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

The Iron Bull | Dragon Age | OTA

[aban_aqun]

As the Moon Rises

Smoke and commotion draw Bull to the center of the district; it doesn't sound like anything dangerous is happening. There is no screaming, no crowds of people rushing away from a disaster or calling for water. Instead, he can hear celebratory cheering and songs, and when he happens upon the bonfire, he goes still.

Moon saviors have arrived!

It's difficult for Bull to stay unnoticed for long. He's seven and a half feet tall with a set of horns nearly as broad as his shoulders. Eventually the revelers notice him and adorn him with more than two flower crowns - one on his head, between his horns, and the other tossed over and hanging from his horn on the right. They thank him for coming to save them, for joining a war, and something in Bull twists uncomfortably.

What war are they talking about? The two moons in the sky make him think he must be somewhere in Thedas, but it isn't a place he is at all familiar with. The people aren't particularly helpful, more interested in their festivities than answering questions. So, rather than attempting to ask many, Bull listens and he watches. He notices a few other people looking as perplexed as he feels, and eventually he settles at a table to talk to someone looking particularly out of place.

"Don't suppose you know what's going on here, do you?"


Drawn to the Coastline

Bull stares at the mirror for a long moment, thinking of the eluvians that he's travelled through in recent memory. He stands there, wondering if it's worth it, wondering if these mirrors are as reliable as the people here say. The eluvians were-- well. Some were better than others.

He takes a breath and steps through.

The coastline greets him with a breeze off the water, the scent of salt and the feel of spray. Bull closes his eye, just for a breath, to soak it in. When he opens it again, he looks up the coast and down before he moves away from the mirror. He turns to look at the city looming behind him and he considers which way to go.

He decides to investigate the city first. It reminds him of most of the coastal trade towns he's seen: full of things to buy and taste, full of different kinds of people. Bull indulges in a drink in a tavern, which is apparently on the house. He sips it only sparingly as he watches the tavern, sitting comfortably against a wall. He knows that he stands out, but Bull has the uncanny ability to make himself disappear in settings like this.

After his drink, Bull wanders through the markets, examining wares and produce of all kinds, though he spends coin sparingly. He listens to people talk. It seems like a sort of neutral place, but Bull doesn't trust those. He's seen too many torn apart with little warning.

Eventually, Bull leaves the city to find peace on the beach. He's spent a long time away from coastlines, save the Storm Coast, and he finds comfort in the familiarity. He finds a place to sit, carefully sinking down into the warm sand so that he can watch the waves roll in and eat the small bundle of fruit he bought in the city.


Wildcard

[ Surprise me! Bull is Moon Court, though at the moment his tattoo is hidden. If you want to plot a scene, feel free to PM or catch me at givemedragons ]

Moon!

[pauldron]

With all this celebration, there are probably more than a few people who look out of place, but perhaps none who look so aggravated as Lightning. She sits at a table in the corner, avoiding the happy revelry with her arms over her shoulder and her flower crown abandoned on the table, deep red and soft pink roses a little askew.

"They expect us to save them."

She says it without looking up at Bull, her attention focused on the crowd, on a knot of dancing girls giggling in clear joy and relief; whatever's going on here, there's no mistaking the fact that they think they're safe. Maybe they are. She finally turns her head to the voice and--

Wow. She'd thought Snow was big. Her eyes flick up to his horns, the flowers still caught there, then back down to his face. Just when she'd thought she'd seen everything...

"Sounds like they're expecting us to fight in their war."

[aban_aqun]

The look on her face is something Bull's seen a hundred times before and he smiles faintly as she takes him in.

"Yes, it does," he says as he looks out at the celebrating bodies, spinning in dizzy circles, thrilled and relieved and-- It's disconcerting. Bull can't remember how exactly he got here, though he does remember a weird dream. The whole thing sets him on edge, but he remains outwardly relaxed.

"Save them from what, I wonder."

Bull wants to know what's at stake in this war. As familiar as the two moons are, everything else feels strangely foreign with hints of things that call to memory. He can't shake it off.

"What's your name?"

[pauldron]

It's a cacophony all around them. The revelry, the dancers, the smell of food and drink, the music determined to shake dust from the rooftops, the people--

It's all so much there's no way to process it. Her tension is obvious even as she sits back, arms crossed over her chest and fingers tapping at her biceps. She's like a coiled spring, ready to leap up and move at a moment's notice if there's a threat, but there is none.

For a land at war, they sure don't seem too warlike. Her eyes flick to Bull, then dart past him to a knot of laughing young men as they stumble drunkenly through the roads. It's impossible to watch every threat, but she's trying.

"Lightning." Her eyes dart back to him. "Yours?"

