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

[ Eden was not prepared for a hawk to dive down and suddenly turn into a man. She'd been walking around, looking over notes while keeping moving around, like a practice in splitting focuses. Except now she was fumbling to catch the notebook again before looking at-

Okay, taking a look around before, ah, back up to blue eyes- That made sense. It was hard to tell where the sparkle of silver and the natural light blue-grey differed in her own. ]

Eden Woods... Not too new. There's a whole season of novices newer than me.

[ And the way that she's tugging her cloak to keep warm was a silent way of saying that she's not helping you cover up, sir. She doesn't mind staring at someone that's naked. Sure, it's distracting, but not in the worst of ways. ]

[That's fair. It's his own fault if he gets cold-- but, he's a vampire so it doesn't bother him as much as it would novices. Being a vampire is probably also why just popping out of bird form without any shame is possible.]

Oh ho? Maybe I have seen you around, then. It's nice to meet you!

[He does probably have his clothing stashed somewhere near by. He won't be just standing there naked for long. Probably. Give him a second to go look while he continues chatting.]

Have you been enjoying yourself at the castle? What court are you heading towards?

Have you been lurking around as a bird this whole time, until now?

[ She won't stop him from looking, but of course it means he can't stop her from looking either. If she's lucky, he'll have to bend over and stuff... ]

Silver Court seems to be the path I'm staying on, as fun as the other classes are as well.

Not the whole time, but if you've seen a random hawk hanging around for no reason here or there, that was probably me.

[Ah, there we go! Robes are convenient! Anyway, if Eden wants to look while he does that, she will note that Hayato had been very fit in life before his Making. Someone who did a lot of physical training before becoming a vampire.]

I see, I see. I have a good friend in Silver Court! He's way too smart for his own good and if I didn't drag him out for fun once in a while, he'd never leave his room, haha.

[ Why yes, she will be pleased to look and note that down. ]

Ah, one of the ones that gets so caught up in researching that they can easily forget what season it is?

[ She... Didn't think that her former Maker had any friends. He didn't seem the type. ]

It's like a Silver Court endemic, honestly. Someone should mandate they all go out and get drunk once a season, at least.

[The thing is there are probably a bucket of Silver Court vampires who fit this description. How...how funny...]

If you want some unsolicited advice from a stranger in another court, don't forget how to have fun, yeah?

I... Don't think you have to worry about that part.

[ She was having fun watching him look for his robes. ]

I'm one of the types that has to be out and involved, having fun, experimenting and learning. Plus, it'd make my Maker sad if I didn't have something of a life.

Good, that’s the spirit. It would be a shame to spend your whole unlife locked up in a library when the whole world is out there.

[well, in theory. They’re all castle bound for now, even him, but you get the idea!!]

[He gets his robes situated and pulls out of his pocket …a notebook! He will scribble some notes down.]

You have a few minutes? Since we’re talking. I’ve got a few questions for you, if you don’t mind.

Can't say I spend a lot of time there at all...

[ She did more in the beginning,while adjusting and trying to catch up on what seemed to be regular vocabulary for most people.

But there's a bit of a mix between confusion and curiosity towards the notebook. She can't imagine that they were questions for her specifically, and more she was a target of convenience. But this seemed to be one of the Youngbloods, and she wasn't exactly in a place to turn it down, right? ]

Sure, I suppose? I can't imagine what it'd be about, though.

[Her assumptions are right! He’s asking a number of people these questions, and she happened to be at the right place at the right time. However, there are other reasons for him to be interested in her answers. When collecting data, you need lots of different points of interest.]

Can you remember the very first day of the month, at all? Particularly if you experienced anything strange before falling asleep.

So, the very beginning of the new year...

[ Technically it was the first day she considered herself 18, but with thinking of the events, a smile creeps up on Eden's face. It's an easy enough day to remember, but she wasn't exactly the type to share everything she did with people. There were other ways of saying that she switched and bonded with a new Maker, however. ]

I wouldn't say any of the things experienced were strange. Receiving blood from one's Maker isn't unusual, after all. I'd say it was all quite normal.

[HMMMmmm hm. Interesting. He is scribbling that down with interest. He’s gotten a few answers like this. Whatever was happening, it had been subtle enough for a good chunk of people to have not noticed.]

What about any strange dreams? Ones that are too vivid or involved, maybe?

[He will just keep going, he’s got a small list of questions.]

[ Instead of answering right away, Eden actually clears her throat while looking elsewhere. Anywhere. Oh, look, a bit of hair that had gotten to the front to pay attention to. Sir, you're not getting to just find out what kind of dreams she's been having. ]

Given the way I've been caring for myself, no one would say they're particularly unusual. If you're trying to link it to what's been going on when everyone falls asleep, there weren't exactly any signs of it beforehand. Showing up, or people showing up in one another's dreams is a lot newer.

[He lives in a vampire castle, so he knows exactly what that reaction was about. He leaves her some dignity while she prepares to answer, and doesn’t call any attention to that.]

[Instead he keeps writing down answers. After a moment he taps his chin thoughtfully with his pen.]

It’s pretty strange, isn’t it? Even for this place. Dreamwalking isn’t exactly something widespread and doable by everyone, novices and vampires alike. I’d stake a lot on there being some specific cause, but as for why, I’ve yet to really understand.

I’ve been asking around to see if anyone’s dreams have any clues or patterns that might stuck out.

No, it's something that's more in the realms of magic, instead of court abilities.

[ That much she learned after talking to Xenk for a bit, and didn't mind sharing. Plus she'll gladly take this away from the dreams she's normally been getting. ]

Though... There were some new things after waking up that were more recent. Two whole sets of skills that I either didn't know, or wasn't yet trained to such an advanced level.

[He makes a sound at that. Magic was something he just had no experience with and had little desire to understand. He doesn’t like the idea of it being magic because what the hell can he do about that??]

Eeeeh, I was afraid of that possibility.

[Sigh. He does perk up a little at what Eden says next.]

Oh? That sounds interesting. What kind of skills?

Revar said there may be some instances at the library, but a lot of people have been taking out books.

[ Meaning that the only things left over are those that have nothing to do with what's been going on. ]

One of them was medical, which is what I mean by knowing it at a far more advanced level. I already knew enough to get through some of my Silver classes rather easily, but the amount I understood just expanded....

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

january tdm/event post

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