buttrinthum | TDM #2

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TDM #2

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The flowers... oh, no. [She should have known.] This happened when I arrived, too; there were these big red, leafy flowers that I could swear were affecting my mood.

[Shuffling toward Elsa, she holds out her palms.] Here, I can help you move to where you like. Do you know which flower you were near when you shrank?

Red ones? No, this was the blue flowers.

[Elsa does at least want to try and warn. So Jasmine or anyone else not yet impacted by the flowers might be able to avoid it. As she approaches, noting the other's holding out her palms to Elsa. She hasn't come across anything that seems to have impacted her mood, but she had only recently arrived so perhaps she had just missed those flowers?]

Strange. I've seen blue flowers around before, but it's never changed my size.

[As Elsa approaches, she flattens her hands for a better platform.]

You were talking to the mice before, right? I heard something about being stuck in a room.

Maybe you saw different blue flowers than I did? [Is the only guess she can figure? There are so many different sorts of flowers after all. Still, she does approach and gratefully accept Jasmine's help. Even if it might feel weird to be so tiny as to fit in someone's hands like this.]

Oh. Y-yes. I figured a story might help. To let them know I can sort of relate, in being afraid of the outside world.

Perhaps. [Like Elsa thinks, not every blue flower is the same. She hasn't seen those strange poinsettias since January either...

Still, once she's settled in her palm, Jasmine slowly raises her hands so they're talking more at level, a worried look on her face.] You were afraid to come out of your room? Were you in danger in your home?

No. It was....more that everyone else was. From my powers. If I froze them or hurt them somehow because of my emotions, because of them touching me. Before I learned to control it.

[Kind of a long story. But she has worked hard to gain control. To master it. Mostly. Occasionally something might startle her and she might instinctively respond but otherwise she generally has it figured out. Even if she didn't, here, it is not an issue.

Yet, at least.]

You had powers?

[That makes her pause for a moment. Was she born with them or did she get cursed? ~~(Elsa might argue both.)~~ But the important thing is that she has them permanently... including now.]

Was there anyone to help you? To control them?

There were the trolls, but. I think their attempts to advise my parents on how to help me weren't quite interpreted the best way. And at least, after that, I became too scared. Too worried if I showed my powers in front of Anna again. If I hurt her again. I only saw the trolls the once myself as a child when we took Anna to them after I accidentally hurt her while playing with my powers.

[She tries to answer, to explain briefly that Jasmine might have some idea, some context. Elsa doesn't blame her parents. They had done the best they could given Elsa's immense fear of hurting anyone in the aftermath of the accident with Anna.]

But. No. I was the only one with these sort of powers back home. That was why my parents were unsure themselves on how to handle it.

[Her demeanour droops and her fingers noticeably flex around Elsa as if she's unsure what to do with them.] I'm sorry you didn't have more help - magic is so abundant where I'm from, but how to control it is trial and error without an expert. I can understand how even with one, the advice... can be cryptic. Your parents probably thought they were doing the right thing.

[She's never had magic herself, but decisions have been made for her that were considered in her best interest at the time. Sometimes parents are wrong, but they do it out of love.

She looks for a place to set down Elsa, to put her closer to one of the mice and to have her hands free again. Carefully, she finds a small clearing next to a batch of tulips and kneels down with her fingers stretched toward the ground.]

For what it's worth, you clearly don't want to harm anyone, and back in Agrabah, that's what most people did with such magic. The trolls at least prevented that.

I think we just misunderstood the trolls and their advice at the time. We were all just so worried about Anna. But. You're right. I never wanted to hurt her or anyone else. Things just got out of control for a bit until I figured getting a handle on my powers. How to control it.

[It's been. A lot. So much would be different if they had figured out her abilities earlier. How to control her powers. But even so, she is just relieved she can be happy and hug Anna again after so many years apart. She has a lot to make up for. But her family were simply doing what Elsa asked, what they thought was right in keeping her apart from others to try avoid any more accidents.]

But it seems that I won't need to worry about that here.

[She nods.]

