livinglot | ⇨ TEST DRIVE MEME #1

WELCOME TO THE SHOW!↴

Or, more specifically, Lost Carnival's first test drive meme! This is an opportunity to try out your characters in the setting before you apply, or to put together samples for characters you've never played before. There are going to be options for both new arrivals and veteran characters. Before we get started, let's lay down some details:

You can read the full premise here.
Reserves open October 5th at 12:01AM EST.
Applications open October 7th at 12:01AM EST.
You can apply as a newcomer or as a "veteran" character who has been in the carnival for up to three years.
TDM threads can be used as game canon after the fact if both characters are accepted and the players agree to it.
If you are interested in additional IC and OOC plot responsibilities, consider applying for a Supervisor position.
Supervisor applications will start being processed a few days after apps open, and will be selected on a competitive basis. If you want a supervisor position, it is best to submit your application as close to the beginning of the application cycle as possible. If you don't get chosen for your desired supervisor position, you will be given time to rework your application to be a regular veteran, or to apply for a supervisor position that is not yet taken.
Lost Carnival could use some additional moderation assistance! If you are interested, please let us know here.

NEW RECRUITS↴

You gotta start somewhere, right? These prompts are for characters who are arriving in the carnival for the first time, and who are destined to sign a contract. How they go about that is up to you, but in the meantime they can enjoy the sights and sounds of something truly out of this world. Visitors to the carnival comes from many different worlds today, as the ringmaster casts out her recruitment lures. Will you become her most recent hire?

► ADMISSION FEES: After crossing into the carnival's realm and passing through the trees, most visitors will find themselves at the front gate - though not all choose to enter that way. If they enter legitimately, however, they will have to pass by a clerk who will trade admission and tickets for various attractions and rides in exchange for "anything of value." What is of value may seem highly subjective, and so some may struggle to produce payment at first, though in actuality the carnival will take anything from mundane currency to items of purely sentimental value.

► MIRROR MAZE: The mirror maze (pictured above) is a big attraction in the carnival, and stretches much further on the inside than it looks like it will on the outside. It's hard to get through, and what's more, after you've been in there for a while your reflections will start gaining a mind of their own - mostly in order to taunt and distract you with personal information. They don't know everything you know, but they know more than they should, and their mind games can be pretty hit or miss.

► GAMER'S CIRCLE: Almost all of the game booths are organized in a large ring around the Cookhouse, called Gamer's Circle. Your can play just about any carnival game you can imagine here, for a variety of prizes sometimes traditional, exotic, or outright magical. Dart tossing? Got it. That game with the water guns? Got it. Most of these booths are currently manned by humanoid spirits who look like they are made of smoke. If they can trick you into earning debt, they will.

► TRYING TO LEAF: No matter where you came from, you seemingly emerged from a forest. Obviously, to get back home you should be able to go back in the same direction, right? It turns out you can't. Worse, trying too hard to get through the wood will result in you getting lost, or turned back to the carnival. The trees here are not normal, and are varying levels of alien, including things like trees with glowing fruit or orange flowers that constantly burn like candles.

► NOT YOUR WHEELHOUSE (NEW): Sometimes, even magical ferris wheels get stuck. The carnival's particular wheel is enchanted to create a particular out of this world experience - as you pass along the top, you feel as if they are so close to the sky that you can interact with the stars like baubles hanging above your head. Of course, the novelty probably wears off when the wheel is broken and you've been stuck enjoying the light show with some stranger for the last half hour. How are you going to pass the time?

► WILD CARD: Anything else you can imagine in this setting! There are a lot of possibilities and you're free to explore them. Check out the rest of the game info or the locations page for additional inspiration. Want to make a starter with your character experiencing their first theoretical change? Go for it!

VETERAN WORKERS↴

These prompts are tailored to the carnival's existing employees, the veterans. Odds are they've been here from somewhere between a few months and three years already, and know their way around the block. For them, this is just business as usual - and depending on their attitude towards their job, they may or may not contribute to a few people accidentally getting themselves a contract. Whatever you do, though, don't warn visitors away from the carnival - the ringmaster hates losing business like that.

► DO YOUR WORK: This one's pretty simple - just have your character doing whatever you'd like to have their job be! There is a big list of ideas over here, and you could use this to try things out with a character you intend to be a new arrival, as well.

► WILL O' WISPS: The ringmaster's will o' wisps have gotten free, and she's asked that everyone keep and eye out and help her reclaim them regardless of their official jobs. Wisps are small creatures that burn both hot and cold and comes in a few different variations of the same basic theme. Handling them physically (or psionically, or magically, for that matter) is difficult due to their near intangible nature. Touching and being around them can result in confusion and a sensation similar to being comfortably drunk.

► BREAK TIME: Whatever you were doing, it's break time! It's time for you to relax however you see fit. Do you enjoy some of the carnival attractions yourself, or is that old by now? Do you hang out in the Cookhouse to get a snack? Do you take a nap? Yolo, baby!

► RIDDLE GAME: For a bit of fun, the ringmaster has left a variety of locked chests around the worker areas of the carnival, each with instructions and a riddle written on their lids. The chest will accept three guesses from each worker before refusing to respond to them any further. If you guess the right answer, the chest will open and you will be rewarded with some manner of fun magical knick knack. If you've run out of guesses, maybe you can conspire with someone else and promise to split the prize?

► WILD CARD: Anything else you can imagine in this setting! There are a lot of possibilities and you're free to explore them. Check out the rest of the game info or the locations page for additional inspiration. Want to do a performance? Hang out in the Backyard? Choose whatever appeals!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Eh, the best type of brewer knows their audience. You, I'd probably make a tea for. Since I do that, too. [She chuckled at that, and winked.] Or maybe a nice light ale with fruity overtones. Nothing too heavy, nothing that would knock you on your butt. Unless you wanted to be, that is!

Noodles! Something I have not quite perfected yet! I'd love to see his recipe--then again, it would only be to see where I might be going wrong. Family recipes are family recipes. [Tantamount to sacred, says her voice. Besides, he'd been kind enough to defend her own family's dumpling recipe; she would not dishonor anyone by not doing the same, or to treat it with the respect it deserved.] I would like to try some, some day, as well! If possible.

Which Valley is that? Shadowmoon? Valley of the Four Winds?

[Okay that's cool, she's flirty. And not in an overly terrifying way either. That's cool. Po grinned.] Well, between you and me, I've been knocked on my butt before. There's plenty to go round.

Oh yeah, dad taught me everything I know. I'll make you some, now that I know dad's secret ingredient noodle soup. [He chuckled.] Well, provided I find a wok and a few ingredients.

Uh, the Valley of Peace? Ever heard of it?

Ah, but that's more for sparring! Beer should be enjoyed at a casual pace. [Jou never did like the type to guzzle beer as fast as possible. Like some of the Pandaren elders liked to say, life should be savored.

Beer was like that.]

That's a deal, Dragon Warrior.

[Then, Jou shook her head.] No, I'm sorry, I've never heard of it.

Heh, that's true. I never was a fast drinker if you get my drift. Fast eater, maybe. But I'm just learning the two-fisted eating style of the pandas.

[At her statement, Po rubbed his head.] I guess that's fair. The Valley of Peace isn't the most hopping tourist spot in China. Well, it used to NOT be. Until the secret panda village moved in and all.

... wait, how do you not know of the Valley of Peace anyhow? It's the birthplace of Kung Fu!

Just learning? I thought we knew how to eat from birth! [But she had to laugh. That was so cute. But his next words just confuse her, a lot.]

I know the Valley of the Four Winds in Pandaria--I've visited it! But I was born on the Wandering Isle! You know, Shen-zin Su? Where Liu Lang began his adventures, wandering Azeroth?

[Her face falls a little, if he still looks confused.] No? I've never heard of China...

