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Entry tags:
April 2023 Test Drive Meme
April 2023 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: hallucinations, poison, giant worm
One minute you were a falling star, but as your body reforms you become aware of one important detail: it's friggin hot.
That's because you've landed in a desert! Yes, you have had the misfortune of landing in Cruel Summer, the hottest and arguably most dangerous part of Folkmore. Lucky you!
The first bit of good news is that you're pretty sure you can see a train station off in the distance, although it's extremely difficult to judge exactly how far off due to the flatness of the terrain. The second bit of good news is that you have awoken with either a canteen of water, or an umbrella to keep the sun off. The third bit of news - good or bad, depending - is that you've awoken near another Star Child. Whoever this is will have the opposite gift than what you received; if you have water, they have an umbrella, and if you have an umbrella they have water. Well, you know what they say: sharing is caring! Undeniably the water is a touch more important, so hopefully whoever has it isn't a colossal dick.
As you trek through the desert towards the distant structure, you will notice periodically the air off to either side of you will shimmer. You may dismiss it as merely the heat playing tricks, but if you choose to investigate you will find mundane weapons like swords, guns, shields, etc.
At some point as you walk, you will feel a tremor beneath your feet. It grows in intensity until suddenly the sand sprays everywhere as something bursts forth from the earth below!
Wavering above you is a blood red worm. It is large - end to end it runs about thirteen feet - and its segmented hide is tough enough that rocks bounce right off of it. You might have more luck with bullets or bladed edges, but it's still going to be a tough fight. It also boasts some impressive offensive tricks; its mouth is ringed with many rows of fangs, and itspits a thick yellow acid that will corrode your skin and your weapons if you're not careful. If that wasn't enough, during your fight you might here a sudden brrrrrrrrrapppp! as the creature farts lightning at you. Hilarious... until it knocks you to the ground.
You would do well to work as a team to take this monster down. You and your partner might have powers or skills that could come in handy, or maybe you're quick on the uptake when it comes to any new abilities afforded you by your new role!
If you defeat the worm in battle, a golden chest will appear. Inside of it are items from your homeworlds - these rewards are especially likely to be any weapons you owned back home.
But hey, maybe you're a lover, not a fighter. There's no judgement here in Folkmore. You can outrun the worm instead if you're both fast and clever - finding any terrain that is more rock than sand will give you a decided advantage.
Once you have either defeated or escaped the worm, you will find that you come upon a small group of tents. Under their shade are first aid supplies, and kiosks manned by fennec foxes offering water, food, and shaved ice. Nice!
One minute you were a falling star, but as your body reforms you become aware of one important detail: it's friggin hot.
That's because you've landed in a desert! Yes, you have had the misfortune of landing in Cruel Summer, the hottest and arguably most dangerous part of Folkmore. Lucky you!
The first bit of good news is that you're pretty sure you can see a train station off in the distance, although it's extremely difficult to judge exactly how far off due to the flatness of the terrain. The second bit of good news is that you have awoken with either a canteen of water, or an umbrella to keep the sun off. The third bit of news - good or bad, depending - is that you've awoken near another Star Child. Whoever this is will have the opposite gift than what you received; if you have water, they have an umbrella, and if you have an umbrella they have water. Well, you know what they say: sharing is caring! Undeniably the water is a touch more important, so hopefully whoever has it isn't a colossal dick.
As you trek through the desert towards the distant structure, you will notice periodically the air off to either side of you will shimmer. You may dismiss it as merely the heat playing tricks, but if you choose to investigate you will find mundane weapons like swords, guns, shields, etc.
At some point as you walk, you will feel a tremor beneath your feet. It grows in intensity until suddenly the sand sprays everywhere as something bursts forth from the earth below!
Wavering above you is a blood red worm. It is large - end to end it runs about thirteen feet - and its segmented hide is tough enough that rocks bounce right off of it. You might have more luck with bullets or bladed edges, but it's still going to be a tough fight. It also boasts some impressive offensive tricks; its mouth is ringed with many rows of fangs, and itspits a thick yellow acid that will corrode your skin and your weapons if you're not careful. If that wasn't enough, during your fight you might here a sudden brrrrrrrrrapppp! as the creature farts lightning at you. Hilarious... until it knocks you to the ground.
