avalaughs | TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 9

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TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 9

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SUMMARY: New arrivals drop into the lake and have to climb up a cliff to the Rent a Ride, where they are given their device and some headphones and can retrieve their personal materials. There is a small earthquake during this (shaking, some things may fall off of shelves, but no structural damage) that upsets the normal arrival creatures, limiting cliff-falling rescues and sliming the water. They travel to Camelot, which is a multiple day journey, so they stop at the Red Springs along the way and stay at an inn there.

A ⦿ Soaking in Your Arrival

KERPLUNK, SPLASH!

Regardless of what you were in the middle of, you and your familiar have been magically pulled into the world of Avalon just above the Bay's waters. After a brief plunge into the Bay, the rush of water filling your ears and soaking up into every creak and crevice of your body, you may need to cough to clear your airways when you rise above the surface. It's still chilly, but not enough that you can't manage on your own. The Lady of the Lake is swimming around under the water, helping to rescue any wayward travelers who look like they're struggling in the water. This month's helpers are giant pillow jellies, a species of jellyfish that is capable of ballooning itself at the surface to create bouncy pads for characters to hop across to the shore, should they choose or not be able to swim. They come in a variety of bioluminescent colors, but do not seem to be very talkative even to animal magic users. Those who try may find themselves being ignored, even if they hear the jellies talking amongst themselves about this and that.

In the middle of the new arrivals, there is a small earthquake that shakes the island and makes the waters choppy. The jellyfish are startled and release a glow-in-the-dark slime that may dye your characters' hair and skin until they can get a proper bath. The Lady of the Lake seems disquieted by the earthquake, but there isn't much to be done about it where they are now besides make sure that everyone is outside of the water as quickly as possible.

If anyone tries to ask the Lady of the Lake for directions, she will direct you to Archimedes at the Rent-a-Ride. The shores themselves are littered with new arrivals complaining their way up a staircase carved into the walls of the White Cliffs. There is no railing, so be careful, as the earthquake has scared the cliff beast into hiding, meaning for July's arrivals, there is no safety net. They may need some serious help if a fall occurs!

*Reminder: Your character's familiar may or may not be with your character in their initial plunge. If the familiar isn't partial to water, it may meet your character on the beach or sit atop their head while they swim. Or if they are, they might splash about and swim alongside your character. Familiars have different personalities and body specs and we leave those up to the players.

B ⦿ The Caravan to Camelot

Once everyone is wrangled up to the top of the White Cliffs, the handsome owner of the Rent-a-Ride, Archimedes, will distribute smart phones, sunscreen, a pair of sunglasses, and a pair of ear buds and tell them to "Check the Shit Box." The "Shit Box" refers to wardrobe more formally known as the Wardrobe of Finding, a hammerspace-like wardrobe that opens to each person's items and pets when the person touches the handle. It was enchanted by Merlin to prevent people from having to fish their waterlogged possessions and pets out of the water with them. From there, Archimedes directs everyone to settle in groups into modernized carriages pulled by horses and gives them a basic explanation of why and how they've been brought to Avalon: The rest of the universe is frozen in time and your character has been brought here by a familiar that was able to bond with them. They'll have to learn magic to help save their own world from destruction, but first they've got to get them to Camelot. It is here that you have the first opportunity to decide who they will be in their new home. You'll have about an hour to wander around here, meet and greet, and pet the horses before it's time to go.

These carriages use fae technology that combats weight, so your character will be able to get in regardless of whether they're light as a feather or weigh two tons. The carts have air conditioning when it's hot, heating when it's cold, and a mystical shield to protect from bugs. There is also a mini-bar that pops out of the console with nip bottles. Characters can use their smartphones to connect to Camelot's internet service,

avalononline (AOL), to chat with other characters, watch dumb videos, learn about the world, contact Camelot Support (they'll answer any questions they can for you, from how to use a smart phone to where to find quests and resources to learn more about your magic). Be careful if you decide to use your phones while in the caravan-- if you don't use those earbuds and start forcing everyone to listen to your nonsense, Archimedes may make you walk.

C ⦿ The Red Spring

The journey from the White Cliffs to the City of Camelot is a long one, and the first evening you arrive you'll end up spending at the Red Spring, a booming resort town. Because of the volume of new arrivals and vacationers, inn rooms are assigned two-to-a-room. The rooms have two twin beds, a bathroom, a mini-fridge and microwave, and a TV equipped with a couple of entertaining video games and a few free movies.

