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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

[Frowning a little himself, he tries again, voice a little louder.]

How about now?

[She pulls the phone away from her ear again when she finally picks up on where the sound is coming from...

...

She glances across that space that he's put between them, turns the phone around in her hand, and brings it back into place. Gods, she really hopes that no one is looking at them, this is the most embarrassing thing she's ever had to do, but it is necessary if she is going to survive at all here until she finds her way back.]

Once more.

[They were holding it upside-down, weren't they.......]

Edited 2023-08-25 17:17 (UTC)

[Still nothing?? Is he holding it wrong... He sees Benedikta looking at it and he'll do the same, but the screen is off so he has no obvious sign that he has it upside down still, and maybe Benedikta's change fixed it? Whatever it was.]

Now?

[She shows her phone to him and points to it.]

Turn it around.

[Isn't he supposed to be the one that's a natural at this!? And yet he is the one holding his phone the wrong way? ~~Thought as if she wasn't also just holding it upside-down too, of course.~~]

[Cid blinks as he can hear her voice faintly at the bottom of the phone, and then sees her pointing...

Dammit, they were holding it wrong!]

Like this?

[He flips it around, now seeing the screen flicker to show the call ongoing and that the stuff was indeed upside down. Seeing it, he chuckles, which continues as he puts it back to his ear and she'll be able to hear that low rumble as if he's right next to her.]

Right, this should do it. How does it sound? Can you hear me?

[Her body has a near immediate reaction to the sound of his voice in her ear. Never mind that the volume is at maximum and just a bit too loud, why is his voice right there? As if he were uttering those words into it rather than through this talking device? Uttering them right into her ear like he had before—

There's a very visible hitch of her breath, her chest heaving and throat tightening with it, with goosebumps that weave into her the flesh of her neck and all the way down her spine, making her stiffen to stop it.]

I... [And why is her own voice so breathless now? Quickly, she gives an annoyed little cough to help clear some of that.] I can hear you just fine. Too loud, even. It's... grating.

Edited 2023-08-25 22:06 (UTC)

[Cid was just watching to see if she actually heard him. What he didn't expect was to see such a reaction from her...and he's not sure what to make of it. Nor is he sure what to make of her voice suddenly coming to his ear, that hint of breathlessness too noticeable with how close it is.

...

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?

There might something of a vicious grin before he answers.]

That right? [And then he lowers his voice. On purpose.] Is this better...Benedikta?

[Lowering in that old way that he knows gets to her, drawing out her name in that low, languid way.]

Edited 2023-08-25 23:53 (UTC)

[She really should just pull her phone away from her ear when he spots that grin of his, and then when his voice rumbles low through it... that way he says her name...

Her heart practically leaps out of her chest in that pesky way that it always does when he is around, especially more so now. She hates that, even after all those years, with those thorns buried deep into her heart, it still jumps at the opportunity to go to him. Still misses a beat when he strikes just the right chords...

The goosebumps around her neck only grow, and he'll hear her breath pass through the phone and into her ear, try as she might to stifle it. She has no idea how good the microphones and speakers on these devices actually are—

After a few moments and yet another clearing of her throat, she finally answers properly.]

How do I fix it?

[He hears it, and sees her again reacting in a way he's not sure how to interpret. Regardless, knowing that he's getting to her makes him grin in a strangely satisfied way, one that he also knows will piss her off.

But he'll be nice now, his voice normal.]

Fix what? You sound pretty clear to me.

[And she'll finally have the mind to bring it away from her ear when his voice returns to normal and bellows into it at maximum volume.]

It sounds like you're shouting!

[Says Benedikta, shouting into the phone.]

[OW??

Now it's his turn to wince and hold the phone the way.]

Bloody hell—doesn't mean you have to!

[But even as he holds the phone away from him, he can hear his voice faintly from where she is.

So with a frown and rubbing his ear, he'll walk over to her, hand held out so he can take her shellphone.]

Didn't the lad say something about the sound on these things?

[Yeah, that's probably for the best, though she does protest with an equally loud "hey—!" and tries to snatch it back before it's out of her reach.

And instead, she folds her arms, trying not to think about what just happened.]

I don't know. I got bored of his drivel...

[He went on and on and on, saying all these words that she didn't know, didn't understand. It was frustrating, to say the least, and besides, she knew that Cidolfus would be all over it, absorbing every word.

So she waves her hand at the phone, as if to silently tell him to figure it out for her.]

[Again he'll just shake his head, setting his own phone down on the seat he had been using before, letting the call remain connected so they can test things without having to call each other again.]

Let's see...was it this button?

[After turning the phone around for a second, he finds the two side buttons and presses one.

Which only turns the screen off. Nope, not that one... Another click of that button turns the screen back on, and so he tries the longer one. Seeing the bar appear with it going up and down (what were those symbols again?), light flashes in his eyes with a grin.]

Think I got it. You press this button here—goes up and down. Up is louder, down is quiet.

[She pretends that she isn't watching him, keeping her head turned away... but not so turned away that she can't look through the corners of her eyes to see which buttons he's pressing as he explains...

"Up is louder, down is quiet." How long before she forgets that—

And once he's sure that it's fixed, she snatches the phone back and lifts it to her ear for one last test.]

This should be alright now, then?

[Wow. Not even a thank you???

He just stares at her before half rolling his eyes as he picks up his and then speaks back into the phone in his normal voice.]

You tell me. Better?

[He had set it down to just below half.]

[Nope. Not even a thank you. He should be thankful that she is letting him help her at all.

She's more cautious when he speaks into the phone, steeling herself for the sound of his voice again, but this time, the volume itself is more manageable, not too quiet and not too loud. It's just right, which is a problem in itself because she feels another wave of goosebumps coming—]

It's fine.

