▶ TDM .009

Entry tags:

You awaken amidst the darkness with only a faint light to greet you. Your body is hemmed in by shards of crystals, gently sparkling and possibly pricking your skin. The surrounding landscape is dyed in the pinks and purples of the dusk filled with crystals protruding from the ground, some as large as a skyscraper. Even the few shy moon creatures you find in the wild have strange crystal growths on their hides. This is far from home— perhaps a dream? You pinch your skin and slap your cheeks, yet nothing seems to do the trick. Searching for answers yields nothing but an endless expanse of purple dust as far as the eye can see. You have four options: one, panic; two, soil yourself; three, admire it all then soil yourself; or four, go into survival mode. Eventually, you’ll realize that you’re not alone.

After a day or two of living off the crystal wilderness, a group of people find you worse for wear. They are the gallant Moon Knights from the planet of Prismatica. After the strange phenomenon during the past months when scientists observed the sudden appearance of rainbow crystals in the sky, the government has been feverishly combing through the moon for more Moonblessed to be rescued. You’ll eventually be brought into Iris’s moon government center.

You all may have your usual inquiries — Where are we? Who are you? What's going on? Why did I inhale all those permanent markers in the third grade? — and the Prismals are almost too eager to answer. They tell you about their world and about the first appearance of the Moonblessed as the medical staff give you an examination to make sure you’re not carrying any viruses or biological hazards. If you react violently, you may be restrained and nerfed with a specialized neurotransmitting gun that releases a numbing agent through the top of your spine. Once the examinations are over, you’re informed that you will be provided accommodations on their planet during your stay.

While waiting for transport to be prepared, you may freely roam around the government center. Eventually you’re called back from exploring, escorted to the docks, and led onto a large transport vessel that makes frequent trips back and forth between the moons and the planet. Faces onboard vary from both old and new Moonblessed as well as the local Prismals. The next destination: Prismatica.

▶ Whip It Good
Iris Moon, Government Center (Arrival) and Planet Prismatica, City of Lunatia | top

Welcome to Prismatica’s hub, Lunatia, the city of your dreams! A bustling metropolis lush with bright lights, vibrant colors, luxuriant plant life, and all the conveniences of technology absent from your own world… It seems like paradise to all the uninitiated. After a quick tour of the city, new arrivals can find themselves getting cozy in their new homes.

A Settle in your new home at Level 2 to find new roommates and say hello to your neighbors! City officials will give you directions to the designated districts across Level 2 and instruct you to pick out a unit. Each apartment complex has a different aesthetic, some may look cozy, some stylish, and some bizarre. The free accommodations have a basic living space that can only fit two or three people at most in one unit.

Starter Chromaspace furnishings are provided which can be controlled with the touch of a built-in panel. Examples are color-changing curtains, transforming sofa beds, cabinets turning into tables, etc. Customizing your apartment or moving out will have to wait until you earn more chroma. Until then, why don’t you check out your new neighborhood or explore the city levels? Maybe your new roommates or neighbors can give you a “hand” with allowance for dinner.

B At the Crystarium Moonports is a new family restaurant called Grapplebears, here to serve your favorite dishes from all around the galaxy at affordable prices! The menu ranges from the atomically hot and spicy Chamakshalan curry rice, delectable dragonsaur steak served with mashed space-tatoes, to the sweet and creamy Lunatian milkshakes that bring all the boys to the yard, all prepared by their handsome and huggable bear crew.

As you might have noticed, the restaurant staff is a ragtag group with members from planets unknown to both Prismals and Moonblessed. The waiters and waitresses in particular are tall, muscular, leather-clad bears who take your order by whipping you with a special riding crop that compels you to bark out your order — but only if you ask to be, of course! They might induce you to reveal other unrelated interests so make sure you’re not thinking about anything embarrassing!

If you chat up the staff or customers, you learn more about the restaurant’s origins. The bears say their planets* were also wiped by the Calamity hundreds of years ago, and life for them has been difficult for them since then…

*Further information about these planets is unavailable at this time.

▶ Night of the Living Dummy
City of Lunatia | top

The last vestiges of Geistnacht have officially passed and the first chilly autumn breeze ushers in the new season. The city is awash in giant piles of browning leaves that decorate every walkway.

A To deal with the mass collection of fallen leaves, many buildings across the city have been retrofitted with a new disposal system to help clean up. A sprawling network of automated vacuum tubes around the city will efficiently suck all those pesky leaves right up. While children love playing inside and using them to “teleport” around Lunatia, they have also been known to spontaneously suck up anyone who’s not too careful. You may find yourself falling on some hapless bystander on their afternoon walk, or crammed in a tube with your new neighbors. Lunar Scientia officials warn everyone to be careful of where you walk, else you might need to crawl your way to sweet freedom.

B A pop-up shop in Level 1 is attracting much of the locals' attention, run by a peddler who speaks in a low, elongated hiss and wears a hood over his face. He assures you that his face is of no consequence. What is more important is his selection of wares! In contrast to his cloaked, enigmatic appearance, his travel cart is a Barbie pink explosion of frills, hearts, glitter. He will tell all visitors he comes from the Valley of the Crimson Serpents, which Prismals and older Moonblessed arrivals find odd. Wasn’t the Sanguis moon uninhabitable?

Among the peddler’s wares are adorable, wide-eyed and heavily perfumed dolls in all sorts of clothes a child dreaming of rainbows and tea parties could ever ask for. Hug and squeeze a doll, and you will be greeted by a pre-recorded voice telling you how they’re your bestest friend ever. It’s like they were made for lovin’ you! But if you look away for one moment, you can almost swear you hear a snake’s hiss, its long tongue licking the shell of your ear… The next time you see the doll, its body will be in a slightly different position or location. Is it… following you? Fortunately, a minimal amount of moonlacing will make it leave you alone. You can wait it out too, but why would you?

Destroy a doll and it will later reappear wherever you are when you least expect it, good as new, but leaking from their porcelain heads is a strange pink, glitter-covered liquid. The peddler calls it the “love juice” giving the doll an extra dose of affection for you.

▶ Bird is the Word
Level 2, Greatmoon Groves | top

As autumn paints Lunatia with its golden hues, pumpkin decorations and desserts are now in vogue. This is thanks to Chroma-infused pumpkin seeds, which allow them to rapidly grow in all sorts of sizes, shapes, and colors. The Moonblessed are invited to visit one of the largest pumpkin patches in the city housed within the Greatmoon Groves, where they can enjoy the sight of oversized, colorful neon and sparkling semi-phallic pumpkins, expertly carved to greet you with their buck-toothed smiles.

A The pumpkin patch is full of toddler-sized creatures called hugbugs. When they are not tending to the pumpkins, they follow the Moonblessed around, requesting hugs and treats in exchange for their obedience.

Reward them and they will do simple errands for you and give you compliments. They will also be your personal hype men, talking up your strengths, talents, and physical assets to all those special someones you’re trying to impress. Once you earn their trust, they will be your friends for life!

Ignore them, hurt them, or bully them, and they will cry and place a curse upon you, reducing your self-esteem to nothing and magically forcing you to cry along with them. The effects of the curse may last for up to a week if you’re not careful! But how could you do such a thing? The hugbugs are sensitive and want somebody to love.

B If you manage to survive your encounter with the hugbugs, you are welcome to join in on the Prismal knitting group and enjoy creating your own fanciful scarf made of Galadrian thread, which is known for its bright, golden sheen and aromatic properties. Give it to a friend or wear it yourself, and you will notice a strange ability to attract animals and insects of all kinds. Live out your Disney Princess fantasy! Or a Hitchcockian nightmare. It’s all a matter of perspective as a whole flock of honking birds comes bounding towards you.

▶ Questions
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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He follows Grimm in, because why not. Sure, Hubert's retaining that level of wariness, but this will probably be fine.

And for now it clearly is, since Grimm's changed the walls from a hideous neon color to the much more acceptable black.]

It can be changed just like that? Fascinating...

[It actually is, and he rests his chin on his hand as he studies the device in Grimm's hands.]

How does the device work?

Try it for yourself. The menus are fairly self-explanatory.

[He holds the device out for Hubert to take.]

This level of technology is beyond what exists on my world - I am afraid I cannot explain the process, merely the effect.

[He accepts it, staring at it blankly for a moment before attempting to get it to work... Oh! You can just touch it and it does that, hmm...

Give him a moment, this is amazing. His expression actually does lighten a bit into something less practiced and something genuinely interested.]

It's beyond anything I've ever seen. It isn't magic, then?

[Admittedly, he can't really imagine magic being controlled quite like this, but so much about this world is already so weird...]

Magic, I would know. [Even if it were in a form he didn't recognize, he could still pinpoint it as magic.] There is magic at work in Lunatia, but it seems to be more directly related to the moonblessings where it exists.

[So, not something that is set up in every apartment.]

[Fair enough, he feels he'd probably be able to pinpoint it as magic as well, although he's hardly experienced enough with all forms of magic back home.]

Tell me about the moonblessings.

[...Oh, uh...]

Ah, my apologies. My name is Hubert. Thank you for showing me how to use this device; I would appreciate any other information you can offer me.

[There, no need to be rude.]

Grimm, at your service.

[He bows - politeness is returned with politeness, although he'd have probably bowed anyway.]

The moonblessings, of which there are three: Sanguis, Cordis, and Iris. Any given Moonblessed is affected by one of these, and may develop physical or emotional traits when that moon's influence is strongest.

Sanguis become aggressive, violent, territorial - their strength is greater under their moon. Cordis may become self-indulgent, giddy, or amorous, and produce pheromones to attract others. And Iris become more gentle and protective, and often go into heat.

Their traits encourage moonlacing and the production of Chroma, albeit in different ways.

[He nods, though doesn't return the bow. He can appreciate the politeness, at least.

The words, however... Well, he's not entirely sure how to take all that, so the best thing to do for now is to continue gathering information. Any emotional reactions to what he's heard can wait.]

I see. I've heard of Chroma, but I must admit I'm not entirely sure I understand what it is.

It is a type of energy that is created by positive physical contact between two Moonblessed. It and its weaker form, demichroma, are used as the local currency. In addition, it fuels all powers - any magic you cast will drain your Chroma supply.

[Since magic is a thing.]

Running out of Chroma will result in crystallization followed by death.

[Positive physical contact... oh boy, that sounds terrible!!]

I see. Thank you for the explanation. How long have you been here?

[Since he's pretty sure you're one of the ones from a different world? Maybe??]

[It's harder to tell with Grimm than most people, to be fair.]

Four months now. Long enough to become acclimated, I would hope.

[He doesn't usually stay in the places he visits this long... then again, he's usually there for business rather than pleasure.]

[Four months...]

I imagine that no one has found a way to return home?

[If only it was that easy...]

Not with intention. There are those that return home at seemingly random, and some that return afterwards with as little explanation.

[Good news...?]

[Oh, that is good news. It's unfortunate that it's at random, but at least there's that.]

That's good to know. There's plenty I'll need to look into here.

[Namely searching for a way home, because he can't afford to spend four months here.]

If there is anything else I can assist with, by all means, feel free to ask.

[They are prisoners of sorts together, after all - it does no one any good to withhold information.]

[Hmm...]

What is something you wish you had known about this place when you first arrived?

[immediately:] An Iris' heats are far more difficult to get through than you expect without dealing with them, and going out in public in the throes of one is a foolish endeavour.

[yeah he's an iris]

[...this expression.]

I see.

[ohhhhhhhh man.]

It sounds as though you must have had a rather... difficult experience.

[TO. PUT IT LIGHTLY.]

[don't ask questions you don't want the answers to, Hubert.]

It has been a process.

[how was he supposed to know that would result in that??]

I can imagine.

Aside from that instance, how has your time here been?

Very pleasant. I have made the acquaintance of some charming people, and learned many fascinating things about humans during my stay.

[He, obviously, is not one.]

[...]

I don't mean to be rude, but what are you?

[that was still rude???]

I am a moth. I am aware they are somewhat smaller, in most worlds.

[somewhat.]

[...Somewhat.]

We do have moths, but nothing quite like you.

[Fascinating...]

What is your world like?

Hallownest. A kingdom of insects of all kinds, with the occasional spider or snail. Nothing like a mammal - am I using the word correctly?

[He's still learning all of this Human Terminology.]

Fascinating... Is this your first time seeing humans, then?

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