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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[This is not the awakening that Tsuna wanted.

He knew it was going to be an uncomfortable one regardless, but falling into a giant lake of water hadn't really seemed like part of the plan. Certainly, it wasn't beyond Reborn to set something like that up, but it hardly seemed appropriate, given what they were about to run into.

The next few minutes are an adrenaline filled panic as he scrambles his way through the water to the beach, dragging himself to the shore less than gracefully. He lies there for a moment taking deep breaths and calming himself down, before dragging himself up and doing a quick check for everything.

He hears the voice and it takes a moment for everything to connect before he turns.]

Gokudera-kun?! Eh...see what?

[Gokudera's still peering around, trying to see where the creature went when he hears his boss and does a double-take at him.]

Tenth!?

[He blinks at him, then points at the water.] The creature! It... It had to have been one... It was definitely an Ogopogo! I wasn't expecting it to be so small... maybe there's more of them..

[He fumbles around in his pockets before pulling out his glasses and placing them on, squinting out over the water as if it's surface will give him some sort of clue... but it's just water. People keep falling into it out of nowhere. Gokudera turns his attention back to Tsuna and looks him over.]

Are you alright, Tenth? [He moves over to him, ready to offer a hand to steady him, or be there if he needs someone to physically lean against, or... to prostrate himself if there's something he messed up.]

Y-yeah, I'm okay. Somehow I made it here.

[He smiles a little ruefully at that. It doesn't seem like anyone noticed his abysmal performance in the water. If anything, he just looks tired and a little waterlogged.]

But should we be getting way from the water? You said there was a monster.

I knew you could! [He grins, all pride and not a hint of worry. Gokudera has seen his boss swim and has no doubt in him.

Looking out at the water, he’s visibly worried.]

But what if it starts attacking people? If it wasn’t an ogopogo and was a mutant crocodile, it could be really dangerous. [Seriously, did no one else see it?!]

[Tsuna just won't mention how he forgot all of his swimming lessons the moment he hit the water. But still, Gokudera's reassurance means a lot right now. It's something familiar to grab hold of.]

There's a lot of other people in the water. I think we would have noticed if it was attacking people.

[It is a weird sight though.]

[Gokudera agrees, but he doesn't know if he could handle the guilt of knowing there's a monster in the water and doing nothing about it if it actually does attack anyone.

Then again, maybe all of the people falling into the water are scaring it and it just came to him because of the food? He reaches into the bag and pulls out another loaf of soba bread, then tears it up and tosses it at the water. Out comes a strange reptilian head on a long neck. It chomps it all up in one bite, then slides right back into hiding in the water.

Gokudera stares, drops the wrapper, then looks at his boss.]

Tenth... you saw that? [Please tell him he's not crazy. What the fuck was that thing?]

[Tsuna's eyes grow wide as he watches the creature rise out of the water for the bread and he can feel his flight reflex wanting to kick in. It's only the sudden thought of what it might do if he runs that keeps him where he is. What kind of world are they in?]

I-I-I did....Gokudera-kun, what was that?

That...

[It did look like an Ogopogo! Obviously, he's never seen one in real life! Gokudera wades further into the water and holds an arm out]

So cool.

Stay back Tenth, I'm going to get a better look at it.

[He still has the convenience store snacks in that bag around his arm and he's not watching over it. Shame on him. The water seems calm around him, but it rises a bit and shifts, as though forming a long S behind him, between him and Tsuna. It slowly solidifies and follows Gokudera, then reaches for the bag. There are a few more swells in the water behind it to indicate the creature's back and tail. It is roughly as big as he is, maybe a little bigger, and if Tsuna can get a good look... it is obviously a strange sort of large aquatic reptile.]

Be careful.

[Tsuna nods, but he stands at the ready regardless. He's not sure what he's going to do as he doesn't seem to have the pills that activate his Hyper Dying Will mode, but he's ready regardless.

And watching closely, trying to figure out what the creature might be after.]

Gokudera-kun, I think it wants the food!

[Gokudera isn’t facing the creature as it starts to slide its head out of the water, then up and into the bag, following along effortlessly without tugging it. It takes a while for him to notice, and then he looks down at the bag and what to him looks like an oversized snake before dropping it.

Then the creature and the bag are gone, and Gokudera is looking about for either of them. Heck, he’d be happy to see just a floating wrapper.

The creature surfaces beside Tsuna, sticks out it’s head and offering another wrapped bread. Open it requests.]

Tenth, get away from that thing!

[It drops the bread, puts its head under water, then lifts it back up to shoot a streak of water right between Gokudera’s eyes hard enough to make him fall back. Then, it lifts the food back up again as though the bomber had been little more than a minor interruption.]

