Private Western Brisshal Where The Dead Call Home

[Madison Mortiere]

The world of Terrasphere's a mighty big place. Disconcertingly so, for one who is used to such convenient means of travel such as airplanes, passenger trains, and cars going ten or fifteen over in the passing lane as a baseline.

Four years have passed in this fucking game--like, four actual, quantifiable years--and none of these magitechnologically advanced peoples rubbed two brain cells together and sparked an automotive revolution.

Madison hated the idea of saviorism. Easing travel woes shouldn't be on the shoulders of people like her. But holy shit, people. Scrape some creativity out from the bottom of jars of paste you're ham-fisting into your mouths, yeah?

Racing across the world on her ghostly horse, Madison was checking off names on her friends list one by one--the ones that logged back in, anyway. There weren't many who opted to. Or maybe the list was a little light to begin with. But a handful remained; and the gunslinger hoped that they'd all be found exactly where she last left them.

Lucia's little kingdom wasn't that hard to find. A little corner carved out of Western Brisshal. Madison's map still had the soft purple pin placed exactly where the camp had last been before the servers were shut down. It was only a couple days riding from the Falderen half; perhaps longer, if it weren't for her steed's undeath-powered endurance.

Her map told her she was only a tenth of a mile away. The last couple hours were spent lazily following several undead workers that the necromancer employed to help build the camp. Madison's fingers paused over her UI's keyboard; several last-minute niggling thoughts popping up in the corners of her mind, making her doubt herself.

She pushed them away, and pushed out the message to Lucia.

Mail

Hey Lucia! Are you at your camp? I'm in the area. Mind if I swing by and say hello?

@Lucia Mierz

 

[Lucia Mierz]

Mail

I wouldn't mind, where are you? Should I send someone to pick you up?

It would be a simple question, If Madison said yes, the reply would be an even simpler 'okay', more often then not Lucia had an open door policy anyway, and a ride for a friend was no trouble as far as she was concerned.

The ride that was offered though would show up after a while of pause, fog around Madison gradually building until it became thick enough to look like another world when it finally arrived. It began with the sounds of singing, a small girl's voice perhaps starting off a Sea Shanty and gradually building with distorted instruments gradually growing involved as time passed and the method of travel approached.

A Lanternlight breaking through the fog as a boat began to sail through the soil and earth as if it were water, rocking and bobbing gently from the lack of waves as it approached at a pace not unlike a simple carriage was a small vessel. Larger then a dingy, but not quite a full sailing ship, it resembled a whaling boat or a landing craft instead with a large eerie lantern hanging from the front. Despite all of the instruments and the gradual chorus of singers though, there was only a single person standing on the boat eerily steady on it despite it's rocking.

The person in question was perhaps familiar to Maddy, though likely not easy to remember as she wasn't one of Lucia's premiere summons at that time 4 years ago. It was a Zombified Pirate woman that still had some flesh here and there on her chest, arms and fingers. Though she wore hundreds of bracelets along her arms and just as many countless necklaces around her neck from various faiths and cultures. With a worn and weathered long admiral's coat and pirating hat, the undead woman puffed on a thick cigar despite only having lips to buff on one side of her skull, the smoke pouring out of holes in her chest and neck as she smoked. In place of eyes, she had two radiant gemstones in her eye sockets that gradually rolled towards Maddy when the craft cut through the fog.

"Aye, Yer the 'ne I'm lookin fer?" The Zombified Pirate asked, accent thick and heavy but easy enough to read. With long hair of burning red flame for hair licking at the back and shoulders of the coat as she bent a knee to meet Maddy's gaze from the ship's deck. If Maddy confirmed her identity as Madison, the Pirate would reach out a half bony half rotten hand to the woman to pull her aboard as she spoke. "Ya lookin ta go fast or careful?" The undead would ask, as a warning just in case Madison didn't have the stomach for speed.

