Private Solvale Return to the Land of Stars

[Alonso Thorlion]

Nostalgia proved to be a hell of a drug the past several years, with the local populace in the real world remaining ignorant of the fact good memories needed to stay in the past. If only to just continue forward into the future with the same energy. But as the hulking, wide man came to, he began to feel such a drug rush into his senses. Cleaner air, fantastic water, and pristine wildlife were all coming back as Terry's eyes opened back up. No, that was not right. In this world he was Alonso Thorlion, a Beastfolk known for his berserker like state in combat and massive size. At most the sole difference was he felt larger than four years ago in width, but his rounder gut still held a sturdy physique.

Reaching out with his hands in front of him, he turned his palms upward and clenched his fingers in and out. Sure, Alonso was still a large fellow in the other world, but there were still some parts of his Felis body he needed to get used to once again. Huge shoulders rolled with several pops, working out the kinks of a four year long dormant state. "Damnit, it really has been that long." He raised his arms up parallel to the ground, forearms bent towards him, contorting his upper body side to side before bending down to stretch out some more.

As he stood back to his full height he took in the landscape once again. It was subtle, but something felt different. Four years ago he was more cautious, but now he wanted to rush in instead of investigating the full discourse of the game, the sense of omens in the horizon beyond making the hairs on his body rise up. Or was that the fresher set of skills during character selection? He was not sure entirely what changed, only that he felt closer to a spiritual energy than he did way back when, the days of being a solely martial character. For the most part, however, he knew his build still stuck to the same concept. On top of keeping a shirt off.

He saw other people play out their anime fantasies so he figured being without a shirt was nothing okay?

Strong legs moved forward as the massive Felis began his trek through the grassy fields. His tail waved back and forth behind him, fur and hair color still that cyan as it always was, ears and tails leaning more leonine in nature. "Hmph. Fat chance I'll meet anyone I recognize so soon," he said as he walked. Nobody else was around so far, at least that he knew of, sonorous tones of his vocal chords breaking the silence. But who knew what wonders awaited him at this point, only that one goal was clear: figure out what was going on, and eventually find out why was this game back?

@Gwyn ap Herne
@Mighty Rumblehide

 

[Mighty Rumblehide]

What Mighty Rumblehide was having trouble with the most was adapting to the world around her.

But what Zoey Staal was having trouble with the most was adapting to starting at the bottom.

Such is the way of all games, really. Dropping into an illegal piece of software blind (due to said illegality making guides pretty scarce on the Internet), coming to grips with free and total control of your actions within it (but still being mindful of Mechanics! and Systems! and Limitations!), and realizing that there's a whole effing world to explore here!!

It's a little overwhelming, if she were being honest with herself.

Ultimately, it was just a matter of understanding that... well... Terrasphere shouldn't be approached as a game; but more like a second, very much real life. Which means that roads would have to be walked, friendships and alliances would have to be formed, and skills would have to be developed the hard way. As fun as it would have been to pick up a mace and go right to town on the biggest, meanest son of a gun monster bastard or bandit lord on the minimap...

But that won't come anytime soon. Not while these E's and D's clutter up her character screen.

One of the first things she made sure to do was join the Adventurers Guild. That was something very much in line with what she wanted out of the game, right? Forging destiny and whatnot? Making a name for yourself through your deeds, growing stronger with each task completed? Creating bonds with other like-minded people that will see them all through the most dire of situations? Hell, it was exactly like the locker rooms and shows she spent years in in the real world!

For now, though, Rumble was content with getting to know the little slice of world called Astorea. She'd made it out of the "starter zone", as everyone liked to call it--but until she got some more experience under her belt? The rolling grasslands, sparse forests, and well-traveled roads of this region suited her just fine.

Today's boring little task? The elf found herself playing courier, delivering a pile of mail from one small village to another. Some correspondence between a collective of merchants and a harbormaster, she recalled. Normally this was something a caravan could have taken care of themselves; but all the reliable ones were out and Rumble lowballed herself in a successful bid to scrape a handful of coins together for some new gear. (Something with a bit of color! A bit of flair! Her ring gear designer needed to start doing art for these games.)

As her boots tread along the grassy paths, she spotted someone looking around. Now, Mighty Rumblehide is built like a brick house. But this guy? The whole damn city block. Muscles on muscles on muscles, he could've easily been mistaken for a world boss had it not been for the tuft of blue hair and similar tail that flicked back and forth.

"Hello there," Rumble said with a wave. "Fine day for traveling, innit?"

@Alonso Thorlion @Gwyn ap Herne

 

[Gwyn ap Herne]

.

The difficulty of hunting high grasses came and went with the size and speed of one's quarry. Being tall and awkward in gait didn't make gnolls any easier, though. The ridged mane cut up above the grass like a shark's fin every few moments in the chase. The scout had taken to all fours in flight, an odd cackling noise that wasn't quite a laugh bubbled out of the stalks whenever an arrow got too near. While some would assume mocking... hyenas "laughed" out of nerves. It was worried. Harried. It couldn't return to its tribal kin without leading her to one of their little encampments or outposts.

Gwyn snarled to herself in frustration as it continued to evade, low to the ground and just fast enough to keep ahead of her. It would have long been dead if it didn't have some miserable passive that made it dodge like a god. Every time she thought a shot had been lined up, the sand and grass rippled up around it and pulled her bolt off its mark. Ranged wasn't cutting it, but the damn thing had a lead. Glancing up, she scoured the fields for some break in the landscape that she could use to get above it or close the distance. Finally, she spied something different in the sprawl of Solvale around the "new" capital city.

Other players. They had to be. No merchant or messenger would be out in a pair off the main roads and onto grass-dominated game trails. She cut a hard right and sent an arrow whistling toward the gnoll, forcing it to cut left in response and onto a straight path to the others. Hopefully they weren't new players she'd immediately have to worry about the delicate lives of. She'd make it work. At least the beast was relatively weak - if infuriating.

"Incoming! In the grass, look for the mane, and use melee for fuck's sake!"

 

[Alonso Thorlion]

The man stopped as someone called out to him. Pivoting on one foot, he noticed an elf waving her arm and looking in his direction. Alonso had a moment as his head veered side to side. Was it someone else perhaps? No, it was just grass and more grass. Being slow on the uptake was forgivable at least, walking forward towards the tan elf.

If anything it surprised him this person, potentially a player, was not like other elves in the sense of players making some stick thin character because they saw Lord of the Rings once. But he was in no place to judge. The man mentally kicked himself as he needed to stop doing that. Nodding back to the woman, who was only around four inches shorter than he was, he replied, "Just got here, but I don't see any issue so far. Besides, I don't have to yell at someone for cutting me off."

Alonso managed a quick grin. Humor was something he started to learn over the past few years, finding himself too young to make 'grouchy senile old man' his personality. He kept a note of that in the back of his mind, not wanting to be the grouchy sort even when he was ninety years old if he made it that far. "Name's Alonso," he said, figuring he might as well introduce himself. His sturdy, lower jaw opened to continue, but was cut off by someone else yelling.

Did he recognize that voice from somewhere?

But now was not the time to venture deep into his memories. Ears perked up and eyes scanned the field as he managed to catch snippets of the mane in question. "SHIT!" Instinct kicked in, and though he did not have a chance to learn any new combos, some basic maneuvers still applied. Crouching down, the Felis that might as well be an actual giant charged towards the rushing gnoll in the grass, going in to shoulder check the bastard HARD. "Lucky for you melee is most of what I do!"

@Mighty Rumblehide
@Gwyn ap Herne

 

[Mighty Rumblehide]

The elf cracked a half-smile at the joke. Cat Mountain's humor didn't go over her head; her reflexes were too fast. (Honestly though? Casual humor like that? Really good!)

"Rumble," she introduced herself as; which was about all the time she had anyway. Before she could think of any sort of follow-up conversation, a warning shout cut across the field like the crack of gunfire. Alonso's ears perked, his keen eyes scanning the field for the threat while Rumble fumbled with her palm UI for her equipment. Stupid fucking piece of shit goddammit-- Her fingers mashed futilely against her hand until, fuck it; she ripped her shield from her back and her mace from its resting place on her hip manually.

Alonso was barreling towards the flash of blue mane that wove through the grass ahead. And for the lack of any witty "me too!", she exploded across the field after him.

Where did the warning come from? Her right? Rumble couldn't second-guess herself; so she juked to the left. Charge the damn thing, attack it from three sides--sounded like a good plan to her!

@Alonso Thorlion @Gwyn ap Herne

 

[Gwyn ap Herne]

.

Thank none of the gods of Terrasphere, the man immediately lunged into action. Good instincts. A fleeting thought logged and then promptly ignored. As if it had been planned, he charged forward with his companion cutting the other direction. When the gnoll started to veer to its right and away from him, in she came to block the way and force it backwards. Just enough hesitation that even she winced in sympathy at the sound of the man bodychecking the damn thing to a dead stop. Scouts were rather thin compared to their kin, but fuck. It was like watching a car pick a fight with a freighter.

