TEST DRIVE 003

[phantasmods]

Hello, and welcome to the third test drive for Phantasmal Rift!

Test drive threads are assumed to be game canon for accepted characters unless otherwise noted, so don't feel like you'll have to introduce yourself a second time to everyone you meet! As an added bonus, participation in the test drive comes with the chance to earn up to two items of loot for your trouble! Characters who are accepted can earn one item for having a top level, and one for tagging out to someone else's top level! Your SWEET LOOT will be included with your acceptance notice.

Additionally, characters currently in game can earn themselves a piece of bonus loot for the dungeon by tagging people's top-levels on the test drive! Existing characters get their bonus loot along with the rest of their loot at the conclusion of the dungeon.

This test drive takes place in the Fissure known as Amesta Forest - a forest filled with silver mist and shrouded in eternal twilight, where your dreams become real! For a certain limited definition of real. This is significantly less awesome than it sounds. On the bright side, anyone within the mists will find themselves with no need to sleep, as though trapped in the same spring evening as the rest of the forest.

OPTION ONE: DREAM A LITTLE DREAM

This first option might happen to you just about anywhere. From the swirls of silver mist comes a shape - or perhaps more than one shape? Who knows, it's your dream -

Well, probably. It could also be someone else's.

Those who stay too long in any one part of the mist will find their subconscious minds influencing it into shapes - the exact sort of things that appear in their dreams. As with their real dreams, the details are sometimes strange - too much detail, or not enough, depending on where your focus is. The character who 'created' the dream specter will instantly understand what it's supposed to be, but other viewers might have some difficulty with it.

Fortunately for those of you prone to violent nightmares, these dream figures are incapable of doing harm - any blows struck by them simply leave behind the dampness of walking through thick mist. A hard enough blow will similarly disperse them - or, in most cases, you can simply move quickly and leave them behind.

OPTION TWO: THE MOVEMENTS OF THE TREES

A forest filled with mist is honestly a kind of spooky place, isn't it?

Well, it's about to get spookier, when you notice that there's a tree... somewhere there wasn't a tree, before. Or maybe it's that you were looking around and realized that a tree wasn't there here there was one before, instead leaving behind only a round, torn-up patch of earth from where the roots were buried.

Either way, there's only one conclusion to be drawn - the trees are moving.

Those who pay close attention will soon realize that it's only one kind of tree that moves - an absolutely unfamiliar kind, with mist-silver bark and thin, almost translucent leaves in large handlike shapes. They aren't very tall, and their branches split low to the ground, the structure something like a less crooked Japanese maple. The Wanderwoods seem prone to following specific people, usually only moving when out of sight, though you might catch them shuffling along if you have quick reflexes for looking over your shoulder.

What do they want? Well, nothing, really. They're just attracted to sapient beings and, especially, the way the mist forms into their dreams. So while they won't do anything in particular to the characters themselves, anyone with a dream-form hanging around them might find that manifestation suddenly papered in thin, grabbing leaves... and swallowed up.

OPTION THREE: WHAT NOW IS FOUND?

Not all of the forest is trapped in eternal spring. One part of it is held in exactly the opposite - a brilliantly colored autumn morning, just before dawn, with the trees overhead colored in brilliant reds and oranges. Leaves drift down in a slow breeze, and pile up in random places among the trees (which never seem to run out of leaves to drop), and silver pools of water gather at the bases of the trees and in any other depressions, their surfaces perfectly still mirrors.

The mist is quite a bit thinner here, too, which allows you to see... What is that familiar shape in the distance, between the trees?

While dream manifestations are uncommon in the region of Fall's Heart, it's not only dreams that manifest here. Instead, characters will see the figures of those they've lost - instantly recognizable, but unreachable and nearly impossible to catch, running through the trees heedless of how you call after them. It's impossible to catch up to them by mundane means, and those who use supernatural means to do so -

- will find that, at their touch, the vision crumbles into silvery mist-water, forming another of those perfect, reflective pools at their feet.

Comments

Undyne | Undertale

[seafoamgreen]

I
[Of all the dreams the forest has conjured up today, at first glance this one doesn't seem so bad. The little figure is about the size and shape of a human child, no more than twelve or thirteen years old.]

[But something is... wrong.]

[Maybe it's the way they move, shambling forward relentlessly in little jerky motions like a puppet with half the strings cut, seemingly blind to their surroundings.]

[Maybe it's the dead grey-white of their skin, far too pale to be the color of a living human being. A closer look will reveal that it isn't their skin at all, but the result of a thick layer of snowy powder clinging to every inch of them, drifting off gently in flakes and falling to the forest floor as they pass.]

[Maybe it's the little plastic knife clutched tightly in one hand. It looks like it should be a toy, the same way that this should be a child... but much like it's wielder, something about the toy knife gives off an impression of being far less innocent than it should. The edges are much too sharp, and the way that light catches on the blade and gleams is strange.]

[Or maybe, just maybe...]

[It's the way their head suddenly snaps up when they realize you're there, like a hound scenting prey.]

