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SEPTEMBER + OCTOBER + NOVEMBER TDM.
● ● ● T D M . 0 7
The words ring in your ears as in the darkness of your dream, a purple glow blooms, slowly enveloping you. It is not a feeling of comfort that surrounds you, though — as a distorted voice whispers in your ear, you feel it: cold dread, and a sudden certainty that everything is about to be irrevocably changed.
It is to this daunting realization that you wake, and as your heart slows into something resembling a normal tempo, you notice something you should have noticed immediately: you are not in your bed.
1.0 White walls, clinical yet clean, sparsely-furnished rooms. You may wake in one of three rooms: a room with only one bed, a room with two beds, or a room with four beds. Those waking up in rooms with more than one bed notice that they are very much not alone. Perhaps the other occupants of the room are still sleeping, dreaming the same dream as you just did, or a regular one after returning to the station just barely a week ago … or perhaps you wake to the other person in the room watching you.
What you do is entirely up to you: yell in surprise when you wake to someone staring at you? Or maybe you’ll try to sneak away before anyone notices you...
2.0 Those with life-threatening injuries find themselves awakening in the infirmary, in a regular hospital bed. Most of their injuries have been treated, and any lingering illnesses or conditions will have designated medicine bottles on the table next to the bed.
White curtains surround the bed on both sides, giving an illusion of privacy. But is that a rustling sound you hear? Some footsteps? Perhaps you’re not the only one in need of some medical attention... or you've attracted the attention of those with experience in medical aid, and they rush to your bedside, surprised about this sudden new patient.
It is not just for your injuries that you may want some company, but also for leaving the infirmary — you can’t stay there forever, after all, and will have to make your way through the hallways of the station to the living quarters, and claim a room and a bed there.
Once you’re up, you may notice there’s something in your ear: an earpiece that, when you become aware of it, quickly runs you through the instructions for how to use the network, a recorded message by a female voice that explains exactly why you’re here… and leaves you with a map of the station.
So what else is there to do but to explore? Best get to know what is now your new home.
3.0 When trying to decide where yo go, you may find your way to the armory, where you can try to work the machine there to make yourself a weapon — perhaps to replace one that didn’t come with you to the station… or maybe you want to be prepared for the future. The recently-returned team members will surely recommend having a functional weapon with you.
4.0 After you’ve exhausted yourself training, it’s time to grab a bite. For that, you should head to the kitchen, which is equipped with all the basic appliances you might need, and ingredients for most regular dishes.
5.0 A welcome reprieve to the cold, dark space that surrounds the characters can be found in the sunlight room. A skillful illusion surrounds anyone who steps inside the room: you can hear the trilling of birds, feel a light breeze caress your skin as you walk through a grass field. The illusion has been programmed to reflect the seasons — the leaves in the trees are currently bright with all the colours of autumn: orange and red and yellow; and the air is crisp and clean. If you follow the path, you'll be led to a bridge rising over a sparkling, babbling brook, a few fallen leaves floating on the water and falling around you like very bright raindrops.
With an illusion so authentic you can almost taste the pumpkin spice, it is easy to forget you are in space at all. Perhaps that gives you comfort, or just makes you miss the real nature all the more.
6.0 If you’d rather choose tinkering over nature, the lab is guaranteed to provide you with some entertainment. Glass vials and jars of chemicals sit on shelves in a surprisingly beautiful display of colour on one side of the room, while the other side of the room contains stacks of boxes containing assorted equipment: cords, bolts, panels, buttons, gears, gadgets, gizmos, and thingamabobs. The downside is that the parts available seem to have no apparent method to their sorting. So get digging, and you may just find exactly what you need to make what you’ve always wanted to make!
7.0 As you wander back towards the common areas, you may notice there seems to be a room there that hasn't previously existed... not that you, a newcomer, would be able to tell. The room takes up a chunk of the common area, and on its unassuming door is a little plaque that reads, 'The Ximusic room'. Should you enter, you will find a sound-proofed practice room that contains — yes, you guessed it, band equipment that even the most musically inclined should be satisfied with. So pick up an instrument, saunter up to the microphone to belt out your favourite tunes, or take a seat at the side of the room and enjoy others' playing.
8.0 If it’s items you’re lacking, though, some time after your arrival, the earpiece alerts you to a new message.
But something strange happens, then — the message turns into an incomprehensible jumble of sounds: at first, it is just static; then, whirring noises follow, as if something rewinding... and then, there's a knock.
Silence.
Another knock.
A sweet, lilting voice poses the question, the words sounding as if through a filter — soon after, a woman's laugh follows, lingering as its echoes fade away slowly.
After that, some may decide it's best to not look at the supply drop at all, while others may be even more curious — but as you make your way to the platform, you'll see there is nothing amiss in the neat piles of items on it. There’s clothes, shoes, dishware, skincare, books… even a couple of CDs, and a few cute stuffed animals. So sort through what there is and grab what you want, before someone else does!
For those on the antsier side, maybe a trip to the simulation room is just the thing to address all that restlessness. Here you’ll find a preprogrammed mission to get those orb-snatching skills of yours in tip-top shape.
Fortunately, the simulation gods have decided to smile down upon you this time around; there’ll be no need to search for the orb, you already know exactly where it is: in the hands of the High King of Selrahines. The good news? His Highestness has already graciously agreed to part with the orb. The bad news? He requires a bit of a favor first…
Every year, High King Ghythih celebrates his awakening day with a party. But not just any party. For three days and three nights, the entire kingdom of Selrahines rejoices His Noblestness’ life with drinking, dancing and debauchery — the most anticipated and talked about party of the entire Gamga Galaxy. Everyone in the cosmos is invited, which is good because everyone in the cosmos wants to attend.
Now if it weren’t for that pesky assassination attempt, everything would be perfect! You see, just two weeks prior, His Royalestness received a warning that this year’s awakening day celebration would be His last. Obviously, that absolutely must not happen because talk about a killjoy. Be good dears and thwart His would-be assassins, would you? Then the orb’s all yours.
9.0 Even though you’re here for a job, you’re still expected to dress up for the occasion. Ghythih has offered you full access to the royal tailors, but if you don’t mind off-the-rack, Selrahines has many boutiques and shops in the merchant district. Go big! Go bold! Just don’t upstage the High King, or He’ll have you thrown in the dungeons. (No, really.)
10.0 During the three day celebration there is plenty to do. The first two days serve as primers, consisting of street celebrations that close down all four roads leading up to the capital. Up in the north you’ll find the carnival, where a menagerie of exotic and dangerous animals from neighboring planets are showcased and — should you happen to know the right people — put up for sale. Over on the west is for the theater crowd, where plays are put on depicting all of the High King’s conquests and achievements throughout his 800 years of being awakened. Across that to the east is for those who prefer to be part of the action; riches and fame can be won during tournaments of jousting, melees, spell-weaving and pageantry. And finally down south, by the lowlight district, are where the sinners thrive and the saints go to forget their values. Here, everything and anything is not only allowed, but encouraged.
11.0 The main event, of course, is the High King’s Gala. For the entirety of the third day, the castle’s expansive ballroom opens its gilded doors to all who wish to celebrate Him. Here there are live bands, delectable foods and a dancefloor that never seems to feel too crowded, no matter how many attend. The atmosphere of the ballroom is effortlessly jovial and contagiously hedonistic — literally. The High King hates a party pooper, see, so nearly every inch of the ballroom is enchanted to encourage celebration; sometimes it’s a melody in a song that gets your feet moving, or the bubblies in your drink that have you smiling wide, or maybe it’s that pastry you snuck a bite of in between polite smiles making you feel warm all over. Whatever it takes, the longer you stay in the ballroom, you will have fun.
(—but “fun” is pretty subjective, isn’t it? Hopefully your idea of fun doesn’t ruin the party…)
12.0 But hey, don’t forget you have a job to do. Enjoy the festivities all you want, but remember you have to ensure the High King’s survival and the capture of His assassin(s). As His special guests, you have full access to every part of the castle and all the authority you could want to question anyone and everyone. Of course, that doesn’t mean everyone’s okay with that so you may find a couple of citizens and guests less than thrilled about being questioned when they’re just trying to have a good time. Remember, the High King isn’t a fan of Draduak Downers, so covertness is key here.
● ● ●
N O T E: Additionally, personal tasks are provided to each character as they enter the simulation. In-game, each character will be given one task. For the purposes of the test drive, we’re leaving it to players to pick a task from the following list for their character and run with it.
A Pretend to be (or become) inebriated and make a scene.
B Ask three strangers to dance.
C Reveal to a teammate an embarrassing story of your past.
