Private High March Apathy and Avarice

[Alice]

100 / 100

Much to Alice's dismay, she learned recently that there was, in fact, no main quest line for her to follow. It appeared that Terrasphere allowed its players to explore the world in the most natural, and perhaps realistic, way. Through autonomy. This revelation had been rather unsettling for the Magia. Without a clear path, what exactly was she supposed to do? What was her purpose here? In the real world, it had been so clearly laid out for her, but now? The entire world lay before her, and she knew not what to do with it.

Thankfully, the individual who had informed her that there was, in fact, no main quest line, did give her an idea. Being that she little to no gear, at least none that was of a quality worth mentioning, she may want to find a way to get some gold. How to do that? Well, rumors were abound that the Goldrose Stronghold in High March held numerous Earth Elementals, and more importantly, their Stone Dwarf slaves, who mined and hoarded precious metals. Precious metals that, Alice surmised, could be resold for a profit.

While Alice was not of a mind to believe rumors, she had no other leads, and as such, proceeded towards High March and it's rumored Goldrose Stronghold. But, not before she solicited multitudes of other players (and most likely several NPCs, as she was not capable of distinguishing the two) to assist her. With a potentially massive stockpile of raw minerals, it would do to employee another to assist her.

And that was what brought her to harass the blonde Beastfolk that stood before her now.

"Should you choose to accept the position, you will compensated with fifty percent of all earnings from this expedition. Is this an acceptable amount?"

@Nai

Rolls

Just in case we get into combat
Play Sheet

 

[Nai]

The High March.

A desolate place, drained to a husk by an existence slain four years prior. Now, few things had changed, in truth. It was still a desert, inhabited only by things that were not necessarily alive, as well as villages that appeared and disappeared with the changing of the seasons. And though life was beginning to bloom here once more, weeds clinging onto soil and blooming into bright yellow dandelions, storms ravaged the borders as well, flooding the wastes and washing away efforts for agriculture.

On the way to the Godrose Stronghold, she had encountered the denizens of those isolated villages. Had seen poverty and destitution, existing together with the shards of happiness that humans could nevertheless create with each other. How much experience did the developers of this ‘game’ need, in order to replicate the human condition so faithfully? Even with the proof of greater wealth, brighter futures, all such lovely things guaranteed to them by the Astorean officials whom she had travelled with briefly, the stubbornness to remain in a dead land out of respect for one’s heritage and out of fear of the unknown persisted. Those stick-thin men and women remained bound to their homeland, tilling cracked soil, hunting burrowbeasts.

It made Nai thankful to live where she was now. Made her feel a tinge of guilt too, secondhand guilt for partaking in an experience such as this as a form of entertainment.

But work was, fundamentally, work. And the Godrose Stronghold, its spiralling arch thrusting towards the setting sun, called for her still. Twas only a happy coincidence, then, that she did not even need to ask in order to acquire the company of a straight-faced Magia, who immediately launched into an entirely rational argument about why they should work together to explore and pillage this long-forsaken fortress.

“I appreciate that you’ve cut straight to the point, and provided what is a very fair and agreeable proposition,” the beastwoman spoke, gazing away from the small fire that she sat before. There were plenty here in the makeshift campsite that surrounded the Stronghold. As the only ‘dungeon’ within the region, plenty of Adventurers flocked, willing to test their mettle and bring home the ore. “But in matters of negotiating cooperation, miss, it would serve well to make a friendly impression first.”

She smiled then, a soft smile that seemed almost incongruent to the stoic mien her neutral expression possessed.

“My name is Nai. What’s yours?”

 

[Alice]

Memento

Vivere

For just a moment, Alice tilted her head to the side, as if she were about to ask a question. If they were to reach a mutually beneficial agreement that would not only provide the best rewards for both parties, but also ensure that one did not offer a lower compensation on the basis of familiarity, was it not better to forgo pleasantries?

Instead though, Alice knelt down before the fire, seating herself seiza, resting her hands in her lap gently. "My name is Alice," she introduced herself, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Nai." For a moment, silence passed as Alice struggled to decide on what action to take next. Considering Ms. Nai's request for 'a good impression' launching back into negotiations was probably a poor move. Perhaps...

