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

[bloodyrose]

It's become far more of a bother than anything.

[Just as dry, while both the truth but not. It's not as though this is something that's of great importance in the end. . . . Although that's not to say he's never been tempted to give in with other circumstances. Mostly. He's silently grateful to have arrived with so many blood tablets.]

It would be the first vampire I've met to be so with an animal. [Rather casually spoken.] Then again, who knows what else this place can pull.

[thirdprogenitor]

[ His words cause her to laugh a little under her breath, eyes falling shut for only a moment before she tilts her head as she looks to him with those crimson eyes of hers. ]

And do you meet many vampires in your daily life?

[ Regardless of what or who he happens to be, Krul feels no threat towards him. If he's a human? She's already better than him. Another vampire? Better than a human as far as she's concerned. An angel? Well, that might be a little bit of a problem. Though he doesn't seem to strike her as the kinds she's seen back in her world; who knows what they might look like here. ]

You don't seem too bothered by it.

[ Because typically, to even hear the word vampire causes humans to either run or freeze in terror. ]

[bloodyrose]

All the time. It's a part of my job.

[There's enough to make up an entire (and sizeable) society of them. Not that he's in contact, or crosses paths, with each and every last one. Partly seeing how he's never left the country, though they're still all over Japan. Much to most of the oblivion of the most of the human race.

He watches her while continuing to speak. At present he, just as well and in turn, isn't feeling any solid animosity or blood lust coming from her.]

It wouldn't do well if I were. I never have been.

[He's always known of their existence, while his training as a hunter began when he was around five years old. Although he has gone through differing opinions of vampires; from innocently worried and wondering why they would want to hurt humans, to a scathing hatred, to something more up in the air, as of the present.]

[thirdprogenitor]

[ Part of his job. That has Krul wondering what sort of man (if even that) he is to have meeting vampires be listed as part of ones job description. The thought alone has her eyes narrow some, not a stranger to the "job" that the Demon Army does to her kind. ]

But rabbits bother you? [ With a pause, she smiles a little then. ] Or from the looks of it, you bother them.

[ The fact that the rabbits seem to flee from him was enough for Krul to gather that they could sense something about him, though she's not entirely sure what, and that alone makes her curious but also wary. ]

I suppose all that's left to do is leave then. Unless watching rabbits is also part of your job.

[ She begins to walk through the carrot patch as she speaks, strands of pink blowing through the gentle breeze around her as she goes, keeping a bit of distance between them but always being aware of where he is. ]

[bloodyrose]

[Ah. There's the more conflicting sort of question. He could be straight up with her, on one hand. It isn't the same as needing to keep silent about what he is, as is how he is at home (set aside all other hunters, while not exactly all vampires). Although he also doesn't really care at all to get into his life's story.]

I only recently got here. They probably pick up the presence of vampires that's still around me. And back home, well. Animals are inherently skittish and fearful of them.

[. . .It's enough of the truth. Setting aside the fact that animals really have never had an issue with him, except during times where he was unstable.]

[thirdprogenitor]

Then we have that in common.

[ She doesn't elaborate on what exactly, rather, gives him a sidelong glance as she passes by him, stopping a little ways from him. ]

Why choose to catch rabbits then if you know they'll only run from you?

[ Curiosity is the reason for her being here. As for why he is, that's why she asks considering he doesn't seem to be very good at catching the furry little carrot thieves. ]

[bloodyrose]

[He can already tell well enough that she is a vampire. Yet he's able to recognize that it may be a bit different than that. There are plenty of others here who are not human, but also not vampires. That logic could be applied to her.]

Because I like animals in general. I suppose I hadn't thought about that possible reaction first. Although from the start they haven't been warming up to anyone so easily.

[He huffs] Maybe what it takes really is to give off positive emotions.

[thirdprogenitor]

[ An animal lover. The only sort of animal that she has ever really had around her is her small familiar in the form of a one-eyed bat, Arukanu. Perhaps not the most snuggly or cutest of animals but she's taken to him quite well and how fitting is it for a vampire to have a bat around them in some shape or form?

His suggestion of positive emotions possibly being the answer to this dilemma causes her to laugh a little under her breath; the idea is amusing to her. ]

If it were that simple, it wouldn't be such a struggle for the majority to begin with. [ She pauses then and glances over to him again. ] Then again, humans aren't exactly known for their shining positivity towards each other, are they?

[bloodyrose]

[Bats, wolves, spiders. . . he's seen plenty. Granted they're a manifestation of themselves. He can't say he knows what Yuuki will choose, but it will for sure be something different. Just how she is, compared to the entirely of the vampire race.

Zero just watches her for a few moments. It's an interesting reply.]

I suppose. Not all humans have the best of intentions, but there are many more who are very much the opposite. The world —or, mine, at least, is far from being strictly black or white.