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Entry tags:
October 2022 Test Drive Meme
OCTOBER 2022 TDM
INTRODUCTION
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.
Content Warnings: Possible insanity via freezing. Temporary nullification of abilities.
COLD AS YOU
KEEP YOUR BRITTLE HEART WARM
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.
Content Warnings: Monster sighting, optional violence.
GLITCH
BAD OMEN
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!
no subject
[ Honestly, he's just so relieved to see Orym that the circumstances of where he'd ended up don't seem to really matter all that much. And some of that is possibly some of the maze's magic, but he is genuinely happy to see his friend as well. ]
I did gather as much. [ The fox(?) had mentioned something about that, but having it confirmed made it a lot more real, as everything really starts to sink in. ] But yes, let's walk and talk. It sounds like you've been here a bit longer than I have.
no subject
[Because things can always get worse if they give it the chance. He falls into step with Dorian, nodding.]
About a month? I'm still getting the hang of some of it. It's really different from home. The machinery for one thing.
[Dorian. Dorian he has to show you hot showers and refrigerators because they're amazing.] And we're not the only ones from Exandria here. Most of them are from 30 years in the past though. Including the Tempest. [His boss is here, she's young and not his boss yet. it's a trip.]
no subject
terriblegreat. But they'll get back to that, because what Orym says after is what really catches his attention. ]30 years in the past? [ Which he supposes is possible; if there had been a version of him continuing on while he came here, it'd probably be the same for anyone else brought here. ] So that means she doesn't know you?
no subject
[Meaning that Orym is still quite determined to make sure Keyleth doesn't come to harm. But it also is weird, and feels weirdly lonely. She wouldn't even know Derrig yet.]
I've met some other people here too. I've been staying with a new friend. Her name is Sophie. You'll like her. [Because Orym fully intends to bring Dorian home with him.]
What about you though? What's happened with you back home?
no subject
Oh really? Well, if you like her she must be nice. [ He'd come to really trust Orym's opinion on things like that. ] But now that you mention it, I suppose finding a place to stay is something I'd need to do.
[ Of course he'd like to stay with Orym, but he isn't about to be so rude as to invite himself to someone else's home, especially someone he's never even met before. ]
With me? [ It actually does take him a moment to remember, just because it feels like everything's happened so fast and things are starting to blur together. But once he does recall, he smiles. ] Oh, actually! I hadn't had a chance to really let you guys know before getting swept up here. But I was able to meet up with the rest of the Crown Keepers, and we even made a new friend [ Friend? Was Morrighan really their friend? Dariax seemed to think so, at least, so that was good enough. ] who helped us get enough money to completely pay off Cyrus' bounty.
no subject
[Sophie is lovely, if a bit strange sometimes. But most of Orym's favorite people fit that description. He looks over at Dorian, looking entirely confused at what he says]
You could stay with me, if you want? I'm sure Sophie won't mind. [If he's given his preference, he'd keep Dorian with him.] I know she wouldn't.
[He falls quiet as Dorian speaks, eager to hear the update to what his friend has been up to -- and then he's grinning up at him.] Dorian, that's great. That must be a relief, for both of you. [Hell, Orym is relieved to hear it.] How are Dariax and Opal doing?
no subject
They're - They're fine. [ There's just the slightest catch in his words. ] Dariax is the same as ever, and Opal... [ He hesitates a little. ] Opal seems all right. She seems to have gotten the hang of whatever power the circlet has granted her.
[ Though in all honesty, Dorian isn't entirely sure if that's a good thing. ]
I was also able to get in touch with Fy'ra Rai, and she met us in Kymal to help us. But there turned out to be some...complications.
no subject
[Sophie had opened her home to him without even knowing him. Orym knows Dorian and will vouch for him without a shred of hesitation, so Orym figures it'll work out.]
Huh. [A soft thoughtful sound.] Gotten the hang of it. That's... something. [And Orym will voice what they're both thinking.] Is it a good something?
[He worries about Opal, and is glad that Dariax has been with her. That's something. Only a little surprised at Fy'ra Rai's name popping up, he looks up at Dorian.]
Complications? Bad ones?
no subject
[ He will have to ask about that headless guy later, though. ]
I'm...not sure, to be honest. [ He frowns a little, thinking back to how Opal had been those few days he'd been with her. ] She said she was fine, and that she and Lolth are...friends? She even insisted that the Spider Queen isn't so bad.
[ And it would be nice if it were true, but Dorian can't help remembering when the Spider Queen had spoken to him before. Opal being friends with her didn't really feel like a good thing.
With a hum, he nods. ] Unfortunately. We had a bit of a run-in with the Nameless Ones. Nothing too serious, but... [ He glances down at Orym. ] You know her sister that she'd left to find, Fy'ra Kai? Well, it turns out Fy'ra Kai is actually a lieutenant for the Nameless Ones.
no subject
[Luckily. The place is challenging and strange and dangerous, but the people he's met have been kind. That helps. But it's still not the same as being with Bells Hells or the Crown Keepers.]
Friends. [With a Betrayer God. That's, yeah no, Orym can't see anything not so bad about that.] Not going to lie, I don't think I like the sound of that. I hope Opal knows what she's doing.
[Not the first time he's worried about that particular friend. And the hits keep coming.]
Oh. Wow. That is definitely complicated. She okay after finding that out?
no subject
[ Hopefully it will help adjusting to this place a bit easier. ]
Yeah, I hope so too. She seems okay mostly, but I suppose we'll have to see.
[ And there's a part of Dorian that can't help feeling guilty for the part he played in her putting the crown on in the first place.
With a sigh, he shakes his head. ] Not entirely, which is to be expected. She was able to stay focused on what we were doing, but I didn't...get a chance to check in with her after everything was finished before... [ He vaguely gestures to the area around them. ]
no subject
[Orym states with a nod.] And if she isn't, we'll help her.
[Well, so long as he survives the mess that Bells Hells have gotten themselves into at this point. He arrived here right after he'd fallen in battle, and part of him still isn't convinced he's not dead back home. But he won't bring that up now.]
Yeah, the Fox doesn't really give you time to tie up loose ends. She grabbed me from the middle of battle. I really hope the others are okay.
no subject
[ It's the least he can do, after all.
The smile quickly fades though as he glances at Orym again, the other's words worrying him a bit. ] A battle? What happened?