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

[Well, he could certainly respect that. The man did look very fit and intimidating in size (had he not played basketball maybe it would be impressive) and kind of the outdoorsy type as well.

It was good that they didn't forget him at least, even if he was wearing camo. Nigou barked again, happily panting with his husky smile. That was...definitely something he understood. He should've asked Amon more about this while he'd stuck around.]

Ah, Nigou says he likes you because you smell like the ground. I'm glad they haven't forgotten you, though. It is not a pleasant feeling.

[He'd agree about the cardio but he was starting to run out of oxygen.]

I live at my campsite, that makes sense.

[ Though he's pretty clean at least. He smells like homemade soap and outdoors, for sure. ]

None of us have bathed since falling in the ocean, so we all smell like the sea now. Nigou has a good nose to smell past that. May I pet you?

[ He addresses the dog with the question, despite speaking to Kuroko before that. ]

[Kuroko looked at him in curiosity. Perhaps this man was able to understand the dog as well, but had he always been able to do that?

Nigou answered for Kuroko, barking again and trying to wiggle his way towards Riou's hand. He held out the pup for the older man to pet, the dog wagging his tail frantically.]

Dog's sense of smell is far bettter than that of humans. Have you always been able to understand animals?

[ Riou smiles and gives the dog a firm, friendly pet with some hearty ear scritches mixed in. ]

No, I haven't. My world doesn't have magic.

Me neither. Honestly I'm both surprised and very happy.

[What guy didn't want to be able to talk to their pets, anyway? Now maybe he could really explain to Nigou that Kagami did actually like him.

The pup either way panted happily, licking at the man's fingers.

The fatigue was really starting to set in though, because the swim hadn't done him any favors. However, he was loathe to inconvience this very nice man anytime further and just tried to keep up.]

Is your familiar around? He is a dog as well, though I don't know whether that's coincidence.

Mine is nocturnal.

[ He's still a little perplexed as to what his is. It insists it used to be a bat, but it looks like a flying squirrel, and survives on a diet of nuts, berries, fire, and blood.

He does notice that Kuroko seems like he's starting to run out of stamina, so Riou slows down himself. ]

Do you need a break?

[ Kuroko is much younger than him, he doubts he's had the chance to build up his stamina as significantly. Young men need breaks while they grow. ]

[Riou's concern made him feel less than happy about troubling the man and his own stamina, but he couldn't deny that he was rapidly losing steam. This wasn't practice and technically he didn't even choose to do this.]

I'm sorry to trouble you. I thought I would be able to handle it due to my training but I think my arrival here drained me more than I thought. I don't think any of the carts saw me.

[ Riou jogs ahead of Kuroko just slightly and kneels down, offering a piggyback ride. ]

I am used to running with significant amounts of equipment both on and in my arms. I will carry you.

[ Kuroko is a teenage boy and Riou is a grown adult former soldier who hasn't let up a single day. He doesn't think it's odd at all that this kid's stamina is lower than his. Most fully grown adults' are, too. ]

[Oh. That was new. Normally he'd be loath to take the help, but the man was ~~really tall~~ being nice about it. Besides, he had a calm and distinct air around him that put Kuroko at ease.

He hesitated slightly, but eventually climbed up on Riou's back, placing Nigou in the man's arms.]

I'm sorry again. If there is any way in the future I can repay you, I'd be happy to.

[ Riou has no intention of causing problems or pitying Kuroko. Rather, he thinks that it's brave that Kuroko tried to keep up instead of waiting for the horses to get back and asking again. He's soldiered on, and Riou can respect that.

Once Kuroko and the dog are secured firmly, one leg nder each arm and dog properly supported in his hands, he picks up the pace to catch up to where they were before. ]

I will keep it in mind. I'm Riou Mason Busujima.

Kuroko Tetsuya. You already know Nigou's name.

[Kuroko didn't like giving up easily, but even basketball practice wasn't enough preparation for being ditched in another world. He definitely needed to keep up with his exercise over here.]

If you don't mind me asking, are you a part of the military?

I'm a former Sergeant first class in the Navy.

[ Okay, well, special black ops. But that's confidential. ]

Are you part of the JSDF? Or are you allowed to say?
[This man seemed pretty hardcore to say the least, and looked at least somewhat foreign. He wouldn't be surprised if maybe he was from another country.]

All I can claim is that I attend Seirin High School in Tokyo and play on the basketball team.

I'm from the Japanese Navy. The JSDF was turned into an official military before the start of World War III.

[ ~~That's my story and I'm sticking to it bc HypMic doesn't follow reality so Japan has a Navy!!~~ ]

I'm from Yokohama. I'm not familiar with Seirin, but I grew up going in and out of overseas. My father is American, my mother is Japanese. [ Kuroko is right, Riou is half. He provides it clearly, since he knows how that sounds and how some people react. He's still Japanese. ]

World War III? Excuse me for saying so, but I've never heard of anything like that before.

[This could possibly be an effect of dragging all these people from different places, but since their worlds were so similar, he had to know more.]

My teammate is also from America. He came back recently and he's having a hard time adjusting.

You haven't? Japan has been under the rule of Chuuoku for some time now, it would be impossible not to know.

[ The wheels are turning in his head. The whole world is different because of WWIII. He has no idea how someone couldn't have heard of it unless they're from a different planet.. but he's familiar with Japan and America. But he also thought Japan still had the Defense Forces... Hmm... ]

Different cultures can be jarring. I spent a significant time in the Amazon and other countries.

TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ I

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