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

1. soaking in your arrival
[Nero barely has time to yell in surprise before he's suddenly crashing into the water. He accidentally swallows some water in surprise before thinking to hold his breath, and, desperate, Nero swims for the surface, breaking the water while coughing and spluttering. Where is he? Just ahead he can see white cliffs, other people, and beyond that... Who knows?

So he swims for the shore and stumbles out of the water, still coughing, only to find the cold, scaled muzzle of a demon which looks like a reptilian horse catching him before he can faceplant into the sand. He looks up, seeing a wild-looking electric blue eye staring at him, and he startles in shock.]

H-hey, what the hell?! [He leaps back and reaches for the sword on his back, revving Red Queen for a fight. But the demon -- a geryon, he recalls from Nico's research -- isn't aggressive, simply tossing its head and snorting before turning its head to look up the cliffs to a white staircase.]

You're... helping me? And there's something up there? [Well, time to go find out. And much to his confusion, the demon is... following him. Not the first time he's seen a tame demon, but it's still weird.]

2. eat well
[Nero's sitting on his own at the banquet, looking surly and poking at his food. Sure, he's starving, and today's been a shitty day, but he'd really just love to go home right about now. Without yet another world-saving situation rearing its head.

When he notices someone looking at him, he looks up and scowls.]

Take a picture, it'll last longer. [He's really not in the mood to make friends, let him sulk in peace. >( ]

3. the red spring
[When the group arrives at the inn, Nero claims one of the rooms and flops onto one of the two twin beds, stretching and sighing. Someone followed in after him, and he yawns and peeks at them.]

You looking to share? I don't mind, so long as you're not a snorer.

[He's teasing, don't even worry about it.]

wildcard
[Anything else you want to do? Nero has kinetic magic, so you can catch him practising it in the training grounds, or maybe you'd like to do the quest together. I'm all up for suggestions!]

[ Sal stops in the doorway, looking warily over all of the appliances she doesn't recognize and the many foreign items that make up these rooms. Eventually, her attention is drawn to the guy stretched out on the one of the beds. Her hand moves up to the long red scarf around her neck, pulling it down so she can be heard. ]

Oh yeah? Well, just don't try to slit my throat in the night and I guess we'll be fine.

[ She sure sounds serious, or maybe it's the frown locked onto her current expression; that scar sliced down her right cheek sure doesn't help either. Finally, Sal steps in and shuts the door behind her. Walking in a little further, she notices something else that catches her interest. ]

What the hell is that supposed to be...?

[ She gestures over to that strange weapon of his. It doesn't look like the sword she's got belted at her own waist, that's for sure. ]

Seriously?

[Nero sits up, squinting at the stranger as she enters. He doesn't like to be accused of something when he's not even acting threatening, but as she lowers her scarf and he notices her cheek, he starts to get the idea. Trust issues, okay.]

Sleep with your familiar around if you're that worried, but I'm not gonna hurt you. [Then he looks to his sword, propped up against the wall, and grins.] Oh, that's Red Queen. She's a sword, obviously. Just with lots of customisations.

[ Sal doesn't seem to believe his reassurances at first — but after a moment she sighs and takes a seat on the other bed. This whole damn day has wrung her out, unfortunately, so it appears that she'll have to take the risk for now. She nods to the sword, Red Queen. It's a hell of a lot fancier than Jeff, she thinks begrudgingly. ]

Is that a normal thing, where you're from? Doesn't seem like any kind of mage weapon.

[ Or even one of the Revolution's more sinister inventions; everyone just has to try and one-up each other for killing potency, don't they? She takes off her sword as she talks, resting it against the wall. Maybe she still has an eye on him, but this is...well, it's a start. ]

Magic, familiars...at least a sword's reliable.

Standard issue stuff for knights in the Order of the Sword. Fancy blades were kinda their speciality. Mine just had a few tweaks and a lick of paint on top of that.

[He points to the unusual handle, but doesn't actually pick the sword up when she's made it clear she's already on edge.]

Rev the handle like a motorbike and it gives the blade an extra kick.

[ Sal moves around so she's got her legs on the bed, sitting up straight against the headboard. She's still got her boots on because, well, obviously she's not that trusting. Got to be ready for anything. But the rest of what he's saying has her interested; maybe there's some rhyme and reason to who's been pitched into this strange place? ]

I guess it's nicer to look at than a boring old gunpike, at least.

