Complete Eastern Brisshal Bearly Begun

Vina Skysong

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-10 HP from Retal


Vina frowned as she looked out from the edge of Honeyhome into the forest that lay beyond. It was evening, the day quickly fading as the sun sank beneath the horizon, the moon rising up in response to bathe the lands below in a weak, pure silver light. Most of the inhabitants of the starting village were already beginning to head to bed, and Vina had been planning to do the same. However, a bad hunch had kept her from logging off, and instead, she was trying to figure out what the bad feeling was about.

Terrasphere had been online for a short period now, but already quite a lot of people had started playing it once more. While some, like Vina herself, had spawned where they'd been forcibly logged out before the four-year shutdown, newcomers all spawned in this area, where things were relatively safe and they had the opportunity to explore the game's systems, including their own skills.

The druidess, who has been keeping an eye out for any trouble that the newcomers might run into, had heard about how many of them were enthusiastically hunting the wildlife in the forest of Eastern Brisshal to test out their masteries. Personal discomfort aside from how animals were treated as nothing more than target practice, it was probably the safest way. However, Terrasphere strived for realism in all things, which also meant that the animals didn't just stand around, waiting to be targeted and shot down. They lived their own lives, and they would react if they were getting hunted.

That might cause some trouble.

Her doubts were both validated and interrupted by shouting. Grabbing her staff and jumping up from the fencepost she'd been sitting on, the silver-haired support ran towards the source of the trouble. It seemed like someone had been late in returning from the forest as they foraged for herbs and plants, and while usually, the area was safe enough that this wasn't an issue, this time around things were different.

A large bear was looming over the prone body of the fallen villager, digging through the herbs that had been scattered as the man was struck down. A large scar adorned its size as a warning that this ursine was no strange to battles of life and death.

Vina wasn't fond of fighting, but she didn't have much of a choice here. If nothing else, she first had to drive the bear back, so it couldn't decide to finish the job on the unlucky forager. Running forward, Vina summoned a gust of wind aimed at the bear. The invisible force threw the bear off-balance and made it retreat a couple of steps, which gave Vina the opportunity to close the gap and stand in front of the villager. However, the bear recovered quickly, and the druidess let out a sharp grunt as she tried her best to block a quick swipe from a large claw with her staff.

HELP! BEAR ATTACK!


If she'd been here alone this might not have been an issue, but Vina could tell that the villager behind her quickly needed medical attention. If she took the time to deal with the bear, she might be too late to save the man's life.

@Cleo Looker

Rolls



Code:
[hp=current]max[/hp]
[status]
[/status]

Post here

[action]
Bot result here
[/action]
 
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Cleo Looker

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-10 from retal


Making her way through a village, really Cleo had just been passing through. She didn't have much reason to care about NPCs or any kinds of quests that the game had to offer, considering that her purpose here wasn't to simply play the game like a teenage girl, skipping class to play video games or something. There was no real incentive for her to actually play the game as if she were a player, aside from trying to get into the mindsets of the people that she was going to be dealing with, but as of yet she hadn't bothered with any kind of quest, or even really talking to any NPCs for more than a second or two at a time.

It was better that way. Easier to remind herself that they weren't alive, that they were little more than AI and that she didn't have to focus her efforts on helping them. It would be a waste of time and a distraction from the people that she was really supposed to be here to help in the first place. Her focus was on the players, the misguided people that threw themselves into lethal danger just for the thrill of a videogame, without seeing how truly senseless such an act was.

And surely enough, like divine providence, a voice rang out calling for help. It could be just the start of a quest or something along those lines, but well, she at least had to find out if it was a real person or not. She raced towards the direction the sound had come from, drawing her spear as the sight of a girl, a downed man and a bear came into view.

With little time to set up any kind of precise strike, all she could do was raise the spear, bladed tip pointed at the bear as she charged silently, only the sound of her footsteps carrying. It was a clumsy, if fast and filled with momentum, attempt at driving the spear's tip into the beast's flank and draw some attention. And yet the blow landed. Her spear sank deep and though the bear's lashed out at the last second with claws, a twist of her body saw them scraping against her armor. The force would probably bruise her, but she was fine otherwise.

