abraxasooc | TEST DRIVE MEME #1

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TEST DRIVE MEME #1

TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to the very first test drive meme for Abraxas! This meme is run a little bit differently than most in that you'll be asked to choose one of the two different arrival scenarios below for your character to take. If you have any questions about this mechanic or anything else related to the TDM, please take a look at the questions below or ask one of your own here. For general game questions please still use the FAQ.

Arrival

You awaken suspended in the abyss, silent darkness stretching out in all directions. If you try to yell, you'll find that the sound doesn't carry. If you try to move, you'll find it's impossible to tell whether or not you're actually getting anywhere. If you reach for an item you were carrying last time you remember being awake, your hand will only touch bare skin.

You're naked and floating helplessly through the void, and what little air you have in your lungs is running out.

There's a pinprick of light that almost looks like a faraway star but as it grows it becomes clear that it's actually quite close. Through the opening you can see a bright room, but it's hard to make out any individual objects, as if you're looking from beneath rippling water.

A hand plunges through and you realize water is just what it is. Whether you take hold of the hand or not it will grab you and yank you up through the surface, lifting you out until you're sprawled on solid ground. Once you catch your breath, you can get a better look at the surroundings: tall trees and even taller stone pillars surround the platform you're laying on. Behind you is an ornate fountain, the base of which is so deep and so dark you might be compelled to scramble away from it lest it suck you back in to that endless abyss. Ahead of you are the walls of a large castle with several tall towers reaching up towards the sky.

If you had any powers, they feel unusually weak. Attempts to use magic or enhanced strength or powers of any sort fizzle out without any effect, but they don't feel completely gone, either.

Set into an indent on a marble slab behind the fountain is a card baring the image of one of the arcana.

An apprentice mage - the one whose hand lifted you out of the fountain - brushes the water off on their robes and runs back to join a group of three others, who all stare intently at a mage with highly decorated robes and a large, heavy book. He peers up at you for a moment and starts flipping through the book.

"I beg your pardon," he says, so absorbed in the pages of the book that he doesn't bother to look up, "I am Ambrose Rhett, the High Mage of the Kingdom of Thorne. One of my apprentices will explain everything in a moment, but please refrain from yelling and thrashing about until then. You're quite alright, and screaming gives me a hell of a headache."

Regardless of your response, he keeps flipping through the heavy tome, until he stops on one specific page, stares at it for a moment, and then exclaims:

"Aha!"

Scenario One: Welcome to Thorne

Ambrose's expression brightens, eyes twinkling with delight. He waves one of the apprentices over with a fine silk tunic, pants, and some basic sandals and with a wave of his hand they reshape to fit you perfectly.

"Success! It's a success!" he exclaims, slamming the book shut and scurrying towards you.

Now that he's not hunching over the book, he doesn't seem quite so stuffy and inapproachable. The apprentices all seem quite relieved at his jovial outburst, and the one that handed you the tunic stops to take the tarot card down from the marble slab. If you show any curiosity about the card, they'll let you take a longer look, but won't let you touch it.

"Please, come with me, you're an honored guest here," he says, motioning for you to follow him towards the castle, "As promised, my pupils will explain your current situation. And, ah - if you had any magic of your own, or other special abilities you can't access right now, fear not, they'll return within the week. The summoning takes a lot out of you."

One of the apprentices steps forward and rattles on and on about the castle, Thorne itself, the names of a bunch of royals and nobles, and of course, your reason for being here. The Kingdom and the world itself is in great peril, and tales of your exploits have reached far and wide across universes. If asked about these exploits, the apprentice will simply smile and shrug. The High Mage was happy to see you and that's good enough.

Once inside the castle you're taken to the North Wing, which has been set up as living quarters for you and your fellow newcomers. There are four people to a room, but each generously-sized bed has opaque curtains that can be drawn around it. You can meet your roommates here and discuss your shared situation (everyone appears to have arrived within the last few days), or you can wander around and meet the others.

