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

kate galloway × original × kinetic magic / bean nighe

[morns]

— soaking in your arrival.

( have you ever opened a door you knew led to perfectly hard floor and nothing else only to find yourself dropped into a lake like something out of a Saturday morning cartoon?

yeah. that was... f u n.

spluttering and shivering, Kate barely keeps her head above the surface as reflexes to tread water kick in (necessary skills, she'd scoffed as a teenager in training. when am I ever gonna be dropped in water?) and she blinks away enough water to try and look around.

the hell just happened? and who the hell is this? )

What're you— ( welp. never mind. those two words open Kate's mouth enough that the stranger can pour a foreign liquid onto her tongue and slip away before Kate gets a chance to so much as spit it out. nothing good comes from randoms dropping stuff in your mouth, right? it's probably poison, probably part of the world's most convoluted murder attempt. which, Kate isn't about to say she's made no enemies in life, but no one who would go this far to kill her. it's impractical, and more than that—

her limbs are warm again. never mind thoughts of poison, she needs to move. let's see — water, water, random dark haired woman, water, shore!

... wait what? the woman is totally unfamiliar, with long dark hair that's entirely unlike either of the officers Marc brought with him when they met, and that's another question to add to the laundry list of things she already has: why does it appear she's alone? there's no sign of Ainsworth or Marc, or either of those officers, despite the fact that they were little more than two steps behind her as she exited.

and this woman just seems to be floating in the lake, waiting, almost as though she wants Kate to move first.

dammit all. )

Oi. Let's get to the shore.

( nothing. and while Kate can keep herself above water, she's nowhere near strong enough a swimmer to drag this chick too. this is just great.

but, luckily enough, the water shifts as an ice turtle sweeps them onto its back, speeding them both to shore without any further argument and dropping them onto land with little ceremony. sorry, girls, this turtle has a lot to do today. )

The fuck is this...? ( it's mostly muttered to herself as she levels a look of frustration towards the dark haired woman who seems utterly unconcerned by the fact she's dripping wet, staring out at the lake through a thick curtain of drenched hair.

ugh. never mind them. oi, you. random person. )

You got a towel?

( Kate, at least, doesn't plan on freezing here. )

— trial and icy errors.

( while snowball fights, in and of themselves, are childish, Merlin does have a point about practicing magic and that's enough reason for Kate to dive into the fray.

it's practical. that's absolutely and totally the only reason she's doing this. it's far closer to a battle scenario than, say, sitting in a classroom learning to make things levitate with her kinetic magic. there's no fire in her eyes as she dives behind cover and her heart doesn't leap in victory as she sends a wave of snowballs towards movement and hears that satisfying ah! of someone smacked by them.

absolutely not.

and so, being as practical as she is being about this, the only proper thing to do when you dive behind a wall and find someone else hiding there is to levitate three snowballs beside your shoulder and glare at the (probable) stranger. )

This wall isn't big enough for the both of us.

( a practical person would, of course, never reference anything in such a situation. it's simply an apt comment to make when you find yourself here. )

— wildcard.

( hit me with anything else! if you wanna chat in advance, you can find me at isanghae. )

trial and icy errors

[birdflipping]

[Nero's packing up rainbow snow into a sizable ball when a stranger dives behind the same wall as him. He raises his eyebrows, not looking especially threatened by the levitating snow.]

What, are you kicking me out? Never heard of finders keepers? [He shrugs.] We can fight about it if you want, but I don't think a close-range snowball fight works so well.

[morns]

( yeah, and she found this place, so she's gonna keep it. )

Think we could make it work.

( by which she means, she could just launch these balls right here and now and toss him back into the open. which is exactly what she's going to try to do, so you might wanna dodge, Nero. )

[birdflipping]

[He saw that one coming a mile off, so he ducks, trying to grab her by the shoulder and shove his snowball down the back of her shirt. Playing fair is overrated, after all.]

[morns]

( oi, not so fast. one of the advantages of kinetic magic, and one she latched onto very quickly, is that little ability to boost the speed of movement. unfortunately for Kate, she overdoes it, nearly flattening herself into the snow as she dodges his grip.

