TEST DRIVE MEME #7

[abraxasmods]

TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to the seventh test drive meme for Abraxas! This meme is run a little bit differently than most in that you'll be asked to choose one of the three different arrival scenarios below for your character to take. If you have any questions about this mechanic or anything else related to the TDM, please take a look at the questions below or ask one of your own under the Questions header below. For general game questions please still use the FAQ.

Our Setting pages are full of information on the world of Abraxas, and an overview of the story so far can be found on our Game History page! Anything on that page - including information about the Horizon and the Singularity - can be assumed to be told to newcomers after they arrive, no matter which faction they are received in. For more information on Ambrose and the apprentice mages, Marlo, and Rowan, please see our NPCs page.

You can also find answers to questions asked on previous TDMs in their respective questions threads.

For characters who arrive in SOLVUNN: Recently, following the events in which some of the Summoned received visions of each other's past, locals in Solvunn have begun to approach the Summoned with a sort of awe and respect. Those who arrive in Solvunn will find themselves treated much the same way and may be asked for advice or given gifts that seem like offerings such as wine, harvest bounties, or some incredibly delicious goat cheese. Your character is free to turn these down and should they turn down enough people, they will not be bothered further, out of concern of offending the Summoned.

Arrival

You awaken suspended in the abyss, silent darkness stretching out in all directions. If you try to yell, you'll find that the sound doesn't carry. If you try to move, you'll find it's impossible to tell whether or not you're actually getting anywhere. If you reach for an item you were carrying last time you remember being awake, your hand will only touch bare skin.

You're naked and floating helplessly through the void, and what little air you have in your lungs is running out.

There's a pinprick of light that almost looks like a faraway star but as it grows it becomes clear that it's actually quite close. Through the opening you can see a bright room, but it's hard to make out any individual objects, as if you're looking from beneath rippling water.

Scenario One: Welcome to Thorne

A hand plunges through and you realize water is just what it is. Whether you take hold of the hand or not it will grab you and yank you up through the surface, lifting you out until you're sprawled on solid ground. Once you catch your breath, you can get a better look at the surroundings: tall trees and even taller stone pillars surround the platform you're laying on. Behind you is an ornate fountain, the base of which is so deep and so dark you might be compelled to scramble away from it lest it suck you back in to that endless abyss. Ahead of you are the walls of a large castle with several tall towers reaching up towards the sky.

If you had any powers, they feel unusually weak. Attempts to use magic or enhanced strength or powers of any sort fizzle out without any effect, but they don't feel completely gone, either.

Set into an indent on a marble slab behind the fountain is a card bearing the image of one of the arcana.

An apprentice mage - the one whose hand lifted you out of the fountain - brushes the water off on their robes and runs back to join a group of three others, who all stare intently at a mage with highly decorated robes and a large, heavy book. He peers up at you for a moment and starts flipping through the book.

"One moment," he says, not bothering to look up from the tome. He looks tired. "I am Ambrose Rhett, the High Mage of the Kingdom of Thorne. We’ll explain everything in a moment, but for now, please calm down. You’re completely fine."

Regardless of your response, he keeps flipping through the pages, until he stops on one specific passage, stares at it for a moment, and then sighs with relief:

"Finally!"

Ambrose's expression brightens, relief visible across his features. He waves one of the apprentices over with a fine silk tunic, pants, and some basic sandals and with a wave of his hand they reshape to fit you perfectly.

"Oh, thank heavens," he says, closing the book and approaching you with a sort of worn-out relief. “I was beginning to believe we’d never get it exactly right.”

Now that he's not hunching over the book, he doesn't seem quite so stuffy and inapproachable. The apprentices all seem to visibly relax, and the one that handed you the tunic stops to take the tarot card down from the marble slab. If you show any curiosity about the card, they'll let you take a longer look, but won't let you touch it.

"Please, come with me," he says, motioning for you to follow him towards the castle. "As promised, my pupils will explain your current situation. And, ah - if you had any magic of your own, or other special abilities you can't access right now, fear not, they'll return within the week. The summoning takes a lot out of you."

One of the apprentices steps forward and rattles on and on about the castle, Thorne itself, the names of a bunch of royals and nobles, and of course, your reason for being here. The Kingdom and the world itself is in great peril, and tales of your exploits have reached far and wide across universes. If asked about these exploits, the apprentice will simply smile and shrug. The High Mage was happy to see you and that's good enough.

Once inside the castle you're taken to the North Wing, which has been set up as living quarters for you and your fellow newcomers. There are four people to a room, but each generously-sized bed has opaque curtains that can be drawn around it. You can meet your roommates here and discuss your shared situation (those who were previously brought in may have a great deal of information to tell you), or you can wander around and meet the others.

There's also a dining hall stocked with a rotating 24/7 buffet in celebration of the new honored guests. Somehow, your very favorite food is part of the rotation (or at least an attempted recreation of it given the limited technology available to the Thorneans). The town surrounding the castle is all abuzz as well, with most shops and services willing to give free samples of their wares to the new arrivals.

You may also notice that your sign is embroidered on your tunic: the same image you saw on the card from before with the name of the sign itself beneath it. If you ask the castle residents, they'll tell you a little bit about your sign (and will mostly stick to the positives, although some might point out the negatives).

Last (and, if you ask anyone else in the castle, least) there is a worn stone staircase leading underground to the dungeon. You can go there, if you wish, but all powers are restricted in the dungeons and most of the cells stand empty.

Scenario Two: Welcome to the Free Cities

You find yourself pulled from the water by a pair of strong hands. Dry warmth hits you at once as you're set on a warm hard floor. As your senses return you realize you're on dull ruddy stone and surrounded by strangers. Men and women in unfamiliar uniforms of brown and red leather stand in a semi-circle around a small pool of water. The very pool you were just pulled from. The water is still now, rimmed in pale gold tiles with odd symbols etched into them. Across it on the far side is a raised pedestal with a card propped on it. The card bears an arcana symbol.

You feel weak. Drained. Any abilities or magical powers you have seem far away and impossible to access. You're in what looks like a cave lit by dozens and dozens of torches set into the wall. There's no furniture or decoration to be seen besides the pool. It's almost uncomfortably warm and there's the sound of rushing wind somewhere in the distance. Flickering shadows obscure the faces of the guards. A robed woman stands off to the side, looking at you anxiously and then to the authoritative woman standing before you. She's grinning, dressed in a fancier uniform than the others. There's a sword at her hip. A guard covers you with a blanket and returns to their place in the semi-circle.

The woman with the sword gives a nod of approval and smiles warmly.

"Sorry about the circumstances."

She gives you a good hard look before standing again.

"Take a minute, catch your breath, you've had quite a shock. Take it nice and easy. I'm Prime Minister Marlo Reiner and you're in The Free Cities. That nice lady over there will explain everything to you and get you settled." A nod to the robed woman off to the side.

Marlo Reiner steps back and the robed mage approaches to help you up.

"Come with me, please." She brings you out of the cave through a corridor that angles upwards until you emerge in what looks like some kind of storage facility. Shelves of wooden boxes and cloth bags line them, unidentifiable parts of what might be machines are tucked into corners and propped against shelving units. "This is one of the Free Cities' outposts," the mage explains as she leads you. "We're honored to have you with us, I'm sure you have many questions but please save them. You need to recover!"

You'll learn you're in the Cadens Desert Outpost 003, a military outpost on the outskirts of Cadens city. You're brought to a room in the barracks that's been prepared. Each barracks room is rather sparse and utilitarian. Six simple beds set against the wall, three on each side of the room, each with a trunk at the foot of it. You're told the world is in a delicate and dangerous times and you're needed to help. You're important, you're told, and they're very grateful you're here.

You're asked to stay close for the time being, but to make yourself at home. The outpost is more a proper military base than the name implies, with full facilities. The barracks have a communal bathing room at the end of the hall, with curtains that can be pulled around the individual raised round tubs for privacy. There's a mess hall that has food available from sun up till a few hours after sundown. You're even encouraged to make use of the training grounds, if you'd like, with non-lethal training weapons available for use and obstacle courses set up. And the city of Cadens is only a couple of hours away by wagon - though you're asked initially to please be back at the outpost within a few hours of the sun going down.

For your own safety.

Scenario Three: Welcome to Solvunn

The feeling of floating is the first sense that comes to you as the edges of unconsciousness start to ebb. Sunlight filters through the rippling water as you open your eyes, making you squint. Before you have the chance to panic and inhale, firm hands grasp your arms and pull you to the surface of the water. Moments later, soft warmth is wrapped around your shoulders as you're guided on unsteady legs out of a pool of water. You're lowered to the soft grass. Men and women in simple garments with lavish embroidery stand by, waiting with bated breath, glancing seriously at an old man in an ornate robe. He holds an old leather-bound book in one hand and in the other is a card bearing an arcana symbol. His eyes move quickly over the page, and he mumbles idly to himself.

Any strength you may have possessed feels as though it has slipped through your fingers. Any abilities or magical powers you have don't come to the surface no matter how hard you try. You're in a grassy clearing in the midst of a circle of large stone slabs stacked to look like doorways. In the middle is the same glimmering pool you were just pulled from. A gentle breeze blows through, carrying the scent of flowers and herbs from an ornately decorated altar set off in front of one of the stone doorways. The mage closes his book and steps out of the water, addressing a matronly old woman. Behind her are two younger people, a rough-looking man, and a meek young girl, both of whom are also watching the mage.

“I detect no ill will from the gods, it seems we've been blessed with success.” Those that had gathered all breathe a sigh of relief and now seem pleased.

The old woman smiles and steps forward, offering to take your hands and help you stand. “Any gift the gods give us is one we will happily take. I'm certain you have many questions, and they will all be answered in time. For now, rest and know you will be taken care of.”

She pats the top of your hand and steps away with a serene smile, letting one of the others come forward with some clothes that seem to fit you perfectly. Once you're dressed, someone approaches to drape a delicate-looking charm depicting a butterfly with too many wings on a thin chain over your neck. The rough-looking man from before steps forward once you're decent and motions with his head outside of the stone circle. His speech is informal, his consonants harsh.

“Hold your horses, I can see all those questions coming about! Rowan March, at your service. I'm one of the council members of Solvunn. There's a lot to discuss, but it's best talked about over a hot meal.” He leads you to a horse-drawn carriage and helps you up into the back. He talks the entire ride to the settlement.

You find out you are in the Primary Settlement, the first of three that make up Solvunn's great territory. The settlement is situated between two lakes and is humming with life. You're brought to the center of town and escorted to an apartment above one of the establishments in town. Rowan explains that the living conditions are temporary if you'd like them to be, that local families would also be happy to host you in their home. That there are others like you who have also taken up residence within the three settlements. You're told that the world hangs upon the brink of disaster and that there are those in this world that are happy to see it fall to ruin with their meddling.

You're important. The gods have graced them with your presence. They're delighted you're here. Welcome to Solvunn.

Everything you need has been provided in this humble apartment, and if it hasn't, there are shops that line the streets and a marketplace in the center of town. Owners of some establishments or stalls are more than happy to give out samples or barter with your time for their goods. Babysitting can be a very lucrative business. You're told of the other settlements, that they'd like you to stay here for now, but if you can find a family to host you, the secondary and tertiary settlements are best to get to with an escort.

There are tales of travelers visiting the secondary settlement without invitation disappearing without a trace. The gods are as hungry as they are protective, young traveler.

You’ll find that there are more than enough activities to throw yourself into to better settle into your new life in Solvunn. Work is done in the first part of the day so that families can spend the rest of it together in leisure and work on their crafts - whatever those may be. For those children who are not of school age, they need nannies or storytellers, and there’s always a gaggle of them running about unsupervised. Families with livestock can always take a spare hand, especially since farms are so spread out, they have a tendency to wander. Whatever skills you may possess can always be of use to the community or to honor the gods.

If any of these options are no good for your lifestyle, the main roads between settlements can always use a bit of monster clean-up… just make sure you don’t go alone.

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Questions

How many slots are open?
Please check the Taken page for how many player, franchise, and canon slots are available. Activity check will be processed before applications open, so the count may change between now and then. Existing players can apply for a second character without restriction.

How do I choose a scenario for my character?
Pick whichever situation appeals to you most. Which faction your character is drawn into has nothing to do with their personal morality, beliefs, or how highly they regard themselves and their own accomplishments. Anyone can be put into any one of the situations.

Can I try out more than one scenario?
You can! But please keep in mind that only the one you eventually choose can be game canon, if you decide to keep any of your TDM threads.

What happens if my character refuses to comply with the NPCs?
They will be forgiven for their moment of panic or anger if they have one, and the faction leaders will try to calm them and persuade them further. If they put up too much of a fight and/or start actively attacking anyone, they will be warned once that everyone is willing to put them back in the well where they came from (see below), and if they continue to fight they will make good on that promise.

My character intends on causing a lot of trouble (destroying parts of the cities, murdering the NPCs, etc.), what would happen to them?
Characters who make too much trouble for the mages and other NPCs would be thrown back in the well (which will mean drowning in the void, not returning home). Brawling with other PCs and causing minor damage is fine and will be greeted with a cranky attitude and intervention from various NPC guards, and there will be plenty of opportunity for destruction and murder later, but for now the Abraxans have no desire to keep huge liabilities around.

I want to wildcard a prompt or use one of the prompts from an earlier TDM that isn't on this one (eg. the library), can I do that?
Yes, in terms of the settings. As Thorne is no longer imprisoning any newcomers, that option is no longer applicable.

