The Clockwork Mansion

Dreamsurfing ability GET! That's coolness in a head!

(ed: *whistles innocently* :-] )

*Charline grins*  Heh, dream surfing on the clothing-optional beach dreams.  How cute!  I like watching the nightmares, personally.   A wonderful window into the deepest fears of my victims.   >:3

And killing things is very relaxing!  You watch as the blood slows from its initial gushing, the gasping and flailing wanes, then the body goes limp and stares up with dull, cloudy, lifeless eyes.  Very relaxing!   >:3

Quote from: Alondro on March 13, 2007, 09:58:22 PM
*Charline grins*  Heh, dream surfing on the clothing-optional beach dreams.  How cute!  I like watching the nightmares, personally.   A wonderful window into the deepest fears of my victims.   >:3

I think Amber has been reading Prof B Hunnydew's cartoon.   :)

Quote from: Alondro on March 13, 2007, 09:58:22 PM
*Charline grins*  Heh, dream surfing on the clothing-optional beach dreams.  How cute!  I like watching the nightmares, personally.   A wonderful window into the deepest fears of my victims.   >:3

And killing things is very relaxing!  You watch as the blood slows from its initial gushing, the gasping and flailing wanes, then the body goes limp and stares up with dull, cloudy, lifeless eyes.  Very relaxing!   >:3

...wait, what? You don't do it for the chase? For the scaring the victim to death and feeling the rush of panic, the smell of mind-numbing fear, the certainty of death? For the taste and the exhilaration?

You're evil, Charline. Evil in the worst sense...

That would be what Arry was doing to Merlitz.  And yeah, using it for info gathering depends on the dream.

You probably won't get much out of me if I'm in one of my video game dreams, especially the FPS ones.

Anybody else see Kria's thought bubble as the inventory list in an RPG? It highlights down the list until it reaches a usable item. Then it gets to shopping and bing! Select and use.

And that has to be one of the better misuses of cubi abilities. If only they were all known for being such good samaritans when it comes to dreams.

Neverless..Dreamsurfing was a wonderful ablity my aunt was great at specialy if she was a dream psychologist and into the dream psychology as her served carrer...Sorry my aunt couldnt help you much Charline!

So I was reading the `cubi mini-arc, and I started wondering why `cubi would surf others' dreams of clothing-optional beach parties, rather than just dreaming about said parties themselves.

I like to think that the answer came to me just a bit faster than it came to Dan.

Quote from: superluser on March 14, 2007, 12:47:19 AM
So I was reading the `cubi mini-arc, and I started wondering why `cubi would surf others' dreams of clothing-optional beach parties, rather than just dreaming about said parties themselves.

I like to think that the answer came to me just a bit faster than it came to Dan.

Please.....



Dan doesn't have thoughts.

Quote from: superluser on March 14, 2007, 12:47:19 AM
So I was reading the `cubi mini-arc, and I started wondering why `cubi would surf others' dreams of clothing-optional beach parties, rather than just dreaming about said parties themselves.

I like to think that the answer came to me just a bit faster than it came to Dan.

Nobody yet said cubi lost the ability to sleep, did they? They lost the need for it, sure, but...

Quote from: Aridas Soulfire on March 14, 2007, 12:50:24 AMNobody yet said cubi lost the ability to sleep, did they? They lost the need for it, sure, but...

I seem to recall that REM sleep (the sleep that you have when you're dreaming) seems to be strongly correlated with the amount of sleep that you need.  If you need no sleep, you might be unable to dream.

Let's all bug amber about it.

Fear of sand in genitalia > The urge for freedom from the tyranny of pants

Quote from: superluser on March 14, 2007, 12:47:19 AM
So I was reading the `cubi mini-arc, and I started wondering why `cubi would surf others' dreams of clothing-optional beach parties, rather than just dreaming about said parties themselves.

I like to think that the answer came to me just a bit faster than it came to Dan.

I'd think curiosity. I mean, how many times have you wondered what a person dreams about? This page never implied that 'cubi can or can't dream, just that they can go into others' dreams. It's like going to...well a restaurant or something. You don't have to go there every night, but you go there sometimes because the food you make is getting old.

eh it's probably like watching TV but with actual interactive capability. like those which way books they used to have.

Quote from: superluser on March 14, 2007, 12:47:19 AM
So I was reading the `cubi mini-arc, and I started wondering why `cubi would surf others' dreams of clothing-optional beach parties, rather than just dreaming about said parties themselves.

I like to think that the answer came to me just a bit faster than it came to Dan.

How much would you pay to have good dreams every night? >:3

Also, consider the fun you could have playing dream pranks on people... the false prophetic dreams alone could be priceless.  :mwaha

Nuts.  One of the risks of writing stories that explore areas Amber hasn't touched is that she will come along later and rule them out   >:3

The whole 'Dreamwar' concept was one of my favourites too.  I'll have to see if I can devise a way to rescue it.  (Hmm... in fact, I may have a solution...)

**EDIT**

Indeed.  Aary came along and mucked up Merlitz' dream, Jouster had a nervous breakdown because of what Abel did to him when he was sleeping, and Dan told Abel not to do anything to his, because although he doesn't know much about 'cubi, he knows about that.
So dreamspace manipulation is taught at SAIA, but it's presumably a more advanced subject than simply surfing.

(One of my ideas was that 'cubi can force the dreamer into a lucid state so that they can interact with each other)

[hit the wrong damn button]

*bows*

Quote from: Tapewolf on March 14, 2007, 05:40:25 AM
(One of my ideas was that 'cubi can force the dreamer into a lucid state so that they can interact with each other)

On that line of thought, if a cubi can manipulate dreamspace as opposed to minor nudging changes or just watching/participating in the goings on, what would happen if they encountered a lucid dreamer who could tell something was up?

Quote from: Janus Whitefurr on March 14, 2007, 06:17:42 AM

Quote from: Tapewolf on March 14, 2007, 05:40:25 AM
(One of my ideas was that 'cubi can force the dreamer into a lucid state so that they can interact with each other)

On that line of thought, if a cubi can manipulate dreamspace as opposed to minor nudging changes or just watching along, what would happen if they encountered a lucid dreamer? Mental kombat?

At SAIA, the Succubus and Incubus Academy, we had been taught ways of manipulating a Being's dreamspace, for recreational purposes, to aid in generating emotions and as part of the stereotypical 'cubi attack of stealing someone's soul in their sleep.

There were a number of friendly Beings on campus for us to practice dreamspace manipulation in, and I had become quite good at it.  Although there were rarely disputes over prey, it was a possibility, particularly with a rogue 'cubi and so we were taught how to fight in dreamspace as well.
This had given rise to 'Dreamwars', where competing 'cubi would battle for dominance inside a sleeper's mind.

Although the act of self-defence in dreamspace was grudgingly accepted as a necessary part of the course, the Dreamwar championships were frowned upon since the loser was usually left in a mild coma unless they surrendered first.  This meant that they were more-or-less an underground activity, so finding a volunteer dreamer to play in was not easy.

Usually a play area was obtained by bribing one of the Beings or finding a young 'cubi who still had the ability to dream on demand.  At a pinch, some of the more uncouth 'cubi had been known to cast Stun on an unsuspecting fellow student, but this was highly undesirable since people do not dream while unconscious which left a black, empty and boring dreamspace to play in.  More to the point, casting Stun within SAIA was a severe breach of the rules and Fa'lina would get extremely angry when she found out.

**EDIT**
Bad Janus, changing the question after I'd answered it >:3

As to the idea of entering the dreams of an already lucid Being, they probably would know.  Depending on what the 'cubi is after, it wouldn't necessarily help.
I've had numerous dreams where I've realised I'm dreaming but I've still been unable to wake from them, and if the 'cubi means ill, they could probably prevent their victim from waking up.

Why are all the girls at the clothing optional beach party... um... clothed?  :kittydevious

Quote from: Aridas Soulfire on March 14, 2007, 12:50:24 AM
Nobody yet said cubi lost the ability to sleep, did they? They lost the need for it, sure, but...

According to Amber, Cubi lose the ability to dream after a few hundred years, and that's among the reasons they no longer bother to sleep. However, they are still capable of sleep, as Abel pointed out before Dan dumped a spider in his bed.

Quote from: superluser on March 14, 2007, 12:55:41 AM
I seem to recall that REM sleep (the sleep that you have when you're dreaming) seems to be strongly correlated with the amount of sleep that you need.  If you need no sleep, you might be unable to dream.

Actually... REM requirements in mammals appear to be somewhat independent of their regular sleep needs. If sleep deprived, they'll always experience a REM rebound in which a much higher than normal proportion of sleep time is spent in REM. If REM-deprived over an extended period of time, brainwave patterns normally associated with sleep and dreams can creep into waking states (even if the animal gets normal quantities of sleep that is only interrupted when REM occurs) and health begins to suffer. In humans, that can translate into the hallucinations and altered cognition reported by people who have gone without sleep for days.

