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storyevents ([personal profile] storyevents) wrote in [community profile] forgottentales_ooc2019-09-09 03:00 pm
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Test Drive: September 2019

Test Drive: September 2019—



§ instructions.

Welcome to the Test Drive for Forgotten Tales! This is to help interested players test out their characters in the game's setting and see if the essence they have chosen will actually work in game play. There are a number of prompts that try to touch on the kinds of settings and scenarios the characters may encounter. So here are a few things to keep in mind while on the test drive:

  • Feel free to use the current Workshop for help if you need it! Both the Workshop and the Test Drive are required for Registration.

  • Participating on the Test Drive does not guarantee a spot on either Claims or Registration.

  • Check the Character Roster and Essence List to see if your choices are not already taken.

  • Include Character Name and Canon in the subject line, and note somewhere within the toplevel your character's essence. It can be in the subject line if you already know what it is (so ex; Character | Canon | Essence). Side note: You are free to try more than one essence if you're on the fence. Just make sure to note which one you're using for that particular prompt.

  • Players are free to assume their characters have been informed of the very basics so you can skip all that if you'd like.

  • Only the "In the Index" prompts of the Test Drive can be carried over in its entirety, but you can alter the story based ones as "stage play" settings within the Index if you wish to carry over that interaction as well.

  • Don't forget to refer to the Game Info for how the mechanics work.

  • Registration will open October 1. Claims will open September 24.

Most of all, have fun! Feel free to invite those you may think would be interested to participate in the test drive.






§ prompts.


¶ I. In the Index. When not out adventuring or playing character roles in stories, the Aspects will have some downtime within the Index, the central hub of the Realm of Stories. Here they can explore the city, read up on other stories, socialize with fellow would-be heroes, learn more about the essence, or even just do nothing at all. Any threads and CR made with "Index" prompts can be carried over into the game.

  • A. Out in the City. Life in the Index can range from the mundane to the extraordinary depending on which area one travels to. Because it is a hodgepodge of many different stories from numerous cultures, one can never be sure what they may encounter even on an average run for groceries.

    1. Phantom Troll Booth. It's common knowledge that trolls enjoy their bridges and asking for unwary travelers (or in this case, average pedestrians) to pay some kind "toll" to pass over. Of course that's less of a necessity within the city itself, but there are some who like to prank people and others find bridges outside to continue their somewhat lucrative "business." There is one troll in particular, however, who has taken their "occupation" a bit far. Instead of paying to use a bridge, he offers a magical blue phone booth to instantly send a person to their desired destination. All for the "modest" fee of ten gold coins. However, instead of sending them to that location, everyone winds up in a random farmer's pig sty. Yeugh! Will a character be a victim or chase after this devious troll?

    2. Do You Know the Mutton Man? After a day or so, everyone will have heard of "Jerry the Mutton Man" and that reputation is not favorable. For whatever reason, this young hooligan is pitching out freshly made mutton and chucking it at random people on the streets while shouting, "MUTTON, FRESH MUTTON!!" before laughing and running away. It gets worse when other brats decide to join in the "Mutton" campaign. Someone better take care of this before some of the more "carnivorous" residents of the Index decide to take matters into their own hands (or paws). After all, what a waste of good mutton!

    3. Katamari Dagoosey. Old MacDonald’s golden goose has gotten loose, and while the bird is gorgeous to look, it IS a goose. And when golden geese are stressed out, they make EVERYTHING they bowl over stick to them. By the time it reaches the Index, the goose is surrounded by a story-tall conglomerate of unfortunate people, scenery, and even the odd cow. The only solution is to roll the ball through the town back to old MacDonald’s farm, where the land has an anti-sticking spell. Rolling and steering a ball THIS big, though, might be a two-person job.

  • B. Essence Practice. Suddenly inheriting the abilities of another person while losing most of your own at the same time can be quite jarring. Picking a place to test out these newfound powers or even going to the Library to read up on the essence's story may help glean some clues as to what they can do.

