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Serendipity Mod Journal ([personal profile] serendipitymod) wrote in [community profile] serendipitymemes2021-12-03 07:37 pm
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test drive meme #1

TEST DRIVE MEME #1
Welcome to Serendipity's first test drive meme!

TDM threads can be considered game canon if everyone agrees to it.
Any questions about the TDM can be asked in the mod questions thread.
Questions about the general game mechanics, setting or locations, or magic can be asked on their respective pages.

i. ARRIVAL


It was a beautiful dream, complete with a sobering and tantalizing choice.

The awakening is just as beautiful, and you wake slowly, comfortably and completely on your own time, eyes blinking open to take in the surroundings. You are floating in the center of a pool of pink-tinted liquid, just a little thicker than water, just thick enough that the floating takes no effort. Dressed in a soft white cotton robe, you find yourself staring at the high domed ceiling of a round room lined with huge windows that let in the afternoon sunlight, a little pale and washed out with the cool midwinter temperature and the reflection of light snowfall outside.

Inside, it is warm, the liquid you float in close enough to your body temperature that you can barely feel it as it moves over your skin. Thick vines climb the walls, weaving in and out between the windows and occasionally over them, throwing thick organically-shaped stripes here and there across the room. Once you fully awaken and stand up and exit the water, you will find towels to dry yourself beside a neatly stacked bundle of your clothing (all very precisely mended) and any other items you might have had on your person when you made the decision to stay. You are left alone, given time to sort yourself out and get changed, and it is only when you decide to leave the antechamber with the pool through a single open arch and make your way into the courtyard of the castle that you will be approached.

The people who greet you are warm and welcoming, wearing robes of different colors depending on the House they're affiliated with - green for Life, blue for River, brown for Stone, and yellow for Sun. These representatives explain to you where you are and what you've agreed to and answer any questions you might have. After this conversation, you are given your tablet and walked through how to use it, then taken on a tour through the various House accommodations so you can choose which suits you best, and offered to be taken to the stables should you have a mount, large pet, or vehicle that's come through with you.

ii. WELCOME HOME


In honor of the first new arrivals to this empty little valley, the heads of the Houses have decided to set up a little party in the largest ballroom in the Castle. It's a simple gathering, primarily a feast with live music, dancing, and games. The ballroom is lit up with candles and strings of magical fairy lights, there is a large table lined with chairs and loaded with simple farm-to-table type foods - roast chicken and beef, baked and mashed potatoes, buttered and roasted vegetables, bread rolls and loaves of bread intricately braided into various shapes, several types of stews and curries made with goat, mutton, beef, and chicken served with flat fried breads, and an assortment of pastries, tarts, and cakes. To drink, there will be mulled wine and mead, beer and a few spirits, and a wide variety of juices and other non-alcoholic beverages. The crowning achievement is a small ice cream bar with various flavors of ice cream and chocolate and caramel sauces.

☆ a. CELEBRATIONS The rest of the room has been mostly cleared aside from some couches and armchairs set up around the edges of the room for people to rest in. Throughout the evening, several small bands play a variety of music meant for dancing and an entire large section of the room is dedicated to games - darts, tabletop sports games, cards, chess, and a game something like Pictionary or charades. Characters are welcome to mingle, dance, and play games with each other and with NPCs that will be more than willing to ask characters to dance or join them in a game.

☆ b. HOUSE PRESENTATIONS In a smaller room adjoining the ballroom, each of the Houses has set up a booth of sorts, meant to describe the interests and focus of each House as well as to demonstrate the types of magic that each house specializes in. Here, characters can observe mages from each House performing complicated spells or brewing potions and offering samples.

The spells performed will generally be complex, high-level spells intended to be impressive displays of what each House's magic can do. Characters can be temporarily changed into animals, have their worries erased for a few hours, become intangible, or be allowed to breathe underwater for a time, among many other types of fantastical spells. The samples of potions are good for an hour or so of effect and can cover a wide range of effects - intoxication and euphoria, enhanced luck, temporary infatuation, forced truth, the ability to speak to animals, and a host of other magical effects.

House booths are not recruiting, characters are not asked to join any of the Houses or ally with them, but they are showing off to try to tempt characters to sign up with their House to learn magic.

☆ c. SHARING IS CARING In another smaller room adjoining the ballroom, characters are invited to talk about their homes, show off their own abilities, or share something cultural from their own worlds. There will be a near-constant stream of interested NPCs as well as other characters who may watch or listen. Tell a folklore story from your country, perform a folk song, show off your superhuman abilities, or share anything else that reminds you of home in an enthusiastic sharing of culture.

iii. SECRET SIGNS


Towards the middle of the evening, a 'game' is announced - the Secret Signs. A magic spell will be cast on the room at large, and characters will find a glowing inscription above their heads that reveals a minor but relatable secret of theirs, or functions as a sort of 'shaming sign' betraying a minor relatable misbehavior that the character indulges in. These inscriptions will remain for a few hours, and characters are encouraged to mingle, observe other people's inscriptions, and try to find common ground in these inconsequential secrets or guilty pleasures.

However, the spell isn't perfect, so some characters may have no inscriptions, or false accusations or untrue secrets displayed and have to deal with the fallout of that. Alternately, if players wish it, deeper secrets or wrongdoings may be exposed completely by accident.

iv. GREENHOUSE INVASION


On the day after the party, a call goes out on the tablets for the assistance of anyone who's able - the Greenhouses, which provide most of the food for the current population, are being invaded by pests! These pests are rodents about the size of very large rats that like to eat the ripened fruit and vegetables that have taken months of careful cultivation to grow. They are exceptionally good at climbing and the females of the species are capable of short flights using little 'wings' similar to those of a flying squirrel. When they're cornered, they have a nasty bite that can cause people trying to catch them to experience extremely strange surreal hallucinations.

