TDM #4

[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: honeysuckles & day lilies Time spent too close to the day lily invokes a state of forgetfulnesss. The longer characters stay in the garden, especially if they are close to the day lilies, they will begin to forget important things about themselves. What they forget is up to the player, but longer time spent in the garden can reduce them to a completely amnesic state. Better hurry out and try to find the way out while you can! Honeysuckles will have no effect on characters unless they decide to drink the sap from them. The honeysuckle nectar will give characters a temporary power boost. This applies to characters who have drank their potion or have regained their powers. This might be useful to salvage for later, especially considering the chaos that goes on in Somnius!

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. ]

It's Getting Hot in Here

Speaking of chaos, the current state of Somnius is.. not great. It's not by any other means than a natural disaster that is completely a coincidence and not because Dreamers rebelled against the Skeksis and didn't heed to townsfolk warnings, right? Right.

As the weather gets hotter and hotter, the obvious side effects become clear - most notably, the townspeople are closing up shop until the weather settles down. The usual markets don’t open in the wee hours of the morning and even the blacksmith has laid down his hammer during the midpoint of the days, trying to avoid the peak of the warm rush. Anyone trying to speak to the townsfolk about the sudden change in weather will find them oddly standoffish and almost rude - it’s obvious who they’re blaming for their predicament.

Another clearly dissatisfied group of society are the mermaids of Lake Omen, who may be spotted more regularly than usual across the span of the boiling hot heat. While still a rare sight, the warmth of the water encouraged a few more angry and bitter of their kind to poke their heads out and try and find the source of their woes - hand in hand with their usual siren call. It may be possible to have them leave you be if you offer them something a little on the cooler side, but with the weather as it is… It might end up being more of a challenge than anticipated.

The days go by and it doesn’t seem as though the heat is ebbing in the least, the sun blazing in the sky and the shops still kept under tight lock and key. Even some of the town staples - the bakery and the inn - have their doors close to strangers, trying to find some means of keeping cool. As the days go by, characters that have affinity to fire (or any kind of fire power!) may find that their powers are a little… Out of control.

With the sun high in the sky and blazing hot, some fire seems to be going a little haywire across Visium and not acting as it should. Be it burning a little hotter than intended, blazing out of control or simply refusing to work whatsoever, fire powers are acting with a mind of their own. Characters who have fire-related powers, be it their own or through potions, may experience the same hazards, on a scale of disobedience to refusal to work.

Finally, the heat does seem to die down and the townsfolk release themselves from their self-inflicted isolation, but they’re still not completely at ease with the strangers and keep them at an arms length: some things are not easily forgotten, and the damage seems to have been done when it comes to the skeksis. They may speak to characters once the heatwave is over, but will consistently refuse to talk about the Skeksis, the attack or anything to do with the taxes. You had your chance, you blew it.

So Take Off All Your Clothes

Somnius has, from everyone's knowledge, always been nestled around a giant labyrinth built by The Almighty Lord Vaeros, as some townsfolk say. What's so good about a lord who seems to leave a town in shambles and doesn't seem to help? He's sus. Everything about this is sus.

However, one morning during the heatwave, both townsfolk and Dreamers alike will hear a crumble and a crash.. almost as if a wall is broken. The labyrinth has always been indestructible, but as Dreamers investigate, they will find a hole broken through the labyrinth, opening up to a new era. Should you go through the hole, Dreamers will see an area they haven't ever seen before...

Welcome to the New Location: Indigo Sand Grove. As the name implies, the sand here isn't white or.. well.. sandy colored, but instead a beautiful dark blue with the occasional glitter grains. It almost appears black if the scorching sun isn't hitting it just right. Any other foliage or trees seen here will be typical of Earthly tropical beaches with the occasional unidentifiable vegetation. All in all, Indigo Sand Grove and its beaches seem welcoming and not harmful at all. In fact, there are bamboo garden chairs sitting out, enticing people to have a beach party and sun bathe! As soon as characters touch their feet into the indigo sands, their clothing will change into a swimsuit from their home. The swimsuit is for keeps! Enjoy!

The sea is safe to swim in, filled with typical fish that would come from Earth and crystal clear waters. Characters will feel a sense of joy on the beach. It's not a forceful kind of magic, but something about this place really wants you to have a good time, so why not take advantage of that?

I am Gettin So Hot, I Wanna... Hunt Beetles!

CW: bugs, beetle imagery

Along with a swimsuit, characters will find a bamboo net, designed for hunting beetles. You may see that there is a bamboo forest neighboring the sandy beach where characters will find insects to capture with their net. If capturing beetles isn't your forte, maybe just go up to the person you have a close bond with and hit them over the head with your net. The choice is yours.

Among the typical insects, there are three types of horned beetles. Anyone familiar with beetle fighting may see this as an opportunity to find their new pet, but those with money on the mind may find out that the townsfolk will purchase beetles for bonus shards. Here are the types of beetles and their values:

CLICK FOR BEETLES!

Horned Dynastid (Red): 5 bonus shards.

Horned Atlas (Black): 10 bonus shards.

Horned Hercules (Gold): 15 bonus shards.

There will be a ruined down, old sign on the main path in the bamboo forest that lists these types of beetles and their price. Team up together and enter the forest to find a fortune!

Suspicious Message #2

On the morning of the 1st, some dreamers will receive a message from an unknown user.

Who or what has broken your heart before?

They will feel compelled to respond with a truthful answer, as if their brains had gone into a trance, and before they know it, their response will be there for everyone to see. It cannot be deleted or changed. The user will not respond personally, but you get the sense they are definitely reading. Characters who are disinterested in romance can also mention familial or platonic heartbreak. It can also be a devastating event or anything else.

[ This is an additional network option for characters to interact with. Feel free to add a network prompt into any of your top levels. If you do not want to interact with this prompt, simply assume your character did not get the message. All threads are public unless actively privated by characters. We generally encourage threadjacking and engagement, so feel free to mention if threadjacking is fine with you so that others are aware. Note that the NPC will not be actively responding. ]

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 and Old characters are welcome to top level on the TDM. Please state in the header if you are a new or old player! Also, new characters may link their top levels under the new character comment so they are easier to find. Thanks for your cooperation!

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.

Unique to this TDM, we have a beetle hunting event. Be sure to comment under the RNG Beetle Hunt to see which beetle your character finds in order to exchange later for bonus shards! One RNG per character, please.

Comments

Levi | Attack on Titan | New Player

[reviling]

Arrival |

Levi has only a passing relationship with sleep. On good nights, he may manage a handful of hours, but anything more than two feels like a strange accomplishment. Even before being dragged from the underground, insomnia had needed little help to take hold of him at night, but the past several years have provided it with an endless source of fuel. In the darkening hours, his conversation with Erwin echoes in his head. Perhaps it had been futile to try convincing him to stay behind. But even though the strength of Erwin's convictions had swayed him, as they did nearly without fail, Levi cannot help the trepidation that has lodged itself in his chest, heavy and dull. For all that death was always a real possibility for any of them when facing down titans, Erwin's chances of surviving the mission to retake Shiganshina are especially slim.

Doubt is more powerful when one is alone, its claws sharper and longer, looking for a foothold for fear. But fear is familiar, and easier to set aside for later. Later, when whatever will happen has happened. For now, there is still a chance. A chance, and hope. And underneath hope, deeply buried, a wish.

For just a moment, he closes his eyes, sighing to lean back into his chair, not expecting sleep.

---

[1]
Waking up in an unfamiliar place when your understanding of your own world is so limited is especially unnerving, but even more so to find a note claiming that he has ostensibly agreed (bullshit) to live there indefinitely. Confusion and heat making him irritable, Levi mutters a string of profanity under his breath as he gathers up the few things apparently left for him (very nearly dumping out the very suspicious-looking vial of colored liquid, but deciding to hold onto it for later). He feels oddly extra vulnerable without his gear, or even any sort of weapon at all, but he can't do anything about it by staying where he is. Carefully folding his cloak under his arm, and leaves the garden as quickly as possible looking for answers.

What he gets, stepping out into an entirely foreign world, is more questions. With no one and nothing familiar in sight, he strides up to the nearest person, a veritable storm cloud, and demands:

"Hey - what the fuck is going on?"


[2]

After getting a general account of this new place and circumstance (much of which is difficult to accept as real, except for the fact that he barely sleeps and barely dreams outside of nightmares), Levi manages to find refuge in a shaded area not completely occupied by others. He isn't managing to conceal that he isn't handling the heat well, jacket removed and folded in with the dark green cloak, the sleeves of his uniform rolled up to his elbows, cravat removed and collar buttons undone. It's an exceedingly dressed-down look for him, but it's all the choice he has, short of stripping - and while that isn't necessarily off the table, it would just be more stuff to carry.

He finally drinks the water given when he'd first arrived (having been assured that it's normal water, even though he still has suspicions), and side-glances at someone nearby.

"Is the weather in this weird-ass place always this shitty?"


So Take Off All Your Clothes |

It's more the rumors about a hole in the wall rather than the beach itself that have piqued his suspicious curiosity, but he finds himself there even in the melting heat. The wall itself seemed rather ordinary; short and rather pointless, especially if it crumbled so easily. But in a place that evidently had no monstrous titans to worry about, their walls apparently had no real meaning.

No - that isn't true. Walls are built for a reason.

He shelves that mystery for later, drawn inevitably to the water itself. There's the urge to take his boots off, to experience the sensation of sand and water, but it's still tempered by wariness. Even so, he walks down to the edge of the waterline, transfixed by it all - the waves as they curl up and the sound of their rhythmic breaking over the shore, the endless blue, stretching out to one single, neat horizon line. Levi stares out at the novel sight for a long time, seemingly lost in thought.

Though not so lost that he still doesn't neatly dodge out of the way when an over-zealous frolicker nearly knocks into him, landing flat on their own ass in the sand. The momentum manages to fling up just enough to sprinkle him with sandy water, and Levi wrinkles his nose as he flicks it off his clothes and fixes the offender with an affronted glare.

"Watch where you're going."


A Suspicious Message |

My actions killed my friends.


Wildcard |
Feel free to hit me with other starters!

Levi is an old muse I've revived recently I'm still stretching his legs a bit, so please forgive any potential wobbliness. For general reference, I've pulled him from a midpoint in canon (~chapter 72). I prefer to write in prose but brackets are OK.

DM me on the journal here or find me at lavellalalan

suspicious message | UN: eldritchghost

[busball]

That's a hard one, buddy. At least I can blame just about everything on my dad.

un; levi

[reviling]

[ Levi squints at the message.

He hadn't written the message that had gotten a response. While he'd made peace with the past as much as he could long ago, having it put out there against his will is just an extra violation on top of everything else he's experienced today. But it's there, no matter how much he tries to scratch it out.

Fuck.]

Must be nice.

Don't have one.

[busball]

A dad? You might be better off.

[But this is Klaus' daddy issues showing up right now.]

Sorry about your friends, though.

[reviling]

Seems that way from what I've seen.

[ Kenny hadn't been his father, and aside from teaching Levi the skills to survive in the underground slums, he'd been a shitty person. Levi hadn't felt bad killing him. ]

It was a long time ago, but thanks. Not sure why the words showed up.

the beach

[13thcommander]

It's been a very weird day.

Not that most of Erwin's days aren't weird at the moment, but this is exceptionally strange. He has no idea where he is, or how he got here, or why he's been snatched up and taken away. After some initial fumbling around and pestering locals with questions--none of which were answered to his satisfaction, but then, few questions ever are--Erwin had gravitated towards the most familiar thing here: the Wall.

Specifically, the hole in the wall.

