TEST DRIVE MEME

[theflaws]

TEST DRIVE MEME

PREMISE PLOT ARRIVAL SETTING NAVIGATION

01. ARRIVING IN PELEA
A cold wind singing down from the white-capped mountains which hang blue-black in the distance stirs your cheek, the tall grass all around you. A bough creaks as the wind makes it tremble, and the dappled shadows drift over you, leaves rustling. As you blink awake, you hear the quiet hiss of water over stones. You are not where you once were!

You and a large group of strangers are blinking awake, pulling yourselves up off the dirt, grass, and rubble near a small wooded stream. There is no evidence of civilization in sight, and as you exchange stories you realize that you must decide what to do.

Will you head past the trees and towards the mountains? Deeper into the forest? Stay put and wait for help to arrive? You might even try to meet everyone else, and either convince them to band together... or head their separate ways.

02. CITY SLICKER
There are many cities throughout the world of Pelea, and in most of them player characters, the Flaws, are welcomed as curiosities. Whether they're among the passionate, oft thought as hot-headed, but hospitable folk of the Banner or the noble and haughty people of the Empire, your characters will find a wide variety of cultures, races and simply people to interact with and investigate. They could be seeking employment, answers to the mystery of their arrival or other folk like themselves, or a quiet place to drink away their worries.

03. WILDCARD!

Comments

[animated]

[ He casts an obvious glance between the two of them. Yes, she looks much more prepared to be traipsing around in the woods, and for fighting whatever might live in said woods. ]

It could be worse. At least I'm dressed.

[ Look on the bright side! He's armed as well, though it's not obvious by just looking at him since his weapons are occupying the lining of his jacket. ]

I have to ask, is the armor like a normal thing where you come from?

[letitallout]

The sooner I drop this goat off, the sooner I never have to think about it again.

[Side quests are so hit-or-miss, sigh.]

Lead on, then. And keep your eyes open. I'm not exactly in the best position to grab a pickpocket.

[If she ends up chasing a thief across the marketplace with a goat around her neck, Aila is going to do something drastic that will probably involve airborne goat takedowns of fleeing street urchins.]

[letitallout]

This? No.

[Aila is only slightly smug as she answers the question she thinks he's asking..."is dragonscale armor a normal thing?"]

[teratias]

Northside or southside of the docks?

[Waver's not about how wise a pickpocket would be to target Aila, but sometimes people make deeply stupid assumptions. He squeaks by her and the goat quickly so that he can be in front, and begins to move over the streets with appreciable ease.]

It impacts the shortcut, so I actually do need to know.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He gives the new guy a once over, and as new to this place as Peter is, he recognizes a fellow fish out of water when he sees one. His lips part to offer some nicety, like “No problem. Keep a better eye on your stuff, next time,” but the question catches him off-guard.

Which is why he blinks, frowns, and a little defensively, ] Not like there’s a law against it, right?

[ … or… is there? Who the hell knows with this place? ]

[letitallout]

[Aila squints up at the sun--none of the mountains in this blasted place are where they should be; how is anyone supposed to know which way they're heading?]

South. Near where the street forks to get around that statue of the idiot who doesn't know how to ride a horse.

[Or sculpted by someone who doesn't know how to ride a horse, anyway.]

[teratias]

The one that also looks like the horse has six legs.

[It was a good landmark, if not a goddamn weird one. Waver turns left suddenly, down a small lane that's wide enough for maybe two people walking shoulder to shoulder. Uneven stones invite hopping from one to the next rather than walking properly, although Waver tries not to jump. ]

I don't know who thought that statue was a good idea.

[letitallout]

[Aila has long legs and excellent balance, and handles the bad paving job like a goat-hauling pro.]

City gets old enough and no one remembers the real reasons for anything anymore.

[She shrugs, or tries to underneath all the farm animal.]

Probably a lord with more money than sense and a sculptor with more ambition than talent.

A

[maipokerface]

[Maybe the forest isn't the best place to go wandering around in alone but since her arrival spot was here as well, Mai can't help but be curious. Maybe a little uncharacteristically so but she's been doing a lot of that lately.