"May I interest you in some tea?" the blue-haired woman asked as she conjured a white ceramic tea pot from her inventory, already full of water to be boiled.

@Nai

 

[Nai]

Japanese? Or weeb? The tea hinted closer to the former, but the latter would be a possibility for a sufficiently devoted zealot too. There was no reason for her to refuse though. If it was poisonous, she didn't have much to lose and could come up with an antidote in a snap. If it was bad, she wasn't expecting much from a virtual game's understanding of what 'good' tea was.

"Yes, please." Pulling out an iron poker from her sleeve, the horned beastwoman extracted a flat stone from the campfire. Between the soot that came from a roaring flame and a stone heated enough to serve as a primitive stove, it was clear what better suited a teapot that was white. Nai motioned for Alice to set it down to boil, before settling back. There would be time before the water boiled, time before the tea leaves bloomed.

"So, I understand that you seek raw materials within the stronghold. What exactly are you looking for here? Are you mining? Robbing? Or something else, Alice?"

 

[Alice]

Memento

Vivere

At the beastfolk's behest, Alice set the teapot on the heated stone for the water to boil. "Robbing?" Alice paused at the term. She had not considered that the taking of resources from the Elementals and Stone Dwarves which inhabited the stronghold to be thievery, although she supposed that that was exactly what it was, even if they were to mine the resources themselves. "I suppose it is robbery," she said, a subtly conflicted look crossing her face as she settled in her seat. "Although, I am told that the Elementals raze any area they claim as their territory to the ground. I am not certain that retrieving ill-gotten gains upholds the concept of robbery."

It was clear that she was attempting to rationalize her original plan. Previous games she had played had taught her that retrieving resources from hostile territories was not only accepted and legal, but expected. Perhaps that was not, and should not be the case. "Would you consider mining within the Earth Elementals' territory to be robbing?" she asked Nai with the innocence of a child asking why the world worked the way it did, hoping to gain insight from the other woman.

@Nai

 

[Nai]

"They raze the wastelands," Nai gestured. An ill wind blew over the desiccated landscape of the High March, pebbles and dust brushing past her feet. The air was arid, the earth coarse. Sucked dry of life by a monstrosity from a lifetime ago, there was nothing of value here to protect. Nothing of value, yet. And still, the two Starcalled sat in the long shadows of a spire to reach the Gods.

Steam whistled from the ceramic pot. A faint sound to break the strange mood.

"Perhaps robbing has too unpleasant a connotation. The distinction however, is as follows." She raised her fingers one at a time. "To mine is to look for what none have claimed within the Stronghold and to take for oneself. To rob is to look for what others, in this case Elementals and their Dwarven slaves, have hidden away and to take for oneself. The morality of doing either is irrelevant, because, of course, these elementals are but monsters in a game."

The beastwoman retrieved a small bag of cookies from within her much-smaller pockets, untied the ribbon, and offered them to her Magia companion.

"What I want to know is the process, so I can assess the risk. Mining is loud, but indirect. Robbing is quiet, but direct. Which one do you prefer, if both would offer equal gain?"

 

[Alice]

Memento

Vivere

The pot began to whistle noisily as Nai spoke, and Alice leaned forward to remove it from the heat. It would need to steep a minute longer, but in the mean time, the Magia conjured a pair of tea cups, matching the pot. Small, dainty, fragile.

As Nai posed a question to Alice, she offered her cookies from a small sack. Taking one, the girl put it in her mouth and took a small bite. Lacking the ability to taste, it was moreso a polite gesture, and an effort to ensure that her hunger and energy meters were full if and when they decided to set out.

