buttrinthum | TDM#5

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TDM#5

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: morning glory and gladiolus. Time spent too close to the morning glory flowers invokes a state of intense obsession. Obsession over an event, a person, or things/objects are all possible, but the victim’s drive to be involved with their obsession is intense and all-consuming. Be careful, not all obsessions are peaceful ones. Pollen from the gladiolus flowers will find their strength increased tenfold. It might make day-to-day interactions a little difficult especially when gripping a pen or a cup winds up in a broken utensil or shattered mug. Of course, no amount of strength can affect the labyrinth walls, however…

Draconic Departure

CW: mood altering substances

It is time. Everyone knows it, and there is no denying it. It is time for the dragons to leave. No effort to keep the dragons from leaving will work, the dragons themselves inexplicably compelled to leave. It’s both a happy and a sad time for the pairs who have helped raise these dragons, but even the parents know somehow that it is time.

Dreamers and their dragons have one last night on Starlight Cliff before the dragon’s departure. It’s a simple gathering, put together by those who cared for the dragons and those who favored them. Picnic fare and simple decorations with glowing lanterns and soft blankets decorate the grassy flat portion of the cliffs. As the dragons leave, they leave a gift— one each for their adoptive parents. Gold dragons leave behind an item that reminds their parents of a loved one, red dragons leave behind an item that reminds their parents of their childhood, and blue dragons leave behind an item that reminds their parents of the wish they made when they found their way here.

It’s important to note that all are welcome to this celebration and departure. Some dragon parents have commissioned the townsfolk to create gift pouches for attendees. Each pouch has several packages of colored dust that when thrown into the air creates shimmering lights and effects similar to fireworks. However, if misused, like when thrown on others it can cause hair color changes, temporary sparks glittering from fingertips that can cause things to smolder, or even dye clothes that will all then affect the mood of the wearer. Red can cause tempers to flare, blue can create a morose mood, green will inflict an amorous feeling, and yellow will induce generosity. Luckily, washing off the dust will remove all of these effects immediately. Maybe throwing a glass of water on someone might help?

[ In the interest of fairness, each character who helped raise a dragon will get only ONE gift from them, even if they have helped raise more than one. In the case of multiple colors, it is up to player choice which gift they receive.

Items received from the dragons must be mundane in nature; magically powered or mystical items are not allowed. Weapons are allowed if they are likewise mundane and could have been received based on the 50 shard reward.

Dragon parents who received a magical tattoo will find that their tattoo persists even after the dragons' departure. ]

Mystic Grotto

CW: spiders, tentacles

It happens in the middle of the night, a rumbling and tearing of earth that ricochets shaking throughout the land. Nothing is damaged, but even the air is awash with a new scent like something old has reappeared. Those who investigate the origin of the disturbance will find a small portion of the island has risen up out of the sea. It's land damp, still dripping with saltwater and half covered in seaweed, at first glance there’s little remarkable about this new piece of land. That is until wandering past craggy rock and slick ground lands the most daring explorers right in front of a large cave entrance.

The environment inside changes almost immediately. Gray crumbling stone gives way to more surfaces giving way to shiny dark obsidian the deeper inside you go. It’s hard to see, the lighting nearly pitch black past the entrance. As the cave twists and turns, something ahead seems to glow. As pools of salt water in the grotto appear, so too does the glow increase. Water that shimmers like a starry night blots a patchy, swampy chamber, crystals of deep watery hues jut from the walls and ground, reflecting glowing light that seems to zigzag across plant life that grows from every corner. Pools of dark tar-like substances are a hazard, creating a mess and potentially trapping explorers who aren’t watching their footing. Webbing that looks crystalized decorates the darkest corners, and those who wander too close might disturb crystalline spiders that will defend their nests with a vengeance.

The deeper the explorers get, the more dangerous the cave seems to become, like it is a trial that must be passed in order to see what is in its deepest reaches. Mist and fog hide deeper pools that house mysterious creatures who will reach out with large suckered tentacles in an attempt to pull in stray creatures no matter their size, almost as if they’re looking to sate a driven hunger. Those who make it past these creatures will find traps laid out that when sprung will loop adventurers into rope and twine cages, netting, and loops. Unfortunately, these traps only seem to be able to be cut by the sharp edges of crystal growing in the cave. Hopefully, travelers have considered picking some up on their way…

But those who are sensitive to magic and will might sense an urge to press forward, guided by an unseen force to see their exploration through until they come across a spiraling staircase to the exit. Just watch out for that slick stone, which could send you all the way back down to the bottom, luckily any falls will be softened by glittering moss surrounding the base of the staircase.

