dagung | TDM: MARCH

Test Drive: March

All threads can be considered game canon,

the prompts and test drive itself will be

• Reserves Open Today! If you're interested in securing a character, put one in! This time around, reserves will expire after the first 48 hours of applications being opened. Those first 48 hours will be open to those who have reserves only, so we recommend placing one. It will not guarantee you a spot, but it will guarantee you can post your app immediately when they open.
• Applications Open The 24th! There will be a cap of 30 applications accepted this round, and apps will close whenever we've reached that cap. If there are slots left after the reserves-only period, apps will open to those without reserves. The application page can be found here.
• If you have any questions about the game or the world, please refer to the FAQ page; if you still have questions, feel free to ask them! For questions specific to the test drive, please ask them on the appropriate thread.
• For the purposes of the test drive, your character will have access to all magics taught by the Coven if they're a Witch, and as much of their shifted form as you'd like if they're a Monster. Feel free to play around and experiment with each!
• Test drive threads can be used as samples for your applications!

You feel like you're floating. Around you, colors and sounds and smells swirl as if trapped in a whirlpool, vibrancy and hue ever shifting. The more you watch them, the less solid they are; they only become clear out of the corner of your eye. The area around you begins to feel more solid as well, until your feet are on the ground, the wind brushes playfully against your face -

and you know one thing, and one thing alone: this is a dream, and an incredibly realistic one at that.

The Underground

Take a moment. Let your eyes adjust to the dark, your ears to echoing silence, but for the steady drip of condensation down the stone walls that surround you. The tunnels down here are wide, the ceilings high, but they are dim, devoid of sunlight and breeze. The only light, in fact, comes from the shards of softly-glowing shards of quartz lining the ground and the bio-luminescent algae that smears the stone in long, blue veins, pulsing gently, pushing breathable air into the otherwise-stale passageways. The air is damp, but the temperature is moderate - almost comfortable. The tunnels fork off and meander from where you are, some narrowing and some widening, but none seem to lead you to the surface, no matter how long you wander. Is it a trick of the light, that the algae glows a little brighter, pulses a little quicker, when you head in a particular direction? It's hard to sort your senses so deep underground, far from the world above where things make sense. Hopefully you've found a friend by now.

The Crystal Cavern
Many of the tunnels, both wide and narrow, lead to the same place: a massive chamber hewn out of the stone by time, and the drip-drip of water from the ceiling into the central lake. Perhaps you came out toward the bottom, and the ceiling is a thousand feet above you, or maybe you came out toward the top, and the lake is a thousand feet below. There are a hundred or more holes in the sloping stone walls that lead to more tunnels, and something like natural steps down from most of them. In a way, it resembles a beehive, this room acting as a central hub of sorts.

This is also the first place you find signs of life. Short, tough little tufts of grass growing from the thin soil, bone white in color, having long abandoned photosynthesis and chlorophyll. More of the glowing algae. Small, skittering insects - beetles, grubs and worms. The occasional albino rat, much larger and louder than rats have any right to be. Ruffled and capped fungi growing on the wet rock like parasites, some as large as a grown man. Blind, slimy cave fish wriggling around in the still waters of the lake.

And milling around the great stone cavern, slurping up the glowing algae that covers the rocks and grows in lacy sheets across the water, are dozens of great beasts, bigger than horses. Shaped like worms, but with dozens and dozens of stubby, fleshy legs, these creatures are huge, with velvety, multi-colored hides, and though their antennae wave in curiosity when approached, they don't seem aggressive. At least, as long as you avoid the big silk-wrapped bundles stuck to the walls and ground all over the cavern. These are their egg sacs, and if their young are threatened, they'll quickly shoot jets of viscous slime, a quick drying adhesive, that can slow and trap even the strongest adult. If you find yourself in a sticky situation, you better hope someone can wrench you loose - the worms seem content to eat algae, until they've caught prey. Each worm has a long, hooked, chitinous blade concealed within its fleshy jaws to tear and shred, and a nightmarish round mouth full of multiple rows of teeth.

Navigate carefully. There at the bottom of the lake, where it feeds into an underground stream that leads down another wide tunnel, there are a few small rowboats, some missing oars, certainly not enough for everyone. You'll have to share if you want to get out of here. Or you can keep hanging out with the giant wormipedes.

The Procession
As you proceed down the stream by boat, the lighting grows just a little brighter, seeming a little more purposeful in how the glowing algae is planted, how the softly glowing crystals are placed. You start seeing a new type of moss, greyish-green and growing in ragged sheets from the ceiling of the tunnel. Watch your head - it's near impossible to cut through this stuff should you get tangled. For a while, you only hear the soft splashing of the gentle stream, but then... there is a flash of torch light, up ahead.

The boat ahead is longer than the one you use, better kept, and full of people - three Monsters, all whose forms are based on creatures that thrive underground, in pieces of armor, holding spears, and one very elderly Witch woman, seated in the middle, wrinkled hands folded primly in her lap. Her milky gaze stares straight ahead, with something soft and proud in the set of her face. One of the Monsters holds the torch, the other rows the boat, and the third settles down next to her; they speak in hushed voices, with little smiles.

After a while, the rowing Monster slows the boat, before they can bump into a thick, heavy, impenetrable curtain of grayish-green moss that stretches across the whole tunnel, blocking the way, like a gate. The other two help the woman to her feet, and guide her toward the front of the boat - and the curtain of moss. She reaches out for it blindly, and they help her step onto the edge. There is something almost ritual or reverent about the movements, the way they regard the Witch as she touches the curtain of moss... and is wrapped into it quickly, swallowed up, absorbed. After twenty minutes of gentle pulsing, the lump that used to be the Witch is no more, and the whole of the moss pulses with light and magic. The Monsters watch this whole process vigilantly, and once the lights die down, they continue on. The moss parts to allow the boat through, brushing against the Monsters but not swallowing them.

The procession happens a few more times, in separate boats, with separate victims - but all are very, very elderly, and seem proud, even happy to meet their fates. Trying to follow them further after the ritual will have the same thing happen for your boat - the moss will part, and brush over those in the boat without causing harm. If you happen to be infected with the Cwyld, however... you might meet the same fate as the old woman, with the moss reaching and grabbing for you. The procession can be stopped, but drawing attention will draw the ire of the Monster guards, and, strangely, the victims themselves, who will fly into a distressed rage at the interruption.

The Marketplace
Beyond the veil of moss lies... civilization? The cavern is enormous, big enough to contain a city at least as big as Aefenglom, if not larger, though the population at a glance seems to be much smaller. Twenty thousand people, perhaps, give or take. Buildings have been carved out of huge stone spires, or formed by draping cloth around and between the natural stalactites and stalagmites. Monsters tend to be quite tall or bulky, possessing obvious physical strength, while Witches and humans tend to be shorter than in Aefenglom. They all mingle on the streets together, with no immediately obvious class difference. Since there is no weather to dress for, some don't bother to dress at all, though humans at least tend to wear flowy silks or simple clothes made from wormipede hides. The streets are wide and the buildings far-spaced, and many get around on the backs of those worm creatures, having made them saddles and reins.

The stream ends in a lake right next to a marketplace, with many small boats docked on its pebbled shores. The stalls sell all kinds of goods: clothing made from fine silk and worm hide or rat fur, skewered meat (It's bug.), weapons, armor, jewelry made from chunks of beautiful stone. Your arrival is bound to cause a stir though, so keep your head down, and maybe it's time to snatch a disguise from one of the clothing stalls.

Monster guards, occasionally flanked by Witches, patrol the streets and keep the peace, and stopping to talk to anyone will make one thing clear: they are not at all used to outsiders. They won't believe a word you say about being from above ground, and they've never heard of your world or Aefenglom. You're nomads from the tunnels, right? Of course, don't be ridiculous, you can't fool them with tall tales! At least they're usually willing to talk - briefly, of course, everyone is very busy down here, it's morning and many will be heading to tend to the herd soon.

Those who are subtle and pointed in their questions can learn a lot about the vast but also small civilization below the surface of the world. Strength is valued here - the stronger the Monster or more powerful the Witch, the higher their rank in society, and the closer they live to the center, largest spires of stone. Monster-Witch Bonded pairs are the be-all-end-all, and often wear matching wrist-guards or pendants proudly. Pretending to be Bonded to another will put many of the natives at ease, though Monster-Monster pairs get snide comments about how you have to team up to find a good Witch, and Witch-Witch pairs will get odd looks and assume you both have a very strong Monster partner somewhere. It must be quite rare for Witches to go un-bonded here, and any who pass through without an obvious partner may be propositioned by young Monsters showing off their various talents. Unbonded Monsters may be nudged in the direction of any strange, unbonded Witches - usually fellow Mirrorbound - in a poor attempt at matchmaking. Those poor unbonded Witches need protection, right? Or so the locals think.

It's too bad trying to go any farther than the Marketplace will get you stopped by guards and turned back, however. They don't allow nomads into the inner city.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Puzzled by her response, he stops in place, scratching his head. But she seems to be in a hurry to get somewhere, so when he sees that she has kept walking, he quickly keeps pace behind her. ]

Ah, this question again. Edelgard asked me the very same thing, so I shall tell you what I told her: that I remember our victory in Fhirdiad. You gave us all quite a scare, but you survived the ordeal, and your hair changed back to the color that it is now. Is that a good enough answer?

[ He's hopeful that it is, and that his professor remembers the same events as he does. What he has heard from Lorenz is... concerning. ]

[ that's a relief. she stops, but a bit of tension leaves byleth's shoulders, and she shifts her cloak partially to the side for a moment. the sword of the creator hangs at her waist, its blade still stained with dried green blood. ]

It is. [ still, she'll slow to a more leisurely pace when she starts moving again, leaning on her cane. it's easier, what with her current condition. ] I'm not quite back in fighting form yet. I'm just as fresh from the battle as you are.