Tavern

[thatsamora]

A big guy like Bull doesn't tend to blend into the tavern very well, or so you'd think. Not unless you were the type to spot their type. She hasn't seen that many giant horned folk since the attack on the wingship to Sibir, so she's particularly curious about this one. She spent enough time in the establishment to notice that only certain patrons seem to be given special treatment, which ought to put this one in the same boat as herself.

In that way and more, Mora has earned an eye for detail, even when it's trying not to be noticed. It comes with the territory of Bloodbanes -- mercenaries that aren't always given the warmest welcome in all parts of the world. You learn to take advantage of places where you can survey the room, to not get ambushed, to stake out the entrance so you can keep tabs on who all comes in and with what.

Mora has her own drink as well, which she's been nursing rather than pounding down shots as she had planned to once she was back on solid ground. That was before learning that she ended up in a completely different country on what is supposedly a different world. Otherwise, she would revel in the opportunity to accept any drink on the house.

Not so much this time.

Ironically, with drink comes a little clarity, as it dawns on Mora just where she might have recognized this horned hulking man. And it wasn't the same one on the wingship, either.

"Saaaay, you were at that lunar shrine place too, weren't you? Thought you looked familiar." They had churches similar to the moon temple in her world, if only under the names of different spirits. She didn't linger for long getting to know people yet, however; her priorities being to track down her sister until it eventually occurred to her that Yasamanah was nowhere to be found. Not in this world.

Doesn't mean she can't at least ask around, though.

[aban_aqun]

Bull's gaze settles on the woman that's been looking at him. She asks him about the Moon Temple and he shrugs one shoulder.

"I was there," he answers, somewhat taciturn. It isn't his best approach but it's been a long time since he felt this off balance, and he doesn't particularly like it. Still, the Bull is outwardly calm and easy-going, relaxed in his seat. He doesn't recall her face, but there was a lot going on and picking out faces in a crowd are difficult when dozens of people are dancing and cheering and otherwise distracting. "Thought I'd try to find somewhere quieter but I ended up here. A drink seemed in order."

He rests with his back against the wall.

"Who are you?"

[thatsamora]

"I see, sounds like a fair priority. As... humbling as the bigwig treatment is, the attention is a mite..." She glances over at the barkeep with an uncertain look, grimacing. "...overwhelming."

Not to mention nerve wracking and throwing quite the wrench into her plans. The idea of her trip to Sibir was to keep a low profile, but to end up someplace where she's treated like a celebrity of sorts? Consider laying low for a while a moot effort now.

Her pleasant smile returns to her visage when her attention returns to the stranger. "I am Mora. Obviously I too was at the temple, but thought it wisest to tour the lands personally. It's hardly my first time arriving to new countries alone, after all."

Though this isn't just a new country, is it? This is a whole other new bag to start unpacking.

As the Moon Rises

[aetherpacts]

Bull's question gains the attention of a man that might be mistaken for a hornless Qunari- just over seven feet tall, with light though grey-toned skin, broad built. Whatever his musculature, however, it is hidden beneath scholarly robes.

The man smiles, pleasant. He too has been adorned with a flower crown, though it has been wrapped round one wrist. "I confess I know little more than is plainly gathered," he admits, and his voice has the same warmth as his smile. It is not that he takes the situation lightly- despite the merrymaking, he is still a man removed from his own world- but this situation is not wholly unfamiliar to him, and this other man is not one to whom Hoju need air any grievances.

"It seems folk have been summoned from their own worlds to fight a war for the fate of this star. And, though my recollection is unclear, I do recall it is entwined somehow with the fate of mine own world, too." He could not speak for others, foreigners to this star, whether their own world was likewise in danger (at least, supposedly). It would not surprise him.

[aban_aqun]

At first, Bull does a double-take. The man does look like a hornless Qunari, but on second glance that assumption starts to fade. He doesn't look quite right, even if the silhouette seems to be.

Still, it's off-putting enough that it takes him a moment to answer. It's been a long time since he's been able to look anyone in the eye without getting an ache in his neck.

"Summoned?" he deadpans, a faint frown tugging at his scarred mouth. "I think I remember something like that--" Something about the fate of Thedas. He can't place the words now. They've faded like a dream.

"Not sure how I feel about fighting someone else's war without more explanation than that."

[aetherpacts]

Meanwhile, to Hoju, the Iron Bull looks to be some mix of Au Ra and Roegadyn- and yet not quite either.

The scholar nods his confirmation. It's curious, that this man too did not seem to remember it clearly (or if he did, he was offering no further information. Prudent, perhaps, if that was the case.)

"They seem to have brought a full many of us. I should hope our hosts find it prudent to give us some inkling as to their intention."

Hoju is momentarily quiet, then: "From whence do you hail?"

on the beach

[bestdressed]

It's the horns, of course, that catch his eye. Sunset brings him back toward the beach, and by the time he spots a familiar hulking shape with a distinctive rack, he's already got his boots off and his outer robes unbuckled, toes coated in sand. He's awash with relief and gratitude in an instant, and he approaches with a grin already stretching his lips.

"I hope you brought enough to share," he says, deceptively light, as he approaches close enough to trace his fingers lightly over the curve of a horn before settling down in the sand at the Bull's side. He lays his boots down and stretches his legs out, reaching over to help himself to Bull's fruit entirely uninvited.

It's almost overwhelming, how damned glad he is, how his heart swells with affection so deep it would be embarrassing to name it. His hand lingers near his lips after he bites into something sweet and juicy. He feels the nectar drip down his wrist.

[aban_aqun]

The voice makes Bull turn his head. Something like relief floods him, like releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding. He'd made peace with the possibility that it might be a long time before he saw Dorian again, but this-- waking up in a strange land, far from anything he knew? He hadn't expected this to play a part in it.

He can't help the smile on his face as Dorian sits beside him, as if they were on some beach they both knew, as if they had not been pulled from their world and into another. It doesn't even occur to him to protest when Dorian takes some fruit - he is welcome to it.

"Kadan," he murmurs, allowing Dorian to hear the relief, at least. He pulls himself together enough to admire the way Dorian looks as he bites into the plum-like fruit. "I always have enough for you."

There is a moment of doubt, of wondering. Is this really Dorian? Is it some trick of this place? But he can smell the orange blossom and violets of Dorian's pomade and the sweet musk of his lotion.

[bestdressed]

Nearly everything about this is concerning and strange, but Dorian won't protest the opportunity to see the Bull, especially so soon after he'd determined that they would have to part yet again, for an amount of time heretofore undetermined. His permanent return to the Imperium and debut in the Magisterium will no doubt prove precarious, especially so in the first several months--first several years, really. He expects political upset, assassination attempts, and barely-concealed ire from his mother, at the very least. He simply can't involve Bull in any of it, for his sake. It would be too dangerous for them both, no matter how much he insists, or how much Dorian might wish otherwise.

"That you do," Dorian agrees. "More than enough, at times." He takes another bite, teeth scraping over the pit in the middle. It's good, whatever it is, if a bit messy. He lets his shoulder press to Bull's bicep, not quite leaning. Just touching. This, at least, can only be good. "I haven't seen you," he says, stating the obvious. He's seen everyone in the initial group, he thinks, who's been chosen for the Court of Stars, at least in passing. The Bull was certainly not among them. Which must mean--

"Have you come from the Moon Temple?" He knows it's true before he says it, though it doesn't bring any particular feeling beyond a sort of grudging resignation. Of course they would end up on opposite sides of a war. Naturally.

as the moon rises.

[dehanded]

The someone he has chosen is particularly out of place, sitting atop the table and tearing her way into a sizeable haunch of... something. Perhaps boar. Having smelled the food, and watched the others partake of it without being poisoned, Ibaraki has decided to finally descend upon the feast with all the enthusiasm of a hungry oni: ravenous, insatiable, and extremely thirsty for drink. One empty keg of ale sits forlornly on the bench on its side, a new one piled onto the boards of the table next to her, waiting.

Ibaraki had intended to eat her fill, and then leave before the bothersome mortals here showered her with more of these stupid flowers, but here is something new, and interesting, even if the question is as idiotic as the rest of the questions being asked tonight.

"It is a summon, nothing more. Why is that so hard for you all to grasp?"

Another bite, and she stares at the Bull, gold eyes thoughtful. He has the size of some of the other Berserkers, but his words are as clear as her own, and those horns. Huh. Rather oni-like, if she is being honest. But the smell... even with all of the alcohol and revelry in the air, she can tell he is not one of her kind.

tavern

[malavhenan]

Finel is weary by the time he stops into the tavern for a rest from his wanderings. It's funny how much the place reminds him of the Herald's Rest - the atmosphere a similar sort of comfortable warmth, the smell of spirits and beer tart in the air. All it needed was a gruff dwarven barkeep and a jaunty song about a certain disagreeable elf.

The similarities are such that Finel nearly misses the hulking Qunari form in the corner entirely.

But instead his heart leaps, and it's too much to not just immediately make his way over to Bull, a fond smile full of relief and warmth tugging at his lips as he approaches.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to have found you here in a place like this."

[aban_aqun]

"Boss?"

Bull has made peace with the fact that he may have ended up in another world entirely, but he hadn't expected to see anyone he knows here. Part of him doesn't want to trust the sudden comfort of a familiar face, but he sits forward slightly all the same, leaning on the table in front of him as he tries to get a closer look at Finel as he approaches.

"You know me, boss. I get around. Guess I shouldn't be surprised to see you here, falling in and out of the Fade like you do."

