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

Arrival

A very grumpy bird-like woman trudges through the water and sand, taking random plants that stuck to her wingers and feathery ears. There is a lot of cursing involved because she's too wet to lift herself and fly so her feet dip into the sand as she moves and tries to get out. A small, bird-like creature is trying to pull her out of the water and she's holding onto it, but there's not much improvement.

She eventually gets to the shore and shudders, trying to get water out of her wings, takes her cowl off to wring her hair out. Still dripping wet, and with a scowl, she stomps over to the nearest person that looks decent and almost hisses at them.

"What is the meaning of this!?"

Banquet

Xayah doesn't like the crowds but this will have to do for now because there's free food involved. She's dry, her familiar is with her which is comforting since her powers are gone, so she's prowling around, looking for the tastiest desserts.

"Hands off," she warns when she feels another hand wrap around the tall glass that contains chocolate mousse and strawberries.

Network

these people couldn't have warned us earlier that there are scammers, could they? how do I track this fraud down?

Doubtless they thought it so obvious that even people from another star would realize we were being played for fools.

One of the shopkeeps let slip that the ringleader lives outside the city proper.

are they really? with this scam going around maybe the information given to you is a scam as well.

I won't mind following the trail, however. I need to learn the layout of this place

Aye, perhaps, though I doubt he wants me to come back to visit that swiftly.

[It isn't that she'd terrorized the shopkeep, exactly. It's just that she's incredibly forthright, and might have been sparking a little with the elemental magic that's just close enough to her own magic to make it all the harder to get a grasp on.]

Meet me at the job board and we'll head out. If he's clever, he'll have backup, so best we do the same.

Riou is seated on the beach, ringing out his camo overshirt to try to rid it of some of the water when Xayah approaches. His boots are off, having been removed to dump some of the water out of them. There is something that looks like bat crossed with a flying squirrel crossed with a vampire tucked into one of the boots, but as it's largely nocturnal, it's on its way to a nap. It's rude that people are getting dropped in during the daytime when not all familiars are daytime familiars.

As for Riou, he's decidedly on edge right now, which means he's not going to be reacting as calmly as he might normally in a non-combative situation.

"We appear to have been abducted to an unknown location. The current area appears secure. I suggest recouping before proceeding to the suggested location."

The suggested location he got from the Lady of the Lake, anyway, since the Nobusuma in his boot is cranky and said he'll fill him in later. He hasn't decided if he wants to attempt to eat him or not yet, as he seems capable of communication and seems to know what's going on.

Edited 2020-11-02 09:33 (UTC)

The way he speaks makes her pause in her rage and irritation, letting her actually process the information she's getting from him. Her little bird is pulling at her hair, as if aware of her easily flaring temper, but she pays no attention to the bird.

Her eyes look up from him and around the beach(?), at other people helping each other out of water and complaining. Now she just looks extremely ruffled with annoyance and, while it isn't fair she's taking it out on the guy in front of her- he's the closest! She doesn't look as intimidating as she wants to be- not while soaked like this.

"Secure in what way? Secure that we can't get out? Or secure that nothing else comes at us?"

Because people keep falling into that lake, there are loud splashes, and that doesn't look too secure to her.

Riou speaks with an even tone, noting that she seems rather firey but Riou does okay with people like that. At the very least, he's not known to make it worse by being reactive himself so long as there's no blatant disrespect.

"There are no present threats."

He understands the need for clarification when she asks her question.

"There is a staircase alongside the cliff to get away from the beach area."

Her ears seem to flatten down in suspicion, eyes still darting around, and eventually even looking at the stairs that lead up and away from this place. To where? More trouble? The other people at the beach seem tired and exhausted. If anything attacks them they will be done for.

She takes a step back and raises her hand to her chest, focusing to try and summon her feather-like knives. When none appear, she curses in a strange language.

"My powers are gone." She's done for here. No powers, no Rakan, nothing.

"You have powers?"

That's both strange to him and of interest. He's been dumped on another world of some kind, it's not that surprising, but it's also something he wants more information about. It would probably be easier to head up to the Rent-a-Ride to get information, but he wants to speak to this woman first.

