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buttrinthum2023-06-30 11:42 am
TDM #4
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. ]
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.
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?
CW: bugs, beetle imageryAlong 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!
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. ]
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.
3
Shallow scars litter his body, crossed by fading bruise marks that show a particular pattern that could be some sort of a harness shape. He doesn't appear bothered or self conscious about any of them, but he gives the man next to him a quick sidelong look.
"In my experience, holes in walls mean something dangerous is coming."
Not that he can do fuck all about it as he is.
no subject
"I can't say I have much experience with holes in walls, specifically, but usually surprises provided by capricious, powerful creatures aren't plain benevolence. At best it's so we can provide amusement to them."
Now he doesn't know much about the being that rules this place, but he certainly had experience with the Fox before this. "And yet, as hot as it has been, I think I am leaning towards chancing the water regardless."
no subject
"Met a lot of those, have you?" Now he's extra inclined not to participate; he's nobody toy for amusement.
He snorts, looking around for his clothes and picking his feet up out of the sand gathering around his ankles. "Suit yourself. I'm not getting in that."
no subject
He lingers where he is, just on the edge of sea and shore. "No? We've certainly been dressed for it. Perhaps there are sea monsters though. That would be unfortunate..." Especially since he is without his magic. No polymorphing into a shark or an orca and fighting back or swimming away.
no subject
Levi looks at the water, shifting his feet again. There's a number of reasons why he doesn't want to go in the water, but one of the bigger ones is more practical. He shrugs.
"I can't swim, anyway. Here is close enough for me. That way no one has to save my ass if something happens."
no subject
A huge check. He is a wizard. That is so much of his identity that he is trying to figure out what to do with himself right now. Aside from the paltry fire power that drinking the potion has given him, he is essentially defenseless. He'd always been squishy, but he at least always had a great deal of magic to at least allow himself to be a formidable threat. Now? Only the squishy part remains.
"That is wise then. The ocean is not exactly kind even to the best of swimmers at times."
caleb widogast: now just a regular guy
By the same token, Levi feels more and more thankful for the fact that his strength is apparently mundane enough to be left alone. He'd prefer to have his gear, but if push came to shove he would at least have a chance, even bare-handed. A good pair of blades would be better, though.
He flicks a piece of shell over with one toe. "Sounds like you speak from experience."
just a regular sad guy with his trauma and existential dream
Not his favorite battles given how much of his magic is fire-based. It did give rise to Octofrumpkin though. And they managed well enough.
no subject
"Got enough to worry about with monsters and titans or whatever the fuck on land, don't need to fuck with the water."
no subject
But he couldn't help a curious, "Titans?" Because titans certainly meant something in Exandria, and it was not something one heard spoken of often save for talk of ancient history.
no subject
"Pass," he says flatly.
He shifts his weight to his other leg, glancing up at him with a half arched eyebrow.
"Yeah. Several meters tall, look like people with wrong proportions so they're creepy as fuck. They can't speak, can't really think beyond eating people. Surprisingly fast for how fucking big they are. Can't move at night. They're supposed to be the reason why there's so little of humanity left."
There's more to it than that; some people who can turn into super-powered titans, who can heal their injuries. There's hints that their history is all a lie. But there's still so much that even Levi only has vague and incomplete knowledge of. Realizing that a whole other world, other place outside the walls exists, has him wondering quite a lot about how his own ended up the way it is.
no subject
Staying out of the business of powerful ancient entities was good common sense for anyone who wanted to stay alive in the long run. And the short run.
no subject
"Exandria - so, you, too? Met someone else from there earlier - Vax'ildan. Pointy ears, dark hair, wings, can change into a bigass dragon." Apparently.
"What are your titans like?"
no subject
Yet anyway.
"They are the original primordial elemental beings of the world. They predate the gods themselves, and all of the peoples who now call Exandria home. They were not exactly happy about the existence of mortals on their previously empty planet. They were eventually defeated by the deities who favored mortality enduring. They are gone now, dead or imprisoned or on other planes. But the eidolons, their offspring, still inhabit the world."
no subject
"So, what - you're saying you've been through something like this before?"
no subject
He nods. "That's right, yes. Snatched by another mysterious kidnapper with worryingly strong power. The previous one was a being called the Fox. Or Thirteen. She tended to change her appearance and identity like mortals change clothes.