Complete ✪ Finweald TOWER OF TESTS

[Askera Question]

AN OPEN DOOR FOR ANY WHO WOULD ENTER...

The MIT has a suite of research divisions that are trusted and well-funded. There were also suites for newer divisions, those were were interested in the act of learning but had yet to build accreditation with the MIT. These were naturally less-maintained, but eyes still kept careful watch on it. Not only did promising youths appear in these fields, but so did the strangest of disasters that needed to be dealt with quickly.

Today a testing room was assigned to one single man in particular. He proved himself at least worthy to continue his research in the safe confines of a stone workshop. There are many things that he needs to test. Everything in this room is done for the sake of knowledge.

You will be helping him. With pay, of course.

AT THE TOP OF THE TOWER, THERE IS TESTING TO DO. ​

TOWER OF TESTS

Welcome to this simple open thread. This is an episodic adventure that anybody and everybody is welcome to partake in. You may post on every cycle of notes, or you may only post for one test and be done. It is up to you how much you want to participate. Think of these logs as writing prompts for you to use.

How this will work:
Askera will be writing a first-person experiment report. It will describe what the experiment was about, the result and some things that happened during the time of the experiment.

Your posts are in third person present time as normal. It happens during the experiment that was detailed during the log. As Askera's assistant, your character will be helping him perform the experiment in any way you see fit. What Askera does to interact your character is vaguely up to you, so long as it remains within the boundaries of the experiment that happened. It is your job to ensure the experiment goes smoothly. It is also your job to conveniently forget to tell the MIT that it may or may not have involved forbidden magicks.

Additionally, there will be a roll with each log. This roll is here to introduce how much chaos was involved with the experiment. A 100 was a peaceful and productive time, if not an outstanding one, while a 1... had complications that Askera conveniently forgot to place in his after-action report.

With your help, we will create the in-game Wikipedia of our dreams. Nobody will be lost in Brishall after reading our works!​

 

[Askera Question]

Entry 1: The Open Door

This presentation was written by intern Askera Question.

This is the first of my entries. As you know, I am a novice allowed to research-I am not an official researching body of the MIT. I am under careful scrutiny to ensure that whatever mistakes I make will not grow into serious issues. I am 'on interview', as some would say. I intend to make the most of my time here.​

​

Our first test will begin with the construction of a product. I have had this little gadget in the making since my beginnings as a Traveler. It was a method to water plants, as I was curious about a quest to help a farmer grow their crops. I made a sprinkler system of sorts. Using simple modifications, the intent is to find more uses for common game items such as Basic Healing Potions, so as to see whether I can reach the creative limits of something as simple as a healing potion in such little depth. The objective is to create a deployable that sprays healing mist.​

​

---

Spoiler: Roll for Deviance

THE ROLL RESULT IS 92. It's not a bad day today.

---

Result 1: The denser liquid did not want to play with the pipes of the spraying device. Nothing came out.​

​

Result 2: I ended up creating a pressurized jet. It created bruising, and then immediately after cured it.​

​

Result 3: The experiment was a partial success. It doesn't create a mist, but it does create a showering sprinkle of rain that heals wounds on contact. The efficiency is about a third of that of drinking the potion-it mainly works on external injuries, and only heals wounds that it falls upon. Thus, a large portion of the sprinkling is wasted.​

 

[Yugam]

Per Aspera

Ad Astra

Entry 1, Result 2

A chance to acquaint himself with a new faction, and earn some gold to boot? Yeah, Yu wasn't about to pass up that chance. Besides, maybe he could ask Askera about that weird red thread around his wrist. Yugam figured that other players probably had more knowledge about some of the more obscure mechanics of the game than he did.

The young man was a little surprised when he realized he was the first to appear and offer his assistance, but hey, more shinies for him.

It wasn't much longer before Yu was standing downrange of what could only be described as a shooting range, in nothing but his underwear, and his hands cupping his family jewels protectively, casting a concerned look over to the researcher who was fiddling with a large hose, doing the final checks on the equipment. "Uh, you're sure that thing's safe?" the man asked with a note of nervousness in his voice as he stood there, quite literally a living target for the experiment.

It was some kind of pressurized hose, designed to spray its targets with healing elixir. Or at least that's what the researcher had made it sound like. The device itself looked almost exactly like a fire-hose, save for the fact that instead of being hooked up to a fire hydrant, it was attached to a clear glass tank of what was presumably the aforementioned healing elixir.

"I've seen what high pressure water can do to things, and I don't really fancy-" Yu was cut off as the hose's unbridled power was unleashed, bright green liquid rocketing at him before he could even scream, impacting his body with so much force he somersaulted backwards through the air, slamming into the wall several feet behind him.

