Test Drive Meme #1 (cw vehicular crash, moderate injury)

[spoofer]

Test Drive Meme #1

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.

You don't need an invite to test
but please remember we're currently invite-only

CRASH LANDING

Exit one dimension, enter the next. It was chaos: pressure against your ears, light bending in an impossible, unimaginable way. The very molecules of your body vibrating against one another. If you have windows, the view outside makes no sense. Even if not, your hands, your face, your feet seem like an uncertain thing. It's the feel of reality itself tearing apart, reshaping, reconnecting, thread by thread.

And suddenly, there's a beach— or ocean, whichever you land in. Smoke. Fire. Salt water churning up, fizzing around.

Maybe you crash, in a ship wrecking into sand. Maybe you merely stumble out of a portal, a ragged wormhole in space. Or maybe you fall off the back of an incredible steed, some creature that carried you into this place. Either way, there's pandemonium around you. Incredibly, severe injuries are far and few between— nobody's screaming about the dead. But you might have to help pull someone free of wreckage, or move quickly to salvage burning belongings from the landing craft. Maybe it's the crafts themselves, that you're trying to salvage.

Likely, you don't know them, these other strangers who arrived here^[1]. Maybe you don't trust them— you just came out of a dying world, after all. But you all have one thing in common: you're here now.

When you get a second to breathe, maybe you'll see it. The brilliant green forest across the sand. Beyond that, the glint of a faraway city.

INTO THE WOODS

Your first night at Xistentia does not feature five-star accommodations, but as the sun begins to set, the forest offers everything you need to survive. By now, you may even have met your daemon, who'll help guide you through this. There is fallen wood to make fires for warmth and cooking, any number of rabbits, deer, and fish if that's what you're into eating. Those very same animals also provide guidance as to what vegetation is edible, including a variety of vine mushrooms, fruits, and flowers. If you're the kind of creature that mostly eats other sentient creatures, well. Technically, there are a lot of those hanging out too^[2]! Now and then, you'll see tiny, winged humanoid creatures the height of a finger dart in and out of view.

A resourceful group, the multiversal refugees have determined ways to create shelters, using wreckage, supplies, and basic survival knowhow. There aren't enough blankets to go around, but the weather is mild and the fires seem to keep out any aggressive creatures.


Things get quiet. This could be a good time to meet the others under less fraught circumstances. Maybe you'll see some familiar faces and reunite with others who fled from your dying world; maybe you'll meet someone new.

Try not to seek out and fight any Rock Trolls. It's still early.

ENTER THE CITY

The city is beautiful, even with the vines covering everything, the streams running down half the streets, the massive white deer leaping off under the highway overpasses. The architecture of the skyscrapers is incredible to look at, modern and sweeping. It's clear that terraced gardens were part of the building design, and some of the greenery that lines the street had been part of the original city plan. This is a city of great potential.

And it knows you're here. As you walk by, beacons like streetlamps begin to emit a gentle glow, registering your presence. No doors are locked, though you might find yourself chasing out nests of silver-winged birds and bug-eyed rabbits.

Here, you can claim empty shops or the clothing and other sales items inside of them. Apartment complexes aren't difficult to find in a range of sizes; nor are standalone homes, brownstones, loft studios. Penthouses may not feel like penthouses when there's a thin layer of dust growing on everything and a flower growing out of the sink, but you know what? Maybe that little bud is gonna be your first roommate.

It's the strangest thing. After a few days, the lights begin to work and the water begins to run, fully operational within the unseen sewer system. At some point, the keys to your house or residence are going to turn up. Your daemon will help you find what you need. F.A.TE.S. welcomes you.

NETWORK

By now you've settled in. You have some time to explore the city, the woods, and your new kit.

