Private ✪ Finweald Whispers on the Wind

[Jin]

The capital was abuzz, suffused with new life in the wake of an event that called on members of all four major Guilds. The rumors were quick to move about the strange, demonic energy that had managed to kill multiple people, including a disturbing number of Travelers. In Finweald, the very idea that a Traveler might die was not a foreign concept, but with any degree of permanence?

That thought chilled even the warmest of personalities. Thus, when the woman who broached the topic with him heard confirmation, Jin watched with veiled amusement as her demeanor faltered. "O-oh," she was a young brunette, in her late teens or early twenties, and the sweet smile she wore originally melted into a more nervous expression, feigning politeness. "So it was true..."

"Engorged with virulent mana," he confirmed. He had seen the victim with his own two eyes, and assessed the rapidly growing instability of her inherent magical power with his Investigation mode. Her sluggishness had clued him in to the fact that something was wrong, even as the others hurried to get away. Jin rarely spoke on such things unless prompted, but in this rare situation, he had been thusly prompted. "There was some possibility she might have been saved, but the risks-"

"No, no, that's alright," the girl held up a hand to stop him. Jin had a tendency to take conversations like this too far, and this was no exception. The brutal, surgical nature of his analysis proved a bit too grim for those with weaker constitutions. "I understand. A Traveler really did die in the Expedition."

"Oh yes," he affirmed. "Several, in fact, according to the tallied losses." She shot him a disdainful look, as though he were being rude.

Jin shrugged it off.

"But enough about the Isulus debacle," he referred to the situation without fondness, folding his hands as he took a seat on a bench just outside one of the restaurants in the business district. Many faces sifted through the area around them, myriad voices drowned their conversation to little more than a whisper. "I'm told you're an authority on matters in the city here," he smirked, appealing to her pride.

"I wouldn't call myself an authority," she puffed herself up a bit, "but the information I do manage to gather is definitely worth more than a few kind words..."

"Quid pro quo," he replied, still smirking. "You got my information."

"You should be a bit more frugal with what you know," the woman chided. "I made no offers, and you freely gave it to me. As far as I'm concerned, it was a charitable gesture. I don't owe you anything. However, I'd be willing to part with something for the small price of, say, three silvers...?"

"A snake is still a snake, no matter how well she does her makeup," Jin's smirk became tighter, but he held his composure.

"Should I take that as a compliment?" she asked.

"Takes one to know one," he conceded. "I'll pay you two silvers and not a copper more."

"Are you certain you're in a position to negotiate?" she smiled wryly, triumphant.

"I'm being generous," his eyes became darker, his expression neutral as he watched her, unblinking. "There are other information dealers in this city, and the general population isn't likely to miss one."

She frowned. "That sort of attitude isn't winning you any points with me, sir," she narrowed her eyes and leaned closer. "And you're not the only one in this city who can make that kind of threat." As if prompted by her words, several eyes in the crowd moved toward Jin, and he was acutely aware that he had become the center of some very unwanted attention. Coolly, he raised both hands and stood.

"I see now that I've made a mistake." He closed his eyes and bowed slightly in deference. "It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't," she smiled, the same warm expression she had led with. "I don't want to see your face on my side of town again. Now get out of here, before-"

Jin held up a hand as he turned to leave. "That won't be necessary," he said, "I'm not the type who likes trouble."

 

[MAI]

Joining a new game without doing any kind of research beforehand was always a bit rough. Especially when said game was an MMO that already had years-worth of content added. Everything came with lore and stories to be told, sometimes integral to the gaming experience. And as things would have it, MAI was now stumbling through the city while being a bit lost. Figuring out the layout and where all the important buildings were was simple enough, but there appeared to be entire crowds at times, all whispering about some kind of event and/or expedition that seemingly took place not all that long ago.

Still unable to clearly tell apart NPCs from players, the magia didn't quite have the nerve to just barge into one of these conversations to ask what was up. Nay, she would rather go on in ignorance than do something so socially awkward. That said, there was one exchange she happened upon that ended up far more eye-catching than the rest. A man seated comfortably talking to a woman. The whole thing appeared to get rather heated, but that only drew MAI closer as she wanted to see what was going down. Perhaps a brawl was about to go down in the streets and under broad daylight?

Perhaps not. But as she pushed her way through the small crowd, her mechanical eyes would fixated on the man proper. The rest of her magia features were well and truly hidden by her hoodie, long enough to serve as a bit of a dress. But those characteristic magia eyes of hers could not be hidden, giving off a faint glow with pupils expanding and contracting like a lense of a camera, lights flickering and moving across. Would her gaze lock together with the man's? Or would she merely go unnoticed as the couple continued to bicker on?

@Jin

 

[Jin]

He studied the woman's features in that moment, recalling her eyes and the curve of her lips in that sneering and triumphant smile as she mocked him. He would remember it. Oh, he would remember. If she said anything else, he did not manage to hear it over the crowd as it swallowed him. That was the way of things in this type of setting. The people who made an impression stood out, and the ones who failed to do so faded into obscurity.

It was a system that favored bolder Players and left the more timid, risk-averse kind in the dust. Safety in exchange for giving up the pursuit of glory. There was merit to it in another way, however. People like that woman inevitably forgot people like Jin.

But Jin never forgot things.

One such thing was the strange, lambent gaze that fixated on him. Owlish eyes obfuscated by shadow that seemed to question his entire existence watched expectantly, as if she thought he might do or say something. Had she been paying attention to the back and forth with the Information Seller?

Loose end? He was quick to assess the threat level, aware that what appeared to be a small child in front of him was not human, and in fact, very likely Magia. That meant there was a non-zero possibility that the being in front of him was not a child at all. Time to determine if it's a problem.

"Well hello," he greeted, hands on his knees as he leaned over to look down at her in a stereotypically patronizing fashion. Perhaps, if she was not a child, she might respond poorly to the stimulus? "Are you lost, little one?"

@MAI

 

[MAI]

She certainly got the man's attention. Not necessarily what she intended, but seeing as the altercation had ended, it was probably the best thing to happen anyhow. Although she did not expect him to approach her the way he did. The height difference between them was not even that large, four inches at most if she had to guess. Mai didn't think that her avatar looked like a child. Petite, most certainly! But child? Well, everyone viewed things differently and she wasn't particularly worried about it, so she flashed him the faintest of smiles.

"A little bit lost, yes."

Her voice carried a tiny bit of synthesis to it, but otherwise did not betray her inhuman nature unless one listened very carefully. A sweet voice befitting the body she had sculpted for herself. So far her being a Magia did not cause any trouble with people, but it felt like this man was eyeing her a bit more.

"I've just started playing the game. You're also a player, right? Or Starcalled, as I've heard. I was hoping to get some pointers here in the city, especially after hearing everyone talk about some recent events from distance."

Straightforward approach usually worked the best, so hopefully the man would not be too creeped out by her bluntness, and possibly rudeness of partially listening in on other people's conversations. She did, after all, listen on him as he talked to the woman from before as well. Still, he approached her even after that, so she viewed the situation in a positive light so far.

@Jin

 

[Jin]

Calm. His expression slowly became a smile, soft and unassuming as he considered the intonation and diction of the woman's words. No knee-jerk response. Clearly not a child.

His assessment was quick and dismissed his immediate worry that she had nefarious intentions. Someone who wanted to do him harm- with any urgency- would not ask him for his help... right? He blinked back the skepticism that had made its way into his gaze and leaned his weight on his right foot.

"I am a Traveler yes," he confirmed as he stood upright and regarded her from his not-altogether-much-taller-than-her height. "And I'll be glad to give you some direction, if I'm able to," he added, folding his arms. Jin made no apology for how he'd approached her, but she had shown no trace of being offended so no harm no foul.

It seemed like she had some insight into recent events, which led him to believe she had some interaction with other Players. However, her inability to discern them from Landers was also evident. Jin was mildly interested at this point. "What kind of pointers are you looking for?" he asked, appreciating her directness, and decided to answer in kind.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

So players in this world could be called both Starcalled and Travelers. She had to make a mental note of that. But regardless, she was happy that the man wasn't shooing her away. Sure, this was an MMO, but that didn't mean people would be necessarily willing to talk. Especially since her first impression of other players was that paranoia and skepticism ran rampant here.