Yeah, I kinda grew up with a goose as a dad. Not that it wasn't bad mind you, he's the noodle maker. It's just that I just rediscovered my birth dad, dad-dad, a couple of months ago.

Huh, sounds to me like we're from totally different places. There's got to be more than just China out there anyhow. The worlds' big enough for more than just my panda relatives.

[Those sounded Chinese to Po, and he made a thoughtful face. It looked like he was straining to do so.]

A goose? A Tauren I could see, but...[Geese were geese on Azeroth. So maybe this was different. Besides, there were cow-folk and wolf-folk back home, even if the Worgen were mostly just cursed humans...]

There's a lot of world out there! But I still haven't heard of China. [And clearly, that actually troubles her more than a little, by the look on her face.]

I mean, that was why Liu Lang left Pandaria in the first place, to go exploring. It's a great Pandaren tradition!

Yeah a goose. He's a great dad, and I wouldn't give him or my other dad up for the world. I never knew my mom anyhow. What's a Tauren?

[Po gave a nod and a lazy roll of his shoulders.] Strange though. China's a pretty big place. Wait, Pandaren? That's what you guys call yourselves? Huh, and for me it's just Panda.

Tauren are cow or bull people. Bipedal, hooves, two fingered hands, horns and a tail...very cowlike faces. [Goose dad. Welp, this is clearly not Azeroth, that is certain now.]

Hai, Pandaren...I do not think we are on China or Azeroth, though. [Jou please China is not a planet...] I am not quite certain how I got here. Though perhaps a bit like when we go to the Darkmoon Faire through Elwynn Forest...

[Yeah because not paying attention to danger in light of your exploring is a very Jou Shan thing to do...]

Oh, a cow or bull? Yeah we've got those in China. There's Master Storming Ox and Master Bull, and that dorkhead Kai who I beat a month ago.

Mmm, must be another world like the Spirit World come to think about it. And China's a country, not a world. This Faire sounds cool though.

Oh, like Stormwind or Lordaeron, then. China. [Jou almost wishes she could see this place, now.]

I thought the spirit world was different, though! The shaman seem to think it is. Being a monk, I do not usually deal with that sort of thing...though I have spoken to the Celestials before...

Oh, it is! A little like this, with a motley assortment of folk from all over Azeroth. Humans, night elves, Sin'dorei, Tauren, trolls, a few Pandaren like myself, or more like you. [As she's more like a red panda, with a long tail to boot!] Gnomes, dwarves, goblins. They go all over Azeroth, or they used to! Now they're settled on an island, and they open portals so adventurers can go play and watch concerts and so on. I've been there a few times, it's a lot of fun!

Like a city then? Yeah kinda. But bigger.

Huh, well, there's the spirit world, and there's the real world. With the right "key" you can get into the Spirit World. Kinda weird to get back though.

Hmm, that kinda makes sense! Sort of like a group of people.

Oh, Stormwind and Lordaeron are countries! You said China was a country, right?

Azeroth is a planet. [Though really, she's probably just going to confuse him now.]

Oh, I have never been to the Spirit World. But I know shaman from my world have. And I know there are spirits from there who come visit our world. I think. I think that's what Yu'lon and Niuzao and Xuen and Chi-Ji are...

[And then Jou laughs, and nods.] Yes, the Darkmoon Faire is just like that. Like this carnival, too. Just people.

Oh, okay. Countries, I can get behind that.

So wait, have you been to other planets or something?

[Po rubbed his furry chin for a moment before chuckling.] I guess our two worlds are similar in some ways, not so in others.

Well, China sounds a lot like mainland Pandaria, really...

[Jou laughs, and then nods.] It is one other planet, technically, but I have been to two versions of it. The Bronze Dragonflight messes with time often, you see...

So I have been to Draenor twice, though we call the shattered version 'Outland'.

Maybe it's the same place, but in different worlds.

Time travel? Oh that is so cool!

[Shattered?] Uh, what happened to "Outland" to "Shatter" it.

[Po quotation marked there.]

⇨ TEST DRIVE MEME #1

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