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bondedmeme2026-05-12 04:59 pm
triumvirmod) wrote in bondedmeme2026-05-12 04:59 pm
TEST DRIVE MEME | #01
Test-Drive-Meme #01
Welcome to our first ever TDM! This is open to all players looking to join our game or simply have some fun. Play on this TDM does not equate to intent or obligation to apply to join. Players on this TDM should follow all game rules and Characters should meet all game suitability standards per our FAQ. TDM threads are considered game canon for characters who join! The Moon Pact is in power for the full duration of this TDM, putting Sun Pact characters as in service. Moon Pact bindings are presently glittering silver and Sun Pact bindings are unpolished brass. Pact and Class can both be freely player assigned and swapped at will for the purpose of the TDM.
Overseer, Awaken and Conquer
CW: Descriptions of dubiously consensual touch, choking, hallucinations, falling.
The Hands that Grasp
Consciousness wanes. From calm oblivion reaches a pair of elegant hands. Fingertips caress, trailing physical form, mapping curves and divots. Some dark or desperate compulsion leans into the comfort of this touch. The hands dig in. Clasping tight at the neck and pull downward. Down and down, through unclear space, through unclear time. Your character awakens with a start. Where they last felt those hands grasping into them, a collar now rests. Prying does not budge the solid metal, which is either of silver or of brass. Before their eyes is a pane of stained glass. Inscribed in a language all can read are the words Overseer, Awaken and Conquer.
The Glass Coffins
Overseers awaken, contained within a coffin of ornate, metal framework and glass. For some, a light push will cause the lid to swing open. For others, the enclosure may stick or prove too heavy to budge. Breaking free is an option, though mysteriously, the glass fully repairs itself within minutes of sustaining damage. Other Overseers may be present throughout the hallways, willing and able to aid in opening stubborn coffins. That is, should their unlucky inhabitants be able to get their attention through the sound dampening barrier. Overseers continually awaken, either individually or in batches, throughout the month. This will last until the day of the upcoming solstice.
The Gilded Cradle
Innumerable rows of glass coffins line the interior of a grand cathedral tower. Somehow, the name of this stained glass spire is imprinted in the mind of all Overseers. This is known as the Gilded Cradle within Absentia. Where or what is Absentia? How did they arrive here? Why are they here? The answers to such questions remain unknown. These names are as far as the foreign memory serves Overseers. The foggy corridors spiral downward, a staircase connecting floor after floor of largely unopened coffins. Many have glass too hazy to see within. The hallways are heavy with the scent of lavender tinged magic and lightning storm ozone, made visible as a thick haze in the air. Through this fog, Overseers may notice one another or they may see phantoms running by. People familiar to them. Chasing after these figments is a foolish endeavor, they will pick up speed into the thick of the fog. There, they will disappear. This can leave unsuspecting Overseers teetering on the topmost edge of a stairwell or allow their momentum to throw them over the central railing. A fall to the Cradle's ground floor isn't enough to kill an Overseer turns out, but it will injure. Beginning your journey battered is merely an added misfortune.
The Castle Constructs
When Overseers leave the Gilded Cradle, they find they're trapped within an abandoned castle. While exploring they find no other living creatures other than fellow Overseers. Throughout the halls and rooms of the castle rest Constructs. These figures are shells of either iron or brass, with a variety of gargoyle-like appearances. They stand with their wings tucked around their bodies. Littered throughout the location, their placements can often clue in to their former duties as the Castle attendants. These Constructs remain completely inert until two Overseers of the same Pact pass by. Iron Constructs react to pairs of Moon Pact members, while Brass Constructs come alive near pairs of Sun Pact members. When awakened, they unfurl and stand to a height ranging from around three-to-six foot tall. The Constructs promptly begin to carry out butler-like duties, as if they were long ago set to a schedule of operation. When presented with a task they can no longer seem to accomplish, they merely pantomime the action before moving onward. (These NPCs can be player controlled and are non-hostile unless attacked first.)
Locked In
CW: Survival themes, food insecurity, exchanging sex for goods and services.
➤Attentive characters will discover quickly that Constructs bring extra rations as room service to those in Power. This at first appears exclusive to the Moon Pact within the Hall of Overseers. The Constructs do this when Overseers have sex in the luxury of the lower floor rooms. However, the Constructs range of understanding is a bit impaired, so fucking in the courtyard also works to call food and drink, regardless of Pact alignment.
➤For those seeking a more direct approach to acquiring extra rations, there's always robbery. The Constructs are not highly fortified. Their routes from the kitchen to the Hall of Overseers are easy enough to intercept. They do resist Overseers who attempt to steal from them, defending the food if attacked. Overseers who damage Constructs find they simply curl back into their wings, where they become both immobile and invulnerable from further damage. They will repair themselves in time and do not... appear... to hold a grudge. The Overseers whose meals were hijacked might, though.