There's also a dining hall stocked with all sorts of fancy food to meet every possible dietary need, and a library filled with epic tales and legends and the history of Thorne. Given that this is the Thorne library, it may be a biased account that makes the Kingdom look a fair bit better than the rest of the world sees them. Last but not least, there's a study hall where a few junior mages (younger and less experienced than the apprentices from earlier) might be willing to teach you some simple elemental magic. Think holding a small flame in the palm of your hand, or blowing a door shut with a gust of wind.

You may also notice that your sign is embroidered on your tunic: the same image you saw on the card from before with the name of the sign itself beneath it. If you ask the castle residents, they'll tell you a little bit about your sign (and will mostly stick to the positives, although some might point out the negatives).

Last (and, if you ask anyone else in the castle, least) there is a worn stone staircase leading underground to the dungeon. You can go there, if you wish, but all powers are restricted in the dungeons and spending too much time with the prisoners will lead to some suspicion being cast upon you. If you ask anyone why the prisoners are being held there, you'll be told that they pose a great threat to the Kingdom (and, by extension, the entire world).

Scenario Two: Imprisoned

The High Mage scowls, grinding his teeth as he slams the book shut. "Another failure!" he barks at the apprentices, "You lot wouldn't know your ass from a hole in the ground, would you?"

All four of them lower their heads, and two of them mumble an apology that Ambrose either doesn't hear or refuses to acknowledge. "Well, don't just stand there," he says, waving a hand in the air, "We've put all this effort into getting this wretched creature, we may as well put it to good use."

One of the apprentices drops a baggy, rough-feeling tunic, a pair of pants, and some worn sandals in your lap and glares down at you until you put them on (if you refuse, they'll tell you they can kick you back down that well if you don't want to cooperate). They're glaring at the High Mage as much as they're glaring at you (when they're sure he isn't looking, anyway). You might catch one of them long enough to ask them why they're so upset with you, but all they'll say is that the High Mage knows something they don't, and he's awfully upset about it.

Once you're fully clothed, another apprentice clamps some heavy iron shackles around your wrists and leads you on. The High Mage is far ahead of you already, muttering some long string of Thornean curses before he stands up straight and pauses, spinning to face you.

"One more thing," he says, holding one hand in the air and chanting something under his breath, "Can't have you getting too troublesome."

If you had powers, the slight connection you still had to them slips away completely and you're left with nothing as the four apprentices drag you towards the castle. They may answer a few of your questions (with some insults and curses peppered in), but they won't tell you anything important.

Once you arrive at the castle you're brought to the dungeons and thrown into a locked cell. There are four people to a cell, and two sets of bunk beds with a thin and lumpy straw mattress. If you're over six feet tall, these beds are going to be awfully uncomfortable. You might as well meet your roommates. Once per day you're dragged out to an enclosed courtyard for one hour of recreation (with some crude weights, benches, and balls lying around but not much else), where you can meet the rest of the prisoners, but you can also talk to your immediate neighbors in the cells on either side and across the hallway. Just don't yell too much or the guards will snap at you to be quiet.

Everyone in the dungeon is fed one meal a day, and for a prison meal it's decent: a bit of meat, a bun, and a salad. It would seem that the Thornean chefs take too much pride in their craft to send bad food to the dungeons. The meals are all served in equal portions, though, so the smaller prisoners may be overfed and the larger ones may be getting hungry. Feel free to fight for food or share with your cellmates.

Crudely embroidered on the back of every prison tunic is the same image that was on your card and the name of the sign beneath it. A guard may explain a bit about the sign, and tell you some negative stereotypes they hold about yours.

You may be blessed with a visit from one of the more welcomed newcomers, and they may sneak you some extra food or a small book to read or they may share some of the information they've gathered. However, rumors travel fast and some people believe the honored guests in the castle above are somehow responsible for the lot of the prisoners below. And although you may hope for kindness, there's nothing stopping them from being cruel to you if they wish. The guards will certainly turn a blind eye if one of them wishes to take out their frustrations on you.

Questions

How do I choose a scenario for my character?
Pick whichever situation appeals to you most. Whether your character is honored or imprisoned has nothing to do with their personal morality, or how highly they regard themselves and their own accomplishments. Anyone can be put into either situation.

Can I try out both scenarios?
You can! But please keep in mind that only the one you eventually choose can be game canon, if you decide to keep any of your TDM threads.

