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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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yes... [A very brief pause, but one obvious enough that it has her heart skipping a beat or two.] ... my Liege.

[Benedikta turns sharp on her heel to find an attendant, though she is a little hard-pressed to find one that is willing to part with the wine in their caskets, reminding her that there is water for the riftfarers instead. It only takes a hand on the hilt of her sword for one particularly malleable bird man to comply, because she looks like a woman who is not afraid to use it—and she isn't. He fetches her a small pitcher as well as two cups that she carries back between her fingers, searching through the rooms until she finds that open door.]

Apologies. The attendants thought it more helpful to advise me on my drinking habits than it was to fetch me a simple pitcher of wine.

[There's a dry disdain to her voice as she sets it all down first before going to the door to close it, the lock clicking with a loud thunk that sets her stomach ill at ease. She remains still a moment, her back pressed to it as she looks about the room, and then to him, trying not to let her gaze linger for too long before she saunters to the table where she'll pour his cup first and then her own.]

You have... been here long?

[She doesn't sit, however. For some reason, she cannot bid herself to. On the outside, she may seem her calmer self, but she is agitated and restless, the thousand thoughts running through her head finding their way into the tight grip of her fingers around the cup.]

It's fine.

[He raises his cup to his lips and drinks. It's fine. He preferred the ale from the tavern, but it's fine.]

Long enough to run into Cidolfus.

[His eyes spark with a bit of mild amusement.] We fought. But I made it clear I would take him back. I doubt he will see reason, but the offer was made. I ran into the Little Prince as well before the brawl broke out.

[He takes another sip. To business. Give Benedikta something to focus on.]

As we don't know if returning to Waloed is possible, conquering this world seems a worthwhile use of our time. I'll need your talents as an Intelligencer especially.

[Hit her talents there. Remind her she's important to him for more than Garuda.]

[There's a very severe gnawing in her chest at the mention of Cidolfus, and it coming from the King of all people only sharpens that edge. Her fingers tighten around the cup—any tighter and she might snap its stem clean off—and she doesn't dare look at Barnabas when she feels it pricking the back of her neck. It's a cocktail of panic and intense bitterness, a very particular wound still fresh that he's pried open with his name.

So, he knows that he is here, then. And if what he says is true, that would mean that the two of them had fought? She has no reason to doubt her liege's word, but when, and how? And as she works through the events that have unfolded today in her head, it falls into place. It would explain Cidolfus's behaviour earlier when they reunited a second time on Eltrut.

Benedikta is so deep in her thoughts that she misses the reference to the prince—of Bahamut—entirely, only turning back when he speaks of their home, her expression steeling itself once more.]

My...?

[Her talents... And there is something else that now tugs at her. Violently. That string that ties her to him... that chain that she willingly bears being pulled in his direction. She can only think of the tattoo she bears on her shoulders, and of the magic it brings, and she figures that it is time she express a concern. Her expression turns meek. Timid. Hesitant.]

I... My gift... it is different here.

[Only the one concern. She doesn't dare mention that Garuda is dormant, or entirely not there anymore, but she can at least voice this.]

She is not the gift I'm referring to.

[He takes another sip before setting the glass down, looking straight at Benedikta.]

You are more to me than Garuda's dominant.

[Truth. While his interest in her sprung from being a dominant, he didn't give the position as head of his Intelligencers simply because of it. He would have put her somewhere else if her talents had ran elsewhere.]

Odin is different here as well.

[He feels the Warden of Darkness. Deeper than normal, but there. He too, gave his powers to Mythos.]

Put that out of your mind for now. We'll address it later.

[More than Garuda's dominant...

If he knew—and oh, he very likely does—what chords those words strike within her in that very moment. For as much composure as she tries to maintain in his presence, observant eyes will no doubt miss that flicker of surprise that only slightly rounds out her eyes, fading into an affection that he is surely familiar with.

When she thought he'd simply toss her aside without the Eikon, when she feared returning to Stonhyrr to break the news that she'd been stolen from her, hearing that she has more value than that... It is not something she is used to hearing, but something she has yearned for... Years and years of her fighting to be more than what she was—stronger, valuable, needed—and now she has finally heard it. What a shame that it took until her own demise to do so, but perhaps it is for that reason that she's now clinging to it with an iron grip.

Her chin dips ever so slightly in a silent apology.]

Of course.

[Though whether she can is the question, isn't it? His reassurances that she will gladly accept help soothe her, but there is still that ever present nagging doubt in the back of her mind. Fear that if he finds out the entire truth, he will still cast her aside regardless. She would never dare doubt him, but herself, on the other hand...

Hearing, however, that Odin is here does bring her some small amount of relief. Enough that she can finally take a sip of her wine, only to rudely wrinkle her nose in disgust. They really did give her wine from their cheapest fucking cask, didn't they? What was that birdman's name again—

Setting her cup down, Benedikta slides into the opposite chair.]

