expiationmeme | TEST DRIVE MEME #3

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TEST DRIVE MEME #3

TEST DRIVE MEME #3

Welcome to the TDM for Expiation, a pan-fandom adventure game with fantasy, science fiction, and some horror elements. We ask that top-level comments are reserved for new characters and players looking to experience a taste of the world and overarching storyline. Characters already in the game, however, are free to use TDM prompts in their own catch-alls and logs. Feel free to submit any TDM / prompt-related questions to the corresponding comment below.

New players / characters looking to app are free to use TDM threads as samples in their application. Preexisting players / characters may use TDM threads as part of their AC proofs (with the stated limitations).

You may find the below links helpful in getting to know themes of the world, locations, the people, and so on.

info | world

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN...

BRAVE NEW WORLD (ARRIVALS)

After receiving the paper with your sentence, the whole world quickly becomes dark and you find yourself falling through what seems to be an infinite void. You lose track of time after a while, but as soon as your focus seems to waver, your vision clears and you find yourself resting rather unceremoniously in a pile of seeds used for chicken feed.

Once you make your way out of the grain silo (and we of the moderator team wish you good luck in finding a fun way out of it), you may find that several other people have been dropped into the world just like you have. Some are disoriented, others are panicked, and others yet are simply angry about being brought somewhere against their will. Amidst the chaos of new arrivals to the world of Expiation, the newcomers will find that there are some people in the crowd who seem a little more familiar with what’s going on.

These people will tell you that you find yourself in a strange new world, and that it’s best to make your way to a nearby town called Aldrip to get settled down there. It’s a few hours by foot away from this area, but it’s the only place in the nearby area that can accommodate newcomers like you.

WE LIKE TO PARTY (WE LIKE, WE LIKE TO PARTY)

Recently, many Chosen have emerged victorious from a hard-fought battle, taking out a gargantuan creature that threatened to suck the energy from the whole area surrounding Aldrip if it had not been stopped. Such efforts do not go unrecognised, and in the aftermath, the locals all decided to band together to celebrate their saviours’ heroics. Nothing less than a village-wide party and parade would be fitting for such an occasion.

This is an undertaking that will likely take a significant amount of effort. While the locals wanted to make this into a surprise, many of them lack skills to put the thing together properly. Chosen who want to get involved in the preparation process can put their organisation and culinary skills to the test to create fixtures and food for the event. Better yet, your efforts over the past months have improved supply routes into Aldrip, meaning that the food shortage has passed, and you’ll have just about anything your heart desires for the occasion.

Alternatively, you can choose to enjoy the spoils of your efforts! Once the day of the party arrives, Aldrip will erupt into a full-scale celebration, and all Chosen are encouraged to party as hard as possible. Good food, good drinks and good times will be in no short supply for the occasion. Additionally, those who took to the front lines in the previous event will be revered as heroes and likely spoiled rotten.

THIS IS HOW YOU GET ANTS

PLEASE PARTY RESPONSIBLY

It’s no understatement to say that some of the Chosen like to party hard- and that’s quite alright! A few days ago, the people of Aldrip had already set aside a few rooms in the inn to act as an infirmary for those who had been injured during the battle with the Branded. It took little effort for them to expand this project into a full medical wing for those who would undoubtedly be acting irresponsibly during the festivities.

It’s up to you to decide what circumstances brought you here. Perhaps you were injured in the previous battle, and have been stuck in bed as you recover from your wounds. Maybe you had just a little too much to drink, and you decided to come by while you collect yourself. Regardless of what your reason for being there may be, the people of Aldrip have guaranteed that you will receive the best of care.

With that said, the place is terminally understaffed. Aldrip’s locals will certainly appreciate any assistance they can get- even if your character might not have the best training or bedside manner. Medicine can’t be that hard- what’s the worst that can happen?

MR. MAGNIFI'S MAGNIFICENT MIXTURES

Once word of the upcoming celebration spread, several individuals from outside town came in to offer their services or goods in Aldrip. One such individual came into town riding on a rickety cart with the words “Miraculous Magnifi’s Medicine! Guaranteed to heal what ails ye!” emblazoned in gold on its side. The thing smells a bit off, with a strong chemical scent coming from the back, but the moustachioed man who emerges from the back assures you that all of his “mixes are made with meticulous ministrations!”

Those who buy and consume the potion might find themselves feeling strange over the next few days as symptoms emerge. Some people wake up to find that their hair has taken on a rainbow of colours during the night, that rats cuddle up to them for no reason, or that their irises have been replaced with strange spiral shapes. Feel free to come up with inventive but harmless side effects for the miracle elixir- it’s meant for some good fun.

They’re strange symptoms for sure, and certainly not the advertised cure-all. However, Magnifi is already gone by the next dawn, meaning that no one can get a refund. Thankfully, the symptoms will go away after a few days, but the chaos that ensues in the meanwhile will certainly make for some fun stories.

IT'S NOT OVER

♪♫ LET IT GROW ♫♪ ► (FUTURE EVENT TIE-IN)

The party celebrating the dread beast’s defeat can be heard from miles outside of Aldrip, but the situation is not quite yet resolved. Much of the once-lush forest outside of Aldrip had its life force absorbed from it, leaving little more than profaned ground and an overwhelming scent of rot. Worse yet, there are reports that some of the beast’s severed golden tendrils have taken on a life of their own, creating snake-monsters that threaten the local wildlife.

However, the monsters are not the only new arrivals in Pessiria Forest. Those who go to investigate the area will find that fairy-like creatures have gathered in the profaned land and are trying their best to help bring the area back to its former glory. At first, they seem to keep their distance or ignore you entirely, but after determining that you mean well, they inform you that they can temporarily bless the Chosen with the power to make full-sized plants burst forth from the seeds they plant into the ground.

It’s still going to be hard work. Even with the power to bring plants to life, planting seeds in the miles of dead forest will likely take a very long time. Still, these strange fairies could use the help, and tough jobs can be better if you bring a little help from your own friends. (Or enemies. No one’s going to judge you for who you bring.)

WHAT'S THAT MYSTERIOUS LAUGHING SOUND?

The process of regrowing the devastated part of Pessiria forest is well underway, but the process does not go entirely smoothly. Partway through the process, locals start to report that they can hear a strange girl laughing in the forest in the middle of the night, but no one seems able to track down its source. Curious Chosen can patrol around the forest at night to try and figure out the mystery.

Those who are particularly sharp-eyed might see a faint spectre of a little girl wearing a straw hat dancing about, but she never seems to stay in sight for more than a few seconds. One blink is all it takes for her to vanish.

You probably won’t be able to catch this strange spectre, but it’s become something of a game among the villagers to go looking for her anyways. Some say that seeing her is a sign of good luck, and wave to her before she disappears. Others say that if you see her while holding hands, it will bless you with a lifetime of good love. Almost all of these assertions are probably nonsense- but what will you do about it?

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Little one!? I'll have you know that I -

[ Er. That's probably not appropriate. Nor does he actually know how to count his age at this point. It is true that he is short, yes. But that doesn't mean someone should address someone as "Little One!"

It's so.

Hmph! He crosses his arms and looks away for a moment. Yes, yes, he had heard the rest of it too. Yet his mind is fixated on that one singular insult at the present second. ]

[ During this moment of ~~pouting~~ reflecting, he is taking out that parchment of paper. In truth, he has yet to look at it. Knowing it is listing a crime doesn't really incentivize him to open it either. After all...

It could be so, so many things. He has... He has done quite a lot to be deserving of "sentencing" on any scale. G'raha Tia had abandoned the star by fleeing into the Tower ~~and not being where he had been needed~~. The Crystal Exarch's list is even more expansive still. ]

I see. Has anyone actually received their sentencing?

It was a whole thing! It seems over now, but I don't expect things to be like this for long at all! We'll see what it has in store for us. It's a challenge to predict when it's not at all like our world, I have no base.

(which in itself is a hardship for him, he can't predict if there's no pattern so far for these sorts of events.

he doesn't mind the patting, though.)

Ah, so kind. I thought, like Nikol and Fyfy, you'd attempt murder on me!

[A - Arrival]

[It's dark, which is the first thing that Tsuna notices. And there's an immediate sense of panic, because the last time Tsuna woke up somewhere dark, he'd shoved off the lid of a coffin to find himself ten years in the future. So he immediately flails only to find that there's nothing on top of him.

Below him though, is something that shifts. He's not sure what and tentatively runs his hands through it. He reaches for his phone, flipping it up to reveal seeds? That's...new?

But not dangerous. And his intuition isn't screaming about anything dangerous so he can think for a moment. Because this isn't where he was and he doesn't remember being hit by the ten-year-bazooka, or any other odd invention that might have been around. Carefully, he starts to shift towards a wall, giving it a knock when he gets there.]

Uh, hello? Is anyone outside?

I don't know how I got in here.

Help?

