TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 2

[avalonmods]

{ QUICK NAV } Premise ⚔️️ Rules ⚔️️ FAQ ⚔️️ Taken ⚔️️ Reserves ⚔️️ Apply ⚔️️ Locations ⚔️️ Bestiary 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.

Comments

[angel_of_death]

I see they have some real gentlemen in Da Liang.

[Walter may be teasing, but there isn't a hint of sarcasm to his tone. He already quite likes the man.]

Very well.

[And without further prompting, he enters, though he lingers by the doorway afterward. This is Li Min's room, not his, so it stands to reason that he should wait for his host to direct him to where he would like him to be.]

[kiss_it_better]

I try to be a credit to my upbringing.

[Which is maybe only funny to him because his upbringing was...well. A mess, to say the least.

He closes the door behind him. The room was the same as all the other ones. He considers the chair for a second but ultimately gestured at the room at large.]

Sit where you're comfortable. But if you have any injuries on your back the bed will be easier.

[angel_of_death]

[His shoulders slump as he looks to the bed, a sigh on his lips. He does in fact have an injury across his back. Had the other man noticed, he wonders?

Either way, it doesn't really change matters.]

...Please forgive my intrusion.

[A man's sleeping area is a personal space, he feels. But he follows Li Min's suggestion, if only to make things easier on him. He'll find some way to make up for the transgression later.

Taking a seat upon the very edge of the man's bed, Walter briefly ponders where to start. If the shirt is to come off, he reasons, the waistcoat and tie will need to come off. So it is, with nimble fingers, that he begins to undo the buttons of his waistcoat, letting the dark fabric hang loose and open against the white of his shirt.]

[kiss_it_better]

[As a man who had wandered for four years his own, his sleeping area could be an inn or a conveniently empty temple. Sometimes, it was one of the houses other jianghu friends shared when they weren't around to live there. For him, it was the most practical so it was all right.

He sat down beside Walter without a hint of self-consciousness.]

Can you let me know where you were injured?

[angel_of_death]

I was struck on both my front and my back.

[Loosening his tie, he slips it loose from its knot, the long strip hanging over either shoulder.]

My upper back, around halfway up the rib cage. The front, closer to the base. And...

[His fingers reach to his collar, undoing the first button. Immediately as the upper rim of the high neck falls open, the tops of a truly ugly bruise become visible. The shirt had been barely covering it this whole time.

After undoing the second button, he gestures to it.]

There's this.

[Were one to examine it with the barest of anatomical knowledge, they would easily be able to pick out the delineation of fingers along the sides of his neck, wide in breadth. There's a dip in the front, the bruising narrower where only the thumbs had pressed, but it is just as dark. Too dark. Yet the hyoid bone is intact, and his throat mysteriously uncrushed; both inconsistent with the bruising so clearly writ across his skin.

His arms fall to his sides, fingers fisting in the covers at the memory of being choked, of struggling to breathe even as he tried to bring an end to his enemy's life in turn.

Of a voice mocking him as his partner finally bothered to step in.

He pauses, taking a slow breath before resuming work on the rest of the buttons.]

[kiss_it_better]

[His expression remains unreadable but he is not exactly pleased to see the extent of those injuries. It’s not his place to scold but he’s become just a little fond of this boy and it bothers him to see such injuries.

He only sighs a little.]

...the bruise on your face was the least of your injuries it seems.

[While his teacher said she wasn’t qualified to teach yet, that she wasn’t a master herself and so he couldn’t call himself a full doctor Miss Chen was still a cut above many others, coming from a family of famous doctors. And she hadn’t held anything back when teaching him. Which is why even though he wasn’t quite at her level yet he could recognize that the bruise seemed too dark, too serious for Walter to be so unaffected by it physically.

The bruise he decides to deal with now since that brief clench of finge3rs in the sheets seems to indicate that there is something about it that bothers him.

Besides, he knew how unpleasant being strangled was. It had been many years ago but it’s not like he’s forgotten.

So, he reached out to press just his fingertips to the bruise, moving slowly enough that Walter can see what he’s about to do if he wishes to pull away but not so slow that it looks unnatural. And, of course, if he’s allowed this he will start healing it right away.]

Are injuries of this degree a regular consequence of your missions?

[angel_of_death]

[It is that very subtlety of reaction that allows Walter to the time to relax, and though he stiffens up a bit as the fingers touch his throat, the tautness of his limbs is quick to loosen. But the pained smile returns.]

Believe it or not, no. That guy was just... particularly strong.

[Many of his enemies were strong. Strong enough to rend humans to shreds with nary a second thought. But in those cases, he could do the same to them. Such was not the case with the enemy he speaks of now.]

He could heal as fast as I could cut him.

[kiss_it_better]

[He sighed though for a moment he was left feeling like he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He it wasn't that he doubted that Walter could protect himself but this was doing the opposite of reassuring him.

Still, beyond that sigh he continues on in his usual calm manner.]

If you say so I can only believe you at this point, no?

[He doesn't know what you can do or what sort of world you came from after all.

He watched the bruise disappear slowly, fading at the edges where there was the least damage first as the darker colours lightened.]

I assume your opponent isn't a normal human.

[angel_of_death]

[Even if the other man is sceptical, there isn't anything that can be done about it. They are not there, and even if they're in Avalon of all places, gifted with new magics and accompanied by supernatural familiars, that doesn't mean he's going to be one hundred percent believed. Especially if one doesn't have a previous grounding in the existence of the supernatural.

Still, Walter continues.]

