avalaughs | TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 21

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TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 21

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⚔️️ View Top-Levels Only ⚔️ IMPORTANT NOTE: The calamity is visible in the north area of the sky from all locations as of February's event. There is currently no sun or moon visible, making the world in a persistent state of dusk for now.

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. The water is cold, but not enough that you can't handle it on your own.

The Lady of the Lake is nearby, and normally the mossatees would still be helping this time of year... but it seems like they haven't shown up. Instead, a very helpful band of octopi have joined the cause. They range in size, from large enough to scoop three characters out of the water with their plethora of wriggling tentacles... to a band of tiny,

palm-sized baby octopi working together to try to heave a single person out of the water. No matter which you get, they all seem to have unique personalities, but animal mages may note that as a species, they all seem to think of the otherworlders as fun little playthings. These little otherworlders are so funny.

If anyone tries to ask the Lady of the Lake for directions, she will direct you to Archimedes at the Rent-a-Ride. 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

person riding horseback and looking at phone

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 and rain. There is also a mini-bar that pops out of the console. 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!

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.

hot springs covered in steam

D ⦿ Light it Up

a magical lantern

With the sun and moon temporarily gone, some fae have put forward a solution to fight the dusk off for a little while. They have made special lanterns holding a spell which, when powered up with any kind of magic, activates a small energy field large enough to comfortably fit up to five people. This field takes its form straight from the magic-providing person’s mind - so whether they're feeling homesick or just really want to be stuck in a deserted island for a while, the lantern will make it happen! Naturally, all of it is an illusion so nothing is actually real... but it feels very real, especially to the person providing the magic. The lantern will not make illusions of other humans or animals - just places, buildings, and flora - and those taking part will be able to move around and explore… but be careful not to get too excited, or you might just end up moving your real body and knocking another person out of the illusion, or falling out of it yourself to a very disorienting awakening.

If you don’t mind being crowded together, the energy field could squeeze in up to ten people, but the risks of someone being nudged out accidentally go up as more people enter. After that, anyone else who tries to step in - invited or not - will find themselves repelled by an invisible wall around the outside of the illusion.

There is, however, a time limit on this. While the spell can last up to twelve hours, it's advised that the lantern isn't used for more than a few hours at a time. If this guidance isn’t followed, it’s possible that after the lantern is deactivated the people who took part will keep seeing the illusory scenery around them for some time afterwards. If a person uses the lantern for the whole twelve hours, the illusion will continue for up to three days in the form of intrusive, imaginary objects and buildings that only they can see, or even faint shades of people from their own worlds.

E ⦿ Getting More Familiar

With Elphame and Camelot in better relations than ever thanks to the efforts of Otherworlders, Queen Elphame and King Arthur are working closely together to accomplish the next step of her plan, despite some tension about her not sharing what she intended to do with the Fisher King from the get-go. But they're talking now, and the place that everyone needs to go next is a place only familiars can reach.

The first thing that needs doing is a little bit of magic practice before anyone can go on the full mission. This will be much easier for those who have been here longer, bonded with their familiars longer, but will certainly not be impossible for those who have just arrived. Team up with another person to help balance

glass sphere in forest

your brand new and unstable magics to accomplish what amounts to changing bodies with your familiar.

Form a circle with another person and both of your familiars at equidistant points on the circle. Your familiar should be to your right. In the center of the circle, a bowl filled with a strong alcohol, enough to cover a chunk of malachite (a stone of transformation, associated with the heart and throat), vervain (to purify the spell of interfering spirits and offer protection, as well as assist in astral connection), purple coneflower (increases ritual powers by calling upon local deities), and violet (dedication and loyalty, to hold steady the bond between familiar and mage). Both mages in the circle should take the deepest breath they can and hold that breath, hold each other's palms up facing each other, and light the bowl on fire. It's important that you hold your breath for as long as you can, because malachite is toxic when exposed to liquid and will be released into the air during the spell. As the spell casts, a light will glow from your chest, up to your throat, and at the moment when you can no longer hold your breath and have to let it out, your soul will exit your body along with that breath. The protective qualities of the vervain will have kicked in by this point, and the fire of the bowl will go out. All four souls will swirl over the bowl slowly, like a turning galaxy, for a few moments, until they burst out and the souls find their way to their new host: yours in your familiar's body and your familiar's in yours.

Result can be unpredictable if you step outside of the lines with this spell, depending on which part you mess up, so players should feel free to come up with their own mishaps based on what each of the above ingredients for the spell are should they wish to go that route.

Once you've managed to become your familiar (and your familiar you... good luck with that), you need to practice being your familiar. Get the hang of moving, the hang of your familiar's characteristics, voice (or lack thereof), and how to function as them. Exactly how to do that will be a personalized experience based on what your familiar is, so there's no clear means to practice... which means it's a good time to send you on a softball, but useful quest to practice before the real thing! Each of you who have done this should head into the Brocéliande and look for silver flowers that look like daffodils. Within them are drops of what appear to be water, but those drops are actually enchanted glass spheres only visible to familiars. Be careful- the silver daffodils are guarded by skunk-like spirits that spray knock-out gas, then they will drag you to a random location in the forest. You really could get lost very easily, but don't come back without your sphere! Those will be super important for bringing back the sun and moon soon.

• 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 as long as the characters are currently in or join the game during the application period. If new players do not want their TDM to be considered canon, they should state as much on the OOC intro once accepted.
• Both current members and potential new characters can post to this TDM log. Anyone may reply to any threads or start top-levels. Whichever you prefer!
•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. This particular one is a little different. 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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He looks around together with Emet-Selch, taking in the scenery. It's different from both the chrome towers of his modernised Edo and the crystal structures of Prismatica - darker, yet beautiful and striking in its own right, and very sophisticated. He hasn't seen any culture construct such fragile-looking spires before.]

...

I'm sorry you had to relive its sinking. Say, how... how did it all end?

[It's a broad question that could refer to several things - what happened past the point they reached in the nightmare - the people's sacrifice to bring forth Zodiark -, or how the calamity came about in the first place. He's interested in both and more, but doesn't want to press Emet-Selch about what is clearly an incredibly painful memory.]

Edited 2022-07-11 02:05 (UTC)

[ 'How did it all end'... He sweeps his gaze from one end of the city to the other, leaning on the raised wall where the lantern now seems to sit. Logically speaking, he knows he is still in the yard with the stable and his pet creatures, but he decides to lose himself in the illusion. ]

After Zodiark halted the calamity, another half of our people gave their lives to restore life to the star. All was well, for a time... But we-- the Thirteen, decided to offer the newly grown lives in return for our lost brethren, a decision which divided those that remained. The dissenters summoned a new deity to counter Zodiark's power. Hydaelyn...

[ A few moments of silence. ]

She sundered the world, our people, all of existence, save for myself and two others. There were none left to remember, save in the vaguest, most fleeting of memories burnt deep on to the soul.

[Well, that's devastating to hear, in more than one way. He goes quit for a moment.]

...

So it was all for nothing. All the sacrifices.

[Even if the dissenters brought about the final and definitive destructions of their world, he understands their uprising against that last proposed sacrifice. He feels too keenly the hierarchy between humans and Amanto back home, where the latter tend to regard the former as useful pawns at best and mere expendable rabble at worst.]

I don't usually scold you, but did you think it was alright to sacrifice what I assume was innocent civilians to get your friends back? Didn't they sacrifice themselves specifically so life could prosper again on your world? Do you think they'd have wanted that?

[Regardless of how he feels on the matter, he thinks he understands Emet-Selch's dour, distanced disposition yet another bit better now. Having gone through all that would have done worse to most.]

[ His shoulders tense. His fingers dig into the top of the stone wall. ]

We weren't going to sacrifice all of it!

[ He doesn't need to be told this again. He doesn't want to hear it. Always having to justify the decision, always having to defend it. How do any of them know how HE felt, knowing it was possible and yet having it snatched from his grasp? Death is not final to his people and he's sick and tired of all of them judging him by THEIR standards--

Exactly how he had judged them.

Taking a deep breath, he crosses his arms atop the low wall and leans against it, staring downwards now. The Capitol dominates their immediate view, being so close to the Akademia they stand on top of. ]

Hythlodaeus gave himself to Zodiark amongst the first sacrifices. Death is not-- WAS not final for our people. I could see them all, collected in His breast. If you knew, for a fact, that they weren't truly gone, wouldn't you have done the same?

[ He presses his lips into a tight line and turns partially to look at Hijikata. ]

Not that it mattered, in the end. You should ask a woman named Venat for the remainder of the story. I don't feel inclined to justify her genocide of our people.

[His expression hardens at Emet-Selch's initial reaction - he has a temper and doesn't shy away from confrontations, not even with someone so naturally authority-demanding as the alchemist. But Emet-Selch has done a lot for him, and he respects him, he really does, so he controls himself, bites his tongue for a moment longer... and it's enough for the other man to explain his reasoning, at which point the steep frown line between Hijikata's brows gradually evens out.

So he lost Hythlodaeus first... and he and the others were still alive - or something akin to alive rather - in Zodiark?! Hijikata feels a shiver run down his spine. If that happened to his Mitsuba, or to his other loved ones, he wouldn't be able to bear it. Would he be able to withstand the temptation of getting them back by sacrificing others? He hopes that he'd always do what is right, but... how much would he even be able to keep his sight on that with everyone he cherished in such a horrifying limbo state?

Again he needs a moment to take all the information in. It is as if every abyss in Emet-Selch's memories brings forth another, deeper one.]

...

Venat? Is she here on Avalon?

...

I'm sorry for judging without having heard the full story.

[It didn't necessarily turn his opinion all the way around, but even if he's a mortal and a knight and a policeman, dedicated to protecting the weak, it's hard not to see Emet-Selch's perspective, his pain and his hope - and the finality with which the latter was crushed. Well, until this new calamity and Avalon's call. When Hijikata continues it's in a gentler voice.]

I'm glad you got Hythlodaeus back.

[ A small nod of acknowledgement. The other man has already seen the lengths to which he will go for his partner. There is little more to be said. ]

Look for a woman who is about as tall as I, with long, white hair. She uses blood and light magic.

[ Exhaling noisily, he turns back to stare at the vista. It looks so real. It smells and feels exactly as he remembers. Glancing over his shoulder to the shadowed doorway, he wonders... ]

Does this illusion have a boundary?

[ He starts walking cautiously away from the lantern, and to his surprise finds he can move a fair bit further than he would expect considering where he has chosen to channel magicks into it. Is this all in their minds then? He turns back to Hijikata. ]

I can show you my home, I think. If you would like to see it as it once was.

Edited 2022-07-19 13:54 (UTC)

[Well, going by that description Venat shouldn't be hard to miss. He nods in response to the offer, glad that Emet-Selch doesn't hold his earlier snap judgement against him.]

Yes, please. I'd like to see it.

[His eyes wander up the spiral structure as he passes it by... is this just a popular design in this city? He decides to ask.]

I assume these-- [He points at the other statues.] -- depict native fauna, but what about this one? Is it just abstract art?

He chuckles dryly. "Actually, none of those creatures are native. They are all the product of one of our greatest creators, the late Lahabrea. He excelled in phantomology, the creation of unknown beasts."

He comes to the spiral structure that the other man points out however, gazing at it wistfully. "This, however - this was simply the symbol of our seat of learning and creation: Akademia Anyder. The shell from which the waters of knowledge were said to flow."

[As usual this is a lot to take in. Emet-Selch's world - and his kind - are really far removed from Hijikata's, and while that isn't news to him at this point (hell, even his first-hand experience of the other man's native powers a year and a half ago already showed him their extent) he still can't stop marveling.]

So he created new species to populate your world with..? Or just for fun?

[He can hardly imagine these god-like beings doing anything "just for fun", but who knows, maybe Lahabrea had more of a whimsical nature than Emet-Selch! He simply accepts the explanation of the spiral, though he kind of struggles to see a shell in it. Well, perhaps that was a metaphor - at this point he'd feel stupid for having to re-inquire about every little thing!]

Not quite. Many of his creations were too... Too extravagant to exist as a general species. Or too powerful. Or too dangerous. It would be more accurate to say he made them to be unique.

[ He reflects on Lahabrea's Masterworks with some melancholy. As ever, the phoenix lingers at the forefront of his memory. ]

Some were approved for the wider world, that said. Mainly little creatures like Balloons or Bombs.

[ He gestures to the doorway. ] Images of them should be on display. I can show you.

[Little creatures like Balloons or Bombs?! Okay, this is an even stranger world than he already thought. He follows all the more eagerly, though the surroundings - be it the architecture or the flora in the parks and gardens he can see from up here - keep drawing his eyes on the short way. He's seen many different worlds now, be it by properly visiting them or through others' dreams and memories, but it just never gets boring.]

Were you all creators, then? I mean, you could create beings too. [Like Mayorins.] I assume you just didn't specialise in it?

[He does remember Emet-Selch saying that he mainly dealt with the realm of souls... he wonders if they can visit his workplace. But one thing after the other.]

[ He leads them through the doorway and they descend a gentle slope to the bowels of the Words of Lahabrea. The interior is brightly lit - and not at all decrepit or on fire like it had been in his recreation, where his final memory of it had been the wreckage following Archaeotania's escape. ]

Correct. But I was considered a powerful mage nonetheless. Given a concept matrix, I could reproduce most works without significant effort. I simply did not have the flexibility of mind or the finesse to devise new ones worthy of inclusion in the wider world. Meanwhile, others such as Hythlodaeus would have required outside assistance to create creatures beyond a certain scale.

[ The first thing they both encounter at the bottom of the slope is a display featuring some ancient (well, MORE ancient) artefacts and a metal casting of a rearing horse. Images of the 'Bombs' are off to the side: a rotund thing that resembles a floating cauldron, sans feet. ]

[Hijikata listens and observes, studying the designs on display.]

Okay, I've got to ask: did you and your people create all life on your word, even originally, before the first calamity? Or did you "just" supplement it?

[Either way, the sheer power of Emet-Selch's kind is humbling. If they straight-up created their world the man may just be the most powerful being he encountered so far, above even other worlds' specialised deities.]

[ He crosses his arms as he stares up at the displays. ]

That...I do not know. Ours was a long history. In my lifetime, we had been stewards of the star for quite a span already. My people dedicated their lives to improving it. We helped the ecosystem flourish. We nurtured a myriad of life in a variety of biomes all across the star. We led such lives of ease that we could afford to pursue matters such as culture and philosophy.

[ He glances at the other man. ] We never knew war or conflict for we had all we needed at our fingertips.

[That's fair. He wouldn't be able to tell Emet-Selch about the beginnings of human history on his world either. To go from such an advanced, long-lasting era of cultivation and prosperity to such a violent end must have been all the more of a shock if none of the afflicted were used to conflict on any scale.]

The creatures... those monsters we saw in your dream, where did they come from? Another world?

[Did they target this star system on purpose, like the Amanto did with his Earth? At this point he counts himself lucky for "just" having been colonialised.]

[ He grimaces then. ]

At the time, none of us knew how or why the creatures manifested. But a few moons ago I had a most vivid dream...

[ He hesitates on whether to explain, but then decides that it can't be more absurd than anything else that's happened. ]

My star is known for its abundance of aether. However, it seems there is another force, unknown to our senses, called 'dynamis'. That force is governed by strong emotion. The fear and despair that my people felt at the oncroaching threat...that is what manifested such abominations.

Your fears of the calamity brought it about?

[Damn, that's... beyond cruel. It's like being scared of bad dreams and ending up having them because one spent too much time focusing one's thoughts on it, only so many times worse. He doesn't know what to say anymore; condolences don't seem to cut it for such a domino effect of tragedies.]

...

Is your old workplace around here, too?

[Maybe showing him where he applied his powers could give Emet-Selch a touch of solace.]

[ He is grateful for the change in topic. He doesn't like to dwell on the fall of their civilisation for too long. It only invites doubt and guilt over whether he could have done more or done something differently. ]

I worked in tandem with the Bureau of the Architect to survey new creations. Being in charge of the aetherial realm as I was, it was necessary for me to assess the aetheric stability and structure of new concepts.

[ A huff. ] Souls played very little part in my day to day work, in fact. The bureau is quite a walk from here. Do you mind?

I don't mind, but will we be able to walk that far?

[They're in a localised illusion, after all... but perhaps the scenery just changes around them while they have the feeling of walking across long distances, he wouldn't know.]

I...do not know. I suppose we can only try and find out.

[ Fortunately, that does seem to be the case. An odd sense of time passing whilst none actually passes at all. Vague impressions of the hallways they walk past (Halmarut's garden, Mitron's aquarium-cum-lecture hall) and then finally the sweeping promenade leading them to the front gates of the Akademia.

From there, it isn't a long walk at all. The Bureau of the Architect is a few mere streets away. In the meantime, Hijikata can gaze at their city proper and marvel at the architecture, no longer engulfed by fire and ash. ]

[He does take in all the beautiful buildings and gardens, the pathways, spires and arches. Despite the complete absence of people the pristine wholeness of the city makes the memory of its devastation all the heavier.

When they reach the Bureau he continues to follow Emet-Selch's lead inside without commentary. This whole experience, while not over yet, has already left him with much to dwell on. He passively looks out for any souls, but of course there are none... whatever the nature of the other man's work was, it's clear that he didn't have ghosts hanging around him like he does now on Avalon, and even if, there wouldn't be any in this illusion.]

[ The Bureau of the Architect doesn't particularly stand out compared to the Akademia. The foyer looks the same as any other place of administration, but further in and on the upper floors? Long, teal-coloured crystals sit in neat rows of shelves or hang from racks, sorted by type, function, or purpose. It's a veritable library of ideas and the state of half-finished work on the desks placed at regular intervals is almost eerie. It feels like the space could come alive at any moment. ]

My friend, Hythlodaeus, is the chief of this bureau. Had he accepted the title of Emet-Selch instead of deferring it to me, I would be here in his stead. The Bureau of the Architect assesses submissions from the general populace and deliberates upon whether 'tis suitably unique and worthy of record.

[ He gestures to room. ]

Day-to-day affairs are easily handled by Hythlodaeus, but on occasion I am called upon to make a determination on more complex concepts submitted for evaluation.

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TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 21

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