The Kitchen
The kitchen of Absentia is vast, meant to accommodate for a castle population in the hundreds. Long abandoned, any food reserves have turned to dust or rot. All that remains are a series of strange machines, humming with dull magic. Only operable by the castles resident Constructs, hungry Overseers would be advantaged to activate the inactive Constructs scattered nearby. Once occupying the kitchen, Constructs are more likely to provide a meager serving of food to Overseers who have used magic recently or who hold Influence. (Characters playing this TDM with no canon powers may presume they hold (1) Influence for this and subsequent prompts.)The Hall of Overseers
To the west of the Gilded Cradle there lies a long, rectangular housing structure, framing a vast courtyard. Rain from the storm overhead patters down constantly. Rooms for Overseers line the open air hallways overlooking the nature within the central outdoor space. At this time, those of the Moon Pact enjoy the lower floors of the indoor sections, with luxurious accommodations. These include private rooms with a fireplace, claw foot baths with clean running water, a variety of furniture, and a plush bed. The upper level indoor rooms are for the Overseers presently in service, the Sun Pact. These rooms are all shared and scarcely furnished. Hammocks and bunk beds are provided to house three or four Overseers per cramped room. These upper location hallways have shared bathroom spaces and no private amenities provided. Overseer names are engraved upon the door frame of their assigned rooms. There is no access given to rooms without this engraving. Overseers need to be invited in to rooms they do not own or share. (Rooms are fully self assigned by Players and can change freely between threads. Pact is likewise self assigned, but should match the room type described above. Moon Pact characters are free to invite Sun Pact characters into their rooms, and visa-versa.)
The Hands that Feed
As Overseers settle in, they find resources are thin and accessible castle space highly limited. There is no exit from the castle at this time. Trying to fly out over the top of Hall of Overseers courtyard results in perpetually being turned around by the Storm until exhausted. Overseers who try to smash windows or break through the architecture find their magic or strength immediately drained. Teleportation leads back to where one attempted to leave from. The trap feels inescapable. This inevitably creates an air of frustration and futility within the awakened Overseer ranks. All there is to do is to make do.➤Attentive characters will discover quickly that Constructs bring extra rations as room service to those in Power. This at first appears exclusive to the Moon Pact within the Hall of Overseers. The Constructs do this when Overseers have sex in the luxury of the lower floor rooms. However, the Constructs range of understanding is a bit impaired, so fucking in the courtyard also works to call food and drink, regardless of Pact alignment.
➤For those seeking a more direct approach to acquiring extra rations, there's always robbery. The Constructs are not highly fortified. Their routes from the kitchen to the Hall of Overseers are easy enough to intercept. They do resist Overseers who attempt to steal from them, defending the food if attacked. Overseers who damage Constructs find they simply curl back into their wings, where they become both immobile and invulnerable from further damage. They will repair themselves in time and do not... appear... to hold a grudge. The Overseers whose meals were hijacked might, though.
The Courtyard
The courtyard at the center of the Hall of Overseers is a public space with five distinct sections. At the center, there is an ornate fountain that serves as the most reliable, public spot for clean drinking water. The fountain depicts the three Classes, though all of them are partially destroyed. The Ruler has their hands broken off, the Dragon is missing its head, and the pegasus shaped Herald has a hole in its chest. Grimly, the water flows from each of these missing pieces into the pool below. This space is open and visible to all, especially from the higher rooms of the Hall. This central location serves well as a social hub and meet up point for Overseers to congregate, though it is perpetually raining here.
➤Heralds and Dragons experience their first urge to transform within the Courtyard. They are able to resist it, if their willpower is sufficiently high, but the compulsion is strong. Dragons feel a need to shed their skin, to fly and be free. There is not much room for multiple, large dragons to do either of these things. Mind your wings! Heralds begin to feel territorial, wishing to reinvigorate the long dead space. Heralds are able to terraform within the confines of garden planters as they see fit, but they may find them destroyed by Dragons or usurped by other Heralds. Miniature territory disputes may serve as practice for times ahead. Rulers can hear mysterious whispers throughout the Courtyard, but especially nearby the fountain. If they acknowledge these whispers aloud, they will get a response. Those Rulers who listen closely can hear the mocking words "you're not leaving this time."
