Complete Megathread Side Story (S4 Finale P.1) Noise

Raid Boss

❮ Narrator ❯
Staff
Messages
388
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Mastery
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Noise
Season 4 Finale - Part 1

The curious stargazers and non-stargazers who reside anywhere in Astorea would have had the first row seat to the spectacular sight that was the first of the technic leylines bridging the ground and the sky with its threatening radiance in Dragonhead.

Amid the terribly alarming sight, those who was still able to access their UI may have experienced the distortion of the various interfacing elements. Buttons jumped to a different place upon being pressed, game panels blinking in and out, some texts were so distorted they were not able to be read, worst of all, all forms of UI communication was near unresponsive, if you were to send out ten PMs, nine would come back as an error.

OOC
  • This is an optional "react" thread for all characters who still have access to their UI and is considered an optional plot hook for the finale.
  • You may make a single post (no longer than 700 words) reacting to this plot point.
  • Posting here will not lock you out of any other threads.
  • You may mention other characters, but back and forth interaction should happen in your own thread.
  • Some questions you could answer: What was your character doing when this is happening, how do they feel, what would they do?
  • Glitched Navigation. Those who would like to navigate their glitched UI, including trying to log out must make a Reflex Save of 75.
 
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Hanno Futaba

❮ Shield of Hope ❯
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894
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12,360
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10,670
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1
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Chanlye
Wandering in Finweald, it came to Hanno's surprise to see the sudden freak outs of players, that cursed and panicked about their UI flickering.

Frowning, the faerin waved his hand, noticing his UI glitching, almost unreadable. "What the..." A scowl crossed his face, but not before a horrified scream snatched his attention, making his gaze shift from the person screaming, then at the direction they were looking at... And the sight was nothing short of nerve-wrecking.

"Fuck, are these--" His fist clenched. Of course, they would come for revenge, or for whatever plans they had in mind.

Trinity did warn them.

Sliding his fingers across the UI, he forced through the messages, being quick to warn as many people as he could.

Mail

Buddies! The Dragon army is coming!

Finweald isn't safe, and probably nowhere near it is, if you aren't here, don't come. The UI is fucked up!


@Ash Vargold @Rael @Bradwynne @Lady N @Cleo Looker @Ludmilla Orphys @Ueno Mizuki @Cain Darlite



The message barely seemed to be sent, and an explosion caught Hanno's attention, with his shifting to @Tick Tock from afar.

"Why?!" He growled, wielding his shield, that swayed its tentacles in excitement. "Ghast, get ready-" Hanno warned, gritting his teeth as he rushed. "Nemesis has come..." The giant, central eye of the dissonant shield open widely as her voice rumbled through.

Rolls


Save
1d100 (84) + 0 = 84
Reflex | Hanno Futaba | Noise



(Sorry for the mass ping, feel free to ignore it. Also, if anyone who knows Hanno and I didn't ping want to use the mail, feel free to)
 

Kyanna Wynne

Magia
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Messages
344
Gold
1,440
Mastery
20
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Chanlye
As chaos spreaded across Finweald, Kyanna rushed through stairs, nearly stumbling and forcing her march, even if her legs were already burning from climbing these stairs so hurriedly.

"Wh-Why this is happening?!" Kyanna asked to no one else in particular in the middle of the panicking crowd. She wasn't well versed in the lore of that world just yet, so the sight of... Whatever that thing was, at the very least, beyond what her emotions could take.

Managing to rush slip into an alley, Kyanna breathed heavily, resting a hand on her chest. She couldn't contact Eva, Kirius, Magi or MAI... Contacting to Tick or Tock was impossible via UI, but even these two crazies would be a relieving sight to see in the middle of this mess.

Pressing her back against a wall, Kyanna tried to catch a breath, until a hurrying man caught her attention, making her shift her eyes and notice a familiar figure (@MAI) wandering in the chaos.

"Mai?" She muttered, forcing herself to move, and trying to rush toward her friend, but unfortunately missing her.

It didn't matter, however. She was in the middle of this chaos, and Kyanna had to find her.

Rolls


Save
1d100 (36) + 10 = 46
Reflex | Kyanna Wynne | Noise

 

Ash Vargold

❮ Dissonant Exterminator ❯
B
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665
Gold
0
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0
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25
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Tarkya
The fearful chatter of the dead buzzed at the back of his mind as Ash watched his interface flicker and dart like a cartoon depiction of a computer virus. He didn't need them to know something was wrong, not when earth and sky crawled with circuitry and the sounds of chaos rang through the streets of the city.

A message appeared, flickered, and slid rightwards out of sight before he could read past the sender. All he had was N's message to go on, and the very obvious situation unfolding around him.

"I feel like I'm playing an broken Flash game."


He couldn't even log out. The button was there, but layered under the backdrop instead of in front of it. It hovered there, taunting his inability to somehow click past the UI. He couldn't even log out to post a warning.

Ash finally gave up on the interface, and turned his attention to the city. If he couldn't stop the people outside the game from logging in, then he'd just have to worry about the people already here. Ash was no leader, but he could at least look tall and shout loud.

"EVERYONE! If you're unwilling or unable to fight, try your best to log out, especially if you're Magia! The Dragonship is able to both interfere with your UI and assume direct control of Magia players! If you're unable to log out, take shelter or evacuate to the east!"


That's why he was playing this game, after all. To reduce the number of lives Terrasphere could take. And that started with getting those lives out of the line of fire.

Rolls

Save
1d100 (49) + 0 = 49
Reflex | Ash Vargold | Noise

 
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Fiora Di Angelo

❮ Raging Flame ❯
E
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Messages
916
Gold
4,640
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4,015
Valor
18
Event
0
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0
Dez


Bare handed strikes. Calm. Collected, with a short pause between each and with little gap to pull back the blow. At one point it had been durability traning, to numb all sensations on her knuckles. Then it turned to how hard she could punch it, eventually breaking through healthy, thick bark. But now it was something else.

To try NOT to break it. To keep her strength and herself under control. It helped her to gain focus and clear her mind, and that she needed after departing from Finweald and isolating herself like a hermit. Yet the skies turned against their own design to reveal cybernetic lines, the change in tone alerting her to it, and soon after did the explosions begun to shower Finweald and above the capital the skies displayed an ever watchful eye.

Fiora quickly stopped and went through her UI, and panic squeezed her chest tightly once everything turned out to be distorted, when the only thing in her mind was @Ronja Bubblyfoot , who she left just less than an hour ago - No use, nothing would come from trying to message them, nor @Yugam or @Luthien. No matter how hard she tried, how hard she screamed against the voice mails, nothing functioned at all.

A hand grasped over the scabbard holding her blade before Fiora broke into a sprint, mantaining her speed rather than to go all out and break through her endurance. Long pointy ears had gone deaf to all but the sound of her own ragged breathing.

She inhaled and exhaled through her nostrils like a bull, the rhythm always slightly off yet consistent at it. There wasn't even time to tie her hair as usual, long locks flowing with her every step through the main road towards the main capital.

It's here that she crossed paths at the entrance with the hunter and the ranger herself, yet despite her golden gaze having taken a short notice of them, she didn't bat an eye, she didn't stop, and the lovers could probably understand her for that better than anyone else.

She couldn't, not with -her- wellbeing at stake, their last encounter made anything remotely similar to dissonance awaken paranoia like a fresh wound. It hurt. But that was exactly what kept her eyes fierce and her blade within it's sheath.

Rolls

Save
1d100 (64) + 0 = 64

Reflex | Fiora Di Angelo | Noise

 
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Luthien

❮ Lore Seeker ❯
E
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Messages
1,457
Gold
35,220
Mastery
23,160
Valor
32
Event
0
Special
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OOC
RizuChan





Lúthien had been counting the days off for this night, excited to pay Lake Cosmos a visit along with @Yugam, and the elf had ensured that nothing got in the way of their planned picnic and stargazing activities. So when Beleg had approached her in the halls of the Embertorch, package in hand, he’d received one hell of a stern look and a flat "No." before the man even had the chance to verbalize his request—whatever he had could wait for later.

"Oh, look!" As the last traces of twilight lingered in the horizon the bottom of the lake had slowly come to life, the glowing algae swaying gently within the depths of the lake enabling them to see the shadows and figures of the aquatic life within. "It really does glow~"

She already enjoyed the starry skies within TerraSphere, captivatingly beautiful as they were in a world without light pollution, and the girl would’ve thought nothing else could best such a sight… until she saw them reflected upon the surface of the lake. Her back snuggled closer to the man’s chest, having claimed the best seat in the house as she’d once called it, but before she could point out a series of stars reflected on the water a sudden shift of colors brought her attention skyward.

Crimson eyes caught the unexpected but spectacular sight above in the sky, her mouth forming a small ‘O’ shape before pointing upwards. "Didn’t know there’s northern lights all the way out here—" Her words caught as the girl noticed the buttons at the corner of her UI flickering and distorting, cybernetic lines now crossing the sky—or were they only affecting her display? It instantly reminded her of The Calculator and that odd plane they’d been taken into months ago, shoulders tensing up as she sat up straight before looking back at her boyfriend.

