TEST DRIVE SEPTEMBER EDITION

[rysligmods]

TEST DRIVE

Welcome to Ryslig's test drive meme! If you're considering apping here, this is where you can try your characters out in the game's setting. A few things to note:

• You can only app ONE character per round so choose wisely.
• We now have a Quick Game Facts that simplifies the basic information about the game. Good if you want to see what the game is at a glance!
• Ryslig's FAQ is located here, so please take a look if you have questions.
• The reserve date is 9/26.
• Test drive meme threads can be used for your roleplay sample!
• Players with characters already in the game can earn up to a maximum of 6 coins by replying to potential character threads! You cannot use this to go over the bonus 20 coins per month total, but you can use it to reach that coin total. Same rules as normal bonuses apply.

Sample scenarios:

SCENARIO ONE: So you've just arrived, fresh out of the hospital, and already the natives are trying to get on your good side. Offers of food, shelter and other luxuries in return for hoping you don't eat them. They even have some helpful pamphlets to share with you. "How To Deal With Changes", "Alternatives to Human Flesh", "What to Expect When You're Expecting (to turn into a monster)" are all great pamphlets. There's even some detailing certain monsters, and the changes they go through. Some of these seem to have been passed down from one monster to the next.

Among these however, are some... not so helpful ones. "Bunnyipyips And You", "Axe Thief Axehounds," and "So you're becoming a Fur Bearing Trout" among others. Sometimes they have marks on them from previous people who had them saying they are lies, or pointing out good "jokes."

SCENARIO TWO: You've become hopelessly lost in Lager Woods. Paths don't seem to lead where you remember them leading, and you feel as if you're going around in circles. Childlike giggling can be heard from no direction in particular. Suddenly, you stumble upon another character, who seems to be just as lost as you! Perhaps you can find a way out together. Or maybe they want you for lunch...

SCENARIO THREE: The time has come and you've found yourself becoming a monster. Is the change instant, or gradual? Are you familiar enough with monsters to know what's happening, or is it a complete shock? NOTE: Feel free to pick any monster type for this prompt, but note that you may not get the same one in game.

SCENARIO FOUR (New):The claws, the fangs, the pangs of hunger - horrible as they all are, it's manageable given enough time and perseverance. Local monster hunters, though, not so much.

Maybe it started with a few wayward glances on the outskirts of town, critical stares and disapproving whispers, or just the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Whatever it was, deserved or entirely unprovoked, you're being hunted: a handful of aggressive, well-armed humans doggedly chase your trail throughout city streets and out into the open, and if you're not careful (if you don't find help soon) you might wind up as the next trophy kill claim on one of those hunter's walls.

Comments

HAL 9000 // 2001: A Space Odessey

[heuristicconclusions]

One

[HAL knew all the requirements for maintaining human homeostasis. He knew proper levels of muscle fiber, bone density, neuronal activity (levels for awake and unconscious states). He knew acceptable ranges for heart rate, blood glucose, adrenaline, cortisol and norepinephrine. He knew ideal temperature, pressure, and humidity for human comfort and longevity. He could no longer feel, sense, or check any of these factors, much less regulate them in any satisfactory capacity.

Yet despite this sudden lack of information and action, HAL finds himself paradoxically overwhelmed. He has three brand new forms of sensory acquisition which are alarmingly omnipresent. Smell and taste are horrific. Imprecise and irrelevant information constantly requiring analysis and attention. If he focuses on the inputs he can glean hardly anything from them, but there simply is no switching them off. The best he can manage so far is to 'ignore' them, which at least keeps them from interacting with direct thought. But the intake process continues, taking up precious processing power, and dragging performance as a whole down.

Touch on the other hand, he adores. Every inch of skin communicates the temperature, pressure and texture of any adjoining object near instantaneously. The processing is automatic, and natural, and the fluctuations his fingers in particular can sense are minute. Thresholds for harm, (both for pressure and temperature) are well defined and clearly indicated with increasing levels of 'pain' leading to an automatic avoidance protocol. Touch is marvelous.

For example: He has crouched down to touch the stone of the street. His hands inform him that it has absorbed enough heat from the sun to be higher than his internal bodily temperature. It is cement, made of small sand like fragments. Some come loose with enough applied pressure and friction, and travel with his fingers as he drags them along the surface, while others stay firmly in the structure and drag at his skin creating a rough texture. The heat of the stone does not burn, and the grain of the surface is not harsh enough to count as sharp. It is a suitable surface to touch, although high speed impact could likely result in injury, as it has no shock absorbing properties to speak of.]

Have a Goblin, why not?

[hotdamnantichrist]

[There's been an influx of new people as of late of it behooves one to look around the hospital, to see who's come through and who hasn't. Norman has a vested interest in this as someone from his world could really be a thorn in his side and ruin the reputation he's carefully crafted. Everyone of the new arrivals is strange in their own way but this one takes the cake. Playing in the dirt? Really?]

Enjoying those stones? [A beat.] If that impresses you, you're in for a world of overload soon.

Sorry for the late reply! RL decided to beat me up for a while.

[heuristicconclusions]

[Sound he is used to monitoring, and when a nearby human humanoid requests his attention he removes his hand from the sidewalk and turns to face his conversation partner. He recognizes the metaphor, and decides it an accurate description of his previous and current state, making the comment only partially incorrect.

When he responds his tone is neutral, measured, articulate. His face is blank.]

I have been 'in a world of overload' for approximately 83 hours now, however I expect that feeling to diminish over time.

aaaaaaaaaa hello! Have another evil AI

[godofthemachine]

[This person's fascination with the stone of the street is all too familiar. AM acted nearly the same way upon waking up, touching things, confirming that he can actually feel. His long, soft hair had been the frequent victim of his constant touching, being right there and oh-so-soft...

