TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 4

[avalonmods]

{ QUICK NAV } Premise ⚔️️ Rules ⚔️️ FAQ ⚔️️ Taken ⚔️️ Reserves ⚔️️ Apply ⚔️️ Locations ⚔️️ Bestiary ⚔️️ Top-Levels Only ⚔️️ 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 chilly 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. It's paralyzingly cold for a few seconds before you're approached by the Lady of the Lake beneath the water's surface. She puts a vial of a vibrant, glowing red Everwarm* potion to your character's lips. The icy water doesn't feel so icy once consumed and you'll be able to move your limbs enough to swim to shore on your own. She can't stick around to explain, she's got to get this to all the new arrivals! Many of which you'll see plopping in around you. If you can't swim, a handful of helpful ice turtles will scoop you up from beneath and drop you off at the shore. It's a fast process, as they no longer have to collect possessions and pets from drowning in the waters, so they're only needing to go around hitting the ice that keeps forming on the surface with their shells to keep the surface open for the falling arrivals. If anyone tries to ask the Lady of the Lake for directions, she will direct you to Archimedes at the Rent-a-Ride. If anyone with Animal Magic asks the turtles, they will give the full spiel, but very slowly, and they like to get off topic and gossip about other turtles you've never heard of. 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, a pair of earbuds, and a winter cloak** and tell them to "Check the Shit Box." The "Shit Box" refers to wardrobe more formally known as the Wardrobe of Finding, a hammerspace-like wardrobe that opens to each person's items and pets when the person touches the handle. It was recently enchanted by Merlin to prevent people from having to fish their waterlogged possessions and pets out of the water with them. From there, Archimedes directs everyone to settle in groups into modernized carriages pulled by horses and gives them a basic explanation of why and how they've been brought to Avalon: The rest of 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. For the month of February: there are complimentary chocolates placed on the pillows that make you feel warm and fuzzy when you eat them, all the rooms have been temporarily redecorated after hearing about Valentine's Day after an announcement about an upcoming Valentine's concert to be held by the off-worlders. They wanted to celebrate love too, and help the newcomers feel welcome! Unfortunately, this means that the two-person bedrooms only have one bed this month... maybe you can get a roll-away? 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. It may be a little chilly when you get out though, so make sure you don't slip rushing back indoors when you get out! 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. As the snows give way to rain and the cold persists across Avalon, it may seem as if some of the local businesses are suddenly short-staffed. A favorite spot might have shorter hours, longer wait times. Whatever it is, it seems that there are fewer Avalonians as the days go on. It is not long before there are signs posted outside local businesses and every clinic, there is an illness striking the populace and adventurers seem to be immune. While the healers can cure this malady, they are short on supplies and some of them are not easy to obtain. All are urged to take up a task and gather these ingredients. Anyone who does obtain one or more of the required ingredients will be given a Fairy-blessed Tincture of Wellbeing from one of the faeries who stayed behind after the tournament. It is said to bring healing no matter where you are when you sprinkle it on the ground in front of you. (Note: The tincture will teleport the nearest healing mage to your location. This information is not included with the tincture... surprise!) A ⦿ Ingredient One: A Can of Sprite Sprites can be found in and around Avalon, and thankfully so. The first task is to obtain a small can of magic dust from a sprite's wings. Now an adventurer may think to capture and take this by force, but be wary: sprites always travel in packs and will be so inclined to curse any would-be attackers dance till they drop, literally. Sprites are mischievous sorts with a wry sense of humor and can be quite fond a flower which grows near the Red Springs called the Cinnabar Paper Bush. Bring them a bouquet and beg for their cooperation, but be cautious of breathing in the flower's pollen-- the sprites will not warn your character that it's a potent ingredient in probability spells, so breathing it in may cause sudden repeated visions of 15 seconds of a potential future based on every choice your character could make in a particular situation. Getting out of the pollen's effects takes a full day of going through visions of parallel possibilities if there's no one to help you, and the sprites will be long gone by then. You'll need another adventurer to use their magic to get you out of this or prevent the pollen from spreading... good luck. B ⦿ Ingredient Two: Deez Nuts Within the Brocéliande there grows a certain tree. Even in winter, this tree produces tiny star shaped nuts that when ground into a powder are a key ingredient in many healing tinctures. However, the nuts are coveted by the wildlife for they taste quite sweet when eaten straight from the tree. Adventurers are tasked with entering the woods and retrieving baskets full of these tiny nuts. A warning was given to not go unarmed, those animals can be very protective of their food supply and they are rumored to be coveted by the Bear Fir, who won't hesitate to come for you. A warning to the wise: do not eat them yourself. They can be quite tempting. A tiny call will induce the desire to devour all of them, burrowing deep within your conscious. Not only would an adventurer fail their task but they would fall gravely ill for a period of two days. With these obstacles in mind, it may be best to team up and go at this task together to make sure everyone comes out alive and well. C ⦿ Ingredient Three: Wait, isn't that a Pokémon? The hills to the south-east of the Red Spring are home to the elusive Hill Trolls, who never leave their hills, but like to engage with any traveler who does come through. Most try to avoid them as they are extremely rude in every way. However, for this particular remedy, there is special bluegrass known as poliwag grass, so named because the seer who discovered this unique grass had seen the creatures it is named for in an alternate world and found them endearing. The catch? Only the Hill Trolls know now wherein the hills the small patches of this grass can be found. Adventurers are tasked with entering the hills, engaging the Trolls, and requesting a guide to the grass. Avalonians will advise doing anything the troll asks of you, it’s the only way to appease them and get the prize. Characters will be set about various household and yard chores by the Hill Trolls, who will lead them to believe that this grass will take several days journey to reach and they simply can not leave their home and yard in such a state when on a long trip like that. Make sure to complete all your tasks, though, try not to be too angry when once their yard and home are spotless the Hill Troll produces a satchel of poliwag grass straight from their cupboard. They didn’t say you had to go on the trip with them and they will need to replenish their supply after, so they're not apologizing for anything. A video is sent to everyone's devices, a strong magic spell making certain that it opens. Morganna's face appears. Morganna, after all, is to be listened to when she speaks. She seems to be looking at her nails as the recording starts, not looking at her captive audience.

”"As infamous as Arthur and Merlin are, there are many magics they are unfamiliar with. They live in the realm of basic magics, the ones you all have touched and trifled with. But there are skills you will need in the future that require something a little stronger. Now if you came to me seeking spells, I would ask a fair price, dears... but it is my universe you are all saving too, so I will offer you a taste." She finally looks directly into the screen. Despite that it's just a recording, it looks as if she's looking directly into your soul. She sees you even without you responding. Her lips curl up in a little smile, friendly and yet mischievious. "Magic is stronger when more than one person performs it. Where you would be able to toss fire, you could create a fire tornado or rip the earth until it spits the fires of hell up as lava. To perform this kind of magic, you must be entirely in sync with your partners. Of one mind, of one movement. Open the attachment and it will place a memory of how to perform Synchronic Magic with a partner into your mind. It will still take practice, of course. Baby steps."

Magic-infused technology is a hell of a thing-- those who listen after the video ends and open up the attachment will find themselves rapidly flooded with what amounts to an instructional video and a visual sample of witches moving exactly in sync. After a little finger painting on each other's face and collar bones and some deep meditation while performing the spell, the caster of the spell will have complete control over the movements of the person the spell is cast upon. For the duration of the spell, the person who the spell was cast upon will mentally reside in the caster's head outside of their body. Their body will do anything the caster's does. For this particular version of the spell to work, it requires the consent of the person it's being cast upon, though there are other forms of the spell that do not that are not. With that knowledge, get practicing. A ⦿ We Succeed Together When a goddess gives instructions to learn something, you learn it, and so some of the locals have set up meditation tents at one of Camelot City's parks. The tents are filled with incense, steam, and have a spell cast on them to provide relaxing sounds-- babbling brook, yoga music, rain on the ocean, a crackling fireplace, the cries of your enemies, the relaxing sound of change falling from your favorite plinko machine... It will respond to your emotions and find the sound that's most relaxing to you to help you clear your mind. If you trust the person you're with, the spell will go smoothly and you'll be able to perform the much simpler practice spell provided in the tent: a shadow dance. Follow the dance steps around the circle on the floor of the tent; shadows will begin dancing along the walls of the tent outside of their light source. Your shadows will be able to separate from your feet and travel without you once the dance is completed. It will return after completing whatever task you need from it. If you need some help developing your trust in the other person, try playing a game of twenty questions or partaking in some of the sparkling ginger shots in front of you-- they've got a heated kick to them that's sure to warm you up and make you fire out a secret to the person you're sharing the tent with. B ⦿ We Fail Apart If you aren't perfectly in sync with your partner to cast Synchronic Magic, all kinds of things can go wrong. People who do not trust each other may end up accidentally sealing the tents shut and trapping themselves inside until they tell each other a secret they've told no one else, thus forcing them to trust each other. People believe the exact opposite at their core could end up temporarily body swapping with their partner until they wipe off the body paint and break the spell. And of course, even if you're completely on the same page and the person controlling both bodies has two left feet, a mistake in the shadow dance could cause the shadows to enter your eyes, turning both of your vision to complete darkness until you've been in sunlight for about 15 minutes straight. I hope you weren't practicing at night. C ⦿ Loss and Gain After performing the Synchronic Magic, magicians of all kinds are going to feel a little strange. It's a magic outside of their field of expertise used to perform further magics, after all, and they've shared their essence with another person to perform it. There's a chance that characters are going to feel very alone after being separated from the synchronic magic. Alone, tired, and wanting to feel connected again even if you're normally the lone wolf type. Synchronic magic makes you feel connected to others in a way that's hard to do otherwise, and without it it leaves a sense of loss and disconnect. It's not a side-effect that was discussed ahead of time, but the citizens of Camelot have prepared for it for anyone who wishes to stick around after their spellcasting. After the magic is done, at the center of the tented area, everyone is invited to gather around a huge, prismatic bonfire taking place in the center of the park that the tents had been set up in. The bonfire is filled with flames of all colors, like a prism reflecting light and warmth, and acts as a beacon for casters' shadows to find their owners and reconnect with them. It also is enchanted to encourage affectionate feelings. This may inspire people to be more... touch-friendly than normal, wanting to hug and hold onto or simple be shoulder-to-shoulder with the people around them. These feelings can easily be fought even if they're present, but fulfilling them will help to eliminate the sense of loss from the synchronic spell ending. At the end of the night, little rainbow fireflies will begin to fly away from the flames, having been hatched within them, and fly off into the night as the flames turn to embers, and then to charcoal. It is said that if you catch a rainbow firefly, you can make a wish on it, and when let go they will take those wishes to the heavens with them. Some wishes may actually be granted, so if your character has a wish, submit it here. 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. • 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. • If nothing here tickles your fancy, try one of this month's Quests for your TDM prompt. • The first "Arrival" prompts are present on every TDM, but contain seasonal tweaks for flavor. All other prompts will change monthly. (This month, please check updated method of inventory collection at the Rent-a-Ride and the "February Special" rooms at the Red Spring.) • The Shadow Dance Ritual is a form of advanced dark magic; this means that yes, after significant practice, a dark magic user may be able to do this on their own with only their own shadow. Even if your character isn't a dark mage, they can do a ritual to perform out-of-discipline magic. More information on rituals and how to unlock them will come in the future! • Please comment with wishes regardless of new/current member status if you want to participate! :) • Questions about this TDM's content? Comment here! If you have a question about the game at-large, please head over to the FAQ. *This Everwarm does not count toward your potion collection for those who wish to take up potion brewing. You must obtain Everwarm from the Elphame Trader's to count. **Jackets come in a variety of neutral colors, enchanted with a fit-adjustment spell that will adjust to your character's size.

Comments

[impostorsyndrome]

. . . Yeah? How many of you are there? That's a pretty different statement depending on if there are three of you or fifteen of you.

[Though if there were that many, Kadoc would seriously begin questioning what was going on here. Servants being summoned by the world into a place and time where a Grail exists is just to be expected, but Servants ending up here totally by chance and being stripped of their powers in the process? Huh. Weird. But a handful probably isn't as unexpected as it could be; he'd ended up here too somehow, and he's far less useful to a world in danger than a Servant is. Even a depowered Servant.

It's tempting to ignore Saber's question about being a Master, and Kadoc almost does just that. But it feels uncomfortable to leave it in the air like that, even if it also feels uncomfortable to answer it. He shifts there where he sits; his gaze flicks down to the back of his hand, where there's nothing to see. Those Command Spells had disappeared before all this Avalon shit had started.]

And you're right that I know about Servants because I was a Master once. But losing my Servant didn't have anything to do with coming here. I managed that all on my own. So that's that.

[excalibeam]

[ Saber closes her eyes for a moment before nodding and returning her gaze to Kadoc's. ]

Well, including myself... there is an Archer Servant and a Caster Servant, as well as a Lancer I believe. [ Well, it's not like Gareth has yet told Saber outright what class she was, but Saber could make an educated guess as to which class Gareth was suited for... not only via her weapon, but also her niece's exceptional skill at jousting. ]

I understand. Your Servant must have performed admirably.

[ She noted the way his eyes flickered down to where one's Command Spells should be. Perhaps it would be best if she dropped that particular subject. ]

In any case... I do hope that we get along. I have given you my name, now, what is yours?

[impostorsyndrome]

[Dropping it is a good call. Kadoc's mouth twitches a little at Saber's statement on the outcome—your Servant must have performed admirably. That was true. She had. It's a good thing to say, even though Kadoc has to fight down his typical urges to respond to it with something self-deprecating: If only I'd performed as well as she did. . . . But Anastasia would hate that. If she were here, she'd "accidentally" elbow him or something for his trouble. Knowing that, he holds it back, but he still thinks it.