Have you given any thought to what's next for you? Back in Fódlan, that is.

[ His eyes inadvertently drift to the Sword of the Creator. Such a powerful relic, but ultimately, it is only a weapon. In Ferdinand's eyes, the true power has always been the person wielding it.

But then, his eyes spot the streaks of green blood. That is the blood that was spilled by the Immaculate One in Fhirdiad, which means that his professor, thankfully, must remember the same things that he does. That comes as a great relief to him, so much so that he can scarcely hide it on his face.

But then, Byleth asks him an important question. It's one that distracts him from his worried thoughts, allowing his uneasy expression to harden into a determined but optimistic one. ]

The war against the Kingdom and the Church of Seiros is over, is it not? The people of Fódlan will need guidance, sustenance, and protection as we rebuild. Even if Edelgard is doing away with the nobility, I have a responsibility to the people of my family's territories. I will help them rebuild, and hopefully, they will be able to share their prosperity with those who are less fortunate.

[ He flicks his wrist toward her, placing his other hand on his waist. ]

But I am rather interested in seeing what you will do yourself, my teacher. Edelgard has come to rely on you, just as we all have. Do you see yourself continuing to guide her? Or is there some other dream you have that you may now pursue? I do not believe that any of us would fault you for seeking your own happiness.

[ she smiles just a fraction as ferdinand starts to go on, listening intently as she walks a step ahead. ]

Good answer. That's just what I'd expect from you. [ was that a bit of her old teacher voice slipping in? maybe a little. it's hard not to feel proud of her former student, in this moment. ] The people will need all the help they can get.

[ as for the rest... byleth exhales, considering how best to phrase this. as they round a corner, there are some crates near where the boats are tied up, and she takes a seat. she's certain that edelgard would rather be the one to tell their allies of those who slither in the dark, but even if that coming shadow war weren't a concern... there's still work to be done. even if she didn't feel what she feels, the idea of striking out on her own is almost laughable. ]

My path is the same as Edelgard's, as it always has been. I haven't come this far just to leave her side. [ that fractional smile returns, a bit wider. ] I'll find my happiness there.

[ He tosses his head back, his mirthful smile growing even broader. ]

That is exactly the answer I would have expected from you.

[ Now, as he was before, he's reminded of Pan, the Undesiring Strategist. This all feels so familiar to him, and thus, quite comforting. No matter what changes, no matter what memories their other comrades may have, he can rest assured that this is the same professor that he remembers.

His smile softens as she takes a seat, and he follows her lead, sitting on a different crate. Instinctively, he pulls up one of his legs to rest it on the other, his hands clasping together at the knee. ]

To be honest, I was worried when I came to in this strange place. Separated from my allies, my friends... I did not want to abandon them, nor did I want to abandon my duty. Having you and Edelgard here, however... I feel as if I can still be of use, even if only to support you both.

[ byleth nods at that, understanding. it's a feeling she knows quite well. ]

El—Edelgard has been here for some time. She's... carved out quite a life in Aefenglom, from the sound of things. At first, I wasn't... [ her brow furrows, a slight frown on her face as she says this next part, like it's odd to hear herself saying this, like it was a ludicrous thing to have even worried about ] I wasn't sure if I would still have my place in it.

Edelgard, Hubert and Dorothea all remember the same history as us, as far as I can tell. I'm not sure about Bernadetta, and things are... different, with the others.

[ Though their relationship has improved considerably over the last five years, Ferdinand isn't quite close enough with Edelgard to know the significance of his professor calling her El. Perhaps it's a nickname, like how Dorothea calls her Edie, or perhaps it's a simple stumble. Either way, he thinks nothing of it. ]

Yes, that is what I have heard. It seems that by their recollection, you were assigned to teach a different class, altering the fate of Fodlan. To think that this would have such a drastic effect on the course of history...

[ That's about as close to "No pressure, Professor" as Ferdinand can get. ]

It is best that we not worry excessively over such matters. This world is not Fodlan, so it is my hope that all parties will be sensible and leave wartime hostilities at home.

... I agree. [ byleth exhales, nodding finally. even if she thinks of the tension with felix and, especially, dimitri. ]

I'm... doing my best not to overthink all of this. I made my choices, in our history, and I know they were the right ones. Those histories are not my doing. [ she exhales. ] Besides. Our war is over.

Yes, you are quite correct. The future of the land awaits. There are countless souls who will depend on our leadership! [ He smiles cheerfully, raising a fist in determination. ]

So let us find our way back home together, as comrades!

[ And then, his bright, cheerful smile softens ever so slightly. ]

...Starting with leaving this place, of course.

TDM: MARCH

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject