fellmemes | Test Drive #1

Entry tags:

! test drive

Test Drive #1

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

as the moon rises.
[ A tour cut short leaves a certain elven woman out on the doorstep of the temple, a little bewildered and wide-eyed without too much to go on. It's all just...a little too much and far too fast, and the explanations leave her with far more questions than answers. War. The fate of worlds. She certainly won't go out on a limb and consider it all to be unfounded or untrue, but the gravity of the situation has caught up with her far too quickly. The cacophony of voices draws her out to the square, where people are cheering, singing, celebrating the arrival of soldiers come to help them.

Soldiers who have to come to save them.

It leaves an uncomfortable knot in her stomach despite the merriment. She's been called a hero before. It doesn't make any of it true, now does it.

Children are trying quite desperately for Neria to let them play with her hair, marveling at her ears, wanting to thread flowers in them. She's got a gaggle of three tugging every which way, trying to weave small buds of blue and white to match the colors of the faction. Despite her best efforts, she does have to laugh, though a furtive glance here and there shows her that she isn't the only one in need of cheering up. And that means she won't be the only one to suffer beneath smiles and hope. ]

Why don't you go bother them? [ she whispers, and she's indicating you quite pointedly.

And now there are children rushing you, trying to climb up, begging to be allowed to decorate this most glorious new warrior with their flowers and garlands. Neria's broken out into quiet laughter, grinning mischievously in your direction. ]

You wouldn't say no to such a generosity, would you?

the setting stars.
[ This reminds her of Denerim. Of the Keep back home. Soldiers called back from the front, back from the woods. It makes her heart ache to see so many, to watch as people look faintly relieved upon the arrival of support...only to turn away with grave, stern faces. Like looking in a mirror, as it were. Neria is quiet and solemn throughout the brief tour and she settles in with gentle gratitude on her behalf. But she does not go to rest. Instead, she sets out quickly into the places she's allowed, wanting to see how dire the situation must be. She treads the barracks and sees the people speaking in hushed tones that do not give true credence to the concerns they have. There is a wariness to their stance and to their glances that tells her that they are afraid.

Of what, she cannot discern, but the afternoon passes with her feeling distinctly almost unwelcome.

It is later, in the quiet of dark, where people come alive. The celebration is modest but earnest, and now she understands: these are a people who are joyous to see newcomers aid their efforts, though they have suffered greatly.

Neria is not one for dancing. And she cannot offer magic or something interesting, not when she feels her powers so dampened. But she can offer a listening ear for those who have questions. ]

The people here are struggling. I can understand their uncertainty. But I don't know how much we can help them if we are...limited in many ways.

[ It's an odd turn of phrase. Perhaps she's trying to feel out who's a magic-user and who is here by sheer merit of capability. The sword at the elven woman's side says she's capable, though. She knocks back some of the drink she's been given. ]

How can outsiders help where their own people cannot?

coastline.
[ Transport mirrors sound an awful lot like Eluvians, and so these are things Neria must inspect with all due haste. The people she meets seem confused about why she's taken such a great interest and offer simply to show her what it's all about, which is why she's gently shoved through the glass and out to a view of the sea in all of its glittering glory. And like a child first unleashed upon the large, wide and wild world, Neria looks no less than delighted at the beauty she can see.

It doesn't quite crumble when she realizes she has no real way back, but she'll get to that. She supposes it's a good thing she's brought her blade along, as her magic is no good for the moment. ]

option a: cards
[ Of course she's going to go out looking through the city. Coin isn't something she'll squander, though, and so it's not difficult to find Neria looking in at shops through their windows, asking (annoying) questions of shopkeepers about the lay of the land, and perhaps putting down some coin to get some food and drink. She's more interested in understanding the people, the reason for the war. Perhaps something can be done. Negotiations, collaborations, etc.

Which is why she's been watching a group of soldiers go at a game of cards, again and again, listening to their stories and their advice. Eventually, they start to deal in new people, and she goes to sit and partake. ]

If it's not Diamondback or Wicked Grace, I don't know how to play. But maybe you can go easy on me and I can buy you a drink later?

[ It's said with a warm smile and a wink, friendly. ]

option b: exploration
[ But the beach is what calls to her, and she can also be found walking in the sand in bare feed, hair loose, just enjoying the salt air and trying to get a lay of the land. It's breathtakingly beautiful and she's reminded of a certain pirate, a certain assassin, who have spoken so much about going across the sea to their proper homelands. What she wouldn't give for an opportunity to go this time. She regrets missing out on her chance to go to Antiva or Orlais. It would have been wonderful, she thinks.

Alone here on the beach, though, she tries to work on her magic. Small spells, brief castings, but...nothing seems to work. It just fizzles out, and it feels more and more like there's some kind of barrier keeping her magic from coming out. She's been struck with a Smite before and has temporarily been cut off from the Fade. This? This feels wrong.

It might look very odd, seeing someone gesturing about, reaching for things that don't seem visible to the eye. Throwing a hand out like they're trying to stop a person from attacking. It'd be more embarrassing if she knew someone was watching, too. ]

wildcard.
[ Any other scenarios? I can write you a starter if you want. There's info on my journal for the curious. Feel free to PM me or ping me at

onlydawn if you want to plot!

Also I can do prose instead of brackets! ]

Edited 2019-08-15 00:44 (UTC)

"This one thinks the elf is too free with her suggestions," a heavily accented voice, muffled by a steel helm, answers with clear annoyance as the armor-clad figure starts carefully picking up children and setting them down at arms reach away from themselves. Probably a good thing, too, considering the length and sharpness of the nails on their hands. More akin to claws than nails, really.

The person lets out a yelp and spins, hands protectively curling upward to hold a very feline tail to their chest and keep it out of the grips of some far too grabby young fingers, "Did the small one's parents never teach them manners? Khajiit's tail is not for touching."

The helmet swiveled and even without being able to see the face of the one talking, it was very clear the annoyance had deepened to something more sour, "If this is how the knife-ear treats strangers, this one does not wish to know how she treats friends."

Well, that certainly doesn't go quite as planned. Neria hides her smile, initially, as the helmeted figure continues to try to shoo the children away. But then one grabs their...tail? Neria pulls up short on that, brows lifting, and as one of the children suddenly looks quite alarmed about the yelp and the claws, Neria opens a hand for them. "That's... That's not nice. I don't think it's kind to pull at someone's body." No creature she knows has a tail save for, say, a demon...but this clearly isn't a demon, this person beset in armor.

Though that's a slur she hasn't heard in some time. Her brows lift, her countenance becoming harder. "It was just meant to cheer you up, if they might put flowers upon your helmet or brow. They meant nothing by it, though I do beg your pardon for upsetting you with such a suggestion."

"Knife-ear makes assumptions that Khajiit was not cheered already," the person responded, standing uncomfortably among the other children that were not so freaked out by their actions and who were, unfortunately for 'Khajitt' even more fascinated now. They continued to hold their tail tightly to their chest, swiveling this way and that to keep a close eye on the potential threats now surrounding them.

"This one is most certainly not cheered now. And does not need to be smelling of flowers that she has already removed seven times from her helm."

"I'm not a knife-ear, I'm an elf," she said, firmer this time. Annoyance was one thing; throwing that around was another. "My name is Neria, if you want to use something besides a slur."

With a sigh, she continued: "I am sorry that you've been inconvenienced. I'll make every attempt not to trouble you in the future with things like flowers and the company of children." No, the children seemed far more interested in the person with the tail now, trying to see what's under the helmet. Neria sighed. "I don't think Sir Khajiit wishes to be bothered," she told them. Two of them whined, still wanting to see the person under the armor.

Edited 2019-08-15 15:14 (UTC)

"Elf is knife-ear when elf is being rude," came the rebuttal with a distinct note of 'so there' in the tone. Ser Khajiit as she was now called, shuffled toward Neria, head down to look at the children.

"See the ears on this one, yes? Much more fascinating than Khajiit's tail. More room to throw flowers on. Khajiit thinks the small ones should play with the soft hair that is much softer than this one's fur."

This plea, of course, did nothing to dissuade the children. As soon as the implication that Ser Khajiit had fur - yes, yes, tail had it but so what? - they were even more vocal about trying to climb the poor iron-clad figure and dispose them of their armor.

"No, no! Climb the elf! The elf! Not Khajiit!" Behind her helm, the Vestige glared at Neria, "This is this one's doing! Fix it!"

Well, that was...not successful in the slightest. With a sigh, Neria reached out and plucked two of the children up, one in each arm. Despite being short and willowy, she at least seemed to have the strength to back it up. "All right, all right. That's enough now. Ser Khajiit is distraught. And we were hoping to make them smile, yes? They've enough flowers now." The children whined, plaintively, asking Neria why they couldn't see Ser Khajiit; was it a secret?

"...Yes. It's a secret. By order of the Temple, no one must know. Not you, not I." A soft gasp echoed through them. They looked to each other, back and forth, large eyes now wondering at the armored figure. "And we could all get in a lot of trouble should anyone find out. Even me." She set the children down, crouching. She held a finger to her lips. "So we must keep this between us, all right? One day, perhaps we might see the great Ser Khajiit...but until then, it must be a carefully guarded secret. I entrust this to all of you. It is a great duty."

This was suddenly so much more exciting than putting flowers on someone. They all put their fingers to their lips...except one, the youngest, that was still trying to reach for the tail. Neria ushered them back in close. "Your most solemn vow, please, to Ser Khajiit. That you will ever guard their secret."

Ser Khajiit almost protested that she had no secret, but the effect on the children was palpable. So instead she released one hand from her tail and placed it over her heart to give the same sort of solemn salute she would to the Skald-King himself. The other still held her tail defensively, but that wouldn't stop until the danger of the small hands had passed in full.

"This one thanks you for service to both her and the temple. May the two moons guide the small one's path."

Hopefully, sooooo much hope, that would get even the youngest to back off.

warden surana | dragon age | court undecided

As the Moon Rises

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cards

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exploration / prose

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the setting stars

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