Empatheias Events (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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memepatheias2019-01-19 07:15 am
empevents) wrote in memepatheias2019-01-19 07:15 am
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TEST DRIVE: February
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 25 January and Applications (Canon | OC) open a week later on February 1st. Apps will only be open for four days!
- 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!
- Transfer to in-game. If accepted, you can assume threads made on the Test Drive happen in-game if the scenario can reasonably fit. For new characters, these threads do not count for activity check. However, these can be supplementary threads for players already in-game.
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: Years ago, there was a short lived collectible card game fad in Verens called Magical Arehtei EX, combining Empatheias lore, the Arehtei and a convoluted rulebook to bring joy and confusion to Otherworlders and locals alike (the convoluted rulebook might be a reason why it fell out of fashion). And the brains behind it have decided now's the perfect time to relaunch it, both bringing back the card game itself, as well as a bunch of merchandise to go with it since even if the card game's confusing, maybe people will buy cool looking toys of the Arehtei and other various fantastic creatures (most of which are basically two or more animals combined together such as a sharkraffe or crabbear).- The Gathering: Like before, there will be demos of the game in the city's parks. Anyone around will be invited to try out the game with a partner. Marvel at the artwork, stare in confusion at the still confusing rulebook (simplifying things was not part of the relaunch), or just do whatever with the cards. The event runners want this to be a success so they're not going to frown on people for making up their own rules (it's possible they don't understand the rules either). So long as people are enjoying the game, it'll get people to buy cards and assorted trinkets or so they hope. Either way, emotions are sure to be all over the place as people try to figure this one out!
- Bug Catcher 1, 2, 3: As mentioned there are toys of the various creatures in the card game (with some artistic liberties taken to make sure the Arehtei aren't going to file suit about their likenesses used). And they've even partnered with a reputable Verens toy company, responsible for such hits as the FeelSpring and other toys from the city's past that had a habit of coming to life. And this is no exception as the toy creatures are now running amok through the city! Instead of being asked to continue playing cards, Otherworlders will be given nets and asked to go collect the wayward toys from all around the city.
- Pedometer GO: Once all the figures are collected, the event organizers realize they have a way bigger hit on their hands than their weird card game, releasing the creatures into the park again and branding it as their newest hit, Magical Arehtei EX Go! As in go out there and get them. Otherworlders will be paired into groups of two and given a time limit to recover as many of the toys roaming the park as possible and trade them in for fabulous prizes! Which turn out to be a bunch of unsold cards from the relaunch.
• Prompt E: Arumon, a renowned keychain designer, has promised the public that he plans on releasing one more design before he retires for good. If anyone hasn't heard of him until recently, it's because he made that promise 3 years ago, and most of the public has either forgotten about him or just accepted the fact that the final keychain design is never going to be released. Now, after years of delays and being side tracked with other projects (he's also a zipper designer!), he's finally ready to unveil the ultimate keychain! Naturally, the hype train has started to pick up at full-pace again, making this an event not to be missed. All accessory enthusiasts as well as security detail have been invited to the keychain museum, where Arumon's final keychain design is going to be unveiled at 9 o'clock. Are you HYPED?!- Passion: Although it's called a keychain museum, tonight it serves more as an event function, encouraging all guests to mingle with one another. Aside from having Arumon's previous keychains on display, there are also free snacks and drinks being served, as well as merchandise shops or even stations where one can create their own keychain using various arts and crafts. Those who arrive will also receive a free random keychain of their own - did you get one that you like? If not, trading with each other is encouraged! And that's not even the best part... the keychains are infused with special crystals, which supposedly act as a compass to your heart. If someone is at the party who is destined to be your friend (or more?), your respective keychains will react to each other by glowing. This is not scientifically proven and the glowing might just be the cause of something else... but hey, who doesn't believe in friendship?
- Face My Fears: Later in the evening, an unfortunate side effect is discovered from having all of these keychains infused with emotion crystals. Anyone who harbours any negativity in their hearts, be it malicious or the more personal kind (fear, anxiety, sadness, etc), that negativity is fed into the crystal of everyone's keychains. The more the negativity festers, it in turn begins to affect their owners, influencing their behaviour in an even more negative way. Eventually, some crystals become so full that they start to come to life on their own, which results in pet-sized shadow creatures running amok. They're not strong on their own, but a group of them can make them very dangerous! Only those who don't have malice in their hearts can defeat them - if someone doesn't fit the criteria, their options are to either run or hope someone with a good heart helps them.
