avalaughs | TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 3

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TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 3

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⚔️️ 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

three-legged race

B ⦿ Sled Races

magically driven sleds

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

No worries, Alexis -- your partner was on the bottom and well-suited to it. Strong and sturdy, Morgan offered plenty of support as he charged around the field. Though his movements seemed reckless, Alexis was in perfect position to tell otherwise, since they rarely threatened to put her off-balance or spoil her aim. All psychological value!

"RRAAAAAGH!" was his battlecry, too. That might need work.

"Now this is what I'm talkin' about!"

Being a bit of a coward at heart, Alexis would certainly have skipped out on this whole thing entirely if she didn't have any powers to speak of. Fortunately, her new magic closely resembled her old powers, and it hadn't taken her long to master just enough to get her by.

Plus, there was the ray gun (it was a laser induced plasma pistol and she was very proud of it).

Together, they rampaged across the snowy field, Alexis shooting, zapping wrestling - well, she wasn't very good at wrestling, but if she could grab, she could surge - and Morgan deftly weaving in and out, helping her avoid getting walloped off her perch more than once. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to kill their opponents, but she frankly didn't care and tried her damndest to.

As for Morgan's battlecry, it was a perfectly good one as far as Alexis was concerned. Hers was more of a bloodthirsty, maniacal cackle, anyway.

Okay, this was a ton of fun -- hindered only by his continuing efforts to keep her from landing deathblows, with strategic jukes and quick dashes away from downed yetis. There was always a catch, wasn't there? But heck, he just considered this another part of the game. (A part he took very, very seriously, mind.)

"We're damn good!" he called up to her at one point, expecting that a reply would keep her from blasting heads.

"AAAHHH HA HA HA HA! Take that, ya ugly gorilla!"

This felt amazing. The power and control and the shooting to kill- well, she about felt just like herself again. For awhile, Alexis (Livewire? Ooohhhh yes, that's who she felt like.) didn't notice that her efforts at lethally disposing of the competition were being subtly thwarted: if they went down, they went down, and she wasn't worried about it if she happened to narrowly miss the exact point she was aiming for.

"Shit yeah, we are!" She called back down. It worked; in her momentary distraction, she lost interest in one of the yetis that was already defeated. Another was running away, possibly away from them, or possibly toward another team (who she also didn't care about hitting or sabotaging - as a matter of fact, she may have purposefully targeted another team or three to ensure that they were the last man standing).

"Hey, get back here! I'm gonna cook you like a Hot Pocket!"

Because she's also a bit of a lowlife, she took aim at its back and fired. Nothing happened and she gave the plasma pistol an impatient couple of thwacks on the butt. When she looked up to take aim again, however, there was a broad, towering yeti right in the middle of swinging its tree trunk of an arm down at her.

"Oh sh-"

[hope he's got a reeeeaaal good grip on her ankles! XD]

Morgan had a very good grip on her indeed. (Some of his reasons for joining this game weren't entirely pure and altruistic. He's a leg man...) And he did desperately try to dodge when the yeti took its swing.

Not much luck there.

The two of them shared the impact, at least, and though Alexis might go sagging to one side, Morgan was half-staggering and half-running thataway, trying to keep his balance, keep hold of her, and not trip over both his feet. General agility kept him going for quite a bit -- so when he did hit the ground at last, it was one side and a hand. Skidding for a few feet in the snow meant a lot of slush getting into his socks and shirt, but he DID manage to keep her upright and supported the entire way.

"You okay?"

It must have been quite a trick and quite a site, keeping her upright like he did, because Alexis' arms were flailing in wild arcs and she was attempting to kick and balance with her legs, which were restrained - hopefully Morgan didn't get a knee or a hard boot heel to the face or anything.

"Nnnghh..." She leaned over heavily and wiped her face with an arm, noting the blood smeared across her sleeve. It wasn't an unfamiliar sight, but it was one that never failed to infuriate her. After a quick shake of her head to clear the birds and stars away, she gave a low growl that sounded like "Good." Seething energy started gathering in her hands, cracking and sparking and hissing as it snaked around her arms.