Alice pondered for a moment as she quietly nibbled at the cookie. If morality was a non-issue, than the next consideration, as Nai had pointed out was risk. Eating the remaining cookie and swallowing, Alice began to pour out the tea into the teacups as she explained her thoughts. "In terms of the Elementals' hostility towards us, it remains equal regardless of whether we are mining, or robbing them. Robbing them of their resources bears it's own liabilities, namely that we must not be spotted. However, I believe this is our best option. Mining increases our possibility of exposure. We will be creating a lot of noise, and likely drawing numerous hostile entities towards our position. We would not be able to efficiently defend ourselves if we are also concerned with the extraction of resources. Do you concur?" she finished as she handed the steaming cup of pale green liquid to the beastfolk.

@Nai

 

[Nai]

Pale green, but not matcha, considering the processes used for it. Nai brought the cup to her nose, breathing in the astringent, but soothing aroma. The coloration implied fresher leaves were used, but the taste itself...the beastwoman closed her eyes, savoring the flavor. Similar, but foreign still. A consequence, no doubt, of there being no equivalent to East Asia in Terrasphere, at least none that could be reached by any player. The approximation was there though, a thoughtfully mild flavor with a hint of sweetness, reminiscent of the best qualities of shincha and hojicha.

"You'll have to tell me of this blend afterwards," Nai spoke, leaning forward and setting the cup back down. It was emptied, but she didn't help herself to another serving yet. "And yes, I concur. Subterfuge aligns well with my masteries, and the act of thievery itself is made easy with the application of our Inventories." There was much utility to be found in simply storing objects into the folds within space, after all. "But what of you, Alice? Do you possess any skill in stealth?"

 

[Alice]

Memento

Vivere

To say that Alice watched Nai with bated breath wouldn't have been entirely correct. He breathing was perfectly normal. In fact, nothing gave away the girl's dim anticipation as she watched Nai sip at her tea. Alice took pride in her tea. Perhaps on of the few things she did. She could only hope that the other woman would appreciate it.

"You'll have to tell me of this blend afterwards," Nai said as she set the cup down.

A small smile played at Alice's lips, the corner's of her mouth curling upwards ever so slightly. "Gladly," she said in a soft voice before taking a sip of her cup with closed eyes.

Success.

"I do not possess any particular masteries that assist in my stealth capabilities," Alice said as she set her cup down. "However, with my dynamism will allow us to move swiftly. And I am capable of moving silently without the assistance of any masteries. You need not be concerned with regards to our ability to maintain concealment. Nonetheless, it would be prudent to plan for the worst, in this case, being caught. I am not yet equipped with effective combat masteries, however I can sufficiently support any and all team members via harmonics and magitech equipment. Will you be able to cover my deficiencies in combat expertise?"

@Nai

 

[Nai]

Harmonics and magitech was a good combination here. Harmonics to manipulate sound, and magitech to give them the host of power tools necessary for breaking open vaults and doors. There was a curious statement that Alice made, of course, with regards to being able to move silently without system assistance. A martial technique, perhaps? One could shuffle on a hard surface with only the ruffling of fabrics, perhaps, but upon more treacherous terrain?

"You'll have to show me how you accomplish that as well then," Nai smiled. "And as for conflict resolution, I can perhaps handle a Dwarf or two, but an Earth Elemental, let alone more than one, would be a difficult scenario for both of us." Her wrist flicked out. A knife. Retracted. Again. A grappling hook. Retracted. Chains. Retracted. Then vials. Bombs. Nets. Wires. A motley collection of cheap, expendable weaponry and devices, shooting out from the shadows of her sleeves with a simple motion. "With the level of mastery I've allowed myself to reach thus far, it would be better to see me as an escape artist rather than a conflict resolver."

They were to be thieves, not assassins. And what sort of thief stands their ground once discovered?

...

Too many, in truth.

"If you've no other questions, shall we set off?"

 

[Alice]

Memento

Vivere

"Then it would be best for us to disengage in the face of greater foes," Alice said, perhaps stating the obvious for the sake of clarity. "You need not worry for my well-being should we need to quickly exfiltrate the area," Alice said as she pulled up a message box and began to type out a series of numbers. "Though I do not anticipate it, I have provided you with a set of grid coordinates. Should we be separated at any point of time, we may rendezvous there. Waiting for a period of twenty four hours should be sufficient, even in the face of a player death and respawn." A small message notification would appear in Nai's UI moments later with grid coordinates attached, just as she had said.

