Updating environmental system to version 2.69...
When you blink your eyes open, it is to the glare of blinding overhead lights and the sight of a pair of glassy mechanical eyes boring into your own. The face above yours moves like liquid mercury, forming an approximation of a figure that you recognize and trust implicitly: a friend, a loved one, a caretaker. Perhaps even a god or a goddess. From its lips fall the patterns of a language that is strange and robotic, and yet familiar to you:
Everything is fine.
Welcome to the ̶͓̃N̵̼̈ă̷͙m̴̝͋e̵͕͐l̴͔̋e̷̦͘š̴͙s̵̬̚ ̵̝͌I̴͙͐s̵͖̄l̷̞̓à̴͖n̷̺̏d̵̮͠.̶̼̊<
Darkness overtakes you once again. In the blackness of your dreamless sleep, you are sure you hear a strange chime. You are conscious of a choice:
Yes
Y̶o̶u̶ ̸h̵a̸v̸e̵ ̸c̷h̸o̶s̵e̵n̷ ̶w̶i̶s̵e̴l̷y̸.̷
The Augur thanks you for your loyalty.
I. Orientation
With your support, the Nameless Island will thrive and prosper -- but it may require a little more energy than usual to sustain. Step outside and you will soon see why: the skies are calm, the seas are clear and blue, and the pink sands of the beach have never looked more inviting.
Rome wasn't built in a day, but a facsimile of it certainly was. Enjoy new facades for all of the structures in the Nameless City - everything has been retooled, renewed, and restored to be sleek, shiny, and the absolute height of high tech, eco-friendly luxury, with lush greenery and futuristic architecture blending together seamlessly. You have been transported from the hospital directly to your new residence in either the Apartments or in the House of Worship, sparsely furnished with all the basics and some of your belongings. A friend, partner, or stranger may be there with you. This may be your roommate, but this place isn't hurting for space. No robot will stop them from selecting their own room if they wish.
The Augur calls everyone to the Loudinus Amphitheater, an outdoor stage nestled among the tropical foliage where 'bots put on a play about the purpose of the island, the Auspicious Acts, and the history of the past year, including the all-too-recent attack on the Augur. The robot sex scenes are numerous and explicit, and you may find yourself watching a horribly butchered version of any of your old encounters.
Pick up a free Playbook, a comprehensive list of the dramatis personae with detailed character profiles, and learn a thing or two about your fellow Islanders. No detail is too trivial!
(This play will be streamed to all devices to be viewed remotely, and a digital download of the Playbook is also available.)
II. With Great Power
As a boon for taking on guardianship of the land, characters will find themselves sublimating into the purest form of themselves, embodying a particular trait, quality, or concept to the point where they might as well be revered as its new lawful ruler. That's right: you've become as gods, right down to the development of unique magic powers OR changes to your form which reflect the very core of your being. Enjoy being able to create water, fly with your brand new wings, or even summon geese... among other things.
Of course, with semi-phenomenal, nearly-cosmic power comes semi-phenomenal, nearly-cosmic responsibility! After each expenditure of your new powers, you find yourself becoming weaker, hungrier -- but what you're craving isn't food or rest, it's eros energy. The more outrageous your power or transformation, the more your body will crave the completion of an Auspicious Act. Those who do not gather Eros Energy will be driven mad by this lust, until they begin to lose touch with their sense of self - perhaps even some of their most defining memories.
If the burden proves too great, these powers or changes may be wished away with a request to the Augur and the exchange of one Act.
No
You have chosen to exist away from the Augur's wisdom and b̷e̴n̸e̵v̵o̵l̶e̴n̵c̴e̸.
Please accept your gracious punishment. Have a p̴l̷e̷a̵s̴a̸n̷t̵ day!
III. Dis-Orientation
You awake outside of city limits, out of sight and out of mind, but with the looming sight of the bright and shiny Nameless City always on the horizon. What surrounds you is not luxury, but instead drab, run-down buildings and despair. Your orientation, an extravagant and sexually explicit play which describes the purpose and recent history of the Island, is remotely streamed to your device. Watch it if you wish. Meanwhile, there are a few 'bots to be seen among the rubble and rundown buildings that surround you -- but are they friend or foe? Ask them questions about what has happened to you, and they will be vague and evasive. You're inside a simulation, they say, and this is all very temporary while the Augur's systems update.
