TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 15

[avalonmods]

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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

[gutteringlight]

[ The smile returns to Jophrey's face as he returns the rat's wave. ]

Well thank you! It's nice to meet you too Eli--wait.

[ Blink. Blink blink. ]

Are you sure she's not a--

[ His eyes suddenly snap to Elizabeta, first widening, then narrowing as he tries to study her more closely. ]

But that doesn't make sense! If you aren't a familiar then how could I possibly--

[ He's rudely interrupted by the whoosh and pop of displaced air, and in the spot where a man used to be, a snow-white rat hovers comically at eye level for just a moment before falling into the spring with a tiny sploosh. ]

Squeak! Eek!

[ ...a little help? ]

[sandinmyhair]

[It's going to be Antonio all over again, isn't it? The very next words that fall out of Bruno's face are:]

Oh, no, don't tell him everything, too!

[Any concerns as to a rodentian biography, however, are well scuttled the moment the man vanishes to be replaced by a white rat.

Wut.

They stare at one another before gravity reasserts itself and Jophrey drops into the water. Bruno snaps out of it quickly enough.]

Ack! Hang on!

[He reaches into the water to carefully lift the other onto the rocks. Elizabeta peeks out from within Bruno's hair (which she'd fled to the moment Jophrey transformed) with a worried squeak.]

Wow. Is that what magic is like, here?

[gutteringlight]

[ The new rat just...stays put for a long moment, panting, and then...

VORP

...why hello there, naked Warrior of Light. He opens one eye, then the other, then examines himself closely, checking his body for stray fur. Fortunately all is as it should be, and all that remains is to sheepishly return to his seat. ]

That was...that was unexpected.

[ He looks at Bruno's shoulder and smiles at Elizabeta. ]

I'm fine, thank you.

[ He looks back to Bruno and shrugs, as if a sudden change of species was just another day at the office. ]

Honestly? I'm not...sure. I've been here before, but the magic I had then was completely different. I used to be able to move things with my mind. I thought I was out of practice or something when I couldn't get my magic to work, but...I guess I'm a shapeshifter now?

[ He sits back with a look of "what even is my life." ]

Good to know, I suppose.

[sandinmyhair]

[The lack of clothing doesn't even register to Bruno (partially because he, himself, is completely unclad), as his mind is thoroughly ensnared by the fact that this man has just displayed two very different kinds of magic.]

[That this new development doesn't faze Jophrey in the slightest only confuses Bruno further, tangling thoughts and words into a stammering mess. He forcibly focusses his brain on one thing at a time:]

Why, why-why are you so... calm about that? Does this... happen a lot?

[gutteringlight]

[ He seems oddly surprised at Bruno's reaction, as if he were expressing surprise that humans have feet. ]

Is aught amiss? Why are...oh. Oh.

[ He thumps his forehead with the heel of his hand. ]

Bloody hells. I keep forgetting most folk here aren't used to magic. My apologies.

[ He leans forward in a slight bow. ]

There's a lot of it where I'm from. We call it aether, and it's everywhere, in everything. So most folk can use some form of magic, even if it's just, say, using a wind crystal to dry the washing.

Shapechanging magic isn't...common, but it's not unheard of either. Plus I'm an adventurer by trade, so dealing with unusual magics is part of what we do.

[sandinmyhair]

[Adventurer. That... makes a lot of sense. Like, a lot, a lot. It explains so much that it just sort of unironically slots everything into a little place marked 'perfectly logical'.]

Ah. Where I'm from, magic is a little more... specific? More narrow. Each one of us has a singular gift. My sobrino Camilo can shapeshift into other people, my other sobrino Antonio can speak to animals....

[He'll blither about his family for ages if someone doesn't stop him.]

[gutteringlight]

Truly?

[ He leans forward with interest. He becomes more animated as he begins to speak, eager to compare notes with another magic user. ]

'Tis not quite so specific with us, aye. But souls tend to align with different aspects of aether, thus making some magic easier than others. My magic is...destructive. I can--well, I could--summon fire, ice, that sort of thing. But healing magic on the other hand? I'm completely hopeless. There are others who use magic to empower their weapons, or protect their bodies from harm. 'Tis a rare man indeed that could master every kind of magic.

[ He stops self-consciously with a quiet, wry laugh. ]

I hope that makes sense. Explaining things was never a strong point.

[ Normally he avoids that responsibility by shoving Urianger at whoever's asking and sneaking away under cover of excessively wordy arcanobabble. ]

But you said "us," right? Have you a gift like your...er...so-brin-o?

[sandinmyhair]

It does. Make sense, I mean. Our gifts sort of fit to our personalities, too. I mean, my sister always looked after other people and so she cooks food that heals people.

[His gaze darts again at the question about himself. He'd much rather discuss the rest of his family. We don't talk about Bruno so hard that even Bruno doesn't talk about Bruno.

But, well, there's no sense dodging it.]

I... could see the future. [He really doesn't want to admit this....] It was difficult and wasn't very well-received....

[gutteringlight]

[ There's a wince and a sharp intake of breath, as if he just saw someone getting kicked in the stomach. ]

Ooh. Oh Twelve, that must have been awful. I had a friend with the same...gift, if you could even call it that. But it was always just short glimpses, brief and without context. And they often came true in ways we didn't expect. A vision of a surrendering enemy could portend a victory, or it could turn out to be a trap.

[ He gives a short chuckle with little humor in it. The Echo was a blessing and a curse both sometimes. ]

[sandinmyhair]

That's so familiar.

[He sighs, looking especially tired, now. Elizabeta squeaks a comforting squeak, briefly nuzzling Bruno's ear before settling in on his shoulder. He smiles slightly.]

I hope the others knew your friend had no control over it.

[gutteringlight]

[ He nods. ]

Aye. And I knew what she was going through all too well. She and I had a rare gift called the Echo that...let us connect to the souls of other people, and ensured that we never lost our own. I couldn't see the future as she did, but I would get visions of others' memories.

[ A grimace. ]

But the experience, 'twas the same for the both of us. The visions would come from nowhere--usually at the worst possible time--and eclipse everything around us, leaving us blind and deaf until it chose to let us go. I'm surprised that the bloody thing never got me killed.

[sandinmyhair]

[Blink. Blink, blink.]

Wow. Okay, yeah, that's... that's somehow worse. I didn't think anything could be worse, but there it is, something that's worse.

[gutteringlight]

[ At this he simply shrugs, stretches, and stands up, grabbing a nearby towel and drying off. ]

'Tis not for us to change our fate. We either live with it, or...

[ He lets the sentence trail off with another shrug. ]

Anyroad, I'm afraid I have to get some sleep before I fall over.

[ He was about to turn to leave, but he stops, tilting his head to one side. ]

Have you a place to stay? Aside from here, I mean.