@Vina Skysong

Rolls


Heavy Attack
1d100 (61) + 0 + 0 + 20 = 81
81 damage
You cannot move this cycle
Pierce Weapons | Cleo Looker | 373C1

 

Vina Skysong

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Wolfy
130 / 130

Vulnerable, -20 from Retal, +5 from Regeneration, +25 from Power Heal (AoE)


Vina didn't know if there were any fellow Travelers in the village who heard her and who'd be able to help. The villagers couldn't be expected to face off against a bear, but she did need people to assist her if she wanted to save the life of the man behind her. If push came to shove she might have to just accept that she wasn't going to get out of this unscratched and prioritize getting the man to safety over defending against the bear. Then again-

Her thoughts were interrupted as another person ran out of the village and charged the bear from the side, the massive beast having fully focused on Vina for the moment. The armoured figure managed to move remarkably silently, allowing her to close the gap and sink her weapon deep inside of the bear's flank, to which the ursine responded with a painful growl as suddenly pain filled its world from this new threat. It lashed out at Cleo, but she managed to evade the worst of it, after which the bear tried to pull itself free from the spear. Blood gushed out of the wound, the sharp tip having pierced enough skin and flesh to rupture some organs, and after several seconds of struggling the bear collapsed to the ground.

Vina, for her part, had kept her staff raised in case the bear made a last-ditch effort to strike either her or the villager, but once it looked like the beast had breathed its last she let out a sigh of relief and lowered her staff, giving Cleo a grateful look.

Thank you so much! I didn't think anybody-hold on!


As much as she'd like to talk to the red-haired beauty about what had just happened, she still had to tend to the man behind her. On top of that, both she and the spear lady had been struck by the bear, even if they'd managed to avoid serious wounds.

Holding her staff out horizontally Vina closed her eyes and began to hum, the sound seemingly carried by the wind as it resounded throughout the area. The sound would be soothing and refreshing, and Cleo would find that the pain from the bear's final strike was quickly receding. The man on the ground also began to breathe more easily, although his bloody state made it difficult to make out any details regarding his physical health.

As the druidess was focused on restoring everyone to full health, however, a new threat emerged from the woods. A pack of five wolves, scrawny and underfed, stepped forward with their heads low and their fangs bared, a low growl underscoring Vina's humming. They quickly formed a demi-circle around the three people and the dead bear.

The wolf furthest away from Cleo, hidden behind the corpse of the ursine beast that had arrived first, dashed forward and lunged at Vina. The silver-haired healer's vulpine ears twitched as she heard its approach, her eyes shooting open in alarm as she quickly spun around. With a startled yell her hum was interrupted as she tried to bring up her staff to block once more, but the wolf was faster and managed to latch onto her arm. The healing effect from her magic was still lingering, but Vina could feel the beast's fangs pressing against her skin, trying to pierce it and bring forth blood.

The other wolves slowly closed the gap as well, the one in the middle snarling to draw Cleo's attention so the one behind her could dash forward and try to pounce upon her.

@Cleo Looker

Rolls


Power Heal (AoE)
1d100 (34) + 25 + 5 + 10 = 25 (Total divided by 3)
+25 HP to 3 targets
Gain the Vulnerable state
Harmonic Magic | Vina Skysong | 373C2



LP: 5/5
DC: 30
RETAL: 10
 

Cleo Looker

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100 / 100


-10 from retal | +25 from Power Heal (AOE)


Actually scoring the kill had been a surprise, but the first thing that truly struck Cleo was how realistic it had been. The creature had thrashed in death throes and bled to death from the wound her spear had caused it. It wasn't fading away, like corpses in many older video games seemed to do. This was what fighting something in Terrasphere was like? So brutal and realistic that it so greatly resembled what she only assumed a real life fight to the death would look like? No wonder there were people that were finding their lives forever changed by this nightmare software, for better or for worse.

Though before she could actually exchange words with the healer, another threat seemed to emerge, this time a pack of starved looking wolves. And they wasted no time going on the offensive, as one charged straight for the other woman, who seemed to be capable of healing in some way, Cleo noted as her wounds seemed fade, the bruising from the bear's dying swipes easing. This would be a little more difficult, dealing with more targets was always a pain, but she could try to deal with it regardless.

The sound of footsteps approaching her from behind had Cleo twirling her spear, leaving behind tiny spectral spearheads in a circle around her. Each arcane spearhead seemed to spin in the air, like a drill, before shooting off in every direction around her, aimed to keep the beasts at bay. She succeeded, just as jaws clamped around her ankle from behind, a spectral spearhed shot at the wolf, forcing it to retreat or die.

