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expiationmeme2023-01-23 02:02 am
TEST DRIVE MEME #1
Welcome to the TDM for Expiation, a pan-fandom adventure game with fantasy, science fiction, and sometimes subtle 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. 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.
You may find the below links helpful in getting to know themes of the world, locations, the people, and so on.
A WARM WELCOME
The journey here has not been a particularly convenient one. The last thing you can recall is the room of blinding white and the incomprehensible voices that were speaking about you. Then came the dropping of the floor beneath you and suddenly you were falling into black. As you come to and regain a more clear vision of the world about you, you find that you are surrounded by pleasant greenery.
Deciduous trees are sprinkled here and there in some miscellaneous fashion. There are plants and flowers all about, the chirping of birds. Above you rests a fairly clear sky with a dotting or two of clouds. The sun is pleasant. Overall, it’s comfortable. Perhaps too comfortable.
MEADOWLANDS ARRIVAL
Within eyesight, though you can’t possibly know the footing distance, there appear to be fields. A portion of them dedicated to long stalk vegetables and the rest a neatly organised collection of leafy greens. Upon closer inspection, you’ll find that some of these look ready to be picked right away. Not much further past the fields are other buildings. Simple in style and not at all grand in structure or make. There’s people, too. It looks lively. The locals will tell you that you’ve set foot in Aldrip.
Not far from you, in fact relatively close if not in hand already, is a rolled parchment bound by a rather nondescript twine. If you unfurl it, you’ll find a generic welcoming message addressed specifically to you.Welcome to Expiation. We, who have found you so worthy and deserving, have declared you to be one of the Chosen.
The cryptic written greeting is followed by a collection of recorded statistics—physical and mental attributes, along with other observations about your person that clearly weren’t made by you (but may not necessarily be inaccurate).
Nearing the bottom is a peculiar line—You have been charged with ▬▬ and in accordance with the doctrine of this world, you have ▬▬ until you will face your sentencing. Prepare your defence adequately or face the repercussions.
In spite of that strange little addition at the bottom, which may or may not make sense to you, you’re not the only one arriving in the meadowlands. You have some options. Maybe check with a nearby fellow otherworlder, scour the fields, meet the locals. First impressions, after all, can sometimes last a lifetime.
WILD COMPANIONS
The collective of newly-arrived aren’t the only ones exploring the meadowlands. Curious about the various sounds created by those not native to the world, there are animals living in and near the surrounding areas drawn to the attention. Different types and sizes of birds and beasts or other creatures that may resemble ones from your home world begin to close in on your location. Do they mean to do you harm or are they only simply wary about who you might be and what you’re doing?
Some of them are incredibly friendly, especially if you’re inclined to provide them with food, or if they’re younger and they simply don’t know better. But be aware, for every young animal, there is likely to be a parent not far behind, and less inclined to be understanding of your strange fate in this new predicament. As such, no matter how cute something may be, reconsider taking it with you, else you may simply stir the ire of their families.
If you find yourself in a position where you’ve inadvertently stepped into a territory not meant for you, you’ll need to find either a strategic escape or resort to force and self-defence. Fortunately, some of these larger, more aggressive beasts, are much the same ones that the locals in Aldrip have been seeking to cull for the safety of the citizens. Maybe you can make some fast friends with the Expiation natives by bringing them something you’ve had to put down.
THOSE WHO WERE THERE
Those Who Were There are what the locals refer to their gods as, considering them responsible for their continued growth in the world, the abundance of their crops and sea life, the greenery that surrounds them, native wildlife, and some of the strangely advanced luxury items that make their livelihoods a touch more convenient.
You’ve arrived at an opportune time. Although the peoples of the continent freely show their appreciation for their higher beings, every once in a while, they celebrate by way of joyful festivals, grand songs, and more expressive means of their devotion.
FESTIVITIES
Aldrip seems to be a bit busier than usual, with a little more foot traffic than what may be considered a normal day in the life. There’s music in the air provided by lutes, panpipes, and the dulcet tones of men and women alike, expressing songs and tall tales of those they have come to revere as celestial beings. They believe that honouring their betters can be done with song and dance as much as it can be with offerings and prayer.
The town is bustling, a plethora of additional street stalls selling all kinds of local cuisine, jewellery, weapons, and accessories branded with insignias that represent the same wave motif as can be found on the charms every newly-arrived will receive. There’s raucous laughter, a plethora of drinks (alcoholic and non) that are passed along merrily to those wandering through if one doesn’t have a drink already. It’s the perfect way to integrate yourself with the people whilst taking in the celebration.
