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buttrinthum2026-01-01 11:47 am
JANUARY 2026 TDM
Whether it be sleep or death, you feel your eyes close, and as your body begins to let go, you see an inky starry nothingness spread out around you. 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.
Though there is nothing to prove it, you just know you have made a promise, a contract of sorts, with something and someone who remains but a shadow in your memories.
- 💐 Monstera - It's not a flower, but there's monstera littered throughout the garden, some plants small and others monsterously large. The leaves here are often larger than the protective covering of umbrellas. It's a good thing, because the garden is eternally raining this time around, the rain coming down heavy at times and light at others. Those who are creative enough might find that this plants leaves can be used in just that way, an umbrella for anyone traveling through the gardens. Some plants will, however, make the hands of those who hold monstera parts in their hands extremely sticky. So watch what you touch.
- 🌸 Cactus - It's strange to see cactuses in a place that is so lush, but these bushy, prickly cactuses can be found hanging out in several minature rock gardens placed here and there. On them, bright red and fragrant cactus fruits are ready to be picked. Those who might venture into the gardens or wake up there might be inclined to take a few of these sweet fruits! It might even come in handy, as these fruits have healing properties if smeared on small wounds. The only side effect of this seems to be the effect of talking more than they might normally, if they're the type to keep to themselves, or being more honest if they're already talkative. Those who are talkative AND honest just get the healing with no drawbacks.
No matter your adventures in the garden with its many plants, before long you are found representatives from both the City of Stellari and Somnius. They seem interested in selling their city to each Dreamer that appears, so that they can choose where to begin their new life in this world more informed. No matter which side is picked should the new Dreamer choose, the basics are explained to them by their chosen envoy.
It begins with a flicker of the lights. Wherever one may be - lying in bed, sitting in a bar, passing under the street lamps in Stellari - they'll notice the power in both Visium and Lumindeas briefly go out. It's only a small sign of what's to come. As the month continues, power outages worsen, lasting hours at a time. After only a few days, all modern technology is rendered entirely useless. Food rots in warm refrigerators, clocks stop ticking, and an already dark night is plunged even deeper into darkness. No technology can be used during this time, with the exception of the Dreamers' individual devices. These devices can still use audio, text, and video to communicate, but any extra functions are rendered entirely useless. Dreamers can't even take a photograph.
The devices are also prone to malfunctioning during this time, sending messages to the wrong recipients, posting private moments, or jumbling text, video, and audio to create entirely new messages. Some may even find themselves typing a sentence only to have it transformed into an embarrassing confession when they click send.
During the day, life is livable. People go about their business as best as they can, many having become acclimated to more modern creature comforts; however, at night, shadows creep from every corner. Even the moon reflects no light, the stars dull, untwinkling. Dreamers will find it hard to navigate, and may see things which aren't really there. They're prone to hallucinations, as innocuous as the face of a friend, or as sinister as a waking nightmare, their greatest fears brought to life. What's more, the shadows themselves seem to take on a life of their own, swallowing Dreamers alive. Disappearances may last days or even weeks. Trying to follow these devoured Dreamers may lead to two Dreamers being trapped together for an unknown length of time, forced to wander in complete and utter darkness until they reappear, which could be anywhere.
Something has no doubt led to this perpetual blackout. Dreamers turn to Seravo and the Witch Myrta for answers.
CW: spiders
With the power seemingly on the fritz, both Seravo and Myrta are looking into solving the issue as soon as possible. Seravo seems to be yielding to Myrta's knowledge this time around for a change, despite some sidelong misgivings, and has given her the permission she's requested to send an exploration party out deep into the Air Cliffs to find the solution. These floating islands are normally mildly dangerous, full of creatures of all shapes and sizes that are wild and untamed, and magic that steams from the floating earth into the atmosphere. Myrta explains to those who volunteer that there is a small temple in the highest island that houses a shrine. It will take a few days of traveling through the air cliffs to get to their final destination.
It will be up to these Dreamers to purify a shrine inside the Temple that will then power Myrta's crystals so that her magic spell can open up Castle Vaeros for further purification. Myrta herself seems very begrudged to do this, but as it seems to be what the people want, she is making an effort. A very... salty effort. She says that Dreamers should place plenty of crystals inside if they feel inclined to thank her. She doesn't explain that optional request further.
When Dreamers get to the temple, they will have two tasks to complete.
ꕥ Task One - Opening the Shrine will take effort but it must be done if Dreamers are to get inside. Not only is the trip TO the temple treacherous and full of countless creatures big and small to encounter, but the shrine itself is overgrown with spiderwebs. Nothing a bit of new year cleaning wouldn't fix, right? Oh... but it's never that simple, is it? As it turns out, the webbing isn't abandoned, and is instead of the home of strange spiderlike creatures looking to defend their nests. These creatures range in size and have far more than the standard number of legs for arachnids, and will use them to scoop up unsuspecting dreamers to use for food. Luckily, they seem sensitive to light, both the element and light provided by fire. Keep together, and maybe you can clear a path to the inner sanctum of the temple.
Strangely, new Dreamers seem to attract less ire from these spiders and might have an advantage should they decide to go on this adventure.
ꕥ Task Two - Those who make it past the spiders and manage to get the temple (mostly) cleared out of the spidery creatures will be faced with the puzzle in the shrine room. The shrine itself is stretched into pieces, floating around the room with no clear way to move them into place. In the center of the room is a depression that makes it clear THIS is where the little shrine should be but how? The way to make it happen might be easier than it appears at first. In the back of the room is a large flat wall with deep impressions to shove crystals inside. For each crystal shoved into the stone the floating pieces of the shrine shift, tumbling slowly through the air until the shrine finally settles into place. Here's hoping enough of those crystals made it through the spider gauntlet in one piece.
Once the shrine is activated, the dreamers who enter the room will leave the room blessed, and find that they will have better luck than normal for the rest of the month. They will also find a small trinket on their pillow once they return home. The trinket could be a small gem, a ring, or something that can be held in the palm of an average hand. Something like this seems worthwhile to hang onto.
The shrine now activated, a pillar of light rises high into the sky and disperses cloudcover as it does so. On the other side of the land, the ground rumbles...
Far away, Deep in Visium territory, those who have chosen to go to the castle after the tasks at the temple in the Air Cliffs are complete will experience a rumble at their feet as the giant front doors of the crystallized castle melt away and slowly open. Echoing in the air thanks to her magic, Myrta's voice calls out.
"Clear the castle of dark crystals. Use the little bits given to you by that twin. Don't expect help from Myrta, she can do nothing in there. Can't enter! Not allowed. Pfah! Once enough of the crystals are clear, Seravo can stop the strange darkness. ...Oh. If you find and bring me Vaeros' scepter, perhaps Myrta can use it to find a way to send you all home. Optional! Dangerous, don't lose hands or fingers trying to bring back that cursed item. Warned you! You're all stubborn, you'll try anyway. That's why Myrta likes you, and not like you."
Sure enough, those Dreamers who have come to this part of the adventure have been given pouches of small shards of golden crystal. When placed next to only the very darkest of the purple crystals in Vaeros' castle, the overgrowth will begin to clear up in color and even recede. This is the primary task for those who step into the grand hall, and it is the only way to balance the magic in the world and allow Seravo to cast his own spell to settle the cause of the strange blackouts going on across the land.
ꕥ Left Wing
- Upstairs - Going left and up will result in halls of locked doors. Each door is different, made of stone or leather, wood and plain or carved, going almost endlessly. Not a single door is the same, so when Dreamers come across a door that looks repeated perhaps they're traveling in circles. Only some will encounter the one door that is open, leading into a massive room that seems eerily empty.
