dagung | TDM: January

Test Drive: January

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 up on February 1st. The application page can be found here. As a reminder, this will be our last uncapped application round!
• 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!
• 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 Prehistoric Wilde

Thick summer heat hangs heavy over the uninfected landscape like a damp blanket, smothering. The jungle around you is thick and wet, full of the sounds of chittering animals and the high-pitched drone of insects. The flora and fauna are like nothing you've ever seen before, large and alien in colors and shapes, though they bear no signs of the Cwyld. Flowers the size of a man's head and brightly colored in rainbow hues curl their tendrils invitingly, and giant mosquitoes buzz through the air seeking a meal. You can barely see the glow of the twin moons through the thick canopy above. There are no signs of civilization - at least, not the civilization most will be used to; only the distant sound of the river, compelling you to follow its winding path. But will you go forward, or will you go back?

Rumble in the Jungle
Making headway through the jungle at night is a chore. The foliage grows thick and the humid heat is oppressive for even those who enjoy the warmth. There are no clear paths here, no easy way through. The canopy of the ancient trees far, far over your head is just as dense, but the faintest moonlight filters through the holes left by the huge leaves in stippling patterns across the musty forest floor. 'Large' seems to be the theme - lining whatever path you pick your way through, there are pitcher plants massive enough to swallow a grown man, with small animals and giant insects being digested down inside the sticky liquid that fills them. The flowers are as big as a man's head, and come in a rainbow of colors, their venomous tendrils curling toward signs of life. The trunks of some of the trees are as thick as houses, and shade the ground beneath them with leaves like umbrellas. The hand-sized mosquitoes thrive in the sticky heat and if not killed first, can make off with a full pint of blood from an unsuspecting person.

At some point in your journey, the ground begins to rumble beneath your feet. The farther you go, the longer you walk, the more signs of life become visible: thick, winding trails of crushed foliage, huge, animalistic footprints in the mud. Luckily, to this world, you are small and insignificant, and may escape the notice of the local Monsters - the massive, prehistoric ancestors of today's Monsters.

They seem like giants, colossal Titanoboa Nagas with hollow fangs like swords, towering Fauns with the lower halves of mammoths, sabertooth Turnskins, pterodactyl Harpies with leathery wings. Even the parts of them that resemble humans (and they have far fewer human-like parts than their modern counterparts) are larger than any actual human being. They operate primarily on instinct, made even stronger by the full moons above, and perceive the strange new creatures as threats - or food.

Sticking to the river seems safest - at least until you run into megalodon Merrow, singing an alien, but alluring, song to draw in prey, or the apex predator of this prehistoric world - Dragons, bigger and scalier than the ones Mirrorbound may know, stopped to drink at the river. All other Monsters flee from the huge reptiles, lest they become food themselves. Luckily you can defend yourself with your new abilities, or your neat changes - you're small, but not totally helpless.

Interesting to note... while all other Monster types are represented, there are no Fae or Chimeras in the Wilde here, and the Vampires are more like huge bat-monsters that traverse the jungle on all fours than humanoid bloodsuckers.

The Natives
Going backward, away from the distant sounds of the sea and against the current of the river, leads you through dense jungle. How long have you traversed the landscape? Hours? Days? Time passes funny in dreams. Eventually the trees thin out, grow taller and less leafy, and the air becomes drier. Instead of loamy soil beneath your feet, you start to feel rocky, harder earth, and spot outcroppings of stone. The sun begins to rise, which makes it easier to spot people on the horizon, a little settlement coming to life in the morning, nestled where the river forks into two.

They're much hardier than the familiar people of Aefenglom, sunburned and dressed in natural, rough fabrics. Their homes, if one can call them that, are shoddy little structures made of sticks and leaves and mud, pressed up against the sturdiness of the stone formations. And, when they spot strangers approaching their village, they scramble for their weapons - crude clubs, stone axes, even just large rocks snatched up off the ground.

The translation magic works on them, thankfully. Their speech is halted and simple, but they get their point across. Tell them who you are, or they'll beat your brains in. Monsters might get their brains beat in anyway if they aren't careful, even though they're much smaller than the Monsters these humans are used to. And Witches? May the gods help you if you use magic in front of these terrified, unevolved people, lest they mistake you for a Fae (the word is whispered with fear and revulsion in their voices) and swarm you with simple iron tools. If you're an actual Fae, an obvious Fae? They'll whisk their children into their huts protectively and then run you right out of the village. Violently.

The truly observant, or those who can see through illusions, among you may notice something strange, though. Some Fae actually seem to live among them, heavily cloaked in natural illusions, with the primitive humans none the wiser. There are just a few, but all of them look young, twelve or thirteen at the oldest, and they are all scared of their secret coming to light. Fae who get caught tend to be burned at the stake around here.

The Invaders
Perhaps you chose to go forward, with the current and toward the distant sound of ocean waves, where the river pours into the sea. More long-time residents of Aefenglom may notice that the shoreline is familiarly-shaped, but wider, bigger, not yet worn down by thousands of years of erosion. There is no bustling Harbor, only the waves crashing on the rocks, small islands dotting the water near the shore. There is no Bright Wall - there is no city, even, only an expanse of beach transitioning gently into an idyllic grove dotted with gauzy, pointed tents, and a beautiful, gilded ship half sunk into the sandy earth.

It seems safer than the jungle, at first - until you notice all the Fae. They're more insectoid than the ones many are familiar with, with big, glittering eyes and either bright, jewel-toned wings like dragonflies or butterflies, or delicate, leafy wings in greens and browns. They're also taller than modern, lesser Fae, though not by much, and they're thin and angular, standing on spindly limbs that barely seem able to hold them.

Characters receive a warmer welcome here, by the band of true Fae that have made their camp in the grove, though the alien-looking beings have a tendency to treat them like toys, children, or both, cooing over their sizes and their magic.
"Look at the little Monsters! Aren't they cute!"
"We should make some of our own! And oh, the little humans have magic! Delightful!"
It's hard to have a conversation with one - they're condescending at best, and at worst, flit off to another entertainment out of boredom while you're mid-sentence.

And entertainments abound in their camp. They're served and tended to like emperors by collared humans - adults and young adults do the heavy labor, including pulling grand little chariots for transportation, though there are some highly-supervised human children running about fetching drinks and fanning their Fae masters with palm leaves.

Farther out, a large, deep pit has been dug out of the earth, ringed by a waist-high barrier of logs, a few Fae gathering at the barrier and leaning over, talking in conversational, happy voices. Down below, Chimera gladiators fight for their amusement, while the Fae keep up running commentary, discussing each warrior's chances, new breeding prospects, interesting crossbreeds their fellows have come up with ("She's trying an Arachne and a Turnskin together, how delightful!"). Trying to disrupt the proceedings will only result in the Fae turning their magic on you - illusions and curses, nasty little tricks. Sit down, silly little ones! The fight is just getting good! Or maybe... Maybe they'll toss you into the pit to see what your chances are in battle.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Unfortunately, despite the delight of the children, the mood didn't remain so light for long. Eileen, so dark and strange to these natives as she was, had been content to simply rest on the outskirts of the settlement, until the sounds of iron scraping against iron caught her attention like a crack of thunder. The adults had seen Sora's little "trick", and wanted to test if it was just sleight of hand or true sorcery with the only way they knew how.

Eileen sprang like a rush of darkness, catching Sora in her arm and carrying him with her as she fled from the incensed rabble. ]

Show's over, lad, we'd best be making our leave!

Wh-Whoa!! Hey!

[Sora had been none the wiser to the clank of iron and the angry adults staring him down for his fake display of magic. So when he's pulled up and rushed off he's rather surprised! He's suddenly being whisked off by a dark and strange figure and Sora almost has the audacity to mistake her for Maleficent herself.]

Who are you?! Wait! Let go of me!

[But he really shouldn't be making a fuss about it right now! Those adults are clamouring together now, iron-tipped spears in hand!]

Don't struggle! [ Eileen growled, making for a leap once she was in a clear enough space, the true wings hidden beneath the tattered wing-like cape she wore spreading wide and shooting them both forward in a heavy gust, into the canopy line and among the high branches.

A spear was hurled to follow them, striking the tree next to where she landed with a sharp thunk. ]

[He kind of feels like he's a damsel in distress being whisked away so he can't help automatically flailing his limbs when they take off into the air. He yelps out and squirms because isn't this the opposite of what he's supposed to be?!

But as soon as he catches sight of those big black wings Sora's mouth lets out an amazed whoaaaa and he finds them super amazing. He finally stops fussing so much.

And that spear flying gets him to jolt too.] Geeze?! What's got them so mad?!

They've reasons to fear magic, to fear beasts, to be sure. [ Eileen made a few more leaps to make sure they were well covered by the canopy before settling down, finally letting go of her charge. ]

And whether you meant to or not, you drew that fear to you... it's best to let them be.

[Sora huffs loudly as they land, shuffling to his feet with a big sigh.]

Did I really? I was just trying to show some of those kids a few magic tricks. I didn't think that would bother anyone.

[He finally has the time to stare at the other, squinting a little.]

Uhh... Your name isn't Maleficent by any chance, is it? Or maybe someone you know? A relative?

[ It was amazing how well an expression could be conveyed through tone and body language, despite wearing a full covering mask. And everything about Eileen read exasperation... This is why she didn't deal with children. Gascoigne's daughters were enough to deal with back then, this kid definitely seemed a lot less well behaved, if well intended. ]

I think I'd recall such an auspicious name as such. You can call me Eileen, if you must call me anything.

[Sora's eyes are just innocently wide with curiosity! With a get-up like that, dark and mysterious, he was sure she was...!! Not even mentioning the big black wings!]

Uh, okay! Thanks for saving me, Eileen. I guess I have a lot to learn about this place. I'm Sora.

Perhaps we both do. [ A small, mirthless chuckle. ]

This is a far stranger dream that any I've had before. What's more, I had thought I was done dreaming...

[Sora folds his arms behind his head casually.]

Done dreaming? How does someone be done with dreaming?

[He dreams all the time...!]

[ Hmm... She wondered if she should explain the matter, at all. If she had any right to. Or if it even could be properly explained to a young man with such brightness in his eyes. He reminded her so much of Gascoigne's daughters... before everything went to hell. ]

Tell me, lad... What do you think dreaming is?

Hmmm. What is dreaming...

[Sora tilts his head curiously. He's seen so many dreams. Almost as real as this one, if not more important. Dreams are powerful things that can influence the waking world. He knows that.]

Dreaming is like visiting another part of our own hearts or imaginations. That's what dreaming is to me.

Or part of someone else's... under the right circumstances.

[ Eileen liked his answer. The boy was more perceptive than he let on. At the very least, he seemed to have a respect for the concept. That's more than she could say for some who saw the Hunter's Dream, and Nightmares, as a means to an end. ]

Have you seen other people's dreams then?

[Sora still sounds curious, eyes wide with a little wonder. He always wanted to see what Riku's dreams were like when they were separated and travelling all those sleeping worlds. Riku's dreams were like nighttime ice storms but he never got to see them firsthand.]

A dream meant to draw others to it, a purpose of being refuge, but also a source of strength. A power drawn from beings beyond ourselves, to create these realms of dreams... and sometimes Nightmares.

It's not quite what you're thinking, I suppose. It's not as if I've walked within the dreams of others.

TDM: January

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