( 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

b

[rootandbranch]

[the (impressively loud) crunch of leaves below her stops. it's a little hard to see through the leaves to the ground from Yona's vantage point, but it looks darker down there suddenly. maybe it's getting late? the shadows seem so much deeper...]

Do we want them to? Didn't you come out this way to hunt?

[the stranger's voice is puzzled! why else would someone be here?]

[dawninglight]

[she squints down there to see if she can spot whoever it is better, but if they're listening to her request and not making themselves boar bait she's content to leave their identity a mystery]

I wasn't hunting! There's already enough food back at camp, so hunting this boar would be a waste. I just...got lost...I think.

[rootandbranch]

Oh! Come on down, then. I'll show you the way back. The boar isn't going to stick anywhere near here now that I'm around.

[the voice seems friendly enough, but it's still hard to see a human-shaped figure. there's a glint of... scales? and an impression of movement that looks way too large.

Geir doesn't recognize this person's voice-- maybe they're someone new...]

[dawninglight]

But—

[and then the boars scamper off, because there's a dragon in the bushes, and now she's really curious. it's not as graceful as she'd like, but she makes it back down to the ground in a matter of seconds.]

You really did scare them off! How did you manage that? I'll have to remember it for next time.

[rootandbranch]

[when she lands, she comes face to face with the reason for the boars' departure, and that's probably answer enough: Geir blinks down at her. he's been strolling low along the ground to snake his way between the trees rather than stand up to his full height, but he's still unmistakeably large enough to use the boars as a quick snack.]

Um, I just made some noise...

[dawninglight]

[it's a dragon that's not a person. that's new]

Oh. I see.

. . .

Are you the dark dragon?

[rootandbranch]

[Geir looks back at his side. the scales are black. i mean... talk about calling a spade a spade...

he looks back at Yona in helpless puzzlement, not sure of the right answer here.]

Y...es...?

[dawninglight]

[g-giggling]

You don't sound very sure. If I have it wrong you can tell me. I thought there were only four dragons, actually, and none of them are a dark dragon.

[rootandbranch]

[Geir relaxes and grins back, pleased that she picked up on his confusion so easily.]

Oh, sorry. It must be another world thing? I don't know how many dragons there are at home, but it's not just a number someone would know like that. And "the dark dragon" sounded like some kind of title... it sort of works, but no one's ever called me that before!

[dawninglight]

It's a made up title for the honorary fifth dragon warrior. Or something like that. But it suits you! I don't think anyone would mind if you called yourself that when you're trying to be intimidating.

[a pause]

...What do you mean by another world thing?

[rootandbranch]

Uh-oh. You're new here, aren't you... hasn't Genette given you the rundown yet?

[uh-oh is right; Geir isn't entirely confident in his ability to give the rundown himself. he doesn't have a copy of the letter handy, and he thinks that half of it is probably sheep's piss anyway. still, he wouldn't want to misrepresent it; it's more useful if everyone starts with the same explanations. better think fast...]

[dawninglight]

[dawninglight]

[oh, well then,]

...I haven't gotten anything like that, but your response is enough of an answer. If you could show me where this Genette is I'd still like to understand what's going on.

[rootandbranch]

...

[he speaks more gently than the casual tone he's used thus far; he was watching that shocked expression on her face, and he can see she's been knocked off balance, even if she recovered some skin of equilibrium quickly.]

I can take you to where she's likely to be, sure. I can try to answer any questions, too. I think most of us are a long way from where we come from.

[dawninglight]

[there's a moment of silence as she fiddles with her cloak before letting her hands drop to her sides and taking a deep, deep breath.]

Thank you, that would help. Where are we, if we're not in Kouka? You must at least have a name for this place.

[rootandbranch]

[Geir sighs, his wings rustling on his back as he stretches them out and refolds them... he's sure that this girl will want answers now, rather than when they get to the base camp. he would. he'll try his best for her.]

This is the Hub. We've been stolen from our homes by a witch named Qri. She's taken things from us and given us powers in exchange, so we can try to find more magic for her to eat. She says that all the worlds will die without her. I don't know whether that's true or not.

[he's still speaking in as gentle a tone as he can muster, but he makes no bones about the issue, and his words wouldn't be the choice of anyone who was used to being anything but blunt and direct. he hesitates, and adds with scrupulous fairness:]

I don't know that it's not true. Either way, you might not be going home soon.

[dawninglight]

Even if you put it like that, I still have to find a way home. Everyone will be worried. And there are still things that I have to do.

[giving him a look up and down like she's trying to assess what kind of power could bring a dragon somewhere against his will.]

It's a selfish request, but will you help me? If you're looking for a way home too, we could look together.

[rootandbranch]

Of course I don't mind looking for a way to go home with you. I'm not sure I want to go home yet, but I'd rather not stay here because I can't go.

[he sighs, scratching at the back of his head with a hind claw awkwardly like a dog who's got an itch. he's not really sure how to put this.]

Everyone here has things they have to do at home... at least at some point. Even the people like Genette who are telling us to go along with what Qri wants say so. No one knows any way to leave, though, so she and everyone else going along with her just think that us getting what Qri wants done is the fastest way to get there. I agree with you! But you should know what the challenges are.

[dawninglight]

[she gives him a grateful smile, more reassured than disappointed]

If it wasn't challenging then everyone else would have already done it. I'm not thinking that it will be a simple matter of wanting it to happen to make it come true. But...you're right that I don't know what I'm up against. So in this case I just need to gather some more information before making a move.

[rootandbranch]

You're pretty sensible for a human far from home. I'll take you to where you can get more information, for sure.

[Geir grins at her, pleased with the exchange: her direct manner is easy to understand, and as a person who prefers directness himself, it's easy to like and sympathize with her. none of them want to be in someone else's power, and it doesn't surprise him that such a businesslike and action-oriented personality has something she needs to do back where she came from.]

Call me Geir. What's your name?

[dawninglight]

I'm Yona. It's a pleasure to meet you, Geir.

[she falls in next to him to let him lead the way back, though given his size she's sure she'll have to walk fast to keep up with his pace]

I don't know what your situation is back home, but if you're not sure that you want to go back, I can assure you that my friends would be delighted to meet you.

[rootandbranch]

W...what?

[that stops Geir cold for a moment; he was walking fairly slowly so she could keep up more easily, but now he pauses completely to glance back at her incredulously.]

Are you telling me to come visit? You just met me.

[dawninglight]

[she looks up (and up) to meet his eye, straightforward and unwavering in her response]

You just met me and you're already helping me. You don't seem bad, so what's wrong with it? If you don't want to then you can say no.

[rootandbranch]

[Geir hesitates. it's sound if very limited logic, but that doesn't make it any less of a rash and generous offer. Yona doesn't have the power to defend herself and her home from him, as far as he can tell, so she must be either very confident in some strength he can't see or very foolish. either way, he'll her words treat with respect, as he would the invitation of anyone with the right to make such decisions. he inclines his head to her.]

That's a courageous offer; I appreciate it.

[dawninglight]

[she can't help but laugh a little; not at him, precisely, but his choice of words is something she finds endearing]

Courageous? Extending kindness to those who have been kind to me seems only fitting, that's all. Besides, as much as I hate to admit it, it's an empty offer until we actually find a way to accomplish it.