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buttrinthum2023-01-01 04:59 pm
TDM #1
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: poinsettias and mistletoe. You’ll soon find out that being around the poinsettias give you an odd sense of joy no matter how confusing the situation may seem and the mistletoe, which is left over from the holiday season, gives you the desire to kiss or hold hands with the nearest person to you. 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?
With the influx of new life, the humble town a barkeep tells you is called Somnius seems to come alive as well, with new faces to join that of the resident fairies, goblins and other townfolk. There’s bustling energy to the land that the townfolk will tell you wasn’t quite there before, and some suspect that the presence of the new arrivals might be powering the world around them in some way - but that’s a question to be answered on another day. The quaint town of Somnius needs a little bit of care, that rustic feel to the mushroom houses, old shops and weathered castles too evident at first glance, but it’s not a bad place to live, as the locals will tell you. It almost seems like everything will be okay…
But of course, things are never so simple.
Whether you have been wandering around to get your bearings, talking to the locals or exploring your new humble (very humble) abode, you can expect to find mysterious ice sculptures - fashioned in the shape of snow angels, with blades in their hands - appearing in random places around the town. There are some that manifest in the middle of the street, some that sit quietly at the edge of an inn, and even some that appear right beside your bed, staring at you as you wake up. It’s unclear how these sculptures even got here, but close proximity to them will conjure up feelings of unrest, like you should not step any closer.
It’s smart to trust your gut in these situations. Step too close to a snow angel and it will come to life, moving with the grace of flowing water. They make a vague request and will spare only those able to heed it.
“Cold … so cold … Even the days of Visium are so cold. Have you any warmth to spare us?”
Some angels will accept an article of clothing as warmth. Others are greedy and keep demanding more, wanting to take everything that you have on your body. Heed their requests and they will spare you. Resist even just a little, and that’s when they draw their swords.
It’s not too easy to defeat an angel with brute force given that they reform themselves immediately. Running away or blasting them with fire could do the trick. Be careful not to get cut by their blades, however…
Characters who get cut by their blades will experience an inconsolable sense of chill and emptiness, right down to their bones. They will find themselves desiring ‘warmth’ from others in different ways - whether through physical contact, or affectionate words and gestures. There might be the few who go feverish in their desire for warmth. For those characters – the open fireplace is looking like a very tantalizing place to sit in right now (Yes, sit in, not by). They might even feel compelled to pull a friend in with them. That can’t be good for anyone…
The effects will only subside if the condition of receiving ‘warmth’ is met. This can be in the literal sense (physical warmth and intimacy) or figurative (feelings of love, acceptance and happiness).
When night falls, the temperatures only drop further, which does no favours for the poor souls who had to give up their clothing. The locals want to welcome the new arrivals and give everyone an opportunity to unwind from a busy and chaotic day of being hunted by snow sculptures. That’s why they’ve set up a gathering in the middle of town square. Food and alcohol is being generously supplied by The Cask & Anvil, and marketplace vendors have set up pop up stands to try and cajole the new arrivals into purchasing some fancy new clothes or a pretty gemstone they claim will ward off danger (claims not verified).
At the center of it all is a large bonfire that’s warming up the square. Everyone is encouraged to warm themselves by it after a long day, eat, and make merry. In fact, there’s a certain sense of enchantment to the crackling fire that seems to draw even the shiest wallflower in, pushing them to sit with others and make conversation. As the night goes on, the newly arrived dreamers will find themselves settling easily into the warm and bustling mood, any stresses and anxieties melting away. With time, they’ll start to find themselves without a filter, more than happy to talk about themselves and the life they had led prior to coming to Visium. In fact, they will feel compelled to share a story from their past - one that might be joyous, comedic, thrilling, or tragic. Whatever sorts of feelings come attached to their story, it will be one of emotional significance.
In the back of their minds, they might get the sense someone else is listening.
Welcome to the labyrinthum TDM! 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. Yes, this includes the Labyrinth - though characters will not be able to clear the maze. Please comment here to request an outcome for your character's labyrinth exploration and a moderator will get to you shortly. (The longest a character can stay in the Labyrinth is 3 days.)
You can find more information about the game here. Any questions regarding the TDM can go under the comment below.
