18+ Private Isulus Rooted in the Past

[Vina Skysong]

Seated on a stone atop a hill a vixen with silver-white hair as long as she was tail was idly kicking her heels against the stone, singing a soft song which was carried by the soft breeze swirling around her, carrying leafs of various colours as autumn was coercing the trees into surrendering their foliage. Other winds brought her stories about the town in the distance, telling her of the people waking up early in the morning and preparing for the day. As usual children were some of the earliest, their laughter already tickling her ears and making her smile.

She was waiting for a friend to arrive, one she had sent a letter for. She'd found something interesting during her travels, and she wanted to share it with her friend as well as request her help. As what she'd found wasn't as simple as a beautiful vista or a valuable treasure, but a challenge she didn't think she could overcome on her own. There was no lack of people who would be interested in this, and under different circumstances she would've invited many friends to join her. But given the circumstances she didn't think an entire group would be a good idea, and even if all her friends were wonderful and amazing if she could only bring one she did have to pick the one who might be best suited for this challenge.

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

Receiving an actual letter was something quite silly, Cleo had thought, though it had hammered home how recognizable she was, that something could identify her and approach her with mail. She was probably one of the most red things in this game, though, so there really was nothing else to it but to just accept the mail and see what was inside the letter. A friend that she hadn't heard from in a fair amount of time was calling for her, it seemed. She wasn't sure what for and the letter had only told her where to meet the friend, not why she was meeting her.

Still, it wasn't something she was just going to ignore. She didn't have any reasons not to go, truth be told. And, heck, perhaps Vina had learned something from the many social connections that she'd made? The nature bard did always seem to be at the center of things as they were happening, truth be told.

She crested the incline of a hill to see the vixen sat there, perched atop a rock, singing something that Cleo couldn't recognize. It had the agent shaking her head as she cleared her throat loudly to announce her presence, raising a hand to wave it in greeting.

Sending an actual letter was quite old fashioned of you, don't you think? Don't tell me you can't open your menu anymore?

She asked, partially joking, though she did want to make sure that Vina hadn't had some kind of terrible accident resulting in a UI lock for her.

@Vina Skysong

 

[Vina Skysong]

The winds told her of Cleo's arrival well before the redhead came into view, the vixen continuing to sing until her friend finally called out and raised her hand in greetings. Letting the last lyrics fade into the sky the playful vixen waved back with a smile, her tail wagging behind her as she remained seated for the moment.

Heya Cleo! It's nice to see you again~

Pushing herself up she walked up to her friend, then closed the gap and gave her a warm if brief hug, wasting no time in expressing her joy at reuniting with one of her friends. Once the hug was finished she took a step back, laughing softly and shaking her head.

Don't worry Cleo, I've been safe and sound~ I just thought a letter would be in the spirit of things, and catch your attention better. After all, it's not often that someone sends a letter, is it~?

As Cleo was quick to point out, most Starcalled would probably use the UI to contact other players if they weren't locked. as for the locked players and Landers... well, Vina wasn't one of them, so her sending a letter would still have the desired effect.

But how have you been? Doing well I hope?

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

Cleo could only chuckle and shake her head as Vina seemingly insisted on greeting her with a hug, very briefly wrapping her arms around the druidess in return until they separated and Vina explained that she was fine and that she'd only sent a letter to catch her attention better. The reasoning honestly made Cleo snort, amused at such a thought process. How strange that the woman felt the need to take extra precautions to catch her attention, given that they were already friends.

Well I don't exactly have a habit of ignoring messages when I receive them, considering I receive so few anyway, but I suppose I understand.

In truth, she was starting to adapt to the, frankly, odd and strange ways that the people who played this game lived their lives by. It was possible she would be counted among them, now, given how far she'd pushed her power in such a short time.

She gave Vina a look that was the bastard child of a smile and a grimace, shaking her head.

I've been okay. I still spend a lot of my time warning new players about dangerous things and protecting them on early 'quests' and such. Though...

She paused, grimacing just a little bit more now.

Nowadays I feel like I spend just as much time protecting and warning Magia players against the Landers themselves.

@Vina Skysong

 

[Vina Skysong]

You're not the type to ignore someone reaching out, I know. Still, a letter contains more soul~

Making sure Cleo paid attention to the letter was only part of the reason Vina had taken that route. Another was that the UI was, quite frequently, a bit immersion-breaking. Not that Vina was one of those people who wanted to treat Terrasphere like a new world altogether, but when she was walking through the street of a medieval-renaissance town, with mages and priests and beastfolk and elves, opening the UI to send a message to a friend just felt like the lesser option, even if it was faster.

