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

[divinereaper]

[ Naoto blinked. Well, that was one way he was able to control his little familiar. Though it was kind of rude of him to ignore him.

The kitsune, on the other hand was enjoying the attention. So much so that it had forgotten all about the food in front of it. It even slacked in Naoto's hands, chittering away happily. ]

... At least I know how to control it now. [ He mumbles to himself. ]

"naoto blazblue" omg im losing it

[divinereaper]

[ That is certainly one way to break the ice. Naoto ends up staring owlishly at the frizzy haired teen, wondering how he managed to catch his mumbling.

He shook away his surprise. No need to deny the opportunity. ] As long as you're not too freaked out by the fact, then I suppose it's fine.

[ And off he goes, undoing the latch to his sleeve and checking his left arm. It looked normal, but it didn't hurt doing a deeper dive into it. ]

deer fingers and the grail. i mean what.

[disasdeer]

[ This entire escapade has been entirely frustrating. Louis wanted to go on the quest, of course. He wanted to make sure that he used every opportunity to get used to his magic and to his familiar - what he heard it was called. It was all very odd to him to have a familiar, but he was getting used to it, slowly but surely. He heard someone struggling with one of the things they seemed to have to get and before he approached he found a couple of rocks.

He stepped up next to Mista and offered him one. ]

If you can't get it otherwise, why not just take a rock and see what happens?

[ Listen - it was an idea. ]

[hawthrone]

[ His hopes of getting out of the endless forest were quickly crushed when the other person seemed just as confused as he was. Draco dragged his hands over his face, feeling as if a dementor suddenly sucked his soul right out of his body. Actually, that'd probably be a much preferable fate than this. It's times like these that he wished that he managed to go to Azkaban. At least he wouldn't be here right now. ]

Please don't tell me that you're not trapped here as well...

[ But he already knew the answer to that. Draco turned around on his heel and faced away from the other stranger, silently calculating his chances of survival. He could probably survive. Probably. But who knows what's lurking in the dark in a place like this? ]

Okay, we can fix this. Maybe I just needed to make sure I walked through with someone else. Two heads are better than one, as they say.

[disasdeer]

[ Louis is quiet for a moment and summons the four-legged white dog beside him. It's fairly large and has red tipped ears and red ears with gold eyes. It's much easier to show than explain, right? ]

As you can see --

[ His ears twitch, glancing towards the creature. ]

He looks like a lot of the animals I've seen here. He's been helpful, though, so I wager he's harmless to us.

[ He has no way to know for sure what canines are like on places other than his home. He assumes...similar enough. Maybe dumber, he guesses. ]

If they're helping, that's all you can ask for. I wonder if they even can hurt you.

[ He hadn't really considered it. ]

[disasdeer]

[ Louis crouches down, ready to go. He eyes the other, knowing that even if he doesn't do great this go, he'll certainly (hopefully) learn something form it. He shifts his weight from his left to right - then he does a small count down to go -- ]

Ready - on one.

[ And - ]

Three -

[ pause ]

Two -

[ A smirk, focused forward. ]

One. Go.

[ Dust will find that Louis isn't particularly fast when running even at his top speed, nor is he a strong climber. He's decent at dodging and weaving through things. But he's not had much luck in the way of discovering his magic this way. ]

[disasdeer]

[ The dog is really cool, Haru. Really, he's the best part of this entire situation, if he were honest. He shifts his attention briefly to the creature, reaching out a hand towards it and it moves, sitting down beside him. For a bringer of death, he's a good partner. ]

You have more of a caught in the rain look, Haru. Not so much a fell in the ocean anymore. I think the walk up here helped.

[ Certainly. ]

They should consider a different location, anyway. Not the best place to suddenly appear.

[ He's not happy about it - he nearly drowned. ]

Supposedly horses like this are totally normal, too.

[disasdeer]

I don't think you're alone there.

I don't have any clues as to who exactly it is. I just have leads leading to additional leads. Which keeps leading to more... if you guessed leads, you would be right.

Usually after five people someone would have caved somewhere.

Saber (Artoria Pendragon) | Fate/Stay Night

[excalibeam]

(1) The Caravan to Camelot

[ Saber hasn't had a good time.

She woke up in water. Sure, whatever, she may not know why but water would normally not be an issue since she could walk on it.

Instead, however, she ended up sinking straight to the bottom. She never learned how to swim in life because she never needed to, so it was just bad.

It didn't help that she was wearing full plate armor.

After much futile thrashing, she was eventually dragged out of the water before she could drown. Honestly, it would be an embarrassing way for the King of Knights to die.

Oh, also there was a red dragon on her shoulder that was oddly attached to her.

Well, she eventually made her way to Rent-a-Ride... and while the explanation was greatly appreciated, she was also quite baffled. This certainly couldn't be the same Avalon of her own world, and what made things even more confusing was the mention of Camelot.

You know, the name of the kingdom she once ruled. When she was alive. ]

Camelot...

[ She sits in the carriage, deep in thought. Camelot...

It certainly couldn't be her own Camelot, right? Still... it triggers some kind of feeling in her.

Feel free to tap her shoulder if you want! ]

(2) Eat Well

Ohhhh!

[ She can't help but admire the banquet. The meals here certainly look delicious. There's even more variety than what was available in the Camelot that she herself ruled.

Still, the theme on the place brought back some memories of her own life. Though it is very different from the Camelot she once ruled, it still feels similar.

...well, enough about that. She hasn't eaten yet and while the cooking isn't as impressive as the food made by a certain boy she knew, she was still going to take full advantage of this feast. ]

(3) Quest Completeish?

Damn that swine!

[ She is angry. Saber is on a warpath.

Let's get something straight. It was already shocking enough to end up in a quest for the Holy Grail. This is, of course, for many reasons that we will not get into right now!

Secondly, while she did somewhat consider the possibility, the mention of King Arthur was something as well. After all, she is King Arthur.

So, that means that there really IS another King Arthur. Another King of Knights from this world. She would like to meet this person, so certainly completing this quest would get her a straight path to the King. ]

I will not stand for this...!

[ Of course, after all of the trouble she went through to grab the damn thing, it turned out to be a scam.

Scamming the King of Knights? Not a good idea. She'd make sure they know this by the time she's done with them.

...unfortunately, she doesn't even know where to start looking. So she's just stomping through town in full plate armor looking positively fumed. Heck, even the small dragon that is now sitting on her head looks a little annoyed. ]

[boutdatlife]

The collection of skulls in front of Samatoki turns, one pair of glowing blue eyes fixing on the young man as it stares. Right then, Samatoki gets mad enough he bites a chunk out of the roll, and it dislodges; he grabs it in his hand and glares at his familiar. "Bastard, I should throw this at your head. Heads...Tch."

Then he cuts Kuroko with a sharp glare from red eyes.

"If I was fuckin' choking, how was I supposed to answer you dipshit?"

Really, clearly, the yakuza is. not phased by the demonic hellhound. Or if he has any reaction to it, no one but Samatoki will know about it because he'll internalize it.

[redtwin]

Aye, perhaps, though I doubt he wants me to come back to visit that swiftly.

[It isn't that she'd terrorized the shopkeep, exactly. It's just that she's incredibly forthright, and might have been sparking a little with the elemental magic that's just close enough to her own magic to make it all the harder to get a grasp on.]

Meet me at the job board and we'll head out. If he's clever, he'll have backup, so best we do the same.

[bakudan_bambino]

No, I'm not.

It's probably just an illusion to make us think we're trapped. If we are, then it's likely we play into it and eventually do end up hopelessly lost.

[Gokudera's met an illusionist, is aware that it's just a bit of mind over matter, and thinks if they go the way he came, they should end up right at the lake. He motions for the other to follow him, lights a cigarette, and seems uninterested in sticking around to be trapped or lost like Draco was.

He has no idea that he's in the same sort of loop, and didn't count his paces. It may be a bit of a walk before he realizes that things are starting to look familiar.]

[redtwin]

She meets the glare with a slight quirk of an eyebrow, as though cranky men roughly the size of two of her are merely a matter of course, and not any cause for concern. Or, apparently, for sympathy.

"Precisely," she says, the corners of her lips twitching slightly as the squirrel chatters at him. She doesn't speak rodent, but the fluffy little creature is clearly bold as brass, and that alone is delightful. "I haven't ever met a squirrel that cared one whit for titles, but they respond quite well to bribery."

[bakudan_bambino]

I'm not sure.

[Because he's not been on a different world before. Gokudera's initial response is to lash out from the fear, but not at the Tenth. Anyone but the Tenth. He has to focus on being as supportive as he can be and mask how troubled he is by leaving Namimori.]

I heard about familiars. I'm wondering how I'll meet mine. It's just a very vague answer. Aside from that, there are a lot of people on this network that seem to be in the same situation we're in.

We need to learn magic to protect our world. And... apparently there are quests... So, missions. Want to see if we can enroll in one? [Sounds like something that Reborn-san would encourage, he thinks.]

screaming omg hello and umm tough choice.... 1

[greedyvixen]

[Wh--?

This girl blinks when she sees the familiar blonde in this weird new world. Seriously, over a year in another world without seeing her at all, a sudden trip home between changing worlds and now they both end up here? Who knows, Rin could be just seeing things and maybe Saber isn't real but she's not wasting time to think about any 'what ifs' right now.

Rin rushes to Saber and everyone else will just have to get the hell out of her way. She barely holds back from hugging her out of nowhere, instead she's happily and excitedly tapping her shoulder.]

Well, I didn't think I'd see you here but it's not like I'll be complaining. [She smiles.] Hello, Saber!

[...And if she doesn't happen to know Rin at all, well, she'll think about that later.]

ill bring king arthur to another king arthur's world no regrets

[excalibeam]

E-Eh!? Rin?

[ Well, Rin is a surprise, and a welcome one at that! If she's here, then there's a good chance there are other familiar faces.

The hug catches her off-guard, but she smiles anyway. ]

Hello, Rin. I see you're here as well.

[ Polite and well-mannered as usual. She hasn't changed at all since the last time Rin would have seen her. Still, she smiles and returns the hug. ]

excellent life choices!!

[greedyvixen]

[Hahah, funny how Rin's from that ending, where she keeps saying that Shirou and Saber belong to her... Yeah, so that and some other reasons sure mean the hug happens easily from Rin's side as soon as she's said something.

She's smiling even more when Saber returns that hug.]

Yeah, seems like we arrived around the same time. Hey, did you see Archer yet? He's here too.

[Does she have to stop hugging soon? She doesn't want to, but Saber's free to let go whenever she feels like it.]

decided on ubw good ending for saber's canon point here. Might change later, will see

[excalibeam]

Eh? Archer is here?

[ Well, she was hoping that Shirou would be here. She's not sure whether to consider that hope answered successfully or not.

Saber does let go so that she can get a better look at Rin. ]

To think we would meet again... well, so long as he remains our ally this time.

i played Rin from halfway through UBW for over a year but decided to change canon point here

[greedyvixen]

Mm, he just arrived too.

[If lots of people are arriving at the same time, maybe Shirou's somewhere here too. But Rin's not going to count on that hope considering, uh, how these worlds seem to work and how long she waited for him in that other world.

Okay, they can both let go of the hug to take a look at each other. Rin's still smiling at her.]

Yeah, I didn't think we'd see him again either... And he'd better remain on the same side this time or he'll get to deal with me. What's the last thing you remember from Fuyuki?

[excalibeam]

Hm... [ She thinks for a moment. ] well, we had destroyed the Grail, and you managed to keep your contract with me so that I wouldn't disappear. The last thing I remember is that Shirou had just woken up.

[ She lets out a sigh. ]

Then, suddenly, I was in the water. Normally it wouldn't have been an issue, but it seems like I cannot access some of my abilities as a Servant.

[ She also almost drowned, but let's just forget about that, shall we? ]

[boutdatlife]

"Eh? What's it to you?"

He pulls up, standing straight as a tendril of smoke filters up above his head. Samatoki does not mean to hassle the mekurabe, though can a collection of smaller skulls making a bigger skull be called a creature? He's pretty sure the fact they are skulls alone makes them dead. But, at least they are skulls and not some furry something or other.

The last of his smoke burns away, and while he may be rough, rude, and most of the time, not a nice guy, Samatoki does have some respect, and so he smashes it between his fingers to be sure there are no hots and shoves it in his pocket.

He'll toss it in the garbage later. For now, he is just watching her with a cautious red gaze. The fact that she is covering her head raises his hackles. Not the most trusting of a guy under good circumstances, these are hardly good. Oddly, his familiar seems to do the same thing he is doing, stare at the woman, except the one set of eyes glowing from it seem to be blue.

Lost

[greedyvixen]

The real question is are they kidding Rin with this Holy Grail thing?! She's a Holy Grail War winner, surely this is a joke or something else, but guess it could be this world's version of some children's version of a war like that too.

Rin sees him complaining there, she could be complaining too but so far? She's been surprisingly good at pretending to be all cool, calm, elegant and collected. But that's only SO FAR! She doesn't expect that to last forever if she keeps on running in circles here. Why is she even here? Probably making sure this is nothing like her world's version of that war and hey, she is curious about local magic and surely this thing will show some of that...

Speaking of which... Rin glances at him while she's standing near him and making a note to herself about locals being totally unhelpful with this thing.

"Congratulations. You're stuck in some kind of a magical loop until you find your way out."

It's the obvious answer. What's less obvious is -- everything else?? But hey, it's that one girl from Ren's housewarming party and wherever else they may have seen during their time in Lunatia. Not that Rin's assuming anyone to be from there by any defaults, people leaving and forgetting everything is so much more likely than people being from there too.

C they already found each other like magic >>

[boutdatlife]

[Samatoki knows Riou, which means once all things are said and done the Yakuza does not go looking for the scam artists. He goes looking for the bara.

Why, because if anyone is going to take this trip too far it is his teammate. Samatoki may not stop what he is about to do, depends, but he is sure as hell coming around to make sure he has Riou's back.

When he finds the man Samatoki steps up, the faint cherry glow of his cigarette and smell of it sure to give him away before he speaks.]

Get anythin' outta the bastard yet?

[Oh Riou, you crazy fucker.]

eating!!

[reproducing]

[He's gotten so lost seeing all the different types of food presented here. He's been taking his time looking at the different foods. He's taking mental notes of all the different flavor and cooking combinations. Just looking at it all makes him feel inspired to come up with something new with an obvious Japanese influence.

As he goes to look at the other row of food, a familiar hairstyle catches the corner of his eye. For a second, it feels like his heart stops and time is standing still. Could it be...?]

Saber? [He mutters her name the first time. Besides this all feeling like a dream, seeing her again feels the most surreal to him.] Saber! [This time he yells, and the dish he's holding, he drops and runs towards her like no one else in the world matters at this very moment. He feels like if he doesn't reach her, he'll never see her again.]

[theonlyrealthing]

"I've never actually had to bargain with a squirrel before," Jack mutters. He hasn't, frankly, had to do much bargaining period, and when he has, it hasn't usually ended up going well. That's not a pleasant thought.

He sighs, shoots the expectant squirrel a glare, then says more loudly, "If you're actually here to help, instead of just mock me, help me find some acorns or something."