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yumemigaoka2025-05-24 08:42 pm
tworo) wrote in yumemigaoka2025-05-24 08:42 pm
in the valley of the dolls we sleep
" The crystals' power is tremendous! Their unstable output made the Union fret, but...if I can harness this energy, it will open up research possibilities we've only dreamed of.
At last, paradise will be mine to create. "
Welcome to...Turo's? Disturbance event! To recap from the monthly post, Disturbances are surreal and dangerous dreamscapes that draw directly on the struggles, fears and emotions of a single character, similar to the TV world dungeons in Persona 4 or the Heartscapes in Blue Reflection Second Light. They're unique among Outlying Locations in that they vanish once resolved and incubate extremely powerful enemies at their core who must be defeated to save the person at its heart – in this instance, it's Dreamer Miraidon!
Using the descriptions in the log below, you may freely toplevel and have characters explore and investigate as you please! The descriptions given in this log are to give direction and progression to the events but please feel free to play around within the bounds of what's established as much as you like. Characters wishing to investigate and uncover additional hints and lore nuggets at the heart of the dungeon should indicate they are investigating in the comment header of their toplevel.
To clear the event and prevent a negative outcome on the plot that will effect both the Dream Sphere and Yumemigaoka, characters must clear both the Mid-Tier and Boss Combat Encounters by the OOC deadline of June 7th.
THE GATES OF EDEN
- Upon entering the Dream, Dreamers will find themselves standing on the rim of a massive crater. The opposite side is hard to see; there's a thick layer of pale fog up here, obscuring vision. Dreamers will have to climb down in order to enter.
Fortunately, though the cliffs are steep, it's easy to find a carved path that spirals down into the depths. The grade is gentle, and there's no enemies here. It's a pleasant walk. Breaking through the fog cover, things only get better; the beauty of the Zero Crater spreads out before you. A tiered landscape of soft pastel grass, glittering crystalline spires, and sparkling waterfalls that cascade down from seemingly nowhere. There's no screams or haunting voices, just a gentle sound like windchimes.
This is a good dream. This is a paradise.
!THE PLAINS
Upon reaching the bottom of the crater, Dreamers will find themselves in an open plain. The grass is mostly a pale green, but pastel shades of other colors ripple as you move through it. In the taller grass, strange Torments occasionally slip out. They look almost like glass animal figurines, the kind a child might collect: ruby foxes, smoky glass rabbits, birds of sapphire and jet. As long as you're peaceful, they won't attack. But if you're too loud, or push forward too aggressively - well, it's your own fault, for shattering the peace of such a place.
In some places, there's grottos of trees, with crystalline bark and leaves that chime lightly as they blow in the wind. Some of the waterfalls from above terminate here, forming pools of cool, clear water. It's a peaceful environment. It even smells lovely. It's very tempting to sit down next to a pool for a while, or even just lay right down in the grass.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: Those who sit and rest too long in a grotto will find the trees slowly shifting towards them. The slight tinkling of their crystalline roots and leaves as they move are often the only warning a Dreamer will receive before they're grabbed. If they seize a Dreamer, they will attempt to pull them into their trunk and grow around them, encasing them, too, in crystal. Fortunately, this is a slow enough process that you'll have plenty of time to call for help.
If a Dreamer can't be wrench free physically, the trees are still partially plants and can be repelled with fire. They will also let go if you sing them back to sleep.
In some places, there's grottos of trees, with crystalline bark and leaves that chime lightly as they blow in the wind. Some of the waterfalls from above terminate here, forming pools of cool, clear water. It's a peaceful environment. It even smells lovely. It's very tempting to sit down next to a pool for a while, or even just lay right down in the grass.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: Those who sit and rest too long in a grotto will find the trees slowly shifting towards them. The slight tinkling of their crystalline roots and leaves as they move are often the only warning a Dreamer will receive before they're grabbed. If they seize a Dreamer, they will attempt to pull them into their trunk and grow around them, encasing them, too, in crystal. Fortunately, this is a slow enough process that you'll have plenty of time to call for help.