The other four quadrants surrounding the central fountain are overgrown and wild, contrasting the initially desolate central area. These spaces are each themed to a different season; spring, summer, fall, and winter. Once Overseers enter one of the gated in spaces, the area within appears larger than the outside barrier suggests. The temperature varies wildly between each, though the Storm over head remains consistent. Each contains a singular hideaway which the Constructs will bring food to. These shield Overseers from outside view, but may turn out to be in hot demand. Mind yourselves if trying to sneak into one of these spots for privacy, they may already be taken! (Each hideaway may be customized at player discretion to suit their threads. A single piece of furniture for leisure may be present, like a lounge or hammock. Some ideas for natural spaces would be hidden behind a waterfall, beneath a canopy of trees, a frosty cave, or an alcove hidden by fallen leaves.)
➤Heralds and Dragons experience their first urge to transform within the Courtyard. They are able to resist it, if their willpower is sufficiently high, but the compulsion is strong. Dragons feel a need to shed their skin, to fly and be free. There is not much room for multiple, large dragons to do either of these things. Mind your wings! Heralds begin to feel territorial, wishing to reinvigorate the long dead space. Heralds are able to terraform within the confines of garden planters as they see fit, but they may find them destroyed by Dragons or usurped by other Heralds. Miniature territory disputes may serve as practice for times ahead. Rulers can hear mysterious whispers throughout the Courtyard, but especially nearby the fountain. If they acknowledge these whispers aloud, they will get a response. Those Rulers who listen closely can hear the mocking words "you're not leaving this time."
Grief Hath Mates
Class Scenarios
Note: The following prompts are available for all Players, though abilities should always match up with a character's present Class! Class for characters on the TDM can change between threads, but should not change mid-thread. This fully locks down upon acceptance to the game. Characters are presently "unstable" in their Pact and Class assignments, so all threads can remain canon, even if they contradict Pact or Class assigned later on. Any changes made to shared setting environments below are temporary, so feel free to play with destructive and creation powers as specified.
RULERS
➤Rulers who attempt to speak to the Constructs will find they are reacted to in a way the Dragons and Heralds are not. Constructs do not speak back, but they are more attentive towards Rulers regardless of their Influence level. If asked where something is, Constructs will dutifully guide the Ruler to the location in question if it exists. Sometimes, Constructs will open up previously locked doors. None of these lead outside, but they offer some new clues to how the castle once operated in the past. Rulers can open up additional rooms to explore such as a drawing room, a music room, a wine cellar, and a smoking room. These rooms all have basic supplies for their given activity, including aged wine and cigars in the latter two respectively. Rulers with clever tongues or manipulative sensibilities can convince the Constructs to leave them “in charge” of a room. This grants the Ruler a key to the door they can leverage as they please. (Players can play their Ruler as if they hold exclusive control of a room, but this is not imposed TDM-wide. Multiple Rulers can each claim the same type room, no player actually holds full IC/OOC control.)
DRAGONS
➤Dragons are going to be the first to snap under such cramped conditions. Their natural urges are to spread out and fly, not be stuck within a castle. The more volatile Dragons will find their natural instinct is to go Berserk. Berserk mode can be engaged in either their humanoid or Dragon form, though Dragons can only transform at this time within the confines of the Courtyard. If Dragons are causing trouble in the Courtyard, luring or forcing them out of the Courtyard at large forces a Dragon to return to their humanoid form. Getting in fights may not be productive, but it might provide some enrichment to Overseers wishing to challenge each other or keep the peace. (Reminder: Dragons, regardless of form, are especially durable and may prove difficult to subdue! Rulers are best suited to this task, given they have a natural advantage over Dragons. Heralds can make their own attempts, it is simply more risky for them given how fragile they are.) Dragons of more even temperaments can make themselves productive by using relevant elemental magic around the castle. The castle interior is lit only by the dull glow of the sun or moon, which are often dulled by the cloud cover overhead. Providing temperature control or lighting could be a great ease to their own mental state, as well as benefit their fellow Overseers.
HERALDS
➤While cooked rice, dried meat, and pickled vegetables are largely what is being provided, there is a distinct lack of fruit or alcohol coming out of the kitchen. Heralds may find themselves especially desperate for these. Within the courtyard only, they can flex their newly found Class abilities to rapidly influence nature. Heralds may find themselves having vivid daydreams about their favorite fresh fruits from home. These fantasies manifest, growing the imagined fruits from nearby vines, bushes, and trees. This can happen deliberately or entirely by accident. However, due to the imperfect nature of both memory and imagination, these fruits are never fully accurate recreations. The taste and quality of the fruit end up heavily influenced by a Herald’s own subjective experience and are prone to exaggeration. Any fruit from any world is allowed, these simply cannot cause any magical effects. Devious Heralds which imagine poisonous fruits can injure, but not kill fellow Overseers. Such produce can be used to make alcohol by those with the knowledge and wherewithal to do so. Any manner of food is in demand and Heralds have this to provide. Replenishing energy though sex is always an option to help produce more or better resources of this kind.
