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[TDM] September 2023 (again!)
SEPTEMBER 2023 TDM (part 2!)
You wake up, completely alone in an unfamiliar place. The forest around you is awash in the pleasant coolness of early autumn. Any time-telling devices have stopped working and nothing looks familiar. But the visitors center has maps and information on the area, and with a bit of looking around you find the name of a nearby town: Ashbrook.
Welcome to the (second) TDM for September! Please direct any questions you may have here.
Welcome to the (second) TDM for September! Please direct any questions you may have here.
Object Terror
What:
A haunted house with some haunted hitchhikers
When:
Evenings in October
Warnings:
Varies, see here
As the air chills, the nights cool, and the leaves dress up in autumnal splendor, the yearly spooktacular surprises begin to take root in the town once again. While Turnit Around Turnip makes their auspicious charms the focal point of their sales – it's good for casting away evil spirits and bad luck, you see – there's the rising excitement of Miss Fortune's Mystery Manor returning as well. It's a rather old house, normally abandoned with "private property" signs hung with care and watched over carefully by the local force to ensure no miscreants find their ways inside, but with fall sweeping in on the northern winds new signs have appeared.
Come on by! They say, decorated with colorful leaves and pumpkins stickers. Harmless as can be, skeletons greeting any who should pass with a hand perpetually raised. Feeling brave? Test your courage in this year's haunted house!
Bring a friend, it implies, or maybe a date. It'd be a nice time to try your luck with a little "physical comfort" as the teens like to say.
The yard is decorated with all sorts of 'spooky' bits and bobs, like inflated ghosts and a cauldron spilling out smoke. Hands from the ground. Shadows in the window. Maybe even a face or two, but it's plain to see they're just illuminated cutouts if you dare to look too long at them. Within is much the same affair, with cobwebs both real and fake in the corners of the rooms, a worn red carpet indicating the pathway through the haunted exploration. There's your usual jumpscares, closets opening and cabinets banging, dolls that blink and books that fall on their own... A ribbon that wraps itself around your feet, paintings whose eyes follow your every move, the hand of a skeleton grasping your arm that definitely was not moving before–
The guide had mentioned, you remember, that a number of the possessions here had come from possessed homes and individuals, knick-knacks that had a life of their own, and allowed out only this time of the year. Employees who work the haunted attraction can attest to suddenly finding hitchhikers when they'd gotten home, and warn with almost a joking tone to make sure you're not a victim yourself! How funny, charming, and definitely not going to happen.
But it does.
Some of the "haunted items'' look pretty nifty. A pocket watch that tells time backwards. A doll that bleeds from the eyes. A book that always falls open on the same pages, paragraphs describing the gruesome death of a young couple at the hands of some fictionalized serial killer with each sentence underlined in a dark, dull brown and dotted with the same. Easy to take, easy to fence off to the right sucker – or just to keep as a souvenir. Steal if you'd like.
Others seem to find their way home in a less natural way, tucked away in your pocket when you go to protect your digits from the chilly fall air or sitting in the entryway of your house. That large painting of a mysterious woman wasn't in your bathroom when you went in, but one look into the mirror and she's staring right back at you, judging your teeth brushing techniques. Just fascinating, unusual things like that – and they'll always find their way "home", too.
TL;DR
- A haunted house is in town, and in that house are haunted objects
- One way or another, these objects will find a way into a characters home, where they'll cause various spooky effects
- You can make up your own item and effects, or comment here to have the mods generate one for you
- Existing characters are allowed to request a haunted item, but we ask that they not post top level comments on the TDM itself
What:
A fundraiser with completely normal food
When:
Throughout September and October
Warnings:
Memory loss, delusional thoughts, aggression, violence, food that's been tampered with
Where there is fall, there is bound to be fundraisers galore – that's what the odd pop-up shop that seems to appear overnight is for, probably, though the most forgettable face on the planet running it won't say one way or the other. It's "getting pretty chilly out there, huh?" and "say, how about you take a few ciders off my hands" for starring topics, and to his credit the food and drink he offers does look absolutely delectable... not to mention perfect for the cooling weather.
Like any normal shopkeep, he's got exactly three stupendous items for sale:
A warm, spicy apple cider perfect for chasing away the chill and easing that homesickness the Visitors might be feeling about now. It just brings back golden memories, sitting by the hearth or surrounded by loved ones, or if one's past is more of the sad type it's those snatches of happinesses, the small kindnesses shown to them and Lady Luck turning her wily gaze their way. It tastes like nostalgia, it just might not be your own.
Second for sale is the dark rustic coloring of maple syrup in its own leaf-shaped glass jug, sweet enough to give the dentist a week's worth of appointments. In fact, the salesman claims that "nine out of ten dentists" recommend it as a mouthwash – he's just joking of course, for legal reasons. Perfect for everything breakfast and finding a place in some beverages as well, take a bottle or two home for the missus (or mister!) to make use of this autumn season.
Lastly is a special spice mix for the culinary connoisseurs of the town, a special blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and his own flair thrown in that gives it a bit of je ne sais quoi (just like how grammy used to make it!): black pepper. Guaranteed to kick any recipe up a notch, he claims it can be used in drinks, desserts, and as a topper for each as well. Just don't do what the kids call the "pumpkin pie spice challenge", or the hospital's the next place you'll wake up.
But of course, it can't be that simple. Each of these food items has a strange effect on Visitors—and only on Visitors, as it turns out. Each of these effects will last for up to an hour, and are as follows:
The apple cider feels so much like home you'll forget you aren't home. Visitors will forget their lives in canon and believe that they are, in fact, their Ashbrook counterpart. They won't gain any new memories to facilitate this belief, however.
The maple syrup is so sweet you could forget all your worries! ... Literally. The syrup causes total amnesia, causing Visitors to forget their canon memories and their time spent in Ashbrook.
The spice mix has some kick! Too much kick. Characters will find that they're hearing other people's thoughts, projecting their own thoughts at other people, and moving objects without touching them. This can happen even around townsfolk, though they'll be quick to dismiss it as their imagination.
And, finally, all of the foods have a chance of causing heightened feelings of aggression, anger, and paranoia. This could just make you a little more snappish in a slow checkout line... or it could drive you to commit acts of violence, even extreme ones, against your fellow residents of Ashbrook.
TL;DR
- A suspiciously normal man is offering spiked food to any interested parties.
- Every food item has a chance of increasing aggression, anger, and paranoia, which could lead to violent outbursts.
- Apple cider makes Visitors believe that they're actually their Ashbrook counterpart
- Maple syrup causes total amnesia
- Spice mix gives Visitors minor—and uncontrolled!—telekinetic and telepathic abilities.
Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble
What:
It's time to learn magic!
When:
Weekends in September and October
Warnings:
None
As many Visitors were able to establish last month, the Witch of the Woods isn't just a rumor. She's a real person, a stern but beautiful woman who's willing to teach anyone who seeks her out. Bring her a suitable offering and knock three times on her door in the middle of the night, and she'll answer to teach you what she knows of the supernatural and magic.
... Or at least, those are the rumors. The truth is much simpler: flyers, decorated childishly with bat and cauldron stickers, can be found throughout town, inviting the reader to the "Witch's Retreat". They appear as a Visitor glances away for a second to pick something up, or gently drift down right into their hands. Even the most skeptical, scoff-likely of Visitors will find their interest piqued in the days before it, mind drifting back to the promise of help in their unusual situation.
The retreat itself is headed by a middle-aged woman, who's narrowed gaze inspects the people who've come before she grumbles something under her breath and waves her hand.
"Look in the tree holes for your books and pick a partner to pair with — they aren't the kinds of things you'd want to test on your own. First rule: Always have a third hand. Second: Don't do it in public if you can help it. Final: Don't even try skipping ahead, because they won't answer you."
Whatever that means. It's time to learn magic.
The Witch — if pressed, she'll begrudgingly allow the students to address her as 'Ms. Spinner' — will force characters together with a surprisingly powerful shove of her hand if she passes and you aren't already paired with someone too, so don't think you can get out of this little exercise by going solo! You can't. As far as the promised spirituality goes... listen to the voice within, find your inner peace, and the rest'll come naturally. The Witch isn't too pressed for you whelps to understand off the bat, though she won't leave you out on a limb either.
With the turning of the seasons, the Witch has a new spell to teach: protection against intruders. Combine rosemary and bay leaves in a stone bowl and set the mixture alight on your doorstep. Mix the ashes with rock salt, then sprinkle on the window sills and thresholds of exterior doorways of your home.
The Witch warns that this spell won't keep anyone out (Invest in a good lock, she advises instead), but it will make uninvited visitors feel uneasy about entering your home. Sometimes that's enough.
