TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 15

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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. It's a fast process, though they do take their time as they need to go around hitting the ice that keeps forming on the surface with their shells to keep the surface open for the falling arrivals. 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.

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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 and a pair of ear buds and tell them to "Check the Shit Box." The "Shit Box" refers to wardrobe more formally known as the Wardrobe of Finding, a hammerspace-like wardrobe that opens to each person's items and pets when the person touches the handle. It was recently enchanted by Merlin to prevent people from having to fish their waterlogged possessions and pets out of the water with them. From there, Archimedes directs everyone to settle in groups into modernized carriages pulled by horses and gives 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 a special feature for warm winter drinks like hot apple toddy and butter beer. 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.

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C ⦿ The Red Spring

The journey from the White Cliffs to the City of Camelot is a long one, and the first evening you arrive you'll end up spending at the Red Spring, a booming resort town. Newcomers get free inn rooms for their one night stay on the way to Camelot, containing two twin beds, a bathroom, a mini-fridge and microwave, and a TV equipped with a couple of entertaining video games and movies.   Don't want to relax in the room? Take a dip in the communal hot spring. The waters have restorative properties that help horses and travelers recover quickly. It is known to relieve stress, improve energy levels, and mildly accelerate healing. It may be a little chilly when you get out though, so make sure you don't slip rushing back indoors when you get out! The springs are also home to a large training grounds just outside town limits, where there are teachers who will teach basic magic safety and help you discover what kind of magic you have together with other new arrivals. Try target practice, obstacle courses, meditation circles, and other ways to try to figure out just what you can do... if you didn't already have an accidental discovery on the ride there.

 

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Last month, players were invited into the fae territories in Elphame for the first time for the Winter Solstice celebrations while King Arthur and Queen Elphame enter talks regarding the next steps toward saving the multiverse. In the meantime, a special camp hosted King Arthur's knights has been created on the riverbank just inside of the Forest of the Felled to act as a midway point for travelers going between the two points.

 

A ⦿ Snow More Cold
	The Forest Camp is quite a stunning outpost for Camelot. Given the snowy, cold weather, the campsites have been built with the knowledge of some of the snowier fae in mind and have resulted in what some are referring to as "Igloo Glamping." Artfully carved out group rooms, dining halls, and storage for supplies, and more have been carved out of snow to create a surprisingly warm solution to keeping safe as a Forest halfway point. Admittedly, it's not the your standard glamp-- but there are TVs, board games, and long fur-lined beds to keep you and four other people warm cuddled up together at night! There's also a snow port-a-potty that you probably don't want to face, but sometimes we face challenges in life. There are also a number of planned activities to keep people out of trouble while they stay.
...Or if they do get themselves into trouble, they can also end up in snow jail, a special igloo built with extremely tough ice stalagmites that will be hard to break out of until authorities can come pick you up and take you back to Camelot.

 

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B ⦿ The Great Avalon Bake-Off
One of these activities is inspired by a surprising store of buried baking supplies like flour, sugar, butter, yeast, and eggs that was found in the forest. It's been there a long while, but it seems to have been protected through magical preservation, so there's really only one thing to do about it: a bake-off! It's a little tricky out in the snow, so outside of the igloos, a trench has been dug and all contestants have been given a campfire. Alchemists have helped by creating clay ovens in the snow for contestants to bake their culinary creations in. The most impressive confections (not just the top scorer) will earn a copy of (Spell) Thirst. This spell can make someone feel thirsty, even if they aren't.

 

