TEST DRIVE: September

[empevents]

— TEST DRIVE: SEPTEMBER —

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 August 25th and Applications (Canon | OC) open a week later on September 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: Reality TV may not be a thing in Verens yet (for starters, they have no TV!), but a similar concept has been brought forward. The idea? A group of "survivors" are dropped off to a remote island, where they have to fend for themselves for two weeks, while their experiences are recorded on a special amulet. This isn't only for the sake of entertainment, but it will also prove to be valuable research about how certain environments and living conditions can affect emotions. The volunteers for this experiment get paid a hefty amount, too, and how often does someone get paid to spend two weeks at a tropical island? Don't forget your swimsuits!

  
  
  1. Survivor Empatheias: Of course, since the concept of this is that the volunteers are a group of survivors or castaways, nothing is given to them for free. That means shelter, food and fire itself isn't going to be provided by the people in charge. If anyone has any expertise in these things, they would be valuable to the group right now. As for food, it's mostly berries and coconuts that will be found on the island, and the only meat is fish. Did anyone bring fishing gear? If not, put those spears to good use! And if anyone isn't inclined to do any kind of work, well, the sun is out, so might as well relax and work on that tan.
     
  2. Become the Hunted: Oops! It looks like the castaways weren't the only inhabitants of this island, too. A bunch of demon boars have emerged from deep within the jungles, and they're out for blood! This was definitely not part of the show, but there's no choice but to fight back now. Some unlucky castaways may even find themselves kidnapped and locked in a cage, where they are awaiting to be cooked by these beasts. Pick those locks, or hope that someone comes to your rescue... either way, this is no longer a game!
     
  3. Stay Warm: One can fight against hunger or demon boars, but what about the climate? Perhaps it should only be fitting that the last few days of this experiment have been plagued by typhoons and thunderstorms. This is where the true test begins! Castaways are encouraged to talk about their happiest moments, and make sure the vibe stays positive, too, for emotions are known to affect the weather as well. A happy camp will bring the sun back! Otherwise? Sharing body heat might be the only way to get through the cold night. Good luck!
     

  
  
  
  • Prompt E: As the academic year draws near, the Verens Public Library is brushing off the summer dust and getting ready to promote learning to all of the island’s citizens! However, library funds are short, and so librarians are asking for volunteers to help them bolster Verens’s enthusiasm for literature! Among other things. Volunteers will be compensated for their efforts with...unlimited book checkouts for life! Never mind that’s the policy for everyone, all the time. Just take satisfaction in a job well done!

  
  
  1. Unfeesable: Part of the cause of the library’s lack of funds is that no one is paying their late fees, so volunteer librarians are being asked to go out as debt collectors and force offenders to cough up their dues through any means necessary. (The VPL doesn’t mess around.) Some debtors will easy hand over their fines, but others will require a bit more pursuit! Is it worth chasing someone down over 10 sylvs? Maybe not. But it might be fun to chase them anyway! Who knows where they might lead you...
     
  2. The Restricted Section: Reshelving books is an essential part of keeping any library functioning, though volunteers will be tasked with shelving a rather peculiar section of books that most of the librarians shy away from. This section features books all about the richest emotions, and even just touching one may have an effect on your behavior. Putting away a book about love? You may find yourself enamored with the next person you see. One about war? You just might declare a battle with your best friend. The effects range from moderate to severe, and in the worst cases, they do not fade until the “story” being told is complete. Better see this through to the end!
     
  3. Mime Time: Shushing Sally, a dearly departed former librarian who haunts the library, refuses to leave, but the current staff are growing tired of her constantly shushing them for even the slightest of peeps. So, they have enlisted you and a partner as the newest ghost hunters of Verens! Volunteers are welcome to try anything they can to expel Sally from the library, but the only way to truly bring her rest is by acting out the most cherished of childhood fairy tales. But there’s a catch: these stories must be acted out silently. Don’t let Sally hear a sound, and maybe she’ll consider leaving...
     

  
  
  
  • Prompt F: One of Ledwika's secretaries is still on pursuit for a more exciting and entertaining Empatheias that will garner visitors from all over the world. (Nevermind that there are already Otherworlders visiting…) Shaarnath is known for Dunamis and all, while Theasthai is known for its Performancy and Arts. Then, the idea hit him… Food! Verens will be known for its food, and as such, come various activities!