@Vina Skysong

Rolls


Steady Attack
6d20 exploding (20 + 15 + 4 + 1 + 12 + 3 + 11) + 0 + 0 = 66
66 damage
Arcanamancy | Cleo Looker | 373C2

 

Vina Skysong

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Wolfy
115 / 130

Vulnerable, -20 HP from Retal, +5 HP from Regeneration


As Vina was doing her best to shake off the wolf hanging onto her arm, her companion managed to jab the beast's side with some kind of summoned spearhead, which loosened its grip enough that the druidess could push it away. Her lupine assailant backed off, but only a meter or so, growling fiercely as it tried to circle around her while Vina tried to keep her eyes on all the wolves. To protect the fallen man she was forced to step forward, endangering herself as it brought her within range of the wolf's jaws but keeping the beast from targeting the incapacitated forager.

The other wolves, surprised by the barrage of piercing projectiles, let out yelps and whines as two of them managed to evade while the one who'd drawn Cleo's attention before developed a limp as the arcane spearhead pierced one of its front legs. The one that had tried to attack Cleo from behind, however, suffered much worse: as it had already been leaping at her, the wolf wasn't in any state to evade her counterattack. The spectral arrow pierced its skull, destroying its brain and causing it to drop dead almost instantly.

With one of their packmates having been killed so quickly the other wolves hesitated before their ferocity actually increased. Two of them tried their best to flank Cleo, growling and snarling at her, while the other two focused on Vina. The druidess realized that if they didn't act quickly they might just get overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Holding her staff out towards the wolves that were snapping at her to try and keep them at bay, Vina held her other hand up towards Cleo and hummed another tune, this one a lot faster than the one that had healed their wounds.

Cleo would feel a breeze at her back, which flowed around her body and then wrapped around her spear. The weapon began to vibrate in her hands at a high frequency, ensuring that it, and any copies she made from it, would pierce and cut through muscle and hide like a hot knife through butter.

Vina paid for this act by having both the wolves take advantage of the opening and jump at her. She managed to block one with her staff, but the other slammed into her. She tried to keep her footing, but soon enough the druidess was knocked onto her back, struggling to keep the wolf on top of her from claiming her throat with its jaws.

@Cleo Looker
Rolls


Power Buff (Single)
2d100 (73 + 22) + 25 + 5 + 10 = 38 (Total divided by 3)
+38 buff to Cleo Looker for 3 posts
Gain the Vulnerable state
Harmonic Magic | Vina Skysong | 373C3


LP: 4/5
DC: 30
RETAL: 10
 
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Cleo Looker

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Vulnerable | -20 from retal


Well considering the fact that her spectral spearheads had actually done a decent job at warding the wolves away and driving them back from her and the woman that was healing the downed man. In fact, sparing a glance at the other woman, it seemed like she was very bodily putting herself in harm's way in order to protect the male from coming to any further harm, for better or for worse. And frankly, right now it seemed that it would be for worse, as her previous attack had only really successfully wounded one of the attacking wolves, which had been the one too close to dodge anything.

That was when she heard the other woman humming another song, a breeze wrapping around her as her tip of her spear began to vibrate, even as she clutched the shaft tightly, fingers curling around it until her knuckles turned white and threatened to pop. She grit her teeth, reaching inwards again in an attempt to focus, being guided for the most part by the game's systems as she twirled her spear again around her body, the weapon leaving a glowing trail of energy that coalesced into more spears, exact copies of the original.

It seemed though, that the other woman was being punished for applying this buff to Cleo, as two wolves leapt at her. There was little time to do more than point all of the summoned spears at the wolves attacking the healer, forgoing defending herself for a moment, crimson eyes blazing with fury at the sight of the creatures attempting to make a meal out of the healer.

"Oh no you don't!"


The spears, gathered and pointed at the wolves attacking the druidess, slew to Cleo's hands, wielding them with one hand as she tossed them. Each spear she tossed was replaced by another spectral copy, whilst the original sat on her back as she tossed multiple spears, one at a time.

It didn't even matter to her that she felt the claws of the wolves, dulled by contact with the ground but still sharp, clawing at her body as she used spectral spears to try to keep them away as best as she could, receiving scratch after scratch in recompense.

@Vina Skysong

Rolls


Burst Attack
8d20 exploding (4 + 15 + 16 + 16 + 20 + 16 + 8 + 2 + 15) + 38 = 150
150 damage
Gain the Vulnerable state
Ranged Weapons | Cleo Looker | 373C3

 

Vina Skysong

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Wolfy
110 / 130

-10 HP from Retal, +5 HP from Regeneration


Vina was losing the struggle with the wolf, its snarling muzzle coming closer and closer to her throat, when a barrage of spears interrupted the two of them, lethally in the case of the wolf. Both beasts that had been trying to take Vina down let our agonized sounds as spectral spears, each vibrating at high frequency, tore into their bodies, shredding their organs. Because their brains hadn't suffered a direct hit they didn't die immediately, but both quickly slumped lifelessly, blood pouring from the open wounds with the spectral weapons disappearing after having fulfilled their purpose.

