empatheias_ooc | TEST DRIVE: JANUARY

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!mod,
*test drive

TEST DRIVE: JANUARY

— TEST DRIVE: JANUARY —

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 Friday, December 25th and Applications (Canon | OC) open Friday, January 1st.
OC Reminder! Just a quick reminder that original characters are currently 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: A new card game is sweeping through the streets of Verens: "Magica Ex Arehtei." Players take on the role of an Otherworlder and form battle decks out of minions, monsters, dunamis, and even the Arehtei themselves. It’s insanely complicated in its details, but this hasn’t stopped a seller from handing you a starter deck and all but pushing you into a chair to face an opponent… who may have just been conscripted themselves.

• Prompt E: After a long period of quiet (something about ‘emotional and physical harm to Empatheias’ and ‘manufacturing plush weapons without a Class E(X) license’), toy manufacturers have flooded merchant stalls and storefronts with a new offering, the hyper-cute stuffed Thras. No negative emotions, they promise! Plush Thras is so full of bravery, he’ll inspire anyone who holds him to new heights of courage and valor!

Naturally, magiscience has gone too far, and picking up the doll instills you with vigor, energy, and fearlessness past the point of recklessness.

• Prompt F: Thundersnow! A phenomenon in which a snowstorm is accompanied by lightning and thunder, and not a terribly uncommon one in Empatheias. But today’s thundersnow is more like an apocablizzard -- lighting lashes through the sky and lances down to catch buildings and trees with its fury, all hidden behind whirling sheets of billowing snowflakes that have blanketed the city in a foot of snow with no sign of stopping.

The outside is cold, windy, miserable, and potentially dangerous. Are you trapped in a building you didn’t expect to be in? Or perhaps you’ve joined up with an emergency emotion squad, trying to impose calm or cheer on the raging storm?

• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include lumps of coal or moose.

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Arms raise to cross in thought, hand held in front of his mouth as he runs it over. ] People claim it's at least two emotions, given a few Arehtei at some point have displayed two major emotions when they showed themselves.

Usually the emotions are opposite of another, too. The two they are affiliated to that is. [ Mikleo glances briefly to the necklace, watching it for a moment. ] The alignment usually starts by which emotion you'd best represent yourself.

[ Now with that thought does he glance at Sorey, observing him quietly. ]

[Oh. That's pretty interesting.]

So...kind of a balance. Like, one would 'embody' joy and sorrow? Or...maybe it'd be joy and anger.

[Sorey tilts his head and gives Mikleo a small grin.]

Like calm for you? [That seems right for the water seraph.] I wonder what mine is. It's kinda cool that there's an emotion someone can be best represented by.

Exactly. [ Well, he knew Sorey would catch on quickly enough. He always did. Still, he's pleased and smiles in response. ]

Hmm.. Calm is right. I've met others aligned with Sosyne, surprisingly I don't think I've met a single person aligned to Sosyne so far that hasn't been able to see me now that I think about it.. [ He just assumed there was a collection of humans with resonance suddenly. Maybe that was actually a connection? ] Sosyne is aligned with the emotions calm and anger. She's made an appearance here to "Otherworlders" like ourselves.

[ A glance back to Sorey and he gains a teasing light. ] Maybe "too trusting."

[Oh! That's interesting! Sorey even looks excited and happy about the prospect.]

So, maybe people can for sure see seraphim if their alignments match? That can be something we can check if any other seraphim come here! [Sosyne's appearance is also intriguing.] She has? What's she like?

[Sorey pokes Mikleo's side, just as teasing.] Maybe. Or maybe I'm aligned with the joy one.

[ Don't get too excited now, don't need those lights flickering like crazy again. ]

That would be an interesting concept if so.. I wouldn't knock it out completely, so we should check with the others to confirm. [ That's a good idea for sure. Imagine if that was the case.. huh. ] I haven't met her myself, but I think someone mentioned she was a.. "whale"?

[ what are whales?? what are sea creatures?? what are things in the ocean to a water seraph?? ]

Joy? [ He squirms at that poke, swatting at the hand and poking at Sorey's side in turn. His teasing tone continues. ] You are pretty joyous.

[It'll be fine! Maybe.]

And I can be there to help anyone outside of your alignments communicate with you. One or two people from each one should be enough, right? ["Whale?" Sorey's never heard of that. Then again, sea travel isn't something the Glenwood continent is necessarily known for.] ...Huh. Well, I guess we'll have to look that one up later.

[The ocean is the weirdest place on earth.]

See? [He grins widely.] Guess we'll have to wait a bit longer before we find out for certain, though. I saw a chapter title that said something about how they have their own color association, too?

Given you still act in place of the ole' Shepherd.. I don't see why not. [ That bridge between communication, if really needed. At least those of Sosyne being able to talk to him is a step up from before. ] Maybe there's a book in here that'll help us. Or we might get the opportunity to see her ourselves.

[ Being connected to her in alignment- he's curious to know, after all. Let's hope whales aren't all that...menacing looking. ]

Color association? ..Right. I forgot about that. The color in your amulet gives a good start to which one you may be aligned to too. [ He leans in a little, lifting a hand to catch hold of the other's necklace and peer into the crystal. Compared to Mikleo's own periwinkle blue color.. Sorey's is a creamy white. ] White then.

[ Now his attention drifts to the book, finger tracing a page briefly. ] Let's see, what page is it.. Here we are. [ Now he glances to the alignments and their colors, but he's briefly distracted by his own with Sosyne. ]

[Sorey chuckles a little.]

Guess they don't want me completely out of a job. [The lights brighten briefly at the idea of meeting her, but they quiet back down to normal.] If we're lucky, we can meet her after learning all we can about her!

[What could be menacing about one who embodies calm and anger?]

White?

[His eyes turn to the book and starts scanning the pages. After a moment:] Oh! Here it is!

[Sorey puts his finger on the entry describing "Peromei" so that Mikleo can follow along. He reads along and is quiet for a second afterwards.]

Hope and despair, huh....

Edited 2015-12-22 01:09 (UTC)

If there's anything we can learn. It looks like there isn't all that much on them. [ Sure there's a little information, but not a whole lot from the looks of it.. ]

"Peromei"? [ Mikleo eyes the name, following where Sorey gestures and takes in the two emotions displayed. For a moment he considers it with a thoughtful pause. As the Shepherd, of course hope is an important aspect.

But.. ] That's quite fitting. You have that way of bringing hope to everyone, Shepherd or not. [ Is.. Is that an actual compliment..?! ]

That just means it hasn't been discovered yet! Between the two of us, we'll find something. [Sorey's faith in that, in Mikleo simply being here with him to look for the information, is strong enough to cause a pleasantly warm breeze just for the water seraph to enjoy.]

Ah, you think so? [He looks a little embarrassed.] I guess that's true, though. I never did like seeing people in despair.

[If he can ease that or replace it with hope, then he doesn't think that's such a bad thing. Sorey looks down at the book to check something.]

Oh, and Sosyne's color is periwinkle blue? [Sorey grins up at Mikleo.] Wow, even her color fits you! Although, are we sure it's not purple?

[There's a tease in his tone and a little mischief in his eyes as he asks that.]

Of course. [ Mikleo barely hides a little shiver at the breeze, which is very comforting even though Mikleo isn't too cold despite their predicament. Still, almost teasingly, he sends the same kinda warm breeze right back at Sorey.

As their topic moves from hope to despair, the water seraph responds with a contemplating hum as arms move to cross again in front of him. No, Sorey would always try to turn any despair around, at least to the best of his ability. He meant it when he said hope was very fitting for him.

A brow perks briefly at that color comment, violet eyes blinking a bit until they lower with some confusion. ] Purple?

[ He doesn't get it, what are you trying to say Sorey.. He glances back to the book, as if maybe a different alignment with purple was listed but.. no? It definitely says periwinkle blue for her too. ] What are you talking about? [ look who doesn't get jokes now. ]

[Sorey grins at the retaliation. Looks like tickle fights won't be the only kind in their future.

He waves off the question. The joke is too stupid to pursue or explain, honestly, and even Sorey can admit that. Not that he won't stop grinning since hey! He's got one up on Mikleo!]

Never mind! But I did mean it when I said that the color suits you. I don't think you've found a shade of blue yet that didn't complement you.

[ Sorey.... ~~the wooing was ineffective, mikleo is already wooed.~~

Mikleo just gives him a look, as if Sorey must have some interior motive for that but no this is Sorey. He turns his head away with a huff of his breath. It's not like he felt complimented or anything okay? ] If only we could say the same about you, huh?

[ Ah yes, cheeky remark is a go! ]

[What??? It's true!

Wow, Mikleo, that's so rude. That earns a poke to his side from Sorey.]

Hush. Not everyone can be so blessed, Mikleo.

[He's content with his look, though. Whatever's most comfortable for him, right?]

[ Swats at that poke! Though pokes back all the same. ]

You look decent enough in your Shepherd's garb so there's a future for you yet. [ Another tease, but it's okay Sorey- stick with dark colors, it's a good plan. ] Anyways, now you know who you're aligned with. It's too bad we have no information on them though.

[Sorey would try again for Mikleo's stomach, but he remembers that they're in a library. It's not the best place in the world for a tickle fight, considering they can get kicked out or scolded quietly or banned.]

Gee, I'm so inspired by your confidence. [He grins, but, yeah, let's get back on track!] Well, Peromei can't be bad if they're partly hope, right? And despair by itself isn't a volatile emotion like anger for the most part. Maybe there are shrines or ruins we can take a look at to see if we can get anything from them?

[ If they got kicked out in the middle of a blizzard that would definitely be a first for them, more so out of a library..! ]

No, so over all, 'this "God" [ as they're so described as sometimes ] can't be an entirely bad person.' ...That's what you want to say, right? [ he knows you too well, Sorey. but, it's a good point. ] You're right, despair is nothing like anger- anger often is the cause to bad decisions and not thinking straight.

[ He knows how many times that could have happened if anger was given in rather than recomposing himself. ] Hmm.. If the each of them were actually once prayed to and given blessings, I can't imagine them not having shrines of their own.

A shrine of the "Arehtei" would be plausible too. [ Unfortunately.. he turns his attention to the flashing of lightning and flurry of white snow against the windows. ] That will have to wait for another day, however.

[This is not a first Sorey wants to experience!

He grins up at Mikleo.]

Nothing gets passed you. [There's affection when he says that.] Good thing you usually have a handle on it, right? Although, I wonder if there are emotions that fall under multiple Arehtei. Like...compassion might fall under 'sorrow' and 'love.'

[Sorey glances outside as well and lightly scratches his cheek.]

Yeah...we can wait another day. Probably when all the snow's gone or we're out of the blizzard season.

[Whichever comes first!]

As always. [ There's a light glint in violet eyes at that. ] Hmmm.. perhaps. Though it states two emotions, there's always that possibility it can extend to a greater scale. We can't really say for sure unless we gather more information.

[ But wouldn't that be interesting all the same. He really would like to know more about the way this world works. Mikleo glances back to the book, flickering over lines of text with a thoughtful hum. ]

I would like to explore just as soon as you would but I'd rather not get snowed in with weather like this. I think traps are enough of a risk as it is.

Yeah. I'm not sure how anyone can even test for something like that. [Time to make friends with some sort of scientist?

Sorey is more than inclined to learn more about how this world works, especially with Mikleo here. It's too interesting and different from their own world not to! Still, his friend makes a valid point.]

That's true enough. Well, we can use this time to gather as much context as we can get! Even if it's only a little bit, it's better than nothing.

Well we can learn a lot through reading alone, but you should try asking some of the natives if they know anything themselves once the weather clears up. [ After all, he's already confirmed none of the natives can see him. But that's okay- it's no different from home so he'll just be helping on the sidelines again.]

Afraid anything I've learned is only through people not from here. [ He could have eavesdropped but... he didn't learn anything useful, after all it isn't like they didn't encourage listening on gossip and chatter around town back in Glenwood. But he hasn't learned much... minor things, mostly. Like a shop down the road going on sale today, etc. ]

Let's see about taking some books back to our place.

Ah, none of them can see you, huh?

[That's a little saddening, but at least Sosyne-aligned humans can see him. It's certainly better than how it is at home. Still....]

Really? That's odd. You'd think that the natives would know more than anyone here. Well, that is, if anyone's tried asking them before now. [Then again, if this world's history was lost to these people at some point, it'd make sense that the natives wouldn't know. Maybe something happened to make that knowledge lost.]

Sure! Just point them out to me this time before grabbing one that looks interesting, okay?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

TEST DRIVE: JANUARY

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