buttrinthum | TDM #6

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TDM #6

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: holly and bluebells.

Standing too close to the bluebells for too long or smelling them will make a Dreamer unable to refuse requests. This can last for however long a player may wish, whether it be for a few days or just a few minutes. The holly, however, also gives off a strange effect when getting too close to it: Dreamers will feel compelled to be more helpful & outgoing, no matter how gloomy and closed off they are. This effect can also last for a few days or a few minutes-- it is up to the player!

Eventually, Dreamers will find their way out of the Enchanted Garden and into the city of Somnius, whether it be by following the alluring light or on their own.

Webby's Sleepover Extravaganza

It’s funny how if you ask for something, sometimes that’s all it takes to have it given to you. Maybe Webby is just that lucky, or Vaeros is feeling just that generous the day it’s requested but for two days and one night only in the beginning of the month of November, a large castle stands where one didn’t before. It’s grand in that it doesn’t need repairs like some of the available housing does, but it’s certainly nothing too awe-inspiring. But, it’s big enough for its purpose—a sleepover party for every inhabitant new or old.

During the night a few days before the party, EVERY person receives a handwritten invitation to this sleepover blowout. It doesn’t matter who, young or old. For those who wake up in Somius after the invitations arrive, they’ll find an invitation just for them in their pocket or satchel, like they were always meant to be invited from the beginning.
Decorations are bright and colorful, spanning the whole rainbow. One giant room full of cots and sleeping bags, blankets and pillows has been made to be the centerpiece of the whole affair. This is where most of the partygoers will mingle and play games, if they’re not too busy with one of the other activities located in one of the other rooms nearby. There’s plenty of room to wander, though any room that has not been decorated and made up for the party is locked down completely with no way in. There are, of course quiet spaces provided for those who need a quick getaway from all the partying. Or maybe going outside for a stroll in the night garden would be calming too?

For those who don’t have anything appropriate to sleep in, pajamas are even provided. But they might be a little silly, since beggars can’t be choosers. Who wants the unicorn fuzzy pajamas?

Games Galore - There’s plenty to play with, at Webby’s insistence (and by insistence we mean she gives you the biggest doe-eyes you’ve ever seen) and she’s more than happy to give you overly-detailed means on how to play the following -

🎉Twister - a huge sheet blotted with colorful spots has been laid on the floor, along with a square with similar colors and a spinny arrow. The rules are simple - one person spins the arrow, and where it lands you put your foot or hand. First to fall loses, so amp up the embarrassment - er, fun as you all get tangled up with each other.
🎉Truth Or Dare - Two options, one chance for chaos. Surely you’re all going to be mature individuals and not ask mortifying questions or dangerous dares.
🎉Pin The Tail On The Donkey - Yes, Webby’s sole guardian was a woman whose idea of fun was from the 1950s, how did you know? But she’s also put up optional sheets of different animals to stick their tail/bodyparts on while you’re blindfolded, including past threats like zombies and skeksis.

Bountiful Buffet - The best way to stay up late is to stuff yourself silly with sugar, which is why the dining room table is loaded with all kinds of desserts. Remy and Aurora have supplied some of their own sugary confections, and you’re more than welcome to have added your own creations to the buffet. Just don’t start any food fights. At least not where Webby can see it!

As though the castle (or whoever ACTUALLY owns it) wants to help assist the party atmosphere, those who partake of the food might feel a little more inclined to be friendly and amenable to party activities. You know, just for those gloomy gusses out there. There are no drawbacks to this little bit of fairy dust, just a little bit of social greasing, you know?

Makeover Makeover Makeover - Vil has ever so kindly offered his beauty supplies for those of you who want to experiment with some new looks, and you’re free to have brought your own. Test it out on one another or try it out yourself. Then again, when he’s not looking, what’s to stop you from trying to paint yourself up like a B-movie monster?

Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark - Some of you may have had more than enough of your share of frights due to last month’s… fun, but surely you can handle a bit more fright? In a dark room with only one light torch, gather in a circle and share a spooky story from times gone by. Just be prepared for that one person who always sneaks up from behind and goes BOO at the right time. It’s inevitable.

Pillow Fight - Pick a side or be a lone warrior, grab a pillow and show no mercy! The last one standing wins! The only rule is your pillow is your sole weapon! In fact, there seem to be more pillows available than there are people here, so let the feathers fly! If the castle magically produces more, who’s to say? Shrug and keep the battle going!

Bonfire of Growth

CW: memory share, character specific trauma

Some may be aware that harvest season is a season of growth and not just in the cultivating sense. Townsfolk take this time to evaluate themselves and really think about things in their lives that have potentially been holding them back from being their strongest and truest selves. With the newly accessible Indigo Beach providing plenty of room for multiple bonfires, Dreamers will see several bonfires stretched across the dark blue sand, logs and rocks assembled around each one, beckoning Dreamers near.

As soon as they step out on the beach’s sands, characters will find a slip of paper on their person (in their pocket, up their sleeve.. any readily accessible portion of their clothing.) On that piece of paper, they will have a personalized phrase catered to them, making them remember a painful memory that has held them back in some way. The phrase can be anything players want it to be as long as it jogs the memory back into the head of their characters. Those with a paper slip will feel compelled to sit around the bonfire and contemplate their memory; they also will feel encouraged to share that memory with anyone who is sitting nearby. If characters choose to throw the paper slip into the fire, those who have heard the story of their grief will have a very vivid visual of the event in their mind’s eye along with feeling the exact pain they went through as well.

Once these memories are shared and characters take a moment to grieve, they will feel significantly better about the past situation that caused them so much pain. This can be temporary or permanent, it’s up to the player.

Although refreshments won’t be provided, Dreamers are encouraged to bring their own. And yes, something adjacent to s’mores can be something characters may bring.

Suspicious Message #4

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

Who or what from home do you miss the most?

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. Special thank you to Melissa for the player plot and prompts!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

:ARRIVAL: 'Clothilda's Chosen Ambassador'

[ This was the third time that he had endured this, the second time as a spectator. The first time he had been bade by Clothilda to pack up some of the clothing items to take down to the gardens, the second time he did it on his own though he managed to sneak in some of his own carefully crafted clothing to offer up for perusual. This felt like a very skewed sense of business however he rather did what Clothilda bade and because of that he had a fairly decent idea of the timing of when new souls were ushered in to this world of Somnius by Vaeros.

Unfortunately, he had managed to (inadvertantly) settle himself next to holly which grew in plentitude in a patch. He had forgotten that the flowers possessed magic properties that could be either could or bad depending on the situation. This managed to make him more assiduous in setting up those racks amidst the powers of flowers, of which all manners of garments fluttered in the breeze carrying the whisper of the bluebells in forgotten corners. ]

Surely you must have questions upon arrival, in which I should be most happy to answer them in any way that I am able. [ Though the drow was dressed in a manner that one would consider sleek and gothic-esque, it appeared that the smile was warm and absolutely lovely as if those flowers had turned him into Clothilda's perfect shopkeep. ]

:SLEEPOVER EXTRAVAGANZA: "Makeover Madness"

[ Essek finally found a pair of pajamas that suited his aesthetic (even though he had been tempted by those unicorn pajama bottoms, if only for Jester's sake-- he knew that she would've loved them) and finally he headed down to where the festivities were going on. So much to see and do, he had never been to one of these before so he tended to (much like cats were wont to do) hold himself at a distance so that he could observe what one was supposed to do at one of these gatherings.

Finally he jumped in to the area where the makeovers were happening, that felt more interesting to him even though the 'Truth or Dare' called to him like a siren's song (perhaps later). And so after a half an hour, Essek could be found with his hair pulled from his forehead with a silver bandeau and a thick green substance that was slathered on his face, of which there was thankfully eyeholes provided. And of course he would offer his own skincare tips if asked. ] You should never put anything on your face that does not match the composition of your skin. For example, a standard mud mask assists with drying out naturally oily skin. Unfortunately, I have the opposite so an algae mask works best to moisturize though I have to make sure that there is very little salt content within.

[ It's clear that Essek knows his stuff and is more than happy to assist. ] I miss my products back at home, I had an entire bathroom full of products specifically tendered to drow-skin.

:BONFIRE: "Light it up"

Settled there on the blanket, Essek opens up the piece of paper that had somehow found it's way onto his person. The wind blows through his hair as he sees the words on the paper, he does not read it of course. How could he read it outloud when it felt like a personal shame and so very quickly he shoves it into the fire where he sees it become overtaken by flames, licking and curling the sheets of parchment.

A vision explodes, of a young drow child standing in front of a desk, where a pristine and untouchable woman of the same race sits. She is flanked by several others as they peer at this child, circling him like hawks, sifting through his mind with a fine toothed comb and searching for something. After a bit of conjecture in hushed whispers, the words come and they feel like ice though one would wonder why they should feel as such.

"He is not enough, he is not consecuted-- a new soul, he is blank.. he is insufficient
... empty..
unremarkable!"

Essek crossed his arms over his chest, there was a grit of the teeth. A trauma that he thought that he was over and yet it was clear that he was not entirely over it, and it would always be there, this feeling of falling short-- why he would always reach to high and far, so that he could prove that he was worthy, that he did not require consecution to be perfect. "I wish you had not had to see that. It does not matter anymore" The drow states rather awkwardly, even though clearly-- it still did.

