NIGHTMARE PLOT: DAY ONE — DAYTIME

[these_balls]

Who: Nightmare Plot participants!
Where: ???
When: Friday, October 25 — DAYTIME
Summary: A whole lot of people collectively wake up and rapidly come to the conclusion that their lives are objectively terrible. Also, a castle.
Rating: PG in general; please mark threads that go higher accordingly!
Log:



YOU ARE HERE. UNFORTUNATELY.

KEY:

• RED areas are inaccessible regions of the castle! How they're inaccessible will vary from place to place (and from person to person), so players are encouraged to be creative in making up reasons why their characters can't get in to those areas if they try. For example, they might find the door to be locked or jammed; they might find a section of wall has collapsed and blocked off the corridor; they might just run into an invisible wall or a lingering patch of obscuring fog that ultimately deters them. They might even discover a rather unpleasant-looking monster hanging around and decide they'd rather not take the chance; the sky's the limit here, but the reasons for the same door being blocked can vary from person to person, and we encourage you to use this to add to the IC confusion if you so desire!

• BROWN areas are secret passages! It won't be immediately obvious that these areas exist (naturally, being secret), but with some diligence and careful inspection, characters can find the opening and get inside. Whether it's from lifting a secret latch or just figuring out the wall is hollow and bashing the thing down, of course, is up to player discretion!

• AREA A — the Spooky Garden. — ROOM CHANGES — 10/28/13
The obvious object of note here is the pretty fountain bubbling merrily away in the center of this odd little patch of indoor flora; it's made of white marble and is your standard three-tier affair, surrounded by a modest "courtyard" of grass and wildflowers. The animal sculptures are probably Pokemon you recognize...though on second glance they look more like something you're pretty sure you saw back home...and come to think of it, on third glance they're starting to get a little unsettling somehow. Strange! However, if you can stand the spooky company, it's a fairly quiet place to sit and unwind. Maybe you'll be generous and throw P10 into the waters? Or maybe you'll dig in there and retrieve other people's contributions for your own benefit. Either way, be careful when you look into the water; who knows what faces you might see reflected!

• AREA B — the Grand Hall. — ROOM CHANGES — 10/28/13
This is where you and your fellow inmates visitors have woken up; everyone will originate here upon the start of the plot, but there's absolutely no restriction on how long you have to stay there, so feel free to take off running as soon as you like. If you decide to stay, though, you'll notice it's a fairly big room, generally rectangular, with walls of gray stone and a healthy coating of dust and cobwebs over most every surface. All things considered, there's not a lot actually in here: some scattered rubble, scraps of wood, tattered cloth, empty sconces on the wall. Poke around a bit and you might find a candle or some other helpful odds and ends, but by and large this seems to be a token Big Empty Room — not particularly helpful for anything but holding people, all things considered.

• AREA C — the Overgrown Tower.
Watch your head as you enter this room; contrary to what you might expect from a tower room, the ceiling is surprisingly low, and the dangling vines might give you a fright if you walk into one without paying attention! There isn't much of note in this room, outside of the plants seeping through the cracks in the cold gray stone and the delicate scent of flowers lingering in the air; not much, that is, save for the wooden rocking horse standing stationary in the center of the room — what could that be doing there?

• AREA D — the Wine Cellar.
Pretty self-explanatory, this one; this room is stocked full of creaky old wine casks and dusty bottles of what is presumably ridiculously well-aged alcohol, along with assorted bottling tools and the other odds and ends you might find in an old-school winery. Alas, no free shot at hitting the bottle for you, minors; characters who would not ordinarily be eligible to drink in Route will find that even if they crack one of these bottles open, the liquid inside turns to old water — or refuses to come out at all.

• AREA E — the Kitchen. — ROOM CHANGES — 10/28/13
Like the Wine Cellar, this is also pretty self-explanatory; search the cupboards and you might find food. Whether or not you're willing to try eating it is entirely up to you — who knows what might be in it, or how long it's been there, after all — but no one's likely to starve; when characters aren't in the Kitchen, they won't find themselves to be particularly hungry, regardless of how long it's been since they've last eaten. When they go inside, hunger will set in, but if they'd rather not eat to remedy the problem, then alleviating it is as simple as just leaving the room.

• AREA F — the Hall of Tapestries. — ROOM CHANGES — 10/28/13
A nice, long, intimidating hallway with a high arched ceiling and faded tapestries lining the walls. Visitors with a healthy sense of paranoia might notice that this room is a classic example of a "kill box"; there's only one exit on either end and nowhere to hide in the middle. But certainly there's no reason to be frightened while walking alone down this long, empty, echoing corridor — though depending on your nerves, it might be a reason to pick up your pace.

