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buttrinthum2024-07-20 09:30 am
TDM #10 OVERFLOW
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:
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.
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-
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:
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.
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.
@utinam
[Taryon hums to himself. There's always some sort of political strife occurring in the world, but a hundred years sounds like a lot.] Tensions between nations, I guess. There's something like that happening back home, between my country and the on up north, but we're trying not to turn it into a war.
[That issue will be addressed in the campaign after his. So, it's nothing to worry about right now.]
I will be famous. I haven't written my book yet, but apparently loads of people read it and loved it. [No one told him that much, but he's extrapolating.] All I have to do is to put into the world.
Oh, that's a new one. Let's try it out.
no subject
That's good to hear. War is something I wouldn't recommend to anyone. It's... difficult and makes everything complicated.
[She paused, her thoughts drifting back to her own world's conflict.]
Unfortunately, in my world, humanity didn't have a choice.
[Turning her attention back to her new friend, she'll smile.]
Congratulations on your future success! But, how do people know about your book if you haven't written it yet?
[As the new song started, Nuvia decided to go along with Taryon's enthusiasm. She began to sway her body back and forth, trying to match the rhythm while hitting the right buttons.]
Let's see how this one goes.
[Focusing on the game and enjoying the moment.]
no subject
[She can't mention humanity being forced into war and not expect Taryon to want to know more. It sounds like the entire world was invaded. Vox Machina told him of dragons that attempted to conquer their home continent, but that was less of a war and more of powerful creatures imposing their will on others.
But she distracts him with a more interesting topic: himself.] They come from the future. My future, one not too distant. There's something odd with this realm. Vaeros doesn't take us from the same point in time. I've been told my friends saved the world, but I don't recall anything like that happening. I have a draft of my magnum opus, but I'm known across the land for said book. It's so...bizarre.
[The song begins. Taryon shuts up to keep an eye on the oncoming notes. At times, he catches himself bobbing his head to the rhythm.]
no subject
The nevu became obsessed with humanity because of our ingenuity and power. When they noticed humanity reaching its peak, they decided to collect us to add to their growing collection of other civilizations. However, they can only collect 1% of any given group instead of all of them. [She paused, ensuring Taryon was following.] At the time, the world was undergoing drastic climate changes. Most of the continents were washed away, leaving only the highest grounds. Humanity was on the brink of extinction, with 40% of the world destroyed by these climate changes. The nevu promised to help by sending scouts to supervise every single human still alive, determining which of their technologies could save our planet.
[Nuvia's expression darkened.]
But then, the nevu revealed their true plans: they would collect only a select few humans and use the war as a cover to kill off the rest. Humanity, realizing the deception, overthrew their global leaders and decided to fight back. They saw that the world was stronger than ever and rejected the nevu's plans, leading to a full-scale war. The nevu wanted the right to collect us, while we wanted our freedom back.
[She then turned her attention to Taryon's unique situation.]
That's incredible, encountering your future selves and seeing how this realm takes people from different points in time. Do you have friends from your world here too? And what's a magnum opus? It sounds important.
[All of the questions will be asked as she continues to play the game alongside him. Trying her best to multitask on her side to not miss any points.]
no subject
He doesn't say anything while he continues to play the current song. It's a horrible thing for anyone to go through, and he has no idea what to say to that.
Until the song ends, and Nuvia's questions has gone unanswered for too long.] A magnum opus is someone's greatest work of their life. It's the painting that defines an artist, or a book that defines a writer. Or some...kind of thing that's the best thing ever. It's what I will be most known for in the future.
[At least among young people Jester's age.]
A lot of my friends from my time aren't here anymore. It's just me and Percival. [There's a pause - things have gotten complicated between the two, but it's nothing worth sharing with a young girl he just met.] But there's people from the future. You know the drow and the man that are getting married soon? They're also from Exandria.
[He scrolls through the list of rock songs, pausing to listen to the full preview before moving onto the next one. It's difficult to think about the next game while there's a whole mess in Nuvia's history, and he must ask:]
...Is everything okay where you're from?
no subject
When Taryon finally speaks again, explaining the meaning of "magnum opus," Nuvia nods in understanding.]
Oh, so that's what it means.
[She'll realize it's going to be his best work—likely a book. She's glad to hear that he isn't alone in this world.]
In the future, books are considered sacred relics of the past. They're worth a fortune if you have one of your own.
[As Taryon scrolls through the list of songs, preparing for the final round, Nuvia grows quiet when he asks about her world. She hesitates for a moment before responding.]
Are you worried about me?
[She wonders if the silence has been because he's concerned for her or perhaps thinking about his own future.]
no subject
[He hovers over his selection and pauses before hitting the confirmation button.]
...I am. [He faces Nuvia.] Because what you're describing sounds like a terrible place to grow up.
no subject
There are still libraries in my time, but they're different from what you might be used to. We mostly have digital copies of texts to read from, or sometimes the AI reads to us instead.
[She paused, reflecting on the stories her mother used to tell her.]
I love fairy tales and myths, especially those about legends. My mom would use the stars after midnight to tell me stories with.
[His concern for her caught her off guard, a genuine kindness she hadn’t expected. Looking somber, she nodded, confirming his assumption.]
It wasn’t the best environment for me, but I lived with my mother in peace, away from humans, for over 90 years. So, it wasn’t all bad.
no subject
You're not human. [It sounds like she's a descendant of the people that invaded Earth. It's not her fault, but it must be painful to know that she's part of the story of evil on her planet.] I loved those sorts of stories as a boy, too. Then I moved onto long-form novels, but always about myths and legends.
[He hums.] How about we visit the library after this game?
no subject
Is it that obvious? [She hadn't realized she had given away that she wasn't human, but Taryon's calm demeanor and lack of hostility put her at ease. His tone was more curious and understanding than anything else, and it was a relief not to be met with fear or anger. She let out a small sigh of acceptance, deciding it was okay to be honest with him.] Yes, you're right. I'm not entirely human. I suppose it's something I can't really hide.
[When he mentioned long-form novels, Nuvia's curiosity piqued.] Long-form novels? Does that mean longer stories?
[Nuvia had always loved stories, whether they were short tales or longer epics filled with myths and legends.
The mention of visiting the library brought a bright smile to her face. She usually went with the Doctor or Belle for her lessons, but the idea of going with Taryon to explore new kinds of stories was exciting.]
I'd love that! [Nodding her head.] It would be wonderful to learn about these new ideas and stories with you.
no subject
[The white hair isn't strange, and she seems like she's been sheltered from a lot of the world, like plenty of humans. Like that famous detective in the novels Taryon has been going through, he deduced that something was off by the words she had spoken. He's getting good at this.]
Yes, you know. Thick books? A few hundred pages long? Have you ever seen them? [Oh gods, what a horrible childhood to not have even seen a wondrous item!] Right. One song, and we go to the library.
[He turns to the console and presses the start button for their final song.] Let's see how well you do here!