Mystery Revealed

CW: potential death, emetophobia, body horror

Past the Mystic Grotto, beyond the carved exit and dangerously thin path that stretches along a cliffside that drops straight down into the waters below, is a small outcropping suspiciously connected to the Labyrinth itself. Those who look closer will notice that the outcropping is home to an entrance into the labyrinth. Unfortunately, thorough investigation reveals that this older, more run-down section of the labyrinth does not connect to the one that is more familiar, almost as if it was cut off purposefully. Those who want to get to this portion of the labyrinth only have one option, and they will need to tread along the cliff path carefully, Falling from this path will only end in death.

Twists and turns will eventually lead to the main chamber of this section, wildly overgrown with greenery and inhabited by fireflies of different shapes and sizes all with a pleasant, soothing glow. Most important is the tall stone fountain, still somehow functional despite the apparent overgrowth and decay. Perhaps it is because the fountain is encased in something clear and glass-like, preventing anyone from actually touching or entering the pool of water. From each of the 5 spouts different colors of water pour down into the main pool to converge in an almost oil slick like appearance where the colors blend and mix together in places. Next to the fountain, a stone and wood contraption sits, levers still intact. Should a visitor decide to investigate the device, they’ll find that it is magically enchanted. Any attempt to harm the device will result in the character being blown back with force, enough to shove them off their feet or send them airborne into the walls of the room.

Pulling the lever, however, activates a groaning sound, and the exposed gears of the machine clamber into life as the sound of something opening and clattering echoes through what must be an empty stone chamber. Eventually, a small potion bottle filled with one of five colors (Purple, Brown, Teal, Chartreuse, Navy) rolls out of the ground and toward the operator’s feet. The colors seem misty inside, sparkly but dull, almost as if their mixture is incorrect or incomplete somehow. Upon opening the bottles, the scent that wafts out is foul: overly sweet but spoiled. But perhaps this is the way these potions are meant to be? Those brave (or stupid) enough to drink the potions they receive will struggle with stomach cramps moments later, others might feel the need to regurgitate the potion forcefully. Characters’ sight may blur and they may feel dizzy or ill at ease, but should they hold the potion down one of several things may occur.

⚗️ Teal potion drinkers will find themselves crying, unable to stop no matter how hard they try. Their tears will not stop flowing, and the fireflies in the area seem oddly attracted to the tears that drop from their eyes. It makes catching these creatures easy, but also an annoying hindrance to anyone who is subjected to crying their eyes out.

⚗️ Navy potion drinkers will find themselves feeling lighter than air. Though the effect is slow in the beginning, the longer they are in this part of the blocked-off labyrinth, the more they are affected. At first, it’s like walking on the moon, then they slowly find they have a harder time landing… until they wind up floating up slowly, up and up and up. But instead of winding up in the heavens, or seeing anything useful of the main labyrinth, they find themselves mysteriously floating back toward the garden. Once there they find they stop moving but will need to hold hands with others who are affected in order to land safely onto the ground again.

⚗️ Purple potion drinkers will find themselves consumed by hiccups that cause bubbles to float out of their mouths. These bubbles, when popped by anyone other than the owner, will release a secret said in the character’s voice.

⚗️ Brown potion drinkers will grow the sickest initially, but will also feel better the fastest. However, they may find that as they walk, mushrooms and other fungi grow in the wake of their steps, the kinds varied and assorted and not at all safe to eat or touch. It might be best for those who didn't drink this potion to avoid eating, touching, or spreading this fungal growth.

⚗️ Chartreuse potion drinkers will find that much like some species of frog they have become incredibly sticky. Not only do they stick to other characters, but their skin will stick to anything they touch. It’s best to be careful when under this effect unless you want to become a living katamari ball!

Perhaps it might be best to investigate what this fountain actually is and leave it alone for now, instead? By the time afflicted and nonafflicted explorers make their way back to the mouth of the grotto, they will find the effects of the potions drunk by characters have weakened to nothing.

[ Anyone who tries to take a potion with them will find the potions mysteriously absent the moment they leave the fountain chamber, their containers dry and void of any liquid that may have been inside. ]

Suspicious Message #3

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

What is it that you are most thankful for?

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.

[ 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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

He had heard notice, from Clothtilda, that a new set of arrivals had come down to the Enchanted Gardens. This was his first 'arrival' day since he had himself arrived. There had been some sort of remark about the fact that some people arrived to the gardens positively indecent. And so with the help of Clothtilda-- (who had finally acknowledged that he was good at what he did and thus entrusted him with hyping up the Clothier and it's various possibilities) loaded some garments into his wristpocket subspace.