Cleo's expression made it clear that her activities couldn't exactly be called enjoyable. Protecting new players was in itself often fun (Vina found), but magia needing protection from those who couldn't get over Dragon End was a lot less fun. The druidess nodded in agreement.

With all that happened it'll take a bit longer before things settle down. (She smiled.) That said, things are already getting better. Even Vintergard is safer than it used to be, and people are slowly moving on. We just need to keep doing our best~

With that impromptu speech over with she placed a hand on her chest.

That aside, I asked you to come because I found something you might like~ You're curious about who made this world and why, right?

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

Soul? That was one word for it, Cleo supposed. If one was the type to think that the old ways had some kind of inherent values that the modern conveniences lacked, then calling it soul was certainly one way to think about it. Cleo wasn't sure how much she agreed. A letter was very delayed whilst a message would've gotten to her instantly, but really, it was a moot point so arguing it, or even discussing it, would've been pointless.

It wasn't like there had actually been any kind of timeframe or limitation to worry about, after all. And she'd only minorly worried about the possibility of Vina having gotten UI locked like other players had. She knew the druidess was stronger than that, even if the girl also didn't seem much like the type to actually do much fighting back, if she could avoid it.

I wish I could share your optimism for it, but I've seen a few too many attempted lynchings recently, truth be told. They hit a caravan I was riding with recently to try to lynch a poor Magia boy.

She was honestly losing a lot of the patience she held for the Landers. Not sympathy or respect, because she had none towards software, but she at least tried to deal with them as if they were real people. She wasn't about to let that line blur, though.

Still, when Vina asked if she was curious about the origins of Terrasphere, she nodded and leaned in.

Burningly curious, yes. Why, did you discover something pertaining to that?

@Vina Skysong

 

[Vina Skysong]

Cleo's mention of an attempted lynching of a magia boy was answered with a concerned look, the playful vixen leaning forwards while her ears drooped slightly.

Did everyone make it out okay?

Given that Cleo had mentioned a caravan Vina assumed that more than just the magia boy had been in danger from the mob. That, and while she wasn't so naive as to argue against self-defence she still wouldn't want the people in the mob to get seriously hurt either.

I know you can also heal with your time reversal, but if you do ever need some help I'd be happy to lend a hand, you know? Healing is what I do best after all~

The other topic was more cheerful, or at least more intriguing. Vina was happy to help and heal others, but adventure was more exciting. Cleo's response also made it clear the redhead was curious, so Vina didn't waste any time explaining.

I don't know for sure, but as I was wandering through the Tangleweaves I came across these ruins which looked familiar. After doing some searching I realised that some parts looked more Earth-like. There were also traps and puzzles keeping me from going too far in, so maybe there's an important clue down there!

It was far from a sure thing, more a possibility than a reality. It was entirely possible the similarity was mere happenstance, or an easter egg the developers put into the world without any further meaning behind it. But Vina was very curious what might be hidden deeper inside of the ruins, and she hoped that Cleo would share that curiosity even if the odds of actually discovering something important about the game weren't that high.

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

Well, she wasn't about to tell Vina she'd had to slaughter a few Landers in order to deal with that situation. The druid cared too much about the NPCs of this world for her to let that kind of thing slip. Instead, Cleo just nodded and gave Vina a smile.

There were some minor injuries, but everybody got out alive and I was able to heal the ones that really needed it. I appreciate the offer, I'll keep it in mind if you're ever close enough to help out.

It was easy to forget that Cleo could heal, sometimes. She rarely needed to do it, but rewinding somebody until they weren't wounded was something she liked to keep in her pocket. Especially now that she could load rewinding spells into her Arcanamancy creations to actualize them at a range closer than touching distance.

It didn't help that comparing her healing to the healing that Vina could do made her Chronomantic healing seem particularly inefficient.

Still, returning to the topic of why she was even here, since it wasn't just to catch up with a friend, Cleo hummed as Vina talked her through the fact that she'd come across some ruins that looked pretty vaguely Earth-like, whatever that meant. It was interesting enough that she wasn't about to turn it down.

That does sonund interesting. You want me to accompany you to help out with puzzles and such? Do you know if it's dangerous down there or have you not gone very far?

@Vina Skysong

 

[Vina Skysong]

There was a little something in Cleo's reply that made one of Vina's ears twitch. Maybe her voice was a bit flat, maybe the phrasing implied more than Cleo meant, or maybe Vina just knew that her ideology didn't match her friend's perfectly.

