Test Drive #001

[caelumstaff]

TEST DRIVE MEME number 001 MAGNETS. Today as the many residents of Hotel Caelum wake, they will hear an announcement come over the PA system from the familiar voice of Mr Bennet. "Quite unfortunate, quite unfortunate," says the voice before clearing his throat. "We're having a bit of an issue today with the hotel. Something about the ions, I think. I'm not quite up on the science of it all but please pardon the interruption to your day. Feel free to come by the front desk for a coupon for any meal of your choice from our cafeteria as an apology." That's all the announcement says and soon enough, the residents will find out what exactly Mr Bennet means. Each resident's hands have now become magnetized, with each hand coinciding with the north or south pole of a magnet. They will find themselves drawn to other residents with their hands becoming attached to each other if they end up in each other's proximity. Whoops. The magnetization can be strong enough to draw in people from across the room to as weak as only drawing people in who are only a few inches away (up to player preference). Be careful of crowds though because with enough people around each other, there might be a pile up of people sticking together. You have two hands, after all. This will last for about a day until gradually fading out around the next morning. CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST. One morning, before the ninjas, after the magnets, residents will find themselves heading down for their usual breakfast when the sound of a soft bell rings through the restaurant. Then, with quite a bit of force, residents will find themselves shoved down into a seat across from another resident. On the plate in front of them is a note: SHARE THREE THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF That's all it says but residents will find they are unable to leave their chair until they do as the note says. Once they do, they're able to get up and go about their day — unless, of course, they're shoved into another chair. This will continue until a bell rings again at eleven am, signaling the end of the continental breakfast. NINJAS. A few days after the magnet incident, another announcement will come over the PA system. "Sorry, sorry," says the familiar voice once again. "Our security system is broken today. We'll be fixing it post haste. Do be careful, and let a staff member know if any medical attention is required." ... Medical attention? Soon afterwards, no matter where your character finds themselves in the hotel, they'll hear the crash of a window being broken and in swings a ninja, barreling forward quickly and ready to attack. Hopefully you're in fighting spirit, huh? The ninjas seem to only have the goal of attacking the strongest looking person in the area. After being defeated, their bodies will disappear into a cloud of black smoke. For those who aren't in fighting form, they will be able to find safe haven in one of the hotel restaurants where the windows have been boarded up and the staff is serving tea. It seems to be an anti-ninja zone, somehow. This too will last about a day before the ninja presence is slowly eradicated from the hotel. NETWORK. The hotel has a communal server! Think something like a discord server. Characters will have phones and/or laptops that can access it upon arrival. Mr Bennet has even posted an ice breaker question. CHANNEL: #general DISPLAY NAME: Mr Bennet 😄 If you could pick someone in the hotel to kill, who would it be and why? Mr Bennet, what the fuck. WILDCARD. Feel free to make up your own prompt and play with the setting as well. This is a test drive meme, so any part of the hotel is up for grabs. Please review our locations page to get a feel for what your characters might be able to find at Hotel Caelum! Thank you! NOTE: If you play on this TDM and don't have an invite to the game, just message the mod account and I'll give you one! For the initial open of the game, things will be pretty open in terms of invites. Reserves are open! Applications open 10/8 and game opens 10/15! NAV | PREMISE | RULES | FAQ | TAKEN hotelcaelum | caelumserver | caelumooc

Comments

[venomnom]

[Her tea is starting to cool. She nurses a few sips out of the cup, racking her brain for that hint of familiarity, before setting it down.]

The sea is vast, but this is the first I've heard of such a place.

[astarion]

Not vast enough to reach the Gray Harbor itself, hm?

[Again, he jests. Hardly any fault of hers, since he supposes she is from one of those far-away worlds.]

It's a large city of at least a hundred thousand strong. Known for- [Hand waggle again. It's known for plenty, not all of them very, ah. Flattering. But most of them are!] Commerce. Trade. ...Sometimes a bit of murder.

[Sometimes your home city has a Bhaal Problem™, but it's fine.]

[venomnom]

[Her sharp smile glares again. Not even.

It sounds almost like a lawless pabd, except the commerce bucks that assumption.]

Sometimes?

[astarion]

Sometimes.

[The city has its fair share of worrisome crime, but he's not even talking about that.]

A century or so ago, there was an issue with, ah. Well, it'll likely mean nothing to you, but a bit of nonsense about a Lord of Murder and the chaos his progeny decided to inflict upon the city.

