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June-July 2024 Test Drive Meme
June-July 2024 TDM
Introduction
Welcome to Folkmore's monthly Test Drive Meme! Please feel free to test drive any and all characters regardless of your intent to apply or whether you have an invite or not.
All TDMs are game canon and work like "mini-events". For new players and characters, you can choose to have your TDM thread be your introduction thread upon acceptance or start fresh. Current players are also allowed to have in-game characters post to the TDM so long as they mark their top levels ‘Current Character.’
TDM threads can be used for spoon spending at any time by characters accepted into the game.
Playing and interacting with the TDMs will allow characters to immediately obtain canon items from homes especially weapons or other things they may have had on their person when they were pulled from their worlds! There will always be a prompt that provides some sort of "reward" to characters who complete certain tasks.
🦊 New Star Children meet the Fox still in their worlds, and she brings them into the new realm of Folkmore. As you follow her, your body begins to change and new characteristics emerge. These may stay for a while, or perhaps they will hide away after. And during all of this, the Fox explains to you where you will be going: to Folkmore.
and then... you fall like a shooting star, falling to the land in a burst of starlight.
🦊 Experienced Star Children are already familiar with this time of the month. There are shooting stars all across the sky, and some fall to the land, which means the Fox has brought new arrivals. These newly arrived Star Children will face some tests, but Thirteen wants the more seasoned residents to participate as well.
Perhaps you follow the falling stars on your own, or perhaps the Fox simply teleports you there, but it appears you too will be part of this.
Content Warnings: Ghosts, Potential Violence, Potential Death
Summer has hit. It's hot, and nowhere is it hotter than Cruel Summer. Naturally, new Star Children arrive in Cruel Summer with no indication of which direction to go to escape, unless they're so lucky as to arrive near the Selkie River. The water provides a break, and a selkie skin will protect Star Children from the heat. Though beware the cruelty of leaving a selkie without their skin. Along with the heat, Star Children can hear whispers and the echoes of screams throughout Cruel Summer. There's no obvious source of the noises. Not the normal creatures. Not anything anyone can see.
Whether new or old Star Child, anyone lost, overheated, in need of a rest, or anything else will find a friendly spirit will find them in the sands, rock, or shores of Cruel Summer. They'll guide the way toward the huts found in Cruel Summer. These huts have changed; the huts are bigger and grow together, making them one interconnected twisting winding empty town. No one appears to live there. The wooden town is in disrepair, varying from building to building. Even so, they are cool inside, a welcome break from the summer heat.
No matter how one entered, even through the swinging doors to the saloon, that exit disappears behind Star Children. There's no turning back. The only way out is to explore the way through the buildings. This fact continues to be true building to building as exits continue to vanish. The abandoned town isn't as empty as it first seems. As Star Children explore the branching paths through the wooden structures, they see ghosts of spirits going through the paces of their lives. They're familiar to these spaces and interact with missing objects that sometimes shimmer in spirit energy.
Spirit Children may interrupt these routines to try to talk with the ghosts. Some ghostly spirits are friendly. They may interact with Star Children as though they're someone else, someone the spirits used to know. Others, like the bartender, may treat them like a new customer. Other ghosts are determined to stick to their routines and, should Star Children continue to interrupt, will attack those who disturb them.
These spirits may kill Star Children when they attack. Normal weapons won't hurt them. There are revolvers, shotguns, iron pokers, hunting knives, and other plain weapons around to grab in self-defense. Salt bullets and iron will dispel ghosts. These weapons may be grabbed at any time. However, doing so attracts the creatures in Cruel Summer. A blood red worm spitting yellow acid may break through the floor to eat or spray Star Children. An enormous coyote may leap through the window. Whether attracted by the use of weapons or passing by, any dangerous creature found in Cruel Summer seems agitated when they come near these structures and will attack them and anyone inside. They will focus especially on anyone with a stolen selkie skin.
Should Star Children die, whether to ghosts or creatures, they will not immediately return to life.Do not pass go. Instead they will haunt the ghost town for one week in the room where they were killed. Other Star Children may recognize them and work to snap them out of their routines. Yet nothing will free the Star Children's spirits before the week is through. At the end of the week, they'll come to, alive, in their bodies in the room they died in. Best get through and out of the ghost town before dying again!
A constant through these scenes are the spirits' spoons, visible somewhere in each scene. The ghost spoons are whole. Once free of the ghost town, Star Children may choose to travel to the Shattered Spoon Shrine in Never Fade to search for the broken fragments of any of these spoons. They are in such small pieces, however, that no Star Child may feed them enough Lore alone to bring the spirit back. Two or more Star Children may spend time in the Shrine creating and feeding Lore toward the spoons to heal them. It just may be enough to bring someone back.
Summer has hit. It's hot, and nowhere is it hotter than Cruel Summer. Naturally, new Star Children arrive in Cruel Summer with no indication of which direction to go to escape, unless they're so lucky as to arrive near the Selkie River. The water provides a break, and a selkie skin will protect Star Children from the heat. Though beware the cruelty of leaving a selkie without their skin. Along with the heat, Star Children can hear whispers and the echoes of screams throughout Cruel Summer. There's no obvious source of the noises. Not the normal creatures. Not anything anyone can see.
Whether new or old Star Child, anyone lost, overheated, in need of a rest, or anything else will find a friendly spirit will find them in the sands, rock, or shores of Cruel Summer. They'll guide the way toward the huts found in Cruel Summer. These huts have changed; the huts are bigger and grow together, making them one interconnected twisting winding empty town. No one appears to live there. The wooden town is in disrepair, varying from building to building. Even so, they are cool inside, a welcome break from the summer heat.
No matter how one entered, even through the swinging doors to the saloon, that exit disappears behind Star Children. There's no turning back. The only way out is to explore the way through the buildings. This fact continues to be true building to building as exits continue to vanish. The abandoned town isn't as empty as it first seems. As Star Children explore the branching paths through the wooden structures, they see ghosts of spirits going through the paces of their lives. They're familiar to these spaces and interact with missing objects that sometimes shimmer in spirit energy.
Spirit Children may interrupt these routines to try to talk with the ghosts. Some ghostly spirits are friendly. They may interact with Star Children as though they're someone else, someone the spirits used to know. Others, like the bartender, may treat them like a new customer. Other ghosts are determined to stick to their routines and, should Star Children continue to interrupt, will attack those who disturb them.
These spirits may kill Star Children when they attack. Normal weapons won't hurt them. There are revolvers, shotguns, iron pokers, hunting knives, and other plain weapons around to grab in self-defense. Salt bullets and iron will dispel ghosts. These weapons may be grabbed at any time. However, doing so attracts the creatures in Cruel Summer. A blood red worm spitting yellow acid may break through the floor to eat or spray Star Children. An enormous coyote may leap through the window. Whether attracted by the use of weapons or passing by, any dangerous creature found in Cruel Summer seems agitated when they come near these structures and will attack them and anyone inside. They will focus especially on anyone with a stolen selkie skin.
Should Star Children die, whether to ghosts or creatures, they will not immediately return to life.
A constant through these scenes are the spirits' spoons, visible somewhere in each scene. The ghost spoons are whole. Once free of the ghost town, Star Children may choose to travel to the Shattered Spoon Shrine in Never Fade to search for the broken fragments of any of these spoons. They are in such small pieces, however, that no Star Child may feed them enough Lore alone to bring the spirit back. Two or more Star Children may spend time in the Shrine creating and feeding Lore toward the spoons to heal them. It just may be enough to bring someone back.
- Whispers, echoes of screams, etc become common throughout Cruel Summer
- Huts become bigger, interconnected, growing together. Anyone lost, overheated, in need of something in Cruel Summer gets a friendly spirit redirecting them to these buildings
- Buildings will still be in some state of disrepair, but like a whole twisting winding town
- Insides are a cool respite
supernatural ghost spirit air conditioning - Only way out is through, no turning back, as the exits disappear behind you
- Many are friendly, but some are not. One can attempt to talk to them, but how interactive they are varies
- Occasionally other creatures from Cruel Summer may burst in and attack
- If a Star Child dies, rather than return to life immediately, they stay a ghost for about a week, part of the tour
Content Warnings: Fire, Coerced Confessions
Fire! Fire across the realm! For the second half of June, wildfire burns everywhere. While it doesn’t hurt Star Children, it can reduce everything else to ash: homes, businesses, gardens, spirits. The local spirits will be in a panic and beg Star Children for help from small ice mice in Wintermute to fennec foxes in Cruel Summer. How can Star Children help? Confessions. Anything the person they are with doesn’t know. The more earnest and meaningful the better.
