spellgrinders | ( TDM

Entry tags:

!tdm,
npc: brie

( TDM | #1 )

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.

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.

Depending on your situation and ability to acclimate, you may not fully understand what's happening. A dream, a hallucination. But when you feel the trunk of the trees surrounding you, it's oddly...real. The smell is real. The moisture on the ground is real. The small grass snake you find slithering close to your feet seems very real as well.

There are a few other sensations that also begin to feel a little more like reality with every passing second. Like the fact that your intuition is trying to tell you something that doesn't seem plausible. One is more obvious -- you now have a new piece of jewelry inserted snuggly between your collarbones.

Maybe that's when you realize it is real. When you realize that there's no delusion here -- you aren't where you once were. But if that's the case...where are you?

here

its own perils.

After an hour or so of trekking through the forest, you finally come upon a break in the tree line that reveals to you an area that appears to be inhabitable. Your first stop is the large mansion that sits in the valley of the opening...if anyone is here or there's a way to get out of here, the house makes the most sense, right?

There are a variety of rooms in this mansion, and you're free to explore them. You also spy a lot of crates sitting in the middle of the floor in one of the main rooms...are you curious enough to open them?

At this point you notice that you aren't alone -- there are other people in the same boat as you! When they're around you, that signet you feel in your chest tingles slightly. The sensation isn't unpleasant, but instead like a warm tingle is spreading from their neck outward. You instinctively attempt to talk to your fellow kidnapping victims, and that works just fine...but what are all these voices you hear in your head now? Are you crazier than you thought you were?

C ▢ Here's where you can play around with the telepathy mechanic. It's likely your character won't be used to it which can lead to accidental broadcasting. If they happen to tap the signet purposefully or try to pull it out, everyone within a radius of 100 feet will feel a throbbing pain in their head. But your character won't know that, will they?

For those more inclined to adventure, there's also another building to investigate. From the outside, it looks very circular and unidentifiable, but upon entering you'll discover that it's a fully-functioning bath house.

D ▢ Despite containing steamy water and luxury bathing accommodations, the bathhouse is currently being overrun with crabs. The not-so-smart members of this species have fallen into the extremely hot water, flash boiling themselves after being unable to get back out. Others are a little more intelligent but equally aggressive. Characters: watch your toes and be cautious if you really want to take a much-needed bath! They may also want to check twice before using the restroom, otherwise the experience might be more painful than they're used to.

Exploring the mansion and the bathhouse was fun and all, but aside from the crates they didn't prove to be very useful. When you came into the clearing, you also saw a row of very colorful buildings down near the beach. It makes sense that this area may be more beneficial to any escape plans you have, and taking a dip in the ocean might be nice!

It's not until you reach the beach huts that you realize that murky blue color you spied wasn't the ocean. It's outter space. There goes any hopes you had of swimming to safety.

Claim your hut, please!

Even though it turns out the ocean was a lie and you're precariously close to falling off the edge of the world, the area around the huts is decidedly beachy. Sitting on the beach is a lobster trap, though about 10 times the size of any you might have seen before. Inside are more felt sacks, though larger. The weirdest part is that peering through the bars, you notice each has a nametag attached. The reason you know this to be true is because you just spied your own name written on one of the labels.

There's also something else underneath it. The descriptor may not mean much to you yet, but it will soon: it's the title of their newfound magic.

In each felt sack is a sort of starter kit: a set of dated and drapey plainclothes, a bag of dried boar jerky, a leather flask filled with water and a small tube of sunblock (the writing is in a bizarre pictograph language, but the giant picture of the sun on the tube should explain the purpose). There's also a rolled up paper tied with a string that reads as follows: "Welcome. Things will be explained in due time. For now, understand that you have been blessed with a gift of magic. Look into your brain and feel the instinct for both. Practice makes perfect."

F ▢ Here's the official prompt for playing with newfound magic (and telepathy if you want more practice). It's likely characters have already accidentally broadcast their thoughts, utilized the C prompt or used their magic inadvertently, but maybe this new information and small explanation has motivated them to try and see what they're truly capable of. Don't worry. If they're lucky enough to stick around, all will be explained.

...What if you're a wildcard, though? Someone who doesn't play by the rules and follows a different path, no matter what direction the world may be guiding you in? This island is large and contains many areas of interest, from crystal streams to hidden locations. Maybe you want to do something different...so break the mold and explore!

G ▢ 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

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[Being dead and being jesus.]

"Well, I am. I more meant that given everything else going on... this really shouldn't be." [Wouldn't stop him from doing so anyways though. People couldn't help their feelings, after all.]

...No. It shouldn't.

