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

[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.

[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.]

[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.

[letitallout]

[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.

[teratias]

--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.

[letitallout]

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.

[teratias]

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.

[letitallout]

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.

[teratias]

[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.

[letitallout]

[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.]

[teratias]

[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.

[letitallout]

[Books are familiar to her, even trashy ones, because Elder Scrolls is full of anachronisms, so Waver's novel doesn't give her any pause.]

Doesn't take long to say "here's your stupid goat, pay me."

[teratias]

It could have gotten away at the last minute. [He shrugs. Goats did what they want, apparently.]

They are stubborn, after all.

[letitallout]

So am I.

[She's got that wry half-smile again. That was a very nice setup, thank you Waver.]

Do you care if the tavern's full of sailors? No one notices if you're doing something conspiratorial in a dive.

[Aila looks around the docks for someplace sufficiently disreputable, spoiled for choice.]

[teratias]

[Waver is skilled at quite a few things, but being the straight man seems to be a reoccurring one.]

As long as none of them are listening, I think we'll be all right.

[letitallout]

Whole point of a shady tavern is to do things you don't want anyone listening in on.

[Indecisiveness has never been her problem, so Aila settles quickly on one with a leaping fish on a faded wooden sign. It has the right number of loafers who aren't obvious lookouts hanging about.]

Come on.

[She nods at her chosen dive, setting off without waiting to see if Waver's going to follow.]

[teratias]

I haven't really had to use one before, admittedly.

[Waver does follow after Aila though, his hands in his pockets and looking for all the world like yes he has gone into pubs back home in London as well as here.

At least there's a table in the back that's empty and out of the way. Waver's quick to grab that.]

[letitallout]

[Aila goes to pay the rent on the table--that is, buy drinks--and returns with a pair of steins.]

Watered, I'm sure, but probably not enough to make you sick.

[Important rule of medieval cities: don't drink the water.]

So. Details.

[teratias]

I miss when I could have water without worrying about that.

[It sounds strange, he's sure, but details are more important.]

Details. First things first: I arrived here three months ago, with others. The theory on how one gets here relates to magic, and there was an individual sent to, and I quote, "collect" us from the area where we arrived.

[letitallout]

[Water from country springs and isolated wells and whatnot is much safer, and she assumes he's talking about that that.]

Of course it's magic... [Obviously.] ...but you don't seem like a man who's been collected.

[teratias]

No. [Waver breathes out, given he hates repeating this part:] There was a matter of a knight making an attempt, and losing his life for it.

[letitallout]

Not the first man to pick a fight he couldn't win.

[Aila is unconcerned with the death of someone who appears to have had it coming, and takes a pull of her drink.

Yep, watered.]

[teratias]

[Waver's drink remains untouched, if only because he's found he really prefers to save anything alcoholic for the evening. And around fewer people, given that he's still learning his own tolerance.]

No, but he spoke of taking the group to higher individuals known as Archons. There's a few conducting investigations of what they are and what they'd want, but I haven't heard of any successes yet.

[letitallout]

Always a good time, being chased by a shadowy organization of questionable intent.

[That is absolutely the (dryly sarcastic) voice of experience speaking.]

[teratias]

--Perhaps you can share tips then, given that for a lot of us, this is the first time dealing with such a situation.

[The arid remark is frankly welcome, if only because it feels familiar to Waver's ears.]