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C ⦿ Ingredient Hunt 2022
	The real trick is finding ingredients to make your confection something to stand out and come up on top of the contest, which you may need to wander into the Forest of the Felled to look for. There are a variety of winter berries able to be found, herbs and flowers buried under the snow if you can find them, and most importantly, a couple of truffle bushes from which chocolate and vanilla truffles can be harvested. There are quite a few tasty flavors to be found throughout the forest, and since it hasn't been repopulated yet due to the harsh winter, it's relatively safe to wander around no matter who you are. If you feel like you need protection though, maybe ask around camp to find someone who can fight for you.
Just be wary as there are a few ingredients you can find in the forest that may cause a few unintended side-effects to your taste-testers: Cider Berries: These berries appear to have a fiery glow coming from within. That is because they will temporary cause anyone who consumes them to breathe fire when they exhale for about 10 minutes straight... definitely a problem when you're living in an igloo. They have a great apple-y smell though! Strangler Figs: These fig trees grow around other plants and strangling them as if they were anacondas around prey. They produce the most brilliant looking and tasting figs, even in the winter time. Unfortunately, having been in Avalon long enough, they have absorbed magic into their roots and are now able to defend their fruit by creeping up anyone who touches them and trapping them in their grip. They cannot move while you are looking at them, so don't blink and hope you can outrun them. Little Leeks: These are very, very small leaks that seem to be hanging out in small vials found about an inch beneath the surface of the snow. They all seem to have different faces painted on the front of the vials, though the vials do seem to be a part of their body. The simple faces match the effect you'll get-- a crying face will result in your character having an uncontrollable sob fest, a happy face may make it seem like nothing phases them, some angry eyebrows on a frown could result in your character wanting to fight everyone in a fit of anger, and so on. The most tragic part is that these will continue effecting you until they are fully digested-- so it could take hours to stop bawling.

 

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Back in Camelot and Elphame, trouble is brewing of a different variety.

 

A ⦿ Calls You Daddy
Strange eggs with even stranger tiny legs have started wandering into the city and making their way into peoples' homes. Inn rooms, houses, apartments, tents, tree trunks, igloos, even townships have found residents waking up with a tiny little egg snuggled up to their side to keep warm in the morning.  These eggs act just like babies too-- they cry when they need to be fed (they'll roll around in the food to absorb it), are extremely picky about their food (and each egg has its own unique palette), need to be cleaned after eating, and they need to be kept warm or they will perish.
One touch of an egg to direct skin will result in a parental instinct being imprinted upon whoever touches them, so you may find yourself wanting to care for this egg as much as it wants you to care for it. Eggs come in a variety of colors and designs and will seek out at least two parents, so you may find yourself in an unlikely relationship for the next week or so until they hatch...

 

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B ⦿ Aurora Bearealis
	After about a week, the eggs all seem to be antsier than before. Many of their legs disappear and their colors start to glow gently at night, as if some kind of strange nightlight. Eventually, the top of the egg will burst open and out of it will hatch a slightly oddly shaped bear creature, which looks almost like a living teddy bear. The bears themselves have strange glowing markings that match the outside of the egg that they used to be in, and when they step out, a mysterious flow of light comes out of them- like an aurora borealis. At this point, there are two real problems that have started: Touching the aurora borealis lights will also make you glow with aurora borealis lights for 48 hours. They are bears and they act like bears and they get into everything and fight everyone like bears, except their perceived parents.

 

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C ⦿ Go on, Git. CW: Mentions of poaching, beheading in last paragraph.
	These fierce little aurora bears are causing destruction and pain in both Elphame and Camelot alike, so a decision has to be made: the bears need to be led by their parents and some fighters out to the nearest forest and set free to live in the wild, as they probably were intended to. Those in Camelot who release their bears there will find a heart-wrenching goodbye interrupted by a rather dramatic battle. The natural predator of aurora bears, the flaming lions known as Fogueria, have come out of the Land of Rot to hunt them down. I hope you brought someone with you to help save both you and your beary good friend from this flaming enemy. Fogueria cannot be defeated without using magic, so you've got your battle set out for you!
For those who have taken to Elphame, they are not faring much better. As it turns out, these little eggs have made quite the impression on some goblin poachers released from prison last month. These goblins are hunting down the newly released bears for capture to sell them as circus side-shows, food, and more to more devilish creatures. They love gold much more than they love anything else, except perhaps the fierce beast that accompanies their party to help them devour anyone who would try to stop them: a gashadokuro, a fierce skeletal demon formed of the bones of fallen travelers. It is known to bite off the heads of travelers and drinks blood. You'll have to defeat the whole party to ensure your newly released bears remain safe.

 

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• All test drive prompts are open to anyone in the game at any time to create your own logs with, as the events within are considered game canon. • This post should have top-levels by potential new characters only. Current characters may reply to any threads and may start their own logs off-post, but should not top-level comment on this post. • If your application is accepted, you may accept TDM threads as game canon as long as both players consent. Characters may begin threading as soon as their journal is accepted to the communities. •If nothing here tickles your fancy, try one of this month's Quests for your TDM prompt. • The first "Arrival" prompts are usually present on every TDM, but contain seasonal tweaks for flavor. 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.