"I have no further inquiries," the girl said, standing. "Let us depart." Pleased that the two had managed to come to an agreement and come up with a functional plan, Alice had a faint smile on her face as the two began to move towards the Godrose Stronghold.

@Nai

 

[Nai]

They left at night, stifling the bonfire after downing the last of their cooked meals. Shuffling through the wasteland in the dark, the two passed by other nighttime spelunkers as the moon rose over the horizon, the alabaster glow only strong enough to etch the unnatural spires of the Godrose Stronghold against a hollowed-out night sky. As they neared, feet firm against barren lands, it became more and more evident that the boulders they had spied at a distance were moving. Gradually, slowly, with the swaying purposefulness that came with both incredible mass and longevity, the Earth Elementals shambled about tirelessly, while the clanking and cracking of their statuesque dwarven slaves sounded much more active, in the same way that an automated factory sounded. No matter the time, no matter the weather, no matter the circumstance, the project must continue.

It was a somber sight, but appeared somewhat unpromising for Nai as well. If they cared so little for what material they used to grow that heavens-piercing tower, it was likely that precious metals and trash would be mixed together in unprocessed bricks. It was too early though, to form too-hasty of a conclusion, and instead, she motioned for Alice to follow her along the shadow of a ruined wall. Earth Elementals were massive, but they could not climb, while Stone Dwarves were limb, but lacked initiative. Surveying from above, then ought to be safe enough under the cover of night.

She drew out a grappling hook, timed her throw to the clanking of pickaxes and simple machinery, before climbing up an abandoned tower. The night was unpleasant even for her own set of bestial eyes though. Her robotic companion may be better equipped to search for targets from their vantage point.

 

[Alice]

The conditions set, the terms struck, and the fire doused, the pair headed out in the barrens, their silhouettes outlined by silver light of the moon as they made their way towards the Godrose Stronghold. In the distance, massive clusters of stone moved, slow, lumbering movements, echoing cracks and creaks as their old earthen bones moved them towards their destination.

They came up a derelict tower, empty of any and all occupants. The perfect spot for the pair to gain a vantage point. They scaled the abandoned building, insignificant in comparison to the stone giants still moving slowly around them. If Alice had any sense of beauty or sentimentality, she would've paused for a moment, stopped and stared across the endless expanse of the wasteland, observed the ancient creatures that she'd never see in the real world. But she did not have either of those things, so her eyes remained locked on the top of the tower, slowly following Nai as they ascended.

At the top of the tower, the pair looked down upon the Godrose, her mechanical eyes affording her only a small advantage over Nai's sight in the low-light conditions. Her eyes scanned the earth below, noting where the stone dwarves worked, where the Earth Elementals seemed to patrol, before she pointed towards an area within the western quadrant. "There appears to be minimal activity in that area," Alice reported, her voice lowered. "We would be most secure there, however I fear that the low activity level may also indicate a lower yield."

@Nai

 

[Nai]

The western quadrant?

Nai glanced over there as well. The darkness made everything indistinct, but movement was still easy enough to pick up, and she concurred with Alice. Perhaps the Stone Dwarves have already exhausted whatever materials they were mining, or perhaps they were reallocated to handle a more important task. Regardless, with few miners, there were less foremen, and subsequently, less security.

"Safe gains are better first," she replied. "We take what's free before we move to riskier ventures."

It would be foolish, after all, to risk injury and exhaust their ability to continue with their clandestine activities without having made any profit beforehand. The western quadrant it was then. Grasping the ledge with one hand, the beastwoman dropped down once more, dispersing impact by tumbling before naturally standing up once more. Advancing alongside walls and shadows, she drew closer and closer to the area that Alice had pointed out to her, all the while mentally steeling herself for disappointment.

After all, the Earth Elementals only cared for building materials, but the Starcalled could only be satisfied with gold. That disparity alone meant there was little to hope for, even with larger hauls.

Still. Perhaps that little bit of hope could be justified, amidst the exposed earth and the mounds of rock upon the handcarts?

