TEST DRIVE - BELLMARE MOUNTAINS

[phantasmods]

Hello and welcome to Phantasmal Rift's Test Drive Meme!

Test drive threads are assumed to be game canon for accepted characters unless otherwise noted, so don't feel like you'll have to introduce yourself a second time to everyone you meet! As an added bonus, participation in the test drive comes with the chance to earn up to two items of loot for your trouble! Characters who are accepted can earn one item for having a top level, and one for tagging out to someone else's top level! Your SWEET LOOT will be included with your acceptance notice.

Additionally, characters currently in game can earn themselves a piece of bonus loot for the dungeon by tagging people's top-levels on the test drive! Existing characters get their bonus loot along with the rest of their loot at the conclusion of the dungeon.

This test drive takes place in the Bellmare Mountain range, a chilly environment even when it's not locked in the dead of winter. Considering that November is just starting to bite - or is it, with the Fissure's time-displacement effect in place? - that makes for an extremely chilly reception for all of the new arrivals. If you're a person at risk of frostbite, you'd better hunker down in one of the scattered mountain cabins or find someone with extra snow gear, and quick.

Once you're a bit more warmed up, exploration of the area will reveal that it's largely abandoned, but there's still some evidence of past human habitation. Old chair lifts stand guard over untouched ski slopes, the remains of what was once a resort, and a handful of hiking paths twist back and forth through the mountain forests, the snow melting off them due to the magical crystals in the gravel that lines the paths.

LET IT SNOW

Chances are that, upon arriving, you find yourself outside in the snowfall. Hopefully you weren't from somewhere too terribly warm, but chances are that unless you were specifically in a cold environment before, you're going to be feeling the chill now. (Unless, of course, you're not human and don't get bothered by the cold. That happens.)

Fortunately, there are plenty of paths scattered around that are warm enough to keep the snow melted off of them - it shouldn't be that hard to stumble across one. The question then becomes, which way to shelter and civilization? You'll have to take a bit of a gamble, but it's almost certainly better than staying where you are and freezing.

LOCKED IN

How fortunate, then, that you were able to find shelter against the cold - at least for the time being. The wooden cabin is the exact opposite of luxury, but there's a bed and wood to make a fire in the fireplace, so you can't ask for terribly much else. Especially once night falls - or when the snow outside begins to fall in more than flurries - it's far better to be outside than in. Even if you can't figure out how to start the fire, the dimly glowing crystals that serve as fire starter will at least keep your hands warm.

Of course, with only a limited amount of shelter to go around in these mountain trails, it's fairly inevitable that you would have to share with someone... Hope they're friendly, otherwise this place is going to get awkward fast.

FROSTY THE - OH, MAN!

And if you're still running around outside, sooner or later you're almost certain to run into a deep patch of snow that rises up to meet you. These giant snowmen, ten feet tall and aggressive, stand up in response to anything that isn't the local wildlife approaching - and their goal is quite simple. Better watch out, because these guys are your own personal avalanche, seeking to bury you under themselves until either the cold or the weight saps the life out of you.

One's dangerous, but it's not uncommon to find them in groups of 3-5, either, which is where things start getting to be a problem. Luckily, it's possible to melt them down to nothing, or just blast them apart with pure force - the scattered snow won't rise again, at least not any time soon.

Comments

Marie Cooper | Hexapath Travellers (OC)

[liveofftheland]

[snow]

[At least Marie knows how to build a shelter, which she's currently doing in a large mound of snow, cursing under her breath.]

The others better be okay in this...

[snowmen]

[Marie loads in a small arrow to her wrist-mounted bow and shoots it at a giant snowman. As she bolts to the side, the arrow bursts into flame and melts a hole in its body.]

Where's the nearest route out?

snow

[familiaridol]

[It's too damn cold to stay in human form. Sure, Clover could probably magick on something warmer to wear, but the face would still be uncovered. The lack of fur is nice in hot weather, but not so much in snow. So she's taken to using a form more natural to her: a strange rabbit-like creature with mist instead of a tail. With thicker than usual fur.

Now she's watching the shelter building with great interest.]

Man, that's a really handy skillset.

[liveofftheland]

It takes patience and time. [She raises her eyebrows and looks over at the rabbit.] Uh... hi.

[familiaridol]

Hello! You land here out of the blue, too? I'm Clover.

[The rabbit bows.]

[liveofftheland]

Marie. ...No offence, but am I hallucinating a talking rabbit? Did Lulu do this to guilt me about hunting for food? I mean, it sounds more Alice's thing, but I doubt she can actually do this...

[familiaridol]

I'm no hallucination! This is my natural form. I can take human form, too, though.

[With that, she shifts into a human wearing heavy winter wear.]

But it's more comfy having fur in this weather so I'll just stick to being a rabbit.

[Just like that, she reverts back.]

[liveofftheland]

[Marie rubs her eyes.]

Leta on a loaf. All right, you're real. Somehow. What is this place?

[familiaridol]

Yup, I'm real, If you want, you can pet me to make sure. But I was about to ask you about this place, too. Looks like we're both clueless abductees.

[liveofftheland]

You haven't seen a group of adventurers around, have you?

snowmen

[demonbloodblade]

[ A large flaming sword takes the head of the snowman off from behind, and Meiantha lands on her feet. ]

I think there's a path that way. [ She gestures with her sword, before bringing it to a guard position ] Looks like crystals, almost like compressed snow.

[liveofftheland]

[Huh. Apparently, there are a lot of different-looking people here. Well, there are more important things to deal with right now.]

Looks like the best bet. What, was some reclusive mage hiding out here?

[demonbloodblade]

[ Not letting the guard position down, Meliantha shrugs. ]

That does sound like the best guess. I came across some cabins and some more paths, so hopefully whoever is it is not setting other kinds of traps there. I'll cover you.

[liveofftheland]

In that case, still better check that out than stay out here, do you think?

[demonbloodblade]

Agreed. Very much so. I’ll cover you.

[liveofftheland]

Don't worry. I can handle this.

[She looks around, drawing arrows in one hand, and starts down a snowy path.]

Think it'll lead to civilization?

[demonbloodblade]

I certainly hope so. Or at least shelter. I'd prefer not to be camping if those things came along again.

[liveofftheland]

That's true enough. Snow shelters are fine, but not if they come to life.

[summerbloom]

[ Did you want peace and quiet perhaps, Marie? Maybe some time to focus on your work? ]

Miss Marie!

[ Too bad, because Sophie's spotted a familiar face and she's hurrying on through the snow as quick as she can. Which uh, isn't very quick with how deep the snow is, but she's doing her best, bless her heart. ]

Miss Marie, over here! It's me!

[liveofftheland]

Sophie!?

[Marie stands up and turns quickly, takes this in, and waves.]

There you are. Where's everyone else? I haven't found them.

[summerbloom]

I haven't seen Lulu or Edward or Celadon yet – but Alice and Mister Aran are here! I'm not sure where they are right now, since we split up to explore, but they're here!

And if you're here, maybe everyone else is, too!

[liveofftheland]

I hope so. If we're all separated, who knows what's going on. At least the other two know how to handle Lulu. They get along well.

[summerbloom]

Actually we kind of do know what's going on.

[ Which I'm sure is a shock, coming from Sophie of all people. ]

We've actually been here for a while already. Not here in the mountains here, but... well, it's a long story!

[liveofftheland]

Wait. What? "A while" doesn't mean the two minutes since I've seen you, does it?

[summerbloom]

More like a month actually. Maybe a little more? It's been kind of hard to keep track with everything that's been happening.

[liveofftheland]

...Have you been talking to Celadon about time not being real again?