Chapter 1: A Light in the Dark, TDM

[cyndanemods]

Chapter 1: A Light in the Dark, TDM

A spark in the night

All awaken in their own time as if from a perfectly innocuous sleep, well-rested and refreshed in a way that is perhaps less innocuous, but what is perhaps most striking in these first moments is that no one is in their own bed. All now on this plane awaken in simple bunks within simple cabins...not that this fact is very easily observable.

Undoubtedly rivaling the strangeness of awaking in a new bed is the fact that this place is nearly devoid of natural light. One might at first assume it's nighttime, but no moonlight streams through the windows. The only light is from a lit lantern, allowing the barest observations: each cabin houses up to six people in six bunks, each has a small table with two chairs, the walls are worn wooden plank and the roof tin, the construction very simple. As everyone rouses, there are certainly reactions to be had and decisions to be made. Should anyone wander outside, they will find that there are at least stars shining in the sky, though their positions are unfamiliar. Despite the darkness, it is cool but not cold. The land in the immediate area seems mostly even, the environment akin to scrubland. They will also find that there are more cabins, all set along a single well-worn pathway and all filled with more people in the same predicament. Nobody knows this place. Nobody knows what is happening or why they are here."

So... What's one to do?

Who was here?

Exploration of the camp itself reveals a few things that may be helpful. There are several established campfire areas, some with makeshift seating or simple cooking tools. At the end of the row of cabins, there is a small storage building containing various tinned foods (quality unknown), tools, simple animal traps and fishing equipment, candles and matches, a small supply of assorted spare clothes, and a fairly generous quantity of firewood. All of this, but no signs of the people who put it here. If they left, it was recent and unhurried; no gathered dusk, nothing ransacked or overturned... Still, is anyone in a position to look a gift horse in the mouth? With the right amount of cooperation and lack of panic, perhaps this new little populous might simply wait the situation out.

When and if people grow restless, it is also observable that the main path of the camp, once itself the bed of a creek, continues onward in either direction.

Seek & Find

Taking the path North—though how can one truly tell?—leads wanderers to an incline, which becomes the steep and rocky base of a mountain. While the mountain itself is not very steep or perilous, the conditions are hard to measure in the darkness. Still, any adventurer or group intrepid enough may pick their way to the top over the course of two to three "days", however they're measuring. They'll find the landscape rocky and, like the campsite, mostly patches of scrub grass populated by small animals such as mice, rabbits, and birds.

Should anyone reach the top... Congratulations! While there's no picturesque view to be had, there is a large cairn. Examining the exterior of it carefully, one might find a message etched into one of the larger stones near the base:

You will cross my path again. This is inevitable.
Taking the path South brings one to a stream. Providence! Upon examination or experimentation, the water is found to be clean and drinkable, and one might even be able to figure out how to start snagging up some fish or washing or doing laundry. It's a perfectly fine little resource for the camp.

Walking upstream for any length of time will yield no promising results. One cannot see the landscape stretching out before them and there is only the rustle of the wind through the grass or the occasional fleeing of a small animal. Is it becoming darker, even? Perhaps it is. Perhaps it's best to turn back before the lamp oil or candles are gone.

Walking downstream, on the other hand, leads to a decline that slopes steadily, the trail a little more precarious until it widens out. This seems...almost road-like, even? Does that instill confidence? If yes, keep pushing forward! In about 25 miles, one can see lights in the distance. Drawing nearer, the shape of a town's front gate strung with decorative lanterns appears. This is the town of Stonesthrow.

The townspeople are in a bit of a tizzy, rushing here and there, setting up lanterns and booths, prepping in their various kitchens. It seems some celebration is meant to kick off soon, and while the townspeople are friendly, they don't have much time to spare the newcomers. They don't seem surprised by their presence, and relaying waking up at the camp prompts fairly nonchalant reactions. 'Up at the old mines?' they might ask. 'Oh, I'd stay away from there.' They also aren't fussed if questioned about the state of the world and its lack of light. They get by.

There are beds available at a couple inns, and one only has to make the request. Locals also won't bat an eye at out-of-towners hunkering down to camp or have a snooze outdoors in public spaces.

Starfall

For those who elected to stay behind at the camp or journey to the mountain, Stonesthrow makes itself known bombastically. A squeal and explosion sound in the distance, and anyone outside will see a burst of crackling light in the distance. It's a fireworks display, its purples, oranges and yellows stark against the utter darkness of this place, perhaps the first sign of outside life since finding themselves here. Every six hours for 72 hours, another display is launched. Those remaining at the mining camp can find their way easily, then, to the town.

When they arrive, a festival is in full swing. A banner over the town's main road reads "ENJOY THE STARFALL SKIES".

Along the main street, several carts and booths serve a variety of food. No one asks for any money and, if questioned about this, the people of the town seem to have no idea what payment even is. One of the carts offers fresh fruits that may look familiar to some, resembling dragon fruit and lychees. When peeled open, however, the flesh carries a faint glow. The vender calls them starfruit and moonfruit, which is perhaps unusual given that there's no sign of the moon in the sky. Ever. Starfruit are said to increase one's charm and stamina, while moonfruit are said to increase perception and cunning. No matter how implausible this seems, consuming them does seem to replenish the mind and body, increase gregariousness, or make one a suspicious little plotter. Respectively.

Also available are different games of chance and skill, taking place within the town's open square. Included are classics such as arm wrestling, bottle toss, and wheel-spinning, each awarding varying small trinkets, all decorated with star motifs. Craft displays and items are also available, all themed around the stars. While peddlers are unfamiliar with money, they will accept item trades or other barters. All offer well-wishes such as "may the stars fall in your favor" or "have a glowing Starfall". If anyone asks what Starfall's about, they are instructed to watch the next fireworks display and stay for the production afterwards.

The final fireworks show is grand and magnificent. Many aren't just pops of light and color, but take the form of moving spectacles. A dragon soars across the sky, a snake lunges at a rabbit who manages to get away, flowers bloom and petals fall... Each scene is one pulled from the natural world. Afterwards, a stage performance is put on in the main courtyard. A man with a guitar accompanies a woman who sings the story of Starfall.

The tale is simple enough. Two lovers meet against the will of their worlds and gods. One cunning and observant but far too afraid to take action, the other daring enough to cross worlds to join her, bearing gifts of fire and warm, glowing light, previously unknown. To commemorate this meeting and the divine gifts, Starfall is still celebrated today, marked by a certain positioning of the stars and greeted with joyful fireworks displays.

The celebration winds down slowly after that, with the townspeople settling in for warmed wine, quieter card games, and gossip as their children wander off to bed. Once again, nobody will begrudge the newcomers hanging about, particularly if they offer to help in the cleanup. Of course, there’s also the possibility of returning to the camp.

Mod Notes!

Welcome to the first ever Test Drive meme for Cyndane! We're happy to have you! A few things to keep in mind:

• The world you arrived in is dark (no sun, no moon), and there's no harnessed electricity. Oddly, while the nights are cool, it's uncomfortable at worst as opposed to deadly.
• Any questions about the prompts or setting can be asked here.
• For general game questions, please refer to the FAQ.
• Applications will open on May 1 and will close on May 5.
• Accepted characters who participated on the TDM will have an additional Bond Slot available to them in the month of May to use upon arrival.

♡

Comments

marcille / dungeon meshi

[picky]

arrival.

[ wherever you are in this wooden-tinny cabin, you're greeted (or awoken) by an unceremonious stuttering and girlish shout before something falls in a heap on the floor, followed by the clatter of a wooden rod.

from the floor, a girl's muffled voice ekes out: ]

Ow, ow, ow...!

[ search for the sound and you'll find a heap of bedsheets on the floor. the whining lump beneath it is humanoid, curled up in a fetal position. a staff with a large, oval head and a little green sprout lies beside it.

help her? rob her? the choice is yours... ]

seek & find.

[ after marcille has her bearings, she's following along the line of the river downstream. where there's water, there should be blessed civilization, and at some point, she stops, raises the lantern in her hand, and squints into the distance.

she then turns to whoever you are and points the tip of her staff into the distance. with an eager smile and a strained, hopeful voice: ]

Lights! I see lights! There has to be someone there who knows what's going on!

starfall.

[ marcille is, of course, enraptured by the show. with her staff tucked into her belt, her hands are free to hold both of her cheeks as she dreamily watches it unfold. by the end of it, she's thumbing away some tears at the corners of her eyes.

when it ends, she sniffs and turns to someone she recognizes from the cabins. ]

That was so romantic...

[ her love of shojo transcends worlds... but her tone drops a little as she leans in towards this stranger, hiding her mouth behind her hand. she stares at them meaningfully. ]

But why is it called "Starfall," you know? Is it because the one who came to meet the other was a star? What does that have to do with us?

wildcard.

[ i'm down for anything! marcille will also be perusing the rest of the festival, playing little games or staring suspiciously at peeled fruit or trying to ask strangers for information. you can find her at the inn or in the cabins. feel free to pm me to plot things too! go wild. ]

seek & find

[markingnight]

Let's not be too hasty. Approach them at speed, and any guards might take exception to us.

[ Ironeye was used to dealing with hostile townfolk, and so his own reaction was a little more reserved. Maybe it was the slightly sinister-looking armor he wore...? Still, the promise of potential information was tempting. ]

It doesn't look far, but should we stop for a rest? I put away a tin or two in case there wasn't any wild game.

