Complete Eastern Brisshal { Hello World }

[MAI]

It really was quite strange. Not a moment ago, she was in some gray room, designing herself a new "me", now she was standing in the middle of a forest and breathing in the fresh air. None of the games she knew were as good as this, especially from the outset. Looking around, then down, she indeed spotted the familiar body that she had just sculpted. Smaller than her real self - something she always wanted to experience whenever possible. To feel like a cute doll. This time, that was literal. Dressed in nothing more than the simple starter tunic, there wasn't much to cover some of her more obvious magia characteristics, especially the small device connected to her long, magenta-colored hair.

There was no mirror to check herself in, but she could feel her eyes being different as well. She could just... zoom in on things, as if there were two cameras in her eyesockets instead of fleshy peepers. Perhaps that was exactly the case, given her nature? It was all so amusing, she couldn't help but smile as she tried to find her way through the shrubbery. Unlike most games, it appeared that there was no direct guidance after she had spawned... that was a bit unpleasant. What exactly was she supposed to do? Where could she go? There didn't even appear to be any form of map chat as far as she could see. This was most troublesome indeed.

Still, perhaps she would run into someone, or even multiple people that could help her get oriented better if she kept on walking around for long enough?

 

[Siondhe]

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She'd been on her way back to Honeyhome when the star had fallen, signifying yet another induction into Terrasphere. For a few moments, Kyra had debated whether she detour on her route, or head over to investigate the newcomer. She'd remembered her first entry - far less enjoyable than she'd have liked. It could be terrifying, depending on the person.

She'd sighed, heavily, as she changed course. Heading into the woods, she'd pulled her scythe and twerked her ears before stepping into the forest's depths.

---

She'd found the newcomer standing in the forest area, apparently looking over herself. Kyra remembered her first few moments, taking it all in - the realism that the system provided. It could be overwhelming, if you'd never played virtual reality before. Or it could be natural. This person could be
a veteran player like yourself, and just checking to make sure everything was reacting properly.

"Hey there...welcome to Terrasphere. What do you think? Feels...real, right?"

She spoke up from a distance, scythe still in hand but a relaxed pose as she smiled at the other. Behind her, the fox's tail swayed gently, speaking to her relaxed nature.

"Everything feeling alright? Anything feeling...off, or unnatural? Sometimes it can take a moment to get used to, especially if you play a different race, or a different build..."

@MAI​

 

[MAI]

Rustling of the flora, then the sound of footsteps. MAI's gaze quickly snapped to the incoming beastfolk, looking her over and listening to her voice. The magia would offer a faint smile, her eyes adjusting again with many flickers and colors running across them as she scanned the other girl from head to toe. A weapon drawn at the ready in one hand was especially notable, though the new girl decided to believe that her first encounter would not be with someone who was already after her life.

"Yes. It very much does."

Her own voice almost surprised her. It was far more... soft, than she expected. Or perhaps it was far more human-like than she expected? There was a small hint of synthesis to it, but for the most part, unless someone was listening very closely, it was barely distinguishable from what anyone else would sound like.

"There are new sensations. But it all feels natural. Thank you for the welcome." Her eyes visibly trailed back to the scythe. "Are you wary of me?"

The idea almost seemed silly. In her beginner gear and no knowledge of anything, there was hardly anything the girl could do to anyone. The only other alternative was that the fox wanted to do something mean, but MAI still wanted to believe otherwise until she was most definitely proven wrong on that front.

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

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Kyra's ears twitched, and almost naturally a smile spread across her face. The scythe had drooped in her hand, still easy enough to pull up and ready should it be required, but certainly not held in any sort of dangerous or intimidating manner. She glanced about them, taking in the area with keen eyes even as her nose twitched. Nothing was nearby, or at least nothing of concern.

"No, not of you. Although, I guess I shouldn't say no outright. It pays to have some wariness in this game. It would be far more accurate, I think, to say that I'm cautious of new faces, in the sense that you can only trust someone so far until they prove themselves. Do I consider you a threat? No, but that's not to say that you couldn't be one."

She hoped that the girl would understand the difference. It was certainly a confusing ideology, if you weren't used to such environments. Still, it wasn't something that could be easily explained through words, Kyra believed it was simply something you experienced.

"I would say I'm far more wary of this area. Which I would caution we leave. We've already hung around far too long, and Terrasphere isn't exactly the most...welcoming, game. There's a small hamlet nearby, by the name of Honeyhome. A place where many newcomers venture to - either carefully on their own, or carefully with a guide. Depending on their luck. If you want, I can journey with you there, I was on my way when I saw your star."

