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Welcome to the first Test Drive Meme for

escordvi! Anyone can participate in the test drive, regardless of invite eligibility. Just keep in mind that only those who have received invitations from the mods can actually reserve on August 25th and apply on September 1st. Our Interest Check can be found here.

For your toplevel, please include the following: Character Name | Canon | Armada Choice. If undecided, put "Undecided" for the Armada.

For everyone's convenience, TDM threads can be carried over in game if you wish! If you are still unsure which armada to place your character, you can play it a bit loose and vague in the TDM and make retroactive changes if you carryover the threads. We'll have more armada focused prompts in the opening log in September. The log itself is set to cover the next two weeks, until the end of the month. Characters will appear at random intervals during this time rather than all at once, so players have some more flexibility on how much more adjusted they are for someone else.

IMPORTANT REMINDER FOR MAGIC USERS!! All magic abilities will be "sealed" until characters get their tattoo from the Inkwave parlor in Eltrut. That means no magic on the starter ships before docking.

We do require TDM threads for samples for our application!

If you have any question about the TDM, comment here. If you have questions about the game in general, please comment to the Game Info.

TOPLEVEL DIRECTORY (Updated August 28)

STARTER SHIPS: ORIENTATION

There are two ships that serve as starting ships for each armada: Stormbringer for the Corsairs, and Royal Fortune for the Paladins. There are various ways new arrivals—or riftfarers as they will be called, among other creative names—will appear on or by these ships.

🚪 Random room. It could be empty, filled with crates or supplies; down in the hull where the livestock are kept; have the luck to awaken in a bed...or the misfortune of that bed already occupied; somewhere in the kitchens; in the bathroom—any room! Now let's hope the doors can open or someone may have to try and ask for help. Or jump through the porthole if there is one and it's above water.
⛵ On deck. If not in the ship itself, another possible spot to wake up to is somewhere on the maindeck. If they're lucky, they're on the deck itself. More unfortunate souls may find themselves caught in the sails or netting, the crow's nest, or on the top of the masts. Someone should be able to help, right? Or catch.
🌊 In the water. The most unlucky sods will find themselves appearing in mid-air just past the ship and plummeting straight into the water. Good news, there's always someone on the look out for such a thing and calls for help to throw a lifesaver get the rowboat will be made. Are there sharks? Well... ...Are there?

However the new riftfarers arrive, they will be poorly clothed, practically rags or loose uniforms depending on the ship. Fortunately, veteran crewmates will guide them, escorting them to a room with a strange typewriter in it. After typing their name, the typewriter will magically continue and type by itself at a fast pace until it dings and rolls out the paper. This paper will have the following information:

• Name and Shellphone ID (journalname)
• Armada (Corsair or Paladin, will match the starter ship)
• Cabin Number for their personal cabin on the starter ship
• Apartment Address for their personal address at their base armada location
• A basic map of the starting locations in Eltrut, including written directions (continued in the Eltrut section)
• A basic map of where they can find a chest with their original clothes and belongings (this will be different for every person and will be anywhere either on the starter ship or on Eltrut—players can be creative here).

After that, the crewmate will do their best to explain the basics of how they got here, what's going on, and what they'll need to do to live in Escordvi while they are here, giving them a small leather pouch with money. They will be reaching Eltrut soon, so the crewmate will suggest they look around, meet the others who have arrived. Even from their distance, they will be able to see the giant sea turtle that serves as Eltrut's leviathan.

ELTRUT: FIRST GLIMPSE

After reaching the port of Eltrut, several birdfolk will appear and happily greet all the new arrivals from both starter ships. Here it doesn't matter which side they are affiliated with, as long as they keep those swords and weapons sheathed and not pointed at each other's throats. The birdfolk will even act as guides, showing them the main places they should visit and give them a visitor's map to help guide them.

🐚 Microshell. The first stop that is encouraged will be Microshell, the main store to acquire their own personal Shellphone. The paper they received on their starter ship will have their ID and the staff at the store will set them up, explaining how the device and the network works.
✒️ Inkwave, Tattoo Parlor. The next stop is Inkwave, a tattoo parlor run by a very burly but friendly octopus, Knistej. Here everyone receives their own unique magic tattoo, allowing anyone to cast specific single element spells and other magic. Note: tattoos are required before anyone will be able to use their original magical abilities.
📜 MANTA office. The final stop is the MANTA office, where all the request, mission, and task notices are posted. Each armada has their own branch office for armada specific notices as well. A great place to find jobs to earn some cash so they don't stay a hobo forever.

It's a lot to take in for sure, with the port city bustling with all walks of life. Not only do they have both armadas mingling with each other, there are different races and species from all over Escordvi gathered here. It's not just humans, which many riftfarers always seem to be surprised about. There are also plenty of veteran riftfarers who will gladly give some advice and even share stories of their world. Maybe some are familiar.

After finding their belongings, exploring the town, and meeting other people, being able to just sit back and enjoy a drink and warm meal will be in order. While there are plenty of places to choose from, the Minstrel and Cask will be the top recommended tavern for all newcomers to visit at least once. Great drinks, great food, and can learn a lot from the patrons or meet more people.

Of course, as expected of a highly popular tavern, it's not always peaceful. A man will ask travelers what they want to do with their life. Clearly drunk, he only accepts answers that hint at wanting to find riches. If told this he will give out a treasure map. But if told anything else, he'll put up a fight, hoping to deliver a black eye. Those who do receive the map will be sorely disappointed—it will lead them down a long, winding, circuitous path around town and end at a random outhouse, likely occupied and certainly stinking to high heavens. There's likely some kind of moral here, but at some point, others who have been duped will return to the tavern to sling their fists around.

Looks like another tavern brawl for the night.

QUESTS

For those who want to try their hand at some quests, there are a few that would do well for newcomers. Teaming up is of course encouraged, no matter what the affiliation. You can assume they acquired some kind of ship for the quests out at sea, either the starter ship or some other ship heading out there.

Spicy Squid Eating Challenge

Eltrut Port

There is a traveling food ship (think food truck but on the water) that has been going around challenging ships to their extraordinary Hornswaggle's Spicy Squid Eating Challenge. If participants can scarf down a prepared three-pound bowl of exceptionally spicy ghost pepper squid and rice, they will win their meal for free as well as a crate of dried spicy squid for their ship's stores. If participants fail, they will have to pay for the meal and the crate.

...Careful, are some of the squid tentacles still moving?

Coral Reef Snacks

Eltrut

Rumour has it that certain types of coral reefs contain unique properties that can make you more alluring to the one you desire, but no one is sure what the side effects are. Test this out by trying to crunch into chunks of coral reef pieces to see if there are any added effects on your body. Hopefully, they don't ruin your teeth in the meantime.

Oh, and you have to find the correct coral reef too! Red chunks seem to make you more affectionate towards others, while blue chunks seem to make you more volatile towards others. Eaters, beware!

Giant Sea Slugs

Starter Ships

Giant sea slugs tend to only attack ships if they feel threatened but are otherwise peaceful creatures. They're about the size of a large wild cat. They also secrete a slime that contains strong disinfectant properties. This thick slime is highly sought after for its ability to heal wounds cleanly, so kill them and collect as much slime as possible.

Killer Sharkgulls

Eltrut port and ships

Seagulls can be a pain to most ships. Yet, seagulls that have evolved to be violently carnivorous can be even worse. These new birds, effectively named sharkgulls, have been seen attacking ships and ports alike. They are big enough to eat small children in one gulp or will do their best to eat full-grown humans after they've ripped them to bite-sized shreds. Beware and kill them before they can kill you!

Siren's Serenade

Out at Sea

A merchant's ship has crashed upon an outcropping of rocks after being lured in by a group of rogue sirens. These captivating creatures possess the power to ensnare their prey with their enchanting voices, luring unsuspecting souls into the depths to meet the grim fate of drowning.

Search for the missing ship and help rescue the captive sailors before it's too late! You will be supplied with special earplugs to muffle out the siren's voices so be careful to keep your ears effectively plugged. You don't want to succumb to the siren's bloodlust yourself.

Any sailors or rescuers affected by the siren's song can be treated with a harpy's potion that can reverse the song's effect. Or tie up the afflicted for twenty-four hours to wait out the effects.

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[He watches with a slight amused look, sensing she is liking it more than she's letting on. Mostly by the fact that she isn't rejecting it or asking for something else. But he'll be nice and not stare at her with that satisfied smirk for long and look back at the other holsters available.]

Seeing that, though, think I might want one myself...

