TEST DRIVE: APRIL

[empevents]

— TEST DRIVE: APRIL—

Welcome to empatheias' test drive meme. This test drive is to help interested players test their characters in the game's environment. We've included a few prompts that incorporate specific elements of the game, though you'll find all of them have a lot of leeway for players to get as creative as necessary. Before diving in, here are a few things we'd like to remind everyone about the game in general:

• Date reminders. Reserves open Saturday, March 25 and Applications (Canon | OC) open a week later on April 1st.
  
  
• OC Reminder! Just a quick reminder that original characters are allowed. Those interested can also use the test drive. OCs do not need to be reserved.
  
  
• Emotions are key! Empatheias' premise focuses on how anyone's emotions can affect their environment, be it big or small. While not every emotion will cause a reaction, significant ones definitely will. How much effect a character will have will ultimately be up to you, the player. Also, while we're giving a lot of leeway for the test drive, keep in mind that there will be some limits in the actual game.
  
  
• Everyone has an amulet. All characters have a unique amulet that is specialized for them. It will contain all of their emotion drops and it serves as the network device. Remember, communication is telepathic. Otherwise, it works basically the same.
  
  
• Assume the character is already in the game. Because "OMG WHERE AM I IS THIS REAL LIFE" threads aren't going to be very helpful in this test drive! Plus those are going to happen in-game, anyway. So to make things easier, just assume that they've been around at least a week or so. Still learning the ropes, but not a complete "first day" experience.
  
  
• First or third person allowed. Your threads can be in either first or third, but we'd advise being flexible about it. Remember, these threads can also be used in your application for samples! Reminder: We only require one sample and it can be done in either format. We have also made a change to our sample requirements, so look over the Applications page!

Now with that out of the way, here are some prompts you guys can work from!


PROMPTS

• Prompt A: How about giving the emotions a try?

• Prompt B: Refer to the Task Board and choose a task your character may be interested in taking up. For this prompt, you could have your character ask for help, already be in the middle of the job, or react to it in some way. Perhaps they were an unfortunate victim or want to create a job countering an existing one. You could even have a prompt making a job request. Creating jobs for the purpose of the test drive is absolutely doable.

• Prompt C: How about giving the amulets a go? Start a telepathic conversation and see how it works. Remember, the amulets are sending out the owner's thoughts so might want to be careful about how the stream of consciousness goes...

• Prompt D: The Flower Festival is soon, and that means that a lot of caterers, cooks, restaurants and anyone involved with cooking are gearing up to participate in the celebration. This means that there’s plenty of places that are offering food at enormous discounts, or running food related events outside of their stores. One particular setup is in the center of the market area, where tables upon tables of food have been set up as a sort of buffet: pick what you want and pay as you leave! Unfortunately, someone mischievous has created a real problem. The buffet has turned into an all out food fight and it doesn't look like it’s stopping anytime soon...

1. Join In. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Might as well join the fun since it’s happening anyway, and you’ve probably already found yourself victim to an errant pizza slice or something already. Grab a handful of whatever is nearest you or pick up a spoon and get that food flying!


2. Pay up. The fun can only last so long, and none of the vendors are happy. While the food fight has been broken up, the place is still a mess. Participants and people caught up in the crossfire are all being blamed equally. Grab a mop and a dustpan and get cleaning. Or, try and argue your way out of being taken to the local enforcers station and given a hefty fine.

• Prompt E: It’s already spring, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t people who are still interested in a few last minute winter escapades. Luckily, with cores and emotion fueled dunamis, things like this aren’t exactly off the table yet. A small portion of Lake Niras has been turned into a winter wonderland, down to a thick layer of ice that’s almost strong enough to be skated upon. However, this isn’t what it’s being used for. The local Polar Bear club has decided to hold a springtime version of their usual event and currently has open registration for those who think they’ve got the willpower to take the plunge in the icy water.

1. Dive Deep.Strip down to your skivvies or don a bathing suit and jump in! The challenge is to stay in the longest of 4 or 2, or to just beat your personal best. In lieu of joining up yourself if you don’t feel like freezing your tush off you’re more than welcome to lead the cheerleading team!!! ... Who are all dressed as different interpretations of Sosyne...


