Discontinued Private Isulus Keyless Guests

[Hanno Futaba]

Continuing from this story...​

As soon as Harveste and Hanno stepped into the keyless door, the world shifted and twirled, with the sense of both direction and space flickering away from both of their minds.

Hanno held Harveste's hand tighter, with her warmth being the only certainty he had in that brief moment of unawareness that affected them. His fingers interweaved on hers and he tried to pull her closer, soon embracing her tightly to make sure they would stay together no matter what.

Like someone being dragged by the currents in the depths of the ocean.

❰ Keyless ❱

There was a moment when even breathing felt impossible. Were they going to suffocate? Perhaps stepping in hasn't been the greatest of the ideas. The skill name continued to echo in Hanno's mind... Keyless, keyless, keyless...

What could it be..?

...​

Spoiler: Theme

Gasping for air, Hanno's emerald green eyes opened widely, feeling the smaller faerin wrapped in his arms as his chest moved rapidly, hyperventilating after the sudden scare.

Glancing around for a moment, Hanno noticed the complete change of location. It wasn't a subtle change like before, caused by that strange and alien portal. No, it was something different, they were in a completely different place. The sky was filled with planets and cosmical features that were unknown in Terrasphere. The stars were different, the colors were as well... The biome was completely foreign, with giant fungi and mushroom structures raising high above their heads, and even growing on the buildings that existed hundreds of feet away from them.

Was it a town..? Perhaps, but--

He looked down at Harveste, finally noticing she went through the same as he did. "H-Hey, are you alright?" Hanno asked, frowning his lips worriedly, having the peripherical sight flickering due to the magic stimuli, but his eyes maintained the focus on Harveste first and foremost, wanting to make sure she was alright before he would do anything else.

@Harveste

 

[Harveste]

Her body was shuddering, but she felt like she couldn't move- at least for a bit. Slowly, the racing of her heart calmed down, and she turned her head upward, seeing a relieving, familiar face. A small smile found its way onto her face as she turned her head to look towards the sky. The cosmic entities had changed substantially, and there were tall mushrooms above them as well.

"Did we... Shrink...?"

She sniffed the air. The magic still smelled a bit too strong for her to sense anything else. "I can't smell anything..." She said, pouting softly. "Nothing I can name, anyway..."

When he asked if she was alright, she nodded, shifting in his arms to make sure he had space enough to move if he desired to. "I think I'm okay... My head kind of hurts, but I think that's normal compared to... Whatever it is that just happened. What about you? Does it hurt anywhere? I think you took the brunt of the landing..."

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

"That's... A good question." Hanno muttered, feeling his stiff muscles relaxing when Harveste spoke, revealing that she was fine. He could then take a look around, finally feeling some aching from the fall but nothing being too crippling, instead, it was just a mild inconvenience thanks to his physique and his defenses.

"I am good." He smiled reassuringly, gently caressing her head at the mention of a headache, and then struggling to stand up and helping Harveste to do the same if she needed, staying close to her and wary about the surroundings.

The tentacles of his shield emerged, and the central dissonant eye opened widely to look around.

"... Maybe we didn't shrink. There are buildings over there... Just as tall as one would expect" He gestured to the cozy looking houses, with many of them being surrounded by mushrooms of all kinds.

He looked down at her. "Should we knock one of them? Maybe we can find someone." It seemed to Hanno that it was the only thing they could do. However, he wasn't going to do anything without Harveste's consent.

@Harveste

 

[Harveste]

Slightly flushed and giggling from the gentle touch on her head, she smiled when he was off the ground and accepted the offer of help, pecking his cheek with a toothy grin in his direction soon after. Now upright, she could see what he meant- the buildings felt fairly normal outside maybe construction materials- she couldn't tell what they were made from, at least not yet.

"I'm glad you're okay," She mused softly, before looking at the buildings again. "I can't tell which came first, the mushroom giants or the houses. They all look like they belong right where they are..." She felt like it was even more of a fantasy world from a story she'd read as a child than Terrasphere itself. There were just so many colors and textures!

