TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 21

[avalonmods]

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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.

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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. 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.

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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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D ⦿ Light it Up
	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.

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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
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.

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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 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.

Comments

[angel_of_death]

"Not yet. But I've heard a few sounds in the distance now and then that could be one of them."

Has he gone to check it out? No. But fetching errant farm-workers isn't his priority, given the lack of danger. The flowers are not, to his knowledge, toxic.

Now, if they stay out long enough to interrupt the faeries' hour of trooping, then it may become an issue. Still, he's not terribly worried.

[emet_sulk]

"I'm surprised you did not investigate." Walter seems like a helpful sort. More helpful than Emet-Selch, at any rate. "This late, they could wander into the path of an aggressive beast."

[angel_of_death]

"With how potent this herb is, I imagine even the beasts would have difficulty not succumbing to its effects. But I have been keeping an ear out."

If they're not in active danger, he reasons bringing them back in is a matter than can wait. He'll fill his basket and then find a worker to drag in. Babysitting them while picking the flowers would be troublesome.

[emet_sulk]

"Practical to a fault."

It isn't disapproving. He decides to follow their example and resume harvesting from the field. Unless someone screams, he cannot be arsed to go looking for lost workers.

He's already thinking about how to use the herbs in a potion.

[angel_of_death]

"I try." Being able to prioritize was an asset in his line of work. Mortals like him only had so much energy to sustain themselves.

He spends the next few minutes quietly picking away, plucking the herbs as swiftly as the poor lighting allows.

Eventually, he breaks the silence.

"...Do you suppose there's any medicinal benefit to this herb? The friend I live with is interested in medicine as well as magic."

[emet_sulk]

"'Tis difficult to say. Sometimes the effect a herb has in its natural form does not translate to the same in a mixture. I do wonder if it can be used as some manner of anaesthetic however. Or a way to pacify those with hot tempers."

The notice had said this plant is also used in healing tinctures. Surely there could be no adverse effects.

"...If nothing else, I know a few who would enjoy it on its own."

[angel_of_death]

Walter promptly looks up when Emet-Selch mentions hot tempers, keen eyes staring as his adolescent brain contemplates whether or not he is being called out with that remark.

Then again, Emet-Selch hasn't really witnessed an explosion of his temper, has he...

It must be someone else.

As for people enjoying it on its own...

"You mean Hythlodaeus?"

They're friends now, so he'll drop the Misters when speaking in private.

sorry, consumed by 6.2!!

[emet_sulk]

He has to laugh then. "Oh no, not Hythlodaeus. Other lovers of mine, who take after felines - although I do not recommend saying as much to them. They may find it rude coming from a stranger."

But he could also imagine Hythlodaeus enjoying a whiff of this pollen. He is going to be very careful not to leave it where his friend can accidentally spill it though. He doesn't need them to be even more cheerful than usual.

It's quite alright! Is it good? I've been consumed by work.

[angel_of_death]

"Other lovers? My, aren't you popular!"

This man. Who would have thought?

"Now I see why you've been so scarce as of late. They've been keeping you, haven't they?"

yes, I think Walter would love the aesthetic of the void :3

[emet_sulk]

Surprisingly enough for a man of Emet-Selch's stoic nature, he goes faintly pink.

"You make it sound improper; I try to give each of them the attention they deserve. To do aught else would be unfair."

I may have to check that out tomorrow... >_>

[angel_of_death]

Ah, so the man can fluster! He'll have to remember this for later. Whenever he's in need of a good ribbing.

"Well, that makes you a fair deal better than my master at least."

Sir Arthur Hellsing, for all his charisma, is a terribly lustful man. He does not have genuine lovers so much as he has appointments.

"But... I suppose I understand. I've realized it is possible for a man to fancy and genuinely care for more than one in that way... I know someone else like that."

Horus.

[emet_sulk]

"Such has always been the way amongst my people. And amongst the mortal races too. If all are in agreement, then there is nothing untoward about having multiple lovers."

He finds his composure and focuses on their task again. "How is your little romance going then, hmm?"

[angel_of_death]

Caught off-guard, Walter turns to face the man with a startled jerk, and in the following seconds proceeds to run the course of changing through several shades of pink.

"I didn't say -- How did you --" No, stupid question. "I. I don't know. It's... complicated."

Excellent response, Walter, he chides himself. A fine way to make a fool of yourself.

[emet_sulk]

"Complicated how?" He smiles impishly, leisurely picking through catnip as he eyes the younger man. "A clash of values? Personality? Desires?"

Hythlodaeus must be rubbing off on him.

[angel_of_death]

The verbal teasing prompts the continued graduation of the boy's skin from one colour to another, dusty to vibrant, settling at last on a pronounced shade of red that reaches even his ear-tips; a clash of values, yes, for his upbringing and culture and Horus' were quite different in regard to sexuality... and their own, personal sexualities were... varied, in a word; his practically non-existent, and Horus' practically the opposite.

...but it is more than that. So much more, and the weight of thinking about it eventually causes his shoulders to sink.

He sighs, a hand lifting to run through his hair, to smooth the strands and soothe his troubled soul.

"...That and more. It's exactly the sort of situation one would expect to read about in some great work of tragedy. Or a cheap, overblown one."

He knows not which it will turn out to be for him.

[emet_sulk]

"Hmm..."

Emet-Selch is hardly an expert in love. His own relationships had been political or disastrous, and it is only recently that he's come to experience anything close to true romance.

"What makes you believe the love described in such stories is untrue?"

[angel_of_death]

"It's less that I regard it as true or untrue and more a matter of it... causing the characters great pain, if not outright disaster."

Romeo and Juliet being the most famous, he thinks. But there were others in Shakespeare's works.

"We are from different times. Civilizations have risen and fallen in the years between us. We have... different lifespans, putting it lightly. I am mortal. He is not. And my God... let us just say He is not a fan of his pantheon, or the followers of those gods."