She pointed upwards towards the sky, although there were no further stars falling at the moment.

"Or, if you'd prefer I can give you directions. I...wouldn't recommend going alone, but I also wouldn't want to pressure you into something you're not comfortable with. I can also give some tips on how to stay safe in the woods, and which directions not to go."

@MAI​

 

[MAI]

The information this other girl had divulged was most interesting to MAI. She hadn't exactly dived into this game with some grand idea of adventure. No, she merely wanted to know how TerraSphere looked and felt like. How a game that managed to get banned world-wide was like. To spark unanimous contempt in so many kinds of leaderships, all with their own ideologies, it was really quite fascinating. And from there, what were its players like? She was already witnessing it.

"So it is like that. How very interesting..."

She almost spoke more to herself than Kyra, looking up and at the clouds for a moment as few more thoughts came and went. It didn't take her long to look back down and fixated on the fox, however. With a nod, she took a small step forward, wondering if Kyra would still be so wary as to have a defensive reaction of some kind.

"Then I would like to take you up on that offer. I didn't think a game designed to be played by people would have such a hostile design, but I will believe you. I think you can call me Mai. How do I call you?"

The idea of being cute and calling the other girl 'Miss Fox' did occur, but the magia quickly shook it off. Sure, this was a game, but it was so realistic that she wouldn't be able to avoid some serious embarrasement if she went along with something like that.

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

220 / 220

100/100

Another twitch of the ears. The sound of something nearby, likely nothing more than a wild animal. Still...enough to cause Kyra's head to shift casually in the direction. She spoke, even while staring at the foliage around them, remembering what this game could be like.

"Kyra Vashtana...but you can call me Kyra. Some people call me the Healing Fox, but that's...well, that's netiher here nor there. I'm guessing you started like most, without a weapon? Do you have any specific prefence in weapons? Usually it categorises them in either slash, smash or...poke? As you can likely tell, I use slash based weapons."

She shifted the scythe, causing the chain attached to the haft to jingle in response.

"Alternatively...if you have any offensive magics, that would be beneficial as well. Just in case...hopefully you never have to use them, but it's best to be prepared."

She looked back at the girl, Mai, squinting slightly.

"Err...I guess I won't be much help with just starting, but there should be a...UI menu, that should allow you to do things like figure out your magical abilities, and everything. I've...never really used it. I play for the immersion, and so generally I do everything realistically - even so far as disabling the pain adapter..."

@MAI​

 

[MAI]

It was honestly a bit strange to see the other girl be so on edge. Wasn't this the starting zone? Could there really be something super dangerous as soon as a new player spawned in? That just didn't seem right. But if Kyra was nervous, then Mai wouldn't push it. Although she did end up chuckling when the fox described different types of weapons that players could use.

"I don't have a particular preference, no. Though I'm sure I'll figure out what feels best eventually. That said, you're pretty nervous about this place, right? Let's get out of here there, no point in sticking around."

The way Kyra had turned to the side as if she was trying to spot something in the shadows made it pretty obvious. So the magia would try to lead in the exact opposite direction until the fox would catch up and take the lead in few seconds. The bit about a UI menu sounded very useful as well, though Mai still had no idea how to actually access the menu. Perhaps Kyra would remember, or it would be figured out at random later. Either way, Mai kept smiling as the two would slowly make their way toward somewhere else.

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

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100/100

Kyra hadn't realised how much her nerves were showing. She'd been similar to the other girl, not so long ago. Unaware of the dangers of the world. Unaware of what this game could really be - although she was nowhere near as on edge as some of the players here, she was still careful. It pays to not let your guard down.

Aloud, she giggled slightly in response to the girl's words. Rushing to catch her, she bounded alongside the newcomer, her joyous behaviour back once they had begun to move again.

"Sorry...I guess that was a bit off putting. Definitely not the warm welcome you'd come to expect from a game, right? It's not that the world is...full of darkness and shadows and danger at every turn. It's actually...well, it can have nice places. Honeyhome is great. But...Terrasphere doesn't mess around, either. There's no safe zones. No where that you are truly away from danger. Even in the first place you land, if you've real bad luck, you can land in the middle of...like a goblin camp, and get swarmed within your first few seconds in the game. And you just so happened to land in a place in Eastern Brisshal where I came across a pack of wolves not long ago. I'm hoping I scared them off for a few days at least."

She bounced ahead a bit, spinning as she went. Her scythe had been slung upon her hip again, the chain rattling slightly as she went. Her nervousness was behind her now, and her normal happiness had returned.

