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Entry tags:
❪ test drive #4 ❫
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YOUR STORY BEGINS  The Storm came. You only remember darkness, but you don't remember much after that. All you know, perhaps, is that it was cold. You don't know for how long you slept, but the dreams were short, at least. You remember the expanse of stars and the universe that came in view. Every world and solar system ever known was displayed in your dreams in careful, pristine detail. You have also witnessed The Storm, which has devoured a fair portion of these galaxies. It was a dark, thick smog — ominous in appearance and ever foreboding. Your Earth and similar planets were immersed in The Storm. Somehow, you knew it would be the last you'd see of it. That was when she told you what happened, and how you could help. You knew that you'd be living somewhere new, even though you never asked for it. The details here weren't clear, but you knew you'd made a deal with Darma. Not long after, you'll wake at Thesa Station — your body is still cold. It all felt like a dream, but somehow, you knew it wasn't — now, will you keep that promise you made to Darma? PROMPT: THE STORM  CW: death You were awake on Thesa Station. But at some point you, like many other new arrivals before you, wandered into the Observation Deck. Ordinarily, this is where images of The Storm are replayed to remind Refugees of the fate they have escaped. The Natha Orbiters' technology has evolved. They are aware of your gaps in memory. You may have doubts of The Storm even existing, or of your world's destruction. Though they do not wish reliving those last moments on anyone, they have created an experience that will do just that. Before entering the Observation Deck, you are warned that what follows will not be for the weak of heart. As soon as you step in, you will find that the walls around you begin to transform and expand. Welcome to the Planet Cespi, in the Circinus Galaxy. Unfortunately, we were not able to save this world from The Storm's Consumption.
These are its last memories. You are surrounded by blue, grassy hills as far as the eye can see and a pleasant breeze. The atmosphere is thick with a sickly sweet smell. Before you lays the scene of a quiet village, with its residents going about their everyday lives. You aren't alone, either, with an equally confused stranger (or perhaps you know each other?) surveying the scene. Then the world grows completely silent for a full minute. You and your partner are unable to make a sound, verbal or otherwise. Without warning, a deafening roar fills your ears and forces you to double over in pain. The villagers run out of their homes in a panic, finding themselves in just as much pain and confusion as you do. Where there was no sound before, now there is too much for a normal human body to process. Look up. An expanding mass of energy is swallowing everything you can see. It consumes the earth, the atmosphere, the depths of space — and it is getting closer. Your only hope is to outrun it, if you can. The people in the village certainly try to, racing past you. Their fear is very real. Their bodies are very real. You may be able to run from it for a time, only able to catch glimpses of this dark and sinister force swallowing everything and everyone. The earth rumbles and separates beneath you. Electricity surges through the sky, and then through your very body. You fought hard, but it is impossible to outrun the Storm forever. You too will be consumed. Your death is quick, but not painless. What were you thinking, before you took your last breath? You awaken back in the Observation Deck, next to your new friend. PROMPT: TRAINING MODULES  While it’s all nice and well to familiarize oneself with Thesa Station, it is most advised that new arrivals venture out a bit. Not physically. No one is quite prepared for that yet. However, there will be several virtual reality training programs set for those who dare to be adventurous. For those who aren’t and don’t dare, well — good luck, all the same. Once seated and appropriately strapped in, the system will automatically whir to life. 1. When you enter the Natha's newest program, at first nothing loads. You might think this is an error as you look around in apparent total darkness, only able to see your own virtual body if you look down, but soon enough a voice comes to life as if speakers have turned on somewhere. Long ago, the lands of El Nysa were dominated by the ancestors of the dragons who now live among the people, tamed. It was pretty dangerous! How about a little history lesson? And then the simulation comes to life—
2. Let us now travel forward in time, shall we?  a. The Olympian settlement around you is quiet — until the screaming starts.3. And now, the present.  After all those enlightening scenes, the simulation finally brings you to a more quiet area of Olympia. You are deposited out somewhere in The Outlook, a place the very first group of refugees had to trudge through before they found their homes. You've arrived in the early evening — but sunlight is waning, and soon you'll be under a sky full of stars. Luckily, their old campsites aren't too overgrown. The intention here is to get you familiar with some of the local flora and fauna. What sorts of plants will you encounter? Do you find yourself under a Verillum Tree, suddenly compelled to be painfully honest and truthful in conversation with a complete stranger? Find yourself behaving erratically in the presence of Whistleweed? Or perhaps you'll have to break the spell of being trapped in a Vena Amoris' vines... with a kiss. PROMPT: STASIS UNIT  You have found the massive section of Thesa known as the Stasis Unit. There’s no special access required to enter this part of Thesa Station, but refugees are warned that it may not be for the faint of heart. Here, in large pods that nearly cover every square inch of the space, are all of the people the Orbiters have managed to rescue. Your loved ones, your greatest enemy, your next door neighbor — you might find them here. These people are in a state of deep cryosleep. Due to the damaging effects of The Storm, their bodies are not yet ready to be awoken. PROMPT: OMAGE
Upon receiving your mobile phone, you will be asked to set a username. Voila, you can now access the network! You can choose to send a message to the entire network, specific usernames, or you can try out the Orbiters’ service, Omage, which connects you to a random user. They thought this might be a good way for their new guests to make friends with each other...
Connecting to server... PROMPT: WILDCARD
You are welcome to write any scenarios in Thesa Station! Characters have been granted temporary access to the Observation Room, and are encouraged to study it carefully.
FINAL OOC NOTE
These threads may be carried over as game canon if players choose! Players are encouraged to submit TDM threads as application samples, but they are not required. Please direct any OOC questions to the questions thread below! An AC-length thread may be submitted for 2 NATHA ORBITER REPUTATION POINTS after acceptance here. Please submit by February 18th.
We will no longer be providing overflow posts. In an event where the post hits CAPTCHA, players are advised to move threads to an overflow post on their character journals or create their own catch-all post. These threads remain eligible for REP. There will be an application cap of 60, and no reserves. Please read here for more information. |
no subject
Yeah, she's a friend.
[He cuts off the explanation short because the TV is fading to black again (what's with all of these darkness spells?) When the spell fades, there's a close up of peachy skin, then a woman's face. Not Bernadette. This woman is way more attractive, her lips painted red and most of her clothes are missing. She is sitting on top of a giant perfume bottle. Pushing the plunger down, the spray from the bottle hits another woman, who is also not wearing many clothes, and the liquid drips from the woman's face.
Cam has no idea what's going on, but this is great.]
no subject
Frederick has no time to wonder more than a single though - perhaps a close lady friend? - before his attention's sucked back to the box before them, and the scene slowly coming into view.
A very scandalous scene, enough to turn his eartips bright red and his face a mottled tomato, and it's not long before he's carefully turning his face to the side and clearing his throat awfully loudly. ]
Are you sure we ought to be watching this?
[ When will the disappearance spell strike again, please let it be soon... ]
no subject
Have you ever been to Arboria, mate? It’s great. I saw a horse man and a winged lady getting it on. [On second thought,] That part was kind of weird. [Mostly disturbing.
It strikes Cam that maybe this box is actually scrying into other planes of existence. That would make a lot of sense. He scrunches his face up, thinking towards the box Show me arboria and gasps with joy when the screen goes dark once again. But when it lights back up, there’s a chubby man talking about mattresses.]
Aw. This isn’t Arboria!
no subject
Never. I'm quite certain I would remember such—displays had I been.
[ Now, can they please move on? The box seems to hear his wish, or perhaps whatever ritual Cam is performing inside his head actually works, and immediately changes scenes again to something so mundane and boring that Frederick almost weeps in joy. ]
Is this contraption showing locations one's visited before? [ Intriguing... ] Perhaps it will show Regna Ferox next...
no subject
Bored with the mattress man, Cam slumps back on the couch, shoving five grapes in his mouth at a time.]
I've never been to any of these places. [Maybe...] Unless it's including everyone on the ship? Or maybe it's worlds that haven't... [He trails off, not really wanting to put into words the calamity that brought them all here.]
no subject
But the hanging silence that Cam leaves behind is easy enough to fill, and Fred's already solemn mien darkens further at the thought. Something so great, so powerful, that it can wipe out the existence of an entire people—and more. The thought troubles him deeply, but he's at a loss as to how best to prevent such a thing from occurring.
He can't, not alone. ]
I've yet to see any scenery from the lands I have visited, but your theory is quite possible. Perhaps we could query the residents of this place, should you be interested in sating your curiosity.
no subject
I'd feel bad for anyone from this world. [He gestures to the mattress man, obviously peddling his wares, even though nobody else is nearby.] It looks really boring.
[Like, really boring. It's in the moment of boredom that Cam notices small buttons along the outside of the box.]
Hey... what do these do? [Abandoning the bowl of grapes on the couch beside him, he gets up, curiously poking one of the buttons. The image in the box immediately switches. In it, there is a vast green field, marked with white lines. Men in strange armor form lines near the center. One carries an oblong sphere.]
no subject
Ah, but Cam's moving away already, fingers outstretched. Goodbye goes mattress man, and in its place is— ]
It looks like a military drill of some sort.
[ And Fred is nothing if not interested in new and exciting military tactics! He leans forward, intrigued. However: ]
But where are their weapons?
[ Surely that strange oval thing can't be it? ]
no subject
Maybe they're mages?
[But they don't really look like mages. The men finish their formation, all dropping low as the man with the sphere passes it to another man from between his legs. That's kind of a weird way to give someone something
But he doesn't have time to focus on that as a brawl breaks out among the other men,
and they run into each other bodily, pushing while others are running.]
no subject
If it were magic, shouldn't there be signs of their spells?
[ But no, there they are, just ramming into each other like a bunch of heathens. Terrible. ]
Why is that man running off? Is he a coward?
[ STAY AND FIGHT LIKE A MAN ]