Erwin is familiar with holes in walls and what they mean. He's expecting a disaster zone, not... this. Not an endless expanse of blue water, larger than any lake he's ever seen.

Seeing Levi already here is somehow less shocking. Of course Levi is here; where Erwin goes, Levi goes. Erwin walks up beside him, deftly dodging the falling local.

"Levi... is this the ocean?"

[reviling]

"Erwin-"

Even Levi is surprised at the amount of sheer relief that washes through him at the familiar sound of Erwin's voice. Immediately he feels the world re-orient itself, some tension unknotting between his shoulders as he turns to look at him, clothing mostly absent.

He gazes at him for perhaps a second too long. It's hardly the first time he's seen him bare, even after having lost his left arm, but it's still a little jarring to see. Levi can't help but think of the night before he'd awoken here - last night - and the small, stupid thought he'd allowed himself before sleep had apparently found him.

A wish, to somehow keep Erwin from riding to what surely would be his death. And now they're both here.

It's impossible to think...

A somewhat larger wave washes closer, and it's only when he can feel the warm water tugging around his ankles that he realizes his own clothing has changed. Scars and the dark marks from the harness crisscross his body, somewhat faded by now from several days without use. A strange feeling settles over him, standing here in the surf at Erwin's side.

"Yeah, that's what people are saying." He shifts his feet, pulling them out from sinking into the black sand. "Do you think our home is out there, or is this all just some weird, shitty dream?"

[13thcommander]

Levi hadn't been the only one having weird thoughts before falling asleep last night. Erwin had been thinking about the assault on Shiganshina, on taking it back, and the likelihood of his own survival. He'd judged it small. The thought of dying had disturbing him nearly as much as the thought of leaving the job undone.

The thought of possibly leaving everyone behind to finish what he set out to do had haunted Erwin's last waking moments, until he woke up here.

Erwin glances down at himself, and then Levi. These outfits are something else, like nothing he's ever seen before, but somehow... appropriate. The kind of uniform one would wear to explore these warm waters and dark sand.

"I have no idea." Erwin looks back out over the horizon, squinting his eyes against the sun. "Do you think the water stays shallow like this?"

Or can they just walk home?

[reviling]

Levi shifts his feet again, closer to Erwin. It settles a sudden desire to lean against him, an impulse he might have given into had they been alone, though possibly not, even then. The last several hours have set him so on edge and off kilter that it almost feels too difficult to stay standing. But despite the strange bullshit (magic, some had called it), this new place was almost idyllic. Too idyllic. A threat was here, somewhere, he just didn't yet know where to look. Perhaps he hadn't sent them somewhere safe.

He looks dubiously out across the water. "Doubt it. The lakes at home usually get deeper."

Not that he's been in many. The first time he set foot in a lake and its slimy, squishy bottom, he'd decided that was enough for him. Sand at least felt better against his skin.

Message | un: NotMarth

[lacyprincess]

I watched my parents and those of my friends die in an unending war against the undead.

[reviling]

I'm sorry.

Undead?

[ How the fuck can something be UNdead? ]

[lacyprincess]

They're called the Risen. For obvious reasons. In a fight against an evil god, the Risen started appearing and attacking settlements. My father and his companions began to fight them. It's how he met my mother.

[reviling]

[ Not so obvious to him but he'll go with it. ]

Fighting dead bodies? Sounds disgusting.

Arrival 1

[foundpurpose]

“The fuck is a lot. How about we find a spot to sit and I’ll run you through what I know.” The man speaking has a sharp edge to his ears. His dark hair is pulled back.

He’s wearing a cloak that only half obscures his back is a little lumpy. He pulls off the cloak and a pair of black wings with feathers that glow the colors of dusk are revealed. “First. That potion. Don’t toss it. It can be useful.”

[reviling]

'A lot' just got a little bit more - Levi is obviously staring with no small amount of incredulity, taking in this stranger's appearance. Not at all what he'd expected, or like anything he's seen before, but he's quickly learning that's becoming a theme in this place.

His eyes linger on the elongated ears, but then even moreso on the wings. Something in him shifts, but he just stops himself from touching the blue and white winged emblem on his his jacket.

After a moment, he schools his expression, gaze finally moving back to the stranger's face, one eyebrow quirked.

"Don't suppose it'll make me sprout a pair of those?" Without his gear, they'd be useful.

[foundpurpose]

“Who knows. This was from somewhere else. What I got from this place might upset you.” Vax says without a pause. Being stared at isn’t that big of an issue. He leads the way to a space outside of foot traffic.

He crosses his arms. “My potion was gold. Vax’ildan. From a place that is probably a storybook to you.”

[reviling]

The insinuation that he'll be upset by something has him giving Vax'ildan a flat look. "Try me."

He's never seen people with pointy ears or wings before, sure, but the visage is considerably less horrific than staring down a twenty meter titan with too many teeth.

"Levi. Don't have many of those where I'm from, doubt any of them mention something like you." Perhaps someone wrote a fantasitcal tale about Survey Corps members sprouting wings to defeat titans, once, but he's never heard of it.

Levi rummages in the rucksack for the vial - cerulean, and shows it to Vax'ildan. "You saying you drank yours?"

Suspicious Message

[zauberdecke]

Un: Dunamancer

That is very hard to live with, I cannot even begin to imagine the pain you must feel.

[ He imagines the pain he would feel if he lost the Nein, but that is even-- because he'd never had friends before, it defies pretty much everything that he could comprehend ]

un; levi

[reviling]

[ It's starting to feel strange, so many people offering condolences. Not just because it happened so long ago, but also because they have no idea the things that have happened since. ]

You learn to live with it, otherwise you may as well die yourself. More will always follow.

[zauberdecke]

I am in a situation where I will probably see many of my... friends die. It is something that I have thought of myself. Perhaps not the same thing that you are referring to circumstantially-- but the same sort of 'resignation' I suppose; the learning to 'live' with it.

[ And then after a brief pause ]

Does the resignation get easier?

[reviling]

You get used to it. Death isn't supposed to be easy.

2)

[walkinggunshow]

No, the Skesis are punishing us with this stupid heat wave. We fought back and they aren't happy. At least that's what a lot of us are thinking. Or it could simply just be the timing of everything.

[Shiranui stated hearing the new comer's complaint and gave an idle shrug. A small blue dragon was obediantly following him. Tucked away at his side was a small gun. A bag was slung over his shoulder as well and in one hand he was carrying a net. A stylized dragon tattoo could be spotted on his right arm. Otherwise he was wearing the clothing similiar to the world's fashion.]

You're not going to find much help from the townsfolk either.

[reviling]

"So I've noticed," he intones dryly. They've been incredibly unresponsive or even snappish, annoyingly immune apparently to the heat. Levi's taken to giving them a wide berth when possible.

But he turns to the man with an intense interest, only raising an eyebrow briefly at the dragon - he's quickly becoming accustomed to seeing them now, the smaller ones oddly make him think of them as winged cats.

"I've heard that word once or twice already now - Skesis. What are they and why are you fighting them?"

[walkinggunshow]

They're bird like creatures that seem to rule this land. They were taxing the people and taking what ever valuables they had to offer and if you didn't they took what ever they could find. They even tried to kidnap our dragons. The townsfolk refused to fight, but we did not believe in it and fought back. When we did fight the Skeksis they ran off like cowards.

[Shiranui gave an wary sigh and an annoyed look at some of the townsfolk peeking out from behind windows back at them.]

So we don't really trust the townsfolk and they don't trust us. You've arrived at an interesting time.

[reviling]

"Birds acting like shitty nobles...what a fucking place this is." It seems like there's no end to the absurdity. One thing after another is completely outside anything he's ever bothered to imagine, the horrors of his own world and fighting to protect what remains of humanity take up every part of him.

"Doesn't sound like they're very dangerous if they didn't fight back. But you think they can make the weather hot? How?"