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

[He shakes his head, clearly disappointed in her answer. For a moment he simply turns the information over in his head. Waging war on the Church, however twisted and backwards it was... of course no one wanted to support them. Only his father so he could line his pockets and Lysithea's poor parents with no other option if they wished to survive, maybe even have a chance at keeping their daughter from more harm.

Marianne's father... that was good to know, not that any of it mattered now.]

A manifesto of your aims. And just what were those?

[There's a faint tremor in his voice though from anger or hurt even he couldn't say for certain and it takes everything he has not to snap back with another accusation.]

[ she doesn't bother to try to disabuse him of whatever notions he's making up about what happened. it's easier to let people think what they want, at times. ]

The disestablishment and disarmament of the Church of Seiros, the end of the Immaculate One's rule, and the abolition of both the Crest system and the nobility. In their entirety.

Edited (last one) 2021-07-09 20:21 (UTC)

Did you offer any indication of what long term plans you had to replace any of those establishments? It's all well and good to say that Rhea is corrupt, that the Church is founded on lies, that the People deserve better but...

[From everything he's seen and especially Edelgard's reaction to mentioning the Agarthans he's pretty confident they did not. For as angry as he is it is on behalf of the People, the thousands of lives lost, villages burned to the ground. He wants to give her the benefit of the doubt but it's very difficult to imagine a version of the Empire that wasn't rampant destruction.]

Tearing out every established piece of the existing infrastructure in one fell swoop is a good way to leave people terrified, lacking resources, and with no one to turn to, not even their Goddess anymore. That is a void that cannot be filled if those in charge are merely seeking power and personal vengeance. Goals mean nothing without plans to support them.

[ it's a fair question, at least in part. she takes a long sip of her tea, closing her eyes. ]

We have plans for what comes next. [ she counts on her fingers as she speaks. ] An Imperial administration based on merit, public works, land reform. The end of hereditary rule across Fódlan, and the appointment of regional governors. Relief to those displaced in the fighting. State-funded schools open to all. If it serves the people, very few options are off the table.

[ she looks him in the eye. ]

I was only in Enbarr for a week before I was brought here, and Edelgard and I had spent every waking hour with the business of state.

You'll forgive me for doubting the thoroughness of your plans, General. As I understand it you were without sufficient trusted individuals to properly maintain the existing Imperial territories. Reducing your forces by a great deal throughout the war and more than doubling your holdings, with largely unprofitable lands at that, sounds very much like an Empire stretched too thin with too few resources.

[He heaves a sigh, shaking his head. For a moment simply staring down at his gelato, pushing it around the paper cup as it melts.]

I only pray these are the greatest of your worries and whatever place you hail from Thales is dead and Shambhala destroyed but if you share the knowledge that Edelgard does then.... [He frowns harder but when he looks up at her he's not angry. Just... sad. Knowing that in some world they've all but giftwrapped the entirety of Fodlan for the Agarthans through stubbornness and mistrust hurts him deeply.]

Too few resources spread too thin is precisely what they wanted of the war... Especially if you are the only one with Nabatean blood left alive, there's no one to stop them from doing what they've wanted all these centuries.

[ she takes a slow, steadying breath through her nose, trying to keep herself composed. exhales through the mouth. there are a number of accusations and assumptions he's making here that are going to make this difficult. byleth looks down at her boba, stirring the straw around and muddling one of the pearls. ]

I'll take this in order, then.

The Empire I serve is not the one you know, Count Gloucester. [ if that's how he wants to play it, then that's how it will be. if he insists on titles, then she'll act as she might in matters of state. her expression smooths out. ] We weren't crushed by the old regime, or driven to the extremes you might remember. We claimed a precise victory. The army had personnel issues at some stages, but the vast majority of the Leicester forces were integrated into our own with Duke Riegan's surrender. We have a wealth of trusted and competent candidates for administration, as well.

[ and she and bergliez have a wealth of military reforms in mind to help even the playing field further. the remaining faerghian banners are... a more complicated situation, even if they have connections. plus, an alliance with almyra is very much in the cards in the near future. shambhala isn't a name she's heard, but given what flayn and claude have said about the agarthans, the question isn't a surprise. ]

We... fought the war with their knives at our back, but we never called on them again after the Holy Tomb. Her Majesty and I hated it, more than you can know, but... we weren't in a position to strike against them. We found it best to keep them close and wait for them to make a mistake.

