test drive 5.0
The world has shifted. Or maybe you’ve shifted? Either way, things have changed, and it’s going to be quite a while before you see them change back again. BASICSYou were going about your business as usual until the world went white around you, and when the fog cleared: Oska. You've arrived in a snag of reality between worlds, the full extent of which can be read about here. But in essence, you’ve arrived in a grand, magical, almost empty castle. Outside the castle is an empty, long-abandoned village, partially in ruin. Past that, the world simply fades out into white mist. Your best bet is probably to stick to the castle and its grounds.
Suits of armor patrol the quiet hallways, but good luck getting them to speak or answer any questions. There’s absolutely nothing inside them, they move under their own power. They don’t talk, but they also go out of their way not to hurt you. You can even attack one, it will just patiently wait for you to give up and leave. If, however, you ask one for directions, it will dutifully turn and lead the way to wherever you’ve requested.
Librarians lurk in the halls of the enormous, well-stocked library, in which you can find nearly any book from nearly any world. The librarians are tall, wide, and very muscular, but they’re also not out to hurt you. Provided you play nice, of course. The usual rules apply: be respectful of the books, keep your voice lowered, and never bring any source of flame into the library. That last one might make the librarians reconsider their nonviolent natures.
Outside, there's a greenhouse with every type of flora you can imagine (and more, since they're from all over the universe) — be careful, though, because not all of them are friendly. If you'd like to take a dip, you can check out the lake; just be friendly to the fish. You can catch sight of almost any animal you'd like in the stables, real-world or fantasy. Most of them have been tamed, and won't do any real harm. However, some of them can be a bit testy. Stay away from the unicorns unless you have perfect manners — they hate impoliteness.
Current characters in game can assume that the Timeline glitched and sent them temporarily back to Oska. You are welcome to take any threads that happen here as game canon, should both parties arrive in game. Threads done here by prospective players may be used as application samples, and threads done by current players may be used as Bonus AC.
PROMPTSONE ✗ THE KITCHEN
The kitchen is always stocked with food, freshly cooked and ready to be eaten — although there was no one to do the cooking, and it might just be you to do the eating. That doesn’t seem to discourage the kitchen in the slightest, which is constantly churning out new, fresh courses. Some of them are more innocent than others today.
That tart you just ate? It was harpfruit, native to Cendiares, and has a pesky side effect of making the eater blurt out everything that pops into their head. The completely average-looking salad actually has flakes of Raphian wildflowers, which cause a bit of dancing fever — it isn't contagious, but it does make the sufferer want to dance with everyone they can. The choices and effects are endless and up to you, and don't worry; ALASTAIR is working on getting the kitchen under control as we speak.
TWO ✗ THE TRAINING CENTER
Maybe you find your way into the Training Center. A lot of work went into setting this room up, and it can construct nearly any scenario that you can imagine. All it takes to activate this room, still and featureless until it comes to life, is the brush of a finger against one of the glowing pads on the wall. The magitek will take it from there.
Just envision the setting and any enemies you’d like to train against, and they’ll instantly materialize. Would you rather go sightseeing, without worrying about a fight? No problem! The room is eager to provide you with a sparring partner, but it can be convinced to hold off -- just don’t think of getting into any fights. The Training Center also offers any games you can think of: soccer, basketball, literal freeze tag, etc. Every supply you need will be simulated for you.
Additionally, the following scenarios are also preloaded into the system for user convenience, each coming with a small summary of mission objectives:
ANWICK: A ruined little village with a massive, dead dragon skewered in the center of it. The goal is to protect her young in a nearby cave. The terrain is treacherous, the wyrmlings are squirmy and unhelpful, and the townsfolk are furious. But for good reason -- it seems dragons have been plaguing them for decades. Even the simulation’s enemies are programmed to say as much, and will do their best to convince you to their side.
CHANTES: Chantes, Audentes' first mission, is a typical medieval town cloaked in darkness and surrounded by a winding forest. It comes in two default flavors and difficulty settings. Fairies are the easier enemy; the objective is to collect three jars of unpleasant, glowing sap from their nests without getting your eyes poked out. The fairy goop can also cause disturbances with magical powers, unwanted levitation, and unfortunate cosmetic effects.
