( TDM | #4 )

[spellbindmods]

IMPORTANT: The weekly update post will go up later than usual tonight to give time for any other barrier quest responses to come in. Nothing major will be affecting how old players respond to newbies on this post, so tag away! Threads here do count for September bonus AC for old players.

TDMs can be used for anyone interested in the game and/or testing out a new muse.

Test Drive samples are encouraged to be used for your application sample, though they are NOT a requirement.

Feel free to use one prompt, multiple prompts or make up your own!

These threads can be considered game canon upon game opening if you so choose.

Telepathy and magic can be used at any point in time on the TDM, from Prompt A to your wildcard prompt. A specific prompt exists, however, that makes sure all characters have an equal chance to use this mechanic within the TDM. You're encouraged to have characters use telepathy and their magic accidentally or even purposefully on any TDM prompt.

If you aren't set on your character's power yet or want to try out a few, you're still able to use the test drive. Maybe your character is a late bloomer and hasn't fully unlocked their intuitive drive yet. In the case of multiple powers, only prompts that contain the power you choose for your application will count as potential game canon threads.

While only one character can be apped or reserved during a cycle, feel free to post with more than one character if you like! This is for those who are uncertain of their first choice or who would like to try out different characters within the setting.

IMPORTANT: This world is low-frequency. No canon powers or abilities are allowed! Also check out the setting information for more info about what the hub island looks like and what can be found there.

You blink and that's all it takes. At first the picture doesn't come in clear, like you're waiting for a screen to fully load -- more aptly, it's like you're waiting for a camera to focus so you can find image clarity. Before you happened to rapidly close your eyes and open them, your life was normal...well, normal for you, anyway. Fighting an alien, making a quesadilla, dying. And then that blurry picture suddenly takes over. There's a lot to take in here -- you feel weird, your surroundings are weird. Everything is just weird. For starters, there's that new piece of jewelry inserted in the space above your chest. That certainly wasn't there before you opened your eyes. A ▢ Your character's first experience here will be waking up in a forest. Specifically, located here. It's up to them to traverse and try to figure out where they are, whether they make it to the beach or the main house area. If this new little signet catches their interest, fiddling with it will result in a bit of a neural vibration in everyone else with telepathy. Nothing painful; it's actually quite pleasant. But if they do decide to play with this new jewelry, they're likely to find some seasoned telepaths (aka old coven members) in their brain space, wondering that's up. A2 ▢ Alternatively, new coven members are notorious for being bad at telepathy from the jump. Their panicked reation to this journey or confused mental state may send out some network messages that maybe they didn't realize they were sending out. Or, maybe what's pushing them over the edge are all the other voices already doing exactly that in their brain. B ▢ Unlike the previous coven members who found themselves on the hub, new recruits won't find as many supplies randomly in the forest they're suddenly in. However, like old coven members, they will come across some wild boars that aren't too happy to see the humans have returned to their stomping ground. Your character may also come across a boar with babies in tow, which means that they're even more likely to be aggressive. If your character has useful magic within them somewhere, now may be a good time to discover how to use it...? C ▢ Whether you've braved a boar encounter or avoided one entirely, there's a lot to do and see in the forest, as well as other areas of the hub! Well, "do" is debatable. But! Coven members before them have discovered some pretty nifty locations that can be stumbled upon, from a phallic fertility shrine to tree homes and passageways.

If you eventually make it out of the forest and aren't devoured by a boar, you'll eventually come upon your new base camp. Someone (Genette) will be there with your introductory letter and a brief description of magic you now have. If you didn't discover it earlier...surprise! One thing of comfort might be that you aren't alone in this journey. There are other coven members here, fresh back from a journey to another world. If your character wants to get the lay of the land or understand what's going on a little better, they may want to hit up some of these folk for information. There's a large, gold, floating caravan hanging around next to a bonfire, and there's a back gate open that reveals something of a space pocket containing lots of different things. Luckily for new characters, the Palai from the previous world didn't want them to go hungry...which also means they'll be inundated with shrimp to eat. Hopefully they like shellfish! D ▢ Many of the old bloods in the coven can be found hanging around this area. Of course, a few of them have gone off on their own to do whatever it is they do, but since they just got back this is a good place to hang out if a new character wants to see a familiar face, ask questions or steal someone's belongings. You never know! E ▢ This will also be the place where they're given their first provisions. In a woven knapsack, they'll find a bag of cooked shrimp, a set of clothes (you pick the style) that may not fit, a toothbrush, and three other random objects -- dealer's choice! It's very likely that your character got something useful in there, but it's also likely you got something that your character would never use in a million years, or that doesn't fit. Time to start trading! F ▢ Finally, there's always the chance for your character to explore the big mansion next to the beach area. Actually, they may be asked to lend a hand. Everyone is tasked with unloading supplies from the caravan to the front foyer of the mansion, and there are quite a few trips to be mad. Or, alternatively, your character can slack off and play in the game room that they have. How good is your character at pool?

