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avalaughs2022-02-28 08:54 pm
TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 17
| QUICK NAV: |
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A ⦿ Soaking in Your Arrival
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If anyone tries to ask the Lady of the Lake for directions, she will direct you to Archimedes at the Rent-a-Ride. Those with animal magic may get their info from the mossatees, though may notice that they're really overly friendly and have zero concept of personal boundaries. Everyone may notice they have no concept of personal space, as they will happily run right into someone's belly for a snoot squishing. 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
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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. 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. | |
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! |
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When everyone arrives it seems like during the siege on Camelot the training grounds were absolutely trashed! |
A ⦿ gArBo HuNgErS | |
| With everyone focusing on recovering Camelot main and the bulk of the resort facilities at the Red Springs, the training grounds at the Red Springs have gone a little neglected.. at least enough to be taken over by a band of local decay sprites. |
What's more, they grow in size each time they eat something new, so some of them are already big enough to swallow an orc! Don't worry, the trash goes into a hammerspace to decay over a long period of time, so if you get swallowed, there's still a chance for someone to get you out... which they can do by fighting the decay sprite. Decay sprites can suck things up similarly to Kirby, though they do not gain your powers, so finding a way to keep your feet on the ground with magic should be your first step. Beware though, defeated sprites will spin in a circle and fall over, and everything they've eaten will spill out onto the ground... so you're going to have to clean it up yourself. | |
B ⦿ Slightly Shabby | |
The state of Camelot isn't exactly great when everyone arrives. It's been ravaged by siege. Things are broken, scattered, and though many of the buildings are still standing, most people are focused on things like taking care of kids, rebuilding, or rerouting the new arrivals since the inn is not available right now. The castle rooms are already pretty full of people whose homes got trampled during the siege, so new arrivals are going to have to find their own place to live. |
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kinda clingy feelings toward anyone who lets you out. Though acting on it can be fought with strong enough willpower, it's certainly going to get you and a stranger much closer than you planned a lot faster. It looks like you may have gotten caught up in some kind of dark web experimental product... oops. | |
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The start of the month begins with the usual March rituals like the Lesser Banishing of Frost Fairies before flowers start to bloom throughout Avalon. Once things start to get cleaned up, some Camelot citizens think of ways to get Camelot back to its normal glory.
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A ⦿ Running of the Moon Rabbits | |
Doing the Lesser Banishing of Frost Fairies often attracts Moon Rabbit kits. These friendly small rabbits do eat a lot though, and it's important right now that the youngin's are nourished without depleting Camelot's food stores. |
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B ⦿ Eggxacting | |
| With the streets clearer and Camelot finally starting to look more like its former self (albeit a little sparser) a culinary wizard has taken to trying his hand at a kind of magic that should help to quickly decorate the city and encourage floral growth. Using a wild combination of animal magic and green magic, the wizard created a special brand of eggs he's calling Oeufs de fleurs. He's selling them for a low price (hey, he does need to bring in some income to afford his expenses) for everyone and new arrivals get half a dozen OdF eggs for free! Just make sure that you follow the directions and there won't be a problem! 1. Blue eggs should only be thrown at night. More information is available on the chef's Instagram page, of course, but that's all that's included. The further information lets you know that blue eggs are |
photosensitive and will turn into bear firs if thrown during the day, but if used correctly will blossom into moonflowers at night. The white eggs react to the moon and will grow into 60 foot tall trees if you throw them at night... but if you're throwing them during the day, they will become beautiful morning glories that only blossom during the light. | |
• 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. |
no subject
[If taking advantage of his previously held rank is what it takes to get them somewhere private enough to speak together, he can't say he's above it.]
[But the thought goes on hold for a moment when that answer leaves the boy's mouth, Gaius' own frown faltering as his pale eyes go wide.]
Van Cinna is dead?
How? Tell me what happened.
no subject
[That much is easy enough to offer, given that it's not more than a simple confirmation of what he's already said. But a sharp eye might be able to spot the subtle shift in his stance, as realization dawns that he might have been better off refusing to answer. That he might have been better served by doing anything else, for all that neither can he find it in him to refuse the order.
(The request, maybe, but it had still been close enough.)]
