TDM #2 - A Haunting Tune

[perchancetodreammods]

A Haunting Tune

New Arrivals

When you go to sleep that night, it is like any other night. After a long day of living your life in the waking world, you dress down for the night, lie your weary head down, close your eyes, and begin to drift off, as you normally do. However, just as you are about to fall asleep, there is a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach that something has changed.

But you drift off nonetheless.

When you rise, you find yourself still in the same bed you went to sleep in, but that bed has been… transported, somehow, to a broad and otherwise empty room. Your feet hit the black marble floor, but even if they are bare, they don’t feel cold. Around you are tall arches, beyond which is a rich, pink, sunset sky, and fluffy clouds drifting lazily by, sometimes close enough that parts of them intrude on the room.

On one side of the room, there is a door. Tall and austere, it looms overhead, bearing a carving of a strange blue eye. You feel awake, yet you know you are dreaming. Never in your life have you had a dream like this, so breathtakingly lucid. You feel foreign here, but welcome, like a guest. It’s an odd feeling, but perhaps it is familiar.

At the foot of your bed, there is a note on a small black slip of paper, written in lavender ink. It’s addressed to you by name.

“If you want answers, come find me at the Torn Oak. Otherwise, make yourself at home. Welcome to the Dreamscape.

-The Outsider”

The only way out is through the door. When you exit it, it slams behind you, and is gone if you turn around. You begin to get the sense that you’re going to be here for a while.

Welcome to the Dreamscape. A beautiful, endless dream where you and a bunch of other unique and interesting minds from across the multiverse have been gathered to connect, commiserate, and make the impossible... possible! There are many fantastical realms to explore and even more to come, and you are given your very own Nimbus Cloud to serve as your home. This puffy pink cloud will host a pocket dimension just for you where the only limit to what you can create is your own imagination. Missing personal items or locations from the waking world? No problem--- the only thing you have to do in order to earn feathers, the local currency, is make meaningful connections with others. In fact, making these meaningful connections seems to be the only task assigned to you by your mysterious host, the Outsider.

The only catch? You can't wake up until the Outsider wakes you. And it's not clear when that will be. However, they will be joining you on your adventures within their magical dream world, and seem just as interested in being part of the meaningful connections as they are in seeing them. Perhaps if you felt like getting to know them, they might be willing to tell you more. Good luck out there!

WHAT

Perchance to Dream's Halloween TDM

WHEN

10/19/2022

QUICK NAV

Locations

Feather Info

The Outsider

Constellations

When you join the Dreamscape, you will receive a magical Constellation pendant, allowing you to connect to the DreamNet! The star-shaped pendant, which varies depending on your personal style, lights up and projects a hologram screen that will allow you to send messages, videos, and voice calls. A handy way to stay connected with fellow dreamers on the go that is intuitive enough for anyone to understand, whether you come from a world where email has been invented or not!

Grim Grinning Ghosts

♫♪♩♬

Ah, late October. For many worlds, this is the time when the veil between the world of spirits and the world of the living was believed to be the thinnest. Nights are growing longer and a chill in the air lends itself to thoughts of carved pumpkins, sweet apples, and things that go bump in the night. Whether as a ritual to chase off wicked spirits, a night of sweet treats, a chance to dress up, or simply an appreciation of all things macabre, the observance of Halloween is undeniably popular. And your gracious host, as always, aims to please.

And so, as Halloween draws near, you will find in your Nimbus Cloud one of the Outsider’s signature message cards explaining that you should stay put in your quarters for the next few hours while they prepare a festive adventure. And after a short while, it becomes clear just why.

You feel your Nimbus Cloud begin to move. It isn’t a jarring movement--- nothing that would disrupt your home. Instead it is smooth, like a ship upon the calmest sea. Unobtrusive as it is, though, you can still tell that your cloud is being moved. Should you stick your head out of the edge of your space and into the open air of the Dreamscape, you will see the Twisted City pass below, then the black river leading to the Office of Dream Administration, and then onward to where the river met a deep, dark sea.

The fluffy pink Nimbus Clouds fade to a sunset orange, and below, a tiny island upon a jagged rock face comes into view. On that island, there is a town of pre-industrial European appearance, a mausoleum on a cliffside that is surrounded on all other sides by a sprawling cemetery, an enormous mansion, a forest made up of dizzyingly tall pine trees, a beach that led up to the mouth of an ominous cave, and a gigantic striped tent. The town itself looks prepared for a festival, as banners hangs on every lamp post, and a large stage stood in the square, but the whole place looks abandoned. What could this be?

The Nimbus Clouds clutter around the cliffside, allowing their passengers out onto the island via the cemetery. It is peaceful, the only sound belonging to the gusts of wind as the sun sets overhead. The stillness, while serene, begins to feel suspicious in the back of your mind, and it takes very little time for those suspicions to come to fruition.

You notice that you are surrounded on all sides by graves. The ground begins to rumble and shake.

Oh dear.

