4.0 June Event Log

[gamedevs]

4.0 June Event Log

Air Quality Alert

In the ON world, Avisle's storm has fully cleared as of last month, but something still lingers in its usually beautiful skies. Not enough to obstruct trade, not quite, though those steering their airships may grumble a bit about the turbulence. Ash flutters in the air, clouds are replaced with dark plumes of smoke; it gets harder to breathe in a game where that shouldn't matter, and there's a strangely luminescent sheen in the sky, like oil, or the scales of a beast…

The air pollution will have effects over time, so those that overextend themselves exploring (or are just naturally sensitive to smoke) will find themselves with stinging eyes, chest pains, shortness of breath, etc. Overexposure can cause someone to collapse altogether, so be careful out there! Those aligned with fire or water may be able to soothe symptoms somewhat, both in themselves and others.

1. Guild Wars: GBF Do Not Interact

Despite the air quality warnings, the City is as active as ever, eager to carry out another time-honored tradition. Avisle’s Guild Hub has the honor of hosting Guild Wars this year, an all-month event run by the Interguild Alliance (IGA) to test (and reward!) the mettle of its members across Duocaeli. It has the hype of the Olympics, albeit with less sportsball and more RPG chaos.

Historically, Guild members band together to compete for accolades by demonstrating adventure-worthiness: completing quest board tasks, raiding dungeons, discovering new flora and fauna, etc. Guilds can also resort to ye olde methods of competition, like actual sportsball, epic party games, what-have-you.

This year, in addition to the above there is special focus on assisting a family of gemwalkers who have been separated by the ravaging storms from April.

The winning Guild is determined by overall group effort—whichever team brings in the most gemwalkers, bounty, discoveries, and victories will be crowned champions across the skies, and be rewarded with sweet, sweet loot. Participation perks are also quite generous, and all players are encouraged to join in regardless of skill level or willingness. In fact, the entire city seems quite obsessed with Guild Wars, and anyone caught sitting out will be eventually coerced into activities one way or another.

> Gemwalker Reunion

Only one of the golems has made it to Avisle City to request aid after a long and perilous journey, its core barely intact, and the remaining family members need to be located and brought back to the city. These missing golems will be inert after having sustained damage in the storm and are lost in the smoke, meaning each team will need to invent ways to transport heavy rocks through difficult terrain and smoky conditions. (Yahaha?)

Guild members will be given a device that senses when a missing golem is nearby, however they’ll be left to their own devices to figure out a way back to the City. Their search will take them to two potential locations, so players can tackle whichever is better suited to their strengths (or both!):

1. Windhaven Woodlands: The first of the gemwalkers hasn’t been blown too far from its original home, Aria’s Grove, however a pack of mischievous bloobettes of the woodlands have absorbed pieces of the poor golem into their gelatinous bodies. To make things even more difficult, the pervading smoke makes the woods even darker than usual. Characters will be virtually blind in here, and even the guiding wind that periodically blows through the trees is ashy and unpleasant.

2. Dandelion Fields: One of the golems is trapped high up on one of the floating, miniature islands… While typically one could hitch a ride on a wind whale, the smoke has temporarily beached them all to the ground. To make matters worse, the massive dandelion seeds collect soot and ash en masse, and tend to explode with both when they hit any surface. Whether it's by dealing with the altitude, the whales, or the seeds, characters are on their own to reach the golems above!

OOCly, players can opt to thread this out if they'd like, but we'll only be reading submissions filled out here. We'll be choosing a grand 'winner' based on creativity!

> Exploration

Besides the main gemwalker event, there's plenty of other ways to score a win for your guild(s)! Two new locations have been released specifically to celebrate the event:

Starstuff Crater: In the furthest reaches of the isle, the land suddenly gives way to a crater that rivals the size of Avis Isle City itself, apparently from the impact of a falling star long ago. Rising from the bottom of the crater are hundreds of tall earthy spires that house an array of bird species and alien flora from the dissolved starstuff. While smoke rises at the higher points of the crater, cool, clean water pools in the rocky crags at the bottom, and those with an alignment with darkness may notice that their powers are stronger here, nearly uncomfortably so. Meanwhile, those aligned with light may feel ill at ease, and drain of mana more quickly.

Bigge Tunelle: Within the mysterious depths of Windhaven Woodlands is an ancient tree that long ago tumbled to the earth, leaving behind a vast hollowed tunnel. Ever since the locals can remember, the tunnel has had a powerful gust of wind running through it, making it near impossible to traverse the tunnel. That is, if you're on the side where the wind exits. Those wandering close to where the wind enters might find themselves getting sucked into a weightless tunnel experience before being spit out the other side. It's possible to get stuck within the air currents of the tunnel itself; being aligned with wind or earth may make it easier to traverse, but everyone else should be prepared to be billowed by the suction and blown about! Try not to hit anything (or any monsters) on the way down.

Exploring these two areas may lead to new discoveries! Players can submit flora or fauna ideas for all to play with here for Guild Wars rewards. A reminder that smoke will be present in both these locations as well, and may agitate the local ecosystems… and also you?

> Earning EXP

Finally, characters can also earn points for their Guilds by participating in any of our the permanent quests and dungeons that are available! Completing threads or meeting a comment minimum is not required to earn points; we'll just be looking for an honest effort.

2. Dungeon Crawl - Smoke & Mirrors

Not looking to traipse about old dungeons? Raring for the newest content? Those Guildies searching for more still to do will be tasked with discovering the source of all the smoke surrounding Avisle to help ease the overall search for missing Gemwalkers. Directed to the very heart of the haze (where there's smoke, there's fire), they will begin to hear muffled voices–familiar ones.

