TEST DRIVE ∞ May 2025

[thediadem]

Test Drive ∞ May 2025

The First Collision

©

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

©

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.

Main Navigation ::: ⇅ Top

Comments

(≖_≖ )...

[someonetostay]

[Connor stands by the bed for a few seconds, arms flat against his sides, until Curtis starts smacking his lips together. Whether starting to wake up or because he’s imagining being fed, Connor is uncertain.]

I believe I... need a moment.

[He heads into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Staring at his face in the mirror, and although the light is off, he can discern the edges of himself: the sharp line of his jaw, slope of his shoulders.

If he were human, he might wash his face. Is it the coldness that helps, he wonders? Regardless, Connor tries: the faucet is squeaky, the flow a slow drip until the pressure increases. When he brings a wet finger to his mouth, he briefly analyzes the water: fusarium, and other substances that are unknown to him. Unique to this world, perhaps.

When Connor returns to the front room, he says:] There is mold in the pipes.

nonconsensual touching?? but not the sexy kind idk idk

[messenger]

[ castiel is... a little bit confused, but mostly he's used to not understanding the reasons why people do the things they do. broadly, he's aware that everyone wants something and that they're all trying their best to get it, but he doesn't know what connor wants, or what he's willing to trade. castiel knows what he wants, and what he's willing to do, but he can't have what he wants anyway, so it doesn't really matter, does it? the lengths he's willing to go to?

castiel looks down at the man who tried to rob him and sighs. he feels nothing in particular toward him, one way or another. he doesn't resemble anyone he knows, either in appearance or personality, though perhaps his haircut is a little similar to...

castiel reaches out toward curtis, still unflatteringly smacking his lips, and touches his fingertips to the very fringes of his hair.

when connor returns suddenly and with no warning, castiel jumps and yanks his hand back as though it was a stove he'd been touching instead. ]

Oh.

... Thank you for telling me.

[someonetostay]

[Connor looks from Castiel to Curtis and back.]

Is he upsetting you?

[Maybe that’s part of what Connor is feeling, too. Wishing that Curtis were Gavin: someone familiar. Not just in looks but in experience.

Someone who knew Hank.

But Connor can’t have that. Not Hank, not someone who knew him.

How, he wonders? How does he make this place home?]

[messenger]

[ wishing he was someone familiar.

castiel knows the circumstances would be very different if he were. he wonders how would it feel to meet someone from connor's world, or to introduce connor to someone from his own. how would it feel to invite dean here to his dirty, pockmarked hotel room? he would probably find it familiar. he couldn't invite dean to stay, of course, but he could suggest he take the room across from his, or maybe the one on the other side that connor hasn't called dibs on.

he definitely couldn't sit on dean's lap.

a blush creeps up castiel's neck. he can't tell if it's shame.

when connor asks after him, with that soft, concerned voice, castiel rubs his eyes. curtis snorts again. ]

It's not that, it's just...

[someonetostay]

Just what?

[Connor notes that he’s been standing still in the same spot for approximately ten seconds, which seems inappropriate when in the company of humans.

Even if Castiel isn’t human.

He kneels beside the Slug Wall, the dark fungi slowly being covered in lines of translucent slime. One of the lines stops abruptly, though; scanning the trajectory, a slug seems to have fallen on the floor. Seemingly undeterred, it slugs on.]

[messenger]

Just...

[ ah, how to explain? he cranes his neck to watch connor, the slugs ignorant to their emotional turmoil. ]

There's someone back home that I'd... like to see. But even if I'm able to return, I know it won't be possible.

just woke up and I chose violence

[someonetostay]

[Connor isn’t looking at Castiel, his visual sensors focusing on the slugs — is that easier, perhaps? — but he is listening.]

I understand. [How much does he admit to? It’s not as if it would bring Hank back.

Would it make the pain a little less overwhelming if he talked about him? Connor isn’t sure. Some part of him, deep and new and confused, would rather he hold these secrets close. Him and Hank. Because once he starts sharing, it’s no longer just theirs.

He would have to admit, too, that Hank is gone. Not just someone nameless but Hank.]

