⬣//BLOSSOMING FROM A GAP IN THE ASPHALT.

[cccorp]

>>NAVAL MONTE // >>HEALTH // >>ROGUE NPC // >>CONFERENCE // >>Zelkova Corner

⬣//A TOWERING MOUNTAIN AMIDST THE WAVES

A new Root Town has been revealed: Naval Monte, a tiered city built upon a mountain jutting up from an endless expanse of ocean. These fortified walls house an innumerable number of NPCs who, unlike those which occupy other Root Towns, are quite a bit more advanced.

Those of you who spend entirely too much time logged in have no doubt noticed the set patterns the NPCs of Mac Anu and Lumina Cloth take to move from area to area. Their paths never change. Their dialog rarely diverges. Talking to a freshly painted wall would be more stimulating than conversing with your run of the mill NPC, but Naval Monte's are different.

They move in accordance with their own whims, seldom found in the same place twice. Some NPCs have entire families while others boast elaborate backstories and speak at length of their tales of bravery and triumphs over evil. While they won't accept your party invites, they may instead invite you to share a meal with their family and regale you with stories until you've had your fill.

Travel far enough into the depths of the city and you'll hear tales of a graveyard that sits within the core of the mountain, but the NPCs who guard this elusive site are defensive at best. Don't expect them to let you in, but given their advanced nature, you may be able to wheedle some valuable information out of them.

Be aware that there is a price to enter Naval Monte. After crossing the vast bridge leading right up to the mountain city, you'll be accosted by no less than a dozen eager vendors fighting to peddle their wares to you. Some are so desperate that they ask only for a single GP, and in exchange, they grant you passage to the city.

Ask them why they're so desperate to make a sale and they'll answer plainly: if you don't, the curse will persist.

⬣//FOR YOUR HEALTH

Come Saturday morning, an email flagged as urgent pops up in your inbox.

To our beta team,

It has come to our attention that a number of our beta testers have failed to report previous underlying health conditions that may negatively impact their ability to perform their duties as intended.

In our ongoing efforts to monitor the health and safety of our beta testing team, all participants in Fragment's closed beta test will be required to complete a health screening before the date of September 16th in order to continue participating in the beta.

Beta participants will be matched with a health professional in their area and the fees for their screening and assessment waived. As such, it is necessary that you make an appointment with the medical professional assigned to you or select another from within our network.

No exceptions will be made for those who fail to submit their health assessments to CyberConnect's Health and Human Resources department. Termination from Fragment's beta testing program and applicable legal action will be taken in the event that you fail to participate in these necessary steps.

We take the health and safety of our beta testers very seriously. If you have any concerns, please contact us at cccorp.ccmail.com.

Thank you for your continued efforts,
CyberConnect Corporation of Japan.

⬣//ON THE RUN

Murmurs of an unusual NPC have begun to circulate within Naval Monte.

According to eye witnesses, one of the local residents has "gone rogue". According to them, a woman with dishwater eyes and hair messily pulled into a loose bun has been spotted going door to door begging to be let in.

"We need to go," she shouts, her eyes glossy with tears, her every word slurred. "We'll be safe there! We'll be free! We can't live like this anymore!"

From what you've heard, that woman has managed to break free from the confines of her native Root Town and has been seen running through the streets in Mac Anu, Lumina Cloth, and the nameless Root Town in the sky. You may have even come across her, accosted in the street and urged to listen to her increasingly erratic ramblings.

"I need you to take me there! Take me to him! His father left the key within him!"

Ultimately, nothing you say or do will influence the woman's behavior or calm her down. All you'll get for your troubles is an ill feeling in the pit of your gut, something that blooms from within you and spreads infinitely outwards. An infection you can't cure.

You won't realize that the infection has begun to spread and mutate until you see it blossoming all around you, your fellow testers complaining of an unidentifiable malaise. You'll know what afflicts you and everyone you've infected when it's far too late to do anything about it. Until this unfortunate "bug" is patched, you'll continue to get sicker and sicker. The progression of the illness is as follows:

Stage one: The complete inability to lie, but is that really a bad thing? We could all stand to be more honest and communicative.

Stage two: The loss of one of your key senses, but only one. Maybe it's your sense of smell. Your keen tongue. Your vision. Whatever it is, it's a vital part of you that won't return to you until you log off, but when you next log in, you may find that a different sense has gone missing instead.

Stage three: Disconnect from your real world body. You'll realize after several days have passed that you can no longer feel your real self as keenly as before. You may not realize you've slapped yourself in the face or knocked a tooth out on the edge of your desk until you log out for the day and witness the extent of the damage.

Final stage: Memory loss. Your head feels foggy. Concentrating becomes a struggle, your thoughts sluggishly crawling through your mind and and ultimately losing their way. In the final stages of the illness, you may forget to log out for days at a time and wake to find yourself passed out on the floor with your headset jostled loose, inadvertently freeing you from the game.

