memepatheias | 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:

Pre-Intro Log. For the Test Drive, we are using parts of it as a "pre- intro log," which means not only can players go ahead and use the prompts as if the character is arriving into the game for the first time, but this setting will be adapted and continue in the official Intro Log. For TDM purposes the prompts are a little more generic and vague than what will be on the actual Intro Log, but they're relatable enough that can be easily transferred to the official log with a few minor tweaks. For those who do end up applying and entering into Emp, these threads are considered "forward dated" to the Intro Log.
Date reminders. Reserves open December 25th and Applications (Canon | OC) open a week later on January 1st. Apps will only be open for four days! Because we're on a bi-monthly schedule, the next app cycle after this is MARCH.
Emotions are key! Empatheias's 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. 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 to collect their emotions and serves as the network device. Remember, communication is telepathic, but it works basically the same as most other network devices.
First or third person allowed. Your threads can be in either first or third, but we'd advise being flexible about it. If you have a preference, be sure to specify. 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.
For your threads, put the Character Name and the Canon in the subject line to help readily identify them. You're 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!

PROMPTS

• Prompt A: How about giving the emotions a try? Is your character feeling particularly wound up upon finding themselves in a new place? Or perhaps they're finally getting to live out the fantasy dream and are overjoyed! Or they just stubbed their toe and are in a lot of pain. Whatever it may be, this prompt is your catchall "let's try these emotion effects out" for any miscellaneous situation you may think up.

• 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: It's winter in Verens, and the festivities are alive with some new gimmicks. As always, emotions come into play, so be careful where they take you! Try not to destroy the city.

Beware the Snowmen: Do you wanna build a snowman? All snowmen are affected by the emotions around them, and it doesn't take too much to make them come alive. They have imbibed different emotions around them, so you'll find lovey-dovey snowmen who have no respect for personal space, snowmen jumping up and down with joy, sad melting snowmen, and irate snowmen trying to lob their coal and carrots at you. A few snowmen have managed to get hold of murderous tendencies and will now try to kill you when you pass by. Good luck? It's kill or be killed.
Bittersweet Chocolate: For those looking for a way to warm up, many cafes have begun to offer hot chocolate which is said to be the best in all of Verens. It tastes delicious, with the right amount of sweetness...except to those who hide their true attitude or personality behind a facade. To people who aren't true to themselves, the hot chocolate will taste terrible depending on how much they conceal, not feel. It'll also burn their tongues pretty quickly no matter how long the chocolate has been sitting around.

• Prompt E: Candles of Remembrance for Selenium, a holiday for mourning and grief, are always going through different changes for each year and the prototypes are distributed to see if it works. Normally, when lit, the candles create an image of a person sorely missed, whether they are dead or still alive. But something went wrong with the candle-making process this time. Various scents and aromas were infused into the candles to help improve moods, but the complete opposite is happening.

Well, This Stinks: No images are produced from the smoke and flames, but instead, they exude horrible and disgusting smells from memory. They can range from recent events like burned cookies from last week, or the stench of a bloody battlefield from years past. The scent of the candle depends on the character lighting it, so everyone will be able to smell whatever they smell from it. It's very strong, so it's possible someone could actually feel nauseous either immediately or from prolonged exposure. But that's not all. The aroma will elicit varying feelings of regret, disgust, hatred, rage, and overdramatic despair.
Counter Whiff: On the other end, a different kind of aromatic candle is producing far more pleasing scents, but it's way too strong. It's like getting a bottle of strong, "mature" perfume shoved up one's nose. The scents from these candles have even stranger effects, such as actually knocking someone unconscious; soothing them to sleep right on the spot; or even have strange hallucinations believing that the person in front of them is the one from their memories. The candles also make those affected strangely happy with extreme exuberance, and the emotion effects from their displays of joy are just as extravagant.
Take a Walk on the Wild Side: Both candles have a troublesome side effect: their scents attract a variety of wildlife from the woods. Deer, skunks, chipmunks, foxes, all sorts of birds, you name it, they've begun to invade the city and zero in on those lighted candles, lingering around them or worse, actually taking the lit candles, which can (and will) potentially start fires. The fires can be put out normally, but strangely enough, after they go out, it is as if the affected structures and items were never burned in the first place. Now they just reek of candle scent. Attempts can be made to remove the scent, but it'll take either a lot of scrubbing or somehow creating emotions that produce a more pleasant scent.

• Prompt F: Boreas, or winter, is in the air and this month the city suffered from a number of wintery effects, partially due to the Arehtei Peromei. Some like the blizzard and mistletoe could be considered typical holiday fare. The werewolf flu sweeping the city, not so much, but that still hasn't stopped the citizens of Verens from celebrating the holiday season. [Note: Scenarios pulled from our current event, and the full details can be read here. Due to the timing, these threads cannot be carried over into the game.]

