TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 8

[avalonmods]

✨ Greet new players on the OOC intro while apps are processed HERE! ✨

{ QUICK NAV } Premise ⚔️️ Rules ⚔️️ FAQ ⚔️️ Taken ⚔️️ Reserves ⚔️️ Apply ⚔️️ Locations ⚔️️ Bestiary ⚔️️ Top-Levels Only ⚔️️ SUMMARY: New arrivals drop into the lake and have to climb up a cliff to the Rent a Ride, where they are given their device and some headphones and can retrieve their personal materials. They travel to Camelot, which is a multiple day journey, so they stop at the Red Springs along the way and stay at an inn there. 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, helping to rescue any wayward travelers who look like they're struggling in the water. This month's helpers are giant pillow jellies, a species of jellyfish that is capable of ballooning itself at the surface to create bouncy pads for characters to hop across to the shore, should they choose or not be able to swim. They come in a variety of bioluminescent colors, but do not seem to be very talkative even to animal magic users. Those who try may find themselves being ignored, even if they hear the jellies talking amongst themselves about this and that. If anyone tries to ask the Lady of the Lake for directions, she will direct you to Archimedes at 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. (Though.. given how hot and muggy the weather is this first week, maybe you might want to ask him to toss you right back into the lake where the waters are still cool.) *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 and a pair of ear buds (the supplier was out of the regular ones) 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. 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. SUMMARY: Merlin has a Plan B in case Camelot failed the trials: raise a sunken ship and offer it to the Elphame Traders on their way out in exchange for permission to travel their waters. Characters prepare for ritual magic to raise a sunken ship and travel underwater at the empty Camelot docks to gather ritual ingredients for it. After they've done all they can, Merlin sets up a little beach party with a bit of master magic for anyone who came along for the trip. After arriving, people may have heard about recent events-- the people of Camelot voted against war and to instead accept the trials of the people of Celliwig. The trials are now concluded, and a good number of people are emotionally exhausted and taking time to recover. Word from Celliwig has not yet arrived, but across multiple social media platforms, including AOL, there are clips of Merlin's cryptic addendum to Arthur's announcement along with notes that the meeting date was delayed a couple of days due to the awful weather and a need to rest after how bleak the trials were to some people. With people down and out, it won't hurt to have the new arrivals pitch in and learn a thing or two. "Lucky me, we've got a decent group. Celliwig's out of our hands now, but what isn't is a back-up plan. Vote was close enough I figured we'd have enough people to get a head start. Celliwig is closer and much less dangerous to deal with, we'd be able to communicate much faster with the faeries' queendom. They're not big on internet. Big followers of the Old Ways. T-L-D-R, we can't just text the queen and ask if drop-bys are on the table. We'd never make it past the leviathans without permission, so here's the plan: There is a... fixer-upper of a vessel sunken about a hundred yards from shore tossed out from Bermuda. We tried to build docks here forever ago, but you can guess the Bermuda triangle spitting out stuff in the lake all the time didn't go great. We just keep it up for visitors now, but there's plenty to explore in the immediate area that we can magic back into business." A ⦿ Shipwreckers He goes on to explain that the fairies value items that were once lost and refound, so step one is exploring the shipwreck with fellow magic users to find what amounts to a scavenger hunt list of items from the ship. He sets everyone off with a quick spell that essentially transforms their clothing into swimsuits that best fit their preferences and personality-- that means no one's going to get a swimsuit that makes them horribly uncomfortable, he's not harassing anyone. After that, magicians will be directed to use their magic to get down to the ship. It's not as convenient as underwater breathing and not as easily sustainable, but there's definitely different ways to go about it. Light magic users will find they can create a forcefield above the surface of the water and go under the water, though they may run out of oxygen quickly. Elemental users can find they can create a similar bubble by pushing water out of the way, though may run into the same diminishing air without a more advanced elemental user already in the game who can pull oxygen out of the water or an alchemist who can create chemical reactions to generate oxygen. Animal mages may be able to convince local lake life to help push bubbles along, and healers will be instrumental in healing oxygen deprivation if anyone stays under too long! (Note: If two characters can't create a bubble, you can put in a third NPC to do the bubble while your characters handle other roles during the search.) No matter what, make sure you bring someone who can watch your back. Rumors have it that the Fuath are harassing anything that comes near the area. Fuath are intangible spirits that may present as giant humanoids at about 8-9 feet each, but with the mane and tail of a yellow horse, with no noses and keen eyes. They hold grudges against anyone who takes advantage of their surroundings, even if not their own, and will come to attempt to throw those who try to take from the ships and flying through the air to land somewhere else in the water. Be very cautious about using names around the Fuath, as though they do not speak in human tongue, they have a particular ability to draw people and animals in using names that makes them very difficult to escape once you've been found. They've been known to turn familiars against their partners. They can be deterred, dissipated through attack to buy you time, but they'll keep coming so get in and out of the ship as fast as you can and definitely stick to more combat-heavy magics like dark and cognitive mages! *Note: These magics are all examples of ways to use primary magic, but feel free to get creative with your character's magic if you think of something else! B ⦿ Hoist the Flags Once all the ingredients are gathered, the ritual is underway! With the mementos from the ship, swim to a protective circle formed at the top of the water by Merlin that will keep the Fuath out. There, you need to take whatever item you gathered from the ship and try to find someone with a similar item. This "sister" item will allow you to pull the essence of the item up from the ship. It takes a load of people to raise a whole ship, but pouring your magic into the item and chanting the spell will cause the ship to resurface and restore itself to its original state before the crash, using residual memories from all the different items on the ship. Of course, finding a partner with a matching item while swimming around could be a challenge, especially if you don't get along-- it may take a while for everyone to get on the same page. It certainly won't clean up all the algae and kelp and wayward flopping fish, it brings the ship back to a livable state.. and a much cooler, more explorable one. Get a quick exploration of the ship and help clean up some of the lake slime before Merlin flags over the traders. Or goof around until then, and learn a sick free spell called (Recipe) Cool Firework: create a rocket firework from your fingertips. Make sure you're aiming it into the sky when you cast this spell, or Merlin will set off a Camelot totem right beneath your feet. No sinking the ship when they just got it up. The fireworks will attract the Elphame Traders, who are leaving the day after they close up shop to head back to Elphame, before the set out to leave. Merlin negotiates offering the ship to them as an offering for Queen Elphame to give them permission to travel in the Elphame territory. At that point, the ship is pulled into the docks and Camelot citizens are ushered out for the fae traders to take over the ship. C ⦿ Beach Episode Once everything's said and done it.. really only took a couple of hours, so the whole group is done around 4pm. There's plenty of time left for dinner and a good time at the beach a short walk away from the docks and the sun doesn't go down until around 9pm. Before Merlin leaves everyone to themselves, he conjures up a buffet-style table with loads of fresh food and drink, watermelons and bats for smashing. The swimsuits provided earlier wear off at midnight, though you'll probably want to leave before then since it still gets chilly in the evening, especially if you're all wet from playing with the chest full of waterguns or the beach balls distributed around the beach. The docks are nearby, so feel free to call your friends over to come hang out with you, even if they didn't help. It's a beach party, enjoy it! SUMMARY: Unseelie faeries and unseemly humans have teamed up to kidnap a small number of otherworlders in the chaos of the trials to fight in an underground fight ring. Play as a victim or be part of the squad to put an end to it if you're more good-leaning, or villains can choose to participate as audience and pay for "gifts" to be given to their favorite fighters during matches. CW: These prompts contain kidnapping, illegal and forced fighting, and inhumane treatment of fighters. Just because people are tired doesn't mean that the world stops for them... crime certainly doesn't. Throughout the start of the month, people are going missing. Exactly what's happening.. well, finding the truth out about that is going to depend on your perspective. A ⦿ Cursed Kidnapees Kidnapping victims will find themselves suddenly blinded by a spell, and then chloroformed by a floating cloth pressed against their face. (Smart kidnappers don't touch their victims if they have magic, you know!) When they wake up, they'll find themselves in a dungeon with at least a dozen other people. There's definitely not room to lay down, and sitting down as you had been propped up immediately starts you with a potentially uncomfortable view. Don't worry, someone's peeks in from a window at the top of the room-- an extremely handsome-looking man with long, wavy hair and pupils slitted like a cat's. "Let's see.. You two, you'll be the first fight of the night. Winner gets dinner, gyahaha!" It's a fighting ring. You've been kidnapped into a fighting ring and there's no obvious escape! Fight against fellow captives and monsters for your dinner and to buy time to figure out what you're going to do... At least you start hand to hand, so there's nothing lethal... right? (See Audience for more details.) B ⦿ Audacious Audience Maybe you're a less scrupulous sort and saw an invitation to this event hidden on the dark web, or got invited by a particularly sketchy friend. Either way, you've got cage-side seats close enough to chat with either fellow audience members or interact with the cage fighters. As a bonus point, audience members can spend some of their G on betting or on purchasing "boons" for their favorite fighters, such as weapons or enhancement spells. They can also bid against other audience members for special sabotages that make it harder to fight-- foot weights, strange masks, roller skates, hinderance hexes.. get creative with it! It's the biggest fight show that you can interact with your wallet... newbies may find it's a very lucrative way to make a pretty penny very fast. (As always, remember to communicate with anyone you're helping/sabotaging so you don't go past anyone's OOC comfort level.) C ⦿ Roaring Rescuers Thankfully, the fae who want nothing more than to sow discord and the greedy humans who joined in their venture are a bit disorganized. Even the beginning-level heroes among us will be able to track them down and topple them with a little bar hopping to gather information from the locals. Eventually, one of them will give up having overheard some "scary looking fellows" talking about which of the patrons of the bar looked like they'd be good in a fight before getting extra hush-hush. Follow all the leads, and you'll find yourself at an outlying, smaller-scale castle with a dungeon tower and an underground fighting ring built beneath its floors. Sneak in and unlock individual fighter dungeon doors while the fights are providing a wealth of distraction. Maybe you'll find a grateful Fogueria who casts a temporary fire-immunity spell on you to allow you to do ride them into battle to bust up the fight going on right now. There's definitely gratitude going on, regardless of moral compass, and you may find gifts of food and drink (non-alcoholic if you're not old enough) placed at your door over the next week for your deeds. 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. • We are testing out formats for key points displays, to be voted on for player preference based on what seems to work best for the most people. The other options were used here (end of post summary format) and here (start of post preview format). The format featured on this post is the last option, which will provide small summaries under the banner of each prompt set. A poll will be put up before the next event to see which format will be used going forward, so please keep in the back of your mind which seems most comfortable/makes the content more easily accessible. •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. • 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

Asriel Dreemur ( Undertale ) familiar undecided

[letmewin]

( for anyone canon familiar, asriel is being taken post pacifist route )

A. Arrival:

( It's only with a quiet yell and a small splash that Asriel lands on one of the many jellyfish that seem to be keeping those who arrive afloat. Hands clutch at the jellyfish out of instinctively before he realizes that he's very suddenly have seem to have left the underground.

Even moreso than that, he was himself again. Surely, this must be some sort of strange but very real dream. He had given up on any chance of going back to normal, and going to the surface with the other monsters? Forget it. Even in his other form, he had grown tired of the life he had once lived after Frisk had found their happy ending.

He looks to the jellyfish tentatively, hesitating for a moment or so before speaking. )

H... Howdy. ( He begins quietly. ) Thank you for catching me, but do you think you could take me ashore?

( Unfortunately for Asriel, the magic ability he's been given isn't doing him any favors. The jellyfish have every intention of ignoring him. )

B. The Red Spring

( Somehow it feels... strange to share a room with someone again – at least, someone who wasn't his sibling. He's spent so much time alone, but truthfully, he's looking a little forward to having the company. Even if it's just for a night, it's definitely a nice change of pace.

Though admittedly, there's too many things in this world that seem too good to be true. His situation at home... wasn't good by any means. Is being in a place like this something he really deserves?

When his roomate enters the room, he can be seen going through the mini refrigerator, looking for any sign of chocolate or sweets that he might be able to get his hands on. Almost immediately, he shifts enough to look towards the door. He fidgets a bit and he offers a small smile. )

Are you spending the night here? It's nice to meet you.

C. Best Laid (Backup) Plan

( When the cleaning is said and done, Asriel finds himself interested in trying out the recipe given to him. Seeing fireworks is nothing new to him, sure – but, making his own? Truth be told, he's a little uncertain about trying it – it isn't exactly magic that he's used to using. He can't help but at least be a little nervous.

With a quick snap of his fingers, it feels like the fireworks light effortlessly. His eyes practically sparkle with awe, a padded hand moving to cover his mouth. )

Woah! It worked!

B)

[steakknife]

[ Sunny was a little lost in thought when he wandered into this room. He couldn’t remember which room he was told to go to, still couldn’t decide if this was the real world or if he were still sleeping... the one thing that pulled him out of his thoughts was a soft voice. He tilted his head up, while covering his face a little with one hand.]

Oh um... sorry was this your room?

[letmewin]

( Was that... a human? For a moment, Asriel stiffens before forcing himself to relax. It can't be helped, really - his experiences with humans save two of them weren't... the greatest. But, this human looked to be about his age. )

It's okay. They said that I was supposed to spend the night with someone. Did they choose this room for you?

[steakknife]

[ With his hand still covering his right eye subconsciously, he finally takes a moment to focus on the other boy. He looked... like a goat? Maybe he really was dreaming like he thought earlier...]

I... think they might have.

[ This goat boy didn’t look like he was mean or scary at all. Though he looked a little nervous. Did... he make him nervous? ]

I don’t take up much room, so I shouldn’t get in your way.

[letmewin]

Oh, no. Uhm -- it's just that... I haven't had the chance to meet many humans like this. There aren't very many where I'm from.

( He offers a tentative smile, a little uncertain.)

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. It really is nice to meet you.

[steakknife]

[ W-ait, he was apologizing to him? Why was he—

He shook his head no, the nervousness and the worry from before only growing.]

No I—

[ How did he put it into words. How did he talk to strangers before? It was so much easier with his friends from home nudging him along. ]

It's not your fault... I just— I haven't talked to many people... in a while. But you seem like a nice [ Would it be rude to call him goat boy??? probably. ] guy.

[letmewin]

My name's Asriel! It's... sort of been a while since I've been able to talk to others, too.

( Well, like... this, anyways... )

Golly, maybe we can find something fun to do while we're here together?

[steakknife]

[ Him too? How strange... but in a way it made him feel the slightest bit more comfortable. ]

I'm Sunny...And that sounds... like it'd be nice. If it won't be too much of a bother.

[letmewin]

N-No, not at all. ( They still seem a little worried, though? ) Uhm, you don't have to worry, though -- I won't bite.

B

[talkyourwayout]

[Louie considers sharing a room with just one person a step-up from the usual "rooming with his two triplet brothers" deal. It's bound to be easier to get sleep with fewer people in the room, right? And Louie likes his rest! Seeing his roommate is a kid who looks more like him than like a human also comes as a relief, and Louie smiles in return.]

Yeah, I guess we're roommates tonight. My name's Louie. [He glances from Asriel back to the minifridge.] Anything good in there?

[letmewin]

( Asriel can't help but think that Louie is very likely a monster like himself -- and that thought in itself is relieving, to say the least. He was beginning to think that he was the only one. )

Howdy, Louie! My name's Asriel.

( He has Questions for him. Did he come from the Underground, too? But, there's something else that's important: )

There's some chocolate. Did you want some?

A

[corruptedsave]

[Chara had, out of boredom, taken to coming around the same time every month to the lake to just you know... See if anyone they know would show up, or anyone Frisk knows would show up.

Not out of any desire to help, no no, but to make sure no one could screw things up for them here. So when people start ending up in the lake they can't help but stand at the shore and decide to shout at the poor people, including their adopted sibling that they don't just know is here.]

You know how to swim right? Just swim to shore!

[letmewin]

( The sound of Chara's voice is more than enough to make Asriel freeze. He looks quickly towards the shore, breath catching in his throat. )

Frisk? ( Wait, no. It's true that they certainly looked similar in many ways, but there's no way that Asriel could truly mistake his sibling for them... )

C... Chara? ( Already, he can feel tears stinging the corner of his eyes. No, no, no -- this shouldn't be possible. Asriel watched them die. He had accepted the fact that Chara couldn't come back. Could this world have called them here? )

It really is you.

( For only a second or so, getting to shore is forgotten and replaced with shock and guilt. )

[corruptedsave]

[That voice, even though someone else in the water decided to shout back at Chara about being a smart ass, they still can hear Asriel's voice. Their body language changes quickly, from being at ease to suddenly being on guard.

Out of anyone this place could have brought here, of course, it had to be Asriel.]

Get to shore before you sink and drown, idiot.

[Not giving any conformation to the words Asriel said, but the fact that they are seemingly worried about the young monster should be clue enough that he got it right.]

[letmewin]

Oh -- gee, you're right.

( It's as if Asriel snaps back to reality upon hearing Chara's words, and he acts quickly now, attempting to jump from jellyfish to jellyfish without slipping and falling. He can't help but murmur apologies for stepping on them before finally finding himself in front of his best friend.

His fur is damp, but at the least, he didn't fall completely into the water.

He works to wipe his tears away as they fall, but it's as if he can't keep up with how quickly they're falling. )

I'm sorry, Chara! I'm sorry! The plan... it didn't work...

( But... they already know, didn't they? And in the end, the barrier broke, but... )

[corruptedsave]

Of course, I know it didn't work.

[They may have been dead, but the weird shared-ness they had with Asriel when the monster took their SOUL is something Chara will never forget.

It also takes everything they have to not shove Asriel and say something about how it didn't work because of him. Instead, they're just going to smile.]

I'm surprised to see you here though, welcome to uh... I never did learn this place's name.

[letmewin]

( When Asriel was still Flowey, everything just felt so pointless without Chara. Would he have been able to feel love if they had been reunited back then? Would Chara truly be able to understand the horrible things they were doing, like he thought they might?

If there was one thing they were truly hoping for then, it was a chance to see them again.

But now that they're reunited, they're in this weird place.... )

This place looks different from your home. I thought it might be the surface, but... is that really it?

[corruptedsave]

[Oh boy, how to explain things to Asriel. And in a way that won't make the monster freak out, or cry more.]

Well, you're kind of right? There are a lot of humans here but it's not home, it's a different world altogether.

[Eh screw it, may as well just be up front about the whole thing.]

a

[concierto]

[It's always curious when this world brings what appears to be small children to this place. Venti is not quite sure he agrees with the idea of it. But whatever force that whisks them away to these waters and world, he can't stop it. Although if he could...

Venti lets out a short loud and sharp whistle. He's by no means an animal magic mage but the whistle seems to catch the attention of the jellyfish which hopefully brings the poor child near shore.]

Yahoo! Over here! Let's not be rude to new arrivals, shall we?

[letmewin]

( At the least, the jellyfish seem to be happy to listen to Venti. There's only a moment's pause on their end before the begin to bring Asriel towards the shore. Green-colored eyes widen before they light up. Now that they're moving, being on one of them is actually pretty fun. He giggles quietly as they land.

The young monster jumps off the jellyfish then. His fur is a bit damp from the initial landing, but no harm done besides that. )

Thanks a lot! Are you friends with them?

( This human seemed a bit older than the ones that they were acquainted with at home, but... they seemed nice. Not like the others that he'd met before. )

[concierto]

[What a curious-looking child. While Venti has seen half-animal humans in his own world and it's a fairly common sight he's never seen one as quite animal-looking as this one. But is animal-looking the right word?

Venti crouches and rests his hands on his knees to address the boy.]

I don't think so, I think they only cared to bring you to the beach so you wouldn't drown and I'm glad for that. Are you alright? That was quite the fall, wasn't it.

[letmewin]

Yeah! I'm alright. They're actually really nice if they caught me like they did.

( And he seems really nice, too... It does help Asriel feel a little more comfortable about how weird all of this is. )

What's your name?

[concierto]

That's right, a genuine kind gesture can tell you a lot about a person. Or in this case, about a lake creature.

[He smiles!]

I'm Venti, a wandering bard in this world! And you are?

[letmewin]

A bard? Golly, that sounds really cool! And I bet you've seen a lot of different things, too!

( That's the first time he's heard that word before. He can only imagine what it means, especially if he's traveling the world! )

My name's Asriel. It's really nice to meet you. ( There's a brief pause on Asriel's end before he looks to Venti curiously. He's not really sure why he fell, but he does wonder about something. )

Uhm... is this place somewhere on the surface, then?

( He's been living in the underground all his life. This is the second time he's seen the sun shine so brightly... It's a warmth that he hasn't forgotten. )

[concierto]

A few wild things here and there, to be sure! Ehe! It all makes for good songs and stories. That's what bards do, after all. We collect all sorts of songs and stories.

[He giggles. But his expression gets slightly solemn as he nods. It's gone quickly from his face. A place somewhere on the surface...?]

It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Asriel. I'm afraid this place is far, far away from what you might call home. It's another world.