[ whether that worked out quite as they'd liked is a question she's less certain of. moving on... ]

Thales lives, but not for long. Marquis Vestra and I have made preparations to eliminate the beasts, quietly. [ though when he mentions her supposed nabatean blood... her eyes narrow. ] As for the Children of the Goddess... I slew Seiros myself. The others live, and will be left alone. And as for myself, I'm human, Count. I am not one of them.

[ she may be curious about the nabateans, may want to know more about that aspect that has unavoidably shaped her life, to understand sothis and flayn a bit better...

but she has still rejected that "heritage" completely. ]

Edited 2021-07-15 00:31 (UTC)

[Titles and propriety are the only way he can have a civil conversation and not sit here spitting venom at her for what happened to Ferdinand. Even then she insists that they have so many trusted allies and he flinches slightly at the words. Then why doesn't he know?

But Lorenz steadies his breathing, continues to "stir" his gelato, an idle grounding motion that is usually accompanied by the clink of silver on china.]

You understand, then, that there are extremes in the memories of others that are nothing short of abhorrent? I do not want to believe there is any version of you that would stand by while others, no matter your feelings, were tortured. Slain is a far more merciful fate than what I know of Rhea's end... but with the Agarthans at your side, even with a knife to your back, I would know of how long she was in your possession before you granted her that mercy.

[Five years locked in a cell while Thales and his minions drained her day in and day out, never mind Goddess knows what other tortures that forced her into such a frail state.... Rhea is insane, mad with grief and much of what she did is unforgivable.... but no one deserves that. If Byleth stood by and condoned it then, not his Empire or not... he cannot trust her in the slightest.]

Though I fear you are vastly underestimating the might of the Agarthans and their forces.

[ it would... be a fair question to ask why they didn't tell ferdinand. it would also be none of lorenz's business.

still, she raises an eyebrow at that question. ]

In our possession? [ byleth sounds... incredulous. confused. the rest of what he said can wait. ] The mad dragon had Faerghus and its king wrapped around her finger for five years. We killed her in battle on the final day of the war. We demanded her surrender, and she answered us by burning Fhirdiad.

[It's his business because Ferdie's well being has always been his business. But first....

She...]

She what...? [As soon as it's out of his mouth, though, he holds up a hand, shaking his head. No. No he heard you Byleth just... let him wrap his head around that for a moment. Killed in battle, kay. Burned Fhirdiad to the ground? Wha- why? but y'know what? It's Rhea, still not surprised in the slightest. Oh there are so many implications there.

Lorenz just... blinks at her for a moment, sighs, shovels a melty spoonful of gelato in his mouth and just uses the time to think of anything to say to that.]

So... I suppose you didn't order Prince Dimitri's execution, frame him for treason and torture him into running through the forests like a feral animal for the duration of the war either, did you...?

[It would almost be funny if it weren't true. If he hadn't forced their hands. If anyone had listened to them instead of-

There's no use dwelling on it now but it's clear his question is rhetorical and he doesn't think her capable of that. Edelgard? yes. Byleth? no.]

[ what.

that sounds... in keeping with what claude told her about his memory of faerghus, even if he hadn't gone in depth. but still, she shakes her head. ]

We didn't. That monster held the Tempest King's leash, whispered poison into his ear for years, and then used his crumbling army as a shield to cover her own retreat. He died on the Tailtean Plains, still screaming for Her Majesty's head.

Perhaps... the seeds of madness were there all along. Whether torture or prolonged manipulation by another it seems he ended the same way for us both. It is only a pity that none serving him dared speak against the insanity of it all.

[He could really use a nice chaise to drape himself dramatically over with the exhaustion and confusion tugging at his mind. Discussing all of this and the myriad implications beyond it... who decided on benches? Why not a proper tea table? What is this "picnic table" nonsense. Picnics are meant to take place on a blanket.]

There are others I would ask after, if that's alright by you. Bernadetta, Lysithea.... Ferdinand.

[ byleth at last manages to relax slightly, taking another bite of her gelato. she nods her head for him to go on, but: ]

All of them survived.

[Much as he's trying not to give too much away he is a reactive person by nature and there's no hiding the relief that comes with that information, however much he might like to act unaffected.]

I would ask, then, why Ferdinand seems to find the names you, yourselves, have given the Agarthans foreign to him and the idea that others may still hold any sway in "your" Fodlan absolutely preposterous?