[Their gaze is utterly devoid of any warmth and life, as human as some frozen crevasse on a lonely mountain somewhere. The kind of place where one misstep will send you falling to the rocks below, and no one will find the remains until long after the thaw of spring.]

[Before they can take another step closer, a spear made out of pale blue-green light tears up from the forest floor in front of them.]

Run!

[The blue-scaled woman stepping out from the trees looks like a pretty good bet for the one responsible, judging by how she's holding another spear just like it in her hand.]

[There's no question whether or not she's human- even if the gleaming scales weren't a clue, the fins and shark-like teeth would make it obvious. But for all her obvious inhumanity, she still doesn't radiate malevolence like the little dream-thing in front of her.]

[She just looks worried, tired, angry... and determined.]

II
[Later, much later, once the nightmare has been scattered back into mist and there's a quiet moment to breathe, Undyne stops to lean heavily against a tree and sinks slowly to the ground, staring at her hands as though they hold the secrets to the universe.]

[She can't seem to make them stop shaking.]

What the hell was that...?

[She isn't supposed to be here. She's pretty sure she isn't supposed to be anywhere anymore.]

[She'd really like to know what's going on right about now.]

I.

[theosophomoric]

[The child's not honey-mazed or a Drownie, but there's clearly something off about them, and Sonja may die more often than is strictly healthy for someone who doesn't care to set up permanent residence in the Tomb Colonies just yet but she's not totally devoid of self-preservation instinct. And the creature at her heels - something like a dog, if a dog was made out of squid - is a good deal less daring; it doesn't need prompting to turn tail and run. Sonja hesitates a bit longer, but when the zee-monster woman yells at her, she jumps as well.]

Right!

[She doesn't so much scatter as fall back, though, nimble for someone in heavy ankle-length skirts and a waistline that's almost certainly corseted. She pulls at a catch somewhere up her sleeve as she runs, letting a tiny derringer pistol drop into her hand. Once she's put a greater distance between herself and the urchin than is between her apparent rescuer and the same, she turns, brandishing the little gun before her. Not much use at any range to speak of, but better than nothing if the child-thing lunges at her. She'd like to know what the blazes it is, but she's got more sense than to ask extraneous questions mid-fight.]

[seafoamgreen]

[Their motions are strange and jerky, but they do move with shockingly swift speed as they dodge around Undyne's summoned spear.]

[They're heading closer to the two women, but Undyne keeps herself in between the unchildish thing and Sonja, and adds a few more spears jutting up from the ground for good measure, hemming them in while they try to avoid them- and leaving them open for a shot from her pistol if she wants to try. aiming for them.]

[theosophomoric]

[Right, yes, that thing is not backing off, and Sonja's not so magnanimous that she's willing to give too much ground to them however much they look like a child - she'd almost think them a Jack, but Jack-of-Smiles rarely manages to be this threatening. She aims carefully and fires, but as the gun has a barrel of somewhat less than two inches long, all the skill in marksmanship in the world or under it won't prevent the shot from going wild, and the bullet scores a mark in the bark of a nearby tree. Sonja swears under her breath, something about thunder and damnation.]

[seafoamgreen]

[That's not the kind of bullet Undyne was expecting, judging by her surprised expression, and the fallen child takes advantage to hurl themselves forward, knife out-thrust.]

[The blade gleams, almost red in a way that shouldn't be possible in the dim forest light but which suggests that letting it touch you would be a very bad idea.]

[Undyne, in a moment of instinct triumphing over training, hurls herself forward with a curse, dispensing with magic entirely and just outright tackling the enemy to the ground while praying the knife doesn't make contact...]

What the- ?!

[...only to be dumped unceremoniously to the forest floor when her opponent dissolves into mist on impact, leaving Undyne looking suspicious and bewildered as she glances around to figure out what happened.]

[theosophomoric]

[Or well that's one way to handle it, she guesses.

Sonja slips the gun back into its holster and straightens the cuff of her jacket over it, then walks over to offer a hand to help Undyne to her feet.]

Thanks for that. Are you hurt?

[seafoamgreen]

[Undyne is starting to push herself up when the hand is offered. She looks at it warily for a moment, debating whether or not to trust a human, but decides that if this person wanted to hurt her she could've shot her in the back already and reaches out to pull herself up with a brief nod of thanks.]

[When Sonja asks if she's hurt, though, her eyes widen for a moment and she presses a hand to her chest as if expecting to find something there.]

I'm... fine?

[She sounds more confused about that fact than like she's answering the question. At a glance, the armor she's wearing is completely ruined, rent and dented like she's just come off a battlefield where she was on the losing side, but underneath it her body is visibly whole and uninjured.]

What was that, they couldn't do that before... Do you know what's going on here?

II

[thoroff]

A nightmare.

[Undyne's question is answered by a white-haired human woman, who looks down at her with concern written all over her face. She doesn't know what she saw, but going by her reaction, it can't have been anything good.]

This place brings dreams to life, be they good or bad. Mostly bad, though, it seems.

[seafoamgreen]

[Her head snaps up as soon as she hears another voice, expression clearly saying that she's mortified to have been caught off guard- especially by a human.]

[But her anger and embarrassment fades a second later, thanks to the confusion and weariness of the last day. Compared to the threat she was just fighting, regular old humans suddenly don't seem so bad, even if she still can't quite bring herself to trust them.]

A... dream? I'm pretty sure I wasn't sleeping, not when I got here.

[Sleep is close to death, she's heard- but death's a lot more permanent, and she didn't think you still got nightmares.]

[thoroff]

The magic of this forest preys on your mind, draws out the things you would be dreaming about. You don't need to be asleep — in fact, none of us have been able to sleep since we set foot in here.

[seafoamgreen]

None of- how long have you been here?! What is this place?

[Undyne jumps to her feet, jolted out of her daze by the sudden realization that she has no idea who or what else might be in this forest with her.]

[thoroff]

[Wren jumps back a little, startled by Undyne's abrupt movement. Yeah, she really should explain...]

Okay, first of all, you're no longer in your own world. This forest is an unstable area called a Fissure that pulls in objects and people from other realms. And it's not the first; I was brought here just like you... about a month ago, I think?

[seafoamgreen]

And people can just fall in?! FOR MONTHS?!

[It's kind of an overreaction, but honestly having something to shout about is making her feel a little better.]

How does this even happen? Who's in charge of this place?

II - not likely to app at this time, but I figured I'd say hi and tag a bit anyway

[spaghettimonster]

[Undyne's not alone, in multiple regards.

Papyrus walks among the trees, standing on his own feet. There's nothing wrong with that, that's exactly how it should be, but very recently he wasn't. And he's not sure how that changed.

He could almost dismiss it that memory as especially vivid imagination. This silvery mist almost looks like snow, like those drifts always forming at the edge of Snowdin town. He could almost still be at home. But it's not quite right, and the trees are wrong and somehow moving around, and there's someone talking when most people have already left.]

Is... Is someone there? Is that the human, again?

Oh my God??? :D

[seafoamgreen]

[Undyne's head jerks up at the sound of his voice, her eyes wide with shock.]

[It can't be him, it can't be, she knows they killed him back home... but it looks so much like him...]

Papyrus?!

[If this is a trap, she thinks, if this is a trick... she's gonna burn this forest down.]

[spaghettimonster]

[He swivels at the sound of her voice, recognizing her quickly enough.]

Undyne! Uh, what brings you... over here? Aren't you supposed to be in Waterfall?

[And not in this not-quite-Snowdin, right when he's worrying about the human, and not wanting to admit his failures to capture them... Or inspect his memories too closely.]

[seafoamgreen]

I'm supposed to be-?!

[She reaches out and grabs him firmly by the shoulders, half-frantic with the sudden need to check that he's actually real.]

What about you, the last I heard you were... were... Papyrus, what happened back there?

[spaghettimonster]

[Papyrus is quite physical, and rattles a little in her grasp as she checks on him.]

Well, I thought I had... captured the human. But, somehow they broke out? I've been out looking for them! I... thought I found them again...

[He reaches a hand up to his neck, not to brush her off but to test that his neck bones are all still there, connecting skull and spine.]

But that wasn't real...

[seafoamgreen]

[Not... real?]

Yeah, well, it better not have been.

[It's a good thing Papyrus isn't trying to push her off, because he's now suddenly in the grip of a very strong hug.]

[She doesn't know if one or both or neither of them died and how they came back if they did, and maybe this is all some kind of crazy dream, but right now her best friend is alive and in front of her. That's going to have to be enough for the moment, because she's not planning to let go just yet.]

I

[bulletnews]

[That is absolutely not a human child, and Aya can tell immediately - monsters and humans don't look so different to her, and this is definitely a monster.

It even makes her forget it's not real, for a second.]

Let's not stop there, if you're okay with a little lift!!

[seafoamgreen]

[Undyne has fewer ways to tell the difference between ordinary humans and more magical folks beyond simple physical differences, and she tenses further at the sight of a human- but she knows, deep down, that however dangerous humans are, they aren't as bad as this.]

[Not after what they've done.]

[And as much as she wants to stay and fight them, her first priority has to be getting this new person, whoever they are, out of the path of danger.]

[She meets Aya's gaze and nods.]

You got a plan?

[bulletnews]

I've got your back, not just a plan!

[She's just gonna... grab Undyne's aforementioned back.]

Now, jump!

[Wait, those are definitely wings coming out of this "human"'s back.]

[seafoamgreen]

[...Okay, that is super weird but honestly a lot more reassuring to her than thinking she's just trusting some random human, here. Putting her faith in this weird bird(?) monster girl, she casts one more hasty look at the child-like killer to make sure they aren't getting too close and leaps.]

[Undyne has pretty powerful legs, with the same superhuman strength that powers all her muscles, and when she jumps she gets some serious air, rising clear up off the ground.]

[bulletnews]

[All right, they are flying outta there. Touchdown comes in about half a minute; Aya is very fast.]

That's got to be the most raw malice I've seen in one place.

[seafoamgreen]

Yeah, I dunno what they are- but I didn't know back home, either. Thought they were human at first, but even for a human that's...

[Undyne trails off, grimacing. After a second she adds, voice gruff but genuine:]

Thanks. For helping.