@Madison Freebird

 

[Madison Mortiere]

What's the difference between your bog-standard necromancer, the kind with obsessions with corpses and intent towards the world that are both murderous, and @Lucia Mierz? Well, a few things. Quite a number of things, actually. But the biggest of them all? Presentation!

Madison wasn't sure what she was expecting. Maybe an ossified carriage on dangerously quick wheels, pulled by the bleached skeletons of six horses. Or a hundred grave stones to pop up in circles around her with a teleportation rune glowing invitingly in the center. But the ghost ship sailing on a rolling fog bank? The dissonant tones of an undead choir? The captain herself, her raggedy body weighed down by an entire jewelry store's worth of merchandise and puffing away on a thick cigar?

All that was missing was the laser light show.

The gunslinger resisted the urge to cop an accent herself and say "Aye, that I am. Well met, cap'n. Sail me to Lucia, as fast as the winds can take ye'." Because that would be several kinds of -ist; and our little raven isn't that shitty of a person. Instead, she said, "I am." Plain and simple, gets the job done. She took the dead pirate's hand, pulled herself onto the boat, and looked for the nearest rope or rigging to hold on tight to.

"Let's go fast; the road here was long enough and I'd very much like to see my friend."

 

[Lucia Mierz]

The smaller vessel pivoted on a dime at the comment for going fast, but despite the abrupt turn, the drowned pirate didn't falter or even lean to offset, as if she were attached to the boat at the heel, she simply moved as if it were the world turning rather then the boat. "Tha's good ta hear. T'was never a fan a' th' slow routes." The drowned spoke with a wheezing chuckle, one that gradually grew in volume and momentum. Growing more animated and excited for anything fast paced the thrill seeking pirate's long burning hair flared up as the boat's rear sank in preparation for speed before darting through the trees. Growths, bushes, wood rushed and whipped by like blurs. Whenever there was something that came a little too close for comfort the Drowned Pirate would stomp a foot tilting the ship away from the danger without losing speed.

It was only after that rapid and thrilling ride that the Pirate would gradually slow to a stop once they broke through the tree line into a clearing. One of Lucia's many stopping points in the wilderness around the cities. There were chopped stomps and logging facilities all around as if it had been recently cut out in the last couple days. Some furniture still out and drying, resin glazes drying on freshly carved wooden pieces as a varnish. Her noble tent was just as elaborate as before, though the interior's furniture was being rebuilt, Lucia still had one table, sipping from a cup with a relaxed demeanor.

"Go'on, we 'ere." The undead spoke, the boat gradually sinking into the ground and soil. Though the moment the Pirate's feet touched ground it seemed to develop a limp, becoming visibly more meek as a shaking hand reached up to grab it's smoke. "Ah, I'ma go... Cat nap all quiet-like." The undead spoke, with every limping step, it seemed to get more moist and wet until it's coat was soaked and it's body was drenched, the smell of salt and sea overwhelming until finally they collapsed onto the ground. One might mistake them for dead if they didn't use a have eaten hand to smear out the end of it's cigar and push it's hat over it's face to simply sleep on the floor.

Lucia though, seeing the undead's actions chuckled a little. "That one's Morgana, I'm not quite finished fixing her up. A work in progress mm?" She spoke, charming smile as always, welcoming Madison with a gentle wave. If Madison didn't come to her she'd get up and close the distance instead drink in hand. Though she'd gently step over the Drowned Pirate in the process before chuckling. "Well, it's good to see you back here Maddy, though I'm a little surprised you'd come seek me out mm?" She offered, curious about what provoked the visit. At least, she wasn't certain if Madison would come see her after what happened with Vivian.

@Madison Freebird

 

[Madison Mortiere]

The raven considered herself lucky that she didn't go full yeehaw and get a big ol' cowboy hat--for the damn thing would've been lost miles back. It's bad enough that sailing across the fog that fast turned her hair from tastefully tousled to absolute rat's nest; but the thought of losing a hat? The last real thing she needed to complete her Woman In Black sheriff's ensemble? It would have ruined her! Destroyed her immersion! She would have logged off, never to return! Oh, woe would have been upon the house of Freebird!

As the boat slowed, she quickly raked her fingers through her hair to straighten it out. By the time Lucia (with perfect hair) approached with that familiar, calming smile tugging at the corners of her lips, Madison was back to being mostly presentable. Mostly.

"Very impressive as always," the gunslinger said as she gingerly stepped around the sleeping captain and down the plank towards solid ground. Madison wondered what other surprises the master necromancer had been working on in her spare time.

"It's... good to be back," Madison said, returning Lucia's smile. It faded somewhat at Lucia's admission.

"Why wouldn't I? You're my friend." And, for a time, her teacher as well. Madison learned a lot about the game in a short amount of time hanging around Lucia. "I know it's been four years since the servers went down; but when I logged back in I kept seeing names on my contact list popping up. Thought I might go visit everyone, see how they've been doing, why they came back..." She shrugged. "You know how it goes."

A short pause filled the air. "So how's everything been going here? Anything awful happen to your camp while we were all away?"

@Lucia Mierz

 

[Lucia Mierz]

Lucia exhaled a breath, likewise trying to ignore the near unconscious pirate that was Morgana as she spoke. "Mm, of course, but I guess it's just because I had bad luck. Between Ezra dying and Vivian betraying us you know?" She couldn't help sighing at the memories, they were harsh and while Maddison hadn't exactly done either of those things, Lucia was weary with so much bad news somewhere deep down she expected only more.

Though hearing that Madison was happy to be back, Lucia nodded along. For her it was as if time had stopped during those 4 years, struggling, suffering. It was infinitely unhappy for her to wither away in real life waiting to come back and feel like she was herself again. "Yeah, it's been a long while though for sure. Longer perhaps then we thought." Lucia offered, if Maddison seemed confused though she'd reference her small clearing and the trees that had to have been cut down. "Paths don't disappear that fast, there's also all of the foliage and growth in the city. It's crazy that things grew so quickly with only four years, but it takes nature five to just reclaim a city let alone pick it apart." Lucia offered slightly concerned that maybe there was more at play.

When asked about her camp though, Lucia smiled faintly nodding with a touch of pride. Her camp was going well as far as she thought, though she only managed to clear out a few places to move between the ones that were cleared were now well manicured and taken care of again. "It's been a bit rough rebuilding some of what was lost-- the furniture, the silks. While the tent managed to survive because of the material the rest all had to be rebuilt. I think we've got most of it fixed up for now though, the rest is just picking up the pieces from here I think." Lucia offered content with the way things were going, though she wasn't sure how the general player base was going, as usual she was somewhat isolated but as far as she knew everyone was doing well.

@Madison Freebird

 

[Madison Mortiere]

"Yeah," Madison said, running a hand through her messy locks of hair. "I haven't had the time to learn all about it, but some real weird and awful shit's happened since access to the game got shut off four years ago. Maybe this Bloodstar impact I've heard about messed with the magic of the world and the affects around here were just nature reclaiming so much so quickly because of how much it lost around the impact zone?"

It was a terrible theory, now that she heard herself say the words. Hell, if she had just stayed a druid instead of playing at an Old West sheriff, she could have just asked the plants overrunning Lucia's little slice of Astorea.

The raven's own material losses were a lot simpler. "I spawned back in near the little beachside yurt I had set up in Dunnstads. It was completely destroyed--just scraps of canvas and wood everywhere. All my books, my alchemy setup, the trunk with all my outfits and knick-knacks were gone." She shook her head. It sucked having your little digital home ransacked like that; but ultimately they didn't matter the moment she mashed the respec button. "I'm kind of just rolling along on my spurs now, moving from job to job up and down Dunnstads." A dark smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. "You wouldn't believe how many bandit camps got set up during the last four years. All the bad guys powered up, but the town guards stayed pretty ineffectual."

And, of course, another matter weighed heavily on her heard. "Ezra..." The gunslinger's eyes darkened, her mouth drawing into a tight frown. "I'm... trying to find her too. Just want to make sure she's still around. And doing alright. You... Haven't happened to have seen her, have you?"

@Lucia Mierz

 

[Lucia Mierz]

Nodding along it had been a tough thing to make a guess on for her, if the former druid was also having trouble on coming to a conclusion she doubted she'd do much better herself. In spite of that though she managed to get things cleared out now, it wasn't as if their growth rate had been accelerated it seemed as nothing had grown back abnormally since trimming and cutting. "I can't say for sure, it's almost like time swept by faster while we were gone, like some kind of programmed time skip or... maybe some kind of acceleration. Considering Zeus is still alive I doubt it was more then a couple extra years but who knows." Lucia couldn't help shrugging. The people they once knew were still alive after all, so there was no way they skipped a generation. It didn't mean it didn't happen still though, while she wanted to ask the landers, it was somewhat hard to try and talk to them about the possibility of a glitch in the system.

Hearing about Madison's losses though, Lucia squinted unable to tell if she got it worse or better then the woman. While her own tent and furniture had been missing, she'd managed to save some of the liquor, tea and consumables at least. "Well, I hope you get set up again. As for the bandits, mm, I bet they ran rampant without all of us going wild hunting them down like dogs left and right." Lucia couldn't help chuckling remembering just how many bandit requests they'd been, she was surprised they weren't hunted to extinction.

Though when she mentioned Ezra, Lucia nodded, though somewhat bitterly. "She's here with me. She's been waiting for us to come back though I can't figure out how long it's been, it was hard for her to sort of piece together how much time passed with no UI or calendar. If you want to see her I can introduce you sometime, but I think she's out checking the other uncleared camp sites we used to use." Lucia spoke with a sense of loss. Despite wanting to forsake reality herself, she still had some lingering attachments that made it hard for her to view Terra as a full time home, people who needed her. Thinking of Ezra being trapped certainly made her hesitate or think deeper on her own issues and struggles.

@Madison Freebird

 

[Madison Mortiere]

"She is?"

Holy shit.

Madison blinked once. Twice. Her heart racing a thousand miles a minute as a thousand more questions wanted asking. She shook her head softly. An automatic, subconscious response. No, it's been too long. Four years, maybe more. She couldn't have stayed at the camp this entire time. ...Right? No, that can't be right. Ezra had to have found her own way by now.

She took a step closer to Lucia, then another; searching the necromancer's face for any signs that she was being misled or lied to. "Ezra's h-here? Or or or, she's--you know what I mean."

How embarrassing--being all cool shit yeehaw stepping off the ghost ship in front of the closest thing you've had to a mentor in this stupid game; but watching the facade crack the moment your biggest regret gets a surprise reveal like this.

"You have to let me speak to--" Madison froze, remembering herself. "Y-yes, I'd very much like that. When she's around, that is."

@Lucia Mierz

 

[Lucia Mierz]

Lucia was a bit bitter seeing Madison's reaction, it wasn't surprising considering she was their friend, someone they were both close to. "She is." Lucia confirmed, she'd had been equally put off and horrified to find Ezra just waiting for her to come back like it was normal. Considering all of her undead went their separate ways during the brief time, she wasn't sure exactly what Ezra spent her time doing while waiting, but when Lucia came back, the girl very much insisted that she'd been waiting and was happy she came back.

When Madison only continued to stammer and fumble about it, Lucia's smile softened and she tried to pat her softly in reassurance. It wasn't a lie, whatever was left of Ezra was still there, still among Lucia's subordinates, her knight was very much still around. "I can pass her a message for you, or at least, tell her you want to meet. She can't use the UI any more, so I've been forced to use Mortimer to reach her instead." She confessed as if not quite sure if she was in the wrong or right, but she wanted to at least honor Ezra's desire to keep working with her and stay her knight. Those feelings were precious to her at least.