"Yu, the UI’s—"

The sounds of explosions echoed in the distance. At first it had only been one, before it was eventually joined by another—this one seemingly setting off a rapid succession of detonations. The blasts shook the core of the earth, and even in their distance the tremors could still be felt. Panic quickly grasped at her chest as both hunter and ranger got to their feet, a short nod shared between them before they’d gone into a full sprint towards Finweald.

Elven fingers fluttered in the air before her as they ran, a few exasperated grunts leaving the blonde as she fought with the interface before finally managing to bring up her contact list. Plenty of her friends were still logged into the game from what she could see, but before Lúthien could contact any of them she’d caught vision of @Fiora just as the white-haired elf raced down a path—no words were shared as a singular look from those golden eyes, and the missing blue-haired girl from her side, conveyed all they needed to know.

A cacophony composed of crumbling buildings, panicked cries, and agonized wailing threatened to overwhelm her senses—a hand instinctively reaching out for his and gripping it firmly as the blonde closed her eyes and took a deep breath. One thing at a time… Finding @Ronja and ensuring the small magia was safe came first, once that objective was completed the group could figure out what would be the next steps they would take.

"I’m fine," Despite the rapid heartbeats within her chest Lúthien’s voice remained leveled, a reassuring squeeze given to Yugam’s hand before she finally let go. "Let’s go help Fio first."


Lúthien's Sheet

REFLEX SAVE




Reflex | Luthien | UI Noise

 
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M

Magi Heart

Guest
Noise
Season 4 Finale - Part 1 (Kyanna Scene)

Hr0tBRj.png
It had been months since that day of the bet within a turbulent soul. Could hope still be worth fighting for? Would it be better to just let it all go? Now that Magi began to realize some idea of what might be going on with herself. She needed time...

Both of them, Wendy and Wendel needed time. No matter how close to a peak one seemed, it looked like maybe rather than at the end it was more like the beginning, and for Wendy that was scary, but for Wendel it was exciting. When she could be free of her chains.

The enemy they both had reasons to oppose. Finally, something they could use their all against. Something that had proved to somehow KNOW her, and whether astral or dissonant shared some connection. The RED MAGIA... she was beckoning. The astral flow was strong and while Magi may not fully understand in the way @Cain Darlite or a true Star Chosen might... Wendel knew enough.

Dissonance was spreading and fate threads were pointing towards something she knew all along. She had to face a Nemesis. A dissonant that dispensed its own kind now had double reason to destroy and if possible, consume that mechawoman. Never since Vermillion had they had a mutual sensation like this before. Wendy to protect others, Wendel to consume and grow. Perhaps this could be the first of her grudges to finally redeem.

Astral jumping using her improved control of astral power. Magi eventually arrived in the most Magical Girl way possible. A bright light with both Golden and Red eye gleaming. @Kyanna Wynne ... she was Wendy's first priority. She was her weakest friend.

"Kyanna! You aren't strong enough! Please, leave, get far away from here! I may be unable to leave but you can! Just get away! I know this power. I ....have to go."


I won't let you prolong this anymore! It's time to finish what I wanted to do at the palace!
That beam was strong... you can't expect to...
Where's your hope now? This time it's different. We know what she can do... we know her name as well. Szofrit.
...knowing a name matters? Hmmm I do remember that being a thing... maybe.
...I must.... fight... her... and I will.


As if dragged along by fate itself, Magi Heart headed for Vintergard...

 
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Madison Mortiere

Magia
H
NG+
Messages
171
Gold
0
Mastery
0
Valor
34
Event
0
Special
0
I'm on watch duty when the sky lights up like my laptop's screensaver. One by one, the lines arc up from the horizon and meet in the sky some distance away. Towards...

...Oh.

Oh no.

I don't immediately panic. Honestly? Because I don't know exactly what's been going on. I'm a Lion through and through; but I've been taking care of my freelance work more than focusing on the, uh, main quest lately, so to speak. Especially after helping take out those three massive bastard robots and collecting my kudos and cash for that. Let everyone else shoulder some of the responsibility for a change. But I had been paying enough attention through the boards and the missives and the chatter from landers to know that things in that doomed city were starting to heat up.

I panicked just a little bit when I first opened my UI. I raised a finger to flip through the various bits to get to my map and confirm the awful feeling festering in my gut when everything started fucking up. Windows distorting, text garbling up into something akin to Webdings with a Lovecraft fetish. Buttons jumping around the screen playing The Finger Is Lava.

"I don't have the fucking time for this," I growled as I wiped away my UI and blinked on Deadeye. The world around me screeched to a halt as time dilated just for little old me. I reopened the menu to find that it too had followed in kind. Nothing could escape the furious mashing of my fingers and I started to get everything in order. Map check, inventory check, armor check, weapons check.

No; the panic well and truly had me when I finally managed to open up my friends list and saw that the five or six people who I had on it hadn't logged in in weeks. Months, even. Players I trusted; powerful ones, at that. I mean--the strength would be helpful in the shitstorm that was brewing, but goddamn is that trust more valuable in the thick of it.

But I suppose that's what happens when you try to play the Lone Ranger. You end up living that first word through and through.

Rolls


Save 1d100 (76) + 80 = 156
Reflex | Madison Freebird | Noise

 

Ueno Mizuki

❮ Pathfinder ❯
B
NG+
Messages
588
Gold
7,790
Mastery
5,325
Valor
43
Event
0
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Wolfy
The holidays had been an enjoyable time, an opportunity to learn more about the Sun Claw and their traditions up in the Hylands. However, now that the celebrations had come to an end and life returned to its usual routine Mizuki had returned to Astorea, specifically the region between Finweald and the former capital of Vintergard which was still occupied by the corrupted magia. From what she'd heard the next battle between Vintergard's magia and Astorea's forces could break out any day now, and she wanted to be present for it.

Sitting down in the middle of a small clearing Mizuki was pampering her two packmates, rubbing their bellies and scratching them behind the ears to reward them for a successful hunt. Their relationship was a bit unusual, as Mizuki would often end up leaving the two behind when she headed to places where they would have a hard time following or surviving, but she was still the packleader and needed to look after them when possible. For their part the two wolves were quite happy to be hunting together with her again, as was evident by the fervour with which they'd joined her in hunting their latest prey, an unusually large bear. Mizuki had wondered whether it was a moon bear which had wandered too far from its territory, but it was lacking the signature fur pattern.

Their celebration was interrupted when the sky began to flicker, glowing lines spreading out across the heavens in a display which might have been beautiful if it didn't fill Mizuki's stomach with a feeling of dread. Her wolves felt the same thing, growling as they stood up and bared their fangs, ears back and fur bristling.

Calm down!


The two canines relaxed slightly in response to Mizuki's command, although they were still warily looking up at the sky. The huntress herself also studied the patterns that were spreading out, her mismatched eyes glowing faintly as they reflected the light.

Looks like the peace has come to an end.


The magia of Vintergard had seized the momentum. Mizuki was considering her options (Camp Hope? Finweald?) when a flickering message popped up before her, the hologram flickering as if it could break apart at any moment.

Hanno wanted everyone to stay away... but if the situation was escalating they'd need as many people as possible to stand against whatever Szofrit was planning. In a conflict such as this one you didn't come out victorious if you ran away the moment the opponent made a move. As she tried to reply to the mail Mizuki quickly realised that Hanno wasn't lying when he said the UI was messed up: her first attempt was hindered by the reply button dancing all the way outside the border of the hologram and then shattering. Only quick fingers allowed her to press the button once it reappeared, as less than a second later it was once again glitching like no tomorrow.

Mail

Staying away won't help here. I'm heading over.

@Hanno Futaba



Writing the second mail took even more effort, as the UI seemed determined to be as difficult as possible, but finally Mizuki managed to sent this one as well.

Mail

Something's happening love. We could use your help, but if you're busy with other things I'd suggest staying on Earth for the next couple of days.

@Cleo Looker



Was there anyone else for her to contact... Kaede couldn't receive messages, neither could Seigi, and she didn't think Zelrius really needed the warning. Maybe MAI...?

She'd already wasted several minutes warning Cleo. Whatever was going on, the Vintergard magia weren't trying to be subtle about it at all, which meant that they intended to accomplish their goals before anyone could interfere. Time was of the essence, and she'd just have to hope that her other friends and acquaintances would be able to take care of themselves.

Dropping onto all fours she barked for her packmates to follow, the two wolves quickly falling in line as the caenis began to run all the way to Finweald, digging up dirt with her claws as her eyes narrowed and her pace hastened.

Rolls

Save
1d100 (63) + 50 = 113
Reflex | Ueno Mizuki | Noise

 

Eva

Magia
H
NG+
Messages
147
Gold
0
Mastery
0
Valor
12
Event
0
Special
0





During these hours the twin magia would usually come to Eva's residence next door to hang out, and have some dinner and tea. But being late was quite out of character for Tick and Tock, and they would never want to miss tea time.

Maybe the both of them were busy perfecting some tech? Either way, the white-haired woman pushed the door to the Clockworks, while calling out to the pair. "Tick? Tock? It's dinner time." Instead, she was met with the sight of a thrashed shop. Eva quickly brought out her pistols to the readied position, slowly walking deeper inside. "Tick? Tock?" No replies were given. Everything was gone, including the prototype spiders on display and the ones she was still working on.

