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

[cess]

Noctis laughs, the area around them a little lighter for it. Of course his father would think of Noctis' favorite past time. There was plenty of water that had to hold fishes, after all - but Noctis agrees they should get their bearings first.

Before he can agree, though, his father questions his 'friend', and Noctis looks down at Carbuncle, sitting in his lap now and staring up at his father. He's almost insulted his dad doesn't recognize it, but instead he lets a smile come to his lips.

"Dad, this is Carbuncle," he teases, reaching behind the ears of the familiar. "Not the Messenger, but another one. They're my familiar here."

[lucere]

Regis couldn't help but look a bit sheepish. "I thought it looked familiar." He admits with a chuckle as the fox nuzzles its head against Noct's hand. "How could I forget--"

At the mention of familiars, a loud squawk gets Regis' attention. He turns towards the direction of the performance to see his dragon-like familiar currently nipping at the Jester's jingly hat. It seems that Quetzalcoatl shares in his dislike for this evening festivities but Regis cannot help but look somewhat mortified to see the unruly reptile assaulting the poor fool.

"Stop!" Regis gets up quickly to coral the feisty beast. While the familiar is roughly the size of a mere parrot at this point, this menace can still cause harm. "Enough, enough! Leave him be." Regis says with a chuckle as he holds out his arm towards the beast. The winged lizard obediently returns to him and perches itself upon his arm looking rather proud of itself.

[cess]

The sudden squawking makes Noctis jump, and Carbuncle jumps to his shoulder as well, tilting its head a little. When his dad gets up, he stays seated, waiting for his father to return with the creature on his arm.

He squints a little bit, realizing where he's seen it, and then gives his dad a flat look.

"Is that a Quetzalcoatl?"

That thing had been a huge pain in his ass when they had to fight it.

[lucere]

"I believe so." Regis states as he scratches under the wyvern's chin. "If so, it's rather tame." That's an understatement since the overgrown lizard is particularly purring at his touch. The winged-familiar then turn its sights over towards Noctis and lets out a threatening hiss. While it's not the same Quetzalcoatl that attacked Noctis and his friends, it's just as vicious. Thankfully, it seemed to be under Regis' control.

"Come now, behave." Regis chastizes the winged-lizard with a flick. "That's my son, you know." He lets out an annoyed huff as he returns to his seat with Quetzalcoatl upon his arm.

"I've always wanted a falcon when I was young but unfortunately, never got around to owning one." He explains while gazing at the blue wyvern.

[cess]

Noctis' entire being just radiates discomfort seeing his father basically coo over the miniature version of a dragon that had given his party quite the run around when they'd encountered it.

He just glares when it hisses at him. Trust his dad's familiar to hate him for some reason.

"There's a big difference between a falcon and a miniature thunder dragon." Even so, Carbuncle seems vaguely intrigued by this other familiar, stretching out its nose to sniff at it from Noctis' shoulder. For once, he kind of wants the little messenger not to have that curiosity.

"It does kind of fit that the King of Lucis ends up with a dragon, though," he smirks.

[lucere]

While the little dragon seems particularly irate towards Noctis, the familiar seems to be rather tame when Carbuncle sniffs it. Quetzalcoatl lets out a curious squawk as it extends its neck so it could properly sniff the other familiar. Regis cannot help but be somewhat amused with its antics, especially since Noctis looks particularly agitated now.

"Do you think so?" Regis questions with a grin as he gives his familiar another pat. "Well, I suppose it's a nod towards the warlike Caelum's of yore. While I don't share in their fondness for combat, I'm a Caelum nonetheless." He comments as the little thunder dragon curls around his shoulders once more. Quetzalcoatl is nearly as long as any serpent from head to the tail. The creature rests its head upon his shoulder, seemingly content in keeping watch for now.

"Though, I must confess that Carbuncle is much cuter than my thunder lizard." He states with a chuckle as he reaches out to pet the long-eared fox.

"It suits you, Noctis."

[cess]

He smiles slightly, wanting to tell his father that Carbuncle has always been there to protect him in his dreams. When he'd been in a coma, it had been Carbuncle who'd lead him out of the maze of his own mind.

Instead, he just laughs as Carbuncle bumps its head up to into Regis' hands, ears twitching under his fingers.

"I mean, you did give me the charm when I was sick. Makes sense that one of them would come with me here, right?" he points out with a grin. "Just watch out; that thunder lizard will start spitting balls of thunder at people it doesn't like."

After a moment of consideration, Noctis speaks up. "I'm thinking maybe I'll try to help people here learn how to fight. I'm not a master like Gladio and Ignis - but that kind of makes me perfect, right? I can be like, the starter instructor."

[lucere]

While it's been some years, Regis remembers every agonizing moment that he spent by Noctis' beside. It was a nightmare, an absolute nightmare. When news of the attack reached the Citadel, Regis acted quickly to meet with the royal caravan on the outskirts of Lucis. There he slew the Marilith, the Empire's latest diabolical creation, only to find his dear son gravely injured in a pool of blood. He was distraught during the whole ordeal. It was a nightmare for Regis, one that helped fuel his undying hatred for Niflheim. However, who would've guessed that a mere charm would've roused his injured son out of his long slumber. It was a miracle.

"It does make sense," Regis mutters as he affectionately scratches behind Carbuncle's ears. "I can think of no worthier companion for you." A chuckle escapes him once Noctis mentions Quetzalcoatl's penchant for mischief. The little dragon curled around his shoulders lets out a very audible huff. Regis could feel the slight sting of static but it doesn't hurt.

"I'm sure my new friend will come around sooner than later." He states as he gives the dragon a glance. The familiar gives him a slow blink before deciding to rest its eyes for now. It seems Quetzalcoatl wants no part of this conversation.

"You want to become a combat instructor?" Regis questions with a hint of surprise in his tone. "Goodness, Gladiolus is a miracle-worker! I never thought I would see the day that my dear son would take such an initiative." He teases before gently patting Noct on the shoulder.

"All jokes aside, I think this a worthwhile endeavor." As one would expect, Noctis has his father's full support.

[cess]

If there's something that Noctis never doubted, it is his father's love for him. But, at times, he's still been bitter at how his duties had to come before him from time to time. Meetings that took place ahead of spending time with Noctis, which lead to Noctis acting out without the words to articulate why.

At least he wasn't Gladio. Gladio threw fists as a child when he was upset... and bit people.

"As long as he doesn't try to bite me," Noctis says of the bird, grumping to himself about it. When his father calls it a worthwhile endeavor, though, he straightens up a bit under the pat to his shoulder.

"I think it'll be helpful for people who are new. Not everyone was trained like we were," he says.