TDM #10 OVERFLOW

[labyrinevents]

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 in scrawling, jagged lettering that seems a bit... ominous:

“Welcome to my Labyrinth. Your CONTRACT is SEALED.”

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: Sunflowers and Hibiscus. You’ll soon find out that being around the Sunflower makes it difficult to pass through the already disorienting garden, even with the light guiding you. Where patches of them grow, even if only waist-high, you cannot pass through them, over them, or even destroy them to get them out of your way. In each grouping that blocks your path, there is one that has a key-shaped opening in the middle of the flower. Maybe the key is nearby? (Spoiler: it's probably under a rock nearby that you forgot to check!) The hibiscus offers an entirely different effect - inhaling the pollen grants you the temporary ability to shoot fireballs out of your hands. But be careful, those fireballs are difficult to control and seem to bounce in random directions no matter how hard you try to aim (cannot be used to destroy the sunflowers). The effect ends once you step out of the garden.

It's Dangerous to go Alone! Take This.

Somnius is once again recovering from a devastating blow. Buildings need to be restored to their former glory and the emotional turmoil of the previous weeks surely needs to be alleviated. What better way to lighten the mood than a little fun for the whole family? A new arcade has appeared in town, beckoning residents with its stone doors set wide open.

With multiple levels, a variety of games and even a snackbar, Appl3 Pi Arcade is sure to be a hit!

Of course, as with everything that ever happens in Somnius, the arcades appearance is not without some complications. For one, playing the games inside might see characters teleported into the machine itself, perfectly pixelated to fit the game they're in. Hope you weren't about to fight the final boss, because now you might be fighting for your life! The good news is, if you die in the game... you don't die in real life and are just popped back out into the arcade again.

Strange things happen outside the arcade too. Walking down the road you might suddenly see a healthbar pop up above someone's head. Are you supposed to fight them? Are they going to fight you? Best to be cautious and reach for any trusty weapons you have just in case. Weapons that have become pixelated and can be pulled seemingly out of nowhere like some kind of hammerspace. They are also prone to breaking and shattering into glimmering pixel pieces (your normal weapons are still intact, don't worry).

Boxes and pots around Somnius are somehow more breakable than usual, smashed open with a single swing of those pixel weapons and producing gold coins! What a shame gold coins aren't the currency here. But if you don't want to destroy more things around Somnius, why not try fishing instead? That seems safe - if not suddenly more difficult with the fishing minigame that popped up in front of you. Quick! Keep the fish icon in the green bar or you'll lose it!

All things considered? It's all relatively harmless fun up until-

But Enough Talk, Have At You!

Vaeros wakes up. For those new to town, this means nothing. For those that were here for the castle raid? They can rest assured that they're in for a surprise. The Overlord of Visium has finally awoken from his Hyalily induced coma and he is furious. A shout echoes from the castle:

"Did you think you had won, dear Dreamers? Did you think you had bested me? Go, play your games, but know that there is only one winner here, and it is me."

A wave of magical energy sweeps through the town, shaking it to the very core. Miraculously, the destroyed buildings and any remnants of the forest onslaught are gone and returned to their usual state. Perhaps Vaeros shouting was just another tantrum, an empty threat?

Not quite.

The town has been restored, but the locals? They are nowhere to be seen - cowering in their homes and fleeing to the sanctity of the Church of the Moon in hopes of staying out of sight of Vaeros and Dreamers both. The once tame video game effects are now far more intense - monsters from within those games are now rampaging through the town. They seem to shift through buildings, but if they run face first into a Dreamer, they will find them very corporeal and very deadly.

Not only that, but the lines are starting to blur between reality and fiction again, the healthbar above your head flickering in and out, the monsters turning from pixel beasts to real, live animals that roam Somnius - both feral and not. One second you are walking through town, and the next you are stepping onto a platform that starts to break under your weight, demanding you jump to the next platform before you plummet into an odd, multicolored abyss.

And strangest of all is that music coming from the labyrinth, growing louder when you approach and fading out when you move away.

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.