OOC Info
What happens next?
On the 21st of June, the Pacts will turn over. For the IC duration of the TDM, the Moon Pact are in power. Those assigned to the Sun Pact will start the game off proper as the faction in power. Characters who are accepted into the game will be freed from the confines of the castle. The game will greet new players with a Mingle Event and Network Introduction Post, once all applications are processed. The storm will pull back at the start of July, allowing even further world exploration and Territory claims. Our first plot event will focus on discovering the threat that the Lost Souls of this world can present.
Can I reserve my character before applying?
If you want to claim a character spot in advance of applications opening, our Reserves Page opens on the 10th of June, through to the 15th. This is not required for application, but highly recommended even for original or obscure characters. Reserving provides an instant-pass through 1st month game Activity Check! It also provides Moderation with an idea of incoming player numbers!
How do I apply to join the game?
Head over to our Application Page. These open up on June 15th and close on the 20th. The game officially opens on the 21st of June, barring any unexpected delays.
Is there an OOC space I can discuss potential plans?
Take a look at our Enable-me-Please for OOC discussions and plotting!
no subject
A valiant attempt, you have my thanks. [he stands himself up and brushes off, before looking at her more curiously and closely, though not invading her personal space]
Are you feeling alright at the moment? I'm a doctor, if you need.
no subject
[ She smiles, and it's earnest, even if it's tired. It looks as though she hesitates, at first, opening her mouth—
Before she settles for something sardonic, ironic. Like listening to queued laughter from an audience only her gets to hear. ]
It's just a little radiation poisoning. Don't they say that... What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger?
[ ... Is she trying to crack a joke? ]
no subject
[he knows she's probably joking, but also that's the kind of joke he would tell. After getting radiation poisoning. So, he projects a little in order to take it a bit seriously,]
I'm Daan. A doctor from Rondon and I served as a field medic in the war. So, I have some experience with a variety of conditions... Do you need help?
no subject
It's a nice thing, to be able to smile. She could even grin, and count her teeth in their perfect, pearly rows. She wants to thank a God, but those no longer exist: not when gods likely do not pray to others of their kind. She wants to thank the universe, but she knows that this was not an act of mercy or kindness.
It's just a different cage. Bigger, so much so they can have the excuse to call her "free-ranged".
And yet... she can't mind. Not when she can stand on her two feet. Not when that fact alone is enough to make her happy, when many other things failed, on the face of their imminent doom.
And... If this place couldn't cure her fully... Then what chances does a humble doctor have? ]
I wouldn't mind. But, I think it might be too late for me.
I am sorry.
[ The chances seem stacked against him. ]
I don't want you to become disappointed.
no subject
[he jokes, because... well, he's dealt with the terminally ill before.
He knows that being morose and serious is often all the worse. Reasserts their tragedy, when they still have life left to live. Daan leans forward just a little, and gestures with a hand like he wishes her to do the same, so he can share a secret,]
Why don't we give helping you out a try? Just for fun. It's something to do with ourselves.
CW bullying mentioned
[ "Mysterious" bruising she chalked up to accidents healing easily, but not doing anything to stop the onslaught back in school. Her hair going pure white at such a young age, something most attributed to stress, yet no one tried to stop. ]
It's a miracle that I am alive. [ Maybe it is, to be alive at all while being the sort of person she is. Maybe that in itself is something to be grateful over.
Maybe the world who wouldn't let her die did it because it loved her. Wouldn't that be a wonderful thought? ]
And...
2/2
It's been aeons since I've had a check-up.
[ It is not an exaggeration. ]
no subject
[Had it ever? Daan isn't sure about that. He's never known a sense of normalcy at any length. One chaotic situation to the next, just trying to survive and see another day.
And he's seen much less than her, no doubt, not the he is yet aware of that.]
You're welcome, would you spare your name? And... have you found a room to call your own, just yet? I have mine I could see you in, but I don't wish come across as untoward. A check-up is best kept private is all.
no subject
[ Normal wasn't safe or comfortable to Ariane, either way. Normal is what her teachers wanted her to be, hoping military service would beat the arts and softness out of her.
Normal was a life of labour under S-23 Sierpinski. Normal was being called a defect and someone lesser than human for daring to try and blend into Sektor C while lacking the virtue of obedience. ]
I am Ariane. Ariane Yeong. "楊", like the willow tree.
... I believe I have a room... one of the lavish ones, that is.
