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

oh...well then 😸

[exarched]

[ The way Alphinaud puts it has G'raha wishing there was more he could offer, at least in the way of information. But he's right--there are more questions than answers at the moment. He nods. ]

Indeed, we are starting at a strong disadvantage. This place matches no records nor stories in the archives, though our knowledge of the other shards is limited at best, save their alignment.

[ The thought that his is one of the other shards has crossed his mind. It seems the most likely scenario in any case, but discerning which it could be is still much further down the proverbial road. Alphinaud and Alisaie will surely be of great assistance in that case, both capable wielders of aether and scholars themselves.

But...Eulmore. They believe they should be in Eulmore?

No, they should.

He shouldn't.

Just as G'raha had failed to "escort" the Scions to the First in proper sequence, they, too, have been brought to this world times apart. It feels miraculous that despite this discrepancy, they arrived at the same time.

But oh, lo, how much has happened since those days..

Since was the Exarch.

Alphinaud is suspicious but kind in his questioning, but Alisaie is right to the point as one would expect. G'raha quickly thinks back to that time, to all the events that preceded. Gods, what a mess. His grand plan falling through because he underestimated the power and dedication of these people and their ability to turn the world around. He has never been so glad to be wrong.

They deserve to feel that sense of accomplishment. ]

I took quite a few blows to the head...

[ After he was shot. Thanks, Emet-Selch. ]

But I can assure you that I'm fine now.

[ Twelve, he needs to play this right. His smile turns apologetic, hoping they can feel that they see right through him. He looks down and nods, his tail swishing behind him. ]

'Tis true, it has been a while since that day for me.

[ He looks up again. ]

A few weeks of slow recovery, albeit at Lyna's-- [ How he misses her. ] --strong insistence and no small amount of assistance from you two as well. I cannot admit to being the most agreeable patient, but we all made it back safely to the Crystarium. I imagine the other Scions and our dear friend must still be there now.

[diplomatiste]

[ Alphinaud listens, a hand lifted to rest at his chin and consider all of the possibilities of their arrival, what this might mean, why the Exarch appears to be hiding something from them, and what that might be. His mind races, but in the end ... it simply isn't the most pressing matter at hand. He adjusts his priorities and his expectations the way that the Exarch clearly has. ]

While I hope that that may ring true, a part of me selfishly wonders if we might not come across the other Scions and the Warrior of Light in the coming days.

[ He lets out an exhale. ]

It cannot be coincidence that we were summoned here though I suspect we will need to work to uncover these mysteries in order to return home.

[ But how long will that take? He couldn't even begin to guess. ]

[argumentiste]

[ Left to her own devices, Alisaie would have happily kept grilling the poor Miqo'te about what he was doing a rather poor job of hiding from them. There were so few answers that they had here and because of that, she was of the mind that the more information that they had between them the better. The Exarch and Alphinaud were some of the most brilliant minds she knew. If there was something that the Exarch was privy to that they weren't, she had to wonder why he was being so squirly about it.

But seeing as she isn't here alone, she takes her brother's lead. If he didn't see an urgent need to press the matter right at this moment, then she wouldn't either. It didn't mean that either of them were going to forget. (And besides...it feels like she's just scolded a pet with the way his tail swishes and his gaze goes downcast.) ]

I agree. Minor lapses in memory aside, at least a different mystery will give us something to do that isn't paying off a debt. [ And though she sounds positively world weary for a split second, she can't help but puff up again at the thought of Yom Crook. ] I can't believe how expensive these mounts are! I feel as if I've been robbed and we've only just arrived with incredibly little as it is.

[exarched]

[ Whew! It seems as if he's off the hook! For now, at least. He would not put it past them to try and catch him slipping at a later time, but that allows G'raha a bit more leeway to prepare. At least his greatest secret is out in the open, those plans now long ago thwarted by their best of intentions.

But preserving the proper timeline is no small matter. G'raha would sooner die than threaten the future they fought so hard to protect. #IGuessIllDie#

He nods in agreement with Alphinaud's assertion. ]

Indeed, 'twould be highly unlikely in my own calculations as well. The act of moving a soul from one place to the next is no small task. The thought of it being anything other than intentional is concerning in its own right.

[ Highly unlikely, yes, but also not improbable. G'raha might not put his money on it, but he won't discard it right out.