If you're much more of a loner and don't want to follow the flow of things, there are of course other locations that you should probably check out. Travel to your heart's content and find something new...but there are two other points of interest you may want to discover. G ▢ There's that bathhouse that's nearby, for starters. Your character won't encounter any snapping crabs, like last time, though the water for some reason isn't as hot as it once was. Whatever was previously heating the bathhouse seems to have died out, so there aren't any steamy, comfortable pools to take a dip in. There are, however, acrid waters with pond scum floating on the surface. The showers also spew out a greenish liquid, so any hope your character had at having a relaxing bath is gone. However, the lack of heat and many closed off rooms can make for some nice alone time. H ▢ Your character may want to claim a beach house while they're at it. Some characters have disappeared from the coven over time, and some of these few may have left their belongings before departing. This makes it hard to tell what huts are free and which need to be cleared out. Might as well play roulette and see if you picked one that doesn't have an owner or not. (For the sake of the prompt, you might want to choose the former, just saying). I ▢ Wildcard prompt. Go nuts and utilize your own creativity within the setting. This can mean striking out on your own or utilizing a certain location in a different way. The world is your oyster!

GAME NAVIGATION

Comments

[compendiem]

[ It's true and he can't refute that, but that also isn't what magic only is. ]

It's an easy answer, and kids stop asking. What do you want explained? Specifically.

[compendiem]

[ He's clinging onto the dim hope that they'll become useful someday. Perhaps he can poison an enemy or something, because these certainly can't be eaten. ]

Is speed necessary to help people...?

[ Minato's always just sort of stood in place and let his summons do the fighting; it's a good system, in his opinion. He does, however have to stop and think back to how he figured out how to use his newly given magic though, as intuitive as it'd eventually come. ]

I think there was a letter given out somewhere... it said to "look inside yourself."

[ Do some soul searching, etc. Not particularly helpful. ]

[compendiem]

Vitamin D is important for maintaining good health...

[ He supposes that doesn't really matter though, because what's health compared to beauty? Indoors is good, though, because now he has a vague idea of where to go. Playing the part of a navigator is a bit difficult without a shared mental map, so he decides to let go of the facade for now. ]

I'm turning you over to somebody else. Do you see a person behind you? He will be your guide.

[equivalence]

Any of it.

[Edward is not even being demanding yet. He will be. At some point. That's his nature.]

Kidnapped by some faceless witch and told we've been given magic. Why are we really here? What's the angle?

[compendiem]

[ Minato shrugs his "I dunno" again, unable to be very much help. ]

Did you read the letter?

B.

[actionmycology]

[Foley, against all odds, had yet to be actually accosted by wild boars. Which is strange, because normally she doesn't have that kind of luck.

She'd just stopped and crouched to look at a weird plant when she hears the voice of a young girl shouting at her. She turns her head, only to see the boar that had previously been chasing Homura.]

Shit!

[She dives forward just in time, narrowly avoiding being charged by the beast.

Yeah, this seems more like it.]

What the hell?

[And now she's scrambling to her feet and running in Homura's direction, just as the boar turns around. Time to run again.]

[equivalence]

[Bring on the abyss. Edward nods at what Al has to say. Good. He wants to see it, though if Alphonse can't make sense of it, he's reasonably sure he won't be able to either. Not right away.

This all feels like some messed up dream.

He shakes his head at the question.] I was exactly where I was supposed to be then bam, in a forest. Here. What should I Have been told? [Did he miss the orientation meeting?]

[compendiem]

[ Things will never make sense. Minato's been here for weeks and things make less and less sense with each passing day. Welcome to life. It's kind of hard to convince somebody they're not in their own galaxy anymore, let alone tiny island country, but at the very least he can show her some sort of physical evidence.

