Open Eastern Brisshal In Parallel

[Erick Stryker]

His world was black.

Or was it white?

He experienced a range of colors that beggared all things previous. He had seen them before, but he had never stopped to consider them as a spectrum. As the world around him was written into existence by strings of unseen, unknowable code, Jimmy froze. His own flesh in the moment of transfer was rent from bone and sinew, and he was transcribed into data; but he felt no discomfort. Ambient sound filtered through his HUD and the gentle background music pulled him away from the comfort of his home. This was a different place than he knew. He was in his room- or his body was, at least. His mind was somewhere worlds away.

His fingers moved reflexively, in the same way an infant struggled to comprehend motor functions for the first time. The confusion written on his face quickly evaporated into awe. While the explanation of VR was simple enough, putting it into practice was another thing entirely. Jimmy had never been a gamer. He avoided things like games, which detracted from his studies or the time he could spend with friends. Jimmy had done those things, but Erick didn't have to.

In this world, he wasn't a failure.

Erick was similar, yet not the same. He could have been anything, and for a few hours he had considered it, but human was what he knew. To learn the subtleties of another race would have been far too great of a setback. He wanted every advantage. He wanted to thrive, and to be successful. His first steps surprised him, because they felt no different from what he knew. Erick decided to walk, and so, his legs moved. He felt the sunlight that filtered through treetops and the humidity of the air carried on the breeze. It felt cleaner than the dank, dirty, dustiness of his dark room. "This is unreal."

He heard his own voice come through the avatar, but it was completely foreign to him. The game had allowed him to decide on how he wanted to sound, either his own voice or some variation of presets, but when he heard it, he blinked. "Really unreal," he muttered, and for a moment he stood in a daze. Erick looked over his body and at the various commands listed across his HUD. The inventory menu, the character menu, his vitals... this was the perfect opportunity to familiarize himself, before anything crazy happened. His clothing looked unassuming, whereas his expectation was fantastic armor or voluminous robes. When he thought about "roleplaying games," Dungeons and Dragons came to mind. This felt different from that, somehow- or at least, different from what little understanding he had of that.

The menu flickered open immediately as he touched the air in a predictable pattern. His skills now visible, he tried to wrap his mind around what he had chosen. "This is... a lot," he murmured aloud as he struggled to process an overabundance of information in a short span of time. "Am I going to be able to handle something like this?"

Doubt settled onto his shoulders and jeered him. His brow furrowed and he closed his eyes. "Settle down," he told himself. "One step at a time..."

Most players might have begun their adventure within minutes of their login, but Erick was not most players.

"Terrasphere for Dummies" was now in session.

 

[Ash Vargold]

Four years since Ash had been in Eastern Brisshal, and yet the sights and sounds and smells of the place still plucked a sense of familiarity from his memories. Those first few hours stumbling through the world, adapting to a body so unlike hers felt as fresh now as they must have been back then. Back then, Terrasphere had seemed like a miracle - a world where he didn't have to worry about the baggage of the real world.

That was before he knew the truth. Ash certainly knew better now. But he also knew that wouldn't stop people from being drawn into Terrasphere.

He kept his senses sharp as he traveled along the path. A falling star had streaked in this direction, the tell-tale sign of a new traveler entering the world. There was a sense of urgency to his pace, one that followed the stuttering beat of his heart. Eastern Brisshal might be the 'newbie' area, but that didn't mean it was safe, especially for someone with no weapons or understanding of the world's rules. It was why Ash was here in the first place - to make sure any newcomers to Terrasphere didn't stumble into a bandit camp or get caught off guard by a wandering wolf pack.

He'd fought some of those wolves already. They were way meaner than he remembered them being.

Something pricked at the back of his mind and gave him pause. It took a moment to catch up with his senses - there was a voice in the distance, one that was too faint for him to make out the words. He couldn't help but feel a thrill of relief as he picked up his pace. He made no attempt at stealth - the last thing he wanted was to pull a jump-scare on some new player. In fact...