The torrent if healing elixir was quickly shut off, and Yu let out a low groan of pain, his pain limiter at such a low level he might as well have just turned it off. The man's body slowly peeled off the stone wall like a sticker, until he faceplanted onto the ground below with a thud.

And then he popped up with a wide grin on his face. "Wooh! Ok, that felt good!" the man exclaimed, feeling more rejuvenated now than he had in literal years. "I'd call that a success!" If the goal was to weaponize healing potions, then yes, that was a success...

 

[Toko]

.
.

Entry 1, Result 2

There was one particular request pinned to the Guild's board that had been... interesting.

The MIT faction hadn't been one to catch Toko's eye in the beginning, not really interested in the whole reading and writing of research papers or being stuck in a lab or library for hours and hours on end. As far as Nao was concerned she had done more than enough studying in the real world to last her a life time if not more, and Toko was not an avatar for her to relive high school and college days.

Being part of experiments, however, well... that did pique the Lepus' curiosity, enough so that she had found herself in the stone workshop assigned to one particular Askera Question researcher.

"Uwaaah... this place surely has a special aesthetic of its own."

She had not followed along to the full explanation of the experiment thus far, the more scientific mumbo jumbo not one Toko honestly cared about, however the overall concept Toko had managed to grasp. "So an ai-oh-ee sprinkler potion, huh? That could be useful out on the field... if it actually works properly, of course." That's actually where the Lepus came in, her job was to stand there and look pretty as she pretended to be a target that actually required some healing.

By now the once giant cannister and hose had been reduced to a spherical device with a tip on the top... perhaps still a bit too big to be carried around by Landers, but surely not an issue for Travelers that still had access to the UI and spatial storage. Toko figured once the device was properly completed then the researcher would focus on making it more portable... if that as their goal, of course.

"Haaai, I'm ready!"

She was onyl afforded a small warning before the object was rolled in her direction like a slow bowling ball, red eyes peering at it curiously as it got closer and closer until it finally came to a stop. For a moment nothing seemed to happen, and the fear of the piping having become clogged once more was considered... until out of nowhere a pressurized jet stream was ejected from the nozzle.

It caught Toko off-guard for a moment, the Lepus skidding back a few feet, before she instinctively slammed her feet onto the stone floor and manipulated the material with her mastery. The substance rose, helping anchor the rabbitfolk in place, while Toko's forearms were lifted and allowed to take the brunt of the blast until all the liquid had been (properly?) ejected.

"Itai—oh...? Ne ne, Researcher-san, look!"

The initial sting as her skin bruised from the force the liquid carried was suddenly numbed over, a confused look crossing Toko's face before she twisted her arms to get a better look at the sight of impact... and was surprised to see the wounds already healing! Excitedly she rushed over to show Askera, just in time before the last few bruises completely disappeared.

While the object still had some tuning left to go it cold still be consider a success... so long as the targets could withstand the force of the healing jet steam, of course.

 

[Brutus Dahlgren]

Entry One, Result 1

Brutus stared at the man, then the disk, and then the man again. "Alright, I need to throw this and it should spray out some liquid?" The man nodded, silently scribbling down notes and jotting down various variables for the current scenario. Room temperature, atmospheric pressure, Brutus' resting heart rate, his resting heart rate, if there was a snowballs chance in hell it could effect the outcome it was being jotted down. Brutus cracked his neck, did a couple stretches, and then took the frisbee like design and gave it a whirl, letting it soar through the air gracefully before it landed at the designated landing spot. He could hear the click of the device engaging, the whirring of the pump as it tried to push liquid through and then...

Nothing.

Brutus frowned, turning to the man and raising an eyebrow. The man was silent as he continued to jot his notes down, hemming and hawing as he went about his work. Brutus would walk over to the thing and pick it up, giving it a light shake. "Hey Doc, I don't think it worked." He would give the pipes a few flicks, a loud THUNK alerting him to the liquid in the pipes being present, but he couldn't hear it flowing. "Not sure you pump is strong enough to move it."

 

[Askera Question]

ENTRY 2: FLAMEL'S SCORN

This report was written by intern Askera Question.