[He would have to agree there... With a sigh, he sinks even lower into the water until his mouth and nose are below the surface. He doesn't want to be here... He wants the heat to melt him up into goo and to go down the drain, then be reformed back into his own world. That would be weird, and probably painful, but it would still be better than this. At least he comes back up when he needs to breathe.]

...I don't like that everything else is too loud. And weird.

"...You can't turn it off, can you?" [And Joshua could, really, if he wanted to. He just didn't like being around groups of people in general. Sure, he hadn't used any abilities like telepathy in a long while, but... well, didn't mean he'd lost too much skill with it, in some respects at least. Still, he felt the need to clarify.]

"The thoughts. You're unable to filter them out, right?"

Edited 2017-06-18 18:20 (UTC)

[He answers with a very small shake of his head. He never could...but even then, he knew this wasn't the same as when his magic had made it so spirits' voices haunted him all his life. It was desperate and needing help, but...still. It was bustling in the way that only the living could manage. It made his skin crawl.]

...But it's quieter in here. Like you said. Just -- just a little.

[Well, here was his leverage. he had information the other didn't, and thus that inherently gave him something useful. In this world, without much of his power available to him... well, information was all he really had.]

"I can teach you how to silence them, if you would like."

[It's been far too long since he's felt even a spark of hope. Lalli looks up and over to him, and this time he isn't an awkward, moody kidnappee, but a person willing to try just about anything for even the smallest bit of peace that can be offered. He's so tired. He's been so tired for so long.

help him, naked jesus.]

[Well, he'd take that as a yes. This makes things easier, no real excess convincing needed. His eyes meet Lalli an he flashed him a friendly smile. He would wait to get the honorifics out of the man for later.]

"So, when will we start?"[Might as well let him think he had a bit of power in this, after all.]

Now.

[please for the love of the gods now]

"Good. Now, to start, I want you to focus on your breathing. Taking deep, controlled breaths." [So essentially, he wanted Lalli to meditate. In a sauna. The safety of that was dubious but it would be easy to relax and he could always pull him out of the water should something happen.]

[he is going to die today but honestly that's fine

Lalli is grateful the mystery man isn't instructing him to close his eyes, and that's the real reason he feels comfortable enough doing it so he can focus on his breathing. It was something he was used to, having to ground himself while simultaneously reaching out for his spells. With barriers, he had usually relied on instinct rather than calming himself.

When he starts to feel a little more...muddled, for lack of a better word, he opens his eyes again to watch Joshua and wait for his next instruction. Got yourself a good student here.]

[He already knows what he is doing. Good. That step was easy. Now he just needed to have him direct his focus Properly for this particular lesson. He had good taste in students, it seemed.]

"You're doing well. Now, I need you to focus on the thoughts around your own thoughts."

Edited 2017-06-18 21:51 (UTC)

...Around...my thoughts...?

[His face scrunched a little while he thinks on this. That would be the intruding words, of course, and he could definitely pick them apart from his own thoughts pretty easily, but even just trying to focus on them meant he was putting a lot more thought into it than was necessary. And he could feel the weight of his thoughts dragging him back from his task. Lalli shakes his head.]

My mind isn't quiet, when I think about what they're saying.

"Is that because you're unable to focus on them due to their volume, or that your own thoughts are distracting you?" [He needed to know this, after all. he wasn't acquainted well enough with his student to gather information on how to work with him on this from his personality yet. and what he had gathered about the young man's personality wasn't enough for him to go off of just yet.]

[He looks down at the water, but distorted naked bodies isn't really appealing or helping in the whole clearing his mind thing, so he switches to looking up and watching the steam curl around instead.]

...The second. I guess. Right now, the second.

[Ah, perfect. That made things a lot easier for him.]

"Alright, then if that is the case, then why not use that to your advantage Focus on your own thoughts, immerse yourself in them. Like you're immersing yourself in the water. Let your own self act as your shield to block out the minds of everyone else." [Visualization techniques helped, usually, when one was trying to do something of this nature. If Lalli was talented, and truly worthy of being his student, then he could likely pull this off if he simply focused properly. Of course, it still took some time to fully get the hang of it and be able to filter things out on the fly but, Joshua had faith in his student.]

[Or rather, he just wanted to have someone call him "Master" and not for that person to be a worthless individual.]

[That's quite the kink, Joshua.]

Mrrh...

[He huffs a little bit but goes back to focusing. He might have...swung a little too much in the other direction now because there's a very insistent feeling over the signet that Lalli is trying to make some kind of communication. Using his thoughts to overpower the rest meant that they were being unfortunately broadcast now as well.

At least be thinking something juicy, man... Not,] I don't know why I ever wanted to understand what people were thinking. There's no point to any of this stuff. Just shut up. Annoying...

