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June-July 2025 Test Drive Meme
June-July 2025 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 a canon item from home, 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:
Old wood creaks and groans, barely audible over a howl of wind. Wet droplets of rain hit faces and soak into clothing. Clouds overhead are a murky gray, blocking out the sun. Though summer weather is often somewhat temperamental, a true storm has now hit. Both newly arrived Star Children and veterans may find themselves in the midst of this situation quite abruptly, standing on the unsteady deck of an old, grand ship. Those who run to the nearest rail and peer overboard may be shocked to discover a stark absence of water below. Instead, the view just goes down… and down… The land of Folkmore lies far below, as this ship is flying through the storm, its sails struggling to hold under the force of whipping winds. There is no captain, there is no helmsman- there is no crew at all to be found, only fellow Star Children. And yet… the ship is still moving full speed ahead through the storm, as if it has a destination in mind.
A resounding boom echoes, and those with a keen gaze may just spot something whizzing past, missing the ship by a hair. Was that… a cannonball?
Just like that, a second vessel weaves its way out of a deck of gray clouds, pulling up side by side to the ship the Star Children are on. Lightning flashes, illuminating a whole bunch of sneers across the way, along with some eye patches, bandanas and goggles. Sky pirates are attacking! It's clear from their animalistic features that they're local spirits, but they're hardly as benevolent as those typically seen in Folkmore.
Ready yourselves, Star Children!
Those who wish to return fire will find several cannons lined along the ship's deck, ready to be used. These don't work just like any old artillery, though. In place of those unwieldy metal balls, one must load magic into these cannons. Lore, to be precise! It even says so on a small metal plaque, attached near the firing mechanism: "Connection is one's true ammunition." Find a fellow Star Child and start chatting! The more meaningful the conversation, the grander the magic ball one may blast at the pirates with the cannons.
Unfortunately, the cannons alone are not enough to fight off the pirates, as several of them swing their way aboard with ropes. (Or just fly, if they're bird spirits.) Star Children can head down into the armory below deck to grab a weapon. Yes, even weapons from home (or items that can be improvised weapons) are available, and may be kept after the fight is over. Star Children capable of flight may even be daring enough to make their way to the enemy's ship and deal some real damage over there.
The ship continues to shake and creak and bob in the storm, which may complicate the fight, but not all is lost. There, in the distance, up ahead… A beacon of light flickers, struggling to be seen through the thick clouds. What is that?
Old wood creaks and groans, barely audible over a howl of wind. Wet droplets of rain hit faces and soak into clothing. Clouds overhead are a murky gray, blocking out the sun. Though summer weather is often somewhat temperamental, a true storm has now hit. Both newly arrived Star Children and veterans may find themselves in the midst of this situation quite abruptly, standing on the unsteady deck of an old, grand ship. Those who run to the nearest rail and peer overboard may be shocked to discover a stark absence of water below. Instead, the view just goes down… and down… The land of Folkmore lies far below, as this ship is flying through the storm, its sails struggling to hold under the force of whipping winds. There is no captain, there is no helmsman- there is no crew at all to be found, only fellow Star Children. And yet… the ship is still moving full speed ahead through the storm, as if it has a destination in mind.
A resounding boom echoes, and those with a keen gaze may just spot something whizzing past, missing the ship by a hair. Was that… a cannonball?
Just like that, a second vessel weaves its way out of a deck of gray clouds, pulling up side by side to the ship the Star Children are on. Lightning flashes, illuminating a whole bunch of sneers across the way, along with some eye patches, bandanas and goggles. Sky pirates are attacking! It's clear from their animalistic features that they're local spirits, but they're hardly as benevolent as those typically seen in Folkmore.
Ready yourselves, Star Children!
Those who wish to return fire will find several cannons lined along the ship's deck, ready to be used. These don't work just like any old artillery, though. In place of those unwieldy metal balls, one must load magic into these cannons. Lore, to be precise! It even says so on a small metal plaque, attached near the firing mechanism: "Connection is one's true ammunition." Find a fellow Star Child and start chatting! The more meaningful the conversation, the grander the magic ball one may blast at the pirates with the cannons.
Unfortunately, the cannons alone are not enough to fight off the pirates, as several of them swing their way aboard with ropes. (Or just fly, if they're bird spirits.) Star Children can head down into the armory below deck to grab a weapon. Yes, even weapons from home (or items that can be improvised weapons) are available, and may be kept after the fight is over. Star Children capable of flight may even be daring enough to make their way to the enemy's ship and deal some real damage over there.
The ship continues to shake and creak and bob in the storm, which may complicate the fight, but not all is lost. There, in the distance, up ahead… A beacon of light flickers, struggling to be seen through the thick clouds. What is that?
- Star Children (new and old) find themselves aboard a grand wooden ship, flying through a storm. Yes, literally flying!
- Sky pirates attack! They're just the local spirits, but a rowdy bunch nonetheless.
- Use conversation to load up a cannon with Lore energy, then blast it at the pirate ship.
- Alternatively, grab a weapon (possibly from home) from your ship's armory and start swashbuckling.
- Star Children can keep one (1) weapon/item from home and other basic weapons.
Content Warnings:
Other Star Children, both new and old, may find themselves drawn to the floating island of Never Fade. Up here, in the clouds, the storm rages just as fierce, and the native spirits all share the same worry: the lighthouse is broken. Indeed, up on the highest hill of Never Fade stands a towering white spire, its beacon dimmed. 'A ship is coming in at any moment', the spirits all whisper. 'And there's reports of pirates in the area, too. What will we do?'
The goats which are quite common in Never Fade join forces to guide Star Children up the hill towards the lighthouse. And if not guiding, then dragging, chompers clenched around the fabric of sleeves or pant legs as they pull. The rain does not slow, but the wind thankfully blows uphill. Best to just go along with it, so you can go take shelter from the storm inside the enormous spire building, because the goats won't leave you alone otherwise.
Just outside the lighthouse stands a very curious cat. It's so large, it's almost the size of a pony, and its fur is black. No, white. … No, it's black, isn't it? (It really depends on what mood it's in.) Karma the cat peers up at any approaching Star Children with knowing eyes. It dashes inside the lighthouse for a second, then reappears with an envelope in its mouth, holding it out for the newcomer to take. Careful- the paper might get wet in the rain! Come stand under the awning or inside the house as you read:
"The lighthouse keeper is on vacation. Please help! The beacon needs to be charged. We need positive energy to power the light, and negative energy to rotate the lens. Be nice or be mean, both are good! :)"
Are you up for the task, Star Children? Then stay in the lighthouse's near vicinity, or go right on up to the beacon, and do as Karma asked: Either compliment your fellows, or insult them. Share fond memories with one another, or commiserate on how terrible this situation is. Both pleasant conversation and nasty confrontation will do the job. Before long, the light springs to life and the great glass lens begins to rotate around it, a majestic beam of light revolving outward from the spire, piercing the dark clouds.
Those who wait around will see it: that great big wooden ship which comes flying towards Never Fade's docks to make port there. … Is that a hole in its side? And a cutlass sticking out of the mast? Confusion may make way for relief, as all the Star Children aboard disembark, surely bursting with a great tale to tell. Elated spirits bring out the hot soup, bread and all other hearty comfort foods to celebrate the successful arrival. Time to celebrate! Or raid the armory for a free weapon from home, if you haven't gotten one yet- with an emphasis on one, because Karma the cat will attack anyone who got greedy, be it now or during the earlier voyage.
Other Star Children, both new and old, may find themselves drawn to the floating island of Never Fade. Up here, in the clouds, the storm rages just as fierce, and the native spirits all share the same worry: the lighthouse is broken. Indeed, up on the highest hill of Never Fade stands a towering white spire, its beacon dimmed. 'A ship is coming in at any moment', the spirits all whisper. 'And there's reports of pirates in the area, too. What will we do?'
The goats which are quite common in Never Fade join forces to guide Star Children up the hill towards the lighthouse. And if not guiding, then dragging, chompers clenched around the fabric of sleeves or pant legs as they pull. The rain does not slow, but the wind thankfully blows uphill. Best to just go along with it, so you can go take shelter from the storm inside the enormous spire building, because the goats won't leave you alone otherwise.
Just outside the lighthouse stands a very curious cat. It's so large, it's almost the size of a pony, and its fur is black. No, white. … No, it's black, isn't it? (It really depends on what mood it's in.) Karma the cat peers up at any approaching Star Children with knowing eyes. It dashes inside the lighthouse for a second, then reappears with an envelope in its mouth, holding it out for the newcomer to take. Careful- the paper might get wet in the rain! Come stand under the awning or inside the house as you read:
"The lighthouse keeper is on vacation. Please help! The beacon needs to be charged. We need positive energy to power the light, and negative energy to rotate the lens. Be nice or be mean, both are good! :)"
Are you up for the task, Star Children? Then stay in the lighthouse's near vicinity, or go right on up to the beacon, and do as Karma asked: Either compliment your fellows, or insult them. Share fond memories with one another, or commiserate on how terrible this situation is. Both pleasant conversation and nasty confrontation will do the job. Before long, the light springs to life and the great glass lens begins to rotate around it, a majestic beam of light revolving outward from the spire, piercing the dark clouds.
Those who wait around will see it: that great big wooden ship which comes flying towards Never Fade's docks to make port there. … Is that a hole in its side? And a cutlass sticking out of the mast? Confusion may make way for relief, as all the Star Children aboard disembark, surely bursting with a great tale to tell. Elated spirits bring out the hot soup, bread and all other hearty comfort foods to celebrate the successful arrival. Time to celebrate! Or raid the armory for a free weapon from home, if you haven't gotten one yet- with an emphasis on one, because Karma the cat will attack anyone who got greedy, be it now or during the earlier voyage.
- Star Children who weren't taken to the ship may instead have been drawn to Never Fade, where the storm rages just as fiercely.
- Goats guide Star Children towards the lighthouse, which is broken. Karma the cat awaits them there.
- In order to get the lighthouse beacon working again, it must be charged with both positive and negative energy. Engage in either pleasant or hostile conversation with a fellow Star Child to help out!
- Once the lighthouse is up and running, the ship from the first prompt will dock at Never Fade, uniting all the Star Children for a great celebration.
- The ship's armory is still available for a free weapon (possibly from home), but anyone who got greedy and tried to take more than one will be confronted by Karma. Literally. (And lose the additional items).
<3
Things are happening so quickly that even the sharp minds inside Zazie working together have a hard time following. A human with wings like an Earth bird, coming down to smack the cannon ball away from them with... a sword?
...and hey, knowing baseball or not, Zazie knows what bats are mainly used for in their world - and that's beating up people with, not play ball. Well, there are games with them, too, but that didn't include cannon balls. (Most of the time. )
Then the guy talks to them, and he sounds worse than one of the most hermit-y of sand nomads. Even curiouser than their strength, honestly. A lot of humans on their planet have mods and drugs that make them far stronger than human limits.
But hey, least Zazie match in the feral-looking sense, with their shaggy hair and odd accessories. ]
Take me to what ground, hm? All I see is water.
[ No 'thank you', just logistics. ]
no subject
Had he a bit more time, maybe he would have caught that Zazie smells... Different. But there's a lot happening around them, the wind whipping scents through the air, and not much time to take everything in. He holds the sword behind him, and it fades into a strange purple glow from the gem that dangles between his shoulder blades, taking a step closer. ]
Land. Not far.
We fly. Fast, please!
[ He holds his hand out, debating whether he should just scoop them or not.
It's cannons, or raiding pirates soon.let him help ]
no subject
This includes worming (hah) their way into some hearts in order to give themselves 'allies' to use... and this guy seemed so utterly needy to help. It reminds him a bit of a certain blonde do-gooder. ]
Alright.
[ They could fly off by themself, of course - even if the rain might make it dicey - but why share their abilities when they might be more useful to reveal another time? ]
Help me?
Worm puns already...
Mh- hold! Tight!
[ Razor is incredibly easy to manipulate. What could go wrong?
A few heavy steps and springs lead to a launching jump before gravity takes over and they're falling down, waiting until he's clear of the ships and debris before unfurling those wings. Utterly silent. Falling fades to gliding, buffeted by the storm. But he's on his way, protecting.
It's not a short flight, and Razor doesn't talk much without need. He's also concentrating on the winds in the storm. ]
🐜
If so, they're surprisingly lucid. Only a few remained as 'sane' as Punisher, after all. The rest they had to clean up, sooner or later.
As they jump off the flying ship, Zazie doesn't seem to tense or hold on tighter. Instead they take their time to watch the water below. They've seen it in images and videos, of course, but there's so much of it. No wonder the humans called their loose-sand lands 'oceans'.
They'll have to study it further, once this thing drops them off. Or... maybe they should keep him around. That thing with the weapon and the hum of lightning? Could be useful. ]
🐺
Eventully they clear the weather though, coasting along to another sight likely unfamiliar to their 'damsel', a coast! Cliffs and beaches intermingled where the water crashes over them with swells and breaks. Picturesque, beautiful. There's a reason thousands of artists and writers all featured the oceans and beaches of their worlds.
Razor continues, swooping down to follow the land until he knows where he is before eventually, finally landing a little outside a small coastal town.
Large wings fold up, slightly tired, but he sets Zazie down carefully and nods. ]
People... In there. Can help you. Give food and knowledge.
Safe now.
[ His head bobs like that's all there is to it. The cautious look he gives the settlement suggests he likely won't be joining them in there. ]
no subject
The water is powerful. They can almost feel the push and pull of it even from the sky. It is beautiful, but so very alien for a creature whose world has never had any of this. They were made for dust and heat and static skies. Their world had no tides.
Humans sure had it easier to acclimatize, at least they already had deserts.
When they're set down, the 'kid' takes a moment to weigh the next step. They don't know the rules of this place. Who gives, who takes, who notices. Razor looks like he wants to fly off again, maybe play hero somewhere else.
But Zazie isn't ready to be left behind. Not yet.
Food and knowledge, Razor says, like those things just happen. Nobody gives anything without cost, and Zazie doesn't enjoy fighting. They don't feel hungry at the moment, either. What they do feel is the edge of uncertainty - and the need to cling to someone solid.
So they shift closer to Razor. Just a bit. Just enough. Eyes wide and cautious, voice small. ]
I don't do towns well.
[ They saw the hesitation. They're leaning into it. ]
no subject
[ How lips curl into a faint frown, looking down over them, uncertain but buying the act 100%. In truth, even if he suspected some acting he would probably help, it's the role he's taken here. Bright purple glowing eyes shift to almost blue, and his head tilts.
Ah, he knows what it's like to be nervous around towns, especially cities.
One wing curls out around Zazie, almost protective, thinking. ]
Mmh... I do not have... home. Like humans. Can find safe place for you?
Tell me where... You like to stay?
[ Caught hook, line and sinker. ]