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my oath shall be sped;
WHO? Everybody!
WHAT? The January TDM.
WHEN? The mythic dimension of Vorspiel.
ANYTHING ELSE? Violence, as always. Please warn in subject lines for anything beyond physical violence, and move to a personal journal if things go beyond PG-13.
WHAT? The January TDM.
WHEN? The mythic dimension of Vorspiel.
ANYTHING ELSE? Violence, as always. Please warn in subject lines for anything beyond physical violence, and move to a personal journal if things go beyond PG-13.
JANUARY TEST DRIVE MEME;
Vorspiel; a land of song.
arrival for new recruits
You wake up in a patch of verdant forest, with the birds chirping all around you. You're not in a clearing; your body lies between the trees. Near you, a frail woman with tired eyes rocks back and forth. You have none of your clothing, just black military-issued underwear, and none of your previous possessions beyond the one you chose (if you remember choosing) to bring with you.
When the tired woman notices you've come to, she speaks in a tongue you won't recognize, but somehow understand, in tilting tones that somehow always rhyme. Tired and sorrowful though she is, if you have questions as to what's going on, she'll answer: you are a member of COST, a paramilitary organization of time travelers fighting against the Regency, a tyrannous kingdom of the future who are trying to stamp out freedom and individuality in the name of peace.
She will provide you with the clothing necessary to fit in, and show you how to use your BCE implant to look up information on this dimension and its social and political mores. She won't let you leave until you're properly dressed to fit in, but once you are, she'll wish you luck. She thinks you'll need it.
And, she says as you depart, if you see the Gods, spit on them. They will do you no favors here.
ARRIVAL FOR VETERANS
While on BASE, you'll receive a message on your BCE.
URGENT MISSION: VORSPIEL UNDER MAJOR ATTACK. ALL POSSIBLE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO PROVIDE AID.Selecting 'Y' will instantly teleport you to Vorspiel. Or maybe you're not the volunteering type, but your BCE glitches and signs you up anyway. Them's the breaks.
ACCEPT: Y / N ?
When you appear in Vorspiel, you'll find yourself in that same forest with the same woman who is ushering new recruits. She will give you clothes and wish you luck-- though luck, she says, is something true heroes have in short supply.
VORSPIEL
Regardless of how you got here, your BCE will have a short rundown of the situation once you arrive.
Vorspiel is a mythical, magical dimension rich in rare and precious resources. During the course of the war, it's been fought over by both sides. The Regency has recently allied with the leader of the misty country of Nibelheim to issue what is known as a Time Break; a sort of spell only possible in ancient dimensions such as these. Essentially, linear time has been destroyed in this dimension. Everything is happening at once, simultaneously and perpetually, a never ending cycle of lives and deaths and battles. While Vorspiel is a vast dimension, its borders have become warped; it is possible to walk from one country to another across the sea in a matter of moments, by accident. While the BCE is trying to send people to Nibelheim, it's entirely possible it misses the mark completely, or sends them to several places before they reach Nibelheim.
This chaos is meant to be a punishment: bow down before the Regency, or nothing will ever be the same again.
There is good news, though. Vorspiel is a dimension of inherent magic; singing or humming or whistling certain magical tunes will have an inherent effect upon one's surroundings. The BCE lists all the spells, though it notes that some have varying results (AKA go wild, guys, have fun), and the ones named after people will do little unless the person in question is present (a statistical unlikelihood).
As you enter different parts of Vorspiel, the BCE will sometimes give you different assignments, prompting you to take this action or that. If you have any questions about how this setting works, feel free to ask!
THE RHEINAs a final note: This will not be the main mission for January. This TDM is meant as a one-off to dump characters into a setting they don't have to read a ton of infopages for, while still getting a sense of what Agoge could be (and as always, this TDM is game canon).
You come upon a giant river with clear and beautiful water. The sun shines down upon it in yellow light, and wherever the light touches it, gold floats to the surface of the water. The BCE will prompt you to fetch as much of this gold as you can-- it is an extremely powerful magical resource, rheingold-- but it will not warn you about the Rheinmaidens.
The rheinmaidens are mermaids, essentially, and at first, they are very friendly and gentle, singing nonsense songs and welcoming you to their home. But as soon as you begin to make any moves toward the gold, they will curse you, dive for you with surprising speed, and attempt to drown you. They will be vicious, and their natural element is water. You're in their territory, taking their things, as far as they are concerned. They have every right to kill you.
Killing the rhienmaidens will work... for a minute or so. And then they will rise again. Wounds will undo themselves-- whether they're inflicted by the rheinmaidens or you. Drowning doesn't seem permanent either-- you're pulled under, and all air escapes you, death befalls you... and then you wake up a moment later, standing on the shore.
Time has been fundamentally broken. Nothing done here is permanent.
WALHALL
You stand outside a fortress bathed in rainbow light atop a glorious mountain. Around you, the air is cool and still, and the roof of the sky seems terribly close. No matter how far toward the fortress you run, you can never make it inside. And thundering footsteps are coming just around the mountain pass, coming for you.
Lumbering giants wander around the fortress, searching for something they mutter and murmur is theirs. If they see anyone around, they will attempt to carry them off, kidnapping them for unknown purposes. They do not seem interested in eating their catch; they seem more interested in kidnapping it. Still, they are dangerous, brutish and sloppy with their strength. It is best to avoid them if possible, hiding in the trees.
Or perhaps you'd rather fight these fifteen-foot monstrosities on your own?
Of course, if you kill them, they just... come back. Death cannot be permanent in a place where time has been caught in an endless loop.
NIBELHEIM
The misty country of Nibelheim is located within a network of caverns dug into the side of a great mountain. It's a foggy, polluted place that brings to mind a city on the brink of the industrial revolution, not unlike Victorian London, though Nibelheim is entirely underground. There is smoke and smog everywhere, and living conditions are generally poor. The rich class is one family, ruled by a Nibelung named Alberich. He has various objects of great power that keep him enslaving his fellow Nibelung, working constantly in factories of his making. He has allied with the Regency to achieve this goal, and the time break within his home dimension is due in large part to his planning and plotting.
Human visitors to Nibelheim aren't unheard of, due to trade, though they are in a minority. Nibelungs, for the record, look and feel and act completely human, but they are ultimately alien, averaging a foot shorter in height at least, having naturally sallow skin, large eyes, hairless regardless of gender, and long, nimble fingers. They are a race of people made to live underground, and it shows; most can see in the dark, and climb nearly any surface. They are famed as smiths and metalworkers. Most just want to make a living and feed their families, though Alberich's clan keeps them in line.
Your duty here, the BCE says, is to try and befriend these people, the average Nibelung, and spark some kind of revolt. There are Regency spies everywhere, however, so be careful; you cannot call for rebellion in an open voice on every street corner. No, it's better, safer, to be subtle about it. Win the trust of a local businessman, seek out influential Nibelungs and figure out their opinions. Be tactical, be clever, be quick.
And avoid Alberich and his family at any cost.
But if you can, try and save some of the Nibelungs. Due to Alberich's machinations, Nibelheim is the only part of Vorspiel that has been untouched by the time break, but that will only stay true for so long. If you can convince any Nibelungs to join COST, they will do so willingly; you'll just have to escort them to safe places in hidden back rooms within dingy bars and forgotten libraries, the places where COST cells have been fermenting under the nose of the Regency. Don't get caught, and be careful; save as many as you can.
AT THE BASE OF A GREAT TREE
A man lays dying. He looks very much like the woman who introduced you to this place. Regardless, he lies in a pool of his own blood, a stab wound through his heart. The time break keeps him from ever truly passing into the next life; as soon as he dies, his eyes open, and he begins the process of his last painful moments once again.
Each time, he begs you to avenge him and find his love (or sometimes his sister; he seems very confused), and if you ask him his name, he will only respond that he is, "the woeful one". And then he will die again, for the hundredth time.
In the trees, warriors watch, poised to attack. They see you communing with their enemy, and they wish to defeat you as well. These warriors care little for your protest; they are locked in an endless battle that they cannot free themselves from, and you have just joined it.
IN THE FOREST
There is a serpent, larger than anything you have ever seen, sitting at the mouth of a cave. It sits upon a hoard of gold that may be familiar to you. It may not, but the BCE will inform you of what it is: rheingold, an incredibly potent and valuable magical resource.
Regardless, the serpent will attack anyone that comes near it or its hoard, even by accident. It, too, is caught in an endless loop of battle long over, for it calls you boy and foolish young man regardless of who or what you are. It speaks in a deep and sonorous voice, and will not stop until its head is cut off. The creature is obnoxiously large and highly dangerous, and battle with it will be long and painful, not least because, like everything in this place where time has been so fundamentally broken, it is very bad at staying dead.
Be careful when you fight it -- if you accidentally get some of its blood in your mouth, you will be suddenly and temporarily able to understand the language of birds. Which is cool, but also, you know, distracting.
The birds will tell you to find the Valkyries, who will bring you great fame and glory. They will also tell you to run, for Fafnir does not die so easy.
AT THE END OF THE WORLD
You are at a funeral. A golden-haired woman stands upon an unlit pyre, standing next to the man who, she sings, is her dead husband. Her song is beautiful and loud and incomprehensible, and when the pyre is lit, the fire swallows her whole. But the burning doesn't stop there; it begins to destroy the assembled mourners, the forest around it, the castle, the very river burns. The fabric of the world crackles and sets to flame.
Run from the flame all you like, but it always licks at your heels.
There is a trick, though, to saving your life. If one is truly unafraid of death, the fire cannot harm you, or anyone you touch. The BCE won't warn you of this; it doesn't know. But if you are unafraid, you can simply walk through the flames unharmed.
It will bring you to a wide field atop a mountain, where a woman lies sleeping. It's the same woman at the funeral, peaceful in sleep, unmoving, unsinged. She can be awoken by a kiss.
Of course, awakening her will begin the cycle again: the pyre, the fire, the fearlessness, the clearing. Over and over again, endlessly, until the BCE manages to pull you out.
This is the will of the Regency.
The main mission for January will be the Gallipoli campaign, as detailed here. Future missions for Agoge are always listed here months in advance.
Primrose Everdeen | New Recruit (ota)
Music wasn't always a part of Primrose's life growing up. Her father used to sing a song that she can barely remember, and her mother's never been fond of anything that might get her family noticed by the Capitol. It was her sister that taught Prim how to listen for the notes of the mockingjay, and how to sing to them if they should ever be around. Katniss was always the brave one that ventured outside the District walls. Prim had to learn melody and song in hushed whispers in the bed she shared with her sister at night. Still, she knew how to replicate sounds she heard because of what Katniss taught her. Here, she was able to put that skill to good use.
Magic wasn't something that existed in her world. Here, all she had to do was be brave enough to sing out loud. It took her some time to feel up to doing so, of course. She had to observe others for a while and wait until she saw an opening where there weren't many others around. Standing off to the side, she sang, and was gifted with an explosion of light that splintered off into fragments no larger than fireflies. It was beautiful, and she spun about to try and see them all. Her pigtails spun outward as she did, catching a couple of the little balls of light in the process.
She quickly learned that these lights, while seemingly beautiful, were also incredibly dangerous. The end of her pale hair caught fire, making Primrose gasp and use her bare hands to put it out. She had just unleashed hundreds of little fireballs upon unsuspecting people. Gulping, Primrose looked around to watch them flutter around other people and buildings. This might end terribly.
III. Nibelheim
Being here reminds Primrose a little too much of District 12. It's unsettling at first, but she quickly adapts. If the appearance of the people here bother her, she never lets it show. Instead, she blends in as best as she can. Her small stature and slight frame help, even if her hair stands out among the crowd. Having grown up starving and poor, Prim knows exactly where to look for those that crave rebellion the most. She looks for the children who are suffering and befriends them, then goes back to speak with their family. After having lived in District 13, Primrose understands the importance of recruitment. She knows how to speak quietly and act like she's speaking about looking for a dagger with with which she can protect herself. For a girl that's never been good at lying, she's able to craft her story easily.
She's not Katniss, she'll never be able to spark an entire revolt on her own. But she can lead good Nibelungs to join COST. Whether it's because her words are convincing or because they feel sorry for the little wisp of a girl that comes trying to motivate them to make a change, Primrose is able to sneak several groups into one of the cellars where veteran COST members are waiting. As she parts ways with her new friends, she brings her fingers to her lips and gives the three fingered salute that's well known in her world. It means goodbye to someone you love, but beyond that it's become a symbol of gratitude and admiration.
Her hand drops away when their attention shifts away from her and onto the future. The older, more experienced veteran takes over recruitment and Primrose falls back. "How many more do you think we should attempt?"
There's only so much they can do here before she ends up getting caught.
