TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 3

[avalonmods]

{ QUICK NAV } Premise ⚔️️ Rules ⚔️️ FAQ ⚔️️ Taken ⚔️️ Reserves ⚔️️ Apply ⚔️️ Locations ⚔️️ Bestiary ⚔️️ Top-Levels Only ⚔️️ 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 chilly waters. After a brief plunge into the Bay, the rush of water filling your ears and soaking up into every creak and crevice of your body, you may need to cough to clear your airways when you rise above the surface. It's paralyzingly cold for a few seconds before you're approached by the Lady of the Lake beneath the water's surface. She puts a vial of a vibrant, glowing red Everwarm* potion to your character's lips. The icy water doesn't feel so icy once consumed and you'll be able to move your limbs enough to swim to shore on your own. She can't stick around to explain, she's got to get this to all the new arrivals! Many of which you'll see plopping in around you. If you can't swim, a handful of helpful ice turtles will scoop you up from beneath and drop you off at the shore. When not helping people, the turtles are going around and hitting the ice that keeps forming on the surface with their shells to keep the surface open for the falling arrivals or pushing personal items to the beach near the new arrivals they smell like (belong to). If anyone tries to ask the Lady of the Lake for directions, she will direct you to Archimedes at the Rent-a-Ride. If anyone with Animal Magic asks the turtles, they will give the full spiel, but very slowly, and they like to get off topic and gossip about other turtles you've never heard of. The shores themselves are littered with new arrivals complaining their way up a staircase carved into the walls of the White Cliffs. There is no railing, so be careful, but if you do fall, be prepared for a mysterious sand hand to reach out of the side of the cliffs to catch you. The hand will pat you atop the head twice before retreating back into the wall. This is the Cliff Beast; despite the name, he is quite friendly. B ⦿ The Caravan to Camelot 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, a pair of earbuds, and a winter cloak** to everyone before getting them settled in groups into modernized carriages pulled by horses and give 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 nip bottles. 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. Everyone needs a little fun from time to time; the locals have put together the annual Snow Games. As with all things Avalonians plan, magic plays a part in the competition. There will be three separate tiers for characters to enter. Each Tier will have its predetermined track or ring, set up and ready to go. A ⦿ Foot Races The footraces will be run on foot, competitors will be tied together in a three-legged race-style competition... except this binding is magic! The only way to end it is to cross the finish line. Along the route, racers can expect to run into minor obstacles such as snow bunnies, puddles that can’t be jumped, a flock of snowbirds giving hassle, trees that upend their own roots and move to confuse the pathway. Whatever the interruption, it will come in the form of either a small creature made of magical snow or some minor hindrance to the path. Competitors will have to use magic to overcome these obstacles. Whatever your magic class, find a way. B ⦿ Sled Races The sled races will be run on magically driven sleds requiring two drivers. Races will not run on one kind of magic alone so be sure to mingle with other classes for this competition. Whatever magic class a character is, they will be required to feed magic into the sled to keep it going; the more magic, the faster it will go. On the path, obstacles will come in the form of wholly washed out portions of the track that need to be reformed using magic to pass. Use elemental magic to flatten rocky areas or wash away debris. Larger creatures such as snow deer and moose congregate in large groups blocking the path, so an animal magic user could be useful for asking them to move... someone with cognitive magic could try their hand at a little hypnotizing a fellow newcomer with big muscles to move fallen logs for them. Healing mages could easily use buffers to support their fellow magicians with temporarily increased speed or strength. Use light magic to sneak past living obstacles, or dark users can cast a love enchantment and make a love match between two moose even though it's far from spring. There are tons more creative uses of magic to help you get through the obstacles on the sled's pathway. Find a creative way to use magic and get through the obstacle; make sure you are faster than the other guy. C ⦿ Snow Chicken Snow Chicken, Magic Vs Yeti Style... This competition will differ from the previous two; it is not a race to the finish line but instead a competition to be the last team standing! Participants will pair off and one person will climb on the shoulders of the other and try to wrestle their opponents off without getting knocked off themselves. The field is full of snow, with more coming from the sky. Your opponents will be Yeti. Try to stay on, Yeti are no slouches so teams will have to work together using their magic not only to stay put but to knock your big-footed opponents to the ground. Just... be wary, these friendly yeti are surprisingly big on hugging as a form of congratulations. It's much more challenging to escape from a yeti's embrace than it is to knock one over. Trumpets hail an announcement by the town crier in front of the castle. More than a few people pull out their phones to record it and post it to the AOL network for all to see. "Hear ye, hear ye! Our noblest of lords, King Arthur of Camelot, will host a tournament on this January the 20th on castle grounds. All are welcome to participate in competitions to determine those most skilled in both the physical and magical arts. In preparation for the upcoming tournament, we are sending envoys to Celliwig. In Celliwig lies the Magic Mirror of the South, gifted to Camelot by the Fae, and a means to communicate with their royal court at will. It is a vastly important task in your journey to become magicians and to show your good will toward the fairies. Parts of the mirror's frame have been damaged. We will need those brave of soul and pure of heart to retrieve the crystals needed to repair the mirror. Those interested, the party leaves at dawn." A ⦿ Brave of Soul The first stop on the trip to restore Celliwig's Mirror is to a cave just north of Albion's White Cliffs. No longer a part of the cliffs themselves, this outcropping goes underground and to a dank, dark cave. It is the only place which a special prismatic crystal grows. The crystal itself is hidden deep in the cave, which can only be passed by passing into a zone in which magic cannot be used. Characters will enter the cave and must face an illusion of one of their greatest fears. Those frozen in fear will pass out and wake up outside of the cave with no crystal. Those who run will find themselves turned out of the cave as well. Only those who recognize and face that fear deep in their soul will find the path forward. The fear will turn into a small light spirit, which will smile and reveal to them the crystals they seek. B ⦿ Pure of Heart The second stop is past a shanty town and at the bridge north of it. The bridge itself is broken, only the ends in existence. The water itself is impassible, white rapids sweeping away anything that steps into it. Silver crystals are on the other side of the bridge, visible in an outcropping from where they are, but it appears there is no way around as magic does not work on the bridge. The only clue as to how to get across is a plaque in the dirt before the bridge. "The pure of heart will form the bridge with a leap of faith." Since everyone has gone as a group, it will be possible to see others walking over the water once one person figures it out. Though the clue may seem challenging, it is quite straight-forward. Characters who are pure of heart will find that if they believe in themselves, they will be able to step off the bridge and hardlight will form beneath their feet to allow them to step over the water. Those with ill intentions or those who are willing to harm others to get their way will slip into the rapid waters and may need to be saved by other characters. At least you're off the bridge, so magic will work to that end. C ⦿ Celliwig, the Splendored Court As the travelers leave the bridge, they turn toward the shanty town-- wood shacks and failing farms. Not a place anyone would want to visit. Those who try to run ahead will find that it disappears as if an illusion, and they will find nothing. Those who stick with the party will wait a fair distance away until the sun sets. Once the sun begins to fall beyond the horizon, the small town will begin to shimmer brilliant whites and colors-- a glamour hiding its true glory, a city made solely of crystals and glass: Celliwig, the Splendored Court. Though smaller than Camelot, every part of the city is beautiful and glistening. The population is small and it's very quiet and serene for a city. The people of the city don't seem keen on speaking to outsiders, and will typically scatter before anyone can really engage them. They seem humanoid in nature, but not entirely human. Even the animals around the city seem to be ethereal in nature, gliding more than walking. The party is led to a hall at the center of the city-- the hall of mirrors. Those who have succeeded in obtaining crystals need to bring them and set them on a table placed before a mirror at the end of the hall, which appears to have a number of empty settings. It's unclear what happened to the mirror previously, but now it's necessary to restore it to garner the favor of the fae. Once crystals have been delivered, people will be free to explore the quiet city, but it seems most of the city is closing shop while the visitors are around. There is a restaurant that will serve visitors food, though all of the dishes are of the molecular gastronomy variety. Alcoholic drinks seem to come in vapor form and flashes of light if ordered, but seem effective nonetheless. The local general store seems to be willing to sell supplies to weary travelers as well, but that's about it. ...That said the inn doesn't seem particularly keen on allowing visitors in strangely, so you're either going to be sleeping on the iridescent streets or camping just outside the city if you prefer the soft grass and the darkness of night. Just be aware, if you leave, you won't be able to get back into this mysterious city so easily. 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. • Note that the third prompt in this TDM will have consequences on the game's progression. After the application round, a poll will be put up to see how many characters who are in the game, both new and old, are able to obtain the crystals from the Brave of Soul and Pure of Heart prompts. • The first "Arrival" prompts are present on every TDM, but may contain seasonal tweaks for flavor. All other prompts will change monthly. • Questions about this TDM's content? Comment here! If you have a question about the game at-large, please head over to the FAQ. *This Everwarm does not count toward your potion collection for those who wish to take up potion brewing. You must obtain Everwarm from the Elphame Trader's to count. **Jackets come in a variety of neutral colors, enchanted with a fit-adjustment spell that will adjust to your character's size.

Comments

Ashi | Samurai Jack

[notmymother]

[A] The Caravan to Camelot;

[The whole explanation sounds shockingly familiar and thoroughly unique at once. The frozen in time business Ashi can easily understand and the magic... well, actually, she can get that one too.

When familiars are mentioned though she has to blink a little. She should have arrived with someone else? She takes a moment then and there to look herself over before she finds something nestled into the fluff of her winter cloak near her neck.]

Oh!

[She brings out what looks to be a pretty average ladybug. Maybe it's a tiny bit bigger than any ladybug she's ever seen but not by much. It's still small enough to fit on the tip of her index finger and an unabashedly bright smile curves her lips.]

So you're my familiar then, hm? It's nice to meet you.

[In the interim where Ashi probably ought to be playing with her phone or figuring out what those little things were given along with it one can instead find her where the horses are at the front of the carts.

She's seen plenty of horses before but she's never been able to pet one. And she seems enthralled by the idea, reaching out so carefully that one couldn't be blamed for laughing at her for it just a little.]

[B] Snow Chicken;

[The game sound simple enough when it's explained in the beginning. Knock the other opponents off one another's shoulders? Ashi almost smirks at the thought.]

Sounds easy enough.

[With hands on her hips she turns a glance over the nearby crowds who've come to participate. The smile on her face is pleased to say the least.]

So which one of you wants to crush our opponents with me?

[C] Brave of Soul;

[If anyone understand restlessness it's Ashi. She's used to training at the very least, day in and day out until she's far past weary. Traveling was new but she had taken to that with equal fervor. It helped too that keeping active would keep her mind off of what she had left behind in her own time and the weight of her guilt with that.

So a request for those to help with a task seemed good enough to her. Was she brave of soul? She wasn't so sure about that. And pure of heart, well... no, she definitely wasn't that.

When they come to the caves she doesn't hesitate to venture forward. She grew up underground more or less so moving into darkness barely lit by torches or those with light magic like herself seemed to barely phase her.

It isn't until the reach a spot where the light she's conjured up just winks out of existence that Ashi looks even mildly on edge. Her expression tightens a bit and the hard lines of her body speak of one waiting for the first strike.]

Be careful. I haven't heard anything but you never know what may be down this far.

[D] Wildcard;

[Feel free to hit me up with any prompts not dropped here or anything else! Ashi will be keen on training as well as exploring. PMs are open for any questions or plotting!]

snow chicken

[prismatically]

Ohmygosh, crush them? You're making it sound super intense!

[ That being said, Stella takes that as her cue to zoom over to Ashi's side. This lady sounds serious enough that Stella's pretty sure sticking by her side is an almost guaranteed way to snag a victory here. ]

I'm in, one hundred percent!

[notmymother]

[Ashi blinks a moment, just a touch surprised.]

Do I?

[Huh. Well intensity must not be bad for this woman considering she's all in. There are a few contestants already entering and seeing them settle on each others shoulders makes the whole thing come together in Ashi's mind.

So she gives Stella a thumbs up and then kneels down.]

Hop on then and we'll show them our true strength!

[Does that sound super cheesy? Yes. Is Ashi fired up for wrestling? Definitely.]

[prismatically]

Yesssssss.

[ And... unfortunately for everybody involved... Stella's all fired up too.

She scrambles her way up onto Ashi's back and settles her hands on her shoulders, trying her best to Not immediately lose her balance. ]

How's this? I'm not too heavy, am I?

