avalaughs | TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 3

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TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 3

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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

Arrival
A-
Considering the chaotic nature of the demon world, finding reality warping around him and being plunged into a lake was not the oddest thing to happen. After the initial disorientation, Vergil quickly swam to the shore. Once there, he took stock of his surroundings. The woman that had given him the potion in the lake didn't seem to be a demon, and even if she was, he wasn't exactly in a position to fight her. Deciding to cross that bridge at a later time, he closed his eyes for a moment, reaching upward mentally attempting to pull himself to a higher point on the stairs like he had done so many times before only for... nothing to happen. This was upsetting. He attempted to will one of his Mirage Blades into being and again was met with nothing. His face turning into a grimace, he drew Yamato, slashing a cross pattern in the air expecting something but again... nothing. He couldn't even call his doppleganger or assume his demonic form, and it was all extremely angering to the son of Sparda.

As he climbed the stairs, the look on his face made it clear that it would take just the slightest provocation to start a fight. Of course as he walked, he was shadowed by what appears to be a panther with glowing lines along its body. Whether Vergil was aware of the creature following him was unclear.

B-
Vergil wasn't sure what to make of the explanation given by Archimedes regarding his place here, not that he was paying too much attention. He was still too busy fuming over the loss of his powers to process much else. That said, on the long ride back to Camelot, he found himself poking at the smartphone idly, exploring what it could do. Eventually he brought himself to the video section of the network, seemingly accidentally making and posting a video. It was a quick one, just a few seconds of him staring at his phone and poking at the screen with a bored look on his face, but that would be enough for anyone who recognized him to be amply alerted to his presence.

[Nero's just idly flicking through the network himself when he sees a face he definitely didn't expect to see. But it's gone almost as quickly, leaving him to pause for a second and squint at his phone.]

The hell?

[Still, he'll turn on his video to reply. You know. Just in case he isn't just seeing things.]

Is that Merlin guy fucking with the network again?

[As the connection is made, Vergil just blinks a few times. That... sure was Nero. His son. That he kinda abandoned... but didn't know he was abandoning. Lots of complex emotions swirl beneath the surface of his face, and he suddenly finds himself wishing to jump off a Qliphoth to escape the situation again. But, he's here, this is inescapable, he has to say something.]

...Merlin? That is how you rationalize this?

[...Nailed it.]

[Nero makes an annoyed noise, and waves the hand not holding his phone dismissively.]

Forget it, it's a long stupid story. Did you just get here?

[Vergil nods, quietly thankful that Nero is more socially adapted than he or Dante ever were.]

I did. This place is... infuriating to put it lightly.

[He glances off to the side for a second, attempting to summon a Mirage Blade again only for nothing to happen. Again. And he's annoyed. AGAIN.]

[What is he even looking at or trying to do when he's looking offscreen like that... Oh well, that's not important.]

Dante's already here. [And will probably be smug about beating Vergil to something, but Nero's trying not to think about that for now either.] Do you, uh-- wanna meet up somewhere? Where are you?

[Dante. Great. Another headache to deal with.]

I'm on the way to this 'Camelot' place that the people of this place were very insistent on everyone traveling to.

[He glances out the window, still convinced that this is a trap of some sort.]

If you know where that is, I suppose having a guide would be beneficial.

[He's trying, Nero.]

[He appreciates the effort, at least.]

I know where it is, since it's where I am now. Just chill out and tell me when you get here, and I'll come find you.

[ Credo may be somewhat disilluioned by Dante, but he still cannot bring himself to just ask, "What do you think that you're doing?" The man is still the Son of Sparda and that deserves more than a measure of respect. ]

Might I ask what you are doing, Son of Sparda?

[ Same question really, but far more polite. ]

[Vergil arches an eyebrow at that response. He's torn between 'how do you know who I am?' and 'Finally some respect' but decides to settle on something of a middle ground.]

That is a question I would like the answer to myself. ...Though I am curious as to how you know who I am.

[ Huh?

That isn't a question that he is expecting to hear. The two of them live together, so -- wait? It could not be? There certainly are a lot of thoughts that are rushing through his mind, but he decides that it would be best to just answer the question and not cause any upset. ]

I am one that has pledged his life to the Dark Knight Sparda. To not know his sons would be a sin onto itself.

Now, Dante isn’t one to pick a fight with any old damp sucker that walks down the street. Nah, he’s got standards, you see, and while Vergil doesn’t measure up to those he does qualify for a sound asskicking on basic principle, on account of their shared past. Even in its new, less murder-y form the rivalry between the two remained intact, and while their catch-up time had been tragically cut short when Dante was bamfed to Avalon, he can’t help the sudden powerful thrum within him at spying a certain grumpy Gus while Dante is in the neighborhood teaching his spicy pooch a few tricks.

Eh. It was slow going anyway.

Which is all to say that even without his usual powers Dante is only slightly winded when he catches up to his dearest brother and firmly slaps his shoulder hard enough that the Cliff Beast’s hand nervously hovers within rescuing distance of Dante’s all too welcoming welcome.

“Vergil, ya made it!”

As soon as he senses a presence nearby he glances to the side and catches a glimpse of his twin. As such he's already braced for the slap to the shoulder. His hand twitches ever so slightly and there's the click of his thumb flicking Yamato's guard. Old habits and such.

"Dante..." He says it through clenched teeth, but he doesn't do anything aggressive. After all, he is trying to turn over a new leaf, even if he realizes the damage he's caused is far from reversible.

Shadow growls a bit at Dante's gesture, something Vergil quickly silences with a hand gesture before turning his attention back to Dante. "...And just where exactly are we?"

(It looks like someone is confused on how to use a smartphone, so Harry drops in the network’s video section to help him out: sort of, kinda, maybe?!? Even Harry doesn’t know right now.)

Um, hello? Are you lost and in need of assistance or something?

(The color of the man’s hair does remind him a lot of his friend Nero, though he is currently zipping his mouth on that for now.)

[Vergil is looking away from the screen the moment the response comes through before glancing back at the screen. This is the look of a man who is simultaneously constantly on guard, but utterly bored with everything.]

"Lost" is a relative term, I suppose. What exactly is going on here anyway?

[Sorry Harry, you just got appointed expert on everything around here.]

Okay, okay: I might as well tell you what is going in this place. This place called Avalon has been calling in people from various worlds to restore both time and itself, since the whole universe has been frozen up. That’s what the locals have been telling me.

(Not the best of responses, but this is is the best he can muster up at this time.)

[Well isn't that interesting. Just a few seconds of a network post.]

What was that about?

[There's a brief moment of confusion as Vergil makes a note of Archer's hair and choice of attire, but it passes quickly. Whoever this person was, he was positive there wouldn't be any more surprises. Dante wasn't that smooth.]

Does one need a reason to figure out what a device is capable of?

I suppose not, but you can test the camera without posting onto the network.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 3

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A. HEY BRO

Such a touching family reunion...

B (Hi Mr. Nero’s Dad!)

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