When wildfire erupts and spreads, Star Children may stand in or in front of an area they want to protect and confess something to another Star Child who happens to be nearby. Their neighbor? Their partner? A stranger lost in a new land? These confessions simply need to be something the other person doesn’t know to protect structures and spirits. Memories related to the confession will show in the fire. The fire will fuel these memories until they run out of energy, dying down to embers. At least in that place at that time.
Should something start to burn before someone confesses, multiple confessions are necessary to catch the wildfire’s attention and distract it from the fuel source it is feeding on. Two or more Star Children will need to make confessions whose memories are shared in the flames. Water powers can also help quell the flames, but confessions are necessary in the end.
Once July hits, the wildfires are mostly gone, only sparking up here and there on occasion. In their stead are embers. They spark in the air like fireflies and fly around Folkmore, attracted to Star Children. These embers land on Star Children and make them glow. There’s no pain. In fact, the embers provide sparks of insight into memories, situations, and other emotional dilemmas that Star Children haven’t previously understood. Talking the issue over with another Star Children provides further emotional clarity.
Spirits are welcoming to both embers and Star Children. Confessionshelp Folkmore grow as well. Gardens bloom in beautiful displays. Crops grow healthy and joyful. It’s even possible to hear humming from some of the vegetables and fruits. The land grows with the Star Children. Anyone who lacks a green thumb can work their way around that with confessions! Save that dying plant and grow those tomatoes.
One time that a Star Child confesses, either to wildfire or to embers, they will find a jeweled box shaped like a flame. The peak of the flame comes off to reveal the insides. Within, there is an item from home. It may even be a weapon or magical item. Larger more meaningful confessions are more likely to receive weapons. These items may even be larger than should fit in the box or its entrance. Whether the box should only hold a single ring or fill the palm of one’s hand, these items fit. Star Children also can keep the jeweled box, and this one item from home can be stored within the box. Other items too large to fit the box will not enter it. Only the one from the box.
Fire! Fire across the realm! For the second half of June, wildfire burns everywhere. While it doesn’t hurt Star Children, it can reduce everything else to ash: homes, businesses, gardens, spirits. The local spirits will be in a panic and beg Star Children for help from small ice mice in Wintermute to fennec foxes in Cruel Summer. How can Star Children help? Confessions. Anything the person they are with doesn’t know. The more earnest and meaningful the better.
When wildfire erupts and spreads, Star Children may stand in or in front of an area they want to protect and confess something to another Star Child who happens to be nearby. Their neighbor? Their partner? A stranger lost in a new land? These confessions simply need to be something the other person doesn’t know to protect structures and spirits. Memories related to the confession will show in the fire. The fire will fuel these memories until they run out of energy, dying down to embers. At least in that place at that time.
Should something start to burn before someone confesses, multiple confessions are necessary to catch the wildfire’s attention and distract it from the fuel source it is feeding on. Two or more Star Children will need to make confessions whose memories are shared in the flames. Water powers can also help quell the flames, but confessions are necessary in the end.
Once July hits, the wildfires are mostly gone, only sparking up here and there on occasion. In their stead are embers. They spark in the air like fireflies and fly around Folkmore, attracted to Star Children. These embers land on Star Children and make them glow. There’s no pain. In fact, the embers provide sparks of insight into memories, situations, and other emotional dilemmas that Star Children haven’t previously understood. Talking the issue over with another Star Children provides further emotional clarity.
Spirits are welcoming to both embers and Star Children. Confessions
One time that a Star Child confesses, either to wildfire or to embers, they will find a jeweled box shaped like a flame. The peak of the flame comes off to reveal the insides. Within, there is an item from home. It may even be a weapon or magical item. Larger more meaningful confessions are more likely to receive weapons. These items may even be larger than should fit in the box or its entrance. Whether the box should only hold a single ring or fill the palm of one’s hand, these items fit. Star Children also can keep the jeweled box, and this one item from home can be stored within the box. Other items too large to fit the box will not enter it. Only the one from the box.
- Last two weeks of June, wildfire burns across Folkmore. After that, they are rare.
- Confessions can protect or rescue buildings, land areas, and spirits.
- Come July, embers spark across Folkmore like fireflies. They provide insight for Star Children. Talking helps.
- Confessions help the land grow.
- Confessions reveal a jeweled box containing an item from home.
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Fiends and monsters are as much a part of the world as humanity and spirits.
[ there's something pointed in that. ]
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[ In that case he didn't, not really. Though in Folkmore there's a mystery of whether the monsters and fiends that roam certain regions are part of this world or all of them something the Fox pulls in.
Case in favor is that many things one encounters are distinctly familiar. Especially in Cruel Summer while others obviously never graced the planet he and Nero are from. And like mirages they are sometimes there and sometimes not. ]
The Catbus doesn't live as a monster or a fiend. But he doesn't live like humans either. I guess in that way he's more like an animal. Maybe not tame. But not exactly wild either.
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And you willingly crawl into its innards. Fascinating.
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Not his innards.
[ He says this as if it should be obvious. And if you think about it...]
Or there'd be a lot of chewed up fish in here with us right now.
[ Personally, Vincent is thinking under their feet or where the engine might normally be. The part they're in is just... cartilage. And maybe something like paw pads when it came to the seats? Who knows. ]
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[ vincent the genetic abomination is concerned about your lack of concern about the monstrosity you're both standing in. the genetic abomination who doesn't really require that much food and can subsist on stolen lifeforce is, again, concerned about your lack of concern. ]
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I've been here a few months. We've become old friends. I think I'd have noticed if something was a problem by now.
[ Probably. But currently he's studying Nero and has a question of his own. ]
I didn't know you cared about me.
[ It's not a joke. Why is Nero so distressed? ]
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[ flatly. ]
You have the potential to be useful. That is all.
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[ He wonders, but he'll take that at face value. Vincent tilts his head to glance out one of the 'windows'. ]
...Looks like we're here.
[ That is certainly an island the Catbus is starting to clambering up the side of and finally over to a flat surface. There's even something like a bus stop on ahead. ]
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instead, nero disappears into the older man's shadow again, stepping out in the shadow of the 'bus stop'. ]
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Catbus arrives and the gunman steps out, turning to look over his shoulder. ]
Thanks for the ride. Sorry about him.
[ Purrowl. The Catbus looks like they're going to curl up at the stop for a bit. Time for a bit of a nap after the snacc. Vincent approaches Nero and... goes past. ]
This way.
[ It'll be down into the underground of Never Fade though, into the tunnels, then cavern maze... Before they reach a point of descent, Vincent pauses to look on Nero. ]
The shrine is in the caves under the island.
[ It's not quite 'will you be okay?' but it is a check to make sure Nero understands this is not intended to trap him underground. Not that Vincent would have that ability. ]
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and as there are no jailers who cruelly tied their lives to his brother's, he has no qualms about murdering anyone who tries to keep him there. ]
Do you require my guidance once more?
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[ And away they go. Why he paused and asked remains unspoken of.
Vincent is very familiar with the path. Once the tight, cavern maze begins he strides without hesitation until they've reached the shrine.
Many broken spoons, some not as bad but those won't be the ones which match what they came here to see. It's the tiniest of fragments, the ones which need careful and meticulous comparison to the memory of a spoon at the ghost town. ]
This is the place.
[ And as simple as that, Vincent wanders off, likely to search for signs of the spoon he saw near the ghost child. Still nearby but leaving Nero to look around on his own. Or ask questions. ]
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letting an eldrich abomination who thrives on memories and suffering loose in this place could potentially be a very bad thing. but luckily for everyone, nero is just curious.
he doesn't have much interest in the spoons, he's more interested in examining every inch of this space. ]
Why... spoons?
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[ Some things just weren't worth knowing the answers. ]
Heard you can sometimes ask the Fox things like that through one of her iterations. If you're that curious. Or maybe someone's already done so. You can use the relic to ask others then.
[ Vincent slows and stops. A pile of fragments caught his eye. His fingers sift through, pick up a piece, then place it carefully down again. Not this one. He moves on. ]
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Whatever else can be said for his inhuman traits, he is a sharpshooter and one of the best of his time. His eyes are keen.
Which means as long as it's here, he'll probably find it in due course. Whether that's minutes or hours; there are very many. How many are lost because they were forgotten? ]
Here.
[ Whatever reason Nero had for coming here; whether Vincent had intended this from the beginning or even before he'd encountered the Sable within the ghost town is unclear. But it has become the mission now.
What's there is the whole piece but the parts can barely be called fragments. Tucked in a small cubby of smoothed out rock, perhaps someone had placed it there to protect it from stray drafts. It seems... so terribly fragile. ]
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... It would not survive the journey back, if that is what you are intending.
[ and the sable does not seem willing to play guide again. not if there's nothing in it for him. ]
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[ From under his cloak, Vincent procures his own spoon. With it loosely wrapped in his left hand, his gloved right gently touches the fragments. There probably isn't any signs of the transference but Nero probably has seen the act of transferring lore to another spoon by the time, right?
The principle is the same. ]
Like I said. People come to the shrine to donate lore, hoping to help the lost find their way back.
[ The ghost town was simply a message. A call for help in its own way. Or maybe it was nothing more than a staged set designed to inspire spirits and Star Children to donate to a straw man.
Still, the spoon is here. ]
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he still doesn't. ]
And what benefit does this bring to you?
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[ It appears that needs some thought. Vincent stops the transfer- there is no way one Star Child could hope to provide enough lore for any of those ghostly spirits- and puts away his spoon. ]
I'd like to say it's for the greater good. Or even a form of atonement.
[ It's not that it's not that in a way. That is to say Vincent does have a soft spot for children and it could be partly for the sake of being more than just a stone in the river of time.
But Vincent knows it's not just that. He can't help everyone and he certainly doesn't have enough lore to just give it away for the sake of altruism. ]
When these riddles are presented here, following through will often bring rewards.
[ He casts a glance at Nero that holds a hint of amusement. ]
And I'm not so selfless as to not take advantage of those benefits. Think of it as an investment.
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[ he isn't making any move to offer up any of his own energy, merely staring thoughtfully at the fragments.
it's no different from how he allows scarlet to command him. she does not trust, but she does possess a false sense of security that he will not turn on her as he will other handlers. ]
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[ And he did feel sorry for the kid. It's worth noting that he isn't turning to any of the other spoons. Like he said. He's not that selfless. Or rich.
But he probably comes down here from time to time, whether or not there is a reward. He did after all know the way. No one deserves to be forgotten. ]
Though... I doubt what I can give is enough.
[ It has no hidden meaning. Vincent will probably come back from time to time. But sometimes the spoons are too far gone for just one person's lore. Maybe even several 'doses'. And how much of it trickles away, lost in whatever process is trying to recall the forgotten?
Those questions... those might be work asking around about, unlike the name 'spoon' itself or the anatomy of the Catbus. ]
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and if he is to live in this world, then he has... time. to gather allies. to find a way to bring those allies back and liberate his brother from deepground.
just three short years later, nero will be unable to think like this. his world will have narrowed to a singular point and goal. ending the world for the sake of saving his brother. but he has not yet crossed that despair event horizon. after a few moments of silence he moves to mirror the older man's movements, offering what little he can spare to the forgotten ghost without meeting the other man's eyes. ]
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Not for the spirit, but toward the former Turk himself. Trying to curry favor? ]
Thanks for the assist.
[ He doesn't let any sarcasm color his words. Nor is there suspicion. It is an acceptance of one's nature; one does not fault the scorpion for stinging. ]
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The forgotten and faded. Do they represent what you fear?
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