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

[theskyaccepts]

Oh! Uh...Tsuna. Tsunayoshi Sawada.

But most people call me Tsuna.

[prontissimo]

Okay, then, Tsuna— piacere. You can swim, uh, more or less now, right? Then let's go meet the weird sea monsters, eh?

[ He flashes him a convincing grin, sharp teeth and glowing green eyes hopefully lending to the charm, although this kid definitely reads "human" despite his fish tail, and seems to be kind of nebbishy... maybe he just needs a good guide, like Luca did at first. ]

We're in this together now, sooo— just follow my lead, got it? Andiamo~

[ And with that, does an unnecessarily showy little flip in the water and darts off downward again, glancing over his shoulder to make sure he's being followed. For extra encouragement, he waves Tsuna along and calls back to him after a moment, voice trilled with lighthearted laughter. ]

C'mon, Tsuna, forza! You're doing great at this sea monster-ing stuff so far, keep going!

[ At least he's nice, even if... pushy and confusing... ]

[theskyaccepts]

[Tsuna follows, at a slower pace but enough that he's got something of the basics down. Everything has just moved a little too fast for him, and he's trying to catch up and swim at the same time. It's not the most coordinated.]

Yeah, yeah, I'm coming.

feel free to write sea monster NPCs as you please!!! winging it!

[prontissimo]

[ The scene below really does look like some strange, otherworldly, but quite simple farmers at work, the closer they get. The kelp grows tall, waving in the water, almost like a little forest. As they draw quite near, a naga farmer is approaching, but turns around when a mermaid calls to him, and they strike up friendly conversation there on the edge of the patch, the naga holding an odd sickle in his hands, the mermaid carrying a large basket of live crabs. Alberto slows suddenly, so that he and Tsuna are level, seeing this as a golden opportunity, then turns to Tsuna with a knowing look and one webbed, clawed finger placed over his mouth to silently tell him to keep quiet... Then, Alberto takes the poor boy's wrist again, and darts inside the kelp, dragging Tsuna along with him at full speed, going into hiding, and watching the native sea monsters carefully from within. The sudden motion and bubbles catches the pair's attention, and they both look on at the boys' absence, though completely miss the fact that there is anyone hiding in their crops.

Oh, boy. From the start, this seems... bad... Bad idea... ]

[theskyaccepts]

[Tsuna pauses, taking in the view and looking around. He hadn't really imagined a place like this existing before. It's really like something out of a book, and he wouldn't mind exploring more before he's pulled into the kelp.

He winces as it brushes against his face and arms in a slimy, uncomfortable way.]

What are we doing?

[prontissimo]

Shhh...!

[ Alberto scolds, a wry smirk growing on his face, then beckons Tsuna further in once he sees the farmers take off in the direction the boys had come. He waves Tsuna along then to exit the kelp a ways down, entering the path and heading toward the little village in the distance. The farmers are far enough behind them now to be out of earshot and distracted by their search; Alberto even checks over his shoulder to see they've returned to work without much further question, not even noticing the boys snuck in through their field. Success. He relaxes right away then, swimming along comfortably as if strolling down a lane, like it's the most natural thing in the world, feigning confidence — but it's not really that much of an act. It really does seem like he's familiar with this place, even though it's entirely foreign to him in reality. ]

C'mon, Tsuna~ I wanna check out the sea monster village! If they saw us, they'd definitely stop us to ask questions. We're strangers here — and kids. In a place like this, everyone probably knows everyone, heh... Typical sea monster town~ ...Oooh, look, I see some homes! I just wanna see — real quick! Just follow my lead, okay?

[ None of that is comforting. He swims a little faster, tail whipping fluidly, as they reach a pocket of apparent dwellings, little more than a few caves, some hiding spots tucked away behind large rocks, some vaguely constructed little dwellings made from what seem to be firm mud bricks, not unlike igloos. It's interesting for Alberto to see the difference between homes in the bottom of a lake versus homes in the bottom of the sea. Definitely strange to him. He's gawking all over, an enchanted, wide-eyed smile stuck on his face now. How's he so brazen and at ease? He doesn't seem to be from here, from what he says, but... acts like he knows exactly what he's doing. ]

[theskyaccepts]

[In Tsuna's experience, someone saying "follow my lead" has never led to anything good. It usually just leads to trouble, or worse.]

Is it really so bad if we're caught? We can just say we're from out of town.

What do you even want to see?

[Begrudgingly, he follows.]

[prontissimo]

I dunno! I just wanna see how sea monsters live here, I guess. Or, uh— what, lake monsters, I guess? Hah...!

[ He just has a gut feeling they won't take kindly to outsiders, because, well... he knows what sea monsters back home are like. They don't trust land monsters. And this kid definitely screams "human" to Alberto, somehow. He continues gawking and smiling as he makes lighthearted chit-chat, swimming along at a much more comfortable pace now. ]

So! What are sea monsters like where you're from? Where're you from, anyway, eh, ragazzo? Do they even have sea monsters there?

[ Not that you'd know it, Alberto, come on... You've never left Liguria. ]

[theskyaccepts]

Hiee...I. I don't think so? I haven't heard anything around Namimori about stuff like that...

[The closest they probably get is Dino's pet turtle, Enzio. And even then...that more just getting water on Enzio.

Weird question though.]

They're mostly just in like...books and movies and stuff like that.

[prontissimo]

Woah, movies? About sea monsters? Like, uh— scary movies?

[ He'd seen posters for scary movies about sea monsters at the cinema in Portorosso, but maybe it's different elsewhere... He's so curious about other places now that he's been spirited away, even more than he ever was before. Which is saying something. ]

[theskyaccepts]

Uh...I guess? I haven't really seen any of them.

[Because if they are scary, he's not going to go. And he hasn't really had time for movies anyway.]

[prontissimo]

Oh. So it's not like— a cool movie about sea monsters. Like Marcello Mastroianni plays a sea monster or something. Hmph.

[ He'd pay money he does. not. have! to see a suave leading star sea monster character on the silver screen. A sea monster protagonist who's an admirable, charming ladysman and not a scary monster villain all the humans are fighting against. That's what he'd like to see. Especially if it were Marcello Mastroianni! But he's not gonna get into all that. He points ahead, deviating again, with a mirthless little chuckle. ]

Heh— look... A fishherd.

[ And indeed, there's some naga up there, probably about their age in fact if Alberto can judge by the looks of it, with a staff like a shepherd might carry but... ushering a school of fish ahead. As if they were sheep. ]

My best friend back home was a farm boy, too, hehe~

[ Vague enough to be left up to interpretation whether that was under the sea or on land, though. ]

[theskyaccepts]

[Admittedly, Tsuna has lost the thread of this conversation, with so many things happening at once. He doesn't even know who Marcello Mastroianni is. Granted, he probably doesn't know many Japanese celebrities in general, so Italian ones are right out.

But he has to smile as the school of fish goes by. Even if it's not a job he expected here.]

What did he farm?

[prontissimo]

Goatfish— Iii meeeaaan... Goats. Goats.

[ Whooooooops. ]

[theskyaccepts]

[Look, Tsuna's seen enough weird shit that he'd probably believe it.]

Oh, So you must have lived in a pretty rural area, huh? I'd never really left my hometown.

[prontissimo]

[ Alberto sighs quietly to himself that Tsuna accepted that lie at face value. ]

Really? I've been all over~

[ He pauses, then lets out a short, sheepish chuckle in spite of himself. ]

I mean, heh— not all over... But I wanna go all over! Back home, me and my best friend — Luca, the uh, goatherd kid — we're gonna get a Vespa and go travel the whole world together...! It'll be great~! ...He's just gotta finish school first.

[ And he's only just begun. How long does school even take? Alberto's not sure, really. But as far as he's concerned, their dreams have just been postponed. It'll happen someday... probably. There is the vaguest melancholy hint to his voice as he mentions Luca's schooling, though. Clearly a tentative dream — if not outright simply a pipe dream by now. ]

[theskyaccepts]

A vespa? Really?

[That sounds pretty cool, if he's being honest. Though, ever practical, he wonders if a vespa can do the trick. It's a bit world and a vespa is kind of small.]

It sounds like a nice dream to have.

[prontissimo]

Yeah, haha! That's the dream, for sure~ We bought a Vespa once already, actually, but I, uh— Heh, I sold it, behind his back, and bought him a train ticket to a city far away instead, so he could go live with our friend and her mom and go to school... That's his dream. But! Once he's done! Then we're gonna go on all the adventures, and do our dream together!

[ There's a hint of melancholy in his voice, even if he disguises it with mirthless laughter and an ending energy boost to save his case. But it's clear that Alberto made a very hard choice in surprising his friend with such an opportunity... surprisingly selfless, for how pushy and cocky and frankly inconsiderate this kid has been so far. Maybe he's nicer than he seems — not that he seems mean, exactly, just a little... obnoxious. But even though he doesn't mention going to school himself, it must be profound, after all, for a farm boy to move to a big city far away to pursue an education. That Alberto can appreciate that dream enough to sacrifice his own to make it happen for his friend... that's profound, too. ]

[theskyaccepts]

Wow...that was really nice of you.

[Honestly, with how fast everything's been moving here, Tsuna is impressed.]

I'm sure it'll be a lot of fun when you get to do it.