He isn't human. He's a werewolf, a monster that shifts between the appearance of man and wolf.

[Letting out a sigh, he tips his head back, trusting that Li Min won't hurt him.

The healing feels warm. Pleasant. He could almost get lost in it, it feels like.]

...I was sent to destroy an enemy research project seeking to replicate a certain supernatural monster for mass deployment on the battlefield. He was guarding the leader of the operation.

[kiss_it_better]

[He doesn't interrupt, focusing on healing that bruise instead. But he's still listening.

A werewolf...he had never heard of such a thing but that isn't a surprise at this point.]

Are all werewolves capable of healing themselves like that?

[If so he'd like to know! For curiosity but also because if they existed here it'd be good to know.

Considering how little time they've known each other, Chang Geng was a little touched to be shown this much trust.

Walter's mission though...that was a sobering revelation. But also not altogether surprising.]

Using supernatural creatures in place of soldiers...I can see why someone may think that would be advantageous. But unlike machines, could such things really be controlled?

[The Eighteen Tribes used specially raised wolves but as he understood it, that came from generations and generations worth of work to accomplish.]

[angel_of_death]

To answer your first question, I don't know. He was the first I'd ever personally encountered. Their kind are near extinct in my world. There are old legends, but none mention them being able to heal so quickly, or being so powerful.

[Whether the bastard had become so powerful because he had survived so long, or had survived so long because he was inherently more powerful, Walter does not know. He doesn't know the history behind that individual.]

As for your other question... it is not that they seek to use monsters in place of soldiers, but to have their soldiers become the monsters, and to then infect and turn others into their servants. Vampires have a hierarchal nature. If they become able to reproduce them effectively and deploy them on the field, the frontlines will be destroyed. Even the failures they've been churning out so far pose a terrible threat to our soldiers if they decide to deploy them in numbers.

[kiss_it_better]

Hopefully we won't have a chance to learn the answer to that question here.

[Because he's not so curious he wanted to find out how difficult it would be to fight a werewolf to find out if they all healed like that.

He's quiet for a moment though after that explanation.

His expression is carefully neutral as he finished up healing the bruise. When the colour had returned to that of healthy skin, he pulled his hand back a sombre expression on his face.]

Could you explain what becoming a vampire entails?

[Because it definitely doesn't sound...pleasant.

With that being said, the seriousness of the conversation isn't going to stop him from placing his hand on Walter's chest next, approximately where he described the next injury to be.]

[angel_of_death]

[Feeling the hand move to his chest, Walter tips his head back down, looking at Li Min with an inquisitive gaze.]

You mean the process? How much would you like to know?

[Because vampires are his organization's speciality, he can easily give as little as a brief overview of the bare basics or go into full step-by-step detail for both a quick turning and slow.]

[kiss_it_better]

As much as you can tell me.

[He doesn't feel the flow of magic is obstructed by the fabric. Which is good, really. Because it's not like people can just strip for healing to happen. Though he would like to be able to gauge his progress as he worked but this was also a test of a sort, he supposed. Is there a way to gauge when a wound is fully healed without seeing it? In cases of blunt trauma or internal injuries it might be something he'd need to figure out.]

Had to review some of the Dracula novel for the slow-turning bits. ;;

[angel_of_death]

[A hand lifting into the air, Walter shifts to lean onto his other arm as he proceeds to launch into a lengthy explanation.]

In modern times, the process starts by a vampire biting a virgin of the opposite sex. In previous eras, it involved the exchange of blood instead of a bite. The victim would be given or coerced into taking in the vampire's blood, and that would start the process. Unfortunately, as with other, more natural species, vampires are perfectly capable of evolving into more efficient predators. I've seen the teeth of some and I suspect they're able to inject their blood into a victim much as a snake does its venom.

Naturally, if a vampire drinks enough of their blood, they'll exhibit signs of blood loss. They'll be pale, tired, and weak, and might have trouble getting enough air no matter how much they strive to breathe. Modern vampires trend towards impatience and finish their prey off in shorter time, often enough with a single attack, but for those who do not succumb quickly, there are a few symptoms that begin to manifest as the vampire's blood works its changes upon their body.

[Deep in thought, his mannerisms change to reflect the nature of his words, fingers drawing in before extending one by one as he counts off each symptom that comes to mind.]

They become lethargic, sleeping more often even when they are not being actively fed on. Their teeth become sharper, though at first it comes and goes. Changes in behaviour occur as their condition progresses, most notably when they are asleep or when they drop into a doze, a sort of waking-sleep at which point they become prone to wantonness or violence, depending on what stimuli are around them. It's during these moments that the sharpness of their teeth becomes more apparent.

Things of a holy nature will harm them, and those wounds will be slow to heal. However, in the moments before their natural death, wounds in general will heal with unnatural quickness.

[Having run out of fingers on the one hand to count with, he simply keeps it open for the rest.]

When they awaken as a servant vampire, their senses will have improved dramatically. Speed, strength, endurance. All these will be beyond what normal humans are capable of achieving. They develop a thirst for blood in place of hungering for flesh. Consuming normal food in general becomes troublesome for them. Their eyes will shift between their original colour and red depending on their state of mind, and when they become full-fledged vampires, masters of themselves in their own right, their eyes turn and remain red. Rather like a blazing fire, if you dare to glimpse at it.

[Not that glimpsing for long, or at all depending on the circumstance, would be all that advisable, given the vampires' talent for hypnosis. With that thought, his drops his hand to back to the bed, shifting his weight slightly forward again.]

Those are the standard things that happen, at any rate. For a successful turning, that is.