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

[aban_aqun]

Bull strokes his fingers along Dorian's cheek. He gives in to the urge to feel Dorian closer and he pulls the mage right into his lap. He cannot take away that feeling, but he can try to be a bulwark against it.

A faint smile appears and he gives Dorian another quiet kiss. "It's not quite Nevarra," he says quietly, trying to tease. "Think we can find a villa?"

Maybe he shouldn't joke, but what else is there to do? Opposite sides of a war - an active war. When Bull was on Seheron he didn't know Dorian. But he does now. That changes things.

[bestdressed]

Dorian is surprised, briefly, to be so suddenly relocated from the sand to the Bull's lap. It isn't that he's surprised to be lifted, as that's fairly commonplace between the two of them, but that Bull has done so without any prompting from Dorian. It's telling. Rarely does Bull ask anything of Dorian for himself, but here he is seeking reassurance. Dorian can hardly deny him that, despite how exposed he now feels. But they're quite alone, aren't they?

Still, there are only so many public kisses he can tolerate.

"Oh, stop," he grouses, though there's little real heat behind it. "Can't you be serious?" His hands rest on Bull's shoulders, and his brow furrows. He knows why Bull makes light, but he simply can't find the will to do the same. "We should meet as often as possible, though not on any regular schedule. And you must promise that if anything unexpected should occur, you will tell me." Stern, commanding. "Do you understand? If I have to hear of something significant second-hand, I won't be pleased."

[aban_aqun]

Bull smiles as Dorian lays out a plan, as if Bull has not arranged clandestine meetings before. The advice is sound, of course. They need to be careful; he doubts fraternizing will be taken lightly.

“Does this go both ways? You’ll tell me if something happens?” It seems worth asking since Dorian is getting commanding. “I’ll try to make sure none of the gossip gets to you second-hand,” he assures, but he does not promise unequivocally. He can’t. There may be times when getting information out is difficult or impossible. But he will try.

Bull rests his chin against Dorian’s shoulder, careful not to knock his head. He feels tired in a way that’s troubling, but perhaps it’s just being overwhelmed by the sudden change in their circumstances.

[bestdressed]

It would be hypocritical, Dorian knows, to demand something of the Bull that he is not willing to do himself. Still, he hesitates for just a moment, thinking of how much he'd hate to worry him, of all the circumstances where he'd prefer to solve his own problems rather than involve anyone else. Still, he knows how upset he'd be if Bull kept such things from him. "Of course," Dorian decides. They should be able to trust one another to be honest. "I won't keep you in the dark, Bull."

Bull folds around him, and Dorian reaches up to curl an arm around his neck, keeping him where he is for the moment. All right--perhaps he needs some reassurance, too.

"This is ridiculous," he sighs. That they have to make plans like this, that this is even happening at all. That they should need to make allowances for secret meetings simply because someone has told them that they're on opposing sides of a conflict they have no stake in. It's almost laughable. It was one thing when they would have to be apart because Dorian was returning to do dangerous work in his home country. But this is nothing so significant, and Dorian simply can't feel that it's worth it.

"What do you think would happen if we didn't bother to hide it?" He wonders. "Would we be punished somehow?"

[aban_aqun]

Bull makes a quiet sound meant to be gracious - he doesn't want Dorian to hide things from him any more than Dorian wants to be left out of the loop. He closes his eye as Dorian's arm curls around his neck. He turns his head, touching his brow against Dorian's temple.

"Hard to say," he admits quietly. "They could decide to make an example of us. It depends on where they are in this war and how they treat people like us versus how they might treat native soldiers. If there is no difference, we might be in more danger. If not..."

Bull lifts his head, seeming to consider.

"I don't know, kadan. I don't know enough yet to speculate."

[bestdressed]

The idea of being made an example of makes something curdle in Dorian's stomach, a deeply visceral reaction. It smacks far too much of home; how dare he love who he will? He's done with allowing others to pass judgement on who he cares for or who he fucks. Indeed, here he is with a man, a former Qunari spy, a Tal-Vashoth mercenary. He may still be learning how to function in a relationship, unlearning scores of bad habits and carefully dismantling the traps he's set around his own heart over the years, but he is not ashamed.

"I suppose it's best to be cautious until we discover more," he says, resigned. He knows it's practical, but he doesn't like it.

Close as they are, it's only a matter of tilting his chin to press his lips briefly to Bull's. He is not ashamed, but it still takes courage. "Will you walk with me for a while?" He requests, leaning back far enough to look at him properly. He doesn't need to say that it reminds him of home; Minrathous, Qarinus, and the shores of Seheron are not so far apart, and the Nocen Sea is precisely this shade of blue.

[aban_aqun]

He knows that tone, and he knows how much it pains Dorian to resign himself to any fate not of his choosing. Bull meets the kiss and strokes his thumb along Dorian's jaw.

"Of course I will," he says quietly. The beach reminds him of Par Vollen and there is some part of him that misses a time when his life felt more simple and straight forward. He would not trade for anything if it meant losing Dorian, but he still misses the thought of it.

Bull pats Dorian's thigh to coax him up, then carefully gets to his own feet with a quiet grunt. He leans down to recover his bundle of fruit and he ties the kerchief carefully around them to avoid anything falling out. When he's finished, his free hand reaches for Dorian.

[bestdressed]

He clamors up from Bull's lap so that Bull can push himself to his feet as well. Dorian leans down to collect his boots as he does, holding them in the crook of his arm and letting his toes dig into the sand. Warm, but not so hot it burns the soles of his feet. Cooling after the warmth of mid-day. He waits until Bull is ready, glancing at the waves, at the horizon, until Bull reaches for him.

He stares, wide-eyed. Are they going to hold hands? Dorian hesitates only a moment, then reaches back, sliding his hand obligingly into Bull's much larger one and leaning into his side. Apparently so.

"I've noticed," says Dorian, attempting normal conversation and thinking that this certainly qualifies as something Bull should know, "that my magic has been behaving abnormally here. It's still quite present, so I know that I haven't been Smited or drugged with magebane. But when I attempt to use it, all of my spells are very weak."

[aban_aqun]

Bull only smiles when he sees the look on Dorian's face. They are absolutely going to hold hands, so long as Dorian-- there. Bull laces their fingers together comfortably, loose but still very much present. Maybe it's a silly indulgence, but if they are going to be separated by a war that neither of them has any stake in, he's going to indulge as often as he can.

He frowns as they walk and looks down at Dorian when he confesses that his magic is behaving abnormally. Bull can't help the uncomfortable twist in his stomach when he puts those words all together. But it's Dorian, and he has learned to trust him and his expertise above his deeply rooted uncertainties.

"Just weak?" he prompts quietly. "Or unpredictable?"

Weak is one thing, unpredictable is entirely another. Dorian is a powerful mage. The possibility that he might be lose control is... disconcerting.

[bestdressed]

There's a familiar frown. Dorian looks up into Bull's face and finds himself thinking, absurdly, that he'll miss even that expression. Whether he's in Tevinter or the Court of Stars, he'll ache to see that face wearing any expression at all.

His shoulder brushes Bull's arm, and he squeezes his fingers.

"Just weak," Dorian is quick to reassure him, knowing the source of Bull's particular wariness. It's hardly an unfounded concern. "I've yet to notice any incident of outright disobedience. It's simply...fluctuating. My spells aren't as powerful as they should be."

[aban_aqun]

His shoulders relax but the concern doesn't fade. He knows how important magic is to Dorian, how essential it is to his being. Bull doesn't want him to feel at a disadvantage in a land where they are both strangers.

"I haven't talked to any mages that I know of. No one that's brought it up. It seems counter-intuitive. Maybe it's only temporary, a side effect of the whole... traveling between worlds thing."

Bull hasn't noticed any strange side effects and he finds himself grateful for that.

[bestdressed]

"I have," Dorian sighs. "And it's the same for them. Either weak or entirely non-responsive. But it wouldn't make sense, would it? To place an intentional handicap on the people you've brought here to fight on your behalf?"

Though there is one good reason he can think of. "Unless it's something temporary, until they're certain that we'll help them rather than make trouble." He doesn't much like that idea, and he'll continue to attempt various spells until he can properly analyze the problem and get it solved. That's simply his prerogative as a magical researcher.

He looks down thoughtfully as they walk, ends up watching the way Bull's boots sink into the sand with each step. "I can only hope that your theory is the correct one, Bull."

[aban_aqun]

Bull smiles as Dorian jumps onto the conclusion that had crossed Bull's mind as soon as Dorian confessed to the weakness. If it's something that can be controlled by their hosts, it doesn't make sense to cripple someone like Dorian when part of his value to any war effort lies in his magical abilities. But, it makes sense to Bull to restrain those powers until Dorian's intentions are known. If he isn't willing to cooperate, Bull wonders if he would remain weakened or if it would eventually fade regardless of their hosts' wishes.

He squeezes Dorian's hand as they walk. Part of him wants to take off his boots and brace, but walking in the sand would do him in before long and he knows it.

"We'll be alright," he says quietly. Magic might be like breathing to Dorian, but he has more value than just his ability to bend the powers of the Fade to his will.