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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.
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[ Somebody who could survive getting thrown from a cliff... because that's obviously what Dazai is implying! But Peter is happy to share info, he's not shy. ]
Nope, not that I know of. We've been here for about a month, and nada.
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(he'll have whatever peter's having, but stronger, he'll ask the poor bartender who will have to deal with dazai from here on out.)
Anything unusual at all happening? Ah, well, or anything, really. Tell me what you've been doing.
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[ He did make it sound like everyone else had powers, so that would be pretty useful. And also explain why he was looking for friends. (Or enemies.) ]
Yeah, the only unusual thing is that nothing really big has happened since we got here. No word from whoever gave us those papers, or anything. The locals had a flower festival, and they handed out badges and brooches. That's pretty much it. I've had to resort to tending the bar or wandering around to get in any new sights around here.
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(not that dazai's complaining, he adores drinking and talking, and having drinking buddies feels... pleasantly nostalgic. it won't replace what was lost, but well. makes him recall as things were.)
Ugh, lame!! They're really biding their time, huh? What crime you got?!
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[ Peter ordered a beer because he's basic, so watch him throw that back. At least defeat tastes like beer. ]
Yeah, it's pretty annoying. I get all ansty just being here for so long... [ He misses space! So much! ] Oh, no fair. You have to tell me yours first if you're asking—that way you can't pull a fast one on me.
[ Funny how this is the kind of thing he catches on to. And not the fact that he got conned into buying drinks. ]
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(ah, beer. he can drink it, but it's definitely not even going to scratch the surface of his liver. so, he'll older just a bottle of their best distilled drink. now we are definitely talking.
also, this sweet summer child. he got conned into buying drinks twice.)
Apparently, this world is mad at me for liking women too much. Would that even be a crime?
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[ He was almost there. Almost. He is swinging and missing in so many ways. ]
What, did you get accused of sleeping around? Womanizing? Ouch, dude. That sucks.
[ Spoken like a man who has been called similar words, ngl. ]
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(at the last comment, there's a laugh of recognition. gangsta recognizes gangsta, peter.)
Those exact words! Isn't that absurd?!
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[ Yay! He's going to win the self-satisfaction of guessing, and that's the real reward. ]
Okay, that's pretty ridiculous. I mean unless you're leaving ladies in every port and never coming back... [ Perhaps like someone in this room right now? ] that can't really be that bad.
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(and peter even gets the prize, a very enthusiastic high five.)
Ah, just one port. I'm busy. Sounds like you do the 'every port' yourself, then? Being the space person?
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[ Yesss, this is all he's ever wanted! He looks legitimately happy, pumping his fist in the air. ]
That must be pretty useful in a place where everybody has powers.
[ He clears his throat. Ah, called out, huh? ]
I mean, I was a lot worse about it back when I was younger... but there's a lot of reasons I never stuck around anywhere for long.
[ Look, ok!! Sleeping around is the best way to get information from people!! It just works. ]
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(the specifics are to himself. the rest of the conversation is more interesting, a hand waving in front of him.)
Sorry, sorry! I'm a detective, I can't help it!
(he definitely can, and this is a bullshit excuse, but alas.)
Huh. Wanna talk about it, man?
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Hah, guess I made it pretty obvious either way, huh?
[ Probably shouldn't have said 'every port.' ]
Eh, it's fine. That's not my crime, anyway. Mine's not as black and white as that one.
[ Which, hey, if he's talking about it then it means he'll actually fess up! So there is that. I mean, Dazai told him his, so fair's fair. ]
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Man, I wish! Those would be way more fun. Especially the last one -- is that speaking from experience?
[ He shakes his head, still smiling. Well, until he explains. ]
It's "treason." Worst part is there's actually two reasons I might have been accused of that.
[ He shrugs. Whoops? ]
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(ah, dazai also could have had that one.)
Treason is a bullshit accusation, anyway. You're free in my book!
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[ Respect. Here's a guy who knows how to party. ]
Aw, thanks man. [ He's kidding. Probably? ] Yeah, mine's pretty bullshit. Either I "betrayed" my dad who refused to speak to me, ever, so like, what did I ever even owe that guy? Or I betrayed my, [ pause, ] friend by snitcing on him for doing something I could never forgive him for, even after I told him not to do it. So they're both bogus, if you ask me!
[ He is gonna quickly chug the rest of his beer, don't sweat it. ]
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Fuck, Peter orders another beer. He has been giving this way too much thought! ]
Making us punish ourselves seems pretty on-brand. Weird space entities are into that kind of scut.
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(not like dazai dropped a bomb of 'yes, doing that was my wednesdays', but he'll finish his booze and order something... well, stronger, for himself. beer is basically milk, sorry, peter.)
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[ Had he not just taken a sip of his second beer, Peter would be side-eyeing Dazai much harder than he is. Instead he keeps talking, because boy, he loves talking. ]
It's just my... friend that I got in trouble was kind of important to me. He helped me through a lot. And I mean, I told him not to take the job! I told him that he had to draw a line, you know? There had to be! But he just... [ Peter blows a raspberry. ]
He just didn't care. "Money's money," he said. "Morals ain't worth squat to space pirates, boy. If you want morals, go run to Nova Corps."
[ That's Peter doing his best Yondu imitation, which isn't bad actually. He throws on some weird Southern-ish accent for it, then goes back to just talking like himself. ]
So I did.
[ Annnd, Peter's gonna finish his second beer now. No comment. ]
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(at this point, it's a little unclear whether dazai's talking to himself through peter, or whether it's genuine thoughts. he had himself been betrayed, a man whose morals are rotten like his own had been couldn't forget nor forgive a man's death, the line could have been drawn, but it hadn't been, and a traitor he became for deserting.
so, he gets it, really. and this is exactly why he's pouring more poison to himself, and carefully taking peter's beer glass to replace with what he's been drinking.)
There, there, buddy. You deserve the good stuff.
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[ And he'll never tell him now, he supposes. All those years, down the drain. All because Peter had morals. All because he refused to stand by and let Yondu do what the Chitauri once did to him.
But at this point Peter accepts the drink happily, taking a large sip even if he makes a face as he swallows. Don't worry, he hasn't caught on that Dazai is also talking about himself. ]
I used to go out drinking with him like this. Get plastered till he had to throw me over his shoulder and carry me back to the ship. It sucks! I don't regret it, but it sucks!
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(there... there there... all dazai is gonna do is pat, pat, pat. he's been where peter is right now. drinking, being upset, unable to let go -- he never really did.)
If you don't regret it, perhaps you should find a way to feel less guilty about it. Perhaps that's why your crime is treason, because you feel guilty and all? Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps-- ah, here.
(pouring for himself, pouring for peter. one shot before he takes a look at the staff. pretty... bartender... his jaw drops a little. he hadn't noticed that so far.)
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Man, I wish there was a way to feel less guilty about it. Maybe if he like, killed puppies or kept trying to get me killed even though he's in jail...
[ Yes, he will take that other shot, thank you. He's too emotional to be thinking about women, though the thought does cross his mind. Alcohol makes you dumber, kids! ]
I just mean... I've done so many crimes! Little ones! Big ones! No way Yondu would actually try to get me for this one -- Ravager code says you don't snitch to cops!
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