The lighting is dim, lit by candelabras and chandeliers with candles glowing a myriad of cool colors. The walls are lined with mirrors and if a Dreamer spends too much time staring into them they may feel doubts about themselves creeping in. Others in the room will hear whispers from both familiar and unfamiliar voices, flinging barbs at their deepest insecurities. New Dreamers may provide relief to more established ones simply by their presence. The whispers seem to go away and the images in the mirrors fade, being made harder to see. Sticking close to someone else may help stave off the isolating feeling that settles in on Dreamers shoulders like heavy mantles.
- Downstairs - Downstairs there are more locked doors, but there are no windows in this hallway making it easy to see things in the darkness ahead whether it be creatures or shadows of individualized fears. Nothing ever seems to come out of these shadows but the foreboding feeling that seeing or NOT seeing these shadowy things is oppressive. Dreamers should be careful where they step because the deeper into these halls they go the more likely it is that there are floor panels that disappear and drop those who fall in.
Those who fall seem to fall forever and ever and ever and ever and ever but will they will see the ghostly images of their greatest regrets emerge from the darkness. The more dreamers who fall together the more things they may both see. As they fall, objects fall with them. These are things that they might remember from home but try as they might they cannot catch them phase through fingers. Eventually, Dreamers who fall into these pits will be caught by a myriad of hands of different shapes and sizes. These hands will make faces for themselves OUT of themselves and will kindly ask if Dreamers want to go up or go down. If dreamers select up they will be tossed back up into the hallway, if they select down they will fall again and land outside the castle.ꕥ Right Wing
- Upstairs - Up the stairs and past what seems almost large enough to be a maze inside the castle itself, Dreamers will find the kitchen, the dining hall, and beyond that hallways full of bedrooms that are almost dormitory like. It's almost boring, full of air that is stale and furniture that is covered in dust. However, the real threat that can be found in any of these rooms are the crystal infected goblins. These goblins cannot be reached, and will attack dreamers on sight. They're most interested in eating metals, and will go after anything shiny wether it's worn, held or simply a part of the castle.
- Downstairs - Downstairs the crystal curse seems to still be present in most places. There are crystallized creature cages, though their inhabitants seem to be absent. The floor remains flooded and the deeper you go into this area the deeper the water seems to get, almost like this portion of the castle is sinking. Some dreamers may decide to dive into the deeper water but they'll find that these waters never seem to end, turning into a dreamlike area where they can breathe underwater but feel watched.
The most unfortunate will encounter Nessie, a large long necked creature with rows of sharp teeth and the power to suck in water and whatever's in the water into its mouth. There are smaller schools of fish that seem to be carnivorous, but they are far safer than the aggressive and very hungry Nessie, who hasn't been fed by its master in a very, very long time...
No matter the wing Dreamers choose to explore, all routes will eventually lead back to the center, the deepest room of the castle that has been available to Dreamers since the first group arrived. The throne room lies empty and cold, desolate. A pin could be heard if it dropped, and the sensation of ears needing popped is common as soon as someone walks through the large double doors. At the very center, in the far back rests the throne, cold and crystallized in time. The interesting sight, however, is the circle of frozen crystallized skeksis circled around a scepter.
The scepter itself is simple, gnarled frosted wood with a deep pulsing purple gem grasped by the wood at the top. The crystal has burst out, expanding and exploding upwards to crystalize the ceiling above, suspending the scepter in the air. No amount of trying will get the scepter to budge, but those who try moving the skeksis may manage to knock them over or break them, which is entirely unpleasant like breaking into a melty, gooey candy center.
It looks as though Myrta's optional request to retrieve the scepter is impossible
What no one is aware of, however, is that anyone who touches the crystal on or growing from the scepter will be cursed for the rest of the month They will not only have terrible luck, but they will experience night terrors and nightmares of being controlled by an unseen force, compelling them to do the bidding of the crystals.
Expand to see our Event Summary
Enchanted Garden
Something in the Air
Deep into the Air Cliffs
The Wizard's castle
Welcome to our first TDM for 2026! All questions should be placed under the correct header. Please feel free as you would like to be with the creatures in the Air Cliffs on the approach to the Temple. Happy New Year!
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