[malavhenan]

Noting the way Bull watches him closely, Finel stops at the corner of the table, allowing some space between them. He settles his one hand lightly over the well-worn wood, fingertips idly tracing a knot. His expression quiets a little, but the gentle smile remains in place.

"This isn't the Fade, so far as I can tell. In fact, I am uncertain that the Fade exists at all in this place."

His eyes shift to the tankard on the table, and he quirks an interested brow. "Any good?"

As the Moon Rises

[unrepentantsoul]

As Bull turns to ask his question he will find his path blocked by a figure clad in armor and enough gear to clearly be a regular traveler of inhospitable lands who stands at only five and a half feet tall. The head is tilted up to look at him, of course, and the body language seems open enough. Curious, probably.

The voice that comes from within the helm is muffled by the leather and steel, but is heavily accented, "This one has never see the like of one such as the big pale brute with horns. Tell Khajiit what Khajiit is seeing."

[aban_aqun]

He takes in the armor, the full face mask, and he wonders what the traveler has been through. Whoever they are, they're two feet shorter than the Bull. The way the person speaks - the accent, at least - is unfamiliar, but the way they refer to themselves is not.

"Khajiit is seeing a Qunari for the first time. Most of us have horns. Is Khajiit what I should call you?"

[unrepentantsoul]

Their head tilted the other direction before they straightened, still looking up because how could they not with someone that towered over them so much?

"Qunari." The word rolled over their tongue in a slow taste of it, getting the feel for it. And then a soft purr - actual purr - of approval, "Mmm yes. Much easier to say than many of the men and mer she has had to name before. Qunari. This one likes this word."

She crossed her arms and nodded, returning to the conversation proper, "Khajiit does not have a name. Someone who is an ally and respected calls this one Vestige. She is fine with this. Either is fine, she means."

moon

[darkined]

( well.

that's a hulking figure of a man.

Mia's been keeping to the edges, tempted to disappear into the shadows where eyes no longer find her. people praising the presence of herself and the other Otherworlders. she's not one who craves the attention. often. she fears becoming addicted to that kind of attention.

having spotted the man that's impossible to miss, Mia edges her way past the crowd that seems to gather around him. people throng forward and ebb back out once they've had a chance with this savior. and when he finds a break he asks a question to any near enough to hear.

so she shrugs. ) Didn't you here?

We're their fucking saviors, apparently.

moon;

[scoopertrouper]

[ok so Robin is a girl who has seen a ton of shit that no highschool girl in the Midwest of the US should actually see. but between a secret Russian base under a mall and giant horrifying monsters out of some kind of Lovecraft lover's horror movie, a giant bull-horned man does throw her in for a bit of a loop.

so when the table she's sitting at shifts a bit with the weight of her new flower-crowned (somehow.....) companion, she finds herself staring at a big broad chest, and then having to crane her neck up.

the wide-eyed look she gives him clearly reads as "Holy Shit."]

...no. Because now I really don't know what's going on.

[this place seems like it's more your element than hers, bud.]

[aban_aqun]

[ Wild eyes and gaped mouths are nothing new to Bull, and when he sees the look on her face he can't help but chuckle. Maybe it isn't kind, but he has to be able to laugh at something. ]

We've been recruited for a war. Not a tactic I'm used to, but not ineffective. Trouble is making sure something is at stake.

[ He's seen noblemen pull serfs from fields to put them in armies, but that never involved magic portals and people from different worlds. But fighting in wars that he has little stake in is nothing new for Bull. She looks young, though. He doesn't like that. ]

How old are you?

peace on the beach

[thescarletspeedster]

Shoulders rounded, Barry stares out over the water. He should be able to walk on it. He shouldn't have needed a portal to get here as fast as he did. He shouldn't be here at all, in a world unlike any he's been to before, but here Barry is, and he doesn't have the first idea how to get home.

He certainly doesn't know how to fight in a war he has no stake in.

He sits and watches the waves roll on, thinking after some time that he ought to get back before nightfall, but just as he goes to rise, someone sits down nearby. At least, Barry thinks it's a someone. Whoever it is is nearly as tall as King Shark, with massive, dangerous looking horns. A minotaur?

Barry leans forward, caught between intrigue and fear.

[aban_aqun]

Fighting in wars that he has no stake in has become Bull's career. The Inquisition changed that, at least. How could he not have a stake in saving the world? The only thing that troubles him about his current situation is how the factions have gone about collecting soldiers. He's seen it before, but nothing quite like this. Nobles pulled serfs from their lands, not from other worlds.

He looks side-long when he realizes someone is looking at him. He can see the fear but he can also see the curiosity. Wherever he is, it's a fairly common reaction. Especially from humans.

"Might as well ask," he says with a wry smile. "You've got a question on your face."