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

[thirdprogenitor]

[ It's her they don't look at people like that comment that causes Krul to sigh; this girl really is naive. She wonders if this is part of the reason why that vampire had spared her- saved her. From what she can tell, she doesn't seem to hold any sort of special potential, not like Mika or the other orphans. Of course, just by looking at Mika or the orphans she protected, you wouldn't think much of them either. Perhaps this girl is similar in some way. ]

Are you willing to bet your life on that? Because when you're starved for blood, I promise you look mouthwatering even to them.

[ Her tone is flat, emotions removed from her as she stares to the girl with those shining red eyes of hers. Eyes that weren't always this colour but have been for two thousand years now; her original eye colour lost to her what with the years having dragged on. ]

[gardenboxed]

[Hesitantly her staff lowers. At least... while a little scary, she hasn't made any attempt at grabbing her. Maybe they... could be tempted. But they're there because they have an ideal in mind, don't they? To work toward a peaceful future together.

Glancing up at her, brown eyes meet the red ones that stare down at her directly.]

. . . Are you determined to believe that vampires couldn't live with humans peacefully because you don't want to believe it? Or because a future like that is scary?

[Innocently asked, quietly so as she watches her.]

Even if vampires have to drink blood to survive... it doesn't make them bad. It-- [She glances down after a minute and stares at her weapon.] It's a little scary. I don't want to be hurt. It makes me think of that time. [Where she had almost been killed.] When I think of that time, my heart freezes up. [She hadn't understood anything, except that someone had tried to harm her. It's continued to haunt her throughout her childhood. But the memory of being saved is there too.] Just because a vampire drinks blood... it doesn't mean they have to or want to hurt a person. And just because they have to drink blood, doesn't mean that humans should hate them for that either.

[Her brows knit, and her fingers tighten noticeably.] If everyone could work together, then there's no reason people couldn't live in peace with each other.

[thirdprogenitor]

[ Some of what Yuuki says mimics the things Mika has said to her, at least in terms of not wanting to drink blood or hurting anyone to drink blood. Of course, Mika's situation and thoughts differ some from what Yuuki says and seemingly believes and while there's a part of her that, yes, understands, she's seen too much over the years to think so positively of humans.

That's one of the things about humans that she's come to learn: they never seem to be so willing to accept their faults and rather, look to blame someone else for them, excuse after excuse after excuse. ]

Fear has nothing to do with it. [ She says that dryly, though a flicker of emotion sparks in those crimson eyes, causing cracks to split in the concrete near her feet. ] Humans are simply greedy, selfish, killing their own kind along with others.

[ There's a pause after she speaks, the things she's seen humans do to their own kind as well as her own (what they've done to her brother), the lengths they go to in order to obtain absolute power and satisfy that thirst inside them to control, dominate, destroy... and vampires are meant to be seen as the monsters? ]

You, on the other hand... [ Her voice trails off as she turns away from the girl, long strands of pink cascading down her shoulders and back as her gaze drops to the red confetti littered on the ground around them; she's not entirely sure what to make of Yuuki. ]

Third Progenitor, Krul Tepes.

[ She turns just enough to glance to Yuuki from the side, a fang poking out as she smiles a little, her introduction having been made. ]

[gardenboxed]

[When she turns away, Yuuki is left upon the ground, confused and unsure what to make of their exchange. Until now, this was her first real time speaking to a vampire outside of Kaname. Her introduction is short and simple, but her aura and presence make it feel powerful in the moment, even when she turns to walk away.

For the first time since the start of their exchange, it feels like she's only now taken a breath. Slumping forward, her hand rests upon the cool ground beneath her. For a little while... she had thought she might be eaten. It's as though her departure lets the fear and nerves she had attempted to suppress spill over. Visibly shaking from head to toe she swallows thickly.

So that is how a vampire different from Kaname might be. Krul Tepes. She wont soon forget.

Gathering herself up, her nerves are shot enough that she keeps her weapon out with her. The small little place she's carved out for herself isn't much, but she just wants to be home. Taking off at a sprint, she doesn't talk to another single soul her entire run back.]