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

[griefedlightning]

The papers...?

[Crap. A quick look behind and his arm's a red blur snatching only a couple, the rest floating back behind the undead nerd herd.

Sigh.]

You sound just like someone else I know. [Far from scathing, his hands are up. Barry knows where not to pick a fight over safety.] What I do is that the bone heads here can put themselves back together. Eventually. Any time you need to go let me know and we're gone, okay?

[And yet, he's still playing protector because that's who he is.]

[oratorical]

[She sighs, giving Barry an exasperated look, before turning and heading further into the lab. She expects he'll follow because of how protective he's being and also because they have a job to do, so there's no point in telling him to follow outright.]

And if you need to go, the same goes for you. For now, we have shards to find in this mess. And from the looks of it, they aren't going to be large and easy to find.

[and skeletons or no skeletons, she plans on doing just that.]

[griefedlightning]

No, I mean [He trails off because for once the Flash isn't fast enough] I can, run us...back. Yeah.

[She's already taken charge and the scarlet speedster is right next to her because he sure is one 'those' people.]

Alright, that I can do. [Papers are easier for him to lose, so maybe leaving that up to her is best.] Can you handle these guys? A gun or something.

...+1 morning star maybe?

[oratorical]

[At his question, she actually does turn to look at him, her confusion more than apparent on her face. Not at him questioning whether she can handle herself--while she and most people she knows well know she's more than capable of defending herself, most others expect she can't, for a number of reasons--but at his last suggestion.]

+1 morning star? Is that what you use for a weapon?

[griefedlightning]

[Oh god. She seemed so with it that Barry's feeling super bad for tossing the dumb reference out there.

Doesn't stop him from laughing a little.]

Haha, no. No, that was a joke. My bad.

[He holds out a red gloved hand.]

I'm the Flash. Fastest man alive.

[oratorical]

[Leia raises an eyebrow, not entirely getting what the joke is here. But, when he offers, she reaches out with her own,and grasps his hand.]

Leia Organa.

[That claim, though, is something she's certainly skeptical about, judging by how her raised eyebrow stays there as he introduces himself as the fastest man alive.]

Did you have to choose between speed and modesty? Just how fast are you?

[She's. Teasing, mostly. At least with that first question, her tone light as she asks.]

[griefedlightning]

[Awesome, handshake means she just might not blow him off entirely. This trip can go a lot smoother, maybe. Skeletons not withstanding.]

Ouch. [He is grinning though, because his superpowers are his pride and joy.]

I've clocked in over three thousand miles an hour before; my usual's about 2k. Started at just two-thirty though.

[Congratulations, Leia. You've fund his favorite subject.]

...Speed. Clearly, I chose speed.

[oratorical]

[It may be his favorite subject, but she's honestly mildly interested in it, as well. Mostly because she's never heard of humans being able to do that, without the aid of some sort of technology. Like, sure, she's flown at lightspeed, but that's because a ship was built for that sort of thing. Totally different.]

I can see that. You're human, aren't you? Is it your outfit giving you those abilities?

[griefedlightning]

Uh. [His hand sits on top of his head because his answer's, well, complicated.] Yeah, I'm human. Or was.

[Yep, complicated. Finally his hand falls off his head to his side.]

It's not the suit. I mean it looks cool and all, but I became a metahuman because of a particle accelerator malfunction that messed with the subatomic particles in my body.

[It's when he gets into the science bit of it that Barry's a lot more relaxed and casual. Might as well be talking about the weather.]

[oratorical]

A metahuman.

[She repeats it, mostly because it's the first time she's heard of something like that. She doesn't sound disbelieving or judgmental, just curious. There may be all kinds of strange aliens in the Star Wars galaxy, and humans may live on many of the inhabitable planets, but humans were still all humans regardless of where they're from. No "meta" involved in that. Of course, particle accelerator malfunctions is just as new.]

I'm not sure if you have fantastic luck or horrible luck, if an accident like that changed you.

[griefedlightning]

[Flash gives a half-shrug with a smile that looks to be dragging down apologetically.]

Bit of both. ...okay, a lot of both.

[Life's punching bag, thy name is Barry Allen.]

But hey, I can help people in new ways. Even getting these emotional shards means someone else is safe while I do the work.

[Better trade off to him if his disposition and repaired smile is any indicator.]

[oratorical]

If that's meant to be a hint, it seems you've traded both modesty and subtlety for your speed.

[Which is to say, she's not sticking behind and letting him do the work. Sorry Barry. With a nod of her head, Leia is back to leading the charge toward some dilapidated drawers or lab station. Something along those lines. There may be bones littering the area around the station, but for now, the skeletons are in hiding.]