TEST DRIVE MEME #5.

[acatamods]

I ▫ main IV ▫ premise       XI ▫ applications XIV ▫ activity II ▫ logs V ▫ rules VII ▫ bestiary   IX ▫ canon updates XII ▫ taken XV ▫ drop/hiatus III ▫ ooc VI ▫ faq VIII ▫ setting   X ▫ mods XIII ▫ reserves XVI ▫ players test drive meme #5 It happens in the blink of an eye. One moment, you are home. Perhaps you are with your family, perhaps you are at work. It's a completely normal day . . . and then, suddenly, your stomach drops. You are overcome with a sudden sense of vertigo. You cannot see up, or down, or where you are. You fall flat on your face. It's bright, warm, and humid . . . for now. Weirdly, the weather seems to be entirely in flux. One moment, it is warm and humid, and within the next handful of hours, it is starting to snow. Whatever is going on with Astoria seems to be messing with the atmosphere of the Temple, and as a result, you are having something of a wild entrance to Acatalepsy. It takes a few seconds for you to gain composure and catch your breath. You are surrounded by ancient stone buildings, with carvings you do not recognize etched into the stone. There's a sense of nausea, overwhelming and sudden, when you realize you aren't in Kansas anymore. Indeed, it seems as if you have fallen down the rabbit hole. A weird, mysterious, snowing-yet-humid rabbit hole. THE TEMPLE OF BEGINNINGS. Welcome to the "Home Base" of Astoria's Circle. What the actual name of the base is called is lost to the ages, and there's no sense of where you could find it, unless you started asking around. At any rate, this is a central hub of the Circle, a place of powerful magic and mysterious energy. It is a scattering of ancient stone buildings and for the most part, it looks abandoned . . . except for what seems to be a few items, some rooms taken, items moved or organized, even a small garden planted. These are just the smallest hints that there are people here that have been here before you arrived. Overall, it's fairly beautiful. However, it is definitely not modern. Upon exploration, you find that the buildings are kept up by some kind of magic. Some of the rooms have items, things from other Circle members already settled, and others appear to be unclaimed. Pick your rooms, explore the grounds, see the beauty and wonder all around you in such a magical place. However, be careful -- there is some additional movement around the Temple that seems specific to the time of year. HAPPY UN-BIRTHDAY. The kitchen has become overtaken with a flurry of activity. Vines have woven their way into the area of the Temple typically reserved for food, and there is a massive tea party! What a splendiferous thing -- surely this can't be all that bad. There is such a massive array of food here that it almost seems impossible to know where to start . . . tea and cookies set out with messages that read “EAT/DRINK ME." Well, if you insist. However . . . certain foods and drinks have certain effects upon your person that are wholly unexpected. Well, drat. If you taste the rosehip tea, you are suddenly infatuated with the first individual you lay eyes on. They are everything to you. You think you may even want to propose, immediately, right now. Weddings, I love weddings! Tasting the ladyfingers will cause you to spill your deepest secrets to whoever is nearby. Have a secret crush? Not anymore! The entire room has to know about it, and you somehow can't seem to shut up about whatever you've been trying to keep quiet. A sip of the chamomile tea will cause you to become ridiculously sleepy. That corner looks like a particularly delightful place to take a nap, doesn't it? Maybe someone else wants to nap too. The Madeline cakes cause a ridiculously high spike in happiness. Nothing can get you down, not even the grumpiest of people. Smile, smile, smile! You need to spread this joy to everyone in your reach. A nibble of the scones will prevent you from lying. . . and, in addition, you will be brutally honest on whatever question you're asked. Maybe now is a bad time to give an opinion on your friend's outfit or new haircut, hm? And, finally, the Earl Grey tea will cause an enhancement of your Astoria given powers. Make sure you have that under control, or you may accidentally blow out a window, depending on what it is. YOU'RE LATE, YOU'RE LATE. The Unseen Servants will be a little, well, mad. Not that anyone will be able to see them, but there will seem to be things moving around the Temple at random, whether they be sheets, clothing, food, furniture, etc. with very little if any logical reason to it. It almost appears like the sheets and the like are moving throughout the air without any rhyme or reason to it . . . someone certainly isn't happy that the Temple is all astray. In addition, the Unseen Servants may also be attempting to steal things off of you. After all, you are also new to their world, and they want to make sure everything is put into their proper place, so beware any silent mischievous Unseen Servants dipping hands into pockets. Also . . . some of the rooms in the Temple are shifting around. Certain entryways could lead you to a select location at random. You may have thought you were entering your room, but it appears you’ve wound up in someone else’s. Or the bathhouse. Or the forest. Either way, you may find yourself lost for a bit...until the Temple decides to stop playing tricks on you. Keep track of your location, or you may wind up in the Forest of the Fey by mistake. OFF WITH YOUR HEAD. Should you approach the fighting ring, you’ll find that isn’t quite what you’d expect — there are no training dummies to be found, the rusted gates are colored a lavish gold, and the dirt ground has been replaced with a red and black checkered flooring. More notably, the ring itself seems to have expanded to make way for seating so that it’s become more of an arena than anything. There is an audience of spectators: many of them are typically known as the bestiary of this Temple. They are a bit more, er, refined and chatty today. When you enter, the gates will shut behind you. They will not budge. You have now entered a makeshift Royal Court. Suddenly, a playing card manifests in your hand. It might be… A Heart: A princess-like figure is displayed on this card. She appears to be singing. A Diamond: A gallant knight-like figure is displayed on this card. He appears to be fighting. A Queen: A refined queen-like figure is displayed on this card. She sits atop a throne, her finger pointed right at you. A King: A triumphant-king like figure is displayed on this card. He stands on a podium for all to see. A Joker: A jester-like figure is displayed on this card. He is dancing, laughing, and making a general fool of himself. On the back reads a message that states “This card withholds your role. You’ll be permitted to leave once we are thoroughly entertained. Best of luck!” No further instruction is given. Those who have entered with you are in the same predicament. How will you interpret your card? Who are you stuck with and how will you satisfy the audience? Or are you a member of the audience instead? Either way, good luck getting out — it’s up to you! COMMUNICATIONS. Upon arriving, you will notice on whichever is your non-dominant hand, you will have a fairly simply screen. A smart watch, if you will. Upon exploration, you will find that it has a directory of all those here with you at the Temple of Beginnings- names, and access to a direct message to them. The watch also has video, audio, and text capabilities, as well as what looks like a collection of messages sent to everyone who wishes to open them. This is your 'network', and also how Astoria can reach out and communicate with you. There is nothing keeping you from removing and/or losing your watch! But remember that you will not have access to this network without it. OOC: Also feel free to join us and other possible players on our discord server! enjoy! ♥

Comments

Magnus Burnsides | The Adventure Zone

[ruffboi]

Happy Un-Birthday

[Magnus is a little late to the tea party -- late enough that quite a bit of the food has been picked over and that plenty of people have already experienced the negative effects of the food. But Magnus has missed all of the pandemonium and just seems to notice the Eat Me sign with delight.]

Free food! Nice!

[Maybe warn him off? Oh wait, too late. He's just eaten - hmm. A little bit of everything.]

Huh. Kinda weird aftertaste.

Off With Your Head

[Magnus enters the fighting ring, obviously confident. After all, he is a pretty big guy and he looks like he's at home in a fight.

He's been given a playing card, but he doesn't even look at it.]

Well? We fighting, or what?

Wildcard

[Magnus has accidentally turned his communicator on, and doesn't seem to have realized it.]

happy unbirthday

[chaoticlootral]

[Just hanging out, apparently not bothering to stop Magnus from doing this. He'll be fine, he's got a high constitution score.]

Y'know, now that I'm looking at it, have you considered a new haircut? Not really sure that ones working for you, homie.

[He hasn't eaten anything.]

[ruffboi]

[Laughing, putting down the pastries he's been eating, grabbing Taako by the hands, grinning in his face.]

No! I'd never consider it. These follicles are staying put.

Now. Taako. Listen to me, Taako.

[chaoticlootral]

[Why...................]

If this is gonna get weird, I'm gonna go talk to someone else.

[ruffboi]

Oh, it's gonna get weird all right. I just wanted you to know that you're my best friend, and I think every day we spend here we're only going to become closer.

[Still holding onto his hands, preventing his escape.]

[chaoticlootral]

[NO THIS GOT WEIRD

trying to twist out of his grip, but also he has no ability to Blink so. Trapped.]

I told you, we've got rules about this, you only get one overly familiar declaration a year and you used yours when you had too many shots at Carey's birthday party and told the whole room you were "looking forward to many more birthdays with us."

[ruffboi]

[He did warn you. And he's grinning like a maniac and not letting go, ready to unload some harsh truths on Taako.]

Yeah, yeah, but I know those rules are just because you get embarrassed when you admit you care about things. But - [Removing one hand to poke him in the chest, above your heart.] Don't hide your feelings away, Taako. Let them shine bright. Because I know you've got a lot of love in there to share.

