Discontinued Private Western Brisshal Skeleton Ball

[Fina Drago]

Ever since her adventures in the Red Fever event, Fina has become much more adventurous. Finally, venturing past the zone she has started in, the world of Terrasphere has opened up for her. That said, she was still on the cautious side, often making sure she didn't go anywhere that harbored monsters that could easily overpower her. And so, she was visiting the western side of Brisshal, the starting zone. Not without purpose, either. The parcel in her hands was to be delivered to a specific location as part of a commission. With the map in the other hand, the girl was already almost there, too.

'If you see a skeleton minding its own business, you know you're there. Be not afraid. They won't attack unless provoked…' She repeated what she was told when taking the commission, still a bit unsure about the whole thing. As far as she knew, undead were not exactly a type of mob supposed to spawn in these woods, so what was that about?

She didn't have to ponder too long, as the sound of rattling of bones got carried to her ears by the mild breeze. Steeling herself for what might have awaited her ahead, the girl picked up her pace until she found herself in front of what appeared to be a camp of some kind—definitely the location she was supposed to deliver the parcel to, then.

@Lucia Mierz

 

[Lucia Mierz]

The pathway to her camp was sparse but well beaten, many, dozens, hundreds of feet had no doubt traversed it over time even just in the short time since the game had been restarted. There would be an occasional skeleton lurking, here or there, performing some odd end or task that might seem peculiar to a normal person. Whether they were picking reeds and weaving them into baskets or chopping lumber and wood for projects or crafts. They were bizarrely industrious rather then combative and violent and if left alone they would be largely oblivious to most things.

As Fina got closer and closer to the camp though, she'd find skeletons becoming more and more common place. What was perhaps a skeleton here or there had become groups of three or four wandering in units. As she advanced further even she might notice odd ends different from the casual workers that instead resembled paladin knights in black armor with a peculiar crest fashioned somewhere along the metal suits ad different places. Though each time they appeared, the soldiers merely cast a glance at Fina, before realizing she was a traveler and continuing on without much worry or concern.

Only when she came to the camp sight in question would she see everything coming together. A large clearing with a wide noble tent at the back, clearly meant for some type of wealthy individual. Throughout the camp there were groups of soldiers dueling and training, there were workers repairing weapons and armor. There were even what could only be assumed to be medical skeletons sifting through piles of bone for replacements for those who were too broken to continue. Among the undead though, one stood out in particular, a floating specter, cloaked in a long gentleman's coat with a fashionable hat. Though he had no skin or hair to speak of his face instead was covered by a porcelain mask with no eyes or mouth showing. The specter lacked any legs, instead floating like a ghost where they stood sifting through pages of a small notebook.

It wasn't until Fina entered the clearing that the figure would turn it's shrouded head towards her. Taking a brief pause before closing his notebook and folding his hands behind his back. "Dear Miss, it would seem the books have arrived." The Wraith floated to one side subserviently. In reaction, rustling could be heard from the tent before Lucia finally exited. Raven black hair slightly messed from what was probably a nap, Lucia ran her fingers through it a few times as she welcomed Fina with a charming smile. "Are those books from Astorea then?" She asked, kind in her demeanor at least.

@Fina Drago

 

[Fina Drago]

The further Fina continued, the more she felt as if she had somehow accidentally set foot into the end-game area. However, there was nothing reinforcing that feeling except the aesthetic of undeath. Not interested in picking a fight, the feline left all of the skeletons alone and was left alone in return. None of them even looked at her remotely threateningly, as if this was settlement like any other. Well, perhaps it was?

Past the guards, the girl found herself in the center of the camp and soon to be in front of a rather fancy-looking tent. The wraith approaching her did make her take a small step back and clutch the package a bit tighter, her ears and tail both drooping slightly, but that quickly faded when a human(?) emerged. "O-oh, um… I don't know if it's books that are inside, but the package is from Astorea, yeah!" Lifting the parcel, it really was just a square package wrapped in several layers of brown and white-colored cloth. Fina was just a messenger, and she didn't want to fail a quest by taking a peek at what was inside.

She paused for a moment while handing the item over as her golden eyes observed the woman clad in black. The curiosity didn't want to let go, and everything here was friendly so far… so why not take the risk and just ask? "Um, excuse me… are you an NP—err, I mean… what was it… a lander?" She figured that this whole encampment was something put here by the mysterious developers. Still, the fact that she heard nothing about undead creatures in Brisshal made her curious if this was actually a player's work. And if so, just how much further along the progression line were they compared to Fina herself?

@Lucia Mierz

 

[Lucia Mierz]

"It's books." Lucia clarified, it was usually what people ended up bringing her from the city at least. Though there were possibly chances it was something weird from a stranger who didn't know her to get her attention but at the same time she had an open door policy so she couldn't imagine why someone would. Receiving the package, Lucia made a soft gesture to consider the quest closed without a second thought once she was sure it was what she'd requested. Reading material was important for Lucia, it made her stronger then fighting monsters at this point.

