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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

Not even the Fallen have anything compared to this.

[He just glances at her with that same fascinated look and spark in his eye as he looks it over.]

And to think, this is fairly common. Every ship has a system like this, and those shellphones we were wondering about will be something similar, just small.

Can you imagine? All this—[A grand sweep of his arm.]—in a small device that could fit in your pocket! C'mon, lad, show her!

[He's suddenly pulling at a poor crow's wing to show Benedikta their shellphone. And though there's a squawk of surprise, the navigator will oblige.

"But it's not the exact same, y'know. These systems can do a lot more than what the phones can, but you'll want to keep yours on for long distance communication. No more pigeons or fishgrams for us!"]

[She can only roll her eyes at his enthusiasm. It's so... loud... but so very him. Perhaps that's why she can't help it. Even now, when she is using him for her own gains, he finds a way to annoy her. Or so she tells herself, ignoring the part where there's a shallow warmth pooling in her belly that billows up into her chest each time he looks at her with those lights in his eyes.

And each time, she has to remind herself that those lights in his eyes were the ones that left her behind.

Fortunately, she can easily distract herself with the shellphone, and while it is somewhat impressive...

...]

Are you kidding me?

[She tips her head away, not wanting to look too interested.]

More things we'll have to figure out? [Under her breath, she mutters.] This really is hell.

It's a pretty fun one, I'll give it that.

[Cid is of course not bothered at all, and he's itching to get his hands on his own so he can start tinkering and figuring it all out.

And he's going to be drawn by another technician who is willing to show him some more of the systems and machines in the room, making him once again forget about Benedikta's presence.]

[Her arms fold over her chest, the tech just shrugging, unfazed, by her reaction because she is certainly not the first or the last person to be bothered by it.

But she simply stands there for a while, listening to Cidolfus and the others, absorbing as much as she possibly can despite the strange jargon that she doesn't understand. It's only after he leaves her side to check out the machines on the other side of the room that she even reacts at all with a slight but sharp narrow of her eyes as she follows him away from her.

Immediately, she feels her shoulders tense, that strange warmth in her belly turning into something hotter. Something she doesn't like as she watches him with his back to her...

... Almost as if she isn't even there at all.

A feeling that she is not used to. Even on their worst encounters, he would see her... Look at her.

Quietly, she sneaks out of the room while he's distracted and wishes that she had her pipe with her as she finds a spot against the wall to lean against a few doors down where she will wait for him, her hand in her pocket and fidgeting with the little trinket that she has hidden away there.]

[It will take a few minutes longer than she would like before Cid realizes she's gone. So absorbed was he that he's actually surprised when he turns to call her to once again point out something that he finds her gone.

Seeing him confused, one of the techs point him out the door, and with a slight rush of panic he rushes out. Curse his penchant to get lost in new inventions. He can only hope she didn't actually disappear—]

Benedikta!

[There's some relief as he sees her waiting for him. He's...actually surprised she did. This would have been a perfect chance for her to just leave, and yet...

...

He's not sure what to make of that, but for now he'll just play it normally.]

Looks like I got a bit carried away.

[A bit.]

[Is it odd that the panic that she hears in his voice and the relief that follows when he finds her still out in the hallway, waiting, pleases her somewhat? Gives her an odd flicker of pride in her chest? Makes her stomach do a little flip, her heart skip a single beat, that he rushed out to find her? That he thought of her?

...

Yes, it is, and as she pushes herself away from the wall, dropping that pendant back into her pocket, she shoves them away. Stomps on them and curses herself for the hundredth time today for it.]

A bit?

[Definitely an understatement, but whatever.]

I didn't want to interrupt.

[She wouldn't dare, lest he figure her out, so like him, she tries to play it off as normal as she can manage.]

Are you finished?

For now. Might come back to it later. Wouldn't hurt to learn how the ships work here and all.

[...Annnnnnnnnnnnnd because he just wants to learn.]

Of course you would.

[She eyes him a moment longer before her lip curls at one corner.]

You aren't already thinking about building your own, are you...?

Was I thought obvious?

[A smirk.]

Might help kill the time, give me more freedom to see what all's there. Care to join me?

What, in building your own?

[She gives him a sardonic laugh, but her hand falls back into her pocket again, but there's something sharp in her gaze beneath that dry humour.]

I'll pass. Wouldn't want to get between a man and his toys.

[Well it was worth a shot, but he also expected it.]

Wouldn't even want to be part of the crew? Could consider you as my first mate.

[But he'll try again, even if he expects the same results.]

[There's something that snaps inside of Benedikta. It's immediate, abrupt, and so jarring that she hadn't even remembered the thread being there in the first place. A thread—no, a chain that inextricably and eternally binds her to him. It takes the form of the pendant in her pocket, and she finds herself reaching for it, her fingers wrapping around it tight in an effort to quell the storm that tug had provoked.

