empatheias_ooc | TEST DRIVE: NOVEMBER

— TEST DRIVE: NOVEMBER —

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 Tuesday, October 25 and Applications (Canon | OC) open Tuesday, November 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 Boreas Harvest Festival is fast approaching, and the farmers are trying hard to work through the bleak weather conditions to get their crops in before they go bad from all the apathy. All hands on deck—but there may be too many unwanted hands roaming around.

Scarecrows. The scarecrows that have been set up as a festive reminder of the time of year have unfortunately come under the influence of some errant strong emotions from the farm hands that work in the fields. Unfortunately that includes trying to ward off anyone who enters the fields with pitchforks and is one of them carrying a torch? Maybe if they can be convinced that you are trustworthy they will calm down.
Invading rabbits. There are ton of rabbits ravaging the carrot patches. They're easily frightened, but some are more tenacious than others. Beware of the white rabbit with red eyes.
Save the crops! Several batches are already starting to spoil! The only thing that can save them is dumping as much positive emotions into them. Joy of good food, hope for a bountiful meal, love of eating—whatever will work. Just be careful. Too much and those things might grow and explode…

• Prompt E: Aiada, the Arehtei of appreciation and jealousy, has sent a personal request for those who are interested. There is a small island just beneath Empatheias that she has been cultivating over the many centuries. She wishes to contribute to the Harvest Festival with some seeds and spores. However, the recent atmosphere has also reached down there, and now it's all a mess! Giant mushrooms replaced the trees and there's slime and mold everywhere. The cure? Aside from getting a lot of heavy duty cleaners and pushing it off, appreciation will go a long way to help.

Goop brigade. Grab that bucket and shovel and clear the goop out! Just be careful not to have too much get on you—jealousy might take over.
Appreciation balls. To help hasten the effort, Aiada has given several tubs filled with light, green orbs. Once channeled with enough appreciation, they can be used as mini-grenades to help explode and wash the area with more positive energy. Those caught in the blast won't be harmed. If anything, they'll just be very thankful.
Watch the ledges. Careful, it's a fairly small island and the goop and slime has made things slick. If you fall… That's not a good way to go, let's just say that.

• Prompt F: Various parties are interested in the emotion shards scattered all over Thera. But this time around, the focus is on the medical laboratory as the equipment and potential research there is also of interest. For three days those who volunteer are sent back to try and gather as much as possible—but of course this won't be easy.

Skeletal Scientists. The remains of the scientists who once worked in these rooms are still lurking, ready to protect their work. Fortunately they're relatively weak nerds, so not too difficult to dispatch. Just be careful.
Flying equipment. The various medical equipment has also taken life, scalpels and needles flying everywhere and stethoscopes ready to strangle.
Questionable liquid. Most of the easy shards have already been taken, leaving the more difficult to retrieve ones left. In particular they're found in strange, dark pink liquid. It's mostly harmless—except that upon contact intense waves of grief and suffering will course through. The longer the exposure, the worse it is. So hopefully a bucket full of it doesn't fall on you…

• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include feathers and/or confetti.

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Well, this isn't the first time Maya's found herself in the farms because of her little dragon. He had a tendency to waddle off on his own, and as Maya has discovered much to her chagrin, Charley was quite the digger and would let himself out under the fence when she let him into the yard to play. The last time he got out, she found him wiggling around another neighbourhood several blocks away. She thought it would be cruel to keep him on a leash but she would have to find a way to keep him from digging more holes under the fence.

Charley isn't as dumb as he looks.

Unfortunately for her, the scarecrows in these fields don't seem to enjoy her presence as much. After finding Charley and scooping him up in her arms, she is screaming at the scarecrow, demanding that it get away when she hears a voice behind her.]

If you think I can't take a scarecrow by myself, then... [One of the scarecrows raises a pitchfork at her and she yelps.] EEP!!!

[Well, if Maya says she has it then who is he to step in and take the spotlight from her?]

Just stay calm, young miss, and they'll follow suit. That includes your little dragon friend too. [She never said anything about not giving hints though.]

How do they expect me to stay calm when they're...

[The scarecrow lunges the pitchfork in her direction, and she jumps out of the way, clutching onto Charley like he's hear lifeline. He merps angrily in response then proceeds to squawk loudly at the straw man as the pitchfork comes at them again, this time a little bit quicker and with more momentum. This swing gets a little bit closer to Dhurke as well.]

