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NOVEMBER TEST DRIVE MEME

NOVEMBER 2019 TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to November's Test Drive Meme! This month's Test Drive's theme is: DEATH/ZOMBIE HORROR.

All Test Drive Memes contain at least one clue to the Deerington's upcoming in-game events for the month! Keep your eyes peeled! But...not literally.

Characters may die during TDMs, but you do not need to count it towards a game-canonical death unless you want to. Consider it a freebie. All TDMs can be considered game canon as TDMs introduce minor aspects about the world of Deerington that can be revisited by characters later on in the game. You may also use TDMs for your application writing sample as well as AC.

CW: Possible mild cannibalism, organs (including pictures of fake food that looks like organs), mutant insect in linked picture, blood, sensations of starvation, possible binge eating, possible binge drinking.
Don't forget to tag content whenever necessary. Have fun!

Prompt One
Prompt Two
Character Arrival
Master Navigation

NOT BEAST NOR KIN

The blood and organs that have been festering in the ground and walls of Deerington seem to not only be attracting rats at this point, but something far more dangerous and... just plain gross. These deadly looking maggots are roughly the size of an average human. They’re slithering in an out of the ground, filling up holes where some organs seem to have burst open, or writhing around in the wake of the red waves that have left bloody puddles in the street. If you keep your distance, they’re mostly just disgusting to watch, adding to the feeling of utter decay that the town has gone into.

But those who wander too close or who are unfortunate enough to go by a nest of these maggots without noticing could end up swarmed. They can leap farther than something that large should physically be capable of and the sharp teeth on the end of their bodies will pierce through even the toughest of skin and bone. Once they latch on, they won’t let go; not until they’ve finished their meal. If you aren’t quick, the blood loss will be, and you could end up an evening snack for a whole group of these creatures.

They are fairly easy to kill, luckily. Average weapons seem to take them down or you can smash their heads (if you can call it that) with a few good stomps from a boot. The only trouble is how quick they move and how strong they are; you might need to call for help to get away from them when you get cornered by too many of these monsters.

ALL YOU CAN EAT

Maggots aren’t the only things that want to eat, though! And it seems that the community center is aware of that as well. Advertisements are strewn all over town for an all you can eat buffet that will be set up, not even an entrance fee required (though donations are welcome at the door if you’re feeling generous). No one in their right mind would want to go and get food from a party into Deerington at this point though, right? Of course not. You’re way too clever for that.

Except that as the party draws closer, anyone who saw the advertisements will find themselves slowly feeling like they’re starving. There’s a hallow belly feeling that no amount of food you consume will ever be able to fill. It feels like you might go crazy from how bad the hunger gets, craving something to fill your stomach, anything... And in the back of your mind, you might remember the buffet. You might start to feel a strange realization that the food they’re offering will actually help get rid of your cravings and you’ll be drawn to the party no matter how adamant you’ve been that it’s not a good idea.

The spread they offer isn’t something that should be appetizing to most on a regular basis; raw, very clearly human organs are laid out across the table on fairly decorative plates. A fountain of what looks like blood is put up in place of chocolate for you to dip your food into. No matter how disgusted you might normally feel, you find yourself practically drooling at the mouth and you’re quick to grab a plate and dive in.

At least the drinks look like they’re normal; sodas, beer, wine, champagne, and liquors ready to create your favorite cocktails. A menu will give you an idea of what pairs best with each organ, so make sure you select something that goes perfectly with your plate of intestines.

What would a Deerington party be without something tricky attached to all this. Even the smallest bites of any of the organs will offer sudden changes to the consumer, each power growing stronger the more that you eat.

Eating BRAINS will make it so that you are able to hear another person’s thoughts. Anyone standing near by, really. They’ll trickle in slowly at first, but the more that you eat, the more you’ll hear, and eventually it could become overwhelming. Sometimes you can focus in on just one person if you stare at them intently, but that could make you look like a creep. Maybe you should just go somewhere quiet until it passes.

Eating a HEART will make you feel compelled to confess your emotions to someone. Maybe a specific person or maybe it’s towards a complete stranger, but you just want to get everything out onto the table. You’re overcome with feelings so strong you don’t know how to contain them anymore and you’ve just got to get them out somehow.

