TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 10

[avalonmods]

{ QUICK NAV } Premise ⚔️️ Rules ⚔️️ FAQ ⚔️️ Taken ⚔️️ Reserves ⚔️️ Apply ⚔️️ Locations ⚔️️ Bestiary ⚔️️ Top-Levels Only ⚔️️ SUMMARY: New arrivals drop into the lake and have to climb up a cliff to the Rent a Ride, where they are given their device and some headphones and can retrieve their personal materials. They travel to Camelot, which is a multiple day journey, so they stop at the Red Springs along the way and stay at an inn there. A ⦿ Soaking in Your Arrival KERPLUNK, SPLASH! Regardless of what you were in the middle of, you and your familiar have been magically pulled into the world of Avalon just above the Bay's waters. After a brief plunge into the Bay, the rush of water filling your ears and soaking up into every creak and crevice of your body, you may need to cough to clear your airways when you rise above the surface. It's still chilly, but not enough that you can't manage on your own. The Lady of the Lake is swimming around under the water, helping to rescue any wayward travelers who look like they're struggling in the water. This month's helpers are giant pillow jellies, a species of jellyfish that is capable of ballooning itself at the surface to create bouncy pads for characters to hop across to the shore, should they choose or not be able to swim. They come in a variety of bioluminescent colors, but do not seem to be very talkative even to animal magic users. Those who try may find themselves being ignored, even if they hear the jellies talking amongst themselves about this and that. If anyone tries to ask the Lady of the Lake for directions, she will direct you to Archimedes at the Rent-a-Ride. The shores themselves are littered with new arrivals complaining their way up a staircase carved into the walls of the White Cliffs. There is no railing, so be careful, 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. (Though.. given how hot and muggy the weather is this first week, maybe you might want to ask him to toss you right back into the lake where the waters are still cool.) *Reminder: Your character's familiar may or may not be with your character in their initial plunge. If the familiar isn't partial to water, it may meet your character on the beach or sit atop their head while they swim. Or if they are, they might splash about and swim alongside your character. Familiars have different personalities and body specs and we leave those up to the players. B ⦿ The Caravan to Camelot Once everyone is wrangled up to the top of the White Cliffs, the handsome owner of the Rent-a-Ride, Archimedes, will distribute smart phones and a pair of ear buds and tell them to "Check the Shit Box." The "Shit Box" refers to wardrobe more formally known as the Wardrobe of Finding, a hammerspace-like wardrobe that opens to each person's items and pets when the person touches the handle. It was recently enchanted by Merlin to prevent people from having to fish their waterlogged possessions and pets out of the water with them. From there, Archimedes directs everyone to settle in groups into modernized carriages pulled by horses and gives them a basic explanation of why and how they've been brought to Avalon: The rest of the universe is frozen in time and your character has been brought here by a familiar that was able to bond with them. They'll have to learn magic to help save their own world from destruction, but first they've got to get them to Camelot. It is here that you have the first opportunity to decide who they will be in their new home. You'll have about an hour to wander around here, meet and greet, and pet the horses before it's time to go. These carriages use fae technology that combats weight, so your character will be able to get in regardless of whether they're light as a feather or weigh two tons. The carts have air conditioning when it's hot, heating when it's cold, and a mystical shield to protect from bugs. There is also a mini-bar that pops out of the console with whole coconuts filled with tropical drinks and topped with tiny umbrellas. Strawberry daiquiris, pina coladas, margaritas, mai tais, and more... all frosty and in the spirit of keeping you cool during the sunny month of August. (Naturally, virgin editions are available for the underaged.) Characters can use their smartphones to connect to Camelot's internet service, avalononline (AOL), to chat with other characters, watch dumb videos, learn about the world, contact Camelot Support (they'll answer any questions they can for you, from how to use a smart phone to where to find quests and resources to learn more about your magic). Be careful if you decide to use your phones while in the caravan-- if you don't use those earbuds and start forcing everyone to listen to your nonsense, Archimedes may make you walk. C ⦿ The Red Spring The journey from the White Cliffs to the City of Camelot is a long one, and the first evening you arrive you'll end up spending at the Red Spring, a booming resort town. Because of the volume of new arrivals and vacationers, inn rooms are assigned two-to-a-room. The rooms have two twin beds, a bathroom, a mini-fridge and microwave, and a TV equipped with a couple of entertaining video games and a few free movies. If you don't want to relax in the room, try taking a dip in the spring for another chance to meet your fellow travelers. The waters have restorative properties that help horses and travelers recover quickly when drunk. It is known to relieve stress, improve energy levels, and mildly accelerate healing. It may be a little chilly when you get out though, so make sure you don't slip rushing back indoors when you get out! The springs are also home to a large training grounds just outside town limits, where there are teachers who will teach basic magic safety and help you discover what kind of magic you have together with other new arrivals. Try target practice, obstacle