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1.0 game launch log
1.0: Game Launch
Patch Update
Maybe you’ve been getting settled in for a little while now, maybe you just arrived yesterday. Either way, a big change is coming! All Dodo residents will receive a city-wide broadcast on their phones:
> Thank you for your patience with our construction, city-goers! As our month of pride celebration has wrapped, all our streets are once again open. Hope it sets your hearts aflutter for 🤍 White Day! 🤍
The streets of Crane City have opened, and what glorious streets they are! Decorated with gently blooming white flowers, ivory streamers hung from building to building, and floating snowy balloons, everything seems to be elevated with a touch of elegance. What’s that? It’s looking a little bridal? Now you’re getting in the spirit! The city is abuzz about an upcoming celebration...
Meanwhile, Duocaeli has also become the loveliest storm. It’s a tornado of silks, a cyclone of chiffon, ribbons as far as the eye can see - that’s right, it’s time for a parade of princesses. Avis Isle is tittering with gossip, airship after airship coming to land as royalty gets to enjoy the fresh air and roguish sights of a guild town. There’s princesses from faraway lands, kingdoms large and small, excited to rest before they depart soon to their next destination—some kind of royal slumber party? rich people—and they’re so excited to be here! Some are children, others as mature as their late 300's—once a princess, always a princess.
Avisle is excited for their business too! ♥ Looks like everything’s a little more expensive around these parts (know your audience) but there’s also better service and rumors of special treatment for those of blue blood pedigree, or their staff. Why don’t you slide on in? If anything, you might want to teach your friends how to pass for royalty, lest they get mistaken for a worker!
Speaking of roleplay, it seems like there’s an abandoned chest in one of the roadways, likely fallen off a carriage in the chaos… Inside, characters will find gorgeous adornments, including lovely gowns, crowns, etc. The criers looking for royal customers ring in the back of your mind – “Princess business welcome!!” – do you do the proper thing and look for the owner of the chest, and see if you can get a reward? Or is it time for royal cosplay? (Though should you return it, and the shopkeep may ask you to wear some garments as advertisement anyway...)
Alternatively, in your plain clothes, or... most clothes, it’s easy to be mistaken for a page. Well, they’re all awfully young ladies–have a sense of humor! Don’t let it rankle you too bad... or do?
Guild business is in high demand now especially, with most specialties being sought after by a monarch-to-be for one reason or another.
♔ Crafters are highly sought after, especially those who specialize in adornments. Won’t you make them some hair ornaments that bloom just like true roses?
♔ Warriors are being asked to fulfill more bodyguard roles. You know! Just like in their romance novels…
♔ Scholars are being asked to fulfill divinations—how good are you at fortune tellings? The future of their kingdoms are prosperous, aren’t they? Aren’t they?
♔ Wanderers are being requested as tour guides and escorts. They have a higher chance of being mistaken for pages. Sorry.
♔ Menders must clean up after everyone’s messes, as usual. Stained gowns, broken hairpins, the occasional sprain of a princess fallen out of a tree (we told her not to!)—you name it.
♔ Warriors are being asked to fulfill more bodyguard roles. You know! Just like in their romance novels…
♔ Scholars are being asked to fulfill divinations—how good are you at fortune tellings? The future of their kingdoms are prosperous, aren’t they? Aren’t they?
♔ Wanderers are being requested as tour guides and escorts. They have a higher chance of being mistaken for pages. Sorry.
♔ Menders must clean up after everyone’s messes, as usual. Stained gowns, broken hairpins, the occasional sprain of a princess fallen out of a tree (we told her not to!)—you name it.
1. Questboard
The quest board at the guild hub has been updated with the latest patch! Excited players are gathered around to collect new bounties, which are open to all. The guild hub also provides a useful bestiary, which is readily accessible by guild members via crystals.