"Sorry if I scared you...that wasn't my intent."

She'd managed to swerve them onto a main road, the one she had originally been following towards Honeyhome. She'd estimated they were about an hour out, maybe. Although she'd also estimated that she wouldn't need to leave the Eastern Brisshal area, originally...

@MAI​

 

[MAI]

Once on the main road, there was no longer any feeling like they needed to jog. Even if Kyra said that there were no safe zones, some areas were naturally more safe than others. Paths were made for people to travel, and where people often traveled, wild animals tended to avoid. So unless the healer fox raised any objections against it, Mai would slow down to a normal walk again.

"Scared me? Not at all. Thank you for your insights. And I suppose I should also thank you for driving those wolves away. That said... what you mentioned before, doesn't that just sound normal?"

The magia paused briefly and looked at Kyra to gauge her reaction. It was nice that the other girl appeared much more calm now, no longer looking like she was ready to tear apart anything that came too close. Mai then continued and elaborated on what she meant.

"All I've heard about this game is that it's supposed to by hyper-realistic, hence why it can kill people. You even mentioned removing a pain limiter before. isn't it the same as in real world, then? All it can take is an unlucky day and you will choke to death on your favorite dish. Or the bus you're taking gets into a serious accident. Maybe you won't look both ways when crossing the road and get run over by a car. But that doesn't mean people are always hyper-vigilant. Some level just has to be accepted when living, and then responded to if something actually does happen."

It felt like a fairly reasonable view on things to Mai, but maybe the other girl would see things different. Sure, Terrasphere was a game. There was never a chance in the real world that a person would randomly appear in a goblin camp and get slaughtered. But, in a way, it was not all that different from being randomly mugged on the street and stabbed in the process.

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

220 / 220

100/100

Her bounding came to a slow stop as the girl mentioned the realities between the two worlds. It was true, there were similarities between each. The one thing that Kyra had come to learn about, however, was that even thought Terrasphere allowed you to fight back, it didn't mean you were any safer.

"You're right...in a way. There are dangers here, dangers there. Things you can do here that you can't do in the real world - magic, for starters. In many ways, at first, Terrasphere seems safer because of things like magic. But..."

She ran her hand along the blade of her scythe, cutting open her palm and letting the blood flow out before summoning her Hemomancy. The blood stopped mid air, before spinning in a circle around her entire body, circling her like a weird ribbon of gore.

"...even though you can do things like this, this world will find a way to overpower you. To overcome your best plans, your best responses, your best...everything. Sure, a pack of goblins might not seem super dangerous - low level, even. If you compare it to other games. Except...here...here you need to remember that whatever you face, might be as smart, or smarter than you. That pack of goblins? They may be well-versed in setting up traps for us Starcalled, and then tearing them apart when they misjudge the situation."

@MAI​

 

[MAI]

Mai wasn't entirely sure if this girl understood the point the magia was trying to make. There were simply dangers no matter where a person would go and what they would do, both here and in the real world. It almost seemed like Kyra was a bit paranoid about the dangers that this world could bring. Yet she was still here, doing her own thing. It was most interesting and she wanted to ask the healer about it, but there was a small demonstration of magic first. Though not necessarily one that the newbie quite appreciated.

She would wince the smallest amount upon witnessing the blood and the self-inflicted wound, not observing it for too long, rather opting to focus on Kyra's expression instead. Appearing wholly serious, Mai would give her words the attention they deserved, then she followed them up with her own question.

"I understand your concerns. It almost sounds like you're trying to convince me to stop playing the game. So I'm a bit curious, why keep playing when you have such a view on this place? That Terrasphere will eventually break you, too."

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

220 / 220

100/100

Her skipping slowed, before faltering entirely. She kept walking, the swinging arms suddenly locked at her side, and her eyes facing forward. There was likely no way for the newcomer to know. At least, Kyra hadn't known before someone else had told her.

"Mmm...I can't convince you to play or not play either way. Can I recommend it...? I don't know. I could tell you the concerns around dying, the three lives, all of that. But then you'd ask why I'm still here - as you did. And the only response I can give is...because I like it here. I'm not worried about this game being my end. I can't imagine giving it up...but I'm aware of all the dangers, and I make that decision consciously."

She turned to look at the newcomer, her expression soft, but obviously questing the other for some sort of reaction. Atop her head, her ears continued to twitch as she seemed to ponder what to say.