courses, meditation circles, and other ways to try to figure out just what you can do... if you didn't already have an accidental discovery on the ride there. SUMMARY: The first attempt at using the mounts to travel en-masse up to fae territory is filled with problems: mandrake sprouts caused by recent murders drumming up requests to dig them up, two titanic creatures face off in the lake and catch characters in a maelstrom, and a mysterious underwater town with a strange curse being good neighbors with a last minute save... at a slight risk: becoming a merperson, naga, or cecaelian for a little while. With communications with Elphame in Celliwig disrupted by specters and Arthur temporarily decommissioned, the Hall of Mirrors is temporarily off limits for cleansing rituals. Celliwig has encouraged people to return to Camelot for the time being, which is just as well with all the newcomers flooding in. Last month's new arrivals through the old guard got an introduction to the new aquatic mounts and there are now plenty of people versed in how to handle and work with the magical alpacapies, mossatees, and deinosuchus. As scout parties head out further, there are a few problems that they've run into that need a helping hand from Camelot's otherworldly population. A ⦿ A Mandraconian Task Just as volunteers are asked to bring supplies for the journey to fae territory, a series of grisly murders involving strung up corpses appears around town (see this month's quest, "Not-So-Good Morning" for more details), and the dripping blood and fluids of these corpses seeps into the ground to give birth to strange, leafy plants that sprout leaves in all directions at once. They're small, and the locals seem weary of them, but ultimately they're breaking up pathways and making them into trip hazards... the locals recognize these plants as mandrake root, which is known in different cultures for... very different things. The mandrake root is a cursed plant that screams in a way that curdles blood enough to kill small creatures if they're too close and make a grown person go deaf. The reason anyone would pull them up however... well, their magical properties are astounding. It is said that Joan of Arc carried one in her possession to give her the power to take control of her own fate. Some religions claim that it has the ability to restore a person's fertility, and before clever manufacturers started using the name for tomatoes, Islamic tradition called the "apples of the jinn" and cause strong bouts of lust. Needless to say, a good many people are cautious about pulling them up, but more than willing to offer a fair sum of money to a newcomer who can get them out of the ground. The cause of their sprouting may be tragic, but there's no way that you're going to make it through town center with trip supplies without getting pulled aside and asked to help harvest the mandrake roots for a pretty penny... or maybe you're interested yourself. Either way, it may behoove you to practice a little magic with a friend to try to get them up. B ⦿ Clash of the Titans Finally everyone has gotten going and a mixture of brave Camelot citizens, Celliwigians, and otherworlders have headed back to Albion's White Cliffs to take off with their mounts (and partners... you're going to have to ride with someone, there aren't enough mounts for everyone to get their own!) and things are going well. It's about two days into the waters of Lake Avalon that things start to send a chill down your spine. Back on land, even for the first two days there, the weather had been hot and sunny, a beautiful summery start to August, but as the party starts to approach the southern banks of Dinas Emrys, they see a gargantuan beast run at bewildering speeds off the land and straight across the surface of the lake. The creature appears to be some kind of centipede formed of black clouds and lightning that illuminates its exoskeleton from inside of its body in deep purple and blue hues. Each of its legs kicks up a titanic wave headed straight for the party of explorers as it charges towards its target, what appears to be a tsunami wave containing a dark, shadowy figure emerging at least twenty stories above the water. The only part of it that isn't black are the blank, soulless eyes. As the lightning bug monster charges what some may recognize as an umibozu, it crashes into the tsunami wave and all three fall asunder... which is bad news for the traveling party, as the waters are now extremely choppy and lighting up with charges of the centipede's lightning. The result? As the two monsters dive down below the water, a maelstrom forms in their path and starts sucking everyone down! C ⦿ Fresh Waters Anyone who manages to escape the maelstrom will find that their mounts aren't moving forward this time around and are heading back where they came from, even with lost supplies. You may find yourself having to switch mounts with others nearby or talking to a strange beachball on the back of the alpacapie that's carrying your ass back to the White Cliffs... Or if you weren't so lucky, you may find yourself waking up on a slightly different shore. An underwater shore. An underwater town, in fact. After the initial panic of realizing that you're not drowning when you wake up settles in, you'll realize that you seem to be able to breathe underwater just fine. In fact, the real panic is probably about to start when you realize that like the fine people of this town that saved you, you've been temporarily gifted gills and a bottom lower half of either a merperson, a naga, or a cecaelia. Your caretaker, a nurse of the local town, offers the explanation that the only way to save everyone from drowning was to pull them into their territory, which is cursed to turn them all into sea monsters. Not to worry though, as long as you leave before the sun sets on the third day, you'll turn back to normal just fine. ...Though, they're not