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

[herpath]

Ah,

[She looks down.]

That's true, but you have other abilities too. It's not like that's all you can do.

[The dragon's powers were important, but they also weren't all that they could do. After all, they were all strong and smart and kind in their own right.]

[staredown]

I don't disagree with that, but it is still the most... noteworthy thing about me. I was an accomplished swordsman and I am a decent general, but those are learned things. Anyone can be as skilled as I am if they apply themselves to it.

[For all the pride in his bearing, he doesn't believe that his pride is his right by nature. He had to earn it, and he sincerely believes that the work he put in towards it is nothing special.]

Being blessed by the gods... is a much rarer distinction.

[herpath]

I think that you were blessed by the gods because of the person you are.

[Don't discount your accomplishments Abi, you're amazing and skilled and even if anyone can learn to fight you still were the one who did it.]

[staredown]

I think I was nearby... Hiryuu was in quite a bit of danger at the time.

[herpath]

Even so, they could have picked someone else.

[But they picked him, so she thinks that it means something.]

[staredown]

Considering who else they landed on... I wonder.

[herpath]

Maybe they picked people that were close to themselves in personality.

[staredown]

It's possible, I suppose.

Either way, it's over and done with, and while I have my complaints, we also have a kingdom for our king. I can't argue with that.

[herpath]

Mmm.

[They do. Hiryuu's kingdom and castle. A place that used to be her home and a happy place. Before Soo-Won destroyed all that. She's been trying not to think about that all this time. About Soo-Won and the things that have been going on at home. This brought them all to the forefront again and the sun necklace seems to tarnish a little as she reaches up to take it in her hand.]

[staredown]

[...the darkening pendant makes him frown. ]

My hitherto undiscovered talent of upsetting princesses is greater than I imagined.

[herpath]

[She practically flails to cover the pendant. Damn Hak for giving her something that seems to be attuned to her feelings. She's pretty sure he planned it that way. What a jerk.]

Ah, no, it's not that! It's not you at all. I just ....

[She deflates a little, not sure how to allay his fears while keeping her own secrets.]

The topic is just a little troubling, that's all.

[staredown]

War? Your Highness may safely leave that to your husband or brothers, whoever will rule in your stead.

[He'll refrain... but not from making assumptions to his heart's content.]

It is a distasteful subject, but it's so much a part of me I forget. You're like Ouryuu-- he can't stand the sight of bloodshed.

Forgive me for ever introducing it.

[herpath]

[Her grip tightens around the sun pendant; unknowingly leaving tiny imprints in her hand. The ground around her seems not to die, but cease to exist at all. A black patch seems to spread around her feet as she listens to his assumptions. There's so much there. So many assumptions to things that she will never even have the slightest option. It isn't even the assumptions about her that anger her. It's the casualness with which he talks about something that would harm the people. The dismissive way he talks about Zeno who gives his everything for everyone and has suffered the most.]

I have no problem with fighting my own battles and neither does Zeno. That's not what I found troubling.

[staredown]

[The... entirety of her reaction is what startles him, and he involuntarily takes a step back. The other part of Hiryuu, the warrior-king, is clear in her now.

He doesn't speak for a moment, taking her words and using them to backtrack across what he said.]

Ouryuu's distaste for bloodshed isn't... necessarily a bad thing. [He says finally, thinking that's a safe thing.] It takes its own kind of courage not to go back on it, much as I disagree with it.

[herpath]

[It's safer then what he had said before, and Yona seems to soften a little. Abi can't help it that he doesn't understand and she doesn't know if he actually knows about what Zeno's had to go through. A telling that isn't her place to make.]

It's better not to make assumptions about people. Zeno's saved our lives before.

[Even with that she knows he could persist.]

And I'd rather give my own life then to see the people of Kouka hurt.

[staredown]

[Mildly:] I think the people of Kouka would say the same thing of their sovereign lord or lady. I have seen as much, and we

[He will admit to making assumptions about Yona herself -- he now assumes she could stare down a soldier nearly as well as he can, and his respect for her shoots up, because that means she's either that capable of a warrior, or that good at convincing him she is.

But he thinks saying he makes assumptions about Zeno is unfair. He's seen Zeno get sick to his stomach in the midst of a battlefield... but he also doesn't want her to look at him like that again, so he doesn't say so.]

I'm sure he's saved mine, too.

[herpath]

[Well, that sort of worked. It put them on an even ground at least which she's happy about. She doesn't want to argue or be mad at anyone.]

You're very important to him.

[Even if Zeno's never said it she knows it's true.]

[staredown]

[Abi lowers his head.]

We have many of the same desires and goals.

[That's all he's willing to say. It's not like the four dragons get along.]

[herpath]

That might be true, but he speaks very fondly of you.

[staredown]

[...the temperature rises, and Abi's clothes and the surrounding plants all take on a much rosier hue.

Even as his face stays perfectly blank. It won't blush, but the entire rest of the surrounding area will.]

I have great respect for him.

[herpath]

[She presses her lips together trying not to react to the very adorable display of his emotions. It's nice to know that someone else causes this phenomenon other then her.]

I'm really happy to hear that. When I was little I used to wonder what you all were like. I'm glad I got to meet you.