Guess the Gemwalkers aren’t the only ones about to face some reunions.

Chamber 1: Into the Deep

Yet as you step through the smoke, you might suddenly find yourself sinking into the sand, greeted by the distant call of gulls. Blink once, blink twice - blink as many times as you’d like, but the image of the beach surrounding Crane City does not disappear. Weren’t you just in the ON world? You must’ve been. And yet any attempts to forcefully exit or quit the dungeon ahead of time fail - here you are to stay.

Explore a bit if you’d like, but do your best to keep your footing. Every now and then, the ground trembles beneath your feet as an earthquake reverberates through the area. The seas get choppy, but as you look out into the distance you might see a hand reaching out from beneath the waves. Along with it, the sound of a loved one from your home world calling from you. However, you will be the only person who hears this voice - your partner will not.

Will you be able to make it to the second part of the dungeon? Or will you get carried off by the waves before you even try? Once in the water, you will begin to feel deeply fatigued, yet calm. Maybe it’d be alright to let the waves lull you to sleep…

Chamber 2: An Offer You Can't(?) Refuse

Eventually, one earthquake hits harder than any of the others, falling just short of rupturing the sea open. A large silver serpent slides up from the waves, but rather than a roar or a cry heralding its arrival, there is only a flood of whispers.

Listen to me. Trust me. It’ll be okay. Don’t go. Close your eyes.

Different assurances - if they could be called that - flood your ears, but eventually the Serpent’s ask becomes apparent:

There is someone waiting for you. Will you swear to abandon your false comrades?
Images flash through your mind - inherently, you know the serpent refers to your guildmates, your false memories, your friends here in Crane City. In Duocaeli. Either. Both. (Neither?) Will you accept the whisper and make a promise to let go of these people who might very well be strangers in favor of the ones you can no longer see?

Those who choose to accept will find themselves slipping down the serpent’s throat. Inside the creature, a crimson red engulfs their vision and they will face a nightmare of betrayal. Their companion in the dungeon will also bear witness to the dream. Yet when they awake, they will have completed the dungeon and are free to take their spoils before leaving.

Those who deny the request will have to fight the Serpent in its element. It’s a strong foe - but there are moments in which it seems to entirely glitch out of existence. When it returns, it comes back weaker, more erratic in its movements. When it attacks the characters fighting it, it does not inflict physical wounds - no, instead it only gives feelings of despondence and guilt, and other emotional weights. It seeks to strip your will before your life.

BOSS: S̵̱̆e̴̝͋ŕ̵̙p̶͎͐ẻ̴͓n̷̯͠t̵̞̕
HP: 1̶͉̾0̴͖̃0̷̤̋0̷͍̕0̵̏ͅ
Difficulty: ★★★★☆
Weakness: Light, Dark, truth
Resistance: Water

Attacks

• Traitor’s Twist: Inflicts emotional scars and wounds that linger for hours afterward.
  
  • Sleeping Sweep: Summons dark clouds of ash that linger both in the air and water - getting caught in one will sap at an individual’s strength and willpower. Inhaling too much will cause them to become passive, even submissive, and more likely to yield to the serpent’s suggestion. Mana transfer can dispel some of this effect.
    
    

As always, choice submissions will have an effect on the overall state of the game the following month, and can be submitted here!

OOC Notes

June's OOC Event Plotting Post is also here for your reference! Please visit it for submissions top levels, plotting, and results from May's log!

---

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Comments

QUESTIONS?

[gamedevs]

[ohthehumanities]

HELLO SWEET MODLIES is it at all possible to like... repair or mitigate the damage from the lack of structural healing, or do the efforts just get magically undone as soon as you blink?

[bubblegumwhisky]

MODS my question is regarding the dream of betrayal after being swallowed by a serpent: is this literally a dream of your absent canonmates betraying you? Or is it simply waking up and being like oopsie doodle, got swallowed by a bigge snake?

[painhub]

M'MODS... question about the voices of loved ones from their home world. Do these people have to be alive in their home world? Or could they have, say, died a long time ago?

[duskspear]

A. Windhaven Woodlands

[Roland squints. Although his eyes have adjusted to the darkness in a bid to spare some mana for the retrieval of the gemwalker, it's difficult to see more than a foot in front of him. He thinks he can see the outline of a gemwalker, but something is off.]

It looks . . . small.

[He reaches out to run a hand along the silhouette, pauses, and draws back with the slight furrow of his brow. That certainly is a bloobette encased up to his wrist.]

B. Starstuff Crater

[The rocky crags are dim—not so dark that they can't see, but enough to hamper their immediate line of sight. Roland shifts his weight with each step he takes along the water. Something about the gentle sloshing crawls up his spine, and he works out the restlessness by conjuring a small ball of flame atop his palm to light their way.

He faces his exploration partner, sounding somewhat breathless in his growing uneasiness.]

How do you feel?

C. Dungeon crawl, chamber 2

[The emergence of the serpent pins Roland in place. He stands, frozen by the whispers and assurances—and sucks in a startled breath once he comes back to himself with a rejection.

He stumbles back and drops to a knee, face wet from the droplets of water that splashed against him with the serpent's rise. His head snaps in the direction of his party member. Did the whispers strike there, too?]

b

[reinherits]

[while hikari is glad to be further away from where the smoke is strongest—it reminds him too uncomfortably of fire, and a city burning—guess who's light-aligned? hikari looks pale, illuminated by roland's flame and the ball of light that drifts from hikari's own hand.]

