( TDM | #2 )

[spellbindmods]

IMPORTANT: This TDM takes place on the current world the coven is part of. Please read the linked Google Doc about the world AND be aware that the world is high-frequency, meaning canon magic and powers can be used.

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.

WORLD ONE: AIMINTAS

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... Some of you might open your eyes to find yourself wandering around a sandy area, outside of a large stone house. There's a large glimmering caravan floating around outside, which might intrigue you. There's also a lot of supplies, food, clothing...all just laying around outside. It's worth investigating, right? A ▢ Your character has found themselves arriving right outside the coven's new digs in Aimintas, and there's a lot of confusing stuff to look at. Th ocean in the sky, that floating caravan...your character probably can't get to that ocean, so they may want to examine the caravan. If they touch it, they'll immediately regret that decision -- the caravan has its own defense mechanism, and you can pick one or the other: - A1: Once your character touches the caravan, they can't remove their appendage from it. Kick it? Their foot is stuck. Touch it? Their hand is stuck. Lick it? Their tongue is stuck. They'll remain like this for 15 minutes without magical intervention. - A2: Your character's hand doesn't stay for long, but the caravan holds onto that hand for five seconds while giving your character a pretty excruciating burn. Medic! B ▢ Maybe they're smart and they don't touch the caravan. Let's go through all of this cool stuff on the ground! It might be sort of obvious that it belongs to someone -- a lot of someone's -- but your character is thirsty, confused...maybe there's some water or answers in this pile. And maybe there's also someone who catches your character going through their shit.

Other new potential coven members will find themselves in a completely different part of town. These lucky individuals will have suddenly appeared in the marketplace area of Aimintas, surrounded by walking lizard beings that suddenly turn and take an immediate interest in this stranger. C ▢ The Palai are very interested in the new coven members, and a new humanoid person -- or anyone that doesn't look like them -- will immediately catch their attention. They'll immediately find your character worth of their undivided attention, talking to them about coven-related things...pretty confusing right? If you need help with the short lizard folk, maybe someone will eventually arrive to help you out. On the other hand, you might learn something interesting talking to them. A friend might join in either way! D ▢ Once you break free of the Palai, you'll find that this marketplace is pretty interesting. It's a mixture of primitive and semi-modern technology...or is it totally unfamiliar to you? Never seen a cellphone before? Unfamiliar with the concept of women wearing pants? There's certainly something to see that'll interest your character here. E ▢ Finally, you might be hungry and thirsty after suddenly appearing. The Palai are masters of making food, including a new concoction of theirs that they're trying out in honor of all the new people. It's a sort of bottled fruit juice that has been energized by the Eltos. It's essentially the first Aimintas Red Bull, except on acid. The drink immediately makes anyone who drinks it extremely giddy, hyper and they may potentially hallucinate. It doesn't seem to bother the Palai's biology, but everyone else...oops!

The setting found in Aimintas is pretty expansive, so you have a lot of room to wander around. Here are a few things that might catch your eye if you're really committed to wandering around. F ▢ A house near the marketplace is incredibly special to the Palai people. Characters who wander near here will find a group of Palai who are even more excited about their new visitors: baby Palai. Some are still in eggs and kept inside, but the juvenile Palai are about two feet tall, rowdy and want to play with these new, bipedal creatures. Some of them still crawl around on all fours and are more lizard-like than others. Hope you're good with kids! G ▢ The Palai have constructed a large library in the middle of town. If you wander in here, you'll find a myriad of books in a strange language. The Palai are a rather visual people, though, so many include pictures and illustrations. They also have a collection of computers here that connect to the Aimintas internet, as well as visual media stations that can play videos -- though they're really just powered tablets that play video files. Time to get a little taste of the Palai culture. H ▢ 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

[sealeted]

Luciel?

[A friend who likes space, maybe?]

Ah, well, I was... about to die, if we hadn't left the Moon, so sort of. I've been recovering little by little.

[yancat]

[He adjusts the cuff of his sleeve and falters for a second. Just a second. What do you even say to that?]