Not that Vina openly suspected anything or remarked upon it. She sighed in relief as the detective made it clear that everyone had gotten out unharmed.

I'm glad to hear it. And I'll try to be on hand, but with how smart you are I'm guessing you'll know where to find me long before the trouble starts~

Vina didn't know Cleo's exact job, after all, but enough that she didn't doubt the redhead's ability to find her if she needed the vixen's help with something. Not that Vina was trying to hide or be hard to track anyway, and she did have a habit of being remembered.

A quick nod confirmed Cleo's inquiry, Vina smiling as the detective admitted that she did find the druidess's discovery interesting. Even if there was no guarantee that the ruins would hold useful information it was worth checking out, right?

I'm thinking you're better at that kind of stuff than I am, and can also deal much better with the traps~ I didn't get very far in but I didn't find any animals, so I think they're keeping away from the ruins. I did test one of the traps and it restored itself afterwards, so I'm guessing that the creatures living in the area learned that it's a dangerous place.

Traps that remained functional were a staple for such mysterious ruins, with various explanations. This ruin apparently relied on the ability to simply rearm traps after they were triggered, so even if hundreds of explorers had entered the place before it'd still be able to defend itself against the next.

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

Well, finding Vina wasn't an exact science, truth be told. Finding people in game was a lot harder, when they lacked things like bank accounts, addresses and other such trails that she could follow. For Vina, it was actually a little harder than usual, given how the druid was, well, a druid. She spent almost as much time in the wilds as she did amongst the various settlements that dotted the landscape of Terrasphere. And that made her exceptionally more difficult to track down.

Honestly, she had the same issues with Mizuki sometimes. Only they were a thousand times worse with her girlfriend.

I can certainly try to find you.

She chuckled, shaking her head and allowing the topic to move on, humming as Vina explained that the ruins that she found had some kind of self restoration system for the traps and that wildlife had figured out that it wasn't safe. It made Cleo snap her fingers, sighing.

Well, there goes that tactic. I would've suggested that we follow the animals nearby to see if they located a safe entrance, but I guess not.

Or, more likely, that the animals would have run head first into various traps over the months. That was unlikely now, given how the traps restored themselves.

Alright, I'm on board then. Were you wanting to make a trip into the ruins today, or were you just telling me about them? Because I carry my gear with me everywhere, but if you're not ready it's fine.

@Vina Skysong

 

[Vina Skysong]

That would have made things a lot easier, but I'm guessing whoever built that place wanted to make sure it wasn't easy to get into. Which just makes me more curious about what might be inside~

Cleo's idea would have been a good one if circumstances permitted it. Vina's ability to communicate with animals did mean that she could have made it a simple task for them to ask for assistance from the local wildlife, but she was pretty sure she'd explored more of the ruins than them by this point.

We can go now if you're ready~ It'll take a while to get there since it's deep inside the Tangleweaves, but I know the way now and we both can make the journey faster, so...~ (She winked.) It shouldn't be a problem, right?

Interweaving her fingers she stretched her body and limbs to the fullest, then took a step back before spinning in place and planting both feet on the ground once more.

That said... It might get a little humid, so are you going to be all right like that~?

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

You have a good point. There's no reason to make a place so hard to enter or investigate unless there's actually something worth investigating there. Well, unless you're a sadist and just enjoy toying with people for your own amusement.

Cleo blinked, before chuckling.

So judging by what the developers of this game might be like, that's more possible than it should be, to be honest.

Though, when all was said and done, Vina was getting ready to leave, so it seemed like the vixen was actually ready for the excursion, rather than just telling her about it. Cleo hummed, nodding and following along with the druidess' words. She was about to remark that she was, in fact, ready, when Vina had mentioned the humidity. Cleo looked down at herself, at the bodysuit she wore as armor, before shrugging.

Well it's not like I carry around any other clothing that isn't identical to what I'm wearing, so even if it's humid I'll just have to make do with what I have.

It wasn't like she could change into a t-shirt and a pair of shorts or something like that, considering this was supposed to be a fantasy game and all. At least her armor would keep her protected in case of any trap accidents or something.

Unless you have some other suggestion, or happen to be carrying around a bunch of clothes that would fit me for some reason. I don't think we're the same size as one another, either.

@Vina Skysong

 

[Vina Skysong]

Or it's meant to be engaging. Games are also often challenging, aren't they?

That probably wasn't the reason why these ruins were covered in traps, but Vina wouldn't want them to only consider the more negative reasons why a place would be made difficult to enter. Not everything was about conflict or secrecy, after all.

Worth checking out, right~? Even if we don't find anything I'll have been worth the trouble I think. Besides, it'll be fun to hang out with you again~

Cleo's admission that she didn't really have any other clothes to change into and that she'd just have to deal with the humidity had Vina humming thoughtfully, before conceding that the detective probably had a point that they probably couldn't really share clothes or anything like that. Stepping up to her friend Vina leaned forward a little, as if studying Cleo intently.

Hmmm...~ Well, I am a bit taller than you, but from the looks of it you've put most of that height difference in a fuller figure~ (She winked.) I'm afraid anything from me would look a bit skimpy on you~

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

Cleo wasn't quite willing to believe that the developers of a game that had killed people cared all that much about game design. In her opinion, the idea that they would think about things like fun or engagement was quite ludicrous, considering what they'd proven willing to do. Though, it was probably pointless to vocalize those kinds of beliefs, given how optimistic and positive the person she was talking to was. If Vina ever met the developers of the game, Cleo wondered if the druid's first reaction wouldn't be to thank them.

Well, even if it'll be fun hanging out, it would also be nice to find something. Evidence of pretty much anything has been rare as hell.

And it didn't help that she kept getting distracted by needing to keep people alive and well. Cleo blinked, watching as Vina stepped up and leaned forward, before winking and making something of a suggestive remark. It made Cleo chuckle, glancing down at herself and then back at Vina.

My figure isn't that much fuller than yours, is it? Plus, it isn't like I chose to look this way. I did skip the character creator process entirely.

She shrugged. Sometimes she had to remind herself that people looked different in the real world. Mizuki had certainly been different, though not in a bad way. She just needed to remember that she was the anomaly here. Most gamers spent hours creating the perfect avatar.

C'mon then, hornball. Keep it in your pants so that we can get some progress done.

She chuckled, patting Vina on the shoulder, waiting for the druidess to lead the way.

@Vina Skysong

 

[Vina Skysong]

Vina could tell that Cleo wasn't big on the idea that the developers would make anything challenging for the sake of making the game more fun. The redhead had made it clear before that she didn't care for the nature of Terrasphere, considering the fact that it could kill people to outweigh any potential positives that it might have. It wasn't a line of reasoning that Vina could argue against, even if she herself wanted to enjoy this world in spite of the dangers it posed.

Let's hope for the best then, and make sure to search every nook and cranny~

Cleo's comment that she didn't think she was that much fuller-figured than Vina made the druidess blink, looking at herself and then back at the lancer.

Really? I guess our hips are similar, but your chest is clearly bigger than mine~ (She moved as if to undo her top to demonstrate, then stopped and laughed.) We're in the same boat there. Well, ignoring my ears and tail, but other than that I'm all me~

The comment about her being a hornball just made her smile mischievously, the vixen leaning a bit closer and brushing her tail against Cleo's leg before stepping forward with clear enthusiasm.

No worries, I'll keep my pants on... Once I find any that is~ (She swayed her hips, her skirt swaying as well.) But yes, let's go. It'll take some time before we even get there, so we can catch up in the meantime. For example, did you know there's dryads in the Tangleweaves? I met one while travelling with my friend Ruby~

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

Searching every nook and cranny sounded like a pain, probably because it would be, but Cleo could at least handle it, considering it was similar to the way she'd had to investigate as a detective in the past. Sometimes having to examine the smallest possible details got annoying. Things like photographing every page of a diary, or going through years and years worth of saved text messages. They were all boring and frustrating jobs, but they had to be done.

As did combing over every single brick of some crumbling old ruins....

Oh? You didn't customize your avatar aside from race? I've not met anybody else that hasn't designed their perfect body in this game.

That was refreshing, though she blinked as Vina stepped forward and brushed her tail against her leg, before declaring that they should start moving. And something about dryads in the Tangleweaves.

Honestly? I don't know what a dryad is, I'm not exactly hip with gaming mobs or fantasy creatures and things like that.

Nor did she know, or even particularly care, who this Ruby person was. The friend of her friend, she assumed. Didn't mean it was somebody that she really needed to get involved with.

So are dryads like, monsters or more humanoid creature things? You said you met one, so that implies some conversation, which implies intelligence.

@Vina Skysong

 

[Vina Skysong]

Vina chuckled at Cleo's apparent surprise. It wasn't the first time that someone had reacted like that, and the vixen had to admit she found it quite entertaining. Stepping forward she spun around so Cleo could get a good look at her from every angle.