They do have one answer for you: if you want into the Nameless City before that time comes, it will cost you an Auspicious Act... and a visit to the Augur. The 'bots will escort you there, if you wish.
These robots are a far cry from the well-oiled machines of the Nameless City, though they're no less helpful. In a rundown shack, a robot bartender dispenses rations and bootleg moonshine. (You can even check out the bathtub it's brewed in!) The liquor is definitely real, and it can definitely strip the rust right off the robots. Whether it's fit for human consumption remains to be seen. Regardless, it's going to give you the night of your life - drinking the stuff may cause a variety of effects, from normal intoxication, to erections lasting more than four hours, to wild hallucinations.
IV. It's Morphin' Time
Later, the rogue robots bring some scavenged technology: small, pink globes with "PROJECT DAEMON" etched on the side. These globes bond to specific individuals and morph into different creatures based on the emotions that those individuals exhibit: someone feeling brave might find themselves with a bright, roaring lion, while someone scared may find themselves pocketing a small mouse. A singer may find themselves warbling alongside a siren.
They shift often and at will, and they are here to help you survive in this landscape. Need someone to help you catch fish, gather firewood, or find you a partner to complete that Auspicious Act? This little critter has your back!
These creatures can communicate with everyone in simple language, but you'll soon realize they're not just voicing their own thoughts, but the thoughts of the person they've bonded with.
These are temporary creatures who will run out of power by the end of the month, though they can be resurrected with rewards at a later date.
Continue
V. The Doctor's Back In
All of this must be a lot for Islanders to take in and process. A lot of new information, new feelings, and new surroundings to become acquainted with. But they should know they are not alone here. Dr D. Love is still as present as ever to help anyone who may need to work through accepting their new situation. He and his helpers might even be rather insistent on you having a session!
Whether you're in the city or out of it, you may suddenly awaken to find yourself sitting in a comfortable chair in the doctor’s newly remodeled office that is tastefully decorated with finely detailed, “hand” painted posters of beings in positions of pleasure. So many positions. Or you may find yourself in the Immersion Room, an equally tastefully decorated room filled with a large, comfortable bed (perfect for group therapy sessions!) and shelves full of toys and other supplies. For the duration of your session, enjoy access to anything one might need to help relieve the stress of their body and mind on their own - or with a partner, who might have been brought here just as unwittingly as you were.
The Doctor is there to help you work through your feelings and discomfort if needed, please have no fear. He knows some of you may be resistant to his help, but he’s as cheerful and devoted as ever, to the point of not letting you leave the building until you’ve admitted to whatever feelings you are holding back - not just to him, but also to your therapy buddy. What's the diagnosis? The fact is, you must not be receiving enough pleasure. You are too tense, you need to relax and allow yourself to embrace the carnal nature of this world and what it can provide you.
The more you resist, the more the Doctor shall insist. He may even choose to activate your Neural Implant, which all Islanders have been gifted with upon arrival. Said neural implant may cause immediate arousal, sexual attraction to those near you, and even turn various parts of your body into extreme erogenous zones! Once activated, the Implant's effects may kick in at the most random of times.
The Doctor knew all you needed was the right motivation.
OOC Notes:
Welcome to the updated Erku! As this is a setting shift and a re-launch of sorts, this TDM is open to top-levels from both current and prospective players. Feel free to tag around with reckless abandon, and have fun!
Whether you are new or old, it is entirely up to you as to whether your character wakes up in the Nameless City or in the ruinous world of the Simulation. Even characters who acted to attack in the Augur in Event 16 may wake up in the City and vice-versa, according to player preference. This simulation is a temporary run and will last for about two weeks (in other words, the duration of the TDM), at which point all characters will wake in their new Nameless City apartments. Even if you choose "No", you may future-date prompts for the City for this time period.
For now, previously requested safe havens and residences are not currently accessible. They will be made available again in following Simulations, but 'bots are inclined to leave characters in mystery and suspense about this!
Feel free to ask questions below.
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N A V I G A T I O N
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no subject
You're the thing? Hm.
[Well, A-Yao had said that there were manipulations of form. However, it's the following outlandish question out of Xue Yang's mouth that gets Mingjue to turn toward him incredulously.]
That's a question you ask strangers? [Wow. Shameless. Mingjue'd be impressed if he wasn't boggled.] What would you even do with the answer?
no subject
What else? I'd offer you an experience with the one you like better.
I can even give you both at the same time, if that's what you want.
[ How great will it be to fuck one of the righteous cultivators who'd been most clamoring for his execution? ]
no subject
Then he frowns.
And makes a connection.]
You.
[That's right. He finally recognizes him.]
The dildo salesman.
no subject
That was not the direction Xue Yang was expecting this to go.
He gives a snort that's quickly followed by a full-on laugh. If it weren't clear yet that Nie Mingjue doesn't know his identity, that makes it unmistakable. ]
Yeah, that's me. Turns out I'm good at more than just using dildos.
What do you say?
no subject
Dildos and tentacles. [Oh that's dry (and a little disdainful).] Forgive me if I'm not impressed.
[A moment later, he frowns, about a breath from the connection he knows is there to make if he had something to jog his memory.]
Your name.
[Yeah, that's not a question. His expression grows stormy.]
I think I was supposed to have a chat with A-Yao about you.
[OOC: Did I go read all my old threads to figure out what he might actually remember? I did!! Ahaha.]
no subject
Xue Yang.
[ He grins widely. ]
Was there something he said about me?
no subject
Xue Yang.
[Mingjue all but growls out the name. How much did Xue Yang feature in those dream-like memories he'd watched, after all? He'd been warned about him, too, even before he knew the extent of what would/had/could happen. (Even if it didn't happen to him.)
But he doesn't whip out Baxia, just sets his jaw and asks sharply:]
Did you die?
no subject
Yeah, I've died here. You come back to life after a few days though. It's pretty convenient.
[ No need to worry about old enemies taking your head off. Or dying during sex. ]
no subject
Not here. There. Home.
[Not being able to die here is distracting, though, and his brow furrows ferociously. Not just that killing Xue Yang would cause roughly more problems than solve them. But he's on the hunt for information, so he just gestures sharply for Xue Yang to answer.]
no subject
[ That makes the question even more interesting. Well, in the eyes of the cultivation world, isn't it all the same whether he's died or not? The only one who he's interacted with since has been Xiao Xingchen, who doesn't even know who he is. So couldn't he just as easily have come from before that time? ]
No, I haven't. But it seems like I will at some point if I go back. I'm probably not the kind of person who could reach immortality anyway though, right?
no subject
You're not.
[Which is the problem, considering they're all functionally immortal here. A-Yao had shown him...a lot, but despite all of that, he hadn't seemed to consider Xue Yang someone to take action against.
And they'd fucked each other, which seemed around right for this place.
He and A-Yao really should have sat down and talked about this.]
Have you killed anyone here?
no subject
I don't know. The second time I died I tried to kill the guy too but I never found out if I succeeded or not.
I also might have killed a couple people in that dream realm, but I'd guess that doesn't affect anything when they're awake.
Why? Does it matter?
no subject
Yes.
[Then.]
Now I see why A-Yao left you alone.
[If Xue Yang is telling the truth, that is, but from the shameless way he's speaking of murder and...everything else the situation entails, Mingjue's not inclined to disbelieve him at the moment. He can investigate elsewise.]
Why wouldn't it matter?
no subject
[ Said as casually as if dying wouldn't possibly traumatize anyone. ]
He didn't leave me alone though. We fucked several times.
[ Under normal circumstances he'd keep their relationship more discreet but Jin Guangyao apparently already shared some key information with Nie Mingjue, so Xue Yang isn't inclined to hold back much when he thinks it might help with getting laid. ]