Gwyn shook herself from the threat of a stupor and pulled back on the bow, notching an arrow in the time it took to even think of doing so. Some things you never forgot. With its retreat finally stopped, and the ability staggered after that paralyzing hit, even the admittedly shoddy mark was enough. Frailer than the rest, indeed. The lone bolt sunk messily into its throat, and Gwyn didn't need Hyper Sense to see its HP bar drop to nil. She had wondered if the game had been rebalanced somewhere in the downtime, but it would seem not. At least, not enough for that poor piece of shit.

With her quarry down, the blonde turned to the other two with thanks and went at stock still at the gnoll on collision. She hadn't noticed him before. Just another towering Felis - er, Beastfolk? But the teal fur and tabby-tiger stripes on his face were just as memorable as her scars or tattoos.

"Alonso." It sounded enough like a question to count, maybe? But that explained the instant reaction. The smooth response to shouted tactics. They'd done that before? The Wurm? No, no. Azog? Azog. "Well shit. Long time no see, huh?" Her eyes dragged over the other individual after a second's delay on her fellow veteran. Unfamiliar. "And party? Appreciate the help."

 

[Alonso Thorlion]

With his focus on the mane rustling through the grass, he only caught sight of Rumble splitting off for a flank. If anything that impressed the man, finding someone so soon with some idea of tactical advantage. Even better with a third as the gnoll had attempted to switch direction. Something began to surge inside of Alonso as he neared his target. Was it some predatory instinct that was within every Beastfolk? No, it was something else, a something that fueled those innate instincts more than he felt before. Berserk was no longer a mastery as far as he was concerned, but it felt similar to that.

Even more powerful than mere anger.

A notable BOOM was heard as he made contact with the gnoll. For a brief moment, bluish, spiritual energy shot off in all directions from the impact, the massive Felis's eyes glowing before returning to their normal state. The energy vanished about a second after.

Recalling the new stranger, he caught sight at the glimpse of an arrow before hopping backwards and sliding nearly on all fours. The concept of battle made Alonso more beast-like, eyes focused on the trio's target of interest before he saw the gnoll's life end. He stayed there for a moment, watching the body lay there, and huffed with a snarl to confirm the deed was done.

Standing up the man brushed his pants off, sighing and rolling his shoulders. "That should do it." He closed his eyes, focusing himself back to a more peaceful state with a few, sharp exhales. But then the newcomer said his name, the huge Beastfolk's attention whipping towards the bow user. It took him some time to process the woman's voice, but then, it hit him as he responded, "You're Gwyn? Well damn that's a name I haven't seen in while. Don't know what else to say other than what a surprise." The man gave a half-chuckle. His moments communicating with her were brief, but important.

Looking over at Rumble, he nodded. "Oh right, this is Rumble. Just met her right before you alerted us to that asshole running around the grass." He looked at the tan elf with a nod. "Great hustle there surrounding that guy."

@Mighty Rumblehide
@Gwyn ap Herne

 

[Mighty Rumblehide]

Two shots. That's all it took.

Alonso going absolutely feral; his massive, hulking form charging faster than full speed into the creature. The crunching of bone as the gnoll's skeleton turned to dust (Rumble could only guess) and its body collapsed to the ground. The screaming of an arrow ripping through the air, and the meaty thwack! of the shaft embedding in its target's throat.

And there she was; half-crouching, scanning the fields for more threats with what felt like a baguette and the baking sheet it came out of the oven on.

Honestly, the display was impressive--and it all happened so fast! Rumble played the scene back in her mind, scouring through the split second over and over, trying to glean everything she could about the beastman's explosive technique. That's where I want to be. That's what I need to be doing.

It's fine. Someday. She had all the time in the world to get there.

"Thank you," she said, returning Alonso's nod. "That was incredible form, what you did there. Charging across the field like that, just... Liquifying that thing!" Careful, kid. Don't get star-struck.

Rumble's gaze drifted over to the tall woman, built like she had spent her entire life with a bow in her hand and got to the character creation screen, shrugged her shoulders, and said, "Hey, work with what you know." "Gwyn, he said? Pleasure to meet you. You two, ah--" The elf looked back over at Alonso. "You two friends?"

@Alonso Thorlion @Gwyn ap Herne

 

[Gwyn ap Herne]

.