A portion of the town has had the land cleared, set up with a minimalistic coliseum ring for archery competition and one-on-one combat. Winners of these exchanges don’t get anything grand, but are presented with plenty of free food and drink, and some may even be awarded with some modest badge accessories from the local shops for providing the people with some sport.
Out by the fields, closer to the shoreline of the Talion Sea, there’s a grand pillar of fire that’ll burn all through the day and into the dark of the night where more music follows and accompanies spirited dancing.
SENTIMENTAL OFFERINGS
If you’re searching for a momentary reprieve from the bustle of the festival, there’s a modest walkway of cobblestone that will lead you from the main streets of stalls, drinks, and making merry. Following the way it winds and curves will eventually take you to an elaborate display of dried flowers, jewellery, fanciful cloths, and other items. Some of these hang from nearby trees. Some are draped over an altar fashioned of dark wood.
A local who spies you there kindly explains that it’s a place to leave items of offering for Those Who Were There, as gratitude for all they have granted their loyal people. They also explain that the more sentimental attachment you hold for the item you give up, the more pleased the gods will be with you. What does that mean, exactly? It’s difficult to say, but it seems that it might endear you to the locals at the very least.
Those who leave an item will receive a noticeable wave-like mark on the interior of their dominant hand wrist, almost as if it’s a brand of some kind. This is temporary mark and will only last the length of the festival, but if locals see it, they will be more inclined to give information on the land, the people, and perhaps even extra drinks, food, or shop wares.
Even if you don’t leave an item, as you’ve only just arrived and you may not have much on your person, the locals won’t punish you or think ill of you. It’ll give you a chance to gather yourself before you go back to the festival proper. If you choose to go back at all. The relative quiet is so welcoming, after all.
THE GLITCH EFFECT
NO SIGNAL
If you’ve arrived in this world with a mobile device or something akin to (notebook, laptop, and so on), you’ll find that whilst there are no electrical outlets, there are slender and flat platforms available to keep items of this nature with a charge. You cannot connect to a network and there’s no signal for a connection to grapple onto. That said, programmes that don’t require a connection to be of use (note taking applications, calculators, games), are still operable.
You may find, however, in the use of these programmes that perhaps images are not displaying properly. The colouration may be inverted. There may be unexplainable lines drawn across graphics. Text may not accurately be presented, instead a jumble and tangle of letters, forming what looks more like a mass of verbal tendrils across your screen.
Bizarre and strange sounds may emerge from your device, sometimes a low hum that may be indiscernible to others. Sometimes a high frequency that lingers in the air. It may be just a flash of sound. It may be several seconds long.
Furthermore, it is possible that you may find strange imagery imprinted on the screen temporarily, even where there should be no graphic at all. It’s there for a moment or two before it fades away, almost as if it’s subliminal messaging. The strange imagery is difficult to make out—a highly detailed eye, or perhaps what appears to be an angular face. No two images will be the same, though some may hold some eerily similar depictions.
This strange happenstance will occur periodically until the festival reaches its conclusion.
STATIC BUZZING
Don’t think if you didn’t arrive with a mobile device or related that you’re free from some of the strange electronic phenomena. Devices that are native to Expiation will experience similar errors. The difference is that the devices as a collective (personal computers, printers, cameras, the platforms for charging devices, and more) will emit a fluctuating and repeating frequency of sound cycling from high to low. Some will be able to hear it, some will not, but for those who do, it will come accompanied with a static buzzing sound, as if a connection somewhere is on its last proverbial legs.
There isn’t a means to stop the sound from emerging without depowering the device in question and even the locals don’t seem to know what to do. There are several devices strewn about Aldrip, however, so even if you should unplug one, there will be others expressing the same assault on the ears. Aldrip’s people don’t seem particularly alarmed, however, explaining to those who ask that this sort of thing simply happens every so often, and should they but have faith, Those Who Were There will handle all things ‘in good time.’
Unlike the personal devices brought in by newly-arrived, the electronic devices of Expiation will not display incorrect / jumbled graphics, text, or bizarre flashing images, which may be considered a blessing in disguise, despite having to experience the potentially annoying hum. This strange occurrence, too, will mysteriously end once the festivities have drawn to a close.
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it's soon replaced by a flash of surprise when peter's visor forms. it's less to do with the tech he's spent ample enough time with the avengers, after all, been adjacent enough to tony stark, and frenchie had always been a skilled engineer, but because he hasn't been expecting it of peter. it's a nugget of information he mentally makes note of, before lifting his shoulders in a shrug.
off the grid, maybe not real — it doesn't really matter as long as it has answers. there will be some element of the town that's expecting them, he thinks — the parchment is evidence enough of that — and the open fields mean that whatever element of surprise they have now through virtue of being unnoticed won't last the closer they get to the town. )
It won't take us long to get there, so just be ready. ( and marc looks about ready to make a move, but then there's a flicker of hesitation, and— ) If you come across a young woman by the name of Reese — dark hair, dark skin, red eyes, ( fangs ), she's with me. Tell her 'Mr. Knight' is looking for her.