IV. Great Tree
Primrose happens upon the dying man entirely by accident. She never has been given the freedom to wander before, and now that she has it, of course she winds up in the wrong place at exactly the wrong time. Her training as a nurse and medic are more important than caution when she first spots him, and she presses her hand against the kit she's put together and keeps on her belt. She may not be a fighter, but surely she can make a difference here. Forgetting about the issue of time that exists in this place, Prim takes off at a run to crouch at his side. She begins checking his vital signs, listening to his pleas for revenge. He dies and Prim looks just about ready to cry. She's failed him.
When his eyes open and he gasps to life only to begin the cycle of death anew, she understands she can't save him. Her hand goes to his and she listens, nodding as he asks her to find his sister. She thinks of Katniss and grips his hand a little tighter, and promises she'll do what she can.
He dies several times with her right there with him, and she isn't sure what to do. Her heart doesn't want to let him just stay there alone, but she understands that's what must be done. She could get a group together to move him, maybe, and so she stands in order to pull away and do that. But as she takes her first steps she hears the sound of others nearby. Years of watching the Hunger Games help her know she should always stop and look around to critically observe her surroundings if time allows. Cautiously, she stops and looks around.
The sight of warriors in trees with weapons horrifies the girl and makes her face go pale. She needs to be brave, even if she's trembling. Her hands raise up in the air to show she's unarmed as she calls out, "I'm not here to fight you. I'm a healer. I only meant to help."
The weapons are pointed at her, and she swallows a lump that forms in her throat. She may not be a fighter yet, but she suddenly is filled with an urgency to learn. All she can do now, however, is hope that someone who might assist her is nearby.
V. End of the World
If there's one thing she can thank Panem for, it's ridding her of the fear of death. Primrose is terrified of many things. She's afraid of pain, afraid of watching people she loves dies. She doesn't have the heart to hurt others. But she doesn't fear her own death. The fire around her reminds her too much of the explosions in the Capitol, and at first Prim cowers off to the side and watches the chaos unfurl around her. It's a pity that such a beautiful funeral would turn into something like this, she thinks.
She eventually runs, but never seems to escape the flames. They're always surrounding her, causing her to have to move through them. Each repeat of the cycle is the same, Primrose growing more angry each repetition. When she finally stops attempting to run, she moves through the flames, and finds that she's unable to be burned. Understanding that no harm can come to her here, she takes to learning the woman's song, and starts to try and save the other mourners. In this strange place where everything moves in circles, she takes advantage of the repetition to attempt to break the cycle.
It doesn't work, of course, and she just ends up walking through flames again only to end up near someone. Coughing deeply from the smoke inhalation, she looks to them with concern.
"Are you hurt? The fire, did it burn you?"
She can at least try to help them, even if she can't fix anything else.
IV
But he has lingered here despite that for a purpose. It's obvious by now that plenty of newcomers to unit are trickling into this land and in each and every spot he's been to at least one has showed up. Remaining to ensure he doesn't miss one who can't get themselves out of the situation had seemed wise, and right now that decision is proven to be so.
Those warriors in the trees? Primrose may spot the soft purple glow flickering between the leaves before the explosion of light happens and some kind of power knocks the attackers over in one huge wave; Yoshitsugu himself, scarf wrapped around his face to conceal his mouth and with a long baton held tight in his right hand, runs between them towards the unarmed young woman and grasps one of her wrists with his left.
"We need to leave."
There's no room for argument, and though he lets her go after a second there's obvious expectation that she will follow when he begins to run again. Behind them one of the warriors groans and tries to pull himself to his feet. Sure, no death here will be permanent as things stand, but that doesn't mean they should welcome it.
III
When the new recruit brings in yet another grouping of natives, she does not step forward to speak to them. Another of their allies assumes this task, and she instead approaches the young girl.
"No more today," she says in response, turning her gaze to the newcomers. Fingers linked, posture straight. "We should leave some time for our words to spread like wildfire. It will give you a chance to fall back into obscurity."
iv
From off to the side, Taako emerges from the brush and vegetation, making a break for her immediately. While he knows that he could probably get a spell or two off that would make for a bad day for the warriors on the opposite end of the small clearing, first priority has to be getting this kid out of here and not fighting. He grabs her by the wrist and pulls her, drags her if absolutely necessary.
"We're leaving!"