Test Drive #1

[felldenmods]

Welcome to the August test drive—our first in fellden! We're so excited to have you with us.

A few things of note:

✦ Test drive threads can be considered game-canon if you choose. They're essentially in a shared dreamscape and take place between your character leaving their world, and arriving in the audience hall with their faction leader.
✦ Reserves are open and will continue to be until 11:59 PM UTC on Tuesday, August 20th; they are not necessary to apply! They're valid for the first four days of the application cycle.
✦ Applications will open at 12:01 AM UTC on the 21st, and remain open until 11:59 PM UTC on the 27th. The IC & OOC intro logs will be posted two days later.
✦ Questions? We have a FAQ that's chock full of good information! If they are test drive specific, we have a top level thread below that allows for OOC questions to be posted.
✦ The network is available to use! No matter where your character is, their compass either arrived on their person or available in the Gods Wood. Please feel free to include a network post in your top-levels! Once opened, the compass will display instructions on use, such as using voice-commands to activate it. (Apologies for missing including this on the initial test drive!)

All set?

Perfect! Welcome to Fellden.

AS THE MOON RISES. You’ll find yourself just outside the Temple doors, which will be locked if you try to open them. A little rude, keeping you out after bringing you all this way. The thing is, you can hear a lot of commotion in the distance, and smoke rising from the center of a district; you may want to check that out. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire! Except the smoke is not at all something to be concerned over. Instead, people are gathered near a large bonfire in the decorated city square, drinking and carousing, singing songs of celebration; Moon saviors have arrived! War winners! The residents of the city laugh and sing and dance in pairs throughout the square, grateful for those who have come to aid them. Their merriment doesn’t dwindle as the sun begins to set on the horizon, twin moons rising in its place. When you (and other new arrivals) are finally noticed by the revelers, do not expect to be left alone! Flower crowns will be deposited upon your heads, food and drink placed into your hands, while live musicians play loud enough for the dead to hear. You’ll be invited to dance, to drinking games, and offered food and flowers and other items of value. Some may cry when they look into your face, thanking you for becoming their champions during this long and exhaustive war. Hopefully you’re here to enjoy the festivities. Sneaking off is just fine, too, but don’t expect to be let go of quietly; the people of the Moon Temple are so happy to see you! Enjoy the celebration while it lasts long into the night.

THE SETTING STARS. Unlike the Temple, your arrival to the Court of Stars is met with a rather somber greeting, however expressions are relieved, despite any emotional guard that may be up. A gathering of knights, weary from a skirmish along the border they're returning from, pat you on the back and lead you through an open air courtyard. All the gathered people of the Emperor's Court look up from their tasks, giving the passing Otherworlders a knowing nod. There's gratitude in their eyes, but that's all the welcome you'll receive: your presence is appreciated, but growing an attachment is another heartache for those that care so deeply for their faction fellows. The silence is broken when a high-ranking member of the guard gives the proclamation: "Our heroes have arrived! Court defenders, world travelers! Help has come from the far lands to aid us in our battles for our Emperor, for all of Fellden!" From there, the few knights that have not yet departed will lead you through the Court's castle, a brief tour of the most important areas (dining hall, housing wing, guard barracks, and the throne room) is given before they instruct you to rest, because the real excitement begins when the sun falls behind the horizon. Left to drift, you can explore the castle, or venture out to the surrounding city as it prepares for the celebration the Starfolk have in store for the returned soldiers and, now, the new arrivals. You'll be invited to the party that spreads across the entire Court city, drawn into large circle dances, and will find that the locals become more at ease and welcoming the longer you spend with them.

WELCOME TO THE GODS WOOD. Between one blink and the next, your eyesight has seemingly been stolen from you. Or, perhaps it’s more likely that something is covering your eyes? Yes, that’s definitely a blindfold tied around the back of your head, although quite the mystery as to how it came to be there. You vaguely remember a wolf that may or may not have spoken to you, but the blindfold is certainly a new addition to the situation. Once removed, you’ll find yourself in the thick of the woods, with no path or directional indicators in sight. The moon is obscured by the tree line, and the stars above do nothing to light your path; seems like removing the blindfold wasn’t as helpful as you may have thought. As your eyes adjust to the darkness, it’s obvious that you are not alone in this; other people are removing their blindfolds just as you are, staring blearily into the dark of the forest with a similar lack of understanding to how they came to be here. Thankfully, you’ll find some nearby travel packs with self-lighting torches, a few rations, and your faction-provided communicator. The compass, unfortunately, remains broken, which means you’ll have to find your way out of the woods without it. Hopefully your sense of direction is passable! Whether you team up with others, or go your separate way is entirely up to you, but you must find your way out, and the fog rolling in is not going to be of any assistance. This is a Dropping, and the Gods Wood is not kind to loiterers.

