( TDM | #5 )

[spellbindmods]

IMPORTANT: This TDM is something a little different -- it's a mix of 4th Wall shenanigans and test driving. Anyone and everyone is welcome to come and make this spooky experience even more creeptacular, and all threads are canon. Any weird happenings, magic shortages or flip-flopping for new characters will just be considered part of the strangeness of the night.

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.

The foreign moon has come as close to the hub island as it possibly can, and the nocturnal deer aren't the only things acting up at this point. Those with intact spiritual intuition or with the power of emotional understanding will have felt the heaviness in the air, and as the days have dragged on that thickness has only intensified. Tonight that thickness might be explained by the heavy fog that's settled in on the island. However, that doesn't mean it's all that's making the night unsettling. All across the island, spirits are taking shape. They're humanoid in nature and completely devoid of sound -- like holographic projections with the audio broken. They flashstep around at times, and other instances they'll walk around like a normal person. Their mouths move and yet no sound escapes. They tangibility is as erratic as their movements. In one moment they have control over their solid mass, despite being translucent, but other times they can walk through walls or pass right through flesh. Their clothes are indicative of a somewhat modern time period, and sometimes they're indistinguishable from other coven members outside of their blue, sepia-toned hue. Another inconsistency is that their demeanor and actions are as varied as any modern society's. Some of these spirits are confused and angry. Some are trying to go about life as best they can. One might be able to pick up a sword and swing it, while another might want to braid your hair. Ages, strengths, dispositions...they match the state of the person as they once were. But where do new, potential coven members come into this equation. A ▢ Some "new coven members" will come to the island as they are. That's your choice. Others, however, are also affected by the bizarreness of the moonlight. Unlike other spirits, characters affected by the moon will be able to talk, but everything else will match their new spirit friends -- from translucence to physical inconsistency. B ▢ No matter whether your character is spirit-y or 100% as they were, the spirits in question are still going to interact with them. For this prompt, they've run into a kind spirit. Whether this is a child spirit tying to round them up into a game of tag or an adult spirit who is trying to communicate with them in some way, this spirit will be neutral or welcoming to their presence, as well as to the presence of other coven members. C ▢ Other spirits may not be so friendly. While their demeanor will mirror the type of person they were when they were alive, the spirits run on very simple and exaggerated emotions. A person with a gruff demeanor in their life will exist as an aggravated spirit. A person with violent tendencies when alive will exhibit as a malevolent ghost. This is the type of spirit you happen to have encountered. How will this interaction turn out?

Brie's been pretty busy trying to fix the wild boar problem that the island has been having, which the results? It's hard to tell if they're paying off, yet. She's somehow smuggled out some Elto bones and tried to use them as something of an electric fence system around the boar-dense areas. The boars who are alive seem to be reacting well! Others, however, are not. D ▢ Dead boars are now waking up around the island, somehow affected by a combination of magic and the moon's spiritual awakening. Some are a little more like their alive cousins -- undead flesh still pretty much in place. Others are totally skeletal, roaming around and thrusting their tusks anywhere they please. E ▢ These boars and spirits happen to be attracted to several shrines located on the island. While the religious affiliations of these shrines are unknown and vastly differ from one another, the spirits seem to be drawn towards them. If your character happens to be exploring the island and finds one of these unique locations...good luck with that hoard of spirits and/or boar zombies. F ▢ Boar zombie tusks should be avoided at all costs, but there's also another threat they pose: their bite. Instead of turning characters into the undead, their bites or their saliva results in something of an instant poisoning. Characters touched by their mouths will die temporarily, just without the whole gaudy spectacle of death. Everything will stay exactly as normal, except they too will be turned spirited. This counts for new characters and old characters -- so if you don't want your character to go ghost, you should avoid their gnashing teeth at all costs.

Despite the creepy air the island holds right now, let's say you want to do something...normal. No boars, no spirits. Just some good ol' fashioned test driving. You have a few options, though they still may be tinged with the spirit of...spirits. G ▢ Despite the moon causing a lot of craziness on the island, there's a lot of beauty in how close it is. You can't reach out and touch it -- everyone would be dead and frozen to death, let's be honest -- but it does cast a lovely cool glow on the entirety of the island. The moonflowers are in full bloom, with the nocturnal deer dancing around through the foliage. There's a lot to see on the island that isn't necessarily overrun by spooky spirits. H ▢ There's also the issue of NPCs preparing for new characters -- which they did! There's the beginning of a welcome party set up, though it's obviously abandoned. With all the craziness going on, the base camp is thrown into chaos. If your character makes it here from wherever they spawned (or if they spawned here in the first place), they may be confused by the chaos. Asking questions might be good, especially since there's still so many to ask outside of dead people suddenly coming back from the grave. 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!

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Comments

b

[talim]

What—

[ jude is about to protest, but... hold on. freeze. he recognizes that voice; he'd recognize it anywhere, and when jude whips his head around, his eyes widen with surprise. just like alvin, she looks about a year younger than he is, give or take, but it's her. it's definitely her. ]

Leia?! What are you— when did you—

[ just. let him stumble over his words for a moment. ]

How did you get here?!