For those looking to do something a little less involved, there is always the training room — though there’s something off about it this time around. What is normally a large, mostly empty room lined with benches and wall racks to hold weapons now resembles more of the simulation room upon entering.
Try to fiddle with the control panel as much as you want, but nothing seems to set the room back to the way it was. Seems like the only way out is to let the simulation play through, but rather than any of the preprogrammed missions the simulation room is known for, these simulations draw on all of this team’s previous missions, as if you yourself were a part of it.
Seems you’re on an unexpected walk down the orbers’ memory lane… Maybe you’ll get lucky and someone will act as your tour guide.
• MISSION FILE: BRASS DEVIL — Bright lights, extravagance, and liquor-soaked evenings keep the city of Braccia alive. Three crime families rule the streets, and if you want to get anywhere here, you have to make nice with them. They may play nice on the surface, but there's something tense pulling at the heart of the city... Can you figure out what it is?
• MISSION FILE: THE SLEEPER — To sleep is but to dream; at least, that's what they say, but the inhabitants of Kilnan may not agree. A strange sleeping illness has taken over the kingdom and no one can figure out why. To make matters worse, the royal wizard, Remi, is unresponsive. How will these sleeping beauties save their kingdom from ruin?
• MISSION FILE: BAD COMPANY — Welcome to Scorpion's Bend, the wild west with a curious and melancholy twist. Something isn't right about this place, but you can't figure out just what it is. There's bandits wandering around looking for some kind of fortune, so you might want to avoid them. Oh, and, be wary of the food.
• MISSION FILE: UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS — A tale as old as time: "good" vs "evil," up vs down. Giva is a world steeped deeply in tradition and culture, so it stands to reason that the afterlife would be, too. Taeum is where the "good" souls go, Sedorum is where the "bad" souls go... or so everyone's been told. But, it won't take long for you to realize something isn't quite right about that distinction.
• MISSION FILE: 4:50 TO VREFESEA — Productivity and innovation have been the hot topic of Novis Nox lately, as new and amazing things are being produced in a way that almost seems like magic. If that was even a concept the locals understood, anyway. Craemore and Vrefesea are separated by a vast ocean and traveled between by train, usually easily with no interruption. And yet, suddenly, you find yourself in the middle of a family whodunnit. Hopefully, you can make it out of the finger-pointing.
• MISSION FILE: THE FOX & THE HARE — E-23b is a city on the brink of mass destruction, and yes, it's because of the government. A revolution is set to break, and you can help them. There's something deeply personal about this mission, and best discovered by connecting with The Fables. Can you manage to assist and help them begin to rebuild? Or will everything fall apart?
• MISSION FILE: WISH FULL — Qruria City is one of the many kingdoms scattered throughout the world of Xrisora, a beautiful place with a well-loved monarchy. There are new things to learn, new things to meet, and hopefully, you're not afraid of the ocean...
F Y I
• This TDM takes place during the downtime between missions from the middle of September to the rest of the year.
• TDM threads can be used as samples for apps. In fact, we encourage it!
• Reserves open on September 20 at 6PM GMT!
• Apps open September 25 and will remain open until September 30.
• For any questions regarding TDM, please direct them here. For questions about the game, please refer to the FAQ.
FOR SOME FUN:
Have a clue for October's mission:
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A woman's? That's Viveca.
[he inspects the bottle only a moment before pressing and turning the cap, removing the lid and holding out the bottle back to him.]
I suspect these are for the pain.
no subject
[ It's a warning of what's to come if he doesn't stop it, so he takes the bottle and spills a bunch of pills into his hand. He looks a little confused if only because they're so foreign looking. But he picks out two, put them in his mouth, and drinks them down with the water. Then he works on getting the rest back in the bottle — which is easier said than done — but once it's complete, he looks back to the person who helped. ]
My thanks. How did you get the lid off?
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he once again reseals it and holds it back to be taken.] Try.
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We do not have containers like this in my land, but it seems simple enough.
[ He sets the bottle back on the nightstand for now, already feeling the effects of the medicine. It's as fast acting as the potion used to be before it started to become less effective. Now he stands from the bed to retrieve his knapsack and scabbard from where it's being stored underneath. ]
Viveca is the one who bargained with us?
[ He starts rummaging through his bag for something to wear. ]
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No; you're speaking of one of the orb-entities. It resides within this station, but it is not her. Viveca is something of a caretaker, while that one you bargained with... [mm.]
It is more or less just a broker for your being here at all.
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[ So that settles it; his gods have nothing to do with this. But surely they would not protest him taking matters into his own hands and forging his own destiny.
The caretaker here clearly knew what was wrong with him if he was left here with medicine at his side. Hopefully she's the only one aware of his condition.
While his boots were removed so he could lay comfortably on the bed, he figures it's time to change his shirt. Camping out in the wilds leaves a man stuck in his clothes for far too long. Without giving notice that he's changing, Joric pulls his shirt off over his head and grabs an extra one from his bag. It's simple linen and unadorned, with some spots in need of mending. His chest and shoulders are battle scarred and he bears a tattoo on each bicep. One a knotwork design of a bird, the other a knotwork band with small symbols of various weapons spaced out around it. His body alludes to stories that his mouth does not think necessarily to tell.
Once the shirt is on and he's pulled his long hair out from under it, he says: ]
I am Joric.
no subject
it takes mindful restraint to not probe for coherent thought, but...boundaries. he's learned boundaries.
...not the not-staring boundaries.
at the introduction, Blue nods, putting a hand over his heart.] I'm called Blue. I'm glad to have been able to help, even a little.
I take it...Viveca hasn't welcomed you to the Ximilia, beyond offering you that medicine.
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The voice stopped when you spoke. A good thing, because I cannot have two conversations at once.
[ He crosses his arms over his chest, looking a bit more closed off which mirrors his emotional state. He's not too comfortable with having deep feelings and even less so with giving them voice, so his current emotions are only confusion at the place he finds himself and a steadfast determination to understand it as quickly as possible. ]
I suppose I am to find a more permanent bed, since this appears to be the healers' area.
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This is the infirmary. If you would like, I can show you where the dormitory wing is and, perhaps, answer some questions.
no subject
[ He slips the pill bottle into his knapsack before shouldering it and nodding for Blue to lead the way. ]
I can already tell much is different from my home land. [ But first and most importantly: ] Are we served food or do we go out and get our own?
no subject
We can prepare whatever we like with what is stored there. Many others have requested ingredients and dishes from their homelands, so you will have plenty of opportunities to try something new, if that is something you would like.
[the Mu has only just been given a chance to even try for himself; it's something he's eager to do.]
There is no cost to prepare, either; you won't need to barter...unless someone is cheeky enough to demand it.
no subject
[ He muses over the no cost part, thinking it sounds almost too good to be true. ]
They must really need our help if they provide us with so much. Why are these orb things so important for them to have?
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Simple, honest wishes beget wicked constructs, of degeneration, of ripples of pain incalculable to the one who wished at all... And, if Viveca and this expedition's commander are to be believed, leaving them there unchecked for too long causes abject destruction far beyond a wish.
For the long months I've been here, I've seen and felt...immense suffering at the hands of these entities.
no subject
And they are being stored here? How are they rendered safe for us to be around?
no subject
They reside in the northernmost wing, sealed from our view save for rare moments when the captain deems it appropriate for us to be able to see.
no subject
[ He has quite the distaste for magic these days. ]
What else does this place provide?
no subject
[and the fabled mess hall, at whose entryway they have reached. Blue gestures for the man to enter, if he so pleases.]
no subject
My thanks. Where do I get the food?
no subject
[Blue thinks about the steps Yzak took to prepare himself food, following Joric inside.
pointing to some overhead cupboards:] There are dry foods and ingredients housed there...and the things that must be kept cold in here. ["here" being the fridge, which he pulls open to show its contents.]
Drinks are here, too.
no subject
Bread?
no subject
he double-blinks at the ask, then looks around.]
...Here, perhaps... [bread box? yes. this one. and there's some different types in here, it seems.] There seem to be a few kinds... I don't know the differences, though.
no subject
Eventually he gets into the bread bag and takes out a twelve grain bread to go with his cheese. And then he eats in silence for around a minute, not the type to make small talk. Plus he's hungry. His gray eyes search the area, taking in everything that's so different from what he's left behind. Eventually, he does speak. ]
Do you come from a place that looks like this?
no subject
[that may not be the case for this person, it seems.]
Is this place...entirely alien to you? [...] Food aside, I suppose.
no subject
[ He sighs and shakes his head a little. ]
I had no idea when I agreed to this that the place I was going would look so different from my home. I will have to learn all this along with completing these missions.
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