You already have a plan, then...?

[He had mentioned conquering this world, and she mulls that over, downing another reluctant sip of her wine. Truly a king through and through, he is... He always has been. A conqueror. And if he truly does have Odin with him, then that is a battle that she does not want to be on the opposing side of. She has nothing to lose anymore back in Valisthea, but here...?

No, even without him and her vows to him, she would still choose the side with the highest chances. The side where she is more like to survive.]

[It's manipulation, pure and simple. The fact it was true didn't change that. Barnabas knew it; he needed her. Now more than ever. And if hearing the truth meant he kept her by his side? He'd tell the truth. It was easier than lying.

He didn't care to lie. He would do it, do it was easily as breathing, but the truth was always more effective. It hurt more, it soothed more.

Perhaps there was a part of him that was still as idealistic as Mythos.

And perhaps, beyond her abilities as a warrior, a spy, a bed companion, he was fond of Benedikta. The revelation gave him some pause.

Something to think about later, if at all. Such things were didn't matter in the grand scheme of things. Not to Ultima.]

Only that we need to start planning. Get the lay of the land. I am not as young as I once was, and brute strength alone will get us no where.

[He set his cup on the table.]

We will need allies, to start. I did not conquer Ash alone. I had support, even I did most of the fighting.

... Cidolfus has already shown me around. I've familiarized myself with Eltrut, at the very least.

[Dragged her, more like. And while there is a sharpness in her tone at his name on her tongue, it lacks some of that same resentful bite that it usually does.

Though they may be seated on opposite sides, but perhaps that's part of why Benedikta finds herself unconsciously leaning forward, as if to close some of that distance that the table puts between them. An effort to show that even with his presence, she remains ever loyal to him for as long as he is here. She still can't quite meet his gaze, still too afraid, and when she does, it's for but a moment before she drops hers elsewhere.]

There are others like us. They call us Riftfarers. [That, however, gets every twinge of bitterness she has to offer. She fucking hates that name or any name that she did not give herself.] If we could find a way to recruit some of them before others can...

[Of course, the one Riftfarer that she does want would refuse any offer she tried to make, but she's quick to stamp out that thought lest it spirals too far out of her control.]

And you will need a ship, no doubt.

That's good.

[A gives a slight smirk, picturing it. Cidolfus' soft spot for her would be good to exploit, to bring him back to his side where he belonged.]

Yes, I had heard that.

[He's indifferent to the name. It makes sense, as they are from beyond the rift.] But I agree, we should make inquiries amongst the others that have appeared here. And I shall look into getting my own ship. You will be my first mate, of course.

[Who else would be?] Until a second ship is needed, then I expect you to captain it.

[She is visibly surprised by that, her shoulders falling and her back straightening as if he'd just given her a command.]

... Me? But that honour was always—

[The Lord Commander's.

Even when she did report directly to him, even when they spent long nights together, she was never his true right hand. First, it had been Cidolfus, and then Harbard. If it weren't for her fealty, she might have thought it unfair, but... she was good at what she did.

And who is she to question now? No one, certainly, so she bows her head.]

But of course.

[Finally, she does try to meet his eyes, Benedikta peering up at him through her lashes before she lifts her chin again, and her voice falls quiet. Soft. And just a touch afraid.]

... I will do my best. You have my word. [That much is certain, though for what reasons, she cannot say. A pause before she rises to her feet, circling around the table so that she can lean against its edge near him.] We depart Eltrut in a few days, they said. Did you... get your tattoo? And those... stupid phones.

Sleipnir is not here, and while I hope Cidolfus will see reason and return to us, he'd have to regain my trust. You, Benedikta, have ever been loyal and should be rewarded for it. I have no doubt you will succeed.

[The words she wants to hear and words that are true. She has been loyal; she had done all he wanted her to and more.

She deserves this.]

I do have the tattoo. And the phone.

[He pulls his out of his pocket and stares at it with a slight frown.]

I expect Cidolfus will know how it works.

He has shown me some things. [She leans in a little closer, her voice growing quiet from the bitterness that soured it.] If I may, my liege...?

[And she'll gently pluck his phone from his hand, letting her nails grace over his palm with purpose before she lifts it to look. And there's a frown that mirrors his, furrowing her brows as she tries to remember what it is he'd shown her. There will be some tapping of her finger as she navigates it, opening up the messages, and she (very slowly) types out her ID name...

...

Her own phone in her pocket dings, and more tapping, more typing... and she'll slide it back across the table to him, the screen displaying a single message to her with a single random letter typed into it.]

If you have need for anything, I have added my ID for you. The rest is mostly useless junk.

[Like the "camera".]

[He watched placidly as she took the shell phone and entered something into it.

He frowned harder at the message she put there.]