TL;DR
- The characters — Visitors, as they're referred — are able to learn basic level magic with the help of the Witch.
- Pair up and practice. This is essential to the process, and the Witch will force unpaired individuals to partner up.
- Any higher level magic won't come to the character; it may feel like there's a kind of blockage, even to those who're used to magic themselves.
- The Witch isn't open to questions about the town in particular (are you here to gossip or learn?) and won't answer anything about it, so stay on task if you want answers to your questions.
A Day In The Life
New Visitors may wake up in the woods, but that's not where they're going to be spending all of their time. They have homes, jobs, work, entire lives they need to attend to. They'd better get to it!
A Visitor will be instinctively drawn towards both their home and job; they will always know how to navigate the former, and may find the tasks they perform at the latter suspiciously easy. Outside of that, their life will be incredibly normal for the first few days. No one will acknowledge the strangeness in the woods, and a Visitor's insistence that they're not from around here will be treated like a joke.
And then suddenly it's weird again. They wake up one day and realize they have a different job, perhaps even a different home. They will lose any instinctive understanding they may have had of their old job and gain similar understanding of their new job. Visitors will retain all of their memories of their previous job, but if they bring it up to the townsfolk none of them will have any idea what they're talking about.
TL;DR
A Visitor will be instinctively drawn towards both their home and job; they will always know how to navigate the former, and may find the tasks they perform at the latter suspiciously easy. Outside of that, their life will be incredibly normal for the first few days. No one will acknowledge the strangeness in the woods, and a Visitor's insistence that they're not from around here will be treated like a joke.
And then suddenly it's weird again. They wake up one day and realize they have a different job, perhaps even a different home. They will lose any instinctive understanding they may have had of their old job and gain similar understanding of their new job. Visitors will retain all of their memories of their previous job, but if they bring it up to the townsfolk none of them will have any idea what they're talking about.
TL;DR
- This prompt is meant to allow players an opportunity to experiment with the role mechanic, without forcing them to retcon their threads if they receive a markedly different role after applying.
- Retconning is, of course, still an option - but if you want to give your character another bit of existential confusion, this is the prompt for you.
OOC Notes
If your character dies... While characters may die during the TDM, these deaths do not count towards a character's death count. If a character dies, they will vanish the instant they lose consciousness. The dead character will reappear safely back at the nearest visitors center, and both they and any witnesses will have only a hazy recollection of the event.
If you have any questions, please direct them here.
If you have any questions, please direct them here.
The Emperor | Baldur's Gate III | will avoid major spoilers
city city city city
How his vapid smile widens when he sees the Emperor. This is nothing like he's ever seen, after all, and he wants to dissect peel back chop slice break peek into dig into devour whole.
Or just look at a piece under the loving gaze of a microscope. Either way.
"'s okay~ How about...I help!"
And he scoops up the dog with a soft 'hm' of effort, before pivoting back towards the cafe door. "Come on, come on, Kanou-san is so generous, let's do this outside and not bother the patrons, Pochi~"
no subject
It's one way to recognize a fellow interloper. The human might draw a weapon the moment they're outside, of course, but it will simply have to take that gamble.
"Thank you," it says, in the damp and horrible voice of a creature without a jaw. It follows slowly, on shoeless two-toed feet, until the cafe door chimes shut behind them.
no subject
Said in between Kanou burying his face most dotingly in the dog's coat and generally loving on it in a fairly normal manner. Just because his life had involved animal experimentation, doesn't mean he doesn't appreciate all that the little beasties do and are! But his attention's back on the Emperor in time, mostly once they're out of sight from even the nosiest cafe patron pressing their face to the front window.
Then the dog gets lovingly deposited on the ground, and he gestures to its owner jauntily. "So. I have a price~ I have a small request, and I can help you as much as I can~ Are you willing to hear me oooouuuut?"
in the city.
it's the dog backing into his legs that snaps him out of it because izō likes dogs (even if he wouldn't admit that freely for no reason because that's none of anyone's business), and this one is clearly not having a good time. ]
Oi! Yer scarin' him, so lay off!
