phantasmods: (Default)
Phantasmal Rift Mods ([personal profile] phantasmods) wrote in [community profile] phantasmemes2018-10-18 11:48 pm
Entry tags:

TEST DRIVE MEME - OCTOBER 2018

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 Silvereagle Manor. Once upon a time, this castlelike home was the refuge of a family of magical nobility straddling the line between church and liege. Then, some centuries after the family itself died out or dispersed to the winds, the building was restored and preserved as a historical heritage site, complete with lots of little museum plaques and a ticket counter in the huge entrance hall. Then after that, an apocalypse of sorts happened, and now the building's stood empty for a century, surrounded by magical distortions with quite interesting effects.

SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

One of these effects will be immediately apparent to those who find themselves in the manor or upon the grounds, as it affects near all who enter within, whether they arrive through the shifting of dimensions or more mundane means. It is, after all, quite a sudden change to not be in the body you instinctively recognize as your own.

Though the changes will be significantly greater for some than others, and nearly everyone will be basically recognizable as themselves, they will find that the type of being they are as has shifted. They might be an alien, or a robot, or a fantasy creature - or, if they're not normally human, they might suddenly find themselves to be such. With luck, the experience isn't too disorienting, but...

Well, any new arrivals are likely to be glad of the veterans hanging around to explain that this is surely only temporary, aren't they?

GARDEN OF TRUTH

The forward grounds of the manor, once a well-cared for path up to the building complete with a fountain and carriage loop, are now almost entirely coated in creeping ivy. It climbs the remains of ornamental trees and the scattered lamp posts around the grounds - some of which still attempt to flicker weakly in response to the passage of travellers, magical lights lighting no more than a few feet in a circle around them against the rain.

Did I mention that it's raining? Whether it's a steady drizzle or something more intense, the gardens are constantly under cloud and experiencing the wet weather of autumn more often than not. You may end up wanting to run for the cover of the front stairs of the manor house itself, which provides more than enough cover for those not willing to venture into the ruined building itself.

But whether you're on the stairs or out in the wet, you'll feel a tickle in the back of your throat... All characters in the entry garden will find themselves compelled to tell the truth to whoever they're talking to. Lying is nearly impossible, and even if you manage it, it won't reach the ears of the listener as anything more than mumbling - and attempts to simply omit the truth will cause the itch in your throat to increase to the point that it becomes unbearable. Better get ready to spill your guts.

PUT ON YOUR DANCING SHOES


Inside those doors, beyond the entrance hall and its abandoned ticket counters, you'll be able to follow a thread of music to another set of grand doors, and opening those reveals a beautiful, pristine ballroom. This room is obviously affected by the magic of the building in some kind of way - even if it were not for the music, the unnatural cleanliness of the room compared to the disrepair of the rest of the building, there's the translucent shadows of dancers spinning around the floor. Engaged in waltzes and pavanes to the music, they are largely indistinct to those who are flesh and blood.

If you choose to enter in among the sweeping ballgowns and robes - possibly with your clothes having suddenly manifested into appropriately matching attire themselves by the magic of this place - you're likely to find that one of the specters takes your hands to lead or by led in the dance. No good comes from dancing without a partner, after all! The images, for all their wispiness, are surprisingly forceful in this matter, with unnaturally strong grips and a penchant for steering through the middle of the group, and it might be a while until you can lead your new partner back to the edge of the dance floor in order to beg off. However, those who enter the dancefloor with a partner already in hand will find themselves ignored by the dancers, as are those who enter with the intention of sweeping someone already inside off their feet.

SPOOKY SCARY...

The dancers aren't the only haunted things having fun around the first floor. While there's any number of magically animated brooms and dusters fighting a doomed battle against cobwebs and mildew, they're not the only thing moving about. With the music from the ballroom filtering across the whole floor, you might occasionally hear the clack-clack of something hard hitting the floor.

Where the skeletons come from is a question for another day. Because they're certainly... here... and they've come to dance themselves right into the dust, since they have, apparently, already danced their hearts out.

