Test Drive Meme 019

[voidtreckermods]

Welcome to the Test Drive Meme! Here is the place to see how your character might fit the setting, grab samples and have fun!

1. Post with your character, including their name and series in the subject. We’ve written out some prompts but feel free to make up your own, you have a whole train to play with!

2. Assume they've been around long enough for threads to jump right into the action.

3. Have lots of fun.

Happy testing!

Winter Wonderland

Experienced Voidtreckers will be the first to recognise when the announcement of a stop comes over the speakers: “Arriving at world 9126110 in ten, nine, eight…”

The doors don’t open, the train doesn’t stop. Instead, it slows, and the garden carriage opens its curved, clear roof as though it were a convertible, both sides folding back until the carriage is open to the air. The world is a picture of snow-covered mountains and sparse conifers, and within minutes the garden’s fountain and streams have iced over, soft snow coating the cobbles and benches.

The stop lasts all day, the vending machines dispense free hot chocolate, and the dressing carriage is filled with thick coats, wooly hats, and warm gloves.

Void Santa Is Coming To Town

It’s a day like any other, except that the morning announcement has a rider.

“There are packages in the luggage car for all passengers. Enjoy. ”

And indeed, it seems that something has visited during the night - the carriage at the back of the train is unusually neat, the piles of empty luggage stacked carefully near the back to make room for a huge array of wrapped objects. Void Santa, maybe? The difference between Void Santa and, say, one of the many Earth Santas or the Gyueran Spirit of Generosity, is that Void Santa doesn’t give you what you asked for.

It gives you something you wouldn’t have dared to ask for. That nerdy figurine that you eyed in the window of the store, the dress you weren’t brave enough to try on, the device you decided was too expensive. The poster of your favourite holostar, the latest risque novel from the local printworks… the list goes on.

You’ve got a present in here, better find it before someone else does!

Animal at Heart

Seibairen, world #671155003, is a world of dualities. Technologically advanced but also deeply mystical, its population is currently suffering under the rule of a nameless arcanist, a genius of artificial intelligence and magecraft who seeks to elevate her own mechanical brethren above their biological creators. Unfortunately, she is far too powerful to face directly.

Team One

The arcanist holding the world of Seibairen in thrall is particularly skilled with polymorph spells, and her first move as the Voidtreckers enter the conflict is to cast one over a wide area, transforming almost half of the force into various animals. The spell seems to be mildly incompatible with void-travellers, as those affected have turned into creatures from their homeworlds, if possible, rather than the local wildlife. The fight is still on, no time to panic!

… Or maybe some time to panic, it’s looking permanent for now. Still, the civilians need the Voidtreckers’ protection, animal or not, and it isn’t like they’ve lost any of their abilities.

Team Two

The monks of the deep peaks, trained in anti-magic combat and able to counter the arcanist and her forces, are the best hope for turning the tides. Unfortunately, their remote stronghold is blockaded the moment the Voidtreckers arrive, trapping them under a shield of pale metal and harsh light. There are several ways they and the unlucky early Voidtreckers might be freed: the power sources of the barrier, held in the centre of the arcanist’s camps, could be destroyed or sabotaged. Alternatively, the barrier could be overloaded or even broken from the inside by an ancient artefact held within the inner temple. The monks are able to guide the Voidtreckers through a telepathic metaconcert, but hurry, time is running out...

Team Three

A thaumatologist somewhere within the capital is rumoured to be able to reverse the arcanist’s strange spells, which would give the Voidtreckers a fighting chance against her directly. Several different people are claiming to be this thaumatologist, and they all have a list of ingredients they’ll need for the protective ritual and/or devices they’re offering.

At least one of them is sure to work, but there’s going to be some experimenting before that happens. Alternatively, force would find the correct researcher fairly quickly, but it would also attract attention.

Comments

[stopstaring]

[Her gaze moved onto Nanaki when he addressed her and for several long moments, she could only stare, wide-eyed, as if she'd been caught in the midst of doing something... Well. As if she was with one hand in the proverbial cookie jar.

Olivia straightened herself out, lowered her gift, and cleared her throat.]

Are they... known for giving strange gifts? ['They' being what are mysterious benefactors to her.]

[cosmomemoryxiii]

[The red beast shook his head from side to side and rotated a shoulder in what was probably an approximation of a shrug like humans gave.]

I don't know. I haven't been here that long myself. [a beat] Seems strange though.

[stopstaring]

I thought it was a little weird that they were giving gifts to everyone. Especially people who haven't been here long.

[With a hint of a frown, she thumbed at her chin, still unable to wrap her mind properly around it.]

I guess that means you don't really know if this has happened before or not. [But to be fair, Olivia never has been the best informant. Investigation never has been her forte.]

[cosmomemoryxiii]

From the reaction of others, it doesn't seem that way. I believe it's more usual for one to have to order an item from the shop before the train gives anything to its passengers.

[Thankfully, Nanaki was a bit more acute than her when it came to picking up information by proxy. He tended to listen a lot and pick up on things. It made him sound more adult and intelligent when he spoke as if he knew many things. He quite liked giving off that vibe.]

[stopstaring]

[Her eyebrows rose and she nodded slowly. Something to keep in consideration later. Maybe she could get all kinds of interesting things from the shop.

More clothes for dancing?

It didn't answer what she got for simply existing on the locomotive, but if he was right about its contents, it might have been wiser to wait until she was alone to open it.]

What did you get from yours?

[Indicatively, she pointed to her present.]