TEST DRIVE 004

[phantasmods]

Hello and welcome to the fourth 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 takes place in Keystone Reef, a water-influenced Fissure to the northeast of the station. It is home to numerous fish and coral species, as well as a very interesting magical effect...

OPTION ONE: FINNY FUN

Under the water is where you woke up, and under the water is where you might be stuck for a while. The magic is lodged in you and has changed your form -- maybe a little, maybe a lot. Perhaps you only have gills, but you may also have a full set of changes, fins and no feet to speak of. Don't panic, you'll surely be fine if you just keep swimming...

Aside from the strange changes, it's a pretty cool place to be. If you've ever dreamed about scuba diving on a coral reef, the place that you've found yourself is perfect for that (minus the needing to scuba part). Curious fish swim up and then dart away into rock crevices, coral growths, and even down to bury themselves in the layer of sand at the bottom. The water is also fairly shallow, allowing you to surface if you so desire.

Even the sharks are friendly and just want to have as much a look at you as you want to look at them. Don't harass the glowing eels tucked into cracks between the rocks, though, they bite and don't particularly let go.

OPTION TWO: WORLD'S SMALLEST JUNGLE

This must certainly be an oceanside jungle - in spite of the humidity, the smell of salt on the air is strong. Brilliant greens and the occasional bright flowers, accompanied by island birdsong... It could be a nice place to spend an afternoon. There's not even that many bugs that want to drink your blood (though bugs in general are, well, quite plentiful).

Eventually, though, however far you go, you'll reach the beach and be met with the expanse of the ocean - blue, uncaring, and real big. While one side of the little island thankfully has land visible in the distance, the outer side just overlooks a near-endless expanse of blue. If you're a very good swimmer, you could probably make your way to land past the rocks of the reef itself... Otherwise, though, you might be just a bit stuck on your jungle island paradise.

At least until someone brings a boat.

OPTION THREE: SHIPWRECK

Both above and below the waterline are the remains of ships crashed upon the rocks, just waiting to be explored. Even though it has clearly been an incredibly long time, the chunks of wood and metal are still in fairly good condition, and the chance of finding something nice tucked in with them among the rocks is surely tempting to anyone with an adventurous spirit.

The wrecks beneath the waves also grow coral and seaweed, and provide havens for larger fish, dragon eels, and sharks. Those along the rocks above the waterline, on the other hand, provide a home for seabirds of all varieties. Most notable is the hulking shell of a shipping craft in the distance, looking very much modern if ruined by some centuries of exposure...

For right now, though, you'd best contend with the flotsam a bit closer to you, and the wildlife that might not take too kindly to your exploring. Below the waterline, the dragon eels found in a few places don't take kindly to being disturbed; above, you might run afoul of some overprotective seabirds protecting their nests. Maybe even an invisible seagull (normal sized) - how ridiculous would that be?

Comments

[founderinglight]

[Ah, a shy child. Well, he can't blame her - given that no native mermaids seem to have hassled them, she's probably a new arrival.

His tone and expression softens.]

It's alright, dear. I won't allow you to come to harm.

1/2

[darkcure]

[So far, he's being kind of nice. And that... that should be encouraging. She wants it to be encouraging, really. But she doesn't know where this is, she's been changed and doesn't know how...

And someone much, much taller than her, assuring her that she'll be fine... Even if it's very different, it makes her a little nervous.]

Mmm... I--

2/2

[darkcure]

[And that's all she gets out before something small and purple rushes out, aiming for Izunia's face. Heads up.] Hey! Leave her alone, you big jerk!

[founderinglight]

[Don't worry, his reflexes are quick - he jerks his head back away from the Sudden Teepo Assault, but if he finds anything outright weird about it, it doesn't show.

Instead, he addresses the girl's defender... Well, the way he would any other person. Not any more weird than having Morgana crash his couch.]

I'm just concerned. I know that arriving here is disorienting at the best of times - nevermind in a differently shaped body, the way most here have wound up this time.

[darkcure]

[Elize gasps a little as... that all happens.]

Uh-huh, and how do we know you're not just a big fat liar? Stranger danger! Str-- mmfph!

[And that sudden muffling is thanks to Elize quickly swimming over and pulling Teepo back.]

Teepo! You can't just fly at people like that! Or, um... swim, I guess... [Still holding Teepo tightly, she looks back up at Izunia.] Um... I'm sorry.

[founderinglight]

You've nothing to apologize for; I won't deny that your friend raises a valid point. And there are certainly people around here that I would be hesitant to trust with the safety of the people I care about.

But unfortunately, there's likely not to be anyone you know in this world, so you'll likely have to trust someone, sooner or later.

[darkcure]

I guess you're right. But... We already know who we can trust. But they're not here. Did they leave Elize behind? [...Elize hugs Teepo tighter at that.] They wouldn't do that...

[founderinglight]

I'm sure they wouldn't. They're probably right where you saw them last.

This world is broken - it's like when things fall down the crack between your bed and the wall, except it's happening to people. Some of us have been here for a couple months.

[darkcure]

I don't understand... The whole world got broken?

If it's broken, can't they just fix it?

[founderinglight]

Well, nobody knows exactly how it's broken. That kind of makes it hard to fix.

[darkcure]

...Is it because of the spirits?

[founderinglight]

[???]

I'm afraid I don't know what you mean.

[darkcure]

Well, I thought maybe... something might have happened to the spirits in this world? And maybe that's why it's all broken.

[Fucking around with spirits sure tends to lead to disaster, anyway. And really, what sort of world wouldn't have spirits, right?]

[founderinglight]

I confess I'm still not sure what spirits you're speaking of. They're not something we have on Eos, the world I come from, I can tell you that much.

[What kind of world wouldn't have spirits? Most of them.]

[darkcure]

Huh? [Elize blinks at that and Teepo's eyes go wide in tandem with her own baffled reaction.] Um, well... Just... spirits? The invisible ones that are everywhere around us and let you use spirit channeling? [She sounds much less sure of herself now, though.] ...Th... Those ones?

[founderinglight]

I'm quite sure I've never heard of the concept. But I'm not terribly surprised; different people's worlds can be very different.

[darkcure]

But then... how do you use spirit artes?

[founderinglight]

Never heard of those, either.

[They're just magic, Zuzu.]

[darkcure]

[She goes quiet at that, as she lets that sink in.] Sounds like you're from a crazy bonkers world! Teepo! It's just different, that's all... Yeah, CRAZY different!

[founderinglight]

Eos is quite different from a number of the other worlds, yes. It's hardly that strange compared to some of what I've heard, though.

[What the fuck is Airlocked, what the fuck is Homestuck.]

I mean, at the very least, both our worlds have humans, right?

[darkcure]

So... you're not usually, um... A weird creepy tentacle monster? [Cheeks flushing, Elize quickly closes Teepo's mouth.] T-That's now what I-- Teepo!

[founderinglight]

[If anything he looks amused by the comment, if a bit exasperated, shaking his head.]

I promise I have a perfectly normal, functional set of human legs the majority of the time.

[darkcure]

Oh, I see... Just like me, then. [The seahorse thing is certainly very new.] ...But there's worlds without humans, too?

[founderinglight]

There are. A good friend of mine, Jetshard - she's from a race called trolls, and she had never heard of humans before she wound up here. Most cases aren't that extreme, but there's quite a few people here who aren't human.

[darkcure]

Oh... I see. I had no idea there'd be places like that, too... That's kinda scary!