But there's nothing else to say about it either. His expression isn't even a frown or a smile. It's just the twitch of quiet acknowledgement, and then a tiny nod, and then the subject drops. On to introductions. That is only fair!]

. . . Kadoc Zemlupus. I've heard your name since I was a kid, but I doubt you've heard mine before, unless you're with a certain group.

[Only someone from Chaldea would know who he was; he waits to see if there's any reaction. Lord does he hope there isn't. That's something he doesn't want to deal with right now.]

[excalibeam]

Zemlupus...

[ Hm... neither in the Fourth or Fifth Holy Grail War did that name ring a bell. So, he must come from a different Grail War then. After thinking for a bit... ]

...no, I'm afraid I do not recognize that name.

[ So no reaction, as Kadoc was hoping. ]

[impostorsyndrome]

Glad to hear it.

[He allows himself that much of a little private joke. Ha. How bitter has he always been over not having a background that gave him any status or any natural advantage as a mage, all these years? And yet now he'd rather not be known or noticed.

But it's the nature of Servants to be summoned into wars, and his own experience was no different, even if it wasn't a Fuyuki-style classic Grail War. Saber surely was summoned under circumstances of her own, so she probably understands. He peers across the tent at her in the dim light, with a faint, barely-there little smile.]

You know how it is with Masters and Servants. The people who would recognize me are my enemies, for the most part. If none of them are here, that's all the better for me. Even if my part in things is over by now. . . . The other Servants here, were they your enemies or allies? You said one wasn't trustworthy.

[excalibeam]

I understand.

[ At the very least, she does understand that. It was the general rule when it came to normal Grail Wars, at least. ]

Indeed. There is a Caster Servant with a personality to be avoided... though I admit my own personal bias is present in that, as we were enemies after all. The Archer is cynical and a traitor as well, but they are no longer my enemy. As for the Lancer... they do not come from my Grail War, however they are one of my knights, therefore I guarantee their trustworthiness.

[ Gareth was definitely the most trustworthy out of all the Servants she's met here. Not that she was on bad terms with Archer, but it's not like he was the most trustworthy servant in the world. ]

[impostorsyndrome]

[Kadoc listens to all of this, thinking first: That's more Servants than I expected. It's fewer than would be summoned into a Grail War, and also fewer than a stray Grail would be likely to summon to a Singularity, which means it's a coincidence, and four makes it a weird one. It's just in the right range of numbers to be unexpected. And they're all different classes! Maybe it means something, maybe it doesn't; he'll just have to keep an eye on it.

But second to that, there's some little spike of amusement in Saber's explanation there.]

. . . I hate to think what kind of personality this Caster has that's worse than "cynical and a traitor."

[excalibeam]

[ Well, when said-Caster used their Noble Phantasm to forcibly become Saber's Master, use a command spell to have her stab her original Master, and then proceed to put her in a wedding dress, well...

Long story short, she didn't appreciate the wedding dress. ]

Well, Archer had his reasons, even if I didn't agree with them. In any case, we were only enemies for a brief period of time. Caster, however... well, I should allow you to judge their personality for yourself.

[ She holds her biased tongue. She and Caster would begrudgingly tolerate the other on a good day, and that would likely never change. ]

[impostorsyndrome]

Don't worry, I will.

[He gives Saber another brief little smile, there and gone again. If nothing else, he is the type to always form and hold his own opinions of everything, and to put a great deal of research into them besides.

. . . Most of the time.]

But I appreciate it. I didn't mean to grill you or anything. I just wasn't expecting to end up sitting across from someone who introduces herself as Saber. It wouldn't have surprised me if no one here knew the first thing about Masters and Servants.

[excalibeam]

[ She nods in agreement. ]

Your assumption would be correct. You are the first stranger I have met who understood what I was from hearing my class name. The majority of people you will meet here will not know about such things, much less about the magecraft of our world.

[ Though, it's not like everyone here is learning magic anyway, even if it is different from the basic concepts of the magic from home. Not that Saber could really say much about magecraft anyway, since that was Merlin's thing. ]

[impostorsyndrome]

That's gonna be—something.

[He says it half to himself. It's a thought he can't escape yet: how is he even supposed to exist in a society that doesn't come with all the baggage of his Earth's mage society? What do people who haven't been living with that their entire lives even . . . do with those lives?

But that's digging deep. And she wouldn't understand it; she isn't a mage. Being a Servant isn't the same as being a part of mage society. So Kadoc shrugs it off, not exactly keen on doing a deep dive into his problems here and now—and he doubts she is either.]

But that's my own business. I'm sure your own position isn't easy either, though. You're literally King Arthur, and this is Camelot. That's a whole other can of worms. . . . You mind if I ask how long you've been here? And what you think of all this so far? I can't imagine anyone whose opinion I'd value more.