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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Yuri is vaguely aware he went to bed and is dreaming, but none of this is familiar to him. The town, the people, the vampire, even the fires burning are beyond anything he can recall in his memories.

So, what? Is his brain such garbage that his subconscious is putting together new and exciting ways to be terrible? It wouldn't surprise him if that was the case, though any extensive research into the issue is going to have to wait until he's awake. It's a dream and he feels bored and sluggish, and trying to figure things out while asleep seems ridiculous.

He'll be passively watching as those compelled people attack and kill others, not looking happy about it but not moving to try and intervene.]

What a fucking naive deal.

[ Wyll becomes aware of an observer the moment Yuri speaks up. At least this wakes him from his stupor -- no one matching Yuri's appearance had been there. This must be a dream. Or a poor memory. Or perhaps both.

He's still on his knees, tears staining his cheeks but he moves to dry them on his sleeve. There is little else he can do... the village had burned, and he'd been powerless in the end. He tries to clear his throat, and finds his voice raw and scratchy. ]

It truly was. I was a fool.

[Yuri just leans on his crutch.

The idea of offering any comfort doesn't enter his mind at all, even though this whole scene is horrific. Any reasonable person would want to do that, if only to try and assuage their own helplessness. They couldn't do anything about all this violence, but at least they could try and make the lone survivor feel better. That sort of thing.

His voice is flat.]

Yeah. You were.

[That's how he's seeing it. Whether that's the reality of the situation is another matter.]

I guess you must've saved yourself, though. [Maybe. If he hadn't agreed to that deal, it seems like there was a chance that vampire would've just killed the guy.] Is surviving commendable? I don't know.

[ Wyll expects no comfort. He had failed, and made his mistakes. He could only move forward, and he could only do so by remaining alive. His god would give him strength, but such strength had to be found within himself first, before it could grow. ]

At times, survival is all we have.

[ Wyll clears his throat once more. The fires in the dream begin to die down, though the vampire who'd been his temptress remains, observing him quietly. Wyll gestures towards her. ]

She thought I was interesting. It was a fleeting fancy that saved me -- the will of my god, I hope.

[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?

[ 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.

[Yuri has never been religious. He's studied religious texts and he's been inside churches, but all of his exposure was carefully managed in the same detached way as all that other research those pieces of shit subjected him to. Talking to people who strongly believed in this kind of stuff was never part of any of that.

And here's some guy wholeheartedly believing his bad luck is deliberate, caused by his god.

It's kind of weird, honestly. It's not like he's blaming his god, he's making it sound more like a test, which raises the question of what the hell kind of god would think all of this misery would make for a good test?]

Why do you believe that?

[While he asks that he's going to start circling the vampire. This is only a dream, so he feels relatively comfortable doing something a little predatory.]

Why do I believe it?

[ Wyll chuckles, despite it all. It's not the first time someone has asked him that, certainly not in this land where he is a stranger. ]

Because I studied Their teachings an committed myself to a life in their service. Because Their tenets guided me in times of darkness and strife, and I find comfort in the knowledge that They are with me.

[ He shrugs, his hand falling to the blade at his hip. It hadn't done him much good against this vampire, but perhaps he just needed to find a better blade. ]

She isn't even at the castle, if you can believe it. The gall of someone capturing a Foundling and leaving... it beggars belief.

....

[There's a lot to take away from that answer. If the Blade has been part of this guy's entire life then it makes sense he'd seek comfort in it after something so horrific. Draw on the strength that belief offers to just get through it all. At the same time, it could be seen as weak, clinging to a false and ridiculous lie out of a desperate need for that hope.

... Yuri isn't sure which of those is right. Or if it matters. Either way, he's clicking his tongue disapprovingly.]

She can't even take some fucking responsibility? She really doesn't think much of you.

[ Sometimes it's all you have! And for Wyll, it has helped him throughout his life. So he believes in it fiercely, and doesn't mind the scrutiny. He's quite used to it in this godless place. ]

She truly doesn't. Though to be quite honest, I'm fine with that. If I'd had to survive this place with her as my Maker, I fear my time would have been short indeed.

[ He brings a hand to his face, the wound healing far faster than it would in reality. But this is a dream, so it is what it is. ]

[It does seem like it should be a relief, not having someone that dangerous around (especially someone who has no compunction giving such nasty wounds). This is making Yuri realize something though, and he frowns a little.]

If she's not your Maker, who is?

I was a Foundling, she gave me up the moment we reached the Castle. Which is for the best, I wound up in the Red Court.

[ Wyll waves a hand in a vague gesture. ]

My Maker's name is Raphael. He's one of our Youngblood teachers. Bit of a strange bloke, but he's not near as bad.

[He nods slightly. Seems like just about anyone would be an improvement over that woman.]

Must be a relief to not even be in the same court as her.

[ Exactly. Raphael is... a weird guy. But he hasn't stabbed Wyll so far, and that's a plus. ]

Oh, without a doubt! Red has no shortage of eccentricities to it, but I'd have sooner taken my chances in the woods than allowed myself to be brought into the fold under the Gold Court.

[Ah, that's an incredibly strong opinion being articulated.]

I doubt someone from Gold would appreciate hearing their court is shittier than the woods.

[ Gold Court sucks!!! (Except Gold is my favorite, but Wyll disagrees.) ]

No doubt. [ Wyll chuckles. ] They're a pompous lot, if my tormentor is anything to go by. They hold themselves above all others, treating humans like cattle at best, and toys at worst.

[Yuri has no love for this Court thanks to their relationship with the thralls, keeping his own expression a faint scowl.]

That kind of behaviour isn't exclusive to them. [In his experience, anyways.] But with their specialties it wouldn't surprise me if they had an inordinate number in their court like that.

Sure enough.

[ Wyll nods, easily agreeing. He has no love for his own Court, never mind any other, but Gold is by far the worst. ]

Reading minds and compelling humans may be skills they all have, but only the Gold Court can completely eradicate a man's free will. That kind of power is vile... it's little wonder they think themselves better.

[Gold Court is certainly the only one to have a shortcut to eradicating free will, that's for sure....]

Is it that fucking important to the Blade? I've read philosophical arguments that question whether free will even exists.

[Some of those philosophers had been religious, too.]

[ Wyll nods. Yes, he doesn't just hate the Gold Court, but he's religiously opposed... ]

Of course. The Blade teaches us that our lives belong only to ourselves.

[ He places a hand on his chest, fervent in his declaration. ]

Freedom is paramount. A man is weighed by his thoughts and deeds. If he holds no control over either, then he is more a cog than a free-wielding Bladesman.

[Oh... he's really enthusiastic about this, little hand gesture and everything. Yuri is just deadpan, staring at him.]

S'that your motto? How's your god enter into it if you're supposed to live for yourself?

[ It's fine, after spending about a year in this place, Wyll is used to stares. ]

Of a sort, yes. My god inspires me and grants me the courage to face the new day's dawn. The Blade is not unbending. They are not a god who forces us to abide by their tenets -- they will abide by us, should we abide by them.

[Yuri is too rude to consider not staring, so he keeps on doing it.]

Sounds pretty fucking easygoing, if you ask me. [Which isn't exactly a bad thing.] That must make the whole idea of becoming a vampire a lot easier to swallow.

[ jiiiii....... ]

Gods are not always about hellfire and brimstone.

[ He sighs. Becoming a vampire is another thing entirely. ]

I wish I could say it does. The Blade doesn't exactly have any tenets that are particular to vampires... but they don't support senseless violence, either.

[Well, if you're going to worship a god, avoiding the fire and brimstone ones at least seems like good sense. Not that he's saying that out loud.]

So you just have to become a vampire that isn't senselessly violent.

[He snorts.] Good fucking luck threading that needle.

january tdm/event post

Dream a Little Dream of Me B.

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