Comments

[purrsonality]

The voice?

[ ah, right. ]

Probably Vaeros. I think. He gets all dramatic like that.

[mythrun]

Vaeros... So this is part of a dungeon?

[ One more step closer, he'd loom if they weren't the same height. ]

How did he pull us into it?

[purrsonality]

[ izutsumi bristles at how close he's getting. things have improved, but that doesn't mean she has to trust him. ]

How should I know? You're the dungeon lord expert, right?

[mythrun]

How do you not know if this is a dungeon...?

[ His head turns, there's music coming from the maze.

Why does it seem like he's considering just walking in- ]

[purrsonality]

How do you not know?

[ she doesn't owe him anything! ]

[mythrun]

There are no hostile monsters around. [ Yet- ] And this open landscape is too sprawling for the first floor. Yet there's a city here.

[ He turns back, giving her that dead-fish like stare. ]

I just woke up... But things have changed quite a bit. How much time has passed?

[ He has no reason to think she's from a different time, yet. ]

[purrsonality]

[ she shrugs. ]

I don't have to tell you anything, you know. You're not my boss.

[mythrun]

...

[ His fingers twitch, like some part of him is debating teleporting her. Shame he can't right now. ]

You do not. But it's in your interest, if you want to leave the dungeon.

[ If it even is a dungeon. What happened to Laios and the lion? So many questions. ]

[purrsonality]

Is it? I don't think you're all that good at your job.

[ after all, she knows the truth. so she's not particularly convinced towards his argument. ]

[mythrun]

It would be easier with co-operation. I'm going to see what that is-

[ She's not being helpful and the music's getting louder. Which must mean something's happening right?

Except he's walking away from the maze. ]

[purrsonality]

You're going to get yourself killed. Do you even know where you're going?

[mythrun]

No.

[ Walking blind is probably more productive than talking to her though.

Step, step, step... ]

[purrsonality]

[ hm. she's not responsible. nor does she care. but other people do, so she could try. bare minimum though. ]

I'll take you to town.

[mythrun]

[ Pause...? ]

Thank you.

[ Turn, ready to go.
He's still facing the wrong way. ]

[purrsonality]

[ she hates this for herself. ]

This way. It's. This way.

[mythrun]

[ He stops, turns. And walks with her without so much as a blink. ]

You know this place well?

[purrsonality]

I've been here for months. You're the newcomer.

[ her tail twitches as she keeps her distance. he's not an ally, not really. same as kabru. and she's still miffed that he kept teleporting her. ]

This isn't like the average dungeon.

[mythrun]

[ He teleported her ONCE! Nothing purrsonal. ]

...

[ Just a bit more intense of a look. ]

Thats impossible. You had just made it out of the dungeon when I last saw you.

[ Then EVERYTHING started breaking and... hmm, his memory after that's foggy. Maybe something hit him on the head? ]

dunmeshi spoilers

[purrsonality]

[ izutsumi gives him a long look at that. ]

Things that are impossible happen here all the time. You get used to it.

[mythrun]

[ Quietly adjusts to him post Tasty Falin Snack. ]

And this Vaeros. He's the ruler of the dungeon? Or the Demon?

[ It still doesn't make sense. He thought he was done with all this. ]

dunmeshi spoilers

[purrsonality]

I don't know. Some call him Fae and say he has powers.

I haven't seen the demon at all.

dungeon meshi spoilers onwards

[mythrun]

[ His brain's whirring... surprisingly fast for someone who looks like they've been chewed up and spit out a few times.

Well... ]

No demon... So it's a manmade dungeon? Did he pull us here himself?

[ That doesn't seem logical at all but he's eliminated every other possibility. The demon was meant to be done, over. What happened in a month? ]

[purrsonality]

I already said I don't know!

But I don't think he had anything to do with it. He's gone.

[mythrun]

...

[ He has a lot to think on. So he goes quiet for a good portion of their walk. Perhaps best to keep an eye on him because at some point he's started drifting to the side. ]

[purrsonality]

You're going the wrong way again.