diademooc | TEST DRIVE ∞ May 2025

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TEST DRIVE ∞ May 2025

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

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

( open starters below; hit me on plurk at

paingravy or discord @righteously for anything. down to match format for brackets or prose. warnings for violence, language, and general assholery.
no remaining invites to offer, unfortunately! )

Edited 2025-05-15 20:54 (UTC)

( The last thing he remembers is oncoming headlights, the screeching of brakes, and the slam of an impact. He'd been traveling — nowhere in particular, just drifting — when an oncoming car ran a red light and T-boned him at an intersection. Blinding white, sharp pain, then nothing.

And then this. This place. A masked figure that he very nearly bodies to the fucking ground, except the vertigo kicks in first, and he staggers back onto the cot, too doped up on something to fly immediately into attack dog mode. That's the only reason he listens. The only reason he absorbs anything — bleary as it is at first, unreal as it seems.

Then again, after the attack on New York, after aliens, androids, and wizards, what's left to question anymore? This type of shit's normally out of his wheelhouse, but the wheelhouse fucking abducted him, so what else is there to do but figure shit out?

He gets to pick from a cherry t-top convertible with no top to go with it, a rust-bucket of a Yamaha, or the option he ultimately settles on: a soccer mom van. On the back, a bumper that reads coexist, and a little stick figure family decal on the back glass depicts a very nice lesbian couple, two stick figure kids, and several stick figure cats.

It takes him another day for the drugs to wear off completely before he's fit to drive. He leaves as the sun is setting, and an hour later, rolls up on the current scene.

It's one of the oldest scams in the book. A classic. Someone left a baby stroller on the side of the road, with just enough of something bundled into it to be concerning. He can make out the tail lights of another car braking to a stop to investigate, and he curses under his breath; god damn it, come on, don't be stupid-

The moment that good Samaritan opens their driver's side door, a small group of assholes spring out from the ditch, from behind rubble and broken down buildings, from behind hiding spots, to descend on whoever happens to be dumb of ass and pure of heart enough to fall for it.

Frank sighs. Pulls over.
And gets out of the car. )

[ Daisy knows it's a stupid move to stop. There is a 99% chance that the stroller is just some trash left behind by whatever the hell the shady Crook guy was going on about or, worse, a trap left by some assholes, but she can't help herself. If something is wrong and she didn't stop to help, she wouldn't be able to live with herself. So she pulls over, watching the stroller in her mirror for a few moments before climbing out of the van.

The confirmation of the aforementioned trap prompts a deep sigh, and exhaustion weighs heavily on her as she takes a few steps away from the van and raises her hands in what she hopes is still a universal sign of meaning no harm. She's clearly unarmed, and her suit might be perceived as anything from tactical to a weird uniform in a place like this, so she certainly doesn't appear to be a threat. ]

Come on, guys, I don't have anything worth stealing. This piece of shit van hardly even runs.

[ If it were her van back home, she would never besmirch it like that, but this one really is crap on wheels and certainly not worth the loan she'd been forced to take out for it. But the assholes apparently disagree, brandishing an assortment of weapons, and her body protests in anticipation of the fight to come that she is in no shape for. Those freaky medical robots might have repaired the major internal damage and healed the worst of her broken bones, but she still feels like she'd been run over by something big and heavy. It's not like that will stop her, though. ]

Really, you don't want to do this. [ She glances back at the stranger who'd pulled up behind them and gotten out of his car. ] And you don't want to get involved.

[ She's tired but not frightened. Weary but not worried. If anything, she's resigned to the fight ahead, and she sure as hell isn't looking forward to it. ]

Sure don't, lady.

( That's the faux-cheerful mostly-flat response she gets to her call, thrown out all while he doesn't even so much as hesitate in his move to extract himself from the van. The rifle comes with him, clasped loosely in his right hand, the strap hanging down in a sag that nearly trails into the dirt beneath his feet. The driver's side door stays open, and the soft ding, ding, ding of polite warning acts as the soundtrack to his slow, careful approach.

Emblazoned on his chest, the stark white spray-painted image of a skull, slowly gaining a famous reputation in the state of New York — planting seeds he'll eventually grow to resent. He showed up here while wearing it, and he hasn't seen any good reason to take it off yet. Won't, until he gets a feel for this city and how frequently he can expect a firefight in it.

So far, the statistics aren't looking good.

He would love to not get involved, but that would necessitate this not happening in the first place.

Daisy might be the more powerful of the two of them, but looks can be deceiving. The ringleader with the knife looks at her and only sees a petite woman with no weapons and, therefor, an easy target. When his eyes land on the brick shithouse that is Frank, with his rifle and the fucking skull on his chest, some of that confidence begins to bleed out.

He jerks the knife Daisy's direction in a sharp, shaky warning before calling out, "Get back in the fucking car, man, or I'll bleed her, I swear to god-"

This does not stop Frank's steady, constant approach. )

How 'bout you put that down before you get yourself hurt?

[ Sure don't, and yet he keeps coming. She doesn't get a good look at him until he's nearly halfway to them, finally in her full view instead of just in her peripheral vision. That skull is like a tornado siren going off in her head, the recognition instant and apparent, confirmed when her gaze flits to that famous face. Famous in her circle, anyway — she has a vested interest in keeping an eye on what happens in Hell's Kitchen, even if it hasn't been Home in a long time.

Frank Castle. The Punisher. What are the odds she'd run into someone from her neighborhood here?

Turning her attention back to the ringleader when he gives that warning, the shaking in his voice betraying how he's suddenly feeling like he's in over his head. Well, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it's true, asshole. Daisy takes a step forward, tearing the guy's focus from the approaching doom, and the knife swings with it toward her. With years of training and no conscious thought, she turns into the attack, using one arm to block his while the other grabs his wrist. It's easy to use the idiot's momentum against him, twisting him around and forcing his arm into an uncomfortable enough angle to drop the knife.

A smart man would take this as a sign to cut his losses and run. These are not smart men. ]

( The truth of the matter is, the rifle's for show. Not because he can't use it, not because he wouldn't if he had to, but he's limited on ammunition here. Didn't exactly show up with his full arsenal, and he's got no real concept of when or where he might be able to resupply on bullets. If he can manage without wasting them, there's no reason for him to use a gun in a knfie fight.

And hell, would you look at that — she goes and surprises every single goddamn one of them by having combat training. If he were gonna pop a shot into anybody, it would've been the man closest to her, the one with the knife, the one where time and distance were a real factor and he'd need to be put down before he could sink the blade into her body somewhere.

But now that problem's solved, it means he can dart forward before the second man gets in range of her, jamming the cold steel of his rifle directly into that asshole's nose, breaking it and rendering him staggering, hunched over. The perfect position for a brutal knee to the face, right on time for goon number three to step in — but apparently goon three has at least one single working brain cell, because when choosing between his targets, he elects not to go for the very large man that might have just driven his buddy's nose straight into his brain, and instead he goes for the thinner woman that looks like she's disarming and subduing non-lethally. He'll take his chances with her, thanks.

Like it's gonna end any better for him.

Goon two had a makeshift machete made out of the sharpened scrap metal of a highway road sign, bound at the bottom in a rubber hilt and coated in layers and layers of duct tape. He takes it in hand, and turns on Three right as the guy goes to try and wrap a hand around Daisy's wrist. )

Frank Castle | Punisher

𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚘𝚊𝚍

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𝚊𝚒𝚛𝚋𝚗𝚋 𝚋𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚔𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚜

here's one from the character i'm def not apping

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𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚜

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𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚍𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚍

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