If a Dreamer can't be wrench free physically, the trees are still partially plants and can be repelled with fire. They will also let go if you sing them back to sleep.
!TUNNELS
There's cavern openings in the Crater. Some are simply in the walls, but most are underwater, hidden in those peaceful pools. Diving underneath, you surface again in a tunnel system. It's not cramped and winding like the Reverie Necropolis; here, the paths are wide, made entirely of glittering white crystal. Light refracts off it in rainbow hues, and it's clear enough that you can see yourself reflected in the depths.
The only thing is, you can't get out.
Attempting to turn around and exit the way you came, you'll find the entrance gone, as if it were never there. You'll simply have to keep moving forward, accompanied by a thousand faceted versions of yourself. You can feel them watching you.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: If Dreamers touch the crystal walls, or spend too long observing their own reflections, they'll begin to grow increasingly disoriented. Are they reflections, or are they real? They seem to move first, sometimes, before the Dreamers themselves. Which of you is really the reflection here? Dreamers who spend too long engaging with their doppelgangers will find the reflections reaching out to drag them into the crystals, stepping out to take their place. Reflections will attempt to act like the originals in order to lead other Dreamers astray, spiraling deeper into the labyrinth.
Dreamers may free their trapped teammates by noticing that the reflections are fake and forcing them back into the walls. The reflections do not share the powers and abilities of the real Dreamer; it's not much harder than shoving a regular person, though they will protest, struggle, and cry that they're the real ones. Why are you turning on them like this? Their only real move is emotional manipulation, so they'll try their best.
The trapped Dreamers can also free themselves by simply shattering the crystals they're stuck in and breaking free. But it can be difficult to tell which facet is reality - a strong sense of self is needed, or else the help of someone else to keep you grounded.
The only thing is, you can't get out.
Attempting to turn around and exit the way you came, you'll find the entrance gone, as if it were never there. You'll simply have to keep moving forward, accompanied by a thousand faceted versions of yourself. You can feel them watching you.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: If Dreamers touch the crystal walls, or spend too long observing their own reflections, they'll begin to grow increasingly disoriented. Are they reflections, or are they real? They seem to move first, sometimes, before the Dreamers themselves. Which of you is really the reflection here? Dreamers who spend too long engaging with their doppelgangers will find the reflections reaching out to drag them into the crystals, stepping out to take their place. Reflections will attempt to act like the originals in order to lead other Dreamers astray, spiraling deeper into the labyrinth.
Dreamers may free their trapped teammates by noticing that the reflections are fake and forcing them back into the walls. The reflections do not share the powers and abilities of the real Dreamer; it's not much harder than shoving a regular person, though they will protest, struggle, and cry that they're the real ones. Why are you turning on them like this? Their only real move is emotional manipulation, so they'll try their best.
The trapped Dreamers can also free themselves by simply shattering the crystals they're stuck in and breaking free. But it can be difficult to tell which facet is reality - a strong sense of self is needed, or else the help of someone else to keep you grounded.
!THE LAB
While making their way through the crystal caverns, Dreamers may stumble upon a strange, out-of-place door. It's grey and metal, entirely unremarkable except for the incongruity with its surroundings. Entering, they'll find themselves in a dimly lit lab space of sorts. It's cramped here. Every surface is piled with paperwork, and multiple computer monitors flicker with nearly incomprehensible graphs and spreadsheets.
Somewhere above, an old-fashioned loudspeaker crackles to life.
"Find me the energy readings from last week."
A man's voice. Those who have met Doctor Turo Morado will recognize it as his; those who have met his Figment may still recognize it as its. He gives nothing but the simple order. If you cast through the files and papers to do as he asks, yet another order will come. And another. And another. Each of them are simple grunt tasks, but they're never-ending. There is no reward, and there is no end. The door is locked. This is what you do now.
This game of Simon Says can only end by refusing or questioning the Doctor's commands. This gets the voice on the loudspeaker to finally respond directly to the Dreamers, snapping:
"Malfunctioning? Oh, well, we can fix that."
This is when the Torments will emerge - slender amethyst serpents that crackle with electrical energy. Dreamers will have to defeat them before the door will unlock and free them to continue through the caverns.
However, if you continue playing the good servant and following orders, eventually the voice giving them changes. It morphs, as it's speaking, into your own voice.
Here it comes.
Somewhere above, an old-fashioned loudspeaker crackles to life.
A man's voice. Those who have met Doctor Turo Morado will recognize it as his; those who have met his Figment may still recognize it as its. He gives nothing but the simple order. If you cast through the files and papers to do as he asks, yet another order will come. And another. And another. Each of them are simple grunt tasks, but they're never-ending. There is no reward, and there is no end. The door is locked. This is what you do now.
This game of Simon Says can only end by refusing or questioning the Doctor's commands. This gets the voice on the loudspeaker to finally respond directly to the Dreamers, snapping:
This is when the Torments will emerge - slender amethyst serpents that crackle with electrical energy. Dreamers will have to defeat them before the door will unlock and free them to continue through the caverns.
However, if you continue playing the good servant and following orders, eventually the voice giving them changes. It morphs, as it's speaking, into your own voice.
"Very good. I can take over from here."
Here it comes.
!THE DEPTHS
Finally reaching the cavern depths, Dreamers will find a much more open environment, made of larger chambers with towering ceilings. As above, water flows down from some unknown source, creating a shallow pool that covers much of the ground throughout the chambers. It must be this water that feeds the purple flowers that grow everywhere down here. These are bioluminescent, glowing with a faint violet light of their own that illuminates the deeper caverns. Any other light sources will fail. But that's fine. It's pretty, isn't it?
Though the water here is never very deep, spending too long wading through it presents other dangers. It has a soporific effect, causing Dreamers to become sleepy and forgetful. Combined with the strange lighting, it becomes quite easy to lose the path. Fortunately, the glowing flower patches indicate where you can find strips of dry land. Some of these are narrow strips; some are larger islands. The flowers on the latter seem to grow bigger. There's some that are almost as large as a person, with drooping bell-shaped blooms and delicate trailing vines.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: Dreamers will notice an intoxicating aroma emanating from the blooms of the larger purple flowers. Should they draw too close, the petals of the flower will close around them. They're soft and delicate, easily broken, except that being inside a flower traps a Dreamer in a vision of their ideal life. In this world, they're unaware that anything is wrong. Everything is going perfectly, somehow. They have everything they ever wanted. It's paradise.
Other Dreamers can try to free those trapped by attacking the flowers, but they will fight back, trying to use their vines to pull them in and trap them in visions of paradise by force. Fire magic is especially effective here, though if used against flowers that still have captives, there's a solid risk of harming the trapped Dreamer. Another option is to touch the trapped Dreamer, entering their vision. If they can be convinced to leave, they'll wake up, and it will be far easier to destroy the flower.
Though the water here is never very deep, spending too long wading through it presents other dangers. It has a soporific effect, causing Dreamers to become sleepy and forgetful. Combined with the strange lighting, it becomes quite easy to lose the path. Fortunately, the glowing flower patches indicate where you can find strips of dry land. Some of these are narrow strips; some are larger islands. The flowers on the latter seem to grow bigger. There's some that are almost as large as a person, with drooping bell-shaped blooms and delicate trailing vines.
⧖ HAZARD ALERT: Dreamers will notice an intoxicating aroma emanating from the blooms of the larger purple flowers. Should they draw too close, the petals of the flower will close around them. They're soft and delicate, easily broken, except that being inside a flower traps a Dreamer in a vision of their ideal life. In this world, they're unaware that anything is wrong. Everything is going perfectly, somehow. They have everything they ever wanted. It's paradise.
Other Dreamers can try to free those trapped by attacking the flowers, but they will fight back, trying to use their vines to pull them in and trap them in visions of paradise by force. Fire magic is especially effective here, though if used against flowers that still have captives, there's a solid risk of harming the trapped Dreamer. Another option is to touch the trapped Dreamer, entering their vision. If they can be convinced to leave, they'll wake up, and it will be far easier to destroy the flower.
