⬣//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

[dapples]

wanderhalle library.

[ As a librarian and book enthusiast, he is very ✨ DISTRESSED ✨ at the state of these decaying books. Every book that he picks up falls apart in his hands, and while he knows he should stop, he keeps checking every book on the shelves. If anyone is nearby, they'll hear the nerd twink mumbling to himself. ]

Was this... a design choice? Why would this happen otherwise...?

hot springs.

[ After accessing the area with the Δ Confused Fool's Hideout keywords, Brambles has made his way to the hot springs. In real life, he had a migraine (probably from stress and dehydration) but upon arriving in this area, he feels so much more calmer and relaxed. He will have mentioned to close CR via messenger that he's going to be checking this place out, but if none of his companions show up, he'll be happy to encounter another curious stranger otherwise.

"The springs are flanked by an inn whose proprietors eagerly insist upon trying the local delicacies: spa-boiled mantid eggs and hot sake. When eaten together, you’ll find that your worldly troubles feel, well, worlds away. Spending a night at the inn guarantees your anxieties remain at bay." ]

Wow ... this is nice. [ They're supposed to just ... go in with their armour on right? Unless ... ] I wonder if we should check out the inn first.

illness.

[ Like many others entering Naval Monte, Brambles gets infected with the illness. He is first sighted in stage one, with the inability to lie.

In stage two, he loses his ability to hear. He's not sure if the game is to blame or whether it's a fault in his headset so, naturally, he logs back out to try and solve the issue. But when he logs back in, he can't feel anything he touches. The very last time that he logs in, he loses his ability to speak. Now, he looks panicked.

For stage three, he is unreachable. The disconnection from his body causes him to knock several books off his desk in real life, including spilling a hot cup of tea which burns his feet.

In the final stage, Brambles is a shell of the chatty man that several know him as in the game. He's unresponsive, quiet, and dazed. He can be sighted idled out somewhere and won't initiate conversation, even with someone he's met before. ]

wildcard.

( ooc: I have no plotting post this time around so hmu on discord to hash anything out! )

hot springs

[fluorite]

[ With a need to relax himself, Fai also just so happens to be at the hot springs! He's already in the springs, decidedly without any armor on.

Leaning out of it just a bit so that he can rest his arms on the rocks surrounding the springs, he calls out: ]

The inn's pretty nice too!

[ Yeah, he eavesdropped. ]

[dapples]

--Oh!

[ He goes to seek out the direction where he heard the voice. ]

Hello! Fancy seeing you here!

[fluorite]

[ He waves, though it's more of just a wiggle of his pruney fingers. ]

Stop by to relax? The springs are really, really nice! I wouldn't mind some company.

[dapples]

Sure thing!

[ He steps down into the water, fully equipped, not knowing whether or not he should remove his armour. Meh, he'll decide later. ]

Oh...! It feels good. Heh, have you been okay?

[fluorite]

[ Wow, an interesting choice. Fai is impressed that he goes in with all his armor on. ]

I have! Not too bad. I can't really complain, honestly.

[ With a little shrug, he settles back in the bath. ]

What about you?

library

[tylorific]

[ Tylor is quiet as he approaches, nature more than any sneaky intent.

He's also too honest right now. ]

You know, you're gonna destroy them all at this rate. I thought you liked books.

[dapples]

Of course I do! But, surely, these aren't salvageable? I was trying to see if at least one would ... [ just as another book falls apart in his hands ] ... not break into pieces.

[tylorific]

[ Tylor watches it crumble first, before responding. ]

Who knows? Maybe one really will be a real book?

[ He sounds optimistic as he picks up a book himself. Predictably, it also disintigrates. ]

... What do you think will happen if they all end up like that? A library without books is pre-tty strange.

[dapples]

[ he presses F to pay respects for the next fallen book :'( ]

It would no longer be a library, really. It would just be a building.

[tylorific]

Oh. Is a building filled with bookshelves not a library?

[ Have some genuine curiosity as he picks up the next one. He says the next part almost to himself as his gaze sweeps the place before landing on the disintigrating book in his hand. ]

I just wonder why they don't have any books you can really read.

