avalaughs | TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 6

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TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 6

Check out the OOC intro meme for this month to say hi to new players/characters!

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⚔️️ 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 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 still chilly, but not enough that you can't manage on your own. The Lady of the Lake is swimming around under the water, but seems to be focusing on coordinating a band of mossatees to help rescue any wayward new arrivals. Mossatees are a special Avalonian manatee that is green in color and has what appears to be a patches of grass or other short plant life growing on its back. While some are fully green, many sport blooming flowers or fairy circles of mushrooms.

If anyone tries to ask the Lady of the Lake for directions, she will direct you to Archimedes at the Rent-a-Ride. Those with animal magic may get their info from the manatees, though may notice that they're really overly friendly and have zero concept of personal boundaries. Everyone may notice they have no concept of personal space, as they will happily run right into someone's belly for a snoot squishing. 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.

*Reminder: Your character's familiar may or may not be with your character in their initial plunge. If the familiar isn't partial to water, it may meet your character on the beach or sit atop their head while they swim. Or if they are, they might splash about and swim alongside your character. Familiars have different personalities and body specs and we leave those up to the players.

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 animal-themed ponchos 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. Which given the fact that it's pouring down rain in April? Not ideal. You were only given ponchos, not rain boots.

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.

Unfortunately, due to a bee infestation and massive amounts of rain, the hot springs of the Red Springs are not available this month! Instead, an underground salt cave is offered as a way to relax and unwind. Gather around in the rejuvenating, dimly lit caves and breathe in the relaxing effects of salt crystals. Feel the sand between your toes, or if you don't like sand, try one of the many pools with tiny garra rufa for a fish pedicure. Or, lie down in a recliner and stare up at the "stars"-- magic sparkles in the ceiling that move to spell out single-word concepts you may be experiencing. (Maybe you're relaxed? You might get something like "Chill." Find your relaxation buddy hot? Just be careful to look away before the stars spell "Thirsty" to the whole room.)

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 it turns out, a mythical land that's been around for a few centuries has a few things in common with many modern worlds. It's got the internet, and games have evolved a little bit past hoop trundling and draughts. April, being the traditional month of mirth and games and lots of rain making it hard to have fun outdoors, is the time for Camelot City Gaming Convention, affectionately shortened to CameCon. Come into the large convention center located in the south part of town, get dry, and check out some of the awesome things to do.

A ⦿ Couchless Co-Op

Fighting games

NASTAR Racing Game

rhythm dance game

Grand Theft Automation

really

B ⦿ Arthurian RP in your Arthurian RP

LARP as their favorite Knight of the Round Table

rock-paper-scissors-magic

dress-up

props that will magically give you sword skills

picnic on the concrete floor

C ⦿ It Figures...

A convention isn't a convention without a little shopping. Come check out what cool games are upcoming in the exhibit hall, buy figurines of your favorite game characters (or.. new ones you've never heard of since this is a new world, but are still cute and/or kick-ass), and most importantly, check out the cool magic you can apply to them. A spell available for purchase in the convention hall that's popular this year is Recipe: Figure Anima, which makes your figures move in place and say popular lines as if they're an actual, miniature version of the character. It's recommended you practice while you're in the convention hall though so figure experts can help if things go.. awry. People have been known to have their own emotions influence the spell, and sometimes toys have started taking on the attitude of the caster. There's nothing quite as tragic as your favorite angelic game character telling you they're gonna kick your ass because you were in a fighting mood. So OOC. Maybe you can find someone who's a little better at magic to fix the problem?

Of course, when the rain breaks through and floods the exhibition room, there's a lot of mass hysteria as people scream and climb up onto tables, trying to protect their merch above all else. Hurry, help someone else up onto your table before their ent dakimakura they just purchased gets wet! Only you can save the gamers from water! ..Or that's what you thought, until a second later the electricity goes out and you're left in a total electricity blackout in the convention hall. It may be a good idea to use some magic to try to light the way and find a way out of the flooded hall...

