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seaboards ([personal profile] seaboards) wrote in [community profile] escordvi2023-08-18 12:48 pm

« test sail »



Welcome to the first Test Drive Meme for [community profile] 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)
Avatar: The Last Airbender - Mai | Undecided
Azur Lane - Bremerton | Paladin
Azur Lane - Enterprise | Paladin
Baldur’s Gate 3 - Astarion | Corsair
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - Miriam | Paladin
Critical Role - Percy DeRolo | Paladin
Dragon Age 2 - Fenris | Corsair
Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves - Xenk Yendar | Paladin
Fate/Grand Order - Edward Teach | Corsair
Final Fantasy V - Faris Scherwiz | Corsair
Final Fantasy VII - Aerith Gainsborough | Undecided
Final Fantasy VII - Cloud Strife | Paladin
Final Fantasy VII - Nanaki/Red XIII | Paladin
Final Fantasy VII - Reno | Corsair
Final Fantasy VII - Zack Fair | Paladin
Final Fantasy VIII - Laguna Loire | Paladin
Final Fantasy X-2 - Rikku | Undecided
Final Fantasy XII - Ashe | Corsair
Final Fantasy XIV - G’raha Tia | Corsair
Final Fantasy XVI - Benedikta Harman | Corsair
Final Fantasy XVI - Cidolfus Telamon | Corsair
Final Fantasy XVI - Clive Rosfield | Corsair
Final Fantasy XVI - Dion Lesage | Paladin
Final Fantasy XVI - Gav | Undecided
Final Fantasy XVI - Midadol Telamon | Corsair
Final Fantasy: Type-0 - Rem | Corsair
Forgotten Realms - Jarlaxle Baenre | Corsair
Friends at the Table: Twilight Mirage - Morning’s Observation | Corsair
Genshin Impact - Lyney | Corsair
Genshin Impact - Wanderer | Undecided
Good Omens - Aziraphale | Undecided
Granblue Fantasy - Eustace | Corsair
Guilty Gear - Ky Kiske | Corsair
Honkai Star Rail - March 7th | Paladin
Jujutsu Kaisen - Toge Inumaki | Corsair
Kingdom Hearts - Roxas | Paladin
The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker - Tetra | Paladin
Nimona - Nimona | Paladin
One Piece - Roronoa Zoro | Corsair
Overwatch - Reaper | Corsair
The Owl House - Gus Porter | Undecided
Pokemon - Professor Turo | Paladin
Samurai Jack - Ashi | Paladin
Shades of Magic - Alucard Emery | Paladin
Skies of Arcadia - Fina | Corsair
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor - Cal Kestis | Undecided
Stormlight Archive - Shallan Davar | Corsair
Sweetness and Lightning - Kotori Iida | Paladin
Tales of Berseria - Eizen | Corsair
Tales of Berseria - Velvet Crow | Corsair
Tales of Zestiria - Sorey | Undecided
Welcome Home - Julie Joyful | Corsair


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.


verboaten: (amethyst ;; yeah no)

[personal profile] verboaten 2023-09-02 04:43 am (UTC)(link)
[...when eizen wanted a drink, he didn't mean like this. reaper's curse never fails. granted, that grab behind cover was appreciated, but the beer shower was decidedly less so.

he wipes off some beer off his cheek.]


Not unless they all suddenly realize the error of their ways and leave. [and now with a little less snark.] Or, if we're going with something more plausible, we make them leave.

[or knock them out. either or works in this scenario.]
starshower: (temp 273)

[personal profile] starshower 2023-09-05 02:42 am (UTC)(link)
[Tifa was already prepared to drag them all out herself, but on top of the one that's still doubled over and muttering drunkenly under his breath, there's the one that comes chasing after his now-emptied tankard across the tavern, his belly out and clearly full of the ale that was in there with how he wobbles.

She has to, once again, duck out of the way as he goes crashing into the other man, and the two of them immediately start yelling at each other.]


... Mind giving me a hand with that?
verboaten: (amethyst ;; fine time to chat)

[personal profile] verboaten 2023-09-06 08:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[his eyes coolly follow the drunk as he crashes into the other. as expected, another fight pops up. it's one of the many going on all around. yup, this is one hell of a tavern brawl.]

