avalaughs | TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 2

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TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 2

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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 chilly 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 paralyzingly cold for a few seconds before you're approached by the Lady of the Lake beneath the water's surface. She puts a vial of a vibrant, glowing red Everwarm* potion to your character's lips. The icy water doesn't feel so icy once consumed and you'll be able to move your limbs enough to swim to shore on your own. She can't stick around to explain, she's got to get this to all the new arrivals! Many of which you'll see plopping in around you.

If you can't swim, a handful of helpful ice turtles will scoop you up from beneath and drop you off at the shore. When not helping people, the turtles are going around and hitting the ice that keeps forming on the surface with their shells to keep the surface open for the falling arrivals or pushing personal items to the beach near the new arrivals they smell like (belong to). If anyone tries to ask the Lady of the Lake for directions, she will direct you to Archimedes at the Rent-a-Ride. If anyone with Animal Magic asks the turtles, they will give the full spiel, but very slowly, and they like to get off topic and gossip about other turtles you've never heard of. 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, but if you do fall, be prepared for a mysterious sand hand to reach out of the side of the cliffs to catch you. The hand will pat you atop the head twice before retreating back into the wall. This is the Cliff Beast; despite the name, he is quite friendly.

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, a pair of earbuds, and a winter cloak** to everyone before getting them settled in groups into modernized carriages pulled by horses and give them a basic explanation of why and how they've been brought to Avalon: 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.

A ⦿ Trial and Icy Errors

Winter has arrived in Avalon, and with it has come to a change in the weather. Puffs of breath precede sentences when outside, small fires fill braziers to allow people to stop and get warm for a moment between where they come from and where they are going. Snow has begun to fall; at first, it is the same, fluffy, white flakes many adventurers will have seen. However, as the day progresses, the snow begins to shimmer; it’s like a prismatic effect, a magical light catching against every little crystal and illuminating sparkling flakes, so vibrant it’s clear someone has enchanted the snow.

Shortly after the change, there will be a text alert to all devices:

Tired of the same old routine with your magic? Ready for a little something new? Come on out and have an old fashioned snowball fight with a magical twist. Be sure to practice your new powers and have fun! 😉 -Merlin

Those who come outside to find the rainbow snow already being packed into neat balls by Camelot's citizens; go ahead and grab a basket full but remember, don’t just toss them. Let’s get magic with it!

Different types of magic will have different effects on the enchanted snow:

Use kinetic magic to toss three at once. Nevermind if they suddenly balloon inside and burst into a snow shower over your opponent, throw a couple more; some are bound to hit, right?

Throw a little animal magic in there and morph a few into a bear or some other animal of your intent; sorry about his random dance attack, at least your opponent will be laughing too hard to throw a snowball at you.

Try hiding them in a shield or cast an illusion with some light magic; better apologize when that goes sideways and the snow hardens, bursting into rainbow crystals at your opponent's feet.

Team up with someone who has cognitive magic; they can telegraph you the plan without your opponents being any the wiser... except the snow seems to be picking up on it and sending those thoughts right to your opponent! Perhaps use this as an opportunity to learn control!

Maybe you want to try using a little wind magic if you’re of the elemental class; watch out for the rainbow snow squall your perfectly lobbed snowballs will become.

Healing magic is one you might not see coming-- enchanting a snowball with healing magic can result in positive mood enhancements. Give your enemies a blast of zen to lower their guard and make them an easy target!

A dark magic user might think to add a little hex to their snowball; give themselves an edge... too bad, without practice, that hex might be a little too heavy and burst over the maker before it even leaves their hand! Hope you know how to fix it.

Alchemists are welcome to change the shape of those snowballs. Maybe try and craft them into something a little more stealthy or projectile. Too bad that snow seems to want to turn into a batch of butterflies and be free... magic sure is tricky! But hey, they sure are pretty.

In the end, it seems while adventurers will be able to get plenty of practice in, some of that practice is going to come from trying to stop the side effects of mixing their powers with the magic snow; welcome to your first lesson in control. If one is going to use magic in conjunction with already magically imbued things, they ought to know the right amount, seems Merlin wants you all to learn in a trial by snowball error.