[And she'll hold it in her palm now, wondering how the fuck to turn this thing off!?!? She taps on it several times before he'll hear the call end on his side when she finally finds the right button... of course it's the big red one.]

[He'll just watch amused before he looks at his phone, curious to see how it looks when she ends the call.

Ah, there it goes.]

Looks like we got most of the basics...

[And it's at that moment that the staffer that helped them earlier approaches holding two bags.

"Sorry! I forgot to give you these—they hold the box and the booklets for your shellphones. You can also choose a special cover case for the device, which we highly recommend. The cases will protect the device in the event the phone is dropped or scratched or some other damage. Please, look over our selection and let us know if you need any other help!"

But as soon as they finish, they are called by another new arrival and has to excuse themselves to help.

After glancing at the bag, curious about what the booklet has, Cid looks back at the display case for the cases.]

Might as well take a look. Wouldn't want to break this on the first day.

[...May...be giving her a pointed as he suspects she's more than likely to throw it somewhere—]

[He isn't wrong—

She stares at the staff member who wanders up to them and interrupted them, her already thin patience so, so much thinner now. With the way she scowls, one would think they've just had another important conversation interrupted...

But he leaves them alone quick enough, and she's at least grateful for the new customer who steals him away, allowing them to continue on their own. Benedikta does follow Cid to the case quietly, though, and peers through the glass at the wide selection.]

... There are too many to pick from.

...Really are... Different designs and everything.

[He'll pick one up at random, curious how it looks before he looks back down. Hmm...

Hmmmmmmmm.... Ah!

A mischievous grin forms as he holds up a bright yellow with ducks on it.]

Think this would suit you well.

[She glances down to the case, and it takes a few seconds more for it to click—]

Me!?

[Does he not see how stupid this looks!? With the stupid little duck faces? And their duck bills? And their weird eyes? On top of that, she hasn't forgotten... all those years ago... and she knows exactly why he picked that one out.

And she will not give him that satisfaction. So, she seizes the case from his hand and firmly puts it back before that flush can creep up any further into her cheeks.]

If you're going to pick one for me, the least you can do is make it suitable.

[She is not a DUCK, she is GARUDA.]

[He just laughs at her reaction. She tried to hide it, but he saw the truth in her ire.

How he used to call her a "little duck" when she used to follow him all the time in the beginning, her bright, blond hair and the way she would flit about here and there always reminding him of a little duckling chasing after him. And then how that term would evolve to "duckie" as they grew closer. He didn't use it as often towards the end as it was more to tease her or just something lighthearted to say, but he never forgot.

And clearly, neither did she.

With a satisfied grin, he looks over the cases again.]

Thought it was suitable enough. But all right.

[After a few moments, even crouching down and moving to the other side when he noticed there were other shelves and drawers he could pull out to look (wow they got a lot), he finally pulls out one with green feathers out to her.

That GARUDA enough for her?]

[No, she wasn't supposed to give him that satisfaction, wipe that grin off your face, Cid—!

She quells her curiosity as she watches him dig through the display again because while yes, she had said that, she didn't expect that he would actually take the matter seriously and keep looking. So when he pulls out a new one—a green one with its back decorated with even greener, fancier feathers than ones she's ever seen...

There's just the slightest surprised arch of her brow—subtle, but it's there—as she takes it.

...

....]

This will do fine.

[And her fingers curl around it, almost protectively, before she turns to the display to look around. Unlike him, she is going to take this seriously, and eventually, after some deliberation, though not much, she'll pick out a leather case. A dark brown one with a weathered look to it.]

It looks like one of your old journals.

[Is all she says as she holds it out to him.]

[Cid is again pleased by her accepting his choice. It may not really mean anything in the end, but... He could at least do this much, right? And he's about to look for one himself when he realizes Benedikta is looking around. ...Is...she...really...?

So there's genuine surprise when she does pick out something...and the reason for her choice. Slowly he'll take the case, noticing how it even has a flap to open it and the insert for the shellphone. Fingering it for a moment, he thinks back of all the journals he wrote back then. Most of it about his own notes or ideas, but there were other things.

Sentimental things.

Things she's read.

Momentarily lost in those thoughts, he comes to quick enough and looks up at her with a soft smile, tapping the case a few beats.]

Thanks. I'll take care of it.

[And he means it. Not just for wanting to protecting the device, but because it's something she herself picked. Again, it could mean nothing at all—just a transaction given in return to his own choice. But once again thinking of her death, of the last thing they ever really "exchanged" were barbed words and hurt feelings...

Even he can feel a little something about it.

And as if to busy himself, he'll even work on fitting the phone in, sliding it in the setting with a satisfied snap.]

Perfect fit, too.

[It hadn't meant anything at all...

...

... until she sees how much he actually likes her choice. It had simply been a reminder, something that she felt was very Cidolfus-like, but with the way his expression softens and how he seems almost lost in thought when he runs his finger over it.

It brings her back for just a moment to those nights when he would show her what he'd written...

She hadn't expected much of anything. Really, she thought he'd turn it down and pick out something simpler for himself, but there's a very palpable skip of her heart before she tears her eyes away lest she stare just a second too long.]

You'd better. Or I will throw it into the ocean if you ruin it.

[A small laugh at her threat as he continues to look over the case, finding the extra slots interesting. What else could he put in it? Notes? It looks like it has some kind of loop here... Hold something?]

Now can't have that.

[Though where can he put it? Hm, pants pocket? Will it fit? So he'll try it and seeing it slide into his pants pocket easily, he grins.]

See? [Pat pat.] Nice and safe. Once I get my jacket back can tuck it inside there there, too.

STARTER SHIPS: ORIENTATION

ELTRUT: FIRST GLIMPSE

QUESTS

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