The vulpine healer quickly scrambled to her feet, with some difficulty managing to push the wolf on top of her away. Seeing that the red-haired lancer had been allowing the other wolves to strike at her armoured form in exchange for saving Vina's life the druidess narrowed her eyes. Putting her lips together she whistled, a prolonged sound which quickly ascended in pitch until it could no longer be heard by human ears.

The wolves weren't so lucky, as they were suddenly assaulted by a piercing ringing in their ears. They pulled back from Cleo, whimpering as they shook their heads in an attempt to get rid of the sonic attack. Unable to do so, they resumed their attack on Cleo, as she was closest, but their movements were hindered as they had a hard time focusing.

Vina, in the meanwhile, kept whistling even as she felt stabs of pain from the various points on her body where the wolf's claws had managed to tear through her clothes and scratch open her skin. It was far from lethal, but she'd still have to tend to herself once this was done.

@Cleo Looker
Rolls


Protect
1d100 (11) + 10 + 5 = 26
26 damage
Give 1 ally in your zone the Protected status
Beast Arts | Vina Skysong | 373C4


LP: 2/5
DC: 30
RETAL: 10
 

Cleo Looker

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Vulnerable | Protected | -10 HP from retal


There wasn't time to take her eyes off of the wolves attacking her to make sure that her barrage had actually saved the druidess, but the sound of a sudden whistle did fill her with confidence that the woman wasn't in any direct mortal peril. She expected a lot more screaming and terror, if the druidess were being eaten alive by ravenous beasts or something like that. The fact that the spectral spears all seemed to have the same enchantment as her actual spear was certainly a huge bonus. It seemed that whatever the druidess had done applied directly to Cleo herself and then funneled into the weapons, rather than affecting only her spear itself.

The sound of the whistle quickly faded, but Cleo noted with some slight confusion that the wolves attacking her seemed to flinch away from something. It didn't stop them from trying to attack her, but suddenly she wasn't quite as exposed as she had been when she had focused her efforts on rescuing the druidess and killing the wolves before they could kill her.

Breaking into a sprint, ignoring the jaws that attempted to snap around her legs and physically yanking her ankle out of the mouth of a wolf, she span on a heel and the world in front of her was washed in a sea of red light as a veritable wall of spectral spears appeared in front of her. Hastily made and flimsy things, if they were penetrating much more than wolf hide, they probably would break on impact. Though with the vibrating spear tips, thanks to the other woman, just this time, her hastily made wall became a barrage of deadly weaponry, tearing through the air towards the wolves, aiming to leave them scattered.

@Vina Skysong

Rolls


Burst Attack
8d20 exploding (7 + 16 + 17 + 17 + 15 + 7 + 9 + 12) + 38 = 138
138 damage
Gain the Vulnerable state
Ranged Weapons | Cleo Looker | 373C4

 

Vina Skysong

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Wolfy
Vina was focused on keeping her whistling at the right frequency so that it would irritate the wolves without hampering her ally. Admittedly, she didn't like the sound either, as her own sensitive fox ears picked it up as well, but she stubbornly continued even as Cleo focused on dealing with the two remaining wolves, the ones who had futilely tried to break through the lancer's armour so they could bring her down and tear her up. Unfortunately for them, now that the red-haired beauty no longer had to worry about Vina's well-being, she could get to work eliminating the two lupine hunters.

The vulpine druidess blinked as suddenly everything was bathed in red light, a veritable wall of arcane spears blocking her view of what lay beyond even as the two wolves froze in response to this abrupt climax to the fight. They were smart enough to try to evade, but they didn't have the time to get out of the way before both of them were ravaged by a barrage of projectiles; fur and hide were shredded as muscles were torn, veins were destroyed, and organs ripped apart. At the end of the attack, the wolves were still in one piece, but the part of them which had been exposed to Cleo's wall of spears looked more like raw meat.

While it was a shame that they'd been forced to put these creatures down, Vina couldn't help but be relieved now that it seemed like it was over. Now that they were no longer in danger she could also place her hand over some of her wounds, wincing as she returned to the fallen man. Thankfully, his prone position meant that he'd been unaffected by any of this.

I'm really glad you were here. I don't think I'd have been able to deal with all this on my own.


While she was standing next to the fallen man, her attention was on Cleo, her expression a mixture of discomfort from her wounds and gratefulness towards the arcane lancer. She smiled at Cleo before kneeling next to the man and crouching, studying his condition even as she resumed talking.

I think the animals are getting more desperate because all the new Travelers are using the forest to practise. But it's getting pretty bad if they're willing to get so close to Honeyhome...


Honeyhome was meant to be a safe haven for new players, after all. If the wild animals were willing to attack the hamlet because the players were emptying the forest... Of course, this could be an isolated incident. Just because you had one bear attacking someone so close to the village didn't mean every bear was going to do that.

But once again, thank you so much. I'm Vina Skysong, and can I ask who you are?


With those last words, she looked up at Cleo, her expression becoming warmer and friendlier now that the adrenaline was wearing off.

@Cleo Looker

LP: 0/5
DC: 30
RETAL: 10
 

Cleo Looker

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When all was said and done, it was actually quite disgusting to see what her attack had actually done to the attacking wolves. Usually such sights were a horror, something that only soldiers trapped in war had to see. The creatures were mangled and shredded where they'd been hit by her attack and it was only her experience investigating crime scenes in reality that allowed Cleo to actually stomach the sight and look at them. And she had to say, investigating the corpses, that the damage to the bodies was incredibly realistic. She could see why people sometimes found it hard to remember that Terrasphere was, in fact, a game, rather than some kind of alternative reality.

And with the situation dealt with, the druidess seemed to turn her attention back to the wounded man. If he had been attacked by that bear they'd taken down, then that meant that these areas, designated as safe for new players, such as herself, weren't quite the safe havens that people advertised them to be. It would have been easy for a solo player, such as herself, to get caught alone by the wolves or the bear and have no chance but to be torn apart. She certainly had no method of healing her own injuries, that she knew of anyway.

If it isn't safe near the safer areas, then newer players will be more likely to get hurt or die.


She ignored the druidess for a brief moment, deep in thought. There had to be something that she could do about this to help the newer players, nevermind the fact that she herself counted amongst their ranks. She would find a way to help them somehow. Though, she came up with nothing and instead turned her attention back to her temporary teammate, giving the woman an appreciative nod.

I'm Cleo. I appreciate your assistance during that fight. I lack any supportive options, so you were very useful.


@Vina Skysong
 

Vina Skysong

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It wasn't the first time that Vina had seen living creatures get shredded, crushed, incinerated, frozen, or subjected to the various other forms of destruction that Terrasphere allowed you to inflict upon others. It was far from the most pleasant sight, and sometimes it still gave her the shivers, but with some difficulty, she'd managed to learn to live with it.

More pressing were the man's injuries. He was still alive, and her previous round of healing had managed to help him stabilize, but he'd still lost quite a lot of blood which you couldn't treat with just some first aid.

We'll have to spread the word that overhunting causes the animals to become more desperate and that people should be more careful.


It was the only thing she could immediately think of that could help. That, and maybe getting more people to help look out for new Travelers by sticking to Eastern Brisshal.

Her tail wagged briefly when Cleo complimented her assistance, the fox girl happily accepting the praise despite their current situation.

Of course~! Supporting is what I do best, after all. But you seem to be quite good at this as well Cleo. How long have you been playing?


It wasn't like the lancer had managed to move heaven and earth, but she'd still quite quickly managed to deal with both the bear and the wolves, even killing the bear in one hit. Vina couldn't remember seeing Cleo before the four-year break, but maybe she'd just been doing something else back then?

@Cleo Looker
 

Cleo Looker

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Spreading the word about overhunting probably was the only thing that they could actually do, which did leave something of a sour taste in Cleo's mouth, but it was far from being a situation that was uncommon in her life. All too often in law enforcement she found that her only option of prevention was trying to educate people on their actions and how those actions could affect others and the community as a whole. She'd seen it with drugs, with weapons, now she was seeing it with hunting in a virtual environment, within which everything should have been okay. And in any other game in existence, it would be perfectly fine. But no, they were dealing with it here, in a game that had killed people.

She nodded her wordless agreement to the druidess, idly noting the woman's tail wagging and wondering what that even felt like. How clever had these developers been to enable people to comprehend feelings that they had never even felt before, or to move muscles they didn't have? It was a shame that the game was dangerous because it was, for all intents and purposes, something of a masterpiece, the likes of which could only serve to stoke her curiosity into overdrive.

I've not been playing long. Less than a day's total playtime, maybe?


Whether it was because her performance had been impressive or the beasts had just been weak enough to make her look strong, she seemed to have gained the support woman's attention. That was probably a good thing, she could at least see another type of person that a game like this attracted. The girl had barely even taken an offensive action against the wolves, perhaps she was dealing with some kind of pacifist here? That would be quite a novel experience.

Think we should move the guy? I can carry him if you want?


