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𝚆𝙾𝚁𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙿 (𝙼𝙾𝙳𝚂) ([personal profile] uruz) wrote in [community profile] sacktime2025-09-01 01:28 am
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JERICHO ● SEPTEMBER 2025 EVENT/TDM

TDM & EVENT: JERICHO


Prologue: New Characters

You've been plagued with a reoccuring dream, as of late. Every time you sleep, the dream returns to you.

It always begins the same way: As a breath held for too long. As a pressure at the base of your spine. A silence that presses against the skin like confession, like prophecy. A ripple moves through your bones. A tide builds and pulls at your feet, familiar by now. You dream of a black, soundless wave, thick like oil and starlight, swelling across the horizon line. You've seen the wave before, countless times, always rising. With every night, it never reaches you. You always seem to wake before it does . . . That is, until tonight.

The wave moves slow, deliberate— like something ancient and alive. And when it finally crashes, there is no harsh impact. Only warmth. Only submersion. Rather than drowning, you are being claimed with saltwater that's sweet with myrrh. The darkness embracing you pulses with desire. Then, a voice envelops you.

"Come home."

It dribbles with honey-like promise, like a truth you've always known, whispered now from within your marrow more like temptation than a request.

"You are mine. You always were."

The voice offers purpose. Worship. Belonging. And when you wake . . . You wake changed, with a mask on your face you did not choose. Elegant. Sacred. Too important to remove. You have been given a gift. A new beginning.

Welcome home, new Vessels.


Sink Down Like Precious Stones

( content warnings: drowning, body horror )
Vessels awaken within the dreamscape as the black wave recedes from their skin like velvet falling off the bone, their masks in place over their eyes and left afloat in the watery expanse. All around them, the ocean stretches infinite and lightless— so still it mirrors the sky above, indistinguishable from the void. Far in the distance, massive obsidian walls curve inward, enclosing this vast seascape like a forgotten temple basin. And there, at the far horizon, one glow pierces the dark: a low-burning fire flickering within a half-sunken structure of impossible architecture— arched, ribbed, as though built from marble and cathedral glass.

This is a test, and it begins with belief.

Those with unwavering faith— whether in Sleep, another god, or even themselves— will find the surface beneath their feet holds firm. The sea becomes glass, and they may rise, and walk. But those adrift in doubt begin to sink. Precious stone creeps over their skin. Joints stiffen. Flesh cracks. Breath slows. It is not death, but it is close and might as well be hell. Your only salvation lies in your own conviction . . . Or the mercy of another Vessel who happens to walk.

Those who drown will not die. They will loop this moment— sinking, blackness, return, sink again— until belief takes root in some way. Alternatively, they may awaken in a later dreamspace . . . Changed.

NOTES:
• Pale white fish as well as glowing jellyfish may be encounted. The fish stare at vessels as they drown, and jellyfish may leave behind a shock that could temporarily stop the process of crystalization. But only temporarily— and their stings are excrutiating.
TOKEN EFFECTS:
• Magic becomes volatile— spells flicker, overcharge, or fizzle unpredictably when cast on or near the ocean.
• When you cast, your veins glow from beneath the skin, but not with light. It's writhing. Like something trapped under glass.
• When channeling magic, your mouth may fill with brine and blood.
OFFERING EFFECTS:
• The water responds emotionally— thrashing with fury or calming with yearning depending on the Offering's state of mind.
• The sea amplifies desire and instinct, making base emotions harder to suppress— rage, hunger, longing all churn just beneath the surface.
• The black water feels too warm, too alive, clinging to the body like memory; any stillness invites visions of Sleep's embrace, both reverent and consuming.


