TDM #2

[labyrinmods]

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: bluebells and daffodils. When characters wander near the bluebells, they will suddenly feel their body shrinking, becoming small enough to fit into a palm. The daffodils offer less dramatic effects - standing too close to blooming daffodils 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). It is said that witnessing a daffodil droop is an omen of death, however. Any dreamer that sees one wilt or droop is slated for death. Whether it’s within the next few days, in a few months, or in a few years - nobody knows when. They will be met with pitiful glances when they finally reach the town and will need to live with the knowledge they are cursed.

It looks like there are plenty of others who are just now waking up from their dream-state as well.. why not go ahead and say hello?

[ The arrival aspect of this prompt is reserved for new characters, but anyone can interact with the garden flowers. The effects will last for a few hours or days. For players that choose for their characters to be cursed to die, there will be many opportunities within the game to traumatize and kill off your character, so feel free to play it out when you want to (or not at all). ]

Clean-up Crew / The Mailmice

Somnius, with its weathered cottages and rustic shops, was never a sight to behold, but the effects of the blood moon has left the humble town worse for wear. Houses and shops have been torn down, locals and dreamers alike have been injured, and the makeshift relief area in the church is packed full with survivors being frantically tended to by the limited amount of healers and medical personnel available, their agonized groaning echoing through the town as they recover from their injuries. Who can blame them? The direwolves were trying to eat them alive. If it’s any consolation, all characters have been cured and returned to their original forms, and all direwolves have been wiped out. The damage is done, but the danger is over (for now).

The calls for help continue. All hands are needed to clean up and rebuild the town, heal the injured, keep an account for all the residents, and bury the locals who have perished. A mass grave and funeral has been organised and anyone may attend. Anyone with the capacity to sing, dance or entertain (bards, essentially) would be especially valued in this time, given the low morale.

Despite the clear chaos in the street, the Overseer Vaeros is nowhere to be found, almost like he has abandoned his people in their time of need. If asked about him, the people stay devoted, believing wholeheartedly that their ruler must have had more important matters to attend to.

As spring approaches, the ice and snow finally starts to melt away, and some creatures begin to emerge out of hibernation. The most notable (and cutest) would be the mailmice, a group of small creatures - led by their leader Sir Matthew Mousefield - who manage the mail delivery in Somnius. How they do it is through using an intricate system of underground burrows, ranging across the city and feeding into some homes (in classic ‘mouse hole’ fashion). How did the townsfolk manage their mail before these mice emerged from hibernation? The answer is not effectively.

There is one problem, however. Climbing out of the earth only to be met with a giant direwolf is definitely a stressful experience. The mailmice have lost a few of the early risers, and they are terrified, choosing to hide from perceived threats within the bulbs of flowers.

As cute as the image is, they need to be coaxed out to get the postal system working again. There are several ways to do this:

✿ Gentle handling, soothing words and face nuzzles.
✿Telling the mice an interesting riddle or calming story. Reading a book to them helps also.
✿Entertaining them with a performance. They enjoy a duet or lovely waltz between two.
✿Enticing them with a shiny object or food. They can be quite specific about what object or food they want, so several attempts will be needed.

Characters who have been shrunken down by the bluebell’s effects will be even more successful at coaxing the mice, as they are less of a perceived threat. While yanking them out of the flowers is possible, they will squeal and bite. Any cat-like being is also likely to be bitten. Mousebites are slightly poisonous and will compel the victim to be subservient and people-pleasing for a few hours to a few days.

Characters may choose to fill in as mailmen if they wish. Sir Matthew Mousefield will reward them with a generous wheel of cheese and the tiniest thank you letter (with a seal!).

Fireys

There’s one group of creatures particularly unbothered by all the mayhem. With the weather warming up, the Fireys have started to party within the forest, their carefree song echoing through the trees. While the gelflings have been devastated by the wolf attacks, the Fireys are completely fine. With their immortal bodies and the awful taste to their flesh, the direwolves took no interest in them, and the ones that did learned quickly that trying to eat a Firey is futile (and more of a funny game to them, than anything). The gelflings are not too fond of those party-loving, untroubled creatures, warning any dreamer to avoid them if possible. They would be right. Anyone who stumbles upon their little party will witness first hand the way they pull out their own eyes and eat them, the way they behead themselves and dismember their limbs and kick those body parts around like playing football. It’s all a game, and no one seems to get hurt, until they decide to force any onlookers to join in.

”Hey, your head don’t come off? What’s with that?!” “I know what we gotta do! Take off that head!”

They will chase any unwilling participants through the forest and try to grab for heads, limbs, noses, eyes and whatever they can get their hands on. The interesting part? When touched by a Firey, body parts do come off, much like dismantling the limbs of a doll. For most people, it’s painless, but for the unlucky few, it’s as excruciating as having it cut off. The Fireys, though? They have no concern for the well-being of others. They will run off with their loot, kicking it around and hiding it, forcing that unlucky soul to go on a morbid scavenger hunt.

It gets to a point the Fireys decide it might be a great idea to spread their idea of fun to the rest of the town (as if Somnius hasn’t been hit with enough already). There is no actual way to kill them, but they can be dismembered and trapped somewhere, and they get bored if their victim evades them for too long.

They will get bored and return to the forest after they’ve had their fill, but not before leaving some chaos in their wake, with this person’s eyes being left on the countertop of that person’s home, or that person’s head being left on the tavern mantle.

OOC

Welcome to the labyrinthum TDM! All events are game canon. New characters (invited or not) and old characters alike are welcome to play in it. Existing characters can start their own logs or network posts for the event if they wish to.

New 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.

You can find more information about the game here. Any questions regarding the TDM can go under the comment below. There is an ATP/EMP here for those interested.

Comments

The Kabukimono | Genshin Impact

[conceptheart]

[Clean Up Crew]

[It wasn't terribly hard to rope the puppet into helping out with rebuilding, he was very compliant when asked, even if he had to be carefully instructed in even the most simple of tasks. And given that he did not tire as humans did, he would not stop unless someone explicitly told him to.

He could be found running back and forth cleaning up piles of debris, carrying the injured to the relief area, and handing out rations to those in need with a smile. Eventually though, he could probably use a little clean-up as his very nice cloths were covered in dirt and blood and who knows what else. He doesn't seem to be aware that this is a problem however, and simply continues to work.]

[Mailmice]

[The Kabukimono was quite enticed by the prospect by getting to meet many new people, and having an inexhaustible messenger would no doubt be very handy when desperate for help. So the puppet happily accepted, he was handed a satchel of letters, and off he went, running out and about.

There was one problem with this arrangement: He couldn't read.

So for every delivery he will approach the nearest stranger and give a little tug on the shirt or sleeve and show them the letter or parcel.]

Excuse me, could you read this for me?

[Fireys]

[Perhaps the Kabukimono was a bit more lucky than most, he was fully aware that as a puppet, his limbs were indeed removable. That did not mean he wanted any of his limbs removed, and he was quite upset when one if the Firey's absconded with his arm.

He gave chase for a time, but soon gave up as he was... honestly quite easy to trick and he was clearly getting nowhere. Instead he had to wait for someone else to approach and would look up at them with the saddest teary face.]

They won't give me my arm back!

( mailmice )

[grantor]

[ Sometimes, you don't see nostalgia coming because you're not expecting a reminder. And sometimes, you don't see nostalgia coming because you're not aware there are any nostalgic feelings to trigger.

That's where Chuuya's at right now. His childhood and early teenage years don't have an over abundance of positive or even truly neutral memories attached, but an illiterate child wandering up to ask him with assistance reading something is one of those memories that fits in somewhere between the two categories. So Chuuya blinks down the Kabukimono, then accepts the envelope from him. ]

It says, To the red dragon manning the water heater at Wellspring.

[ ... What a weird way to address a letter. Chuuya hands it back over. ]

I think that's the bath house. You know where it is?

[conceptheart]

[He listens, eagerly, but then his face almost immediately twists into confusion. Dragon? He hasn’t seen any dragons, not that he’d seen much of anything at all despite his many years living. But with the knowledge he’d been imbued with… he thought dragons were supposed to very large.