[ She cross her arms over her chest, thinking. And hey, that was almost like a compliment. ]

So...you're a knight? Some kind of soldier-type?

Used to be a holy knight in the Order. It's a religion where I'm from, dedicated to eradicating demons. But some stuff happened, so then...

[He waves a hand as if to say 'long story'.] These days I run my own devil hunting business instead.

So you're a sell-sword. Well shit, I suppose things really aren't so different as they appear then. [ A shrug. ] Either way, it's just as well. All that honor and valor only gets you so far. I'd say collecting bounties off the heads of rogue mages is comparable, but who the fuck am I to know? Maybe devils are better looking.

[ Ha, even a bit of a joke! She glances over to the weird mechanical cabinet-thing, wondering if it's loaded with any food or alcohol. Times like this, a good whiskey would really come in handy. ]

Rogue what? [He parrots back, baffled, then notices where her gaze is going. He definitely hasn't read enough fantasy novels to know what a 'mage' is.]

Oh, nice, a mini-fridge. Wonder what they have.

[He pulls it open, revealing a selection of chilled drinks, and crouches down to grab a soda.] You want anything?

Um, Hi. May I join you as well?

Enter one seemingly unassuming teenager trying to do kinetic magic too, this time with random twigs and pebbles than big rocks. The Elder Wand is currently nothing more than a fancy looking twig, so don’t expect the kid to do magic with it any time soon.)

It looks like we have the same kind of magic to work with.

Sure, whatever.

[Nero doesn't look particularly enthused to have a training partner when his own attempts aren't going too well. He's focusing on raising his hand and trying to bring a small rock to him, and while it's wobbling a little, it's... otherwise not doing anything. Hell, maybe it's just the breeze taking pity on him and moving it a bit instead.

Exasperated, he turns to the demonic horse watching nearby.]

Hey, Geryon, you wanna help me out here or is this fun to watch? [The horse just snorts and flicks its flaming blue tail. Rude.]

(In Harry’s defense, he too is trying to handle kinetic magic as well. So far, he could just levitate some small stuff, but only for a short time at the moment.

He tried harder to focus on a rock the size of a pumpkin to float towards him, and when it did, it then flies straight towards him and he ducks away from it; the rock soon lands on top of a dead tree stump, crushing it down into wood chips.)

Oh, bugger me. Guess I went a little too far to make that rock fly towards me.

Yeeeah, try not to kill yourself.

[Nero raises his eyebrows, turning back to Harry. Despite that, he's actually kind of impressed, though.]

You're picking this up a lot faster than me. How long have you been practising?

Probably for around a few minutes at most. I’m gonna be honest, I wasn’t anticipating to have kinetic magic earlier until I was able to make some small rocks to move for a few minutes at a time.

(So much for downplaying his accidental achievements in kinetic magic exploration big time, although he did notice the white-haired guy was also having problems with kinetic magic too.)

Any luck so far with yours?

Nope, none. I used to be able to do shit like this, no problem, even if it wasn't with magic. But now...

[He looks at his hands, and he's struck with a thought. Maybe if he just visualises what he can ordinarily do: a spectral demonic hand, snatching up the rock and bringing it to him... Would that be something for his magic to work off of?]

Alright, I think I have an idea.

[He extends his hand, and this time, the rock flies into his hand as if pulled by an invisible force. He grins and throws it up in the air, catching it.]

Well, would you look at that.

(So maybe he was giving himself too much of a hard time to get the kinetic magic to work well for. So he does the same thing as what Nero did, thinking of a ghostly hand reaching out for a rock near one of the trees and tossing it to him, and he does so with a flick of the wrist. And in no time, he was able to catch a rock onto his hand as if it is just a piece of cake.

So yeah, success?)

Hey, I manage to do it too!

[Sorry, Nero, Misumi's not good at leaving people alone~

He had been watching curiously for some time. The man seems kind of stoic and grumpy and that's a personality type Misumi doesn't get to observe often, so he's happy to keep staring.

Ah, but being called out sure puts a damper on that! Not that he's going to be upset about, instead grinning.]

I can't! I don't have a camera~

[Spoken light-heartedly, as if that is a completely appropriate response.]

[Nero's about to take a mouthful of food, but that response is enough for him to set down his fork. You can practically see his blood pressure rising.]

Listen, I'm really not in the mood for whatever bullshit you're crapping out. What do you want?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ I

Nero | Devil May Cry | OTA

the red spring

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Wildcard (Hello, Fellow Kinetic Magic User!)

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eat well!

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