avalaughs | 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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yeah.

[Gokudera would like the peace of mind that usually follows. Sure, the Tenth has to go through that mess, but it always turns out alright!]

Supposedly, they're from different worlds. [He doesn't look worried, he's hiding it well. Instead, he just seems bored as he makes the observation.] And we're here to help our world. It's what that guy with the beard said.

[Gokudera hums and gives a nod, folding his arms.]

Then you think it's real?

[He does, but he wants to believe it isn't. This place... so far from home. The phone doesn't tell him much. There are people that seem just as confused as them on the network.]

Yeah.

[He types in 'what is a familiar and how do I find mine? The response is something about how it will show up when he needs it to provide him support. Gokudera scoffs.]

It's hard to believe it's not. I mean, is going into the future that much different?

[And that was hard to believe as well. But then they settled into that reality. Still, he looks a little concerned about it all. What about their world?]

Did you find something out?

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.]

[That is. A lot of information. and Tsuna is still parsing out a lot of the details.]

It's good to know it's not just us then, so hopefully we'll be able to come together for information...

But I think I'd like to find a place to stay first. Or at least set up base. It's been a lot already.

[Gokudera is -for the most part and only visibly- rolling with the punches. There are a lot of details, yeah, and a sort of clear focus. He's just trying to make sure they can get done whatever they need to in order to go home.]

Yeah... [Come together. He doesn't know any of these other people and doesn't have anyone to trust other than his boss.]

Well hopefully wherever this Caravan takes us, we'll have a roof over our heads.

Finding that out seems like the best first step. Then we can figure out the familiars and missions and things.

And see if anyone else is here.

[Still, he manages a smile.]

We'll stick together, right?

[Probably goes without saying really.]

You're right. [Because of course he is. Gokudera gives him a firm nod, but can't help his curiosity. He's reading up on the network about other people finding their familiars and they are sources of magic and.... magical creatures. Magical creatures, though! He'll just bottle up the excitement and keep reading, using that fascination as a distraction instead of getting angry about their current predicament.]

I'm not seeing anyone we know on this network. [He's found something of a roll-call page on the network, but isn't involved in it, not interested in advertising the Tenth's location in case there is someone unsavory that may wish to target them while they're -for all intents and purposes- vulnerable.]

Of course! [Gokudera puts the device down and turns his attention, literally to his boss, facing him and reaching out to place his hands on the shorter boy's shoulders firmly.] I'll stay by you no matter what, Tenth!

[The news of no one else they know being on the network is a little disappointing, just because more familiar faces would always be welcome in a strange world like this. But at the same time, Tsuna is a little relieved that not everyone has been dragged into it like they were in the future.

But still, he's not facing it alone, and for all of Gokudera's faults, Tsuna is glad to have him here. The hand on his shoulder is grounding.]

I'm, really glad for that, Gokudera-kun.

Do you think we should try getting on one of those caravans?

[Because Gokudera's mun is a ding-dong who complicated things way too much, and doesn't understand how to be consistent... and no longer cares about that... Let's just say Gokudera doesn't know about the future. So... he's scared, upset, worried, and a lot of similar negative emotions he's just bottling up until the next -and what he views is inevitable- fight.

At least they aren't being targeted immediately, and the situation they're in seems relatively peaceful. There's no one trying to exterminate the family, and right now, Gokudera's just trying to get his foothold. He has no idea that he and the Tenth come from different points in their timeline.

Having the Tenth is a comfort, but his presence gives the bomber focus. He is someone to protect, to guard, to look out for, and in turn, he'll do the same for himself. It may not be the greatest effort, and he hasn't learned the values of teamwork yet, so he really will be chalked full of faults.

Of course, the Tenth is without a single fault.]

I'll be by your side until we're both old and gray! [He gives his boss a thumbs-up. No matter how weird this world or any other gets, if Gokudera Hayato is going to be there, he'll always look out for his boss.]

Oh, are we heading back on the road? [He hadn't noticed, but now that he looks around, there are some people returning to head out once more on their trip to Camelot.]

Sure, Tenth! Lead the way!

TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ I

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