[picky]

[ if he's still wearing that sinister-looking armor, she's only now getting a view of it after bringing up her lamp to this stranger. she swallows the little scared stutter in her throat. this person doesn't seem hostile so far. ]

I know that... [ pouting a little. ] I wasn't saying we should charge in or anything like that.

[ then she tilts her head. a part of her is undeniably hungry, but: ]

Really? But... if you don't have much, you shouldn't share it with a stranger. What if you need it later?

[markingnight]

[ He motioned to the bow he bore on his back. ] There are birds and hares around. I won't go hungry. And...

[ A slight pause, as he considered the situation. ]

...As strangers in similar circumstances, I think it's best to work together. It's no use if I'm the only one who keeps up his strength.

[picky]

[ marcille's eyes flick to his bow and then back to him. her brow furrows. ]

If you say so... It's not like we're losing time. There must be a new moon tonight.

[ no moon? no problem... she's been dungeon diving long enough not to mind it. ]

There's a log over there we can sit on. I'm Marcille, by the way. You are...?

[markingnight]

Ironeye. [ Was that really a name, it sounded more like a title... yet he nodded, and turned toward the spot Marcille had indicated. His own torch revealed that the log was just starting to sprout a frill of new mushrooms the shape and color of turkey tails. He didn't touch these, however, and instead slipped a can of tinned herring (?) out of one of his pouches for Marcille. ]

For what it's worth, I hope you're right about that settlement. It'd be nice to see some friendly faces. They're not common where I'm from.

[picky]

[ a part of marcille's mind immediately jumps to dwarven names, but "ironeye" surpasses even those. a surname, maybe? whatever the case, she doesn't question it. ironeye it is.

she sits herself down, minding the mushrooms, and settles her lantern on a flat rock near her feet. she takes the tin when offered. ]

Ah, thank you.

[ after some rummaging in her bag, she finds a spoon she'd wrapped in cloth. when she pops and peels the tin open, it takes effort not to make a face at what's inside. having herring after being accustomed to incredible meals for the past while is a steep step down, to say the least. she still won't look a gift horse in the mouth.

she looks back up to ironeye, blinking. ]

What was your home like?

[markingnight]

Filled with conflict.

[ So long as they were resting here, Ironeye might as well gather up some old dead branches and leaves, the better to form a proper fire. Holding torches got a little old after a while, and it gave him something to do while he spoke. ]

I've heard that under the reign of the Queen, it enjoyed quite the age of prosperity. But you'd be hard put now to find anyone who even remembers.

[ A story long-surrendered to history. He glanced back at her. ]

And you? You seem used to traveling.

Starfall

[tsukuritake]

[The girl Marcille finds, similarly enraptured by the simple yet effective story of forbidden love and a pair who would defy their fates to be together, did not appear to notice immediately that it was her being spoken to, as though it was a forgone conclusion that she wouldn't be approached in the first place. There must be someone else near her she is instead speaking to.

When Marcille leans towards her, though, Luna eases back an equal amount to keep a buffer between the two of them. The surprise in her voice is clear, even through her soft, timid tone.] With... us? Maybe... the show was like the gifts, and... we're the recipients?

[Yeah, she had no clue.]

[picky]

[ a fellow romance lover... marcille immediately feels kinship over how this girl ogles the stage, but she leans back when the stranger steps away. she lowers her hand and waves it defensively in front of her, smiling sheepishly. ]

Ah, sorry. I got too close, didn't I?

[ she takes her staff in both hands and leans against it. ]

Anyway, maybe it is, but... You came down from the cabins upstream, right? The ones on the hill? If we were all kidnapped just to see this festival, I'm not sure why, you know?

[tsukuritake]

[The yearner in her couldn't tear her eyes way from such an emotional story, but in reality, she was quite awkward around others. Marcille's apology is met with Luna bringing her hands together, clasped gently in front of herself as she gave an anxious little shake of her head. She is fine! They are both, in fact, fine.

But, oh, that explanation gave her a little more to chew on, huh? Truthfully, Lun hadn't exactly considered the fact that they may have been kidnapped (alarming!) as much as she had assumed she'd been banished here, somehow? (Even more alarming!!) She thought this over, leaving an extra beat of empty silence between the two of them with only a face journey to really tell that she was considering these questions before speaking up once more.]

I had not thought of it like that. [Clearly.] The people here... seem happy, even though it is so dark. I am not sure what we could offer them, or if we're meant to learn from them. [Then, a bit shyly,] Could they have just wanted to share their story...?

Arrival

[treebornekettlegirl]

[Well. That's a hell of a wakeup call. Ranma isn't startled by the high-pitched scream, but she nonetheless bolts off her bed. Arms raised up, ready to throw down with whoever's roughing up some poor, innocent

... woman? Being assailed by a bundle of bedsheets. And not the cursed or haunted kind. Ranma resists witnessing this gruesome scene with a flat deadpan before she tiptoes over to where Marcille lies in a crumpled heap.