... I cannot explain it, but something about this place—it makes my skin crawl.

b!

[ohthehumanities]

[I'm ready for them to eat shit

For now, though, they're just exploring!! Kaveh sticks close to Roland; he's been dabbling with other kinds of magic recently, so he's managed to make himself a light rod, but it's not particularly strong and conjuring it here is more draining than he'd anticipated.]

It's not particularly pleasant. [He doesn't want to say directly that he doesn't feel terribly comfortable down here, but he'll admit that.] It's kind of a shame--I'd like to study these formations a little more closely.

[Mehrak can scan them, but it's not the same...]

wildcard, as discussed!

[chlorokyll]

[ Now that Knives has discovered the music room, any time that he isn't in his suite is usually divided between there, the library, and the banquet room when necessary. He prefers to be by himself when he plays, meaning that he tends to settle in if he finds the room vacant.

He managed that today, though whether that's because the house is in even more disarray than usual or through pure luck, he could not say. The smoky quality of the air outside gives him even less incentive than usual to depart Domus Homus, and so his intention is to play until he feels hunger, eat something, and then log back in to Duocaeli.

The air is just as tainted online, he's already noticed. The two worlds are intertwined in ways that he's yet to understand, but he intends to.

At first, the stroking of the piano keys is relaxing, helping him to both focus on one task and escape his surroundings. But then, all of a sudden, the sounds from the keys start coming out all wrong, as if the piano is untuning itself before his very eyes (and ears).

With a grunt of confusion, Knives stands from the bench and leans forward to open the lid and take a closer look. ]

a

[feyfound]

Ah, did you find something, Mister Roland?

[ Juniper, blessedly, has elf eyes that adjust well to seeing in the dark! Though they've been on the same trail, though, Juniper is... easily distracted... rendering her unable to warn him against handling the gelatinous catlike creature until it's too late. ]

Oh... Oops. But wait... It has a gemwalker part inside of it, too, look!

[ She points dramatically at the bloobette, which really needs no further introduction given that it has Roland's arms fully in its blobby clutches. And also the gemwalker part... ]

Unblob my friend and also the gemwalker part!

a (belatedly appears to tag u)

[clockworksoul]

It seems you’ve gotten yourself into a rather sticky situation!

[ Says a voice off to Roland’s side. Turning will reveal Declan with his goggles tugged down over his eyes, and a mask concealing the lower half of his face. Spooky! ]

Would you like a hand? [ A beat. ] Oh, that one was unintentional!

b

[gravitys]

Eh, more or less fine.

[ The atmosphere is doing its best to be intimidating, and Chuuya does distantly feel it - but hell if he wants to let the environment win. So he doesn't say that, instead looking around with a sort of determination. ]

Nothing attacking right away, huh?

[janescayre]

FUKAWA

A) ARE YOU SMOKING YET? (Windhaven Woodlands)

[Being but a wee lass with questionable lung capacity — or is the real problem her nose? — each time Fukawa has logged on of late, she is stricken with ever-growing dread. Avisle is supposed to be a bullshit city in a bullshit virtual reality, so why does she feel so damn bogged down the second she shows up?]

Puh-KACK! [Her footing fumbles. She slumps against a tree, arm thrown over her mouth as she continues expelling phlegm and air and ash. The wind rushes past her, tousling her frazzled hair but doing nothing to clear the air. It only carries the sound of her fit through the bush, then the graceless thud as she comes to hands and knees, heaving.]

Th-this...is s-such horseshit. [She spits onto the forest floor. There's a red tinge to the glob, and she can feel the raking sting at the back of her throat.] S-someone is messing with us for sure.


B) DODO-N'T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME

[Thank god the shenanigans in Crane City are significantly less dire than Avisle.

So as Fukawa takes refuge in the dorms, dressed in her nightgown and ready to settle in for some light bedtime reading, she is not prepared for the foreboding creak beneath her feet.]

Huh?

[Then the floor gives way.]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIEIEEEEE!!!

[Surprise! Several wood planks clatter down and now there's a whole girl belly-flopping on the foot of your bed. What do you do?]


C) NOBODY'S BEACHING ANYONE OFF (Dungeon Chamber 1 > 2?)

[The smog parts at last. She's got a cloth mask on, for all the good it does her. Fogging up her glasses as she breathes heavy, searching for the source of all this damn smoke. But she can tell there's light ahead. She hears the waves crashing. Fukawa pulls her spectacles off and wipes them clear, and replacing them she finally realizes the paradox they've walked into.]

What? Isn't th-this the... [She looks to her partner, brows drawn tight together.] Did someone r-recreate the Crane City beach here?


SYO

D) COOKING MAMA (Dodo House)

[When you're up late and traipsing to the communal kitchen for a midnight snack, you might find you're not alone. Perhaps it's the last person you'd expect to see humming away and fixing a snack: not often you catch a certified serial killer in the midst of such a pedestrian chore.

Syo whips around to face you, knife held high, the blade slick with mango juice, dripping thick on the cutting board where she'd been massacring herself a fruit bowl.]

Why, helloooo there! Fancy meeting you here!

[And that's when the power cuts out.]