• AREA G — the Decaying Library.
Though it doesn't seem to have seen a caretaker in quite some time, the library comes fully stocked with enough books to keep the literary-inclined busy for a while. There's at least some valid information to be found, most of it detailing a region that doesn't seem to be Johto or Kanto. Descriptions of Mount Coronet and the ruins of Celestic Town, as well as details about what appear to be the creation of the world can be found here, among other things — including the demented ramblings of a man who seems determined to destroy the world and remake it in his image, and the surely coincidental story of a tragedy that occurred in a large manor not entirely unlike the one you've awakened in...

• AREA H — the Hidden Dungeon.
Hopefully you'll never have reason to visit here, but if you've taken up residence in a set of our finest wall manacles, well...enjoy your stay, we suppose. This room is only accessible through the secret passage designated in brown; in the event that your character suffers a critical injury during the course of this plot, after whiting out they will end up in this room, presumably in chains. Hopefully they've got a friend who can pick locks, or who'll otherwise come to spring them from their confinement! If not, it might be a loooooong wait until someone happens by.

• AREA I — the Haunted Terrace.
This area is also accessible by secret passage, and if you happened to find it in the daytime, you might be a bit disappointed to discover that it's pretty much just a big empty patio that looks as though it ought to be outdoors (and the occasional breeze passing through would seem to support that conclusion), but it's so heavily ringed by thick fog that you can't see more than a foot or two past the boundaries of the edges.

~

☆ NOTES ☆

• Remember, all arrivals to the castle originate in AREA B — the Grand Hall, but you're free to move away from there as quickly or as slowly as you like! Feel free to handwave the arrival as you see fit.

• This log is for DAYTIME INTERACTIONS ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25 only! The Night One log is here, and other interactions throughout the course of the plot should be made in characters' own journals.

• If you have any questions, you can always ask us here at the INQUIRIES HOTLINE!

~

☆ QUICK LINKS ☆

AREA A — the Spooky Garden | AREA B — the Grand Hall | AREA C — the Overgrown Tower | AREA D — the Wine Cellar | AREA E — the Kitchen

AREA F — the Hall of Tapestries | AREA G — the Decaying Library | AREA H — the Hidden Dungeon | AREA I — the Haunted Terrace

GENERAL — Other Castle Locations

Comments

☆ AREA F — THE HALL OF TAPESTRIES☆

[these_balls]

[Yeah, this place seems legit and totally not like a big long ominous trap. For details on what the tapestries say, check here!

NOTE: Please feel free to be creative within the bounds of this setting; we encourage it! Nightmare Castle is a very dreamlike world, so things don't necessarily have to make sense 100% of the time, and the experience may be slightly different for everyone. If you have any questions, please contact us via the Inquiries Hotline, linked above, and we'll get back to you ASAP.]

[eagletalons]

[These tapestries are something else, something that once upon a time would have been so grand, Hope thinks, and he's not much of an art man. They just seem that they'd be beautiful when they'd been newly hung on the walls. Even now, dirty and fraying at the edges, he thinks they look good.

Except for the writings (stitching?) on them. They all warn of some Pokémon, and the warnings had been made for humans, the reader in particular.

Who, at the moment, is Hope himself, and that doesn't help his nerves one small bit. He thinks those things had all been left for any human that had stumbled upon this place in warning, and that's not a good thought to have.

So after committing the words to memory, Hope turns and heads for one of the ends of the hallway. Which seems to get longer the more he walks, and he's not sure if it's because he has far too much adrenaline in his system or if it's something... else. But he does put a hand to one of the packs at his waist, where he knows his homemade switchblade is.

If anyone is in the area with him, they get a nod as they pass him by or as he passes them by, and maybe he opens his mouth to ask them a question, but shakes his head and closes his mouth with an apologetic face. He's not sure if he can even talk right now, being far too on edge and has been since the month started because goddamn October.]

[moveslikestrider]

[Dusty halls and hidden passages are common in castles used for abduction or answers. Dave had walked the length of Derse before to peer into the heavens. If by heavens he meant the horror laden nightmare that was the ring. He'd been pressing and testing doors to see if he could find an answer.

The nightmares had reopened his knowledge that the universe wasn't going to let him and his find peace. Not yet.

Being taken away hadn't been something he'd expected but he hadn't flipped out or cried about it either. It was useless emotions he didn't have time for.

Creepy places mean trouble. A hall with no way to hide in the middle and two open ways at the front and back, is a bad idea. All the same he walks into it and studies the hanging warnings that jump scares are in the future. 'What did you do for them'. Right.]

Cryptic answers, I didn't miss this at all. If there's any stupid puzzles or riddles that tell you about some legendary weapon to fix it all, I'm out. Any ass backwards end of the world crap I'm not even bothering with.

[plushaeusrumpified]

It's a castle.

[Bro's voice breaks through the silences that follows Dave's words. It feels like he hasn't seen the guy in forever- honestly, it's a little unfortunate that it has to be here, of all places. But it was alright. They were both made for this kind of thing, as much as it sucked. He'd prepared Dave for anything.

Being kidnapped and thrown in a castle was hardly the worst thing either of them had endured.]

Did you really expect it to be straightforward and easy? I'm pretty sure whoever built these pieces of shit had a boner for being cryptic and making sure people got lost.

[moveslikestrider]

I'm not saying wow give me the play through guide. Anyone who expects that from cryptic creepy dudes who get their kicks off messing with someone's head is asking for all the stuff that falls down on them.

It would just be nice to have a little less of you never escaped this part of your life vibe I'm getting here. [He doesn't look away from the words until Bro is right next to him. He looks up, his jaw set and eyebrows drawn down. He's really none too pleased but not all that surprised that life went to shit again.]

A little more warning when life shits the bed would be awesome on top of that.

[If anyone was listening, they'd miss the way he looked over the top of his shades to Bro. What did you find, bro? is what that look says.]

1/3

[ghostytrainer]

[John is at Dave's side, though how long he's been there we just really can't way for sure. He probably followed Dave in here though, let's be real. He has a hand raised to his lips, staring up at the message on one of the tapestries with a narrow-eyed expression that's probably supposed to be shrewd, calculated observation.]

I dunno, [He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose and he's really just one lens glare away from some kind of cliché anime trop.] there's something oddly homey about it. Boy have I missed cryptic riddles wrapped up in mystique and flowery language.

[lieutenantantichrist]

[Blake has been testing doors too, if by testing you mean kicking and swearing at.]

[He's bulling through the place looking for the way out when he sees the kid in the sunglasses staring at some shit on the walls. He scowls at the one with WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR THEM scrawled on it]

What is this supposed to be, some kinda modern art? You seen this crap before?

Anybody starts talking about any doomsday cult shit, I'm smacking them in the mouth.

[timelymaid]

You know, this one sounds familiar, though. About Pokemon agreeing to come when called...I think I've heard this story before.

[ Aradia doesn't seem the least bit put out, although she taps her chin, staring at the tapestry. Tilting her head this way, then that, before sighing. ]

I don't think any of this has to do with a legendary weapon, so at least you don't have to worry about that! Probably. I mean, it seems pretty unlikely. We haven't got any weapons at all to start with.

[tentacletrainer]

It's not that bad.

[[Hope you didn't mind your sister eavesdropping a little on you. Just, you know, speaking of Derse and the ring.]]

It's a refreshing change, honestly. I've sort of missed tearing up ruins for answers and not getting the ones I want.

[dressofheaven]

[Perhaps just adding to the oddity of the whole thing is seeing a young girl walking down the long hallway on one of the sides, taking a few steps, pressing her ear against the wall, and then knocking on said wall before moving on.

It's like she's searching for something. Though her expression is more "unmitigated rage" and less "careful consideration".

Ilya used to live in a castle like this one, after all. A little less creepy... but only a little. Magi get up to some weird stuff in her world. And she's learned a few things.

Like how to search for secret passages.]

[exeggutorhead]

[Well this person seems like they know something. Envy was avoiding the hallway before, but when he sees the girl tapping the walls like that he can't help but be curious.]

[Hope you don't mind this treeheaded guy hanging back and observing, Ilya. But if she doesn't notice him, eventually he'll get impatient enough to speak up.]

Finding what you're looking for?

[explosivecombat]

[Kimblee's been in Johto long enough for his second thought (after "my gloves need to be off" - an urge he manages to bite back, because he still can't feel anything here, he knows he's still cut off) to be to seek out his Pokémon; the inability to find them has left him more rattled than he really cares to admit. As such, his nerves are obviously jangling today, but he isn't about to stay in one spot for very long; he's quick to retrieve the Stone, just for the sake of making sure that's still there - it is, and he doesn't really want to think about the implications that would have hit if he'd found otherwise, and he's keeping it in his mouth for the time being, though he'll swallow it immediately if approached by anyone.

