there are called body meridian lines, and each spot will have a related effect if I place a thin needle into the body a particular depth in. I thought up a small list of herbs that could help with the medicines being produced, but I don't actually know if they exist.

[ Wyll has to smile. ]

"The neck knows the noose, yet it still breaks when it's pulled taut."

[ Alas, logic doesn't work on Wyll Guardacuervo. He is a man of emotion before logic, and compassion before reason. He looks to Eden with sorrow in his eyes. ]

I understand you believe the Silver Court to care for we lambs, just as they would have us believe that our Makers are looking out for our best interests. But one may call a wolf by any other name, yet its fangs and claws remain just as sharp, and its taste for flesh and blood no less for it.

[ Luckily for Harlock, Wyll is missing an eye (literally! Don't worry, it's glass,) so his options for peering out from behind trees are a bit limited. He does peer out, actually, throwing another snowball blindly -- perhaps in an attempt to try and lure him out. ]

It's nice, isn't it!

[ Wyll grins. He'd played similar games with the children in the village before he wound up here. ]

A game works wonders on the mind, young or old.

[He tries! It's just hard when you're in a situation that is as difficult as it gets and everything that goes on around you feels like it's every bad thing in the world trying to turn you away from the light.]

I'd argue wolves at least have the decency to not kidnap and toy with their prey before killing them. [But fine, he'll drop it for now. Even if he's trying to find the positive in the situation and, well, there's only one he can think of. Even if he's fairly certain that they aren't going to let someone like him leave the castle even after becoming a vampire. Can't have someone that's "soft hearted" out there preaching against vampires, right?]

Invited or propositioned? [It can be both, right? Though he's not at all going to stop teasing him about this. Enrico had certainly been invited to that nonsense as well, but his withering look at the person inviting him quickly dropped that scenario.] Are you saying that mine don't say such the same? [He can fake being offended, not that it lasts for long as he can only hold that for about a minute before laughing.] I do wonder if they do this kind of nonsense every season or if winter is just a special brand of... whatever you want to call all this.

[ Wyll, please. Your fancy talk is hard for her to follow. She's uneducated for the most part, still! If... You ignored the medical training she's gotten back in the forest. ]

And while I was attacked by a wolf not long before you showed up at the cabin, I still observed them and find value and purpose to their existence. They're also not always bloodthirsty. They hunt, but they don't do so blindly. They also seem aggressive when protecting their home and pack. Without them, there'd be way more boars and deer in the area, and as someone that forages for vegetation, I worry about that far more.

[Ah. He did get that wrong, then. Well, then, that's at least good to know.]

Mm. For a brief moment I was. But when it comes to theology and philosophy, I always do welcome a good debate. Though it also wasn't sarcasm, it's been a while since I've had someone actually somewhat debating about all of this and I do quite enjoy it despite the fact it may ruffle my feathers from time to time. Different viewpoints makes life interesting, in my opinion.

[From the lands south of the castle? And those vampires rarely interact with them? That's interesting as he'd mostly dealt with the Gold territory from what he'd learned by this point. ... And from the middle of the woods. So she really doesn't know anything other than what's been said here which is even more interesting to him. A mind that's mostly not spoiled from vampire knowledge before this place, interesting.]

The Blade... [Wait a second.] You must mean Wyll, then. We aren't from the same religious group, but I am familiar with him and his former brothers. Quite interesting that they thought to grab two kinds of priests to bring to this place. [He shrugs slowly, not seemingly particularly fussed at the moment.] Unlike him I came to these lands by myself on assignment, which both helped and hindered me, if I'm honest.

It is unfortunately what makes it dangerous for those of us in the Gold Court. The curse spreads to those who enter the minds of the afflicted.

[ It's frustrating, frankly! And entirely unfair, when Gold Court would normally have the easiest solution here. He observes her notes, not understanding most of them -- but then he's no doctor. ]

I see. Strange facts and memories seem to be afflicting many throughout the castle. I have yet to form any concrete conclusions as to their origins, but the incident is not isolated.

.... I didn't know we were debating.

[ Look, she's been winging things and is only very specialized in her education. Fancy words also confused her as much as sarcasm does. One could say that Eden still held a very natural kind of purity in some ways. It's very honest. Which makes it easy to know when Eden's hiding or lying about things. ]

Oh, I'm not saying he's here. Just that I've met him before in the Crimson Forest. It was quite a while ago.

[ She doesn't know... Yet. ]

You? A busybody like you, too busy to go meet new people? [For once, Norton's brow doesn't furrow, but he's tilted his head back, eyebrows rising high. He's that genuinely shocked.]

Did you get into something that scrambled your brain processes?

That's the other frustration...

[ You couldn't exactly go in and drag people out of their nightmares that way. ]

On one hand, it's giving me ideas that I think can help. On the other, I'm scared that maybe someone put it in my head to cause more trouble... But if it's done by someone skilled and old enough, I'd have no way of knowing the difference. It's what's kept me from handing this information to Revar before.

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january tdm/event post

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