TDM I

[thetonmods]

The Ton Test Drive Meme I

Welcome to the The Ton's first ever Test Drive Meme!

The game will officially open on the 1st of April (lol) and we will announce this via the game's Plurk account. Applications will open on this date - please do not submit an application before then as it will be ignored until the opening date.

Please note that the Test Drive Meme does not require an invite.

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Arrival

I. WELCOME

You don't remember when or where you fell asleep exactly.

Perhaps it's the tickling sensation of a low hanging tree branch brushing against your nose or the feel of the slightly damp grass underneath you that causes you to awaken but when you do you'll find yourself lying amongst a glade of wisteria trees. You're not alone - nymphs of the trees laugh and dance about you, clearly amused at the new arrival. Along with them, your new loyal servant is here on Pheme's bidding. How this servant looks is different to each arrival. Some are saddled with short, stout butlers, others are welcomed by towering, busty maids. Regardless of their appearance, they introduce themselves with a kindness and warmth that is simultaneously reassuring and strangely impossible to resist when they beckon you to follow them from the grove and out into the city of Andovale.

The closest structure within sight is the Palace and its grounds. It is here that the Lady Pheme resides and from here that she rules over the city, your servant explains to you. You have been selected and brought here personally by her. It is she who assigned the servant to guide you through the regency-inspired city that is your new home.

Eventually, they will bring you to your new residence within the outskirts of somewhere called the "Trade Quarter". You are now the resident of a room within one of the many imposing town houses which make up the Grand Crescent. Throughout your stay here the servant will be your own personal butler or maid. This is where all new arrivals will be living for the time being you are told. Your servant will also give you a crash course on life here and the concept of Thumos - the energy or life force that keeps Andovale and all life within it going - including you now that you are here. It's generated through acts of intimacy, whether that be physical or emotional.

Once you have been shown to your room, you are given two things: a network communication device and a letter. The letter reads as follows:

My dearest reader,

Welcome to Andovale.

The delights of our fair city are yours to explore.

I do hope that you make your stay here a most interesting one. I shall be frightfully disappointed if you do not - and we do not want that, do we?

You will hear from me again very soon.

Yours Truly,

Lady Pheme

You are free to wander about and explore the house and its surroundings as you please. It's certainly spacious enough. As well as your own quarters, each of the townhouses of the Grand Crescent have large communal areas, which includes the kitchens (although why you'd like to go there when your servant can fetch any delicacies you'd like for you!), a dining room, a parlour with its own small library, two drawing rooms (somewhere you can go to chill out basically - harp music anyone?) and a generously sized garden. Strangely, unlike most accurate regency townhouses, there do not appear to be any servant's quarters - perhaps these servants don't need to rest? Or they go somewhere else entirely for that.

Why not introduce yourself to your new housemates? Or enjoy some tea and cakes that have been prepared for you personally by your retainer, which they seem to keep insisting on bringing to you?

---

II. AN INVITATION

Your arrival coincides with the beginning of spring and with it the height of the ton's social season. What kind of social event can signify the start of this better than a grand ball?

Coincidentally you won't have long to enjoy your new home in peace and quiet. Wherever you are within the Grand Crescent your house's assigned butler or maid will track you down sometime during the day. They are not empty-handed and they carry a silver tray, upon which is an envelope with a wax seal bearing the letter "P". Inside the envelope is an invitation. An invitation from your benevolent ruler, Lady Pheme herself.

Each character will receive an invitation identical in wording to the one below:

MASKED BALL

YOUR CHARACTER'S NAME HERE


Is requested to attend the ball at THE PALACE, on 25th of March current, at 9 o'clock p. m.


Do not trouble yourself - masks will be provided upon your arrival.

Lady Pheme

You have already been told that an invitation to the Palace from the lady herself is the only way in. So if you want to find out anything about the tyrant lady then you better get yourself gussied up. Your servant can help you find something appropriate to wear - or not appropriate, the choice is entirely yours after all. The ball awaits.

Masked Ball

For the first time tonight, the gates of the Palace are open. Whether you're arriving on horseback, by carriage or on foot, you must travel through those gates and down a wide sweeping roadway, lined with immaculately trimmed hedges and roses bushes.

Stone steps and huge double doors greet you at the other end. Once you go through these doors, you will enter a grand entrance hall. You will see this room and the ballroom only. All other rooms are out of bounds and no amount of physical force or magic powers will get you to them.