... Then I am glad you are alive.

It appears that there are many blanks I've yet to fill in my head regarding your situation, but would you like me to change the subject? It seems like an uncomfortable topic.

[sealeted]

It's... my situation is definitely a bit weird, but I'm sure it must be awkward for you too. I am plenty happy to be alive, though.

[She's still riding the high of living, after all.]

Have you found anything interesting here?

[yancat]

Oh, yes. Several.

One, the suns seem to be able to penetrate the deep ocean above. Does that mean we would burn above the surface? Nothing to worry about now, but it's very disconcerting.

Two, the paintings I saw at the local museum were off by five degrees. I didn't have a ruler with me at the moment, but it slightly disturbed me. I've informed the staff so that they may address this matter immediately.

Three, apparently cats don't exist in this world. This makes me sad.

Four, those who aren't the Palai are part of this "coven" who appears to be abducting people and giving them "magic" for whatever reason. Yesterday, I never even considered the possibility of magic's existence.

... Hm. That list was more negative than I intended.

[sealeted]

Well, a lot of cats don't like water. Maybe they do exist, just away from this society?

[Hopefully that... makes him less sad...]

Oh, you've never had magic before?

[yancat]

[She gets a tiny blue heart for that. Thank you, tiny protag.]

... That would make sense. But magic does not. As far as I know, magic is mere fantasy and superstition. Phenomena that can easily be explained by science.

[sealeted]

[How very dare you. She is a perfectly average 160cm, good sir.]

Ah, well... I mean, magical technology created me in the first place, so I've got a different perspective, I suppose.

[yancat]

[That is a whole 24cm shorter than him. Tiny.

Anyway, Jumin tilts his head so hard his neck snaps.

Well no, but the sentiment is there.]

It's becoming apparent that this conversation would be easier if I didn't silently question everything you say.

Explain.

[sealeted]

Ah, how to put it...

[This is a bit tricky.]

Well, for starters, do the phrases 'NPC', 'Holy Grail War', or 'Moon Cell' mean anything to you?

[Probably not, but she can get a baseline, hopefully.]

[yancat]

NPC...? Are you talking about a video game?

[He hopes so. He's been reading the Urban Dictionary and attempting to understand memes. It's been hard.]

[sealeted]

...kind of like that, except real, soul-immersive virtual reality.

[Poor baby. It's about to get a hell of a lot harder.]

That was the Holy Grail War. In a way you're close; some of the participants certainly didn't realize it wasn't some hyped-up VR game until it was too late. But, the consequences were as costly as the prize: one, all powerful wish from the Holy Grail. The 'Grail' of my world was something called the Moon Cell, which also served as the battlefield: a highly advanced spiritron magical... supercomputer, I suppose. It's been recording the earth for something like four and a half billion years. At first, a thousand Masters--humans called 'Wzards' who were basically magical hackers--submitted their souls to the Moon Cell for the preliminary round. The 128 who survived gained the right to become Masters and summon Servants from Heroic Spirits recorded by the Grail.

From there, every week Masters gathered information on each other and eventually faced down their assigned opponent in a one-on-one fight. The winner moved on to the next round and the loser was erased. I... among other things, I am the last surviving Master of that War. Though technically, I was never supposed to be.

[yancat]

[Hmmm. This sounds like a light novel premise Seven would be into.]

Because you're an NPC?

[It was the only keyword she hasn't used yet.]

I must confess that I have no idea what NPC means. I just hear my colleagues say it sometimes.

[sealeted]

Got it in one.

[Nice cognitive hustle, Han.]

In those Preliminaries I mentioned, every human person who entered had their memories tampered with. We all thought we were students in a normal school; those who could figure out something was wrong and managed to summon a Servant in time got to survive and enter the main event. After the Preliminaries, we were all supposed to get our memories back. ...I didn't. Because I wasn't a 'human'. So yes, I was an NPC. To define that... Well, in those Preliminaries and beyond, the Moon Cell used data it had recorded over the course of human history to generate artificially intelligent NPCs in order to fill up the school with 'normal' students, and then used them as aides and arbiters during the main event.