!PARADISE
But of course, this isn't an ordinary Disturbance. This one came with a guide.
The Figment knows the Crater. It also knows the Doctor. It's been moving throughout the Disturbance the entire time, trying to help various Dreamers navigate their way through. It's nigh useless in combat on the way down here - its attacks don't seem to have any effect on anything here - but it seems to always know where it's going. Eventually, it will successfully bring a small party to the heart of the caverns. It looks like a dead end, a tall wall of shining crystal that stretches beyond what anyone can see, but this is where it stops.
"Well," it asks. "Are you prepared?"
The Figment knows the Crater. It also knows the Doctor. It's been moving throughout the Disturbance the entire time, trying to help various Dreamers navigate their way through. It's nigh useless in combat on the way down here - its attacks don't seem to have any effect on anything here - but it seems to always know where it's going. Eventually, it will successfully bring a small party to the heart of the caverns. It looks like a dead end, a tall wall of shining crystal that stretches beyond what anyone can see, but this is where it stops.
"Well," it asks. "Are you prepared?"
no subject
[several things happen in quick succession and Tycoon barely has enough time to let go before the crystals are tearing through the Figment and the light becomes unbearable. When Tycoon lowers his arms again, it's to the sight of the transformed(?) Turo hovering above them. His pair of sandglass weapons manifest in his hands before he's even fully conscious of it.
Have the other Night Terrors been like this? The only one he's fought had also been comprised of glass...]
Look out!
[he throw shurikens at some of the crystals, hoping to reduce the amount hurtling at the group, before he dodges the ones that do manage to hit the ground. While Turo is in the air, Tycoon's not going to be able to reach him very easily... Funny how a lot of things have changed but some things (his inability to this the boss due to range) has stayed more or less the same since the very first Disturbance]
no subject
He's forced to let go as the Figment undergoes it's horrific change, gaping in horror as crystals grow through it. Sure, it hadn't been entirely human, but to put it through this--]
No--!
[The building light blinds him to the rest, and it's not until Professor Turo speaks again that he lifts his head up, staring in growing dread at the man (creature???) floating above them. Oh, this was bad. This was real bad. They really stepped in it now, didn't they?
But he wasn't going to regret his actions now, nor was he going to heed the Professor's warning-- they were here to stop this Disturbance, in one way or another, and waking up wasn't the way to do it. With a wave of his hand, he redirects his Hakujoudai towards the rain of crystals, hoping to help Tycoon in thinning down the hail a bit further to protect the girls. He switches on his Intangibility, quickly weaving through the shards hurtling through him, before holding a hand out to whomever may be closest.]
Grab onto me! Quick!
[Hopefully he can extend his ability to at least one or two people on this team so they can withstand this onslaught...!!]
no subject
W...woah, now that is a boss battle.
[Her gamer side takes hold at the sight of the Doctor's new form. But then, she frowns.]
Wait, how is turning into that supposed to do anything but make you look weird...ack!
[Thankfully enhanced reflexes are one of her abilities and she is able to zip between the crystals, though she does so with some very concerned squeaks escaping her lips. Now that she has got over her awe of Turo's new form, she's realized that she has to help FIGHT THAT. While evading, she aims her gun at Dr. Crystal Guy and fires, though the rapid movement makes her aim shaky. She's aiming specifically for him and not the crystal shards raining down.]
We're gonna have a real, long talk after this all over, you jerk!
no subject
She can't get distracted by that. When the crystals come raining down, Sage dives forward, ducking under the volley of crystal shards. Then, she comes up kneeling. She throws a hand out, and vines rise up and try to wrap around Turo, to restrict his movement.
Then she reaches out, taking Hanako's hand.]
Ready!
no subject
I am trying to -
[Light flares from the open pair of eyes as he spits furiously, and the battlefield flickers and shifts briefly. Suddenly, it isn't a crystalline cavern at all. There's dim light, and a glimpse of walls that might be familiar. More importantly, perhaps, your Dreamer forms and powers briefly flicker out as well, leaving everyone their normal Waking selves.
