Test Drive Meme #1

[vivalamods]

TEST DRIVE #1

The day begins as any other, you’re going about your day, living your life, when, without warning, you feel the world around you shift on its axis. You feel a great tear, welling from the depths of your soul as you are ripped from all you have known. If you’re lucky, you arrive in the wilderness of an unfamiliar world, where the language is foreign and the people are hostile. To make your escape, you must learn some language, flee, and occasionally fight, all to find your way off the floating isles you find yourself on and to the great ocean below, where rebel forces will welcome you.

If you’re unlucky, you materialize within a room full of armed guards and are quickly subdued with charged nets, stripped of your belongings, fitted with strange devices that suppress your powers and pressed into servitude. Your days are unimaginable pain and toil.

Fortunately, even in this world, there is still hope. For the denizens of this world have not given up. And it is for that dream of salvation that the Crimson Corsairs raise their flags and sail - for liberation. Perhaps you are one who has lived their entire life under the oppressive yoke of the Empire. Perhaps you have seen first hand your family and friends cut down by nobles hunting men for sport, or perhaps you have run afoul with the church and barely escaped with your life. No matter your origin, the Corsairs sail for you, for your freedom, for your life. And today, a taste of freedom will be won for all.


ARRIVAL/LIBERATION
This month, the Crimson Corsairs raided a Larendt labor camp in order to obtain much-needed parts and textiles as well as liberate another batch of servants for the cause. The raid was executed under the cover of night, with one team sweeping the dormitories and gathering as many servants as they could while the other team hit factories as they could, focusing on taking important items like ship parts and clothing, loading them into prepared trams and fleeing before the guard could mobilize. The operation, thankfully, went off without a hitch, and the Corsairs were able to usher a number of servants into their waiting ships.

As dawn breaks, the raiding fleet docks at Flotsam as the city-fleet begins the long journey away from the continent before a retaliation fleet can be mobilized. The former servants are finally let above deck. The sun is beating down hard on them, its brilliance marking their first step into freedom.

Corsairs on the fleet will have a lot to do - the new arrivals will need to be sorted, clothed, and fed. Many are emaciated from the conditions in the labor camp, and the former servants will be immediately ushered to a mess hall for their first meal as free folk. Corsairs will be needed to organize the movement, prepare and serve the food, and also just sit with them and talk to them, helping them adjust and filling them in on the situation.

Former servants will have found the entire process exhausting to say the least. They were awoken in the dead of night by heavily armed people quickly moving through, shattering their chains and ushering them into ships. The entire night was spent sailing, and while the hull is dark it is crowded and difficult to sleep in. Finally, upon arrival they are ushered into a meal hall and served a humble meal - but a meal that far exceeds anything that was ever served at the servant’s table. What is known is that they are now free.


MEANWHILE IN THE WATERLOGGED ROW…

With another successful mission under their belt and their duties more or less complete, the triumphant Corsairs observe a time-honored tradition: heading to the Waterlogged Row and getting absolutely shitfaced on awful grog.

The mood is jubilant and self-congratulatory, with drinking songs ringing out across Flotsam. In consideration to other residents, the Row is currently moored a good distance from the residential areas to keep the celebrations from disturbing what little peace there is in the chaotic town that is Flotsam. But for those who participated in the mission, tonight is about celebration. Singing, storytelling, socializing, this is the glue that holds the operations team together. And as the Crimson Corsairs do not officially recognize a drinking age, everyone is welcome! Even if they probably shouldn’t be!

New arrivals are, of course, not at all restricted so those who finish their meal and go exploring will quickly find the Row, as well as many Corsairs eager to buy them a pint to toast their newfound freedom.


MAKING THE GOOD STUFF

Elysium often serves as the crux of Corsair operations, and the next operation is no different. While the operations team is carousing and toasting their success, the planning team is hard at work preparing for the next mission.

The order of the day is gathering, which has brought the team to the forests outside of Elysium. In the coming month, Elysium will host a lavish party for the guards of a certain continent, and it is the duty of the gatherers to ensure that any drink served is “enhanced”, with such potency that they won’t be in any position to do their duty when the raiders strike.

Any herbology specialists will be absolutely vital for this operation. While the Corsairs have some documents and know, generally, what they’re looking for, there are a wide variety of things that grow within the forest, many of which can be quite dangerous.

Those new to gathering will really need to watch their step. Elysium is rich in hallucinogens, and a whiff of the wrong flower or mushroom could leave them contemplating their navel for the next hour. Tasting is out of the question, but what they don’t know can’t hurt them right? After all, the Elysium workers spend a lot of time eradicating poisoned growths to keep wandering nobles safe so anything they find can’t be THAT bad. Right?

And of course, for experienced foragers, they will find an entirely new duty thrust upon them - keeping the newbies in line. Really, how can they expect anything productive to be done when they send a bunch of green recruits into a forest full of hallucinogens?


