⬣//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

[tylorific]

How do I talk?

[ Head tilt. ]

[threatmewted]

Oh. My god. You really are just like that.

[tylorific]

[ Tylor laughs, one hand scratching at the back of his head. Not that he sounds bothered at all as he goes on. ]

Well, I don't really know what you mean. I just think crafting your own stuff is pre-tty cool, and it'd be nice to see your design. But you don't have to, I understand.

[threatmewted]

Then I'm not. So you can just go along your merry little way.

[tylorific]

[ Nonplussed as ever, he laughs again-- breezily and brief like he expected that response. ]

Then I can't wait to be surprised when you wear it!

But, I'm guessing you aren't hungry, either? It's not good to work on an empty stomach, you know.

[threatmewted]

Ugh, no. Besides, if we sat down to eat, there's a chance those NPCs might spot us and decide to join in for story time.

[tylorific]

[ That makes Tylor's smile almost tilt to a grin, still just as stupidly genuine. ]

Well you know, I'm really good at distracting them if you want some alone time to work on stuff.

You can even pick the food after.

[threatmewted]

...You aren't serious.

[tylorific]

I am. But don't worry, I don't mind. Even if you don't eat with me after.

[ Honesty plague makes deals a little hard. Yet, he really doesn't seem to mind. ]

How long do you want?

[threatmewted]

Gimme at least an hour.

[tylorific]

You got it!

[ And yeah, he actually means it.

As if on cue, only a few steps from her he runs into an NPC before he makes it. If she's paying any attention at all Tylor even knows the guy's name. It isn't even hard for him to keep up the small talk, as long as it takes to keep them moving along around instead of disturbing whatever she chooses to spend the hour doing.

Over the course of the hour, one NPC occasionally becomes two, or three, but his insistence means that barely any of them even get more than a word of a greeting before he is right there all smiles and pleasantries to scoop them up and away with words alone. How are the kids? Oh, no, I can't come to dinner right now but invite me tomorrow!.

If she dares to look over, she might even get a thumbs up or a wink from him. ]

[threatmewted]

[She is not paying attention at all!

Instead she's making it through several more scribbled out drafts, looking progressively more frustrated. Rip.]

[tylorific]

[ Somehow, it's devolved into some sort of game that draws more than a couple NPCs in. It's like a magnet for them for some time. More than a few hours go by, before he's coming back to her when there is finally a lull in the NPCs. Most of them are wandering home. Tylor doesn't even try to look at her work when he flops back onto the ground with his eyes closed.

He sighs out the question. ]

That was an hour, right?

[ It's definitely been at least a couple hours. ]

How's it going over here?

[threatmewted]

[She now has pulled her head over her face so uh. About that well.]

Designing stuff sucks.

[tylorific]

Yeah, it sure is hard work.

[ A beat, where he sits up and pats the spot next to him. ]

Hey, c'mon, take a break. That usually helps me. [ The way he says this last part is happily like it's an inside joke-- ] And no, I'm not hitting on you. I'm just trying to help, but you don't have to take it.

[ He doesn't mind this honesty plague so much. ]

[threatmewted]

Helps you with what?

[Has this guy worked hard a day in his life??? She doesn't think so, just looking at him.]

[tylorific]

From getting stuck in a rut! Those are the worst.

[ Tylor shifts a little, pulling out his own doodles. Thanks, Ramiel for teaching him that things to doodle on and with exist around here. They're cute little doodles of some of the NPCs around town. Some are animals for no real reason. Cats, dogs, rabbits. Some of them also carry machine guns. ]

See? I'd never finish anything if I didn't take a lot of breaks to just draw whatever I want. Don't put so much pressure on yourself.

[threatmewted]

[What the... since when was this guy good at anything??!]

What, do you get stuck often or something?

[tylorific]

Not anymore. Whenever I don't like what I'm doing, I just stop and do something else. Sometimes I go back to it or sometimes I start all over and do something better anyway.

[ Tylor shrugs. ]

It's easier to decide which one is better after a nap. Or some sake.

[ Tylor tilts his head as he goes, feeling it out in real time with no planning-- ]

But maybe for you, a deep breath and some good food? Don't think about all this for a little bit, and you'll come back to it with fresh eyes.

[threatmewted]

...Do you ever get anything done that way?

[It just sounds like giving up to her.]

[tylorific]

All the time! I finished all of these, didn't I?

[ The doodles. But he fishes out some blank paper after a beat to hand to her. ]

Here, try this then. Draw whatever you want. Only no designs, and no judgment. Draw anything you like, I won't even look.

[ He's covering his eyes now, for emphasis. ]

[threatmewted]

Seriously?

[It sounds so dumb, though...

Still, once she sees him covering his eyes, she sighs - and begins sketching something.]

[tylorific]

Seriously.

[ Tylor says with confidence as he falls back again, eyes still covered. There's a nap incoming if she takes too long. But what precedes it is a long and comfortable silence. ]

[threatmewted]

[It doesn't take her too long, and there's a rustle of paper as she hides it.]

Done.

[tylorific]

[ As if summoned, Tylor sits up at her word before his hands fall away. ]

So, how'd it go? Are you hungry yet?