TEST DRIVE: OCTOBER

[simpathis]

— TEST DRIVE: OCTOBER—

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 Thursday, September 24th and Applications open Thursday, October 1st.
  
  
• 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? The following emotions will have more effect than usual: fear, bravery, grief, joy, anger, and calm.

• 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.

• 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 weather is beginning to turn, which means the trees of Verens are beginning to shed their leaves much to the displeasure of one of the more "upper class" residential areas of the island. They certainly don't want to do it themselves so they're hiring out otherworlders and locals alike to do it for them -- but at a pittance of what the work is actually worth. This has lead to some pretty sour attitudes by most of the hired workers -- possibly including yourself.

Might as well get it done with as little grumbling as possible since it seems that the negative emotions of the poorly paid workers just cause the leaves to turn colors and fall faster, undoing any work they've done. At this rate, everyone will be here for hours.

• Prompt E: With fall comes the desire for all things reminiscent of fall. Including anything and everything pumpkin. One coffee shop is so popular for their special Spiced Pumpkin coffee and tea, that they're having a hard time keeping the ingredients in stock despite the long lines that are weaving out the door and into the sidewalk. Grumpy customers waiting in the fresh cooling temperatures outside are less than pleased, and some even grumble about the wait openly.

It all gets completely out of hand when one poor, lone employee walks out of the door and clears their throat -- explaining that they would be out of the in demand drinks until the day after next. An explosion of irate emotions cause the formerly crisp winds to pick up and wrap into miniature tornadoes! Mostly inconvenient, but perhaps a little destructive to things that are light enough to get tossed around. Looks like right now, finding somewhere else to get an afternoon pick-me-up is a good idea.

• Prompt F: Some shops are beginning to switch out their summer wares for things that are more friendly for the upcoming fall weather. This means quite a few of them are looking for extra hands. Perhaps you wouldn't mind lending a hand for some extra pocket money? One shop in particular is trying to give away their least popular products -- sunglasses that give the wearer a more sunny and welcoming personality.

Why were they unpopular you ask? Probably because of the slight and barely noticeable malfunction that seemed to make the enchantment on them work completely incorrectly. Instead of making the wearer much happier and receptive they only magnify the current emotion the wearer seems to have! Or worse, completely turn it upside down. Of course, this is all explained (very quickly, and barely understandably) as a representative swiftly places a pair in your hands!

• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include something like raging bull and/or cart full of loose buckets.

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

[lamb_of_gold]

[There's a long moment of silence as Mu checks. Silence, with no indication of streams of consciousness or spontaneous thoughts.]

There seems to be...I will assume it's not water.

[eyeswideopen]

They're emotions drops. What you feel is collected into the crystal and observed at the end of the month. There's a reason for that, of course.

[The voice becomes the image of a ruined clock tower full of winding tree roots and a towering tree then shifted to a giant glowing gold crystal suspended over the city.]

The collective emotions of the city shape what land is left. There's not very much of it, but I'll leave those details to the report you'll be reading once I direct you that way. That crystal indicates which way things are going. Right now, everything is mostly positive.

...

But, who knows what the future holds? [A flicker rolls across the images as if Nagito nearly slipped up and showed something he meant to keep hidden. It resolves into a radiating star crystal held in a pale hand. The crystal has at least of a fourth of it full of cream colored light.]

Ah! Right, let me get back to the emotion drops. As I said these are tied to beings that are reflections, or personifications of a set of emotions. ...with me so far?

[lamb_of_gold]

I am. Please, continue.

[Though a part of Mu still dwells on the image - the image he saw with his minds eye. How powerful were these baubles to be able to project something so clear?

Belatedly, Mu notices that the air around him has gone still.]

Then, am I to assume this place is guarded by some measure of Divinity? [There's a guarded tone to his voice now, not anger, but the prospect of gods seems to be a touchy one.]

[eyeswideopen]

Ah, I thought the same way when I got here! But now, I'm not so sure of that. [He still feels like Peromei is a form of hope but, not quite ultimate hope. It's a good thing he's focusing on remaining calm or something would have slipped there.]

Mmm, more like the consciousness of the world. There's likely more to it than that! But a lot of evidence points to their being tied to the world. Of course, they could be divinity, but they still don't know why we're here.

Even those closer to being restored to their original selves have no clues for us.

[lamb_of_gold]

More primordial than divine, hm...? Interesting. And more interesting still that they remain ignorant as to why we're here.

[There's more stillness from Mu's end, but it is not a hard stop. It is simply dark water - tranquil, but impossible to see past.

Eventually, the image resolves into Mu's own amulet, a pale crystal, clear except for a faint sheen of periwinkle blue along the bottom.]

I wonder. What do you think our purpose here is?

[eyeswideopen]

It could be we don't even have a purpose here at all. It's hard to say given how the beings of greater power were all corrupted by whatever tragedy happened.

But if we have one.

[The image shifts. White, gray, and black dance together into the equine shape of Peromei sitting in the middle of her maze. They writhe like fire into Elios, the flaming bird soaring across the sky.]

I think it might be to heal this world. Or at least, to help them, the Arehtei.

[lamb_of_gold]

[For a moment, Mu can't help but think of the young woman yet to ascend as Athena laying wounded at the bottom of the Sanctuary, and the air around him grows cool and still again. He doesn't notice, so caught up he is in his musings, but around him, colours seem to wither ever so slightly.

He needs to be back there, if not for her then for the brothers he left behind.

But perhaps only the image of the worn white marble steps makes it's way through their connection, because Mu collects himself quickly, setting his feelings aside for the time being.

It doesn't help the atmosphere.]

From all I've seen and heard thus far, that seems a reasonable suspicion. [A faint trace of warmth works it's way back into his mental voice as he reflects on the images of Peromei and Elios.] I dislike operating without more information, but I will keep this in mind.

[eyeswideopen]

[He has to wonder what the white steps are about. He can tell they're made of stone but not why or where. Nagito hums thoughtfully, the buzz and his own faint amusement tinging the words.]

You can talk to them yourself. They're recovering from the trauma of the calamity. But they talk to us often enough you can lend direct assistance or ask what they remember.

[He settles on the edge of a wall, letting the other see him do it.]

Our positive emotions go back to them and help push back the corruption and negative emotions they're drowning in. Mmm, it's like chipping away rust or rebuilding ruins. But they're both quite pleasant to talk to! Well, I haven't talked to Elios but he's the most free from the darkness now.