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

Seems like it, yes. I believe that the smartest way to view this place is as a temporary stop. A some kind of purgatory while we wait for our sentencing. Though true nature of how that all works in practice is left unclear to us.

[Akechi has a few theories about the nature of this place, but doesn't feel secure enough to share them with a stranger yet.]

A couple of months. I've seen people both come and go. Oh, by the way my name is Goro Akechi. May I ask for yours?

[ fyodor keeps a mental database of all ability users and information on them; it's how best to keep it safe. that name doesn't sound familiar at all so fyodor inclines his head: ] Fyodor Dostoevsky.

[Not another one.]

You wouldn't happen to be familiar with a man named Osamu Dazai?

[ god why ]

Yes, unfortunately.

Are you a friend of his? [ how many people does dazai have ensnared in his web here? fyodor is not going to have an easy time manouvering. ]

Ah. The opposite actually.

[Dazai had tried to torture him after all...] I assume you share the sentiment.

[ oh that's rather good news. fyodor searches akechi's face for traces of deception. ]

Correct, though he usually has very pleasant manners when he wants something from someone. I'm guessing you didn't bite his bait as he wanted you to.

Hmm. [Sorry, he's just all smiles here. Now whether you trust that or not is up to you, Fyo]

Not quite. I happened to come across rather sensitive topic to him, and well. We had a disagreement.

[ trusting someone??? in this economy??? ]

Oh dear, oh dear, what did you say to upset Dazai-kun? He's not prone to emotional outbursts back home, you know.

[What a mood.]

Something about his past. So, what is your gimmick? The Idiot, Crime and Punishment or maybe Notes from the Underground?

Ah yes, that would do it. [ but he's not even going to ask because the past is past and that's dazai's to deal with. though he is amused to know it certainly seemed to upset the other. ]

I take a bit of offense to have my ability referred to as a gimmick, but why is that name even familiar to you?

Ah, my apologies.

[said so insincerely. ]

Let's just say you are rather famous. Those are the titles associated with you.

Famous in your world? That's a curious turn of events. I'm afraid only one of those is associated with me back home.

"The Idiot" is a rather lovely title though.

Yes. I can tell you that this was the matter that was so upsetting to Dazai-san.

[He chuckles. It's more like Akechi waved sensitive information in front of him, which had turned out to be nothing but a red herring.]

A story of seemingly mentally slow man who everyone deems as nothing but a simpleton. Only for the narrative reveal that the ones judging him were the true idiots. Do you resonate with the story?

Oh dear, what an awkward situation. [ there were worse things in fyodor's mind, than being famous in another world but, well, that is neither here nor there. ]

I am afraid I do not. [ after all, everyone had always been aware of fyodor's intelligence though there were a few who tried their luck--only to end up regretting it. ] That said, this is quite interesting that my existence in your world was related to writing. Books.

You don't say. [He gestures the air. Honestly the situation hadn't nearly been as simple as Akechi makes it but that honestly wasn't important. He hadn't liked Dazai even before their incident.]

"Was". What makes you think your namesake is dead?

The expression on your face. [ which could be true or not. ] You sure you're not interested in buying at least one of these potions for future use?

Do I really look that scary?

[Akechi gives the vials another glance, shrugs and steps towards the booth. Who knows, maybe he can make Akira drink it.]

You didn't answer my question. What is your ability called?

Oh? Did you not consider asking such a question might be rude? [ it's not rude per se but it is certainly a question. he's moderately amused at how forward this young teenager is.

he can also see why he clashed with dazai. ]

Is it? Well, my apologies then. [So sincere!] I assumed that you wouldn't be someone bothered by breaking the social norms.

Oh no, manners are quite important regardless of where you are and where you come from. It's not rude, but it also is not generally available information for any and all to have at the tips of their fingertips.

[ fyodor smiles ]

I think that's something we can both agree on. Manners matter. [Even if they're fabricated and dishonest. But that's the trick. To be able to convey such false profile to public so that they don't catch the lie, the fake manners and niceties.]

Your, ah, acquaintances were not as secretive about their abilities. But I suppose I will just have to figure yours on my own.

Isn't that more interesting than being given the answers right away?

Of course. [Smirk] I've always loved a good puzzle.

TEST DRIVE MEME #3

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