Eating LIVER will cause you to want to drink. A lot. You might find that you’re not able to get enough, even. It doesn’t make you immune to the alcohol though, so it’s got the potential to lead some pretty nasty alcohol poisoning if you aren’t careful. Characters who usually can’t get drunk will find that consuming liver makes them a total lightweight. Woops. Better have someone help you walk home.

Eating the STOMACH will make you want to eat everything. You’ll no longer feel starving, but you just want to taste any food that’s near you, and you won’t stop no matter how full you feel. It’s not just organs, but any food consumed outside of the buffet. It might be a bad time to go to Peter’s Pizza for a late night meal.

Eating INTESTINES will give you an abundance of courage. You’ll find that you’ve got guts you never knew you had and it might make you willing to go tell your crush how you feel about them, or tell off that one guy who’s been pissing you off for weeks, or maybe you might start to think it’s cool to go scale a building or fight a monster when you don’t have any skill sets to actually take one down. Hopefully you don’t do anything you’ll regret in the morning— assuming you don’t get yourself killed doing something stupid, of course.

Eating EYEBALLS will allow you to obtain the memory of the first person that you touch. Depending on how much you’ve eaten, you may just see a small snippet or you could get sucked in to a full and heavy flashback. The memory will feel like it takes place in real time, but by the time that it’s over, you’ll find that whoever you touched is only just starting to ask you what’s wrong — or tell you to watch where you’re going, buster.

Character Arrival

You can read how all characters arrive in Deerington here.

There is not a collective "all these characters showed up at the exact same moment" occurrence in Deerington. Since characters fall asleep, die, or pass out at various times throughout all their worlds, it wouldn't make too much sense if they arrived in game all at the exact same time. There should be some discrepancy between character arrival, whether by a couple minutes, hours, or even days up to a week.

The players are entirely in control of how/when they want to play their characters arriving in Deerington. For TDMs, you can play it like your character has just arrived and that can be maintained as your game canon, or you can wait until game events for that moment. Or you don't need to acknowledge it at all. The flexibility for character allows a bit more of an organic feel to the character arrival situation, so please play it to whatever feels right for you.

If you are interested in having an "arrival" introduction for one of your TDM prompts, you are more than welcome to explore that option.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[A flare of black fire and one of the things assaulting him screamed an unholy sound as the smell of charred... something came up in a sickly plume of smoke. There was a three eyed woman moving up towards him slowly, a rapier that practically screamed 'cursed' in her hand, a grim look on her pale and unhealthy face.

She wasn't quite up for running.]

Retreat towards me. I'll help cover you.

[ Curufin's first strike cuts the first of the maggots in half. His return stroke slices the head off the second. And then to the Elf's surprise, the third creature suddenly bursts into black flame. He hears the woman's voice, glances around, sees the rapier in her hand and the three eyes. His own eyes widen, but he smiles at her. ]

Thanks, I'll do that. You have fire powers, nice!

[ He separates another maggot from its head and starts backing away slowly, his sword at the ready. The creatures are now a little wary, but they still gnash their teeth, follow, and look for an opening. ]

It takes the form of flame, yes... details later.

[The distinction between a spell of chaos and darkness that merely looked like fire and an actual fire spell wasn't especially important right now. Sadly, her blade for fire magic had been destroyed recently, but that might have been for the best in the end.

Focusing on the task at hand, she watched the creatures following after him, dragging the tip of her rapier along the ground. Stone shot up in spikes in front of his path, limiting the range of motion for the creatures while he drew nearer.]

Feeling bold, or cautious?

I'll be looking forward to the details!

[ Curufin has some ability to summon fire, but he doesn't use it for war, rather for the forge. But he'll be interested in the distinction between spells of chaos and darkness and spells of fire. Too bad about her fire magic blade! Maybe if he sticks around Deerington long enough, he'll figure out how to forge a replacement.

He grins when he sees the stone spikes thrusting up from the ground, inhibiting the maggots in their motions. ]

Bold! I'm hardly ever cautious. Besides, if we don't kill these creatures now, they're bound to go off and kill people who cannot defend themselves as well as we can.