Ever since I was a child, I've wondered what alchemy could do if it was real. Would it be like the olden stories, in which life could be found inside of a wishing stone? Could it be like the story I once read of the Fullmetal Alchemist when I was younger? (Clarifying note for reviewers: This is the name of a work of fiction from the Starcalled realm.)​

​

Was it dangerous, or was it safe? More importantly, what could it do? How far could it go?​

​

That was not what we are to be testing today. As you may know, I am a novice who is merely allowed to research. I would never step on the toes of my respectable superiors if I could help it. I am already grateful to be allowed my own chosen time of work without need to wait for my superior to leave the tower.​

​

Our goal today is to convert antimony, copper, tin and silver into a singular Lead-like substance using flash methods brought forth by reactions that I have detailed in the third paper of this dossier. The test subjects are not to interact with the smelting chamber. They are only to take out the product and confirm that the test was a success or deviation from the intended result.​

Additionally, I have been given a cube of silver-like substance called 'mithril' to use in this experiment. How fantastical this world is. Details regarding the results of 'mithril' will be elaborated on in the fifth paper of this dossier.​

​

---

Spoiler: Roll for Deviance

Result of 9. There are many strange occurrences that have been detailed in further pages-pages that are not this one. These events are not detailed in the overview log, yet they happened all the same. Consider this when making your post.

---

Result 1: Result of a substance dissimilar to Lead in all but the chalky property. It bears more resemblance and properties to densely packed coal.

Result 2: Result ended in a substance that remained in liquid state at room temperature. The color, and consistency is most similar to that of Mercury. Notably, it does not contain the high volume of toxicity to the human body that quicksilver does.

Result 3: Attempted incorporating 'mithril' to the experiment in an attempt to recreate a liquid similar to Result 2 in hopes of creating a liquid with similar properties to 'mithril'. The resulting experiment was animate, displaying notable sapience (no sentience or higher reasoning was recorded) and impressive ability to interact with the environment around it. More details are outlined in the seventh page of this dossier.

Result 4: Result ended in material similar to Lead. This experiment is considered a success after three successful attempts were made.

Result 5: Incorporating 'mithril', I have recreated a small usable amount of substance that has similar strength and pressure limitation to that of common Tungsten. I would not personally pursue this, as the expenditure of resources is hardly worth the resulting product.

 

[Brutus Dahlgren]

Entry 2, Result Three

Brutus stared at the silvery liquid that seemed to be...dancing in the small petri dish set before him. The goal was to make lead, but this was...not lead. In fact, he was tempted to say that Askera had made some form of strange...slime adjacent creature. He squat down low and peered at the silvery liquid that immediately ceased it's dancing and turned to "look" at the giant. Curious, Brutus held one finger up and waved it back and forth, waving so to speak with his index finger.

The silvery slime mimicked the motion, mirroring his motions before bouncing up and down. Clearly this would need some further investigation.

---

"Argent" has Brutus had taken to calling him, was quite the dancer and seemed to like music. He'd spent a bit of the coin he'd received as compensation for the quest in order to hire a bard, he was slaying it on the flute. The silvery creature was going nutty, wiggling and wobbling with gusto. Brutus had taught the creature several dance moves such as "The Stanky Leg" or "The Running Man" with a great amount of ease. He'd even learned how to "Wobble" with great ease. When the experiment was labeled "over" and a "failure to accomplish what was desired." Brutus found himself leaving quite disappointed to be separated from his new friend.

 

[Toko]

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.

Entry 2, Result 2

"Ohayoo, Shitsumon-sensee~"

She was back again at the stone workshop turned lab for a particular human and his experiments, the Lepus calling out brightly as she stepped in—seemingly unaware if her loud greeting disrupted Askera or not. Eventually he had gone over the plans for the day and, after some thinking, the rabbitfolk had suggested a surprisingly interesting idea for one not scientifically inclined as Toko.

"Haaai, junbi ookeeei~"

That's how Toko had found herself standing closer than anyone normally would to an open furnace as it blasted the mix to extremely high temperatures, a questionable practice that probably broke quite a few safety regulations too... not that Toko seemed aware about any of that.

OSHA who? Never heard of them...

Granted some precautions had been taken so the rabbitfolk wasn't burnt by the heat exposure, her body covered in a layer of flexible bark that was then covered by a layer of muddy earth and gravel—a burrito of nature one could say—and the fact this actually seemed to work (don't try this at home, kiddos... or do, but don't blame me for what happens then~) was probably more to dumb luck or magical mechanics in the game than feasible reality.

After some arduous moments, the Lepus stretching out the limits of her focus in magic today, she had managed two things: remove any non-metal earthen impurities from the mixture through the use of Geomancy and pull all the metals together afterward in the mixture as the gravity effects of Astramancy allowed the Lepus to swirl them while they continued to be blazed to higher and higher temperatures.

The result turned out to be quite the interesting substance, a metal that stayed in liquid form even at room temperature—much like the mercury found in thermometers in Toko's real world—but that apparent lacked the expected toxicity of actual mercury. Needless to say Askera had been quite interested at the results and, after being paid, the Lepus had been promptly dismissed so he could focus on the next step.

