TEST DRIVE MEME | #01

[triumvirmod]

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.

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.)

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!

(CODE)

Comments

awaken;

[slicings]

[ the hands at his throat had given him peace, and yet, as always, it ends too soon.

blade awakens in the glass coffin with a gulp of air, his heart pounding hard in his chest, and he slams a hand hard against the cool, smooth lid, eyes burning. he doesn't yet try to open it, first attempting to calm himself and get his bearings, until the sound of footsteps draws near and he freezes. the lid is slid carefully aside, and a pale hand reaches forward - but more than that, the voice that rings in his ears is familiar.

blade's eyes flick up to jing yuan's face, familiar after all of these too long years, and it's only after a long, long moment that he takes the offered hand to pull himself up. ]

[liongeneral]

[The light in Jing Yuan's eyes brighten at the sight only to dim to a dull amber in disappointment as a quick once over reveals... a stranger. The orange red glow of those eyes is not the familiar and long lost purple.

This is Blade. Criminal and someone who has grown to distance himself from all that was once held dear. Out of love he has allowed the man to slip from his clutches but has maintained the appropriate distance to someone who has left the Xianzhou behind.

He does not withdraw his hand and helps Blade out of his glass box making sure he is steady on his feet before looking over the other boxes now with a bit more urgency. He's seeking Yanqing, Lady Fu, Miss Tingyun or any of the Astral Express members. Dan Heng and his traveling companions... He leaves Blade to his own devices, already presuming the man does not want to speak with him. And this is hardly the time or place for the mara to strike.]

[slicings]

[ jing yuan's hand is pleasantly warm, callused where starfall reverie has rubbed against his palm, and though the man is different from the precocious boy that yingxing once knew, he is still painfully familiar.

and then he turns away without saying a word.

on his feet now, blade frowns, then takes his eyes off of jing yuan to glance around. a grand, beautiful cathedral, hundreds of glittering glass coffins, and a strange fog that smells thickly of ozone.. none of this is familiar to him. it is certainly not planarcadia. since jing yuan won't speak, blade will. ]

Where is this place?

[liongeneral]

[He's not going to ignore Blade should he speak to him. He is ever hopeful of some sort of rekindling but having seen three of the five of them behind bars for various reasons, and one lost forever, has not given him much cause to believe in the past returning to something familiar. No, in fact those days are far behind them.

All his old companions have made their choice for better or worse.]

I am uncertain. [He peers into another coffin, grateful to find another unfamiliar face.] I woke up in one of these boxes, same as you.

[slicings]

[ it's not as if blade can blame him for not expecting anything, for treating him coolly - and he doesn't. blade has given him no reason to expect that anything will ever change between them, no reason to think that there is anything remaining of yingxing but cold, dead ashes burned away by the mara, and yet..

.. something does still linger. a desire to be near to someone long lost, however distant. but blade never allows himself to indulge in it, not only for jing yuan's sake, but because he simply.. does not deserve it. yingxing is gone, blade is nothing but a cold weapon left behind; what need does he have of warm companionship? and moreso, does he deserve such a thing? but right now, the two of them are together, for better or worse, in a new and strange place.

like jing yuan, blade begins to look into the coffins as they move through the cathedral, but none within them are stirring. ]

Mm. I was in Planarcadia, last I remember.

[liongeneral]

Planarcadia? [A strange place for the Hunters to be. But, if he heard correctly, the games are happening there as well. For the first time in a decade or so, was it? He has not been keeping up. There was much going on back on the Loufu with their collected golden treasure from Irontomb.] Quite the lively place, so I've heard.

[But had never been. There are many such places like that.]

I do not see any of your fellow hunters in these boxes... None that I would recognize. [Not the woman who Fu dealt with. Not that notable hacker girl he's seen on posters. And that mecha is also not here either.] But several of these boxes were already open when I stepped out.

[slicings]

Lively is a word for it.

