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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

( ⛈️ Arrival )

[ Nope. Nope, nope, nope. Cloud manages to listen to about how he got here. Bottles. Magic artifact. Ah huh. Got it. And then he's immediately taking off, not speaking. Not talking. No asking questions. And the entire reason is because he's bolting for the railing. Not even ten minutes on the ship and he's already dizzy. Nauseous.

So Cloud can be found hanging off of the railing OR in a random store room. Along the way he's found his clothes, but the blonde is not having a good time. If encountered in a store room, he's sitting on a crate, head in hands and between needs trying to shut everything out. ]

( ⛈️ Inkwave )

They're required...

[ Cloud sounds dubious. Then again, this entire "adventure" sounds pretty dubious. Or maybe just aggravating. He's just thankful for being on "try land." The leviathan might also be floating, but it's not as though Cloud can really detect the movement for him to get sick. So he's already regretting getting wrapped up in this whole mess - only because the fact that ships are going to be in his future no matter what.

He sighs, running a hand through his hair. Cloud doesn't even know what to get. Nor where to put it. Knistej seems to be trying to make some recommendations. And the octopus is patient with him. But Cloud is pretty indecisive about something he's never really considered before. And still wary - though Knistej is insisting that it really is true that the ink will be required to use any magic! It won't hurt too much, he promises.

Cloud still looks. Unsure. ]

( ⛈️ Sharkgulls )

[ There is something soothing, almost cathartic about taking up something as simply as handling someone's problems. When that problem is something like chasing down sharkgulls so no one has to worry about being gobbled up, that is. It's simple. It's easy to do.

Anyone coming across Cloud will see a couple of corpses of the birds (?) scattered about. Culling the current population isn't really much of a work out. Especially not when Cloud seems to be doing something to his overly large sword - to make at least two swords. ]

They've got a nasty bite.

[ Oh. So he had noticed someone approaching! ]

( ⛈️ Wildcard )

[ This is the place where you can just throw me a random starter and I will respond in kind. Cloud can be seen staying as close to "land" as possible. The tavern or in front of MANTA would be good places! ]

Edited 2023-08-19 03:03 (UTC)

[The sailors aboard the ship have been kind to the riftfarers, explaining what's going on and allowing them to help out throughout the ship if they get restless. However, they seem to be giving Nanaki a wide berth; probably due to nerves about having a large feline walking free in their ship. Still, he was instructed to help out by being given a role of "ship mouser", and it allows him to wander the lower hull unimpeded.]

[But it's during this wandering that Nanaki catches a familiar scent, and following it into a quiet storeroom has him seeing a familiar blonde figure, huddled in the back with his head in his hands.]

Cloud..?

[Relief fills him at finding a familiar face, but also worry. Was he alright??]

[ No he is not okay. Cloud is doing all that his little self can to make sure that he isn't coughing up anything over these nice wooden floors. Which means that he is trying to just not think about how the ship is rocking.

Goddess... Seriously stop thinking about the ship rocking.

He does look up though and recognize his feline friend. No words escape his lips, but there is a nod. Yes, yes it is he. ]

[Oh boy... It's positive that Cloud is responding, but he's still not doing ok. With a flick of his tail, Nanaki pads forward, approaching slowly. He knows Cloud can have his... moments at times, but it doesn't make seeing him go through them any less worrisome.]

[Once he's within reach, Nanaki pauses for a moment before he sits down, within arms reach of CLoud.]

If you need, I'm here.

[He's usually not one to allow pets from just anyone, but if Cloud needs someone or something to ground himself?]

[ And Cloud knows that not just anyone can freely touch Red either. Still, he puts a hand on the giant feline. A gesture of thanks and reassurance that there's really nothing wrong. Not anything more than usual. ]

Thanks.

[ He is appreciative. And more liable to accept help from his friends now. Funny what that mess with Geostigma had done. Something positive had come from it after all. ]

I'll be okay. Just... The waves.

[The Geostigma sure was a bitch, wasn't it? As such, Nanaki merely nods, adjusting so he can lay sphynx-style beside Cloud.]

It's alright. They're not easy to deal with even if you have four legs instead of two.

[Rest against Nanaki all you need, Cloud. He's not in a hurry to go anywhere.]

[ Nanaki is really a good friend. In fact, all of Cloud's friends are. Even Barrett. Just don't tell the man that Cloud might have thought that. Reputation and an image to maintain, you know? ]

Seems like you're doing just fine.

[ Or maybe it's just Cloud that's actually struggling here. ]

[Don't worry, Cloud, your secret is safe with Nanaki. The large feline merely lets out a huff, one of his ears flicking.]

I'm just better at hiding my discomfort than most. Besides, my fur means I can't turn green from seasickness.

[Is that a joke? It might be a joke.]

[ Joke or not, there's a little scoff from Cloud. A huff that might indicate that he has found some amusement there. ]

How'd you get here.

[ Give him something else to focus on. You know. Instead of the rolling waves. ]

STARTER SHIPS: ORIENTATION

ELTRUT: FIRST GLIMPSE

QUESTS

Cloud Strife | FFVII | Paladin

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arrivaaaal

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wow my html got messed ;_;

it's nbd

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Sharkgulls

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