[B - Cooking]

[The problem with Tsuna is that he probably shouldn't help with things like this. While he's getting better, he's prone to clumsiness and really has no cooking talent whatsoever. So why he's been handed a knife and an apron and told to chop vegetables is beyond him.

But he can try. No one can accuse him of that. And maybe they'll ask him to stop.

It's an old tactic, one that Tsuna has largely moved past and honestly, doesn't feel all that good about using. But it's on the table. Reborn would probably be proud. He's thinking like a mafia boss.

So he starts cutting. Nervously. And doesn't have to worry because he cuts his finger instead.]

Ow!

Uh, are there bandaids anywhere?

[C - Wildcard]

[Open to all other options. If he drinks a potion, Tsuna's going to feel dizzy, and the spirals in his eyes might make you dizzy to!]

If mind control monsters and mysterious disappearances are a taste of what's to come, I'm not feeling optimistic.

[ Nice of the place to give them some peace before anything else crazy starts happening, though. He'd at least like to be well rested when he has to deal with his next crisis. ]

I'd really rather not, if it can be helped.

[ Yuja's experience with ghosts is the opposite of Albert's. They are very real where she's from. Most people might never see or hear one, but ghost stories are prevalent enough. And a ghostly girl laughing in the woods, that's a rather familiar story. Though, back home, it was more likely to be the Black Shroud's elementals.

There's not a lot Yuja expects she can do, but curiosity gets the better of her and here she is. ]

Hmm? [ She looks up at him before turning her attention back to forest. ] Nothing yet. You don't believe that there's a ghost?

You talk like you've made a habit of climbing on the architecture.

[ He creaks to his feet, where he folds his arms, giving Lenore an appraising look. ]

[ Probably a different person would've offered to catch her if she jumped. There's any number of practical reasons why he doesn't offer: Being half metal and synthetics, God only knows Albert's not the softest landing. And he's not about to make things weird, not like G.B. and how he carries on with women half his age. (And where is G.B.? Or any of the others?) ]

[ Whatever the reason, he gives a stiff nod: ]

Hm. I'll take a look. The farmers must have a ladder, unless they can fly... [ He disappears around the silo, though his voice still calls up: ] Speaking of farmers, excuse my language, but where in the hell is this?

[oh, roche just had to make it weird

concealed lips pulling into a grimace, vincent's gauntleted fingers flex like he's considering the wisdom in squeezing, after all. the snagged thread gives up the ghost with a muted snap]

You've... shared a dance or two... [so, the man isn't just acquainted with cloud. they've fought. more than once, apparently, but that isn't important. what's important is that, if roche is to be believed, cloud is well. and if he isn't, if he's lying... well

grip loosening, vincent rolls his wrist in the SOLDIER's grip, intending to free himself with a short, sharp jerk in the direction of the man's thumb] Say I believe you. Where can I find him?

[ He looks down at the woman, an eyebrow raised. At first he'd thought it was some kind of armor, but are those -- scales? ]

Let's say I'm open to other interpretations. Some monster's been menacing the place, now everyone's relieved it's gone -- I can see some kid blowing off steam by making the grown-ups think there's a magic spirit in the woods.

[ A shrug, as if to say: Kids these days, amirite? ]

Why, do you?

[ Scales and horns and a tail to boot. Some might mistake her for being some sort of draconic creature, but they'd be wrong. ]

I guess there's some sense in that. [ Still, it sounds unlikely to them. ]

Back home ghosts and other spirits exist, so it doesn't seem impossible.

'What manner of creation'...

Emet-Selch sucks in a sharp breath. He resists the urge to take a few quick steps forward and see their appearance for himself. He won't give himself that hope.

"It was defeated. Apparently, some of its errant limbs still terrorise the depths of the forest."

[By now, this is not Erichthonios' first trip out here. Nor is it his second. He likes the feeling of doing something, of being able to help, and of seeing the results. Having struggled with magicks for much of his life, it is a wonder to be able to do something new so smoothly, blessing or no.

Yet, as prepared as he is to go out and spend an hour or two planting once again, he is ill-prepared to see her. A familiar figure indeed.

He calls out to her without a second thought.]

Yuja! How strange that I should find you here!

[And what a pleasant surprise it is!]

[ Yuja's near worn herself out at this point but it feels rewarding to plant a seed and then be able to cause it to sprout so quickly. So she hasn't yet taken a break today and it shows. Sweaty, dirty, and perhaps a little winded she turns her attention toward a familiar voice. ]

Oh, Erichthonios! [ She flashes a smile as she straightens up. ] I should say the same, did you just arrive as well?