When he asked about knocking on a door, she looked up at him. "On the one hand it feels dangerous, but on the other... It might be our safest bet, rather than staying in the dark on where we are..." She lightly grasped his hand, her nerves firing on all cylinders in her head. Her eyes were glazed with a clear alternate reasoning: she was curious. Worried, clearly, but curious to know what kind of people lived here.

"Which one do you think we should try?"

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Warmth filled him when Harveste giggled and revealed her relief for his well-being. He smiled faintly, with it only fading when he turned away to look at the situation once again. "If I were to guess... Maybe both at the same time?" Hanno frowned, slipping a sigh and pondering about their possibilities.

Though, with Harveste's acceptance, it was easy to think of something to do, making Hanno nod in agreement to her and turn to one of the houses, looking up at a particular one that had lights on.

"That one looks good and humble enough. There is some activity in there too." He mentioned, gesturing to a shadowy figure behind the enlightened window. Hanno then tugged Harveste gently, urging her to move along as they finally stood in front of the door.

Hanno looked at Harveste one last time for confirmation, then turned to look at the door and knock it. "We will get out of this, don't worry," Hanno said determinedly.

It didn't take long for someone to answer, with the footsteps behind the door creaking the wooden floor easily.

A small woman, albeit not as small as Hanno and Harveste, appeared by the doorstep, peeking with her eye in the opened inch of the door before opening it fully, revealing her hedge witch's aesthetic, with leaves covering her dress, and with a wide mushroom cap on her head that... At first, it looked like a hat, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that it was an extension of her head.

"... Rhiannon sinners... It has been a while since the last ones..." She spoke, vaguely surprised in her voice, but unflinching in her expressions. "What brings you here?"

@Harveste

 

[Harveste]

Harveste hadn't seemed to notice the figure or the enlightened window at all. She'd been too unsettled at first to realize the houses at all before Hanno had pointed them out, after all. This place felt like an alternate reality in its own right- another world they'd somehow stumbled across through the doorway. It didn't feel like Terrasphere anymore- and quite frankly, the overpowering magic's scent was making her nauseated.

She snapped out of it when he tugged on her hand gently. A soft smile reappeared on her face as she followed his lead. When he knocked on the door, his words at the time made her smile broaden a bit. He was right- there wasn't anything to be afraid of in reality. Not yet, anyway.

With a deep breath, her stomach began to settle. She watched the door open, and seemed to stare in awe for a second at the woman that appeared. She looked so in tune with nature- in a way, Harveste became a bit jealous, considering her goal had been to be akin to a nature sprite. Shaking off her strange thoughts, she asked, "Um... Could you tell us where 'here' is? We're a bit turned around right now and were hoping for some guidance."

She'd heard the term 'Rhiannon sinners', but tried not to think too hard about it. As someone who dreamt of Rhiannon every night she slept in the game, albeit vaguely, the smaller Faerin wasn't sure if it was because she sinned or was blessed by her in the first place. Still, she couldn't help worrying just a little bit- worrying that this woman wouldn't want to answer her question just due to the fact she was Faerin; due to the fact they both were.

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Hanno stayed next to Harveste, relaxed enough to look like he trusted the mushroom woman in front of them, but not relaxed enough to allow himself to keep his guard down. He remained his awareness up all the time, with his shield looking at everything attentively, something that didn't seem to make the mushroom woman bothered or anything similar.

He nodded at Harveste's question, adding more to it. "We kinda just stumbled in here after meeting a door somewhere in Western Brisshal." Hanno said, frowning and looking around. "This place... Is unlike anything I've ever seen before." His eyes lowered to Harveste.

"I really doubt we are anywhere close to any Brisshal either." He sighed.

"Here is our land. The one away from Yladians, Beastfolks and those annoying myconids, the one ever away from the danger of humans coming." She responded, uncaring of Harveste's inner concerns, seeming to narrow her eyes for a moment.

"Never away from Rhinnanon sinners, those can open the door. And do open the door most of the time, always hungry and wanting for more." She said, pausing and seeming to realize something, tilting her gigantic mushroom head while turning to look at the two faerin, her eyes now hinting curiosity.