EDUCATION AS THE BOMBS FALL

New Corsairs almost always find themselves in the Vault. Nestled in the earth and subject to the constant pounding of munitions overhead, the Vault is the repository of knowledge for the Crimson Corsairs and the place where new inductees are educated. Language instruction, education on the world and its people, writing, reading, arithmetic, just about any kind of learning can be done in the Vault’s halls.

Notable about the Vault’s education is how deeply tied it is to the Crimson Corsair’s broader philosophy - everyone’s unique talents and insight have value. As such, Corsairs are often called to the Vault to share their specialized expertise. While many Corsairs do choose to become full-time teachers, any Corsair can come and teach a class.

For the new Corsairs, now is a time to learn and train, acclimate themselves to their situation and figure out where they want to go from here. For established Corsairs, this is an opportunity to meet the new recruits and help train them so they can help with the cause. Those who might be students today will be comrades standing at your side tomorrow, so teach them well.


DANGER AT SEA

As the most mobile of the Corsair’s settlements and the only obvious Imperial target, Flotsam is well equipped to deal with any number of dangers. One such danger is the enormous sea monsters who dwell within the Eternal Ocean. While many are not too keen to tangle with such a large fleet, occasionally a monster will become angry or territorial enough to try to attack the fleet.

And it is for that reason that the Corsairs now find themselves battling a massive sea serpent that has stretched itself across the western edge of the fleet. New Corsairs aren’t expected to assist in this battle, but as the sinking of Flotsam would be VERY BAD for those who are currently trying to live on it, many will jump in anyway, especially as they should have been issued weapons. As to established Corsairs, well, you know the drill by now. Monster bad, try to sink ship, let’s convince it that there are easier marks than the pride of the Corsair fleet.

Some Corsairs will need to man the cannons to blow it away, but many will get up close and personal, jumping into melee range to drive it away from the ships and mitigate as much damage as they can. Others still will provide support from the back with magic or ranged weaponry, and still others will need to weave their way in between the battle to carry out wounded Corsairs for medical attention. Whatever your specialty, your city needs you. Best get to work.


WILDCARD

Have an idea for your own prompt? Feel free to make any prompt that you think would fit!

OOC
Welcome to the first Test-Drive Meme for Viva La! All threads here may be considered canon once characters have entered the game. Threads here are eligible for use as a roleplay sample for applications, which will open on the 15th of June at midnight.

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Comments

[dreamflowers]

[Leaning back in her chair, Jade huffs, propping her feet up on the table. She extends the now-empty tankard for a passing employee to begrudgingly take. The absolute audacity of this woman.

[Afterwards, she looks at him with an arched brow.]

Of course they do. Or they'll expect us to fuck off so we don't waste their resources, but even still, I'm guessing they want something in return. Everybody always does.

[While she could try and go with the latter, she knows what happened the last time she tried to run from her "responsibilities" by running away. It didn't end well.]

[fray]

[ Id reaches for one of the rolls piled in a basket in front of them, only to pause. He changes his target to an apple instead, though he only holds onto it for the moment. ]

No point feeding us if they want us gone.

[ His comment comes by way of agreement, garnet eyes scanning the crowd. There are many of them. That's a lot of resources to invest in people they could just as soon leave to their own devices. ]

So the sales pitch must be coming.

[dreamflowers]

[All things considered, this whole thing should be freaking her out a lot more than she's allowing it to. It wasn't too long ago that she was traversing the humid Powder Desert on Enderal, until she was swept up from her "mission" to participate in menial labor. If not for the fact that she was still seriously wounded from her battle in Silvergrove striving to save a boy's life, she might have put up more of a fight.

[Even though she's healed a bit since then, she still isn't okay. But heck if she's going to let that show around strangers when she just smiles and grabs for another drink.]

You could always run if it doesn't suit your fancy.

[The question is: Would he?]

[fray]

Nowhere to go.

[ And even if there were, what would that solve? People would still get dragged here and forced into servitude. Maybe even people he knows, like Lyria or the Captain. The thought settles in his gut like a stone.

The choice isn't really a choice at all, when he thinks of them. Even if he could run, even if he's strong enough to beat whoever is fool enough to pursue him, there would always be that chance. ]

It has to stop, either way.

[ That gate and bringing people here. Id doesn't know that he trusts their liberators, but if that's on their agenda, it's one point in their favor. ]

[dreamflowers]

[It's less of a choice if you're not a shitty person with shit morals. Some moons ago, Jade might've been exactly that kind of shit person who would make such a choice.

[These days, she has more to lose. Which is scary, but true.]

Hm. You fancy yourself something of the "do-gooder" type, then?

[Jade asks, a quirk in her lip as she plucks another tankard from a passing tray. Should she probably eat something after all the alcohol she's been drinking? Probably. Does the bread smell fresh and tasty? Yes, it's quite inviting.

[But, you know... priorities and all that.]

[fray]

[ Id grimaces at the label, though it's not a far cry from his resting sternface. He doesn't think he's done nearly enough good in his life to outweigh the bad, so he can't fancy himself much of anything.

Still, he had resolved to try. ]

I just don't anyone I know getting dragged into this.

