purgastory | test drive maze.

test drive maze.

The fog spits you right out.

Where there had once been cloud and murkiness obscuring your vision, in the next instant, you blink and it’s gone. Instead, here you are. Among the woods. Dead, fragile leaves crunch beneath your every step. Tall, ancient trees tower above you. Sometimes, somewhere, you hear a skitter or a shudder of what might be wildlife or friend or foe. No matter how you might call out, you hear only your own echo–for now. Distantly, you recall the pact that brought you here. Welcome to Purgatory. Perhaps it lines up with what you always imagined, some dreary place washed in grayscale and so terribly, terribly lonely. Or maybe it’s worse. (It probably is not better.) All the same, you chose to come here, even if its specifics were unknown to you. There is something you are looking for–and of course it’s not so simple as to be found at the entrance.

No, you must head further in. Even though the trees seem to turn into natural barricades at some spaces, guiding you down paths until you hit inevitable forks–or sometimes dead ends. There is no map or rhyme or reason, but so much of the scenery looks the same. Overhead, there is the occasional dimming or lightening of your surroundings but with the perpetual gloom, it can be easy to lose track of days. How long have you been here? Do you need to eat? Sleep? Or do you just want to, just to feel something? It’s hard to say. Nonetheless, you persist.

No way forward but through.

i. compati falls

The sound of water comes first to you as a whisper, then a roar. Following the noise will bring all travelers to a waterfall. Where the water is coming might mystify you, as the land you are traversing has been so flat this entire time, but it falls nonetheless as though amnesia has stolen its memories of being able to do anything else.

Speaking of memories…

Perhaps you might spare the waterfall merely a glance, but it will suddenly become very hard to look away. Within its reflection, you might see a memory play out, or perhaps a fantasy. Maybe even a fear. However, this selection of snippets is specific. Every memory or illusion carries with it strong feelings of either kindness or envy. The most common are:

✦ A concrete memory of the greatest act of kindness you ever received, or ever gave to another.
✦ A fantasy of the type of kindness you crave most–whether it be from someone you know, or some faceless ghost granting you what you yearn for.
✦ A concrete memory or delusion of someone, familiar or not, receiving something that you wish that you had.

ii. arachnix borough

The ground gives way underneath you. You tumble, scramble, fumble your way down overgrown roots and eat dirt until you finally find yourself caught. A silk embrace awaits you, alarmingly sticky despite its delicate-looking strings. Strong, too. Thrash about as you might, it’s harder than you want to admit to even lift a limb from where you’ve been ensnared. For those of you with powers, they flicker worse in here, like something is cutting off the energy before it takes shape. Yell for help and perhaps someone will hear your echoing screams, but at present there is only you, the darkness, and the skittering.

You won’t have to wait long. The spiders felt the reverberation from your fall and have come to feast. Monstrous things. Gargantuan. Where most spiders have eight legs, these have so many more. The skittering turns into mocking, pointed insults that sting worse than poison. You may die soon, but they also won’t let you keep your pride. Their fangs widen, sickening venom dripping from their gaping mouths as they stare at you with too many eyes. Though as you stare too long, those horrible faces shift–instead you are staring into the too many eyes of your rival, or perhaps your best friend. Someone you desperately wish you could be more like, that has traits that you only wish you could inherit. Maybe then you could be better.

The trees above whisper a hint to you. Admit it. Swallow your pride and speak your green eyed monster into reality. Only a beast can kill a beast. Should you speak your horrid truth out loud–admit your ugliest feelings–you will receive a boon. Enough strength to break the webs, certainly, but you may take on monstrous features. Horns, fangs, claws–whatever it takes to defeat the spider.

Or you could wait for the kindness of someone else to help you. Unlikely, as they may just as well get stuck in this web too. Fucking loser.

iii. mirrorshift willows

The trees shift and warp over time, evolving into what you might be able to recognize as weeping willows. Their trunks curve protectively over your path, as if to shield you from any watchful eyes. Their long leaves drape, possessing an unearthly shimmer. The vines sway and dance, catching against what little light there is to be found, until they resemble strings of light. It possesses its own kind of uncanny beauty as you amble along, though it may grow a beat unsettling as you find that the trees and foliage swift and swoon to the rhythm you set. Or perhaps you’d find that type of thing charming if you like attention.