[ yes, mr. monster squid guy — just quit it! that's reasonable?? maybe it wouldn't be in any other situation, but izō is observant, and no one else here seems to think there's anything out of the ordinary. that leads him to believe they're in a similar situation, so whatever powers come with being a monster squid guy probably don't work either. maybe. hopefully?
in any case, he kneels down to be less of a threat to the dog himself. ]
no subject
He seems to like you. [ It is trying so terribly hard to sound patient about this - as though making an ally of this man is still in the cards now that he's seen its face. One must make some attempt to salvage a disaster. ] Perhaps you could assist.
[ Carefully - to the growl of the beagle mix tucked up against Izō's legs - it shifts forward to set the collar and leash down on a table, then steps away again. ]
no subject
he reaches over to take the leash and collar but then takes some time to pet the dog and, ideally, help him calm down. ]
He probably thinks you're gonna eat 'im, so you're gonna have your work cut out for ya provin' that ain't the case.
[ he eventually manages to get the collar back on again. ]
Animals're smart. They know it if ya don't mean it.
[ it's possible he's formed some of these beliefs based on the fact that he doesn't think someone can be trusted if animals don't like them, but it hasn't really steered him wrong so far. ]
no subject
He's in no danger from me, even if he insists on behaving otherwise. Probably better to bring him outside. If you would?
no subject
Should be all good now.
[ he backs up into the door to push it open, the loop of the leash around one wrist as he lets the dog head outside and follows. ]
Oughta figure out what kinda treats he likes. That's the surest way to get anybody to like ya more.
[ izō would include himself in this category. ]
no subject
Indeed. I suppose my appearance startled him. He seemed to take no notice until we were inside.
[ This is because the moment the Emperor stepped through that door, its glamour fell. It hadn't prepared for this, and evidently neither had the dog. ]
Thank you for your help.
we built this city
And then the dog trips into him which is something he can handle. He's good with animals. His magic isn't active but his ability to project a firm yet gentle commanding presence isn't magic. Isn't only just that, at least.
"Easy, now. None of that. I'm listening." And then to the gentleman(?)(???) accompanying the dog, with more or less the same tone of voice, "Don't crowd him so, can't you see he's upset? You aren't helping."
no subject
So it speaks carefully in reply.
"He seems... more comfortable with you. Perhaps you could be the one to take him outside."
Having weighed the value of witnesses against an increase in escape routes, it will take the latter. It tips a hand, in invitation, to the door.
no subject
This is a reasonable suggestion from someone who clearly wants to have a private conversation about their very obvious circumstances. Reyson wonders what it must be like to be a squid. It does not seem as favorable as being from the bird clan. He clicks his tongue at the dog, to get its attention. He's not going to put a leash on anything that doesn't want to be leashed, he values personal freedom. He'll guide it gently with his hand but that's it!
"All right, then - come along, lad. You might have better luck if you used his name. Mine's Reyson, if you'd care to pick up my order."
It's a half-caf with soy milk, which is starting to shake its bad reputation. Popular opinion still holds that it is a dairy alternative for pretentious jerks and weenies but Reyson doesn't care about popular opinion, he will be standing outside with the dog politely sitting.
no subject
Cognizant of available backalleys one might dodge into, the illithid follows outside. The latte and button-down really don't look at home on a seven-foot skeletal squid person.
"Thank you."
The collar in its hand reads Scout, and it places this and the latte on the ground as though making an offering across enemy lines.
no subject
"It's no trouble. Scout, is it? If you wouldn't mind, for convenience-"
In a mirror of extraordinary people attempting unusual, usual tasks, Reyson fumbles with the collar several times. He's confident about actually handling the dog, but he is not used to strapping things onto anyone, and it is definitely too loose. Scout's going to have an easy time making a second escape. This isn't exactly conscious guile, but he does feel a certain way about keeping things confined.
But this is a domestic creature and not a wild one so he will hand over the leash freely and directly, latte in his other hand. Scout clearly has some problem and he is willing to negotiate it in good faith. He's not thinking about escape routes at all - he considers the alleys, but that's not a particularly nice place to converse, it's not as if he is taking this person to initiate a violent fight or to assist him in purchasing exciting substances, which are the primary alleyway activities in this area.
"Let's all take a walk, shall we? The park will have a few people going through this time of day, but it isn't as dangerous as the woods."
The squid seems kind of delicate as is. He does not want to make a first impression on anyone by leading them into Goatman territory.
no subject
"It seems he'd prefer your company."