"Sharing's polite." Both amused and serious at once, Dust was prepared to laugh off her possessiveness or double down on his efforts, depending on how she reacted.

"I'm not polite." She was raised to BE polite but what her parents aimed for, it missed the target by a long shot. (There are also other factors but-). She doesn't let go of the glass but doesn't engage in tug-o-war either because she doesn't want to spill the food.

"No one's perfect, but we can always improve."

For example, Dust has a fierce sweet tooth. And a competitive nature. And doesn't back down from challenges.

(He also has a sword, but ignore that. Actual weaponry would not come out in pursuit of sweets.)

And she has talons and claws and a very bad temper. Magic she had dispelled her ability to summon her sharp, feather-like knives, but she can still use a regular one. It's right there on the table.

"Single child, I don't share."

She shared with Rakan, and only him, but he's not her brother.

"Never was a child. Maybe I'd understand the need to take all of something meant for everyone if I was." This was crossing the line from amusing to a mix of ridiculous and insulting, and though Dust still smiled that expression had taken on a rather stony cast.

Maybe it's a test of sorts... to see what sort of people we are.

The only thing they are testing is my patience.

Do you have any clues as to who could it be?

I don't think you're alone there.

I don't have any clues as to who exactly it is. I just have leads leading to additional leads. Which keeps leading to more... if you guessed leads, you would be right.

Usually after five people someone would have caved somewhere.

Hope was plopped on his butt in the sand, his moogle hovering near his shoulder as he wrung out his scarf. He was tired, still not quite used to such vigorous exercise despite his journey (then again, walking and running was a little different than swimming). He stood up with a groan to peel off his jacket to try and wring out as well, pocketing his scarf for now, when the pink haired, winged woman borderline hissing at him made him yelp and trip on his feet.

He was back on his butt and looking up at the fierce looking lady. If that didn't give him Lightning vibes, he didn't know what did.

"U-Uh, sorry, ma'am, but I don't really know what's going on either," He looked helplessly at the moogle who hovered nearby. "Do you know?"

"Kupo! You're on Avalon!" She answered, pom-pom bobbing with her nod. She pointed up the way to a group of caravans. "All will be explained on the caravan, kupo. Up there, kupo!"

Edited 2020-11-12 15:12 (UTC)

Xayah looks like a disaster, wet with water dripping from her, hair matted down and her feathery cloak plastered against her. She was about to start complaining some more, maybe even grab him for the collar and get into his face (intimidation always works, right), but before she could do it, her own familiar, Saki, bonks her in the head to calm down and listen what the moogle is telling her.

And it works. Kinda. A little. Her eyes narrow at the strange creature suspiciously, but Hope is getting the brunt of her frown.

"Up there? How do we know it's not a trap?" Xayah asks, leaning in to be face to face with poor moogle.

Edited 2020-11-12 17:43 (UTC)

"A trap, kupo?" She tilted her head. "Why would it be a trap?"

She sounded innocent enough, but even Hope was a little wary. He was at least used to Lightning's countenance so while he had a healthy dose of fear with the bird woman, he wasn't as intimidated as he would have been weeks ago.

"I think she's telling the truth," Hope answered. "If we're going to get any answers, we should probably do what's being suggested."

He looked around them, where there were other stragglers and people falling into the ocean and a monster in the cliff helping people out. It was a little too crazy not to be true.

"I don't think we really have a choice either."

"Why wouldn't be?" It's a strange new place, far away from Valoran and Ionia. And humans are particularly nice to her, to begin with, so she has every right to suspect anyone's intentions. The creature sounds innocent enough but there are always traps and ploys from the most innocuous beings.

Xayah hesitates for a moment, then wrings her hair out from excess water. Her familiar, in the meantime, flies around the moogle, curious, but returns and settles on top of Xayah's head, between her tall, feathery ears.

"If this is some kind of trick, I am not responsible for my actions." She straightens her dress and gives the guy a look. Then nods. "You and your familiar lead the way. Mine is a bit... tired." The little pink bird is slowly dozing off.

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TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ I

Xayah | League of Legends

Network

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Banquet

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network

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Arrival

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