buttrinthum | OOC INTRO + DREAM EVENT PLOTTING

• OOC INTRO + CR MEME •

For new players, welcome to the game! And for current players, thanks for sticking around! This post will act as an ooc intro for new players, a CR meme for everyone, and a place to make some plans for our second Dream Event which will go live on February 12th. You're more than welcome to get a head start and make closed logs for your plotting.
Below you will see the CR meme form + the Dream Event in all of its entirety. This dream event is inspired by the world of Alice in Wonderland. If you'd like to opt out of this plot, assume your character is just hanging out in the normal Somnius without any recognition of what is going on in the Dream Event like the locals are doing. more explanation of that is in the event itself! This event will ICly run from February 18th — 26th.

Curiouser and Curiouser

There is no doubting that a tension has grown amongst those who have been in Visium the longest. This time last year, all hell had broken loose. Veterans have made their preparations, passing off dire warnings of red moons and terrible transformations.

Yet the days on the calendar slip by. Those that have kept meticulous track of the comings and goings of strange tidings will note that nothing happens when it should. The moon rises normally, and sets just the very same. Valentine’s Day passes by without an issue, allowing the romantics of Somnius to carry out their plans with little issue — save for their own self-inflicted fumblings, perhaps.

But peace is a thing that cannot last, and certainly not here.

One night, in the wee hours of the morning, something shifts. To the dreamers, it could feel like shifting just slightly to the left, or missing a step going down the stairs. It’s a small thing, but a thing nonetheless. And as the sun rises, those that step outside will see just how much the world has changed. While the labyrinth still exists in the distance, the castle at its heart now distinctly different, and better fit for a queen. Beyond its grasp, new walls and barriers have formed to create an entirely new maze dragging you and everything you recognize into it. From your very home, to the cliffs at the edge of town, the trees in the enchanted forest and even the businesses you frequent are all now part of the winding, wondrous game.

Welcome to Wonderland.

“Eat Me”

cw: body transformation.

No matter where you go, trouble seems to follow. In addition to the halls of their home becoming winding and circular, those that choose to hunker down may find even more trouble afoot. Cooking and eating become their own exercises in wariness. In one moment, the carefully prepared breakfast platter on your table might seem just that. The second you blink, however, a stray sign might appear, one labeled with a simple directive: “Eat Me.” Even the most eagle eyed of dreamers might miss it, with how quick the signs seem to appear.

Taking a bite will make the trouble instantly known. The dreamer will begin to change, impacted by a variety of transformative effects. The only way to change back is to keep eating. If the fried eggs you prepared made you tall, then you’ll have to hope the bacon will make you small. Just be careful of the toast — it almost seems to be grinning at you.

With each food now its own potential peril, dreamers will need to be wary. Their next bite could have any number of consequences.

EFFECTS (click to expand)

Growing and Shrinking: One minute you’re normal sized, the next you’ve grown to bump your head against the roof of your house. Or perhaps it’s the opposite, and now you can no longer reach the countertops. Better hope you can find something to reverse the effect, and that it won’t just make things worse.
Speaking in Rhyme: With just one bite, you’ll be in quite the plight. Everything you say will have to rhyme at the end of the day. Just don’t use the word orange!
Split into Twins: One becomes two, and with a blink you find yourself looking into a living, breathing mirror. Perhaps this twin is one born of Wonderland and its strange, winding logic. Alternatively, you may just start to feel like half of yourself now. Where one twin might embody the fun-loving side of a dreamer, the other may reflect their fears or anxieties.
Near Invisibility: One minute you’re there, the next you’re gone — mostly. A passing glance at your reflection might show the curve of your mouth or the span of your teeth. How absolutely mad…
Strange Transformations: The residents of Wonderland are strange folk indeed, and now you’ll fit right in. Perhaps your head will grow larger, even as your body remains the same size. Will your features grow wider, your smile sharper? Are those feathers now spanning from your shoulders? Rabbit ears atop your head? Whiskers on your cheeks? It’s hard to say without looking in the mirror…

Who. Are. You?

Within the impossible and absurd maze that has consumed Somnius, there are a few recurring faces that can be found… pretty much anywhere except for the Looking-Glass realm, though some have their preferences and tendencies. They will always be perfectly sized for the part of the maze where they’re found.

Yes, that means some of them will be in your house. But you have more important things to worry about, don't you?

Some will be more persistent in others in getting you to engage with the wonder and whimsy of this strange world. Most will not be outright malicious, but they all have their own tricks to be played. Whether the dreamer falls for their wiles will be up to you, just as getting away from whatever plans they have will fall solely to the dreamer and their allies.

