TDM #1: WELCOME VISITORS

[calderamods]

TDM #1

It happens in an instant. A heavy weight in your gut, a trembling of your limbs, the world spins and you barely have time to register that you're falling before you lose consciousness. And when you awaken, it's not where you were last. Dark, unadorned oak walls surround you in a tiny room, the only furniture the bed you are currently resting upon, and the bedside table with a folded piece of parchment resting atop it that simply reads:

“The Tavernkeeper is awaiting your arrival downstairs.”

As you exit you find others like yourself emerging from the surrounding rooms. You are indeed in a tavern, but there is no hustle and bustle one might think to hear in such a place. The only person down on the main floor is a humanoid figure wiping down the bar, who smiles when they see you. They're familiar, but not, and you can't quite place their face. For some reason, however, their presence is comforting and warm.

“Welcome, Visitor. I'm sure you have a lot of questions.”

And you most certainly do.

SIT, STAY A WHILE

The Tavernkeeper offers more than just answers. This is a tavern after all, and what is a tavern without drinks?

"I know just what you need." They say, giving you little time to reply before some manner of drink (alcoholic or not) is set before you.

DRINK MENU

PEOPLE SKILLS: A deceptively simple looking cocktail that when imbibed makes one feel very social. Time to make friends and influence people!

A SPOT OF COURAGE: a tasty concoction so nice on the tongue it loosens it up. You suddenly want to reveal something about yourself!

SKY HIGH: a fizzy blue drink billowing with white smoke and served with a lemon slice as a garnish. It has been known to make the drinker giggly and sometimes even float a few feet off the ground.

CRYING FROG: a swirling bright green drink that makes you want to cry - or is it something else about this place that just makes you want to tear up…

SHARING IS CARING: a large, delicious frozen concoction that comes with two straws. You can't finish it alone! (No, like, you quite literally can't finish it alone.)

52 PICKUP: It's just whiskey. But for some reason it really puts you in the mood for cards, or a game of mahjong, maybe a couple rounds of checkers

QUICKSAND: The thickest chocolate milkshake you've ever had. The flavour is rich and delicious, but it moves like concrete. Sucking it up the straw takes effort. Makes the drinker mellow and lethargic. It's all good, man. Don't worry, be happy.

BEER: Beer? I thought you said bear! (animal transformation)

SEX ON THE BEACH: literally just sex on the beach, but also an aphrodisiac. Have fun! (The rooms upstairs are still open, for the record…)

CHOOSE YOUR DESTINY

As the effects of your drink wear off, the Tavernkeeper speaks once more:

”It is time, my friends, for you to find your new homes.”

You are compelled to walk through the only door leading out of the tavern, finding yourself not outside, but in a deep black, seemingly endless room with five portals arranged in a circle. As the last of you leave and the door closes behind you, gone when you look back again and replaced with nothing but that black void, three of the portals illuminate:

The first portal is surrounded by an almost blinding light, prismatic rainbows shining brightly in the dewy air outside of the tavern. A soft breeze may gently caress you, pulling you toward it. The portal seems to lead to a city in the clouds, airships and winged beings of all sorts soaring through the skies. Of the little bits of visible land, much of it boasts giant waterfalls that look like clouds melting into the land below. The portal calls to those who crave independence and freedom; and especially to anyone that wishes to find the strong bond of a family not forged in blood.

The second portal is encircled by a fairy ring of spotted white capped mushrooms, the faint scent of damp stone and rich earth wafting from within the faint green glow. Peering inside, one can see a sprawling harbor city of gray hewn stone, a melting pot of humanoid beings going about their day, and beyond, rolling green farmland and cottages clustered in small villages. This portal is destined for those who crave stability and solid ground beneath their feet. A simple life, an adventurous one, and everything in between can be found within.

