Open Complete Eastern Brisshal Arrival, Rebirth, Reconciliation

[Siondhe]

Her ears twitched as she considered Fina's counter to her attempts at turning down the offer. The feline was right, as much as Kyra might've wanted to deny it. She wasn't going to make it far if she didn't get some sort of equipment to start her off. Adventuring is a very short trip if you've no way to defend yourself, indeed. A scowl quickly passed over her face as she considered some other way of turning it down, but the conversation had moved onwards as Fina confirmed that they were heading in the right direction - eastwards.

Exploration must be...quite the experience, if there's no HUD-maps or such things. I mean, you have to rely on the direction of the sun and-

She stopped in her tracks as she glanced up at the sun suddenly, a thought occurring to her as she remembered she was in an entirely different world. One which would, possibly, have it's own rules and actions, depending on how it was created and formed.

Does...does the sun rise in the east still?

She glanced over at Fina as she continued walking, the sudden swish of her tail brought about by the question - an excitement in her eyes at something that might be entirely different. For some reason, the prospect of learning an entirely new, entirely different world was exploding within her.

For that matter...how different is TerraSphere compared to...out there. Is it a twenty-four hour day? Is there a single moon? Many moons? Do...Landers?...have religions - and if so are there any to actively avoid? Are there social norms that I should be aware of? Ones I should avoid entirely?

The words were coming faster as more and more ideas came into her head, and Kyra realised she needed to pause for a moment. If for no other reason than she needed to give Fina time to respond, she also wanted to organise the information in her mind - she was certain it would come back later as important, somehow.

---

@Fina Drago​

 

[Fina Drago]

‎

At one point in her life, Fina heard a saying. 'Curiosity is the gateway to understanding'. Well, it made sense, at the very least. If someone wasn't curious and interested in learning anything, they would never fully understand the world around them, right? In that aspect, Kyra was doing more than just fine. The lass was plenty curious, and her questions were plentiful, even if Fina's answers were sometimes disorganized and chaotic. She was hardly a socialite, so this sort of thing just didn't come naturally to her. Still, she did her best to answer everything, and there was much to answer still.

"Exploration can be quite arduous. There is an entire organization centered around it, in fact. The unexplored areas can be... tricky, to say the least. I'm sure you will come across them sooner or later, they're called the Whistles. I've even considered joining them myself..." She trailed off, leaving any explanations for why she didn't alone. "But while the exploration of uncharted land can be grueling at times, there are some things going for them. For example, what you asked - it seems that Terrasphere mimics the physical world, at least to some extent. So yeah, the Sun rises all the same, the moon is just one as far as I noticed, and some claim that stretches of land are identical to some parts of the real America. Though that's pretty damn hard to confirm without any modern tech to help us here..."

People, on the other hand... well, there were as many perspectives on life as there were people, right? So even if the land were to be identical to what was outside of the game, the people would never be. "As for Lander religions... there are several gods they worship. I never really bothered looking into them, though. Might have more luck if you visit the library in Honeyhome. Or in the capital later on. Same for other traditions they might have. I've... never really tried to fit in with the locals. But they're a nice bunch, so it might be a worthwhile endeavor."

@Kyra Varyth

 

[Siondhe]

Fina very clearly avoided the topic of not joining the organisation known as the Whistles - an odd name when Kyra had heard it, but she assumed there was a specific meaning or reasoning behind the title. The feline was quick to move on and answer other questions however, sating Kyra's thirst for knowledge for the time being. Her tail, however, did wag with earnest excitement at the mention of a possible library.

There's libraries here too?! Can you...check out books and things, for reading? Is it like real world libraries? Do they have books on spells, and weaving spells? Or is it like any ordinary library, where they just have collections of novels that people have authored? Don't tell me it's filled with autobiographies.

She visibly cringed at the final word, a sick look crossing her face before she wiped it away. She could already see the forest thinning around them as they continued on the roadway, and she was beginning to get the feeling that they were approaching something of importance. Her eyes began casting around the area, looking back and forth without seeing anything of any real noteworthiness.

I assume the road leads directly to the village...right? Or do we need to take any turns, or follow different roadways? This is definitely a lot more complicated than following a simple tag on a HUD display...not that that's a bad thing, mind you! I kind of like how realistic it is. It's...different.