How strange! That should make delivering to one all the more interesting!]

I don’t.

[…]

What’s a bath house?

[grantor]

[ ... Okay. Not knowing how to read is one thing, which Chuuya won't judge for. There's lots of reasons someone may have never picked up reading as a skill.

But not knowing what a bath house is? That's weird. It's in the name, even. Chuuya gives the Kabukimono a strange look but... okay, maybe this kid is somehow both extremely sheltered and under-educated. ]

It's a business where anyone can go to wash themselves off. They don't have those where you're from?

[conceptheart]

[He haas to pause to think for moment. What limited knowledge he did have was not his own, but rather something he'd been imbued with upon creation. It was still a bit jarring trying to sort through what he might theoretically know.

Unfortunately, he couldn't think of anything related to bath houses... aside from perhaps an onsen, but those were for soaking not for washing. Important distinction.

So he simply shook his head.]

I... I am not sure. I did not go outside.

[grantor]

[ ... Okay, extremely sheltered and under-educated it is. Chuuya heaves a little sigh. ]

Sounds rough. Come on, I'll show you where it is.

[ And since he's committed to helping this kid out, he may as well give him a little lesson along the way. ]

I'm pretty new here myself, but it looks like all the businesses are near the center of town. Wellspring's not hard to find, either; I guess most of the houses here don't have baths.

[conceptheart]

Rough?

[He did not exactly have any context how his life would be perceived to others, nor did he know about the lives of others the gauge what might be considered a difficult life. It would require more thinking on later.

For now, he wished to learn more of how humans lived! This seemed like something good to learn as humans thus far had been very kind!]

Alright! Is it normal for many houses not to have baths?

[grantor]

Yeah. Hard to work around, you know?

[ Chuuya has plenty of first-hand experience in having to start over in figuring out what a normal human life is like. This kid's got a long road ahead of him. ]

Depends. Where I'm from lots of older or cheaper places have a shower but nowhere to soak, and some of 'em don't even have that much.

[ And sometimes you're unlucky and live somewhere where you don't have a bath, shower, or public bathhouse nearby. No need to worry the kid with that part, though. ]

I haven't had a chance to look at the houses here, but it's probably similar if they've got a bath house that's not a luxury spa.

[conceptheart]

[He pondered the words. So that meant his situation would be considered... unfortunate? That was good to know.]

So that means my... situation is no longer rough then! Because I am here!

[That gets a happy little smile out of him, because that meant things were clearly going to be better now! He was excited to learn what that would be like!]

Baths must be very important to humans then! Maybe I should try one.

[Good thing he was learning where this bathhouse was then! Not that he would likely require many baths being a construct and all.]

Fireys

[pollicitation]

[The expression won't do much to gain Eve's sympathy. She found the current situation to be a lot of fun. Being one of the only people able to chase and slash them to her heart's content without repercussions. Most of them hid due to her aggressive and precise nature.

Red eyes will turn to the troublemaker holding the other individual's missing arm.]

Don't expect this to be a habit.

[It was her only warning before Eve begins to sprint after the escaping Firey after realizing she had him in her sights. The distance will close especially after the Firey makes the mistake to challenge her. She'll use the hidden blade in her red boots to slash it in half separating its upper abdomen from its legs. There's nowhere for it to escape. It'll decide to throw the arm away. Eve's gaze will follow in the location it was thrown in the forest.]

Now leave this place, you're clearly far too weak to be here.

[That was all Eve will say after returning the arm to the boy. Her expression without emotion as she gives him the warning.]

[conceptheart]

I-

[He wanted to argue her words, but quickly caught himself. He was weak. It had been why mother had discarded him. So instead he shrinks under her words, and meekly takes his arm back without returning her gaze. Once back in his possession, the ball joints on the fingers begin to fade, or at least become less visible, despite it not being reattached yet.

He offered the stranger a polite bow in gratitude, he may be weak but at the very least he could be polite.]

Thank you. I am sorry for the trouble.

[Now for the matter of... reattaching it. He'll figure it out. Probably.]