NPCS (click to expand)

The Caterpillar: A massive talking caterpillar, twice as long as a human. He will always be found seated comfortably in some foliage, smoking a hookah pipe. If you approach him, he will be very willing to answer any questions you have about Wonderland! Unfortunately, his answers will be painfully slow, tedious, and meandering, and he will get very cross if you interrupt him, try to keep him on-target, or don’t pay attention. Agitate him enough and he may lose his place and start over from the beginning. Maybe his advice isn’t worth it…
The White Rabbit: A rabbit in a waistcoat, forever consulting a list and a pocket watch. He will never be rude if spoken to, but he will not have time to speak- he’s dallied far too long, and he has another appointment coming. Any attempt to follow him is likely to end in you stumbling into a rabbit hole and being deposited, back at your normal size, in the Garden.
Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum: Always encountered together (And one of the few who are likely to be found in the Looking-Glass realm), this youthful pair will do their best to guide and direct Dreamers! Unfortunately, they never quite seem to agree on how best to do it. Their instructions will be confusing and contradictory, and the longer you spend trying to clarify the problem and work it out, the more likely it is to devolve into a fully-fledged fight between the two. Any attempt to separate them or pick sides, however, will unify them against you, and they’ll become hostile. If you attempt to follow their directions, you’re likely to stumble into a Looking Glass.
The Hatter: A peculiar little man with a massive top hat. He can be found at any social gathering, though he is most particularly fond of a good tea party. Of all the denizens of Wonderland, he manages the unique feat of being crazy and incomprehensible even by their standards. In addition to being rude, loud, and socially clueless, he will constantly derail any conversation with his baffling non-sequiturs and bizarre logical leaps until nobody’s quite sure what was originally being talked about.
The March Hare: Often found with the Hatter, but not always. He’s not quite as demented as his friend, but he is extremely outgoing and gregarious, always eager to involve you in whatever events are going on and very bad at picking up on disinterest or negative responses- he’ll just creatively reinterpret them so that you’re agreeing to whatever he’s pushing you into. And really, you don’t want to be rude, do you?
The Dodo: He will never be found alone, but always in animated discussion with another of Wonderland’s unusual residents. He has a terrible habit of interjecting himself into other conversations- even between Dreamers- and offering his profound insights and opinions, often in as verbose and pompous a fashion as he can manage. As if this wasn’t bad enough, he often misspeaks and misuses his words, makes solutions that resolve exactly nothing, and even says things that are outright wrong.
The Queen of Hearts: Never found without an entire retinue of armed and deadly playing cards, the Queen is one of Wonderland’s most feared residents. She’s ill-tempered and unpleasant at the best of times. She insists on joining in any games, often cheats, and then gets angry when she loses. Call her out on her cheating, defeat her at a game, or even have too much conversation that doesn’t center around her- along with any of a number of other trivial ‘sins’- and there’s a good chance she’ll have her guards try to arrest you and take you back to her castle to stand trial.

I Have An Excellent Idea.

No matter where you try to go within this so-called “Wonderland,” there always seems to be one face that crops up. A rather… eccentric hare — one that walks on its hind legs and is brown in color — seems quite keen on cajoling dreamers into joining his strange activities. No matter what excuses you offer up, he seems more than keen on talking around them.

Even if you leave the creature behind, he seems keen to follow. Losing him in the maze will only work for so long. Eventually, you’ll find him once more — or perhaps, he’ll find you. No matter where you go, he’s found something for you to do. When you finally do relent, and who could really say no to that continued insistence, he’ll lead the way to wherever you need to be. Eventually, you’ll come upon the very event he’s talked up. Perhaps it’s some sort of game, or even a party. It could even be a –

Hold on. Did he just say “trial date?”

Tea Party: Within the maze-like walls of the garden, one might stumble onto a garden tea party. Any of the colorful inhabitants of Wonderland might be here, along with various speaking animals depending on the size of the party. You’re more than welcome to join! Nothing is forcing you to sit down, of course, though some particularly eager party guests might try to talk you into it. If you do, however, it will be very difficult to break away from the conversation- the more you try to excuse yourself, the more insistently you’ll be distracted, redirected, and talked over. Best to just enjoy the tea party, though of course none of the tea will ever make it to you.
A Game: The denizens of Wonderland may not always be much fun, but they do enjoy games and contests! You might find yourself invited- perhaps coerced- to any of a number of activities, ranging from croquet (A word of advice, flamingos make terrible mallets), chess with the players as pieces (Don’t assume the rules are the same as you’re used to), contests of riddles or poetry (One might find that the riddles and poems don’t make much sense, though, even their own) or races and other challenges (Specifically constructed so nobody actually competes and everybody is declared the winner)
The Court: Whether you were arrested and dragged here or stumbled in on your own power, anybody who comes to the castle that stands in the center of the original labyrinth will be put on trial! The Queen of Hearts demands it, and she insists on prosecuting all trials- mercifully, she doesn’t judge the cases herself. The court is instead presided over by her husband, the King of Hearts. The trials, like everything else in Wonderland, run on what might charitably be described as ‘insane troll logic,’ and the arguments and evidence presented are spurious at best and nonsensical at worst, and the sentence is always decapitation! Better hope you can convince the King to commute your sentence.

Only the Things Go the Other Way!

No matter where you go, there are always mirrors and holes to be found. Some are big, some are small. While the holes seem to whisper to you with the wind that blows through, the mirrors seem to distort your reflection. Wherever you are, be it wandering your own home or getting lost in the even more impenetrable Enchanted Forest, two young twins may find you.

“They ain’t no danger, no how.” They say of the mirrors and rabbit holes. “Perfectly safe is what they is.”

It doesn’t matter if you take them at your word or find yourself otherwise enticed. One way or another, you’ll find yourself in front of the mirror, or perhaps shrunken down in front of a rabbit’s hole.

If you touch the mirror, you’ll find that the surface is cool to the touch and, does it bend beneath you? Once your hand is through, it’s only a matter of time before the rest follows, like diving through a pool of crystalline water.

If you step through the rabbit hole, you’ll find yourself enveloped in inky black darkness. There is no way to go but forward, toward a faint speck of light that grows brighter with each step.

Reach through or push through — either way you will find yourself in a world both identical to and entirely different than the one you’ve just come from. Here, there is no labyrinth. The castle, both the one you’re used to and this new one that’s appeared are gone. The town and its patrons have all vanished, leaving nothing but tall trees and bushes in its stead. This world is wild and untouched by any who might have sought to leave its mark.

Wild as the land is, it means you’re not alone. Fearsome beasts like the wild Jubjub Birds or the Frumious Bandersnatches call these abandoned lands their home. They’ve longed for fresh meat, and now here you are. You can fight them if you wish, or you can run for your life. They will pursue you doggedly until you find a place to hide. As long as they have your scent, though, only one thing will call them off the hunt — the call of the Jabberwock, most fearsome of all.

While the others can be warded off or even killed, the Jabberwock cannot. Only a sword of magical make can fell the beast. If you aren’t carrying one with you? Tough luck. Better find a place to lay low.

It isn’t all bad news, though. If you just so happened to have carried any of the strange food through with you, you’re in luck. Eating it once more will reverse the effects, but only if you chance taking another bite. There’s plenty of other food around, too, if you do decide to try your luck. The berry bushes don’t seem poisonous, and the nuts from the trees seem normal enough. These, too, have the power to transform and to change. If you fail to find anything you trust enough to eat, though, fear not. The occasional cake or scone can be found on a stray stump, up high on a branch, or settled against a stone. They all still carry the same message as before. “Eat Me.”

If you can avoid the snatching claws and gnashing teeth of the monsters long enough to take a bite, you may find some relief.

No matter what you decide to do, one thing will be clear. This world is not yours, and you must find your way back. For better or for worse, the same twins that coaxed you into this world will point the way toward more mirrors and stray rabbit holes. Trust them or not, they don’t care. They offer you the same statement as before.

“They ain’t no danger, no how,” they say of these paths. “Perfectly safe is what they is.”

OOC INFO + CR MEME CODE

Welcome to our third dream event, this time inspired by Alice in Wonderland! The event will go up at the normal time, on the 12th, but is forward dated to start February 18th! This means you can enjoy your Valentine's Day plans uninterrupted before everything gets truly mad! All the Wonderland NPCs can be run as you need in individual threads- feel free to write them however you have to for plotting purposes!

As always, we’ll have a section below where you can ask any questions about the events.

Player Name and Pronouns: Contact: Your best contact. Be sure to let others know if they can add you! About Me: Your hobbies, timezone, where you're from, whatever else you want to go here. Character Name: Canon: Character Age: General Info: Their personality, role in the story, what they do etc Housing Plans: Where are they going to live? Who are they living with? This can help everyone plot out housing/neighbourhood CR! There will also be a top level for characters looking for roommates. Desired CR: What it says on the tin. What sorts of relationships are you looking for? What personalities go best/worst with your character? Who would attract them and who would repulse them? Initial Plans: Will they get a job? Teach at the school? Cause mischief? Dream Event Plans: Will they fight? Run and hide? Visit the tavern or the wizard's tower? RP Wishlist: List out some scenarios you really want to RP, or a character arc you'd like to work on! Anything else: Put up a funny gif or do whatever you want here. You can link your permissions post and a recent top level too.

OOC INTRO + DREAM EVENT PLOTTING

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