May 2022 Test Drive Meme

[folkie]

MAY 2022 TDM

INTRODUCTION

[ TDM Questions ★ Jump to Comments ★ Full Navigation ]
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]

A PLACE IN THIS WORLD

Content Warnings: Possible insanity via cuts by thorns. Temporary nullification of abilities.

DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS

The world comes into focus in one sharp, overwhelming rush. You are laying on the ground surrounded by staggering walls of flowers of all types and colors. Their sweet scent fills the air and the sky above is clear, blue, beautiful, and endless. It would be easy to be lulled into a quiet nap in such a peaceful place. You can even hear a soft, disembodied voice singing songs from some unknown place all around you. After some time, this siren song creates an intense yearning that will eventually bring you to your feet and pull you forward. You are filled with the urge to find someone important. You may know who or you might just have some aimless, faceless person at the forefront of your mind.

All you know is that when you finally find them, you'll know. Is it love? Is it a friend you have always needed? The perfect enemy? Only time will tell, but for now, you must find them. The flower maze is dense and for now, it doesn't seem like flying out and above them is an option. If you try, you just wind up vaulted back into the maze. Nope! This trial is about using other means of exploration. Maybe you can destroy the flowers, but you will find that this flower field is apparently endless. If you get cut by thorns along the way, you will become increasingly hectic about finding this mystery person. Some have been thrown into insane desperation just looking for their People among the flowers.

But once you finally find them, you're both filled with relief and the flowers around you blossom wider. You can then treat the flower maze like a solvable puzzle and get your way out of it. However, some people spend a bit more time in the maze since once you do find your person or people, you will be stricken with the urge to talk to them, to "open up" about your yearning to find them...even if you've never met them before!

OUT OF THE WOODS

Just outside of the flower maze is a little festival set up just on the edge of Willow and partway into Epiphany! Little stalls of food and drinks have been set up - and we mean little! The good folk who set up these stalls are magical cats standing upright and wearing clothes like little people! All the stalls are cat-sized and so are the dishes and food - which means most of the people walking through will likely be quite a bit bigger! That's okay, the cat folk seem happy to serve you bigger or multiple helpings of their yummy soups and bread. None of them seem able to really communicate with the new arrivals, but that's okay, their cute meows are fun to listen to anyway.

The music is a bit more pronounced here and a handful of cat couples are dancing around. Don't be surprised if they encourage you to join in the dancing! Maybe you didn't actually find someone in the flower maze - if not, the cat folk will encourage you to dance with another new arrival to get to know them! Because apparently dancing with someone you don't know is a good formal introduction? Ah well. Sometimes it's just the idea that counts.

There will also be some supplies to help patch people up who have gotten a lot of cuts from the flower maze. Some of the bouts of insanity are probably still going a bit hectic, so you might want to lay down in the recovery area until you feel a bit more stable. Talking to people apparently helps with the stability, so maybe strike up a conversation with a fellow newbie?

ENCHANTED

Content Warnings: Optional selective amensia and/or altered sense of self, possible monster/creature violence, temporary enchantments, forced relocations.

LONG STORY SHORT

You're in a very unusual, specific outfit and in a place you might have seen once or twice in a storybook or in the imagination of your childhood. For some, you might pick up on what's happening immediately. For others, you might be so immersed in the role that you don't realize it - but you're featuring in a classic fairy tale. Maybe it's Sleeping Beauty or Little Red Riding Hood or Tale of the White Snake or The Mirror of Matsuyama. Either way, you're the main character or the main antagonist and it looks like you're going to have to play out the story with whoever you're stuck with!

The other person in the trial can either match up to the other side of the story or just arrive as themselves and have to play along. Trying to just abandon the trial is quite literally impossible! You're stuck in the weird woods or high tower and trying to "leave" just results in you going in repeated cycles until you wind up where you started. You have a role to fill and you might as well get used to playing roles in Folkmore! It's time to understand how these trials work. What lesson are you supposed to take away?

If you're grumbling about it or are left confused, don't worry! Thirteen will appear to those struggling and explain the situation: "You need to play out the story! C'mon. Everyone knows this story...Right? Well, whatever, it's obvious! If you play your part, I promise I'll give you something you want." Can you really trust a fox though? Especially the fox who brought you here? She laughs before you can really pester her for more information and vanishes in a burst of red dust. Foxes really are mischievous, aren't they...At least most fairy tales are incredibly short, basic, and straightforward so most people should be able to figure it out!