Is the power loss for characters permanent?
No, but it does take a week or so for their powers to be back in full, and certain powers (determined on a case-by-case basis) may require nerfs. If your character has world-breaking powers, please discuss with the mods what modifications may be necessary.

Can my character leave the bounds of the faction?
In Thorne, characters can leave the castle but not the city. In Cadens, they can take a trip from the outpost to the city. In Solvunn, they can explore the entirety of the Primary Settlement.

Can my character eventually change factions?
Yes. While the faction borders are currently closed, there will opportunities in the future for characters to relocate. For the time being, they are stuck where they are.

How much will my choice of scenario affect my character's plot later on?
This choice will determine where your character initially lives as well as the bias of the information they receive from NPCs (although other PCs can and most likely will give it to them a bit more straight). This decision - and every other major decision you make in game! - will also be used to flavor some mod surprises that will be coming down the line.

Don't get too anxious about this choice, though; this is just one choice you'll get to make in a game that has a lot of them, and every character in every scenario can work their way towards many, many individual goals and outcomes. You're not locking yourself out of anything in the future via the choice you made on the TDM. It will primarily impact the immediate future with the far-reaching effects being up to each player.

Are TDM threads mandatory for my application?
No, you may use other samples, but we encourage you to post to the TDM and get a feel for this game and its mechanics before you join. If you do not have a TDM thread you will still need to choose one of the three scenarios on your application.

What if I haven't settled on a sign yet?
You can ignore sign-related prompts if you're undecided (or try out different signs in different threads).

Can my character go to the Horizon?
First time visitors to the Horizon must be taken there by other characters, through either shared meditation or a physical journey to the Singularity, and all first-timers experience memory loss. For the purposes of the TDM, we suggest against using the Horizon.

What about making use of the network?
Much like Horizon they would need to be introduced to it by another PC, as no NPCs would be aware of the network or be able to access it. Because of this we would advise against using this mechanic for TDM top-levels.

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Comments

honestly being Peak Teenager is probably a good defense for the kid

[thedevilwhorose]

[That, oddly, cracks a genuine smile out of Lucifer, however brief.] Spare time is hard to come by, what can I say. [He knocks knuckles to the tabletop.] Maybe I'll get a bit of a breather here. [Before he flips tables, anyway.] A vacation! Ha! Never thought I'd get one of those. You take advantage of it too, kid. Run wild, or whatever it is your kind does. ["Kind." Like teenagers are a subclass of human.]

[ordinar]

[Honestly, he'll take kid over your highness. If only by a slim margin. Despite the monumentally troubling circumstances, it's kind of nice to just be some kid. An anonymous face, nobody special. Except, apparently he is special in some unknown way to have been summoned here. But he'd rather not spiral down that particular trail of thought right now.]

A vacation to medieval times. Sweet.

[He sounds thrilled. As he carves another bite of chicken, something the man had said suddenly sticks in his brain. It had gotten lost amid the flood of information in that pretentious, cryptic little monologue, but now—]

Did you say you're a king?

[thedevilwhorose]

[Former. Technically. Maybe. Well, the little worm keeping Lucifer's seat warm killed himself, so unless--laughably--someone else crawled out of the woodworks while Lucifer was temporarily stranded on Apocalypse World, it's still his damn title!]

Oh yes. With one of the largest armies at my call.

[ordinar]

[The thing is, he's pretty familiar with all the monarchies in Europe, even if he can't always keep all the names straight. But he has no idea who this man is, which lends disturbing credibility to all this talk of multiple universes. Wilhelm nods to show that he's listening.]

But, I mean, it's not like a title means much here.

[Sheepishness settles in fast as he realizes that was probably the wrong thing to say. He scratches at his eyebrow.]

Sorry, I didn't mean it that way.

[thedevilwhorose]

[Way to take the wind out of his sails. He huffs. Sighs.]

Well, anonymity comes with some perks, I suppose. [But the whole working to prove his value so that he can then make other people do the work is going to be a capital-C Challenge.] Find the advantages you can in a new place and all that. [Free advice! Everyone was so up-in-arms about separating him from his kid, but he's full of useful wisdom. And people never even gave him a chance! Ohhh, just because he was Satan. What a load of]

[ordinar]

[He'd been thinking of his own situation when he said it, of course. Amid everything he already hates about this place — that he doesn't know anybody, that the technology is stuck in medieval times — that's one little bright spot. The weight of his title and all the expectations that come with it lifting from him.]

Advantages...

[He hums in half-hearted agreement as he continues eating. A thought occurs to him.]

Do you actually want to be here?

[thedevilwhorose]

[Lucifer's expression warps into an exaggerated cringe.] I'm awfully sure my world is about to get crunched up into a little ball of destruction so honestly being here is a good out for me. [Unless Michael does come here instead in which case, well. Lucifer's trying to not consider that.] Can't say that's the same scenario for any of the rest of the Summoned.

