TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ I

[avalonmods]

{ QUICK NAV } Premise ⚔️️ Rules ⚔️️ FAQ ⚔️️ Taken ⚔️️ Reserves ⚔️️ Apply ⚔️️ Locations ⚔️️ Bestiary 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 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. You'll definitely see other new arrivals plopping in. If you can't swim, a red-headed woman known only as the Lady of the Lake will drag you to the shore if she doesn't spot someone else near you helping so no one ends up drowning. She's a little busy casting directive magic to make sure everyone lands safely and playing lifeguard, so if anyone attempts to talk to her, she'll tell them to head up to 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 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 earbuds to everyone before getting them settled in groups into modernized carriages pulled by horses and give them a basic explanation of why and how they've been brought to Avalon: 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 nip bottles. 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. Because of the volume of new arrivals and vacationers, inn rooms are assigned two-to-a-room. The rooms have two twin beds, a bathroom, a mini-fridge and microwave, and a TV equipped with a couple of entertaining video games and a few free movies. If you don't want to relax in the room, try taking a dip in the spring for another chance to meet your fellow travelers. The waters have restorative properties that help horses and travelers recover quickly when drunk. It is known to relieve stress, improve energy levels, and mildly accelerate healing. 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. A ⦿ Get Fresh Upon arrival in Camelot travelers are ushered to a large set of wash rooms where they can clean up and make themselves presentable for the Welcome Feast. They are informed that once the feast concludes there will be an announcement on where they can seek lodging and how to begin their magic studies. B ⦿ Be Merry After they freshen up, travelers are led into the main dining hall. The decorations range from simplistic to a little more grandiose, it is likely everyone will find something familiar. A modern mash up with a medieval flair. The jester makes his rounds, perhaps he has a joke or two to tell, go ahead, give him a listen or perhaps volunteer to participate in one of the jester's shows, like knife-throwing or hypnotism. Within the crowd of staff there are mummers, a juggler, here and there dabbled through small troupes perform mini skits, perhaps they’ll perform a well known verse from a traveler’s world or tell a tale of fancy from this realm. C ⦿ Eat Well A banquet is prepared with food that while all “rustic” in appearance are usually a version of modern dishes ranging from basic roast chicken and veggies to Korean-Mexican fusion and French patisserie. The drinks are much the same; while served in old fashioned goblets, they are drinks modern travelers will be familiar with. Have a seat, meet a new neighbor, find a roommate, maybe a new or old friend? Talk to the person to your left, your right, across from you. Mingle, enjoy the food, the music, it shouldn’t be long before the information promised is provided. Till then take your fill and get to know your fellow travelers. You've been here a few days now and have gotten a chance to settle in, find a place to stay, and Camelot's citizens have decided that you've been here long enough to start living your life again. Well, your new life. A group of citizens have decided to give everyone their first quest. "Hear ye, hear ye!" a man in chain mail with a tablet with his statement typed up on it declares to a crowd from atop a pedestal. There are two other citizens around him with phones to post the video to AOL later to make sure the word gets heard ye all around. "Those with magic, we beseech thee! Findeth us a grail most holy hidden in the depths of the Brocéliande! This holy grail is known to grant thine wishes three, a most noble quest for noble souls! Great reward will come to those who find it and proclaim at least one of their wishes to find the great Excalibur for King Arthur!" This is the first you've heard about King Arthur, and it seems curious that he hasn't yet shown his face around town. It also seems strange that this guy is speaking like he's stepped out of a bad period piece, and probably should be the clue that this is more or less an attempt to haze some of the newcomers by sending them into the forest... but no one is telling newcomers this. It's better to get them out there and start praciticing, after all. A ⦿ Lost, and Lost, and Lost Again The Brocéliande is well-known around Camelot for being a forest that's both bountiful and mysterious. Oddities are known to happen that may never happen again to the point that even if something weird happens and you can't prove it, most citizens will assume you're telling the truth. Which is what makes it peculiar when you keep passing the exact same locations over and over again, as if you've been traveling in circles or reaching the end of the map in a video game and coming out the other end. You're stuck in a space loop. The only way out is to successfully find the one difference in each loop five times in a row and collect it. Maybe it's a strange frog, a crystal that wasn't there before, a small wooden step that doesn't lead anywhere, or some other singular item, you've got to find what stands out... pick the wrong item, and you'll have to start your five count over again, and again, and again... B ⦿ Grail, and Grail, and Grail Again!? If you either missed the space loop or managed to get out of it, eventually you'll come to find one of... quite a few copies of a grail with holes in the side placed throughout the forest. They look like they might be good for draining noodles, but that's about it. Though they're spread out, it's entirely possible you'll find more than one, but each of them are placed in situations where it's impossible to get to by normal means. You'll have to use magic! It may be hidden in a bird's nest at the top of the tallest tree, inside of a hole in a rock with bars that prevent you from reaching in (perhaps an animal friend could reach it), inside a boiling pond, or inside the body of a bear fir... there are a load of possibilities, and now's a chance for you to try out your brand new magics! Use one of those samples, find something from the bestiary, or come up with your own adventure to get your hands on that less-than-holy grail. C ⦿ A Quest Completeish Or it would be, if you could ever find the guy who announced it... The AOL posts have since been deleted. You may end up spending a lot of time trying to find the guy. At this point, citizens will start telling you that you shouldn't take quests unless they're on the quest board or else you're going to get scammed... that's definitely an olden times themed noodle strainer. If that doesn't make you give up, or perhaps motivates you to find the guy to kick his ass, you'll have to head out to the farmland and chase them through a cornfield. (Be careful not to get lost, it's a maize in there.) If one of the boys are caught, they'll explain they were just testing you-- and hey, you got a free addition to your kitchen! If pressed, they'll apologize and give you a bit of money for your trouble. It's not much, but it'll get you at least a meal.

MOD NOTES:
• All test drive prompts are open to anyone in the game at any time to create your own logs with, but this post should have top-levels by potential new characters only. Current characters may reply to any threads, but should not top-level comment on this post. This is the first one, ignore this note today!
• 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.
• For the first month only, there will not be a quest board. Starting in December, quests will be posted on the 1st of each month for current players. After that point, quests may be used as TDM prompts in addition to the presented TDM prompts. A link will be provided as a bonus prompt option at the end of the post.
• The first "Arrival" prompts are present on every TDM. 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

Naoto Kurogane | Blazblue

[divinereaper]

To new adventure! [Caravan to Camelot]

[ Naoto sighed, thinking over all the information he's received upon arriving at the Rent-A-Ride. Time was frozen, he had to learn magic, and this little kitsune was now bound to him. He didn't mind a lot of this, but the matter of the fact remains-- if his powers are gone, why did his right arm stay? Not to mention it felt a lot more like flesh and bone than it did liquid.

While he was thinking of these questions, he started mumbling to himself. ]

This place is weirder than weird... I'll have to check my prosthetics later.

Control your hunger, you! [Eat Well]

[ The amount of food displayed in front of him made his mouth water. There was so much to try that his meager high school budget could never afford, and this might as well be the only chances for him to try it! He's just so happy to see everything there and available, but there was only one thing with a bigger appetite than him, and that was his kitsune familiar.

So there he was, holding it back by its tiny waist and hoping it didn't destroy anything. ]

Calm down already, this food isn't going anywhere! [ He hoped someone came to help him. Maybe the little guy was just trying to act on his own desires to gorge himself. Who knows. ]

Who's idea was this?! [Grail, Grail, and Grail again!]

[ Both him and his familiar were more than pissed off. Having three grails meant that he knew that this quest was a joke. Luckily his water magic worked exactly like his blood, which saved him a lot of headache in getting them (who decided shoving one in a bird's nest was a good idea?! Those things pecked!), but he just wanted to be done with it.

His familiar let out a sound of what sounded like indignation, which Naoto nodded sagely, as if understanding. ] Me too. These damn cups isn't that holy grail the guy was talking about. Does that thing even exist?!

[ He turns around to see someone right behind him, causing him to blink. ] Oh. Didn't see you there.

[hopticulture]

[Okay, okay. Anthros got to stick together. But even still...

Her ear flaps as her familiar comes to land on her head. She admittedly admires her companion's dedication to this cause, even if he sounds a bit foolish to her.

It would be different were it simply high up and too far for her to reach. Stinging, easily-irate insects on the other hand...]

From all my years of gardening, I've learned to leave wasp nests well enough alone. [She gives him a sidelong glance, mouth curved into a wry smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes.] Unless you want to get stung.

[holytrident]

There's so many things Lunafreya would like to say, but that's the thing about distance; all these years seperated and barely more than a journal to bind them together. A promise of destiny, a star in need of saving, all of it serving only to divide their journey further apart. And Altissia...

When Noctis pulls her in for a hug, every word dissipates on her lips. She takes a shakey breath and holds it in. For so long, the princess of Tenebrae has tucked away her private feelings but the warmth of his arms is almost too much to bear.

Still holding onto her phone with both hands, she can't seem to pull herself together to do much more than lean forward and rest her head against his shoulder. No dream, she thinks, releasing her breath finally. No Gods, no destiny. Even if it's just for this moment than it's enough.

"I'm...so glad you are as well." The words don't come out the way she wants them to, but there's no time to dwell on it. The chatter of the people around them divide her attention, and Pryna's nose nudges at her side, coaxing her to continue thinking forward. "Perhaps we should go together, wherever these people are meant to lead us?"

Red Springs

[divinereaper]

[ Naoto blinked. That was a statement if he's ever heard one. He would have gotten up in his face to reply, but his own familiar was on his lap sleeping away. He didn't want to wake it up. So instead he just let his anger show in both his face and voice. ]

No. Why the hell should I?

bless you harry

[grilletto]

[ In a little while it would occur to Mista that he hadn't seen his familiar since leaving the caravan, maybe it had gotten tired of hanging out with him and wandered off but it was more likely that it was hiding under the bed somewhere.

Despite his gruff greeting he couldn't help but raise his hat off of his face just to get a peek at the person that had answered. Mostly unassuming he figured, probably not much of a threat in the long run but...

Catching sight of the Pygmy Puff cut him off in the middle of his thoughts, brow raising as he completely pulled his hat down from his face and pushed himself up to sit on the side of the bed. ]

...what the hell is that thing?

[ Pure eloquence. ]

[thecacophony]

[ Sal doesn't seem to believe his reassurances at first — but after a moment she sighs and takes a seat on the other bed. This whole damn day has wrung her out, unfortunately, so it appears that she'll have to take the risk for now. She nods to the sword, Red Queen. It's a hell of a lot fancier than Jeff, she thinks begrudgingly. ]

Is that a normal thing, where you're from? Doesn't seem like any kind of mage weapon.

[ Or even one of the Revolution's more sinister inventions; everyone just has to try and one-up each other for killing potency, don't they? She takes off her sword as she talks, resting it against the wall. Maybe she still has an eye on him, but this is...well, it's a start. ]

Magic, familiars...at least a sword's reliable.

[theskyaccepts]

[Right, the grail! Tsuna had become a little preoccupied with getting lost in the forest. He also looks concerned at the river, but if they're careful, hopefully it won't be a problem.

This would be a lot easier if he could use his flames. Then he could fly over.]

Well, I could try giving you a boost, or...you could give me one? Between the two of us, I think we can reach the vine at least.

[theskyaccepts]

There's other ghosts?

Like a haunted house or something? I don't know if I could take that...

[theskyaccepts]

[The pun definitely gets a bit of a side-eye, intended or not.]

Not that kind of hoarse. H-O-R-S-E.

That doesn't sound like fun, but I don't think these ones will do that. I think they're just big, but otherwise safe. I hope.

[birdflipping]

Standard issue stuff for knights in the Order of the Sword. Fancy blades were kinda their speciality. Mine just had a few tweaks and a lick of paint on top of that.

[He points to the unusual handle, but doesn't actually pick the sword up when she's made it clear she's already on edge.]

Rev the handle like a motorbike and it gives the blade an extra kick.

[theskyaccepts]

S-sorry.

[And Tsuna bows his head when he says that, truly meaning it. He hates being weak sometimes, even if it is still his go to.]

But yeah, I think I'm okay now. Thank you, really.

[gundhamster]

"I have never heard of this Falana you speak of."

When he spoke, Gundham was slow, deliberate. Almost as if speaking to a child or scared animal. In hindsight he saw where that could have caused offense, but it was too instinctual. This being looked too animal like for his talent to allow him to do much more. He even found himself crouching into a squatting position, making himself smaller, less of a threat. Still, thanks to his 'semester' at Jabberwock Island the idea of being whisked away to some other world didn't seem quite as outlandish as it may once have seemed.

"...Just as I'm assuming you have not heard of Japan."

[theskyaccepts]

[Tsuna offers a small wave of apology to the hapless individual before turning his attention back to Gokudera.]

It's fine, everything was a bit confusing for a while there.

[He just won't mention that he almost drowned. He still looks a little wet, and maybe a bit tired, but otherwise he's okay. Mostly just relieved.]

I don't really know either...and it seems a bit elaborate for some sort of training, even for Reborn. But I haven't seen anyone else. You're the first person I found.

[mithrarin]

[Dust squeezes Ahrah's hilt, thinking. He's tried, and he can't access the Dust Storm here, but he's still quick and strong -- and a thread keeps tickling at the back of his head, and swirling around him in unguarded moments. That magic he's supposed to learn...]

I'm willing to take them on, if you can get the whatever it is.

[mithrarin]

"That'd be right. This must be... the next place that needed my help, although what exactly is going on..."

Dust shook his head, then drew one foot back so he could turn and assess the lay of the land again. That and the people swimming onto the beach, or already climbing the stairs.

"I don't understand. Any of this."

[xyston]

[ She watched as Gundham feeds her own griffin, turning her head and observed the familiar's eagerness to eat both the seeds and the meat. ]

It fits the appearance of a mythical griffin. Such a creature with both avian and mammalian features, it's a strange sight.

[ Cressida notices the creature hiding beneath Gundham's scarf. Narrowing her eyes at it as it disappeared, Cressida hums thoughtfully ]

Your Maga-Z. What is it?

[theonlyrealthing]

Someone Jack can probably relate to, at least in some ways, though the name of the martial art is unfamiliar. Gilboa's world might be like Earth, but it is decidedly not the same timeline, and American-named martial arts don't really exist. Because America doesn't exist.

He comes over and hauls the other person up with one hand, grinning maybe a little too widely, and says. "How about you give that a try on somebody who actually knows how to fight." That would at least give him something to think about besides magic.

[theonlyrealthing]

Bird person. Absolutely. We're rolling with it. This is probably a dream, anyway. "My lady," he says with as charming a smile as he can muster. Which, really, is still pretty damn charming. "If they were going to kill us, why bother fishing us out of the lake and grabbing us when we fell off the cliff? I'm pretty sure there's no poison."

He plucks up another of the little bottles, this one some kind of scotch-equivalent, and uses the provided corkscrew to pop the cork. "Besides, I've already had one, and I don't feel poisoned."

Arrival - B

[divinereaper]

Um... Are you okay?

[ Naoto was watching her skipping around, wondering if she was in denial about being in this new world. World hopping was nothing new to him, but there was something about the woman that made Naoto stop and worry about her. Maybe she was just a regular human pulled into this mess. He just had to figure out. ]

You look like you found gold in the middle of nowhere. Is everything alright?

[lyingthroughyourbeak]

Sounds fun!

[ Sarcasm at its finest, clearly. ]

I do NOT envy you.

[lyingthroughyourbeak]

"Oh boy," Louie mumbled, not looking the least bit amused. "As if I wasn't already freaked out enough by you... flesh people. Now you have to start making puns." He did not need a replacement Dewey. ...Or if he did, he didn't want to think about it. He grabbed the first goblet he could reach, hoping it was something palatable, and starting moving towards the dining tables.

But as much as he would have liked to avoid this conversation, he doubted it would be so easy.

[lyingthroughyourbeak]

[ He follows her up with a small sigh of defeat. ]

You mean when we find out who dropped us here...?

[ Because they're here together, and that's definitely a comfort. And it's not like that's a secret, either - Della has witnessed Louie's anxiety firsthand. If he had ended up here without anyone he knew - without her - he'd probably be crying already. But with his mother around, this just seems par for the course. ]

[nothing_can_stop_me]

[Della calmed down enough to sigh and look back at Louie.]

Right. Us. Oh, Louie, at least we got each other.

[She's gonna give you a hug. Yeah, they're still wet, but they need it.]

We're going to find out how we got here and we're gonna make them send us back. Or ask them to bring the others with us. I mean, I prefer the former, but if we can't, might as well have the latter.

Princess Rosella | King's Quest

[savewell]

ARRIVAL — SMARTPHONE STUDIES

[As far as the whole "getting whisked away to a distant land and charged with rendering assistance to help save the world" thing goes, Rosella's taking her new circumstances about as well as anyone could be expected to. Sure, this is the second time in the past forty-eight hours she's found herself in a situation like this, but so far, there's no evil witches, no murderous trolls, and blessedly, decidedly no three-headed dragons demanding her life as a sacrifice. Put in that particular perspective, what's a little soaking in a lake, or a rough climb up a cliffside? Nothing. She's got this. She can handle it.

Of course, then the smartphones get distributed, and she finds herself thrown for her first real loop. It...looks a bit like a miniaturized version of her family's magic mirror, and from poking at it she manages to figure out how to turn it on and off again, but beyond that...

Well, the truth is, she's stumped.

Fortunately, there are plenty of people around, and most of them seem to be having an easier time of it than she is. And, well — she's always been the inquisitive sort, anyway, and the quickest way to understanding something is to ask questions, isn't it?]

Excuse me! You there, yes, I do beg your pardon —

[So says the waterlogged blond clad in a blue and white gown straight out of a fairy tale itself, looking a bit sheepish as she approaches you and holds out her smartphone uncertainly —]

If you wouldn't mind, I, er. Think I need some help, I'm afraid.

TRAINING GROUNDS — FAMILIAR-IZING

[Hooray, the training grounds! The prospect of learning magic is awfuly exciting to Rosella, actually; it's something she's certainly familiar with, but of course she's never had any real training whatsoever in the practical use of it. So she shows up as soon as she hears word that instruction will be offered, and waits patiently for a teacher to find her and start putting her through her paces.

Somewhere along the way, the question arises — have you met your familiar yet?

And she hasn't, so that's where they begin — exercises in calling forth her familiar, so that she can meet her new bonded creature properly.]

Oh, I do hope it's something nice. Perhaps a fairy...oh! Or a unicorn, wouldn't that be lovely?

[At least she looks enthusiastic? But eventually she settles down enough to focus and go through the steps as her instructor guides her through them, and after one or two false starts, she eventually manages to summon up —

...a tiny baby of a dragon, black as ink, with curious red eyes.

It's actually awfully cute, which is why Rosella's reaction to it is so bizarre by comparison: she lays eyes on it, shrieks, and starts retreating backward — and smacks directly into you.]

No! No, no, go away, get away!

NETWORK

[Sometime after the training fiasco and her initial smartphone instruction, Rosella has settled down with a cup of something hot to drink, which leads her to start poking around on AOL just for the sake of taking her mind off of things.]

Has anyone...that is to say, for those of you who've met your "familiar" by now. Have any of you...found that, er...

It's just. What if you don't...like it?

WILDCARD — TAGGER'S CHOICE

[Want to encounter Rosella using one of the other prompts? Go ahead and drop me whatever!]

[lyingthroughyourbeak]

[ Honestly, Louie's just relieved to see someone who's not a horrible flesh monster. He doesn't stick too close to Haru, because who knows who can trust here... but he doesn't completely separate from her side, either. She's at least something nearing familiar. ]

Hey, I've been complaining all my life, and it hasn't failed me yet!

[ If anything, it's just been a somewhat ineffective form of stress relief. So ha. Take that, weird rabbit girl he just met.

Still, he drags himself up the cliffside anyways - you wouldn't be able to tell by looking at him, but he's used to far more strenuous activity than this. Like running for his life on a near-daily basis! ]