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

[wolfhunted]

...that sounds nice. It's good that he lets you go fishin' with him.

[Unfortunately, Alberto's story reminds her of how her relationship with her father used to be similar, before things between them became more strained.]

Back home, I used to help me father hunt for food. But then we had to move to Ireland because he had to work for the Lord Protector, and he kept tellin' me I had to stay in town and work in the scullery at the castle instead. He says he wants me to be safe, and that work is prayer, but...

[But she knows that's not a life for her.]

[prontissimo]

“Work is prayer…?” And what’s a Lord Protector? And, uh, a— scullery?

[ He didn’t say that quite right and he knows it… oh, well. Glossing over it. He also didn’t understand, like, half of that story… But he can tell it was sad. And that empathy is clear on his face even through his confusion. And even if the concept confuses him — having your dad force you to work for any reason is shit. “Work is prayer,” his tail…! ]

[wolfhunted]

The scullery's the part of the castle where all the cookin' and cleanin' and laundry is done. And the Lord Protector's really the King of England, but he goes around callin' himself "Lord Protector" instead.

[Though Robyn has no idea what he could be protecting anyone from, when all he does is push people around.]

He's the one who said I have to work there, and Father just says we have to follow the Lord Protector's rules. My whole first day was nothin' but work, but everyone keeps sayin' that work is prayer and that it's good for you.

[In her time, it's not uncommon for kids to be put to work if they can't go to school, but that doesn't mean she has to like it.]

[prontissimo]

Eh? That's stupid. Who are you cooking and cleaning and all that for — your dad? Work's good if someone else is helping you, or you wanna help someone else — otherwise it's just... work.

[ He says it with no small amount of disdain. ]

[wolfhunted]

It's for the Lord Protector and all the soldiers who work at the castle. There are lots of women workin' in the scullery already, but they're all older than me. And doin' scullery work is all they've ever done.

[She remembers the head scullery maid saying that she was younger than Robyn was when she started work. Sometimes Robyn finds herself thinking how that's how she could end up if she continued to work there--keeping your head down and doing as you're told, but still being quietly stifled.]

But that's no life for me. There's no way I could keep doin' that every day.

[prontissimo]

Yeah, no kidding! How can those ladies live like that? You should run away. I mean, when you get back home— from here. You should run away.

[ He falters to clarify, but it bears repeating. He's clearly turned off by everything she's describing, just as much as she is, if not more so, even if he's never experienced it. Just the idea of all this sounds awful. At least his strong convictions are on her side now, though. Even if his advice is a bit, uh... extreme. ]

[wolfhunted]

I wanted to, sometimes. Even here, when I'm thinkin' about it, I still feel like I should. But...

[She can't leave her father, despite everything. She's come to realize that he's under just as much pressure as she is back home to follow the Lord Protector's rules, through she still can't understand why he's less willing to speak up about it. And even with how he's become stricter with her and less willing to do everything together like they used to, she does love him and she misses who he used to be before they moved.]

...it would be hard.

[prontissimo]

Well, yeah, but— the way you've been living is hard, too!

[ He splays his arms in exasperation, in empathy, palms out, a look of concern tugging where that relaxed smirk used to rest. He's speaking from the heart to some capacity, even if his own situation back home was far different. ]

You've got to take the chance. Even if you're leaving everything you've known behind... everything you don't know is in front of you! All you need is just one good friend, and then you just— go!

[ He slides his hand down the length of his arm, as if shooting off into the air. Just go. ]

[wolfhunted]

Well...back home, I do have Mebh.

[Maybe if she took a chance, she really could do what Alberto is advocating for. Living here has given her an even bigger taste of freedom than she thought was possible after she and her father moved...and that could be the push she needs.]

If I ever get back home, then...maybe I really could.

[prontissimo]

We will get back home! And then you and— Mebh? You and Mebh can escape everything, all of that! Maybe you two can even go see the world together, once you run away. You can go to Italy! And anywhere else! No one will tell you what to do, you can do whatever you want— you'll be free!

[ He gestures as he speaks, his energy increasing with mounting enthusiasm, a wistfulness in his tone by the end of it. It's really somewhat clear that he's either speaking from personal experience — or from a personal wish. Either way, the conviction is there, far more than most children might be encouraging other children to abandon their parents and run away to another country... ]

[wolfhunted]

...that would be nice. Bein' able to go wherever we want.

[She's not sure if they could ever leave the country by themselves, and she has a feeling Mebh doesn't even know what other countries are, but if they could just find Mebh's mother...they could all leave with the pack for somewhere they didn't have to follow the Lord Protector's rules.]

[prontissimo]

Yeah! You’ll just need a Vespa— wait, do humans in your world even have Vespas?

[ Uh-oh. His favorite conversation topic. Favorite thing in general. The answer to all his prayers. ]

[wolfhunted]

Er...no, we don't. What's a Vespa?

[Where she's from, they're still using horse-drawn carts and the only way to travel to other countries is by boat.]

[prontissimo]

[ He's giving her a slack jawed look, obviously like he'd assumed she'd just know and like he's disappointed in her that she doesn't. He regroups, though, waving his hands very gently as one might when calming someone down, mitigating a situation... ]

Okay, okay... S'fine. So you don't know about basically the greatest thing humans ever even invented, but y'know, if they haven't invented them in your world— or... Ireland... or wherever— don't worry about it! You can just take, uh— a boat. Yeah, a boat.

[wolfhunted]

Well, if they haven't been invented yet, you'll just have to tell me what they are, right?

[Robyn's not too bothered by how this Vespa thing is probably something that hasn't been made yet where she's from. She's discovered plenty of new technology since she arrived here, and even if she still doesn't understand how all of it works, she's found a lot of it interesting.]

[prontissimo]

[ If there's any hesitance or confusion before he explains, it'll be so short-lived that it's practically an act for propriety's sake. ]

Uhhh— Okay, okay. Do you know what a bike is? A bicycle?

[wolfhunted]

I think so...it's those things with two wheels, right? I've seen those around a few times since I got here.

[She's thought a few times that she wouldn't mind learning how to ride one. It looks pretty convenient.]

[prontissimo]

Okay, so, a Vespa is kind of like that— it's got two wheels and a handlebar— but it's even better than a bicycle! You don't have to pedal or anything, it's got a motor; you just sit on it, and it goes...~! Anywhere! For miles and miles and miles! It's the best. I had one back home~

[ The amazement in his voice, dazzlement in his eyes, shows all the wonderment and wanderlust that's spawned this obsession — and also that his heart still longs for one. But he's been honest with Robyn, so he stops himself from bragging after that quick blip into boastfulness, to clarify — humble himself. A rarity. ]

I mean— ...I sold it. For Luca. But I had one. It was great. We'll get another when Luca gets back. I've been saving all the money Massimo gives me for helping in the pescheria, and— ...y-yeah.

[ There's no Massimo to give him money, no money to save, and no Luca to wait for. It's just him now. He is still so fresh in this world, he has these lapses when he speaks about his life at home to strangers. But... he's quick enough to disguise it and get back on track. ]

...So you and Mebh should get one, too. If you can. Or just make one yourselves. May not go as fast, but— y'know...

[ A shrug, dismissive of himself for once. ]

[wolfhunted]

[Enthusiasm can be infectious, and it isn't long before Robyn leans in with interest in what Alberto's saying about the Vespa. A bicycle with a motor that you don't even have to pedal sounds pretty neat.

...but she can still tell that talking about it makes Alberto miss his home, and the people who live there.]

Well...maybe we can both try savin' up for one here. Or we could try buildin' one. Then you can have one ready for Luca, and I could learn how to make one so I'll know how when I see Mebh again.

[Truthfully, Robyn has no experience with building something as advanced to her as a Vespa, but if Alberto is willing to be honest with her then she wants to help.]

[prontissimo]

Yeah? For real? You in?

[ His face lights up at the suggestion. He hadn’t expected her to volunteer to make one with him. He doesn’t have the parts here like he had at home (he never had the parts at home, either, though; there was totally a toaster on one of his Vespa prototypes) and any homemade Vespa they build will pale in comparison now that he’s finally rode a real one. But the fact that he’s rode a real one now just bolsters his knowledge, right? He puts one hand on his hip, shifting his weight comfortably to the side again, waving his other hand loosely at her as he talks, always so animated and expressive. ]

We’d need to find the parts, buuut— I’m practically an expert. So it’s fine. I’ll teach you everything you need to know! All about Vespas, Polaroids, and cooking pasta! Deal?

[ He’s grinning, self-satisfied but eager and excited, with strong eye contact. He takes a step closer to her and extends his arm out, palm down, mimicking that cute hand-in human gesture Giulia had taught them when he and Luca joined her team for the race. He doesn’t know if Robyn knows this gesture, but if she doesn’t… he’ll teach her that, too! ]