Because for as strong as those bindings are, they also burn—they eat away at her with each moment she spends with him. Even now, as they've wandered the ship together, she thought about it. It was all she could think about. How, no matter how badly she wants to push him away and be fucking done with him forever, she cannot help it. Each time she tries to turn and walk away, her heart calls out to him and keeps her rooted where he is. In what she thought were her very last moments, the only thing it wished for... was him...

So when he is the one that pulls like that, it's both unexpected and gut-wrenching. The shackles of the fate that tie them together damage her because of all the times to say so...

Why now? Why here?

It feels as if he's taken everything that he's ever done, and all her hurt, all the betrayal that's bled black into her heart and spat it out back at her. As if all of those years without him where they spent fighting and arguing and hating one another meant absolutely nothing to him.

Her eyes had been downcast, but when she lifts them to meet his, whatever lightness in her expression—though it was very little—is gone, washing away to make room for that fire of rage he stoked. Almost like he knew...]

You would say that to me now? After everything?

[To ask her to be a part of something of his making... to accept her... As if that were never once an option?]

Edited 2023-08-23 21:23 (UTC)

[He knew his offer would spark that ire, especially because he is making himself more cavalier about it. Knows this would not be easy. And he knows it must seem strange to her given everything, as he said.

However...]

It's because of everything.

[He answers the same as he did before. The carefree attitude has hardened somewhat, his voice carrying the weight of things he could never say. He knows at some point they need to talk, to figure out what the hell is really between them now. Something he regretted a bit after her death. And in truth, he has many questions for her after seeing her end.

Was that really what she wanted?

Was there really nothing he could have done?

And he followed her not long after...

Yet here they are now, standing, alive and breathing however the hell that came to be. No Barnabas to get in their way. No roles they have to play.

She may still reject his hand, and she has a right to. He knows he hurt her as much as she hurt him, both betraying the other. And perhaps... He might finally move on himself. He can only keep that thin thread between them up for so long. But until then, he'll continue to be his stubborn self and try one more time to bring her back to him.]

Edited 2023-08-23 22:01 (UTC)

['Because of everything.'

Those words hit her just as hard as they had before. Why would he help her, after everything? Why would he want her, after everything? After he left her, after he betrayed her, after he left that hole in her heart that one has yet to fill? Why must it be because of that when it was him who made the choice to walk away?

Her heart twists around itself, and as she pushes herself away, that string pulls taut, so tight that it quivers and is about ready to snap at the slightest movement. She had been fine up until now—distraught, confused, exhausted, afraid, but she realized that she had needed someone who was willing to guide her until she could stand on her own two feet again.

That she needed him...

But the way that such a simple question and answer could shatter all of that so easily is just a reminder of how fragile this is... and why she had been prepared to let it all go.

Yet here she stands across from him, unable to move and unable to run.

It makes her furious that the thread is near indestructible, and as she squeezes that pendant tight in her pocket, she feels the blood trickle over her palm.]

What? Did you think that helping me would earn me back? That it would make up for it all!?

Of course not.

[If he hadn't seen her the way he had, hadn't seen or felt something in the past half hour or so they had been together, hadn't heard her asking why—if she hadn't stuck around him for as long as she had, he wouldn't think there was as much of a chance.

There is still something between them—always has. That pendant had been the proof as blind as he had been.

So although he naturally tenses like whenever they get in a row, he bites it all back.]

...Look, however we came to this place, you and I—

[But he doesn't get much farther than that. Having this kind of conversation in the middle of a corridor is not the best. As proven by the voice that calls to them both, asking them for assistance for something.

This is where Cid shows a rare show of frustration, gritting his teeth because really. And normally he would be glad to help but not now and he turns to say as much, but now his arm is grabbed, as if the... What is this now, some kind of duck? With a flat tail? (Platypus) Is desperate.]

Now look mate—

[Her heart practically drops to the floor when she hears a voice that interrupts him. Would she have wanted to hear it? She doesn't know, but it's hard not to feel frustrated about it because as maddened as she is by this sudden turn, she is angrier that it someone felt the need to disrupt them.

For a moment, her rage flickers to something more melancholic and confused, but it's short-lived. As soon as the feathered hand reaches out to grab Cid's arm, that cord snaps.]

Always something.

[Every time. Every fucking time she wonders if maybe she's close, there is something. If not a disruption, then it was something that would leave her feeling too frustrated to deal with him any longer.

And just like all of those times, Benedikta does not wait. She turns on her heel and stalks off, heading up the stairs leading to the deck and leaving him behind to deal with whatever it is that fucking duck man wants.]

Hold—wait—Benedikta!

[He tries to call after her, but there's no stopping and he just swears under his breath. He considers chasing after her, but this duck thing has a firm hold on him and is surprisingly strong, pulling him away. By now he's lost sight of her and he can only grit his teeth and plan to find her later.