He doesn't like that terrace, it strikes him as a lovely place to be sniped in the head, though he tries the doors near it just for the hell of it (locked, of course, and he hadn't expected otherwise); the tapestry hallway isn't anything he likes any better - it's too closed-in, too easy to be surrounded on both sides - but something about the wall hangings in question catch his attention.

He finds himself standing in front of one of them, reaching out with a gesture that implies he's heavily tempted to touch but knows full well that he shouldn't, gloved hand hovering a few inches from the surface of it; interesting that someone has chosen to deface it like that.]

What have you done for them, indeed...

[doitrockapella]

[When Carmen is upset, she moves.

There's plenty of reason for her to be upset right now, really, and for once exactly none of it has to do with the man she knows as Nietzsche. There's the fact that she's been displaced from where she's supposed to be (again), leaving her in the uncomfortable position of being forced to wonder where in the world she is; there's also the fact that she's evidently been locked in to this strange and unknown place, and where she might otherwise be caught up with fascination in the possible history of it all, that particular fact is making the setting feel a bit more like a prison than she's entirely comfortable with.

But the key reason she's upset, of course, is that like everyone else, she's since discovered that her Pokemon are gone. All of her Pokemon are gone. Miles is gone. Chief is gone.

Zack is gone.

She's never been one to handle that sort of thing well. She's supposed to be the one abandoning others, not the other way around. But her Pokemon are gone and she doesn't know what's happened and the only thing she can think of to do about it is move.

And it's in the course of that movement that she happens to stumble across Nietzsche, who seems to be examining the tapestries in that long foreboding hallway, and she's simultaneously saddened that he's evidently here too, and selfishly relieved that, well. He's here, too.

She knows he'll sense her approach if she gets too close, no matter how quiet she tries to be, so she comes in as close as she can without being noticed and then forces the concentration necessary to make her words come out in the language he knows as Drachskij. That's as good a calling card as if she'd signed her name, or used his.]

What do you see?

[She's surprised when making the words come out the way she wants them takes barely any effort at all.]

[exeggutorhead]

[Well, here's a familiar face, and one Envy is definitely glad to see. When he approaches Kimblee, he actually manages to look almost casual, like waking up in a spooky castle was nothing at all troubling. But on second glance, he's on edge as hell. More than that, he's angry. Something brought him here, and more than likely sent all those nightmares. They took his Pokemon, and that makes him angrier than anything else.]

[He's got a very tight grip on a small, sharpened knife. For self defense and for the reassurance of having something sharp and pointy in an unknown place, yeah, but also just in case he finds the bastard that did this. Yes, he is absolutely planning to murder whoever or whatever did this with nothing but a paring knife if he has to.]

So this place got you, too. Did you find something?

[He's still trying to act like he's calm, but there's a distinct edge to his voice, and his grip on the knife doesn't loosen.]

[sadisticwarfare]

[Needless to say, Archer isn't handling this any better than Kimblee is. Unlike Kimblee, Archer hadn't prepared himself for confrontation of any sort; instead he's been exploring the castle. He started searching for his Pokémon, but he's been distracted by the library and now the hall of tapestries. He's studying one of the first ones in the room when Kimblee speaks aloud, and Archer turns to greet him immediately.]

Kimblee.

[He can't quite help the relieved expression that crosses his face. It is good to see his best friend. He approaches, quickly reading the tapestry in question.]

I was beginning to wonder if the people in Johto would ever realize that they're using their Pokémon without giving much in return.

[He doesn't look at Kimblee, instead frowning at the tapestry.]

I take it you woke up here as well?

[The switch in topics is abrupt, but it is something they need to discuss. Archer has seen others here, but Kimblee is the first person he's actually sought out to talk to. His voice is surprisingly calm, like he's not worked up by the fact that he's in some unknown location without any sort of line of defense. It couldn't be further from the truth, but Archer's doing his best not to become a paranoid wreck.]

[nostabbing]

[This hallway is a killbox. That's what Eliot would say, if he were to see it, and Parker sees it, too — the minute she sets eyes on it, she sees it. Only one exit on either side, high ceilings, no cover on either side. Hallways like this exist to box people in; all you have to do is get them inside and close off the ends, and then they're trapped and they're done for, and that's that.

