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

[lothrat]

[Ezra considers that first remark warily, wondering how deeply he should read into it. If Dezel's angle is to make sure Ezra's got someone to look after him, he needs to end that train of thought here and now. The last thing he needs in this place is a babysitter.]

I can take care of myself.

[To emphasize that statement, he finishes his cookies, then pointedly doesn't reach for the bags of treats again. No need to give the seraph the impression that he's starving, unable to feed himself.

But this conversation is getting dangerous in other ways, too. Ezra doesn't fall into most of those criminal categories Dezel just listed off, but he's been a pickpocket and thief in the past. Hasn't had to resort to it in a while, outside of missions against the Empire, and the pettier instances have been discouraged ever since he joined the Ghost crew, but he can't promise himself he won't have to use those talents again.

That means he could very well end up at odds with a man like this.]

What did you used to do before?

[Just a little fishing before he cuts this short. Always a good idea to know as much as you can about the people you might have to deal with.]

[lukeim_yurlin]

[Deciding to save his other sweet roll for later, Dezel takes a couple of cookies from the other bag, biting into one before slipping down further against the tree trunk, free hand coming up to tip his hat a little lower. That will hide his eyes, but no matter. Sound, smell and the wind itself will keep him up to date on what's going on around him.]

Good. One less kid the rest of us have to keep up after.

[Not that Dezel has minded in some cases... He was giving cooking lessons to two teenagers. Well, he still is with one, but the other vanished a couple of months prior. Still, teenagers who can take care of themselves are at least somewhat less troublesome than those who can't. Mostly.]

I was with a mercenary guild for several years and, after that, a group of merchants. With humans at home who still believe seraphim exist, our relationship can be mutually beneficial. They pray to us and leave us offerings, and we ward off hellions and impure spiritual energy.

[lothrat]

[Not a babysitter angle after all. Good. Ezra's just fine with that.

A mercenary, huh? He hums neutrally. That might not be a bad thing. Mercenaries tend to operate at least on the grayer side of the law - some more so than others. Dezel might or might not still be a stickler, but if he's willing to not look too closely into Ezra's "home life," then he might also be one of those types willing to be a little bit lenient with minor things. Not something he should count on, but still something to keep in mind.]

Impure spiritual energy? So it's not just wind that you use?

[lukeim_yurlin]

[Of course, Dezel isn't about to disclose everything about himself, either. He has his own closely guarded secrets. And these situations are always knowing how much information to divulge without crossing the line. After all, sometimes information can be more valuable than just about anything else.]

We call it "Malevolence." It has the power to turn humans, seraphim, animals and other things into hellions. Demons, if that term doesn't mean much to you.

[That second question... For Dezel, that's a difficult, dangerous one. Hn. He takes a moment to finish eating one cookie before answering.]

Seraphim by their nature are attuned to the various elements. But if we set up a blessed domain, that can help protect a certain area or group of people. It's common with seraphim that dwell in human built shrines.

[lothrat]

[He'd thought for a moment that Dezel might somehow be referring to the Dark Side of the Force, but no, that doesn't really sound like how the Force works. Maybe you could call a Sith a "demon," but animals?

He shakes his head.]

No, I've never heard of hellions. I thought you were just talking about a dangerous creature on your world. [He gnaws his lip, because this sounds bad.] The people who turn into them... Do they have any choice at all?

[lukeim_yurlin]

They're definitely dangerous.  They'll kill and even eat humans and seraphim if they can catch them.

[Hngh, but how to explain the complications involving Malevolence...  Eating the other cookie he pulled from the bag a few minutes before, Dezel tips his hat back again, green eyes looking out over the scenery in front of them as he folds his hands over his middle.]

More often than not, no.  Especially with plants, animals and seraphim.  Some humans who turn are unknowingly consumed by their impurities, but once that happens, they accept what they've become and revel in their corruption.  They love the power too much or believe the atrocities they commit are somehow for the best.  As a result, they become impossible to purify and have to be slain.

[lothrat]

[The picture Dezel is painting is unsettling, and a chill goes down Ezra's spine that stirs through the air with a dusting of ice. Ezra startles, just a little, still not used to the way his emotions can affect things here. Even so, his eyes only track the frost for a moment before they dart right back to Dezel.]

Is that something we have to worry about here?

[He's never heard of anything like this before. Maybe it's only in Dezel's world. Then again, maybe it's not. If Dezel was brought here, why not one of these hellions? Or the impure energy itself?]

