TEST DRIVE: NOVEMBER

[empevents]

— 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.

1. 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.
   
   
2. 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.
   
   
3. 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.

1. 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.
   
   
2. 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.
   
   
3. 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.

1. 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.
   
   
2. Flying equipment. The various medical equipment has also taken life, scalpels and needles flying everywhere and stethoscopes ready to strangle.
   
   
3. 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!

Comments

no

[razzledazzles]

[This guy... Jae-Ha laughs, bringing a hand to his chin in thought.]

Maybe I was mistaken... I thought you were here to choose a task for yourself. [Not comment on them!!] Or are you here to post one?

i'm asking passerby for help,

[pruning]

[Oh, pff. Does he seem charitable?? He sure does smile like there's nothing wrong with any of these comments or laughing, anyway.]

Shall I? Perhaps I could ask for someone to bring me muffins every morning. That would suit the rest, don't you think?

[Punchline: he's kinda serious.]

no closes u off with security tape

[razzledazzles]

[This person is so strange, but Jae-Ha doesn't get a bad feeling from him, either... So, he only laughs at that, again.]

If muffins are what you're dying to have, I could simply show you to some now. [Like, he came here to do tasks, but whatever. He'll break for muffins to save this girl from murder or whatever might happen.]

what the fuck!!!

[pruning]

[Ah, he's offering...? What a nice young man. His first request is definitely for muffins.]

Goodness, did I sound that eager? [like, he is, but] I wouldn't mind a muffin at all.

idk why you are freaking out this is fine

[razzledazzles]

Actually, I'm just rather hungry myself.

[So, maybe they were both eager for muffins. He has no idea where a muffin store is anyway, but if they walk in a direction, they're bound to find one! This city isn't so huge. So, he'll lead the way, come on.]

Is this your first time looking at the task board?

MMMM

[pruning]

[This strange green man is going to get them lost, got it. D is fine with aimless wandering as long as the muffin eventually appears, so he falls into step with Jae-Ha easily enough.]

Yes... I must admit, I wasn't particularly interested at first.

[He's still not. Shh.]

It is not the sort of thing I expected in a city of this size.

[razzledazzles]

[Hooray, muffin adventures. Jae-Ha folds his arms in his sleeves as he walks, glancing to D.]

Really? From a city in the sky, much more is similar than I originally expected. It's a bit more advanced, though... How do you like it so far?

[pruning]

[Advanced...?? But it's so antique. Like, #aesthetic, but good gracious.]

I think it's rather quaint. There are so many lovely little shops, it would take days to see it all.

[Sooo cute.]

[razzledazzles]

I'm not sure "quaint" is what I'd use to describe an island that was the only safe place from the ground. Some of the shops are quite nice, though. If only the fashion were more my style.

[What's with all the gears??]

[pruning]

You were asking about the city, were you not? The city is quite quaint.

[The island is bizarre, but at least there are cute shops!! Speaking of the fashion, though...] Where are you from?

[That robe thing is okay but consider: more flower print.]

[razzledazzles]

A kingdom called Kouka. From what I've gathered, there's only a handful of us from there.

[Different worlds and all that, how mysterious.] What about you?

[pruning]

[Ooh, a kingdom. It must be a bit old fashioned, if this man thinks Verens is modern... He's quaint, too.]

China, although I suppose that means very little to you. Tell me about your kingdom.

[razzledazzles]

It's a rather large kingdom, so I wouldn't know where to start! I lived most of my life in a town by the sea. It was... relatively quiet.

[Like, he thinks it was quiet, to be fair. "Most of his life" happens to be a little over only half of it, but that's fine, too.]

[pruning]

[A ye olde town by the sea, it's getting even more quaint.]

How lovely. I have lived by the sea, but not in... quiet places, as it were. This city is much nicer, in that regard.

[LA is Terrible.]

You do not strike me as a man of the sea. [what u do]

[razzledazzles]

Haha, do I not seem the type? Actually, I'm a pirate.

[Ex-pirate, he is still a pirate at heart... Yes, a very quiet lifestyle indeed.] My crew spent most of our time in the waters just off shore of a specific town and watched over it.

[pruning]

A pirate! [A PIRATE... oh my god, he's a regular Robin Hood, isn't he, he is.] I would never have guessed that from someone so...

[Hmm. He'll say it.] ...clean.

[razzledazzles]

[He IS clean, thanks for noticing.]

You're surprised a pirate can be so beautiful? Of course, I was the most beautiful of the bunch. Outside of our Captain, that is.

[pruning]

I'm sure you were. ["That's nice, little child."] Perhaps your pirates are simply more stylish than the stories.

[razzledazzles]

The rest of them were a dirty bunch.

[They weren't cute at all, definitely not!! He glances away as he says that, slowing his steps to point across the street at a cute little bakery.]

We could find some muffins there. What do you think?

[pruning]

[who says "dirty bunch"

Anyway, that bakery sure is cute. It also exists, therefore D has already turned to cross the street, waving his hand at Jae-Ha as an afterthought as if going to this bakery was his idea from the start.]

Come along, before they're fresh out!

[razzledazzles]

...Suddenly, he's full of energy.

[He's coming, he's coming. He moves along after him, reaching to hold the door open for himself so he can duck in after D. It's a small little place with probably only three tables, but a big counter with an entire selection of freshly made pastries. It's incredibly hot in here, too, so they're probably still baking more.]

Now this shop is what I'd call quaint. They have quite a variety of muffins here. [Jae-Ha has left the other pastries to crouch slightly in front of all of these muffins and point at them helpfully.]

[pruning]

[nyoom]

Isn't it lovely? Did you see, they have the most heavenly looking cakes over there... [Did he somehow manage to circle the whole bakery in the time it took Jae-Ha to find muffins, or does he just have a sixth sense for sweets? It could be both. They're here for muffins, but the cakes...]

Which flavors do you like? They all look delicious. [He needs a cute little box to fill with muffins immediately!!]

[razzledazzles]

Isn't it a bit early in the day for something like a cake?

[That seems extravagant. Even a muffin seems fancy, but he's still peering at them curiously. What are half of these flavors, he has no idea...] I wouldn't mind trying blueberry. What about you?

[pruning]

[D has located a box. They are In Business.]

Early? [what kind of silliness is that] I am considering one of each, except for corn.

[razzledazzles]

One of each?

[Jae-Ha looks over to stare blankly, and the light above his head flickers in his shock. One of each??? One of each. Except corn. He stares back at the muffins.] Your eyes must be bigger than your stomach.