She tried to open her UI to contact Kyanna, the other person who might know where Tick and Tock were. Unfortunately for her, her UI glitched out and her messages wouldn't send. The twins were missing. She couldn't contact Kyanna. What could possibly be happening right now?

Hearing an explosion coming from the Lion's Headquarters, she quickly grabbed some papers from Tick's work desk and left.

Rolls


Save
1d100 (9) + 25 = 34

Reflex | Eva | Noise


 

Chrys

❮ Stalwart Defender ❯
H
NG+
Messages
408
Gold
2,260
Mastery
3,720
Valor
63
Event
0
Special
0
OOC
Storage
@Veilwalker
《⋯《 ⋯ ❖ ⋯ 》⋯》
Adventurers Guild

Folk St. Market, Finweald, Astorea

Chrys heaved a sigh, his entire head resting on his hand that was propped up on the large circular table by his elbow. His eyes were barely open, though not because of fatigue or anything of the sort. The armored adventure, who was also a tavern owner albeit a terrible one, was currently being plagued by dull words from an obese lander merchant. The latter was delighting in hearing his own voice, and for fear of losing such a wealthy trade partner, Chrys could do nothing but suffer the same. "And what of you, Mister...Chrys, wasn't it? No last name?"

"Chrys, yes. No last name, I'm afraid. Again, our condolences to your family. Your father was a great man...and an even wiser trading partner for the Golden God Mining Company. Hopefully, the son will continue his"


"Yes, yes, trading stuff... Where was I? Oh, yes, the busty wenches at the tavern of yore," the fat man continued to mumble his delusions. If he wasn't already so full of himself, Chrys would've thought he was still trying to swallow more recognition. Or acknowledgment. Or whatever man-babies required. Chrys couldn't relate. He wasn't a man-baby. He didn't live under the shadow of his parents. Thank god my dad was a useless drunk.

Bored out of his wits, he tried to discreetly access his user interface. even the lucrative commerce of the Folkstreet Market could not save him from the doldrums of useless men that were too blind to realize that what they have were not what they earned, debatably not even what they deserve. Chrys wished he was out there, in the middle of the bloodbath lorded over by street vendors and passersby alike, rather than in here, inside the fat man's office, with just the two of them. Like a mouse trapped with a fat cat who would not stop meowing. I'd rather he eat me if I were a mouse.

Hmm? That was when he noticed it. A glitch in the system? Chrys tried to make sense of what was going on, even going as far as shaking his arm and his entire body. That should've worked, right? Every time his laptop was on a fritz, he just shook it and it... Ah, that never works. Might need to see a nerd to have this fixed.

"Are you all right...Mister Chrys?" The fat man interrupted his reverie, seemingly concerned, though probably just because he seemed to the merchant a possibly dangerous and unstable buffoon, which he tried to remedy with a smile and a nod before carefully getting back in his seat and gesturing for him to continue his useless spiel. "As I was saying, huge badonkadonks!"

Chrys feigned attentiveness to the man as he excitedly made gestures with his hands. Instead, the God of Rocks was frowning at his glitched interface. He remembered that time his laptop got the blue screen of death hours before an important court hearing. Also that time his Marvel game glitched and didn't show the premier skins he bought with the deluxe edition. Then there was that time he couldn't figure out why his wireless earphones kept killing itself even though he recharged them the night before.

Hmm. Maybe someone will fix it. One of those robot people, maybe. The Maggi? Whatever.

What I would do for a distraction right about now, though... This idiot is worse than my most annoying client, Ya... That's not even a real name! Rappers...



Rolls

Save
1d100 (10) + 0 = 10
Reflex | Chrys | Noise: Glitched Navigation

 

Aerial

H
Messages
107
Gold
0
Mastery
0
Valor
4
Event
0
Special
0
Dormouse
..

An invisible snake weighed heavily on her chest. It coiled tighter and tighter. The serpent suffocated its prey as venom hindered neurological functions. A trembling hand tried to dislodge the constrictor but only grasped her heaving chest.

Visions blurred as she stumbled forward - desperately gasping for air but shallow breathing denied the required oxygen.

Terrasphere claimed lives in the past. The present wouldn't be any different. It was knowledge she possessed from the beginning of the re-opening. The game claimed the lives of the ones she loved and now she too would be consumed.

Ice cracked, falling off her previously frozen body, as she numbly moved forward. Calm the fuck down. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. But she had to; her survival depended on it.

Blue eyes shielded themselves from the chaos while she focused on her breathing. Breathe in, breathe out. She was fucking Gigi Bae: an expert gamer who conquered any challenge in front of her. She knew the risks so she should be prepared. Hell, she'd already died within the confines of the game!

Slowly, senses resurfaced. Aerial closed her glitched UI, unable to look at it any longer. That's right. She needed to get her shit together. And somehow not think about the fact that she couldn't navigate her UI which meant she couldn't logout.

This could be a clue - this could be what she'd been looking for. Aerial pursued the UI locked with hope that it'd bring her answers. She forcibly changed her perspective, ignoring the sense of dissonance it caused within her heart.

Static cackled maliciously in her ear but she pressed forward. She needed to act before she lost her senses to the fog encroaching her thoughts.

Okay, okay - time to put her game face. Every game could be beaten... even games that cheated and hacked their own players. Nerves weren't something the woman was familiar with. It'd been so long since she felt like a fish helplessly flailing onshore. So, all she had to do was not be nervous. Duh.

"Fuuuck."

On the bright side, approaching threats created an opportunity to let adrenaline take control.

Save
1d100 (9) + 35 = 44
`Reflex | Aerial | Noise`
 
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Jin

H
Messages
324
Gold
0
Mastery
0
Valor
35
Event
0
Special
0
His reaction was somewhat less exciting than those around him.

Markedly less exciting, in fact. From where he sat at the edge of Camp Hope, waiting for the next move, the surreal display was nothing short of chaos. Panicked sounds, the screams and concerns of other Starcalled and the Astorean Landers who loitered nearby, all of it culminated into exactly the response he predicted that the Magia might opt for. A sizeable onslaught born out of precise calculation and constructed, standardized, orderly algorithms did not account for human error. Magia operated differently, but they were like computers. They had an affinity for learning.

And learning that humans were chaotic creatures meant that in order to overcome the threat, they had to learn the merit and strengths of Chaos.

Jin sipped at the disc of green tea he'd poured out, now cooler by a margin than the first sip. Unsurprisingly, it was better warm. His nostrils flared and his lips twitched a bit, but he merely swallowed the bitter liquid as people called out for others not to panic, or to log out if they were unwilling to fight.

It was too late for that, now.

Jin collected his weapon and accouterments, righted himself, and began slowly walking against the tide, toward the center of Camp.

"Finally, a break in the monotony."
 

Kamala Graham

❮ Pathfinder ❯
E
Messages
335
Gold
0
Mastery
0
Valor
18
Event
0
Special
0
OOC
DeesTopiary
‧͙⁺˚・❀・˚⁺͙‧
Adventurers Guild

Protean Pastures, Solvale, Astorea

Kamala and her two farmer friends had traveled to Solvale all the way from Pormont to browse some supplies and visit some old friends. The elven Starcalled in particular had been curious about the growth of Petunia the Dire Chick, a companion she befriended during the first time she visited the place, and thought it was a great opportunity to talk with Bloodbane.

Once all that was taken care of, Tim, one of Kamala's farmer friends, asked to pass by Finweald for a personal matter. Colleen, the other friend, wanted to go, too, so Kamala could only say yes. During their journey, however, the trio noticed something strange on the ground and in the sky. Whatever it was, it was an ominous sort of brilliance. Kamala's paranoia was thus easily triggered.

"W-what's going on? What is that thing?"



Alarmed and fearful, she tried to access her user interface to ask the same of old friends, as both Tim and Colleen were also confused. A Starcalled's intuition was sometimes different from that of a lander's, and of course, the information shared between the Starcalled would be somewhat different as well. Alas, something stranger was going on with her panels and buttons and texts. Tinkering with her interface only served to make Kamala more paranoid. All three of her private messages returned as an error. She tried to log out, thinking it might be a temporary glitch, but no dice. Whatever was going on, it dawned on her that escape would be futile.

"Let's hurry to Finweald! Maybe there'll be answers there..."



Ayna... Chrys... Leyna... Elias... Samantha... I hope you're all all right... The trio, led by the elven Starcalled, quickly departed for Finweald in hopes of satiating their curiosity. Unfortunately for them, even though they weren't cats, curiosity can often kill.


Rolls

Save
1d100 (37) + 0 = 37
Reflex | Kamala Graham | Noise: Glitched Navigation

 
Messages
67
Gold
0
Mastery
0
Valor
3
Event
0
Special
0
As Darko was preparing to leave Astorea to go back to the curry house in Stokbon, he noticed something was odd with his menu. Some of the functions were being shown to him when he was not using anything, and any attempt to close them were in vain due to those functions shifting places from time to time. He was wondering why was that happening; but after a short while, he thought that something might be happening to Terrasphere, and he would need to log out immediately. But as he was attempting to do so, the glitchy nature of his menu was leaving him to click options in vain, or completely failing to click them out of sight.

The whack-a-mole continued for some time until Darko decided that it was enough tinkering and it was time to do something within the game. This would go on until the cause was found anyway; and he was not in any position to contact the developers, if those even exists at all in this game. And so, he decided to do the next best thing: to contact his commander Levi Pendragon about this problem.

"I am sure this will be a major problem if this goes unsolved. I have to hurry." With those words, he made an about-face and moved towards the direction of Finweald. He would need more ammunition while in this state anyway: all of his stockpiled ammunition for his gun was stored within his inventory, which he did not have access to due to the glitchy nature of his UI.

Rolls


Save
1d100 (54) + 0 = 54
Reflex | Darko Ljubicic | Noise: Glitched Navigation

 
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OOC
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reccyls
Langley deposited his third package of the night at the third house on his list, feeling particularly duped. Maybe the Astorea natives had gotten the idea that describing every old errand as a quest would mean that they'd be swarmed with hired help-- err, players who seemed to be attracted to anything questy like moths to a flame.

Well, count Langley among them. He fell for the "oh please, brave adventurer, I have an important quest I must see completed" pitch hook, line, and sinker.

It did give him some excuse to practice, at least. With his auto assist mode set to ON, Langley had started to experiment a little with shadow teleportation. It took a lot out of his energy bar, as he could see it depleting in chunks every time he pressed the 'Shadowstep' option on his menu. But he was slowly getting the hang of gliding from shadow to shadow while dropping off neatly wrapped parcels like a particularly sinister Santa Claus.

And that was when the world lit up in red.

"What in the world--" Like many of the other people in the street nearby, he stopped--half a step into the next shadow--to glance up at the beam of crimson light streaking through the sky. But that wasn't all: his menu suddenly started to flicker erratically, a horrendous staticky noise accompanying every wandering pixel. He winced, but looked up again as he heard evacuation orders start to echo down the streets.

No reason to be sticking around. Langley tried to move--

--and very quickly found out he couldn't. He could barely read the status of his assist mode, the text in his HUD was that distorted, but it vaguely resembled OFF more than it did ON. And... Langley's foot was still stuck in the shadow he'd been trying to travel to as if he were shin-deep in particularly viscous mud, and no amount of pulling would get it to budge.

"...Well. Not good."
 

Ilusa Nakhalee

❮ The King's Own ❯
B
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‘There is something wrong.’ This thought was a surety that Nakia, now she was Ilusa, felt as she logged into the ‘game’. The action, which normally was so smooth it was almost impossible to notice, a blink between one world and another, was different. She felt a sudden shortness of breath, a pressure like an incoming headache and most tellingly, spots danced in her vision.

And even as she blinked - it only got worse. The HUD was flickering, it was for lack of better words, glitching. Pixelated stripes of colours flickered in and out of the corner of her vision; bars of needs were corrupted, changing their positioning; even her HP bar spazzed lying about the state of her health, shrinking and chopping, turning yellow and red.

Mentally she cursed. Outwardly, her ears flickered and tail lashed out. It was a mess, people were panicking, people were worried.

It was only once she heard that the Guildhall was borrowed by the King, that Ilusa walked, okay, ran there. Tripping once as a glitch in hug made a streak of colour run over middle of it.
 
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He could feel it; he could feel it deep into his bones as he looked into the water. It was coming once again. War was coming to this place that he called home, and they were going to need someone better than the drunk for that, downing the rest of the bottle, that foul mixture strong enough to strip paint from wood before dropping into the grass. They would need someone better than he was for the noise on the wind, that feeling in the back of his neck that told him to be ready. So he did the only thing that a drunk could do he stripped down and walked into the freezing river until it covered him. Flowing over his head until he was almost out of air and could feel that burning in his chest, the pain from nearly drowning before he broke the surface of the water and started to scrub himself clean. The dirt came off in patches as he worked over his skin, removing weeks of cakes on filth from his body before he started to wash his cloak. His uniform was clean. It was always clean because even if the drunk drove the boat, the old soldier remembered what was demanded of him. So he cleaned both his body and his cloak, into they were back what he remembered. A worn look but a clean one, a sturdy one, one that was built on the idea of a much older person. He could see shades of that man in the water, but he was not back just yet.