"Yo!" he called, shortly before he came into sight. The player before him was definitely new, and seemed rather out of it to boot. It was probably a good thing Ash had found him first, then... He stopped once he was in sight, trying his hardest not to look intimidating. "You doing alright over there?"

@Erick Styker

 

[Erick Stryker]

"H-huh?" Deep in the midst of righting himself, Erick could not help but to be taken off guard. He whirled around quickly to face the newcomer and felt his head spinning. The presence of the HUD was still foreign to him, so his peripherals fought to adjust to sensory overload. While struggling with the dull ache at the back of his thoughts, the blue haired man caught sight of the voice's owner.

It was a fair question. If he looked as disoriented as he felt, it must have been pathetic to behold. With a sheepish smile, he managed a reply. "That bad?" he asked. "I guess its obvious I'm not used to, uh, this kind of thing." Erick hardly knew the appropriate conduct for roleplaying and staying "in character," but he knew it was taboo to talk about real life in these settings. Chat rooms were like that too, and he had used those before. Never volunteer or ask for information except upon explicit request. Privacy was important.

It was only after he composed himself that Erick realized- this man had... ears like a... dog? Or was it a cat? A fox? Some kind of animal, at any rate. He did not want to offend the other person, though he felt his gaze linger several heartbeats longer than it should have. While he knew there were beastmen and other magical races in this world, he hardly thought he would meet one of them so quickly upon entering.

Chalk that one up to a learning experience. Forget whatever I expected.

"I'm just trying to get my bearings," he explained as he fumbled through the menu and looked at the map screen. "I don't know how things work, and I thought I'd use this time to get situated. Slowly, obviously."

His voice betrayed no hint of his embarrassment, though the rosy heat of his cheeks was all too eager to sell him out. Still, Erick took a deep breath and stifled his need to blurt out his thoughts and feelings in a mad dash to put the situation to rest. Anxious word vomiting wouldn't serve him here.

He cleared his throat.

"My name's Erick," he introduced himself, "thanks for checking on me, mister...?"

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

"A bit, yeah." Ash drew closer now that his presence was established as non-threatening. "Then again, I'd be surprised if anyone was used to this kind of thing. It's not like there are any other games like this out there, right?" He doesn't bother roleplaying - maybe four years ago he might have danced around the subject of the real world, but that time was long since passed. The realities of Terrasphere were too serious for that, now.

"Ash," he responded, idly noting how Erick's gaze lingered on his head before it jumped to his menu. He didn't take any offense to it - even he would stare when he caught himself in a mirror. "I've been trying to make a habit of checking in on new people dropping in. Looks like I caught you pretty early, huh?"

He kept his attention on the area around them as he spoke. It was still calm, but that could change at any moment. "I hope you don't mind if I stick around while you get your bearings? Eastern Brisshal may be the so-called 'newbie' zone, but it's still pretty dangerous if you aren't prepared."

He paused, and his attention shifted to Erick's starter equipment. "And well... no offense, but considering they drop you in here without even a proper stick to hit things with, you're probably as unprepared as they get right now." He smiled weakly.

@Erick Styker

 

[Erick Stryker]

Well, that was a relief. Someone who didn't stand on ceremony right from the start. He could be at ease as he settled into things. Though at the notion that there were no other games like this one, he hesitated. What could that mean? Had he walked into something hardcore without warning? Instead of questioning it, though, he managed to smile. "Yeah, I literally just got here," he replied as he scratched at the back of his head nervously. "I honestly appreciate the gesture, I'm not all that scared, but being alone in a new and unknown place does get a guy a little nervous, I'll admit."

It was fortuitous that someone wanted to help new players, but at the same time, he couldn't help but wonder if there were some kind of string attached. What motivated the man to show that kind of compassion? Had he seen something horrible, or was there something to be gained from recruiting others? Games like this had drives for bringing in new blood, he'd heard of that before.

