TEST DRIVE MEME - OCTOBER 2018

[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 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.

Comments

Viral | TTGL | another lockdown escapee, here

[machrophage]

Something or other

[Those familiar with him will likely find the imposing blond silhouette to be at least a little comforting to have around in a strange place - Fayflower's first and only class didn't have many fighters, but Viral more than made up for any lack out of sheer determination. If anything, he'd been disappointed that there wasn't anything to fight.

But those who know him well will also notice that, while he still moves like a predator, Viral is currently very much human, his teeth blunted and his hands... normal looking, if largely hidden by the blue suit jacket sleeves they're now practically drowning in. And those who don't know him, well, it sure is interesting to see a human face around here, isn't it? Probably makes you wonder what he was before.

Especially because he seems to have no trouble complaining about it.]

Human vision is awful, how do they see anything...?

Just shy of dancing

[At the door to the ballroom, someone lurks, watching the dance within - and keeping the door held open for anyone who needs to suddenly flee the room, just in case. It also gives him a good vantage point to see who's coming and going in the entrance hall.

If he recognizes you - ]

There certainly are a lot of us here.

[It's not exactly a greeting, but it passes for one, with Viral. He's keeping a tally, it seems.

And if you're not familiar, there's no greeting, just a rough voice from a one-eyed man and very possibly a man reached out to grab you as you go by - ]

You - do you know what's going on here?

Something or other

[blackcatintheruemorgue]

[Viral being the human and Poe being the Cat Person feels weird.]

..... This is strange.

[Poe's had time to adjust to seeing other no-longer-dead people by now, so he's less shocked and more happy than shocked Viral is here. The perked up black cat ears and raised tail make it embarrassingly obvious.]

[machrophage]

[I mean this may as well happen. Viral makes an annoyed noise and folds his arms.]

It can't very well be the afterlife if you're here, at least.

[At least he hopes you didn't just drop dead after... whatever the hell went down on the Fayflower side.]

[blackcatintheruemorgue]

The Administration certainly tried to send us all there during our grand escape.... but no. This isn't the afterlife.

[Poe huffs in annoyance. His ears flick and his tail lashes back and forth.]

[machrophage]

Well, at least it has that going for it.

[Which isn't much, but it's something.]

[blackcatintheruemorgue]

It's sad that is a silver lining at this point.

something or other

[burninglight]

No kidding. [Ardyn stifled a yawn, one overly long rabbit ear flicking in Viral's direction as he did.] Humans are kind of useless, as far as survivability goes. You get used to it after a while.

[machrophage]

[Well at least someone's hearing is good.]

Now I really understand how it is they survive on pure tenacity. They don't have anything else going for them.

[burninglight]

They're completely useless and break every bone in their body in so much as a stiff breeze. It's almost charming that their willpower makes up for it so well.

[machrophage]

[Later, Ardyn, he's going to be very confused by this conversation.

For now he's just going with it.]

The night vision is especially useless. I can't see a damn thing.

[burninglight]

[meh]

Ah, that's the worst part. I miss having good night vision sometimes, it's unbelievably useful.

gimme a little something something

[donotlick]

[ Hank meanwhile looks Quite Different with the whole werewolf thing. Actually if you ask him, he's probably some kinda beastman, it seems more likely in his opinion. ]

Shit, I barely recognized you.

[machrophage]

Do you know that maybe people blond and one-eyed?

[Really, Hank?

But it's in the tone of fond teasing that says that what Viral is really thinking is more along the lines of, oh thank fuck I'm not the only adult.]

[donotlick]

Blond's actually a common color back home. The one-eyed thing, not so much.

[ Hank shrugs, waving one of those clawed hands of his. ]

Nice to see this place messed with you too. I mean, it's not nice, but. Y'know.

[machrophage]

Well, it's uncommon among the humans I knew. Most of them had dark hair, or red.

[In the anime apocalypse there are more redheads than blonds.]

It seems to have gotten a hold of everyone except Rebecca, from what I've seen. She looks normal.

[donotlick]

That so? How 'bout that.

[ Don't forget blue hair. You gotta have blue hair. ]

Lucky her, yeah. She looked normal. Even Connor's like you -- a squishy human.

Something something

[flashmassacre]

[ 'sup Viral. There's what appears to be a young dude with a large black sword at her side giving him a curious look. ]

But you're.... human? Aren't you?

[machrophage]

Not usually. And I hope this doesn't stick.

[flashmassacre]

Ohhhh-kay. And you're fine with just saying that in front of a bunch of... possible-probably humans?

Wow, you've got guts, I'll give you that.

[machrophage]

Where I come from, it's normally the humans who would be scared of us.

[So, you know, very different experiences.]

And the last place I was in was almost entirely humans.

[flashmassacre]

And they were all... scared of you?

[ She sounds, like, slightly in awe?

Which she is. She just isn't sure what to make of it, or what she should really think of it. On one hand, demon pride? But on the other hand, demons have been pretty gung ho on emulating humans for the past as long as Kitt can remember. On the third hand, though, Kitt's also genuinely fond of humans - at least the ones she knows.

It's a complicated feeling. ]

something or

[riderofcharlemagne]

[Surely your human vision isn't poor enough to miss the pink glow that approaches, Viral. Among the light and sparkles, there's a distinct, tiny figure in the center of it all, flitting about in the air with wings that beat too fast to distinguish.]

They usually make up for it with glasses. Maybe you need a pair?

[machrophage]

[You know what? Sure, let's do this.

It's all the more frustrating because the wings that he probably should be able to see are nothing more than a blur.

At least, having only one eye, Viral doesn't go cross-eyed trying to focus on the bit of pink sparkle that's apparently a person.]

I don't think glasses will help with night vision.

[riderofcharlemagne]

Nope!

[Good luck trying to focus on that sparkle, because it’s moving around everywhere.]

But they have goggles for it! Humans are really inventive like that!

[machrophage]

[And normally he could follow it fine, but - well. Human eyes.

Especially when Astolfo wanders onto his blind side, Viral doesn't look best pleased with it.]

Inventiveness is all they have going for them sometimes.