[ He approaches the maggots, and his grin turns bright and savage. He springs at the nearest of them and stabs with his sword. ]

[It wasn't as much of a loss, really. It hadn't worked properly since she'd gotten it, but that was a conversation for another time. For the moment, she was focusing on the maggots in front of them.]

Just what I wanted to hear. There'll be no end of them truly, but if we don't kill this batch, I'd feel responsible.

[When he sprung, she aimed for the gaps in the wall to his right, gesturing with the blade. Between those spikes, current arced, the electricity frying one of them trying to wriggle its way through and ensuring that he had the choke point all to himself.]

[ Curufin slashed and hacked, killing the creature he was aiming for and another that oozed swiftly after its buddy, only to meet the same fate. He looked to his right and saw the current flowing like lightening, zapping and frying the maggot that had first tried to slither between the spikes to Curufin's right. ]

Barbecue!

[ He laughed and continued to fight. This was good teamwork! ]

Hah. I will absolutely not be eating any of this, my friend. Not even on a dare, I assure you!

[Not that she was not appreciating his sword work thoroughly. She could force them to approach the kill zone from only one angle with magic efficiently enough. This would only continue for so long before the remaining creatures retreated, hopefully.]

At least they don't have the stomach for meals that are not waiting to be devoured...

I've never eaten roasted slug. I think it would taste awful. [ Snicker. ]

[ And he was appreciating her use of magic! It was indeed forcing the maggots to approach the kill zone, that is, if they were no longer avid enough for brisket of Elf or fearful enough of being toasted. They kept falling, sliced into slabs, cutlets, and gobs of slimy meat. ]

Evidently not! It seems our disinterest in being eaten by them is causing them to feel a bit worried about us. [ Grin. Slash. ]

Oh, the poor dears... Let's put them out of their worries and our misery, shall we?

[That was when she heard rustling behind. Only two of them, but a couple had been smart enough to try circling. As the numbers thinned, they were trying to be sneaky. There was a crashing bolt of lightning that shot down when she gestured and the smell grew horrendous as only a few more of the filthy things were still approaching him.

Their numbers had thinned considerably, and the remaining ones were hunting easier meat finally.]

I really love this town some days... I really do.

Good idea. Let's do it. [ Still with that savage grin. ]

[ Curufin looked around when his acute Elvish hearing picked up the rustling. He saw the two maggots that were sneaking up on the three-eyed woman, but she took care of them before he had time or need to act. The lightening came at her summons and completely fried the creatures.

A few more of them came at him, and he divided them body from soul. Assuming that such things even had souls, as normal animals did. Who knew what these things even were, or what their origin was? They might not have been natural at all. ]

Really? [ Smile. ] What's lovable about it?

[There was a very good chance that these things had no more souls than a rock. They were as likely to be constructs of this city and nightmare as real monsters or beasts.]

Ah, my apologies. Just employing some sarcasm to express my distaste. About the only good thing here is the people, honestly.

[As the fighting was starting to die down it was obvious from the sounds that the creatures were retreating fully now. She put her rapier up against her shoulder and sighed.]

Very little is to be loved about the place.

I have no objection to sarcasm. [ He smiles over his shoulder as he slices and dices the last maggot that was too stupid to live. ] If you are any measure of the people here, there must be a lot that is good about them.

[ The maggots are now withdrawing from the fray. Curufin would chase them and kill them, but they are slipping into the holes where the organs are, and damn if he's going to follow them. ]

How long have you been here? Is it always like this? Oh by the way, my name is Curufin Fëanorion. What's yours?

There's quite the colorful collection here. I'm sure you will see the good in many of them as you get to know them. [She smiled and nodded as they spoke, though the last questions made her sigh a little.]

A year... sadly, though it varies on how bad it is, from month to month. You may call me Vira-Lorr, by the by.

I am sure I will. [ He smiles back. ]

A year can be a long time, if lived in a strange environment! What sorts of things have happened in that time? And I'm pleased to meet you, Vira-Lorr!