Though when Madison began to calm down, Lucia nodded back at her hoping she was feeling better after that sudden rush of emotion. "It's just a lot harder to know where she is and reach her then it was before. She'll come here after checking our other zones in the woods between here and Falderan but that won't be for another day or two at least. If it would help you to see where she's been staying, I could show you that at least?" She offered, it might not be a consolation but it was hopefully something.

@Madison Freebird

 

[Madison Mortiere]

"Could you? Please?"

Actually, wait--scratch that. Lucia had a better idea.

"If Ezra's got a place of her own, I could just leave her a letter." Did she even have any paper or pencils in her inventory? Amazingly, she did. "That way, she can come find you to let me know if-- that is, this way nobody's missing anyone due to timing or whatever."

When. Not if.

It did ease her heart to hear that the death knight seemed to be doing okay. "You know..." The gunslinger looked down, fidgeting with a crease in her slacks while she spoke. "I still feel really shitty about dragging her and Luna off on some stupid adventure like that. Things got a lot more dangerous than I thought; and, well..." Did the rest need to be said?

No, it didn't.

(It's become her one defining character trait.)

"It... It will be nice to see her again. Just to make sure that she's... or what exists of her within this game, anyway... Just want to make sure she's doing okay myself."

@Lucia Mierz

 

[Lucia Mierz]

Nodding Lucia turned back towards the Wraith King with a beckoning hand. The steward for a moment patted his jacket down before producing a quill and writing equipment for her to offer Madison to write what she wanted using her table. When the woman was ready Lucia would nod turning to begin leading her through the campsite.

Ezra's place wasn't hard to find, it was adjacent to her own, placed towards the back of the campsite where Western became Eastern of the forest as if to place herself between Lucia and the more dangerous monsters. It was a tent just a touch smaller then Lucia's own, if Lucia's was meant for a noble, Ezra's was meant for a commander or Adjutant to command from the front lines, it was the least she could provide for her dear friend.

The interior was a bit messy, but it certainly had Ezra's smell, her style. It looked spartan and disciplined, a comfy futon for ease of travel when Lucia packed up her camp and moved. A more elevated couch and table more for work and crafts then for relaxing and comfort. A rug made from some kind of beast or monster hunted out in the wilds of the forest and a weapon rack that held heavy axe weapons of all kind showing that during the time away Ezra had been testing the effectiveness of different types of axes and tools for fighting with the Paladins during the 4 year break. There were even preserves and other emergency food items like jarred jerkies and picked fruits and veggies since the undead didn't eat, she kept her own stock so she didn't have to bother the others. There was evidence of it being lived in even up until a day or so ago from how clean it had been kept and how the food was still being marked with tallies of how many days it's been preserved to make sure nothing went bad.

Lucia didn't hesitate to enter, Ezra made it clear time and again that she didn't need to be so worried about giving her knight privacy. Lucia would hold the flap open for Maddy before wiping the table with a hand end looking over the jarred foods.

Hearing Madison confess her guiltier feelings though, Lucia reached up to give her a hug, pulling the woman into a soft embrace, stroking her back and trying to soothe those feelings. It probably wouldn't help alleviate that guilt, but she hoped to at least give her a chance to either cry it out or have some peace. "Who could have known. This world was always dangerous, but we played it thinking it was a game anyway. If we'd known, we might have been more careful..." She offered, after all they only learned about the death penalty when people started dying. Ezra was one of the first unfortunately that led to them realizing the rules.

Though when Madison tried to imply 'what's left of her in game', Lucia tried to stop her with a gentle hand. "It's not 'whats left'. She's still Ezra, the one we love and know. She always will be." Lucia tried to assert. Whether she was stuck in the game, or able to be in reality or anywhere in between, her knight would always be her treasure, she would never look at her differently just because of her position. She could be sad about it, but it would never change her view of the woman.