You Taste Like New Flesh

( content warnings: body horror, psychological horror, compulsion, unreliable reality )
The ocean path ends at a palace carved of pearl and spun silk, impossibly perched where water meets nothingness. Whether you have traversed the black sea on trembling feet or simply awaken seated at an impossibly long table, it makes no difference. You are here now, and welcomed, suddenly in attire fit for a gala. Around this table sit countless Dream-Vessels, many silent and still, faces unreadable in the flickering candlelight wearing generic, six-eyed masks. The table stretches beyond sight, arching beneath creeping vines that twist like ancient veins overhead, blooming with strange blossoms that beat with energy. Flames dance atop dozens of candles— some burn on brass holders, others hover, like fireflies caught mid-flight, their shadows flickering and shifting with an otherworldly rhythm. Around you, phantasmal forms shimmer on pedestals: Sleep's ancient Guardians are eternalized through memorial, monstrous and magnificent, lost to time yet enshrined in reverence. On the highest pedestal stands a still living One, silent and watching the feast with somber eyes. Sleep's voice whispers in your ear, encouraging a glance to, perhaps, see what you may become.

"Feast, My Dear Vessels. Until you taste like New Flesh."


The foods before you don not come unmeddled with. Each bite pulls memories from your bones to the surface— moments buried or erased, but these are not just yours. The banquet feeds on shared history, stirring secrets tangled between you and the others here. To eat is to open a door: to risk awakening something dormant, to invite others inside your buried truths, to forge bonds or betrayals that can never be unseen.
Eton Mess: Crushed meringue, tangled cream, and berries that bleed like bruises when bitten. Sweetness melts quickly, leaving your tongue cold. As you eat, a memory rises— but you don't experience it alone. The person nearest you sees what you see, hears what you hear, feels what you felt. Together, you can alter one key detail, and that change ripples outward, shifting how you both remember the event.

Deviled Kidneys: Spiced and seared, the metallic richness clings to your mouth, as if tasting old blood. Eating summons the echo of a painful or violent memory, but your partner experiences it with you.

Roasted Lamb in Mint Sauce: The sweetness of the meat is cut by mint sharp enough to sting the throat. Your act of consumption awakens a craving, but not in you— in the Vessel sharing this dish. They feel an inexorable pull toward your memory, even without knowing what they seek. The bond persists until the craving is confronted.

Honey Scouse: A thick, golden stew heavy with warmth, but beneath the sweetness, something cloying curls around the edges. Every shared spoonful spreads a slow, creeping influence between you and your partner: intrusive visions, subtle compulsions, small lapses in agency. Neither of you can tell whose thoughts belong to whom.

Starpit Fruit: Plum-sized and faintly glowing, the juice leaves your fingertips dusted in silver, like handling starlight. When bitten, the fruit releases the memory of a forgotten wish, not to you but to the person beside you. They see it clearly— and know exactly what you once wanted most, even if you had buried it.

Marigold Brandy: A golden spirit served warm, glowing faintly as though sunlight has been trapped inside the glass. When lifted, it releases a soft, floral scent. The first sip draws you and your partner into a shared burst of joy— a memory that makes you swell with happiness. The sensation is so immediate, so electric, that when the memory breaks, your bodies ache to move, to speak, to draw more positivity to light. You may feel an irresistible pull to get up and dance on the wide palace floors, even if no music is playing . . . And if others nearby drink as well, the effect multiplies.

Saints Breath Chalice: A dark, wine-thick cordial served in tarnished silver cups etched with symbols that shift when stared at too long. The liquid smells faintly of frankincense and something sweeter— blood-warm and alive. Drinking it floods you and your partner with the overwhelming sensation of being inside someone else's celebration, a memory that belongs to neither of you: a vast mass of black, with branching antlers and six, glowing red eyes. It reaches to sink its claws into your chest as she sings: One. Beloved. We were meant to be. It is impossible to tell whether you're witnessing joy or manic worship. There is chanting you cannot understand but somehow already know, drums that sync with your heartbeat until you can feel nothing else. Your limbs begin to twitch, then sway, then move without conscious thought, drawn into a dance you do not remember learning. If more than two people drink, your movements synchronize perfectly, your breath matching theirs, until the room seems stop to watch.

The table awaits.

