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expiationmeme2023-05-29 10:59 am
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.
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?
Late to the partayy but SIGMA CMON <3
[ As a fellow heeled individual, the sight of an unfortunate sod getting chased by chickens had Yosano glad it wasn't her. In fact, she was chuckling quite hard, relishing in their apparent pain.
That was until said individual started running in her direction. With the horde of chickens in pursuit. ]
Hah. Stop. Stop!
[ Yosano yelled. Because she too was sporting grains in every nook and cranny of her clothes, and the chicken's eyes were twinkling like they'd found a new target.
Unlike the eccentric man—Eh? She'd seen a photo of them before... Sigma?—,who was running away from the horde, Yosano readied to start punt kicking them. ]
omg omg yosano!! ♥
The result is unfortunate and very ungraceful.
A foot gets caught on a chicken, maybe two, there's indignant squawking, pecking, trying to right himself all in the manner of a few seconds and whoops, down this eccentric man goes. Hopefully Yosano and her intimidating punt kicks were able to get out of the way quickly enough? ]
HAHA this is soo funnny
Karma hit back at Yosano in the form of an unceremonious Sigma tripping over a chicken and taking her down with him.
She fell back, heels slipping out from underneath her, and landed with a splash on the muddy wet farmland. Clothes, hair, skin now soaking.
But there was no time to mourn, because the militarised chickens descended on Yosano, pecking and biting at her clothes for the hidden grains.
She leapt to her feet and started cackling. The last straw in Yosano's already bad day. She reached for Sigma underneath the horde of chickens, grasping the back of his shirt and, with strength only afforded to her through rage alone, swung him at the chickens in front of her. ]
That's enough. [ She muttered. Fully intending on using Sigma as a shield. ]
an awful, no good, very bad day
Which crescendos into a frightened yelp when he's unceremoniously scruffed. The chickens that had been peacefully pecking away at him aren't too pleased that he's moving again, skittering over to join forces with the ones that had still been after Yosano. The full battalion, back together. ]
Hey! Hey, hey, hey, wait a second, let me go!
asdfffgff Whack-a-mole
[ Yosano replied. An evil grin growing on her face as she stared down the chickens from behind her shield. ]
I'm going to pummel you into these chickens until their all dead. And you...
are going to regret ever tripping me over.
[ The chickens had re-assembled into a staggered row formation. And Like a game of whack-a-mole, when one got too close, Yosano would swing Sigma at them. Cackling like a madwoman whenever the chickens squawked, dispersing around her human-made shield. ]
—You better think of a way out of this before you die ~
no subject
[ How does such a slight person have the upper body strength to do this!? Sure he'd read some her file and saw a few more personal things when--FUCK. Alright, two swings is already two too many for him. Time to smack his brain back into high gear so it can stop smacking a bunch of animals!! ]
Up! We can move up and away from them somewhere; this is a farm, there are plenty of things to use as platforms!
no subject
[ Yosano glanced behind her. Sights settling on a hay bail, maybe a hundred meters away? They could slowly back up and reach it safely, but Yosano was unsure if her shield would survive that long... or—
Yosano pushed Sigma into the chickens, reaching into her pocket and spraying grains on him like bait, before turning and bolting towards the promised higher land. ]
no subject
Hey, to hell with this, actually!? Most of the clumps of grain he can feel stuck in/on him are nestled inside his tailcoat and shirt, so he makes quick and imprecise work of tugging those off to toss at the ravenous beasts while inching in the direction of the hay bale. Yosano may very well already be there once he's down to his turtleneck, but that just means it'll be easier to spot in a rush.
The toss gives the chickens a new spray of feed, and while they're distracted he bolts. There better be room up there for two! ]
HAHAHAHA omfg
She shoots a look back at her bait, mostly to laugh at him, but her foot catches on a rock and, well, down she went. Face-planting into the soil.
Raising her head, now covered in dirt, looking more and more like a war-painted warrior, Yosano groaned. Should she just lay here and wait for the chickens to devour her next?
No. The hay bail was so close. She hopped up, ripped of her heels, and belly flopped on to the hay bail. Struggling her damnedest to pull herself up. ]
Don't bring them here!
[ Yosano hissed out when seeing a surprisingly still alive, but further dishevelled, Sigma racing towards her. ]
chaos reigns.....
Aaand another belly-flop onto the itchy-scratchy hay. Up, up! He's at least pretty good at climbing, so soon they'll both be in the clear! ]
no subject
She grabbed his ankle, intending to use him as an anchor to pull herself up.
Those damn chickens. Already she could sense their beady terminator eyes locking onto her dangling feet, wanting a taste of her little toes. ]
no subject
I have hands, let me go and I'll lift you.
no subject
Yosano wasn't so sure. ]
I don't believe you. If I'm falling, you're falling with me.
[ She gripped onto his ankle tighter. However, when Yosano felt a distinct peck at her toes, she quickly grabbed higher up Sigma's pant leg. She would climb over him if she had to. ]
no subject
I've had quite enough of falling for a while, thank you.
[ He'll be trying to pull that leg up and away from her, the other one kicking at her forearm to dislodge her grip. Off! Off, witch! ]
no subject
Yosano didn't even try to get up. She closed her eyes, awaiting for the coming onslaught...
when nothing happened?
Swivelling around, Yosano caught sight of the hellish chickens pulling rank on another unfortunate sod, far far away from them. ]
Hah. Thank goodness.
[ She laughed. And more so when she spotted onlookers staring, confused and worried, at the pair who had been playing king of the hay bail for no conceivable reason at all. ]