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memeisteria2024-10-20 04:00 pm
magisteriamods) wrote in memeisteria2024-10-20 04:00 pm
Magisteria TDM #4
🌠 A Long, Long Time From Now, In a Future World Far, Far Away . . . 🌠
Welcome to the fourth official test drive meme for Magisteria! The TDM is game canon. Characters who do not app will simply disappear. Current players are highly encouraged to participate in the TDM.
QUESTS can be found at the bottom of the TDM! This edition of the TDM is spliced together from previous game content to give a thorough overview of Magisteria for prospective players, so it's very encompassing. Current players can feel free to put quest starters here or link their quest logs on their top levels.
ADULT content has been marked/noted as such, including CNs for sexy fare and substances. These prompts are also near the bottom.
🪄 The Eternal City 💻
In one moment, you find yourself before a portal radiant with light, a tree of life that blazes with fire and the brilliant hues of some great, potent energy which you feel surrounding you and infusing your body. Your vision fills with colors brighter than any you have known. Time waxes and wanes.
In another moment, or perhaps many moments later, you are standing within what appears to be a station. Whatever you were doing before is simply on hold; instinctively, you know that, and instinctively, you feel a pull towards this place. There are others with you: a group of people, newly arriving.
A girl with silvery white hair and pale blue eyes approaches your group. She introduces herself: "Welcome, Otherworlders, to Magisteria. My name is Seraphine Nova. I'm your guide."
📱 She's a high school student.
📱 Helping new Otherworlders settle in is her part-time job.
📱 She's half-human, born of an AI mother. Known as a "thetic", half-human/half-AI are one of the many forms of existence unique to the paradise city of Magisteria.
You have some time to explore the station and witness its many sights and sounds. Advanced technology can be heard and seen everywhere, and everywhere, there are humanoid beings. Some are organic: humans and faeries and elves and other races from all the lores of all worlds. Others are inorganic: cyborgs and AI and robots. In Magisteria, all beings share the same destiny.
Soon, the train for your group begins to board. You are invited to step inside: It's time to travel to your new apartment!
Your guide explains to your group that the first priority is to have you all acquainted with your aXess Link device. The device can be shaped like anything you want, such as a phone, a watch, or something more intricate. Pretty much everyone in the city needs one, so they're ubiquitous and subsidized. The aXess Link allows you to produce video or audio broadcast with full techno-magical special effects. You can have telepathic brain-to-speech communications and project holograms with the device.
Speaking of holograms, there's a projection which all Otherworlders are strongly encouraged to download and view:
Speaking of holograms, there's a projection which all Otherworlders are strongly encouraged to download and view:
The Projection: To All Arriving Otherworlders, From The Government of Magisteria
Welcome, Otherworlders. My name is Minister Brennam Tyrgen, representative of the sovereign of Magisteria. I've recorded a new version of this broadcast for you, and I'll get right to the point. My aim is to provide a brief overview of what you need to know before you continue any further.
Yours is not the first group of Otherworlders we've played host to. You've been arriving in our world for millennia now, and from all across the cosmos, no less. But your group is different from the others that have come before in one important respect.
You may have noticed it on your body as you exited the Infinity Corridor. Maybe it's even in the shape of something you find inspiring or meaningful or artistic. I speak of course of your new tattoo. That tattoo is your connection to Bios, the energy within your body and within all living things. Moreover, you Otherworlders are capable of engaging in something called Synthesis. These are cooperative acts which can generate massive amounts of excess Bios. You can research Bios and Synthesis, as well as anything else, on your aXess Link devices.
As to why your group is different than those who have come before... that's something we ourselves are still researching. But as the Bios in our world could use replenishing, it just may be that you all are somehow exactly what our world needs, and we want you to be as comfortable, settled, and in peace as may be possible.
Each of you should currently have enough funds in your virtual wallet to cover your housing expenses for about four months. Longer, should you find a roommate. After that, you will need to finance your own way. But don't worry. The apartments host learnshops and there will be ample opportunities to pursue vocational training and diverse careers within High Rise Village.
I do encourage each of you to be prepared to pursue the study of magic or technology. Two or more of you can integrate your abilities across disciplines, but each one of you can only specialize in one or the other. You'll soon come to understand why. You can pursue other opportunities as well, but the Order of Mysterium and the Council for Technological Advancement have always provided the best paths of upward mobility for Otherworlders.
Currently, you can access High Rise Village, our Business District, where you are now, as well as Eden 6, also called Neon Heaven, the Entertainment District. You can also visit most of the Market District and the Agriculture District. The Central Gardens have recently (for now) opened their gates to you all, and you may even have some opportunities to complete tasks there. Very soon, we should be able to finally beginning opening the remaining districts, such as our Northern Temple District and the Tech and Magic Districts.
Finally... I'm afraid your group has come at something of a difficult time for this part of the city. Certain... disturbances have recently made themselves known. I'm afraid I can't lend much help, as I have my own work keeping me busy, but not to worry: High Rise Village has its own authorities, and some of the most important will be out and about soon, determined to secure the district against threats. Your fellow Otherworlders will also play vital roles, as will you.
My final advice to each and all of you is that you keep your eyes and ears open. Watch, listen, and pay attention. Trust that your questions will have answers in time, but remember: sometimes you must find them yourselves.
Yours is not the first group of Otherworlders we've played host to. You've been arriving in our world for millennia now, and from all across the cosmos, no less. But your group is different from the others that have come before in one important respect.
You may have noticed it on your body as you exited the Infinity Corridor. Maybe it's even in the shape of something you find inspiring or meaningful or artistic. I speak of course of your new tattoo. That tattoo is your connection to Bios, the energy within your body and within all living things. Moreover, you Otherworlders are capable of engaging in something called Synthesis. These are cooperative acts which can generate massive amounts of excess Bios. You can research Bios and Synthesis, as well as anything else, on your aXess Link devices.
As to why your group is different than those who have come before... that's something we ourselves are still researching. But as the Bios in our world could use replenishing, it just may be that you all are somehow exactly what our world needs, and we want you to be as comfortable, settled, and in peace as may be possible.
Each of you should currently have enough funds in your virtual wallet to cover your housing expenses for about four months. Longer, should you find a roommate. After that, you will need to finance your own way. But don't worry. The apartments host learnshops and there will be ample opportunities to pursue vocational training and diverse careers within High Rise Village.
I do encourage each of you to be prepared to pursue the study of magic or technology. Two or more of you can integrate your abilities across disciplines, but each one of you can only specialize in one or the other. You'll soon come to understand why. You can pursue other opportunities as well, but the Order of Mysterium and the Council for Technological Advancement have always provided the best paths of upward mobility for Otherworlders.
Currently, you can access High Rise Village, our Business District, where you are now, as well as Eden 6, also called Neon Heaven, the Entertainment District. You can also visit most of the Market District and the Agriculture District. The Central Gardens have recently (for now) opened their gates to you all, and you may even have some opportunities to complete tasks there. Very soon, we should be able to finally beginning opening the remaining districts, such as our Northern Temple District and the Tech and Magic Districts.
Finally... I'm afraid your group has come at something of a difficult time for this part of the city. Certain... disturbances have recently made themselves known. I'm afraid I can't lend much help, as I have my own work keeping me busy, but not to worry: High Rise Village has its own authorities, and some of the most important will be out and about soon, determined to secure the district against threats. Your fellow Otherworlders will also play vital roles, as will you.
My final advice to each and all of you is that you keep your eyes and ears open. Watch, listen, and pay attention. Trust that your questions will have answers in time, but remember: sometimes you must find them yourselves.
🪄 The Bean and Berry 💻
Along the ride, the train stops at The Bean & Berry, High Rise Village’s upscale coffee shop with full service AR/VR amenities. Each Otherworlder is eligible for two free drinks and two free pastries, as well as a new arrival discount!
Please note: Beyond just being fun, these drinks/pastries will augment Otherworlders in preparation for later parts of the TDM!
🧋 DRINKS MENU
🌠 Techno Tonic 🌠 - A clear tonic. Infused with nanotechnology, it allows a user to buff their cybergear if they have it, or grow impromptu/temporary cybergear parts if they do not.
🌠 Synapse Sparkler 🌠 - A fizzy, sparkling drink that contains microchips designed to boost synaptic activity. Allows you to rapidly understand Magisterian magic or technology.
🌠 Clari-tea 🌠 - an enhanced version of a traditional chai. Beyond having a lovely, spiced-sweet flavour, it promotes blissful levels of stress reduction, making one relaxed and amiable.
🌠 Holo-Hot Chocolate 🌠 - A hot chocolate mixed with holographic particles that interact with the brain’s visual cortex. Those who drink it will be able to create especially stunning and lifelike holographs. Just be warned: drink too much and you might be creating holographs even when you don't mean to, just by moving around!
🌠Time in a Bottle 🌠 - a carbonated beverage that has been carefully infused to create a sensation of time dilation, making minutes feel like hours. Has a refreshing lemon-mint flavour.
🌠 Creativi-tea 🌠 - this drink encourages literary, artistic, and other innovative endeavors. The first sip can spark a "Eureka Burst!" in which you feel a rush of inspiration and a whirlwind of blazingly creative thoughts. You see colors more vividly and hear melodies in everyday sounds. For a short time, you can mentally connect with those around you who have partaken of the drink, mind-melding with a creativity boost. Be cautioned: the drink can encourage inhibition loss, especially if consumed in higher quantities, and drinking too much can induce bouts of uncontrollable laughter. This effect can last for up to 24 hours, and is intermittent.
🌠 Icy Rainbows 🌠 - a smoothie - with or without popping boba bubbles - that no one can really pin down the flavour of, beyond ‘some sort of fruit’. It projects a stunning, three-dimensional light display when consumed and the night after is always known to be full of vivid dreams.
🌠 Glitch Glaze Frappe 🌠 -A cold frappe that shimmers with a glitchy effect, as if it's not entirely solid. Provides a temporary 'glitch' ability, allowing characters to phase in and out of electronic systems, bypassing security or moving through digital barriers.
🥐 PASTRIES MENU
🌠 Byte Bites 🌠 - Small, crunchy cookies embedded with edible microchips. They can cause those who consume them to crackle with bright, raw Bios. It's like lightning that Otherworlders can channel and use as a weapon... or just to show off the pretty lights!
🌠 Fireall Fritters 🌠 - Eating these nanobot-infused fritters will imbue Otherworlders with the power to harden their Bios into actual solid metallic walls which are also lit with fire, perfect for protection against particularly dangerous foes. Ready to be a shielder?
🌠 Enchanted Éclairs 🌠 Éclairs filled with a shimmering cream that sparkles with magical energy. These treats can heighten magical energy and increase outputs.
🌠 Mystic Macarons 🌠 Colorful macarons that change hues to reflect the magical energy within. Consuming them can impart healing abilities and the ability to locate and bring forth such abilities from flora and the natural world.
🌠 Arcane Apple Tart 🌠 A tart made with enchanted apples that glow faintly in the dark. They are said to boost resistance to corruption and corrosive influences and to strengthen the user against other forms of magic.
Please note: Beyond just being fun, these drinks/pastries will augment Otherworlders in preparation for later parts of the TDM!
🌠 Techno Tonic 🌠 - A clear tonic. Infused with nanotechnology, it allows a user to buff their cybergear if they have it, or grow impromptu/temporary cybergear parts if they do not.
🌠 Synapse Sparkler 🌠 - A fizzy, sparkling drink that contains microchips designed to boost synaptic activity. Allows you to rapidly understand Magisterian magic or technology.
🌠 Clari-tea 🌠 - an enhanced version of a traditional chai. Beyond having a lovely, spiced-sweet flavour, it promotes blissful levels of stress reduction, making one relaxed and amiable.
🌠 Holo-Hot Chocolate 🌠 - A hot chocolate mixed with holographic particles that interact with the brain’s visual cortex. Those who drink it will be able to create especially stunning and lifelike holographs. Just be warned: drink too much and you might be creating holographs even when you don't mean to, just by moving around!
🌠Time in a Bottle 🌠 - a carbonated beverage that has been carefully infused to create a sensation of time dilation, making minutes feel like hours. Has a refreshing lemon-mint flavour.
🌠 Creativi-tea 🌠 - this drink encourages literary, artistic, and other innovative endeavors. The first sip can spark a "Eureka Burst!" in which you feel a rush of inspiration and a whirlwind of blazingly creative thoughts. You see colors more vividly and hear melodies in everyday sounds. For a short time, you can mentally connect with those around you who have partaken of the drink, mind-melding with a creativity boost. Be cautioned: the drink can encourage inhibition loss, especially if consumed in higher quantities, and drinking too much can induce bouts of uncontrollable laughter. This effect can last for up to 24 hours, and is intermittent.
🌠 Icy Rainbows 🌠 - a smoothie - with or without popping boba bubbles - that no one can really pin down the flavour of, beyond ‘some sort of fruit’. It projects a stunning, three-dimensional light display when consumed and the night after is always known to be full of vivid dreams.
🌠 Glitch Glaze Frappe 🌠 -A cold frappe that shimmers with a glitchy effect, as if it's not entirely solid. Provides a temporary 'glitch' ability, allowing characters to phase in and out of electronic systems, bypassing security or moving through digital barriers.
🌠 Byte Bites 🌠 - Small, crunchy cookies embedded with edible microchips. They can cause those who consume them to crackle with bright, raw Bios. It's like lightning that Otherworlders can channel and use as a weapon... or just to show off the pretty lights!
🌠 Fireall Fritters 🌠 - Eating these nanobot-infused fritters will imbue Otherworlders with the power to harden their Bios into actual solid metallic walls which are also lit with fire, perfect for protection against particularly dangerous foes. Ready to be a shielder?
🌠 Enchanted Éclairs 🌠 Éclairs filled with a shimmering cream that sparkles with magical energy. These treats can heighten magical energy and increase outputs.
🌠 Mystic Macarons 🌠 Colorful macarons that change hues to reflect the magical energy within. Consuming them can impart healing abilities and the ability to locate and bring forth such abilities from flora and the natural world.
🌠 Arcane Apple Tart 🌠 A tart made with enchanted apples that glow faintly in the dark. They are said to boost resistance to corruption and corrosive influences and to strengthen the user against other forms of magic.
🪄 Memories of Magisteria 💻
Before the train finally arrives at the apartments, there is one more piece of technology Otherworlders can interact with along the way: DreamDives. These are programs installed in the aXess Link device. If Otherworlders wish to learn more about what previous arrivals have experienced in this fantastical world, or if they wish to expedite the process of gaining the abilities those Otherworlders have accessed via the same trials, they are encouraged to access the DreamDives.
When accessed, the DreamDives create a hyperreal experience that is both technological and magical, as these particular dives are infused with real memories and experiences and with a level of magic which causes the AR/VR technology to blur at the seams. Otherworlders will be cautioned that they can experience real pain and fear from touring these augmented simulations, though they are also designed so that if an Otherworlder feels overwhelmed, they can mentally signal for the experience to end, and they will find themselves back awake/aware in their train seats.
Otherworlders who gain powers/tech from these DreamDives will have them in reality, too, i.e. skills with the two tech fauna and their own tech fauna! Again, this is a means of fast-tracking new players to catch up with the settings/plot. AND YES, the above pastries/drinks can be used to enhance/develop powers for these activities! In fact, that's encouraged!
Via the DreamDives, Otherworlders can access and experience the journeys to retrieve the four Greater Runes. This means visiting the Azure Vault and the Ember Hearth [ Event I ], as well as Whisperwind Alley and the Glimmergrove [ Event II ].
The four Greater Runes are giant gemstones. Concealed within each of the four above locations, as you approach the runes, you will behold a pulsing light in a color representing the respective element (i.e. as one approaches the depths of the Azure Vault, they will see a pulsing pale blue glow).
In reality, Otherworlders have retrieved these four runes, but these augmented simulations are a sort of memory share, so all Otherworlders may both see and experience everything together, and those who have already completed these challenges will be able to project or engage with their former activities, or participate in the challenges anew (their choice) with new partners.
For all challenges, current Otherworlders, those who have completed these challenges, are encouraged to be leaders and show the newbies how it's done. New Otherworlders can fast-track their abilities with elemental magic by participating in any of these DreamDives, meaning they can gain the ability to use spells from the four elemental powers by the time they enter the game.
Also, beware some of the beings at these locations. While the first two are fairly tame [Sea Bears, Janky Jellies, and enigmatic spirits], the latter two deal in more PVE-centric critters:
[ pictured from Event II ]
Via this DreamDive, Otherworlders can journey to the four special tech locations: the Digital Flora Dome and the Neon Nest [Event I], as well as the Symbiotic Skyscraper [Event II].
As with the above magic challenges, Otherworlders can develop their abilities with technology and fast-track their way through overcoming the challenges. As always, fellow Otherworlders are your best bet to success. Each tech-affiliated PC will have the chance to engage in training with the Bursterflies and the Lepidoperatives [see Flora/Fauna and the linked events] via the Digital Flora Dome and the Neon Nest, as well as the Symbiotic Skyscraper, with the latter being against the disrupted tech fauna from the second event.
Finally, in this DreamDive, new Otherworlders can experience the events of the High Risk Quest. You will journey to the Wreckage Labyrinth [recently demolished in the actual world, but accessible in the DreamDive] and encounter the Fractured, the corrupted AI entities whom Otherworlders previously fought.
Otherworlders will have access to various tech weapons for the quest against the Fractured and the battle against the tech fauna at the Symbiotic Skyscraper.
Turns out, there's one more aspect to these DreamDives -- one that may be unexpected to both the Otherworlders and the natives. Somehow or another, some of the Woofaloomps and the cryptofish have entered the programs.
It may be that the Woofaloomps, having discovered the DreamDive tech intended for the Otherworlders, have found a means of inserting themselves via their Bios footprints. It can be assumed that their physical counterparts are experiencing the techo-magical simulations as "real" in the same way that Otherworlders are.
Along with the Woofaloomps are the twin troublesome fish of Magisteria, the cryptofish and the near-figmentary tetras [NFTs]. How exactly did they get in? No idea!
Otherworlders journeying in any of the above simulations/locations may sporadically and randomly encounter Woofaloomps and the two cryptofish. And random is not an exaggeration: the fish may appear within the waters of the Azure Vault, or they may suddenly be floating in the air amid the battle with the Fractured. The Woofaloomps are, once again, scurrying and running all about the place, glitching from space to space.
The Woofaloomps and the cryptofish also seem eager to engage in the PVE battles alongside Otherworlders. However, being dumb and eccentric animals, they are likely to be more of a hindrance than a help for the most part.
🌀 Powers/Abilities: The Woofaloomps can "glitch" from space to space. They can induce feelings of peace/tranquility in others, which may actually adversely affect an Otherworlder's ability to do battle. However, if they can get close enough to project this ability against the Fractured (with the help of Otherworlders, of course), the Woofaloomps may be able to neutralize some of their abilities. Ditto the other PVE antagonists above. Finally, as living Bios baubles, the Woofaloomps can boost the magic/tech abilities of Otherworlders. Unfortunately, they may not always boost them in the most helpful manners: your abilities might grow erratic or uncontrollable when boosted by the Woofaloomps, so best be careful!
💰If the twin cryptofish touch an unlucky person, they impart a 24-hour curse which causes the affected individual to dispense bad financial advice, so beware, Otherworlders! If used against the tech fauna or the Fractured... the powers of the cryptofish may induce deeply irregular output. No knowing what happens unless you try, though, right? If used against the more magically oriented fauna or fed to them... again, who knows what might happen. Possibly very dubious effects all around.
🍩If you wish to deter these fucked up animals from engaging (or attempting to engage) in PVE or distracting your PVE/training, feeding them pastries (or crumbs, for the fish) will completely shift their focus, as they are all highly food-motivated. Other food, such as berries, can also work for this.
When accessed, the DreamDives create a hyperreal experience that is both technological and magical, as these particular dives are infused with real memories and experiences and with a level of magic which causes the AR/VR technology to blur at the seams. Otherworlders will be cautioned that they can experience real pain and fear from touring these augmented simulations, though they are also designed so that if an Otherworlder feels overwhelmed, they can mentally signal for the experience to end, and they will find themselves back awake/aware in their train seats.
Otherworlders who gain powers/tech from these DreamDives will have them in reality, too, i.e. skills with the two tech fauna and their own tech fauna! Again, this is a means of fast-tracking new players to catch up with the settings/plot. AND YES, the above pastries/drinks can be used to enhance/develop powers for these activities! In fact, that's encouraged!
Memories of Magic: Azure Vault, Ember Hearth, Glimmergrove, Whisperwind Alley
Via the DreamDives, Otherworlders can access and experience the journeys to retrieve the four Greater Runes. This means visiting the Azure Vault and the Ember Hearth [ Event I ], as well as Whisperwind Alley and the Glimmergrove [ Event II ].
The four Greater Runes are giant gemstones. Concealed within each of the four above locations, as you approach the runes, you will behold a pulsing light in a color representing the respective element (i.e. as one approaches the depths of the Azure Vault, they will see a pulsing pale blue glow).
In reality, Otherworlders have retrieved these four runes, but these augmented simulations are a sort of memory share, so all Otherworlders may both see and experience everything together, and those who have already completed these challenges will be able to project or engage with their former activities, or participate in the challenges anew (their choice) with new partners.
For all challenges, current Otherworlders, those who have completed these challenges, are encouraged to be leaders and show the newbies how it's done. New Otherworlders can fast-track their abilities with elemental magic by participating in any of these DreamDives, meaning they can gain the ability to use spells from the four elemental powers by the time they enter the game.
Also, beware some of the beings at these locations. While the first two are fairly tame [Sea Bears, Janky Jellies, and enigmatic spirits], the latter two deal in more PVE-centric critters:
Memories of Tech: Digital Flora Dome, Neon Nest, Symbiotic Skyscraper, and the Fractured
Via this DreamDive, Otherworlders can journey to the four special tech locations: the Digital Flora Dome and the Neon Nest [Event I], as well as the Symbiotic Skyscraper [Event II].