Of course at the question of whether or not she was a Lander, Lucia chuckled, a charming smile on her face as she lifted a hand to gently place it on the girl's head. Using a soft hand to pet her and stroke her behind the ears Lucia tried to be encouraging and supportive. "You can see that if you try right?" She asked, since Fina didn't used investigation mode to tell her identity. To Lucia though it didn't matter so much, with a smile she'd just explain if Fina didn't want to use the UI. "But no, I'm not an NPC here, I'm a player just like you." She explained with a small nod, though if Fina was confused about the nature of the undead or her camp, Lucia would crane her neck wondering where to begin with an explanation.

"I suppose you could say the game supports all kinds of play. For some this would be a nice MMO, but for me, I have fun playing it like an RTS. Building things, organizing a faction, militarizing and watching workers go about their tasks. It's fun right?" She offered as if it were a great hobby and interesting adventure. She enjoyed watching the AI work and her subordinates shuffle about busily. Even the Wraith King once again retrieved his notebook when he decided he was unneeded and returned to his task of organizing the lower level undead.

@Fina Drago

 

[Fina Drago]

Books weren't particularly exciting. Sure, books, in general, were a good thing. They often contained many interesting things that could expand one's understanding of just about anything. But in a fantasy world with seemingly no limits, books were indeed a bit of a boring option. Not to mention that Fina couldn't imagine what sort of person would log into an MMO to read books, of all things. Unless they were connected to something the dark-clad necromancer wanted to achieve in the game itself.

She was also indeed a player, confirmed by herself. And the kind of player that was not afraid to do something like pat another person on the head and scratch them behind the ears. "Hnn—" Yet another person that managed to find one of the many spots that felt like pure pleasure centers for the feline. Her body tensed up a bit, tail raising into the air, eyes closing, mouth curling up. When the girl was making her avatar, she would not have ever imagined that others would be capable of turning her into an actual domesticated kitten by doing so little.

That said, there was no way she could get lost in such a sensation when the two of them were having a conversation. Slipping away from the woman's touch, Fina took a step back and coughed into her fist. "Ehm… RTS, huh? I can't really imagine how that might be since my abilities don't allow for anything of the sort. No MMO I know of is compatible with that kind of playstyle, though." It sounded a bit strange. To each their own, but trying to play an MMO like a completely different genre of a game was simply bizarre.

@Lucia Mierz

 

[Lucia Mierz]

Tilting her head, seeing Fina's confusion on her face, Lucia only shook her head in answer, there was value in most things in the game, if not there'd be no point right? Things were usually always interconnected and had a great many values if one gave them the chance. "When making subordinates, it's best to have good materials. Knowing where to find them requires at least some knowledge of history if I want the good quality parts." Lucia explained. History of battles, of hero burials, all sorts of information was valuable for Lucia and since she could level in relaxation there was no need for her to waste time going out and hunting for herself.

Her thoughts on it though made Lucia chuckle, it wasn't the first time someone found her methods and actions peculiar. "I think it's fine. Anyone with summoning and a proper pairing mastery would be capable of it I'm sure. I just happen to be very clever with the use of my Masteries in creating the undead. In this game, a lot of things are possible, most people just don't tend to explore them." She offered with a gentle hand gesture trying to be a good influence.

Though naturally if she still seemed confused or unaware of what Lucia meant, Lucia would exhale and run fingers through her hair again wondering if Fina would listen to or write off her lecture. "Most people just tend to use their masteries one at a time: Crushing to swing hammer, Pyro to throw fire ball, Aero for lightning strike. And that's all they'll do... But why can't someone swing a flaming hammer, or create explosions with those masteries? People don't really try to blend or practice their masteries, nobody tries to build a 'style' they just 'use everything'." Lucia complained with a dissatisfied exhale as if disappointed in people for not exploring their skills further then the surface.

@Fina Drago

 

[Fina Drago]

"I-I see." The girl simply answered in kind after the explanation. 'So she can't just summon undead out of nowhere and has to go find real bodies or… material, if she wants to have strong summons? Sounds rough.' Suddenly, the feline felt a little bit better about her choice of masteries if some of the other ones required that much maintenance. Sure, it gave the players something to do, but if one had limited time to play, such things would quickly get annoying and cumbersome.

Then the conversation shifted over to the mechanic of masteries. This person, whoever they were, was quite talkative. Fina didn't mind; she just hadn't expected to have a chat with the person she was delivering a package to. Perhaps they were lonely out here, surrounded by nothing but their own summons? It wasn't like the feline had much else to do, so she figured she'd humor and woman. "Oh, I get that. I just didn't expect a player to try and play the game as something other than… uh… first-person action role-play?" Honestly, she wasn't even sure what this game was at this point. "Bah, nevermind that. I understand that some people just don't have much creativity and forgo even the most simple of interactions, but there does seem to be some combinations that just don't work together that creatively."

A good example of that was she herself. "I think I screwed myself a bit by picking arcanamancy and then just various weapon masteries. Sure, I can create just about anything and wield it like a champ, even at the same time, but that's about it. All other interaction is mostly passive." Crush weapons allowed her other weapons to be stronger, and piercing mastery made all other weapons faster, and so on. But she sure couldn't set her astral weapons ablaze or make them shoot out lightning.

@Lucia Mierz

 

[Lucia Mierz]

Lucia chuckled, for some the fast paced action RPG was probably exciting, for Lucia it had been at first too. After dying and being melted to death though her perspective changed slightly, it was safer to guide a hundred troops then to try and be a hundred strong. "I encourage people to play however makes them happy, but I will advise dear, that that first person action roleplay experience is a dangerous one. In this game your deaths don't effect your experience, but your own life, so do be careful." Lucia offered in hopes that Fina wouldn't be flippant with her life. After Ezra died in reality and got stuck in the game, Lucia knew the true terrors of the experience.

The girl's perspective on her own build made Lucia roll her head in thought. Certainly it seemed like a bad choice from the onset but it wasn't one that was impossible, particularly with arcanamancy. "There's a way to blend them if you want." Lucia offered. If that perked Fina up to listen, Lucia would continue to speak while rubbing her chin with a musing tone. "It's possible. You just need a weapon that can combine all of those skills. Something like wielding a Grafted blade or a Heavy Glaive or halberd. With arcanamancy you can dual wield or even wield a staff or wand that you build the weapon around so it can be customizable. From there, so long as you have a Mastery like Mend you could even use it to heal people." Lucia offered with a small nod.

@Fina Drago

 

[Fina Drago]

"Oh, I'm plenty aware of death's consequences here. No need to worry about me; I'm as careful as one can be." At least she was most of the time. Taking risks, unfortunately, seemed necessary if one wanted to experience everything this game had to offer. Of course, the same could be said about the physical world outside of the game. Even getting out of the bed in the morning posed certain risks. Or staying in it, for that matter. Life in itself was a hazard, and sometimes that had to be accepted.

She also appreciated the fact that the other woman was trying to give out advice. Sure, it wasn't anything groundbreaking, but that had to be expected for ideas that one came up with on the spot. "Yeah, I did try creating objects that were mixes of different weapons. Some stuff is just too complex for me, though. Maybe it'll become easier once I get my mastery to a high-enough rank." That seemed to be how this game operated, at least. Maybe the problem was actually Fina's imagination and the lack thereof.

"Also, um…" And while this conversation was nice and all, there was just a little something the feline wanted to address, though she took a moment to figure out how to go about it not to sound mighty rude. "Talking out here while standing… isn't the most comfortable." An unspoken suggestion to maybe be invited inside where they could sit down and talk in peace. "And I don't believe we introduced ourselves? I'm Fina. Fina Drago."

@Lucia Mierz

 

[Lucia Mierz]

With a soft sigh, Lucia nodded along, slightly worried the girl didn't completely understand how risky certain events and bosses might be, but let it go. There was nothing she could do if people wanted to experience that side as well, they'd see the horror in the reality first hand when they started experiencing the hallucinations. "Well, do endeavor to stay safe then." She would offer, almost a final warning or consolation with a bitter smile.

Hearing her comment on the nature of the game and testing though, particularly when she mentioned it was uncomfortable to talk in the middle of the camp, Lucia's expression softened. "Well, I suppose if you'd like me to show you around I wouldn't mind. It's good you're experimenting though, experimentation is important." She offered kindly before a gentle hand once more reached out to her head gently scratching behind the ears with a coy expression. "I'm Lucia Mierz, it's a pleasure to meet you dear, come, if you want to be comfortable I can set up a place for us I suppose where we can talk about that sort of thing in greater detail." With a musing expression, Lucia would try to softly guide the girl in towards the camp while petting her head as if it were normally. Without hesitation she'd try to help the poor girl out stranger or no.

@Fina Drago

 

[Fina Drago]

It was nice that people in this world cared for each other. She saw that much when participating in events alongside larger groups of people. No one was to be left behind to die. The presence of people who were clearly quite powerful by themselves, just like this lady, was also reassuring in itself.

There was probably nothing Fina would have to fear in this camp, so now that she was here, why not accept the invitation. After all, she was the one who initiated the request. "Y-yes, if you would have me. I really didn't expect to find something like this here. It's pretty interesting." Along with the introductions, the girl also offered a slight bow. "The pleasure is mine."

Though it would appear that her position was exploited a tiny bit as Lucia's hand once again landed on Fina's head and started attacking those weak spots behind her ears. "Hnn-mm—" A blush crept across the feline's face, but she figured that fighting it would probably be pointless. Instead choosing to do her best and endure it, she was almost led around like a puppet with that hand on her head.

@Lucia Mierz