Quote from: Tapewolf on March 14, 2007, 05:40:25 AM
Indeed.  Aary came along and mucked up Merlitz' dream, Jouster had a nervous breakdown because of what Abel did to him when he was sleeping, and Dan told Abel not to do anything to his, because although he doesn't know much about 'cubi, he knows about that.
So dreamspace manipulation is taught at SAIA, but it's presumably a more advanced subject than simply surfing.

Hmm... it's also possible that dream manipulation per se is still limited to the "toast" level, but that the Cubi can use other abilities (shapeshifting their own dream avatars, telepathy, etc.) to indirectly alter the course of the dream.

More food for thought... The layfolk of Furrae seem to associate dream surfing with soul eating (e.g. Edward's "devour my soul in my sleep" line). It'd be interesting to know if those powers actually employ similar mechanisms.

So in Dream surfing the Cubi nudges the victim to his or her advantage and thus sucking the soul of it's intended victim. Imagine that I think it's a cool thing to have, for example if a really bad guy has dreams of blowing up the world then a Cubi will nudges the say foe towards good and *viola* good guy.

I don't know if a Cubi is Dreamsurfing in my head he or she will see nothing there like adventures and gratouious nudity >:3.

Quote from: Zorro on March 13, 2007, 10:00:05 PM

Quote from: Alondro on March 13, 2007, 09:58:22 PM
*Charline grins*  Heh, dream surfing on the clothing-optional beach dreams.  How cute!  I like watching the nightmares, personally.   A wonderful window into the deepest fears of my victims.   >:3

I think Amber has been reading Prof B Hunnydew's cartoon.   :)

I am taking a page from Amber on this one...."EEeek  old art ... burns it burns it... " Sent  Delete virus.......

Bad Zorro Bad Zorro no cookie.....
but if you like I have a vacation package to Sara's paradise's Beach and Resort, No luggage require, for two weeks.  and You can be in my next comic.... :mwaha

QuoteWhy are all the girls at the clothing optional beach party... um... clothed?  

That would be my question too?  Pai Gon must have force them all to Wardrobe.

Well she can't stop me from relax ing the way I want...
**setup beachchair, towel and cooler..  takes off everything and sit in chair with a her laptop in her lap, and then falls asleep with a large manual across her chest..zzzzzzzz.***


PBH

"This is all a dream, my dear, and I'm writing your story."

Quote from: Ink on March 14, 2007, 08:17:36 AM
"This is all a dream, my dear, and I'm writing your story."

When I awake, you will remember nothing.


Back to the strip, I think the dog dude is pretty cool.  I still say Amber doesn't draw enough canids :P

**EDIT**
One thing this hasn't covered so far is the process of drawing energy from dreams, the mysterious third 'cubi feeding method.

Quote from: Ink on March 14, 2007, 08:17:36 AM
"This is all a dream, my dear, and I'm writing your story."

"Oh INK! INK! Are you there?"   her arm  reaching for .... goes back to full sleep...mmm  :mowhappy

PBH

so.. that'd be just drawing on the chest, then?

Quote from: Jim Halisstrad on March 14, 2007, 01:18:37 AMFear of sand in genitalia > The urge for freedom from the tyranny of pants

The dog is wearing pants in panel 3, you know.

Quote from: Tezkat on March 14, 2007, 06:49:55 AMWhy are all the girls at the clothing optional beach party... um... clothed?

I'm wondering that, myself.  The person facing away from us could be topless and not annoy Pai Gon, though she'd have to face a little further away.

Quote from: Tezkat on March 14, 2007, 06:49:55 AMActually... REM requirements in mammals appear to be somewhat independent of their regular sleep needs. If sleep deprived, they'll always experience a REM rebound in which a much higher than normal proportion of sleep time is spent in REM.

I know that in the teen years, people need more sleep, and also have more REM sleep.  One point does not make a line, but I figured that it might be true.

Quote from: Janus Whitefurr on March 14, 2007, 06:17:42 AMOn that line of thought, if a cubi can manipulate dreamspace as opposed to minor nudging changes or just watching/participating in the goings on, what would happen if they encountered a lucid dreamer who could tell something was up?

Mr. Book, there is a problem.  There is no Avenue M.  We were unable to complete it.

Quote from: Prof B Hunnydew on March 14, 2007, 07:35:38 AM**setup beachchair, towel and cooler..  takes off everything and sit in chair with a her laptop in her lap, and then falls asleep with a large manual across her chest..zzzzzzzz.***

Hmmm.

**removes shirt, places over PBH's chest.  Steals manual.**

Ah, a manual thief.

I wonder if he's from Barcelona....

