1.0 game launch log

[gamedevs]

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.

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

• 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!

Nina is a talented assassin, and moreover, she's mad as hell. Basically a flurry of knives that lashes out from the dark corners of the room, she'll specifically target princesses.

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.

---

duocaeli duologs duolingos FAQ & Game Info / Calendar / Locations / Mechanics
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Comments

[draugrr]

I. QUEST BOARD

A. BAD NEWS BUNNY

[He's certainly the right choice for hauling stuff around: he's easily able to balance a whole stack of care packages in his arms with seemingly no effort. However, his bedside manner leaves something to be desired. On spotting someone who matches a description on his list - you, perhaps - he gets in their way and Looms, his long shadow stretching darkly over the victim.]

Hey. Somebody fucking hates you now. Take this.

[He thrusts out the package and shakes it, threateningly, suggesting that he'll shake you if you don't accept it fast.]

II. DUNGEON CRAWL

A. CHAMBER II

[He's taking on the Knight's role, of course, though there's not much chivalry in him. He's already spent the first half hour or so stalking ahead, largely silent, his expression dour and his jaw set. He doesn't stop moving 'til his long ears catch the subtle skitter of long, spindly legs against aging stone; it's then that he halts, scowling.

To the accompanying Princess:]

Stay behind me. Watch your step.

C. CHAMBER III

[After hearing Nina's tale, the choice seems clear. To Meridian, anyway.]

Give me the stone.

[He rounds on the crystal-bearer, ready to level his scythe at them should they refuse.]

III. WILDCARD

[whatever else!! princesses and whoever else, if you need a bodyguard, he's very good at his job ... if not exactly a romantic.]

c.

[hexensabbat]

[She just props her hands on her hips, stone still around her neck.]

I mean, it's not like I'm attached either way, but it's kind of rude to demand it without saying what you're gonna do with it.

[draugrr]

[She's absolutely right. Graceless bastard that he is, though, Meridian doesn't seem too bothered by the admonishment.]

You heard that story.

[He gestures to the stone with one hand; with the other, his grip tightens on his scythe, his knuckles paling.]

If you wanna smash the stone yourself, feel free. But that girl ain't gettin' out of here alive.

[hexensabbat]

[She tosses it up and down in her hand, shrugging a little.]

I'll hand it over in just a minute. Mind if I ask what makes you so sure, though?

[draugrr]

[The cavalier response annoys him. He scowls, watching the stone go up, go down, his fingers flexing against the handle of his scythe.]

You think it's a lie?

ii a

[hasteful]

[buzen's never been a princess before!

but there's at least something familiar in the sense that he has to protect something important, and if it breaks then someone's life is at stake. it's just different that it's not his, for once. so he'll clutch the necklace in one hand protectively even as he falls in line and shifts to go behind the Knight!]

Sure you don't need any assistance, my friend?

[they're friends now. this is what happens when you go through a dungeon together.]

[draugrr]

Ain't your friend.

[He bites this out as one of the spiders lunges, trying to spit fresh webbing - not at Meridian, but at his princess charge. Meridian moves fast for a big man carrying a big weapon, dashing forward and swinging the scythe with neither hesitation nor mercy. The scythe's serrated teeth bite into the spider's humanoid half, slicing open their belly, but the resulting scream draws the attention of three others - with more skittering intensifying in the dark beyond. Meridian exhales. He can handle them all on his own. Probably.]

You just stay put.

II.A

[sawboned]

[denji tries to muscle past his large form to see what's up]

Like hell, dude! You watch yours!

[denji has spent the half-hour complaining about having to carry the stone-princess--he is so loud]

[draugrr]

[What's up is: a small squadron of the half-spider, half-humanoid monsters, maybe a half dozen in all, racing rapidly down the cobwebbed tunnels. Meridian lifts his scythe - a strange, massive thing that seems crafted as much of metal as of flesh and bone - and the eye set into the blade begins to spin wildly, excitedly. Miasma crawls over the scythe's 'teeth', an undulating mass of dark energy.]

Don't got to.

[He swings the scythe, and that energy strikes out in a dark wave. One of the spiders crumples, their legs broken, but the rest continue to advance. Meridian scowls.]

Might not've got so many runnin' us down if you talked a little less.

[sawboned]

Maybe! But the boring, quiet missions are the worst!

[as meridian engages the spider creatures, denji finds a gap to squeeze through into the main chamber and immediately throws himself at a group coming from the side meridian's not focused on]

As if I'm lettin' you have all the fun with your creepy rake!

[with the icy stone swinging wildly from his neck, he draws out two rugged-looking handaxes, which are coated in a small layer of bright orange flame and starts slashing away at the advancing spidermen—his movements at once reckless and precise]

[draugrr]

[Because they have not yet reached the final chamber, Meridian still considers himself at least marginally duty-bound to protect the crystal around Denji's neck - and therefore Denji himself.]

My what?

[He scowls; in his momentary distraction, one of the spiders lands a hit, slashing at his exposed shoulder. Black blood oozes from the wound, seeping slow over his skin. He rounds on his enemy with a snarl. The eye set into the scythe blade narrows hungrily as Meridian cuts across the creature's abdomen; in the next instant, he's trying to join Denji, though he doesn't miss the calculation in the boy's chaos.]

Watch yourself.

cccccccc

[paraselenes]

[ It's been a nasty, spider-filled journey to the final chamber, but it looks like the conflict could be resolved sooner than expected. All they have to do is destroy one glittering princess.

He's not in a rush though, hand hovering over where the gem's buried beneath his scarf, almost hesitant. ]

...Are you moved by her story?

[ Everything that Nina told them demands sympathy for sure. ]

[draugrr]

['Moved' is not quite right. 'Projecting' is a little more precise.

He notes that hesitation, his jaw tightening.]

Got no love for murderous despots. Do you?

[paraselenes]

[ His reaction isn't subtle, even if it's in small motions: a twist of his mouth, a hard look that he quickly blinks the storminess out of. This is a sore topic. Maybe he's projecting, too. ]

No. [ Certainly not. ] Nor do I make a point in denying people their revenge.

[ He fishes the gem out from under his clothes, turning it in his palm. ]

I just—wonder if there isn't some other way.

[draugrr]

[For all his seeming single-minded brutality, Meridian's a perceptive man. He doesn't miss the brief look that passes over Dimitri's face; the rapidly clearing storm. His visible eye narrows.]

What other way could there be?

[He jabs a thumb at the stone.]

Say that girl lives. Say she keeps on with her kingdom. What else is she gonna do in its name? All terrible empires have humble beginnings.

[He seems to speak from experience.]

iii-c.

[lackluster]

Oh? Why's that?

[ Childe doesn't really care about the princess either way, nor was he particularly swayed by Nina's story. What does make him curious is why Meridian wants the stone all of a sudden. ]

Made up your mind already?

[draugrr]

[If he's totally honest with himself, he'd made up his mind right around the part where Nina described the devastation of her country's populace. It's just too real for him!]

Heard enough, yeah.

[He jerks his head towards the stone.]

Ain't got all day.

[lackluster]

No hesitation, huh?

[ For someone who appears to be asking questions meant to stall, he doesn't seem to care all that much about the princess' fate. He hands over the stone with no further protests. ]

It's just too bad for the princess.

[draugrr]

Not usually.

[He snatches the stone, closes his fingers around it tightly. There's the audible sound of cracking.

Still, he furrows his brow.]>

What makes you say that.

i a.

[wrists]

[ laurent stares blankly at the package, making no move to lift his hands to receive it. a gift? no, a break-up message. which is odd. no, not odd, because it doesn't necessarily mean the dissolving of a relationship, and there could be any number of people who despise it at any given moment — he inspires homicidal tendencies simply by breathing, after all. ]

I don't want it. [ he looks at the other man now, his interest in the package waning. ] You open it.

[draugrr]

Ain't for me.

[He shakes it - he doesn't even know what's in these things.]

You're the one on the list.

[Probably. Maybe.]

i-a

[bucchi]

Why would I take somethin' from someone who hates me? Might be poisoned.

[ ruggie's ears fold back in distrust. nevermind the fact he did some of these deliveries himself--- no, this is a completely different situation now that he's the recipient.

hey also why is this guy so big and why does ruggie feel like he might die... ]

[draugrr]

Not from them.

[Granted, he's not exactly sure of the particulars of this assignment. Nevertheless, he looms, the package offered ominously, as though it might, in fact, be dangerous.]

Just some outfit lookin' to console lonely hearts.

[bucchi]

[ pretty sure this is the definition of stranger danger, also accepting packages is a neutral thing but right now? ruggie's just... staring... at meridian.

...

okay he will take the small box now, but doesn't immediately open it. ]

Probably wouldn't hurt to smile a bit, don'tcha think?

[draugrr]

[A sneer.]

You don't wanna see me smile.