- Don’t Think Twice: With the shadow creatures largely dealt with, it's now time to unveil Arumon's final keychain! It's been a long wait, with many years of speculating what it could look like. The crowd couldn't be more ready! Unfortunately, the shadow creatures have spooked Arumon's confidence in his design, not to mention it's infused with the same type of crystal as the one that feeds on negative energy. He can't in good conscience release this to the public, which means he just announced there is going to be another delay. Naturally, the crowd feels cheated and disappointed for letting themselves get hyped up over a keychain. The whole function now starts generating negative energy, which is all being channeled into the box that contains Arumon's final keychain. Anyone who realizes the real danger here is quickly called to the stage and put on a different show for the crowd. Can you dance? Tell jokes? Put on a two-man improv show? Anything will do as long as it keeps the negativity in check! And should you fail? A large shadow creature emerges from Arumon's box... it looks like his final keychain has taken on the form of a boss battle! Once again, rely on those who have good hearts if you plan on fighting it!
• Prompt F: Yet another unusual craze is sweeping over the city of Verens this month, spawning from a popular play that has taken Theasthai by storm. It involves blindfolding oneself and trying to accomplish everyday tasks successfully, and, as usual, people are getting carried away with the idea, creating entire events and gatherings around the phenomenon as its popularity grows and spreads. Known colloquially as “The Puzzle Box Challenge”, everyone seems to be getting in on some of the action, whether that’s participating, or attempting to stop others from getting themselves killed stupidly. After all, this has the Enforcers quite concerned! Which side of the line will you fall on?- Password, Please: In the city park, Puzzle Box Challengers have gathered to play an unusual game. Participants are, of course, blindfolded, and are then led at random around the crowded park by event organizers to stand somewhere well away from where they entered and told a secret codeword. Once the bell sounds, participants must find the one other person in the park who has the same codeword as them. Only then can they remove their blindfolds! To make this a bit more difficult, however, participants are only allowed to whisper. Move about carefully, find your partner, and win the game!
- Anything You Can Do: Certain groups of Puzzle Box Challengers have formed rivalries with one another and are mostly concerned with one-upmanship, to the point of putting themselves in extreme danger. At their next public demonstration of superiority, one group plans to fly an airship while blindfolded, while the other group is aiming to build a barn while blindfolded. Both ideas are ill-advised, of course, and the Enforcers plan to try and stop them, and in response, both groups are recruiting new members to help them complete their task efficiently. Where will you end up? Helping one of the rival groups, or putting a stop to all this nonsense with the Enforcers?
- Senseless: Yet another extreme group of Puzzle Box Challengers have decided that blindfolds alone are not enough. The real PBC endgame is wearing a blindfold and earmuffs at the same time. Of course, most people aren’t crazy enough to try this without some incentive, so the group is offering a thousand sylvs to anyone who spends a day with both their ears and their eyes covered. And it won’t count if you just stay home, either. Get out there, go grocery shopping, trip over everything and most of all, have fun! Assuming you don’t get yourself killed, anyway.
• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include a baseball cap and/or getting the wrong order at a restaurant.
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! - The Gathering: Like before, there will be demos of the game in the city's parks. Anyone around will be invited to try out the game with a partner. Marvel at the artwork, stare in confusion at the still confusing rulebook (simplifying things was not part of the relaunch), or just do whatever with the cards. The event runners want this to be a success so they're not going to frown on people for making up their own rules (it's possible they don't understand the rules either). So long as people are enjoying the game, it'll get people to buy cards and assorted trinkets or so they hope. Either way, emotions are sure to be all over the place as people try to figure this one out!
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[sort of. he doesn't know shit about kanto and doesn't actually really care, but, like, blue's a kid. he's not gonna try and rain on a kid's parade or anything.
crobat looks a little overwhelmed at first, but tells exeggutor all he knows. there are other teams, he's not sure about grass types-- he hasn't met all the pokémon here, and he doesn't know how they got here, either. it seems to be a mystery to everyone. once he's managed to answer as best he can, he chirps happily and reaches out with a wing to touch one of exeggutor's fronds. big...]