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There's way more guns, for one thing. And Nova Corps is hardly Starfleet. But that's why guys like Peter exist—to make things a little more even for the little guys. At least that's what he'd say, if he was giving a speech about it. In the meantime he's happy to be underestimated. You only get to use the element of surprise once, after all. ]
I was born ready.
[ Peter smirks, his hands resting on his holsters as he gets ready to follow. Normally he'd keep his visor on if he was expecting a fight, but there's still a chance the people in town won't be hostile. A low chance, but Peter's nothing if not optimistic. I mean, look at them, they're already a team! White Suit guy even gave him his hero name and everything. ]
Dark hair, dark skin, red eyes. Got it.
[ He nods. Red eyes aren't even weird in space, so he just commits the name Reese to memory. But he's not gonna just let the 'Mr. Knight' thing slide, even if he's totally on board. ]
...Mr. Knight, huh?
[ Says the guy whose jacket literally says "Star-Lord" on the back. ]
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( for the time being that — from marc's perspective, at least — is the end of that. he sets off towards the town, not bothering to check if peter's keeping up — at least, not immediately. whilst peter is talkative and potentially easily distracted, marc gets the impression that he can at least take care of himself. eventually, though, after they've been walking for a short while, marc will stop and cast a glance back over his shoulder, as if a thought's just occurred to him. )
Does 'Requiem' ring any bells?
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Wandering in an unknown planet, with an unknown guy, towards an unknown town is probably not the time to pry though. For now he'll trust Mr. Knight. A shared goal is a good enough reason to team up as any.
Peter keeps up the pace without any issue, taking up the rear and keeping his eyes and ears peeled. There's too many variables at play to flark around, but oh is it tempting. He doesn't need to be told to shut up for this part, at least until Marc breaks the silence. ]
Nope. [ He pops the 'p' on that nope. You just know he's been itching to talk. ] That some kind of gang or something, back on Terra? Sounds like it'd make a pretty badass codename.
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A couple of years ago, there was an incident. ( he enunciates 'incident' carefully and pointedly enough that it's clear he's using it as a synonym for 'absolute fuck-up'. ) With someone going around calling themselves 'Requiem'. ( beat. ) Also known as Gamora. ( has marc only just decided that's relevant? maybe.
regardless, peter's made no mention of the infinity stones, no mention of thanos, no mention of gamora as anything other than a friend and a teammate, meaning— ) It could just be a coincidence, or it could be alternate universes, different timelines... I don't know. ( the corners of his lips quirk downwards momentarily. ) But my point is that if this is real and if your friends are here, you need to be prepared for the possibility that they're not the people you know.
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He's mostly paying attention to Marc, mostly looking around, mostly trying not to get distracted, when Marc says something very interesting—and very familiar. ]
Wait, you know Gamora?
[ You have his attention now, Marc. That's not really a question, either. Peter stops in his tracks, excited and animated now that his friend is in the equation. He totally missed the part where Marc implied that she was maybe involved in a cosmic fuck up. ]
That's awesome! Requiem, totally sounds like a Gamora codename. She's big on like... gloomy, cool stuff. I mean, the Gamora I know gave up the assassin life, and I'm pretty sure she always went by her name, otherwise she wouldn't be known as the deadliest woman in the Galaxy.
[ Still, he thinks back to the Continuum Cortex—different timelines and universes were out there. It would be weird to meet someone from an alternate universe, but still possible. ]
But that is so cool that you know a different one. What's she like? Did she try to kill you? [ Casual questions to ask in a casual tone. ] You'd have to be pretty tough to have survived an attack from the deadliest woman in the galaxy.
[ Yeah, he's derailed from reality right now, this comes first—then he can deal with whether or not he's going to meet an alternate timeline friend of his who maybe wants to kill him. I mean, some of his best friends have tried to kill him. It's fine! ]
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partway through peter's series of questions without a break for marc to reply, marc makes a noise that's part groan, part sigh. this, strictly speaking, isn't why he doesn't 'do' teams — that's all on him and his innate ability to make himself look like the worst possible version of himself at all times — but it's part of the reason why he doesn't enjoy them.
there is, though, a small, tiny part of marc that's reminded of spider-man's incredible ability to never shut up that marc ignores.
