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buttrinthum2023-02-25 07:43 pm
TDM #2
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). ]
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!).
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.
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.
III.
She looked through her satchel, humming softly as she didn't find the tool she wanted. She saw it on the ground and hummed again.]
Will you please hand me that chisel? [She calls down as Aladdin passes.]
no subject
[He's starting to get used to odd jobs from the people around him, but it still startles him a little when somebody addresses him so suddenly.
It also takes him a little bit longer than he'd like to admit to remember which tool is the chisel. Look, it's not a tool he uses a lot.
He grabs it, gives it a little toss in his hand, and offers it handle-first to Aurora.]
This one?
no subject
That is the one, yes. I have to get these arrows out and this one is rather deep. [A good shot, just poorly aimed.]
no subject
[He has no idea if that's even a job two people can do, but he figures he might as well ask.]
no subject
But I will not keep you if you are busy.
no subject
[Removing arrows, was it? Well, there's only one ladder- but really, since when has reaching high places been a challenge for him? He'll just go ahead and hop up along the side of the building, kicking off the wall to grab the roof and haul himself up.
It's not winning any awards for dignity, but he can go ahead and lean over to start pulling another stray arrow from underneath the roof.]
I'm Aladdin, by the way. Nice to-
[He's interrupted by a grunt of effort as the arrow yanks free.]
-meet you.
no subject
Aladdin? Did you say your name was Aladdin? You wouldn't happen to know a Jasmine, would you? [She reached out to take the chisel.
Did Jasmine know? They were going to have to stop what they were doing so that she could go tell her friend!]
no subject
Oh, yeah! She's my-
[His fiancee? His princess? The love of his life? There's a moment where he gets flummoxed trying to figure out how best to explain what she is to him, only to realize that if she associated his name with hers she must already know that, and Aladdin, articulate and witty as ever, finally settles on-]
Nice. She's good. We're- I mean, that is, uh-
[...nice, Al. Ugh, he sounds stupid again.]
She's the one who told me. About this place. When I got here.
[... He doesn't actually let his head flop against the roof in embarrassment, but it's a near thing.]
no subject
You got there, well done.
I am glad to know you are here, she's been waiting for you. [She tilted her head.]
I am Aurora. I live with Jasmine. Here, let us descend to the ground so we can speak without fear of falling, you're welcome to use the ladder though you seem quite capable without.
[She used the chisel to get the lodged arrow out and then handed it to a squirrel who was kind enough to carry it down the ladder for her in its mouth as she worked her way down.]
no subject
Oh, yeah! Jasmine mentioned you.
[He is, in fact, quite able to hop down again without much difficulty, no ladder required. Once he's on the ground, he laughs sheepishly.]
She also mentioned that I'd kept her waiting a while, so, uh... thanks. For looking out for her.
[...Wait. That came out wrong.]
N-not that she needs anybody to look out for her! I just-
[... Oh, man, how does he always do this? Siiigh.]
I'm glad she wasn't alone here.
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I did not assume you were suggesting such a thing. [She assured, she was not sure why he was so worried.]
I am just as grateful for her company. She is my best friend and we've supported one another deeply. You shall have to meet our other roommate, Poppy, she is just as lovely and wonderful.
no subject
Soooo he's just gonna welcome that subject change.]
Oh, she told me about Poppy, too. I'm looking forward to meeting her. Any friend of Jasmine's is a friend of mine.
[And hopefully, when he met her he'd embarrass himself less.]
no subject
Though perhaps we should get to know one another a bit more if we are to be friends, don't you agree?