In the short time that Andovale has been in existence, Lady Pheme has already built herself a bit of a reputation for being rather erratic when it comes to the Palace's interior. She seems to change it on a whim whenever she feels like it. She does so hate being bored after all. The colour scheme she fancies on this particular evening is black, white and silver. The many servants and attendants milling around are dressed all in white and are of course, wearing masks themselves. Every free surface is covered in grand flower arrangements, also in white.

Upon arrival, you are handed two very important items. The first is your dance card, the second is your mask. You will not be able to enter the Palace ballroom without both of these items.










The delight that is the dance card is key to every regency ball experience. Traditionally held by young women, at this ball everyone gets one. The dance card is used to record the names of those with whom you intend to dance each successive dance with at a formal ball such as this.

Got cold feet? Dancing not your thing? You might find that card being magically filled out for you. One second it's completely blank, the next you look down and find yourself with a list of delightful individuals with whom to show off your dance moves. (You have Pheme to thank for that - she's just looking out for you!)

Curiously, there is no sign of your generous hostess herself. Just a throne sitting empty at the top of the ballroom.

As for the masks, well... they're not quite what they seem too. It isn't as though you'll have any choice but to find that our for yourself. As previously mentioned, there's no entering the ballroom without one on. You might be able to persuade someone to swap masks with you or ask a member of the Palace stuff for another one - but they're all about as chaotic as each other.

Hey, at least the drinks are unlimited.

A typical regency ball usually ends around 5 in the morning so you might be here a while.

Note: The images below are just a guide, you can decide exactly what your mask looks like as long as it fits within the colour/animal category described.

Silver Mask

Simple and classic - unless you go for one of the more elaborately patterned ones.

The wearer of this mask will find themselves experiencing only the most pleasant of hallucinations. We'll leave the interpretation of that up to you.

You're also hungry. Really damn hungry.

Blue Mask

Masks of this hue will leave the wearer with an overwhelming sense of sadness. You're just plain bummed out.

Unless that is, you get yourself someone to dance with. In fact the only way to feel remotely normal or cheerful while you're wearing this mask is to dance the night away and you will feel compelled to do just that. Otherwise you're just going to be a giant sad sack all evening and nobody wants that.

Peacock Mask

Wow, so you like to make a statement, huh? Or maybe it was the only one within reach. Either way, nobody's going to fail to notice you in one of these.

Seriously. No, seriously, is it just you or is everyone staring at you? You know the mask is pretty garish in comparison to the others but this seems like an overreaction...

The truth is this mask makes you irresistible to others. So you have the personality of a shovel? Your problems are over, my chum. All of the ton will now be dazzled by your sparkling wit and the positively flawless way in which you conduct yourself. Everyone's laughing at your jokes, even when you didn't make one. Everyone wants to be the first name on your dance card. You might even find yourself with a couple of marriage proposals by the end of the night.

You lucky thing you.

Pink Mask

Two words: MEET CUTE.

Come on, it's everyone's favorite trope! You know that romcom hero or heroine who is delightfully and cutely clumsy? Always bumping into their future love interest? Well, this mask lets you become just that.

You know, after your third spilled drink of the night this could actually get really annoying.

Harlequin Mask

There is no such thing as privacy for those who end up with a harlequin mask. It may take you a while to realise (unless someone else takes pity enough to point it out to you) but this particular mask projects the wearer's innermost private thoughts onto the front of it for anyone else to read.

Let's hope you're not thinking anything too insulting. Otherwise, we might have a fight on our hands.

Cat Mask

This mask causes the wearer to start acting... well, like a cat.

Chasing shiny objects, randomly knocking glasses off the drinks table, rubbing yourself against somebody else's legs... all of that. You weirdo. What will it take to ward you off? A spray from a water bottle? A laser pointer? If only those had been invented...

Golden Mask

This mask will really amp up your Thumos production. When we say really, we mean really.

The slightest touch from another will suddenly feel like ecstasy to you. Even something as simple and bland as someone tapping you on the shoulder is liable to have you feeling weak at the knees.

Naturally this could get a little awkward if you've never even met the other person before. Oh well, at least they can't see your face properly.

Red Mask

Red is the colour of passion. That must be why you're passionately angry at that person. Specifically the first person you lay eyes on once you enter the ballroom. You might even say that they are your nemesis.

Does this person even know that they're your nemesis? Probably not. (Unless they just happen to also put on a red mask and lay their eyes on you at exactly the same moment!) It doesn't matter. Clearly they must be stopped.

Now no decent, upstanding member of the ton would condone actual violence of any kind. Particularly not at a high society soirée such as this. Your fighting must be sneaky, subtle - make them feel like they're simply not welcome here! Throw thinly veiled insults at their attire, literally throw one of the vol-au-vents at them when their back is turned, accidentlly spill your glass of lemonade in their lap... Do whatever it takes. Well, within reason.

How do you like them apples?

The bustling market of Andovale's Trade Quarter is known for having only the finest produce. This week there is a new stall that has never appeared before and it does not specialise in your run of the mill fruit and vegetables.

This particular stall is selling golden apples. In appearance they appear to be literally made of solid gold yet the beautiful woman minding the stall demonstrates that they are perfectly edible. In fact, they're downright delicious - you just can't stop yourself taking a bite. We would venture to say that they are probably the most delicious apples you have ever tasted.

They also come with side effects.

The legendary Golden Apples of the Garden of Hesperides were a wedding present to the goddess Hera from Gaia, the ancestral mother of all life. The apples promised immortality and anyone who ate them would never again experience hunger, thirst, suffering or illness... well, these apples are but a pale imitation of that. No, you won't become immortal but for exactly twenty-four hours after you've taken your first bite you will find that you don't need to eat, drink or rest. Your strength and stamina will increase tenfold and things that would normally cause harm to you cannot. Optionally, you may also be feeling extremely concupiscent, as the locals would put it - aka horny to you and me.

Somehow there's always a bad apple in the bunch though, right? Or several.

Unfortunately some of these apples are Apples of Discord. If you happen to pick one of these, one bite will still give you all of the traits mentioned above but for the next twenty-four hours you will find that unluckiness and chaos seems to shadow your every step...

So maybe you're passing beneath an open window and a maid accidentally empties a vase of water and some dead flowers on your head. Maybe you're in your local inn just trying to have a quiet drink but find that others are constantly trying to start a fight with you. Trying to get lucky with that special someone? Maybe certain parts of your anatomy just will not get with the program. And we advise you to maybe avoid carrying anything delicate and breakable for the next short while.

Wildcard

To assist you with inspiration our full list of Andovale's locations can be found here.

Want to play something that isn't listed here? Go ahead!

Please note that TDMs are considered game canon.

Both prospective and current characters who are already in game will be permitted to top-level on TDMs.

As your first port of call, we would recommend having a read of the premise page, as well as our rules. For any general game questions you may have which are not answered by the FAQ then please leave a comment on the FAQ page - for any questions specific to this TDM then please respond to the questions comment below.

Most importantly - have fun!

Comments

[terraphile]

Sersi pressed her lips together a little in thought as he spoke- the Powers That Be here were asking a lot of them. She only found that she was able to set her worries for home aside because they'd stopped The Emergence, but her thoughts still drifted.

"I'm afraid clearer answers for everything may take longer than a day and a party," she said with a small laugh of her own. Though not seen behind her mask, her brow furrowed at his self-deprecating comment. "Exclusivity seeks to exclude, that's not a reflection on who you are."

She doesn't know him, but she knew that much. But just as soon, she was being asked why she wasn't out dancing-

"I was dancing for a bit," she answered as she lifted her wrist showing her full dance card dangling from it. "I had to hide to even get a chance to rest, though. I don't know how I'm going to survive the whole night."

[zemnianjoy]

There was wisdom to Sersi's words-- such as Caleb Widogast could appreciate. He had a tendancy toward self-depreciation, it came with the territory though to be corrected in such a way, he was inordinately humbled by it. And despite the fact that he found himself unable to look away from her, due to the power of the mask that she wore, he managed to wave his hand in the direction of his own glass of sangria punch.

"Would you like me to brave the crowds for you, in order to get you a drink? I can assure you that no one is going to accost me on the way to the punch bowl."

It was still self-depreciating, but in a humorous way-- not as damning. Also, he could tell that she was uncomfortable from the attention, that was something his keen mind picked up and perhaps was able to use that to over-ride the staring; discomfort was not the aim and it was easy to think better of it when he realized how much he enjoyed being perceived.

Which really? Was not at all.

[terraphile]

The only way to tell she was making another face at the self-deprecation was from the twist of her mouth... but she let it pass in light of the very gracious offer he made. With a quick glance down at her near-empty cup, Sersi softened a little and nodded.

"If it's not too much trouble?" she answered. "I could probably make it back over there if I stuck to the outskirts- but with my luck, as it is tonight, I'd be whisked away for another handful of dances before I could escape."

Which, again, normally wasn't a problem- but there were a lot of complicated feelings happening right now and very little time to process any of them.

[zemnianjoy]

Understandable, with the Thumos and all that entailed. Caleb nodded and very properly took the cup from Sersi; and while the peacock mask shot a strange compulsion through him that he should want to do this, likewise he was also sincerely attempting to help in whatever manner he was able to; and if that meant crossing the floor to get some punch; absolutely.

Finally after a few moments he passed her the cup filled with punch and stepped back again. "I hope that helps; this entire thing is very overwhelming ja?" overwhelming because well, Caleb had the distinct feeling that this was a game that no one knew all the rules to; and that was the most disturbing part of it.

"I would hope that you would get a little bit of a rest?" he had been avoiding his dance card, so there was likely someone that was wandering around trying to find whoever this Caleb Widogast was which he was fine with, he wasn't searching out his next dance partner quite yet. "Is your card doing the whole 'fill itself in' thing?"

[terraphile]

It felt a little silly, but as he left to grab her more punch, she took the time to peek from around the pillar she was hiding to watch everyone else. Tiring as it was to participate seemingly non-stop, it was still a spectacle to watch everyone else and distracting to think of how much easier everything might be if only someone from home were here.

It took her a moment to pull her thoughts away from that- but when she managed to, she was rewarded with a fresh glass of punch. Sersi smiled brightly over at him as she thanked him quietly for doing her that favor.

"I once thought I was pretty adaptable, but this is testing that theory," she joked before taking a sip of the drink. "How are you settling in?"

But at the mention of the dance card magic, she nodded her head. "It is- I see I'm not alone there..." She paused briefly before she had an idea. Sersi stepped closer to him and held out the card for him to see, though still attached to her wrist by ribbon. "Are you on here? We could use our 'dance' to hide away here or get some fresh air."

[zemnianjoy]

"Ah yes, it seems that a lot of adaptability is being tested her." he said with a wry smile that seemed to be a rarity for him from just underneath the mask. It was hard to get any differentiating features from him except for the red hair pulled back and the barest quirk of a smile, but he did seem to have the slightest dimple in his chin that depressed with the smile.

Once Sersi offered her dance card to him, he scanned it; was it his imagination or did he detect the barest hint of a flicker as the words almost seemed to re-arrange themselves into the semblance of his rather scribbled script; Caleb Widogast. He'd not noticed it when he had danced with Essek but that had been ultimately complicated.

"I see that your dance card has been very helpful in supplying my name at the top position."

He reached down for his own dance card, but he was already too late and he offered it up so that she could read it. "It appears that the dance cards are taking all the work out of our hands." and then after letting it fall from his to drop, he offered his arm in a gesture of gallantry. "Would you be interested in a walk in the fresh air then? We can talk more about the strange situation that is place poses-- likely away from prying eye."

And then a single beat, "I.. you can trust me, it's not my habit to make untoward advances, ja." and it was entirely too earnestly and vehemently said to be an untruth.

[terraphile]

It was a small smile, but a smile nonetheless, and one she couldn't help but return... a little brighter. But with him mentioning his name was now at the top of her dance card- she pulled her wrist back so she could inspect it herself. Then glanced at his card to see her name at the top of it. It was strange magic, but she's not sure what else she expected from a place that managed to kidnap all of them and place them here.

As he offered his arm, she accepted it and nodded her head. "Fresh air sounds perfect... I think the door just over there leads to some gardens." His assurance that he could be trusted wasn't even something that had crossed her mind, she was so hung up on missing Dane, but she smiled over at him and nodded. "I believe you, thank you."

Being too trusting would probably come back to haunt her in the future, but for now it didn't seem like a problem. By the time they reach the doors, her new glass of punch is finished and easily abandoned on a tray.

