004 - Lucid Dreaming

[tabularasa_mods]

Lucid Dreaming Event Info Pt.1 ▲ Event Info Pt.2 ▼ Comments Please see the two info posts linked above for details on the nature of the event, the nightmares within, and the setting it takes place in. You may ask any unanswered questions in either post. If your character dies at any point during the dream event, please leave a comment in the death report thread to notify the mods.

As a final reminder, all characters will fall asleep for the full duration of this event whether you decide to take part or not. You may continue tagging threads that take place before the event, but everyone will fall asleep simultaneously.

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Falling Asleep, Waking Up
The shift happens without warning, much like the first time people appeared in the world. Perhaps you remember what you were doing in the last moments before a strange feeling of exhaustion overwhelmed you - or perhaps you remember nothing at all. Whatever it may be, you've appeared somewhere new. A seemingly ordinary train station, if not for the bizarre walls of flesh blocking the only exits. The only path forward is down into the pulsating depths, a humid breeze pushing at your back.

There may be others here with you, or you may be alone. Could there be more people trapped in this strange place? You won't find them just by standing around.

Nightmares
The screeching of a distant train will echo through the tunnels on occasion, shadows flicking through the translucent flesh of the walls. Sometimes, however, instead of fading away the noise will only grow louder, closer, until it sounds like the train should be upon you. It never appears, but something else always will.

The train is a siren call for nightmares, and you're unfortunate enough to be their victim. The shadows turn alive, twisting and growing as they rise up from the ground and begin to transform. What form they take varies, but the shadows of the mind know the true fears of those who walk among them. Are you prepared to face the darkness?

Volcanic Panic

The shadows congeal at the edges of the floor, and soon after a hot orange glow begins to fill the room - molten lava is pooling in from the other end of the tunnel. It rolls slowly forward, devouring everything it touches with an unquenchable searing hunger, leaving behind only the charred bones of its victims... although, strangely, the tunnels themselves appear to be completely unharmed.

Outrunning the flow of lava shouldn't be a problem, but there seems to be no end to it. How long can you run from something that never stops? Or worse, what happens if you find yourself surrounded? You'll need to find a way to higher ground before that happens.

A Radiant Plague

The shadows rise up into familiar shapes, and at first glance it'd be easy to mistake them for people. They may even share the faces and voices of people you know, stumbling towards you with wide, open arms... and empty, glowing eyes filled with an orange light. Something smells sickly sweet, and it's only once they're close enough to grab you that they begin to attack.

These are not your friends, and they'll do whatever it takes to make you one of them instead. Unfortunately, it's not an experience you'll be able to survive. Your only hope is to fight back before the plague can take hold, lest you become another mindless husk that knows only to further spread the infection.

Trust No One, Not Even Yourself

The shadows stretch and fill the air, choking everything in a thick blanket of darkness... before dispersing just as quickly as they'd appeared. A few moments pass and nothing else seems to be happening. You must've gotten lucky this time!

... Or did you?

Surely it can't be that simple. Nothing else here has been, so something must have happened just now. It's only you and the person you're currently traveling with... but are you sure that's really them right now? How do you know they haven't been possessed by another nightmare, waiting until you let your guard down to stab you in the back? Should you interrogate them to be sure, or start with restraining them and ask questions later? Wouldn't it be better to just kill them before things get out of hand? The sooner you strike, the safer you'll be when their true form emerges.

Yes, that must be the real explanation. It has to be them that's been possessed by a nightmare. What else could it be?

Joker’s Wild

There’s no limit to what form the shadows can take. The world may have its own perception of fear, but your nightmares are something only you could understand. What darkness lurks in the depths of your heart?

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code bases by tricklet

Comments

[psychokinesia]

[The voice is relayed back to Add, somewhere else in the twisting tunnels. He's never met a Cole here before... but it's probably not a monster. That's better than nothing. It feels like it's been days since he's spoken to another human.]

Help? Hah, as if I'd need help! [well, that's a total lie, but more obviously—] Ah, but Dynamo appears to be restricted somehow... I can't see what's going on from here, but it doesn't appear to be serious. Help me with whatever that is and I'll consider offering you my assistance. Keke, how does that sound?

[He's mostly blowing hot air around because he doesn't want to admit he's alone and kind of freaked out right now, but the offer isn't completely empty. Being able to scout from long distances has done wonders for trying to map this place, so he has a pretty good idea of how to get around. Surely that's something other people would be interested in and want to keep him around for, right?]

[theforgottenboy]

[He's not entirely sure what Add is talking about, and what he can sense from them is even more faded than their voice. But of course he wants to help.]

Who is Dynamo? How can I help them?

[This thing must be Add, after all.]

[psychokinesia]

The machine you're looking at right now—that's Dynamo.

[The dynamo attempts to do a friendly little twirl, but it's more of a sad wiggle with it still being stuck in the wall. Dynamo is trying their best.]

It's probably stuck on something. The walls here are as much of a nuisance as ever... just pull it out of whatever it is and it should be fine.

[theforgottenboy]

[Machine? Like Turing?]

I thought you were Add.

[Either way, he gathers enough of the situation to reach up and pry Dynamo from the tentacle wall with a hefty tug.]

[psychokinesia]

Eh? Well, yeah, I'm Add. Didn't I say that already? [obviously?? what's this guy so confused about huh

There's a gross wet pop as Dynamo is finally freed of the wall of flesh. It beeps cheerfully—that might be its attempt at a "thank you"—before settling itself into a roughly eye-level hover. Whether Cole decides to pay attention to it or not, it's going to continue following him around from here on out.]

Status updated... yes, yes, good! That's a much better reading. There was a slight miscalculation in the danger zone... hmm, I'll have to consider a wider margin for error from now on. [... and Add is mostly just mumbling to himself through the channel now, but it's fine, he remembers Cole is there eventually.] Anyway! Current location isn't that far away. It'll be easier to navigate once we regroup, so just continue along this path for now. There shouldn't be too many obstacles. [probably, maybe]