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[ she laughs as they ran around the labyrinth. she is old. technically. but bricks wouldn't know about that, considering that he has never seen a rune before. now really isn't the time to explain that or the rune anyways, they have an important rescue mission to do.
she nods as she lets the eyepatch man take the lead. she'd definitely trip the tree roots had she been by herself- and she might have, come to think of it. she looks from behind and her rune slowly turn downwards, the dogs were nowhere to be found. ]
That couldn't be right, they were just there!
[ all but one that gradually doesn't seem as small as it initially appeared. ]
Was... was it always this big...?
[ the dog couldn't have been that close to them yet but it seemed to be double- no, quadrupple the size from before. it must be the size of a horse. sure, it was just a dog, but a horse-size dog would chew her rune into nothing but mush. her free hand starts to pull on brick's sleeve, it's time to abandon the mission. with little warning, she starts running again, holding brick's arm tightly so he wouldn't fall behind.
the dog behind them starts to run faster with its stubby legs. the rescue mission has become a game of hunt. ]
no subject
Maybe that's it's ah—maybe their mother!?
[ He didn't think dogs worked like that but his brain is mostly scrambling to keep up with his feet right now. Definitely time to abandon rescue pup mission and follow through with rescue themselves mission.
And so they ran, they ran so far awaaaaaaayyy. Brickston does his very best but eventually that lack of stamina starts to catch up. By the devil, it feels like his heart is going to burst right out of his chest! ]
I can't... I can't— [ He can't hear the dog anymore but starts to flag and falter, hunching over as his running slows. ] Let me perish miss Freyja, I'm out of breath.
[ The exit is RIGHT THERE. ]
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[ she nudges bricks a few times in some futile attempt to kickstart him in running again. if they stay here in any longer, it won't be long before the corgi closes the distance between them. the rumbling on the floor makes her feel uneasy, being vulnerable midair with multiple fighter jets shooting each other somehow pales in comparison that her rune is glowing in blue.
gritting her teeth, she goes for his arm again, this time to support his weight against her. she really has been taking her strength for granted until it was taken from her. brickston is a whole human, male adult against her small frame but she's gonna soldier on. the exit is just ahead, damnit.
she pours the last bit of energy for a mad dash to the exit.]
If I try I can fly, if I try I can fly, if I try I can fly, IF I TRY I CAN FLY!!
[ the moment they step outside to the enchanted garden, the giant corgi misteriously vanished. she immediately collapse on the grassy floor, dirt and bugs be damned. ]
We made it...
[ she lifts her head to check up on her companion. ]
Brickston, are you okay?
no subject
I'm— my apologies! I'm sorry! Are you alright?
[ He goes to get up to his legs but gives up half-way, resting on his elbows. Just let him catch his breath again. It's fine! They're fine! They made it. He blinks blearily at the maze entrance, positive a giant dog was there not a moment ago. Could it... not leave the maze? And what was all that about her mantra of trying and flying...? ]
Yes, aside from my calves burning something fierce, I'm fine. [ He's just whining. He's fine. ]
no subject
Thank goodness... I'm fine too, but I think that was the hardest workout I've done in awhile.
[ she's gonna take that whining as a positive, since that means brickston has some energy left in him. she's deflating properly now that the danger has passed, once again, freyja lies her head back on the ground. her rune is peeking out of the freyja-pile. ]
I think... I think... The whole giant dog-thing disappearing was strange, but I think we oughta rest and regain our strength first.
no subject
He sits up and starts picking grass and leaves out of his clothes, smooths out his hair and begrudges himself. ] Cor... if only I had any of my equipment on me. We could have scaled the walls or blasted our way through them. [ A indignant sniff has he rises to his legs and pats any residual grass off them. ] Even a little bit of drift oil would have gone a long way.
[ His frustration is directly entirely at himself, though he's thankful this was a relatively tame incident. They could have just been slobbered on... or trampled on. Who knows. He has her to thank for and reaches his hand out. ]
I suppose they're better left in there where they belong.
no subject
[ if she ever encounters another earth dog, she's going to be extremely wary of them, even if they didn't come from the labyrinth. though, it does make her wonder how it just up and disappeared like that... there aren't a lot she (or brickston for now, she figured) could go on with, just that the dog got big and then poofed away like it hadn't existed in the first place. ]
But I getcha, I wish I had my jetpack or at least a few multidrones with me. At least with the drones, they could've given us protection from that giant loaf.