The last portal is adorned with shells and seaweed, the glow of blue around it catching on droplets cascading down the circular opening. Beyond it you see a city housed inside a massive bubble deep under the ocean, spiraling towers encrusted with coral, and a variety of different creatures mingling about the streets. Outside of that bubble, merfolk swim, a massive squid engulfs the view from the portal as it smoothly glides through the water, and schools of fish disperse as it passes. A sanctuary in the sea that calls to those with a hunger for knowledge and a desire to aid those in need. Or perhaps it is the mystery that beckons you - the lure of the unknown in the depths that bids you explore it.

A NEW NORMAL

Upon following the pull of the breeze through the first portal, you are thrust into the beauty of a lively city that goes by the name of Heaven's Bow. Much of this main city feels exactly as you would expect on a city below, but there are clouds surrounding every direction you look. The walls of buildings are made with light-colored limestone, and buildings are generally built up to heights made even more grandiose by their position in the sky.

The Skyfall Docks are the first thing you notice, boasting hundreds of airships sailing in and out across the clouds with shouts that accompany a typical port city. Just outside is a fantastic market with goods not only from the other regions of Caldera, but from what some shopkeepers claim are other worlds--items sold or left behind by Visitors. Almost anything can be found in the markets if one is willing to look hard enough. Transport to other locations throughout the sky and even to the land or sea can be found here.

If the docks are too lively for you, you may instead find yourself roaming the underbelly of Heaven's Bow and finding brothels and gambling parlors filled with the promise of pleasure and fortune. The guild house for the Sylphs can be found here as well, giving out quests and training to prospective adventurers and guards alike--though none of them seem concerned with the illicit activities that surround them. Perhaps the freedom the Sylphs boast of extends to what others may deem an undesirable activity.

But most curious of all, you find a shimmering opal gemstone in your hand. When placed anywhere on the body, it will transform into a piece of jewelry with the gemstone set in the center.

---

If it was the second portal that called to you, you will find yourself in the busy city of Grey Ward, with its cobblestone streets and sturdy grey stone buildings. You are in the heart of the city, the Glass Market, so named for the colorful stained glass windows of the surrounding buildings. The scent of cooking food and the sound of barkers fills the air; watchful guards keep an eye out for pickpockets and thieves, and citizens go about their day. From here, one can investigate the rest of the city: the Sundown Docks, where both sea and sky faring skips transport people and goods. The Soot Spire, home of inventors and engineers. The Hearthstill, the main residential area. The Downs, a smaller residential area for those with less means.

Outside the city walls, one can explore acres of farmlands to the east and west, or follow Terra’s Pass to the less settled areas, but take care. Past the Skyward Range, out in the smaller burrows and villages, the influence of the city guard diminishes quickly, and you’ll have to keep your wits about you. Bandits along the road are always a risk, and the wildlife are less controlled by regimented hunting.

In your hand is a gemstone, a brilliantly green emerald that, when placed anywhere on the body, will transform into a piece of jewelry with the gemstone set in the center.

---

If the last portal beckoned you through it, you find yourself within that bubble covered city beneath the sea, the city of Salt Spire. Your ears pop with the change in pressure, and the smell of the salty sea fills your nostrils. All around you buildings made of dark stone encrusted with coral and seagrass tower high above your head, the backdrop outside the dome a deep blue, seemingly endless sea filled with fish and merfolk and all other manner of creature swimming through the water. You stand in the heart of it all, surrounded by people with gils on their necks and scales upon their vibrantly colored skin, all of whom seem intrigued by your arrival. You have many options of where to visit in the city under the sea, but where oh where will you go first?

The Salt Spire Library is right before you, an impossibly large building housing thousands upon thousands of books of all genres. Fiction, non-fiction, romance and mystery and all between. You may even find books from your world and others! Oddly enough though, no Calderan history books are to be found, and if you ask for them, the librarians and locals all choose to ignore your questions.

