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

May be late to be considered game canon if you apped BUT not too late for tagbacks

[lightundying]

There's a part of Dion that still feels all of nine or ten summers whenever he speaks with the Phoenix. He hasn't given into the urge to roll his eyes since such an age, but he's tempted now.

Instead he sits back, graciously gesturing belated permission.

"And I you, Joshua, though I'd wished better for you." Dion raises his glass and swallows down a lump of gritty liquid with a grimace. "Pray forgive me asking if you'd rather not speak of it, but if I could trouble you for what came of the battle..?"

;u;/

[featheredflames]

[OOC: Maybe we could swing it as Joshua runs into Dion who is visiting the tavern again but Dion has been in game thus far? I'm easy for whatever way works and can play it loose!]

"The battle..." That cheeky little smile slips away as soon as it had come, bright blue eyes looking dim in the light of the tavern all of a sudden. "No, 'tis no trouble, even if it was an troublesome ordeal." Instinctively gloved fingers touch at his chest where Ultima one lay, sealed up within and held fast by the Phoenix.

"We made it, Clive and I, thanks to you, but we were overpowered. Ultima is an ungodly beast, as you are well aware...and he struck us both down. I bore the brunt of it and in hopes of letting Clive finish all that we had started, I gave him all that I could..."

The meaning is clear as he stares at his drink, watching the ice melt away in the glass. He had given what power he'd left to his brother; not even the Phoenix could bring back the dead.

"But...I know in my heart that Clive was successful. I am certain of it."

Or so he tells himself. He has to believe as much. To think anything else would destroy him.

<3333

[lightundying]

[ooc: unsure! If the tavern is still accessible. And Dion would def be way more surprised (and delighted and relieved) to see Joshua now. But I mean, hey two reunion threads = more cake imo!]


Dion swallows, regretting the request already as Joshua's face falls. Though he'd half-expected it, the bleak summation still stings at his heart.

He reaches for Joshua's wrist without another thought, knowing as he does how much Ifrit means to him.

"He will be," he says even as his own doubts linger. "If he has not already. While I confess I do not know him well, I'm certain Ifrit will not rest until he sees it done."

[featheredflames]

[OOC: Oh that's fair!! And also weh...that's cute...and you're not wrong! Nothing wrong with two hehe.]

He isn't expecting Dion to reach out to comfort him, let along snag his wrist with his fingers. He lets the other man hold on, hand lowering slightly away from his chest as he raises his eyes back up to his face from his drink.

"Yes...that much is true." Ifrit, no, Clive himself would not rest until what needed to be done was done. He can't help but feel guilty for leaving him behind once more however.

"Although I am sure if I am to see him again someday, he will give me the scolding of a lifetime."

sparkles radiantly

[lightundying]

If Dion feels foolish for reaching out so recklessly, he deems the fleeting self-consciousness well worth it if he succeeds in dispelling any amount of darkness from Joshua's thoughts.

He nods, slowly loosening his grip to draw back to himself. "'Tis a luxury I pray you may yet endure one day."

Dion returns to his seat and lifts his glass. "Before that however, what say we toast to a victory hard-won in his honor?"

[featheredflames]

It would be a luxury. Seeing Clive at all, if only one last time would be worth anything he could give of himself...but what really was there left to give? Nothing, sadly.

Dion is proving a lovely distraction from his thoughts meandering down unwanted, unruly paths however, and the suggestion of a toast is one Joshua takes to heart. "Indeed, a toast would be quite fitting." Reaching for his glass he grabs it eagerly, raising it up to clink it against the rim of Dion's.

"To Clive and to free skies, for all of Valisthea."

made an icon just for this lmao

[lightundying]

Dion nods, resolve strengthening as he meets Joshua's glass with his own.

"To peace, at long last."

He drinks, and it's more than the liquid itself that settles him. It's a growing certainty that their efforts will not have been in vain- that his work is done, and Valisthea will rebuild stronger than it has ever been.

"Much like yourself, a new world will rise in the ashes of the old. I have no doubt it will be beautiful."

He only wishes he could have seen it- if only once.

eyyy drink up dion ;)

[featheredflames]

To peace. To freedom. To the beauty of a world where every man could forge his own path. They're lofty ideals and desires but they're grounded in the blood, sweat and tears the people of the Twins had spilled. Taking a swig of his drink he can't help but feel the edges of his mouth tug into a smile.

"I suppose we will have to use our imaginations to picture it, but you are right. I am certain it will be beautiful." Clive would return to Jill and Torgal and they could happily live out the rest of their lives together with everyone else at the Hideaway. What more could he ask for? What more could he want for?

He lifts his glass to his lips again, taking more of the drink down his throat. It warms him in an almost ticklish way, but he doesn't think much of it.

yeee boi

[lightundying]

His regrets are not small in number, but at least he can be proud of his final act in life. It isn't near enough to make up for the lives he stole, but it was everything he had left to give. Perhaps one day, he'll be forgiven.

But for the present, such as it is, at least he isn't alone.

"If what the Tavernkeeper speaks of proves true, we may not yet be entirely at our leisure."

[featheredflames]

Ah yes, that's right. How fitting it was for them to be thrown straight from the proverbial frying pan straight into the fire, only to exchange one dying world for another. (Or at least, hopefully, their world wasn't dying anymore...)

Fingers fiddle with the ends of the ties of his shirt absentmindedly. "So I have heard. What do you think of it? Of all of...this?"

[lightundying]

Dion casts his eyes about with idle hope he may yet spot someone else familiar. He lifts his shoulder in a shrug and wonders if there might be something alcoholic in his drink after all.

"I confess to some relief. I am not given to remaining idle for long." Dion glances down at his drink and swirls the remaining liquid inside. "There is still much I have to atone for and so, if it is possible that I can aid another realm in its plight, then I shall do so. "

[featheredflames]

Atonement. The notion has Joshua's heart feeling heavy in his chest as he takes another sip of his drink. It's sweet and refreshing; if the topic of discussion wasn't so somber he might feel a little giddy even but now is not the time. He remembers all too clearly how grief drove Bahamut to the surface of Dion's very being, caging him as he brought the city beneath him down in a fury of wings, shrieks and deadly light.

Clive and himself had managed to stop his rampage but barely. Even if Dion held responsibility for the disaster, it wasn't entirely his fault. Joshua could never lay full blame at his feet - not when he knew all too well the grip an eikon had on the soul of its Dominant. Sometimes, despite everything, you had no say or choice.

"Can anyone born with wings truly remain idle?" He opts for a more lighthearted reply, even if the heaviness is sill present within. "If we saved one realm then why not another? Why, we could make a habit of it!"

Maybe his tongue is a little more loose than normal, but at least it's clear to see he's genuine.

[lightundying]

Dion glances up, surprised by the seeming absurdity of such a claim. But then, they've only just died and found themselves in yet another dying world asking their assistance.

He huffs a breath of amusement just shy of a proper laugh. His grin is slow to form, but form it does.

"Then when eventually we find your brother, he'll have a bit of catching up to do."

[featheredflames]

"He will, yes."

The unspoken part is that as much as Joshua pines for his brother, despite how raw the wound in his chest and heart still feels after being healed, the last thing he wants is to potentially see him stripped from enjoying the fruits of everything they fought for. He wants Clive to live for himself, not for him. Besides, there were so many who needed his brother. He couldn't be selfish.

His gaze softens further, watching idly how the light of the tavern catches the gold of Dion's hair and eyes. "But, Founder willing, that will be for some time. He can't always be playing the lead role now - it wouldn't be fair."

[lightundying]

"No, it would not," Dion agrees, words hollowed around the lip of his glass. He finishes it in one last swallow and sets it back down with a determined thunk.

His heart feels light in a way it hasn't for some time. "But first, we shall endeavour to ensure this world's tale is not one so tragic as Valisthea's."

[featheredflames]

"Yes, of course. If this is to be our new home...it would serve us well to ensure its continuation."

Dion is done his drink but Joshua still has some of his left. He picks up the glass, swirling it about for a moment before taking another sip. This one feels more bitter on his tongue for whatever reason. He ignores it.

"May I ask a question?"

[lightundying]

Dion spares a glance to the bar, but he's not quite ready for another drink. It's Joshua's hesitance that pulls and holds his attention. A question that requires permission to ask?

"Of course. I shall answer as best I'm able."

[featheredflames]

His hand finds his chest once more, fingers gently curling against newly unblemished skin. How strange it is to the touch, even with the barrier of leather.

"Do you feel him still within you? Bahamut? The Phoenix within me is naught but a dying ember, barely lit. I figure it is simply due to the fact I gave Clive my full blessing but I wanted to be certain something else isn't at play."

It's been bugging him since he awoke, among other things, to not feel the firebird nestled so firmly in his breast.

[lightundying]

Dion mirrors the gesture without quite meaning to. His eyes close and he reaches deep for the aether that usually swirls within him, always so bright and ready to burst into life before Ifrit, then subdued and grumbling thereafter. Now..

His hand drops away and he meets Joshua's gaze once more. "An echo. Mayhap I have simply grown so accustomed to his presence that what remains is only a phantom of my own making. I cannot say for certain- only I will not be leaping from any significant height in an attempt to prime anytime soon."

[featheredflames]

That gets an unintentional chuckle out of Joshua, a hand raising as he covers his mouth instinctively.

"Yes, I suppose that would be unwise, without Bahamut's wings at your disposal." The mental image of Dion leaping from various structures does have him feeling more giddy than usual however. Or maybe that's just the drink working on him.

"You still are rather good at jumping regardless, from what I recall." The physical prowess of a dragoon spoke for itself; Dion was impressive regardless of his ability to call upon his eikon or not.

"Perhaps they are slumbering then." A backhanded blessing in some ways.

[lightundying]

Joshua seems in good humor for a man having met the end of his life. Dion eyes his drink and decides a bit of levity is well in order. By all accounts, it isn't the first time.

"I should certainly hope so," he says with a smile, feeling rather lighter himself in spite of their loss.

Dion waves his hand in a dismissive gesture even as he affects a lofty tone. "Holy Dragoon, I'll have you know."

[featheredflames]

"Oh yes, Holy Dragoon. Founder forgive me, Your Highness." He bows his head playfully, hand on his chest, but there is no disrespect in the words or action. Joshua may be a dead man but that does not mean he has lost his spirit. If anything, he's more lively than Dion's probably used to seeing him. Down goes the rest of his drink, glass now empty save for the half melted ice cubes.

"You are rather impressive. I do mean that."

He does, despite the teasing.

[lightundying]

Color stains Dion's face, not quite expecting Joshua to turn his jest into a genuine compliment. One would think he'd be well-used to it by now- and he is, so far as lip service is concerned. Sincerity is a different matter.

Dion clears his throat and wishes rather desperately that he'd gotten more to drink. It would have made for a nice distraction as he fumbles for recovery.

"As are you."

[featheredflames]

"You flatter me." He laughs, this time with more heart in the sound, leaning back a bit in his chair. "No, there is naught that is impressive about me at all. It was simply a stroke of chance I ended up with the Phoenix's blessing." Or curse. One could call it that as well for many reasons.

"But you - you've trained ever so hard. You have the respect of the men who follow you and you have earned it from your character alone, not because of the dragon within you."

Joshua, instead, cannot claim to have earned much of anything. The Undying followed him because of his blood. Clive was his brother by the Founder's good graces, but even then he feels as if he doesn't deserve half the loyalty and affection he's shown him over the years.

[lightundying]

For a moment, he wavers. He does not know all that much of Joshua's life, and they've spent little time together in the scope of the years.

"You are a man rather a sight better than I am. You are kind, Joshua. Compassionate, generous, and full of faith. I envy that in you."