And thus very soon, Night Sky would find herself in the presence of a Drow who seemingly popped right out of the woodwork, and levitating at a very calm and regal 5 ft 11 inch height (though sadly, that was not his true height, but one made due).

Yes, she was naked however the placement of the leaves made him vaugely wonder if that was an aesthetic choice, it felt like it. "Good morning, I hope that I did not startle you." and then in a very formal voice, he stated. "Welcome to Somnius, I imagine you have questions-- I did when I arrived a few months ago."

"Uhh. Hi." She replied, looking him up and down as she stood up, not even bothering with the gesture of brushing herself off. No point if she already had leaves and debris on her to start with. "Less than you might think. This isn't my first time." Well. It was her first time in Somnius, but not her first time being unceremoniously tossed into another realm. "Thanks though. You know how to get out of here? The garden, I mean."

"Ah..." well, he knew that Caleb had been tossed unceremoniously upon the seas of different alternate realities, as well as most of the rest of the crew within Castle Exandria, but this was the first time he'd heard it being spoken of something outside of his sphere of influence. "Through the hedges.." he pointed toward a little opening.

"You are lucky in that it is not as hot as the time that I arrived however.. mind the flowers, they are generally suspicious so it is advised not to get too close." and it was clear he was keeping himself at a healthy distance.

Night Sky started in the direction of the hedges, pausing only two steps later when he mentioned the flowers. "Suspicious? They make you horny or something?" In her experience that often seemed the case. Either that or they made you see shit.

"I suppose you could get close to one and find out." he said this passively.

Honestly, he was not going to get close to the flowers however he thought that if someone decided to do so, he would stand here and provide any assistance needed. Thankfully he did have access to some of his spells so that he could potentially offset the effects if needed. Not with his gravity spells, but he could Mage Hand sweep flowers away if needed.

Night Sky looked from Essek, to the flowers nearby, then back to Essek. It wouldn't take a genius to discern that she might be considering the suggestion.

"Follow up question before I decide to experiment: if they do make me horny, are you inclined to lend a hand or no? Because if not... I'll pass for now."

The question took him by surprise, especially since it came right out of the blue, however the most that he did do was raise a brow at the very blunt manner of speaking-- he was not quite prepared for it. However, it as a true fact that he would have to answer this question in the most old person way possible, because this was Essek and some of his speech patterns were archaic. "I am not inclined-- currently I am courting someone and I have no need nor desire for anything outside of that."

Though he did glance at the flowers. "They are different than the flowers that were there last time, and the effects then were forgetfulness so I suppose you can cross that off the list."

"Awww... did you meet them here?" Night Sky didn't seem too torn up by the rejection.

She looked to the flowers and shrugged again. "I mean, I can take a sniff of them if you want. Might help whoever comes later if the effects are identified and warned for."

It was a good thing, for he would not have known how to handle someone torn up by a rejection. His capabilities at this point in time was probably beyond that (realistically), a sigh of relief. "I knew him before coming here, however he managed to get pulled into the world with me, it is not as bad as it could be-- this world; you've missed a rather punishing heat wave." then he surveyed Night Sky's wardrobe.

"Though that probably would not have bothered you." it seemed to artfully arranged to be a matter of clothes randomly disappearing.

"I do not have Greater Restoration so you will be stuck with these things until they wear off." another warning, though he did motion toward the pack. "Also, there is a potion in there.. either red, blue or gold. Each one has a different effect."

"Love that for you, friend." She replied. It was always nice to hear that people had their loved ones with them when thrust into such odd realms. It usually made it easier to handle the transition. To his comment about her being unbothered by the heat, she laughed. "I don't know, I don't do well in the heat. Glad I missed it though."

Night Sky didn't even know what a greater restoration was. But she did know about the potions, primarily because -- "Oh, I already drank mine. What does blue do?"

It was true that Essek was finding that he actually liked this person who had found their way to Somnius and the realm of the Labyrinth. They were very no-nonsense and they did not take anything personally-- two very great marks in her favor. "I am Essek Thelyss." a half-bow that was proper much as the man was. "The blue one is said to grant healing; all you have to do is lay your hands on someone and if they are injuried-- they will mend fairly quickly."

He only knew a handful of people who had gotten the blue potion and it seemed to be an every third bag thing with the distribution being rather even.

"Where are you from?"

"Night Sky." She replied, bowing her head in turn. "Oh, that sounds convenient. At least I'll be a little useful until I get my magic and shit back." Presuming people got hurt enough to warrant the use of such a power.

"Valsheria. More specifically the Forest of Dreams there." And the Sylvan forest, but she hadn't lived in her homeland in a long, long time. "It's a big, violent world - even the fae never stop fighting, myself included. Although I'm not too devastated by the vacation." Time being paused and all that was very convenient. "More recently I was in a place called Faerie out in the Feywilds."