@Vina Skysong
 

Vina Skysong

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Vina could tell that Cleo wasn't really happy with the situation, but truthfully her idea that it was the result of overhunting wasn't even anything more than a hypothesis. With some luck, this had been an isolated incident, where something had driven the bear and the wolves so close to Honeyhome, but they didn't know enough about what was going on to be able to confidently figure out a way to resolve the situation.

The admission from the red-haired lancer that she'd barely even begun playing the game caught Vina off-guard. The fox girl looked genuinely surprised, followed by a curious and impressed gaze.

Really? You held yourself well, especially given the sudden nature of the fight. You must have a talent for this~


While she'd been busy trying to protect the fallen villager and keeping the wolves at bay, Vina hadn't failed to notice that Cleo's attacks had been quite accurate, which she would have attributed to experience if it wasn't for Cleo's own assertation to the contrary.

She looked back down at the villager, thinking briefly before shaking her head.

Let me heal him a bit more before we move him. He's not getting worse, but his wounds could open up.


It wasn't like the vulpine druidess was a medic outside of the game, but she'd picked up a thing or two trying to keep people alive inside of the game. And fortunately, she was able to help here.

Placing her staff on the ground Vina pulled a wooden flute out of her pouch, which she placed against her lips as she began to play. Channeling her magic through the flowing melody she got to work mending the wounds of all three of them, although the villager was her primary focus. It would take well over a minute, but by the time she was done neither of the females had any injuries left and the male looked like he was in much better shape under all that blood.

I don't know where he lives, so we should take him to the tavern. If the offer to help carry him is still on the table I'll gladly accept it~


@Cleo Looker
 

Cleo Looker

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Well, it definitely helped that she was used to being landed in stressful situations at times, so that specific part of her training had kicked in and she was right back in the zone. In a way, it was quite similar from facing down criminals with knives, or being stuck in a gun fight with a suspect, back in her detective days. It was, after all, a rare thing indeed for criminals to go willingly and quietly with law enforcement, rather than try to deal as much damage and destruction as they could attemptingt to escape. Still, she could take a compliment or two when she'd actually earned them, nodding quietly along as thanks for the kind words that she was receiving from the druid fox.

Right, I'll leave it to you to tell me when you feel like he's safe enough to be moved from here.


For now, she figured she would make sure that their perimeter was secure and that nothing would be attacking them. Of course, it was a lot harder to listen out for danger than it had to be when the woman's main method of healing seemed to involve singing, humming or playing music of some form. How could magic be so useful and yet such a pain in the ass at the same time? What would happen to the druidess if she ever needed to remain unseen or unheard, but needed some way to stem a bleeding wound, for example?

Ove a minute later, Cleo and Vina both seemed to lack wounds and the man at least looked like he wasn't nourishing the plants with his sangune blood anymore, which was a benefit. She sighed inwardly, looking at the man. He was a mess, but she'd offered to carry him. Hopefully real world athleticism translated somewhat well into the game.

She crouched low, scooping the man up into her arms and over her head, until he was draped over her shoulders in a fireman's carry. She adjusted her spear, so that it wasn't poking, prodding or stabbing the man in any way, before nodding when she felt the position was fine.

Let's get moving, then.


@Vina Skysong
 

Vina Skysong

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As Vina was busy treating the man's wounds with her magic, she wasn't in a state to pay attention to her surroundings. She assumed that after dealing with both the bear and the pack of wolves they were no longer in danger of being attacked, but she was grateful that Cleo still went through the trouble of keeping an eye out. Vina had long since stopped relying on the game's assistance, as she'd learned that in stressful moments the delays of the assistance could make a huge difference, but that also meant that if she wanted to restore someone to full health she couldn't just call out a spell and wait for the process to complete itself.

Once the spell was complete and Cleo was ready to pick the man up Vina did her best to help out, at least when it came to getting the man onto the red-haired beauty's back. She'd thought they'd carry him together, as he had a fairly sizeable figure, but it looked like Cleo was confident that she could carry him by himself, and Vina trusted that the woman knew what she was doing. She had an air of competence, after all, which was also supported by the manner in which she had jumped to Vina's aid and dealt with the wolves.

Of course~ Just tell me if you need some help carrying him.


As Vina was quite knowledgeable about Honeyhome and its surroundings she'd lead the way back to the hamlet, for now leaving the carcasses to rot. She'd have liked to clean them up immediately, so as to avoid the area turning into a hotbed for harmful micro-organisms, but she'd first have to ensure that the man got back safely and that the immediate threat was gone. As they weren't far away from the settlement it didn't take long before they were walking in between buildings once more, Vina humming a soft tune even as she moved slowly so as to not force Cleo to keep up while carrying someone.

