Test Drive Meme #29

[hadrielmods]

Welcome to Hadriel's test drive, and thank you again for your interest in the game! As always, our reserves page is here, and our applications page is here! Reserves open February 21st, and apps are open March 1st. Please remember that there is an app cap of 20 apps.

Two quick points here as well:

1. Any thread made in Hadriel's test drive will be accepted as the sole Action Log sample in the application.
2. All threads made in the test drive can be considered game canon, either through handwaving or through a shared mental experience while coming through the Door!

Test drives will be broken up into specific god mini-events, during which your characters can see how well they fare under the watchful eye of one of the gods. Choose wisely or just simply pick 'em all, and have fun!

F E A R

SCENARIO ONE: FRACTURED FUTURE?
[The Door brings in all that is chaotic and evil in the world. This may include you, may include the person next to you... and may include the monster behind you.

This time, the Door has decided to bring in some monsters who already have a taste of what it's like to win their war. Welcome to the Risen, from the Fire Emblem franchise!

Risen are reanimated corpses, dedicated to obeying their master's will. While they have some form of sentience, they cannot be dissuaded from their goal and attack all who oppose them with a singleminded desire to execute their purpose, which unfortunately for you is "killing indiscriminately". Still, they're not all bad and some of them may even be relieved to finally be put to death. Have fun!]

T R A N Q U I L I T Y

SCENARIO TWO: ONLY THE GOOD STUFF
[Tranquility has decided to take over Hope's food supply regimen and- well, if anyone thought he was a self righteous hipster before, this is probably what's going to seal the deal. All the food provided in the shops is now extremely vegan-only, from basic lettuce to the most bland fruit you can stand to look at.

None of it even tastes like anything, either- it's all like you're eating water. Maybe to Tranquility, this is a feast, but for you, it's difficult to register that you're even full. Better start prepping those salt mines- it's gonna be a long month.]

R A G E

SCENARIO THREE: YANDERE LIFE
[Unfortunately for you, you came at a time when Rage was very unhappy with everyone- and now you get to suffer for it. Is there anyone who catches your eye? Anyone who you might want to get to know a little better? Well, you're about to get to know them a lot better, because now you're obsessed with them.

It's not the innocent kind of obsession, either- this is a full speed ahead, breakdown, pull out the knives and rope kind of obsession, where your desire to be near someone is synonymous with stalking, being a creep, and overall just not really anything remotely approaching healthy.

Better look out and hope that nobody gets a crush on you either.

This is a mini version of our Kiss me Kill me event this month.]

Comments

Syeira, Gorion's Ward | Baldur's Gate II: SoA

[child_of_bhaal]

Fear

"Now what?"

The petite young woman came through the door, just completely exasperated. Her softly glowing chainmail shirt and her iridescent cloak were a bit dirty, a bit bloody, her swords already in her hands. Only one was painted in a mirror of drying crimson, the other flickered with subtly licking flames, that must have burnt away any would be stains. She had a mass of blood red curls adorning her head, and green eyes that had the faintest flash of gold, sometimes, when she turned just so.

She was tired, half running on adrenaline as it was, and now stumbled through some strange portal to yet another unknown place. And on top of that, she was surrounded by distinctly unfriendly looking people. At least that part was familiar.

"Any chance you're Ellesime's people?" As they advanced on her, she rolled her shoulders, raiding her swords to ready. "I didn't think so."

She was a whirlwind of death, more dancing her way through the battle than anything. She was as fluid and graceful as she was brutal. Syeira might not be very big, but this was her legacy, her birthright, much as she loathed it sometimes. Death was quite literally in her blood.

Tranquility

"It's not all bad."

She might have been talking mostly to herself. Convincing herself that the flat...cabbage?? wasn't actually the most unsatisfying thing she's ever put in her mouth. Which was really saying something, since she was not a good cook on her best days.

"Could be burnt? Maybe it is burnt, and I just can't tell..." She was definitely taking to herself, also the cabbage. Maybe it was lettuce. What else had that...cabbagey shape?

"The things I would do for dry rations, right now." She said it directly to the cabbage, so it would understand how little it was appreciated. "At least they have enough self respect to have flavor."

Tranquility

[bythewaves]

A soft laugh and a hand offers her a fried fish.

"Perhaps a bit of fish would go down better? It's even freshly caught, for that's the only way to get meat, at the moment."

He's tall, grey-eyed and dark-haired, and he spotted red hair and thought it was his brother, at first, but he's not about to leave a lady with the sort of rations that are currently in the shops.

[child_of_bhaal]

"Oh!"

A fish appears in her field of vision. A cooked fish, that smells like heaven. That could be just the proximity to the most bland, flavorless bit of edible foliage that anyone ever had the displeasure of biting into. And the fish is held by a hand, that goes up to an arm, and shoulder, and gosh this person is really tall...

"Oh..." And really, really beautiful. She's known plenty of elves, and they were all quiet attractive, very lovely, but the man smiling at her out shone them all. Quite literally, it seemed, as he was kind of....glowy on top of being otherworldly good looking.

She realizes she's staring after about ten, maybe fifteen seconds. Which is plenty long enough for him to be able to tell. She blinks, and shakes herself a bit, and she can feel the color coming up in her cheeks, because she can practically hear Jaheira's voice in her head telling her it's rude to stare.

"A-hh um- s-sorry, hello! I- thank you, that's really very kind of you! But I couldn't just take your food like that."

[bythewaves]

Maglor blinks at her staring and flushes a little shyly, self-consciously reaching up to hide the faint strands of white.

"No, please." He seizes on the topic. "What the hunters and fishermen bring in was meant to share - we have a large firepit where we smoke what cannot be eaten straight away." He grins wryly. "It seemed wise, when our captors are a little... er... capricious."

[child_of_bhaal]

Oh good. She's embarrassed him. Right after she talked to tasteless food. This has started of beautifully. At least he's good enough to shift topics with her. Talking about the fish is far better than acknowledging the fact that she acted like an adolescent girl seeing her first handsome man ever...

Okay it's not really far off but she's not an adolescent any more. Barely. But still not! And he's not her first handsome man. Beautiful man. Just... just the most of it that she's ever seen. All in one person.

There's a difference.

"You didn't come all this way to hand over your meal to a stranger. You must at least let me trade you something for it."

This is so much better than anything that is actually happening inside her head. That's something, yes?

[bythewaves]

"Well." He says shyly. "I sort of did - the newcomers are always the ones who struggle the most, after all. We all do our part. And I truly do not mind."

[child_of_bhaal]

She can't help the smile on her face. He's very kind, and it's rare to find someone so willing to give something away, no strings attached.

"Then I accept, on the condition that we share it."

[bythewaves]

He laughs.

"One fish between two? You're very kind, milady. But there's more where this came from, if you'd like to come to the fire with me?"

[child_of_bhaal]

She smiles, nodding.

"How could I refuse such an offer?"

As she falls into step beside him, she looks up -and up, he is so very tall- and continues their conversation, in it's natural turn.

"My name is Syeira, by the way. No need to stand on formality."

[bythewaves]

"Maglor, at your service." He smiles and tips his head in a bow.

"Well met, lady Syeira. Not that kidnapping is a particularly nice welcome."

Hahahahaha whoops Tranquility

[avaerieal]

All things considered, someone talking to a cabbage is hardly the strangest thing she's ever seen. Really, she couldn't decide what that honor went to. There were more than a few things that could have been.

She really couldn't resist a laugh, though, even as she tried to hide it behind a hand. It was rude to laugh at people. But she really couldn't help it. The whole thing was just so ridiculous.

"Some vegetables won't hurt, I promise." They may not taste very nice, but they were good for you! People needed vegetables! "At least it won't jump up and bite!"

/SCREAMING

[child_of_bhaal]

"Ha! If it did that would be the most-"

She turns her head towards the voice, and stops abruptly mid sentence, her eyes wide in surprise and recognition. And then she's moving towards the elven lady, the cabbage being very unceremoniously dropped to the ground, so she can pull the other into a hug.

"Aerie! You're here?"

It's a brief thing. She's too happy to see a familiar face than to linger. When she pulls back, her hands stay on Aerie's shoulders, as she gives her friend a looking over, as if it's hard to believe she's not an illusion.

"You're all right, yes? You look all right. When did you get here?"

8D!!!!!!!

[avaerieal]

"Oh!" Hugs, then. That's alright, she doesn't mind hugs. Just...they're a little odd coming from a stranger. Who knows who she is, apparently. She tentatively returns the hug for a moment before stepping back, but she's still there, being held by her shoulders.

