
In the foothills of Sub Dominae’s mountain range is the domestic hamlet of Eternal Idol. The town is known for its rituals surrounding the unique art feature in the town square, a massive hourglass that turns at midnight by some mysterious mechanism that is one part clockwork, one part magic, pacing out the hours of every day. Visitors are welcome to drop by and witness the novelty of the Midnight Turning, and all of the intricate ceremonies that the residents use to celebrate that event, but not everyone has the unique brand of fortitude that is required of residents of Eternal Idol. Total Power Exchange is a complicated and highly individualized dance, which may be what inspires these residents to their formalized and beautiful rituals at midnight beneath the mechanisms of their hourglass. While the midnight ceremony is a highly recommended sight for any visitor to take in, travelers who are interested in living their own Total Power Exchange shouldn’t miss a visit to this deceptively quiet and peaceful hamlet.
The Clockmaker and the Dollmaker held hands, looking around at the synchronized efficiency of the daytime activities going on within Eternal Idol. At the nearby well, a woman knelt gracefully, drawing water beneath the watchful eyes of her Master. As she filled her vessel, slowly dipping one thimbleful at a time, never spilling a drop, her Master noticed their attention. His eyes took in their tightly clasped hands and their nervous eyes, and his smile took on a knowing warmth. “Thinking about moving here?” His voice was kind and soothing, like someone trying not to spook a wild animal. The two exchanged glances, then the Clockmaker, seemingly the Dominant between the two spoke up. “Yes. I mean, maybe. It’s all a little overwhelming, isn’t it?” The Master laughed gently, his eyes taking in his submissive as she continued her task, a smile on her lips as well. “That’s the first sign that you’re in the right place. Total Power Exchange can be a heavy burden, but for many of us, it’s worth the work.” He ran an idle hand over his submissive’s face, ruffling her hair as she continued filling her bucket. The Dollmaker raised cautious eyes, taking in the submissive, but never quite meeting the Master’s eyes. “How would you recommend we start?” The Master’s smile deepened. “A little at a time. Pick one thing and do it well, every day. When that becomes so simple, you almost forget you’re doing it, add another.” His eyes returned to his submissive, who dripped the last of the water into her vessel and swung it easily to rest on top of her head, not losing a drop despite the fact that the bucket was now precisely full to the top. She knelt there, her eyes on her Master, waiting for his directive. The Master inspected the water vessel, then motioned further down the pass, giving leave to his submissive to go on. She stood in a single fluid motion, keeping her water intact. As she passed by her Master, he placed a single swat on her exposed ass. The Clockmaker and the Dollmaker jumped at the sudden crack that rang through the square. A rosy handprint began to appear, and a single drop of water tipped out of the edge of the bucket to water the dusty earth. “Ah, girl,” there was still laughter in the Master’s voice. “That’ll be a flogging when we arrive at home. You know the rules.” A delicate blush flushed the submissive’s cheeks, but she did try to hide her smile. “Yes, sir.” She kept walking down the path, toward their home and the flogging that awaited her there. The Master fell into step behind her, walking a few steps before he stopped, a quick afterthought. “Oh, and welcome to Eternal Idol!” He turned to stride unhurriedly behind his submissive, whistling cheerfully on his way.
In the town of Eternal Idol, the residents like to think of their activities as being broken into four categories. In these quests, we’ll focus on those types of activities, one at a time. These are not definitive, and you will find the words defined in different ways across the kink community. To make matters even more complex, no one activity definitively belongs in one category. For example, something as simple as making a cup of coffee for a partner could fall into any one of the four categories based on what it means within your dynamic. Like anything else on KinkQuest, these are just our best attempt at capturing some very complex concepts in ways that make them a little easier to access and play with, but like with any kink concept, your mileage may vary!
Eternal Idol Quests
Interest in Eternal Idol
The denizens of Eternal Idol often look like vanilla villagers as they go about their day to day activities. That’s because they have opted for lives of Total Power Exchange (also known as 24/7.) While TPE can be very kinky and sexy, much of the focus of this kink falls on more mundane activities. That’s because a kink scene between TPE partners doesn’t necessarily look that different from a negotiated kink scene between anyone else. It’s what these kinksters do in the time between scenes that differentiates them from the rest of Kinktasia. There are many ways to look at the elements of TPE, but in the upcoming quests, we’ll do our best to break up the meaningful parts of TPE in our own way. If TPE is something you are interested in (even if you aren’t ready to take it on full time yet) you can claim this quest.