Anna - she's your sister, right? - I hope you're reunited with her soon, so you can keep rebuilding your relationship. It sounds like you still have a lot of catching up to do.

Now that you have a grasp on the powers... what do you think the trolls tried to tell your parents?

Yes. We do. But as far as the trolls go -- I mostly remember being scared. I'm not entirely sure I necessarily really understood. I think they were trying to say it tied to my emotions? After what happened to Anna though. I was scared of interacting with others. I didn't want to use my powers anymore. I tried to push it down. Conceal it. Told myself to not feel, then it would be fine. Which. Obviously didn't work.

[It's. Complicated. To say the least. But she is trying to move on from it. Trying to make up for it to Anna. In any small way she can.]

With something so delicate, tied to your emotions... and you tried to shut them out. Which, of course, only made you beg to feel more.

[There were many times in her youth when people expected her to be quiet, to keep her feelings to herself, especially in prestigious company. Even when she did keep her mouth shut in front of Jafar, the one who requested this the most, there would always be an outburst eventually. And with ice powers, that could only be all the more destructive.]

It's not right, to push down those feelings. How were you able to balance them with your powers?

I....mostly tried to ignore it. Conceal, Don't Feel, as me and my father put it. But...in the end, I figured it out. To control it by focusing on my positive emotions. I guess that came to me easier as a child. Before the accident, when I had no reason to be scared of my powers, of what had been said about my abilities.

[It took so long to figure it. She could have had so many more years with her parents, with Anna, seeing them more and spending more time together. But Elsa had been too afraid that she might hurt them, too nervous about a repeat, of showing her powers in front of Anna when the other had her memory changed to forget about Elsa's ice magic.]

Positive emotions... like love, confidence, and acceptance. But it was hard to feel those because you were scared and had pushed your family away; no wonder you struggled for so long.

But now that you understand them, there's real room to grow. And here you have the freedom to see what it's like without them - though it is possible to wish back powers from the crystal here.

I did. For years. It's been rather a lot. A long time. But....I've never remembered not having my powers. Anna forgot but....I've never not had them. So it's strange. Without them, here.

[But there is something that could change that? She might try it. Make a note of the possibility of wishing back powers. Elsa can't help but to be unnerved without her powers. Feel vulnerable. Almost helpless. She can't help but to wring her hands together in front of her.]

I can get them back?

[A nod.] If that's what you want. It must feel strange to not have your powers if they've been with you all your life. But the crystal takes some of your shards when you wish on it, as a trade-off... so you would need to collect enough that you won't be broke afterward. Thankfully, it's not hard to earn them here; everyone is very friendly and offers plenty of jobs.

But the most important thing is that the choice will be yours.

It is strange. It will take a bit to adjust without them but hopefully I can figure the shards. I admit, the only job I've had is....well, being heir. Queen. But I'm sure I could find some way to make myself useful here as well.

[Elsa has not exactly had reason to figure an alternative for employment, being raised as the heir, the one to take over for her parents and rule. She supposes it might mean she might be suited for some other roles, she just hasn't really looked into it. Yet anyway.]

... You're queen? Of Arendelle?

[Well no wonder there was so much pressure put on controlling her powers.]

Then, speaking as a princess, we can fulfill any job we like here. Everyone is equal, no matter their status back home. I can give you a rundown if that would help.

I am. Yes. There's me and my younger sister, Anna. Our parents passed before I was of age but once I was, I had my coronation. If you have any advice, I'd gladly take it. This is....going to be quite different to back home.

[A different place. A different chance. A chance to try something else. She just isn't sure on what exactly. What else she would do besides ruling Arendelle. She has never had to consider anything else.]

You've endured a lot. I'm so sorry about your parents... it was hard enough for me without one, let alone both. But here, we all help each other run the community, so you don't have to be alone as you learn.

We have a dense library with many volunteers... there's a coffee shop and a tavern that are open to help... the armoury takes apprentices, but I've heard the training is very hard work... and, of course, there are the mail mice you were talking to. With the wolves scaring them last month, I imagine they're the ones in most need of help.

Or you can always run your own business - a few people have set up those, with the crystal's help.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

TDM #2

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