Library

[legendofthelion]

[She didn't really come here to read so much as just checking out every environment out of curiosity. But she did try and pick up a book or two to see what was up with them, only to have them crumble away in her hands.

It seems she's not the only one having this predicament, looking at Brambles.] It has to be, right? But having a full functioning library would be just as weird. I kinda thought they'd just be blank.

[dapples]

Yeah ... although I suppose if they were blank, it wouldn't be as interesting.

[ He picks up another book and watches it dissolve again. ]

Why would a fully functioning library be weird? I think it would be fun. [ Because you're a nerd, Brambles. ]

[legendofthelion]

Well, it'd be a whole lot of work to write full books that fit the game's lore, right? Adding real books wouldn't be the same.

[Well, it'd be suitable filler but there are definitely those in the story/roleplayer crowd who would find it lazy. Might as well not have any full books and save it for bits and pieces around the game.] You could read those offline.

[dapples]

Haha, yeah. But I think it sounds really fun! Even if it's not a whole entire book, a chapter or two would be neat. Reading secrets to the game! Discovering new places! Solving clues! I'd love that.

[legendofthelion]

Maybe they'll have that kind of lore closer to release? It seems like most of it's in NPCs and area exploration, but there hasn't been much of a traditional quest system. [It makes it more like a large sandbox than an RPG, which suits Dehya fine.]

Have you... seen any of those special areas?

hot springs

[regressive]

[ He reads Brambles' message while he's checking out Δ Confused Fool's Hideout and its inn and hot springs, so by the time he arrives, Joonghyuk is already wandering around... fully clothed for now. ]

We can, but I've already booked a room, so there's no rush.

[ Turns out that Punisher can be surprisingly thoughtful!! ]

[dapples]

Oh, you have? [ That IS thoughtful! And it makes him smile. ] Thank you! One less thing to worry about, then.

[ The staff begin to offer their complimentary sake and mantid eggs, which he consumes. Whew, the sake packs a punch - but it's very delicious. ]

Mmm ... so, since our room is sorted, why don't we go for a soak?

[regressive]

[ Joonghyuk doesn't say no to the sake and mantid eggs either, finding the taste very unique. ]

Sure. But... let's look for a more secluded hot spring.

[ It looks like he's more or less aware what they might end up doing. ]

[dapples]

Good call.

[ Privacy will be extremely good for ✨ reasons ✨ even if the thought of suspicious activity hasn't entered his sweet little head just yet. Brambles heads through to find a spring corner behind a stone wall with a nice view of countryside stretching beyond. ]

This one seems pretty cosy. [ And he'll just....unequip some armour?? ] I assume we need to take clothes off for an authentic experience?

[regressive]

It does.

[ Joonghyuk nods with approval and proceeds to unequip his armor as well since they can't... unequip each other's armor pieces, sadly. After unequipping the default skin last, he gestures to Brambles to sit on the stool nearby. ]

Let's wash ourselves real quick before we go in.

[ It might not be necessary at all since this is a game, but he's already scooping the lukewarm water from the bucket. ]

illness level one baybee

[weaseled]

[At the point in which Yael approaches Brambles, he's already well aware that he can no longer lie. That makes communicating with a lot of the people participating in the beta dangerous, but he doesn't feel as concerned with Brambles.

Why? Because one of them is significantly easier to bully than the other. Can you guess who?

Yael happens by him while wandering the streets of Naval Monte, flagging him down with a wave of his hand.]

Yo. You lost?

SHOVES MY TOES IN YOUR NOSTRILS

[dapples]

Maybe a little.

[ He laughs! Oops, it's honesty hours. ]

How's it going?

WOW UR SO NASTY

[weaseled]

It's going.

[Wowie, so informative. Yael turns the conversation right back around onto Brambles, as one does.]

And you? Any exciting new developments in your life?

[dapples]

Um ...

[ The impulsion that takes over him is so fast - Brambles can't even blink before he starts spilling his guts. ]

Punisher unexpectedly flew over to see me for two weeks shortly after the death that happened in-game because he was worried about me ... he showed up on my doorstep and stayed with me in my home city, to check I was okay. And we-- and-- [ HE'S TRYING SO HARD NOT TO SHARE THE INTIMATE DETAILS-- ] now he's my boyfriend.