[ It's true, even if it's not the whole truth. He knows, in his heart, that it's the right thing to do. What feels so long ago now, Lyria had told him to listen to it. ]

[dreamflowers]

Don't think you've got much of a say in whether they do or don't, pal. But I'm sure they'd appreciate the sentiment, whoever they are.

[As Jade says this, she takes another sip of the drink, slower this time -- and makes a face when it registers just how awful this shit is. No wonder they're passing it around like fucking fog sponge.

[Either way, she can sympathize a bit. If it were up to her, she wouldn't want to see the people she cares about subjected to what she just went through, either. Slavery was bad enough the first time, and back then she didn't have any rescuers breaking down the walls to save her.]

[fray]

[ There's an easy solution to that. Id crosses his arms over his chest, watching the crowd mill about. ]

If that gate's taken down, that threat'd be gone.

[ Easier said than done, but the low, hard edge in his voice suggests he knows that. Id isn't an idealist. He's seen the way ideals get warped, twisted, used to compel people against their better sense. He wanted so desperately to believe in Lilith until he reached his limit; he knows how it is.

But if it's to stop, if the people he cares for are to be kept safe from all this, it's the natural conclusion. There has to be a way, whatever that demands of him. Lyria and the others saved him, and this may be the only way he can repay that now. ]

[dreamflowers]

[Yes, taking down the gate certain would be one way of stopping all of this. Jade just gives him a pointed look.]

Well, you better wait to do that after I use it to get back home. Dunno about you, but I know I've got shit to take care of, at least.

[For anyone who actually knew her, that would be rich, coming from her... the woman who had spent weeks disappearing in the middle of a mission that had led her into the Powder Desert. But could anyone blame her, with all the shit that had been going on? Her life was already a mess, and at one point she'd have jumped on the first opportunity to avoid her "responsibilities" if it was presented to her. If she had the chance to abandon Vyn entirely for a new world a few months ago, she probably wouldn't hesitate to try to make herself home here.

[Things are different now, though. All the more reason she has to make it right.]

[fray]

[ Id meets her gaze evenly. ]

You move pretty fast, should be fine.

[ Is he serious? Is it humor? Impossible to say when his expression and tone give nothing...but it is an attempt at humor. It's doubtless a long road to stopping the very thing that brought them to this place. By the time they wrest it away from the people who use it to enslave them, no doubt there will be ample time for people to pass through that gate.

Besides, she really does move fast when she wants a drink or some food. Going home would be far more motivating than grog that smells about as unappetizing as others' expressions tell him it is. ]

[dreamflowers]

[If Jade hadn't dealt with her share of deadpan snarkers, she might've mistaken his quip for a threat. Luckily(?) she's too tipsy to take it seriously or even think about it much when she just shrugs.]

Well. You better hope for your sake that I'm fast enough to make it through. You don't wanna be stuck in this world with me.

[Actually, she'd pity anyone in any world stuck with her. At least on Vyn, she kind of knows what she's supposed to be doing.]

[fray]

[ Sparing him from a full tankard isn't so bad, but Id keeps that thought to himself. Ideally, they'll all make it home. He wouldn't say his first choice is remaining here, when he'd only just begun to make up for all he'd done back home.

If it comes down to it though, he'll see the threat of the gate eliminated even if it does strand him here. It's one form of atonement, and hadn't Rolan done essentially the same to save him and Gran? They'd gotten him out, before all this.

Id can't say what the future holds, only that he has a goal. ]

We're all stuck for now.

[ It's not a pretty fact, but it's true all the same. ]

But I'll remember.

[dreamflowers]

[From where Jade is standing and her role in stopping catastrophe in her world, being stuck here forever is almost as bad as damning all of humanity to extinction. Even though she's had plenty of doubts about her own importance in the whole thing, there's still the simple fact that abandoning them all... doesn't sit right with her.

[Pretty rich, considering how many times she was so tempted to just discard her "responsibilities" for her own selfish reasons. But hey, if there's one good thing about being in a new world where no one knows who you are, you can make up an image so they don't have to know your true self.

[In this case, Jade puts on an air of defiance and sureness that she knows what she's actually doing.

[...She really doesn't.]

You better. [She scoffs.] Because trust me, you don't wanna be stuck here with me.

[fray]

You've said.

[ Id says it frankly, but not tersely. He doesn't mind repetition, and she's far more coherent than most after downing that much grog. Who knows how much she may have had before relieving him of his own tankard? In any case, he takes the point for what it is — she's got unfinished business to get back to, and woe betide the man that gets in the way.

He can respect that. If Rolan was still trapped, Id would feel much the same. He'd still have a debt to repay. Even now, he has much to atone for, but at least Zegagrande is safe and in good hands. The friends he'd made are safe, off on their journey across the vast skies, and he was set to his own goals.

Id had wanted to make things right. To fix more than he had broken. He can do that here just as well as back home, and it can spare the people of his skydom from the same fate. It may not have been what he set out to do, it may not be ideal, but if it comes to it... ]

Don't worry, I get it.