"Round two."

Not to brag, but yeah. Morgan's good. He could be in pictures... it's just that his pictures are much less the elegant Bruce Lee/Ip Man sort, and far closer to the highest comedy of Jackie Chan. Especially since the side of her knee was pressing into his eye. Just gonna shift and slightly turn her back to a straight position.

"Hey, you know if you straight-up kill it, there's gonna be a huge thing about it. Might want to save that bloodlust for a state-sanctioned adventure. Besides, if you don't let it live, how can it be humiliated for its audacity?"

The thrumming, staticy feeling in the air died down slowly and there was a suspicious pause. Then she leaned so far forward that she appeared upside down and right up in his face with a displeased glower.

"You some kinda cape*?"

[*Hero]

Having expected a question like this, Morgan simply cocked an eyebrow. "Did I say, 'Halt, evildoer? Your crimes shall not go unopposed'?" (He had a particularly stupid tone of voice for that impression.) "I'm saying do the practical thing. These guys aren't worth the grief you'll get from everyone side-eying you and being suspicious of you."

He'll just... not mention that he believed strongly in not taking a life. That wasn't even necessarily a dealbreaker, when one of his closest friends had just the opposite beliefs, but a Yeti sure wasn't worth it.

She gave a snort and rolled her eyes, "They do sound like that," and sat back up. The air didn't start to fizzle again during the short pause that ensued, which was a good sign. It wasn't so much that she sure did love murderin', it was more that, whatever it was she was trying to do, she tended to obliterate anything standing in her way and didn't value life very much. The feeling of power and control was what she really enjoyed. And she could get that just knocking the ugly brutes out non-lethally. Practicality. She could appreciate that.

"Ugh, fine. I'll dial it back. But only because you're good lookin'."

"I love it when good looking people thing I'm good looking," he said with a grin. Not even lying, because she wasn't bad at all, and that energy and enthusiasm she brought was really attractive even if it was a bit... eh, let's say misguided in his eyes. "Ready to make that guy regret his life choices?"

"Don't push your luck, handsome." The air began to hum again, enough to tingle and tremble, but it wasn't the dangerous churning that it had been. It was just enough, in fact, that if she were careful and deliberate, Alexis could probably give the yetis a dose of electromagnetic illness: nausea, dizziness, confusion, and the like. She may think of it on her own, but subtlety has never been her strong suit.

"I guess he's gotta live long enough to," came the grumbled reply. "A'right, yeah," she cracked her knuckles, "let's put out some lights." And while she intended on keeping her word, she also hoped it went without saying that if one or two happened to go down too hard, well...accidents happen.

"Aww, but I wanna." Push his luck, that is, but rather than do so Morgan shifted slightly, careful not to rock the boat. Then he took off at speed, a solid grip on her lower legs giving her support and stability as he charged straight at the Yeti who'd given them grief. No better way to surprise an opponent than something crazy, right?

At that comment, the corners of Alexis' mouth pulled back in a cynical expression somewhere between a grin and a grimace and she leaned forward just enough to be looming over Morgan a bit menacingly, arms raised and ready to strike - not that he could see it. She was just considering giving Morgan a sharp little zap when he took off, so instead, he'll probably have felt a brief bodily clench (and perhaps a small, startled jolt).

It was only a moment, however, before she was riding high and spinning her plasma pistol like a revolver. As they bore down on the yeti that had whacked her in the face, Alexis stuck her fingers in her mouth and let out a shrill whistle, and as it turned in interest at the noise, the pistol snapped into position.

"Take two, Fuzzface!" And with a great big smile, she pulled the trigger.

A blast like lightning struck the yeti square in the face. It went down without any fuss, but true to her word, there was no burning smell and no singed fur. Just a simple electric shock that paralyzed its body and scrambled its synapses. It would wake up with a nasty headache and the clearest sinuses it'd ever had.

"That's for the bloody nose!" She yelled down at it. "Hey, kick it in the ribs."

If she didn't want to be flirted at, there were better ways to communicate that then making a guy's spine tingle!