"Yes, it looks like I am here." Her expression is confused, but she's still trying to be polite and keep smiling, even if it's a little bemused.

"Hmm...I'm not really sure. I was just here all of a sudden. Like I stepped through a door."

[child_of_bhaal]

She doesn't hold on overly long, just enough to clearly tell that her friend is all in one piece, then she lets them fall away. But her smile stays right where it is, very pleased to see a familiar face, in spite of everything.

"Very like." She sobers a little, then. Aerie looks just a bit puzzled. She's masking it well, but Syeira has seen looks like that on her face before. "It was just after finishing with Irenicus. I originally thought I'd been dragged to another part of the Nine Hells. Aside from the food, I'm clearly wrong."

She smiles again, trying for levity.

[avaerieal]

Well alright then. She really couldn't say whether that was better or not--it felt like she should probably know the woman but...she just didn't. And the whole situation was just on the wrong side of awkward.

She can't hide the surprise on her face at the mention of Irenicus, though she tries. What is she supposed to think about that?

"M-maybe it is. How would you know if it wasn't?"

[child_of_bhaal]

"That's...a really good point. I guess because Bhaal's realm was just a lot less hospitable."

Syeira is not dense. She can see something is going on in Aerie's head, and whatever it is, is confusing. Not one to shy away from such things, she just asks. Aerie is her friend, and if something's the matter, she wants to help.

"Is something wrong?"

[avaerieal]

"Well that is true..." This place was already much nicer. Not as nice as it could have been, but certainly better than some places she'd been.

"Oh, I'm just very confused." That was a nice way of putting it. "I don't think I know who you are, but you seem to know me and I just feel guilty that I can't remember..."

Fear

[abyssalarcana]

There's a pattern to this place, Caedra has learned. It's only been a short time since her own arrival, but she senses the unease in the people here, knows from their chatter that it's time for a new round.

There are a lot of things wrong with this place, a lot of things that need fixing. She probably hasn't fixed them yet but every day she's here is another day the Abyss has to tighten its grip on the city, right under the noses of these so-called gods. Some day their power will weaken. Some day she will kill, and Hope won't have the strength to bring the victim back. And then Caedra will have her victory over this prison.

She waits at a distance in the arena, watching the newcomers fight whatever monsters the door has brought along with them - quietly cheering the monsters on. Sometimes they win. Sometimes they slip off into the city and join the people and no one is the wiser. At least, she's relatively convinced that's what happened with her, for no good gods would ever want a creature like her in their city. And those who come through the door brand new make for ideal prey, for nobody will try to avenge their deaths. Nobody knows they're here yet at all.

This woman she watches now is not one of those weak enough to cull on entry, though, Caedra decides. No, she looks capable, battle-hardened. Perhaps the portal to this place has finally drawn through another warrior. There are so few here. Well, there are things that can be done with those types as well, she just needs information to be able to do so.

She steps forward as the new arrival puts down one of the creatures, and offers a smile. "I'm impressed! You looked like you came from a warzone and stepped right into another one, but you're still on your feet. What's your name?"

[child_of_bhaal]

The lady's observation is rather spot on. This was actually her third warzone of the day. Though this one was much smaller and easier than the last two, by comparison. Of course, since the last place she'd been was the Nine Hells, she's cautious of the women who approaches, friendly smile or no.

"Syeira," she answers, wiping at her cheek with the back of her hand, blade still held in it. The blood smears a little, but not much else. She needs a bath. "Might I have yours, and perhaps an explanation as to where I've found myself now?"

There's a small bit if stress on the word 'now'. Being shunted from one plane to another was getting wearisome. Still, despite everything, she managed to be polite. She'd hate to alienate a possible ally, especially since her companions are no where to be seen.

[abyssalarcana]

"Call me Caedra. As for an explanation, you'll find many here. Everyone has their own little personal beliefs about what's going on, who's right and who's wrong. All I know for sure is this: a few people posing as gods have forcefully planeshifted the rest of us to fight their war for them. They're talented with magic, and judging by how easily they've swayed so many others here, talented liars as well."

And as contentious as all of that would be if said aloud to most of the people here, Caedra doesn't think it's wrong, either. She also is a very skilled liar, and has selected the story she wants to tell to this new arrival, but none of it is blatantly false. These creatures aren't gods, or if they are, they're very weak ones, if they can't handle a few constructs and had to resort to bringing a whole lot of little humans in. Surely the effort of keeping them all alive is harder than bringing the fight to the Null directly, because these humans are so fragile.