 

[Yugam]

Per Aspera

Ad Astra

Entry 1, Result 1

"Mornin'," Yugam greeted the researcher as he entered the stone tower, hands in his pockets. "So, what's on the docket today?" Listening attentively as the man explained what they'd be doing, or more precisely what he need Yu to do, the man couldn't help but feel some small measure of relief as he found that he would, in fact, not be used as a human target. "Just pull out whatever is made in the chamber? Alright, sure I can do that," the man said, casting his gaze over to the kiln like construct, already alight and cherry red as it did it's thing. All there was to do now was to wait.

Yu stood against the nearby wall, gently leaning against it as he jotted down some notes in his little journal. Mostly just about the day thus far. Which had really just been walking over to the tower...so...not much to say. Flipping through the other pages, he reminded himself that Terrasphere had so far been an interesting game, and decided to add a couple of notes about the pain limiters, before the kiln dinged that it was done. "Hey, it's ready," Yu informed the researcher, before pulling on a pair of thick gloves to open the furnace. Inside, the chamber was still glowing white, and in it's center sat an equally white-hot glowing mass. Grabbing the pair of iron tongs, Yu reached in and grabbed the mass, carefully pulling it out.

"Geez, this thing is heavier than it looks..." the man commented as he pulled the substance into open air. "Uh, I don't think this is lead," Yu said as the mass began to flake and crumble around where the tongs firmly grasped it, until it suddenly fell away, striking the ground and sending molten flakes into the air. "Ah! Shit, fuck!" Yu cried out as he swept away and smothered the stray hot substances. "Uh, do you have anymore of that healing elixir?" he asked, looking at the still smoking holes in his coat.

 

[Askera Question]

ENTRY 3: SHADE OF GREY

This report was written by Freshman Researcher Askera Question.​

​

As of the last experiment, I was taken aside and given a talk to. It seems that one of the magics I have at my hands is one that is forbidden to the people-a dark art that the Astoreans do not appreciate. Some have advocated for me, stipulating that I had little idea of what I was getting myself into when I selected this Mastery 'for the stats'.​

​

I am on stern warning. One would think that this would mean the forbiddance of the art, but the truth is quite the opposite-I am to test the applications of Dark Magic, and in turn I will not be handed over to the Astorean government for carrying a seed of darkness.​

​

My opinions on the matter will be withheld for this report as they are irrelevant.​

​

This is my first experiment with Dark Magic. I had initially ceased the use of it after my first attempt, noting the discomfort it brought to me simply to use-but the orders to test are there, and with them have come some interesting questions to my mind.​

​

I am experimenting the use of dark energy to power technology I have already made. The test will involve the recording of the efficiency of power-to-result ratios in comparison to my usual power source of carbon combustion. I will also be recording the side-effects of use, some of which are detailed in the third page of this dossier.​

---

Spoiler: Roll for Deviance

The result is 59. There has been a side effect recorded during testing as noted above.

---

Result 1: This test involves the use of my gadget that was created to spray a restorative substance (refer to Entry 1 in my records). I was able to make the device more compact, using raw dark power from my 'energy' bar as a catalyst to simulate the pressure required to eject the spray. I consider this test to be a success.

Result 2: I have used a sacrifice of my own blood to power my handmade furnace (refer to Entry 2 in my records). Resulting smelted alloys have a tendency to 'pulsate' in a manner detailed within the second page of this dossier. I believe that this is a plausible avenue of work, but as it stands I believe that it requires further work.

Result 3: I have been given access to scriptures that are apparently considered forbidden to read, as the words invoke curses of varying varieties. After a night's research into the manner of curses available to me, I attempted to use a curse of combustion as a triggerable fuel source for the smelter detailed in Result 2. I ensured that all laying of curses happened before any other lab participants entered the room for safety purposes. Results inconclusive-I can't make it burn in a stable manner yet.

Result 4: Using the combustion curse and a capsule of controlled tetranitromethane, I have created land mines. I did not recruit assistants to participate in this test-only to watch by my side behind a secure polymer viewing barrier so as to see whether the detonation of these mines caused any side-effects to nearby life. Results inconclusive.

 

[Lucia Mierz]

Entry 3 Result 2

It was an exciting experience whenever she got to share knowledge and teach people about dark magic and those types of topics. Upon arriving at the place of work though, Lucia perked a brow when discussion seemed to lean towards the condemnation of dark magic and it's eerie nature. She hoped at least to clear up any misunderstanding regarding the dark magic. "Dark magic feeds on and is fueled by dark emotion and negativity. Because of it's volatile nature, I understand people being weary of it but if I can assert my own experience, It's not much different from flame and gasoline, if there's a lot of gas, it'll rage and grow out of control but if properly focused and maintained it can be a valuable resource like any other." She tried to explain her own outlook. She'd used Dark magic since the game began after all, it was the oldest Mastery she had in her repertoire after all. "I have some reading material, on using Vices as fuel, but my own personal sin 'Envy' is the one I've the most experience in. Here are some materials on common vices-- these are related to the 7 deadly sins *Papers rustling* Hm, these scrolls are more Eastern concepts if 'Yin energy'." Lucia mused sifting through what resources she had on hand.