Rules
The first tool that the Masters, Mistresses and other D-types in Eternal Idol use to keep their submissives tethered to them as they go about their lives is the simplest – rules. Rules are exactly what they sound like. “You must do this.” “You must not do that.” Usually, rules have specific consequences that will happen when they are broken. Rules, in this specific definition are very concrete and clearly defined. If you create at least one rule, then live by that rule for one month (s-type following the rule to the best of their ability, D-type enforcing consequences when the rule is broken) you can claim this quest. At the end of the month, revisit your rule(s) and make changes to better suit your dynamic, or do away with any rules that just didn’t work for you before you add any new ones!
Protocols
Another important component of TPE in Eternal Idol includes using protocols. Protocols (in this definition) include sets of behaviors that can change based on the environment. You might define a high protocol that is very formalized and utilized during scenes and involves specific positions or poses, names by which you refer to one another or other defined behaviors. You might have a relaxed protocol that is for Sunday afternoons together that involves the s-type putting their head in the D-type’s lap while you watch television together. You might have a set of definitions for low protocol that are observed during time spent with extended family, where the s-type always makes a plate for the D-type, or brings them coffee. Having several different sets of expectations for protocol, and thus appropriate behavior can make it much easier to live in the real world, which is one of the biggest challenges of a TPE lifestyle. To claim this quest, have a conversation about which levels of protocol you might expect to need in a given month, then define at least one D/s behavior / signal for each set of circumstances. Live by your protocols for one month, then claim this quest. (Don’t forget to revisit those protocols and alter them accordingly at the end of the month!)
Rituals
One important ritual that keeps the denizens of Eternal Idol grounded and connected to their lifestyle is the Midnight Turning ritual. Though visitors don’t necessarily understand what they are seeing, as the residents undertake a series of highly choreographed steps and actions beneath their idol statue, everyone present is very much aware of the gravity of the event. By this definition, rituals are very specific actions that participants in a TPE take in order to put them in touch with their dynamic. This could be a bedtime routine that you undertake every night, a ‘call and response’ set of dialogue that you repeat just when you’re feeling like you need a reminder, or any other defined activity that charges up the sense of connection and your power dynamic. To claim this quest, define a ritual that feels meaningful to both (or all) of you, and observe that ritual for a month. (Don’t forget to revisit and change your ritual at the end of the month in any way that makes sense to you.)
Service
Finally, the residents of Eternal Idol observe acts of service in order to observe their dynamics while they aren’t engaged in scenes. By this definition, service refers to actions that are taken by the s-type that are purely for the benefit of the D-type (aside from whatever gratification the s-type derives from the sense of providing service. It’s complicated!) Common acts of service in Eternal Idol involve cleaning a D-type’s boots, preparing food or drinks, or like our submissive friend in the excerpt, fetching water for the household. To claim this quest, define at least one act of service, as well as the circumstances that would cause that act of service to be required (i.e. cleaning the boots every night when the Master arrives at home, or preparing a coffee for the Mistress while she gets dressed, or washing the Keeper’s dishes after they are finished eating dinner on weekends.) Perform that act of service, or receive it for one month, then you can claim this quest. (Don’t forget to revisit your definitions at the end of a month and make any necessary changes!)
TPE
Total Power Exchange can be overwhelming, even when the definitions are kept simple – just ask the residents of Eternal Idol! Just like any other major lifestyle choice, it can be best to start simple, then increase the complexity of arrangements like this gradually until both parties feel like the dynamic is manageable and filling needs. While one or both (or all) parties might start out feeling like they want many complex rules, protocols, rituals and acts of service, it can be hard to manage as the onslaught of day to day life continues. To claim this quest, define at least one of each of the four tools of Eternal Idol (rules, protocols, rituals and acts of service) and live by all of them for one month. (Some people really like the sense of formality of a contract for this, but others do much better with just a really good negotiation talk and definitions that are simple enough for you both to remember. There are actually a lot of good office productivity tools that are good for this – Ana and Soren use OneNote!) After one month of this simple TPE exercise, you can claim this quest. (As always, don’t forget to revisit and make necessary changes after the month is up!)
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