TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 9

[avalonmods]

✨ Greet new players on the OOC intro while apps are processed HERE! ✨

{ QUICK NAV } Premise ⚔️️ Rules ⚔️️ FAQ ⚔️️ Taken ⚔️️ Reserves ⚔️️ Apply ⚔️️ Locations ⚔️️ Bestiary ⚔️️ Top-Levels Only ⚔️️ 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 Vendors of all kinds have taken to selling cooling goods throughout the carnival grounds. Shaved ice, frozen yogurt, gelato, ice cream, iced tea and boba drinks are everywhere, and each and every vendor is vying for the attention of customers. Whether it's coupons for free snacks if they fill out a punch card for all three days of the carnival, or trying out their new, more magical recipes of frozen slush that make you temporarily behave like a penguin and try belly-sliding down a slip-n-slide that's been set up to occupy the unfortunate victims of that slush (It wears off, don't worry.) Perhaps most notably is the Margaritaville Pair Challenge. If you and an acquaintance can down a giant schooner of frozen margarita in less than a minute together, you'll both get a free happy hour item once a day for the next month from the restaurant and they'll do you a solid and teach you (Recipe) Hangover Moveover, a recipe that instantly cures hangovers. The brain freeze caused by downing that much frozen drink is yours to deal with, unfortunately... B ⦿ Surf New Turf In the evening, the fae folk of the carnival crew lead the way to uproot the party off toward the docks near Camelot. The Elphame Traders came back this past month with good tidings from Queen Elphame, who was impressed both with the gift of a ship and the winning over of Celliwig's people. To this end, a second ship was sent with the Elphame Traders to provide a means of transportation to the faery Kingdom of Elphame without passing through the Forest of the Felled: aquatic mounts. However, they aren't exactly easy for anyone who isn't an animal mage and will require practice before anyone can set out. You'll need at least one person to steer and one person to act as a combatant, as the lake north of the arrival point is more than a little treacherous but that will be a journey for another day. (Maybe the 20th? Stuff seems to coincidentally always happen around then, huh... Weird.) For now, the fae who stayed behind from the Elphame Traders this month are sticking around to help you find a partner and an aquatic mount that gets along with the two of you. Most of the creatures who have agreed to be mounts are hanging out alongside he beach near the old docks, so you can go around and check out the different kinds of available 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. Once you've found a mount that seems right, try to practice balancing on its back. They don't much like saddles so that may be a challenge, but if you hold onto your partner it might be easier! Once you're settled, try racing against another pair or going through a Survivor-esque obstacle course with your mounts. 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 Step one is to fight the hoard of zombies spilling out into the farm and stop them before they contaminate Camelot's food source. Use whatever means you can to dispense of the undead, keeping the following in mind: death mages are going to be the most effective combatants against the undead, but anyone can follow the basic rules of zombies to clear a path. Loud noises attract their attention, they shamble during the day and can move more quickly during the night, they don't feel pain so if you hurt the they won't be deterred-- you have to kill them, and always double-tap if you aren't sure. Just be careful not to set them on fire. Flaming zombies can spread fires to buildings and other surroundings and are just generally worse than regular zombies! Once the zombies are cleared out, farmworkers will bring out gifts of fresh lemonade and some extra mixed herb seeds they gathered throughout the year. They're still good, please take them as a thanks for helping save the farm! B ⦿ Of Wards and Worms After searching the perimeter of the Land of Rot, sources have found that the wards were damaged on the west side, so the zombies haven't fully penetrated any areas but the farm. Pair up with another person to draw the attention of the zombies away from wards while the other person resets the wards. While doing this, you'll find the earth is rumbling again-- a little heavier this time since you're much closer than back in the Bay of Avalon. Rather suddenly, a huge sinkhole opens up in the desert landscape of the Land of Rot nearby... and out leaps a thousand-toothed worm, flying through the air and diving back toward the ground teeth-first... with your character right in its target location! Maybe you're lucky and get out of the way only to get knocked down by another huge tremor, or maybe you've just been swallowed whole by a giant worm and really, really need to find a way out for you and your partner! Maybe you'll find something interesting while you think... Is that a broken boat in here? Hopefully you find your way out (or.. if you don't, you find someone to resurrect you, but that would really suck if you just arrived!) 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.

Comments

Asterios | Fate Grand Order | Animal/Green | Familiar Undecided

[beefaroni]

Red Spring

[ Oh cripes, the Minotaur is back! ... Sort of?

There is a large, hulking beast of a man dragging a split labrys along the ground, horns jutting form his head, an oxen-shaped mask covering his face. His muscular body is covered in scars, and there's a general darkness around him. He walks slowly, growling deeply underneath the mask.

Apparently, he's spotted you, and is heading towards you. He straightens up, but only slightly... ]

Lost.

[ One word. That's it. And his voice is... surprisingly soft and gentle. ]

Surf New Turf

[ Asterios really has no interest in the games, though you might be able to convince him otherwise. No, he's content to sit among the animals, and feed them, and pet them, and tell them they are being very good. ]

... Mmm. Okay. Have more. For... the babies. You need... your strength. Take as much... as you need.

[ He's not a smile-y kind of dude, but he is having the time of his life here. ]

The Farming Dead

RAAAAAAUGH!

[ His Madness Enhancement may be technically gone, but Asterios is still a Berserker at heart. So while he's swinging his weapon around to smash down his enemies, not even thinking to use his magic, he may also be swiping at allies! ]

DIE... KILL... MUST KILL... RAAAAAUUUUGH!

[ He's a heavy guy, so it will take effort to take him down physically - but it's not impossible to talk him down! ]

Of Wards And Worms

[ You were in the way of the giant worm, but now you feel lighter than air... because Asterios has literally picked you up and gotten the two of you out of the way. Let's face it, compared to him, most people weigh like kittens.

Once he's sure there's a safe enough distance away, he looks down at his accidental capture. ]

... Are you. Hurt? Are you... okay?

Wildcard

[ Make your own prompt! feel free to hit me up at melcat33 (plurk) or melcat33#1997 (discord) ]

Red Spring

[tantailizing]

[Heh, he's already better looking than that other minotaur causing problems. Buuut Zidane does blink when it seems like he's approaching - oh, he is being approached.]

Eh? Were you looking for the hot springs? Or something else?

[Also, not really the voice he expecting coming outta the guy, but better than Simon's bellowing.]

[beefaroni]

... Red. Spring. Inn.

[ Asterios isn't really familiar with Inns... or a lot of buildings in general, so he can't really tell what's right in front of him. ]

Place... to stay.

[tantailizing]

Oooh the Inn itself. Well, you’re on the grounds. It’s gonna be the building over that way.

[Zidane will point to the biggest building near that looked like it could house quite a number of people.]

Farming Dead

[beewulf]

[Weapon gets parried by weapon, big guy meets even bigger guy. Clash of the baras. Unlike Asterios Beowulf has all the advantages and none of the disadvantages of berserking, and looks just as scary.]

Oi, oi, oi... you want a piece of me too do you?

[Of course he doesn't, but to be fair putting dead bodies down has its limits to its general enjoyment.]

[beefaroni]

Rrrrrgh...!

[ There may be a flicker of recognition in his eyes, but it doesn't last long. His bloodlust is just too strong for the moment.

With another roar, her tries to bring his weapon back and attempts to aim at Beowulf's head! ]

[beewulf]

[Lips peel back, revealing teeth.]

Rrrrrgh...! Right back at ya.

[With a grunt he goes ahead and parries the next blow with Naegling. His own strike came as a follow up with Hrunting... only for the second sword to be dropped mid-swing and replaced by a giant ass fist!

He gonna punch a giant cow.]

Surf New Turf

[oneflower]

[So Ichika is clumsy enough without riding on something but seeing the mossatees from the distance? She has to come see them up close! Particularly the babies! The moment she gets there she's sort of bowled over by the babies, look at them and has to stop for a moment just to coo at them before she notes Asterios.

Once she does she blinks a few times. He's... unique looking, isn't he. He doesn't seem hostile and he's talking nicely with the mossatees while feeding them so she approaches after a moment because she wants to know:]

What are you feeding them?

[beefaroni]

[ He slowly looks over - he's not exactly a people person, but he does speak. It's slow and gentle, like speaking itself is a little new to him. ]

... Grass. Water grass. They... like to eat... plants.

[oneflower]

[Ah, that makes sense! Ichika gives a nod before turning a curious gaze around them. It's probably a good thing she's not wearing a long skirt today.

The water grass is plentiful at least and she comes back with an arm full of it. Her hold is a little delicate if only because she doesn't want to get her shirt entirely dirty.]

Here we go!

[Laying them down next to the... man? Minotaur? Is that it? Well anyhow she lays the collected grass next to him and beams.]

The babies are so cute!

Of Wards And Worms

[wolfhunted]

[Robyn came on this mission because she wanted to try getting over her fear of zombies, and if they're going to be swarming Camelot, that needs to be dealt with sooner rather than later. However, she absolutely wasn't expecting an enormous worm with thousands of teeth to come diving towards her. All she can do is scream...

Before she's suddenly picked up and out of the way. She hasn't quite registered who Asterius is yet, but she can at least tell how huge he is.]

Um, I'm...I think I'm fine. Thank you...