[notmymother]

[Ashi's already standing back up, using her hands to grasp hold of Stella's shins without a hint of reluctance. She cranes her head back just a little, enough so she can look back at Stella there.]

Not at all.

[And she seems to be telling the truth too because Ashi just stood right on up like this was nothing.

Stella's passion seems to do the trick for firing up Ashi's too, if it needed the help that is. Ashi herself seems pretty pumped to begin with and her voice is this level of deadly serious one shouldn't have for a simple game.]

Excellent. We shall crush them beneath our might!

[No hesitation in following the rest of the crowd. She apparently means business.]

[prismatically]

[ She's so strong! It's impossible to miss the way Stella's eyes light up and start glittering. She'd mostly gone for this lady as a partner because her confidence made it sound like she had some kind of trump card up her sleeve and Stella's starting to suspect that it might just that this lady is absolutely shredded. Which is totally fine with her.

She whoops with delight and punches the air. ]

Yeah, let's crush them! [ Exactly what you want to be hearing from your opponents, huh. ] What's our strategy?

Snow chicken

[morganknight]

And drive them before us, and hear the lamentations of their women? I'm in.

[Morgan rolls his shoulders, twists his neck, and then curls his fingers into fists. Let's do this.]

[notmymother]

[Ashi pauses a that, brows rising upward.]

I wasn't counting on anyone crying.

[Or wailing. Is that included in lamenting? Either way Ashi catches a glance of people climbing onto each other's shoulders and nods to herself.]

Alright then. Do you want to be on top or not?

[Poor phrasing? Poor phrasing.]

[morganknight]

[Don't worry. Morgan knows that no one here, especially the very attractive girls, are trying to flirt!]

I'm better off on the bottom for the sake of leverage, I think. [Not questioning her strength; since she asked, he doesn't doubt that she could heave him up and around as necessary. But with almost a foot of height on her, he knows physics favors one formation over the other.]

[notmymother]

[He has a point about leverage. This gives her an opportunity as well to use her strength for more than simply holding someone else up and maneuvering.]

That's a good plan. Well then - stand still.

[And before he can say anything she nears, takes hold of his shoulder and just more or less vaults herself up onto his shoulders. Unless he moves of course but she did tell him to stand still.]

[morganknight]

[No worries! Morgan is a student of soft martial arts, which are all about using another person's energy -- so he just flexed his legs slightly to take any shock out of the landing, then straightens back up.]

All right. You ready? Magic fired up and spirit burning bright?

[notmymother]

[Oh, the magic, right! She rests a hand nonchalantly atop the man's head as she extends her other hand out. A ball of light appears as she asks:]

You mean this?

[morganknight]

Do I mean that? [He can't tilt his head without shoving it into her abdomen, so he settles for rolling his eyes till he can catch a glimpse.] Oooh, light magic! Radiance for someone radiant!

[notmymother]

[She isn't sure what to say to that. Instead she huffs out a breath and extinguishes the light before righting herself.]

I'll take that as a 'yes'.

[More people are arriving and soon whether they like it or not they'll be pushed along with the crowd into the contestant ring.]

[morganknight]

[Shots fired, no hits detected. Morgan laughs, not in the least bit bothered, as he turns his attention forwards and towards the Yetis again.]

You blind them, I'll push 'em, then we smash into them if they're still on their feet!

[notmymother]

[She's far more excited by this idea than she has any right to be.]

Perfect.

[Already she's lighting up another ball of light in her hand. True she's not thoroughly skilled with whatever this is that this world granted her but she's had improvisation skills pushed into her too thoroughly not to be able to wing this.

She revs back like one would to throw a baseball and pitches the ball forward. To be fair she has some pretty decent aim too, pegging at least one of the Yeti as she yells.]

CHARGE!

[What is he, a horse?]

A

[picoboo]

Do you like animals?

[Pico was peeking her head out from behind one of the wagons, spying on the lady petting the horses. She was used to peeking at people through walls, but doing so from behind them seemed to work almost as well. If she was going to try to make friends with people, someone who seemed to like cute animal friends seemed like a safe bet. The other reason she's poking around outside the caravan was because she had been getting a bit... motion sick inside.]