NOTES:
• Feasting becomes addictive. The more a character eats, the harder it is to stop. Gluttony may cause physical consequences: nosebleeds, twitching fingers, warping speech, uncontrollable confessions, or dripping nectar from their mouths.
• Those who refuse to eat at all begin to starve in a dream-sense: they lose color, smell burning, and feel the weight of Sleep's gaze. Her wrath isn't immediate— but it grows the longer you reject the feast. She takes offense.
TOKEN EFFECTS:
• Each spell cast after eating releases parasitic energy— manifesting as flowers, thorns, parasitic insects or rot— either from their own body or from someone they recently touched.
• Casting warps your limbs temporarily: too many joints, fingers curl the wrong way, nerves burn like wires.
• Touching others leaves sigils burned into their skin. These will briefly carry over into the waking world during next month's event. Runecasters will get the innate feeling that this symbol has a meaning summed up as "The Night Does Not Belong To God". How they interpret that is up to them.
OFFERING EFFECTS:
• The act of devouring awakens an overwhelming desire, often physical, but sometimes emotional or spiritual. This desire clings to another Vessel at the table, creating obsessive attachment or aggression.
• The more they eat, the more their monstrous traits subtly emerge.
• Consuming another Vessel's memory (if shared or touched) grants a brief glimpse of their deepest fear or weakness.

There's Something In The Way You Lay

( content warnings: sexual content, voyeurism, body modification, omegaverse traits, loss of agency )
Beneath its pearlescent halls, beyond the banquet of flickering candles and dream-Vessels who eat in hollow silence, a spiral staircase winds downward. Its steps are damp and velvet-slick. The further you descend, the warmer the air becomes— humid, cloying, thick with the scent of sweat, salt, and incense. The sounds reach you first: Slaps, gasps, the wet chorus of bodies and perverse intimacy. Laughter, muffled sobs, the echo of whispered names long forgotten. At the base lies a corridor of "private" rooms. Their doors swing open with dreamlike invitation. Inside, the scenes unfold: past dream-Vessels lost in tableau— arched backs, bitten lips, mouths open in prayer or obedience. Some are alone, coiled in worship. Others tangle in groups, indistinguishable where one body ends and another begins. Vines bloom across the ceilings, watching. The walls glisten with breath. You see their faces, but you can't quite distinguish what or who they are. You may not remember choosing a role, but the dream has chosen for you. α or Ω— and with the naming, your body changes. There is no shame here, only devotion made manifest. This is how Sleep is worshipped now: through cruelty and surrender, through the giving and the taking of flesh.

NOTES
• Masks may optionally offer a sort of glamour for Vessels who wander into these chambers— they will not be able to recognize each other. How much of that, whether it be appearance, voice, and so on, is up to you.
• Past dream-Vessels perform for no one, eyes vacant, movements perfect, as if only a ghost of a memory. Player characters may interact with them and even partake in intimacy with them, but be warned: they are emotionally absent and may cause symptoms of succumbence that could be remedied with a proper, player-character tether.
• Tools hang on the walls: Rods of all sizes, slick with heat. Collars that hum with low, seductive voltage. Blindfolds that intensify physical contact, There's no need for cuffs or chains when there are vines that seem to respond to the α party's mood— tightening, flowering, or reaching for skin. You are free to come up with your own items.
α perks:: Instinctive claiming (done through biting, rubbing, branding, etc), an almost predatory focus and obsession for those who interest them, pack gravity (the ability to attract one or more vessels at once), emitting a scent that ignites heat/rut in others, darker urges surge and a commanding voice.
Ω perks: High pain tolerance, instinctive yielding, emotional synchrony with those being watched, self-lubricating, hypersensitive, scent tracking, intense need to please or be filled emotionally, physically, and spiritually. When touched, glowing runes bloom across the skin.
TOKEN EFFECTS
• Spells cast during acts of intimacy may provoke a heightened sensation of euphoria for both caster and whoever is affected by the spell.
• Magic may manifest as misty appendages— extra hands, tongues, eyes, etc.
• Divine energy becomes volatile when passed through the body— ecstasy may border on agony, or vice versa, and Tethering becomes impossibly euphoric.
OFFERING EFFECTS
• Flesh becomes malleable mid-act— bones bending, jaws unhinging, skin blooming open, etc.
• Animalistic traits emerge: tails, claws, growls, tentacles, scent glands— all begging to be used.
• Feeding and Tethering are indistinguishable— hunger becomes worship, and worship becomes need.

I am not worthy

( content warnings: body horror, violence, gore, parasitic/invasive feeding, death )
Wherever you are, the palace begins to rot. First slowly, then all at once: vines swell with black fluid, splitting at the seams. They burst from beneath marble tiles, coil up pillars, slither across frames and vacant thrones like arteries choking a heart. The candlelight flickers. One by one, the flames throughout the palace float upward . . . And die. No smoke. No warning. Just wet silence. Then the Dream-Vessels begin to fall. They do not scream as they do. They collapse like marionettes, limbs askew. Their flesh splits open along wounds that should not exist— a rip at the neck, teeth marks prying open the ribcage, a bite that swallows half a torso. Bones jut like sculpted ivory. Entrails slither across the floor like garlands. Some burst mid-air, as if the dream demands spectacle. Others fold in on themselves until all that's left of them is a mound of flesh.

"I am not worthy."


One voice. Ten. A thousand—layered, glitching, sweaty. It echoes from the walls, the bodies, the seams in the floor. The corpses twitch in time with the chant, jerking violently. Some snap backwards, eyes wide, jaws unhinged. Others explode— blossoming in gore, raining viscera. From the heaving pile of ruined Dream-Vessels, something forms.

It lurches into being: stitched from tongues, teeth, torsos. Weeping. Wailing. Worshipping. A monstrosity of raw flesh and faith: all failures made meat. Its eyes (are they eyes?) blink out. Arms claw outwards, too many to count. Its scent is of copper, sweat, and sorrow.

When The Abomination chooses to feed, it seeks not flesh, but the softest rot inside you. An appendage uncoils from its writhing mass and unhinged jaw— veined, slick, and trembling like a violated root. It drives itself into your mouth, splitting your lips with obscene tenderness, and sinks deep into your throat, locking you still.

What it draws out is not blood. It siphons your doubts, your fears, your most secret self-hatred. Your inadequacy. Every buried shame. Your hate. Your negativity. Every flinch of unworthiness. Every moment you believed yourself unlovable, unseen, too small. It gorges on what you hide from even yourself, and the more you try to resist, the sweeter your sorrow becomes. The last thing it takes is your life force, and then your viscera, leaving you wilted and shrivled like a hollow log.

This death is violating and feels painfully slow. You're drained raw of your vitality until you're but a brittle husk that breaks to dust in the wind. It seems near impossible to destroy, always reforming into bits and pieces left smudged behind. Perhaps your best bet it to run, or attempt to wake yourself up from this nightmare.

One's voice repeats in choked sobs: I am not worthy.

NOTES:
• Wounds from the beast linger. You may wake bleeding or marked.
• If devoured, characters will awaken the following month extremely fatigued during the first 3-5 days of the month. They may also sporadically rigurgitate black sludge. Characters who die and are already in the game may requesta plot clue, that will be a vision your character will dream of before awakening.
TOKEN EFFECTS
• Magic recoils violently when used on The Abomination, backfiring with psychic screams or ripping into your flesh.
• Your hands glow uncontrollably, burning what you touch— even those you love.
• Magic becomes hungry; it demands pieces of your body to function. A tooth. A nail. A rib (and so on).
OFFERING EFFECTS
• The rage it stirs in you is monstrous. You begin to shift uncontrollably— flesh blooms, bones crack under strain.
• Your body begins moving before you decide to. Twitching toward The Abomination, and toward the scent of despair.
• During the chaos, you may develop a fixation with another Vessel's flaw. You can smell it on them. It entrances you . . . To the point that you may feel the urge to feed them to The Abomination.



OOC NOTES

➤ Welcome to Somnia's second TDM, which doubles as our third gamewide event!

➤ This TDM is considered game canon. You are free to have your character remember as many details as possible.

Only new characters are free to experiment with the Vessel options to your liking; this is a dreamscape, so multiple/different situations for you to really test which option you like most is possible. Current characters must remain as their chosen Vessel type unless you requested a switch, which can be done on the Taken page.

➤ All TDMs take place within a dreamscape, meaning characters can interact with the setting without needing to apply. Come have fun with us!

➤ Veteran players, I ask to please refrain from making post-event threads for the time being! We have some important information to take into account in next month's event when characters are slated to "wake up". At the very least, please wait for the information to be offered on the next plotting post. Thank you everyone for your patience!

➤ Please comment on the TDM's INVITE TL if you are a new player interested in joining the game, but don't yet have an invite. Current players or the mod may reach out to extend an invite. Once you've got one, please don't forget to comment on the Invite page so you may properly link it in your reserve and app.

➤ Questions? Please direct them to the designated questions comment linked below!

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trashblaze: (💫 052)

[personal profile] trashblaze 2025-09-17 05:25 am (UTC)(link)
Heeh?

[ That's such a packed itinerary. It reminds him of Robin's own crazy schedule… Actually, he knows several other musicians who are similar. Maybe most performers love being occupied. Well, Caelus can't blame them; he feels similarly. He enjoys staying active, too. ]

By Biblion, do you mean a book club? I have a friend with me here somewhere who's really into books, too! If you see him, do say hello. I think you two would get along! His name is Dan Heng. [ Just then, it clicks on him— ] Oh, man. Sorry, I forgot to mention mine. It's Caelus, the Galactic Baseballer!

[ Of course, during all this conversation, Caelus continues to lead their steps. Since his partner is eased at this point, he quickens their pace slightly, but still enough to comfortably follow as their feet smoothly glide along the dimly glowing floor. ]

To trailblaze means to venture into the unknown, creating new paths to explore. I'm part of the Astral Express, and we travel across the stars to connect with and understand new worlds.
heavyliesthecrown: (Just like this)

[personal profile] heavyliesthecrown 2025-09-19 02:42 am (UTC)(link)
[There is something deeply ironic about what this stranger is saying to him as they float and guide across the floor. He cannot help but think of his former 'leader' and how enthralled he would be to listen to such a wild story.

He laughs, gliding along easily with the movements, flowing effortlessly. He supposes that his past ice skating lessons and his more recent intense training help in that regard.]


So what you are telling me is that you are an alien.

[It's said with amusement, though it isn't mocking. He knows someone who would be delighted to meet an 'alien'.]

It is a pleasure, Caelus. My name is Tsukasa Suou... and I am the King of Knights. ♪ [Since they are going with titles. ☆]

If your companion Dan Heng is here, then I would be happy to meet them. Biblion is, indeed, a book club. I had the urge to try something new, and so I took the chance to join.

[. . . . Not JUST because he had been accused of only joining clubs he could eat within, and needed something to prove that was not the case.

The fact that they always treat him there is not his fault. That's just an unintended benefit.]
trashblaze: (💫 053)

[personal profile] trashblaze 2025-09-19 11:11 am (UTC)(link)
You'd be right, actually!

[ If they're being technical, Caelus supposes he is an alien to all of the planets he has been to so far. He's not human in the first place. ]

Hehe, a King of Knights? Are you royalty? Nice to meet you, Tsukasa!

[ Not that it would've changed anything, Caelus will still behave the same way even if Tsukasa is a literal king. Pretty shameless, this one. He laughs a bit in amusement as he recalls something from earlier. ]

By the way, why did you tense up when you mentioned sweets? Sweets are great!
heavyliesthecrown: (awkward laugh)

[personal profile] heavyliesthecrown 2025-09-20 04:15 am (UTC)(link)
It is the title my Knights bestowed upon me.

[He laughs.]

Or more like I earned through blood, sweat, and tears. However, the crown would not have been passed down to me if my seniors had not accepted me. Our idol group is known as Knights, and so our image falls along those lines.

[It was just one of the many things that drew him to the unit back then.]

My family is descended from warriors, but I am afraid I have not conquered the world yet, so I must wait to attain that crown.

[He is proud of his title but he shouldn't mislead anyone. World domination can be for another day. Right now, he simply blushes a bit again when sweets are once more brought back up.]

As for sweets, I have no disdain for them. I enjoy them a good deal, of course. People can be rather particular about that sort of thing among idols, though.

[ . . . Two of his unitmates are models. They can be so particular about what he eats and when he eats and how much he's eating. Especially one of them. Ugh... ]

I just do not wish for people to believe I am only interested in desserts...
trashblaze: (💫 083)

[personal profile] trashblaze 2025-09-20 10:14 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Huh? Warriors? World conquering? Caelus blinks a few times, wondering if he's thinking of the same kind of idol concept. Or maybe that's just a promotional stunt, and not… literally… a world-conquering group, right? … Right!? Tsukasa did mention that their image is based on knights. Anyway, he stops pondering about that for now. He figures he'll find out sooner or later.

Instead, he'll focus on the current topic as their fun dance continues for a while longer. ]


Who cares what people think? Just keep enjoying what you like. As long as you're not bingeing to the point of ruining your health, I don't see the problem. Ah, unless you have really poor self-control!

[ The last part is said teasingly. He's kidding, but hey… Now he wonders if the kid is like that. ]
heavyliesthecrown: (Don't say it like that...)

[personal profile] heavyliesthecrown 2025-09-28 12:20 am (UTC)(link)
O-Of course I do not! I am a good and proper boy.

[Despite his little possible attempt to drink something within a dream. This is an exception, though! Nothing can be counted against you inside of a dream.]

I would never be so inelegant as to overindulge.

A few here and there is fine so long as I exercise a little extra.
trashblaze: (💫 043)

[personal profile] trashblaze 2025-09-28 03:55 am (UTC)(link)
Well, then, like I said! Nothing to worry about, huh!?

[ Changing position as the dance is about to finish, Caelus makes sure to have the last set of steps be as eye-catching as possible. He increases the usage of his Imaginary Path abilities, making their area glow brighter, and he starts an even faster pace than before. His expression glows together with his movements. Eventually, he takes a step back and extends his arm, twirling Tsukasa a few times before pulling him right back, closer to him again.

Caelus catches Tsukasa in his arms and dips him low towards the floor, fully supporting his weight. Just as easily, he lifts him back up with a simple pull. His strength is pretty impressive; he did it without struggling at all, and his pace hasn't changed. The dance ends, and he bows to him. ]
heavyliesthecrown: (How do you like my bedroom eyes)

[personal profile] heavyliesthecrown 2025-10-01 03:15 am (UTC)(link)
[It's impressive. He had underestimated that his current companion could dance so well. He could have put many to shame. Tsukasa himself had been unused to being on the other end of a waltz.

Once it finishes, Tsukasa bows with a hand to his heart in turn, and then glances back up.]


. . . I have to admit that you have a great deal of talent.
trashblaze: (💫 098)

[personal profile] trashblaze 2025-10-08 05:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Haha! You think so? Thanks.

[ Well, considering what Caelus does, it's actually no wonder that he has so many skills. He will try almost anything at least once for the sake of trailblazing. Being able to experience everything he can is part of the job. ]

You're pretty amazing, yourself. Anyway, I should get going soon. I still need to find where my friends are. You take care now, huh?
heavyliesthecrown: (awkward laugh)

[personal profile] heavyliesthecrown 2025-10-10 12:28 am (UTC)(link)
Of course! I imagine we shall all go our own separate ways once we awaken, and so I wish you the absolute best.

[He gives a polite little bow again, and then a small wave. Good luck, Mr. Traveler, Sir.]