If scholarly pursuits aren't to your interest currently, perhaps a trip to Bluetide Market would be more your style? The marketplace is host to every manner of shop one might ever need: artisans of all varieties, apothecaries and healers in the Shimmer Quarter, the most in fashion undersea clothing shops, food stalls, and all between can be found in Bluetide. There are also the Tideshore and Fogbottom docks on either end of the city. The former allows transport to the surface via large, magical bubbles for those that cannot hold their breath or make the swim themselves yet. The latter allows people to venture further into the sea. Those without their underwater abilities are offered rebreathers for travel that last for four hours before needing to be replaced.

In your hand is a gemstone, a shining sapphire that, when placed anywhere on the body, will transform into a piece of jewelry with the gemstone set in the center.

---

Visitors in all starter cities are offered a standard home with basic necessities provided (your choice in design, etc.) that can house 1-4 people if they so choose. Home upgrades can be purchased via rewards.

THE QUESTBOARD

Settled in? Good. It's time to make your way to the Questboard located in every city in numerous, easy to access locations. That is, if you want to make any kind of impact on the world or just get some Bones for anything you might wish to purchase. Visitors are given a very small stipend in which to survive every month, but all it does is keep you fed and housed. These quests will assure you greater wealth, and they're the main reason you're here: each finished quest helps the Calderans fix their shattering world.

Quests can be accepted at the questboard via magically signed parchment upon the board. Just sign your name to accept and the paper will be whisked away... somewhere. You're not actually sure. Probably nothing to concern yourself with.

Once quests are completed, earned Bones will be dropped off at the character's residence by Bonita, the mysterious artisan who has supposedly handcrafted every Bone circulating in Caldera. Please do not speak to her, she startles easily.

OOC

Welcome to Caldera's first TDM! All characters awaken in a strange tavern with nothing save the clothes on their backs, all of their powers stripped, and a piece of parchment directing them downstairs to the Tavernkeeper. There is a thread of all questions answered by the Tavernkeeper here, and if you have more, feel free to ask there for what would be offered ICly. For OOC questions, please direct them here.

All locations are available to be explored! Please mind that it is an active work in progress and will hopefully be finalized by June 8th.

We are looking at an opening date of July 1st with reserves opening on June 28th and and applications on opening day.

The TDM is game canon and all completed quests can be carried over once accepted into the game.

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Comments

shadowheart / baldur's gate / undine

[harrowment]

[ ooc note: i am more than happy to switch to prose if you prefer! ]

SIT, STAY AWHILE.

[There is something to be said about taking food and drink from a fae creature, and surely that is what this Tavernkeeper is, and Shadowheart is nothing if not suspicious. She lingers near the bar, watching as others (just as confused as she must be, but perhaps not as worldly) take the proffered drinks, eyes narrowed in keen observance.

She's squinting at people. It's not subtle.

There are a few drinks that look absolutely delicious, though, and she can't help but tilt her head to get a better look at what some others are holding, again in a completely obvious way.]

A NEW NORMAL: SALT SPIRE.

[Shadowheart's immediate response is panic—not because of the portal itself, for she knows what stepping through one implies—but because she is suddenly surrounded by nothing but water. It's terrifying, but only for the briefest of moments before she realizes that she's actually on dry land... somehow.

There are fish people strolling through, looking at her curiously but not in a hostile way, and she feels embarrassed that she's just standing there, interrupting the flow of traffic. The schooling of traffic, she thinks to herself, before slipping into the crowd and following a group of seahorse-looking humanoids to wherever they're going.

It turns out to be a marketplace of some kind, with countless stalls lining the streets. Merchants are calling out their wares—cockles and mussels, obviously, but also jewelry crafted from corals, fine silks, and various sea creatures in various states of life. She must look out of place, un-gilled as she is, and this is why she reacts with such swiftness when someone bumps into her, quickly grabbing their wrist and pushing them against a market stall.] Careful whose pockets you try to pick.

QUESTBOARD: THE QUESTENING.