When he noted that Erick was woefully under-armed, the fresh player let out a snort. "...yeah, I didn't think they'd throw people directly into dangerous situations without arms and armor," he shrugged, "shows what I know." It seemed a bit disingenuous in terms of design to throw people to the proverbial wolves so soon after they started, but then, he'd heard of games like Dark Souls that were especially unforgiving. Maybe he had a better idea of the setting he had signed up for now?

Or maybe he was just scratching the surface.

"So, uh," he fidgeted nervously, "how many people end up dead right off the bat, would you say?"

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

Ash crosses his arms, thoughtful. "...to be honest, I don't actually know that. When I first played four years ago, I didn't think to pay attention to that. Too busy worrying about grinding levels and the like, y'know?" His expression darkens. "But probably a number greater than zero, which is... not good, here in Terrasphere."

He looks up at Erick. Being around someone is calming, but not even the regular pattern of his heartbeat is enough to keep him from worrying about this guy. He doesn't want to just dump everything on him in one go, not when he's getting used to things, but he doesn't want to leave him clueless, either.

Decisions, decisions. He probably should have planned this out a little more before rushing into the forest, huh?

"There's a village near here where you can get supplies." He opened his palm menu to switch into Investigation Mode. By himself, it was a little distracting, but the extra information would be essential for what was essentially an escort mission. "It's a safer place to talk about what you're getting into, too."

Hopefully that wasn't too ominous. He opened up his inventory. "I've got some old equipment I can give you, just so you aren't defenseless... what Masteries did you start with?"

@Erick Styker

 

[Erick Stryker]

There was obvious discomfort in the way that the other man spoke, and that did nothing to calm Erick's own nerves. "Four years ago?" he asked, confused. He was only a teen then, and didn't move in any circles that talked about gaming. Why would the game have been around four years ago, but he was only just now hearing about it? More importantly, the way he talked about people dying and how it wasn't a good thing in the game seemed... disconcerting.

"That's really helpful, thank you," he said with a much more genuine smile as the beastman pointed him in the direction of a village where he could stock up on necessities and be relatively safe at the same time. If it was more safe than where they were in this glade, Erick could not complain. He spared a moment to take in the beauty of nature, the way it seemed too good to be true compared to where he had grown up in Middle America, and glanced back to Ash. "It's almost a shame to think this place is dangerous," he admitted. "But I guess some of the most devious things are the most disarming."

When the other player asked about his masteries, he paused and thought about it. When he was looking over them, he thought about the things that most interested him. He could have gone with something that overlapped his former interests- he read something about harmonic magic allowing him to use his voice to affect others, but it hit too close to home. No, in this world, he wanted to try something new.

He wanted an entirely different experience.

"Uh, lets see... I picked up Astramancy," he counted on one finger, then a second, "Chronomancy, and Aura." With three fingers upright, he then curled them into a fist and gave the other man a thumbs up. "I sort of read up on them and they sounded great, but I don't honestly know what any of that means, if we're being completely honest."

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

"Ah, magic? I think I've got a focus in here..." Ash had considered clearing out his cluttered inventory while he was waiting on the caravan, but in the end he'd kept it for exactly this sort of situation. "Ah, there we go!"

With a tap the focus materialized in his hand. It was more of a stick than a wand, with a cracked glass gem set on the top, but it was still workable. Ash offered it to Erick, and then continued once it was taken.

"Yeah. This isn't the first time Terrasphere's shown its face - I think it'd been running a few years before I joined." He poked around his menu a little longer, taking note of the options. "But then the VRSA shut it down, and then did something that scrubbed the internet of any evidence it existed. I'm kind of surprised you found things to read up on, but if the game was able to come back, I suppose anything can."

"I can't say I know much more about those, but there's a skills section in your palm menu that should have some basic spells you can use." He closes his menu, and looks back at Erick. "...probably ought to make sure the Auto-Assist and Pain Limiter's enabled too."

@Erick Styker

 

[Erick Stryker]

"They must not be very thorough," he said of the VRSA, though Jimmy was admittedly very out of the loop when it came to current events, government affairs, or politics in general. Most of the world passed him by for the last two or three years, and he made no real effort to get caught up. Everything he heard about the state of the world made him less eager to rejoin the rat race.

What did concern him was that a government agency not only took the time to hunt down and scrub a game from the internet entirely, which crossed international lines and certainly ruffled more than a few feathers in the process. He didn't know much, but he knew that was no small feat. So... how did he end up with an Email that completely explained the game client down to the point where an airhead like him could log in and start playing the same day?

He fiddled with the focus that the other man handed to him and felt a quiet resonance, almost like a voice he couldn't quite hear before as it ceased to be muffled. The presence was always there, but it felt faint. Now he was acutely aware of it. This- this was his magic?

Erick took a moment to look over the spells that were listed in the menu Ash prompted him to review, then stowed the focus and moved to check on the other things that the man mentioned. "Auto-assist?" he repeated absently, and then, "pain limiter? You mean the game can artifically simulate the sensation of pain, neurally? Why would anyone in their right mind program something like that?" he asked, somewhat alarmed.

If someone was sadistic enough to create a system capable of such a thing, what the heck else would they manifest? Nothing good, he imagined. "I think I'm ready," he added, "let's make for the village."

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

"It's not the first game to try it, actually." Ash started walking, beckoning for Erick to follow as he did. "There was a game maybe... what, 8 years ago? Called Metaventure, that did the same thing. It lasted about a month before some kids glitched themselves into a wall, and a series of bad decisions on the dev's part meant they were stuck getting killed for a day."

Aisling had followed that story closely. As a person interested in the concept of VR gaming, but too poor to actually afford the tech needed to play, she had dreamed of one day playing it. Only for the whole thing to be ruined by some developers not putting in something like an unstuck feature. Or set respawn points, like pretty much every other MMO she'd played.

"VRSA came into existence pretty quickly afterwards and shut down on that sort of thing. Basically killed VR in the cradle. But apparently that didn't stop whoever made Terrasphere-"

Ash stopped suddenly, eyes narrowing. He'd nearly forgotten Investigation mode, but now it had begun highlighting things. Fresh tracks on the ground, broken branches and scrubs, a trail of blood leading off into the distance that still smelled bright and coppery.

"...hold on. I think we've got some wolves around here." He looked to Erick, and tilted his head questioningly. "We can probably walk around it just fine. Or, if you wanted to, we could try to get the jump on them so you could practice your skills a bit. Whatever you end up doing after we get to the village, it's probably good to be able to defend yourself." He thumps his chest with his fist. "I can tank and heal, so you can just focus on figuring things out. Your choice, though."

@Erick Styker

 

[Erick Stryker]

He got excited and anxious in equal measure as the other man began to explain the history of VR, and the formation of a government agency that sought to virtually eradicate it. This game was like a black market, then. It was something that he should never talk about openly when he wasn't logged in. That was good to know, though it made him feel like he was doing something he shouldn't be. Mentally, he made a note to research the VRSA a bit more, and to perhaps look a bit deeper into the Terrasphere situation.

It was a little late now to decide to stop playing. The rabbithole had already swallowed him up. "So-"

He started to speak, but Ash suddenly stopped, and the other player started to look around. While he was not using the same mode and remained unaware of the blood scent or any of the many telltale signs of a recent wolf incursion, Erick knew better than to ignore a warning. When the Beastman said that there were wolves, he had to assume that there were wolves.

"I honestly don't know what 'tank' means," he blinked, "but 'heal' sounds pretty straightforward." He figured from the context clues that they had something to do with combat, but if it meant making the other man do all the work and putting himself in harm's way for Erick's benefit, Erick was a bit reticent. "That said, I will have to figure it out eventually... so, I wouldn't mind trying it out, as long as you feel comfortable with it."

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

120 / 165

Ash nodded. There was a part of him that hoped that Erick would want to walk around the pack - but if he joined this assuming it was a game, then it made sense he would want to play the game.

"It means I'll try to keep things focused on me, so you don't take as many hits." He drew his sword and pulled out his focus. The sword was normal, a steel blade that looked well made. The focus, on the other hand, appeared to be some kind of jagged black stone engraved with eyes. It floated next to him. "I'll go ahead, and you follow behind me. If we're lucky, it's small fry."

He walked forward, following the trail of blood. No need for stealth here - he wanted whatever was at the other end of the trail to pay attention to him. He soon stepped out into a clearing, and the source of the trail made itself clear. The smell of blood filled the air, wafting from a half-eaten deer surrounded by a quartet of wolves. As Ash stepped forward, the wolves looked up, snarling angrily.

Rolls

Encountered Wolf Pack! (x4)

❰ 4 / 4 ❱

DC: 25 | DMG: 15

"Right, let's do this." He took a breath and regretted it instantly as the smell of the wolves flooded his nostrils. He fought past the disorientation and lunged, blade sweeping wide as it slashed through one of the wolves. It yelped and snapped at him, digging its teeth into his arm before he finished it off with a stab.

"Spirit, be my shield!" Ash incanted, and the focus floating around him flared to life. The runes glowed red as energy rose from the wolf and swirled around Erick like a cold mist. "That'll protect you, so don't worry too much about taking hits!"

Rolls

Protect
1d100 (54) + 10 + 10 = 74
74 damage
Give 1 ally in your zone the Protected status - Protecting @Erick Styker
Guard Arts | Ash Vargold | 434c1

Wolf Pack

❰ 3 / 4 ❱

DC: 25 | DMG: 15

Play Sheet

Spoiler: Enemy Code

[action][b]Wolf Pack[/b]
[enemyhp=3]4[/enemyhp]
[b]DC: 25 | DMG: 15[/b][/action]

 

[Erick Stryker]

98 / 115

​

He watched breathlessly as the other man marched headlong into danger. There were people who were more prepared for challenges like that, he supposed, and as Ash explained what it meant to 'tank,' Erick immediately understood. This was the type of player who chose to protect others, even at a risk to their own well-being. It was inspiring to see firsthand, because in the real world, these type of people were lauded as heroes.

In this game, anyone could do it if they picked the skills. It made the sight no less intense. The wolves were as horrible as anyone might imagine in the real world, with blood trickling from their canines and intermingling with saliva as they turned their ravenous gazes on the two men. If he had happened upon them back home, without the possibility of magic or anyone to protect him, he would have soiled himself. It was the promise of protection that robbed him of that fear.

A fear that anyone in their right mind should have clung to.

"Right!" Erick snapped to attention the moment Ash told him not to worry, and he wasn't about to disappoint. Not after that display of bravery. No- it was his turn to do something awe-inspiring. He had magic, didn't he?

His fingers curled as he took hold of the immaterial, unseen aether around them and molded it to his whim. The system assistance that Ash spoke of took immediate effect as he designated the magic he wanted to use, and he started to shape it as it were second nature. It wasn't the visibly gratifying sort of magic that he saw in the movies or other games- instead, the world felt subtly different as the laws of physics changed around him and then the wolves in turn. Their bodies rejected the intensity at first as they fought to remain upright.

When the world itself began to exert greater force on them, two of the wolves struggled, their knees buckled, and they fell in a slump. The last of them managed to wrest itself free of Erick's control before the worst could happen- but it howled in anguish as its pack mates were crushed beneath the extreme gravity that tore their bones and flesh asunder. Hides cracks and snapping broke forth from their mangled forms as they died, pathetic whimpering and whining the last sounds they would ever make.

"I uh..." his voice softened as his breath caught in his throat. "...that was not what I expected," he whispered. His eyes moved to Ash as if he were looking for approval. Was this alright? Was it... normal?

