TEST DRIVE: June

[empevents]

— TEST DRIVE: JUNE —

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 May and Applications (Canon | OC) open a week later on June 1st. Reminder: Our application cycle only lasts 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.
  
  
• 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!
  
  
  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: Empatheias seems to love festivals! Every festival is always filled with so many people - whichever city might be celebrating it. However, the next coming days has Verens filled with people from all over the world. The Nightingale, as most people know her, is a travelling Fortune Teller who has decided to pass through Verens for a few nights. As such, she's set up a booth. She will tell the fortune of whomever wants it for only 10 Sylvs.

Apart from being able to see one's future, The Nightingale also sells various wares that would improve one's luck, one's love life, one's career, and the like. Buying a blue adamantium bracelet is said to triple one's bank account, while buying a red feather hat would give its wearer more opportunities to meet new people. Just about every item for every possible effect can be found in The Nightingale's Shop, and everything is limited edition! Perhaps one may want to try purchasing an item and see what happens.

• Prompt E: Rumours are going around about how The Nightingale’s fortunes and her charms are effective. Verens is abuzz with stories such as that man who stumbled upon some spare Sylvs while wearing one of The Nightingale’s pendants, or a shopkeeper whose profits shot up threefold in a week after she paid the fortune teller a visit. Everyone’s horoscopes as told by The Nightingale, even those as specific as, “You will accidentally run into a wall in the next five minutes” or “You will be unable to control a particularly odious fart while you are walking with a good friend”, are coming true. A strange phenomenon, to be sure, but those who are perceptive and diligent enough may notice that a person’s emotional state might just have something to do with how fortunes come true. Persons dominated by negative emotions receive negative fortunes, and so on.

• Prompt F: Some of these fortunes sound just a little bit too good, don’t they? And the frequency with which they come true is suspicious on its own. How could the Nightingale be so precise and accurate in all things? Well, as it turns out...she’s not so precise. Or, at least, not in actuality. Her fortunes and charms are, in fact, powerful spells that fool those under their influence to believe they are coming true, when they are, in fact, not. Once she begins to pack up to leave town and head to her next destination, charms will begin to break, bank accounts will fall back to their normal numbers, and newly-found sweethearts will find their eyes unclouded. Will you stand for this trickery?

If confronted, the Nightingale will reveal her true form as a powerful demon witch. She will not hesitate to attack those who provoke her, and her offensive spells are powerful enough to turn friends against one another. Avoid her magical blasts and aim for the talisman she carries! Once the talisman is broken, the Nightingale will disappear in a puff of smoke...but at least she seems to leave behind all the sylvs she collected while in town. Maybe your fortunes aren’t so bad after all...


• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include seeds and/or spoons.

Comments

[tailsneverfails]

How am I supposed to prevent you from losing something?

[ Honestly, she picked the exact wrong person if she wanted some good luck to come her way. ]

[beexceptional]

If anyone tries to steal it, they won't see you spotting them, of course. An invisible person can keep dozens of people from noticing them even if they mess with a person.

[tailsneverfails]

You have a lot of confidence in a man you just met.

[beexceptional]

I can't buy a professional yet. At least you have an edge over most.

[tailsneverfails]

And how do you know I'm not the one planning on stealing from you?

[beexceptional]

You'd have to be utterly incompetent to reveal yourself to someone you plan to steal from.

Besides, nothing I have would work on a guy your size, let alone an invisible one. [Squeezing his arm. She might not be able to see him, but she can still feel he's a lot bigger than her.]

[tailsneverfails]

[ He clicks his tongue in reply. She had a point there, and honestly it was a little clever he had to admit. Maybe there was a bit more to this girl than moods and screeches. He wouldn't say that out loud though. ]

Fine, you have me there.

[beexceptional]

[Chloe may not be the smartest tool in the shed, but she's also not the dumbest. She's just too lazy to put much thought into things.]

See? Ah, there we are. It may not be a formal florist, but those will do. [And she's pulling him over to a park with some wild flowers.] Are you wearing a coat? Does it have a breast pocket?

[Feeling along his chest because she has a hard time understanding boundaries when she's on a mission.]

[tailsneverfails]

[ This girl... She really had no filter when it came to her words or her actions, did she? He'd be more annoyed if her actions didn't baffle him so much. One minute she was shrieking over something ridiculous and then the next she's giving him a pat down? ]

Yes, I have a coat on. No, I don't have breast pockets on my attire. I suppose I could tuck something into my vest though..?

[beexceptional]

[Filter? What's that? Sounds fake.]

[She's kind of a hurricane.]

A vest will do. Far more sensible to accessorize than to just follow me, holding a flower.

[tailsneverfails]

I don't see why it matters where the flower is as long as you can see it.

[beexceptional]

Because if someone CAN see you, then you shouldn't look like a weirdo.

[tailsneverfails]

What does a pirate need with good fashion?

[ And why is he still arguing with her? ]

[beexceptional]

Are you kidding me? Have you SEEN pirates? Half the time they're dressed in needless layers and accessories. Pirates are so over the top with their clothes that it's CLEAR they have some code of fashion.

[tailsneverfails]

Or maybe some of them are just sensitive to the sun.

[ He lets out a soft huff. He couldn't actually argue with her, because he was the same way. ]

[beexceptional]

[She looks back with the flower with a put upon look.]

Then it's stupid to live on the water. There's no shade there, and the sun reflects off the surface or something. If you can't handle the sun, you live in a cave, not on a boat.

[Important life lessons for when you tan.]

[tailsneverfails]

Oi. I don't care how stupid it is. I live for the thrill of adventure and the sun isn't going to stop me from my quest.

[beexceptional]

...are you sensitive to the sun?

[tailsneverfails]

A bit. It's why I dress in layers.

[beexceptional]

[She eyes the place where his flower is.]

What kind of place do you live in? Are you a pirate where you just attack yachts and cargo ships, or is this a kind of pirate where there's treasure maps and sea monsters?

[She knows fantasy tropes and she honestly wants it to be a fantasy world because those are fun pirates.]

[tailsneverfails]

I don't know what the hell a yacht is, so I'm going to have to say the second answer.

[ There was an amused sound to his voice. For a bratty girl she seemed to be, she also seemed to know a lot more than she let on. ]

[beexceptional]

[Listen, Adrien wasn't the ONLY weeb in their friendship.]

Then why can't you be an adventurer on land? Dungeon crawl and mountain caves and fight some dragons?

[tailsneverfails]

[ That amused sound turns into a hearty laugh instead. ]

I didn't take you for the adventuring sort, lass. Of course I can do my exploring on land, in fact thats where most of the good stuff is, but a boat is easier to get from place to place, and adventuring as a pirate? There's nothing more thrilling.

[ He was grinning the more he talked about it. ]

Sometimes when you're passionate about something you have to take on the bad shit to enjoy the good. And let nothing prevent you from your dreams.

[beexceptional]

[She scoffs.] I have no interest in adventuring. It's gross and sweaty work.

....but it does make for pretty good stories.

[Though....well, there was certainly some scary parts about being Queen Bee. But when it was going well, she loved it. She loved it so much and her hand goes back to her pocket with the hair piece again.]

Why is being a pirate more thrilling than another adventurer with less sun exposure?

[tailsneverfails]

It's probably the danger. Nothing says excitement like being put in a dangerous situation and finding yourself coming out of it on top.