2. Dungeon Crawl - Guild Hub Catacombs
Welcome to your first limited time domain! Princess Andalina is the belle of the ball, and the one organizing the royal slumber party... when she's suddenly attacked by robed figures in the Guild Hub! It's your job to escort her safely through some secret underground catacombs so that she might be smuggled aboard an airship and escape–though naturally, there's a catch.
Task: Escort Princess Andalina Quartzrosen Pili Majesteria the Third
Reward: Daiya, diamond jewelry of choice.
Chamber 1: Once Upon a Time...
Right in front of your eyes, the exhausted Princess suddenly transforms… into a beautiful diamond? Housed in a necklace, it seems that this icy stone is her dormant form, and is entrusted to players for safekeeping. Dungeon party members will be given roles in the first chamber: knight or princess. Knights will be in charge of defeating foes; princesses will have to wear the enchanted stone and keep it intact. If princesses are hurt, the stone will be damaged. If they're grievously injured or killed, the stone will be destroyed outright.
Additionally, knights will find themselves buffed overall and invulnerable to damage. But it's not that convenient–princesses will sustain any injuries meant for their knights. In RPG terms, princesses serve as the HP for all members of their parties.
It's imperative to keep moving to avoid the incoming assassins, though that's easier said than done: some of the hallways are incredibly narrow, there's constant forks and uneven terrain, and the darkness is thick and suffocating. It'll be easier to stay close–or maybe even get a piggyback ride? A princess carry, if you will? It's easy mana!
Chamber 2: A Sticky Situation
The catacombs are damp and stale–and of course, in their neglect, they're teeming with danger. The pitch black corridors make it easy to stumble into giant spiderwebs, which are nearly impossible to escape alone, though they can be burned or otherwise destroyed with some help. The webbing itself is weaved with magic, and will quickly drain the mana of anyone trapped within.
But where there's spiderwebs, there's bound to be… spiders! Careless knights and princesses may find themselves kidnapped and carried away by these hunters, which can attack with sharp barbs and acid that lingers on every surface. Knights are invulnerable, but can still be incapacitated by webbing–be careful!
Chamber 3: Sins of our Daughters
The light is at the end of the literal tunnel, but one obstacle remains: the young leader of the assassins who introduces herself as Nina.
Nina doesn't attack outright, instead first explaining Andalina's crimes against her kingdom, and her desire for justice. Proudful and grieving, Nina will only accept Andalina's death, but nevertheless offers the players a choice:
Destroy Andalina: By deliberately injuring a party's princess, Andalina's crystal will be destroyed, and she'll be killed. Nina will thank the party and slip away without another word, looking wearied.
Save Andalina: Protecting Andalina will cause Nina to attack, leading to a boss battle.
BOSS: Nina the Emerald
HP: 10000
Difficulty: ★★★☆☆
Weakness: Water, despots
Resistance: Earth
Attacks
Defeating her can be as "simple" as beating her in a fight before the party sustains too much damage, but there's also a large, deep lagoon in this chamber. If you can make Nina sink like a stone, the water might be enough to dispatch her permanently…
HP: 10000
Difficulty: ★★★☆☆
Weakness: Water, despots
Resistance: Earth
Attacks
- Crystal Cage: Summons giant, emerald shards to create walls, isolating party members.
- Shatter: Anything her knives touch turns temporarily into crystal, including limbs and portions of flesh. Nina will often throw these knives, though she can also be turned to stone using them. Payback's a bitch!
Defeating her can be as "simple" as beating her in a fight before the party sustains too much damage, but there's also a large, deep lagoon in this chamber. If you can make Nina sink like a stone, the water might be enough to dispatch her permanently…
G̴̮͇̽ĺ̶̻͉̓͝i̷̜͓̙̊t̵̤̄́̏c̶̝̘̃̉̀h̶̯͓͘i̶̖͙̭͆ń̷̻̦̘g̶͐͒͜ͅ: Occasionally throughout the dungeon, including during this boss fight, the role between princesses and knights can switch without warning! Don't get too comfortable.