"Not too much of a surprise, I'd hope. Looks like none of us learned our lesson the first go around," she commented mildly, though there was an undertone of warning in it. One they'd both clearly ignored. Her attention drifted back onto the Elf. In the daylight, the activated ability of her Hyper Sense was difficult to see for others, but she had no trouble reaping the rewards. The elf was solidly built by design, but the truth was easier to tell. This Traveler stood with experience that didn't match this body's reaction time or muscle memory. The huntress shifted her weight slightly and tucked her faintly burning longbow to her back.

"Well met." It felt cold and too clipped. "Excellent redirect and response." Her expression gentled slightly, but the professional tone stuck. The new player didn't seem the type to be worried about for Gwyn's sake, more for Rumble's sake, but... it was hard to shake the creeping prickle under her skin. Everything had been great early in the first time round too.

"And yeah, Gwyn ap Herne. We're-" the archer scowled in thought, "-good allies if nothing else. I have respect for Thorlion here's work. Didn't interact too much on the field, I didn't use to have much frontline ability." Ah, the bolstering power and protection that came from the delicious combination of Martial Arts and Spellba- no, Guard Arts now according to her new UI. So many changes, yet always the same game. "You're new then." Not a question this time. The chances of starry-eyed folks from before not recognizing their faces, names, or kits? Unlikely, unless she'd been lucky enough to only play a little years prior.

 

[Alonso Thorlion]

Raising a hand to the back of his head, the giant Felis scratched at a few hairs. "Well, er, seems like I haven't grown any weaker since the last time I was here. Not that I can tell with how things are now, but thanks," he said to Rumble. Brows furrowed as he tried to think back on those brief few seconds. He was sure he never let off bluish energy of any kind before, never having his vision brighter while his attack went off.

The wind blew around for a moment as the man's eyes gazed a lingering string of cyan hair that flew off. Squinting, he noted it to be a bit longer. Strange.

But Alonso was brought back to reality. He was still with two other people in conversation, and overall did not look any different. That was what matter for now. "Call me coming back a sick curiosity. When I saw that advertisement I swear I was about to be sick," he replied to Gwyn.

As the archer went on with the explanation of their relationship, he nodded in agreement. "Larger and more significant events were the only times we interacted, yeah. Mostly my own fault since I can't exactly call myself the most social back in the day. Regardless, when we did we at least cooperated without too much issue. Especially when she's one of the people with a damn mean shot."

Despite tanks and support roles having a bit more importance in the grand scheme of world bosses and wars, minus the times DPS checks were needed, underestimating someone focused on dealing damage was a terrible idea. It was a compliment Alonso was more than willing to hand out to Gwyn. Grinning a moment, he looked over towards Rumble and shrugged, "Yeah, didn't get a chance to find that out since Gwyn just so happened to be in the area chasing that gnoll down. If you are new I'm actually glad it was just one gnoll and not something worse."

@Mighty Rumblehide
@Gwyn ap Herne

 

[Mighty Rumblehide]

(Y'all I'm so sorry. We can still finish this.)

@Gwyn ap Herne. @Alonso Thorlion. Rumble committed the two names to memory. Little notifications popped up in her visuals, the system politely asking her if she'd like to add them as friends.

She blinked them away. Maybe not yet--she had just met them! Getting a little presumptive, aren't we?

"Well met," she said to the tall blonde woman, feeling like it was only proper to respond in kind. "And thank you." Tricks less learned from any actual hunting or combat; but perfected as a villain to play her part in her twisted form of theatre. Play fights and real ones had a surprising amount of strategic overlap, turns out.

"I am new," she continued. "Loaded up a week or so ago--after... yeah, after that weird commercial interrupted my show. A link showed up in my email, and..." She threw her arms out wide and let them fall back down to her sides. "Here I am, rock you like a hurricane."

God, she felt so stupid in front of these two. Especially in front of these two. The Amazonian-tall archer woman with the perfect hair and muscles? The absolute tank of a cat man? And here she was--the Hamburger Elf; going purely for function over form with non-descript as the theme of the day.

She shook the self-depreciation away. No time for that bullshit; she could've cranked the sliders to Hourglass and chose the wildest hair color and the sparkliest eyes; but fuck all those! Mighty Rumblehide was a beautiful-ass bitch the way she was!

"I take in gnolls are something terrible? Glad the two of you were around, then." Rumble finally relaxed the grip on her shield, letting it slide down her arm. "I'm still trying to get the lay of the land. This world... It's so friggin' huge!"

Of course, other things were plucking on the strings of her attention span. Little curiosities that needed to be fulfilled. "So you two are... or were playing before the government shut the servers down years ago, then?"