 

Comments

[heartofthestar]

[Well. Now this colors matters significantly. Have all the ones mankind calls Ascians now been kept from their rest in the aetherial sea? Will she find others here? ? After ferrying Emet-Selch's soul from shard to Source, she knows full well that nothing unusual had gripped it. Could this be a change wrought by the Endsong?]

Amon.

[To call him 'Fandaniel' would be to do him a discourtesy -- having that position thrust upon him truly seemed to be the source of far too many problems. Beyond which, he is not Fandaniel, not by her reckoning -- even if he was, in part or in whole, so very long ago, that identity now pales compared to who he was.]

As we've both failed to die properly, I'm not certain I can offer answers.

[endcaller]

[At the name "Amon" something lights up in his eyes, something that would almost be "joy" if any face he wore was capable of such an emotion.]

Ah, now she deigns to recognize me as an individual. Far too late for that, alas...

[He sways and dances through the shallows, stopping above her where he leans over sideways.]

But your failure to give me answers is an answer in itself. If you did not bring us here then who?

[heartofthestar]

The situation has changed by no small measure. [He is dead, she is dead; she is whole, he is not, at least as the unsundered would measure such things. The old titles have met their purpose, have they not? Let them fade.] I can claim no responsibility, nor knowledge, of our presence here. But I think it safe to say, judging by our surroundings...

[The woman in the lake. The others, slogging to shore or clambering up the staircase in the cliff. The signs of civilization above.]

We are expected.

[endcaller]

You are, perhaps.

[He smiles a bitter smile that never reaches his eyes and curls his gloved fingers against his hood.]

But who is to say I am? Maybe you were called into this world and the density of your aether dragged me along in its wake.

[Which, he thinks, would be a fine metaphor for the last five thousand years or so of his existence.]

[heartofthestar]

Well, I have not been greeted by any name, nor acknowledged beyond a potion to cut the lake's chill, nor attended to, and certainly not landed comfortably. So even if your supposition is true, which I do not grant... what is the difference?

[Accepting the reality of the situation, she allows herself to straighten in the water, legs starting to kick to keep her head above the surface. As casually as she treats this situation, and her unexpected company, her every sense and every nerve hums on high alert. The illogic of their presence here troubles her deeply, and the potential Amon has for launching into chaos and destruction far more so. One didn't need creation magic to wreak havoc, after all -- a knife or a vial of poison could do just as much.]

We shan't learn a thing floating here, however.

[endcaller]

Ah, how right you are.

[He wheels in place and wades through the icy water back to shore. Half way he pauses and looks back at her.]

...By the by...How are you feeling? A bit thin, perchance? Colors not quite so vibrant?

I felt it too when I first woke. I can't even imagine how unpleasant it must be for someone of your prowess.

[heartofthestar]

[Now she probably ought not to laugh, but she can't help it -- pausing midsplash to lift one hand to her mouth, fingers curled but incapable of hiding her mirth. It feels so good to laugh!]

I've not felt this fine in ages upon ages.

[Perhaps she lacks her creation magics, or any of the powers that came with being a primal's heart. But to feel the touch of cold water and the chill in the air, to breathe and move beneath a sky rather than a sea of aether... she hadn't known how much she missed it, until this very moment.]

[Perhaps she hasn't her power, but her body has its strength and her mind retains its skills, and for all the rest she'd rather rely on others than the stuffy creation magics of the Council, just as her protégé did after her.]

Once before I woke up, and came alive as I hadn't ever before. Few are lucky enough to feel such a thing twice.

[endcaller]

Oh, indeed?

[His expression darkens and he twists around to continue walking to shore. While his back is turned his features drift from scorn to sorrow.]

Like I said...

I can't even imagine.

[He hasn't felt such a feeling even once. If he has the memory is buried so deep it's lost any meaning.

This is how things have always been. Even in his first lifetime most of mankind seemed to brim with joy and leave Hermes alone in his despair... leave him alone in his despair.

Fandaniel wrings lake water from his sleeves and looks up towards the cliffs. Normally he'd be able to teleport to the top as easily as he breathes but not any more.

He finds himself waiting for Venat to catch up.]

[heartofthestar]

[Hermes had not been wrong in his condemnation of that 'perfect paradise'; time had proven that accurate. Yet his actions couldn't be justified either. Venat has never considered how to help him; in the past, his actions could not be undone nor mitigated, while in the present... this situation is past imagination!]

