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

[zenryokubatankyu]

[Cough, cough. Okay. The sand is out. The sand is gone. And--he hears a guy's voice, which makes him raise a brow. Turns out, there is a guy there. And he's shuffling his way, holding a bottle of vodka, completely casually. Huh. Osomatsu's usually used to doing something to that degree himself, so it's odd to be on the opposite side for once.

He laughs.]

Uhhhhh. Yeah, hiya~. I'm definitely lost and confused and I think I missed most of the explanation as to what the hell is going on here because my ears were waterlogged, so any help would...help.

[And man if you know where the alcohol is on this island, and it seems you do, you are heading towards 'new bestie' status already, my man.]

[occulti]

Ooooooh. You did, huh? Wow. Yeah. Did you plunge them out? Like with a tiny plunger? Think.. for your toilet, but.. really tiny.

_{[ I.. what.
Though, before Osomatsu can even reply: ]}

Look, it's okay.. if you didn't and some details get lost and I have to repeat myself. There's your towel, alright. Did you get the bracelet at least?

[zenryokubatankyu]

[A blank stare is what Klaus gets in return. Yeah. Okay. He gets it, on some weird level. But at the same time, he had no time to go to the tiny plunger store...

But yeah. He nods, holding up his towel, and looks at his wrist.]

Y...eah. I did.

[He stares at it, rubbing his wrist underneath.]

Assuming that's important, then?

[occulti]

Okaaaay, yeah. That.. so.. so that.

_{[ Sorry, Osomatsu. He just smells like a minibar the closer he gets, but he reaches over and taps a few things on the bracelet and reveals Osomatsu's A5 card. ]}

Thaaaaaaat tells you all the kinky things you can do to earn stuff. Things. Like.. you can earn.. stuff for you. A pizza. Like a whole pizza. Or.. tiny plungers for your ears. Or a house. A clarinet.

Or.. you can earn something to be brought back to this world like.. dolphins. Oh my God. Yes. This place absolutely needs dolphins.

[zenryokubatankyu]

[It's okay. Osomatsu smells like that a good 50% of the time, too. Man, he would actually like a drink right about now, if he's being honest...

But he stares as the card is brought up. His eyes widen.]

...Wait, so we do things? From this? These are all fetishes. That's... [He's a little stunned.] I dunno what they're getting out of people doing that, or specifically me, I haven't...at all... [...He's not excited to note that he's a virgin, but...

Still, he blinks. And with a weird, confused lilt--]

--This place is an island without dolphins? The fuck? ...Yeah, I'm absolutely bringing dolphins back.

[Two men.
Zero braincells.]

[occulti]

You haven't? Ooooh.

_{[ Despite being the sexually open and loose person he is, he's also a judgment free guy, so: ]}

Well, that's alright. Just be careful. Some people are into some weird and dangerous shit here, so.. I'd take it kind of easy at first. Get some of the easy squares off until you're comfortable and find a partner you can trust.

_{[ Klaus just kind of lets.. whoever do whatever to him but that's really not the best practice but he's a little too apathetic about his own being for it to matter much. Last thing he wants is someone to be like him. ]}

Yeah. I miss the dolphins. Sometimes I just sit out here and think about them.

_{[ Though, he's typically baked when that happens. Ever since the Augur gave him a marijuana garden, it's just kind of been encouraging him to slip back into some old habits. ]}

Also.. also.. also. If you don't know what something means, you can ask meeeee. I'm like.. the kink guru. Or something.

[zenryokubatankyu]

...No one's ever really wanted to.

[He's not proud of that.]

I'm kind of surprised people are down with it at all, but I guess the squares help...motivation, at least.

[He'll finally get some because they're all mandated to fuck. Haaaaaa.

Also man you have all the good shit, sharing is caring.]

I know a fair bit about fetishes. I've seen a lot of porn. I'm just, uh. Not used to participating.

[occulti]

Yeaaaaaahhh. Well. You just haven't met the right kind of people, yet. The people that fuck. Those kind of people. Noooobody liked me until I met the right people, so, yeah. And here, the people fuck, so.

_{[ The right kind of people were probably the worst kind of people that Klaus could try and fit in with, which he did. But even then, he never really found true happiness. Not at parties, not at rehab, but on the battlefield. That's another story though. ]}

You'll do just fine. Just fine. Consent, though. That's important, okay.

_{[ He's been saying this to all the newbies that seem a little shy, but yes. He falls silent for a moment before taking another quick drink from his alcohol. ]}

Ooooh. If you see my family, tell them hi, and that I'm here. You can't miss them. They look like this.. one is part monkey, real big guy.. the other is a reject Batman.. _{I wouldn't approach him casually, be careful} .. one is a celebrity then there's.. _{oh yeah, that's me} an actual child, but he's almost sixty so don't let his youthful appearance fool you aaaaand. Then a sweet girl. But, but, don't let her fool you either. I mean, you might want to stand waaaay back from her.

My family is big. And weird. But I love them.

_{[ go home klaus you're drunk ]}