Those who practice their magic and participate in the snowball fight will be given hot chocolate, warm soup, fresh baked goods, or other treats to warm them up after their training is done. But don’t slack off! You’re like to find your hot chocolate spiced with pickle flavor, that warm treat suddenly turns to ice cream in your mouth. Avalonians want that practice to happen, and are willing to add some incentive... whether that means the carrot or the icicle.

All throughout the City of Camelot is a buzz of excitement about the oncoming winter solstice on the 21st. Citizens will tell you of the winter solstice's importance in cleansing the flow of Avalon's magic each year and absorbing sunlight to increase its potency. In other words, the winter solstice generates a significant amount of magic if the proper ritual is followed, so the visitors from other worlds really should head on over to Albion's White Cliffs.

A ⦿ The Darkness in the White Cliffs

The first task that you'll experience during the ritual is asking the Cliff Beast's permission to enter the cliffs. Though they look wholly solid on the outside, these cliffs contain a veritable labyrinth of magical caves that weave in and out of the chalky cliffs. As there is danger within these walls, it is recommended no one go alone. The Cliff Beast will only open a door to the caves for parties of two or more who present him with a gift. The gift doesn't need to be something significant, just a show of courtesy-- a lovely rock or a seashell will do, placed at the base of the cliff. The only gifts he will outright reject are precious gems and metals. Honestly, they make him a little nauseous-- and you don't want to see a cliff beast nauseous. In fact, if you try it, the Cliff Beast will suddenly burst into a rockslide right near where the gem was left. Watch out!

Once you gain entrance, you will find there is no light within the caves and the door seems to close behind you. Non-magical lights won't illuminate anything within these caves, so you will need to either navigate through the darkness or find a magical means to light your path. Be wary-- traveling in the dark will be a much safer journey if you can find your way through the caves and keep track of your companions. The reason there is no light are the bat-like creatures that eat energy like fire and electricity. With the magical light attracting them and nothing to consume, they'll be very aggressive and swarm anything emitting heat.. like an unsuspecting traveler. Make too much noise, and the Cliff Beast will spit you out back onto the sand and you'll have to start over.

B ⦿ "For a greedy man, even his tomb is too small."

Those who persist within the caves will eventually come upon a room whose ceiling glistens with bioluminiscent microbes that are too small for the bats to eat. These little glowing creatures create reflections in the room that show just what it contains-- glimmerings of precious gems, gold, and other treasure cover the walls and floor, save for a large flat stone altar in the center. There are many hand-crafted clay cups filled with what appears to be water. The side of the alter has a very simple message: "TAKE ONE CUP TO THE SPRING, LEAVE THE REST. SPILL NO DROP." Sure enough, this matches with the instructions you were given about the ritual: Take a cup of waters harvested by the Asrai, a fairy that lives within the walls of the cliffs that cultivates it every year to bring to the Red Springs for the Winter Solstice.

There is no clear warning about what will happen if you take anything besides your one cup. However, characters who disobey this instruction and take any of the riches within the cave will initially experience severe symptoms such as magical blockage, an endless common cold, and food turning to ash in their mouth. They will experience dreams in which they are urged to return the treasure and a day later, advanced symptoms if it goes on for too long have been known to result in vomiting frogs and snakes, insomnia, speaking in tongues despite the translation spell, bleeding from the ears, and eventually death.

C ⦿ Drink Up

Those who listen and take the Asrai's cups to the Red Springs will notice while carrying the cups, all creatures and threats will leave you in peace. Neither rain nor snow will touch you, parting from your path in both the sky and on the ground. The effects will only last as long as you don't spill a single drop. The ritual can still be completed, but the protections only work if you don't spill-- otherwise you'll be fighting off weather, creatures, other people, and whatever else you encounter as the effects of a spilled cup will cause those around you to try to steal your cup without thought for your safety, even if they might not even think to do normally.

Upon arriving at the Red Springs, a party of people there to guide those who have made the ritual's journey to a particular pool within the vicinity of the springs. Characters will be directed to take a sip, then pour the rest into the Spring alongside your peers, finally throwing the clay cup itself into the spring. Throughout the day, you will begin to feel strangely giddy, but it will pass. Nothing much will seem like it happens otherwise, but the guides assure you that you will understand on the night of the winter solstice when the ritual is complete and your body becomes a conduit to purify and rejuvenate Avalon's magic.