[Perhaps a second chance will help him. Perhaps he might even permit himself to be helped. One can hope. In the meantime, she cannot and will not pretend she feels other than she does.]

[Arriving at his side, she lifts her fists to her chest. The tiredness inside her is fading, replaced with simple joy and delight.]

How strange to think that I've not climbed stairs in so very long. Nor climbed a mountain, nor any such thing. Such explorations used to be my life, day in and day out.

cw: suicidal ideation

[endcaller]

[As she draws up beside him he lifts his chin and a jester-like grin etches itself across his face.]

I cannot say I've ever shared My Lady's passion for adventure.

[He dances forward across the sand then spins around on his toes to face her.]

But maybe this can work to both of our benefit. You are fond of heroics and here I am in need of a hero.

Ah! You will protect me going up those stairs, won't you? I don't know what other poor souls have been drawn here with us and I may have given a fair few of them a desire to see my head on a pike. That's one way to go, I suppose, but death by retributive justice doesn't quite suit my needs.

[Just dying is not enough. He has to die and take the world down with him.]

[heartofthestar]

A strange request to make of the woman who split your soul asunder, such that the you who once was has never been again.

[She is a far greater murderer than Amon can ever hope to be. He wishes to take the world down; she has, and in doing so set the stage for countless more deaths, merciless and grim and without any glamour and glory of 'returning to the star'.]

[Venat folds her hands behind her back, her face nothing but the calm realism than comes from understanding your choices exactly.]

Those same people might find greater argument with me, should it come to that. Let us presume nothing.

[endcaller]

Very well. If the masses come for me you can courageously leap to my defense and if they come for you I will make a grand show of worriedly wringing my hands in the background. Why, I may even shout a lamentation or two!

[He peers closely at her.]

But do spare me any more comments about sundering my soul, won't you? I'm sure you miss your dear Hermes but to me that man has been dead a long time. Those moldering old memories of his are naught but a dream.

Of course if you feel you need my forgiveness for any of this you can always earn it.

[He places a hand against his heart and extends the other skyward.]

I am always fond of letting bygones be bygones as they say. An unusual trait for an Ascian, I know.

[heartofthestar]

[Venat regards him with calm warmth, the sort that comes from knowing precisely who one is -- and what one has done.]

I wish no forgiveness. I deserve none. There can be none. You in particular have every right to hate me.

[The characteristic gesture: one hand lifted before her chest, fingers curled loosely as her head lowers just a fraction.]

But if bygones will be bygones, I'll aid you as is in my power to do so -- and your desire to permit. Now that I have the weight of responsibility for the star and its reflections lifted off me... not to mention the ability to do something other than sit in the aetherial sea and muster what power remains to me in hope... [Now her smile becomes one of humor, at least.] Mayhap I can finally manage to do some good on a personal level.

[endcaller]

Splendid, then, consider yourself permitted to do heroics and bold adventures across lava fields or whatever else it is you Azems do.

[He steps aside to let her keep walking.]

And I don't hate you, My Lady, or at least I don't hate you any more than I hate most people.

Hmm...

[He taps his chin in an overly theatrical gesture of deep thought.]

Thinking about it, though, I do hate most people quite a lot. I hate them very much. Every wretched soul.

[And himself most of all.]

[heartofthestar]

That appears to be working out but poorly for you.

[Her insight comes simply enough as she passes him, a glance his way lingering only for a moment before she mounts the first of the stairs. Her gaze instead goes up to the sky, as she imagines instead one far away, one that they both know.]

I'll not see the end, but... mankind is winning. Will win decisively, I daresay.

[endcaller]

Gah! Why must you gall me?

[He lifts the hem of his robes and starts climbing behind her.]

Have you seen what your precious mankind does with their world? War, betrayal, lies, senseless slaughter...And they are all so insufferably idiotic.

They deserve nothing less than the fire and agony that my work would bring!

[heartofthestar]

Of course I have seen. I am the one who sentenced them to have no escape from it, in the end.

[It had been the right choice. It had been the only choice. Had Zodiark remained, retained its power, mankind would have done anything for it to avoid suffering and misery.]

[But that does not mean she rejoices. Instead, she paces up the stairs with the ease of one tall and fit and used to such exertions. With her old body come the old instincts once again, it would seem.]