[sleiya]

Jude?

[Likewise, she'd recognize his voice anywhere, but Jude was absolutely the last person she was expecting when she tapped a stranger on the shoulder from behind. And now that he's facing her, he still doesn't look much like the Jude she would've expected.

So of course, in her confusion, she barrels right over his questions with her own.]

What's with your hair?! [SINCE WHEN WAS BEDHEAD HIS STYLE.....]

[talim]

[ great. more timeline shenanigans. jude ducks his head, embarrassed. ]

It's good to see you, too, thanks.

I'm just experimenting with a new look. We... probably have a lot to catch up on.

[sleiya]

Sure sounds like it...

[She hasn't seen Jude in a bit, sure, but she figures he would've mentioned something like changing up his look in a letter or something. Something about this definitely feels off, although she can't quite place how or why yet.]

Do you know what's going on here? I saw that letter from Genette, but I can't say I really get it still... [She doesn't mind helping someone out, but not if she gets kidnapped first!!] And what's with all the ghosts here?

[Speaking of ghosts, the kids still want to play tag!! Are you really going to deny them a fun game, Jude?]

[talim]

It's a long story, and I'll be happy to explain it to you, but the ghosts are sort of a new thing. I'm not totally sure what's up with that, either.

[ sorry, kids, maybe another time. jude has some best friend time to catch up on. ]

[sleiya]

Then I guess I should hear about what you know.

[She turns back to the kids with an apologetic smile, telling them she'll come back again later to play if they still want to, and they seem satisfied with that. It's kind of a wonder that they even understand her, but she's not complaining. With that out of the way now though:]

Alright, tell me everything!

[talim]

[ jude clears his throat before he starts talking. this isn't the first time he's had to explain this, but it's still a lot to take in. ]

To put it simply, we're in another realm entirely. Judging by your appearance, the timelines we came from are a bit different. The reason I've changed my hairstyle and clothes since you last saw me is because I started working with Balan and his spyrite research in Elympios. I was on my way to meet up with you by train when I ended up here.

[ he hopes leia got that far, at least. explaining the schism and elympios would be an entirely different matter. ]

Back home, during the timeline I'm from, we're both working in Elympios. You're a reporter. What with how much of a busybody you are, I don't think it's an odd career choice.

[ jude elbows her playfully. he's teasing. he couldn't be prouder of leia for finding something she's so passionate about and pursuing her own dreams. ]

Anyway, back to the present... Alvin is here, too, but besides us you're the only other one who's made it. None of us know why, exactly, we were chosen... Just that we were, and we apparently have a mission to fulfill.

[ he pauses to take a deep breath and gauge leia's reaction. better let her process some of this. or make an attempt at processing it, at least. ]

[sleiya]

[Joke's on Jude, she hasn't even made it to stowing away on the ship yet.

Okay yeah, this is definitely a lot to take in. You'd think timeline shenanigans wouldn't be so hard to wrap her mind around when she's already dealt with spirit worlds and Elympios, but it kind of is. She focuses on what makes sense to her first, parsing her way through that before making it to the weirder stuff.]

A reporter... I really decided to do that? [There's a bit of confusion in her voice, but there's a measure of awe, too. Given that she's just working at the inn right now, it's big change. She crosses her arms though, playfully indignant.] But I have no idea what you mean by busybody, honestly!

[LEIA LET'S BE REAL HERE. She... doesn't quite know what to make of Alvin being here too though. They were able to talk a bit before the final battle, and she won't hold a grudge or resent him for things, but. Back in her "timeline," she also hasn't talked to him in a while either, and it's not hard to figure out why.

So she kind of just. Breezes past that. The rest of what he said is more important than her awkwardness with Alvin.]

So what you're saying is that we're just... stuck here? We can't go back home until the Qri person decides we've done enough for her?

[talim]

... Yeah. That's the gist of it.

[ jude looks regretful, like it's his fault for dragging her into this. he's the bearer of bad news, after all, right? as far as he's concerned, that means he has to take some of the responsibility, whether that makes sense to her or not.

he's just so happy to see leia, so glad to have his best friend back, and with that comes a sense of guilt for feeling that way when she could be safe and sound at home. ]

[sleiya]

[There's no denying that she's unhappy about this, but when she sees him make that face, she sighs, putting on a smile.]

Jeez, don't look so upset about it. It's not like you're the one who dragged me here, right? [But that's Jude for you, always so worried about others, even when he has nothing to do with the problem.] I'm just glad you were here to tell me about all this.

i can't get over how aesthetically pleasing your icons are...

[talim]

I'm glad you're here, too, Leia. Things are too quiet without you around.

[ never mind the fact that there is nothing remotely quiet about the coven. ]

LMFAO TY!!! leia and xillia just had such nice colors

[sleiya]

Oh yeah? I hope you don't regret that because you might never get another moment of quiet again now that I'm here. [She knows she's a lot and that's.... Probably not changing any time soon. No take backs, Jude.]

[talim]

[ jude narrows his eyes and sighs. ]

...

Is it too late to take that back?

[sleiya]

It's definitely too late. [n___n] Sorry!