2. Maintain The Cold. Those who aren't the participating kind might find themselves attracted to the more “Stage hand” like portion of the club event. Those who have practiced dunamis, the art of using your emotions to create all sorts of manifestations under control, might be able to help maintain the frigid temperature in the air that’s causing the snowfall. Or, if you’re just a really negative person you could be unintentionally making it worse. Otherwise, there’s always a need for a few extra hands at rotating the frozen water cores which are helping keep the water particularly icy. Just be careful and try not to get too excited or you’ll melt the cores!

• Prompt F: Ghost tours have become all the rage in Verens, and tonight you find yourself coming along, either willingly or by having one of the organizers pester you into it. But being a guest isn’t the only way to participate—they’re taking volunteers to “assist” as well, to help spice things up and improve the mood. Harness your emotions to make the atmosphere more sinister, or just hide in some bushes or around some corners to surprise someone with an old-fashioned “boo!”

1. Sewers Dark and dank, the tunnels underneath the city are already a good place to scare or be scared. The tour takes characters through a lesser-used portion of the sewers, meaning it’s slightly less smelly, but there’s still plenty of opportunity for spooky stories. Don’t get caught by the mossgator or the restless spirits of its victims...


2. Inside the Memory Tree The giant tree that stands in the city’s square hasn’t always been a safe place, especially the dungeon-like spaces inside. The twisting wood and vines have been home to all sorts of monsters that have been a threat in the past, from moving plants with sticky vines to shadow creatures with sharp teeth—or so the tour guides will say. The tree may not have been around long enough to have much history to it, but that doesn’t stop them from playing it up.


3. Abandoned Buildings
Always a necessity for any ghost tour, this leg of the trip will take characters past and through a few rundown places, including an old warehouse, a creaky mansion, and a set of dirty apartments. Don’t forget all the dark alleyways in between, or the stories of long-past serial killers who choked their victims to death right over there…

• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include maraschino cherries and/or knives.

For your threads, put the Character Name and the Canon in the subject line to help readily identify them. You're also welcome to use more than one prompt for respondents to choose from. If you have any questions or want to brush up on the game information, refer to the Game Information entry. Otherwise, tag around and have fun!

Comments

Asbel Lhant | Let me tell you the Tales of Graces (Im so not clever)

[winquotes]

D-1

C'mon! This is a waste of perfectly good food! What is the matter with you--!

[ SPLAT.

Asbel's face gets hit with flying food. He wasn't even sure what it was but it was disgusting and slimy and nope. Nope he has had enough. With a wicked grin, he grabbed food off the nearest plate and began throwing as hard as he possibly could. ]

You can't defeat The Great Asbel Lhant!

G

[ One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six... Six?! He was wandering around the shopping district when all of a sudden someone gave him a jar of cherries. Then another. Soon he had a whole arm full of them. It would have been rude not to take them, but... what is he supposed to do with all these jars?!

Well, he was hungry. So he sat down on a nearby bench with all the jars stacked on top of each other as he reached up to grab one. ]

C

You know. I've been thinking. [ Don't hurt yourself, Asbel. ] When was the last time any of you thought of a really good win quote? You know. Like something clever and snazzy to say right after you win a fight? A good phrase can make any match more rewarding...

Maybe something like... "HAH. YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD BEAT ME?!" No... that's a little too egotistical sounding. Maybe more like "The data said you were no match for me." urk, no that sounds too stuffy. [ He trails off and forgets he was even asking a question. ]

G!

[beastbane]

[ Someone else happens to be hungry too, in the form of a young lady with fox ears and a fluffy pleasant tail that sways behind her as she leans from behind over the jars. ]

Ohhh! Cherries! Can I have some, please pleeaaase? [ It's not meat but hey she won't complain and totally not hesitate to ask a complete stranger. ]

[winquotes]

Huh? Oh no! I mean yes! Help yourself. I'm not sure I'll be able to eat all of these anyway. And that means none will go to waste, right?

[ He gives her a grin before scooting over to give her some room. ]

[beastbane]

[ victory ] Yaaay!