As with the above magic challenges, Otherworlders can develop their abilities with technology and fast-track their way through overcoming the challenges. As always, fellow Otherworlders are your best bet to success. Each tech-affiliated PC will have the chance to engage in training with the Bursterflies and the Lepidoperatives [see Flora/Fauna and the linked events] via the Digital Flora Dome and the Neon Nest, as well as the Symbiotic Skyscraper, with the latter being against the disrupted tech fauna from the second event.
Finally, in this DreamDive, new Otherworlders can experience the events of the High Risk Quest. You will journey to the Wreckage Labyrinth [recently demolished in the actual world, but accessible in the DreamDive] and encounter the Fractured, the corrupted AI entities whom Otherworlders previously fought.
Otherworlders will have access to various tech weapons for the quest against the Fractured and the battle against the tech fauna at the Symbiotic Skyscraper.
Memories of WTF: Woofaloomps and the Cryptofish
Turns out, there's one more aspect to these DreamDives -- one that may be unexpected to both the Otherworlders and the natives. Somehow or another, some of the Woofaloomps and the cryptofish have entered the programs.
It may be that the Woofaloomps, having discovered the DreamDive tech intended for the Otherworlders, have found a means of inserting themselves via their Bios footprints. It can be assumed that their physical counterparts are experiencing the techo-magical simulations as "real" in the same way that Otherworlders are.
Along with the Woofaloomps are the twin troublesome fish of Magisteria, the cryptofish and the near-figmentary tetras [NFTs]. How exactly did they get in? No idea!
Otherworlders journeying in any of the above simulations/locations may sporadically and randomly encounter Woofaloomps and the two cryptofish. And random is not an exaggeration: the fish may appear within the waters of the Azure Vault, or they may suddenly be floating in the air amid the battle with the Fractured. The Woofaloomps are, once again, scurrying and running all about the place, glitching from space to space.
The Woofaloomps and the cryptofish also seem eager to engage in the PVE battles alongside Otherworlders. However, being dumb and eccentric animals, they are likely to be more of a hindrance than a help for the most part.
🌀 Powers/Abilities: The Woofaloomps can "glitch" from space to space. They can induce feelings of peace/tranquility in others, which may actually adversely affect an Otherworlder's ability to do battle. However, if they can get close enough to project this ability against the Fractured (with the help of Otherworlders, of course), the Woofaloomps may be able to neutralize some of their abilities. Ditto the other PVE antagonists above. Finally, as living Bios baubles, the Woofaloomps can boost the magic/tech abilities of Otherworlders. Unfortunately, they may not always boost them in the most helpful manners: your abilities might grow erratic or uncontrollable when boosted by the Woofaloomps, so best be careful!
💰If the twin cryptofish touch an unlucky person, they impart a 24-hour curse which causes the affected individual to dispense bad financial advice, so beware, Otherworlders! If used against the tech fauna or the Fractured... the powers of the cryptofish may induce deeply irregular output. No knowing what happens unless you try, though, right? If used against the more magically oriented fauna or fed to them... again, who knows what might happen. Possibly very dubious effects all around.
🍩If you wish to deter these fucked up animals from engaging (or attempting to engage) in PVE or distracting your PVE/training, feeding them pastries (or crumbs, for the fish) will completely shift their focus, as they are all highly food-motivated. Other food, such as berries, can also work for this.
🪄 The World of Tomorrow: Evergreen Terrace 💻
At last, the train arrives at its destination. Centrally located in High Rise Village, this is Evergreen Terrace, a luxury apartment complex. You are informed that many of the district's elite, both techies and magic users, live within these apartments. They serve a thriving, hybrid community.
🌟Above the apartment complex today, a golden prism of light as wide as the buildings themselves pierces the clouds and appears to also pierce the roofs of the buildings, entering and disappearing into some hidden interior space.
Otherworlders who have been living within the apartments will find this mysterious light to be a new addition, an unexplained change.🌟
The apartments feature a series of buildings consisting of terraces of windows overflowing with greenery and pink bougainvillea. The buildings are bright alabaster white, and should you ask about their composition, you will be informed that there are magic-infused crystals within the architecture. The city sprawls around the apartments, but the greenery throughout and around purifies the air.
💧 a) Waters of Seeing
The apartment complex is encircled by artificial ponds and streams of running water. The water itself is crystal clear and sparkles in a manner that may give Otherworlders the distinctive impression of enchantment, even if they are not magically attuned individuals. There are signs indicating that Otherworlders are responsible for whatever they see, should they gaze at these waters.
If you look for very long, you may see a vision from home, perhaps someone you care for. Or you may see a memory, a glimpse of your past. Should another stand beside you, they just may see your memory, as well. Or the reverse: you might find yourself gazing into another’s past.
💥 b) Interior
???: Maggots who interfere with the peace of the Forever City deserve no less than to have their guts stomped, don't you agree?
She says nothing further, but merely pushes past you as you enter the apartments.
Often known as a lively place, Evergreen Terrace is especially bustling today. Denizens with all manners of appearance and apparent abilities are moving around within the interior, crowding one another out and talking hurriedly, some in different languages, some with mechanical voices.
Behind the desk, a figure greets you: "Sup, guys? A group of new arrivals, huh? Wow, it's been a while. Didn't get to greet the last group properly, seeing as how they ended up in the grove with the spirits. Uh, anyway, I'm Malik Patel, concierge of Evergreen Terrace.
Oh, in case anyone asks... if you just saw a woman with a very menacing aura, that's Commander Kyra Bladeheart. She's an Enforcer, and they all have names assigned to them, or that they choose themselves, that are... like that. Y'know. Dangerous-sounding. I can't really excuse her... attitude, but I can tell you she's been training her whole life to fight something very, VERY bad, and it kind of... informs the way she is.
Anyway, I gotta be real. You guys have come at a bit of a time. The Enforcers are here because the whole district, but especially Evergreen Terrace, is preparing for a big conflict. This cyborg skeleton anarchist hacker guy named Phantom Cipher recently materialized and is threatening us on behalf of his mysterious boss/group. Something about causing the city to explode. So that means we're all readying for the conflict, and I'm afraid you guys are going to need to be ready, too.
The boss is coming back and will be meeting with you all anytime now. This is all honestly above my pay grade.
Oh, if you want to see the incident with Phantom Cipher, it's recorded here. You can see via your aXess Link. Ava and I weren't exactly meaning to record this, but rather our progress, but... well, you'll see how it went down.
Oh, yeah. I guess there's one more thing. Our friend Soraya -- she's a bit like a cosmic djinn -- is in a pretty bad way today. I've never seen her so anxious. Did the Woofaloomps get off the train with you? They help siphon off her excess Bios, and uh, she could really use that, I think..."
🌈 c) Chaos of the cosmic djinn
"AUGHHHHH, I HEAR EVERYTHING YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT ME, MALIK! And what you said on that recording, too! Shame on your rudeness! Anxious? Of course I am! Those awful Enforcers are here, and we're being threatened by ... whoever heard of this 'Phantom Cipher'? And it's so crowded! Everyone in the district is coming to our complex to seek safety!
And not only that, but my precious children have once again escaped, this time into those DreamDives? How does this keep happening? My precious children do not even know how to use technology! It's like they're inventing new problems! Ughhh, focus, focus... I'm forcing my energies towards positive magic, TRYING not to accidentally incinerate anyone or create a miniature black hole...
But at least my Master is returning, soon! That will make everything better!"
This is Soraya. As her color scheme suggests, her Bios quantity is massive. Too massive. Rather than being an asset, the sheer amount of energy in her body overwhelms her, feeding into her anxiety and erratic temperament. Right now, she's in the lobby of Evergreen Terrace, and her powers are going awry. Some effects of her temper include:
Portals appear/disappear everywhere: sometimes these portals drop people or objects, sometimes they expose the interiors of rooms in the apartment complex and their denizens. Sometimes her magic causes one room to become another room to become a third room.
Accidental levitation, causing people/objects to lose their gravity and float upside down towards the upper floors.
A blooming floral frenzy: every time Soraya raises her voice or gets particularly anxious, flowers start blooming everywhere -- on the floor, walls, and even on people. They’re colorful, oversized, and grow at a rapid rate, causing anyone in the vicinity to have to push their way through the sudden jungle of flora.
Other effects of her temper include furniture coming to life and talking, accidentally filling the room with floating bubbles, and small storm clouds which appear over people's heads and rain glitter or confetti.
Otherworlders can calm Soraya by re-acquainting her with her "precious children," the Woofaloomps! They will help siphon off her excess energy by absorbing it as Bios into themselves. Fortunately, a group of these mischievous creatures have somehow followed Otherworlders off the train... maybe they were hiding on there all along when they entered the DreamDives?
Otherworlders can also offer to siphon off some of her excess Bios into their own bodies. This may enhance powers, but in surprise ways: an Otherworlder can gain the ability to transform into an animal, the ability to make flowers bloom, the ability to generate tempestuous fire tornadoes, a sudden mecha or full tech bodysuit which springs fully formed with extra weapons, OR even the use of more canon abilities.
Mod note: Feel free to ask if there's a particular power you wish for a character to acquire, as this is a special fun pre-event bonus gain. Feel free to handwave the NPC leaving or settling down as PCs interact around these prompts.
Within Evergreen Terrace, there are tech quarters and magic quarters, as well as plenty of all-purpose apartments with full service amenities. Occupants will learn that their rooms are fully customizable to their specific preferences: via enchantment or AR, each room can take on virtually any appearance its owner wishes.
Some common themes include Neo-Tokyo Metropolis, Nature Fusion, Steampunk Retrofuturism, and Synthetic Dreamscape.
Not only can these rooms assume different appearances, but they are immersive enough to provide full sensory experiences. From the scent of metal to the feeling of sun-infused warmth touched with the coolness of a recent rain shower, the sensations are realistic and evocative.
Otherworlders are encouraged to explore. You may settle in, pick a theme, or personalize your room with your own imaginative design choices. There are also communal areas, and Otherworlders can congregate and interact in the hopes of finding prospective roommates. Why not come out and meet your neighbors? After all, you can make the currency in your virtual account last longer if you share a place . . .
🌟Above the apartment complex today, a golden prism of light as wide as the buildings themselves pierces the clouds and appears to also pierce the roofs of the buildings, entering and disappearing into some hidden interior space.
Otherworlders who have been living within the apartments will find this mysterious light to be a new addition, an unexplained change.🌟
The apartments feature a series of buildings consisting of terraces of windows overflowing with greenery and pink bougainvillea. The buildings are bright alabaster white, and should you ask about their composition, you will be informed that there are magic-infused crystals within the architecture. The city sprawls around the apartments, but the greenery throughout and around purifies the air.
The apartment complex is encircled by artificial ponds and streams of running water. The water itself is crystal clear and sparkles in a manner that may give Otherworlders the distinctive impression of enchantment, even if they are not magically attuned individuals. There are signs indicating that Otherworlders are responsible for whatever they see, should they gaze at these waters.