"Thank you! I was primarily interested in what has been happening here since the game came back online. Judging by what I managed to hear so far, it sounded rather grand and important. I am most curious what kind of event could happen in a killer MMO like this."

Once again, she chose to not mince her words. Everyone she had met so far were on edge seemingly at all times, ready for a threat from any direction. Was that merely because of the nature of the game. Or was it because they had witnessed something truly horrific and scarring? And if they did, why were they still playing the game, despite these dangers? She wanted to know all of it, but had to start simple. Context was necessary first and foremost.

@Jin

 

[Jin]

First impressions were not always misleading.

As Jin listened to the woman speak, he carefully measured what she was saying for inconsistency. Satisfied that she was simply interested in the events surrounding the Kurungar Matron and the Isulus campaign, he picked a spot along the outer wall of a shop and reclined against it. "Chief among the things that have happened since the world became accessible from the outside again is a sharp spike in activity among the four major guilds," he explained. "Much of everyday life for a Traveler begins and ends with their affiliation. Due to complications to the North, a large coalition comprised of members from all four organizations mobilized, marking the single greatest undertaking by Starfallen in recent history."

He led with that to explain the importance of picking a side, lest the notion fall flat with her. "That's not to say tensions don't run high, and that the groups are constantly in each other's good graces, but in situations that demand a unilateral response, they are able to set aside their differences for a common goal."

She asked about the event, but the event was a subtext to other, larger things.

"...and just as quickly, go back to their own devices. This is a world not unlike what you're used to, in a way. One carves out a path for themselves and necessarily chooses sides in a series of conflicts. Against the environment, against each other at times, and against the unknown. But possibly the most important thing to know about is..."

He thought carefully for a moment, about how Yugam had reacted when he explained death far too late. Jin wondered absently for a moment if he should warn her, or if she would learn on her own, in other ways. His voice had trailed off, but it quickly came back around.

"...danger scaling. Not everything in this world is deadly, but the things that are lethal are utterly unforgiving. It's not like other games, where you can pick and choose difficulty settings. You either take a risk, or you don't."

@MAI

 

[MAI]

She asked for an explanation of recent events and an explanation she got! Though it was a bit more difficult to follow from the very beginning as she had to note a few things for herself. She had only been in this world briefly with some things explain to her, but many still laying covered by a veil if unknowing for her. One such thing were the factions that the man spoke of.

"So there are four major factions players are aligning with? Furious and duly noted! Could you by any chance elaborate on those as well?"

She didn't want to impose on this kind stranger, but it was a concept that he made sure to emphasize as important. As someone who played many MMOs and other similar games before, she could understand why that would be the case. From everything that has been told to her, the game was dangerous. Having a large group of allies, or at least people united by a similar goal, would be helpful in securing oneself. But that was neither here nor there at the moment.

"I think I get the gist of it. A big event of sorts happened. On large enough scale that all the factions had to participate together, in a friendly manner while that is rarely the case. Did I get that right?"

Something like that did align with what she heard from random passerbys. Although the finer details still eluded her. She would also smile when difficulty was mentioned again.

"Well, it is an MMO. Not a type of game where you can select the difficulty."

@Jin

 

[Jin]

"Mhmmm," he agreed when she asked if she had surmised the sequence of events correctly. "The difference apparent would be that they were able to collaborate, but I wouldn't necessarily call it 'friendly.' An alliance of convenience, at best."

To her point that it was an MMO, had had another minor correction. "I would hesitate to liken this game to ones that you may have played in the past," he began. "Many MMOs give Players the option of taking on content or not based on difficulty, whereas you either choose to participate in things going on in this world... or you choose not to."

Jin tapped his forehead thoughtfully a moment before he elaborated. "There are no "easy" options. There is nothing that you can approach in this world that isn't inherently dangerous, save for the limited interactions with characters in town. And while that isn't inherently problematic, it means growth is gatekept behind the risk of death..."

