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

C well fancy seeing you here

[gr1m]

No.

[Even mentally it's hissed as well as growled, some dark spot that

Well. More of the sort of dark that was on the side of irritation than any actual ill will. Just

it's just that single short word.]

why hello there

[tekhartha]

[It's like walking into a black cloud without ever having left the house, if said cloud were composed entirely of general mean-spirited negativity. That voice is very, very familiar, too- didn't Winston mention a certain Talon agent also being here?]

No?

[gr1m]

No.

[Negative and... strangely calm all at once after the initial burst. No swirling churning of that black, prickled as it was.]

[tekhartha]

[The dust settles. Zenyatta takes a moment to collect himself and without the risk of transmitting his thoughts before they've properly formed.

He has not had any personal dealings with the man they call Reaper. To him he's little more than a name, a costume and a body count. But he cannot let it cloud his judgement so quickly, not after Winston's assurances.

First things first.]

What are you objecting to?

[gr1m]

Everything.

[Dramatics, that was all dramatics, but there's- well. A clear moment of just pulling back, some odd touches of something soft.

Irritation more than anger.]

More from a shared world.

[tekhartha]

[in a faintly sardonic voice, somewhat less glowingly transmitted than before:]

Understandable. I cannot imagine there are many faces you would be happy to see- or many who would be glad to see your face, for that matter. But if you truly are observing a ceasefire, then I have no quarrel with you.

[gr1m]

Oh look.

More reason for that initial no. You get it.

[Stop that- strangely not as negative, but far more dry in tone.]

I am. The ceasefire makes more sense than anything else.

[tekhartha]

[Not that he ever disbelieved Winston, but hearing a confirmation from the man himself puts Zenyatta somewhat more at ease. There is, he knows, some secret part of him still stinging at the thought of letting one of Mondatta's killers- Reaper didn't pull the trigger, but his complicity is without question- live without challenge.

But he's meditated long and hard on it, that bitterness, and even if the challenge has come far more quickly than he'd anticipated. He won't make a hypocrite out of himself, or out of Mondatta's memory.]

Very true. In that case, while I cannot say I look forward to meeting you... it shall certainly be interesting.

[And they will meet. He's sure of it.]

[gr1m]

Honestly? I'd rather avoid the lot of you, but you can't always get what you want.

[He'd mostly been bored and irritated by the vaguely familiar voice in all honesty. It was only a matter of time.]

I will only play nice so long as all of the other players in this truce do as well.

[tekhartha]

No. You cannot. [But they can both probably guess that Zenyatta will not be the one to make trouble, if or when it eventually comes.

Until then, however, they have the rare privilege of a reprieve to make the most of.]

Perhaps we should start afresh. My name is Tekhartha Zenyatta. What shall I call you?

[gr1m]

[He's more than likely to make trouble with 76 than he is anyone else in all honesty. The 'old soldier' was at the very top of his list. Couldn't kill him- well, he could, but it would be pointless here.

There was a curling of something amongst the black, brief and easily missed. Replaced by some low hum instead. This was a new one.]

Fine.

Reaper, it's what people started calling me. See no reason to change that here.

[tekhartha]

[That, perhaps, is what Zenyatta finds most intriguing of all about this conversation; Reaper's presence is less a shadow than it is a pool of water, of undefinable depths, in which he finds himself glimpsing some strange, gleaming something beneath the dark. Weird fishes, resistant to prying eyes.

It makes him ravenously curious, above all else.]

As you wish. You are living alone at the moment, correct?

[gr1m]

I am, yes.

[No point in lying, and he never stayed in one place for long. Long lasting habits and paranoia had him moving between multiple safehouses, all to keep himself from being tracked. Held true here as well.

... The cat doesn't count as living with someone.]

[tekhartha]

Then I will not be invited over any time soon, I take it.

[That was meant as more of a private observation than an aside, but there's no helping it now. But Zenyatta glosses smoothly over it with the ease of a professional decorator.]

Still, I am sure we will meet, in time.

[gr1m]

[.. That was not a brief hint of amusement or laughter. A flicker of something warm, soon enough covered once more and much more quickly than it had happened.]

I'd likely be accused of kidnapping you.

[He knows what little faith certain individuals have in his ability to play nice. Well earned.]

I don't hide away when I move around the city. I go get my coffee from Steambucks like everyone else.

[tekhartha]

[You can't hide now, Zenyatta notices everything- especially uncharactistically good-natured little blips. In return he finds he's laughing, a small, silvery chuckle that makes its way into his thoughts quite without permission.]

Possibly- although I would like to think I had a less vulnerable reputation. [A small pause.] I suppose we will see each other soon enough, regardless. You could always seek me out of your own accord, of course...

[gr1m]

More my reputation than yours, at least amongst those from home.

[Things were... strange here. A clean slate in a way, one he never wanted or asked for, and yet there it was. Instead of hunting down people he took jobs from the task board, going out on hunts or simply removing beasts from where they'd endanger people; the pay was good.

Strangest of all, people liked him. Card nights, visiting to talk—]

We'll see.

[tekhartha]

Indeed we shall. Until then, Reaper.

[What he intends to finish their conversation with is Stay out of trouble, but in the same moment the words Stay safe rise into his thoughts; the result is a curious clash of voices, as though two were speaking at once.]

[gr1m]

[Huh.]

Until then.

Enjoy being treated like the rest of us.

[Surprisingly it wasn't a biting remark as he might have left with some, just a far more... neutral sort of feeling. Even with the odd bit of curiosity left by the voice clash and what could be made out of it.]