expiationmeme | 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?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Elidibus's lips twitch. Instead, he shakes his head diplomatically, his brows drawing together in a rueful expression. He knows why the sudden turn in composure, why his senior is lashing out like a cornered animal, but all he can do is tell the truth of the matter. Comforting words come secondary.]

Perhaps so. Perhaps the me that became Zodiark's heart was destined to become a hollow shell over time. But I have no regrets, and would do it all over again. If it would save the star anew, or bring back what was lost...

[And yet, if Emet-Selch has yet to experience his own death, then he is still tempered, much as Elidibus himself was. The primal's will is everything. Even if he acknowledges it openly, he is still compelled to do what Zodiark would want him to, and that means he's not going to take it nearly as objectively as if he weren't tempered.

Would that they only could have spoken after death... alas.]

Make no mistake, I never stopped wanting to return things to the way they were, even after the fact. It is simply not within my power nor my responsibility to do so anymore. That, and... a few other, unrelated incidents that caused my feelings to change.

[ His mad laughter dies down quickly, replaced by a snarl as he swipes the air between them. ]

Be that as it may, I will not give up. I am not going to roll over and let Hydaelyn keep our star divided. You say the Final Days came again - tell me what you know so that I can use the knowledge when I return. I refuse to let our efforts be in vain.

The first move toward the Final Days is only made following the demise of all three unsundered. Given that I do not know the details of your death, I cannot help you avert it with the knowledge I do have. And even should you attempt to manipulate time in order to change your fate, you must know you will return to the same future, as the Warrior of Light did.

[He closes his eyes. There is a deeper reason he wishes to keep things the same, even given the opportunity to change them -- there is his duty towards balance, yes, but the fact is that she is his friend. And if anything were to happen to her...]

I would also discourage you from doing anything inadvisable while here, because I will have to intervene if you do.

So you would have me do nothing instead?!

[ He can't help but raise his voice against Elidibus. The idea of just giving up now is abhorrent. ]

I don't care if I don't live to see a future where our people are restored, Elidibus, but I won't let you tell me to do nothing at all.

Then if you would do something about it, I would have you do it on Etheirys rather than entangle this star in our troubles. And if you should have the poor sense to target the Warrior of Light, I will have no choice but to stand against you.

[There's no guarantee that's even how this works. What if they go back and remember nothing? And what if they don't go back at all? While he cannot control Emet-Selch's actions, he can certainly plan for and react to them.

What an unfortunate turn of events, to pit them against one another on account of a mere lack of understanding. It hurts to have to lay down these boundaries when he knows it will only serve to make him more determined to enact their agenda anyway.]

I won't stop you from any other course of action you might choose to take, but you must decide that on your own. Those that I already mentioned are not options. That is my judgment as it stands right now.

Your judgement, is it? As Emissary - as Elidibus?

[ he refuses he revolts he rejects it--

Emet-Selch laughs again, this time a shorter, more curt sound. ]

What does it matter whether I kill the Warrior of Light or not? Their soul will return, as do our sundered kin. As does every soul on Eitherys. If our deaths are what trigger the return of the calamity which tore our people apart, should I not remove the biggest threat to our lives? 'Tis not like you to make a judgement based on sentiment, Elidibus.

[Elidibus opens his mouth, closes it. It figures Emet-Selch would see right through him. His gaze drops.]

You know as well as I that so long as Zodiark existed, it was impossible for such a thing to happen on its own. No, it was sparked by the will of another; He was not destroyed on a careless whim. Even Hydaelyn would have known better than to do such a reckless thing.

[He hesitates to include any more identifying information than that. Because while nipping Fandaniel in the bud would certainly change the outcome of what happened, would prevent the tragedies to come in the first place... it would also change his own actions. There would be no need to send the Warrior into the past.

It is an outcome he cannot afford to see endangered.]

If you will not accept that, then allow me to appeal to you personally, not as Elidibus, but as Themis -- do not go after her. I am not changing my stance on this.

...You care that much about her, do you?

[ The question is flat. Terse. He knows Elidibus and Azem had been close friends. Honestly, Azem had been close with quite a few members of the Convocation. They were all colleagues, all friends, after all. He can't forget the toneless order Elidibus had given them to ensure the Warrior of Light did not interfere with their plans and the despairing realisation that the person he once knew as their Emissary was truly gone.

Gritting his teeth, he looks away. ]

I will not make promises I cannot keep. Hydaelyn saw fit to send her champion to slay our brethren over the course of countless centuries, and I will never forgive that for as long as I live.

[It does feel somewhat wrong of him to suddenly be so defensive of the very agent of their destruction. It must sound positively hypocritical of him. But it's a necessary evil, as far as he's concerned, no matter what anyone says.

("How long will that be, then?", he almost wishes to ask of him. Even though Elidibus knows the answer full well in his heart.)

Right now, he's more inclined to preserve the timeline than to appease Emet-Selch. In the name of balance, and in the name of what he knows is right. It's not that he forgives Hydaelyn and her champion for what they've done to them, it's that he was able to move past the regret stemming from their failure with the clarity that death has brought him -- something far beyond the reach of his comrade right now.]

Very well, then. Unfortunate, but I suppose you are not wrong in not making a promise you do not wish to keep...

But I will not yield, even so. My position as Emissary has occasionally aligned me against my brethren in times past, and this is no different. If I must go against you to maintain the balance, then so be it.

[ So, that's how it's going to be then? Emet-Selch utters a low, bitter laugh. ]

Fine. 'Tis not like I am unused to acting alone.

[ He had hoped, maybe, to have at least one ally or friend here. But even that was too much to hope for, wasn't it? In the end - and even from the very beginning - he will follow this lonely path to its inevitable end and he won't expect any praise for it. Not that he would deserve it after all he's done. It doesn't matter as long as he can restore their people and their star.

He starts to turn away. He doesn't bother to wave. ]

I'm sure I'll be seeing you again sometime then, Elidibus.

[ He vanishes. ]

TEST DRIVE MEME #3

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject