TEST DRIVE: MAY

[empevents]

— TEST DRIVE: MAY —

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 Monday, April 24th and Applications (Canon | OC) open a week later on May 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: Elios’ land was a great place to hold this year’s festival, but it’s always best to leave a place as you found it. This is especially important for the surface, as there’s a lot of work put into trying to heal the different domains that span the land down below Verens. Anyone who volunteers for cleaning duty is getting paid, and vouchers to several of the cafes up in Verens as a reward! For anyone not interested in cleaning but interested in a new closing ceremony of sorts, they can instead attend a fireside dance that will be held for the next few nights at the site of the festival once things are tidied up.

1. Cleanup Ordeals. Not too much mess was left around luckily as most people who helped organize the Festival understand the importance of cleaning up the mess you make, but it looks like the tent areas have a lot left to clean up and take down. Removing flowers and string lights, packing up fabric and blankets, and generally picking up trash here and there left by festival goers is the main job. It’s a big job, and the festival organizers encourage anyone with special skills or dunamis practice to use whatever they have at their disposal to speed things along.
   
2. Fireside Dance.It’s a small, simple gathering done once the sun has gone down and the sky is dark. The fire is stoked hot, surrounded by worn black stones painted with Elios’ symbol in red and orange tones of paint. The dance is a quick one, requiring two circles, an inner and outer one. Partners on the outer circle travel the inner circle and wind up dancing with each person in turn. Luckily it’s pretty quick to learn and everyone spirits run warm to match flushed cheeks. At the end, each participant is asked to throw a small twig into the fire and express a moment of love or hate, in the pursuit of balance.

• Prompt E: During the festival this month there was a curious prize at one of the game booths. Some of the Elios plushes from the bobbing for ducks booth seem to not have been plushies at all! After a few days of having one in your possession, The plush will engulf in non spreading flames and burn completely out, revealing one small egg, white or black. Depending on your mood the past few days, the egg will either hatch a leathery or feathery winged creature. Hopefully you’ve been in a good mood! Luckily, the creatures are only around long enough to perform their duty before winking out of existence again.

1. Bad Egg. Negative emotions have lead to a sour and dark winged creature who is up to mischief. They will not listen to their “owner” and instead are quite often out to make things difficult for them. 3 misfortunes or specific instances of bad luck will happen over three days to their possessor while they run amok. A claw shaped trinket is left behind as a reminder to try and enjoy life and not get caught up in bad moods.
   
2. Good Egg. Positive emotions will lead to a happy, bright and angelic feather winged creature. They’re mischievous as well, but often in gentler ways, and sometimes try to play cupid for their owner. These playful creatures will grant 3 small wishes over three days for their owner, such as desires for better weather, tastier food or small trinkets. No wishing for a million sylvs here! Once it poofs out of existence in a puff of glitter it leaves behind a small pearl as a reminder to value the things they have and experiences they get that make live worth living.

• Prompt F: A small ring of Circus performers from Thesthai have traveled up to Verens and set up a tent out near lake Niras. It’s a small Circus performance, a prelude to something that might be bigger in the future. All performances are done by the Circus members themselves, from acrobatics and magic tricks, to displays of fearless daredevilry with the help of Verens steam-punk inspired vehicles. Overall it seems to be garnering a lot of attention, causing a several day repeat showing of the activities. Performancy plays a central role in some setups, and they seem to be the most popular...

1. Animal Experience.Enjoy the animal menagerie, all sorts of creatures are here. They’re all well taken care of, and seem to enjoy the food and pettings they’re getting from the attendees. Happy animals make for happy animal loving customers afterall! There IS one catch.. mischevious circus performers will cast performancy on those who aren't paying enough attention to their surroundings, and circus goers in the menagerie area may find something new if they look in a mirror. Animal ears and tails and a host of other features! Don’t worry. It’s temporary and all in good fun.
   
2. Carnival Games. Carnival type games have been set up outside the main tent, including a lot of familiar games that may have been seen during the Zephyras Flower Festival. Ring Toss, water laser races, darts, and the good old fashioned strong arm competition are all part of the setup. The prizes here range from simple small toys to bigger 4 foot tall plushies. Careful though, some of these setups might actually be rigged. The house has to have an advantage, in the end. Where would they make their money?

• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include geese and/or potatoes.

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

[nailed_it]

[Meanwhile, Yang's trying really hard not to laugh. Not because Weiss with a tail is funny but because the way she's fuming about it is so very "Weiss".

Is it weird that she missed this? She missed the assorted quirks and habits of her friends.

She coughs into her hand in order to clear out a snicker that had been threatening to escape her and then agrees, helpfully.]

Definitely not funny. ...But it is kinda cute.

[It's a big floofy tail, it's sorta impossible not to find it adorable.]

[schmisse]

[ cute... weiss' cheeks flush a tinge of pink at the comment, but she doesn't say anything about it for once. she's fine with being embarrassed in public if she's standing up for something she believes in. this? this is not it. ]

Let's just go and figure this out! I'm not going to let anybody else see me like this!

[nailed_it]

Okay, okay. We'll go find an employee like you wanted.

[There's gotta be somebody keeping an eye on the animals or selling tickets or something around here.]

[schmisse]

It's not what I want. It's what's good for both of us!

[ JUST SAYING. but she stomps off to find somebody who can help her. and in this case, it's a popcorn vendor.

he knows nothing... but here's weiss complaining her head off at him anyway! ]

[nailed_it]

[Her immediate stomping off does allow Yang an eye-roll to herself.]

Ooookaaay.

[Although, thank you, Weiss, for choosing the one vendor that will actually allow her to popcorn.gif at this spectacle. Yang's pretty sure this isn't nearly as big a deal as Weiss is making it out to be but, on the other hand, she would actually like to know if she needs to start brushing her ears along with her hair now.

Her attention is briefly diverted from the incredibly impressive complaint Weiss is lodging with the hapless popcorn vendor, back towards the animal menagerie as she watches another group of visitors enter. And then witnesses them all grow assorted animal features of their own as they dote on and feed the critters inside.

She's not quick enough to locate the culprit behind the performancy, but it does pretty much confirm her suspicions that this is all supposed to be part of the "act".]

Hey, Weissh?

[Who swallows their popcorn before they start talking? Not Yang, apparently.]

[schmisse]

[ weiss holds a hand up as if to tell yang to wait while she continues to complain to the unwitting vendor. seriously, it looks like he's about to cry!

she leaves him alone seconds later to turn to yang, still pretty stressed out about all of this. in fact, her "tail" has shot up and has curved slightly all the while she was being aggressive towards the vendor. ]

Yes, Yang?

[nailed_it]

[Yang's rabbit ears are too floppy to enhance it, but her expression does go noticeably flat at being put "on hold". She lets it go with a small sigh after a moment and when Weiss looks to her she, ever so helpfully, turns the smaller girl back in the direction of the animal menagerie.]

Look.

[The latest group of people inside the menagerie are busy cracking up at their one friend who seems to have grown an elephant's trunk where his nose used to be.

And a little further away, exiting the circus grounds, a couple links arms instead when the matching monkey tails they'd intertwined fade away.]

It's just a prank. It wears off.

[Please don't make the popcorn merchant cry.]

[schmisse]

That—

[ anger sloooowly dissipating. embarrassment levels sky rocketing.

pink accents her cheeks, and it looks a lot darker on her pale skin. ]

That's—

[ her tail disappears as well, and like how it appeared, she doesn't even notice. ]

Right.

[nailed_it]

[Yang notices but doesn't comment on it out loud right away. Instead, she just offers a small knowing smile, reaching out a hand to pat Weiss once or twice on the shoulder. The gesture's mostly meant to be reassuring so hopefully it doesn't come off otherwise, as Yang turns towards the poor, unfortunate popcorn vendor and passes him a few sylvs.]

One more please.

[Her first popcorn is only half-finished, which might explain why she offers the second one to Weiss with another smile.]

Want some?

[You're not you when you're hungry, Weiss.

...Actually, you probably are but maybe just take the popcorn anyway.]

[schmisse]

[ yeah, she's just going to take some popcorn and put it into her mouth.

maybe they'll forget that this ever happened. ]

I'm sorry for bothering you. We'll be going now.[ she tells the vendor, then starts to walk away.

. . . as quickly as possible. ]

[nailed_it]

[Yang moves to follow after giving the vendor another smile and a "What're you gonna do?" sorta shrug.

She easily catches up to Weiss, keeping pace with her and helping herself to another handful of popcorn.

After a moment she finally asks.]

You okay?

[Now, anyway, at least?]