dagung | TDM: May

Entry tags:

* tdm

TDM: May

Test Drive: May

All threads can be considered game canon,

the prompts and test drive itself will be

• Reserves Open Today! If you're interested in securing a spot, put one in! We accept applications without reserves too, of course. Reserves will expire three days before the end of the application period, on the 28th.
• Applications Open The 24th! These will last until the end of the month, the 31st, with the intro log going on up June 1st. The application page can be found here.
• If you have any questions about the game or the world, please refer to the FAQ page; if you still have questions, feel free to ask them! For questions specific to the test drive, please ask them on the appropriate thread.
• For the purposes of the test drive, your character will have access to all magics taught by the Coven if they're a Witch, and as much of their shifted form as you'd like if they're a Monster. Feel free to play around and experiment with each!
• While current players won't be allowed to post top levels on the test drive itself, feel free to reference or play with the dreams in-game.
• Test drive threads can be used as samples for your applications!

You feel like you're floating. Around you, colors and sounds and smells swirl as if trapped in a whirlpool, vibrancy and hue ever shifting. The more you watch them, the less solid they are; they only become clear out of the corner of your eye. The area around you begins to feel more solid as well, until your feet are on the ground, the wind brushes playfully against your face -

and you know one thing, and one thing alone: this is a dream, and an incredibly realistic one at that.

The Eternal Fall

The smell of autumn leaves surrounds you, a myriad of colors sparkling into existence at the same time. Despite the warmth and light, the air feels heavy and stiff, as if on razor's edge. The forest is eerily silent - not a bird, bug, or rodent dares to stir - and when you do hear something, it's the high-pitched crying, whining, weeping, sobbing, howling sounds of something far off. The tunnel of bent branches invites you further with an unpleasant compulsion; though fighting it and turning around finds you in front of a chilly, damp cave alight with the faint, cool glow of bubbling fountains and streams.

The Compulsion
Unable to sway yourself from the call of the forest - or maybe you're simply curious as to where it leads - your feet pull you further and further into the autumnal tunnel. The cry from before grows more distant, but in return, the air weighs even heavier on your shoulders than before. The branches hang lower and lower as well, as if pushed by gravity, until their leaves smack your face, twigs offering small cuts from the thorns protruding from their bark.

But you can't stop. Not now. The end of the tunnel seems so close; but it's seemed that way for a while now, you suppose, and you've already come this far - you might as well stay the course, wherever it might lead.

The further you go, the brighter everything becomes, and you realize it's the leaves surrounding you; they've begun to glow, encouraged by the sunlight streaming in from above, and the wind begins to whisper in your ear. At first, it's only encouraging things, or silly facts - harmless words, but as the foliage begins to shimmer and reflect your image, the wind's words turn colder. Within those reflections on the autumn tunnel, you begin to see your worst moments - morally, ethically, emotionally. The things you don't want anyone else to know, that you'd feel ashamed or struck for anyone - especially those close to you - to see. The wind becomes louder as the scenes play out one right after another, boldly declaring your true feelings as they were in that moment, good or bad.

Worst of all - you still can't bring yourself to turn back, even as your mind begins to free itself from the tunnel's compulsion. Maybe someone else can help out, if they're not too taken by their own memories, or maybe the shock of sharing such private secrets will jolt you and anyone else back to reality. Either way, it's that, or staying stuck watching your worst memories play on repeat for what feels like the rest of your life.

The Cry
While not compelled by any means, you still feel a curious draw down the path in front of you; as you follow the leaf tunnel, with others or alone, you find another, less-traveled path. Following it reveals a large pond colored orange and gold by the reflection of the area it's in, sunlight and shadows playing on its surface. At a glance, it seems to be rather shallow, but that's hardly the truth.

You realize, after a moment, that the crying has continued, evidently coming from the water. Looking closer, the culprit is an infected Merrow, who - upon begin seen - shrieks and dives for whoever's looking at it with the clear intent to drag them down beneath the water. Its claws are extra sharp, its teeth similar to a shark in number and shape, and its scales have turned a pale black; an oil-like substance flows from beneath them and from its gums as well, shimmering the same way gasoline does in the light, and its eyes are the tell-tale white of a Shade.

It isn't impossible to fight it to get away, especially as some of you have new abilities at hand, and some of you have a few neat changes to help that along. Once distance is successfully put between you and the infected Merrow, it howls in a wet, warbly voice, visibly frustrated. Unlike ordinary Merrows, who can walk on land and have legs as long as they stay dry, this Merrow can't seem leave its pond at all, and electricity sparks from it like little static shocks in its irritation. It does dive back under once it realizes it can't reach you, resurfacing as your character's most important person in an attempt to lure them back. The expressions are far too real, too genuine; even those aware it's a Merrow might be fooled. While its voice isn't a perfect mimicry, the song it begins to sing has with it notes of yearning and beckoning to join it, join your beloved person, in the water.