 

[Alice]

"This seems like a wise course of action," Alice agreed, her eyes fixed on their distant target, still scanning for potential threats, and points of ingress. "I have plotted us a course. There is a breach in the wall roughly two hundred meters from our current position." It was a large hole, perhaps damage from an age-old battle. Or perhaps it was just years of erosion finally forcing that portion of the wall to collapse.

"From there, we must use the rubble and darkness to provide us concealment from the Stone Dwarves. I do not believe the Earth Elementals will notice us." Thus far, the Earth Elementals had not seemed to give any mind to the intruders. Perhaps they were simply too small to be worth their notice. Too insignificant. Or maybe they had done well to conceal their presence.

"After fifty meters we will have reached our target area. A clearing. We can begin searching and or mining there. Is this acceptable?" With the Stone Dwarves absent, and consumed in their own mining elsewhere, Alice reason they would be able to conduct their business without interruption.

@Nai

 

[Nai]

Nai had no complaints or concerns, and thus, she had no need to respond either. A curt nod exchanged between the taciturn duo was all that was needed before they delved into the darkness once more, following the Magia's instructions. Circumventing the animate boulders by taking a detour around the areas of higher activity, they ducked into the hole in the wall...and then Nai stopped Alice from going any further.

Upon the threshold, the beastwoman waited. Waited. Waited.

And there.

An explosion sounded in the distance, followed by the crackling of lightning, the howling of spirits, and that unmistakable terror that accompanied the evocation of Dark Magic. Blades clanged, echoing into the vastness of the night, and hints of smoke could be derived from the breeze that swept through the Godrose Stronghold. They went for a stealthy approach, but for most Starcalled? Starcalled powerful enough to adventure in these parts, confident enough to enjoy this game as a combat simulator?

They would fight, and that was what Nai waited for.

With Alice's pathfinding and the distractions offered by the two's adventurers-in-arms, they made it to the clearing swiftly. Piles of earth and gravel formed hills six meters high, while the excavation of the ground itself was haphazard, moving seemingly only in the direction of least resistance. The Stone Dwarves had prioritize quantity over quality indeed, and the rush to aid their masters meant that while pickaxes and shovels were taken away to be used as improvised weapons, the same could not be said of handcarts still laden with material.

Material of what nature was the question, of course, and Nai shifted her gaze onto Alice.

"We grab all that we can and sort it out later? Or do you have a method to sift through this efficiently?"

 

[Alice]

Just as quickly as they'd scaled the tower, they descended it rappelling down in near silence before their feet met the ground. They crept through their plotted course like shadows cast by the full moon hanging in the sky, disappearing into the breach in the wall until Nai suddenly stopped the magia.

Biomechanical eyes shifted towards the beastfolk, lenses opening slightly to better make out the woman's features. She appeared to be listening for something. Waiting. And so Alice stood by silently, waiting until Nai gave the signal to start moving again.

Seconds stretched to minutes before finally, a cacophony of sounds filled the air. The boom of an explosion followed by a clap of thunder and howls of misery filled the air, the other side of the stronghold suddenly awash with colors and light.

They were on the move again.

When the pair arrived at their chosen excavation site, Nai looked to Alice for direction. "Regretfully, I do not. We do not have the time to carefully examine all the debris, it would be better to grab what we can, anything of apparent value taking priority, and then move on." And just as the girl had instructed, she began to do. She hopped onto the nearest cart and began to grab anything she could that did not appear to be plain grey stone, and even some of those. It was not uncommon for precious gems to appear as nothing more than rocks in their uncut states.

Alice worked in silence for a time before she directed a question towards Nai. "How did you know there would be combatants on the other side of the stronghold?" she asked, unclear as to how such information had been gained, or what logical deductions had preceded the prediction.

@Nai

 

[Nai]

"Psychology," was Nai's response. With infinite storage, it was easy enough to plunge the debris into shadow, swallowing up piles of stone whole. Undoubtedly, once they actually got to sorting things out, it would be an experience akin to panning for gold, but for now? She worked steadily, eyes constantly swiveling to her surroundings as the sounds of conflict continued to spread.