E) KNIFE TO MEET YOU I'M NATASHA AN UNDERWORLD DOCTOR (closed to Knives)

[Gotta give the ON world credit where credit is due: it's rather fun to dress herself for once. Syo waits at the lip of the crater with her hip cocked and scissors threaded over her knuckles, peering over the thinning woods for any signs of life. She'd sent the message anonymously so she's keeping her expectations low. Who'd take an open invite from some online creep they never met? That's asking to get gutted and left dead in a ditch.

But call her curious! The man had such bold confidence in his success, it almost reminded her of her White Knight. And what few folks she's met here were either gone or guileless. It's time to branch out, isn't it? Make connections of her own, bolster her chances of success! Get that wish and get the fuck out of dodge!

If it's not just a fucking rip off like always. She rather expects it will be. You don't live under the thumb of Despair without putting proper suspicion on Hope.

Oh, oh, is that a shadow moving through the bush? Could it be? She pops a hand to her forehead and bends deep, peering ahead as if spotting land from a crow's nest]

Hi hi hi! Who goes there? Hundreds, thousands, or Millions Knives?


F) WILDCARD

((PM/plurk me or hit up my plotting comment for other options! Open to surprises too, down for anything with either gal.))

E

[chlorokyll]

[ When that anonymous message reached his smartphone yet again, Knives' curiosity had been piqued. Perhaps some would be too uneasy to accept an invitation from a mysterious person, a mere set of messages with no name attached, but he would rather get to the bottom of it. Clearly it's another person who's been dragged to this place against their will, but more than that? It wasn't even their first time.

Their previous conversation about who is behind all this and what their intentions might be had been an interesting one. He may not know much about the person, but they're more surmising than most he's conversed with since he arrived, and that's yet another reason why he agrees to the meeting.

The third? He has every intention of winning this guild war.

Even when reading the description of the new area, Knives had been intrigued. A great, deep crater supposedly made by a falling star. Naturally he equates it with Ship Five and the massive damage it had done when it crashed into No Man's Land. When he arrives, though, and it's so much deeper and vaster than he would have thought, he finds himself oddly ill at ease. Perhaps it's the smoke in the air; perhaps it's something else. But he feels on edge.

Nonetheless, the anonymous stranger is here. A girl with a pair of scissors and a relentless stare behind her glasses. It's not what he was expecting, exactly, but he doesn't give her appearance much notice.

At her greeting he huffs out a breath, an almost chuckle, and then a long strand of weaved-together blades erupts from his back. Over a month of doing quests and leveling up has granted him this much. ]

I'm working my way back up to it. But yes, that's my name.

[ The tendril floats in an unthreatening manner at his back as he approaches the stranger. ]

Now, what is yours?

wildcard, as discussed!

[painhub]

[ After taking the first uncertain steps toward wielding the magic granted to him by this place, Vash is trying his best to practice so that he can keep it under control, if nothing else. The last thing he wants is a new destructive power to make the situation worse, or to interfere with his Gate.

After a bit of asking around, he's been pointed to some practice dummies stationed just on the edges of Avisle City -- they're practically abandoned, he's warned. No one goes there to practice when there are more exciting options to be had. It's the kind of secluded area where one might pass a pleasant afternoon reading in the shade of a tree, if anything.

For Vash, it's perfect. With no one nearby to get hurt or ask questions, he can learn how to control this without worrying.

The problem with magic, he learns very quickly, is that it doesn't seem to like being controlled. No sooner does he think he has the hang of suppressing it than it completely breaks free of his grasp.

His own shadow splits and duplicates itself a dozen times, each of them a perfect silhouette sporting two white flowers where their eyes might be. When Vash tries to reel them back in, they lengthen and scatter in all directions, chasing each other across the nearby buildings or pausing to frighten any nearby pedestrians before they dissipate harmlessly.

His energy drains to nothing in an instant, and Vash just barely has time to cry out before consciousness leaves him a moment later. That's where Fukawa will find him whenever she comes looking, passed out face-down in the grass. ]

[ohthehumanities]

A. hammer time

[Meanwhile, structural healing was the least prioritized, meaning buildings around town are in less than spectacular condition

Did you mean: Kaveh is having THE MOST STRESSFUL MONTH OF HIS LIFE? BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THAT SENTENCE MEANS TO HIM!!!

Kaveh will be spending most of his time this month working on structural repairs, since APPARENTLY if you want something DONE you have to do it YOURSELF (says I, pixi, who forgot to turn in my bingo card). You can catch him just about anywhere that needs repairs--in the dorm, around town, arguing with particularly stubborn or ignorant clients who want structurally impossible renovations--and he will absolutely appreciate it if you lend him a hand. Be warned, though, he's kind of pretentious and incredibly serious about his work, so you might be better off working with someone more patient if you're not sure what you're doing. (Or you can join him anyway because I think it's funny if he gets a stress ulcer.)]

B. nap time

[Of course, being a Workaholic and a Starving Artiste means that Kaveh is absolutely horrendous at taking care of himself. Between dealing with the stress of the new memories he's recently acquired, running himself ragged trying to repair the dorm and the city, having absolutely no defense against the terrible air quality, and engineering rescue machines for stranded gemwalkers (no Kaveh has not gotten to a single temple in TOTK thank you for asking), it's probably no surprise that he's quickly running on fumes and on the verge of collapse fairly often. You might find him conked out in various common spaces around Dodo House, probably dozing off at some kind of work surface with blueprints stuck to his face. Meanwhile, AutoCAD has crashed again. I'm sure that won't be an upsetting discovery at all.

Feel free to wake him up if you catch him sleeping. Or don't. You can rob him but he's broke so it'll just be a disappointing experience for everyone.]

C. guild wars and/or r/hyruleengineering time

[As a bleeding heart to the nth degree and (alhaitham voice) a master builder and craftsman, Kaveh is ALL ABOUT THIS QUEST. He doesn't even particularly care about the competition aspect--he would help these poor gemwalkers for free, and in fact may reject any rewards that come from helping them just because he's allergic to accepting things. But he's completely in his element here, planting his hands on his hips and surveying the area.]

Alright, where should we start?

[Alternatively, rope him into some other kind of guild wars? Drag him into party games?? WATCH HIM EMBARRASS HIMSELF AT SPORTSBALL BECAUSE HE'S NOT ATHLETIC??? Whatever your heart desires, I am here for you!!]

D. exploring time

[Kaveh's not really an adventurer, but he's curious and he likes knowing the area, so he will be checking out the new places! He'll have Mehrak with him, which is slowly regaining functionality. Yay!

At Starstuff Crater, he'll be carefully picking his way around the edge of the crater and trying not to fall.]

You know, this reminds me of Mawtiyima Forest. The land there is shaped differently, of course, but the water and the spires... I wonder if there's a path nearby?

[Meanwhile, at Bigge Tunelle, he has a slight advantage! Being aligned with earth means he's not totally defenseless--however, he's also a beanpole, so, uh. If you're with him, you might occasionally hear a--]

--Huh? Woah--!

[And--oop, there he goes. Yeet.]

E. closed to hikari (snake time, CW for violence and death)

[janjam /o/

BUT HERE THEY ARE. They've managed to make it past chamber 1, which means that uhhh Hikari probably got to hear Kaveh's dad's voice. Great! I'm sure that won't add even more trauma to this experience. For now, though, the important thing is this voice--Kaveh, who just went through the events of 3.6, grimaces and presses a hand to his head.]

Not this again.

F. wildcard time

[Open for anything!! If we plotted something that doesn't fit into the above feel free to toss me a comment here, or if you just wanna do something else feel free to slap something up. Plotting comment is here and my IC inbox is also open if you wanna thread sth there instead! o7]

[reinherits]

[kaveh probably got to hear hikari's mom's voice then, so we're really having parental issues up the wazoo here.

hikari frowns, likewise holding his head for a moment. well, at least mindfuckery is something he's learned to deal with (?) for years at this point, even if that doesn't make it pleasant.

... it's not as though he doesn't understand the allure of the offer. like he told kaveh, he has things to do back home. people he's sworn his sword to, people whose lives rest in his hands, unworthy as he may be. and ever since everything was upended and he left ku, in what feels like so long ago, his life has been permeated by a sense of longing for the familiar.

but in the end, it's just as well in this moment that he's spent so much of said life so concerned with greed, learned to deny temptations. hikari's convictions have never changed.]

... They're all important. [though said out loud, it's more to the serpent than to kaveh. like, are some friends—the ones back home, for that matter—more significant to hikari? yeah. but—

his grip tightens around the hilt of his sword.]

None should be abandoned for another.

B, hate that i know enough about AutoCAD to be triggered by it crashing

[bubblegumwhisky]

[The smoke thing seems incredibly unfortunate.

Lucky for Pinocchio, he has no organs! Everyone else in Dodo house is coughing and hacking and wheezing all willy nilly and here he is, bopping around with a spring in his step and not a care in the world. Excepting the usual existential crisis, wondering whether everyone died without him, having no idea how to get back home...

Other than that things are great! It's everyone else who's in the shit. Take this blond guy for example.

At first he thinks it's Declan who collapses over a desk, but no. Different skinny blond. There's a lot of those around, who even knows why. Pinocchio approaches with some apprehension, sticking a finger under the guy's nose. Okay, there's breathing. We're good, no corpses. That's a win.

His eyes slide to the lump in his pocket. Pinocchio squints. What would PIB do in this situation?





He slips his fingers in and latches onto the folds of a wallet. Hell yeah.

What do we have here? Come on motherlode, papa needs some fresh Benjamins...]

A

[clockworksoul]

[ Declan isn’t quite as stressed by this whole ordeal, since structural engineering isn’t actually his job, but does feel bad for poor Dodo House. The house is always so sweet to him (because he’s not a terror like SOME PEOPLE, V) and watching something that seems to be almost alive in its own way succumb to disrepair is sad.

So here he is, fussing with a cabinet door in the kitchen that’s trying to come off its hinges. There are a few other cabinets in a similar state, and he’s only one man. Well, good thing Kaveh is here! ]

Hello there, friend!

[ Friend who he sort of vaguely remembers in this world?? ]

I don’t suppose you’d like to give me a hand?

C

[historicallyloaded]

[ Similairly Brickston is not nearly as motivated by the competitive aspect (though it is a minor influence, as a matter of personal pride) and much more driven by any excuse to craft, build, and problem solve. Those golems were not going to help themselves! The biggest reward was the dopamine boost for doing a good job, in his book.

It was very good then that he was suite-mates with Kaveh who was on the same page.

He walks and talks as they navigate through Aria's Grove and nearby woods, one palm holding a floating self-produced sphere of fire for light, the other gesticulating his thoughts. The pervasive smoke, for the record, seems to have bothered him as little as any of the smoke that'd he'd intentionally put in himself on any over-stressed evening. ]

—or if it was heated to such a degree that it would change its properties and make it more or less diamagnetic?

[ He frowns. ] ...I wouldn't want to potentially hurt them or the bloobettes either.

Do you think they can be pushed or pulled out?

a. help,

[lackluster]

[ Childe has spent a considerable amount of time watching Kaveh flutter about like a bird without its head. He seems to be taking the rebuilding efforts quite seriously, and the Harbinger has always been the type to be so easily amused.

He wanders over right after a harrowing argument with one of Kaveh's clients, head tilted to one side. ]

Hectic day?

[thepath]

ONE. GEMWALKER REUNION [ ON ]

[ Cal doesn't need any convincing whatsoever to head out in search of the missing gemwalkers—retrieving missing people from dangerous areas is kind of his thing now, apparently, at least according to the Koboh locals.

So he and BD-1 take the golem-sensing device and head for A. WINDHAVEN WOODLANDS first, though the smoke and ash makes traipsing through the thick woods both difficult and unpleasant. BD-1 shines his spotlight over Cal's shoulder to lead the way, the droid's sensors much better suited to navigation than Cal's eyes right now—at least when it comes to not running face-first into a tree.

The device vibrates in his hand, and Cal calls out: ] Hey, this way!

[ Whether you joined forces on this journey earlier ("You looking for the gemwalkers too? I'm Cal, and this is BD-1.") or you're just a figure he spots in the smoky darkness, he reaches out a hand to guide the way.

When he and BD-1 next make it to B. DANDELION FIELDS, they're both immediately waylaid by the beached wind whales—BD-1 is faster, skittering up to one and scanning the creature for his databanks, while Cal approaches more cautiously, gently extending a hand and placing it on the whale's rostrum.

He's quiet for a moment as he reaches out for the Force, his connection to the whale, fainter than usual but there. ]

The smoke is making it hard for them to fly—and breathe. [ He sounds a little sad. ]

TWO. STARSTUFF CRATER [ ON ]

[ This is BD-1's favorite part: exploration. The droid is living his best life out here as he and Cal reconnoiter Starstuff Crater, scurrying ahead to scan each and every plant, bug, and animal he can and beeping excitedly. Cal follows along at a slightly less enthusiastic pace, an obliviously fond smile on his face for his little droid buddy.

The smile fades for a moment as a strange, uneasy feeling nags at him—honestly, it's not the first time this has happened to him, thanks to the Force, so he just kind of assumes he's alone in this one.

Still, he calls out to Beedee: ] Be careful, buddy! Don't scan anything you can't take in a fight.

THREE. DUNGEON CRAWL [ ON ]

[ I don't know if Cal's raring for the newest content, but... well, here he is anyway, discovering the source of all the smoke. Probably for the whales.

The beach surrounding Crane City isn't immediately recognizable to him, since he's a newbie who needs to get good, but the place still feels... off to him. The way forward isn't immediately apparent, for one—it's just a wide beach and lots of ocean. Still, he tries looking around, BD-1 clinging to his shoulders as the ground shakes underneath his feet. ]

You don't think we're going to have to swim it, do you?

FOUR. STRUCTURAL HEALING [ OFF ]

[ Poor Dodo House... Cal might be used to roughing it in pretty poor conditions, but that doesn't mean he's just going to sit by and let their semi-sentient house fall apart around them all. So he applies himself to fixing leaks and broken beds and the like, though his patch jobs are functional at best—certainly not pretty.

This morning, he has the coffee—or, to him, caf—machine in parts and pieces spread across the counter, his arc welder in hand as he puts the inner workings back together. BD-1, ever dutiful, stands on the counter (are droids allowed on the counter?) and supervises the work, beeping occasionally. ]

There should be a, uh—a nut here. You see it?

[ Anyone?? It's just a teeny tiny little nut. Where could it have possibly gone? Surely it isn't the thing that holds this whole machine together. ]

FIVE. QUEST: EVERYBODY WANTS TO HAVE A CAT [ OFF ]

[ There's something fundamentally broken in Cal that compels him to help people in need even when there's absolutely no promise of reward at the end. In fact, helping out often comes back around to bite him in the ass later, but that still doesn't ever seem to stop him.

Which is how he finds himself here, elbow deep in cat poodoo while the gaggle of cats harass him and BD-1 by varying degrees. One cat winds between Cal’s legs, purring, while another tries to swat his hands away from the litter box, claws out. Two more have cornered BD-1 behind the sofa, their tails flicking like they've found prey. ]

You okay there, buddy?

WILDCARD.

[ feel free to hit up my plotting comment if you want to do something special! or just throw whatever at me, idc ]

three

[duskspear]

This is . . .

[His head swivels to and fro at their surroundings, brow furrowed in equal parts apprehension and confusion. The earth beneath their feet trembles, and Roland tenses his legs to stand upright as he faces Cal and BD-1.]

We are in the OFF world's Crane City.

[The striking similarity—no, spitting image—is enough to give him pause about entering the water just yet.]

[onlypets]

ONE. POLLUTION (ON)

[Sometimes the virtual world breaks, so you have to periodically take rests in the city, or you'll die. Sometimes, you might even die in the city it feels like!

D has stopped to replenish in Avisle City, but the strange ash is still lingering there. It's so bizarre to have familiarly bad health in a world where it shouldn't matter too much. Not like this anyway.

He pauses at the edge of the market, bracing himself on the edge of a wall with one hand. A fit of coughing overtakes him for a moment. He covers his mouth with his sleeve and slowly lets himself sink to the ground on his legs.]

TWO. DUNGEON, CHAMBER 1 (ON)

[The soft beach sand swallows his feet as he steps through the smoke. The view is... familiar in a way he realizes shouldn't be possible, and his brows crease as he steadies himself.]