  • C. Try Out the Journal. The journals are unique to this world and the sole source of communication for everyone. Feel free to give it a try, either by sending a random message out or even a doodle.


¶ II. London Bridge is Falling Down. A classic nursery rhyme with rather dark roots, the Aspects will find themselves facing the bridge in a strange, chaotic state of constantly breaking apart and crumbling. Only the ends appear to remain stable, but that could change at any second.
There are no real roles here, so they are tasked with eliminating the Erasers trying to tear the bridge—and thus the rhyme itself—and stabilize the environment. Just mind the weather. For a lot of the time it will be raining, but there will be occasional patches of sun.

  • A. Falling Down, Falling Down. There are numerous reasons for the bridge breaking apart, from the Erasers physically attacking it to the ground itself shaking from constant earthquakes to the pitch black water rising up to slam into the brittle stones. But what's even more pressing is the fact that there are people trying to cross through. Apparently the bridge is actually a functioning one and it's the only way the people who live within this rhyme can leave. While the knights of the Index are valiantly trying their best, many of these people need help trying to cross over and fending off the attacking Erasers.

  • B. Build It Up with Iron Bars, Gold, and Silver. Although stone and wood is available, the key materials they need to use in rebuilding the bridge are iron, gold, and silver. There are plenty of iron bars scattered around to grab and try to fit into place, but the gold and silver have to be found underwater. As to how these all fit, there are workers on the scene who will do that for them, but for the most part they look like puzzle pieces with the bridge's original "outline" just barely visible. Find the place and stick it in.

  • C. My Fair Lady. In the middle of it all, there are sightings of an eerie, ghostly woman dressed in white that appears at random spots of the bridge. From the distance she looks harmless and some believe her to a kind of faerie queen... But in reality, the "lady" is a fearsome wight and will attack all who come near. Those who use their abilities from their Essences will be able to do more damage than just plain weapons.


¶ III. Scene Snippets. The following prompts are various scenes styled similarly to those designed for the campaigns. Two characters are randomly assigned a role and must "act out" the scene. It can be assumed they are given the basics, but they are free to act however they wish. There is no real script or set direction, and they will have full access to their Essence abilities. Roles are not gender limited, so go wild. You are also free to create your own scenes or play within the general setting of the provided stories, even if they are not specified. Everything here is just a "guideline" and characters can act and behave however they would if dumped into the setting.

  • A. Anansi Wins the World's Stories. The Aspects are dropped in the middle of a thick rainforest to help recreate one of the Storyteller's favorites: how Anansi the Spider—trickster hero of the Ashanti people—won the world's stories from the sky god Nyame. In order to do so, they have to recreate a few of the spiders' impossible tasks: one Aspect will play Anansi, while their partner will either double team with them to make the task a bit less impossible, or play as Anansi's hapless opponent.

    1. Rope a Dope. Anansi's first task is capturing the gigantic but vain Onini the Python. Anansi and Onini need to argue over whether the snake is shorter or longer than a fallen palm tree before Onini allows himself to be measured, giving Anansi an opportunity to tie him to the branch "to keep him straight." Hopefully the web shooters in Anansi's costume won't gum up... or accidentally tie up the wrong target...

    2. Cat's in the Cradle. Here the Aspects will team up as the spider god in order to catch Osebo the Leopard, who thanks to the Story Eater's doing has been transformed into a VERY large, VERY feral Blot monster. The tricksters will have to work fast to build a pit trap lined with spider silk netting for the beast… and someone MIGHT need to serve as bait… Once Osebo falls into the pit, however, all the Aspects need to do is volley insults at it in order to make it thrash and tangle itself even more. That webbing should hold just fine, right?

    3. Hey! Listen! Anansi's last opponent is very different from the rest. While Onini and Osebo rely on their physical might, Mmoatia the Fairy is small but armed with a hair trigger temper and the power to turn invisible. BUT instead of a weakness for yam paste and good manners, this Blot of Mmoatia is attracted to lost travelers, doing her best to "guide" them back to her lair with her dulcet voice. While one Aspect plays Anansi and tries to guide their partner through the jungle, the other one will play Anansi's "puppet" and do their best to follow Anansi and disobey Mmoatia enough that the fairy will get mad and dive at them. What the fairy DOESN'T know is that the puppet's costume will also include a nice, sticky layer of gum paste, and if all goes right the fairy will tar baby herself to the puppet. Careful, though, she has a pretty good right hook.