"So... Do you say you need guidance? You are not here for the magical flesh?" The woman paused, uncertain, especially at the confused mention of the door that Hanno made. "I've never been visited by lost sinners before... But essentially, some of you sinners bear the ability to sneak into our secret planes, something that has been a headache for years... Though, it seems like we reached a diplomatic solution for it. We give you the magical flesh you want, and you go back to your home without telling anyone of this place."

@Harveste

 

[Harveste]

The smaller of the two Faerin showed a confused curiosity on her face. From what she understood the woman to be saying, this had something to do with the fact they were Faerin- but nothing more really resonated with her mind. She heard the words 'magical flesh', but while they struck curiosity, they didn't make her particularly excited. Right now, she was more confused than anything else.

"I don't even know what this 'magical flesh' is. Do you, Hanno?" She looked up at her companion with a questioning gaze, before returning to look to the mushroom-headed woman. "We found a door while we were in the forest, in some sort of grotto... It had strong magic, and made us curious... The next thing we knew, basically, we were here, unaware of where 'here' is- er, was."

She put a finger on her chin from her free hand, then looked up at Hanno. "Now that I think about it... Where is the door we used?" She seemed to pale ever so slightly again, realizing she didn't know how to get back. Her eyes turned to look back at the taller woman. Would she know where another door was? It sounded like they'd be welcome to leave, at least.

"Miss? Do you know where another door might be located...?"

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Hanno couldn't help but frown at the revelation, it seemed like some ill-intentioned faerin were coercing the poor townsfolk of this plane into giving them magical meat. Yet, it did seem like they had stopped for whatever reason.

Crossing his arms, Hanno couldn't help but wonder what had happened-- Perhaps it was faerin players from four years ago that no longer logged in? Or maybe something happened to them... Did they die?

The mystery lingered in his mind, but Harveste soon snapped him out of it.

When questioned about the magical flesh, Hanno nearly choked, averting his eyes for a moment and clearing his throat. "U-Uhm, you see... I will explain it to you later." Hanno said, not expecting Harveste to not know about it. She was a faerin too, after all, but it seemed that not all of them shared the same racial traits.

"Yeah... We found a door somewhere else, all the way back to Western Brisshal." He gestured with his thumb as if Brisshal was right behind his back. Hanno then cast a glance at his partner, pondering. "Honestly? I have no idea. I suppose it is a one-way in..?" He said, suppressing the urge to swallow. If that was the case, they would be stuck in there until they found a way to leave.

There was a chance though, and as soon as Harveste redirected the question to the woman, Hanno turned to look at her as well, waiting for a response.

"The other door..?" The woman muttered with a frown, blinking when seeming to finally realize something, making her huff defiantly. "As if I would tell any of you. If we haven't seen sinners like you all this time, it is probably because the information about the original entrance was lost between you!" She said, staring at the two fiercely.

"I will never tell you. Be gone-" The woman was just about to close the door in both of the faerin's faces, but a voice calling for her halted her attempt to slam it shut.

"A-Auntie!" A little girl, sharing the same fungal features the woman had, hurriedly tried to stop the woman from closing the door. Tears were forming in her eyes as she approached, having her cheeks dirty and her hands scrapped.

"S-Something very, very bad happened, Petho, Petho is-" She sobbed, not being able to proceed with her words properly.

@Harveste

 

[Harveste]

Harveste was a bit surprised that Hanno seemed to know what the woman was talking about. Her racial traits tended to be more for personal aid- though she didn't know how her restless sleep from dreaming of Rihannon played into that factor. She just remembered one day starting to see visions of the goddess in her peripheral vision, and muffled sounds of her voice. It was why she really tended to believe in the goddess in the first place- it wasn't just a requirement. It was as if there was absolute fact that Rihannon existed in her heart.

Still, confused or not, she smiled up at Hanno easily. "I look forward to it," she told him nonchalantly.

Before she could respond pleadingly to the older woman, a little girl with similar features seemed to be panicked as she ran to the door. She crouched down to be at eye level with the slightly smaller girl, smiling softly before starting to hum. Her humming activated the power of nature inside the little girl to help it heal her scraped up hands.