In the end, only one of the two girls can survive. While others may view this as just a cutscene in a game, to PCs, something about both these women feels quite real. Claim your reward, and step into the glowing portal that will teleport you back to the dungeon entrance. Players may thread any number of outcomes, but can only report one of their threads here for rewards!
OOC Notes
March's OOC Event Plotting Post is also here for your reference!
Please look forward to our next gamewide mingle for Dodo's Doki Doki White Day Auction on Friday, March 17th.
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duocaeli duologs duolingosTaken / Applications / Hiatus & Drops
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no subject
still clad in his red waistcoat attire from earlier, aspen watches like a hawk and analyzes. it's because of that strange patience that when the knife comes, he inclines his head out of the way. )
I don't want to fight to the death either. Normally I would find another option, but it doesn't seem like that's available to us.
( he breathes in slowly and stamps the end of his staff onto the floor. the sound seems to echo and prickle the air itself, enveloping kaito in what is - by now - probably a familiar healing aura. )
Ready.
( undirected thoughts and emotions fasten to a single point: determination and grit. aspen is quick to cast, feathered wings spreading as ropes of vines twist and shoot to the would-be assassin, intent on snagging onto an arm to stop her from launching more projectiles. )
Careful in the front!
no subject
Maybe that's why the two of them mesh well in Duocaeli. Aspen the unassuming airhead, Kaito the unassuming layabout. And when it's time to doff their masks... ]
Forgive us, then.
[ The sound of ice snapping accompanies Aspen's healing spell. In an instant, the fog billowing from Kaito's lungs surges forward—and its caster vanishes. A blink later, he's leaping out of the frozen cloud, liquid blade raised high to cleave.
He's an easy target, literally throwing himself at the assassin's knives. She doesn't hesitate to plunge her crystal weapons into his chest... but that's when the trap springs. It's a fake—the gouged mist clone explodes into a frigid blast of wind that frosts over Nina's forward arm and slows her down long enough for Aspen's vines to tangle around her other arm and yank it behind her.
A status message illuminates in gold over her head: FROSTBITTEN, TANGLED, 10 SECONDS.
Kaito reappears out of a puddle to Aspen's left, placing one gloved hand over his knight's staff. An azure aura bleeds around his fingertips. The same glow burns in his eyes as he glances down and sidelong. Another message flickers, this one over the birb's staff.
ELEMENTAL EMPOWERMENT: WATER. ]
Good job. Think we can convince her to back off with one blow?
no subject
shame that aspen can't read the status effects, but he can see the timer. 8... 7... )
Think so.
( he admits, always giving estimates and never saying for sure. there are too many things that can go wrong, after all. 6...
even so, he's fast, spreading his wings open and pelting forwards. it only takes two steps for him to achieve flight.
5... 4...
aspen lifts his arms to swing, wings shifting to stop his forward motion. in the same second, his vines let go, in an effort to pelt her backwards over the edge.
3... 2...
in the span of a second, his hit connects. FROZEN, the message triumphantly reads, blinking over her head.
but something pops up over aspen's, too. SEIZED. nina's frozen hand managed to grab hold of the white scarf tied around his neck in a cravat, and with her stilled state, aspen can't detach her from his person.
1. )
- bitch!
( it's the last thing aspen can get out before he disappears from view.
the momentum carries both nina and aspen over the edge, nina's weight pulling aspen with her into the lagoon, down deep. )
no subject
It's tempting to give the bird an encouraging pat on the back, but that would be awkward, probably. Maybe? Either way, Kaito simply watches, gloved fingers wrapped tight around his magic weapon's hilt in case Aspen's next attack goes wide.
It doesn't. He's ready to cheer the silver-haired striker when his eyes register the pair of CC effects over both their heads. Frozen. Yeah, that's the water. But where's Seized coming from...? ]
—Oh, fuck!
