FAQ

[labyrinhelp]

• FAQ •

Click to expand each section.

• ❖ Basics
• ❖ Arrival & Setting
• ❖ Network & Technology
• ❖ Powers & Rewards
• ❖ Questboard & Sleepr
• ❖ Death & Drops
• ❖ Player Questions

Basics

Premise

One moment, you’re in reality—in another moment, you feel yourself dwindling between consciousness and slumber. Whether it be a circumstance on the verge of dreaming or on the verge of death, you feel yourself at an immense peace. Your deepest desires come to light; whatever it is you ever wanted to wish for, you speak it and you’re not even sure why, “I wish… I wish…”

Something echoes deep within your heart, reaching out from beyond time and space to pull at your deepest, strongest desires… It makes a promise, offers you a pact, and tells you that should you please it, it may just grant you your wish.

“Welcome… to what dreams and nightmares are made of.”

Dark purple crystal surrounds the small garden glade you have woken in. An unfriendly town waits outside the garden and a portal elsewhere awaits. What you decide to do is your choice. There’s only one way to find out what this dream means…

What sort of game is this, and what content can I expect?

Labyrinthum is a private, dark middle-fantasy panfandom game with elements of action/adventure, slice of life, and psychological horror. Inspirations include cult classics such as The Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal. Expect folklore, magic, dreams/nightmares, spells, monsters, and fairytales. Characters are asked to live their lives out in a world between awake and asleep for unknown reasons, once ruled by a powerful sorcerer.

Are sexual themes & smut allowed?

Yes. This isn’t a sex game by any means, but occasionally, prompts may play around with shipping / sex. Because of this, all players must be 18+ to join. Please be mindful and appropriately content warn for anything sexual.

Is there a character age limit?

No. For characters under 15, a case must be made for why they would be suitable for a dark fantasy setting, where they will be exposed to violence and psychological trauma.

Is there a player cap?

As of now, no, but this is subject to change in the future.

Each player can have up to 3 characters, with a potential 4th if the player demonstrates above and beyond activity. There is no character cap, but casts are capped at 10 characters and franchises (e.g. Fate, Final Fantasy) at 15 characters.

What is Activity Check like?

AC runs on a monthly basis, unless otherwise announced. Each round consists of:

• 5 comments from your character in one thread
• Thread must be on a post from the current or previous month.
• AC can be turned in at any time during the month.

For more details, see the full Activity Check page.

What’s the application like?

Rather than a long drawn-out personality and history section, our application consists of the following:

• Player information + contact
• Basic character information
• CRAU details, if applicable
• Canon powers (will be nerfed on arrival, but can be regained through activity rewards)
• Ten questions which are relevant to the character’s personality + game
• Details on the wish the character made before arrival
• Two samples, one log + one network, which display the character’s voice and interpretation

The full application, as well as appability details, are on the submission post. Apps open every other month.

How do I get an invite? Do I need to reserve?

Details on the respective pages: Invitations + Reserves. Invitations are always open. Reserves are not required to apply, but in the event of a challenge app, preference will go to the reserved version of a character.

What’s the schedule like?

Unless otherwise announced, the game runs on a bimonthly schedule, alternating app months and months with intensive events:

App month (January, March, May, July, September, November):

• TDM
• Reserves & Applications
• Questboard prompts refresh*
• CR meme
• SLEEPR*

Non-app month (February, April, June, August, October, December):

• CR/plotting meme
• Intense event

See the calendar for the most up-to-date schedule, including dates, as this may vary month-to-month. *Details on our bimonthly mechanics, the Questboard and Sleepr, below.

Arrival & Setting

Where is my character and how did they get here?

Characters arrive at a point in time, whether canon or head-canon, where they are on the verge of either sleeping or dying. They are swept off into a dreamworld between consciousness and unconsciousness. The last thing they remember is an inky, starry nothingness, and speaking their most desired wish…

When they wake, characters find themselves in the Enchanted Garden, located outside of a small town named Somnius on an island called Visium. Just outside Somnius is a portal that leads to the land of Lumindeas and the city of Stellari.

Why was my character brought here?

Currently unknown. Characters are under the impression they possibly willingly signed a contract in their dreams. Currently, the holder of these contracts is unknown. It was once believed to be the Overseer, a man called Vaeros (see below). After his death, it was proven that these contracts still continue, but the real holder is still a mystery.

Does my character have any items on them when they arrive? Anything from home?

Characters only have the clothes on their back. (Weapons not included. Non-magical or depowered prosthetics may be present, at player discretion.) They will wake to find themselves holding a satchel containing the following:

• A crystal pendant
• A vial filled with a potion
• A communication device
• A vial of water & some bread
• A parchment upon which nothing is written. It once held words from the Overseer Vaeros, but now only blankness remains.

What do these items do?

See respective sections: Powers & Rewards for the pendant and potions, and Network & Technology for the device. Water and bread are complementary.

Alright, so what’s past the garden?

A small ball of light will guide characters out of the Enchanted Garden and into the town of Somnius. The town seems like an archetypal Dungeons & Dragons setting, with local businesses including (but not limited to!) taverns, restaurants, little shops, an armory, and a blacksmith. There is also a portal, which leads to the newly-revealed land of Lumindeas. Characters can choose where to call home.

More information on the setting can be found on the Locations & Businesses page.

What about this Labyrinth you speak of?

The labyrinth was once an endless maze. Upon a distant hill is a large castle, where the Overseer once lived. Now, both the labyrinth and the castle are encased in eternal purple crystal, much like the island of Visium outside the town of Somnius.

My character can fly and/or bust through walls like the Kool-Aid guy. Will this help them explore Visium or Lumindeas?

The crystal that covers most of Visium is indestructible, but it is possible to fly over most of the air space over the land of Lumindeas or Visium. Trying to fly with powers over the oceans of the world causes fatigue and is advised against at this time, but there are other methods to cross the sea.

What’s the weather like?

Weather in both Lumindeas and Visium generally follows North American/Northern Hemisphere weather for the IRL time of year. The basic seasons fall like this:

• Winter - December, January, February
• Spring - March, April, May
• Summer - June, July, August
• Fall - September, October, November

Who are the game NPCs?

Vaeros - Once the Overseer of Visium, Vaeros has since passed away. It is implied that his actions were greatly influenced by a still-unknown power or person. In his last moments, he sacrificed his life to save the people of his land and the Dreamers he helped bring to Visium.

Seravo - The leader and guardian of Lumindeas. Seravo is rumored to be a great dragon, but instead chooses to appear as a man of average height. He seems willing to work with the Dreamers to solve the mystery of their contracts. He grieves the death of his brother, but uses that as motivation to drill into the mystery of what happened to Vaeros.

Myrta - The witch of the woods. She has taken to being the guardian of Visium now that Vaeros is gone. Often suspicious and blunt, she is wary of working with Seravo to solve the issues that have overtaken the land of Visium. She seems to know more than she lets on, but is not willing to say much of anything at all.

Yuraia - The goddess of the moon, once trapped according to stories told in Visium, she is actually the love and wife of Seravo. Vaeros long wanted to pursue a romantic connection with her, and often his jealous and pining attitude created a conflict between the three of them.

So where does my character live?

Housing is completely up to the players. All dwellings are simple and get the job done, but could use some fixing-up. Expansions and other housing upgrades can be gained as rewards. For starting options, see the Housing page.

Is there a school? How about player businesses?

Yes and yes. Characters are not required to attend school or get jobs, but several NPC and player businesses are available for perusal. Note that some locals are friendlier to Dreamers than others. For more details, see the Locations page.

Do we have to use activity rewards to buy food, clothes, etc.?

Nope. We’re not monitoring this too heavily. Everyday amenities, non-magical weapons, and other mundane, not-canon-specific objects can be acquired around town, mod approval not required.

Can my character die here?

Yes. Most deaths are not permanent, but characters will be sent to Inferna, a Hell of sorts for a minimum of three days. Additional details on death, drops, and returns below.