[beefaroni]

[ He says nothing before gently lowering her to the ground. He lets her go, then tilts his head, looking her over - she doesn't appear to be physically injured. Good. ]

... You. Stay here. I... protect. Fight.

[ His words are slow and soft - like he doesn't speak often, and is still unsure here and there. ]

[wolfhunted]

N-no, it's fine! I can still help out. That big worm just startled me, that's all.

[Robyn brandishes her crossbow as she says this, though she sounds a lot braver than she feels. Now that she can get a better look at her rescuer, she's starting to realize just how much bigger Asterios is than her, as well as the fact that he has horns. How odd...]

The Farming Dead

[crimsongirl]

[Homura had to slide under his next swing as the Servant went berserk. This was bad. At this rate, he was becoming more dangerous than the cursed zombies. Had to make him at least focus on one target over wildly hitting everyone.

Hands together, she sent a torrent of water towards Asterios' face. Hey, it worked for Yuzu once. Only idea she had right now.]

SNAP OUT OF IT!

[beefaroni]

[ The water is a surprise! It doesn't 100% snap him out of it, but he does stagger back, and empty one hand to touch his face. ]

RRRGH! Rrgh....! Kill...!

[crimsongirl]

No! No killing! Not until you wake the hell back up!

[Never dealt with a berserker type and snapping them out of it. The closest was Ryuki, and the others mostly fought her. And of course herself but that was a different struggle altogether. For now, she dashes to kill another incoming zombie, sword slicing through its head, all as she kicked Asterios' dropped weapon away. At least with less range, the chances for others being hurt would be less bad.]

surf new turf

[beaumains]

[ It was nearly impossible to not hear mention of a particular new arrival. Asterios stood out no matter where he went, for better or worse, but thankfully it didn't take folks long to realize he wasn't the same as the menacing, sourpuss minotaur that tended to get needlessly territorial.

Gareth didn't exactly know Asterios well. He was a comrade, to be sure, but not someone she'd gotten to spend a lot of time with. But the impression she got matched up with the state she found him in, letting out a sigh of relief that no one was giving him a hard time. ]

Had a feeling I'd find you here, Good Asterios.

Re: surf new turf

[beefaroni]

[ Asterios doesn't know Gareth all that well either - then again, he's not exactly the most social person in Chaldea. Still, he knows Gareth is basically A Good Person.

He gives her a slow, steady nod. ]

... Mmm. Did not... want to mount. This is... fine, for me.

Re: surf new turf

[beaumains]

Seems so, at least.

[ Honestly, she could picture his attempts in her mind and... tried not to laugh about it. Even so, a gentle soul like his, this seemed more his speed, regardless. Gareth approached alongside Stoirm, who blinked in with a small flash of lightning, curious about this beastly friend. ]

I hope this Avalon has found you well, Good Asterios. No one's given you a hard time, right?

Red Spring!

[colchismagecraft]

[Caster had been lurking around the Red Spring on and off since their return from Celliwig, slowly moving between places she saw as 'safe'. At least here was somewhere off the beaten track...oh- oh that was someone very powerful looking heading right for her.

The Sorceress froze a moment, her hand lingering over where she had Rule Breaker hidden beneath her robes. But the stranger's voice was gentler when she expected, and she slowly lowered her guard.]

...You've just arrived, I take it?

[beefaroni]

[ Well there's a familiar face! ... Er, robe. The point is that he recognizes her, if only briefly - a passing face in Chaldea. But while he may not know the person very well, he sure does know the power and history behind them.

Slow head tilt right.

Slow head tilt left.

Something seems off. He can't pinpoint it. But he lowers his weapon until it hits the ground, still continuing to inspect her. ]

... Caster. Medea.

[colchismagecraft]

[Even though Medea knew of Chaldea as a concept, she couldn't help but look a little startled as he called her by her true name...that would take some getting used to.]

Yes...I am. I take it you know of me from- 'Chaldea', was it?

...I admit I do not have the same memories that the 'me' of that place does.

[Something didn't sit right with that response either, though. There was something about him she couldn't quite place... who was this- Servant? Probably a Servant.]

Red Spring

[kyuujoshou]

[ Anji doesn't seem at all bothered nor even put off by the size of Asterios, not even with the mask involved. No, he's curious more than anything and something about the minotaur reminds him of someone from his home.

He smiles as he tilts his head, tapping a folded fan against his chin. ]

Can't say I'm familiar with the area, but it's better to be lost with company. Were you headed back to the inn?

[beefaroni]

... Not back. Just to.

[ Back implies he'd been there before. This is his first time. It even comes with a slow shake of his head. ]

[kyuujoshou]

[ Retracing his path back to the inn should be easy enough, even if this place is completely unfamiliar otherwise.

Should be, anyway. Things rarely go as planned. ]

I just came from there, so just follow me. Name's Anji Mito.