[ Aaaand down go both the assassin leader and his mouthy winged friend. Aspen's got wings, though. He'll probably be able to wrestle free from the frozen Nina and flap his way back onto their platform arena.
...
.....
Kaito doesn't dare wait more than a few seconds before sprinting over to the edge. It deosn't matter that this is a virtual reality game, that there are supposed to be "no stakes" to player deaths save for a respawn. Duocaeli is one of the only places where his natural gifts work. There has to be more to this online world than the simple interactions of an MMORPG. Death, then, is likely just as nuanced.
Swapping his spellblade for a small dagger, Kaito glances down to catch sight of Aspen's wings, his hair, his ridiculously fashionable robes—anything to guide what comes next. Without further hesitation (despite the bountiful fear that weighs him down), Kaito dives into the lagoon, aiming to swiftly swim his way to Aspen and free him by slashing off the end of his scarf.
Sorry, high fantasy fashion. You're not going to be the death of his birdbrained knight. And if Nina even dares to try and assault the younger man as Kaito enters the lagoon, she'll find out the hard way that water is his domain.
After a few paddles, Kaito snags one arm around Aspen's waist and grabs his scarf. His opposite hand slices through the fabric with some effort, and despite his quickly-burning lungs, the dragonling kicks and propels them back towards fresh air.
...It helps that he's got a thicc tail with a big fin. The thing seems tailor-made for
Vaporeon cosplayassisting in swimming. ]no subject
once they breach the surface, aspen is still for a few moments longer before he actually kicks back to consciousness. he has a death grip on kaito, and for once, is completely wordless. the fear in his eyes could probably coalesce into the same ice nina was encased in.
how can he get across that he can't swim? (kaito probably already got the hint.) aspen struggles to even get one word out, one sound, just desperately holding onto the other man for dear life. )
Um.
( very intelligent. eloquent. )
I... I can fly us up.
no subject
...This is getting too real. No one else should bear the burden of remembering countless ends. Especially not the one in his arms who came this close to facing the respawn timer. It's impossible to mistake the emotions rattling out of Aspen's aura, even for someone without empathy (at least, Kaito thinks so). The Aurain's fear compounds with his own, but he won't let that terror stop him from kicking his legs and tail. ]
It's okay. Just breathe and hang on, [ he murmurs, arms wrapped tight around the other man while avoiding touching the base of his soaked wings. A cerulean aura similar to the one coloring his eyes (similar to the one that had empowered the last attack) begins to blanket both of them after they resurface. One last kick sends them floating leisurely up and out of the lagoon.
Kaito makes eye contact with Nina's sinking form one last time before shaking his head and concentrating on his waterflight. His powers from home have been neutered significantly, but they're not all inaccessible. They've simply been made prisoner to the laws of Duocaeli's system—and so this application of his hydrokinesis is going on a five hour cooldown timer as soon as they land back on solid ground.
Once they've returned to the platform, Kaito carefully looses his hold on Aspen, though the gloved fingers looped around his wrist make it clear that he's still waiting for a sign that it's okay to let him stand on his own two feet. ]
no subject
his thalassophobia spikes as the realization of what just happened really hits him. even from far away, the lagoon had not looked so deep, but he could have drowned. he could have died. what did dying mean here?
but, curiously, aspen does not flounder. though his fear is intense and irrational and threatens to give him a panic attack, he does his best to quietly kick the edges of his terror back into a nice little compartment. for someone with empathy, it may seem strange to feel that emotion being swept back into its neat little box and that box can be swept under the proverbial bed to ignore. it takes several deep breaths for aspen to recover his poise, and when he finally (shakily) gets to his two feet, he still looks shaken. )
... apologies.
( the smile he gives kaito is not necessarily 'forced', but it's a little fake. )
I'm not used to fighting in c... close quarters... I should've been paying more attention. Somewhere in the afterlife my fiancé is yelling at me, probably.