The "cure," aside from a timely patch, may hide somewhere within the game. Before your senses leave you, you'd better start asking around.

⬣//YOU CAN TRUST US. WE PROMISE.

As many of you know, it isn't easy to get ahold of CyberConnect when you need them. Hien is, at best, completely useless. Pete isn't much better. It's for these reasons and more that players have been invited to a digital conference and encouraged to give a voice to the rising concerns within the beta testing community.

The conference is to be held, both ICly and OOCly, on September 23rd at 12PM EST. If you have any burning questions to ask the people who hold power and influence over the state of the game and what happens within it, you can't afford to complain about timezones. This is your opportunity to speak your mind and have those questions answered.

OOCly, the conference will begin on September 23rd at 12PM EST and end on October 7th at 12PM EST. During this time, your characters can ask whatever questions they'd like of CyberConnect corporate staff, bring up concerns, and provide insights on their beta testing experiences.

Participation is mandatory (ICly), so set your alarms and don't be late!

⬣//ZELKOVA’S CORNER

Hello, everyone! Sorry I was away for a while. I got stuck in an outer level of the game and it took me a week to get back, but I should be just fine now! I hope I didn't miss anything too serious...

I did see that all of you have worked hard on those recipes, though! I liked all of them so much that I've added each of them into the game so that everyone can make their own. Congratulations!

>>Navigation

Comments

[insinning]

1. A wander into Δ Thirsting Prostrated Epistemophile (Wanderhalle Library)

[ Rather than immediately port into the new root town, Sinclair goes digging through recreational areas that he hadn't had a chance to visit in all the chaos. He brushes his fingers against a line of books, sending up a large cloud of dust and begins to sneeze. Repeatedly. Eugh. If anyone is close by, they might want to lend a hand? Things that didn't need to be realistic: this]

2. A walk through Naval Monte

[SOME DAYS LATER - Alright, fine. He'll go visit the new root town. He only has a few days of free time to play at night this week, so he might as well make the most of it. He finds himself walking up and down the streets, drawn into conversations with NPCs and their family dinners alike. It's weird. Really weird. But Sinclair can't pull away without feeling rude about it, even if they're technically NPCs.

It's all good, until he runs into that woman.

And that's when it goes to hell. The next day he logs in, he finds himself frowning at a delightful tea, sipping at it carefully, unaware he's gone straight to stage 2.]

...weird. I don't taste anything.

iii. [WILDCARD PLOTS]

[LMK if you want Sinclair to already be at stage 1 or stage 2 of the illness for this]

wildcard

[dissimulative]

[ SNOW DATE SNOW DATE

It's been weird lately. Oria is quick to notice that he can only tell the truth now, which makes him feel uneasy—a dangerous pit in his stomach that warns him of the dangers to come. He tries to forget about it though, since he's here to have fun with Sinclair at the snow ski Area!

That said, Oria picks up a clump of snow, forms a snowball, and chucks it at Sinclair's back. ]

[insinning]

[Sinclair was busy rolling up a ball for a snow man - why is it cold, why does he leave his pain sensors on just to experience this environment when he gets beamed in the back of his head. Yelping!]

Hey!

[Turning his accusatory eyes onto Oria. And then at his sad little snowman.

...

Packing a snow ball and launching right back at Oria ]

[dissimulative]

[ Sinclair has a good throw, because Oria doesn't manage to dodge in time. Oof. ]

Hey!!

[ He says it in a way that's returning a greeting. ]

You wanna go?!

[insinning]

[Sinclair can't help but laugh at that and he bends down to gather more snow]

Is that suppose to be scary? You made me ruin my snowman--

[He wont roll over for a snowball fight!!]

[dissimulative]

Fine, fine.

[ Oria just walks up to Sinclair instead, observing the snowman for a bit before reaching down to take some snow... then pulling the back of the collar to drop snow in. ]

1

[worldbent]

[And as Sinclair goes walking through those dusty, echoey halls, he might pull a book out from the shelf to see a face appear spookily behind it!! OOoooOOOoo!!]

Boo.

[Matoba grins, then ducks his head around the corner of the bookshelf, waving some dust out of his face from that book being pulled out.] Haha, I did not expect to find anyone else here.... What brings you to this place, Vogel-san?

[insinning]

[It's probably a good thing Sinclair second guesses his instinct to just throw the book into Matoba's face. He manages to still his movement into a small jump, as he wills his heart to stop racing]

Mister...0koto. [Koto?] I wasn't expecting to see anyone either. I was thinking this place might have some interesting lore, but-

[Opening up the book and watching it dissolve]

...I think the developers want us to fix this place up first.

[worldbent]

Makoto, [He corrects cheerfully without missing a beat. Don't pick up Oria's bad habits!!] I see....

I was thinking much the same thing in coming here, but so far the books have been doing more imploding than informing.

[Matoba turns his head and squints into the gloomy darkness of the library's long hall, sparing beams of light and low lamps providing the bits and pieces of good light under which to read anything that didn't immediately fall apart upon opening.]