really sure when that was or if they battle is over, so you should probably find your friends and any possessions you had with you and start heading toward the surface. Not too much time to explore this strange, underwater town... especially since you don't have much practice not having legs to get you up to the surface. Don't worry, if you don't make it out in time, the Lady of the Lake will come fetch you... though perhaps not in time, so you may need to spend some time back in Camelot seeking out someone to break a curse. SUMMARY:After the recent event, people need to recover and heal. So Camelot's castle opens its doors for an open house, a swap meet and poetry battle auction, and a healing circle ritual. Arthur is injured and recovering, and news has spread on social media about it. There are lots of well-wishers and gifts being sent to the castle... enough that there's just too much for Arthur to do anything with it. He needs time to recover and rest and not be bothered, and as such declares that all those who need it shall share in the wealth and generosity of those wishing him well. The abundance (Especially from guilty Celliwigians who didn't realize what was happening right under their own noses) results in a few things happening... A ⦿ Open House Camelot's castle halls open up to all those who would like to come. Invitations are sent and a feast is prepared. A huge table with all manner of foods from different cultures is prepared. The only thing they ask is that you stay out of the wing of the castle that Arthur is resting in, as he is not available right now. Try new foods made from recipes from all around the different worlds or invite yourself to use the castle's royal public baths, remodeled from more ancient styles to include cool things like old architecture mixing with jacuzzi jets and waterfall shower rooms. There's even a water slide. It's more a water park than anything... Explore the library (except for the forbidden section, which has a very powerful magical barrier preventing entry-- even trying to tamper with it could result in your character glowing colors by their mood as punishment for messing with the magic). Those are dangerous texts in there! There's even a live show with a magician! Which sounds lame, but he's more or less showing off his skills in tricks, knife skills, and has a mean comedy routine to go with it. He's even willing to teach lucky volunteers how to escape death-defying stunts... hopefully. You may want to bring a buddy for backup. Or perhaps you're more interested in heading out to explore the rose gardens or finding a place to stay for the evening... don't worry, if you've had too much to drink or simply tired yourself out, you're welcome to stay in one of the guest rooms during this open house celebration. B ⦿ Swap Meet Not interested in exploring the castle? Well perhaps you'll enjoy the open-market bazaar that seems to have set up in the courtyard. All kinds of oddities are being exchanged in the castle courtyard and you may just find something rare.. or maybe it's a piece of crap. It's hard to tell, and the chances of getting swindled are just as high as the chances of getting an antique masterpiece. There is an auction for those willing to pay more for authenticity, but auctions in Camelot go a little bit differently... to win art, you must first prove yourself worthy of art-- all bid submissions must be performed in stanza. Haikus, rap, short poems-- all are valid, as long as they follow the rules of your chosen form of poetry and express why your bid deserves the win. The last person to falter wins their right to pay their bid, with at least 10,000G upped with each poetic rebuttal. C ⦿ Healing Circle After Party It's good to take care of yourself with a little fun, but if you're still stressed, hurt, traumatized, mildly upset, hung over, or just want to feel better about yourself, consider joining in some of the local witches and wizards in a meditative healing ritual. Step one: Gather herbs from the castle gardens. They've got all kinds, but you're looking for things like yarrow, apple blossoms, cinnamon, and lemon balm. Once you've gathered your herbs, join in the silent meditation circle with an available partner. Anyone is fine, but once you've entered the circle with someone, it's very important that you do not make any noise. Silence is important, and as you burn each of your herbs with your partner, you'll find that the smoke forms a barrier that surrounds the two of you. Put your hands together, and focus on the source of your pain. You will share your emotions with the person you're performing the spell with. They will feel everything you feel in that moment, and be able to share the burden without having to speak of or share what caused this pain. With the pain lightened, you will find that the smoke lights up and dissipates up at the top. Whether or not you choose to share with your newfound partner... well, that's up to you, but they sure are going to know how you're feeling right now, and that definitely wasn't warned about when you were asked to join the healing circle. MOD NOTES: • All test drive prompts are open to anyone in the game at any time to create your own logs with, but this post should have top-levels by potential new characters only. Current characters may reply to any threads, but should not top-level comment on this post. • If your application is accepted, you may accept TDM threads as game canon as long as both players consent. Characters may begin threading as soon as their journal is accepted to the communities. •If nothing here tickles your fancy, try one of this month's Quests for your TDM prompt. • The first "Arrival" prompts are present on every TDM, but contain seasonal tweaks for flavor. All other prompts will change monthly. • Questions about this TDM's content? Comment here! If you have a question about the game at-large, please head over to the FAQ.

