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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.
no subject
I've been to different countries before--but this is a different thing entirely. The houses, the way people light them--the clothes they wear--there are familiar things here and there [she makes a gesture towards the windmill] but sometimes it's like being a child, pointing at every new thing outside house and asking 'what is it?'
no subject
That's how I've been feeling, too. Sort of. My world was pretty small, so there's plenty of stuff I just don't know about. When I started traveling, I thought I'd seen it all. Stuff like this? [He nods up at the windmill.] Reminds me I've got a lot more to learn.
no subject
I'm starting to feel like mine was, too. [Talking about it like this, but Ethlyn finds herself smiling.] Sometimes I can be discouraged by it, but it can be amazing too. It's nice to talk to someone else who doesn't look at everything around here and think of how much less it was than where they came from.
no subject
Less was all I knew for a long time. To be honest? I sort of envy people who can look at this place and think it's no big deal. [He's quiet for a second, thinking on that. He could have stayed in New Bodhum forever, feeling the sun and listening to the waves. Arguing with Gadot, exploring with Serah. If he hadn't felt so strongly about changing the future...maybe his life would have been a little more like this. It's bittersweet, as is the faint smile he gives.] You're right, though. It's nice to know someone else gets it.
[Well, sort of. As much as anyone can, at least.]
no subject
She can't say that she feels envy, although... there are some things here that would have been a godsend in Jugdral. When you have a bottle of iodine, for example, you don't have to ever worry about gangrene. Nobody has to bite down on a strap of leather to keep from screaming if they need surgery. And you don't have to hurry to churn the milk or make it to cheese--keep it cold and you have one pail for the whole week, sweet and fresh.]
It makes me want to scold people, sometimes. There are so many things here--little things, even--that I didn't have at home. And having them would have made life better for so many people. They may even have kept people from making war.
no subject
[A little dark, maybe, but no less the truth. Something will always happen that people disagree about. Someone will always want something that someone else has. There's no way around that...it's just how people are. It's what's going to bring humanity down, in the end. One way or another.
But...that doesn't mean he doesn't agree with a lot of what she's saying. He does. More than he's willing to put into words.]
... I know what you mean, though. All the people, the animals, the-- I don't know, fresh food, ice cream, windmills...so many people just don't bat an eye about it. It's weird to think that some people just live that way.
no subject
You're probably right... as sad as that is. [She sighs.] But so far, at least, this place is in a peaceful time.
[She wonders if that will last--if it does, it may well be that the arrival of the "Chosen" will be what upsets it. But Ethlyn decides not to borrow trouble by speculating as much out loud.]
It's very weird indeed. I'm still not used to it, and I'm not sure that I want to be. [Then something that Noel says catches up with her, and she has to drag her mind away from thoughts of her homeland to put it together.] Did your home--suffer from a terrible disaster?
no subject
He's quiet for a moment at her question -- her observation. He knows it's stupid to hesitate, and yet he does it anyway. Here he is spilling his guts, and he's afraid to answer one simple little question? It's almost embarrassing. Still, it takes him a minute to answer, and when he does, his voice is a little softer. It's been a while since he thought, really thought, about what happened to Pulse.]
... A long time ago. Yeah. [There's some reluctance in his tone, but he powers through anyway.] The whole world was nearly destroyed, and then people spent the next few centuries killing each other over the resources that were left.
no subject
How terrible. [She's about to say that she can't even picture something like that, but that would be a terribly insensitive thing to someone who doesn't have to use his imagination to know what it looks like.] No wonder you feel the way you do.
[She's doing her best not to sound pitying; she understands pride too well. But it's hard not to feel something for a person who seems so open and friendly, having grown up in utter deprivation.]
no subject
It... [A sigh. She's clearly trying not to put too much on it, isn't she?] It happened a long time before I was born. It was all ancient history, to me.
[Things that were nothing but fact. Even if Caius had put into motion the events that eventually caused Cocoon to fall, people were the ones who went to war. They were the ones who destroyed what little Pulse had left.]
... Anyway, it just goes to show that people don't know what they've got, right? Not 'til they've thrown it all away.
no subject
Yes, it rather does. [She sighs, thinking about the strife that exists between the nations of Jugdral--and how almost all of it has been lead by the scions of the Crusaders. Dozel and Friege and Chalphy, Isaach... Njörunn and Dáinn.] I wish I could say my homeland was different, but it really isn't. It only took three or four generations for Jugdral to go from a land liberated to one torn apart by the descendants of its own heroes.
no subject
... Even if it does make him wish he wasn't right.]
I'm sorry. That sounds like it must've been hard to handle.
[Especially in that short a timeframe. But one thing doesn't escape his notice--]
... What do you mean by "liberated?"
no subject
For a very long time, the continent of Jugdral was subjugated by the Loptrian Empire. Its founder had made some kind of pact with a dark god, and each successor inherited it--any opposition was ruthlessly crushed. Over the centuries, thousands of people were killed in reprisals and massacres.
But about a century and a quarter ago, a new rebellion began. [She looks up towards the sky, remembering how she learned it--how she was taught of her family's importance.] Twelve warriors lead the revolution, but the Emperor's power was still too much, and they were driven back. They holed up in Dahna, preparing for their last stand.
That was when the gods appeared to them and made the same kind of pact with them that Loptr had once made with the first emperor. With their blessing, the twelve warriors were able to throw down the Empire. [She smiles, aware that she sounds like she's reciting a lesson.] And their descendants have inherited those blessings too.