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

As the Moon Rises

[unrepentantsoul]

"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."

[unabatedly]

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."

[unrepentantsoul]

"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."

[unabatedly]

"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.

[unrepentantsoul]

"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!"

[unabatedly]

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."

[unrepentantsoul]

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.

[unabatedly]

Neria held their gaze until each and every one of them made a sign across their hearts, swearing to keep quiet. The youngest popped his fingers in his mouth and continued to stare at Ser Khajiit until the worst had passed and the others were able to tug him away, but his eyes kept lingering on the tail, and the very idea that maybe there was more fur to be seen.

But then they were gone, at last, and Neria rubbed at her forehead. "Maker's blighted breath, that was ridiculous." She only had herself to blame for it. "I've forgotten how insistent children can be."

[unrepentantsoul]

"This one has not been around a litter for as long as she can remember," which wasn't that long in most people's estimations, but didn't really matter enough to explain, "but she does recall the impression that such small ones in a herd are most difficult to sway from a goal once they have one. To be able to do so speaks well of the elf's convictions. Less so of this one's. But this one had a tail to protect."

And speaking of tails, she finally released hers to allow it to fall behind her once more where it twitched in agitation, betraying a continued tenseness her voice did not.

[unabatedly]

"They're certainly...overly exuberant." Not a terrible thing to be, of course, but in the context of a several years long war, she was simply surprised they still knew what it meant to be happy, to play, to be excited. Perhaps that was testimony to what they could endure.

Neria turned her gaze towards her companion, shrugging. "I had, admittedly, gotten you into that mess so it only made sense that I assist in clearing it up. I'm sorry about your tail. That must have been quite, ah, distressing?" Tail. No race in Thedas had tails. She canted her head, curious now. "...Please feel free to ignore the question, but I've never seen someone with a tail. Where do you hail from?"

[unrepentantsoul]

"Elsweyr." (it does, in fact, sound exactly like 'elsewhere')

A quick shrug as she crossed her arms and tried to find a place to settle herself once more, either in a chair or against a wall if one was nearby.

"Or so this one presumes. Kahjiit knows Khajiit come from there, but she has no memory of the place. Elsweyr is..." she tilted her head, studying the elf a little more closely. She had not seen all the races of mer in her travels, but enough that this woman did not look like them save for the ears. "...Elsweyr is a part of Tamriel. On Nirn. There are mer there, but the Elf is not of those mer. Where is the Elf from?"

[unabatedly]

...Swell. That only seemed to confuse her a little bit more. Though, it's then that Khajiit seemed to clarify a little bit more, enough for Neria to know exactly as the other soldier did; they were not from the same world. "I've never heard of 'mer' before, nor Tamriel or Nirn. I am from Ferelden, a country in Thedas. And we are very certainly not from the same home."

It wasn't said with ire. It was said with curiosity, with concern, and she looked over Khajiit once more as she moved to sit on one of the stone platforms nearby. (It helped her feel a little tall, all right? Don't judge her.)

"I keep hearing that from others, that we have been drawn from countless worlds. It...leaves me a little uncertain about how this is all intended to work."

[unrepentantsoul]

"Mer is to elves as men is to human," she said back, finally picking a spot to get comfortable in. "Altmer, Dunmer, Bosmer, Maomer... all are mer, and all are elves in the common tongue. There are more race of mer, but this one does not have the knowledge of all of them yet."

She waved a hand to dismiss the topic before moving on, "This one supposes it must work in the way the planes of existence work. But perhaps a little to the left, yes?"

...because that'll clear it up, right?

[unabatedly]

Great. Wonderful. That was spectacularly clear.

Spoilers: it was not clear at all.

Neria canted her head, both curious and confused in every which way, if only because her companion had now listed so many names she'd never heard of and, well, the rest. "I'm sorry, you'll need to walk me through that last part a little bit. A little to the left? How do you figure?"

[unrepentantsoul]

Is it time for a cosmology lesson? It's time for a cosmology lesson. Sort of.

"The planes of existence are wrapped around each other, Oblivion encompasses all and the eight planes are planets unto themselves in it's hold. One can travel between the planes with portals and other such spells assuming they can breech whatever barriers each ruler of the planes has chosen to erect around theirs. They are all contained together as one universe, yes? Yes. Think of it like an oyster with many pearls and the shell is Oblivion. Then there is the elf's universe. It is another oyster next to the one holding Khajiit's world. It holds it's own planets within it's own Oblivion separate entirely from all others."

She mimes a clam shell opening, "Now consider this world's leaders the oyster farmers, opening each shell and plucking the best and brightest of the pearls and taking from them the very essence of their shine before returning the pearls to their Oblivions. We are the shine."

[unabatedly]

As she spoke, Neria sidled just a little bit closer, not so far as to impose on the Khajiit's space but so that her curiosity was known. Her gaze was attentive as she listened, though her expression began to fall at the end. There was thoughtfulness there, contemplative.

"But with that sort of analogy - and it is a good one, honestly - are we suggesting that the shine is the best of the pearl or some kind of catalyst that forms the pearl or...makes it safe? Because I'm quite concerned with what it means for us to be gone from our respective oysters." Neria chewed at one part of her lower lip. "And when you say Oblivion. Do you mean the Void?"

[unrepentantsoul]

"This one means the shine is what catches their eyes," she said, then paused, finger to her chin once more. "We do not form the pearl, the pearl forms us and we are a part of it, but it continues to exist whether we are there or not. This one is certain she is important to her world, she has been told this. She may even be important to it's very survival as it currently is. But that does not mean she forms it. She may, however, keep it safe."

She turned her helm to better look at Neria, gesturing with her hand in a soft shrug, "That is for the prophets to decide and history to determine, is it not? And perhaps it was destiny that we find our way to this place. What we have been through before now being what we needed to prepare ourselves for what is to come in this world. Khajiit is not a prophet and has never laid eyes upon the Elder Scrolls so she cannot say for certain. She only knows she is here. That a people needs her to aid in their war. This she has done before and can do again. So she will."

Another shrug as she dropped her arms, "This one would have to know if the Elf's Void is the same as her Void. But likely not. The Void is more complicated than Oblivion."

[unabatedly]

Well, this conversation took a turn for the semi-philosophical. No complaints, either. It gave her a great deal to consider in hindsight. "No, you do not form it, but you are potentially instrumental to its shape and its luster. You are important in making it sparkle and shine. So I guess that makes sense."

And despite it seeming to be such a simplistic view - to be here and that meant that aid was needed - it resonated with something deep inside of her that said that being here and helping the people, no matter how inconvenient and potentially disastrous, was still the right thing to do. The consequences of it could be far-reaching but it still made sense to want to help. To be present. To do what she could.

"I could go into it. But in the end, similar-but-different is likely the end result of such a conversation." She shrugged slightly. "I'm not a scholar, even if I'm learned enough. It all depends on who is asked."

[unrepentantsoul]

She nodded, getting comfortable so she could go back to watching the crowd while they spoke, "The Elf's words ring true. The details are unimportant right now anyway. The importance is we are here and needed and the why has been given. The what and where still require an answer. But Khajiit expects that will be gained in time."

She went quiet for a moment as one of the natives passed too close with a few mugs in hand, her head turning so that it would feel like she was making eye-contact with the foolishly drunk man. After he was away, she went back to people watching.

"Tell this one of your world, yes?"