Long story short, [i hate that astarion was old enough for me to have to remember/heard about what happened in the older games] even though mess was seen to, rumors still swirl. The murderous kind, like a pall hanging over the city. Such as it is. Suppose it gives it a bit of... mm, flair, if nothing else.

[He's not even going to get into Orin and her entire deal, all of which is far more recent. This is supposed to be a vacation, after all.]

[venomnom]

[Gomen, Jen. Autocorrect also sure did a number on my last tag.]

You don't seem too perturbed by those rumors.

[He's very calmly explained everything to her without breaking a sweat. Is it the distance? Maybe he's just unbothered or used to it all. Lord of Murder is certainly a title.]

[astarion]

[It’s okay I’ve been there, too.]

Well. It was a very long time ago. And the city is still my home, nonetheless.

[venomnom]

[Is he attached? He just might be desensitized, after all.]

What do you do at Baldur's Gate?

[astarion]

[It's Complicated.]

Me? [Maybe one day he'll answer this question honestly when a stranger asks it. Today is not that day.] Why, I'm a magistrate.

[venomnom]

[Understandable, have a good day.]

Oh? That's quite a lofty position.

[astarion]

[He smiles, and it's a little more shadowed than his previous.]

Isn't it? Perhaps, but it's not all rainbows and butterflies. I'd rather not bore you with the details, besides.

[venomnom]

I don't mind. [In fact, she expects more dirt and skeletons than anything else.] But I won't press if those details are sensitive.

[astarion]

Not sensitive, darling. It’s as I said: boring.

[It’s a life from an age ago. What good is reminiscing about it? Some days, he can barely remember anything beyond the rote, anyway.]

Much rather hear more about you. I think I’ve told you plenty on my end, now.

[venomnom]

[Boring. It says a lot about a man.

But he's right. They're on even footing now, and neither is at the point of getting up just yet, so Reiju answers the held question easily.]

Fame and power are difficult for men to ignore. There's always a war somewhere; it's a matter of knowing where to go.

[astarion]

["Boring" is what we'll call it, anyway. Who wants to be bothered to hear about the corruption of Baldur's Gate's noble elite? ...Well, probably a few, but Astarion doesn't want to linger on those days right now.

He's more than happy to switch tracks again.]

Oh, I'm sure. You mentioned the sea. Are you a sailor, then?

[venomnom]

[Nobles and their vices. It's one thing after another with them.]

Yes, something like that. I come from a maritime kingdom. It's seldom that I reside on the land for an extended period of time.

[astarion]

A maritime kingdom.

[Though much of Baldur's Gate's lifeblood centers around its port in the Lower City, and Astarion has seen so many ships sail in and out of the harbor even in the wretched hours of the night, he gets the feeling she means a place far, far more connected to the sea than even that.]

Then what brings you to an establishment like this? Where you've no choice but to keep your feet on "land", so to speak? It must feel strange.

[venomnom]

[A place far, far more connected and slimier (in foundation).]

I'm interested in the reward.

[It does feel strange for many, many reasons. But there's no need to drag those out into the open.]

What brings a magistrate to a place like this?

[astarion]

Oh?

[He leans in, red eyes sharp and amused, faux conspiratorially.]

And what if I told you the same? I'm interested in the reward, too.

[venomnom]

[Her closed-lipped smile widens.]

It would make me wonder what a man of your status desires.

[astarion]

Status doesn't necessarily mean a lack of wanting, darling. If nothing else, the city's nobility are always wishing for more, more, more.

[Ah, he waves a hand as though to shoo the notion away.]

I suppose you could say that about anyone, really.

[venomnom]

[He can shoo all he wants, but they both know the pit of greed is bottomless.]

Yes, because there are endless things to covet in the world.

[astarion]

And what is it that you covet?

[venomnom]

[Her smile widens. It doesn't reach her eyes, but there's no animosity to be seen in them.]

What do you think, Mr. Magistrate?

[astarion]

[He feels as though he can rattle off any manner of things, given what he's learned about her in this one short conversation alone.

So, if he were in her shoes, what would he want?]

I would say for business to always be booming, but that just happens to be with the blatant assumption that you adore your line of work. Do you?

[venomnom]

Business will boom as long as there are people who can pay.

[They're insatiable like that. Greedy. Possession isn't enough; blood needs to be spilled.]

Wealth affords certain privileges. Who wouldn't enjoy them?