"The Godrose Stronghold is a valuable place, while the High March is a dangerous place." In an area so isolated, there was no need to care for silence, and the hushed tones that Nai spoke in would be rendered inaudible past a distance of five meters anyhow. "High-level players flock to dangerous lands, while the Stronghold itself offers loot and monsters. And that's all you need for an adventure."

She rose up, patting the dust off her clothes. It was a sparse harvest, but it was done quickly enough.

"Subterfuge as well, is many degrees less entertaining than violence. My prediction was that those who shared the campsite with us were burglars rather than thieves." In the distance, shadows clunked out into the moonlight, elementals of stone and sand leaving the stronghold to deal with their foes. "The rest just relied on patience."

 

[Alice]

Alice was silent as she processed what Nai said, categorizing and filing away the information for future use. She was surprised by how much she had just learned from the woman, so many small considerations she would have never made before.

Firstly, the woman's distinction between burglars and thieves. Up until now, Alice had always considered the two to be indistinguishable from each other. Both stole from others, however Nai had made separated them by method, and in doing so, made the actions which they would take more obvious.

But it was the psychological analysis that Alice struggled with the most. The lure of adventure, that which drew other players and 'burglars'. She could not understand it. She put stone after stone after stone into her inventory as a method to achieve her aim, which was to purchase new gear. She and Nai had chosen their method as it offered the least risk and an equitable reward. But the burglars had chosen to burst into the Stronghold with weapons drawn for...'adventure'?

A faint frown formed on the girl's lips as she tried to understand why the group would choose 'adventure' over safety and profit. She considered for a moment that they were simply higher-levelled players, and thus were at a lower risk than herself and Nai, able to reap the greater reward with a degree of certainty. That was the logical conclusion. However, what Nai had said, it seemed as if logic only played a small part.

"'Adventure,'" the girl said, beginning to recite the definition as she knew it. "'An unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity.' I do not understand the draw of adventure. The risks seldom justify the reward." The girl brushed her thumb over the surface of a peculiarly smooth stone, pleased when the grey dust gave way to a faint deep blue hue. "What is it that lures people into seeking out 'adventure?'"

@Nai

 

[Nai]

Nai's eyes widened slightly. This was the sort of conversation she'd expect one to have by the campfire, after emptying a couple of bottles. When the night turns cold and philosophical, after learning something new and unpleasant about the world one lived in.

In a game though? During a heist?

This one was a weird one, wasn't she? An avatar was a reflection of one's self, at the moment of creation, but in most cases, that reflection became idealized. In the case of Alice, however, it really did seem as if she were a Magia. Big world, either way. No need to overthink it though. Encounters with those who you never otherwise would was part of why she joined Terrasphere, after all.

The horned woman kept her eyes on that distant entrance, her ears tuned to the balance of clanging steel and hammering rock, as she spoke.

"The risk and reward doesn't matter. The more apt method of thinking about this would be...the journey is more important than the conclusion." Nai inspected her gloves. "You've seen children play, yes? They exhaust themselves to avoid a consequence that has no meaning."

The moon fell beneath wispy clouds, alabaster spotlight diffused by airborne particulates.

"Society, generally, demands one to exercise self-control. If you act out, you're ostracized and looked down upon. So, naturally, people suppress themselves, until they forget how to feel. An adventure, where you risk your own life, where you struggle under pressure, where every second matters, is an experience that leaves no space for consideration."

Even stuck inside the Broodmother, watching the final moments of someone who was dying for real, Nai could still hear it. The shouting and the screaming of people who were gaming. People so desperate to become something more than who they were in reality.

People believing that this was how to become their true selves.

"They joined Terrasphere to feel. What about you?"

She locked gazes with Alice, for a brief moment, then broke it, facing the stronghold's entrance once more. The battles raged ever fiercer, but no more reinforcing Earth Elementals exited the Godrose Stronghold.

"There's a chance there," Nai spoke, as if that question hadn't been posed at all. "And a risk too."