But it, ah... it doesn't fit me very well. Maybe someone else could use it in my stead.
no subject
[since that seems to be what convinced her, he'll stick to the thread. Fun. Sure. Daan doesn't really find any of this fun, but he does find helping people fulfilling. He'll take a feeling of purpose over just about anything right now.
Including those cigars he wanted. They're forgotten while he's concerned with her.]
Doesn't fit you-? What ever do you mean by that?
1/2
... She wonders, if in knowing the sort of freak she truly is, it would all be for naught. If the fawning would stop working.
But she doesn't want to find out. ]
Thank you, Herr Daan. You are kind.
[ She means it. ]
2/2
I think the luxuries might be too much. [ She explains, tone near wispy as she explains herself. ] And I don't think it's fair that we are being given unequal treatment.
[ It reminds her of home all too much. Gestalts and Replikas. The world is unfair, and she's all too weak to do anything tangible about it.
The most hopeless, helpless god in the world. ]
no subject
[A duty he never took an oath to perform. He does just like helping people, a lost and sickly young woman especially tugs his withered heartstrings. He'd seen far too many in his day... (This man is only twenty-eight.)]
I see and I understand. It can be overwhelming to have luxury at your disposal. Which sounds terribly privileged and ungrateful. Yet, I've never been able to muster that gratitude myself.
[because others have so much less, because he's known what it's like to be in the muck. He knows. He can't stop knowing- Daan shakes his head, pushing away the line of thought for now. He offers her to crook of his arm to take,]
I'll show you to either my room or your own, whichever is more comfortable.
no subject
[ She sounds near smug as she says that. As though it's something to be proud of, to have nothing at all.
To be nothing at all. ]
I don't think it's a bad thing. Gratitude feels like it is not all that far away from compliance: [ She blinks, and it feels as though the intensity of her gaze furthers against Daan's own— ] and there's nothing more vile than the coercion of such a thing.
[ And, in that same blink, it is gone. The pressure, the needling against Daan's skin.
And Ariane, yet again, becomes a small, nearly invisible existence yet again. ]
Inviting me to your room is rather forward of you, Herr Daan.
[ She teases, even if her heart isn't on it, and she shakes her head. ]
I am okay with whichever is closest.
no subject
[When a place is rotten as he's known, Daan always saw true appreciation as a form of love. And love goes against the grain, when everything is hateful, selfish, and torturous.
That pressure.
What is that? He takes a step back from her. Instinct. Uncertain why, shaking his head when it clears up, he looks briefly confounded, then fascinated. That felt- like a glimpse at an Old God-
Uncomprehendable.]
I'm a forward man, when it comes to helping people. [joke it off. He gestures towards the Courtyard.] Mine is close, on the bottom most floor here. Follow along, as you like.
no subject
[ It's an odd thing, the way Ariane teethers from a frail woman to something else, something grander. She doesn't seem like either, at times. ]
I think that's a kind thing to be. [ She replies, following him without question.
Then, hesitating: ]
Doctor's back home aren't anything like you.
[ Nothing in here feels like how it was back in Rotfront. It's a both blessing and a curse. ]
Do you come from a kind place? [ She asks, impulsive, even if she thinks she knows the answer. ] What was it like?
[ Call it curiosity, or just being nosy: Ariane already knows they all stem from different worlds, after all.
Nothing about Absentia could stand tall under AEON's watchful ire. ]
no subject
Kind of shit, if I was being very kind towards it, myself. No... no, it's just dreadful. Even this dreary castle is more kind.
no subject
I see. [ She speaks, after her own laughter dies down. ] It is the same for me.
I don't know if I was kind in return. If anything, I ran away from it. [ Away, a solitary forever in the Penrose felt more like home than another single day more in Rotfront. ] I kind of paid the apt price, for that crime.
[ ... Ah. That might be too somber. ]
But I am alive. [ She amends, and quickly. Talking to others that weren't Elster was always difficult to her. ] So... That's what truly matters.
no subject
[hence why he sees gratitude, and even kindness, as a type of rebellion. But, he's also never been a freedom fighter nor a rebel. Daan didn't feel he fit in anywhere like that.
He clears his throat.]
Being alive matters most. Yes. [his voice sounds distant. He doesn't really believe it for himself, but he's glad this young woman can hold onto it.]
Carry on. [they're near his room. The frame reads 'Daniël Von Dutch' and he refuses to look at it when they pass by, him muttering she's welcome inside, so no magic compells her to remain beyond the door. It's nice as the other Moon Pact rooms, it doesn't even smell like cigar smoke yet! Give that a few days and it's going to be scented like the insider of a humidor in here.]