What happens if my character refuses to comply with Ambrose?
Prisoners will be dragged against their will. Honored guests will be forgiven for their moment of panic or anger if they have one, and Ambrose and the apprentice mages will try to calm them and persuade them further. If they put up too much of a fight and/or start actively attacking anyone, Ambrose will warn them once that he's willing to put them back in the well where they came from (see below), and if they continue to fight he will make good on that promise.

My character intends on causing a lot of trouble (destroying parts of the castle, murdering the castle staff, etc.), what would happen to them?
Characters who make too much trouble for the mages and other staff would be thrown back in the well (which will mean drowning in the void, not returning home). Brawling with other PCs and causing minor damage is fine and will be greeted with a cranky attitude (if they are an honored guest) or a punishment like denial of food or temporary solitary confinement (if they are a prisoner), and there will be plenty of opportunity for destruction and murder later, but for now the Thorneans have no desire to keep huge liabilities around.

Ambrose will take it especially personally, as this experiment was his idea and too much trouble would risk the summoning spell being scrapped and potentially result in him being demoted. Rest assured it does not take much for him to throw someone back in the well at this point in time.

Is the power loss for the prisoners permanent?
No, although honored guests will regain their powers first due to the lack of interference from Ambrose, the prisoners will be able to regain theirs soon enough as well.

Can the prisoners talk about anything private, or will they be overheard at all times?
There are guards patrolling the dungeon, but they aren't always within earshot. Most of the attention is being focused on the new guests, so the prisoners will have some opportunities for privacy.

Can my character leave the castle?
For now they will be prevented from leaving the castle, even if they are an honored guest. A bit of a gilded cage, isn't it? They'll also find that any powers they regain cease to work outside of the castle walls (this is also a temporary effect) so flying outside is not an option.

Can my character eventually side against Thorne if I choose to make them an honored guest/can they side with Thorne if I choose to imprison them?
Yes, characters in Scenario 1 will be able to betray Thorne, and characters in Scenario 2 can work themselves into Thorne's good graces.

How much will my choice of scenario affect my character's plot later on?
This choice will have a major impact on gameplay throughout the first few months of the game, and potentially a bit beyond that depending on where our players guide the plot. This decision - and every other major decision you make in game! - will also be used to flavor some mod surprises that will be coming down the line.

Don't get too anxious about this choice, though; this is just one choice you'll get to make in a game that has a lot of them, and every character in both scenarios can work their way towards many, many individual goals and outcomes. You're not locking yourself out of anything in the future via the choice you made on the TDM. It will primarily impact the immediate future with the far-reaching effects being up to each player.

Are TDM threads mandatory for my application?
No, you may use other samples, but we encourage you to post to the TDM and get a feel for this game and its mechanics before you join. If you do not have a TDM thread you will still need to choose one of the two scenarios on your application.

What if I haven't settled on a sign yet?
You can ignore sign-related prompts if you're undecided (or try out different signs in different threads).

Can a put a character on the TDM if their canon is less than 30 days old?
Yes. For this app round, anything that's at least 30 days old when the game opens on June 12th can be applied from.

Do the apprentice mages have names?
Their names are Jeffrey, Grigory, Noelle, and Jolene.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Imprisoned

Apollo can never catch a break. He is pulled into this world naked (without even his bracelet, which has him freaking out immediately), and then he's dragged to a dungeon.

"Let me go! This is illegal!" Apollo thrashes in the grip of the apprentices, but he's a small man and there are four apprentices and also his hands are in shackles. "I'm an attorney! I know my rights!"

And he's ignored as he's thrown in a cell, some guards mockingly imitating him as they pass. Apollo jumps to his feet, bashing his shackles against the a bar. "Hey! You can't do this!"

But of course the apprentices just leave. Apollo's anger is enough to keep him puffed up for a good ten seconds after they leave, and then he deflates all at once, slumping down to the ground. "Damn it..."

Sharing food

Apollo may be small, but he's still a fully grown man. One meal a day is not enough.

His stomach aches and growls, but after he's scarfed down his salad and his bun, he notices his neighbor seems to be looking hungry too. Apollo chews the inside of his cheek, wondering if he can just pretend he doesn't notice, then he scolds himself internally for even thinking that.

"Hey." Apollo scoots closer to the side of his cell. "Did you want my meat? I'm full."

He's a lying liar who lies, but he means well.

Recreation

Apollo frowns in disappointment at what passes for recreation equipment around here, but hey, exercise is exercise he supposes. He's more interested in meeting the other people in the dungeon.

With the brazen confidence of someone who's never been to prison in his life, he approaches random people in the courtyard. "My name's Apollo Justice. Were you pulled here from somewhere else, too?"

He's not so sure he can really wrap his head around things like magic and other worlds, but he's not sure what other explanation there is for this madness.

Wildcard

[Does your character visit him? Want to play poker? Something else?]

"You should finish it. We need to keep our strength up. If you do really get full that fast, save the bun for last next time, bring it back to your cell. It'll keep for breakfast. The meat, perhaps not."

Jean's made quick work of his own meal, and he's a broad man who this isn't sufficient for, but he won't take the offering despite that.

"Are you sure? I've run on less." Mostly on complementary noodles that were more salt than anything else because his boss couldn't pay him, but details.

Apollo isn't as outspoken about it as his mentor once was, but he does have a very soft heart. It's the reason why he became a defense attorney instead of a prosecutor, even though he could practice law either way. It's hard for him to see people suffer, even if he's in the same boat.

"So have I. I spent weeks living on hardtack and pinkwater on a ship, once. Like I said, keep yourself strong. But...also, keep your heart open. People who care like you do are rare, at least where I'm from."

Jean favors Apollo with a light little smile.

Apollo flushes, averting his eyes bashfully. He's not used to sincerity, especially not sincere praise. "I-it's nothing, really," he says, like it really is nothing and it is just the default that someone would be willing to give up on eating for a stranger. But he does start nibbling on his meat instead of insisting on giving it to Jean.

"...I'm afraid to ask what pinkwater is," he says, mostly to distract from being praised.

"Bad water mixed with just a little bad wine. It tastes better then either alone and won't get you drunk when you're on duty." He chuckles. "It's a long story, really."

"Oh. That's much better than I was worried about." He'd been worried about... well, he's not exactly sure, but something more unpleasant than bad water mixed with bad wine. "So... were you a sailor, or a navy man or something?"

"I've been a little bit of everything over the years. Stage crew for an acting troupe, initiate in a religious order..." Or several. The man who trained Jean and the rest of his crew wanted them to be able to fake being any type of priest, so the youngsters were sent out to different temples to become initiates and learn the outer ritual associated with each of the Twelve Gods. "...oh! I even spent the greater part of a year gambling at one point at the Sinspire in Tal Verrar."

"That... that sounds really interesting." As Apollo picks at his meat, he cocks his head curiously. "I've never heard of a place called Tal Verrar. Or Sinspire." Not that he really knows all that much about global geography. Maybe Tal Verrar is a local name for a country he knows about already. "...What do you think your favorite thing to do was?"

Jean does need a moment to consider the question. "I do always enjoy cooking. The man who raised me after my parents died, he taught us all how to cook according to the Eight Beautiful Arts of Camorr."

"I... haven't heard of Camorr either." Is he this uncultured? Possibly. Law school takes a lot of your free time, okay?

"What's that cuisine like?" He's not sure if talking about food when they're starving is a good idea, but he wants to learn more about the people he's stuck in here with.

"Complex, full of contrasting flavors and vibrant spices. Seafood is the First Beautiful Art--for a city on the sea, this is only natural. The point is to respect high quality ingredients, but not to be afraid to use them." Jean grins broadly. "We had the money for fine ingredients in those days."

Apollo lets out a huff of a laugh. "Seasonings besides salt? Count me in."

He has had to put up with Eldoon's noodles for too long. They are basically just a block of salt melted into a bowl of noodles. He misses seasoning.

"I guess I shouldn't complain, though. The prison food isn't as bad as I thought it'd be." Even if it's less plentiful than is necessary.

Apollo Justice | Ace Attorney | ...Justice

Sharing food

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Imprisoned

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