Attacking me!?

-!! [He avoids that swing with ease, and then grabs onto it before the scarecrow pulls it back.]

Hey now, it's rude to strike a lady. [He roughly throws back the pitchfork at the scarecrow and puts himself between Maya and them.] You got show them whose boss! Can't do that when you're running around like a headless chicken.

[The scarecrows all stop their attack to presumably assess the new arrival. Dhurke didn't look the least bit intimidated by them, and they seem to sense that.]

[Maya flinches when the scarecrow goes in for another attack, but her shoulders relax when Dhurke steps between her and the scarecrow, somehow getting it to calm down. IN HER DEFENSE, she was NOT running around like a headless chicken Dhurke! She was simply dodging attacks like a pro!

When the scarecrows cease, Maya peeks out from behind him, wrapping her fingers tight around his forearm.]

How did you do that? It's like you're a scarecrow whisperer or something.

Hah ha ha! I don't know about scarecrows, but I've had some experience handling yaks. Obviously they're both not the same thing, but that was the only thing that came to mind when I saw how these guys. So I figured I try the same trick.

[The scarecrows still haven't moved from their spots the entire time he was explaining to Maya.] Seems to be working so far. Just keep calm, don't panic, and they'll react in kind.

[Maya turns to the scarecrows with a scowl.]

Yeah, you hear that scarecrows!? I am perfectly calm!

[It's like they're little soldiers in a line - they all immediately turn to face her, ready to attack, inching forwards a couple of inches in their direction. Yeah, she's not scared of you, Mr. Scarecrow!]

That's twice now that you've rescued me...

[Maya, he just got them to behave.]

Uh, let's try not get them riled up again. [He'll keep himself between them and Maya until he's certain they won't try to attack them.]

So it is. We need to stop meeting like this. [He means it jokingly, but it could be taken the wrong way.]

[FINE, she'll behave too! It's not entirely her fault though, the scarecrows were the ones to attack her first. Maya smiles up at Dhurke, not sure if she's offended him or not with her comment.]

First a crazy minister and now a set of angry scarecrows. Not sure how I'm going to repay you this time!

Oh, don't worry about that. I'm still repaying you for what you did for me.

[She let him remain for such a long time, more than a day even, just so he could spend all that time with his son. It was more than he could have asked for and it brings a smile of gratitude on his face.] I never really got to thank you for doing me that favor. We were strangers, you could have just taken my offer to free yourself and be done with it, but you still allowed me to see my son. For that, I can't thank you enough for giving me that chance.

[For a man who is known to yield to no one, he will actually bow his head out of respect for Maya.] And let me just say, that was some impressive channeling from you, young lady. Never seen a spirit medium channel a spirit for as long as you did. [And it took a toll on her, he learned that much when he was brought back through Amara and he feels a tinge of guilt from it.]

[Maya bows her head back at Dhurke, but she allows it to hang just a little longer.]

Mm. [She shakes her head gently.] I understand. I would give anything to see the family I’ve lost again.

[The scarecrows have begun to slowly retreat, the straw that they’re made of rustling in the gentle, cool breeze that’s appeared. It’s been years since she’s been able to speak to Mia, or her mother. She smiles through a look of shock at Dhurke’s compliments and raises her head at last. Keep inflating her ego, Dhurke. It can only go up from here!]

Thank you! Guess that’s why they dubbed me worthy to kidnap me and frame me for murder, hey?

[He frowns. Dhurke is known for making tactless jokes on occasion here and there, but this one, he really couldn't sit behind.]

That's no way to treat a spirit medium who has done our country some good. They should have given you some respect after you helped them realized what the DC Act had done to our country. You even got me more members to our cause! [And boy did their food stocks start to drop, but he's still all smiles about it.]

You and Wright really created the fire we needed to start fixing our country. [...He's just sad he never got to see it to it's fruition and had to leave his sons to finish his job.]

[Maya smiles in spite of Dhurke's frown - in light of everything, there were still a lot of good things to come out of all of it. He got to see his son again, and that's more than anyone could ever hope for in a situation like his. Just like he said, the Defiant Dragons recruited more, and the DC Act got more attention. She was happy to be a part of all of it and nods in agreement.]

Nick and I do make a great team. Does that make us honourary Dragons, then?

TEST DRIVE: NOVEMBER

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SOJ SPOILER

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ah my heart