riverview: may test drive meme

[riverviewmod]

riverview test drive meme

Welcome to Riverview's test drive meme! Feel free to dip your toes in on the test drive meme to try out your character in the setting, play out a mission, and get samples for your application at the same time!

● Reserves are currently OPEN.
● Applications open on June 1st.
● Providing all parties are amenable, threads on the test drive meme can count as game canon, as the plot in the prompts presented is game canon.
● TDM threads do not count for Activity Check, but they do count for Activity Bonus Points, so long as all characters involved are accepted into the game.
● Threading on the TDM is intended for prospective new characters, so top-levels should only be posted by players of these characters. Since the events in the TDM are considered game canon, characters currently in the game are free to use the TDM prompts for logs and posts on the regular communities.

Feel free to use the prompts below or create your own scenario. The setting is built to be flexible, so feel free to make things up as you go.

information resources
premise ● arrival ● setting ● ask a question ● calendar ● navigation

prompt i: search & rescue

Following rumors about a magical healing spring deep in the jungle, a group of intrepid explorers ventured out to verify whether it existed or not. After finding the spring inside an ancient temple overrun with tree roots and flora, they brought samples back and discovered that the spring did, in fact, have healing properties. Just like the rumors said.

Until the authorities decided what to do with this information, no actions were to be taken, nor information revealed to the public at large. Unfortunately, the news leaked and spread to the alternative science communities as well as the top minds at Gramarye Magic Research. With interest piqued, several more unauthorized expeditions set out beyond the fence in search of the spring. And once the information leaked beyond these scientists and scholars? Everyday citizens also launched their own excursions into the jungle, many bringing ailing family members or friends along for the ride.

This month the mission is to deploy teams of skilled citizens into the jungle to rescue some of the less fortunate, unsuccessful parties. Some of these people will be trapped or set upon by monsters, unable to move forward to the spring or back to the safety of the city. Others have simply run out of supplies and need the teams to restock them so they can continue their trek. And some groups have managed to reach the spring and collect their own samples of the spring water, only to find themselves struggling to return to the city before the samples lose efficacy. Feel free to create your own party to rescue, and get a team together to do so!

prompt ii: death from above

Normally, living inside the Inhabited City is a pretty safe bet. You can go day to day without running into a monster or risking any kind of danger requiring a fight. Generally, the tall, laser-fenced walls keep out anything particularly dangerous.

The problem with walls? They only go so high.

While usually assault from airborne monsters isn't a problem that's on the map, there's a few weeks during late spring where a swarm of flying monsters not unlike feathery pterodactyls are migrating back to another part of the moon. They're only in the area for a couple of weeks, but during that time, residents can expect occasional attacks by swooping monsters if they should see easy prey. Usually, a good sturdy dark-colored umbrella is enough to keep them from seeing a potential victim or meal, but sometimes the attacks still happen. So the Perimeter Guard sends extra details, calling in all the reserves, to patrol the city and keep an eye out for citizens in distress. There's also a general call for anyone who's experienced at fighting to help protect their fellow citizens. Whether your character is being attacked or protecting someone else, be prepared - these monsters are quick and have very sharp teeth.

prompt iii: homesick bazaar

Over the past couple of weeks, the portal has seemed really fixated on food. Almost every time the portal changes location, new bundles of food are near the entrance, ripe for the Perimeter Guard Orientation Team to pick up and drag through. As a result, the Orientation Team has set up a free bazaar outside City Hall. The Bazaar lasts from the 20th until the 31st of May, and is completely free, featuring tables and booths laden with food taken from the other side of the portal. Many of these foods will be familiar to characters in the City, whether it's that special brand they're totally addicted to or a plate of grandma's family recipe.

Everything at the Bazaar is totally free, and anyone joining in on the feast is encouraged to share (read: gently not allowed to leave until they do) and to tell stories about the origin of the foods from their own home. It's a multidimensional foodie's paradise!

prompt iv: prijata pregaming

Prijata is a holiday in Riverview celebrating platonic love - essentially, it's a celebration of friendship, geared at showing appreciation for existing friends and finding new ones. While I won't spoil the rest of the prompts for the introductory mingle, one of the main staples of Prijata is gift giving, and the Government of Riverview gets into the spirit of it by giving small gifts to everyone who's arrived since the last Prijata.

This prompt can be used to give a quick idea of what your character is into so other characters or players can suggest gifts to be given them (or to give them) if they are accepted! More information can be found in the Prijata Pregaming modpost.

prompt v: friendr/network

Whether your character is posting up a silly word game to distract people from the dangerous mission going on, trying to get hold of a friend, or putting out feelers for people to go out into the fray with, the network is going strong.

Alternately, an offer for a free app is popping up on new arrivals' devices - Friendr is a friend-finder and/or dating app. If characters choose to install it, they will fill out a short bio and parameters for what they're looking for, upload a snap of themselves, and then proceed to browse for matches. This is a typical swipe-left-or-right type app.

Code to post your character's bio is in the textbox below, or you can just do a text version of the information in the app. An example of how it looks can be found here.

<center><blockquote style="width: 220px; margin: 0; padding: 0px; background-image: url('http://i42.tinypic.com/2uf53s4.jpg'); font-size: 12px; font-family: verdana; border-radius: 20px; text-align: center;"><div style="padding: 10px 0 0 0; text-align: center;font-size: 25px; font-weight: 900; font-style: italic; color: #528887; text-shadow: -2px 2px 2px rgba(150, 150, 150, 1);">F<span style="font-size: 16px;">RIENDR</span></div> <center><img src="ICON URL HERE" style="border-radius: 50%; width: 70px; height: 70px; box-shadow:-3px 3px 2px 0px rgba(82, 136, 135, .75);"></center> <center><div style="width: 210px; background-color: #528887; color: #fff; padding: 5px; font-size: 14px;">Name of Character</div></center> <center><div style="width: 210px; background-color: #528887; color: #fff; padding: 5px; font-size: 11px; text-align: left;"><b><small>AGE:</small></b> ## <b><small>INTERESTED IN:</small></b> Male/Female/Any <b><small>SEEKING:</small></b> Type(s) of Relationship(s) <b><small>ABOUT ME:</small></b> Blurb goes here, can be as long or short as you wish.</div></center><br> </blockquote></center>
Many thanks to mistojen for coding this especially for Riverview!

prompt vi: wildcard

Choose your own adventure and do something else in the setting!

navigation
[river market image is by Tyler Edlin]

Comments

[curser]

[Maleficent was resting; fae or not, flying continuously, though a joy in itself, could also be taxing. She was leaning against a scraggly tree, humming to it and petting it almost affectionately. She looked up at the intrusion, noticing the strange object the woman held that Maleficent had seen others with similar versions of. Ones that were like handheld crossbows; little bolts and beams leaving them to strike the poor beasties.

A slow nod paired with a watchful look, Maleficent wary of any human that seemed... aggressive.]

Ask what you will.

[wronganswer]

[ It's pretty fair to deem any Judge aggressive by appearance alone, but Anderson at least has a youthful, open face, and an attentive expression like she's listening hard to whatever she's told. She's a bit of a walking oxymoron, on her world. ]

Whatever you're doing to drive them off without hurting them-- are they likely to come back?

[ And if not, could she do that, too? She really would prefer the non-violent solution. ]

[curser]

No one can say for certain. They have no sneaky, ulterior motive to their actions. They're following their instincts and hunting along their migratory pattern. Seems the city was built in their migratory route. Bit daft, if you ask me.

[wronganswer]

[ Anderson would comment on the daftness of it but she's so completely unused to dealing with animals of any kind, she has nothing to say. Domesticated animals, sure. Wild ones? Not on an irradiated planet. It's called the Cursed Earth for a reason. ]

But you're saying if we set up an alternate route for them and led them out there, they might stop coming into the city altogether?

[curser]

Not exactly. The city shouldn't have been built on their route. Most humans where I'm from seem to have learned the creatures around them before building, though I can't say there are many predatory flying things like this in my land. They run on instinct. This is where those instincts lead them to fly. They aren't doing it to inconvenience anyone, nor do they attack out of spite or some evil mechanics. They are hungry. Humans can be prey.

Really, if this is something that happens frequently, the city should have better walls or something to drape over top.

[Or be proficient enough in magic to build a dome or control the weather, but that was neither here nor there.]

[wronganswer]

[ She listens to this, and then sighs. ]

Got it. Hopefully it'll end soon. This isn't a viable long-term solution, and I'd rather not shoot everything that comes over the walls. [ Anderson nods at Maleficent herself as case in point. ]

[curser]

I would... appreciate not being shot at. Not all in the skies have ill intent.

[But at least the woman was listening and not cursing at the creatures as if they were evil.]

For now, I can only continue to try to drive them around and further onward. Perhaps it would be wise to speak to those who are from this land to see how frequent this occurrence is.

[wronganswer]

[ You can at least rely on Anderson not to curse at anyone, that's for sure.

She nods. ] I will. [ She does a safety check on her gun, quick and efficient, before reholstering it, glancing around. ] It looks like things are clearing up for now. If you run into anything you need help with later, I can provide ground support. I'm Anderson.

[curser]

If help is needed, I will remember to call upon you. I am Maleficent.

[She didn't really want to ask, but curiosity and not wanting to come across the wrong end of those things prompted her to do so.]

May I... what is that contraption you have? It's not like any crossbow I've seen humans wield.

[wronganswer]

[ Maleficent. An odd name for an odd lady.

It's okay, Anderson's been stifling her own possibly-rude questions, largely by virtue of experiencing too much anti-mutant prejudice in her life. She has no idea what other people have experienced, or what they are.

Given how dangerous her Lawgiver is in the wrong hands, she doesn't unholster it again to hold it out for inspection, even with the bullets removed. It stays where it is, but she answers readily, in an informative, unjudgemental tone. ] It's called a gun, or a firearm. It fires metal projectiles at high speed. Can be lethal on impact. A much faster, deadlier crossbow.

[ Although she is now wondering just when she's from, and not just what she is. ]

[curser]

Fire-arm.

[It didn't look very fiery, or very arm-like, but humans were strange creatures and she'd long since just accepted that they would do strange things. Still, she appreciated the answer, giving the object a more respectful look.]

I see. What sort of metal? Iron?

[Because that would be the problem...]

[wronganswer]

[ She blinks. ]

Solid iron? Not for a long time. Lead, copper, some steel... Iron's too heavy.

[curser]

Not anymore, then? I shall rest easy with that and know a stray projectile may not do as much harm as it could, then.

[wronganswer]

You're vulnerable to iron? Like fairy tales?

[ Hey, she reads. ]

[curser]

All faerie folk are. It is a metal for Man, not fae, and as such, we do not do well in contact with it.

[wronganswer]

Fae? That's what you are?

[ Well, apparently she gets to ask the rude questions anyway. She can't resist. ]

[curser]

It is. And human is what you are, yes?

[It made sense to ensure that. Not all those she'd come across had been entirely human.]

[wronganswer]

A human mutant, yeah.

[ It's a sensible question, although Anderson isn't sure her answer is going to make sense to her. ]

[curser]

... A human what?

[Congratulations, Anderson. Maleficent hasn't a clue as to what you're talking about.]

[wronganswer]

[ She tries to decide how to explain spontaneous genetic mutation due to irradiation to someone whose frame of reference is a crossbow. ]

I'm almost entirely human, [ she tries, ] but not quite.

[curser]

[That had Maleficent glancing over at her more intently, head to foot, her own head cocking a little to the side as she tried to see anything amiss.]

Well... what else are you? Fae? Beast?

[wronganswer]

[ She looks completely, totally normal, or what passes for normal for a fascist police officer. Anderson shrugs expressively, as if to say, What does it matter? ]

We just call them mutants. Sometimes they're physically different... I'm psychic. [ In case she doesn't know this one either, she clarifies: ] I can read minds.

[ This is always a controversial thing to tell people, but she tries to get it out of the way as soon as possible. She doesn't know how else to contend with this new type of social interaction: non-professional. ]

[curser]

Can you? Well, isn't that a new little trick. I've seen humans read cards and gaze into balls of glass and claim to tell the future, but they are, for the most part, charlatans. Not that I expect m--

[She broke off there, lips pressing together as her eyes glanced away and she took a slow breath.]

Forgive me. There are still... habits that I'm attempting to amend.

[wronganswer]

[ She tilts her head, assessing. Honestly one of the better reactions she's ever gotten. ]

People can be awful. Judging them fairly is difficult. [ Two vast understatements, coming from a Judge. In other words: she doesn't blame her. ]

[curser]

[It may help that she was speaking to a creature of magic that wielded it as easy as breathing. Things of that nature hardly bothered her.]

I'm still... coming to terms and learning that the betrayal of one does equate to the actions of all.