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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Brie's kind of impressed with how many sad sacks have apparently shown up here, but having been to more than a few worlds by now she can also see how leaving some of them could kind of be a bummer. Especially when super!mages are running around committing magical robbery.]

I didn't take shit from anybody. Any magic you had being gone is probably the least of your problems now. [She gives Lalli a look of study, trying to see if she can size up exactly where he's from or what his deal is. Man, people from different dimensions and shit are hard to read.]

...Unless your magic could strangle a guy or something. That disappearing would be disappointing.

[He chuffs automatically at that, but the sound still sounds far more bitter than actually amused. He finishes up his strip of jerky before addressing her again.]

I can do that myself.

[with his noodle arms

But she says it wasn't her... He doesn't see the point in lying about that, since anyone who could sever him from his gods was clearly powerful enough to squash any rebellion that would come around from admitting magic theft. Lalli's tension eases up the slightest bit.]

...It says to reach for the power. I can't reach...not where my magic is. Was. It's too weird.

[Yes, that's the spirit. Nothing good old physical violence can't solve.]

I'm usually not so curious but I'm not really used to the whole mage thing yet - well, people being all magic and shit before they get here.

Anyway, what kind of magic are we talking about, here? I kinda need to know what I'm workin' with.

[The magic thing isn't up her alley but she has been informed that a person's propensity for magic means a lot when it comes to what they're now working with.]

[That strikes him as odd... He has to wonder what this girl has been through, but he's not quite curious enough to edge that far out of his comfort zone and find out. Maybe later.]

...From home? Or here?

Let's take it from the top - what kind of powers or whatever did you have at home.

Super strength? [Looking him up and down........nah probably not that.] X-ray vision? Some other comic book B.S.? Not that that's a bad thing; it's probably better than some of the straws people draw.

[WOW BRIE DON'T BE SO FUCKIN' RUDE]

...Spirits. I could see, talk, and interact with them. My spells were prayers to the gods, so they got answered in different ways. Mages can do a lot of things. I don't know what a comic book is.

[I mean, she's pretty sure he couldn't push a wheelbarrow if he tried.]

Talking to ghosts isn't the worst thing in the world. Neither is talking to Gods, so I get being bummed about losing that. [That's very oversimplified but wtf does she even know.] And don't worry about the comic book thing, they're valuable but most of them are kind of garbage.

[what the fuck you come into my house]

...Mrh.

[Like. It's not at all sunshine and funtimes, but it didn't change the fact that this was something he'd had with him since birth. It was his blood, and having it snatched away from him wasn't just losing some power or trick. It was losing part of himself.

But he won't tell her that. He probably won't tell anyone that for a long while.]

I can't make part of my soul come out either, but I can still feel it there, so I guess I won't die. [right now it doesn't seem so bad]

Part of your soul...like astral projection, duplication, or...?

[boy what the fuck does that even mean] I'm 80% sure that's supposed to stay in your body.

I don't know what that means.

[Words??? He hunches over some and traces his finger in the sand to draw out a human figure.]

There are three parts. One is like a guardian. Mages... Powerful ones can ask it to come out for things like protection, or stuff. [He adds a circle around the figure's chest, then puts another circle off to the side.] But if it goes away, it's bad. It is supposed to stay.

[So it's better that he could feel it nestled in there still, but he's still bummed out.]

[Fuck, don't make her do math.]

Okay...so if you say you can't make it come out, that means you know you used to be able to, right? That means you're powerful.

That's kinda what I'm trying to figure out here, even if the Gods thing is kind of a hint.

[This is barely math, Brie. Chill.]

Hn.

[He used to think so. He tried so hard to be, even in the times he'd almost died for it. But every time he stepped up to the challenge, something came crashing down around him, and he was never able to really help anyone...

Are you less weak this time?

He'd come so close to not failing. Coming close doesn't mean anything, in the end.]

I could, yes.

[There.]

[She's still trying to figure out what the three different parts are, but numbers suck and don't matter.]

Ooooooookay, so I'm right. You don't have to be modest, this is important shit here. The good news is since you're powerful, the whole telepathy thing won't make you want to take an ice pick to your brain. Not for very long, anyway.

I'm supposed to tell you that [not explicitly THAT] just in case you think you should try. It'll die down pretty quick once your mind gets acclimated.

[Good like without a background knowledge of old Finnish beliefs.]

Mrrrh. I'm not stupid, I wouldn't do that.

[That would just kill him? He's given up and accepted death, not decided to die.]

Someone told me how to make it...stop being so loud, already. It shouldn't be a problem.

[Interesting. She sure didn't teach this guy anything, so they're already forming camaraderie bonds. Less shit she has to do.]

That's good then. I know from personal experience when you've got a telepath that won't shut the fuck up, it can drive you insane. Annnnd now there's a whole bunch of them running around. So that's fun.

Mrmn. They're annoying. And tiring.

[Thanks for being a sensible person, Brie.]

[The ice pick thing may or may not have been a real life example so don't say she's sensible just yet.]

They'll figure it out eventually. Between you and me, with the telepathy screaming and magic practice nonsense for the next couple days, my patience is gonna run out reeeeal quick, though.

[Well. Alright. But he doesn't know that.]

We could knife fight, if you want. Since I can't get to the new magic yet.

[he honestly doesn't know if this is a real suggestion or not]

You wanna knife fight me? For literally...no reason?

[what kind of world do you even come from]

People like punching and stuff for fun, for some reason. Breaking stuff to make them not...as mad. If you're mad at them, you can fight me, and I fight with a knife.

[this is totally fine...?]

Uhh, where I come from if you ask someone to knife fight, it usually results in murder, theft and maybe cannibalism. Sorry that kinda weirds me out a little.

Thanks for the offer? [Sincerely, even if you're fighty little rascal.] Fighting's just not a fun pastime to me. That's what stress eating's for.

Hn. I've never had a knife fight before. But that stuff doesn't really...happen, either. Not to me.

[Maybe he won't make the same offer to other people, though... Thank you for this lesson, mysterious magic lady. Have a chunk of jerky tossed your way.]

I don't do that. There's too much gross food.

[Hello jerky, my old friend. It's the thought that counts since she's got three dead pig flanks drying and salting in an undisclosed location as they speak.]

Not every world is fucked up like that, it's okay. I'm sure there's some knife fight world where you have to duel to pay for movie tickets or something else benign, but that's fucked up in a different kind of way.

Also, you don't stress eat gross food. [Biting into the alien boar meat she has indeed stress binged many a time before.] Just the good shit. If you have it, anyway.

[What's a movie ticket... He squints over at her like a thorough enough study is going to answer all these weird mysteries she's brought up. No dice.]

Ah. Like...cookies. Or good bread.

Good bread? I guess if you like plain stuff. Cookies, though, that's the good shit.

[She's excited she can finally share a Junk Food Conquest.]

One time I was in this one world, right? It was pretty boring, except they have these huge open air markets where they sell all kinds of food and shit. They were on water boats; it's weird.

This one lady made these cookies out of some spice or something with a fruit frosting...I stole like 10 baskets of those. I wanted to take more but it's one of those cities where they try to hack off your limbs for stealing or fighting, you know? This lady started getting really suspicious, and I wasn't about lose an arm for something like that.

[It would have maybe been worth it in the end though...damn, she wants food that isn't crab or boar.] I would knife fight anybody for a cookie right now.

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