TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 13

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*Mod note: I know this graphic is super ugly, but I ran out of time to make it pretty so it’s pretty much just for function right now. Don’t @ me about it, I know.

 

A ⦿ Soaking in Your Arrival  KERPLUNK, SPLASH!  You and your familiar have been magically pulled into the world of Avalon just above the Bay's waters. After plunging into the Bay, the rush of water fills your ears and soaks into every crevice of your body. You may find it hard to find a clear spot on the surface, as surrounding you are hundreds of fairy vallela, floating like tiny sailboats on the top of the water.  These vallela will surround you and begin to push up underneath, then slowly float you about three feet above the surface of the lake and carry you gently to shore... unless you thrash around or move too much, that is. Then they’ll drop you right back in the water, so be careful!
The Lady of the Lake seems busy this time around, having cast the spell to draw in the new arrivals and bailed, but the Rent-a-Ride at the top of the cliffs seems to be the only place around to go. The shores themselves are littered with new arrivals complaining their way up a staircase carved into the walls of the White Cliffs or getting acquainted with their new familiars. There’s no railing, be careful! Should you fall, a mysterious sand hand will 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.

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B ⦿ The Caravan to Camelot

Once everyone is wrangled atop 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,” referring to a hammerspace-like wardrobe that opens to each person's inventory. It’s enchanted by Merlin to recover possessions and pets from the lake before they become waterlogged. Before Archimedes can give his usual spiel, a special voice message is sent to everyone’s brand new phones.   ``Merlin here. Welcome to Avalon! I usually don't greet newcomers like this, but I wanted to make you aware of the situation we have here in Camelot.   Refugees from places called Celliwig and Lestari are currently living in Camelot, so we're a bit tight on space. It would be great if you could find yourself roommates when you get to Camelot. The Caravan ride is a great place to get to know to people. Built-in mini bars to break the ice and all… I'm not asking you to make lifelong friends or lifelong roommates. Just until we get this situation sorted. If you do end up making lifelong friends? Great! All the better. Anyway, that's all from me. Catch you on Insta.``

The man leading the caravan rolls his eyes and just expresses “There you have it,” before getting everyone going in modernized carriages pulled by horses. These carriages use fae technology that combats weight, so your character will be able to get in regardless. The carts have a smart thermostat, the promised mini-bar, and a mystical shield to protect from bugs. Characters can use their smartphones to connect to Camelot's internet service, @avalononline (AOL), to chat with others, learn about the world, contact Camelot Support (they'll answer any questions they can for you, including how to use the phone). Just be careful-- 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. Newcomers get free inn rooms for their one night stay on the way to Camelot, containing two twin beds, a bathroom, a mini-fridge and microwave, and a TV equipped with a couple of entertaining video games and movies.   Don't want to relax in the room? Take a dip in the communal hot spring. The waters have restorative properties that help horses and travelers recover quickly. 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.

 

---

 

 

King Arthur and the Queen of the Fairies have come to an agreement- if Camelot and the otherworlders cleanse the Forest of the Felled, removing all traps and wards that were placed up by humans of the past, they will be permitted safe passage into Elphame and invited to their Winter Solstice celebrations. The path to success in this task isn’t a smooth one.

 

A ⦿ Not Seeing is Believing
	After the initial failed venture into the Forest of the Felled due to the Fachan destroying resources, a new expedition was planned. All those willing to help are welcome to come along with the party, led by King Arthur and Glewlwyd.. but the party itself isn’t quite as welcome after the tricks pulled on the naiads last time. The naiads have summoned a basilisk that is slithering up and down the river, guarding it from passers.   Thankfully, Avalon basilisks are more along the lines of Medusa snakes than instant-death. If you catch their eye, you’ll find yourself instantly paralyzed.
It’s probably a good thing that there are many people around that it’s leaving people frozen where they are instead of eating right away… but in case you haven’t charged ahead out of orders, the party will be distributing blindfolds. The snake won’t try to eat the unparalyzed but crossing a river without your vision is no easy feat—it’s recommended you find at least one or two people to hold hands with, or perhaps travel up to the Pure of Heart Bridge if you think you can make it across. There’s always the option of fighting it, but a single bite from this creature would be fatal even if you manage not to give it a glance.

 

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B ⦿ A Cure on Cloud Nine
As with any mission, there are casualties. Those who survived their encounter with the basilisk far outnumber those who don’t, but there are plenty who unfortunately fell to its paralysis. It’s up to those who didn’t to save them. Thankfully, Arthur has the greatest wizard of all time on speed dial and is able to call up a consult about what they need to make a cure for the basilisk’s paralysis. In a stroke of luck, the flower necessary to make the medicine does grow in the Forest of the Felled last he checked. It hasn’t been seen in years since the forest has been virtually inaccessible, but there’s no reason it shouldn’t still be growing there.
The flower is called a Nimbus flower. It’s short, but the petals are wide and seem to flow out like gray clouds that end in a silvery blue lining at the tip. Au natural, they are known to cause euphoria and hallucinations when touched with bare skin, so gloves are handed out to pick them to any who don’t have them already. The effects fade away when heated, so cooked and mashed into a paste is the easiest way to administer them. However, that means finding and retrieving them first… a difficult task, as it seems that the various booby traps within the forest are blocking the way. Find your way through nets, log traps, snare traps, magical rope and vine binding traps, and just about any kind of booby trap you can think of (feel free to get creative) for both magical and regular creatures and you might be able to make your way to the flower field they grow in! Only then can you return and save your allies from becoming one of the forest’s felled.

 

---

 

C ⦿ Paralysis, Paralysis, and Paralysis Again
	With the basilisk episode behind everyone, everyone is set into small groups or pairs and given a sector to patrol and clean up. For the most part it goes smoothly, save for a few curious fae who followed the party in causing mischief here and there. Ultimately, they understand that everyone is here to benefit Avalon, so they don’t cause too much harm. Everyone is able to have a smooth trip the rest of the day, though are asked to return to camp by dark for safety. After last time, who knows what else may come out at night. Everyone is provided with a thinly-stretched stew and some rustic bread for dinner. It’s after people begin to fall to sleep that things start to get unfortunate again. Most of the wards and traps are impossible to differentiate the details of, so an unwitting party accidentally released a pack of sleep-paralysis demons that had been trapped in the forest long before it became known as the Forest of the Felled.
This demon sits on a sleeping person’s chest and enters their mind, filling them with inescapable nightmares as the demon feeds off of their positive thoughts and emotions, slowly sucking out all feelings of love, happiness, and self-worth. Even if they wake up, they’ll find they are unable to move. Insomniacs and cognitive mages are going to be the best weapon against these creatures—insomniacs can attack the demons from the outside and guard cognitive mages who can dreamwalk into the sleeping victim’s dreams and convince them they’re only dreaming and to wake up. Some of the NPC insomniacs get together to perform a ritual to allow cognitive mages to cast others into dreams as well, so go quickly and help those trapped in nightmares of their own design!

 

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If you're not the type to wander off into the forest and want other ways to help, no worries! There are plenty of tasks to be done back in Camelot and the nearby areas that are much safer. Ish!

 

A ⦿ The Floor is Lava
With the city of Camelot being overcrowded still, but many things having at least been stabilized and worked out temporarily, attentions have turned to building projects to get the people of Celliwig and Lestari their own space back. Nobles have been tasked with governing townships of these refugees and creating new homes.. but to that end, people need to help create those homes first!   Various building sites near but just outside Camelot or the Celliwig ruins have been set up, but the best tactic seems to be to have crews work on them one at a time, so most people
are at the same initial one, just outside of Camelot.  Unfortunately, some idiot saw all the construction potential as a platforming opportunity and cast what can only be described as a “The Floor is Lava” spell, after the children’s game.. but much more realistic. It doesn’t seem to affect the buildings or furniture, but it’s hot as hell and people are trapped on half-built foundations because no one’s quite sure what it’ll do if you fall into it. Each building seems to have a set-up candle circle to keep the game going though, so hop from platform to platform, using furniture, beams, ropes, or anything else you can manage to get across to get to these locations, break the circle, and free buildings from the lava. And DON’T fall! (Though if you do, don’t worry- though it looks like you explode in a fiery twister to those around you, it just teleports you outside of the play area.)

 

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B ⦿ Hungry for More
	With only Camelot’s farms left in tact, there’s not quite enough food left to go around with Celliwig and Lestari refugees having mouths to feed through the winter as well. This has lead to another type of project that people have really been working toward in Camelot… creating more food.   In fact, there are a number of spells and potion recipes going around on TikTok based on experimental cloning magic.   One of the most viral videos has resulted in a potion based on the Cereus de Anima flower that uses an extract you can order online to make your own potions and “dopplegang” your food.
As with many popular TikTok trends, it’s not the best idea and has landed some people in dire need of help. #DoppleDinner is the tag to use if you’ve run into unexpected trouble using the potion:   ·        accidentally creating a temporary clone of yourself ·       accidentally creating endlessly replicating food that fills up the entire room until you can’t manage to get out of the door ·        food that seems to animate and turns around and try to eat the caster   Those seem to be some of the biggest problems this potion has created… or if you’re not caught up in the trend, you might be one of the rescuers going around to help people get out of their own doppledanger.