[pollicitation]

[She'll watch the boy with idle interest. Expecting a comeback of some kind for her harsh words only to find he agreed with her assessment. All she felt was utter disappointment. He could have, at least, tried to bite back.

When he offers a polite bow, she'll recognize the gesture from somewhere in Asia. Maybe he had his own version of it. Whatever the case, she'll simply continue to observe him.]

Liar. You aren't. [After all, she'll point out.] You needed help getting your arm back, didn't you? Why feel sorry for the trouble if it's needed to accomplish your goal? You needed me, and I agreed to the request.

[With that said, Eve will realize -- there may be someone who can help him get his limbs reattached. Making a hand motion for him to follow.]

I'll introduce you to someone useful. They can help you get you back together again.

[conceptheart]

I am not lying! [He very quickly added on, lying would be very rude and he did not wish to be rude! He was trying to be the very opposite of rude in fact!] If I had been stronger then I wouldn't have needed to bother anyone! That is why I am sorry!

[And he mumbles his next words, clearly disappointed with himself.]

...I even cried again too.

[And he desperately wished he had been strong enough to be worthy of the purpose he was built for. And maybe if his power hadn't been sealed away then he could have defended himself- not that he even knew the first thing about wielding such power.

He was quiet for a moment at the offer, hugging the arm close to him before finally nodding in compliance.]

Okay. I do not know how to repair myself.

[pollicitation]

[The instant response will get a proud look on her features for a moment. The kid has bite to him, after all. It was all she could think to herself.

But when he mentions his tears, again, Eve will watch him carefully for a moment.]

Crying isn't a sign of weakness. [If anything, she'll add.] Anyone willing to cry in front of strangers, showing their vulnerability, while asking for help are usually strong in their own right.

[Well, not to mention shameless, but she won't say those words to him. She had a filter....sometimes.]

Why don't you?

[Eve couldn't help find it odd for someone to not know how to fix themselves. She's used to taking care of herself all the time. As she waits for his response, they'll be leaving the area and heading to the housing district.]

[conceptheart]

[He shook his head. She was wrong. She had to be wrong... because what would that mean for him if it was untrue?]

It is. I wept as a dreamed during my creation, mother deemed me too weak to fulfill the purpose I was built for, so I have been discarded.

[Perhaps not quite how his mothers actions were intended to come off as, but his mother was something of a single-minded dunderhead, and may not have thought out her actions as well as she should have.

He simply looked down as his disconnected arm with a furrow of his brows.]

That is why I do not know how to repair myself. Mother intended to leave me in slumber, but I am awake now.

[And had been enjoying aimlessly wandering and learning about everything, this was his first encounter with something... unfriendly. Or perhaps too friendly, depending on how you looked at it.]

[pollicitation]

[The way he describes his life's purpose will remind her of the way VOID had tortured and heavily experimented on her and the others throughout the years -- being created to destroy mankind. Those deemed failures were given violent deaths by going through harsher experimentations. Eve will remain silent, willing to listen to the rest of his story.

He's supposed to be asleep? Eve couldn't help feel interest. At least, he's now awake and free from his mother's control, was all she could think to herself. Just like she was released from her own jailer.]

For once, Vaeros did something right. You should be somewhat safe here. Just learn to better defend yourself or find someone willing to protect you.

[A piece of her wanted to ask about his purpose, but refrain from doing so. It felt like a too personal inquiry to make.

They'll arrive to a quaint cottage. Opening the door with her own spare key, she'll enter and look around.]

Hey, Doc. Get your ass out here. I brought you something new.

[She figures it should pique his interest enough to come investigate.]

[borntolove]

[The Doctor is out and about; basically between the library and the market when he receives the text. Of course, he comes - running. But he can't run, forever and finds himself slowing down to a good jog before slowing to a fast walk when he finally arrives. He's working on catching his breath. He may have two hearts, but he only has a bit more energy than a normal human and is not limitless. He pops in with an alert look on his face.]

Wut's going on?!?!

[After a few moments, he notices that Eve is with someone. He gives a curious raise brow at Eve. Before kneeling to the person and spotting the missing limb. Ten remarks in a quiet voice.]