He--
[His voice doesn't so much break as stall. He knows what happened. Can still see, in his mind's eye, the scene that had greeted him in Tertium on his return. But he's not had to explain it before. It had been no secret to those who had been present; Eorzean and Garlean alike fully aware of the events that had occurred. Of the reasoning behind them, or at least, the events that had led up to them, but... where does he even begin? How does he explain the endless cold, of ekeing out a miserable existence huddled away in bottom of a train depot, of having to fight - and kill - one's own countrymen because they've lost themselves in the fervor of what he has since learned to be the tempering of a primal? Of the desperate sting of hope, of wanting - needing - to believe that things would work out. That it would be alright, that the other legions were still coming. That salvation would be at hand if they could only hold out long enough.
The struggle is clear in his expression, as the silence stretches out between them, thick and heavy with all the things he can't bring himself say.]
He-- we--
[A pause, and he shakes his head, as if to clear it of the images he can still see too clearly; when he speaks again it's at least coming out it sentences, for all that he's still fighting against the emotions warring inside him to do so.]
The Eorzeans brought a message. From the Xth, when it... became clear no reinforcements would be coming. "Have the iyl stand down."
[His voice shudders to a stop again, at that, the next words hanging heavy on his tongue. As if they'd all come tumbling out in a heap if he let them and yet... for all that he's already acknowledged Quintus' death, he can't. Can't push past the memories. Can't bring himself to acknowledge them, in a room where just anyone might come passing by and overhear.]
no subject
[That was the way of it, then. Gaius feels his heart sink, and he breathes out a rough breath, hands clenching into fists at his sides as he looks away.]
Quintus, you old fool...
...you and your men have my condolences. We did not always see eye to eye, but Van Cinna was never anything but a good man, and a more loyal man you would be hard pressed to find.
[Which was precisely why Gaius couldn't have gona back to Garlemald to help, no matter how badly he wanted to. Not with people like Quintus still there, still so loyal to Varis, still in the belief that the former Van Baelsar was the one to turn traitor and murder him. But he had had hope, that people like Quintus could be brought around, made to see the truth of what was happening and help their people to rebuild...]
[But Gaius shakes his head, and after a long moment motions for Jullus to follow him. To somewhere safer to talk, where no one can wander in to overhear; for the boy's sake, really, more than his own.]
Come. It seems we have much to discuss, so we should speak in private.
no subject
[He knows, somewhere under the sorrow and loss and still-raw disbelief, that the other man no doubt means well. That the sympathy comes from a good place, and perhaps even that this other man does regret the fact that Quintus is dead. But in the moment, hurting and angry, he cannot help the way the words come out. Cannot help the way sorrow flares into sharp-edged temper before he manages to wrestle it back under control.
Or under control enough, anyway. Enough to pull it down to merely a seething undercurrent of emotions, military disciple pulled taut and thin over the lot. It won't last forever, he knows. He knows himself too well for that. But it will last long enough, and that's what matters right now, even if it leaves his voice almost terse when he answers.]
Yes.
[Please, he means, and thank you. Private he can deal with. Or at least deal with better, and he nods as if to say 'lead the way'.]
no subject
[It's not said in anger. It's not curt, the tone of it barely even an order. But it is a reminder, of where they are, perhaps of who Jullus is speaking to.]
[And once he's certain that the boy is, if not calm, at least more reigned in... It's not a long walk back to the inn. The quiet rooms there with give them the peace and safety needed to talk, at least, and since Megumi is unlikely to be back from helping other new arrivals for some time, they should have plenty of time for just that. And then maybe...]
[Well. Maybe Jullus won't take the news of who he's speaking with quite so badly as Gaius thinks he might, if they simply have more time to just talk.]
In here. You may place your coat and any other affects over by the desk there, and then you can sit wherever you wish.
no subject
Once they do finally arrive at the room in question, Jullus casts a brief look over the room - as much out of habit as anything, given how much of his recent life has required a working knowledge of defensible any shelter might be - before he nods and mask his way over to the desk in question. His coat comes off first, neatly folded before he sets it down, and then - after a long moment of consideration - sets his gunblade atop it.
He does not, however, sit down. Instead, he lingers near the desk (near his weapon), standing far enough away to not make it seem like he's ill at ease without it at his side, but near enough that it would be trivial enough to have it to hand again should he suddenly need to.]
How do - did - you know Lord Quintus?
[Blunt though the question is, it's not biting. The walk, it seems, has done him some good. Even if all it's done is remind him that there had been other things he'd meant to ask, before he'd gotten caught up in his sorrow and grief over all-too-recent events.]