She quickly added to her original complaint - trying to make it obvious that she wasn't upset by the challenge that navigation presented. In fact, it almost felt refreshing in a way. There were no hints, no pointers, no thousands of tutorials on how to breeze through the game without much thought or consideration. It's challenging, right from the beginning. No hand holding, no limitations. No guides. It's no wonder people die in here...

She felt herself shiver at that thought, and quickly pushed it away before bounding alongside Fina with a few skips. She forced her cheerful attitude back in place as she continued her barrage of questions.

So...what sort of exciting things happen in this world? I mean, there's exploration, sure. But are there like...overarching quests, or events, or anything?

---

@Fina Drago​

 

[Fina Drago]

‎

"Whu- um, yeah? I mean, I didn't visit it that many times, to be perfectly honest, and the library in Honeyhome is relatively humble in size..." It was a little shameful, honestly. Having to admit that she was no bookworm when it came to her adventures in this world was almost degrading, as if she was insulting her own intelligence. "Either way, as far as I know, there is a much bigger library in the capital that probably has just about anything you could imagine to offer. I've never been there myself, though. Places with too many people... just give me a headache." As such, she generally avoided the capital if she could help it.

Having to keep up with someone as social and energetic as Kyra was also taking its toll, but it was still preferable to being in the middle of a loud crowd. And, at the very least, it was good to see someone so bright and interested in this world. Hopefully, that would last. In fact, the silver fox was about to see this world's civilization for the very first time, as the smoke from many different chimneys appeared in the distance. The weather was slowly getting colder, after all, and people had no option but to start warming their abodes.

"The path to Honeyhome is really straightforward, and at this point, we can just follow the smoke." It wasn't all too different from having a mystical marker to follow now. Even if a person got lost in the forest, at this time of the year, it was a viable idea to climb the tallest tree around and try to see something like this in the distance. "You will learn to look for these kinds of things with time. Could very well save you at some point. Or just make things easier on you in general."

As for the question about what kinds of things were happening in this world, well... "I guess... there was a giant mecha ship that crashed into a city and completely obliterated it a good while ago. That apparently happened when the game was offline. There was a huge fight inside of the ship not too long ago against the... how was it... 'Mother of Machines', I think. It was certainly something." And for the sake of not scaring Kyra again, she did not mention the literal mountains of bodies on the battlefield that day.

@Kyra Varyth

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra slowed to a stop as Fina began mentioning the happenings of the world, her expression changing from wonder to confusion, back to wonder and ending with a mixture of confusion, terror and a spark of interest. She'd not expected, somehow, for machines to exist in a world that was designed to be fantastical in nature, but somehow it also seemed to not be too out of the norm for everything she'd learnt thus far.

Mecha...as in, robots? But I thought TerraSphere was a fantasy based game...? So does that mean that the world is...more modern than something historical...? Or...how does that work? What's the level of technology here? Are there things like electricity? Phones? Computers? Do cars and trains exist? What about airplanes?

She naturally glanced up at the sky, as if searching for some sort of aeroplane overheard, before realising she likely wouldn't see such a thing. Likely would've heard it long before seeing it, and I've not heard anything that sounds like an engine...but if there's mecha...? She shook her head to try and clear it, feeling the movement carry down her body and into her tail - reminiscent in appearance towards a dog shaking itself dry.

And...battles...so I guess this place is dangerous then, isn't it? Is it the Starcalled's jobs to come to the defence of the world? Are we the...heroes of the story? Or...is it more...

She couldn't bring herself to say the ideas aloud, knowing how crushing it would be to learn that they were instead the invaders. She hadn't wanted to join a game where she would be one to destroy the world; she'd not wanted to be a hero, but being a villain was even less appealing to her in the moment. She felt her brow furrow at the thought, and wondered who would even make such a system - one where they were required to invade and terrorise locals.

What...what is the player's position within the world, anyways? How are we viewed? Are we feared? Hated? Loved? Cherished? Ignored...?

There were numerous ideas flitting through her head as she stood there, arms now crossed and brow furrowed, trying to make sense of everything that she'd come across in the last hour or less. It was, almost, overwhelming in a sense - and there was a moment where she almost felt a pity towards coma patients.