If you look for very long, you may see a vision from home, perhaps someone you care for. Or you may see a memory, a glimpse of your past. Should another stand beside you, they just may see your memory, as well. Or the reverse: you might find yourself gazing into another’s past.
???: Maggots who interfere with the peace of the Forever City deserve no less than to have their guts stomped, don't you agree?
She says nothing further, but merely pushes past you as you enter the apartments.
Often known as a lively place, Evergreen Terrace is especially bustling today. Denizens with all manners of appearance and apparent abilities are moving around within the interior, crowding one another out and talking hurriedly, some in different languages, some with mechanical voices.
Behind the desk, a figure greets you: "Sup, guys? A group of new arrivals, huh? Wow, it's been a while. Didn't get to greet the last group properly, seeing as how they ended up in the grove with the spirits. Uh, anyway, I'm Malik Patel, concierge of Evergreen Terrace.
Oh, in case anyone asks... if you just saw a woman with a very menacing aura, that's Commander Kyra Bladeheart. She's an Enforcer, and they all have names assigned to them, or that they choose themselves, that are... like that. Y'know. Dangerous-sounding. I can't really excuse her... attitude, but I can tell you she's been training her whole life to fight something very, VERY bad, and it kind of... informs the way she is.
Anyway, I gotta be real. You guys have come at a bit of a time. The Enforcers are here because the whole district, but especially Evergreen Terrace, is preparing for a big conflict. This cyborg skeleton anarchist hacker guy named Phantom Cipher recently materialized and is threatening us on behalf of his mysterious boss/group. Something about causing the city to explode. So that means we're all readying for the conflict, and I'm afraid you guys are going to need to be ready, too.
The boss is coming back and will be meeting with you all anytime now. This is all honestly above my pay grade.
Oh, if you want to see the incident with Phantom Cipher, it's recorded here. You can see via your aXess Link. Ava and I weren't exactly meaning to record this, but rather our progress, but... well, you'll see how it went down.
Oh, yeah. I guess there's one more thing. Our friend Soraya -- she's a bit like a cosmic djinn -- is in a pretty bad way today. I've never seen her so anxious. Did the Woofaloomps get off the train with you? They help siphon off her excess Bios, and uh, she could really use that, I think..."
"AUGHHHHH, I HEAR EVERYTHING YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT ME, MALIK! And what you said on that recording, too! Shame on your rudeness! Anxious? Of course I am! Those awful Enforcers are here, and we're being threatened by ... whoever heard of this 'Phantom Cipher'? And it's so crowded! Everyone in the district is coming to our complex to seek safety!
And not only that, but my precious children have once again escaped, this time into those DreamDives? How does this keep happening? My precious children do not even know how to use technology! It's like they're inventing new problems! Ughhh, focus, focus... I'm forcing my energies towards positive magic, TRYING not to accidentally incinerate anyone or create a miniature black hole...
But at least my Master is returning, soon! That will make everything better!"
This is Soraya. As her color scheme suggests, her Bios quantity is massive. Too massive. Rather than being an asset, the sheer amount of energy in her body overwhelms her, feeding into her anxiety and erratic temperament. Right now, she's in the lobby of Evergreen Terrace, and her powers are going awry. Some effects of her temper include:
Portals appear/disappear everywhere: sometimes these portals drop people or objects, sometimes they expose the interiors of rooms in the apartment complex and their denizens. Sometimes her magic causes one room to become another room to become a third room.
Accidental levitation, causing people/objects to lose their gravity and float upside down towards the upper floors.
A blooming floral frenzy: every time Soraya raises her voice or gets particularly anxious, flowers start blooming everywhere -- on the floor, walls, and even on people. They’re colorful, oversized, and grow at a rapid rate, causing anyone in the vicinity to have to push their way through the sudden jungle of flora.
Other effects of her temper include furniture coming to life and talking, accidentally filling the room with floating bubbles, and small storm clouds which appear over people's heads and rain glitter or confetti.
Otherworlders can calm Soraya by re-acquainting her with her "precious children," the Woofaloomps! They will help siphon off her excess energy by absorbing it as Bios into themselves. Fortunately, a group of these mischievous creatures have somehow followed Otherworlders off the train... maybe they were hiding on there all along when they entered the DreamDives?
Otherworlders can also offer to siphon off some of her excess Bios into their own bodies. This may enhance powers, but in surprise ways: an Otherworlder can gain the ability to transform into an animal, the ability to make flowers bloom, the ability to generate tempestuous fire tornadoes, a sudden mecha or full tech bodysuit which springs fully formed with extra weapons, OR even the use of more canon abilities.
Mod note: Feel free to ask if there's a particular power you wish for a character to acquire, as this is a special fun pre-event bonus gain. Feel free to handwave the NPC leaving or settling down as PCs interact around these prompts.
🌆 Rooms with a View
Within Evergreen Terrace, there are tech quarters and magic quarters, as well as plenty of all-purpose apartments with full service amenities. Occupants will learn that their rooms are fully customizable to their specific preferences: via enchantment or AR, each room can take on virtually any appearance its owner wishes.
Some common themes include Neo-Tokyo Metropolis, Nature Fusion, Steampunk Retrofuturism, and Synthetic Dreamscape.
Not only can these rooms assume different appearances, but they are immersive enough to provide full sensory experiences. From the scent of metal to the feeling of sun-infused warmth touched with the coolness of a recent rain shower, the sensations are realistic and evocative.
Otherworlders are encouraged to explore. You may settle in, pick a theme, or personalize your room with your own imaginative design choices. There are also communal areas, and Otherworlders can congregate and interact in the hopes of finding prospective roommates. Why not come out and meet your neighbors? After all, you can make the currency in your virtual account last longer if you share a place . . .
🌆 The Eternal City: Entertainment District
When the evening descends, you are encouraged to explore the night life of the Entertainment District.
At night, the colors within the city truly come to life. Bios shows itself everywhere, and in all things. Natural Bios and industrial, mechanized Bios. There is conventional neon and conventional electricity, but also Bios, and as you walk the avenues, you can feel the pulse of this great, incandescent power.
Also colloquially referred to as Neon Heaven by the locals, Eden 6 is broadly comprised of two different zones:
🍏Green Apple Quarters – all-ages fare
🌹Red Rose Quarters – adult centers
Also colloquially referred to as Neon Heaven by the locals, Eden 6 is broadly comprised of two different zones:
🌹Red Rose Quarters – adult centers
🍏 a) Green Apple Exploration
These quarters house most restaurants, except those with notable bars or alcoholic beverage menus. Coffee and pastry shops are well-represented. There are plenty of magic-themed attractions, as well as general techie hangouts. One popular shop is named Fairy Dust: it’s a shop for potion and alchemy products, as well as magical toys of sorts to entertain children, and fun little spells. The highlight of the Green Apple Quarters, however, are certainly the gaming centers and arcades.
🛹 b) Skyracing
This is an activity which both children and adults participate in, often in different forms. Throughout the all-ages districts, young people can often be seen riding in the air on skateboards. But there are also other kinds of flying craft, some which are more like aerocycles, as well as hoverboards. Some of the latter are more prominent among the older set, with some races even having a hardcore adrenaline junkie component. Those take place primarily around The Fountain, the superclub which is on the border between Apple and Rose. There, skyracing is especially popular around the sunset and early evening hours.
Beings glimpsed in the evening sky can include sylphs and zephyrs, though sighting them is not entirely common.
[* For this activity, you use your Bios signature to link to the vehicle or skateboard, so crashing or falling is functionally impossible. ]
Beings glimpsed in the evening sky can include sylphs and zephyrs, though sighting them is not entirely common.
[* For this activity, you use your Bios signature to link to the vehicle or skateboard, so crashing or falling is functionally impossible. ]
🌹Red Rose Quarters
Quarters identified with the Red Rose designation are those which contain adult-centric fare. This includes any alcohol-first establishment, such as bars or nightclubs.
Otherworlders will find that the denizens of Magisteria’s Entertainment district maintain complex attitudes around nightlife. On the one hand, they are big believers in the protection and demarcation of adult sexuality. They’re very anti-criminalization of substances and big on legalization in principle. Perhaps not surprising for the people of a futuristic city. But even in Magisteria, there’s some sense that what happens in Neon Heaven, under the cover of night, stays there, and the usage of certain inducements to pleasure is not, as a rule, spoken of in the pristine offices of High Rise Village.
While the city emphasizes age restrictions, there are also plenty of people around the adult-centric establishments, none very hard to find, who will, for a small price, help teens who are on the older side (15+) access some of these establishments, especially the ones focused on pleasures of an AR-centric nature, [i.e. DreamDives with virtualized sexual content] After all, teens will find ways to explore things, and if it’s AR, it’s probably fine, right?
Otherworlders will find that the denizens of Magisteria’s Entertainment district maintain complex attitudes around nightlife. On the one hand, they are big believers in the protection and demarcation of adult sexuality. They’re very anti-criminalization of substances and big on legalization in principle. Perhaps not surprising for the people of a futuristic city. But even in Magisteria, there’s some sense that what happens in Neon Heaven, under the cover of night, stays there, and the usage of certain inducements to pleasure is not, as a rule, spoken of in the pristine offices of High Rise Village.
While the city emphasizes age restrictions, there are also plenty of people around the adult-centric establishments, none very hard to find, who will, for a small price, help teens who are on the older side (15+) access some of these establishments, especially the ones focused on pleasures of an AR-centric nature, [i.e. DreamDives with virtualized sexual content] After all, teens will find ways to explore things, and if it’s AR, it’s probably fine, right?
🎲 The Neon Oracle
Come one, come all to the Grand Casino, the Neon Oracle.
Set in a towering skyscraper in the heart of a bustling cyberpunk city, The Neon Oracle dominates the skyline with its glowing neon lights and holographic displays. The casino is known for its blending of ancient magic with futuristic technology. There are gaming tables, slot machines, a VIP lounge with exquisite drinks for the ambitious, and of course, everything is enhanced by technology and magic. Augmentations and enchantments abound.
🃏 There are poker and blackjack tables. Players can play enhanced poker with magical effects, such as cards that randomly change to wild cards or cards which whisper about other teams and try to coordinate with the players. Enchanted cards, as it were.
🎁 Unlike casinos you may be familiar with, flashy wins are common at the Neon Oracle. Hundreds or even thousands in virtual currency can be deposited directly into an Otherworlder's virtual bank account. But truly, money is considered one of the more minor prizes: the natives play to win unicorn companions or other mythic mounts, for a chance to visit the realm of the gods, for a temporary ability to reverse time by hours or even a day, and other extraordinary and supernatural prizes. These prizes, of course, are far more difficult to win than currency. Currency is relatively cheap in the abundance city of Magisteria.
🏆When you win, any number of techno-magical effects may occur: a dazzling hologram surrounds you and the Augur of Stars, a glowing digital sorceress, emerges from a swirling nebula of light above the gaming table. Celestial symbols twinkle in the air, promising good fortune upon you. Also, a golden rain of holographic coins descends upon winners, equating to the money which immediately deposits into their accounts virtually.