[lukeim_yurlin]

[The sudden shift in air temperature is enough to draw Dezel's gaze, though only for a moment. Hellions by their very nature are unsettling, so he can't blame Ezra too much for having that reaction. Even some seraphim have difficulty facing up to them, knowing that a confrontation could end with being devoured.]

Malevolence doesn't exist here, despite this world's freakish tendency to draw on emotions and bend the rules. Since Malevolence is impurity, it stems from betrayal of the self, often associated with negative emotions like anger and hate. Humans can generate it easily and as this island is populated largely by humans...

[Dezel trails off there a second before shaking his head and continuing.]

I can't say things won't change and it might be a problem some day. Never know what might happen here.

[The matter is one of great concern for a seraph like Dezel, even though he tries not to dwell on it too often or too long. Thinking on it now, however... It's enough to make the air feel heavier. Damper. As though rain is on the way.]

[lothrat]

[Rain in the future and frost in the present, and Ezra's rubbing his arms uneasily.]

Are there any signs to look out for that would tell you if the Malevolence was here? Or if it was forming? Or do you just have to keep an eye out for people using the Dark- using their negative feelings and just make sure they don't get worse?

[Because somehow, this sounds worse than even falling to the Dark Side, because there's no choice and Dezel makes it sound like there might not be any coming back.]

[lukeim_yurlin]

[Dezel has to arch an eyebrow at what sounds like a half slip of the tongue. "Dark"...something?  Hmm.  Interesting...]

We seraphim can feel it, as can our Shepherd and his Squire, who are also here.  If Malevolence rears its ugly head on the island, one of the one of the five of us will warn the rest of you.

Just pray it never does.  This world has enough problems without it.

[Especially given Dezel isn't sure what they'll do if Sorey as their Shepherd disappears.  Would anyone be able to do anything about a plague of Malevolence at that point?  He's not sure.  Especially if the Lord of Calamity himself ever arrived in Verens.  Five Lords forbid that worst case scenario.]

[lothrat]

[Ezra hesitates, because he wants to ask, but even just asking could be revealing. On the other hand, he doesn't like the idea of a threat he can't do anything about, or the idea of just leaving it in someone else's hands. Especially when he doesn't even know who these other people are, let alone if he can trust them. And even if he could, who's to say they could warn him in time? Dezel said it himself, the Malevolence eats people. It might eat them before they can send a warning out.

Decision made, Ezra takes a breath, and a risk.]

Could other people feel it? If they were... resonant?

[He has a feeling Dezel will know that he really means himself, but there's not a lot he can do about that. Not if he wants more information.]

[lukeim_yurlin]

Potentially, even if it's just the sense that something is somehow wrong. Malevolence feels...heavy. Like the air itself is oppressive and tainted.

[Answer given, Dezel shifts his gaze back toward Ezra again, though he doesn't turn his head. The air currents shift erratically for a second or two, almost in what one might call a questioning manner. As perceptive as Dezel is, it's not hard for him to come to the conclusion that the kid is probably referring to himself. Resonance is likely why he can see Dezel, anyway, but if he's asking... Well, it may be he's already aware of his own ability for spiritual insight.]

Something tells me you're drawing parallels between Malevolence and something else. Going to share what that is?

[lothrat]

[Ezra releases his breath, only just now realizing he'd been holding it. A feeling like that... It's something, at least, and he's glad for anything he can look for. The trick may be telling the difference between it and just normal feelings being manifested here. He'll have to play that one by ear.

Right now, he's got another decision to make. How much should he say? If he's looking for this Malevolence, someone using the Dark Side might feel like...

Maybe. He doesn't know. Has no idea how similar they really are. But maybe Dezel's warning is worth a warning in return, even if Ezra will need to phrase it carefully.]

There's an... energy where I come from, too. [He rubs his neck, trying not to twitch at the way the wind shifts unexpectedly. Is that Dezel, or just- No. Focus.] The stories I've heard about it say that you have to be careful about your emotions when using it. If you let darker ones control you, it can be bad. They can change you. I don't think those stories are the same thing, though. Everyone in them had a choice.

[lukeim_yurlin]

[While Dezel listens carefully to what Ezra is telling him, his mind is also cranking away on what he's already seen and heard, even if some of it was unintentional on the kid's part. Overall, something doesn't entirely add up, as though connecting information is being left out. Something between being resonant and whatever this other energy is, perhaps.]