Quote**removes shirt, places over PBH's chest.  Steals manual.**

**Wakes up from the smell of this male shirt** " sniff awg and eew"  **toss it into the sea**

the manual was on JAVA Code... It always puts me to sleep.  ** breaks out a 17x14 stretch pad and puts it in front me which blocks most of my torse from view.. Starts drawing 

But Back to comic, I'm interested to know:

What being/creature that girl with the four ah "ears" or antenna is? 

and

As for Cubi feeding from dreams, I would think that a Beings' rawest and strongest emotions would be present in their dreams.  So, you would be getting a pure source of food in dreams.  It is like eating steak(dreams) vs hamburger(a wake thoughts and emotions), or it maybe something stronger than that.  Now, the Soul eating would give the cubi an even stronger emotional high and magic power boost, which maybe like a drug-user's high.  Something a Cubi can get addicted to.

PBH

Quote from: Tapewolf on March 14, 2007, 06:20:16 AM
Although the act of self-defence in dreamspace was grudgingly accepted as a necessary part of the course, the Dreamwar championships were frowned upon since the loser was usually left in a mild coma unless they surrendered first.  This meant that they were more-or-less an underground activity, so finding a volunteer dreamer to play in was not easy.

The first rule about DreamFightClub is..  YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT DREAMFIGHT CLUB.

:mwaha

Once more, fantastic Cubi designs. I've always wanted to know what an avian Cubi would look like, believe it or not. Also, awesome dog Cubi. CANINE CUBI FOREVER! *headbang*

...That bit of fangirlism aside, this really is an informative comic. A must for all those making a Cubi character and need some facts on the innate abilities that the species shares. I'll be sure to absorb every bit of information provided in these pages. Very fun style of drawing, too. Seems to be more cartoony (In a good way!) thanks to the dynamic style of the panels.

~Keaton the Black Jackal

Quote from: Keaton the Black Jackal on March 14, 2007, 11:03:11 AM
...That bit of fangirlism aside, this really is an informative comic. A must for all those making a Cubi character and need some facts on the innate abilities that the species shares. I'll be sure to absorb every bit of information provided in these pages.

I was going to say "check out the wiki too", but then I remembered you'd contributed to it :P

Quote from: Prof B Hunnydew link=topic=2423.msg99982#msg
99982 date=1173883443
As for Cubi feeding from dreams, I would think that a Beings' rawest and strongest emotions would be present in their dreams.  So, you would be getting a pure source of food in dreams.  It is like eating steak(dreams) vs hamburger(a wake thoughts and emotions), or it maybe something stronger than that.  Now, the Soul eating would give the cubi an even stronger emotional high and magic power boost, which maybe like a drug-user's high.  Something a Cubi can get addicted to.

I think it's a bit more necessary than that.  From one of my stories:

"Immortality," said Jakob, his eyes shining.  "Many 'Cubi strive for it, some come close.  There are rumours of a tri-wing clan leader who is over a hundred thousand years old."

"But there are problems... ethical problems.  The thing is, you see, that the older you get,
the more energy you require to maintain your youth.  Eventually the point comes when your energy needs can no longer be met by passive absorption, and that generally gives you a pretty stark choice - age and die, or sustain your life by devouring the souls of others.
"And even if you are happy to make such a compromise, it still means that the older you become, the more of a threat you become to others, and the more they will try to hunt you down.
"I have conceived a means by which an incubus or succubus can increase their
lifespan and powers indefinitely - without sacrificing a single life or soul."

--Future History, chapter 6 (unpublished)

(My original sources for this stuff are in the wiki too - except Jakob's means, which is secret)

Quote from: Prof B Hunnydew on March 14, 2007, 10:44:03 AMthe manual was on JAVA Code...

Get it off!  Get it off!  I was hoping it was a Tcl/Tk manual or something.

On topic, while the zigzag line in panel 2 is cool as an abstract element leading us to panel 3, I'm still trying to figure out what it represents.

Quote from: superluser on March 14, 2007, 11:40:11 AM
On topic, while the zigzag line in panel 2 is cool as an abstract element leading us to panel 3, I'm still trying to figure out what it represents.

I don't know, but it looks almost identical to the summoning spells in Arx Fatalis.

Look, you guys are really reading into this WAY TOOO much.  Amber is very talented and smart, but she wouldn't be putting hidden message in the way, that she connects her speak bubbles.

  Jiminy Crickets, super-analizing is one thing, hyper-analizying is another... :rolleyes :rolleyes Geee-s

PBH

So... if not....

... how -would- she be putting a hidden message in? Hypothetically? :-]

Quote from: Prof B Hunnydew on March 14, 2007, 12:17:54 PMLook, you guys are really reading into this WAY TOOO much.  Amber is very talented and smart, but she wouldn't be putting hidden message in the way, that she connects her speak bubbles.