  • B. Create Your Own! No need to limit to what we provide. If there's a particular story, scene, or even setting that you think would be fun, go for it! You can even use the story your character's essence is from. Other options are any of the scenes and settings from our previous campaigns and side stories.


¶ IV. Mix it up. This is the "wildcard" prompt. Feel free to take any of these prompts and make them more of your own, or pull from an entirely different story. As mentioned you're free to use any of our previous stories or other events. Just have fun with it!

forachange: (hey we're cool right? good? good.)

[personal profile] forachange 2020-01-04 12:00 am (UTC)(link)
Okay, Gobo, that's good! [Nah, he's going with the blue. And if Gobo continues talking, he's not going to get much more than hums in response from Wembley. A few minutes later, he comes up behind his friend and jumps a bit to plop a flower crown on his head.]
gobetween: ((°○°✿))

[personal profile] gobetween 2020-01-04 12:01 am (UTC)(link)
[He is indeed cut off mid-thought as he looked up at the flower crown.]

Huh? [Then a bit of a snorted laugh] Heyy, Wembley-!
forachange: (grin)

[personal profile] forachange 2020-01-04 12:14 am (UTC)(link)
You look good, Gobo! [Even though he's snickering, he's entirely sincere and it can be heard.] Very pretty!

[personal profile] gobetween 2020-01-04 12:17 am (UTC)(link)
[He laughed again, setting the crown a bit straighter.]

Well, I guess we match now. [He snickered some.] Hey, it's almost a pity there's no Clinging Creepers around, eh? We'd be all set to get rid of 'em!
forachange: (uh-oh)

[personal profile] forachange 2020-01-04 12:18 am (UTC)(link)
I don't think that's a pity at all. [Said in full earnest.]

[personal profile] gobetween 2020-01-04 12:19 am (UTC)(link)
[He snorted some, and clapped him on the back to also push him into walking with him at the same time.]

It's a joke. Besides, with all these flowers they'd be MILES away in no time.
forachange: (wow!)

[personal profile] forachange 2020-01-04 12:23 am (UTC)(link)
Well, gee, does the Storyteller- Uh, no, wait. The Storyteller is... Okay, I got it, right. Does the Story Eater use them, you think? Clinging Creepers? It would sure explain my power!
gobetween: (Can you believe this?)

[personal profile] gobetween 2020-01-04 12:29 am (UTC)(link)
You know, I don't really know. I haven't seen enough to say for sure.
forachange: (wemblin' fool)

[personal profile] forachange 2020-01-04 12:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, there's gotta be some reason for the flowers, right? I mean... I'm not sure, I haven't been here long at all- Does anyone have powers that don't do much?

[personal profile] gobetween 2020-01-04 06:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Me, for instance. [He snickered softly.] One of mine is that I never get lost, and neither does anyone I'm leading around. Useful, sure, but I wouldn't have called it good for fighting things.
blue_ice: (study)

seto kaiba | yu gi oh duel monsters | santa claus???

[personal profile] blue_ice 2020-01-15 02:15 am (UTC)(link)
a. the mutton man

[ This is the fourth time today Kaiba has been subjected to a rogue mutton attack. He's getting tired of it, and in the end, reaches into his bag and whips out...a long scroll of names on two lists. ]

That's it. It's time you hit the naughty list, Jerry.

[ He writes Jerry's name on the list in clear, sweeping script...and there's a glimmer of foreboding in the air. Nothing serious, but he rises up and advances. Another slab of mutton is thrown, and he catches it, looking menacingly at the boy. He advances with a little smirk. ]

Do you still want to play this game, Jerry?

essence practice

[ Of all the myths he could have been fused with, Santa Claus? Santa Claus? One of the most absurd myths in all of existence? Not that there should have been a scale of ridiculousness to these things, but the idea of being a jolly old soul with kindness for all is...not in his nature.

Or is it? He's reaching into his sack and pulling out toys, but he finds that everything he withdraws is broken in someway. There's a toolbox sitting beside him...because some compulsion in his soul tells him he can't just leave a toy like that, when he could fix it and give it to a needy child. He can be found working quietly, adjusting the lights on a small robot or giving a model train an even paint job.

The work is different with every toy, and as he stares at them, an odd, discordant nostalgia starts to surface within him. He's never had a happy childhood himself, but his role is to give it to others...he sighs and ties a neat bow on a stuffed rabbit after stuffing its leg. ]


...hm. Time to find homes for these.

cat's in the cradle

[ Building traps? Slinging insults? Now he's back in his element. Kaiba has brought a large shovel for the occasion, and he's digging as frantically as he can. This hole needs to grow, and fast. ]

Ugh. There has to be an easier way...if we had an excavator machine...

[ But there's no time to build or summon one, at least with his fledgling abilities. He calls up to his 'partner', a little impatient. ]

How much longer for the web?
blazeoflife: (All smiles)

Essence Practice!

[personal profile] blazeoflife 2020-01-15 05:35 am (UTC)(link)
[Huh... a new guy? Junpei didn't recognize him, but couldn't help be interested in watching him fix those toys. It was like the few times he got to see Fuuka fix something, that sort of inate understanding of machines and objects he didn't have.]

You're really good at that...

[Hey Kaiba, meet your Joey Wheeler-expy for this evening, only he did seem to dress a bit princely.]

You new here?
Edited 2020-01-15 05:35 (UTC)
blue_ice: (richer than god)

[personal profile] blue_ice 2020-01-15 12:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Mm. Comes with the territory. I just don't know what I'm going to do with them all.

[ The pile of toys is building. He should...probably stop soon. But he gives Junpei a curt nod in greeting. ]

Of all the claims that have been thrown at me, that I'm to become the symbol of a Western holiday focused around the excesses of capitalism is new. Just about the only part of me that fits the bill is 'capitalist'.
blazeoflife: (Sounds like fun!)

[personal profile] blazeoflife 2020-01-15 11:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, there's plenty of little kids around town I'm sure that'd love one of these. Especially since Christmas kinda got... uh. Messed up this year.

[Junpei rubbed the back of his head, trying not to think about the Story Eater's attack as he continued to watch the other guy work. His eyes went a bit wide as he started spouting off... kinda larger words than he was used to, only to focus on 'capitalist'. Uh, that meant a business owner, right?...]

Oh... so are you like Mitsuru-senpai? She's a CEO of a business conglomerate thing; The Kirijo Group... dunno if that exists in your world, though.
blue_ice: (locked heart)

[personal profile] blue_ice 2020-01-16 03:57 am (UTC)(link)
Mm. Haven't heard of that group, but I'm a CEO, yes. Of a company that develops gaming technology.

[ He starts arranging the toys by shape to make them easier to pack, gently lining up the cars and trucks. ]

...what happened on Christmas?
blazeoflife: (C'mon lemme explain)

[personal profile] blazeoflife 2020-01-16 06:06 am (UTC)(link)
[Ooh. Kaiba said the magic word, with how Junpei's face lights up.]

Gaming?! Oh man, that's totally cool! What kinda games? Video games, card games... board games? Those are getting popular again...

[But, asking about Christmas was obviously a bit of a downer, and he composed himself a bit more, his expression becoming serious.]

...Basically, the Story Eater was a real bastard. He covered the whole Index in like, briar thorns and put everyone to sleep. Some of the dreams were super nice and made you not wanna wake up... while I hear others were total nightmares that made you feel so shitty you didn't think you had the strength to fight back. People from the Index and Aspects were all affected, so... we had to do a lot of clean up after the fight, so Christmas itself got kinda side lined.

[...At least Junpei was a fountain of information, huh?]
blue_ice: (spotlights)

[personal profile] blue_ice 2020-01-17 03:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Primarily card games, but we're expanding our reach into video games.

[ He sighed. Of course that happened. This was a hellscape of nightmares---whoever had said fairy tales were light and fluffy obviously hadn't read any recently. Not that he made a habit of doing so. But when his brother had been smaller...]

I imagine the kids were disappointed. Guess I know where all these are going.
daggersedge: (f: considering for two seconds)

Isaac "Felix" Gates | Red vs. Blue | The Fox (from The Fox and the Cat)

[personal profile] daggersedge 2020-02-17 02:32 am (UTC)(link)
I. PHANTOM TROLL BOOTH
[ A magical blue phone booth isn't the weirdest thing that Felix has encountered today. That "honor" goes to his new fox-like tail and ears, which are the weirdest by far because they're fucking attached to him. A magic phone booth, on the other hand? Shit, given the sheer impossibility of this place, Felix might be inclined to buy into the troll's promises.

But there's just one problem: he'd have to literally buy into them. ]


Ten gold pieces? You're kidding, right? Listen, there's a difference between being ambitious and overreaching.

[ Which is why Felix is currently trying to talk the troll into giving him a free ride. ]
II. KATAMARI DAGOOSEY
[ Know what? This. This is officially weirder than the tail and ears. ]

Are you fucking kidding me?!

[ Then there's a flash of orange fur as a fox darts away from the place where Felix was standing. Because yeah, there's no way he's getting near that thing. ]
III. ESSENCE PRACTICE
[ Guess who's trying out his bag of tricks? Quite literally: Felix has a bag from which he's drawing seemingly random objects. A bunch of glow sticks; a pair of thick woolen socks; a rubber band ball; the list goes on. Some of them seem utterly useless, but perhaps there's something that catches the eye?

Felix certainly looks more irritated than intrigued. Don't mind him if he greets any interruption with a snapped, ]


What?
IV. JOURNAL
Sender: The Fox (The Fox and the Cat) | Felix
Recipient: Everyone

i'm gonna go out on a limb here and say i'm not the only person who thinks this "magic journal" business is bizarre. or, you know, the whole magic thing, period. what ever happened to good old fashioned texting and technology?

i can't be the only person missing their phone, right?
V. WILDCARD
( come at me with something different! felix's workshop comment is here )
Edited 2020-02-17 02:51 (UTC)
steadypulse: (Going to be seeing that soon)

Journal

[personal profile] steadypulse 2020-02-17 03:28 am (UTC)(link)
Sender: Raw Head (Raw Head and Bloody Bones) | 76

What happened is they don't exist here.

[.. Not the only one even if he ditched phones for the most part back home.]
daggersedge: (f: intrigued)

[personal profile] daggersedge 2020-02-17 03:31 am (UTC)(link)
"don't exist" as in they were replaced? or they were never created at all?
steadypulse: (Seriously don't give me that)

[personal profile] steadypulse 2020-02-17 03:32 am (UTC)(link)
Never created. It's all magic and potions.
daggersedge: (f: headache coming on)

[personal profile] daggersedge 2020-02-17 03:35 am (UTC)(link)
jesus. guess i shouldn't be surprised, considering. but man, this is something else
steadypulse: (Do you know how long this took?)

[personal profile] steadypulse 2020-02-17 03:38 am (UTC)(link)
Some people brought here apparently think it strange or impossible others of us come from worlds that don't have magic.
daggersedge: (f: the most jailable offenses)

[personal profile] daggersedge 2020-02-17 03:40 am (UTC)(link)
[ And going out on a limb has paid off. Good. ]

really? it's hard to imagine all this being the norm

back where i'm from the closest you get to "magic" is alien technology
steadypulse: (I made my mistakes)

[personal profile] steadypulse 2020-02-17 03:45 am (UTC)(link)
It's all science and advanced tech like hard light that I'm familiar with.

[He's too tired to even bother touching on 'alien technology' being written out here.]

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