[Tsuna doesn't need to be asked twice to try scrambling back, away from the creature. But, he doesn't get far before he pauses and realizes he's not sensing a hostile intent from the creature.]

Are...are you friendly?

[Might as well ask. He holds his hands up to show he's not going to hurt the creature. Though he's currently oblivious to the flapping sound above him.]

[Gokudera doesn’t like how close that creature is getting to his boss, and it just stares at Tsuna with big black watery eyes, nostrils flaring before it opens it’s strange mouth and blows a bubble. It rises and it looks up at it, and as soon as it pops, the creature is gone.

The bomber grumbles as he gets closer, looking around. Whatever that thing is, it’s not aggressive, probably looking to play with them, but he’s aggravated.]

Are you alright, Tenth?

I'm okay. I...I don't think that it was going to attack or anything.

It seemed to want something and I couldn't figure it out.

[Maybe if he'd had more time? He's looking around to see where it went.]

[Gokudera nods, happy that his boss isn't hurt. He looks around and can't seem to find the creature, but isn't planning on walking away from the Tenth again in case it sneaks up.

He leans down and picks up the package floating in the water.]

Stupid creature didn't even open it. [It's yatsuhashi he'd bought specifically to give to his boss. He frowns and puts it back in the bag, finding it salvageable, but still annoyed the creature had tried to take it.]

Maybe that's what it wanted?

[Thinking back on the creature's behaviour, that could make sense. Though, he's not sure what to make of that information.

He's about to ask what they should do next before turning around and jumping back. Behind them is a griffin, about the size of a great dane.]

Ahhh!

[How dare that creature try to take the food he'd bought for the Tenth! Gokudera's frowning about it, but nods. Maybe the creature is just hungry...

When Tsuna startles, Gokudera snaps out of his momentary grump-session and moves to stand between his boss and the griffin, arms spread. He doesn't know what the beast wants, and it doesn't look aggressive, maybe curious, but he's not willing to take any chances.]

[The griffin startles when Gokudera steps in front of Tsuna but recovers quickly (the action seeming similar to something Tsuna would do). And then watches them closely for a while, before starting to approach.]

W-where are all these creatures coming from?

Maybe they're native to this world. [He sounds oddly excited about this instead of scared. Gokudera is still shielding his boss from the griffin, but not making any move to do anything if it's not going to be aggressive.]

And they're wondering the same thing about us...

[That would make sense, actually. This is definitely not Namimori.]

[The griffin moves forward pretty confidently, like a dog that's interested in new people. And by new people we mean Tsuna in particular.]

I just hope that means they're friendly.

[Now usually, Gokudera would try his best to get his boss out of a situation like this, especially if he isn't sure entirely how to handle it. He just... will handle it... but this isn't some mafia dolphin, or a person. He can only... fake it 'til he makes it. It's interested in the Tenth, which... who wouldn't be? But he's not going to let it get close enough to bite or claw without first ruling out any aggression.]

A-are you friendly?

[He'll follow the Tenth's example and ask it outright, extending a hand as if to let it sniff, or to pet it.]

[The Griffin keeps coming forward, not aggressively and Tsuna, feeling a little more confident, steps out from behind Gokudera. The Griffin seems to brighten up at this, giving Gokudera's hand a polite sniff before it sits down expectantly in front of Tsuna.

Tsuna glances between it and Gokudera.]

Do you think it's waiting for me to do something?

[Gokudera feels a lot less tense when the creature simple sits down after sniffing at him. Okay, so it's not acting aggressive so he isn't going to try to come between it and his boss.]

Maybe? I'm not sure what, though... I've never met a griffin before. [Speaking as though it's just a common place wild animal and not a mythical creature. His mind is blown, and he's not unhappy about it.]

I just thought they were in books or something.

[At the sound of Tsuna's voice, the Griffin looks up and seems to brighten. It leaps towards Tsuna like an overly-friendly dog, knocking him to the ground.]

There are a lot of creatures in books that were based off of real animals, Tenth. [A sage sort of nod accompanies his statement, and he seems much more relaxed.

Until the Tenth is knocked over.]

Boss! [He moves to push the creature off of his boss, not sure if the griffin is going to try and hurt him, but not wanting to stand about and find out.]

[The griffin, for the most part, seems to be content to settle in to Tsuna's chest, almost like it could cuddle there quite happy. Tsuna isn't quite sure what to do, but the more the griffin is on him, the more he feels a connection to it. It's hard to explain but it feels innate. Almost like the connection he now has with the Vongola Ring.

The Griffin is definitely opposed to being pushed though and clacks it's beak at Gokudera in a warning.]

Hey! Don't do that, he's a friend!

Bu...Gokudera-kun, I think he likes me.

Arrival

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