---

While Askera worked through some of her offered restricted material and personal works, Lucia would answer what questions he might have about a dark magic system. Though the deeper they got into research and Q&A Lucia struggled a bit with discomfort of being far from home. If Askera tried to offer her a drink or snack to placate her, she'd shake her head in thought. "No, perhaps having more hands would do well to make this easier on us. Mortimer--" She called, turning to one side only for one of her subordinates to appear in a flicker, as if one frame there was nothing, and in the next frame a figure had appeared where none was before. Dressed in a gentleman's coat with a porcelain mask over his face and an elegant hat. He would appear almost noble if it weren't for the fact that the familiar had no legs or skin to speak of, instead it was just a blackened figure wearing clothe sand a mask that released a black vapor from it's waist to float that quickly and harmlessly dispersed. "--maybe some tea, or some coffee." She'd pose the question.

The Wraith King would merely give a nod of acquiescence. With that same unnatural speed, the Wraith seemed to procure items and equipment from the aether, setting down tea cups, an small oil burner with a kettle. Once preparations for drinks were prepared, the Wraith would even begin using a handle-less blade to carve an occasional fruit with skill. If Askera seemed perturbed by his presence, the Wraith would be the first to try and settle his concerns. "If my presence is at all off putting do be at ease good sir, I've been in the miss's service for quite a long time without issue. So long as we stay out of the eyes of those who would damn me as an evil existence I suppose." If Askera were curious about the type of tea, the Wraith King would set down slices of fruit and even small wedges of cheese as he answered. "Something of a personal pet project you could say. We've, as in me and my peers in the miss's service, have been endeavoring to create cultural products that are unique to us. Please--" The Wraith offered Askera a cup before folding his arms behind his back.

Of course during the brief break, Lucia didn't stop working as she poured over array patterns. If he wanted to try and use dark magic as fuel there would have to be some sort of array or pattern, a curse mark you could say. "To not have an array pattern would make the work difficult. You could just saturate an item with dark magic to produce a simple curse, but then it may burn out over time or too brightly. You won't really get a consistent result without an array to steadily draw in negativity in appropriate amounts. If you just pour curses into something, it'll be like a run away flame just accepting any gasoline or dry matter that comes close to burn more fiercely." Lucia offered before shaking her head and presenting a few designs in thought. They weren't perfected, she wasn't one for immolation or combustion curses after all but worked more with poisons and disease. "We'd need a pattern or mark that could create a consistent flame... I'm not as familiar with fire magic though." Lucia mused rubbing her temples.

---

During testing phases, Lucia watched each of their attempts burst into fire and flames, most were rather volatile, after the first or second explosion, Lucia didn't want any more unnecessary risks. "Sylvanas... can we at least keep the flames from reaching out from the furnace?" She complained, quickly more figures joined them. In particular, an armored knight with elven features. Though her skin was grey and eyes bright red without pupils it was clear she wasn't among the living either. "Saintess, the fuel source should be more fire resistant, at this rate you're just building more and more consistent explosives." The knight complained after sweeping away the latest trial run with a sweep of the arm and the wave of aura that followed. "No, it must be an issue with the array. Cursed trees can burn forever without falling, combustion might have been a poor direction to begin as the ignition phase is hard to manage-- who knows how much negativity might seep into the array between activation periods." She murmured worried about the idle time providing too much fuel.

"You'd be better off using an array similar to the one on Morgana that keeps her moist." Sylvanas threw out off-handedly, but Lucia rubbed her neck trying to decide on the potential the answer had. At the end of the day Askera would be the one leading the project after all, if he wanted combustion to ignite the furnace offering an alternative might just be a waste of time. "Perhaps we should try immolation after all. The material will have to be sturdier though, I'm not aware of the burning tree legend's curse after all, but the immolation of monks and priests is a slow torture technique. We'll need something that won't disintegrate or will at least have decent mileage for forging." She complained, whatever the man wanted to go with she'd give a shot. Either way the work was satisfying when it game to a head, Lucia would accept her pay with a charming smile, and turn to leave with her pair of subordinates not far behind.