If you don't want to relax in the room, try taking a dip in the spring for another chance to meet your fellow travelers. The waters have restorative properties that help horses and travelers recover quickly when drunk. It is known to relieve stress, improve energy levels, and mildly accelerate healing. It may be a little chilly when you get out though, so make sure you don't slip rushing back indoors when you get out!

The springs are also home to a large training grounds just outside town limits, where there are teachers who will teach basic magic safety and help you discover what kind of magic you have together with other new arrivals. Try target practice, obstacle courses, meditation circles, and other ways to try to figure out just what you can do... if you didn't already have an accidental discovery on the ride there.

SUMMARY: Camelot throws a carnival to combat the warming up weather featuring "cool" foods and contests, Queen Elphame sent gifts of aquatic mounts to practice in gratitude for the offering and peacemaking with Celliwig, and the clean-up for the carnival goes haywire as cleaning implements magically seek to clean everything.

Thankfully, not every minute of Avalon is adventure and trials and rituals. There are moments of respite, and moments to have fun. This July, for example, locals have decided to invite everyone to what they're calling the "Cool Down Carnival"!

A ⦿ Cool Carnival, Bruh

behave like a penguin

Margaritaville Pair Challenge

giant schooner

(Recipe) Hangover Moveover

B ⦿ Surf New Turf

aquatic mounts

Alpacapies: Cousin to the much more violent water horse fae the Kelpies, Alpacapies have been mistaken for baby loch ness monsters on more than one occasion given their penchant for sitting with just their hump and long neck above the waterline. They can be ridden in the water and tend to bond with people who are polite to them upon greeting. They will assist in combat by spitting water at their enemies or kicking with front legs, but they may shake you off if they need to deep dive to gain speed for an attack. They do not have back legs, only a dolphin-like fin. For some reason, they're really impossible to take photographs of.

Mossatees: You're familiar with the mossatee already. A special breed of manatee that grows flowers and moss on its back like a miniature garden. They blossom in the spring, and their backs can be very comfortable. They're a little clumsy and tend to run into things, both accidentally and on purpose, so it may be a bit of a derpy ride if you and your partner choose a mossatee. They also just had a lot of children, so part of riding with them will mean protecting their young on the journey. They're not good in combat and will prioritize defense.

Deinosuchus: A Cretaceous crocodile that gets up to about 10 meters long. It's huge and carnivorous and very well could eat you if you piss it off. It is fast, but has to take a lot of breaks. It will also terrorize in a fight. The fae recommend bringing it a goat or some other similarly sized meal to get it on your side if you want to go for this one. This pack is the only one left, transported by fairies to Avalon long, long ago, so you'd better not let them down.

C ⦿ Clean Up Chaos

As people head out for the second day of practice with their mounts or recover from a crazy carnival experience, things around town... seem a little off. It seems like someone tried some experimental magic after competing in the Margaritaville challenge feeling particularly benevolent. All around Camelot, cleaning utensils have taken on a life of their own. Brooms are sweeping customers right out of restaurants, sponges are scrubbing up dishes and chasing down patrons for the most public sponge baths of their life, and the local woodland creatures are assisting in picking up and taking away anything that touches the floor that ought not to be there. Some are even hopping up on residents to do their hair!

Whatever the source is, the only solution is to either destroy or scare the cleaning supplies off to the woods before they take over the whole town! A little magic should help, so why not test out the magic you've been working on since arriving in Avalon?

SUMMARY: The earthquake busted some of the Land of Rot wards and zombies are attacking Camelot's farmland. Save the farm, restore the wards, fight a giant worm, and then find a mysterious marsh before getting transported back home just as mysteriously.

The earthquake on arrival day was a little frightening, but ultimately didn't seem to cause too much trouble around New Camelot. That is, until a few days later when the farmlands seem to be under attack.. by the undead!? It seems like the wards surrounding the Lands of Rot were disrupted by the earthquake near Camelot's northeast farmland. '

A ⦿ The Farming Dead

B ⦿ Of Wards and Worms

C ⦿ Wake Me Up Before You're Go-Gone

First zombies, then a giant worm... today's been exhausting! And now you're.. somewhere in the middle of the Land of Rot and you seem to have run into some kind of marsh that you don't remember passing on your way in. The water itself is murky and the only creatures around seem to be bugs, bats, snakes, and frogs. Everything seems sickly, rotting, and is pretty awfully stinky. But none of it is quite as terrifying as when you and whoever you wandered into the Land with stumble upon what appears to be some kind of old hag.

