TEST DRIVE ∞ May 2025

[thediadem]

Test Drive ∞ May 2025

The First Collision

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Jump ⇅ :: Arrival — Panorama — Fringes — Invite Request

The Diadem is an invite-only panfandom game set in a retro-futuristic world where uprooted souls find themselves deep within an eerie wasteland of roads and highways frequently assailed by cosmic storms. Three united strongholds keep the population. Its capital is Panorama, a large metropolis at the planet's center.

Soon, you realize you aren't alone. Calling themselves fluxdrifts, the "locals" have similar stories to you, either for themselves or their ancestry. You speak to an old woman who claims she hailed from another star. You meet a young man who says his great-great-grandfather knew a strange language everybody spoke "back home." As you explore, you stumble across a coin you recognize or your sister's locket. How did it get here? What does this mean? That's for you to discover.

But first, you need to find a ride.

No invites needed to play on the TDM. Everyone's welcome! Use the Invite Request thread below to request an invite from another player.

∞ Summary ∞

IC-wise, arrivals are scattered throughout the month. Events described on the TDM are also ongoing throughout the month. If you'd rather jump right into the action, you're free to begin in media res with your character having already been on the planet for several days.

Post-impact, characters will wake up in a med tent by the Scrapyard. From there, they must accept a vehicle on loan and make the 2-hour drive to the nearest city, Panorama. If they refuse the car because they don't want the loan, they'll be in debt for medical bills instead...so just take the car. It'll come in handy.

Some things to keep in mind when bringing in your character:

• Pick an injury. At minimum, they got knocked out; at most, whatever they can recover from. Medicine is decently advanced so they'll heal faster if not painlessly.
• Decide items kept. Reasonable items on their person only: photos, keys, clothes, costumes. No pets or animal companions. Wildly out-of-place tech and personal cell phones will be damaged beyond repair.
• Select a weapon. Do this only if eligible. Guidelines about weapons and powers are on the FAQ.
• Choose a vehicle. Decide whether your character gets 2-3 options or if they're stuck with something they hate. Players can pick directly from our collection or source their own images. Anything under a similar aesthetic will work. If your character needs accommodations for driving, they can have them. Ask us for details.
• Get a phone. Characters have to obtain a phone (and a SIM card) themselves. If they've got one from home, it's damaged beyond repair. Phones are cheap. It'll only take a couple of weeks to afford one. You need to know the number before you text or call anyone. Read about phones and the Forum before you hop on it.

TDM threads can be canon if characters are accepted. Top-levels made to the TDM should be open to all.

TDM Questions? Here — Game Questions? FAQ

Setting — Taken — Reserves — Applications ::: ⇅ Top

Fluxdrift

Arrival & Introduction

Date: Throughout May

You've tumbled over a cliff. You were fighting for your life. You're on the cusp of death. You slipped in the shower. Whatever the catalyst, you struggle to cling to consciousness. As darkness overtakes you, a swirling vortex warps light and shadow in a way that defies all physics. A dark wail etches into your very bones. You couldn't describe it if you tried. You can barely comprehend what it is.

Then you open your eyes.

Through the figure's mask ©, you swear the face is grinning down at you. The tent you're in smells of antiseptic, and scratchy blankets line your cot. Injuries you've sustained have been bandaged. In the corner, you spot a MedBot that's fixed you up. Depending on the extent of your injuries, the doctor on duty might give you some painkillers before you go. Thankfully, your belongings are by the exit. Sorry if anything's damaged. Your landing was pretty rough.

You follow the figure outside. They are Yom Crook, here to lend a hand to fellow fluxdrifts like yourself. Their car's parked beside them. Actually, there are lots of cars around, but Yom Crook's stands out with its painted shark mouth. They explain they found you, unconscious, in a diffusion zone and brought you here. The nearest city is a 2-hour drive northeast. Forget about walking. You'll never make it. Also, you owe the doctor a lot of money for patching you up. But you're in luck: they've got some wheels for you and if you accept the vehicle on loan, Yom Crook will cover your medical bills. That's a good deal, right? It's not the shiniest car or motorcycle, but it'll do. If fortune favors, you'll get to choose between two or three options. Plus, if you need accommodations to drive—like adjustments to your seat height or modified controls—you'll receive all that for free.

Take the vehicle. (And the loan.) Yom Crook assures you that you'll have six months before collectors come around. Any time you're ready to pay a part of it down, return here to the Scrapyard. You'll get a receipt and everything. Paying off the loan in six months isn't impossible, but it will take a lot of work. Just don't get too lax. There's a good chance you'll be juggling multiple loans as you try to get by.

You either know how to drive, or you'll have a bare-bones manual to get you started. Road rules are more a suggestion than enforced, so just hit the pedal and go. The car has some basic features. The built-in compass will help you navigate.

OPTIONAL PROMPTS: a flat tire; a body on the road (is it a trap?); a fender bender

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Panorama

Explore & Settle In

Conditions: Warm spring temperatures, light showers

After 2 hours on the road, you find civilization. The largest of the strongholds, Panorama is where the economy thrives. Massive power plants glowing red make it visible from a distance. The city is divided into three districts. For now, you can access the Pavilion and the Blocks. Don't worry about the Sanctum; they're not letting you in.

You only need to know two things about Panorama: 1) it's big, the size of a modern metropolis, and you'll need your car to get around; 2) anything goes as long as you don't pick a fight with the wrong person. Street smarts will get you far. Despite its geographical size, the population isn't huge. With roughly a million people in a city designed for over twice that number, Panorama is far from deserted, but nor is it overcrowded. It's a good thing. Resources are limited as it is.

The Pavilion: Free Samples

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Like any large city, Panorama features a couple of supermarkets. The stock's not as consistent as a proper supermarket. On occasion, shelves can remain cleaned out for a week or two. Regardless, the long tradition of free samples remains. If you're not already shopping, you'll notice the crowded parking lot and clusters of lines inside.

Try samples, push through the crowds as you shop, or give yourself a five-finger discount. If you're cautious, you can pocket a few small items without consequences. The Pavillion doesn't have the infrastructure for surveillance; unless someone sees you, you won't be caught. Steal from the store or pilfer someone's wallet. Maybe you even make a new friend if you bump into another fluxdrift. Or, start a fight with somebody who cut you off in the cheese line. Don't make too much of a ruckus, or you'll be thrown out.

As you look around, you'll see posters advertising temporary positions for the cash register or graveyard shifts in the warehouse. Seems they might've lost several employees recently (how'd that happen?), which is good for you! It's just a 6-week position, but it'll get you on your feet. The city has temporary positions like this all over. Permanent ones are harder to come by when you're new.

Samples include: steamed cabbage dumplings, synthetic cherry juice, cheddar cheese, and chocolate-covered alien eggs (it's crunchy and weirdly tasty). They're served in the usual throwaway paper cups with little toothpicks.

The Blocks: Power Outage

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Power's finicky in Panorama, especially in the Blocks. Saint Margery's Hospital, located in the same area, has priority for power so the first to go are the motels. Maybe you've been in your room for a couple of weeks, maybe you just got here—and by the way, every motel desk is happy to put the fee on your tab if you don't have the money upfront—but all the motels on the east side are in a blackout, leaving only the west side motels up and running.

What do you do? You have three choices:

• Risk leaving your room and head to the other side where there's power. Knock on some doors and negotiate with another to share the room. They might shut the door in your face, ask for a favor in return, or be nice enough to help you with no strings attached. There's no guarantee your unattended room will be untouched, though, and you'll be on the hook for any damages an intruder causes.
• Sit in the dark and deal. It's not the worst idea, but the TV's down, the vending machines are powered down, and with the entire place plunged into darkness, you risk getting robbed. If you struggle with defending yourself, you might want to find some trustworthy company. You can also sneak out of there and let them take your leftover pizza. It's not like you've got a ton of valuables, right? Plus, clobbering someone in the face with a frying pan sounds great until you realize you've gotta do something with the body. And what if this person's got a friend waiting?
• Get in your car and drive (or grab a friend for a road trip). If you scroll the Forum, you might notice reports on diffusion zones southward. Besides, these motels are hardly your forever home. The city can only provide so much. Why not go for a ride and see what you can find out there?

OPTIONAL PROMPTS: clean up on aisle 3 (what is that goo?); a knock at your door but no one's there; you hear screaming or a commotion down the hall

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The Fringes

Quad 3: Lockdown

Conditions: Stormy, with flooding roads

Felix Bjurstrom
> Date: 125-05-17
> Time: 02:15:57

> Emergency road lights have been reported in Quadrant 3! Please, can someone go see what's there? When last we chasers investigated emergency lights, a whole truck filled with sour candy had tipped over. Our stores were stocked for weeks! Oh, be careful - reception looks bad in that zone.

Whether you end up here on your own or you were following a tip on the Forum, the outcome is the same: you come to a stop in front of a 2-story office building that's flooded several inches deep. Emergency lights from a roadblock flicker through the stormy night. Stepping out of your car, you're soaked within seconds. When you check your phone, you don't have any bars. No calls in or out.

Through the open windows, a computer awakens and displays a cheerful smile. The lights inside switch on.

Pick your scenario role below. Your thread partner doesn't need to take the opposite role! They can join you in the same scenario (i.e. trapped together). Players are also free to create a generic NPC for the other side to facilitate the thread.

After characters escape, they'll find one bottle of antibiotics in their pocket or car, whether they remember taking it or not.

A: Sealed In
As you peer through the windows, you see crates of medicine floating around. Antibiotics in the diadem are valuable. Hospitals and doctors are always buying. You can keep it for yourself or make a quick buck. Or maybe you're compelled to help somebody back in the city who's in need. Whatever the reason, you decide to take the risk and step inside.

Water splashes around your ankles. The lock buzzes behind you. If you try to break the windows, you discover they're unnaturally resistant to shattering. With the whole place locked tight, the water begins to churn. Then the computer lights up again.

Warning, it flashes in large, bold text. Quarantine in progress. Release code required for exit.

• To find the code, you'll have to search. Duck under the water, go through sopping envelopes and sticky notes or pick the locks on the filing cabinets and desk drawers. You can also try hacking the computers. Use your computer knowledge or fall back on the age-old trick of seeing who wrote down their password.
• The files, notepads, and emails start innocuous, but as you look through them, disturbing phrases jump out at you—a dark thought you've had or a cruel taunt from someone in your past. The longer you're fixed on the terrible words, the higher the water begins to rise. Only another can break you out of your trance.
• With the rising water comes fear. And the more you're afraid, the more the water also rises. You begin to see faces in the water, bobbing like balloon heads. Do you recognize them? If you move to take a closer look, they will sink back beneath the surface as if never there.
• If you manage to swallow your panic, you can eventually find a triple-laminated binder with the release code and instructions. Bad news: you need someone on the outside to punch in the 6 strange symbols in order. The instructions explain that the code panel is located at the back of the building.

Let's hope a friendly face comes along.

B: Set Free
As you peer through the windows, you see not just the crates of medicine but someone trapped inside. They look like they might be in trouble, and from your vantage point, you notice that the water is bubbling strangely. It's definitely not normal rainwater. As you watch, the water rises unnaturally, stopping and starting. It's as if the water level is responding to an external stimulus.

• The glass is soundproof. You can't hear what the person inside is saying, so you'll have to communicate with each other another way. Try charades, typing on your phone, or whatever you think of. Eventually, you determine that they're stuck and that you need to enter some sort of code onto a pad located—according to your trapped partner—at the back of the building.
• Around the back, shadows swallow your surroundings. The panel must be pried open, but a slippery substance makes it hard to get a good grip. Each time the substance touches you, you grow uneasy. You swear you see eyes watching you, though when you turn around, nothing's there.
• You can't seem to keep the instructions in your mind. And those symbols...they burn into your retinas. Through them, you glimpse an incomprehensibly massive figure unfurling in the darkness, pulsing as if in a deep sleep. When you snap back to reality, you realize you've injured yourself, slicing your hand on a sharp edge or a bruise you can't remember getting.
• Once you manage to release the doors, the water inside the office drains upward into the sky as though sucked out by a giant hose. The darkness spreads. Get out of there fast before the shadows drag you or your partner into the void.

Of course, you don't have to help anyone. You can leave the individual there, make a deal, or outright extort them. But remember, you're not the only person on these roads. You might want to play your cards carefully, even if altruism isn't your first instinct.

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Comments

[catharses]

"It should be, shouldn't it," is what Sunday murmurs in response as a polite acknowledgement to the Harmony's ideals. That much he means: it should be, and that he witnessed the Harmony's failures - just as much as his own in the hopes of something better before he'd realized Order did not align with his heart either - still causes a dull ache of want for something better for the world. A problem he cannot solve himself and shouldn't take on himself if he remembers the words of warning given to him before his departure. Those words have never felt more apt than arriving here where a few days' time taught him much about the struggles of those here.

It's enough to make him want to sigh though before Sunday can inhale or exhale, what's said next brings him to an absolute pause. He'd turned his gaze to their surroundings to briefly check that the lack of any resonances around them aside from muted ones truly meant no other threats, but now he brings it back to stare at Jack. He's careful to keep his face expressionless though this startles him even more - something in common even with a different application.

"I..." he starts, then pauses again. As Jack hurried to correct his own words with that reassurance, perhaps Sunday should consider the same. He considers it, then continues anyway. "I am not unfamiliar with the world itself being something that can be manipulated as I nearly did the same when I was also not... thinking reasonably. The means to do so on such a scale are far out of my reach now, and it was one I regret using even if I tended to do what I thought was only good with it. I also don't wish to repeat it, and I am glad there were others to sever that Path for me when I couldn't do it myself."

Things which apply more to him than Jack from the sound of it but if he'd already softened incrementally towards the other after approaching to scatter those threatening him, now Sunday softens again a bit further. "I have not met someone else before who could do the same, but I too am unsure about how others might feel about such abilities."

[godjr]

Jack agrees that it should be, but he knows that a lot of shoulds don't end up happening in reality. He doesn't understand humanity well, he's still too young, but he knows that people tend to make things harder for themselves. Ideals can only go so far. And as a very flawed creature himself, he can't blame them for that. Angels are just as bad as humans from his experience. If he knew how to fix it, he would try, but he'd probably get that wrong too.

Usually the ability to alter a world to that extent is reserved only for God himself and archangels, Jack being the latter. So to hear that his new friend has something like that from his own world is fascinating. It's a relief that Sunday doesn't go right to the worst and react in horror to him admitting that much. Jack doesn't talk about his power to impress anyone, most of the time it's a serious curse for him. He wonders if the same was said for Sunday.

"It scares people. It always has, for me. Including my family." After a beat, a sigh. "Maybe especially them." Jack's never doubted that they love him deeply and truly, as he does them, but they also do know what he's capable of. They know what he is and what he's done. They also know that his actions have often been unintentional and that makes him all the more dangerous.

"It's not out of my reach. I could probably do it here too. I don't know, I'm obviously not going to try." Jack at the time thought it made so much sense, that he was helping. He was coming out of an upset and angry mindset. And then it only tore the world apart. "It hurt people, apparently some lying is good for humanity, they didn't do well without it." There were riots. Jack looked at all of that with horror.

"I don't think we should be able to do it, but we were born that way, or at least I was. So there's no real way to stop it. You just have to live with it."

[catharses]

In a past life, it was his job to listen. To those who would come to him with woes, or who might simply need a space to vent a temporary stress, or those struggling with burdens too heavy to bear, or believers finding themselves weighed down by doubt. As Bronze Melodia it was his task to assist them all in finding peace - even despite his own struggles with the latter which he kept to himself even as doubt grew ever louder.

So it's what he does now: Sunday listens carefully, weighing each word Jack says in response to his unasked question. It makes an unfortunate amount of sense others might be terrified by such a power. His own wielding of gifts from the Harmony was something not known to many and deliberately so. It would be less effective to let someone prepare for a meeting they were summoned to when it came to him looking for truths in their words before deciding where fate would take them next. His own powers were not something he feared, but that comes on the other side of decades of experience with something he cannot remember being without.

"Would it help to live with it if you had a chance to practice? On a smaller scale, that is, since I can't imagine this world would like it very much if they were suddenly impacted at large." He might mean that with a bit of teasing speaking solely from his own experience where changing the world drastically hadn't been the answer, but. No one's ever accused Sunday of having much of a sense of a humor if one at all, so there's a good chance it won't come across as something lighter.

Rather than explain it immediately thanks to also remembering some recent advice about joking, he chooses to continue with what will show his intentions were well meant, with any luck. "Fear of something can hold us back from any number of things, I've found. I would be happy to volunteer as the subject for it if that would also provide any comfort for being someone familiar with the possibilities." Even if his own powers are on a smaller scale than that was described to him, there's a level of confidence in being able to provide some guidance.

[godjr]

Jack doesn't even know the extent of his powers because there's just too many of them. All the archangels spent billions of years with them naturally occurring in them so it was easy, but he was born with no real guidance. If there was one thing his father Lucifer was correct about, it's that he really did need to be trained by someone who knew how. Jack has no doubt in his mind that fewer accidents would have happened if he could. Castiel tried, but there was no comparison, there was no one else like him. The powers he's practiced in he is better at now a few years later, but who knows what else is in there.

"I ... I don't know." Jack is uncomfortable with the offer because he's been taught not to do things. He shouldn't use his reality bending in particular, it's too dangerous for others. But no one's told him he could before. He forced his way into a few situations and sometimes it was a pure accident. "I'm not supposed to." So much of his life has been bent around the idea that he is too dangerous and needs to be contained.

"I just absorbed a huge amount of power, on top of what I already have. I'm concerned about that." Jack was already the second most powerful creature on the planet after his grandfather God. Taking all of his father's Grace on top of it was alarming and overwhelming. He can feel it too, in his body, in how it feels like it's going to explode out of him if he's not careful. He has to learn all over again how to safely use power.

"Are you a teacher?"

sorry for the delay!! no worries about tagging if it's been too long or we can start to wrap too!

[catharses]

That discomfort isn't easily missed and if it wasn't for the other man continuing on, Sunday might've interjected with a genuine (and rare) apology for it. 'Not supposed to' seems like it might've been instructions from someone else once from what's already been described though regardless, the trepidation is understandable. "You don't have to decide now or even any time in the near future since it's something worth taking the time to consider. And should you still decide to decline, you needn't worry about that being a negative thing."

Wanting to help may forever be his first instinct when it comes to a situation either with someone struggling with something or one that Sunday reads as such, but pushing someone to the point of discomfort? That's something his past self - or what he wants to believe is in the past - would have done without question. The last few weeks have certainly been full of self-reflection upon the steps that led him to where the Path of Order had taken him and to where he does not want to return.

"No, but I had to learn on my own thanks to my particular powers being stronger than most." And with a fleeting grimace, Sunday continues, "I can't say that I always used them for what others would consider good even if I believed I was doing the right thing then. Perhaps I can't even say as much since then, either, though that likely isn't my decision to make but that of others who aren't here." Unless he hasn't found them yet; though they might not welcome the sight of him, a familiar face wouldn't be unwelcome to Sunday.

A thought for later as he shakes his head, his earrings chiming quietly with the motion. "More importantly, should you wish you find me later I can offer you my phone number or you can find me here at this motel as my room is on the second floor not far from the staircase."

Let's wrap here!

[godjr]

Jack is about to reply to him when his head turns around and he seems to look into the distance, as if he's heard something that Sunday cannot. Like a dog hearing a whistle from far away. He turns his attention back to Sunday. "I have to go." He's being called in a way that no phone can get him, because people can pray his name and get his attention.

"My number is 8884903. We can talk again. Thank you for trying to help me." Jack is still trying to be polite but a moment later he completely disappears. A blink and he's gone, although Sunday might be able to hear the sound of wings whooshing around him moments before he goes.