@Madison Freebird

 

[Madison Mortiere]

Ezra's tent looked exactly how Madison figured it would have. The death knight was a capable hunter and fighters, and an aficionado of various implements of smashing, hacking, and cleaving her quarry into a various-sized bits while keeping herself protected from having the same done to her. Proof of her expertise and interests littered the area, with nary a speck of dirt or rust to be found.

"No, you're right." Madison stood there, wrapped up in Lucia's arms, the telltale hint of the necromancer's perfume tickling her senses. "We didn't know then--not until the weeks before the servers were taken down. And now... Four years later... We know the dangers, that at any moment, we could die too. Yet, here we are."

And there wasn't much to be done about it. Everyone had their reasons; Madison was checking one of them off her list.

Pen and parchment in hand, she pulled out one of the chairs huddled around Ezra's table and took a seat.

Mail

Ezra,

I've always sucked at writing notes, so I will keep this brief. I've returned to Terrasphere, with all the others. I'm hoping we can catch up sometime. Get some dinner and drinks--my treat. It would be nice to see you again.

When you read this, let Lucia know. She'll message me and I will be back as soon as I'm able.

Hey--when the fuck did they finally learn how to make guns here? Like, actual proper firearms?

Madison

The raven folded up the note twice, wrote Ezra's name on it one more time for good luck, and meandered on over to the dismal-looking cot that, somehow, her old friend managed to sleep on. Grabbing a trinket off a nearby shelf to weigh it down, Madison set the letter on Ezra's pillow.

And the rest? Was up to her.

It should have felt like a weight was taken off her shoulders. That she learned Ezra was fine, at the very least. But for now, such a little victory rang hollow in the pit of her stomach. Not until she saw with her own two baby blues the death knight before her.

With her business concluded, Madison turned back towards Lucia. Her mouth hung open for a moment, wondering what to say next.

"So," she finally said, "I'm not fucking around in the swamp anymore with moss and mushrooms n' shit."

@Lucia Mierz

 

[Lucia Mierz]

Nodding along, hoping the woman felt at least a little better, a little more relieved. Even if it was hard to arrange some kind of meeting with Madison's schedule compared to Ezra's motivation to work, Lucia could at least be the middle man delivering messages or in game chats for her. Once Madison was done exploring her tent, looking around, touching a knick knack or two Lucia would try to lead her back out.

Hearing her talk about not messing with the swamp or shrooms though Lucia chuckled with a mellow smile. "Not being a lady of the swamp any more huh? The hut probably didn't age well then?" She asked thinking the reason might have something to do with Madison's home maybe being in shambles after the game came back online. Considering the condition of her own furniture she could only assume Madison didn't fair much better.

"What's your plan right now then? Wandering like a cowgirl?" She teased with a playful smile. If Madison did have such modest plans she wouldn't hesitate to encourage her. Compared to some of the other people from the past who got overly ambitious without a plan, it was a great goal just to see where the wind took you and see what life had on the horizon by comparison. "If you want to settle down with us from time to time, feel free, our spots are the same as usual... Even if this is the only one we have cleared out at the moment. I'm sure Ezra would be happy to hang with you too." She offered letting Madison know that her door was always open.

@Madison Freebird

 

[Madison Mortiere]

As much as Madison loved her little hut on the beach--yeah, there was definitely no going back. It was a ramshackle piece of shit to begin with; driftwood, plants, and sheets of tin bound by thick vines. But without Madison to keep it in good condition, it was battered into a million pieces by the elements and its contents pilfered by opportunists.

"Y'know, I've given thought to the whole wandering bit. I've been doing that since we were allowed back into this game--going up and down Dunnstads, taking up jobs and bounties as I go." Maddy's shoulders slumped a little bit. "Pay's fine; but the work's about as stable a table with two legs. Apparently, there was a mad dash to be a goddamn hero when everyone returned, and all the new players showed up. Makes it hard for someone like me, who just wants to live their gimmick, y'know?"

But thankfully, plans were in place. "I've signed up with the Lion Arms now. Weren't they, like, the Lion's Pride or something years ago? I hope they change the name, it's dumb. But it's steady work, a steady paycheck, I won't have to go explore the dark areas of the map like the Weenie Whistles, and I won't get eaten by monsters like the Adventurer's Guildies."

Not to mention, the Lion Arms probably had more use for a marksman like her than the other three guilds.

And, most importantly, the Arms give out badges to denote rank--and a nice sheriff's badge would complete Madison's outfit. Slap a nice shiny piece of silver on her vest, right over her left boobie if you would be so kind.

"And if I need a break, I would be more than happy to come down here for a couple days to visit you and Ezra." She offered the necromancer a warm, friendly smile. It was a few moments after they began walking back towards the main camp when she asked, "So, what kind of plans have you been making since we're all back here now?"

@Lucia Mierz

 

[Lucia Mierz]

Lucia nodded in understanding, it must be tough dealing with one's want to live their chosen life style and also trying to make their way in the process. Most didn't have the same option of playing Terrasphere like an RTS as Lucia did. "It sounds a lot like what I did before I got into undead shenanigans. Back when I was doing an archery thing, wandering from temple to temple trying to save on coin." Lucia spoke with a small smile, it was a nostalgic but sad period back then too. Lucia accepted that answer though with a firm nod, glad that Madison at least had a plan, and was also willing to visit if she ever needed a break. There was no trouble for Lucia setting up more tents after all.

"My plans..." Lucia murmured glancing upwards before falling on the area where Morgana had fallen and still remained motionless. Her biggest plan happened to involve the incomplete pirate undead. "I'm thinking of a change of scenery. Particularly after these 4 years of the game being down, I've realized just how fragile and easy it is to break up what I've built. The mentality and philosophy is there but if the only structure is tents and furniture it might be easy to move but it's hard to rally and put up the walls when we need to turtle up." Lucia explained thinking about how when that happened, her Undead all either slept or wasted time searching for her. She needed to make sure next time they would be able to develop safely.

"When Ezra gets back and we get everything worked out for the other sites, I'm going to start work on upgrading Morgana to the same level as the other high Tier undead. Once she's built up, I'm probably going to try to build a city on the sea, a flotilla town almost." Lucia tried to explain. It was her best option she thought. Building proper structures, acquiring land and protecting it was difficult. Sailing ships though, keeping ships together and moving about while linked seemed a lot easier. There would still be threats from monsters, but they would be able to move if dangers became too great.

@Madison Freebird

 

[Madison Mortiere]

Madison crossed her arms over her chest, looking around Lucia's camp. "Yeah. It feels like the game doesn't give a shit what the players are trying to build or accomplish. I had a feeling about it four years ago, and I'm definitely seeing it now; we are merely allowed to scrape out an existence here. If we try to aim higher, the game will actively try and fight us."

Servers getting a little too populated? Send Titanius to make some room.

Player nation, in its hubris, still running smoothly after the players got locked out of the game? Here, catch this goddamn airship with a million billion guns!

Lucia's plan to move her undead out to sea, though... That got an eyebrow cocked so high it nearly ripped free of the raven's forehead. "A floating city? You're not meaning to put it out on Ilmea's Lament, are you? I've been doing my own investigations out in Dunnstads, mostly to get used to soulcalling and speaking with the dead. But the sea's a deathtrap. Locals and sailors believe it's cursed. I've only seen the sudden storms roll across from the shore; but even from safety they look fuckin' nasty."