...Crane City?

[That definitely shouldn't be here at all.]

THREE. DODO DILAPIDATION (OFF)

[Wow, everything is falling to pieces in the OFF world, too.

The Chickadee room is having a time of it; D is standing outside of the door... holding the door... to keep it from tipping over into the room on the floor.] No, no. Listen, you must pull yourself together. Are you unwell? [He's talking to the house maybe. Hopefully.

He's also struggling to keep this door upright, and now that he has it upright, he isn't sure how he will fix it if he has to hold it in place. He's going to have to move it over to rest on the wall, isn't he? Great.]

FOUR. WILDCARD

[Feel free to wildcard me here, or wildcard me in my log on the log comm! You can also hit up my plotting post if you want to hash something out!]

1

[feyfound]

[ Juniper spends a good portion of her days in the ON world; it feels much more familiar to her than Crane City, even if the boundaries between the two have felt more and more blurred as of late... It's an unsettling feeling for sure, and even though she's of a stronger constitution than average, it's still strange to be here and feel this way, when it hasn't mattered before...

She spots a familiar figure in the market, where she's similarly shopping around for supplies. ]

D...!?

[ By the time she manages to make her way over to him, he's sank to the ground. A gentle hand presses against his back as she kneels down next to him. ]

Let me help you...!

[chlorokyll]

[ Closed starters below! Here is Knives' event plotting, if you wanted to plan a thread! ]

juniper & vash.

[chlorokyll]

[ Knives has already completed a number of the guild activities, but all of it will be for naught if they do not get to the bottom of what's causing all of the smoke pollution both online and offline. It seems that one world can affect the other, and so it's entirely possible that if this dungeon is completed and the mystery is solved, that the air will improve in Crane City as well.

Which means yet again, he must contend with the fact that he can't do a dungeon alone. He hasn't done any of the guild tasks alone, in fact, but he's slowly but surely accepting that this game encourages cooperation, for better or worse.

It will take time to recruit others to complete the dungeon with him, and so this time he decides to simply utilize the matching system to pick his teammates for him.

This turns out to be a mistake.

The first thing he registers is the setting of the dungeon itself, which seems to be... Crane City? That isn't right. And yet as far as he can tell, he is still online. He stares down at where his bare feet are swallowed by the sand.

Then he turns around to see the two players the game has matched him with, his eyes briefly widening at the sight of Vash. What were the chances? Not so infinitesimal, he knows, but the prospect of having to cooperate with his brother is enough to inspire some complicated feelings. When is the last time they worked together? When he input the code to send Ship Five to its doom?

And then there's the elf girl with the rabbit ears. Juniper. Named after a tree. ]

... At this point I'm beginning to think Duocaeli is doing this on purpose. [ He glances at Vash for a brief moment, jaw clenched, then turns his back to both of them to stare at the sparkling expanse of ocean before them. The sight would be more awe-inspiring if it weren't for the choked quality of the air and the choppy movement of the water. ]

[historicallyloaded]

[ NETWORK ] un: housependeryn (a totally sober post)

Hey............... does anyone else find it rather peculiar the, um, —the serpentine thing in the sky. I've seen it in both skies. On and Off. Swear on my mother's grave. She'd tell me I'm right.

bbbbbbbbbbbbit dodgy, isn't it?

[ OFF ] do or die Dodo Repairs

[ As someone who's entire modus operandi is breaking things and then (ideally) fixing and improving them, seeing the Dodo House make its structural weaknesses suddenly so apparent is disconcerting to Brickston. Just when he starts to feel like he's made a dent there's some other issue. It just won't do to live in such an environment! It's a shame, it's an embarrassment!

Eventually he finds this calls for The Apron. He rolls up his sleeves and flits from one situation to another like a moth to flame; shyly peaking his head in doorways at every errant drip or politely knocking on doors and inviting himself to help fix every misaligned creak or crumble his ears seem particularly tuned to. Every job well done seems to invigorate his spirits and even the more challenging situations he meets with enthusiasm, best efforts, and creative (maybe temporary) solutions.

Eventually he will take a break, sitting out in one of the more well ventilated public areas, patting his forehead with a pristine monogrammed handkerchief—a posh contrast to the worn and dirtied apron. When did he last eat or drink anything? He can't recall... there's too much to be done and even those urges take a backseat to repair-related thoughts. ]

...It would behoove me to make certain our suite's shower is in tip-top shape after all this; I'm going to want nothing less this evening.

[ Despite this muttering to himself he's still very easy to solicit. ]

[ ON ] Crafter for co-op

[ The Crafter's Guild feels particularly busy to him with the Guild Wars—like too many peacocks jockeying for space Brickston decides to relocate some of his projects to just outside of the Crafter's Guild's entrance; there's a seemingly forgotten about miniature dragon head, a half-finished back-strapped wing device except the claws end in what look like lighters which is what he's in the midst of tinkering on.

Partly because he wants more space, partly because he's embracing the competitive-cooperative spirit of it all and wants to make himself visible to any other people who might want his help—intraguild or not!