[ Even G'raha would likely balk at what has been done in the name of magic in Thedas. Thankfully, it doesn't operate the same way for his own star. Aetherial manipulation comes rather naturally to most of the Spoken races and even many of the other creatures of the land. One's ability to perform magic is limited to how well they can channel aether.

But he is also not a fan of some kind of artifact that has the ability to do this on such a grand scale. It worries him, knowing what he does about the Allagan Empire and how they had been able to manage their own triumphs. ]

Aye, that it does. Shall we go about attempting to find them? They could well be here on the ship, same as mine. Others have received a map with the location of their own belongings etched upon it.

[ ehhh, it's the same thing right. Xenk shakes his head once more. ]

It seems the fair and equitable arrangement would be for each of us to do half the work. Yet, we both engaged the creatures.

[ Do you hear the math going on in his head, Astarion? Cutting your portion might be the lawful thing to do. But Xenk moves on to the next slime, letting that statement hang in the air. ]

[ Hmm. Dodging the question or is it honesty? Probably dodging the question just a little. Cloud's not going to push. After all, he certainly hasn't tried to do anything without the use of his own materia. Of course it would feel different so there's probably some partial truth there anyway. ]

Wouldn't know. Magic isn't something we can do without materia.

Zack. Your "meal or two" is the average person's five or six.

[ Hopefully the jobs that come up will pay enough. Honestly he has no idea how fast Zack actually burns through calories now. Is it the same? Will it be different here?

Is any of that even going to matter? ]

[She frowns at him.]

You seem pretty confident of that... What happened to wanting to be prepared for anything?

[She arches a brow.]

What? Is the case I picked out for you not enough?

[It fits nicely into his pocket as well. Men really do have it lucky, don't they?]

[ No one has ever accused him of being lawful, but he can be convinced to do things without much hassle. So he pulls out his (non-radiant) dagger and walks up to one of the slugs, though his displeasure remains Very Obvious, Thank You. ]

Fine.

[ For all he was dragging his feet about this, he doesn't need to ask Xenk where to find the slime. He'd obviously been paying attention. His knife work is clean and precise, practiced. ]

Ugh, the smell is even worse up close.

[ But he does it anyway, collecting the gland and then squeezing it into the bucket. ]

[ See, the fact that he was paying attention goes to show that Astarion really was invested in this. Which goes to show that he cares about it. Which is why Xenk feels nothing but satisfaction at having convinced Astarion to do his part.

A job well done should be done all the way. Xenk smiles to himself as he keeps working, and indeed together they'll get this done in half the time! ]

It is quite pungent.

[ He says, smiling to himself as he works on a gross slug carcass. Look, it's fine. They'll get a nice bath at the inn when they get back into Eltrut, it'll be well-deserved. ]

[ Literally stealing the thunder here. Cloud huffs and rolls his eyes. ]

I like Rude enough to not get on his bad side.

[ Implying that the only reason he's stepping in is to avoid that later. The two of them are close, after all. And Rude's not near as annoying as Reno can be.

Well looks like he's already committed to this. There's no walking away from it now. So Cloud works the mechanisms of his sword, a secondary blade popping out of it.

Sorry not sorry Reno. Cloud already has one of those blades glowing and spinning it in preparation for a limit break. ]

Well I'm glad this is so enjoyable for at least one of us.

[ Not for him though!! But he moves onto the next slug all the same, although his hands feel so fucking gross. ]

I am.

[His right hand idly rests on the end of his rifle holstered at his side.]

I have no desire the sirens will be able to draw on. And should they somehow manage, Flamek will be able to bring me back to my senses.

If all else fails—

[He glances at her.]

You sounded confident in your own skills. You can either take out all the sirens yourself, or throw a flame wall, knock me out, and drag me back.

[ You're just gonna keep making him smile with that attitude, Astarion. Xenk rips out and squeezes another gross gland's worth of slime into the bucket. ]

It is worthwhile task. The smell may be most disagreeable, but the reward will outweigh the effort.

[ He means the greater good, not the money. In fact, keep working on that and maybe he'll give you some extra gold for your trouble, Astarion!! It pays to be nice. ]

Nah, just don't want it slipping out or if I don't feel like having something loose in my pockets. With the other things I'd likely be carrying, pockets won't be enough.

[Phone, coin purse, cigars, some other traveling necessities like spare poultices or cloth for bandaging if needed.]

Flamek?

[He says it as if that's something she should know, and if they are going to do this at all, then she figures that she probably should.]

Either way, don't get too cocky until after we take care of the sirens. I might be able to knock you out and drag you back, but without anyone else around to help, this is gonna hinge on both of us being able to hold our own.

I'm not like you! I don't take satisfaction in the greater good.

[ ugh and the coin will definitely not be worth this!! ]

[He has a point... and his answer is a very Cidolfus one... yet again. Frustratingly so.

So, once more, just like she had done inside, she looks around at the options in front of them... and while it isn’t as ridiculously vast as the cases were, there are still plenty to pick from...

And so she plucks one from the shelf: a simple leather pouch matching his case that looks like it can loop around his belt like hers can, minus the second strap, with a single enclosed slot for him to easily slip his phone in and out of.]

Something like this?

Edited 2023-08-27 19:22 (UTC)

[ Xenk gives Astarion a long look. It's like he can see into your heart, Astarion.

Well, he can't. But he knows, deep down, that Astarion could get there. Maybe he isn't there just yet. ]

Perhaps not yet.

[ And with that he goes back to gutting another gross slug corpse. This is just shit he says. ]

You may not yet believe in yourself, but I do.

[ And you know he's not just saying that, because Xenk means everything he says. ]

[ Alucard takes the hand on his chest as a signal, one that has him relaxing back somewhat and allowing a modicum of space that way. But he's not being shoved, so he stays. ]

It doesn't seem like I'm the one who's worrying.

[ He drops his eyes to the hand, admiring the look of it there, delicate but simultaneously sharp. His own shifts to envelop it, warm with markers of chill metal from the many rings he wears. ]

But it's still my time to waste; if I wish to use it to make a fool of myself, that's my prerogative. Just like it's yours to fuck around as much as you like.

[ His pulse thrums steadily beneath the other man's hand. He's not Astarion's captain, so he's got no right to tell him what to do. Except... ]

Though I suggest you take more time to rest for now. And if I'm not mistaken, the bell for my shift should be coming any minute.

[ Which is why one of his legs moves behind him, catching the edge of the bed to better help roll over onto his back and give his company more space. Staring up at the ceiling, he takes a deep breath through his nose as if to gather the will to do what needs to be done, then moves to climb out of the bed. ]

[ Don't say that about him!! It's hard to hide the blush that creeps up his neck and ears in the ceaseless sunlight out here. ]

You're going to end up disappointed.

[ ok last slug de-slimed and they did it. ]

Can we go back now? We killed all of them and dissected them. This is the least fun thing I've ever put my hand in.

[ Astarion is so completely out of his depths here. He doesn't know how he's supposed act in the face of this. Everything was always simple: have sex or don't have sex; push people away who get close. But Alucard has changed all the calculus of everything and he doesn't respond in any of the ways Astarion expects.

Maybe he should be more worried about himself than Alucard. Alucard seems to understand all of this somehow, and Astarion is woefully equipped. He simply watches him roll over and then move away, and the bed feels cold and empty as he does.

What's that feeling?

He almost moves to grab him and make him stay, and he all but convinces himself that's just his vampiric desires talking, that it's about power and nothing else. ]

Very well. I'll just stay here while you do all the hard work. It sounds absolutely awful.

[ It's ok Astarion, Xenk will play the long game. He will never give up. He has the insistence of a puppy. He is that stupid. ]

I don't believe I will.

[ Astarion's lewd comment flies over his head. Well, Xenk gets it, but you know, he doesn't really think about what kind of "fun" things he could be sticking his hands in. He rubs his hands as clean as he can -- I mean, let's be real. If he can cast Lesser Restoration, he can probably clean their hands with magic. ]

Give me your hands. Then we will deliver our spoils and obtain our bounty.

Why?

[ Maybe it's surprising that he demands to know, now, when he'd been so quick to touch Xenk before. ]

[ It is somewhat surprising, but Xenk always answers direct questions. And whatever Astarion's reasons, it wouldn't be the first time someone questions Xenk's odd comments. ]

Your hands and mine are covered in the entrails of these monsters. I can cleanse them.

[ Astarion shifts a little uncomfortably but ultimately does as he's asked. ]

How kind of you to waste a precious spell slot on me when you could just use water.

[ Again he does not know how spell slots work ]

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STARTER SHIPS: ORIENTATION

ELTRUT: FIRST GLIMPSE

QUESTS

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i hate him...i hate him so much

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and it all flies over xenk's pretty head

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