Demons are the more difficult setting. The task is to clear ominous runes off of various town structures, but when approached, each one releases a red, misty spirit. It will fight tooth and nail to protect its ‘home,’ but is largely invulnerable short of destroying its rune. To prevent this, it may resort to spells, violence, and possessing someone else in the simulation -- consider this a lesson in PvP. (NOTE: You’re also welcome to use anything from the previous events from Chantes as well.)
OSKA TRAINING: The goal in this simulation is simple: outlast the timer. It’s exactly the same castle, but after it’s been pelted by a firestorm, architecture ruined to rubble and ash. Navigating the half-destroyed castle is hard enough, and the earthquakes and fireballs raining from the sky will continue until characters survive for a certain amount of time (from an hour to a day) or find a full bushel’s worth of food. And just to rub salt in the wound, all the dirt, grime, and mud in this simulation will last outside of it, so you might need a shower after.
NALAWI: An island nation populated by diminutive deer people. The first setting is a mini version of the Gilligan's Island event -- it's less action-packed and more focused on survival. Marooned on the drowned island of Dakal, it's up to you to figure out where to find food and shelter. You might also want to avoid the hungry sea creatures that have made their way up on the island, too.
The second setting involves lava monsters erupting out of Nalalona, the largest volcano on the Nalawi islands. Lava imps will do their best to hypnotize recruits into following them back into the volcano, and can be defeated the normal way or non-violently lured into the water. Next comes the fire golems, hulking but fast. Their weak spot is their glowing core, but it will require some cleverness to reach. (NOTE: You're welcome to use any scenarios based on other Nalawi events as well!)
ZETA-12: Oh boy, a whole planet to explore! The objective here is simple: protect your delicate goo baby at all costs. Luckily for you, the simulation has seen fit to skip over the frozen wastes! Your first challenge is crossing the deep forest: carnivorous plants try to get a bite out of you, but that isn't the worst part. Eventually, you come to a deep chasm, and have to choose between forcing your wailing, distressed squidge across, or soothing it for several hours until it's willing to go with you.
Scenario two is a thick bog inhabited by an aggressive plant monster. It spits a crippling neurotoxin, so anyone attempting to fight it should be wary. Outsmarting or avoiding it would be best for the squidges' well-being, but some people are too hot-blooded for that. What will you do?
Finally, there's the desert; it's picturesque, but only if you can ignore the dehydration and punishing heat. There's a cave network for you to seek shelter in, but make no mistake: pretty soon a freak meteor shower causes a cave-in and leaves you trapped inside with an increasingly aggressive squidge. Are you out there dodging meteors or navigating caverns? THREE ✗ HOT SPRINGS EPISODEOne of ALASTAIR's teams extracted an enormous, very hot core from a sentient and murderous AI. What better way to put it to use than to heat up the springs? It's a nice place to get some much needed R&R or just hang out. Some enterprising recruits have built wooden decks and stairs around and through the whole affair. It's a little bit of a hike to get there from the castle, but anyone who has visited can agree: it's worth it. FOUR ✗ THE NETWORKThere is some good news, along with all these bizarre and fantastical new sights: you’ve arrived with a new piece of jewelry which, if examined, gives you access to anyone else that might be currently inhabiting Oska. You can speak into the jewelry and be heard, you can get it to project moving images of yourself and others, you can even think a message into it and have it arrive as written word to whoever you’re communicating with. It’s a useful little trinket, provided you can get it to work. FIVE ✗ CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTUREYou are free to use any of these settings, or anything from the Settings Page. You may use any virtually created setting you can think of in the Training Center, even scenes from your character’s world (although they’ll be devoid of people, unless they’re brought in as opponents). |
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thirstology2016-09-24 10:21 pm
no subject
[Despite her shenanigans, she hadn't been paying that much attention to this man-- person-- whoever he was-- when she'd started talking, but now that she gets a better look at him her eyes go wider and rounder. First the haunted suits of armor, then this goat skull dude? Wow, this really is a mystical castle.]
Oh, my bad! [She starts to automatically reach up for the skull (which, seeing as how she's really short, probably wouldn't work for her anyway) but pulls her hand back.] There's just been a lot of colorful people around! Now that I think about it, I think you have more of a 'royal wizard' kind of vibe.... hey, that skull thing is just a mask, right? You're not a skeleton, are you?
[and then she continues asking terrible questions like the rude little shit that she is]
no subject
That would not be the case here; he knew it. So he steeled himself as best he could for what he anticipated was worse than the average human child from his own world—this one's already gotten a taste of curiosity for the arcane, after all. His shoulders grow slightly more tense at the widening of the eyes, but she resists panicking or yelling. That was good. (Though it's a dog skull, Maya, jeez... do you think goats have sharp teeth like that?)
He leans back slightly as she reaches out for him, dully shocked. It wasn't typical for humans to reach out for him, let alone within a moment of meeting. His eyes do that "narrowing" thing again.] "Mage" is the correct term, though I do not belong to this world, castle, or whatever force rules it. [He always bristles at the insinuation he might be bridled by someone.
Vexed, he replies in a low tone,] You can use your eyes to answer your own questions. [The jaws of the skull move with each word, the muscles of the neck directly attaching to it—it definitely didn't look like a mask in action. Apart from his head, the rest of his silhouette looks human, despite being perhaps a foot and a half taller than average.]
This way, [his tone is like that of a lecturing teacher,] when you ask questions, they are good ones.
no subject
....Sorry, Mr. Skelling... er, I mean, Mr. Unskellington.
[But it isn't enough to totally dampen her nosiness] Maybe half-skeleton....? [She murmurs, more to herself than him] but wow, you fit right in here for being out of this world.... Did they pick you 'cause you have really awesome magic spells?
[Maya looks him up and down, taking the time to ponder what these good questions might be.]
[Aaaaand, she's hit a couple]
Hey, if that's your real head, how do you eat? Is your tongue made out of bones, too? Does your head ever get cold?
[Great questions!!]
no subject
He heaves a long-suffering sigh through his nose, slowly crossing his arms over his chest.] Elias Ainsworth, if you must, girl.
[He isn't sure how to interpret "fitting in" here. It seems to be a place with magical elements, so that must be it—he simply resembles it, being a magus. At the mention of magic spells, though... well... since they're in a place where it wouldn't be out of place... Elias can't help showing off a little, okay. He lifts his gloved hand up a little from where it was, arms crossed, and the air seems to change a little around it, slowly congealing into a miasma, dark as pitch, which clusters around his fingers. It almost seems as though something is forming there, but it's hard to tell, with how dark the energy was—
And then she goes off on questions and his attention to the spell breaks, the magic dissipating into the air.
Not good questions, Maya! How do you think he eats! Same as anyone else!
He's silent for a moment, simmering, before asking,] How would it benefit you to know any of this? [(And, if you look, Maya, the jaws of the skull move with the words and there is a normal tongue in there, just to answer one of your questions.)]
1/2
[Maya's spiritual power is easily sensed, though. Even if it's weaker thanks to her lack of training - she's got great potential as the heir to the Kurain School of Channeling, and that much can easily be picked up by anyone with supernatural inclinations.]
I'm not "girl", [She tries to sound Indignant, but it's undercut by her pouty tone and the fact that she's puffing her cheeks out like a hamster in protest]
[(nevermind she was the one who started with the name rudeness...)] I'm Maya. Maya Fey!
no subject
Woah! That was awesome! I totally thought you were going to shoot a fireball or something!
[And now appeased, she goes on with much gusto:] This is really important! [No it isn't, Maya......]
I have to make sure you have a tongue so you can know what burgers taste like! And---- what if you can't magic up a hat? You'd totally be in trouble without me!
[Evidently. She squints as he speaks to try to get a glimpse of whether he's got a tongue or not -- and -- once she sees it, she looks pretty satisfied with herself.]
Oooh, I knew it! But you've got no lips. What do you do when you feel like licking them?