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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

[It takes her a moment, Benedikta giving herself a few extra seconds to runinate on that thought before she does, slowly and meekly as her body will allow.

Though, her footsteps hesitate here and there as she runs it all over in her head again because there is that small part of her that does not think it is. That something really is going on here and that what those... animal people explained was all true. Honestly, like Cid, how in the world would her mind even come up with any of this?

Still, Benedikta walks after him back below the deck, allowing him to continue leading her on this merry chase for information and, apparently, their clothes.]

[And down they go until they reach the room with the typewriter. They have to wait a bit as there are others before them—who are also as perplexed and in disbelief about it all. And when it's finally their turn...]

Bloody hell—is that thing moving on its own?

[Cid's eyes just light up at the sight of the typewriter automatically typing away, unable to help himself to step closer and bend down to watch.]

Benedikta, watch it! Hah, what a fascinating...what did you call it, a typewriter?

[And despite calling her over, Cid's focus will be on the person in charge of it, who seems happy to answer his questions.]

[While she is, admittedly, a little curious, her own is much more subdued than his brand of excitement. He always was a tinkerer, always loved designing things and building things. Impressive things. She remembers, even back then, so this is no surprise to her.

She approaches slowly and with some caution because why the fuck is this thing moving on its own? And more importantly, how is it spelling out those words on the page?]

Cute trick. How is this supposed to help us?

[But there is no denying that slight flicker of interest because anyone who hasn't seen this before would be bewildered by it.]

[He's distracting the poor person in charge of this thing that the answer comes a beat late—or rather, right when the typewriter dings and the paper scrolls up.

"Oh, right! Here, it's your information... Uh, Cidol...foos? Te-lemon? Sorry, I'm no good at reading names."]

Close enough.

[He's too amused to be bothered. But he'll take the information and hold it out to Benedikta so she can follow along as the staff explains the different fields and the maps to help show them the main stops at the port.

"And if you, miss, type your name on the keys here, you'll get your personalized information."]

[Cidolfoos. That gets a very real snort out of her, but it quickly dies away when it's her turn. She steps forward, staring at the "typewriter", and when the person explains—]

You want me to what my name?

[She looks down at the keys clicking away, and then over her shoulder at Cidolfus with the biggest what the fuck look on her face because really, what the fuck?]

[There may be some other reasons why he just goes by "Cid"—]

"Type." That's the term they use when you press on the letters here, called keys.

[Since he shouldn't actually touch it since it's her turn, he'll just mimic the movements, showing her where her fingers would go. And somehow, she will notice how she's able to understand the letters on the keys and which ones would be used to spell her name.]

Yes, I got it.

[No, she didn't, but please can he stop?

Her expression hardly shifts from that initial confusion, her narrowed eyes flicking to his little tapping fingers before she clicks her tongue and moves them to the typewriter instead. And that "ability to understand" the letters doesn't make this any easier.

B...

E...

If anything, it only frustrates her more while her hand hovers over the keys because where is the N!?!?!?]

[He'll be watching with an amused grin, noting how much she's struggling. He can't really blame her, it took him a bit to learn where the letters were. However, he was quicker to learn the character map, so after giving her a bit to try and figure out, he chuckles and steps up behind her.]

Didn't forget how to spell your own name, did you?

[Of course she didn't, but he couldn't resist as he reaches for her hand.]

Here.

[And he'll just take her hand to press the "N" key with her finger. He's not even thinking about it, the act just coming so naturally.]

[She whips around with a scowl that could make a god heel at that stupidly cheeky comment, but his hand reaching for and taking hers sweeps it away to reveal the alarm underneath it. So much so that she is stunned into petrification, only her fingers tensing underneath the sudden warmth of his hand as he stretches around her...

It hearkens her back to days long, long past, when he was still the Lord Commander, and she just a girl in rags. When she had asked him to teach her to take up the sword and how he would reach for her hands just like he had now, readjusting her grip on her sword. The same one that should be at her hip. It takes her back to when he would show her how to swing, how to thrust, how to back and sidestep...

How his fingers would caress the back of her hand just so, the leather of his gloves always an inconvenient barrier between them.

She isn't even sure how long she is lost in that sea, stuck swimming in that memory, because it's the click of a key that startles her back to the present, to the ship, and to the typewriter she stands in front of as he presses the key with her finger.

And she finally lets free that breath she wasn't aware she'd been holding.

Upon realizing what he's done, everything finally clicking into place, Benedikta snaps her hand away from his.]

I can do it myself—!

[She slams her fingers again on the E key, and then the D which she finds immediately, and then the I after some searching. She wants to pick up this fucking typewriter and hurl it across the room by the time she reaches the K...]

[It's only when Benedikta snaps that he realizes himself and immediately steps back, hands raised.]

Just trying to help.

[But as he takes another step back and stares at her back, his hands slowly lower until he's left staring at the one that had been over her hand. The memories flicker through his mind, memories he had forgotten as it had been so long. It makes him frown a little, and when he feels the eyes of the staffer, he only glances up and gives a wry grin and a hapless shrug, playing it off as nothing serious.