His voice trailed off again. Unimportant. No, someone else would surely explain that to her in due time. Instead, he elected to finally answer her first question. "The four factions, called Guilds, are split into their functions. The Lion Arms, righteous and upstanding Knights that defend the meek and espouse justice, the Explorer's League who risk life and limb to traverse the fringes of civilization and learn new things beyond the horizon," he took a breath, considered the girl again, and added, "the Magical Institute of Technology, which studies the various types of magic in the world, strange artifacts, and works to uncover the secrets of Magitech. If none of those interest you, then you could consider joining the Adventurer's Guild, and living life by your own rules, beholden to no country's laws, answering only to yourself."

That was as good a pitch as he figured she'd get from anyone, and he stood up proper again.

"I know," he gestured toward the girl. "You should visit the Guilds and ask around to see where you feel like you'd fit in best. It would be good to get a firsthand idea of what they are all like, and meeting more people will be good for learning about this world... and the dangers that no one has warned you about, yet."

@MAI

 

[MAI]

MMOs were indeed games often defined by the sheer amount of different content offered to the player. Of course, the most efficient method of playing generally ended up being killing mobs and questing. Those things were often something that was dangerous, unless the task was to find a wild radish. Unless one discovered an entire new nation over it, anyhow.

"If the threat of death is ever-present, then I will have to approach things more carefully. Something I was already planning on. Ah, but my goal is not to treat this as a traditional game I should throw myself at head-first."

She didn't even know how long she would keep 'playing', given the fact that her motivation to start was curiosity alone. Perhaps she would be satisfied soon and leave this world behind. Or she would become infatuated by it and keep going, who knew. Either way, she was happy to be receiving all of this info.

"I see. Sounds like a pretty traditional selection, but one that appeals to most people. An institute that studies magic, hm... I wonder if I myself would become their research subject due to my chosen race."

She paused briefly, looking to the side and into the crowds that filled the city. So many people... most of them probably weren't players. But the way they clumped together was reminiscent of what she would imagine when one of the guilds was mentioned.

"Safety in numbers. You even said one of them aims to protect others and justice. Is this game really as dangerous as everyone seems to claim, even with a group like that around?"

It seemed like having a large group of heroic individuals working together to protect each other and everyone around them would make things much safer.

@Jin

 

[Jin]

"Entirely possible," he replied to her assertion about possibly becoming a test subject. "Of late, Magia and Magitech have been hot topics due to how little is actually known about them." How much or how little information he was willing to part with depended entirely on how she reacted, and since she seemed to be forthcoming with her thoughts and it was obvious that this was all new to her, he felt less inclined to withhold certain details.

Others, however, remained off the table.

And then, she asked about the actual threat level. His gaze moved toward her and he wore a crooked smile. "I would suggest that you treat your time here as though the answer to that question is irrelevant," he told her, the most honest answer he could give. Because whether or not you choose to believe the things that you've read about, there are indisputable truths that you will come to learn. Some yourself, and some from watching others. I will not, however, warn against the taking of risks. I strongly believe that such things are necessary for advancement."

There would always be people who disagreed. Someone who preferred the status quo to the possibility of actual death would argue until they were blue in the face. Those were not the sort of people that Jin needed in his ideal world. They were irrelevant to him; and as he spoke to this woman, he wondered exactly what type of person she was.

With a shrug, he finally added.

"However, if I were to give you an actual answer, it would be that even heroes can bleed."

@MAI

 

[MAI]

"Oh, have I picked the new and mysterious race? How exciting."

Not going full-on waku waku might have betrayed that she was at least partly jesting. But it was still interesting. She was both a magia and someone who selected magitech as their mastery. After all, it seemed like those two went hand in hand with one another, so it made perfect sense in her head. Whether she made a huge mistake with that selection, was for the future to tell.

In terms of the dangers that this world posed, the man in front of her appeared more evasive than not. Or perhaps he just enjoyed talking in a roundabout way. The girl never quite liked people like that. But she, more or less, understood what he meant. It wasn't necessarily wrong, either. To progress, one had to take risks. And no matter how careful one was, something would always surprise and slip past those impenetrable defenses.

"I still haven't seen anything that would suggest this place is any more dangerous than the world outside of the game. If one goes looking for trouble and puts themselves in a situation where they're likely to get hurt, then, of course, they will get hurt. People just like getting into those situations because games are normally consequence-free."

@Jin