Comments

[extengineer]

[Mary can read Juzo better than most, and the momentary shift in his demeanor doesn't go unnoticed. Something about what she's just said has bothered him, and it's clear from how he continues on like it didn't even happen that he has no intention of telling her what it is. She narrows her eyes briefly at him with suspicion, but otherwise elects not to pursue the source of it.

For now.]

Kind of. I admit I wasn't paying that much attention.

[Who could blame her for getting distracted by the new toys they handed her just before they started with the exposition?]

So you've been living here for two months while we were frozen back home? And now the same is true of me, I guess. [Sigh.] I'm definitely going to have to take a look at you once I'm settled in. Make sure everything still tuned up like it's supposed to be.

[Which won't bring up any uncomfortable questions at all.]

Is it just you, or is the kid here too?

[gunmettle]

[ Yeah, he definitely didn’t handle that smoothly at all. Mary is absolutely suspicious and will be even more so once she gets a look at him and notices his brand-new hardware.

Hell.

For a small mercy, she lets it slide for now. That will at least give Juzo some time to figure out how to handle all this. ]

That’s the long and short of it. Found a couple of folks to keep me runnin’ in the meantime, thankfully. I’ll have to introduce you.

[ Speaking of, he fishes a cigarette out of the case in his pocket (the one that still bears Mary’s note inside – like he’d ever get rid of it) and lights up. He takes a long drag, exhaling a cloud of smoke. ]

Just me. Only Extended around, period. No one else seems to even know the word.

[ He’s so tired of questions, Mary! So tired!! ]

[extengineer]

The only one? [Wow. Sucks to be you, Juzo.] Good thing you were able to find people to help you out, then. I look forward to meeting them. And maybe getting some tips from them on what I can do to earn a living here.

[Since her usual line of work isn't going to be a viable one here. Sucks to be her, too.

She watches him light up his cigarette and perks up as if she's just realized something.]

Oh, that reminds me.

[With a wave for him to follow, Mary leads him back around the caravan to where she's left Lefty and her half-disassembled phone. She crouches over the pile of stuff, grabs the pack of homemade cigarettes that's sitting amongst everything, and tosses it up to him.]

This was with my things in the Shit Box. In hindsight, that should have been my first clue that you were here.

[gunmettle]

I’m sure you’ll find something to do, depending on your magic.