Taking his knife to his face as he started to cut his beard, cutting away most of the growth that had come there over time, trimming it down until it hugged his face again, and tying his hair back so it wouldn't be in his face before he dragged himself from the river. His body was clean, and that was a start. Now he just needed to make sure he was ready, rolling out the pack and looking down at a uniform that he hadn't worn for what felt like years. He had worn it in the south when he patrolled the borders far and wide before losing himself to the drink. He looked down at the image wrapped up in winecloth to be kept safe, the light blue face that stared back at him before he shook his head. "I am glad you were not around to see the drunk." She might have been ashamed of him, but that was something to deal with another day as he started to get dressed. Pulling on his shirt and then his pant, snapping the boots on his feet as he began to look more and more like something to respect. It took him some time before he latched the cloak in place and picked up his longbow. And for the first time in a long time, the old ranger was back in action, not the wander drunk, not the quick shot. No, this was the best one, the one that stood on the wall of the south gate as it broke, the one that hunted men and demons for the crown, the man that made a name for himself by taking any job no matter the morals.


It was time to get back to work.
 
T

Toko

Guest





Although the hare had taken some time off to visit the local shrine and enjoy the New Year for the most part Toko had remained active within the game as the holiday season had rolled by. The dwindling number of players had caused a stalemate between Camp Hope IV and the Ruined Palace they seeked to retake, and as such the fighter had decided to focus her skills where they’d be most useful: defending whatever small progress their company had managed to gain against the magia.

She had just logged into the game but a half an hour before the first leyline crossed the sky, crimson eyes narrowing as the unusual display in the sky caused her skin to prickle in anticipation. What had followed were a series of explosions along with shouting and chaos, finally becoming aware of the glitched user interface by the complaints of another player.

The UI was finally enabled on her side, only to confirm with her own eyes as the buttons danced across the skin or quivered as their images distorted right before her eyes. "Tch... MIT’s gonna have their hands full with that one." Ears perked up as the request for a messenger came, no hesitation found on the hare as she waved the UI away from view before raising a hand to volunteer.

"Haaai, it's my turn on the wall anyways so I'll take the message across."


❰ Toko's PlaySheet ❱

REFLEX SAVE



Reflex | Toko | UI Noise

 
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Subparman




Somewhere in suburban Sydney, a plane from Tullamarine Airport touches down on the Kingsford arrivals airstrip, rolling into place to offload the domestic arrivals it carries. A fair few of these no doubt are students and (for some) their families, returning to Sydney from their summer holidays just in time for the new school and university year.

An hour or so later, Mylar Ouyang kicks open the door to his room. Throwing his duffel bag and backpack onto his table, he carelessly knocks aside a bunch of fortnight-old trash, groaning with relief as his shoulders ache a little less. Emptying his pockets of crumpled receipts, napkins bits and lint balls, Mylar then shrugs off his jacket and slings it haphazardly at the dresser at the foot of his bed, collapsing onto the sheets without even checking to see where it landed.

A short while of lying face-down and motionless in exhaustion, he sits up and pulls the water bottle out of the side of his backpack to chug half the bottle down in one go, slaps himself across the cheeks a few times and shakes off the post-travel fatigue. Though the rest of his family were taking a much-needed break right now, there were more important things to Mylar than sleep right now!

Ripping open a packet of potato chips stowed beneath the bed and stuffing a bunch into his mouth to sustain himself for his first session of Terrasphere in what had felt like forever, Mylar has no idea what awaits him beyond the login screen.



Ahh, I love winter in Terrasphere!


Enjoying a relaxing pest-extermination mission in the forests of Astorea, Schilva takes a brief break from cutting down the endless greenskin horde that plagued Western Brisshal to count his kills, scratching some dried goblin blood from his face.

Let's see here; two, four, six, eight...hmm, did I count that one twice? Oh, right-


Remembering that he had been collecting pairs of ears anyway to fulfil the bounty he'd taken, Schilva leans up against a tree to pop open his UI inventory and check the exact amount, reasoning that it'd be more accurate than his own reckoning. So practiced is the motion by now that the lack of response from the fizzling UI button registers on a delay.

Ehh? The hell...


Perhaps thankfully, Schilva scarcely notes the concurrent attacks being ordered upon the Starcalled of Terrasphere, too far from any major cities to hear the knell of destruction sounding across Astorea. What he does notice, quite apart from his UI almost actively dodging his attempts to access anything useful with its glitchiness, was:

Wha...?


As ley lightning arcs and lights the skies with the hue of Szofrit's wrath, the realisation dawns upon Schilva. He may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but even he can tell from the direction of the leylines' arc that the Magia threat had finally come to a head.

Dropping the task at hand and rushing towards the Dragonhead that he had known all too well, Schilva's breath shines silver-pink under the ominous leyline light, bright as day.

Guess it's happening now...I gotta get there quick, otherwise everyone else is going to...

Everyone else is going to get the good loot!


Oh, but he does not know. He does not know at all.

Rolls


Save
1d100 (10) + 20 + 5 = 35 (FAIL - Schilva is STUCK)

Reflex | Schilva Flasch | NOISE


 
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