So, Cleo, what do you think of Terrasphere so far~?


Busy as Vina had been, she'd totally forgotten that she herself wasn't in the best of shapes visually. Cleo's armour had protected her from the worst of things, but Vina's much lighter attire was a mess, especially the front where the wolf had clawed away at it while trying to bite her throat. It wasn't quite so bad as to make her indecent, but she'd have to clean up after this.

@Cleo Looker
 

Cleo Looker

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She wouldn't need help carrying the man, but the offer for help was appreciated nonetheless. At least, being willing to offer aid like that helped show that the druidess wasn't the type of person to just leave a job half done or to leave a task to somebody else when she herself was more than capable of doing it, or at least assisting with it. That kind of attitude tended to go a lot further than people gave it credit for, so she wasn't going to turn down some assistance, though she would do most of the actual carrying. The other woman's clothing seemed to have not quite survived her close encounter with the wolves completely intact.

And so they began the slow walk back, Cleo hefting the man's body along as they walked. She could appreciate the slower pace that Vina was intent on setting for her sake. Though she was strong, she did not have super strength and a full grown man was heavy. Not having to keep pace with a speed demon at least made the walk bearable. The attempt at smalltalk, however, was something that she secretly had to think about and consider with caution. She absolutely couldn't come across as anything other than normal.

It's interesting. So incredibly realistic. I can't imagine how talented the team behind it must be to have made it.


That was, at least, the truth. As dangerous as the game was and as twisted as the VRSA suspected it could be, it was just a marvel of a creation at the same time. She could freely admit at least some level of appreciation for the amount of work that had to have gone into it.

Your singing magic is quite interesting. You have a nice humming voice.


@Vina Skysong
 

Vina Skysong

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It really is, isn't it? It's really easy to forget that all of this must have been coded and programmed~


The fox girl was just as impressed by the sheer realism of the game as Cleo, although she frowned a bit as she thought about the people responsible for making this. They might be amazing with their programming skills, but why did they have to turn what could have been one of the greatest experiences ever into a death game?

Of course, if they're so talented that does make some of the decisions they've made even stranger.


She said that part more softly, although it wasn't like she was trying to keep Cleo from hearing it. It was just a thought she had, as beyond the sheer horror of the fact that the game could kill people she just didn't understand the reasoning. What purpose could it serve? She was an optimist and assumed people were good-natured until proven otherwise, but even when she tried to assume malice all she got was more questions.

Fortunately, Cleo managed to pull her out of that hole by complimenting her singing voice. The fox girl shook her head to snap out of it before smiling cheerfully.

Thank you~ I've practiced it a lot. I can also sing and play instruments, but I find that it's better to use humming when you're in a hurry and you might have your hands full.


Compared to singing, dancing, or playing instruments, the humming was about as simple a way to use Harmonic Magic as you could imagine. Of course, Cleo's unspoken question about what you did, if you needed to remain quiet, was valid.

Your magic is very interesting as well. I've been playing since before the servers got shut down, but I don't remember there being a mastery that allows you to freely summon spears like that. It looks really impressive~


Even at their slow pace, the hamlet was small enough that it didn't take long before the town square got into view, and with it the inn at which it would be best to deliver the wounded man. It would cause a commotion, to be sure, but at least there'd be people still awake to help look after the man and they could explain what happened, as well as figure out where this man lived so his family could be informed.

@Cleo Looker
 

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It definitely was quite easy to forget that everything in the game was coded and programmed, which was perhaps what the coders and programmers wanted to happen. Was that the whole point of Terrasphere? To create a world that was so real that people began to abandon the actual reality for it? In fact, could she even say for certain that the game wasn't real enough to be able to give people a good way of life? God, that would be one hell of a mess if she let that kind of thought slip during a psyche evaluation, so it was better to keep thinking like that under wraps.

An excellent point. It makes you wonder what the thought processes behind those choices are.


Clearly this girl was aware of the danger, if she was talking about questionable choices that had been made by the design team, such as the part that players seemed to forget about, where they would actually be killed if they happened to die in the game. Supposedly it only killed the player on their third death in game, but still, how hard was it for a gamer to get themselves killed three times in an MMORPG like this one? Heck, just some wolves and a bear had been a pretty challenging fight.

As for the talk about magic, Cleo shrugged as much as she could whilst carrying the man. She had, at least, found a player that had played before the VRSA had shut down the servers, but apparently some things were different from how they had been back then. That was definitely valuable information.

Ah, it's just Arcanamancy. You know, the magic that lets you construct things out of magical energy?