 

[Yugam]

Per Aspera

Ad Astra

"So you wanna use blood and dark, forbidden magic...to make less chalky lead?" Yu said, repeating Askera's direction in less than verbatim. "Isn't that a little...I mean, ok I guess. You're the boss," he amended with a shrug.

Once again, the kiln-like furnace was set up in the room, just like last time, and as Askera made the necessary preparation, Yugam stepped up to table, examining the materials as the researcher mixed them together into the final concoction that would go into the furnce. "Here, hold on a sec," the dark-haired man said, before lifting his thumb to his mouth and biting down, piercing his flesh with his canines and then squeezing a couple drops of a his own blood into the concoction. "I'm a hemomancer," he explained as he carried the mixture over to the furnace and inserted it into the chamber. "I figure, if you wanna use blood to refine a product, I might be able to help direction that process a little."

The rearranging of molecules. Or, really, in this case the setting of variables in a system. The former was far more complex than the latter. And, if he was to be honest, Yu almost failed his general chemistry class his freshman year, but variables and computers! Those he understood.

So, as Yu stood by the furnace, concentrating on his blood within the chamber, heated to such a high heat, he could only sense the faintest of traces, he did his best to manipulate the outcome of the experiment. More envisioning than actually carrying out any formal process a solid chunk of lead.

Comedically, like an oven bell in a cartoon, the furnace chimed that it had finished it's duty, and once again, Yu donned the thick mitts and grabbed the iron tongs and pulled out the substance from the furnace. "Uh, not quite what I was hoping for, but definitely metal," the man commented as he set the rapidly cooling lump of matter on an anvil. The hunk of metal gleamed with iridescent colors, shifting as the clouds covered and uncovered the sun outside, shifting rays of light around the room. Even more peculiarly, it pulsed with a dark light, to a rhythm that seemed eerily reminiscent of a heartbeat.

Holding his hand out towards the substance, Yu tested to see if it was still warm. Surprised to find nothing but cool air, he tested by first pressing his still gloved left hand to it, and then gently poking it. "Well...I think we're getting closer?"

 

[Toko]

.
.

Entry 3, Result 4

"Uwaaah, majide?!" Big red and sparkly eyes stared up at Askera today, the rabbitfolk before him almost vibrating from excitement, as he instructed Toko of today's expectations for her pay. "Yattaaa!"

Today the Lepus was technically not required to do anything... save maybe fortify their protective viewing station on the off chance that something went worse than what Question's calculations had predicted of course. The fact alone that she would get paid to watch the researcher blow shit up would've honestly been enough of a payment for Toko had the man asked, though getting and extra small sack of gold to go along with it certainly didn't hurt anyone. After all it wasn't Askera's pockets the ones feeling the impact, but MIT's, and surely the scientific research institute had more than enough golden coins to spare... for explosions science, of course.

A few pebbles had been created after some quick consultation, the Lepus offering a more rustic approach to detonate the set landmines in order to truly test their sensitivity... one Askera had accepted in the end since there seemed to be no drawback to the overall goal. Once the signal was given the Lepus would use her Astramancy to give each pebble a gravitational push towards the direction of their landmine...

KRACK-KA-BOOOOOM!!!​

What followed when the stones made contact was a series of dark colored explosions, lightning like sparks crackling in the air when the forces met even as the blackened flames roared to life in a magical and impressive visual display. "Uwaaaaaah, sugooooooi!" Toko had long since forgotten her primary objective had been to notice any anomalies along with the researcher... though thankfully Askera remained focused even through the destructive display before them as he continued to scribble down in his notes about today's results.

 

[Brutus Dahlgren]

Entry Three, Result 4

Brutus watched with a mix of disgust and morbid curiosity as the rabbit was released from its cage. Unlike Argent, who Brutus had met back up with for another killer dance sesh, and the failed Frizbee potion mister, this test had a rather...morbid air to it. They were testing landmines, cursed ones at that. He would squint at the rabbit, clipboard in hand. The creature's animalistic senses seemed to be warning it of some sort of danger, for it was frozen in place.

"It is supposed to be...not moving? Did you lay a curse that renders it immobile?"

The scientist was busy scribbling away at the clipboard, unable to answer the Giant. He turned back and tapped his feet impatiently, waiting for something to hap-

BOOM, KABOOM, CRASH CRACK, ZAP.

The rabbit had made one hop, and suddenly it was like a fucked up shadowy fourth of July fireworks display, and this time the little soundcloud link was a twisted distorted remix of Brooklyn Blood Pop. The end result was a gruesome pile of gore and viscera, still wriggling as if it was alive. The Giant retched a little, turning back to the Scholar who was rapt in his note taking.

"I'm...oh god. I'm going to go hang out with Argent. Jesus fuck."