There's a brief pause after Mikumo's question where she gives the other woman a brief glance over. And then she undoes the rough spun cloak she currently wears. It has a hood and everything!]

This is probably going to be a little uncomfortable. It's not that soft.

[She offers the cloak over regardless. Her own clothing looks much richer.]

[teratias]

Maybe. Or an attempt at modern art, I could believe that too.

[The shade provided by the surrounding buildings make for a welcome relief, at least, and Waver's glad for it and for being near the docks. A breeze off the water is far better than lingering inland.]

[letitallout]

"Modern" art? What has the age got to do with it?

[You'll have to excuse her, she's from a medieval hellhole that mostly carves pictures of dragons into things.]

[teratias]

Oh, uh! [Fuck, how to explain that. Waver pauses, realizes that he's just given away that he's from another world entirely.]

It's just a way people who study art describe eras so that they're all on the same page.

[letitallout]

[Aila realizes he's being shifty about something, but damned if she can figure out what. Is there some kind of terrible art appreciation schism here that no one's told her about?]

But "modern" will keep changing. What will they call it in a thousand years?

[teratias]

They've already started doing that. Post-modern's something being used, and I'm sure the next era will be more well, descriptive. Hopefully.

[Waver's a mage, but he understands how academia works well enough.]

They'll figure it out, somehow. How's your friend doing?

[animated]

[ Ah, whoops. He wasn't expecting a defensive reaction, and he raises his hands a little. ]

What? No. At least I don't think so. It's just nice to hear something familiar for once.

[animated]

[ Well. They could be miscommunicating about worse things. ]

Just you, then? Because where I come from, armor went out of fashion like a hundred years ago.

[letitallout]

[She thinks your friends have dumb hobbies, Waver.

Also, super-smooth subject change noted and allowed to pass without comment beyond a raised eyebrow. Something weird just happened, clearly, but prying into why people are acting squirrelly ends up with her chasing goats.]

Not getting any lighter.

[So, I googled, and goats weigh like 150 pounds.

Aila's fine, though.]

[letitallout]

So the city guard just wander around town waiting to get stabbed where you're from, then?

[Color her skeptical. You weirdo.

Aila takes one last swig of wine before working the cork back into the bottle. She might have to actually do something in the near future, and being a bottle of wine drunk won't help with that.]

[teratias]

We're at about the halfway point, so will your shoulders be okay for another few minutes?

[Waver's mostly glad that that the subject change has been left be. Aila looks too much like a local for him to even suspect she's arrived as he has, and working on that assumption is a far safer route. So when he takes a sudden sharp right, he stops to make sure that she's behind him, just in case.]

I'd offer to carry him, but I think I actually weigh less.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Alright, that's a fair sentiment, and the explanation seems to mollify him.

Meanwhile, Charlie's thief tries to slink away on his hands and knees, and Peter glares at him. ]

Yo, Artful Dodger. Not so fast.

[ The guy freezes, turning to look over his shoulder, and Peter looks back to Charlie. ]

You got everything back, right?

[letitallout]

[She's from a different high fantasy medieval setting.]

Pfft.

[Aila is insulted by the implication she can't lug a goat around all day.

Well, not really, but she blows off the suggestion she might be getting tired.]

As long as you're not planning to rob me or some such antisocial nonsense, I don't care what you're trying to hide, you know.

[Okay that resolve not to pry lasted about ten seconds. Good job, Aila.]

[animated]

[ Oh boy. ]

Not... really.

Look, I'm trying my best to figure out just where- or possibly when- you're from, or if you're just a really good actor and I'm on Candid Camera right now.

[letitallout]

[She's squinting over at him, looking for blood on his scalp.]

Did you hit your head when you landed?

[That's why you should wear a helmet, duh.]

[animated]

I think so. [ He didn't have anything in his pockets to begin with, but he checks them out of habit before inspecting the lining of his coat. One, two, three, four, five... ah. ]

Wait, I'm missing a knife.

[teratias]

[Waver actually stops at that. So much for subtle, and his annoyance at himself for letting him slips prompts something else.]

So being from another world entirely and having only shown up on the continent is totally something you're going to shrug off like it isn't a big deal.