Prompt 1:
 he forest looms as ever, colorless but not at all dead. The leaves are full, fluttering in the silence, but there's no scent to them, no color. The effect is eerily hard to navigate, almost like an optical illusion, leaves, branches and trunk blending together with the small path -- which already disappears and reappears at a whim.
But even so...
If you brave the path, it seems as though there is something leading you onwards. A trail of... something, crumbs, maybe, the same shade of colorless as everything else, almost impossible to see. Following those might be a bad idea -- your chances of getting lost, tangled in random underbrush, or wandering aimlessly for hours are pretty high... to say nothing of what you might encounter if you stray too far (hint: even the small, fuzzy things have nasty bites).
Still, it's there, and if you follow them... eventually you will come to a small house. It's decrepit, falling apart and in shambles... do you really want to go inside? Perhaps armed with one of the many convenient tree branches that have probably smacked you thus far?
Prompt 2:
 hould you enter the house, you'll be greeted with a creepy, creepy doorman. Aw, how cute! And in that doll's hand, there's...a message.
On a slip of paper, it reads, simply and plainly:
The more you take, the more you leave behind.
Curious! (And yeah, you can destroy the doll. It's just a normal doll. You may even come across said doll already crushed by an intrepid explorer.)
Of course, it's a riddle, and the answer's a warning -- the longer you walk around and about the house, the less you'll remember about yourself, until you forget why you were there and why you should leave, and who you are at all, doomed to wander forever.
Or someone saves you, that's fine too.
Prompt 3:
 roblem: There are no fresh eggs in the Town.
Solution: Catch a feral chicken, and keep it for eggs. That seems simple enough, right? You're totally up for the task... right?
But why do all of the animals look so strange in the forest? Mutated, with teeth, or wings that don't belong, or claws. That's... a chicken, right?
Catching it will allow you to get some eggs, but that beak looks pretty nasty -- it might be harder than it looks. But you're intrepid and clever, right? Why not demonstrate your Chicken Wrangling Skills that won you the championship so many years ago? Or try to serenade the savage beast? Or wuss out and form a coalition with which you draw lots to see who has to do battle with the chicken? There's safety in numbers! But the prize will surely be worth a bit of blood loss and fowl-related trauma.
Do it for the eggs.
Prompt 4:
here's a new quest on the forum today, and it looks awfully easy! It's listed simply as:
Quest XXII.
Talk to someone you've never met about their childhood.
Quest will be completed when you have reached an acceptable level of knowledge.
On the other hand, that's a little vague, isn't it... ? How will you even know when you've completed a quest like that?
Still, it looks easy! Maybe go give it a try. You could respond to the forum post to try to find people, or just go on outside, go harass someone about their past. If you're lucky, you'll drag it out of them with very little hassle and it won't take you a good chunk of the day. If you're unlucky, that's what highly persistent stalking is for! But don't forget, you'll likely have to return the favor.
And your new friend might not be the only one listening.
Extra:
Got something in mind? Want to play with the setting more? The sky's the limit, so feel free and make up your own prompts to play with!
Welcome to Awash's first Test Drive Meme! Please check out the FAQ and rules as you test your characters out. The setting is yours to play with, so be creative and have a good time with it!
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If you have any questions about the TDM, feel free to ask us here. If there are any other questions, you can catch us via PM, the FAQ or the contact page. Thank you for your interest in Awash! |
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Sphintus Carmen | Magi
COME IMMEDIATELY BACK IN HERE!! YOU DON'T GET TO MAKE ME TRAIL AFTER YOU AND TALK MY HEAD OFF FOR HALF AN HOUR JUST TO GET YOU TO LEAVE THIS CREEPY HOUSE AND THEN YOU FORFEIT MY PROFESSIONAL ADVISE FOR A- FOR A CHICKEN!!!
[Sphintus just about has had it. First they end up in this messed up place where the lack of any coherent color or sense of any natural order at all is making his head ache. He's a life magician, how is he supposed to draw upon the forces of the local nature when the local nature isn't natural at all!? This is stacking odds unfair against him!!
At least he wasn't alone in this. He still has his loyal pet-cobra Kulkulkan and his magic too. You can probably also count the fool that has dragged him off the path to follow a trail of creepy bread crumbs and then went way too gleefully happy to explore what is very obviously a cursed, haunted placed where there can come no good from as if it's the greatest adventure in their life! Which is so obviously a bad idea that Sphintus wants to bang somebody's head against a wall, preferably not his own by now, but no, nope, curse his heart of gold because he is a healer and he will be damned if he just lets a fool run into their demise, be it goi, magi or king!
But to talk and argue his mouth sore while all the while being ignored just to have them abandon him and run out the moment they see a damned parody of a chicken - that's the last straw.
Sphintus is seething and yelling as he sprints out of the house, sandals slipping on the dirt and grass as he gets ready to do some serious yelling while the golden cobra around his neck raises itself to its full size and hisses angrily, sensing the mood of its owner.]
I'M A PROFESSIONAL DOCTOR AND A GODDAMN ALMOST HIGH MAGICIAN, YOU CAN'T TREAT ME LIKE THAT!!
[ 4. My legend begins in the 12th century... ]
Seriously? So I just have to write something onto this magic tablet and then people will talk to me? Without walking away or falling asleep or interrupting me?
[WHERE'S THE CATCH???]
Siiigh. Alright, I might as well give it a try. But nothing too personal!
I'm a person who has lived in the royal palace back when I was a child, so ask me anything you like about that!
[ X. Wildcard or If you need a Healer ]
4!
I bet it was huge! Did you ever get lost in it?
Ooooh, and how big was YOUR room?
[Rich people problems...]
no subject
He still puffs up with pride and flashes his best 'I'm so good!' grin as he writes his reply.]
You bet! It's not just any palace either, it was the palace of the great godking of my home country himself!
The room I shared with my siblings was as big as the best dorm room in Magnostadt!
People are only allowed to move through certain wings, so you get used to navigating your way around pretty fast. When I got lost as a kid I'd simply ask one of the servants or had my snake lead the way.
[A big dorm room in Magnostadt = a reasonably spacious dorm room for two people. Sphintus has four siblings, but thank god two were already old enough to have their own rooms at that time.]
no subject
That sounds amazing! The place I grew up in was really small, so I can't even imagine what it must be like to live in something so huge.
But it's nice to know that everyone was so helpful. Even your snake! Was that your pet?
no subject
Where I come from, Heliohapt, having a royal cobra as a pet is a sign of extremely high status - only the royal family and their closest associates and most trusted servants can have them.
They were the only things my family was allowed to keep when we got exiled from court.
[He'd be more than fine with her asking him fifty questions and more. Despite his attitude Sphintus usually doesn't get to talk much about himself, not for a lack of trying. He also doesn't think about prettying anything up as long as nobody tries to wave his family history over his head.]
no subject
Being exiled seems like it would be... difficult. I'm very sorry for your family! And I hope that everyone is doing well now, especially your friend!
Having him with you made it all a little bit better, I hope.
Did he come here with you, too?
[Please let that be the right thing to say...]
no subject
As long as it lets me live halfway comfortable in another country and I can have my family join me all I'll take whatever comes my way!
[Well, he'd rather be an influential doctor and magician than some trophy husband, but Sphintus will do what it takes to help his family. They've all worked together to help him get this chance. He's determined to make them proud - which includes making sure that whoever person he attaches his fate to will be a good, honorable one.]
Yeah, he is! Kulkulkan was right in his favorite sport around my neck when we arrived and he's hunting dinner right now. His, not mine. I don't eat mice.
What about you? Do you have any good sob stories to share?
2/3!
Still, Titus heaves a sigh after the last outburst - he really should be more quiet, or he’ll scare everything off!]
If you like the house all that much now, stay and make us something to eat while I go fetch it! Honestly, I don’t understand you at all - you were whining that you wanted to be outside just a moment ago…
no subject
You! Do I look like a cook to you? I'm a doctor, not your personal chef you spoiled brat of a magi!
[He isn't even going to try and get into Titus' head why he's giving the blond and the chicken the stink-eye now. Titus' idea of manners is as incredulous as ever and nothing Sphintus will do will change anything about that.]
Seriously, I don't know why I don't just leave you to your own devices for once! Then you'll see what your penchant for idiotic actions will get you into! Why the hell did we even have to go into that creepy house to begin with?
[There must have been a reason, but think as he might he can't remember it right now.]
no subject
Wasn’t it you that wanted to? [That must be it - still doesn’t seem quite right, but that’s enough for Titus to decide to turn around and continue to trot off after the little beast.]
Come now, hurry up if you’re going to tag along. I’ll have to leave you behind if you keep fussing!
no subject
[He gestures at the house just to flinch into the safety behind Titus' back when an old windowsill creaks in return.]
Damn things, I tell you that's no good... Some places have lives of their own, and that one's a- Hey! Where are you running off to now again?!
[Speaking of running off, Sphintus is diligently jogging right after Titus once more. He'd rather be lost together with a ridiculously strong Magi in this strange place, thank you very much!]