Unfortunately, due to various...encounters, that is significantly delayed until after landing in Eltrut. And he couldn't help but be a little anxious. Of all the people to also show up, Barnabas had to be one of them. He couldn't even feel satisfied that the bastard was dead for good—not with him now here. Then there was Joshua with an echo of Ultima still inside him... If this wasn't hell, then it was really turning out to be.

At the very least, it seemed that neither Barnabas nor Benedikta ran into each other the ship, there was one small mercy. But as he works to "borrow" some new clothes off other unsuspecting Corsairs until he get his own, he knows it would be a matter of time.

...And he knows who Benedikta will choose.

It's frustrating, really, knowing that she will still choose to run to that bastard because of her stubborn loyalty. And with things between them still as they are, she still won't listen to him—even after how she saw how things ended for her. It's enough to make him wonder why he should keep bloody trying, but he already knows the answer to that. He saw that answer lying on that burning ground. Saw it when he opened that door.

Maybe he should just force her to join him—but that would make him no different than the man he's still fighting against even after death.

Fuck, he needs a real retirement.

For now, he'll search through the streets, looking for any sign of Benedikta. And fortunately, mutters of a particularly "loud bitch" who was "screeching like a banshee" at the tattoo shop give him all the clues he needed. And it won't take long until he sees her...and apparently she also decided to make a change in wardrobe for now.]

[She was not going to continue wearing those awful clothes for much longer. So, after storming about on Eltrut for a while and causing several scenes, she returns to the ship briefly to help herself to some newer, cleaner, more fitted ones. They were hanging up in an unattended room with no sign of anyone, so they were rife for the taking. Clearly, if they were that important, they would have either locked their room or they would be wearing them.

And these clothes suit her far better than they would anyone else, anyway. Black leathers always have.

But yes, that "loud bitch" who was "screeching like a banshee" at the tattoo shop he heard about is indeed her. When the line is taking too long, she has much to say about it. Mainly, how the fuck does an eight-handed tattoo artist still have such a long fucking line at his shop!?

She is aggravated, restless, fucking starving, without magic, without Garuda, without her sword, without anything, and she has never felt more lost. And with so many people around, it's only natural that she takes it out on them.

Benedikta is in the middle of storming out of the line when she sees Cidolfus. She stops, stares at him, that tide of fury ebbing somewhat before it comes right back in like a riptide—]

I don't have time for this.

[—and she storms off in the other direction.]

[Annnnd there she goes. In...

...

Where is she even going?

Regardless, he'll go after her and it won't take long enough he's caught up.]

I see you're already making great first impressions.

[She has no idea where she is going, but it is not back into that lineup and definitely not back to the ship. To be honest, for all the efforts she's made to figure this place out because that is what she does, how she works, she has figured out absolutely nothing. Just walked around and around in circles being pissed the fuck off that she was walking in circles.

Needless to say, she's lost. But when she hears him jogging up behind her, she moves with purpose. Though it's none whatsoever.]

And what does it matter to you? [And, as if he even asked:] An eight-handed kraken tattoo artist? With a line like that!?

[But before he can even respond to that because it really wasn't one she was seeking any answer to...]

I thought we were finished.

[That is to say, he was clearly looking for her so what does he want now?]

[He was ready to make a quip, but at her words his mouth closes for a moment before he changes tact.]

We were interrupted.

[And then he'll glance at her before he takes two long strides forward to step right up in front of her, forcing her to stop.]

Look. I know there's a lot between us and I know you don't want me around.

[A lie he's sure of it, but also a bit true given her current mood. Regardless he keeps going.]

But for now I'd say it would be in both our best interests if we stuck together until we figure out what the bloody hell is going on in this place.

[Interrupted... they are always interrupted, and she just rolls her eyes. But when he comes around to block her path—]

You mean your best interests.

[As it always is.

Benedikta stares several honed daggers right into the center of his forehead. And while it isn't entirely a lie that she did want him around, it is indeed her mood getting (mostly) the best of her.]

I have already "figured it out", as you say. I do not need your help. Now move.

[The words are sharp, but he's not really up to arguing. So instead—]

You've been circling this area five times. Or so I've heard.

[She looks around at the people milling about, and those that are still in the line, some of them even betraying her with a nod of their heads to confirm.

Even still—]

I have not!

[Maybe three, at most.

But she is not here to argue either, so she tries to step around him.]

I am going to go look for those stupid "phones" instead.

[At the shop that is in the other direction. It might help if she glanced at her map, but her pride is now both so wounded and so thick that she doesn't dare look at it now.]

Edited 2023-08-24 14:27 (UTC)

[Cid is just going to wait until she takes about three steps before loudly clearing his throat.]

Other way.

STARTER SHIPS: ORIENTATION

ELTRUT: FIRST GLIMPSE

QUESTS

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