TEST DRIVE 002

[phantasmods]

Hello, and welcome to the second test drive for Phantasmal Rift!

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 is based in the Fissure nearest to the Station, same as last time! But this time you're coming at the shoreline from a bit of a different angle...

If you really want, though, you can reuse prompts from the first test drive! In particular, there's still landsharks around the new area of beach. Otherwise, here's three new prompts!

OPTION ONE: OCEAN BREEZE

The cavern you find yourself in smells of the sea... And looks like it, too. Large crystal formations, usually in blue or a light yellow-green, glow along the walls and ceiling of the cavern, providing more than enough light to see by. The whole place is damp and a little chilly, and occasional pools of water rise and fall with gentle waves - some outside tide flowing in through underground passages.

More chilling, though, is the wind that flows through the caves, never ever quite going still but varying wildly in intensity. In fact, characters will discover that they have some control over the intensity of the wind - or perhaps some lack of control, depending on their exact response to waking up in an unexpected place. Strong emotions of any sort make the wind stronger in turn; while calm leaves the wind gentle, panic will send it whipping around corners and drive already-distressed characters to take whatever shelter they can, lest they get blown into some cavern wall.

Other than the wind and the crystals, the caverns seem mostly normal for a place that's clearly underwater at least part of the time. The lower reaches of the caverns are full of barnacles, mussels, and other shellfish that await the rising of the tide for their survival, as well as the occasional crab (some of them surprisingly large, up to about the same of a man's head), and bits of seaweed catch on rocky corners.

OPTION TWO: SAY NYA

What's that sound? Is it... a cat?

... No, it's not. It's a meowing seagull, for some reason.

Except for their strange vocalizations (all feline in nature), the seagulls found outside around the cliffs and beaches are all reasonably normal. (Specifically, anyone familiar with the Gulf Coast on Earth will find that they look much like Laughing Gulls in their black-headed plumage.) They're normal-sized and not at all afraid of people...

In fact, they're so unafraid of people, that they'll come right up close to you and nick your stuff! And not just food, mind. Anything they can carry that isn't attached is fair game to be taken and winged up the cliffs to their roosts. Magpies have nothing on these guys.

Good luck chasing them down for whatever it is they've taken, or climbing up the cliffs to get it back. It belongs to the seacats now.

OPTION THREE: ALL THAT GLITTERS

This gravel beach is absolutely splendid in the sunlight, looking like someone shattered a thousand stained glass windows and left the wreckage to sparkle. Protected from the worst of the waves by some rocky outcrops in the distance, the water here is gentle and doesn't disturb the beach much.

Luckily, the glitter does not, in fact, come from glass. Close examination will reveal that the gravel of the beach contains an impressive number of fragments of some kind of hard scale - about a third, if one's going by volume. They vary in size from a large thumb-nail down to nothing, and most transparent in every color imaginable. They're quite hard, and more likely to break into fragments than they are to be ground down by the sand.

But what is it that these scales come from? The answer can be found only at night, when the sun's light disappears. Then, large reptilian-looking creatures - somewhere between snakes and fish - make their way out of the crannies hidden in the rocks around and across from the small beach. In many different colors, they glow beneath the waves, some internal light filtered through their skin and scales to make each appear a different color.

The serpents aren't violent, at least for now, but given that the largest of them is at least twenty feet long... Perhaps it's best not to hassle them.

Comments

Noctis Lucis Caelum | FFXV

[nightcure]

you know like, nya
[ You know, he got really excited for half a minute. He'd ended up here just after Ardyn had started his stupid gloating, and he'd been confused at first! But cats are a comfort, and Noctis could've been at ease if it had been an actual cat! Noctis stares at the birds like they're something offensive, and then--

It attacks. Noctis yells and throws a hand out, and he gives another yell when the thing goes for his hand. ]

Hey, give that back!

[ One of the seagulls has a ring in its stupid beak. Uh oh. ]

the breeze in ya hairs
[ ... crystals, huh. Noctis is kind of irritated already after dealing with the birds, and this isn't helping. He crosses his arms as he walks through the place; it's a little chilly but it's probably fine. Right now, the wind isn't too intense, so he'll probably be fine.

Probably.

Regardless, whoever he sees, he'll call out to-- ]

Hey!

you know what this is

[founderinglight]

[So if Noctis is paying attention to the direction that particular gull is flying off to, he might notice a figure in the distance. Or, you know, the flash of light of a warp-strike because someone is very much not about having seagulls take his scarf and carry it off.

Yeah, not about that at all. So there is now a tall, thin man, with very familiar looking hair and an unfamiliar rapier that...

Has a seagull impaled on it. Well, they can probably cook that later. Izunia retrieves his scarf and looks up just in time to see -

That's the Ring. In the beak of a seagull, going past his head.

And so, of course, he turns to look and - ]

...Oh, fuck me.

[nightcure]

[ He sees--

a flash of light? A very familiar flash of light. Noctis is immediately on high alert, because who the hell can do that besides people from home? So that's at least a little bit of comfort, and he's--

He's... ]

You!

[ His blood boils. He lets out a loud yell as his father's sword appears in his hand and warps right at the man. He'd just seen the bastard before he'd ended up here, and he's so angry he could shove his sword deep into his chest. ]

[founderinglight]

Yes that's pretty much what I expected.

[Apparently no amount of life-threatening danger will him from making commentary. Izunia phases out of the way of the warp-strike, spinning on his heel, and notes the location of the gull with the Ring, further down the beach.

It really wouldn't do to lose track of that. With a thrown dagger, he warps after it, in a trail of blue that matches the one that just came for his head.

Anticipating that Noctis will follow, of course, and hoping that his own stamina for magic is still as good as it used to be.]

[nightcure]

Get the hell back here!

[ He doesn't care if he's already tired from the fights before, back home. He's not letting him get away. It doesn't even register to Noctis that the light is wrong, that it's blue--he hasn't seen Ardyn's warp, after all.

It doesn't matter.

Noctis throws his weapon again, hot on the man's trail. ]

[founderinglight]

[And they're off! In some bizarre combination of tag and "playing catch with swords," led by a seagull.

Honestly, Noctis, priorities.]

And I presume you wouldn't -

[Warp.]

- believe me if I told you -

[Warp.]

- that I'm actually -

[Warp.]

- Get back here you thrice-damned shuttlecock -

[Warp. This time he almost gets the seagull, at least.]

- his twin brother?

[nightcure]

No, I wouldn't!

[ Him warp. Noctis pushes through the exhaustion that's starting to set in, and he lets out a grunt as he stumbles. ]

Because I know you love screwing with me!

[founderinglight]

Of course. Couldn't be that easy.

[Thankfully, Noctis is exhausted and already slowing down, meanwhile Izunia is reasonably fresh still.

But he's less worried, at the moment, about outpacing Noctis, and more concerned about - ]

Got you!

[The gull, which lets out a dramatic yowl as he grabs it by the wing feathers and yanks.]

nyaaaaa

[selfsacrificial]

[Of all the things she'd encountered thus far, these stupid birds were perhaps the most offensive. They were noisy and worse... nearly impossible to get rid of. She had enough trouble with her own-- no way she could be bothered to help every idiot foolish enough to let the birds get close enough to attack.

Perhaps fortunately for him, she is a fan of attacking them.

With a huge arm that could only be described as that of a ferocious and hideous beast, she struck the bird right out of the sky-- lucky enough to catch the shiny loot it dropped.]

...a ring?

[That's a new one.]

[nightcure]

[ He's been having a hell of a day. These birds just won't give up, and he's been warping... well. A lot. Luckily, Noctis sees her strike the bird down, and it drops the ring. ]

That... would be mine!

Winnoct the Pooh and the Blustery Day

[photoshooter]

[Prompto turns automatically before he even registers the voice. His body just responds to that presence. It's just what he does.

And then he stops. And stares.

Just as his mouth opens to say Noct's name, the wind suddenly barrels through the caves from behind, a hurricane-force gale, and it bowls Prompto completely ass over teakettle in Noctis's direction with a dismayed wail.]

WaaaaaAAH!

[nightcure]

[ Noct lets out a yell as the wind suddenly picks up, and he braces himself against the wall. But the moment he sees Prompto being Mr. Graceless over there, he's Ready 2 Go.

Good thing Noct has good reflexes, because he catches Prompto and sets him upright. He's still stunned, but... holy shit, he's so glad to see Prompto. ]

Next time, you can just tell me you've fallen head over heels for me.

[ Nailed it. ]

[photoshooter]

[Big, deep breath, despite the wind rushing past.]

Noct!

[Hope Noct's ready to be clung to with the ferocity of a thousand Karlabos, because that's what Prompto does, throwing his arms desperately around his friend and holding on like he's afraid to let go.]

It's you--you're here--where have you BEEN?!

[nightcure]

Ow! Dude, I'm right here, you don't have to yell.

[ Funny though... He doesn't sound too upset. And he's definitely not pushimg Prompto away; he hasn't let go either. Mostly he sounds.. relieved. ]

I was back home, just like you!

[photoshooter]

What do you mean, just like--I've been here for a month!

[Prompto's voice has crawled back down from terrified Zu screech to upset whine, but that sudden wind hasn't died down at all. He shoves back without letting go, holding tight to Noct's shoulders, and looks him over to make sure all his parts are attached.]

Are you hurt? Did--did it hurt you?

["It." The Crystal.]

[nightcure]

Wh-- No, I just saw you, you and Gladio and Ignis were fighting the daemons not even a day ago!

[ He's fine--a little dirty, a lot tired, but he's whole. ]

Dude, I'm fine. Seriously. Just-- tired as hell.

[photoshooter]

[Him, Gladio, and Ignis. Well, that answers one question for sure.

Prompto studies Noct's face for a moment, then grabs his hand and starts leading him out towards the cavern exit.]

Come on. We're gonna get out of here, and we're gonna sit down, and you're gonna eat my snacks.

nya

[newlawtolight]

[Oh, that is a worry, is it? Hm. Its also such a nice ring, too. And the meowing, ugh. She was hardly a fan of cats to begin with, much less the fac they were half-cat birds.

She is suddenly there, her umbrella open, her urumi unrolling with a snap.]

Shall I?

[nightcure]

Uh-- Yeah, that'd be great!

[ What's with the umbrella? Whatever, as long as she helps, she could be using a giant key for all he cares. ]

[newlawtolight]

[Oh, her umbrella is for shade! Right now.

Its the urumi the cat-things ought to have seen coming, as it whips forward, snapping onto the gull. The small slice it manages lets off steam as the gull's meowing turns into a pained, yowling shriek.

The ring hangs on the beak ever so precariously.]

Since you are asking so nicely.

[She turns, her urumi whipping around again so it might hit the ring off. Barring that, perhaps she can grab the creature's wing before it can fly off. It's certainly up in the air, right now...]

[nightcure]

[ Luckily, Noct has his warp. He tosses his sword into the air, right above the seagull. A trail of blue light follows him, and he grabs the bird before landing on his feet on the ground. ]

Gotcha!

[ He pulls the ring away, then lets the thing go. It gives an angry squawk, but flies off. ]

[newlawtolight]

Excellent.

[With practiced smoothness, her urumi wraps around her waist, and fitting neatly like a fashionable belt. She then adjusts her sunglasses, just a bit, followed by her hat.]

What an interesting ability. Might I ask what it might be you just did?

[nightcure]

It's called a warp. I just throw my weapon and wherever it lands, I land.

[ He eyes her urumi. ]

That's pretty cool, too. What is it?

[shiritai]

[ There's a small burst of wind as Violet turns around and she just squints uncertainly at Noctis for a moment. He doesn't look familiar, but he was calling out and there doesn't seem to be anyone else around.

Rather than approach, Violet just lifts a hand and points to herself in an unvoiced question. You were yelling at her, right? ]

windy day

[press_start]

[The wind is much quieter in this part of the caves, almost at a standstill. It's almost like the environment doesn't want to disturb the pale haired girl near where the cave opens out to the sea, gently bathed in crystalline light. She's crouching, as if inspecting something, and doesn’t seem to hear Noctis.

… no wait is she asleep

Approach?]