fellmemes | 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

Shhh, Keith! I'm trying to connect with my lion.

[There's a brief pause before he realizes just what's happening, and his eyes snap open, immediately falling on the source of the familiar voice.]

Keith?! [He jumps up from his rocky seat, placing his large hands on Keith's shoulders.] Wha - when did you get here? And... when'd you change your outfit?

Edited 2019-08-16 19:48 (UTC)

[ Absolutely 0% of him really wants to answer that second question. ]

Hunk, really? [ Spoken like he should just know Keith has been in this same outfit for like years. ]

I've been here most of the day. [ ... ] Don't tell me you're the only other one here.

[He notices the scar on Keith's cheek is missing, but decides not to comment on it. After all, this probably wouldn't be the first time he'd dealt with alternate realities. He vaguely wonders how Slav is adapting to Earth.]

So far, I guess. I haven't been able to hear anyone through the coms.

[He thumbs at his helmet on the rock behind him.]

[ Keith follows the thumb's direction with a disappointed frown. He just went from ready to help these people to really nervous about Voltron. It didn't matter if the fate of the universe rested in Fellden's hands - he doubted this place had any idea how much rides on Voltron. Without Hunk.... the universe is still in peril. ] If they're not answering, we should keep looking on foot. Actually-

I'd been staked out here hoping anyone we'd know would show up. Seems like a lot of the newcomers have been coming here to check it out. Turns out I made a good guess, [ he smiles. The plan led him to Hunk after all. ]

If you wanted to stay here, I can keep looking around town.

[Hunk hurriedly shakes his head, unwilling to stick around by himself after finally finding someone he knows.]

No, I'll come with you. Two pairs of eyes are better than one, y'know?

[He retrieves his helmet from the rock and takes a stand near Keith, ready to follow suit.<[small>

[ A pause, he looks thoughtful, and then he smiles. Something about Teamwork and how we're better as one, right? ] It's probably better we stick together, anyway. [ So long as Hunk has all his things, Keith intends to have them walk back to his old vantage point, where he can see as much of the shore as possible. ]

It's been a while since I heard anything about what's up with Voltron. Anything new happen since that last meeting?

Well,

[He looks again at Keith's Blades uniform. It had been a while since he'd seen Keith without his telltale scar.]

... last time I saw you, we met some more Alteans, we'd just saved Earth from the Galra Empire, Alcarion was eaten by a Weblum, and were out searching for Honerva. Er, formally Haggar.

[Now might be a good time to explain that they're apparently from alternate timelines.]

And you were the permanent pilot of the black lion.

[ Keith pauses, squints, and stares at Hunk. ]

Wait.

So.

You already know about the Altean colony?

Yup! [Hunk pauses a step or two ahead of the shorter crusader, looking back at him.]

Romelle told us all about Lotor's plans with the Alteans, too.

Oh.

[ This is uncomfortable. The other things Hunk had mentioned start to roll back to his memory. ]

Hold on. I'm fine with whatever you just said, but I was with Romelle not even a day ago. None of that could have happened that fast in that much time, especially when I don't remember being there for any of it.

Edited 2019-08-19 04:18 (UTC)

Keith, I think we're from alternate timelines. [Hunk pauses, beginning to smile.] Which would mean... I'm from the future! [He ominously wiggles his fingers as he says it.]

Yup, that sounds just as cool as I thought it would.

[ Keith folds his arms, looking unimpressed with the upcoming nonsense.

His lack of enthusiasm remains.

And then he cracks a smile and snorts softly. ]

I guess I can't be too surprised, [ he reflects on an earlier conversation and accepts Hunk's conclusion. ] It's still weird. Definitely not what I was expecting

It's good to see you anyway, Hunk. [ he pinches out a smile. ] We should go look for the other paladins.

[ ... ] So you met my mom, too, right? [ Of everything Hunk mentioned, that's the only one that didn't make it to the description. ]

Good to see you too, Keith.

[From Hunk's perspective, he had just seen Keith maybe five hours ago, but they were five hours in which he had no idea where anyone was. The reunion was a definite win, and as of this point, he'd love nothing more than to find the others.

Keith's question about his mom makes him smile a bit.]

Krolia? Yeah. She's just like you. Only even more purple.

[ Surprise colors his expression, rather than purple, but the comment at least makes him laugh. ]

Well, that makes me feel better about things. I'd been worried for days about you guys.

Since we'll be out here for a while, I wouldn't mind hearing the full story about everything that's happened. You mentioned saving Earth - did the Galra finally get to it?

Yeah. [Hunk frowns a little, however knowing that the threat had been mitigated and his parents were safe kept him grounded.]

When Commander Holt got back to Earth, he started broadcasting to find Pidge and Voltron, but the Galra intercepted the broadcast and followed it straight to Earth.

I guess it was only a matter of time. Everything turn out okay?

We got a little banged up, but yeah! The Garrison kinda became the new base for Voltron, since y'know, most of us are from Earth and... there's no more Altea. We got rid of Sendak's forces, but then there was another ship, kind of like another Voltron. Turns out it came from the Altean colonies.

We went off to find the root of the problem, and that's when I wound up here.

I was at the Altean colonies not that long ago. I know some time has passed between what I remember and what you remember, but when I was there things seemed normal and Romelle didn't mention anything about development that extreme. [ There's information missing, he knows, but he's not sure what to ask for to get it. ]

Yeah, it was definitely way after you left the Blades and started piloting the black lion again.

Apparently, the Altean piloting that ship was someone Romelle knew from the colonies.

And that was a really tough ship. We pretty much got our butts handed to us.

Test Drive #1

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