It didn't seem necessary to me~ I already take good care of my body outside of the game, and I've been blessed with good genes, so I'm happy with myself. (She winked.) If not quite happy enough to not give myself some extra features~

So far as she was concerned the fox features were only a bonus. Even if the game had only allowed players to be human she'd still have been happy, but having a large fluffy tail made things a lot better.

It was her turn to be surprised when Cleo admitted she didn't know what dryads were. Given their mythological origins Vina had somewhat assumed the erudite detective would have known of them in one iteration or the other, but apparently she'd been mistaken in that assumption.

They're human-ish. The original idea is from the classical era when people thought they were the spirits of trees and forests. Back then they were described as looking just like humans, but these days they're often given tree-like features such as leafs for hair and even bark skin. The one I met was really pretty, although the first meeting was a bit violent: she thought we were in the Tangleweaves to harm the forest, and dryads are very protective of their homes. Luckily we managed to talk things out and now we're all on good terms~

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

That's fair enough, I suppose. Plus there were probably advantages to picking a race that isn't human. I haven't found any for staying human so far, truth be told.

That being said, it wasn't like many racial traits, from what she could understand, actually did offer the users any real tangible advantage. Aside from maybe beastfolk having the capability to use things like claws and teeth as weapons. Though lacking a weapon could be made up for with Arcanamancy and it wasn't as if weapons were hard to come by in this world, all things considered. Heck, the inventory made it pretty hard to be totally defenseless.

That being said, she shrugged and listened to the explanation she was given about dryads. What they were and what was important about them. She made a note that the dryad seemed to assume that they were there to harm the forest by default and that she should probably be prepared to have to fight a dryad if she ever came across one.

She wasn't as confident in her ability to talk things out in a conflict as Vina apparently was.

Well it's good that you managed to deal with it without anybody getting seriously hurt. Are they rare to find, then? You said it was your first and you seem quite well educated and experienced with this game.

@Vina Skysong

 

[Vina Skysong]

I mostly did it for the tail, but I'll admit that I do like the sharp hearing it gives me as well. (She twitched her ears.) I wish I could hear that well outside of the game as well. As it is I think I'm a better musician inside the game than on Earth~

Her ears twitched again, the vixen listening to the whistling of the winds far above and around them, the soft rustling of grass and the softer sound of various small critters. No matter how hard she focused she could never have such sharp hearing as a human, and it showed when she tried to match her musical abilities. She wasn't a bad singer by any means, and it might be that to human ears there was little difference, but she was sure that for other beastfolk with sharp hearing the difference would be unmistakable.

But I'm sure there's also advantages to being human. From what I've seen so far I think humans have some of the strongest wills~

There were probably also members of the other races who'd displayed exceptional courage and bravery, but when she thought about it those who showed the most determination and steadfastness always seemed to be human. Which was an interesting thought.

Either way I think you're great the way you are Cleo, and I'm sure anyone you asked would agree~

As she expected from her friend, she focused on asking the good questions when the topic shifted to dryads. The vixen nodded in confirmation of the first question, then laughed softly.

They don't like to show themselves to outsiders, and it's not like they show up every time someone enters the forest. The reason this one showed herself was because another group of outsiders had been causing a lot of trouble, so she was on edge before we managed to calm her down~

It was a bit of a sombre memory, but Vina wasn't about to let her mood get spoiled by it. The two of them had a long journey ahead of them, the forest still small in the distance even as the two of them kept walking. Vina's footsteps were light, the vixen's gait one that spoke of both agility and experience covering long distances. The weather was also perfect: even in autumn the sky was still a brilliant blue, and the true chill of winter had yet to overcome the leftover warmth of summer.

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

Of course it had been a choice made based off of the appearance of it. Most people who played this game seemed to have selected things based off of preference, rather than out of any idea of optimization or utility. Cleo, for her part, wasn't sure she felt that looking good was really worth being a bit more likely to die and be trapped forever inside of a video game, though she imagined that, for quite a few people, the risk sounded more like a reward than anything else.

Perhaps that was just her being pesimistic about things, though. She'd not found much reason to have any faith in the playerbase of the game yet, even if there were one or two reasonable people among them. It made sense. Most reasonable people had put the game down and not picked it back up again.

I'm not sure willpower is really affected by race in this game. I'd at least hope that the game can't have that much control over who we are as people, given that willpower is a personality trait and everything.

And she'd never really heard of somebody becoming skittish or changing personality in other ways due to the race that they'd selected. Even if the machine people did tend to act a little robotic.

Well at least you managed to calm this dryad down. I wonder why I've never seen or heard of one before...

@Vina Skysong