[ It suddenly occurs to him that Mary with magic is a frightening thought. Here’s hoping she got something innocuous – he’s not sure he could handle her throwing fireballs around.

He follows where she leads, and it’s a bit of a shock to see Lefty again. Thankfully, he has his moment while Mary’s back is turned, rifling through her stuff, so he’s spared more awkward questions.

His hand snaps up to catch the tossed pack of cigs. ]

Huh. Appreciate the box lookin’ out. Also— [ his muzzle tilts downward as his gaze falls on the pile of things laid out on her vest. ] Is that your phone?

[extengineer]

I hope my magic ends up being something cool. [Like throwing fireballs around. If she has to get used to this whole fairy tale magic stuff, the least the universe can do is make it worth having.] What kind of magic did you get?

[Mary shifts her position a bit, sitting cross-legged on the ground as she starts putting her phone back together. Even with the unfamiliar technology, it's a practiced enough activity that she's still able to carry on her conversation with Juzo.]

Yeah. I had planned to pass the time before they load us all up figuring out how it's put together. But that can wait, since you're here and all.

[Lefty shuffles a bit next to her, which--since she's not currently well-grounded--creates enough static electricity to cause an arc on the motherboard. Mary frowns deeply at the scorch mark the spark leaves behind.]

Or I can render the whole thing useless. This is why chips are such a pain. [She'll take the grotesque biological parts of Extension work any day over this. With a sigh, she dumps the remaining bits into her pack and pulls her vest back on.] You think they'll give me a replacement?

[gunmettle]

[ He doesn’t really answer her question about his magic – there will be plenty of time for that on the trek to the Inn (and then the trek to Camelot City because Juzo would prefer she stayed close, even if “close” means his couch for now).

Instead, he watches her scoop up the remains of her phone with a sigh. ]

Hell, Mary. I hope so ‘cause you’re gonna need that. Can’t get two steps in this place without it.

[extengineer]

What? It's not like I destroyed it on purpose.

[Taking something apart is not the same thing as breaking it, and she'll stand by that assertion if Juzo challenges her on it.]

It's stupid of them to make us depend on something so fragile, anyway. Wait here, I'm going to go ask the big guy about it.

[She leaves her stuff at Juzo's feet while she goes and has a chat with Archimedes. It quickly becomes very clear from her body language that she doesn't like what he has to say to her, and even clearer that yelling at him isn't going to make a difference in the final result. Finally, she returns to Juzo, defeated.]

He said I have to pay for a new one.

[gunmettle]

[ That's an argument they've had before, so he's not going to go there. Not worth the headache for sure.

Off she goes to negotiate for a new one, and the more Juzo watches the conversation unfold, the more he gets a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He doesn't have to be able to hear them to know he's not gonna like this.

YEP. He doesn't like it. He heaves a put-upon sigh for the ages. ]

Right now, or when you get to the city?

[extengineer]

In the city. Said there's no shortage of places that sell them.

[She pauses, grabbing her pack off the ground and securing it onto her waist.]

Since I'm broke, can I borrow the money for one from you?

[The question is an inevitable one, and the entire reason why Juzo doesn't like the answer Mary came back with. It's going to come out of his coffers, not hers.

"Borrow" here is a euphemism for "have." Chances are, she's not going to pay him back.]

[gunmettle]

I was afraid you’d ask.

[ Dry, so very dry, but he’s not going to say no. Now that Mary’s here, he wants to be able to keep in touch with her, and getting her a phone is the best way to do that. It’s a far sight better than having to rely on landlines like they do back home. ]

C’mon then. Unless you wanna wait for the carriage.

[ Juzo probably took a fantasy Uber out here or something, because there’s no way he’s subjecting a horse to his… everything. ]

[extengineer]

[Mary grins up at him, recognizing the statement for the "yes" that it is.]

You're the best, Juzo.

Lead the way.

[As tempting as the free drinks in the caravan might be, the familiarity of her current company is a far better deal. Fantasy Uber is fine by her, since she doesn't want to subject herself to a horse's everything. She watches intently--too closely, by any decent measure--as he fiddles with his phone to hail their ride.]

I wonder if I can integrate some of technology from these things into my Extensions work. Imagine what you'd look like with a touch screen like this.

