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

[oneregret]

[He sort of pauses to shake out his wrist after punching one larger guy and knocking him straight out, glancing over to D at that request with a smirk.]

Did he stain your dress? [Boo hoo. But alright, since he likes fighting so much, he'll turn punch this guy in the jaw. Oh boy!! He's really getting into it when he hears a shout from down the street and sees a couple of guys running towards them in uniform.

Hmm. Probably shouldn't stick around to get in trouble with the government or whatever here. So, he'll just grab D's wrist to drag him along roughly as he takes off.]

C'mon.

[pruning]

It is not a dress— [Yes just make commentary while Mikael is punching people, that will definitely endear both of them to this new cafe— but ah, the police...? Or the emotions equivalent??

D could just slip down an alleyway somewhere and no one will ever know he was here, but he's being grabbed instead and wow that's unpleasant, now he has to run!! He'll hold back until they're sufficiently far from the scene of the crime to make his rude comment.]

I believe you started that.

[oneregret]

[He gives D a look at that like he's pleased about something. He's still dragging him along, hopping down into a lower level of this island city and then ducking into an alleyway. This is fine. Here is where they can finally stop running.]

You saw it. He threw the first punch. [He is Innocent.] They won't get business like that. Maybe the next shop that tries to open there will make something worth people's time.

[pruning]

[Did he start a fight to ruin someone's livelihood? That's so... like, D doesn't really believe it fully even the moment it occurs to him as a possibility, but that's so— something he himself would do. Ah.

So maybe he's not as bothered about being dragged into an alleyway as he could have been. But he is lamely out of breath, christ, give him a moment.]

How nice of you to think of the customers.

[oneregret]

[Would you believe... he's had the leaf in his mouth this entire time? He has.]

They just pissed me off. [Like, after he bothered going up to them to talk, that is. The start of this was entirely boredom and a curiosity about more emotion effects. It's too bad all he noticed was the temperature, and maybe a glass or two shattering without anyone touching it.

Now, though, he's just watching and judging D being so out of breath with his own hand on his hip.]

That little jog threw you off?

[pruning]

[lol holy shit 2.0

D is going to take as much time as he likes to catch his breath no matter how much he's judged, thank you. He does that now, waving a hand dismissively at Mikael.]

I do not appreciate being dragged through the streets!

[oneregret]

I thought I was helping you.

[His innocent face isn't really so innocent. Anyway, now he's pointing out that cupcake stain.] They ruined your dress.

[pruning]

[It's because he has no eyebrows... D looks at him evenly for a moment, faintly critical, then looks down at his poor outfit.]

I don't suppose thinking clean thoughts will help with this... Or that you happened to see a dry cleaners on the way here?

[He'll have to burn it. RIP, dress.]

[oneregret]

[lol like he'd look for a dry cleaners]

No. [Burn it so he can watch. Actually—] Are you sure you can't think it clean? I wasn't thinking about fire to set your cupcake ablaze.

[Sooo, maybe like, peaceful thoughts, he doesn't know.]

[pruning]

[does he know what dry cleaning is,]

Then I will ask you not to think about whatever you were thinking about, again. [don't set him on fire just to prove it works...] It would be very helpful if you thought about something cheerful.

[Is he trying, or is he just bullshitting because it's funny?? Both.]

[oneregret]

[His canon's inconsistencies tell me maybe, he could, despite being from medieval adidas times.]

That would probably set you on fire, too.

[pruning]

[what the fuck]

What a charming young man. Never mind, then. Do not think about anything.

[D will think about... tea, or something... being left alone with his pettiness, At Peace; nice things.]

[oneregret]

[The one time Mikael tries to joke...

He says nothing in response to that at first, shoving his hands into his pockets and staring at D expectantly. He could leave, but what else is he going to do?? Punch some more bakery owners? Nah.]

Not working?

[pruning]

[He could do that, maybe they deserve it... D gives this a whole lot of effort, but it seems like it doesn't work if he literally tries to force himself to feel at peace with cupcake smudges. Who'd have thought.]

No, it is just as stained as ever. And I was not able to eat that cupcake, either...

[oneregret]

[sucks]

So go get one from somewhere else. [Well, if D isn't going to do anything interesting with his emotions anymore, Mikael is bored, so he's just going to shuffle out of this alley unless anything interesting comes up. Rip.]