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

[ izō, despite rumours to the contrary, likes baths. hell, he might actually get to relax in this one for real. given the weather, it's nice to get out from under the layers he usually wears. he's already damp when he heads out, skin still flushed red from a good scrub in the showers beforehand and his hair loose around his shoulders. he's not one to shy from the prospect of being seen, even if it means all his scars are on display. what are they, if not a full record of his experience? even the most damning one, the jagged line that wraps around his neck like a collar. despite being only in a towel, he has his swords in hand. maybe that's against the rules, but he'd love for someone to try and stop him.

the towel at the edge of the pool gets a cursory glance, willing initially to disregard it because he's perfectly capable of sticking to his end of the pool and ignoring everyone else. izō can see the shape of someone under the water — which is fine — but then she stays under, which, after what feels like too long, is somewhat less fine. he rolls his eyes and shuffles over, squatting down by the edge before he uses the end of one sword sheath to poke at her. not too hard. still, he bets it'll get her attention. ]

Oi. Ya know what happens to people when they die? Drownin' is yer business but save it 'til I'm done.

[Being nudged, while underwater, with her eyes closed is a bit surprising. But as Maya's slow to react to everything it doesn't cause her to let out her breath early. Rising up out of the warm bath so her head is visible. Hair all plastered to her scalp but not in her eyes at least.]

[If Izo's being naked, or a guy, or having a sword bothered her. It doesn't show on her face as she looks at him.]

I'm not trying to drown myself, I...

[Maya trails of, not entirely sure what she was going to say initially, but deciding now that she started talking she has to finish talking.]

I know what I'm doing.

Hahaha! Sure ya do. Yer a shit liar, kid.

[ he can only assume that's why she hesitated. ]

Ain't you ever been to a public bath before? First thing they tell ya is don't do that 'cause yer gonna pass the fuck out.

[ izō has almost no experience with foreigners, so how should he know? he's not sticking around to hover, at least, having come here for a reason himself and there's a nice spot he's already picked out. he's never been to a place this nice. ]

[She's slow to react, like there's a fog around the words he's said she has to work through. Or maybe a fog around her head to try to get past. Her voice carries only the subtle touches of emotion, quiet in a way that isn't soft.]

First time being in a public bath. Not the first time being in water this hot. Not the first time I've held myself under water for that long either.

[Should she be holding herself under that long, probably not. But she has zero intention of drowning with people around.]

I'm also not lying.

Yeah? Well, don't take it personal. I don't trust nobody I just met.

[ he gets in fairly quickly and quietly once he sets the swords aside, at least until he stretches and then leans back against the edge of the pool like he owns the place. ]

A little sake and this woulda been perfect.

[ but he supposes it's not that kind of establishment. izō also doesn't expect any commentary since he was essentially talking to himself anyway but especially given the answer he'd gotten earlier. ordinarily that would've been just fine with him, but he's in a better mood than usual even without the option of drinking and has nothing else to do but sit around sober with his thoughts otherwise and he'll pass on that, thanks. ]

Not worryin' about all that end of the world shit, are ya? Might as well relax. If time's frozen, ya got all the time in the world anyway.

So you think everyone lies and I'm just bad at it?

[That's a new level of insult for her. Most people don't assume she's capable of dishonesty, or at least didn't. The old her was too 'cute' for that sort of thing. But now, well, everyone assumed she was always lying about this or that.]

That's another good way to pass the fuck out in the baths.

[Maya was still studying his expressions once he was in the bath. Carefree in ways she couldn't quite understand with the situation. Not caring who saw his scars. Maya's scars were under the water, and her towel would cover them well enough.]

No, that's not what's on my mind. Just- why me? Why am I here of all people. I can think of five people in my life who should be here in my place.

S'what I said. Ya hesitated. Always makes ya wonder what somebody's hidin' when they hesitate, but I'd take a bad liar over a good liar any day. The good ones are the ones that'll fuck ya over.

[ izō's aware that she might be watching him, and that's to be expected — she had said she'd never done this before. he might be a killer by trade, but he has standards. if he's going to make someone uncomfortable, it'll be because he has a weapon in his hand; one thing no one could accuse him of is being a creep.]

Nah. I know my limit. Couple drinks ain't gonna take me out.

[ being in a different world also doesn't hurt when deciding what he cares about enough to bother hiding. they didn't even make a fuss about the two simple black bars tattooed on his left bicep, which definitely would have seen him turned away in his own time. ]

I dunno about you, but I figure it's just random. If they needed hero types, there's plenty. [ considering servants end up in a place called the throne of heroes, it's not even an exaggeration. ] I got no business bein' here, gotta be only a matter of time 'til somebody realises they fucked up.

I'm hiding this, because they aren't anything to do with some guy I just met in a bathhouse.

[Maya's mind was occupied, thus the hesitation. But then again, the whole point of staying under the surface of the water holding her breath was to try and work through her thoughts. Figure out where she is, and if she's okay. She isn't okay, but he doesn't need to know that.]

That doesn't make me feel better, you at least look like you can fight. That has to mean something with all of this.

[All magic did for Maya was increase the impact she could fuck things up.]

Hehe, fair enough. Yer on yer guard, wouldn't expect ya to give the game up that easy.

[ izō is incapable of taking even the simple statement of fact that he looks like he can fight as anything but a compliment. it's what he does; after all, who wouldn't want a little recognition for greatness? ]

Yeah, it means I'm shit at magic 'cause fightin's all I can do. Get a handle on that magic, and ya got weapons of yer own.

Are the secrets you're hiding a game too?

[Playful isn't the term for her tone, but it was lighter than her more melancholy delivery. She was pretty sure he was hiding things, and whatever it was he wouldn't enjoy it being casually discussed.]

Fortunately I don't think healing is a weapon.

[Which was good, Maya considered herself dangerous enough without thinking about how she could fuck people being herself and having magic.]

Why not? I ain't special. But even if I was to give ya my True Name, it don't matter much here.

[ izō hesitates for a moment. not out of concern — it's really as inconsequential here as he says — but because he's sure he'll have to explain what the hell he's talking about if he goes any further than speaking as vaguely as he has been. it's the explaining part he's not good at. ]

Either ya never heard of me, and nothin' changes at all or ya know who I am and know everything there is t'know all at once. No one ever digs after that.

[ he's not worried about his real secrets because he's used to keeping those close and driving people away. ]

So if ya don't fight and ain't got the kinda magic for it neither, what's the problem? Everybody likes a healer type.

[he does not see how any of this is a problem. ]

I don't care about your secrets, I just don't need people digging into mine.

[Maya would have to talk about her issues eventually. But not to some guy she just met, in a bathhouse, who carried in a sword. Not that she cares about the sword but it does sorta reduce how much of a sharing mood she's in.]

I have no idea what I'm doing here. I want to be useful but- I don't think I am.

[That was dangerously close to details, there wasn't any whine to her voice, just a tired defeat. She didn't like not knowing what way was forward. And she's had a lot of not knowing that lately. Being here was somehow even worse. Doubts get bigger at the end of all worlds.]

Don'tcha think makin' all that fuss only makes people more curious?

[ it's not a particularly pointed remark and sounds more like the thought just sprang up in his mind as-is. he only continues after he's actually thought about it further. ]

You could be anybody. The King of fuckin' France, I dunno. [ his use of King very intentional since servants come in all shapes. ] Point is, I don't know. If y'didn't tell me ya had secrets, I wouldn't know to look. Not sayin' I'm gonna look. That's an example.

[ it's just one of those things even he managed to observe and ingest over time. no one ever trained him to be an assassin, he'd had to figure all that out. ]

Anyway, everybody's got a way to be useful. Jus' maybe y'won't expect it.

[ speaking of edging a little close to details. still, it's just stating facts. ]

Do you believe for a single moment someone has no secrets?

[Everyone had hidden parts of them. Things that hurt, things that scared them. Things the wish weren't, and things they wanted undone. She didn't think anyone was an open book anymore.]

Mine aren't interesting, I'm not a royal, or a hero, I'm just another sad song.

[There's a resignation in her voice, it settles in after the sharper words of her question. Her secrets are just pain, and nobody needs those burdens. And she doesn't need the weight of that look in people's eyes.]

I guess... whatever it is, I hope I figure it out soon. I don't have much better to do. Since people won't let me nearly drown in the hotsprings. Emphasis on nearly.

Nah, 'course not.

[ he can be stupid but he's not that stupid. ]

It's jus' somethin' I used to have to think about. More likely, ya just run into some nosy bastard who thinks talkin' is good for ya.

[ "used to" as in back when he'd last been human and had only mortal means and his own skills to carry out his job.

so far, izō hasn't really looked her way much, but he finds it difficult not to now. her words hit him just a little closer to home than he'd like. he isn't so good with words as to describe it like that, a sad song, but it somehow makes sense. it's actually a good thing he couldn't drink here, unlike what he'd expressed earlier; he's too sober to start saying things he'll have to pretend he didn't talk about later.

still, the momentary lapse is a thing that happened, and it can't be helped, so he resorts to one of his usual tactics to deflect — he laughs. what she said probably wasn't that funny at all, but considering the alternative is generally anger, it's the better option. better a little awkwardness than thinking he's let someone get too many ideas about him. ]

Ain't gonna let that one go, huh? You know, I don't go around doin' nice things for people all the time. [ but for once, it's only mock offence. ] Gotta name or is that secret too?

[ not that he wouldn't be totally used to that. ]

Talking probably is good for me, but it can also make things worse.

[Secrets can't stay secret, they fester and rot away in the dark and just become more of a problem the longer they're ignored. But at the same time you can't just share them with anyone. It has to be the right person. The wrong person could end up hurting you, or worse. Hurting them.]

Your name may be a secret, but I'm not really anyone. I'm Maya.

[Her voice carries more hint that she's teasing than her expression. Her face never quite manages to fully express an emotion, just shadows of one. Like a painting faded by sunlight and time. She's pretty in that way youth always is, and worn down in the ways that trauma and pain always cause. Making her appear both too young and too old in equal contradictory measure.]

Is there a reason you can go without clothes but not your sword?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 9

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