Should you find yourself with another in the grove, you’ll find that the copycat tendencies of the trees reflect upon their visitors. Any act you do unto someone else, they will feel compelled to do back to you–and vice versa. Picking a fight? Well, even the most demure person will end up throwing an insult right back. Baring your heart on your sleeve? The other person might feel moved into sudden vulnerability. Are you touchy, whether in the form of a handhold or a punch? Well, hope you are ready to receive what you dish out because it’s coming right back to you!

The golden rule–to treat someone else the way you want to be treated–really backfires in practice, doesn’t it?

iv. house :)

You reach a clearing. Is this clearing in the middle of the maze? Is it the sign of the exit? You’ve no longer been able to tell right from left, but there is probably something so thrilling about seeing some sign of civilization… for in this clearing, there sits a house. The walls are a dark brown, its tiling a myriad of colors, and even from a distance, you can see smoke billowing from its dusty chimney and oohhhh, something smells so good.

As you approach, you make out that the tiling on the house seems to be… gumdrops? Not to mention the doorframe made of chocolate bars, and as you walk in, the furniture all looks so delectably edible. Even for those who don’t have a sweet tooth, there’s plenty that’s sour, tart, salty, whatever you might be craving after having nothing to eat in this godforsaken forest besides spiders. Not that you ate the spiders. (Did you?)

Something beckons you to eat. There’s even a small note on the table saying: Welcome, weary traveler. Indulge as you please. They’re like, begging you to help reduce food waste. It’s a moral imperative. It’ll take immense willpower to resist. You should eat. Just a bite. A nibble. A lick. Yum.

Depending on what color of candy you indulge in, you might experience a different tingle. (Effects last as long or as short as a player wants them to.)

🟠 Orange: You suddenly feel compelled to demonstrate kindness, even to total strangers–though that may vary from person to person. Maybe your kindness is brutal honesty. Maybe it’s handholds. Maybe it’s bold declarations of devotion. As long as you can look back and say, “Wow, I was truly fulfilling a kind deed, even to this total rando.”
🟢 Green: Is it you, or is the nearest person suddenly kind of… all that? There’s something about them that you suddenly feel ravenous envy over. Their hair, their eyes, their impeccable charm, their godlike athleticism? Pick a feature! How did you not notice this five seconds ago?! And here you are, looking like such a naive peon in comparison! The dirt under their shoe! Disgusting!
😈 Purple: Oh… well… maybe you’re starting to feel a little bit… cheeky? ;) You know, just a smidgen mischievous? Maybe you’re in a weird situation with a bunch of strangers, but what could liven up the atmosphere better than a prank? Or a little razzing? Go get ‘em, you little tease! Rascal that you are!
🔵 Blue: God bless you and the fact that you’re the only sane person here. Some might call this behavior a bit sanctimonious, but as far as you’re concerned, you’ve just seen the grace of the heavens and must now walk upon the righteous path. And because of all the goodness in your heart, you will also grab hold of everyone else without their permission and make sure that they too will be saved. Go forth, my child.

Though eventually you might hear some heavy footsteps indeed.... get it together! A giant witch is coming. And she finds that you might be the one sweet enough to eat. Won't you let her have just a nibble? Just a taste?

mod notes.

✦This Test Drive Maze is canon to the game! Players may bring characters that they aren’t planning on apping as well if they would like to voicetest, and invited guests may play on the TDM without apping as well. Characters who are not apped into the game will disappear out of sight, back into the fog…
✦ Characters do not need to eat or sleep any longer, though it’s variable how soon they might notice that. Their circadian rhythm might encourage them to sleep or feel something like hunger, but they’ll find that they actually can still keep going without either. It feels a little… out of body.
✦ For Compati Falls, mods will not be policing what memories (trululus) or fantasies (delulus) you choose to have your character share, but please keep to the themes of kindness/envy! Moreso, memories must have a canon basis, even if they’re headcanon. However, fantasies can be from alternate route paths (otome/visual novel/AU style) as long as they’re within the set parameters. There will be more opportunities for this in the future, so don’t worry about not being able to give out your lore. Have fun!
✦ Questions specific to this TDM can be directed to the #mod-questions channel in the discord!
✦ Maze Runs are available for the Test Drive Maze. Since the TDM will be open for two weeks, you may submit one run per week! You may begin requesting second runs on Friday, November 7th.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[that. . . is probably true, and yet. Edamura does not remove his hand from the waterfall. instead, his features pinch together as he grumbles, openly dour]

I'm sure they weren't going to say anything important.

[. . . Laurent never does, after all]

[Unfortunately for him, Yuma has yet to put two and two together.]

Do you have proof to back up that claim?

[a bit taken aback by that question]

Do I. . . need proof?

It is a matter of prudence. With limited data on hand, we should ideally leave no stone unturned in furthering our understanding of this place, especially when there's no clear sign of where we should go next.

[hrrrrgh. . . what a sound argument. and yet, Edamura just looks exasperated]

. . . while that may be true, I really don't think you're going to get any answers from. . . this guy.

[. . .]

[sticks his other hand in the water and kind of. moves both of them around, like he is trying to erase the man's distorted image from the reflection]

Just trust me, okay?

Even if there's no answer, we can still get an idea of what to expect next. Why are you against this?

[Rather than accusation, his tone is laced with confusion and curiosity due to a failure to sense the tension in the air. Yuma can see that Edamura's expression is twisted, but he can't fathom as to why that's happening.]

I'm not against it, I'm just--

[Edamura cuts himself off with a frustrated noise, especially as he draws his hands back and sees that asshole's stupidly smug visage still smiling opaquely at him. like before, the man opens his mouth to say something, and Edamura instinctively stiffens as damp fingers into fists at his side, water still dripping from his knuckles. but at Yuma's request. . . he allows the scene to play out. allows Laurent to speak words he knows aren't true, each one as smooth as silk, delivered in that obnoxiously charming cadence that only he is capable of pulling off-- I do trust you, you know.]

[the cascading water seems to still as Edamura lets out a sharp, annoyed exhale. there's little heat in what he grumbles next, but he is definitely not happy]

. . . no you don't. [tch] See? It's like I said.

Nothing important.

[The waterfall ensnares his attention once the stranger's visage takes proper shape again, though Yuma does glance briefly at Edamura. The words may have gone over his head, but he notes the obvious tension in body language. And then he's looking back at the image in the water, hearing those honeyed words that seem to reverberate in his very being.

"I do trust you, you know."

The exhalation shatters the moment, and Yuma pulls back slightly to clear the fog in his head.]

Is he someone you know?

[so much for his lie. . . but he supposes it doesn't matter, does it? this guy has clearly never met Laurent before. he wouldn't know how he and Edamura are connected. there's very little risk in admitting to an association when the nature of said association doesn't have to be divulged]

[another sigh]

Yeah, yeah. . . guess I do.

[and a wave of his hand as he turns on his heel, giving the lingering image the cold shoulder as it fades back into water]

I don't know why the heck he's here, though. Or why they're projecting some stupid video of him onto a waterfall.

Was that what it was . . . ?

[After one last glance at the water, he looks away to think. If the waterfall begins to stagnate and then stir again in response to another presence, he doesn't quite notice it yet in his reluctance to just dismiss what they both witnessed as something akin to a prank.]

If it was a projection, it would have proceeded regardless of your intervention.

[that]

[. . . is an extremely good point. Edamura, who had been in the midst of walking away, stops in his tracks to glance at Yuma from over his shoulder, features growing slack]

Maybe. . . it was filmed live?

[and Laurent could see what he was doing? and thus stopped speaking as Edamura uselessly tried to interrupt the scene?]

You suspect we're being monitored.

[He lifts his head. Out of habit, he puts on a smile as he runs through the idea.]

That is certainly a possibility, though the terrain here doesn't offer much in the way of a vantage point. Could something have been planted on our persons . . . ?

[truthfully, he hadn't until Yuma pointed out the flaw in his logic. now it's the only thing that truly makes sense]

[. . . what doesn't make sense is Laurent's involvement in this matter at all. if the video was broadcast live, then that means the obnoxious Frenchman is behind the scenes somewhere, right? is this yet another elaborate scheme to drag this poor retired bean back into active conman duty? because if so--]

[mmmm no, he won't go down that path just yet. for now, Edamura dips his hands into his pockets, running fingers across the edges of his clothing to search for subtly planted bugs]

We have to be. . . right?

[for what just happened at the waterfall to have any logical explanation whatsoever]

[It doesn't hurt to check. Yuma follows suit by running his hands down his sleeves, then dipping them into his pockets. Nothing strikes him as out of the ordinary. Once he reaches the drop leg bags strapped to his thighs, he pulls out a bottle labeled "Premium Caffeine Tablets" from one, opens the lid, and pours the contents out onto his palm to check them.

Meanwhile, the water beside them seems to shift ever faintly.]

[. . . hang on, he's going to judge those premium caffeine tablets later. Yuma is just lucky he is getting distracted by the way the waterfall seems to shift again]

[he stands up stiffly, brows furrowing, and gives Yuma's shoulder a gentle nudge]

Wait-- it's happening again.

[No judge . . .

Snapping his head up, he pours the tablets back into the bottle by cupping his palm as he looks over at the waterfall.

There, the image of an austere man forms. While Yuma's back straightens even more in response, the man's apathetic gaze isn't focused on either of them.

"Unlike that defective product, you seem to have promise. You survived the encounter with FH on your own power, after all." The man's lips curl contemptuously. Yuma is unmoving, impossibly still and expressionless. "That parasite was nothing more than a waste of resources . . . It will never live up to its hardware, so it'll be disposed of immediately."

A woman appears. She's petite—at least a good head shorter than Yuma—and dressed in a stylized version of the same blue uniform. Her back is also stiff in observance of protocol, the sight of which causes Yuma to start, eyes widening.]

Wha . . . Yuma?!

[. . . . . . . this does not help clear things up at all. in fact, it just muddies the waters (hah) even more!!]

Yuma. . .?

[Edamura looks between the scene projected upon the waterfall and his companion in quick succession, trying his best to make sense of what they just saw. another scene filmed live? something pre-recorded? where is the damn camera?]

[but more importantly than literally any of that-- what is that guy talking about, when he speaks of something called an "FH" and "defective products?"]

. . . do you know these people, too?

[(Hah!)

Despite himself, his pulse begins to race. Why is she there? They're talking like she's going to . . . No. That's impossible. It's a fact that his skills are superior to hers. Even if his software isn't as up to par, there's no way . . . She's not supposed to take that from him.

(If it was ever his.)

A maddening dread wells in his chest. It crashes down like water without a receptacle in which to sit at the question.

Yuma stares at Edamura for a moment. Then he smiles.]

. . . Yes. That man is the commander of a branch in the agency I serve. [His eyes wander toward the waterfall.] However, I am confident that this is nothing more than a fabrication.

[a fabrication. . .]

[. . . just like that image of Laurent]

[the realization hits Edamura so quickly it nearly knock the wind from his lungs. he sucks in a deep breath as his features harden, jaw set tightly]

It sounds like someone is taunting us.

[purposefully showing them images of people they know doing or saying things that would get a rise out of them]

For whatever reason, they're trying to piss us off.

[It's basically a hallucination. He knows what happened the last time he allowed himself to be riled up, so he resolves not to fall into that pit again as he nods.]

Whatever their reasons, and whoever "they" are, it won't work now that we know it is a lie.

[She won't replace him. She can't. The timing wouldn't be appropriate. She's not going to—]

Shall we continue our search?

[for a moment, Edamura is quiet, his gaze sharp as he searches Yuma's expression and demeanor. and then. . . he sighs

Yeah.

[what. . . is this place. . .? how does showing images of things that will upset them help them find whatever it is they are looking for? Edamura gives his head a little shake to shed the uncomfortable twist of resentment that gnaws at the pit of his stomach. . . before he steps forward, chin lifted, to catch Yuma's gaze with his own]

Are you okay?

[he doesn't want to think about his vision, so. he focuses instead on Yuma's]

[He's in the middle of putting away the bottle of caffeine tablets when he's approached.

The delusion has faded from the waterfall. It was nothing in the end, so Yuma lifts his head with the same smile from before, even if the question is somewhat puzzling.]

As you can see, I am uninjured.

[hah]

That's not what I meant.

[. . . which is the only protest he gives. he just met this guy, after all. if he is capable of looking up with an easy smile even after being rattled by a waterfall fabrication, then maybe he really is okay? or maybe he just doesn't want to talk about it. both of those are valid]

But I won't press.

[what he will do is adjust the backpack over his shoulders as he turns on his heel to head further into the woods. though after a pause. . .]

Edamura Makoto.

[Edamura's message is lost in translation as Yuma stands there, processing, when the introduction beckons him along.]

Nice to meet you. I'm Kisaragi Yuma of the ISDF Far East Special Tactical Force.

[There's a difference in sound. Yuma from the waterfall is Yuma, whereas he's Yuuma.]

If not my physical condition, what did you mean?

[special tactical force. . . so, military? not a unit he has ever heard of, but he imagines that's because he is but an ordinary civilian]

[the difference in pronunciation is noticed, and Edamura gives a small nod in greeting]

It's good to meet you, too. And I meant. . .

[well, if this guy is going to ask]

Emotionally, you know? You looked pretty upset.

no subject

I misread that as "Laurent never dies, after all."

he also doesn't die it's true!!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject