forgottentales_ooc | 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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Dojima's face remained stuck in an expression of vague annoyance as he stared at Yosuke. He couldn't blame the kid for laughing-- hell, he thought it was ridiculous too-- but that didn't make it less embarrassing.

As he turned to get the milk... and look for the sugar, he called over his shoulder.]

Careful, you laugh it up too much and the Storyteller might decide you get to the 'princess' in the next story, or for a scene of it, anyway. And yeah, that does mean dresses. Big, poofy, pretty ones.

[That should shut the kid up a little. --Ah, there, he had bought some sugar in that 'starter kit' the local general store had sold him, along with flour. Too bad he hadn't cooked anything yet. Giving Yosuke's mug a small smattering of milk and one spooon full of sugar, Dojima walked over to the kotatsu, placing down the steaming coffee infront of the young man.]

Here. As for your question... yeah. It's... half like a stage performance, half improvisation.

[It was the best way Dojima knew to describe it.]

We get called to the Library whenever the Storyteller has pulled a world together enough for us to heal it the rest of the way. ...It usually looks pretty bad when we go in. Grey colours, damaged building, and... these things called blots, remnants of the people left behind. They're usually harmless, but they can become aggressive depending on the scene, so be careful.

[Dojima unconsciously rubbed his neck as he spoke...]

So while there, we're usually doing things on the side to help repair the world, but every once in a while at least two people get dragged into a 'Scene', where they get a costume change and are made to play the part of a particular character. You get a basic gist of how the scene is supposed to go in your journal, and who your partner for it is, but... then you just are left to your own devices for how that works out.

[Dojima took a long sip of his own coffee as he mulled over just what they did to The Little Mermaid, and what he heard about the other two major stories.]

...We've not exactly been able to make duplicates of the original stories so far.

[...Was this the most he ever spoke to Hanamura in one go, he wondered...]

I-I wasn't laughing! B-Besides, pretty sure a big poofy princess dress is better than the skirt I wore at that dumb pageant.

[ He rolled his eyes at the memory. But he also really didn't actually want to be in a dress in any fashion. Ugh. C'mon, first turning into a frog and now this???

But the coffee was ready and it smelled nice, he wrapped his hands around the mug, sighing at the warmth. ]

Thanks, Dojima-san.

[ he listened to the explanation, waiting for the coffee to cool as he did. He gave a test sip and then took a bigger sip as he mulled over it. ]

So basically, we play pretend while choosing our own adventure once we've got the general theme and objectives. I mean, I guess that's one way to go about it. It's a little bit less stressful that way, if you think about it. I mean, there's so many versions of these fairy tales, you know? I don't know them all but I know enough to realize that much.

If it still ends up saving that Story though then I guess there's not much to complain about. Aside from wearing a dress unless someone's into that sorta thing.

[ It was very likely this was the most he's ever heard from Dojima-san, but it was also likewise the most Dojima has heard from Yosuke as well. It was pretty familiar territory for the teen, trying to figure things out with the clue given. Granted, this wasn't really a mystery but understanding this a bit more was key to what they were both gonna be up to from here on out. ]

It's cool that you're going along with it though, Dojima-san. This all must sound so crazy to you even compared to what happened last year.

Right.

[You'll see Yosuke. The Storyteller spared no expense when it came to costumes.]

You're welcome.

[He listened as Yosuke worked through what he'd told him, taking a deep drink of his own coffee. Though, listening to the kid like this...

Huh. Seems like the kid had some skills at analyzing situations and deductive reasoning. Not to a professional level yet, but... certainly more than he'd given the teen credit for.]

Yeah, that's pretty much it. The Storyteller seems pretty relaxed as long as we fix the story, regardless of how it goes, at least.

[But he'd heard rumblings from the towns folk, about some not being happy about how things were being handled. But... he didn't feel confident about telling Yosuke about that quite yet till he had seen more of that himself.]

[He blinked at Yosuke's comment, not sure what to say. When was the last time someone other than his daughter called him 'cool'? Especially a teenager? He cleared his throat, glancing down at his coffee and hoping his cheeks weren't flushing.]

Well, I can't let you kids be forced to solve all the problems in the world.

[He took another deeeep sip of coffee before continuing.]

...But you're right about it all sounding crazy. There's three foot tall ducks walking around, and it's starting to make me not do double takes anymore--

[A pause, before he looked up again, his eyes narrow.]

Ah-- that's right. I need to give you some heads up about things here.

Edited 2019-11-10 21:36 (UTC)

I guess that's a good thing, although I wonder how the people around here feel about it. We're messin' with things, aren't we?

[ But he supposed he couldn't really do anything about it. The Storyteller clearly had no qualms about this or else it sounds like he would have given more guidelines or something.

He had been resting his chin in a hand as he mused a little, taking a sip of the coffee. He blinked over the rim when he noticed the color on Dojima's face. Wh-Whoa! He almost wanted to say something but then took another sip to stop himself. ]

Ducks? Like, talking ducks? Y'know, I won't even question it at this point, I don't even think there's a point.

Huh? Heads up about what?

[ There's more? ]

...Hm.

[Quick to pick up on things, wasn’t he?]

...You did a lot of the brainstorming for your little gang with Souji, huh?

[But, no point in hiding this from the kid.]

Yeah, there seems to be a division in the people who original live here; characters from the original stories who survived their worlds being destroyed. I don’t know the percentage, but it seems to go that some are just happy that we’re even fixing things, some are enthusiastic that the changes are happening, and some are angry that things have changed at all. That we should follow it more to the letter.

[Dojima rolled his shoulders, taking a longer sip of the coffee.]

Can’t say I blame them. If something like that happened to Inaba, I’d be upset too... But between losing the town entirely and it changing, I rather it change. Anyway...

[Now to get down to brass tacks.]

So, first of all; there can be multiple versions of the same person here. Two of the duck people- they both go by the name Scrooge McDuck.

[Dojima wished his coffee had some booze in it, thinking about that whole conversation...]

Seems the only major difference is one has a pegleg, while the other has an eyepatch, so that should at least help tell them apart. So keep that in mind.

Anyway, one of the Mc Duck’s also warned us that one of his enemies from his world—known as Magica DeSpell –

[A beat, as Dojima sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he realized what name he had to just say-- ] Is here. She’s apparently got long black hair and... is, well, a duck. So keep an eye out and don’t let her scam you or pull you into anything, alright?

[He wasn’t annoyed with you, Yosuke, just the situation that made him say such ridiculous things.]

The other person to look out for is Disciple. Usually, he’s pretty calm and collected, almost... stone walls you when you try to make small talk, that type.

The real problem is... his essences is Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde from the book of the same name. ...Have you heard of that one?

[He knew Yosuke had read some fairytales, but what about classic English lit?]

Test Drive: September 2019

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