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

"What? Oh, I can come back to this at any time."

He sets his notebook down and hops to his feet, dusting his pants off. He strides over his organized mess and holds an outstretched hand to his new roommate.

"The name's Darin Altway, Master Blacksmith. Pleasure t'meet you, friend!"

Bro, no. No bro take a hint.

He didn't take the hint. Ssssiigh. Okay, fine, Zel can deal with being at least a little bit social for a while. He takes Darin's outstretched hand and gives it a firm shake.

"Zelgadis," he says simply. He's about to leave it at that, but Darin did manage to say something that was actually interesting.

"A blacksmith, you say?"

"Master Blacksmith," he corrects.

"There's a distinction. And at only a humble twenty four years of age, I'm the youngest in the guild to achieve the honor."

Honestly, this sounds like gloating and it absolutely is. But Darin knows he more than has the skills to back it up. But enough of that, his foot was in the metaphorical door.

"Why? You in the market for something, friend? Need something looked at? I've got my tools."

Zelgadis snorts softly, completely unimpressed. Darin can call himself a master blacksmith all he wants, but until Zel sees it in action, this guy could just be bragging for all he knows.

"Even if I was, I'm afraid I have no way of paying you right now. Unless you want another one of these things, anyway."

He fishes his smartphone out of his pocket and holds it up to inspect. "I take it you've never seen one of these before either?"

"Unfortunately, no. My world is pretty similar to this one but we don't have any technology like that where I'm from. I've been trying to figure out what type of mana crystals power these things but I haven't found anything that even looks like a crystal..."

He folds his arms in frustration.

"...Listen, if you've got some gear that needs servicing, I don't mind doing it for free. Any blacksmith worth his hammer wouldn't send someone out into an unknown world with unmaintained gear. I'm not in the business of letting people get killed if I could have shored up their equipment."

"That's awfully kind of you. My gear should be fine as it is, but I appreciate the offer."

Note to self: This guy is a total goody goody and will fix shit for free. Zelgadis makes sure to take good care of his equipment, buuut you never know when you might need to take advantage of a free blacksmith.

"You mentioned something called a mana crystal? Some sort of power source, I take it."

Darin unceremoniously drops himself on one of the beds as the conversation continues.

"Yeah. A lot of things in my world are powered by them. Basically, mana flows freely throughout my world and often times manifests as concentrated sources of elemental power called 'mana crystals'. Depending on what you're looking to build or power, certain combinations of the four core elements can be used through their crystals to create the desire effect. Street lamps use a combination of fire and wind mana crystals to produce electricity and so on. It's nothing like here."

Noticing that his roommate hasn't taken to making himself comfortable, Darin's eyebrow arches.

"Don't mind me, you know. Make yourself at home. Zelgadis, right?"

Most of that makes sense to Zelgadis. It may not be the way things work in his world, but the concept of concentrated mana isn't too hard to wrap his mind around. Electricity is a new word, though, but before he gets around to asking about it, Darin's caught on to the fact that Zelgadis is acting maybe a little unnatural.

"That's right. I'm fine, don't concern yourself with me."

He shifts juuust a little uncomfortably, turning his attention to his hands where he manages to conjure up a small flame. You bet your ass it's an attempt at a distraction, but shh. Look at the fire, not at the guy in the hood.

Well, congratulations, Zel. It worked.

"Whoa!"

Darin literally leans forward so hard he falls off of his bed, closing the distance on all fours.

"You're a fire mage?! I thought magic worked differently or something here!"

Oh good, it's like a dumber, bluer Gourry. This is fine, Zelgadis is more than used to dealing with this kind of person.

"I can't speak for wherever you're from, but the magic here definitely works differently than it did where I'm from. Back home, it was necessary to call upon the power of another being or force to cast a spell, there were different chants and incantations for different kinds of magic. From what I understand of the magic here, this magic is coming directly from me, and it has something to do with this thing."

He motions over his shoulder at the little dragon that's curled up on his pillow. He doesn't really get the whole familiar bond thing yet, but that's fine.

"As for my magic, I can do a lot more than just manipulate fire. Or, at least I could back home. I specialize in shamanism, but since magic is so different here, it may take a little time before I've gotten back to my full potential."

And hey, he's actually saying things now. Looks like all he needed to open up a bit was the chance to nerd out about magic.

"What, like a god?"

Darin mulls the idea over in his head, crossing his arms over his chest and visibly stewing on the idea.

"Nope. Don't like that. I mean, drawing power from someone else is a two-way street isn't it? Nothing like that comes free and beings like that like to collect at the worst possible times. Which is why I'm not really into this whole 'familiar' situation."

Conspicuously, Darin's familiar is nowhere to be seen. Though he spares a begrudging glance under his own bed, implying it might be there.

"Shamanism though...I've heard of something similar on my world. Most people would turn their nose up at it but I always thought it was interesting."

Oh, well shit, that was actually pretty intelligent way to look at it. Maybe this guy is less idiot and more aaaaaaaaaahh... excitable puppy dork? Ah well.

"That's... certainly a safer way to approach everything. That was just the way magic worked back home, and typically there weren't any issues with it. I fully admit that I'm not sure how this familiar business works, but..."

But Zelgadis isn't known for taking the safe options. He's absolutely going to pour himself into his magic learnings regardless of the risks, and he knows it.

"Now, shamanism where I'm from comes in a few different types. There's astral shamanism, which calls on power from the astral plane, and then there's your elemental based shamanism. Pretty self explanatory. What is it like where your from?"

As Zel launches into an explanation, Darin leans over and collects his notebook, opening to a new page, and starts scribbling notes.

"So...your world has multiple planes too? And you can just...draw power from them if you're trained properly? Are there any laws? Conservation of energy? If you're taking power from the Astral or Elemental planes, does it just replenish naturally? How many people can draw from the same plane at a time?"

He pauses in his notetaking to sheepishly rub the back of his head.

"...Sorry. To be truthful, when I was a kid, I wanted to be a mage more than anything. I've always been fascinated by it."

Well, shit, Zel can't really be annoyed at a guy who just wants to learn stuff. At least, not in this moment. To be honest, he's maybe a bit flattered that Darin is apparently so interested in what he's saying that he's writing it down. Not that he'd ever admit it.

Anyway, he finally snuffs out that flame and leans forward with his elbows on his knees. This isn't so bad, maybe he can actually relax a bit.

"No need to apologize, I can understand that sort of enthusiasm. From what I've heard of this place, it seems like anyone who wants to is able to use magic. Before I go getting your hopes up, though, was there a specific reason that you weren't able to become a mage, or was becoming a blacksmith just something that became more appealing as you got older?"

Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Darin leans back so he's propped up by the side of the bed.

"No mana" he admits as he crosses his arms behind his head.

Realizing that likely doesn't mean anything to someone obviously not from his world, he decides to clarify.

"Remember how I said my world was rich in mana? That it generally flowed through all things? Well...I guess that's not entirely accurate. Most people in my world can learn magic and most often go on to go to big academies to train up their skills. But there's a portion of the population whose mana concentration just...isn't enough to train them. Kids are tested at a young age to see if they have enough mana to train and also what elemental affinity they have. When I was tested with my brother, we turned up bone dry. We didn't even have any traceable mana, let alone enough to train."

He shrugs.

"Taking up the hammer came later after I got adopted."

"I see. By the sounds of things, the rules of magic work differently here, so it could be possible that you'd be able to learn how to use it. Of course, you'd have to be willing to cooperate with your familiar in order to harness any new magical abilities, but it sounds like you're not interested in that."

Again, Zel is completely on board with squeezing all the magic juice out of his familiar that he can, but after the bizarre life that he's had, he can also fully understand why someone wouldn't be willing to take those kinds of risks. If he hadn't been so power hungry when he was younger, he probably wouldn't have ended up as a chimera, after all.

After going silent for a few seconds, Zelgadis speaks up again, fixing Darin with a stern look. Or, as stern as he can with his face half covered.

"Would you be satisfied with that? With passing up this kind of opportunity, assuming that it is possible?"

"Yeah, about that. I'd sure like to speak to someone in customer service about who assigns what kind of familiar to whom" Darin retorts dryly.

Zel might see something shift under Darin's bed. And if he doesn't see it clearly, he can definitely hear something chittering and skittering. It sounds awful.

But something about Zel's question, or rather the nature of his tone, catches him off guard. Normally, he'd counter with his usual bluster; that he's crafted himself into someone who doesn't need magic to be successful.

But that person also had super strength and could shrug off injuries that most would have to go to a hospital for. So, his green eyes lock Zelgadis' gaze.

"I'm...I'd be lying if I said I could just continue on like this. I'm not keen on 'borrowing power' from things I don't exactly understand but...well."

He pauses.

"I'm don't stagnate. If I gotta learn magic to survive, then I'll learn magic to survive. That's all there is to it."

Oh, he hears it all right. He hears it and he sees that shifting, and he may subtly be reaching for his sword. Y'know. Just in case it's a giant cockroach or something. Well, okay, maybe he'll actually save reaching for his sword for after this unexpectedly deep conversation wraps up.

Zelgadis is silent while Darin speaks, remains silent for a few moments after while he turns everything over in his head. He's already determined that this guy is most likely a pretty upstanding dude, but even the most well meaning of people can slip up if they're getting involved in things they don't quite understand.

"If this truly is the path you wish to follow, then I have a word of advice; don't get greedy. A desire for more power, even if it is simply for survival, can be dangerous if it's not kept in check."

Of course, he's speaking from experience, which may or may not be obvious.

At that, despite the weight of the conversation, Darin starts laughing.

Not a mocking sort of laughter. Just...incredulous.

"Zel, I gotta be honest with ya. Wanting power is literally the last thing I could ever want. I just want to be left alone, honestly. I'll learn enough to get me back up to normal speed but...beyond that? Man, I'm fine with just opening up a forge somewhere and getting back to my life."

He arches a stony brow at the laughter, but it quickly becomes obvious that Darin isn't just being a jackass. Maybe being acquainted with this guy won't be as annoying as Zelgadis had originally thought. Darin doesn't get to see the small smile on Zel's face because mask, but it's there. It's just a secret, shhh.

"A simple life like that doesn't sound bad at all. As for magic, do you know what direction you'd want to take with it? Something to compliment your skills as a blacksmith, perhaps?"

"Well, if I'm gonna be honest..." Darin starts but clams up pretty quickly. After all, he's lived his life hiding his strength and restorative abilities. Anyone who knew him really only thought he was just impossibly sturdy, when the truth was that he was gifted with abilities far beyond that of a normal human.

The only person who really knew what he was capable of was his adopted father, and even then, Darin always did his best to keep his power in check.

But...in his de-powered state, he felt vulnerable. And he didn't like it. The school of magic he was pursuing was going to be an attempt to return somewhat to his initial resilience.

"I'm...well, I'm thinking of looking into the school of healing. I think I can make the most use out of that."

Quickly, he tries to press onward.

"What about you?"

As far as Zelgadis can tell, this guy is just like any other regular human. Just judging by what he's already seen of his personality, a school of magic that focuses on fixing people seems pretty fitting.

"A cleric, huh? You can never have too many of those around." Especially when you're traveling with the sorts of people that Zelgadis ended up with back home. Just. So many Dragon Slaves.

"As for me, I'm focusing on the elemental based magic for now. Once I master that, I'm thinking of dabbling in alchemy."

"You must be talented if you're looking to take on more than one school." He laughs.

"I considered it at first...after all, I wanted to be a fire mage when I was a kid but...I don't know. I got as far as I have without that. And honestly, alchemy just seemed like cheating." He motions to the components of the video game console laying out, still meticulously sorted.

"I wouldn't consider myself a cleric honestly. I'm more interested in the buffing enchantments; strength enhancement, shielding, things like that."

"It's not all about talent, a lot of hard work and studying goes into mastering magic. As for the alchemy, I'm not really interested in how it applies to something like that," he also motions at the pieces of that whatever it is, "I'm more interested in seeing how it can be applied to something more... natural, I suppose."

Somebody call FMA he's gonna do human transmutation.

"But, anyway. Enhancements and shields are definitely useful, but I do recommend learning at least one simple healing spell."

"Well, yeah, if I didn't learn at least one spell like that I'd be a piss poor excuse for someone learning healing magic."

He snorts, puffing air up and blowing his bangs out of his face in the process. But a second later, what his roommate said starts to click.

"Wait...more 'natural?' Like...what? Isn't that an easy way to make monsters by accident?"

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