He spares a sad glance to the vehicle in front of them, sticker choices aside. ]

It does feel that we are being taken advantage of, with so few resources and options available to us... I suppose we will have to see if it is truly possible to pay off these debts, as I doubt we will be able to leave this star any time soon.

[ G'raha turns back to face the twins fully. ]

Be that as it may, it is equally likely that this could be another shard that has yet to be sundered. I might be presumptuous of me to ask in the short time we have spent here, have you felt anything unique about the aether?

[diplomatiste]

[ The momentary reprieve he has to prepare himself for future interrogations is minimal, and only granted because Alphinaud believes an initial reunion isn't the time nor the place for it. He's too glad to see him. But mark the Leveilleur twins — they will learn whatever it is the Exarch is hiding one day or another.

Nevertheless, after a nod of agreement with Alisaie's comment about the cost of their new vehicles (which, really, he hadn't quite considered the true breadth of their debt) Alphinaud pauses now to take a moment to think about the Exarch's question, to focus on feeling out the energies around him — and to hone in on his connection to the aether.

He nods. ]

I feel it as I ever have ... but — ah, yes. It is different, though I cannot say why just yet.

[ He frowns. ]

Is there ought we should know?

[argumentiste]

[ Stress on the 'for now'. The twins have memory's like steel traps on their own. Together? The earth should tremble at their combined might. Or in this case, G'raha. Luckily the matter is definitely put to rest (despite her gnawing urge to unearth more right now) and turns to other topics.

Other topics like aether. Alisaie had done her dues at the Studium just like Alphinaud had but she had very little desire to actually return to those hallowed halls for more scholarly pursuits like some of their fellow classmates. However, that was no surprise to anyone who had known her during their school years. Pair that with the fact that her thesis had much more of a practical application than her brothers and well...everyone knew she was unlikely to want a future in academia.

And though she often has a habit of comparing herself to her genius of a brother, she had sat through enough classes (and in her opinion, had far more practical life experience and exposure to it) to grasp what the question posed. ]

Insofar as that it's evident we don't have access to certain abilities we'd be able to use normally. [ She had tried to summon Angelo and Alphinaud his carbuncle to no avail. ] Unfortunately we didn't arrive with aether measuring devices either so we simply had to go with our gut.

[ But from the way her voice trails off combined with the look she gives G'raha clearly says, 'But you're the elder of us and knows more than we do so please enlighten us if you've had any other insights in the last however long you've been here.' ]

[exarched]

[ Having them all work together on a coordinated tasks is the best way to keep the focus away from any potential timeline mishaps. Moreover, it is something they should reconsider. After all, their last foray away from the Source had been to another reflection, hadn't it? It stands to reason this would be yet another.

But G'raha is no further to a conclusion of which than when he posed the question. Truly, he appreciates any insight they may have to offer, whether it be now or later. ]

We know that the Second, Third, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Tenth, Twelfth, and the Thirteenth have been lost to us either in successful rejoinings or failed attempts therein. That does narrow down our possibilities substantially and while you have stopped the most recent attempt, the other reflections may yet still play a role in the stability of our star in addition to their own fates.

[ He considers, bringing a hand to his chin. ]

The time that passes with travel between reflections is, as you know, in flux, so it could be very well possible that we arrived here sometime in the future or past compared to our own timelines.

[ See? He's talking about time. There's nothing to worry about. EVERYONE is on the same page. ]

Even so...we ought to be on the lookout for any past or future Ascian involvement. I do not believe their threat is nearly as great as it had been once before, but they worked for millennia behind the veil of our reality. Their influence will not be so cleanly wiped from these worlds.

[diplomatiste]

Well, that complicates things. [ An understatement to be sure. ] Do you think we might have been brought back in time to one of the other stars?

[ And if so, were they waiting for the other Scions to arrive to aid this world the way they had aided the First? And what of their friend, the Warrior of Light?

And again — how?

There's very little research on the day-to-day going-ons available to them in any of the libraries they've visited, but that doesn't mean the information doesn't exist. It would give them some kind of starting position, even if they're at a disadvantage overall.

He thinks about this too. ]

It may be that the Ascians are also responsible for bringing us here, though for what reason I couldn't begin to surmise. I should think they would want us away from any world they might want for the Rejoining.