You would do well to work as a team to take this monster down. You and your partner might have powers or skills that could come in handy, or maybe you're quick on the uptake when it comes to any new abilities afforded you by your new role!
If you defeat the worm in battle, a golden chest will appear. Inside of it are items from your homeworlds - these rewards are especially likely to be any weapons you owned back home.
But hey, maybe you're a lover, not a fighter. There's no judgement here in Folkmore. You can outrun the worm instead if you're both fast and clever - finding any terrain that is more rock than sand will give you a decided advantage.
Once you have either defeated or escaped the worm, you will find that you come upon a small group of tents. Under their shade are first aid supplies, and kiosks manned by fennec foxes offering water, food, and shaved ice. Nice!
Content Warnings: emotional trauma, impalement
Giant death worms aren't the only danger in the desert, they're just the most obvious.
Even if you avoided the worms entirely, you still have to make it to one of the train stations in Cruel Summer. As you trek across the dunes you will gradually become aware that over the sound of wind and shifting sand you can hear someone singing. You feel an urge to follow the sound to its source.
This song could be anything - one that exists in your world or others, or just a melody spun in the air for the first time. Whatever it is, it is heart rending; tears may spring your eyes as you follow the sound, precious moisture falling to the thirsty desert ground.
The singing is coming from a cactus. It is taller than most humanoid creatures, tinted purple and pink at the tips, with abnormally long spines. Its song reminds you sharply of some deep loss from your past, and at the same time inspires a terrible compulsion to go to the cactus and sink against it.
And what a relief it is, to embrace that melody and feel the spines slide easily through your flesh to pierce your heart. You do not bleed. By some strange alchemy, your heartache drains from your body as liquid, filling the cactus and causing its flowers to bloom and its song to cease.
You could very well stay pinned there, dying a slow death of desiccation, but lucky for you Star Children are all over the place this time of the month and someone is bound to see that you need help.
Trying to pry someone off of the cactus is impossible. The key lies in the flowers - they must be removed. When they are, sweet liquid will spray from the place where it had grown, dousing the rescuing Star Child. With this impromptu shower comes psychic flashes of the painful memory that has trapped the victim.
Once all of the blooming flowers have been removed, the cactus will retract its spines and release its prisoner. There will be no physical wounds left from this encounter.
You will also discover nearby that there is now a golden chest. Inside of it are items from your homeworlds, although none of these items are weapons.
Thankfully, you should be able to reach either Oozlum or Obambo Station without further incident. At either of these you will be able to get some water and supplies, as well as get the hell out of Cruel Summer.
Giant death worms aren't the only danger in the desert, they're just the most obvious.
Even if you avoided the worms entirely, you still have to make it to one of the train stations in Cruel Summer. As you trek across the dunes you will gradually become aware that over the sound of wind and shifting sand you can hear someone singing. You feel an urge to follow the sound to its source.
This song could be anything - one that exists in your world or others, or just a melody spun in the air for the first time. Whatever it is, it is heart rending; tears may spring your eyes as you follow the sound, precious moisture falling to the thirsty desert ground.
The singing is coming from a cactus. It is taller than most humanoid creatures, tinted purple and pink at the tips, with abnormally long spines. Its song reminds you sharply of some deep loss from your past, and at the same time inspires a terrible compulsion to go to the cactus and sink against it.
And what a relief it is, to embrace that melody and feel the spines slide easily through your flesh to pierce your heart. You do not bleed. By some strange alchemy, your heartache drains from your body as liquid, filling the cactus and causing its flowers to bloom and its song to cease.
You could very well stay pinned there, dying a slow death of desiccation, but lucky for you Star Children are all over the place this time of the month and someone is bound to see that you need help.
Trying to pry someone off of the cactus is impossible. The key lies in the flowers - they must be removed. When they are, sweet liquid will spray from the place where it had grown, dousing the rescuing Star Child. With this impromptu shower comes psychic flashes of the painful memory that has trapped the victim.
Once all of the blooming flowers have been removed, the cactus will retract its spines and release its prisoner. There will be no physical wounds left from this encounter.
You will also discover nearby that there is now a golden chest. Inside of it are items from your homeworlds, although none of these items are weapons.
Thankfully, you should be able to reach either Oozlum or Obambo Station without further incident. At either of these you will be able to get some water and supplies, as well as get the hell out of Cruel Summer.
So Scarlet it was
Obviously, that didn't work.
But clearly, whomever he was was more than a little on the distraught side. So she was going to at least try to settle his nerves.
"Okay, okay, whatever it is you're upset about, it's not here. Worry about the giant cactus first. How did you end up on there, anyway? Weeeeeird. Even by this world's standards. And how the fuck do I get you off of there?"
no subject
He tries to stay in this moment rather than being pulled back into painful memories, as sweat was beginning to dot his face. "I- It was singing. It was like I was lost in some sort of trance. For all my training of how to defend against demons I didn't think a plant would do me in," Lavellan answered giving a half hearted chuckle.
He winced again, feeling another spine in the plant drawing out something, and taking notice of the flowers beginning to bloom. "Oh good...I'm being used as fertilizer."
no subject
As usual, she wasn't sure how she'd explain this situation to Varric, should he ever arrive. "All This Shit is Weird." No shit!
And he's sweating. A bad sign, even in this particular mess of a climate and surroundings. Better figure out how she gets him out of there as soon as possible. Otherwise, they both were screwed as Lila wasn't leaving without him. "Yeah, around here not even what you eat or drink can be trusted. Add cacti to the list! Fucker," she said meaning both Thirteen and the environment.
Lila tried to look comforting but likely failed completely. "You're not gonna be fertilizer. But, hey...flowers. Those are new. Either they're a clue or a trap, it could go either way. Or both! Both at the same time!"
no subject
The effort to stay in the moment proved useless as he sat there looking at the woman, his head beginning to hang low. The old memories spilled over into his head, his pupils beginning to dilate rapidly, more sweat breaking out on his face.
The Memories of the Fade swim in his mind again as he see's Divine Justina reaching out to him, pulling him up and away from the demons. He rushes with her to the exit but at the last second, she's pulled away, slipping through his fingers like grains of sand. He was no Andrastian but watching her sacrifice herself for him only makes the guilt pour over. He begins babbling again, lost in that moment and forgetting where he is or the woman trying to help him. "Justina, I'm sorry, if I had been faster-" he says, his voice cracked and dry from the mixture of the plant and the guilt resonating inside him.
no subject
"Andraste's tits, you're an Inquisitor," Lila exclaimed, her expression a mixture of awe and relief. "Okay, we're definitely getting you out of there, let's see, where are the clues? Cactus spikes! A clue! One to be avoided. The flowers, another clue! One I've never seen before, but aren't the weirdest things I've seen here by half.
You're going to be okay. I'll make sure of that," Lila states as a fact as she reaches out to grab a hold of one of the flowers. And she mutters "Nice flowers, friendly flowers, you're not gonna fuck us over, are you?" Lila pets the flower as though it's a small animal, only for it to break off in her hands, spraying juice everywhere.
Which seems to work?
no subject
Justina stands above, reaching out to him, trying to rescue him as he did her. He takes her hand and runs with her to the rift only for her to slip through his fingers. He's thrown out of the Fade, disoriented and lost. When he awakes he's told what happened and the feelings of guilt and despair grip him. Now that Lavellan remembered how the Conclave exploded the things that run through his mind and visions 'if I had gotten there sooner', ' how many people died because of me?' 'I never asked for this to happen.' The despair and sorrow are all but palpable.
Back in the present, Lavellan all but coughs as he begins to feel the spikes retract from him. "Shit, fuck. These are demon plants, I've decided. Burn it with fire," he chokes out.
no subject
Lila remembers being in a near blind panic when it was her time. She remembers getting so close to rescuing Divine Justinia only to fail in the end. Coming to in a crater with a violently green mark on her left hand. Panicking as she realized that her sister, Diana, was certainly dead given the state of the bodies she saw and feeling a stab to her heart, knowing they'd never be able to reconcile now. 'Why me? Why was the last thing she said to her sister a defensive snap of temper, telling Diana it wasn't Lila's fault she was a mage and Diana had been given to the Chantry as a sister in response. If she'd decided to go wandering as soon as she'd gotten bored, maybe she could have saved the Divine.'
But it's pointless, dwelling on the past that way. There was no changing what happened to her. And what happened to him, too.
Lila immediately goes to his side, letting him sling his arm around her shoulder for support if he wants to. "I can do that, but first let's get you far, far away from them. Okay? Stupid plants. Stupid Thirteen. Yuck."