avalaughs | TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ I

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TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ I

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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.

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[It's a-

Rabbit?

It's a talking rabbit and while she can't recall the noise a bunny should make from those old picture books, she's pretty sure this isn't it. Sharing the same language is odd and she's so thrown by the surprise, her eyes just stare at her new companion in wild eyed bewilderment.

That is, until, it she hears the word garbage.

And her eyes fall back to her pile of treasure and she sticks a hand into it for something.

That item being a piece of half eaten celery covered in dust, which she promptly sets in front of the rabbit. It's fine. That's just good old fashioned seasoning.]

It's my treasure-don't clean it up. I'm hiding it here.

[So take this celery as a bribe of silence, weird rando animal.]

[The sudden appearance of another person is jarring and she has to remind herself, again, that people are alive here. That they're wandering around and-

She stares at the girl for a long, long moment. Silent and nervous. Unsure of how to gauge anyone that isn't Shin or Seto or where to put them on her mental danger scale. She's far enough away to bolt though, if she needs to.

And the girl understands horses-that much is apparent. She can understand its weird, loud language enough to tell it's saying hello and that's something that interests her.]

You can hear its heart?

"Seriously and that was only a few examples. At least that place let me keep my own magic even if the whole thing about everyone being stuck there and different things happening every month was like another loop too..." Loops, going around in circles and so on, no idea if this place is going to be kind of like that too.

Rin's still calm as ever, for now, let's see how long that's going to last but yes, she misses her own magic already. And she liked her extra abilities in Lunatia too, it's going to be weird being without them now. No idea how she feels about this place, not yet, time would tell that too. Less freedom? More freedom? Somewhat similar to Lunatia even if its another world? Who knows, she'll figure it out with or without telling anyone about it.

Yes, he'll have to pay a price for the prize of getting out of this maze / loop / circle / whatever anyone wants to call this thing. Rin flashes a quick smile and nods. "Food is always acceptable, so it's a deal then." She'll gladly take that even if Archer is around and Shirou may be somewhere here too. Others may be great cooks but Tohsaka has her own favorites, but it's not like he needs to know that now.

Rin looks more serious after that. "I wouldn't trust that damn cup with any luck or wishes..." ...Did he hear that? Probably, too bad, since she doesn't sound all prim and proper there even when she mostly still tries to keep that facade going but more importantly...!! Rin tilts her head curiously. "What have you tried so far? Just walking around?"

It's not somethin' I can recall ever happenin' to me, no.

[ Although she lives in a pretty crazy place so who knows.

This guy and smoking though. Although Tsukuyo remains as undeterred as ever. ]

Just wish I knew why the hell we've been brought here.

[Is it?

Ren's first instinct is to bolt when the woman reaches to touch the horse. Who does that? It's a wild animal. It could bite-her hand is right by its mouth.

She's too brave, is her first thought. Horrible.]

It was in a book-I saw one there.

[She's staring down the creature still, occasionally glancing to the new very human companion next to it.]

You can speak 'neigh'?

Did they give you a smartphone? I got one, and it gave me some bullshit explanation about saving the world.

[Well. Maybe it's not bullshit and actually legitimate, but it feels like bullshit. Why can't he just take a break for a while?]

A sense of dread washes over Regis as his son speaks. Despite coming to terms with the prophecy, Regis cannot help but feel his heart clench at the thought of his son dying. He doesn't want such a miserable end for Noctis but at the same time, he cannot deny the will of the gods. If there been any other way to ensure Eos' future, Regis would've done it by now. That much is true. However, there was nothing else other than to face Fate with his head held high. Still, a part of him cannot help but feel a bit betrayed by the very same deities that blessed their ancient line.

"Spoken like a king." Regis states with a tense sigh as he places his hand upon the boy's shoulder. "I'm proud of you, Noctis. Never forget that." He cannot help but smile somewhat despite it all. Noctis grew to become a fine young man. While Regis will forever think of himself as a terrible father, he's grateful that his son grew to become this courageous.

"I do not know what fate awaits us here but either way, we must walk tall."

I've not, I'm sorry.

[A little helplessly, she shrugs and offers it up to him, utterly at a loss.]

It's...magic, I think? As I understand it, at least. I can make it light up and go dark again, but other than that...I'm afraid it's quite got me stumped.

[Fortunately, she bounces off pretty easily after smacking into Louis, more concerned with putting distance — or other people — between her and the admittedly confused-looking black dragon than anything else.]

It must be a mistake! It must be, that's — that's someone else's, it's a trick, it can't be mine!

Oh, it's horrid, I don't even like talking about it, to be honest.

It's...well. A small one, but it's a dragon.

[Oh, thank goodness! A hero, just what she needs. That's her cue to duck behind the guy, whoever he is, and sort of peep over his shoulder as he...throws a stick past the dragon.

Unsurprisingly, the little black creature doesn't flinch, just sort of blinking at him with its head cocked to the side as if to indicate, seriously? through body language alone.

Not wanting to offend, but unable to resist the observation, Rosella whispers tentatively: ]

You, er. You missed.

[He was trying to hit it, right? Surely. Naturally.]

Well, that is understandable. I never see or even use this sort of device until I got mine earlier from Archimedes.

(Harry then looks at Rosella’s smartphone, and soon finds himself teaching her everything he has observed from Uncle Vernon and his PDA.)

Thankfully, you don’t need a stylus when using these things: they do have some functions to a PDA, such as sending messages, add dates into a calendar, calculate things, writes notes, maybe even look stuff up in a Web browser if you’re lucky. That’s what I can recall.

Oh, PDA means personal data assistant in case you’re wondering.

Well...no, you're right, I am sure this one is mine. My key worked in the door, after all; it'd be ridiculous to think otherwise. But I can't very well —

[Share a room with a man, she almost points out, except that the truth is she doesn't really want to share a room with anyone, and at least this one is friendly. It could be worse, she supposes.

...Also, he's kind of cute. It could be a lot worse.]

...Er. what I mean is, this is the one you were assigned to, also? I wonder who had a hand in that...but if that's how it is, then I suppose it can't be helped, and we might as well make the best of it.

[ Stella gives an obliging ] Ooohh! [ and leans in to peer at what he's tipping towards her. ]

They're pretty fancy, right? Honestly, back home, you wouldn't see this sorta thing outside of like, a TV show. Or one of those old-timey fairs! And those ones are fake, obviously. These are the real thing though! It's kinda wild.

[ She really thinks he's just talking about the goblets, huh. ]

[He whispers back without taking his eyes off the dragon, for her sake. She sure seems afraid of it, after all.]

I didn't wanna hit the little fella. It's so small...

[Before Alfyn can come up with a part two to that plan, a Retriever-sized rainbow of feathers bounds past them all to snatch up the stick.]

What the--Graham, hey!

["Graham" ignores Alfyn and spits the stick out in front of the little dragon, lowering itself into a doglike play bow with its tail lashing from side to side.]

"You're fortunate," she replies. "The ones in Sharlayan were known to make off with your purse if you didn't have nuts to distract them with." This is probably an exaggeration. Maybe. Hopefully?

She reaches into her satchel and pulls out a small pouch, weighing it for a moment before she lobs it underhand at Jack. "Will this do? I was meaning to use it as rations if I was caught out past the evening meal, but I don't think either of us is getting out of here until that squirrel gives up its prize."

'This', as it turns out, is a mix of seeds, nuts, and dried fruit. Alisaie might be inclined to be a bit of a pain to strange men lobbing titles at rodents, but she does at least know how to plan for a quest.

Oh! Haha, well, it's true a village boy like me doesn't see riches like this too often, but I was talking about the drink itself.

[What's left in the goblet gets a swish.]

It's like no ale I've tried before, that's for sure.

[He has n o idea what she's talking about.]

I see..."personal data assistant", I'll remember that, thank you.

[A little perplexing, still, but the more the functions are explained to her, the more she can start to see the value in such a little device.]

And we're meant to use these, then. That's why we were all given one?

"That's why I was asking," Kuroko said, not really moving because of the puppy on his head. Nigou barked once in agreement, though he seemed to become restless.
"Oh, it looks like Nigou wants to say hello." The little dog was set on the ground where he scampered over to Samatoki's leg and put up his paws politely, tail wagging. "I am however glad you are okay."

Amon was more interested in the roll in Samatoki's hand, even sniffing at it with his flaming snout. He really wanted the roll.

[It's hard to say what makes her head figuratively snap around more; the sudden appearance of the technicolor griffin (or what she assumes is one, at least), or the fact that this mysterious fellow is calling said griffin by her father's name.]

Goodness, is that yours?!

[And yet, from her vantage point behind the man, and particularly so with the now-glaring comparison of the big rainbow animal next to the relatively tiny and perplexed-looking dragon, some of her fear starts to ebb away and wind up replaced with her innate tender-hearted compassion.]

...Oh. It...it is rather small, isn't it...

[Funny how that doesn't tend to matter at first glance, when your trauma is in the figurative driver's seat. But now, with the benefit of the man's calm and a little perspective, she's starting to see her formerly-terrifying familiar for the reasonably harmless creature it is.]

He was picking up Nigou, not sure if the little dog was able to run faster than a goose. Kuroko really didn't want to chance it in a situation like this. "I'm assuming another goose, or something else to make it turn away."

Kuroko peeked out from behind his much larger friend, only for the goose to hiss louder, raising its wings. "Oh. I really think it hates me."

As if on queue, the bird lunged forward for Kise's kneecaps, Kuroko desperately trying to pull his friend back so they dont get assaulted.

"Can you run faster than a goose?" Forgive him if his tone sounded a little bit incredulous; this guy reminded him a little of Kise when he absolutely didn't think about anything he did.

Then again, even Kise was capable of being mature. Whatever. "We should back away slowly. Please don't antagonize it further."

He was even going to try to gently tug the guy back, no matter the size difference.

[It is nostalgic of her to say something like that. Even of the Holy Grail War had plenty of moments of pain and sacrifice, there were moments of friendship, loyalty, and happiness; it really put into perspective how important the people in his life are to him.]

If that's what you want, Saber. [He nods in agreement with her. She will always be his sword, but he has a role and responsibilities that come with her being like his sword.] We'll work together like we did before. [Getting that chance to just once was lucky enough.]

If they're anything like you, then I expect someone honorable and just that's willing to hear what you have to say. [That's what he's counting on.] They must have a good reason for all of this. [He can't wrap his mind around him and Saber being brought here just for something that's minor. Maybe him, sure, but Saber? That's different.]

[Now that he feels more relaxed, he realizes the reason the both of them are here in the first place. To eat! He interrupted Saber eating, and the plate he had... oh, he must have dropped it when he saw Saber. What a waste of food, and he must have made a mess.] I interrupted you eating. [Who knows who else could get away with that. Maybe Tohsaka? Taiga-nee?] Did you want to eat together?

[After a glance around, Jack takes a beat to make sure it doesn't come out rude, and surmises,]

Not a lot of humans where you come from, right? I'll admit, I've never seen anyone quite like you, either.

[Have an invitation to give yourself a species or nationality he can use, Louis.]

Oh that's much less annoying than having to scrabble around in the forest for nuts. "Split the reward with you, then," Jack offers, as he accepts the pouch and start plucking out things he things a squirrel might like. "If there even is one. Pretty sure this whole thing is a scam."

Good practice, maybe, though. Which is why he's doing it, mostly.

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TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ I

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