---

@Fina Drago​

 

[Fina Drago]

‎

The sudden confusion was perfectly understandable and frankly, Fina should have seen that one coming. Alas, she only realized how confusing her words were after Kyra pointed that part out. "Oh, no! The world really is just like your usual medieval fantasy! At least for the most part, anyway... there is one mastery that kinda differs from the rest, it's called magitech. Technology powered by magic, basically. And everything related to it is... hyper-advanced, very sci-fi like." It honestly was a little strange, to have something like that in a world like Terrasphere. Fina didn't complain, of course. Diversity was nice and when in company of someone who used magitech, you could even expect a life with all the good stuff that modern life has to offer.

"I can only assume that the developers wanted to give fans of futuristic games and sci-fi something to play with. There is even a playable race called Magia and they're essentially humanoid robots. Guess you didn't see it when you were sculpting your avatar?" Fina just assumed that Kyra got fixated on the idea of being an animal person the instant she saw that possibility. But at least now she wouldn't get confused if she saw one of them, or if she found an establishment that offered much higher-tech services than what was normally offered.

Conversely, the topic tied nicely to the idea of what Starcalled were even supposed to be. "It's a game. An MMO. There is no mandated way to play, you know?" Fina simply smiled as she replied. "Plenty of people who are scared of fighting, understandably so. And so, they just don't. They have adventures that are about exploration, or maybe they run shops to help other players, or they just live a second life here that's different than what's waiting for them back in the physical world. Heck, I'm pretty scared of fighting myself... though I always power through somehow." She scratched the back of her head. In all honesty, she was often quite cowardly.

"So you can be a hero and a protector of the people if you want to, but no one can force you. And that's kinda reflected in how the Starcalled are seen... just like with any group of people in the physical world, some Landers hate Starcalled. Some admire them, some are indifferent. Though I guess I should mention that the nation we are in, Falderen, has grown a little bit more hostile toward Starcalled after the big fight. It's not like you will be attacked on sight, but if you don't run around making it obvious that you're not a local, that'd be probably good."

@Kyra Varyth

 

[Siondhe]

The image that had been building in Kyra's mind was suddenly wiped away as Fina confirmed that there was no abundance of technology. In fact, as Fina explained further, it appeared instead that the Starcalled were the creators of anything that could be considered modern technology by an extremes - the Magitech skills that they were given as players, as Fina explained, the main causes of such technology existing to begin with. While it answered many of Kyra's questions, she couldn't help injecting another as it came to her.

So...if Magitech is player-created, in a sense...would that mean that these mechs that crash landed and caused such chaos are...players? Or player created? So there's players who are looking to destroy the world, in this game?

She did like the idea of the game providing them with the opportunity to act as they desired within the world - although she wondered what it would be like to come from the real world, and open up a shop in this world with the requirement of spending more time working. She figured there must be some people who enjoyed that, but found herself at a loss for how they could possibly enjoy it.

Magia...oh, yeah. I did see those when creating the avatar, but I wasn't really sure what it was. The base model looked basically human, but the description didn't make much sense. I...well, actually, now I guess it does make sense.

She cocked her head to the side suddenly, as if remembering something as she spoke. The original description had seemed out of place, considering the fantastical world that Kyra had been expecting - the mention of power cores had caught her eye, but she'd found it to be too outlandish and odd, in a similar way that the human, elves and fairies had been less appealing to her.

I guess...well, I guess I just wanted to be a fox, hey?

She beamed a smile at the other suddenly. Behind her, the tail wagged viciously back and forth, causing a sweeping of dust to rise into the air. A few seconds passed, before Kyra realised another question she had, one that should've been more obvious from the start.

Hey Fina...are there like, friend requests and messaging systems in this game? Or do you have to...just kind of come across people in the wild and hope you find your friends in the big world?

---

@Fina Drago​

 

[Fina Drago]

‎

"Oh, I guess another important piece of information is that Landers can use the same masteries than the Starcalled. I actually, I think they might even be able to use more than us..? Though, obviously, for them it's just... specific skills they learn one way or another rather than something the game magically grants them." It was starting to get a little embarrassing with how many 'oh yeah, also that' moments she was starting to have during this whole conversation. Maybe she wasn't that good of a guide for new players. Alas, Kyra was stuck with her for now, at least until they would reach Honeyhome, if not longer depending on how things would go.

"So no, it was non-player magia who crashed the Dragonship. They also didn't seem to do that intentionally and while we did have to fight them, their goal didn't seem to be the destruction of the world, either. In fact, we still have to figure out what they actually had planned..." In a way, that might have sounded like they fought for now reason. It was really just because those magia were wrecking anything and everything around them, as far as she knew.

The feline then smiled back at Kyra as she started doing now-familiar gestures with her hand. "Well, you DO have to find new friends in the wild, but once you do find them..." Something would pop up on Kyra's hud.

Notice

Fina Drago has sent you a friendship request.

"You can toss them a friend request and chat through the menu! So once you do know people, meeting them again is not a literal nightmare of trying to get hold of them if they happen to be in a different part of the world, haha..."

@Kyra Varyth

 

[Siondhe]

Her eyes had turned skyward again as she listened to Fina correct her assumptions - not for the first time since they'd met - and straightening out some of the information. Kyra was happy, at least, to learn that there wasn't a collection of angry super-robot-players that was trying to take down the entire system; at least, not yet. She thought that it was odd, however, the way in which Fina tried to correct that the Magia - as they were being called - had crashed landed by accident. Somehow that seemed out of the ordinary for a race of beings made of the same thing as the base computer parts of a ship.

So Landers can use spells too...that's good to know. I guess most of the creatures can-

Her question was caught off guard as Fina added a final statement, the corresponding friend request popping up in front of Kyra's eyes. She moved a hand in response, a careless action in all appearance, to quickly hit the accept button, watching as the confirmation appeared and disappeared almost instantly.

Oh! So...now I can message you any time I want, then? Even in the middle of the night when you should be asleep? That'll be fun!

She grinned widely at Fina with a look that was as much adorable as it was devilish, before cocking her head once more. Another question was out her mouth before she could stop it, and she was quick to add an apology to the end when she realised just how much she'd been asking of the other player; how much time she'd taken already.

So, can you only message your friends...or can you message anyone? Can you message Landers, for example? Do they have access to any sort of HUD system? Err...sorry, I guess there's a lot I don't know, and you're basically an expert compared to me...I don't mean to bombard you with questions, or take up all your time - I'm sure you have better things to be doing...

She gave another sheepish smile towards Fina, hoping that it would at least give some appeasement for the annoyance she was likely being. She was extremely thankfully to the other player for the time they were taking, and the last thing she wanted to do was to annoy them away.

---

@Fina Drago​

 

[Fina Drago]

‎

The trees have grown even fewer as they reached the official edge of the forest, a dirt path beneath their feet finally replaced by a proper one made out of cobblestones, though seemingly still haphazardly arranged at random, with grass growing in-between them with reckless abandon. The closest building of Honeyhome were practically already in front of them, the not-so-clear border of the town soon to be crossed. Fina stopped as the sight came into view and turned to Kyra.

"You really don't have to apologize for anything. And as I said before, I've just kinda came here on a whim, certainly didn't have anything better to do. Which... doesn't reflect super well on me I guess, haha..." Letting out a slightly embarrassed laugh, she tried to continue on regardless. "You can send me a message whenever you want. Obviously I won't read it if I'm not online, though. Landers, being, well... Landers, do not have any HUD. So you can't message them in any way, unless you send a physical letter."

As the feline answered both the more serious question and the joke, something suddenly dropped onto her head. It was starting to rain... "Ah, guess we had a pretty good timing. Where do you fancy hiding yourself? A store? The library? An inn? Anywhere else? Well, maybe except the brothel..." She jested in return.

@Kyra Varyth

 

[Siondhe]

She could see the shift in the trees and area itself, a clear sign that they were leaving behind the forest for more developed areas. Even as Fina was answering the questions that Kyra had raised, the fox-girl could see the appearance of the edges of what could only be called a small hamlet, or village, standing out a small distance from where the forest came to a sudden stop.

No, no brothels...those are a thing? I guess they'd be a thing...honestly, somehow that's the least surprising thing...I might take some time to visit the library, at least to start. But...I kind of want to explore the world. See the sights, take a look at what this game has to offer...and maybe partake in an adventure or two?