The Cave
Pulling yourself from curiosity or compulsion, the cave behind you - in front of you, if you've turned around - gives off an oddly pure feeling. Like an oasis in a desert, it feels refreshing and calm; incredibly safe, compared to the eerie call of the forest it's in. Within the cave are pools of water that glow and glimmer from the magic runes found around them. The runes shift similar to a mirage whenever you try to focus on them; and try as you might, you can't glimpse what they say exactly.

It isn't so hard to figure out though, as the pools of water surrounded by them have a pleasingly cold temperature, while those without them are near scalding. A few of the latter have runes around them, but they're not glowing like the rest - feeding a little magic into them changes this immediately, and steam rises in a sudden blast as the water cools rapidly. The opposite can be done for the colder pools too - taking their magic somehow or ruining the runes will make them bubble and boil as they surge in temperature.

But that isn't all the cave has to offer. Moving further inward, you get the feeling you're going down - beneath the ground and the enchanting forest. Eventually, the cave widens out to a massive underground lake, multiple waterfalls pouring into it; despite their number and size, the room is completely silent. All tunnels seem to lead to this one room, with a few of them looking more man-made than natural. Traversing other tunnels leads you into a maze that only ever brings you to the lake, or to the cave's entrance, no matter how many different paths you take.

Something different happens eventually though; signs of life begin to appear, or at least signs that life once lived there. Leather pouches rotted by the dampness of the cave hang on sharp nails beaten into the cave walls, with boots in similar condition strewn here and there. Torn, soaking clothing lays in piles in the tunnels, and candles burnt down to their wick's end stand in shelves carved from the navy blue and black stone. There's broken toys and books too waterlogged to read, instruments with snapped strings or clogged holes, and - most peculiarly - smooth, round devices that heavily resemble large pocketwatches or hand mirrors. They refuse to turn on though, either due to age or due to the wetness of the air.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He's...not sure if she's trying to save face or not.]

[The laughter is nervous and the complaint about the injury is half-hearted, stumbling along the lines of a way of minimizing it. Ozymandias ultimately decides it's better to assume that's what she's trying to do and allow it rather than allowing her to embarrass herself any further. He seems to temporarily lose interest in her, gaze returning to the toy he placed atop the clothes. It doesn't appear disturbed, but he still bends down and makes a slight adjustment to its placement all the same.]

I was on my way out. If you can walk, you are welcome to join me.

[The if not is somewhat implied, but yes. Yes, he will just straight up leave her here.]

[ He had it right, whether he knew it or not. She was sure it wasn't broken, or dislocated, but she definitely busted something up and she'd need to spend some time at a doctor or something similar if they got back to civilization. It was deeply painful to even try and move her arm.

So the offer to travel with her was a welcome one, as she came to realize she only had one working arm in that moment. ]

S-sure. Thank you. Sorry to be a bother... I was exploring this area, trying to learn and write down what I could. The runes back at the pools were pretty fascinating, and all of these abandoned artifacts...

Do you... have any theories as to what happened here?

[Someone else might get bothered by her apologizing, feeling the need to either gently or not so gently tell her it isn't necessary, but Ozymandias simply glosses over them for now. It's not his preferred response or apology, as he would actually more greatly appreciate a promise to grow stronger, but it cannot be helped. It seems more apparent that it cannot be helped the more she talks and it becomes apparent she is more scholar than anything else.]

[But, Ozymandias supposes, he should have gathered that already. Looking at her again, he sees that she's not without beauty.]

Although some of these chambers are clearly not natural, this isn't a tomb. It's become an unintended memorial for the people who were here. [He can't help but glance at the toy before turning to start walking.] Whatever happened here left no trace of itself, but it was swift. It was likely the will of the gods.

[Or a god at the very least. It's the only explanation he can give, based on experience, from such a sudden extinguishing of life.]

[ "Will of the gods"? She had enough sense not to ask that out loud, but despite her own knowledge of mystic forces beyond the understanding of man, this didn't really strike her as divinity at work... But it was probably rude to speak those doubts to him directly. So she just kind of nodded. ]

That's a possibility... really the frustrating thing is there's so many possibilities. For a research-oritented mind like mine, it just makes me want to find more evidence.

[It's a wise choice on her part not to question the interference of the gods. Ozymandias understands that for the modern era, the gods are relics to most people, but that doesn't shake his belief in them or make them any less real to him. After all, he is the embodiment of Ra.]

And what other possibilities would you consider?

[He finds it unlikely she will find any further evidence or trace of information to allude to any one answer, but he's curious for her perspective all the same.]

Nomadic cycles, evacuation, spontaneous blipping out of existence, obfuscation... [ She starts listing more, going on for some time, before realizing she was starting to ramble and suddenly goes quiet, fidgeting slightly. ]

S-sorry, I suppose the point is more... there's a lot.

[Ozymandias makes a face at her apology rather than her list. He doesn't view himself as particularly unkind, but he also has very little tolerance for those who do not speak with courage.]

You are a scholar, are you not? I asked a question, and you answered. For what reason or wrong do you apologize?

It's generally considered rude to ramble on and just keep talking like that, even if asked a question... [ She got the impression there was a cultural difference between herself and this guy, what with the talk of gods and all. ] At least where I come from.