[zemnianjoy]

Once they reach the balcony, he very deftly flicks his wrist and does anvery quick casting of 'Widogast's Pretty Lights' and it is enough that it further lights the outside area, four votives of light of an orange flame colour that provides enough in the way of supervision, and with them being properly lighted, no scandal could touch them-- not really. The balustrade of the patio, fine stonework that seems to encircle the breadth of the outside tier.

Fresh air, he breathes it in and then releases Sersi's arm with much grace and propriety.

"I think that I am going to take the mask off for a minute? Do you mind if I do? It has been very stuffy and I am swimming from all of the senses being attacked in there."

He knew that they had been cautioned not to take off their masks or else commit a social faux pas but felt like he needed to, if only for a little bit.

[terraphile]

Though no stranger to super-powers or what others may perceive as magic, Sersi's eyes still lit up at the sight of the lights around them. As he released her arm, she stepped back to give him some space again.

"Please, feel free to. I was actually hoping to do the same."

She hoped that being outside, and not technically in the party itself, would be enough of a loophole to keep them from being chastised for removing the face coverings. So as he moved to remove his, she did the same with a sigh of relief.

[zemnianjoy]

The mask gets pulled off ceremoniously and oh does he absolutely take a deep breath, fortifying and strong, then he grasps the ties lightly in his fingers. Instantly he feels lighter, and its noticible-- movement does not feel like he is swimming upstream and fighting the tide. He glances over at Sersi and finds that the pull is not there anymore-- he does not feel that charm of attraction even though he would be a fool not to admit that she was a lovely young woman.

He could recognize pretty people regardless of a charm or bespelled mask.

"Do you feel strangely more unencumbered?" Like there was a compulsion or a geas that had been lifted.

"My limbs no longer feel like stones tied to it"

[terraphile]

Sersi's not entirely sure if it's in her head, but it does feel as though not as many eyes are on her- even through the windows and doorway. Her brow furrows a little as she looks from her mask to his, then up at him.

"Dou you think they're charmed?"

It would make sense, she's seen a number of strange activities around the ball- but she'd chalked it up to different types of people being brought together under unusual circumstances. It feels like a silly question now that she's asked it out loud.

"I can't imagine wanting to put that mask back on if that's how it felt under its influence," she adds quietly. "Are you feeling better now, overall?"

[zemnianjoy]

His eyes were discerning as he scanned the outside area. Much like he had imagined, there was much topiary that scattered across perfectly manicured lawns; in the distance he could hear a fountain bubble with ambient noise and of course there was the soft glow of the moon as it cast a sheen.

In the distance? He could see couples traversing further into the gardens, as the majority is wont to do at a ball.

"I think that it is possible they are charmed; my first dancing partner seemed to be acting oddly; sensitive toward what I thought was a proper touch to the hand as I led them through the movements, I'm feeling better now that I have this mask off and then at the refreshment table, I saw several people who could not stop eating."

He glanced over at Sersi then, "I am feeling better now, much like I can breath. I am almost tempted to trade masks but also-- not, I think that I would be much more comfortable observing mask effects and attempting to ascertain what they do." a motion toward Sersi's mask. "You should find someone with the peacock mask and see how other people react to them wearing it. Really I should be finding someone with a blue mask for the same reason."

[terraphile]

"I had noticed some with the same mask as I have are rarely by themselves, someone always seems to find them or talk to them..."

But that could just be that they're all that popular. Still- the suggestion to treat this as a social experiment makes sense to her... even though she's not keen on going back in with the mask if it's truly the reason she's hardly been given a chance to breathe tonight.

Still... "I'm happy to stay out here for as long as we need to have a break from the effects. But when I do go back in, I'll make sure to keep an eye on those with peacock masks, though I doubt our hostess will use the same trick twice."

[zemnianjoy]

The thought occurred to him that this would not be the end of it, but to have it confirmed by another individual had him rubbing his temples. "I do agree with you, it is highly doubtful that Lady Pheme will use the mask trick again which means we shall have to be prepared for anything and at all times."

And thus trigger the rapid 'fight or flight' anxiety within Caleb that often times could get exceedingly hard to deal with; a life time of trauma and unfortunately not one he'd wholeheartedly welcomed.

"I will be milling about once I go back inside, however did you ever think maybe to trade a mask? I know that is what my.. associate from home did. He was wearing the gold mask however now I think that he managed to get himself with the cat-styled mask." he would be milling about because the blue mask did not garner very much attention and while his steps were heavy, he wasn't unfunctional.