[chaoticlootral]

[With one hand free, he's got more room to thrash wildly to try and free himself - mostly just resulting in himself getting poked in the eye while he's trying to avoid being poked in the heart. Also, Magnus, that doesn't even mean anything. Covering his poked eye with a hand.]

Okay, so, I see that you've been possessed by the throw pillow aisle at Fantasy TJ Maxx, so I'm going to need you to try and throw up everything you just ate.

[ruffboi]

Yeah, think I'm good. I actually feel great? Try one. They, uh, got an extra special ingredient.

[Winking at him and handing him a little cake.]

[chaoticlootral]

[No response. Smacking it out of his hand and onto the floor.]

Off with your head...

[shootstyles]

Uhhh.

[He stares up at the massive guy in front of him and then back down at his card. He has a queen card.]

We're supposed interpret the cards right? And I don't think that she really looks like she's fighting.

Maybe overseeing a fight? Or making some kind of decree? I guess it's really up to our interpretation but they clearly want us to do something. Some of the cards, like the jester are a lot more obvious, but this one clearly has a lot of room for interpretation...

[He's not even talking to you anymore. Just himself, really.]

[ruffboi]

Oh. Hmm.

[Leaning over him, taking a look at his card, too.]

So, I threw mine in the garbage. Is that a problem?

[shootstyles]

Uhhh.

I don't think it's a problem as much as it's... sort of the whole point? It's basically like you threw away a piece of a puzzle you needed to solve.

[ruffboi]

Here's the problem -- they handed me that card, but they didn't really highlight it, you know? Like, they could have mentioned it a couple more times and added some more fancy descriptive text so I'd realize it was going to be important.

When you look at it that way, it's really on them, isn't it?

[shootstyles]

Isn't giving you a card with instructions on it a highlight in and of itself...?

[ruffboi]

Thought it was a souvenir. Or a raffle ticket, or something.

[shootstyles]

...But you're supposed to keep souvenirs...?

Well, anyway, you can have mine if you want! You seem much more into the game than I am.

[ruffboi]

Hmm. What's yours? The Queen? I wonder if mine was better, though...?

I guess I could just go get it out of the trash.

two D&D podcasts walk into a dessert buffet

[burtreynoldsesq]

Free food is like... the best kind of food. [Agrees the much shorter man standing on the table next to Magnus and probably not even coming up to his shoulders.

Scanlan peers a little more closely at the things on the table.] Do you think these are vegan? I've really been trying to be more vegan.

[ruffboi]

[Well, finally. Someone else looking like a normal fantasy person. He considers the question - but he's also had a few bites of, well, everything by now, and it's starting to kick in.]

Who cares? This is the good shit. You gotta try it. I'm feeling like - I'm going to spill some heavy secrets on you, but also, I don't even mind?

Here's the first secret: no one gives a shit about your vegan diet.

[burtreynoldsesq]

[Scanlan glances up at him.] Oh, my friends hate it. It's just, I made a promise to my daughter, you know? I'm trying to keep it.

[There's a pause.] Buuuut, we never included what to do if the only food around isn't vegan, and she wouldn't want me to starve, so tea and pastries it is! [What to choose first? That's the new question.]

Go ahead and lay 'em on me, big man. Wouldn't be the first time I've heard the deepest, darkest secrets of a man ten times my weight, and it won't be the last.

[ruffboi]

Aww. That's kind of sweet. Now I feel bad for ripping on it.

[He doesn't look like he feels bad. He's still grinning like a madman and saying all his thoughts aloud.]

Second secret: all of this food is definitely drugged? But I'm kind of into it. Didn't try the tea, so couldn't say if that's also drugged.

[burtreynoldsesq]

It's cool. She's just really big into the vegan thing. I had to totally change up what the ghost servants make in my magic mansion. I'm used to it, but like I said-- friends are getting real bored of salad.

[He's reaching for one of the scones and in fact has it halfway to his lips when Magnus says they're drugged, and that actually gives him pause.] Okay, but like... what kind of drugs?

Is this some hardcore passed-out-in-an-alley drugs? Or like, coffee? [Since, despite his jolly demeanor, wrestling with an addiction is something he's tried to put in his past.]

[ruffboi]

Somewhere in between? Your standard have a good time and embarrass yourself and hopefully have no awful side effects and regret later.

[burtreynoldsesq]

Right, right. Good ol' drug standardization. [Scanlan nods, knowingly, and then picks up one of the Madeline cakes.] Oh hell, what's another poor decision in my life?

[Pop. Into his mouth.]

Man, I don't know about drugged, but this is tasty.