abraxasmods: (Default)
ABRAXAS MODS ([personal profile] abraxasmods) wrote in [community profile] abraxasooc2021-05-20 09:20 pm
Entry tags:

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.


return to main navigation

frontlinetitties: please do not take (pic#14843288)

[personal profile] frontlinetitties 2021-05-29 08:16 am (UTC)(link)
[Look, many of Gideon's nocturnal fantasies have involved an audience of pneumatic young women gazing on in awe as she dazzled them with her swordwork, or her ability to lift her own bodyweight without breaking too much of a sweat. The dirty magazines she kept sequestered beneath her cold slab of a bed back in Drearburh assured her that that was the glittering fate that awaited those who joined up with the Cohort, that out there somewhere in the wide spread of the universe existed something more titillating than a bunch of ossifying, half-blind nuns. Now that she does seem to have an appreciative audience - finally! at last! - she comes over with an uncharacteristic flush of fluster. One that she hides with a quick clearing of her throat, and the focusing of her gold coin gaze on the barbell she's busy lifting.]

Hmmm. You've got a point. [And she does-- surely it would have been easier just to toss them back into that creepy fountain-void if they served no purpose whatsoever, a fate she'd been threatened with when she fought to be released, but one no-one had made good on.] Unless they're saving us up for some creepy mass sacrifice, or just looking for cheap labour.

[Both of which seem equally plausible, to her.]
touchtonedetective: (Hmmmst)

i almost said spin the chessboard around but that's a differen't muse's catchphrase

[personal profile] touchtonedetective 2021-05-31 08:10 pm (UTC)(link)
[Masumi notices Gideon's blush, and is momentarily torn over whether to press her luck and start flirting. Momentarily.]

You know, with guns like that, you could probably bench-press me without any trouble... although I'm pretty sure I could find more creative uses for your body than that. [She winks. Look, Masumi could only flirt with girls who were (under the impression that Masumi at least wanted to change before they shacked up with their boyfriends) overwhelmingly straight, you'll have to forgive her for the flirting.]

I don't think either of those quite line up. [Back to business. Masumi cups her chin, deep in thought.] Let's look at it from their perspective. If they wanted to use us for some weird ritual, why keep us in a place where the "honored guests" can easily find us? From what I've heard from a few of them, the "guests" are going to be integral to some kind of war effort, and as much of a blowhard Ambrose is, I don't think he's an idiot. If all of us up and vanished one day, or started disappearing one by one, there would be questions and they'd lose whatever loyalty some of the guests have for them. It's too risky.

The manual labor angle makes a lot more sense, though I'm still not too sure about that. On some level, they're scared of us. "Threats to the world" might just be a line they're feeding the guests so they don't feel too bad about us being stuck down here, but we have some quality, or are lacking something, that the guests don't that led us to get stuck down here. More importantly, Ambrose took the precaution of sealing peoples' powers before tossing us in here—I'm not a magic kind of person, so I still managed to bloody a few noses before I was restrained, but that goes to show that he's cautious about us, and he knows well enough that we're physically capable too.

Any situation where they try to put us to work, we're also going to have some kind of opportunity to construct an escape attempt, especially considering the motley crew we have here. Magic or no, enough of us are competent enough that if we got significant time outside of our cells, we'd get out of here. This is just a hunch, but I think that's what Ambrose is most afraid of.

[Masumi sighs, rubbing the back of her head.] Or I could be wrong about all of this and they're getting ready to dice us up and serve us to their demon master as we speak. There's just not enough hard evidence. [That's the most frustrating part about all of this, really. Not only did Masumi not know any of the rules of this world, but being stuck in a cell for most of the day meant that she couldn't even get the information she needed to figure anything out. Ultimately, all of this deduction amounts to nothing but pure conjecture.]
Edited 2021-05-31 20:18 (UTC)
frontlinetitties: please do not take (pic#14912111)

[personal profile] frontlinetitties 2021-06-02 10:00 am (UTC)(link)
[In the wake of that comment - I could find more creative uses for your body - there's almost an embarrassing moment where Gideon's grip on the barbell loosens, resulting in her being crushes beneath the significant weight. Luckily she manages to maintain her hold despite her suddenly sweaty palms, because it would he terribly unfortunate to die (again) the very first time someone openly flirts with her. This isn't precisely how she pictured this moment going; in her fantasies it's usually her making some terribly witty but equally lewd joke that has some girl blushing and fawning over her. With the tables quite unexpectedly turned, Gideon finds - yet again - that she doesn't know quite what to do with herself. Nonetheless, eager to participate, she blurts out the first thing that comes into her head.]

Bitch, I could bench-press you all night long.

[Sexy. Smooth. She's thoroughly ashamed of herself. She's glad, then, to turn instead toward the other woman's explanation, a rather more thorough estimation of the situation than she has made herself. Whilst she's no moron despite what her previous statement may suggest to the contrary, unravelling cryptic mysteries had always been more Harrow's speed than her own. So she listens, pumps iron, before finally setting the barbell back in its stand and moving to sit.]

That's what it all comes down to in the end, isn't it? We're stuck in this dive. We don't have access to all the information, and so far they've left open no avenues for escape. Believe me, I've looked, and I know a thing or two about escape attempts. [Never mind that each and every one of them had ultimately been foiled, but shhhh.] But what I don't like is having to sit on my ass while we wait to find out whether we'll be diced up for demons, or some altogether less nefarious fate.

[She takes a breath, huffs it out again indignantly.]

It sucks. I'd have been useful in a war effort. Jokes on them if they can't see that.