DRAWN TO THE COASTLINE. Needing an escape from the hectic energy that greeted you in your faction, an empathetic bystander pointed you in the direction of a nearby transport mirror, which you either stepped into without stating a destination, or didn't give one with enough clarity for the mirror to understand. Spitting you out on the beach just outside Kyst, it doesn't seem keen to let you back the way you came; temperamental teleportation magic. As the largest trade city in all of Fellden, there is no shortage of things to do here! Shopping with what coin was hoisted upon you before your departure, mapping out the city itself to memorize the in's and out's, enjoying a drink on the house at a local tavern where you can get into a mean game of cards with some faction soldiers, or even meeting someone else that seems to have stumbled into this world just as you did. Perhaps you're more keen to the outdoors, rather than the bustle of a large city, wandering away from the city just far enough to find a stretch of pristine beach and inviting crystal clear waters of the ocean; the salty air fills your lungs while the rays of the midday sun are almost blinding against the swath of bright white sand that meets the crashing waves. Regardless of what you decide to do, or where you end up, you're in the closest thing to No Man's Land you can get; enjoy your time fraternizing with the enemy, make some new friends in this neutral land, or stick with those from your own faction to get a lay of the land.

Comments

Crowley l Good Omens l Stars

[freeatlast]

I. i’m a (setting) star leaping through the sky

[Preventing the Apocalypse-That-Wasn't just wasn't enough, apparently. Putting all the Heaven-blessed effort into saving the entire world should have been enough to earn a few millennia of peace and quiet, Crowley was decidedly sure of that. But no, something, some higher power that may or may not have been Her will, has decided to throw yet another wrench into his plans.]

No, no, absolutely not-

[Which is why he is currently backing away from the battalion of knights that's just been so gracious enough to welcome the new arrivals, brows furrowed and an (understandably) cross look twisting his face.]

None of this hero nonsense, do you hear me? I am done with all of that.

[He continues his strategic retreat, well aware that he's not even sure where he's going, let alone what's going on, but now that he's raised a fuss he has to commit. Unfortunately, it doesn't go as smoothly as he'd like, and a misstep has him knocking into another presumably foreign arrival. He grunts slightly, eyes narrowing behind his sunglasses, but the small error gives him a little bit of an out.]

You-

[Woe be to whomever he's dragged into his theatrics.]

You agree with me right? That this is a load of cock?

II. leave it in the lap of the gods (wood)

[A talking wolf is honestly one of the least strange things that he's seen in the last week or so, so the thing that Crowley chooses to focus on is the fact that he's somehow been blindfolded. Nevermind the fact that the air around stinks like nature or the fact that he has no idea where he is, his first course of action is to rip the offending piece of cloth from his head and blink owlishly in the dim light. For a moment he ponders pocketing the blindfold, never know when it could come in use, but in the end he just drops the thing and forgets about it.

Littering was, after all, technically a sort of evil.

Despite the dark, he fumbles in the pocket of his jacket and produces a pair of sunglasses, sliding them on with relief before he finally bothers to take in his surroundings. It looks like he isn't the only one in this boat, which is actually less comforting than it probably should be. Whatever, it isn't his problem to worry about a bunch of people lost in the woods, and instead he sighs, snaps his fingers-

and nothing happens. There's no rush of demonic energy, no miracle, and that has his blood running cold. He once again, still nothing, and a bit of panic starts to creep into his expression. There should be no reason why he hasn't teleported back to his flat by now.]

You, yes you!

[He whirls on his heel, fixing his gaze on whomever's had the misfortune of being the closest to him. There's a tenseness in his posture that leaks into his tone; he is Not Amused.]

Where are we, where is this?

III. on the loose and I'm looking for (wildcard)

[Feel free to drop a prompt or shoot me at a message over at ristrettojester!]

I

[faithfixesyou]

[For an instant, Shepherd Book nearly stumbles, a hand automatically going up to his chest when one of the less restrained new arrivals bumps into him.

There's a marking there. Something he'll have to examine later.

He focuses his attention on the agitated man, hand up in a calming gesture, although he can't help the automatic twist of his lips into a quick flicker of distaste as the man swears at him.]

"...load or not, there must be something more to why we've been brought here."

[A pause.]

"As well as how. I've no idea what power in the Verse could do this."