🌀There are, however, chances to lose. Those with E-rank luck may experience 24-hour distortions in which one or more limbs or body parts becomes invisible, or you may be visited by whispering spirits who haunt you for the duration of the day.
Speaking of spirits, the Neon Oracle is certain to be filled with gamblers of fantastic backgrounds, including wraiths and ghosts, as well as various forms of AI. At this time of year especially, there is no telling who or what you may encounter at this place.
Set in a towering skyscraper in the heart of a bustling cyberpunk city, The Neon Oracle dominates the skyline with its glowing neon lights and holographic displays. The casino is known for its blending of ancient magic with futuristic technology. There are gaming tables, slot machines, a VIP lounge with exquisite drinks for the ambitious, and of course, everything is enhanced by technology and magic. Augmentations and enchantments abound.
🃏 There are poker and blackjack tables. Players can play enhanced poker with magical effects, such as cards that randomly change to wild cards or cards which whisper about other teams and try to coordinate with the players. Enchanted cards, as it were.
🎁 Unlike casinos you may be familiar with, flashy wins are common at the Neon Oracle. Hundreds or even thousands in virtual currency can be deposited directly into an Otherworlder's virtual bank account. But truly, money is considered one of the more minor prizes: the natives play to win unicorn companions or other mythic mounts, for a chance to visit the realm of the gods, for a temporary ability to reverse time by hours or even a day, and other extraordinary and supernatural prizes. These prizes, of course, are far more difficult to win than currency. Currency is relatively cheap in the abundance city of Magisteria.
🏆When you win, any number of techno-magical effects may occur: a dazzling hologram surrounds you and the Augur of Stars, a glowing digital sorceress, emerges from a swirling nebula of light above the gaming table. Celestial symbols twinkle in the air, promising good fortune upon you. Also, a golden rain of holographic coins descends upon winners, equating to the money which immediately deposits into their accounts virtually.
🌀There are, however, chances to lose. Those with E-rank luck may experience 24-hour distortions in which one or more limbs or body parts becomes invisible, or you may be visited by whispering spirits who haunt you for the duration of the day.
Speaking of spirits, the Neon Oracle is certain to be filled with gamblers of fantastic backgrounds, including wraiths and ghosts, as well as various forms of AI. At this time of year especially, there is no telling who or what you may encounter at this place.
🍹 Water Gardens [CN: Substances!]
”Water garden” is the codename for Verve hotspots. Verve is a substance specific to Magisteria and its Entertainment district. It’s really the major drug of note, the biggest if not nearly-only game in town, mostly because of how intense its effects are.
Verve creates feelings of euphoria and bliss. The drug also enhances sensory perception, making colors more vibrant, sounds more vivid, and textures more pronounced. Users feel more connected to their surroundings. Other effects include: heightened energy levels and excitement, a creativity boost, heightened empathy and a desire to connect with others, mood regulation and increased feelings of relaxation, the potential for lucid dreams, time dilation – in which moments feel elongated, and sensory merging, in which synesthetic effects occur. While under the influence of Verve, you may see music or taste colors.
There’s also the aphrodisiac effect, which can be quite potent, particularly if one is otherwise savoring the pleasures of their environs.
Most users partake of Verve by having it mingled with their alcoholic beverages. Shots for cocktails come at a small fee. It brightens drinks with luminous colours and enhances the taste with its own, so there’s no question of anyone partaking of it accidentally or without their knowledge.
Some clubs and gathering spots have Verve misting stations outside or small fountains spraying droplets of mist into the air, so patrons can indulge before even entering, priming their mood for intense indulgences and the full sensory brilliance of the neon city.
Verve creates feelings of euphoria and bliss. The drug also enhances sensory perception, making colors more vibrant, sounds more vivid, and textures more pronounced. Users feel more connected to their surroundings. Other effects include: heightened energy levels and excitement, a creativity boost, heightened empathy and a desire to connect with others, mood regulation and increased feelings of relaxation, the potential for lucid dreams, time dilation – in which moments feel elongated, and sensory merging, in which synesthetic effects occur. While under the influence of Verve, you may see music or taste colors.
There’s also the aphrodisiac effect, which can be quite potent, particularly if one is otherwise savoring the pleasures of their environs.
Most users partake of Verve by having it mingled with their alcoholic beverages. Shots for cocktails come at a small fee. It brightens drinks with luminous colours and enhances the taste with its own, so there’s no question of anyone partaking of it accidentally or without their knowledge.
Some clubs and gathering spots have Verve misting stations outside or small fountains spraying droplets of mist into the air, so patrons can indulge before even entering, priming their mood for intense indulgences and the full sensory brilliance of the neon city.
🌠 Bonus TDM Material: Spirit Grove, Central Library, Quests! 🌠
🌠 The Elysian Grove: The Enchanted Central Gardens of Magisteria 🌠
At the heart of the city-state of Magisteria, between the Entertainment District and the Business District of High Rise Village, lie the Central Gardens. Properly called the the Elysian Grove, these gardens, which have recently opened their gates to Otherworlders, are the most enchanted space upon the island city-state. Home to the spirits from ancient pantheons, many of which have since disappeared from the world, the beings within the Gardens are those which exist nowhere else in Medeas.
[ All prompts from the prior TDM can be re-used for this TDM, as the Gardens are an enchanted and timeless world. CLICK HERE for the Elysian Grove! ]
🌠 The Central Library of Magisteria 🌠
Like all else in Magisteria, the Central Library is somewhat Extra: a shimmering edifice of towers that spiral into the horizon. When one walks into the Library, they will be reminded of the great antiquity that undergirds this ultra-modern cyberpunk city. Of course, the ultra-modern is ever present, too: Whole walls and entire rooms are just panels of screens with softly lit, sometimes-scrolling words.
The Library is the root of all information of the written variety. All languages begin here, all syllables. The books sit within their glass cases, or they exist on the screens, or the words can be heard in one's mind. All the speeds, all the cadences, all the page types. Everything within the Library is customizable to whatever an Otherworlder sees as the perfect ambience of a Book, or a Word, mystical or technologically innovative. The future and the past meet eternally here.
The Librarian: All within my realm is attuned to the algorithms which I design. The past and future mean nothing to me. For me, there is always and only the Library. Ahhh, but to think! At last, the proprietor of Evergreen Terrace returns! A being as Absolute as myself...
Well, what can I do for you, Otherworlders? What knowledge do you seek, and what the form thereof?
🌠 Quests for October/November 🌠
The full QUESTBOARD can be accessed HERE, but here are a few examples to get players started:
Nature-centric Quests [Elysian Grove and Agrarian Enclave]
🌠 Echoes of the Past
Zyren the Lightweaver is a famous artist who lives in Mysticaire District. Their race/species, age, and gender – or whether they have one – are all unknown. They are rumored to have been a companion to such entities as the Librarian and the Architect. Recently, Zyren has been struggling with inspiration. They believe they left a precious memory in the Gardens. Your help is requested to find the Luminari that holds Zyren’s ancient memorial moment of inspiration.
The artist gives you a painting to exchange for the stone that holds the memory: it’s a scenic depiction of High Rise Village, Magisteria’s modern Business District, where Otherworlders now live and where most of the game’s plot has transpired. The painting can appear or disappear with a thought [Zyren’s magic], so Otherworlders will not need to carry it physically.
Objective: Travel to the Central Gardens and find the Luminari who holds Zyren’s memory. The memory is solidified as a stone in the Luminari’s possession. Exchange the painting of High Rise Village for the memory stone and return the latter to Zyren. Tips: Remember, the Lumens are especially adept at finding lost objects/people, and they can help Otherworlders navigate the illusions of the Elysian Grove, whose ancient magic may prove a bit challenging for Otherworlders. [See the third TDM for an overview of the Grove.]
Result: Zyren’s memory stone contains a vision of the five moons of Medeas in the Before Times when Medeas was as Gloambristle spoke of it: a world of ancient spirits and never-ending twilight. Otherworlders who recover the memory will catch a glimpse of Magisteria/Medeas in the days of old, before the destruction of two of the world’s moons. They may also witness a dark shadow that passes over the moons. They will not see the Entity or Entities responsible for the shadow, but the sight can induce involuntarily chills in the nervous system: It is the first glimpse Otherworlders have had of what the spirits allude to: the “Enemies” who brought war to Magisteria long, long ago.
Reward: Magic-affiliated PCs will receive an additional spell in a magic domain of their choosing (mod will offer options). Tech PCs will receive a special tool or weapon. All PCs will receive three months' worth of virtual currency for living expenses and whatever immediate needs/purchases they might want.
The artist gives you a painting to exchange for the stone that holds the memory: it’s a scenic depiction of High Rise Village, Magisteria’s modern Business District, where Otherworlders now live and where most of the game’s plot has transpired. The painting can appear or disappear with a thought [Zyren’s magic], so Otherworlders will not need to carry it physically.
Objective: Travel to the Central Gardens and find the Luminari who holds Zyren’s memory. The memory is solidified as a stone in the Luminari’s possession. Exchange the painting of High Rise Village for the memory stone and return the latter to Zyren. Tips: Remember, the Lumens are especially adept at finding lost objects/people, and they can help Otherworlders navigate the illusions of the Elysian Grove, whose ancient magic may prove a bit challenging for Otherworlders. [See the third TDM for an overview of the Grove.]
Result: Zyren’s memory stone contains a vision of the five moons of Medeas in the Before Times when Medeas was as Gloambristle spoke of it: a world of ancient spirits and never-ending twilight. Otherworlders who recover the memory will catch a glimpse of Magisteria/Medeas in the days of old, before the destruction of two of the world’s moons. They may also witness a dark shadow that passes over the moons. They will not see the Entity or Entities responsible for the shadow, but the sight can induce involuntarily chills in the nervous system: It is the first glimpse Otherworlders have had of what the spirits allude to: the “Enemies” who brought war to Magisteria long, long ago.
Reward: Magic-affiliated PCs will receive an additional spell in a magic domain of their choosing (mod will offer options). Tech PCs will receive a special tool or weapon. All PCs will receive three months' worth of virtual currency for living expenses and whatever immediate needs/purchases they might want.
🍃 The Restoration of the Agrarian Enclave: Multiple Quests
“Otherworlders, what a time you’ve arrived at. Our agriculture district, the Agrarian Enclave, a peaceful and prosperous land of eternal growth, has been experiencing such confusing occurrences.”
Lady Viridia, the Greenveil Warden, presides over the Sunwoven Meadows, a special enchanted region of eternal summer within the Agrarian Enclave. Recently, parts of these forever-green lands have begun to appear blighted and withered. These are not natural barren autumnal/wintry conditions, as the Sunwoven Meadows are a land of perpetual summer. Lady Viridia believes the mining of Bios to refine it (industrial Bios) has weakened the region’s natural defenses, allowing dark influences to seep in and angering certain of the region’s natural powers and wardens.