As she knows from personal experience, naturally.

[child_of_bhaal]

"Oh. Great."

Really, this is just typical for her life. Must be Second Day. And the dryness in her tone clearly gives it away.

Not that there isn't concern underneath the sarcasm. There's a great deal of it. Where were her friends? Had they made it out of Bhaal's realm, or were they trapped there? Had they been planeshifted elsewhere? She has too many questions and no ready answers.

On top of that, she felt an eerie sense of deja vu in the situation. Here she is, suddenly displaced, and greeted by a stranger, who seems to be in the same predicament. But, she reminds herself, that she'd known Yoshimo was hiding something from her since the beginning, and it was highly unlikely that Caedra was under a geaes to manipulate her for a crazy mage.

Still. What were the point of life lessons if she didn't learn anything from them? Asking a few more questions wouldn't go amiss.

"Any theories on where exactly here is?"

[abyssalarcana]

"They call the city Hadriel." Which could have a few different meanings, based on whether they intended to use the original Primordial roots of the name, or the more modern Celestial - which was Caedra's assumption. Learning languages as a pastime pays off occasionally, and the scorn in her voice is evident. "'They' being these con artists, of course. No idea past that." Though she has her guesses.

But she didn't come here to be questioned. She pulls out her phone - by now having learned the basics of how to use the odd little thing which evidently is not magic after all - and opens an app as she's learned they call them here. Just a text file, but the whole thing looks so sleek and impressive, or it did to her when she first encountered it, and hopefully this individual is from a world enough like hers that she might find it shocking as well. Caedra nods and stands up quite straight and looks to be taking this very seriously. Very official.

"All right, but we can help them find out where we are with more information about everyone. So - Syeria." She's probably spelled that wrong. The awful thing can't type in Abyssal though, where spelling wouldn't matter so much as intent. Common is such a useless language.

"Where is it that you come from? Tell me about your home world."

[child_of_bhaal]

Hadriel? It's no city she's ever heard of before. Before she can ruminate on it, Caedra produces, what Syeira can only assume to be, a magic item. It's oddly small and shiney, and she can't help but lean in a bit, curious about what it is.

"Oh. I suppose that makes good sense." She can see her own name and flinches slightly at the misspelling. That happened a lot. Almost as much as people telling her they thought she'd be taller.

"It's um, it's s-y-e-i-r-a. Sye-ir-a." She tries not to be annoyed by it. This lady doesn't know. Moving along.

"I'm from Toril, on the Prime Material Plane. Though that isn't where I was before, if that matters."

[abyssalarcana]

"Oh! Thanks for the correction. And Toril, got it-" Caedra frowns. Prime material plane? So she comes from a place that has discovered more than one, already? That's a recent development where she's from. The whole concept that there could be more than one was controversial and theoretical until the last couple of years, and yet this woman takes it so casually.

But she laughs off the reaction with a shrug. "Never heard of it, but that's nothing new here. Sorry, did you have a family name at all? Surname? Anything to identify you better with? City of birth, date of birth, anything like that might help us pinpoint what's going on with this portal, or door, whatever it is."

A whole lot of bullshit right there but if she ever gets out of this absurd hole in the cosmos with this phone intact, that kind of info can be used by the Ironhold scholars to try and discover truenames. And this one looks like a useful one to have some control over. Little known fact by these mortals, it seems - sure, a truename can let a summoner control his summons. They always assume that works for, say, a wizard trying to employ some devil to do his dirty work. They never seem to realize the souls of mortals can also be owned and sometimes it's even worth doing it.

[child_of_bhaal]

"Ah, no. None of that actually, sorry."

Bhaalspawn, a voice in the back of her mind whispers, and is promptly ignored. If her heritage is the reason she has been dragged, yet again, to some other plane, it would become apparent soon enough. And while she's not usually one to lie about her family tree, such as it is, she's also not really up for waving her relation, to the God of Murder, around like a flag. She'd rather know the lay of the land first, so to speak, before she started revealing that troublesome part of her identity to people.

"I was brought up along the Sword Coast of Faerun. I'm somewhere around a score in years. Half-elven. If any of that helps you."