avalonmods (
avalonmods) wrote in
avalaughs2020-11-30 11:58 pm
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TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 2
![]() Premise ⚔️️ Rules ⚔️️ FAQ ⚔️️ Taken ⚔️️ Reserves ⚔️️ Apply ⚔️️ Locations ⚔️️ Bestiary ![]() A ⦿ Soaking in Your Arrival
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
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, C ⦿ The Red Spring
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! 😉 -MerlinThose 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: 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
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."
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
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. |





Oh no. Is he in trouble for yelling at the not-boyfriend down the page?
“If I were out here for the sake of practising, I would have devised something more rigorous for a training regimen.” That being said, he allows the mussel to drop into his palm. “They’re not letting anyone go in on their own. It’s not safe to go alone.” The last sentence is spoken in a mocking sigh, the boy mimicking the perspective of one person who had said as much. Yet his eyes, storm-blue even in the darkness, soon flick to the sword at the other man’s belt.
“…Or did they tell you something different?” Being that he’s obviously armed. And older. Or at least older-looking.
people shout at the not-boyfriend all the time, tbh. he understands. he does it sometime too.
He sounds a little amused but not condescending. More...gently teasing. Testing out the waters to see what sort of person he was dealing with.
He shrugged. "I haven't asked yet." But he also wouldn't have tried given how little he knows about this place. Still he gives this...well. Not quite a child. Certainly when he had been around that age he hadn't appreciated being treated like a child.
He didn't miss the look the boy shot at his sword but pretended he didn't notice.
"Did they specify how many people there needed to be? If not between you and me, I think we count as not being alone." He paused, as if it only occurred to him after a moment of thought that there was something he'd forgotten, "if you'd be amenable, of course."
Good, good. Maybe he will learn something.
"...I don't mind. I'll go with you if you haven't gone yet." He supposes he might even escort others if they haven't gone, given how important the ritual is supposed to be for generating magic.
"It's a minimum of two, though I think it's possible to have more."
Not-boyfriend's bestfriend's been shouting at him for 20+ years. No lessons have been learned so far
He doesn't laugh but his smile did quirk up just a little more, a subtle change that could be easily lost in the darkness. "Then, I'll put my safety in your hands."
Though he could fight well he prefers to act humble and low-key.
"I doubt it will be easy to find another companion at this hour." But he paused, "did your familiar come with you?"
Well he does seem to be part deaf...
He lets out a breath, the tension of irritability melting away. "It's right over here," he replies, tone mildly amused as he points to the dark pool of shadow that stretches behind him.. a shadow which seems to shift as the elongated muzzle of the Black Dog lying inside it lifts, eyes like burning coals opening in the darkness.
and then he pretends to be completely deaf when ppl are saying things he doesn't want to here...XD;;
Regardless, looking down on him seemed like a waste of energy and time.
Besides which, he was only eleven when he'd been chased down by wolves and only fourteen when he'd killed a fully grown Man-Tribe soldier. There was no saying what young people were capable of when push came to shove.
He turned his head to look where he was pointing and, oh.
He didn't look scared or surprised. Rather he looks a little interested. "What sort of creature is that? Does he have any unusual abilities?"
Play along! Grab his ear and yell in it.
"They're called by other names depending on where you go, but they're apparitions that are usually seen at night. Most of them are dangerous. Deadly, even, able to take on and control their physical form to strike at whoever they hunt." Whoever, he says, and not whatever; Black Dogs are known to target humans.
The youth glances over his shoulder, looking at the creature properly. "This one seems a lot more docile than the one I know." Perhaps it's one of the good ones? He's still not quite sure how he feels about being paired up with it though.
akjhdfjkasfh he couldn't do that!
How fascinating. He wonders if this young man had used magic before?
"The skills that normally make them a danger would also make them a a useful ally." He says as if it were perfectly normal to make an ally out of a man eating beast...though, to be fair, the Northern Man Tribe often trained wolves to do their bidding. Was this really so different? Though perhaps, the fact that he wasn't disturbed at all was itself strange.
He was mostly focused on the creature as he brought a hand up to his chin. "Is this one any of the variants you've met before?
Meanwhile, in the air, there's the sound of wing beats before a medium sized grey-white creature landed near them. Its head resembled an Eastern dragon with two antlers and its body a lion's with a tail that split at the end into two. She immediately bared her teeth in a low growl.
Chang Geng looked mildly surprised before he remembered...
Right. Pixiu were sensitive to the presence of dark creatures.
He huffed a short laugh and petted her on her head. "Like this, I wonder if we technically count as four?"
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Accustomed to more hostile environments, Walter's focus hones in on the airborne company, his posture tensing; the ears of the Black Dog perk up, and both watch, alert, as the creature lands. Fortunately, it quickly becomes clear that whatever it is, it is the familiar of their present company, so neither move to attack. Less fortunately, however, the Black Dog seems to take offence at being growled at. The shaggy-maned spirit rises to its feet, and it is large — larger than any domestic breed of dog, though for the moment it is still noticeably shorter than Walter himself, who presently stands at slightly under five and one half feet in height. The growl offered in its direction is answered with a growl of its own, its head dipping forward as it stares the other familiar down.
Walter, for his part, stretches his arm out to his side in a clear signal for it to hold off. The other fellow is soothing his companion, so it's only right that he does not allow his familiar to re-escalate the situation.
"...Four souls, or more, if your friend is an amalgamation of more than one." It seems to have parts of different animals incorporated into it, so it wouldn't be a surprise to Walter if it did have more than one.
"I've never seen a creature like that before. What is it?"
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The pixiu still looked wary but leaned into the petting and seemed to calm down a little. "Behave." He said to her firmly.
If he had less control over his expression and reaction he may have laughed. It was true that if they were counting souls they were more than four, but the one with the extra soul certainly wasn't his familiar.
He shakes his head. "I don't think she has more than one soul." Though he wondered, idly, does his body contain two souls? "She's a pixiu, an auspicious creature that is considered to be a child of dragons." Hence, the head...though perhaps those not familiar with Eastern dragons may not recognize the resemblance. "Statues of them are often placed in the home to improve luck related to wealth. They also keep away misfortune." He looked down at the pixiu. "And like you, I had never seen one in the flesh before."
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In the end, it doesn't really matter.
Regardless, it is thought-provoking to see another creature he is unfamiliar with in such a short period of time. So this is what a pixiu is.
"...How can you tell she's a girl?" he asks, his arm still firmly between the two familiars. He hasn't even tried to discern the sex of his yet, and given the length of its shaggy coat it is somewhat hard to tell without the creature rolling over onto its back. All he can really tell is that it's not a female that appears to have nursed young.
At least it appears to be settling down, moving to sit back on its haunches instead of looking just about ready for a fight. It's still staring though.
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There were also minor differences between their roles, but that wasn't as important.
He looked down at the pixiu again and laughed a little to himself. "Though I suppose...there's no saying that the myths were correct. Still, she doesn't seem to mind so I assume it's fine."
Is it alright if I tag on your top-level, too? I have an idea in mind for prompt iii!
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."
Absolutely! I'm loving this CR and I'm happy for more!
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.
Huzzah! I shall do so tonight!
"...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.
\o/
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."
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"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."
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"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."
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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."
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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."
1/3
There's a strange feeling in his chest at the thought. A fluttery sort of unease. But it is... touching, nevertheless.
2/3
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.
3/3
"...Walter C. Dornez."
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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.
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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?"
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I should probably ask, do you want to make our TDM threads game canon?
Absolutely!
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