Oh, there is a sad, horrid list of things I fear. Monsters and horrors come every month or so in this nightmare I fear, though the company I keep helps to deal with it all. [She shook her head.] But a full year of them all... it's more than I can easily share right now.

We can chat as you settle in, yes?

Ah, that is a pity. This must be a strange place indeed. As I walk around, I see it is set in an environment I would consider beautiful, and yet it seems a haunted place. Haunted with horrors, as you say. Though I have seen few as yet. I am glad you have friends. In difficult times, friends can make all the difference.

Yes, we can chat later, if you wish. Can you advise me as to where I should settle in? I am still a stranger here and don't know all the pitfalls and the refuges.

It's pretty enough at times, but so many of the sights I've seen around this place have been marred in my mind by one awful thing or another. Hard to view them quite the same when you see them in a new light. But, as you say. Friends make all the difference.

... You should awake one night in a strange home with a jar with food. The place Sodder picks for you is a good place to start, and after a time? Perhaps you cna move around as you see fit. Every home is itself a protected place, but there are always some small things off with them.

Awful sights do tend to mar the mind. [ He knows this from experience! ] I've mostly survived by finding the beauty in things. . . Well, that wasn't true all the time. If I say so, I make myself sound like a better person than I am. But I'm an Elf, and our main mission in life is to love the earth and the beauty of the earth. And I guess it goes without saying, to love our friends and to find solace in that. And I have found that other races usually have some version of that philosophy, and it sounds like you do.

This Sodder person is the one who chooses our first dwelling place for us? If every home is protected, that is well. But what kind of small things might be off?

An elf, eh? Your world's elves look a little different than mine. [She was looking for his ears curiously. Not as wide or long, but there.] But so many elves in so many worlds. Yet they do always seem to love the natural world.

Mmm? Oh, it's usually a haunting of some sort. Usually harmless, but there's always a certain amount of safety in the homes here. [They were easier to make sanctuaries.]

Yes, I suppose we do. It's true, Elves exist on many worlds, but we're not always the same. [ His ears are just slightly tipped, but not more so than some mortals' ears are. ] But I guess we do have that one thing in common -- we have a connection with the natural world. What do the Elves of your world look like?

The homes here are haunted? Hmm. That must be another thing all worlds have in common. Ghosts.

It depends on the breed. The high elves are particularly magically attuned and fair skinned, while the common elves look a bit closer to humans. Dark elves are dusky, brown skinned and more swarthy in appearance, and the syrium, who are like the elves but not quite the same, have a very long ear and a gray, almost ashen hued skin with a bluish tint. They're not quite as long lived as the elves are, though elves live longest when close to their magic.

Ghosts ... I think are part of this world being a nightmare. The child whose dreams we inhabit was probably raised on ghost stories, so there are ghosts here.

So you have four different tribes or ethnicities of Elves, or of Elf-like races? Your world must be an interesting world. What do you call your own tribe?

Are you saying that Deerington is a nightmare, being dreamed by a child?

Something of the sort. There are three varieties of the elven people, and then the Syrium, the children of Chaos. My own people are called the Onelthes. I think you can guess what we are known for, physically, easily enough.

That is one of the prevailing thoughts, yes. We seem to be in the dreams of a trapped, terrified but extremely magically powerful child who cannot send us home normally, and who some of us are trying to help free of her situation.

The Onelthes? And of course, you are known for having three eyes. I'm wondering what that is like! When I look at the world, I only have two images to integrate, whereas you have three. Your brain must be more complex than mine. [ Smile. ]

So, this idea of Deerington as the dreams of a child is the leading theory? How did the community come to believe this? Is there some kind of evidence that people turned up with searching? And some are trying to help free this child? What are you doing to help her? [ So many questions about this place. ]

Hmmm, I do not know that it is more complicated, though it is useful to have three angles at times... a different way to view things never hurt.

[She nodded.] Through a few of our searches and experiences. For the most part, it's anecdotal evidence, hard to prove for certain. I can show you some of it... but as for helping her, I admit that we are investigating, not saving her yet. It is a matter of finding out what must be done, after all.

NOVEMBER 2019 TEST DRIVE MEME

NOT BEAST NOR KIN

ALL YOU CAN EAT

Character Arrival

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