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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

[ Xenk nods. Like him, Toge's curse must have started when he was quite young. It's not hard to assume that this could cause him difficulties. Xenk too has his own issues, growing up with an undead curse. ]

It is something to consider, surely.

[ Salmon means yes? Is he right? He thinks that might be it. ]

I myself plan to regain my magic as soon as possible. I can imagine no life where I am anything but a paladin.

[ Xenk leans down and pats the young boy's shoulder, comforting him for all that it's the only thing he can do. ]

Come, there is a magical writing device that you must see to.

[ The adventure continues! ]

[ Toge smiles a little bit, and he nods a little bit. Something to consider, but only more as a flight of fancy. He isn't sure what his life would be like if he didn't have the cursed speech.

He is, in fact, correct. Salmon is the affirmative. The shoulder pat makes him tilt his head a little bit, either quizzical or grateful it might be hard to tell. He nods.

Magical writing device. That would help them talk immensely. ]

[ Xenk leads them from the requisitions room to another, smaller room, with only a typewriter and a table at its center. ]

This is the device of which I spoke of. If you enter your name, it will list further details, such as the location of your belongings, your cabin number aboard this ship, your assigned address at our base, and a map of the city to which we are en route -- Eltrut.

[ The shellphoneID and stuff all went over his head, but this stuff matters! ]

[ Ah not so much perhaps since this is kind of an input/output situation. A pity. He was hoping for something more along the lines of a computer, but he'll take what he can get.

Nothing to bad. He types his name into the machine and just like Xenk says, the paper pops up.

Shellphone, huh? God, he hopes that is what he thinks it is. He's just a modern teenager after all. ]

Edited 2023-08-27 05:48 (UTC)

[ You kids and your fancy shellphones and technology... Xenk is pleased that it all seems to work, though. Toge sure takes to it faster than he did. Perhaps he's used to machines like these, where he is from. For Xenk, even this typewriter seems fancy. ]

I imagine you will require paper, in order to communicate effectively. Alas, even were I able to cast Detect Thoughts, I would need my magic to do so.

[ In Faerun, you can just talk into people's heads if you can't speak! Isn't that neat! But Xenk begins to look around the room. I mean, the typewriter has all this paper, and if no one else is using it, and there's no written notice against it, then the right thing to do is to help Toge. ]

Here. I presume the resources here are for communal use.

[ It's the Greater Good, so Xenk has officially confiscated some. Along with a pencil (or some charcoal) that was laying around. ]

[ The greater good, definitely and Toge smiles. ] Tuna mayo. [ He sounds thankful at least and once he has some pilfered paper and charcoal, he can ask questions and write responses, at least for a bit until the paper runs out.

It's his least favourite method of communication, but seems like that is what he has at the moment. ]

I dunno about spells like that. I have cursed speech, usually. I was born with it. It's weird it's not working.

You are welcome.

[ Xenk nods. 'Tuna mayo' may be half nonsense to him, but he's guessing it means thank you. He's pretty good at understanding things, as long as they're spoken from the heart.

He turns to the writing, which I'm going to assume gets translated because there's no way Xenk can read Japanese. ]

So your curse prevents you from speaking, outside of a choice few words? How strange that this place could rob you of something that was part of you, even from birth.

[ That's a crappy curse, to be sure, but it's making Xenk wonder if maybe his own curse is blocked now, too? Huh. ]

Tis very strange indeed.

No, it doesn't prevent me. I have to regulate it myself. There's no way to turn it off. Otherwise I can influence what everyone around me does. I could force them to do anything, as long as my cursed energy and vocal chords hold out. I chose some food related words because they're not really able to be cursed. Pretty much everyone I know, knows about this before they meet me. I don't know that many people.

[ Toge is nodding though - it was from birth. He had to invent his own language and he has to just speak from the heart with the help of gestures, tone and his nonsense words. It's not actually hard to understand him with enough exposure. ]

Compelled speech... That is a terrible burden to bear, for one so young. I am glad you are were able to devise such an ingenious solution.

[ Xenk would help him if he could, but for someone to be cursed so young... removing the curse could be just as dangerous. And he knows well how a curse can be made a blessing, given enough time.

Naturally, he feels compelled to share his own experience, since Toge has been kind enough to explain his own. ]

I myself was cursed as a child, perhaps only a few years younger than you are now. My home country fell victim to a great and terrible ritual, of which I was the only survivor... but I did not escape unscathed. [ He reaches for the mark at his hairline, the jagged lines of Thay. ] The curse afflicted me with several maladies. I age slower, and heal faster. Though I appear to be the age you see before you, I have traveled for more than century, exactly as I am... To say I am completely alive is not accurate. I am more akin to the undead in many ways.

[ Even in the sorcerer world, his cursed speech isn't a secret, but rather something that everyone knows every detail about. It hadn't even really occurred Toge to keep it to himself. Xenk didn't look like he was scared of him - perhaps he should be - but he didn't seem it. Good enough.

He nods in response to his story, living a long time was a different kind of hell, wasn't it?

He doesn't really know anyone who could live that long, not in his small insular world. He nods a little bit again. He's listening, but he's not sure how to respond. ]

[ It definitely is, though Xenk has found every possible way to keep his life positive. Helping people, saving lives -- it isn't just platitudes for him. He lives like this because it's his purpose, otherwise why else did he survive? ]

You are yet young, thus I shall not burden you with the rest of my tale. But know that your curse can be your strength, all the same. Learning this was the first step in taking pride in this curse I bear. I hope you are well on your way to this lesson.

[ He smiles. Meeting someone so young here is a surprise, but he's happy he did. He never misses out on a chance to share some wisdom. ]

Edited (made it older-sounding) 2023-08-29 18:54 (UTC)

[ Toge doesn't think he needs any words of wisdom, he's seen some things, but all the same he can smile and be polite. He knows what his skills can do, and how they can work out, but he also has to live with the consequences. ]

Salmon, salmon. [ There, some general agreement at least. Even if he could try and form other words, it's just going to lead to frustration. ]

« test sail »

STARTER SHIPS: ORIENTATION

ELTRUT: FIRST GLIMPSE

QUESTS

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Sorry to keep you waiting I had a crisis

no worries at all!

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