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

[ This can be the day after their shared dream, or any day later! Xenk walks on over to Edgin's office, his brain a mix of confused memories and deeply troubling emotions. Xenk really hasn't felt this much in decades, so you'll have to forgive him if he actually looks... more put together than usual? He's wearing clothes that are far too formal for a casual day at the castle. But one finds what comforts one can.

He also is, very pointedly, not going to worry about his complicated feelings toward Edgin Darvis. The man is still far too emotional for his own good, and was single-handedly holding back Kirk from his full potential. But he was also kind and thoughtful, and had suffered great loss.

Anyway, he's not thinking about it. But he is letting himself into Edgin's office, sorry. ]

Edgin Darvis. I wish to speak with you.

[ Let's say it is indeed the very next ~~day~~ night. Edgin is honestly a little shocked how good Xenk looks, all dressed up for....what? Visiting him?

Was he here to declare he wants Kirk's hand in marriage and makership or something? ]

Sure, yeah. I'm here.

[ This visit isn't about Kirk for once. And the outfit isn't even for Edgin, which is really too bad. If he was trying to woo Edgin, he would probably wear about the same. Definitely a cape. A cape just feels right. But that's not the main thing on Xenk's mind.

Though he does notice perhaps that Edgin looks nice. He always looks nice. But that's neither here nor there. Some remembered fondness from months ago has no business in his thoughts at the moment. ]

Thank you.

[ He closes the door behind him stepping up closer to Edgin. And still standing, because. Well. He's Xenk. ]

I have many questions. The first of which is perhaps the most simple, though the most troubling, in my opinion.

[ He's building to something, you have to give the man his drama. He isn't pacing, but he is working out the words in his head. There's a sense that maybe he practiced this. ]

Edgin. In your recollections of me, did I have some manner of mark upon my face?

[ This is definitely building to something, but Edgin gives him the space to build to it. He's never seen Xenk like quite like this before so he wants to encourage him to talk and do what he wants.

When he asks the question, Edgin takes it seriously, trying to think. ]

We were...in a cave. It was kind of hard to see.

[ He doesn't have dark vision, you know ]

But yeah, on the top of your forehead, I think. Small, though.

[ He's always been good with details. He has a sense that, in that past, he was especially good with details, but he's not sure why. ]

[ Oh, right, dark vision. That's a thing humans don't have. Xenk wouldn't know, though he hasn't remembered having dark vision, has he. ]

As I expected.

[ Xenk closes his eyes, releasing his mask (yes, he was using one. Yes, it was just his same face, minus the Thayan mark that is now undeniably stemming out from his hairline.) ]

It was this, correct?

[ My guy how did you pass Blue Court ]

Yeah, that was it.

[ He was very studious... but also his true self back then was "cooler him," he has just become that cooler self, now. ]

I see. I awoke from a dream with this on my face. I have tried to remove it, and I cannot.

[ He swallows, brows furrowing. ]

You said you believed these memories were real. Not a past life, but... something else? Would you share your thoughts with me on this matter?

Honestly, I haven't gotten that far with my theory I just...

[ he trails off, looking down at his desk. He knows this is going to sound so stupid to Xenk, but he's going to say it anyway. ]

I know that was real. I can just feel it.

I feel the same.

[ It feels strange to admit, after so much certainty in his life, but the memories he'd seen, and the memories that remain with him, feel just as real as his present life. Moreso, almost. ]

I know not what this means, but it is troubling that there are certain parallels... certain names that overlap.

I know. I mean, you watched my wife die. But she hadn't died like that. Not that young.

[ It's strange. He knows he should be holding tight to the idea that he raised Kira with Zia. He should reject any reality where that wasn't true. But... ]

I don't know what I'm supposed to do with this information. I mean, it's not like it's going to change anything.

[ Xenk nods. It feels harsh to hear Edgin say it so bluntly, but it's his tragedy, not Xenk's. And Xenk feels the same sense of confusion and unease. His parents had been dear to him once, and it was undeniable that Szass Tam was cruel... but he knows now that the Szass Tam he knew was not even half as evil as he could have been. And to remember his parents' deaths so brutally...

What do they do with this? ]

True. For better or worse, these memories do not coincide with the lives we have now. I remember being in the sun -- I was surely not a vampire, as I am now.

It's weird to think of you as ever not being a vampire.

[ Xenk is just...so good at being a vampire. ]

It was a conscious effort on my part, for many years. As you learned, I was raised to enter this life.

[ Xenk smiles, actually touched by the words. It was probably not a compliment. ]

Yet I bore a childhood like yourself and all others here... though the childhood I remembered differs quite greatly from what I lived before my undying seasons.