Still, this is going remarkably well, if it's being offered the opportunity to retreat from apparently antimagic territory. As they move away from the bustle of the main road, it can already feel the psionic hum of the landscape returning. Better not to betray that advantage: it walks, flat-footed and inelegant. It can seem a bird with a broken wing for as long as remains convenient.
no subject
It reminds him of his father, in the tragic days after Serenes. A man used to power brought low and weak as his very spirit turned on his mind and body. Not to that degree, but enough similarity remains for Reyson to feel pity that he's not going to admit to. Nobody likes feeling pathetic, he certainly doesn't care for it!
"You'll need to find some way to reconcile with him eventually."
There are plenty of possible reasons why Scout could be so fearful, but there is an obvious conclusion, Reyson does not mind making this leap.
"He doesn't like your scent - it must be harder to fool a dog's nose than a beorc's eyes."
(no subject)
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(no subject)
( makin my way downtown )
Which means he's completely free of distractions when it comes to see... a squid. A person that is also a squid. A squid person. Ford scoops up the Emperor's dog, but he's acting on reflex. 100% of his thoughts are occupied by staring at the sight in front of him and processing what he sees. ]
What are you?
[ Perhaps it's a question the Emperor is used to hearing. Perhaps it is used to hearing the question asked in the tones of dawning, deep-seated horror.
That's not how Ford asks it. Ford sounds, in a word, delighted to have discovered someone so strange sitting in the middle of a cafe - and he has an expression to match. ]
no subject
At the moment, [ hisses the squid, impressively deadpan for someone without a lower jaw, ] I seem to be a rather poor dog owner.
[ But this already has the signs of a conversation they oughtn't have in mixed company. It tips a hand - clawed and purple, with three long fingers and a thumb - towards the door. ]
Perhaps you could join me for a walk.
in the city
"Oh!"
Well, this is quite the tableau. Simon had hoped to secure a booth and lay out his papers and books in moderate peace, and now he's thrust into some sort of argument between tentacle person and dog.
Except it's probably not an argument, because dogs of this era don't talk. Unless the tentacle person speaks dog, which doesn't necessarily follow, and all of that is academic and irrelevant to the immediate issue: dog. Legs. Barking. Not being able to sit down and order a coffee.
"Well, hello there," he says to the dog, rather haplessly, "What's gotten you so worked up?"
hell yeah
Excitable here seems to be polite euphemism for terrified out of his mind, now that the illithid's glamour has collapsed. But its new acquaintance seems to be handling the tentacles better than most, to such a degree that the Emperor is briefly uncertain what this man does see. It sets the dog's collar and leash down on the table, surrendering the doomed attempt to wrangle the thing.
"Perhaps he'd be more receptive if you were to try."
no subject
He may have his own worries at the moment, but what kind of person would he be if he didn't take the time to help with such a simple request. Simon takes the leash and collar before he crouches to the dog's level. It does seem to be a typical sort of dog for the area, which makes him suspect he can guess what's the matter after all.
"This must be very confusing for you," he tells the dog, offering it his hand to sniff, leash held loose to the side, "Everything is different, and you don't know why. I'd be frightened too."
The words aren't really important, but the tone is. That's the trick with children and animals. It seems to be working, so Simon ventures giving the poor creature a soft stroke on the head.
"What's their name?" He asks the tall, betentacled individual, forgetting that it should be as easy as checking the dog's collar.
no subject
"Scout," it reports, its tone still guarded, insofar as anyone can read the tone of a thing with a lamprey's mouth. Scout keeps a wary eye on it, pressed close to Simon's legs. He has the big-eared, barrel-chested look of a dog that's one part beagle and three parts everything else. "Thank you. I'll take him back outside."
Of course, the moment it shifts forward, Scout takes up growling again.
no subject
Simon pauses mid-offering the end of the leash back to whoever this is, the collar having been deftly slipped and clipped once more while Scout was distracted with affection. Simon looks down at Scout, then back to Mr. Tentacle.
"Why don't I come with you and Scout for a bit? Perhaps it'll help settle him down," he suggests, "Once he realizes I'm not afraid of you, he might see there's nothing to be so fussed over."
no subject
It tips a hand to the door in invitation, and follows the man and dog out, its every flat-footed step slow and inelegant without the buoyancy of telekinesis. Once the door has closed behind them, the weight upon its abilities begins to lighten. Still, better not to show its hand; it takes a further step out onto the empty street, Scout still watching warily.
"I am sorry for the inconvenience. He isn't always so mistrustful."
Its disguises aren't always so thoroughly dispelled.