TDM 006: SPECTRAL SPECTACLE

[erkumods]

TDM 006: SPECTRAL SPECTACLE

00. Arrival This time, you come out of the water, the Nameless Island's own inherent energy drawing people in. It's like being suspended between realities and abruptly pushed from behind through a rift in dimensions. It may make you sick, or that might be the motion of the ocean, lifting you to the surface and carrying you to shore. Waterlogged and covered in sand, new arrivals will be greeted by robots who welcome them with towels and bracelet devices. The A5 card is already loaded up. Feel free to explore the Island, though there isn’t much to see. Most of the buildings are abandoned and in dire need of repair, and beyond the city lingers a thick fog that obscures much of the wilderness from view. Wander too far into this fog, and you will find yourself mysteriously looping back to where you began, your memories of what you were doing and how you got there erased. With that in mind, it may be wise to stake your claim on a rundown apartment, a tent on the beach, or a bed in the “comfortable” new barracks. Your inventory will be found a day later, wrapped up haphazardly and delivered to each person's makeshift home. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● I. The Dragon's Matchmaking Welcome to the Island, cherub dragons! The auspicious actions of your fellow Islanders have foreseen the reintroduction of dragons to the world. Unlike the hulking, possessive creatures of ancient lore (and recent hot springs), these well-meaning little critters love to help. Their small size and roly-poly frames make them unsuited to laborious tasks, but they will be the perfect companion to any residents who endeavor to pick up a small item, wish for their lunch to be delivered to an absolute stranger, or need a fire started from a tiny, flaming sneeze in their drafty homes. If a cherub dragon sees an Islander they perceive in need of their assistance, they will zip right in and refuse to scram until they’ve done the job! No visible struggles? No problem! The little dragons also love to play matchmaker. Persistent dragons will gleefully nudge together Islanders they believe will have chemistry, and sometimes they aren’t wrong! Of course, even if sparks fail to fly, the dragons’ trilling songs are known to kindle romantic feelings between strangers and long-time lovers alike. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● II. Ruins While the Islanders have been enjoying their autumn relaxation, the ‘bots of Erku have been hard at work clearing the surrounding forests of dangers for their guests’ safe habitation. If you are of deft hand with monster slaying, forestry, or even just hauling debris and weed picking, the robots will gladly exchange credits for help with reconstructing the recently unearthed mountain temple grounds from the rubble that remains there. Just follow the path of gently glowing mushrooms to the site of the temple ruins. Beware of lurking creatures, grabby plants, and falling rocks! The temple ruins are tall and breathtaking, despite the eerie chill of the fog that lingers just beyond. Or is it the fog that sends a shiver up your spine? After all, this place was very spiritually important to the original inhabitants of the Island, the robots say to anyone curious enough to ask. Although their own programming does not include religious worship, the Augur believes the restoration of this place to be vital to the continued augmentation of Eros energy. When questioned about the strange shadows that seem to slip from tree to tree, or the unsettling feeling of ghostly hands that seem to nudge volunteers deeper into the grounds, the robots respond with nothing but bafflement. Their sensors detect no unknown organic presence afoot. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● III. Ritual Islanders who chase those mysterious shadows may find themselves particularly drawn to a structure that lay deeper within the ruins, beyond where the robots have made the most progress. Three sets of crumbling, moss-covered stairs join to form a central platform, which - despite the overcast skies - seems to emit a soft glow. Those who step onto the platform may begin to hear a quiet, compelling voice, which urges them to be free of their inhibitions and to offer their energy to the spirits to be multiplied hundredfold. Visions of naked bodies in the throes of carnal worship dance before the eyes. Those who are especially spiritually sensitive - or perhaps, just lucky - may feel as if possessed by a consciousness that is not their own, and that consciousness is filled with a burning sexual desire. Leaving the platform is an option if alone, but the intense and overwhelming urge to seek companionship will persist until an Auspicious Act is completed. Those who are fortunate to be joined by company within the temple will feel compelled to worship right then and there, no matter the risk of being seen. Within the walls of the temple, Eros energy is enhanced such that any erotic act - big or small - will be enough to break the spell. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● N A V I G A T I O N

Comments

[hare_faster]

[Doeosn't only drinking water at a dive bar defeat the whole purpose of going to a dive bar? Add another one to the list of things she isn't interested in checking out. If this kept up Harriet was going to die of boredom and wind up just running laps around what little area was left to explore.]

Let me guess, the hot springs help with generating Eros energy? So why hasn't this place already been rebuilt if everything is supposed to help with that?

And they might be that bad, with the right company.