Because I have kind of a cute little familiar, but he's sort of shy.

[notmymother]

[Ashi's gaze snaps over at the sound of the voice. She hadn't noticed the girl obviously and old fighting habits died hard. Her expression eases quickly into a slight smile though as her shoulders relax and she returns to stroking a dark hand over the horse's forehead.]

I do. I'm not familiar with a lot of them though.

[Horses she knew but there were plenty of animals that were still thoroughly new to her.]

[picoboo]

[Pico had almost ducked back behind the Caravan when she saw Ashi's gaze snap on her, but she seemed to calm down and be nice enough after she realized who or what Pico was.

She's just going to cautiously come closer, leaning her head to the side to look at the horse Ashi was petting.]

A lot of the animals I know might not even exist here, but at least I recognize horses.

[Pico reaches out to pet the the other side of the horse's head, which is a little too challenging for her because she's very short. Instead she ends up petting its neck because that's all she can reach.]

Do you know what a chipsqueek is?

[notmymother]

[A chipsqueek. Ashi pauses at that, making the horse dip it's head down in search of other attention. Thankfully Pico is there to provide, yes?]

It sounds... small?

[Maybe it's the 'squeek' in there? That sounded like something a small animal might do.]

[picoboo]

It is!

[Pico promptly removes her hat, and from underneath it, curled on top of her hair, is a tiny squirrelly looking critter.]

I haven't decided what I'm going to call mine yet, but I'm thinking maybe Mister Squeeks.

[notmymother]

[There's momentary surprise at seeing the squirrelly little creature just there under that hat all of a sudden and then Ashi gives a light laugh.]

That sounds fitting. My familiar is a lot like that too.

[And here she takes a moment to look in the fluff of her winter cape's collar before she extends a finger into it.

When she pulls her hand back there's a good-sized speck of red on her forefinger. It's pretty quickly apparent it's a just slightly larger than average ladybug.]

Brave of Soul (Nyuu)

[scarredhorns]

[A part of Nyuu's mind is regretting the decision she made to brave the cave, but at the same time, she doesn't want to keep running away from things that scare her. Still, when the light conjured by her company snuffs out, and her hainu familiar suddenly disappears, she begins to sweat despite the cold. She nods her head once to shake some sense back into herself.]

R-Right! Let's stay close.

[They don't even take that many steps before Nyuu's fear presents itself. It looks exactly like her, horns and clothes and all, except for the completely black eyes with visible veins fanning out the surrounding skin. The illusion has a malicious grin on its face as it points a finger right at Nyuu. When it speaks, it sounds like many voices speaking at once.]

You know you can't get rid of me forever. So long as you live, I live, because I am within the very blood that flows through your veins. I'm the voice of your DNA!

[Nyuu stays silent and bites at her lower lip. Seeing the DNA Voice again does unnerve her, but she's already been through this before.]

That may be, but I can choose not to listen to you, and that's exactly what I plan to do. You may have had power over Lucy for a time, but I will not make the same mistakes she did. Just go away!

[The last part comes out a bit more emotional than she intended, but it does the trick as the illusion fades away.]

[notmymother]

[While the illusion that appears doesn't catch Ashi off guard it disappearing just like that does. She'd already begun to edge towards the other woman, crouched down and trying to keep silent as she did so in the hope of not setting off the figure that looks so similar to Nyuu.

And then it vanishes just like that. Ashi blinks a moment or two with wide eyes. The vanishing strikes such a familiar chord somehow and it comes to her in a flash.

Jack. The graveyard. Those illusions. Her expression tightens now as her heart doubles in it's beat and she casts a glance over in Nyuu's direction.]

You alright?

[The emotion in Nyuu's voice... was there really a time when she never noticed that sort of thing?]

[scarredhorns]

[Nyuu sniffles, though no tears fall from her eyes. It's more from nerves. She nods.]

Y-yes. I'm just a little shaken up. This is only the second time I've seen that... that... Whatever it is.

[It claims to be her and Lucy's DNA Voice, but even Nyuu isn't entirely sure of what to make of it. All she knows is that seeing or hearing it always makes her skin go clammy with a chill down her spine.

She droops like a sad flower, tilting her chin down.]

I'm sorry. I don't mean to get upset like a child.