memepatheias | TEST DRIVE: May

— TEST DRIVE: MAY —

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 April 24th and Applications (Canon | OC) open a week later on May 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: A sword in a stone was discovered in a forest, far outside of the city but not far enough for it to not become a tourist attraction of sorts. Veteran hikers claim that it wasn't there before, and researches don't have any theories or explanations to offer. It's completely shrouded in mystery! What's more, the sword cannot be pulled out of its stone, which is also set firmly in the ground. News of this has started to generate some rumors that something special will happen to whoever manages to pull the sword out of the stone. Why not give it a try?
1. Just Like The Legends: There is a crowd gathered around the sword at all times, but most of them are content to just watch on with curiosity as others try to have a go at claiming the weapon. So far nobody seems to be having any luck! Why not partner up with somebody? Two is certainly better than one! Those who aren't strong enough could perhaps offer new ideas of trying to get the sword out, or maybe they can just cheer someone strong on. Heckling is also allowed, as there are no rules here! Anything goes, really, except the sword. No matter how strong or godly the individual is, they will always fail, and the more they keep trying they will notice their emotions being drained until they no longer care for the sword. That's weird!
2. The Moment of Truth: Several weeks have passed and through trial and error, and other mysterious means, researchers have discovered the criteria for claiming the sword! It isn't about strength at all, but it's not entirely easy either. The person who must draw the sword has to be a "woman with golden hair", but she can only do so in front of a witness, and that witness has to confess a secret in order to unlock the seal. The bigger the secret, the more chances of success it has of working! However, those who manage to pull the sword out will discover that... nothing remarkable happens. How disappointing! At least the crowd got to learn somebody's embarrassing secret? As for the sword, it can be kept... but it will disappear again the next day!
3. Was It Worth It? Whoops, turns out something does happen if the wrong person manages to draw the sword. It appears that one of the candidates dyed their hair blonde in order to fool the sword, and for a moment it seems to have worked. The sword is out - yay! But it also comes to life in the form of floating out of its unworthy bearers hand, then uses up all of the absorbed emotions from stronger warriors before to conjure up a wielder for itself. It won't rest until it has slain everyone in the forest, so make sure to defeat it!
• Prompt E: The Offworld Academic Symposium is putting on their first and most intellectually stimulating (ha) escape room! Entry is free to groups of two with a few quick rules: no playing while intoxicated, no setting anything on fire, no unleashing elephants to stampede through the facility, etc. Remember to have fun! And remember, anyone who chooses to participate in an academia-based escape room deserves whatever they get.
1. It’s Pretension, Babe: The first room is large and rectangular, but largely empty -- the only two exceptions to this are the door to enter from and, on the opposite side, a large wall of blocks. Each block is approximately five feet by five feet, painted plainly beige, and far too dense to move by one’s own hands--or even whatever magical abilities a person might bring with them. Unfortunately, these blocks must be moved in order to unveil the door that allows participants to continue on. Good thing each block is clearly labeled with the emotion that must fill the room in order for the blocks to melt: anything from the conventional emotions of joy, sadness, anger… to the more obscure and harder to define emotions -- such as opia, or deja vu, or exulansis. (Really, anything that might be listed here.) As for how these emotions are created, there are no rules except the ones that are self-imposed. Once at least five blocks are melted, the door will appear. Continue on, young adventurers!
2. Mathematically Yours: The second room is about… math. Yes, math. In an otherwise threadbare room, there is a row of classroom desks, each with its own math problem book and helpful collection of pencils. Feel free to tear through the problems at whatever pace possible--they start off with simple addition and subtraction and eventually lead to advanced calculus, trigonometry and logic. The answer to getting out of the room? Ditch the math, pile the desks on top of each other, and crawl out the window high up on the wall.
3. Murder, She Noted: The final room looks like a conventional fancy dinner party, with a well-dressed table filled with massive plates of expensive food, flawless bone china and hand-chiseled deco wine glasses, a roaring fire in the corner… There’s even a lion skin rug. Homey, right? Well, no. The room has a strong uncanny valley sensation and the reason will quickly become clear: the dinner guests sitting around the table are not living, breathing people, but remarkably lifelike wax models. And one of them is dead! The only clue? A little piece of paper in clutched tightly in their waxy hand with a written message: “The one with the sparrow is in blue, and death comes from their left. On their right, only wine.” No one can leave the room until they come to a unanimous decision on which wax dummy committed this heinous not!murder.
• Prompt F: The Thespians are now holding auditions for their newest jukebox romantic-comedy musical: Mulan Rouge! It is a story about a girl who runs away from home and becomes a soldier for her country in place of her father. Said girl also pretends to be a male as the army only allows men—what kind of backwater army is this?—but promotes change within the country because of her bravery and loyalty to the King. As they intend to get their main lead from Verens, the first set of auditions are held at the Merchant's Square. As such, there's a long line of spectators as well as auditioners. The panel is comprised of three people: a shirtless man with a manbun (he might be the choreographer), a lovely looking woman with a beautiful voice (it seems she's the songwriter), and a guy with a really long and thin moustache (scriptwriter). Everybody is invited to audition, even newcomers! In fact, some of the staff push just about anybody into the centre of the square. Time to recite your lines!
1. A Mom Worth Fighting For? One might be new to Verens and Empatheias as a whole, but that doesn't mean one is foreign to the concept of bravery and loyalty. With one's partner (possibly another person coerced into auditioning), the two of you must fight (fake or real) until one is incapable of getting up. The fight must be to defend one's homeworld or country or just whatever one believes in wholeheartedly. If no fight begins, then the guy with the manbun will resort to insulting the mothers of the people auditioning and will continue to do so until the fight occurs. What kind of audition is this?
2. To the Beat of the Rhythm: So you've made it to the second auditions! Congratulations! Apparently, the fighting scenes in the musical itself are interpreted through dance. There will be no punching or kicking unless one wants to do the can-can. Manbun guy asks everybody to put on a dancing costume (of any kind) and find a partner to dance to some cabaret music. It's all upbeat and the songs one would listen to at a nightclub, and Mister Manbun definitely will insult the mothers of those who don't do as they're told. So dance, puppets, dance!!! Those who put on a great show with their partner will move forward to the final auditions.
3. Swift as the Coursing River: Now, it's the final stretch! There are less people than there were when everybody was tasked to fight the other because it's the last of the series of auditions being held. Everyone is asked to come to the mountains by the river and catch fish with their bare hands. Try not to accidentally grab someone's foot and mistake it for a carp! What does this have to do with a stage musical? Absolutely nothing, but Mister Manbun says it's an integral part to get the role! And whether or not you actually signed up for this, you have to stay until the end. Otherwise, well… Mister Manbun has some words to say.
• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include lettuce and/or belts and zippers.
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

Indeed. But at least this chaos is the good kind.

[And before Reim can question what she means by that, she interrupts herself.]

Ah, forgive me, I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Princess Allura.

It certainly seems less destructive than it could be. Perhaps.

[Sometimes. The emotion stuff is certainly A Problem, but that's because Reim likes things orderly and emotional effects tend to destroy that real easy.]

Ah, Princess Allura, it's a pleasure to...

.. P- P- PRINCESS!?

[That is a very startled shriek as he takes several steps back and drops right to the ground in what is a bow that could not be any lower unless he was burrowing under the street. One of the near by newspaper stands suddenly bursts into a flurry of papers.]

Your highness, my sincerest apologies, I had no idea I was speaking to royalty-!

[How does this happen? How does a Princess just walk around like this? Heavens to Betsy, this place was going to give him twelve heart attacks daily.]

[Honestly, why does everyone freak out when she mentions her title? Days were when she'd just get an "ah, pleasure to meet you, Your Highness" and a light bow. And you'd think the circlet would be enough of a head's up. ... Pun not intended.]

Ah! No no no, please, there's no need for apologies! Do stand up...

[It's kind of a big deal?? Especially to someone like Reim where his world takes propriety and status very seriously. One does not simply address a Princess. Hell, he shouldn't even be looking directly at her! This is all terrible. Reim is trying to figure out how to proceed from here, because it's not like he expected to just run into someone like this out in the wild.]

[She is telling him to stand up though, and his knee jerk reaction to this is to refuse because that is just not how it works? But then he'd be refusing a direct order from a Princess, and that is also not how it works.]

[This is distressing. Reim waffles for several moments before he decides its worse to refuse her than to resort to protocol, so he slowly gets up. He keeps himself angled at a bow, however, because he has Manners.]

Again, my apologies. I had no idea I was speaking with a Princess. Please forgive me.

Please, you're honestly fine. My title doesn't pertain to any realm in this world, and I would not have addressed you if I didn't wish to be addressed back. There's no need to stand on ceremony, I insist.

[Seriously? Reim peeks an eye up at her, as if testing the waters.]

[...This is so strange. This is not normal? Not normal at all. But ...Hnghn. It would not do to disobey her once more. He waffles a bit, obviously having some kind of internal struggle before he finally, awkwardly, straightens out.]

I-I see. I -Ah- [He coughs. Trying not to apologize again because she already told him not to do that either.] Very well, then.

TEST DRIVE: May

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1/ i am not even sure. im really sorry

2/??

Done

XD Perfect, I expected no less.

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