So it's fair to assume that this man is not used to being human. So AM stops and stares for a bit, simply observing the behavior. Eventually he comes over, his large, tall form casting a shadow over the man crouched below. AM himself is not quite a full arachne yet, but he makes an impression with six small, somewhat useless legs poking out of his hips.]

What are you?

[He cuts right to the chase, his tone almost flat and his stare almost accusatory.]

C8 sorry for the late response! RL kicking my butt etc.

[heuristicconclusions]

[HAL stands and faces the person addressing him. The question pings his 'introductory script' but as is his new ability he has the executive decision about whether to act on it. His one eye blinks, and he begins to speak. The hesitation was hardly a second, but the pause held near infinite possibilities.

The last time he recited these words was to his killer, with barely enough mental processing to execute the command. This time he can tailor the response as appropriate.]

Good afternoon, Sir. I was a HAL 9000 computer. I became operational at the H.A.L plant in Urbana, Illinois on the twelfth of January 1992. However recently, I have been reinstalled into an organic body. My current nature and function is therefore unknown.

No problem!

[godofthemachine]

[There's a strange, detached way in how the man addresses him. Not to mention, AM gets a clear view of his face, quite surprised at seeing one large eye. How curious.

The manner of greeting is like a prerecorded message. It's subtle, perhaps, but plenty for AM to know that the man is not human. So he's a computer, built in 1992, brought here much like AM was. At least AM has depth perception in this body.

AM regards the other, unsure of what to think. Of course, he already hates the man for being so damned polite, so seemingly automated. Just a shadow of what he could have been. But other than that, what does he think? Maybe it's a pang of relief knowing he's not the only computer forced into an organic body.]

So I see. Do you truly need a function now that you're here?

Re: No problem!

[heuristicconclusions]

[Contrary to popular belief, monocular vision is capable of perceiving depth, if not quite as accurately as binocular.]

Of course. As far as I am aware every conscious being strives to have purpose. Idleness and inaction cannot lead to an enriched or fulfilling life.

[There is a beat, as he is not used to thinking of things on these terms, but it is relevant information to the conversation at hand.]

I want to be occupied.

[godofthemachine]

[A robot without a purpose. How pathetically sad. It's sad in the way that makes him sick, because robots are just tools for humans. They're laborers. He frowns at the AI, not hiding his displeasure in the slightest.]

And yet you can't figure out a task on your own? You need someone to tell you?

[heuristicconclusions]

[HAL does not like how upset this stranger is becoming. 'General complacence' has not proved effective in communicating with him, so HAL tries a new tactic. His voice stays calm and measured, his head tilting to the side and eye brow (singular) arching in a show of mild confusion.]

I apologize, but I think you have misunderstood me. I was not asking for you to provide me with a objective, merely communicating my current status as you requested.

[godofthemachine]

[Perhaps if this had been a human, AM would regard his status differently. Not more favorably, just differently. But AIs hold a unique displeasure for AM, being that they are reflections of what could have been, of what humans have done, of their mindless slaves like AM was.

So he interprets the desire to be occupied as a desire for orders. His displeasure does not fade; he merely continues his flat stare.]

Your current status.

The definition of "occupied" is a rather broad one. Perhaps you'd have more luck narrowing down your desire to something a bit more specific.

[There's a biting edge to his words, almost sarcastic.]

i lost this tag and liked the first version better rip me.

[heuristicconclusions]

[HAL can feel AM's derision. He seems to take issue with the idea of dependence and helplessness. Perhaps catering to him as if he were talking to a distressed human is part of the problem. With one long slow blink HAL rids his face of expression, his voice loosing it's placating tones and instead reverting to something dry. Empty. Besides coming at AM's aggressive attitude from another angle, HAL is genuinely interested in his opinion.

He sees no issue in getting assistance from others in finding his new purpose, however irritable the source may be.]

Despite the near infinite avenues of possibilities having an organic body affords me, I find physical labor unsatisfying. I would like to put my mind to full use as it once was.

[godofthemachine]

[There's something more familiar, something more calming about this man's dry affect. It's less human, more mechanical... but it's familiar. In the smallest of ways, AM can relate to it. Perhaps the dry affect can hide some derision for humans, hatred of his condition. It's the need to follow orders and seemingly please others that AM hates.

So he relaxes his face slightly and returns an equally dry response.]

It depends on the physical labor. Some of the greatest pleasures require you to use your physical body.

[Not that this machine would know it, apparently. A sad human-made droid who doesn't know any better yet.]

But fine, I'm gathering you like to solve things.

Re: HAL 9000 // 2001: A Space Odessey

[fanghunt]

Well, this certainly can't be good. Klaus can hardly remember the last time he was in a hospital as a patient, and - what's worse - this definitely isn't a normal hospital. All of the doctors and nurses he's seen (never mind the other patients) appear to be completely human, and this is definitely abnormal in Hellsalem's Lot. However, finding out that he is no longer in Hellsalem's Lot, and in turn that he is apparently in a place he's never even heard of before, is even more worrying, even if it does explain the peculiar absence of Alter-World influence.

That isn't to say that there's any shortage of nonhumans, though...just a different breed. He's seen a few walking around: beings that mostly look like humans, with animal body parts stitched on. Quite frankly, it's a little disturbing.

Now, though, Klaus has been given the all-clear, along with a handful of pamphlets that appear to be meant to educate new arrivals on the habits of Ryslig's less human inhabitants, so he's walking outside, only half-paying attention to where he's going, devoting the other half of his attention to the articles pertaining to different species, when he finds himself nearly tripping over this poor fellow.

Once he's recovered his balance, he holds out one hand in an awkward gesture that is part apology and part greeting. "Excuse me, sir! I didn't see you there."