Both of those options sound good, but how's about we go with Option C.]

Yo. [Poking the humanoid shape in the sheets. Poke poke poke.] You good in there?

[picky]

[ marcille starts as soon as she hears feet hit the floor. she wildly digs through the bedsheets, grunting in frustration as she tries to find a way out. before she can, those pokes hit her right in her side. ]

Eek! [ SHE IS TICKLISH! she immediately tries to grab this finger through the bedsheet. ] Stop! Stop poking me!

[treebornekettlegirl]

[So she is. That's potentially a useful piece of information to file away for future mischief later. Maybe.

The poor elf'll thankfully get a respite from the poking, Ranma's finger successfully snatched. She doesn't try to wrestle her digit free from Marcille's grasp though...]

Then stop hidin' and come out already. I'm not gonna bite.

[... Because Ranma knows a vital technique many seldom master: ambidexterity.

... in layman's terms she pokes the shape she's taking a shot in the dark at in assuming is the woman's head with her free hand.]

[picky]

You- Ow!

[ NOT HER HEAD. rather than do the smart thing and work her way out of the bedsheets, marcille is trying to grab that other hand too. ]

Hey! I said stop poking me!

arrival

[depressured]

[ Thankfully, she's already awake.

Less thankfully, she was not able to prevent the truly tragic disaster that befell Marcille, but she'll crouch down beside the Lump now, one hand sort of hovering carefully over it. ]

Are you okay? Is anything broken?

[picky]

[ the Lump gives a tired groan and slowly unfurls. ]

I'm okay... I just landed on my hip. Ow.

[ marcille then tries to dig her way through the bedsheets, twisting and turning and unsteadily sitting up. ]

Where am I? What is this place?

[depressured]

Ah, well...

... I'm afraid I can't answer that.

[ She does say it very apologetically, at least. She's not trying to be ominous, promise. ]

[picky]

[ prommy?

marcille pauses. ]

Eh?

[ then she quickly, finally shuffles her way out of the bedsheet. once it falls around her, she immediately leans in to mafuyu, long ears perked upward in alarm. ]

You can't? Why not? [ as in she has the ability to, but refuses? ] Who can tell me then?

[depressured]

Someone who lives here, I'd imagine. I woke up not too long ago, but so far, everyone I've talked to...

[ ... Well. ]

They've been at a loss. This hasn't been familiar to anyone so far, so it's beginning to look more like a mass kidnapping?

[ She says this very delicately while also trying not to stare at those ears because staring is probably rude. ]

Arrival

[desnandreamer]

[Arueshalae is helpful, certainly. She hears the shouting and immediately flies into action. Abandoning the spot she'd been lurking in by the cabin door as she considered the situation, she crosses the space and immediately begins untangling the...elf...from her sheets.]

Relax, it's okay. I'm here to help.

[She doesn't reach for magic immediately, but she's ready to if need be.]

Are you hurt, or just startled?

[picky]

[ marcille starts as soon as another pair of hands reach into the sheets, but the voice sounds calm and genuine enough to relax her, if only slightly. she twists out of the bedsheets and starts to sit up as they're peeled off. ]

Here to help? Help me?

[ marcille, or the Royal We? ]

Where am I? And who are you?

[desnandreamer]

You, yes. If you're hurt, I can help.

[But plainly this elf isn't injured, at least not outwardly, so Arueshalae leans back on her haunches after getting her clear of the sheets.]

Unfortunately I don't know where we are, but my name is Arueshalae. What about you?

[picky]

[ once the sheets are off, this elf finally gets a clear view of her savior—an ogre, maybe, if those horns are anything to go by, but even that seems wrong. she's objectively one of the prettiest ones marcille's ever seen.

anyway, the answer deflates her immediately. ]

You don't know either?

[ she twists the bedsheet in one hand and takes her staff in the other. her head swivels as she takes in the rest of the rest at ground level, but she remembers herself a moment after, returning her attention to arueshalae. ]

My name is Marcille. [ she gives a short bow of her head before looking around again worriedly. her body still aches from the fall, but identifying where the heck they are takes priority. ] There are so many beds here... You just woke up in this place too?

[desnandreamer]

[Arueshalae rises once Marcille is free, offering a gloved hand up. Her wings shift slightly, drawing closer around her like a cloak to ward off a chill.]

I wish I did, Marcille. I'm sorry.

[She sounds genuinely regretful, and she is. There are important events in motion back in Golarian, and the result of years of planning is finally coming to a head. Her being stuck here isn't good, for herself or for the Crusade...]

Our situations are unfortunately the same, yes. I'm from...Drezen...most recently. I'm a crusader fighting to close the Worldwound, though I'm not even sure we're on Golarian anymore, and that might not mean anything to you.