buttrinthum | TDM #7

Arrival / Enchanted Garden

Whether it be sleep or death, you feel your eyes close, and as your body begins to let go, you see a barn owl that is flying through the darkness, soon sweeping you across the clouded sky. You feel yourself mouth the words, “I wish, I wish..” and utter your deepest and darkest desire.

When you regain consciousness, you’ll find you are in an unfamiliar place with no recognition of how you arrived here. You have the clothes on your back, but nothing else. No weapons and if you had a particular superpower, you’ll notice it is missing. All you have is a satchel with a piece of bread, a vial of water and a potion. The potion could be red, blue or golden. There are no instructions about these potions other than two words: Drink Me.

Will you drink it or not?

There is a parchment, handwritten, and it simply gives you a welcoming:

“Welcome to my Labyrinth. Per our agreement, you have consented to live your life here for an undetermined amount of time. In exchange, I will grant you the wish that you desire the most.”

You’re in a garden, surrounded by flowers and plants– most of which you cannot identify. However, there are a few that you can make out: poinsettias and holly. You’ll soon find out that being around the poinsettias give you an odd sense of joy no matter how confusing the situation may seem and the holly, which is left over from the holiday season, offer different effects - standing too close to blooming holly will encourage a strong desire to be impulsive or try out something they never would have otherwise tried (whether it’s a wild new hobby, or shaving their entire head, or something else).

An Unexpected Blizzard

As harsh temperatures drop across Somnius, the townsfolk seem taken aback by how frigid cold the city is becoming. They expect this year to be chilly, but not exactly this chilly. Seemingly out of nowhere and overnight, a massive blizzard sweeps across the city, piling snow high and trapping Dreamers and townsfolk alike in their dwellings. Perhaps it's not wise to go out -- perhaps it might be better to snuggle up with your housemates instead.

As the day continues, the blizzard roars on, piling more and more snow on top of itself and making the air dense. Those who are adventurous enough to try and leave their dwelling may do so, but it poses as a risk with both high winds and freezing temperatures. Characters who have a fire element from their potion might be suited to be rescuers in this situation. Heat does make the snow melt and keep people warm, after all. They might be someone's only chance for survival, after all.

However, through the dense snow, something is lurking and they are very hard to see. It's the return of the Snow Angels, but because of the intense coldness, appeasing the Snow Angels by offering warmth will not work. Their weapons are drawn and anyone that approaches them at all will be attacked. Unlike last year, heat will NOT hurt the Snow Angels but ironically enough, making snowballs and throwing them at the Snow Angels will ... somehow ward them off. Clobbering Snow Angels with many snowballs will reduce them to just mounds of snow and their sword will vanish into pixie dust.

Any character who gets struck with their sword will risk severe frostbite which can be slowed down and cured by characters with healing abilities.

Trying to Relax

When the blizzard finally subsides, the bitter cold and snow will linger (As will the snow angels, so be careful.) Of course, this means a lot of places will be harder to reach- the path along starlight cliffs, for instance, will be far more treacherous and dangerous to access, and much of Lake Omen will be frozen over.

The path down to the beach, however, is still miraculously clear and easy to traverse- and, more importantly, there's a new path across sheets of ice across the ocean that have frozen over, broken, and refrozen, creating a long ice bridge that leads to a small island. On that island will be found a hot spring, complete with long-abandoned signs of use. This was clearly once an active onsen on this island, and for the most part, the natural warmth of the area has kept the winter cold at bay, meaning the hot springs are still accessible, steamy, and safe for visitors!

There are several springs of varying size and temperature. Anybody who bathes in these springs will find that they’re comforting and relaxing, soothing away the aches and tensions of your muscles and your mind alike. A few people may hear an odd, barely-audible whispering voice or echo on the edge of your hearing while you’re in the water, but don’t worry about that, that’s probably nothing. However, those who bathe in the waters may also notice a few odd side effects:

The most common effect will be uncontrollable emission of steam and bubbles from the bather’s mouth. The steam doesn’t burn them, the bubbles don’t interfere with speech and breathing, but both will be a mildly distracting nuisance until you’ve fully dried off from the spring
Many of the springs will make those who bathe in them feel incredibly refreshed and energized; maybe even too energized. You swear you’re not normally this hyper. Don’t worry, it will wear off after several very productive, very exhausting hours.
Some of the springs will enhance the most dominant personality traits of those who bathe in them. Anxious? Try ‘neurotic wreck.’ Brave? ‘Stupidly reckless.’ Reserved? ‘Completely emotionless.’ You get the idea. On the other hand, others will neutralize those personality traits, returning them to normal or even inverting them entirely. This can last anywhere from a day or two to a couple of weeks.
A few of the springs will induce a unique transformation. Those exposed to it will find that whenever they’re submerged in water, they grow gills and webbed limbs that make them fully amphibious and capable of swimming effortlessly. This transformation doesn’t impair them on dry land, aside from their skin being notably cold and clammy to the touch. Those who are already amphibious or aquatic by nature aren’t visibly affected. This will also last for anywhere from days to weeks.

Those under the effects of any hot spring will find that the mermaids in the unfrozen portions of Lake Omen are no longer as hostile to them. In fact, those affected by the aquatic spring, even those who are otherwise unchanged, will find that the mermaids are quite friendly and very chatty, though an unsettling amount of their conversations seem to revolve around how appetizing your fellow villagers look.