In theory.

DAYLIGHT

At least the Fox wasn't lying. When you complete the task of the story, the fairy tale world will melt into one of the settings in Folkmore and you will be brought back into the current reality. You will be left in the weird clothes, but fear not! A mystery trunk has appeared in front of you and whoever you completed the trial with. Inside the trunk, you will find some of your canon clothes and a few canon items. Nearby, there will be some weapons sticking out of the ground: basic swords, guns, shields, etc. These items might not be enchanted, but at least you have something to work with!

Better yet, you don't necessarily have to complete the Long Story Short prompt to find these trunks either! They seem to be dotted around Folkmore and you might find them just by virtue of exploration! The trunks seem to mysteriously know who is opening them so you won't find someone else's stuff by accident, but you might have to fight over who gets the sword in the stone...

A word of caution to those who grab the weapons...You will immediately be tested on how good you are with them. As soon as you have pulled them out of the ground, the ground will begin trembling and a serpent-like creature will form out of the ground. If you're in Wintermute, you have a sizeable icy creature to deal with. If you're in Cruel Summer, meet the fire-breathing snakey nightmare that's going to try and roast you alive. Don't think Epiphany or Willow will have gentler creatures! They might be covered in moss or flowers but they will hit just as hard. You have to defeat the angry creature - or try running for your life. They are relatively easy to beat and people without powers can manage if they are highly skilled or...really lucky...Or if someone far more capable finds them! Good luck. As a pro-tip, maybe don't pull weird swords out of the ground in the future.

Comments

Rosenkrantz | Original Character

[erschlagen]

Death By A Thousand Cuts

[A noisy *snap!* echoes throughout the maze followed by a second one in close succession.]

Okay, well that didn't work--[Rosenkrantz mutters as he snaps his fingers for the third time. This isn't the first time Rosenkrantz has been tossed into the middle of nowhere against his wishes. However, this is the first time that the prideful arkana found himself tossed in the middle of nowhere without his powers. He snaps his fingers again in blind hope causing a little spark of flame to ignite. The small flame flickers periodically upon his fingertips before eventually fizzling out in a puff of smoke.]

Fantastic. [He groans as he rakes his fingers through his glorious white mane.] I can't even get a single ember to spark.

[It would've been easy for him to just burn down this little maze and be done with it, but unfortunately--or fortunately, depending how you're looking at it, he can't. Those terrible rose bushes got the better of him earlier getting all tangled in his hair and leaving thin little scratches all over his bare arms. As much as he likes roses, he really hates their thorns but that's besides the point. His anxiety is better of him and his patience is running thin.]

I love that for me. [Sarcasm aside, Rosen falls silent once he hears someone trudging along the path. A glimmer of hope blossoms within his chest as he follows the sound. If he's lucky, they'll be his ticket out of here.]

Out of the Woods

[The second Rosen used the fluffy of his ponytail as a mock feather, it was the end of him. These adorable cats are a playful bunch. While they seem quite intent in dancing and celebrating, they're quite eager to play. All he had to do was waggle his absurdly long ponytail at them to get those cats jumping. Despite how humanlike these little fuzzballs seem, they're still cats at the end of the day. It was fun & games for the first three minutes but now Rosen is getting tired of prying these mischievous felines out of his hair.]

Mercy, mercy! [He all but begs once another cat yanks on his hair. It was a mistake to tease these little rascals and he's paying for it one claw at time.] I do not want to play more!

[A confused meow escapes the tortoise shell feline he tossed out of his hair as another feline tries to pounce him. Rosen manages to pivot out of the path of that dastardly feline, only to end up getting pounced on by an adorably gray tabby in a cute navy-blue waistcoat. A heavy sigh escapes Rosen as he hastily tries to detangle this pest from him. Unfortunately, he needs a little bit of help.]

You there! Get this overgrown mouse-muncher off me!

A Long Story Short

I'm a little old for dress-up games, dear.

[Rosen lets out deep sigh as he stares down at the lovely crimson red gown that Thirteen most likely picked for him. He doesn't know the first thing about this fairytale but apparently he's the "princess". Rosen would've preferred to play the villain in this absurd tale but beggars can't be choosers here. Although, he does question why Thirteen looks so thoroughly amused right now.]

How does this fairytale go again? A princess locked in a tower and some Prince Charming?

[He's bored, ridiculously bored. Just the thought of being forced into such a humiliating role bothers him. It's a strike against his pride but be damned if he isn't well dressed for the role. It seems that someone went through the painstaking task of braiding faux roses into his hair to spice things up a bit. He has more than enough hair to do so, especially since he's supposed to be Rapunzel.]

Let's get this over with before I change my mind.

[This is just the beginning of a very bizarre enactment. Good luck to whomever is playing the "Prince". They have a very tall tower to climb.]

Wildcard

(feel free to make your own prompts!)

out of the woods

[overnightoaks]

[ The cats are pretty cute— though their vegan food options are a bit limited. Henry's attention is caught, however, by a man trying to wrangle a particularly frisky feline out of his long hair. ]

Oh, allow me to help! I'll cast Speak With Animal.

[ He does a quick magical hand gesture, and when he speaks next, he's speaking directly to the cat. ]

Meow meow, meowmeow meow. Meow meow meow, meow meow meow. Meow meow?

[erschlagen]

[The food here is dreadful for someone who prides themselves in being a hunter. Trust me, he knows. Nevertheless, Rosenkrantz is simply thankful when some comely chap comes to his aid. He doesn't want these pesky felines to keep poking at his hair with their dirty litter mittens! It was supposed to be a playful joke but of course, the joke went too far.]

You have my sincerest gratitude---[He trails off almost instantly when the man suddenly starts meowing like a madman. Rosen whips his head around and gives the bookish-looking gentleman a baffled stare.]

...Is this some sort of joke?

[He's utterly confused at this point. Confused and a little taken back.]

[overnightoaks]

[ Henry raises an inpatient finger to cut off any more interruptions. ]

Hang on, sir, I think I'm making some headway here.

[ And indeed he does seem to be! Because the cat in question is watching Henry very intently, and nodding its little kitty head in understanding. After a few more "meows" are exchanged, the cat withdraws its claws and walks off back to wherever it came from, pausing only to address Henry with one last solemn "meow."

Henry nods his head and bows a grateful farewell to the cat, and returns his attention to the gentleman. ]

Allison says she's very sorry, that her primal instincts got the better of her and she got a little carried away, but that it won't happen again.

[erschlagen]

[A sigh escapes Rosen as he allows the man to keep...meowing.

Nevertheless, Rosenkrantz patiently waits for something to happen in his favor as the pesky feline thugs at his hair again. He's going to thoroughly wash every strand lest he contemplates just cutting it all off.]

Please just let go...! [He nearly growls once the cat in question pulls yet again on accident. Thankfully, the whole ordeal ends without him getting a bit violent. Once the feline lets go of his hair, a sigh of relief escapes the man.]

Thank whatever deity that exists.

[He mutters before turning his attention towards the squirrely fellow.]

Oh, her name is Allison? [For some oddity, he's surprised these little buggers have names.] Ah, tell her it's no problem!

It was my fault anyway.

[overnightoaks]

[ Nodding, Henry turns back in the cat's direction and passes on the message with another couple meows. ]

Well! That ended about as peacefully as could be managed, I think!

[ It is at this point that Henry realizes he just started meowing in front of this guy without even so much as introducing himself. ]

Ah—! Hail and well met, friend, my name's Henry Oak.

[erschlagen]

Thank goodness for a translator.

[He mutters under his breath with a hint of sarcasm in his tone. Rosenkrantz doesn't know how that man did it but he's thankful nonetheless. Although, he doesn't quite comprehend how this man knows cat.]

Well met, Henry! I'm Rosenkrantz and I must confess, I'm a little lost here.

[Between that ridiculous maze and all the cats with the vegan food, he doesn't know what the hell is going on anymore.]

Tell me, do you know if this...is real or not?

[He questions in hopes of understanding what's happening here.]

[overnightoaks]

Real?

[ He can certainly related to the feeling of not knowing or not believing the things happening around you. But, fortunately or unfortunately, he's come to learn that the realm of possibility is wider than one might initially think. ]

I think it is, yeah. I think we've found ourselves transported to another realm, is all. So the laws of reality that you might be used to are a little more... relaxed, around here.

[erschlagen]

[That’s a rather measured response but then again, the odd fellow seems to know a thing or two. That’s why Rosenkrantz can’t help but grin a bit. It seems he met a fellow connoisseur of all things strange and abnormal. That’s a good thing, especially since things might become weirder from here on out.]

I think you’re right about that. [He all but whispers once another trio of pesky felines zero-in on them. It seems that their furry hosts are carrying tiny little plates of food for them to nibble on. Why Rosen honestly dislikes the cuisine here, he’s not one to turn down a plate.]

Why thank you, dear. [He says to the orange tabby once they offer him something akin to a tiny acai bowl filled with all sorts of goodies. It’s just a shame that it’s three sizes too small.] But I fear this is just a drop in the bucket for me.

[He peeks over at Henry with a smirk.]

So tell me, how many realities have you crossed? You look like a seasoned adventurer to me.

[overnightoaks]

[ Henry smiles down at the cat offering him an acai bowl, grateful that the food at least meets his dietary preferences. He offers his thanks in the form of a meow before turning back to Rosenkrantz. ]

Oh, well, it's really just the two for me. Sort of back and forth, you know? But... I guess this would be a third!

[ At least, he's pretty sure this place isn't the Forgotten Realms. It doesn't feel quite the same. ]

[erschlagen]

[A snicker briefly escapes Rosen once he heard the meow but he quickly masks it with a cough.]

Three? [The surprise in his tone is telling, especially since most people don't seem to venture beyond just one.] I suppose this would be the third for you but for me, I suppose this is the seventeenth.

[To put it mildly, Rosen has seen some shit throughout his long life.]

I've been reincarnated so many times I forget what century I'm in.

[He admits with a slight sigh before attempting to eat. These bowls are too small and he's not the biggest fan of those fancy little crumbles on top. They just get all over the place.]

[overnightoaks]

Reincarnated?

[ Seventeen worlds is a lot. That's fourteen more than Henry knew or thought existed just yesterday. Thirteen more, now. But, he supposes there must be an infinite number of possible worlds out there, huh? ]

I tried to reincarnate a friend of mine once, but it didn't take. I can't even imagine someone being reincarnated multiple times.

[erschlagen]

It sucks, to say the least.

[Rosen explains tersely after haphazardly tossing the now-empty bowl aside. The bowl bounces off the head of a stray feline before landing neatly within a nearby trash bin. He can't help but smirk a little, especially since the cat in question is angrily meowing at him now.]

I'm not surprised that your reincarnation spell didn't work well. It takes a lot of magic to raise the dead. Thankfully, arkanas are equipped to do just that.

[He gives Henry a fanged smirk before deciding to hastily change the subject.]

What do you know about this realm? Our feline hosts are quite hospitable but they're not very forthright with information.

[overnightoaks]

[ Henry turns to meow a soft apology at the cat person whose head was hit with the discarded bowl, but his attention is caught by the rest of what Rosenkrantz says. ]

Arkanas? I'm afraid that's not a term I'm familiar with.

[ He's familiar with the arcane, being a natural spellcaster, but he's never heard "arcana" used as a plural noun. ]

Well, I'm pretty sure the cats aren't the ones in charge of this realm. There was this fox...? I found it in my kitchen, and followed it here. It seemed to know where it was leading me, but I don't know much else about it.

[erschlagen]

Well, after today you will be. [Rosen says with a cheerful but cheeky little smirk.] That is if you'll indulge me, Henry.

I wouldn't want to be a bother.

[There's just something magical about Henry that interests Rosenkrantz, and no. It's not his charming personality either. He can sense that peculiar magic within him despite how dormant it might be in this realm. An arkana like him can sense even the smallest inkling of magic as long as it exists. It's the manna that exists within dreams that fuels monsters like him.]

Ah, so you saw the fox too? [He questions with a look of surprise within his lone eye.] I thought the little rascal was a fellow arkana but it seems to be something else together.

[Rosen lets out a thoughtful hum as he regards Henry with a critical eye.]

You're a mage, aren't you? Do you have a familiar of some sort?

[overnightoaks]

[ Henry's eyebrows raise a little bit at the mentions of indulgence, and he clears his throat, feeling a little put on the spot all of a sudden. ]

Uh, yeah, I'm a— well, I'm a druid, which I suppose is a sort of mage? But no, I have no familiar.

[erschlagen]

A druid? You don't say...

[He mutters under his breath as he regards this squirrely fellow. Henry doesn't exactly look how he would expect a Druid to appear but he's not going to argue. A little too clean-shaven for his likes but then again, who is he to judge?]