Rolls

Steady Attack
6d20 exploding (6 + 19 + 20 + 18 + 6 + 10 + 2) + 5 + 0 = 86
86 damage
Astramancy | Erick Styker | 434


Wolf Pack

❰ 1 / 4 ❱

DC: 25 | DMG: 15

​

Play Sheet
@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

105 / 165

Ash couldn't help but gawk as Erick worked his magic and the wolves crumple. It was as if some invisible hand had reached out and crushed them like a paper ball, something Terrasphere simulated all too well. It was horrifying sight to see, yet for better or worse, his heart maintains its regular tempo. His shock here is purely mental.

"Well, can't say that isn't effective-" he started, only to be cut off by the sudden movement of the last wolf. Its teeth latched firmly onto his sword arm, forcing him to drop the weapon. The pain was dull, but it was making it hard to control his body...

"Let... go!" he hissed before making a gesture with his free hand. Wisps of energy flickered into sight around him, circling the wolf's head in the shape of hands. The hands grabbed both sides of it's maw and pulled, prying the wolf's mouth open wide... and then a little too wide.

A few painful snaps filled the air as the wolf dropped to the ground, whining pitifully through a broken jaw. Ash picks up his sword with his off hand, and finishes it off with a sword through the skull.

Rolls

Normal Attack
1d100 (2) + 15 + 10 = 27
27 damage
Spirit Magic | Ash Vargold | 434c2

Wolf Pack (DEAD)

❰ 0 / 4 ❱

DC: 25 | DMG: 15

"Well, that caught me off guard," he said, perhaps sounding a little too calm. "The pain limiter has pros and cons, but... I'll take the pros over the cons any day." He shook the sword a few times to scatter most of the blood, wiped the rest off on the wolf's fur, then sheathed it. "You okay over there, Erick? How'd your first fight feel?"

@Erick Styker

 

[Erick Stryker]

He still struggled to process what had unfolded.

The grotesque nature of the wolves hunting and feeding in their natural environment rattled him, but the sheer brutality of his own magic- effective though it was- dwarfed them in abject horror. He chose Astramancy for the beauty and mystery of space, but the power to manipulate gravity and to crush a living being with the laws of Physics themselves proved they were not merely something to gawk at. He felt the lump in his throat begin to dissolve as the final wolf fell, then promptly slumped to his knees.

Were games supposed to be like this? Was it supposed to look, to feel, to be this real? His heart was racing and his face was white, but the world around him continued on as though nothing had happened. He killed two wolves. He had.

You okay over there, Erick?

He had no idea how to respond. Physically he felt fine, but mentally, he was more afraid of himself now than he had ever been. No one should have the ability to control that kind of power. In this world, though, everyone did. When everyone is godlike, no one is.

Is that even a reasonable justification?

With another breathe to shake off the jitters, he closed his eyes and found his answer. "I think I understand things a little better, now," he answered honestly. He thought this was a game like any other kind of game, but with just a thought, he was able to conjure unbelievable power and manipulate it on a whim. That was just a drop in the ocean of what something on such a scale was capable of.

"So, yeah... thanks for being around when I popped in. I'm real glad I didn't have to face that alone."

Erick didn't even want to think about what death would be like in the game. Especially if he hadn't learned about the pain limiters, or even the most basic auto-assist functions. Spirit pains of being mauled by a pack of hungry beasts made his skin crawl.

"But dude- you were awesome! You went right up to those wolves and fought them to keep me safe. I would never have been able to do that."

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

Ash blinks, caught off guard by the compliment. He rubs the back of his neck and attempts to look unaffected, but...

...well, that tail's wagging whether he wants it to or not.

"Well, it's easier when you've got experience. And in my case, when there's someone else to fight with." He makes a motion over his arm, and cold energy wisps around the wounds. They gradually begin to close, and he flexes his right arm to make sure it's working. "Here, let me heal you up as well..."