TIPPING THE SCALES.
[The tide is low enough where Shadowheart can wade along the craggy coastline, her leggings pushed up to her knees and her sandals left somewhere further on shore.

There is a sea cave nearby that she's avoiding for the time being, because Lady of Sorrows only knows how far in she can go before she suddenly finds herself (literally) over her head. It's safer to stay close to the shore, where she can actually see how deep the water is, though so far, she hasn't even glimpsed a single scale.

The continual sound of the waves is soothing, helping her keep her focus on the surface of the water instead of drifting to thoughts of drowning. Her eyes are so trained on the water, in fact, that anyone or anything could catch her by surprise.]

COUNTING SHEEP.
[She's not certain what's worse: the fear of drowning while in the Salt Spire, or the fear of plummeting to her death while she's up on these floating islands in the sky.

Morbid calculus aside, Shadowheart is traipsing through a skybound meadow, a length of rope tucked under one arm and pair of shears in her hand. She feels a little underprepared, but she also has zero experience with sheep (that she can remember), so perhaps this is all she needs.]

Oh! [She ducks quickly into the tall grass when she spots something moving in the distance. It may be a sheep, but it may be something else, and she cautiously lifts her head to check.]

WILDCARD!
[ like a different quest? hmu! ]

SIT, STAY AWHILE.

[okiedokies]

[ Lucy is aware of the stern-looking woman who is watching everyone and their drinks while standing near the Tavernkeeper and it makes her curious as to why. Currently, she is holding a drink of her own which seems to be a blue concoction with white smoke billowing gently over the rim of the glass and garnished with a lemon slice.

She hasn't tried it yet, still looking at it almost quizzically as she carries it around. Finally, she looks at the other woman curiously and then at her hands to see if she has a drink. ] Excuse me, did they give you a drink?

[harrowment]

[As awful as Shadowheart is at being discreet, she still hadn't expected to really be called out on it, albeit in a very kind way.

She clears her throat and glances down at her empty hands.]

Oh... well, yes, but it's... [She waves over at the bar, where there are a few untouched drinks sitting at the end. Seems Shadowheart isn't the only one being cautious.]

I suppose I'm not in the mood for revelry.

[okiedokies]

[ Well, if there is one thing that Lucy is good at, it's sometimes sticking her foot in her mouth when she speaks without really thinking.

Glancing down the bar at the untouched drinks, she notes that they look different from hers which makes her wonder again why she had gotten the particular one that now resides in her hand. Her brows draw together as she decides to ignore the drink for now, setting it down carefully like it might explode if she doesn't take care.

Once she is satisfied that she is safe from the drink, she nods as she focuses on the other woman again. ] I guess being kidnapped to another world would make it hard to enjoy oneself. I mean, I'm assuming you were kidnapped like I was. Not that I think they want us to call it kidnapping since they're asking for help but...

[ She catches herself and sighs. ] In other words, I'm not in the mood for revelry either.

[harrowment]

[Girl, what! Shadowheart is quickly putting together a mental profile of this human, with 'low survivability' across the top. Someone made Perception their dump stat.

Shadowheart knits her brow, glancing to the drink, then back to her.]

It's a little worrying that so many are happy to imbibe. I'm not certain what criteria these 'leaders' have in choosing their champions...

[okiedokies]

[ It is kind of a miracle that she survives as well as she does. But when push comes to shove, she does always manage to make it through.

She bites the inside of her cheek gently as she looks around at the other people, mainly those who are drinking. ]

Maybe they feel like it makes dealing with their new situation easier. At least for a little while?

[harrowment]

[Shadowheart hums thoughtfully, following the human's gaze. It's a fair point; being catapulted across realms isn't exactly pleasant, and a person of weaker character may need a distraction.

The corners of her mouth turn up in a secretive smile, watching the drinking.] Yes. To forget their troubles.

tipping the scales

[invigorates]

Are you all right?

( Lioriley had seen her walking the shore for some time, presumed she was looking for something quest-related, and opted not to bother her unless approached. Now, drawing closer, it seemed like Shadowheart was... lost? Either that, or distracted by something the Lunari could not pinpoint. )

[harrowment]

[The sudden break in silence made Shadowheart start, her surprise quickly turning to embarrassment as she realized she'd let herself forget her surroundings. She looked to the elf (?) and frowned, gesturing at the craggy shoreline.]

Only annoyed. I've been here for a candleslength and seen not so much as a scale.

[Which would probably only make sense if she were also here on the same quest, so she added quickly:] I'm looking for sea serpents.

[invigorates]

Ah. ( She hadn't taken that particular quest — dangerous, especially without her magic because, let's face it, she was useless without it in a combat situation — but she was on the hunt nearby for oysters to somehow pry open, and missing out on Bones for the sake of helping someone else instead was perfectly on brand for her. )

They may be further into the water... ( Perhaps that was an unhelpful suggestion, given how obvious it might have seemed. ) I can help you look, if you like. My name is Lioriley.

[harrowment]

Shadowheart, [she replied, touching her fingers to her chest, then up to press against her forehead. Further into the water. Of course. Suddenly, she had a very bad headache...]

I was hoping to avoid going deeper in. I can't swim.

[invigorates]

... I can see how that might pose a problem.

( Lioriley could swim. Would do so far better with her ability to breathe underwater and withstand the chill of the sea, but that didn't matter overmuch to her. ) Presuming we will be in this realm for some time, I would be inclined to offer to teach you. Until then... perhaps I can go and look? If I recall correctly, shed scales should not be too far from the shore.

( this was a terrible fucking idea. )

[harrowment]

[Considering whatever deities rule this world decided it would be a good idea to stick Shadowheart in the underwater faction... she should probably take that offer.

In the meantime, she looked further out to sea, rubbing her chin in thought.]

I would be willing to split the winnings with you, if you would. [It didn't matter that Lioriley was going to do all the work, apparently.]

sit, stay a while.

[moonwitchery]

( the drink in front of athénaïs is as yet untouched— or at least undrunk, her fingertips resting at the edge of the glass and her attention casting around the tavern to take in those in the same boat as she's found herself.

it's not much more subtle, but it is less squinty, with a more habitual sort of openness abut her; a wry kind of affability, its own form of opacity. what the fuck's all this then, she might say, in a friendly sort of fashion,

except that she catches shadowheart's eye and her smile broadens, )

Well, this is a touch more civilized than the last abduction, isn't it.

( whether that means this is better or actually, in fact, significantly worse—

remains to be seen. )

( ooc | happy to roll with "actually, different timelines" if you prefer! )

accepts you as my tav and savior

[harrowment]

[Well, there's someone who could never be mistaken for someone else—

Shadowheart swans closer, her expression an interesting combination of relieved and pinched. Athénaïs is a familiar face in an unfamiliar place, but she feels a bit conflicted over being happy to see a Selûnite. Still, ideological differences are a bit of a luxury right now.]

Waking up in a bed is preferable to a mind flayer pod, certainly.

[She eyes the drink that Athénaïs is cradling, then looks back up to her face with a silent question.]

your tavior, if you will,

[moonwitchery]

( there is markedly less conflict in the easy warmth of recognition that athénaïs reflects back to her— the idea that that might be something she regrets, in time, is not a new thought. sharrans gonna sharran. even still, she's far from convinced their differences are so staggering as all that,

theirs, specifically. she knows better than to think expressing all of her thoughts on that matter directly is going to be productive — yet — but she's more than a hundred years old and has reinvented herself a time or two in that century. they'll have the time or they won't, and all she can do is proceed as if she's as certain they will as she needs to be to get them there. and it's all fucking moot because they're here, actually, and she feels more wrung out and lessened even than she had on the nautiloid, disoriented by hands emptier than they have been since she was half shadowheart's age.

not even a whisper. no wonder the drink's tempting. )

Less chance of a mishap with the wrong lever when there are no levers, ( will it always be a little too soon for the remember the horrific seconds long mindflayer transformation that made it all real jokes— ) though it puts one in mind of the Absolutists, doesn't it?