If my memory serves correct, that explains why you're so good with animals?

[Rosen is gesturing towards the playful little cats who are still prancing around happily.]

You should think about getting a familiar or two if that's the case.

Death By a Thousand Cuts

[aisandfyr]

[ It's the insistent snapping that catches Aisthota's attention. It reminds her of someone. Someone she wouldn't expect to meet here, granted, so when Rosencrantz comes into view instead, it's not a huge surprise. Instead, she just smiles down at him (unless he happens to be taller than 7'4") with a gentle curiosity. ]

Are you having trouble?

[erschlagen]

[That insistent snapping comes to an abrupt halt the second Rosenkrantz sees that behemoth of a woman there. He's clearly taken back by the sight of her but he manages to mask it with a charismatic smile.]

My pardons! I didn't quite mean to stare--[He trails off once she asks that question, a little surprised anyone would offer him help. Then again, he's not trapped within Astraea anymore and this woman is no Dream Eater. Besides her unique appearance, she seems like your average humanoid.]

Is it that plain to see? [Rosen asks with a sheepish chuckle.] I can't seem to find my way out of this blasted maze for the life of me.

[aisandfyr]

[ Aisthota's not bothered by any staring. As a performer and world-famous hero, she's more than a little used to capturing attention. ]

I haven't been able to figure it out, either. It's quite curious, isn't it?

[erschlagen]

That it is but not as curious as you.

[He turns away from the woman momentarily, his lone green eye searching for any sort of opening in between all the vines and branches. This is your classic maze all equipped with tiny little razor-sharp thorns hidden within the various roses bushes that surrounds them. While he has a strong love for roses of all colors, their sickeningly sweet fragrance is almost enough to make his stomach turn.

He needs out of this maze now.]

If there's no path, then perhaps we ought to make one.

[Without much hesitation on his part, Rosen grabs the flowing vines and starts pulling at them with all his might. This would've been so much easier if his fire abilities still worked but he's stuck here without his magic for the time being.]

[aisandfyr]

[ Well, she does have a pretty inquisitive nature, but she knows that's not what he means even if she's not entirely sure what it is he does mean. There are some unusual things about her, to be sure, but nothing she would consider perceptible by a normal person at all, much less so readily apparent.

That it would be her height that's so interesting is not a thought that would ever occur to her.

That said, she is aware of her height and accompanying beef. So she gently touches Rosen's shoulder to get his attention. ]

Let me handle it.

[ This is accompanied by a grin and a flex for emphasis. ]

[erschlagen]

[Oh.

He can't help but look somewhat impressed with that flex. While he's no slouch, he can tell this mild-mannered woman has him beat. That's all fine and dandy, but he's a little envious. Just a tad.]

Very well. [He relinquishes his hold over the vines without much ado, stepping aside for his newest companion to try.] However, do be careful not to accidentally prick yourself.

[Rosen mentions while staring down at the little scratches and cuts along his long fingers. Of course they hurt but he honestly doesn't feel the pain too much. Nevertheless, he does feel a little off now. Anxiety isn't something he can easily comprehend or understand, so Rosen has no idea why he feels so fretful over her wellbeing.]

[aisandfyr]

Oh, don't worry about me, I can handle a few scratches!

[ It'd be nice if she was better armored, sure, but she has very definitively Had Worse. She begins pulling some vines from the hedge, and, predictably enough, some thorns get involved along the way. The scratches don't discourage her, though. Quite the opposite, in fact. Every prick makes her feel the need to escape the maze all the more urgently. There are people waiting for her, people she needs to find. People who need her. She can't let them down. She has to get out.

Her face twists into a fierce grimace as she pulls the vines out with increased urgency. ]

[erschlagen]

[The more she tugs and pulls at those vines, the more Rosenkrantz realizes their mistake. There's something about those wicked little thorns. Every time they pricked his skin, he felt something within their malicious bite. It wasn't poison per se but something quite similar to poison that caused him to become fanatic. That's what happening here as this poor woman keeps digging through those viscous vines.

He watches her for a moment longer before suddenly grabbing the woman's wrist. He stops her in min action, his grip like iron. While she might be stronger than him in many regards, Rosen is definitely no slouch.]

Stop. [He all but commands as he looks the Roegadyn woman in her eyes.] This is getting us nowhere and you're sinking further and further into madness.

[His voice is calm and oddly soothing but there's a commanding edge to it.]

We will find another way.