"Your hands should hurt less, but I can't heal your heart... Will you tell me what's wrong? Let me try to help." She couldn't help herself. She had a weakness for children's tears, it seemed. She wasn't the type to see herself as a kind person, but her curiosity and naivete often made her want to help people, even when she probably wasn't wanted or shouldn't.

This was likely one of those times.

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

"Looking forward it is a bit..." Hanno chuckled nervously looking at Harveste, knowing she probably already caught up it wasn't really good news.

He tried to push those thoughts away, focusing back on the woman that now allowed herself to bear a bit more of hostility. Hanno, similarly to Harveste, was ready to retort when the little girl appeared in tears.

Glancing at Harveste taking good care of her, Hanno couldn't help but be concerned about what terrible thing could've happened.

"G-Gwuuuh..." The girl sobbed, almost uncontrollably until Harveste approached with her healing song. The scrapped little hands slowly soothed and became unharmed once again.

She closed and opened her hands a few times, looking up at the faerin woman before sniffing, trying to calm down. "P-Petho... he has been caught..."

For a moment, the mushroom woman couldn't help but stare both worriedly and puzzled, until she placed pieces together. "Did both of you go outside of the village?!" The apathy of the woman disappeared instantly, growing in despair. "How many times I've told- How many times everyone told you?! We can't leave the village's outskirts!" The woman staggered, taking a step back and holding her head while the little girl held her dress tight. That couldn't be happening.

@Harveste

 

[Harveste]

Something was telling her this 'magic meat' thing wasn't a good topic to pry into... But she wanted to know, so she'd let her curiosity win later. For now, something else had her attention. Something dangerous was going on- and she couldn't just leave a helpless child in a frantic state.

"Can you tell me who or what caught your friend?" She asked, still trying to stay within eyeline of the little girl. She looked up at Hanno, frowning softly. "I want to help them. Will you help me, Hanno? I want to get Petho back safe and sound."

She extended her small legs to stand up straight, humming a soothing melody to try to keep the little girl more at ease. Whenever the girl would calm down enough to answer her question, she'd give a soft smile. "It's the job of adults to help keep smiles on your cute faces, after all. Isn't it?"

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Hanno didn't like what he was listening to, letting out a brief sigh and tightening the crossing of his arms. He could feel a vague relief in the way Harveste took care of the child, but that didn't mean that would solve everything, they would need to act based on what they had to tell them.

"Yeah, tell us where Petho is, and tell us your name too, buddy." He said with a reassuring smile, that soon turned a bit more solemn, then looking at Harveste.

"Of course, I will help them. They need all the help we can give... And I told you, I will protect you." Hanno nodded, firmly.

The girl sniffed, looking up at Harveste, smiling very faintly and sheepishly even if her eyes still held so much sadness. "Y-You are kind..." She muttered with quivering lips and voice "My name is Nawa, P-Petho is my brother." She answered, soon talking more about the situation: "Petho... He was caught by the ugly ones. The ugly ones caught him and carried him away with their vines." The girl said.

Holding a breath, the woman held her chest, almost as if she was in pain. "It... He is gone... Little Petho is lost forever." She winced, feeling tears starting to form in her own eyes.

"Those... Bastards. The aberrations... They were one of our own before, and now they end every one of us." She pursed her lips.

@Harveste

 

[Harveste]

Harveste listened carefully to what the older woman and the child had to say. The ugly ones? Aberrations? She knew she'd heard the latter word before, but it took her a moment to recall the meaning. The woman basically gave it away though, by telling her they used to be of the same flock.

"I refuse to believe anyone is lost until I see it with my own eyes," She said sternly, crossing her arms with one hand on the other elbow, the other on her chin. "These.. Aberrations. Where can we find them?"

Her eyes were smoldering slightly as she dropped her arms, her hands clenching into fists. "They made an innocent little girl cry. They've kidnapped and potentially harmed an innocent little boy. I can't just let things stand like this." It was clear on her face- she was determined to get Petho back, or at least get vengeance for him.

