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

Holy Grail

[accurately]

Surprise, it's Midorima who turns around with a little jump. It's just Kuroko so he sighs. He's heard some people might have invisibility, so he wasn't certain, but he supposes he should just always suspect it's Kuroko when someone suddenly appears behind him on any planet.

Midorima himself is out here looking for the same thing, of course, because a grail that grants wishes sounds like it could grant him luck, and that's something he needs desperately, right now and forever.

It doesn't make his greeting to Kuroko any less snippy.

"What?"

[punchpass]

Kuroko really was doomed to be like that no matter what magical realm he was in, but he was at least grateful the magic he was learning did not involve that. Kuroko didn't really need help to disappear.

Still, he was happy to see Midorima, even if the answer was rather aloof and rude. Any sign of his friends being here was a good one. "Ah, Midorima-kun, I'm glad to see you're okay. I actually need help getting my friend here to the grail I located. Would you be able to assist?"

[accurately]

Midorima is no stranger to carrying around strange things and is surprisingly unsqueamish about it, having caught a live frog once before his team insisted that live animals were not allowed anymore. Still, it's strange to go from just noticing Kuroko to just noticing Kuroko has a rat in his hands.

"Where did you get that?"

He's not answering the question of whether or not he'd be able to assist. He's genuinely not sure yet. He hasn't had time to study, and his form of magic is going to require a lot of it, he thinks.

[punchpass]

Well, being tall didn't require any studying, but Kuroko just kept staring back at him steadily without a hint that was doing anything that could be considered wierd.

"I found it in the forest. The rat will help me get the grail as long as I catch it, but I'm not tall enough to reach the vine where it needs to go. I believe you are more than enough, though." Kuroko held up the rat further into Midorima's personal space, the creature now poking its nose at him in curiousity.

[accurately]

No, tall is something he can genuinely cannot study or show others how to do. It's just something he was born with.

A tolerance for letting a rat that Kuroko talked to (he supposes that answers what kind of magic Kuroko ended up with) climb on him isn't, and he looks like he's trying to decide exactly how this day has come to this. Midorima walks away quietly, as if he intends to leave at just the thought.

In reality he's just getting a branch he saw a few trees back to hold out to Kuroko and the rat.

"On the end."

[punchpass]

Kuroko did at least have enough faith in Midorima to not let his heart entirely sink as the guy just walked away from him. He was rewarded with his effort when he brought back a stick, a solution that was probably a better idea.

Seemingly unphased by the brusque attitude, Kuroko held the rat up to the branch, whispering a couple words before it scrambled on. "Thank you Midorima-kun; I hope the grail will count for us both but I'm more than willing to assist you in any way in return."

He started gingerly stepping over to where the river is, pointing to the vine a couple feet above his own head. In the meantime, he was observing Midorima. He knew his former teammate didn't always adapt to sudden changes very easily and he didn't know if Oha Asa was a thing he could access anymore.

And did he seem...older?

[accurately]

Kuroko guessed right. Any confirmation he needed would be made with Midorima's words as he lifts the rat up by the stick toward the vine. Sorry rat, he's not letting a strange animal near his fingers no matter what Kuroko thinks is acceptable now.

"Give any items or spells you find that increase luck to me as soon as possible and I'll consider us even."

As if that was even remotely an equivalent exchange. No wonder Midorima's struggling with alchemy already.

[punchpass]

Rude, Midorima. The rat was perfectly nice, even if it thought Midorima was plant colored. Thankfully, it knew what to do and scampered quickly across the vine, reaching the end by the chalice and setting to work chewing it to pieces.

But he could understand Midorima's request. Kuroko was actually concerned for him without the safety blanket of Oha Asa. It's normally something he found funny, but...this was a different situation. "All I am able to do so far is talk to animals, but I will keep a look out. Do you suppose if I found a cat that would be considered lucky?"

[accurately]

"Cats are the opposite of lucky, unless it is specifically a maneki neko. Then I will accept it."

And even that would be hesitantly. Midorima doesn't like cats, after all.

"If you hear rumors from those animals about lucky items, inform me."

It's better than nothing, after all. Either way, he holds the stick up waiting for the rat to return with the grail.

[punchpass]

Right, Midorima had a problem with cats. It was a shame, really, but he didn't dwell too much on it. The rat had finally chewed through the vine, causing it and the grail to swing suddenly towards where Kuroko was waiting.

Disregarding the slippery rocks, he leaned forward to snatch the two of them out of the air, the rat quickly scampering onto his head while he clung to the grail until it stopped moving. "Ah, looks like it worked. Thank you again for your assistance, Midorima-kun."

Getting the cup out of the vines, though, there seemed something wrong with it. He held it up to his face, peering at his friend through one of the holes. "There seems to be something odd about this magic item."

[accurately]

Midorima eyes the rat atop Kuroko's head suspiciously again. He's genuinely worried Kuroko is going to end up contracting a disease of some kind, and Kuroko is too friendship-happy to worry about it ahead of time. He notes to look for some kind of disease-prevention spell or potion or something once he has money. Preferably something he can cast in secret so Kuroko doesn't know he worried about him.

But Kuroko speaks and Midorima's attention is drawn to the grail. His brows crinkle in confusion and annoyance.

"It's a 'holey' grail?"

[punchpass]

"Midorima-kun, if I didn't know you better, I'd say that you just made a joke." But all jokes aside, he was turning the grail over in his hands and it didn't seem quite right. After all, why would it be full of holes?

He held it out to Midorima so he could take a closer look at it, the rat still nestled happily in his hair. "Do you know if it's supposed to be like this?"

[accurately]

"I never joke."

It's very literally a holey grail. And it's very annoying. So is the nagging concern he has for Kuroko because that's seriously a wild rat in his hair and who knows what diseases it could have. If it were clean and taken care of, sure, maybe he could accept it, but a wild one shouldn't be in your hairdo. Midorima draws his focus back to the grail for now, though.

"I have my doubts. It certainly doesn't seem like something capable of granting wishes."

[punchpass]

"Maybe we should wish for something to see if it works." Kuroko looks like he's thinking for a moment before picking up the rat and staring at it.

"Do you know anything about this chalice?" Either he didn't notice or care about Midorima's discomfort because this rat was his friend and he didn't care about things like parasites.

In response, the rat just gave a loud squeak, jumping out of his hands onto Midorima, then off him and scrambling out into the bushes. "I would take that as a no."

[accurately]

"Don't--!"

Midorima objects, but the rat is gone before he can get it all the way out. He definitely needs to wash his hands. He turns to scolding Kuroko instead.

"Kuroko, what are you going to do if you get disease from a wild animal?"