What did you remember?

[ He's not sure he wants to know. He's not sure why he cares. But he does, and so he's asking. ]

[ Well, Edgin did ask. He's told no one else about this, and likely never would (except perhaps maybe Kirk, but even then.) ]

The fall of Thay. Szass Tam rebelled against his fellows and made bid to control the entire nation. I was but a boy when it happened, but I recalled these facts as I did the memories of when the skies grew dark, and a terrible curse befell all who called Thay home. It was the Beckoning Death, a mighty calamity that turned all those it touched into mindless monsters, sapping my own parents of their will to such degree that they attempted to kill me.

[ He says all this with a straight face, but his right fist is wound so tight that he could almost draw blood. He won't. He's Xenk Yendar. He doesn't have feelings like fear or uncertainty. ]

I alone escaped, though I know not why. I believe this mark to be... related, perhaps. As it was similar to those I observed, and those the red wizard bore in your own memory.

Sounds kind of like.... [ he's about to say something very indelicate, but there's not really any good way of softening this blow so he's just gonna go for it ] maybe you got a little bit cursed.

[ Xenk's eyes grow wide at the suggestion. He hadn't considered that, honestly. But it follows the strange logic of the memory... ]

That... may be. [ He nods, gravely. ] The memory I recalled as an adult showed no such progress towards a transformation into a mindless monster, but it is possible that this mark was was forced upon my person in that moment.

We're all monsters already, Xenk.

[ He says it like "Good news! You're already fucked up!" and maybe he intends to keep going with the bit, but, suddenly, he feels a sharp stab of pain, his chest tensing, his throat constricting, and he reaches up to touch his throat, not understanding.

But only for a moment. ]

Oh, fuck. Kirk.

[ Xenk would perhaps agree, though the monsters he'd seen in his memory had been thralls of the worst kind, but that particular thought is cut off when Edgin flinches and grabs his throat. That's not normal. ]

James? What is it? Is he in danger?

[ He may not be his novice, but Xenk is deeply invested in Kirk's safety. There's undoubtedly concern in his voice. ]

Yes.

[ Edgin fights to keep the pain out of his voice, and stands. Xenk can follow him if he wants, but he's going to go find his novice. ]

[ Xenk follows without question, keeping pace with Edgin as he follows his connection to Kirk to its source. (Is he jealous of their blood claim? Obviously. It's getting complicated now because he's not sure which one he's more jealous of, but those are thoughts for another time.)

Kirk is in danger, that's all Xenk needs to know. ]

Do you believe it to be the curse?

[ The hand on his neck... it had to be. ]

It has to be.

[ He wouldn't be hurting, otherwise, Edgin is sure of it. And, really, the specifics of the pain speak to it, too. He hurries along to Kirk's room, knocking first before letting himself in. ]

Jim, it's me. And Xenk Yendar.

[ It just feels right, to say it, even if Kirk can't hear them. ]

[ Xenk follows. It should perhaps be an intrusion to enter Jim's room without his express permission, but being that Edgin is presently his maker, and the danger Kirk may be faced with at present, the rules can bend a little bit.

Inside, they find Kirk screaming. It's what they expected, naturally, but it is still hard to watch. ~~Boy, this empathy thing sucks.~~ ]

James...

[ What do they do? Xenk can't just let himself sit back and watch. He approaches Kirk's bedside. Alas, he knows that entering Kirk's dream will only make the situation worse. But still... ]

We must aid him somehow. Before the curse takes further effect.

[ Edgin walks over to the other side of his bed, reaching out to press his hand to Kirk's forehead, like that will do any good. He's warm, of course. Edgin had been doing some reading about the curse just in case, but he still felt a bit at a loss as to what a Blue Court vampire could actually do in this situation. It seemed like Silver had an edge over the rest of them. ]

Let's start by making sure he's comfortable.

[ Xenk nods. It's difficult to focus with Kirk screaming as he is, but he has worked under worse circumstances than these. Xenk, too, had been researching a curse in an attempt to aid the castle, but the Gold Court's options were severely limited, as any kind of mental connection to the afflicted only spread its effects.

He reaches down then, rearranging pillows to prop behind Kirk's head and ensure he's no danger to himself. Once he starts bleeding, they may have to hold him down to ensure he doesn't choke, but even this feels... harsh and cruel. Xenk may be overstepping, but he runs a hand through Kirk's hair in an attempt to stimulate some manner of response. It does not work, unsurprisingly. ]

I am at a loss. Could your blood aid him?

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