These people may not have liked her, but they were still people. She couldn't stand just doing nothing- and besides, what good was it to be a curious person if you didn't take a risk here or there?

"Let us at least try to help."

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

"Me neither. There is probably something that can be fixed, whatever it may be that makes these... People become 'aberrations' as you said." Hanno said firmly, casting a glance at Harveste and nodding.

"With my spirit and divine magic, I could work on trying to purify them if necessary. And with your singing, maybe you can bring them back to their senses? I think a plan like that could work." He said with a determined expression, looking at Harveste firmly and resting a hand on her shoulder, reassuring her that he wouldn't leave her side, especially being before such a challenge they would meet now.

Then, he finally averted his eyes to pay attention to what the other two had to say.

The girl looked at Harveste and Hanno with a grateful and hopeful expression, reaching for Harveste and hugging her tightly while burying her face in her chest. "Th-Thank you! Thank you both for wanting to save my brother!" She said, with a hint of both guilty and gratefulness in her voice.

"... If you are really willing to help... I wouldn't be so sure about salvation for them, maybe not even... To my nephew..." The mushroom woman pursed her lips, still uncertain, perhaps hopeless about the news she had just received. But thankfully she was still in a bit of denial, enough to not fall into a despair that would make her mourn in such a way it would be impossible to communicate with her. "... You can find them outside of the village's outskirts. They are like us but corrupted by the strong magic of this plane... At the time we created it, we didn't know the consequences, but nowadays we have magical protection across all our regions to both keep us sane and keep these aberrations away." She answered.

Things were going to the right direction, but as soon as the mushroom woman seemed to be more inclined to be less hostile once again, an obstacle appeared to cause a sense of urgency:

​

Notice

Your time on this plane is ending. Unless you touch the true entrance within 60 seconds, you will be ejected to a random location 10 miles radius away from the true entrance to the plane.

[ 60/60 ]

The situation was dire, unless the two of them managed to get to the door within a minute, both of them would be sent somewhere else unknown, and most likely separated from each other. They needed to act fast!

---

Hanno and Harveste must reach a total of 200 contribution points with Presence expertise checks before the timer reach 0, so they can convince the mushroom lady to show the true door of this secret plane. The timer will tick 20 seconds for every cycle that passes, with the cycle starting at Harveste's post and ending at the end of the NPCs post.

Since @Harveste healed the little girl's hands, she receives +10 bonus on the checks.

Presence Expertise Contribution​

0 / 200 HP

 

[Harveste]

94 / 200 HP

Harveste turned a ghastly pale as the notice came up in front of her. She could only pray they could find the door in time- she couldn't just leave this place when people were in need of help! Frowning, she looked up at Hanno, a questioning gaze as to if he saw the pop-up. She took a deep breath to try to calm down. Then, when she was, she looked directly at the woman with her fists clenched so tight that her knukles were pure white.

"I'm going to find these aberrations and beat them up for hurting your niece and nephew. They laid their hands on innocent children. They need to be taught a lesson. But there's a small problem... If we don't find the true door in a minute..." She looked at Hanno again. "We won't be able to do a single thing. So we have to find it."

Rolls

Expertise Check
1d100 (69) + 15 + 10 = 94
Presence | Harveste | 991C1

Player Sheet Link
@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Hanno's eyes grew wide at the sudden notice, not expecting such a thing to be real. The last thing he expected was to have a time limit to be fighting in that place.

He cast a glance back at Harveste, looking at her expressions and shaking his head in a gesture of it being no good news, and soon adding more onto her words. "This power you told us we have, I... I'm feeling that we will be gone soon if we don't find the real location as she said." Hanno squeezed Harveste's shoulder slightly, holding a breath and looking seriously at the woman's eyes.

"We need the true door, please ma'am." He pleaded.

"You... You are using my nephew's distress to make me show you our secret? H-How dare you?!" She gritted her teeth, with the remains of distrust making her raise her voice in anger and despair once again, with her eyes growing more watery when she felt herself being surrounded, making noxious spores start to escape from her mushroom cap.

"A-Auntie, no!" The little girl interjected. "They are kind... Th-They wouldn't do something like that." She said, tugging Harveste's sleeve and looking at her, then at Hanno.

"I trust them." The little girl said, making the woman falter for a moment, looking at the two of them while breathing heavily and with a dire expression.

---

Hanno and Harveste must reach a total of 200 contribution points with Presence expertise checks before the timer reach 0, so they can convince the mushroom lady to show the true door of this secret plane. The timer will tick 20 seconds for every cycle that passes, with the cycle starting at Harveste's post and ending at the end of the NPCs post.

Since @Harveste healed the little girl's hands, she receives +10 bonus on the checks.

Presence Expertise Contribution​

147 / 200 HP

Time Left​

[ 40/60 ]

Rolls

Expertise Check
1d100 (33) + 20 = 53

Presence | Hanno Futaba | 991C1

Play Sheet

 

[Harveste]

Harveste's eyes teared as the little girl seemed to trust her. She crouched down again to hug the little girl, Nawa, gently when her sleeve was tugged. "It will be just fine, Nawa." She told her, though her voice shook with worry. "As long as we can stay in this realm, we can help."

She was so glad Nawa trusted them, but she felt pain when looking at the angry woman behind the girl. She couldn't blame the woman for being so distraught, of course- even Harveste knew this situation was dire and scary. But adults had to be strong, to take care of children and each other alike.

Softly, she began to hum a calming melody. It wasn't just for the girl, though she played a big role in inspiring the song- no, it was also for the adults. For Nawa's aunt, for Hanno, and even herself. When she felt the song soothing her soul, she slowed down the melody and came to a halt.

"Now that we've all calmed down a bit... Please lead the way, miss. Let us help you. Let us fight for Petho."

PRESENCE​

208 / 200 HP

Rolls

Expertise Check
1d100 (36) + 15 + 10 = 61
Presence | Harveste | 991C2

Player Sheet Link
@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Hanno stared at the woman, dumbfounded by the situation she had created in her own mind. Whoever made her become so distrusting needed to face justice. But for now, they couldn't do anything about it, especially with how long it has been since they were gone.

There was a rush on finding the portal, but Harveste's calmness and song eased Hanno for a moment.

No, they couldn't lose their cool.

Hanno reached for the little girl's shoulder, squeezing it in a reassuring way and smiling more firmly, along with Harveste.

"We will save Petho." Hanno said, looking up at the woman right after. "But we need your help to save him."

"Auntie..." The little girl held onto Harveste tighter. "... Please? For Petho..." Her expressions lowered in sadness.

The mushroom woman held her chest, glaring at both of them, albeit... She eventually gave in, softening her expression after the soothing song eased her mind into a more helpless one rather than of despair or anger. "... Alright, come with me." She said, hurriedly guiding them to a corner of the town that was protected by a small shrine. Getting there, she quickly pulled some contraptions that soon revealed a portal just as similar looking as the one Harveste and Hanno had entered before.

"It is this one..." She looked at both of them, turning with a pleading expression. "Please, do not break my trust... Not like before..."

---

SUCCESS!

Presence Expertise Contribution

306 / 200 HP

Time Left​

[ 20/60 ]

Connect yourself with the portal to gain permanent access.

Rolls

Expertise Check
1d100 (78) + 20 = 98

Presence | Hanno Futaba | 991C2

@Harveste

Play Sheet

 

[Harveste]

It surprised her how calmly she was handling things so far. She felt safe and secure, and wanted to share that feeling with the little girl more than anything- so her frustrations and personal issues didn't matter for the moment. Nawa and Petho- they were the ones that mattered. Finding the doorway was the only way to help them, though. And so, she pleaded.

The pleading was successful, if only because her song had had an effect.

Smiling weakly to Nawa and her aunt, Harveste let out a 'thank you' to the woman before they got to the small shrine. She let out a hum of prayer to thank the shrine's spirits and deity for letting them find a way to help- and to wish for Petho to be able to be rescued by them.

Looking at the familiar doorway, she gripped Hanno's hand firmly. She stared up at him, nodding to tell him she was ready, and smiling softly to show she felt safe at his side. "Let's go save Petho."

@Hanno Futaba