Last nights dream was great. Confusing, but great.
The setting was some sort of medieval fantasy mixed with the modern world, not that I can remember many details.
Earlier on in the dream, I vaguely remember some sort of shootout. That's basically
all I remember about it... me running along, diving over a car (or some other obstacle) to gun down a couple of surprised people with my dual handguns, all very videogame-y.
Later in the dream, I received a
mission quest from whoever my commander/ruler was, and set off to lands unknown.
Things got rather more Bethesda RPG-like for the rest of the dream. I can't remember much about my quest or its objectives, except for one part I had to go into this walled city of catfolk, to talk to one of their higher-ups about matters of state, or give them a message or something.
The catpeople turned out to be pretty up-themselves, and the black-armoured gate guard was reluctant to let me in despite the importance of my mission. Eventually he gave me some sort of writ to let me in, with the rule that once I'd done my business and left, I would not be allowed into the city again.
So I went in, tracked down the lordly types I was sent to talk to in some gloomy, torch-lit room and gave them the message.
Can't remember their reactions or much of anything else, but I wandered back out into the city's main square, with another part of my quest complete, and decided that if I wasn't going to be allowed back in here ever again I might as well take my time sight-seeing.
The city was pretty interesting; all built out of reddish-orange stone and with buildings packed atop buildings.
I can't remember much more than that about the architecture, but it seemed almost more like a sprawling, oversized castle than a city. Lots of high walkways against huge walls, that sort of thing, all most certainly medieval in appearance.
I wandered through an archway off the square and found myself on a small street with some stalls set into/against one wall.
One shopkeeper I saw was actually human, the first non-catperson I'd seen in the city, but I didn't ask his story, I just bought a small loaf of bread (or maybe a cupcake?) from him. I think I might have bought it by mistake, but I'm not sure.
The next stall I went to was (wo)manned by a female catperson, and seemed to be selling various city-related memorabilia. I'm not sure whether it was intended just for patriotic citizens since there was no tourism allowed, or if I'd just had bad luck with the guards, but either way I bought a trucker hat.
It was basically just a black trucker hat with a curved white shape on the front, but apparently that symbol had some significance to the catpeople? Whatever, I've wanted a trucker hat for a while and apparently dream-me was aware of that. Also I had three dollars in coins left as change from my last purchase, and the hat cost $3- which seemed insanely cheap to me so I guess it was a good deal.
Then I ended up wandering into the residential area. This still being seemingly inspired by your average free-roaming RPG, I had no qualms about wandering on in. I was
sightseeing, damnit!
So I went about, doing the ancient RPG tradition of wandering into houses and doors at random to see what I could find.
Eventually I went into one door on this long raised stone walkway of similar doors, and I found myself in this dark, poorly-lit apartment with a group of orcs sitting down to eat their evening meal. So I went up and had a chat with them, and found them to be far nicer and more agreeable than the uptight catpeople running the city.
There were four of them, two youngish adult females who were rather more slender/human-looking than the usual fantasy orcs, and a hulking, gruff male who was not. Then I think there was either a little child or a really old, small orc sitting at one end of the table, but I can't remember its gender.
Can't remember much of what we spoke about, except that their "tribe"(?) or group was called "The Incendiary Water", and they were celebrating because one of them (I think it might have been the older female?) had won a fistfight against some fighter/warrior the cat people held in high regard, knocking them on their arse and giving them a good beating, which would be quite humiliating with how dignified the catpeople were.
The younger of the two, when I spoke to her, at one point described just what they were eating- I can't remember what the meal was called, but apparently they would save up most of the food they came by, letting it spoil and go stale, until they had a special occasion- at which point they would just chuck it all in a pot and stew it indiscriminately. I think they may have then baked the results into a pastry crust, not sure.
I got the feeling it was more a matter of tradition than necessity that inspired them to cook something so nasty (to outsiders and non-orcs, anyway), since to be living in the cat-people city with fairly comfortable quarters these orcs had to be doing pretty well for themselves.
Then, once she'd finished excitedly describing the food and whatever else, she'd completely forgotten what she'd been doing beforehand and I had to remind her, at which point she tucked back into her food to the amusement of the others.
Can't remember that much more of our conversations, except that after that I made to leave, since I still had more of the city to explore, but the older woman-orc made a show of being offended that I hadn't stayed to listen to
her story after talking to the other three, and as she mock-cried I hurriedly sat back down, patted her on the hand and assured her that I would.
Amidst more orcish laughter she started with her story, from some time ago when they'd been caught out in a storm, and had to stay in some sort of public bunkhouse in the city, she and the other female snuggled together sharing a bunk. My character was becoming progressively more squicked-out as she described her *ahem* 'needs' and how she was scouting the bunkhouse for some big, strong warrior-type man, but fortunately I woke up before she could get further in the story.
Well, not really fortunately, since the dream was awesome.
Okay, finally got all that written out. I've forgotten a lot, sadly, that dream was pretty dang cool.
I wrote out the scene with the orcs first when I woke up, since it was freshest in my mind and I actually remembered some of the dialogue. That was really interesting, they seemed to be 'similar-yet-different' to your average fantasy orcs and orcish culture.
They did some gross stuff and were very unashamed and brash, but they were friendly and overall pretty cool.
I wish I could have dreams like this more often, and of course remember them better.