Are you... alright?
no subject
Instead, the dragonling shrugs and meets his mask of a smile with something a little softer and more genuine. Glowing blue eyes cast considerable doubt on the authenticity of the other's expression, but again, he has no interest in poking around right now. As he opens his mouth to speak, Aspen will likely notice that the water soaked into his clothes and hair is beginning to slowly seep out and flow back into the lagoon proper.
Kaito's got some weird water magic applications. ]
I'm okay. And I'd be yelling at you too if you'd gotten seriously hurt. But I'm glad you're in one piece.
...
Don't tell anyone, but I actually have a lot of trauma associated with water. Isn't that hilarious? A hydrokinetic afraid of the deep.
[ He continues to smile, but there's a tinge of something darker in his expression; something more indignant. Kaito finally lets go after giving Aspen's hand a squeeze. ]
But more than water, I fear being powerless.
I wasn't going to watch you die.
no subject
to see kaito, who was usually just as snippy and sarcastic as he was, look at him like that - it felt weird. there was a glimmer of shame in his usually unbreakable confidence, but it softens.
and it only softens because kaito offers up his own vulnerability. )
... I didn't know. ( he admits that honestly, apology in his eyes. ) I wouldn't call it hilarious, but I know a water mage back home who would give both of us a hard time.
( he straightens after a brief moment further, pushing his wet bangs away from his gaze.
'i wasn't going to watch you die', kaito says. aspen has always clung to the idea of living, but recently... there is a question that lingers in the back of his head. that perhaps... someone else should have lived instead of him. )
Thank you. There isn't a lot I fear anymore, but the deep water of the ocean, or a lake... the scant few memories I have make it terrifying, and no matter how many times someone tries to teach me to swim, those memories take precedence.
I'll keep quiet about your... distaste for the deep. Maybe we can eat some squid or octopus and act like we're defeating that fear in a way.
no subject
But perhaps the Kaito who lived his whole life in Crane City has less reason to be so irrationally guarded against those who he cares for and about. Perhaps that's why he's so willing to share his fears with Aspen.
Or, if you squint, maybe he's just trying to level the playing field after having extrapolated the bird's thalassophobia from his raw, fearful emotions. Who knows?
Regardless of the reason, Kaito's expression brightens when the other straightens. Water-possessed hues return to their natural golden shade. His tail whips eagerly at the sound of seafood. What is he, a sea dog?
Oh god stop I didn't mean to bring up the Vaporeon theories again STOP—]I would love nothing more than to cook up a seafood feast for us and put the title "defeating our fears" under the expense in my books. In exchange, we will either never bring up our trauma again or resign ourselves to the fact that if it does come up again in the other's presence, we won't be ridiculed for our fears.
Sound good?
no subject
he's pretty sure this is a shiny variant.)You have a deal. If someone asks me what you're afraid of, I'll say something like 'toast' or... 'property tax'.
( though maybe that last one is on shaky ground.
when he rakes his hands through his hair again, it ends with him pulling at the shoulders of his jacket, and the undershirt below. like kaito, the water just bleeds out, and while it doesn't return to the lagoon, the boots he wears at least keep him from treading too much water. green mages control all sorts of plants - even the ones that form a weave. )
Ugh. ( but that doesn't extend to his hair, and it's sopping wet. which just gets his clothes wet again. )
no subject
Call him a good boy, see what happens.]Pfft. Property tax? [ Kaito pauses. A slew of OFF world memories come slapping him upside the head. He makes a face. ]
...Not the worst answer.
[ Aaaand the magic nerd in him is triggered. Aspen's magic has his rapt attention. It's curious how he can manipulate the water out of his clothes despite not being a water mage. Maybe that's because he's manipulating his clothes instead?
Ah, but his hair and skin...
Kaito's eyes flash blue for a brief moment. A snap of his fingers tugs at the remaining lagoon's worth of water soaked into those silver locks (and everywhere else). What results is a Thoroughly Dried Bird, but the effects it might have on his hair are, uh...