It's very important that these pests be cleared out of the Greenhouses, because they are the source of most of the foods that characters will be eating, especially considering it's mid to late winter and growing things outdoors won't be happening for a while. It's your first opportunity to really contribute to your new community!

v. NETWORK


Each character's tablet will light up at some point during the first few days and open a new entry with a blinking prompt: Tell everyone something about yourself. Where are you from? How old are you? What was your family like? What is your favorite food or color?

Or characters are welcome to post up their own network-based prompts.

NAVIGATION








mirrorvisitor: (008)

Ophelia | The Mirror Visitor

[personal profile] mirrorvisitor 2021-12-11 10:50 pm (UTC)(link)
[I] WELCOME HOME -- SHARING IS CARING;
[It was definitely a bad look to start her acquaintances with these House Leaders as well as her fellow... visitor? Helpers? Whichever it was, it was definitely a bad look to start everything off by not starting it off. Her mind is so full of what had just happened in her own world and all the explanations of this one that what she really needs is a few quiet moments to contemplate on them. Not very long of course she is far too used to being thrown into the thick of things with the vaguest of explanations already. It helps that Ophelia isn't much of a party person to begin with.

She had availed herself of the food however and had wandered into this particular small room with a tart in hand. Her scarf was animated as ever and busy flicking whatever crumbs she dropped onto it from her tart off of itself. The brief time apart when she had first awoken where it had thrown all her clothing into the floor in it's writhing anxiety had served to make it a little more docile for the moment.

One of the natives of the world mingling among the rest of them is the first to ask her for a folklore story from her world. The woman who was little more than a mass of brunette curls wrapped up in a scarf seems to look somehow tired at the very thought.]


If I may be honest, I only know one folklore story off the top of my head at the moment. And the last time I told it things went very poorly for me.

[II] GREENHOUSE INVASION;
[While Ophelia quite doubted she'd be much use in terms of pest control she decided she really ought to at least try. She isn't half the workaholic her husband might be but Ophelia wasn't one who liked to stay idle. Particularly not after the months sequestered to a house and then the further months playing valet. Doing something voluntarily and not under duress sounded almost novel.

In the span of the five minutes she had been here Ophelia had already managed to trip over her own feet at least twice. Her scarf did give one winged rodent a really good slap but that did little but daze the creature. Ophelia is in the middle of adjusting her glasses once more as she ducks beneath one very unhappy flying roden all while speaking up to the person nearest her.]


Perhaps we could design some sort of trap to catch them in? If they like the produce so much we could bait it with that.
[III] NETWORK;
[A basic introduction session? Well, there's no harm in that. She doesn't need to hide who she is here.]

I'm from an Ark called Anima. My family is quite loud honestly but I'm used to it. It's more odd to be in quiet spaces than loud and active ones for me... but I've gotten used to the quiet spaces too.
[IV] WILDCARD;
[Want to drag Ophelia into some games during the Celebrations? Have her trip into you while wielding some odd potion? Feel free to toss idea or tags at me! PMs are open for any questions.]
fishermansweater: (Default)

ii.

[personal profile] fishermansweater 2021-12-12 07:33 am (UTC)(link)
[ Finnick has not been tripping over his feet. He moves with all the confidence of a man who's trained extensively in physical activity and hand-to-hand combat. He's been fighting the rodents off with a trident, knocking them out of the air or spearing them on the ground. He'd only noticed the young woman only really because anyone around him is a factor to consider, especially if she might fall into one of the rodents and get into danger.

But her suggestion is actually a good one. Finnick lowers his trident, and looks around. ]


Good idea. See any rope around? I could make a snare or a net.
mirrorvisitor: (015)

[personal profile] mirrorvisitor 2021-12-12 07:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[Rope. At first she considers her scarf but dashes that away quickly -- it was a pet, not a tool after all. Though speaking of tools the announcement had referred to this as a greenhouse so there must be tools around.

Ophelia turns in place, her scarf swiftly deflecting another flying rodent with a sharp flick of it's tasseled end before her gaze lights on a table off to one corner packed with pots and other such things for this particular greenhouse. It's tidy but she imagines if she digs for a bit...]


I'll search the tool bench if you'll watch out for the rodents for a moment.

[Or even if he doesn't apparently because there she goes, traipsing off only to start digging around the table. She does get there injury-free and does most of the digging before she unceremoniously smashes her head on the underside of the table while searching below it. She rises up a little dirtier for her efforts, hair tousled and one hand reaching for the top of her head but with ball of twine in her other hand as well.]

Will this do?

[Frankly she doesn't know a thing about snares or nets beyond some images she saw in a Reading one time. She hadn't the clarity of memory back then to remember the details either.]
fishermansweater: (Default)

[personal profile] fishermansweater 2022-01-04 01:34 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Fortunately, Finnick is already watching for the rodents when she wanders off; watching out for things is instinctive to him a lot of the time, as it is with a lot of the victors. He's watching, and he sees when one of them scampers through the door and across the floor towards his companion. He swats at it with his trident, sending it flying even though it's not one of the ones with wings.

He hears a thumping sound behind him and shoots a glance backwards to see what's happened. It's not obvious at a glance, until she reappears with a hand on her head like she's rubbing an injury. More important, though, is the twine she's found. ]


Yeah. That's good. I can make a snare or net out of pretty much anything. If we can set up some bait I should be able to hook up a trap.