empatheias_ooc | TEST DRIVE: NOVEMBER

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!mod,
*test drive

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!

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[ For the very first time in her entire life, Trucy Wright is questioning her life choices. Why had she agreed to accompany Nahyuta for this particular task? She can't quite remember at the moment, because there are literal zombies everywhere. She did not sign up for zombies.

She did not sign up for zombies.

There's a book clutched in her arms, pressed tightly to her chest as her eyes dart around at the undead, and she can feel her left eye give the tiniest of twitches. Nahyuta has managed to dodge a lunging zombie, and he does not at all seem concerned with the fact that these things want to rip the skin from his face.

It's only when he begins to speak does she finally remember why she's doing this: he's Apollo's friend -- family? She's not sure how they really consider one another, but that doesn't matter right now. He's close to Apollo, and that automatically made them friends clearly, despite a certain trial.

Hey! Prosecutor Sahdmadhi, can we just-- you know what? Let me help you give them their last rites--

[ As scary as zombies are, she pulls herself together and lifts the book up, slamming it down onto a completely different walking corpse who, while the good Prosecutor is speaking, has been attempting to come up behind him. ]

--how about instead of using words, we use actions and get out of here?!

[Nahyuta turns when he hears Trucy whack that zombie behind him. He might put his duties before anything else, but seeing her put herself in harm's way for his sake instead of running and hiding? He can't abide that, either. (Apollo would probably wring his neck if he found out, too.) So, grudgingly, he concedes.]

... That was unnecessary, but thank you. [He's still the calmest ever, he's totally got this. As another zombie advances towards them, he sidesteps this one, then delivers a palm strike with speed and precision enough to knock it into the nearest wall.

Then he turns back to Trucy.]

Let us stay close together. I shall lead us out of this place.

You're welcome -- I promise that later we can come back, but for now we've got at least one of the things we needed...

[ She ducks under a zombie swipe and uses the heavy tome in her arms to whack it to the ground, and she swears if Nahyuta were not here she'd be beating this stupid nerdy corpse's head in with it. She's about to make another comment when she watches him literally slam one into the wall across from them with a simple palm strike, and for a brief few moments she wonders if he works out to have strength like that, and if he'd be willing to force Apollo to work out with him should the red clad attorney ever appear.

...That's a conversation for later, though, she realizes. Nodding at his words, as the zombie she'd hit attempts to stand she gives it another good whack before hopping over it to slide over to Nahyuta's side. ]

Okay! You remember the way out, then? This place was a lot bigger than I thought it'd be... [ Please, Prosecutor Sahdmadhi. Please remember the way out. ]

[The answer is years and years of ascetic training as a monk, Trucy. Something that Apollo isn't likely to take up any time soon, unless he gives in to Nahyuta's sermonising and decides he wants to convert to Khura'inism.

...Which is even less likely than Apollo turning into a fitness junkie, let's be honest.

The prosecutor nods as she moves over, relieved she's so capable of fending for herself. Then again, it's unsurprising that a magician should be so practically-minded, even in the face of the dangerous or unexpected.]

Yes, I memorised the way. If we are fortunate, the path should still be clear.

[He turns to the nearest doorway, which leads them back into a dimly lit, dark hallway. This is how horror movies start, right?]

[ Apollo can barely walk up a hill without having the beginning of a heart attack, there's no way he'd ever be able to start up training like that... or convert to Kura'inism...

...He's going to be an unfit ramen monster forever isn't he?

She flashes the prosecutor a bright, half relieved grin, because she's already feeling far better about this situation now that he's agreed to leave with her. ]

Alright, let's go! Fresh air, and no zombies, here we come!

[ Trucy turns to look where he is, and slowly she makes her way out into the hallway. Every now and then, a light flickers above, and she can hear a few moans and groans down the hallway, along with ominous shadows dancing across the walls.

They should be making money off of this and becoming huge stars, to be honest. Maybe someone will write a screenplay or a TV series about them... ]

[Well, Khura'in could use a new TV show besides the Plumed Punisher. Who better than the new regent to have his very own survival horror show?

As they proceed through the hall, the moans grow quiet, and Nahyuta suddenly throws his arm out to stop Trucy going any further. There's a weird slurping noise, though, and the sound of something being dragged -- or shuffling, maybe -- through the dark.]

... This is likely an ambush. I suggest you wait here.

[ See, this is why they need to go home, so that they can pitch this idea to the big wigs...

Trucy's eyes widen as she nearly runs into Nahyuta's arm, barely managing to stop herself before she does so. Peering up at him curiously, she hides a cringe because those noises sure sound ominous and she doesn't like them at all.

His words, however, have her frowning for a split second, and very lightly she rests a hand atop his outstretched arm. ]

Wait, you can't go alone... it's dangerous, and there's safety in numbers! I don't want you to get hurt, or worse yet, killed.

I have no intention of dying for such a trivial task as this. I simply intend to lure it out, in which case it will lose the element of surprise against you. But if we proceed together, we will both be ambushed.

[Having spent most of his life on the run, he knows a lot more than he should about these kinds of tactics when being hunted. ... Even if the people hunting him before weren't the flesh-eating kind.

Besides, he feels like he owes a debt to Trucy, for what he almost did to her in court. Taking a risk is the least he can do to repay her, right?]

I ask that you trust me. If things go awry, you may intervene.

[ He's just so calm, that it's enough to put confidence in her that he's not going to run off and get himself killed. So she nods and slowly allows her hands to drop from his arm, because he's right -- two of them rushing head first into this is just going to make things worse, and she's just one more thing to put him in danger.

So, she needs to trust that he knows what he's doing. ]

I do trust you, just be careful, okay...? And promise me you'll give me a signal if you need me to come help?

I will. Thank you.

[With the knowledge Trucy will stay where she's safe, he goes on ahead into the gloom, pulling off his prayer beads and mentally reciting a prayer to ward off restless spirits.

He disappears ahead into the next few rooms and out of sight. It's a few minutes before there's the sounds of a scuffle and smashing glass, followed by long, drawn-out zombie groaning. But Nahyuta hasn't given a signal or called for help, so it's probably fine, right?

... Right?]

Of course.

[ Doing as she's told, she hangs behind, keeping an eye out naturally for any signs of trouble or undead that may be attempting to jump her from any which direction. On her end, it's silent... but apparently not his. Blue eyes widen, but she stays in her spot because she does trust him.

She can't really make herself wait for that long, though -- because she's not going to chance him getting killed, either. So it's only after a few moments does she silently creep down the hallway, keeping close to the wall, to start following his tracks, peering quietly into the room she thinks he may be in. ]

...Prosecutor Sahdmadhi? [ Her voice is a whisper as she peers into the darkness, ready to jump on whatever may be lurking within the room that isn't Nahyuta. ]

[There's just enough light to see a few skeletons scattered around the room, motionless. Some glass containers and other equipment appear to have been shattered in the scuffle, and Nahyuta is standing in the middle of it all, breathing hard with exertion. One of his sleeves is torn, but he's otherwise unharmed.

The voice is enough to stir him from his brief prayer for the departed, and he turns to Trucy.]

I am sorry to have kept you waiting, Miss Wright. Take care to tread carefully.

[Stepping on broken glass is the last thing either of them need right now, not to mention there's a weird substance leaking out of one of the containers. Best not to find out the hard way what that stuff is.]

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TEST DRIVE: NOVEMBER

F -- warning for AA6 spoilers!

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