It had been one of the earliest options on the list, so surely Vina had seen it. Though, as she thought that, the inn finally came into view. Figuring it was better to take charge, Cleo pushed her way into the inn, clearing her throat.

This man is injured and needs care and rest! He was attacked by a bear and is recovering from his injuries!


@Vina Skysong
 

Vina Skysong

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I really wish we could talk to the people who made this world and ask them. I'm sure they had their reasons, but without knowing those reasons it's difficult to not think about how wonderful it would be if things were different.


Without the UI-locked state (which, for all intents and purposes, appeared to be permanent death in the physical world) and the afflictions that befell those who died in this world, Terrasphere would have been a marvel without compare. The reason why VR had been banned, after all, had been because of a glitch, not because the technology was harmful even if everything worked properly. At least, Vina didn't think she'd ever heard of non-malfunctioning VR systems causing issues. Terrasphere could have been the flagship to thrust VR back into the spotlight as a way to expand life beyond the boundaries of Earth, but instead, it just served as the final nail in the coffin for the public perception of the technology.

Her thoughts were pulled back towards Cleo when the red-haired lancer mentioned that she was making use of Arcanamancy. The druidess blinked in confusion, clearly not expecting that response.

Arcanamancy? But back then that mastery was used for long-ranged magical strikes. I don't think people used it to create items...


For Vina, this world was so realistic that the thought that something could be completely reworked like that felt strange and unnatural. However, at the end of the day, Terrasphere was still a game, and the developers must have kept working on it throughout the years. Changing a mastery wasn't impossible, although it must have felt very confusing for the People of the Land, to have the rules of magic just change.

Once Cleo recognized the inn and moved in to deliver the wounded man, Vina quickly followed. There were still plenty of people in the inn, spending their last hours before they'd go back to their homes and sleep, but all chatter died down when two females entered the door, one an armoured human carrying their friend, and the other a vulpine beastfolk whose messy appearance made it clear she hadn't been dancing through the fields.

Hey, that's Darren, isn't it?

Sure is. What happened to him?

Several men got up from their seats. As the rest cleared a table one of them approached Cleo and Vina.

Place him on the table, please. Can you tell us what happened?

With the table set up, Cleo was free to place her patient, who apparently was called Darren, on it so she wouldn't have to carry him anymore and he could get his wounds tended to in a more lasting manner. At the same time, Vina began to explain.

He was out foraging, but it looks like he came across a bear close to the village. We found him already wounded, so we fought off the bear and brought him back here. However, we also had to deal with some wolves on the way, so I think something is wrong in the forest.


Bears and wolves close to Honeyhome? That's never happened before!

One of the men exclaimed in surprise and disbelief. The other men muttered as well, not openly doubting Vina's words but clearly uncertain what to make of this story. Honeyhome had always been a safe haven for both Travelers and People of the Land. Surely the beasts of the forest weren't getting so daring as to try and attack it, right?

@Cleo Looker
 

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Well that will be quite difficult considering that nobody seems to even know who the developers are, or where the game was made in the first place? That's one of the biggest mysteries about Terrasphere, isn't it?


As far as she'd been briefed, knowledge about the developers was basically nonexistent somehow, despite the fact that they'd managed to block people from the servers. She was no technology expert, but she would have thought that they'd be able to trace a server if they were able to find it, but perhaps it was not quite that simple and such thoughts were best left for people that actually specialized in things like computers and the internet. It really was a shame that this game had, for all intents and purposes, killed the gaming medium that it should have been able to uplift.

Long range magical strikes? It doesn't really mention anything about that, unless you count launching constructs? It's more of a defensive option than anything else.


It was interesting information, though, to know that the developers had made changes to the game whilst it had been offline due to the VRSA. If they had patched the game, what had caused them to make that decision? Though, this did also confirm that Vina had been playing before the day the servers were emptied, which meant that the girl was probably a good source of information for her to mine. Building an in depth timeline of the game for the analysts with the VRSA might lead them to some kind of clue or something?

The chance to ask would have to come later though. As they settled the injured man in the space that had been made for him, Vina began to explain what had happened and the locals seemed to be somewhat panicked about the information. Panic would probably be pretty bad, if left unchecked, but they were only NPCs so it wasn't as if she was all that obligated to do anything.

Still, they looked and sounded like people, so it was hard not to speak up.

I don't know if they won't come into the village or if they will, but it can never hurt to set up a watch. It would probably be a good idea to also tell people that pass through not to hunt the local game so much, if it is driving the local predator population into such a frenzy.


@Vina Skysong
 
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