Lady Viridia believes the seeds scattered by the Bloombeasts and the pollen from the Pygmy Flouribounder can restore these areas. However, the animals have become skittish with the rise of dark influences.
The restoration spans multiple quests.
Lady Viridia, the Greenveil Warden, presides over the Sunwoven Meadows, a special enchanted region of eternal summer within the Agrarian Enclave. Recently, parts of these forever-green lands have begun to appear blighted and withered. These are not natural barren autumnal/wintry conditions, as the Sunwoven Meadows are a land of perpetual summer. Lady Viridia believes the mining of Bios to refine it (industrial Bios) has weakened the region’s natural defenses, allowing dark influences to seep in and angering certain of the region’s natural powers and wardens.
Lady Viridia believes the seeds scattered by the Bloombeasts and the pollen from the Pygmy Flouribounder can restore these areas. However, the animals have become skittish with the rise of dark influences.
The restoration spans multiple quests.
🍃 Quest #1: Beneath the Shepherd's Gaze: The Heartwood Tree Challenge
The majestic Bloombeasts of Magisteria’s Agrarian Enclave are guarded by a being known as the Eye of the Meadow. Lady Viridia gives each Otherworlder a green token for an audience with the Eye, but it will also want them to pass a trial to prove they can be trusted.
The trial involves balancing an ancient sentient tree known as the Heartwood Tree. The Heartwood Tree has three resonance nodes: the Root Node, the Flora Node, and the Fauna Node. Otherworlders can perform Synthesis to generate Bios, boosting each node.
However, there are positives and negatives for each node.
Boosting the Root Node with Bios can cause the roots to become strong, forming protective barriers, but too much Bios will lead to tangled roots which strangle plant growth in the Flora Node.
Boosting the Flora Node will cause vibrant plant growth, but too much Bios may result in an abundance of flora which draws pests and predators.
Boosting the Fauna Node will draw animal life to the region, but too much Bios may result in over-grazing and a strain on the resources of the Flora and Root nodes.
Otherworlders may encounter giant spiders, Moss Titans, Gnarled Revenants [as well as other creatures: PCs are free to invent their own!] depending on the nodes they boost. To conquer this challenge, Otherworlders must act cooperatively and use their Synthesizing abilities to balance the Bios in the Heartwood Tree’s nodes.
Otherworlders who cooperate to balance the Heartwood Tree will receive a token called the petal of resilience from a being known as the Barkshade. This will be the key to the next quest.
The trial involves balancing an ancient sentient tree known as the Heartwood Tree. The Heartwood Tree has three resonance nodes: the Root Node, the Flora Node, and the Fauna Node. Otherworlders can perform Synthesis to generate Bios, boosting each node.
However, there are positives and negatives for each node.
Boosting the Root Node with Bios can cause the roots to become strong, forming protective barriers, but too much Bios will lead to tangled roots which strangle plant growth in the Flora Node.
Boosting the Flora Node will cause vibrant plant growth, but too much Bios may result in an abundance of flora which draws pests and predators.
Boosting the Fauna Node will draw animal life to the region, but too much Bios may result in over-grazing and a strain on the resources of the Flora and Root nodes.
Otherworlders may encounter giant spiders, Moss Titans, Gnarled Revenants [as well as other creatures: PCs are free to invent their own!] depending on the nodes they boost. To conquer this challenge, Otherworlders must act cooperatively and use their Synthesizing abilities to balance the Bios in the Heartwood Tree’s nodes.
Otherworlders who cooperate to balance the Heartwood Tree will receive a token called the petal of resilience from a being known as the Barkshade. This will be the key to the next quest.
🍃 Quest #2: The Seeds of Renewal: The Land of Eternal Summer
Only once Otherworlders have appeased the Eye and retrieved the Bloombeasts can they be eligible for this quest, so the Enclave restoration is de facto a two-part quest.
Once Otherworlders have retrieved Bloombeasts, as well as the Pygmy Flouribounders, they must travel to the area of corruption in the Sunwoven Meadows. There, they will encounter a force known as the Witherblight. The Witherblight is a sinister, corrupting force that thrives in areas where natural magic has faltered. It manifests as a creeping shadow of decay, draining vitality from the soil and plants, and turning once-vibrant gardens into lifeless husks. This dark presence is characterized by thorny vines and shadowy tendrils that emit a faint, toxic glow. Areas affected by the Witherblight often attract lesser shadowy entities known as Blightlings, which feed on the lingering remnants of natural magic.
The Witherblight appeared shortly after industrial Bios mining became more prevalent in the Agrarian Enclave. As the balance between technology and nature shifted, it created a void in the magical ecosystem that the Witherblight took advantage of. Now, as autumn sets in -- a time when the natural world is already more vulnerable -- the Witherblight’s influence has grown stronger, threatening to overtake entire sections of the Agrarian Enclave.
Objective: Otherworlders must guide the Bloombeasts and the Pygmy Flouribounders (the latter, being small, can also be carried) to the areas of corruption, using their pollen-producing and seeding abilities and their gentle magic to restore the corrupted lands. Along the way, they may encounter and defeat the forces of the Witherblight, the Blightlings [1, 2, 3]. The final encounter will be against a creature known as the Witherthorn, a sentient manifestation of the Witherblight, a twisted amalgamation of corrupted vines, shadowy thorns, and toxic blossoms. Its presence warps the surrounding flora, spreading decay and attracting hostile Blightlings. The Witherthorn will only be vulnerable after the local flora has been restored, and players will need to fend off waves of Blightlings while they complete the purification.
To defeat the Witherthorn, Otherworlders must imbue the petal of resilience from the previous quest with a share of their Bios via their Synthesis abilities, cooperating to empower the petal. Magic from the Flouribounders and the Bloombeasts will also go towards empowering the petal. Once the petal has become sufficiently empowered with the Bios and the magic of the fauna, it will glow brilliantly, burning off the corruption of the Witherthorn.
Result: Successfully purging the corruption/curse of the Witherblight will cause the vines and tangles of the Witherthorn to fall away, revealing that the creature is actually a twisted manifestation of a once beneficent nature spirit: the Thornmother. The Thornmother will thank Otherworlders and promise to give them aid in the battles which are to come, for this is not the last of the difficulties the Agrarian Enclave will face.
Reward: The allies who successfully complete this quest will receive a powerful summons from the Thornmother: something that can greatly aid them in the battles to come. Mod will reveal details to those who successfully complete the quest. ;D
Once Otherworlders have retrieved Bloombeasts, as well as the Pygmy Flouribounders, they must travel to the area of corruption in the Sunwoven Meadows. There, they will encounter a force known as the Witherblight. The Witherblight is a sinister, corrupting force that thrives in areas where natural magic has faltered. It manifests as a creeping shadow of decay, draining vitality from the soil and plants, and turning once-vibrant gardens into lifeless husks. This dark presence is characterized by thorny vines and shadowy tendrils that emit a faint, toxic glow. Areas affected by the Witherblight often attract lesser shadowy entities known as Blightlings, which feed on the lingering remnants of natural magic.
The Witherblight appeared shortly after industrial Bios mining became more prevalent in the Agrarian Enclave. As the balance between technology and nature shifted, it created a void in the magical ecosystem that the Witherblight took advantage of. Now, as autumn sets in -- a time when the natural world is already more vulnerable -- the Witherblight’s influence has grown stronger, threatening to overtake entire sections of the Agrarian Enclave.
Objective: Otherworlders must guide the Bloombeasts and the Pygmy Flouribounders (the latter, being small, can also be carried) to the areas of corruption, using their pollen-producing and seeding abilities and their gentle magic to restore the corrupted lands. Along the way, they may encounter and defeat the forces of the Witherblight, the Blightlings [1, 2, 3]. The final encounter will be against a creature known as the Witherthorn, a sentient manifestation of the Witherblight, a twisted amalgamation of corrupted vines, shadowy thorns, and toxic blossoms. Its presence warps the surrounding flora, spreading decay and attracting hostile Blightlings. The Witherthorn will only be vulnerable after the local flora has been restored, and players will need to fend off waves of Blightlings while they complete the purification.
To defeat the Witherthorn, Otherworlders must imbue the petal of resilience from the previous quest with a share of their Bios via their Synthesis abilities, cooperating to empower the petal. Magic from the Flouribounders and the Bloombeasts will also go towards empowering the petal. Once the petal has become sufficiently empowered with the Bios and the magic of the fauna, it will glow brilliantly, burning off the corruption of the Witherthorn.
Result: Successfully purging the corruption/curse of the Witherblight will cause the vines and tangles of the Witherthorn to fall away, revealing that the creature is actually a twisted manifestation of a once beneficent nature spirit: the Thornmother. The Thornmother will thank Otherworlders and promise to give them aid in the battles which are to come, for this is not the last of the difficulties the Agrarian Enclave will face.
Reward: The allies who successfully complete this quest will receive a powerful summons from the Thornmother: something that can greatly aid them in the battles to come. Mod will reveal details to those who successfully complete the quest. ;D
Tech-centric Quests [High Rise Village and VPlane (virtual overlay)]
🤖 Augment Ascension
The biotech labs of the Aetherium District have created a new type of physical augment called Symphogenics, which directly harmonizes with a user’s inherent abilities, enhancing their physical performance in specific ways. To determine the most effective configurations, Otherworlders are invited to a unique testing ground: The Starlight Apex, an enigmatic skyscraper outfitted with advanced obstacle courses.
Objective: Choose from different augment types (e.g., enhanced reflexes, short-range flight, or kinetic energy absorption) and ascend the Apex by overcoming various trials that challenge speed, strength, or problem-solving. The Symphogenic augments adapt dynamically based on the user’s performance, growing stronger the more the user pushes them. Some challenges might include jumping across moving platforms, balancing on thin, invisible pathways, or racing against augmented androids. Players must also be wary of “overloading” their augments, which can cause them to malfunction temporarily, increasing difficulty.
Reward: Permanent access to a single-use Symphogenic augment for future quests or a unique, limited-duration ability like “Accelerated Reflexes.”
Objective: Choose from different augment types (e.g., enhanced reflexes, short-range flight, or kinetic energy absorption) and ascend the Apex by overcoming various trials that challenge speed, strength, or problem-solving. The Symphogenic augments adapt dynamically based on the user’s performance, growing stronger the more the user pushes them. Some challenges might include jumping across moving platforms, balancing on thin, invisible pathways, or racing against augmented androids. Players must also be wary of “overloading” their augments, which can cause them to malfunction temporarily, increasing difficulty.
Reward: Permanent access to a single-use Symphogenic augment for future quests or a unique, limited-duration ability like “Accelerated Reflexes.”
🤖 Initiate: Vplane
The time has come at last for Otherworlders of the tech persuasion to encounter Vplane, the virtual overlay of Magisteria. What is Vplane? It is an entire virtual world, and Otherworlders can enter it by placing their physical bodies in virtual reality pods found throughout Magisteria and by switching to the appropriate settings on their aXess Link devices, sychronizing their neurons with the appropriate alogrithms and bases of code.