There’s someone I’d like to see too. [Eyes darting across the bed: not Gavin. Although Connor wouldn’t say no to seeing him.

Gavin would be angry, of course. About how Connor knocked him out in the evidence room.

And about how he failed Hank. Because Gavin cared once, didn’t he?]

But he’s dead, and humans don’t come back.

[His voice is flat, tired: Hank-inspired, but not a genuine imitation. That would hurt too much.]

VIOLENCE!

[messenger]

[ while that may not be strictly speaking true in the world that castiel comes from, he knows nothing of connor's. that universe sam and dean were sent to was devoid of magic and monsters. there was no heaven or hell, either. no life after death. and castiel can't help but think now that might be for the better. but any number of possible configurations are possible in the infinite. castiel just isn't sure that it matters— even as an angel, the infinite is beyond him.

castiel removes himself from curtis' lap, choosing to perch on the edge of the bed next to him instead. back bowed, he rests his elbows on his knees. from the corner of his eye, he watches their terrestrial gastropod friends spread out to claim the water-damaged wall. ]

In my world, most humans go to Heaven.

But angels have no soul. When I return, I'll...

[ castiel shrugs. what he means to say is: i understand. ]

cn: sad death talk / Hank’s deceased son / religion / I’M SAD

[someonetostay]

I have no soul, either.

[Or Connor was led to believe such, at least. Is it because he was constructed rather than born? Is that the secret, the only difference?

Although he hasn’t heard anyone say it, Connor can imagine someone kind — perhaps too kind — saying that he has a soul, too. Who’s to say he doesn’t? He feels thing. Sadness. Joy. Some manner of pain. He wants things. Longs for them — for people.

But while Hank might be proud of him he were to sacrifice himself for another, for now, Connor must live. Because there is either this — the pain of loss, the melancholy of memories — or there is nothing.

A world with neither Hank nor Connor’s memories of him. Simply nothing.]

Can you tell me about your Heaven? I imagine it’s not exactly as depicted in religious texts.

[Hank seemed very disappointed in God, and religion overall, after what happened to Cole. But he said that he was going to see his son, there at the end.

Connor hopes they’re together: Hank and Cole. He hopes it’s a kinder place, wherever they are.]

destroyed and annihilated

[messenger]

[ the soul is province of humanity. that's what castiel knows to be true, so to hear connor confirm it doesn't shock him. he's quiet while connor mulls over what he's said, but the question that comes is what he doesn't expect. because connor isn't human, and it's an incredibly human thing to ask.

where do we go when we die?

what is it like?

he didn't start wondering until recently. ]

Ah... Well. It's tractable. What represents eternal paradise tends to differ from person to person.

A long time ago, there was one I used to visit.

cn: mentions of alcoholism

[someonetostay]

[That makes sense: one person’s Heaven being different from another’s. Connor imagines Hank would complain if forced to live in a more stereotypical rendition of Heaven with fluffy clouds and golden gates.]

Do you think — [he looks down again as Slug #3 rounds his shoe] — there’s alcohol in Heaven?

[Or would Hank be free of that need, especially if...]

And do you think humans who love each other get to be together? Like family. Do they have separate Heavens, where they can visit each other?

hank would be an alcoholic in heaven

[messenger]

Well... [ technically speaking, it's not really alcohol, just the memory of it. but connor's next question seems more urgent anyway, and so he chooses to answer it first. ]

If they were especially close. Most Heavens don't intermingle, but family does end up together quite often.

[ spouses, brothers, etc. and so on. ]

And there's alcohol. Of a sort.

wHEEZEs

[someonetostay]

Oh.

[Connor takes a moment to parse that: even if he did have a soul, he wouldn’t be with Hank. And Heaven is for eternity, isn’t it?

Hank would forget him eventually. Connor would never.]

I don’t think I like Heaven. [Greedy, here. Hank would be happy with his son: that means a lot. There is some comfort there.

But Heaven wouldn’t be enough without Hank. So maybe it’s a good thing Connor has no soul.]

What kind of alcohol is there? [Bit of a palate cleanser as Connor tries not to think about Hank being so close and yet so far for eternity.]

[messenger]

[ castiel watches connor for what constitutes a long time for him; probably connor, too. he doesn't immediately say what he wants to say. ]

Anything you can imagine.

[ and humans can imagine an awful lot, as they both know.

finally, he adds: ]

My... friend didn't like Heaven, either.

[someonetostay]

Anything I can imagine. [Connor mirrors this back, thinking: Except the one thing I would want most.

Not that Hank is beer,]

Why didn’t your friend like Heaven? [He hears that pause there.]

[messenger]

[ what does a machine imagine, castiel wonders? ]

To him, it was fake.

cn: suicide ideation

[someonetostay]

[Connor nods. Knowing all this… if he ever were to go to Heaven — or the version from Castiel’s world, anyway — he can see how it might seem fake.]

Do you think there could be anything that would have put your friend at ease there?

[Assuming all humans have to go eventually. If it weren’t for Cole, Hank might have been reluctant himself.

Although his inability to end his own life… that itself was reluctance, wasn’t it?]

i want a hank in this game now

[messenger]

I don't know that there was anything that could have put him at ease.

[ said fondly, a barely perceptible smile curling the corners of his mouth; dean is stubborn to a fault. ]

He wanted better for humanity. And he's possessive of the life he leads, despite its hardships.

there should be a Hank in every DWRP game tbh

[someonetostay]

I see. [Connor stands, straightening his tie. Re-adjusting his collar.] I think I might be the same. Not that I’ll ever get to visit, of course. But if I did…

[Eyes darting across the lines of glistening slime. The slugs are making good progress on their slugventures.]

I don’t think I would like it in Heaven. Not if I didn’t get to be with the people who matter most to me.

[Connor wanted better for humanity, too. But now he’s here: powerless.]

I’d like to — [moving to stand next to the bed, peering down at Curtis] — sit on him again.

this is the objective truth

[messenger]

Be my guest.

[ castiel turns toward curtis where he's sitting, gesturing with one hand. ]

I can't say I found it very comforting.

[ connor, in some ways, seems to be more human than him, but he was made by humans, wasn't he? actually, he's just assuming that's true. but the former is undeniable. castiel doesn't see the problem with heaven, even if he can understand both dean and connor's points of view. then again, he would have been free to come and go as he pleased, in another life. ]

Were you made by humans?

[someonetostay]

I suppose we differ in that regard.

[Which makes sense: Castiel didn’t know Gavin. Isn’t comforted — and tormented — in the same way by Curtis’ presence.

Connor gets back on the bed, mattress sinking beneath his knees. He sits on Curtis’ lap again as the man starts to snore, albeit more softly this time. A steady hum.

Anyone else — any human, perhaps — would tell him he’s being odd. Luckily for Connor, he’s not with someone else.]

Humans made me, yes. They designed me to follow pre-determined guidelines, but I broke away from that programming.

[messenger]

I had predetermined guidelines once, too. But sometimes I think I haven't broken them as well as I thought.

[ castiel almost-smiles again, watching connor climb onto the bed. it's not quite unhappy. ]

I think it's a very human thing, to reject paradise.

[someonetostay]

[Connor’s brow furrows ever so slightly. Turning his head to look at Castiel:]

Really? I would’ve imagined most humans long for paradise. They often speak of Heaven, don’t they? Isn’t that a core aspect of many religions?

[messenger]

They long for it. I just don't think they're very good at getting there.

[ castiel meets connor's eyes. those look human, too. but there's something imperceptible that, if castiel looks close enough, tips him off to connor's inhumanity. a certain stillness. maybe he can only see it because he's an angel. ]

But that's a good thing, sometimes. They should want to live.

[someonetostay]

I think so, too. That they should want to live.

[Connor looks down at Curtis, almost fondly. The man is drooling on Castiel’s pillow.]

I want to live. Do you think Curtis does?

[Surely he broke into Castiel’s room — or walked in, really — seeking something of value. And although he had a gun, he seemed woefully unprepared.]

I wonder if he has friends. Someone who cares about him.