OLD FAQ

[labyrinmods]

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BASIC GAME MECHANICS

Premise:

One moment, you're in reality — in another moment, you feel yourself dwindling between consciousness and slumber. Whether it be a circumstance of on the verge of dreaming or on the verge of death, you feel yourself at an immense peace. Your deepest desires come to light; whatever it is you ever wanted to wish for, you speak it and you're not even sure why, "I wish... I wish..."

Within moments, you was whisked away by a white barn owl. When you awake, you find yourself in an enchanted garden, surrounded by flowers you had never seen before and neither can you identify. A small satchel is now in your possession with a handwritten parchment and a promise to grant you your wish...

"Welcome to the world of dreams. My Labyrinth."

As you climb to your feet, you find you are in the middle of an endless maze. A bright orb beckons you to follow it. Perhaps it will show you the way out... or perhaps it will not. There's only one way to find out.

What sort of game is this and what content can I expect?

This is a dark fantasy game with action/exploration elements, slice of life and psychological horror. The game is inspired by The Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, Pan's Labyrinth, Mirror Mask and really anything else that fits into this category. Expect things such as folklore, magic, dreams/nightmares, spells, monsters, fantasy and fairytales. Smut is allowed in this game but this is not a smut game. There is somewhat of an overarching plot, but this is mostly just a game that depends on character interaction and provide events for characters to dabble in.

Are sexual themes & smut allowed in this game?

Yes. This isn't a sex game by any means, but occasionally, there may be prompts that play around with shipping / sex. Because of this, all players must be 18+ to join. Please be mindful and appropriately content warn for anything sexual.

How about a character age limit?

For characters under 15, a case must be made for why they would be a suitable fit for the dark fantasy setting, where they will be exposed to violence and psychological trauma.

Is there a cap to this game?

As of now, no, but we may be implementing this in the future depending on how things turn out— so please keep that in mind! Players can play up to 3 Characters in this game. There is no cap on characters, but there will be a cap on casts. The cap for cast is 10 Characters.

If there's a cap, there must be Activity Check, right?

Yes. I know we're all old and tired and been doing this hobby for years and Activity Check is the bane of our existence, however, I believe that if a game has a cap, there must be some form of AC. Here's what I got:

• 5 comments from your character in one thread. This can be a network post, inbox, TDM or a log post.
• Thread must be from the current month.
• AC can be turned in at any time during the month.

The AC is simple for people who are invested in the game. We are going with this system to prevent squatting but we also don't want people who are invested in the game to scramble for AC or do a bunch of math just for pretendy funtimes. I hope this makes sense!

What's the application like?

The application is simple. No need to write a long drawn out personality and history section. Rather, the application will consist of the following:

• Player Information + Contact
• Basic Character Information.
• CRAU details, if applicable.
• Powers & how they are nerfed.
• Five questions that are relevant to the character's personality + game.
• Details on the wish they made before arriving here.
• One sample from the TDM, meme, PSL, etc as long as it displays the character's voice and interpretation.

You can find it and the submission post here.

Reserves?

Explanation of the application process and what not is explained below.

Who are the mods and are they anonymous?

Nope. We're all exposed (how scandalous.) You can read about is and contact us here.

ARRIVAL & SETTING

Where is my character, how did they get here and can they leave?

The premise states that characters arrive at a point in time, whether canon or head-canon, where they are on either the verge of sleeping or on the verge of dying. They are swept off off into a dreamworld that is inbetween consciousness and being unconscious. The last thing they remember is speaking their most desired wish and following a barn owl into the clouds. They will wake up in an enchanted garden surrounded by flowers and find themselves in what seems to be an endless maze: a labyrinth. Soon, help will arrive to show them the way out of the labyrinth and to run-down village.

Why was my character brought here?

The core reason for characters being brought here remains unknown. Characters are told they made a contract with the Overseer of this land: Live in my Labyrinth until your time is nigh and I will grant you the wish that you command. However, characters do not remember ever signing anything like a contract. When questioned, the Overseer will provide proof of the contract and your character will recognize their handwriting as their own. Looks like they really did sign their life away, but what can you do. Folks do weird shit when they're on the verge of sleeping or dying. The name of the world is Visium. The town in which characters are asked to live in is called Somnius.

Does my character have any items on them when they arrive? Anything from home?

Characters will only have the clothes on their back. They will wake to find themselves holding a satchel filled with necessities: A crystal pendant, a vial filled with a potion, a communication device, a vial of water & some bread and a parchment invitation: Welcome to my Labyrinth. Live among here and survive and I'll grant you any wish.

What do these items do?

The crystal pendant is your key for receiving shards, the reward system in this game. Crystals are player chosen and can be any gemstone that suits (or doesn't suit) your character. The potion is also something players can select from a list of three: animal transformation, elemental magic or healing. More about crystals & potions down below.

Alright, so how does my character get out of this maze?

A small ball of light will guide characters out of the maze and into the city. The city itself seems like your typical start up session of Dungeons & Dragons. There are taverns, restaurants, little shops, an armory, a blacksmith and whatnot. Check out the locations page for more information.

What about this Labyrinth you speak of?

The village is surrounded by an endless maze. Upon the hill, characters will be able to see a large castle where the Overseer lives. Characters are free to explore the Labyrinth at their own risk; it is treacherous and filled with danger and spending three days in the Labyrinth will drive characters to insanity. Eventually, they will lose consciousness and wake up in the enchanted garden once more. Each mod-posted event log and TDM will have a top level for characters who decide to explore the Labyrinth to see what they find before being brought back to the garden. Exploring the Labyrinth will mostly just be for fun, but characters may find secrets from the past of this world if they dare to adventure inside and get lost. You are free to have your character explore the Labyrinth as many times as they desire, but we are counting on you to keep up with the sanity of your character. Adventuring too much can cause permanent repercussions such as nightmares, psychological trauma, memory loss, disorientation, loss of senses. As of the first TDM, The Labyrinth doors remain closed outside of events, Each event, the doors will open, encouraging characters to explore inside.

My character can fly and/or bust through walls like the Kool-Aid guy. Will this help them if they decide to explore the Labyrinth?

Oddly enough, the walls are indestructible. Characters who have the ability to fly are able to survey over Somnius but are hit by a force field when trying to fly over the Labyrinth. Entering the Labyrinth and trying to fly over a wall has a similar effect. Nice try.

NPCs

Who is this Overseer you keep speaking of?

A magical sorcerer who possesses a handful of power spells. He has complete control of this world and all of the creatures that inhabit it which consist of mostly fairies and goblins. The Overseer is primarily advanced in the magic of Mirages and Animal Transformation, but he also has the ability to fly, feel emotions of others, creation, elemental magic, transformation of other beings and teleportation. He also has the ability to manipulate a person's emotion by touch. The Overseer is particularly sensitive to the emotions of others, and although he isn't psychic, he can detect how characters are feeling by merely being in their presence. Call him a mega empath on steroids. He has a melodious singing voice that can soothe even the most troubled person much like the trance from a siren's call. In fact, he's quite obsessed with music as well and holds high regards for any musicians (or bards) in the house. You could say he plays favorites.

Okay, so, this guy is Jareth from The Labyrinth if Jareth was a god.

David Bowie is a god. Yeah.

But for copyright purposes, his name is: Vaeros (vey-ROHS.). You can gaze at his beautiful face at vaeros.

Will Vaeros interact with characters?

From time to time, characters may be visited by him, but he spends most of his time in his castle which is too far for anyone to reach. You can fight him, if you desire, but he's pretty OP so I wouldn't recommend it. After all, this is his world that you're in and he has control over it. Don't want the trees to come alive and squash you, be torn apart by sudden werewolves, or something weird like that.

I heard that I can try to romance this guy.

You heard correctly. Love & heartbreak is especially important to him and these sorts of emotions produce the most energy from people. He's practically obsessed with the idea of both, but it's not something he would ever talk to you about. Should you try to charm him, be warned: he's extremely picky and extremely upfront about it. After all, he's still suffering from a broken heart himself..

Are there any other NPCs?

Yes! There will be plenty of NPCs that will show up for events and then never be seen again. There is another plot relevant NPC who will make an appearance later, but for now expect mostly fairies, goblins, dragons, Jim Henson kind of shit, etc.

POWERS & POTIONS

Does my character arrive with their powers from home?

Despite holding a grudge and unable to move from his broken heart, the Overseer believes in leaving old things behind and trying things that are new. Characters will have all of their powers stripped from them upon arrival. This isn't the complete end of their powers, however. He's happy to grant those who are compliant wishes which can be a power regain. Characters may use the reward system as a way of regaining powers. We ask that any game breaking powers be nerfed down. After all, this is his world and it is him granting the powers back; he wouldn't dare give somebody an ability back that would disrupt the peaceful (???) way of living here or cause danger to himself. If characters decide to drink the potion in the vial that they are given upon arrival, they will inherit a game relevant power of player's choice.

What are the potion powers my character can receive?

Potion powers consist of three categories: animal transformation, elemental magic & healing.

Scarlet Potion: Elemental Magic

If your character finds a Scarlet Potion in their satchel, they will gain a small elemental power if they drink it. The elements you may choose from are the following: Fire, Water, Earth and Electric . How you want this to aid your character is up to you, but keep in mind it is a small power at first. For example, a character may be able to shoot sparks or fire embers from their fingers at first and upon power-up as a regain can have control over larger bodies of fire or control of lightning bolts and what direction they go in.

If your character already has an elemental power of some kind that has be regained, now they have another one.

Golden Potion: Animal Transformation

If your character finds a Golden Potion in their satchel, they will gain a single animal transformation power if they drink it. This can be only one animal, but more animal transformations can be regained through the Reward system. The animal can be something that is only of their world or a mythical creature but cannot exceed the size of an elephant. Characters are able to transform into their animal at will in a full animal form and also a half animal form at will. Half-form is a player's choice of animal parts and characteristics are a player sees fit while still maintaining the character's original form (such as adding ears and tail, or something else. Go wild.) They can also choose to not use the power at all and remain in their original form. Characters can stay in whichever form they desire for as long as they want to with no consequences.

If your character already has an animal transformation power of some kind that has be regained, now they have another one.

Cerulean Potion: Healing Magic

If your character finds a Cerulean Potion in their satchel, they will gain healing abilities if they drink it. This is a small healing ability, such as healing cuts and other little wounds. Increasing the power of a character's healing ability will strengthen how much they can heal. Characters with a strong healing ability may be able to save a character from death, but they cannot resurrect a person who has already died.

If your character already has a healing power of some kind that has be regained, now they have another one.

Code by bannertech.

What if my character doesn't drink the potion? Also, what does it taste like?

That's up to you to decide! Characters can continue in the game without drinking their potion and not gaining an ability. Characters can also opt to store it and drink it later - it will still work the same. If your character decides to drink it, though. It tastes good. So good. In fact, it's the best thing they have ever digested. Each character's palate is different, so what tastes amazing to one character may not taste amazing to another. If a character doesn't finish off their potion and just drink some of it, they will still gain their given power.

What if my character ends up with two potions? (Example: One character gives another character their potion they don't want.)

Remember how it tasted so good the first time? If your character ingests an additional potion, it will taste like the worst thing they have ever digested. They also will not gain any extra power from it. That's your punishment for trying to be too greedy.

CRYSTALS & REWARD SYSTEM

What's with the crystal pendant?

All characters receive a crystal pendant they are encouraged to wear. Players may pick whatever crystal they want their character to have, but we encourage players to pick a crystal that matches the character's personality and/or color palette as they see fit. The crystal harnesses energy from other characters via interaction and emotion. This energy is called a shard. This is the in-game reward system and extra threads that are not part of AC can be submitted for rewards. The system runs as follows:

• All RP comments (logs, network, inboxes, TDM) within the game count as 1 shard.
• One time bonus of 10 shards for a thread that consists of a love confession.
• One time bonus of 5 shards if your character is sent to Inferna.

What else does the crystal pendant do?

Nothing else besides on small thing.. when characters are dropped, their pendant will be left behind until another of the same character apps in. Once the pendant is dropped, it is left for someone of their CR to hold and cherish should they want to. Holding the pendent close to their heart will allow the new owner to relive memories they shared with the dropped character and give them comfort. The pendent will disappear into pixie dust if someone else apps in with that same character.

How do I cash in rewards? What ICly happens?

Cashing in your shards will be done here. ICly, characters will approach a giant crystal that is in the center of the town and press their crystal against it, giving it their power they have harnessed. They will speak whatever it is they wish for and it will happen with the right amount of energy. That, or the crystal might read their unspoken desires/random thoughts, or decide to give them something they do not want at all. Characters can wish for items from home, a power upgrade, a canon power to be replenished, and so forth. Shards can be cashed in at anytime. Read the Rewards page for more information.

NETWORK & TECHNOLOGY

Obviously, there is a network device I was given. Can you describe it?

From the far off, mysterious land of Okia which is the furthest East of Visium comes the ORACLE (Operational Relationship And Communication Expedient.) This handy little device looks like a flip phone that is made from a tree with a pain-in-the-ass keyboard and a screen. The Oracle allows users to send text messages, audio phone calls and messages and video. The phone is indestructible. Go on. Just try and destroy it. I dare you.

How does it work? What functions does it have?

Characters will set up a username of their choice. If no username is selected, it will simply be their full name as written: lastname.firstname. Encryption is allowed but a hassle to set up and characters may send messages privately to their inboxes. The phone never runs out of energy; being around the crystals is enough to keep it charged at all times.

This is just a Nokia 6101 flip phone from 2005.

Yes.

Why is there an eye on it?

Don't worry about it.

Any other technology to be aware of?

Not really. This is ye olde fantasyland. However, any electronic devices that are regained as Rewards will also miraculously stay charged much like the communication device. Any other "technology" here is based on magic.

This thing sucks.

It sure does. If it bothers characters too much, they can wish for something else to communicate with such as their beloved Apple iPhone or Android that will communicate with the network just fine.

DREAM EVENTS & LABYRINTH EXPLORING

What's a dream event?

Dream Events are events that are based off of another world. It could be from a character's world who is in the game or it could be not. Maybe a dream event will be people trying to catch Pokemon or people fleeing from Titans that are eating people. AKA: All around chaos that playable characters may be familiar with. Dream Events can be suggestions that players make and the mods will consider it. The events system will run as this: One month, a game relevant event and next month will be a Dream Event. In the occurrence of no Dream Event suggestions, mods will concoct something up themselves. Dream Events have no overarching plot relevance, it's just a fun way to see how other characters react to being in a world that is relevant to another character's!

Submit your Dream Event suggestion here.

Labyrinth Exploring?

Characters are free to explore the Labyrinth and players may submit a request under the appropriate top level on mod-posted event logs and TDMs to see what their finds are before they become unconscious. Most of the finds are just for kicks and giggles, but your character may find something plot or world relevant. Who knows! Remember, exploring too much in the Labyrinth can have repercussions, but it's a fun thing to do sometimes.

HOUSING, SCHOOL, & BUSINESSES

What's the housing system here?

Housing is completely up to players to decide. They will have several options to choose from for their housing:

• Treehouses (1-2 occupants.)
• Mushroom Houses (1-2 occupants.)
• Hobbit Hole (1-4 occupants.)
• Cottages (1-4 occupants.)

Houses are simple and get the job done, but improvements/expansions can be made as regains from the Reward system. They do not come with running water or power and this must be regained. More about Housing can be seen here.

So there's a school. What's it like? Who are the teachers?

There is a single school that both adults and students can get involved in. If your character is an adult, they are free to teach at the school and students are allowed to attend. There's no set structure to this mechanic; feel free to go wild. Curriculum examples include math, science, language, arts, music, self-defense, sports, or magic. If there are no playable characters available to teach, feel free to headcanon a Jim Henson monster of your choice teaching.

How about businesses?

There is a list of businesses that need help on the Locations page! Other than that, playable characters may open up their business at the cost of a business license in the Rewards system. The license will also bring the business into existence via a wish in exchange for shards.

If there's businesses, there must be a currency of some sort.

Sure thing. We're not going to monitor this too heavily, but consider Shards the currency. Pressing two crystal pendents together will process a payment form one character to another. This won't change the Shard amount that players tally up, but it's some kind of currency that characters can have so they aren't getting things for free.

DEATH & PERMANENT DEATH

Can my character die here?

Yes. Most deaths are not permanent, but characters will be sent to a Hell of sorts for a minimum of three days. What happens here is up to the player, but it will be both physical and psychological torment. Characters will appear in the enchanted garden when they re-spawn along with whatever injuries or trauma they experienced. The name of this place is Inferna.

I want to drop the game and have my character permanently die. Is that possible?.

Sure, why not. We'll let you decide how this goes, but if you're interested in having your character's permanent death be plot relevant, let us know.

Is there a limit to how many times my character can die and be sent to Inferna?

Nope. Go nuts if you want to be absolutely horrible to your character. I fully endorse this. Permanent damage and impairment is also an option, or your character can heal from their wounds. It's really up to you.

My character if injured from Inferna and/or something else such as Labyrinth Exploring. What now?

Time to go find a character with healing abilities and see if they can help. Wishing for health restored via the Reward system is also plausible. There is no current hospital or clinic in Somnius (good luck everyone).

EVENTS, TDM, & ETC.

How are events and TDMs handled?

Each event will have three prompts and go on the pattern of game relevant event / dream event on one month, then a relaxed event the next. TDMs will be presented on the month that has a relaxed event to help with pacing which means TDMs will be bi-monthly. Sleepr, which is similar to a dating app, will also occur bi-monthly following applications on TDM months. TDMs are game canon and will always have the first prompt as an arrival of sorts with some variation with the next two prompts something else. This means that month 1 will have TDM, Applications, Sleepr and a Relaxed event, and month 2 will have Applications, and then an Intense/Dream event, and rinse and repeat after that. We will test this system and see if it works from a pacing and workload perspective and changes might be made in the future.

SCHEDULE, APPLICATIONS, ACTIVITY CHECK, RESERVES, & INVITES

What are the dates and procedure to all of this?

Relaxed month: (March, May, July, September, November)

1st - TDM goes live, Reserves and Invites Open
5th - Applications Open
10th - Applications Close, CR Meme and OOC Intro Post
12th - SLEEPR goes live
27th - Relaxed event

Intense month: (April, June, August, October, December)

1st - Reserves and Invites Open
5th - Applications Open
10th - Applications Close, Plotting Meme
12th - Intense event

This schedule is what we're trying out to ensure things don't get too fast and hectic and the pacing is comfortable. This is apt to change after we give it a try and receive feedback.

The calendar can be seen here.

What characters can I app?

Real people cannot be apped. Exceptions can be made for highly fictionalized versions of real people (such as in the Fate series), but real people from autobiographies (even dramatized) cannot be apped. OCs and MMORPG or TTRPG OCs are appable. Canon OCs are allowed on a case by case basis - please contact a mod to discuss. Characters below the age of 15 will require a suitability section.

I wanna app someone like Godzilla that is large and unhinged. Can I?

Sure, but any character that is a Big Boy will be shrunken down to an average height— or even on the taller side— as a treat. Characters that are AIs or robots can be given some kind of body of player's choice... or not. We're counting on you to make it make sense.

My character has a specific diet or maybe just wants more vegan options. How do we handle that?

Good news for vegans! Visium is very vegan friendly and a lot of food and restaurants have plenty of vegan options. But say you're a character that need to eat human flesh or something morbid like that to survive, we can handwave that they wish for that with their pendant without taking any shard rewards.

Fandom OC clarification
Ordinary animals in this world / what if I just wanna be an animal here?
Two entities in one body
Giving a character a wish they didn't want / regaining a power they used to have before their canon point
Character with sentient + nonsentient forms
Accessory clarification
Fashion question
OCs based on mythology
Multiple CRAUs / CRAU & canon power regains
What AUs are acceptable to app?
Spirit companions
Can I app a dead character?
What about inhuman features tied to powers?
Prosthetics
Fandom OC or is it regular OC?
Animal transformation abilities
Regaining a magical accessory
Love Confession clarification
Is this a superhuman skill or a physical attribute?
Changing initial potion choice on the TDM
Can I use the healing potion for the opposite purpose?
Wheelchair + electronic accessories
Losing the satchel and arrival items
Information about the locals
Race-specific power clarification
Losing clothing with animal transformation
More power clarification + language barrier
Do I need to reserve to app?
Can my character change their ORACLE username after making it?
Question about potions
What kind of books are in the library?
Questions about the labyrinth

NEW FAQ LOCATED HERE.
Please direct all questions there.