flawedmemes | TEST DRIVE MEME

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test drive

TEST DRIVE MEME

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hm.

[Waver pauses to sling his bag forward, and he reaches out to pull out some breadcrusts. He had been saving them, but this may be a more practical use. Somewhat.]

Think a food trail will get him moving easier?

Bah, save it for a well-behaved goat.

[There probably isn't any such thing, but who knows. Miracles have been known to occur.

With the ease of someone who's done this before, Aila tips the goat onto its back and uses the lead rope to hogtie it, over loud goatish protests. The fact that it won't shut up earns it an additional loop of rope around its snout.]

There.

[Aila stands and hoists the goat over her shoulders, fashioning the world's ugliest fur stole--warm, though.

She and the goat look ridiculous.]

[Waver is all set to point out that no, there is no such thing as a well-behaved goat but you can bribe such a creature, but it is too late. The goat is around Aila's shoulder, and frankly, it isn't even close to the weirdest thing he's seen.]

--I guess that's the most effective way to do it. There's a shortcut to the docks just ahead as well.

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.]

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.

[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.]

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.

[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.

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.]

"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.]

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.

[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?

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?

[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.]

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.

[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.]

[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.

[Oh, Divines. Aila bursts out laughing, to the great but ineffectual offense of her four-legged passenger.

That explains a whole lot.]

You're not the only one who's not even remotely local, friend.

--You fooled me pretty damn effectively.

[But that is a relief, and that shows as seemingly every part of Waver lets go of all the tension it had building up.]

I've been here a bit, but this kind of stuff isn't great to talk about where you can be overheard. [At least he's still walking, and now even faster than before.] I do want to know how long you've been here though.

It's not that different from my native land here.

[She hefts the goat into a slightly more comfortable position and lengthens her stride a little to match Waver's speed.]

Landed in the middle of the woods a few weeks back, just got to the city the day before yesterday.

Three months, but with a lot more differences between lands. Everything else is--

[He cuts himself off as a breeze sweeps through the little path, hinting at what is just ahead. Moments later, Waver steps out of the sidestreet entirely, onto a bustling dock that hugs along crystal clear blue water.]

I assume you know who you're handing the goat over to from here on out.

Yes.

[Aila could have found it herself, but Waver's saved her some time and sore muscles, and she's not an angry teenager with something to prove anymore, so she leaves it at that.]

Thank you.

[Waver nods, hanging back just a little.]

Don't mention it. Uh, if you want to be filled in on everything, I can wait for you here.

[She chuckles.]

Wasn't sure if you were trying to be rid of me. Don't wander off, I'll buy you a drink.

[Aila would find the concept of "underage" drinking hilarious.

She glances around to get her bearings, and immediately jogs off as though she hasn't been dragging, running after, or lugging goats for a respectable chunk of the day.

The drop off is quick enough, and Aila exchanges a cheerful volley of insults with the shopkeeper before taking her leave to see if Waver did in fact wait for her.]

[He is still there, not lured by the promise of a drink and more by a sense of duty to at least share what he does know. Aila's probably far better off than anyone else from other worlds that he has met so far, but there's the little bits of magic that have to be known.

He's reading when she returns, having come into the world with a backpack full of snacks and a few mystery novels. Approaching footsteps pull him out of the book, and he is quick to shove it back into his bag.]</small. That was pretty quick.

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