What happens next? Who knows. She screams and both you and whoever you're with pass out and wake up snuggling in an inn room. You were definitely in that marsh though, because your pants are still sopping from trudging through it... Well, enjoy the panic, maybe interrogate your neighbors, and try to find out where in the Land of Rot you were! It sure doesn't seem to be on the map... What a mystery!

MOD NOTES:
• All test drive prompts are open to anyone in the game at any time to create your own logs with, but this post should have top-levels by potential new characters only. Current characters may reply to any threads, but should not top-level comment on this post.
• If your application is accepted, you may accept TDM threads as game canon as long as both players consent. Characters may begin threading as soon as their journal is accepted to the communities.
•If nothing here tickles your fancy, try one of this month's Quests for your TDM prompt.
• The first "Arrival" prompts are present on every TDM, but contain seasonal tweaks for flavor. All other prompts will change monthly.
• Questions about this TDM's content? Comment here! If you have a question about the game at-large, please head over to the FAQ.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ itaru looks totally embarrassed, though it's not because of the cringe he just did. he's more apologetic at practically throw a wet sponge at a stranger's face than anything. ]

Ah, sorry about that. I'm still trying to get the hang of it. Maybe I shoulda used water magic instead...?

[ stupid. gwen, meanwhile, is bowing for itaru's sake. she's so sorry u_u ]

[Must be nice, to not have that level of self-awareness... They can almost appreciate it. Would probably appreciate it more if they weren't wiping soapy water off their face with their sleeve.]

It's fine.

[Is it, though.]

But I feel like water magic would've gotten you even more collateral. Unless you're saying you have better control over water and decided to go with calling on the winds anyways...

[They feel kind of sorry for that little fairy... At least their familiar isn't here to watch this unfold.]

[ he's not that ignorant... even though he's seemingly forgotten his more civil side since coming here, he's going to offer the poor stranger a handkerchief anyway like a gentleman. ]

Here, use this. And TBH, I can't really tell which element I'm good at at the moment? Water was my favorite character's main element back home so I think I'd be able to master it easily, but I just went with wind since I figured it'd be faster. And cooler.

[ lord ]

Edited 2021-07-01 14:17 (UTC)

[Is he...

They take the handkerchief, wiping their face clean. There's the briefest moment of hesitation, before they hold the handkerchief back out.]

Okay, but what if you and this character are nothing alike, so you'd actually be better off going with fire or something?

[...]

I don't think it's possible to be cool in the practicing stage at all. Unless you're some sort of prodigy.

[ DON'T SAY THAT HE LITERALLY KINS THE GUY -- ]

I mean with over a bajillion elements out there, who knows? I just got here, man. Cut me some slack.

[ their words are starting to reach him, at least. he lets out a sigh as he takes back his handkerchief, lifting a hand up to scratch the back of his head. ]

But nah, I still have to undergo some sorta training arc before I get to do some awesome progress. I just acted out of instinct, is all. At least that sponge stopped chasing me down.

Edited 2021-07-01 14:29 (UTC)

[TOO LATE, IT'S OUT THERE.]

Well, you've got plenty of time to figure it out. Plus, I'm sure trying out all the different elements would make for a better montage, anyways.

[They will cut him a little bit of slack. For now. And look, they're even playing along!]

Hopefully next time you call on your instincts you don't hit innocent bystanders.

[ please don't give him any ideas for an epic montage either. he's already thinking it now, like. if he weren't so lacking in the athleticism department he'd do a whole bunch of avatar-like poses sometime? his fellow actors would get a kick out of that for sure ]

I told you, it was an accident. Bet you wouldn't complain if I just swooced a cup of boba right onto your hands with my windy powers. I'll try mastering that one out sometime, then.

[Someone needs to make a training montage, even if it wouldn’t see the light of day for months…

And it sure as hell won’t be them.]

No, but it’d be a dick move to complain about free stuff. Kind of almost want to see that, so you’ll have to let me known when you master boba delivery.

[ not if itaru's future social media can help it. ]

Oh, that's good to know. For the meantime, how about I treat you to some like a normal guy as a way to make it up to you?

