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.

---

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

claude von riegan | fire emblem: three houses | free cities

[godshattering]

i. EXPLORING CADENS

OPTION A ➵ [ Claude's never been one for staying in one place, and that's not about to start now. Not even with that ominous warning about being back well before sundown - what's up with that? Still, as soon as he wanders through the outpost and finds the wagons traveling to Cadens he's immediately on board for going. Surely it has to be better than staying out here, or at least there's a lot more he can learn by going somewhere more populated. Especially if these mages aren't going to answer any of his questions. (He has several.)

When others load into the wagon and this trip gets on the road, so to speak, Claude's realizing he 1) has to spend a good amount of time with people he knows nothing about, and 2) maybe that's not so bad. It's a chance to get some information if he keeps his ears open, whether it's about whatever this place is or if... anyone from Fodlan made it here with him or if he's totally alone. Either way, nothing seems remotely familiar at all. For a second, that sensation almost feels like a trip back in time.

The ride is good for some quiet contemplation; it helps him get his thoughts in order and come up with a few plans. Claude reaches his limit on staying quiet when Cadens' outskirts are finally in sight. He finally makes eye contact with whoever's sitting across from him and gives them a nod of acknowledgement, greeting, and everything in between. Sorry if you wanted peace and quiet for these last few minutes, stranger, because you're about to be bothered by someone who's not only going the same direction you are but also wants to know all about you. ]

How's it going? You need any help with whatever you're heading into the city to do?

-----

OPTION B ➵ [ When he makes it to Cadens proper, the first thing he does is end up wandering through the market. It's the best way to get to know a new location, he's found; one can learn so much simply from what's for sale. Not to mention the glorious amount of people watching to pick up local customs, learn some gossip, maybe eyeball the food. Claude passes by those food stalls with no small amount of regret thanks to eating a hearty meal before he traveled here, but makes a note of which ones to come back to. He's also quick to ask people for information like their favorite shops, cafes, everything in between. Plants, secondhand books, and board games are things he's most interested in finding sources for. Got any tips for him? By the way, you can also win him over by offering food or where to find it.

Once he's done collecting all that information to sift through later, he pauses at an intersection in roads and first eyes the sky. It says he has plenty of time left - assuming sunrise and sunset works the same way everywhere - and a turn down another street reveals all the museums he could ever want. Which is dangerous, since he could definitely spend hours and hours on just those alone so after a while, Claude moves on from the museums of medicine and art and steps back outside, meaning to look for somewhere to eat off that list of places he'd received.

But instead he ends up wandering in The Hall of Natural Relics because he's curious if it'll match any of what he knows as relics from home. It turns out he's there on the day someone is lecturing on one of the exhibits. He loiters around the crowd while they finish their talk as to not be rude, and once it seems to turn into something like a question and answer session he carefully taps someone standing nearby on the shoulder to get their attention. ]

Hey, I came in at the end and I think I missed most of whatever was said. What was this about?

ii. HANGING OUT AROUND THE OUTPOST

OPTION A ➵ [ Eventually, he does return to the outpost with slight regret over not being able to take it all in at once. But considering he doesn't know the rules around here just yet it's hard to know what ones can be creatively bent, so best to not take any chances. Over the next few days, he'll make several more trips back and forth just for something to do.

But when he's around the barracks, Claude can be found in the mess hall trying all kinds of different foods. (Seriously, he loves food.) He might be taking advantage of this whole free (or "free") meal thing, and if he's not finding fellow Summoned to get to know over a meal, he'll dining by himself maybe with a book or two he's found in front of him. He's open to anyone coming to sit with him if he is alone, whether you've met before or not, so don't be shy!

Or one evening, he's wandering into the mess hall before it closes for the night in hopes of getting some hot water for some late night tea. Claude's also lost in his thoughts over maybe heading out a little ways into the desert - assuming no guards object - to do some stargazing. Being distracted when he rounds a corner means he's not paying attention and either slams into someone or nearly does but he's quick to grab onto them to steady them. ]

Sorry! I wasn't paying attention at all. [ If you drop whatever you were holding, he's equally quick to bend down to pick it up. Or clean it up, if it was food or drink that's now spilled, which the latter also leads to: ] And sorry for this too. Can I get you another... whatever this is?

-----

OPTION B ➵ [ The training grounds are his next stop to burn off something like nervous energy, though he prefers to think of it as just staying sharp. And speaking of that - these weapons are not. He's quick to browse through the weapons rack, noting that while each is in perfect condition they're also perfectly dull. They're perfectly serviceable, he decides as he looks through them, just... not at all what he would have expected from what he's figured out is a military base, even if it's not the kind he recognized at first.

For a while, he can be found testing out the bows on the archery targets. Partially to entertain himself, and maybe to show off if someone just so happens to be watching, Claude goes through a variety of trick shots before moving on to showcasing his accuracy. Bows have been a staple in his life since he was a child, and it shows. He wouldn't say no to someone stepping up for a friendly (or unfriendly) challenge!

When he tires of archery, he heads back inside to the weapon racks and picks up a sword to study it. At the sound of footsteps and when someone enters his line of sight from wherever they were training or whatever they were up to, Claude looks up and holds up the sword in his hand. ]

Guess we really are important if they're giving us things duller than the training weapons at my old academy. [ It's said dryly, and they might get the impression he's kidding. He's not about that last part. ] How'd you fare with what you used? Better yet, wanna practice together?

iii. WILDCARD

( I'm up for anything you send my way and I can also write a different starter if you'd prefer. Feel free to PM for that or if you have any questions! I'm also open to the other arrival scenarios as well. )

i-A

[assembles]

[ Steve hasn't said much during the wagon ride, mainly because he's pretty sure he's already gotten under the skin of a good portion of the superior officers at the outpost by being unruly. That isn't enough to stop him, but if he keeps it up on the ride to Cadens he might very well end up getting thrown off and told to walk. Which he would, if it came to that, but right now it's in his best interest to behave if he wants to get to the city proper.

He passes the time by taking in his surroundings. Now that he's moved outside the limits of the outpost, the world is starting to feel that much more real. The road is well-paved, clearly used for frequent trips back and forth — all of that checks out. Beyond that there isn't much to see but lifeless desert, at least until the city of Cadens becomes visible in the distance.

At that point he shifts closer to the front of the wagon to get a better look, not that there's much to see with the high walls surrounding the city. Still, it's huge compared to the outpost, and that at least means he'll have more people to question.

Speaking of which—

He glances over when one of the other passengers speaks up, clearly addressing him. They'd done little more than nod to each other and exchange a few words upon entering the wagon, just the bare minimum of what was expected on public transportation before it got obnoxious. Steve looks the young man over. He's friendly enough to have offered help, and that's something, even if Steve doesn't necessarily need it. ]

I can't say I've got a full dance card or anything. I want to get a lay of the land.

[ And chances are he won't be making his way back to the outpost, despite everything he's been told. But he's not going to say that here. ]

[godshattering]

[ The full dance card reference totally goes over his head. It's not a phrase he's heard before but he thinks he gets the general point, so Claude just nods as if to say sure, definitely know how that goes. The more important point of what he just heard is he's found someone else curious about what's going on here. Or whoever this man is at least seems curious if they're both on a wagon bound for the unknown, and that's good enough for Claude. ]

You and me both. I felt like I was going to lose it staying out there any longer since I'm not good at being idle.

[ Said very casually, like they're just discussing the weather, but it's also with a rather pointed glance down the benches they're seated on, and specifically one end near where they'd all boarded to take their seats.

Right before the wagon had departed he'd noticed a mage slip in at the last minute to take a seat. Said mage currently seems occupied with the book she's been reading for the last however long - he might've been checking a few times, just because, and she is turning pages now and then - and doesn't seem to be listening, but Claude looks back at his new found companion with an expression that suggests he doesn't totally buy that before he shifts it back to something more neutral. Also just in case. ]

Anyway, I hear Cadens has a lot to offer so I was planning on scoping things out. Someone else told me the city center's a good place to start: lots of places to browse, people tend to gather. The usual.

[ And, you know: somewhere that's theoretically not full of guards watching their every move. ]

[assembles]

[ While there might have been ways to not stay idle back at the outpost — making use of the training grounds, for one thing — Steve knows what the kid is getting at. Anything they might do at the outpost also involved tacitly agreeing to be part of this nation's military, and it's hard to imagine that any of the summoned would jump at that idea.

The city of Cadens will hopefully have more to offer.

Steve does catch the glance that the kid sends in the direction of the mage tucked in at the back of the wagon. There's nothing more than needs to be said or indicated, he's already watching what he says. At one point in his life Steve might have been less aware of this sort of thing, but after being on the run for a year, he's all too used to it.

He nods to the kid, one hand brushing back through his hair which is starting to droop from the heat. ]

That makes sense, but it's a good piece of info. It sounds like we might be headed the same way, in that case.

