What? Are you talking to me? Oh, um, don't worry, I'm nothing. I don't even exist. What? No. Er... okay, so maybe I do exist, it's just... you shouldn't see me. Do you really? Wow, I-I thought I was stuck here! You can really-- Oh no... no, that means you're stuck too. Did you happen to meet up with a man with deer antlers who's constantly surrounded by ravens? No? Uh... okay, forget about that, it's not important. Look, I don't know how you can see me, I don't belong to your world anymore. And, well, yeah, there's more of us but.... I don't know how you got here. Or how to get back. Or... much of anything. I just... I think I made her mad. No, no, I made my parents mad, see they used to--
Sorry. I'm rambling. Alright, I'll calm down.
Here's what I know. We're all stuck here in this world, but sometimes we get sent back, for whatever reason, just for brief intervals. It makes me uneasy, but whenever we go back to the 'real world'. most of us just sleep... We can't sleep here. Oh, we've tried, but it just... doesn't happen. Too much to think about, too much to worry about and... well, we just can't. Anyway, I think we're being tested. When we do go to the real world, it's always the same place. I mean, different rooms but I think we always go to the same building. I tried staying awake once to get to the door, try to see where we were, but it was locked. I think someone was watching, someone... observing us? I don't know. I can't tell.
When we go back to the other world, it's always filled with tests. And sometimes that raven-guy shows up. He never says anything, but I feel like I know him.... like I've seen him in the real world, which is why I asked if-- Oh, nevermind. I know you haven't. Maybe I'm just crazy. Maybe it's all a dream. I don't know.
Anyway, the tests. Right. Well, basically, we have to fight things, or get through mazes or voices from the sky tell us where to go, what to do... sometimes. Yeah, I'm probably crazy. I've just... been here a while. It's getting to me, I won't lie.
Oh, and sometimes... sometimes we wake up and there's someone missing, but they'll come back to us later and have no idea what happened. Like, one of the group will just... disappear, only to return hours later with no memory of what happened. Sometimes they seem... different afterwards. Like my friend Zaiden, who used to be a lot bolder, a lot more... I don't know. Now he's just... quiet and... and... different. I don't know how to describe it. If you knew him before, you'd definitely notice a difference. He still insists nothing changed. I don't know what's happening to us. I don't know why we're being tested. But there is one thing... everyone chosen wanted escape. Suicide-risks, writers, 'tortured artists', what have you. People who don't like reality. People who wanted out. Maybe... maybe it's our own fault. Or maybe we're dead. Don't ask me, I don't have the answers, alright? I wasn't even here first, Zaiden was but he won't tell me anything anymore and it's really frustrating.
Oh, me? Right. My name's Dwyer... it's kind of a dumb name, I know. It makes me think of 'drier', then I think of hair driers. Anyway, welcome to... um, well I'm not really sure what this place is. The only other sapient creatures here are the deer people. Like the raven guy, people with antlers and they tend to like animals. We've only talked to them a few times... sometimes they're friendly, sometimes not. I think it has to do with how we approach. Maybe there's a method to it? Maybe they get spooked easily? Again, I'm not sure. I guess we have time to find out, seeing as we're stuck here for gods-know-how-long. Oh? How long have I been here? Um... two years? Something like-
Sorry! Sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out. I'm sorry. Maybe we'll get out soon. Hey, you never know. Besides... didn't you say you wanted an adventure? We all did. I guess our wish was granted.
Well, it's like Alice in Wonderland or something out here. Everything is so strange... I mean, I guess it's normal for me now after two years and all... but still, there's always something to surprise you. Something dark, usually. You should also know that most of the plants that aren't blue or green are probably poisonous. As is pretty much everything with spots on it. I ate this purple flower once and Zaiden had to make this really elaborate cure for me so I'd stop choking on my own tongue. It wasn't fun. So yeah, don't eat the purple flowers... or anything not blue or green. Please remember that.
Anyway, the world is mostly forests and rivers and lakes and oceans. The oceans are deep purple... most of the water is. Don't worry, it's fine to drink. Well, not the ocean water but you know what I mean. There's a lot of strange animals here and most of them are dangerous. Save for the ones without teeth.... though maybe they can gum poison on you or something, I don't really know... Just stay away. The ravens will mob you like gigantic crows, the wolves will gang up on you and they are huge here. Like big, evil Cerberusis (Cerberuses? Cerberis?) from hell. Oh and never go near the snakes.... basically, don't touch anything unless I say it's fine... actually I'm pretty impulsive so maybe you should ask Zaiden first... I tend to get in trouble a lot... sorry about that.
Anyway, the sky's purple, as is the water, the sun's kinda yellow/green, the moon's pale blue, some birds have four wings and everything canine is huge. Seriously huge. No keeping stray puppies, alright? Learned that one the hard way.... You don't want pets that'll try and eat you, alright? Not fun.
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Alright, so the idea is basically, your character is stuck in a strange world. They woke up there, probably after a fight with someone, getting close to death, attempting suicide, trying to escape, after a vivid dream, anything reality-bending. They meet up with Dwyer and the rest of the group, where he informs them of what he knows... which isn't much. Sometimes they might wake up in the 'real' world, in a strange dark room with what seems like people all around them, examining them, sometimes touching them or simply observing, writing things down, etc. And every now and then, they might see remnants of the 'real' world in the other world, like a person who doesn't see them, or a building that shouldn't be there, though they can't actually touch these things, they'd pass right through, and they usually disappear when they get too close anyway. In the other world, they seem to be going through tests and trials. As in, they might receive clues in the form of voices speaking to them from the sky like gods, telling them to go somewhere or build something or fight something, punishing them with sickness or lightening storms or whatever if they don't.
Occasionally, someone from the group might go missing (if you want this to happen to your character, ask me and I'll tell you what'll happen to them), coming back... different. Sometimes exhausted or bruised, battered, even missing a finger or a chunk of skin or something. Other times they might seem fine on the outside but are internally different, as in their minds have been warped somehow.
There's also the man with the ravens and we'll get to him later. Basically, he just watches for now.
The deer people are also more like a tribe, they are usually timid, but seemingly intelligent with their own language, though the group should't know how to communicate with them yet.
Another thing, they can't sleep in this world. They don't usually get tired enough to need it, but being physically or mentally exhausted can take a toll and thus, whenever they wake up in the real world, they feel an overwhelming need to sleep.
Alright, that's enough for now, if you have any questions, feel free to ask... I know it can be a little confusing. If you're interested, let me know!
Oh, and this world is also very strange, think 'through the rabbit hole' strange, though much darker with quite a lot of sinister little creatures, as well as people getting dark ideas, wondering if they could be killed/kill in this world, as no one's died yet, only been injured. Feel free to play with how your characters take this situation.
I will also be needing a co-GM so this doesn't die. They will need to be active.