[ too bad charm in itself isn't an element, because itaru's long mastered it. ]

[…Well.]

Yeah, sure. Seems like fair enough compensation.

[There’s worse things they could do with their time.]

[ hehe gottem ]

Great, let's go.

[ he'll lead the way. the ruckus seems to have calmed down for now, it seems. ]

Name's Chigasaki Itaru, by the way.

[Or the ruckus has moved on, at least… Either way, does it matter as long as the two of them don’t get hit by more sponges?]

You can call me Kitten.

[Finger guns. They regret the finger guns immediately.]

[ he'll do them one better, because that's an odd name. he brings up a hand like a paw - ]

Like, nya?

[ help ]

[…

…

…]

Exactly like nya, yes.

[Despite themself, they giggle. It’s just too stupid not to.]

[ he grins. he really should've been in summer troupe for that alone. ah well. ]

Is that some kinda codename? Not judging or anything.

If it was a codename, would I tell you that?

[Honestly.

It's not, but they'll let him figure that out on his own. Or he can just assume they have a codename for the rest of their stay in Camelot.]

When you put it that way, you're kinda admitting that it is one...

[ and like he said, he won't judge! it's a cute nickname. it's not like he knew some secret agents irl or anything :) ]

Don't worry, I won't look into it too much. Kitten's a cute name regardless.

It's a good way to keep up the mystery, isn't it?

[surely there would never be anything that wild in anything like a3--]

Cute? Can't say I get that one a lot.

[They actually don't! But they also have more of a reputation back home...]

[ you'd be surprised, ]

Eh, there's a first time for everything.

[ and he is digging the mysterious aspect of their name a bit, it's true. they make it at the nearest boba place where it's starting to gather quite a line after the fiasco. ]

There's also the possibility that you come from a world where you can only have one name, but that's too ordinary. I'll just peg you as some spy till further notice.

Edited 2021-07-01 16:21 (UTC)

Yeah, I suppose that's true enough.

[They don't seem surprised by the line, but they guess they don't mind the wait. For as... Odd as he seems, he's not bad company. It's kind of refreshing, honestly.]

Maybe the ordinary is just how things are, though. You don't know what my world is like. But I can't say I hate being thought of as a super secret spy, either.

[ he's not bad company so long as they tolerate his referential humor, that is. although he's still kind of keeping up appearances with a stranger despite the incident earlier. like he said, it's just instinct. ]

It's true, I don't. But I bet it's something more exciting than modern-day Japan where nothing epic happens to ordinary people like me.

[ that's why he turns to anime and videogames for that, and why he's found a newfound love for theater where he can make the epic happen. ]

So you're basically fessing to that? Wow, that's easy.

[Well, chances are they won’t get the references, so that’s fine.]

Well, I don’t know. It’s kind of hard to judge that, isn’t it? Everyone and every world is going to have a different idea of what’s exciting. I can’t say what Japan is like where I come from, though.

[They’re curious about the kind of world he comes from… Like, what on earth does he think is ordinary?]

Only because I like you. You can keep a secret, can’t you?

[Maybe some day he’ll get the Actual Truth out of them… Maybe.]

Mm, good point. Guess I need to expand my horizons some more. You don't gotta tell me if you don't want to, but I'm totally interested to hear about your world's lore sometime.

[ he's literally just. an ordinary guy. so anything that might sound like a neat light-novel premise would already pique his interest.

he grins widely at their other comment, however. ]

Haha, great. So long as you don't erase my memories or anything, your secret's safe with me.

[ and this is how he unlocks the kitten route let's fuckin GOOOO-- ]

Edited 2021-07-02 01:42 (UTC)

How about this - I tell you a bit about my world, and you tell me a bit about yours. Equivalent exchange.

[They do not believe he's just an ordinary guy. They will probably be both disappointed and fascinated over him being from such a mundane world.]

I'll only do that if you prove you can't be trusted. Things keep going the way they're going, we should be all good.

[They're like 99% sure they couldn't erase his memories anyways? Probably? They really don't understand the magic here, yet.]

Sounds fair. Gimme a minute to think up of something.

[ but first, their drinks! they've finally reached first in line, and itaru's ruminating on what he's gonna order next. ]

Hmm, I'm feeling matcha this time... How 'bout you?

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