A ⦿ Keep Your Vines to Yourselves

overgrowth of prehensile, very friendly vines

destructive magic

without

tickle the person the vines have captured

B ⦿ Selfies with Selkies

very, very large flower

Take a trip up to the Archivist

Cereus de Anima

the Silent Shore

shirtless selkie

take a selfie

eventually

a cottage on the other side of the Pure of Heart Bridge

old man that Morganna tried to kill and save in a quest a couple of months ago

C ⦿ The Answer is No

Back in Camelot City, it seems that anyone who's been touched by the vines has been replaced by a doppelganger in their lives. They're just barely off from the original- they have all the memories, but may be slightly more skilled at things they didn't used to be, or may seem to make less ethical choices than they might otherwise. There's just something slightly off. But when people start using AOL to contact their friends and let them know they've been gone.. well, it may seem like the jig is up, or at least in question.

Those who find out they've been replaced may want to return to Camelot quickly to try to reclaim their lives. Doppelgangers will attempt to kill their original if they come into contact with them when they aren't around other people, so you may need to flee for your life if you haven't gotten good enough at magic to defend yourself yet. Around other people, the doppelgangers will do their best to try to prove themselves the real person and since they were made from the original, will have the same memories as the original character so asking questions that "only ___ would know" may not work. Eventually it will come out that the doppelgangers have occasionally wriggling vines instead of spines underneath their clothing, if you're willing to check that to see who's real, but that won't be common knowledge.

What can be found out from the old man at the Pure of Heart bridge if you choose to leave your doppelganger alone is that Cereus de anima doppelgangers can only live for a month without killing their original and absorbing the rest of their essence. However, if the original plant isn't taken care of with a special venom you can only obtain from certain creatures in the Forest of the Fisher King, the problem will just keep happening over and over until the city is overrun and becomes nothing but a breeding ground for the flower and its replicas.

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.
• You can have any animal-style poncho you want! They are themed, not made from actual animals. No animals have been harmed in the making of these ponchos!!
• TIMELINE: The resolution to the third prompt will be in April's event! The first two prompt sets will be during the first week of the month. The doppelganger problem and obnoxious traveling and research will be occurring for the second and third weeks of the month.
• People with green magic may be able to fill something off about the doppelgangers, but may not be able to identify what it is right away. Blood mages will be able to feel that their blood feels the same as the original as they are essentially copies. Cognitive people will be able to use their magic normally except for hypnotic suggestion- the doppelgangers are immune to it, so while you may be able to find other ways to out them, hypnotizing people to tell the truth won't work this time. Doppelgangers are made from the essence of the person, so they will be able to access their phones and accounts. Note that the Cereus de Anima and doppelgangers are not fairies and cannot be contracted with. If a Death Mage attempts to possess a doppelganger, it will technically come in contact with the doppelganger's vine and may end up with more than one doppelganger depending on how many times they try it. Siphon magic can be used to destroy a doppelganger easily, however, the essence that was stolen from the original's soul may be destroyed in the process so it is not recommended as the original may start to feel as though they are no longer a whole person.
• 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. Make sure to read the Red Spring section on this month's even if you're normally familiar-- the springs are closed this month, check out the alternate prompts!
• 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

[Adelle's getting her poncho on. She doesn't hate getting rained on, but it's a pain. She glances at Eustace, and... realizes that he's not going to.

She shifts the pupper a little.]

That sounds good. Maybe we can find a covered bench or something?

[He will donate his poncho and honestly everything to the puppy if it needs it but if it fits under her poncho then all's well.]

Mm.

[And another glance at the sky, frowning a little as he judges the clouds before he starts walking forward without any other prompting.

If there are other animals about he could maybe try to do that talking thing, but they're likely taking shelter.]

[She has the pupper mostly under her poncho. Though... the tail is poking out, a little. The pup's dreaming; sometimes the tail wags and comes out. Adelle looks delighted with this.

She's not touching the tail because that might just wake the puppy up.

She follows after Eustace, and keeps talking as she does.] This is quite the city, isn't it? I wonder how he got all the way out there...

[Eustace is looking around both in some curiosity but mostly in analyzing everything. It's both strange and similar to the towns and cities of his world, but it has a very different...feel to it.]

Likely stowed away on the carriages or with some other traveler. I doubt it could have walked the distance on its own.

[The technology is a lot more advanced than Adelle is used to. She thinks maybe Holograd gets close to this... but only close. She stares for a second at some of the lights, and then shakes her head.]

Probably not. Poor thing. Well... we'll get him right back home!

[He nods before glancing up at the sky. It's still a light drizzle, but the clouds are definitely darkening in the distance.]

We may have to wake him up sooner rather than later...but for now let's keep moving this way before asking for directions.

[Since he's not sure how welcome stores would be in bringing in a wet dog, they'll need to find a suitable place for Adelle to wait while he gets information if the pup is unable to help further.]

Mm. If we have to, we have to, right?

[Adelle keeps moving along. She glances at the clouds -- then she peers around, before she notices a small park. There is a bench there, under a tree -- and it'd likely give some shelter.]

Hm... what if I wait there?

[He looks over in the direction and after quickly analyzing the rest of the area, he nods.]

I'll ask around here and meet up with you.

[Adelle nods her head, before she walks over and sits down. She puts the pup in her lap; that's easier than carrying him.]

Right! I'll be right here, then.

[He waits until they're at the bench before he ducks inside the store. He takes a moment to study the place before finding someone to ask around and for directions.

...And maybe for the nearest vet and pet store. Wouldn't hurt to know about them and more places to potentially ask if anyone reported a missing dog. It's here he'll receive some advice to use the device they all had received to look at the map, and it occurs to him he had meant to look into the device but had been distracted by the dog. Hmmmm.

With this new information, he heads back outside. It's still drizzling, but he just walks towards them, only shaking his head a bit when he reaches the cover.]

I got some information. There are a few dog parks we can look and ask around if they recognize the dog, as well as some clinics we could bring him into as they might recognize him as well.

[Eustace comes back. Adelle doesn't look up as he approaches. But when he speaks, she bobs her head. Except, it's a little jello-like... and her head sort of rolls to one side. The pupper doesn't seem to notice or care; he's snoozing in Adelle's lap.

But Adelle doesn't respond.

It was a long day; there was chasing a puppy, a caravan, and walking through Camelot. And sitting down with a warm, comfy puppy, out of the rain...

...well, there's two snores coming from the bench.]

[...

It's only when he notices Adelle not really responding does he realize that she's asleep, and he can't help but stare at her a little dumbstruck. At first he opens his mouth to call out to her, but then he considers how long of a day it has been for all of them, and his expression softens a little.

Shaking off the water from his cloak, he unfastens it so that he can drape it behind the bench to dry a bit before sitting down next to her. There's not really much he can do right now other than let them rest, so he'll first take out Flamek to ensure it remained dry as well as just gently run his hand over the barrel, his brows furrowing slightly at sensing it still asleep before letting it rest over his legs. He then takes out his phone and starts exploring the device, curiously tapping through the various apps and finding the map again.]

[It takes... well.

It takes a little while for Adelle to wake up. Her eyes flutter open -- blink a few times, like it takes a second to register where she is, that Avalon and Camelot are both real places -- and then her eyes dart to Eustace. She hesitates for a second.

Then she smiles.] Uh...

Sorry. [The puppy shifts, too; Adelle waking seems to have woken him. He does a yawn, and then a long stretch of his paws and body.]

[He had been rather engrossed in investigating this phone device. It was similar to the transceivers from the Society, but a lot more advanced, such as using the screen. He's used to seeing such monitors before, but not like this. So he had actually not noticed how much time had passed until Adelle stirs. Sitting up, he glances over at her.]