@Lucia Mierz

 

[Lucia Mierz]

With a burdened sigh, she could relate. The game didn't really seem to care much about what they did and simply moved on around them as if they were just watchers or viewers. It was why she felt the need to be a bit more extreme in her efforts in order to properly achieve some level of management and control over her people. "That's the idea, the chances of us achieving anything on the mainland I feel is dwindling, particularly after the disease began to spread, the more we do the more the game seems to fight us collectively." She couldn't help complaining. For however great the game was, it seemed as if it didn't want them to achieve anything and instead just bare witness.

Though when mentioning the storms and the dangers, Lucia couldn't help shaking her head in answer. It was true it did have a habit of turning from clear waters to storms on a dime, that was why she needed Morgana first. "It won't be easy certainly. This is why I need Morgana first, with a Necrofex we'll have better odds if we can go from floating to sunken without endangering ourselves or our position. If it was an impossible venture, that portion of the sea wouldn't be considered a lifeline of the kingdom after all." Lucia offered. There was no way a dangerous cursed territory of water could be considered a lifeline or a resource, it would only be a scourge.

Of course, in the event it was impossible, it wasn't like they'd be in terrible danger. As long as she could rely on Morgana to get her out of danger, any other losses would just be temporary as undead washed overboard could simply walk back to shore from the ocean floor. Few creatures crunched on meatless bones for a snack after all.

@Madison Freebird

 

[Madison Mortiere]

Lucia was a capable woman. Madison had no doubts about that whatsoever.

But she still had lofty ambitions; and while a floating city wasn't anywhere near the scale and effort of, say, a whole-ass kingdom founded by players for players? That's still enough to get noticed. Enough to get attention. And when the game itself stirs from its slumber and turns its eye upon you?

Hoo boy.

She still knew better than to try and talk Lucia down to something a little more manageable. Participate in one of the other activities that are more... player friendly! Use the undead to turn over rocks and peek around corners with for the Explorers! Help with research and reduce the stigma around the "taboo arts" with the MIT! Let the boys and girls feast on monsters and collect a tidy sum the whole while with the Guild! None of those were probably options for the necromancer.

Oh well.

It was fine. Really!

Madison still considered herself a friend. And if she called, the gunslinger would answer.

"What the hell's a Necrofex? And what's it do?"

@Lucia Mierz

 

[Lucia Mierz]

Lucia hesitated a little, it seemed she was being scrutinized, but how and in what way, she couldn't exactly tell. Despite her best efforts to decipher the other woman's gaze and expression shift, Lucia couldn't tell which part exactly seemed to cause such a response. In the end she could only exhale a breath, and shake her head with a shrug, no matter the issue, Lucia would have to deal with it it seemed.

The question about a Necrofex though made her turn her head up again, she'd been getting that question a lot, people didn't seem to recognize it among the other plethora of undead species she'd mentioned in the past. Not sure what made the creature so unique by comparison she tried to explain in the simplest terms she could. "You rode one to get here." She explained pointing towards the unconscious pirate, though Morgana was still a work in progress, her nature as a baby/incomplete necrofex was still there. "It's like a transformer, but instead of a robot, it's undead. As a ship, looks normal enough, but is sentient, like a ghost ship, but can change using meat and sinew to an upright standing combat form. That way if there is a storm at sea, we can sink it temporarily to avoid the waves, if there's a sea beast wave, we can escape to land, if there's a problem on land we can escape to sea, and if it's coming at us from the air, we can retreat underwater again." She tried to clarify thinking she'd thought it through. Of course, if the game hated her, there would perhaps be nothing she could do to really escape being smited, but she tried to ensure there was every system and possibility in place to avoid big disasters rather then desperately pray it will end.

Though if Madison still seemed confused or lost about the nature of such a creature, she would glance towards Morgana briefly. "If you want to see it, I can show you at least. Morgana's still incomplete, but she has all of the powers of a normal Necrofex." She tried to offer, if Madison was truly curious.

@Madison Freebird