TEST DRIVE MEME: OCTOBER

[simpathis]

— TEST DRIVE: OCTOBER —

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 Wednesday, September 24th and Applications open Wednesday, October 1st.
  
  
• 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!

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


PROMPTS

• Prompt A: Create any scenario that could cause your character to display some kind of emotion, be it big or small, and write out how it changes the immediate area. Are there literal sparkles everywhere because they're so happy? Or is the ground starting to twist and warp due to their anger or frustration? Things exploding? Rain clouds? Since this is a test drive, don't worry about any limitations on effects—just write whatever comes to mind! OR write a prompt where they're the ones being affected by someone else's emotion.

• 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.

• 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: How good is your character using an elemental core? They're magic-like rocks that have one of the three following elements: fire, air, and water. On their own they're not too bad, but they are quite sensitive to emotions. Be careful or that little handwarmer could suddenly create a small blazing inferno!

• Prompt E: Steampunk technology is a lot more advanced than basic medieval technology, but still inferior to modern day devices. No electricity, no cars—just this strange magitech, steam, and clockwork gear systems. How "tech savvy" is your character now?

• Prompt F: BONUS EVENT BASED PROMPT! You were just minding your own business when suddenly you and another person swap emotions. Were they upset and you were calm? Well now you are upset and they're the one trying to calm you down! For this prompt, you can either just have your character a target for someone else to swap with, or you can already have them experiencing some kind of emotion to be swapped with.

• Prompt G: Make your own! It can even involve bulls and a bucket.

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

D

[shanghaiworld]

[Did the rather pale girl over there just sing, while working some metal and fire? Actually, was it her imagination, or did it seem to make that forge work... better? Alice isn't well versed in metallurgy, but that's certainly what it seemed like.

The song was a bit weird as well. She wasn't paying a whole lot of attention, so she may have heard some other things, but she could swear what she heard was... not something she knows how to describe. How annoying. But interesting. The girl seems busy, so biding time and sitting back seems like a good idea.]

Re: D

[former_endboss]

[The song, if Alice can process it, is in a strange language that almost, but not quite, sounds like a mash-up of German, Japanese and Sanskrit of all things. But despite that, it's complete gibberish, despite the nagging sensation that you know exactly what she's saying. Like a magic-eye painting for your ears, where you can only decipher the meaning by looking beyond the physical substance of the material.

Up close, the forge is heated by little more than a single element core set to blazing inferno, and it's owner is keeping it powered up, presumeably, by singing and keeping her own emotions high and focused.]

[shanghaiworld]

[Paying more attention now, Alice is puzzled. It sounds familiar yet somehow, not at all. But there is just a feeling to it. It's really quite strange. Then again, she's not an expert on singing. They always do seem to have some effect on people.

Looking at the actual person however, makes Alice feel a little foolish for not seeing something like that sooner. Usually people in this line of work have a form of body or muscle mass, right? That certainly isn't the case here, from what she is looking at. Yet it seems everything is going fine.]

[former_endboss]

[ Well, despite not having the muscles to back it up, this girl seems to be handling it fine, yeah. Maybe it's magic. maybe it's skill. Maybe it's something from both categories? True, she does have a power-hammer set up by her forge, so she can get away with a little less shoulder stength.

Still, she seems satisfied with the temperature of her metal and she's going to take it out of the flame now, and notice Alice.]

Be with you in a bit.

[shanghaiworld]

[Err, crap. She didn't exactly plan on being noticed like that just yet. While yes, she had some things she wanted to ask, she hadn't yet thought of how to go about that.

But it looks like she has a small bit of time, so let's start thinking on that one...

She does give a nod in response though.]

[former_endboss]

[Alice can watch as, under the force of a power hammer and a roller, the metal is drawn out into first a bar, then a sheet, apparently as part of some larger project as Jacqli then carries it over to compare it to a form...for what looks like an arm far bigger than a human's.]

So, are you here to commission something?

[shanghaiworld]

[... The fuck?]

No, no, I was just wondering about what was going on here... now, even more so. Are you trying to build a giant metal doll?

[Wait, wait, she's heard a word for this one before...]

A robot perhaps?

[former_endboss]

Something like that. I'm working to rebuild my ELMA-DSRX Custom. It didn't come with me, so I'm looking into sourcing and manufacturing the parts I'll need to build another one.

[She grimaces slightly and then admits...]

It's hardly easy, it turns out.

[shanghaiworld]

I am going to assume that is the name of the thing. But, it sure sounds like a complicated procedure.

[former_endboss]

It is. And the procedure is very complex. I'm going to have to start building servomotors and microcircuits soon, there's only so much I can do in a regular forge.

[shanghaiworld]

Can you even do so with the tools and services present here? It seems severely more advanced than what one may find here already.

[It was a good thing to question, she thought. Alice could tell what, just from the words used, that the goal was something far more advanced than the world around them.]

[former_endboss]

[She looks around and sighs slightly.]

I'm going to have to build the tools to build the tools I'll need, you're right about that. But I know the science, so it's just a matter of time.

[shanghaiworld]

[Alice has a slight grimace just picturing the amount of time that this would need.]

Even the most dedicated of people would falter in the face of this, especially if they happen to be alone. Which of course, I get the impression that you are.

[former_endboss]

Well, yes I am. But I'm more dedicated than everyone else. Even if it takes 20 years, it will still produce spin-off results long before that.

[shanghaiworld]

I can't say I envy your position.

[Although she could possibly relate to it, although hers is of a smaller scale of sorts.]

[former_endboss]

Hmmm. No, I don't envy it either. At least back home, there were scraps of the technology used to build such things, even if they weren't in general use any longer.

[shanghaiworld]

Scraps? You mean, just left over pieces of what they once were?

[The arm she saw seemed amazing to her, and it being described as something from the past sets off her mind, trying to think why that is.]

[former_endboss]

My home could be described as rather post-apocalyptic.

This isn't my first scrap of land floating in the sky.

[shanghaiworld]

That seems rather disturbing.

[Yeah, that's all she can say about that.]

[former_endboss]

Well, maybe. I find the idea of a 'sea' to be exciting and slightly terrifying. It's all what you're used to at the core of it.

[shanghaiworld]

I can't say I'm familiar with the sea either. Although I was never on a floating piece of land before.

[former_endboss]

...well, that might be something else I can work on. Though I only saw some of the thoery.

[shanghaiworld]

... What exactly do you mean?

[The sea part? Doesn't seem right, but the floating island part seemed farfetched for one person.]

[former_endboss]

There was a legend, in my world, of a magic spell so powerful that it could create new land. Not just a barren rock, but plants, animals, and a whole ecosystem born from nothing in an instant. The true power of creation made manifest.

The spell's name is Metafalica, and it is very real. But it has a steep cost-in it's unrefined state, one must give their soul up to power it. And I don't know it myself.

[shanghaiworld]

[And that was enough to freak Alice out a bit.]

That is certainly... not a good thing.