Unlike the ballroom dancers, the skeletons are performers - many of them have questionable hats, capes made of drapes, or other accessories to dance with, and once they realize they have an audience, they'll do their best to insert themselves into the line of a character's vision as much as possible. They're actually rather friendly and nonviolent, as much as skeletons can be, and rather than fighting over the spotlight, most of them will coordinate their dancing if they wind up sharing someone's attention. If you ever wanted to see how many synchronized cha-cha-ing skeletons you can collect into a single room... Well, now you have a chance to live out that extremely specific fantasy, I guess.
ninjabanish: (pic#12625204)

truth

[personal profile] ninjabanish 2018-10-19 08:06 pm (UTC)(link)
[He's not the only one with weird physiological changes, and Alice is trying to handle these weird angel wings she suddenly has.

Of course, she's also just six and a half feet tall, so she's a bit awkward regardless. But still, she bumps that tail, and looks over the source in surprise.]


I apologize. ... What are you meant to be?
playthedamncard: (Default)

[personal profile] playthedamncard 2018-10-19 08:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[Things he's not used to: people being taller than him. He looks...up at her, a few inches shorter, and then past her at her wings.]

Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Apparently. I seem to be missing the majority of the details. And you? [He's not gonna make assumptions at this point.]
ninjabanish: (pic#12625158)

[personal profile] ninjabanish 2018-10-19 09:10 pm (UTC)(link)
A sick joke, apparently.

[she growls. She does not like this.]

An angel. And... That's an odd name for a dragon.
playthedamncard: (Default)

[personal profile] playthedamncard 2018-10-19 09:19 pm (UTC)(link)
It's an accurate if basic description of the monster. [He does, in fact, have blue eyes. And while in shadow and shade the scales and leather come off as a blue-ish tint, his dragon parts are indeed white.]

You don't care for your...I hesitate to call it form. Sick joke of a transformation.
ninjabanish: (pic#12625148)

[personal profile] ninjabanish 2018-10-19 09:27 pm (UTC)(link)
That's correct. Angels are... not something I like.

[her life is hard.]

I haven't heard dragons described so specifically before.
playthedamncard: (Default)

[personal profile] playthedamncard 2018-10-19 09:37 pm (UTC)(link)
I suppose it was easiest to initially call monsters by their descriptors. There are many more versions of Blue-Eyes dragons, but the original still stands as an icon.

It's also my favorite. [Mm. That was silly and personal. Maybe shouldn't have said specifically that part.]
ninjabanish: (pic#12625291)

[personal profile] ninjabanish 2018-10-19 09:38 pm (UTC)(link)
... New... versions of monsters? A... favorite monster?

I don't understand. [But her hand is definitely going down to where her daggers are.]
playthedamncard: (at least he doesn't have green hair)

[personal profile] playthedamncard 2018-10-19 10:02 pm (UTC)(link)
A card game.

[He reaches for his deck, because you're damn right it's on his person, and shuffles through it. He picks out a couple cards to show.] You summon monsters in the game to fight your opponents, along with magic cards and trap cards.
ninjabanish: (pic#12625294)

[personal profile] ninjabanish 2018-10-19 10:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, a game...

[She looks at them, letting out a relieved sigh, relaxing.]

I've never seen a game like that, but I never had time for such things.
playthedamncard: (concern)

[personal profile] playthedamncard 2018-10-19 10:16 pm (UTC)(link)
You thought I was talking about real monsters. [There's a very very vague look of concern.] The game is supposedly based off one from ancient Egypt where magic made the monsters very real things connected to people, but this is only cards and holographic technology to make them appear realistic.

Perhaps once we figure out what's going on here, I could teach you to play.
ninjabanish: (pic#12625200)

[personal profile] ninjabanish 2018-10-19 10:19 pm (UTC)(link)
Ancient... "Egypt"? Making real monsters? Of course I thought you were talking about real monsters.

[she seems... very confused? But.]

... I might like that.
playthedamncard: (Default)

[personal profile] playthedamncard 2018-10-19 10:35 pm (UTC)(link)
We don't have real monsters where and when I'm from. Aside from monsters people make of themselves. You're not from Earth, I take it.
ninjabanish: (pic#12625204)

[personal profile] ninjabanish 2018-10-19 10:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Not a country I know, no. I'm from Adelheid. But a place without monsters... sounds nice.

My name is Alice Kozakura.
playthedamncard: (Default)

[personal profile] playthedamncard 2018-10-19 11:03 pm (UTC)(link)
I think we're from different worlds altogether.

Kaiba. [beat] Seto. [if we're being fully honest and all]
ninjabanish: (pic#12601806)

[personal profile] ninjabanish 2018-10-20 05:52 am (UTC)(link)
... Nothing else makes sense here today. So, very well. Another world.

It's nice to meet you, Mister... Seto?
playthedamncard: (Default)

[personal profile] playthedamncard 2018-10-20 01:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Seto to my friends, Kaiba to everyone else. [Or split the difference and call him Kaiba-kun like Yuugi does.] I would like to tell you that travel to other worlds and dimensions is science fiction nonsense, but it's more than just theoretically possible.

...I'm not sure how to explain the physical transformations, but it could be a case where we're in a virtual reality. Again.
ninjabanish: (pic#12625204)

[personal profile] ninjabanish 2018-10-20 08:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Mister Kaiba.

[bold of you to assume she knows what -kun means.]

That one, I can work with. Magic of this extent shouldn't be possible for humans, but I can think of a few capable. None of those I know would be willing to do it, but... If we're in another world, there are two possibilities.

The first, that this is an effect of this world itself. Magic power or divine power running rampant and unchecked.

The second is a mage of great power and little morality, doing this to entertain themself.
playthedamncard: (Default)

[personal profile] playthedamncard 2018-10-20 09:11 pm (UTC)(link)
You seem surprisingly knowledgeable about something like this happening. It was technology that brought me to differing worlds before, though, on rare occasion, with the assistance of magic. It wouldn't surprise me to find out that magic of some kind is responsible for this.
ninjabanish: (pic#12626560)

[personal profile] ninjabanish 2018-10-20 09:14 pm (UTC)(link)
I have... experience. I've never been to other worlds before, but... My mother was from a different world from my father. And she used magic to become human.

[She... isn't sure why she said that. But it isn't the worst thing she could say.]
playthedamncard: (Default)

[personal profile] playthedamncard 2018-10-20 09:38 pm (UTC)(link)
I've been trapped in video games, seen Egypt thousands of years ago, been in another universe thousands of years in the future to participate in a senseless game of murder, and broke through personally to another dimension to see someone who passed through to the other side.

It's disorienting to say the least.
ninjabanish: (pic#12625200)

[personal profile] ninjabanish 2018-10-20 09:40 pm (UTC)(link)
[




how does she even handle any of this]


Are you not rather used to this, then?
playthedamncard: (Default)

[personal profile] playthedamncard 2018-10-20 09:50 pm (UTC)(link)
I admit it's the first one I've ever found myself with extra body parts.
ninjabanish: (pic#12625200)

[personal profile] ninjabanish 2018-10-20 09:53 pm (UTC)(link)
At least yours came from something you like.
playthedamncard: (Default)

[personal profile] playthedamncard 2018-10-20 10:52 pm (UTC)(link)
...I could get used to it. [His tail curls and uncurls around the lightpost experimentally.] But I certainly wouldn't be able to fit in back home, so for both of our sakes, I hope this to be temporary.
ninjabanish: (pic#12625294)

[personal profile] ninjabanish 2018-10-20 11:05 pm (UTC)(link)
I will hope so as well.

[She stretches her own wings a bit.]

... If it weren't for the association, I don't know I'd mind these. But my own body is the most comfortable...

[there is... definitely a deeper meaning there, but she's not volunteering it.]

(no subject)

[personal profile] playthedamncard - 2018-10-20 23:49 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] ninjabanish - 2018-10-21 01:52 (UTC) - Expand