  
  
  1. The Ordertaker: People new and old are asked to help out in the Veren's Final Food Fantasy XVIII Project. One of the tasks in promoting Verens' food is delivering them! Those who have been put in teams of two or more are asked to put on costumes of their favourite food. If no costumes are found (how are you supposed to dress up as a banana split, anyway?), teams are asked to find clothing that represent how their favourite food would look like were they human. That's the easy part! The difficult part is sending out deliveries when there's two or more of you and you only have one bike. How's that going to work? (Figure it out!)
     
  2. Luck's on the Table: It's been government-mandated that restaurants have to make their menu a bit more exciting. In lieu of that, restaurants have now asked clients to pair up with a stranger just to eat their meals. What's more, they have to pay first before receiving their order, and hopefully, they have a ton of luck because the dishes served are random and range from 1-star to 5-star. If you get a 1-star dish, it's just a basic recipe like a scrambled egg or a pancake. However, if you get lucky and get a 5-star, you'll only have paid 150 sylvs for a Chicken Tikka Masala, Baked Dijon Salmon, or whatever it is that's gourmet!
     
  3. Chestfallen: Food does not come to the table in an instant! Ingredients have to be sought after, caught, hunted, and the like. There are some special ingredients in Verens that happen to be found in chests, though. Those who can fight are asked to travel to the forest and look for a giant treasure chest (about the size of a human being, really) with legs. It has very high defences and will run away after a minute of combat if it hasn't been defeated. Make sure you strategise to end up getting the special ingredients inside!
     

  
  
  
  • Prompt G: Make your own! It could include peppers and/or keys.
  
  
  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!

Comments

[crisisarrow]

[ Fascinating bunch, aren't they? ]

Interesting. Though, from that "one way or another" I surmise that people don't always have a choice in the matter?

[ Trey listens quietly, instantly knowing when that "brief meeting" took place. ] A dark-haired girl with glasses and an unkempt-looking fellow? [ He loves his brother, really. ] Yes, that would be them.

How does it make weird things happen? [ Aren't you glad you piqued his interest? ] And you've only seen all of us here? None of the others have been here?

[bonafidebrother]

[ Certainly. ]

Yeah, well. No, people don't always have a choice in the matter, though that's not always for the worst. And...

[ Izana closes his eyes for a moment. He is grateful to Queen and Nine, he is. But thinking about that time? It'll never get easy. ]

Yes. They were there with Ace.

Mmm. How exactly I'm not fully sure, but this world is powered by emotions, and many, many different things can be made to happen, using that power. But, sometimes, it goes wrong. Or people don't think things through, though his particular one was... a very, very old place, so things were possibly malfunctioning. We more or less knew that it would be dangerous, at least. Sometimes, there's not nearly as much warning.

Ace was here for a few months. He... no longer is.

[ The sadness is deep, through the mental connection, even if it's contained and shut away quickly enough. Everything is so complicated, here.

Still, better than the alternative, for Izana. ]

[crisisarrow]

[ Just wait until he meets the more "excitable" members of the group. ]

Hmmm. So it can be either cathartic or punishing. Or even enlightening?

[ Sometimes, one's emotions tell more about a person than anything else. ]

Ah. [ And that's all he's going to say on the subject. See? Even Trey can show some tact. ]

Powered by emotions... [ Uh-oh. He's gone back into thinking mode. ] Physical attacks can be made stronger by anger, but you're saying that anger here can actually manifest as something else? [ Light bulb. ] And excitement can sometimes lead to thoughts that are meant to be quiet to actually be heard or sent over the amulets?

[ A wave of surprise flows through the amulet. ]

So, it's not just the amulets that gather emotional energy, but buildings as well? Or are they a larger reflector for the emotions one is feeling? [ Since the amulets show the emotions gathered, they're a reflection of the person's emotions as well. ] If these buildings are like the crystals we wear, how was this older one dangerous? Since I'm surmising you aren't referring to the typical state ruins are found.

[ He feels that emotion, Izana, and a wave of sincerity comes back. ]

I'm glad you two were able to continue your friendship here. I take it that's how you saw the rest of us? Through his thoughts?

[ He's starting to understand this more and more. ]