Hmm... Lance was here for a while, though I don't know if he counts as Kanto or Johto rep. Nice guy! He left so many capes behind. [lance leaving stung ;_;] And-- two kids. One was called Yellow, she had a strong connection to Viridian Forest. You know her? [probably should've said her first. anyway.] Oh! And Red. Your fellow champ, eh?
[a pause. he winces.]
Ah... they're all gone, too. People leave just as quickly and mysteriously as they came, sometimes. [genuinely:] Sorry. There's just some trainers from Alola and the ex-Hoenn champ as well now.
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[Exeggutor coos and thinks deeply on Crobat's answers, one head watching as Crobat's wing nears ever-perilously towards his leafy head. As long as there's no poison being secreted out of those wing-claws....]
Huh!? Dragon boy was goofing off here!? The nerve of him... [Blue scoffs, digging his toe at the patch of greenery under his feet.] There's a question, huh? You know he's from Johto, right? Well, the Plateau is on the border, so you could say either one, I guess.
Yellow, huh? Nope. No idea. But if she was from Viridian, maybe I've seen her around.
[Blue's head jolts up at the last name, and anything else Archie says goes unheard. The greenery beneath his feet spontaneously ignites into sparks, the ground cracking as Blue jumps up from it to grab the front of Archie's shirt.]
Repeat what you just said! [He shouts, knuckles white.] That last name... You said Red was here!?
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archie makes a face at the reaction, gently shoving blue off.] Red, [archie repeats, calmly.] You wanna calm down a touch before you set somethin' on fire?
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[Glaring up through his bangs, he stomps at the fire with his boot; Exeggutor nervously coos and edges away from his trainer's volatile emotions before he can get back to Crobat's question.]
Where is he? [His next question comes, spat out short-tempered, demanding and mean.]
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Wherever he is back home. He's not here anymore.
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Whatever. [Exeggutor watches his trainer with worry while he busies himself with shuffling through his cards again.] So 'who the Shellder knows'.
Here. [Blue holds out a card- this one features a turtle-shelled dog-like creature.] Lemme see what you got to trade for this.
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He was... alright, when he was here. [archie says, shuffling through his deck.] If you were worried. He was fine.
[eventually, he settles on something that looks a bit like a magneton. archie grins lightly.]
You want this one? I'm none too fond of electric types.
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['course he was fine. Doing fine without him around.]
[Exeggutor starts to tell Crobat about Blue's multi-type team, and about their training back at Viridian Gym, as Blue leans over to look at the strange automaton on the card.] It's okay, I guess. Is this their idea of a machine-like Pokémon? [Blue reaches out to take the card. It was like a steampunk Steel-type.] Kinda strange, but not as bad as that Squirtlithe. Okay, I'll trade.
Why's that? Zap your Crobat too much? [Blue flashes a toothy smirk.]
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blue's comment makes archie bark a good-natured laugh.]
Seems so! Though Blastcanine sounds pretty cool... [he holds the card out for the younger trainer-- crobat's listening intently to exeggutor, genuinely interested. blue's comment makes it look over when an irritated grunt.] Aye, well, we've all been taken off guard by a Gyarados with Thunderbolt, haven't we?
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[Nice.]
[Blue takes the card and without even looking up, he snorts.] Lance beat you good, huh.
What are your other Pokémon?
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Sharpedo, Muk, Mightyena and Electrode. Last ain't a usual team member, but it's been a great learning experience to have him.
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[Blue looks him up and down. He didn't look anything special, but Blue wasn't ever one to underestimate his opponents- no matter how much he tried to put on his airs. His "scare tactic", as he liked to call it.]
Sharpedo and Mightyena... Hoenn Pokémon, huh? I never saw them in person before. [Muk, Crobat and Electrode though, that made him think of status tactics and traps. Were those the kinds of tactics this guy favored?] At least your team is pretty balanced, but if I were you, I'd worry more about an Earthquake than a Thunderbolt.
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[aaah, memories of something that happened just a few months ago. archie takes mightyena's ball out and clicks the release button, materializing the hyena pokémon next to blue for him.]