"In the end...you need to decide for yourself if it's worth playing this game, or if you're better off not playing it. It won't matter what anyone else tells you, we all make our own decision. All I will say, is if you continue here - if you continue playing, focus on being safe. Focus on being safe in levels that you would never consider doing in the real world, because although you may have magic and weapons and skills...this world won't be nice to you. You give it one single chance, and it will tear you apart, piece by piece."

Her eyes had gone hard, and the smile was gone from her face. In its place was a seriousness that was uncommon for the woman. She eyed the newcomer, not wanting to scare them, but knowing the dangers of not warning them.

@MAI​

 

[MAI]

The magia patiently listened as she walked alongside the fox girl, taking it all in. But once Kyra was done, at least briefly, Mai would flash a warm and friendly smile. Asking "why" was her biggest reason as to why she was here, far too intrigued by people who played the game. As such, it was most interesting for Kyra to directly talk about her reasons. It made sense in a way. A game as immersive as this, it might have as well been real life. But unlike in real life, where one was often shackled by circumstances, this place allowed a person to start however they wanted. Be whoever they wanted, just like she herself chose to be a mechanical shorty with long purple hair.

"I see. Thank you for telling me. And I already know that dying here makes a person die in the real world as well. It's the main reason why this game was banned after all. There was nothing else on our local news for a while after it happened."

Governments all around the world might have been doing their best to shut anything and everything regarding Terrasphere down, as if it never even existed. But there was no organization in the world powerful enough to shut down even small-time radios in a backwater village in a backwater country that the girl lived in. Thus, she was here also fully aware of these risks and willing to take them. She stopped along with Kyra and leaned in slightly, her smile unwawering.

"Got it. I appreciate the warning. I will try to be safe from fox girls pointing their scythes at me in the future, too!"

She joked a bit at the end, but meant the earlier part. She knew how to stay safe, at least for the most part. She was already overly cautious in the real world, so diving into this game might have just been the most risky thing she had ever really done.

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

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100/100

A soft chuckle escaped Kyra's lips at the jest, knowing full well that it was stated in good faith. She found herself bouncing again as she continued walking, her good humour having returned once again.

"You already...huh. A lot of people get into this game without knowing the danger of the in-game death system. So, I guess that gives you a step up on a lot of players. I had no idea when I first started. Not that it has changed my engagement in the game itself, just...maybe a little bit different in how I handle certain situations..."

She could see Honeyhome in the distance, a few of the taller buildings seeming to peak over the crest of the road. Kyra felt herself relax ever so slightly as she spotted it - her ears still twitching as they seemed to take in all the sounds around them.

"Terrasphere is...amazing in many ways, so long as you realise that it's not meant to bend to you in any way whatsoever. It gives you new opportunities, but at the same time will throw things at you that you may never be prepared for..."

She shrugged, suddenly. Before glancing over at the other newcomer.

"In the end, I think the best advice I can give is just not to treat this just like a game...it's something more than that, in so many ways."

@MAI​

 

[MAI]

A lot of people didn't know? So they would simply dive into a game that was banned worldwide without even knowing why it was in such a state. Well, as much as the girl wanted to have faith in humanity, that just kinda made sense. The entire world was overflowing with idiots that would be long death if society wasn't doing its very best to keep them all alive. But it was probably for the best that she didn't voice such an opinion out loud, considering that Kyra apparently also started out not knowing. It just seemed to risky, to the point of appearing a bit silly.

"I understand, it's that kind of a game. [DARK SOULS] of MMOs. Well, every game can be like that. Even if the content is easy, it will still kill your character if you decide to go and prepare some tea or food without pausing or going somewhere safe."

It was a rather simple logic, but it was true. The big difference was that in those games, the consequences were far less dire than in here. But thanks to the full-dive technology, it also became harder for people to just 'idle' around when something was about to attack them. But then again, it would also give some a god-complex, making them feel invincible. Perhaps that was what the healer talked about before in regards to magic.

"I appreciate your feelings, but I don't think you have to be too worried about me. I am a careful person. I also didn't come here to play a here and jump head-first into danger."

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

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100/100

A soft smile as she nodded at the other girl. There was only so much warning one could give before it just became nagging, and Kyra knew it wouldn't do any good to over warn someone either. Deciding to leave the topic alone for the moment at least, she instead turned the conversation onto something more interesting.

"So...seeing as you're here to stay, what is it you're hoping to get out of Terrasphere? Do you have goals in mind? Plans? Builds that you've considered testing out? Perhaps some sort of trouble you're looking to get involved in?"

She shrugged as she realised the irony of the last question, quickly adding on a half-hearted explanation.

"Although you may want to avoid trouble in the beginning, it'll find you eventually. Best to know what sort of trouble you're willing to deal with - especially if you upset the wrong Landers...or worse, Starcalled...that can get bad quickly, if you're not careful."

Honeyhome wasn't far now, only another ten or fifteen minutes at the absolute most. She could feel herself relaxing more with each step, knowing that relative safety was nearby.

@MAI​

 

[MAI]

The Magia tilted her head to the side a bit at the question. How exactly could she answer a question like that? Well, honesty was usually the best way to go. Although there was a distinct possibility that Kyra would not be all too fond of the reason given, especially after all those warnings that were given.

"I was just curious how a banned game was like. And what people playing it were like, despite knowing that death was a possibility."

Curiosity was always such a great motivator, be it for good or for bad. Though there was a probably safer way to satiate such a kind of curiosity that didn't place the girl in danger by diving into the game herself. But then again, she hoped to see the appeal for herself by trying it out, not just hearing about it from someone else. Kyra was already proving herself to be a valuable source of various new insights, too.

"And I have no interest in upsetting any of the locals, or other players. MMOs are mostly about collaboration, after all."

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

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She...wanted to figure out why the game was banned, but already knew about the fact that you could die in game, and in real life? Kyra came to a complete stop as she tried to figure out what else there was to see in such a game.

"You...I don't understand...you came into the game, to see why it was banned...but you already know about the fact that it kills you? What else is there to see?"

Her expression was a mixture of confusion, and curiosity. Her ears twitched back and forth as she pondered the situation, trying to make sense of what the other girl was saying - and not saying.

"I mean...the world is absolutely beautiful, and there's some really nice people to see in the world. Landers, Starcalled...and yeah, it's an MMO of sorts, but...it's not the same as anything else you've ever played. Or not played. It's just different. You'll see when we get to Honehome."

She waved a hand towards the town in the distance, gesturing towards their destination.

"Try and spot the difference when we get there. More importantly...try and point out the Landers and the Starcalled."

@MAI​

 

[MAI]

Naturally, Mai stopped alongside Kyra. What exactly did the healer fox want to know? Her words didn't make much sense since the magia clearly presented her motivation for being here. Unless she misunderstood what was said? Even that was possible. It was that moment as the girl recalled her social skills outside of games were... poor, at times. Clearly, that reflected itself here as well. Leaning in a bit, she clarified.

"I know why it was banned. I simply want to know what the game is like, not what's it like. How does it charm people, make sure they stay despite the risks? The atmosphere, the immersion, I want to witness exactly what draws people in and keeps them playing even after they came into intimate contact with the reaper."

She paused for a moment, hoping that the way she spoke about it all made a bit more sense. Obviously, she already knew what was 'wrong' with the game and what made it be banned worldwide. But if that were all the game did, then no one would be playing it. Sure, there might have been reasons like 'being beautiful' as Kyra just said, but no one would put their life in danger for the sake of looking at something pretty.

"I wish to know what makes people come back. What makes them into hypocrites that will try to convince others to stop playing 'for their own good' while they keep on being in this world themselves."

That was more or less it. Mai would also briefly stick her tongue out with a smile.

"You don't know what I've been playing. Other high-end games have been catching up to this one in terms of realism, you know~"

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

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The words sounded similar to someone else she had known once. Not long ago, but long enough to be just a memory. Kyra held no judgement, everyone came to this game for a purpose. Everyone's purpose was different, even if there were similarities. Those who stayed, stayed for specific reasons that others may not share, that was simply life.

"That's a fair reason...I won't lie, when I first started, when I learnt the true dangers, I wondered for a while myself. Why did people keep coming back, if they knew how dangerous it was? Was it because we're drawn to danger? Drawn to things that can hurt us?"

She gave a shrug to accent her own doubts. She'd studied the question, the concept for a long time. She'd never found an answer, not a complete one. Everyone was different, after all.

"I think...you're going to find that everyone has a different reason for being here. For some of us, it's the realism. For others, it's the connections they've made here. And for the final few, well...those vary in so many ways that I couldn't even begin to make speculations at their purposes. I've tried, trust me."

She smiled over at the newcomer again, before adding on to her statement.

"And yeah...there's new games that are up-and-coming. I've kept my eyes on them, tested some of them out...none compare to this. None come close to this. For so many reasons, but you'll have to figure those reasons out for yourself. Just like we all did."

She gave a wave towards the now-visible hamlet ahead of them, nodding in the direction they'd been heading.

"Welcome to the outskirts of Honeyhome...whatever you do, don't mention to Marneeta how her skin looks."

@MAI​