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

F1 - I couldn't decide, so I give you someone else entirely

[dualjustice]

[There was a loud clatter, of metal hitting bone as someone cuts a path through the skeletons to reach Apollo's location.]

On your feet, Justice! [Asougi's voice rings through the room as he reaches Apollo. His sword, Karma had been drawn, his red handband flowing in a warm breeze that seems to follow him, even in a situations like this.] We can't leave the job half finished!

[He extends a hand out to him, remaining calm as ever, eventhough objects were being pelted at him.] I'll distract them while you gather what we need.

[justchords]

(jeez, this guy is practically a knight.

... crap. that makes me the damsel in distress. goodbye, dignity... he's questioning the science behind that breeze, and also why he's always stuck with the cool guys with breezes follow them. if asougi winds up being some kind of musician, apollo is quitting law and taking up music.

he takes the hand, hoisting himself up, the very opposite of asougi. he's not calm in the slightest, he wants to go home, he's never taking a job that isn't related to law ever again.) Yeah, I have a better idea, how about we just get out of here before we die? I'm very okay with leaving a job half finished if I can leave with my life!

[dualjustice]

You will. [He turns his katana and knocks the hilt of his blade into a skeleton's skull that tried to lunge at them. The skull easily crumbles from the force.] Their numbers may be great, but they are not sturdily built to handle much. So I can say with certainty that we'll come out of this alive. I'll make sure of that.

[He was assertive in his words, despite being unawares on whether he could actually keep them both safe. But he doesn't let this doubt sit with him, not when he was set on seeing this job to its completion. Besides, what kind of man would he be if he couldn't protect at least one person?]

Our objective is just inside that cabinet over there. [He does a quick glance to his right at the cabinet sitting along the wall.] I trust you will be able to make the short distance?

[justchords]

(you know. apollo's noticed he always gets the cool and collected characters around him. when exactly is some of that coolness going to rub off on him, he wonders. but it does give apollo that little glimmer of hope he needs. this may not be a courtroom, but that doesn't mean he should just cower in the corner.

no matter how good of an idea that sounds.) I hope your confidence pulls through here...

(he's eyeing the cabinet asougi mentioned, and though it might be a short distance, the zombies are surprisingly adept at getting in the way somehow. but either way! asougi is counting on him, he can't let him down here! getting out of this alive would be a plus, too. with... weakly renewed conviction, he makes a beeline for the cabinet.) I'll... I'll try! You can count on me!

[dualjustice]

Hmph. [He puts on a confident grin as he faces his opponents without fear. The area seems to brighten through Asougi's willpower to succeed. He keeps to Apollo's back, striking those who come to close to them. His blade seem to slice through the air, cutting through several of them at once. Things were going well until one of them decides to take the high road, and lunge at Asougi from one of the top cabinets. It knocks him off balance, and onto the floor. The skeleton's attention now turn to Asougi, away from Apollo.]

Now's your chance! Find it! [Despite having fallen with enemies swarming at him, he shouts at Apollo to keep going. If he's like any good lawyer, he expects Apollo to want to try and help him, but he won't allow it. He needed to stay focus on the mission, and he needed to get through his own miscalculations without help.]

[justchords]

(asougi's confidence manages to pass a small amount along to apollo, giving him a surge of energy to believe that he can do this, they'll be able to get out of here with the items they came for and fight back the swarm of nerd zombies. just a little more, that one extra push more and they'll be home free, they can do this--

the next thing he knows, asougi in almost buried in the fleshy monsters, and apollo knows. he knows he should focus on finishing the mission, what they were paid to do in the first place. he also knows he'll never be able to forgive himself if he simply leaves asougi to battle these things on his own. grabbing the nearest object large enough to use as a weapon, a chair in this case, he swings it around to bash the zombies off and away from him. that's definitely gonna smart tomorrow.) H-Hey! Are you okay!?