"Give my partner a bloody nose, will you?" He did indeed give it a boot in the side, figuring that such a beefy burly beast could take it. But that was less important as Morgan leaned his head back to try to catch a glimpse of the girl. "You're really good with that."

Well now it wasn't necessarily that Alexis did or didn't want to be flirted with. It was more that she was unaccustomed to it, seeing as how most people were too busy running away or being turned into smoldering piles of tarry black charcoal. At least that's how it was back home. She may have to get used to being treated like a normal person here. Ugh!

"Ha!" She laughed, "Y'like that, you should see me with a full battery!" Murderous delight stretched her face as she pulled her fist back and slammed it into another yeti's face. Alexis was not strong or well trained (which was why she was leaning so heavily on her gun and her powers) but her knuckles were sharp and bony enough to leave a dent in almost anything.

"I bet I'd be shocked!" Morgan nudged the yeti out of the way with a sort of move that left it down on the ground before it even knew what hit it. "But I bet I'd get a real charge out of that!"

Look, Alexis, you opened the door. Don't blame Morgan for walking through it. (Okay, charging through it at top speed with glee.)

"Oh my Christ," she groaned, "you sound like my partner!" This time, she did reach down to the give Morgan a sharp flick/zap on the ear.

"Focus, tiger! How many more 'til we win this dumb contest?"

Morgan flinched reflexively, though heck if he actually minded. "I'm a lion! I'm a Leo! And last team standing!" So -- uh, actually only a couple yetis more. They'd been pretty darn thorough as a team, cleaning up around here.

"Oh yeah? And I'm Aries, GOD OF WAR."

Morgan may have felt a deep thrumming in the air, or maybe the effects of electromagnetic illness, like a headache, anxiety, or nausea. Whatever he felt, it was likely due to the crazy bananas girl on his shoulders gearing up for perhaps too enthusiastic an attack.

"Come'n get it, ya big buffoons!"

"The two are spelled differently!"

Before she could detonate... probably the atmosphere and end all things in combustion and declarations of questionable victory, Morgan threw out both his hands and thudded kinetic force straight into the yetis' chest. Then he quickly shoved sideways to send both toppling over, and claim the victory!

"And you're clearly a goddess, not some brute wuss of an alleged war god!"

Please stop making his head spin, Alexis. He was only keeping his shoulders and arms from shaking out of sheer tension with a lot of stubborn focus.

"Whatever!" Alexis snarled. But just as she was, in fact, about to detonate in an unfocused radius of destruction (which Morgan was probably within), the beast she'd had her eyes on was thrown backward, and the other somehow also found itself on the ground.

There was a stunned pause. She lowered her hands and looked between them and the fallen yetis a few times, absolutely sure she hadn't expelled that energy. Nevertheless, it died down as she gave a single loud, "HA!" and planted her fists on her waist. "Darn straight I am! Arright, Leo, get me down from here."

He really had to wonder if she was so high-energy because she was literally high-energy -- or vice-versa -- or if it was just a coincidence and she'd be that over-the-top if she didn't have a spark. Well, academic point, really.

Reaching up, he caught her by the waist, hefted her up off his shoulders and over his head, then set her down in front of him quite gracefully and gently. Not that he would ever just thump someone down, but he was also pretty sure she'd go for a bad kick or similar if he did.

She did go for a bad kick, and without so much as a single word of thanks or acknowledgment, but at least it was directed at one of the two final yetis on the ground.

"That'll teach you to go up against Livewire!" Then she started talking out loud to herself, "That's my name, right? Yeah. Yeah I think it is, I can never remember, it's usually just in the papers. HEY! JUDGES! We beat your stupid monsters, what's the prize?"

One of the yetis started to lift itself up, but she gave it a good zap in the head to knock it out again. "Stay down! I killed a man for an ice cream sundae and I ain't afraid of you!"

"All right, all right, c'mon, Sparky. Let's clear the field and get our just, presumably nonlethal desserts" Fearless, he reached out to catch her hand and give her a tug thataway, on the theory that she really needed a handler.

Snow Chicken

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