 

[Askera Question]

ENTRY 4: COUNTING BLACK SHEEP

This report was written by Freshman researcher Askera Question.​

​

I appear to have been given something important for today's test, alongside instructions as to what to do with it. With me for the experiment is a single unit of metal that the MIT has designated 'Antagonite'. This item appears to be in the shape of a crumpled bullet, and I've been told that it has destructive properties in relation to Starcalled Travelers.​

​

I could only imagine why.​

​

What I do know is that I am to create an organized ritual related to communion with spirits of the dead, and am to use this bullet as a locus around which the ritual must be conducted. I assume this is related to Travelers in some way. I am unsure as to why a communion of the dead is to be done for the immortal Starcalled. My current assumption is that I am looking for a way to locate the recently deceased so as to improve the accuracy of revival magics during a large scale battle.​

​

---

​

Spoiler: Roll for Deviation

Result: 96. The experiment went as planned, despite the result overall ending in a failure to reach desired results.

​

​

---

​

Result 1: A failed attempt. I was unable to make contact with the deceased. I will be attempting again in 30 minutes.​

​

Result 2: I made contact with an entity that was not a Traveler. It answered several questions that my assistants had.​

​

Result 3: I made contact with a player. This player was not dead-they were afflicted with the Sleep condition. I spoke to them in their dreams while my assistants watched what, to them, was a one-sided conversation. The girl called herself @Azykia , a new Starcalled who had yet to leave Honeyhome. I have learned many things from the talk I had with her. I am ending the experiment early due to what had occurred here. I'll surely revisit this topic at the request of the MIT, but I cannot continue anymore today.​

​

​

​

 

[Yugam]

Per Aspera

Ad Astra

Walking into the testing space was felt more like walking into a charlatan's umpteenth con. An arcane symbol was drawn on the floor in white chalk, eight wax candles encircling the ideogram, each alight. "Uh, are we performing a séance today, or what?" the man asked, looking at the set up with confusion.

Yes. The answer was yes.

Standing at the inner edge of the circle, Yu waited patiently as Askera performed the ritual, attempting to summon a dead player. Which, honestly seemed pointless, given that they just respawned anyways, but hey. Apparently these orders came from up top, and who the hell were they to argue?

The candles around them suddenly bloomed in intensity, their warm orange glow shifting to a deep purple. The white chalk began to glow, it too shifting a violet hue as the center of the symbol began to slowly expand. A translucent body slowly began to rise from the halo, pale, ethereal. Lithe and with long hair.

"Travelers, why have you summoned me?" the entity asked in a voice that was neither masculine, nor feminine, and yet both at the same time.

"Travelers?" Yu asked, "aren't you a Traveler?" The entity merely shook it's head in response. Yu looked over to Askera questioningly, asking what to do. A small gesture was given, as if to say go ahead and converse. Yu nodded, before lifting his left and presenting it to the ghostly entity.

"What can you tell me about these threads?"

---

Walking away from the tower, Yu looked at the red threads around his wrist, a feeling unease and uncertainty weighing heavily on him. Severed threads. The bonds of Fate had been cut.

 

[Brutus Dahlgren]

"Alright, so tell me oh spirit, what is your name?"

Brutus sat there and watched the small box, squinting at it. This thing, styled after a talk box that ghost hunters used IRL, was at best dicey. It would occasionally blast static into his ears, grunting he would try to piece together what he thought were words in the white noise, to little to no effect.

Furrowing his brow, he would shake his head and ask another question. "Alright, how about one blast for now. Two blasts for no." Sitting in the darkness, he found himself yawning as he grew tired. "Are you a man or a woman?" More silence followed by mild amounts of static. There were not distinct bursts, nothing to go off of. He would growl, tossing the box aside and sigh. He would rise to his feet and move to leave the room, pushing the door open and storming out, ready to submit a report to Askera. While he was away, the box squawked one simple word.

"Harold."

 

[Askera Question]

ENTRY 5: BLOODY TEARS

This report was written by freshman researcher Askera Question.​

​

I scour the world for information. When I first joined this game, I did so to try and learn everything that ever was for the game-I wanted to catalog Terrasphere into a Wikipedia. Now that I have been given the first allowance to perform an experiment of my choosing, I thought I would do something small. I'm sure that it won't do much, but I wanted to log everything-even the small things.​

​

Today I am testing whether I can change a body's coded level of blood antigens to change it to a different group-A to B, or ideally from O to AB. Given what the game thinks of such concepts, I believe I could use this kind of formula to effectively increase resistance to disease conditions by raising the number of antibodies in a human's body, or otherwise I could use this technique to allow one to become a universal recipient. I believe this could eventually save lives with enough work...​

​

Tests involve initial drawing of blood, drawing of blood after process and finally a series of repeated blood tests made in intervals of thirty minutes after the attempt.​

---

Spoiler: Roll for Deviation

71.

---

Experiment 1: I first attempt this experiment on a living creature. My subject is a common grey rat, one apparently found in a basement of rats with a quest for them or something. Initial identification showed that I successfully converted the rat's blood from the following values:
Initial value: AM-X-O
Following value: BC-AXO
After two thirty minute intervals, the transmutation fell apart and the following blood types returned to their initial state.

Experiment 2: I attempt this experiment on a following rat, one with the same blood group, with an attempt to create the same blood group. I am using a different method to attempt the process.
Currently, it is a success. I am still receiving a recorded mix of BC-AXO in the blood.

-Day 2-

Experiment 3: I attempt this experiment on another rat, one with a different blood group, with an attempt to create the same blood group. I am using a different method to attempt the process.
Currently, it is a success. I am still receiving a recorded mix of BC-AXO in the blood. The experiment appears stable.

-Day 6-

Experiments 4-12: Repeating attempts of Experiment 3 are recorded here. More details of these experiments can be found on page two of this dossier. I have stabilized the process, and am even able to change a blood to a different value than BC-AXO, abeit requiring longer treatments.

-Day 7-

Experiment 13: I will be attempting the experiment on a human body, volunteering myself as the subject. I have refused offers from others to partake as subjects-not until I am sure I can stabilize the process. First I will begin the process

--This experiment has been terminated. Junior researcher Askera Question has been admitted to the medical ward under treatment for severe hemorrhaging across several arteries. As a Traveler, he is currently expected to make a recovery over the course of two days.--

 

[Brutus Dahlgren]

Entry 5: Experiment 2, Day 7

"So you're doing this on yourself first?" Brutus eyes the tubes that had been placed within the man like an IV, his stomach churning a bit. He squinted, watching magical potions being fed into the mans bloodstream directly.

"Of course, should I make a mistake, I would prefer to be the man who faces to consequences of those action. I could not, and will not, force a man such as yourself to risk you own health. You are a valuable research assistant Barnaby." The man quipped, checking several readings on a machine. Argent, the silver slime, was dancing to the tune of a music box Brutus had brought along with him today, having placed it in the subject enclosure for him.

"The name is Brutus, but I guess. I mean, it worked on the rats, so obviously you have your method down pat, right?"

"My apologies Butch." The man would reply, jotting down several notes as he intently noted a spike in something on the machine. "You know how I get sometimes." The man paused for a moment, his pen stopping mid stroke as he began to tremble a bit.

"Askera?" The giant would ask, looking up from doting on the silver slime to see the man grow exceptionally pale. A singular drop of black liquid would begin to leak from the mans nose, and his hand would begin trembling so violently that his pen would end up being thrown from his hand. "ASKERA."

"Mutus, I need a Bedic." The scientist would manage to sputter. The giant would rip the tubing from his arm and pressed the edge of his coat to the mans arm to keep it from splurting blood.

"Stay with me bud! I'll get you to a doctor ASAP." Brutus growled, scooping the man up and bursting out the door. "MEDIC!" He would roar. "I NEED A MEDIC NOW."

 

[Toko]

.
.

Entry 5, Experiment 1

She wasn't sure at first why Askera had asked for rats, the man busy scribbling into his notepad whenever Toko had tried to clarify certain details, but as he gave a final wave in her direction the Lepus shrugged before exiting the research lab.

"Mmm, I guess that's the best place to catch a bunch of rats in a city..."

That's how the fighter had found herself exploring the sewers of Finweald, employing a bait consisting of fresh bread and cheese in various parts to attract as many of the little vermins as possible. Once enough had gathered Toko would user her Nature magic to quickly snap various vines towards her targets, rendering the rodents immobile before she dropped them one at a time into a large cage that Toko had received from the scientist.

"Researcher[-saaan, I'm baaack~"

What had followed when the sewer exploring Lepus returned to Askera's office, with a cage of sewer monster rats instead of the expected specimens, was an unexpected chaos as one of the monster rats managed to bite through the cage and liberate itself before attempting to run rampart through the workshop.

* * * * *​

"Tch, how was I supposed to know you had an order waiting if you don't say it? Hmph!"

Eventually the whole debacle had been resolved, and the next day a clean Toko arrived carrying a cage containing various common grey rats within that were actually fitting subjects for the tests Askera was about to perform. She considered staying to try and learn, having a vague idea of what the man was attempting to create, but eventually all the different variables and numbers became boring to the Lepus, who quietly slipped away unnoticed as Askera continued his testing well into the late hours of the night...