In the Vplane, reality is sometimes what you make of it, and the more talented you are at manipulating technology (especially those who are learning, for example, mental hacking), the more a visitor can very literally shape the environs around them. Otherworlders who enter the Vplane will find an entire society of people who come for work, play, leisure, and to simply soak in the pleasures of the virtual sphere, including many AI and other inorganic beings, for whom this world is often more comfortable and not such a sensory overload as the world of the flesh, i.e. the human world. AI have outsized rights, responsibilities, and roles in the Vplane, as this is their backyard.
For this quest, Otherworlders encounter a figure known as the Gridmaster. The Gridmaster, having learned of Phantom Cipher's plans, offers Otherworlders an opportunity to create digital Echoes of themselves. These Echoes are digital ghost-signatures, essentially clones of Otherworlders which can be summoned by Otherworlders to maintain a piece of themselves in the face of Cipher's Manifestation.
The Gridmaster presents a task in which the Otherworlders must sync their Bios energy to a series of fluctuating nodes that represent the dissonance of their own physical and digital selves. The test involves interacting with these nodes to find a point of resonance, stabilizing the flow of data between them. The Otherworlders must navigate through a shifting maze-like structure made of mirrored data streams. Here, they encounter areas where the environment actively erases their presence or scrambles their data, forcing them to adapt quickly. This is meant to represent how easily the Vplane can erase intruders who don’t try to understand or respect the virtual world.
Objective: Otherworlders must demonstrate their attunement to and mastery of the virtual sphere. In so doing, they may confront aspects of themselves, embodied in the shifting structures and in the Echoes they create. The goal is to create an Echo which can be used to aid an Otherworlder in the Symphony of Disruption, perhaps via a summoning (a way for magic/tech users to cooperate) for the Echo to act as an ally force, even if the original Otherworlder has been corrupted by Cipher's machinations. To create an Echo, Otherworlders must master the challenges and successfully build a digital footprint with their Bios.
Reward: Otherworlders can successfully create Echoes of themselves to retrieve/summon (or be summoned) during upcoming event.
In the Vplane, reality is sometimes what you make of it, and the more talented you are at manipulating technology (especially those who are learning, for example, mental hacking), the more a visitor can very literally shape the environs around them. Otherworlders who enter the Vplane will find an entire society of people who come for work, play, leisure, and to simply soak in the pleasures of the virtual sphere, including many AI and other inorganic beings, for whom this world is often more comfortable and not such a sensory overload as the world of the flesh, i.e. the human world. AI have outsized rights, responsibilities, and roles in the Vplane, as this is their backyard.
For this quest, Otherworlders encounter a figure known as the Gridmaster. The Gridmaster, having learned of Phantom Cipher's plans, offers Otherworlders an opportunity to create digital Echoes of themselves. These Echoes are digital ghost-signatures, essentially clones of Otherworlders which can be summoned by Otherworlders to maintain a piece of themselves in the face of Cipher's Manifestation.
The Gridmaster presents a task in which the Otherworlders must sync their Bios energy to a series of fluctuating nodes that represent the dissonance of their own physical and digital selves. The test involves interacting with these nodes to find a point of resonance, stabilizing the flow of data between them. The Otherworlders must navigate through a shifting maze-like structure made of mirrored data streams. Here, they encounter areas where the environment actively erases their presence or scrambles their data, forcing them to adapt quickly. This is meant to represent how easily the Vplane can erase intruders who don’t try to understand or respect the virtual world.
Objective: Otherworlders must demonstrate their attunement to and mastery of the virtual sphere. In so doing, they may confront aspects of themselves, embodied in the shifting structures and in the Echoes they create. The goal is to create an Echo which can be used to aid an Otherworlder in the Symphony of Disruption, perhaps via a summoning (a way for magic/tech users to cooperate) for the Echo to act as an ally force, even if the original Otherworlder has been corrupted by Cipher's machinations. To create an Echo, Otherworlders must master the challenges and successfully build a digital footprint with their Bios.
Reward: Otherworlders can successfully create Echoes of themselves to retrieve/summon (or be summoned) during upcoming event.
🤖 Cyber Samurai: Way of the Blade
Otherworlders may have already seen some of these mysterious sword-wielding figures throughout Magisteria, their blades infused with Bios. These are cyber-samurai, and unlike their standard counterparts, their blades are honed specifically to enact digital functions on their opponents. That is to say, a cyber samurai can use a sword blow (or series thereof) to disrupt and manipulate/alter the code of cyber/cyborg/AI antagonists, effectively neutralizing them. These guardians of Magisteria's tech sectors are especially effective against beings such as the Fractured or hostile inorganic entities such as Phantom Cipher.
With the rising threats to High Rise Village, some of these elite and secretive cyber samurai groups are opening their doors to train Otherworlders.
Objective: Visit the Shattered Circuit Temple in Magisteria's Business District and begin training with the cyber samurai. Training will consist of sword techniques interspersed with actual "hacking" techniques -- techniques for manipulating industrial/refined Bios to carefully disrupt the defenses of cyber-foes. Initially, the training will be on the simpler side, as these are very advanced techniques and carefully guarded secrets of Magisteria's protectors: trust must be developed, even for the Otherworlders. However, Otherworlders who pursue The Way of the Blade in this quest will have future opportunities related to obstacles/challenges with the tech path and antagonist forces.
Reward: The skills upgrade will be its own reward! However, Otherworlders will also receive a training stipend of a month of living/general expenses covered and also be eligible for more cyber-security and even potential cyber samurai jobs in the city.
With the rising threats to High Rise Village, some of these elite and secretive cyber samurai groups are opening their doors to train Otherworlders.
Objective: Visit the Shattered Circuit Temple in Magisteria's Business District and begin training with the cyber samurai. Training will consist of sword techniques interspersed with actual "hacking" techniques -- techniques for manipulating industrial/refined Bios to carefully disrupt the defenses of cyber-foes. Initially, the training will be on the simpler side, as these are very advanced techniques and carefully guarded secrets of Magisteria's protectors: trust must be developed, even for the Otherworlders. However, Otherworlders who pursue The Way of the Blade in this quest will have future opportunities related to obstacles/challenges with the tech path and antagonist forces.
Reward: The skills upgrade will be its own reward! However, Otherworlders will also receive a training stipend of a month of living/general expenses covered and also be eligible for more cyber-security and even potential cyber samurai jobs in the city.
🤖 Broken Doll, Broken Code
Years ago, the AI scientists of Magisteria created a tech doll named Whisper to store the digital memories of cyborgs and other inorganic beings who were destroyed or who malfunctioned for any reason. The tech doll could replicate behaviors and sounds of these entities, giving comfort to families. However, there was controversy around the tech doll's existence, with some seeing its ability/use as perverse. This controversy occurred particularly among the techno-citizens of Magisteria, though some organic beings were not without their opinions on the matter. During the controversy, the doll disappeared, the theory being that she may have been abducted either by someone who wished to use her abilities, or by hostile oppositional forces who wished to see her destroyed.
Now, amid the recent controversies and conflicts, Whisper has suddenly re-appeared. Not only that, but she's no longer "merely" a doll: Whisper reveals that she has been living in the city's Supernatural Undercity, and that she has merged with a spirit who is now inhabiting her body and who has worked to merge with her code, the two of them becoming a new kind of sentience. Whisper claims that she holds the secrets of the Fractured (whose appearance she resembles) and their disillusion. True to her name, she whispers that she alone knows possible secrets to Umbra and to reversing or at least mitigating the corruption of the code, and she is willing to talk to Otherworlders... "if you will play a little game with me".
Objective: Whisper invites the Otherworlders into a hidden chamber just above the entrance to Undercity, the mysterious eleventh district of Magisteria home to supernatural beings. Each chamber is modeled after key locations tied to the downfall of those who became the Fractured and is filled with interactive holograms and audio logs.
Whisper reveals that, for her “game,” she wishes to play out scenarios from different moments in her own past -- the moments when she was taken from the laboratory, the interactions with hostile forces, and finally, her merger with the spirit. Players are drawn into “holographic reenactments” that Whisper constructs using her memories and the spiritual essence now animating her. These reenactments are dangerous; they are more than just visual illusions. Any damage sustained or interaction made can have real-world consequences.
Each scenario contains hidden elements and moral dilemmas, such as choosing between Whisper’s potential freedom or someone else’s safety. Players are forced to play various roles, such as Whisper’s abductors, her original creators, or even the hostile forces trying to dismantle her, seeing the events unfold from each point of view.
Players who successfully navigate these challenges, keeping their sanity, will be eligible to finally receive the actual secrets to entering the Undercity of Magisteria (which at this time cannot be visited by Otherworlders -- yet), as well as deep lore about the Fractured, who they were, and their secrets.
Tips: Remember the Luminous Bloom blessing from the third TDM? As well as the other blessings of the spirits? Might come in handy for this challenge...
Now, amid the recent controversies and conflicts, Whisper has suddenly re-appeared. Not only that, but she's no longer "merely" a doll: Whisper reveals that she has been living in the city's Supernatural Undercity, and that she has merged with a spirit who is now inhabiting her body and who has worked to merge with her code, the two of them becoming a new kind of sentience. Whisper claims that she holds the secrets of the Fractured (whose appearance she resembles) and their disillusion. True to her name, she whispers that she alone knows possible secrets to Umbra and to reversing or at least mitigating the corruption of the code, and she is willing to talk to Otherworlders... "if you will play a little game with me".
Objective: Whisper invites the Otherworlders into a hidden chamber just above the entrance to Undercity, the mysterious eleventh district of Magisteria home to supernatural beings. Each chamber is modeled after key locations tied to the downfall of those who became the Fractured and is filled with interactive holograms and audio logs.
Whisper reveals that, for her “game,” she wishes to play out scenarios from different moments in her own past -- the moments when she was taken from the laboratory, the interactions with hostile forces, and finally, her merger with the spirit. Players are drawn into “holographic reenactments” that Whisper constructs using her memories and the spiritual essence now animating her. These reenactments are dangerous; they are more than just visual illusions. Any damage sustained or interaction made can have real-world consequences.
Each scenario contains hidden elements and moral dilemmas, such as choosing between Whisper’s potential freedom or someone else’s safety. Players are forced to play various roles, such as Whisper’s abductors, her original creators, or even the hostile forces trying to dismantle her, seeing the events unfold from each point of view.
Players who successfully navigate these challenges, keeping their sanity, will be eligible to finally receive the actual secrets to entering the Undercity of Magisteria (which at this time cannot be visited by Otherworlders -- yet), as well as deep lore about the Fractured, who they were, and their secrets.
Tips: Remember the Luminous Bloom blessing from the third TDM? As well as the other blessings of the spirits? Might come in handy for this challenge...
raiden mei / honkai impact 3rd / new player
⚡ chapter i: arrival.
[ When Mei blinks and finds herself in an unfamiliar landscape there is definitely hints of surprise in her bright violet eyes.
But for others that might be around her, they might find themselves surprised by her current appearance; horns adorning her head and massive, almost robotic-looking arms floating by her side.