He walks up to Erick to start administering healing spells. After a moment of hesitation, he starts talking. "...to be honest, even if it's just wolves, it scares the shit out of me. I had my first death four years ago. I decided to join in on fighting a world boss. I didn't make it out of that one alive."

Eventually, Ash finishes healing Erick's wounds. He steps back, and considers. He'd been hoping to hold off on the important thing until they reached Honeyhome, but... maybe that's not the right thing to do here. Not now that Erick's seen just what Terrasphere can offer. "...right. So there's an elephant in the room I'd been hoping to dodge until we got to Honeyhome, but... thinking about it, that's not fair to you." He motions for Erick to follow him, taking them away from the stinking remains of the wolves.

"A game getting scrubbed from the internet like that seems pretty extreme, right? Even one like this that'd dodging the rules about sensation and the like. The thing is... they had a damn good reason for it."

Memories from four years ago surface of darkness, and acidity, and the shouting of combat. "During that world boss, a lot of players died. And for a decent chunk of them, it wasn't their first one, either. Dying's already pretty bad - you get some after-effects when you respawn. But..."

The breath he takes isn't needed to calm his nerves, but it's automatic nonetheless. "...well, after the third one, for some fucking reason..." The sudden venom in his voice comes from nowhere. "...after you die a third time in Terrasphere, you're stuck. No menus, no auto-features, no logging out. They call it being UI-locked."

Ash crosses his arms. Rip off the bandage. "...the reason they scrubbed Terrasphere from the internet was because after that world boss... well. What else can you do, when suddenly you've got a bunch of dead kids wearing VR headsets?"

@Erick Styker

 

[Erick Stryker]

While the man spoke about his experience four years ago, Erick marveled over the quickness with which his wounds were healed. Erased, practically, woven back together as if his spirit had surged from within and willed him whole once more. He hadn't incited the rage of the wolves in the way that his protector had, but all of the howls, the whimpering, and the psychic feedback of watching a horrific death had exacted a toll on his health pool. Shock was very real in this world, and it translated into damage when it became too much to bear. He just learned that firsthand.

"Yeah, things like this don't just disappear without a trace for no good reason-" he began to agree, but the story continued and the words that came from Ash stopped him short. Dying once, twice... three times, meant that a person couldn't log out? Like, ever?

Erick blinked.

Someone could survive for years in the game and die sparingly, but the moment that they hit their third death, they would be trapped forever as data? That- no, no, that made no sense. His mind reeled as he stammered in protest, but nothing rational formed. "...actually dead?" he rasped quietly.

"Like, people died?" he refused to believe that. "How would something like that come back? Why would people- I mean... wouldn't they want people to know?" It seemed insidious for a government agency to cover something up instead of spreading the word to prevent as many people from logging in and joining as possible.

But knowing what he knew, and that he was already here, he felt powerless. Erick had never been given a choice. It was presented to him as an alternative to the life that he lost. Part of him selfishly thought that three lives was more chances than he had been given. The part of him that tried to rationalize the situation he was in began to lose to the bitterness.

He had just been given this world. This was supposed to be a blessing. Why was everything going so wrong?

No.

There was no way this was real. It had to be a veteran player messing with his head. This was a snipe hunting scenario, where he got led into the forest and left to hunt a mythical creature- only the creature was imminent death, and his irrational fear of it. And at some point down the line, he would find Ash again, and they would laugh about it, and they would pull the same prank on some other unsuspecting newbie.

That had to be it. He took a breath, shook his head, and exhaled sharply. "...thanks for letting me know," he said quietly, not wanting to let the man know he was on to him. No, he didn't want to argue with him, and he didn't want to go through the mental gymnastics of actually believing this farce. It was better just to play along.

He was at a loss.

"This is not what I expected at all," he managed to mutter. Erick had no idea what to think.

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

Ash nods. Whether Erick believes him or not, whether it sinks in... he can't control that. He can only hope that it plants a seed, keeps him from being too reckless with the lives he has.

"It was... very short-sighted, yes. But then again, when had the government been known for its well-reasoned choices?" Ash shrugs with a helpless smile, trying to lighten the mood a little. "Short of going full conspiracy theorist, of course."

Investigation mode pings a few more signs of nearby life, but Ash doesn't call them out. The marker for Honeyhome is more important, and they're getting close. A turn takes them onto a well-trodden path.

"...if I were smart, I'd log out and never log back in," Ash muses, more to himself than Erick. "But... well, with all the newbies logging in, I thought that maybe I could at least do something useful. Make sure people know what they're getting into."

Now that they're on the path, Ash deactivates Investigation mode. The reduction in UI pings is a relief. "After all, we could put a big billboard up that says 'this game can kill you!' in every town and it wouldn't stop people."

There's a sign now, one with the town name scrawled on it pointing down the path. "After all, there's no game like Terrasphere out there. For some people, it's worth the risk."

@Erick Styker

 

[Erick Stryker]

It unnerved Erick that Ash was so committed to the story. The man genuinely seemed like a kind person and he gave the newcomer no reason to think that he would lie or mislead him about something so serious, and yet, this world was so beautiful. Everything about it felt so good. Almost too good. His smile cracked only slightly as he considered the possibility.

What if he's not lying?

In the event it was true, what then? People had died. The government had covered it up. It would hardly be the first time. Moreover, if people had died, more inevitably would die. He took a deep breath. In his world, Jimmy had never been given the chance to do something great. The possibilities he was told were endless ended for him when the resounding rejections stole the wind from his wings.

In this world, anyone, no, everyone had the power to be a hero. And if it meant that he had to risk his life, or that he had the opportunity to make sure that no one else would lose theirs... well...

"Say people really were dying," he posited, suspending his disbelief just enough to ask a question. "You said you were here warning people, helping people so that you could prevent it, right?" he turned to fully face the man, a serious expression on his face.

"Do you think I could do something like that?" he asked, almost ashamed of himself for comparing himself to someone who hinted at such a noble goal. "That is, do you think I could get strong enough, and that I might be able to save a life?"

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

Ash blinks. Hesitates. It's a good question, and one that's clearly caught him off guard, but... there's a sense of what seems like admiration to the words, and he's not sure how he feels about it. "...yeah, probably. At least to a point."

He exhales, ears pinned back. "But I... wouldn't recommend heroics, if that's what you're thinking of. Not until you have a good grasp of everything." He looks back at Erick, matching serious with serious. "Before you worry about saving other lives, make sure you can save your own, first. You've got more chances here than you do in the real world, sure - but that doesn't mean you can just throw them away."

Ash puts a hand over his chest. The way things are going, he can feel the steady beat starting to shift, the erratic pulse of something long dead stuttering in his chest. "When I died the first time, it was because I was caught up in the moment. Thought myself a hero, back when I thought this was just a game."

He lets his hand drop. "I'm not sure if I'd do that a second time. And for all the frustration I've got in the real world, I don't know if I'd make the jump to playing Terrasphere full-time."

The signs that they're nearly to Honeyhome grow, as paths join together to a larger, maintained road. There are a few people here - some alone, some in groups. Travelers, or landers, it's hard to tell.

"...well, we're almost there," Ash says, slowing his pace. "You should be able to find what you need to get started in Honeyhome. Maybe some friends to group up with. You might be able to spaghettify wolves, but that doesn't mean you should get cocky and go it on your own. This game will eat solo players alive."

He stops walking. He's more exhausted than he expected to be, and none of it because of the fighting. He knew it was going to be rough, telling new players about what to expect, but... it's going to take some time to get good at this.

"Well, I think this is probably a good place to break off. It's pretty much safe from here to town. But if you want..." Ash opens his palm menu, but doesn't do more than open up the friends list. "We can add each other as friends. That way you can send me a message if you've got any questions - or if you bite off more than you can chew."

"Your choice, though."

@Erick Styker