( the cultists were not seeing the same things they saw, experiencing them the same way. the reality of the situation. is this, what they're seeing, the reality of what they're experiencing?

so there's less squinting, but it might not be markedly less paranoid. )

🙏

[harrowment]

[Shadowheart laughs mirthlessly, the kind of morbid laughter only found between people who have trauma bonded over the worst situation imaginable. The nautiloid was certainly less pleasing to the senses than this nondescript tavern. But it may be too early yet to compare anything else.

She finds a seat next to Athénaïs, pushing away the new drink that is immediately deposited in front of her.]

Are you asking if I think we're under the influence of something? [She glances over to someone who is sobbing dramatically between sips of their drink.] Well, besides the obvious...

[moonwitchery]

( besides the obvious nets a throaty laugh, warm and rueful, and it's more tempting than it was a moment ago to down the drink in front of her just to see what happens. the obvious is right there, and moon's grace, it's not as if she couldn't do with a drink.

but it's not as if that hasn't been true, and it's worth keeping her head clear. they've really got enough going on in there, all things considered. )

I'm positing that proceeding as if we might be isn't unwise, ( she says, leaning an elbow on the bar, disliking the way she and everything she's wearing feels about as inert as it is. she cannot feel selûne here; can't even feel the magic that she'd paid coin for in her things. it leaves a restlessness underneath her skin, an edginess in her committed amiability. ) Stranger things have happened. To us.

[harrowment]

[Shadowheart hums thoughtfully, resting her elbow on the bar in a mirror of Anéthaïs. As much as the thought discomforts her, there is something to be said about having another cleric in this situation. Even if that cleric is in the thrall of the Silver Witch—

She shoots a brief glance at her hand, then looks back up with a smile meant to cover for it.]

Prudent. It's always best to hold some healthy suspicion against those who've kidnapped you.

COUNTING SHEEP.

[dangerhands]

[Much to Jal'Naar's eternal shame, he first thinks of how to orchestrate death by sheep and his gut lurches with disgust as he locks eyes with the woman. Shadowheart is one of his people, something of a friend. He likes her well enough at least.

Gods. He'd hoped by now whatever foulness in him would have settled. Perhaps it's the lack of fighting? It doesn't matter because, with a mental shake, the murderous thoughts are banished, and Jal'Naar carefully stands, keeping an eye out for any of the sheep, just in case.]

The odds are better together.

[harrowment]

[Jal'Naar isn't exactly what Shadowheart would call stealthy, being gigantic and covered in shiny, bright white scales. She gives him a look that all but says so, but shrugs instead of voicing it.]

Just don't hurt them, [she says slowly, though it probably wouldn't make a difference if he promised or not.]

[dangerhands]

[Wow rude! But also so very true a nat 1 stealth against the intellect devours on the beach. Maybe he should look into getting sleeves or something.

Thoughts for other times.

Still, he knows that tone. Winces.].

I'll do my best. [That's all he really can promise at the point in time. He doesn't like it, but he's as honest as he can be about the darkness in him.] Did you have a plan?

[harrowment]

[A plan. That would be helpful. Sheepishly (ba-dum-tss), Shadowheart glances away.]

Not a plan... exactly. I was hoping something would come to me in the moment.

['Liking animals' is not the same as 'knowing how to handle them.']

[dangerhands]

Well, you have rope. We could set a snare and lure them to it?

[He pauses and looks at his hands doubtfully.] I could likely set one, if you can't.

[harrowment]

[A snare... maybe. She glances at the rope under her arm, considering. She'd been thinking the rope would be to hold the sheep in place so they could be sheared, but that would be a lot of labor.]

Have you got anything to set it with? ...delicious grass?