... you saw nothing. she meant to do that. it gives her a chance to grab more snow and loosely pack it into a ball, twisting herself onto her back as she uses magic to push it (and the two copies it spontaneously produces) towards him.

she doesn't expect it to hit, not really. but if it gets him to move, it'll be good enough. perhaps the way the balls all swell as they dart through the minimal space between them will help encourage that. )

[birdflipping]

[She's good with magic, and faster than he expected, though maybe he should expect that of a fellow kinetic magic user. He ducks to the side, one snowball grazing against his arm and earning him a laugh, throwing his snowball at her face.]

Think fast!

[It's just a distraction. At the same time, Nero tries to use his own magic to shift the snow from a rooftop overhead to slide off and on to Kate.

As it turns out, this plan is way too ambitious -- or it's a sideeffect of the magical snow -- because he also drags down enough snow that it dumps a pile on his head as well, covering him in a sheet of snow.

Nailed it.]

[morns]

( it's useful magic. had it been any other school, she might have taken more time to figure out the uses of it, but kinetics? sign her the fuck up.

unfortunately, the telekinetic part is still in training, too fresh to use at the spur of the moment. like when you're about to get a faceful of snow from a thrown snowball, and she instead has to take the bait, rolling herself out of the way and, just as she's about to try to stand up—

thwack. )

Fuckin'—

( rude.

and now she's buried under several inches of snow, the chill sinking into her bones as she scrambles to dig herself out. teeth chatter as fresh air pelts her face, and there's a glower at the equally snow-drenched stranger )

B-bit much, don'tcha think?

( shudder. )

[birdflipping]

[Nero just stands there for a second, as if accepting this is just his life now. Covered in magic rainbow snow. Cold. Defeated.]

...Yup, just a little.

[He brushes it off his shoulders and out of his hair, then tips the hood of his jacket inside out to empty it of snow, casting a slight grin at her.]

What do you say-- truce?

[morns]

( now that she's not stuck in a snowdrift, and instead on her own two feet, shaking as much snow as possible off herself (a task which quickly proves to be impossible to complete, as clumps continue to cling to bits of clothing)... )

... Maybe. ( actually, maybe she has a better idea. ) Could always team up.

( but not before she lifts some of the snow behind him with her magic and pushes it at the back of his head.

sorry she's not sorry. )

[birdflipping]

[He cusses and slaps an arm to the back of his head, but it's too late, he already has snow dripping down his neck.]

Hey! The hell kind of teamwork do you call that?! [And standing there yelling instead of using the wall they'd been fighting over in the first place just makes him a target, because a snowball hits him across the side of the head from across the street. He yells back:]

HEY! Let me bitch in peace!

[Denied. He has to duck to avoid another snowball.]

[morns]

( look, she just wanted a little payback for drenching her in snow. and it paid off far greater than she could have hoped. Kate purses her lips together, but even that can't stop the amused twinkle in her eyes at the yelling and attempts at ducking.

okay. so maybe you can sometimes have fun while practicing real things, rather like every paintball game she and Ainsworth rocked while training.

(it's been a long time since they did anything like that, maybe, if she ever gets home...) )

Payback.

( obviously.

but more importantly, as she did promise to work together with this guy, she packs some snow together and sends a trio soaring in the direction of their mysterious attackers. )

What's your name, anyway?

[birdflipping]

Nero. You?

[He likewise launches some snowballs of his own, some by hand and some by magic, sending the opposition ducking for cover behind some benches.]

Looks like they can't keep up with kinetic magic.

[morns]

( well, that's good. new plan of attack forming and—

oh wait. )

Kate.

( okay, so about that plan of attack; I pack, you throw.

( it seems a sensible option right now. with one of them working on forming snowballs, they'll have a steady stream of ammo. and besides, he's closer to the edge of the wall while she remains safely ensconced behind it. )

[birdflipping]

You got it.

[Nero is less interested in throwing snowballs, though, and, uh.

--Repeats his new trick of just dragging snow off the rooftops and dumping it onto the opposition. Cheating? Probably. Hilarious now that he's not on the receiving end? Definitely.]

Oh, look. I think we win.

[morns]

( ... it worked, but now she's got two snowballs sat in front of her and a lump of snow in her hand.

...never mind that, then. )

Don't think they intend it to work like that.

( said lightly as the sounds of snow crunching underfoot crackles behind her, the failed sneaking of someone trying to get one over on them both.

Kate has one of her pre-made snowballs in the air before she even turns around, launching it towards the direction of the sound as it splits into three. )

trial and ace attorney errors?