[shemara]

[Mara's cheeks heat up a little bit, but she does nod in agreement.]

They can, but being nearly frozen to force cuddling isn't so great. I didn't visit all the hot springs though to see what they were like.

[Being frozen had been enough.]

But I'm not sure there are enough people here for how much energy is needed to fix this place. We haven't even fixed the city entirely as of yet, let alone the rest of the island.

[hare_faster]

Cuddling? Not really what you'd think of hearing eros. But being made to do it would kind of ruin the mood. Then again I don't think robots can really get a mood.

[Though Penny was an entire mood, even if she was a robot she had a lot to learn. Anyways Harriet started heading out, no reason to put off the trip, and the sooner they left, the sooner they would be there.]

Well, I wasn't here before, and we'll just have to put in a little overtime to get it done.

[shemara]

[Overtime? Mara chuckles then.]

Can't say I fault your motivation. I know a lot of people want to get back home so...well, we're doing what we can. Some of us.

[Mara knows she could be doing more but, well, it's hard to work yourself up to that, when you don't think going home is the best idea.]

But they do give you plenty of opportunities, if that's what you're looking for.

[It doesn't take long to get to the mushroom bordered path that leads to the ruins from this location, thankfully, but Mara does wonder exactly what the mushrooms are for...considering what everything else around here does.]

[hare_faster]

Can't really say I'm in a hurry to get back to that, things are a pretty big mess and I'm not really sure how we're going to get out of it. But I'm not a fan of standing still very long or wasting time.

[And she wasn't really looking for anything in particular other than something to do.]

I'm just looking to not be bored, a good place to run, and a reason to get in a little exercise.

[Impatience was a pretty big issue with Harriet.]

[shemara]

Oh...I can appreciate that. [Mara left everything a mess back home and she can only think about how her going back might ruin everything. She already knows that Adora saves Etheria as Mara never could, and she doesn't want to accidentally undo anything that may come through her in the future. Being here may be the best thing for her and she's accepted that...as much as she can.]

Sometimes it can feel a bit repetitive, but if you've got ideas for things to do, a lot of people will usually go along with it. Allies against boredom if nothing else.

[hare_faster]

Well then, what do you do to keep it from getting repetitive? What's there to do for fun around here?

[From the way that she talked, she'd been around for a bit so Harriet might as well ask. Any tips on where to find the action and fun would be a good start.]

[shemara]

I've been fixing my apartment. It's not a lot but it takes up time. A lot of them need repair if you don't use your Acts to get it repaired for you.

[She gives a small shrug.] And a lot of people around here like doing things. And the robots pay us for tasks each month, but only tasks they request help with? It's...strange.

[hare_faster]

Yeah, that sounds like a load of fun. Though I guess the best way to make sure that it's done right is to handle it yourself, and that way you know it's going to be what you want.

[Harriet didn't really know all that much about building or making anything, so that much was pretty much out of the question.]

So they have a request board for jobs, what's strange about that?

[shemara]

...It's not really a job board? They just decide to tell us they'll pay us for things. Like picking seeds from skeleton flowers.

[The look on her face tells you exactly how she felt about those flowers.]

[hare_faster]

Well if you don't like the request don't take it. I'm sure you'd be able to find something else that would be helpful. There's the board that they loaded to the scrolls, and I'm sure that there are always people willing to find someone to help with odds and ends like cleaning or decorating.

[Not everyone was cut out for every kind of job. She'd seen plenty of people who found that out the hard way in the academy.]

[shemara]

Not really. They only pay us for one or two tasks a month. If you want credits to use for things, there aren't a lot of options. It wasn't hard work, either, but...flowers with skulls in them are a bit much.

[She winces a bit just thinking about it.]

At least they smelled nice.

[hare_faster]

So you get someone else to pay you. But if it's not hard work though, and if they smelled nice, I don't see what was so bad.

[It probably was just something that looked like skulls. There's no way a flower would actually fit an entire skull in it right? And if it did, there were way worse things to worry about in that case.]

[shemara]

[There are many things Mara has been through and put up with, but flowers with skulls on them crosses a line. It goes from quirky and weird, to down right creepy. She'll do it, but she'd really rather not.]

You're right. If you avoid the sap, you don't have to worry. They just...look really unsettling. Not my favorite thing about this place, I'll admit. The animals are a different story.

[hare_faster]

What's wrong with the sap, and what animals are you talking about?

[Because Grimm and dangerous animals she could handle. A whole lot better than just walking through a clearing on what seemed more like an escort mission than a sweep and destroy one.]