(he likes spider-man. he has no idea what he thinks of peter at this point, besides 'incessant'.) )
I wasn't personally on her hit list. ( the one response he decides to give. she'd killed a few people, tried to kill a whole load more, but doctor strange had been around, wong had been around, and she had the stone. some of the death hadn't stuck, and he's not confident enough in his understanding of it all to say how much of it had been deliberate and how much of it had been incidental. ) But I think she's over her attempt to take over the galaxy.
( at least, nothing's come up in the circles marc runs in. he thinks wong or strange would've mentioned something, particularly the former given his decision to enlist marc in his devil-killing la death squad, or whatever wong had named it.
but then again, given marc's own recent history, maybe no-one would have mentioned it to him. ) Space isn't my usual stomping ground. ( he adds by way of explanation. )
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Yeah, getting Mr. Knight to agree on a team-up is going to be a lot harder than anticipated. But Peter ain't no quitter. And now that he knows this guy is at least tangentially related to his world (or a version of it,) Peter is going to make sure he learns as much as he can about this Mr. Knight.
Might just be a long con, though. Especially if he's so busy planning a friendship that he stops paying so much attention to Marc's words. ]
Huh? [ Give him a second to replay that in his head. ] Wait, what? Gamora tried to take over the galaxy?
[ He laughs. He tries to cover it with a cough, covering his mouth, but it's already out there. This is probably a very serious thing -- in fact Peter knows how real galactic-level threats are. It's just... Gamora? Doing that? No way. ]
Sorry, I believe you. And it's not funny, I was just... picturing it was kinda funny. But I mean we're obviously from different realities, so. Not funny. Probably scary. Gamora's pretty scary.
[ Marc seemed pretty pissed with him, this probably isn't the time to joke. Besides, if Gamora hadn't turned on Thanos, would she have kept the war going? Would he have fought her on Mercury, and died trying to save Earth? Peter very determinedly tries not to think about it. Better to keep his attention on Marc and try to salvage their team-up potential. He should probably stop rambling.
Peter clears his throat. Just forget he laughed! It's fine. ]
I haven't been to Terra in twenty years so it's no surprise I've never heard of you before, either.
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galaxy-ending stakes tend not to frighten him, in spite of the fact that they're not events he tends to be involved in. what does scare him tends to be more intimate, more life-affecting than world-affecting; more about sense of self, purpose and — ironically, he supposes, given his relationship with his father by the time he left home, by the time randall left home — faith.
good versus bad, vengeance, and justice? that was easy. ) Like I said, space isn't my— ( he gestures with a hand, ) thing. ( and truthfully, if push came to shove, he probably wouldn't be able to pick gamora out of a line-up, green skin notwithstanding.
more to the point, it doesn't really look like it's this place's thing either given the architecture, the lack of immediate evidence of technological development (peter might be right about the paper), and yet here they were. ) And a lot's happened in the meantime.
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So he simply does not do that and puts one foot ahead of the other and throws a smile on his face. ]
Hopefully we won't be stuck here for too long, 'cause being planetside isn't really my thing. [ He looks up at the clouds, still hoping he'll see the Milano's familiar shape come into view any second. He sighs. ] If whoever's in charge can pull people from different realities, you would think they would at least have a 'net I could connect to.
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he doesn't know what he'd been expecting — the display is exactly the same as it had been when marc had first tried using it, shortly after waking up: no signal (of course), no useful functions at all except the camera, but even that's useful only by a loose definition of the term. the time displayed is local to new york — early morning — and marc thinks that if he were there, on an ideal day (how many of those does he have? not many), he'd just about be going to bed now.
(god, he could really go for some coffee if he's going to be up all day.)
he exhales, repockets the phone, then looks back towards the town. it won't take them much longer to get there, and then he can try and figure out what's really going on and if anyone he knows is here.
and how much help khonshu's willing to be, the miserable bastard.
but as for not being here long— ) —And I've never come across a legal system that works quickly unless someone's getting something from it.
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[ Damn, if this place really does look unadvanced but there's a bunch of hyper-tech people controlling things from the shadows then... well, it's exactly the kind of situation Peter would find himself trapped in, isn't it. And without his friends for backup, too.
Peter checks his blasters again -- once upon a time, they were only thing he could count on. Even the Ravagers would have shot him in the back if he didn't have them. He looks over at Marc, well-dressed as he is. The little device in his hand must be some kind of communicator, but if it's anything like Peter's own, it's as flarked as his is. ]
Yeah, I wouldn't count on laws to dispense much 'justice.' [ He shrugs, thinking back on his last encounter with the Worldmind. ] At least if we have to pay some kind of fine, that should be quick. These things'll take forever to get back to you, but money sure speeds 'em along.