[morganknight]

[Morgan considers this situation. For one, he's pretty sure that isn't true. For two, he's pretty sure it doesn't matter.]

Then we must fight to the death.

[Immediately, he drops into a martial arts pose that is both ridiculous and ineffective, being as he's doing it while still ducking behind the wall. But in answer to her snowballs, three of his own rise, and even gently spin around a common center over one outstretched hand. Because he has to show off.]

[And then he decides to pick up a wacky accent, too.] Ah reckon high noon's a better time for a shootout, but here we both are now...

objection sustained

[morns]

( oh, it's true. all of this will be hers.

the showboating garners a flat look, a raised brow, and the near immediate release of the snowballs hovering by her shoulder. no, she's not dignifying those with a response. not yet anyway. the pose was bad enough, the accent... that deserves a second round of snowballs, loosely formed by magic and quickly expanding as they move.

dammit. aaand they're exploding before they properly leave her space, forcing Kate to jump back and duck, a grimace visible as her hand curls into icy snow. )

Re: objection sustained

[morganknight]

[Well then. There are a few possible reactions here. First is to mercilessly return fire, either pummeling her while she's off-balance or botching himself. The second...]

[Well, she had to jump back, so Morgan just scoots forward a bit.] Yoink! All mine!

[morns]

( oh, is that how we're playing this? that declaration only makes her more determined to scoop up a handful of snow, packing it tightly, and launching it towards him.

the first wave — thanks, magic cloning? — is really a distraction for the second shot, where she skips the creation of a snowball entirely to push a stream of loose snow at him with her magic.

(you can thank Nero for that idea.) )

Not a chance.

[morganknight]

Blaaargh! [What a dignified response to getting a blast of snow to the face. Complete with flailing and sputtering! Rocking back onto his heels, Morgan returns fire blindly -- making a scooping motion with one hand that flings some snow back at her.]

[morns]

( there is no dignity in warfare, only victory or loss. thankfully for Kate, a guy tossing snow blind is not the biggest threat in the world. she dodges and steps around to his side, taking a moment to grab some snow and pack it into a ball. )

Hey.

( prod. )

Giving up yet?

[morganknight]

Wait, really? [He cracks one eye open, turning her way.] One snowball barrage and you think that's it for me? C'mon.

trial and icy errors bc i'm a basic bitch

[radianceflux]

[ Eruca's head snaps in the woman's direction when she slides next to her behind the wall. It's only a game, a treat for the newcomers to leave behind some of the worry they all doubtless have after being pulled from their homes. She should be generous, try to make allies with the woman with pink hair.

But when the woman issues that statement, that challenge, Eruca accepts with a devious grin. ]

You're right.

[ She grabs a handful of snow and flings it at her, hoping to cast something bright enough to distract the woman and make an escape. Instead, the little chunks of snow act like miniature fireworks, bursting upon contact or in midair, and turning into harmless sparks of light.

Still, Eruca takes her chance and leaps back and goes around the wall. Perhaps the woman will think she's fled farther away. In the meantime, she prepares a snowball, for another attack. ]

[morns]

( well, there's nothing saying they can't team up later. perhaps if this woman impresses her, Kate might just consider it as an option.

but for now? they battle, and Kate finds herself dazzled by the iridescent snowflakes as they burst into sparks of light inches from her face. )

... Dammit.

( she pinches the bridge of her nose and squeezes her eyes shut until the sparks force their way out of her eyes.

rude. but very effective, and now all she has to rely on is sound, but with the war waging around them, that's going to be all the more difficult. still, with the snowballs hovering at her side, she presses herself against the wall and shifts, ears perked for any tell-tale signs of crunching snow.

come out, come out, wherever you are. )

[radianceflux]

[ The sounds of the play-fights hide Eruca's heavier breathing. She hasn't exerted herself much, but her mind goes into battle mode, a lesser version of it where she's primed for training and the movement and thought it entails.

She isn't certain what more to do that make bright-bursting snowballs, though. A shield of light will harden one, but that will cause bruising. Although, perhaps that will help the healers practice?

In any case, she walks in a low crouch, like she's seen her sabertooth tiger do. It doesn't attenuate the crunch of her boots on the snow, but it makes her a smaller target. She goes around to the other side of the wall, hoping to get behind the woman with pink hair, and decides at the last minute to throw more snowball-sparks off to the side in the hopes of distracting her as Eruca throws a regular snow all at her. ]