My pleasure.

[he says as he stands up. first thing first: take care of the ruckus right next to them. eizen thus walks over to the two men bickering and, quicker than either can react, reaches behind their heads and then slams their foreheads together with enough force for a guaranteed k.o.

eizen watches them fall down before turning back toward tifa.]


You prefer we knock them rest of them out or just toss them outside?

[seeing as she stopped him to begin with, he figures he'd ask. both are doable and both solve the issue.]
starshower: (temp 178)

[personal profile] starshower 2023-09-07 09:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Toss them outside. Better that we get them out of this mess before they wake up.

[And she's just going to bend down and pick up the smaller of the two men and hoist him right over her shoulder with hardly any effort at all, lifting him up with her legs before she gives his a light pat when she hears him groan behind her.]

Then we come back in here and take care of the rest.
verboaten: (amethyst ;; uh-ha)

[personal profile] verboaten 2023-09-12 08:35 pm (UTC)(link)
[color eizen a bit impressed by that. not everyone can so casually haul someone over their shoulder without breaking a sweat. eizen'd say it reminds him of velvet, but she'd hardly be that gentle.]

Works for me.

[much like velvet, eizen himself has no plans to be gentle. not bothering to give the remaining drunk the red carpet treatment of actually being picked up, all he does is grab the other guy by the scruff of his shirt before dragging him toward the door. as soon as he gets to the door, eizen unceremoniously tosses the guy outside. the guy lands with a thump a short distance away, but he'll be fine. eizen didn't toss him that hard or far.]
starshower: (temp 189)

[personal profile] starshower 2023-09-15 02:25 am (UTC)(link)
[Tifa, on the other hand, will not be so gentle in letting the man down. He's heavy, stinks of alcohol, and is muttering some pretty obscene things while she carries him out, so she waits until Eizen lets his man down before she does hers, letting him land right on top of his friend.]

There. Now that the trash is out...

[She looks back to the door with a new wariness as if she didn't just dump a man on the street, and as if he wasn't groaning in pain near her feet.]

Any idea how to stop that commotion? May have seen a few bar fights myself, but never when the whole place got so involved.
verboaten: (amethyst ;; yeah no)

[personal profile] verboaten 2023-09-20 11:11 pm (UTC)(link)
[and that's that. one pair of drunks down, at least. eizen gives them a final look before joining tifa in turning back toward the tavern. he crosses his arms before speaking.]

I have. It's not all that uncommon at taverns packed with this sort of a crowd.

[the rougher the crowd, the easier is it for them to let loose like this. toss in a few drinks and it's a recipe for situations like this.]

It leaves us with two choices: stand out here and enjoy the fresh air while they all take turns knocking each other --or themselves-- out [it happens. he's seen it.] or we go back in there and take them out ourselves to speed up the process.

[given how tough tifa seems and his own strength, both seem plausible options.]
starshower: (temp 246)

[personal profile] starshower 2023-09-21 03:10 pm (UTC)(link)
[...

....

Tifa looks back to the tavern, out to the spread of sky and ocean in front of them, then back to the tavern, a visible wince on her face when she hears the sound of smashing glass.

....

And then a sigh.]


Actually, now that you mention it... I could use a little bit of fresh air.

[She's spent far too long breaking up bar fights to want to keep doing it here. As much as she would love for the fighting to stop, how many men did she count in there that had joined in? Far too many.]
verboaten: (amethyst ;; chill)

[personal profile] verboaten 2023-10-01 12:33 am (UTC)(link)
[eizen briefly glances over a shoulder at the tavern upon hearing that glass break. going off that noise, that was one of the windows. rough. then again, it's more surprising that any windows actually remain to break.

needlessly to say, staying out here is a-okay with him.]


Not a bad idea.

[eizen casually leans against a railing nearby. he lets his gaze settle on the horizon ahead as he speaks.]

Seems like you've had your fair share of dealing with messes like this.
starshower: (temp 048)

[personal profile] starshower 2023-10-03 03:13 am (UTC)(link)
My fair share, but nothing as rowdy as this...

[She joins him against the railing, happy to ignore the loud shouts coming from inside the tavern, and she lets the sounds be carried off into the wind and by the waves down below.]

Usually I'd kick them out before it got to that point, but sometimes it just happens before you even know it's happening...

[There's a light furrow to her brow.]

Doesn't help that the guy running the place doesn't seem to care all that much.
verboaten: (amethyst ;; hands in pocket)

[personal profile] verboaten 2023-10-06 03:12 pm (UTC)(link)
It's probably not worth caring about if it happens on a daily basis.

[like you can only give so much of a damn about stopping it if it keeps right on happening. if it doesn't affect his bottom line too much or if he follows up with tabs on whoever breaks something then better to just let the brawl run its course.]

As long as they're not in danger of literally tearing the place apart, it's just another day that ends in y for him.

[and if it does get to that point, well, it's probably too late to do much of anything anyway.]
starshower: (temp 230)

[personal profile] starshower 2023-10-08 02:27 am (UTC)(link)
Hopefully the places on Elah will be better than this. They kept saying how Eltrut was supposed to be the neutral space, but...

[Tifa turns to glance at him, looking him over like she's trying to figure out what ship he's just come from.]

I doubt it's really that bad...

[Though, her voice seems to suggest otherwise.]
verboaten: (amethyst ;; yeah no)

[personal profile] verboaten 2023-10-10 05:52 pm (UTC)(link)
[elah is the paladin's place, if memory serves. yeah, going off this first impression, she seems the sort more fit for that than the pirate's side of things.]

Or it could be worse than you imagined. Both are equally plausible, especially when we don't fully know how things usually go.

[while standing there, eizen ends up digging out his usual kharlan coin from his pocket and giving it a flip. it's a habit, if a habit that never fails to end with the same outcome. yep, tails as expected.]

Granted, there's a good chance things'll settle down in there faster now that I'm out here.
starshower: (temp 022)

[personal profile] starshower 2023-10-13 03:50 am (UTC)(link)
[Tifa watches him flip that coin with a curious intrigue.]

Hoping to leave it up to luck, are you? Doubt you had anything to do with it.
verboaten: (amethyst ;; chitchat)

[personal profile] verboaten 2023-10-15 01:00 am (UTC)(link)
It's less leaving it to luck and more knowing my own.

[the casual way with which he responds sounds as if this is a conversation he's had time and time again. tifa's neither the first nor likely the last who'll comment on how luck likely has nothing to with things.]

I've got something called the Reaper's Curse. What this means is if something bad can happen when I'm around, it will.

[he nods toward the tavern.]

Case in point: that. Fights like that starting up around me are about as common as breathing. Hell, I'm more surprised there weren't any causalities this time around.
starshower: (temp 024)

[personal profile] starshower 2023-10-18 03:20 am (UTC)(link)
[She certainly won't be the first, nor the last, but she's somewhere in between.]

An unlucky curse?

[Tifa can't help but flash him a rueful smile. How many times has he heard this sort of thing from other people?]

I doubt that fight had anything to do with you. If you keep looking for things to happen because of bad luck or whatever, don't you think you're just more likely to find it?
verboaten: (amethyst ;; the first mate)

[personal profile] verboaten 2023-10-20 01:15 am (UTC)(link)
I don't go looking for them; they come looking for me.

[eizen seems complete unfazed by that reaction. someone thinking it's nothing more than superstition is neither new or surprising.]

It's not as though I go looking for hurricanes that strike suddenly on the clearest of sunny days or for the only bit of poison ivy in a forest to be right where I happen to fall or for several of my crew to get killed because they just so happened to fall down a sinkhole that opened up right under our feet.

[the fact that said crew still associates with him despite what his curse brings is a true testament to how good a crew aifread's pirates are.]

It's not merely bad luck, it's The Reaper's Curse and that's what it does.
starshower: (temp 232)

[personal profile] starshower 2023-10-22 01:12 am (UTC)(link)
[Well, when he calls it the "Reaper's Curse", it sounds a lot more like a curse and a lot less like a string of bad coincidences. Or luck. Something that a lot of people can relate to, she's sure. Part of her wonders if she'd been struck with something like that way back when...

But she's just as quick to shake the thought away.]


Well. Hopefully your luck will change for you around here. Doubt that was the first or last time that tavern'll see any fights.