[ Settling right on in, admiring the amount of jars he's got collected here. Her tail curls to rest nicely in her lap while she gives him a fanged smile. ] Yeah, yeah! Sharing is always nice too. --Do you like cherries a lot? I don't think I've seen so many in one place.

[winquotes]

Oh I dunno! people were just kinda handing them out? Weird, right?

[ he actually gets a look at the girl now and seemed a little distracted. Were those ears re--! Her tail just moved! Woah! ]

D1

[dorotabo]

[The person who Asbel had been aiming for ducks, and Kabane gets hits square in the head. He had just been passing by since he usually can't stick around food (or people) for very long. And of course a few seconds after the food makes impact, it begins to rot, turning into an actual slime and creating a rank small.

Kabane just blinks with his usual spacey stare and tried to wipe the rotting food out of his hair.]

D1

[winquotes]

[ S-shit. He didn't mean to hit someone innocent!! Asbel rushes over to the kid he hit and reached out to try helping. ]

I-I am so sorry!

[dorotabo]

[The closer Asbel gets, the more horrible the smell becomes. And given how being stinky usually keeps people away, Kabane looks vaguely surprised that he's being helped. What is human contact.]

No...It's fine. You don't need to do that. [The stuff in his hair really has become rotten, so it's pretty gross by itself.]

I deal with this kind of thing...a lot. [Says the kid who barely likes older than 13. He gets the icky jobs back home.]

[winquotes]

It's not fine though. I shouldn't have let those other people drag me into their dumb game. And what's worse, I brought you into it as well.

[ Asbel doesn't let the smell bother him, actually he just assumes it's because he put the boy in a bad mood. ]

Ah... here!

[ He pulls out a handkerchief from a pocket and starts wiping his face off. ]

C

[ex_protegere334]

Never give up!

Does that work, Asbel? Sometimes Pascal distracts me. Like when she told me what an airhead was. So I might have missed some win quotes you came up with. But we can come up with more together!

[winquotes]

[ Aaaah! He'd recognized the feeling of this connection anywhere. It was his wonderful daughter Sophie! He qas completely tugged out of his thoughts. ]

Yeah, pascal has a way of doing that. Sometimes I think she does it on purpose just to ruin a good quote.... Oh! That's a great idea! We can have more duo quotes!

[ex_protegere334]

I don't think I mind. It's just Pascal. As long as she isn't trying to hug me all the time. But I'll do a duo quote with you, Asbel!

[At least Pascal is sort of better to question about various curiosities in comparison to Malik and his tall tales?]

[winquotes]

But it's okay if I hug you all the time, right?

C

[nofarplaneyet]

*Have one old man just...kind of staring at you. Mentally.*

I'd worry more about winning the fight than what I'm going to say after it.

C

[winquotes]

The fighting I've got down pretty well, sir. I am a knight after all. No, it's the quotes that need more work.

Okay, I laughed

[nofarplaneyet]

*...you know what, Auron will follow this weird logic.* Why is that exactly?

Just as planned

[winquotes]

Why? WHY? Every good battle has a good ending quote! It's like... law!

C

[rubyinferno]

[Thinking maybe isn't your strong suit, Asbel.]

Oh, oh! How about something like "That battle was just bananas!" That'll show 'em!

[But to be fair the same could be said of Pascal to some degree...]

[winquotes]

I dunno. I mean it has the enthusiasm behind it but it's missing something.

[rubyinferno]

Then how about "That battle was so bananas we made 'em into a banana split!"

[winquotes]

.... I could really go for some ice cream now.

C

[frederick]

Kid, planning out comments ahead of time makes them automatically lose any wit they may have had.

( Win quotes are a spur-of-the-moment type of thing. They're not something you can practice and definitely not plan ahead for. )

[winquotes]

Oh! So what you're saying is it's more like a in the moment feeling. Like a really good one comes from your heart after a good battle!

[frederick]

Sure, kid. Something like that.

Ever hear 'actions speak louder'? Winning says more than whatever you could come up with.

[winquotes]

Psh. What a boring old man kinda thing to say.