In a broad sense, that could really be applied to any kind of power. Use it unwisely or for the wrong reason, it'll eventually bite you in the ass.

[Blunt, sure. But usually true.]

How great of a change do you mean, anyway?

[Might as well find out if Ezra will elaborate.]

[lothrat]

[How big of a change? Does Ezra even know? He's witnessed the after, but not the before - met Inquisitors and a Sith. Who even knows what Darth Vader used to be like, or any of the other Dark Side users Ezra's had to fight? All he has are Kanan's stories, words of caution passed down from Jedi to Jedi about people who Fell before. Ezra shrugs uncomfortably, because there's a difference between playing ignorant and being ignorant, and he doesn't much like the second one.

Briefly, he wonders how Maul would describe it. Formerly Sith, he'd called himself. Surely he'd know what it was like.]

They say if you give into it, you can turn against even the people you loved before. Your anger and fear and hatred can consume you until you don't remember feeling anything else.

[That has to be why Maul had encouraged him to try understand those feelings. If he understands them, then he can remain in control.]

[lukeim_yurlin]

Hn... Sounds like more of an internal change than an all encompassing one.

[Finally pushing himself up, Dezel sits forward with his elbows on his knees, a frown creasing his features. The description lends itself to being rather hellion-ish in nature, that's for sure.]

That kind of change have a name? Or is there a name for those who are changed?

[Terminology is important. It's easier to remember something if it has a name. It also makes things easier to explain to others later if need be.]

[lothrat]

[Another shrug, though this time it's because the answer isn't quite as simple as a single name. Ezra scratches the back of his neck.]

You can say they fell to the Dark Side. The worst ones are the Sith, but there's only two of those. Everyone else... Dark Side users, I guess?

[Ezra's experience has always been pretty narrow, only dealing with the Inquisitors, and Vader that one time, but the Inquisitors are something pretty specific to the Empire. If there are Dark Side users outside of the Empire, he's not sure what they might be called.]

[lukeim_yurlin]

Easy to remember, I suppose.

[That must've been what Ezra meant with that slight slip of the tongue earlier, using the word "Dark" in regards to Malevolence before stopping himself. Likely the similarities between the two caused him to use it without thinking.]

We get all kinds here, so it's not beyond possibility a Dark Side user might show up in Verens at some point. Something to be mindful of for us both.

[He'll add that to his mental list of "oh shit" types, alongside the Lord of Calamity and Bill Cipher.]

[lothrat]

[Ezra grimaces at the possibility, even though this is just supposed to be "stories" he's heard other people tell.]

Let's hope not.

[He could really do without running into an Inquisitor here. Or worse, someone like Vader.

Climbing to his feet, he brushes himself off - not so much worried about the dirt and grass as to just get the lingering bits of frost off.]

Anyway, I'll keep an eye out for anything like what you described. If it looks like a problem, I'll let you know?

[lukeim_yurlin]

[Dezel says nothing to that first part. The way his own life has gone, he's a little wary of putting too much stock in hope. Additionally, the way people come and go on Empatheias, it's possible one was here already and vanished again within a short period of time. If such is the case, though, it sounds as though the population can be grateful nothing came of it.]

[Watching as Ezra gains his feet, Dezel makes no move to get up himself. He's comfortable where he is for the moment. Likely he'll stay there a little while longer and watch the world go by before wandering off somewhere else.]

That would be the best idea.

[He then tips his hat back down a bit as he leans back against the tree trunk again.]

See you around, kid. And stay out of trouble.

[A small smirk curves Dezel mouth with those last few words. Yeah, he's still fairly sure the glitter was Ezra's doing.]

[lothrat]

[Ezra eyes Dezel for a moment, but it quickly becomes obvious that the seraph has no intention of getting up or following him. Maybe he is what he really says he is, then. Or, well, what he's making himself out to be without saying it in so many words. Just a chance encounter without any ulterior motives, and maybe a soft spot for kids.

Maybe. He isn't willing to place bets just yet.

But he is willing to let himself relax just a little and offer Dezel a nod and a smile of his own, a hint of amusement playing around the corners. Stay out of trouble, huh?]

I'll do my best. Thanks for the food.

[He doesn't stick around to wait for a response. He's fine with leaving Dezel to whatever peace and rest he can get - and sparing him from any other trouble Ezra might cause.]