For now, as thanks, the guides offer you one of the celebratory gifts they have to offer-- free drinks (this time of the age-appropriate alcoholic or sugary variety), a free night's stay at the Red Springs, a yule log, an escort, a Recipe: Snow Dance. (Effect: Snow Dance will cause small flurries to pick up where the spell is cast, resulting in decreased visibility. Only works if snow is already present, as it cannot generate elements.) The choice is yours. Pick one.

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 may 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.

*This Everwarm does not count toward your potion collection for those who wish to take up potion brewing. You must obtain Everwarm from the Elphame Trader's to count.
**Jackets come in a variety of neutral colors, enchanted with a fit-adjustment spell that will adjust to your character's size.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"That's good. Perhaps with her around to watch out for you, your life will be more fortunate." As much as one can be fortunate with their worlds hanging so precariously in the balance.

The Black Dog, gradually calming, turns its head away from the pixiu, its fiery gaze passing along the face of the cliffs, ears perking up and twitching now and then as it listens to sounds beyond human hearing. Only once its attention shifts away does Walter lower his arm.

"...Speaking of fortune, tell me, what manner of magic were you bestowed with?" If they are going to be travelling into danger together, it will be better if they have some idea of each other's capabilities. "I was told mine was called kinetic magic."

Edited 2020-12-11 08:37 (UTC)

He doubted one single creature, however auspicious could turn his fortunes around.

Still, he keeps his thoughts to himself.

The pixiu, seeing that the Black Dog wasn't doing anything decided to make herself a nuisance in another way by trying to get more pets.

"I have healing magic. Though I'm not very proficient with it yet." He's been practising with healing shallow wounds and it's always in a controlled environment.

"I'll try to be mindful of any dangers then." He sucks in a breath, thinking. He'd hardly expect anyone to be versed in whatever magic they have found themselves with here, given how rare such a thing is in his world. A learning curve is to be expected.

"...You might be able to put some practice in at an infirmary, or a clinic if they have one," he ponders aloud, breath misting in the cold air as he speaks. Do they have a hospital in Camelot proper? That would be an option, too, if such turns out to be the case.

He tilted his head a little, looking amused. "Are you saying you wouldn't be as mindful if I were a better healer?"

That doesn't sound responsible.

Still, that wasn't bad advice. "I should ask around about that. It would be the best place to find chances to practise and perhaps I can find a mentor as well."

The youth bristles slightly at the amused commentary, his posture going just a little straighter. He should probably be offended by that. He thinks he is mildly offended by that.

"To answer your assumption, no. I was wondering if you were just being overly humble or if you lacked confidence, but the reason I plan on being extra mindful is because you have healing magic and not something more oriented towards combat."

"I was only teasing." He said by way of apology...though he's really only a little sorry.

"Humility isn't a bad quality to have but I feel too much of it gets in the way. I don't know enough to say what is or isn't considered competent but coming from a place without magic I can't currently do more than heal superficial injuries." Despite teasing him earlier, he sounds perfectly serious now, "At least, I do have martial arts training." He rests his hand on the pommel of his sword. "If the danger is from something that can be hurt by weapons I can hold my own." A quick pause, "within reason, of course."

"Good. My weapons didn't make it over with me, so..." Walter stops, a sentiment about counting on the other man for support should something get through dying before it even makes it to his lips. Hadn't his own partner bailed on him before he was yanked into this world?

He frowns, bitterness rising at the thought, before he continues. "...Well, I'm sure you'll do whatever you feel is necessary to see to your own safety."

There's a lot of reasons why someone might pause in the middle of a sentence like that and Chang Geng was hardly going to assume anything. But as he didn't seem embarrassed it seemed unlikely to be anything benign...and the way he finished only made him think probably that was what had happened, someone else who had worked with him or even fought at his side doing what was necessary for their own safety.

He could say something like how he wouldn't abandon him but pretty words mean little, he knows this.

Instead what he says was, "when I was eleven I ran out into a blizzard and was attacked by wolves and attacked a full-grown barbarian soldier in Heavy Armour when I was fourteen. I'm not sure that counts as seeing to my own safety properly."

And that is not mentioning the time he got embroiled in Wei Wang's rebellion attempts with basically no back up....actually, his life semed to be full of decisions that weren't the best for his personal safety.

He related all this in the same way someone might talk about the weather or related something precocious he did as a child...not possibly nearly dying.

"My name is Li Min."

At first, the words confuse Walter. What bearing does an event that surely happened years ago have on the present? Unless... was this his way of saying he'd stick it out with him?

There's a strange feeling in his chest at the thought. A fluttery sort of unease. But it is... touching, nevertheless.

It takes but a moment for him to recover, lips pulling into a bit of a smirk as he lets out a huff of amusement. "...Huh! I suppose I really will have to take extra care, with how reckless you are."

There is a saying about a pot and a kettle that can almost certainly be applied here, but that doesn't stop him from his teasing.

Little more than a second passes before another change comes over him. His posture relaxes, and the smirk softens into a smile.

"...Walter C. Dornez."

Someone who lacks trust in others are like wounded animals. Jumping in with grand gestures and promises will only get you bitten.

So he doesn't try to explain or answer any unasked questions. He only continues to smile.

"I will try not to cause any trouble." He says, sounding sincere enough but also like he wouldn't be particularly apologetic about causing trouble.

He turned back to the Cliff Beast. "Then, let's offer the gift." And get this ritual started.

"Right." There's no point in delaying further, is there. Any talking they wish to do can just as easily be done on the journey; the ritual doesn't require silence, as far as Walter knows.

Shell in hand, the youth strides towards the Cliff Beast. "I have someone with me know," he speaks, talking to the being as though it were just another person. "And we both have our familiars. Will you accept our gift and allow us passage so we can assist with the ritual?"

Chang Geng follows him wordlessly. He himself didn't have much reverence for higher beings but he had wondered if it were different for people who came from places where magic or supernatural creatures were real.

Not for Walter, it seemed, if he can speak to it as if the Cliff Beast were just another stranger.

Chang Geng waited and slowly, there's a rumble of stone and an opening appears. Beyond where the light of the moon hanging in the sky reaches the space inside is completely pitch black.

He looked at the Pixiu and then the Black Dog, before his slid his gaze back towards the cave.

"How well do Black Dogs see in the dark?"

Indeed, Walter does not have much reverence towards beings of a supernatural nature. Yet it is not out of a place of disrespect for them. Rather, he feels more at home amongst these sorts of things than in the company of other humans. "Very. They're nocturnal spirits."

Once inside, Walter reaches into his waistcoat, producing a lighter from within that faintly registers as silver in colour in the dim light of the mouth of the cave. He flicks open the lid, a metallic clink preceding the rough grind of the flint wheel as he presses his thumb against it, sparks flying. The wick catches, but as he walks deeper into the cave, something is strange. The light of the flame does not throw as far as it should. In fact, it barely illuminates the space around the lighter at all.

"...Hm. It would seem the darkness of the cave is magical in nature."

"That's a relief. At least one of us won't be blind in there."

He has no idea if pixiu can see in the dark, but he supposes, she can probably see better than he can.

The cave is darker than the night outside and, immediately, he's reminded of the time Gu Yun was pretending to be a fragrance master. He wonders, how does someone live in this darkness without losing heart.

The way the flame lights up the space around it--which is to say, not at all--is fascinating and something to try to experiment with later on.

"It would seem so."

He considered that. With this darkness, the greatest danger seems to be an ambush or getting separated (and then ambushed). His familiar's tail brushed against his hand, the tail curling loosely around his hands before moving away.

"We should probably hold hands so we don't get separated.

It's almost a relief that the flame does light the area so poorly, as the statement takes Walter completely aback. The youth pauses in his steps, lips slightly parted in surprise as he turns to look behind him.

Holding hands. Certainly, it makes sense, but the gesture is so intimate! He cannot help but balk internally at the idea, if only for a moment before reason takes centre stage. He can see where his familiar is, the luminescent nature of the Black Dog's eyes giving its position away. It's nothing to navigate by, though, as their glow is more alike to lit embers than a full-blown fire, and that must be doubly true for any behind him, as the difference in angle would make it even more difficult to see. It would be all too easy for them to get separated if the cave had a split in its tunnel.