It's fine. Looked like you needed it.

[He could have forced her awake, but it's not like they're in any particular rush. Better to work with her more alert than drowsy, and the pup was still asleep, anyway. Now that it was awake, he'll be able to extract more information and be able to pinpoint the location.]

Yeah. It's been quite a day, to say the least. [She yawns -- glances down at his tablet-like device -- and stares for a second. She hasn't even tried to figure out her own... but she's never seen anything like it.

She pats the dog on the head.]

Did you get any leads?

From talking around, I learned of a few dog parks that could fit the description as well as vets we can go to ask if they recognize him. However now that he's up...

[He turns to the pupper and his voice softens as he asks it quietly.]

Can you tell us more about your home? Do you recognize anything?

[The rain had let up by now making things a bit easier to see. The pup looks around and at first looks confused...but then it seems to recognize something and gives a small bark! Looking in its direction, Eustace sees a road that looks like one of the ones that led to a neighborhood near a dog park.]

He recognizes that street, and from the maps I seen, there should be a neighborhood there.

It’s good to have a backup, just in case.

[She watches curiously as he talks to the pup. It’s impressive, really! Still surprising, too. She nods to his explanation.]

Let’s check it out! I bet his family misses him.

[Eustace nods as he stands, tucking the phone device into his pocket and holstering his weapon. He then picks up his cloak that had mostly dried by now and refastens it behind him.]

You should continue carrying him to keep him dry and reduce risk of him getting scared and running off.

Mm-hm. Don't worry, I have him.

[She's got him in both arms. The pupper is wiggling a bit. Not quite trying to escape -- but he knows this area.

That makes him excited.

So Adelle's making sure to keep a good hold of him. She doesn't want to chase him twice today if she can help it.]

[And away they go! Eustace walks alongside them, watching the pup and listening carefully to whenever it seems most excited. As they pass places it recognizes, it'll wag its tail and bark, Eustace occasionally translating for Adelle what he's saying. Such as a certain store being somewhere their owner frequents or a favored butcher's shop. And when they reach the park it really gets excited and tries to break free from Adelle's grasp. In its excitement Eustace manages to hear a few key words.]

Blue house... He says his home is a blue house and should be nearby.

[At that moment there is a loud shout and the sound of running steps as a young girl runs towards the, calling the pup's name.]

[Adelle manages to keep a grip on the pup when it gets very excited. It's hard -- she stops, though, when she hears the loud shout -- sees the little girl, and then the blue house. She closes the distance some, but then it's too much. She lets the dog down -- and the pupper runs straight towards the girl, to complete the happy reunion.

Adelle laughs after that, hands down on her hips. She looks pleased, letting out a sigh of relief.]

Ah, would you look at that!

...Mm.

[There's a very rare, soft, genuine smile as Eustace watches the heartfelt reunion. After the pup gives the girl lots of puppy kisses, he runs back to them to first jump onto Adelle to give her a few licks before darting to Eustace to do the same (well with a little help from the Erune). After expressing its gratitude it runs back to the girl who waves at both of them before picking up the pup to take him home.]

[Adelle laughs, petting the puppy happily after he jumps up on her. Then she stands up; as he and the girl head off, she sighs wistfully. Happily, even. She watches them after they're out of sight.

Her voice is soft and warm.] All's well that ends well, hm?

Yes.

[Just a small answer of agreement as he continues to watch them until they enter the house. There's likely to be a happy reunion with the family there as well.

He then glances at Adelle, his expression slowly returning to its natural neutral state but retaining some of that softness from before.]

...Thanks again for the help.

You, too. I think it would have been a disaster if you weren't there.

[She'd have scared the dog off. And even if she found the pup... well, she didn't have a way to get him home.

She's quiet for a second more.]

We should probably head back, huh?

TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 6

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