So, ignoring her question completely, ]

Let's get out of the forest. There's a beach nearby. You'll probably understand more there.

[equivalence]

Less tossed more... swung.

[Edward answers before reaching up to grab a hold of the branch he was trying to wrench off.]

We just gotta make it look like a better idea for it to run than try to take us on. And while it sucks that my alchemy is apparently on the fritz at the moment, I've fought off worse than a wild boar.

[Though hang on.] Can you fly on other worlds?

[compendiem]

[ He can see plenty with his eyes, but. Alright, sure.

Minato shrugs his compliance, hands stuck in his pockets even though that's not the smartest thing to do when he knows full well what the shoreline is like: sand, ending abruptly at the edge of the island and falling into complete nothingness. ]

[splinten]

Yeah. But I can't here for the same reason you can't use alchemy: this world doesn't have the right 'frequency' to sustain it.

[He could probably offer a helpful elaboration, but by this point, he has drawn his sword. Accepting Ed's proposition of scaring the boar off means he has decided to go pvp that boar. So of course he just drops right out of the tree, landing easy, and takes a wide swing—something the boar can move from if it wants, and with the blade shifted so the creature will get smacked instead of cut.]

[compendiem]

[ Minato never looks thrilled; all the dimension hopping and magical powers in the world could not change that. But his exasperation is largely directed at the letter this time, handing it back to Zack because he doesn't need a duplicate copy. ]

We're here to do Qri's bidding with no guarantee we can go home.

[compendiem]

[ He waves his hands vaguely ]

Magic.

[ The laziest, most sucky answer in the entire world, but it's true. ]

[antemeridian]

[ Homura does not have very much in the way of animal smarts is what, growing up in the city and in and out of hospitals for the majority of her life and all. and what she knows of boar is the probably-inaccurate but stereotypical recklessness and impetuousness attributed to them, so

so, uh, she may have not been looking for trouble but accidentally did the wrong things to set the already keyed up mother boar off anyway, because Homura is. not good at defusing conflict. or gentleness. she has all the gentleness of a blunt instrument. or golf club, if we're going for something more appropriate. ]

I apologize, I didn't mean to get anyone else involved!

[ she sounds genuinely relieved when Foley dodges out of the way, at least? exceeept now she's coming this way and yes they probably should vacate the area and let the mother calm down. probably should try to avoid the babies too, which are a little bit further back on the direction Homura came from. but while they're doing that, ]

If... she chases us again, I could distract her while you got out of the way.

[ there is a very slight pause or hesitation at the beginning of the statement, and it's worded like a question or suggestion, but the tone of it is flat and factual. ]

[alphonse]

[Al sighs. Ed has probably picked up on some of the details from the things he's said already, but he'd better spell it all out for clarity's sake.]

Well, to start off with, there are people here from all kinds of different worlds. I know that much is true, because I've talked to a lot of them and heard their stories. Some of them are able to do things that would have been impossible back home.

[Compared to all the complaining he's been doing, his voice takes on a distinctly more positive note when talking about the coven at large. They've done a lot to help him and it's clear he thinks pretty highly of them.]

And then there's Qri. [Goodbye, positivity.] She's the witch responsible for kidnapping everyone, and her story is that she's running low on energy and needs us to collect it for her. Supposedly, she's so powerful that everyone's worlds will die off if she doesn't get it.

[No need to point out how terribly shady and convenient that sounds.]

She either can't or won't talk to us, and does her communicating through Brie and Genette, the two people who have been with her longer than anyone. Even they have no proof of anything she says beyond just having faith in her.

[armigers]

[ Well... that was easy. Is she some kind of pig whisperer? His eyes blink owlishly in her direction as he slowly lowers his sword, straddling the line between feeling wary and grateful as he approaches the stranger. He'd make a comment on the unusual style of dress, but it's not as though Noctis' fatigues are any better. Instead, he opts to nod awkwardly at the lady. ]

...Thanks. Bet that trick comes really handy at parties.

[ His attempt at a joke. Obviously, he has way less finesse than Prompto at lightening the mood. ]

Uh, I'm okay is what I meant to say. [ Yep. Real smooth. ] You from around here?

[actionmycology]

[When Homura says that, Foley looks at the black-haired girl like she's absolutely nuts.]

What - No. You're a kid.

[She's not about to run away and leave a fucking middle schooler to fight a giant pig for her. What the fuck kind of person would she be if she let that happen?]

Look, I - [She glances around for a moment, still moving, until finally she points at a fairly large tree in the direction they're running, with a few low-hanging branches.] We're just gonna climb that tree, alright? Pigs can't climb trees, we'll be safe up there.

[soulcomet]

Apple, definitely! [she holds a pastry out to him.]

I'm just happy there's something you like here. Um ... I don't know how much help I would be to you, but if you have any questions or need anything, I'll definitely try my best.

e1

[soulcomet]

[it's been a long several months, having only fond memories and the chance to tell others about her friends back home to hold onto. she hadn't really been lonely, not really, but ... she'd be lying if she said there hadn't been more than one sleepless, homesick night. that she hadn't looked back on the drawings of her Homura and the others that she'd sketched out and shown others, and wondered how they were faring without her.]

[that's part of why Madoka almost can't believe what she's seeing when she stops by the bonfire, to meet new members of the coven. it's ... for a moment, she's frozen in place.]

[but only for a moment. better brace yourself, Homura, because she's running at full pace, arms outstretched, going in for the tackle.]

— Homura-chan! You're here!

[antemeridian]

[ ...well, she might not be completely nuts, but she also doesn't seem to entirely understand why the woman raises the objection? she's been on her own for a while and things aren't- well, they weren't awful on the mundane side of things, anyway. ]

What difference does that make? We're both in this situation, but I got you into it. You don't owe me anything.

[ she figures that certainly there's probably some aspect of the expectation that adults should be responsible for some things children aren't, but do social mores really apply in this kind of situation... ]

But that makes sense. [ she says, dipping her head in a brief nod even if it's kind of a superfluous gesture while they're still moving. ] No need to force a confrontation we don't have to. [ time to put to use all those hours climbing trees she never did as a kid! it can't be that different from acing athletics exams in school, right. ]

[actionmycology]

The difference is that the pig is that much bigger than you.

[What the hell is wrong with this kid? Clearly she knows she couldn't beat this thing in a fight, otherwise she wouldn't be running from it alongside Foley.

At least she agrees to climb the damn tree. When they get to the base, Foley quickly crouches and threads her fingers together, providing the shorter girl with a place to put her foot.]

C'mon, I'll give you a boost.

[armigers]

[ Yep, here they go. He's committed himself to this bad idea. There's no turning back from 'Rocky' now. All effort goes into avoiding trying to openly cringe as he nods in agreement. ]

You sure there are even toilets in this place?

[ He hasn't seen one in a long while, but luckily, he's used to the great outdoors and roughing it. Sort of. Roughing it with high-end camping equipment mostly.

With no Regalia in sight nor a top of the line grill, the potential lack of indoor plumbing would pretty much be the icing on one very crappy cake. ]

You wouldn't happen to have a map in your bag, would you?

[ Since he gave him all that shrimp, it's only fair. ]

[activatingcombatmode]

[He takes back the letter but stares at it for a moment like it's evil. Then regards Minato with an incredulous look.]

And we all just roll over and take that?

[The hell is this no guarantee they can go home...?]

[rootandbranch]

That's good enough! Stay still!

[it took Geir a moment, but after he hears Ed's shout, his eyes are drawn to the right spot. there. he ignores the effect of boar's charge -- if the new coven member is hurt, it can always be treated later -- and marks the boar's exact location in his mind. then, he closes his wings tight around him, feeling his face pull back into a teeth-baring snarl, and dives.

from Edward's vantage point, the sun goes dark for a moment, blacked out by the sudden appearance of a large form above him. suddenly, there's a buffeting sweep of wind as an enormous dragon dives through the trees, barely fitting into the clearing. the monster skewers the boar on his claws to scoop it up and away from Ed as easily as a man would take a kebab off the grill.]

Ha--!

[armigers]

[ WELP. How did I miss that I shall never know?? But anyway, Noctis blinks in response before searching for that letter that he sort of crammed somewhere. He finds it folded up in his back pocket... meaning, no he didn't read it. He stuffed it there because he'd been too busy trying to deal with the whole waking up in a different world thing and also losing his powers. ]

You mean this one? 'course, I did.

[ He's reading it now. Really fast. More like skimming it- ]

Wait-... I have a new power?

[ They couldn't make that the first sentence?? ]