A bit of dusting and sweeping might do it some good, but I don't know if any amount of "fixing up" will save the books that have already degraded to such a degree. Unless there are some spells that can reverse time, hm? Nothing in the Shadow Warlock repertoire, at least just yet.

[insinning]

Mister Makoto...

[Avoiding the bad habits! He doesn't feel comfortable using that nickname anyway. He runs his fingers over the books]

Mm. It's a shame. I liked finding all those bits of lore last time.

[When is the last time he found a bit of a German poem? Maybe if he goes flying again?]

It'd be nice to get it cleaned either way. I wonder if there's a way to add books...

a walk through Naval Monte

[tylorific]

[ Tylor has been around the town almost as soon at opened. Much of that time has been spent speaking with NPCs, so it's no wonder how easily he is ushered in by one to join them for Dinner. So, hello Tylor is here now, seated beside Sinclair.

As the NPCs ready things for their guests, his gaze wanders until it lands on Sinclair. His lips, most specifically, as he's speaking about his tea. Tylor is staring with the most clueless expression his face can manage until he starts squinting. And putting fingers in both of his ears. If Sinclair looks over, Tylor will point to his ears with a shrug and a dumb smile. ]

[insinning]

Tylor-!

[It's always good to see Tylor, even if


Tilting his head. Hmmm, he's not quite sure what that means]

Are you okay?

[tylorific]

[ Tylor is staring at him blankly, squinting slightly again as Sinclair speaks. He's trying to mimic the way his mouth is moving, then thinking some more.

when he does speak up, it's clear he has lost his volume control. ]

Oh! I'm okay.

[ Behind him, one of the NPCs jump at the sudden noise, but Tylor seems oblivious as he gives Sinclair a thumbs up. ]

[insinning]

[aaaaah?? Sinclair jumps with the NPC]

T-that's too loud!

[He'll just wave at Tylor to lower the volume. Please do not]

wildcaaaaard

[fluorite]

( feel free to pick what stage of the illness you'd like to drop on them during this thread! i'm fine with having stage one in the beginning and then hitting them with stage 2! )

[ What better way to bond than to go on an dungeon run? That's what Fai figures as he invites Sinclair out for one.

Of course, there's a bigger purpose to this run than bonding because he thinks Sinclair might be a little bit lonely and could use an older responsible person in his life.

Said purpose is something Fai gets to the moment they set foot in that grassy meadow. With a grin as he turns to Sinclair, he opens with: ]

Oria told me you're dating.

heheh :3

[insinning]

[Works for me!]

[ Sinclair honestly isn't expecting that question at all, because as soon as Fai drops it, he nearly trips over his own two feet]

Ah--he told you?

[He blushes a little]

Um. Yes. We are.

[fluorite]

[ It's a miracle that Fai holds back a snicker when Sinclair trips. Hehe. ]

He did. I told him I thought the two of you were a good match.

[insinning]

[ Is this the best thing to talk about in a dungeon? probably not but Sinclair will go with it]

You did?

[ A good match? Somehow Sinclair hadn't looked at it that way before]

flying explorations through ??? and naval monte

[insinning]

[ Backdating to Monday probably. Open to anyone who is also flying around.

Well, resident German translator is flying around now, looking inside buildings and what not. He's avoiding the graveyard, but otherwise he can be seen up high in ??? and Naval Monte. What poem scraps will he find this time?]

[cccorp]

Searching through enough nooks and crannies on the highest peak of Naval Monte will eventually yield the final scrap of poetry though, like the others, it is somewhat incomplete.

█████ schemes when swallowed by the Cursed Wave.
█████ seduces with the sweet trap.
Wave reaches the Pinnacle, and escape none can. ██████ still remains with more cruelty to punish and destroy.
And with the turbulent destruction after the Wave. Only a void remains. From deep within the void arrives ████████.

Perhaps then the Wave is just a beginning as well.

[insinning]

[Hmmm, what could this all mean? Why is it incomplete? He'll do some extra digging to find anything else, but he's at a loss right now]

1

[userunfriendly]

[ It isn't exactly something to boast about, but Michel's immunity to dust is actually quite high. His own library probably looks as bad as this even now. But the sound of sneezing is loud and impossible to ignore. He puts back the book he was glancing at and makes his way around the stacks to trace the noise back to...

A very pitiful Sinclair. ]

You should hold your breath when handling the books. [ A pause. ] But not once you're already sneezing.

Re: 1

[insinning]

[Ugh. His sneezing fit soon ends and he grabs a handkerchief to rub his nose. Augh]

I didn't think it'd be this dusty.

[userunfriendly]

[ Good thing Sinclair had a handkerchief. All Michel has to offer is his sleeve, and he's just enough of a heathen that he might actually do it. ]

They've taken the realism too far again... I wonder if any of these are still readable.

[insinning]

[ He is a polite boy, even in game worlds]

I think the only way to fix the library is to throw everything out and start anew.