Skeletons on Parade

♫♪♩♬ [CONTENT WARNINGS: None.]

The moment things just begin to feel a bit too quiet, a rumbling sound rises up from the trembling earth, and skeletal hands burst up from the ground. Before you can even think to run, skeletons begin rising up from their graves, digging their way out, and the stone door of the mausoleum is thrown open wide, revealing even more skeletons! Suddenly, they’re everywhere! You are completely surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of the living dead, and they begin to close in around you and all your fellow dreamers. Your once-delightful dream has now become a nightmare! Surely this must be the end!

“Welcome!” the skeletons bellow, followed by a chorus of “Happy Halloween!” wishes from the crowd as they whisk you off jovially and lead you toward the town. You’re led to the town square, where the plethora of undead are throwing a magnificent party!

You are informed that should you choose to stay in town, you are welcome to partake of their fun and their food. A feast of candies, fluffy bread, hearty meat, pumpkin dishes and apple treats covers the banquet table in the square and a band plays a happy tune on the stage. A boney drum major prepares his marching band, all dressed in sharp uniforms, for a fabulous parade, and there is a pumpkin carving table nearby that seems to be the location for a jack-o-lantern contest. Kegs of red wine and honey mead are already flowing and skeletons are dancing and singing and running around placing crowns of marigold and poppy upon the heads of guests.

However, if this type of party isn’t your speed, there are several other options. A local is happy to list them off for you.

Monster Mash

♫♪♩♬ [CONTENT WARNINGS: Will vary by thread, please mark accordingly.]

The mansion on the far side of town, opulent and grand, apparently belongs to the elusive mayor. Very little is known about her, but each Halloween she hosts a party of her own. Rumor has it she’s a bit of a trickster, but no one seems terribly concerned by it.

If you’d prefer to head that way, you’ll see a sign in the mayor’s foyer on an easel-like stand that indicates that this is a costume party. Of course, you did not come in costume, but not to worry! The sign also helpfully informs you that there is a nearby closet that will magically dress you in a magnificent costume of your choosing. How exciting! There is no dress code besides “costume”, so wear whatever you like!

Once you step through the door to the ballroom, you’ll see a number of fun things to do. Music to dance to, apples to bob for, party games to play, and an array of delightful spooky-themed treats.

An oddly stiff servant comes out carrying a large bowl of red punch full of bat-shaped ice cubes and begins scooping the liquid into glasses to hand out to party goers. While some of the local guests seem happy to partake, others seem to shy away--- perhaps alluding to the fact that this is no ordinary punch.

And they’d be right--- the punch has magical properties. Anyone who drinks it will magically be transformed into whatever their costume is for the duration of the party! Did you dress as a vampire? Well, turns out you’re a vampire now. Came as a pineapple? Now you’re a giant anthropomorphic pineapple with arms and legs and a face. Drink with caution!

In All My Dreams I Drown

♫♪♩♬ [CONTENT WARNINGS: Will vary by thread, please mark accordingly.]

Perhaps you’re not interested in a party. There are some skeletons who will gladly lead you to the beach, where they are having a night of quiet contemplation and remembrance for loved ones they’ve been separated from by death. What that means for skeletons is unclear, but they are sending floating lanterns out to sea and it’s sure to be a lovely sight. Perhaps you also have a loved one you wish to remember.

However, as the ceremony goes on, the mouth of the nearby cave leading into the stone face seems to be emitting a strange hum that draws you in. Perhaps you can ignore it for a while, but the longer it continues, the more it calls to you. It’s possible you can sense its sinister intentions and flee to the safety of the town, or that a helpful skeleton catches you wandering that way and offers to take you away from the shore. But maybe you fail to heed the warning signs for the sake of curiosity, or are caught in the thrall of that persistent hum, and slip off into the darkness.

There’s a handheld lantern at the mouth of the cave that you can take. The wind feels like an inhaled breath, drawing you further into the cave, deeper and deeper, and slowly the light of your lantern begins to fade. And soon, you are swallowed by darkness.

What is your worst fear? Your most unsettling nightmare? Whatever it is, the darkness of this cave seems to know it intimately and plays it out for you, trapping you in a vision of bespoke terror from which there seems to be no escape.

However, there is one way to curtail the nightmare before it can reach a blood-curdling fever pitch; if you were present for the Starry Night Festival earlier this month, you may have acquired a bottle of stardust. Popping that open will banish whatever terror is trapping you. There is only one catch--- you cannot do it for yourself. Someone else must give up their bottle of stardust to help you.

Lucky for you, the skeletons at the beach saw you go in and know exactly what you’re in for, and some of them have run off to call for help so that even if you came alone, someone will be able to come help you. And if they cannot find anyone with stardust to spare, they will find the Outsider and petition them for help. Who will come to your rescue? Or perhaps you will save another? Either way, hopefully the nightmare will end before it gets too out of hand--- or perhaps some comfort can be offered for a troubled mind. At least this is a good way to form a meaningful connection.