With a sharp clap, metal on metal, the lighter is snapped closed, and what little light cast from it vanishes.

"I suppose you have a point..." There is a soft rustle of fabric as Walter pockets the lighter and reaches behind him, waiting for Li Min to take hold of his hand.

He had considered tying something to both their wrists but that comes with its own inconveniences and dangers.

Holding hands was the safest and most straightforward solution, he felt.

Since it was like that, he didn't feel any embarrassment at all about reaching out to take his hand.

In this darkness he could only see vague shapes--slightly darker shadows outlined against the darkness, so he reached out slowly. Still, the moment his fingers touched Walter's hand he grabbed it in a firm grip.

"It's too bad neither of us has light magic. Perhaps that could have done something about this darkness."

The palm of his glove is warm, the sewn leather soaking in the heat from his hand. The rings around the glove fingers, in contrast, are cool to the touch at first, both insulated from his open hand and more easily chilled by the cold air.

Walter, being unaccustomed to contact in general, is embarrassed, unlike his ritual partner. Yet his fingers slowly move to close around the hand that has grabbed his; he said he would take care, and he meant it.

"It's okay. I'm used to being out at night, too." And with the blackout ordinance, unless the moon was out, it could get just about as dark outside.

Chang Geng doesn't say anything about the way the hand he's holding closes around his, but he does a quick squeeze to acknowledge the action.

After all, there's no point in making a big deal out of it.

"While that's convenient in this situation being out at night is a habit you should try to break. It's not good for the body." Despite being only twenty he nags like an old grandmother.

The caution is met with a snort from the adolescent. It would make sense to a normal person, he is sure, but for him, the advice is absurd. Those who can't adapt to function at night don't live long in his line of work. Humans in his line of work don't tend to live very long lives as is, and not because of illness. "Hmph. That would assure me an even shorter lifespan."

He does not, of course, elaborate on why that is, instead remaining focused on the movement of his familiar, who leads them through the tunnel at a slow but steady pace.

"Oh?" He sounds curious not doubting. There were many differences in the way people live and their circumstances. Chang Geng himself doesn't sleep enough to be healthy because the nightmares he has are more of a problem for his health than the lack of sleep.

"How unfortunate. But perhaps this place might allow for a better sleep schedule...assuming, of course, that the problem hasn't followed you here."

Because his certainly did.

His own familiar followed behind them, close enough to brush against Chang Geng's leg.

"I promise you, I get enough sleep to function properly." Even with the nightmares that come so very frequently given the circumstances of his life, having his mind and reflexes dumbed due to sleep deprivation isn't something he is willing to incur upon himself. He faces the real things so often in life that the power of nightmares over his mind has been dimmed, no matter how grotesque they are.

His familiar turns slightly; a small bend lies in the path ahead. Walter follows accordingly, still clasping onto the hand of the one behind him.

"I'll have to trust that you know what you're doing then."

But he feels like he will keep an eye on you anyway.

His listens carefully for the sounds of footsteps and any potential turns but, in truth, the hand he's holding does a better job of guiding him. It's a wonder how Gu Yun is able to navigate like this without sound or sight at times.

"...not to be a crow mouth," Which is to say, to say inauspicious things, "but I'm a little surprised at how easy this has been."

"Perhaps we're quiet enough that we haven't roused anything that's in these caves." They're not yelling or being rowdy, or really doing much of anything else that might attract unwanted attention.

"Though danger could also mean taking a fall and getting injured from it." And in the case of being alone, not having any help to extract you should you become incapacitated from your injuries.

They're going deeper now, the path angling down. There are more twists and turns ahead, though his familiar guides them well. They haven't run into the danger yet.

TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 2

Is it alright if I tag on your top-level, too? I have an idea in mind for prompt iii!

Absolutely! I'm loving this CR and I'm happy for more!

Huzzah! I shall do so tonight!

\o/

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I should probably ask, do you want to make our TDM threads game canon?

Absolutely!

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