Both the Moon Cell and I made a mistake in thinking I was a legitimate Master at first. It mislabeled me as a human, because the one I was based on was technically alive, in a thirty year stasis. But, that was because she had a terminal illness that destroyed her memories. So naturally, I wouldn't have any memories either. Though... it took me a while to figure that part out.

[If Luciel ever does show up, Jumin will have QUITE a few things of note to pass on.]

[yancat]

[This sounds like a premise Luciel would be really into. Unfortunately, it isn't a mere story he can tell just anyone. Like this world and all it has to offer, Hakuno's experience is real. At least that's what he's inclined to believe.]

Defying expectations is inherent in humanity. Perhaps you and the Moon Cell weren't completely wrong.

[sealeted]

Well, I'd call myself 'human' definitely. Just not a natural one; I've only lived a little under a year, technically.

[yancat]

[nods...] Technology never ceases to amaze.

I assume you can use magic as well?

[sealeted]

Yes.

[She nods.]

Wizards have magical circuitry within their bodies, which enable them to use 'Code Casts'. You can think of those as spells, basically. Most of them are support-based, to heal or enhance our Servants or selves.

[yancat]

And you use this magic to fight.

[To kill. The details haven't sunken in yet; he's still trying to wrap his head around the entire concept of this "war". War is bloodshed, and she's but a child.]

[sealeted]

Well, not directly. The Servants fought. Masters just... lived or died, based on the match. We gathered information and trained up our Servants before the fights, but most of us never took up arms ourselves. ....well, except Julius. He killed a lot of Masters himself, mostly in the Preliminaries, but then again he was the Harweys' assassin back on Earth to begin with. I have plenty of deaths on my conscience, by virtue of being the last person standing, but I don't really have many Code Casts I could use in a straight fight. Or... combat skills to speak of, really.

[yancat]

[He closes his eyes and tries to imagine it. More than a hundred people dead by their own hands in a fight for a single wish. From a privileged perspective like his own, it's absurd. Barbaric. To force others to participate in a death game is beyond evil. But he supposes everyone fights for their desires, with Grail or without.]

War is cruel by nature.

[But to praise or berate her would do neither of them any favors. War doesn't take sides, only what it can. At least that's what Rika used to tell him.]

People are cruel, too. But I think it's a condition that's taught, and you are far from it.

[If he had any other thoughts on the matter, it wasn't his place to say. He simply adjusts his cuffs and moves on.]

Why don't we put those noncombative skills to work? I'm currently gathering information about this world and the coven, but navigating these crowds alone has proven... difficult. Perhaps I can help you find your Servant as well.

[sealeted]

True enough.

[It had taken her weeks to properly understand how other people could willingly enter into that conflict, could put everything on the line of their own free will, when she was desperate just to live. And then the Far Side had introduced her to different facets of desire lust and love and selfishness all muddled together and twisted.

It isn't easy being Hakuno Kishinami.]

And... thank you. If nothing else, I do have a knack for mapping out unfamiliar territory; most of the week approaching those fights was spent trawling through elaborate mazes for clues and artificial enemies to practice on.

[yancat]

Haa.

[ MUST... RESIST... URGE... TO MAKE DAD JOKES...! ]

A-maze-ing.

[sealeted]

[Did.

Did he just...?

Uh, is, is she supposed to laugh...? What to do, what to do...

She blurts out the first thing to cross her mind.]

A... Ariadne you being a little silly?

[Shit. Was that too obscure? Not everyone is a myth and history nerd, Hakuno.]

[yancat]

[ She...

Oh my god. Don't make an ugly sound, Jumin Han. DON'T BE A FOOL. ]

...

[ His lips quirk ever so slightly. Add it to the matrix, Hakuno. ]

Right. We Minos as well get to the matter at hand.

[sealeted]

[Oh no. She can't stop when the perfect reply pops into her head.]

Absolutely. These Cretetures seem pretty interesting, after all.