( 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

[fastpaced]

[ yeah, he figured Eggman would be able to dodge that... somehow. He's always been good at exactly one thing other than robotics, and that one thing is running away fast. Once Sonic is done pointing and laughing - which he does in a pretty generous amount for having been in Eggman's position about a second ago - he hops down from the tree, dusting off his hands.

He really doesn't want to have to hurt an animal. Maybe he can just get it to go away some other way. ]

You really should've thought of that before you stole my speed, [ he comments dryly, still assuming the good doctor is the one behind this problem. Sonic positions himself in front of the tree he was just in, then begins jumping up and down, waving his hands at the boar. ] Hey, pork-breath! Over here! You're not running away, are you?

[ ... it probably doesn't understand him, but it does turn back towards Sonic, scraping at the ground with one hoof and preparing to charge at the source of the loud noise. ]

[scrambledegg]

[Honestly, it's probably pretty frustrating for it to go from hog to egg to hog again...they're probably just riling it up further. But as the boar charges for Sonic again, Eggman's looking very pleased.]

What? You've lost your speed? Well as much as it pains me to say it Sonic, I hadn't a single thing to do with that.

[Of course being the rotten egg he is, he runs off in the direction of the trees behind Sonic...and keeps going.]

But I'm eternally grateful to them! Once I've gotten out of here, I'll be sure to give them the credit they deserve for ridding me of you once and for all!...oh, who am I kidding, I'll just take the credit all for myself! Ooohohohoho!

[The thicket he's running towards is a lot denser than the wider area they're in right now. Even if the boar can knock an errant tree or two down, it would take a lot longer for it smash through something that, to it, would be a literal wall. The gaps would be a lot easier for the pair of them to maneuver through, too.

Maybe he should just follow Eggman. Even without super speed he'll catch up to him pretty handily.]

[fastpaced]

We'll see about that--!!

[ don't worry, Eggman, he totally has a plan! Sort of. As much as Sonic can plan things. Even without his super-speed, he's pretty agile, and at his size, he's definitely much quicker than a big, bulky wild boar. The moment before it's about to turn Sonic into blue hedgehog paste, he leaps out of the way, curling into a tight roll and then popping back out to chase after his #1 nemesis. The boar? Not so lucky. It runs straight into this cartoon trap, slamming its head against the tree at full speed. And while it doesn't seem to be knocked out (or, god forbid, dead), it certainly didn't enjoy that; it staggers back, dizzy and making a pained bleating noise. ]

Sorry, buddy! Better luck next time!!

[ he can't resist calling back out to it, even as he runs away... but it's true. With the lead they're gaining and the difficulty of maneuvering between the tree trunks, they'll probably be okay. He's quick to catch up to Eggman, naturally, running beside him casually. ]

You're welcome.

[scrambledegg]

[Not only is it easy to catch up to Eggman, he even starts to slow down pretty quickly...he's faster than you'd expect, but his stamina isn't exactly remarkable. By the time Sonic catches up he's already trying to catch his breath, hunched over with a hand against the nearest tree for support.]

Don't think...I'm going to thank you...or anything...

[WHEEZE...

Okay.

He's okay.]

...so it looks like we're both stuck here. You don't have your speed and I don't have any tools or materials on hand, either.

The deck's really stacked against me this time.

[fastpaced]

[ don't die on him like this...

once again, Sonic strongly considers leaving him in the dust, but he's not that mean. He comes to an easy stop, crossing his arms over his chest and tilting his head at Eggman curiously. ]

Wait, what do you mean? No robots? No portals to other dimensions? Nothing?

[ well, this is unusual. Of course, he's battled all sorts of otherworldly beings that can do this kind of thing, but the fact that Eggman is actually here with him made him figure the guy had something to do with it. ]

Are you just trying to keep me from kicking your butt and going home? I'm not as gullible as that knucklehead, you know.