Hi, I'm The Doctor. How did this happen?

mailmice

[unalign]

[ lumine herself is running delivery to sir matthew, her hands carefully sorting out the letters and packages. she's already mostly memorized the entire landscape of somnius, having spent here for a little over two months now, but it's a different story when you're looking for very specific people all over town. how the mice do it, it'll always be fascinating and impressive to her.

she pauses in the middle of the marketplace, her eyes flickering at the address on the topmost letter of her pile and then looking around. she's about to walk off once more when she senses a tug on her arm, glancing around.

there's a beat, before her eyes widen, blinking in confusion at the familiar face. she can't be mistaken, can she? after all, there's no one else who has that face of his, other than his creator and his sister. ]

Wan—

[ she's quick to close her lips, her brows furrowing in confusion. there's only one time, though, that she's witnessed wanderer so subdued and timid like this. ]

... Can I take a closer look at it?

[conceptheart]

[He was quite happy to hand over the letter, this is absolutely not the first time he's done this today, nor would it be his last.]

Okay, here!

[He hands it over and peers over her shoulder to look at the squiggly gibberish, hoping maybe he will be able to make some link between the squiggles and what is says. He won't. But he's going to try!]

[unalign]

[ ... right.

lumine tries to turn her focus to the letter, reading the writing out loud. ]

Little Pippy, waitress Stone Dragon. That's one of the employees of the bakery down the street.

[ familiar enough, since she usually drops by there to get breakfast for her and kokomi.

she returns the letter to him with a faint smile. for a moment, lumine opens her mouth to ask what his name is, but she quickly shakes her head, her smile widening. he doesn't recognize her, understandable. which makes her wonder if he's suddenly regressed to the way he was prior to the events ... strange. ]

... Do you need help finding it?

[conceptheart]

There are a lot of dragons here. There was a box for a bath dragon too.

[He took the letter back to squint once more at the writing in hopes it may suddenly reveal its secrets to him. Predictably, he doesn’t have any success, and tucks the letter away.

At her offer though he brightens right up again, he was very curious about those here and… well, honestly he was just eating up the attention.]

I’d like that! We can go together! Thank you!

[unalign]

[ aah, it's so weird and disconcerting to see such a normally sullen face to be smiling so brightly at her. so much so that lumine takes a full minute to compose herself and gather her wits before turning back to the direction of the bakery.

last time was memory loss, so it's possible that this is that too. she didn't think it'd be possible to tamper with the irminsul a second time around, especially when the information has already been completely erased, but she could be mistaken. wanderer could have found something out again and made more changes to history.

in any case, she gestures at him to follow her and starts walking down the street. good thing she's headed this way too. ]

... Mm, dragons and gelflings, goblins and fairies.

[ so much like a children's book with more ... violence. ]

But they're all very kind, don't worry. Not like the ones you've read in stories.

[conceptheart]

I have not heard of any of those before, aside from the dragons I think.

[It was tricky sifting through the knowledge that he had been imbued with. In spite of it not being nearly enough to survive in the world, it was quite a bit for someone to new to everything.

He knew of dragons. But that was the beginning and end of his knowledge regarding them. They existed. His mother knew of them. Oh! And they were supposedly large things.

oh, but this nice lady was still speaking to him, he needed to focus!]

I have not read any stories, I do not know how to read.

[unalign]

[ that's ... a surprise.

though she supposes, recalling what she's seen and heard about his past, that's also not too surprising. ei did leave him in shakkei pavilion after he's somewhat failed the reason for his creation, but that's been a very, very, very long time. and even when lumine's met him again in sumeru after the irminsul incident, he was much more worldly than this. ]

I've read about some of them during my travels.

[ fairy tales, some of which are history books too. it's fascinating, each and every one of them. ]

What are the things you've heard about dragons so far? I can share my own stories too if you'd like.

Poor Lumine trying to figure out what's gotten into him

[conceptheart]

I know that dragons are large!

[Bam. There it is. The whole extent of his knowledge on dragons.

If Lumine is waiting for more then she's only going to have the Kabukimono's big dumb proud smile to fill the silence.]