[ordinar]

[His eyes widen, his expression trapped somewhere between horror and disbelief. He isn't sure how serious the man is, given his blasé delivery of the news, but for good measure he ventures:]

Oh...I'm sorry.

[There's a bit of a questioning lift at the end of the sentence.]

[thedevilwhorose]

[He waves a hand, disinterested, like the world isn't really his concern now that he's not on it.] Something was bound to bowl it over eventually. So yes, you can say I want to be here.

[ordinar]

[He's not sure what to make of someone who could be so nonchalant about the end of the world. Suddenly, he's keenly aware of the possibility that this man has lived not only an extraordinary life, but also an extraordinary lifespan. Pieces of what he's said clunk around in Wilhelm's brain, but he'd rather let them lie there for now. He has enough other things to worry about.]

Um. [He's just so damn eloquent. After a long moment spent cutting up his food, but mostly debating if now is the right time to introduce himself, he offers:] I'm Wilhelm, by the way.

[Should he offer his hand for a handshake? Well, okay, he's going for it.]

[thedevilwhorose]

[There's an odd heartbeat of hesitance then--a crack in Lucifer's overt bravado. Despite all his talk about certainly being brought here for who and what he was... well. Lucifer only ever gets two reactions to his name.]

Lucifer.

[ordinar]

[As if the name is a hot brand, he retracts his hand — a kneejerk reaction. The absolutely insane idea that across from him sits the literal devil flares in his mind for a second, before he dismisses it as an overreaction to all the strangeness of this place. Instead, he goes with a somewhat forced laugh, no more than a lone awkward ha.]

Your parents must've had a weird sense of humor...?

[thedevilwhorose]

[Ah. Of course. He couldn't be so lucky that the he'd escape that reaction, even here.

His lip twitches, barely resisting a sneer, and then he leans back and taps a finger to his embroidered Devil's arcana. Any humor is drained from his voice.] The old man's got some sense of humor, sure, but not for his names.

[ordinar]

[Well, he hasn't gotten around to memorizing all the arcana and their corresponding symbols, so...Lucifer's tapping at his embroidered sign fails to transmit the desired effect. He does have the wherewithal to realize that he's stumbled into some kind of social faux pas, though. The shift in the man's demeanor and the sharp chill in his voice send Wilhelm backpedaling.]

I mean, it's just a name, so...

[In an attempt to mollify Lucifer, he offers an awkward slip of a smile.]

[thedevilwhorose]

[Cute. It's almost kind. Part of him--the self-destructive part--wants to tear into the conversation. Just dig in. Let the kid truly see the monster across the way.

He doesn't need to create more work from himself. As loathe as he is to remind himself, he's tired.

And yet... he can never quite help himself.] Don't forget about its connotations as light-bringing. [He huffs a little.] Everyone else always seems to forget that one.

[ordinar]

[Socializing was a mistake... But at least Lucifer's agitation seems to have abated. Somehow, Wilhelm feels that he understands less about who this man is than he did five minutes ago. He returns to his dinner, less to sate his appetite and more to give him something to do as he figures out what to say.]

Oh, like Lucia. [A ready connection, when it was approaching Christmas back home.] Lucifer. Lucia. I bet they come from the same root word. Probably something Latin.

[thedevilwhorose]

[Maybe because it isn't the response Lucifer is expecting that makes him blink, pausing, head tilt to the side quite like a bird.

Huh.] Yes. [Another blink.] Exactly like that. [He pushes his unfinished plate away from him and stands, snapping once and pointing at the kid.] Get some enjoyment out of your medieval-times vaca. Or become an errand boy, that doesn't require holding a weapon. [Probably.] Small steps first, buddy. Then figure out how to make the waves. [That's his own plan, anyway.]

[ordinar]

[His eyes slide to the unfinished — practically untouched — plate of food, but he decides not to comment on it. He can tell that whatever response Lucifer was expecting, it wasn't that. Well, it was just the first thing that came to mind, so... At least he seems to have left an alright impression on the man. The advice, he thinks, is well-intentioned, so he's probably meant to say something like:]

Uh, thanks. Yeah. I'll try.

[thedevilwhorose]

[If Lucifer knew the kid's struggles he might be mildly impressed. Learning and working on how to read a person and say what he thinks they want to hear is a useful skill. Maybe means he might not be so hopeless in this new place.

But Lucifer doesn't know, not entirely.

He winks and turns away to take his leave. Extracting himself from this conversation isn't running. He's just tired of this meal.]