![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
expiationmods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
expiationmeme2023-02-27 01:04 am
TEST DRIVE MEME #2
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. 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.
BE OUR GUEST
You may possess any number of questioning thoughts as you traverse the blindingly white room and are dropped into a darkness beneath your feet, but perhaps those same thoughts will be replaced with an awe and curiosity as you come to. Expiation has you now and you have joined the ranks of the Chosen, a seemingly select number of individuals who have arrived with parchment either in-hand or near them, detailing physical and mental statistics in addition to a particular crime to which you have been accused.
How you choose to spend your time here is largely up to you...
IT'S A WINDMILL, NOT A GIANT
As you begin to acquaint yourself with the lay of the land about you, you'll find that not too far from where you've woken there's a rather grandiose tower windmill. Its blades rotate at a casual pace as it faces the ocean and its accompanying shoreline. It appears to be in relatively pristine condition, implying that it is cared for well and often, likely by the locals of the town of Aldrip, which can be easily spied from the elevated level of land upon which the windmill sits.
Outside of the main structure is a collection of wooden crates in various display. Some of these are closed. Some are open. If you observe for long enough, you'll eventually find that a few relatively muscular sorts arrive on the scene to retrieve some of these crates and take them back the distance toward the town that lingers at the base of the mountains. If you choose to inspect the crates, you'll find some of them filled with heavy canvas sacks that contain flour. If you choose to ask the town locals retrieving them about this, they will explain that the windmill companion you have woken near is just one of the many implements that the locals use to provide sustenance to dining tables, festivities, and more.
You have the option to help the locals carry crates back, potentially to curry some favour with them, or simply take some sacks of flour yourself. Crates require more than one person to carry due to the weight, but two able-bodied adults should be able to handle the job quite well. A sack of flour can generally be carried by one, but perhaps you'll find yourself needing some assistance anyway. Maybe ask one of the others who've woken up near you. It certainly seems you're not alone in this new endeavour.
WHERE ONLY THE BRAVE MAY GO
If windmills and manual labour aren't your thing, you may find yourself drawn to the seemingly mysterious cave at the foot of the mountains, not far from the windmill in question.
The locals refer to this cave as Lorentia. Jagged rocks poke out around the entrance and have been sculpted and shaped to resemble what appears to be the massive sharp-toothed mouth of a dragon. It is possible you may be momentarily stopped by one of said locals who will explain that the Lorentia Cave is a passage system that leads through the interior of the mountains, though due to some collapse of the inside, the passageway does not go in far and is currently blocked off for the safety of local citizenry. In other words, proceed with caution.
If you're still feeling brave and care to take a peek inside, by all means. No one's going to stop you.
The interior of Lorentia Cave consists of both narrow passageways and some larger, more cavernous like rooms. There are assorted mining implements scattered along the ground, propped up against the walls, and carts that are filled with various ores, rocks, crystals, and more. The locals of Aldrip use Lorentia Cave for largely mining purposes and many of the things that are retrieved can be used for the smithing forges, the crafting of weaponry, or fashioning into jewellery and other accessories that are sold locally and taken to other towns on the continent.
There are some crudely designed signs that note to take care and depict simple skull drawings, indicating that certain paths may be a little more dangerous to traverse than others. If you are especially lucky (or unlucky, as the case may be), you may even spot some skeletal remains from some less-than-fortunate souls who got caught in a dead-end path and simply never made it out again.
If you listen closely, sometimes you hear the flutter of wings and a distant roar. Maybe it's best not to linger...
NO SOMETHING FOR NOTHING
MAXWELL'S SILVER ROCK-HAMMER
The townsfolk are welcoming to newly-arrived, something that has largely been met with a fair amount of scepticism and wariness from prior arrivals. That said, they continue to be hospitable, eager to share stories and songs about their land, their people, and their traditions.
A jewelcrafter is displaying their work today, putting their various wares out for locals and members of the Chosen to admire, or perhaps to purchase. Part of their demonstration is opening geodes with rock-hammers and showing off the impressive inside of colour and masterful natural works of art gifted to them by the land's bounty. They may choose to speak a little on how they revere the land, the resources they've been given, and how all of this has been bestowed upon them by the very gracious Those Who Were There, a mysterious and seemingly celestial higher power.
For those who are interested, they have the opportunity to offer some assistance to the jewelcrafter by opening some geodes as well. There's plenty of rock-hammers to go around and the most recent retrieval from Lorentia Cave's mining appears to have been very successful. The jewelcrafter is so moved by the offer of help that he's more than happy to let those who aid him keep one opened geode for themselves at no cost.
Congratulations on your new piece of decor!
FORGING BONDS IN THE FIRES OF PASSION
If you were a brave soul who made visit to the Lorentia Cave and came back with some weapon or armour crafting materials (including skeletal remains), you'll find that the smithies of Aldrip are eager to do business and many of them enjoy their craft for the sake of being passionate about what they do.
They'll waste no time in starting the forge and should you have a specific piece in mind you are requesting, as long as they have the materials on hand, they'll even be willing to show you the general process from start to finish on a rough draft of the piece in question. If you're feeling especially keen to help, they may offer to let you work directly on your project, though they will express apprehension and a wary eye for those who fail to have prior experience with such gruelling tasks.
Once your piece is finished, you can either wear it immediately, learn the best way to maintain and keep your equipment, or put it out on public display to show the rest of Aldrip and its residents, new and old alike. If you choose to let the smithies keep your piece, they'll pay you the cost of the materials you've brought them, plus a small percentage markup depending on how much personal effort you put into the craftsmanship personally.
Better yet, you may have just come out of the situation with a permanent bond. The smithies have an appreciation for those who share similar interests and may be willing to provide future discounts to those who purchase their wares.
FEEDING THE MASSES
YOU'RE A REEL CATCH
Aldrip locals always have a need for food and with many Chosen having recently arrived, that need has increased exponentially, for now they have a larger number of mouths to keep fed and stomachs to keep happy. To help inspire this retrieval of food, Aldrip is hosting a fishing competition and anyone who's interested in participating may do so, provided that they follow the guidelines set in place.
All participants must use local fishing equipment and this will be provided by the various merchants in town free of charge, save for those who wish to keep their fishing tackle. All fish caught within the local rivers, ponds, and the nearby ocean are acceptable for submission. Citizens (local or Chosen) are forbidden from using magic or technology as a means to catch their quarry. Anyone found breaking these rules will be disqualified and will be fish'd (that is, they will have raw flopping fish thrown at them).
The winner of the competition is chosen by having caught the largest fish (determined by size and weight) and will be announced at the end of the competition. The applicable winner may keep their fishing tackle free of charge and have their winning fish cooked in the style of their choice by the locals, which can then be shared amongst the people if they so choose (a fantastic way to make friends). The winner will also have a mediocre fish sculpture awarded to them with their name chiselled into the details in honour of their glorious victory.
OOC Notes:
Both TDM participants and characters already in the game may participate in the fishing competition. Please use the designated comment if you wish to partake. On the 13th of March (after applications have closed for the cycle), the winner will be announced and drawn by RNG. We will announce who the winner is on this TDM post (in these notes), the moderator plurk, and the OOC community.
I'M A [X], NOT A FISHER
If you're not a fishing kind of individual yourself, there's still plenty for you to get involved with.
Aldrip has need of people who are capable of preparing meals, especially seafood. It is probable that many participants of the fishing competition will end up fishing up things that are not fish or eligible for submission, but still edible. These include crabs, lobsters, jellyfish, octopuses, clams, and other related sea life. If you have experience with cooking or simply want to help out, the Aldrip locals will welcome you with open arms and may even pay you for your assistance.
If cooking isn't your forte, you'll find that some of the Aldrip citizens enjoy a betting pool from time to time. If you have some coins or something else you don't mind putting up for gamble, you might just come out with the whole pot if you put your currency on the winning fisher. Anyone found to be attempting to rig the betting pool and competition, however, will be returned their bet. We don't take kindly to cheaters here.
At least not openly.
Fishing can be a sometimes dangerous pastime. You may find a fisher who has gotten themselves accidentally hooked on their line or perhaps when they were freeing a fish, the hook got lodged into their thumb. Aldrip welcomes those who have healing abilities to help assist those more unfortunate situations, so fishers can go back to casting out their lines to make the most of the competition. That said, there's nothing in it for potential healers, just the notion that you've done a good deed.
no subject
He might have gotten in over his head with this one. This is why he doesn’t talk to people. ]
I’m ex-SOLDIER. [ This is said coolly; it’s a clarification he always makes to anyone. ] Which means I’m not getting taken advantage of by anyone anymore.
[ Pawns in a tyrant’s hands: well, Barret would definitely have something to say about this one, and he can’t deny that it doesn’t ring true. After everything that Shinra has done, and everything that he’s been through, he doesn’t doubt that he’d been a pawn back then, to some extent, or that all SOLDIERs weren’t created with both the dream of heroics and the reality of servitude.
He thinks of Sephiroth, the great super soldier of Shinra, and narrows his gaze down to his plate. ]
Not all of them are pawns. Some learn how to think for themselves. Fight for themselves. Be the heroes they always wanted to be.
[ He isn’t necessarily counting himself in that, though. ]
no subject
I like the thought. A soldier’s cause as their own, instead of one that’s been given to them by a faceless leader or company. It’s a liberating aspiration.
[By this point, the fish has become a beautiful golden-brown, marking its completion. It is delicate and flavorful, with a satisfying balance of salt and lemony acid. With a contented grunt, Młynar neatly deposits his tools on the small box beside him with a sharp *click,* before putting his creation on a plate for Cloud. Meanwhile, his expression shows clear respect for a fellow soldier- or ex-SOLDIER, whatever that might be.]
Here, eat up. Consider this my apology for a rude start to things. Sometimes this old horse becomes a little too ornery for his own good. Besides, I’m still curious about that weapon of yours. I’m still on the fence about whether I should call it a giant blade or a club.
[It’s rare for Młynar to apologize with such candour. In fact, he usually only ever did it for Toland, his old mercenary friend and war buddy. Perhaps it’s because the two of them were so alike in their philosophy?]
no subject
Don't worry about it. You're right. Some people never get past what the company wants. Some people are different.
[ It's not like Shinra had any shortage of those willing to fight for them--then again, needing a paycheck can sometimes be an easy incentive.
Carefully, he picks up a fork to start gently cutting into the fish; his gaze jerks up, then back down again, and he clears his throat, faintly. ]
You want to sit? Seems unfair for you to stand the whole time. [ Cooking or not. ] As for the weapon, it's definitely a sword.
[ Something pulls at him: a thought, a memory, someone's voice, an urging. His brows knit together faintly, but he can't quite shake it entirely; with a breath, he forces himself to take a bite of the fish. It's delicious, a nice balance with the bit of lemon flavor, and it helps cut through his own unease at himself. ]
no subject
At Cloud’s suggestion, Młynar gracefully makes his way to a nearby seat, crossing one leg over the other as he sizes the SOLDIER up. Even now, it seems surreal that a normal human would ever be able to carry something like that around. A Kuranta like him? Sure. But humans were… fragile. This one looked especially brittle, with a built that wasn’t especially muscular, and facial features that he could only call feminine. What was his secret?]
How’s it tasting? I know I’m no chef, but I’d like to think that raising two girls has made a decent chef out of me.
[The first smile of the whole conversation appears on Młynar’s face. Talking about his nieces was one of the few things that could draw out a gentle side from the knight- even if he was incredibly harsh with them in person.]
As for the sword, I have to admit, I’m impressed. What kind of regimen does a human need to lift something like that around?
[There is particular emphasis on the word *human.* It’s not that he discriminates against them or anything. He just sees them as vulnerable beings, who need to be protected. This makes Cloud something of an oddity.]
no subject
I'm not a regular human. But squats help.
[ At least he gives a firm nod of his chin towards the plate, appreciative; when the stranger says that he raised two girls, it makes a little bit more sense. Then again, doesn't he look a bit young to have children?
Sidelong, Cloud looks at him as he takes a small sip of ale, but decides to leave it alone. It's surprising enough that he shared something like that--no need to grab all the details just yet. ]
The fish is great. You did a good job, cooking's definitely one of your strengths.
[ He doesn't exactly smile, but there is a faint lift to the corner of his mouth. ] Might have to have you teach me a thing or two.
no subject
[He kept that filed away as a topic to raise later. For now, he’d focus on the final comment about his culinary skills and the idea of teaching Cloud. This world is a strange one. He’s a master swordfighter and user of luminal Arts, yet people seem to be more interested in his cooking. Cloud makes the second person today to ask him for lessons. Perhaps he should open up a school for household tasks?]
You should be careful what you ask for, friend. I’ve got something of a reputation as a harsh teacher.
[ Back in his glory days, he had been feared as a merciless taskmaster on the training field. Even his nieces were unable to emerge unscathed, and regularly nursed rather nasty bruises. While teaching cooking is slightly different than teaching swordplay, a person’s fundamental teaching style still remains the same.]
I suppose it’s rude to just go without names though. I am Młynar Nearl. I would offer my business card, but I seem to have left them all a whole reality away.
[The statement is followed by an ominous chuckle. No matter how accustomed they became to this world, the fact remained that both of them were still a long way from home.]
no subject
[ --and he doesn't like the thought of them. They remind him of a place that he doesn't like or respect; it isn't that he conflates the idea of this stranger, now named Młynar, with the likes of Shinra, but it's one less thing to have to worry about. He's never been good at being professional in that capacity.
With a faint smile, he continues to carefully cut into the fish in front of him; it's one of the better meals he's had in this place, after all, and a good source of energy for later. He should take advantage of what he can while he has it. ]
I'm Cloud. ...Strife, though I don't think you'll meet another Cloud.
[ It's said wryly--he's never really understood the name himself, though he imagines it came, fondly, from his mother. ]
This place isn't like where you came from, is it?
no subject
[For the first time since Młynar had arrived in this strange place, he’s having a fun time. This reminded him of his younger days, where he’d swap tales with other mercenaries and knights about some of the insane things he’d seen while he was wandering the land. It was a good time, before war and corporatization made things complicated.]
In a way, that answers your question- the world of Terra's quite different. My homeland of Kazimierz seems rather brilliant at first glance, as a haven of technology and innovation. Yet, beneath all that, corporations have taken control of everything, with the rich feasting in safety while the poor are kept in ghettoes and prisons. Ah, and then there are all the monsters that roam the realm.
[That wasn’t even mentioning the Catastrophes, where meteors bearing a strange disease fell from the sky. In a way, Terra was something of a hellworld. Still, its inhabitants found ways to come together and make the best of grim circumstances.]
This place is nice by comparison. It’s peaceful, and the drink isn’t too bad either.
no subject
[ --because it sounds familiar, which is, in some ways, almost disappointing. Is that the sort of world that everyone is destined to live in, where the rich control the poor and there's nothing to be done about it? He thinks back on the way that Barret yelled for change no matter the consequences; he might be starting to understand that a little better, now, the urge to take down Shinra and find some kind of equilibrium for a planet on the edge of destruction.
But there's nothing he can do about that now. He's in this place, where the drink isn't too bad, according to his new companion. Truthfully, he doesn't know all that much about liquor--but he can pretend all he wants, with a soft nod and a wry smile. ]
Anything tastes good after a long day, though. [ Still, he's pulling another swallow from his mug. ] Doesn't the peace make you a little nervous? It doesn't feel real.
[ Or maybe he's the only guy waiting for the other shoe to drop. ]
no subject
After a short while, he steals a small bite of bread that he had put aside. He’d partake in the fish, but he had been too popular, and left without any for himself.]
I’ll admit, there are a few things that don’t add up here. One would think that a peaceful place like this would be prosperous and well-stocked with good food. Yet, there’s a shortage for some unknown reason.
[It was an uncomfortable thought, but back in Kazimierz, it paid to be observant and borderline paranoid about these things. Such perceptiveness would doubtlessly serve Młynar equally well here, or at least he believes as much.]
Which is a long way of saying that I think you might be right. I hope you are not, for the sake of my peace, but I fear that you are.
no subject
He considers this in silence, for a moment, his fork poised into the fish on his plate; while he may be the type to miss the details, at times, it doesn't escape him that there seems to be no meal left for his companion outside of a bit of bread.
With a short sigh, he sets his fork down, pushing at the plate. It skids slightly against the wood of the table. ]
Better eat the rest of this, then. Who knows where your next meal will come from?
[ There's a faint hum of amusement in his voice. ]
no subject
Mind you, much like actual horses, the Kuranta people tended to prefer vegetables. Still, Młynar still found his mouth watering at the tantalizing smell of the beautifully cooked fish that he had been unable to enjoy until now.]
The thought’s appreciated. One can only get so far on bread, and I wasn’t in the mood to forage around again tonight.
[Młynar gives small smile, before he quickly and efficiently works at the fish. Having to be on the go almost all the time teaches a man how to eat food quickly enough. Still, he does take the odd moment to savour his creation. His pride demands as much, it was simply too good to wolf down without any regard.]
Mind you, if the locals are to be believed, I’d just have to believe fiercely enough in their deities to find sustenance. Then again, given how we were mysteriously dropped here in their hour of need, they just might be onto something.