 

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C ⦿ Magical Flu Season
	Unfortunately, flu season happens just as much in the magic realm as it does in the regular realm. People are starting to get sick all around Camelot, especially with the more condensed population making it easier and easier to spread disease.   One such disease is the magical flu—a variation of the flu that has a rather alarming change of symptoms from the original. Headaches, chills, sweating, sniffles, and coughs? Sure. The magical flu passes up the grosser excretions though, and instead many mages find themselves excreting magic unexpectedly.
Uncontrollable, accident casting is running rampant with those infected, and it’s causing a lot of problems. The only cure is a good healer, so you’d better hope you can hold in that sneeze on the way to see a doctor… or else you might end up casting whatever magic you’ve landed with on anyone around you.

 

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• All test drive prompts are open to anyone in the game at any time to create your own logs with, as the events within are considered game canon. • This post should have top-levels by potential new characters only. Current characters may reply to any threads and may start their own logs off-post, 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 usually present on every TDM, but contain seasonal tweaks for flavor. This month's has some changes based on current events, please read carefully. 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. • If you have feedback about the layout still, click here to give it! Be constructive, mods are people too and don't appreciate rude comments.

 

Comments

Jade Leech | Twisted Wonderland

[mushroomaficionado]

Arrival

[Jade doesn't know why he's in the water, though it's fortunate that he's in his true form. Possibly a little intimidating for you, also newly arrived and valiantly swimming, or perhaps trying to.

Jade's been watching from below before he decides to be generous and actually offer a helping hand. Breaking the surface, he gives you a greeting.]

If you want, I can pull you along. After all, it is dreadfully cold in here and you wouldn't want to get hypothermia. Or drown for that matter.

[Or maybe you do. Jade won't exactly fight you on it.]


Red Springs

[It's been a lot to take in of course, but Jade is ever adaptable and by now he's adjusted. Not accepted really, but adjusted. He's just thankful that he was able to get his legs back. It would have been a horrible and embarrassing mess otherwise. No one wants to see an eel man slithering along the ground.

For now though he's been content to take in information, observing not just his surroundings but his companions. They are all strangers despite being thrust into the same situation, so naturally he wants to gauge what everyone can do.

Right now he's at the training grounds, naturally observing others and practicing here and there.
He'd managed to figure out early on that he knew healing magic, which fascinates him to no end. So here and there he's offering to use his new ability to help.

Being generous does have its advantages.]

To think I have to relearn all the basics yet again. It's truly a tragedy.

[He chuckles as he attends to whatever small scrap or burn or other mishap you suffered. Really it is a tragedy for a student from a prestigious magic school to be in this situation. All that progress has been lost in a single moment. But, there is also something exciting about starting from zero.]

A Cure on Cloud Nine

[Heading into a forest to find some really weird and potentially dangerous plant? Jade volunteered instantly. Exploring the wilderness and collecting rare flora is one of his hobbies and there's so much to see here!

Really he probably spent at least half his time staring and gawking at various critters, mushrooms and other plants, occasionally pulling out his notebook and jotting something down. It's just a shame he's not able to take back anything other than their target.]

I hope I can come here again when matters are less pressing-[He just barely notices a trip wire in time and then steps over it. That could have been bad.]

I half want to see what that does, don't you?

[Is he asking you to volunteer as tribute? How could you ever think such a thing? Does he really seem like that sort of person?

Maybe.]

Wildcard

[He's free to help out people with the magical flu and other similar things since he's going to want to play around with healing magic some more. Also from prompt A, I'm willing to have him save multiple people, though he might expect a favor later on.

Honestly I'm open to all the prompts or having people play around with the ones I already put up. Feel free to message me either on this journal, at kanetsugu or at Joy#8142 on discord if you have any questions or want a particular prompt.]

Red Spring

[dottedline]

--and if I could just leave a flyer or two here where the new arrivals might see them, that would be wonderful. I'm always looking for help, after all.