But the other thing about hallways like this is that when you build a killbox, you have to get your victims into it somehow, and that means that whatever's waiting at the end of this corridor, it's got to be something pretty valuable, or there'd be no incentive to get people to enter it in the first place.

Parker's always lived her life according to the rule that she needs to be fast, and if she's not fast, she's dead. So really, this hallway is no different.

She'll take it fast.]

[captainash]

[Taking it fast is nice and all, but what about the innocent pedestrians who are busy writing down all those interesting warnings? Good thing he's not too bad at getting out of the way.]

That library isn't going anywhere, you know! No need to break your neck speeding!

[enjoymyatelier]

[...another one of those innocent pedestrians, however, is bad at getting out of the way...]

Would you watch where you're going?!

[IF YOU BROKE HIS POKEGEAR HE SWEARS TO GOD]

[enjoymyatelier]

[Okay, yes, this place seems ominous as hell, and Kayneth really shouldn't be dawdling here because he is rather inconveniently lacking both any magical abilities whatsoever and any Pokemon whatsoever, and if anyone makes any intimation that he might be useless he'll ---

...not be able to do much of anything, really

maybe he'll just cry or something, who knows.

In any case, though, he'll definitely be stopping in front of each of them to make sure he has notes of what they say; they're rather ominous warnings, but he can't help but be reminded of something he's read during his research... that, and the first tapestry is just plain suspicious to anyone who knows how going home works, in his opinion.]

...hm. I'd need more information, of course...

[While he seems a bit engrossed, he's perfectly willing to be momentarily interrupted to discuss them with someone, because there is nothing he loves more than hearing himself talk! Of course, asking him why the hell he's bothering to do this in the obviously spooky hallway works too.]

[ortion]

Information on what?

[That would be Dist coming up behind you, Kayneth. Because what are actual greetings?

His arms are crossed behind his back and he's glancing up at the tapestry Kayneth is studying. A frown appears on his face face as he reads it.]

Well, aren't these fitting for the location. Something about it seems familiar, though...

[crystalballer]

[As soon as Hagakure stumbled into this room, he knew it was a terrible idea. He couldn't help it though- ever since he woke up in a strange place with no escape and no Pokemon, he kind of went into panic mode. The feeling of dread and uncertainty was all-too familiar to him. It was like Hope's Peak all over again. So with that in mind, the first thing he did after trying to contact spirits for guidance-to no avail-was set out through the building to find some sort of exit, or even familiar faces. Hopefully some of his classmates were here.

And so here he finds himself, in the middle of a hallway with exits only on each end and nothing to hide behind. It sends his paranoid tendencies into a frenzy, and all he wants to do is get out of here, but the tapestries manage to lure him in anyway. Except those are even more unsettling than the room itself. He wishes he hadn't read them already.]

Ohh maaaaan, warning omens on pictures. This is not good. This is so not good...

[Exhausted from a lack of sleep this month and scared out of his mind, he's reached the point of mumbling out loud now. This can't be a good sign. But he really hasn't seen anything yet.

Feel free to sneak up on him and startle him. Or just pass by, really. Anything will startle him in a room like this, let's be honest.]

[babel_hacker]

[Atsuro overheard Hagakure's mumblings and glance over from looking at the fourth tapestry]

Yeah, those tapestries are really ominous.

[Hello, Hagakure. How to you react to a young man's voice suddenly speaking up from roughly to your left?]

[superordinary]

[ Something about the hallway unnerves Naegi to no end, but like Hagakure he's lured in by the tapestries since he's hoping for some sort of clue to be written on them. So far it just looks like some sort of ancient creepypasta, though. ]

Hagakure-kun? [ You look like you're in need of a friendly neighbourhood protagonist, dude. Just...try not to freak out too much when Naegi announces his presence by speaking up. ]

[babel_hacker]

[In an ordinary situation, Atsuro would've stand there and admire the tapestries. Maybe even ponder about what they mean. But right now, he's frowning at the writings.

Warnings on all of them.

He pauses in front of the fourth one, staring at the final line at the bottom. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR THEM?"

Way to add to the unsettling atmosphere.

Atsuro would be on guard, and maybe a little jumpy if anyone approaches him. This hallway did nothing to calm down his nerves, both wary and the slight building excitement.]

This is sure is both cool but freaky.

[20faces]

[Hey! That's Atsuro-san, isn't it? What is he looking at? Akira goes over to the same tapestry, reading it thoughtfully.]

I wonder if it's some kind of code...