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

I told her you said hi, obviously. [Hearing his real name is going to take some getting used to from Lorenz of all people, but he's too deep into mischief to let it faze him. It's not long before his phone beeps, and he reads the notification.]

Would you look at that, she responded! She says hi back. Anything else you'd like to say to her?

[Typing another reply... Sorry Lorenz.]

[Claude you realize if he really wanted to see what you are doing he has a considerably longer reach than you.

But he just lifts a hand, fingertips pressed to his temple as though he can feel a headache coming on... honestly between crying and trying not to cry more and all the stress his head is beginning to ache something fierce but that is beside the point.]

I understand that there is a different form of magic here but you genuinely expect me to believe you are able to just..... instantly speak with someone, as though they were right here.

[Absolutely thinking Claude is full of shit.]

[ Except that he isn't full of shit this time, as Dorothea remotely uses her technomancy to connect herself to Claude's phone and turn the speaker on. ]

Hello, is this on? Can you boys hear me? It sounds like half the academy has turned up lately, doesn't it?

[Even Claude is caught a little off guard by his phone suddenly getting hijacked by Dorothea, though he collects himself quickly enough.]

Hey Dorothea! Looks that way. Maybe we should find a monastery to relocate to if this keeps up?

Oh Claudie-deer, you know I don't care too much for religious settings. Give me a seaside house with a bay window and a divan I can spend the afternoon relaxing on enjoying a good book any day of the week.

[ She clears her throat. ]

Now, Lorikins, how are you faring? Are you very horribly shocked by everything?

[For a moment he just looks between Claude and his phone confused and shocked and.... well maybe a little bit awestruck? But Dorothea is using saccharine sweet nicknames and Lorenz goes from confused to downright bewildered.]

The uh.... number of people I've encountered that should, by rights, be dead is.... becoming more disconcerting by the moment.

[Please see previous shock that Dorothea would have joined them?!]

[Oops, maybe they're being a bit too effective at breaking Lorenz. He'll just have to grit his teeth through this one, though he perhaps should've guessed Dorothea met the same fate as Ferdinand in Lorenz's world.]

Well, as you can hear, Dorothea's alive and well. We're headed to the Red Springs if you want to meet us there, Dorothea? Prove the poor guy's not losing his marbles and all?

You'll get used to that pretty quickly, I'm sure. Edie is here--did you know? I'm sure Claude told you. [ Even though she can hear just how flummoxed he seems over the phone connection. He'll adapt because he has no choice but to do so. ] Have you any idea what sort of magic you wound up with now that you're here? Or have you had a chance to figure it out?

[ Of course the implication that she's dead in whatever version of their reality Lorenz comes from isn't exactly easy to ignore, but hearing Claude refute it makes her cringe a little. She laughs it off, though. ]

I suppose I could meet you both down there. Sit tight and I'll be around shortly.

Ah... he didn't need to tell me. I actually ran into the Emperor shortly after crawling out of the lake.

[He's not about to mention Ferdinand to her, though. Not to Dorothea. It was one thing, stumbling over emotions when it was Claude or Ferdinand himself... but he dares not let Dorothea even suspect something of the like and he cannot guarantee that even saying the redhead's name won't choke him up again.]

No. I'm afraid I don't know yet, I'd only just realized that my own spells no longer work.

It's a shock, isn't it? I blubbered a little, I won't lie. [ Dorothea sighs a bit dramatically. Anyone who knows her well could probably picture the heave of her shoulders from the sound of her voice. ] Anyway, I'm going to hang up now, and I'll be down shortly. No need to wait up for me, all right?

[ There's a click over the line when she hangs up. ]

Edited 2021-07-19 18:58 (UTC)

See you soon!

[He pockets his phone now she's done hijacking it with magic, and grins at Lorenz.]

Now do you believe me about what these things can do?

I suppose I've little choice.

[Huff. Sometimes he hates it when Claude's right about things.]

Dare I ask if you've any more surprises for me?

[Please say no, Claude. If you value his sanity at all please say no. He's not sure how much more of this madness he can take without an opportunity to just process some of it all.]

When am I not full of surprises, Lorenz? But yeah, that's it for now.

[He'll spare the poor guy any further shocks to the system. With that out of the way, he peeks out the window again.]

Almost there! Looks like we won't be keeping Dorothea waiting long.

[Oh the Look he gives you, Claude. Full of surprises? Yes, of course, YOUR MAJESTY. Always full of surprises.]

I suppose I should just be grateful it is not too terribly long of a ride... [A glance at the poor little rose on the cushion.]

And what are we to do with this little fellow?

Er... Wear it? Make it into tea? Plant it somewhere else? Its fate rests in your hands, Lorenz.

[He hadn't expected him to do anything with it, really, but it's his to keep.

The carriage begins to slow as the inn slides into view, and Claude scoops up his wyvern into his lap. She yawns sleepily.]

Time to get moving, little lady.

[The fact that Claude did not have the foresight to consider the fate of this poor little rose is strangely distressing. Perhaps he's just too stressed about too many things he can't do a damned thing about just now. So... well... Lorenz does, in fact, take the responsibility of caring for this single bloom rather more seriously than necessary, carefully extracting it from the cushion before settling it neatly behind his ear, careful not to damage it.

He's going to have his hands full as it is, carting the still damp pieces of his armor and coaxing poor little Darby along with them.]

So... is she... similar to a pet?

Aside from her affinity for magic, she acts just like a regular wyvern, but I wouldn't consider those pets. She does like to follow me everywhere, though. So... I guess?

[He's sure Naira wouldn't mind being compared to a pet, at any rate. The carriage slows to a halt and he climbs out first, letting the wyvern go as she takes flight. Then he turns back to Lorenz.]

Need help lugging that armour into the inn? We'll probably run into Dorothea along the way.

That.... would be lovely.

[The majority of his things can easily be foisted over onto Darby to carry, even as small as she is now, but his armor no longer includes the strap it used to for Thyrsus and he hasn't any pockets either. Never mind the entire other outfit that he has bundled together but all of the extra pieces and jewels that accompany it make it a nightmare to keep together.]

Actually, Darby can carry the armor if you'd just- [Please take this pile of silk and silver out of his hands. He's still damp and desperately wants to change into that anyway.]

[ And would you look at that? Here comes Dorothea now. She's dressed in a modern, casual sort of way that looks almost nothing like the type of clothing people wear in Fodlan, but she seems comfortable. A bird with a long fan-shaped tail flies down and perches on her shoulder as she waves and calls out to them. ]

Hello boys! Good to see you.

[ She gives Lorenz a quick once-over as she approaches. ]

Lorenz, you're looking rosier than ever.

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TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 9

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