"Presently" being the operative word, I assume.

[Which does clarify a few things for him, even in those scant few lines. So, he doesn't know...]

No, I assure you I am no shade, though I understand your confusion. I am Elidibus. And it is true we never did get to speak again, after all that happened.

"Some of it's errant limbs...? So it is not wholly contained after all."

Erichthonios bows his head in thought, hands still carefully cradling the seeds.

"Would it not be best to seek out these limbs and ensure they are dealt with properly? If the creation managed to unleash this much destruction upon the land, 'tis plain that it is too dangerous to be permitted to roam freely."

_{[ He doesn't put up a fight - Vincent can have his wrist back free of charge, and in exchange Roche presses his fingers to his own throat as if he expects to feel bruises under his touch. SOLDIERs were made of sterner stuff than that so it's really all just for show and theatrics, especially if that half-cocked grin is anything to go by.

Where was the world keeping this one, huh? ]}

I may be a bit infatuated with the man but I don't keep tabs on his whereabouts twenty-four hours a day, my gloomy friend.

_{[ What is he, a stalker? Just... don't @ him about finding out where he lived in the slums. ]}

Though I'd wager the inn over in Aldrip would be a fair place to start. Assuming the locals haven't drowned themselves in what they consider alcohol, that is. They've been at it for the past two days give or take and if he's anything like me, I'd also guess that he decided to try and get away from all the noise too.

[ G'raha will get the very, very strong sense that he's in danger as the Ascian glares lividly at him. Emet-Selch's fists clench and a few tense seconds pass where it's unclear if he'll act out or not.

But his eyes flick aside, clearly noting the busyness of the staff and the less than ideal location for a brawl. He sneers instead and turns away - ostensibly to continue on towards his bed. ]

I could simply take what aether I needed to fuel my own recovery from the people here. Don't tempt me to do so.

Arrive is... a way of putting it.

[As cheerful as the celebrations have been -- something he, even having busied himself with other things, ha managed to hear -- he was a little more disturbed by the brazenness with which he had been plucked and inserted into their current environs.]

I know not how I was brought here, but 'twould seem someone or something has seen fit to do so. Unless you mean to this field...?

[Because if so, then yes, he has just arrived.]

[ Oh he is in danger all right but not even budging. When has he headed any menacing auras coming from this man? ...Well G'raha hasn't backed down from him at any rate. He's not about to start that nonsense now either. ]

You could, yes. Then I would be obligated to stop you. Though others in this location might also consider it their duty to do so. That might not turn out in your favor, especially as I was about to offer my own magicks to speed along your recovery.

[ So yes. Yes he had been about to actually help the Ascian regardless. Will wonders never cease. ]

[ Arrive. Abducted. It's kind of all the same thing in Yuja's mind. ]

In general, I guess? [ She shrugs. ] I would think some form of magicks at play. G'raha did something like before.

[ With magicks that were not precise at all. ]

[Well she's smiled all of once in her entire life so no worries? Enjoy her relatively blank expression.]

Be that as it may, attacking those who are not paying attention can allow even the weakest opponents to be successful.

[Echo is just slicing away with her swords as she runs and jumps toward her next targets with precision. When she has a brief moment, she gives him a troubled frown. He's definitely reminding her of unpleasant parts of her past.]

Gathering information would aid you better in this situation, then.

[A little flick of his wrist, and the plants grow a bit more robust. Some even flower more vividly than before. He's already taken to the magic like it's his own, it seems.]

Quite a useful gift. And with all this space they have to cover, it's no wonder they decided to ask for our help. That the fell beast was able to destroy such vast swaths of the forest suggests it must have been powerful indeed...

[Yep, she sure is!

If it makes him feel any better, she moves her focus to him for a few moments, but about all that changes is where she's looking. Then she returns her gaze to its previous place.

In spite of that, she speaks, her voice soft and a bit monotonous.]

Are you also investigating?

Aye. [ She bobs her head in a nod before looking around. The destroyed area is large leaving her to wonder how long it'll take to reforest it. ]

Would that I'd been here sooner. I would have liked to witness such a beast. [ And fight it, but that goes unsaid. ]

[Echo blinks and flinches a bit. Even though she came into direct contact with him, it was almost like she hadn't noticed him there. She turns to him, slightly flustered.]

Ah. Y– yes.

[Although she continues responding, another *pop!* from above immediately pulls her eyes away.]

Please excuse me.

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TEST DRIVE MEME #3

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