"You will have use for Healing, especially when the Labyrinth opens up." he remembers the close calls that he and his group seemed to have in the Arcane Laboratory, it was a complicated mess of course but they had survived it and come out stronger. Though he does incline his head at the mention of the Feywild. "Ah, my world has a Feywild as well-- I am assuming you are from a multiverse similar to mine own then?"

That was exciting; the more the merrier.

From his discussions, both Elias and Poppy came from different worlds then him but still shared such things as the 'Feywild' whereas others had merely blinked him, leading him to believe that there were very little way in terms of Nexus-adjacentcy.

"Well I was in a multiverse with a Feywilds anyway. I think the Forest of Dreams is similar in Valsheria, too. So. Yes?" Fae shit disconnected from the laws of the world. You know how it is.

Night Sky shrugged. "How long have you been here?"

"Two months, in that time much has happened though there are people here who have been here far longer than I have." he nods in response to the mention of the Feywild. "That is one thing about the Feywild is that it is vast and there are several ways both in and out- I come from the world of Exandria." he then surveyed Night Sky in her fairly skimpy clothing.

There was nothing judgemental in that case, merely appraising.

"If you ever have need of clothing, you may find me at Clothtilda's, where I've been working since I've arrived." of course he also had clothing in his wristpocket to make available as needed, all a apart of Clothtilda's innate need for more business which was valid."

"I knew someone from Exandria." She commented, not bothering to drop Beau or Yasha's name simply because what were the odds, right?

Night Sky snorted. "Good to know, but I'll probably be hanging out in the woods if there are any around. Not much use for clothes - unless you just like dressing people up. In which case I can be persuaded to indulge you."

"Well, I do enjoy dressing people up though I would never do it against someone's will." Exandria was a big place, he reasoned, thus he was pretty sure that he did not know those people, even if yes-- he did. "Before I came to work at Clothtilda's, there was much non-consensual dress-up however that is quite simply not something that provides any sort of enjoyment."

He regarded her carefully. "Are you a druid, by any chance?"

"You can dress me up if that's your thing." She didn't really care.

Night Sky chuckled. "I'm a dryad. Wood nymph. Fae. Whatever. I used to just be an elf though."

There was a raise of his brow, especially considering the nature of Dryads. "How did you become one if I may ask? You can colour me curious." It was a wizard's boundless curiosity that seemed to buoy that next question-- which was probably what any of the wizards here in Somnius would've done; asked those unceasing questions for the sake of knowledge.

"Well first I died." Said causally because, well, she had. "Then an Archfey named the Green Knight resurrected me and, I don't really know the intricate details, but essentially imbued me with fae magic to make me what I am now." 'Dryad' was technically correct, but likely not in the way he assumed. She wasn't bound to a single tree - she was bound to a forest with odd magics that barely made sense on a good day.

And, apparently, that binding could be broken by... other fey and whatever Vaeros was.

"How very interesting." he spoke, a raise of his brow as he watched her-- the way that she seemed to glide through the garden. "So you are bound to a forest, a single forest. Do you think that the binding will cross over to the forest here?"

Night Sky shrugged. "Maybe. I tend to migrate toward the closest forest regardless, but it seems like most of the time the powers that be in the world I'm in sort of break the bond and let me do whatever? Unless the Green Knight comes calling, I'm not exactly bound to anything." Or anyone, especially here. "It's like a vacation."

"Ah, so sort of how I feel." it was a vacation from his own reckoning, and now it was a vacation that has given him his own heart's desire although he knew that they would have to go to their world eventually, he had a feeling that the Nein had it, or that it was like some time sweep where it flowed faster in one world then the other.

The probability of that, he had heard that was how various pockets within the multi-verse did work.

"You will find this world is not too bad however whatever powers you possess, you will have to earn them back again, or rather wish them back using that crystal necklace in the bag."

Night Sky nodded. Sort of like how favor worked in Faerie. "What's the local currency?"

Essek recalls Ari describing to him the local currency, which was for the most part nonexistent with the way that the whole system worked. The major things were earned back with stars accumulated by the pendant, everything else was up for debate. "Currency for small things act as that you can walk in and get a cup of coffee or tea, a muffin from the café. For major things, it takes shards. It leads me to believe that the Dreamers here somehow power this place, also if we are the pets of Vaeros.. it stands to reason that he and the Labyrinth will take care of basic needs."

And then a cough.

"Between Dreamers, I've noticed the bartering system goes into place; I tend to act on favors-- my particular skillset with styling is such that I have a few favors up my sleeve if I should need them."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

TDM#5

ARRIVAL

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