OOC

Welcome to the labyrinthum TDM! Characters will arrive depowered and with only their clothing, and will be given a satchel with a crystal pendant, a communication device, some water and bread and a magic potion. If they drink the potion, they will manifest an elemental, healing or animal transformation ability.

With the exception of Castle Vaeros, characters are free to go as they please, so feel free to place them in any of the locations available on the map. Yes, this includes the Labyrinth - though characters will not be able to clear the maze.

You can find more information about the game here. Any questions regarding the TDM can go under the comment below.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The delightful release of that carnage, the ripping and tearing, the exhilaration of pushing past bounds and reason, further and faster and harder until the thoughts peel back like a chrysalis to birth something fresh and new and free-- It is something known to Blue. It is something she understands deeply as she watches this boy unleash his emotions on the creatures around him, bringing a smile to her own lips as she waits. A snowball is tossed up into the air again and again with the lightest touch of her hand... She keeps waiting, marking her distance from him so as to not interrupt his focus. It's only once he seems spent-- Only once he's gloating and digging his heel into the remains of his victory, that she calls over to him with a cheerful greeting:]

I don't think they have friends. How nice of you to do them a favor.

[He can take that how he likes.]

[The voice cuts through frenzied thoughts, much like the sword he used to have. One he misses now that the crumbled creatures are at this feet. Destruction is satisfying, but there's something to ripping, tearing, cutting apart an enemy. A snowball doesn't really cut it.

But he takes her words the same way he takes anything - with suspicion and feigned disinterest.

He twists to face her, straightening up after he scoops another ball from the remains of the angel under his feet into his numb hand.]

I suppose I should feel grateful you're not a moron that pities these creatures, but I have to ask - do you plan to stand there all day twiddling your thumbs or are you going to throw that?

[She tosses the snowball high up again, catches it without sparing a glance in its direction, but keeps it held in her hand after that-- and waves it at him in response to his suspicion.]

At what? I daresay you got them all. ...Unless you think these work on people as well as they do on snow creatures?

[There's an edge to her smile that says she wouldn't be opposed to trying.]

You're quite energetic, aren't you? Aren't you tired from all of that?

No, I'm not. Far from it actually. I could go for hours.

[He might now out of pure spite, despite the way his fingers tremble against the snowball clenched in his palm. His grip tightens. No more shaking.

There's a temptation in that question to use it against her - the sly expression on her face is mocked by his own for a brief moment. Entertaining, but not worth it. He doubts it will harm her in any way and isn't looking to make people crumble - not this one at least. Not yet.

The snow shifts under his foot, but it's impossible to tell whether its origin is natural or another angel forming because -

Down his heel goes onto the white lump with a manic, breathy cackle - again and again and again and-]

You piece of shit - you'll regret coming back. Stay there with the rest of the trash.

[DOING SO GOOD!!!!]

[Blue doesn't doubt that he could go for hours. He could probably run himself ragged with all of that pent-up bloodlust, wear himself down to the bone and then some. If she was so lucky, she would watch the whole thing. He's doing marvelous, by her account.]

[She doesn't see any movement in the snow herself, doesn't think those snow creatures can even come back in such a manner-- and they wouldn't be killed again by stomping on them at any rate. He's simply jumping at shadows and snowdrifts, wound up tight enough to cut himself into ribbons. A mousetrap, primed and ready, poised to snap, and nothing to catch in its grasp. A shame.]

[She tilts her head at him, observing his frenzy with all the tells of polite curiosity.]

[A moment later, a snowball comes whizzing at his head. Coincidentally, her hand appears to be empty now. Imagine that.]

[Maybe it's the audacity that blinds him to the events that occurs when he blinks. His eyes shut a second too long.

A woman. A snowball.

And a blast of ice hitting his cheek. It crumbles into the pile of snow corpses under his feet, some tenacious chunks sticking to his cheek until the back of his hand swipes it off with a quick flick.

Okay.

This is childish. Stupid. Completely ridiculous and this woman's petulant little display is-]

Do you think I can be provoked so easily? Go back inside and find some toys to play with if you're going to screw around. I'm not a babysitter.

[And to prove he can't be provoked he-

Throws the snowball in his own hand head on - the target clear in the way he makes makes immediate eye contact with her.

But he has a feeling - an inkling, that he should start scooping another.

So he does.]

[Does she think he can be provoked so easily? The way she smiles, the focused brightness in her eyes like a wolf eager to play... Yes, she does think he's this easy to provoke. And he doesn't disappoint.]

[She dodges his counterattack by ducking to the side, but not with a wide margin of error. The snowball flies past her head close enough to feel its passing, her hair whisking back on one side. The thrill of it elicits a laugh from her, sudden and bright, even as she's finding cover behind a nearby tree. Crouching with her knees to her chest, she begins scooping and packing several rounds of snowballs, loading them into her pockets. A call is thrown over her shoulder beyond the tree as she makes her quick work.]

You say to go inside and play, but why should I? All the best toys are out here.

[Him included.]

TDM #7

blizzard!

he's so rude i'm sorry

bless him and his rude face

no blessing, only cursing

it's my turn to apologize for her

oh NO

no subject