[ she shifts a bit just so she could look at brickston. ]
What is a cor? Also drift oil? Are those stuff from where you came from?
no subject
[ AND DRONES? Forget drift oil; his fists ball up at his sides as he tries to contain his excitement. He wants to hear about the machines! ]
no subject
Yeah, it's called a Jet Cluster. It uses some sort of nitrogen gas to give you a small boost so you'd be able to float or fly in the air for a 'lil while. The other thing is called a multidrone they're like this-- [she puts two fingers together to form a v shape. ] drones that come in dozens, we use them for shields or holograms.
no subject
Ah...! [ His hand slides up to his cheek to support it and the wide grin he breaks out into as his imagination runs wild. Especially with the unspoken implication from her casual mention that this is possibly even commonplace technology for her. ] Where I'm from that sort of technology is rare and expensive and reserved for the likes of the Imperial Army. Not that I couldn't build such a thing permitting time and access to appropriate tools and materials, but I digress; [ Honestly the time thing is what holds him back more often than not. Probably for the better. ] what a marvelously technologically advanced place you must come from, it sounds like.
[ He sighs, more than eager to ask about holograms—he has no idea what those are, some sort of... hollow telegram?—but it belatedly registers she asked a question in kind. Escaping a harrowing situations together means they're friends now! So he can definitely impose on her later and pick her brain about it! He's sure! ]
Rightio, yes, drift oil. [ He waves a hand in front of his face as if to wave the previous train out thought out of his head. ] Yes, it's an alchemical that renders an object in a temporary state of neutral gravitational buoyancy, [ He gestures with his hands, miming an object slowly rising into the air or hovering like a balloon. ] such that it floats in the air no matter the weight.
Flying through the air by means of propulsion sounds far more exciting though. Why, we could have rocketed out of that maze and away from those dogs in a jiffy.
[ He twists his hips and regards the maze in consideration. ] Actually... I wager we could have easily rocketed ourselves to wherever the end of the maze is just as easily.
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Give me a second, Brickston, I'll try to understand this as best as I can! All I can think of alchemy is the song by miss Sheryl Nome.
[ forbidden elixir is a good song, though. she really wishes her music player made the trip with her. okay, let's back track a little bit. ]
Iunno much about permits of this sort of thing, but I work for Xaos,-- so kinda like army, but not by much! But we do have our own technology, like the Jet Cluster. I really wish I could introduce you to a friend of mine, she's really smart about machinery, definitely more than I could wrap my head around.
[ in the wise words of makina nakajima, machinery is oozes cuteness and she adores them enough to call them cute girls. ]
But the Jet Cluster can't really go far I think, maybe a straight line...? I can't really tell how far the maze goes.
no subject
Why, it sounds like you keep good taste in company, miss Freyja.
[ As far as the jetpack he lets himself think about it (quietly) for another moment. Perhaps she means something like a tether for a power supply? He concedes it's a bit of a moot thought for their current circumstance. He starts to walk back towards the town, but slowly and keeping his attention on her and with all due intents to walk and talk with her. He finds her quite so curious. ]
Would you tell me about this alchemy song? That sounds like—and I present no judgement—an odd fit for one with army experience?
no subject
The alchemy song's called 'Forbidden Elixir' by Miss Sheryl Nome, she's one of my heroes growing up and one of the singers that inspired me to sing. But the one that I look up to the most is Walkure, I actually joined Xaos to be part of Walkure, not to be a soldier! They do a lot to protect people with their songs with the help of Xaos, but even just hearing it would make anyone's heart flutter. Whenever I hear their songs, my rune just rune-runes! Hearing Mikumo sing is like hearing the rainbow, there's so many pretty colors in her voice.
[ you know what else is a rainbow? this girl gushing about her own coworker. ]
Singing's a big part of who I am, and I just hafta sing with Walkure, I hafta sing with Mikumo. I'm really grateful I'm part of Walkure.