It is made quite obvious from the first second that this girl- no, this woman- isn't exactly your ordinary everyday human and is in fact armed and dangerous. The good news, however, is that she isn't taking either of her swords out of their sheathes. Not yet, anyway, although her hand is at the ready, just in case.
It's only when Seraphine shows up and introduces herself as their guide that she starts to understand fully that this isn't the place that she was earlier. There's a pull in her chest that's almost uncomfortable, but she ignores it for the time being. Instead, she allows herself to gather information.
At the station, she looks at the sights and sounds, drinking it all in. But she can't allow herself to get distracted for long. So she gestures at the nearest person - her robotic arm matching her own movements and asks with a surprisingly polite and curious tone: ]
What do you think of this place so far?
[ It's a simple inquiry, really, but having other people's thoughts on the matter might be informative. ]
⚡ chapter ii: waters of seeing
Ah-
[ Mei makes the mistake of staring into the waters for more than a moment, as she winds up seeing a rather familiar face there.
No longer in her full Herrscher form, instead taking on something much more covert and less standout. Even though she knows that it's some sort of illusion, a trick of the light or perhaps a worse third option - she reaches out, the name a faint whisper on her lips: ]
Kiana-chan...
[ But then she pulls her hand away, closing her eyes for a brief moment and shaking her head to refocus herself. It's only when she opens them back up that a memory plays out, not just for her to see.
Sky blue eyes narrow at the sight, cold as ice as her kind, longing tone dissipates into the wind. ]
How ridiculous. [ And then, she takes a quick glance to the person watching next to her: ] You don't need to remember what you saw; it's all something that's behind me now.
[ Whether you believe her or not, however is another story entirely. ]
⚡ chapter iii: the elysian grove
[ There's definitely something ironic, really, about someone who was just in a place called the Elysian Realm entering a place called the Elysian Grove.
In fact, she finds herself chuckling lowly to herself - not in disrespect, of course, but in a way that feels... nostalgic. She can't help but murmur aloud to herself more than anybody else that may be around: ]
I wonder if I can also find answers here, too.
[ Well, there's only one way to find out. Time to do some exploration, meaning that there's definitely going to be a young woman walking around the grove, heels clicking as she navigates - she's rather quick on her feet but careful; if she sees someone who might be lost or also in the grove, she might pause for a moment to ascertain if whoever she encounters is a threat or not. ]
⚡ epilogue: wildcard
[ I didn't want to bloat my toplevel too much, but if you want a custom prompt here is where you can ask for it! Feel free to throw a personalized starter or yell at me for one in reverse, I'm pretty open to most things. If you want to plot something in a little more detail, feel free to PM me either here or at![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
tsundereban. ]
waters of seeing
Lucy mostly stays out of their way. She's not a welcome committee, and she's definitely not suited for it. She'll leave that to cheerier, more charming people. She's fresh off of a shift at her job, and she really just wants to get back to her apartment and chill, but--
She remembers getting stuck at those pools, too. The water full of visions of the moon, its grey cratered surface, the endless black sky above, Earth a small blue and green marble in the distance. Lucy remembers being paralyzed with the vision, at once both wistful and scared, longing and wishing she wasn't seeing it. She hadn't meant to watch someone else's memory-- she knows how invasive that it, how violating. And yet, Lucy had still caught of a glimpse of
something just sooooo gaya stormy grey sky and impossible powers, a determined hard smile, a one-sided fight.She doesn't believe the woman when she says it's all behind her. These pools never seem to show anything boring. ]
It does that to everybody. It's okay.
[ Lucy pauses, gaze averted. She doesn't want to keep looking at the water in case it decides to show off more. ]
We should move if we don't want a movie replay of our best and worst moments, though. [ Lucy quirks a little smile. ] It always picks up on shit that means something.
no subject
[ Her response is icy with no hint of emotions in her words; keeping her emotions in check as her gaze looks at the water one last time, catching a glimpse of the Kiana in her memories — the girl that she used to know, that she still knows, but is different now, in ways where she feels like a stranger — before finally looking away, turning fully on her heel to face Lucy properly.
She's going to see the real Kiana eventually; it's best not to linger on visions of the past.
She opts to distract herself with a rather easy question: ]
Is it only these waters that cause this sort of effect?
no subject
[ What a scary idea. It's a good thing Magisteria isn't that sadistic, although she bets some magic asshole out there probably does have mirrors that do exactly that. ]
There's a lot here that'll keep you on your toes, though. And one of the residents inside the lobby is kind of having a freak out about losing her stupid furbies, so, shit's levitating and raining glitter and whatever. I'd wait a bit before you go in.
[ Lucy smirks. How the fuck did all of this become semi-normal to her? It's so weird. But hey, she'll take Magisteria's version of chaos (wandering stormclouds above people's heads, living furniture, and food that makes your hair change color) over Night City's version of chaos (cyberpsychosis, gang violence in broad daylight, and corrupt everything). ]
Unless you figure you can deal with that. In which case; good luck.
no subject
[ It's spoken so casually that it almost seems like a joke. Almost.
Nevertheless, she does take in the next couple of words that Lucy says, appreciative for the information. ]
I'll keep that in mind. I'm too new in this world to be the most helpful in finding someone's... furbies.
no subject
Ever been to another world before?
[ It's a weird question, sure, but... it's actually not that weird, here. Lucy knows multiple people who have traveled through different worlds, and from the glimpse of wild powers she'd seen in this girl's memory, maybe it's not a reach to think she might have done so.
Besides, Lucy feels compelled to make conversation. One icy girl to another. ]
Or is this your first time?
no subject
[ The Elysian Realm felt like another world in many ways, but it was still at the end of the day a part of Earth, even if it was squirreled away and hidden. ]
I suppose I should be throwing the question back over to you, then.
no subject
[ Lucy tips back her head, looking up at the sky. One of the moons is visible during the day at this time of month, and outside of the apartments it's a lot more peaceful than the lobby right now.
Normally so tight-lipped, Lucy finds herself sharing. Just a little bit. ]
Place I come from is called Night City. It's a place that chews everyone up and spits them out mangled. It's ugly, and bloody, and everybody's just out for themselves because nobody else will watch your back.
[ Lucy smirks. ]
Magisteria's a fluffy kitten in comparison. Where'd you come from?
no subject
[ That isn't very specific in the slightest, Raiden Mei. So she continues: ]
I'm from a country that is known as Japan. As for what it's like... the easiest way to put it is "a mess". There was an incident that happened in my hometown that brought it to ruins.
[ An incident that was entirely her fault. Not that she plans on elaborating further. ]
While people in other places who didn't get impacted are living their normal, ordinary lives, there are those who choose to fight. I ended up being one of those people.
[ Back then, she didn't have much else to lose. So she grabbed the hand of the person who reached out to her; not because of her father's reputation, but for herself - as Raiden Mei, the person. ]
arrival
Still, he doesn't seem to have an inventory, not a stat page, which is... different from the norm, for sure. And his inventory? Gone. He got two Clari-Tea (who knows when you need an emotion cleansing snack) and two Mystic Macarons (they looked cute enough) and is now standing there, holding it all in an awkward way. A shame the Bean & Berry couldn't give him a proper bag, right?]
Huh... I'm. [Crap, talking is still difficult, saying something like ten words in four years certainly did a number on his vocal cords. His voice sounds low and raspy.] Confused.
[To further show his point, he offers a small shrug, both drinks dancing inside their cups. In the end he raises one finger up, pointing it in her direction in a silent 'what about you?'.]
no subject
But just because it's a part of Mei's normal now doesn't necessarily mean that she has to like it.
She just doesn't allow it to show on her face, expression stoic even if there's a warmth to her voice as she speaks, like the sun peeking out behind the clouds. ]
I think I understand what's going on at least. [ Acceptance. Knowing about alternate universes helped her in the long run, it seems. ] But what exactly are you confused about?
no subject
Still, the woman is talking and he puckers his lips just slightly. Mh... how to explain his various questions? In the end he puts down both cups and the small macaron container and holds up the strange device. It looks like a simple tablet, truly, hardly anything more. A large touch screen that barely fits in the large pockets of his hospital gown.
The teen doesn't seem too confident using it, but he's at least able to pick the 'welcoming' video they've been given and bring it over a specific point. 'Tattoo' is repeated a couple of times, with him pushing the red line in the bottom back to mark that specific word. He then looks down at himself and shrugs.]
Can't. Find it?
[Then again there's no chance whatsoever he takes off his hospital gown in a place full of people. Dream or not, Sunny has some decency. For the second part, he stops the video when it's saying 'Finally... I'm afraid your group has come at something of a difficult time for this part of the city.'. He taps the screen a couple of times.]
Quests? [That would make sense if it's not real, right? He just has to find them and follow whatever this strange story is about. He already chose Magic as his path, it sounds like the funniest one. As for his other questions. And also...] Like... movie. Book. Or game.
[He still has to figure out he can just write on his device, technology isn't as advanced in Sunny's one.]
no subject
[ The mention of games, however makes Mei feel nostalgic.
This is the kind of thing that Bronya-chan would talk about... ]
Looks like it. Perhaps they wanted to make things easier for those of us who are new here in this world to take up work.
no subject
Uhm...
[he looks pensive, then, looking at her and massaging his chin. If those are all quests and such, that's at least something he can understand. That being said..]
Bad. Timing. [for them to come in. For them to deal with that all.] Where. To start?
no subject
[ She gives a rather simple answer to the simple comment of their supposed "bad timing". As for Sunny's question... ]
The best way to start is most likely getting to know the lay of the land and those who live here.
Elysian Grove
Sakura thinks she almost has the bearing of a Servant -- which, given her encounter with Musashi, is not exactly impossible in this world. She definitely does radiate an aura of power and competence which is... quite captivating. They are far from the Grail War here, and Sakura is no Master, not any longer, but perhaps that residual history, or perhaps something else in her, still responds strongly to the sight. ]
Answers... ah, well, there are a lot of illusions in this place...
[ She speaks these words softly, still somewhat reserved in the face of strangers. It might be hard to say why Sakura has returned to this place. Perhaps she has suspected more Otherworlders could be here, needing assistance, as there were before. Or perhaps it's something like an occasional nightly walk. After all, the moonlight and the Grove are always more magical and enchanted than anywhere else, even in Magisteria. Her own magic, that which she has been learning, feels especially potent in this particular environs. And it makes her feel thoughtful. Reminiscing and nostalgic and deep within herself. But in a mostly good way. ]
But ... depending on what you think of as answers, you might find them. It's a very ancient land, I think. And very powerful. Full of spirits.
[ She folds her hands in front of her, primly. She is standing in an unassuming manner amid the trees and the forest ferns, moonlight branches swaying high over her head. ]
no subject
[ Her voice is even, but curious. If there are illusions to be found in this place, she needs to be careful. It's why she asks for the specifics; it's better to be safe than sorry.
Then again, who's to say that this isn't an illusion right now?
... no, her gut - her senses - tell her that this is real. ]
As for what I consider as answers... honestly, anything would do at this point.
[ Whether those so called 'answers' are useful or not, however, that's for her to decide once she finds them. ]