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

[rateup]

[ 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.

[cooperatively]

[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.]

[rateup]

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-- ]

[cooperatively]

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.]

[rateup]

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?

[cooperatively]

Make sure it's something suuuuper interesting.

[They've had plenty of time to look at the menu - mostly they were curious if there was anything unrecognizable on it, but...]

Taro. There doesn't seem to be anything weird on the menu, which is kind of a shame.

[rateup]

Right? Hopefully there's another boba place out there that sells weirder flavors.

[ he's not feeling adventurous right now, so maybe another time. he pays for both their drinks, and leads them away... somewhere. just walkin' around. ]

Let's see. I'm serious when I say that I came from a mundane world, y'know. Although I do live in a part of Tokyo called Veludo Way, the heartland of theater. I'm an actor myself, in fact.

[cooperatively]

There has to be, right? This place has all this crazy magic, so there has to be some wild kinds of fruit or teas out there...

[That's how it works. It has to be.

They're content to let him lead, sipping on their drink as they wander.]

You're an actor? What kind - like, stage, TV, movie? All three? Do you sing, too?

[Sorry, it's 20 questions time.]

[rateup]

[ he nods in agreement! fantasy worlds have to come with strange ass fruit and wildlife, after all. it's a requirement.

itaru raises a hand at the sudden barrage of questions, motioning them to slow down. RIP his social battery. ]

I'm a stage actor, but I do know someone in our company who shows up in TV and movies. He's pretty talented. [ tenma should be patting him on the back for this free endorsement here. ] It's not my full-time job, though. I work as a salaryman at a trading firm. Boring, right?

[cooperatively]

[What’s the point otherwise…

Fine, they get the message. They’ll slow their roll. For now.]

Maybe this guy’ll show up and we can see how good an actor he is.

[What if he’s actually bad…]

I’m amazed you even have the time to have two jobs - aren’t those both pretty intensive?

[rateup]

He's a genius, so he can probably impress your pants off. Dunno if he can survive a world like this, though.

[ the guy's a scaredy-cat, and not even his cash money can help him here... rip. ]

Anyway, I guess it's pretty hard at first. I work on the weekdays, and when I have a role for an upcoming production I practice my ass off. It's definitely not easy balancing the two, but I will say that it's worth it.

[ he's not even going to mention his third job, that's a secret. ]

[cooperatively]

Yeah?

[f in the chat for that dude]

Well, as long as it’s worth it. That’s all you can really ask for.

[They pause, before laughing a bit.]

And I haven’t even said anything about myself or my world. I work freelance, so I never know what kind of jobs I’m gonna get.

[rateup]

[ just gonna take a sip of his drink ​]

Yeah, I imagine it'd be rough. Like you wouldn't even know if you're gonna get a job for that day... Guess spies must have it so hard too.

[ he's still buying the spy thing, it's fine. ]

[cooperatively]

[On the one hand, can't believe he's still buying it. On the other hand, it's almost endearingly stupid.]

Yeah, but people pay a lot of money for the things I do, so it's not like I can't afford downtime. You'd be surprised what people would be willing to pay for someone with my kinds of skills!

[Which are totally super geared for espionage. Yep.]

It's nice being able to tell people to fuck off when they come with me with jobs that I would hate to take, though.

[rateup]

That so...

[ a thoughtful hum as he nods, taking another sip of his boba. sounds like they're still getting by, at least. ]

So, like. What do you work for a living?

[ ah. ]

[cooperatively]

[Sorry, give them a moment to laugh.]

Well, I can tell you I'm not a spy. Still not sure you'd believe the truth now, though!

[It was fun while it lasted.]

[rateup]

Ehh, there really is no telling, is there...

[ HOW IS HE SUPPOSED TO KNOOOOOOW ]

At least tell me what your world is like so that I can get some ideas.

[cooperatively]

[He'll figure it out some day...!!]

Well...

[They take a sip of their drink.]

First off, not all the people in my world are humans. Like, a thousand years ago people found out there was a like, entirely separate plane to Earth, and it and Earth kinda... Smooshed together.

[They gesture with their free hand as they talk, as if trying to emphasis the smooshing.]

Humans called the people on the other side angels and demons, because they couldn't actually pronounce the names of their species and a lot of folks thought it was an end times kinda thing, and now I think about one in five Americans has demonic ancestry? Don't know the stats for Japan or anywhere else, though.

[See, completely normal stuff.]

[rateup]

[ he listens intently as kitten explains their worldbuilding to him, and when they're done, he pauses for a minute more to process all that-- ]

What are you talking about? None of that's normal at all. But I will say that your world sounds pretty rad, so I'm gonna give that an eight outta then.

[cooperatively]

It’s the world I grew up in. It’s going to be more normal than a world with none of that stuff.

[What do people even do without demons around?]

But I guess eight’s not too bad! I’ll take it.

[rateup]

[ do inner demons count. everyone has them. ]

And as for your character... You'd be some kinda Agent of Darkness - a demon sent to blend in with the human race by their boss in order to study us puny mortals before you guys take over the world. At first you didn't want to do this job in the first place, but then you start developing some complicated feelings for a bunch of humans that helped you out at one point, and then bam! Heartwarming character development that goes on for many episodes. Hold on, let me think of someone who'd voice you in the anime...

[ why is he making an oc out of them, stop this ]

[cooperatively]

[🤔]

What kind of complicated feelings are we talking? Do I get a cute boyfriend out of this? Also, why does my boss want to take over the world? What’s the goal.

[He’s sure got an active imagination, huh. And here they thought he’d be more focused on the actual truth.]

[rateup]

[ just throwing ideas on the wall and seeing what sticks, is all. it's kinda hard to read them at the time being... wait, does that mean they're already using their demon powers on itaru so that he wouldn't figure out?!

--wait no, he's not that imaginative. that's muku's schtick. ]

I mean, you know. If you're really a demon, you'd have a pretty hard grasp on human emotions and morality. That'd probably why it'd take you a while to come to terms with your feelings with your love interest, who is probably a human guy in this case to spice things up. As for your boss...

[ huge shrug ]

I'unno. I didn't think I'd get this far. I probably got way too ahead of myself anyway.

[cooperatively]

Okay, you know, that's fair. Most demons or part-demons I've met have kind of been huge assholes.

[They should probably steer him to the truth, but it's kind of entertaining seeing how wrong he can get... While still getting some things right? They're definitely not completely human, they've definitely done some questionably moral things...

Still.

They take another long sip and hum.]

Well, I can tell you a few things. I'm more human than I am demon - if I have any demonic ancestry it's not like it's really made a difference in my life? I did have a boss who was a full blown demon once, but then I quit that job and went freelance. So yeah, you did get a little ahead of yourself, but if you're really from a place with none of that I don't know if I can blame you for getting carried away?

[rateup]

[ HE'S THAT MUCH OF AN NERD TO KNOW ANY OF THIS STUFF... why else did he do that cringe ass pose with that cringe ass summoning call that got them together like this in the first place ]

Jeez. I know some bosses who have huge sticks up their asses, but I'm sure they're nothing compared to literal demons. No wonder you left, lol.

[ at least that's their reason why they quit?? idk man. ]

But yeah, like I said - I came from a world with none of that stuff. Does that mean I got most of your lore right, then?

[ please know that i did not read any info posts or anything so im just crying on the inside ]