She pulled up her menu suddenly, checking the small time that she'd seen displayed when she'd last had it open. It was far later than Kyra had been expecting, and she suddenly realised that she still had a number of things to take care of in the real world. She felt a sudden pang of regret, realising that she'd been in this world far longer than it had seemed - and that she would have to be leaving it shortly.

Are...there specific save points or anything? Or do you just log out wherever you are, and then...return to that spot once you log back in? Actually, how does that work in any case...? Can you log out during combat and just...be fine? Does it lock you in here? Or...something I'm missing?

She was firing off questions again, speaking them to life the moment they reached the edge of her thought. She wondered how the other had put up with her thus far, before realising she probably wasn't the first like this. Not if the game drops you in with nothing...not even a guide. Maybe this is normal?

Thank you, Fina...for taking the time to answer all my questions, and for helping me out, by the way. I don't know if I've said that yet, but...it feels like I owe you, a lot.

---

@Fina Drago​

 

[Fina Drago]

‎

Exploring the world sounded like a good idea, and a noble goal in its own right. She could certainly support the vixen in that endeavour. But from the girl's following line of questioning, it became apparent that she did not have much more time at her disposal. Right, not everyone was sacrificing all of their sleep to play the game like Fina was...

"Ah, no, there's nothing like that. You can log out anywhere with two options. Either your body simply disappears and re-appears once you log back in... or you can leave your body lying around. Not exactly recommended unless you're in a hotel room or something. You also definitely cannot log out during combat, it would automatically count you as dead." In other words, attempting to do that had pretty severe negative consequences.

As Kyra started another rounding of thanking, Fina merely shook her head and hands at the same time. "No, no, it was actually fun to guide someone... normally I'm the one who's walking behind everyone else, so this was a neat change of pace. If you have to go now, I recommend the first method of logging out and you can try to get a hold of me whenever you return!"

@Kyra Varyth

 

[Siondhe]

The girl threw aside her attempts at, once more, thanking the other player for all the help they had provided. Kyra had, even as Fina began explaining, opened up the menu in preparation of logging out of the game itself. She double checked the settings - ensuring that she would disappear once she was out, in order to keep her avatar as safe as possible - before looking back to Fina.

Well, you may not take my thanks for all your help...but I do want you to know I appreciate it. And our time together. I'm happy that we managed to meet right after I dropped in.

She paused for a second before continuing her comments, her voice taking on a softer tone as she smiled more broadly towards the other. Behind her, the tail flicked back in forth in a calm, mesmerising pattern.

And...don't be so hard on yourself. You gave me a lot of information and good tips, and were super welcoming! I can't tell you how much that means to me...but I'll never forget it.

She gave another glance at the time, before giving her final farewell.

I've really enjoyed our time together...next time I'm on, I'll pop you a message and maybe we can get together once more? I'm sure there's a lot of fun quests we could get up to, or maybe just some exploring of the world...assuming you're not too busy with something - or someone - more important?

She gave a wink at the end of her words, waiting to see what the other would say. Her eyes darted back to the clock, making sure that she still had a few moments, but there was a tension in her body, a sign that she was pushing her luck in waiting.

---

@Fina Drago​

 

[Fina Drago]

‎

"Ah- hahaha..." A complete newbie telling her to 'not be so hard on herself', oh, she really was not very good at this, was she? Ah well, perhaps she would do better the next time? If there would be next time, anyway. It wasn't like meeting people who just spawned into the game for the very first time ever was in the norm for her.

"Well, I'm glad you found it all useful. I certainly wouldn't want someone new getting themselves into trouble the first thing in the morning, so I'm happy I was useful." It was the very reason why there were so many people roaming these woods in search of new players, acting as guides. It was a noble thing to do, really. A somewhat amusing, then, that it was Fina who ran into Kyra instead.

"Feel free to message me anytime you want. If I happen to be busy, I'll answer you the moment I can. Though... I'm usually not doing anything that would steal my attention for too long." She was not going on any grand adventures or exploring the unknown corners of this world like some. But that did mean she usually had time to get into trouble with others, if they wanted.

As the silver fox started logging off, the feline would wave her goodbye with a smile, watching the physical body in front of her disappear as the player returned back into the other world. It was still funny to see, with how realistic the game world seemed, to have someone just dematerialize like that. But she was sure that she would see Kyra again.

@Kyra Varyth