Who knows what all this...furry, weasel looking attendant has seen (it's an otter, but he's never seen one before—), so enjoy having another story to tell.

But he'll just wait in silence, watching Benedikta every now and then while also looking down at the parchment they received. ...They have a cabin here? Interesting...and lodgings already? Was this all preplanned or what?]

[She can hear the confused whispers of those in the back waiting their turn, and that boiling rage doesn't help as she finally gets to her last name. At least she can remember where the repeat keys are—it's the new ones that she is going to claw out of their place if she can't find them—

M...

A...

N...

The typewriter's ding as it shifts to a new line startles her, and Benedikta falls back, nearly bumping into Cid as it starts typing away again, spitting out all of the information. Something about a "shellphone ID", her armada, cabin, apartment... and... that map.

The strange squirrel-like creature-man-person tugs the paper free and hands it to her with something of a relieved sigh that she's finally finished and, having explained everything already to Cid, beckons the next person in line forward while thanking Benedikta. Though, she has a feeling they would like her to get as far away from the typewriter as possible—

Meanwhile, she waves the paper violently in Cid's face.]

What am I supposed to do with this information? And how did it know...

[She wonders the same thing—how did it know what her apartment number is? Her "shellphone" ID (what the fuck is that???)? Did they know that they were coming?]

[He'll just guide her out so they can have that conversation without everyone else listening. Or be exposed to her harpy screeching—]

Been wondering the same thing, but from what I could get from the animal people here, it's a magical device that has access to data...

[His voice is going to fade as he watches her expression and just coughs.]

We'll just have to follow it for now.

[...

....

..........?

He might as well be speaking something foreign when he mentions a device and data. What data? What sort of device? She is used to parchment and quills, leather-bound books, and her excellent memory to rely on. Nothing about devices or fancy typing machines that do all the lazy work for her.

She hears that cough, sees the way he is watching her, and remembers all of the things that had been said in that room and above deck, and she leans her head back just so, enough that he can very clearly see the dry sarcasm in the roll of her eyes.]

You must be loving this.

[But that is exactly why she is going to let him do all of the figuring out for her.]

I admit I find it all interesting.

[A lopsided grin as he catches that look and knows very well she'll be using him to figure things out. Well he has to, too, so no real complaints.]

And this is just all on their ship. You have to wonder what our turtle friend has on its back.

What is first, then?

[Her nose wrinkles as she looks at the list, starting from the top.]

Shellphones.

[She still has no idea what a 'phone' is, and she is not sure how inclined or excited she is to find out after what she just experienced with that 'typewriter'.]

[Cid just grins.]

Sounds interesting, doesn't it? But seems to come with some kind of identification...

We also seem to have cabins here if you want to look.

Let us find your cabin.

[She is not going to take him back to hers, and she can find it on her own just fine, but—]

First, we get these phones and then go.

Hm... Think we have to wait until we get to the turtle for that.

[Yes, he's just going to call it "the turtle" from here on out. Because that's what it is!!! Really puts those adamantoises to shame.

But he'll pointing to the paper, specifically the map.]

Seems there's a store for them.

[As if it wasn't completely bizarre already, hearing him call it "the turtle" makes it even stranger. She'll just click her tongue.]

The cabin it is, then. Lead the way. Though, will we even find anything of import there? Seems everything is out on "the turtle".

[Well he could call it Eltrut...but it's literally the same thing—]

No idea, but if we're going to be here for a while, might as well know where we can stay. Curious to see how it is, too.

[Like how it was assigned... It's not going to be filled with some dead guy's belongings is it??

Anyway, he'll lead the way down the corridor and stairs to further below deck.]

['We'... Why does that word stick to her like some thorn, and why did it create this ugly lump in her throat that has her hesitating before she follows after him, cursing to herself silently for feeling something—anything—about that. For her mind going to a place it should not. A place she would not allow...

Because it is a mere cabin. His cabin. That's all it is... and Benedikta would cut off her own hand before she stayed in a prison like this.

Which begs the question, as they near his cabin—]

What do you think of it? The ship. Aside from the trinkets attached to it.

[A low hum as he walks through, eyes studying the walls and condition.]

It's solid. And from what I could tell from up deck, it's made for speed and maneuverability. I'd have to see what kind of weapons it has, but looks like it could put up well in a fight. Not the cleanest, but well maintained where it needs it.

But if these are corsairs like they say... Seem like a friendly bunch for pirates.

Hm.

[She hums in thought, though there is a note of open bitterness in her tone when she mutters under her breath.]

It is only half the ship the Einherjar is.

[But that isn't entirely what she meant... and she hoped that her fishing for information could remain a little more subtle than asking outright—]

Do you plan to stay?

[—Oh.

There's a look of surprise as he realizes he had misunderstood her question.]

For now. Looks like we have some other lodgings in this "Nogard" place. Will also have to see what the turtle has to offer.

[Nogard...

She'd heard that name uttered several times up on deck but paid it no heed until now.]

I'll have to see for myself, I suppose. Though... [She gives the ship a disdainful glance.] I doubt I will be staying here.

[Especially if he is.]

STARTER SHIPS: ORIENTATION

ELTRUT: FIRST GLIMPSE

QUESTS

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