This is Blue Oak, Mightyena. He's not seen one of you before! [mightyena boofs happily, tail wagging and sniffs at blue. pets...??] No kiddin', right? Muk can take at least one full on, but I'd avoid it where I can. I've been thinkin' of teaching him Minimize, Acid Spray and Toxic. Oof. Wouldn't that be somethin' to have t'deal with, huh?
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[A cackle escapes Blue- oh, that Dragonite never did change, huh?] He might seem like a softie out of battle, but I've seen that Dragonite take out even Pokémon it should be weak to! I guess if he took to you, though, you must be an okay person. [haha ha h a]
[Blue holds his hand out for Mightyena, then reaches to deliver the good boy scritchies in the tumble of fur around his ears.] Your tactic is to draw things out as you erode the opponent's defenses, then. Well... obviously Poison is a good choice for that, but if that's the case, a different would be better. Muk is stronger with physical attacks, you know? [Blue squints to himself, giving a quick thought to Muk's different attacks.] Acid Spray is reliable, but it won't compliment your tactic, so stick to the simpler Acid. And I guess Gunk Shot is the best way to go. You don't have to worry about missing if you've protected yourself already with Minimize.
[Blue pulls his Pokédex out to give Mightyena a scan. His National 'dex had already been updated with data from the Hoenn region, but data from seeing a Pokémon in person was a different matter.] At least you seem to have a basic understanding of countering your team's weaknesses. You're not totally hopeless! Congrats.
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[mightyena boofs happily as it presses its head into blue's hand, tail sweeping back and forward. blue will get his hands licked if he's not careful.]
Hm-- aye, I suppose. Crobat and mega-Sharpedo are a little more all out offensive than drawin' things out. [he rubs his beard as he listens to blue's evaluation.] Good point. Though Gunk Shot is the fourth move no matter what! I don't think I could take that off his movepool if I wanted to...
[muks are so gross. anyway.]
What else have you got with ya, then?
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[Blue seems entirely unperturbed by Mightyena’s enthusiasm, considering he’s used to nearly full-face licks from his own canine Pokémon. Speaking of which...] My others? Hey, are you challenging me? If you want to be introduced to another trainer’s Pokémon, that’s how you’re meant to do it, you know. But well, I guess I don’t blame you if you’re intimidated...
[Grinning, Blue rubs his nose a moment before he pauses, rewinds what Archie said in his head.] What’s a ‘Mega Sharpedo’? Is that its evolution or something?
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[that's a good thing!! mightyena is delighted that he's not getting pushed off or groaned at. he boofs happily, pressing his body into blue's legs.
archie blinks, then frowns.] Mmm, there's no Pokécentres here, ya know? I don't mind battlin', just as long as you know they'd have to recover the old fashioned way.
[...he's actually vaguely surprised blue doesn't know what it is, despite it being a relatively new thing. guess he just kind of expected it because of the name...]
Sort of. I guess mega-evolution hasn't reached Kanto, yet? It's a temporary power-up you forge with your Pokémon in the heat of battle. A poweful release of energy that makes the relationship you have with them tangible, to kick the other trainer's ass with! [archie laughs boisterously at his own joke.] You're welcome to check out Sharpedo's mega-evolved form if you still wanna battle, kid!
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Oh... that’s right. [He frowns for a moment, then shrugs.] There wasn’t always Pokémon Centers, you know? It’s not like we’re overdoing it by having one battle. And besides, I have potions and stuff of my own. [He won’t need to hold on for them that long, right?]
[Blue seems blindsided by this description of Mega-Evolution, from the blank stare he’s giving Archie right now. A power up? Makes the relationship between trainer and Pokémon tangible? Just what the Furret was he going on about? It has his interest piqued, that’s for sure, so after a moment, he nods his head.] Show me sometime. A new technique, huh...? I’d be crazy if I didn’t study up on something like this.
[He gives a confident smirk then, raising two fingers in a casual salute] But don’t think that just because you have an unfamiliar technique that it’s enough to catch me off-guard. If you know who I am, you know I’m not that easy to beat!
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[he laughs-- a couple months ago he'd be absolutely furious at the idea that he could possibly lose while using his mega evolution, but after everything he's mellowed out considerably. he understands that even if they don't win with it, being able to do it is the most important thing. he'll still have what he has with sharpedo if they lose.
archie nods.] Sure, I know that. Should make for a fun battle though, eh? C'mon-- lake's not far away.