Hibernation: A despair filled blizzard has taken the town by storm, bringing a strong urge to hibernate with it. Characters with strong negative emotions will be hit the hardest, but most everyone will feel the urge to take a nap right then and there at some point. There are ways to ward off the emotionally induced drowsiness though as roving bands of carolers seek to keep people's eyes open and spirits light. In addition a number of hope infused lanterns have been strung throughout the city to guide travelers to safety and keep them from dozing off in a nearby snowbank.
Mistletoe:t's not just the snow either, the town is also plagued by a particularly invasive species of mistletoe brought to the island by Peromei. To citizens' dismay, it isn't ordinary mistletoe or even ordinary magic mistletoe. No, instead this awful plant that lurks in corners and on ceilings is influenced by a combination of Peromei's and Elios's influences to make it aggressive and mobile. It now prefers to slither around and attach itself to moving targets. Once attached to someone, it induces a terrible longing for the sort of love and affection one secretly hopes for the most -- anything from a simple hug to a mom to fuss over you to a new friend you can always have lunch with -- and it won't let go until its victim has found someone who can fulfill that longing.
Wereflu: In addition to the mistletoe and blizzard, there's also the aforementioned werewolf flu sweeping the city. Thanks to a foolish researcher, the infected are suffering partial or in some cases full transformations into wolflike creatures. The main cure for it is positive attention as like the mistletoe, the afflicted will be driven to seek it out and the more they get, the sooner they'll be back to normal. If left unchecked, it can lead to more feral aggressive behavior, so Otherworlders and natives alike have been warned to be cautious when attempting to help those affected.

• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include paper snowflakes and/or cinnamon.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Eustace will ensure that it stays down by slamming his foot down on its chest, the muzzle of his gun back out and pressing against its neck. Though he's debating if he should bother keeping it alive to find out the hostages or just kill it right now. He'll hold it for now.

Glancing over at Amaya, he voices:]

Are you all right?

[Before remembering she can't hear him and may not be looking, so it's repeated through the telepathy.]

[She's getting back on her feet when the message pops up. She grins making a sign.]

Just a tumble. [Her attention returns to trapped Crumpus. Her expression turn serious as she looks puzzled at Eustace. Why didn't he take it out?]

[Noting her expression, he responds—]

Think it worth trying to get information on the hideout? Otherwise I'll kill it now.

[She frowns, crossing her arms. They could, but the question is how? This thing clearly couldn't speak. Perhaps...is this something they could actually do here?]

Search it's mind? [It's like an interrogation, right? Or-] The alcohol?

Alcohol.

[That seems the best way to lower its guard.]

We should have enough to persuade it, but if it takes too long we can finish it off and search on our own.

[As they communicate, the Crumpus continues to struggle, but its movements are lessening with each passing second as it has difficulty breathing. Only until it looks as if it might pass out does Eustace ease up and uses the muzzle of his rifle to lift up the sack a bit to allow it some air while still keeping his foot firmly planted on its chest and the barrel pressed against its flesh. Despite potential "negotiations" he's more than ready to just kill it off if it tries to attack him.]

[She walks over and lifts the shield up just enough for it to breath, but still about to lock it back down. She'll have to lift the bag from it's head so it could actually see the alcohol being presented to it. It was nothing fancy, just your typical cheap bottle of booze you can get easily.

Crumpus snarls at them both, but then turn it's attention to the bottle when it comes into view. It's nose picks up that sting of alcohol from it. Forgetting it has weapons staring it down, it tries to reach for the bottle only for Amaya to kick it's arm away. Not just yet.]

[As he lets Amaya handle the offers, he stares down at the Crumpus. He honestly doesn't know how intelligent it is and he's dealt with his fair share of monsters of varying intellect.]

Where are the others? If you understand, you can have it. Otherwise—

[The trigger is pulled back and there's a strange hum from the barrel of his rifle, as if it's starting to charge up.]

[Crumpus just blinks dumbly at Eustace. It's eyes darted between him and the booze. Like a cornered beast, it gestures pathetically at the booze. Just give it that and it'll leave. Amaya shakes her head.]

Didn't understand.

Seems like it.

Shall I finish it then?

[Half a question, half a warning that she should probably step back.]

[She drops the bottle and pulls out her blade. If he doesn't, she will. Crumpus easily picks up that it's life was under very immediate threat. It growls and roars frantically to get freed, swiping at the both of them with it's arms. Amaya manages to focus her strength and thrust her sword into one of it's arms as she backs down.]

[Eustace is forced to step off, but it's better this way. It's not like he really wants Crumpus guts all over him. So after its arm is pinned, it won't feel that pain for much longer as Eustace fires his weapon at its head. Good thing it has the sack on—it would not be a pretty sight, especially if Amaya notices that along with the bullet there were some sparks of electricity and there's a bit of a burning smell.

But the deed is done, and he just holsters his rifle before turning his attention to the man they had pretty much left alone, the Crumpus already being disregarded in his mind. He's still unconscious, but there may be clues on his clothes.]

[That strange spark. Eustace must have attuned it to some magic before firing that bullet. She pulls her sword from the monster's arm, wiping the excess amount of blood caught on it. She is no stranger to death, having killed plenty of monsters before, so the scene hardly phases her. There is one thing she has to do though before leaving Crumpus. Cutting a hole in the sack, she chops off one of it's horns to take back.]

Proof. [After showing the horn to Eustace in case he was confused by her actions, she dumps the horn into her bag. It just barely fits in it, but it's good enough.

She then joins Eustace properly to examine the unconcious victim. There was a combination of dried and wet mud on him, along with some drag marks and footsteps nearby leading to somewhere. She'll make an indication towards the prints.]

Somewhere wet? Swamp? Lake?

[He had wondered a little, but he nods in understanding upon seeing the horn and her explanation.]

I don't think there are swamps in this area, so it could be a lake, river, even an underground cave. The trail looks to be a few hours old and not much mud had accumulated on the body so it must not have traveled too far.

[Makes sense, if the Crumpus is usually drunk it probably wouldn't want to make a long journey for its victims. He will attempt to rouse the man, even smartly smacking him on the cheeks, but alas, the man is far too drunk and unconscious. Shaking his head, he stands, ready to follow the trail.]

I'll make contact for someone to pick him up. Let's continue the search.

Test Drive: January

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