[Maybe Jade hears a familiar voice coming from inside the inn. Maybe he doesn't. Either way, Azul is hardly paying anyone any attention at all when he steps out to the training grounds to deliver the order of "energy potions" ordered not from Golden Silence but from the alchemist next door. He only agreed to help out so he could bring flyers to the inn.

God, he hates having to do all of this spreading the word and recruitment on his own.

Back to the new arrivals as he sets the box down and starts to pull out some of the bottles, he calls out:]

If you're starting to flag, there are energy drinks.

[mushroomaficionado]

[He hears Azul's voice and jolts for a moment. Of course, as he sees Azul step out, large supply of drinks or rather potions in hand, Jade decides not to immediately greet him, but to watch instead and stands outside of his view for a moment.

Oh Azul, as always working so hard. It's a relief to know that some things are constant, even in another world. He watches him for a bit, making sure to move behind him, naturally stealthy.

Eventually though, he decides to call out to him.]

I am rather parched if you don't mind...

[Time for a little surprise.]

[dottedline]

[Azul jumps and very nearly screams as he whirls around to see just who's using Jade's voice--

Oh. Jade. Jade is using Jade's voice. Jade is here. No sign of Floyd, but that doesn't mean anything, because someone else from NRC is here.

Azul may be slightly closer to tear than he'd like to admit as he just stares at Jade for a moment. He's not going to do anything stupid like get emotional, though. He's just going to stare for a moment! It's fine.]

...took you long enough, Jade.

[mushroomaficionado]

[Yes, it is definitely the same old Azul, perfect reactions and all.

And he does feel something settle in his chest a bit upon seeing Azul. Not that he was worried, of course not. It's just... a little, tiny bit lonely.

So this is a welcome sight.]

Forgive my tardiness, Azul. I hope you were not troubled too much by my absence.

[dottedline]

[Jade is an asshole and Azul missed him so much.]

Oh, I've somehow managed for nine months so far. [Nine months alone. He's hated it.] Still trying to get my new restaurant up and running properly, since the month after I opened we had dragons, but otherwise it's been...tolerable.

[mushroomaficionado]

Nine months alone? Oh dear...

[That was troubling to hear, though if anyone could have survived that, it was Azul. Crybaby that he was.]

And you have a restaurant already. But of course you do. Though not "running properly?"

[Dragons? Oh he is jealous.

But he sighs then.]

Well it is to be expected without your normal helpers. And I shall assume this means Floyd is not around if you were struggling on your own.

[That's a disappointment on so many levels.]

[dottedline]

I don't have my magic here, Jade, I have to get employees and connections the mundane way.

[So. Yeah, it's not running properly! He has no idea how to network like that, okay? And none of the quests are really meant for someone with his skillset so that route's been closed to him too.

Anyway.]

Floyd didn't come here with you?

[mushroomaficionado]

Ah yes of course. You need to actual pay them fair wages and obey labor laws now...

[Well that is no fun. And no matter how clever Azul is, he is a high school student without his henchmen.]

I have not seen him. I was hoping I would have come across him by now. Though if he is not here, I am sure he soon will be. He never leaves me alone for long.

[Floyd's clinginess is a virtue sometimes.

Though he does feel like he's being far too optimistic.]

[dottedline]

Now Jade, you know I've always obeyed labor laws. They're the messiest to get around.

[Just saying.]

Knowing Floyd, he may have just decided to nap on the bottom of the sea because swimming to the surface was too much work right now. A shame they won't let us look.

[mushroomaficionado]

[He has to tease, Azul. You know that.]

Perhaps. I am sure that when he decides to come up, he will complain about all the fun we shall have without him.

[Yes, let us just hope for the best. And honestly, he's never been one to worry over much about his brother.]

Still to think we are in such a situation together. It's exciting, isn't it?

[dottedline]

[Honestly, if Floyd's alone they should worry for whoever's with him.]

It is. Do you know what they replaced your magic with here?

[mushroomaficionado]

[The poor soul.]

Yes. Healing it seems. It's a bit surprising, but I'm interested in experimenting with it a little more.

And what of you?

[He'll be very shocked if it's not Alchemy.]

[dottedline]

Healing?

[What.]

Alchemy, naturally, as well as dark.

[mushroomaficionado]

Ah of course. As expected.

I do not know what my other ability is yet. Though I hope perhaps it is a bit more fitting.

[Though Jade the Healer does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?]

Perhaps you'd like to help me figure it out? Since you are my senior in this place?