[It's something like a cultural difference. A very complicated cultural difference with many layers to it.]

And I am to be the judge of whether you speak too long. [Whether he lost interest and grew bored or simply had something he wanted to say, it would be rather obvious to her that he wanted to speak. He has no trouble being blunt in that way.] I have not deemed it so, but I have judged you to be guilty of apologizing when it is not warranted.

If I tell you to speak, speak and I will let you know when I have heard enough. If I tell you that you have wronged or insulted me, I anticipate then you will make amends as one should when insulting a king.

[Duh??]

[ She was starting to notice a certain level of arrogance in his tone when he mentioned he was a king, and as if a light had suddenly been let into the room, the picture of the person she was talking to became much clearer. ]

You're... a king?

I-I don't mean to cut you at the knees with that question, more just I'm surprised to find a king out here... Though I guess with everything else going on, maybe I shouldn't be so surprised...

[It starts off as a chuckle and gradually evolves into a belly laugh, Ozymandias managing an Am I a king?! between laughs. His laughter doesn't come from mockery or even superiority, but he appears genuinely amused at the notion he could be mistaken as anything else. What would be unsurprising to anyone who has ever met him, his laughter is loud enough to bounce and echo about the cavern's walls.]

[More firmly, he repeats himself,] Am I a king? Of course!

[He wipes at an eye one he manages to settle down some, a few waves of stray, more subdued chuckles escaping him as he continues.]

I am Ozymandias, the grandest of all pharaohs, the King of Kings! I am the radiant sun that rules over Earth. I would normally find being mistaken for anything else as an insult, but I can see your sincerity in lack of understanding.

[...Thus, you get his obnoxious laughter instead. Sorry, gal.]

[ Boy this guy could laugh. And talk. Any misconceptions about being in the presence of royalty, or at least someone who carried themselves like royalty, were quickly dismissed by his display, but she couldn't help being caught in a detail, and a big one at that. Her face looked even more shocked. ]

Wait-... Ozymandias? THE Ozymandias? Ramsses II? Third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt, the Great Ancestor, most famous leader of the New Kingdom, followed Moses into the Red Sea, THAT Ozymandias?!

That's what I said, is it not?

[He's quieter than before. Not to such a degree that one would actually describe him as being quiet or soft, but quieter all the same. Despite their differences, Ozymandias will always consider Moses his friend and brother. He takes no pride in the way things ended between them the way he takes pride in everything else. The loss of a son and brother was far too high a price to pay.]

Well it's definitely not every day you meet someone like that! [ Ursula was still a bit in shock, not hiding the incredulity in her tone. In this place, of all places, running into someone like him? And making a total embarrassment of herself in his presence, at that. Ursula's life was bad comedy. ]

[It is a little unfortunate that she's had this first impression with Ozymandias, but even he knows that first impressions are not everything. There's always a chance for her to turn it around!]

I suppose not, [he agrees with a laugh. Because due to that unfortunate first impression, he can't imagine she would be the type of mage to successfully summon him.] Though I still do not know who it is I've met.

[ Ursula straightened out, realizing she did have him at a disadvantage there, having gotten caught up in the moment. ]

Oh! R-right!

I'm Ursula Callistis, I'm a professor of astrology at the Luna Nova Academy for Witches. It's an honor to meet you, your majesty!

[ Should she bow in a situation like this? She should bow, right? She makes an attempt at one, but immediately winces when her arm shifts in the process, still hurting from the earlier fall. ]

[Normally, Ozymandias might take this opportunity to be privately smug that he had guessed right from the very beginning -- that she is a learned woman with a significant amount of knowledge -- but the way she winces as she bows takes a little more precedence. He places a hand on her uninjured shoulder.]

I would suggest not moving quite so much if you can help it, Ursula. Not until a physician has a chance to assess your injury.

[If it sounds like he's scolding her a little, he kinda is.]

[ He definitely was. How embarrassing, to have someone like that fuss over her. She dared not imagine a worse first meeting than something like this. ]

Yeah, I'm sorry... I guess I just got caught up in the moment. All of this is a lot to take in, all at once. I am well out of my element right now.

[He would, regrettably, have to agree with her as far as her being out of her element at this point. Even if he believed himself to have been summoned by another Master, he wouldn't assume her to be the culprit at this point. She could potentially have the knowledge of how to summon him, but he isn't sure she'd have the power or skill to sustain him effectively.]

Be that as it may, [he says, taking his hand back.] I would prefer that you look after yourself better than that.

I suppose it'd be rude to turn down the insistence of a king, even if I'm not one of your subjects. [ Ursula sighed, giving a weak nod. ]

I'll try to take it easy. There's some pooled water not far from here, pretty cold. I could use that as a substitute for putting it on ice.

[Ozymandias considers himself to be the true King of Kings, making everyone really his subject, but he will not quibble over that. Because even though he is the incarnation of the sun, his loyalties will always be to Egypt above all else. Perhaps that is a shortcoming, but it certainly results in a significant amount of fewer arguments with others.]

Lead the way, [he says with a gesture for her to lead them through the maze to the pool of water she's talking about.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

TDM: May

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject