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TDM: MARCH
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aefenglom's test drive! All threads can be considered game canon, should you choose to do so; regardless of if you pick specific threads to remain canon to the game, the prompts and test drive itself will be. This will be touched on later in-game, so it's fairly important to note! Aside from that, here are some quick reminders:• Reserves Open Today! If you're interested in securing a character, put one in! This time around, reserves will expire after the first 48 hours of applications being opened. Those first 48 hours will be open to those who have reserves only, so we recommend placing one. It will not guarantee you a spot, but it will guarantee you can post your app immediately when they open.With that taken care of...
• Applications Open The 24th! There will be a cap of 30 applications accepted this round, and apps will close whenever we've reached that cap. If there are slots left after the reserves-only period, apps will open to those without reserves. 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!
• 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 Underground
Take a moment. Let your eyes adjust to the dark, your ears to echoing silence, but for the steady drip of condensation down the stone walls that surround you. The tunnels down here are wide, the ceilings high, but they are dim, devoid of sunlight and breeze. The only light, in fact, comes from the shards of softly-glowing shards of quartz lining the ground and the bio-luminescent algae that smears the stone in long, blue veins, pulsing gently, pushing breathable air into the otherwise-stale passageways. The air is damp, but the temperature is moderate - almost comfortable. The tunnels fork off and meander from where you are, some narrowing and some widening, but none seem to lead you to the surface, no matter how long you wander. Is it a trick of the light, that the algae glows a little brighter, pulses a little quicker, when you head in a particular direction? It's hard to sort your senses so deep underground, far from the world above where things make sense. Hopefully you've found a friend by now.
 The Crystal Cavern Many of the tunnels, both wide and narrow, lead to the same place: a massive chamber hewn out of the stone by time, and the drip-drip of water from the ceiling into the central lake. Perhaps you came out toward the bottom, and the ceiling is a thousand feet above you, or maybe you came out toward the top, and the lake is a thousand feet below. There are a hundred or more holes in the sloping stone walls that lead to more tunnels, and something like natural steps down from most of them. In a way, it resembles a beehive, this room acting as a central hub of sorts. This is also the first place you find signs of life. Short, tough little tufts of grass growing from the thin soil, bone white in color, having long abandoned photosynthesis and chlorophyll. More of the glowing algae. Small, skittering insects - beetles, grubs and worms. The occasional albino rat, much larger and louder than rats have any right to be. Ruffled and capped fungi growing on the wet rock like parasites, some as large as a grown man. Blind, slimy cave fish wriggling around in the still waters of the lake. And milling around the great stone cavern, slurping up the glowing algae that covers the rocks and grows in lacy sheets across the water, are dozens of great beasts, bigger than horses. Shaped like worms, but with dozens and dozens of stubby, fleshy legs, these creatures are huge, with velvety, multi-colored hides, and though their antennae wave in curiosity when approached, they don't seem aggressive. At least, as long as you avoid the big silk-wrapped bundles stuck to the walls and ground all over the cavern. These are their egg sacs, and if their young are threatened, they'll quickly shoot jets of viscous slime, a quick drying adhesive, that can slow and trap even the strongest adult. If you find yourself in a sticky situation, you better hope someone can wrench you loose - the worms seem content to eat algae, until they've caught prey. Each worm has a long, hooked, chitinous blade concealed within its fleshy jaws to tear and shred, and a nightmarish round mouth full of multiple rows of teeth. Navigate carefully. There at the bottom of the lake, where it feeds into an underground stream that leads down another wide tunnel, there are a few small rowboats, some missing oars, certainly not enough for everyone. You'll have to share if you want to get out of here. Or you can keep hanging out with the giant wormipedes. |
 The Procession As you proceed down the stream by boat, the lighting grows just a little brighter, seeming a little more purposeful in how the glowing algae is planted, how the softly glowing crystals are placed. You start seeing a new type of moss, greyish-green and growing in ragged sheets from the ceiling of the tunnel. Watch your head - it's near impossible to cut through this stuff should you get tangled. For a while, you only hear the soft splashing of the gentle stream, but then... there is a flash of torch light, up ahead. The boat ahead is longer than the one you use, better kept, and full of people - three Monsters, all whose forms are based on creatures that thrive underground, in pieces of armor, holding spears, and one very elderly Witch woman, seated in the middle, wrinkled hands folded primly in her lap. Her milky gaze stares straight ahead, with something soft and proud in the set of her face. One of the Monsters holds the torch, the other rows the boat, and the third settles down next to her; they speak in hushed voices, with little smiles. After a while, the rowing Monster slows the boat, before they can bump into a thick, heavy, impenetrable curtain of grayish-green moss that stretches across the whole tunnel, blocking the way, like a gate. The other two help the woman to her feet, and guide her toward the front of the boat - and the curtain of moss. She reaches out for it blindly, and they help her step onto the edge. There is something almost ritual or reverent about the movements, the way they regard the Witch as she touches the curtain of moss... and is wrapped into it quickly, swallowed up, absorbed. After twenty minutes of gentle pulsing, the lump that used to be the Witch is no more, and the whole of the moss pulses with light and magic. The Monsters watch this whole process vigilantly, and once the lights die down, they continue on. The moss parts to allow the boat through, brushing against the Monsters but not swallowing them. The procession happens a few more times, in separate boats, with separate victims - but all are very, very elderly, and seem proud, even happy to meet their fates. Trying to follow them further after the ritual will have the same thing happen for your boat - the moss will part, and brush over those in the boat without causing harm. If you happen to be infected with the Cwyld, however... you might meet the same fate as the old woman, with the moss reaching and grabbing for you. The procession can be stopped, but drawing attention will draw the ire of the Monster guards, and, strangely, the victims themselves, who will fly into a distressed rage at the interruption. |
 The Marketplace Beyond the veil of moss lies... civilization? The cavern is enormous, big enough to contain a city at least as big as Aefenglom, if not larger, though the population at a glance seems to be much smaller. Twenty thousand people, perhaps, give or take. Buildings have been carved out of huge stone spires, or formed by draping cloth around and between the natural stalactites and stalagmites. Monsters tend to be quite tall or bulky, possessing obvious physical strength, while Witches and humans tend to be shorter than in Aefenglom. They all mingle on the streets together, with no immediately obvious class difference. Since there is no weather to dress for, some don't bother to dress at all, though humans at least tend to wear flowy silks or simple clothes made from wormipede hides. The streets are wide and the buildings far-spaced, and many get around on the backs of those worm creatures, having made them saddles and reins. The stream ends in a lake right next to a marketplace, with many small boats docked on its pebbled shores. The stalls sell all kinds of goods: clothing made from fine silk and worm hide or rat fur, skewered meat (It's bug.), weapons, armor, jewelry made from chunks of beautiful stone. Your arrival is bound to cause a stir though, so keep your head down, and maybe it's time to snatch a disguise from one of the clothing stalls. Monster guards, occasionally flanked by Witches, patrol the streets and keep the peace, and stopping to talk to anyone will make one thing clear: they are not at all used to outsiders. They won't believe a word you say about being from above ground, and they've never heard of your world or Aefenglom. You're nomads from the tunnels, right? Of course, don't be ridiculous, you can't fool them with tall tales! At least they're usually willing to talk - briefly, of course, everyone is very busy down here, it's morning and many will be heading to tend to the herd soon. Those who are subtle and pointed in their questions can learn a lot about the vast but also small civilization below the surface of the world. Strength is valued here - the stronger the Monster or more powerful the Witch, the higher their rank in society, and the closer they live to the center, largest spires of stone. Monster-Witch Bonded pairs are the be-all-end-all, and often wear matching wrist-guards or pendants proudly. Pretending to be Bonded to another will put many of the natives at ease, though Monster-Monster pairs get snide comments about how you have to team up to find a good Witch, and Witch-Witch pairs will get odd looks and assume you both have a very strong Monster partner somewhere. It must be quite rare for Witches to go un-bonded here, and any who pass through without an obvious partner may be propositioned by young Monsters showing off their various talents. Unbonded Monsters may be nudged in the direction of any strange, unbonded Witches - usually fellow Mirrorbound - in a poor attempt at matchmaking. Those poor unbonded Witches need protection, right? Or so the locals think. It's too bad trying to go any farther than the Marketplace will get you stopped by guards and turned back, however. They don't allow nomads into the inner city. |
no subject
[Is the response to the first, more a noise of acknowledgement than anything else. To the question, however, she shrugs some.] Yeah. Guess so. Woke up in a cave.
[Her gaze roves over the crowd, expression bewildered.] What... is this place? [There were no machines, no other androids (though that was no surprise), nothing else she recognized.] What was that animal?
no subject
[ She glances at their surroundings - but she noticeably does have a tail herself. ]
Not an animal; a monster, as they're known here. People with... various characteristics. They vary from one another.
no subject
Hm.
[She says again. "Monster." That could mean a hell of a lot of things, but the connotation, from what she knew, was almost always a negative one.] Are you one of them?
no subject
[ Saber shrugs. She's going to be relatively blunt about this. ]
My arrival has changed me and I am doing my best to adapt.
[ She doesn't seem to mind the staring - or at least she's ignoring it. ]
no subject
[Is her flat response, eventually. She's not overly surprised at the moniker, having been called worse, but she's already experienced changes. She doesn't feel right. Her vision isn't as sharp, she isn't as fast, isn't as strong. And her teeth have been bothering her, little twinges of irritation that are not unbearable, simply unpleasant.
She'd complained to Pod about this, but after scanning her vitals, it had found nothing amiss. Merely a slightly elevated pulse. She thinks of changing further, and her jaw tightens some.]
So that's it? You got a tail?
[That thing had looked far more advanced in the progression of whatever this is. Her closest approximation is a logic virus, though both the Turnskin and this woman seemed of sound mind. The woman was nonchalant in a way that veered on annoying, though if she had useful information, it might be beneficial.]
How do I get out of here?
no subject
Who is "they"?
[ Which is a better question to Saber's mind than "why did they call you a monster?" She's a little curious about this new arrival and who she is. But she's also not the type to go digging very far. Call it a personal bias. ]
And there is more to it than just the tail- [ She holds her hand up. She has claws or talons and she's carefully trimmed them down to be a little more manageable, although they still seem rather sharp. ]
There are mental changes as well. A loss of self-control at certain times. It's... complex. [ She shakes her head. ]
As for leaving this place? I don't know. I'm a newcomer to this underground city, as you are. I think... this place is a dream. Or a reflection of what is or what has been.
no subject
She adds, so that she won't be misunderstood:] That big, dumb thing said the same, before you showed up. [Her eyes narrow some.] It thought we were together.
[The claws are observed with some detached curiosity: she thinks, however, as far as changes went, this seemed rather benign. And a loss of control was not unfamiliar. Like "B-Mode."
The floating object near A2 takes more interest in it though: it records this conversation, quietly and unobtrusively.]
A dream.
[She repeats, her voice soft. Her gaze rakes over the crowd again: assessing. Cold. Another newcomer was as useful as her, meaning, not at all.
Her ability to maintain a conversation only lasts so long, too, so she makes to fold into the crowd again, nevermind how she sticks out like a sore thumb.]
no subject
[ She would explain more, but A2 seems bent on heading back out into the crowd. Saber starts and then follows after her. She's not really one to simply be shaken off. ]
You shouldn't simply wander off. I understand that this place is confusing and new, but there is the possibility that you will be brought here permanently.
no subject
The revelation that she might be here as a permanent resident does nothing to improve her mood. Instead, her gaze flattens; she turns away again to focus on moving forward.]
Don't care.
[Magic was an ancient concept, so far removed from her that she has already decided not to bother with it. And if she was here forever, she cannot bring herself to grieve over the loss. She had, at the very least, fulfilled her promise to 2B. That was all she'd had left. What happened to her in the aftermath did not matter.]
You don't have to babysit me. Don't worry about it.
[The device nearby her finally sees the need to interject.]
The information provided is integral. Proposal: Unit A2 should focus on obtaining intel.
There's no more mission. [Quietly:] There's nothing. ... You know that.
Affirmative. ... However, this Pod is a Tactical Support Pod, assigned to your care. To continue without factoring in your safety in this new environment is inadvisable.
[Finally, this gets her to stop walking. She regards her companion, quietly mystified, then turns back to Saber.]
Pod wants to know more. [Is what she says.] I still don't care. But it does. So talk.
no subject
My intention is not to coddle, it is to-
[ Oh. The little machine(?) is talking and she pauses to listen. It's a fascinating little thing and it seems to have its thoughts in the right place, at least. She takes a slow breath and sets herself, lips pursed. ]
Many of us have had dreams similar to this - strange places and creatures - and then have found ourselves summoned to a city called Aefenglom. So far, it seems to be permanent and we become either witches or "monsters" and find ourselves afflicted by changes and bodily transformations. As I've said, witches and monsters can form bonds to balance their magical energy.
[ She shakes her head after a moment of thought. ]
This city isn't familiar to me, but in order to understand why people may be curious about you if you wander alone, you must understand that "bonding" seems to be considered very important here - as it is almost everywhere else in this world. It is what they know.
no subject
The only magical being she knew of was Emil, and he was ancient. Androids do not have souls to concern themselves with. She's certain now, knowing the truth of the black boxes, and things without souls had no afterlife. But she can't help but wonder if this was her processors, firing off some final hodgepodge of random data before she would finally shut down.
Pod's appearance, and what it had explained to her as they traversed the caves seems to contradict this, however, and she has to reluctantly concede she's in someone's reality, if not her own.]
What happens if you don't do what they say? Bond?
no subject
No one forces you, but... it becomes difficult to control one's self around the full moon, if you are a "monster". You might lose yourself in madness and go completely wild. Or if you are a mage or witch, you might find the build-up of mana too much for your body to bear.
[ She frowns. ]
The loss of control is not pleasant.
no subject
So that's all it is? What happens when you do it? If it turns out good for everyone, then why isn't everyone together?
[She is suspicious of anything purporting to have no downside. Paranoia was a hindrance, at times, but in a new world, she could not be too careful.]
no subject
[ Saber frowns, just a little. ]
I thought like that until I lost control during the last full moon. It was... unpleasant.