[ Steve mainly wants to ensure that it doesn't become awkward, some situation where they bid each other farewell and then end up going the exact same direction nonetheless. He's fine to explore by himself, but he gets the sense that the stranger might be looking for a buddy. ]

[godshattering]

Oh, probably. Seems like there's a handful of places everyone tends to go when they make the trip in from the outpost, or so I've heard.

[ Mostly from meandering around the outpost, not exactly eavesdropping but close enough to learn what he could about... well, everything he possibly could, just in case it proved to be useful at some point. And it's not like Claude is particularly eager to name a specific place as a destination outside of a vague area like he'd already said; that still falls under staying on the 'safe' side of things by assuming their oh so gracious benefactors would have an interest in whatever they're up to at any given moment.

He does, however, note the hand through the hair and its slight drop and offers a smile that lands somewhere between sympathy and empathy. He knows how that goes all too well even if this weather reminds him of home. ]

I take it it's not this hot where you're from? If it helps, you do get used to it after a while though I won't say it's always pleasant on the really warm days. Drink a lot more water than you think you need and that'll help too.

Or go out mostly in the evening instead of - [ a gesture around them with a grin meant to poke fun at their current situation - ] being stuck on a wagon in the middle of the day when it's the hottest and there's no breeze.

[assembles]

[ They're best off keeping it vague for now. Maybe they'll decide to stick together after exiting the wagon, maybe they won't, but they don't need to give the other passengers who might be active members of the military any additional information about their plans and whereabouts.

At first Steve thinks their conversation might lull into silence there, at least until they reach their destination, but the stranger seems to be in the mood for chatting after the long ride — which is fair. He's even got some advice, and Steve sends him a small smile in response, good-natured even if it's nothing he hasn't already heard.

That being said, he is feeling the heat far more than he would otherwise. With the serum not working as intended, he's more aware of the severe temperature. It's nothing like how Brooklyn's humidity would affect him way back when, at least.

At that last remark, he huffs out a brief laugh. ] Almost makes you wonder why they don't send these wagons out after sundown, but I guess there's a lot of back and forth. [ And maybe it wasn't safe out here at night. He's heard a few soldiers talk vaguely about the sorts of creatures that can be found further out in the desert.

Steve takes a moment to grab for the water container they gave him. It's no S'well bottle, closer in design to what he'd had during the war, but it gets the job done. After he takes a generous swig of water, he asks the kid: ] Are you from a desert like this?

[godshattering]

I heard something about monsters being out at night, but I haven't really been able to get anyone to tell me exactly what kind of monster we're dealing with here. Back home we have some that can be as tall as a building, so I'd rather not run into that.

[ Especially without weapons of any kind, and what little magic he knows apparently out of reach for time being. Being unable to defend himself properly concerns him more than anything else, really; being bereft of a quality bow or even just a mediocre dagger doesn't make him any more inclined to go too far out into the desert by himself. He'd been studying what was passing by them idly until the stranger speaks up again, at which point he shifts his gaze back to him. ]

More or less. Right now I live - or maybe lived, since who knows what's going on with this place - somewhere else for the past few years where the whether is way more mild overall, but where I grew up and lived for most of my life was in the desert. It's making me a little homesick. Well, minus the wagon part. If this was home we'd be traveling on wyverns instead of a wagon. And I have to say, being up in the air and getting the wind moving that way makes this a lot more tolerable.

[ It occurs to Claude there's a good chance, based on who he's met lately and learning about their worlds compared to his, Steve is perhaps not the 'soaring around on wyvern' type. Or maybe doesn't even know what they are, but. They can cover that if it comes up. ]

Anyway. What's it like where you're from?

[assembles]

[ Tall as a building? That's nothing new for Steve either, not since the Battle of New York, but it's worth noting that this Summoned also comes from a place where that kind of thing exists. They hadn't seen any trace of monsters on the trip over, so that probably means they'd need to venture out much further into the desert in order to catch sight of them. ]

You too, huh? Well, hopefully it's nothing like that. I can handle a few small fry.

[ Once the serum is back in working order, anyway. Not that Steve wouldn't also try as he is now if push came to shove, but that doesn't seem to be necessary.

At first what the stranger explains all seems normal enough, but then he speaks of riding wyverns and Steve tilts his head. ]

Is that some kind of... winged creature? [ If he's remembering correctly. ] We definitely don't have those. We use airplanes to cover long distances. Or cars and motorcycles, for land travel.

[ Transportation infrastructure has been heavily impacted since the Snap, but he doesn't need to get into all of that. ]