:SUS MESSAGE: Un:Dunamancer

I miss my brother, Verin, the most. He was the only person in my family that I held any sort of affection for. He's is stationed in a place that is very dangerous and I constantly hope for his continued safety; likewise I am not sure if I will ever see him again.

WILD CARD

Hello everyone, it's Nia over at alwaysbeenasmiler; feel free to add at will! I am fine with either brackets or prose and I'm always down to clown and be ridiculous (as one of Laby's resident extroverts). Also feel free to hit me with anything random and completely out of left field because we DIE LIKE BARBARIANS here!

Blake had sat at her own bonfire for far too long, lost in the memories that her piece of paper had swamped her with. It wasn't just that one memory; with it came so many others, a tsunami of regrets that threatened to overwhelm her.

So she'd gotten up and had started wandering, and a familiar pale head of hair had caught her attention. She hadn't meant to read the words on his paper, and she'd only gotten a glimpse at them, but unfortunately they'd been angled perfectly as she'd approached.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to read over your shoulder," Blake apologizes softly. She sits down next to Essek, legs hugged to her chest, arms wrapped around her shins.

She can guess what his words must be about. Essek had explained to her about the deity of light that was worshiped in his culture, and the high honor of being chosen to reincarnate, and how new souls were regarded very differently. He'd already implied that he was viewed as a new soul, and that was why he felt a distance from his people, but the words on the paper confirm it.

"We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," she assures. "But... if you do want to talk, you know I'm here. And I hear that sharing helps, sometimes."

Blake's own words cut through his psyche and brought him back to the moment, he clasped his arms around his knees to draw them up closer to his shoulder; there is a sense of care there in his eyes-- that Blake had seen it, and she knew him now. She knew him perhaps the best here, aside from Caleb of course. He tucked his chin against the tops of those same knees. So that they were sharing a pose, two peas in the proverbial pod.

In that vision, it held all of the disappointment of a small child who had wanted to be something special, and to be relegated to something so low. Was it any wonder that he had done what he did? Once he had figured that he would always only halfway have their approval and so he did not bother to try.

And that is why when the Nein came along and suddenly he was faced with being enough, and what a heavy and beautiful thing that was, and the way he had felt like a child all over again when he had disappointed them, and Caleb specifically. A man who had really just wanted to be accepted for himself.

"You are perfectly fine Blake, I.. I suppose it is hard still for me to be vulnerable like that, but I trust you very much. Because you are a dear friend, I am not afraid to share myself like this to you."

"I have four ears for a reason, you know," she says, gently joking. "It makes me a really listener."

It's touching to know that Essek trusts her enough to talk to her about something like this. Blake hasn't had too many people in her life that she was close to -- Ilia had been her closest friend for a long time, before Adam had come along. And then her team became close to her over time, and she trusts them with her life. It's a surprise, she thinks, that she's made such deep friendships here. She's still not great at opening up to people, she's still exploring herself as she is now with her newfound confidence and openness and empathy. She hadn't expected to find friends while being stuck in a strange fantasy land, but she's so, so glad that she has.

Her own piece of paper burns where it's tucked into her palm, and after a moment of hesitation, Blake opens her curled fist, showing Essek her own piece of paper. Nobody will ever love you the way I do, it says.

"I'd... like to share mine with you as well, if that's okay," she says tentatively. This intrusive little piece of paper is, perhaps, a sign that she needs to talk about her memory. "Would you like to tell me about yours?"

This felt very much like home, but not a home from a far away time but one more recent; filled with friendship and care-- something that he had not thought he deserved until the very moment it was offered to him freely; and because of that he would offer his own friendship freely to Blake.

There was a glance at the slip of paper and what it said; for a moment Essek was lost in how very presumptuous that sounded, and he almost felt angry on Blake's behalf. However, it was better to ask for her side of the story-- well after he addressed the question she'd poised his way.

?I told you that New Souls are not considered perfect, but what I did not tell you was that each child at a very young age is brought before a tribunal of Consecuted Ones, and then they scrutinize and pass judgement; they are either recognized or not." Essek shrugs his shoulders, "I was 12 years old when judgement was passed on me, and young enough to want positive attention, and to please my elders."

Essek Thelyss | Critical Role | Existing Player/Character

bonfire

oh no I'm crying because friendship

😭

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un: LtTayrey

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sleepover!

Re: sleepover!

bonfire please!

Re: bonfire please!

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Sleepover

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makeover;

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Bonfire

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