[dottedline]

[He knows you're making fun of him, Jade.]

I don't see why not. After we get back to Camelot, though, where there's more room and less people. Unless you want to risk collateral damage, that is, which if you do please don't tell anyone you're associated with me. I can't afford the damages.

[mushroomaficionado]

How cold, Azul.

[But he nods.]

Of course. I do not wish to make a bad impression on the people around here anyways...

[That's for later.]

And I am excited to see your business. And hopefully help out, if you will have me.

[Of course, this is less an him asking to work with Azul and more just assuming he will.]

A Cure on Cloud Nine

[dothehomework]

[Satoko has been silently observing Jade's nature nerd tendencies as they continue on their little expedition. She doesn't share the interest, so it's a passive observation. But now that he's asking this question, her interest is more actively caught, for two major reasons:

1) He might be the kind of person who would volunteer other people to activate a trap for him, which is an interesting kind of person.

2) She is also a nerd. A trap nerd.]

Hmmm...

[She strikes a dramatic pose of consideration, tapping her cheek, playing up the theater of deciphering the mystery, even though her conclusion is relatively simple.]

Traditionally it would be either attached to an alarm, or to an explosive, right? No one seems to be around to hear an alarm, and if they were, they would already be thoroughly alerted to our presence. But an explosive is more of a military application. I don't know if the traps we've seen so far have been on quite that level.

So, another option is that it just wants you to trip over onto the other side, where perhaps another trap awaits you! One that would benefit from you planting face-first into the ground!

[mushroomaficionado]

[Well someone who isn't scared of these kind of things is an interesting change at least.]

Oh is it something like a pit trap then? Or a bear trap?

[He's thinking on what she said. It's a shame he can no longer just use a broom stick here. As nerve wracking as flying can be, it could be very useful.]

I merely ask because if we traverse on, we might stumble into this theoretical second part of it. But, I guess that just means we only have once choice.

[He looks around and finds a large enough rock. Taking it in hand, he carefully steps back over the trip wire and then a distance away.]

...would you like to do the honors, or shall I?

[dothehomework]

Feel free. I'm just a young lady! I'm not as equipped to toss around rocks as a gentleman such as yourself.

[She would do it just fine, but if he's offering, sure.]

My money's on a pit trap. Large enough that you might figure it out more easily, if you weren't too busy tripping on a wire before plunging into it! Go ahead, prove me right!

[She doesn't remotely know this for sure, though she figures it's a sound enough chance that it's worth calling in advance. She'll come up with a suitable mild punishment for herself if it turns out she's off-base.]

[mushroomaficionado]

Very well then. I think it might cause a tree to fall down on someone.

[But after a moment he tosses the rock forward onto the trip wire and...

A bunch of arrows whiz past and lodge themselves into a nearby tree. They're about as thick as someone's thumb and the arrows have a wicked barbs on them.]

Well it appears we were both mistaken. How unfortunate.

[He walks over to the tree and yanks on out, examining the barbs.]

My, how aggressive. They really do not want to take any chances.

[dothehomework]

Oh, my. Perhaps they really do wish to kill us after all. The wire is just a feint, then.

[Her understanding of this mysterious trap-setter—or trap-setters—is becoming more complex as she considers this. The fact that this is a potentially fatal situation does not register as surprise, although it does activate her more serious focus.]

I don't suppose you can tell if the barbs are laced with any poison?

[mushroomaficionado]

That or it could be a test of the reflexes. I mean the sound the arrows made was rather obvious.

[He looks it over. There's no magical poison or plant based poison, at least that he can tell. Which bodes well for the moment.]

It seems to be clean. I imagine they hope the barbs will be just enough.

[He's actually going to keep the arrow with him if only because he thinks it might be useful later on.]

Well then, onto the next wonderful bit of danger. Like I said, it is either a test or else we are closing in on something precious that needs to be protected.

[dothehomework]

I'll prod at the next one, since I miscalculated on this one~

[She carefully steps over to pull out one of the other arrows herself.]

Do you think the flower we're searching for is so precious?

[mushroomaficionado]

By all means. Ladies first.

[He tucks the arrow into a bag he has with him.]

It could be. Back home, such a thing would be a priceless commodity. I can't even imagine how many madol it would be to buy one.

Then again, there could be something else in this place that is just as precious. That or someone thought it would be an excellent prank.

[It's a bit too hostile though, even for him. You can't enjoy someone's reaction if they're dead after all.]