This is going to be annoying. Once Cidolfus gets ahold of my contact, he will abuse it to be purposefully annoying.

Then do not give it to him freely.

[She thinks about her own, and how he already had hers... and how he had not waited to be annoying about it. Did not give her a second to breathe before he was flooding it with incessant messages. And now she understands why.

Swallowing past that lump in her throat, she sighs and leans back on her hands at the edge of the table.]

All you will need for now is mine anyway. [She knows that is presumptuous, but what need would he have for anyone else's? Especially Cidolfus?] Should anything come up, all you have to do is press these letters to make words. They call it a "keyboard"... Not sure why.

[Everything is so weird.]

I won't, but it is only inevitable.

[It is presumptuous, but at the moment, it is true, so he does not call her out on it.

He gazes down at the keyboard, frowning.]

It does bear some resemblance to the keys of a pipe organ. Perhaps that's why. But the etymology matters not, just that it works.

You will learn.

[It isn't so uncharacteristic of her to try to be encouraging to him, but it does feel a little strange to be doing so in this way. In a way where she seems to actually know more, better even, than he does about how these work, all thanks to Cidolfus. So, she supposes she has one thing to thank him for.

But Barnabas always was a difficult man to read. Never has she felt so useless as she had when trying to parse her king's emotions, to read how she should respond to his needs, and as he frowns, she finds that it isn't so different here.]

... It might do you some good to see the town, too. Their cuisine here is... different, especially.

I've had a meal, that's where I met the Prince.

[It had reminded him of before he was king, of meals spent with those he had traveled with from beyond the southern seas. Their first few months on Ash's shores.]

Tell me what else you've learned about the town.

[The prince is here too, is he...? Benedikta tucks that bit of information away for later.

For now, she has a duty to uphold, though how well she can at the moment remains a mystery.]

Not as much as I would like, beyond the magic and the phones. [She spent too much time dilly-dallying with Cidolfus—something that she is now coming to regret the longer she spends trying to wrack her brain for something.] I know that there are other islands like this one. Nogard is where we will be headed next, while the Royal Fortune heads to Elah. If you've any business with the Paladins, I suggest you do so before we disembark.

The Prince is the only Paladin of note. And I've laid some groundwork for a possible alliance in the future.

[He takes a sip of his wine.]

We have time before disembarking. We'll learn all we need to before then.

[Her gaze snaps to him.]

An alliance? With the do-gooder prince of Sanbreque?

[That draws a small, amused chuckle out of her.]

However did you manage that?

Possible, Benadikta, he may, unwisely, refuse in the future, but at the very least, we do not have him as an enemy.

I told him I had no grudge against him, and that if he should need it, I would be willing to assit him.

[She very much doubts that he would find it within himself to seek help from filthy Royalist scum, as the Sanbrequois liked to lovingly call them, but if there is anyone who could draw in another, it would be Barnabas, she thinks.

She won't be so defiant to say as much aloud, though, but if that day ever came, she would want to be there to see it with her own eyes. Odin and Bahamut working together... ha, what a right treat that would be.]

Then there are the others... who might not be so willing, but I doubt we will have much need for them. Shiva's Dominant is particularly stubborn, I have discovered.

[Desperate times make for strange bedfellows. She might be right, but he has hopes that this new world will make him realize that he is everyone's best chance to survive]

All they need is time. I have met Jill Warwick; she is Clive Rosfield's companion.

She is indeed stubborn.

[Clive Rosfield...

There's a wind that suddenly blows through the room, brushing against their hair, rattling the small window behind Benedikta...

And she gives a hollow laugh.]

No wonder. A match made in heaven, they must be.

[Ah, but how she can use that information for the future, should she ever need it.]

They can stay where they are. My liege, there are plenty of others that are capable of filling those roles. Allow me to find them for you.

Annoyingly so.

Ifrit and Shiva. Fire and Ice.

[He hummed thoughtfully.]

Rosfield is powerful, but his beliefs are pure foolishness. Warrick has a better head on her shoulders, but she will follow Rosfield wherever he goes.

Yes, let us let them be for now. I know we can find suitable allies amongst the others. I will put my trust in you.

[Her eyes narrow at him.

That he would know of Clive... a man who was nothing more than a bearer... and that he was Ifrit? Her brow furrows a moment, but she's quick to turn her expression away from him, hiding her confusion behind her hair. There was something more to all of this, but she wasn't going to ask. She wouldn't dare ask. Not after everything that she's learned today.

Never.

So, she's glad that he picks up on the rest of it, happy to move on.]

I will not disappoint you.

[That much, at least, she can promise.]

I could take you to show you around the island now, if you'd like.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

« test sail »

STARTER SHIPS: ORIENTATION

ELTRUT: FIRST GLIMPSE

QUESTS

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this feels like a good place to wrap! ☺️