Network & Technology

What’s the network device?

From the far-off, mysterious land of Okia comes the ORACLE (Operational Relationship And Communication Expedient). This handy little device looks like a flip phone made from a tree, complete with a pain-in-the-ass keyboard and a screen. The Oracle allows users to send text messages, audio phone calls and messages, and video. It even has text-to-speech.

The phone is indestructible. Go on. Just try and destroy it. I dare you.

How does it work? What features does it have?

Characters set up a username of their choice, which can be changed at any time. (If no username is selected, it will default to their full name: “lastname.firstname”.) Private and/or anonymous messages are allowed. The phone never runs out of energy; being around the crystals in either Somnius or Stellari is enough to keep it charged at all times.

This is just a Nokia 6101 flip phone from 2005.

Yes.

This thing sucks.

It sure does. If it bothers characters too much, they can wish for something else to communicate with (which can be acquired through Rewards). Other devices will communicate with the network just fine.

Any other technology to be aware of?

Not really. This is ye olde fantasyland. However, any electronic devices will also stay miraculously charged. Any other “technology” here is based on magic.

Powers & Rewards

Does my character arrive with powers from home?

All powers are stripped on arrival. However, the crystals, when approached and prayed to, seem to grant characters' wishes. This works OOCly through the Reward system.

Canon powers can be regained, though game-breaking powers will be nerfed down.

How about those potions in the arrival satchel?

If characters choose to drink their potion, they will inherit a power of the player’s choice: animal transformation, elemental magic, or healing. All powers start off minor; full usage can be requested as a Reward.

If your character already has a power of the given type (e.g. a character who can control fire drinks the Scarlet Potion), now they have another one. Characters can also choose not to use their powers at all.

Scarlet Potion ❖ Elemental Magic

Choose one of the following elements: Fire, Water, Earth or Electric. Your character can now control that element.

An example of minor-power usage is a character shooting sparks or embers from their fingers; with full power, the character may control larger blazes or even lightning bolts.

Gold Potion ❖ Animal Transformation

Choose one animal. Your character can now transform into that animal.

• The animal cannot be from another character’s canon (e.g. an Avenger transforming into a platybpus-bear). Generic fantasy animals from a character’s own canon are acceptable.
• Size cannot exceed that of an elephant, or be smaller than a large insect or spider.

Transformations can be full or partial, at the character’s will. While transformed, characters can have the same senses as any real animal (e.g. a dog’s heightened sense of smell). They may or may not be able to communicate verbally with non-transformed characters.

Upgrading this power allows for transformation into multiple animals.

Cerulean Potion ❖ Healing Magic

Your character can now heal. Mechanics and effects are left largely to player discretion. Self-healing is possible, albeit not the intended use of the power.

A minor power could heal cuts and other small wounds; strengthening this power increases how much a character can heal. Characters with a boosted healing power may be able to save another from death, but they cannot resurrect a person who has already died.

What does the potion taste like? What if the character doesn’t drink it?

Up to you. Characters don’t need to drink their potion right away, if ever. It will work the same no matter how long it’s been stored, and tastes good. So good. In fact, it’s the best thing your character has ever consumed. Everyone’s palate is different, so the flavor of one character’s potion won’t necessarily match someone else’s.

Characters need not finish their potion to gain the given power.

What if my character drinks someone else’s potion?

Remember how it tasted so good the first time? If your character ingests an additional potion, it will taste like the worst thing they have ever digested. They will not gain any extra power from it. That’s your punishment for trying to be greedy.

How can my character get other powers and rewards?

All characters receive a crystal pendant they are encouraged to wear. (Crystal type is up to player discretion.) The crystal harnesses energy from other characters via interaction and emotion, and this energy is called a shard.

OOCly, 1 comment = 1 shard, with optional one-time bonuses for love confessions and trips to Inferna. Characters may wish for items from home, power upgrades or regains, etc., and shards can be cashed in at any time. More details on the Banking and Rewards pages.

How do rewards work ICly?

Pressing two crystal pendants together will process the shard transfer. This has no effect on shards gained as activity rewards, but the currency exists so characters aren’t getting things for free.

When making a wish, characters approach a giant Crystal in the center of town and press their crystal against it. They speak whatever they wish for, and with the right amount of energy, it will manifest.

What if I want to give my character something they didn’t ask for?

Can do. The Crystal can read characters’ unspoken desires and random thoughts. It can also decide to give them something they don’t want at all. No refunds.

Does the pendant do anything else?

Generally, no. But when characters are dropped, their pendant will be left behind. Holding the pendant close to one’s heart allows the holder to relive memories they shared with the dropped character, and may give them comfort.

The pendant will disappear into pixie dust if someone else apps in with the same character.

Questboard & Sleepr

What is the questboard?

The questboard is located in Stellari and is changed out bimonthly. Quests serve as prompts for players to interact with the setting outside of events.

What is SLEEPR?

SLEEPR is a totally-not-dating app which appears on characters’ ORACLE devices every other month. It will fill out a profile for them, unless they do so manually. This serves as a regular network mingle, and a chance for players to share information about characters that they might not volunteer themselves.

Death & Drops

So what happens when a character dies?

Welcome to Inferna! For a minimum of three days, your character is in some type of hell. What happens here is up to the player, but may involve physical and/or psychological torment. Meanwhile, the character’s body turns into pixie dust, and their pendant is left behind.

Characters respawn in the Enchanted Garden, along with all clothes, accessories (pendant included), and whatever injuries or trauma they experienced.

Can my character bust out of Inferna? What if multiple characters die at the same time?

Alas, Inferna is a lonely place, and your character has no power there. Anyone your character sees is a specter that exists to torment them personally. Actual interaction with other player characters is not possible.

Is there a limit to how many times my character can die?

Nope. Go nuts if you want to be absolutely horrible to your character. We fully endorse this. Permanent damage and impairment are also options, or your character can heal from their wounds. It’s up to you.

What happens when a character drops?

They just disappear. The character’s name disappears from all network devices. We’re not concerned with tracking every character’s belongings, so anything they leave behind, pendant included, can be dispersed by their CR.

If the character lived alone, their house is now empty and may disappear with time. Shared housing will remain, unless it too becomes unused.

If a character re-apps, what can they keep from before?

In the event of a re-app, you may update a character’s canon point, change their wish (if the previous one is fulfilled by a canon update), and their pendant may look different. Or maybe nothing changes at all! The character may retain memories of their previous time in-game, which is also up to player discretion.

Powers and substantial housing upgrades need to be regained, though the cost is halved. Miscellaneous belongings can be figured out ICly. Shards will need to be re-earned from the ground up.

If I drop and want to rejoin with a new character, do I need a new invite?

If the drop and re-app are back-to-back, no. However, if there’s a gap between dropping and re-apping, you will need a new invitation. If this is difficult, contact the mods and we can work with you.

Player Questions

Additional questions can be asked on this post.

As a rule of thumb, we try not to micromanage character interactions. When considering questions about the setting, please reserve the FAQ for major concerns that could affect gameplay for everyone. For example:

• "Does Lake Termina have fish?" - It's safe to assume a lake will have fish unless there's been an environmental change, so this question should not be taken to the FAQ. Most of our locations can have basic, general things assumed and played with without checking in with us first.
• "Does Lake Termina have man-eating fish? Is Lake Termina affected by flesh-eating bacteria?" - These are niche, unusual circumstances. It's likely these things do not exist in the lake, unless otherwise noted in events. Not a necessary FAQ question.
• "I saw that Yhaveh Forest neutralizes magical weaponry. How would that affect my character who is made of magic?" - This is a good FAQ question, as it could affect how more than one character interacts with the setting, and adds broader understanding to the location.

The mod toplevel serves as an index of answered questions. Recurring concerns may be worked into this post at moderator discretion.

Comments

[traumaticus]

Ok! Thank you for quick response!