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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:
no subject
[How he manages to pick the absolute most gaudy thing he could amazes her. She laughs all the same.]
Well given what we know anyhow I can make a reasonable guess. This is more of a fantasy world so we can't really go with modern-day outfits exactly.
[And not that there's much of it among the racks. Eva pauses, eyes Joric up and down, then cocks a brow upward.]
Okay, first off -- someone's got to measure you because I sure can't just eyeball you.
[Her brother-in-law? Sure. Neil? Yeah, he's kind of a twig. Joric? He's a brick wall over here and she's not even going to guess at shirt sizes or pants for him.
She turns a little, looking for the nearest assistant or whatnot.]
no subject
[ Why waste time say lot word when few word do trick? ]
Why is this a fantasy world?
[ His eyes follow her in confusion as she tries to find someone to help and soon enough someone is there with a measuring tape. He frowns, not liking being told to raise your arms like this or stand straight like that. And as the assistant is male, he's really not into having his inseam measured either. But he bears it all with barely disguised annoyance. Thank the gods his rage is being suppressed right now.
Once the measurements are taken, the assistant gives the pair Joric's sizes and — sure enough — points them towards the Big & Tall section. ]
no subject
Ah, you're more the blunt type, hm? I can respect that.
[As he gets all measured up and whatnot Eva casts a glance around the area.]
It's just the tone of this place. I don't know what it's like where you're from but the hallways and labs and all that outside of here is a little closer to what I'm used to. All of this in here is what I would call 'fantasy' themed.
[Once they're pointed to the Big & Tall section Eva just outright laughs.]
Okay I guess I should have guessed that much.
[She leads Joric on with unflappable ease, hands tucking themselves into the pockets of her Sigmund lab coat as she walks.]
So how much experience do you have with dressing up?
no subject
[ Honest. Blunt. Casually an asshole. Any and all apply.
He heads in that direction and since the sign translates itself for him, he can easily understand it. At least its message is clear this time. He needs simple words and concepts. ]
None. We just wore whatever was best for important celebrations. No holes or stains. Clean. These look like clothes you do not wear for anything but a special reason.
[ He peruses a display shelf with folded dress shirts and picks up a black one which falls open. He holds it up to himself and looks down at it before he remembers he was measured and holds it back out. ]
This number is the size?
no subject
[She sure did, mostly ranging in different cuts of black dresses because too often her moment of calling was the funeral of some important patient. She didn't necessarily have to go but Eva was soft-hearted in odd ways according to Neil.]
That's right. Some dress shirts have a neck size too but frankly I think that kind of formal wear wouldn't work right on you.
[And she's not saying that meanly either. She's got an eye for attractiveness as much as any other living human being even if she doesn't often engage in that sort of thing.]
no subject
[ All that extra cloth made up into clothes to almost never be worn? Weird. ]
Would this be right?
[ He checks the tag but it's too small and he's aware enough of the fact it should be put back as it was, but he has no idea how it was folded. So he sort of half asses it and searches for his size. ]
It is good enough, yes? The last thing I want is to be stuck in here all day planning what to wear.
no subject
Here, let me help you out here. It's not every day I get to dress up and definitely not every day I can suggest anything without some argument.
[She picks through those black shirts and ends up delivering one along with some black slacks and a belt too.]
You try these on over in one of the dressing rooms and I'll see if I can find shoes.
no subject
[ He is well on his way to looking like a petulant teen doing back-to-school shopping. But he does head over to the dressing room and gets changed. It takes him a rather long time as he has to undo all the buttons on the dress shirt plus the cuffs and the pants... well, it takes him an extraordinarily long time to figure out how the zipper works.
In fact, whether she finds shoes or not, she'll probably have to come check on him before he steps out because it really is taking him this long. ]
no subject
She gives the door a knock after a few, brows perked upward.]
You doing okay in there -- [... ah cucumbers] -- what's-your-name?
[Smooth there, Eva.]
no subject
Joric.
[ He opens the door and steps out. The pants are on and fastened shut. The shirt is... getting there. The cuffs are still undone and only a couple of buttons are done up. Plus he's not wearing an undershirt. Also, is this a bad time to point out he doesn't wear underwear? Good thing this is a simulation and not a real business. He's wearing the belt around his shirt because that's how he's used to wearing them and he hasn't quite yet connected the loops on the pants to being for the belt. ]
There are too many buttons.
no subject
You're close there.
[Here she pops open the buttons of her lab coat and sort of just holds it open. Amusingly enough underneath it she's wearing a simple dark purple turtleneck but more important she's wearing dark brown slacks, a belt fed through the loops there and her turtleneck tucked in to the waist too.]
The belt goes through the loops like this. I can help you out with the rest of the buttons though -- cuffs are always hard to do on your own.
[If she notes the lack of undershirt or anything else she sure isn't breathing a word about it. It's pretty clear wherever this great mountain of a man is from it's not some place where you wear button down shirts.]
no subject
Why is this belt so short?
[ He settles for putting it through another belt loop and letting that be the end of it. Now he stands straight so she can fix his shirt. ]
How do people do this? They're just clothes. Why are there so many fasteners and sizes? At home we just wear one size and belt it.
no subject
Because people like to complicate everything in life I guess.
[Sure she could go into the idea that outfits with lots of fasteners back in the day showed you were wealthy enough to afford servants to help you dress but she's not about to get into that with a guy who struggles with a belt being short.
She reaches for his other wrist now with the patience of someone's aunt as she adds:]
I'm Eva by the way. Sorry for skipping that.
no subject
[ He never wants a real mission to involve getting dressed up like this. He'll miss the whole thing because it'll take him so long to get ready. ]
Well met, Eva.
[ He looks at his wrists being button in and shakes his head. ]
I feel trapped in this thing. Did you find shoes?
no subject
[There's a tinge of amusement in her tone before she turns around and plucks up a set of shoes from a nearby bench. Socks too!]
I'm going to guess you know how to tie a knot or two, yeah?
no subject
[ He lets out a huff of annoyance but takes the shoes and socks. ]
I do.
[ He sits down on the bench inside the dressing room to put on his socks which feel pretty good considering how terrible the rest of the outfit has been so far. He puts on the shoes next and nope; he does not like these at all. They're the right size, yet their design smashes his toes together and pinches them. He grimaces but ties them on anyway. ]
I will assume these are meant to be pointless beyond special occasions.
no subject
[She looks him up and down a moment just to make sure he's got buttons buttoned and everything. Then she huffs out an amused breath.]
For a guy in uncomfortable clothing though you do look nice.
no subject
Part of the mission must be to look as though I belong here.
[ Already he's messing with his cuffs, hating how restricted his arms feel. ]
I can see the value in practicing.
[ He takes a few steps around, looking stiff though not uncomfortable as he's schooling his features. ]
By the gods, these are the worst. I may as well be walking upon a knife's edge.
no subject
[She gestures, adding:]
I've got to do this too so you may as well walk around and break in the shoes. Not that dress shoes ever get really comfortable but they get better over time.
no subject
no subject
Dark purple compliments her skin tone well and while she would usually go for something with a fuller neckline she figures if she's got to play spy here she could probably use at least a little distracting cleavage. That's what they do in the movies, yeah?
She's making her own pinched face at her shoes and once she sees him again she groans with a laugh.]
This is why you buy dress shoes once and then abuse them for every function until they fall apart. Breaking these things in is terrible.
no subject
I can't imagine my feet ever being comfortable in them. I certainly have no wish to wear them enough to see if such a thing is possible.
[ He turns to look over their surroundings. ]
This is all pretend. A training course. Let's hope we never have a mission that requires this.
[ Seriously, he would rather take his chances on a battlefield because at least he's used to that. ]