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

[ She watches his careful descent from the tree, holding safely to the apple in case he would like it back. When he stands up strangely, Neria initially holds out a hand, but the man seems to have his footing well enough that he doesn't topple over. For his trouble, though, he earns a confused lilt of a smile. ]

There's nothing to be sorry for. Seems more like an accident to me. And I'd rather be troubled by falling apples than thieves or bandits or monsters.

[ But she has a sword at her belt and is wearing simple leather armor of her own, so perhaps she is as all right as she says. Neria offers the apple to him. ]

I believe this is yours, by the by. It did hit the ground so you might want to clean it first.

[ The apple. Yes, he remembers it: green, he expects. Or red. Or that strange, striped half-breed that's crossed in lesser orchards, where sour and sweet take watered precedence to a bite of any kind, be it fresh.

He reaches for the apple only so far as to fold the lady's fingers in a gentle clasp around it. ]

No. Keep it.

[ See here, or at the very least, squint: the conviction of a man who might have forgotten every part of his heritage, but still remembers a woman should enjoy the comforts of her dinner first. ]

It made its way to you, despite everything. I think it means for you to have it.

[ She looks rather taken aback by his kindness, truth be told, and her fingers close around the fruit that rests in her palm. Neria cants her head and then gives a low dip of her head, taking it. ]

You're most kind to offer it. I had been more hoping that I'd leave this place before I became hungry. Perhaps we can split it? Or, perhaps I can offer to help you leave this place, if you're as stuck here as I am.

[ It's the least she can offer. And it'll be safer not to travel alone. ]

[ He releases her hand as easily as he'd captured it, less to free her into the wilderness of the world, and more to reassure her — he is here, he means no harm, he will not reclaim what was willingly given.

The apple can linger in its new home, straddling the bridge of her fingers. ]

I could do with a guide, always.

[ A knight might cut or force his path, but luck, fate and sorcery are typically what direct him. Wit or a good sense of geography hardly come into play. ]

It's wizard who know their way out of any trouble, most often. Are you one?

[ It earns him a bit of a good-natured laugh, quiet in the dark, even as she tugs her pack up onto her shoulder a little bit more. The apple, for the moment, is slipped into one of the pockets there so she needn't have to carry it. Besides, she's just as likely to offer half of it to him later. ]

Neither guide nor wizard, I'm afraid. At least, no one's ever called me a wizard. I've been called a witch before, though.

[ Likely not something to offer up so freely but if he's to be disconcerted about magic, it might be best to know now. But Neria does tap the sword at her side as well, and she pulls out a tie to work on tugging her hair back, which exposes a pair of pointed ears. ]

I've no magic to my name at the moment - it's been locked away since coming here - but I'm decent with a blade and I would be good with tracking...if I could recognize the stars or if I had a map. But I'm certain with the two of us, we should do just fine.

A witch. [ He has the sense, discovered late, like the roundness of the world, to mime composure. ] You have magic.

[ Some might say this is the very definition of a witch — a woman of magical wonders. But there are witches who visit the village and are only known for their healing trade, for all their wizardry is scarce.

The woman's hands are dark, spidering things in the dark, but he spies none of the telltale scars or stiffness that comes working the ground long to root out herbs and medicines. A witch, but not a medicine woman, not necessarily. ]

We had a magician court. He worked marvels, as did the wizard who followed him.

[ As did the lady who bound both their fates, but this is no time for that nostalgia. The nights are hers to haunt, but he must keep his waking hours. ]

They were both gifted and both unafraid. [ A pause, aborted. ] But I don't recall either being happy. I hope you are, despite your magic. Or for it.

I do.

[ Ah, so much for that. ]

I am happy, truth be told. Magic is a beautiful thing when wielded by proper and careful hands. It can be used to protect, to heal...to make miracles happen. And it can also do great harm. I am no stranger to any of these things.

[ And she will not say she has not done her share of harm towards those who would call themselves her enemies, or to the people who have endangered her own. But she'd be hard-pressed in this moment to insist she were a true danger to anyone here. Not until she has a better understanding of this world and its pieces. ]

People believe what they wish to believe, sir, and so talk of magic often comes out like a curse. To be touched by it is often a cruel sentence and there are many who would use its power to subjugate others. That is not my intent, though I would understand anyone's trepidation.

No. [ His hand raises again, palm outward to stay her. Enough, telegraphed in firm warning. ] No, I am no one to judge. I don't know the man who would be.

[ Who among the living knows enough about every creature in every land to pass sentence? Who can see in their hearts and their souls and their memories, and review their worth fairly? Who can presume?

Not Lir, with his gravity-subjugated apple and his squirrel. And his sword, unsheathed carefully, so stark moonlight can kiss down a line of muted shine. ]

I have a sword. It will do the same harm you speak of, and it has done it more. Who has heard of a magician king? No one. But a tyrant liege rules over every other land.

[ He sits in back in its sheath again, nudging it for the right fit in age-loosened leathers. Purpose met, demonstration over. ]

Lir, by the way. I am Lir.

Very few people would see things as you do. But people fear that which they cannot understand and while I do not fault them for such...it would do no harm to try, would it?

[ But there will always be preconceptions. Mages have done quite terrible things before. It's the preoccupation that people cannot be different that troubles her, as if every man or woman who's taken up the sword or the bow must have some kind of noble quality about them.

For his trouble, Neria does smile. It's a warm thing, if small, and she holds out her hand to him. The way she holds it, though, one would think she's attempting to grip his arm like a soldier rather than to shake his hand. ]

Neria. I'm pleased to make the acquaintance of someone as open-minded and as kind as you, Lir. It would be my honor to share your company, if you'll have me.

[ The shake is slow, diminished. He catches a hand as if it were an ailing bird, knowing of the protocol it exacts, but not the strength or intimacy that are equally permitted. A handshake is a gesture of peace and friendliness — but the books never speak of excess.

More often than not, he prefers the wave. Simpler, far fewer signals to misread. ]

Of course. We only have each other now, and the night seems long.

[ Heavy, too, in a way clouds shouldn't threaten, or the moon allow. No simple darkening, this. A chill travels his spine and stays at long last, tickling his nape. ]

Longer, perhaps, than it need be.

Test Drive #1

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject