October 2022 Test Drive Meme

[folkie]

OCTOBER 2022 TDM

INTRODUCTION

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Welcome to Folkmore's monthly Test Drive Meme! Please feel free to test drive any and all characters regardless of your intent to apply or whether you have an invite or not.

All TDMs are game canon. You can choose to have your TDM thread be your introduction thread upon acceptance or start fresh. Each TDM will provide a scenario for how characters arrive in-game that particular month.

Playing TDMs will allow characters to immediately obtain canon items from homes especially weapons or other things they may have had on their person when they were pulled from their worlds! There will always be a prompt that provides some sort of "reward" to characters who complete certain tasks.

Current players are allowed to have in-game characters react to TDMs via the Network or make a log with the prompts. Current players are always encouraged to tag new people on the TDM!

TDM threads can be used for spoon spending at any time by characters accepted into the game.

[ Prompt One ★ Prompt Two]

SHINING

Content Warnings: Possible insanity via freezing. Temporary nullification of abilities.

COLD AS YOU

You were falling...

The world snaps into place all at once; you are laying on the ground, surrounded on all sides by towering bushes that stretch up towards a beautiful sunset sky. The bushes were clearly flowered at one point, but now the flowers have died and all that remains are browning leaves that are beginning to fall. On the chill air you can sometimes hear the sound of music, too faint to completely determine.

As you stand, you are filled with an intense desire to find someone. You might have an idea of who, but chances are you do not - you just know that somewhere ahead of you is someone that you need to reach. Whether they are friend or lover or enemy remains to be seen.

You wander the maze. If you're the impatient type and you have the ability, you might try to fly out but you will simply be vaulted right back down if you do. Something clearly expects you to play by rules which were never actually explained. As you move through the twisting passages of nature, you will notice that there is a frost creeping along the branches on either side of you. This frost brings a deep chill with it, and it encourages you to move faster, to find that nameless person now now now! If you take a very long time to wander the maze you may very well be on the verge of freezing and half mad with the desire to find someone. If you try to force your way through the bushes, the frost will crawl over your limbs and inspire both the freezing and near madness at once.

When you find your Person, the cold evaporates. The air suddenly feels merely crisp, and the leaves on the bushes seem more vibrant. The two of you now can focus on finding the way out - so much easier now - but any sense of urgency will have passed and you may just walk for hours, talking and sharing things about yourselves.

It is possible to solve the maze alone, but it is much easier (and more pleasant!) with someone else.

KEEP YOUR BRITTLE HEART WARM

When you exit the hedge maze you will find a stunning display of lights: hundreds of candles and lanterns decorate the ground and hang from trees, illuminating a clear path over a gently sloping hill. When you crest the hill you can look down and see a beautiful hot spring sprawled out below. It too is lit up by hundreds of lights, all of them glowing under the late autumn sky as it darkens towards night. There are changing rooms where you can stash your clothes (yes, there are bathing suits for the very shy) and bathing stations to ensure that you are clean before entering.

The water of the springs soothes madness and heals physical injuries or any frostbite that may have been sustained in the maze. It also relaxes you, making you perhaps more likely to open up to anybody else present.

The hot spring is staffed by many mice. They don't speak, but they squeak to one another in such a way that it sounds like they are singing - high lilting chants that seem to promise that everything will be okay. They are happy enough to band together to bring you towels or hot tea. The spring is open 24/7, always with lights to fight the cold and darkness of winter.

HIGH STRANGENESS

Content Warnings: Monster sighting, optional violence.

GLITCH

Folkmore has trains and of course the cat bus, but it also has roads, mostly utilized by horses and bicycles. Maybe you're looking for the convivence store, or maybe you just like walking. However it happens, you find yourself on a lonely road at dusk. It is unusually quiet, almost as if the world is holding its breath.

Suddenly you hear the sound of wings. A man-sized creature soars above you, something with huge red glowing eyes. It drops something at your feet: a walkie-talkie. The creature lands some distance away, staring at you, and a thought arises unbidden in your mind:

Help them.

The walkie crackles and you can hear someone speaking, asking if anyone is there. It is another Star Child, brought into this trial as well. They are in danger somewhere nearby; maybe stuck on the edge of a cliff, or trapped on a rope bridge - whatever it is, they need someone else to help them get to safety. If they have any powers, they have been temporarily nullified, but if the rescuer has powers they remain intact. That's where you come in! Using the walkie you must communicate with one another so that the rescuer can reach the person in trouble in time!

But what if you don't make it in time? Or decide that you're not the hero type? Well. The rescue-ee will suffer a terrible fate... for a few seconds. Then the entire world fuzzes and resets, but this time the roles have been reversed. Both parties will remember what has already happened, so if you just ran off into the woods with no intent of helping the first time you miiiight get your just desserts! This process will repeat over and over, people switching sides every time, until someone is finally rescued or the sun rises. Whichever comes first!

If you do succeed at a rescue, you will hear the rustle of huge wings once more. This time you don't see the mysterious creature, but you will find a mystery trunk. Inside you will each find some of your canon clothes and a canon item. Looks like teamwork is rewarded! Nearby, there will also be some unenchanted weapons sticking out of the ground: basic swords, guns, shields, etc.

BAD OMEN

You don't necessarily have to have completed the rescue trial to get some goodies, though! Those aforementioned weapons are scattered all over Folkmore. But if you just go to grab any of them you'd better be prepared to fight; after all, nothing comes for free!

As soon as you have pulled a weapon out of the ground, a tall, man in a black suit and hat will appear from seemingly nowhere and attack you. He has no weapons but he is extremely strong. He's also just really creepy - his face looks like it might be fake, somehow. The only way he can be killed is with a wound to the heart - any other supposedly mortal injury will result in another man in black appearing. It is possible for someone with no combat training to beat these creatures, but they really might appreciate a little help from someone with more experience!

The good news is that they won't mess up your clothes any, as none of these creatures bleed. Because that is totally normal.

Good luck!

Comments

2.

[dedoink]

You're tellin' me!

[ There's an eight-foot-seven bearded goliath lounging across the spring, with a little white towel draped over his nethers for modesty. He does a big stretch, mouth yawning open as he does. ]

It's almost... [ YAAAAWN ] ...good enough t' take a nap!

[makingmyway]

[ Dorian chuckles a little, not even blinking an eye at the near-naked goliath nearby. Instead he sinks down a little more into the spring, trying to get as much of his shoulders as he can. ]

Almost, though I wouldn't really recommend it. If you fall asleep, you might sink under the water and drown.

[ Then again, someone that tall might not really have that problem. ]

[dedoink]

[ Grog just raises a skeptical eyebrow and shifts so that he's sitting flat on the bottom of the pool with his bum, everything from his shoulders up still sticking out of the water. ]

Don' think drowning's gonna be an issue, mate.

[makingmyway]

[ Yeah, that's probably about right. Though Dorian still can't help but add. ] Unless you fall to the side while you're sleeping.

[ Though maybe he should probably...stop talking about someone potentially drowning. That'd probably be a good idea. He clears his throat. ]

But that's a fair enough point.

[dedoink]

Sleepin' or not, it's still good to get warmed up.

[ Especially after he'd frozen solid in that damned maze. ]

Now... [ He starts looking around, making little squeaky noises with his mouth as though trying to summon the mice workers. ] D'you reckon they'd bring me some ale?

[makingmyway]

Can't argue with that.

[ It really had felt like that maze had been out to get them. Dorian was lucky to have come across someone when he did. ]

Huh, you know... [ He glances down where he'd seen one of the mice workers before. ] I'm not sure. I heard some others asking for tea earlier, but honestly some ale would really hit the spot.

[dedoink]

It would, yeah!!

[ Grog redoubles his efforts, whistling loudly and calling, ] Yoohoo, little mousies! A little help please??

[ One mouse servant scurries over and wrings its tiny hands as it listens patiently to Grog's request. ]

Right. I wan' two flagons of ale. One for me, an' one for my blue pal over 'ere. You got that?

[makingmyway]

[ The mouse gives something akin to a salute before scurrying off, and Dorian calls out a "thank you" as it goes. ]

That really was a fantastic idea. [ Dorian actually hadn't expected to be included in it, but he's certainly appreciative. ] If we'll be drinking together, though, I suppose we should introduce ourselves.

My name's Dorian Storm. What's yours, friend?

[dedoink]

Thanks, I'm full of 'em!

[ Good ideas, that is. Grog beams and jabs a thumb into his incredibly wide chest. ]

The name's Grog, Grog Strongjaw. Of the very-famous Vox Machina. Maybe you've heard of me?

[ He still has mostly up to this point interacted with his friends and people who know his friends, so it hasn't quite occurred to him people may not know who Vox Machina are. ]

[makingmyway]

[ Despite his sheltered upbringing, Dorian is fortunate enough to have actually heard about Vox Machina at this point, both from overhearing various tales here and there during his travels, as well as some things from Orym and even a bit from Bertrand. ]

The Vox Machina, defenders of the realm? Well then, it certainly is an honor to meet a hero of your caliber.

[ Such an honor to meet someone as important...as they are sitting half naked in a hot springs. ]

[dedoink]

Tha's us!

[ And once again, his confirmation bias that everyone he meets will know who Vox Machina is has not yet been shattered!

He leans back, puffing his chest out and looking proud. Right around this time, a team of mice come scurrying forth, balancing on their backs a tray with two tankards of ale. It's a slower scurry, so as not to tip the tray over and spill any ale. Grog's expression brightens and he leans forward to take the tray off of the mice's backs. It is then that he realizes he has nothing to pay or tip them with, so he hesitates for a bit... Then reaches out to give the lead mouse a little heat scritch with a finger. ]

'Ere you go, little buddy! Thanks a lot!

[makingmyway]

[ Fresh out of the maze, Dorian doesn't really have much on him either. But the mice seem understanding at least, or at least aren't asking for anything. The lead mouse shakes off some of the water that drips from Grog's finger onto it, and straightens its fur before it and the other mice scurry off. ]

Thank you!

[ He doesn't know if there's a way to pay them later...or really, what to pay them with. But they seemed okay with it? ]

[dedoink]

[ Aww, the mice are so adorable. And helpful, too!

Grog lifts his tankard up to Dorian for a toast. ]

To new places an' new friends!

[makingmyway]

[ With a smile he raises his tankard to meet Grog's with a dull thunk. ]

To new adventures.

[ And he takes a healthy swig of the ale, feeling the different kind of warmth it provides slowly spreading through his body. ]

So, am I correct in assuming you've just arrived in this place as well?

[dedoink]

[ Grog downs his ale, burps, wipes his mouth on the back of his hand, and nods. ]

Yeah. Woke up in the maze. Got a bit lost until my pal Vax found me.

[makingmyway]

[ He drinks his ale a little slower, nodding a bit himself. ]

It was the same for me. I was wandering around for...maybe a couple of hours before I ran into my friend, Orym.

[dedoink]

Orym? [ The name sounds familiar, but Grog has to think. ] Little fella, lots o' tattoos?

I think I met 'im.

[makingmyway]

[ Dorian perks up a bit. He remembers Orym telling him about people from their world, but he didn't know how many of those people Orym had already met. ]

Yes, that's most likely him. Were the tattoos of the two moons?