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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.
Heatwave
All that is to say, she's not faring very well in the recent heatwave, so any offer of a cool drink is enough to snag her attention. Even more so when the offer is coming from someone who looks to be around her size!
"Oh!" It's been so long since Poppy saw a fellow small folk, that she doesn't entirely realize that she's staring at first, but finally she clears her throat and hurries over, trying not to be too embarrassing in her excitement to see someone like her.
"Pardon me, but are you a halfling?"
no subject
At least, until he spots the young lady. Smiling warmly, he nods his head and carries over a cup of the tea, pressing it into her hands.
"Yes, I am. That's one of the names for us Shire-folk, anyway. Hobbit and Halfling are interchangeable enough," he replies agreeably. "Frodo Baggins of Hobbiton, at your service. What's your name, young lady?"
no subject
She does a polite bow, as she was taught in school, before accepting her cup of tea.
"Portentia Poppyfield, of the Greenfields, near Cormyr." She smiles, kindly but a little sheepish. "Though I expect those places sound as foreign to you as Hobbiton does to me."
no subject
"You'd be right, Portentia. The Greenfields and Cormyr are both foreign to me, but I suppose we are in a place rather far removed from our respective homes. It makes sense that we'd come from other worlds. Come, sit with me in the shade. You can tell me about them while you cool down. I'd like to know how others of our kind live."
Do they live in holes in the ground, too? And do they all wear shoes, too?
no subject
"Well, the Greenfields are quite rural, you see. More a collection of scattered homesteads than any actual town or village. Cormyr is the closest city, which is why I usually add that, as most people in Faerûn probably have no idea that people even live in the Greenfields. Most people only pass through on the Trade Road, if they come by there at all."
Poppy hasn't lived at home since she was very small, but on the rare occasions that she gets leave from school to go visit, she always loves the peaceful rolling green landscape.
"I'm afraid I don't know much about what you may call halfling culture," she goes on to explain. "My father left his family's home when he was a young man to strike out on his own. He met my human mother in a village further west along the Trade Road, and then they got married and started a farm together. All I know of his childhood in the Western Heartlands are from the tales he would tell when I was a child."
no subject
"I see, I see," he said cheerfully, sipping his own mug of tea. The notion of a hobbit and a human woman seemed a touch strange to him, but he didn't comment. All folk were free to live and love as they chose, of course, he just had never heard of such a thing.
"So he must have traveled much, then, if he struck out in search of trade. In the Shire it is rare enough for us to leave, but your homeland sounds otherwise not all that different from mine."
He leaned back, took another sip, and continued.
"The Shire is...rural compared to most of Middle Earth. The nearest major non-Hobbit settlement is likely Rivendell, an Elven sanctuary ruled by Lord Elrond. We mostly keep to ourselves, farming and living a peaceful life these days. It's pleasant, cozy, and comfortable, though I've enjoyed seeing other places on my travels. Which, I suppose...are you well traveled as well, Portentia?"
no subject
"My father traveled much in his youth, yes. But he always said that as soon as he met my mother, he knew his traveling days were over and it was time to settle down." It's all very romantic, in Poppy's mind. Not that she cares all that much about romance.
Is she well traveled? "Well, I suppose in some ways, I am. I have traveled across the continent of Faerûn, but I've only ever lived in two places— my family's farm in the Greenfields, or at my school, the Seminarcane, in Calimshan." She pauses briefly, then realizes she ought to give further clarification. "Calimshan is a desert area, to the south of where my family lives."
no subject
A well traveled, educated young lady? She was certainly someone Bilbo would take a liking to, and truth be told Frodo felt likewise. He was accounted quite well-read for a Hobbit, and the Baggins had the largest library in the Shire, but he'd never been sent to a formal academy. The nearest one not run by and for the Elves was likely in Gondor, and he certainly wouldn't have had the option to attend that.
"What are you studying, if I may ask?"
no subject
"I am a student of wizardry, with a specialization in the divinatory arts. I'm something of a born seer, you see." A distinction which has caused her just as much harm as good, but it's still something she can be proud of.
"Do you travel much, master Frodo? Or do you prefer to stick close to home?"
no subject
"You...are studying to become a wizard? Is such a thing truly possible?"
The only wizards he's ever known have been incredibly powerful and incredibly influential beings in his life. Gandalf had whisked him away on his Quest, and Saruman had certainly soured the completion of it. He knew, of course, that the Wizards of his home were far more than conjurers of light and purveyors of fine fireworks. But to think that a child was studying to become one? That was quite a difficult thing to imagine, indeed. A thing that leaves him slightly speechless.
He'll get to her question, but give him a minute. That's a lot to process.
no subject
"Is there no magic in your world?"
no subject
"Oh, there's magic in it, to be sure. There are many that weave enchantments and cause miraculous things to occur, for good and for ill. But Wizard...that word means something special, I suppose. I've met two, and one I hold as one of my dearest of friends. But their order is small. Gandalf once told me there were only five in the whole of Middle Earth, though I confess I have no idea how one becomes one."
Shaking his head, Frodo pushed aside his bewilderment and lets the smile slip back out. He's puzzled, certainly, but that doesn't mean what she's doing is any less amazing. Truly it made him wonder how Gandalf became one, and perhaps also what Gandalf truly was. He knew that Wizards were no ordinary men, at least, and he supposed they were closer to the Elves.
"What I do know is that if you're being taught to become a Wizard, Portentia, then you are someone truly special. Gandalf would doubtless agree with me, and he would be glad to know you."
no subject
"Oh, no, then it is a simple difference in nomenclature! I assure you, wizards in Faerûn are nowhere nearly so rare or distinct. Why, there are wizards in such abundance to warrant multiple schools dedicated to the craft! There are just as many wretched or mediocre wizards as there are great and powerful ones."
She doesn't know anything about this Gandalf person, but clearly he is someone who has earned a great deal of respect, perhaps not only from Frodo, but from others in his world as well. To hear that he would agree that she is someone special, sight unseen? It doesn't feel fair.
"Anyone with sufficient intelligence can pick up a spellbook and learn to be a wizard. It's really not so precious a thing, I assure you."
no subject
He is having none of that, thank you very much. He's firm on this point.
"Wizards may be different, but sufficient intelligence to even attempt educating oneself is not so common a thing as to be discounted entirely over linguistic differences."
no subject
But she doesn't argue that point, because she gets the sense that it wouldn't sway Frodo from his conviction. Instead, she just dips her head in thanks and quietly sips her tea.
"Thank you, master Frodo. That is a very kind thing for you to say."
no subject
"Of course, Portentia." He gets that she's resisting compliments, so he doesn't press the issue further.
"What have you been doing here, thus far? You seem a fair bit more settled in than I am, at the least."
no subject
"I've been studying at the school— mostly practical things, such as cooking and botany. I keep thinking that perhaps I ought to find a job, at least part-time, but I haven't gotten around to it yet."
no subject
And that's worrying. Just a little. Poor girl, but how long is he going to be here is another thought that springs to mind.
"I suppose I should do the same. Employment and study both seem like a wise investment of time."