I've a unique perspective, these days, yet... 'deserve' is a construct of mankind, made to make sense of the world. Do you deserve suffering eternal for your sins, or respite from your pain? Do I deserve to be lauded as a hero, or scorned as a villain? Either would suit, and both are true.

cw: suicidal ideation

[endcaller]

I have already tasted eternal suffering!

[He crows.]

But I do deserve more still. I deserve to be consumed in pain and fire for the monster I've become... I deserve to die and in my death throes I will burn the skies of the world and open the heavens to the Final Days!

[He sounds excited, his voice pitching sharply with childish glee.]

And oh shall mankind weep as they inherit my Hell! My only regret is I will not be there to see it all happen...

[There is a small moment of silence following this and when he speaks again his fevered pitch has slid back down to his usual silky tone of voice.]

...But I suppose you know all of this already. You've been watching, after all...

[heartofthestar]

I was, yes. If I may be blunt about it... it didn't work out for you.

[Her smile is gentle because her triumph is supreme. Mankind has reached the point where it can stand on its own two feet; where it no longer needs a god, or a goddess, or two primals manifesting as such.]

You neglected to address the other half, whereupon you might deserve some rest and respite after all this time. Mayhap you might try that instead for a while.

[endcaller]

I didn't address it because I don't want it!

[He presses his hands against his hips and smiles.]

When you broke us you consigned us to mortality but as a member of the Convocation whenever I sleep I always wake. I'm not interested in waking again, you see. Not any more.

I have had quite enough lifetimes of despair, thank you. All I want now is sweet, everlasting oblivion.

[heartofthestar]

[She curls her fingers in front of her chest, unconsciously.]

There is no one left to wake you, Amon. The time of the Ascians has passed.

[Perhaps a few of the sundered ones still lurk about, but the three architects of everything have passed.]

cw: suicidal ideation

[endcaller]

Indeed, isn't it wonderful?

[He dances past her up the stairs then turns to face her with his arms outspread.]

No more! No more to wake, no more to answer to some dusty old agenda that has nothing to do with me! The Paragons are gone, all gone! And I am free at last to finally die.

Oh!

[A small gasp and he covers his mouth.]

But what about you? Without those unsundered shadows lurking around what will you do? Take part in some grand new adventure? Fracture another world?

basically CW: Fandaniel

[heartofthestar]

[Does he truly think he'll get her aldgoat, with his needling words and insinuations? Or is he simply unwilling, or even unable, to stop such a performance? Though Venat considers sundered souls no less people than unsundered, she must admit she can't understand him. The gulf of experience between the two of them is far too great.]

[But still, how can he sting someone who's already taken guilt's pain to her heart? In that, he can't understand her, either. But perhaps, despite the impossibility, their presence here might offer a new hope. And she is tired... so very tired, after all this time, and nothing would please her more than to simply close her eyes and leave this mess and mayhem to another... but she can't not try. It's simply her nature.]

[Thus, Venat maintains a smooth pace up the stairs despite his capering and the peril it places both of them in, and changes her tone of voice not a whit.] I had no plans but to return to the star at long last. That, of all things, being spoiled is certainly irony.

I mean yeah pretty much. Let's see how many times I can flood your email with the same phrase!

[endcaller]

[Fandaniel sways beside her, smiling his dark smile.

If they were alone together he'd have a few words about dying and returning to the star. He'd be willing to open his chest and show his heart, reveal how the endless cycle of death and rebirth has turned him into a monster. He'd be willing to have a more frank conversation, not because she is uniquely deserving in his eyes but because he has nothing to hide from her. She had escaped Kairos, she has been there this whole time, watching him descend into madness as the centuries went by.

But there are mortals climbing up the stairs on either side of them. Instinct tells him to maintain the jester persona. He'd mastered it as Amon, it allows him to express his theatrical nature and it tends to annoy people into not wanting to get to know him. That's been useful for a man who, since ancient times, preferred solitude.]

One's plans for death are easily foiled in those last critical moments, my dear. Welcome to a frustration I know only too well.

[heartofthestar]

[Ask her about the persona she maintained all this time. She might perhaps understand that much. And she would welcome the chance to tell him that neither of them must continue to be what they presented themselves to be.]

[Easier for her, of course, what with the substantial physical transformation and all, and yet.]

I was poor at returning to the star the first time I 'ought' to have done so as well. Some things must never change. Or perhaps our purposes are still undone.