Not his responsibility. ]
Ta da. If we were back home, I could just whip out a hair dryer, but alas.
no subject
as magic drains the water away from his skin's surface and in between his hairs, he shudders. it's a strange feeling, foreign magic against himself - even if this strange game has "equalized" their powers, it still doesn't feel right.
... he blinks, raising a hand to his hair. for a second his delicate features turn absolutely aghast before he realizes something. his horror drops and he sighs and shrugs. )
Ah, well. It's not like I'm seeking to impress anyone.
( if he was still a courtesan or a king (or a fiance) this might be different. )
If only there were heated combs like in Petir. This would be so much easier.
Alright, seafood time.
no subject
Kaito splits a grin as Aspen's expression whitens. We will not mention the abyssal horror that is the current state of the bird's hair. Without missing a beat, he lifts his hand and pats the other's head once as if that'll make everything alright. ]
Well, you still managed to impress me!
[ By the kami, what kind of a dork are you...? ]
Right. Let's log off after getting the quest rewards. Have you ever been to my restaurant? [ A beat. That sounds weird rolling off his tongue. ]
Er, my other self's restaurant, I guess. The one that gave me these memories? Either way... It's the Naganoodle. We're on the second floor of the Promenade. I'll meet you there. Sound good?
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* Aspen will remember this. )
Impress you how? By nearly dying?
( his remark is dry, if uncharitable to himself. he waves off what he expects is a dig at his lack of finesse when it comes to melee combat. )
I haven't been, but I remember it - I suppose my other self has been. That sounds fine. Should I bring anything? After all, I may not be able to cook but I can at least get some ingredients.
no subject
Well, many regrets. None related to this particular interaction, though. ]
No. Anyone can do that, especially in a video game. But your magic is fascinating. Well, I'm assuming it's yours. Maybe it's the game's. If it's yours, I wonder what it would look like at full strength.
[ Sorry Aspen, but Canon!Kaito is here to start throwing surprise compliments in where those false memories of their friendship might expect sharper jabs. At the inquiry, he laughs and shakes his head. ]
Did you miss the part where I said it's my restaurant?
Just bring your appetite and your definitely-not-as-tall-as-you-are-right-now ass over and I'll spoil you, got it?
1/2
If you're talking about this... it's my green magic, and it's what I was born with.
2/2
It's because it's your restaurant that I offer! Any food you use for me could be used for paying customers. Besides, it's customary to bring a gift when you visit a friend. I'm not coming empty-handed, so pick something or I'll pick something!
1/2
Yes, that. Look, the real me is obsessed with spellcraft and the fantastical, okay? Even having this tail and these horns checks off a silly little desire I had as a kid to be...
[ Luckily, he trails off before he can embarrass himself any further. ]
2/2
[ Huff huff! After collecting their rewards (the diamond feels way too rich for his cheap ass's taste), Kaito hastily logs out of the game so he can call one of The Nagagoons™ to give him a ride. His family's home in Batata District is a fair bit further away from the Promenade compared to Dodo House, after all.
One Funky Cool Transition Later...
The Naganoodle looks like a piece of modern Japan got cut and pasted into the Promenade's food court. Amidst all the other restaurants, it proudly features a cheesy cloth sign over the main entrance's bamboo doors. The inside is surprisingly spacious for a mall restaurant, with plenty of booths and even a private section towards the back typically saved for reservations.
Well, visits from the kingpin count as reservations. Wearing a remarkably respectable black suit and slacks affair with a white dress shirt and blue tie, the only immediate indicator that the man leaning against the restaurant's entrance is Kaito is his short, messy hair. Many customers entering the establishment greet him with bright smiles and waves. Somehow, he's just barely able to reciprocate their enthusiasm.
At least, until Aspen arrives. Slumping a bit, Kaito exhales a deep sigh. ]
There you are. If I have to greet another customer, I think I might just go back home.