Test Drive #4

[felldenmods]

Welcome to the January test drive! 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 will open at 12:01 AM UTC on February 1st, and continue to be until 11:59 PM UTC on February 7th. This is to reserve a character, not an application slot.
✦ Applications will open at 12:01 AM UTC on the 8th, and remain open until 11:59 PM UTC on the 15th, or until all application slots have been filled. Once Activity Check ends, we will have an application slot number available on the application page. The IC & OOC intro logs will be posted two days later.
✦ We have added a Suitability section to the application. Check it out! We will be requiring this going forward as it not only helps players see if their character is a good fit for the game but it lets the mod team gather some ideas about direction for your character!
✦ 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 arrived on their person. 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. Usernames are your characters first name or their most common nickname.
✦ Below will be a header for OOC questions as well as a request for Death or its Attendants if you risk placing a coin in their offering bowl.
✦ As in December, a secondary blessing will be available in February to those that tag others on the TDM!

All set? Perfect! Welcome to Fellden.

AS THE MOON RISES. You’ll find yourself just outside the Temple gates, which will be locked if you try to open them. A little rude, keeping you out after bringing you all this way, and the more you try to look up at the Temple structure the more insistent guards become in pushing you down the pathway to somewhere else. 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! Chrysanthemums will be offered as brooches or corsages, food and drink placed into your hands, while live musicians play loud enough for the dead to hear — for this is a celebration dedicated to them. Several were lost in the battle held the previous weeks, and the Priestess has decreed a time of mourning through revelry. Spirits must be kept up, even in these dark times. 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 despite the pall that may hang over the town. 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. If you do manage to leave, a helpful citizen of the Temple will inform you of the nearby transport mirrors that will take you anywhere on the map, one of which they will provide to you.

THE SETTING STARS. You'll find upon your arrival that the castle is not accepting visitors as they prepare the interior for a solemn remembrance of those lost. Guards at the door will instead direct you to the center of the city where most of Starfolk have gathered to say their goodbyes and reminisce of memories past. Venturing there, you'll be greeted either by those who are serving food and drink from nearby taverns, or those with drawn faces tired from battle. Or perhaps you're a late arrival and the worst of the exhaustion has left the city, now imbued with laughter and happier memories! Those loyal to the Court of Stars greet the newcomers with guarded gratitude in their eyes and wary hesitance. How many more of these Otherworlders will betray them, they wonder out loud. If you try and take a seat with a party or three, chances are the conversation will halt as soon as you grow near, and the longer you stay the more uncomfortable the gathered people become. Trust is not easily gained in the Court of Stars; broken now as it is, the natives of this world fear the worst for their Emperor. Will you help us, or will you hurt us, they ask, wanting to believe they still have a chance at surviving this exhaustive war. Whether you choose to remain for the remembrance or wander off, one thing is certain: things must turn around for the Stars soon. If you do manage to sneak off, a hopeful citizen of the Court will inform you of the nearby transport mirrors that will take you anywhere on the map, one of which they will provide to you.

MARKETS OF THE COAST. The coastal city of Kyst is abuzz with an extra amount of people who sought refuge here during the attack on the Moon Temple. Some calm had finally started to settle but now the foundation has once more been shaken. Newcomers will be welcomed with smiling faces from merchants as they look to try to sell their wares. Tavern owners and barkeeps will beckon with the promise of warm food and delightful drinks, a place by the fire, and information to help you find your bearings. The air is rife with the scent of the coastline, fishermen bringing in their haul from the day. Perhaps if you pay enough attention, you'll hear or smell something you recognize from your home; as Fellden is the beginning of all worlds, it wouldn't be an impossible likelihood! Those looking for something more exciting will find closer to the northern border of Kyst a rather curious bi-pedal cat bouncing on its back legs. It flags you down with a wave of its paw, asking excitedly if you'd like to flex your claws into a juicy quest. You're just the hunter for the job! Purr-fect in every way! Out in the wild lands there's a great beast in a deep river, and it's bothering all the people who live in the nearby town! They can't get fresh water or fish for their meals; it's furr-ightening! If you agree to help, the cat will explain that the creature is a Nokken that has been luring many a brave fisher to their untimely death. It must be removed either by force or by convincing it to leave! Help them, Hero-wan Kenobi, you're their meownly hope!

BEYOND THE CITIES. In the distance from Kyst, a large forest looms, the Gods Wood imposing even from this distance. Should you travel there, everyone you encounter will urge you to be respectful while within the forest. There, people can be found visiting intricately decorated shrines, and leaving offerings for their passed. If you catch their eye, they will beg of you to pay respects as well, and press a gold coin into your palm. Offer a wish or a happy memory to who you miss and place the coin into Death's offering bowl and there's a chance someone will be there to speak with you. Be mindful of your actions though; those that show disrespect will be forcibly removed from the Gods Wood by the trees. If the forest is too intimidating, Terebellum is open for semester registration, and the grounds are even more regal with a light dusting of snow all around. Students of all branches of magic can be found exploring the campus and practicing their craft. If you're lucky, perhaps you can find a teacher who will explain what is offered here at the University. But ah, there's a catch! Tuition is extremely expensive, so you must impress your faction leaders if you wish to widen your breadth of knowledge within these walls!

Comments

Godswood

[alienwear]

Hey! That's the happy memory I was going to use!

[ She's at Lapis's side, coin in hand, arms crossed at her chest and a vexed expression on her face. Leave it to Peridot to turn a respectful offering into a competition. ]

[mirrortide]

You can't just claim a happy memory!

[Jeeze, Peridot.]

Besides, I'm sure you have more than I do!

[you ERA 2 PUNK.]

[alienwear]

[ WOW, OK BOOMER!!!!! ]

Yeah, but now I have to think of something different! Ugh...

[ She rubs her chin and taps her foot impatiently. An awkward silence stretches onward while she contemplates, muttering to herself and humming under her breath as she reviews and rejects various different memories. ]

[mirrortide]

[And Lapis will wait. Patiently, even! She's kind of curious to see what kind of memory Peridot is going to offer the bowl.]

[alienwear]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

[ It still takes her a while longer yet. Until finally: ]

Well, I'd say storming Homeworld and liberating it from the Diamonds is a pretty triumphant memory.

[ She shrugs like it's no big deal and plunks the coin in the bowl. ]

[mirrortide]

That's what you chose?

[Lapis was terrified for that! Please be kind...]

[alienwear]

[ Lapis you were super brave and you did fine, don't be such a big baby!

Peridot's grin falters just a little bit, a twinge of worry thinking that Lapis might be judging her or something. ]

Why not? We saved two whole planets and the future of the gem race! I'd say that's pretty awesome!

[ Actually it's probably a LOT more than two planets, but there's only two of them that Peridot actually cares about. ]

[mirrortide]

I mean, yeah, but it was pretty dangerous? [Not her idea of a good time, but at least she doesn't sound judgmental...]

I don't know, it wasn't really enjoyable for me, but I guess as long as you liked it, that's the important part, right?

[alienwear]

Alright fine, the mortal peril part of it wasn't exactly enjoyable, but thinking about what we managed to accomplish makes me happy!

[ She glances at Lapis sidelong with a small frown. ]

Does it... Not make YOU happy?

[mirrortide]

I mean, that part does? But the whole lead up to it was kind of kind of awful. Especially since we'd just gotten dissipated by Yellow Diamond?

[alienwear]

[ Peridot goes "pssshhh" dismissively, complete with hand gesture. ]

We came out of it fine, didn't we? Also, you dropped a barn on Blue Diamond! You can't convince me that part wasn't AWESOME!

[mirrortide]

Well.. That did feel pretty good. The whole dropping the barn on her, not the fact that I had it in the first place.

[That part feels Bad.]

[alienwear]

[ Peridot does a little shrug again. Does she miss the barn? Of course she does! But she's kind of over fretting about it by now. ]

Eh... Honestly, that whole mess was worth it just to see you pull that move off. Besides, we have something even better than a barn now!

[mirrortide]

Yeah, that's true.

[She's still upset about how it had to happen though. How she could have been better, but she is better. Now, anyway. And she'll hopefully continue improving as well.]

[alienwear]

[ She pauses a moment, frowning thoughtfully at the shrine. Little Homeworld feels lifetimes away. ]

Do you ever think about how weird it is? That something we worked so hard on, could be threatened by events happening whole universes away, in worlds we'd never even heard of?

[mirrortide]

It's kind of like one of those JRPG's I played with Steven. [She admits with a shrug.]

But honestly, kind of? I mean, Homeworld was threatened by something in another galaxy at one point, so different universes... Well, I guess it kind of makes sense if I think about it a bit.

[alienwear]

[ She shakes her head. ] Mmm. Perhaps emphasizing the distance over the scope of the problem is doing this discussion a disservice. It's just, all this magic, and these supernatural beings... It's an entire facet of reality that was previously unknown to me or any other gem scientist. And then the entities responsible for threatening all these other worlds. When they squabble, it's like--

[ She pauses, struggling to find the right words. ]

...It's like, if the Diamonds were some kind of conflict producing machinery, and the dial that controlled the intensity of their squabbling, was somehow turned WAY past it's maximum setting.

[ Gee IF ONLY THERE WERE SOME USEFUL HUMAN IDIOM TO DESCRIBE THAT. ]

[mirrortide]

...

Sounds like a JRPG to me.

[Lapis, helpfully shrugs.]

I guess that means we're the main characters now?

I'm just going to assume they're on opposite sides for this.

[alienwear]

[ Peridot crosses her arms and frowns lightly. Lapis is joking, but she's still thinking very seriously about all this. ]

I think JRPGs tend to have a more clear delineation of "good guy" versus "bad guy".

[ At least that's the case for the ones she has played! ]

I mean... I understand that this conflict needs to be resolved in order to save our own universe, but I don't get why fighting each other until one side succeeds over the other has to be the solution.

hell yeah

[mirrortide]

I mean, that's... kind of how it worked. For us and Steven, you know? [And it's a GOOD THING Steven won.]

We know better now, but I guess that'll just be how it is here? Beat them up until they yield so we can enforce our version of peace on them.

[LAPIS NO.]

[alienwear]

[ Peridot's brow furrows in consternation. ]

That... Doesn't make any sense. If the war is basically the source of the threat, then why are we making more war to try and solve the problem? And what happens to people like you and me when one side finally beats the other?!

[mirrortide]

No, that's not what I mean. I mean we beat them, [Lapis says, slowly.] And then we make them stop.

[It's brilliant.]

And obviously we go home?

[alienwear]

[ The understanding dawns slowly on Peridot's face. ]

Oooohhhhh.

[ And then her brow suddenly goes back to furrowing even harder than it was just a moment ago. ]

Wait. No! How would we even go about fighting someone like that!?

[mirrortide]

I don't know? It works for Steven when he does it!

[Neither of them happen to be Steven, or even remotely as capable as Steven.]

Look, we'll figure something out.

[alienwear]

Steven didn't physically fight the Diamonds, he basically won them over by secretly being one of them! And these guys are WAY stronger than the Diamonds are, so unless either you or I are secretly long lost Gods, I don't think that example is particularly applicable here!