[He's being rude. He offers a hand.]

"Shepherd Derrial Book."

[freeatlast]

[Calming is probably a good start, but Crowley has managed to work himself up by this point and so the gesture just garners a scoff and an incredulous raise of one brow.]

‘Something more’, something more needs to step off! I didn’t ask for all this theatrical [As if he’s not making a scent himself…] nonsense and whathaveyou. “Heroes”-

[The word is punctuated with perhaps the most sarcastic air quotes (in)humanly possible. Subtlety isn’t required right now, as far as Crowley is concerned.]

Complete bullshit is what I’m hearing.

It’s about at that time that he finally realizes that the unfortunate target of his ire is-

attempting to be a civil and rational being, amidst all of this. He looks down at the hand that’s been offered to him, back to Shepherd’s face, back to the hand- is someone really worrying about niceties during all of this? Instead of accepting the gesture he exhales sharply and runs a hand through his hair before shooting a look back over his shoulder at the rest of the group.]

Crowley. Anthony J. Crowley.

[It’s…at least a start?]

[faithfixesyou]

[A slightly bemused upturn of Book's lips never leaves his face. Like he's just waiting for the man to remember himself and.. there we go. Book lets his hand drop, but he nods in acknowledgement of the name.]

"Good to meet you."

"But I'll agree with you in spirit," [Book straightens himself up slightly.] "I'm not one to run towards heroism, either. If they were aiming for one, I'm afraid they've gotten the wrong man."

[He raises a hand, glancing at the walls, the decor, the architecture, a quick scan of everything around them that is raising even more alarm bells that something is very wrong. His brow deepens in a furrow.]

"I can tell you this isn't the same planet I was just on. And it might be bigger than that." [Book jabs his chin towards one of the knights, as subtly as he can.] "Who wastes that much metal on body armor?"

[freeatlast]

[The concept of these new surroundings being anything other than some sort of fever dream does give Crowley pause. It isn't as if he doesn't understand how loose reality can be at times, but to hear someone else say it ('isn't the same planet', really) helps to drive home the point that something most certainly peculiar is going on.

Either that or the world actually did end and this is some sort of eternal punishment. That's always a good option too.

His eyes follow the man's subtle gesture, a single thin brow raising as he observes the gaggle of knights as they talk amongst themselves.]

Think you might have hit the nail on the head with that one. [He nods distractedly.] Like something right out of the fourteenth century here, and that's not a good thing. Question is: why? I suppose that's the rub that's on everyone's mind.

II

[pauldron]

How should I know?

[He's not the only one Not Amused by all of this. Lightning's got a hand held out in front of her, but it's not in defense. She's trying to do something, trying to call on a power that hovers just out of reach. Sparks of lightning jump between her fingers, tiny lights in the gloomy darkness that do nothing to push it back. They fade out too quickly to be of any use, and the nausea that follows is disconcerting.]

Dammit. [She lifts her head, eyes narrowed.] It's not like I asked to get dumped in here.

[freeatlast]

[That’s not necessarily the answer he’s looking for, and it does very little to quell the panic that’s threatening to claw its way up into his throat. Not that he’d ever admit to it, especially not in such a foreign place where he’s not even sure what’s going on, but it’s definitely there. What does, however, stop its tireless advance, is the slight flickers of light that dance between the stranger’s fingers. It seems to be nothing short of miraculous- but no, that’s not right at all. He can’t feel the pull of energy to conjure up miracles, why should anyone else?]

How did you do that?

[Because yes, that’s the most important thing going on at the moment.]

[pauldron]

It's magic.

[And it's not responding to her! Too frustrated to be wary she clenches a fist, but trying to pull on Fire only gets her embers, their soft glow casting shadows across both their faces, but it's still not enough to push back the dark all around them and it dies out just as quickly as Thunder. Useless. Great.

Today is just not her day. She growls in frustration, tries again, gets the same result. Dammit!]

Not that it's working.

[freeatlast]

[He keeps his gaze trained keenly on the woman's hand, watching as the sparks metamorphose into pulsing embers. It doesn't make sense, she looks human enough and magic, true magic, isn't something that tends to crop up in them very often, if at all. Which brings him right back to the beginning once again: it's nigh miraculous.]

Yes, yes, of course. [She may be frustrated, but his natural defense is to fall back on sarcasm.] Silly me, how could I forget about magic? Wonderful trick, A+ really, great slight of hand.

I

[direly]

[ Sansa manages to right herself, grateful she hadn't been knocked down, staring at the man with a slight glare only for her expression to morph into something that was akin to amusement but decidedly drier. ]

That's one way of putting it even if I wouldn't phrase it exactly like that.

[ Because that's quite a load from where she's standing and seeing the size of the castle they are standing in. ]

[freeatlast]

Load of bullshit? Ineffable bullocks? Heaven-blessed horse’s ass? I can go on and on, believe me.

[At the end of the day, it’s all the same: the situation, and the expectations that the knights have summarily pushed on them, is certainly inexcusable. At least from Crowley’s perspective, and that’s all that matters to him. He does have the piece of mind to make a cursory glance to check out if the woman is alright; he hadn’t knocked her down so that has to count for something, right?]

Either way, still a huge cock up, you have to agree with that at least.

[direly]

[ She has to duck her head to attempt to cover her mouth. She shouldn't laugh at such language but considering their situation, it's probably the best laugh she'll get here.

Once she feels she can speak without laughing her way through it, she straightens herself again, ]

"Cock up" would be more fitting if they had made a mistake. They seem very certain they haven't and this is what was supposed to happen. So, very eloquent but I don't think you'll ever get them to agree to the sentiment.

As for myself, I don't know what to think of any of this just yet. Still waiting to see what it's really all about.

[ So she says. The thing is: none of the knights appear to be lying to them. ]

[freeatlast]

Well, more along the lines of 'cock up on a celestial level', wouldn't you say? Something something God's will and all that nonsense. Can't really be any other explanation, unfortunately. I mean, how often have you ever found yourself smack dab in the middle of what looks like a reenactment of the fourteenth century?

[The fourteenth century was awful, at that. That's the main thing to take away here, Crowley's certain. With a wave of his hand, he shoots a look back over at the mess of knights, a single brow pointedly raised.]

Besides, do you really expect them to be honest with us? If something's going to go wrong, it's not like they're going to be all 'oh yes, we're all evil here of course'.

i.

[dehanded]

[ the thing that he knocks into is small. 4'10" compared to the howeverfuck tall the shape crowley's residing in. but despite that, and despite the delicate frame, the thing doesn't budge an inch, staring up at him with inhuman, luminous golden eyes set underneath long horns. and she looks disgusted. he doesn't smell human, and yet, he's fussing like this? well, he can't be that special.

don't drag her into this when she's trying to steal things! fuck off! she absolute deserves this bottle of wine because she herself fair and square, and also this big leg of boar meat, which she's biting into with all the gravitas of a premature mic drop. ]

Ih iff on'y uh shummon. [ ("It is only a summon.") chew chew chew, swallow. big chug of wine. ] Perhaps you are simply a weakling.

[ no, she's not sharing. get your own. ]

[freeatlast]

[For a moment Crowley is without words, much to the benefit of everyone around him. It isn’t as if he’s unused to seeing inhuman individuals, quite the opposite in fact, but there’s a sense of sheer ballsyness that emanates from the girl that he’s unceremoniously walked into. Even Hastur, that old bastard, knew well enough to try to appear human when topside, and here was someone just completely throwing all that out the window.

His surprise is summarily dispelled at the accusation, however, and he puffs up just a bit, rising to the taunt spectacularly.]

Weakling? I’m not the one standing there and stuffing my face like there’s nothing else going on in the world.

[dehanded]

[ if ibaraki actually had eyebrows, she'd be raising them now. ]

Do tell, then, what I should deem more important than a feast? These humans are not so foolish as to bring me here and not slake my appetite.

[ a small, thoughtful pause, and she eyes the next closest native with an appraising stare. no, no, she won't eat any right here, like this. it's too open. perhaps later, when no one is paying attention, and there's less risk of retribution.

her eyes slide back to crowley herself, and she grins toothily. it's creepy, somewhat adorable, and downright bloodthirsty. ]

But, if you are so concerned, I could crush you instead.

[ but really, she'd rather drink and eat. maybe steal some of those cakes... ]

[freeatlast]

[At least someone appreciates his colorful descriptor! The response actually has the corner of Crowley’s mouth twitching in the beginning of a grin, and he motions with a free hand towards the rest of the group that is, probably for the best, seemingly ignoring the worst of his theatrics.]

Impressive, or are they just overcompensating?

ii. the woods.

[deheaded]

[ shuten's head picks up from where she has been inspecting the travel packs at the base of a tree, the red of her horns shining in the starlight. ]

Is it not obvious? [ when she stands to her full height, she's about half crowley's size, but the scent of her fills the entire area. it's blood; smoke; alcohol; and most of all: the scent of a monster grown wild on violence and fear. ] It appears to be a forest.

[ at least the obi around her waist is tied, though it doesn't do much to protect the large patches of skin that show. ]

[freeatlast]

[For the life of him, Crowley is actually somewhat taken aback to see someone parading around so wantonly like that. It isn't the lack of modesty, he could care less about exposed skin, it's much more so the sheer gumption that it must take to not hide one's true nature. He's spent so long blending into the throngs of humanity that the idea of anyone just...letting themselves be seen in all their inhuman glory is decidedly strange.

Well, that and her answer is, of course, unhelpful. That's what he latches onto as his brows raise and he crosses his arms. At the very least he has the decency to look perturbed.]

No, really? I hadn't noticed, what with all the trees around. A forest you don't say? Well, I would've never thought.

[Sarcasm, thy name is Crowley.]

[deheaded]

[ the answer gets a gleeful laugh from the oni, and she claps her hands together. ]

Wonderful, wonderful! You are like Sweetie with your humor. [ her voice is smooth, almost velvet like. definitely the kind of voice that should be reading audiobooks about meditation or other things appropriately relaxing.

she reaches back into the pack at her feet, drawing out the canteen of water that she offers to crowley. ]

Drink, for we know not when we will escape.

iii. drawn to the coastline????

[atreefull]

( Aziraphale hasn't experienced much which could be described as 'new' in his six thousand or so years of existing beyond what can be assumed by the passing of time, and even then he tends to stick to what's comfortable and what he's comfortable with. The recent past aside, he's an ethereal being who likes what he likes and can't be moved much from it.

Ending up here was quite unexpected, and ending up on a beach far away from the area he arrived at was also just as unexpected. But he knows cities, and Aziraphale loves humans; even ones so different from those on Earth. They're still (probably) just as loved by the Almighty (or their versions of God) and just as clever, intelligent, and fascinating.

Which is why he wanders into the city, looking around and trying to get his bearings even as the temptations of street food prove to be too much for him. He's still trying to return to wherever he came from, and then back to Earth )

I would-- oh, this is lovely, thank you -- but I really must be getting back. ( He says, having gained a small plate of food that he can't quite bring himself to put down. He's in the middle of attempting to explain this when he sees a very familiar shock of red hair, and nearly trips over himself in relief. Out of all the people from their world, to think that it could be-- )

Crowley!

[freeatlast]

[It's all so much, and even if this otherworldly jaunt is relatively less chaotic than the Apocalypse-that-wasn't it's playing absolute Hell Heaven with Crowley's last nerve. He'd never asked to be whisked away and thrown into things yet again, and the merriment and celebrations of the court just prove to be too much. He doesn't like to think of himself as antisocial, but there's a certain sense of relief when he manages to slip away off to the city. Alcohol was a necessity, tremendous amounts of alcohol.

It hadn't been a good choice. There were too many people, too much noise, and he's entirely certain that he's now more aggravated than when he'd originally started out. At the very least he has the gumption to skulk his way through the crowds to try and find a pub, but the going is slow. Crowley finds himself gritting his teeth in annoyance as he pushes past yet another vendor that's trying to tempt him into buying something frivolous but before he can spit a scathing response to the man the sound of his name rings out, cutting through the dull roar around him.

It can't be. There's no Heaven-blessed way. But his eyes don't deceive him as he whirls around and spots an alarmingly tartan collar and a mop of white hair in the midst of the crowd.]

Aziraphale!

[He pushes his way through the throngs of people, none too politely, until he's face to face with the man and though he would never admit it, he's so very relieved to see a familiar face. He'll deal with the fact that the both of them stuck somewhere means something very wrong has happened, for now it's just good to see the principality.]

You too?

[There might be a slightly judgemental look at the plate in the man's hands; really?]

[atreefull]

( The sound of his name has never sounded better, and something in Aziraphale's chest leaps -- he isn't alone, and instead of Gabriel or the Metatron or anyone else that would have spelled trouble, it's Crowley. This is better than, well. Pretty much everything and anything, really, and his face splits open wide and he beams as the demon makes his way towards him. It's rude to push back, and for some reason he can't just... nudge space around him like he might have.

Strange. But he'll worry about it later. )

Just so. At first I could have have sworn I'd somehow fallen asleep, but the flower crown they'd given me felt too real to mean anything else. And I'd gone and left the shop unlocked -- oh, I do hope we get back soon.

( He shifts slightly at the look at his plate, because honestly, Crowley, is that the thing you're going to focus on here? )

It would have been impolite to refuse them. And it's quite good -- try one of the fruits.