It's only for a moment. The Dream reasserts itself quickly. But in both states, the only thing that remains constant is Turo's new and resplendent form, glittering with an alien light as it passes ever-so-briefly into the Waking World.]
no subject
In the moment, the only thing he can think to say is;] What was that?
[but his attention goes back to the Night Terror. His shurikens aren't all that effective, their range noticeably shorter than Sage's arrows or even Hanako's Hakujoudai. And if that's the case...
Tycoon rejoins his weapons and it transforms into Bujin. He loses a few abilities in the process, but the increase in power will be more useful in ending this fight as quickly as possible. He's fought with everyone at least once before... But it takes him a second to muster up the courage to shakily call out]
Sage, Hanako, try to keep him pinned down! [to LLENN;] We can try to take point.
[it's hard to say if there's a weak point. They really don't have much of a choice but to throw whatever they have at it... With that Tycoon runs forward to try and close the distance. Once he's closer, he does a series of quick draws with Bujin, aiming to chip away at the crystal spires around the flower, whether they break or not doesn't matter. The goal is to try and create some footholds in the crystal so he and LLENN can use them to climb up.
If it serves to distract Turo from attacking Sage and Hanako, well, that's just to the Dreamers' benefit]
no subject
But then the world shifts for that brief moment, and Amane, the boy, finds himself at the mercy of gravity yet again. He crashes to the ground with a pained yelp, landing hard on his side, the wind knocked out of him from the impact. Before he could wrap his head over what had happened, however, the Dream flickers back into being, the sharp pangs already muting into something a bit more bearable.]
Wha--?
[The crystal spike whizzing just past his ear snaps him out of his haze, and he turns his Intangibility back on, hoping he didn't drag Junna down in... whatever had just happened there. Was this really leeching into reality more than they thought...? If that was the case, they couldn't waste any more time letting this fester further. Perhaps it might have been too soon to pull out an attack like this, but if they were dealing with weird blips in the Dream fabric now... who knows how bad it could get.
Tycoon's call gives him an idea, and he nods, raising himself shakily off the ground. His Intangibility lasted for about the same amount of time as his finisher, so--]
... Sagey. [His voice is a low murmur, hoping to avoid the Professor's ears in all of the chaos around them.] At my command, unleash your vines again, okay?
[His eyes raise to meet the inhuman form above them-- ironic, given what he had been saying about his own Figment, and his hand grips hers for but a brief moment, before shouting out:]
NOW!!
BOUND DREAM: PURGATORY BLADE!
[A thousand red ropes spring out of nowhere, rushing towards the Professor's form in the hopes to bind him and neutralize whatever troubling power he's channeling within. It was a gamble-- after how easily Hibiki had broken out of the ropes when he had used it on her, it was hard to say how effective it'd be on him. But with this and Junna's vines in the mix, it'd be enough to hold him in place until Keiwa and LLEN got to him... or so he hoped, anyway.]
no subject
She stumbles on the first step. The reason being that where a small girl in pink had stood a moment ago, instead was a tall women with dark hair. She stands a foot taller then LLENN, and is dressed in blue jeans and a plain white t-shirt. There is exactly enough time for an utterly horrified look to cross her face before she returns to her smaller, pinker self. She sputters some incomprehensible nonsense because her mouth refuses to form words. Not sure of what just happened, she assumes the worst and decides that Turo's goal has to be to destroy the Dream Sphere itself! She gives Tycoon a nod, a stern look on her normally cutesy face.]
Right, on it!
[In order to make it harder to aoe down them both, LLENN circles around at breakneck speed, following Tycoon's lead and directing her bullets at the crystal spires. She keeps them between Turo and her as much as possible, to make the already small, pink target even harder to aim at. There is a quick glance towards Hanako as she's moving. She remembers that attack. He must be desperate to be pulling it out so soon. She didn't want his effort going to waste, so decides to temporarily abandon the current plan and moves closer to the crystal flower as a pink metallic orb materializes in her hand. If she's able to get close enough, she'll fling the explosive device directly at it, while shouting up at the giant crystalline menace.]
You better pay attention, or you're gonna regret it!