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serendipitymemes2021-12-03 07:37 pm
serendipitymod) wrote in serendipitymemes2021-12-03 07:37 pm
Entry tags:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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
☆ 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.
Ayazuki Mei | Meiji Tokyo Renka
[A girl in a kimono that looks like a museum relic, but who's frantically fidgeting with the kitsune charm on her modern cell phone, probably isn't the average arrival here. When she notices you, she'll shove the phone into her obi and bow.]
Hello! ...did you come here from somewhere else, too? When did you get here?
celebrations
[If there's one thing Mei seems used to, it's fancy parties; she can be found dancing with the other attendees, chatting with the party-runners politely, and piling her plate high with beef at the food tables. Even so, her mind seems elsewhere, and she looks off sadly for a moment.
Only to beam and wave at you.] Is it strange if this kind of thing feels nostalgic?
secret signs
[Mei looks up at her sign and sighs. Got engaged to somebody she met that night.]
I mean, I suppose, technically...
celebrations
And nobody has tried to take her bow yet. ]
I think it means your life has been very different from mine.
no subject
I -- I guess you're right, but still, it isn't like I grew up with this. It was really just for a month...
no subject
So she laughs, self-deprecating. Sometimes she thinks she'll never understand people who aren't Spartan. ]
Were you able to get used to events like this in just a month? I do not think that would be enough for me.
no subject
signs
Arranged marriage?
[Yeah that's the only reason he can think of for someone to get engaged so quickly.
By the way, his own sign says Prefers cats to people.]
no subject