...and, you know, the more the merrier when it comes to test subjects for any of his inventions. ]

[ ON ] Crafter for crater

Incredible...! [ Brickston's lone eye is wide with wonder as he stands on the crater's edge and takes the scenery in. Though he is aligned with fire he does feel a draw to the depths below, something easy to brush off as natural curiosity. Certainly nothing to worry about! Nothing that would stop him from trotting down a path, his demon avatar tail swaying to keep his balance as he's almost too giddy to keep it. ]

[ A strange bird flutters past over his head, and then another strange insect as he spins on his heels. ] Wh— what is that? I've never seen any species like that anywhere else! [ He ventures down a little more, nimbly scrambling over some rocks. He nearly seems to have forgotten his company until he looks back, smiling in anticipation. ]

Aren't you coming?

[[ plotting and I'm open to wildcards if you want to write me a starter! Also open to anything on the ol' 3.1 questboard! ]]

OFF dopairs

[onlypets]

[Not sure what is more hilarious, the network post or the apron. Wow.

D has been back and forth between his fake city pet shop and the Dodo House, mildly fretting over repairs while also not being able to do very much himself except clean debris. Every time he has tidied, something else inevitably breaks, and this leaves him more and more disgruntled. He's given up on the Chickadee room.

And maybe even cleaning right now, too.

His sleeves are still tied back over his elbows with cord, and the cotton tenugui is still wrapped over his head to protect his hair, but he's beelining through the public space with a tray held between both hands. Today, he's in an elaborately decorated changshan, though this doesn't help much at all in the fact that at first glance, he looks like a very beautiful woman.

Normally, he doesn't pay much mind to humans when he doesn't have to, but... there is something... a little strange to sense from this resting man... He slows to a stop, pauses. He only gets these natural inclinations for pedigrees in and near the Dodo House, or in the virtual world, much to his annoyance elsewhere. A golden eye and a purple eye regard Bricks for a moment.

But he does not say anything about it.]

Would you like some tea first?

[windsongs]

ON — GUILD WARS.

[ As a representative of Team Crafters, it is her duty to make sure that she trounces anyone brave enough to challenge her. Truth be told, she normally doesn’t feel particularly attached to her guild, but she has always been fiercely competitive.

It doesn’t matter what sort of challenge is thrown her way, her reaction is always the same. Tying her hair back with a bright purple ribbon, rolling her shoulders and stretching (is that really necessary?), the white-haired elf woman smiles pleasantly at her challenger. ]

All right, so what are the rules? How are we doing this?

[ Tell her the name of the game, so she can promptly win it. ]

ON — GEMWALKERS, DANDELION FIELDS.

[ It’s upsetting to see the once serene, rolling fields choked by a stagnant cloud of smoke and ash. Hibiki has spent more time here than she would like to admit, collecting dandelion seeds for potions and watching wind whales coast leisurely through the sky.

This place seemed to call to her soul, and seeing it in this state hurts.

But at least she came prepared, goggles covering her eyes and a bit of fabric tied around her face. It’s hot and stifling, but it’s better than breathing in ash. As they walk through the fields in search of the missing gemwalker, Hibiki digs into her bag before offering a matching strip of fabric. ]

Here, wear this.

OFF — DODO IT YOURSELF.

[ All she wanted was a snack, how did it come to this?

Sure, she’s noticed that the dorms look a little worse for wear, but Hibiki assumes she’s just noticing problems that were already there. An OUT OF ORDER sign on one of the public bathrooms. Floorboards that threateningly creak when anyone steps on them. A weird moan coming from the fridge in the communal kitchen. This place is in desperate need of a handyman, it’s practically falling apart!

But the stove still works and the pantry and cabinets are all in one piece. She doesn’t have to worry about breaking anything– ]

!?

[ So about those cabinets. The moment she starts to pull one open, she yanks it off, hinges and all. The handle in her hand as she stands frozen in place, her brain trying to buffer, it kicks into high gear when she hears a creak nearby. OH GOD WHAT DID SHE DO, HIBIKI YOU NEED TO HIDE THE EVIDENCE!!! ]

@nagano

[windsongs]

[ Tormented by the image of her mother reaching out from the ocean depths, her desperate cries still swirling in her head, Hibiki is ready to put this place behind them. The tremors are becoming more frequent, growing stronger with each quake, and while she should be watching her step, her eyes are on the horizon. Trusting Kaito to take point and alert her of any on-land threats, it’s hard for her to pull her attention away from the sea.

That should have been her first warning.

As the ground shakes below them, sand shifting and making it difficult to keep one’s footing, Hibiki snatches his arm for stability, watching as the sea parts and a silvery serpent emerges. Distant enough that she can’t quite make out its features, the monster dances on the waves, leisurely making its way toward shore. As it draws closer, time seems to stop as reality begins to fade, the images of those close to her in Crane City and beyond blotting it out completely. Assaulted for a second time by a voice in her head, cloying whispers of reassurance layered in a quiet cacophony in her mind.

Everything will be okay. Close your eyes, my child, for you have suffered enough. They cannot help you, he cannot help you–but I can. Stay with me.

She is waiting for you. Swear that you will abandon these false comrades and I will take you to her.

Releasing Kaito from her grip as the images of the people she knows and cares for flash before her, unaware that her partner is going through the same trial beside her. Her arm falls to her side as she continues to stare off toward the horizon, the serpent drawing ever closer. Fingers curling into a fist, her nails bite into her palm, and as she focuses on the pain, Hibiki attempts to wrestle control from the beast. ]

Is that it? Is that all you have to say? [ Anger burns like embers in her hushed voice and growing hotter with each phrase, threatening to set the entire coastline ablaze.

Spectres of the past still dancing in her head, they only seem to embolden her, as a sudden wind begins to swirl around her. ]

I won’t let you take him or anyone else away from me.