Chances are pretty good that your daemon is not a phone or a computer or a wax-sealed piece of parchment or a Howler, nothing with a convenient camera or a keyboard; it probably isn't even a pocket sized. Likelier, it stares at you with eyes that contain the lenses-- or powers-- of a camera, and some part of its body projects a holographic keyboard into the air. For those of us who are not accustomed to manipulating intangible light prisms, it's about as intuitive to type on as shaping a cloud with your fingers.

But here's your network access. Accessible to all your fellow travelers in XISTENTIA.

Misfires, typos, and blurry video footage are likely. Time to feel like a Luddite!

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

hells yeah

Footnotes

1. Some of these can be nameless, plot-device NPCs to facilitate interactions! But even in this case, please avoid gore in describing their current state of being. Anyone dead or catastrophically injured will have disappeared by the time your characters make it to Xistentia. There are no corpses or dying here.
   
   
2. But like OOCly ask permission ofc.

Comments

1

[remarkablymodest]

[ When he was made aware of this new threat to Eorzea's wellbeing, he of course offered his assistance immediately. Too long had he sat on the sidelines whilst the Warrior of Light took on more burden than she rightfully should have. Though it was true Ishgard was in a state of turmoil that he needed to attend to at the time, that isn't the case any longer. So he'd rather be here and actively doing something to help. Lucia had offered, but should anything happen to him someone would need to take over his role as Lord Commander and he couldn't think of anyone more fitting for the title than his second hand.

Of course, he didn't expect his assistance to be required by someone so close to home so soon. He'd recognize those horns, scales, and Chocobo anywhere. It's natural, he realizes, that Era herself would have also taken on the task of ensuring Eorzea's safety. It came with the territory of being a Warrior of Light; he's well aware of this fact. Yet, she has shouldered far too much on her own and now is his time to assist where he could not before.

Though still a touch disoriented from the travel himself, he's at Era's side before she knows it. ] Rough travels, friend? [ It takes a fair amount of willpower to not just scoop her up from where she lay, but he knows Era is far more capable than to be downed for long by some dizziness and a cut. ]

Allow me to tend to your wound as soon as possible. Such fine sand might lend to it becoming infected and it is doubtful either of us would care to see that happen.

[astralera]

[ Era had thought initially that the upcoming conflict in Gyr Abania was to be her most pressing concern in the near future. She hadn't counted on apocalyptic circumstances and another world. She knew of different worlds of course, though never in her wildest flights of fancy would she have imagined she would need reside in one for a time.

She had full well assumed she would bear this burden on her own, much as she had in the past. The Scions had always been supportive, but they had almost always stayed back while she battled at the forefront as was expected from the Warrior of Light. Era would never begrudge them for staying out of the way - they hadn't the Echo to protect them after all - and would sooner cut off her horns than allow Alphinaud and Alisaie to join her at the front lines. Her young Elezen companions (the younger siblings she could never recall having) were growing stronger with each passing day, coming into their own and out of Louisoix's shadow. They were smart, talented, and had a long way to go before Era would allow them to act as soldiers.

Perhaps it was overprotective of her. She trusted them implicitly, but... They were still so young. And the other Scions had their own duties calling to them.

So no, Era had expected to be alone.

To be proven wrong is a most welcome surprise. ]

Aymeric?

[ Even Peki seems pleased that her friend is here, offering an affectionate wark of greeting to the older man. It takes Era a moment to process this sudden change in her plans (such a welcome change it is!). She had been planning to use a simple Physick to heal the wound, but Aymeric is Aymeric. He has never looked at her and seen an indestructible Warrior of Light. There has never been any need to save face in front of her dear friend.

Sheepishly, Era holds out her arm for Aymeric to inspect. Her inventory is filled to the brim with her gear and supplies, including Potions and rolls of linens for bandages should he need any. She doesn't dare try to rise from where she has fallen to retrieve it herself, lest the vertigo return and she do something unsightly such as vomit on the Lord Commander. While they have not had the opportunity to be travel companions before, Era is certain her friend must know that what is hers is his as well. ]

The Mothercrystal is a much better guide between realms.