[She's kidding. Mostly.]

[gunmettle]

[ About halfway through the process of asking for an Uber home, Juzo has to hold his phone up, well out of her reach. She keeps fogging up the screen with how hard she's breathing on it. ]

Absolutely not. These things're fragile as hell. You'd be replacing it every three days.

[ Not to mention how stupid he'd look. ]

With that in mind, this is your only freebie. From here on out, you break it, you buy it.

[extengineer]

Have it your way.

["Disappointed" does not begin to describe her tone, especially as he uses the over-a-foot-and-a-half height difference between them to pull his phone out of her reach.]

And don't worry too much about that. Give me some time to figure out how to adapt my business model, and I'll be earning my keep in no time.

[gunmettle]

[ Their car - "car", it's a horseless carriage not too unlike the one she left behind, just a bit more... sedan and less minivan - is on the way, so Juzo stows his phone in his pocket for now. ]

You should know, the city's a pretty far cry from the slums. More rules to follow. Which means if you wanna poke around people's insides or lost limbs and make a living out of it, you're gonna need a business permit.

[extengineer]

Wait, seriously?

[Bullshit!]

Say who?

[gunmettle]

Says the rules. I didn't make 'em.

[ The king did? He doesn't know how monarchy works, but that's his assumption. ]

I got one.

[extengineer]

That's not a good answer, Juzo. But fine. I can just operate under yours until I get one of my own.

[Any and all possible loopholes are valid. Because this system is stupid.]

[gunmettle]

[ Wait a second... ]

Like hell! My office isn't an operating room!

[ He just moved in, she's not taking over!!! ]

[extengineer]

Then how am I supposed to earn any money in this stupid city?

[Don't be a jerk, Juzo!!

Mary has every intention of taking her complaints further, but she feels something fall against her ankle and looks down to find a phone lying on the ground next to her.]

Oh, I think you dropped your phone.

[And here he is lecturing her about her stuff. She reaches down to pick it up, although it transforms into a bug-like creature before her hand gets too close. When she starts to recoil--because what the hell--it jumps up onto her arm and starts displaying text on its screen:]

I am creature known as a mimic.

I am your familiar.

[She stands slowly, holding her arm up as she considers the information it has just provided her. Right, the big guy had said that it was a familiar that brought her here, didn't he?

Realization and delight dawn on her face. Okay, she's going to let the business permit thing go because this familiar of hers is awesome.]

Juzo, look! My familiar is a bitey phone.


(credit for the bitey phone design)

[gunmettle]

Get a job!

[ There’s also the Questboard and other such things, but he’s not going to take the time to explain that right now. They have the whole ride back and then who knows how long after to go over the finer details.

His muzzle angles down to follow her gaze at the sudden distraction, and his hand goes to his pocket – nope, his phone’s still here.

Mary isn’t the only one who jumps when the “phone” suddenly transforms. What the fuck? ]

The hell? That thing is terrifying.

[extengineer]

[The mimic hisses at Juzo in response to his hostility, which leads to Mary tapping on its "screen" a few times to get its attention.]

Hey, be nice to Juzo. He's practically family.

[And then, to Juzo:]

And you be nice to Bitey. He can understand what you're saying, and you're going to hurt his feelings.

[gunmettle]

“Bitey”?

[ The incredulity is apparent in his voice if not his face. Once again he looks over at the phone creature and back to Mary. It is disturbing, but also somehow perfect for her, in a way. ]

Is that seriously what you’re gonna name it?

[ Says the guy who’s been here two months and hasn’t named his familiar at all. ]

[extengineer]

Yes, "Bitey." Do you have a better one in mind?

[Her gaze shifts from Juzo to the clockwork bird.]

What's your familiar named?

[gunmettle]

[ The bird, in turn, looks back at her, head tilting one way and then the next. It gives Juzo a peck on the side of the head. Ting! ]

Knock it off!

[ Then, more sheepishly: ]

I, uh. Didn’t give it one.

[extengineer]

You can't criticize my name when you haven't even tried, Juzo.

[Huff!]

No wonder it keeps pecking your head like that.