Hey, I was just trying to add something on-topic to justify the comment on Java.  I'm not talking about the speech bubbles, but rather the line that seems to have mist or light coming out of it.  Amber uses abstract backgrounds, but rarely abstract foregrounds or objects.

There is another part discussing dream-surfing so don't count in or out your theories just yet.  (I couldn't in any sane sense cram all the text in without it just being this massive wall)

Though I will say some people are oh so painfully wrong. :<

Quote from: Amber Williams on March 14, 2007, 01:19:49 PM
Though I will say some people are oh so painfully wrong. :<

Mwahahahahaa! :-]

Quote from: llearch n'n'daCorna on March 14, 2007, 01:33:28 PM

Quote from: Amber Williams on March 14, 2007, 01:19:49 PM
Though I will say some people are oh so painfully wrong. :<

Mwahahahahaa! :-]

Yeah, well it's probably me  >:3  Like I said, it's a calculated risk when writing fan-fiction...

*Charline surfs on Tapewolf's dreams!*  Weeeee!!    :3

Quote from: Alondro on March 14, 2007, 02:06:44 PM
*Charline surfs on Tapewolf's dreams!*  Weeeee!!    :3

What dreams?  >:3

Quote from: Tapewolf on March 14, 2007, 02:57:24 PM

Quote from: Alondro on March 14, 2007, 02:06:44 PM
*Charline surfs on Tapewolf's dreams!*  Weeeee!!    :3

What dreams?  >:3

The lad needs a brain first Charline *puts him in a headlock playfuly*

I'm trying to picture the incubus' expression if he had chosen a slightly different victim.
Someone puritanical who'd go "Ah!  My eyes!"?  Or someone gay?

Either that or the welcome being slightly different. "Hi, and welcome to our prayer group." and them all being in nun outfits....

I would hope that a Cubi would be More choosie of whose dreams they invade..or whose nightmares.?  But the Nun's picnic thing maybe an intro to someone's twisted dream or Charline's idea of a buffet.?

Who knows what dreams may come?   :giggle

PBH

Hmm, dream surfing.  Sounds fun.  I wonder how much influence you actually can have on the individual dreams.  Meaning, if someone is having a nightmare, could you shift it so that it all turns out ok and everything?

Quote from: Aleolus on March 15, 2007, 10:54:54 AM
Hmm, dream surfing.  Sounds fun.  I wonder how much influence you actually can have on the individual dreams.  Meaning, if someone is having a nightmare, could you shift it so that it all turns out ok and everything?

You might be able to.  I did something a bit like this in CJP where Jakob enters his great-great-grandson's dreams in order to find something out.  It starts off with a nightmare of his near-execution until Jakob wishes the lynch mob away.  Again, this might conflict with Amber's idea of how things work, but it makes for a good story :P

The other one is where Jakob and Niall use a spell to force one of his staff to dream a custom-designed dream so that they can play something like Return To Castle Wolfenstein.

(Chapters 15 and 18, for those who are curious - but you'd want to start from ch14)

Hmm... something just occured to me...

I had imagined dream surfing as a kind of "jacking in" to victims' minds to experience their dreams. However... the the cute doggy Cubi is leaning over his "victim" in a posture which would make unconsciousness unadvisable. Also, when Aary influenced Merl's dream, she was happily sitting there when he woke up, munching toast as if nothing had happened. That suggests that Cubi can consciously attend to both the dream and real worlds simultanously--quite an impressive example of multitasking.  :mowdizzy

Quote from: Tezkat on March 15, 2007, 03:18:33 PM
The cute doggy Cubi is leaning over his "victim" in a posture which would make unconsciousness unadvisable.  Also, when Aary influenced Merl's dream, she was happily sitting there when he woke up, munching toast as if nothing had happened. That suggests that Cubi can consciously attend to both the dream and real worlds simultanously--quite an impressive example of multitasking.  :mowdizzy

Yes.  I wasn't sure how it worked when I wrote the dream sections in my stories, so I fudged it.  In the first one, Jak is lying as if asleep, but he isn't.  My theory at the time was that if they can do both, they would probably want to devote most of their attention to the dream anyway.  I do have a tendency for my dreamwalkers to hide under their victims beds, though :P

... maybe they just get their kicks that way?

Most dreams have their seince of tone most likey..Im guessing some are so deeply in depth not even a cubi possbliy penatrate its hard shell layer almost like hitting a coconut with a small rock or something blunt yet tiny

I wonder if one needs to watch for sharks while dream surfing...

Hang 10, dude!  Oh no!  Wipe-out!

*starts humming the "Wipe Out" tune*  :B