Mx. Sinister

♫♪♩♬ [CONTENT WARNINGS: glitch, false reality, mind reading, being followed by a dangerous person.]

Perhaps you choose to go for a walk in the pine forest behind the mansion. Maybe all these skeletons are a bit much for you and you’d rather just take a nice, peaceful walk along the woodland trail. The trees tower overhead, willing the air with the scent of pine sap and forest brush. The sounds of animals rustling through the foliage can be heard from all directions, and occasionally the call of an owl will echo through the trees. It is dark, impossibly dark, but the trail is carefully lit with glowing jack-o-lanterns, their smiling faces reassuring you of your safety.

Then, from deep in the woods, emerges a familiar face. A friend of yours from the waking world, or maybe a relative, or a lover. Someone you trust. They greet you, telling you that they were lost and they’re so relieved to find you, and at first you are happy to see them! But as time goes on, you notice something feels… off. Your companion attempts to lead you somewhere, and you want to trust them, but they will quickly get you hopelessly lost in the deep, dark woods if you do. Whether you trust them or not, they will eventually reveal their true nature--- a shapeshifter. And they want to steal your face and take your place in the Dreamscape.

Run! You can’t confront them alone! Even if you manage to overlook the fact that they are wearing the face of a loved one, there is something compelling about them that prevents you from striking them. They can only be warded off by the help of a fellow dreamer. Whether you’re the one being rescued or coming to someone else’s aid, the incident is sure to forge a meaningful bond between the two of you.

The Greatest Show Unearthed

♫♪♩♬ [CONTENT WARNINGS: uncanny valley, body horror, graphic death of an NPC, potential gore, coulrophobia, and other unsettling imagery.]

There is one more attraction on the island, though none of the locals seem to know much about it. It’s that big tent in the distance, covered in red and white stripes. It arrived only recently, evidently, and no one knows how, though the locals are willing to chalk this up to having been “sleeping.” As the sun sets and the world goes dark, however, the tent is warmly lit from the inside, and if you happen to be on that end of town, you will hear a jaunty tune played on a calliope rise up over the noise. A circus?

Should you approach it, you’ll find that that’s precisely what it is. A “Circus of Frights,” says the painted banner. Whatever could that mean? Surely it must be harmless fun, right? The admission is even free!

A ringmaster, dressed in a festive red jacket and tophat, her cheeks and lips painted bright red, stood at the center of the ring, welcoming the crowd and beckoning you all to sit and enjoy. Is it just you or are her eyes a little too large? Her smile, a bit too wide? No, you think, it must be the makeup.

The show begins promptly, with plenty of to-do and fanfare from the big band, as performers of all sorts begin to put on their shows. Harlequins with painted faces, bright clothes, and colored hair, acrobats in tight and glittering leotards on flying trapeze, cleverly trained animals and their tamers, strongmen, contortionists, dancers hanging from sashes on the ceiling and more. All of the performers have an odd quality to them, you notice. Something about the way they move, the expressions they wore seemed very strange and almost uncanny, but quickly it is put to the back of your mind by more daring delights.

As the show comes to an end, the ringmaster announces one final act. She stands on a platform that is wheeled in by two other performers, a bed of straw between herself and the old wood of her stand. The lights go down, and the performers dance all together now, twirling madly in dizzying spirals and leaning into their movements at seasick angles. There is chanting and singing and moaning which rises up in a loud and horrible crescendo as the ringmaster shouts in a language you do not understand until suddenly, it all goes abruptly and dreadfully silent. The performers stop dead in their tracks. The ringmaster exclaims another word you do not know in a wail, and then, the straw at her feet bursts into flame. As does the rest of her, as though she was drenched from head to toe in kerosene. She is immolated before your very eyes as she screams with agony.

The rest of the performers turn their hungry blackened eyes to the crowd. A moment of cold, still tension hangs over the big top, filled only by crackling flame and dying screams. And then, at some unspoken signal, all of the circus performers break into a sprint, flinging themselves into the crowd. You have only one option--- escape!

There is chaos everywhere in the big top, and between frightened animals, fleeing audience members, and the spreading flames, escape options are limited. The performers are inhumanly strong and seem dead set on committing acts of senseless violence to complete whatever dark ritual they are performing. You have a better chance of escaping with help from another dreamer.

Thankfully, if things do go sour, death in the Dreamscape is not permanent! You can recover from any injuries or even death by sleeping, assuming that healing magic isn’t available. If you die here or become injured to the point of being incapacitated, you will wake to find yourself in bed at an inn back in the town, mostly healed.

Content Warning Reminder

Due to the nature of this Halloween event, it is especially important that we remember to use content warnings for this event! The best way to do this is to add the warnings in the title of the particular comment wherein the content begins, or to place the warning on the toplevel of the thread through whatever manner you see fit, provided that it's prominently displayed!

If you need a refresher on our blacklist so you know which content to warn for, here is a link to our rules page where you can find it. Gore and coulrophobia are especially relevant to this event. Stay safe, and have fun!