[He just lost his god status the kid wants any sense of power he can get.]

"...Even seeing another person's thoughts doesn't let you truly understand them." [That was his kernel of philosophical wisdom for the day. Even so, perhaps he needed to tweak Lalli a bit, seeing as the destructive route had gotten an affect, even if it was the wrong one.]

"I don't mean overpower them outwardly. Overpower them... inwardly. View it more as driving back attackers rather than going on the offensive." [You know, maybe teaching things was actually way harder than he thought. This was never something eh did personally and he was making an effort here not to be completely off-putting with it. He actually needed Lalli to accept him as his teacher, because he couldn't force himself upon anyone in this world. Well he could but then he'd have actual consequences.]

Edited 2017-06-19 03:00 (UTC)

[Ah... He hadn't actually meant to do that, as suggested by the sudden reeling back of his mental presence. Those were his thoughts... Hrmrgrmmmnh.]

...A shield.

[He's gotten a little better at shields. But that doesn't mean he doesn't still think about the way he'd been made to feel so weak while trying to keep one up. He hates that... He has to make sure that doesn't happen with these voices.]

It's still horrible and weird... Having to hear what they think.

"It's even worse having people look into your thoughts. But I digress. A shield is a good way to think of it, if it helps." [It wasn't like he himself was really telepathic. He knew how it worked perfectly well, and that was why he could defend against it. And at one point, along time ago, he had been capable of scanning people's minds. Of course, all his observation of players had given him a good idea of the experience beyond faint memories.]

[Ye-ah, he would have to agree there, so Lalli lets out a loud sigh and dunks himself under water like that's going to help him. Honestly, he's just so frustrated... This was awful!! But okay, shield, shield... Shield. Bring up the walls and hold them steady.

The instant he thinks he's done it, it comes crashing down again and he breaches the surface with a hiss. Curse that distraction! An above water try, this time... Mostly because he is absolutely boiling, but still. Blocking it out, rebuffing the invaders, settling into his own quiet little circle... There it is, and there's a soft, almost content sigh to signal the success.]

[The sigh brings him some satisfaction as he grasps it's meaning. Yes, he truly didn't choose his student wrong. He debates with himself whether or not he should break Lalli from his trance, but, he might as well see if he can maintain it.]

"I see you've managed to pull it off."

[Welp, there goes that, judging by the way Lalli flinches and brings up his hands to his ears like that's going to help. Still, it's a lot more manageable now, just a low buzz in the back, and he opens his eyes to look at his new teacher.]

...Mmn.

[That's, uh. Confirmation.]

...Are you a mage...?

"No. I'm..." [He hesitates for a moment. How should he explain it? Should he even explain it? Well, this was his student and newest subordinate, and he would eventually end up asking questions. Might as well be just specific enough so as to avoid future questioning. This boy mentioned mages, so maybe he was from some sort of fantasy world? Well, hopefully that world would at least let him gain some sort of understanding of what Joshua would tell him.]

"...A territorial spirit, brought down to the plane of humans." [That was all he would say. Not that he was nearly a god in his home world, not that he had run an game to judge the souls of humanity. He'd simply elect to go with spirit, for now. that would suffice.]

[He leans back a little automatically at the answer, confusion bright in his eyes. A spirit. He'd talked to many before, but he'd always been able to tell. Not having that innate feeling made his heart drop into his stomach. How...dangerous. How not him. This place was really going too far.

When he speaks, his voice is small, and it's almost more like a croak, with how tight his throats feels.]

You're... You, um. Act like a person. Not -- lost? You're still...in control?

[Well he definitely did understand something. He just had to piece together what that something was. The fear he percieved from Lalli was evident. So spirits were likely hostile. But he wanted to focus more on the words. "Acting like a person", huh? So that wasn't a common thing for Lalli's spirits. Then there was his lost and in control comment. Hmmm... what was that referring too... he took a few seconds to ponder it before eh came to his answer. Spirits and lost, so lost souls essentially. Lost from what, he didn't know. Perhaps the cycle of life and death? He couldn't figure that out just yet. But the in control part was fairly obvious. Lalli's spirits probably went berserk or something, or just lost their minds.]

[Of course, he didn't really see himself as a spirit given his own position, but he supposed the term was probably applicable but that was what he would go with.]

"I am. I found my place." [That made sense to say given the lost comment, right? He wasn't actually sure how to approach this properly. He was treading thin ice here, between revealing too much and only causing the young man more discomfort.] "And don't worry. You can't use your own abilities here, correct? Well, I am bound by the same restriction."

[Though Josh still got all the physical Composer perks, but that still applied.]

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