[ it's loud, noisy, colorful.. the sort of place that jing yuan would enjoy, he thinks. full of color and fun. but as always, he is chained to his seat at the luofu, just one more thing that blade is, at least partly, responsible for.. one more regret, among a sea of many.

taking the other side, blade begins to peer into the glass coffins as well, though of the ones that are not open, many seem to be fogged from the inside, obscuring their contents. ]

I see. And your companions?

[liongeneral]

And fun.

[Cause it does look fun. That's something that hasn't changed. Yingxing also didn't know fun if it flicked him in the forehead and danced around his forge.]

No... I don't see anyone I know. [Which is good. It means the Loufu is in good hands with Lady Fu and the others.] That doesn't mean they aren't here but it's a rather good sign for now.

[And no sign of Astral Express members either which is a comment he will keep to himself.]

[slicings]

[ their conversation is strained, civil, not friendly, something of which blade is painfully aware, and that is a good thing. the more distance he keeps from jing yuan, the better, however obvious it is that yingxing's old friend is still soft on him, still painfully desirious of a rekindling..

but blade has put jing yuan into hot water enough.

still, this is not the luofu. this may well not even be the same galaxy, the same cosmos, the same greater universe. for now, blade would prefer to stick with something he knows, someone familiar, while getting his bearings. ]

I see. [ he says, voice gruff. ] Shall we move on?

[liongeneral]

[It is stilted. Jing Yuan is the General, it's the face he's putting on for Blade, the criminal. And with all the heavy weight of history between them unspoken and looming behind them.

But this is a strange place. They've been taken here unawares and the only lifeline they have is one another.]

After you.

[So they shall continue onward together.]

[slicings]

[ jing yuan, the general, and blade, the criminal. that is who they have been to one another for a long, long time now, and who they should rightly stay, but things have changed now, shifted subtly now that they've been thrown into something so new and unknowable. unsteady allies, for now.

blade nods, moves forward; he doesn't mind showing jing yuan his back. he moves through the cathedral, between the quiet coffins, searching out an exit. after a time, he lifts one hand idly to his throat, to the brass band worn beneath his coat's high collar, warm to the touch from his own body heat. glancing over his shoulder - ]

Have you been collared?

[liongeneral]

[Jing Yuan trials behind, his eyes upward as he takes in the new scenery, his mind trying to place a world like this. But he can't think of any at the moment. He'd have to see more of this land to even make an attempt.

At the question his gaze returns to Blade's back, meeting that crimson gaze. His hand goes up to his neck, feeling metal there. A gleaming silver collar.]

It would seem so.

[slicings]

[ with all of the countless noted worlds in the cosmos, where they have landed is really anyone's guess, even to blade who has seen much of the known universe since becoming a stellaron hunter. with any hope, they will find someone who will be able to tell them, but as of yet..

his eyes catch the silvery glint of metal around jing yuan's throat, and he frowns..

.. then immediately lifts his hands to begin feeling around his own collar, looking for any sort of catch or clasp, anything to release and remove the thing. ]

[liongeneral]

[He feels around the edges, not finding any seams. Nor does he see on any Blade's collar either. Having awoken in a coffin and now in a strange place, bound with fine metals...]

Our situation might be more dire than originally believed.

[And without any of their allies. No other members of the Alliance and no other Hunters... They might be in quite a bit of trouble.]

[slicings]

[ no clasp, no seams.. it's as if the thing was smithed straight onto his throat, and blade feels uneasy for its presence, the metal feeling heavy against his hot skin. he doesn't panic, there's no need, but it's clear in the set of his shoulders that he's quite agitated. he makes a low, gruff sound. ]

It would seem that way.

[ it's tempting to smash one of the nearby coffins in frustration, but blade remains controlled; after all, there might be someone inside of them.. but as of now, they are alone, as they begin to reach what seems to be the end of the cathedral. ]

We should keep moving.