[ she takes a slow breath through her nose. yeah, that makes sense. and since they're using people's first names again... ]

We... found it best to keep the knowledge of their existence under tight control, at least until the Church was defeated. Only Edelgard, Hubert and I knew the whole truth. I agreed with the reasoning at the time, especially after they attacked Arianrhod, but... [ she shakes her head at that, not quite looking at lorenz. ]

I won't defend that choice. We had our reasons, but I know we violated our friends' trust. It's something we have to make right.

Edited (last one) 2021-07-17 06:24 (UTC)

As needless as it seemed, given the similarities of their end goals, I could understand Edelgard distrusting Claude. I myself had a hard time trusting in him at first. But... I never imagined you would have spent the entire war lying to your own army.

[He looks at her for a moment, something torn between disgust and pity in his expression and his voice going coolly judgmental.]

Had things played out differently in your version of Fodlan that mistrust you hide behind would not have protected you but crippled you. To the point of driving Hubert to leave the task of ending Those Who Slither in the Dark to the very army that orchestrated your defeat. The three of you have done a disservice to your friends and yourselves.

I suggest you work to put it to rights or I will explain to Ferdinand the things he does not know. The very reasons he chose to die in my Fodlan... [There's an abrupt pause, a sharp inhale that catches in his chest. Even having embraced his friend not a full day prior the wound of Ferdinand's loss is not so easily soothed in his heart.]

No matter what truce or agreements of civility we make between us here that is something I can not easily set aside. And I believe Her Imperial Majesty is similarly unwilling to accept that her failure left the fate of Thales and his people in our hands. [Even he's not sure what point he's trying to make here, other than just trying to make sure Byleth understands why he can't simply agree to disagree on this.]

[ she closes her eyes and nods, taking that in at first. byleth tenses slightly at the mention of ferdinand's death in lorenz's memories, and near-instinctively she traces her fingertips over her ring when he brings up edelgard's failure. ]

I understand. And I think you've already done more than enough. [ another breath, trying to tune out the agitated thunder of her heartbeat. this arrogant fop, thinking he's in any position to deliver an ultimatum like this— ] Edelgard and I will tell him. We should have to begin with.

[ abruptly, she begins making to leave, standing and collecting her things. coolly: ]

Will that be all?

[He might be an arrogant fop but, in this at least, his intentions are only to spare his friend as much pain as he can. He knows Ferdinand well enough to know that them hiding so much from him will cut him deeply. His friend is too honest, too earnest to have ever doubted whomever he swore his allegiance to.

And maybe, just maybe, however difficult this is for them... they deserve some part of it after all the hurt they've laid on those that trusted them. Which is mean and petty and unbecoming but there's still a part of him that wants them to endure just as much hurt as he did.

But Byleth stands abruptly and Lorenz does not look up at her. She can be upset with him all she wants. He deserves to know.]

You can think me as demanding as you like... [When he does look up at here those violet eyes are glossy and it's only for a heartbeat before he glances aside, blinks hard a few times and finally looks back at her.] But it will hurt him less coming from you. That's all I want.

[ of course ferdinand deserves to know. but it was a difficult conversation to have, and briefing all of the inner circle would give ample opportunity for information to leak, if only because the walls all too often have ears where the agarthans are concerned.

still, they'd only accomplished so much by trusting in each other, by not keeping secrets. regardless of why they kept the truth of this quiet, it had flown so much in the face of everything that—

those practical considerations don't change what they did by hiding it, and she fully realizes that. her gaze softens somewhat at the brief glossy look in lorenz's eye, and she briefly turns away herself. finally, she looks at him again, nodding once. ]

On that much, we agree. I've done him a bad turn. Let me set it right.

[He reaches out to touch her arm, fingers light on her sleeve but the touch is not hesitant. A simple gesture, a sort of understanding he wasn't sure they'd be able to find but one he is grateful for now. He nods, appreciative, fingers squeezing in something meant to be reassuring... as much as she's not his Professor in some ways she's still her and as petty as he can be he doesn't have it in him to truly wish harm on anyone.

Lorenz needs them to tell Ferdinand but he can recognize how much that will hurt her too. Because she's not so heartless as his version of events would lead him to believe and, perhaps, neither is Edelgard... but that remains to be seen.]

Thank you... [He thinks to add... something there but she's not his Professor. General is too formal and the very idea of calling her Byleth is inconceivable.... so it simply trails off, a touch awkward as he lets his hand fall away, leaving her to go as she pleases.

And now he's going to have to keep himself from hovering too much around Ferdinand until they work through.... all of that.]

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TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 9

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